AU680034B2

AU680034B2 - Thermal printer

Info

Publication number: AU680034B2
Application number: AU74458/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Eric Cavarero
Original assignee: Sagem SA
Current assignee: Sagem SA
Priority date: 1994-10-05
Filing date: 1994-10-05
Publication date: 1997-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-05
Also published as: AU7445894A

Description

I6urRef: 527034 P/00/0 11 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

S

V*

ca Vi coott ct!c 0 Applicant(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Societe d'Applications Generales d'Electricite et de Mecanique Sagemn 6 Avenue d'Iena F-75783 PARIS CEDEX 16

FRANCE

DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Thermal printer The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me-- Thermal printer The inventnir rixtAes to thermal printers, both in the context of printers which are peripherals of other equipment and apparatuses with integrated printer, such as, for example, facsimile machines.

More particularly, the invention relates to thermal printers in which a thermal printing head with resistive heating elements is provided for printing, on an a priori paper medium, pages of a document which is to be received from a calling party in the case of a facsimile machine. There are two main types of thermal printer.

In those of the first type, currently the most widespread, the medium is a special so-called thermal paper used in roll form.

ic.tt In printers of the second type, which are starting to appear on the market, the medium is ordinary paper, then used in sheets or in reams, but which requires a special printing i ribbon used in roll form. This is, more precisely, a ribbon coated with a layer of thermally meltable ink which, during t printing, is transferred onto a sheet of the paper by c activation of the heating elements of the head. In this case, printing by thermal transfer is spoken of.

With the former printers, there is the risk that the roll of thermal paper will end prematurely or unexpectedly.

Ui With the latter printers, there is also the risk that the inking roll will end prematurely or unexpectedly.

P:\WPDOCS\MAP\SPECl\527034.DII 9/5/97 -2- Since the solution of providing two printers, respectively of the two types, is naturally to be set aside, the Applicant company has sought to overcome the risk of the roll of thermal paper or inking ribbon running out, and it is in this context that it provides its invention.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a thermal printer including a thermal printing head, means for driving a paper medium in front of the printing head, means for introducing sheets of paper, means for extracting sheets of paper, means for driving a thermal-transfer printing ribbon in front of the printing head, the printer being designed to receive a roll of paper and the extraction means being designed to unroll the roll of paper, and fastening means designed to accommodate a feeder neck of a container of a roll of paper.

So l: The means for driving the paper medium, in sheets or in roll form, generally comprise 15 a support roller. The means for introducing the sheets of paper are provided in the printer of the invention, but they naturally cannot be used in the case of a paper medium in roll form.

'The printer is designed to accommodate a roll of thermal paper, but it is again not g 20 possible to make use of such an arrangement.

o so The invention with be better understood with the aid of the 1 i Vt *r I V^J i -3following description of four preferred embodiments of the printer of the invention, with reference to the attached drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the first preferred embodiment of the printer of the invention, using a thermal-transfer printing inking ribbon, Figure 2 represents the printer of Figure 1, then using a roll of thermal paper, Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the second preferred embodiment of the printer of the invention, using a thermal-transfer ribbon, Figure 4 represents the printer of Figure 3, then using 0 t a roll of thermal paper, and Figures 5 and 6 are side views of a third and of a fourth preferred embodiment of the printer of the invention.

S ttC* The printer represented in Figure 1 belongs to a facsimile cco machine and includes a thermal printing head 1 and a support 0000 Z roller 2 arranged opposite.

0 0 For brevity of the explanation, it will be noted that all 0000 the axes of the Figures extend perpendicularly to the plane of 0 oo S the Figures.

C 0A hood 3 of the printer supports an intake magazine 4 associated with an introduction roller 4A designed to receive a ream of sheets of paper 20 to be printed, while two extraction wheels 5 extract the sheets of paper 20 which emerge through a slot 3A of the hood 3. Two feeder necks 6 and 7 are -4designed to guide the paper 20, respectively entering 'and leaving the magazine 4 towards the head 1 and the roller 2, while passing between the two of them, and from the head 1 towards the extraction wheels 5 and the slot 3A.

A housing 11 of the printer here includes a fixed spindle 12 carrying a delivery roller 13 for the thermal printing ribbon 14, while a housing 15 includes a drive spindle 16 carrying a take-up roller 17 for spent ribbon 14, this roller being coupled in rotation with this spindle. The ribbon 14 passes from the delivery roller 13 to the take-up roller 17 while being pressed flat against the head i, between it and the support roller 2. The support roller 2 is driven in rotation by a gearing, not represented, common to the extraction wheels r' ~and also, by friction, drives the paper 20 and the ribbon 14.

rit A drive motor 18 rotationally drives the spindle 16 and unwinds the ribbon 2 against the action of the guidewheel 19 oc arranged at the exit of the housing 11.

A proximity detector 21 is also provided in this example for C 0C C the roller 13 delivering the ribbon 14.

The same printer is represented in Figure 2, but it is in C C this case equipped with a removable container 23 designed to accommodate a roll 33 of heat-sensitive paper 34, here carried by a spindle or hub 32. The container 23 is fixed in a removable manner, not shown, by snap fastening on the hood 3, and includes a guide neck for feeding the heat-sensitive paper 34 to the printing head i. The hood 3 here has an external II. 'I r4 surface 25 of circular cylindrical shape which is locally concave and matches the shape of the container 23 to enclose the paper 33.

A detector 22 is provided for detecting the presence of the roll of paper 33. The detectors 21 and 22 are used for improving the controlling of the guiding of the thermal paper 33 as it emerges and for regulating the control of the printing head 1 as a function of the type of printing, by ribbon or with heat-sensitive paper.

The second example, represented in Figure 3, is similar to that in Figure 1 and the printer, still belonging to a facsimile machine, uses a roll 113 of consumable heat-sensitive V ¢cc ribbon 114. The elements of Figures 3 and 4 which are similar to those of Figures 1 and 2 bear the same reference, but preceded by the hundred digit 1 and the ten digit 1 as C, cc appropriate. For this reason, they are not described a second time.

In Figure 4, which is similar to Figure 2, the printer functions with a roll 133 of thermal paper 134. The hood 103 includes an opening 140 bordered by two rotary flaps 141 and v C, 6l 142 which open outward to accommodate the roll 133 of thermal crc paper 134. A slide flap 143 is slidingly mounted on the flap 141 in order, when deployed, to rejoin the external edge of the flap 142 and thus close the housing 123 of the roll of paper E 133.

A pair of connecting rods, only one 135 of which is -6represented, are rotationally mounted at one end about a spindle 136 close to the junction of the flap 142 with the hood 103, and they respectively include, at opposite ends, two bearings 137 about which a pair of other connecting rods are respectively rotationally mounted, one, 138, of which is represented. The connecting rods 135 and 138 are axially separated in order to enclose the roll 133 by its flanks. The bearings 137 are designed to receive the hub 132 of the roll 133. The connecting rods 138 laterally hold the paper of the roll 133 and, in this example, also brake it.

As shown by Figure 3, the flaps 141-143 occupy a folded position at rest, in which they lie on top of one another and close the hood 103, while the connecting rods 135 and 138 are folded inside the hood 103 Thus, the connecting rods 135 and 138 which are designed to accommodate the hub 132 of the roll 133, are mounted movably from a position of thermal-transfer printing and supporting the *44* roll 113 of inking ribbon to a position of direct printing and supporting the roll 133 of thermal paper. For their part, the flaps 141-143 are movable between a closed position and an open position for accommodating the roll 133 of thermal paper.

4*t* The elements of the printers of the third and fourth I embodiments, represented in Figures 5 and 6, which are similar to thzse of the preceding figures bear the same references, respectively with a hundred digit 2 and 3.

In Figure 5, the tape delivery roller 213 and the roll o".

-7heat-sensitive paper 233 are housed in the printer, in this case side by side.

In Figure 6, the presences of the tape delivery roller 313 and the roll of heat-sensitive paper 333 are mutually exclusive because they occupy housings having a common volume.

The reference numerals in the following claims do not in any way limited the scope of the respective claims.

i

*I

S

i i

Claims

1. A thermal printer including a thermal printing head, means for dring a paper medium in front of the printing head, means for introducing sheets of paper, means for extracting sheets of paper, means for driving a thermal-transfer printing ribbon in front of the printing head, the printer being designed to receive a roll of paper and the extraction means being designed to unroll the roll of paper, and fastening means designed to accommodate a feeder neck of a container of a roll of paper.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the means for driving the paper medium includes a support roller.

3. The printer according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein means designed to accommodate a roll hub are mounted movably from a position of thermal-transfer S 15 printing and supporting a roll of inking ribbon to a position of direct printing and supporting a roll of thermal paper.

4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein flaps are provided which are moveable between a closed position and an open position for accommodating a roll of thermal S 20 paper. It A printer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 9th day of May 1997 S SOCIETE D'APPLICATIONS GENERALES D'ELECTRICITE ET DE MECANIQUE SAGEM By Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE r 0 y 87 i 'I 1 ABSTRACT Thermal printer 1. Thermal printer comprising a thermal printing head (201), means (202) for driving a paper medium (220) in front of the printing head (201), means (204) for introducing sheets of paper (220), means for extracting sheets of paper (220), means for driving a thermal-transfer printing ribbon (214) in front of the printing head (201), the printer being designed to receive a roll of paper (233) and the extraction means being designed to unroll the roll of paper (233). Application to facsimile machines t. -Figure t to OCaO 0 t_