Abstract: A thermal printer in which an upper lid portion and a printing unit can be opened off a main body of the printer by a single operation and the upper lid portion is not closed even when a closing direction force is exerted on the printing unit during ink ribbon replacement. The upper lid portion has a stopper 34 that supports an upper lid portion 30 in a predetermined rotative position relative to a main body 20 and releases support of the upper lid portion 30 when the upper lid portion 30 is closed. A unit stopper 44 supports a printing unit 40 relative to the main body 20 at a smaller rotation angle than the upper lid portion 30 and releases support of the printing unit 40 when the printing unit 40 is closed. A connecting member 35 connects the upper lid portion 30 and the printing unit 40 in a fitted state where the printing unit 40 is fitted to the upper lid portion 30.

Abstract: A label printer comprising a cassette-receiving bay, said cassette-receiving bay having a base, a top opening opposite the base, and a locking mechanism extending from said base, said locking mechanism having a locking part, said locking part being movable in a first direction and biased in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said locking part having one or more projections such that a force thereon directed towards said base causes the locking part to move in the first direction and wherein said locking part is biased to move in said second direction when the force is removed.

Abstract: A printer having an opening/closing cover for providing access to a roll paper compartment, a peeler mechanism for peeling printed labels from a web and for dispensing the peeled printed labels from the printer and an opening and closing mechanism 50 which locks and unlocks the cover and a peeler unit 10 of the peeler mechanism in response to the manual operation of a manual operating member such as a release button 17 with a single easy operation. When the release button 17 is depressed into a first operating position 17B, a lock lever 52 of the opening/closing mechanism 50 slides from a locked position 52A to a released position 52B to disengage the lock lever 52 thus unlocking the opening/closing cover 9. At the same time, the sliding lock lever 52 pushes engaging claws 74a, 73a that lock or unlocks the peeler unit 10.

Abstract: A printer having an opening/closing cover for providing access to a roll paper compartment, a peeler mechanism for peeling printed labels from a web and for dispensing the peeled printed labels from the printer and an opening and closing mechanism 50 which locks and unlocks the cover and a peeler unit 10 of the peeler mechanism in response to the manual operation of a manual operating member such as a release button 17 with a single easy operation. When the release button 17 is depressed into a first operating position 17B, a lock lever 52 of the opening/closing mechanism 50 slides from a locked position 52A to a released position 52B to disengage the lock lever 52 thus unlocking the opening/closing cover 9. At the same time, the sliding lock lever 52 pushes engaging claws 74a, 73a that lock or unlocks the peeler unit 10.

Abstract: A printer for printing character information on an optical disk using an ink cartridge. The printer comprises a printer cover for opening/closing a cartridge receiving section into which the ink cartridge will be loaded. When the ink cartridge is loaded into the cartridge receiving section, the cover is closed and then the optical disk is inserted into the printer. Then, printing is started. The cover is engaged with the printer body in a closed state. The cover is disengaged by operating an operation button. When the optical disk is inserted into the printer body, an inlet cover is pushed by the optical disk so as to be upstanding. This causes a lock member to protrude so as to engage with the operation button, thereby locking the operation button and hence rendering the cover unopenable.

Abstract: A method of opening a security housing that requires authorization and unlocking moves the printing module transversely by a transverse mover into an additional unlocked position, as a result of which, the security housing or an access thereto is unlocked. The configuration has a mechanical locking or element and a printing module. The printing module is mounted such that it can be moved transversely to the transporting direction, for mechanically releasing the lock of a security-housing part directly or indirectly, by the security-housing part only being released once an additional security-housing part has been unlocked. The latter has a locking element that is disposed in the interior of the security housing and can be actuated by the printing module.

Abstract: An identification card printer or laminator system includes a card transport mechanism configured to transport a card along a path, a printer or lamination mechanism configured to print or laminate the card, a print or lamination consumable supply, and a controller. The printer or lamination consumable supply includes a tag circuit that contains supply data including a tag security code. The controller is configured for communication with the tag circuit and is further configured to allow operation of the printer or laminator system with the consumable supply when the tag security code is valid, and to prevent operation of the printer or laminator system with the consumable supply when the tag security code is invalid.

Abstract: A method and device for locking and unlocking a print head assembly along a shaft in an addressing machine. The print head assembly is fixedly mounted on a locking mechanism, which comprises a flange and a collet, wherein the collet has an inner circumference for slideably mounting on the shaft, and a tapered outer circumference having a first threaded section and a second threaded section. The flange has a threaded opening larger than the first threaded section but smaller than the second threaded section. When adjusting the position of the print head assembly, an operator turns the collet so that flange is engaged with the first threaded section. When locking the position of the print head assembly, the operator turns the collet so that the flange is engaged with the second threaded section, causing the collet to exert a frictional force on the shaft.

Abstract: A method of opening a security housing that requires authorization and unlocking moves the printing module transversely by a transverse mover into an additional unlocked position, as a result of which, the security housing or an access thereto is unlocked. The configuration has a mechanical locking or element and a printing module. The printing module is mounted such that it can be moved transversely to the transporting direction, for mechanically releasing the lock of a security-housing part directly or indirectly, by the security-housing part only being released once an additional security-housing part has been unlocked. The latter has a locking element that is disposed in the interior of the security housing and can be actuated by the printing module.

Abstract: A lockable, removable cassette is described. In an implementation, the cassette includes a plastic shell and a currency access door. The cassette may also include a flexible handle and/or an integrated grip. In addition, the cassette may include at least one of an aperture and a transparent window positioned to reveal the contents of the cassette. In an implementation, the cassette includes a stacking mechanism which may include a drive means having non-circular drive gears.

Abstract: An easily transportable ink jet printer apparatus provides a chassis that includes an ink jet print head having nozzles for dispensing ink, the print head being movably mounted to the chassis along the travel path. The chassis also includes a paper output tray movably mounted to the chassis between printing and carrying positions. The print head has a parked position at a selected position along the travel path when not printing in which the nozzles are capped to prevent clogging of the nozzles by dried ink. A locking member is movably mounted to the chassis between carrying and printing positions. The locking member holds the print head in the parked position when moved into the carrying position. The locking member can also be used to lock other components such as paper storage tray, paper exit tray, and cover. The locking member can be a handle with a gripping surface thereon, enabling a user to grasp and lift the handle to a transport position that secures a component or components of the printer (e.g.

Abstract: A cartridge lockout system and method for an image forming apparatus, which includes a cartridge and a wheel rotatably mounted on the cartridge. The wheel has a plurality of digital indicators, each digital indicator being in a first condition or a second condition. A sensor is secured to the image forming apparatus adjacent the digital indicators for sensing the digital indicators and the first and second conditions of the digital indicators and producing a sensor signal during rotation of the wheel. Further included is an engine that has a machine class code and a cartridge support registry data table stored therein. The engine is in electrical communication with the sensor, receives the sensor signal, generates a cartridge class code based on the sensor signal, compares the cartridge class code to the machine class code, and disables operation of the engine if the cartridge class code does not match the machine class code in the cartridge support registry data table.

Abstract: There is described a printing apparatus, particularly a label printer, which includes a switching mechanism operable in response to movement of the lid to permit operation of the printing apparatus only when the lid is closed. This can be combined with detection of the presence or absence of a cassette in a cassette receiving bay of the apparatus so that operation of the printing apparatus is permitted only in the presence of a cassette and with the lid in the closed position.

Abstract: A vibrating apparatus, such as a shuttle type dot printer, has a vibrating unit mounted in the casing thereof and which, when it operates, generates vibrations in opposite lateral directions of the vibrating unit. The vibrating unit is mounted in the casing for providing interacting of vibrations which occur in the inside by leaf type springs connected between pairs of projections on the vibrating unit and the casing with the plane of the leaf type springs perpendicular to the lateral direction of the vibrations of the vibrating unit. The apparatus further has a locking device for locking the vibrating unit relative to the casing, which, when the casing is on a supporting surface, allows the vibrating unit to vibrate freely in the opposite lateral directions, and which, when the casing is lifted off the supporting surface, locks the vibrating unit to the casing.

Abstract: In a printer of the type in which printing is carried out on a recording medium with a print element through an ink ribbon interposed between the print element and a sheet or paper, a ribbon cassette accommodating therein the ink ribbon has a ribbon stopper removably provided for limiting the movement of the ink ribbon within the ribbon cassette. A switch is provided for detecting the presence of the ribbon stopper in the ribbon cassette when the ribbon cassette is mounted on the printer. If the ribbon stopper is detected by the switch, then a ribbon feed motor is not energized so that the ink ribbon is not withdrawn from the ribbon cassette. Thus, the ink ribbon will not be cut off, which may otherwise be caused if the ribbon is forcibly withdrawn without removing the ribbon stopper.

Abstract: A postage meter module is removable from the mailing machine base. In order to protect the print die, a shutter is provided to cover the die. The cover can be moved to expose the die only when the meter is installed on an appropriate meter base. At all other times the shutter is locked in position to cover the print die.

Abstract: An electronic typewriter having a single detector switch for detecting whether a lid over a printing mechanism is open or closed and whether a carriage is in the original position or not. The detector switch is stimulated by two stimulators; one being provided on the lid for stimulating the detector switch when the lid is closed, and the other being provided on the carriage for stimulating the detector switch when the carriage is at the original position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal printer comprising a thermal head, and means for inhibiting an energization signal for heat generation of said thermal head. The inhibition means prevents the thermal head from being energized when it is in a non-operational position thereby preventing damage to the thermal head.

Abstract: A control processing method and apparatus for dot matrix printers which are ubjected to relatively high levels of vibration and shock. Vibration and shock are detected and, in the event that a known safe vibration or shock level is exceeded, print line data being fed alternately to the print head from a pair of data print buffers coupled to the output of a logic data input buffer are inhibited while the input buffer temporarily stores the incoming data. Drive pulses applied to the stepper motor used to move the print head carriage are simultaneously stopped. When the detected level falls below a set threshold indicative of a safe operating level, normal operation is resumed with the print data again being fed from the input buffer to the print line buffers which are reactivated along with the carriage stepper motor.

Abstract: The typewriter has a powered motor, an electric power switch, a drive shaft driven by the motor, a driven mechanism including printing and carriage return mechanisms connected to the drive shaft by way of respective clutches, and locking device for locking the clutches in their disconnect state. The locking device consist essentially of a cam portion on a manually operable member designed for turning on and off the switch, and a locking element actuated by the cam portion. When the manually operable member is actuated for turning off the switch, the clutches are locked in their disconnect state by the cam portion through the locking member. During cessation of the motor operation, these clutches may not be connected by faulty manipulation of the key or keys associated with the driven mechanism for reliably preventing incidental printing or carriage return movements upon restarting of the motor from occuring.

Abstract: Disclosed is a preferably transparent removably mounted cover plate for covering the top opening or printing point area in a printer, e.g. a needle printer, which serves to reduce noise and to prevent the introduction of foreign substances and dust. Of particular advantage is the inclusion on the cover plate of paper guide elements, a switch actuating cam which acts on a switch to shut off the machine when the cover plate is removed or swung out, and a paper tear-off edge.

Abstract: A keyboard of a typewriter comprises a common actuator biased by a spring. The depression of a key causes a corresponding intermediate member to engage with the actuator to initiate an operating cycle and to move the intermediate member to a position which causes selection of an operation corresponding to the key which has been depressed. The engagement of the common actuator with more than one intermediate member consequent upon depression of more than one key causes the common actuator to move under the spring bias at a substantially reduced speed and a locking mechanism to lock selected operations. A reloading mechanism is responsive to the speed of the actuator for unlocking the locking mechanism and restoring the actuator and the intermediate member when the reduced speed is sensed.