Patent EP0336734A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0336734A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printer having a device for adjusting the printing condition, depending upon paper thickness
Assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
•
Filing: 1989-04-05
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-04-05
Abstract
Abstract A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116), including a print head (28) for printing on the recording medium supported by a platen, while the print head is moved along the platen, a changeover device (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 172) for changing a printing condition of the print head, a signal generating device (154, 158, 159, 180, 182) for generating a trigger signal indicative of a possibility of a change in the medium thickness, a medium thickness detecting device (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84) for detecting the medium thickness, and a control device (160) responsive to the trigger signal from the signal generating device, for activating the medium thickness detecting device to detect the medium thickness, and activating the changeover device to change the printing condition of the print head, depending upon the detected medium thickness.
Inventors
- 👤 Takeshi C/O Brother Kogyo K.K. Niikawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:07
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J17/00; B41J17/16; B41J25/00; B41J25/304; B41J25/308; B41J25/3088
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116), comprising: a platen (18) mounted on a frame (10), for supporting the recording medium; a print head (28) for effecting a printing operation on the recording medium supported by the platen, while the print head is moved along the platen; changeover means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 184) for changing a printing condition of the print head; signal generating means (154, 158, 159, 180, 182) for generating a trigger signal indicative of a possibility of a change in a thickness of the recording medium; medium thickness detecting means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84) for detecting the thickness of the recording medium; and control means (160) responsive to said trigger signal from said signal generating means, for activating said medium thickness detecting means to detect the thickness of the recording medium, and activating said changeover means to change the printing condition of said print head, depending upon the thickness of the recording medium detected by said medium thickness detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116), comprising: a platen (18) mounted on a frame (10), for supporting the recording medium; a print head (28) for effecting a printing operation on the recording medium supported by the platen, while the print head is moved along the platen; changeover means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 184) for changing a printing condition of the print head; signal generating means (154, 158, 159, 180, 182) for generating a trigger signal indicative of a possibility of a change in a thickness of the recording medium; medium thickness detecting means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84) for detecting the thickness of the recording medium; and control means (160) responsive to said trigger signal from said signal generating means, for activating said medium thickness detecting means to detect the thickness of the recording medium, and activating said changeover means to change the printing condition of said print head, depending upon the thickness of the recording medium detected by said medium thickness detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said printing condition of said print head (28) comprises a head gap between said print head and said platen (18).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said print head consists of a dot matrix print head (28) having at least one print wire (43), and said printing condition of said print head comprises a printing pressure of the print wires which acts on the recording medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising a plurality of medium delivery devices (118, 120, 128, 136, 142, 144) for deliverying different types of the recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116), and medium selector means (154) for selecting one of said medium delivery devices from which the recording medium is delivered for printing by said print head, said medium selector means operating as said signal generating means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said medium selector means comprises an operator-controlled selector switch (154) for selecting one of said medium delivery devices (118, 120, 128, 136, 142, 144).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means (160) comprises a counter (176) whose content is changed each time said selector switch (154) is operated, said medium thickness detecting means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84) and said changeover means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 184) are activated depending upon the content of said counter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a medium supply device (118, 120, 128, 136, 142, 144) for accommodating and deliverying the recording medium (110, 112 114, 116), and medium-absence detector means (159) for generating a signal indicative of an absence of the recording medium in said medium supply device, said medium-absence detector means operating as said signal generating means, and said signal generated by said medium-absence detector means serving as said trigger signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a medium supply device (118, 120, 126, 128, 134, 136) including at least one feed roll (128, 136), and at least one sheet stacker (126, 134) each supporting a stack of cut sheets (110, 112) and pressing a top sheet of said stack against said at least one feed roll, said signal generating means (180) generating said trigger signal when each said sheet stacker is moved to a fully retracted position remote from said at least one feed roll.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising at least one paper casing (118, 120) supported by said frame (10) for accommodating the recording medium (110, 112), and said signal generating means (182) generating said trigger signal when each of said at least one paper casing is removed from said frame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising an operator-controlled print start switch (158) for initiating said printing operation, said print start switch also operating as said signal generating means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
167 words
A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116), comprising: a platen (18) mounted on a frame (10), for supporting the recording medium; a print head (28) for effecting a printing operation on the recording medium supported by the platen, while the print head is moved along the platen; a plurality of medium delivery devices (118, 120, 128, 136, 142, 144) for deliverying different types of the recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116); medium selector means (154) for selecting one of said medium delivery devices from which the recording medium is delivered for printing by said print head, and for generating a trigger signal indicative of an operation of said medium selector means by an operator; changeover means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 184) for changing a head gap between said print head and said platen (18); control means (160) responsive to said trigger signal from said signal generating means, for activating said changeover means to change said head gap.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
167 words
A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116), comprising: a platen (18) mounted on a frame (10), for supporting the recording medium; a print head (28) for effecting a printing operation on the recording medium supported by the platen, while the print head is moved along the platen; a plurality of medium delivery devices (118, 120, 128, 136, 142, 144) for deliverying different types of the recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116); medium selector means (154) for selecting one of said medium delivery devices from which the recording medium is delivered for printing by said print head, and for generating a trigger signal indicative of an operation of said medium selector means by an operator; changeover means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 184) for changing a head gap between said print head and said platen (18); control means (160) responsive to said trigger signal from said signal generating means, for activating said changeover means to change said head gap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
A printing apparatus according to claim 11, said control means (160) is operated to activate said changeover means (50, 52, 60, 64, 72, 78, 80, 84, 184), at least at the end of an delivery of said recording medium (110, 112, 114, 116) immediately following the generation of said trigger signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.