Printing band

Claim 2

For a printer: a unitary flexible printing band including a plurality of printing blocks having respective base portions, a plurality of flexible hinges, each hinge joining adjacent printing blocks at their base portions, at least one tooth integrally formed on the underside of each base portion of each printing block, but there being no tooth on the underside of any hinge, the printing blocks being longer at their outer portions than at their base portions, printing elements formed on the outer portions of the printing blocks opposite their respective base portions and extending beyond at least one end of the respective base portions, each hinge having a ratio of hinge length to hinge thickness of at least about 4 to 1, and the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of the gap between adjacent printing blocks at their outer portions being at least about 10 to 1, the teeth being sufficiently small to enable the printing band to bend through at least 45° at each hinge between adjacent printing blocks.

Claim 3

A printing band as defined in claim 1, including strands of flexible material extending in a lengthwise direction through the hinges and the base portions of the printing blocks, wherein each hinge has a thickness of about 0.013 inch.

Claim 4

A printing band as defined in claim 1, including strands of flexible material extending in a lenghthwise direction through the hinges and the base portions of the printing blocks, wherein the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the hinge length of an adjacent hinge is about 7 to 1.

Claim 5

A printing band as defined in claim 1, including strands of flexible material extending in a lengthwise direction through the hinges and the base portions of the printing blocks, wherein the ratio of the thickness of a printing block to the thickness of an adjacent hinge is about 6 to 1.

Claim 6

A printing band as defined in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the thickness of a printing block to the thickness of an adjacent hinge is about 6 to 1, and wherein the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the hinge length of an adjacent hinge is about 7 to 1.

Claim 7

A printing band as defined in claim 1, a wheel having a plurality of sides, each side of the wheel having at least one notch cooperable with a tooth on the printing band, the band being under tension and the base portion of one block being in contact with and supported by one side of the wheel while its tooth is in a corresponding notch in the wheel, the pitch of the printing band being equal to the distance between the midpoint of one hinge and the midpoint of an adjacent hinge, the length of each side of the wheel being approximately equal to the pitch of the printing band.

Claim 8

A printing band as defined in claim 1, and a wheel having a plurality of sides, each side of the wheel having three spaced apart notches, each printing block having three teeth cooperable with the notches in a side of the wheel, the band being under tension and the base portion of one block being in contact with and supported by one side of the wheel while the teeth are in the corresponding notches in the wheel, each side of the block being sufficiently long to support a printing block and a portion of each adjacent hinge.

Claim 9

A printing band as defined in claim 1, wherein the printing element of each printing block comprises a plurality of elongated, spaced apart, members integrally formed on the surface of the printing block and extending in a lengthwise direction for printing a machine readable code representation.

Claim 10

For a printer: a unitary flexible, endless printing band including a plurality of printing blocks having respective base portions, a plurality of flexible hinges, each hinge joining adjacent printing blocks at their base portions, three teeth integrally formed on the underside of each base portion of each printing block, but there being no tooth on the underside of any hinge, printing elements formed on the outer portions of the printing blocks opposite their respective base portions and extending beyond at least one end of the respective base portions, each hinge having a ratio of hinge length to hinge thickness of about 5 to 1, the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of the gap between adjacent printing blocks at their outer portions being about 18 to 1, the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of an adjacent hinge being about 7 to 1, and the ratio of the printing block thickness to the hinge thickness being about 6 to 1, the teeth being sufficiently small to enable the printing band to bend through at least 45° to each hinge between adjacent printing blocks.

Claim 11

For a printer: a unitary flexible, endless printing band including a plurality of printing blocks having respective base portions, a plurality of flexible hinges, each hinge joining adjacent printing blocks at their base portions, three teeth integrally formed on the underside of each base portion of each printing block, but there being no tooth on the underside of any hinge, printing elements formed on the outer portions of the printing blocks opposite their respective base portions and extending beyond at least one end of the respective base portions, each hinge having a ratio of hinge length to hinge thickness of about 5 to 1, the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of the gap between adjacent printing blocks at their outer portions being about 18 to 1, the ratio of the length of a printing block at its outer portion to the length of an adjacent hinge being about 7 to 1, and the ratio of the printing block thickness to the hinge thickness being about 6 to 1, the teeth being sufficiently small to enable the printing band to bend through at least 45° to each hinge between adjacent printing blocks.

Claim 12

A printing band as defined in claim 9, wherein the printing element of each printing block comprises a plurality of elongated, spaced apart, members integrally formed on the surface of the printing block and extending in a lengthwise direction for printing a machine readable code representation.