WO1992018948A1

WO1992018948A1 - Dot-matrix printer

Info

Publication number: WO1992018948A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000276
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sture Jansson
Original assignee: Etag Electronic Totalisator Ag
Priority date: 1991-04-18
Filing date: 1991-04-18
Publication date: 1992-10-29

Abstract

The invention concerns an improved printer (2), particularly intended to print tickets, receipts, and the like. The printer (2) comprises a print head (3, 3a, 3b) which is movable over a web (5) in a plane which is parallel to the web (5) and in a direction which forms an angle with the direction of advancement (x-axis direction) of the web (5). The print head (3, 3a, 3b) is also disposed over the web (5) in a position forming an angle with both the direction of advancement (x-axis direction) of the web (5) and the direction of movement (y-axis direction) of the print head (3, 3a, 3b).

Description

DOT-MATRIX PRINTER

The subject invention concerns an improved printer, such as a dot-matrix printer, and preferably a printer designed to print tickets, receipts and similar substrates and comprising a print head which is positioned above a web being advanced in one direction below the print head and which print head is arranged to provide the web or sheets forwarded on said web with discrete characters or rows of characters.

Printers arranged in stationary positions above a web moving below the printer, are already known. The printer has an elongate print head which is positioned in a plane in parallel with the web and at right angles to the direction of web advancement. The printer applies letters, chipers and other characters on the web or on sheets being forwarded thereon under careful web guidance and careful web advancement control. This printer thus is able to apply words or rows of text in the lengthwise direction of the web only. When a plurality of rows of text are required, it is necessary to arrange several print heads over the web.

Printers are also known which are provided with an elongate print head positioned above a web in alignment with the direction of advancement of the web and arranged to be moved perpendicularly to the direction of advancement. Consequently, this kind of printer is arranged to provide the web, or the sheets being forwarded thereon, with rows of texts in the crosswise direction, and the web is advanced intermittently after completed printing of each individual row, during which web advancement the print head interrupts its printing operation.

Up-to-date printers are very compact units. Consequently, it is not possible to turn the print head over 90° in a simple manner. Instead, the printer must be re-designed from one alternative to the next. To do so is too time-consuming to be practically reasonable. In case the printer has an ink ribbon magazine for advancement of the ink ribbon between the print head and the web, this magazine, too, must be re-arranged in accordance with the new print head design, with ensuing additional re-design complications.

The subject invention provides an improved printer wherein the problems outlined in the aforegoing have been eliminated. The features characterizing the printer in accordance with the invention are defined in the appended claims. With the printer in accordance with the invention it becomes possible to form lengthwise or transverse rows of text, according to need, and thus it is universal, which is not possible with prior-art printers. The invention will be described in closer detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a printer positioned above a web to be printed, Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate schematically in plan views some alternative ways of forming a text on a web, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the printer in accordance with the invention.

A printer 2 of a conventional type, e.g. a dot-matrix printer having a printing head 3 comprising nine styluses, is positioned above a conveyor belt 1. The belt 1 is formed with raised edges 3 in order to guide and control a paper web 5, a ticket, a receipt or similar medium being forwarded on the belt. An ink ribbon 6 is arranged to extend transversely across the conveyor belt 1 between the head 3 of the printer 2 and the paper web 5. The ink ribbon 6 is arranged to be reeled off a cassette 7 and to be reeled onto an oppositely positioned cassette 8, or reversely. The printer 2 is displaceable along guide bars 9 by means of a traction line 10, the latter being connected to a stepping motor, not shown. Electrical wiring 11 is also connected to the printer. The print head 3 in accordance with the invention is arranged to be moved over the web in one direction, the y-axis direction, which is at an angle to the direction of advancement of the belt 1, the x-axis direction. In addition thereo the print-head assumes a position above the belt 1 wherein it forms an angle with the direction of advancement of the belt 1, the x-axis direction, as well as with the direction of movement of the print head 3, the y-axis direction. Preferably, the print head is positioned at an angle of 45° to the y-axis direction as well as to the x-axis direction, since this arrangement produces an identical height of the text in both directions. The oblique position or the angular setting of the print head 3 in combination with its movability in the transverse direction create possibilities to form, according to wish, a row of text o the paper web 5 in the lengthwise or transverse direction thereof by means of one single printer 2. No re-setting o the printer 2 or exchange thereof need ever to be made. I likewise becomes possible to combine the two movements in the x-axis and y-axis directions, resulting in a row of text extending obliquely across the paper web 5. This possibility may be needed, for instance if one wishes to print the expression "INVALIDATED" on a non valid or otherwise not acceptable ticket.

Figs. 2 and 3 show some examples of how text may be formed on the paper web 5. In Fig. 2, the expression "PRIS" has been formed by moving the print head in the y- axis direction, and in Fig. 3, the expression "SPEL" has been formed by means of keeping the print head 3 stationary while the web 5 is moved in the x-axis direction. As is easily understood from the example given in Fig. 3, the expresion "SPEL" which is formed in the lengthwise direction, could be printed anywhere on the paper web 5 in the crosswise extension thereof simply by moving the print head 3 in the transverse direction. The oblique position as such of the print head 3 thus provide for the universal use of the latter. Fig. 4 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention, comprising two printers 2a and 2b, each one having an obliquely positioned print head 3a and 3b, respectively, which printers cooperate to print text on a paper web 5. For instance, one 2a of the printers may be kept stationary in order to form a longitudinal row of text along one of the lengthwise margins of the paper web 5 while the other printer 2b is displaced in the transverse direction over the paper web 5. Alternatively, the two printers 2a, 2b operate in mutual synchrony in the transverse direction, the y-axis direction.

The printer arrangement in accordance with the invention provides possibilities for producing one or several rows of text on a paper web, a ticket, a receipt or the like at a much higher speed than has hitherto been possible using prior-art printers. This is true particularly when, as illustrated and described with reference to Fig. 4, several printers 2a, 2b cooperate. Such rapid printing speed is of great importance in several contexts when time is essential, for instance in horse-race betting terminals or in supermarket cash counters.

The universal use of the printer allowing printing in the lengthwise as well as in the crosswise directions also has the advantage of allowing stationary mounting of the ink ribbon cassettes 7, 8 which therefore never need to be re-positione .

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the aforegoing and illustrated in the drawings but may be modified in a variety of ways within the scope of the appended claims. Although the position of the print head 3 at an angle of 45° provides for the most universal use, as has been explained in the aforegoing, other angular positions of the print head or heads are, of course, possible. Actually, different angular positions may even be desirable when one wishes to produce text of varying heights or widths. The printer arrangement in accordance with the invention may be used together with several other types o dot-matrix printers than the stylus printer for mechanica printing described above, such as for instance in ink jet printers or thermo-printers for printing on heat-sensitiv paper.

Claims

C L A I M S .1. An improved printer, preferably for printing tickets, receipts and the like, which printer (2) comprises a print head (3, 3a, 3b) which is positioned above a web (5) being advanced in one direction (x-axis direction) below the print head (3, 3a, 3b) and which print head is arranged to provide the web (5) or tickets, receipts and the like forwarded on said web with discrete characters or with rows of such characters, c h a r a c- t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that the print head (3, 3a, 3b) is movable over the web (5) in a plane which is parallel to the web and in a direction (y-axis direction) at an angle to the direction of advancement (x-axis direction) of the web (5), said print head being arranged above the web (5) in a position wherein it is at an angle to the direction of advancement (x-axis direction) of the web (5) as well as to the direction of movement (y-axis direction) of the print head (3, 3a, 3b).

2. An improved printer as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that the print head (3, 3a, 3b) is movable at an angle of 90° to the web (5).

3. An improved printer as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that the print head (3, 3a, 3b), in addition to being movable at an angle of 90° to the web (5), is also mounted above the latter at an angle of 45° to the direction of advancement (x-axis direction) of the web (5) as well as to the direction of movement (y-axis direction) of the print head (3, 3a, 3b).

4. An improved printer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r - i n that several print heads (3a, 3b) are mounted in juxtaposed positions and so as to be movable individually or in mutual synchrony in one direction (y-axis direction) transversely to the direction of advancement (y-axis direction) of the web (5).