US 5,174,663 AGranted

Wire dot print head and method for manufacturing same

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsTakashi Asada, Osamu Koshiishi, Yasuhiko Nakazawa, Masaki Shimomura

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Abstract

An improved wire dot print head for increased integrated density is provided. The wire dot print head includes a frame. A plurality of drive coils are mounted within the frame. A lever for driving print wires has a print wire mounted at one end and its other end formed as a hook to act as a rotation support member. A yoke has salients formed thereon equal in number to that of the levers disposed on its end surface. The rotation support member of each lever is retained with a recess formed within a respective yoke and an end surface of the frame and is affixed in place by a retainer spring. When an excitement current flows through the coil, the lever is caused to move so that the print wire rotate about the rotation support member causing the print wires to strike a platen.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A wire dot printer having a printing wire driving device, comprising:

(a) a frame formed of a magnetic material having a circumference, an inner peripheral wall and an outer peripheral wall, said frame being provided with a plurality of cores having an end surface disposed within said outer peripheral wall at regular intervals about said circumference, said outer peripheral wall and end surfaces of the cores being coplanar;
(b) a plurality of driving coils supported about a respective core of said plurality of cores each having an upper end projecting above said end surfaces of said cores, said end surface of said cores being coplanar with a top of said outer peripheral wall;
(c) a first yoke formed of a magnetic material, at least two salients formed on said first yoke to form a recess therebetween within said first yoke, the recess being positioned to correspond to a position of said cores, said first yoke being disposed on said outer peripheral wall of said frame;
(d) lever means for supporting a print wire having a center projecting portion integrally formed with a first end hooked to form a rotation support member, said center projecting portion of said lever means forming an armature member extending within said coil, a second end, said lever means being formed of a magnetic material, and a printing wire being fixed on the second end, said rotation support member being engaged within said recess of said first yoke, said rotation support member being resiliently pressed against the top of the outer peripheral wall and an inner wall surface formed by said recess of said first yoke;
and
(e) a second yoke formed of a magnetic material having a ring member, a plurality of branches coupled to said ring member and extending radially therefrom, each of said branches being built up on a respective one of said salients of said first yoke when placed on said first yoke said lever means being disposed between two adjacent branches.

3 more elements

A wire dot printer having a printing wire driving device, comprising:

(a) a frame formed of a magnetic material having a circumference an inner peripheral wall and an outer peripheral wall, a plurality of cores disposed between said inner peripheral wall and said outer peripheral wall at regular intervals about said circumference, said inner peripheral wall, outer peripheral wall and cores each having end surfaces, the end surfaces being coplanar;
(b) a plurality of driving coils mounted about said cores said coils having upper ends projecting above said end surfaces of said cores;
(c) a first yoke formed of a magnetic material having at least two salients formed thereon forming a recess within said first yoke, the recess being positioned to correspond to a position of said cores, said first yoke being disposed on the outer peripheral wall of said frame;
(d) a lever having a first hooked end forming a rotation support member, a central projecting portion forming an armature member, a second end, a printing wire being fixed on said second end, said rotation support member being engaged within said recess of said first yoke;
(e) a second yoke formed of a magnetic material having a ring member, a plurality of branches coupled to said ring member and extending radially therefrom, each of said branches being built up on a respective one of the salients of said first yoke when placed on said first yoke;
(f) supporting retainer spring means having a plurality of radial springs, said radial springs coming in contact with said rotation support member of said lever for resiliently biasing said rotation support member within said frame;
(g) a nose for guiding said printing wire to a front end;
(h) lever holder means for biasing said supporting retainer spring means, said lever holder means being fixed on the nose;
and
(i) said coils being grouped in adjacent sets of three, said coils in a single group of coils being of a same polarity and the coils belonging to adjacent sets of said coils being of opposite polarities.

7 more elements

A wire dot printer having a printing wire driving device, comprising:

(a) a frame formed of a magnetic material, having a circumference, an inner peripheral wall and an outer peripheral wall, a plurality of cores disposed between said inner peripheral wall and said outer peripheral wall at regular intervals about said circumference, said inner peripheral wall, outer peripheral wall and cores having respective end surfaces, the end surfaces being coplanar;
(b) driving coils mounted about said cores having upper ends projecting above said end surfaces of said cores;
(c) a first yoke formed of a magnetic material, at least two salients formed on said first yoke forming a recess being positioned to correspond to a position of said cores, and a positioning hole formed therein;
(d) spring holder means for holding a spring being insertable within an inner peripheral wall of said cores having a groove formed therein at a position opposed to said cores;
a spring inserted within the groove;
(e) lever means for supporting a printing wire having a first hooked end forming a rotation support member, a central projecting portion forming an armature member, a second end, a printing wire fixed on said second end, said rotation support member being engaged within said recess of said first yoke;
(f) a second yoke formed of a magnetic material having a ring member, a plurality of branches coupled to said ring member and extending radially therefrom, and a positioning hole formed therein, each of said branches being built up on a respective one of said salients of said first yoke when placed on said first yoke;
(g) supporting retainer spring means having a plurality of radial spring, said radial springs coming in contact with said rotation support member of said lever means for resiliently biasing said rotation support member within said frame;
(h) a nose for guiding the printing wire to a front end;
(i) lever holder means adapted to be elastically deformed for resiliently biasing said supporting retainer spring means, a positioning projection extending from the outer periphery of the lever holder means and engaging with said positioning holes of said first yoke and second yoke, said positioning holes being formed at an outer periphery of said first and second yoke respectively;
and
(j) a fixed spring for fixing said lever holder means on said nose.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.