Label printer having a position sensor

A printer for labels comprising:

• a printing station having a print head;
• label stock having labels on a first side and indicator stripes printed on a second side;
• a sensor having an emitter for producing light and a detector for receiving said light adjacent to the emitter;
• a mirror for focussing and reflecting said light, said mirror being positioned with respect to said emitter, detector, and label stock so as to reflect light originating at said emitter to said label stock and to reflect and focus light from said label stock to said detector;
• a removable label cassette to provide said label stock;
• and
• means for conveying said label stock past a point at which light emitted by said emitter impinges said second side of said label stock, to said printing station;
• wherein said sensor and said mirror are positioned facing the same side of said label stock such that when said detector detects said indicator by a reflection, said label stock is in a predetermined position to print an image on said label stock and said sensor is mounted in said printer independent of said cassette.

A printer for labels comprising:

• a printing station having a print head;
• label stock having labels on a first side and indicator stripes printed on a second side;
• a sensor having an emitter for producing light and a detector for receiving said light adjacent to the emitter;
• a cylindrical concave mirror for focussing and reflecting said light, .said mirror being positioned with respect to said emitter, detector, and label stock so as to reflect light originating at said emitter to said label stock and to reflect light from said label stock to said detector;
• and
• a conveyor for conveying said label stock past a point at which light emitted by said emitter impinges said second side of said label stock, to said printing station;
• wherein said sensor and said mirror are positioned facing the same side of said label stock such that when said detector detects said indicator by a reflection, said label stock is in a predetermined position to print an image on said label stock.

A cassette for use in a label printer comprising:

• a base;
• a retainer on said base containing a roll of label stock having labels on a first side and indicator stripes printed on a second side;
• a guide plate perpendicular to said base for conveying said label stock and having a first label-facing side and a second mirror-facing side, said guide plate having a window therein;
• a concave mirror mounted on said cassette adjacent said window;
• and
• a sensor hole on said base of said cassette through which light from an emitter and detector passes;
• said concave mirror being positioned with respect to said window and said sensor hole such that light emitted from an emitter is reflected from said mirror to said label stock and from said label stock to a detector;
• and
• wherein said guide plate, said window, said mirror and said sensor hole are aligned with each other such that said indicator stripe on said label stock can be detected.