Transfer printer and method

• US 11,260,650 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2018
• Issued: 03/01/2022
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Valencia, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US16/624,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20200130375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 the ribbon;

transporting the region of the 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; and

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

wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport comprises an acceleration of the ribbon transport, and wherein the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion when the acceleration is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport is associated with a ribbon transport speed.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion when the ribbon transport speed is substantially equal to a predetermined ribbon transport speed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport is associated with a ribbon transport direction, and wherein the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion when the ribbon transport direction is equal to a predetermined ribbon transport direction.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

transporting the region of the 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 time of said plurality of times.

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

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

8. The 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.

9. The 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 the ribbon image based upon said plurality of partial images.

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

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

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first and second partial images of said plurality of partial images are obtained when the ribbon transport direction is equal to a predetermined ribbon transport direction.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first and second partial images of said plurality of partial images are obtained when a ribbon transport speed is substantially equal to a predetermined ribbon transport speed.

14. 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 the imaging location; and

a controller arranged to perform a method according to claim 1.

15. The transfer printer according to claim 14, wherein the tape drive comprises two tape drive motors and two tape spool supports on which said first and second ribbon spools may be mounted, each spool of the first and second ribbon spools being drivable by a respective motor of said two tape drive motors.

16. The transfer printer according to claim 14, further comprising a monitor arranged to generate an output indicative of movement of the printhead relative to the printing surface.

17. The transfer printer according to claim 14, wherein the image capture system comprises a radiation detector.

18. The transfer printer according to claim 17, wherein the image capture system further comprises a radiation emitter, a radiation path being formed between said radiation emitter and the radiation detector.

19. The transfer printer according to claim 14, 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.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport comprises a change in ribbon transport direction of movement, and wherein the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion when the ribbon transport direction of movement is not being changed.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport comprises whether a printing cycle is in a print phase, wherein the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion when the printing cycle is in the print phase, and wherein the ribbon image is capture during the print phase.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining the ribbon image during a time the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion.

23. 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 the ribbon;

transporting the region of the 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; and

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

wherein said characteristic of the ribbon transport comprises a deceleration of the ribbon transport, and wherein the characteristic of the ribbon transport meets the predetermined criterion when the deceleration is below a predetermined threshold.