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:
May. 24, 2005
Filed:
Dec. 18, 2003
Dennis R. White, Fountain Valley, CA (US);
Jeng-dung Jou, Irvine, CA (US);
Gordon B. Barrus, San Juan Capistrano, CA (US);
Y. Grant Chang, Irvine, CA (US);
John W. Gemmell, Aliso Viejo, CA (US);
John S. Kinley, Costa Mesa, CA (US);
Lihu Chiu, Arcadia, CA (US);
Kevin P. Moore, Irvine, CA (US);
Dennis R. White, Fountain Valley, CA (US);
Jeng-Dung Jou, Irvine, CA (US);
Gordon B. Barrus, San Juan Capistrano, CA (US);
Y. Grant Chang, Irvine, CA (US);
John W. Gemmell, Aliso Viejo, CA (US);
John S. Kinley, Costa Mesa, CA (US);
Lihu Chiu, Arcadia, CA (US);
Kevin P. Moore, Irvine, CA (US);
Printronix, Inc., Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
An ink density closed loop control system for an ink ribbon of an impact printer having a reservoir roller formed of an ink absorbent material with at least one or more channels within the reservoir roller fluidly connected to a pump and ink supply. A transfer roller can contact the reservoir roller for imparting ink to the ink ribbon. A sensor senses the relative amount of ink on the print ribbon and an electrical drive responsive to the sensor drives the pump for a flow of ink to the one or more channels. The sensor can sense ink on different segments of the ribbon and, with two or more channels in the reservoir roller can distribute ink to two or more segments of the reservoir roller depending upon the ink sensed at a particular segment of the ribbon. A further enhancement of this invention provides a multi-viscosity ink to compensate for changes in ambient temperature conditions.