Printer with printing medium motion detection

• US 6,092,940 A
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wade, Joseph R., Wiklof, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUNK, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/100,259
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 347/16, 358/296, 358/473, 400/88, 400/582, 400/578, 400/613, 400/596, 400/613.1, 400/708, 400/708.1, 400/709, 400/120.01
• US Class Current: 400/88
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0095 Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end

Abstract

A printer for printing on a manually moved print medium. The printer may use thermal or inkjet printing and has user feedback and input. A roller-type position detector enables the printer to be used without a mechanical paper drive mechanism. The printer monitors the print medium as the print medium is propelled through the printer to identify when particular printing fields are aligned to the printhead. The printer then activates the printhead to print image portions in the printing fields. An alternative embodiment of the printer uses a flexible mounting of the printhead. In this embodiment, the paper roll diameter is determined in conjunction with monitoring the rotation of the paper roll to determine the position of the paper without requiring a roller-type position detector.

Claims

1. A printer for printing on a print medium supplied from a print medium roll, comprising:

a housing with a print medium path therethrough along which the print medium travels, the print medium path exposing the print medium for grasping by a user to manually propel the print medium along the print medium path;

a printing member supported by the housing and positioned to print on the print medium as the print medium is manually propelled along the print medium path;

a position detector supported by the housing and oriented to monitor the position of selected portions of the print medium as the print medium is manually propelled along the print medium path and to generate an electrical signal indicative of the position of selected portions of the print medium in response to the movement of the print medium along the print medium path, the position detector including a first roller movably supported by the housing and positioned to continuously frictionally engage the print medium on the print medium roll, the first roller rotating in correspondence with the movement of the print medium along the print medium path; and

a print controller microprocessor connected to receive the electrical signal from the position detector, and connected to selectively activate the printing member for printing in response to the electrical signal on the selected portions of the print medium.

3. The printer of claim 1 wherein the position detector further includes a rotation sensor connected to monitor the rotation of the first roller and to produce the electrical signal indicative of movement of the print medium along the print medium path.

4. The printer of claim 3 wherein the rotation sensor includes:

an encoder wheel having a plurality of apertures through a portion thereof connected to rotate in correspondence to rotation of the first roller;

an optical source emitting light toward the portion of the encoder wheel having the apertures therethrough; and

an optical detector positioned to detect light from the optical source transmitted through the apertures and producing the electrical signal in response thereto.

5. The printer of claim 3 wherein the first roller is movable to continuously engage the print medium roll.

6. The printer of claim 1, further including a radius detector positioned to detect the radius of the print medium roll.

7. The printer of claim 6 wherein the radius detector is a printing member position sensor coupled to monitor the position of the printing member relative to a central axis of the print medium roll.

8. The printer of claim 1 wherein the print controller includes:

a memory containing image data representing an image to be printed; and

wherein the controller is a microprocessor connected to retrieve the image data and to activate the printing member in response to the retrieved image data.

9. The printer of claim 8 wherein the image data in the memory includes a plurality of discrete image data portions, each corresponding to a portion of the image and wherein the microprocessor is programmed to identify the selected portion of the print medium aligned with the printing member based upon the electrical signal indicative of the position of the print medium and to retrieve the image data portion corresponding to the identified selected portion of the print medium.

10. The printer of claim 1 wherein the printing member is an inkjet.

11. The printer of claim 1 wherein the printing member is a thermal printhead.

2. A printer for printing on a print medium, comprising:

a housing with a print medium path therethrough along which the print medium travels;

a printing member supported by the housing and positioned to print on the print medium as the print medium is manually propelled along the print medium path;

a position detector supported by the housing and oriented to monitor the position of selected portions of the print medium as the print medium is propelled along the print medium path and to generate an electrical signal indicative of the position of selected portions of the print medium in response to the movement of the print medium along the print medium path wherein the position detector includes a platen roller opposed to the printhead and frictionally engaging the print medium, the platen roller rotating in correspondence with the movement of the print medium along the print medium path.

12. The printer of claim 2 wherein the position detector further includes a rotation sensor to monitor the rotation of the platen roller and to produce the electrical signal indicative of movement of the print medium along the print medium path.

13. The printer of claim 12 wherein the rotation sensor includes:

an encoder wheel having a plurality of apertures through a portion thereof coupled to rotate in correspondence to rotation of the platen roller;

an optical source emitting light toward the portion of the encoder wheel having the apertures therethrough; and

an optical detector positioned to detect light from the optical source transmitted through the apertures and producing the electrical signal in response thereto.

14. The printer of claim 13 wherein the encoder wheel is coupled to the platen roller through a gear train.

15. The printer of claim 13 wherein the encoder wheel is formed as a portion of the platen roller.

16. The printer of claim 13 wherein the encoder wheel is coupled to the platen roller through a belt.

17. A printer for printing on a print medium as the print medium is pulled through the printer by a source external to the printer, the print medium supplied from a roll of print medium carried by a print medium roll axle, the printer comprising:

a housing having a print medium path therein along which the print medium is pulled by the external source and a passageway positioned to permit the print medium to exit the housing;

a printing member within the housing and positioned adjacent the print medium path;

a rotation sensor supported by the housing and positioned to monitor rotation of the print medium roll axle as the print medium is pulled through the printer, the rotation sensor producing an electrical signal indicative of movement of the print medium along the print medium path;

a memory containing image data; and

a print controller connected to receive the electrical signal from the rotation sensor and to retrieve the image data from the memory, the print controller selectively activating the printing member for printing on the print medium in response to the electrical signal and the retrieved image data.

18. The printer of claim 17 wherein the rotation sensor includes:

an encoder wheel coupled to the print medium roll axle to rotate in correspondence with the movement of the print medium;

an optical source emitting light toward the encoder wheel; and

an optical detector positioned to detect light from the optical source modulated by the encoder wheel to produce the electrical signal in response thereto.

19. The printer of claim 18 wherein the encoder wheel is coaxially mounted to the print medium roll axial.

20. The printer of claim 17 wherein the print controller includes:

a second housing separate from the first housing; and

a microprocessor supported by the second housing, and connected to receive the electrical signal from the rotation sensor and the image data from the memory.

21. The printer of claim 18 wherein the encoder wheel is coupled to the print medium roll axle through a gear train.

22. The printer of claim 18 wherein the encoder wheel is formed as a portion of the print medium roll axle.

23. The printer of claim 18 wherein the encoder wheel is coupled to the print medium roll axle through a belt.

24. The printer of claim 18 wherein the encoder wheel is coaxially mounted to the print medium roll axle.

25. A method of printing a plurality of image portions of an image on a manually propelled print medium, the print medium having a plurality of printing positions, comprising:

positioning the print medium in an initial printing position relative to a printing member;

manually propelling the print medium through the printer from the initial printing position to a sequence of subsequent printing positions located along the print medium subsequent to the initial printing position such that each of the printing positions passes the printing member;

as the print medium moves from the first printing position to each of the sequence of subsequent printing positions, detecting when each successive one of the printing positions is aligned with the printing member wherein detecting when each successive one of the printing positions is aligned with the printing member includes monitoring the angular rotation of a print medium roll axle carrying a supply of the print medium;

determining what image portion to print on the print medium for each printing position of the print medium; and

activating the printing member in response to each determined image portion when the corresponding printing position is aligned with the printing member to produce the image portion at the printing position of the print medium.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising identifying the angular rotation of the print medium roll axle with an optical detector.

26. A method of printing a plurality of image portions of an image on a manually propelled print medium, the print medium having a plurality of printing portions, comprising:

positioning the print medium in an initial printing position relative to a printing member;

manually propelling the print medium through the printer from the initial printing position to a sequence of subsequent printing positions located along the print medium subsequent to the initial printing position such that each of the printing positions passes the printing member;

as the print medium moves from the first printing position to each of the sequence of subsequent printing positions, detecting when each successive one of the printing positions is aligned with the printing member wherein detecting when each successive one of the printing positions is aligned with the printing member comprises;

monitoring the angular rotation of a platen roller opposed to the printing member and frictionally engaged with the print medium for rotation as the print medium is manually propelled through the printer; and

in response to the monitored angular rotation, determining the position of the first printing position of the print medium relative to the printing member.

28. A method of printing an image comprising a plurality of image portions, each image portion being printed in a corresponding printing field on a print medium by a printing member controlled by a print controller, a roll of print medium supplying the print medium, comprising the steps of:

positioning the print medium in a first position relative to the printing member such that the printing member is aligned with a first one of the printing fields;

moving the print medium through the printer relative to the printing member to move a sequence of subsequent printing fields located on the print medium subsequent to the first printing field past the printing member by applying a print medium pulling force to the print medium such that each successive one of the printing fields comes into alignment with the printing member, the print medium pulling force being applied independent of control by the print controller;

detecting when each successive one of the printing fields is aligned to the printing member by monitoring the position of the print medium relative to the first position, wherein detecting when each successive one of the printing fields is aligned to the printing member includes detecting an angular rotation of a roller frictionally engaged with the roll of print medium; and

for each successive one of the printing fields, energizing the printing member when the print field is aligned with the printing member to selectively print the corresponding image portion in the printing field.

29. The method of claim 28, further including applying a yielding force to the roller with a first resilient member such that the roller remains in contact with the roll of print medium during the steps of moving the print medium, detecting when each successive one of the printing fields is aligned to the printing member and energizing the printing member.

30. The method of claim 29, further including applying a yielding force to the printing member with a second resilient member such that the printing member remains in contact with the print medium during the steps of moving the print medium, detecting when each successive one of the printing fields is aligned to the printing member and energizing the printing member.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the print medium is a processed lumber product in a lumber processing facility and the printer is incorporated in the lumber processing facility, and wherein the step of moving the print medium through the printer relative to the printing member comprises transporting the lumber product through the lumber processing facility.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the print medium includes an adhesive portion and the step of moving the print medium through the printer relative to the printing member by applying a print medium pulling force comprises the steps of:

adhering the adhesive portion to a target object; and

moving the target object relative to the printing member.

33. A printer for printing on a print medium as the print medium is pulled through the printer by a source external to the printer along a print medium path, the printer comprising:

a housing having a base and a cover, the cover pivotally mounted to the base for movement with respect thereto between an open position and a closed position;

a printing member supported by the housing;

a platen roller, the platen roller coupled to the housing for pivotal movement with respect to the printing member about a first axis to bias the print medium into frictional engagement with the print head when the cover is in the closed position;

a rotation sensor supported by the housing and positioned to monitor rotation of the platen roller as the print medium is pulled through the printer, the rotation sensor producing an electrical signal indicative of movement of the print medium along the print medium path; and

a print controller coupled to receive the electrical signal from the rotation sensor and to selectively activate the printing member for printing on the print medium in response to the electrical signal.

34. The printer of claim 33 wherein the platen roller is supported by the cover and the printing member is supported by the base.

35. The printer of claim 33 wherein the platen roller is supported by the base and the printing member is supported by to the cover.

36. The printer of claim 33 wherein the rotation sensor includes:

an encoder wheel having a plurality of apertures through a portion thereof connected to rotate in correspondence to rotation of the platen roller;

an optical source emitting light toward the portion of the encoder wheel having the apertures therethrough; and

an optical detector positioned to detect light from the optical source transmitted through the apertures and producing the electrical signal in response thereto.

37. The printer of claim 36 wherein the encoder wheel is coupled to the platen roller through a gear train.

38. The printer of claim 36 wherein the encoder wheel is formed as a portion of the platen roller.

39. The printer of claim 36 wherein the encoder wheel is coupled to the platen roller through a belt.