Segmented enclosure

• US 9,908,351 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Celinder, Thomas, Wells, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Huan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shenderov, Alexander D
• Application Number:
  US15/443,399
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 347110
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

Printers and other machines providing tangible outputs are provided. In one implementation, a printer comprises a housing having a fixed structure and a movable cover configured to be movable with respect to the fixed structure. The printer also includes a printing mechanism that is disposed inside the housing and is configured to print an image on a medium. The movable cover is movably attached to the fixed structure via a first pivoting mechanism that defines a first pivoting axis. The movable cover is configured to be pivoted about the first pivoting axis of the first pivoting mechanism. Also, the movable cover comprises a plurality of linked slats, each pair of adjacent linked slats being linked together by a second pivoting mechanism. Each second pivoting mechanism includes characteristics enabling a user to detach the adjacent linked slats from each other.

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

a housing having a fixed structure and a movable cover, the movable cover configured to be movable with respect to the fixed structure; and

a printing mechanism disposed inside the housing, the printing mechanism configured to print an image on a medium;

wherein the movable cover is movably attached to the fixed structure via a first pivoting mechanism that defines a first pivoting axis, the movable cover configured to be pivoted about the first pivoting axis of the first pivoting mechanism;

wherein the movable cover comprises a plurality of linked slats, each pair of adjacent linked slats being linked together by a second pivoting mechanism; and

wherein each second pivoting mechanism includes characteristics enabling a user to detach the adjacent linked slats from each other.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the fixed structure comprises at least a bottom portion of the housing, a front portion of the housing, a back portion of the housing, a left-side portion of the housing, and a first top portion of the housing.

3. The printer of claim 2, wherein the movable cover comprises at least a right-side portion of the housing and a second top portion of the housing.

4. The printer of claim 3, wherein, in an opened position, at least one linked slat of the plurality of linked slats defining at least a part of the second top portion of the housing includes a surface that is positioned substantially flush with a surface of the first top portion of the housing.

5. The printer of claim 4, wherein, in the opened position, at least another of the plurality of linked slats defining at least a part of the right-side portion of the housing includes a surface that is positioned substantially flush with a surface of the left-side portion of the housing.

6. The printer of claim 1, wherein, when the movable cover is in a fully open position, the user can access the printer mechanism.

7. The printer of claim 6, wherein a buffer space around the outside of the housing defines a minimum space that allows the movable cover to be pivoted between a fully closed position and the fully opened position.

8. The printer of claim 7, wherein the buffer space is defined by a width of one of the linked slats.

9. The printer of claim 1, wherein each second pivoting mechanism includes a second pivoting axis parallel with the first pivoting axis of the first pivoting mechanism.

10. The printer of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second pivoting mechanisms includes one or more hinges.

11. The printer of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second pivoting mechanisms includes a flexible material.

12. The printer of claim 1, wherein the movable cover further comprises a corner piece configured to link at least one linked slat defining the second top portion of the housing with at least one linked slat defining the right-side portion of the housing.

13. A housing of a machine for providing a tangible output, the housing comprising:

a fixed structure;

a first pivoting mechanism attached to the fixed structure, the first pivoting mechanism defining a first pivoting axis; and

a cover attached to the first pivoting mechanism, the cover configured to be pivoted with respect to the fixed structure about the first pivoting axis;

wherein, when the cover is in an opened position, a user has access to the interior of the housing;

wherein the cover comprises a plurality of linked slats, each pair of adjacent linked slats being linked together by a second pivoting mechanism; and

wherein each second pivoting mechanism includes characteristics enabling the user to detach the adjacent linked slats from each other.

14. The housing of claim 13, wherein the fixed structure comprises at least a bottom portion of the housing, a front portion of the housing, a back portion of the housing, a left-side portion of the housing, and a first top portion of the housing, and wherein the cover comprises at least a right-side portion of the housing and a second top portion of the housing.

15. The housing of claim 14, wherein at least one linked slat of the plurality of linked slats defining at least a part of the second top portion of the housing includes a surface that is positioned substantially flush with a surface of the first top portion of the housing when the cover is in a fully opened position.

16. The housing of claim 15, wherein at least another of the plurality of linked slats defining at least a part of the right-side portion of the housing includes a surface that is positioned substantially flush with a surface of the left-side portion of the housing when the cover is in the fully opened position.

17. The housing of claim 13, wherein the cover is configured to be pivoted between a fully closed position and a fully opened position, and wherein a buffer space around the outside of the housing defines a minimum space that allows the cover to be pivoted between the fully closed position and the fully opened position.

18. The housing of claim 17, wherein the buffer space is defined by a width of one of the linked slats.

19. The housing of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second pivoting mechanisms includes at least one hinge and/or a flexible material.

20. The housing of claim 13, wherein the machine is one of a printer, a food/beverage maker, and a label maker.