Optimal alignment of a printhead in a thermal printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077007-B2
Application number	US-202117450106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2021
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

Provided herein is a printer comprising a printing assembly. The printing assembly comprises a printhead bracket fixedly attached to the printer, a printhead that defines a groove, the printhead aligned at a first alignment, an alignment adjuster fastened between the printhead bracket and the printhead, and a plurality of fasteners operatively engaged with the alignment adjuster. The alignment adjuster comprises a gear rack that is adjacent to the printhead bracket, and a protrusion that is received by the groove of the printhead. The plurality of fasteners comprises at least one selected from a group of a lateral adjustment fastener operatively engaged with the gear rack, and a rotational adjustment fastener operatively engaged with a transverse edge of the printhead. The lateral adjustment fastener is configured to provide lateral movement to the alignment adjuster and the printhead. The rotational adjustment fastener is configured to provide rotational movement to the printhead.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising a processor and a memory having computer-coded instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-coded instructions in execution with the processor cause the system to:
detect a print quality of a printing operation is below a threshold value, the printing operation performed while a printhead is at a first alignment defined by a first lateral alignment and a first rotational alignment;
determine at least one movement;
automatically manipulate a lateral adjustment fastener and/or a rotational adjustment fastener to align the printhead to a second alignment, the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener manipulated based at least in part on the at least one movement; and
verify a second print quality of a second printing operation exceeds the threshold value, the second printing operation performed while the printhead is at the second alignment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein to manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener, the system is caused to:
rotate the lateral adjustment fastener by a set angle based at least in part on the at least one movement.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein to manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener, the system is caused to:
determine a previous manipulation of the lateral adjustment fastener comprises a clockwise manipulation; and
manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener in a clockwise direction by a set angle based at least in part on the at least one movement.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein to manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener, the system is caused to:
determine a previous manipulation of the lateral adjustment fastener was not a clockwise manipulation; and
manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener in an anti-clockwise direction by a set angle based at least in part on the at least one movement.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein to manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener, the system is caused to:
determine a previous manipulation of the rotational adjustment fastener comprises a clockwise manipulation; and
manipulate the rotational adjustment fastener in a clockwise direction by a set angle based at least in part on the at least one movement.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein to manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener, the system is caused to:
determine a previous manipulation of the rotational adjustment fastener was not a clockwise manipulation; and
manipulate the rotational adjustment fastener in an anti-clockwise direction by a set angle based at least in part on the at least one movement.

7. The system of claim 1 , the system further caused to:
manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener to align the printhead to at least one additional alignment; and
detect at least one additional print quality of at least one additional printing operation is below the threshold value, the at least one additional printing operation performed while the printhead is at the at least one additional alignment.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lateral adjustment fastener is manipulated in a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction by a first set angle, and the rotational adjustment fastener is manipulated in a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction by a second set angle, the first set angle differing from the second set angle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lateral adjustment fastener is manipulated in a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction by a first set angle, and the rotational adjustment fastener is manipulated in a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction by a second set angle, the first set angle equivalent to the second set angle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lateral adjustment fastener is manipulable in a clockwise direction by a first set angle, and the lateral adjustment fastener is manipulable in an anti-clockwise direction by a second set angle, the first set angle differing from the second set angle.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational adjustment fastener is manipulable in a clockwise direction by a first set angle, and the lateral adjustment fastener is manipulable in an anti-clockwise direction by a second set angle, the first set angle differing from the second set angle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein to automatically manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener, the system is caused to:
automatically manipulate the lateral adjustment fastener based at least in part on a lateral movement of the at least one movement; and
automatically manipulate the rotational adjustment fastener based at least in part on a rotational movement of the at least one movement, wherein the lateral movement and the rotational movement align the printhead to the second alignment.

13. A printhead comprising:
at least one burn line;
a first surface defining a groove that receives a protrusion of a printhead bracket, wherein the groove receives the protrusion of the printhead bracket and positions the printhead to operatively engage the printhead with a rotational adjustment fastener secured by the printhead bracket, and
wherein an alignment of the printhead is alterable via engagement with the rotational adjustment fastener and/or a lateral adjustment fastener in operative engagement with the printhead bracket received via the groove of the printhead.

14. The printhead according to claim 13 , the printhead further comprising a toothed edge that operatively engages the rotational adjustment fastener.

15. The printhead according to claim 13 , wherein the rotational adjustment fastener operatively engages the printhead bracket to rotate the printhead bracket about the groove of the printhead.

16. A printhead bracket comprising:
at least one lateral surface comprising a longitudinal channel that receives at least a lateral adjustment fastener, the lateral adjustment fastener operatively engaging the printhead bracket via the longitudinal channel of the printhead bracket to provide a lateral movement, and wherein the lateral adjustment fastener is rotatable in a first clockwise direction and a first anti-clockwise direction, and
wherein the at least one lateral surface comprises a protrusion that is received by a printhead to position the printhead in operative engagement with at least a rotational adjustment fastener, wherein the rotational adjustment fastener is rotatable in a second clockwise direction and a second anti-clockwise direction,
wherein engagement of the lateral adjustment fastener and/or the rotational adjustment fastener alters an alignment of the printhead.

17. The printhead bracket of claim 16 , wherein the printhead bracket comprises a plurality of lateral surfaces.

18. The printhead bracket of claim 17 , wherein the longitudinal channel is defined along a first surface of the printhead bracket.

19. The printhead bracket of claim 17 , wherein the protrusion is defined along a second surface of the printhead bracket.

20. The printhead bracket of claim 16 , wherein the at least one lateral surface comprises a slot that receives the rotational adjustment fastener to operatively engage the rotational adjustment fastener with the printhead.

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Wong Chin Young
• Chua Ching Hong
• Cheng Yong Chiap

Classifications

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title

• B41J2/04505

  aiming at correcting alignment · CPC title

• B41J2/325

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

• B41J25/308 Primary

  with print gap adjustment mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J25/3086

  with print gap adjustment means between the print head and its carriage · CPC title