Typewriting machines – Carriage or carriage-moving or movement-regulating mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-26
2003-12-30
Yan, Ren (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Carriage or carriage-moving or movement-regulating mechanism
C400S355000, C400S076000, C347S037000, C101S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669383
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the field of printing. The invention relates to an apparatus for printing, in particular, a franking and/or addressing machine. The printing apparatus has a printing head constructed for achieving the relative movement between the printing head and the medium to be printed to be capable, during printing, of being moved between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position in a given direction with respect to a base element. The printing head is at the same time guided by a first guide device. An offsetting device allowing the printing of printing images offset to one another transverse to the given direction and overlapping one another at most in an edge region is also provided. The offsetting device is constructed for offsetting the printing head relative to the base element from a first transverse position into at least one second transverse position spaced from the first transverse position transverse to the given direction. The present invention relates, furthermore, to a method for printing.
Within the meaning of the invention, the term “printing head” designates all types of printing devices that can generate a printing image on a medium. In other words, the term, on one hand, includes printing devices employing any desired printing techniques. Nor is the term restricted to the component that directly generates the printing image, but may additionally embrace further components required for generating the printing image. Such components may include, for example, ink reservoirs, etc.
A generic printing apparatus and a generic method for printing are disclose, for example, from European Patent Application EP 0 933 210 A2. In the apparatus described there, the printing head is disposed displaceably in a mounting guided by a guide rod. In order to print, the mounting, and, therefore, the printing head, is moved in a first direction, to be precise parallel to the guide rod.
When a first printing image has been generated, the printing head is offset relative to the mounting perpendicularly to the first direction in order to generate, in a further step, a second printing image with the printing head being moved in a direction opposite the first direction. The offset of the second printing image to the first printing image is of a size such that the two printing images overlap at most in an edge region in which they are contiguous to one another transverse to the first direction. It is thereby possible, by using such a printing head, to generate an entire printing image, of which the dimension transverse to the first direction, that is to say transverse to the printing direction, corresponds approximate to double the printing width of the printing head.
In the prior art apparatus, the offsetting device is disposed on the mounting and is constructed as a linear drive that acts on the printing head.
The configuration, on one hand, has a disadvantage that, during printing, a relatively high mass has to be moved using the additional linear drive on the mounting. Such movement has an adverse effect on the vibrational behavior of the drive and, therefore, on the printing image and/or on the outlay necessary for compensating the disadvantage. Additionally, limits are placed on the accelerations that can be achieved. Thus, there is a corresponding limitation on the printing speed.
Another disadvantage lies in the complicated configuration of the mounting. The mounting, while having as low a mass as possible, and, therefore, as small a construction volume as possible, must make a transverse guide available for the printing head. When exchangeable printing heads, such as, for example, ink-jet cartridges, are used, in order to avoid an excessively complicated exchange of the printing head or to make it possible to use a standard printing head, the heads must sometimes be produced in two parts with a separate receptacle, driven by the linear drive, for the printing head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method with a movable printing-head guide that overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that make it possible to carry out rapid and high-quality printing with a low outlay.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a an apparatus for printing, particularly, a franking machine, including a base element, a guide device moveably connected to the base element, a printing head, the guide device moving the printing head, during printing, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position in a given direction with respect to the base element to effect a relative movement between the printing head and a medium to be printed, and an offsetting device for printing images offset to one another transverse to the given direction and overlapping one another at most in an edge region of the images, the offsetting device connected to the printing head and offsetting the printing head relative to the base element from a first transverse position into at least one second transverse position spaced from the first transverse position in a direction transverse to the given direction, and the offsetting device connected to the guide device for offsetting the guide device.
The invention is based on the technical teaching that a high-quality print is achieved at relatively low outlay when using a generic apparatus when the offsetting device is constructed for offsetting the first guide device.
By virtue of the refinement according to the invention, during printing, only the printing head is to be moved, in particular, to be accelerated. Because the mass to be moved is, in such a case, lower than the prior art apparatus, the tendency of the system, including the printing head and its drive, to vibrate is reduced. Thus, higher accelerations can be achieved, which leads to a quicker printing operation. Additionally, the configuration reduces the outlay for any damping measures.
Moreover, only a simple standard mounting has to be provided for the printing head, insofar as it is made exchangeable, because the latter does not have to be moved relative to the mounting. Such a configuration further reduces the mass to be moved and the outlay involved in producing the apparatus.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the offsetting device is constructed such that the offset for the first guide device takes place essentially in one plane. Such a configuration is advantageous in view of the printing operation because there is no resulting change, during the offsetting of the printing head, in spacing from the medium to be printed, which, where appropriate, would have to be compensated. Moreover, the necessary construction space for the apparatus then remains small because space does not have to be kept free for a projecting offsetting movement transverse to the actual offset direction.
The movement of the guide device during offsetting may take any desired form, and, in particular, it may follow any desired path curve. Preferably, the offsetting device is constructed for the parallel offsetting of the first guide device, in other words, in substantially mutually parallel positions. In such a case, by virtue of the simple movement sequence, it is possible for the guide device, and, therefore, the printing head, to be positioned without difficulty.
The parallel guide can be implemented in various ways. Thus, for example, one or more corresponding guide rails or the like may be provided for the guide device, which impart a straightforward translational movement to the latter during offsetting.
A particularly simple and robust refinement that is less susceptible to faults is obtained when the offsetting device includes a planar four-membered articulated mechanism that ensures guidance during the offsetting of the guide device. Such an articulated mechanism manages with simple rotary or piv
Ansell Iain
Brace Steven Roland
Francotyp-Postalia AG & Co.
Greenberg Laurence A.
Locher Ralph E.
Stemer Werner H.
Williams Kevin D.
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