Printer for printing on a continuous print medium

A method of printing on a continuous print medium, comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer having a print head with energizable print elements, and a platen such that said print head and said platen are disposed in an opposed relationship with respect to each other;
• feeding a print medium to said printer at a continuous feed rate such that said print medium passes between said print head and said platen;
• feeding a print ribbon between said print head and said platen such that said print ribbon is fed in the same direction as and adjacent to said print medium at a rate which is variable in response to the rate of speed of said print medium within said printer;
• and
• periodically bringing said print head and said platen together, while energizing said print element and with said print ribbon disposed in contact with said print medium, so as to cause transfer of ink from said print ribbon to said print medium during printing operation.

A printer for printing on a continuous print medium by ink transfer from a print ribbon, comprising:

• means defining a print medium path through a printer and along which a print medium is conducted;
• a platen extending transversely with respect to said print medium path;
• a print head located in an opposed relationship with respect to said platen on the side of said print medium path which is opposite from said platen;
• means defining a print ribbon path, between said print head and said platen, which runs in the same direction as and lies adjacent to said print medium path, and along which a print ribbon is conducted;
• a ribbon take-off spool and a ribbon take-up spool;
• a printing actuator operable to bring said print head and said platen together during successive printing operations;
• and
• means for conducting said print ribbon along said print ribbon path at a variable rate of speed such that said speed of said print ribbon is substantially the same as that of said print medium.

A thermal printer for printing information on a moving web by ink transfer from a thermal print ribbon, comprising:

• a frame;
• a print head mounted upon said frame and movable between an inactive retracted position and an active extended position, said print head comprising an elongate array of energizable printing elements;
• a printing actuator operable to move said print head between said retracted and extended positions;
• means defining a ribbon path extending across said print head in a direction transverse to said printing element array and along which a print ribbon is conducted;
• means defining a print web path extending across said print head in a direction transverse to said printing element array and along which a print web is conducted;
• ribbon drive means for driving said print ribbon along said ribbon path;
• and
• electronic control means comprising a web speed sensor input for inputting rate of speed signals of said print web, a printing actuator output for actuating said printing actuator, and a ribbon drive output for driving said ribbon drive means at a rate of speed which is dependent upon a signal received at said web speed sensor input and indicative of said rate of speed of said print web.