Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Patent Department

Mikio Miyajima

Fumihisa Hori

Tadao Tamukai

Shuhei Takeuchi

Hiroshi Koike

Ikuo Hibino

Hideki Fujimoto

Kohsaki Yanata

Fujio Sasaki

A thermal transfer printer comprises a platen for holding a sheet of print paper thereagainst, a thermal head movable axially along the platen in opposite first and second directions and also movable toward and away from the platen, an ink tape including a stretch facing the platen for being pressed against the sheet of print paper by the thermal head, the ink tape having a width allowing printing along a plurality of transversely spaced lines on the stretch, and means for relatively positioning the thermal head and the stretch of the ink tape selectively on one of the transversely spaced lines at a time.

Thermal transfer printer

A serial printer having a carriage adapted to be shifted transversely of a paper and a type cylinder carried by the carriage in such a manner as to be able to be shifted up and down and to be rotated, so that the printing is effected by pressing the desired type character against the paper. The improvement comprises that the vertical shifting of the type cylinder, rotation of the type cylinder, driving of the hammer, shifting of the carriage and other kinds of operation are performed by the force derived from a single motor, and that operation such as spacing and back spacing of the carriage, paper feeding and so forth is achieved when the type cylinder selects a visible position.

Serial electric printer using single unidirectional motor

A serial printer suitable for use in desk-top calculators or the like. The serial printer has a rotary shaft rotatable together with two type wheels. The power supply to the rotary shaft is made by a motor which operates continuously only in one rotational direction through a first clutch. A second clutch is provided to make a selective power transmission between the rotary shaft and the member for actuating the hammer, as well as the member for causing the carrying operation. The states of the first and the second clutches are controlled by a change-over arm which in accordance with the operation instruction given by an operation instruction coil, such that these clutches are alternatingly turned on and off to make various operations such as printing, column shift, paper feeding and so forth.

Serial printer

A serial printer suitable for use in desk-top calculators or the like. The serial printer has a rotary shaft rotatable together with two type wheels. The power supply to the rotary shaft is made by a motor which operates continuously only in one rotational direction through a first clutch. A second clutch is provided to make a selective power transmission between the motor and the member for actuating the hammer, as well as the member of causing the carrying operation. The states of the first and the second clutches are controlled by a change-over arm which in accordance with the operation instruction given by an operation instruction coil, such that these clutches are alternatively engaged and dis-engaged to make various operations such as printing, column shift, paper feeding and so forth.

A type setting device for printers, comprising a drive motor, a drive gear mounted on a rotary shaft and rotated by the drive motor, a type wheel having a plurality of type elements and rotatably mounted on the rotary shaft, a first spring clutch interposed between the drive gear and the rotary shaft, a ratchet gear fixedly mounted on the rotary shaft and selectively stopped to control the first spring clutch, and a second spring clutch adapted to prevent the rotary shaft from being rotated reversely with respect to the rotation of the drive gear. The drive gear can thus be kept rotating at all times so that it is unnecessary that the motor be started and stopped every time a character is printed. This allows a high-speed type selection and high-speed printing.

Type setting device for printers

A printer having clutches for selectively transmitting the driving power from a single motor to a rotary shaft for rotating the type wheels and to a hammer drive shaft for driving a hammer is described. The clutches are under the control of a single controlling member so that the typing operation can be accomplished by the power furnished by a single motor having a shaft which need rotate continuously in one direction only.

Serial printer having a single drive motor

In an endless inked ribbon cartridge wherein an inked ribbon received in a chamber is drawn out from the receiving chamber by a guide arm and then fed into the receiving chamber by another guide arm, and the inked ribbon is exposed between the guide arms for printing, a guide plate is disposed which covers the exposed inked ribbon except a part necessary for printing, thereby to prevent the inked ribbon from staining fingers or paper and from severing accidentally.

Growing community of inventors

Nishine, Japan

Mikio Miyajima