Videojet Technologies Inc.

Zipher Limited

Videojet Technologies (nottingham) Limited

Other

Markem Technologies Limited

Zippher Limited

Mcnestry, Martin

Martin McNestry

Philip Hart

Keith Buxton

Steven John Buckby

Gary Pfeffer

Phillip Hart

Casey Robertson

George Borkey Yundt

Thomas E Kimerling

James Christopher Butcher

Gareth Walley

John Wall

Steven Robert Brown

Anthony Selmeczy

Kevin W Kuester

Ben Meyerowitz

Julio Naveira

David John Byrne

David Doornink

Mark Waterman

Stephen Cooke

Graham Thomas

Thermal transfer printer

There is provided a thermal transfer printer, which comprises: a printhead; a tape drive configured to cause an inked ribbonto be advanced past the printheadso as to allow ink to be removed from the inked ribbon by the printhead and transferred to a substrate during a printing operation; and a printhead carriageon which the printheadis mounted, wherein the printhead carriageis supported by a railcoupled to a bodyof the printer, and the railextends along a direction parallel to a direction of travel of the inked ribbon; wherein the printhead carriagefurther comprises a first structurewhich is arranged to engage with a second structurecoupled to the bodyof the printer, and wherein the first and second structuresare configured such that the printhead carriageis rotatable around the railbut a rotation of the printhead carriage around the rail remains within a predetermined range.

There is provided a tape drive. The tape drive comprises first and second spool supports on which spools of tape may be mounted. The tape drive further comprises an optical sensing system. The optical sensing system comprises a radiation emitter and a radiation detector, said radiation emitter and radiation detector having a fixed positional relationship in use with respect to said first and second spool supports. The tape drive further comprises a controller. The controller is operative to, energise the radiation emitter to emit radiation, and determine a diameter data indicative of a diameter of a spool mounted on one of the first and second spool supports based on a radiation signal generated by the detector.

Tape drive

A tape support arrangement comprises a tape take up core () suitable for supporting a tape; and a tape supply core () suitable for supporting a tape (). The supply core () comprises an inner surface (), the inner surface defining an internal volume () of the supply core and being configured for engagement with a tape drive support. The take up core () is sized and shaped such that it can be located in the internal volume () of the supply core (). Refer to FIG.

Tape support arrangement

A tape drive comprises a spool support () for supporting a tape spool (), wherein the spool support comprises a support surface () mounted to a tape drive base plate () such that the support surface () is fixed against rotation relative to the base plate (), the support surface () being configured such that, in use, as tape is removed from or wound onto the spool (), the spool () rotates relative to the spool support () such that the spool () rotates around the support surface ().

Tape drive and associated spool

A labelling machine comprises a supply spool support for supporting a supply spool comprising label stock comprising a web and a plurality of labels attached to the web and which are separable from the web; a take-up spool support adapted to take up a portion of web; a motive means configured to propel the web along a web path from the supply spool support towards the take up spool support. A sensor has a transmitter portion and a receiver portion, the receiver portion comprising a plurality of receivers, the transmitter portion and receiver portion are configured to receive a portion of the label stock therebetween, and the plurality of receivers are each configured to produce a respective sensor signal which is a function of a property of a portion of label stock at a plurality of positions spaced from one another in a direction non-parallel to the web path. In addition, a controller is configured to monitor each of the sensor signals produced by the receivers and to select one of the sensor signals produced by the receivers based on said monitoring of each of the sensor signals produced by the receivers.

Machine and method for its operation

A printer comprising a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate provided adjacent to the printer, the printhead having a first configuration in which the printhead is spaced apart from the printing surface and a second configuration in which the printhead is configured to press the substrate against a printing surface during a printing operation. The printer further comprises a printhead drive assembly configured to cause movement of the printhead towards and away from the printing surface between the first and second configurations, the printhead drive assembly comprising a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. When the electromagnet is in a first condition, an attractive magnetic force is generated between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet, and when the electromagnet is in a second condition, a repulsive magnetic force is generated between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet, each of said attractive and repulsive magnetic forces being configured to one of urge the printhead away from and towards the printing surface. The printhead drive assembly is configured such that, when the printhead is in each of the first and second configurations, it is retained in that configuration by the printhead drive assembly when the electromagnet is in the first condition, the printhead being retained in one of the first and second configurations by said attractive magnetic force generated between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet.

Printer

An electrically operated fluid flow valve arrangement () includes an electrically powered magnetic field generator (), a valve body () defining a valve chamber (), an inlet port (), an outlet port () and a valve member () located in the chamber (). The valve member () is movable between closed and open conditions relative to one of the ports (). The valve member () includes a permanent magnet (). The arrangement () includes a switchable poleformed of a ferromagnetic material. In use, in a first latched condition, the valve member () is retained by the switchable pole () in one of the closed or open conditions and, in a second latched condition, in the other of the closed or open conditions, the valve member () being moved from one latched condition to the other by operation of the generator ().

Electrically operated fluid flow valve arrangements

A thermal transfer printer comprising: first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support; a printhead configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate, the printhead pressing the print ribbon and substrate together against a print roller; a substrate drive configured to cause movement of a substrate past the printhead; a sensor configured to monitor rotation of the print roller and generate a signal indicative thereof; and a controller configured to determine a measure of movement of the substrate and/or ribbon past the print roller based on the signal output by the sensor.

Stepper motor driven print head

A gap sensor assembly for a labelling machine, the labelling machine configured to convey label web along a web path. The gap sensor assembly comprises a roller configured to guide the label web along the web path, and a sensor arrangement configured to produce a sensor signal which is a function of a property of a portion of label web. The roller comprises at least a portion of the sensor arrangement.

Labelling machine and method for its operation

A labelling machine comprises a supply spool support for supporting a supply spool comprising label stock comprising a web and a plurality of labels attached to the web and which are separable from the web; a take-up spool support adapted to take up a portion of web; a first motive means configured to propel the web along a web path from the supply spool support towards the take up spool support, the first motive means comprising a first motor including a first stator and a first rotor; a labelling peel beak located along the web path and configured to peel the labels from label web as the label stock passes the labelling peel beak; and a printer for printing on the labels. The printer includes a ribbon supply spool support for supporting a ribbon supply spool comprising printer ribbon for the printer; a ribbon take-up spool support adapted to take up a portion of the printer ribbon; and a second motive means configured to propel the printer ribbon from the supply spool support towards the take up spool support, the second motive means comprising a second motor including a second stator and a second rotor. The labelling machine further comprises a base plate. The following components are mounted to the base plate such that the majority of each component is located on one side of a first surface of the base plate: supply spool support, take-up spool support, first stator, labelling peel beak, ribbon supply spool support, ribbon take-up spool support and second stator.

A method for operating a thermal transfer printer includes providing a ribbon, providing at least one spool configured to take up the ribbon, and providing a printhead. The substrate is moved relative to the printhead at a speed. The ribbon is moved relative to the printhead at a speed that is less than the speed of the substrate while using the printhead to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to the substrate to print an image on the substrate. Data is captured from the ribbon after ink has been transferred to the substrate. The data is processed to control at least one property of the printer.

A labelling machine comprises a supply spool support for supporting a supply spool comprising label stock; a take-up spool support adapted to take up a portion of the label stock; a movable element which defines a portion of a web path between the supply spool and the take-up spool support; a sensor configured to produce a sensor signal indicative of the position of the movable element; a controller configured to receive the sensor signal and output a brake assembly control signal based upon the sensor signal; and a brake assembly configured to apply a braking force to one of said spool supports based upon the brake assembly control signal, the braking force resisting rotation of said one of said spool supports. The controller is configured to control the brake assembly based upon the sensor signal so as to cause the moveable element to move towards a desired position.

A thermal transfer printer, including first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first support to the second spool support; a printhead for selectively transferring ink from the ribbon to a substrate; an electromagnetic sensor arranged to sense electromagnetic radiation and to generate data indicative of a property of the ribbon based upon sensed electromagnetic radiation; and a controller for processing data generated by the electromagnetic sensor.

A labelling machine comprising a supply spool support () adapted to receive a supply spool (), a takeup spool support () adapted to form a takeup spool () of web () from which at least some labels () have been removed, a motor () arranged to turn the takeup spool, and a controller to control operation of the motor. A web path () is defined between the supply spool and the take-up spool, and the controller is arranged to control the motor to turn the take-up spool so as to cause controlled predetermined linear movement of a web along the web path and onto the take-up spool, furthermore comprising a sensor () operable to sense linear displacement of the web and/or displacement of the web in a direction other than the direction of the web, a printer () movable between a first position and a second position, and a separator surface () comprising a first portion inclined relative to the web path.

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Heanor, United Kingdom

Martin McNestry