Typewriting machines – Means auxiliary to typewriting function – Frame – casing – or support for typewriter
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-04
2001-08-07
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Means auxiliary to typewriting function
Frame, casing, or support for typewriter
C400S692000, C400S088000, C400S120010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270271
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printer for printing an image such as characters or graphic data on printing paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computers are becoming increasingly smaller, and portable mobile computers such as a PDA (Personal Data Acquisition/Personal Digital Assistance) have been put into practical use. A variety of types of such portable mobile computers are commercially available.
A printer is one of the main peripheral units of the personal computer. However, a printer, which is desirable as an accessory of the PDA, has not been provided. A small printer using roll paper is commercially available for apparatuses such as an electronic calculator. However, a printing area or print out size of such a printer is so small. Therefore, if such a printer is used for the PDA, the screen of the PDA is so large compared to the printing area that printed screen on the printing paper becomes too small to read. On the other hand, a printer using, for example, A4-size printing paper is too much larger than the PDA, and therefore, is not suitable for portable use.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a printer having substantially the same size as that of the PDA, achieving a large printing area, and being suitable for portable use. It is another object of the present invention to provide a printer which can be carried by an individual user together with a mobile computer and can be used as personal notes like a scratch pad.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a paper accommodating portion is provided on the back of a portable information processing portion (a information processor) such as a PDA, a printing mechanism portion is provided so as to be adjacent to a side of the information processing portion, in addition, the paper accomodating portion is capable of accommodating printing sheets of standardized size, such as size A6, B7 and others, which is substantially the same size as that of the PDA. Thus, a small, thin printer having substantially the same size as that of the portable information processor like PDA itself, capable of printing on the sheet which is larger than the display screen of the information processing portion, and capable of being integrally attached to the information processor can be provided. The printer according to the present invention comprises the portable information processing portion located on the face of the printer, the paper accommodating portion capable of accommodating a plurality of printing sheets of standardized size, and a printing mechanism portion located adjacent to the side of the information processing portion.
The printer of the present invention uses printing sheets of standardized size, that are cutforms having a prescribed size, instead of the roll paper. Accordingly, a plurality of sheets having a large printing area can be accommodated in the thin paper accommodating portion. Moreover, the paper accommodating portion is integrally located on the back of the portable information processing portion, whereby the printer capable of printing on the large printing paper can be provided without significant change in the size of the portable information processor. The printer of this invention can be provided either as an integral apparatus in which the information processing portion cannot be separated from the printer or as a docking station in which the information processing portion can be attached to and detached from the printer.
The printer of the present invention employs a thermal head for printing on thermosensible sheets, eliminating the need for ink, toner and the like. Therefore, a smaller printing mechanism portion can be obtained. Moreover, the printer of the present invention employs the combination of a pick-up roller, a platen roller having a printing-paper feeding function and a thermal head, whereby a further compact printing mechanism portion can be achieved. In addition, a motor for feeding and other function can be installed in the platen roller to compact the printing mechanism portion.
Many of the conventional small printers use the roll type thermosensible paper. However, the printer of the present invention employs printing sheets (thermosensible sheets) of standardized cutform. Therefore, paper is accommodated in a thin area and fed on a sheet-by-sheet basis. Using the printing sheets also eliminate disadvantages such as clogging and/or jamming with the printing paper which is caused by accumulation of tolerances of the paper feeding path. Hence, the paper feeding mechanism need not be so accurate as compared to the case of the printer using the roll paper. As a result, an inexpensive smaller printer that is less likely to be clogged with the printing paper can be realized.
In the paper accommodating portion located reverse of the printer, a cover, which can open and close, and be served as a part of a bottom housing, can be provided for realizing a cartridge-type paper accommodating portion. By this arrangement, the printing sheets can be sealed within the paper accommodating portion. Therefore, the printing paper can be free from being scattered damaged and/or soiled when the printer is carried by the user. The cover also, protects the thermosensible sheets from the heat of the sunlight, illumination or the like, whereby the thermosensible sheets can be desirably stored. Furthermore, a paper pressing member having a leaf-spring shape is provided on the inner surface of the cover. When the cover is closed, the printing sheets can be pressed against the pick-up roller by the paper-pressing member, whereby the printing sheets can be smoothly fed into the printing mechanism portion on a sheet-by-sheet basis.
The above-mentioned and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.
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Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
F&F Limited
Grohusky Leslie J.
Hilten John S.
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