Typewriting machines – Typing by other than type-face or type-die – Thermal
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-20
2001-06-19
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Typing by other than type-face or type-die
Thermal
C400S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247859
ABSTRACT:
This invention related to a method of printing.
So called flat bed thermal printers are known which comprise a printing station at which, during printing, a substrate is held stationary whilst a print head is traversed over the substrate. The print head comprises a plurality of individually energisable printing elements each of which may be energised during printing thus to transfer a pixel of print medium from a carrier onto an adjacent substrate.
Hithertofore during printing, the carrier has been maintained stationary relative to the substrate. After printing, the carrier is advanced and fresh substrate is presented at the printing station. The amount of carrier used thus corresponds closely to the length of image printed. Carrier is an expensive consumable and various methods have been devised for saving carrier, such as described in our previous patent number GB2289441.
The present invention represents an alternative approach.
According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a method of printing utilising a printing apparatus of the kind in which a print head has a plurality of printing elements each of which may be operated during printing, to transfer a pixel of print medium from a carrier onto an adjacent substrate, the method comprising the steps of carrying out printing at a printing station by causing relative movement between the print head and the substrate whilst selectively energising individual printing elements of the print head and, during printing, effecting relative movement between the carrier and each of the print head and the substrate.
Utilising the method of the invention, by virtue of moving the carrier during printing the amount of carrier used during each printing operation is reduced as the amount of carrier used can be arranged to be less than the length of image printed.
The invention is particularly applicable to a printing apparatus which comprises a base and during printing the substrate is maintained stationary relative to the base. However the invention may be applied to a printing apparatus of the kind in which both the carrier and substrate move relative to the base during printing.
Normally, during printing, the carrier will be moved relative to the substrate in the same direction of movement as the relative direction of movement of the print head, but at a lesser velocity.
The printing apparatus may comprise a carrier storage spool and a used carrier take-up spool and the method may include causing movement of the carrier during the printing operation by rotating the carrier take-up spool.
During printing, movement of the carrier may be monitored by a carrier movement sensing means so that the carrier may be moved relative to the substrate a predetermined amount irrespective of the diameter of the take-up spool. One suitable arrangement for sensing carrier movement is the subject of our co-pending patent application number GB9505216.3
The method of the invention may be carried out under the control of a control means, such as a microprocessor control means which may control other functions of the printing apparatus to which the method of the invention is applied.
For example, the control means may control the apparatus such that during a printing operation, prior to performing printing on the substrate, the print head may be moved towards the substrate, and subsequent to performing printing the print head may be moved away from the substrate and returned to a start position so that further printing operations may be carried out, and during the return movement of the print head fresh substrate may be presented at the printing station ready for a further printing operation.
Where the printing apparatus is adapted to perform a plurality of printing operations consecutively and during each printing operation the image which is printed is of substantially the same image length, during the return movement of the print head to the start position the carrier may be held generally stationary.
According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a printing apparatus for performing the method of the first aspect of the invention comprising a print head which has a plurality of printing elements each of which is selectively operable during printing to transfer a pixel of print medium from a carrier onto an adjacent substrate, and means to cause relative movement between the print bead and the substrate during printing whilst selectively operating individual printing elements of the print head characterised in that means are provided to effect relative movement between the carrier and each of the print head and the substrate during printing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4558963 (1985-12-01), Applegate et al.
patent: 5017028 (1991-05-01), Harding
patent: 5033888 (1991-07-01), Okumura et al.
patent: 5112149 (1992-05-01), Suenaga
patent: 5372439 (1994-12-01), Poole et al.
patent: 5649774 (1997-07-01), Harding et al.
patent: 3608360 A1 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 138444 (1985-04-01), None
patent: 0 683 055 A2 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 2065563 (1979-12-01), None
patent: 2289441 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 60-240470 (1985-11-01), None
patent: 1-301268 (1989-12-01), None
patent: 2-310063 (1990-12-01), None
R.A. Haus, IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, High Yield and Low Cost Ribbon Feed, vol. 21, 1979.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Ribbon-Saving Technique for APA Printers, vol. 31, No. 10, Mar. 1989.
English translation of Japanese patent 1-301268, Tamura et al., Thermal Transfer Recording Device, Dec. 1989.
Colilla Daniel J.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Hilten John S.
Markem Technologies Limited
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