ADJUSTABLE INKJET PRINTER FOR THE LABELING OF GOODS

Abstract

Inkjet printer for the labeling of goods having a print head having a cylindrically shaped housing. A latching lug, and a circumferentially extending groove are formed on the housing in a rear region thereof, in the vicinity of a rear face of the housing. Further, it has an annular collar having an inner wall adapted to the housing. On the one hand, the housing is capable of being fixed and, on the other hand, it is rotatable and axially movable, relative to the annular collar. The annular collar has a bore hole axially aligned with the groove, and a fixing projection located in the bore hole. Further, it has several latching recesses for the latching lug. When the latching lug is positioned in one of the latching recesses, the bore hole is located radially above the groove.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer for labeling of goods, comprising: a print head having a cylindrically-delimited housing, the housing comprising a rear face, a latching lug, and a circumferentially extending groove, wherein said groove is formed on the housing in a rear portion thereof near the rear face of the housing, and an annular collar having a cylindrically-delimited inner wall adapted to receive and extend around the housing, wherein the annular collar comprises a) a connection for a stand, b) a bore hole extending in a radial direction in the annular collar, c) a fixing projection located in the bore hole having a head located outside an outer shell of the annular collar, and d) a plurality of latching recesses configured to receive the latching lug therein, wherein said latching recesses include a zero-degree latching recess located on the annular collar at a position thereof corresponding to a normal printing position, and a plurality of angle latching recesses disposed at predefined angular positions around a circumference of the annular collar relative to the zero-degree latching recess, wherein, when the latching lug is located in one of the latching recesses, the bore hole is located radially above the groove, wherein the housing is both fixable and rotatable and axially movable relative to the annular collar.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the angle latching recesses are symmetrically disposed with respect to the zero-degree latching recess.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the latching recesses are located at a rear axial end of the annular collar, and the annular collar further includes one or more indicating marks each corresponding to a respective one of the latching recesses.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the number of said latching recesses is equal to the number of said indicating marks.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the housing defines an outer wall and has a marking thereon extending in the axial direction, wherein the marking is aligned with one of the indicating marks when the latching lug is located in the latching recess associated with that respective indicating mark.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the bore hole defines a threaded bore hole, and the fixing projection has a screw thread located in the threaded bore hole.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the annular collar is made from plastic.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the print head defines a front face with a plurality of outlet openings for ink thereon extending parallel to a y-axis of the print head in a line; the front face includes a deflector disposed thereon adjacent to the outlet openings and protruding forward in an axial direction relative to the front face to a greater extent than the line of outlet openings; the front face defines an x-axis extending along the front face transverse to the y axis and parallel to a printing direction of the print head, and the deflector, viewed in a direction of the x-axis, is located adjacent to the line of outlet openings.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein the deflector extends parallel to the line of outlet openings.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein the deflector extends over a length at least corresponding to a length of the line in the direction of the y-axis.

11. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein the deflector and the line of outlet openings are formed together in a one-piece component.

12. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the print head has an axial length that is at least twice as long as an axial length of the annular collar.

13. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a projection at or near the rear face that protrudes radially and is configured to prevent the annular collar from being pulled off from the housing in a rearward direction.

14. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a peripherally-extending flange protruding radially from or near the rear face and configured to prevent the annular collar from being pulled off from the housing in a rearward direction.

15. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a bracket attached to the annular collar and protruding from the annular collar in a negative z-direction.

16. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of angle latching recesses include a plurality of angle latching recesses that are symmetrically disposed with respect to the zero-degree latching recess and a 180° latching recess that is offset by 180° around the circumference of the annular collar relative to the zero-degree latching recess.

17. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the latching recesses are located at a rear axial end of the annular collar, and the annular collar further includes indicating marks corresponding in number to the number of latching recesses located at an opposite axial end of the annular collar relative to the latching recesses.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Other advantages and features of the invention become apparent from the other claims as well as from the following description of two exemplary embodiments of the invention, which shall be understood not to be limiting and which will be explained below with reference to the drawing. In the drawings:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the inkjet printer with a print head and an annular collar,

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the annular collar, and

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a print head with an oblique view from above onto a front face, without, however, a front closure cap with outlet openings and a deflector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the inkjet printer has a print head 20 having a substantially cylindrically delimited housing 22. More specifically, this housing 22 is delimited in such a manner that it fits within a cylindrical cavity. It can be rotated and axially moved within this cylindrical cavity. However, the housing 22 has on a rear surface 24 a projection or protrusion 26, configured as a flange in the illustrated embodiment, which protrudes radially over the above-described cylindrical cavity. A latching lug 28, which extends from the rear face 24 towards the front in the axial direction, emerges from this protrusion 26. Preferably, the latching lug 28 is connected to the cylindrical part of the housing 22, so that it does not protrude freely all around but remains connected to the housing 22 on one side.

[0022] The housing has a circumferentially extending groove 30 (shown in FIG. 3), which has a width of a few millimeters in the axial direction and a depth of a few millimeters, e.g. 2 to 5 mm.

[0023] On front face 32 of the housing 22, a line 34 of outlet openings 36 for ink is formed. This line 34 is formed by a component 38 that realizes a deflector 40 at the same time. The latter has a saw tooth-shaped profile. It has its greatest thickness and thus the greatest distance from the outlet openings 36 in the immediate vicinity of the line 34; the thickness decreases as the distance from the line 34 increases, in the positive x-direction in FIG. 1.

[0024] A right-handed x-y-z coordinate system is used for the description. The z-axis extends parallel to an axis 42 of the housing 22. The line 34 extends parallel to the y direction. The x-direction extends parallel to the printing direction. Specifically, the arrow of the x-direction is either directed in the printing direction or 180° in the direction opposite thereto.

[0025] The housing 22 has flattened portions 44 that are recessed from the cylindrical shape.

[0026] The housing 22 is gripped by an annular collar 46; the latter is also referred to as retainer sleeve. It has a cylindrically delimited inner wall 48 adapted to the housing 22, which rests against the housing 22 in a more or less accurately fitting manner. The annular collar 46 can be displaced relative to the housing 22 in the z-direction. Moreover, it is rotatable in the circumferential direction relative to the housing 22. A fixing means is provided in order to fix the housing 22 in the annular collar 46. For this purpose, the annular collar 46 has a bore hole 50 that extends in the radial direction and receives a fixing projection 52 that is detachable and can be fixed. Specifically, the bore hole 50 is formed as a threaded bore hole; the fixing projection 52 is configured as a female thread and has a head in the shape of a wing nut. By tightening the fixing projection 52 the print head 20 can be fixed in the annular collar 46.

[0027] In some embodiments, the fixing projection 52 engages into the groove 30. The latter is axially positioned accordingly, as will be described further below.

[0028] A connection part 54 for a stand is located on the annular collar 46. The stand is part of the prior art and is not illustrated in more detail herein. The connection part may protrude radially outwards from the annular collar 46 and has an annular clamp 56, which is able to grip around a round stand pipe not shown here and which can be attached thereto by means of a clamping screw.

[0029] The annular collar 46 has a plurality of latching recesses 58 that are adapted to the latching lug 28 with regard to their shape and accommodate the latter substantially without clearance. For this purpose, the latching lug 28 is aligned with one of the latching recesses 58 by rotating the housing 22, and then the housing 22 is moved axially so that the latching lug 28 can be pushed into the selected latching recess 58. If this state is reached, the bore hole 50 is located above the peripherally extending groove 30. Thus, the fixing projection 52 is able to engage into the groove 30.

[0030] The arrangement of the latching recesses 58 is arbitrary. In the specific exemplary embodiment, a zero-degrees latching recess and a 180° latching recess 58 diametrically opposite thereto are provided. To the left and to the right thereof, respectively, symmetrically disposed angle latching recesses are located, which are positioned at an angle of, for example, 10, 15, 25, 30, 45 and 90°, wherein a 90° latching recess relative to the zero-degrees latching recess is, at the same time, also a 90° latching recess relative to the diametrically opposed 180° latching recess. An indicating means 60, which is located in the same circumferential position and is merely axially offset relative to the associated latching recess 58 in the z-direction, is associated with each latching recess 58. Since the latching recesses 58 in the preferred embodiment are formed at the rear end of the annular collar 46 and are hidden by the latching lug 28 in the engaging state of a latching recess 58, the indicating means 60 make the respective angular orientation easily recognizable. A marking 62 on the outer wall of the housing 22 is associated with the indicating marks 60. It extends parallel to the z-direction and extends virtually over the entire length of the print head 20, in any case over more than twice the axial length of the annular collar 46.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows the alignment of an indicating marks 60 and this marking 62; in the state shown, the associated latching recess is not in engagement with the latching lug 28. This marking 62 is orientated as follows: The line 34 extends parallel to the y-direction and has a center situated on the axis 42. The line 34 is situated on a straight line intersecting a straight line at 64 on which the marking 62 is located. Thus, in the orientation of the print head 20 and the annular collar 46 shown in FIG.1, the orientation of the print head 20 is such that the print head 20 is in the normal position relative to the annular collar 46; this normal position can also be referred to as the 0° position. If one wishes to position the print head 20 in other angular positions around the axis 42 in the annular collar 46, the print head 20 and the coordinate system associated therewith takes on a different orientation.

[0032] A bracket 66 is disposed on the annular collar 46; it is diametrically opposite to the connection part 54. Sensors (not shown) or other accessories can be attached to the bracket 66. The bracket 66 protrudes in the negative z-direction; it protrudes up to the vicinity of the front face 32.

[0033] The applicant reserves the right to combine any features, even partial features of the claims, with features from the description. For this purpose, features from parts of sentences can be taken from the description.

[0034] Terms like substantially, preferably and the like and indications that may possibly be understood to be inexact are to be understood to mean that a deviation by plus/minus 5%, preferably plus/minus 2% and in particular plus/minus one percent from the normal value is possible.

[0035] While the above describes certain embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the invention. It should also be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make any variations and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed above, are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.