FR2710171A1 - Integrated automatic installation for continuous composing and printing of customised texts - Google Patents

Abstract

This installation comprises: - a console including: . a screen; . a control keyboard; - a prepayment unit; - a microcomputer, intended to process the instructions transmitted by the keyboard and to transmit them in part to the screen and to a printer (15) intended to print the text composed on a printing support, the said microcomputer moreover being intended to manage the whole of the installation and the interaction between it and the user, the composing proper of the text to be printed being managed by software suitable for this purpose, loaded into the memory of the microcomputer, and the entire text to be printed being composed beforehand by the user with the aid of the said software. It includes at least two independent printing supports, both stored in the form of a reel, activation of one excluding activation of the other.

Description

INTEGRATED AUTOMATED INSTALLATION FOR THE COMPOSI
TION AND CONTINUOUS PRINTING OF CUSTOM TEXTS.

 The invention relates to a new automatic installation for the composition and continuous printing of personalized texts, on various supports. More particularly, it relates to an installation of the type in question, for the composition and the continuous printing of business cards, but also of letterhead, commercial paper and the like according to the traditional A4 or A5 format or others, but also of labels.

 The development of such automatic installations has increased considerably in recent times. This type of installation has the great advantage of being able to have personalized texts composed and printed by non-professionals, in a simple manner.

 For example, in document FR-A-2 576 437, an automatic installation has been described in which the user introduces, by means of a forceps, the elements which he wishes to appear on business cards, menus. , etc ..., by viewing these elements on a screen. This installation also includes a printer, intended to allow the printing of the text composed by the user on a medium of heavy grammage paper, stored in the form of a reel. A microcomputer manages the operation of the machine and the printer.

 If this type of installation constitutes a progress compared to the existing park, on the other hand, it has the disadvantage of prohibiting the composition at leisure and the layout of the text, and in addition only authorizes one type of format. and that a type of support.

 In order to overcome these drawbacks, it has been proposed, for example in document FR-A-2 621 153, an installation of the same type, in which the printer is capable of pivoting by 90 ", in order to be able to allow the printing of texts, in two formats perpendicular to each other.

 However, in this type of installation, the layout remains frozen, and the pivoting of the printer requires the establishment of a relatively heavy and expensive mechanical structure. Finally, there is always only one type of support, thereby limiting the scope of use of such an installation.

 One of the constant concerns of the designers of this type of installation is therefore the possibility for the user to vary the layout and composition at leisure. This objective is achieved by the installation described in document FR-A-2 665 786 of the Applicant. In fact, this installation basically comprises a graphic type printer, the printing of which, frame by frame, on the printing medium, is managed by an integrated microcomputer, and by means of software suitable for this purpose, and loaded into the memory of said microphone.

The entire text to be printed is previously composed by the user with the help of this software before being printed.

 Undoubtedly, this installation constitutes a significant progress compared to installations of the type previously described. It also allows the possibility of using a traditional A4 format, in the form of a sheet-by-sheet printer, and managed in the same way.

 However, the maintenance of the installation of this type, in particular in terms of recharging with consumables, remains too important, and in addition, the choice of supports is still too limited at the discretion of the users.

 The object of the invention constitutes in fact an improvement to the installation of the type described above, insofar as it makes it possible to offer a plurality of printing supports, the storage of which allows refills with consumables according to longer periods. long.

This integrated automatic installation for continuous composition and printing of personalized texts includes
- a console comprising:
a screen intended to display the operating instructions and visual
read the composed text;
a control keyboard, intended to transmit the instructions
operating instructions and composing the text to be printed;
- a pre-payment body, intended after payment of the amount due, to activate the installation;
- a microcomputer, integrating an interface able to allow the exchange of information between the screen and the keyboard on the one hand, and the microcomputer on the other hand, said microcomputer being intended to process the instructions transmitted by the keyboard, and to transmit them in part to the screen and to a printer intended to print the text composed on a printing medium, said microcomputer being further intended to manage the entire installation and the interaction between the latter and the user, the actual composition of the text to be printed being managed by software suitable for this purpose and loaded into the memory of the microcomputer and all of the text to be printed being previously composed by the user with using said software.

 The invention is characterized in that the installation comprises at least two independent printing supports, both stored in the form of a reel, and activated in exclusion of one another.

 In other words, the invention consists in proposing within the framework of the installation already described by the Applicant, a plurality of printing supports stored in the form of a reel, making it possible, in addition to increasing the capacity of storable consumable, also of '' increase the variety of supports. In addition, due to the exclusive operation of one of the supports with respect to the other, that is to say that only one of the supports can be selected for printing, only one is used. printer, simple technique, for example inkjet.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, and in the more specific context of the production of business cards, the installation comprises two spools of print supports of the same width, typically 88 mm, the delivery of the support thus stored being ensured. by a disengageable motorization system comprising a motor shaft parallel to the axis of rotation of the coils, receiving two parallel and coaxial motor rollers, intended to cooperate each and independently of the other, and exclusively with respect to each other with a parallel pressure roller, said pressure roller being actuated selectively against the corresponding drive roller by means of a disengageable member associated with a cam, inducing the introduction into the front input of the printer of the printing medium of the corresponding spool, prior to taking charge of the latter by the printer's own motorization.

 The disengageable system consists for each of the pressure rollers with a double articulated link, comprising at one of its free ends, said pressure roller, and at the other free end a fixed axis secured to a return spring secured to the frame , and a camshaft comprising two cams mounted in opposition acting at one of the arms of said link, the camshaft being actuated by an electric motor under the command of the microcomputer according to either choice of the user, when the two coils have supports of a different nature, either automatically when the supports are identical and the system detects the end of one of them by an appropriate detector, then implying only the course of the other coil.

 According to the invention, the installation comprises at the printer output a cutting member, intended to cut the printing medium after printing according to the selected format. Advantageously, this cutting member is articulated along a horizontal axis, so as to define two different cutting locations, and therefore two types of format.

 Advantageously, the motor member of the printer motorization is associated with a device for detecting said support, which, depending on the format chosen, induces the cutting of the support according to the desired format, and when the number of copies of cards to be achieved is reached, disables the motorization of the printer and the withdrawal of the continuous support in the paper guide at the front entry of the printer.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, an independent system, provided with two additional supports in the form of a coil, is reversibly attached to the frame supporting the printer. It comprises two spools of printing support of a different nature, of parallel axes of rotation, driven independently and exclusively with respect to each other, and with which is associated for each of them a double independent motorization system, consisting of a drive roller and a pressure roller, and at the end of which is mounted a member for detecting the passage of said support, prior to its routing by means of a single guide, at the rear entrance of the printer.

According to a characteristic of this system, the guide also has its own motorization consisting of a motor roller and a pressure roller, as well as mounted after said motorization, two detection members separated from each other
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the rollers constituting the motorization of the guide rotate at a speed slightly higher than that of the motorizations of each of the printing supports, in order to always ensure a certain tension of said support.

 According to the invention, the added system also comprises a cutting member, mounted between the motorization of the guide and that of the respective printing supports, and is actuated on the order of the microcomputer, according to the detection of said support carried out by said members of detection according to the type of format and the type of support selected by the user.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the printer comprises, at its rear inlet, a motorization controlled by its internal motorization. It consists of a pair of motor and pressure rollers, said motor roller being activated in rotation by means of a belt or an equivalent device buckled on the pressure roller of the front inlet, itself activated in rotation by friction. by the printer's drive roller, the latter remaining the master roller in terms of speed, in order to ensure a homogeneous progression of the print medium at the level of the print head of the printer.

 According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, there is mounted between these two pairs of rollers, a guide within the printer, advantageously provided with a series of rollers, in order to favor the orientation of the printing medium in the direction of the print head.

 The manner in which the invention can be implemented and the advantages which result therefrom will emerge more clearly from the following exemplary embodiments, given by way of non-limiting illustration in support of the appended figures.

 Figure 1 is a summary perspective view of an installation according to the invention.

 FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation in section of the operation of the printer of the installation according to a first embodiment.

 FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2.

 Figure 4 is a schematic representation in section of the operation of the printer according to another embodiment of the installation.

 FIG. 1 shows the automatic installation of the invention. Basically, it comprises a panel (1), possibly provided with a lighting system (not shown), and which may include different types of composition (14) as well as an advertising tag or equivalent.

 The installation also includes a console (2), to which the panel (1) is fixed and on top of which a tray (3) rests.

 This tray (3) mainly comprises a keyboard (4) and a transparent window (6), behind which is mounted a screen (not shown), at the level of which, in addition to the operating instructions for operating the installation, the text composed by the user.

 The keyboard (4) comprises a certain number of keys, in particular those corresponding to the different letters of the alphabet, in upper and lower case, a numeric keypad comprising the different numbers, the punctuation, and the control keys, in particular for correction, spacing and validation, etc.

 The console (2) further comprises on its front face, a receptacle (13), intended to receive the texts printed on the support chosen by the user, as well as a slot (5) for introducing money or notes , or even payment or prepayment cards, in short, a payment agency. This is intended to detect and identify coins or pre-determined banknotes, transmitting this information to a microcomputer integrated in the body of the console (2), which then counts the sums actually paid and commits, when the account is good, the operating process.

The interactive operation of this installation is identical to that described in the Applicant's previous request, already referenced
FR-A-2 665 786, so that it will not be described here in more detail. It is simply recalled that the microcomputer, which was mentioned previously is intended to manage this interaction on the one hand, between the user and the installation and on the other hand, between the screen and the keyboard of on the one hand, and the printer (15) on the other.

 This printer is fixed to the frame of the console (2) and is advantageously of the inkjet type, as marketed under the brand STYLIUS 800 by EPSON with a resolution of 360 dpi.

 According to a characteristic of the invention, the installation comprises at least two coils (16) and (16 ') of a consumable, consisting in the present case of a paper support 88 mm wide, and a grammage close to 225 g / m2.

These two coils (16) and (16 ') are, in the example described, of axis of rotation (17) parallel and coaxial, but are independent of each other. The print medium (18) from said reels is conveyed by means of deflection rollers (31) and centering rolls (30), at the level of the front inlet of the printer (32) and this, at the by means of a disengageable motorization system, consisting of:
- for each of the printing supports (18) of a drive roller (29) and (29 '), both activated simultaneously in rotation by a single shaft (28) by means of an independent and managed direct current electric motor by the microcomputer;
- two pressure rollers, respectively (22) and (22 '), parallel to said driving rollers (29) and (29'), intended to cooperate independently of one another, one excluding the other, with the corresponding motor roller, and disengageable by the system described below.

 Each of the pressure rollers, respectively (22) and (22 ') is mounted on an idler axis in rotation, mounted at the end of the upper arm of a double link (19), articulated along an axis of rotation (20) parallel to the axis of rotation of said pressure rollers (22) and (22 '), and whose free end (23) of the lower arm which constitutes it receives an axis (27, 27') subjected to a restoring force exerted for example by a spring (24) secured to the frame receiving the printer (15).

 In parallel, the lower arms of said link (19) are subjected to the action of a cam, respectively (25) and (25 '), the two cams (25) and (25') being mounted on the same shaft at cams (26), selectively activated in rotation under the order of the microcomputer managing the installation.

 In fact, and as can be seen schematically in Figure 3, the two cams (25) and (25 ') respectively have a flat section and a partially cylindrical section, the flat portions being mounted in opposition to a cam by compared to each other. In this way, the two drive members (22, 29) on the one hand, and (22 ', 29') on the other hand, cannot be engaged simultaneously and therefore, the drive of the two printing supports (18 ) from the two coils (16) and (16 ') cannot also be performed simultaneously.

 The rotation of the camshaft (26), managed as already said by the microcomputer, is a function either of the choice of the user when the two printing supports (18) are different, for example in grammage or in color, either by the microcomputer directly, when these two supports are identical and the installation detects by means of a detection member not shown, the end of one of the coils. The scrolling of the other is then induced, so that the storage capacity of the installation is thus doubled, thereby reducing the maintenance in terms of recharging in consumables.

 The disengageable motorization system thus conveys the print medium (18) at the front input (32) of the printer (15), where it is guided, for example by means of two metal sheets added one on the other. The support reaches at the end of the guide (32) a detection member (35), the function of which will be described below, then is taken over by the motorization specific to the printer, consisting on the one hand, by a drive roller (33) and a pressure roller (34), said guide (32) being advantageously raised to this level, in order to favor the introduction of said support between these two rollers.

 These, in cooperation with the curvature (36) imposed by a guide (45) specific to the printer, induce a change of orientation, said print medium being conveyed at the level of the print head represented by the arrow A in Figure 2.

 The printing medium, always in continuous form, continues to progress under the action of the motorization (33, 34) of the printer until it reaches the cutting member (39), constituted by a guillotine (41) driven by a downward movement, cooperating with a fixed knife (42).

 It is activated according to the format desired by the user and, depending on the detection of said support operated by the detection member (35) mentioned above.

 In addition, and according to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, depending on the type of cutting format desired, it is possible to modify the zone of the effective action of the cutting member (39), the latter being articulated to this effect in (40). It therefore has two cutting locations set according to the format considered. The cutting position of said member is fixed by means of a crank-rod actuated by an electric motor, the actual positioning being ensured by means of a cam managing the two extreme positions associated with a mechanical detection member.

 The business cards thus obtained and cut are conveyed by a chute not shown at the receptacle (13) on the front face of the console (2).

 At the same time, when the series of business cards is finished, the number of cards being detected either by the software or by a counter integrated into the motorization organs and determining this number according to the chosen format, the motorization of the printer is deactivated , and the disengageable motorization system (22, 22 ', 29, 29', 19) is actuated, so as to induce a backward movement of the support in question until the free end of the latter returns to the guide level (32).

 According to another embodiment shown in connection with FIG. 4, two additional types of consumable can be added to the installation in the form of a frame attached to the console frame (2), but nevertheless integrated within this one.

 Typically, these two additional consumables consist of a paper support (50) 210 mm wide, and in two possible lengths A4 or A5, and a label support (51).

 The two coils (50) and (51) are mounted parallel to each other but in a non-coaxial manner. The continuous strip coming from these coils is all routed at the level of a vertical guide (61) by means of a motorization specific to each of them. This consists respectively of a drive roller (52) and (53), and a pressure roller (54, 55), these progression members cannot be actuated simultaneously. To do this, each of the sets of pressure motor rollers is activated by an independent electric motor.

 Just downstream of these progression members, there are positioned detection members, respectively (56) and (57), the function of which will be described later.

 The continuous strip of width A4 is conveyed by means of a guide (62) mounted between two plastic flanges (not shown), at the level of a cutting member (58), then at the level of the vertical guide (61 ), the upper end (63) of which is flared, in order to facilitate the introduction of the continuous strip.

 Conversely, when the label support is selected, the paper strip (50) is stationary, and the label support is conveyed by its progression member (53, 55) to the cutting member (58), then of the vertical guide (61).

 Immediately downstream of the flared entry (63) is positioned the progression member of said vertical guide (61), constituted by a drive roller (64) and a pressure roller (65), the speed of rotation of which is slightly greater than that of the progression members, respectively (50, 54) or (53, 55), and this in order to ensure perfect tension of said strip.

 Downstream of this progressing member (64,65), two detection members are mounted positioned at a determined distance from each other, respectively (66) and (67), intended to allow activation of the cutting member (58), constituted in this case as the cutting member (39) of a movable guillotine (59) and a fixed knife (60), according to the desired cut, in particular A4 or A5 , and the labels according to a determined format.

 In fact, in the context of the A4 width format, depending on the length of the desired format, one (66) for A5 length format, or the other (67) for A4 length format of the detection members is activated, so that when the continuous strip reaches the activated detection member, this induces, by means of the microcomputer, the stopping of the advance of said strip, then the activation of the cutting member (58).

 Once the cut has been made by the member (58), the end of the print medium in the vicinity of the cut is still under the action of the progression members (64, 65), reactivated after the cut to release the sheet. thus cut from the rollers, then falls by gravity at the rear inlet (68), advantageously flared, of the printer (15).

 At this level, the sheet of the printing medium is supported by the progression member of the rear entry, constituting one of the characteristics of the invention. This progression member comprises on the one hand, a set of presser motor rollers (48) and (49), and on the other hand, the guide (45) already mentioned, intended to ensure through its curved portion (46) a change in the orientation of the support from the vertical direction of the guide (61) to a substantially horizontal direction at the level of the print head A.

 Activation of the set of pressure motor rollers (48, 49) is ensured by the pressure roller (34) of the printer motorization, driving a belt or equivalent (47) buckled on the motor roller (49) of the rear entry, the pressure roller (34) itself being rotated by the action of the motor roller (33) of the printer acting by friction thereon.

 After printing, the support is taken up by a conveyor (37), consisting of an endless belt, actuated in movement by an independent electric motor, the action of said conveyor (37) being further optimized by the action an air source (38), typically constituted by a fan pressing said support against the conveyor.

In this case, the cutting member (39) is deactivated, so that the support after printing can fall freely in the chute and then the receptacle (13) for reception.

 When the desired number of copies is obtained, the continuous strip of the chosen support is actuated in reverse under the action of the progression members, respectively (52, 54) or (53, 55), up to the level of the detection (56, 57) which then stop the activation of said organs.

 This installation has various advantages over the installations known to date. Mention may in particular be made of its modular nature, the possibility of having a multi-consumer installation, typically four, and the significant autonomy of the installation, inherent in the storage system chosen.

Claims (15)

 1 / Integrated automatic installation for continuous composition and printing of personalized texts including  - a console (2) comprising:  a screen intended to display the operating instructions and visual  read the composed text;  a control keyboard (4), intended for transmitting the instructions  operating instructions and composing the text to be printed;  - a pre-payment member (5), intended after payment of the amount due, to activate the installation;  - a microcomputer, integrating an interface able to allow the exchange of information between the screen and the keyboard on the one hand, and the microcomputer on the other hand, said microcomputer being intended to process the instructions transmitted by the keyboard, and transmit them partly to the screen and to a printer (15) intended to print the text composed on a printing medium, said microcomputer being further intended to manage the entire installation and the interaction between it and the user, the actual composition of the text to be printed being managed by software suitable for this purpose and loaded into the memory of the microcomputer and all of the text to be printed being previously composed by the user with the help of said software, characterized in that it comprises at least two independent printing media, both stored in the form of a reel, and activated in exclusion of one another.  2 / Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two coils (16, 16 ') of print media of the same width (18), the delivery of which is ensured by a disengageable motorization system comprising a motor shaft (28) parallel to the axis of rotation of the coils (16, 16 '), receiving two motor rollers (29, 29') parallel and coaxial, intended to cooperate each and independently of the other, and exclusively one by relative to each other with a parallel pressure roller (22, 22 '), said pressure roller being actuated selectively against the corresponding drive roller (29, 29') by means of a disengageable member (19, 20, 21, 23, 24) associated with a cam, (25), inducing the introduction, at the front input of the printer, of the printing medium (18) of the corresponding reel, prior to taking charge of the latter by the own motorization (33 , 34) to the printer (15).  3 / Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the disengageable system consists for each of the pressure rollers (22, 22 ') of a double link (19) articulated (20), comprising at one (21) of its free ends, said pressure roller, and at the other free end (23) a fixed axis (27) secured to a return member (24) integral with the printer frame, and a camshaft (26 ) comprising two cams (25.25 ') mounted in opposition, acting at the level of one of the arms of said double link (19), the camshaft (26) being actuated by an electric motor under the command of the micro- computer based either on the user's choice, when the two coils have supports of a different nature, or automatically when the supports are identical and the system detects the end of one of them by an appropriate detector, implying then the only unwinding of the other coil.  4 / Installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises, at the printer outlet (15), a cutting member (39), intended to cut the printing medium after printing according to the selected format, and a detection member (35) of said support, which, depending on the chosen format, induces the cutting of the support according to the desired format, and when the number of copies of texts to be produced is reached, causes the motorization to be deactivated ( 33,34) from the printer and removing the continuous media in the paper guide (32) at the front inlet of the printer.  5 / Installation according to claim 4, characterized in that the cutting member (39) is articulated along a horizontal axis (40), so as to define two different cutting places, and therefore two types of format.  6 / Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that an independent system, provided with two additional printing supports in the form of a reel (50,51) is reversibly attached to the frame supporting the printer (15 ).  7 / Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the system comprises two spools (50, 51) of print media of different nature, of parallel axes of rotation, driven independently and exclusively one with respect to the other, and to which is associated for each of them an independent motorisation member (52,54; 53,55), and at the end of which is mounted a detection member (56, 57) for passage of said support, prior to its routing through a single guide (61), at the rear entrance of the printer.  8 / Installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the guide (61) comprises a motorization (64, 65), as well as mounted after said motorization, two detection members separated from one another (66, 67).  9 / An installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the motorization (64, 65) of the guide (61) induces the progression of the printing medium at its level at a speed greater than that printed by the progression members (52, 55) coils, to always ensure a certain tension of said support.  10 / Installation according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the added system also comprises a cutting member (58), mounted between the motorization (64, 65) of the guide (61) and that (52, 55 ) of the respective printing media, and is actuated on the order of the microcomputer, as a function of the detection of said medium carried out by said detection members (66, 67) according to the type of format and the type of medium selected by the user.  11 / Installation according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the printer (15) has at its rear input, a motorization (48, 49) slaved to its internal motorization (33,34).  12 / Installation according to claim 11, characterized in that the drive (48, 49) of the rear inlet is constituted by a pair of motor and pressure rollers, said pressure roller (49) being activated in rotation by means of a belt or equivalent device (47) buckled on the pressure roller (34) of the front inlet, itself activated in rotation by friction by the motor roller (33) of the printer, the latter remaining the master roller in terms of speed, in order to ensure a uniform progression of the print medium at the level of the print head (A) of the printer.  13 / installation according to claim 12, characterized in that it is mounted between the two pairs of rollers, respectively of progression (48, 49) at the rear inlet and (33, 34) upstream of the head d printing (A) a guide (45,46) within the printer (15), intended to favor the change of orientation of the printing medium within the printer.  14 / Installation according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that it comprises after the print head has a conveyor (37), in particular constituted by an endless belt mounted between two return rollers, intended to allow the 'routing of the print medium cut to the desired format and printed at the receiving receptacle (13).  15 / Installation according to claim 14, characterized in that said conveyor (37) is associated with an air source (38), intended to press said cut and printed support on said conveyor, in order to optimize the action of that -this.