Low rotational inertia shuttle system with a flattened sinusoidal carriage velocity

In a dot matrix line printer having a stationary state and a non-stationary state, the printer including a carriage having a predetermined amount of translational kinetic energy in the non-stationary state and a predetermined reciprocating mass (M), said carriage movably mounted on a support structure for back and forth movement, the improvement comprising a shuttle system for moving said carriage back and forth, said shuttle system comprising:

• (a) a counterbalance reciprocally mounted on said support structure;
• (b) a linkage assembly having a predetermined amount of rotational kinetic energy in the non-stationary state, said linkage assembly disposed between said carriage and said counterbalance for reciprocating said carriage and said counterbalance along a linear path of travel of amplitude (E) having a first end, a second end, and a center, said linkage assembly having a rotational inertia such that the translational kinetic energy of said carriage is larger than or equal to the rotational kinetic energy of said linkage assembly at the center of the path of travel of the carriage when said carriage is reciprocated by said linkage assembly in said non-stationary state between said first and second ends;
• and
• (c) a motor coupled to said linkage assembly for rotationally driving said linkage assembly.

A method of linearizing the velocity profile of a carriage, comprising:

• (a) reciprocally mounting a carriage on a support structure, said carriage having a predetermined amount of translational kinetic energy and a predetermined mass (M);
• (b) reciprocally mounting a counterbalance on said support structure;
• (c) connecting a linkage mechanism to said carriage and said counterbalance such that said carriage and said counterbalance reciprocate together along a path of linear travel (E) having a first end, a second end, and a center, said linkage mechanism having a rotational inertia and a predetermined amount of rotational kinetic energy;
• (d) minimizing the rotational inertia of said linkage mechanism such that the translational kinetic energy of said carriage is larger than or equal to the rotational kinetic energy of said linkage mechanism at the center of the path of travel of the carriage;
• and
• (e) supplying energy to said linkage mechanism by a motor.

A low rotational inertia shuttle system having a support structure, comprising:

• (a) a first reciprocating mass having a predetermined reciprocating amplitude (E), said reciprocating mass movably mounted on said support structure;
• (b) a reciprocating mechanism including at least one connecting member connected to said first reciprocating mass, said at least one connecting member and said first reciprocating mass having a total predetermined mass (M), said reciprocating mechanism also includes at least one rotational member connected to said connecting member, said reciprocating mechanism reciprocates said reciprocating mass along said predetermined reciprocating amplitude (E), said at least one rotational member having a rotational inertia that is less than or equal to (M(E)2)/4;
• and
• (c) a rotary motor connected to said rotational member for driving said reciprocating mechanism.

A method of making a printer having a linearized velocity profile, said printer having a support structure, the method comprising:

• selecting a carriage having a mass (M);
• selecting a reciprocating amplitude (E) for said carriage;
• reciprocatingly mounting said carriage on said support structure;
• configuring a reciprocating mechanism based on said reciprocating amplitude (E) and carriage mass (M) so that said carriage may be reciprocated between two end positions of reciprocating amplitude (E), and so that said reciprocating mechanism's rotational inertia is such that the translational kinetic energy of said carriage is larger than or equal to the rotational kinetic energy of said reciprocating mechanism along a portion of the path of travel of said carriage during operation of the printer;
• and
• connecting said reciprocating mechanism to said carriage such that said carriage may reciprocate along the path of travel having reciprocating amplitude (E).