Patent EP0165660A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0165660A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Passbook printer
Assignee: Unisys Corp
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Filing: 1985-03-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-03-25
Abstract
Abstract A passbook printer uses a conveyor belt (16) to urge a passbook (86) towards a raised barrier (40) for the passbook (86) to strike the barrier (40) and then have one edge thereof aligned with the barrier (40) by sliding engagement with the conveyor belt (16). After alignment, the barrier (40) is lowered and the pass-book (86) is advanced beneath a printhead and sensor assembly (38) which senses the orientation of the pass-book (86) and prints thereon in a correct and upright manner regardless of the orientation of the passbook (86).
Inventors
- 👤 Pierre Dupuis
- 👤 Alain Keryhuel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 15:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K13/00; G06K13/02; B; B41; B41J; B41J11/00; B41J11/36; B41J11/42; B41J11/46; B41J13/00; B41J13/26; B41J3/00; B41J3/28; B41J3/283
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A passbook printer comprising; a barrier, a conveyor belt, a transport apparatus and a printhead assembly, said printer being operable to print a visible record on a passbook in a sequence of operations including; the raising of said barrier; subsequently to the placing of an open passbook on said conveyor belt, the operation of said conveyer belt for a predetermined period for said conveyor belt to convey the passbook towards said barrier for the passbook to engage said barrier and to have an edge of the passbook become aligned with the barrier in conse- quence of sliding engagement between said conveyor belt and the passboom; and thereafter the lowering of said barrier for the passbook to be free to pass thereover and the oper- ation of said transport apparatus to engage the passbook to transport the passbook a selectable distance towards said printhead assembly for said printhead assembly to make the visible record at a selectable position on said passbook.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A passbook printer comprising; a barrier, a conveyor belt, a transport apparatus and a printhead assembly, said printer being operable to print a visible record on a passbook in a sequence of operations including; the raising of said barrier; subsequently to the placing of an open passbook on said conveyor belt, the operation of said conveyer belt for a predetermined period for said conveyor belt to convey the passbook towards said barrier for the passbook to engage said barrier and to have an edge of the passbook become aligned with the barrier in conse- quence of sliding engagement between said conveyor belt and the passboom; and thereafter the lowering of said barrier for the passbook to be free to pass thereover and the oper- ation of said transport apparatus to engage the passbook to transport the passbook a selectable distance towards said printhead assembly for said printhead assembly to make the visible record at a selectable position on said passbook.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
2 . A passbook printer according to Claim 1 wherein said printhead assembly comprises a sensor, moveable across the path wherein said transport apparatus is operable to transport the passbook to detect the transverse position of the passbook, said printhead assembly further comprising a printhead operable thereafter to print the visible record at a selectable distance transversely to said path from the point whereat said sensor detected the passbook.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
3 . A passbook printer according to Claim 2 wherein said sensor is further operable to detect a first predetermined mark on the passbook, said printhead assembly being operable to measure the distance, transverse to said path, between said point whereat said sensor detects said pass- book and the point whereat said sensor detects said first mark to detect which edge of the passbook has become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A passbook printer according to Claim 3 wherein said sensor is operable to detect a second predetermined mark on the passbook and further operable to measure the distance, transverse to said path, between said first and second marks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A passbook printer according to Claim 4 wherein in the event of the measured distance between the point whereat said sensor detects said passbook and the point whereat said sensor detects a mark being in excess of a first predetermined distance, then a first edge of the passbook is detected as having become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
A passbook printer according to Clai-m - 5 wherein, in the event of said sensor having detected no mark subsequently to said sensor having detected the passbook and having moved thereafter transversely to said path more than a second predetermined distance, then a second edge of the passbook is detected as having become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A passbook printer according to Clai-m - 5 wherein, in the event of said sensor having detected no mark subsequently to said sensor having detected the passbook and having moved thereafter transversely to said path more than a second predetermined distance, then a second edge of the passbook is detected as having become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
A passbook printer according to Claim 6 wherein, in the event of the distance between said point whereat said sensor detects said passbook and said point whereat said sensor detects a mark being less than a third predetermined distance and only one mark being detected in said second predetermined distance, then a third edge of the passbook is detected as having become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A passbook printer according to Claim 7 wherein, in the event of said sensor detecting two marks within said second predetermined distance, then a fourth edge of the passbook is detected as having become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
98 words
A passbook printer according to Claims 5,6,7 or 8 wherein said printhead comprises a matrix impact printer passable over the passbook transversely to said path in one or more printing runs, said matrix printhead being controlled by a character memory and said character memory being operable in response to which edge of the passbook is detected as having become aligned with said barrier to select an appropriate control sequence from among a plurality of ccntrol sequences for said printhead to print upright upon the passbook regardless of which edge of the passbook has become aligned with said barrier.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
72 words
1C. A passbook printer according to Claim 9 wherein said plurality of control sequences includes; the passing of said printhead across the passbook to print a single row of inverted characters; and the repeated passing of said printhead across a selected portion of the passbook, each time to print a single sideways character, the passbook being advanced into said printhead assembly by said transport apparatus between each printing of a sideways character.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A passbook printer according to any of the preceding claims wherein said conveyor belt comprises a plurality of individual belts in parallel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
A passbook printer according to any of Claims 2 to 10 or according to Claim 11 when dependent upon Claim 2 wherein said printhead assembly comprises a common belt for the support both of said sensor and of said printhead, and a stepping motor for driving said common belt transversely to said path.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
A passbook printer according to Claim 12 when dependent upon Claim 3, wherein said sensor is operable to measure distances transversely to said path in terms of the number of steps taken by said stepping motor to drive said common belt transversely to said path.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
A passbook printer according to Claim 13 wherein said sensor is- separated from said printhead on said common belt by a predetermined number of steps for said printer to calculate the position of said printhead relative to the pass- book subsequently to said sensor detecting the passbook.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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