Printer for marking strips

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11427015-B2
Application number	US-201816499590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2018
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A printer is provided for printing marking strips having a plurality of marking elements for marking electric devices which can be arranged next to one another. Each of the marking elements has a marking plate with at least one writing field which can be printed with information such as writing. The printer has a rotatably mounted feed shaft which can be driven by a motor and a printing head. The rotatably mounted feed shaft has at least one section which is provided with protrusions and which rests directly against the marking strip while the feed shaft is rotated such that the advancing speed of the marking strip is synchronized with the circumferential speed of the feed shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printer for printing synthetic plastic marking strips formed of a first material and a second material which is harder than said first material, comprising
(a) a rotatably mounted feed shaft which is driven by a motor; and, said feed shaft including at least one protrusion section formed as a saw-toothed interlock having a first diameter, said feed shaft protrusion section engaging and interlocking with the marking strip second material while said feed shaft is rotated to create a plurality of permanent indentations in the marking strip second material and to advance the marking strip in a linear direction at an advancing speed which is synchronized with a circumferential speed of said feed shaft; and
(b) a printing head arranged adjacent to said feed shaft for printing on said marking strip first material.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein said protrusion section rests directly against said marking strip while said feed shaft is rotated, said permanent indentations creating a positive engagement between said feed shaft and the marking strip to synchronize the advancing speed of the marking strip with the circumferential speed of said feed shaft.

3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein said feed shaft includes at least two protrusion sections formed saw-toothed interlocks, respectively, which are axially offset and engage and interlock with the marking strip in different areas with a defined pressure while said feed shaft is rotated.

4. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein said saw-toothed interlocks of said protrusion sections have a different diameter, respectively.

5. The printer according to claim 4 , wherein said saw-toothed interlocks are arranged at a periphery of each section.

6. The printer according to claim 5 , wherein said feed shaft has circumferential tooth-less sections.

7. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure applied by said feed shaft to the marking strip is controlled to insure that said saw-toothed interlocks each press into the marking strip second material while the marking strip is advanced.

8. A printer for printing marking strips, comprising
(a) a rotatably mounted feed shaft which is driven by a motor, said feed shaft including at least one protrusion section formed as a saw-toothed interlock having a first diameter, said feed shaft protrusion section engaging and interlocking with the marking strip while said feed shaft is rotated to create a plurality of permanent indentations in the marking strip and to advance the marking strip in a linear direction at an advancing speed which is synchronized with a circumferential speed of said feed shaft wherein said feed shaft has circumferential tooth-less sections which accommodate latch lugs of a latch contour of the marking strip without contact while the marking strip is advanced
(b) a printing head arranged adjacent to said feed shaft.

9. The printer according to claim 8 , wherein the marking strip is formed of at least one plastic material.

10. The printer according to claim 8 , wherein said interlocking sections include a shoulder which guides the latch lugs of the marking strip.

11. A printer assembly, comprising
(a) a printing head;
(b) a synthetic plastic marking strip to be printed by said printing head, said marking strips including a first portion formed of a first material which receives printed indicia from said printing head and a second portion formed of a second material which is harder than said first material for subsequent attachment to an item to marked; and
(c) a rotatably mounted feed shaft which is driven by a motor, said feed shaft including at least one protrusion section formed as a saw-toothed interlock having a first diameter, said feed shaft protrusion section engaging and interlocking with the marking strip second material while said feed shaft is rotated to create a plurality of permanent indentations in the marking strip second material and to advance the marking strip in a linear direction at an advancing speed which is synchronized with a circumferential speed of said feed shaft.

Assignees

• Weidmueller Interface Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Speith Markus
• Köster Thomas

Classifications

• B41J3/4075 Primary

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J11/057

  Structure of the surface · CPC title

• B41J2/325

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J13/10

  Sheet holders, retainers {, movable guides}, or stationary guides · CPC title