Patent · US Expired

Low rotational inertia shuttle system with a flattened sinusoidal carriage velocity

US6715947B1 · kind B1 · utility

4Cited by
40References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 8, 2001
Grant dateApr 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 15, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J25/006
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A low rotational inertia shuttle system (24) for a dot matrix line printer (20) is disclosed. The low rotational inertia shuttle system (24) includes an elongate support structure (26), a carriage (22) and a counterbalance (62). The carriage and the counterbalance are reciprocally mounted on the support structure. The low rotational inertia shuttle system also includes a reciprocating assembly (60) disposed on the support structure for reciprocating the carriage and the counterbalance. The reciprocating assembly has an inertia that is purposely minimized with respect to the mass of the carriage and the counterbalance, such that the printer operates at a substantially constant level of kinetic energy to produce a substantially linear velocity profile for the carriage. The low rotational inertia shuttle system further includes a rotational mechanism (64) that is coupled to the reciprocating assembly for controlling energy applied to the reciprocating assembly in a way that maximizes the linearity of the carriage velocity profile.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.