The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 1995
Filed:
Oct. 05, 1992
Edward A Nardone, Wakefield, RI (US);
Paul S Follett, Wakefield, RI (US);
Harry D Schofield, Narragansett, RI (US);
Paul R Caron, Tiverton, RI (US);
Chris S Rothwell, North Kingstown, RI (US);
Atlantek, Inc., Wakefield, RI (US);
Abstract
A seven color, single-pass thermal print engine includes three platen rollers equally spaced over a 180 degree arc, an uninterrupted length of receptor media which is received around the platens, three thermal printheads which make tangential contact with a respective platen, and a pair of output drive rollers for pulling the media around the platen rollers. The print engine further includes a media tensioning system consisting of a media tray, an 'S' shaped media guide with an idler roll mounted inside the curve of the 'S', a tensioning arm for applying tangential pressure to the receptor media and a pair of input pinch rollers. Color transfer ribbons surround each printhead and are contained in re-loadable cassettes. The platens, pinch rollers and tensioning assembly are mounted on a slide assembly so that the platen rollers, the pinch rollers and the tensioning system can be slidably withdrawn from the print engine for receptor media loading and ribbon cassette replacement.