Abstract: A vacuum cleaner main body includes a main body case, a camera provided in the main body case and that can perform imaging at a given angle of view, a driving wheel that allows the main body case to travel, and a controller. The controller includes at least a traveling mode and an imaging mode. In the traveling mode, the controller controls the drive of the driving wheel to allow the main body case to travel autonomously. In the imaging mode, the controller controls the main body case to autonomously travel to a given imaging position so that the camera sequentially images still images in a plurality of adjacent directions at an angle equal to or smaller than the angle of view. The vacuum cleaner main body can securely image, with the camera, a wide range without any blind spots.

Abstract: A printer includes a supporting device, a cantilevered first guide arm, a second guide arm, and a printer head. The supporting device is configured to support a material to be printed. The cantilevered first guide arm has a longitudinal direction. The second guide arm is connected to the first guide arm to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the first guide. The second guide arm extends along a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The printer head is configured to print on the material supported by the supporting device and provided on the second guide arm to be movable along the lateral direction.

Abstract: A printer includes a housing in which a pair of guide rails is mounted. A print media tray is arranged to move along the guide rails within the housing. A motor assembly is configured to move the print media tray along the guide rails so that the print media tray can be ejected and retracted relative to the housing. A print engine is mounted within the print media tray and includes an ink ejection printhead in fluid communication with a replaceable ink cartridge. The ink cartridge can be accessed when the print media tray is ejected.

Abstract: Various embodiments and methods are disclosed relating to one or more media guides configured to guide a surface being printed upon relative to a manually moved print device.

Abstract: Provided is a stamp having a housing defining an opening, and a printhead and ink cartridge arrangement housed within the housing. The printhead is displaceable between a protected position within the housing and a printing position in which the printhead is exposed via the opening. The stamp also includes control circuitry configured to control the printhead for printing preprogrammed indicia on a print media, the control circuitry including a memory for storing said indicia. The stamp further includes a mechanical arrangement with a governor for displacing the printhead from the protected position to the printing position, said governor regulating motion of the printhead during printing.

Abstract: A hand operated marking device for printing upon print media, the marking device comprising: a pair of housings which are movably interconnected together so that a first one of the housings is adapted to be received in a second one of the housings responsive to compression of the housings between a hand and the print media; a printer which is located within the first housing and comprising a movable printhead configured to print ink; a selector arrangement operatively mounted to the second housing and enabling selection of an indicia, from a plurality of possible indicia, to be printed by the printhead; an ink connector adapted to couple with an ink cartridge via one or more ink sockets, and further adapted to couple with the movable printhead via one or more tubes; and a moving mechanism housed within at least one of the housings and which moves the printhead along the print media responsive to the compression of the housings so that the selected indicia is printed upon the print media.

Abstract: A hand-operated printer includes a body. A printhead is mounted to the body. A display device is mounted to the body, and a user interface is communicatively coupled to the display device. The user interface provides a user input to the display device that is based on movement of the hand-operated printer.

Abstract: New method for Image reproduction and recording is based on mechanical-guiding-apparatus-free operating methods, with flexible operations (hand, robot, vehicle), with the means for positioning, processing and controlling, and having exclusive plurality of uses. The system for image reproduction and recording based on this method includes these common apparatuses: head carrier, sprayer/reader or sprayer/reader array, and computer. Additional apparatuses used in wave-based positioning methods or relative-motion-based positioning methods, include operation-unit (OU) and communication-units (CU's), or operation-module (OM) and motion-detectors (MD), or respectively. The MD and OM provide the information of positioning for computer to determines the relative position and direction of the head array on head carrier. The CU's radiate and receive signal needed for determining distance information. The OU processes and converts the received signal into distance-related data and pass to computer.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for applying at least one graphic to at least one surface, comprising a portable scaffolding system that may be telescoped to accommodate a length and a width of the surface; a host device for receiving at least one head attachment; and a computing device for incrementally moving the host device along the width and the length of the surface and for controlling a distance between the host device and the surface.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for applying at least one graphic to at least one surface, comprising a portable scaffolding system that may be telescoped to accommodate a length and a width of the surface; a host device for receiving at least one head attachment; and a computing device for incrementally moving the host device along the width and the length of the surface and for controlling a distance between the host device and the surface.

Abstract: A printer with a housing arranged to be manually positioned on an image receiving medium. In order to allow easy alignment, a window is provided such that the print face is visible through the window. A controller of the printer is operable to detect markings on an image receiving medium, the markings being scanned by means of a scanner. An indicator referring to a direction in which the printer is to be moved and the detected markings are displayed in order to obtain alignment between the print face and the detected markings. The printer uses a medium with alignment marks, or alternately prints alignment marks onto a medium. Finally, a base station with an adjustable stop for positioning a print medium is included.

Abstract: A dual-mode printer for printing on both flexible and rigid substrates includes a table providing a substantially planar support surface for supporting a substrate. A flexible-substrate feed system is configured to feed a flexible substrate in a given feed direction across the support surface. The printer has a print head configured for depositing a printing medium on a substrate as part of a printing process. A motion system is configured to generate relative displacement between the print head and the support surface in at least a first direction parallel to the feed direction. This combination of components allows the printer to be used in a flexible-substrate mode in which relative displacement between the substrate and the print head is generated at least in part by the flexible-substrate feed system and in a rigid-substrate mode in which relative displacement between the substrate and the print head is generated exclusively by the motion system.

Abstract: A dual station hot debossing stamper for a report or book cover includes a print engine having a character finger daisy wheel forcer and a logo die forcer which are actuatable independently by a common servo motor through respective gear trains. The print engine moves line-by-line and a platen moves character-by-character. A print wheel is inserted and locked into the engine in a character debossment operation with a motor driving the print wheel. When using a logo die, the print wheel and casing is removed and using a loader-unloader tool the die is articulated under the logo die forcer. Insertion of a logo transfer tape cartridge shifts the gears in the print engine. A second character tape cartridge is used with the print wheel. A dedicated personal computer and associated software and firmware programs control the stamping apparatus.

Abstract: A composite printing device comprises a portable printer and a tape printer case removably engageable with the portable printer from below. The portable printer includes a bottom printing head, a pair of drive wheels and a pair of idle wheels. The tape printer case accommodates a tape roll for supplying a tape, a platen for guiding the tape, and a feed roller for feeding the tape from the tape roll. When the tape printer case is engaged with the portable printer, the printing head faces the tape guided by the platen while the drive wheel is operatively connected to the feed roller for rotationally driving the feed roller.

Abstract: A portable word processor transports a printing sheet along a straight path without flexing or bending it such that its output can be printed by a printer head even on an inflexible sheet.

Abstract: A microprocessor controlled signmaking machine (1) including a reciprocating plunger (210) that impacts adhesive sheet material (46, 46a-d) to form a sign (48) including one or more characters separable from the sheet material (46, 46a-d) that can be adhered to the surface of an object.

Abstract: Accordingly, an apparatus has been provided for printing identifying indicia on a work product. The apparatus includes a print mechanism and a transport for imparting relative motion between the work product and the print mechanism. The work product and the print mechanism are positioned in close proximity to one another. A control is provided for causing the print mechanism to print predetermined identifying information on the work product when the work product and the print mechanism reach a desired location as they move with respect to each other. In the preferred embodiment the print mechanism has a fixed print electrode with a moving resistive ribbon associated therewith. A track is provided for supporting the work product on air bearings. A moving vacuum belt moves the work product along the track and thereby moves the work product with respect to both the print electrode and the ribbon.

Abstract: A manual printer has a casing of a shape suitable for mounting on a table, a guide rail installed in the casing, a guide member movably connected to the guide rail, a base supported on the cursor and projecting outwardly through a front opening of the casing, a printing head attached to the base, a controller contained in the casing, a switch panel installed in the casing, a display secured to the casing so as to display printing data, and an ink ribbon cassette arranged in the base. In a printing operation, an operator inputs the printing data to the memory of the controller and the base is moved by hand along the guide rail in order to have the printing head print words and the like onto paper sheets.

Abstract: The elements of a printing mechanism, including a platen, print head and drive motors, are constructed and arranged to provide a clearance permitting an envelope to remain entirely in a flat condition in a plane tangent to the platen at the location of the printing line while the envelope is being printed by the print head. The housing of the printing mechanism is constructed with specially configured slots. First and second opposite end walls of the housing, and a third wall, extending from one end wall to the other, provide at least partial coverage of the print head and platen. The third wall has a slot extending from one end wall to the other, the slot being arranged to receive an envelope and to allow the envelope to be inserted in a flat condition between the print head and the platen. The end walls have parallel slots, meeting and continuous with the slot of the third wall.

Abstract: Printing type holder, comprising a rotary drive spindle, a support coaxial with the spindle, which is integral in rotation therewith and has at least one cylindrical part with an outer lateral surface, cavities provided on the outer lateral surface, permanent magnets respectively engaged in the cavities, polar members of soft magnetic material which are provided on either side of each permanent magnet, which extend along generatrices of the support and which define between them the cavities in the form of channels extending parallel to the spindle.

Abstract: A peripheral or stand-alone computerized stamp printer is provided particularly for office use in which a print assembly including a pressure cam and leaf spring arrangement is associated with a heated print head which contacts and impresses a daisy wheel character against an imprinting tape in a confined cartridge to serially print computer-selected letters or characters on a binder, binder spine, or other workpiece. The printer assembly may move on an X or Y axis along a fixed or movable gantry upper arm. If the gantry is fixed, means are provided for moving paper stock, binders or other workpieces into proper position for clamping on a work surface on the top surfaces of the printer chassis. A spine-holding drawer may be provided in the chassis for supporting the spine of a binder for printing letters, logos, or the like, on the binder spine. The print assembly is a discrete unit and includes a replaceable tape cartridge fitted into drive mechanisms within the printer assembly.

Abstract: A manually operable sweeping-type compact printer apparatus includes a key entry unit, a display unit, a memory unit, an encoder and a printer unit which are mounted on a manually manipulatable housing. When the housing is manually moved over a printing medium with the printer unit in contact with the printing medium, data entered by the key entry unit is printed out on the printing medium. In the printer apparatus, only designated segments or lengths of data are printed out on the printing medium, independent of continued travel or movement of the housing. Also, even if the housing is moved over the printing medium at an unstable moving velocity, high printing quality can be realized by control of the printing head. Stop codes designating the end of a data segment can be automatically or manually inserted.