Abstract: A printer having a media path through which a media sheet having a first surface and a second surface is transported. The printer includes a printhead, and a media frame having a base and an extension portion angularly extending upwardly away from the base. The base has a first edge spaced apart from a second edge. The first and second edges are located for contacting the media sheet on the first surface. The extension portion has a support surface for providing support for the media sheet at the first surface. The printer further includes a roller assembly having a roller positioned opposed to the extension portion, the roller engaging the second surface of the media sheet to define a line of contact with the media sheet. The line of contact defined by the roller and the first edge of the base determine a first curvature of the media sheet having a first radius, and the first edge and the second edge determine a second curvature of the media sheet having a second radius.

Abstract: A printer controller provides print data to a tandem color image generator containing a plurality of electro-photographic image forming devices. The printer controller includes a receiving buffer region for receiving print data from a data input unit; an MPU operation processing region for operating the MPU; a graphic processing region for executing graphic processes; a display list region for storing, as description list covering at least one print page, the print data delivered from the data input unit; a raster data storage region for storing, as raster data, the print data kept in the display list region; a corrected raster data storage region for storing the corrected data of raster data generated by a skew.multiplying factor corrector, which corrector correcting the skew errors.multiplying factor errors, for delivery to the color image former; and a data memory. Since the skew.

Abstract: There is provided a tape printing apparatus in which a cartridge-ejecting function by an ejection mechanism and a cartridge-holding function by a cartridge compartment are separated from each other based on a simple construction. In the tape printing apparatus including a cartridge compartment for removably mounting a tape cartridge therein, and an ejection mechanism for lifting the tape cartridge mounted, from the cartridge compartment, the cartridge compartment has a bottom thereof formed with a seat portion for seating thereon the tape cartridge in a mounted state, and a lift plate of the ejection mechanism for lifting a tape cartridge is positioned away from the tape cartridge seated on the seat portion when the lift plate is in a standby state.

Abstract: A mechanism for selectively switching two drive transmission systems by one driving source is provided and a rocking lever which can be rocked between a first drive transmission gear of a first drive transmission system and a first drive transmission gear of a second drive transmission system respectively located on both sides of a drive shaft is provided. A rocking gear located between both drive transmission gears and selectively engaged with both drive transmission gears for transmitting driving force from the driving source is attached to the rocking lever and a locking means mocks the rocking lever in a state that the locking means is engaged with either of the both drive transmission gears. The first drive transmission system and the second drive transmission system are connected to a drive unit normally and reversely rotated. At least one flat side is formed in the above locking means and a flat side which can come in contact with the flat side of the locking means is formed in a fitting part.

Abstract: A multi-purpose, transmissive paper sensor includes a light beam projector and light detector having an analog output signal. Changes in the output signal from an open loop condition indicate the presences of at least one print medium being in the field-of-view of the sensor. Output signals indicative of print media leading edge, trailing edge, and number of sheets interrupting the light beam provide improved print media transport control for hard copy apparatus.

Abstract: An inkjet printer, and method of assembling the printer, for printing an image on a first receiver of a first size and on a second receiver of a second size. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first receiver is fed in a first direction and the second receiver is fed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The printer includes an ink jet print head movable in the first direction to print the image on the first receiver in one printing pass and movable to-and-fro in the first direction for printing the image on the second receiver in at least one printing swath. Thus, printing on differently sized receivers is obtained without reorienting the receivers or changing-out the print head to a different size print head.

Abstract: A vacuum holddown for sheet materials has a surface having a field of vacuum ports in which each individual port is gated. When a vacuum is applied to the underside of the holddown, the gates close. When a sheet of material is introduced onto a region of the field, the gates only within vacuum manifold passageway covered by the material are configured to spring open, applying a suction force to the sheet via the now opened ports. The holddown thus automatically adjusts to material size. An implementation for use in an ink-jet printer with cut-sheet print media is demonstrated.

Abstract: A method of producing a printing on a surface of a foil by an energizable printing head and a thermal transfer ribbon including an ink which is transferable in an ink transfer operation at specific locations of the thermal transfer ribbon by heating the specific locations to an elevated temperature by the energizable printing head causing the ink to be fluid. The thermal transfer ribbon is arranged in facial contact with the surface of the foil. The energizable printing head is arranged in contact with the thermal transfer ribbon opposite to the foil. The foil and the energizable printing head are moved relative to one another at a specific speed while pressing the energizable printing head and the foil together so as to sandwich the thermal transfer ribbon therebetween in a constrained state, and while energizing the energizable printing head.

Abstract: A cassette, particularly for a printing mechanism provided with a thermal printing head, with a ribbon reel and a ribbon take-up reel, includes a housing composed of two wall portions which are spaced apart from each other, wherein the wall portions have grooves, integrally formed indentations or slots, wherein outer portions of the ribbon reel or take-up reel are supported in the grooves or indentations or slots so as to be slidable essentially transversely of the axis of the respective reel.

Abstract: A Z-fold print media handling system for printing banners and the like uses an inkjet printing mechanism without a tractor-feed. A series of stuttering stopping and starting steps generates varying static and dynamic frictional forces to separate the first sheet of a Z-fold stack from the remainder of the stack. Both conventional cut-sheet media and Z-fold media are fed using the same printing mechanism, which pulls the media toward a printzone through frictional engagement with a first surface of the media To prevent printhead crashes and smearing the image near the perforations joining the Z-fold sheets, the printhead to media spacing is increased for Z-fold media over the standard spacing used for cut-sheet media. A cam feature is incorporated into the media drive clutch disk to determine whether an operator has set a selector lever for cut-sheet or Z-fold printhead to media spacing.

Abstract: In a printer with a print engine having simplex and duplex sheet printing functions, and simplex and duplex sheet feeding paths, and at least one sheet output path, a plural function module is mounted on top of the print engine. This plural function module provides a document handling unit for feeding original documents to be imaged, and also provides a reversible sheet feeding path operatively communicating with the duplex sheet feeding path of the print engine to provide a space savings printed sheet reversing chute which is outside of the print engine for the duplex printing function. This reversible sheet feeding path in the module is alternately operable unidirectionally to provide an arcuate, inverting, sheet output path to a sheet output stacking tray which may be located on top of the plural function module.

Abstract: A cartridge is attached to a printer that performs a printing operation only when the cartridge is a predetermined kind of the cartridge. The cartridge includes a first predetermined number of magnet holders provided on the cartridge and a second predetermined number of magnets each of which is received in a corresponding one of the magnet holders. A maximum value of the second predetermined number is equal to the first predetermined number. A combination of the magnet holders having the magnets therein indicates the kind of the cartridge. The image forming apparatus comprises a detector section and an identifying section. The detector has magnetic sensor elements each of which detects a magnetic flux of a corresponding one of the magnets. The identifying section compares reference data with a combination of outputs of the magnetic sensor elements so as to identify the kind of the cartridge.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a method suitable for printing on two sides of medium, such as paper by using an intermediate transfer surface. The device consists of a print head, an intermediate transfer surface and a medium path such that as the medium is transported along the medium path the print head prints a first image on the transfer surface, then sequentially prints a second image to one face of medium while the transfer surface is transferring the first image to the other face of a medium by pressing the transfer surface against the medium. A method for printing is also disclosed comprising of the steps of printing a first image on a transfer surface, printing a second image directly onto one face of the medium, then transferring the first image onto the other face of the medium.

Abstract: The printing apparatus comprises: an image display part for displaying an image to be printed on a display screen; a screen switching part being capable of switching the display screen of the image display part to any one of a plurality of editing screens for editing the image to be printed; a storage part for storing a printed information of the image to be printed, the printed information being based on an edited content set by each of the editing screens; and a printed information display part for displaying the printed information, which is stored in the storage part, on the display screen by hierarchical printed information screens.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of setting and displaying performance thresholds is disclosed. The performance thresholds have a lower limit and an upper limit. A meter area is first displayed having a scale, the meter area being divided into a plurality of sections with each section being indicative of a performance measurement. The lower limit and the upper limit are set using the scale by sliding a first marker to the lower limit and by sliding a second marker to the upper limit and displaying the first and second markers in the meter area. Any number of the plurality of sections are second displayed based upon one of real-time and historical measurement data with sections below the lower limit being displayed in a first color, sections between the lower limit and the upper limit being displayed in a second color, and sections above the upper limit being displayed in a third color.

Abstract: Heat is uniformly conducted to print media in an ink-jet printer in conjunction with the uniform application of vacuum pressure to the media for supporting the media as it is conveyed on a heated belt through the printer. The heat is applied to the media by conduction, in a manner that does not overheat the print head of the printer nor interfere with the trajectory of the droplets expelled from the print head. The heat is applied to the media in the print zone as well as regions on either side of the print zone where the media enters and exits the print zone. The amount of heat applied to each of these regions is independently controlled, and can be related to the physical characteristics of the particular type of print media or inks that are used.

Abstract: An approach for managing the thermal stresses introduced into a heated belt of the type used for transporting media through an ink-jet printer so that the portion of the belt that transports the print media through the print zone does not buckle. The temperature of the belt is controlled to ensure that any temperature gradient produced in the belt is not great enough to buckle the belt in the print zone. Put another way, the temperature profile in the belt is substantially flat. As another approach to the present invention, the belt is bent in the print zone to create a force component in the belt for resisting thermal stress and to increase the belt area moment to greatly enhance resistance to buckling of the belt.

Abstract: A compact disc handler includes a picker elevator containing a helically threaded lead screw journaled for rotation about a vertical axis and having a traveling nut thereon to which a disc picker arm is attached. A guideway in the tower cooperates with the picker arm to constrain the picker arm from rotating until reaching a predetermined height elevator. Using this design, a CD can be retrieved from an input hopper, placed in a label printer or other CD publishing/playing device and upon completion of same operation on the disc, it is transported by rotation to an output hopper.

Abstract: The present invention provides a low profile stackable Internet appliance printer having a removable combination input/output tray cassette with a removable bezel.

Abstract: A drive belt system comprises a drive belt that is conductive. The drive belt system further comprises ground coupling means, such as a conductive brush or rubbing material, arranged for coupling the drive belt to ground. As a result, arcing in the drive belt system is reduced.