1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a floating print head and an associated method for aligning the print head for thermal printing.
2. Description of Related Art
Thermal printers may be used to print a variety of configurations on substrates, such as cards and webs. A thermal printer typically includes a thermal print head having a row of resistors that may be activated to produce heat that is transferred to a print ribbon having thermally reactive ink or dyes and onto the substrate. One or more platen rollers is typically employed to transfer the substrate to print an array of rows to create an image or graphic, as well as to provide a support surface when the print head prints onto the substrate.
Given the increasing complexity of configurations printed on a substrate, such as images or graphics, the alignment of the print head becomes more important. It is desirable to have the line of resistors substantially aligned relative to the centerline of the platen roller to achieve a consistent print or dot line across the substrate. Because each of the multiple components that comprise the printer may have an associated tolerance, there is a greater probability of mismatching between the line of resistors and the platen as the tolerances stack up and make alignment difficult. Moreover, typical thermal printers do not allow for the print head to adjust once the print head is in a printing position, which makes realignment of the print head difficult, if not impossible.
Techniques have been developed to align the print head for thermal printing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. RE38,473 to Smolenski discloses a printer having a floating print head with alignment surfaces to position the print head. The print head is spring loaded to allow the print head to float in a vertical and horizontal direction within a lid assembly. In particular, the printer includes alignment posts having an oblique angle that corresponds to an angle on a print head alignment surface that compensates for linear and rotational misalignment. The print head includes a leaf spring, and as the print head is lowered, the print head alignment surface contacts a guide post alignment surface in the body of the printer. Because the alignment surfaces contact at oblique angles, there is a certain amount of tolerance in the approach positions between the alignment surfaces provided by the leaf spring. However, although the floating print head allows for translational and pitch alignment, the floating print head may not facilitate rolling adjustment about a longitudinal axis. As such, the Smolenski patent may not ensure that the line of resistors are both aligned relative to the centerline of the platen roller and that each of the resistors applies uniform pressure and thermal transfer across the substrate.
For these and other reasons, it would be advantageous to provide a floating print head assembly that is capable of applying uniform pressure across the substrate. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a floating print head assembly that may compensate for tolerances inherent in the thermal printer assembly. It would also be advantageous to provide a floating print head assembly that is easily operated and assembled.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a thermal printer 10, as shown in
Thermal printers, as known to those skilled in the art, typically include a print head having heating resistors thereon, rollers for transferring a ribbon, and a platen roller to transfer a substrate adjacent to the print head such that heat transferred from the heating resistors is transferred to the ribbon. The heated ribbon generally includes thermally reactive ink or dye that is then transferred onto the substrate. The substrates, such as smart cards, labels, identification cards, and the like, are made of a variety of materials (e.g., PVC or composite materials), could be fed individually into the thermal printer, or there may be a stack of substrates that are fed from a card feeder, such as that shown in
The floating print head assembly 11 includes a print head support 20, where the print head 14 may attach thereto. The head bracket 16 defines a cavity that allows the print head support 20 to fit therein when assembled. The print head support 20 includes a shaft 22 and an adjustment screw 24 and adjustment spring 25 that may engage a threaded portion in the shaft substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The print head support 20 also includes a screw 26 that may engage an end of the shaft 22 along a longitudinal axis of the shaft. Each lateral edge of the print head support 20 further includes one or more detents 28 extending outwardly from the print head support.
The print head support 20 is typically a heat sink, such as die cast aluminum, that is used to conduct heat away from the print head 14. To transfer excessive heat away from the print head 14, the print head support 20 may include one or more fins 30. Typically, the floating print head assembly 11 includes a fan 32, such as a whisper fan or similar electric fan, that aids in drawing heat away from the print head 14. As shown in
A peel bar 74 and a film bar 76 are attached to the print head support 20, as shown in
The adjustment screw 24 is utilized to adjust the print head support 20 and print head 14 about a x-axis (i.e., pitch). The adjustment screw 24 is typically adjusted to a predetermined position based on a manufacturer's specifications, such that further adjustments are not usually required once initially set. The adjustment screw 24 may be rotated to adjust the print head 14 angle to ensure that a line of resistors on the print head align with a platen roller positioned adjacent to a ribbon and a substrate. Thus, the dot line produced by the print head 14 is not fixed and may also be adjusted to achieve various degrees of pressure across the substrate by adjusting the position of the print head. The print head 14 may be adjusted linearly and/or about a z-axis (i.e., yaw) with a pair of screws (not shown), where a screw driver or other adjustment device may be inserted through slots 36 defined in the head bracket 16 to access the screws extending through the print head support 20 and into the print head 14. Once the screws are loosened, the print head 14 may be adjusted linearly and/or about a z-axis and the screws retightened to secure the print head in a desired position.
The head bracket 16 includes arcuate slots 38 that mate with the screw 26 and detents 28 of the print head support 20, as illustrated in
The head bracket 16 also defines a latch slot 46, where a latch button 48 is sized and configured to insert through the latch slot. The latch button 48 is operatively connected to a latch 50 such that the latch button may be depressed to activate the latch. Thus, a distal edge 44 of the head bracket 16 includes an aperture that is sized and configured to allow the latch 50 to extend therethrough and engage the pivot bracket 18, as depicted in
The floating print head assembly 11 also includes a sensor 57, such as an infrared sensor, that may be used to detect when the latch 50 has slid through the head bracket 16 to an unlatched or disengaged position. In one embodiment, the sensor 57 is attached to the head bracket 16 such that the latch 50 may slide through a notch defined in the sensor. When the latch 50 is disengaged with the pivot bracket 18, the sensor 57 detects when the latch has moved beyond a designated position and sends a signal to the thermal printer 10 to not print since the print head 14 is in a non-printing position.
The floating print assembly 11 includes an alignment mechanism 12 that generally includes a ball joint shaft 56 and a ball joint cap 58. The ball joint shaft 56 defines various diameters along the axis of the shaft and includes a ball 60 positioned approximately about the midpoint of the shaft, although the ball could be positioned at various locations along the ball joint shaft. The ball 60 is sized and configured to fit within a socket 62 defined in the ball joint cap 58 such that the head bracket 16 and ball joint cap 58 are capable of pivoting about a x, y, and z-axis. The ball 60 could be integral with, or separately attached to, the ball joint shaft 56. As shown in
The head bracket 16 includes a slot 64 defined in each lateral edge 40, where the slots are preferably arcuate to correspond to a radius of the ball joint shaft 56, such that the ball joint shaft may fit within the slots. The ball joint shaft 56 extends through openings 66 defined in the pivot bracket 18. As shown in
Although the alignment mechanism 12 is shown to extend along axis B, it is understood that the alignment mechanism could be positioned at various locations. For example, the alignment mechanism 12 could extend along axis A or along shaft 22. Thus, the alignment mechanism 12 could be located at various locations to achieve a desired amount of rotation about one or more axes to allow the print head 14 to apply uniform pressure on the substrate during printing.
When the ball joint shaft 56 is inserted within the openings 66 defined in the pivot bracket 18, the ball joint cap 58 is assembled to the head bracket 16 with a pair of screws 68. The pivot bracket 18 includes a cavity 70 such that the ball joint cap 58 may fit within the cavity and attach to the head bracket. A screw 72 is inserted within the smaller opening 66 and into the end of the ball joint shaft 56 to prevent the ball joint shaft from sliding out of the opening or out of position, and is preferably fastened flush with the pivot bracket 18.
As shown in
Thus, the cooperation of the ball joint shaft 56 and ball joint cap 58 of the alignment mechanism 12 permit the head bracket 16 and print head support 20 to rotate, which causes the print head 14 to rotate. Specifically, the head bracket 16, the print head support 20, and print head 14 are capable of collectively rotating about a x-axis (i.e., pitch), as well as rotating about a y-axis (i.e., roll) and about a z-axis (i.e. yaw). Preferably, the print head 14 is fixed in pitch and yaw while in a printing position, but the print head may adjust its roll while in a printing position by gimbaling or floating with the alignment mechanism 12. The slots 64 defined in the head bracket 16 prevent the head bracket 16 from pivoting about a y-axis more than a predetermined angle, such as between 5 and 10 degrees in one embodiment of the present invention, as the print head bracket 16 is only capable of being pivoted until the ball joint shaft contacts an upper portion of the slot on either of the lateral edges 40 of the head bracket.
Once assembled, the operation of the floating print head assembly 11 is predominately self-sufficient, such that a minimal amount of user intervention is required to ensure that the print head 14 is aligned and producing uniform pressure across the ribbon 88 and to a substrate. To move the floating print head assembly 11 from a printing position to a non-printing position, a cover 94 on the thermal printer 10 is raised by a user, as shown in
Once the floating print head assembly 11 is lowered to a printing position, the print head 14 is operational and may print onto a substrate. In the printing position, the print head 14 may align itself to apply uniform pressure across the substrate as the head bracket 16 and ball joint cap 58 rotate to adjust the roll of the print head. There may be a slight movement in the pitch and yaw of the print head 14 as the roll of the print head is adjusted or the print head moves over an uneven surface, although the roll of the print head will be predominately self-adjusted during printing. Thus, the print head 14 may align itself when settling in on the ribbon 88 and substrate. As mentioned previously, the latch 50 includes an engaging end 55 that engages a pivot slot 54, where the pivot slot defines a curvature that corresponds to the rotation about the ball joint shaft 56 about a y-axis (i.e., roll). In addition, the pivot slot 54 is slightly larger in dimension than the engaging end 55 of the latch 50 (see
To create an image or similar configuration on a substrate, the substrate is preferably indexed prior to printing onto the substrate. Specifically, a ribbon 88 typically includes panels of colors arranged in series along the ribbon. Thus, once the substrate and print head 14 are in a starting printing position, the substrate will be moved by one or more platen rollers to generate a plurality of dot lines along the substrate. When additional colors are added to the substrate, print head 14 will be pivoted slightly off of the substrate about the pivot bracket shaft and axis A such that the substrate may be indexed back to the starting printing position. The ribbon 88 will be indexed to a desired color and positioned adjacent to the substrate, and the printing process is then repeated with additional colors on the ribbon.
Typically, once the substrate and ribbon 88 are properly positioned, the print head 14 is lowered to the printing position and then cycled out of the printing position one time about the pivot bracket shaft to allow the print head to readjust or reset itself, although the print head could be cycled any number of times or none at all. For instance, a device, such as a cam 104, is used in conjunction with a lever 96 to pivot the floating print head assembly 11 slightly upwards away from the ribbon 88 and substrate and then downwards about the pivot bracket shaft and axis A so that the print head 14 may settle in on the ribbon and substrate with the alignment mechanism 12. Furthermore, the alignment mechanism 12 also facilitates movement of the print head 14 while printing, such that the print head may be continuously adjusting itself about the y-axis (i.e., roll) to ensure that there is uniform pressure applied across the ribbon 88 and substrate.
There are many advantages associated with the present invention. For instance, the design of the floating print head assembly 11 with the head bracket 16 and pivot bracket 18 allows the print head 14 force to be disassociated with the latch 50 force. Thus, to change ribbon 88, the latch button 48 only needs to be depressed to release the head bracket 16 from the pivot bracket 18, while the relatively stronger print head 14 force remains engaged through the ball joint shaft 56 and pivot bracket through axis B.
Furthermore, the alignment mechanism 12 permits the print head 14 to self-adjust about a y-axis (i.e., roll) to ensure that uniform pressure is applied across the substrate. Applying uniform pressure ensures that there will be uniform thermal transfer from the print head 14 to the ribbon 88 and substrate to produce a consistent quality image. Moreover, given the inherent tolerances associated with each of the components of the floating print head assembly 11, the alignment mechanism 12 allows for tolerances without sacrificing print quality. Finally, the floating print head assembly 11 and alignment mechanism 12 may be easily assembled and disassembled.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/607,674 entitled SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR A FLOATING PRINT HEAD AND ASSOCIATED METHOD filed Sep. 7, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060056896 A1 | Mar 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60607674 | Sep 2004 | US |