Printer having adjustable media support
View Patent ↗A printer is provided comprising an elongate printhead for printing across the pagewidth of print media, a rotatable, elongate platen arranged to support the print media being printed on by the printhead, a sensor for sensing a thickness of the print media, and a controller arranged to rotate the platen. The platen can support the print media at a plurality of predetermined distances from the printhead with the rotation of the platen providing selection of the plurality of predetermined distances. The controller rotates the platen in response to the sensed print media thickness so as to select a predetermined distance of the plurality of predetermined distances which accommodates the print media.
1. A printer comprising:
an elongate pagewidth printhead for printing across the pagewidth of print media;
a rotatable, elongate platen member arranged to selectively align a platen element and printhead maintenance elements with the elongate printhead across the pagewidth, the platen element being arranged to support the print media being printed on by the printhead at a plurality of predetermined distances from the printhead, the platen member being configured so that the rotation of the platen member provides selection of the elemental alignment with the printhead and of the plurality of predetermined distances;
a sensor for sensing a thickness of the print media; and
a controller arranged to rotate the platen member in response to the sensed print media thickness so as to select a predetermined distance of the plurality of predetermined distances which accommodates the print media.
2. A primer according to claim 1 wherein the platen member comprises a cam surface which is arranged to contact a projection of the printhead. the cam surface having a profile which provides the plurality of predetermined distances as the platen member is rotated through the contact of the projection and the cam surface.
3. A printer according to claim 2 , wherein the cam surface is arranged at each longitudinal end of the elongate platen and the projection of the printhead is arranged at each longitudinal end of the elongate printhead.
4. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein the platen member is arranged on a shaft, and the controller comprises a motor for driving rotation of the shaft.
5. A printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a transport mechanism for transporting the print media past the printhead for printing.
6. A printer according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor comprises:
a rotatable protrusion arranged to contact the print media as it is transported to the printhead and rotate in response to said contact; and
a detector for detecting the range of rotation of the protrusion. the protrusion being configured so that the range of rotation corresponds to the thickness of the print media.
7. A printer according to claim 6 , wherein the detector is an optical sensor.
8. A printer according to claim 6 , wherein the protrusion is biased so as to return to a set position once contact with the print media has ceased.
9. A printer according to claim 8 , wherein the protrusion is arranged on a shaft and is biased by a torsion spring arranged on the shaft.
10. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein the printhead maintenance elements comprise a capping member for capping the printhead and an ink blotter for blotting ink front the printhead.