Portable thermal printer of the clamshell type and handheld multifunction electronic device with said printer integrated therein

Abstract

A portable thermal printer, configured to be stand-alone or integrated in a handheld multifunction device, includes a printing mechanism having a paper pressing roller positioned in proximity to a paper output opening or slot with reversible constraint member, and a mechanism for the release of the paper pressing roller, the reversible constraint member being configured to engage a rotation pin of the paper pressing roller. The insertion/extraction of the rotation pin in/from the constraint member is performed by translating the paper pressing roller in an exit direction lying on an exit plane, and the release mechanism is configured to exert a force on the paper pressing roller in a direction parallel to the exit direction.

Claims

1. A portable thermal printer (S) comprising: a containment shell (2) having therein: a compartment (21) configured to accommodate a roll of paper, an access opening (22) designed to allow said compartment (21) to be accessed, and a paper output opening or slot (S1); a cover (3) configured to close said access opening (22), directly or indirectly hinged to said containment shell (2) and to rotate around a rotation axis (31) from a closed position to an open position; a printing mechanism (4) housed in said containment shell (2) and comprising a paper pressing roller (5) positioned adjacently to said paper output opening or slot (S1) and held in that position through a reversible constraint member (41); a release mechanism (1) configured to release said paper pressing roller (5); wherein said reversible constraint member (41) is configured to engage a rotation pin (51) of the paper pressing roller, wherein an insertion/extraction of said rotation pin (51) in/from said constraint member (41) is performed by translating said paper pressing roller (5) according to an exit direction (10) lying on an exit plane, wherein said release mechanism (1) is configured to exert a force on said paper pressing roller (5) according to a direction which is parallel to said exit direction (10), wherein said release mechanism (1) comprises an arm (11), one end (12) of said arm (11) being constrained to said paper pressing roller (5), a release button (15), accessible from outside of the containment shell (2) and positioned adjacently to said rotation axis (31) of said cover (3), is connected to an opposite end (14) of said arm (11), leaving an external area of said cover (3) free, wherein said arm (11) is constrained so that said arm slides with respect to said cover (3), when said cover (3) is closed and when a user acts on said release button (15), between a first backward locking position and a second forward release position, along said exit direction (10), and wherein sliding movement of said arm (11) pushes said paper pressing roller (5) in said exit direction (10), extracting said paper pressing roller from said constraint member (41).

2. The portable thermal printer (S) according to claim 1, wherein said arm (11) comprises at least one projection (16) slidingly inserted in a corresponding seat (33) which is integral with the cover (3) and oriented along said exit direction (10).

3. The portable thermal printer according to claim 2, wherein said arm (11) comprises one or more reversible constraint means (17) configured to reversibly constrain said arm (11) to said containment shell (2).

4. The portable thermal printer according to claim 1, wherein said arm (11) comprises a projection (17) configured to become fixed into a corresponding seat (24) obtained in the containment shell (2) when said arm (11) is in said backward locking position, thus constraining the cover (3) to the containment shell (2), and wherein in said forward release position said projection (17) moves out of the corresponding seat (24) provided in said containment shell (2) and releases the cover (3).

5. The portable thermal printer (S) according to claim 1, wherein said portable thermal printer is of a stand-alone type.

6. The portable thermal printer (S) according to claim 1, wherein said portable thermal printer is configured to be integrated in a handheld electronic device (E).

7. The portable thermal printer (S) according to claim 1, wherein said portable thermal printer comprises at least one display (D2) mounted on said cover (3).

8. A handheld multifunction electronic device (E) comprising, contained in a box-shaped body: a display (D1); a CPU; an operating memory; a data input and display interface; and a portable thermal printer (S) according claim 1, integrated within said box-shaped body or integral with said box-shaped body.

9. The handheld multifunction electronic (E) according to claim 8, wherein said display (D1) is a first display, further comprising a second display (D2) arranged on a plane which is inclined with respect to a plane on which said first display (D1) lies, wherein said first and said second displays (D1, D2) are correctly visible from two substantially opposite positions, wherein said portable thermal printer (S) is arranged on an underside of the handheld multifunction electronic device (E) between said first display (D1) and said second display (D2), and wherein said paper output slot (S1) is positioned between said first and said second display (D1, D2).

10. The handheld multifunction electronic device (E) according to claim 8, further comprising at least one POS module for making payments.

Description

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of the upper part of a handheld multifunction device (E) in the special but non-limiting solution with two displays (D1, D2) and an integrated printer (S).

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the printer (S) only, while FIG. 3 shows some of the internal components of said printer (S) and in particular the printing mechanism (4), the paper pressing roller (5) and the release mechanism (1) for releasing said paper pressing roller (5).

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a partial exploded view of the printer (S), where in addition to the components shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to observe also the containment shell (2) and the cover (3) mounted on the release mechanism (1).

[0060] The invention concerns a handheld multifunction electronic device (E) comprising, in a single box-shaped body, a first display (D1), a second display (D2), at least one CPU, at least one operating memory.

[0061] Said first display (D1) is suited to display data towards the user.

[0062] Said second display (D2) is suited to display data towards the customer.

[0063] Said first display (D1) and said second display (D2) are mutually arranged in such a way that they can be viewed and accessed when the user and the customer are in front of each other and the new electronic device (E) is held between said user and said customer.

[0064] More specifically, the second display (D2) is inclined with respect to the plane of the first display (D1).

[0065] The angle (α) included between said first display (D1) and said second display (D2) preferably ranges between 90 degrees and 180 degrees.

[0066] Each of said two displays (D1, D2) comprises a superimposed touch panel or touch screen.

[0067] The new device may also comprise a magnetic stripe card reader, a chip card reader, a contactless card reader.

[0068] The new electronic device (E) furthermore comprises a printer (S) of the clamshell type, suited to print bills, receipts, invoices or similar documents.

[0069] In this example said printer (S) is arranged in the lower part of the new device (E) between said first display (D1) and said second display (D2), and comprises a slot or opening (S1) designed for the output of the printed sheet and positioned between said two displays (D1, D2), in such a way that the sheet comes out facing upwards with respect to the normal position of use of the device (E).

[0070] On the other hand, according to the invention, if the printer (S) is installed in such a way that the sheet comes out of the lower part of the device (E), the latter may comprise at least one sensor or an accelerometer, in such a way as to determine whether it has been placed on a surface and consequently stop the printer from ejecting the printed sheet until the new device (E) is lifted and/or overturned.

[0071] According to the invention, said device (E) may comprise also a POS payment module, in turn comprising a body containing said second display (D2), possibly a touch screen superimposed to said display (D2), possibly an internal RFID antenna for contactless payments, possibly a side opening for the insertion of contact smart cards, possibly a magnetic head for reading magnetic cards, any warning LEDs on the front, in proximity to the display (D2).

[0072] FIG. 5 shows an example of use of the new electronic device (E), in which the user (Y) holds said new device (E) with the first display (D1) facing towards himself/herself and at the same time hands the new device to the customer (X) with the second display (D2) facing towards the same customer (X).

[0073] The printer (S) that is the subject of the present invention can be of the type suited to be integrated in a handheld electronic device as described above or can be of the stand-alone type: the inventive concept remains substantially the same.

[0074] The main parts of the new printer (S) include a containment shell (2) inside which the following is defined: a compartment (21) suited to house at least one paper roll that is not shown in the figures, an opening (22) for accessing said paper compartment (21), a paper output opening or slot (S1).

[0075] Said opening (22) for accessing the paper compartment (21) is provided with a closing cover (3) which is directly or indirectly hinged in proximity to an edge (23) of said opening (22). Said cover (3) can thus be rotated around an axis (31).

[0076] The inside of said shell (2) houses a printing mechanism (4) comprising at least one paper pressing roller (5) positioned in proximity to said paper output opening or slot (S1) and held in said position through reversible constraint means (41).

[0077] Said reversible constraint means (41) comprise, for example, fork-shaped seats in which the rotation pin (51) of the roller (5) is engaged.

[0078] Conveniently, both of the opposite ends of the rotation pin (51) are inserted in two seats (411) configured so that the extraction and the insertion of said rotation pin (51) of the roller (5) are carried out by translating said roller (5) in an exit direction (10) lying on an exit plane.

[0079] The new printer (S) comprises also a mechanism (1) for releasing said paper pressing roller (5), wherein said release mechanism (1) is configured to exert a force parallel to said exit direction (10) on said roller.

[0080] In the embodiment represented in the figures, said release mechanism (1) comprises at least one arm (11), preferably two arms, each preferably positioned in proximity to one side of said access opening (22) of the shell (2), in such a way as not to hinder access to the paper compartment (21), and in proximity to one side (32) of said cover (3). More specifically, said at least one arm (11) is positioned orthogonally to the rotation axis (31) of the cover (3), parallel and close to the cover (3).

[0081] One end (12) of said arm (11) is constrained to said paper pressing roller (5), for example through a fork (13) inside which the rotation pin (51) of said paper pressing roller (5) is inserted.

[0082] At the opposite end (14) of said arm (11) there is a release button (15) that can be accessed from the outside of the shell (2), being positioned, for example, in proximity to the rotation axis (31) of the cover (3).

[0083] Said at least one arm (11) is constrained so that it slides in said exit direction (10) with respect to said cover (3), when the same cover (3) is closed and when a user acts on said release button (15).

[0084] In particular, as can be seen in the detail of FIG. 4, said at least one arm (11) comprises at least one projection (16) inserted in a sliding way in a corresponding seat (33) that is integral with the cover (3) and oriented parallel to said exit direction (10) which lies on a plane close to said cover (3).

[0085] When said release button (15) is activated, said arm (11) is translated with respect to said closed cover (3) from a first backward locked position to a second forward release position along said exit direction (10) (indicated by the black arrow in FIG. 4), wherein the translation of the arm (11) pushes the paper pressing roller (5) out of said constraining means (41) of the printing mechanism (4).

[0086] Said roller (5) thus follows the trajectory schematically indicated by the arrow drawn in a broken line in FIG. 4, meaning that it comes out of said constraining means (41) translating in said exit direction (10) and then moves upwards.

[0087] In the preferred solution, said at least one arm (11) is furthermore constrained to said containment shell (2) in a reversible manner, in such a way as to prevent the undesired rotation of the cover (3), that is, its opening, until said release button (15) is pressed. For example, said arm (11) comprises at least one lateral projection (17) configured in such a way as to become fixed in a corresponding seat (24) created in the shell (2) when said arm (11) is in said backward locked position.

[0088] In this position, therefore, said arm (11) constrains the cover (3) to the shell (2), preventing it from opening.

[0089] When said release button (15) is pressed and said arm (11) is moved in said forward release position, said projection (17) moves out of the seat (24) created in the shell (2) and releases the cover (3) which thus can be rotated and opened once said paper pressing roller (5) has been released.

[0090] According to the invention, to guarantee that a symmetrical action is exerted on said roller (5) said release mechanism (1) preferably comprises two of said release buttons (15) and two of said arms (11) acting symmetrically on both ends of said rotation pin (51) of the roller (5) in said exit direction (10).

[0091] According to the invention, a display (D2) can be installed on the outside of said cover (3), for example said second display (D2) of the device (E) described above. These are the schematic outlines which are sufficient for the expert in the art to carry out the invention, consequently, in the practical application process variants can be developed which do not affect the substance of the innovative concept introduced herein.

[0092] Therefore, with reference to the description provided above and to the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed.