Title (en)

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO PRINTING SYSTEMS

Publication

EP 0354815 A3 19901205 (EN)

Application

EP 89308206 A 19890811

Priority

• GB 8819180 A 19880812
• GB 8829670 A 19881220

Abstract (en)

[origin: EP0354815A2] The invention provides a number of improvements useful in printers which may be of the fixed, portable or hand-held types. In one aspect, the printer, which comprises a housing (203), a printing unit (27), means for feeding to said printing unit a substrate (11) onto which indicia are to be printed, means for feeding a thermal transfer ribbon (14) to said printing unit, and means for providing electrical power to operate the printer, is characterised by means permitting independent movement of said substrate (11) and said thermal transfer ribbon (14) within said printing unit. In another aspect, the printer includes means for supplying power to operate the printer, for example dynamo (20) driven by a manual trigger (200). In a further aspect, the means for supplying power comprises a piezoelectric motor (301, 302). In a further aspect, the printer is intended for printing bar codes, and comprises a housing; a thermographic print head; means for supplying a substrate to said print head, and a power supply for said thermographic print head, characterised in that the printer is arranged to apply substantially constant and continuous power to heat the elements of the thermographic print head during a bar code printing operation.

IPC 1-7

B41J 3/36

IPC 8 full level

B41J 2/325 (2006.01); B41J 3/01 (2006.01); B41J 3/36 (2006.01); B41J 17/08 (2006.01); B41J 17/14 (2006.01); B41J 23/00 (2006.01); B41J 29/46 (2006.01); B41J 32/00 (2006.01); B41J 33/58 (2006.01); B65C 9/46 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP)

B41J 3/36 (2013.01); B41J 23/00 (2013.01); B41J 33/58 (2013.01)

Citation (search report)

• [XP] EP 0315384 A2 19890510 - ALCATEL BUSINESS SYSTEMS [GB]
• [X] US 4712113 A 19871208 - BROOKS RALF M [CA], et al
• [X] US 4386860 A 19830607 - PRICE ROBERT J, et al
• [X] GB 2175253 A 19861126 - TOSHIBA KK
• [A] GB 2192591 A 19880120 - MONARCH MARKING SYSTEMS INC
• [X] DE 2300421 A1 19740711 - STEINHILBER HELMUT
• [X] GB 2187583 A 19870909 - MONARCH MARKING SYSTEMS INC
• [X] US 4434354 A 19840228 - NAKATA SHINICHI [JP]
• [A] US 3573479 A 19710406 - RIETH HAROLD F
• [A] US 3454206 A 19690708 - WILLIAMS DAVID R
• [A] US 4440248 A 19840403 - TERAOKA KAZUHARU [JP]
• [A] US 4688051 A 19870818 - KAWAKAMI TOSHIO [JP], et al
• [X] US 4439257 A 19840327 - SATO YO [JP], et al
• PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 8, no. 5 (M-267)[1442], 11th January 1984; & JP-A-58 168 593 (TAKAHIKO ABE) 04-10-1983, The whole document.
• PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 4, no. 96 (M-20)[578], 11th July 1980; & JP-A-55 055 883 (TAKAHIRO YAMAGUCHI et al.) 24-04-1980, The whole document.
• PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 11, no. 310 (M-630)[2757], 9th October 1987; & JP-A-62 095 281 (HIROSHI MITSUDA), Whole document.
• PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 13, no. 133 (M-809)[3481], 4th April 1989; & JP-A-63 302 078 (YUICHI NAKAMURA) 08-12-1988, Abstract; Figures.
• PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 6, no. 232 (M-172)[1110], 18th November 1982; & JP-A-57 131 577 (KAZUHARU TERAOKA), Whole abstract.

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH DE ES FR GB GR IT LI LU NL SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

EP 0354815 A2 19900214; EP 0354815 A3 19901205; EP 0354815 B1 19940420; DE 68914747 D1 19940526; DE 68914747 T2 19941124; JP 2721711 B2 19980304; JP H02153769 A 19900613

DOCDB simple family (application)

EP 89308206 A 19890811; DE 68914747 T 19890811; JP 21000289 A 19890814