Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-29
2002-09-10
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C101S093000, C101S288000, C400S174000, C400S088000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06447185
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a label roll core holder in a labeler, particularly to a label roll core holder for holding a label roll and feeding out a label strip for label attachment, a label retraining and guiding system of a printing labeler for pressing a continuous label strip guided over a platen disposed opposite a label printer in the direction of the platen, and a label roll protective cover device.
BACKGROUND ART
Substantially all conventional labelers have label printing capability in addition to labeling capability. The label roll core holder of a labeler is required to have the following characteristics.
The first required characteristic is the ability to reliably hold the label roll and the core thereof. In particular, it is necessary to reliably hold the core under various circumstances, such as during labeler transport and use and when the label roll is changed. When the labeler is being transported after shipment from the labeler plant, for example, the packaged labeler is generally loaded with a sample label roll. The label roll must therefore be made safe from detachment from the core holder by shocks experienced during transport and handling. Further, during labeler use, the labeler is operated in the manner of swinging it downward during label printing operation and label attachment operation and the amount of operating force and shock at the time of attachment differs depending on the user. Even if the operating force differs, it is necessary to cope accordingly so as to hold the label roll stably.
The second required characteristic is that the label roll be easy to load and remove. When the label roll has been used up, only the core remains in the core holder. The operations of removing the core and loading a new label roll must of course be simple. In addition, even in the course of use, a problem may occur that makes it necessary to remove the label roll for inspection or to replace it.
Even under trouble-free condition, the label roll may have to be replaced with one of a different design.
Needless to say, the first characteristic and the second characteristic are incompatible and a core holder that can provide both is needed.
There has also been a problem with the guiding and restraining section for the leading end of the label strip.
A general explanation of a conventional portable printing labeler
101
will be given with reference to FIG.
13
.
FIG. 13
is a schematic vertical sectional view of the portable printing labeler
101
. The printing labeler
101
comprises a pair of left and right side plates
102
, a label case
103
, a printer
104
, a conveyance roller
105
, a label presser
106
, a platen
107
, a pair of left and right label guide pieces
108
provided above the platen
107
, a deflection member
109
constituted as a deflection pin or the like, a bottom cover
110
and a labeling roller
111
. The pair of left and right label guide pieces
108
, the deflection member
109
, and the bottom cover
110
constitute a label restraining and guiding system
112
.
The aforesaid members are retained between the pair of left and right side plates
102
by shaft-mounting or direct attachment. The label case
103
holds a continuous label strip
113
in the form of a roll and can feed out the continuous label strip
113
to supply it between the label presser
106
and the conveyance roller
105
, and further between pair of left and right label guide pieces
108
and the platen
107
.
The continuous label strip
113
is composed of a strip-like backing sheet
114
having a label peel-off layer and multiple labels
115
provisionally attached to the backing sheet
114
.
The printer
104
effects prescribed printing on the portion of the continuous label strip
113
(label
115
) located on the platen
107
. Printing operation is conducted by manipulating a handle (not shown) operated by swinging it relative to the side plates
102
.
Conveyance projections
116
are provided on the peripheral surface of the conveyance roller
105
to be engageable with the continuous label strip
113
supplied between the conveyance roller
105
and the label presser
106
. When the printer
104
is moved downward by the aforesaid handle operation (operation of printing on the label
115
), the conveyance roller
105
rotates synchronously around a rotation shaft
117
to feed out the continuous label strip
113
in the direction of the platen
107
, peel off the label
115
at the deflection member
109
located at the tip of the platen
107
, and further feed the backing sheet
114
from which the label
115
was peeled to the rear. The platen
107
allows passage of the continuous label strip
113
on its front side and of the label
115
on its rear side and serves as a plate for the printing of the continuous label strip
113
(label
115
) by the printer
104
.
The pair of left and right label guide pieces
108
are made of a metal such as iron and are fixed on the inner sides of the side plates
102
to be position above the platen
107
. Each label guide piece
108
is composed of a platen-side flat guide section
118
and a deflection member-side inclined section
119
. The platen-side flat guide sections
118
face the platen
107
from above and guide the left and right edge portions of the continuous label strip
113
by pressing them toward the platen
107
.
The deflection member-side inclined section
119
is inclined downward slightly at the tip of the platen-side flat guide section
118
.
The deflection member
109
is mounted at the tip of the platen
107
. Only the backing sheet
114
of the continuous label strip
113
is turned back at the deflection member
109
and the label
115
peels off the backing sheet
114
owing to its own stiffness to be positioned under the labeling roller
111
.
The labeling roller
111
is supported to be rotatable around a rotation shaft
120
to enable attachment of labels
115
to the objects to be labeled (not shown). The bottom cover
110
has a sloped guide portion
121
at the tip thereof facing the deflection member
109
.
The continuous label strip
113
passes along the platen-side flat guide sections
118
and the deflection member-side inclined sections
119
of the label guide pieces
108
and from the sloped guide portion
121
and the surface of the bottom cover
110
. It can make a U-turn at the portion of the deflection member
109
, thereby enabling the label
115
to peel from the backing sheet
114
.
The platen
107
can swing open counterclockwise around the rotation shaft
117
as seen in the drawing, and the bottom cover
110
can swing open clockwise around the rotation shaft
120
as seen in the drawing. When the bottom cover
110
and the platen
107
have been swung open, continuous label strip
113
can be loaded in the printing labeler
101
.
As explained in the foregoing, in order to effect smooth peeling of the label
115
from the backing sheet
114
in the foregoing manner, the label restraining and guiding system
112
restrains the continuous label strip
113
in the direction of the platen
107
and guides it in the direction of the deflection member
109
.
In the portable printing labeler
101
and label restraining and guiding system
112
of this structure, the pair of left and right label guide pieces
108
and the deflection member-side inclined sections
119
of the platen-side flat guide sections
118
are repeatedly abraded by the continuous label strip
113
owing to successive conveyance and peeling of the continuous label strip
113
. They therefore wear and require replacement.
Although the pair of left and right label guide pieces
108
are themselves made of metal so as to enhance their abrasion resistance, they are joined to the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right side plates
102
and are difficult to replace at the time of actual replacement. In actual practice, they are replaced with new components as a whole together with the side plates
102
. This need to replace large components in their entirety only for the purpose of replacin
Kashiwaba Tadao
Sasaki Tadashi
Crenshaw Marvin P.
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
Kabushiki Kaisha Sato
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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