Electronic printing device in the form of a hand stamp

An electronic printing device in the form of a hand stamp includes a housing in which a solid-state electronic printing assembly cartridge is removably inserted. Electric contacts, which are arranged on one face of the cartridge, for supplying power to and controlling the cartridge rest against corresponding electric contacts in the housing under the influence of pressure when the cartridge is inserted in the housing in the operating state. For this purpose, a spring device for holding the cartridge against the housing contacts is arranged in the housing on the cartridge face opposite the face with the electric contacts, and the spring device is a leaf spring which is arranged on a drive part face facing the cartridge when the cartridge is inserted in the operating state and which is angled outward and directly presses against the cartridge, the drive part being movably arranged in the housing. A movable wedge, which is provided in order to adjust the drive part, interacts with an upper surface of the drive part.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the National Stage of PCT/AT2013/050196 filed on Sep. 26, 2013, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Austrian Application No. A 50468/2012 filed on Oct. 23, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an electronic printing device in the form of a hand stamp, including a housing in which a compact electronic printing unit cartridge is removably inserted or insertable in the operating position, wherein, in the operating position of the cartridge inserted in the housing, electric contacts arranged on one side of the cartridge for supplying power to and controlling the cartridge rest under pressure against associated electric contacts in the housing, and for this purpose a spring device for holding the cartridge against the housing contacts is arranged in the housing on the side of the cartridge opposite the side with the electric contacts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of an electronic printing aggregate, or a print unit or a printer head, respectively, frequently also called “cartridge”, in a hand stamp has become an ever increasing concern of hand stamp manufacturers in recent times. On the one hand, there have been approaches to movably attach the respective printer head, or cartridge, in a housing so as to produce, as a print on a substrate, in particular a sheet of paper, an image that is large relative to the printer head. In this case, the printer head may, in particular, be an ink jet printer head, yet optionally also a wire matrix printer or a thermal printer head. Such a stamp-like printer is, for instance, disclosed in EP 598 251 A1. On the other hand, there have been proposals to attach the printer head, or the printing unit cartridge, firmly in a housing and manually move the printing device during printing, cf. e.g. DE 10 2005 014 227 B4, which describes an electronic printing device of this type. There, printing data electronically stored in a memory are supplied to the printer head in the housing. An electric connection of the printing cartridge, in particular the ink jet printer head, to the memory provided in the housing of the device, is thus required in addition to the general power supply, in particular via a suitable activation.

From US 2007/0120937 A1, a similar printing device is known, which is manually moved over a base to produce prints on the same. There, a thermal printer is, for instance, mentioned as printer. That thermal printer, or generally the printing unit cartridge, is held in its position by the aid of an additional swing cover provided below the pivotable housing cover proper. Said additional swing cover comprises a plate-shaped projection on its underside, which, in the closed state of the additional swing cover, projects between a spring device firmly arranged in the housing and the printer head cartridge, thus increasing and equalizing the pressure exerted by the spring on the cartridge. That structure results from the printing device commercially available under the name of “design runner” according to the aforementioned US 2007/0120937 A1. It involves the disadvantage of the spring pressing against the printing unit cartridge even when the additional swing cover is opened, thus causing the housing-fixed contacts and the cartridge contacts to rub against each other on the opposite side, both when inserting the cartridge and when removing the same.

From JP 2005-335230 A, an ink jet printer is known, in which a replaceable print cartridge is pressed against housing contacts by the aid of a torsion spring and an angle lever. With a cartridge inserted, one arm of the torsion spring presses onto the cartridge from above, and another spring arm presses an arm of the angle lever against the cartridge.

US 2002/0135634 A1 discloses a printer comprising printer heads that are adjustable along a rail transversely to a paper to be printed; each of the printer heads contains a print cartridge, which is pressed into a contact position by a lever mechanism and a helical compression spring engaging the former.

Another table printer including a carriage that is movable along a rail and accommodates a print cartridge is known from US 2009/0278902 A1. An upper cover and a locking lever are provided for fixing the print cartridge in the carriage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention, in a printing device as initially defined, to press the printing unit cartridge, in the following briefly referred to as cartridge, in the operating position against the housing-fixed electric contacts in such a manner as to obtain a safe electric connection and power supply, on the one hand, and to prevent the respective contacts from sliding against each other, so as to become worn during the insertion or removal of the cartridge, on the other hand.

To solve this object, the invention provides an electronic printing device as defined in the beginning, which is, moreover, characterized in that the spring device is an angled leaf spring arranged on a drive part movably arranged in the housing, on its side facing the cartridge in the inserted, operating state, and directly pressing against the cartridge; and that a movable wedge provided for adjusting the drive part interacts with an upper surface of the drive part.

In the present electronic printing device, electric contacts arranged on one side of the cartridge for supplying power to, and controlling, the cartridge in the operating position of the cartridge inserted in the housing thus rest under pressure against associated electric contacts in the housing; in order to achieve such abutment under pressure, a spring device comprised of a leaf spring is arranged in the housing on the side of the cartridge opposite the side with the electric contacts for holding the cartridge against the housing contacts. Said leaf spring is arranged on a drive part movably arranged in the housing. Such a configuration allows for careful handling of the individual contacts, which are simply formed by conductor surfaces, e.g. copper-plated areas on printed circuit boards, with corresponding contact surfaces of the cartridge contacting the contact surfaces of a circuit board fixedly arranged in the housing, during the insertion and removal of the cartridge. This is ensured in that, for inserting or removing the cartridge, the drive part, on which the leaf spring is arranged, is shifted away from the housing-fixed contacts so as to provide sufficient space for the insertion or removal of the cartridge. In the inserted state of the cartridge, the drive part is then moved towards the cartridge, at least partially, in order to exert an appropriate pressure on the cartridge in the direction of the electric contacts via the leaf spring arranged on it. When removing the cartridge, the drive part is moved back from the cartridge during or after opening of the housing such that also the leaf spring will be moved away from the cartridge, thus leaving the cartridge “pressure-free” in the housing and thereby allowing its removal from the housing without causing a rubbing effect between the contacts. By the leaf spring pressing directly against the cartridge, a soft application of the cartridge is enabled.

For displacing the drive part, a movable wedge is provided, which interacts with an upper surface, e.g. oblique surface, of the drive part. Said wedge is moved from a lifted resting position into an operating position, in which it presses the drive part in the direction against the housing-fixed contacts. This will be achieved in a particularly simple manner in terms of construction, if the wedge is attached to a housing cover associated to the housing and interacts with the drive part during closing of the housing cover in order to displace the former. The housing cover, which carries the wedge, can be pivotally hinged to the housing in a simple and captive manner. Theoretically, it is, however, also conceivable for the housing cover to be removable from the housing and capable of being placed on, and fixed to, the housing together with the wedge, e.g. by snapping on.

In order to ensure a favorable application of force to the cartridge, it will be of particular advantage if the drive part is comprised of a rocker pivotally mounted in the housing. With such a configuration, the rocker is pivoted into the operating position by the wedge in order to press the leaf spring, and hence the cartridge, in the direction of the housing-fixed contacts by the pivotal movement of the rocker. In order to ensure the optimum application of force, it will be beneficial if the rocker is approximately in the middle of its height extension, pivotally mounted in the housing. The angled leaf spring can be fixed to the rocker, for instance in the upper region thereof, by a plane portion and protrude from the rocker in the direction of the cartridge by a lower portion, pressing the cartridge towards the contacts by its protruding portion. Here the location where the spring rests against the cartridge may advantageously be on level with the contacts.

In order to ensure the exact orientation of the respective contacts on the cartridge, or in the housing, in the operating position, it will also be advantageous if a centering projection is arranged on the cartridge on its side comprising the electric contacts, which centering projection in the inserted, operating state of the cartridge engages a guiding recess provided in the housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 to 3are elevational schematic illustrations of an electronic printing device1in the form of a hand stamp, comprising a housing2in whose interior a printing unit cartridge3is inserted. The housing2is open on its upper side, yet can be closed by a housing cover4for activating the printing device1. The housing cover4as such might be simply attachable to or snappable onto the top of the housing2, yet in the exemplary embodiment shown it is configured as a hinged cover4which is articulately connected by a joint via a pivot axis6on one of its two narrow sides, i.e. the narrow side5shown on the left-hand side ofFIG. 1and illustrated on the right-hand side inFIGS. 2 and 3. The hinged housing cover4is shown in an opened position inFIGS. 1 and 2, whereas it covers the housing2on top in the position according toFIG. 3. When closing the housing cover4, a hook7engages the housing cover4behind a holder (not illustrated) in the interior of the housing2.

A rechargeable electric accumulator or battery8is further provided in the interior of the housing2and can be removed from the interior of the housing2in a manner similar to the cartridge3, e.g. for replacement or maintenance purposes.

The printing unit cartridge3, in the following briefly referred to as cartridge3, can, for instance, comprise an ink jet printing unit (not illustrated), and it is electronically controlled and supplied with information relating to the respective print image or cliche to be printed in a manner not to be described in detail. What is just interesting here is that, on the one hand, electric contacts10in the form of contact surfaces, e.g. copper surfaces, are provided on a face of the cartridge3, i.e. on the right-hand face9according toFIGS. 2 and 3, which are to be electrically “connected” to corresponding electric contacts11provided in the housing2, for instance on a printed circuit board12. In the closed position of the printing device1according toFIG. 3, the contacts10,11are brought into mutual abutment under pressure for the purpose of good contacting, as will be discussed in more detail below, whereas in the opened position according toFIG. 2(andFIG. 1), no pressure is exerted on the cartridge3, the cartridge3thus being slightly moved to the left and away from the contacts11fixedly arranged in the housing2according to the illustrations ofFIGS. 2 and 3.

Before explaining the means used to apply such an elastic pressure, it should be noted for the sake of completeness that the housing2comprises an opening on its underside, which opening is not illustrated in the drawings, and through which the printing part13proper of the cartridge3passes when in the operating position or printing position a slide14provided on the underside of the housing2is moved from the closed position shown inFIGS. 1 to 3into an open position, i.e. to the left according to the illustrations ofFIGS. 2 and 3, or to the right according to the illustration ofFIG. 1. The configuration of the printing unit cartridge3and its printing part13proper, e.g. in the form of an ink jet printer, can be of a type conventional per se and will not be explained in detail herein.

In the housing2, a drive part15is arranged adjacent the accumulator or battery8on the side facing the cartridge3so as to be displaceable in the housing2, cf.FIGS. 2 and 3. Said drive part15is actually designed as a rocker16mounted in the interior of the housing2so as to be pivotable about an axis17in its center.

On the inner or underside of the housing cover4is further arranged, for instance, a pressure plate18to whose inner or underside leaf springs19are attached, which press against the upper side of the cartridge3in the closed position according toFIG. 3, thus fixing the cartridge3vertically within the housing2. The pressure plate18, moreover, carries a wedge20on its under or inner side, which wedge interacts with an upper-side and optionally chamfered (FIG. 2) surface21of the drive part15when closing the printing device1, i.e. the device cover4, so as to cause pivoting of the rocker16about the axis17in a counter-clockwise direction as illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3; during such pivoting, a leaf spring22fastened to the rocker16comes into firm resilient abutment on the side of the cartridge3located opposite the contacts10,11, by its angled region cantilevering freely downwards from an upper end fixed to the rocker16. This situation is illustrated inFIG. 3, wherein a good contact between the contact surfaces10,11is ensured by such resilient abutment on the cartridge3, of the leaf spring22attached to the rocker16or, generally speaking, to the drive part15. However, as the swing cover4of the housing is opened, the cartridge3, which is slightly shifted to the left according to the illustration ofFIG. 2relative to that ofFIG. 3, presses the drive part15away, i.e. it pivots the rocker16clockwisely into the slanted position depicted inFIG. 2, whereby the pressure contact between contacts10and11will be terminated. In the opened position shown inFIG. 2and also inFIG. 1, the cartridge3can be upwardly removed from the interior of the housing2without any problem, i.e. without scratching the contact surfaces of the contacts10and11, respectively.

When closing the device cover4, the rocker16is pivoted by the wedge20in the counter-clockwise direction as already mentioned in order to firmly press the leaf spring22against the cartridge3. In doing so, the cartridge3is shifted to the right according to the illustrations ofFIGS. 2 and 3, and to the left according to that ofFIG. 1. During such shifting movement, a centering projection23enters a guiding recess24of the housing2, cf., in particular,FIG. 4in addition toFIGS. 2 and 1. This causes the cartridge3to be positioned exactly horizontally within the housing2in the closing position to avoid misalignment between contacts10,11.

Although the invention has been explained in detail above by way of particularly advantageous exemplary embodiments, alterations and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus, it is, for instance, conceivable to configure the drive part15as a component horizontally displaceable in guides rather than as a pivotable rocker16. In the case of a rocker16, the upper part may also be simply designed to extend obliquely rather than being cranked as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. Moreover, the pressure unit3/13can be configured as a dot matrix printer rather than an ink jet printer. Finally, the slide14may simply be omitted such that the printing unit13of the cartridge3will always be ready for use on the underside of the housing2. For the protection of the printing unit13, a cover slide14as apparent fromFIGS. 1 to 3is, however, recommended.

As is apparent fromFIG. 1, the rocker16(or, in general, the drive part15) has a width at least approximately equal to the width of the cartridge3, and in a corresponding manner also the leaf spring22may have such a width—or a slightly smaller width. It is, however, also conceivable to attach several—e.g. two or three—such leaf springs22side by side to the rocker16(or the drive15).