Baggage tag with print head cleaning pouch

• US 5,875,719 A
• Filed: 02/07/1996
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Data Documents
• Original Assignee: Data Documents
• Inventors: Francis, Dennis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anthony H.
• Application Number:
  US08/598,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 101/424, 101/483, 101/423, 400/701, 400/702
• US Class Current: 101/424
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for cleaning the print head of a baggage tag printer used for printing passenger identification and destination indicia thereon. The print head cleaner comprises a plurality of baggage tags secured to one another in end-to-end relation forming an elongated strip of baggage tags. The cleaner is secured to the last of the tags for automatic advancement into the printer upon completion of the printing of the final tag. The cleaner includes a quantity of print head cleaning fluid enclosed in a pouch which bursts upon passage through the printer. A paper tail may be fastened to the pouch for frictional engagement with the print head facilitating the cleaning thereof.

Claims

1. A set of interconnected baggage tags adapted for cleaning a print head of a baggage tag printer through which said tags are passed for printing passenger identification and destination indicia thereon, said set comprising:

a plurality of baggage tags secured to one another in end-to-end relation to form an elongated strip of baggage tags adapted for sequential advancing through a printer,

each of said plurality of baggage tags including a translucent portion adjacent one end for detection by the printer to signal the end of that respective baggage tag,

a quantity of print head cleaning fluid,

a burstable packet containing said quantity of cleaning fluid, and

fastening means connecting said burstable packet to one of said baggage tags, said fastening means providing an opaque connection between said burstable packet and a baggage tag for passage through a printer without signalling the end of the baggage tag to which a packet is connected, said packet being burstable upon passage through the printer, thereby wetting said print head with cleaning fluid.

2. The set of baggage tags of claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprises a covering of said translucent portion adjacent said tag end.

3. The set of baggage tags of claim 1 further comprising an elongated tail connected to said burstable packet opposite said baggage tag such that, upon bursting of said packet, said cleaning fluid is sprayed onto said tail and further wherein said passing of said tags through a printer causes said tail to frictionally contact and clean said print head.

4. The set of baggage tags of claim 1 wherein said burstable packet is a sealed pouch.

5. The set of baggage tags of claim 3 wherein said elongated tail is a paper strip.

6. The set of baggage tags of claim 3 wherein said burstable packet comprises a weaker portion and wherein said weaker portion is positioned adjacent said elongated tail.

7. The set of baggage tags of claim 5 wherein said packet is connected to the last of the set of baggage tags and wherein said paper strip is the last portion of a set to pass through the printer.

8. In combination,

a baggage tag printer having,

means for advancing baggage tags therethrough and,

a print head for printing passenger identification and destination information on the baggage tags,

a plurality of baggage tags secured to one another in end-to-end relation to form an elongated strip of baggage tags adapted for sequential advancing through said printer,

each of said plurality of baggage tags including a translucent portion adjacent one end for detection by the printer to signal the end of that respective baggage tag,

a quantity of print head cleaning fluid,

a burstable packet containing said quantity of cleaning fluid, and

fastening means connecting said burstable packet to one of said baggage tags, said fastening means providing an opaque connection between said burstable packet and a baggage tag for passage through a printer without signalling the end of the baggage tag to which said packet is connected, said packet being burstable upon passage through said printer, thereby wetting said print head with cleaning fluid.

9. A print head cleaner for cleaning the print head of a baggage tag printer through which said tags are passed for printing indicia of the identification and destination of a passenger thereon, the print head cleaner adapted for use at the end of such a plurality of baggage tags connected in end-to-end relation, the cleaner comprising:

a quantity of cleaning fluid;

means for releasably containing said cleaning fluid; and

means for securing said cleaning fluid containing means to the end of one of a plurality of baggage tags such that upon completion of printing on said tags, said cleaning fluid containing means is advanced into a printer and into contact with a printer print head, said containing means being burstable upon passage through the printer thereby wetting said print head with cleaning fluid.

10. The print head cleaner of claim 9 said plurality of tags are connected such that there exists a translucent space therebetween, said printer being operative to detect said translucent space thereby identifying one tag from another, said cleaning fluid containing means and said means for connecting said containing means being opaque such that upon advancement of said cleaner through said printer, said cleaner is not identified as a tag.

11. The print head cleaner of claim 9 wherein said plurality of serially connected baggage tags further comprise a perforation between said tags to facilitate the separation thereof and further wherein said perforation comprises an opening operative to further facilitate the identification of a preceding tag from a following tag.

12. The print head cleaner of claim 9 wherein said fluid containing means is a pouch.

13. The print head cleaner of claim 9 further comprising an elongated paper strip secured to said fluid containing means such that upon advancement of said cleaner through said printer, said paper strip is the last portion to pass through said printer, frictionally contacting and cleaning said print head as it is advanced through the printer.

14. The print head cleaner of claim 9 wherein said cleaning fluid comprises alcohol.

15. A method of cleaning the print head of a baggage tag printer comprising the steps of:

providing a baggage tag on which passenger identification and destination information is to be printed;

providing a printer for printing identification information on said tag while advancing said tag through said printer;

providing a print head cleaner having,

a quantity of cleaning fluid;

means for releasably containing said cleaning fluid, said means being burstable upon passage through said printer; and

means for securing said containing means to the end of said baggage tag such that upon completion of printing on said tag, said containing means is advanced into contact with said print head;

inserting said baggage tag into said printer;

printing said passenger and destination identification information on said tag;

advancing said tag through said machine causing said cleaning fluid container means to burst upon passage through said printer, wetting said print head with said cleaning fluid for cleaning it.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of providing a baggage tag comprises:

providing a plurality of tags detachably secured one to another in an end-to-end fashion by a translucent fastening means, said translucent fastening means permitting the identification of one ticket from the other;

and further wherein the step of providing a printer comprises providing a printer adapted to detect said translucent fastening means;

and further wherein the step of providing said cleaning fluid containing means of said print head cleaner comprises providing a plastic pouch and wherein said means for securing said pouch to said tag is opaque such that advancement of said cleaner pouch through said printer does not register said pouch as another baggage tag;

and further wherein the step of advancing the tag through the printer comprises;

inserting the first of said plurality of tags into said printer and printing said identification and destination thereon; and

sequentially advancing said tag through said machine and printing one tag after another until said plurality of tags is exhausted whereupon said cleaning fluid pouch contacts said print head bursting said pouch, wetting said print head with cleaning fluid.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of providing a print head cleaner includes providing an elongated paper strip secured to said cleaning fluid container pouch such that upon advancement through said printer, said pouch bursting, wetting said paper strip with cleaning fluid and wherein said wetted paper strip is the final portion to pass through said printer, frictionally contacting and cleaning said print head.