Printer and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11738567-B2
Application number	US-201916436007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A method of operating a thermal transfer printer, the thermal transfer printer comprising first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path; and a printhead. The printhead is moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, is configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed. The method comprising causing relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed. A relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate during printing is controlled based upon a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation, and/or a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal transfer printer controller comprising circuitry arranged to control a thermal transfer printer comprising: first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path; and a printhead, the printhead being moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, being configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed, the thermal transfer printer controller being configured to:
control the printer to cause relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed; and
transmit a signal to the ribbon drive to control, during printing, a relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based upon:
a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation; and/or
a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface;

wherein the thermal transfer printer controller is further configured to determine data indicative of a magnitude of the force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead and further configured to determine a magnitude of the relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based on the determined data indicative of the magnitude of the force.

2. The thermal transfer printer controller according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry comprises a memory storing processor readable instructions and a processor configured to read and execute instructions stored in said memory.

3. The thermal transfer printer controller of claim 1 , wherein the relative speed of movement between the ribbon and substrate is based upon the force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation, and wherein the ribbon speed is less than the print speed.

4. The thermal transfer printer of claim 3 , wherein the ribbon speed is greater than or equal to about 90% of the print speed.

5. The thermal transfer printer of claim 4 , wherein the ribbon speed is less than or equal to about 99% of the print speed.

6. A thermal transfer printer controller comprising circuitry arranged to control a thermal transfer printer comprising: first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path; and a printhead, the printhead being moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, being configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed, the thermal transfer printer controller being configured to:
control the printer to cause relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed; and
transmit a signal to the ribbon drive to control, during printing, a relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based upon:
a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation; and/or
a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface;

wherein the thermal transfer printer controller is configured to determine a magnitude of the force based on the parameter indicative of the area of contact.

7. The thermal transfer printer controller according to claim 6 , wherein the parameter indicative of the area of contact comprises a value of a dimension of a component of the thermal transfer printer.

8. The thermal transfer printer controller according to claim 6 , wherein the circuitry comprises a memory storing processor readable instructions and a processor configured to read and execute instructions stored in said memory.

9. The thermal transfer printer controller of claim 6 , wherein the relative speed of movement between the ribbon and substrate is based upon the force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation, and wherein the ribbon speed is less than the print speed.

10. A thermal transfer printer, comprising:
first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon;
a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path;
a printhead, the printhead being moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, being configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed;
a controller configured to:
control the printer to cause relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed; and
control, during printing, a relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based upon:
data indicative of a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation;
a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface;

wherein the thermal transfer printer controller is further configured to determine the data indicative of a magnitude of the force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead and further configured to determine a magnitude of the relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based on the determined magnitude of the force; and
wherein the thermal transfer printer controller is configured to determine the magnitude of the force based on a value of the parameter indicative of the area of contact.

11. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 10 , further comprising a memory storing processor readable instructions and a processor configured to read and execute instructions stored in said memory.

12. The thermal transfer printer of claim 10 , wherein the relative speed of movement between the ribbon and substrate is based upon the force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation, and wherein the ribbon speed is less than the print speed.

13. A thermal transfer printer controller comprising circuitry arranged to control a thermal transfer printer comprising: first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path; and a printhead, the printhead being moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, being configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed, the thermal transfer printer controller being configured to:
control the printer to cause relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed; and
transmit a signal to the ribbon drive to control, during printing, a relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based upon:
a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation; and/or
a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface;

wherein the thermal transfer printer controller is further configured to determine the magnitude of the print speed and further configured to control a magnitude of the relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate based on the determined magn

Assignees

• Videojet Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Hart Philip
• Ellis Jeremy

Classifications

• B41J2/325 Primary

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J17/06 Primary

  "Creep" feed, i.e. impression-transfer material fed slower than the record paper · CPC title

• B41J17/07

  electromagnetically controlled · CPC title

• B41J33/16

  with drive applied to spool or spool spindle · CPC title

• B41J33/34

  driven by motors independently of the machine as a whole · CPC title