Compact disc and recordable compact disc thermal transfer printer

• US 6,148,722 A
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Primera Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Primera Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Hagstrom, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): EICKHOLT, EUGENE H
• Application Number:
  US09/326,041
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 101/44, 101/36, 101/37, 101/35, 101/4, 400/208, 400/58, 400/682
• US Class Current: 101/35
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/32 Detachable carriers or holders for impression-transfer material mechanism
• 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 2202/36 Thermal printing on disk-shaped medium
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4071 Printing on disk-shaped media, e.g. CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/40 Identifying or analogous means applied to or incorporated in the record carrier and not intended for visual display simultaneously with the playing-back of the record carrier, e.g. label, leader, photograph

Abstract

A thermal printer for printing onto circular objects includes a housing that mounts a platen and a carrier for the circular object, and a separate removable and latchable carriage carrying the printhead and positionable on the housing to retain the printhead in a fixed location. The carrier for the circular object is driven relative to the printhead while printing takes place. The platen, carrier and circular object are urged against the printhead as the carrier moves. An actuator is used for moving the platen and carrier with a variable force to vary the force of the circular object against the printhead so that the force is increased when the length of the line of printing increases to span the circular object.

Claims

1. A printer for printing onto a circular object comprising a housing, a printhead mounted in said housing and secured in a reference position, a support for a circular object, a drive for said support to move said support and a circular object thereon in a plane relative to said printhead, and a platen for engaging the support and moving the support and the circular object toward the printhead to provide a printing pressure that is changeable as a function of the position of the circular object as the support moves relative to the printhead.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the printhead is a thermal dye sublimation printhead having a plurality of heat elements for engaging a ribbon to transfer printing onto the circular object.

3. The printer of claim 1, wherein said circular object is made of a plastic material.

4. The printer of claim 1, wherein said circular object is selected from one of a compact disc, a recordable compact disc and a digital video disc.

5. The printer of claim 1, wherein said platen is mounted on a pivoting frame relative to said housing, and a position control synchronized with movement of said support and changing the force the platen exerts against the support.

6. The printer of claim 5, wherein said position control comprises a cam rotatable relative to the printhead that controls a variable force on the printhead.

7. The printer of claim 1, wherein said printhead is mounted onto a separate cartridge, said cartridge being slidably removable from said housing.

8. The printer of claim 7 including a latch for holding the cartridge in position on the housing.

9. The printer of claim 7, wherein said printhead engages a ribbon carrying dye sublimation materials, said ribbon being provided on a supply roll, a take-up roll for receiving ribbon which has been used for printing, the supply and take-up rolls being mounted on said cartridge, such that the printhead and supply and take-up rolls are removable from said housing for loading said ribbon.

10. The printer of claim 9, wherein said cartridge has a lower side, the printhead having a printing portion open to the lower side, and supports for said supply and take-up rolls accessible from the lower side for loading said ribbon across the printhead when the cartridge is removed from the housing.

11. The printer of claim 10, wherein said housing has a first electrical connector mounted thereon, a mating electrical connector mounted on said cartridge, and said first electrical connector on the housing and said mating electrical connector engaging and making electrical contact when the cartridge is latched in the housing.

12. The printer of claim 6, wherein said cam has a position that permits the platen and support to be lowered and spaced from the printhead, and a motor drive for moving a print ribbon relative to the printhead when the platen is moved to a position to place the support spaced from the printhead.

13. A thermal transfer printer for printing on circular objects comprising a housing, a cartridge removably mounted in said housing and securable in a working position, a printhead mounted on said cartridge, a ribbon supply mounted on said cartridge for providing a ribbon relative to a portion of the printhead, and exposed at one surface of the cartridge, a platen mounted in said housing, a movable generally planar carrier for supporting a circular object to be printed and movable between a loading position and a printing position, and an actuator for moving the platen against a surface of said carrier opposite from the printhead to urge the carrier, and a circular object supported thereon against the ribbon and printhead.

14. The printer of claim 13, wherein said actuator comprises a cam actuator rotatable about an axis generally parallel to an axis of the platen, said cam actuator including cam rollers that engage a pivoting plate, at least one spring coupled to the platen and to the pivoting plate for changing force on the platen tending to move the platen toward the carrier relative to a position of the carrier.

15. The printer of claim 13, wherein said actuator is movable to a position to space the platen carrier and a circular object carried thereby from the printhead.

16. The printer of claim 15 including the drive for a ribbon to move the ribbon when the platen is moved to the position spaced from the printhead.

17. The printer of claim 15, wherein said platen is mounted on a pivoting frame, and said actuator is mounted on said housing, a spring connecting said pivoting frame and the actuator to move the platen toward the printhead under a spring force.

18. The printer of claim 17, wherein said actuator is a rotatable cam member, and a drive of said rotatable cam member being synchronized with the position of the movable carrier such that the spring exerts lesser force when the movable carrier is in a first position with a leading edge of a circular object thereon under the printhead, and a greater force as longer print length portions of said circular object move under the printhead.

19. The printer of claim 13, and a latch for said cartridge comprising a rod, said cartridge having spaced apart side walls, and leading edges of said side walls of the cartridge having notches for receiving said rod when the cartridge is in a working position relative to the housing.

20. The printer of claim 19, wherein said rod is mounted on a pivoting support, and said notches have detent portions for retaining the cartridge in a secured position, said cartridge being fixed in a position relative to the housing and platen when in its working position.

21. A printer comprising a printhead, a platen, and a carrier for supporting an object to be printed positioned between the platen and the printhead, a drive for driving the carrier between a loading position and a printing position, and to move the object to be printed relative to the printhead, the carrier, the platen, and the drive for the carrier being mounted in a first housing, and the printhead being mounted in a second removable housing that is latchably positionable relative to the first housing and is accessible from an exterior of the first housing and is removable from the first housing independently of the carrier.

22. The printer of claim 21. and an actuator for moving the platen in a direction toward and away from the printhead when the carrier is in the printing position, said actuator varying the force of urging the platen against the carrier as a function of the position of the carrier and the object to be printed held thereon relative to the printhead.

23. The printer of claim 22, wherein said actuator comprises a rotatable cam, said platen being rotatable relative to the movement of the carrier, and the rotation of the cam and the rotation of the platen being synchronized.

24. The printer of claim 21, wherein said second housing has supports thereon for mounting a ribbon to be used with the printhead.

25. The printer of claim 21, wherein said circular object is selected from one of a compact disc and a compact recordable disc made of a polycarbonate material.

26. The printer of claim 21, wherein said printhead is a thermal dye sublimation printhead.