On-demand narrow web electrophotographic printer

A printer for tickets, labels or the like, such printer comprising

• a transport assembly defining a path having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet receiving a narrow web of print medium, and also including feed means for feeding said web along the path from said inlet having a leading edge
• an electrographic imaging assembly positioned along said path between the inlet and the outlet, said imaging assembly including
• an imaging member adjacent an imaging position on said path
• means for forming a latent charge image on said member
• means for developing the latent charge image on said member with a toner to produce a toned image, and
• means for transferring the toned image to said narrow web as the web is fed past said imaging position
• fixing means for fixing the transferred toned image as a print on the web
• cutting means for severing a portion including said print from remainder of said web with a single cut, said cut thereby defining a trailing edge of the print and a new leading edge of said remainder of the web, wherein said cutting means is positioned along the transport path between the inlet and the imaging assembly to sever said trailing edge before said print has been produced, and
• control means for controlling said transport assembly, said imaging assembly and said cutting means so that each print is formed with fixed leading and trailing margins without wastage.

A printer for tickets, labels or the like, such printer comprising

• a transport assembly defining a path having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet receiving a narrow web of print medium, and also including feed means for feeding said web along the path from said inlet
• an electrographic imaging assembly positioned along said path between the inlet and the outlet, said imaging assembly including
• an imaging member adjacent an imaging position on said path
• means for forming a latent charge image on said member
• means for developing the latent charge image on said member with a toner to produce a toned image, and
• means for transferring the toned image to said narrow web as the web is fed past said imaging position
• fixing means for fixing the transferred toned image as a print on the web
• cutting means for severing a portion including said print from remainder of said web with a single cut, said cut thereby defining a trailing edge of the print and a new leading edge of said remainder of the web, and
• control means for controlling said transport assembly, said imaging assembly and said cutting means, said control means operating said imaging member at a substantially constant speed for forming, developing and transferring said image, and said control means decoupling feeding the web from the inlet, from transport of said web past the imaging position, such that each print is formed with fixed leading and trailing margins without wastage.

A printer for tickets, labels or the like, such printer comprising

• a transport assembly defining a path having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet receiving a narrow web of print medium having a leading edge, and also including a feed mechanism for feeding said web along the path from said inlet
• an electrographic imaging assembly positioned along said path between the inlet and the outlet, said imaging assembly including
• an imaging member adjacent an imaging position on said path
• a latent charge imaging assembly for forming a latent charge image on said member
• a developing unit for developing the latent charge image on said member with a toner to produce a toned image, and
• a transfer unit for effecting transfer of the toned image to said narrow web as the web is fed past said imaging position
• a fixing unit for fixing the transferred toned image as a print on the web
• a cutter for severing a portion including said print from remainder of said web with a single cut, said cut thereby defining a trailing edge of the print and a new leading edge of said remainder of the web, and
• a controller for controlling said transport assembly, said imaging assembly and said cutter so that the print is formed after cutting and with fixed leading and trailing margins to reduce wastage.

A printer for tickets, labels or the like, such printer comprising

• a transport assembly defining a path having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet receiving a narrow web of print medium, and also including a feed mechanism for feeding said web having a leading edge along the path from said inlet
• an electrographic imaging assembly positioned along said path between the inlet and the outlet, said imaging assembly including
• an imaging member adjacent an imaging position on said path
• a latent charge imaging assembly for forming a latent charge image on said member
• a developing unit for developing the latent charge image on said member with a toner to produce a toned image, and
• a transfer unit for effecting transfer of the toned image to said narrow web as the web is fed past said imaging position
• a fixing unit for fixing the transferred toned image as a print on the web
• a cutter for severing a portion including said print from remainder of said web with a single cut, said cut thereby defining a trailing edge of the print and a new leading edge of said remainder of the web, wherein said cutter is positioned along the transport path between the inlet and the imaging assembly to sever said trailing edge before said print has been produced, and
• a controller for controlling said transport assembly, said imaging assembly and said cutter so that said trailing edge is cut to define a trailing margin at a selected distance following location of a last intended printable line and the web is next fed forward in coordination with position of the image on said imaging mamber, whereby each print is formed with fixed leading and trailing margins without wastage.

A printer for tickets, labels or the like, such printer comprising

• a transport assembly defining a path having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet receiving a narrow web of print medium, and also including a feed mechanism for feeding said web along the path from said inlet, wherein said transport assembly and feed mechanism move the web unidirectionally
• an electrographic imaging assembly positioned along said path between the inlet and the outlet, said imaging assembly including
• an imaging member adjacent an imaging position on said path
• a latent imaging assembly for forming a latent charge image on said member
• a developing unit for developing the latent charge image on said member with a toner to produce a toned image, and
• a transfer unit for effecting transfer of the toned image to said narrow web as the web is fed past said imaging position
• a fixing unit for fixing the transferred toned image as a print on the web
• a cutter for severing a portion including said print from remainder of said web with a single cut, said cut thereby defining a trailing edge of the print and a new leading edge of said remainder of the web, and
• a controller for controlling said transport assembly, said imaging assembly and said cutter, said controller operating said imaging member at a substantially constant speed for forming, developing and transferring said image, and said controller decoupling feeding the web from the inlet, from transport of said web past the imaging position, such that each print is formed with fixed leading and trailing margins without wastage.

An improved method of printing of the type wherein an image is formed by an imaging member and a print medium is presented to the imaging member to transfer the image thereto and produce a print, wherein the method is characterized by the steps of

• providing said medium as a continuous web of material,
• driving the web with a first driver along an infeed path past a cutter assembly,
• at a position following the cutter assembly, separately driving said web along a print path with a second driver to present a portion of the web to the imaging member and receive an image transferred therefrom, and
• operating the cutter assembly to cut the web in coordination with a defined print line position of the imaging member, the cut being coordinated to produce a trailing edge of said portion between the first and second drivers such that the portion of the web driven by the second driver receives the transferred image with a defined margin without loss of web material.