Typewriting machines – Pocket typewriter
Patent
1998-05-01
1999-11-23
Burr, Edgar
Typewriting machines
Pocket typewriter
347109, 346143, 358473, B41J 339
Patent
active
059889004
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for printing and recording indicia and information on a medium such as paper, for example. More particularly, the invention relates to fully self contained and hand-held printing apparatus that is operated, for example, using a sweeping motion of the apparatus across a selectable area of the medium.
Hand-held printers known heretofore that are operated with a sweeping motion across the medium, have used external input functions, such as from a remote computer, for example, have been limited in the quantity, single line output, type and variety of information that can be printed, and can exhibit considerable image distortion. This distortion arises from movement of the print head along a non-linear path. Additionally, in a hand controlled sweeping device, it is possible to rotate the print head such as by a pivoting action brought about by the natural tendency of an operator to allow the apparatus to tilt or rotate during a sweeping action. This pivoting action changes the orientation of the print head with respect to the medium and thus can further result in distortion of the printed image. In some cases, mechanical devices have been incorporated into the printer to restrict or constrain movement to a linear path and to reduce the occurrence of a pivoting or rotational motion imparted to the apparatus. Such devices are less than desirable as the mechanical constraints reduce the flexibility of the apparatus, increase the apparatus size and weight, and do not achieve a convenient replacement for a conventional mechanical stamping device.
The objectives exist, therefore, for providing a more convenient apparatus and methods for a hand-held and operated fully self contained printer that is responsive to a simple and unconstrained sweeping motion and that exhibits reduced distortion in the printed indicia caused by such sweeping motion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To the accomplishment of the foregoing objectives, the present invention contemplates, in one embodiment, a hand-held and self contained electronic printing apparatus for printing indicia on a medium disposed outside the apparatus comprising a housing that can be manually positioned adjacent a surface of the medium and manually swept across a printing area on the medium during a printing sequence; a printer disposed in the housing and having a print head with a plurality of print elements for printing indicia in a selectable pattern of dots on the medium within the printing area; and electronic control means disposed in the housing for controlling the printer to print indicia on the medium during a printing sequence, the control means comprising compensation means for reducing image distortion based on detecting position of the print elements during a printing sequence.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention in view of the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic perspective of a self contained and hand operated printing apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an electrical schematic diagram of a control circuit suitable for use with the printer apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic in elevation of a printing apparatus according to the invention using a full width ink jet print head embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate pivoting motion of the apparatus of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of geometric relationships for the print nozzles under pivoting motion as in FIGS. 5A and 5B;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart for a control sequence of a printing operation in accordance with the invention as embodied in FIGS. 3-5;
FIG. 8 is an elevation of another embodiment of the invention;
FIGS. 9 and 10
REFERENCES:
patent: 3656169 (1972-04-01), Kashio
patent: 3767020 (1973-10-01), Rowe
patent: 4168533 (1979-09-01), Schwartz
patent: 4211012 (1980-07-01), Alles et al.
patent: 4377741 (1983-03-01), Brekka et al.
patent: 4436439 (1984-03-01), Koto
patent: 4450454 (1984-05-01), Koto
patent: 4611246 (1986-09-01), Nihei
patent: 4663639 (1987-05-01), Owen et al.
patent: 4673303 (1987-06-01), Sansone et al.
patent: 4740799 (1988-04-01), Mason et al.
patent: 4748460 (1988-05-01), Piatt et al.
patent: 4750049 (1988-06-01), Murakam et al.
patent: 4758849 (1988-07-01), Piatt et al.
patent: 4819083 (1989-04-01), Kawai et al.
patent: 4899228 (1990-02-01), Sano et al.
patent: 4901164 (1990-02-01), Kurosawa
patent: 4915027 (1990-04-01), Ishibashi et al.
patent: 4928183 (1990-05-01), Yajima
patent: 4947262 (1990-08-01), Yajima et al.
patent: 4949283 (1990-08-01), Yamauchi et al.
patent: 5012349 (1991-04-01), de Fay
patent: 5013895 (1991-05-01), Iggulden et al.
patent: 5063451 (1991-11-01), Yanagisawa et al.
patent: 5083814 (1992-01-01), Guinta et al.
patent: 5093675 (1992-03-01), Koumura et al.
patent: 5099256 (1992-03-01), Anderson
patent: 5240334 (1993-08-01), Epstein et al.
patent: 5311208 (1994-05-01), Burger et al.
patent: 5325118 (1994-06-01), Zybin et al.
patent: 5343227 (1994-08-01), Hirosawa et al.
patent: 5593236 (1997-01-01), Bobry
patent: 5853251 (1998-12-01), Imai
patent: 5887992 (1999-03-01), Yamanashi
Burr Edgar
Chau Minh
LandOfFree
Hand-held sweep electronic printer with compensation for non-lin does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Hand-held sweep electronic printer with compensation for non-lin, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hand-held sweep electronic printer with compensation for non-lin will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1214404