LED/FIBER OPTIC CHARACTER PRINTER

• Main Author: PETER R. EBNER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.01.1984
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USINGWAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FORPROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; CALCULATING; CINEMATOGRAPHY; COMPUTING; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS; COUNTING; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; HOLOGRAPHY; i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; LINING MACHINES; MACHINES OR ACCESSORIES FOR MAKING, SETTING, OR DISTRIBUTINGTYPE; MAGNETOGRAPHY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHIC OR PHOTOELECTRIC COMPOSING DEVICES; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS; PRESENTATION OF DATA; PRINTING; RECOGNITION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS; STAMPS; TRANSPORTING; TYPE; TYPEWRITERS

A relatively narrow printing head scans across photosensitive material and in one scan generates a line of characters thereon. Digital control signals selectively illuminate the LEDs formed within a matrix thereof. A flexible loop of flat fiber optic filaments having their input ends coupled to the LEDs and having their output ends positioned within the print head, enables the use of a relatively small number of fiber optic filaments and yet provides for extremely high-speed recordation of the characters upon the film which contacts the print head. After a line has been photographically recorded, the film is stepped in a direction perpendicular to the direction of scanning of the print head and another line is recorded. An inexpensive and highly accurate print head carriage is disclosed, along with a unique belt drive for driving the carriage without inducing torque therein, owing to possible misalignment of the drive belt.