Handy reader/printer apparatus

Abstract

In a handy reader/printer apparatus for reading recorded information from a desired portion of a medium to be read and printing read information on a desired portion of a medium to be printed, the apparatus has a housing having an opening in a lower surface thereof and placed on the medium to be read or printed such that the desired portion of the medium can be fitted in the opening, a reader unit, arranged in the housing, for reading the recorded information of the desired portion of the medium to be read fitted in the opening while the housing is placed on the medium, a printer unit, arranged in the housing, for printing data in the desired portion of the medium to be printed fitted in the opening while the housing is placed on the medium, a memory for storing data read by the reader unit upon operation of the reader unit, and a readout unit for reading out the storage data from the memory as the printing data to the printer unit upon operation of the printer unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A handy reader/printer apparatus for reading recorded information from a desired portion of a medium to be read and printing read information in a desired portion of a medium to be printed, said apparatus comprising: a housing having an opening in a lower surface thereof and placed on the medium to be read or printed such that the desired portion of the medium can be fitted in the opening;   a reader unit, arranged in said housing, for reading the recorded information of the desired portion of the medium to be read fitted in the opening while said housing is placed on the medium;   a printer unit, arranged in said housing, for printing data, previously read, in the desired portion of the medium to be printed, fitted in the opening while the housing is placed on the medium;   a memory for storing data read by said reader unit upon operation of said reader unit; and   a readout unit for reading out the storage data from said memory and supplying the readout data as the printing data to said printer unit upon operation of said printer unit.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a carrier linearly movable between one end and the other end of the opening with respect to said housing, said carrier being adapted to support said reader unit and said printer unit. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said carrier can be pivoted to stand on said housing or to lay down in accordance with a use or nonuse state. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said carrier can be layed down and fitted in said housing during use of said apparatus. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said carrier stands on said housing to be substantially perpendicular to a surface of said housing during use of said apparatus. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said carrier has two pairs of vertical rollers which are in rolling contact with two front positions and two rear positions of two inner bottom surfaces defining said opening of said housing while said carried is perpendicular to the surface of said housing. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said carrier has two pairs of horizontal rollers which are in rolling contact with two inner side surfaces continuous with said two inner bottom surfaces of said housing in the same positional relationship as in said two pairs of vertical rollers. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said reader unit is arranged obliquely opposite to said opening of said housing near a proximal portion of said carrier and includes a line illumination element for emitting a linear beam to the desired portion of said medium to be read in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of said carrier and a line image sensor for receiving light reflected by the desired portion of said medium to be read and converting a reflected light component into an electrical signal. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said printer unit is slidable with respect to said carrier between a first position where said printer unit is separated from said opening of said housing during reading and a second position where said printer unit falls within said opening of said housing during printing. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said printer unit includes: a printer housing having at least a line thermal printhead opposite perpendicularly to said opening of said housing near a proximal portion of said carrier and opposite linearly to a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of said carrier; and an ink tape cassette loaded in said printer housing. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said printer unit has an operation member depressed upon reading by said reader unit and a lock mechanism interlocked with depression of said operation member to lock said printer unit in the first position. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said ink tape cassette includes a pair of tape guide members opposite at two sides of said thermal head, a thermal transfer ink tape looped between distal ends of said pair of tape guide members, a tape reel for supplying the ink tape and a tape take-up reel for winding the ink tape supplied from said tape reel, said reel being interlocked with said carrier during printing. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for generating a timing signal corresponding to a moving speed of said carrier, the timing signal being adapted to control a write timing of said memory and a read timing of said readout means. .Iadd. 
     
     
       14.  A handy reader/printer apparatus comprising: a case adapted to be manually swept across a material to be copied having image information thereon;   input means provided in said case for scanning said material to produce image information signals corresponding to said image information while said case is swept across said material;   memory means for storing the image information signals derived from said input means;   printing means provided in said case for printing image information on a printing medium while said case is swept across said printing medium and including: (a) printer head means for operating in response to said image information signals read out from said memory means; and   (b) ink ribbon means interposed between said printer head means and said printing medium for transferring ink onto said printing medium while said printer head means is in operation;     position-detecting means provided in said case for detecting the position of said case while it is being swept across one of said material and said printing medium, and for producing a position signal every time said case is swept across a predetermined distance, said position signal representing the position of said case with respect to said one of the material and the printing medium;   control means for causing said input means to produce said image information signals by controlling said input means to be in synchronism with said position signal produced by said position-detecting means, and for causing said printing means to print the image information on said printing medium in a manner related to that with which said image information is formed on said material to be copied by controlling said printer head means to be in synchronism with the position signal produced by said position-detecting means; and   ribbon take-up means provided in said housing means for taking up said ink ribbon means while said housing means is swept across said printing medium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 14, further including supporting means for supporting said printing means in said case and for causing said printing means to be selectively brought into contact with and to be released from contact with said   
     
     
        printing medium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said supporting means varies the positional relationship between said printing means and said case. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 15, further including rolling means provided in said case for rotating in accordance with the case being swept across one of said material and said printing medium; and rotation-transmitting means provided in at least one of said case and supporting means for transmitting the rotation of said rolling means to said ribbon take-up means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said rotation-transmitting means only transmits the rotation of said rolling means to said ribbon take-up means when said supporting means causes said printing means to contact said printing medium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said rotation-transmitting means includes means for transmitting the rotation of said rolling means to said ribbon take-up means only when said rolling 
     
     
        means rotates in a predetermined direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20.  A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said case includes a rolling means for rotating in accordance with the case being swept across one of said material and said printing medium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said position-detecting means includes an encoder disc having a plurality of apertures spaced apart at regular intervals from one another in circumferential direction thereof, and coupled to the rolling means for rotating in accordance with the rotation of said rolling means, and aperture-detecting means for outputting a detecting signal upon detecting any one of the apertures of said encoder disc. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 21, further including rotation-transmitting means provided in said case for transmitting the rotation of said rolling means to said ribbon take-up means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said rotation-transmitting means includes means for transmitting the rotation of said rolling means to said ribbon take-up means only when said 
     
     
        rolling means rotates in a predetermined direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24.  A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said ink ribbon means is detachably secured to said case. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said case is sized to be adapted for manual manipulation in being swept across a respective one of the material to be copied and the printing medium. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.26.  A handy reader/printer apparatus comprising: a case adapted to be manually swept across a material to be copied having image information thereon;   input means provided in said case for scanning said material to produce image information signals corresponding to said image information while said case is swept across said material;   memory means for storing the image information signals derived from said input means;   printing means provided in said case for printing image information on a printing medium while said case is swept across said printing medium;   printer-driver means for driving said printing means in response to the image information signals read out from said memory means;   position-detecting means for detecting the position of said case while it is being swept across one of said material and said printing medium, and for producing a position signal every time said case has been swept across a predetermined distance, said position signal representing the position of said case with respect to one of said material and said printing medium;   control means for causing said input means to produce said image information signals by controlling said input means to be in synchronism with said position signal produced by said position-detecting means, and for causing said printing means to print the image information on said printing medium in a manner related to that with which said image information is formed on said material to be copied; and   supporting means for slidably supporting said printing means in said case as it moves between a first position spaced from the printing medium and a second position in contact with the printing medium, and for enabling said printing means to be selectively brought to the second position and   
     
     
        released therefrom toward said first position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27.  A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said supporting means varies the positional relationship between said printing 
     
     
        means and said case. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28.  A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said case is sized to be adapted for manual manipulation in being swept across a respective one of the material to be 
     
     
        copied and the printing medium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said supporting means includes: first locking means for releasably locking said printing means at said first position; and   second locking means for releasably locking said printing means at said second position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. A handy reader/printer apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:   said printing means includes a print head, and printer case means for enclosing said print head; and   said supporting means slidably supports said printer case means in said case. .Iaddend.