Miniature printer
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorMasahiro Kamijo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A miniature printer is provided which can print characters in additional different character sets of fonts by combining several character sets which are included in the printer on a type drum or type belt. The printer includes a mechanism for selecting particular character sets and impacting a selected character from a selected character set on a printing medium. After a character is printed, the user may select a character from another character set which is present on the drum or belt and overprints the first character. This combination of character sets allows the printer to produce characters which distinguishable fonts without utilizing different color inks.
Claims41
A miniature printer, comprising:
- a plurality of type rows including at least a first and a second print type group, the first and second print type groups each defining the same characters to be printed but of different designs;
- selecting means for selecting a type of a desired design and character from said plurality of type rows and bringing the selected type to a printing position;
- said selecting means selectively and sequentially positioning corresponding characters from each of said first and second print type groups in a single printing position to effect selective overlapping printing of two characters of different designs respectively from said first and second print type groups, whereby a different design representative of the overlapping characters is created by said first and second print type groups;
- and
- means for impacting the selected type to effect printing at a printing position.
A miniature printer, comprising:
- rotatable type drum means;
- driving means for applying a driving force to said rotatable type drum means to rotate said rotatable type drum means about its axis;
- at least first and second print type groups arranged in a predetermined pattern formed on said rotatable type drum means disposed in columns arranged along the circumference of said type drum means, each of said print type groups including at least one row of types defining characters, the types of the first and second print type groups defining at least in part the same characters, the characters of the first print type group being of a design different from that of the characters of the second print type group, a row of characters of said first print type group being aligned circumferentially in parallel to the corresponding group of characters of said second print type group;
- type shifting means for shifting said rotatable type drum means axially from a first position to a second predetermined position to select one of said print type groups;
- and
- means internal to said type drum means for impacting a selected type rotatably and axially positioned at a printing position to effect printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.