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US5642948A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Biaxial printer for portrait and landscape printing

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1996-04-10
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Granted: 1997-07-01
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Expires: 2016-04-10
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Abstract

Abstract A printer employs a print head having a wire column arranged at an angle between 0° and 90° relative to a permitted line of motion of the print head. This angled print head allows for both portrait and landscape printing. Portrait mode printing is performed by controlling movement of the angled print head along the permitted line of motion during printing of each line of images. Landscape mode printing is controlled by maintaining a stationary position of the print head while the print receivable medium is moved in a direction perpendicular to the permitted line of motion of the print head.

Inventors

  • 👤 Richard Hunter Harris
  • 👤 Michael John Kinney
  • 👤 Kevin Hunter Vorhees

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 16:56
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/22; B41J2/23; B41J2/235; B41J2/25; B41J2/255; B41J19/00; B41J19/14; B41J2/30; B41J25/00; B41J25/001; B41J25/003

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 167 words
A printer comprising: a print head having a column of printing elements arranged at an angle relative to a direction of travel of said print head; means operable for positioning a print receivable medium in a direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head; means operable for performing portrait mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print head in said direction of travel in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said portrait mode; and means operable for performing landscape mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print receivable medium in said direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head while said print head remains stationary in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said landscape mode, wherein said angle of printing elements is such that printing in portrait mode is in a larger font size than printing in landscape mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 167 words
A printer comprising: a print head having a column of printing elements arranged at an angle relative to a direction of travel of said print head; means operable for positioning a print receivable medium in a direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head; means operable for performing portrait mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print head in said direction of travel in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said portrait mode; and means operable for performing landscape mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print receivable medium in said direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head while said print head remains stationary in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said landscape mode, wherein said angle of printing elements is such that printing in portrait mode is in a larger font size than printing in landscape mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
The printer as recited in claim 1, wherein said angle of printing elements is maintained for both said portrait mode and said landscape mode printing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
The printer as recited in claim 1, wherein said print head is an impact-type print head.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
The printer as recited in claim 1, wherein said print head is an ink-jet print head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 18 words
The printer as recited in claim 1 wherein said print head is a thermal dot matrix print head.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
The printer as recited in claim 1, wherein said angle is between 0 and 90 degrees.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 167 words
A printer comprising: a print head having a column of printing elements arranged at an angle relative to a direction of travel of said print head; means operable for positioning a print receivable medium in a direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head; means operable for performing portrait mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print head in said direction of travel in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said portrait mode; and means operable for performing landscape mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print receivable medium in said direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head while said print head remains stationary in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said landscape mode, wherein said angle of printing elements is such that printing in portrait mode is in a smaller font size than printing in landscape mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 167 words
A printer comprising: a print head having a column of printing elements arranged at an angle relative to a direction of travel of said print head; means operable for positioning a print receivable medium in a direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head; means operable for performing portrait mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print head in said direction of travel in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said portrait mode; and means operable for performing landscape mode printing by said print head on said print receivable medium by moving said print receivable medium in said direction normal to said direction of travel of said print head while said print head remains stationary in order to print characters on said print receivable medium in said landscape mode, wherein said angle of printing elements is such that printing in portrait mode is in a smaller font size than printing in landscape mode.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4408907A Cited
JPS59120467A Cited
JPS6141559A Cited
US5437004A Cited
US5533817A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-06-30 2000-12-30 2001-07-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-06-30 2004-12-30 2005-07-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-06-30 2008-12-30 2009-07-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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