Device for Guiding a Print Element

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for guiding a print element which is seated on two guide rails so as to be longitudinally movable, whereby the motion of the print element along a line of a recording medium occurs by way of a driven traction element.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is generally known in typing and printing devices to provide a so-called printer carriage which carries the actual printing element. The printer carriage represents a self-contained assembly and is moved back and forth on two guide rails parallel to the platen, i.e. along a line of a recording medium. The motion occurs by way of a traction device, for example by way of a toothed belt, that is positively and non-positively locked to the printer carriage at the underside thereof. The print element, for example a print head, can either be a fixed component of the printer carriage or can be interchangeably connected to the printer carriage. A printer device of this type is disclosed, for example, in the German allowed and published application No. 22 32 590.

A printer carriage of the type described above represents a compact, structurally involved and relatively heavy assembly that, particularly given high printing speeds, requires considerable forces in the acceleration and the deceleration of the printer carriage.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for guiding a print element that is simple in structure, whose weight and volume are considerably reduced, and wherein the interchangeability of the actual print element is simplified. The above object is achieved in a device of the general type set forth above and is characterized in that a guide bushing is slidingly movable on a guide rail facing the recording medium and is provided with a support mount engaged thereabove, in that the support mount comprises a projection for fastening the traction device and latch openings which position the print element together with latch pieces at the print element, in that the print element exhibits a fork-like guide projection that can be plugged onto a second guide rail, and in that the print element is secured to the guide bushing by way of a latch element.

More specifically, the latch element is advantageously designed as a resilient snap-in clip that is held positively locked in the print element and whose lateral arms partially embrace the guide bushing after the print element has been plugged onto the second guide rail and has been positioned.

Advantageously, the guide bushing is designed as a bronze bushing having two glide surfaces.

It is of further advantage that the support mount which is latchable to the first-mentioned guide rail is a plastic element to which the traction device is secured by way of a releasable connection, preferably by way of a turnbuckle.

The advantages of the present invention reside in a particularly low expense structural design, whereby noticeably lower accelerating and decelerating forces occur in the motion sequence of the printer device due to the reduction in weight and volume which is attainable therewith. This reduction not only promotes a desired miniaturization of the overall structure, but also has a beneficial influence on the printing speeds.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention, its organization, construction and operation will be best understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, on which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a print device constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 particularly illustrating the latch mechanism.

The exemplary embodiment illustrated on the drawing shows only those parts of a print device that are necessary for an understanding of the invention. The device provided for guiding a print head 1 including a cross-bar 1a comprises a guide bushing 2 and a support mount 3 engaged thereover. The guide bushing 2 is plugged onto a guide rail 5 facing a platen 4 and is slidably movable thereon. The support mount 3 comprises a projection 6 to which a traction device 7, for example a toothed belt, is attached. To this end, a clip 8 is provided in the present example. The guide bushing 2 and the support 3 are moved back and forth in front of the platen 4 in a line direction via drive elements (not illustrated) for example by way of stepping motors. The support mount 3 also comprises latch openings which, together with corresponding latch pieces disposed on the print head, guarantee an accurate positioning of the print head in a simple manner. Details with respect thereto shall be explained with reference to FIG. 2. The design of the guide bushing 2 as a bronze bushing having two gliding faces assures that the guide bushing 2 runs on the guide rail 5 with very low play so that high demands made of the print quality are also assured, these depending to a rather considerable degree on a very precise guidance of the print head.

A second latching means in the form of a snap-in clip 9 serves to fasten the print head 1 to the guide bushing 2. The cross-web of the snap-in clip 9 is held positively in the cross-bar 1a print head 1, whereas its two legs are freely accessible at both sides of the print head. In order to connect the print head to the guide device, the print head 1 is provided with a fork-like guide projection 10 which is first plugged onto a second guide rail 11 and positioned with respect to the support mount 3. To this end, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the print head 1 exhibits appropriately-shaped latch pieces 14 depending from the cross-bar 1a. In order to guarantee a particularly reliable positioning, at least two latch openings and two latch pieces are provided. When the print head 1 is placed on the second guide rail 11 and is then pivoted down, the latch pieces 14 engage into the latch openings 13 and are reliably guided until they rest against the guide bushing 2, the latch pieces 14 being matched to the shape of the guide bushing 2. The print head 1 is thus reliably and precisely positioned by way of the guide projection 10 plugged onto the second guide rail 11, on the one hand, and by way of the first latching elements 14 introduced into and engaged in the second latch elements 13, on the other hand.

The snap-in clip 9 secured to the print head 1 is then snapped over the guide bushing 2. A supporting nonpositive lock between the print head 1 and the guide bushing 2 exists as a result of this engagement. An accurate fixing of the print head 1 in the previously-set reference position is guaranteed on the basis of this sandwiching, nonpositive latch connection by the snap-in clip 9 to the left and to the right of the support mount. The print head 1 therefore accurately follows the movements of the guide bushing 2.

The projecting ends 12 of the snap-in clip 9 enables a simple and fast closing and opening of this connection and thereby facilitates the replacement of the print head. This occurs in a simple manner by manually removing the snap-in clip 9. After the snap-in clip 9 has been released, the print head 1 can be pivoted up and be removed from the second guide rail 11. Since the electrical connection between the control parts of the printer device and the print head 1 occurs by way of a pluggable, flexible cable, the only thing still required is an unplugging of the plug connection. This replacement of the print head that can be very simply and very quickly implemented allows, for example, an ink jet head to be inserted instead of a wire matrix printing head.

Although we have described our invention by reference to a particular illustrative embodiment thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. We therefore intend to include within the patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of our contribution to the art.