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US 4,544,293 AGranted
Printer apparatus and cutting mechanism
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsDean H. Cranston, Charles M. Myers
Life of this patent
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AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsDean H. Cranston, Charles M. Myers
Estimating the term…
A printer apparatus including a printhead (14) for printing on a data carrier (20), a printhead carrier (15) for moving the printhead along a path, a cutter mechanism (30) for cutting the data carrier upon command, a bi-directional drive means (34) having an output shaft (36) operable to be driven in first and second directions and a one-way clutch means (46) operatively associated with the output shaft for actuating the cutter mechanism (30) and driving the printhead carrier (14). The drive means when effecting rotation of the output shaft (36) in the first direction effecting movement of the printhead carrier and printhead along the path and when effecting rotation of the output shaft in the second direction effecting actuation of the cutter mechanism (30) to cut the data carrier.
A printer apparatus comprising a printhead for printing on a data carrier, a printhead carrier for moving said printhead along a path, a cutter mechanism for cutting the data carrier upon command, a bi-directional drive means having an output shaft operable to be driven in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite said first direction, a one-way clutch means operatively associated with said output shaft for actuating said cutter mechanism and driving said printhead carrier, said drive means when effecting rotation of said output shaft in said first direction effecting movement of said printhead carrier and printhead along said path and when effecting rotation of said output shaft in said second direction effecting actuation of said cutter mechanism to cut said data carrier, said one-way clutch means being ineffective to actuate said cutter mechanism when said drive means rotates said output shaft in said first direction, control means for controlling the degree of rotation of said shaft upon movement of said shaft in said second direction by said drive means, and means for establishing a reference signal indicative of a desired predetermined degree of rotation of said shaft which is indicative of a desired actuation of said cutter mechanism and wherein said control means is operable to sense the movement of said drive means, compare said sensed movement of said drive means with said reference indicative of a desired predetermined degree of rotation of said shaft to control said drive means to limit the rotation of said shaft in said second direction to a predetermined degree of rotation indicated by said reference signal which actuates said cutter mechanism to cut only a portion of said data carrier and wherein said portion of said data carrier cut is proportional to the predetermined degree of rotation of said shaft.
A printer apparatus comprising a printhead for printing on a data carrier, a printhead carrier for moving said printhead along a path, a cutter mechanism for cutting the data carrier upon command, a bi-directional drive means having an output shaft operable to be driven in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite said first direction, a one-way clutch means operatively associated with said output shaft for actuating said cutter mechanism and driving said printhead carrier, said drive means when effecting rotation of said output shaft in said first direction effecting movement of said printhead carrier and printhead along said path and when effecting rotation of said output shaft in said second direction effecting actuation of said cutter mechanism to cut said data carrier, said cutter mechanism including a fixed cutting blade disposed adjacent said data carrier and a moveable cutting blade which is moveable relative to said fixed cutting blade, said moveable and fixed cutting blades cooperating to cut the data carrier upon rotation of said output shaft in said second direction, said bi-directional drive means includes a motor for driving said output shaft and said first and second gear means operatively associated with said output shaft for movement therewith, said one-way clutch means being operatively associated with said second gear means, said one-way clutch means including an output member, said output member being driven in response to rotation of said output shaft in said second direction and being inoperable to be driven in response to rotation of said output shaft in said first direction, third gear means operatively associated with said output member and being rotatable in response to rotation of said output shaft in said second direction and rotation of said output member and a pivot arm pivotable in response to rotation of said third gear means, said pivot arm being operatively associated with said moveable cutting blade for effecting movement of said moveable cutting blade relative to said fixed cutting blade upon pivoting movement of said pivot arm, said third gear means comprising a sector gear having a projecting stud thereon and said pivot arm includes a slot therein for receiving said projecting stud, rotation of said sector gear effecting revolution of said projecting stud and movement of said stud in said slot to thereby effect pivoting movement of said pivot arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Mechanical power drives: with driven mechanism arranged to be clutched to continuously- operating power source
Applications of cutting devices: cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
Tool driver movable relative to tool support: cam or eccentric revolving about fixed axis
Typewriters
Term ended 11 Jun 2004 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved printer apparatus and more particularly to a printer apparatus which includes a printhead and a cutting mechanism for cutting the data carrier on which the printhead prints, which are both driven by a common drive. The drive is a bi-directional drive and is operable to be driven in a first direction to effect movement of the printhead and driven in a second direction to actuate the cutting mechanism.
Printer mechanisms which include a printhead drive and a cutter mechanism for cutting the data carrier on which the printhead prints are well known in the art. Generally, a first drive mechanism is provided to effect advancement of the printhead relative to the data carrier and a second drive is provided for actuating the cutter mechanism. Such a construction is expensive and occupies substantial space in the printing apparatus.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1 more fully illustrating the drive means for driving the cut-off mechanism and printhead carrier.
Referring to the FIGURES, and more particularly FIG. 1, a printer apparatus 10 is disclosed. The printer apparatus 10 includes a frame 12 which supports a printhead assembly 14 which is adapted to print on a data carrier 20 in a well known manner. The printhead assembly 14 is supported for movement on a printhead carrier 15 which in turn is supported on a printhead drive cam 16 for transverse movement relative to the data carrier 20, which in the preferred embodiment comprises a roll of paper. The construction of the printhead assembly 14 and printhead carrier is well known and therefore will not be described in detail. An example, of a well known printhead mechanism is a dot matrix printer such as that disclosed in the Condur U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,671 which is incorporated herein by reference.
Rotation of the printhead drive cam 16 effects transverse movement of the printhead assembly 14 relative to the paper 20 and allows various characters to be printed on the paper 20 in a well known manner. A pair of side frames 22 extend from the frame 12 and support shaft 24 which in turn supports a roll of paper 20. The paper 20 is fed off of the paper feedroll and guided along a predetermined path to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 in which the printhead assembly 14 is adapted to print thereon.
Subsequent to passing adjacent the printhead assembly 14, the paper or data carrier 20 passes adjacent a fixed blade 26 of a cutting mechanism 30 which includes the fixed blade 26 and a moveable blade 28. The fixed blade 26 is secured at both ends thereof to the frame 12 and the moveable blade is adapted to pivot about a pivot pin 32. The pivot pin 32 attaches the fixed blade 26 to the frame 12 and allows the moveable blade 28 to pivot about the pivot pin 32 to effect cutting of the data carrier or paper 20 disposed adjacent the fixed blade 26 as will be more fully described hereinbelow.