The present invention relates to a portable label printer having two printing mechanisms for printing on two different rolls of paper or label stock, and relates particularly to a portable label printer having two printing mechanisms in which each printing mechanism is located in a module detachable from the printer. The printer is suitable for printing on two different types of paper in a single miniature integrated unit. The printer operates interactively with a host computer or a terminal. One type of portable terminal is attachable to the printer of the present invention and can operate as an optical scanner or a communication device.
Conventionally, portable miniature label printers have a single print head, such as a thermal printhead, for enabling printing on a single roll of paper or label stock. Examples of portable single printhead printers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,800, 5,806,993, and 5,594,838. One drawback of such printers is that they are limited to printing on only one type of paper at a time from the roll in the printer. Thus, a user of the printer must switch between rolls of different types of paper, which requires time and dexterity to open and reload the paper in the printer. Further, the printer may need to be reprogrammed to provide printing on different types of labels. To avoid switching between rolls, multiple label printers can alternatively be carried by a user. However, this is expensive as it requires purchasing multiple portable printers capable of printing on different rolls. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a label printer having two printheads which are capable of printing on two different types of paper from two different rolls.
Two printheads have been used in Point of Sale (POS) stations in the retail industry, such as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,567. These POS stations often have printing devices limited to enabling printing of customer receipts from a roll of paper, and a record of each sale on another roll of paper which is stored on a take-up reel in the printer. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,707 describes a label printer having a first printing device for printing a label, and a second printing device for printing on record paper stored on a take-up shaft in the printer. The second printing device in each of these patents is limited to recording the same information as the first printing device, and thus is not operated independently from the first printing device. Furthermore, as only one of the printing devices can actually print a label for a user, this printer has the same drawback as the single printhead label printer.
Further, the printhead in a portable label printer is fixably mounted and thus cannot be easily changed or replaced by the typical user if either the printhead is damaged or a different width printhead is needed. Accordingly, it is further desirable to provide a portable printer in which the entire printing mechanism, including the printhead, is in a module which can easily be replaced with another module having another printing mechanism.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved portable printer capable of printing from two different rolls of paper or label stock contained in the printer.
It is another object of the present invention an improved portable printer which is miniature.
A further feature of the present invention is to provide a portable printer having a printing mechanism enclosed in a module which can be easily replaced with another module having another printing mechanism.
Briefly described, a portable printer embodying the present invention includes a housing having a central control section with printer control circuitry, and first and second printing sections coupled to the central section. Each of the first and second printing sections has a printing mechanism with a thermal printhead and a driving motor, and a compartment for receiving a roll of paper. The compartment of each of the first and second printing sections has a hinged cover enabling loading of the roll of paper when the cover in an open position. A platen roller is rotatably mounted in the cover, such that when the cover is in a closed position, the surface of the platen roller faces the printhead and the platen roller is rotationally coupled with the driving motor to drive the paper from the roll across the printhead. The printer control circuitry of the central control system independently controls the printing of the printing mechanism, including actuation of the driving motor, of each of the first and second printing sections interactive with signals from a host computer or terminal. Each of the first and second printing sections represents a module detachable from the central control section which can be replaced with a module providing another printing section. Different modules may be capable of accommodating printing on the same or different types of paper, and may have a different width printhead and roll receiving compartment to print on paper having different widths.
A portable terminal may be attached to the central control section of the printer to communicate with the printer control circuitry. The terminal may have circuitry for enabling RF, LAN, voice over Internet, or cell-phone communication, or for enabling optical scanning through a window of the terminal. The terminal may be detached from the housing to facilitate its use as a communication device or optical scanner. The printer may operate in accordance with commands and data received from the portable terminal, or other terminal or host computer, to send signals to each of the printing mechanisms to print data.
In an another embodiment of the printing sections, each of the first and second printing sections has a printing mechanism with a driving motor, a compartment for receiving a roll of paper, and a hinged cover having a thermal printhead. A platen roller is rotatably mounted in the printing mechanism and rotationally coupled with the driving motor. The cover in an open position enables loading of the roll of paper, and in a closed position, the printhead of the cover faces the surface of the platen roller such that the platen roller can drive the paper from the roll across the printhead. Each of the first and second printing sections can accommodate different width paper by an automatic centering mechanism having two edge guides which retain the roll about its core and are coupled to each other to automatically center the roll with respect to the printhead.
The portable printer of the present invention, in contrast with prior portable label printers, is capable of independently printing on different information on two different rolls. Thus, the printer of the present invention is more flexible than prior art portable printers.
The foregoing features, objects, and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to
When the cover 26 of either the first or second printing sections 16 or 18 is in an open position, a roll 24 can be loaded in compartment 22 of the respective printing section and the paper fed through an opening 30 in cover 26, as best shown in FIG. 1A. End 24a of the roll 24 is shown as dashed lines to denote the loading path of the paper through opening 30. Each of the rolls 24 in printing sections 16 and 18 may be spindleless rolls and may be thermally sensitive paper or paper having thermally sensitive labels thereon. Compartment 22 of each printing section 16 and 18 has a contoured interior shaped to receive roll 24, and is slightly larger than the width of the roll to facilitate the roll's rotation as paper is pulled from the roll, and to provide automatic centering of the roll 24 with respect the printhead 20 during printing. When the cover 26 of either the first or second printing sections 16 or 18 is in a closed position, one or more springs in the cover bias the platen roller 28 against the print head 20. A shaft 28a supports the platen roller 28 in its associated cover 26 and has a gear 29 rotationally coupled to the shaft of the driving motor via a train of gears 32. Gears 32 are shown in an example of printing section 16 in which gear 32a of gear train 32 is coupled to the shaft of the driving motor in printing mechanism assembly 19. As best shown in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/161,591 shows a housing having an example of elements contained in the first printing section 16. The first and second printing sections 16 and 18 are identical in terms of components and mirror each other on different ends of the printer 10. The first and second printing sections 16 and 18 can differ to accommodate printing on different types of paper, such as having different widths, as will be described later is connection with
Each of the printing sections 16 and 18 represents a module 16a and 18a, respectively, having a casing 35 with a lower member 35a, and an upper member 35b provided by cover 26, as shown in FIG. 2. The printing sections 16 and 18 are referred to by their respective modules 16a and 18a in the foregoing discussion, and as modules 16a and 18a mirror each other for the same width paper roll, identical numerals are used in describing them in the figures. The printing mechanism assembly 19 in each module 16a and 18a is mechanically mounted, such as by screws, to lower member 35a, and may be that shown in
Referring to
When module 16a or 18a is latched to printer 10, spring contacts 44 from the printed circuit board 33 are positioned in openings 35 having connectors 35a with conductive members for transferring signals between the control circuit on the printed circuit board 33 and the printer mechanism of the module to enable printing and associated feeding of paper. The control circuit on the printed circuit board 33 will be described in more detail later in connection with FIG. 8. The signals passed via contacts 44 depend of the particular communication protocol used in printer 10. For example, a first contact may supply power to a module from the central section 14, a second contact supplies a ground signal to the module, a third contact transmits signals to the printing section representing data to be printed by the printhead, the remaining contacts may provide signals from an optical detector in the printing mechanism assembly directed to the paper representing the presence or absence of bars/spaces between labels, or signals from another optical detector in the printing assembly indicating the presence or absence of paper, or other signals representing operational parameters of the printhead or status of the printing mechanism. Such types of optical detectors are described in incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/161,591 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,800 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,993. The number of spring contacts 44 and corresponding connectors 35 may vary depending on the signals passed between the central section 14 and each of the module 16a and 18a to enable printing and feeding paper from the roll in the module.
Referring to
Referring back to
The central section 14 of printer 10 further includes three pin switches 56a-c coupled to the control circuitry on the printed circuit board 33. Switch 56a when pressed instructs the printer to feed the paper of first printing section 16. The printer control circuitry responsive to switch 56a sends signals to the printer mechanism of the first printing section 16 to actuate its motor and drive the platen of the printing section without printing data. Switch 56b when pressed instructs the printer to feed the paper of the second printing section 18. The printer control circuitry responsive to switch 56b sends signals to the printer mechanism of the second printing section 18 to actuate its motor and drive the platen of the printing section without printing data. Switch 56c when pressed logically turns on/off the power to printer control circuitry. A battery may be located in a compartment 33 in central section 14 as shown in
An IR window 58 (
Referring to
A power control and regulator circuit 82 supplies power to the controller 64 from a battery 84. The power control and regulator circuit 82 can turn on the controller upon first receiving a signal from one of RS232C interface 76, IR or RF interface 74, or scanners 78 or 80. The controller has an application program which receives control signals, commands and data from the RS232C interface 76, IR or RF interface 78, and operates responsive to such commands to print data from one of the printer mechanisms 19 of the first or second printing sections 16 and 18, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,800 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,993. Such commands include information indicating which of the first and section printing section 16 and 18 is to print the data. Such data may be characters, barcodes, graphics, lines, or other indicia. For example, each printing section may be referred to by a different printer type command, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 09/187,713. Switches 56 represent switches 56a-c. Switches 56a and 56b are coupled to the controller 64, and switch 56c is coupled to the power control and regulator circuit 82 to turn on/off the printer. For example, power control and regulator circuit 82 may include a flip-flop having a clock input from the signal from switch 56c, in which the output state of the flip-flop determines whether power from battery 84 is supplied to other components of the printer. An optional display 86, such as a LCD screen, may be provided, such that the switches 56 can alternatively be used to select settings for the printer 10 displayed on the LCD. For example, the controller 64 upon a user attaching a new module having a printing section for a particular width roll, may select the paper width for that module. Thus, the controller 64 can format data to be printed for each of the printing mechanisms in the printer in accordance with the line width of the printhead associated with that paper width. Other printing parameters may also be selected in this manner for a particular printing mechanism in an attached module, thereby providing enhanced flexibility in printing.
Referring to
Although a single controller 64 is shown in the printer, each module may optionally have a microprocessor with memory programmed to interface with the printer control circuitry and share the functionality of the controller on the printed circuit board of the central section of the printer 10.
Referring to
The terminal 96 includes a controller 116, such as a microprocessor, programmed in accordance with software in memory 118, as shown in the block diagram of the terminal of FIG. 10. Controller 116 communicates to printer 10 through one of three modalities, an RS232C interface 120, an IR (receiver/transceiver) interface 122, or an RF (receiver/transceiver) interface 124, and can also receive data from a serial scanner input 126. An external serial scanner may be coupled by a cable to port 108 such that decoded scan data representing barcodes, or other symbols, may be received via serial scanner input 126. RF interface 124 includes a RF antenna 125. Interfaces 122 and 124 are optional in the terminal. A cable may couple the RS232C interface 120, via port 108, with the RS232C interface 76 (FIG. 5), via port 62, of printer 10. The controller 116 can receive/send data to each of interfaces 120, 122, and 124, or scanner 126, through a 4-to-1 demultiplexor 128. Two select inputs to demultiplexor 128 are provided. The first of the select inputs is coupled to a DTR (data transmit/receive) signal which is high if a signal is present along the RS232C interface 120, and the second select input is provided from the controller 116. If the DTR signal is high, the controller 116 via a high or low signal on the second select input to the demultiplexor 128 can select between the RS232C interface 120 or serial scanner 126. If the DTR signal is low, the controller 116 can select between input/output using the IR interface 122 or RF interface 124.
A power control and regulator circuit 130 provides power to the controller 116, and other components of terminal 96, from a battery 132. The power control and regulator circuit 130 can turn on the controller 116 upon first receiving a signal from one of RS232C interface 120, IR interface 122, RF interface 124, or scanner 126. Controller 116 interfaces with a user through display 110 and keypad 112. The terminal 96 may include a printed circuit board containing the electronics for operating the terminal.
The controller 116 operates in conjunction with the communication circuitry, by coupling the PCMCIA card 114 providing cell phone, LAN, voice over Internet, or RF communication means to the audio output and input circuits 102 and 104, such that communication is provided in accordance with the software of the card 114. A PCMCIA memory card may also be provided in slot 114a to add a program the controller 116 or expand the memory of the controller. An optical scanner 140, such as a laser, CCD or CMOS scanner, is coupled to controller 116 and is enabled responsive to the controller receiving a signal from trigger 100. The controller 116 thus can obtain scan data representative of indicia, such as a barcode or characters. The scan data may be decoded in accordance with decoding software appropriate for the scan data and sent as data to the printer 10, or the scan data may represent graphics sent as data to the printer.
Further, the audio input circuit 102 and microphone 102a of terminal 96 may be used to receive voice commands from a user which are interpreted by controller 116. The controller 118 operates according to such voice commands which match those stored as valid voice commands in memory 118, as if such commands were entered through the keypad 112 or touch screen display 110.
Battery 132 may be a rechargeable type battery, such as a Lithium Ion 7.2V DC battery, which may plug into a terminal docking unit 134 to recharge the battery or supply external power to the terminal 96. A charger circuit 136 may be coupled to an AC power supply 135, such as to a typical 110 or 120V AC outlet, and transforms the AC Power into a signal for charging battery 132. The docketing unit may be constructed to attach to terminal 96, similar to an attachment to printer 10, in which a port 109 (
Optionally, the power control and regulator circuit 130 of terminal 96 may receive power from battery 84 (
Referring to
An optional peel bar 138 may be mounted between flanges 148 adjacent the platen roller, and an optional peeler pinch roller 146 may be rotatably mounted in the cover 144, such that when the cover 144 is in a closed position with respect to housing 142, the paper from roll 24 is pulled by platen roller 28 between peeler pinch roller 146 and peel bar 148 to separate labels from its base carrier paper. When the cover 144 is rotated to a closed position to engage housing 142, the paper (media) path is adjusted such that a tight radius is formed around the peel bar 148. The base carrier paper (liner) having labels travels a tight radius around the peel bar 148 because the pinch roller 146 forces the liner between itself and the platen roller 28. A user can simply load the roll 24 and extend the paper from the roll over the platen roller 28 and peel bar 148 and close the cover, thereby eliminating the user having to thread the liner. An opening near platen roller 28 is defined between the cover 144 and the housing 142 when the cover is in a closed position. After printing, the liner separated from the label extends through this opening, while the label extend through another opening in the cover 144, similar to opening 30 described in connection with FIG. 1A. The peel bar 148 and its associated pinch roller 146 may be removed to print on linerless media
The printing section of this embodiment has an automatic centering mechanism 150 for roll 24 with respect to printhead 20. The automatic centering mechanism 150 includes two edge guides 151 and 152. Edge guides 151 and 152 each have a flat surface facing the roll 24, except for protruding members 155 which fits into the opposing ends of the core of roll 24. Support ribs 151a and 152a may be provided to edge guides 151 and 152, respectively. Each edge guide 151 and 152 has a protruding member 155 which fits into the opposing ends of the core of roll 24. Edge guides 151 and 152 are each coupled to an edge guide rack 154 and 156, respectively, through a slot or opening 151b and 152b, respectively, in the interior surface 143 of housing 142. Each edge guide rack 154 and 156 has teeth 154b and 156b, respectively, which engage the teeth of a pinion gear 158, such that the edge guide racks 154 and 156 are coupled to each other to move in parallel reciprocal linear movement in opposite directions and centered with respect to print head 20 in compartment 22. The pinion gear 158 is located in the housing 142 at or near the center of the width of compartment 22. Each edge guide rack 154 and 156 has at least one edge which ride in a channel to facilitate the linear sliding of each rack. For purposes of illustration, rack channel 153 is only shown for edge guide rack 156.
Referring to
As the edge guides 151 and 152 are urged together in the automatic centering mechanism 150, semicircular portions 151c and 152c, respectively, are provided to facilitate an operator's thumbs to move the edge guides away from each other for removing the core of a spent roll 24, or loading a new roll 24. The automatic centering mechanism allows the print section of this embodiment to accommodate rolls of different width. For example, a four inch roll is shown in
Although not illustrated, the end 162 of the printing section includes an end similar to the end 46a of the printing section 46 shown in
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that improved portable label printer has been provided. Variations and modifications in the herein described printer in accordance with the invention will undoubtedly suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/419,137, filed Oct. 15, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,316.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030210942 A1 | Nov 2003 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09419137 | Oct 1999 | US |
Child | 10464794 | US |