Printer

Claim 2

A printer comprising: a type member including a plurality of type characters, said type member comprising a non-magnetic material; ink supplying means for supplying ink to said type member; a hammer head arranged to move against selected ones of the plurality of type characters, said hammer head consisting of non-magnetic material; an elastic member connected to said hammer head at one end and to a base plate at the other end, said elastic member biasing said hammer head toward a printing position; magnetic field producing means comprising a permanent magnet mounted in said printing hammer head to hold said hammer head at a non-printing position in such a way that the permanent magnet contacts with a magnetic material disposed at the non-printing position whereby mechanical energy is stored in said elastic member; and an electromagnetic assembly disposed at the non-printing position for producing a magnetic field opposed to the magnetic flux of said permanent magnet when selectively actuated so that the mechanical energy stored in said elastic member is released to move said hammer head in the direction towards its printing position.

Claim 3

A printer according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet includes rare earth.

Claim 4

A printer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types on said type member are arranged in rows of types of like kind, said types of like kind being spaced apart from one another and shifted in position with respect to the types in the next adjacent row.

Claim 5

A printer according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnet assembly is of magnetic material and of U-shape of which the edge portion of each leg is disposed opposite a north pole and a south pole of said permanent magnet, respectively.

Claim 6

A printer comprising: a type member including a plurality of type characters, said type member comprising a non-magnetic material; ink supplying means for supplying ink to said type member; a hammer head arranged to move against selected ones of the plurality of type characters, said hammer head consisting of non-magnetic material; an elastic member connected to said hammer head at one end and to a base plate at the other end, said elastic member biasing said hammer head toward a printing position; magnetic field producing means comprising a permanent magnet mounted in said printing hammer head to hold said hammer head at a non-printing position in such a way that the permanent magnet contacts with a magnetic material disposed at the non-printing position whereby mechanical energy is stored in said elastic member; an electromagnet assembly disposed at the non-printing position for producing a magnetic field opposed to the magnetic flux of said permanent magnet when selectively actuated so that the mechanical energy stored in said elastic member is released to move said hammer head in the direction towards its printing position; and a non-magnetic member disposed between said permanent magnet and said electromagnet assembly, whereby said electromagnet assembly is spaced from a plane defining the strongest magnetic field of said permanent magnet by the thickness of said non-magnetic member.

Claim 7

A printer comprising: a type member including a plurality of type characters, said type member comprising a non-magnetic material; ink supplying means for supplying ink to said type member; a hammer head arranged to move against selected ones of the plurality of type characters, said hammer head consisting of non-magnetic material; an elastic member connected to said hammer head at one end and to a base plate at the other end, said elastic member biasing said hammer head toward a printing position; magnetic field producing means comprising a permanent magnet mounted in said printing hammer head to hold said hammer head at a non-printing position in such a way that the permanent magnet contacts with a magnetic material disposed at the non-printing position whereby mechanical energy is stored in said elastic member; an electromagnet assembly disposed at the non-printing position for producing a magnetic field opposed to the magnetic flux of said permanent magnet when selectively actuated so that the mechanical energy stored in said elastic member is released to move said hammer head in the direction towards its printing position; and a non-magnetic member disposed between said permanent magnet and said electromagnet assembly, whereby said electromagnet assembly is spaced from a plane defining the strongest magnetic field of said permanent magnet by the thickness of said non-magnetic member.

Claim 8

A printer according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of types on said type member are arranged in rows of types of like kind, said types of like kind being spaced apart from one another and shifted in position with respect to the types in the next adjacent row.

Claim 9

A printer according to claim 5, wherein said electromagnet assembly is of magnetic material and of U-shape of which the edge portion of each leg is disposed opposite a north pole and a south pole of said permanent magnet, respectively.

Claim 10

A printer according to claim 5, wherein said permanent magnet includes rare earth.

Claim 11

A printer comprising: a type member including a plurality of type characters, said type member comprising a non-magnetic material; ink supplying means for supplying ink to said type member; a hammer head arranged to move against selected ones of the plurality of type characters, said hammer head consisting of non-magnetic material; an elastic member connected to said hammer head at one end and to a base plate at the other end, said elastic member biasing said hammer head toward a printing position; magnetic field producing means comprising a permanent magnet mounted in said printing hammer head to hold said hammer head at a non-printing position in such a way that the permanent magnet contacts with a magnetic material disposed at the non-printing position whereby mechanical energy is stored in said elastic member, said magnetic field producing means emitting a magnetic flux from a first portion of said permanent magnet and absorbing the magnetic flux at a second portion of said permanent magnet to establish a first magnetic field; and an electromagnet assembly disposed at the non-printing position for producing a second magnetic field opposed to the first magnetic field of said permanent magnet when selectively actuated so that the mechanical energy stored in said elastic member is released to move said hammer head in the direction towards its printing position, said electromagnetic assembly including a magnetic member having a pair of projections and a coil wound on said magnetic member, said pair of projections being disposed opposite the first and second portions of said permanent magnet, respectively; and a non-magnetic member disposed between said permanent magnet and said electromagnet assembly whereby said electromagnet assembly is spaced from a plane defining the strongest magnetic field of said permanent magnet by the thickness of said non-magnetic member.

Claim 12

A printer comprising: a type member including a plurality of type characters, said type member comprising a non-magnetic material; ink supplying means for supplying ink to said type member; a hammer head arranged to move against selected ones of the plurality of type characters, said hammer head consisting of non-magnetic material; an elastic member connected to said hammer head at one end and to a base plate at the other end, said elastic member biasing said hammer head toward a printing position; magnetic field producing means comprising a permanent magnet mounted in said printing hammer head to hold said hammer head at a non-printing position in such a way that the permanent magnet contacts with a magnetic material disposed at the non-printing position whereby mechanical energy is stored in said elastic member, said magnetic field producing means emitting a magnetic flux from a first portion of said permanent magnet and absorbing the magnetic flux at a second portion of said permanent magnet to establish a first magnetic field; and an electromagnet assembly disposed at the non-printing position for producing a second magnetic field opposed to the first magnetic field of said permanent magnet when selectively actuated so that the mechanical energy stored in said elastic member is released to move said hammer head in the direction towards its printing position, said electromagnetic assembly including a magnetic member having a pair of projections and a coil wound on said magnetic member, said pair of projections being disposed opposite the first and second portions of said permanent magnet, respectively; and a non-magnetic member disposed between said permanent magnet and said electromagnet assembly whereby said electromagnet assembly is spaced from a plane defining the strongest magnetic field of said permanent magnet by the thickness of said non-magnetic member.

Claim 13

A printer according to claim 9, wherein said permanent magnet includes rare earth.

Claim 14

A printer according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of types on said type member are arranged in rows of types of like kind, said types of like kind being spaced apart from one another and shifted in position with respect to the types in the next adjacent row.