Typewriting machines – Typing by other than type-face or type-die – Thermal
Patent
1994-03-03
1997-08-26
Hilten, John S.
Typewriting machines
Typing by other than type-face or type-die
Thermal
40012016, 347197, 347198, B41J 2315
Patent
active
056604874
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to improved label printing apparatus particularly for the printing of information on a plurality of self-adhesive labels by way of, for example, a thermal transfer printer.
It is known to provide printing apparatus for providing various printed information on to self-adhesive labels. This is especially useful for the packaging and retail sales industries where pricing and/or stock labels may be required to be adhered to a large number of individual items. In this way information relating to pricing and/or stock quantities etc. may be applied to the items using standard alphanumeric symbols or machine readible codes, for example, a bar code.
In the printing of such labels a backing sheet to which a large number of labels are adhered is passed below a printer head. The backing sheet is momentarily (approximately 1/100th second ) stopped below the printer head, which is then operated to print one line of information on the label. The backing sheet is then moved incrementally to provide for successive lines of printed information. Once all the information has been printed onto an individual label the backing sheet is again moved to align the next label with the printer head for further printing.
It will be thus be appreciated that the mechanism for moving the labels below the printer head must be capable of stopping and starting accurately and rapidly. Furthermore, the mechanism must also be capable of moving the label through the small distance required for the printing of a new line and the relatively large distance required for the alignment of a successive label.
Additionally the printer head means itself must be rapidly and accurately raised and lowered with respect to the label's surface. It will be understood that the label cannot be moved independently of the inking medium, for example foil or ribbon whilst the print head is in contact therewith and there must therefore be some movement of the print head away from the inking medium, before the backing sheet and attached label can be moved without movement of the inking media.
As it is a common a requirement that such labels should be printed fairly rapidly the movement of the backing sheet and of the printing head must be carefully synchronised such that the maximum number of lines of information may be printed on each label in the shortest possible time. Where the printing head mechanism uses a separate printing foil or ribbon it will be understood that whilst the ribbon or foil should be moved for the printing of a new line on one label the foil or ribbon should remain stationary whilst a successive label is being aligned.
Thus the foil or ribbon will at some stages be moving in co-operation with the underlying label and backing sheet whilst at other times it will be required to remain stationary during such movement. It is therefore often necessary to provide two distinct movement mechanisms for the ribbon (or foil) and for the backing sheet and its associated labels. During movement of each of the mechanisms it is important that tension is maintained in both the backing sheet and the foil or ribbon in order that clear and accurate printing is produced.
It is an object of the invention to provide in a first aspect improved label printing apparatus in which the movement of the printer head with respect to the labels to be printed is faster than heretofore possible.
It is a further object of a second aspect of the invention to provide improved label printing apparatus including a feed mechanism operative to maintain tension on a reel of labels as it is passed through the apparatus and on a reel of inking medium.
With this first object in view a first aspect of the invention provides improved label printing apparatus comprising a printer head for printing information on a plurality of labels carried on a backing sheet, the printer head being mounted on a carrier plate which is hingedly mounted along one edge thereof so as to be displaceable between a first printing position and a second non-printing position, the apparatus being
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Hilten John S.
R.H.S. International Limited
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