Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jong-sung Jung

Yong-duk Lee

Dong-hun Han

Heon-soo Park

Seung-Taik Hwang

Young-duk Lee

An image forming apparatus using a thermal printing head (TPH) and a printing method thereof to print a borderless image on both sides of a printing medium. The image forming apparatus includes first and second feeding units respectively disposed at front and rear sides of the TPH to transfer the printing medium at a predetermined printing speed and a pair of out-feed rollers that co-rotates and feeds out the printing medium, in which one of the out-feed rollers rotates in contact with the pick-up roller. A platen roller co-rotates in contact with the printing medium fed by the first and second feeding units The TPH has a printing position in which the TPH is pressed towards the platen roller to form a printing nip, and an open position in which the TPH is separated from the platen roller. The knock-up plate has a pick-up position where the printing medium comes in contact with the pick-up roller and a stand-by position where the printing medium loaded thereon is separated from the pick-up roller. The knock-up plate is respectively disposed to the pick-up position and the stand-by position when the TPH is disposed to the printing position and the open position.

Image forming apparatus with thermal printing head and printing method thereof

A complex image forming apparatus is provided having an improved structure in which a thermal printing engine forming a color image by heat and a laser printing engine performing single-color printing are integrated. The complex image forming apparatus comprises a supplying unit supplying a printing medium; a transfer path via which the printing medium supplied by the supplying unit is transferred; a thermal printing engine being disposed on the transfer path and performing color printing by heating a thermal imaging printing medium having one or more image forming layers; and a laser printing engine being disposed on the transfer path on which the thermal printing engine is installed and performing printing on the supplied printing medium by electrophotolithography. The complex image forming apparatus further comprises an exiting unit receiving the printing medium exited via the transfer path, wherein the complex image forming apparatus performs multi-color printing on the thermal imaging printing engine using the thermal printing engine and single color printing on different printing media using the laser printing engine.

Complex image forming apparatus

A printing medium and a printing method thereof, for a photo printer using the printing medium, wherein the printing medium includes a printing region, and a first tab region and a second tab region extending from both tabs of the printing region in a lengthwise direction and having different lengths from each other, and having a direction display unit formed in a penetrated manner in any one of the first tab region and the second tab region and displaying an inserting direction. The printing medium can also include an ID display unit including a plurality of slits formed in any one of the first tab region and the second tab region in order to display information regarding the printing medium.

Printing medium and printing method for photo printer

A thermal image forming apparatus is provided. A platen roller supports a recording medium having first and second sides opposite to each other. A recording head includes a heating part that applies heat to the recording medium for image formation. The recording head rotates around the platen roller to move the heating part to first and second locations respectively facing the first and second sides of the recording medium. A conveying part conveys the recording medium. When the recording head is positioned at the first and second locations, locations of the heating part are symmetrical with each other with respect to a reference line, which passes through the conveying part and a center of the platen roller.

Thermal image forming apparatus

A thermal image forming apparatus is provided adapted to form images on both sides of a recording medium. The thermal image forming apparatus includes an image forming part having a recording head for forming an image on the recording medium and a support member facing the recording head and supporting the recording medium with respect to the recording head. The recording medium has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. A position changing unit rotates the recording head around a shaft of the support member to move the recording head to first and second locations respectively facing the first and second sides of the recording medium.

A paper edge sensing apparatus for borderless printing comprises a first paper sensor mounted in connection with the carrier and the frame in the upstream of a paper convey direction of an ink jet position of the ink jet nozzles to detect sheet edges, and a controller controlling operations of the ink jet nozzles of the printer head according to a signal from the first paper sensor to control paper print margins. A paper edge sensing method comprises detecting a top edge of the sheet conveyed by the convey unit through the first paper sensor mounted to the carrier at an initial position, generating a top margin print command to jet ink with a predetermined top print margin through the ink jet nozzles of the printer head according to a top edge detection signal from the first paper sensor, detecting the bottom edge of the sheet through the first paper sensor as the carrier passes through the initial position, and generating a bottom margin print command to jet ink with a predetermined bottom print margin through the ink jet nozzles of the printer head according to a bottom edge detection signal of the first paper sensor. The paper edge sensing apparatus and method of borderless printing can improve a degree of precision in sensing paper edges such as top edge, bottom edge, left edge, right edge, and so on, in a borderless printing mode to reduce printing margins for the printer head to jet ink, to thereby reduce ink pollution and consumption due to unnecessary ink jetting.

Paper edge sensing apparatus and method for borderless printing

A printing apparatus having a paper feeding unit with a feed roller that moves paper supplied from a paper tray to a printing unit, and an exit roller that releases the paper on which the printing operation is performed by the printing unit, the printing apparatus including a temperature sensor sensing an ambient temperature of the printing apparatus; and a driving controller controlling the driving of the feed roller and the exit roller according to the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

Method and apparatus for controlling paper transport based upon ambient printer temperature

A paper discharging apparatus for a printer includes: a plurality of support plates for supporting the paper and rotating in a direction parallel to a paper proceeding direction; a rotation shaft of a feed roller arranged in a direction perpendicular to the paper proceeding direction, and to which a feed roller contacting the paper is coupled; a power transfer portion having a sector gear installed on the rotation shaft so that the sector gear doe not rotate when the rotation shaft rotates in a forward direction, and the sector gear does rotate when the rotation shaft rotates in a reverse direction; a crank rod having one end connected to the sector gear, and reciprocating when the sector gear rotates; and a cam shaft connected to the crank rod and rotating in correspondence to the reciprocation of the crank rod. A cam for performing interference movement relative to the support plates, and a holder engaged with the rotation of the cam shaft and having a plurality of kickers for pushing the paper toward the support plate, are also provided. When the sector gear rotates in a forward direction, the paper is supplied or printed; when the sector gear rotates in a reverse direction, the holder is engaged with the cam shaft to perform angular movement by means of the crank rod connected to the sector gear so that an end portion of the paper is pushed. The paper is supported by the support plates, and is dropped downward and stacked. Thus, by using a power transfer portion having a simple structure, cost can be reduced and printing speed can be improved. Also, by using a crank rod and a cam shaft, discharged paper can be stably stacked without being damaged so that the paper can be stably discharged from the printer.

Paper discharging apparatus for printer

An ink-jet printer has a frame, a carriage, a waste ink collecting box and waste ink spreading device. The paper feeder is mounted to one side of the frame, while a discharge device is mounted to the other side of the frame. The carriage is provided with at least one ink cartridge and is transversely reciprocated between a printing area and a service area along a guide rod that is horizontally mounted to the frame. The waste ink collecting box is for collecting waste ink discharged from the ink cartridge in the service area. The waste ink spreading device uniformly spreads the waste ink heaped in the waste ink collecting box. The waste ink spreading device may have a waste ink spreader. The waste ink spreader may have a hinge portion rotatably mounted to the waste ink collecting box, a spreader arm extended from one side of the hinge portion, the spreader arm spreading heaped waste ink uniformly in the waste ink collecting box, and a spreader head extended from the opposite end of the hinge portion, the spreader head being actuated for rotation of the spreader arm.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon-si, South Korea

Jong-sung Jung