US20010043350A1 - Hybrid printer, printer mounting base and printer that is mountable on printer mounting base - Google Patents
Hybrid printer, printer mounting base and printer that is mountable on printer mounting base Download PDFInfo
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- US20010043350A1 US20010043350A1 US08/867,539 US86753997A US2001043350A1 US 20010043350 A1 US20010043350 A1 US 20010043350A1 US 86753997 A US86753997 A US 86753997A US 2001043350 A1 US2001043350 A1 US 2001043350A1
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- printer
- section
- base
- transfer path
- printing
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
- B41J3/54—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed with two or more sets of type or printing elements
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a hybrid printer used in, for example, a POS (point-of-sales) system, and more particularly to a hybrid printer that is capable of printing on sheets of recording paper in various forms, such as, cut sheets of slip paper, rolled paper, thermal paper and the like.
- a slip printer for printing on slips of paper such as bills and the like, has been widely known. Since copies of an original paper may be required in printing by the slip printer, a serial printer that has a dot-impact type printing head is widely used as the slip printer.
- the slip printer Since there are a variety of slips of paper of different sizes, the slip printer, in many cases, has a paper transfer path which is opened at one end side thereof to accept slips of paper of different sizes. In other words, the paper transfer path has three opened sides in the paper feeding direction and at the one end side. Because of this, the slip printer often uses a structure in which a printing head and a mechanism for reciprocating the printing head are supported on a cantilever type frame.
- receipt printers for printing on sheets of receipt paper.
- One type of receipt printer using a thermal head for thermally printing on a rolled sheet of thermal paper is well known.
- each of the printing sections requires examination and adjustment (for example, adjustment of current pulse widths, adjustment of the platen gap and the like) specific to each of the printing sections.
- examination and adjustment for example, adjustment of current pulse widths, adjustment of the platen gap and the like
- the examination and adjustment after completion of the entire assembly are not favorable from the viewpoint of the work efficiency. This results in a longer manufacturing time for completing each product.
- the printer sections e.g., a first printer section and a second printer section
- the printer sections may be combined together and used in a hybrid printer, or may be used in an independent printer.
- a hybrid printer having the first and second printer sections a printer having only the first printer section, and a printer having only the second printer section.
- a housing for covering each of the printer sections and a circuit board for controlling each of the printer sections are required. This is not favorable from the viewpoint of reducing the cost and shortening the delivery time.
- a hybrid printer is preferably designed so that a receipt printing section for performing the receipt printing is disposed adjacent to a printing mechanism for a slip printing section for performing the slip printing.
- a cantilever for supporting the printing mechanism for the slip printing receives the weight of the receipt printing section in addition to the weight of the printing mechanism for the slip printing. Accordingly, the fixed end of the cantilever requires a substantial structural strength.
- the longer the cantilever that supports the printing mechanism the more a difference in the platen gap (the distance between the printing head and the platen) between the fixed end and the free end of the cantilever likely occurs.
- the platen gap is not accurately adjusted, the density of printed characters becomes uneven, resulting in a poor print quality.
- the heavier the load is applied to the cantilever the greater the tendency of the poor print quality develops.
- a hybrid printer has a first printer, a second printer and a printer mounting base capable of mounting these printers which are structured in a manner described below. Also, the printers used in a hybrid printer in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention and the printer mounting base for mounting the printers have the following characteristics.
- the first printer has a first printing section for printing on a first recording paper, a first transfer path for transferring the first recording paper to the first printing section, a first base having the first transfer path formed thereon, and a first cantilever for supporting the first printing section above the first base.
- a serial impact type print head is used for the printing section of the first printer, and a cut sheet of paper is used for the first recording paper.
- the second printer has a second printing section for printing on a second recording paper.
- the second recording paper is a rolled sheet of thermal paper, and a thermal printer is used for the second printing section.
- the printer mounting base has a second base, a second transfer path formed on the second base and a second cantilever fixed to the second base.
- the second printer is mountable on the second cantilever of the printer mounting base.
- the printer mounting base is mountable in the rear of the first printer, and the second transfer path is disposed on an extension line of the first transfer path and continuous to the first transfer path.
- the second printer is mounted on the second cantilever provided on the printer mounting base, which is different from the first cantilever having the first printing section.
- an excessive weight is not applied to the first cantilever.
- the weight of the first printing section is received by the first cantilever and the weight of the second printer is received by the second cantilever.
- This structure therefore prevents deterioration of the accuracy of the platen gap, i.e., the distance between the first printing section and the platen provided in the first transfer path.
- the following manufacturing process can be implemented as a result of the above described structure. Namely, the first printer and the second printer are manufactured on independent manufacturing lines, and adjusted and examined, independently from each other. Then, the first and second printers can be mounted on a printer mounting base when assembling a hybrid printer. As a result, the work efficiency is improved. Moreover, even when one of the printers is broken, the broken printer can readily be removed from the other. Accordingly, the maintenance work becomes easier.
- the first printer has a fixing end section for supporting the first cantilever and a first guide section provided adjacent to the fixing end section for guiding a side edge of the first recording paper.
- the printer has a fixing end section for supporting the second cantilever and a second guide section provided adjacent to the fixing end section for guiding a side edge of the first recording paper.
- the guide sections are disposed so that the second guide section is disposed on an extension line of the first guide section and continuous to the first guide section when the first printer is mounted on the mounting base.
- the first printer includes a housing that covers the first printing section and defines an aperture, a controller circuit for controlling the first printing section and a controller circuit for controlling the second printer.
- the second printer includes a housing that covers the second printing section and defines an aperture, and a driving device that drives the second printer. The apertures are located opposite to each other when the first printer and the second printer are mounted on the mounting base.
- the control device for controlling the second printer is connected to the driving device through the apertures.
- the first printer that can be combined with the second printer
- a housing without an aperture is prepared, or the aperture may be closed by a cover.
- a control board that has a controller circuit for controlling only the second printer and a second housing that covers the control board are prepared.
- the second housing is attached to an appropriate area, for example, the under side of the second printer.
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a hybrid printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a frontal perspective view of the overall structure of a slip printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 shows a front view of the overall structure of the slip printer shown in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the overall structure of the slip printer shown in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a receipt printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 shows a frontal perspective view of the external structure of a mounting base in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 shows a rear perspective view of the external structure of the mounting base shown in FIG. 6.
- FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a base section of the mounting base in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a cantilever section of the mounting base in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 shows a connection structure in which the base section and the cantilever section are connected to each other in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 shows a connection structure in which the base section and the cantilever section are connected to each other shown in FIG. 10 with a column of a display apparatus being inserted in the connection structure and supported by a column support member.
- FIG. 12 a shows a cross-sectional view of the hybrid printer shown in FIG. 1,
- FIG. 12 b shows a cross-sectional view of the slip printer shown in FIG. 2,
- FIG. 12 c shows a cross-sectional view of the receipt printer shown in FIG. 5.
- a hybrid printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 - 12 .
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a hybrid printer 1 .
- FIG. 12 a shows a cross-sectional view of the hybrid printer 1 shown in FIG. 1.
- the hybrid printer 1 in accordance with the present embodiment includes an impact type first printer 2 for printing on cut sheets of paper (hereinafter referred to as a slip printer), a thermal type second printer 3 for printing on a sheet of thermal paper provided in a roll (hereinafter referred to as a receipt printer), and a mounting base 4 that is connected to the rear of the slip printer 2 and that is adapted to mount the receipt printer 3 .
- a slip printer for printing on cut sheets of paper
- a thermal type second printer 3 for printing on a sheet of thermal paper provided in a roll
- a mounting base 4 that is connected to the rear of the slip printer 2 and that is adapted to mount the receipt printer 3 .
- the slip printer 2 , the receipt printer 3 and the mounting base 4 can be detachably assembled together.
- the slip printer 2 , the receipt printer 3 and the mounting base 4 are integrally designed so that they look like a single unit when they are assembled together, as shown in FIG. 1.
- FIGS. 2 - 4 show the overall structure of the slip printer 2 .
- FIG. 2 shows a frontal perspective view
- FIG. 3 shows a front view
- FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the slip printer 2 .
- the slip printer 2 is mainly formed from a base 20 (first base) and a printing section 21 that is supported by a cantilever mounted on the base 20 .
- the base section 20 is mainly formed from a document table 20 b that guides the insertion of a slip of paper to the printing section 21 , a paper feed drive roller 26 a for conveying a slip of paper, a platen 27 , a lower case 20 a and a circuit board 100 that is mounted inside the lower case 20 a.
- An operation panel 25 having control switches is provided adjacent to the document table 20 b in a corner section of the lower case 20 a .
- a power switch 24 is mounted in one corner section of the front surface of the lower case 20 a .
- a housing 2 A of the slip printer 2 is composed of the case 20 a , an upper case 21 a and a front cover 21 b , and is made of resin, such as, for example, ABS resin and the like.
- the printing section 21 is covered by the upper case 21 a and the front cover 21 b that is provided in the front side of the upper case 21 a .
- a guide shaft 22 b As shown in FIG. 3, a guide shaft 22 b , a carriage 22 c that is reciprocal along the guide shaft 22 b , and a serial dot impact type printing head 22 a mounted on the carriage 22 c are provided inside the cases 21 a and 21 b .
- the printing head 22 a uses an ink ribbon (not shown) to print on a slip of paper that is inserted and transferred to an area in front of the printing head 22 a.
- the guide shaft 22 b that supports and guides the printing head 22 a is supported by a cantilever frame 29 that has a fixed end on the side of the operation panel 25 .
- the frame 29 is fixed to a mounting section 20 d of the base 20 .
- a platen 27 is located at a position opposite to the printing head 22 a of the base 20 .
- a paper feed drive roller 26 a is provided in front of the platen 27 for transferring a slip of paper that is inserted.
- the case 21 b has a follower roller 26 b that is brought in contact with the drive roller 26 a when the case 21 b is closed.
- the slip of paper is pinched by the drive roller 22 a and follower roller 22 b .
- the slip of paper is advanced by the rotation of the drive roller 26 a through a first paper transfer path 23 defined between the document table 20 b and the printing section 21 .
- the drive roller 26 a can be protruded and retracted with respect to the paper transfer path 23 .
- the drive roller 26 a is retracted to a position shown in a phantom line of FIG. 12 a when a slip of paper is initially inserted.
- the drive roller 26 a and the follower roller 26 b are brought into contact and pinch the slip of paper.
- a first guide section 20 c for guiding one end of the inserted slip of paper is provided adjacent to the fixed end portion of the cantilever that supports the printing section 21 . Therefore, the paper transfer path 23 of the slip printer 2 is opened except the guide section 20 c provided adjacent to the fixed end side of the cantilever. In other words, the paper transfer path 23 has three open sides in the paper transfer direction and the paper width direction.
- the rear section of the upper case 21 a defines an opening 21 c .
- a relay board 25 is provided in the rear of the printing head 22 a within the printing section 21 .
- the relay board 25 connects signal lines 33 that are used to drive a thermal head 34 and a step motor 37 for driving a platen roller 35 provided within the receipt printer 3 to the control circuit 100 provided within the slip printer 2 .
- FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the exterior structure of the receipt printer 3 , which is a second printer in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.
- the receipt printer 3 is a printer apparatus for printing receipts that is used, for example, in the POS system.
- the receipt printer 3 prints on a sheet of thermal paper provided in a roll R by using the thermal head 34 to issue receipts.
- the receipt printer 3 has a rolled paper storage section for storing the rolled paper R, the platen roller 35 for transferring the rolled paper which is formed from a cylindrical rubber in accordance with an embodiment, the step motor 37 for rotating the platen roller, a pressure mechanism that presses the thermal head 34 to the platen roller 35 , and an auto-cutter 36 that is used for cutting printed receipts.
- the above-described parts are mounted within a housing 3 A.
- the housing 3 A is made of resin, such as, for example, ABS resin, and composed of an upper case 30 that covers the side sections of the receipt printer 3 and a cover 31 that covers the upper section of the receipt printer 3 . After a receipt is printed, the printed receipt is cut by the auto-cutter 36 and discharged through a discharge opening 32 .
- the upper case 30 defines in its front section an opening 38 that exposes connection terminals 33 a of FFCs 33 that are connected to the thermal head 34 , the motor 37 , and a motor (not shown) that drives the auto-cutter 36 .
- the connection terminals 33 a are connected to connectors provided on the relay board 25 shown in FIG. 4, when the receipt printer 3 is mounted on the printer mounting base 4 and is connected to the slip printer 1 .
- the lead wires are smoothly routed and the efficiency in device assembly is improved.
- the opposing openings 21 c and 38 are disposed adjacent to each other. As a result, the lead wires cannot be seen from outside, and the assembled printers externally look like a single printer.
- FIGS. 6 and 7 show the external structure of the mounting base 4 .
- FIG. 6 shows a rear perspective view of the mounting base 4
- FIG. 7 shows a frontal perspective view of the mounting base 4 .
- the mounting base 4 is formed from a mounting base section 40 and a cantilever section 41 that is fixed to and supported on the mounting base section 40 .
- the receipt printer 3 is mounted on the cantilever section 41 .
- the mounting base section 40 and the cantilever section 41 are made of resin, such as, for example, ABS resin or the like. After the mounting base section 40 and the cantilever section 41 are formed, these sections are assembled in a manner which will be described below. It is noted that FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the mounting base section 40 , and FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the cantilever section 41 .
- a plurality of cylindrical protruded sections 40 j are formed on the mounting base section 40 .
- the lower case 20 of the slip printer 2 has recessed sections 20 f , as shown in FIG. 4. Each of the recessed sections 20 f defines an aperture having a relatively small diameter.
- the recessed sections 20 f of the lower case 20 are coupled with the protruded sections 40 j of the mounting base 4 to connect the slip printer 3 to the mounting base 4 . Then, tapping screws are screwed from the rear side of the mounting base section 40 through the apertures of the protruded sections 40 j to fix the mounting base section 40 to the lower case 20 .
- a second transfer path 42 defined between the cantilever section 41 and the mounting base section 40 is connected to the first transfer path 23 of the slip printer 2 so that a continuous flat transfer path is formed.
- the surface of a mounting base document table 40 b and the surface of the document table 20 b are leveled with each other, and a guide section 40 i of the mounting base 40 is disposed on an extension line of the guide section 20 c and becomes continuous to the guide section 20 c of the slip printer.
- the mounting base section 40 is integrally formed from the lower case 40 a and the mounting base document table 40 b provided on the lower case 40 a .
- a groove section 40 h is provide between the lower case 40 a and the mounting base document table 40 b .
- the groove section 40 h is provided at the same height as that of a groove section that is defined between the lower case 20 a and the document table 20 b .
- a receiving base 40 c for fixing the cantilever section 41 is formed adjacent to one end of the document table 40 b of the mounting base section 40 .
- An aperture 40 e extending to the bottom section of the lower case 40 a is defined in the upper section of the receiving base 40 c .
- a circular rib 40 d is formed about the aperture 40 e.
- the cantilever section 41 is formed from a coupling section 41 a that is coupled to the receiving base 40 c and a beam section 41 b .
- the coupling section 41 a and the beam section 41 b are integrally formed from resin, such as, ABS resin.
- a printer support section 41 c for positioning and supporting the thermal printer 3 is provided over the beam section 41 b .
- An aperture 41 e shown in FIG. 10 is provided in the top section of the coupling section 41 a for receiving a column of a display apparatus.
- the aperture 41 e has substantially the same diameter of the aperture 40 e .
- the aperture 41 e is covered by a lid 45 . However, when a display apparatus is mounted, the lid 45 is removed.
- FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the receipt printer 3 mounted on the printer mounting base 4 and also shows a cross-sectional view of the coupled section between the mounting base section 40 and the cantilever section 41 .
- a claw 41 f formed in the coupling section 41 a of the cantilever section 41 is inserted in an aperture 40 f defined in the receiving base 40 c so that the movement of the cantilever section 41 in the vertical direction is restricted.
- a shoulder section 40 g of the receiving base 40 c abuts an abutting section 41 g of the coupling section 41 a so that the load applied to the beam section 41 b is mainly received by the shoulder section 40 g of the receiving base 40 c.
- the shoulder section 40 g receives the load applied to the beam section 41 b , and the claw 41 f receives the moment force acting in the beam section 41 b in the direction in which the mounting base transfer path 42 is narrowed.
- the receiving base 40 c and the coupling section 41 a are fixed to each other by screws (not shown).
- a cylindrical rib 41 d that engages the rib 40 d of the receiving base 40 c is formed inside the coupling section 41 a .
- the interior wall of the cylindrical rib 41 d engages the exterior wall of the rib 40 d which is cylindrical in a preferred embodiment.
- a column support member 43 is inserted from below in the bottom section of the coupling section 41 a , and a column 44 of a display apparatus is inserted from above in the apertures 40 e and 41 e of the printer mounting base 4 and coupled to the column support member 43 .
- the display apparatus is fixed to the printer mounting base.
- a customer display (not shown) for displaying the sum of prices of purchased products to the customers is pre-installed in an upper section of the column 44 .
- the peripheral wall of the column 44 engages the column support member 43 and the apertures 40 e and 41 e of the printer mounting base 4 . As a result, the column 44 does not tilt with respect to the printer mounting base 4 , and is mounted on the printer mounting base 4 with a sufficient mounting strength.
- the mounting base section 40 and the cantilever section 41 are more strongly connected to each other by the inserted column.
- the receipt printer 3 is mounted on the cantilever of the printer mounting base 4 . Therefore, an excessive load is not applied to the cantilever of the slip printer 2 . In other words, the load of each of the printer section of each of the printers is received by each of the cantilevers. Accordingly, the deterioration of accuracy in the platen gap (i.e., the distance between the printer section of the slip printer and the platen) is substantially prevented.
- FIGS. 12 a , 12 b and 12 c show cross-sectional views of printers in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 12 a shows a cross-sectional view of a hybrid printer that combines the slip printer 2 and the receipt printer 3 , FIG. 12 b shows a cross-sectional view of a printer embodiment using the slip printer 2 shown in FIG. 12 a as a single printer, and FIG. 12 c shows a cross-sectional view of a printer embodiment using the receipt printer 3 shown in FIG. 12 a as a single printer.
- the hybrid printer shown in FIG. 12 a has a built-in control board 100 .
- an input/output circuit 101 a processing circuit 102 , a drive circuit 104 for the slip printer, and a drive circuit 103 for the receipt printer are formed on the control board 100 .
- the input/output circuit 101 is connected through a serial or a parallel signal line 105 to a host, i.e., a host computer, and receives data and commands transmitted from the host, or transmits status data of the printer to the host.
- a host i.e., a host computer
- the processing circuit 102 controls the drive circuits 103 and 104 in response to commands or data transmitted from the host. In other words, the processing circuit 102 interprets a command transmitted from the host. When the command represents data for the slip printer, the processing circuit 102 sends the data to a buffer within the drive circuit 104 of the slip printer 2 . When the command represents data for the receipt printer, the processing circuit 102 sends the data to a buffer within the drive circuit 103 of the receipt printer 3 . Also, the processing circuit 102 transmits printer status data to the host through the input/output circuit 101 in response to the status of a sensor (not shown) for each of the printers that detects the presence or the absence of a recording paper.
- the drive circuit 104 for the slip printer is controlled by the processing circuit 102 , and includes a buffer for storing print data for printing on slip papers, a driver for driving the printing head 22 a , a driver for driving the motor 28 that is used for scanning the printing head in the direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction or driving the slip paper and the like.
- the drive circuit 103 for the receipt printer is controlled by the processing circuit 102 , and includes a buffer for storing print data for printing on a rolled receipt paper R, a driver for driving the thermal head 34 , a driver for driving the motor 37 that is used for driving the platen roller 35 to transfer the rolled paper R, a driver for driving the auto-cutter 36 that is used for cutting printed receipt paper and the like. Outputs from the drive circuit 103 are transferred to the motor 37 , the thermal head 35 and the auto-cutter 37 through the relay board 25 that is provided within the slip printer 2 .
- the drive circuit 103 that drives the receipt printer 3 is provided together with the other circuits on a single control board, i.e., the control circuit 100 within the slip printer 2 .
- a slip printer that can be mounted in a hybrid printer, can be used to manufacture an independent slip printer.
- the opening 21 c in the rear side of the slip printer 2 is simply covered by a cover 50 , as shown in FIG. 12 b.
- a control board having the drive circuit 103 that drives the receipt printer 3 may be used for the slip printer of the type described above without any functional problems. However, in order to lower the manufacturing cost, the control board 100 preferably does not have the drive circuit 103 mounted thereon. It is also noted that the relay board 25 is not particularly required when the independent slip printer of the type described above is manufactured.
- a receipt printer that can be mounted in a hybrid printer, can be used to manufacture an independent receipt printer.
- a control board 110 that is exclusively used for the receipt printer is mounted in the lower case 38 , as shown in FIG. 12 c .
- the receipt printer section 3 is mounted on the lower case 38 .
- the control board 110 , the thermal head 34 , the auto-cutter 36 and the motor 37 are electrically, functionally connected.
- the input/output circuit 101 , the processing circuit 102 and the drive circuits 103 and 104 , that are used in the control board 100 , are formed into a unit. Also, the control board 110 uses the input/output circuit 101 , the processing circuit 102 and the drive circuit 103 .
- the circuits and the housings use as many common parts as possible and designed as units so that the units can be combined according to the requirement.
- the per unit manufacturing cost of a printer can be reduced.
- each of the printers can be assembled, adjusted and examined on an independent assembly line. Then, the independently manufactured printers are mounted on a printer mounting base to assemble a hybrid printer. Such a manufacturing process improves the work efficiency. Moreover, even when one of the printers is broken, the broken printer can be readily removed from the rest of the printers. This facilitates the maintenance work.
- the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be implemented.
- a dot impact type printer is used as the slip printer.
- the present invention is not limited to this particular type, and a variety of printers of different types can be used.
- any one of printers of different types can be used as a printer that is mounted on a cantilever section.
- an ink jet type printer can also be mounted on the cantilever section.
- a substantial portion of the weight of the mounted printer is supported by the mounting base and does not substantially affect the cantilever section. Accordingly, the present invention is particularly effective for a dot impact type printer or an ink jet type printer in which the gap between a printer device and a recording paper influences the print quality.
- a hybrid printer of the present invention and a personal computer can be integrally formed into a unit.
- Such a structure contributes to broadening the range of utility and reducing the required installation space.
- a fist printing section is mounted on a first cantilever, and a second printer is mounted on a second cantilever fixed to a printer mounting base, which is different from the first cantilever.
- an excessive load is not applied to the first cantilever.
- the weight of the first printing section is received by the first cantilever and the weight of the second printer is received by the second cantilever.
- This structure therefore substantially prevents deterioration of the accuracy of the platen gap (i.e., the distance between the first printing section and a platen provided in a first transfer path).
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a hybrid printer used in, for example, a POS (point-of-sales) system, and more particularly to a hybrid printer that is capable of printing on sheets of recording paper in various forms, such as, cut sheets of slip paper, rolled paper, thermal paper and the like.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- A slip printer for printing on slips of paper, such as bills and the like, has been widely known. Since copies of an original paper may be required in printing by the slip printer, a serial printer that has a dot-impact type printing head is widely used as the slip printer.
- Since there are a variety of slips of paper of different sizes, the slip printer, in many cases, has a paper transfer path which is opened at one end side thereof to accept slips of paper of different sizes. In other words, the paper transfer path has three opened sides in the paper feeding direction and at the one end side. Because of this, the slip printer often uses a structure in which a printing head and a mechanism for reciprocating the printing head are supported on a cantilever type frame.
- Also, there are receipt printers for printing on sheets of receipt paper. One type of receipt printer using a thermal head for thermally printing on a rolled sheet of thermal paper is well known.
- In recent years, the POS systems have become more popular. In this connection, hybrid printers incorporating at least the above-described two types of printers are on greater demand from the view point of reducing the required space in retail stores.
- However, when the two printing sections are mounted in a common housing of the hybrid printer, the following problems arise.
- When a printer having a plurality of printing sections is manufactured, each of the printing sections requires examination and adjustment (for example, adjustment of current pulse widths, adjustment of the platen gap and the like) specific to each of the printing sections. However, the examination and adjustment after completion of the entire assembly are not favorable from the viewpoint of the work efficiency. This results in a longer manufacturing time for completing each product.
- Also, in the case of a breakdown of the printer, different parts for each of the printing sections have to be replaced, and independent repair work is required for each of the printing sections. As a consequence, it takes a longer time for the maintenance work.
- Furthermore, the printer sections (e.g., a first printer section and a second printer section), that can be used in a hybrid printer, may be combined together and used in a hybrid printer, or may be used in an independent printer. In other words, there are cases of manufacturing a hybrid printer having the first and second printer sections, a printer having only the first printer section, and a printer having only the second printer section. For all of these printer types, a housing for covering each of the printer sections and a circuit board for controlling each of the printer sections are required. This is not favorable from the viewpoint of reducing the cost and shortening the delivery time.
- From the view point of the required space reduction, a hybrid printer is preferably designed so that a receipt printing section for performing the receipt printing is disposed adjacent to a printing mechanism for a slip printing section for performing the slip printing. As a result, a cantilever for supporting the printing mechanism for the slip printing receives the weight of the receipt printing section in addition to the weight of the printing mechanism for the slip printing. Accordingly, the fixed end of the cantilever requires a substantial structural strength.
- Moreover, the longer the cantilever that supports the printing mechanism, the more a difference in the platen gap (the distance between the printing head and the platen) between the fixed end and the free end of the cantilever likely occurs. When the platen gap is not accurately adjusted, the density of printed characters becomes uneven, resulting in a poor print quality. In other words, the heavier the load is applied to the cantilever, the greater the tendency of the poor print quality develops.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide a low manufacturing cost hybrid printer that is easy to assemble and maintain. It is another object of the present invention to provide a hybrid printer that requires a smaller installation area.
- In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a hybrid printer has a first printer, a second printer and a printer mounting base capable of mounting these printers which are structured in a manner described below. Also, the printers used in a hybrid printer in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention and the printer mounting base for mounting the printers have the following characteristics.
- The first printer has a first printing section for printing on a first recording paper, a first transfer path for transferring the first recording paper to the first printing section, a first base having the first transfer path formed thereon, and a first cantilever for supporting the first printing section above the first base. For example, a serial impact type print head is used for the printing section of the first printer, and a cut sheet of paper is used for the first recording paper.
- The second printer has a second printing section for printing on a second recording paper. In an embodiment, the second recording paper is a rolled sheet of thermal paper, and a thermal printer is used for the second printing section.
- The printer mounting base has a second base, a second transfer path formed on the second base and a second cantilever fixed to the second base.
- The second printer is mountable on the second cantilever of the printer mounting base. The printer mounting base is mountable in the rear of the first printer, and the second transfer path is disposed on an extension line of the first transfer path and continuous to the first transfer path.
- In this manner, the second printer is mounted on the second cantilever provided on the printer mounting base, which is different from the first cantilever having the first printing section. As a result, an excessive weight is not applied to the first cantilever. In other words, the weight of the first printing section is received by the first cantilever and the weight of the second printer is received by the second cantilever. This structure therefore prevents deterioration of the accuracy of the platen gap, i.e., the distance between the first printing section and the platen provided in the first transfer path.
- Also, the following manufacturing process can be implemented as a result of the above described structure. Namely, the first printer and the second printer are manufactured on independent manufacturing lines, and adjusted and examined, independently from each other. Then, the first and second printers can be mounted on a printer mounting base when assembling a hybrid printer. As a result, the work efficiency is improved. Moreover, even when one of the printers is broken, the broken printer can readily be removed from the other. Accordingly, the maintenance work becomes easier.
- Also, the first printer has a fixing end section for supporting the first cantilever and a first guide section provided adjacent to the fixing end section for guiding a side edge of the first recording paper. The printer has a fixing end section for supporting the second cantilever and a second guide section provided adjacent to the fixing end section for guiding a side edge of the first recording paper. The guide sections are disposed so that the second guide section is disposed on an extension line of the first guide section and continuous to the first guide section when the first printer is mounted on the mounting base. As a result, cut sheets are securely and correctly guided along the first guide section and the second guide section.
- Moreover, the first printer includes a housing that covers the first printing section and defines an aperture, a controller circuit for controlling the first printing section and a controller circuit for controlling the second printer. The second printer includes a housing that covers the second printing section and defines an aperture, and a driving device that drives the second printer. The apertures are located opposite to each other when the first printer and the second printer are mounted on the mounting base.
- When a hybrid printer is manufactured by using the first and the second printers, the control device for controlling the second printer is connected to the driving device through the apertures.
- On the other hand, when the first printer, that can be combined with the second printer, is manufactured as a stand-alone printer, a housing without an aperture is prepared, or the aperture may be closed by a cover. Also, when the second printer, that can be combined with the first printer, is manufactured as a stand-alone printer, a control board that has a controller circuit for controlling only the second printer and a second housing that covers the control board are prepared. The second housing is attached to an appropriate area, for example, the under side of the second printer.
- Accordingly, when three types of printers including a hybrid printer are manufactured, many components including the housing, the circuit board and the like can be commonly used. As a result, the manufacturing cost is lowered, and different kinds of printers that meet the different demands can be manufactured in a relatively short delivery time.
- Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, various features of embodiments of the invention.
- A detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a hybrid printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a frontal perspective view of the overall structure of a slip printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 shows a front view of the overall structure of the slip printer shown in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the overall structure of the slip printer shown in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a receipt printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 shows a frontal perspective view of the external structure of a mounting base in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 shows a rear perspective view of the external structure of the mounting base shown in FIG. 6.
- FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a base section of the mounting base in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a cantilever section of the mounting base in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 shows a connection structure in which the base section and the cantilever section are connected to each other in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 shows a connection structure in which the base section and the cantilever section are connected to each other shown in FIG. 10 with a column of a display apparatus being inserted in the connection structure and supported by a column support member.
- FIG. 12a shows a cross-sectional view of the hybrid printer shown in FIG. 1,
- FIG. 12b shows a cross-sectional view of the slip printer shown in FIG. 2, and
- FIG. 12c shows a cross-sectional view of the receipt printer shown in FIG. 5.
- A hybrid printer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.1-12.
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the external structure of a
hybrid printer 1. FIG. 12a shows a cross-sectional view of thehybrid printer 1 shown in FIG. 1. - As shown in FIG. 1, the
hybrid printer 1 in accordance with the present embodiment includes an impact typefirst printer 2 for printing on cut sheets of paper (hereinafter referred to as a slip printer), a thermal typesecond printer 3 for printing on a sheet of thermal paper provided in a roll (hereinafter referred to as a receipt printer), and a mountingbase 4 that is connected to the rear of theslip printer 2 and that is adapted to mount thereceipt printer 3. - The
slip printer 2, thereceipt printer 3 and the mountingbase 4 can be detachably assembled together. Theslip printer 2, thereceipt printer 3 and the mountingbase 4 are integrally designed so that they look like a single unit when they are assembled together, as shown in FIG. 1. - FIGS.2-4 show the overall structure of the
slip printer 2. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a frontal perspective view, FIG. 3 shows a front view, and FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of theslip printer 2. - As shown in FIG. 2, the
slip printer 2 is mainly formed from a base 20 (first base) and aprinting section 21 that is supported by a cantilever mounted on thebase 20. As shown in FIG. 12a, thebase section 20 is mainly formed from a document table 20 b that guides the insertion of a slip of paper to theprinting section 21, a paperfeed drive roller 26 a for conveying a slip of paper, aplaten 27, alower case 20 a and acircuit board 100 that is mounted inside thelower case 20 a. - An
operation panel 25 having control switches is provided adjacent to the document table 20 b in a corner section of thelower case 20 a. Apower switch 24 is mounted in one corner section of the front surface of thelower case 20 a. Ahousing 2A of theslip printer 2 is composed of thecase 20 a, anupper case 21 a and afront cover 21 b, and is made of resin, such as, for example, ABS resin and the like. - The
printing section 21 is covered by theupper case 21 a and thefront cover 21 b that is provided in the front side of theupper case 21 a. As shown in FIG. 3, aguide shaft 22 b, acarriage 22 c that is reciprocal along theguide shaft 22 b, and a serial dot impacttype printing head 22 a mounted on thecarriage 22 c are provided inside thecases printing head 22 a uses an ink ribbon (not shown) to print on a slip of paper that is inserted and transferred to an area in front of theprinting head 22 a. - The
guide shaft 22 b that supports and guides theprinting head 22 a is supported by acantilever frame 29 that has a fixed end on the side of theoperation panel 25. Theframe 29 is fixed to a mountingsection 20 d of thebase 20. - As shown in FIG. 12a, a
platen 27 is located at a position opposite to theprinting head 22 a of thebase 20. A paperfeed drive roller 26 a is provided in front of theplaten 27 for transferring a slip of paper that is inserted. Thecase 21 b has afollower roller 26 b that is brought in contact with thedrive roller 26 a when thecase 21 b is closed. When a slip of paper is inserted from the front side of the document table 20 b, the slip of paper is pinched by thedrive roller 22 a andfollower roller 22 b. The slip of paper is advanced by the rotation of thedrive roller 26 a through a firstpaper transfer path 23 defined between the document table 20 b and theprinting section 21. Thedrive roller 26 a can be protruded and retracted with respect to thepaper transfer path 23. Thedrive roller 26 a is retracted to a position shown in a phantom line of FIG. 12a when a slip of paper is initially inserted. When a slip of paper is further inserted, thedrive roller 26 a and thefollower roller 26 b are brought into contact and pinch the slip of paper. - As shown in FIG. 3, a
first guide section 20 c for guiding one end of the inserted slip of paper is provided adjacent to the fixed end portion of the cantilever that supports theprinting section 21. Therefore, thepaper transfer path 23 of theslip printer 2 is opened except theguide section 20 c provided adjacent to the fixed end side of the cantilever. In other words, thepaper transfer path 23 has three open sides in the paper transfer direction and the paper width direction. - As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 12a, the rear section of the
upper case 21 a defines anopening 21 c. Arelay board 25 is provided in the rear of theprinting head 22 a within theprinting section 21. Therelay board 25 connectssignal lines 33 that are used to drive athermal head 34 and astep motor 37 for driving aplaten roller 35 provided within thereceipt printer 3 to thecontrol circuit 100 provided within theslip printer 2. - FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the exterior structure of the
receipt printer 3, which is a second printer in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. - The
receipt printer 3 is a printer apparatus for printing receipts that is used, for example, in the POS system. - As shown in FIG. 12a, the
receipt printer 3 prints on a sheet of thermal paper provided in a roll R by using thethermal head 34 to issue receipts. - In addition to the
thermal head 34, thereceipt printer 3 has a rolled paper storage section for storing the rolled paper R, theplaten roller 35 for transferring the rolled paper which is formed from a cylindrical rubber in accordance with an embodiment, thestep motor 37 for rotating the platen roller, a pressure mechanism that presses thethermal head 34 to theplaten roller 35, and an auto-cutter 36 that is used for cutting printed receipts. - The above-described parts are mounted within a
housing 3A. Thehousing 3A is made of resin, such as, for example, ABS resin, and composed of anupper case 30 that covers the side sections of thereceipt printer 3 and acover 31 that covers the upper section of thereceipt printer 3. After a receipt is printed, the printed receipt is cut by the auto-cutter 36 and discharged through adischarge opening 32. - As shown in FIG. 5, the
upper case 30 defines in its front section anopening 38 that exposesconnection terminals 33 a ofFFCs 33 that are connected to thethermal head 34, themotor 37, and a motor (not shown) that drives the auto-cutter 36. Theconnection terminals 33 a are connected to connectors provided on therelay board 25 shown in FIG. 4, when thereceipt printer 3 is mounted on theprinter mounting base 4 and is connected to theslip printer 1. - By the structure described above, the lead wires are smoothly routed and the efficiency in device assembly is improved. In the hybrid printer of the present invention, after connecting the lead wires that are exposed through the
openings openings - FIGS. 6 and 7 show the external structure of the mounting
base 4. FIG. 6 shows a rear perspective view of the mountingbase 4, and FIG. 7 shows a frontal perspective view of the mountingbase 4. - As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the mounting
base 4 is formed from a mountingbase section 40 and acantilever section 41 that is fixed to and supported on the mountingbase section 40. Thereceipt printer 3 is mounted on thecantilever section 41. The mountingbase section 40 and thecantilever section 41 are made of resin, such as, for example, ABS resin or the like. After the mountingbase section 40 and thecantilever section 41 are formed, these sections are assembled in a manner which will be described below. It is noted that FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the mountingbase section 40, and FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of thecantilever section 41. - As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of cylindrical protruded
sections 40 j, each defining an aperture, are formed on the mountingbase section 40. Thelower case 20 of theslip printer 2 has recessedsections 20 f, as shown in FIG. 4. Each of the recessedsections 20 f defines an aperture having a relatively small diameter. The recessedsections 20 f of thelower case 20 are coupled with the protrudedsections 40 j of the mountingbase 4 to connect theslip printer 3 to the mountingbase 4. Then, tapping screws are screwed from the rear side of the mountingbase section 40 through the apertures of the protrudedsections 40 j to fix the mountingbase section 40 to thelower case 20. - In this manner, the fixed end section of the
cantilever section 41 and the fixed end section of theslip printer 1 are aligned with each other, and the mountingbase 4 is fixed to the rear side of theslip printer 2. - As a result, a
second transfer path 42 defined between thecantilever section 41 and the mountingbase section 40 is connected to thefirst transfer path 23 of theslip printer 2 so that a continuous flat transfer path is formed. In other words, as shown in FIG. 1, the surface of a mounting base document table 40 b and the surface of the document table 20 b are leveled with each other, and aguide section 40 i of the mountingbase 40 is disposed on an extension line of theguide section 20 c and becomes continuous to theguide section 20 c of the slip printer. - As shown in FIG. 8, the mounting
base section 40 is integrally formed from thelower case 40 a and the mounting base document table 40 b provided on thelower case 40 a. Agroove section 40 h is provide between thelower case 40 a and the mounting base document table 40 b. Thegroove section 40 h is provided at the same height as that of a groove section that is defined between thelower case 20 a and the document table 20 b. As a result, when theslip printer 2 and the mountingbase 4 are assembled together, they externally look like a single printer. - As shown in FIG. 8, a receiving
base 40 c for fixing thecantilever section 41 is formed adjacent to one end of the document table 40 b of the mountingbase section 40. Anaperture 40 e extending to the bottom section of thelower case 40 a is defined in the upper section of the receivingbase 40 c. Acircular rib 40 d is formed about theaperture 40 e. - As shown in FIG. 9, the
cantilever section 41 is formed from acoupling section 41 a that is coupled to the receivingbase 40 c and abeam section 41 b. Thecoupling section 41 a and thebeam section 41 b are integrally formed from resin, such as, ABS resin. Aprinter support section 41 c for positioning and supporting thethermal printer 3 is provided over thebeam section 41 b. Anaperture 41 e shown in FIG. 10 is provided in the top section of thecoupling section 41 a for receiving a column of a display apparatus. Theaperture 41 e has substantially the same diameter of theaperture 40 e. Theaperture 41 e is covered by alid 45. However, when a display apparatus is mounted, thelid 45 is removed. - A method of connecting the mounting
base section 40 and thecantilever section 41 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. - FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the
receipt printer 3 mounted on theprinter mounting base 4 and also shows a cross-sectional view of the coupled section between the mountingbase section 40 and thecantilever section 41. - A claw41 f formed in the
coupling section 41 a of thecantilever section 41 is inserted in anaperture 40 f defined in the receivingbase 40 c so that the movement of thecantilever section 41 in the vertical direction is restricted. On the other hand, ashoulder section 40 g of the receivingbase 40 c abuts an abuttingsection 41 g of thecoupling section 41 a so that the load applied to thebeam section 41 b is mainly received by theshoulder section 40 g of the receivingbase 40 c. - In this manner, the
shoulder section 40 g receives the load applied to thebeam section 41 b, and the claw 41 f receives the moment force acting in thebeam section 41 b in the direction in which the mountingbase transfer path 42 is narrowed. As a result, even when a large load is applied to the beam section, bending of thebeam section 41 b is prevented. To prevent separation of theshoulder section 40 g from the abuttingsection 41 g, the receivingbase 40 c and thecoupling section 41 a are fixed to each other by screws (not shown). - Further, in accordance with the present embodiment, a
cylindrical rib 41 d that engages therib 40 d of the receivingbase 40 c is formed inside thecoupling section 41 a. In other words, the interior wall of thecylindrical rib 41 d engages the exterior wall of therib 40 d which is cylindrical in a preferred embodiment. By the engagement of theribs base section 40 and thecantilever section 41 are more strongly connected to each other. - Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11, a
column support member 43 is inserted from below in the bottom section of thecoupling section 41 a, and acolumn 44 of a display apparatus is inserted from above in theapertures printer mounting base 4 and coupled to thecolumn support member 43. As a result, the display apparatus is fixed to the printer mounting base. It is noted that a customer display (not shown) for displaying the sum of prices of purchased products to the customers is pre-installed in an upper section of thecolumn 44. - The peripheral wall of the
column 44 engages thecolumn support member 43 and theapertures printer mounting base 4. As a result, thecolumn 44 does not tilt with respect to theprinter mounting base 4, and is mounted on theprinter mounting base 4 with a sufficient mounting strength. - Moreover, the mounting
base section 40 and thecantilever section 41 are more strongly connected to each other by the inserted column. - The
receipt printer 3 is mounted on the cantilever of theprinter mounting base 4. Therefore, an excessive load is not applied to the cantilever of theslip printer 2. In other words, the load of each of the printer section of each of the printers is received by each of the cantilevers. Accordingly, the deterioration of accuracy in the platen gap (i.e., the distance between the printer section of the slip printer and the platen) is substantially prevented. - FIGS. 12a, 12 b and 12 c show cross-sectional views of printers in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 12a shows a cross-sectional view of a hybrid printer that combines the
slip printer 2 and thereceipt printer 3, FIG. 12b shows a cross-sectional view of a printer embodiment using theslip printer 2 shown in FIG. 12a as a single printer, and FIG. 12c shows a cross-sectional view of a printer embodiment using thereceipt printer 3 shown in FIG. 12a as a single printer. - The hybrid printer shown in FIG. 12a has a built-in
control board 100. In the illustrated embodiment, an input/output circuit 101, aprocessing circuit 102, a drive circuit 104 for the slip printer, and adrive circuit 103 for the receipt printer are formed on thecontrol board 100. - The input/
output circuit 101 is connected through a serial or aparallel signal line 105 to a host, i.e., a host computer, and receives data and commands transmitted from the host, or transmits status data of the printer to the host. - The
processing circuit 102 controls thedrive circuits 103 and 104 in response to commands or data transmitted from the host. In other words, theprocessing circuit 102 interprets a command transmitted from the host. When the command represents data for the slip printer, theprocessing circuit 102 sends the data to a buffer within the drive circuit 104 of theslip printer 2. When the command represents data for the receipt printer, theprocessing circuit 102 sends the data to a buffer within thedrive circuit 103 of thereceipt printer 3. Also, theprocessing circuit 102 transmits printer status data to the host through the input/output circuit 101 in response to the status of a sensor (not shown) for each of the printers that detects the presence or the absence of a recording paper. - The drive circuit104 for the slip printer is controlled by the
processing circuit 102, and includes a buffer for storing print data for printing on slip papers, a driver for driving theprinting head 22 a, a driver for driving themotor 28 that is used for scanning the printing head in the direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction or driving the slip paper and the like. - The
drive circuit 103 for the receipt printer is controlled by theprocessing circuit 102, and includes a buffer for storing print data for printing on a rolled receipt paper R, a driver for driving thethermal head 34, a driver for driving themotor 37 that is used for driving theplaten roller 35 to transfer the rolled paper R, a driver for driving the auto-cutter 36 that is used for cutting printed receipt paper and the like. Outputs from thedrive circuit 103 are transferred to themotor 37, thethermal head 35 and the auto-cutter 37 through therelay board 25 that is provided within theslip printer 2. - In this manner, the
drive circuit 103 that drives thereceipt printer 3 is provided together with the other circuits on a single control board, i.e., thecontrol circuit 100 within theslip printer 2. - A slip printer, that can be mounted in a hybrid printer, can be used to manufacture an independent slip printer. To make such a slip printer, the
opening 21 c in the rear side of theslip printer 2 is simply covered by acover 50, as shown in FIG. 12b. - A control board having the
drive circuit 103 that drives thereceipt printer 3 may be used for the slip printer of the type described above without any functional problems. However, in order to lower the manufacturing cost, thecontrol board 100 preferably does not have thedrive circuit 103 mounted thereon. It is also noted that therelay board 25 is not particularly required when the independent slip printer of the type described above is manufactured. - A receipt printer, that can be mounted in a hybrid printer, can be used to manufacture an independent receipt printer. To make such a receipt printer, a
control board 110 that is exclusively used for the receipt printer is mounted in thelower case 38, as shown in FIG. 12c. Thereceipt printer section 3 is mounted on thelower case 38. Thecontrol board 110, thethermal head 34, the auto-cutter 36 and themotor 37 are electrically, functionally connected. - The input/
output circuit 101, theprocessing circuit 102 and thedrive circuits 103 and 104, that are used in thecontrol board 100, are formed into a unit. Also, thecontrol board 110 uses the input/output circuit 101, theprocessing circuit 102 and thedrive circuit 103. - In this manner, the circuits and the housings use as many common parts as possible and designed as units so that the units can be combined according to the requirement. As a result, the per unit manufacturing cost of a printer can be reduced. Further, each of the printers can be assembled, adjusted and examined on an independent assembly line. Then, the independently manufactured printers are mounted on a printer mounting base to assemble a hybrid printer. Such a manufacturing process improves the work efficiency. Moreover, even when one of the printers is broken, the broken printer can be readily removed from the rest of the printers. This facilitates the maintenance work.
- It is noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be implemented. For example, in the above-described embodiments, a dot impact type printer is used as the slip printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this particular type, and a variety of printers of different types can be used.
- Moreover, any one of printers of different types can be used as a printer that is mounted on a cantilever section. For example, in addition to the thermal transfer type printer described above, an ink jet type printer can also be mounted on the cantilever section. Also, in accordance with the present invention, a substantial portion of the weight of the mounted printer is supported by the mounting base and does not substantially affect the cantilever section. Accordingly, the present invention is particularly effective for a dot impact type printer or an ink jet type printer in which the gap between a printer device and a recording paper influences the print quality.
- Furthermore, a hybrid printer of the present invention and a personal computer can be integrally formed into a unit. Such a structure contributes to broadening the range of utility and reducing the required installation space.
- As described above, a fist printing section is mounted on a first cantilever, and a second printer is mounted on a second cantilever fixed to a printer mounting base, which is different from the first cantilever. As a result, an excessive load is not applied to the first cantilever. In other words, the weight of the first printing section is received by the first cantilever and the weight of the second printer is received by the second cantilever. This structure therefore substantially prevents deterioration of the accuracy of the platen gap (i.e., the distance between the first printing section and a platen provided in a first transfer path).
- While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
- The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
Claims (16)
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US7693803B1 (en) * | 2005-12-30 | 2010-04-06 | Stamps.Com Inc. | Hybrid postage printer systems and methods |
US20110320297A1 (en) * | 2010-06-23 | 2011-12-29 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Prepaid card processing device, prepaid card processing system, and processing method for a prepaid card device |
US20160347096A1 (en) * | 2011-03-15 | 2016-12-01 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Multifunction printing device |
US9965903B2 (en) | 2006-12-27 | 2018-05-08 | Stamps.Com Inc. | Postage metering with accumulated postage |
US10431013B2 (en) | 2005-12-30 | 2019-10-01 | Stamps.Com Inc. | High speed printing |
US10713634B1 (en) | 2011-05-18 | 2020-07-14 | Stamps.Com Inc. | Systems and methods using mobile communication handsets for providing postage |
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JP2002264452A (en) * | 2001-03-09 | 2002-09-18 | Riso Kagaku Corp | Printer and printing method |
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- 1997-06-02 US US08/867,539 patent/US6421133B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-06-04 EP EP97109021A patent/EP0811502B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-06-04 CN CN97114911A patent/CN1096362C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1997-06-04 DE DE69702951T patent/DE69702951T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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US7693803B1 (en) * | 2005-12-30 | 2010-04-06 | Stamps.Com Inc. | Hybrid postage printer systems and methods |
US10431013B2 (en) | 2005-12-30 | 2019-10-01 | Stamps.Com Inc. | High speed printing |
US10504298B2 (en) | 2005-12-30 | 2019-12-10 | Stamps.Com Inc. | High speed printing |
US9965903B2 (en) | 2006-12-27 | 2018-05-08 | Stamps.Com Inc. | Postage metering with accumulated postage |
US20110320297A1 (en) * | 2010-06-23 | 2011-12-29 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Prepaid card processing device, prepaid card processing system, and processing method for a prepaid card device |
US20160347096A1 (en) * | 2011-03-15 | 2016-12-01 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Multifunction printing device |
US9701142B2 (en) * | 2011-03-15 | 2017-07-11 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Multifunction printing device |
US10713634B1 (en) | 2011-05-18 | 2020-07-14 | Stamps.Com Inc. | Systems and methods using mobile communication handsets for providing postage |
US11544692B1 (en) | 2011-05-18 | 2023-01-03 | Auctane, Inc. | Systems and methods using mobile communication handsets for providing postage |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0811502B1 (en) | 2000-08-30 |
DE69702951D1 (en) | 2000-10-05 |
KR980000938A (en) | 1998-03-30 |
EP0811502A2 (en) | 1997-12-10 |
HK1008197A1 (en) | 1999-05-07 |
US6421133B2 (en) | 2002-07-16 |
CN1096362C (en) | 2002-12-18 |
TW374372U (en) | 1999-11-11 |
EP0811502A3 (en) | 1998-08-05 |
DE69702951T2 (en) | 2001-02-22 |
KR100249587B1 (en) | 2000-04-01 |
CN1170666A (en) | 1998-01-21 |
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