BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limiting the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a general configuration of an impact printhead of a first embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the impact printhead;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vibration restricting guide;
FIG. 4A is a top view of the vibration restricting guide;
FIG. 4B is a side view of the vibration restricting guide;
FIG. 4C is a front view of the vibration restricting guide;
FIG. 5 illustrates impact wires when they are not driven;
FIG. 6 illustrates the impact printhead when it is not driven;
FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate the behavior of the impact wire in a hole of the vibration restricting guide;
FIG. 8 illustrates the wear of the vibration restricting guide;
FIG. 9 illustrates a modification to the first embodiment;
FIG. 10 illustrates an impact printhead of a second embodiment;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vibration restricting guide of the second embodiment;
FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating the vibration restricting guide as seen in a direction shown by arrow B;
FIG. 13 illustrates the impact wire when the impact wire is attracted to the core;
FIG. 14 illustrates the impact wire when the impact wire is in contact with the groove;
FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate the insertion of the impact wire into the hole;
FIG. 17 illustrates a modification to the vibration restricting guide of the second embodiment;
FIG. 18 illustrates the vibration restricting guide and the impact wire when the impact wire is attracted to the core;
FIG. 19 illustrates a conventional impact printhead;
FIG. 20 illustrates the conventional impact printhead when it is not operating;
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the vibration restricting guide; and
FIG. 22 illustrates the operation of the vibration restricting guide.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The image apparatus according to the invention will be described with respect to a printer. Similar elements have been given like reference numerals throughout the drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates the general configuration of an impact printhead 21 of a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view of the impact printhead 21. The impact printhead 21 will be described with respect to a spring-charge type impact printhead.
First Embodiment
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the impact printhead 21 includes a plurality of impact wires 2, secured to the end portion of an armature 3. FIG. 1 shows only one of the impact wires 2. The armature 3 is secured to a flat spring 4 such that the armature 3 and the flat spring 4 operate in unison. The base of the flat spring 4 is, for example, welded to a spacer 5 of a stacked structure of the spacer 5, a yoke 6, a permanent magnet 7, and a yoke 8.
A core 10 is mounted to a base yoke 9 located at the base portion of the impact printhead 21. A coil 11 is wound around the core 10. Current is applied to the coil 11 under control of a controller 12. The core 10 and the flat spring 4 are positioned relative to each other with a gap Δg between them. The impact wires 2 extend at their middle portion through a vibration restricting guide 22, and further extend through a wire guide 13 such that the free end potions of the impact wires 2 project through the wire guide 13 when the impact wires 2 are driven. The vibration restricting guide 22 includes two elongated holes 23a and 23b through which the impact wires 2 extend loosely. The holes 23a and 23b each include a concave wall 24b and a convex wall 24a that oppose each other. The impact wires 2 are slidable on the convex wall. When the impact wires are not driven to print, the impact wire is at rest in pressure contact with the convex wall.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vibration restricting guide 22. FIG. 4A is a top view of the vibration restricting guide 22. FIG. 4B is a side view of the vibration restricting guide 22. FIG. 4C is a front view of the vibration restricting guide 22. The vibration restricting guide 22 includes a base 22a and a projection 22b formed on the base 22a. The base 22a and a projection 22b are of one piece construction. The holes 23a and 23b are formed to extend through the projection 22b and the base 22a, and are positioned such that the holes 23a and 23b are closer to each other at their arcuate end portions than at their middle portions. The provision of the projection 22b is effective in increasing the area of the impact wire 2 in contact with the vibration restricting guide 22.
FIG. 5 illustrates the impact wires 2 are in the hole 23a when the impact wires 2 are not driven, i.e., the armatures 3 are attracted to the magnets 10. Referring to FIG. 5, the impact wires 2 are in pressure contact with a wall 24a of the hole 23a under a pressing force ΔPw for preventing higher-order vibration of the impact wires 2. The pressing force ΔPw is acting in a direction shown by “m” perpendicular to a direction tangent to the wall 24a at a position where the impact wires 2 press the wall 24a. In other words, the ΔPw is resolved into a component ΔPwn in the direction tangent to the wall 24a and a component ΔPwm in the m direction. The pressing force ΔPw is at an angle of Γ1 (θ1>0) with the m direction.
The operation of the impact printhead of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 illustrates the impact printhead when it is not driven to strike the ink-soaked cloth ribbon. The armature 3 remains attracted to the core 10 by the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7. Thus, the flat spring 4 flexes to store mechanical energy therein. At this moment, the impact wire 2 is restricted in its movement both in an X direction and in a Y direction by the wire guide 13. In other words, when the impact printhead 1 is not driven, the middle portion of the impact wire 2 has flexed by Δy in the Y direction from its position when the impact printhead 1 is driven.
When voltage is applied across the coil 11 under control of the controller 12, the coil 11 produces a magnetic flux in a direction opposite to the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7, the magnetic flux produced by the coil 11 overcoming the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7. Thus, the mechanical energy stored in the flat spring 4 causes the impact wire 2 to project outwardly from the wire guide 13 in a Z direction, the impact wire 2 striking the ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the print medium. Subsequently, when the controller 12 shuts off the voltage across the coil 11, the armature 3 again attracts the core 10, so that the armature 3 remains attracted until the controller 12 again applies voltage across the coil 11.
FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate the behavior of the impact wire 2 in the hole 23a of the vibration restricting guide 22. When the impact wire 2 is driven to strike the ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the medium, the impact wire 2 leaves the wall 24a as shown in FIG. 7A. Immediately after the controller 12 has shut off the voltage across the coil 11, the impact wire 2 presses the wall 24a with a pressing force ΔPw at a position through which a tangential line L1 passes. In other words, the impact wire 2 moves from the dotted line position to the solid line position. The pressure contact of the impact wire 2 against the wall 24a prevents the impact wire 2 from being subjected to high-order vibration.
As described above, the pressing force ΔPw may be resolved into the component ΔPwn in a direction parallel to a line L1 tangent to the wall 24a and the component ΔPwm in a direction perpendicular to the component ΔPwn. The direction of the component ΔPwm makes an angle θ1 with the direction of the pressing force ΔPw. The component ΔPwn acts on the impact wire 2, causing the impact wire 2 to move in a direction shown by arrow A. Because there is no obstacle to the movement of the impact wire 2, the impact wire 2 slides on the wall 24a from the dotted line position to the solid line position in the A direction as shown in FIG. 7C.
As soon as the impact wire 2 begins to flex to move in the A direction, a restoring force is developed in the impact wire 2. The restoring force acts on the impact wire 2 in the opposite direction to the component ΔPwn. The longer the distance over which the impact wire 2 moves, the larger the restoring force becomes. The impact wire 2 stops at a position (solid line position in FIG. 7C) where the component ΔPwn and the restoring force are in equilibrium.
After the impact wire 2 has moved to the FIG. 7C position, the impact wire 2 is in contact with the wall 24a at a position through which a line L2 tangent to the wall 24a passes. The direction of the pressing force ΔPw forms an angle θ2 with the direction of the pressing force ΔPwm tangential line L1. The angle θ2 is larger than the angle θ1.
As a result, ΔPwm′ of the impact wire 2 after the impact wire 2 has moved to the solid line position in FIG. 7C is smaller than ΔPwm of the impact wire 2 when the impact wire 2 was at the solid line position in FIG. 7B, i.e., ΔPwm>ΔPwm′.
A pressing force P′ per unit area after the impact wire 2 has moved to FIG. 7C position is given by P′=ΔPwm′/S where S is an area of the impact wire 2 in contact with the wall 24a. A PV value is expressed by P′V=ΔPwm′/S where V is a velocity of the impact wire 2 when the impact wire 2 moves along the wall 24a and S is a surface area of the impact wire 2 in contact with the wall 24a.
A conventional PV value is given as follows:
FIG. 8 illustrates the wear of the vibration restricting guide. When the impact wire 2 presses the wall 15a of the hole 15 of the vibration restricting guide 14 as shown in FIG. 8, a PV value is expressed by PV=ΔPw×V/S. Because ΔPw>ΔPwm>ΔPwm′, the PV of the conventional art and the PV′ of the present invention are related such that PV>P′V.
The first embodiment allows the impact wires 2 to slide on the convex walls of the holes 23a and 23b while applying only a small pressing force on the walls 24a, so that wear of the vibration restricting guide 22 may be minimized and the useable life of the impact wire 2 may be prolonged. Because the impact wires 2 slide on the walls of the holes 23a and 23b after the impact wires 2 are attracted to the core 10 and then stops, the impact wires 2 are prevented from plastically deforming.
FIG. 9 illustrates a modification to the first embodiment. The first embodiment has been described in terms of curved elongated holes 23a and 23b such that a plurality of impact wires 2 may be loosely received, each impact wire 2 may be inserted through a corresponding single hole 25 having a shape of a deformed triangle with rounded corners as shown in FIG. 9. The hole 25 includes an equilibrium position (rounded corner position) 25b that the impact wire 2 takes up shortly after the impact wire 2 is attracted to the core 10 and another equilibrium position (rounded corner position) 25c to which the impact wire 2 slides from the position 25b. When the impact wire 2 is driven to strike the ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the medium, the impact wire 2 takes up a position 25a where the impact wire 2 is not in contact with the wall of the hole 25.
Second Embodiment
FIG. 10 illustrates an impact printhead 31 of a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vibration restricting guide 32 of the second embodiment. The impact printhead 31 differs from the impact printhead 21 in that the vibration restricting guide 32 is used.
The vibration restricting guide 32 includes a base 32a and a projection 32b formed on an upper portion of the base 32a. The base 32a and the projection 32b are in one piece construction. As describe later, the projection 32b provides an additional wall surface through which the impact wire 2 contacts the vibration restricting guide 32. The hole 33 has a cross-section in the shape of an ellipse. The major axis of the ellipsoidal cross-section is in line with a line passing through the center “O” of the printhead 31. FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating the vibration restricting guide 32 as seen in a direction shown by arrow B.
The impact wire 2 tends to move toward the center “O” when the impact wire 2 is attracted to a core 10. Orienting the major axis of the hole 33 as described above allows the impact wire 2 to exert a predetermined pressing force against the wall 33a toward the center “O” when the impact wire 2 is not driven (i.e., attracted to the core 10, and to move to a wall 33b in a direction away from the center “O” when the impact wire 2 is driven to strike the ink-soaked cloth ribbon). The major axes of the holes 33 are oriented such that all of the impact wires 2 exert a predetermined pressing force against the corresponding wall 33a toward the center “O” when the impact wires 2 are not driven.
The projection 32b includes a plurality of grooves 35 formed in its side surface. The groove 35 has a cross section substantially the same as a part of the hole 33, such that the wall of the groove 35 lies substantially in a curved plane in which the wall 33a lies. The height of the projection 32b is selected appropriately, allowing for wear of the vibration restricting guide 32. The length of the hole 33 (i.e., the thickness of the base 32a) may be selected as required. The printing operation of the second embodiment is substantially the same, and the description is omitted. Here, a description will be given of the operation of the vibration restricting guide 32 when the impact wires 2 are driven to strike the ink-soaked cloth ribbon and when the impact wires 2 are not driven (i.e., attracted to the core 10). FIG. 13 illustrates the impact wire 2 when the impact wire 2 is attracted to the core 10. Referring to FIG. 13, the impact wire 2 applies a pressing force ΔPw to the wall 33a of the hole 33.
FIG. 14 illustrates the impact wire 2 when the impact wire 2 is in contact with the groove 35. Repetitive printing first causes a corner portion C (fine hatching lines originating from the upper right corner) of the wall 33a of the hole 33 to wear out gradually as shown in FIG. 13, so that the impact wire 2 will eventually cause wear-out of the wall (fine hatching lines originating from the upper left corner) of the groove 35 formed in the projection 32b as shown in FIG. 14. This increases the surface area of the impact wire 2 in contact with the vibration restricting guide 32.
The wear of the vibration restricting guide 32 may be expressed in terms of PV value as follows:
P″=ΔPw/(S1+S2)
P″V=ΔPw×V/(S1+S2)
where P″ is a pressing force per unit area after the impact wire 2 has moved to the wall 33a in a direction away from the wall 33b ΔPw is a pressing force exerted by the impact wire 2, S1 is a surface area of the wall 33a in contact with the impact wire 2, and S2 is a surface area of the wall of the groove 35 in contact with the impact wire 2.
For comparison purpose, a conventional PV value may be expressed as follows:
PV=ΔPw×V/S
where ΔPw is the pressing force of the impact wire 2 exerted on the wall 15a of the hole 15 of the vibration restricting guide 14 (FIG. 8). Assuming that the surface area S of the impact wire 2 in contact with the vibration restricting guide 32 is S≈S1, the surface area S is smaller than that of the second embodiment by the area S2. Thus, it follows that PV>P″V, which retards wear of the vibration restricting guide 32.
FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate the insertion of the impact wire 2 into the hole 33. The projection 32b is formed with a plurality of grooves 35. The cross-section of the groove 35 is substantially the same as a part of the cross section of the hole 33, such that the curved wall of the groove 35 lies substantially in a curved plane in which the wall 33a of the hole 33 of the base 32 lies. This is advantageous in that when the impact wires 2 are assembled into the vibration restricting guide 32, the tip of the impact wire 2 is first placed in the groove 35 as shown in FIG. 15 and then the vibration restricting guide 32 is lowered (alternatively the impact wire 2 may be pushed upward) as shown in FIG. 16. This facilitates smooth insertion of the impact wires 2 into the holes 33 of the base 32.
As described above, the vibration restricting guide 32 includes the projection 32b having grooves formed in its side surface. Each projection 32b is in communication with a corresponding hole 33. Each groove has a curved wall that lies in substantially the same curved plane as the curved wall of the corresponding hole 33 formed in the base 32. This configuration increases the wear margin of the impact wire 2 such that the area of the impact wire 2 in contact with the vibration restricting guide 32 increases with increasing wear of the vibration restricting guide 32. Therefore, this prolongs the life time of the impact wire 2 before the impact wire 2 wears out to a level where the impact wire 2 no longer contacts the vibration restricting guide 32.
When the impact wire 2 is assembled into the vibration restricting guide 32, the tip of the impact wire 2 is first placed in the groove 35. The tip of the impact wire 2 is then guided into the hole 33 in the vibration restricting guide 32. This improves assembly efficiency.
The base 32a of the vibration restricting guide 32 has substantially the same thickness as the conventional vibration restricting guide 32, allowing manufacturing of the vibration restricting guide by using much the same manufacturing processes as the conventional vibration restricting guide.
FIG. 17 illustrates a modification to the vibration restricting guide 42 of the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 17, a vibration restricting guide 42 includes a base 42a and a projection 42b. The base 42a is formed with holes 43 (only one hole is shown) therein. The wall of a groove 45 formed in the projection 42b and a wall 44 of the hole 43 are tapered such that the walls extend in a direction parallel to the surface of the impact wire 2 inclined.
FIG. 18 illustrates the vibration restricting guide 42 and the impact wire 2 when the impact wire 2 is attracted to the core 10. Referring to FIG. 18, the impact wire 2 extends in parallel to the tapered wall of the hole 43 and the groove 45, and contacts the tapered wall. Therefore, the impact wire 2 may have a large area in contact with the vibration restricting guide 42 from the early stage of use.
In this modification, the wear of the vibration restricting guide 42 may be expressed in terms of PV value as follows:
P″=ΔPw/(S1+S2)
P″V=ΔPw×V/(S1+S2)
where P″ is a pressing force per unit area after the impact wire 2 has moved to the wall 33a in the direction away from the wall 33b, ΔPw is a pressing force exerted by the impact wire 2, S1 is a surface area of the wall 33a of the base 32a in contact with the impact wire 2, and S2 is a surface area of the wall of the groove 35 in contact with the impact wire 2. Thus, the wear of the vibration restricting guide may be retarded from the beginning of the use of the impact print head.
The tapered hole 43 formed in the vibration restricting guide 42 improves detachability of the vibration restricting guide from a mold, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency of the impact print head.
Various modifications may be made. For example, the hole 25 in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment, thereby retarding wear of the vibration restricting guide.
Patent Application
20080014005
