Patent ID: 6092940
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printer for printing on a print medium supplied from a print medium roll, comprising:a housing with a print medium path therethrough along which the print medium travels, the print medium path exposing the print medium for grasping by a user to manually propel the print medium along the print medium path;a printing member supported by the housing and positioned to print on the print medium as the print medium is manually propelled along the print medium path;a position detector supported by the housing and oriented to monitor the position of selected portions of the print medium as the print medium is manually propelled along the print medium path and to generate an electrical signal indicative of the position of selected portions of the print medium in response to the movement of the print medium along the print medium path, the position detector including a first roller movably supported by the housing and positioned to continuously frictionally engage the print medium on the print medium roll, the first roller rotating in correspondence with the movement of the print medium along the print medium path; anda print controller microprocessor connected to receive the electrical signal from the position detector, and connected to selectively activate the printing member for printing in response to the electrical signal on the selected portions of the print medium.