Claims
- 1. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer, the cartridge comprising:
media including on at least one side thereof an adhesive; a cartridge outlet deploying said media therefrom; and an encoding device reporting movement of said media.
- 2. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said media is provided in reel-form.
- 3. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said media is transparent.
- 4. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said media is opaque and reactive to selected ink formulations to modify at least one of opacity and coloration in reaction thereto.
- 5. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said encoding device reports movement of said media relative to said cartridge outlet.
- 6. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said encoding device is positioned intermediate a source of said media within said cartridge and said cartridge outlet.
- 7. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said encoding device comprises a rotatable element coupled to said media and rotating in response to movement of said media.
- 8. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 7 wherein said encoding device further comprises a detector reporting rotation of said encoding wheel as an encoding signal.
- 9. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 8 wherein said detector comprises slot formations of said encoding wheel and optical elements detecting passage of said slots thereby, said optical elements producing said encoding signal.
- 10. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said media cartridge includes a rotatable reel, and said media is provided on said reel.
- 11. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said encoding device contacts said media at said adhesive.
- 12. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said media cartridge contributes to back-tension in said media as presented at said cartridge outlet.
- 13. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein said media cartridge encoding device identifies a characteristic of said media.
- 14. A media cartridge for an inkjet printer according to claim 13 wherein said characteristic includes at least one of media color and media dimension.
- 15. An inkjet printer comprising:
an inkjet print head defining a print zone adjacent thereto; media transport moving selected media through said print zone, said media including an adhesive surface exposed to said inkjet print head; and control activating said inkjet print head in coordination with movement of media through said print zone.
- 16. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein said control comprises detection of media movement and triggering of said inkjet print head operation in response thereto.
- 17. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein said media comprises adhesive tape-form media.
- 18. An inkjet printer acc rding to claim 17 wherein said tape-form media originates on a rotatable reel.
- 19. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein said media transport operates by motorized motive force.
- 20. An inkjet printer according to claim 19 wherein said media transport carries said media at an outlet of said printer on one side of said media, an opposite side of said media being unsupported by said transport.
- 21. An inkjet printer according to claim 20 wherein said media transport comprises at least one belt, said belt supporting said one side of said media at said printer outlet.
- 22. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein said media transport operates by manual motive force, said manual motive force originating from manual tension applied to said media to draw said media through said printer.
- 23. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein said inkjet printer further comprises a media cartridge, the cartridge comprising:
media including on at least one side thereof an adhesive; a cartridge outlet deploying said media therefrom; and an encoding device reporting movement of said media.
- 24. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said media is provided in reel-form.
- 25. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said media is transparent.
- 26. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said media is opaque and reactive to selected ink formulations to modify at least one of opacity and coloration in reaction thereto.
- 27. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said encoding device reports movement of said media relative to said cartridge outlet.
- 28. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said encoding device is positioned intermediate a source of said media within said cartridge and said cartridge outlet.
- 29. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said encoding device comprises:
a rotatable element coupled to said media and rotating in response to movement of said media; and a detector reporting rotation of said encoding wheel as an encoding signal.
- 30. An inkjet printer according to claim 29 wherein said detector comprises slot formations of said encoding wheel and optical elements detecting passage of said slots thereby, said optical elements originating said encoding signal.
- 31. An inkjet printer according to claim 23 wherein said media cartridge contributes to back-tension relative to said media as presented at said cartridge outlet.
- 32. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein said control comprises a switch responsive to at least one of a user activation thereof and a user application of tension to said media.
- 33. An inkjet printer comprising:
an inkjet print head defining a print zone; a reel-form media; a media feed path originating at said reel-form media and passing through said print zone to a printer outlet; and a detector reporting manual movement of media along said feed path and triggering operation of said inkjet printer.
- 34. An inkjet printer according to claim 33 further comprising media provided in reel-form.
- 35. An inkjet printer according to claim 34 wherein said media is transparent.
- 36. An inkjet printer according to claim 34 wherein said media is opaque and reactive to selected ink formulations to modify at least one of opacity and coloration in reaction thereto.
- 37. An inkjet printer according to claim 33 wherein said detector comprises an encoding device adjacent said media feed path.
- 38. An inkjet printer according to claim 33 further comprising a media cartridge, said media cartridge providing a source of media and positioned for introduction of said media into said media feed path.
- 39. An inkjet printer according to claim 38 wherein said detector is positioned intermediate said source of media within said cartridge and a cartridge outlet.
- 40. An inkjet printer according to claim 38 wherein said detector comprises an encoding device including a rotatable element coupled to said media and rotating in response to movement of said media.
- 41. An inkjet printer according to claim 33 wherein said media includes on at least one side thereof an adhesive, said inkjet printer applying print imaging to said adhesive.
- 42. An inkjet printer according to claim 33 wherein said inkjet printer further comprises a controller coupled to said detector and said inkjet printer, said controller metering print imaging data to said inkjet printer as a function of movement of said media along said feed path.
- 43. An inkjet printer according to claim 33 wherein said inkjet printer accepts for print imaging print imaging data and meters print imaging data as a function of said detector reporting movement of said media along said feed path.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is a continuation-in-part of prior-filed co-pending U.S. patent application filed Jun. 29, 2001 under Ser. No. 09/895,346 and entitled Techniques For Printing Onto A Transparent Receptor Media Using An Inkjet Printer.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10032976 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
Child |
10686227 |
Oct 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09895346 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10032976 |
Oct 2001 |
US |