Patent ID: 6641313
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing device for printing text, indicia, and images on a medium, having a housing that abuts a surface of the medium during a printing sequence; a raster scan printing mechanism disposed in said housing for printing on the medium during a printing sequence including a print head which is moved from a starting position to an ending position along a plurality of paths during a printing sequence, a bidirectional first movement drive for movement of said print head along each of said paths, and a second movement drive for advance of the print head from path to path; control means disposed in said housing for controlling the printing device during a printing sequence including interface means to receive and interpret data and instructions from a host computer, and motion control means for executing said instructions;characterized in that said second movement drive is bidirectional and in that said raster scan printing mechanism comprises reset means entirely disposed in said housing for autonomous placement of said print head in a starting position for a printing sequence; said reset means comprising tracking means for monitoring the position of the print head along each of said paths and from path to path, and means responsive to said tracking means for controlling said bidirectional first movement drive and said second bidirectional second movement drive for resetting said print head to a starting position.