JP2001010162A - Printer with automatic paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately fix the positions of an automatic paper feeder and a printing section, not applying the load generated by the weight of the automatic paper feeder to a member supporting the printing section and make the impact applied to the automatic paper feeder hard to be transmitted to the printing section. SOLUTION: A first fitting structure 44 in which the upper case 42 is set on the upper side and the upper case 42 is fitted with a lower case 43 from the almost vertical direction. A second fitting structure 48 positioned in the vertical face including the first fitting structure 44 in which a connecting section 50 for connecting a supporting body 35 supporting the automatic paper feeder with a main body case is set on the upper side and the connecting section 50 is fitted with the upper case 42, and three members, namely the automatic paper feeder, the upper case 42 and the lower case 43, faced one another is fixed by a clamping member 58 in the state of clamping the upper case 42 by the connecting section 50 and the lower case 43. Thus the rigidity for sufficiently support the weight of the automatic paper feeder can be provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a printer with an automatic paper feeder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a mounting structure of a printer with an automatic paper feeder provided with an automatic paper feeder for automatically feeding a print medium to a printer will be described with reference to FIG. First, a printing unit 3 is provided in a housing 2 of the printer 1. The printing unit 3 includes a dot print head 4 mounted on a carrier (not shown), and a flat platen 5 facing the dot print head 4. The carrier on which the dot print head 4 is mounted is movably supported by a carrier shaft (not shown), and is configured to be reciprocally driven by a driving unit (not shown).

A paper transport path 7 extending from a manual access port 6 formed on the front surface of the housing 2 to the printing unit 3 is provided inside the housing 2.
And a paper feed port 8 formed on the rear surface of the housing 2
And a paper transport path 9 connected to the printer. The print medium fed from the paper feed port 8 is fed into the paper transport path 9 by the printing unit 3.
And a transport roller 10 for transporting the toner.

Then, the cut sheet S is automatically sent to the paper feed port 8.
An automatic paper feeder 11 for feeding paper is provided at the rear of the printer 1.

The automatic paper feeder 11 needs to be mounted at an accurate position with respect to the printing unit 3. For this reason,
Conventionally, the automatic sheet feeding device 11 is provided with a printing unit 3 and a conveying roller 10.
Can be directly fixed to a frame (not shown) that supports
Alternatively, they are integrally formed.

[0006]

However, the weight of the automatic paper feeder 11 is, for example, 2 to 3 kg, and
1 is directly fixed to or integrally formed with the frame supporting the printing unit 3 and the transport roller 10,
If the rigidity of the frame cannot withstand the weight of the automatic paper feeder 11, it will bend, and the load due to the weight of the automatic paper feeder 11 will adversely affect the positional accuracy of the printing unit 3 attached to the frame. Therefore, there arises a problem that a gap between the platen and the head, for which precision is particularly required, is increased. Further, when an impact is applied to the automatic paper feeder 11, the impact is easily transmitted to the printer 1, and the like.

According to the present invention, the positioning between the automatic paper feeder and the printing unit is accurately performed, and the load supporting the printing unit is not burdened by the weight of the automatic paper feeder. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure in which an impact is not easily transmitted to a printing unit.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer with an automatic paper feeder having an automatic paper feeder for separating and feeding a stacked print medium to a printing unit. A first fitting structure in which a main body case in which the printing unit is stored is formed by an upper case and a lower case, and the upper case is placed on the upper side and the upper case and the lower case are fitted from a substantially vertical direction. The connecting portion of the support for supporting the automatic sheet feeder, which is located in a vertical plane including the first fitting structure, with respect to the main body case is positioned above, and the connecting portion and the upper case are substantially vertically oriented. A second fitting structure is provided for fitting the automatic paper feeder, the upper case, and the lower case with a fastening member while the upper case is sandwiched between the connecting portion and the lower case. .

Accordingly, the support can be accurately positioned with respect to the main body case by the first and second fitting structures.
By sandwiching one end of the upper case between the support and the lower case and fixing the three members together, rigidity sufficient to sufficiently support the weight of the automatic sheet feeder can be obtained.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a printer with an automatic paper feeder according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer 21 with an automatic paper feeder according to the present embodiment as viewed from the rear side, and FIG. It is. The printer 21 with an automatic paper feeder has a printing unit 23 built in a main body case 22.

The printing section 23 is formed by a dot print head 24 mounted on a carrier (not shown) and a flat platen 25 facing the dot print head 24. The carrier on which the dot print head 24 is mounted is movably supported by a carrier shaft (not shown), and is configured to be reciprocally driven by a driving unit (not shown).

A printing unit 23 is provided inside the main body case 22 through a hand opening 26 formed on the front surface of the main body case 22.
, And a paper feed path 30 that connects a paper feed port 28 and a paper feed port 29 formed on the rear surface of the main body case 22 to the paper feed path 27. A plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers 31 are arranged in the sheet conveyance path 27, and a printed sheet is placed above the printing unit 23 in the discharge tray 3.
The paper discharge rollers 33 that discharge paper toward 2 are arranged.
In the other paper transport path 30, a cut sheet S, which is a print medium fed from the paper feed port 28, or continuous paper (not shown) fed from the paper feed port 29 is directed to the printing unit 23. And a transport roller 34 for transporting the paper.

Further, on both sides of the rear portion of the main body case 22,
Supports 35 are fixedly provided opposite to each other, and an automatic paper feeder 36 that feeds the cut sheet S toward the paper feed port 28 is connected to the paper feed port 28. And a position retracted away from the paper feed port 28. Although not shown, a tractor (not shown) for feeding continuous paper toward the paper feed port 29 is connected to the paper feed port 29.

The automatic paper feeder 36 has a bottom plate 39 urged upward by a spring 38 inside a case 37.
And a paper feed roller 40 for feeding the single sheets S placed on the bottom plate 39 one by one, and a pair of separation rollers 41 for preventing double feed of the single sheets S fed by the paper feed roller 40 When,
A motor (not shown) for driving the paper feed roller 40 and the separation roller 41 is provided. In addition, the printing unit 2
3 is selected and fed either from continuous paper fed by a tractor, cut sheet S fed by an automatic paper feeder 36, or various paper fed from a manual feed slot 26. Paper.

Here, the main body case 22 includes an upper case 42.
And a lower case 43. A first fitting structure 44 for positioning the upper case 42 with respect to the lower case 43 is provided at a position where the rear ends of the upper case 42 and the lower case 43 face each other.

The first fitting structure 44 includes a column-shaped boss 45 erected on the inner surface on the rear end side of the lower case 43 and an upper case 42
And a boss receiving portion 46 formed on the rear end side. The boss receiving portion 46 is a plate material forming the back surface of the upper case 42,
In the vicinity of the distal end of the boss 45, the mounting portion 47 is formed on a surface facing the boss 45 of the mounting portion 47 which is partially depressed inward when viewed from the outside of the main body case 22. The boss receiving portion 46 is formed at a position where the boss 45 is fitted in a state where the upper case 42 is accurately fitted to the lower case 43, and the outer diameter of the boss 45 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the boss receiving portion 46. . Further, the printing section 23 is accurately positioned with respect to the boss 45.

Here, a second fitting structure 48 for positioning the support 35 with respect to the upper case 42 is provided between the rear end of the upper case 42 and the front end of the support 35. The second fitting structure 48 includes a mounting portion 4 at the rear end of the upper case 42.
7 and a lower surface of an arm portion 50 which is a connecting portion to be inserted into a mounting portion 47 formed at the front end of the support 35, and a convex portion 49 formed on the surface opposite to the surface on which the boss receiving portion 46 is formed. And a recess 51 formed in the recess. The outer diameter of the convex portion 49 and the inner diameter of the concave portion 51 are substantially equal.

The lower case 43 is further provided with an auxiliary support 52, and the auxiliary support 52 is provided with a support 35.
The auxiliary convex portion 53 formed on the lower surface of the front end of the front end is hooked. An auxiliary engagement portion 54 is provided between the lower rear end of the upper case 42 and the upper rear end of the lower case 43.

The arm 50 has a recess 51 from the top.
A hole 55 penetrating into the inside is formed.
7, a hole 56 penetrating from the convex portion 49 to the boss receiving portion 46 is formed. Further, a screw hole 57 is formed in the boss 45, and the first fitting structure 44 and the second fitting structure 48 are formed. In the fitted state, a screw 58 as a fastening member passes through the holes 55 and 56 and is screwed into the screw hole 57.

In such a configuration, first, the printing unit 2
3 is fixed to the lower case 43, and then the lower case 43 is covered with the upper case 42. At this time, the auxiliary engaging portion 54 is engaged, and the boss 45 and the boss receiving portion 46 are fitted. Next, the arm part 50 of the support 35 is inserted into the attachment part 47, the auxiliary convex part 53 is hooked on the auxiliary support part 52, and the convex part 49 and the concave part 51 are hooked.
And are fitted. Then, it is fixed by screwing with a screw 58.

Automatic paper feeder 36 supported by support 35
Is accurately positioned with respect to the main body case 22 by the first fitting structure 44 and the second fitting structure 48. Then, the arm 50 is pulled in a substantially horizontal direction by the load of the automatic paper feeder 36, but the first fitting structure 44 and the second fitting structure 48
Are fitted from a substantially vertical direction, so that they are not easily displaced. Further, by attaching the arm portion 50 of the support 35 to a position where the upper case 42 and the lower case 43 are combined, rigidity sufficient to sufficiently support the weight of the automatic sheet feeding device 36 can be obtained.

[0022]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first fitting structure for fitting the upper case and the lower case substantially vertically, and a connecting portion of the support for supporting the automatic sheet feeder to the main body case. And a second fitting structure for fitting the upper case from the substantially vertical direction, and the automatic paper feeder, the upper case, and the lower case are fastened by a fastening member while the upper case is sandwiched by the connecting portion and the lower case. Because it is fixed, the support can be accurately positioned with respect to the main body case by the first and second fitting structures, and the support and the lower case sandwich one end of the upper case and fix the three members together. By doing
Since the rigidity can be obtained enough to support the weight of the automatic paper feeder, the load supporting the printing unit does not bear the load due to the weight of the automatic paper feeder, and the impact applied to the automatic paper feeder can be reduced. A structure that is not easily transmitted to the printing unit can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a right side view in vertical section showing the structure of a printer with an automatic sheet feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical right side view showing a mounting structure of a support for supporting the automatic sheet feeder to a main body case.

FIG. 3 is a vertical right side view showing the structure of a conventional printer with an automatic sheet feeding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Printer with automatic paper feeder 22 Main body case 23 Printing part 35 Supporter 36 Automatic paper feeder 42 Upper case 43 Lower case 44 First fitting structure 48 Second fitting structure 50 Connecting part 58 Fastening member S Print medium

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printer with an automatic paper feeder having an automatic paper feeder for separating and feeding a loaded print medium to a print unit, wherein a main body case in which the print unit is stored is formed by an upper case and a lower case. A first fitting structure for fitting the upper case and the lower case in a substantially vertical direction with the upper case facing upward is provided, and the first case is positioned in a vertical plane including the first fitting structure and the automatic fitting is performed. A second fitting structure is provided in which a connecting portion of the support for supporting the sheet feeding device with respect to the main body case is placed on an upper side, and the connecting portion and the upper case are fitted from a substantially vertical direction, and the connecting portion and the lower case are provided. Wherein the upper case is sandwiched between the automatic case and the upper case and the lower case are fixed by a fastening member.