DE2356861A1 - DATA RECORDING DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR LOCKING MECHANISM FOR HAND PRINTER - Google Patents

Description

Data recording device, in particular locking mechanisms for hand printers.

Data recording devices of known construction are generally suitable for recording forms or documents in to be printed legibly and accurately; however, it has pointed out that data recording devices or printing devices of various forms are required to the requirements of different applications meet. When trying to find a standardized data logger for various uses One of the main difficulties to create is that the thickness of the forms to be printed and / or the embossed print cards changes.

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Patent attorneys Dipl.-lng. Martin Licht, Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Axel Hansmahn, Dipl.-Phys. Sebastian Herrmann

When recording certain business transactions, there are several Copies required for inventory and other accounting purposes. These copies can be sizable Thickness, especially in view of carbon paper interleaves when combined with a table card and an opaque sheet or top cover is used. In other use cases are fewer copies required, so the thickness of the form set can change accordingly.

So it is necessary to use the pressure roller in such Use cases to set a predetermined print position at a distance from the print bed, in order to cope with different thicknesses of the forms and cards so that dense and high quality prints are achievable.

Various attempts have been made to obtain a device from the to be trained at the beginning so that regardless of the different thicknesses of the forms and cards clear and legible impressions can be made on the copies. Some of these known devices operate using a compensating abutment, which is spring-loaded is to move or move the abutment in the direction facing away from the pressure roller, if during a pressure sequence is exerted by the pressure roller, a corresponding pressure. Allow arrangements of this type however, only a very limited amount of compensation for different thicknesses.

Devices of other constructions work with a compensating pressure roller, whose axis of rotation can be changed in position is to order different thickness of the ones to be printed

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Forms to meet. With such constructions however, it is necessary to manually adjust the pressure roller to each individual thickness of the forms and cards.

Another pressure roller leveling device is described and illustrated in US Pat. No. 3,277,822.

Based on this, according to the invention, a data recording device was developed Created with a very straightforward locking mechanism to keep the distance between the printhead and to be able to control the so-called print bed, if the printhead is closed in a predetermined Printing position is opposite the base. The pressure roller can in this way according to the thickness of the to printed form brought into the exact printing position will.

The data recording device according to the invention has Means to sense the thickness of the form, as well as a latch or locking mechanism, by means of which a precisely determined closed printing position of the printhead can be determined; so the print roller becomes adjusted to the thickness sensed in each case.

The ratchet or locking mechanism is used to the printhead against the base according to the thickness of the form being scanned in any of a number of ways To fix print positions.

The data logger has a mechanism by means of which the distance of the print head accordingly different form thicknesses with regard to the print bed

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is adjustable; the mechanism of the invention can various printing devices and data recording devices are assigned.

According to a further feature according to the invention, a device has been created by means of which a pressure member and aligning the form to be printed on a self-aligning platen; the Pressure abutment is universally pivotable and can be set to one of an unlimited number of levels, which coincides with the pressure plane of the pressure roller, this according to the sensed thickness of the pressure element and the form to be printed.

According to the invention was a cheap to manufacture, however reliable and easy to use data logger by means of which clear and uniform prints are made on a variety of forms that have considerable differences in thickness, especially when using Form sets.

The invention is based on exemplary embodiments explained with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a data recorder. advises when the cover is removed for the purpose of a clearer representation, while reproducing the invention Locking mechanism when the printhead is in the closed position;

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Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2 * 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial view of Fig. 2, showing the position of the latch or latch mechanism when the printhead is in the unlocked position Position is and begins to move to the open position;

Figure k is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the position of the locking mechanism after the printhead has moved to the open position;

Fig. 5 is a partial view of a self-aligning Pressure abutment for receiving a pressure plate; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the shown in Fig. 5 ' given pressure abutment. .

According to Figures i and 2, the data recording apparatus of the invention comprises according to a base 10 and a print head The print head 12 is pivotable reasonable to the base 10 assigns * and is movable between an open, in Fig. K represents ^ detected position, and in Fig. 2 shown, closed position can be moved. In the closed position, the print head can be locked with the help of a locking device. Latch mechanism Ik locked to the base. When the printhead is in the closed position, a pressure roller drive 16 can be moved from a starting position above the base 10 from right to left (FIGS. 1 and 2) into an operative position in order to make or carry out printing. When the pressure is applied, it loosens

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the printhead 12 from its locked position and is moved to the open position; in this situation the pressure roller drive 16 is returned to the starting position.

The base IO comprises a bed 18 with a pressure abutment 20 located thereon, on which an embossed pressure plate can be placed. As an embodiment of a printing plate the well-known credit card is mentioned. As a result, the plate is shown below for the purpose of explanation of the exemplary embodiment is referred to as credit card 24. The pressure abutment 20 can consist of a resilient material, such as rubber, to a certain extent Allow compensation or some compensation for credit cards of different thicknesses.

The printhead 12 includes a pair of side plates 30 and 32 which are spaced apart by rods 34 are connected; the print head is pivotably supported on a shaft 36 which is supported in a pair of bearing bodies 38 and 40 is held on bed 18. Each of the side panels and 32 has an elongated slot 42 and 44 for guiding the platen drive 16 during printing. In the same way, each side plate has a sentient one Cushions 31 (only one is shown in FIG. 2), which is used to hold the form on the bed 18 to touch and sense its thickness when the printhead 12 is moved to the closed position. That Pressure roller drive 16 is in the particular from Fig 1 and 2, as shown in FIG. 2, is formed with a guide element 46 which is seen between the side plates 30 and 32 and retained in longitudinal slots 42 and 44 of the side panels. Each end of the guide member

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46 is equipped with a protruding runner 48 or 50; the runners are each located on the outer surface of the two side plates 30 and 32 and serve to hold a pressure roller 52 on a shaft 54. The protruding runners 48 and 50 are notched and fitted into the slots 42 and 44 to form bearing flanges which overlap the slots and are in sliding contact with the side plates. The flanges provide extended bearing surfaces in order to be able to precisely control and guide the movement of the pressure roller drive 16 in the slots 42 and 44 and to prevent bending or tilting of the pressure roller 52 when it moves during printing. The printing roller drive 16 is furthermore provided with a handle 56 by means of which the printing roller drive can be manually displaced from the starting position into the operative position in order to carry out a printing process.

The latch or locking mechanism 14 is with a A pair of latch arms 60 and 62 are provided, each with one corresponding side plate 30 and 32 cooperate. There the structure and operation of the pawl arms 60 and 62 are identical, only one of the pawl arms will be explained in more detail below. .

2-4, the latch arm 60 is pivotable on a shaft attached to the base 10 64 and extends upwardly through an opening 58 in bed 18. A torsion spring 66 tensions the Ratchet arm 60 clockwise (as shown in the drawings) into an operative position, as shown in FIG. 2.

The clip arm 60 is with a cam or control surface

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lh trained. During the movement of the print head 12 into the open position, a lug 76 of the side plate 30 slides along the cam or control surface 7k and pivots the arm 60 into a rest position shown in FIG. K against the bias of the spring 66.

The pawl arm 60 also has a smooth curved surface 70, while the side plate 30 in the region of the nose 76 with a latching or Locking surface 72 is formed. If the Print head 12 is moved in the direction of the closed position, then the arm 60 is pivoted into the operative position until the curved surface 70 in mutual engagement with the locking surface 72 comes to rest at a point which is within a region of the curved surface 70 is located corresponding to the sensed thickness of the form.

The mutual engagement of the curved or arcuate Surface 70 and the locking surface 72 leads to a locking of the pressure cap 12 in an exactly predetermined Print position; the printhead is held in this position against the reaction or opposing forces that are triggered during the printing process of the pressure roller 52. Since the curved or arcuate surface 70 widens Area of engagement with the locking surface 72 guaranteed, the printhead 12 can operate in any one of an unlimited number of selected positions locked in closed positions.

The angular relationship of the locking surface 72 with respect to the curved or arcuate surface 70 is chosen so

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that with mutual engagement a force in the attemptj moving the printhead 12 to the open position does not is able to generate a force component in the locking arm 6o, which is sufficient to move the arm 60 into its To move the rest position or unlocking position.

According to FIG. 1, an actuating device comprises a pair of actuators 80 and 82, which control the locking · * · arms 60 and 62 are assigned; as a result of their like Structure only one of the actuators is explained below.

The actuator 80 (Figs. 1 and 2) is at one end equipped with a flange 84 extending through the elongated slot 42 of the side plate 30 extends and is guided in this. The flange 84 extends somewhat over the inner surface of the side plate 30. The other end of the actuator 'SO is pivotable on a Rod 86 guided, which is held in the locking or latch arms 6o and 62. As detailed below illustrated, the actuator 80 unlocks the latch or ratchet mechanism 14 by engaging the ratchet arm 60 in FIG the ineffective position is moved. The print head 12 can thus move according to a completed printing sequence move to the open position.

According to Fig. 2, the data recorder is also provided with a spring 88 which on the rod 34 and on the shaft 64 is connected to normally clamp the printhead 12 in its open position. Additionally i & t a return spring 90 to the rod 34 and to the handle 56 of the platen drive connected to the print roller drive 16 in the

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return position when the print head is 12 moved to the open position.

Mode of action

When the printhead 12 is in the position shown in FIG is in the open position, a credit card is 24 placed on the platen 20, after which a form to be printed (not shown) on the credit card is placed on the bed 18.

When the print head 12 moves toward the closed position against the bias of spring 88, the nose slides 76 of the side plate 30 along the cam face lh of the lock arm 6o upwards so that the locking or ratchet arm 60 as shown in FIG. 2 k can rotate clockwise under the action of the torsion spring 66 into the operative position. When the sensing cushions 31 of the side plates 30 and 32 strike or lie against the form placed on the bed 18, the lowering movement of the print head 12 is stopped. The pressure roller 52 is in a predetermined printing position. The curved surface 70 of the pawl arm 60 has moved into blocking engagement under the locking surface of the side plate 30, thus locking the printhead 12 in the closed position. The form to be printed is held against movement on the bed 18 with the aid of a spring finger 92; the finger 92 is attached to the rod 3 ^ for this purpose according to FIG.

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The printing roller drive 16 is then moved during a printing run in order to print the form. When the pressure roller drive 16 reaches the operative position according to FIG Locking surface 72 releases. The spring 88 then pushes the printhead 12 towards the open position as the nose or shoulder J6 of the side plate 30 slides down along the cam surface 74 of the pawl arm 6o. When the printhead 12 is in the open position as shown in FIG. 4, the lug 76 holds the latch arm 60 against the tension of the torsion spring 66 in its inoperative position. . -. ■

When the latch mechanism 14 is in the unlocked position and the printhead 12 is in the open position shown in FIG. 4, the platen drive 16 returned to the starting position with the aid of the spring 90.

Self-aligning abutment.

Although the resilient abutment 20 has some compensation allows different thicknesses of credit cards, the preferred abutment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is advantageously usable, a wider range of the thickness of the print forms and the print cards in To bring application. ,

Since the print head 12 pivots at one end of the base 10

- 12 -.

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cash, the thickness of the credit card 24 and the thickness of one allow on a rigid and / or compliant Abutment not placed on the form that the print head 12 is locked in the closed position, that the plane of the abutment coincides with a plane created by the movement of the pressure roller 52 during a printing cycle or a printing sequence in a web is formed. As a result, the abutment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 is arranged so that it can be pivoted universally is to align the abutment in an infinite number of planes, which with the plane of the Pressure roller coincide according to the thickness of the form and the credit card.

The base 10 is developed in that that part of the bed 18 which is below the abutment 2O (FIG. 2) is replaced by a duct 98 which comprises a pair of side walls 100 and 102. aside from that is the abutment 20 offset to the left (seen in Fig. 1 from the right), so that the abutment 20 between the side plates 30 and 32 is centered. According to 5 and 6 is a pivot body 104 within the Shaft 98 arranged and rotatable on a rod 106, which is fixed in the side walls 100 and 102. The pivot body 104 is provided with a first set of opposing, upstanding lugs 108 and 110 formed which hold the pivot body on the rod 106; a second set of upstanding and opposing lugs 112 and 114 of the pivot body are rectangular to the approaches 108 and 110 arranged.

An abutment 116 is pivotable on the with the aid of a bracket 118 fastened to the underside of the abutment

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Pivot body 104 arranged; the one at the bottom of the Bracket 118 attached to the abutment is carried by a rod held in lugs 112 and 114.

From the above description it can be seen that the abutment 116 is on the Y-Y axis penetrating the rod 120 and is pivotable on an X-X axis, which is determined by the pivot body held on the rod 106 is formed.

The lower edge of one of the side panels 30 and 32 is with a pair of projections 122 and 124 which are arranged so that they touch the edges of the abutment Il6 on the Y-Y axis when the printhead 12 closed is. The lower edge of the other side plate is provided with a single protrusion 126, which is arranged to contact an edge of the abutment 116 on the X-X axis. These Projections replace the feeler pads 31 of the type described above. The projections not only feel the Thickness of the form and card, but also cooperate with the abutment 116 to align it. ",". * ■

The arrangement described creates an abutment, which can be aligned in an infinite number of levels. When the printhead 12 is in closed Position is pivoted, the projections 122, 124 and, 126 touch the abutment Il6 (through the to be printed, form above the abutment) in order to use the Feel and thickness of the credit card and the form to align the abutment in a plane that corresponds to the plane of the pressure roller 52 corresponds. Then will the locking or latch mechanism 14 is effective,

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around the print head 12 and the platen 52 to predetermined Maintain the printing position by the thickness of the sensed by the projections 122, 124 and 126 Form is intended. The platen drive 16 is moved during a print run to suit the form to be printed. Subsequently, the printhead 12 moves to the open position while the platen drive l6 is returned to the starting position and is ready for a subsequent print run.

According to the invention, an inexpensive, compactly constructed data recording device has been created, by means of which high-quality impressions can be produced, in particular on sets of forms with carbon paper interlayers using a dry platen, or on one-piece forms using one with color impregnated pressure roller. Furthermore, forms and / or credit cards of different thicknesses can be used alternately while maintaining exact parallelism between the printhead and the abutment without adjustments and / or critical tolerances in the production of the individual Machine parts would have to be accepted «The locking or ratchet mechanism is beneficial and allows the printhead to be in to lock any selected print position. The locking mechanism holds the printhead during a print run in its selected position.

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Claims (2)

PATENT CLAIMS: ί 1.J Data recording device for printing on forms xtnxifferent thickness using pressure elements, with a base, one arranged on the base Print bed, which has a printing element and a printing element Form holds, with a print head, which is at the base between the open position at a distance from the print bed and the closed printing position is pivotable, with a print roller held on the print head, which is at closed position of the print head across the print bed from an initial position to an operative position is movable in order to carry out a printing process, with a stop device carried by the print head at a distance from the print roller, which when the The print head in the direction of the closed position hits the print bed in the area of the placed form so. that the form comes to lie between the stop device and the print bed, whereby the stop device the closure of the printhead is completed in a position in which the platen roller in one through the FomnJaricke specific printing position is aligned at a distance from the print bed, characterized in that a locking arm (60; 62) is pivotably articulated on the print base (io) that the print head (12) on the relative to the Print head bearing opposite to the print roller movement on the side a locking surface (72) which faces the print bed (.18) and can be pivoted in the direction away from the print bed, when the printhead moves to the closed position, while the locking surface when the printhead opens 409823/0301 head is movable in the direction of the print bed that the The locking arm (60; 62) can be pivoted into the space between the locking surface (72) and the printing bed (10), where'bei the locking arm has several radial segments, measured from the pivot point of the print head, and is provided with a generally arcuate top surface (70) on which each Section differs in length from the other sections, so that each section as blocking wedge section is effective and under the locking surfaces (72) according to an existing one The swivel position of the print head fits so that the print head (12) can be swiveled in the direction of the print bed is until the. Stop device (3l) the print head in a variety of possible positions stops, which is determined by the thickness of a form on the print bed, while the locking arm is pivotable under the locking surfaces (72) until a section to be fitted into the space engages between the locking surface and the print bed, and that the stop device is another Prevents closing movement and the locking arm prevents opening movement until it is released from its locking position. 2. Data recording device according to claim 1, characterized by an actuating device (80) which is assigned to the print head (12) and the locking arm (60; 62) is to the locking arm in accordance with a pressure sequence in an outside of the wedge position to move offset position. 409823/0301 L e r s e i t e