Printing band
AssigneeMonarch Marking Systems, Inc.
InventorRobert M. Pabodie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is disclosed a set of flexible, endless, printing bands. Each printing band has a plurality of elongated printing blocks, flexible hinges joining adjacent printing blocks at their base portions, a printing element on the surface of each printing block, and at least one tooth on the underside of each printing block. The printing blocks are extremely long compared to the gap between adjacent printing blocks at their outer portions, the hinge length is substantially greater than the hinge thickness, the thickness of the printing block is many times greater than the thickness of the hinge, and the length of the printing band at its outer portion is many times greater than the hinge length.
Claims10
For a printer:
- a unitary flexible printing band including a plurality of printing blocks having respective base portions, a plurality of flexible hinges, each hinge joining adjacent printing blocks at their base portions, at least one tooth integrally formed on the underside of each base portion of each printing block, but there being no tooth on the underside of any hinge, the printing blocks being longer at their outer portions than at their base portions, printing elements formed on the outer portions of the printing blocks opposite their respective base portions and extending beyond at least one end of the respective base portions, each hinge having a ratio of hinge length to hinge thickness of at least about 4 to 1, and the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of the gap between adjacent printing blocks at their outer portions being at least about 10 to 1, the teeth being sufficiently small to enable the printing band to bend through at least 45.degree. at each hinge between adjacent printing blocks.
For a printer:
- a unitary flexible, endless printing band including a plurality of printing blocks having respective base portions, a plurality of flexible hinges, each hinge joining adjacent printing blocks at their base portions, three teeth integrally formed on the underside of each base portion of each printing block, but there being no tooth on the underside of any hinge, printing elements formed on the outer portions of the printing blocks opposite their respective base portions and extending beyond at least one end of the respective base portions, each hinge having a ratio of hinge length to hinge thickness of about 5 to 1, the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of the gap between adjacent printing blocks at their outer portions being about 18 to 1, the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of an adjacent hinge being about 7 to 1, and the ratio of the printing block thickness to the hinge thickness being about 6 to 1, the teeth being sufficiently small to enable the printing band to bend through at least 45.degree. to each hinge between adjacent printing blocks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.