Seiko Epson Corporation

Choji Morozumi

Naoki Asai

Akira Koyabu

Yoshikazu Ito

Kiyoshi Ito

Masahiro Minowa

Hideki Kawakami

A dot impact printer including a printhead unit having a wire dot head that strikes an ink ribbon against a recording medium to print, and a head support frame that supports the wire dot head; a path forming member that forms the recording medium conveyance path at the printing position of the wire dot head; and a first contact group having at least three contact points disposed to the head support frame that contact the path forming member proximally to the wire dot head for positioning to the path forming member in the head pin projection direction.

Dot impact printer

A printing apparatus comprises a platen, a dot impact print head (23) opposite to the platen, a mask plate (40) between the platen and the print head with a paper passage between the platen and the mask plate (40), and an ink ribbon (31) between the print head and the mask plate. Transport mechanisms are provided to move the mask plate (40) in a direction substantially perpendicular to said paper passage between a first position on the print head side and a second position on the platen side, the transport mechanisms being responsive to the position of the print head along the platen. In the first position of the mask plate a relatively wide gap between the platen and the mask plate enables easy paper insertion, while in the second position a relatively wide gap between the mask plate and the print head facilitates replacement of the ink ribbon without problems.

Printing apparatus and a control method therefor

A printer for use with an ink ribbon having at least two printing tracks is provided with a print head that moves along a predetermined path adjacent to a recording medium. A line driver reciprocates the print head along the path in first and second directions. A multi-track ribbon comprises a plurality of printing tracks having portions thereof disposed between the print heads and a recording medium. A ribbon shift mechanism positions a preselected one of the tracks on the ink ribbon adjacent the print head for use in printing a response to movement of the print head. The ribbon shift mechanism comprises a printing track setting mechanism for moving the ribbon in one direction to set at one desired track height from among several preselected track heights corresponding to a selected one of predetermined amounts of movement of the print head in the first direction to a first end portion of the path. The ribbon shift mechanism also comprises a printing track releasing mechanism for moving the ribbon in an opposite direction to release from the set track height in response to movement of the print head in the second direction to a second end portion of the path.

Printer color ink ribbon positioning control

A compact, lightweight printer capable of using multi-track ink ribbons that facilitates multicolor printing, without having a dedicated track switching drive system. The printer employs a printing track setting member that is activated by contact pressure from a print head carriage when it moves in one direction and vertically displaces a ribbon frame supporting the ribbon to one of several preselected heights with respect to the print head. The setting member is preferably made in the form of a setting lever with a drive end for interacting with the print head carriage and a setting end with a series of setting height stops that interact with the ribbon frame. Rotation of the setting lever places different setting level stops under the frame which varies its height accordingly. A printing track release member is also provided which is activated by contact pressure from the print head carriage when it moves in an opposite direction and raises the ribbon frame to disengage the track setting member and move the ribbon support frame to a new height. The track release member is preferably formed as a rotatable release shaft with drive end for interacting with the print head carriage and a release end with a lever extending under and toward the ribbon cassette. Rotation of the track release member shaft causes the lever to raise the ribbon frame accordingly.

Printer ink ribbon control

Ink ribbon cartridge

A printer for printing on at least two types of recording sheet using a single print head arranged at a single printing section. The printer includes a first recording sheet forwarding path, a second sheet forwarding path, a first recording sheet forwarding mechanism, a second recording sheet forwarding mechanism, a printing section opening/closing mechanism, a first recording sheet path opening/closing mechanism, a second recording sheet path opening/closing mechanism, a single recording sheet detector, and a recording sheet blocking mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Suwa, Japan

Choji Morozumi