Abstract: The invention relates to a method (400) for protecting printed data on a transfer film of a heat-transfer printer for a plastic card comprising a print head (112), the protection method (400) comprising: a first printing step (402) during which the transfer film and the plastic card advance simultaneously over a printing length L0 under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, a rewinding step (404) during which the transfer film is rewound over a rewinding length L0+/?d different from the printing length L0, and during which the plastic card is brought upstream of the print head, a subsequent printing step (408) during which the transfer film and the plastic card (10) advance simultaneously over another printing length under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, and an ejection step (410) during which the plastic card is expelled from the printer.

Abstract: A credential printing device is provided. The credential printing device includes a credential substrate transport, a transfer ribbon and a transfer roller. The credential substrate transport is configured to feed a credential substrate along a processing path. The transfer ribbon is adjacent to the processing path. The transfer roller is positioned below the processing path and is configured to transfer an image from the transfer ribbon to a bottom surface of the credential substrate in the processing path.

Abstract: A document comprising a substrate with a surface having cellulose hydroxy groups, an adhesion promoter present on at least a first portion of the substrate surface, and a magnetic ink image formed over the first portion of the substrate surface. The adhesion promoter comprises a silane component including at least one amino functional group and at least one of a second type of functional group that is configured to bond with cellulose hydroxyl groups in the substrate. The magnetic ink image has a magnetic signal strength of at least 80%. A corresponding printing system and a method of printing also are disclosed.

Abstract: Provided herein are devices, systems, methods and various means, including those related to printer systems and, more particularly, relate to methods, apparatuses, systems and other means for monitoring a printer ribbon. Some embodiments use a multi-element detector, which is configured to detect a particular type of light emitted from a light emitter. The multi-state detector can include two sensors, one of which includes a polarizer filter that blocks polarized light. Embodiments can be used to determine, among other things, whether or not a printer ribbon is installed in a printer without the use of a snap plate.

Abstract: A modular printer having a media take-up assembly, a support block assembly, a printhead assembly, a stepper motor assembly and a display assembly is provided. A support housing having a plurality of recesses formed on an internal wall of the modular printer is also provided. Each of the recesses is configured to receive and align one of the modular printer assemblies with the other modular printer assemblies. Each of the assemblies is configured as a module which can be easily accessed and quickly secured to or detached from the support housing. The support housing is adapted to receive assembly modules for both thermal ink printers and ribbon ink printers such that the modular printer can be easily converted from one to the other.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a takeup reel driving motor which, after printing, takes up an ink ribbon to eliminate a slack in the ink ribbon. The printing apparatus includes a control device for comparing a distance (a) over which the ink ribbon R is taken up to eliminate the slack in the ink ribbon R with a distance (b) from a print end position to a print start position for a next color.

Abstract: A document comprising a substrate with a surface having cellulose hydroxy groups, an adhesion promoter present on at least a first portion of the substrate surface, and a magnetic ink image formed over the first portion of the substrate surface. The adhesion promoter comprises a silane component including at least one amino functional group and at least one of a second type of functional group that is configured to bond with cellulose hydroxyl groups in the substrate. The magnetic ink image has a magnetic signal strength of at least 80%. A corresponding printing system and a method of printing also are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for ribbon color thermal printing and encoding cards, particularly pre-paid, smart cards, chip cards, and the like is disclosed. The method includes the steps of detecting the printing ribbon color, controlling the thermal printing energy feed and driving the printing, encoding and detection, in which the encoding is carried out at a location upstream of the thermal printing. The color detection is carried out at a location between the encoding and/or thermal printing, and at the same time as the printing.

Abstract: An identification card printer includes a card input, a card transport, a printhead, and a card output. The card transport is configured to feed a card from the card input along a print path. The printhead is positioned below the print path and is configured to print an image on a surface of the card. The card can then be discharged through the card output.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette includes a ribbon supply spool, and a ribbon take up spool that takes up an ink ribbon from the ribbon supply spool by rotating in a first rotation direction. The ribbon take up spool is provided with an engaging portion including first and second walls arranged in the second rotation direction in this order. The first wall is defined along a plane including a rotation axis of the ribbon take up spool. The second wall is inclined to face outside the ribbon take up spool. The ribbon cassette further includes an engaging member. The engaging member resiliently engages with the engaging portion by dropping into a space defined between the first and second walls and thereby prevents the ribbon take up spool from rotating in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. The engaging member, however, comes off from the engaging portion when the ribbon take up spool rotates in the first direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a portable thermal printer having a printer housing, a printing mechanism and an ink ribbon cartridge containing an ink ribbon cartridge containing an ink ribbon. The cartridge has a cartridge housing and an improved brake for applying a slight braking force on a core of an ink ribbon supply roll in the housing. The cartridge is easy to load onto the printer. The cartridge forms part of the printer housing and is latched thereto. The cartridge is slid onto the printer and the cartridge housing detents into position.

Abstract: A printer ribbon cartridge having a base and a removable hinged lid is disclosed, wherein ribbon is driven through the cartridge by a drive gear coupled with first and second idler gears. A foam reinking roller supplies ink to an ink transfer roller which transfers ink to the ribbon as it passes thereby. The reinking roller includes sandwiched foam layers with an ink impervious layer therebetween, in order to control ink seepage and ensure an adequate reinking across the width of the ribbon. A ribbon chamber surrounds the reinking roller in a semicircular formation to store the ribbon in folds corresponding to the width of the ribbon chamber, thus maximizing ribbon storage space in the cartridge.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus, which has a detachable ink film cassette with an ink film, transfers an ink applied to the ink film to a recording paper by means of a thermal head and forms an image on the recording paper. The ink film cassette holds a supply reel wound around the shaft with the ink film and a take-up reel for taking up the ink film of the supply reel around the shaft. The thermal transfer recording apparatus has a detecting unit for detecting the supply reel mounted in the cassette, and a control unit for detecting the ink film based on a signal from the detecting unit. The detecting unit has a lever, which advances through an opening formed in the cassette from the direction perpendicular to the direction of the axis of the supply reel and comes in contact with the supply reel, and a photosensor for detecting the supply reel through of the lever. This thermal transfer recording apparatus can detect missing of the ink film in advance of the start of a printing operation.

Abstract: ? An ink cartridge includes a molded body defining a cavity extending between closed and open ends and having a port surrounded by a threaded fitting. The piston is slideable between first and second positions within the body while maintaining a seal with the body. A charge of ink is located within the body between the closed end and a piston underside. The body may advantageously be formed having a transverse section which is a rounded rectangle. An axis of the port is advantageously orthogonal to an axis of the body. The axis of the body is advantageously vertical.

Abstract: A tape supply cartridge for use in a printer of the type having a fixed print head, a movable platen roller and a pair of tape advancement rollers, one in the cartridge and one in the printer.

Abstract: This patent describes a print roll for use in an instant camera device, the print roll having a ink return tray for collecting excess waste ink from the printing process. The return tray can comprises a sponge-like strip affixed to a leaf portion of the print roll.

Abstract: A printer system includes a printer on which color and monochromatic print cartridges are mounted, and a personal computer to output bit map data to the printer. The kinds of these ink cartridges are memorized as status information within a RAM so that the personal computer can detect a cartridge mounted position based on the status information. In the case that the color and/or monochromatic print cartridge is mounted incorrect, the personal computer detects an amount of a difference from a normal mount position to cause print data to shift depending upon the difference, thus creating bit map data.

Abstract: A printing system for transferring ink from an inked ribbon supplied from a ribbon roll having a tubular core with an inner surface onto a substrate. The system includes a rotatable locking cam hub having a reel hub with a first surface engageable with the inner surface of the ribbon roll, and an eccentric hub having a second surface engageable with the inner surface of the ribbon roll. The eccentric hub is rotatable relative to the reel hub to provide a variable diameter between the first surface of the reel hub and the second surface of the eccentric hub. The diameter of the locking cam hub may be reduced by rotating the eccentric hub relative to the reel hub to permit disposal of the ribbon roll tubular core about locking cam hub, and the diameter of the locking cam hub may be increased by rotating the eccentric hub relative to the reel hub to engageably retain the inner surface of the ribbon roll by the first surface of the reel hub and the second surface of the eccentric hub.

Abstract: In a facsimile machine, when a received image data having resolution of standard mode is stored in a reception data memory, the image data is decoded and then converted to image data of two fine or four super fine lines and stored in a first recording data memory. The image data stored in the first recording data memory is subjected to a thin-out processing at a set reduction ratio, then stored in a second recording data memory and finally recorded on a recording sheet.

Abstract: A spur gear ratchet mechanism is provided to enable simplified replacement of a ribbon roll for a thermal transfer printer. The spur gear ratchet mechanism is intended for use with a printer comprising a fixed base portion and a pivotal cage portion in which the cage portion can be selectively moved between a closed operational position and an open non-operational position. A transporting mechanism controls the movement of the thermal transfer ribbon, and is attached to the pivotal cage portion so that it moves in association therewith. The transporting mechanism comprises at least one rotatable hub that is driven by an associated drive gear. When the cage portion moves from the closed operational position to the open non-operational position, the drive gear disengages from the pinion of a drive motor that is fixed within the base portion of the printer. Concurrently, the spur gear ratchet mechanism engages the drive gear and impedes undesirable rotation of the hub.

Abstract: A printer comprises a convey roller for withdrawing continuous paper from a roll of the paper and conveying the paper along a predetermined convey path. The convey roller is rotated at a predetermined peripheral speed and conveys the paper with a first convey force. Four printing portions are provided sequentially along the convey path. Each of the printing portion has a printing head, and a platen roller which is brought into contact with the paper while opposing the printing head and conveys the paper with a second convey force. A sum of second convey forces of the platen rollers is set to be smaller than the first convey force. The platen rollers are rotated at peripheral speeds higher than that of the convey roller, and such that the peripheral speeds thereof are sequentially increased in an order of a platen roller adjacent to the convey roller toward a platen roller separated from the convey roller.

Abstract: A re-inker mechanism is described for replenishing ink in a ribbon by increasing the contact force between an ink supply roller and a transfer roller as the weight of the ink supply roller decreases. This is accomplished by locating the transfer roller rotatably in a fixed position and locating the ink supply roller somewhat beneath the transfer roller on a support that is movable. A biasing force is attached to the ink supply roller to urge the ink supply roller against the transfer roller with a force sufficient to overcome the weight of the ink supply roller and to provide a predetermined contact force between the ink supply roller and the transfer roller, so that as the ink is used, the weight of the ink supply roller decreases and the contact force with the transfer roller increases.

Abstract: The check protector comprises a print head with a plurality of parallel pins in a vertical line perpendicular to the direction of movement of the head. The ribbon in the check protector has at least two bands, one band being associated with half the print wires and the other band being associated with the rest of the print wires. In this manner, the amount on a check is imprinted in alternating bands of color to make alteration difficult.

Abstract: In printing apparatus of the type which includes structure for thermally transferring ink from a ribbon to a workpiece, wherein the ribbon includes a backing layer and an ink donor layer, there is provided a printing process which includes the step(s) of transferring ink from the ink donor layer to the workpiece and perforating the ribbon. Moreover, it is a feature of the invention to include the processing step of sensing perforating.

Abstract: A ribbon shield for a dot matrix printer which is comprised of a step contoured recessed cavity such that the ribbon sequentially wipes against an upper edge, a lower edge, towards the paper, the other lower edge and the other upper edge and the ink removed accumulates in the cavity whereby it is restrained from flowing onto the paper.

Abstract: Disclosed is a drive for a ribbon disc (20) for a printer (10), the printer (10) including a printwheel (12) mounted for rotation on the shaft (15) of a printwheel driver (16) and intermediate a print hammer (18) and print receiving means (40). The printwheel driver (16) is connected to the printwheel (12) for effecting rotation thereto to position predetermined petals (14) of the printwheel (12) opposite the hammer (18). A ribbon disc (20) is interposed intermediate the printwheel (12) and the print receiving means (40) and clutch means (31), in one embodiment, is connected to the shaft (15) for coupling and uncoupling the ribbon disc (20) to and from the printwheel driver (16) dependent upon the direction of rotation of the printwheel (12).

Abstract: A method of impact printing onto a receiving sheet on a platen by supplying powder to the sheet for pressure fixture by type face impact. The powder is temporarily held to the sheet by either electrostatic or magnetic force. In an alternate embodiment, the powder is held on the type face by electrostatic or magnetic force.

Abstract: An ink ribbon for use in electrothermic non-impact recording comprising an electroconductive base layer and an electroconductive thermal-transferable ink layer which are layered. The base layer comprises a binder resin and an electroconductive material dispersed uniformly in the binder resin, while the electroconductive thermal-transferable ink layer comprises a thermoplastic material and an electroconductive material uniformly dispersed in the thermoplastic material, with the surface resistivity .rho.b of the base layer being greater than the surface resistivity .rho.i of the ink layer, and the softening or melting point Tm1 of the binder resin in the base layer being higher than the softening or melting point Tm2 of the thermoplastic material in the ink layer.