Thermal print heads and printers including the same

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to printers, and more particularly relates to thermal print heads and printers including the same.

BACKGROUND

A printer can be used for printing on a variety of print media. Media sensors are conventionally used for tracking print media traveling through the printer. For example, an exemplary media sensor known as a gap sensor may be used for detecting gaps, holes, notches, black marks, etc. between individual print medium of non-continuous print media to control how the printer feeds the print media to the print head, the print media type referred to as a Gap/Notch type or a Black Mark type.

The gap sensor is conventionally located at a distance from the thermal print head. Printer software conventionally includes an algorithm that is used to calculate and compensate for the distance when controlling how the printer feeds the print media to the thermal print head so that there is proper registration. However, due to different print speeds, friction, print media material, image drift, etc. during printing or calibration, or arithmetic rounding in the algorithm, there may be a discrepancy in the actual distance traveled by the print media from the gap sensor to the thermal print head, causing print registration errors.

Therefore, a need exists for thermal print heads and printers including the same that provide highly accurate precision printing. A further need exists for thermal print heads and printers including the same that are particularly useful for providing precision printing on small individual print medium and reducing print registration errors.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention embraces a thermal print head comprising a housing comprising a wall having an opening therein and a transparent glass-ceramic panel mounted in the opening. The wall is configured to abut a print zone in a printer. The housing houses an optical sensor and a heating element. The transparent glass-ceramic panel is substantially aligned with the optical sensor. The heating element contacts a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

In an exemplary embodiment, a thermal print head for a printer is provided. The thermal print head comprises a housing comprising a bottom wall having an opening therein, a transparent glass-ceramic panel mounted in the opening, an optical sensor disposed in the housing that is substantially vertically aligned with the transparent glass-ceramic panel, and a heating element disposed in the housing. The heating element contacts a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel. The bottom wall is configured to abut a print zone in the printer.

In another aspect, the present invention embraces a printer. The printer comprises a platen roller and a thermal print head. The thermal print head comprises a housing and a transparent glass-ceramic panel. The housing houses an optical sensor and a heating element. The housing comprises a wall having an opening therein and the transparent glass-ceramic panel is mounted in the opening and substantially aligned with the optical sensor. The heating element contacts a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel. The platen roller and the thermal print head define a print zone therebetween and the wall abuts the print zone.

The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplary objectives and/or advantages of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, are further explained within the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 graphically illustrates a portion of an exemplary printer comprising a thermal print head in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, a cover of the printer removed (i.e., an open printer) to illustrate an interior of the printer including the thermal print head and a media path C of print media, according to various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts schematically depicts a block diagram of the printer of FIG. 1, according to various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 schematically depicts the thermal print head of FIG. 1 according to various embodiments of the present invention, with an exemplary individual print medium (a label in the depicted embodiment) traveling through a print zone defined between the thermal print head and a platen roller in the printer of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are directed to thermal print heads and printers including the same. Various embodiments permit highly accurate precision printing on print media, which is particularly useful for printing on small individual print medium. Various embodiments reduce print registration errors.

As used herein, the term “printer” refers to a device that prints text, barcodes and other information-bearing symbols, illustrations, etc. onto non-continuous print media as hereinafter described (e.g., labels, etc.) Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in relation to a direct thermal transfer printer in which a thermally sensitive paper may be used as the print media. In this case, a thermal print head 31 activates the ink in the thermally sensitive paper (i.e., the print medium) as it travels through a print zone 33 of the printer as hereinafter described. However, it is to be understood that the present invention as described herein may be equally applicable to other types and styles of printers that use thermal print heads.

Referring now to FIG. 1, according to various embodiments of the present invention, an exemplary printer 30 capable of printing on print media 22 (the thermally sensitive paper) is partially shown. The depicted printer 30 has a body for enclosing an interior thereof and may include a user interface 34 for communication between a user and the printer 30. A moveable cover that forms a portion of the body is removed in FIG. 1 for purposes of illustration. The moveable cover permits access to, for example, the interior of the body 32 and the components contained therein. The user interface may include, but is not limited to, a display 35 for displaying information, a keypad 37 for entering data, and function buttons 39 that may be configured to perform various typical printing functions (e.g., cancel print job, advance print media, and the like) or be programmable for the execution of macros containing preset printing parameters for a particular type of print media. Additionally, the user interface 34 may be operationally/communicatively coupled to a processor (CPU) 33 (see also, FIG. 2) for controlling the operation of the printer 30, in addition to other functions. The user interface 34 may be supplemented by or replaced by other forms of data entry or printer control such as a separate data entry and control module linked wirelessly or by a data cable operationally coupled to a computer, a router, or the like. The user interface may be other than depicted in FIG. 1 and there may not be a user interface.

Referring briefly to FIG. 2, the printer 30 further comprises the processor 33, a memory 52 communicatively coupled to the processor 33, and a power source. The printer may further comprise a communications module 72 communicatively coupled to one or more of the other printer components. As known in the art, the central processing unit (CPU) (i.e., the processor 33) is the electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, control and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions as hereinafter described. The printer 30 may be communicatively connected using the communications module 72 to a computer or a network 18 via a wired or wireless data link. In a wireless configuration, the communications module 72 may communicate with a host device over the network 18 via a variety of communication protocols (e.g., WI-FI®, BLUETOOTH®), CDMA, TDMA, or GSM). The printer may comprise other components as known in the art.

A media supply spindle 42 on which a media roll 20 is configured to be disposed is contained within the body 32. The media roll 20 comprises non-continuous print media 22 wound on a media core 24. Non-continuous print media may comprise a liner portion underlying a plurality of individual print medium (a print medium portion) (e.g., a label) to define a liner only portion between each of the individual print medium. The individual print medium may be separated on the liner by gaps, holes, notches, black marks, etc. The printer further comprises one or more motors (not shown) and gear sets for rotating the media supply spindle 42 and the media roll disposed thereon in a forward (arrow A in FIG. 1) rotational direction.

Still referring to FIG. 1, and now to FIG. 3, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the printer 30 further comprises a thermal print head 31 disposed along a media path (arrow C in FIG. 1). When the print media 22 travels along the media path (arrow C in FIG. the print media 22 passes through the print zone 33 (FIG. 3) defined between the thermal print head 31 and a platen roller 37 in the printer. The thermal print head 31 faces the platen roller 37 to define the print zone 33 therebetween. The printer 30 includes the platen roller 37 for feeding the print media 22 into the print zone below the thermal print head 31. When the individual print medium is in position below the thermal print head 31 (and supported on the platen roller 37) in the print zone 33, the thermal print head 31 activates the ink in the thermally sensitive paper as previously described.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the thermal print head 31 according to various embodiments of the present invention is schematically depicted. The thermal print head 31 generally comprises a housing 50 and a transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 mounted in an opening 54 in a wall 56 of the housing 50. The wall 56 may be a bottom wall configured to abut the print zone 33. The bottom wall may have a flat bottom configured to be disposed against the print media 22 (here, thermally sensitive paper) or a portion thereof as it travels through the print zone 33. While a bottom wall of the depicted thermal print head 31 has the opening 54, it is to be understood that a different wall of the housing 50 that abuts the print zone 33 may have the opening 54 according to various embodiments of the present invention. The opening 54 may be in the center of the wall 56 or in another position along the length of the wall.

The housing 50 houses an optical sensor 46 (i.e., a gap sensor and a heating element 58 as depicted in FIG. 3, according to various embodiments of the present invention. The optical sensor disposed in the housing 50 is substantially aligned with the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52. The optical sensor may be embedded inside the housing 50 of the thermal print head 31. The transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 provides a light path between the print zone 33 and the optical sensor for detecting the gap, hole, notch, black mark, etc. (referred to collectively as “a gap”) between individual print medium. The presence of the print medium in the print zone 33 blocks the light while the gap, hole, black mark, notch, etc. does not block the light. The optical sensor 46 is communicatively coupled to the processor (CPU) 33. The optical sensor 46 detects the presence of the gap, hole, black mark, notch, etc. in the print zone and outputs an analog signal 68 representing the same. By detecting the gap, hole, black mark, notch, etc. the printer is able to “know” when to start printing on the print media.

Attributes of the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 make it particularly useful for thermal transfer printing. The glass-ceramic material of the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 has substantially zero coefficient thermal expansion, high-temperature stability, optical transparency, and chemical resistance.

The heating element 58 may be disposed in the housing 50 of the thermal print head 31 at an offset position relative to the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 and the optical sensor 46 for purposes as herein described. The heating element 58 contacts a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52, and is not in a direct line of sight with the optical sensor. The heating element 58 may be an induction heating source. The portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 contacted by the heating element 58 comprises an inner surface portion of an inner surface of the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52. The heating element 58 may directly contact the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 by overlapping the portion. The transparent glass-ceramic panel 52 transfers heat from the heating element 58 to the print medium (i.e., the thermally sensitive paper) for printing on the print medium while simultaneously providing the light path between the print zone and the optical sensor for detecting the gap, hole, notch, black mark, etc. between individual print medium.

From the foregoing, it is to be understood that various embodiments reduce print registration errors and provide precision printing.

To supplement the present disclosure, this application incorporates entirely by reference the following commonly assigned patents, patent application publications, and patent applications:

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In the specification and/or figures, typical embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. The present invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. The use of the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The figures are schematic representations and so are not necessarily drawn to scale. Unless otherwise noted, specific terms have been used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.