Abstract:
A ribbon printer assembly and method which allows for margin-less printing is disclosed. The ribbon printer assembly includes a printer media having a first and second side, first side comprises a printable portion and the second side includes an adhesive. The ribbon printer also includes a backing, wider than the printer media that is temporarily affixed to the adhesive on the printer media. The printer assembly may also include a printer engine which is configured to print along the entire width of the printer media and a spooling mechanism which is configured to secure the backing that supplies the printer engine with the backing and printer media.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This disclosure relates to a method and consumer product for printing decorative ribbon. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for printing ribbon decorations. 
         [0002]    While the disclosure is particularly directed towards margined or margin-less printing of decorative ribbons and will thus be described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that the disclosure may have usefulness in other fields and applications. For example, this disclosure may be used with various types of printing and designing. 
         [0003]    By way of background, there are many products on the market with generic decorative design. A consumer may walk into almost any gift store and purchase items that display commonly used messages, such as “Happy Birthday” or “Happy Anniversary”. With the aid of computers, many consumers have learned to design their own decorative paper based products. Many of these products display a user-designed, personalized greeting. These products include party invitations, name cards, post cards, business cards, etc. 
         [0004]    One common limitation of this style of printing is that printer limitations will not allow a design to encompass the whole width array of the paper. Because of printer limitations, printing can only take place up to the margins of the paper. This leaves a space on the decorative paper where no ink can be printed. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a consumer oriented margin-less printing method and apparatus. Furthermore, there is a need in the industry for a substrate that will enable such consumer margin-less printing. The present disclosure contemplates a new method and apparatus that resolves the above referenced difficulties and others. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The method and apparatus for a ribbon printer assembly is provided. This disclosure will allow for a margin-less printing system for ribbons and other decorative stationery products appropriate for consumer use. 
         [0007]    In one aspect of the disclosure, the apparatus includes a ribbon printer assembly comprising a printer media having a first and second side. The first side includes a printable portion and the second side includes a bonding agent. The assembly also includes a backing proportionally wider than the printer media. The backing is adapted to temporarily affix to the adhesive on the printer media. The assembly also includes a printer engine which is configured to print along the entire width of the printer media and a supply mechanism which is configured to secure the backing and supply the printer engine with the backing and printer media. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the assembly includes an outer shell encapsulating the printer engine. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the backing is a paper based material coated with a parting agent. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the assembly includes a software program configured to interact with a user interface allowing a user to create designs which may be printed on the printer media. 
         [0011]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the printing engine is configured to print in color. 
         [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the printing engine is configured to print in negative space on the printer media. 
         [0013]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the assembly includes a printing engine that is configured to print on the printable portion of the printer media with or without leaving a margin, thereby overlapping ink onto the backing. 
         [0014]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the assembly includes an ink cartridge which is configured to supply the print engine with ink for printing. 
         [0015]    In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the assembly may receive printing commands from an associated computer via a universal serial bus (USB) port, Bluetooth, Firewire, Ethernet connection, etc. 
         [0016]    In another aspect of the disclosure, the system includes a printing substrate for printing a continuous design on a ribbon which comprises a ribbon having a first side and a second side. The first side is a printing face. The printing substrate also includes a backing with a width proportionally wider than the ribbon and an adhesive joining the second side of the ribbon to the backing. 
         [0017]    According to another aspect of the disclosure, the printing substrate includes an adhesive that remains on the ribbon when separated from the backing, enabling the ribbon to adhere to an associated surface after the ribbon is separated from the backing. 
         [0018]    In another aspect of the disclosure, the method includes a method for margin or margin-less printing on a printable ribbon which comprises supplying a print engine with a printable substrate. The printable substrate comprises a ribbon, a backing, and an adhesive binding for the ribbon and the backing, where the lateral edges of the backing are spaced further apart than the lateral edges of the ribbon. The method also includes printing on the substrate via a print engine where the design is printed overlapping the lateral edges of the ribbon allowing for ink to printed on the backing. 
         [0019]    In another aspect of the disclosure, the method includes supplying the print engine via a spooling mechanism which is configured to center the ribbon for printing. 
         [0020]    In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method includes the design being printed in the negative space of the ribbon. 
         [0021]    In yet another aspect of the disclosure, the method includes using compatible software in order to create said design. 
         [0022]    In another aspect of the disclosure, the method includes the design being communicated to the print engine via USB, Bluetooth, Firewire, or any other known connection means. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The presently described embodiments exist in the construction, arrangement and combination of various parts of the device and steps of the method whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates the ribbon printer assembly; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates an example the substrate for printing a continuous design; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates another example of the substrate for printing a continuous design. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    Referring now to the drawings wherein the showing are for purposes of illustrating the disclosed embodiments only and not for purposes of limiting the same.  FIG. 1  provides an overall view of the system in which the present disclosure may be incorporated. A ribbon printer assembly A is shown. The ribbon printer assembly includes a spooling mechanism  10 , a printing substrate  12 , a printer engine  14 , an ink cartridge  16 , a USB port  18 , and an outer shell  20 . It should be understood that this represents but one embodiment of the ribbon printer assembly and the present disclosure could be incorporated in a variety of different manners. 
         [0028]    In operation, as described in greater detail below, the presently described embodiments include a method and apparatus for margin-less printing. The present disclosure allows for printing on a ribbon assembly without a margin, thereby enabling a printer to print on the entire printable portion of a decorative ribbon. This assembly also allows for the printer to print on the entire decorative portion without spilling ink onto the printer assembly itself. 
         [0029]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the spooling mechanism  10  is generally used to store the printing substrate  12 . Therefore the printing substrate  12  is wound onto the spooling mechanism  10  in a manner in which the spooling mechanism  10  can supply the print engine  14  with the printing substrate  12 . However, it should be noted that the printed may be supplied with substrate via a variety of methods. Theses methods include z-folding and feeding individual ribbons to the printer. Spooling is but one form in which the printer may be supplied with substrate. 
         [0030]    It is shown in  FIG. 1  that the spooling mechanism  10  is outside of the outer shell  20 . In this embodiment, it may be more convenient for the spooling mechanism  10  to be loaded and reloaded with printing substrate  10 . In this form the outer shell  20  does not need to be removed in order to do such. However, in other embodiments, the outer shell  20  encompasses the spooling mechanism along with the other parts of the printer assembly A. 
         [0031]    The outer shell  20  encloses a printing engine  14  which is supplied ink by an ink cartridge  16 . As shown, the printing substrate  12  may travel into the outer shell  20  through the printing engine  14  and then out of the outer shell  20  onto a storage tray  22  which is located outside of the outer shell  20 . 
         [0032]    In this embodiment, the print engine  14  and ink cartridge  16  are located inside of the outer shell  20 . The ink cartridge  16  is located adjacent to the print engine  14 . In this embodiment, the USB port  18  is located on the bottom portion of the outer shell. It should be appreciated however, that the USB port may be located anywhere on the printer assembly. 
         [0033]    The spooling mechanism  10  is used in order to store the printing substrate  12  in a method which will allow for a continuous feed to the printer engine  14 . Generally, the printing substrate will be wound about the spooling mechanism  10  at the spooling mechanism&#39;s core in several turns. The outermost end of the printing substrate  12  is available for feeding into the print engine  14 . In this sense, the printing substrate  12  will unravel as it is pulled through the printing assembly turning the spooling mechanism  10 . This allows for easy supply and storage of the printing substrate  12 . 
         [0034]    As the printing substrate  12  enters the outer shell  20 , the printer engine  14  prints the desired design onto the substrate  12 . The ink cartridge  16  supplies the printer engine  14  with ink. The ink cartridge  16  is generally situated near the printer engine  14  in order for easy access to the ink. The ink cartridge  16  may be a color ink cartridge which will allow for color ink to be used on the printing substrate  12 . 
         [0035]    The design that the printer engine  14  prints on the printing substrate  12  may be communicated via a computer (not shown). The computer may incorporate software which will communicate the user&#39;s design to the print engine  14 . This communication may be made through a digital input. The digital input may include a Compact Disk (CD), a Secure Digital (SD) card, etc. In the exemplary embodiment a communication is established through a USB connection via the USB port  18 . However a connection may also be established through Bluetooth, Firewire, or one of many other ways to establish a connection known in the art. 
         [0036]    As the printing substrate  12  leaves the outer shell  20 , it may be collected by a tray  22 . The tray  22  may store the printing substrate  12  after it has its design incorporated onto it. 
         [0037]    Now referring to  FIG. 2  which is an example of the printing substrate with a design on it. As shown, the design need not be a common pattern that repeats.  FIG. 2  gives an example of a design that, once placed on the ribbon, creates a landscape style picture. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the printing substrate includes a ribbon  24  and backing  28 . The ribbon  24  on one side has a design  26  and the back side has a bonding agent which allows it to stick to the backing  28 . The bonding agent may be an adhesive. However, the ribbon may be fixed to the backing by electro-static or any other means in the art. As shown, the ribbon is not as wide as the backing. A margin  30 ,  32  of backing  28  exists adjacent each edge  34 , 36 , of the ribbon  24 . In this form a design  26  may be printed on the ribbon  24 , right up to its edges  34 , 36 , and overlapping onto the backing margins  32 ,  30 . The backing  28  may have some ink overlapped onto it. This will allow for margin-less printing, or stated another way, printing with a design that may or may not encompass the entire first side of the ribbon  24 . 
         [0039]    As shown, it is not necessary for the ribbon  24  to be centered on the backing  28 . This will allow for the ribbon  24  to have edges  34 ,  36  that may not be equally spaced from the backing&#39;s edges  38 ,  40 . The spooling mechanism ( FIG. 1 ,  10 ) and the print engine ( FIG. 1 ,  14 ) may be configured to work with different placements of the ribbon  24  with respect to the backing  28 . Additionally, different ribbon  24  and backing  28  placements may be preferred for different print engine  14  configurations. 
         [0040]    The ribbon  24  may be separated from the backing, by simply peeling the ribbon  24  from the backing  28 . This can be facilitated by a parting agent coating on the backing  28 , from which the adhesive can be easily removed. This will allow for embodiments where the adhesive that binds the ribbon  24  to the backing  28  to remain on the ribbon  24 . In this sense, the ribbon  24  maintains the adhesive and may be bound to another associated surface via the adhesive. 
         [0041]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 , which is another example of the printing substrate. In this example, the design  26  is colored negative space of the ribbon  24 . Negative space is the space around the subject of the design. When the ribbon  24  is white, coloring the negative space makes the design to appear to be white lettering. This embodiment that that white lettering states “Happy Birthday!”. The negative space is the colored space around the lettering. Of course, the user may have any number of designs, messages or phrases printed on the ribbon  24  using the concept of negative space. 
         [0042]    The ribbon  24  may be constructed from many types of different materials including, but not limited to, acetate, polyester, cotton blends, mixtures, etc. The backing  22  may also be made from a variety of different materials, including paper. 
         [0043]    The above description merely provides a disclosure of particular embodiments and is not intended for the purpose of limiting the same thereto. As such, the disclosure is not limited to only the above described embodiments. Rather, it is recognized that one skilled in the art could conceive alternate embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention.