Thermal printer with sacrificial member
AssigneeZIH Corp.
InventorsDavid L. Poole, Barry R. Knott, David Laurence George Worgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal printer that includes a thermally conductive sacrificial member disposed between the thermal print head and the web. The sacrificial member is held generally under tension and prevents the web from directly engaging the thermal print head. The sacrificial member may take one of many different forms, including a fixed strip or belt, a rotatable, continuous belt which slowly recirculates during printing to equalize wear across its surface, or a Moebius loop which further provides that wear is equalized across both sides of the belt. By providing a sacrificial member between the print head and web, wear and exposure of the print head is reduced, thereby prolonging the life of the print head.
Claims27
A thermal web printer comprising:
- a thermal print head;
- and
- a Moebius-configured sacrificial member disposed between said thermal print head and a web passing said print head.
For use with a thermal web printer having a thermal print head, the method comprising:
- moving a print web past the print head;
- and
- circulating an endless sacrificial member between the thermal print head and the web.
A thermal printer configured to receive a web and print thereon, said thermal printer comprising:
- a thermal print head;
- and
- a sacrificial member disposed between said thermal print head and said web when said web is received by said thermal printer, wherein said sacrificial member comprises a belt, wherein said belt comprises an unpigmented ribbon and wherein said web is not coated.
A thermal printer configured to receive a web and print thereon, said thermal printer comprising:
- a thermal print head;
- and
- a sacrificial member disposed between said thermal print head and said web when said web is received by said thermal printer, wherein said sacrificial member comprises a belt, wherein said belt is at least one of fixed and rotatable, wherein said belt is rotatable, continuous, and includes a Moebius loop.
A thermal printer configured to receive a web and print thereon, said thermal printer comprising;
- a thermal print head;
- and
- a sacrificial member disposed between said thermal print head and said web when said web is received by said thermal printer, wherein said sacrificial member contacts said thermal print head and generally prevents said web from directly engaging said thermal print head, wherein said thermal printer is configured to hold said sacrificial member generally under tension, said thermal printer further comprising a platen roller, wherein said sacrificial member is disposed between said thermal print head and said platen roller, wherein said sacrificial member comprises a belt, wherein said belt is rotatable, continuous, and is supported by a plurality of idler rollers and at least one drive roller in addition to the thermal print head, wherein said is configured to move said web during printing and is configured to move said belt at a speed which is slower than said web moves during printing, further comprising a roller which is configured to engage the web when the web is received by said thermal printer, and a second roller engaged with said sacrificial member, wherein said belt includes a Moebius loop, further comprising a plurality of pinch rollers which engage said sacrificial member and maintain said Moebius loop.
For use with a thermal web printer, a print mechanism comprising:
- a thermal print head;
- and
- a sacrificial member disposed in contact with said thermal print head, wherein said sacrificial member is configured as an endless loop.
For use with a thermal web printer having a thermal print head, a consumable in the form of a sacrificial member adapted to be located between the print head and a web, wherein said sacrificial member is configured as an endless loop.
A thermal printer comprising a web of thermally sensitized material, a thermal print head, and a sacrificial member disposed between said thermal print head and said web of thermally sensitized material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.