Print thimble recognizing system for a serial printer

A serial printer comprising:

• a print thimble including a plurality of elastic fingers arranged in the form of a cup, a plurality of character types arranged along vertically different circumferences of a set of said plurality of elastic fingers, a recognition code-forming portion located near the rotational center of said print thimble, and protuberances formed on said recognition code-forming portion, a recognition code being formed by the combination of the present of absence of said plurality of protuberances;
• a rotating motor including a shaft for rotating said print thimble, said shaft also being movable in the axial direction thereof;
• drive means engaged with said shaft for moving said shaft in the axial direction thereof;
• solenoid assembly having an extendable detection plunger and switching means for detecting the presence or absence of said protuberances, said switching means engaging said plunger whereby the opening and closing of said switching means is controlled by the movement of said detection plunger, said solenoid assembly being located to be opposed to said recognition code-forming portion of said print thimble on a preselected rotation of said rotating motor and in contact with a protuberance when the shaft is extended in its axial direction simultaneously with said rotation of said motor;
• conversion means for converting the detected result of said detection means into a binary signal;
• and
• means for recognizing said binary signal as a recognition code, whereby said printer recognizes the kind of said print thimble in response to said recognition code.

A print thimble to be mounted on a carrier unit of a serial printer, said carrier unit including a solenoid with an extendable plunger comprising:

• a plurality of elastic fingers arranged in the form of a petal;
• a plurality of character types arranged along a circumference of a set of said plurality of elastic fingers;
• a circular bottom plate for fastening one of the ends of said plurality of elastic fingers to form a unitary structure;
• an engaging hole formed at the position of the rotational center of said circular bottom plate;
• a recognition code-forming portion provided at a predetermined position on said circular bottom plate;
• a plurality of protuberance-forming positions provided on said recognition code-forming portion, said plurality of protuberance-forming positions having an equal distance form said engaging hole;
• and
• at least one protuberance selectively provided on said protuberance-forming positions, said at least one protuberance having a substantially flat surface at the most protuberant portion thereof such that the presence or absence of said at least one protuberance can be detected by the protrusion of the plunger of the solenoid provided on said carrier unit when opposite said recognition code-forming portion, said plunger engaging switching means for detecting the collision of said plunger with said flat surface when said solenoid is energized, a discrimination code being defined by the presence or absence of said at least one protuberance.