Seiko Epson Corporation

Seiko Epson Kabushiki Kaisha

Naoki Asai

Masahiko Yamada

Choji Morozumi

Akira Koyabu

Yoshikazu Ito

Hiroshi Narita

Kenichiro Arai

Kunio Omura

Kiyoshi Ito

Masahiro Minowa

Mitsuaki Teradaira

Kenichi Hirabayashi

Takashi Aoki

Hideki Kawakami

Eizo Takahashi

Tsutomu Momose

Kenji Komatsu

Yoshikazu Itoh

An apparatus includes a passage along which a recording medium with magnetic information recorded thereon can travel and an information read head disposed along the passage for reading the magnetic information. The apparatus also includes a first print head disposed on the first side of the passage and a second print head disposed on the second side of the passage. The first print head prints information on a first surface of the recording media based on data obtained by the information read head and the second print head prints information on a second surface of the recording media based on the data obtained by the information read head. Methods of processing a recording medium with magnetic information recorded thereon also are disclosed.

Method and apparatus for processing recording media having embedded information

A winding shaft, for use in a printer allows a wound recording paper to be easily removed therefrom. The winding shaft includes a shaft main body, a winding portion and a support-removing member. The winding portion, which sandwiches the shaft main body, winds the recording paper therearound. The shaft main body includes a pair of support-removing members, which respectively project from the shaft main body. The two support-removing members are respectively supported on the two side portions of the shaft main body in such a manner that they can be freely rotated about their respective support shafts. A tension-coiled spring is bridgingly disposed between the two support-removing members, so that the two support-removing members remain in standing positions when no external force is applied to them. If the recording paper is lightly rotated in a direction opposite to the winding direction of the recording paper, then the two support-removing members are brought down in the same direction due to an external force applied thereto from the innermost peripheral recording paper. As a result, the innermost peripheral recording paper is loosened, that is, is caused to float loosely from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft main body, thereby enabling the removal of the recording paper from the winding shaft.

Winding shaft and a printer using the same

A winding shaft, for use in a printer, which allows a wound recording paper to be easily removed therefrom. The winding shaft includes a shaft main body, a winding portion and a support-removing member. The winding portion, which sandwiches the shaft main body, winds the recording paper therearound. The shaft main body includes a pair of support-removing members, which respectively project from the shaft main body. The two support-removing members are respectively supported on the two side portions of the shaft main body in such a manner that they can be freely rotated about their respective support shafts. A tension-coiled spring is bridgingly disposed between the two support-removing members, so that the two support-removing members remain in standing positions when no external force is applied to them. If the recording paper is lightly rotated in a direction opposite to the winding direction of the recording paper, then the two support-removing members are brought down in the same direction due to an external force applied thereto from the innermost peripheral recording paper. As a result, the innermost peripheral recording paper is loosened, that is, is caused to float loosely from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft main body, thereby enabling the removable of the recording paper from the winding shaft.

A print head 6 is disposed next to a transportation path for transporting a cut-sheet form V. A guide frame 17 with a guide member 17a projecting into the transportation path away from the print head 6 is disposed on the cut-sheet form V insertion opening side of the print head 6. A platen unit 16 with a platen 33 is mounted to rotate freely, and a frame member 30 is disposed on the platen unit 16. When the platen unit 16 is closed, the guide member 17a of the guide frame 17 and the guide member 30b of the frame member 30 touch, thus forming an ejection path guiding the roll paper S away from the junction with the cut-sheet form V transportation path. When the platen unit 16 is opened, the guide member 17a of guide frame 17 and the guide member 30b of frame member 30 separate, thereby enabling cut-sheet form V insertion.

Printer

Printing to aNd MICR code reading from a cut-sheet form imprinted with an MICR code, such as personal checks, are continuously accomplished by a single apparatus, thereby simplifying processing and reducing the required installation space. A magnetic head and a magnet for reading the MICR code are disposed on the slope of a paper path provided in a printer housing. A personal check in paper path is held by cut-sheet form loading rollers and/or transportation rollers which operate at a synchronized speed, and is passed over the magnetic head for MICR code reading. Thereafter, the personal check is held by the loading rollers and/or the transportation rollers for endorsement printing by the print head.

Integrated method and apparatus for reading mier code and printing

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 sheet guide for a small printer whose record sheet inserting inlet opens when a record sheet is being inserted to the printer and closes to a minimal extent after the record sheet is being inserted so as to prevent foreign matter or the like from entering. In the event of trouble, such as jamming of sheets or entering of foreign matter, the sheet guide is easily removable to allow the cause of trouble to be eliminated. A sheet guide (inner) 67 is rotatably and releasably mounted on a shaft 12a of a sheet forward roller unit through elastically deforming engaging sections 67c, 67d.

Sheet guide for small printer

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

A recording medium feed mechanism for a printer includes first, second and third transport sections in the printer along a medium pathway wherein the first transport section is disposed at the insertion point of the recording medium into the printer, the second transport section is disposed immediately before the printer section relative to the direction of transport of the recording medium and the third transport section is disposed immediately after the printer section relative to the direction of transport of the recording medium. A single drive source is adapted for driving in common drive rollers at all three transport sections. First, second and third opening/closing mechanisms are incorporated respectively at the first, second and third transport sections to provide closure and medium engagement and its transport when the medium is present at a particular transport section and to provide its opening when the medium is not present or no longer present at a particular transport section. A method of control is provided for determining when a recording medium is present or absent from a particular transport section utilizing a recording medium stop member and detector in the medium pathway from which the location of the leading or trailing edges of the recording medium can be ascertained. Enhancement in accurate control is achieved in medium transport permitting the extension of data printing in medium margins adjacent the leading and trailing edges of the medium.

Recording medium feed mechanism for a printer and method of medium feed

A printing device which employs a platen frame mounted on a resin or plastic base frame with a pivoting joint and a rocker spring which biases the frames together which creates a floating platen frame. A main guide shaft is mounted on the base frame and supports a print head. A clearance member fixed to the platen frame extends toward the main guide shaft and is pressed against a clearance adjustment member attached to at least one end of the main guide shaft. The clearance adjustment member allows adjustment of the platen gap while the clearance member and bias spring automatically adjust the paten gap under various printing conditions. Using this gap fixing device, the platen gap can be maintained constant even if the frame expands due to heat, thus facilitating the use of resin frames. At the same time, by using a floating platen frame and positioning a feed motor and other components on the platen frame, noise and vibrations are decreased.

Printing device having a floating platen

A printer which can accommodate both continuous sheets and cut sheets includes both a continuous sheet path and a cut sheet path. A printing section is provided in common for the continuous and cut sheets. A manually slidable continuous sheet guide plate is provided in the upper portion of the printing section. A detector detects operation of the continuous sheet guide plate. When the guide plate is slid so that the cut sheet path is closed and the continuous sheet path is selected, in response to the output of the detector the continuous sheet is fed to the exit of the continuous sheet path.

Printer accommodating two types of printing sheets

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.

Printer for printing on multiple types of printing sheets

A connection apparatus for connecting a first face of a first electrical device to a second face of a second electrical device. First and second hooks are coupled in spaced relation to the first face of the first electrical device. A pivot member, in facing relation to the first hook, is coupled to the second face of the second electrical device for releasably engaging with the first hook. The second electrical device is pivotable about the engagement of the first hook and the pivot member between a proximate position where the second hook is proximate to the second face of the second electrical device and a spaced position where the second hook is spaced apart from the second face of the second electrical device. A locking apparatus is displaceably mounted on the second face of the second electrical device for releasably engaging with the second hook in a first position and disengaging with the second hook in a second position. The movement of the locking apparatus from the second position to the first position when the first hook and pivot members are engaged serves to hold the electrical devices together.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Naoki Asai