Patent ID: 6065883
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: G07B

Abstract:
A method of controlling take-up of a used thermal transfer ink ribbon in thermal printing apparatus in which thermal transfer ink ribbon is drawn from a supply spool and after use of the ribbon for printing the used ribbon is wound onto a take-up spool including in a pre-printing operation prior to a printing operation the steps of rotating the take-up spool through a predetermined angle to draw ribbon from the supply spool and determining the extent of resultant rotation of said supply spool; and in a subsequent printing operation in which a thermal print head is selectively operated to cause ink to be transferred from the ink ribbon to the print receiving medium the steps of bringing the thermal transfer ribbon into adherent ink transfer engagement with the print receiving medium; feeding the print receiving medium and the thermal transfer ink ribbon in adherent engagement therewith past the thermal print head and utilizing a function dependent upon said extent of rotation of the supply spool to control energization of a motor drive to drive the take-up spool to apply a substantially uniform tension to the used thermal ink transfer ribbon effective to peel said used thermal transfer ink ribbon from said adherent engagement with the print receiving medium and ineffective due to said adherent engagement of said thermal transfer ink ribbon with the print receiving medium during the printing operation to cause relative movement between the thermal transfer ribbon and the print receiving medium.