IMPACT PRINTER

Abstract: An impact printer is disclosed that prints in color without using a ribbon. The device prints in an all-points addressable matrix code, and incorporates ball-point print elements (10) mounted on either a rotating belt or a rotating cylinder.

Description: Impact printer This invention relates to an impact printer for selectively printing information directly onto a print medium moving past a print location. The following is a list of prior art references which may be considered relative to the present invention and which puts the advances over the state of the art provided by the present invention into perspective. U.S. Patent 3,672,297, issued June 27, 1972 to Berglund et al and entitled "Printing Control Device in High Speed Chain Printer With Hammers Movable to Plural Print Positions" U.S. Patent 3,915,276, issued October 28, 1975 to Metz and entitled "Belt Printer" U.S. Patent 4,056,183, issued November 1, 1977 to Beery and entitled "Ribbonless Endorser Having a Shiftable Inked Platen and Feed Roller" U.S. Patent 4,069,75, issued January 24, 1978 to Beery and entitled "Ribbonless Endorser for Printing Both Fixed and Variable Information on Moving Documents" U.S. Patent 4,191,104, issued March 4, 1980 Okabe and entitled "Printer Having Swingable Printing Character Supporting Endless Belts" U.S. Patent 4,194,846, issued March 25, 1980 to Zerillo entitled "Dot Matrix Printing Device Employing a Novel Image Transfer Technique to Print on Single or Multiple Ply Print-Receiving Materials" IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 13, No. 9, February 1971, page 2476, "Ribbonless Flexographic Printer," A. H. Ett et al IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 16, No. 1, June 1973, page 310, "Ribbonless Ink Printer," R. G. Cross IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 5, October 1978, page 1828, "Digital Color Printer," D. W. Skinner et al IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 11, April 1979, page 4448, "Multicolor Matrix Impact Printer," J. H. Meier IBM Technical Discloure Bulletin, Vol 22, No. 8B, January 1980, page 3671, "Dot Matrix Printer," E. F. Helinski IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 10, March 1980, page 4364, "Color Wheel Impact Printer," J. M. Dunn IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 10, March 1980, page 4481, "Multiple Ribbon Cartridge Color Printer," J. H. Meier et al IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 1, June 1980, page 144, "Color Matrix Printer," W. T. Pimbley et al IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 4, September 1980, page 1347, "Self Contained Inking and Print Ware," A. S. Nowselski IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 11, April 1981, page 5218, "Printer Configuration for Duplex Printing," E. G. Lean et al The 3,915,276 patent is referenced because it shows an impact printer with print elements on a rotatable belt but uses a ribbon and does not print in color. The 3,672,297 patent is of the same type as the 3,915,276 reference. The 4,056,183 patent shows a matrix printer using a rotatable inked platen and the 4,069,755 patent shows a matrix wire printer using a rotatable ink stamp without a ribbon. The 4,191,104 patent shows a printer with a rotating belt with print elements thereon. The 4,194,846 patent shows an impact matrix printer wherein ink from a reservoir is directed to a printing element. No ribbon is used and no rotatable belt is employed. The present invention is disclosed in the attached claims. An advantage of the present invention is to provide an impact printer that does not require a ribbon. Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a ribbonless impact printer that prints in color. A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a ribbonless impact color printer that prints in an all points addressable matrix mode. Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide an all-points addressable ribbonless impact matrix color printer that incorporates ball-point print elements. Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide an all-points addressable ribbonless impact matrix color printer that incorporates ball-point print elements on a rotating belt. Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide an all-points addressable ribbonless impact matrix color printer that incorporates ball-point print elements on a rotating cylinder. The present invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a side elevation view of one embodiment of an impact printer according to the principles of the present invention which uses ink elements on a rotating belt. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 further showing print hammers. FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 indicating the cooperative relationship between the rotatable belt, the print hammers, the ink elements and the paper. FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a side view of another embodiment of an impact printer according to the principles of the present invention wherein the ink elements are mounted on the surface of a rotatable cylinder. FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the relationship between the print hammers and the ink elements of the embodiment of FIG. 4. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate side, top and front views respectively, of a ribbonless, all-points addressable color impact matrix printer using ink elements such as ball-point elements mounted on a rotatable belt. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, ball-point print elements 10 are mounted, for example molded, onto rotatable belt 12 with a predetermined spacing between the print elements. Belt 12 is rotated continuously by drive pulley 26. Print hammers 14 are placed behind paper 16 (FIG. 3) which is moved by paper drive mechanism 20. Print hammers 14, when actuated by a signal applied to solenoid 28, achieve printing by pushing the vertically moving paper 16 into contact with a ball-point ink element 10 moving horizontally on rotating belt 12 between platen 24, the surface 22 of which serves as a paper guide. Each ball-point print element 10 has an ink reservoir 18 (FIG. 3) or alternatively, several print elements may share one common ink reservoir separated into different chambers, each containing different color ink. The ball-point print elements may be standard ball pen tips. The resultant printing format on paper 16 is a function of the speed of print belt 12 and paper 16, the spacing between print elements 10, and the width and repetition rate of print hammers 14. For a three character wide hammer machine with a hammer face width of 0.3 inches, print element spacing of 0.34 inches, a 1 m second print hammer rate, a 5 m second paper stepping rate and a 20 inch per second belt speed, a line printer of 380 lines per minute is achieved. In another embodiment, faster printing speed can be achieved by mounting the ball-point print elements onto the surface of a rotating cylinder as shown in FIG. 4. The structure of FIG. 4, as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, includes ball-point print elements 10, print hammers 14, paper 16, ink compartments 18, paper drive mechanism 20, and a shield or platen structure 24. In FIG. 4, the ball-point print elements 10 are mounted on the periphery of cylinder 28 and the ink reservoirs are located inside cylinder 28. The print elements 10 now move in the same direction as paper 16 rather than transversely as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. For example, with a vertical print element spacing of 0.05 inches on a 3.0 inch diameter cylinder rotating at 320 rpm, a printing speed of 1200 lines per minute can be achieved with a 1 in second hammer repetition rate. FIG. 5 shows a number of groups of ball-point tips arranged in a helical configuration, in sets of five. The width of the hammer 14, is as wide as the ballpoint set. When the cylinder rotates and the hammer hits the paper so that every ball point in the set can make a dot mark, a horizontal line composed of five dots is described. By repeating the operation n times, once for each set of five, a matrix of nx5 is printed. Proper selection of signal pulses that activate the hammer leads to printed characters. What has been described is an improved all-points addressable impact printer which does not require a ribbon and which is adapted to print in one or more colors using simple ball pen print elements. The printer may be embodied using either a rotating flexible belt or a rotating cylinder.

Claims: Claims: 1. An impact printer for selectively printing information directly onto a print medium (16) moving past a print location comprising a rotatable print element carrier (12) located on one side of said medium at a print location, characterized by: a plurality of print elements (10) disposed on said rotatable print element carrier, said print elements being connected to a supply (18) of ink for applying ink directly onto said print medium when brought into contact with said print medium, a plurality of print hammers (14) disposed at said print location proximate to and on the other side of said print medium, means (28) for selectively actuating said selected ones of said print hammers for moving said print hammers to bring said print medium therebetween into contact with associated print elements rotated into positions opposite said print hammers. 2. An impact printer according to claim 1 wherein said print elements are ball-point pen tips, each connected to a separate one of a plurality of ink reservoirs (18, fig. 3) containing different color inks. 3. An impact printer according to claim 1 wherein said print elements are ball-point pen tips each connected to a common ink reservoir (18, fig. 4). 4. An impact printer according to claim 1 wherein said rotatable print element carrier is a .flexible belt (12) having said print elements mounted thereon in spaced relationship for rotation past said print location. 5. An impact printer according to claim 1 wherein said print medium is a web of paper (16) moving relative to said print elements and print hammers. 6. An impact printer according to claim 1 wherein said rotatable print element carrier is a rotatable cylinderical drum (fig. 4) having said print elements (10) mounted on the circumference thereof in spaced relationship for rotation past said print location. 7. An impact printer according to claim 6 wherein said print elements (10) are ball-point pen tips mounted on the surface of said cylindrical drum in linear disposed pluralities of pen elements being spaced around the circumference of said cylindrical drum to provide an all-points addressable matrix of print positions on said print medium (16) in combination with said selectively actuated print hammers (14).

Inventors: AVIRAM, ARI, KOVAC, ZLATA, WANG, HAN CHUNG
Applicants: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B41J3
IPC codes: B41J27, B41J1, B41J9, B41J2