Patent ID: 6945719
Filing Date: 2005-09-20
Classification: B41J,G07B

Abstract:
1. A locking device for use in conjunction with a shaft for engagingly connecting to a carriage, the shaft having a longitudinal axis, said locking device comprising: a cylindrical body slideably mounted on the shaft, the cylindrical body having an inner circumference, an outer circumference, a thickness defined by the inner and outer circumferences, and an aperture opened through the thickness of the cylindrical body, wherein the cylindrical body further has a mounting mechanism for engagingly attaching the carriage; an elastomer body, seated in the aperture, for providing a frictional force against the shaft when the elastomer body is pressed toward the shaft; and a cam ring having an inner surface mounted over the outer circumference of the cylindrical body for rotational movement about a rotation axis between a first position and a second position, the rotational axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the cam ring having a clearance on the inner surface, wherein when the cam ring is located at the first position, the clearance is spaced from the aperture, and the inner surface of the cam ring presses the elastomer body toward the shaft, providing a frictional force against shaft, thereby restricting the cylindrical body from moving along the longitudinal axis, and when the cam ring is located at the second position, the clearance is aligned with the aperture on the cylindrical body, allowing the elastomer body to seat partially in the clearance, thereby reducing the frictional force against the shaft such that the cylindrical body can be moved along the longitudinal axis for adjusting the position of carriage along the shaft.