TRANSFER PRINTER AND METHOD

• US 20200130375A1
• Filed: 06/27/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Videojet Technologies Incorporated (Veralto Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Videojet Technologies Incorporated (Veralto Corp.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Jeremy, Hart, Philip, Walley, Gareth
• Granted Patent: US 11,260,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/0026 with means for applying print under heat and pressure, e.g. using heat activable adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/02 Feeding mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/07 electromagnetically controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/10 electromagnetically controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed-disabling devices responsible to material breakage or exhaustion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/325 by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/36 Print density control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 33/16 with drive applied to spool or spool spindle
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 33/36 with means for adjusting feeding rate
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 35/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed disabling devices responsive to ink ribbon breakage or exhaustion

Abstract

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer. The method comprises providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer. The method further comprises printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon. The method further comprises transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path. The method further comprises when a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image. The method further comprises processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer, comprising:

providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer;

printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon;

transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path;

determining whether a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion,

in response to determining that the characteristic meets the predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image;

processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport comprises a ribbon transport speed.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined criterion comprises the ribbon transport speed being substantially equal to a predetermined ribbon transport speed.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined criterion comprises the ribbon transport direction being equal to a predetermined ribbon transport direction.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

transporting the region of ribbon, by the ribbon transport system, past the imaging location a plurality of times; and

obtaining, by the image capture system, said image of the negative image at a predetermined one of said plurality of times.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined one of said plurality of times is one of said plurality of times other than a first one of said plurality.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein obtaining a ribbon image of the negative image comprises:

obtaining a plurality of partial images of a corresponding plurality of parts of the negative image; and

generating a ribbon image based upon said plurality of partial images.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of partial images comprises a plurality of one-dimensional images, each one-dimensional image comprising a plurality of data items, each data item being indicative of a radiation intensity at a respective one of a plurality of capture regions, each of the plurality of capture regions corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of regions of the imaging location.

11. A method according to claim 9, comprising obtaining a first one of said plurality of partial images during a first ribbon movement and obtaining a second one of said plurality of partial images during a second ribbon movement, wherein the ribbon transport direction is reversed between said first and second ribbon movements.

12. A method according to claim 4, wherein said first and second ones of said plurality of partial images are obtained when the ribbon transport direction is equal to said predetermined ribbon transport direction.

13. A method according to claim 3, wherein said first and second ones of said plurality of partial images are obtained when the ribbon transport speed is substantially equal to said predetermined ribbon transport speed.

74. A transfer printer configured to transfer ink from a printer ribbon to a substrate which is transported along a predetermined substrate path adjacent to the printer comprising:

a tape drive for transporting ribbon between first and second ribbon spools along a ribbon path;

a printhead being displaceable towards and away from the predetermined substrate path and being arranged to, during printing, contact one side of the ribbon to press an opposite side of the ribbon into contact with a substrate on the predetermined substrate path, and a printing surface;

an image capture system configured to capture images of the ribbon at an imaging location; and

a controller arranged to perform a method according to any preceding claim.

75. A transfer printer according to claim 74, wherein the tape drive comprises two tape drive motors and two tape spool supports on which said spools of ribbon may be mounted, each spool being drivable by a respective one of said motors.

76. A transfer printer according to claim 74, further comprising a monitor arranged to generate an output indicative of movement of the printhead relative to the printing surface.

77. A transfer printer according to claim 74, wherein the image capture system comprises a radiation detector.

78. A transfer printer according to claim 77, wherein the image capture system further comprises a radiation emitter, a radiation path being formed between said radiation emitter and the radiation detector.

79. A transfer printer according to claim 74, wherein the image capture system is configured to generate data indicative of a characteristic of the image capture system, said characteristic comprising a spatial distribution of radiation intensity.

7. A method according to wherein 5, obtaining the ribbon image comprises obtaining a plurality of one-dimensional images of said ribbon at an imaging location.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of one-dimensional images of said ribbon at the imaging location are obtained as said ribbon moves past said imaging location.

14. (canceled)

15. A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a transfer printer, comprising:

providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the transfer printer;

printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the ribbon;

obtaining data indicative of the position of a printhead of the transfer printer during said printing;

obtaining data indicative of the image that is intended to be printed onto the substrate;

transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path;

determining, using a sensor associated with a portion of the ribbon transport system, data indicative of an amount of ribbon moved by the ribbon transport system;

obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image;

determining a relationship between said ribbon image and said data indicative of the image that is intended to be printed onto the substrate based upon said data indicative of the position of the printhead and the data indicative of an amount of ribbon moved by the ribbon transport system; and

processing said ribbon image and said data indicative of the image that is intended to be printed onto the substrate to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.

16-73. -73. (canceled)

80. (canceled)

81. (canceled)