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:
Nov. 02, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1997
Robert Charles Lewis Day, Cambridge, GB;
Mathew Richard Palmer, Cambridge, GB;
Andrew Buchanan Halket, Cambridge, GB;
Charles Robert Sims, Hertfordshire, GB;
Esselte, Sint-Niklaas, BE;
Abstract
A tape printing apparatus having a thermal print head for printing an image on an image receiving tape, the print head having a first mode of operation for printing on an image receiving tape with an ink ribbon, and a second mode of operation for printing on thermally sensitive image receiving tape. A detector detects whether ink ribbon is present or absent in a receiving mechanism and provides a signal to a control mechanism indicative of the presence or absence of ink ribbon, the control mechanism being arranged to control the print head to have the first mode of operation when ink ribbon is present and the second mode of operation when no ink ribbon is present. When the ink ribbon is mounted on a rotatable member, the detector may detect the ink ribbon movement, or detect the location of the rotatable member where the location is different whether an ink ribbon is present or absent, or detect the speed of rotation of the rotatable support member where the rotatable member rotates at different speeds depending on whether ink ribbon is present or absent.