Method and apparatus for printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117407-B2
Application number	US-202016942347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

The present invention embraces printers such as hand-held printers and mobile/portable printer. One exemplary embodiment includes “print as you glide” (PAYG) devices. Such printers may comprise a modular print engine that is removable from the printer and may allow a user to easily access and load the ribbon in the mobile print engine. The modular print engine may comprise a modular print head and an encoder that may determine the movement of the print head relative to a stationary media. When a printer is pressed against the media, the print head's burn line may be resting on the media. When the printer is stationary relative to the media, the encoder may not trigger the printing. Once PAYG is being slid or glided across the media, the encoder may start to rotate and then send a signal to a processor, causing the printer to start printing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of loading a ribbon roll in a modular print engine that includes a print head, comprising the steps of:
removing, by a user, the modular print engine from a main body of a printer;
loading, by the user, the ribbon roll into the modular print engine;
re-installing, by the user, the modular print engine in the main body of the printer positioning and pressing, by the user, the print head and a media encoder of the modular print engine on a media located on a horizontal surface; and
sliding, by the user, the print head across the media, causing the media encoder to sense a movement of the media relative to the print head and send a signal to a processor of the printer, wherein the processor sends an instruction to the print head to begin a print operation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, if the user continues to slide the print head across the media, the print head continues the print operation.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, if the user does not continue to slide the print head across the media, the processor sends another instruction to the print head to stop the print operation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user slides the print head across the media by holding a handle portion of the main body of the printer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein removing the modular print engine from the main body of the printer comprises the user removing a cover from the modular print engine and removing the modular print engine from a casing of the main body of the printer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the print head presses against the media, a burn line of the print head presses ribbon against the media.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the media encoder pulls ribbon past a burn line as the printer slides across the media.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, the media encoder generates the signal based on a rotation in the media encoder caused by the printer sliding across the media.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, based on a direction of rotation of the media encoder, the modular print engine either stops printing, or continues printing.

10. A method of loading a ribbon roll in a modular print engine that includes a print head, comprising the steps of:
opening, by a user, a cover from a main body of a printer;
removing, by the user, the modular print engine from a casing of the main body;
loading, by the user, the ribbon roll in the modular print engine;
inserting, by the user, the modular print engine in the casing of the main body; and
closing, by the user, the cover on the main body.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein loading the ribbon roll in the modular print engine comprises installing a new ribbon on a ribbon supply shaft and removing an old ribbon from a ribbon rewind shaft.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the cover portion of the main body allows the modular print engine to be secured within the main body.

13. A printer for printing on a stationary media with a main body comprising:
a modular print engine assembly comprising:
a. a modular print head configured to print on the stationary media;
b. a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a processor;
c. a media encoder configured to determine the movement of the modular print head relative to the stationary media, wherein the media encoder sends a signal to the processor with an instruction to start a print operation;
d. a ribbon supply shaft, the ribbon supply assembly being rotatable about an axis; and
e. a ribbon rewind shaft;

a removeable cover to protect and secure the modular print engine assembly;
a handle portion that facilitates the movement between the modular print engine assembly and the stationary media; and
a battery to supply power to the printer.

14. The printer according to claim 13 , wherein, the media encoder generates the signal based on a rotation in the media encoder caused by the printer sliding across the stationary media.

15. The printer according to claim 13 , wherein, based on a direction of rotation of the media encoder, the modular print engine assembly either stops printing, or continues printing.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the print head is removable from the modular print engine.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein a ribbon encoder determines if the modular print engine is depleted of ribbon.

18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein closing the cover allows start of print operation in response to pressing against the media, a burn line of the print head presses the ribbon against the media.

19. The printer according to claim 13 , comprising a fine needle opening located at one end of the printer, wherein when an adapter plug is inserted in the fine needle opening, silicon rubber of the adapter plug conforms to a shape of the adapter plug and creates a seamless water proofing seal between the adapter plug and the printer.

20. The printer according to claim 13 , wherein the modular print head is removable from the modular print engine assembly.

Assignees

• Datamax Oneil Corp

Inventors

• Wong Chin Young
• Yap Yaw Horng
• Chua Ching Hong

Classifications

• B41J3/36 Primary

  for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B41J35/28 Primary

  Detachable carriers or holders for ink-ribbon mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J33/14

  Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J29/02

  Framework · CPC title

• B41J32/00

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title