Patent ID: 7695204

Claim:
A printer comprising: a printhead assembly having a carrier frame, a pagewidth printhead with a corresponding pagewidth print zone mounted at a base of the carrier frame, an approach guide mounted to the carrier frame on a first side of the printhead and an exit guide mounted to the carrier frame on a second side of the printhead, the approach and exit guides guiding a web of print media through the print zone which is defined by a plane adjacent the printhead assembly; and a feed mechanism for continuously feeding the web through the print zone, wherein the web is unsupported in the print zone; wherein the feed mechanism comprises: a supply spool; a take-up spool; a take-up motor operatively connected to the take-up spool; a drive roller system positioned between the supply spool and the take-up spool; and a drive motor operatively connected to the drive roller system and configured to drive the web through the print zone; and wherein the supply spool comprises a braking motor for controlling tension in the web on the supply side of the drive roller system and the approach and exit guides contact the web continuously across the pagewidth respectively upstream and downstream of the print zone to tension the web around the printhead assembly and maintain constant distance between the printhead and web continuously across the pagewidth, wherein the approach guide curves about the base of the carrier frame to terminate upstream of the print zone and has a leading angular edge which abuts with the web such that the natural path of the web is deflected downwards and around the approach guide, and the exit guide curves about the base of the carrier frame to terminate downstream of the print zone.