Assa Abloy Ab

Andrew William Slotto

James Rieck

Tanya Jegeris Snyder

Jeffrey Lee Stangler

Jon Everett Freise

Lyndon James Hanson

John P Skoglund

James A Rieck

A print section sensor for detecting registration marks on a transfer ribbon in a ribbon feed path includes a reflective sensor configured to detect the registration marks and a transmissive sensor configured to detect the registration marks. The reflective sensor is located upstream of the transmissive sensor relative to a feed direction of the transfer ribbon.

Sensor for identifying registration marks on a ribbon

A transfer printing device includes a transfer ribbon, a print unit, a mark sensor and a controller. The transfer ribbon includes a transfer layer that is attached to a carrier layer. The transfer layer includes a series of transfer sections. The controller is configured to perform a print operation, in which a transfer section that is available for printing is selected by detecting an absence of a used mark in a predetermined position on the transfer ribbon corresponding to the transfer section using the mark sensor. An image is printed to the selected transfer section and a used mark is printed on the transfer ribbon using the print unit. At least a portion of the used mark is in a predetermined position relative to the selected transfer section and is outside the selected transfer section.

Used transfer layer detection in a transfer printing device

In a method of detecting a location of a print section of a transfer ribbon, the transfer ribbon is fed in a feed direction relative to a print section sensor. The print section sensor includes a reflective sensor and a transmissive sensor. The reflective sensor is positioned upstream of the transmissive sensor relative to the feed direction. A registration mark on the transfer ribbon, which indicates the location of the print section on the transfer ribbon, is detected using the reflective sensor. The registration mark is detected using the transmissive sensor. The location of the print section is determined based on the detection of the registration mark using the transmissive sensor.

In a method of operating a transfer printing device, which includes a transfer ribbon having a series of transfer sections, a print unit, and a mark sensor, the transfer ribbon is fed in a feed direction. A transfer section that is available for printing is selected through the detection of an absence of a used mark in a predetermined position on the transfer ribbon corresponding to the transfer section using the mark sensor. An image is printed to the selected transfer section using the print unit. A used mark corresponding to the selected transfer section is printed in a predetermined position on the transfer ribbon.

A transfer lamination method uses a transfer lamination device including a transfer ribbon comprising a transfer film on a carrier web, a print unit comprising a print head, and a transfer unit configured to transfer a film section of the transfer film to a substrate. In the method, the transfer ribbon is fed in a feed direction past the print unit and the transfer unit. Tension is generated in the transfer ribbon using the print head while processing the transfer ribbon using the transfer unit.

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New Hope, MN, United States of America

Andrew William Slotto