Claims
- 1. A dot matrix printer comprising:
- an array of movable print wires comprising print wires of substantially diffeent lengths but all having substantially equal mass; and
- an array of electromagnetic print wire actuators, each actuator being disposed to electromechanically drive a respective one of said print wires;
- wherein said array of print wires comprises a single linear array of equally spaced apart print wires, wherein said array of actuators comprises at least two linearly arrayed and mutually offset subsets of actuators with each such subset driving print wires having a common length but different from those driven by the other subset(s), and wherein at least the resulting longest length subset of print wires are each at least partially hollow.
- 2. A dot matrix printer as in claim 1 wherein each of said partially hollow print wires comprises a hollow stainless steel tube affixed to a solid tungsten carbide printing tip inserted within one end of said tube.
- 3. A dot matrix printer as in claim 2 wherein said array of actuators is mounted upon a shuttle carriage which is continuously and substantially sinusoidally oscillated along the direction of the print wire array with a peak-to-peak displacement substantially equal to the spacing between adjacent print wires.
- 4. A dot matrix printer as in claim 3 wherein the shortest length subset of print wires are constructed of solid tungsten carbide.
- 5. A dot matrix shuttle printing module, said module comprising:
- a single linear and substantially planar array of equally spaced apart longitudinally movable substantially straight print wires terminating at their first ends in a common line of dot printing positions and having respective opposite second ends;
- alternate ones of said print wires being of a first length shorter than the second longer length of the remaining ones of said print wires but all of said print wires having substantially equal respective masses;
- a module base structure;
- a first subset of linearly arrayed electromagnetic actuators affixed to said module base, and directly and drivingly supporting the second ends of said shorter print wires with a driving piston received within an electromagnetic coil; and
- a second subset of linearly arranged electromagnetic actuators disposed in parallel offset relationship to said first subset of actuators, said second subset of actuators also being affixed to said module base, and directly and drivingly supporting the second ends of said longer wires with a driving piston received within an electromagnetic coil.
- 6. A dot matrix shuttle printing module as in claim 5 wherein each of said actuators has a minimum outside dimension greater than the center-to-center spacing between adjacent print wires.
- 7. A dot matrix shuttle printing module as in claim 6 wherein said longer print wires are at least partially hollow.
- 8. A dot matrix shuttle printing module as in claim 7 wherein each of said longer print wires comprise:
- a hollow steel tube; and
- a solid dot-printing tip affixed to one end of said hollow steel tube.
- 9. A dot matrix shuttle printing module as in claim 8 wherein said shorter printer wires each comprise a unitary solid wire having a dot-printing tip at one of its ends.
- 10. A dot matrix shuttle printer module, said module comprising:
- a module base structure;
- an array of electromagnetic piston actuators received within an electromagnetic coil which is affixed to said module base;
- said array being composed of a plurality of subsets, the actuators in one subset being offset from and parallel to the actuators in another of said subsets; and
- a linear array of longitudinally movable substantially straight print wires having substantially different lengths but substantially equal masses, each print wire having one end drivingly aligned with a respective one of said piston actuators and having all opposite ends of the print wires terminated in a common line of dot-printing positions.
- 11. A dot matrix shuttle printer module as in claim 10 wherein the print wires comprise at least two subsets, with each subset having substantially equal lengths therewithin and wherein the print wires in at least the subset having the longest lengths are at least partially hollow.
- 12. A dot matrix shuttle printer module as in claim 11 wherein said at least partially hollow print wires comprise:
- a hollow steel tube; and
- a solid dot-printing tip affixed to one end of said hollow steel tube.
- 13. A dot matrix shuttle printer module as in claim 12 wherein the shortest subset of print wires each comprises a unitary solid wire having a dot-printing tip at one of its ends.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of our earlier copending commonly assigned application Ser. No. 450,020 filed Dec. 15, 1982 and now abandoned. It is also related to a commonly assigned application Ser. No. 440,811 filed Nov. 12, 1982 and issued on Aug. 28, 1984 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,142 entitled PRINT WIRE ACTUATOR.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2805695 |
Aug 1978 |
DEX |
56-117667 |
Sep 1981 |
JPX |
57-142371 |
Sep 1982 |
JPX |
57-187270 |
Nov 1982 |
JPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
"Matrix Print Head Wire Length Adjustment Technique"; R. H. Harris; IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin; vol. 26, No. 2, p. 794-S; Jul. 1983; 400/124. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
450020 |
Dec 1982 |
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