General Electric Company

Frederick M Blodgett, Jr

Andrew B Carson, Jr

A printhead for a dot matrix impact printer comprises a stack of thin printing blades each including a flat spiral coil mounted in a rim which is in turn connected by flexible mounting arms to a mounting portion. Each blade has an arcuate printing arm extending from one side of the rim thereof and carrying a stylus, with the printing arms of adjacent blades being curved in opposite directions with the concave sides thereof facing each other so as to provide therebetween a large separation area to prevent wicking of ink from the styli to the coils of the blades. Each print arm carries a stabilizing member extending from the concave side thereof, with the stabilizing members of adjacent blades overlapping for cooperation to divide the separation area between said blades into inner and outer regions, the outer region serving to block particulate debris and isolate it from the inner regions thereby to prevent interference with the anti-wicking function of the inner regions. Assembly and operation of the printhead is facilitated by the use of separators between individual blades, the method of mounting the coils and the use of connecting tabs on the mounting portion of the blade adapted for insertion into the complementary sockets of an associated circuit board.

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Stuarts Draft, VA, United States of America

Frederick M Blodgett, Jr