Patent ID: 8602669
Filing Date: 2013-12-10
Classification: B41J,B65H

Abstract:
1. A hybrid printer-feeder, comprising: (a) a printable medium source dispenser for supporting and dispensing printable medium at a start of a printable medium path; (b) a printable medium extraction roller assembly positioned to receive printable medium from said printable medium source dispenser and minimize printable medium skew; (c) position sensors located proximate printable medium exiting from said printable medium extraction roller assembly and operative to measure a distance traveled by said printable medium along said printable medium path, wherein said position sensors include a slotted sensor which detects a notch in the printable medium and a reflective sensor which detects a black rectangle on one side of the printable medium at a top of a label or tag; (d) printable medium feed rollers positioned after said position sensors and operative to drive said printable medium along said printable medium path; (e) a cutter operative to cut continuous roll and fan-fold printable medium; and (f) a microcontroller mounted in said printer-feeder and coupled to each of elements (a) to (e) and operative to control all printer feeder functions and provide logical coupling between a print engine and the printer-feeder; wherein said microcontroller uses data from the reflective sensor and the slotted sensor as feedback to the print engine to precisely position data for accurate image location on the label or tag.