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:
Oct. 07, 1997
Filed:
May. 31, 1996
James Douglas Jordan, Round Rock, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A printhead drive circuit to be utilized in impact printers is disclosed. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the printhead driver circuit includes a first switch, a set of second switches, and a decoupling circuit. The first switch is coupled between a first terminal of a DC power supply and a first terminal of a set of solenoid coils. The set of second switches is utilized to selectively energize each of the solenoid coils within the set. Each of the second switches is also respectively coupled between a second terminal of each of the solenoid coils and a second terminal of the DC power supply. The decoupling circuit is for selectively decoupling a first group of solenoid coils within the set that are not energized from a second group of solenoid coils within the set that are energized. The decoupling circuit is connected between the first terminal of the DC power supply and the second terminal of each solenoid coil via a diode at each of the second terminals of each solenoid coil.