[0001] This invention relates to a thermal printer for printing on a continuous print medium
by thermal ink transfer from a print ribbon.
[0002] Such a printer is disclosed e.g. by US-A-5 372 439.
[0003] It is known to print continuous packaging material and other continuous print media
such
[0004] as label bearing substrates with alphanumeric information and other symbols using
a thermal transfer printer. A print head having a row of electronically driven heating
elements is brought to bear against an ink-carrying thermal transfer ribbon lying
over the print medium while the print medium is driven perpendicularly to the row
of print elements. In one known printer, the ribbon is supplied from a take-off spool
and then passes along a ribbon path which extends between the print head and the path
of the print medium, and thereafter is fed onto a take-up spool, the ribbon travelling
across the print head at least approximately the same speed as the print medium whilst
printing is taking place. The path followed by the print medium extends around movable
rollers which deflect the print medium by variable amounts both upstream and downstream
of the print head. These rollers impose significant stresses on the print medium and
complicate threading when the print medium is loaded into the printer. Such a printer
operates typically at print medium speeds up to 200 mm per second.
[0005] It is an object of this invention to provide an improved printer for continuous printing.
[0006] According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a thermal printer
for printing on a continuous print medium by ink transfer from a thermal print ribbon,
comprising means defining a print medium path, a thermal print head having energisable
print elements and located adjacent the print medium path, means defining a ribbon
path which where it runs between the print head and the print medium path, runs in
the same direction as the print medium path, ribbon drive means operable to drive
a ribbon at varying speeds along the ribbon path, speed sensing means operable to
sense the speed of travel of the print medium along the print medium path, and processing
means including memory means and arranged during printing to control the ribbon drive
means in order to vary the ribbon speed up to a maximum speed substantially corresponding
to the maximum printing speed of the print head and to activate selected print elements
according to predetermined patterns of dots stored in the memory means, to cause the
transfer of ink from the ribbon to the print medium to form the predetermined pattern
as ink dots on the print medium as it moves past the print head along the print medium
path, the processing means further being arranged to monitor the speed of the print
medium using the speed sensing means and when the print medium speed is greater than
the ribbon speed, to activate the print elements such that selected ink dots are omitted
from the predetermined pattern.
[0007] In the prior art machine, where the print medium passes the print head at a speed
greater than the maximum printing speed of the print head, ribbon is wasted. This
is because the print medium and the ribbon travel past the head at the same speed.
By limiting the ribbon speed to a speed which corresponds to the maximum printing
speed of the head i.e. a ribbon speed at which the used portions of the ribbon are
adjacent one another when the printhead is operating at maximum speed, ribbon is saved.
It will be appreciated that in the prior art machine, the used portions of the ribbon
are spaced apart. Correspondingly, the printed pattern on the print medium is spaced
apart thus stretching the intended aspect ratio of the pattern in the direction of
the print medium travel. The present invention solves this additional problem by omitting
selected ink dots from the predetermined pattern. This has the effect of condensing
the pattern in the direction of the print medium travel thereby tending to restore
the aspect ratio of the pattern.
[0008] Typically the print elements are arranged in a line in the print head transversely
of the direction of print medium travel. Preferably the processing means is arranged
to cause dots to be omitted by periodically skipping a set of dots (typically a single
one of the lines) and instead to activate the elements according to the subsequent
set of dots stored in the memory means. Thus it will be appreciated that the line
is truly omitted and replaced with the subsequent line rather than merely being delayed
to the next printing operation of the printing head which would not have the desired
condensing effect.
[0009] Preferably the processing means is arranged to skip X sets on average where X = 1-(MAX/speed
of print medium) and and where MAX is a print medium speed substantially corresponding
to the maximum printing speed of the print head. By arranging for sets to be skipped
according to this formula, the aspect ratio is accurately restored. For example, where
the ratio of the speed of the print medium to the print medium speed which substantially
corresponds to the maximum printing speed of the print head is 1.25, by omitting on
average 0.2 of the lines (i.e. one line in five) the effective width of the pattern
printed on the print medium is restored to the width that it would have if the print
medium were running at a speed only equivalent to MAX. Since MAX is the print medium
speed that equates to the maximum printing speed of the print head i.e. the print
medium speed at which the print head is able to print sufficiently quickly to maintain
the correct aspect ratio of the pattern, the aspect ratio of the pattern is restored
albeit with some loss of detail due to the omitted set or sets of dots.
[0010] Preferably, the speed with which the ribbon is driven during each printing operation
is variable in response to the print medium speed of travel so as to match the speed
with which the print medium is fed past the print head up to the said maximum speed.
This may be achieved, for example, by forming the platen as a roller around which
the print medium is wrapped so that the speed of rotation of the roller is a measure
of the speed of passage of the print medium. A shaft encoder, typically an optical
encoder, may be used to provide an input to processing means forming part of the printing
actuator to control movement of the print head and energisation of the printing elements.
In addition, the ribbon may be driven by a stepper motor coupled to a ribbon drive
roller, the speed of operation of the stepper motor being governed by the sensed speed
of rotation of the platen roller.
[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the speed of the ribbon is limited by reducing for every
two sets of dots which are skipped, the amount of ribbon fed past the printhead by
an amount equal to the length of ribbon used by a single set of dots. For example,
assuming that each set of dots uses 0.25mm of ribbon length, in the preferred embodiment,
if two sets of dots are omitted, then without this feature, 0.5mm of ribbon length
would be fed past the head and wasted since it would not be used. In the preferred
embodiment, only 0.25mm of ribbon is fed past the head i.e. 0.25mm less than would
normally have been fed.
[0012] According to a method aspect, the invention includes a method of saving ribbon in
a thermal printer for printing on a continuous print medium by ink transfer from a
thermal printer ribbon, the printer including a thermal print head having energisable
print elements the method comprising passing a print medium past the print head at
a speed greater than the equivalent maximum printing speed of the print head, passing
the ribbon past the print head in the same direction as the print medium at a speed
equivalent to the maximum printing speed of the print head, selectively energising
the print elements to transfer ink to build up a predetermined pattern of ink dots
on the medium and periodically omitting dots from the predetermined pattern by skipping
a set of dots of the pattern and replacing them with a subsequent set of dots.
[0013] Preferably, the method includes removing one unit of ribbon length (typically 0.25mm)
for each 2 sets of dots omitted as described above in connection with the apparatus
aspect of the invention. This saves ribbon since less ribbon is used as sets of dots
are removed. The same ribbon length will therefore last longer than in the prior art
machine.
[0014] The invention is applicable primarily to printing variable information on continuous
plastics film packaging material, with each print operation being triggered by, for
example, sensing the position of products to which the packaging material is to be
applied as they travel along an adjacent conveyor. Typically, the information includes
sell-by dates, serial numbers, pricing information, and bar codes.
[0015] The invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the drawings
in which:-
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic exploded side view of a printer in accordance with the
invention;
Figure 2 is a front view of a base unit printer of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a rear view of a ribbon cassette of the printer of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a block diagram of electrical parts of the printer;
Figure 5 is a plan view of a ribbon drive roller for the printer of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a flow-chart of part of the software of the printer of Figure 1; and
Figure 7 is a flow-chart of another part of the software of the printer of Figure
1.
[0016] Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 together, a printer for the continuous printing of
a continuous print medium by transfer from a thermal transfer print ribbon has a base
unit 10 and a removable ribbon cassette unit 12. The base unit, which is mounted to
a frame of the printer (not shown), contains a print head stepper motor 14 mounted
on a front plate 16 of the unit 10, and a ribbon drive stepper motor 18 similarly
mounted on the front plate 16. Coupled to the motor shaft 14S of the print head stepper
motor 14 is a pivotable print head carrier 20 which supports a print head 22.
[0017] Coupling of the print head carrier 20 to the motor shaft 14S is by way of a parallelogram
linkage lying behind the front plate 16 and comprising a first crank 24 fixed to the
motor shaft 14S, a connecting link or rod 26, and a second crank 28 generally in the
form of a semi-circular plate which is mounted on a shaft 30 supporting the print
head carrier 20. Shaft 30 takes the form of a boss 30B on the front side of plate
16, with an axially extending tongue 30T to which the print head carrier 20 is bolted.
[0018] The motor shaft 18S of the ribbon drive stepper motor 18 is attached to a drive spindle
32 which, like the print head carrier 20, projects perpendicularly from the front
plate 16 of the base unit 10.
[0019] For clarity, the cassette unit 12 is shown in Figure 1 spaced from the base unit
10. In practice, when fitted to the base unit 10, the cassette unit 12 is closer to
the base unit 16, such that ribbon spools 34, 36, which are rotatably mounted on a
front plate 38 of the cassette unit 12, are coextensive with the print head 22 in
terms of their location in a direction perpendicular to the front plate 38 of the
base unit 40. Also attached to the cassette unit front plate 30 is a ribbon drive
roller 32 visible in Figure 1 below ribbon spool 34, and also in Figure 3.
[0020] The relative positioning of the ribbon spools 34, 36, the print head 22, and the
ribbon drive roller 40 may be ascertained by comparison of Figure 1 with Figure 3.
The ribbon 42 itself is shown in full lines in Figure 3, but in phantom lines in Figure
1 for clarity. Certain items shown in Figure 1 are not shown in Figure 2, and vice
versa. In particular, a platen roller 44 and a deflection roller 46 are shown in Figure
2 but not in Figures 1 and 3. These components are mounted on the printer frame or
other apparatus which the printer is associated.
[0021] Referring to Figure 2, continuous film material to be printed (shown by reference
numeral 50) enters the printer in an inlet region 52, passes over and wraps around
platen roller 44 from where it follows a downwardly inclined path to pass underneath
and wrap around a deflection roller 46 before passing to an outlet region 54 of the
printer. The positioning of platen and deflection rollers 44 and 46 is such that the
film substrate 50 is nowhere deflected through an angle greater than 60° by any one
guiding element, and preferably not greater than 45°. The function of the deflection
roller 46 may be performed instead by any deflecting support for the film substrate
50 positioned to cause the substrate to be wrapped partly around the platen roller.
Both platen roller 44 and deflection roller 46 have axes of rotation which extend
at right angles to the direction of travel of the substrate film 50, and both axes
are fixed in position so that the path of the substrate film 50 remains substantially
constant during and between successive printing operations. As a result, the instantaneous
rate at which the film 50 passes over the platen 44 always matches the rate at which
it is supplied to and extracted from the printer through the inlet and outlet regions
52 and 54.
[0022] The thermal transfer ribbon 42 follows a ribbon path as follows. Firstly, a supply
of the ribbon is provided on a feed spool 36 which is mounted by means of a bearing
(not shown) fixed to the cassette unit front plate 38. A degree of friction is built
into this bearing to maintain tension in ribbon 42. From spool 36, the ribbon 42 passes
over a break detector roller 58 attached to the end of a break detector arm 60 which
is rotatable about the rotation axis of the feed spool 36 and biased in a clockwise
direction as seen in Figure 3 by a spring 62. From roller 58, the ribbon 42 passes
over guide rollers 64 and 66 attached to the cassette unit front plate 30 and thence
through a region which, when the cassette unit 12 is loaded into the base unit 10,
lies between the print head 22 and the platen 44. The ribbon then passes over a further
guide roller 68. The head and the platen are seen in Figure 2, as are also guide rollers
66 to 68, so that the location of the ribbon path relative to the head and platen
can be seen. Where the ribbon 42 passes over platen 44 it is in frictional contact
with the substrate film 50. The ribbon 42 is held in contact with substrate film 50
only between the start and finish of each printing operation, during which the lower
surface of the print head 22 bears against the platen 44 through the ribbon 42 and
film 50, as shown in Figure 2. At other times, the print head 22 is raised by operation
of its stepper motor 14.
[0023] From the print head 22, the ribbon 42 travels over guide roller 70 and is then wrapped
around the drive roller 40. A pinch roller 72, mounted on a pivotable support arm
74, maintains the ribbon 42 in gripping contact with drive roller 40. Drive roller
40 has a rubber sleeve and is driven by motor 18 via a toothed belt 75 and toothed
pulleys 75P behind base unit front plate 16 on the motor shaft 18S and the spindle
32, (shown in Figures 1 and 2) so that the ribbon 42 is pulled through the space between
the print head 22 and the platen 44. From the drive roller 40, the ribbon 42 passes
to a take-up spool 38 which is belt-driven by a belt 76 from a pulley 78 (see Figure
1) mounted on the shaft of drive roller 40. The mounting bearing (not shown) of the
take-up spool 34 is mounted on a shaft fixed to the cassette unit front plate 30 and,
like the mounting bearing of the feed spool 36, has a degree of friction built in.
The diameter of the pulley 34P associated with take-up spool 34 together with the
diameter of the pulley associated with drive roller 40 are such that the shaft bearing
the take-up spool 34 is always driven faster than the speed of rotation necessary
to take up the ribbon 42 from the drive roller 40, regardless of the diameter of the
ribbon reel. The friction slip built into the connection between spool 34 and the
belt-driven shaft allows the respective speeds of rotation of the drive roller 40
and the take-up spool 34 to be different from each other.
[0024] The print head 22 has side-facing printing elements 82 (Figure 1) extending along
a line parallel to the axis of rotation 84 of the print head carrier 20. These printing
elements 82 project from a lower surface 86 of the print head 22 which, in the printing
position of the print head 22 is tangential to the platen roller 44, as shown by the
chain lines in Figure 2. The arcuate locus followed by the line of printing elements
82 when the print head 22 is pivoted about axis 84 passes through the intersection
of a tangent parallel to the print head lower surface 86 and the platen roller surface.
Consequently, the ribbon 42 and the substrate film 50 are pinched between the print
head 22 and the platen roller 44 precisely at the line of printing elements 82. When
these elements are heated under electronic control, and the film 50 and ribbon 42
are passed together over the element, ink is transferred from the ribbon 42 to the
film 50 to print characters and symbols according to pre-programmed information incorporated
in the signals fed to the print head 22.
[0025] During printing, the ribbon 42 is in contact with film 50 and normally travels at
the same speed. This is achieved by mounting an optical shaft encoder on a shaft bearing
the platen roller 44. The output of the encoder is representative of the speed of
the film 50, and by processing this output signal, the stepper motor 18 driving ribbon
drive roller 40 is adjusted such that the ribbon is driven at the correct speed. This
synchronisation between ribbon 42 and film 50 can be maintained over a wide range
of speeds.
[0026] The print head 22 has a characteristic maximum printing rate or speed. Thus if the
ribbon and film 50 are always driven at the same speed, there will come a point where
the printing head reaches its maximum speed and where gaps are left in the usage of
the ribbon because portions of the ribbon move past the head when the head is inoperative.
As the ribbon and film speed increases beyond the speed equivalent to the maximum
printing speed of the print head, the gaps in the ribbon usage become larger. The
processor 94 (see Figure 4) is therefore arranged to drive the motor 18 such that
the ribbon moves at the same speed as the film 50 until the print head is operating
at maximum rate and the used portions of the ribbon are spaced as compactly as possible.
At this point no further speed increase in the ribbon is permitted. Thus any further
increase in the speed of the film 50 results in "slippage" between the ribbon and
the film. In this way, maximum use is made of the ribbon yet the speed of the film
50 is not limited by the speed of the print head.
[0027] The preferred embodiment is capable of operating at a film speed of 400 mm per second.
[0028] The shaft encoder associated with the platen roller 44 is shown in Figure 4 by reference
numeral 90. Encoder 90 provides an input signal representative of film speed to an
input 92 of a processor unit 94. The processor unit has at its heart a microprocessor,
and has three outputs. These are a first output 96 coupled to a first motor driver
circuit 98 for moving the print head between its inactive retracted position id its
active extended position (respectively shown in Figure 2) by means of stepper motor
14 and its associated linkage.
[0029] A second output of the processor unit 94 is a multi-wire input 100 coupled to the
energisable elements 82 of the print head 22.
[0030] The third output 102 is coupled to a second motor driver 104 to control stepper motor
18, thereby stopping and starting the ribbon, and controlling the ribbon speed during
each printing operation.
[0031] Other inputs to the processor include trigger input 106 which receives a trigger
signal initiating each printing operation. Typically, the trigger signal is generated
by sensing the position of products to which the substrate film is to be applied as
packaging, as the products travel along an adjacent conveyer. Another input 108 receives
the information to be printed from a memory 110. Thus, on receipt of a trigger signal
at input 106, the processor is programmed firstly to move the print head 22 to its
extended position, to start the ribbon drive motor, and to initiate printing by energising
the elements of the print head 22 in accordance with the information stored in the
memory 110 thereby to print the information as a pattern or a series of characters.
[0032] Whilst the printing operation is progressing, the speed at which the ribbon is driven
via driver 104 and motor 18 is determined according to the film speed signal input
received by the processor at input 92, so as to drive the ribbon at the same speed
as the film up to the maximum speed as described above. The rate at which the print
head elements are driven (i.e. the rate at which the pattern or characters are printed)
is also varied by processor unit 94 according to the film speed signal input.
[0033] It will be appreciated that when the speed of the film 50 passes the print head at
a speed greater than that equivalent to the maximum printing speed of the print head,
although the ribbon speed is limited to save ribbon, the dots formed on the film 50
will still be spaced apart in the direction of travel of the film. Thus the characters
or patterns formed on the film 50 will appear to be stretched in the direction of
film travel. To overcome this, in the preferred embodiment, the characters or patterns
are compressed by periodically selectively omitting or skipping a line of dots.
[0034] With reference to Figure 6 and 7, two of the software processes executing in the
processor 94 are shown. Steps 202, 204, 206 operate in a loop to derive a measurement
of the speed of the film by reading the "T-period" which is the time period between
encoder pulses from the shaft encoder 90. In the preferred embodiment, the T-period
is measured between the rising edges of the series of encoder pulses.
[0035] In steps 208, 210, 212, 214 the measured T-period is compared with MAX which is a
stored value which represents the maximum film speed at which characters are printed
at the correct aspect ratio on the film 50 whilst the print head 22 is operating at
maximum rate. Each of these steps also increment a "ribsave" variable which is used
by the ribbon control loop as described below in connection with Figure 7.
[0036] Taking step 208 for example, if T-period is between MAX and MAX x 1.25 then after
every four lines are printed, the next line is skipped. Thus a fifth of the lines
are skipped on average which has the effect of compressing the character or pattern
being printed by
4/
5 . Since the film is measured as passing the head at 1.25 (i.e.
5/
4 of the maximum printing speed, the effect of compressing by
4/
5 is to restore the aspect ratio by bringing the character width back to 1 (i.e. normal
width). Similarly, steps 210, 212, 214 restore the aspect ratio for film speeds even
greater than MAX up to the point in step 214 where the film speed is twice the speed
equivalent to the maximum printing head speed which therefore requires every other
line to be skipped to compress the characters or patterns by half in the direction
of travel of the film 50.
[0037] Steps 216 and 218 limit "T-Period" to be between MIN and MAX, namely the preferred
minimum ribbon speed and the maximum speed respectively, the maximum speed being the
speed which is equivalent to the maximum rate of the printhead as described above.
T-Period is used in the ribbon control loop described below
[0038] Figure 7 shows the process which controls ribbon speed by loading the T-period into
the ribbon control segment of the software which ultimately controls the motor 18.
This process matches the ribbon speed to the film speed as discussed above until the
film speed reaches the speed equivalent to the maximum printing speed of the print
head at which point the ribbon speed is kept constant until the film speed decreases
below the speed equivalent to the maximum speed of the print head. The variable "ribsave"
is used to adjust a variable "riblength" which maintains a record of the amount of
ribbon remaining.
[0039] When the processor senses that all of the information relating to the required design
has been supplied from memory 110 and has been fed to the print head 22, it issues
a stop signal to the ribbon driver 104 to stop ribbon travel and the driver 98 for
the print head motor 14 receives a signal causing the motor to withdraw the print
head to its retracted, inactive position. A processor 94 then waits for the next trigger
signal on 106 before repeating the above process. Further inputs 112 and 114 of the
processor 94 are called respectively to a ribbon status sensor 116 and a ribbon break
sensor 118 which are respectively associated with a spring loaded pivotable arm 120,
seen in Figure 3. This arm 120 has a roller 122 at its distal end contacting the periphery
of the ribbon supply on ribbon feed spool 36, so that when the ribbon supply runs
low, an alarm can be activated and/or operation of the packaging apparatus of which
the printer is part can be halted. Similarly, the break sensor 118 is responsive to
excessive clockwise movement of arm 60 (see Figure 3) to sense breakage of the ribbon
42 which, during normal operation, keeps roller 58 approximately in the position shown
in Figure 3.
[0040] Further details of the preferred printer in accordance with the invention will now
be described. Limits on the movement of print carrier 20 and print head 22 are determined
firstly by the striking of the print head elements 82 against the platen 44 (see Figure
2) through the ribbon 42 and film 50, and, in the retractive position, by an adjustable
stop (not shown) associated with the semi-circular plate 28 behind the front plate
16 of the base unit.
[0041] Drive to the ribbon drive roller 40, which, it will be seen, is mounted on the cassette
front plate 30, is transferred from the base unit 10 to the roller by means of drive
spindle 32 shown in Figure 1. Referring to Figure 5, roller 40 contains a clutch bearing
40C which is so mounted within the roller 40 that it is allowed to float in the sense
that the centre of bearing 40C need not coincide exactly with the centre of the roller
40. When the cassette unit 12 is mounted on base unit 10, the drive shaft or spindle
32 attached to ribbon drive motor 18 (see Figure 1) enters clutch bearing 40C (Figure
3). Needle rollers of the clutch bearing, which are self-locking when driven in one
rotary direction, engage the outer surface of shaft or spindle 32 and drive is transferred
from spindle 32 to the bearing 40C and thence via pins 40P to the roller 40. The floating
nature of the clutch bearing 40C within the roller 40 allows for a degree of mismatch
between the axis 128 of drive spindle 32 and that 130 of roller 40 when the cassette
unit 12 is mounted on the base unit 10.
[0042] The cassette unit 12 is located on base unit 10 by means of a retention pin 132 and
a tubular socket 134, as shown in Figure 1.
1. A thermal printer for printing on a continuous print medium by ink transfer from a
thermal print ribbon comprising
means defining a print medium path,
a thermal print head having energisable print elements and located adjacent the print
medium path,
means defining a ribbon path which where it runs between the print head and the print
medium path, runs in the same direction as the print medium path,
ribbon drive means operable to drive a ribbon at varying speeds along the ribbon path,
speed sensing means operable to sense the speed of travel of the print medium along
the print medium path,
and processing means including memory means and arranged during printing to control
the ribbon drive means in order to vary the ribbon speed up to a maximum speed substantially
corresponding to the maximum printing speed of the print head and to activate selected
print elements according to predetermined patterns of dots stored in the memory means,
to cause the transfer of ink from the ribbon to the print medium to form the predetermined
pattern as ink dots on the print medium as it moves past the print head along the
print medium path,
the processing means further being arranged to monitor the speed of the print medium
using the speed sensing means and when the print medium speed is greater than the
ribbon speed, to activate the print elements such that selected ink dots are omitted
from the predetermined pattern.
2. A printer according to claim 1, wherein the processing means is arranged to cause
dots to be omitted by periodically skipping a set of dots and instead activating the
elements according to the subsequent set of dots stored in the memory means.
3. A printer according to claim 2, wherein the processing means is arranged to skip X
sets on average, where X= 1-(MAX)/speed of print medium) and where MAX is a print
medium speed substantially corresponding to the maximum printing speed of the print
head.
4. A printer according to claim 2, wherein the processing means are arranged to reduce
for each two sets of dots skipped, the amount of ribbon fed past the printhead by
an amount substantially equal the length of ribbon used for printing one set of dots.
5. A method of saving ribbon in a thermal printer for printing on a continuous print
medium by ink transfer from a thermal printer ribbon, the printer including a thermal
print head having energisable print elements the method comprising passing a print
medium past the print head at a speed greater than the equivalent maximum printing
speed of the print head, passing the ribbon past the print head in the same direction
as the print medium at a speed equivalent to the maximum printing speed of the print
head, selectively energising the print elements to transfer ink to build up a predetermined
pattern of ink dots on the medium and periodically omitting dots from the predetermined
pattern by skipping a set of dots of the pattern and replacing them with a subsequent
set of dots.
6. A method according to claim 5, including skipping X sets on average, where X= 1-(MAX)/speed
of print medium) and where MAX is a print medium speed substantially corresponding
to the maximum printing speed of the head.
1. Thermischer Drucker zum Drucken auf ein kontinuierliches Druckmedium durch Übertragung
von Druckfarbe von einem thermischen Druckband, enthaltend
Mittel, die einen Druckmediumweg festlegen,
einen thermischen Druckkopf, der an den Druckmediumweg angrenzt und mit Energie versorgbare
Druckelemente aufweist,
Mittel, die einen Bandweg festlegen, der, soweit er zwischen dem Druckkopf und dem
Druckmediumweg verläuft, in derselben Richtung wie der Druckmediumweg verläuft,
Bandantriebsmittel, die fähig sind, ein Band mit verschiedenen Geschwindigkeiten entlang
dem Bandweg anzutreiben,
Geschwindigkeitssensormittel, die fähig sind, die Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit des Druckmediums
entlang dem Druckmediumweg aufzunehmen,
und Mittel zur Ablaufsteuerung, die Speichermittel enthalten und die während des Druckens
dazu ausgebildet sind, die Bandantriebsmittel zu steuern, um die Bandgeschwindigkeit
bis hin zu einer maximalen Geschwindigkeit, die im wesentlichen der maximalen Druckgeschwindigkeit
des Druckkopfes entspricht, zu verändern, und ausgewählte Druckelemente entsprechend
vorbestimmten, in den Speichermitteln gespeicherten Punktmustern zu betätigen, um
die Übertragung von Farbe von dem Band auf das Druckmedium zu bewirken, um das vorbestimmte
Muster als Farbpunkte auf dem Druckmedium zu bilden, während es sich am Druckkopf
vorbei entlang des Druckmediumweges bewegt,
wobei die Mittel zur Ablaufsteuerung außerdem dazu ausgebildet sind, die Geschwindigkeit
des Druckmediums unter Verwendung der Geschwindigkeitssensormittel zu überwachen und,
falls die Geschwindigkeit des Druckmediums größer als die Bandgeschwindigkeit ist,
die Druckelemente dahingehend zu betätigen, daß ausgewählte Farbpunkte aus dem vorbestimmten
Muster ausgelassen werden.
2. Drucker gemäß Anspruch 1, bei dem die Mittel zur Ablaufsteuerung dazu ausgebildet
sind, zu bewirken, daß Punkte durch periodisches Überspringen eines Punktesatzes ausgelassen
werden und stattdessen die Elemente entsprechend dem folgenden, in den Speichermitteln
gespeicherten Punktesatz aktiviert werden.
3. Drucker gemäß Anspruch 2, bei dem die Mittel zur Ablaufsteuerung dazu ausgebildet
sind, im Durchschnitt X Sätze zu überspringen, wobei X=1-(MAX)/Geschwindigkeit des
Aufzeichnungsträgers) und wobei MAX eine Geschwindigkeit des Druckmediums ist, welche
im wesentlichen der maximalen Druckgeschwindigkeit des Druckkopfes entspricht.
4. Drucker gemäß Anspruch 2, bei dem die Mittel zur Ablaufsteuerung dazu ausgebildet
sind, für jeweils zwei übersprungene Punktesätze die Menge des am Druckkopf vorbeigeführten
Bandes um eine Menge zu verringern, die im wesentlichen gleich der Bandlänge ist,
welche zum Drucken eines Punktesatzes benutzt wird.
5. Verfahren zum Sparen von Band in einem thermischen Drucker zum Drucken auf ein kontinuierliches
Druckmedium durch Übertragung von Druckfarbe von einem thermischen Druckband, wobei
der Drucker einen thermischen Druckkopf mit mit Energie versorgbaren Druckelementen
enthält und wobei das Verfahren folgende Merkmale aufweist: das Vorbeibewegen eines
Druckmediums an dem Druckkopf mit einer größeren Geschwindigkeit als der entsprechenden
maximalen Druckgeschwindigkeit des Druckkopfes, Vorbeibewegen des Bandes an dem Druckkopf
in derselben Richtung wie das Druckmedium mit der der maximalen Druckgeschwindigkeit
des Druckkopfes entsprechenden Geschwindigkeit, selektive Energieversorgung der Druckelemente,
um Druckfarbe zu übertragen, um ein vorbestimmtes Muster von Farbpunkten auf dem Medium
aufzubauen, periodisches Weglassen von Punkten aus dem vorbestimmten Muster durch
Überspringen eines Satzes von Punkten des Musters und Ersetzen derselben durch einen
folgenden Satz von Punkten.
6. Verfahren gemäß Anspruch 5, beinhaltend, daß im Durchschnitt X Sätze übersprungen
werden, wobei X=1-(MAX)/Geschwindigkeit des Druckmediums) und MAX eine Geschwindigkeit
des Druckmediums ist, die im wesentlichen der maximalen Druckgeschwindigkeit des Kopfes
entspricht.
1. Imprimante thermique pour imprimer sur un support d'impression continu par transfert
d'encre à partir d'un ruban d'impression thermique, comprenant :
un moyen définissant un trajet de support d'impression,
une tête d'impression thermique comportant des éléments d'impression pouvant être
alimentés et situés adjacents au trajet de support d'impression,
un moyen définissant un trajet de ruban qui, lorsqu'il s'étend entre la tête d'impression
et le trajet de support d'impression, s'étend dans la même direction que le trajet
de support d'impression,
un moyen d'entraînement de ruban pouvant fonctionner pour entraîner un ruban à des
vitesses variables le long du trajet de ruban,
un moyen de détection de vitesse pouvant fonctionner pour détecter la vitesse de déplacement
du support d'impression le long du trajet de support d'impression, et
un moyen de traitement comprenant un moyen formant mémoire et agencé, pendant l'impression,
pour commander le moyen d'entraînement de ruban afin de faire varier la vitesse de
ruban jusqu'à une vitesse maximale correspondant sensiblement à la vitesse maximale
d'impression de la tête d'impression, et pour activer des éléments d'impression choisis
en fonction de motifs de points prédéterminés mémorisés dans le moyen formant mémoire,
pour provoquer le transfert d'encre du ruban vers le support d'impression pour former
le motif prédéterminé, en tant que points d'encre, sur le support d'impression lorsqu'il
passe devant la tête d'impression le long du trajet de support d'impression,
le moyen de traitement étant en outre agencé pour gérer la vitesse du support d'impression
en utilisant le moyen de détection de vitesse, et, lorsque la vitesse du support d'impression
est supérieure à la vitesse de ruban, pour activer les éléments d'impression de façon
que des points d'encre choisis soient omis du motif prédéterminé.
2. Imprimante selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle le moyen de traitement est agencé
pour faire que des points soient omis en sautant périodiquement un ensemble de points
et en activant, à la place, les éléments en fonction de l'ensemble suivant de points
mémorisés dans le moyen formant mémoire.
3. Imprimante selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle le moyen de traitement est agencé
pour sauter X ensembles en moyenne, où X= 1-(MAX/ vitesse du support d'impression)
et où MAX est une vitesse de support d'impression correspondant sensiblement à la
vitesse maximale d'impression de la tête d'impression.
4. Imprimante selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle le moyen de traitement est agencé
pour réduire, pour les deux ensembles de points sautés, la quantité de ruban amenée
devant la tête d'impression d'une quantité sensiblement égale à la longueur de ruban
utilisée pour imprimer un ensemble de points.
5. Procédé d'économie de ruban dans une imprimante thermique pour imprimer sur un support
d'impression continu par transfert d'encre à partir d'un ruban d'impression thermique,
l'imprimante incluant une tête d'impression thermique comportant des éléments d'impression
pouvant être alimentés, le procédé comprenant le passage d'un support d'impression
devant la tête d'impression à une vitesse supérieure à la vitesse équivalant à la
vitesse maximale d'impression de la tête d'impression, le passage du ruban devant
la tête d'impression, dans la même direction que le support d'impression, à une vitesse
équivalant à la vitesse maximale d'impression de la tête d'impression, en alimentant
sélectivement les éléments d'impression pour transférer de l'encre pour constituer
un motif de points d'encre prédéterminé sur le support et en omettant périodiquement
des points du motif prédéterminé en sautant un ensemble de points du motif et en les
remplaçant par un ensemble suivant de points.
6. Procédé selon la revendication 5, incluant le saut de X ensembles en moyenne, où X=
1-(MAX/ vitesse du support d'impression) et où MAX est une vitesse de support d'impression
correspondant sensiblement à la vitesse maximale d'impression de la tête.