Back to results
US 6,201,255 B1Granted
Media sensors for a printer
AssigneeZIH Corp.
InventorsKarl Torchalski, David A. West
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeZIH Corp.
InventorsKarl Torchalski, David A. West
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides media sensors for sensing the position of a media in a printer, such as a thermal demand printer. A repositionable media sensor for monitoring the location of a web of label media which utilizes a visible light source projected onto the label media to accurately indicate the position of the media sensor to the operator relative to the label media and facilitate any required adjustment thereof. A printed label sensor is provided for use with a thermal demand printer and includes a light emitter and light detector pair wherein a single light pipe for receiving a sensing beam from the emitter and reflecting the sensing beam at a predetermined angle towards the detector is provided. Preferably, the light pipe is mounted in a peel bar and no electronics are required outside the electronic housing of the printer.
A printed label sensor for a printer comprising:
A media sensor for monitoring the location of a web of labeled media in a label handling device, said media sensor comprising a visible indicator of a sensing beam projected onto the label media to accurately indicate the position of, and facilitate the adjustment of the location of the media sensor relative to the label media.
A media sensor for monitoring the location of a web of label media in a label handling device, said media sensor comprising an emitter for projecting a sensing beam toward said label media and a detector for receiving a reflected part of said sensing beam, both of said emitter and said detector mounted on the same side of a supply of said label media within said label handling device such that the label media does not travel between the emitter and the detector, said media sensor further including means for providing a visible indicator of the location of said sensing beam to an operator of said label handling device.
A media sensor for monitoring the location of a web of label media in a label handling device, said media sensor comprising an emitter for projecting a sensing beam toward said label media and a detector for receiving a reflected part of said sensing beam, both of said emitter and said detector mounted on the same side of a supply of said label media within said label handling device such that the label media does not travel between the emitter and the detector, wherein said media sensor is repositionable relative to the label media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.