DE2704584A1 - Printing mechanism for hand labeller - has spring loaded adjusting shaft with ball engageable with print band roller - Google Patents

Abstract

The printing mechanism for use in a hand labelling unit is applicable to different wheel and band widths and has an adjusting shaft (4) located within a hollow shaft (3) which is fixed between the side walls of the unit. A groove at the end of the adjusting shaft holds a ball (10) or roller whose dia. is selected so that it engages simultaneously in both shaft (3, 4) and the print band wheel (18) when the adjusting shaft is rotated to its highest position. In its lowest position it engages with both shafts. A spring (7) is located within the hollow shaft between two pins (6, 8). By pulling on the adjusting shaft knob the spring is stressed and pulls the shaft while on releasing the knob the shaft automatically returns into the printing mechanism.

Description

Printing unit, in particular for hand labeling devices.

Printing unit, in particular for Iceland labeling devices. The invention relates to a printing unit, especially for hand-held labeling devices, rotatable on a hollow shaft mounted wheels that wear elastic rings on their circumference, on which approximately stretchless pressure bands are arranged in angular steps corresponding to the Print type division non-positively and / or positively with the rings and wheels on the Hollow shaft are rotatable and in their pressure position by the wrapping of a fixed square bar are held directly in the printing station, and with an adjustment shaft that engages the wheels inside the printing unit and in Rotation offset and can be pulled out of the printing unit in a manner known per se is.

Printing units of this type are used for printing in hand-held labeling devices and issuing of labels for the purpose of displaying prices in department stores and used for product labeling.

These printing units are either with adjustable print wheels or Equipped with printing tapes, the different types of which are rotated to a printing station and can be printed there.

Adjustment wheels are known to be used to adjust the pressure wheels or bands are used, which either have a number of hollow shafts each to a pressure wheel or -band are assigned, or the parallel as additionally arranged individual wheels To set the pressure wheel, turn it by intervening from the outside.

There are also printing units with a sliding dial, what can be brought into engagement with the print wheels from the outside.

Printing units are also known, each of which has a toothed wheel with a larger diameter with each print wheel or print ribbon wheel on the same Axis is firmly connected to which the setting is made.

Finally there is the adjustment of the print wheels with a pen or stylus known.

All of these solutions are very costly to manufacture and very space-consuming in terms of their volume, which is especially true for light hand-held devices is disadvantageous.

From DT-OS 23 50 537 it is known, in addition to the setting wheels to put a locking device under protection, which has a longitudinally grooved axis, engage in the locking members of the print wheels, which are resiliently part of the print wheels are.

The number of grooves and locking members and their arrangement is so too choose that there is a number of locking positions corresponding to the printing type division results.

With the DT-OS 24 21 697 a device was known in which to comply a locking device described a desired angular position of each print wheel which consists of a ball and a spring in a cross hole of the axis for each print wheel consists.

The DT-OS 17 86 587 shows a device for locking the print wheels by means of balls and springs.

Furthermore, the DT-OS 15 61 363 is known in which the print wheels store on a sleeve, through whose longitudinal slot a driving pin is constantly in the Print wheels engages and axially by means of a key shaft transversely grooved for locking purposes is movable.

A disadvantage of some of the aforementioned designs is that for Printing units with different widths of printing wheels or

-bands with different transversely grooved corrugations adapted to the type width are necessary.

So you will find special features in some known devices at the same time Devices for locking the print wheels or bands, for locking the key shaft and to adjust the wheels.

Some of these devices use balls or spherical elements in the Cooperation with springs to achieve a locking effect.

To a pin-like driver by means of a key shaft with a Since then, just as many recesses have had to be able to bring another pressure wheel into engagement be present inside a print wheel like types on the print wheel.

Only then could the pen work with all of them from every setting Character wheels are brought into engagement by axially moving the key shaft or be pushed back.

Another disadvantage of the known devices is that the Adjustment elements either protrude far from the printing unit, or that they after must be pushed back in after the adjustment process in the case of key shafts.

It is not uncommon for the printer and / or device to be damaged because the Adjustment elements were too far out or they were forgotten to be pushed in.

A spring-loaded driver element on a key shaft, as well has already been proposed, although it slides with a corresponding bevel at axial Movement of the key shaft under the wheels, but has the disadvantage that it falls out of the driving position when the key shaft is turned by a force component is pushed out against the spring.

In any case, a spring-loaded entrainment element is more expensive and more space consuming.

The object of the present invention is to provide an externally adjustable To create printing unit with an internally attacking entrainment element that is not the Has disadvantages of the known printing units, easy to assemble and easy in of the design, can be used for different wheel or belt widths, a The previously known systems are cheaper and an automatic return the adjustment shaft contains.

This object is achieved according to the invention with that mentioned at the beginning Printing unit solved in that at the end of the adjustment shaft transversely to its longitudinal axis a groove is provided in which a ball or a roller is mounted, the diameter of which is chosen so that when the adjustment shaft is rotated it is in its highest position at the same time engages positively in the setting shaft, in the hollow shaft and in the wheel, and that they are in their lowest position at the same time form-fitting in the setting shaft and engages in the hollow shaft, and that in the course of the longitudinal axis of the adjustment shaft a spring is provided in a bore, which by its action the adjustment shaft automatically moved into the printing unit, with the sphere in function community or roller is pressed into its lowest position and under the wheels to be adjusted slides through.

In this hitherto unknown solution, only one Ball or roller all pressure wheels or pressure belts via a smooth adjustment shaft positioned.

An advantage of this invention is that the adjustment shaft does not Contains grooves and is therefore cheaper to manufacture, slides better and one has a larger bearing surface, which turns out to be in the fully extended position proves useful, and only requires a cutout at one end, in which the ball or roller lies.

Another advantage arises from the fact that for the common type widths the same adjustment shaft can be used, what the production, assembly and storage much simplified.

For example, a 5-digit and a 6-digit printer can be printed with the the same setting shaft.

By using a commercially available ball to save space without a spring there is the possibility of creating another advantage such as that inside the adjusting shaft there is still space for a tension spring with an axial force effect is available.

This spring ensures the automatic return of the adjustment shaft.

Another advantage is that the ball or roller backs away when the adjustment shaft is pulled or pushed, if none at the moment There is a gap in the next wheel.

The setting is therefore independent of the number of print types or divisions.

This also makes it possible in the first place to push the adjustment shaft through To automatically pull the spring balancer back into the printing unit.

The ball only lifts out again when the adjustment shaft is turned will.

Another advantage of the gridless adjustment shaft compared to known devices is that the pointer attached to it is also used can find if different width wheels or belts or a different Number of the same are provided for a printing unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention there is a ball in an arc-shaped cutout at the end of the adjustment shaft.

In another embodiment of the printing unit according to the invention two balls are provided that are opposite each other.

In a further embodiment of the invention, instead of the ball a roller body is provided, the axis of which runs parallel to the axis of the adjustment shaft and which is rounded at both ends.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is based on the following the drawing described in more detail.

Fig. I: shows a cross section through a ribbon printing unit according to the invention with a ball in its lowest position in an arc-shaped groove.

FIG. II: shows a longitudinal section through the ribbon printing unit according to FIG Fig. I with wheels in different positions, which are lined up on a hollow shaft and with the ball in its lowest position with an indication of its highest position.

A hollow shaft is located between the stationary side walls (1) and (2) (3) stored, in which a smooth adjusting shaft (4) is slidably received.

The adjusting shaft (4) has an adjusting knob at one end (5), which is firmly attached to it.

Inside the adjustment shaft (4) there is a tension spring on a pin (6) (7), which on the other hand is connected to a second pin (8), the is received in two notches (9) of the hollow shaft (3).

When you pull the knob on the adjustment shaft, the spring is tensioned and The adjustment shaft automatically pulls back into the printing mechanism when it is released.

The ball (10) slides through a longitudinal slot (11) in the hollow shaft (3).

At its other end, the adjustment shaft (4) has a circular arc Groove (12), Fig. I, in which the ball (10) rests.

In Fig. II the groove (12) is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the adjusting shaft (4) preferably a base radius adapted to the ball (10).

The stationary side walls (1) and (2) are supported by a bracket (13) bridged by a viewing window (14) and an opening for the passage of the pointer (15) contains.

The pointer (15) has a small viewing window (16) at its end, which lies in the same plane as the ball (10) in the adjustment shaft (4).

The pointer also contains a large viewing window (17) through which you can see the other digits.

The opening in the bracket (13) for the passage of the pointer (15) and the pointer themselves also serve to stiffen and stabilize the adjustment system.

The wheels (18), two of which are shown rotated, wear their circumference elastic rings (19), on which the pressure bands (20) then lie.

These printing tapes wrap around a stationary one at the printing station (21) Square bar (22).

A clamping device, not shown, provides the necessary Pretensioning of the pressure belts.

If the adjusting shaft (4) is now pulled out on the adjusting knob (5) is, the ball (10) slides under the wheels (18) through to below the set Pressure tape (20).

In the first part of the turning movement on the adjusting knob, the ball moves (10) necessarily at the bottom of the groove (12) to the outside or

at the top, because their upper section is bounded by the side of the longitudinal slot (11) is guided in the hollow shaft (3) and cannot escape.

The hollow shaft (3) and the ball rotate almost at the same time (10) is pressed into the next wheel recess (23).

The second part of the rotary movement is then carried out on the adjusting knob the entire entrainment of the pressure belt (20).

When the adjusting button (5) is released it then happens automatically the third part of the rotary movement in the form of a slight reverse rotation triggered by the relaxation of the tension spring (7), which at the same time restores the adjustment shaft (4) pulls into the printing unit and inevitably the ball (10) under the wheels (18) through it back to its lowest position as the starting position.

It goes without saying that the printing unit according to the invention is not based on the illustrated embodiment is limited, but rather also deviations therefrom are possible without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the invention does not apply to printing units with printing ribbons limited but can also be used in type wheel printing units.

Any other combinations are also possible under other conditions with regard to driving elements, the formation of the groove and the number and formation of the wheel recesses possible.

Furthermore, the invention is not applicable to use in hand-held labeling devices limited.

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Claims (13)

Claims 1. Printing unit, in particular for hand-held labeling devices, with wheels rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft, which are elastic on their circumference Wear rings on which almost stretchless pressure bands are arranged, the in angular steps according to the printing type division non-positively and / or positively are rotatable with the rings and wheels on the hollow shaft and in their pressure position by wrapping a fixed square bar directly in the printing station are held, and with an adjustment shaft, which inside the printing unit the Wheels engages and rotates and in a known manner from the printing unit can be pulled out, which means that at the end of the adjusting shaft (4) a groove (12) is provided transversely to its longitudinal axis, in which a ball (10) or Roller is mounted, the diameter of which is chosen so that it is when the adjustment shaft rotates (4) in its highest position at the same time positively in the setting shaft (4), engages in the hollow shaft (3) and in the wheel (18), and that it is at its deepest Position at the same time positively in the setting shaft (4) and in the hollow shaft (3) engages, and that in the course of the longitudinal axis of the adjusting shaft (4) in a bore a spring (7) is provided which, through its action, automatically drives the adjusting shaft (4) moved into the printing unit, the ball (10) or in functional community The roller is pressed into its lowest position and under the wheels to be adjusted (18) slides through. 2. Printing unit according to claim 1 d a d u r c h characterized in that the Center of the ball (10) or roller at its highest position within the area the wall of the hollow shaft (3) lies. 3. Printing unit according to claims 1 and 2 d a d u r c h characterized, that the ball (10) or roller in its lowest position is still above the outer circumference the setting shaft (4) protrudes. 4. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 3 d a d u r c h characterized, that on the circumference of the inner bore of the wheels (18) a concave ball (10) or roller adapted recess is provided. 5. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 3 d a d u r c h characterized, that on the circumference of the inner bore of the wheels (18) several concave of the ball (10) or Roller adapted recesses are provided. 6. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 3 d a d u r c h characterized, that on the circumference of the inner bore of the wheels (18) a maximum of as many concave balls (10) or Roller adapted recesses are provided that the The wheels still have sufficiently large contact surfaces on the hollow shaft (3). 7. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 6 d a d u r c h characterized, that the groove (12) traverses the setting shaft (4) with a concave groove base. 8. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 7 d a d u r c h characterized, that the groove (12) the setting shaft (4) with a circular arc-shaped groove base crossed. 9. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 6 d a d u r c h characterized, that the groove (12) traverses the setting shaft (4) with a straight groove base. 10. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 6 d a d u r c h characterized, that the groove (12) from two the adjusting shaft (4) at an acute angle to the center of the same there is groove base surfaces running towards one another. 11. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 10 d a d u r c h characterized, that the groove base in the longitudinal section of the setting shaft (4) is rectangular or round Has shape. 12. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 11 d a d u r c h characterized, that a pointer (15) is attached to the setting shaft (4), the two viewing windows (16, 17), the smaller viewing window (16) in the same plane with the Ball (10) or roller lies. 13. Printing unit according to claims 1 to 12 d a d u r c h characterized, that the pointer (15) is used to stiffen the system, especially when it is pulled out far Adjusting shaft (4).