Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Record receiver driving means
Patent
1995-05-12
1999-11-16
Tran, Huan
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Record receiver driving means
346134, 346136, 346138, B41J 1128
Patent
active
059866861
ABSTRACT:
A thermal printing apparatus for printing graphic images on sheet material, such as a vinyl sheet, utilizes a platen drive to move the sheet material between a roller platen and thermal print head. The thermal print head presses the sheet material into engagement with the roller platen along a linear zone of contact, and a drive motor is drivingly connected to the roller platen through a series of drive gears to rotatably drive the roller platen, and in turn move the sheet material between the platen and print head. A pair of registration sprockets are mounted on opposite ends of a common sprocket shaft, and engage corresponding feed holes formed in the marginal edges of the sheet material. The registration sprockets guide and steer the sheet material as it is driven between the roller platen and the print head, and substantially prevent buckling or like distortion of the sheet material. A sensor is coupled to the drive shaft, and generates signals indicative of the rotational position and direction of the registration sprockets, and thus indicative of the position of the sheet material relative to the print head. A controller is coupled to the sensor, and selectively energizes the heating elements of the thermal print head in response to the positional signals transmitted by the sensor and image data to accurately print graphic images on the sheet material.
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Gerber Scientific Produccts, Inc.
Tran Huan
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