Patent ID: 7753605
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: B41J,B65H,G01B

Abstract:
1. A tape drive for a transfer printing apparatus in which tape is selectively transported past a print head for transferring material on the tape onto a substrate intended to receive printing, the tape drive comprising: two stepper motors, each motor having a rotor shaft and being operable to rotate its rotor shaft in discrete angular steps upon command; two tape spool supports on which spools of tape are to be mounted, each spool support being rotatable by the rotor shaft of a respective one of the motors; a controller controlling energization of the motors to selectively transport tape extending between the spools; with the controller energizing both motors to selectively rotate one of the motors for one or more angular steps in a direction of rotation to rotate its respective spool of tape for supplying tape in a tape transport direction, and to selectively rotate the other motor for one or more angular steps in a direction of rotation to rotate its respective spool of tape for taking up tape for tape transport, thereby moving the tape between the spools in a tape transport direction; a monitor monitoring a parameter indicative of the diameter of at least one of the spools of tape; and with the controller controlling the number of steps each motor advances during a tape transport operation based at least in part on the parameter indicative of spool diameter to transport the tape between the spools a predetermined distance so as to position a second region of tape, from which material is to be transferred and that is adjacent to a first region of tape from which at least some material has been previously transferred, at the print head for transferring at least some material from the second region of tape to the substrate for efficient usage of the tape.