Method for adaptively using a print ribbon in an impact printer

Claim 5

A method according to claim 2 wherein: the condition of each color band is individually monitored by counting the number of printing impacts exercised on such color band in the subsection being traversed by the print head; and

Claim 6

the detecting is accomplished by individually comparing the current count for each color band with a predetermined count representative of the exhaustion of that particular color and signalling the reaching of said predetermined count for any one of the color bands for advancing the ribbon and causing the print head to commence traversing a subsequent longitudinal subsection of the ribbon.

Claim 7

the detecting is accomplished by individually comparing the current count for each color band with a predetermined count representative of the exhaustion of that particular color and signalling the reaching of said predetermined count for any one of the color bands for advancing the ribbon and causing the print head to commence traversing a subsequent longitudinal subsection of the ribbon.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 2 wherein: the condition of each color band is individually monitored by shining light through said color bands, passing the resultant light through individual filters associated with each color band and adapted to filter out every color except that of its associated color band, and

Claim 9

supplying the light outputs from said filters to individual photosensitive elements for determining the intensity of the light passing through said filters; and the detecting is accomplished by feeding the output signals of said photosensitive elements into associated integrators, and comparing the outputs from said integrators with predetermined thresholds special to each one of the color bands.

Claim 10

supplying the light outputs from said filters to individual photosensitive elements for determining the intensity of the light passing through said filters; and the detecting is accomplished by feeding the output signals of said photosensitive elements into associated integrators, and comparing the outputs from said integrators with predetermined thresholds special to each one of the color bands.

Claim 11

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, such mechanism comprising: means for repeatedly traversing the print head over one longitudinal subsection of the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement of the ribbon; means for automatically monitoring the condition of the ink in the subsection being traversed by the print head; means for automatically detecting when the condition of the ink in the monitored subsection has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon when the lower tolerance level is detected and thereafter holding the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement so that the print head repeatedly traverses a subsequent nonoverlapping longitudinal subsection of the ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the monitoring, detecting and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of ribbon is used up.

Claim 12

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, such mechanism comprising: means for repeatedly traversing the print head over one longitudinal subsection of the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement of the ribbon; means for automatically monitoring the condition of the ink in the subsection being traversed by the print head; means for automatically detecting when the condition of the ink in the monitored subsection has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon when the lower tolerance level is detected and thereafter holding the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement so that the print head repeatedly traverses a subsequent nonoverlapping longitudinal subsection of the ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the monitoring, detecting and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of ribbon is used up.

Claim 13

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked plural-color printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the plural-color ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, such ribbon having a plurality of parallel color bands which run the length of the ribbon and such mechanism comprising: means for repeatedly traversing the print head over one longitudinal subsection of the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement of the ribbon and using, as needed, the different color bands in such subsection; means for automatically and individually monitoring the condition of the color in each color band in the subsection being traversed by the print head; means for automatically detecting when the condition of the color of any one of the color bands in the monitored subsection has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon when a lower tolerance level is detected and thereafter holding the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement so that the print head repeatedly traverses a subsequent nonoverlapping longitudinal subsection of the plural-color ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the monitoring, detecting and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of plural-color ribbon is used up.

Claim 14

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked plural-color printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the plural-color ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, such ribbon having a plurality of parallel color bands which run the length of the ribbon and such mechanism comprising: means for repeatedly traversing the print head over one longitudinal subsection of the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement of the ribbon and using, as needed, the different color bands in such subsection; means for automatically and individually monitoring the condition of the color in each color band in the subsection being traversed by the print head; means for automatically detecting when the condition of the color of any one of the color bands in the monitored subsection has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon when a lower tolerance level is detected and thereafter holding the ribbon without any longitudinal advancement so that the print head repeatedly traverses a subsequent nonoverlapping longitudinal subsection of the plural-color ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the monitoring, detecting and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of plural-color ribbon is used up.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 8 wherein: the condition of each color band is individually monitored by counting the number of printing impacts exercised on such color band in the section being traversed by the print head; and the detecting is accomplished by individually comparing the current count for each color band with a predetermined count representative of the exhaustion of that particular color and signalling the reaching of said predetermined count for any one of the color bands for advancing the ribbon and causing the print head to commence traversing the new longitudinal section of the ribbon.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 8 wherein: the condition of each color band is individually monitored by shining light through said color bands, passing the resultant light through individual filters associated with each color band and adapted to filter out every color except that of its associated color band, and supplying the light outputs from said filters to individual photosensitive elements for determining the intensity of the light passing through said filters; and the detecting is accomplished by feeding the output signals of said photosensitive elements into associated integrators, and comparing the outputs from said integrators with predetermined thresholds special to each one of the color bands.

Claim 21

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, said ribbon being composed of a plurality of longitudinally nonoverlapping sections with each of said sections being composed of a plurality of longitudinally overlapping subsections, such mechanism comprising: means for traversing the print head over a first subsection; means for feeding the ribbon and traversing the print head over another one of said subsections in the same section as the first subsection; means for automatically monitoring the condition of the ink in the section being traversed by the print head and for automatically detecting when the condition of the ink in the monitored section has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically repeating the traversing, feeding and monitoring functions until the lower tolerance level is detected; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon to a new section when the lower tolerance level is detected in the previous section and thereafter repeatedly traversing the new longitudinal section of the ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the repeating and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of ribbon is used up.

Claim 22

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, said ribbon being composed of a plurality of longitudinally nonoverlapping sections with each of said sections being composed of a plurality of longitudinally overlapping subsections, such mechanism comprising: means for traversing the print head over a first subsection; means for feeding the ribbon and traversing the print head over another one of said subsections in the same section as the first subsection; means for automatically monitoring the condition of the ink in the section being traversed by the print head and for automatically detecting when the condition of the ink in the monitored section has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically repeating the traversing, feeding and monitoring functions until the lower tolerance level is detected; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon to a new section when the lower tolerance level is detected in the previous section and thereafter repeatedly traversing the new longitudinal section of the ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the repeating and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of ribbon is used up.

Claim 23

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked plural-color printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the plural-color ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, said ribbon having a plurality of parallel color bands which run the length of the ribbon, said ribbon being composed of a plurality of longitudinally nonoverlapping sections with each of said sections being composed of a plurality of longitudinally overlapping subsections, and such mechanism comprising: means for traversing the print head over a first subsection; means for feeding the ribbon and traversing the print head over another one of said subsections in the same section as the first subsection; means for automatically and individually monitoring the condition of the color in each color band in the section being traversed by the print head and for automatically detecting when the condition of the color of any one of the color bands in the monitored section has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically repeating the traversing, feeding and monitoring functions until the lower tolerance level is detected for any one of the color bands; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon to a new section when a lower tolerance level is detected in the previous section and thereafter repeatedly traversing the new longitudinal section of the plural-color ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the repeating and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of plural-color ribbon is used up.

Claim 24

A mechanism for adaptively using a relatively long length of inked plural-color printing ribbon in an impact printer having a print head which moves back and forth across a platen and spooling means for longitudinally spooling the plural-color ribbon past the print head intermediate the print head and the platen, said ribbon having a plurality of parallel color bands which run the length of the ribbon, said ribbon being composed of a plurality of longitudinally nonoverlapping sections with each of said sections being composed of a plurality of longitudinally overlapping subsections, and such mechanism comprising: means for traversing the print head over a first subsection; means for feeding the ribbon and traversing the print head over another one of said subsections in the same section as the first subsection; means for automatically and individually monitoring the condition of the color in each color band in the section being traversed by the print head and for automatically detecting when the condition of the color of any one of the color bands in the monitored section has reached a predetermined lower tolerance level; means for automatically repeating the traversing, feeding and monitoring functions until the lower tolerance level is detected for any one of the color bands; means for automatically longitudinally advancing the ribbon to a new section when a lower tolerance level is detected in the previous section and thereafter repeatedly traversing the new longitudinal section of the plural-color ribbon; and means for automatically repeating the repeating and advancing actions until substantially the entire length of plural-color ribbon is used up.