Esselte N.v.

Geert Heyse

Michel Woodman

Adrian Michael Woodward

Robert Charles Lewis Day

Lawrence Archard

Jonathan Kemp

Martin Gibbs

Charles Robert Sims

Chris McCleve

Chris McCleave

Robert Charles Sims

Robert Charles Day

Graham Scott Gutsell

Geoffrey Stuart Howe

Nicholas James Hastings

The present invention relates to a refillable tape cassette for accomodating a supply of printable tape. In order to avoid the need for different tape cassettes for different tape widths the tape cassette is capable of selectively housing supplies of tapes of different widths. Alternatively or additionally, the tape cassette can have a housing comprising a base on which the tape supply can be releasably fixed, and a lid fixed to the base, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted to the base by means of a hinge, Further, according to the invention, the windings of refill tape units are held together by means of a strip of adhesive or by means of wax on the axial ends of the units, or by scuffing the backing layer of an image receiving tape which is broader than the image receiving layer.

Refillable tape cassette

A printer with a housing arranged to be manually positioned on an image receiving medium. In order to allow easy alignment, a window is provided such that the print face is visible through the window. A controller of the printer is operable to detect markings on an image receiving medium, the markings being scanned by means of a scanner. An indicator referring to a direction in which the printer is to be moved and the detected markings are displayed in order to obtain alignment between the print face and the detected markings. The printer uses a medium with alignment marks, or alternately prints alignment marks onto a medium. Finally, a base station with an adjustable stop for positioning a print medium is included.

Manually positioned printer with an alignment means

The invention relates to a printer including a scanning mechanism provided in a housing, a mounting mechanism for releasably mounting a print head to the scanning mechanism, and an aperture. The scanning mechanism is arranged to move within the housing. The aperture is provided within the housing and arranged to be placed on, or adjacent to, an image receiving medium such that the print head, when mounted, is operable to print onto the image receiving medium through the aperture. In order to engrave an image into the image receiving medium, it is proposed that the mounting mechanism is arranged to accommodate a holding mechanism which holds a machining device for machining a medium. The printer may be provided with an ink supply containing a security ink, especially for printing entry receipts onto the hand of as customer entering a discotheque, concert, or other event.

Multi-functional printer

A portable printer which can print on a variety of surfaces is disclosed. The printer has a number of failsafe features which improve its operation and the quality of print. In particular, printing is inhibited in a certain number of situations. Alternatively or additionally, a maintenance sequence can be implemented when the printing unit is removed from a base location. A set of absorbent strips additionally or alternatively allow for the ink jet nozzles to be discharged within the print area.

Printer with failsafe features

A portable printer is provided which provides active cooperation between a computer and the portable printer unit. A number of different features are introduced into the printing unit which allow greater responsiveness from the computer responsive to actions taken at the printer unit.

Printer system

The present invention relates to a label printing apparatus for printing image data onto a tape. The label printing apparatus has a memory for storing image data to be printed onto the tape, a print head for recording the image data dot wise onto the tape in subsequent printing cycles, a platen for conveying the recording medium relative to the print head and means for determining the number of dots to be activated in each printing cycle. In order to obtain high print quality, a speed adjuster is provided to control the speed of the platen in response to the number of image data stored in the memory and the number of dots to be activated in the present printing cycle. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling the platen and the print head to avoid misalignment of subsequent printing lines, when the platen must stop due to lack of data in the memory.

Speed control of a label printing apparatus

A set of tape holding cases including at least two cases of a first type and at least two cases of a second type, with the cases of the first type housing image receiving tape of respectively different tape parameters and cases of the second type housing image transfer tape of respectively different tape parameters. Each case of the first type has a first cooperating component, depending on the tape parameter of image receiving tape, and each case of the second type has a second cooperating component, depending on the tape parameter of image transfer tape. The first and second cooperating components are arranged to selectively cooperate with each other to allow cooperation only of a properly selected case of the first type with any one of the cases of the second type and otherwise to exclude cooperation of the cases. Also, a thermal printing device having cassette receiving portions for these tape holding cases for use in thermal transfer printing.

Growing community of inventors

Sint Katelijne Waver, Belgium

Geert Heyse