Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Recording means engaging or holding means
Patent
1998-01-28
2000-01-04
Le, N.
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Recording means engaging or holding means
B41J 25304
Patent
active
060115718
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transformable thermal printer mechanism for printing on heat-sensitive paper.
BACKGROUND
Thermal printer mechanisms having stationary rollers are already known. Such a mechanism includes: part carries a print strip extending in the length direction of the support; and which extends facing the print strip; and support, the cams serving to raise the part that carries the print strip to enable the paper to be inserted between said strip and the roller when changing the feed roll.
Printers having retractable rollers are also known. In such a printer, the drive roller is not stationary relative to the support, but rather it is mounted on a mechanism whose moving parts enable the roller to be moved away from its operating position on opening the cover of the paper well, so as to provide easy access to said drive roller for putting a strip of paper back in place thereabout.
SUMMARY
An object of the invention is to provide a dual-purpose structure which makes it possible to go from a stationary-roller printer mechanism to a retractable-roller printer mechanism by performing only a small number of operations and by changing only a small number of parts.
To this end, the invention provides a thermal printer mechanism comprising an elongate support, a drive roller, a strip of print elements mounted on said support, spring-forming means for urging said strip against the drive roller, at least one cam mounted to pivot about an axis of the support to move the strip away from the drive roller, said mechanism being characterized in that it can be transformed from a stationary-roller version to a retractable-roller version, and in that the axle about which the drive roller rotates is suitable for being selectively mounted either on the support, or on a paper-protecting cover hinged to said support, the cam of the stationary version being suitable for being replaced with at least one other cam suitable for being entrained by the paper-protecting cover being tipped up and vice versa.
Various design options are possible for the appearance of the cover provided that the hinge point lies in a precise zone, it thus being possible to design a paper storage chamber of capacity that can be different depending on the embodiments, but that, in all cases, makes it easy to insert the paper.
Advantageously, the cam of the stationary version is suitable for being replaced, in the retractable version, with two cams, one of which enables the print head to be lifted away from the roller as the paper-protecting cover starts to tip up, the other cam being entrained by the axle of the drive roller as said roller is displaced with the paper-protecting cover so as to continue to raise the print head.
Also advantageously, in the retractable-roller version, the axle of the roller is received in slots provided in the paper-protecting cover, said slots co-operating with the support to hold the axle of the roller in its printing operating position, when the cover is closed, said slots receiving, in the stationary-roller version, bearings on which the roller is rotatably mounted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description given purely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a section view of a stationary-roller version of a possible embodiment of a printer mechanism of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a retractable-roller version of the printer mechanism;
FIG. 4a is a section view of the sides of the paper-protecting cover on which the roller is mounted in the retractable version of the mechanism;
FIG. 4b is a section view of the side plates of the support in the retractable version of the mechanism;
FIG. 4c is a section view showing the sides of the paper-protecting cover shown in FIG. 4a and the side plates of the support shown in FIG. 4b;
FIG. 5 is a section view of a side
REFERENCES:
patent: 5030968 (1991-07-01), Benson et al.
patent: 5133611 (1992-07-01), Nakajima
patent: 5139351 (1992-08-01), Kamada
patent: 5198836 (1993-03-01), Saito et al.
patent: 5579043 (1996-11-01), Patry
Lardant Patrick
Pierre-Francois Pascal
Investix, S.A.
Le N.
Nguyen Judy
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