Needle matrix printer
AssigneeBattelle Memorial Institute
InventorsJacques Vermot-Gaud, Didier Joyeux
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The printer comprises a series of needles (1) each associated to an electric lead (8) which extends in the gap of a permanent magnet (11). The extremities of each lead are fixed to respective supports (9,10) and are selectively connected to a current source to make a current (I) circulate in said leads so that, in the presence of a magnetic field in the air gap, a force (F) acts upon the lead (8) which communicates to the needle (I) an elongation (e) in the direction of the surface to be printed.
Claims7
A needle matrix printer comprising a set of needles each of which is mounted to be longitudinally slidable and is associated with an electrical lead which is flexible over at least part of its length and is situated in a plane containing said needle, a part of which is in engagement with the central part of said lead, at least one segment of the said lead being situated in the air-gap of a permanent magnet having a homogeneous magnetic field perpendicular to said plane, a lateral force being exerted on said lead when a current passes through it, characterised in that the two ends of said lead are fixed to two respective anchoring elements, said lead forming an elongate open loop between said elements, which is positioned on opposite sides of the needle and in a common plane therewith so that the needle is free to move along its longitudinal axis, said loop including a longitudinal strand to form the said segment situated in said air-gap, and means for exerting the said lateral force on the longitudinal strand to deform said loop and thereby move said central part along the longitudinal axis of said needle so as to move said needle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.