Optical alignment method and detector
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsDave Golman King, Patrick Laurence Kroger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An alignment detector that detects an alignment of a printhead of a printer, with the alignment detector including a photodetector and a single focusing element focusing a point on a media to a point on the photodetector. The alignment detector can be used to detect the alignment of the printer by scanning the alignment detector across the media and detecting predetermined marks previously printed on the media by imaging the predetermined marks using the alignment detector. The area between the single focusing element and the photodetector may be filled by a translucent material, such that there is no air gap between the two.
Claims16
A printing apparatus, comprising:
- a light source;
- an alignment sensor, wherein said alignment sensor includes a detector and a single focusing element to image a point on a media to a point on the detector;
- and
- a control unit to determine whether said printing apparatus is aligned based on a detection by the alignment sensor of a predetermined mark on the media.
A method of detecting a mis-alignment of an apparatus, comprising:
- scanning a media for a predetermined mark;
- detecting the predetermined mark based upon an imaging of a point on the media, onto a point of a detector, by a single focusing element;
- and
- determining whether the apparatus is mis-aligned based on whether the detected predetermined mark is in a predetermined position on the media.
An alignment detector, comprising:
- a single focusing element, made of a translucent material, to focus an image of a point on a media to a point on a detector, wherein the area between the detector and single focusing element is filled with the translucent material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.