AN ARRANGEMENT FOR AN APPARATUS WHICH IS SO ARRANGED AS TO WRITE OR PRINT INFORMATION SYMBOLS

Abstract: Arrangement (1) for an apparatus (2) which is so arranged as to write or print information symbols (11), preferably on objects such as products which are intended to be capable of moving along a transport route and/or on printed matter, etc., such as labels and tickets, etc. The arrangement makes it possible, amongst other things by simple means, to enter the desired symbols into a writing or printing apparatus in a simple and rapid fashion. The arrangement comprises means for feeding, preferably in any direction and in a certain pre-determined sequence, a quantity of symbols (11) such as letters, figures and/or characters after actuation of a number of moving keys (3, 4) which are connected to said means for feeding said quantity of symbols so that at least a proportion (12) of said quantity appears on a selector display (8), in addition to which a number of decide keys (5, 6) are provided for the movement of a particular symbol between said quantities (12) of symbols and a result display (9) on which the desired sequence of symbols (15) is displayed at the same time as or before the point at which the selected information is transferred to the apparatus (2).

Description: An arrangement for an apparatus which is so arranged as to write or print information symbols The present invention relates to an arrangement for an apparatus which is so arranged as to write or print information symbols, preferably on objects such as products which are intended to be capable of moving along a transport route and/or on printed matter, etc., such as labels and tickets, etc. The principal object of the present invention is to make available an arrangement which permits simple and problem-free operation for the input of desired symbols into an apparatus of the kind referred to above, without having to use complicated and cost—increasing additional equipment for said purpose. Said object is achieved by means of an arrangement of the kind indicated above, which is characterized essentially in that it includes means for feeding, preferably in any direction and in a certain pre—determined sequence, a quantity of symbols such as letters, figures and/or characters, after actuation of a number of moving keys which are connected to said means for feeding said quantity of symbols so that at least a proportion of said quantity appears on a selector display, and in that a number of decide keys are provided for the movement of a particular symbol between said proportion of symbols and a result display on which the desired sequence of symbols is displayed at the same time as or before the point at which the selected information is transferred to the apparatus. The invention is described below as two preferred illustrative embodiments, in conjunction with which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows an arrangement in accordance with the invention portrayed diagrammatical ly in conjunction with a symbol application apparatus; Figs. 2—3 show in diagrammatic form an example of the procedure for feeding text in the course of a programming operation; and Fig. 4 shows a further example of an arrangement to which the invention is applicable. An arrangement 1 arranged in accordance with the present invention, which is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the 5 drawings, can be integrated into a previously disclosed apparatus 2 which is so arranged as to write, for example by -the application of an ink—jet printer, or as to print information symbols such as letters, figures and/or characters on objects such as products which are. intended to be capable of moving along 10 a transport route, and/or on printed matter, etc., such as labels and tickets, etc., where the desired information may vary from one occasion to the next, and where the wish is accordingly felt to be able to enter the desired symbols rapidly and effectively. The arrangement 1 comprises a number of keys 3—7, which are in 15 the form of push—buttons in the example illustrated, but which may naturally also be in the form of other types of key, for example levers with a single or dual connecting function, etc. A number of displays 8, 9 are also included in the arrangement 1. Means, which may be in the form of previously 20 disclosed electrical and/or mechanical elements which are not shown in the drawings and which are not described in more detail in the specification, are included in the arrangement 1 in order to be able to feed a pre— etermined quantity 10 of symbols 11, 11^, 11 n , such as letters as illustrated in the drawings, figures 25 and/or characters, so that at least a proportion 12 of said quantity 10 of symbols can be displayed on a display 8 which functions as a selector display. For this purpose a number of said keys 3, 4 are capable of being connected to said means in such a way, after actuation of said keys 3, 4 which function as 30 moving keys, as to be able to cause the symbols 11—11 π to be fed forwards in a certain pre—determined sequence and preferably in any direction 13, 14 along the selector display 8. A number of keys 5, 6 functioning as so—called 'decide • keys' are capable of being connected to movement means 35 for the purpose of moving a particular symbol 11* between the quantity of symbols 10 and a display 9 functioning as a result display, which may be in the form of a display 9 which is separate from the selector display 8, or which may be in the form of a separate area on a common display. The desired, selected sequence 15 of symbols, which may suitably consist of a complete word and/or a number, is so arranged that, thanks to the use of appropriate and previously disclosed means, it is displayed on the result display 9 at the same time as or before the point at which the selected information is transferred to the apparatus 2 in order to be suitably stored in a memory for the subsequent control of appropriate and previously disclosed writing and printing units which may, for example, be capable of being connected to the apparatus 2. The proportion 12 of symbols should be suitably arranged so as to be capable of being fed in the form of a row along the selector display 8, preferably progressively in a 'forward' direction 13 after actuation of t e moving key 3, or in a 'rearward' direction 14 after actuation of the πtoving key 4, for which purpose said moving keys 3, 4 should suitably be separate from one another and may exhibit arrows 16 and 17 or other symbols which indicate the resulting direction of movement on actuation of the keys 3, 4. Preferably two decide keys 5, 6 which are separate from one another may similarly exhibit arrows 18, 19 or other symbols which indicate the direction of movement 20, 21 for a selected symbol 11* on actuation of the key 5, 6 in question. A 'primary decide key' 5 is provided for the movement of an aforementioned, certain selected symbol to a particular point 22 on the selector display 8, for example consisting of an indicator field 22, such as a symbol 11* shown here to have been fed forwards between two brackets 23 so that it is displayed on the result display 9 and the desired, selected result quantity 15, so as to form a desired word, etc., which it is wished to write or print. Means are provided in this case for the movement of the aforementioned particular symbol 11* to a particular area 24 on the result display 9, which is situated in close proximity to the aforementioned, separate particular symbol 11* on the selector display 8, for example directly or obliquely above same. A 'secondary decide key' 6 which functions as a 'decide key' is provided in order to permit editing of the quantity 15 of symbols shown on the 'result display' 9, by being able to delete certain particular symbol 11** from the symbol result quantity 15 shown, on the result display 9. Said influencing means comprises a so-called 'shift key' 7 which is so arranged, when actuated in combination with said moving keys 3, 4 ordecide key 6, as to permit the movement of the result quantity 15 in the desired direction 13, 14 along the display 9, or the deletion of a particular symbol 11** from the result quantity 15, for instance so as to be replaced by a further different particular symbol 11***. The movingkeys 3, 4 and the decide keys 5, 6 may suitably , be arranged in the form of a cross, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the respective positions of the keys 3-6 indicate the direction of movement of a particular symbol, that is to say the position of the key 3 indicates that the symbol will move to the left when said key is actuated, and so on. The idea of invention should be evident from the above and on the basis of the Figures, of which Figs. 2—3 show an example of text feeding. In this case the word 'JIGG' is intended to be printed, and it is then intended to replace the letter 'J' by the letter *C' so as to form the word 'CIGG * . The symbols in front of the displays 8, 9 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 indicate what it is intended to do with the symbols shown in said displays 8, 9. The arrangement 101 shown in Fig. 4 may, in addition to the proposed keys 3—7 which are equivalent to the keys described in the previous arrangement 1, also exhibit a number of additional keys 130 by means of which additional symbols, for example characters 131, can be caused to be written or printed in combination with other symbols 11 which can be influenced by means of the keys 3-7, said symbols being presented on displays 8, 9 provided for the purpose. This arrangement 101 is particularly suitable for application' in conjunction with the writing or printing of information on printed matter, such as tickets or labels, etc., to which it is wished to apply additional information, which often varies from one occasion to the next, for example in conjunction with numerical details relating to prices, etc., to the printed material. The invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may be modified within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the fundamental idea of invention.

Claims: Pa t en t C l a i m s 1. An arrangement for an apparatus (2) which is so arranged as to write or print information symbols (11), preferably on objects such as products which are intended to be capable of moving along a transport route, and/or on printed matter, etc., such as labels and tickets, etc., c h a r a d e r — i z e d in that it comprises means for feeding, preferably in any direction and in a certain pre—determined sequence, a quantity (10) of symbols (11) such as letters, figures and/or characters after actuation of a number of moving keys (3, 4) which are connected to said means for feeding said quantity (10) of symbols so that at least a proportion (12) of said quantity (10) appears on a selector display (8), and in that a number of decide keys (5, 6) are provided for the movement of particular symbols (11*, 11**, 11***) between said quantities (10, 12) of symbols and a result display (9) on which the desired sequence (15) of symbols is displayed at the same time as or before the point at which the selected information is transferred to the apparatus (2). 2. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the quantity (10) of symbols is so arranged as to be capable of being fed in the form of a row along said selector display (8). 3. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that preferably two moving keys (3, 4) which are separate from one another are provided for the movement of the quantity (10, 12) of symbols in a 'forward' direction (13) or in a 'rearward' direction (14) respectively. 4. An arrangement according to any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that two decide keys (5, 6) which are separate from one another are provided, of which a primary decide key (5) is provided for the movement of an aforementioned particular symbol (11*) displayed at a certain point (22) on the selector display (8) to the result display (9) and the desired selected result quantity (15). 5. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i zed in that means are provided for the movement of said pre—determined symbol (11*) to an area (24) on the result display (9) which is situated in the immediate vicinity of said pre—determined symbols (11*) which are displayed separately on the selector display (8). 6. An arrangement according to any of the preceding Patent Claims 4—5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a secondary decide key (6) acting as a decide key is provided for the deletion of certain symbol(11**) from the symbol result quantity (15) displayed on the result display (9). 7. An arrangement according to any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that means (7) are provided to permit the selected result quantity (15) displayed on the result display (9) to be influenced. 8. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 7, c h a ra c t e r i z ed in that said influencing means (7) comprise a shift key (7) so arranged, when actuated in combination with said moving keys (3, 4) or decide keys (5, 6), as to permit the movement of the result quantity (15) or the removal of certain symbols (11**). 9. An arrangement according to any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said moving keys (3, 4) are so arranged as to move the symbols (11) progressively along the respective aforementioned displays (8, 9). 10. An arrangement according to any of the Patent Claims 3-9, c h a r a c t e r i z ed in that the rroviny keys (3, 4) and the decide keys (5, 6) are arranged in the form of a cross, so that their respective positions indicate the direction of movement of the particular symbol.

Inventors: JANBRO SVEN-OLF, JENSEN TORKILD, JANBRO, SVEN-OLF, JENSEN, TORKILD
Applicants: SWEDOT SYSTEM AB
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B41J5
IPC codes: B41J5, G06K1, G07B1