For Carriage On Which A Type-head-carrier Is Mounted Patents (Class 400/320)
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Patent number: 4948273Abstract: A small-sized printer has a carriage moving in front of a platen. A print wheel is rotatably mounted on the carriage and coupled to a print wheel gear. The print wheel gear meshes with two worm gears which extend parallel to the platen. A rack-like cam also lies parallel to the platen and is followed by rocking lever which drives a pivoted hammer support. A pivoted hammer on the pivoted support strikes the inside of the print wheel, forcing an inked character to print on the paper, and rolling the character on the paper as the carriage moves. The two worm gears are powered by a motor which acts through a print drive. Their rotation is controlled so that the print wheel is rotated for print character selection by rotating both worm gears to turn the print wheel gear, the carriage is caused to move along the print line by stopping rotation of one of the worm gears, and the carriage is caused to return to its original position by stopping the other worm gear.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1988Date of Patent: August 14, 1990Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Chikao Tezuka, Yukihiro Hanaoka, Hiroyuki Nakayama
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Patent number: 4939440Abstract: A motion controller for the head carriage of an ink jet printer comprises a target signal generator providing constant velocity reference input to a servo loop controller. Also, two levels of current are applied to the drive motor during direction reversal, a lower one during deceleration of the carriage, and a higher one during acceleration of the carriage. The timing of the two current levels is determined by inputting a rectified velocity signal into a slope detector. A comparator converts the output of the slope detector into a binary signal for controlling the motor current level.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 1989Date of Patent: July 3, 1990Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.Inventor: Edward F. Burke
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Patent number: 4921365Abstract: An improvement to a dot matrix printer of the shuttle variety wherein a printhead is oscillated from side to side within a printer base. The shuttle is disposed within a ballistic energy transfer device mounted for oscillating movement from side to side in the opposite direction to the instantaneous movement of the shuttle. A rebound spring is operably connected to exert a rebounding force against the shuttle to aid it in reversing direction. Also, a centering spring is operably connected for exerting a centering force against the ballistic energy transfer device. A linear motor is connected for driving the shuttle back and forth in an oscillating motion with respect to the ballistic energy transfer device. Optionally, the linear motor is connected for driving the ballistic energy transfer device back and forth in an oscillating motion with respect to the printer base. The turnaround time of the shuttle is adjusted by adjusting the span of the shuttle or the spring constant of the rebound spring.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 1988Date of Patent: May 1, 1990Assignee: Royden C. Sanders, Jr.Inventors: Royden C. Sanders, Jr., John L. Forsyth, John P. Conant
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Patent number: 4904096Abstract: A printing device according to the present invention, the contact of a ribbon-guiding-member surfaces with the ribbon is increased, restraining the movement of the ribbon with the threading path bent by elastic restitution of the flexible ribbon guiding member. A printing device according to another features, accurate printing and correction is effected disregarding the play within the support arm or deformation of the carriage and limit a printhead to a predetermined printing line on a platen by restraining the movement of the nose end of a support arm with positioning members coupled thereto within proximity of the platen.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 1989Date of Patent: February 27, 1990Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Okumura, Koshiro Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 4902150Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises a movable carriage mounted with a printing mechanism that reciprocates along a printing line on a platen, and a control unit, which is provided on a printer body in a stationary manner and sends control signals to the printing mechanism for its various operations. A flexible member connected to the carriage and the control unit for transmission of the control signals. For this purpose, the flexible member is connected at one end to the printing mechanism. The flexible member has a first end portion at a proximity of that end, which is clamped by a connecting member pivotally supported on the carriage. This connecting member can swing to permit free deformation of the flexible member which is caused by the movement of the carriage.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 1989Date of Patent: February 20, 1990Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tatsuji Imai, Masaya Funamoto
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Patent number: 4889438Abstract: In a serial printer wherein a bi-directionally operating motor drives a carriage in an oscillatory motion between two end points, an improvement for minimizing the time for direction reversal of the carriage. There is a ballistic rebound device for transferring energy of the moving carriage in one direction into a resilient member and for retransmitting energy absorbed by the resilient member back into the carriage in a direction opposite the one direction. There is also an electrically operated brake for selectively coupling the ballistic rebound device to the carriage. Sensing apparatus is provided for sensing the position of the carriage with respect to the two ends.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1989Date of Patent: December 26, 1989Assignee: Royden C. Sanders, Jr.Inventors: John L. Forsyth, John P. Conant
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Patent number: 4883445Abstract: A device is disclosed for tensioning of a pulling element (1) of a printer and in particular of a matrix printer, for a back and forth motion of a part (5) or of a carriage includes a first deflection roller (11) and a second deflection roller (12). A wedge surface (15) is furnished, which upon increasing inclination (16) is slidable in a direction parallel to a frame surface (17) disposed perpendicular to the pulling direction (18) and which wedge is subjected to the force of a tension spring (22) such that the adjustable second deflection roller (12) serves the purpose of an increase of the tensioning force in the pulling element (1).Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 1988Date of Patent: November 28, 1989Assignee: Mannesmann AktiengesellschaftInventors: Gunter Gomoll, Wolfgang Hauslaib
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Patent number: 4880325Abstract: An improved ink ribbon cassette for a serial printing apparatus comprises a body, first and second substantially coextensive spaced ink ribbon guide arms projecting from the body, each having a free end, and an ink ribbon mounted in the body for advancement during printing and having a portion extending between the free ends of the guide arms so as to be available for printing. One of the guide arms has a window therein through which the ribbon is visible. A first optically detectable indicator is carried on the ribbon at a position to be visible through the window when the ribbon is substantially exhausted. A second optically detectable structure is mounted on the guide arm adjacent the window and laterally spaced therefrom in the direction of movement of the ribbon. This second optically detectable structure indicates the type of ribbon in the cassette.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 1987Date of Patent: November 14, 1989Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroyuki Ueda, Yasuaki Yamada, Toshiaki Ozawa, Hiroharu Nakajima, Hiroatsu Kondo
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Patent number: 4877343Abstract: A serial printer including a print head, a carriage supporting the print head and moved by a drive motor along a line of printing, a pulse generating device for generating pulse signals corresponding to incremental distances of movement of the carriage, a time-data memory for storing time data representative of a time interval between a point of generation of each of the pulse signals, and a point at which the print head effects a printing operation, and a time-interval measuring device operable to measure the time interval according to the time data stored in the time-data memory. The time-interval measuring device generates a printing command to activate the print head upon termination of measurement of the time interval.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 1987Date of Patent: October 31, 1989Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masaaki Hori
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Patent number: 4874264Abstract: A hybrid printer includes at least one impact type print head and at least one non-impact type print head, which are selectively used to print not only graphic information but also character information. For example, the impact type print head may be a type wheel print head and the non-impact type print head may be a pen print head. The print heads are selectively magnetically coupled to the carriage drive belt.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1987Date of Patent: October 17, 1989Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takami Suzuki, Yoshikuni Tatara, Tomoyuki Moriya
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Patent number: 4869608Abstract: A resonant frequency reciprocating print bar drive mechanism having print bar assembly mass 12 and counterweight 13 held in spaced relationship to each other by first and second leaf springs 16 and 17, which are of equal flexural stiffness. Drive solenoid 14 is mounted between the first and second springs 16 and 17, for inducing reciprocal oscillation between print bar 12 and counterweight 13. The print bar assembly, counterweight and spring assembly is itself suspended as a single unit from perimeter frame 11 by suspension springs 15. Suspension springs 15 have a much lower spring rate than that of leaf springs 16 and 17, and, as a result, the print bar assembly 12 and counterweight 13 will reciprocally oscillate, relative to each other, at a single resonant frequency.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1988Date of Patent: September 26, 1989Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Lynn C. Hessing, John W. Huffman, Ben B. Tyson
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Patent number: 4846595Abstract: A printing apparatus such as a printer of the type using a type wheel includes two guide members which extend between a pair of side frames and each of which is fixed by riveting. A carrier is slidably mounted on the guide members. A carriage loaded with a type wheel and others is mounted on a carrier in such a manner as to be rotatable by 90 degrees between a predetermined print position and a wheel replace position behind the print position. A sensor for determining the presence/absence and the kind of a type wheel loaded in the carriage is provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1987Date of Patent: July 11, 1989Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shingo Kato, Shunichi Ogawa, Makoto Yumoto, Kazuhiro Suzuki
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Patent number: 4840507Abstract: A printer is provided with a band 44 attached to the printhead 54 to move to-and-fro across the line of printing, and around rollers (98,110) allowing it to pass beneath a printing support bed 12 so that introduced documents and documents being printed are restrained from excessive separation from the printing support bed 12. The band 44 is supported in association with the printhead 54 by non-return cylinders 58,64 capable only of uni-directional rotation. Each cylinder 58,64 is provided with a rotary spring 76 which takes up any excess length developing in the band 44. Spring loaded rollers 98,110 at either end of the printing path support the band 44. Electrical indication is provided when one, the other or both of the cylinders 58,64 cease to take up excess length and when one, the other or both of the spring loaded rollers 98,110 also cease to take up excess length in the band 44.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1988Date of Patent: June 20, 1989Assignee: Unisys CorporationInventor: Gerard Chenest
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Patent number: 4834565Abstract: A printer head is connected to its counterbalance by a counter drive in a manner to reduce shock and noise when the printer head is reciprocated by a linear motor. The counter drive comprises a pulley and a pair of belts or wires which are wound approximately half way around the pulley in respective opposite directions on opposite sides of the pulley, with one end of each belt being connected to the counterbalance, and the other end of each belt being connected to the printer head. Thus, the counterbalance moves in the opposite direction of the printer head. A movable element of the linear motor is connected coaxially to the counterbalance, in a manner such that the weight of the movable element is included in the total weight of the counterbalance. The printer head is mounted on a carriage which the carriage has a roller spaced laterally from the shaft. slides along a shaft.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1988Date of Patent: May 30, 1989Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Makoto Takekoshi, Masahisa Inagaki, Haruhiko Tokunaga
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Patent number: 4832512Abstract: The structural base unit of the machine is made of a one-piece shaped beam (40) which extends along a first direction (Y) with a first portion (41) which, due to its own stiffness, supports and guides the carriage (12) carrying the writing head (11) along its translational motion in the first direction (Y), and with second and third portions (45) which defines supporting surfaces for the drum (20) driving the printing medium in a second direction (X) perpendicular to the first direction (Y). Guiding of the carriage (12) is ensured by rails (43, 44) formed integral with the beam or attached to it, and a slot (50) cut in the shaped beam (40) along the action area of the writing head for providing a passage for the printing medium and its engagement with the drum (20).Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1987Date of Patent: May 23, 1989Assignee: Benson S.A.Inventors: Jacques Perville, Thierry Lasjaunias, Jean-Claude Dard, Remy Jaffres
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Patent number: 4830523Abstract: A compliant head loading mechanism for a thermal printer is disclosed which compliantly loads a thermal print head against a carrier and a receiver mounted on a drum to uniformly apply pressure across the receiver at the nip. The mechanism includes a spring biased pivotably mounted pivot bracket which is moved between load and unload positions and a bracket member which is pivotably mounted on the pivot bracket and which carries the print head.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1987Date of Patent: May 16, 1989Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Steven J. Sparer, Stanley W. Stephenson
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Patent number: 4827282Abstract: A control method for providing an acceptable motion window (range) that restricts high accelerations and velocities of an ink jet print head. The method provides two limited step ranges that are initiated dependent on the total distance that the print head is to be moved. If the distance is outside of the window range, a first step is used to bring the print head to a position which is a fixed second step from the final position. By limiting the print head's motion in each step range, the excitation of the fluid (ink) system is limited. With the first step completed, a second step range is used to drive the print head to the final position. If the initial distance is within the window range, the second step range is selected to drive the print head. The method is implemented with a computer program and print head position signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1988Date of Patent: May 2, 1989Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Timothy D. Ritchie
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Patent number: 4804285Abstract: Disclosed is a precision printhead transport apparatus. The apparatus includes a differential wheel rotatably mounted upon belt or a printhead carriage which is constrained to move along a printing path. A first portion of an endless belt or band is looped around a first portion of the differential wheel having a first radius and a second portion of the band is looped around a second portion of the differential wheel having a second radius. The band further passes around two pulleys positioned on opposite sides of the differential wheel, one of the pulleys being an idler pulley and the other a driven pulley. A course stepping motor drives the driven pulley and the action of the differential wheel assures that gross rotation of the driven pulley produces only small linear displacement of the printhead carriage.Embodiments disclosed include both smooth and toothed bands and the use of a pair of rigid racks in place of the endless band.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1986Date of Patent: February 14, 1989Assignee: Unisys CorporationInventor: Robert G. Bradford
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Patent number: 4802777Abstract: Disclosed is a printer which drives a drive motor for a type wheel or a carriage therefor by a signal derived by processing a first digital signal resulting from a position error signal and a second digital signal which is delayed by a predetermined time period. The digital signals can be processed by an LSI chip which assures a highly reliable, low cost and compact printer.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1987Date of Patent: February 7, 1989Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasuaki Yamada
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Patent number: 4795285Abstract: A toothed belt and pin assembly for a printer in which the pin is engaged with a guide hole of a carriage for reciprocally driving the carriage during movement of the belt. The assembly has an endless belt having a pitch line, and a pin mounted on the belt with the axis of the pin coinciding with the pitch line of the belt.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1987Date of Patent: January 3, 1989Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.Inventors: Mikio Moriya, Junichi Furukawa, Makoto Kawasaki, Tsutomu Iesaka
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Patent number: 4795284Abstract: A printing device such as a printer of the type using a type wheel in which a carriage is loaded with a printing mechanism and movable along a carrier to allow the printing mechanism to print out data on a paper, which is wrapped around a platen. The carrier and/or the carriage is produced by press-forming a single sheet metal to cut down the production cost and the number of structural elements of the printer.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1986Date of Patent: January 3, 1989Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Yumoto, Shoji Yanagida, Tomoyuki Moriya, Mamoru Takezawa, Shingo Kato, Osamu Kuramochi, Shunichi Ogawa, Takashi Kimura, Takeshi Motohashi, Hideto Miyazaki, Eiji Hashimoto
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Patent number: 4789874Abstract: A control system providing a control of position, velocity, and direction of movement of a member in an axis of freedom which employs a scale having scale divisions thereon and bands or zones defining limits of constant velocity control, acceleration and deceleration zone limits, and a rest or parking position. The scale spans and parallels the axis of freedom. A single channel transducer or encoder mounted on and moving with the member produces time varying output signals in response to the sensing of scale divisions along the scale and signals of different characteristic in response to encoder sensing of the limit bands. The time varying output signals are employed as scale division count signals for position determination and as scale division count signals per unit of time, for velocity feedback.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1987Date of Patent: December 6, 1988Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Mark W. Majette, William J. Walsh, John A. Wickeraad
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Patent number: 4787761Abstract: A small-sized printer has a carriage moving in front of a platen. A print wheel is rotatably mounted on the carriage and coupled to a print wheel gear. The print wheel gear meshes with two worm gears which extend parallel to the platen. A rack-like cam also lies parallel to the platen and is followed by rocking lever which drives a pivoted hammer support. A pivoted hammer on the pivoted support strikes the inside of the print wheel, forcing an inked character to print on the paper, and rolling the character on the paper as the carriage moves. The two worm gears are powered by a motor which acts through a print drive. Their rotation is controlled so that the print wheel is rotated for print character selection by rotating both worm gears to turn the print wheel gear, the carriage is caused to move along the print line by stopping rotation of one of the worm gears, and the carriage is caused to return to its original position by stopping the other worm gear.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1985Date of Patent: November 29, 1988Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Chikao Tezuka, Yukihiro Hanaoka, Hiroyuki Nakayama
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Patent number: 4784503Abstract: The carriage is displaced by a tooth belt which is moved continuously by an electric motor and is connected to the carriage be means of an element engaged between two teeth of the belt and slidable on the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the carriage. The pulleys are provided with a recess capable of engaging the element in such a way as to move it positively in said perpendicular direction. The carriage is also connected by means of a tension spring to a strip provided with areas of an optical encoder in respect of the print positions. The upper paper pressure arrangement is formed by two rollers carried by two sliders fitted into corresponding longitudinal slots in the fixed support. The paper is carried by a feed reel which is carried by two arms which can be fitted by catch engagement on corresponding shoulders on the fixed support. The printer is particularly suitable for being connected to the output of a personal or home computer.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1987Date of Patent: November 15, 1988Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.Inventor: Francesco Bettini
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Patent number: 4775253Abstract: Impact type printer of a construction having a carriage including a character type wheel, a light source disposed outside the carriage, device for introducing light beam from the light source into the carriage such as a flexible photoconductor, a mirror, etc., and a detector to detect rotation of the character type wheel by application of the light beam introduced by the light beam introducing device to an encoder.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1987Date of Patent: October 4, 1988Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshiaki Ozawa, Yasuaki Yamada, Hiroatsu Kondo
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Patent number: 4764040Abstract: A twin counterweight, shuttle drive (11) for a reciprocably mounted dot matrix line printer carriage (13) that is shock stabilized to: (a) eliminate instability when the printer is bumped; and, (b) maintain the center point of the carriage peak-to-peak travel in the same position even when the printer is inclined, is disclosed. The shuttle drive (11) comprises a pair of equally sized and configured weight unbalanced gears (43) rotatably coupled together and secured to the mounted dot matrix line printer carriage (13). Rotation of the weight unbalanced gears (43) creates a drive force that shuttles the carriage (13). The gears (43) are positioned such that the drive force is aligned with the center of gravity of the carriage (13) and such that the centers of rotation of the gears (43) lie on a line that is perpendicular to the line of shuttle motion.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1986Date of Patent: August 16, 1988Assignee: Mannesmann Tally CorporationInventor: C. Gordon Whitaker
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Patent number: 4764042Abstract: A printer comprises printing means; a carriage on which this printing means is mounted; an endless, loop-like timing belt, fixed to the carriage, for moving the carriage, the surfaces of this endless belt which face with each other having serrated toothed portions; and a member for sandwiching the endless belt to stop the movement of the carriage. This printer may be also provided with an intermediate engaging member which is interposed between the upper and lower belts of the endless belt. This engaging member has serrated toothed portions having the same pitch as that of the serrated toothed portions of the endless belt. With this simple constitution, the carriage can be easily locked and unlocked without using special tools such as a screw and a screwdriver.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1987Date of Patent: August 16, 1988Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroatsu Kondo
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Patent number: 4758845Abstract: A thermal printer having a main shaft supporting a carriage mounted with printing mechanisms including a printing head and an ink ribbon peeling member for peeling an ink ribbon off the recording sheet as the carriage travels, and fixedly provided with sheet feeding rollers for feeding a recording sheet. The carriage is moved along the main shaft for printing operation to print information on the recording sheet on a line. Before beginning a new line, the carriage is returned to the starting position while the main shaft is rotated to feed the recording sheet. Thus, the main shaft functions as both a guide shaft for guiding the carriage and a sheet feeding shaft for feeding the recording sheet, and thereby the construction of the thermal printer is simplified and the number of the components is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1986Date of Patent: July 19, 1988Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuo Tsushima, Hiroshi Abe
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Patent number: 4755070Abstract: In an electronic typewriter having a printing device of the daisywheel type, the direct current electric motors which control the rotation of the character-carrying element, the movement of the carriage along the various printing positions and the rotation of the platen roller for line spacing are associated with corresponding transducers which detect the angular position thereof, and are actuated by a single integrated circuit connected to a microprocessor by an address and data bus (43). The microprocessor determines, for each of the motors, the angular amplitude of the rotary movement and the time required to cover each of the elementary angular distances, in accordance with a given speed law and addresses with data, including the said time, a plurality of circuit modules (B1, B2, B3) individual to the motors. The modules issue motor command signals (e.g. M11, M21, M31).Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1985Date of Patent: July 5, 1988Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.Inventor: Walter Cerutti
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Patent number: 4750881Abstract: A carriage mechanism of a printer includes a carriage frame, a printed circuit board mounted on the carriage frame and having an exposed wiring portion and a plurality portion of guide holes, and a cable having at one end thereof an exposed wiring portion to be electrically connected to the exposed wiring portion of the printed circuit board. An inked ribbon feed mechanism has guide projections to be inserted into the guide holes and a plurality of elastic hooks for fastening to the carriage frame. A cable fixing mechanism includes a flexible film member to be superimposed over the end of the flexible cable and fixed thereto. One end of the flexible film member is shaped as the end of the flexible cable and the other end of the flexible film member is progressively narrower and projects toward a folded portion of the flexible cable.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1986Date of Patent: June 14, 1988Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Kikuchi, Kazuki Obara, Kuniharu Hayashi, Masanori Maekawa, Yukio Ota, Shyoichi Watanabe
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Patent number: 4746766Abstract: A flexing connector for suppressing electromagnetic radiation from an electrical cable connecting moving and stationary elements of a machine has a shield surrounding a signal cable which includes an inner coil of wire wound in a generally helicoidal form with a flat cross-section with the signal cable positioned within the coil. An outer coil similar to the first, but with somewhat larger cross-section and wound with a different chirality, surrounds the inner coil. The coils are made from hardened steel, which is both electrically conductive and ferromagnetic. The two coils and the cable are clamped together on either side of a moving loop extending between the moving and stationary elements so that the coils cannot elongate and spread their windings apart as the connector is flexed.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1987Date of Patent: May 24, 1988Assignee: Wang Laboratories, Inc.Inventor: Roger R. Soulard
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Patent number: 4746237Abstract: A tension adjusting device of a carriage transfer belt which is characterized in that by a first bracket movable in the lengthwise direction of the belt a second bracket is supported rockably, by one end of the second bracket a pulley is supported, and to one end of the second bracket a spring is coupled for applying a turning force thereto, whereby a decrease in tension of the belt due to aged deterioration can be adjusted automatically.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1986Date of Patent: May 24, 1988Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takashi Takeda
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Patent number: 4738552Abstract: A printer includes a platen having a longitudinal axis and a printing head mounted in opposition to the platen. The guide shaft is mounted to extend parallel to the axis of the platen. A carriage supports the printing head and includes a carriage frame mounted on the guide shaft for movement axially therealong and for movement rotatably thereabout and a base plate having a first end integral with the carriage frame and a second end directed away therefrom. A guide plate is fixed at a position below the second end of the base plate and extends parallel to the guide shaft. A parallel link mechanism includes a fixing member attached to a lower surface of the second end of the base plate and a slider memebr connected to the fixing member. The slider member has a slot within which fits the guide plate, such that movement of the carriage axially of the guide shaft causes the parallel link mechanism and the second end of the base plate to be guided by the guide plate.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1986Date of Patent: April 19, 1988Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Kikuchi, Yukio Ota, Toshihiro Nakano, Takashi Itaya, Shyoichi Watanabe, Kuniharu Hayashi
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Patent number: 4727805Abstract: A matrix line printer has an L-shaped shuttle for a series of electromagnetic actuators. Wires are provided running in an arc from the printer frame to the shuttle. Peojections on the shuttle engage eccentrically mounted rollers on the frame.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1985Date of Patent: March 1, 1988Assignee: Mannesmann Tally GmbHInventors: Josef Pichler, Karl Puchegger
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Patent number: 4718786Abstract: The device comprises an electric motor whose rotor is capable of rotating selectively in either direction and a transmission unit which comprises a sleeve carrying a gear at an input end in mesh with a pinion on the motor shaft. At the output end of the sleeve a toothed pulley is engaged with a tensioned, toothed belt for moving the print unit back and forth. The sleeve is journalled on a shaft which can shift laterally at the input end and is urged by a spring and lever to shift in the sense forcing the gear into mesh with the pinion, thereby to minimize the radial clearance between the pinion and the gear.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 1986Date of Patent: January 12, 1988Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.Inventor: Musso Pietro
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Patent number: 4715737Abstract: A printer comprises a paper feed roller, an intermediate gear coupled with the paper feed roller and having a spur gear section on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a paper feed cam having an axis extending perpendicularly to an axis of the intermediate gear and having on its outer circumferential surface a helical tooth for meshing engagement with the spur gear section of the intermediate gear. The paper feed roller is angularly movable for a predetermined angular interval through the intermediate gear in response to angular movement of the paper feed cam. The paper feed cam has in the outer circumferential surface thereof a gap for disengagement with the intermediate gear. The helical tooth has an inclined end edge for guiding meshing engagement with the intermediate gear.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 1983Date of Patent: December 29, 1987Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Fumihasa Hori
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Patent number: 4712931Abstract: A color printer includes a carriage slidably movable on a printer frame. A print head is mounted on the carriage. A multiple-color ink ribbon having bands of color is stored in a cartridge which guides the multiple-color ink ribbon to the print head. A color selecting mechanism moves the cartridge and the multiple-color ink ribbon relative to the print head to select a color band for printing. An advancing mechanism winds the multiple-color ink ribbon in the storage member to tension the multiple-color ink ribbon after a color band has been selected and prior to printing.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 1985Date of Patent: December 15, 1987Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Keiichi Ohshima
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Patent number: 4708500Abstract: A thermal printer has carriage means supporting a print head for travel along a platen and has camming means operably associated with the carriage means for providing a predetermined pressure of the print head against the platen in one direction of travel of the print head and for releasing or reducing such pressure in the other direction of travel.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 1986Date of Patent: November 24, 1987Assignee: NCR CorporationInventors: Richard G. Bangs, Michael O. Grey
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Patent number: 4708502Abstract: A mounting mechanism for releaseably mounting a print head to the carriage of a printer includes a pair of pivotable levers respectively located on opposite sides of the print head. A spring member biases the levers in a predetermined direction. The levers are pivotable between a first position where the print head is secured to the carriage and a second position where the print head is released.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 1986Date of Patent: November 24, 1987Assignee: Seiko Espon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kenjiro Murakami
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Patent number: 4698566Abstract: A motor speed control apparatus which is provided with means for performing the control to always apply to a motor a driving force smaller than a frictional load of a driving system which is driven by the motor and to apply to the motor a driving force larger than the frictional force of the driving system when the motor is accelerated.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1984Date of Patent: October 6, 1987Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shigeru Okamura
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Patent number: 4688956Abstract: Inaccurate duplication of the first and the secnd prints due to the inequality of the distance and arrangement therebetween occurs in a serial printer in which a carriage is moved parallel to a platen by a servo motor etc. The first printing in duplex printing is performed after sufficient time for damping of the oscillation of the carriage in this invention. The second printing is done after sufficient time for damping of the oscillation as well as before. The control may be performed by sensing the necessary carriage displacement. The duplex printing may be performed when the displacement is zero or a small value.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1986Date of Patent: August 25, 1987Assignee: Tokyo Juki Industrial Co. Ltd.Inventor: Tomohisa Miyake
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Patent number: 4687361Abstract: A carriage moving mechanism includes a carriage movably mounted on a guide shaft, a travelling motor fixedly mounted on the carriage, the travelling motor including a pinion mounted on a rotary shaft thereof, a rack provided in substantially parallel to the guide shaft, the rack being rigid longitudinally and flexible in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction, the rack having longitudinally a tooth part engaged with the pinion, the surface of the rack located on the opposite side of the surface of the tooth part being substantially parallel to the guide shaft, a roller rotatably mounted on the carriage, the roller radially facing to the pinion and making contact with the opposite side surface to the tooth surface of the rack, the rack being rotatably mounted on the frame in one end thereof and restricted by the frame in the other end thereof in the extent of moving thereof or directly fixed on the frame in the other end thereof.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1986Date of Patent: August 18, 1987Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Kikuchi, Kuniharu Hayashi, Minoru Isobe, Jiro Tanuma, Masanori Maekawa
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Patent number: 4687356Abstract: An impact-type electronic printer uses a rotary printing wheel and a ROM to store printing-type position data for dealing with respective printing types borne by the rotary printing wheel, hammer pressure data, and the spacing data respectively matching the designated printing types together with printing-type position data. The main CPU then draws out the printing-type position data, hammer pressure data, and the spacing data in response to the input data to allow the printer to execute the printing operation using the designated printing types in accordance with these data drawn out of the ROM, thus realizing distinctly clean printed characters. The unique system embodied by the present invention makes it possible for the controller to easily read important data from the ROM.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1985Date of Patent: August 18, 1987Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirotoshi Matsui, Takeo Tsumura, Eiichi Sakanaka
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Patent number: 4684961Abstract: In a facsimile recorder a traversing print head is detachably coupled to a cable by a ball on the cable which is seated on the print head by a spring detent with camming ramps which allow automatic disengagement and reengagement of the ball and head and also rotation of the ball in the seat of the head.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1986Date of Patent: August 4, 1987Assignee: Alden Research FoundationInventor: Kestutis E. Bliudnikas
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Patent number: 4684274Abstract: The print data and the head shift data which instruct feeding of a print head input from a keyboard of a typewriter, are sequentially stored temporarily in a print buffer. Print processing or heat shifting is executed on the basis of the data sequentially read from the print buffer. In case the head shift data is stored continuously in the print buffer, the head shifting apparatus calculates finally the target position of the print head and shifts the print head to such position.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 1986Date of Patent: August 4, 1987Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hideo Ueno
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Patent number: 4678354Abstract: A typewriter carriage cable snubber which is automatically reset at the time power is turned on is described. The cable is normally tensioned by a mechanism which is spring driven to maintain the cable tension at the proper value, and a snubber is provided to prevent the positioner from allowing the cable path to shorten under the increased tension that occurs during carriage acceleration. When the power is turned off, the cable tends to shrink due to the decreased temperature. When power is turned on, the carriage is initialized by positioning it at the left end of its range. At this position the cable tensioning mechanism can be reset to allow a shorter cable length by having an extension of the carriage disengage the snubber, allowing the positioning mechanism to reset itself to a shorter cable length.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1985Date of Patent: July 7, 1987Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Alf J. Olsen
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Patent number: 4669900Abstract: The printer is characterized by construction adapted to detect the offsetting of the carriage from its intended position by signals of a sensor which detects the carriage offset at a first position spaced by a predetermined distance in the opposite direction of the home position of the carriage and at a second position which is the home position.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 1985Date of Patent: June 2, 1987Assignee: Tokyo Juki Industrial Co., LTDInventors: Tomohisa Miyake, Tsutomu Kataigi, Toshinobu Shinozuka
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Patent number: 4652159Abstract: A print timing circuit for a printer has a reciprocating carriage and at least one printing element mounted on the carriage. The print timing circuit includes a carriage controller for reciprocating the carriage and an encoder for detecting the speed of movement of the carriage and generating an encoder signal representative of the speed of movement of the carriage. An oscillator produces a print timing signal to control operation of the printing element. A frequency divider and comparator divides the encoder signal by N, where N is an integer. It also divides the print timing signal by M, where M is an integer. Then, it compares the phase relationship of the divided signals and provides an adjustment signal representative of the phase relationship of the divided signals to the oscillator.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1985Date of Patent: March 24, 1987Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Seiko EpsonInventor: Akio Nagai
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Patent number: 4643602Abstract: A carriage supporting device has a base plate and a guide bar. A guide portion is formed at a rear portion of the base plate. The guide portion has an L-shaped section comprising an upright portion and a guide rail projecting outwardly. A carriage is slidably mounted on the guide bar and on the guide rail through a guide chip made of plastics. The guide chip has an engaging groove slidably engaged with the guide rail.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 1985Date of Patent: February 17, 1987Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Ikeda, Tsutomu Iesaka
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Patent number: 4643597Abstract: A dot printer wherein a bearing member is movably attached to each of two shafts disposed in parallel with a platen, and a plurality of electromagnets are secured to the bearing members together with a head which houses therein a plurality of needles driven by the electromagnets. In this arrangement, the necessity of employing a carrier can be eliminated to simplify the structure as well as to reduce both the dimensions and the weight of the whole while ensuring a high-speed printing operation with another advantage of facilitating the assembling process.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1984Date of Patent: February 17, 1987Assignee: Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tsutomu Matsui, Shinichiro Fujii, Mitsutoshi Kakishima