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:
Feb. 20, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 01, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B41J 2/942 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B41J 2/942 ;
Abstract
A printer includes platen opening/closing means for increasing a gap between a platen and a print head when a printing medium is set to the printer, and cleaning means for cleaning a photo sensor device. The cleaning means removes paper dust, for example, accumulated to such an extent as to interrupt the optical path between the light emitting and receiving elements of the photo sensor device. The cleaning means is controlled by a control means contained in the printer. The control means drives the cleaning means when an output signal level of the photo sensor device is below a predetermined signal level after the printing medium is discharged out of the printer.