Tektronix, Inc.

David D Martenson

H Erwin Grellmann

Mark Raymond Parker

Edward F Burke

Robert Carl Tidrick

Leonard Guan

Craig Smith

A method for setting a predetermined head-to-print medium distance without utilizing a media clamp is provided. A print medium support surface has a contact length that is less than the length of the print medium. The distance between the print head and the support surface is set to a minimum. Stationary rollers and arcuate guides direct the print medium between a spacing device and the support surface without utilizing a clamp. A shim is interposed between the spacing device and the print medium to move the print head away from the print medium. The shim is retracted leaving the print head spaced from the print medium by the predetermined head-to-print medium distance.

Method for automatic print head spacing in an ink jet printer

An improved fusing apparatus for fixing or fusing images on print media is disclosed wherein a relatively small pressure applying surface, such as the surface of a rotatable pressure wheel, is lubricated with a lubricating medium such as silicone oil, and engages the printed image to apply pressure and fuse the image to the image receiving substrate. The fusing apparatus is mounted for reciprocal back and forth movement across the printed image on the image receiving substrate or medium to fuse the image into the substrate and flatten or smooth the upper exposed surface of the ink image. The pressure wheel is passed in multiple overlapping passes over the printed image to uniformly fuse the image into the media.

Fusing apparatus for a printer

An image transfer ink-jet printer employs an image receiving drum that rotates relative to an ink-jet array print head spanning the full width of the drum. A print head positioner moves the print head in precise increments to position adjacent scan lines of ink drops. Without affecting the overall scale of the image, adjacent pairs of scan lines are spaced at distances less than one nominal pixel width. Pairings within the range of 0.2 to 0.5 pixel widths are used, with optimal spacing at 0.35 pixel widths.

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Milwaukie, OR, United States of America

David D Martenson