The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 06, 1988
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1986
Douglas S Brown, Matthews, NC (US);
William A Patterson, Charlotte, NC (US);
William D Thorne, Raleigh, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to an assembly of electromagnetic actuators for the hammers of an impact printer arranged side by side and extending along a line. Each actuator comprises a first stator part formed with at least one pole piece, a second stator part formed with at least one pole piece and positioned relative to the first stator part so that the pole pieces are spaced apart so as to form a gap therebetween. A single coil is associated with one of the stator parts. Each actuator also includes an armature member formed with a body of non-magnetizable material, at least one armature element of magnetizable material and a hammer head. The armature member is supported between the stator parts so that the armature element is located adjacent to the gap. Energization of the coil causes the generation of a flux which passes across the gap and through the armature element tending to move the armature element into the gap and to cause the hammer head to move into a print position. According to the invention the components of adjacent actuators are complementary in shape so that projecting components of each actuator engage in recessed components of the adjacent actuators whereby the overall length of the assembly along the line is less than the sum of the overall widths of the individual actuators.