DEVICE FOR GUIDING A PRINTER

Abstract

A device (1) is for guiding printer (20). The device (1) is utilized in a method for using a handheld electronic printer (20) with the device (1). The device (1) includes a base (2) having at least one guide (5), and a carriage (3) having at least two separate links (26, 27) engaged with the at least one guide (5). The at least one guide (5) has at least two linear sections (7, 8) being spaced apart and parallel. The at least one guide (5) includes at least two changeover sections (10, 11), each connecting two linear sections (7, 8). The changeover sections (10, 11) are arranged at different positions of the linear sections (7, 8) the changeover sections respectively connect.

Claims

1. A device for guiding a printer, the device comprising: a base having at least one guide, a carriage having at least two separate links engaged with the at least one guide, wherein the at least one guide comprises at least two linear sections being spaced apart and parallel, wherein the at least one guide comprises at least two changeover sections, each of the changeover sections connecting two linear sections, wherein the changeover sections are arranged at different positions of the linear sections the changeover sections respectively connect.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guide is provided by a slot, a groove, a rail or a track.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the changeover sections are curved.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two separate links are movably attached to the at least one guide.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base has at least two guides, each of the guides comprising at least two linear sections and at least two changeover sections connecting the respective linear sections, wherein the changeover sections belonging to the same guide are arranged at different positions of the linear sections the changeover sections respectively connect, wherein the carriage has at least three separate links of which at least one link is engaged with each of the at least two guides.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a receptacle for a substrate.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the device comprises a reference strip arranged between the base and the carriage, wherein the carriage is movable with respect to the reference strip in a first direction, which is parallel to the two linear sections of the at least one guide, wherein the reference strip is movable with respect to the base in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, wherein the reference strip extends across the receptacle in the first direction and on both ends beyond an edge of the receptacle.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the reference strip is below 1 mm.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein a bottom side of the carriage facing the base comprises a groove for receiving the reference strip.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the reference strip is made of a ferromagnetic material, wherein the carriage comprises at least one magnet arranged to hold the reference strip at a bottom side of the carriage facing the base.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured for using with a handheld electronic printer having an inkjet printhead.

12. A method for using a handheld electronic printer with a device according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: engaging the printer with the carriage, starting a printing procedure with the printer and while printing: moving the carriage together with the printer along a first linear section of the at least one guide, moving the carriage together with the printer through one of the changeover sections connecting the first linear section with a second linear section of the at least one guide, and moving the carriage together with the printer along the second linear section of the at least one guide.

13. The method according to claim 12 for using the printer with a device according to wherein: detecting by the printer a reversal of a direction of movement parallel to the first direction, switching by the printer to the next swath to be printed responsive to the detected reversal of the direction of movement.

14. The device according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the reference strip is below 0.7 mm.

15. The device according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the reference strip is below 0.5 mm.

Description

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, wherein the figures are for purposes of illustrating the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same,

[0025] FIG. 1 schematically a top view of a first exemplary embodiment of the device for guiding a printer according to the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 2 schematically a section along the line II-II of the device shown in FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 3 schematically a pictorial of the device according to FIG. 1 in use with a handheld printer in a final position;

[0028] FIG. 4 schematically a section of the device and printer shown in FIG. 3 at an intermediate position during printing a third swath; and

[0029] FIG. 5 schematically and exploded-view of the device and printer shown in FIG. 3.

[0030] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a device 1 for guiding a printer. The device comprises a base 2, a carriage 3 and a reference strip 4. The base 2 has two guides 5, 6. Each guide 5, 6 comprises three linear sections 7, 8, 9. The linear sections 7, 8, 9 are spaced apart and parallel. Each guide 5, 6 further comprises four changeover sections 10, 11, 12, 13. The first changeover section 10 connects an end of the first linear section 7 with a first end of the second linear section 8. The second changeover section 11 connects the first linear section 7 with the second linear section 8 at an intermediate position between the ends of the linear sections 7, 8. The third changeover section 12 connects a second end of the second linear section 8 with an end of the third linear section 9. The fourth changeover section 13 connects the second linear section 8 with the third linear section 9 at an intermediate position between the ends of the linear sections 8, 9. The distance between the first changeover section 10 and the second changeover section 11 is the same as the distance between third changeover section 12 and the fourth changeover section 13. All changeover sections 10, 11, 12, 13 are curved and particularly follow a semi-circular path.

[0031] The guides 5, 6 are provided by continuous grooves 14, 15 formed in the base 2. The profile of the grooves 14, 15 is different in parts of the guides 5, 6. A first part of the guides 5, 6 comprises a part of the first linear section 7 between the first end 16 of the guides 5, 6 (see FIG. 3) and the second changeover section 11, the second changeover section 11, a part of the second linear section 8 between the second changeover section 11 and the third changeover section 12, the third changeover section 12 and a part of the third linear section 9. This first part of the guides 5, 6 has a first profile. The first profile is two-tiered, with a first tier 17 at a first depth and a second tier 18 at the full depth of the respective groove 14, 15. A second part of the guides 5, 6 comprises the remaining parts of the linear sections 7, 8, 9 as well as the first changeover section 10 and the fourth changeover section 13. This second part of the guides 5, 6 has a second profile. The second profile corresponds to only the first tier 17 of the first profile. The purpose of the different profiles is to structurally limit the possible movements and positions of the carriage 3 as will become apparent below.

[0032] The carriage 3 comprises an essentially rectangular frame surrounding a clearance 19 for receiving a handheld printer 20 (see FIG. 3). The outline of the clearance 19 essentially corresponds to the footprint of the handheld printer 20. At a bottom side 21 of the carriage 3 (see FIG. 2), which faces the base 2, the clearance 19 is delimited by several protrusions 22 to support a printer 20 above the base 2 and frictionally engage with the printer 20 within the clearance 19 (see also FIG. 5). The carriage 3 further comprises two permanent magnets 23 arranged in holes 24 above a groove 25 for receiving the reference strip 4 in the bottom side 21 of the carriage 3 facing the base 2. The groove 25 extends in a first direction parallel to the linear sections 7, 8, 9. The carriage 3 is moveable with respect to the reference strip 4 in a first direction parallel to the linear sections 7, 8, 9.

[0033] The carriage 3 has four separate links 26, 27, 28, 29 provided by pins extending from the bottom side 21 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4). The pins are around, i.e. they have a rotational symmetry around an axis orthogonal to the bottom side 21 of the carriage 3. The first link 26 and the second link 27 are engaged with the first guide 5. The third link 28 and the fourth link 29 are engaged with the second guide 26. The profile of the first link 26 and the third link 28 corresponds to the first profile of the guides 5, 6. The profile of the second link 27 and the fourth link 29 corresponds to the second profile of the guides 5, 6 (note that the section in FIG. 2 is slightly offset from the centre of the links 27, 29). Correspondingly, the first link 26 is engaged with the first part of the first guide 5 and the third link 28 is engaged with the first part of the second guide 6. As the second profile is completely contained within the first profile, the second link 27 and the fourth link 29 can move between the first part and second part of the respective guide 5, 6.

[0034] The base 2 comprises a receptacle 30 for a substrate 36. The receptacle 30 is provided as a recess in an inset 31 of the base 2. The inset 31 can be replaced by alternative insets providing recesses of different dimensions, such that the receptacle 30 can be adapted to substrates of different dimensions. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the receptacle 30 is essentially a rectangular recess with an area of a business card and a depth corresponding to a typical paper thickness used for business cards (e.g. between 0.3 and 0.4 mm).

[0035] The reference strip 4 is arranged between the base 2 and the carriage 3. It extends across the receptacle 30 of the base 2 in a first direction parallel to the linear sections 7, 8, 9. More specifically, the reference strip 4 extends beyond both of the transverse edges of the receptacle 30 and even beyond the transverse edges of the inset 31. The ends 32, 33 of the reference strip 4 abut on a respective guide bar 34, 35 at the transverse edges of the base 2. The reference strip 4 is movable with respect to the base 2 in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, i.e. transverse to the linear sections 7, 8, 9. The guide bars 34, 35 guide such a movement of the reference strip 4 relative to the base 2 in a second direction. The reference strip 4 is a metal strip (generally, any ferromagnetic material works) with the thickness of 0.5 mm and with a matte surface. Correspondingly, the groove 25 in the carriage 3 has a depth of 0.5 mm.

[0036] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the device 1 in use with a handheld printer 20. The printer 20 is arranged in the clearance 19 of the carriage 3 of the device 1. The position of the reference strip 4 relative to the carriage 3 is such that an optical position sensor 37 of the printer 20 faces the reference strip 4 below the printer 20. An inkjet printhead 38 of the printer 20 is guided in parallel swaths above the substrate 36 received in the receptacle 30.

[0037] For printing the substrate 31, the printer 20 is engaged with the carriage 3 and the user starts the printing procedure the printer 20. At the start of the printing procedure, the first link 26 and the third link 28 of the carriage 3 are arranged at the first end 16 of the respective guide 5, 6. During the printing procedure, the user moves the carriage 3 together with the printer 20 along the first linear section 7 of the guides 5, 6 until the second and fourth links 27, 29 reach the first changeover section 10 and at the same time the first and third links 26, 28 reach the second changeover section 11. During this movement, the optical position sensor 37 of the printer 20 detects the speed and distance of the horizontal movement relative to the reference strip 4 and controls the printhead 38 to print a first swath when the printhead 38 travels over the receptacle 30. The user then moves the carriage 3 together with the printer 20 through the first and second changeover sections 10, 11 connecting the first linear section 7 with the second linear section 8 of the guides 5, 6. The optical position sensor 37 does not detect the vertical movement relative to the receptacle 30 and substrate 36, because the reference strip 4 follows the carriage 3 in the second direction transverse to the first linear section 7. However, the printer 20 detects the reversal of the direction of the horizontal movement and responsive to this detection switches to the second swath to be printed. From there, the user moves the carriage 3 together with the printer 20 in the reverse direction horizontally along the second linear section 8 of the guides 5, 6 until the first and third links 26, 28 reach the third changeover section 12 and at the same time the second and fourth links 27, 29 reach the fourth changeover section 13. During this movement, the optical position sensor 37 of the printer 20 again detects the speed and distance of the horizontal movement relative to the reference group 4 and controls the printed 38 to print the second swath in the reverse direction when the printer 38 travels over the receptacle 30. At this point, the user moves the carriage 3 together with the printer 20 through the third and fourth changeover sections 12, 13 connecting the second linear section 8 with the third linear section 9 of the guides 5, 6. Again, the printer detects the reversal of the direction of the horizontal movement and switches to the third swath to be printed. Finally, the user moves the carriage 3 together with the printer 20 along the third linear section 9 until the second and fourth links 27, 29 reach the final position at second end 39 of the guides 5, 6. During this movement, the printer 20 prints the third swath according to the man detected by the optical position sensor 37 similar to the first swath.

[0038] According to a second exemplary embodiment, the first profile and second profile of the grooves 14, 15 may be exchanged between the first guide 5 and second guide 6. For example, the groove 14 of the first guide 5 has the profiles arranged as described above and the groove 15 of the second guide 6 has the following profiles: The first part of the second guide 6 comprises a part of the first linear section 7 starting at a distance from the first end 16 of the second guide 5 and to the first changeover section 10, the first changeover section 10, a part of the second linear section 8 between the first changeover section 10 and the fourth changeover section 13, the fourth changeover section 13 and a part of the third linear section 9 from the fourth changeover section 13 to the second end 39. This first part of the second guide 6 has a first profile. The first profile is two-tiered, with a first tier at a first depth and a second tier at the full depth of the groove 15. A second part of the second guide 6 comprises the remaining parts of the linear sections 7, 8, 9 as well as the second changeover section 11 and the third changeover section 12. This second part of the second guide 6 has a second profile. The second profile corresponds to only the first tier 17 of the first profile. The purpose of the different profiles is to further limit the possible movements and positions of the carriage 3.

[0039] In this embodiment, the profile of the first link 26 and the fourth link 29 of the carriage 3 corresponds to the first profile of the guides 5, 6. The profile of the second link 27 and the third link 28 corresponds to the second profile of the guides 5, 6. Correspondingly, the first link 26 is engaged with the first part of the first guide 5 and the fourth link 29 is engaged with the first part of the second guide 6. As the second profile is completely contained within the first profile, the second link 27 and the third link 29 can move between the first part and second part of the respective guide 5, 6.

[0040] An advantage of this embodiment is that an undesired tilting of the carriage 3 is more effectively prevented when the second link 27 and the fourth link 29 reach the second changeover section 11 (through which only the first link 26 and the third link 28 should pass), because the third link 28 having the first profile cannot pass through the second changeover section 11 of the second guide 6 having the second profile.

[0041] According to a third exemplary embodiment, the profiles of first guide 5 and second guide 6 and of the respective links of the carriage 3 may be interchanged with respect to the second exemplary embodiment.