Typewriting machines – Typing by other than type-face or type-die – Thermal
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-07
2004-04-27
Funk, Stephen R. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Typing by other than type-face or type-die
Thermal
C347S178000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726383
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color printer and more particularly, to a color printer with a single photo sensor for detecting the position of an ink ribbon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a ribbon apparatus
10
of a prior art color printer. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the ribbon apparatus
10
of the color printer comprises an ink ribbon
12
, two light sources
32
,
52
, and two sensors
36
,
56
. The ink ribbon
12
comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged dye regions
14
. Each dye region
14
comprises four dye frames
16
,
18
,
20
,
22
for placing yellow dye, magenta dye, cyan dye, and over coating dye. An opaque dividing section
24
is located between an over coating dye frame
22
and a yellow dye frame
16
. An opaque dividing section
27
and a transparent dividing section
26
are installed between the yellow dye frame
16
and a magenta dye frame
18
. An opaque dividing section
27
and a transparent dividing section
26
are installed between the magenta dye frame
18
and a cyan dye frame
20
. An opaque dividing section
27
and a transparent dividing section
26
are installed between the cyan dye frame
20
and the over coating dye frame
22
.
The light sources
32
,
52
are located on one side of the ink ribbon
12
for producing light beams
34
,
54
with two predetermined colors. The sensors
36
,
56
, corresponding to the light sources
32
,
52
, are located on the opposite side of the ink ribbon
12
. The sensors
36
,
56
are used to detect light beams
34
,
54
penetrating through the ink ribbon
12
and produce corresponding signals to determine the position of the ink ribbon. The detection of an opaque dividing section
24
signals the beginning position of a new dye region
14
of the ink ribbon
12
, and also corresponds to the beginning position of a yellow dye frame
16
. The detection of an opaque dividing section
27
and a transparent dividing section
26
by the sensors
36
,
56
corresponds to the beginning position of the magenta dye frame
18
, cyan dye frame
20
, or over coating dye frame
22
. The use of two sets of light sources
26
,
28
and sensors
30
,
32
for detection of the position of the ink ribbon
12
is a disadvantage of the prior art color printer because it increases the amount of parts used, resulting in higher production costs.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a color printer with a single sensor for detecting the position of the ink ribbon for solving the above-mentioned problem.
According to the claimed invention, a color printer with a photo sensor for detecting the position of the ink ribbon is provided. The color printer includes an ink ribbon, a print head, a ribbon-driving device, a controller, and a photo sensor. The ink ribbon includes a plurality of sequentially arranged dye regions. Each dye region includes a plurality of dye frames of different colors. The print head is used to thermally transfer the dye on the ink ribbon onto photo paper. The ribbon-driving device is used to move the ink ribbon in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed. The print head transfers the dye on each of the dye frames of one dye region onto the photo paper one by one in order to form a color picture. The controller is used to control the operations of the color printer. The photo sensor is used to illuminate the ink ribbon and produce corresponding output signals. The photo sensor outputs a signal of either a first status or a second status. When the controller utilizes the ribbon-driving device to move the ink ribbon in the predetermined direction, a period of time that has passed since the last change in status generated by the photo sensor is used to identify the position of the ink ribbon.
It is an advantage compared to the prior art that the color printer of the claimed invention only needs a single optical sensing system to detect the position of the ink ribbon. The beginning position of each dye frame in the ink ribbon is determined by a digital method, fewer parts are used, and production costs are lowered.
These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the multiple figures and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6010258 (2000-01-01), Tomita et al.
patent: 6071024 (2000-06-01), Chi-Ming et al.
patent: 6396526 (2002-05-01), Sung et al.
patent: 6509920 (2003-01-01), Sung et al.
patent: 87110337 (2000-07-01), None
Funk Stephen R.
Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies Co., Ltd.
Hsu Winston
Nguyen Hoai-An D.
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