EP0671328B1 - Printing unit for a hand held labeller or the like - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a printing unit, preferably for a hand-held labeling device, the housing of which accommodates a belt or wheel printing unit and an axially displaceable setting axis for the individual belts or wheels, the housing being divided in two in a plane parallel to the belt or wheel plane.

Such a printing unit is known from DE-A-37 38 186.

Labeling devices are used today in most retail stores, but especially in large numbers in so-called supermarkets. They are used to mark the goods, with labels affixed to the individual goods or packaging, on which at least the sales price is printed. Because the price differs from product to product, the printing unit must, of course, be adjustable if it is to be used reasonably universally. One possibility is that it is equipped with an axially displaceable adjustment axis, which can be pulled out in stages, in order to be able to act on the individual belt or wheel printing units in succession in the sense of an adjustment process.

However, there are also applications in which objects or goods have to be provided with consecutive numbers. As a result, such a printing unit must be able to not always print the same symbol group if necessary, but instead or alternatively also symbols or symbol groups with, for example, increasing numbers. This individual adjustability of the known printing units is thereby possible that they are equipped with an indexing mechanism.

In the case of a labeling device, in particular a hand labeling device that is frequently used, there are a large number of labels on a supply roll, which are printed in succession with the aid of this printing device. A suitable donor will hand over the printed labels to the goods or their packaging. The labels are transported through this labeling device via an appropriate step-by-step switching mechanism and the printing unit is moved against the label at the respectively provided time in order to print on it. There are various printing processes here. In essence, this process can be compared to stamping a letter holder. For reasons of weight alone, technology generally tries to make devices or assemblies of them as small and, as a rule, as light as possible. So that a hand-held labeling device is still easy to handle, attention must naturally also be paid to small size and light weight there. In the case of a band or wheel printing unit, for example, the size of the font or the number of symbols per wheel or band means that their size cannot be freely selected. As a rule, a reduction and a lower weight is the desired goal.

In a known wheel printing unit of the type described at the outset, the housing consists of a base part which virtually accommodates the entire mechanism and a cover which closes the whole and is flat on the whole. Both housing parts must be releasably connected to each other for assembly, but possibly also for repair purposes. In the known printing unit, this is done with the aid of screws, the geometric axes of which extend parallel to the wheel printing unit axes. Each screw requires a threaded hole and this leads to a not inconsiderable enlargement of the housing in the known device based on the size you need to accommodate the wheels themselves.

It is consequently the task of developing a printing unit of the type described in the introduction in such a way that the size of its housing can be reduced or optimized compared to known designs.

To achieve this object, it is proposed according to the invention that the two housing parts are held together by at least one bracket-like holder which engages over all the belts or wheels and the two housing walls parallel to the belt or wheel plane.

Although this printing unit also has a two-part housing, the two parts of course must be held together in a suitable manner, the size of the housing can be reduced by closely fitting it to the tape or wheel printing unit and the attachment of special eyes or the like. Elements for threaded holes dispensed with. Instead, the two housing parts, at least at a point where this can also result in a reduction in the size of the housing, are held together with the aid of a clip-like holder, which can form part of the housing and thus no special eye attachments or the like. for fastening threads for screwing in connecting screws. However, there are places in the printing unit where the attachment of a connecting screw does not interfere or such a screw can be used in two respects, so that its use is not a disadvantage. The attachment of at least one such screw is also possible in the printing unit according to the invention. The bracket-like holder can be clipped to the two housing parts and thus bring them together at the relevant point. However, as the exemplary embodiment shows, this in no way presupposes an unnecessary enlargement of the housing in the area of the holder.

A further development of the invention provides that the division level is roughly assigned to the middle of the housing. This enables the use of two housing halves that are at least approximately the same size. If no other requirements are to be taken into account, the housing can also be constructed from two identical housing halves.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is proposed that the holder be assigned to a housing area which is approximately opposite the working area of the belts or wheels. If one describes the working area of the belts or wheels as lying below, this means that the holder is located on the top of the printing unit. Because normally a two-part housing cannot be held together securely enough with the aid of a single holder, a further connection of the two housing halves must be provided at the lower housing area in the case mentioned, which according to the above explanations does not have to be carried out by means of a holder.

In a particularly preferred manner, it is provided in this regard that the two housing parts are held together near the work area by means of a screw or a corresponding element, which in particular crosses the entire length of the housing and whose geometric axis is parallel to that of the wheels or deflection wheels of the belts of the printing unit runs. Above all with a ribbon printing unit, there is usually enough space in its lower area in the working position for at least one such connecting screw.

The assembly of the housing is much easier if you or the like, the two housing halves in a very convenient manner over centering edges. aligns against each other. One part receives an outer edge that engages over a recessed inner edge of the other housing part, so that Housing can run smoothly on the outside. A tongue-and-groove connector of the two housing halves or parts is also conceivable.

As already stated, the holder can be attached by clamping to the housing or its two parts. It is, however, safer if the housing and the holder are additionally connected to one another in a snap-in or latching manner, that is to say a positive connection is replaced by a positive connection or the latter is additionally used.

Special developments in this regard, in particular the design of the holder center piece as a frame, describe the subclaims and are also apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment. It is particularly advantageous that a complete row of symbols is visible through a window introduced into the frame, so that the setting can be made or at least checked with the aid of the observation option through the window.

The individual wheels of a wheel printing unit or belts of a belt printing unit can be rotated individually relative to one another. In this way, all symbols and all wheels or belts can be positioned as desired. The prerequisite here, however, is that you can turn each wheel or belt of the wheel group or belt group individually. This is possible in a known manner with the help of the axially displaceable adjustment axis mentioned. The latter is, for example, drawn outwards in batches from its fully inserted position, so that its actuating member is assigned to each of the wheels or belts one after the other. When the setting axis is rotated, each wheel of the wheel printing unit or each band of the belt printing unit can be rotated one after the other in this way. When pulling out the axle, an assignment to the individual belts or wheels must be made visible in a suitable manner. Only on in this way it is certainly possible to turn the wheel or belt in question and not to adjust any others whose setting is to be retained. In a known printing unit of the generic type, this display takes place in a complex manner via an adjusting member with pointer rigidly coupled to the adjusting axis, which apart from the expenditure on material and assembly also requires a corresponding amount of space. A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, which results from claim 11, offers a particularly elegant solution which does not require any additional parts and therefore does not require any additional assembly work.

Claim 12 describes a further embodiment of the invention, which makes it possible to set the switching steps, which serve to rotate the wheels or belts of the printing unit in question by one unit, in a particularly simple manner. Further developments result from the subclaims and the following description of the exemplary embodiment.

Figur 1

eine teilweise geschnittene Seitenansicht eines Hand-Etikettiergeräts mit einem Bänderdruckwerk;

Figur 2

in vergrößertem Maßstab eine Seitenansicht des Bänderdruckwerks;

Figur 3

den klammerartigen Halter zum Zusammenhalten der beiden Gehäuseteile in einem Vertikalmittelschnitt;

Figur 4

eine Ansicht des Bänderdruckwerks in Pfeilrichtung A der Figur 2; und

Figur 5

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie V-V gemäß der Figur 4.

The drawing shows this embodiment of the invention. Here represent:

Figure 1

a partially sectioned side view of a hand-held labeling device with a tape printing unit;

Figure 2

an enlarged side view of the ribbon printing unit;

Figure 3

the bracket-like holder for holding the two housing parts together in a vertical central section;

Figure 4

a view of the ribbon printing unit in the direction of arrow A of Figure 2; and

Figure 5

4 shows a section along the line VV according to FIG. 4.

With a marking device designed as a hand-held labeling device 1 with a printing unit 4, labels or the like, as the name suggests. Printed letters, which are located on a ribbon-shaped carrier. The label supply roll is denoted overall by 3 and is located in the upper part of the housing 2. After printing and, if necessary, further transport within the device, they are attached to goods or product packs in a known manner. The labels need not only or not only contain the price, but printing with other symbols is also possible. The carrier tape with the labels or the like. runs through the device in a known manner. It is passed under the printing unit 4 shown in FIG. 2 and transported to a dispensing edge 5, where the label is detached from the carrier tape. A transport device 6 of known design ensures the passage through the hand labeling device 1, the printing unit 4 and the transport device 6 being driven by a hand lever 7.

Figure 1 shows the starting or rest position of the hand lever 7, which it assumes due to a built-in spring. By pivoting the hand lever 7 around the bearing 9, ie counterclockwise or in the direction of the handle 8, both the printing unit 4 and the transport device 6 are driven. When actuated, the fingers of the actuating hand reach into the opening 11 of the hand lever 7 and the hand itself is supported on the top 10 of the handle 8 fixed to the device. In the exemplary embodiment, the opening 11 is formed by a grip shell 12 of the hand lever 7 and a grip part 13 pivotably mounted thereon in bearings 14, 15. This oscillating mounting of the handle part 13 on Hand lever 7 is particularly advantageous and gentle on the hands for longer work with the hand labeling device 1.

When the hand lever 7 is pulled up in the direction of the handle 8, the printing unit 4 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow 16, the lower symbols 17 in the working position then being pressed onto the label and thereby causing these symbols to be printed on the assigned label (FIG 2).

In a known manner there are symbols on the outside of the circumference of each band 18 of the band printing unit 4 at the same predetermined intervals, for example letters according to FIG. 4, but also numbers and possibly further symbols up to small symbol groups. The belts 18 are transported step by step with an indexing mechanism if the indexing mechanism is not switched off. In this way, for example, consecutive numbering of the goods to be labeled can be achieved. The setting of each band 18 with respect to its neighboring bands is effected with the aid of the setting axis 20, which can be gradually pulled out or pushed in in the direction of arrow 19, each step corresponding to the width of a band 18. In each extended position, the setting axis 20 can be rotated in the direction of the double arrow 21 or in one direction of rotation in order to rotate the respectively coupled band 18 clockwise or counterclockwise and thereby adjust it. Instead of a belt printing unit 4, a wheel printing unit can also be used, in which the symbols 17, 22 are not located on the outside of a belt 18, but on the circumference of a wheel.

Basically, the aim is to make devices as small as possible because this makes them easier to use. As a result, the aim is to examine each component of the hand-held labeling device to determine whether it can be made even more compact. According to the invention, the housing 23 of the printing unit 4 has been further improved in this sense. At a previously known version, it consists of a base part and a flat lid. The division plane runs parallel to the belt or wheel plane. The two housing parts must be held together securely in a suitable manner. This is done according to the invention by means of at least one bracket-like holder 24. The housing 23 can consequently, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at least in the area of the holder 24 closely enclose the upper deflection wheels 25 for the belts 18 because the holder 24 attaches fastening eyes and the like . Like. Makes housing elements for mounting fastening screws unnecessary. This also applies to a wheel printing unit, in which case the printing wheels can then be encompassed in a correspondingly narrow manner. In the selected shape, there is enough space in the lower region of the housing 23 of the printing unit 4 for a fastening screw 43 and corresponding eyes or the like. Housing formations. It is therefore sufficient if only one holder 24 is provided in this shape and this is assigned to the upper region 26 of the housing 23 in use, as is the case with the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2. For the sake of simplicity, the holder 24 was not shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

The division plane 27 of the housing 23 is at least in the embodiment preferably in the middle of the housing, so that two identical or at least approximately the same size housing parts 28 and 29 are formed. Each has a flat outer wall. These form two parallel housing walls 30 and 31. According to FIG. 5, the holder 24 has two parallel bracket legs 32 and 33, with which it engages over the parallel housing walls 30 and 31 of the upper housing region 26 on the outside. However, it is provided according to Figure 2 that the wall thickness of the parallel wall parts is reduced from the outside, so that the bracket legs 32 and 33 can be flush with the outside of the housing walls 30 and 31. This also applies to the middle piece 35 of the essentially U-shaped bracket-like holder 24. This is hollow according to FIG. 3 and has the same radius as the housing 23 in its upper one Area 26.

The two housing parts 28 and 29 form in their upper region 26 a housing opening 36 which is rectangular in projection. The holder 24 is inserted therein, in particular flush with the outside. Along the entire outer contour, the wall thickness of the bracket-like holder 24 is reduced in a step-like manner on the inside, this circumferential step being designated by 37 in FIG. A corresponding paragraph 38 is also provided on the housing 23 of the holder 24 in the region of its housing opening 36. This achieves a tight and flush fit of the holder 24 on the housing 23.

To secure the holder 24 to the housing 23, snap fasteners are provided in the area of the stirrup legs 32 and 33, which in the exemplary embodiment each consist of a slot-shaped latching receptacle 39 or 40 and a formally adapted latching member on each housing part 28 or 29, in FIG Locking member 41 can be seen.

Both the housing 23 and the holder 24 are made of plastic, so that a resilient locking of the holder 24 with the housing is not a problem. In order to be able to release this latching, a lever slope 42 is provided at least on one side, into which a screwdriver can be inserted, with the help of which the relevant bracket leg 32, 33 can be raised until the latching there is released. Then the further removal of the holder 24 no longer poses a problem.

The two housing parts 28 and 29 are in the dividing plane 27 in a manner not shown, but in principle known manner, via centering edges or the like. aligned against each other. In addition, a connecting screw 43 can be seen in FIG. 2, with the aid of which the two housing parts can be firmly held together in the lower region.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, the bow center piece 35 forms a frame with a window 44. In this, one and preferably only one complete row of symbols can be seen, the radial between the lines required for printing over the band plane above symbols 17 and 22 are attached. To advance the last band 18, an indexing mechanism is provided, via which the band is moved in steps. However, two or more steps may also be necessary to continue rotating a band 18 from one projecting symbol 22 to the next. A corresponding setting can be made with the aid of an adjusting wheel 45. In a particularly advantageous manner, this setting wheel 45 is also easily accessible from the outside without the need to open the housing 24. For this purpose, the window 44 is widened in the circumferential direction at its right end in FIG. An adjustment lever 47 also projects through this window widening 46. It is pivotably mounted in a known manner and has two pivot end positions designated by the numbers “0” and “1”. In the position "0" the indexing mechanism is switched off, with which the belts 18 can be indexed in one or more steps for consecutive numbering. This is known as such, which is why detailed explanations are just as unnecessary as for the setting wheel 45. However, it is advantageous that the setting lever 47 is also easily accessible from the outside. At both ends of the window widening 46 there is a snap-in receptacle 48 or 49 for the end positions of the adjusting lever 47 as shown in FIG. 4. Starting from the drawn position of the adjusting lever 47, this is first pressed resiliently to the left to switch over, then pivoted upward. If you let it go in the swivel end position, it automatically enters the other locking receptacle 48 due to the elasticity of its material and is thus protected against unintentional swiveling.

The use of a clamp-like holder 24 for securely holding the two housing parts 28 and 29 together makes a very advantageous further development of the printing unit 1 possible, which greatly facilitates its adjustment and considerably simplifies the construction in relation to the prior art. According to FIG. 4, markings 52 are in fact attached to at least one of the longitudinal edges of the window 44, but in the exemplary embodiment to both longitudinal edges 50 and 51. Preferably and in deviation from the illustration in FIG. 4, a marking 52 is assigned to each band 18 of the band printing unit or each corresponding wheel of a wheel printing unit. Comparable markings 53 are located on the setting axis 20. The markings 53 are now attached in such a way that in each defined displacement position of the setting axis 20 a very specific marking 53 of a reading mark or the like. assigned. For example, the front edge 54 of a bearing socket 55 for the setting axis 20 can serve as a reading mark. When a mark 53 in question has completely emerged from this front edge 54, the band 18 to which a mark 52 of the same type is assigned is coupled to the setting axis 20. It follows from this that the individual markings 52 must differ from one another as well as the markings 53. In this respect, the representation, both in terms of their arrangement on the longitudinal edges 50 and 51 and on the circumference of the setting axis 20, is only to be regarded as a basic representation. In other words, this means that the markings 53 can certainly form a single row on the casing of the adjusting axis 20 and it is also readily possible if the markings 52 are only assigned to one of the two longitudinal edges 50, 51. The space and good legibility also play a major role here.

Claims (14)

1. A printing mechanism, preferably for a hand-held labeling apparatus, receiving in its housing (23) a tape or wheel printing mechanism (4) and an axially displaceable adjusting axle (20) for the individual tapes (18) or wheels, in which the housing (23) is divided into two parts in a plane parallel to the tape or wheel plane,
   characterized in that the two housing parts (28, 29) are held together by means of at least one clamp-type holding structure (24) fitting over all of the tapes (18) or wheels as well as over the two housing walls (30, 31) parallel to the tape or wheel plane.
2. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1,
   characterized in that the parting plane (27) is located in the center of the housing, approximately.
3. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2,
   characterized in that the holding structure (24) is associated with a housing portion (26) lying opposite the working end (17) of the tapes (18) or wheels.
4. The printing mechanism as claimed in at least one of the claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that in the proximity of the working end (17) the two housing parts (28, 29) are held together by means of a screw (43) or like element having its geometrical axis extend parallel to the axis of the wheels or guide wheels (25) or tapes (18) of the printing mechanism (1).
5. The printing mechanism as claimed in at least one of the claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in that the two housing parts (28, 29) are in relative alignment by means of centering shoulders or the like.
6. The printing mechanism as claimed in at least one of the claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in that the housing (23) and the holding structure (24) are connected with each other with a snap action or by locking engagement.
7. The printing mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that the holding structure (24) includes two parallel brackets (32, 33) being each provided with at least one snap-lock socket (39, 40), and that each of the parallel end walls (30, 31) has on the snap-lock side a suitably conformed snap-lock member (41) which is in particular integrally formed thereon, or vice versa.
8. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 7,
   characterized in that the brackets (32, 33) are embedded within the end walls (30, 31) so as to be flush therewith, with a draft (42) being customarily provided on the end wall in front of the free end of at least one bracket (32), said draft serving for the application of a dismantling tool, in particular, a screwdriver or the like.
9. The printing mechanism as claimed in at least one of the claims 1 to 8,
   characterized in that the center piece (35) of the essentially U-shaped clamp-type holding structure (24) is inserted into an aperture (36) in the housing so as to be flush with the housing outside, and is shaped in the manner of a frame whose outer surface preferably constitutes part of the surface of a regular cylinder.
10. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 9,
    characterized in that through the inner contour of the frame (35) a window (24) is provided in which a complete row of symbols (22) is visible.
11. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 10,
    characterized in that indicia (52) as, for example, lines, points or figures, are provided on at least one of the long sides (50, 51) of the window (44), wherein each symbol of the visible row of symbols is associated with an indicia, and that corresponding, preferably identical, indicia (53) are provided on the adjusting axle (20) in a comparable or like arrangement.
12. The printing mechanism as claimed in at least one of the claims 9 to 11,
    characterized in that the frame-type center piece (35) of the holding structure (24) is associated with a group of tapes or wheels of the tape or wheel printing mechanism (4), and that an adjusting wheel (45) of an indexing device accessible through the frame window (44) as well as an associated rotary adjusting lever (47) are located adjacent to one of the endwise tapes or wheels as seen when looking in the direction of the axle, said adjusting lever (47) extending through the frame to the outside, and said window (44) being as a rule widened in this area in the circumferential direction as at (46).
13. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 12,
    characterized in that at either circumferential end of the frame widening (46) there is provided a lateral detent socket (48, 49) for receiving the adjusting lever (47), and that said adjusting lever (47) is resiliently deflectable or bendable.
14. The printing mechanism as claimed in claim 13,
    characterized in that each defined position of the adjusting lever (47) is associated with an indicia on the holding structure (24).

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