Abstract: A pinch control apparatus in a printer for controlling a pinch force exerted on a medium which is being fed into a printing zone is provided. The pinch control apparatus includes a camshaft rotatably mounted across a width of the medium, at least one cam attached to the camshaft, a plunger and a biasing rod. The cam has a predefined profile and is able to rotate with the camshaft. The plunger abuts the predefined profile of the at least one cam. The biasing rod extends from a pinch plate to the plunger to bias the pinch plate to a linefeed roller for exerting the pinch force on the medium therebetween. The pinch force exerted on the medium is controllable by the rotation of the camshaft.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for duplex printing are disclosed. The apparatus includes a print zone where printing is performed and a duplex module configured to change the orientation of the media sheet. The duplex module is positioned so as to receive the media sheet from the print zone, trailing edge first. The method includes feeding a media sheet to the print zone and printing swaths of ink dots on a first side of the media sheet. Black ink density is calculated for each swath containing black ink dots. The highest black ink density is then determined. The media sheet is stopped from advancing after the last swath has been printed on the first side. The first side is allowed to dry for a drying period, which is based on the highest black ink density. After the drying period has elapsed, the media sheet is moved in the reverse direction from the print zone to the duplex module to change the orientation of the media sheet to an orientation suitable for printing on a second side.

Abstract: A media handling system is disclosed, which system includes a media picking unit for picking up individual media sheets from a stack of media sheets and a media output unit for advancing a printed media sheet toward an output area. The media picking unit includes a rotatable lifting shaft, a rotatable pick roller shaft, a pick roller and a pick arm. The pick roller is rotatably connected to one end of a pick arm, and the one end of the pick arm is pivotally connected to the pick roller shaft. The media output unit includes at least one sheet support member operable to support the printed portion of the media sheet above the output area. The sheet support member is linked to the lifting shaft by a linking structure such that the sheet support member is movable between a supporting position and a retracted position by a rotational movement the lifting shaft.

Abstract: A pinch plate lifting apparatus in a printer for lifting a pinch plate from a linefeed roller is provided. The pinch plate lifting apparatus includes a camshaft rotatably mounted in the printer and at least one cam attached to the camshaft. The cam has a predefined profile and is able to rotate together with the camshaft. The predefined profile of the cam abuts the pinch plate such that the lifting of the pinch plate from the linefeed roller is controllable by the rotation of the camshaft.

Abstract: A pinch control apparatus in a printer for controlling a pinch force exerted on a medium which is being fed into a printing zone is provided. The pinch control apparatus includes a camshaft rotatably mounted across a width of the medium, at least one cam attached to the camshaft, a plunger and a biasing rod. The cam has a predefined profile and is able to rotate with the camshaft. The plunger abuts the predefined profile of the at least one cam. The biasing rod extends from a pinch plate to the plunger to bias the pinch plate to a linefeed roller for exerting the pinch force on the medium therebetween. The pinch force exerted on the medium is controllable by the rotation of the camshaft.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for duplex printing are disclosed. The apparatus includes a print zone where printing is performed and a duplex module configured to change the orientation of the media sheet. The duplex module is positioned so as to receive the media sheet from the print zone, trailing edge first. The method includes feeding a media sheet to the print zone and printing swaths of ink dots on a first side of the media sheet. Black ink density is calculated for each swath containing black ink dots. The highest black ink density is then determined. The media sheet is stopped from advancing after the last swath has been printed on the first side. The first side is allowed to dry for a drying period, which is based on the highest black ink density. After the drying period has elapsed, the media sheet is moved in the reverse direction from the print zone to the duplex module to change the orientation of the media sheet to an orientation suitable for printing on a second side.

Abstract: A method is provided for print quality control. To carry out this method, a printing apparatus with optical detection capability is used. This apparatus includes: advance mechanism for advancing a print medium through a print zone; a carriage assembly having at least one pen for ejecting ink droplets onto the print medium in the print zone; an optical detection unit positioned in the print zone; and a printer controller. The optical detection unit includes an image acquisition module for capturing at least one image of the print zone within a field of view (FOV) and an image processor for performing a pixel array analysis of the captured image. The image analysis is triggered by the printer controller and the result of the analysis is fed back to the printer controller for controlling the printing operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in printing to a rotational media having a surface to be printed to and being rotatable about an axis extending away from the surface is provided. The apparatus includes an engaging arrangement to engage the rotational media so as to impart controlled rotational movement thereto about the axis. The engaging arrangement is configured to be coupled to printer gearing on a printer, such that rotation of the printer gearing on the printer causes rotation of the rotational media when engaged on the engaging arrangement.