EP1066974B1 - Printing device having a printing ribbon spool including an information carrier for data related to the spool - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a printing device such as is found in the fax machines, printers and other such machines.

More particularly, the invention relates to a printing device comprising at least one removable element, and generally disposable, such a roll of printing tape, a roll of paper backing a print cartridge or a toner cartridge associated with an information carrier relating to this element, for example an electronic chip card, and a reader of the information carrier.

The removable element and the information carrier can be linked to each other. the other or independent of each other. The first realization limits the risk of loss of the information medium, rendering it unusable the associated element. However, with a roll, ribbon or paper, rotatively mounted, it is difficult to read the information of the support, in the when it is mounted on the roller, during the rotational drive of this one.

To overcome this drawback, it is known from FR 2,736,864 to immobilize temporarily rotating an information carrier, integral in rotation of a flange holding a roll of printing tape, using of a stop, which can be driven in displacement of a position retracted to an operational position. This solution is not, however, satisfactory. On the one hand, it is necessary to provide a training mechanism displacement of the stop. On the other hand, the immobilisation being carried out against the friction force between the information carrier and the flange, the support immobilized brakes, and therefore discomfort, the drive rotation of the flange.

The present invention therefore proposes a more satisfactory solution for block the information carrier in rotation.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a set of a roll of print consumable and an information carrier relating to the roll, for use in a printing device, in which the information carrier includes an obviously traversing receiving a locking finger in rotation, provided on the device, allowing it to be locked in rotation in reading position, and the roll supports a elastic pin that can extend into the traversing cavity, in order to temporarily secure in rotation the roll and the support, and be pushed by the blocking finger of the device.

The information carrier and the roll are first provisionally secured in rotation, by means of the elastic lug, received in the recess crossing. Then, under the action of the drive in rotation of the roller, the support is driven into a rotational locking position, in which the finger, penetrates the recess passing through the support and pushes back the ergot elastically out of the recess, under the action of the thrust means, in thus blocking the information carrier in rotation.

Thus, when placing the roller in its receiving housing, the information carrier and the roll are first secured in rotation then, when rotating the roll, the information carrier is automatically locks in rotation.

• les figures 1 à 3 représentent une vue en coupe longitudinale et axiale d'un flasque d'extrémité du rouleau, avec le support d'informations, dans trois positions successives, lors de la mise en place du rouleau reçu dans un logement de réception, prévu dans le dispositif d'impression;
• la figure 4 représente une vue en perspective éclatée du flasque d'extrémité du rouleau et du support d'informations de la figure 1 et
• la figure 5 représente une vue en coupe longitudinale et axiale, simplifiée, du rouleau de la figure 1, avec le support d'informations, mis en place dans son logement de réception, dans le dispositif d'impression.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of the printing device of the invention and the associated set of a printing consumable roll and an information carrier, in a form particular embodiment of the invention, with reference to the appended drawing in which:

• Figures 1 to 3 show a longitudinal and axial sectional view of an end flange of the roller, with the information carrier, in three successive positions, when placing the received roll in a receiving housing, provided in the printing device;
• FIG. 4 represents an exploded perspective view of the end flange of the roll and the information carrier of FIG.
• FIG. 5 represents a simplified longitudinal and axial sectional view of the roll of FIG. 1, with the information carrier, placed in its receiving housing, in the printing device.

The printing device is here integrated in a fax machine. For the sake of clarity, only the elements of the device necessary for the understanding of the invention will now be explained.

The device comprises a housing 1 for receiving a roll 20, rotating and removable, printing ribbon and information carrier 40 relating to the roller 20, two axes 4, 5 supports of the roller 20, two coil release springs 2, 3 and a chip card reader 6, for read support information 40.

The roller 20, with an axis 21, comprises an axis 22 supporting the winding of the ribbon, of tubular form, and two flanges 23, 24, respectively mounted on both ends of the support shaft 22 and integral in rotation thereof. One of the end flanges 23 comprises a receiving housing 25 of the information carrier 40, a first central axis 28 for receiving the information carrier 40, and a second central axis 29, for receiving the winding support shaft 22.

The housing 25 is delimited by a bottom wall 26, disc-shaped, and a cylindrical side wall 27. The axis 28, receiving the support 40, and the axis 29, receiving the axis 22 support winding, protrude from the central part of the bottom wall 26, perpendicular to it, respectively inside the housing 25 and the opposite side to it. The receiving axis 29 has a diameter outside substantially equal to the inside diameter of the support shaft winding 22, the latter being intended to be fitted on it. It is further provided, through the wall 26 and axes 28, 29, a passage through 30 receiving the support shaft 4. The axes 28, 29 and the passage through 30 are 31 axis, perpendicular to the wall 26 at its center.

The other flange 24 is similar to the flange 23, with the difference that it does not does not include an information carrier slot or receive pin of this support.

The bottom wall 26 supports a resilient lug 32, designed to secure temporarily rotating the roller 20 and the information carrier 40, as explained later. The lug 32 is constituted by a part here rectangular wall of the bottom wall 26, cut and folded along one of the sides of the rectangle, and can be moved, against a recall action elastic, of an extended position, in which it projects into the interior of the 25, at an erased position, in which it extends into the through opening 33 of the bottom wall 26 corresponding to the cutting.

The information carrier 40 comprises a support card 41, in the form of a disk, and an electronic chip 42, mounted on this card 41, comprising a storage memory of the information relating to the roll. This is in the kind of information about the characteristics of the ribbon (nature, color, ...). The support card 41, of outside diameter substantially less than the inside diameter of the housing 25, provides an opening receiving center of the axis 28 and a through recess 44 of receiving the elastic pin 32 and a finger 11 for locking in rotation of the information carrier 40, explained later. The recess 44 and the pin 32, provided for temporarily securing in rotation the support 40 and the 20, are arranged so that the pin 32 can snap in the recess 44, when the information carrier 40, mounted on the axis 28, and the flange 23 are positioned in a position relative angularity determined.

The housing 1 for receiving the roll 20 comprises two walls transverse 7, 8, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 1, corresponding to that of the axis 21 of the roll 20 when it is put in place in its housing 1. The two support pins 4, 5 protrude respectively out of the two transverse walls 7, 8, perpendicular to them, inside the housing 1, and are arranged at right from each other. The winding support shaft 22 is intended to be fitted on the two support axes 4, 5, during the installation of the roller 20 in the housing 1. The support shaft 4, connected to an engine driving in rotation, is intended to cause the roller 20 to rotate.

A sleeve 9 is slidably mounted on the support shaft 5 and extended, at its end closest to the wall 8, by a support collar 10 of springs 2, 3.

The springs 2, 3 are fixed at one of their ends to the wall transverse 8 and bearing, at their other end, against the flange 10. They extend parallel to the support axis 5, on either side of it, and are intended to push the roller 20 towards the transverse wall 7.

The finger 11 for locking in rotation of the information carrier 40 protrudes out of the transverse wall 7, inside the housing 1. It is intended for permanently blocking the information carrier 40.

The smart card reader 6, connected to a central control unit of the fax machine, is arranged near the transverse wall 7 and comprises connectors 12, connecting to a chip to read, slightly in protruding inside housing 1.

The relative disposition of the rotational locking finger 11 and the reader of chip card 6 and the relative disposition of the through recess 44 of the information carrier 40 and the electronic chip 42 are such that after placing the roll 20, with the information carrier 40, in the housing 1 and positioning the information carrier 40 in position reading, the finger 11 extends into the recess 44 and the reader 6 is arranged in look at the chip 42 and connected to it, as will be explained later.

After the structural description of the printing device and the set of the roll 20 and the information carrier 40, the introduction of the roll 20 and the information carrier 40 in the printing device will now be described.

Before putting in place the roller 20 in the housing 1, the information carrier 40 on the flange 23 of the roll 20, engaging it on the support shaft 28 by its central opening 43 and by orienting the chip 42 to the outside of the housing 25. The information carrier 40 then extends in its housing 25 and pushes the pin 32 into the opening 33, in position deleted.

The roll 20 is then put into place in the housing 1 by inserting it, by its integral end flange 23, on the support axis 4 and, by its end integral with the flange 24, on the support axis 5, against the action of recall of the springs 2, 3. As shown in FIG. 1, under the action of the springs 2, 3, the roller 20 is pushed towards the transverse wall 7 and the support 40 is pressed against the rotation locking pin 11, the axis 31 of the flange 23 and the axis 21 of the roll being merged.

The drive motor is then started, under the action of which the roller 20 is rotated. At the beginning of the roll drive 20, the flange 23 is rotated, continuously, in a first step, from its initial position (FIG. 1) to a position of attachment in rotation of the flange 23 and the information carrier 40 (Figure 2), then, in a second step, from the securing position to a position of blocking rotation of the support 40 (Figure 3), as explained below.

During the first step, the flange 23 is rotated in its initial position at the provisional securing position of the flange 23 and of the information carrier 40. The information carrier 40 is in support forced against the locking finger 11, under the pushing action of the springs 2, 3 and is thus locked in rotation, by friction against the locking finger 11. Before the flange 23 reaches the securing position of the 2, the support 40 pushes the lug 32 in the erased position, against the elastic return action. In position of securing in rotation of the flange 23 and the support 40, the lug 32 is deployed, by elastic return, and extends into the through recess 34. Thus, after snapping of the spigot 32 in the recess 44, the flange 23 and the information carrier 40 are temporarily secured in rotation.

In the second step, the flange 23 and the information carrier 40, secured in rotation, are driven in rotation of the position of temporary fastening of the roll 20 and the support 40 to the position of locking in rotation of the information carrier 40. In blocking position in rotation of the support 40, corresponding to the reading position, the finger 11 extends into the through recess 44 of the support 40 into pushing the pin 32, under the action of the springs 2, 3 which push the roller 20 to the transverse wall 7. The information carrier 40 is then permanently locked in rotation in the reading position, in which the reader 6 is arranged next to the electronic chip 42 and connected to it.

After the two steps explained above, the roll 20 and the flanges 23, 24 continue to be rotated, while the support 40 is locked in rotation, in the reading position. The reader 6 can then read the information of the support 40, immobilized, even during the rotational drive of the roller 20.

In the foregoing description, before setting up the roll 20 in the printing device, the user himself erects the support information 40 on the roll 20. This operation could be performed in the factory, during the manufacture of the roll 20, the latter being delivered to the user with the pre-assembled information carrier. We could also, in the factory, to secure in rotation the information carrier and the roll, as in Figure 2.

We could replace the smart card and the card reader chip by any other type of information carrier and associated reader.

The invention is equally applicable to a roll of printing paper or any other roll of this type.

Claims (2)

1. Assembly of a roller (20) for a printing consumer good and a support (40) for data related to the roller (20), to be used in a printing device, characterized in that the data support (40) comprises a through recess (44) for receiving a rotation blocking finger (11), provided on the device, which enables it to be rotatably blocked in a reading position and the roller (20) supports an elastic pin (32) which can extend into the through recess (44), in order to temporarily link rotatably the roller (20) and the support (40) and be pushed away there from by the blocking finger (11) of the device.
2. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the roller (20) comprises and endplate (23) out of which an axis (28) provides for receiving the data support (40), said support (40) providing an opening (43) for receiving the axis (28).

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