Dispensing system for print media having differential perforation pattern
AssigneeTranslucent Technologies, LLC
InventorChauncey T. Mitchell, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A web of print media dispensable as individual sheets along lines of perforation includes a pattern of ties and slits that provide a more predictable resistance to manually separating the sheets from the web. The lines of perforation extend transversely with respect to a longitudinal dimension of the web and cross a longitudinal centerline between two edges of the web. The ties are weaker near the centerline of the web than near either of the two edges sufficient to relatively increase resistance to tearing along the lines of perforation starting near either of the two edges while relatively decreasing resistance to tearing along the same lines of perforation starting near the centerline of the web.
Claims11
A printing system that individually dispenses printed sections of a web comprising:
- the web being divisible along lines of perforation that extend between a center and two edges of the web and contain a pattern of ties that are weaker at the center of the web than at either of the two edges;
- a printer that prints information on the divisible sections of the web;
- and
- a feed path along which the divisible sections of the web are advanced in sequence through the printer to a position at which the lines of perforation can be individually burst by a tensile force applied along a length of the web starting by rupturing the weaker ties at the center of the web and proceeding to rupture the ties at the two edges of the web, wherein
- the printer applies a braking force that prevents subsequent sections of the web from being prematurely dispensed through the printer, and
- the force applied along the length of the web initially stresses both the ties within the portions of the lines of perforation that are closer to the edges and the ties located within the portions of the lines of perforation that are closer to the center.
A printing system that individually dispenses printed sections of a web comprising:
- the web being divisible along lines of perforation that extend between a center and two edges of the web and contain a pattern of ties that are weaker next to the center of the web than next to either of the two edges;
- a printer that prints information on the divisible sections of the web;
- a feed path along which the divisible sections of the web are advanced in sequence through the printer to a position at which successive sections of the web are exposed and individually separated from the remaining web sections by tensile forces applicable through a range of positions straddling a centerline of the web;
- a first of the tensile forces being applicable through a position offset from the centerline for bursting the lines of perforation starting at one edge of the web and proceeding through the center to the other edge of the web;
- a second of the tensile forces being applicable through a position aligned with the centerline for bursting the lines of perforation starting at the center of the web and proceeding to both edges of the web;
- and
- magnitudes of the first and second tensile forces required for bursting the lines of perforation being made more nearly equal by the pattern of ties that are weaker next to the center of the web than next to either of the two edges.
A method of dispensing individual sheets of a print media from a printer comprising the steps of:
- advancing a web of the print media having a succession of sheets separated by lines of perforation to a position at which one of the sheets can be printed;
- printing the one sheet;
- further advancing the web of print media to a position at which the one sheet can be manually gripped along a centerline between two edges of the web of print media;
- gripping the one sheet along the centerline of the web;
- applying a tensile force along the web centerline;
- opposing the tensile force with a braking force applied to the web of print media between a line of perforation separating the one sheet and a remaining portion of the print media;
- and
- breaking ties located along the line of perforation separating the one sheet from the remaining portion of the web starting with ties located adjacent to the centerline and proceeding to ties located adjacent to the edges of the web for dispensing the one sheet of print media from the printer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.