JP2012153051A - Information display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can maintain a liquid crystal display part without complicating and enlarging its mechanism and especially easily maintain the periphery of the liquid crystal display part.SOLUTION: In the information display device 37, which has the information display part 6 displaying information such as characters and a window part 15 formed by cutting a cover 2 out and displays the information arranged to keep the information display part 6 visible from the window part 15, an outlet 18 is formed in the case 2, and the information display part 6 is made to be taken out from the outlet 18.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information display for a printer having a liquid crystal display that can visually recognize information such as characters, and more particularly to an information display that improves the cleaning and maintainability of the liquid crystal display.

There are various types of devices with built-in information displays, such as printers, fax machines, mobile phones, etc. The conventional ones will be explained using information displays built into the printer as an example.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a side surface of a conventional printer. The printer 40 includes an operation display unit having a liquid crystal display unit 48 that allows an operator to visually recognize information such as operation information and error information of the printer 40. 47 is incorporated.

In the printer 40, a printing unit 42 mainly including a thermal head 43 and a platen roller 44, a stepping motor 45, a control unit 46, an operation display unit 47, and the like are arranged.
The stepping motor 45 is provided to rotationally drive the platen roller 44, and the control unit 46 is electrically connected to the thermal head 43, the stepping motor 45, and the operation display unit 47, and is provided to control each of them. .

The platen roller 44 is connected to a stepping motor 45 through a timing belt (not shown), and the platen roller 44 can be rotated by driving the stepping motor 45.
The print medium P is sandwiched between the thermal head 43 and the platen roller 44, and can be printed on the print medium P while the print medium P is being transferred by the rotation of the platen roller 44. The printed print medium P is transferred horizontally. Then, it is discharged from a discharge port (not shown) formed in the cover 41 of the printer 40.

The operation display unit 47 mainly includes a liquid crystal display unit 48, an LED 49, an operation unit 50, and a substrate 51. The operation display unit 47 is provided on the discharge side cover 41a on the discharge port side where the print medium P of the printer 40 is discharged. Yes.
The liquid crystal display unit 48 has a display surface 48a for displaying visual information such as characters, and an opening (not shown) is formed in the discharge-side cover 41a on which the display surface 48a is arranged. The information displayed on the display surface 48a can be visually recognized.

The LEDs 49 are arranged so that a plurality of LEDs 49... 49 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction at predetermined intervals, and the LEDs emit light so that the operator can recognize when displaying power, displaying print data, and displaying errors. is there.
The operation unit 50 includes a plurality of operation keys arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction at predetermined intervals, and keys such as an online key and a feed key are arranged.

  When cleaning the display surface 48a of the liquid crystal display unit 48 of the operation display unit 47 configured as described above, the display surface 48a can be cleaned directly from the opening of the discharge side cover 41a. In the case of cleaning the peripheral edge, there is a problem that the peripheral edge of the display surface 48a and the discharge side cover 41a are disposed close to each other, and therefore cannot be cleaned.

If a transparent cover (not shown) is provided in an opening (not shown) of the discharge cover 41a of the printer 40, the display surface 48a of the liquid crystal display 48 cannot be cleaned. Since the display surface 48a of the liquid crystal display unit 48 cannot be cleaned unless a part of 2 is removed and the plurality of screws 52... 52 fixing the substrate 51 are removed, time is spent on cleaning and maintenance work. There is a problem that workability deteriorates.
Further, since there is a slight gap between the periphery of the display surface 48a of the liquid crystal display unit 48 and the discharge side cover 41a, dust or foreign matter enters the gap and adheres to the substrate 51, and the substrate deteriorates. A problem occurs.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that since a shutter is provided above the display device and the shutter is provided to move in the opening or closing direction, dust attached to the display device is easily removed.

JP-A-2005-75230

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information display capable of maintaining a liquid crystal display unit with a simple configuration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information display device that can maintain a liquid crystal display unit without increasing its size.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information display that can easily maintain the periphery of the liquid crystal display.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information display device in which a liquid crystal display unit can be easily attached and detached.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information display that can suppress deterioration of a substrate having a liquid crystal display.

The present invention focuses on taking out the liquid crystal display unit, and the gist of the invention according to claim 1 is that an information display unit that is located inside the casing and displays information such as characters is provided on the casing. A window part formed by cutting out, and an information display device for displaying information arranged so as to face the information display part from the window part, and forming an outlet in the housing, An information display device comprising: an opening / closing cover for opening or closing the outlet, wherein the opening / closing cover is opened to take out the information display unit from the outlet.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the information display unit includes a liquid crystal substrate having a liquid crystal display unit, a U-shaped guide rail provided on an upper end side of the liquid crystal substrate, and the liquid crystal substrate. 2. A U-shaped guide rail provided on a lower end side, and the liquid crystal substrate is slid along the two U-shaped guide rails to be taken out from the outlet. In the information display device described.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation unit including an operation substrate, and the liquid crystal display unit including the liquid crystal substrate and the operation unit including the operation substrate are separately arranged. The information display device according to claim 2, wherein

Since the information display of the present invention can be taken out from the inside of the housing to the outside, the display surface of the liquid crystal display unit and its periphery can be efficiently cleaned and maintained.
Moreover, since the structure is simple, the apparatus is not increased in size.

It is the perspective view which notched a part of the external appearance of the printer incorporating the information display device of this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the information display showing a part of the front frame of the printer in which the information display is incorporated. It is sectional drawing which showed a part of side surface of the printer incorporating the information display device same as the above. It is sectional drawing which showed a part of side surface of the conventional printer.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part same as the past, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The printer 1 is configured to cover the inside with a hexahedron cover (housing) 1a. In order to load and maintain the paper medium P as necessary, a part of the cover 1a has a function as an open / close cover. Can be provided.
The printer 1 has two areas, a mechanism area 30 and a control area 35, and an intermediate frame 4 that separates the two areas is provided in the printer 1.
The mechanism area 30 mainly includes a paper supply unit 31, a printing unit 42, and a paper discharge port 33. The control area 35 mainly includes an information display 37, an operation display unit 38, a control unit 29, a power supply unit, and the like (not shown).

  The paper supply unit 31 in the mechanism area 30 is provided with a paper supply shaft 34 that rotatably holds a roll-shaped print medium P around which the paper medium P is wound around a winding core (not shown). Is provided so as to be fed out to the printing unit 42.

A thermal head 43 and a platen roller 44 are arranged in the printing unit 42 so as to be able to print on the transferred printing medium P. The printed printing medium P has a mechanism as shown by a one-dot chain line. The paper is discharged from a paper discharge port 33 formed in the mechanism area surface 2a of the front cover 2 in the area 30.
In addition, a paper detection sensor 32 is provided below the transfer path through which the print medium P is transferred. Reference marks (black rectangular marks) (not shown) formed on the print medium P at predetermined intervals are provided on the print medium P. It is printed (not shown) on the surface opposite to the printing surface and arranged so that this reference mark can be detected.

  The control unit 29 provided in the control area 35 is electrically connected to the thermal head 43, a stepping motor 45 that drives the platen roller 44, a paper detection sensor 32, an information display 37 that will be described later, an operation display unit 38, and the like. They are provided so that they can be controlled.

The information indicator 37 is provided above the control area surface 2 b of the front cover 2 in the control area 35. Further, the operation display unit 38 is positioned below the information display 37 with a predetermined gap, and is separated from the information display 37 and disposed on the control area surface 2 b of the front cover 2.
The information display 37 includes a liquid crystal display unit (information display unit) 6, an outlet 18 and a positioning unit 23, and the operation display unit 38 mainly includes a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode). 11... 11, a plurality of operation switches 12 and 12, and a connector 13.

The liquid crystal display unit 6 is mainly provided with a liquid crystal substrate 5 and a connector 7. A predetermined electric circuit is formed on the liquid crystal substrate 5, and the liquid crystal display unit 6 and the connector 7 are electrically connected. ing.
The liquid crystal display unit 6 can display the operation information and error information of the printer 1 so as to be visually recognized by characters and symbols, and is provided on the surface side of the liquid crystal substrate 5 (the side facing the front cover 2).

  The connector 7 is provided on the back side (the control unit 29 side) of the liquid crystal substrate 5 and is formed so that the plug 8a is connected thereto. The plug 8a is connected via a flat cable 9 so as to be able to supply DC power from the control unit 29 and transmit a data signal as display information.

The operation display unit 38 is provided with an operation board 10, a predetermined electric circuit is formed on the operation board 10, and the plurality of LEDs 11... 11, the operation switch 12, and the connector 13 are electrically connected by the predetermined electric circuit. Connected.
The LED 11 is provided on the surface side of the operation board 10 (the side facing the cover 2), and is turned off, lit or blinked as a power LED 11a, an operation display LED 11b, and an error display LED 11c.
The operation switch 12 is provided with a feed key 12a and an online / offline key 12b, and is provided on the surface side of the operation board 10 (side facing the cover 2).

  Further, the connector 13 is provided on the back side (the control unit 29 side) of the operation board 10 and the flat cable 14 is connected via the plug 8b. The flat cable 14 is electrically connected to the control unit 29, and supplies a signal for display on the DC power source and each LED 11 to the operation board 10 and supplies a signal of the operation switch 12 to the control unit 29. It is.

On the other hand, the operation switches 12a, 12 are provided on the control area surface 2b of the front cover 2 of the control area 35 of the printer 1.
A notch window (not shown) is formed corresponding to b, and operation covers 16a and 16b for operating the feed key 12a and the online / offline key 12b are provided corresponding to the notch window.
A window portion 15 is formed at a position facing the liquid crystal display portion 6, and the window portion 15 has a shape cut out into a substantially rectangular shape having a slightly larger size than the liquid crystal display portion 6. Further, there is a slight gap between the periphery of the window 15 and the periphery of the liquid crystal display unit 6.

  The LEDs 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction. As described above, the LEDs 11a, 11b, and 11c are provided on the operation board 10, and the control area surface 2b of the front frame 2 is provided on the control area surface 2b. The circular windows 17 having the same shape are formed, and the LEDs 11a, 11b, and 11c are exposed from the circular windows 17.

The side cover 3 connected via the corner of the front cover 2 on the control area 35 side of the printer 1 is formed with an outlet 18 in which the liquid crystal substrate 5 is cut out in a rectangular shape so that the liquid crystal substrate 5 can be taken out from the inside of the printer 1. ing.
The take-out portion 18 is provided with an opening / closing cover 19 made of hard synthetic rubber so that the opening / closing cover 19 can be rotated between a closed position and an opened position around a support shaft 20 provided on the side cover 3. Is provided.

When the opening / closing cover 19 is in the closed position (vertical direction in FIG. 2), the opening / closing cover 19 is provided so as to cover the outlet 18, and the opening / closing cover 19 can be fixed to the side cover 3 by the screw 28.
In addition, the opening / closing cover 19 is provided so as to open almost the entire rectangular outlet 18 in the open position (horizontal direction indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and the liquid crystal substrate 5 can be taken out. The outlet 18 is notched in the side cover 3.

Further, the liquid crystal substrate 5 has a substantially quadrangular shape, and the component mounting surface of the liquid crystal substrate 5 provided with the liquid crystal display unit 6 and the like is arranged in a substantially vertical direction.
In addition, the liquid crystal substrate along the rails 21 and 22 of the U-shaped upper end guide rail 21 positioned on the upper side 5 a of the liquid crystal substrate 5 and the U-shaped lower end guide rail 22 positioned on the lower side 5 b of the liquid crystal substrate 5. 5 is provided to be slidable.
The upper end guide rail 21 and the lower end guide rail 22 are supported by a bracket (not shown) provided on the front cover 2.

A positioning portion 23 for positioning the liquid crystal substrate 5 is provided in the vicinity of the lower end guide rail 22. The positioning portion 23 is located on the lower end side in the vicinity of the take-out port 18 and is provided at a position where it can be easily operated.
The positioning portion 23 is mainly provided with an operation piece 24, a coil spring 25, and a base 26.
The operation piece 24 can contact the vertical side 5 c on the outlet 18 side of the liquid crystal substrate 5 to position the liquid crystal substrate 5.
As described above, the liquid crystal substrate 5 is positioned by the operation piece 24 so that the liquid crystal display unit 6 faces the window portion 15 at an appropriate position because the liquid crystal substrate 5 is not displaced due to the conveyance of the printer 1 or vibration during the printing operation. Can do.
A coil spring 25 and a pedestal 26 are disposed below the operation piece 24.
The coil spring 25 is provided between the operation piece 24 and the pedestal 26, and the pedestal 26 is formed in an L shape and is fixed to the front plate 2, so that the operation piece 24 is always moved upward by the bias of the coil spring 25. It is provided to be energized. Further, a guide shaft 27 for guiding the coil spring 25 in the vertical direction is provided.

Next, a method for taking out the liquid crystal substrate 5 will be described.
The screw 28 fixing the opening / closing cover 19 to the side cover 3 is rotated, the screw 28 is removed, and the opening / closing cover 19 is moved from the closed position to the opened position (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2) with the support shaft 20 as the center. Rotate.
When the opening / closing cover 19 is in the open position (the one-dot chain line in FIG. 2), the operation piece 24 is pushed down against the bias of the coil spring 25 to release the positioning of the liquid crystal substrate 5, whereby the upper end guide rail The liquid crystal substrate 5 can be slid along the lower guide rail 22 and the lower end guide rail 22, and the liquid crystal display unit 6 positioned inside the printer 1 can be taken out from the outlet 18.

When the liquid crystal substrate 5 is taken out, the flat cables 9 and 14 are also taken out from the outlet 18. However, since the flat cables 9 and 14 have a sufficient length even when the liquid crystal substrate 5 is taken out, the liquid crystal substrate 5 is removed. It can be pulled out.
Thus, the liquid crystal substrate 5 having the liquid crystal display unit 6 can be easily taken out from the inside of the printer 1 by a simple operation. Further, by removing the liquid crystal substrate 5 to the outside, the liquid crystal substrate 5 itself can be maintained, and corrosion and deterioration can be prevented.

The extracted liquid crystal substrate 5 can easily clean the display surface 6a of the liquid crystal display unit 6 and its peripheral edge, and can facilitate the maintenance of the liquid crystal substrate 5.
Maintenance of the liquid crystal substrate 5 includes repair and inspection of the liquid crystal display unit 6, connectors and electrical parts, or replacement of the liquid crystal substrate. The repair and inspection work time is shortened and the liquid crystal substrate 5 is easily installed in the printer. Since the liquid crystal display unit 6 can be attached and detached by operating in the outward direction or the outward direction, the downtime of the printer 1 can be shortened as much as possible.

When attaching the liquid crystal substrate 5, the operation piece 24 can be pushed down to insert the liquid crystal substrate 5 from the outlet 18 along the upper end guide rail 21 and the lower end guide rail 22.
By sliding the liquid crystal substrate 5 along the upper guide rail 21 and the lower guide rail 22 and pushing it in, the operation piece 24 is moved upward by the bias of the coil spring 25, so that the operation piece 24 is perpendicular to the liquid crystal substrate 5. Positioning can be performed by contacting the piece 5c.

After positioning the liquid crystal substrate 5, the opening / closing cover 19 is rotated to the closed position (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2), and the screw 28 is attached to the side cover 3 through an attachment hole (not shown) of the opening / closing cover 19. 19 can be fixed to the side cover 3.
Although the example in which the opening / closing cover 19 is fixed with the screw 28 has been described, it can be fixed with knurling or magnetism.
Thus, the liquid crystal substrate 5 can be easily taken out and can be easily stored, and the workability can be improved.
Further, the dust attached to the edge of the display surface 6a of the liquid crystal substrate 5 and the maintenance of the liquid crystal substrate 5 can be easily performed.

  By separating the liquid crystal substrate 5 and the operation substrate 10 from each other, the substrate having the minimum size of the liquid crystal substrate 5 having the liquid crystal display unit 6 is slid and taken out from the inside of the printer 1 to the outside. Therefore, the surface portion 6a of the liquid crystal display portion 6 and its surroundings can be easily cleaned and maintained.

In this embodiment, the liquid crystal display unit as the information display unit incorporated in the printer has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to a device in which the liquid crystal display unit is located inside the cover (housing). .
Further, the present invention can be applied to a touch panel and other thin display portions.

  In this embodiment, the number, position, shape, and the like of each constituent member are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the number, position, shape, and the like suitable for implementing the present invention can be achieved. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is obvious that the embodiments can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

1 Printer (present invention)
2 Front cover 3 Side cover 5 Liquid crystal substrate 6 Liquid crystal display (information display)
6a Display surface 10 Operation board 11 LED
12 operation switch 15 window 16 operation cover 18 outlet 19 opening / closing cover 21 upper end rail 22 lower end rail 23 positioning unit 24 operation piece 28 screw 29 control unit 30 mechanism area 33 paper discharge port 35 control area 37 information display 40 printer (conventional) )
43 Thermal Head 44 Platen Roller 47 Operation Display Unit (Information Display)

Claims (3)

It has an information display part that displays information such as characters positioned inside the housing, and a window part that is formed by cutting out the housing,
An information display for displaying information arranged to face the information display part from the window part,
An opening is formed in the housing, and an open / close cover that opens or closes the outlet is provided.
An information display device, wherein the opening / closing cover is opened and the information display unit is taken out from the outlet. The information display unit includes a liquid crystal display unit provided on a liquid crystal substrate,
A U-shaped guide rail provided on the upper end side of the liquid crystal substrate; a U-shaped guide rail provided on the lower end side of the liquid crystal substrate;
2. The information display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal substrate is slid along the two U-shaped guide rails to be taken out from the outlet.   3. The information display device according to claim 2, further comprising: an operation substrate having an operation unit; and the liquid crystal substrate having the liquid crystal display unit, wherein the operation substrate and the liquid crystal substrate are disposed separately. .

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