US 4,300,846 A · High speed print head system and method

Abstract

A high speed print head system includes a print head pivotally and resiliently coupled to a frame which is laterally movable on a carriage system. The print head includes an elongated nose piece having therein a plurality of print rods which can be controllably forced beyond the end of the nose piece to impact a ribbon and paper supported by a platen to produce dots on the paper. The pivotal and resilient coupling is achieved by means of a flexure having first and second opposed connection points connected to the frame and third and fourth opposed connection points connected to the print head. Two permanent magnets are rigidly attached to the frame substantially above the axis of the elongated nose piece and substantially symmetrically with respect to the elongated nose piece. A pair of electromagnets rigidly attached to the print head opposite the respective permanent magnets are controllably energized to produce continuously variable forces between the frame and the print head. The continuously variable forces produce continuously variable pivoting of the print head about its neutral position, whereby high resolution character printing can be effected with a minimum dot overlap, and consequently with a minimum number of dot printing operations.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A printing apparatus comprising in combination:

a. a paper support means for supporting a piece of paper;
b. mark producing means movable against said paper or a mark producing ribbon for producing a mark on said paper, said mark producing means having a portion adjacent to said paper;
c. first means for moving said mark producing means against the paper or ribbon to produce a mark covering a first area of said paper;
d. a frame element;
e. resilient means for pivotally supporting and coupling said mark producing means to said frame element to allow said portion of said mark producing means to move with 2 degrees of freedom in any direction that is substantially parallel to said first area of said paper, said resilient means including a flexible plate member having first, second and third spaced points, said first point of said flexible plate member being attached to said frame element, said second and third points of said flexible plate member being connected to said mark producing means;
f. first and second force producing means for producing first and second forces between said frame element and said resilient means, said first and second forces being applied at said first and second points of said, flexible plate member, said first and second forces and said resilient means cooperating to urge said mark producing means to move in a predetermined direction with respect to the paper, the distance and direction through which said mark producing means moves with respect to said paper being substantially continuously variable.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High speed print head system and method

Life of this patent

High speed print head system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19