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:
Oct. 12, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 28, 1998
Alexander S Murison, Waterloo, CA;
Gary R Marshall, Waterloo, CA;
NCR Corporation, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
A sheet to be printed on can be transported along a sheet feed path to a printing position. The sheet feed path extends along a first direction. A thermal print head is located on one side of the sheet feed path and is provided for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path. A print platen is located on an opposite side of the sheet feed path and is provided for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path. A spring mechanism is provided for biasing the head and the platen towards each other to contact the sides of a sheet in the printing position to allow printing on the sheet in the printing position. A drive mechanism is provided for moving the head and the platen in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction to allow printing on a sheet in the printing position to occur while the head and the platen are contacting the sheet in the printing position. A cam mechanism is provided for moving the head and the platen away from each other to move the head and the platen out of contact with a sheet in the printing position after printing on the sheet in the printing position has occurred. The drive mechanism and the cam mechanism cooperate to move the head and the platen back to their initial positions when the head and the platen are moved away from each other and out of contact with a sheet in the printing position to allow another printing to occur.