WO1991005665A1 - Imprimantes portables ameliorees - Google Patents

Imprimantes portables ameliorees Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1991005665A1
WO1991005665A1 PCT/GB1990/000976 GB9000976W WO9105665A1 WO 1991005665 A1 WO1991005665 A1 WO 1991005665A1 GB 9000976 W GB9000976 W GB 9000976W WO 9105665 A1 WO9105665 A1 WO 9105665A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
printer
wheel
printer according
base portion
housing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1990/000976
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Gary David Ross
Michael John Smith
Douglas Richard Watkins
Jonathon Patrick Eskdale
Original Assignee
Oyster Terminals Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Oyster Terminals Limited filed Critical Oyster Terminals Limited
Publication of WO1991005665A1 publication Critical patent/WO1991005665A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • 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
    • B41J3/36—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for portability, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers

Definitions

  • a hand-held printer having a generally flat base portion, a printing unit housed within the printer so as to be able to print through an aperture in the base portion, a command unit within the printer housing for instructing a sequence of characters to be printed by the printing unit, and a position transducer located within the printer housing for determining the extent of movement of the base portion across a surface with respect to a starting point and connected to the command unit to determine the instants of printing of characters as a function of said extent of movement.
  • Such a hand-held printer can be applied directly to a sheet or a document or a booklet on which information is to be printed and, subject to the issuance of a print command at a suitable time, as the printer is moved across the surface of the sheet, the relevant infor ⁇ mation will be printed.
  • the speed of movement of the printer over the sheet will not be critical because the position transducer will only allow printing of a char- acter when the printer has been moved by a required amount across the sheet.
  • the position transducer comprises a movable member projecting from the base portion to contact a surface to be printed and be moved with respect to the printer housing as the base portion is moved across the surface, and sensing means for registering the extent of movement of the movable member.
  • the movable member could be a wheel whose rim will grip the surface, and may have a friction tyre at the rim or a spiked rim. If the wheel is deformable under load, then it will provide a larger gripping surface.
  • the preferred arrangement however is for the movable member to be in the form of a caterpillar track passing round a driven wheel.
  • the movable member prefferably be a tape wound onto a wheel and able to be drawn out from the printer housing as the wheel rotates, whilst the free end of the tape is held static.
  • the sensing means registers the extent of rotation of the wheel.
  • the wheel could incorporate a circu ferentially disposed array of equally spaced slots, with light transmitting and receiving means positioned either side of the wheel in alignment with the circumferential array of slots, to sense the passage of the sequence of slots.
  • the position transducer comprises an optical sensor for registering an encoded grid pattern on a preprinted surface as viewed through the base portion, though this requires the printer to be used with specially preprinted paper.
  • the position transducer may be an absolute encoding device which will register the positional state of the printer.
  • a further example of a position transducer comprises an electromagnetic detection device for use with paper incorporating a coded magnetic pattern.
  • the printing unit could be of the impact type, but is most preferably in the form of an ink jet printing unit, including, for example, thermal,- electrostatic and direct discharge ink jet types of unit.
  • a thermal printing unit, other than of the ink jet type, is another possibility.
  • the command unit can incorporate a fixed command instruction or may be programmable to instruct a predetermined variable sequence of charact ⁇ ers. This could be associcated with a keypad for keying in the characters, either integrated with the printer or connected to a separate unit.
  • the printer housing may take any convenient shape, but two preferred constructions are for the printer housing to have a handle projecting upwardly away from the base position (rather in the manner of an enlarged pen) , or for the printer body to have the shape of a compact block for movement across a surface to be printed (in the nature of a so-called "mouse").
  • Figure 2 is a rear view of the printer with a part thereof cut away;
  • Figure 3 is a vertical section through the printer of Figures 1 and 2;
  • Figure 4 is an underneath plan view of the printer of Figures 1 to 3;
  • Figure 5 is a plan view of an alternative form of hand-held printer of this invention.
  • Figure 6 is a vertical section through the printer illustrated in Figure 5.
  • the printer illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 has a main housing 1 from which projects an upwardly extending handle 2. Within the housing portions 1 and 2 there are mounted an ink jet printer 3 and parts for control ⁇ ling operation of the printer. Printed circuit boards 4 and 5 are fed with signals through a cable 6 and carry electronic components for effecting necessary processing signals and creating drive control signals for the prin ⁇ ter 3. In this arrangement a separate keyboard unit (not shown) is provided to enable the user to prepare the sequence of characters which are to be printed by the printing unit 3 and this information is fed through the cable 6. The printer could be powered from the host unit through the cable 6. Alternatively the printer could have an inbuilt battery power pack.
  • a cradle module for connection to a mains power supply could be provided for mounting on electrical contacts on the printer for recharging the batteries.
  • Uith such a battery powered version data could be sent to the prin- ter via an infra-red, laser or other optical link, or by induction techniques, or radio or ultrasonic signalling thus removing the need for an electrical link between the printer and the host unit.
  • the printer When the printer is ready for use it is placed on to a sheet on which the printing is to occur so that an opening 7 in the base of the housing 1 is in the desired position. This opening 7 is immediately below the printing jet for the ink jet printer 3.
  • the printer grasped by the handle 2, is then moved sideways across the sheet and, in the process, causes a toothed belt 8 to be driven across the sheet. This belt then drives two wheels 9 and a main wheel 10 to cause rotation of a disc 11.
  • the disc 11 incorporates an array of slots 12 and the passage of light from a lamp 13 is sensed by a collector 14 which sends signals to the processor carried by the board 4.
  • the housing is shaped as a compact block 15 which can be gripped from above and moved across the sheet where printing is to occur.
  • This unit is more in the form of a so-called "mouse”.
  • an ink jet printer unit 3 printed circuit boards 4 and 5 and a battery 16.
  • the unit for sensing the position of the printer on a sheet comprises a wheel 17 (which is driven over the sheet surface as the printer is moved) which drives, through gearing, a disc 10 associated with an optical unit 19 for sensing the passage of slots in the disc.
  • a display device 20 which indicates the sequence of characters stored and which is to be printed.
  • a print button 21 is provided on the side of the housing and on the top there is a lamp 22 to indicate that the printer is in the ready state and a reset button 23.
  • Transparent align ent guides 24 at the two sides of the housing provide added stability and also indicate the line 25 along which printing is to occur. These guides could be removably attached so that they can be omitted if •- desired.
  • the ink jet printer unit 3 is provided as a means of providing the necessary printed output since it is virtually silent in operation, vibration free, and has a low power consumption. Also it can be used at ]Q distances of up to 5mm from the paper with very little deterioration in print quality. However, other forms of printer could be used. Dot-matrix or character- based impact printers have higher power consumptions with the result that a hand-held unit would not be able ic to accommodate the required battery power unit. Also, they are somewhat noisy and require the provision of a printing ribbon so that there could be difficulties in ensuring that the correct gap between the printing head and the paper is maintained. Thermal printers are also
  • the paper in the form of the caterpillar track 3 is preferred.
  • wheels may also be used (as shown in Figure 6) and to minimize slippage the wheel rim may have a friction tyre or a spiked rim.
  • the grip may be improved further by arranging that the wheel is deformable under load so as to increase the area of the rim in contact with the paper.
  • Another possible movement sensor is a coiled tape on a spring-loaded play-out spool. The free end of the tape would be held in position on the paper before the printing stroke was started, and as the printer sweeps across the page the tape would be pulled out from its spool to turn an encoder wheel whose movement would be sensed.
  • An optical sensor could be located in the base of the printer to detect an encoding grid printed on the surface of the paper.
  • the microcontroller in the printer would then count the transitions as lines passed beneath the detector to enable the controller to calculate the position of the print head on the grid. This would however require the printer to be used with purpose-designed stationery.
  • a fixed message could be embedded in the microcontroller. This could be carried, for example, on a pre-prepared card.
  • Time and date stamping (such as for the printing of sell-by dates) could be achieved by incorporating a real-time clock within the housing for the printer to enable the microcontroller to cal ⁇ culate the date or time to be provided.
  • the device will incorporate means for restricting printing to one direction only. This could be achieved electronically through the use of a quadrature detector. However this would not prevent the user from sliding the printer backwards between printing steps.
  • a mechanical device is therefore preferred, and this could readily be achieved by a roller clutch in the mechanism for the "caterpillar" track comprising the belt 8 and wheels 9 and 10.
  • the printer is not limited to a single printable font. Characters of various sizes can be printed up to the maximum height allowed by the print head. Different styles of printing can be accommodated. For example, by staggering the printing of each row of dots an italic font may be generated. Similarly a -bold font can be generated by thickening the vertical parts of each character by repeating the column printed.
  • printing can be applied, by the printer of this invention, to surfaces other than paper, such as plastics sheets, leather, or even carpet material.

Landscapes

  • Printers Characterized By Their Purpose (AREA)

Abstract

Un système d'impression comprend un carter principal (1) avec une poignée (2) dirigée vers le haut dans lequel sont montés les tableaux du circuit de commande (4, 5) servant à commander une imprimante à jet d'encre (3) selon des signaux acheminés par un câble d'alimentation (6) à partir d'un clavier informatisé. Etant donné que le carter (1) traverse une feuille de papier, une courroie dentée 8 actionne les roues (9 et 10) provoquant ainsi la rotation d'un disque (11). Ce disque comprend des fentes et le passage des fentes derrière une lampe (13) est détecté par un collecteur (14) aligné sur la lampe (13) et les signaux indiquant l'extension du mouvement de l'imprimante sur la feuille sont envoyés au circuit de commande (4). Ce circuit de commande détermine le fonctionnement de l'imprimante à jet d'encre (3) selon des séquences propres à créer une ligne de caractères prédéterminés sur la feuille.
PCT/GB1990/000976 1989-10-20 1990-06-25 Imprimantes portables ameliorees WO1991005665A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8923692.1 1989-10-20
GB898923692A GB8923692D0 (en) 1989-10-20 1989-10-20 Improvements in or relating to hand-held printers

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1991005665A1 true WO1991005665A1 (fr) 1991-05-02

Family

ID=10664912

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1990/000976 WO1991005665A1 (fr) 1989-10-20 1990-06-25 Imprimantes portables ameliorees

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU5946290A (fr)
GB (1) GB8923692D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1991005665A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU684457B2 (en) * 1992-03-03 1997-12-18 Ttp Group Plc Electronic marking instrument
EP1410916A1 (fr) * 2002-10-18 2004-04-21 Hewlett-Packard Company Dispositif hybride d'impression/pointage
GB2403454A (en) * 2003-06-30 2005-01-05 Hewlett Packard Development Co Apparatus and method for printing an image on a print medium
WO2005070684A1 (fr) 2004-01-15 2005-08-04 Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. Pinceau electronique explorateur, et distributeurs
US7083266B2 (en) 2002-10-30 2006-08-01 Lexmark International, Inc. Micro-miniature fluid jetting device
US8123349B2 (en) 2007-01-31 2012-02-28 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Automatic image color and contrast optimization system based on cartridge identification

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2300421A1 (de) * 1973-01-05 1974-07-11 Helmut Steinhilber Steuervorrichtung fuer den vorschub von formularen, belegen und dergl. an bueromaschinen
US4168533A (en) * 1976-01-14 1979-09-18 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Microcomputerized miniature postage meter
US4523235A (en) * 1982-01-11 1985-06-11 Jan Rajchman Electronic microcopier apparatus
JPS60240469A (ja) * 1984-05-16 1985-11-29 Hitachi Ltd プリンタ装置
WO1986005142A1 (fr) * 1985-03-01 1986-09-12 Benno Perren Dispositif de marquage et d'impression commande par ordinateur
EP0285024A1 (fr) * 1987-03-28 1988-10-05 Casio Computer Company Limited Dispositif d'impression portatif à commande manuelle

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2300421A1 (de) * 1973-01-05 1974-07-11 Helmut Steinhilber Steuervorrichtung fuer den vorschub von formularen, belegen und dergl. an bueromaschinen
US4168533A (en) * 1976-01-14 1979-09-18 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Microcomputerized miniature postage meter
US4523235A (en) * 1982-01-11 1985-06-11 Jan Rajchman Electronic microcopier apparatus
JPS60240469A (ja) * 1984-05-16 1985-11-29 Hitachi Ltd プリンタ装置
WO1986005142A1 (fr) * 1985-03-01 1986-09-12 Benno Perren Dispositif de marquage et d'impression commande par ordinateur
EP0285024A1 (fr) * 1987-03-28 1988-10-05 Casio Computer Company Limited Dispositif d'impression portatif à commande manuelle

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 10, no. 109 (M-472)(2166) 23 April 1986, & JP-A-60 240469 (NOBUO OONUKI) 29 November 1985, see the whole document *

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU684457B2 (en) * 1992-03-03 1997-12-18 Ttp Group Plc Electronic marking instrument
EP1410916A1 (fr) * 2002-10-18 2004-04-21 Hewlett-Packard Company Dispositif hybride d'impression/pointage
US7083266B2 (en) 2002-10-30 2006-08-01 Lexmark International, Inc. Micro-miniature fluid jetting device
GB2403454A (en) * 2003-06-30 2005-01-05 Hewlett Packard Development Co Apparatus and method for printing an image on a print medium
WO2005070684A1 (fr) 2004-01-15 2005-08-04 Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. Pinceau electronique explorateur, et distributeurs
US7815305B2 (en) 2004-01-15 2010-10-19 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Electronic paint brush with scanner and dispensers
US8123349B2 (en) 2007-01-31 2012-02-28 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Automatic image color and contrast optimization system based on cartridge identification

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8923692D0 (en) 1989-12-06
AU5946290A (en) 1991-05-16

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