JP2001019237A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To favorably open/close a cover, in a printer formed the insertion opening of a roll paper on the side surface side different from the case side surface of a paper passage side. SOLUTION: This printer is provided with a case 10 provided with a roll paper storage 13 whose one side is the insertion opening of the roll paper, a cover 20 for covering the insertion opening, a shaft support means 50 for shaft supporting so that the cover 20 is turned nearly parallelly against the paper feed surface and also moving freely to the direction separating from the paper feed surface and an off-set mechanism 54 for contacting the cover 20 to the paper feed surface when the cover 20 stays on the position for covering the insertion opening nearly perfectly and also for separating the cover 20 from the paper feed surface when the cover 20 stays on the position opened the insertion opening. The cover 20 is not contacted to the case surface at its open/close time, while the invasion of the dust is prevented by the close contact to the case when the cover shuts the insertion opening.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer for printing on a built-in roll paper, and more particularly to a printer having a housing structure suitable for mounting roll paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Printers incorporating roll paper are widely used for printing receipts, admission tickets, and other issued tickets. In this type of printer, a paper path for guiding a paper edge pulled out from roll paper to the outside of the housing of the printer is provided from a roll paper storage unit to a roll paper discharge port. In the middle of the paper path, a print head and a platen are arranged to face each other, where printing on the paper surface is performed. The leading end side of the printed roll paper is sent out of the housing and cut and separated by a cutter provided near the paper discharge port.

[0003]

In a printer of this type which incorporates roll paper, an opening for inserting the roll paper into a storage section is conventionally disposed on the side of the housing on the paper path side of the roll paper. There is known a configuration in which when the lid on the opening pivotally supported by the housing is opened, both the opening of the paper path and the opening of the storage section for inserting roll paper are realized.

However, on the other hand, there is a demand to form a roll paper insertion opening on a side different from the side of the housing on the paper path side. For example, when the paper path is on the upright side surface of the housing, the workability of inserting the roll paper from the side surface is poor, and there is a demand to form a roll paper insertion opening on the upper surface side. Further, in a printer having a structure in which a support shaft at the center of the roll paper is provided in the roll paper storage unit, there is a structural problem that the roll paper cannot be inserted from the side surface on the paper path side.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer in which a roll paper insertion opening is formed on a side different from a side of a housing on a paper path side so that a cover can be opened and closed well.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer for printing on a built-in roll paper, comprising a housing provided with a roll paper storage portion having one side for the roll paper insertion opening. Body, a lid that covers the insertion opening of the housing, and the lid is pivotally supported so as to be rotated substantially parallel to a surface on which the insertion opening of the housing is formed,
A pivoting means for allowing movement in a direction away from the surface on which the insertion opening is formed, and, when the lid is at a position substantially completely covering the insertion opening of the housing, the lid is moved to the insertion opening. An offset mechanism configured to contact the formed surface and to separate the lid from the surface on which the insertion opening is formed when the lid is at a position where the insertion opening of the housing is opened. .

In the above structure, the lid is not slid on the surface of the housing when the cover is opened and closed, but when the lid closes the insertion opening, the lid is brought into close contact with the housing and dust or the like enters the housing. Intrusion is prevented.

In this case, the cover has an arm supported by the shaft supporting means, and the offset mechanism constantly biases the arm toward the surface on which the insertion opening is formed. And a cam member that pushes up the arm against the urging force of the urging means when the lid is located at a position where the insertion opening of the housing is opened when the cover is located on the movement locus of the arm. It is preferable to be provided with:

The housing has a paper path opening communicating with the roll paper storage for opening a paper path for roll paper on a surface substantially perpendicular to a surface on which the insertion opening is formed. Preferably, the lid covers the insertion opening and the paper path opening when the lid is closed.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 3 are an external perspective view and a plan sectional view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in these drawings, a printer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed of a substantially pentahedron (excluding three small surfaces for taking edges), a roll paper discharge port 11, an operation display LED, and It has a surface on which the switch 12 is arranged (hereinafter, referred to as an operation surface 10a), and a surface (hereinafter, referred to as a paper supply surface 10b) that is perpendicular to the operation surface 10a and supplies the roll paper R into the printer 10. The remaining three surfaces not shown in FIG. 1 function as installation surfaces 10c to 10e, respectively. Therefore, the printer 10 has three types of installation modes in which these installation surfaces are on the lower side.

The printer 10 has a lid 20 disposed over the operation surface 10a and the paper supply surface 10b. The lid 20 is designed to form part of its surface when closed. The lid 20 is basically a lid portion on the operation surface 10a side (hereinafter, referred to as an operation surface lid portion 20a).
And a lid (hereinafter, referred to as a paper feeding surface lid 20b) integrally formed at a right angle with the paper feeding surface 10b.
The paper discharge port 11 of the operation surface 10a is formed by a gap at a portion where the main body of the printer 10 and the operation surface 20a meet.

FIGS. 2 and 4 are an external perspective view and a plan sectional view of the printer 10 in a state where the lid 20 is opened. As shown in these figures, a cylindrical storage portion 13 for the roll paper R is formed on the printer 10 main body side, and the paper feed surface 10b side thereof is opened to allow the roll paper R to be inserted. (Hereinafter, it is called an insertion opening 13a). The operation surface 10 a side of the storage unit 13 is also opened, and these openings are closed by the lid 20.
The insertion opening 13 is located at the center of the storage portion 13 from the bottom thereof.
A support shaft 14 for the roll paper R is installed toward a.
The support shaft 14 is rotatably attached to the main body of the printer 10 via a bearing or the like. Insertion opening 1
The cylindrical roll paper R inserted from the support shaft 3a
And is held in the storage unit 13. As described above, the printer 10 has an installation mode different from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, the roll paper R is placed vertically with respect to the installation surface (the end surface thereof is perpendicular to the installation surface), and Axis 14
Drooped by. Although not shown here, a flange is formed at the lower end of the support shaft 14, and the end face of the roll paper R inserted into the support shaft 14 is placed thereon. Thus, the roll paper R can be smoothly rotated with respect to the main body of the printer 10 even in the installation mode shown in the drawing.

The lid 20 is rotatably supported on the main body of the printer 10 by a shaft support structure described later.
As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 20 is rotated by approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main body of the printer 10, and in a state where the lid 20 is opened, the cover 13 for guiding the roll paper R and the roll paper R to the discharge port 11. Open the paper path. In this state, the insertion of the roll paper R into the storage unit 13 and the setting of the roll paper in the paper path can be performed. The lid 20 is provided on the paper feed surface 10b of the printer.
In the direction of approaching / separating (the axial direction of the built-in roll paper)
It is supported to be slightly movable. The details of the pivot support structure of the lid 20 will be described later.

A platen 16 is provided on the inner surface of the operation surface cover 20a of the cover 20. The platen 16 is opposed to a paper guide including a print head 17 fixed to the main body of the printer 10 in a state in which the lid 20 is closed, and is a paper guide that enables printing on the roll paper R passed through the gap. Function as a part. The platen 16 is rotatably supported on the operation surface cover 20a, and has a gear 16a coaxial with the same. When the lid 20 is closed, the gear 1
Reference numeral 6a is linked to a drive system (not shown) of the main body of the printer 10, whereby the platen 16 is rotated during printing.

Next, the pivotal support structure of the lid 20 will be described. In the following, reference will be made to FIGS. 5 to 8 showing the main parts of the shaft support structure together with FIGS. 3 and 4. 5 and 7 are a schematic side view and an exploded perspective view showing the pivot support structure in a state where the lid 20 is closed, that is, a state corresponding to FIG.
6 and 8 are a schematic side view and an exploded perspective view showing the pivot support structure in a state where the lid 20 is opened, that is, a state corresponding to FIG.

As shown in these figures, the lid 20 is supported on the printer 10 main body side by a pair of arms 31 provided on the upper and lower sides thereof. Specifically, fixed shafts 50 and 51 are fixed to the main body of the printer 10, and the arm 31 is rotatably supported on one of the fixed shafts 50. For this reason, the arm 31 rotates around the fixed shaft 50 and projects outward from the printer main body when the lid is opened, whereby the lid 20 is largely opened. Diamond-shaped fixing plates 52, 52 are fixed to the fixing shafts 50, 51 of the main body of the printer 10 corresponding to the positions of the arms 31. The coil spring 32 is stretched between the fixing plate 52 and the arm 31. The arm 31 is constantly urged in the opening direction by the coil spring 32, and the lid 20 is released with a small force by releasing the lock mechanism including the locking claw 15 when the lid 20 is closed. It is largely open to the printer 10 body.

Here, the arm 31 is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction of the fixed shaft 50. Further, a coil spring 53 is inserted between a position where the fixed plate 52 of the fixed shaft 50 is mounted and a position where the arm 31 is mounted. The coil spring 53 is constantly compressed between the fixed plate 52 and the arm 31, and the compressive force pushes the arm 31 and the lid 20 downward.

On the other hand, a cam member 54 is provided below the lower arm 31. The cam member 54 has a fan-like appearance and has a cam surface 55 projecting upward along an arc of the cam member 54, as shown in detail in FIG. In the drawing, reference numeral 54a denotes a screw hole for fixing the cam member 54 to the main body of the printer 10, and 54b denotes a positioning hole for penetrating the fixed shaft 50.

As shown particularly clearly in FIGS. 7 and 8, the arm 31 urged downward by the coil spring 53 (and its own weight in the installation mode shown in the figures) has a part thereof formed by the cam member 54. Is supported by riding on the cam surface 55. The lid 20 shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7
When the arm 31 is closed, the contact portion of the arm 31 with the cam surface 55 is located at the lower portion of the cam surface 55 (55 in FIG. 9).
b). In this state, the arm 31 and the cover 20 are at the lowest position with respect to the main body of the printer 10, and the paper supply surface cover 20 b has no gap between the paper supply surface 10 b of the printer main body in which the insertion opening 13 a is formed. Close. This prevents water droplets, dust and the like from entering the main body of the printer 10 when the lid 20 is closed, and creates a sense of unity between the main body and the lid in terms of external design. In this case, the insertion opening 1 in the sheet feeding surface 10b
3a is formed one step lower than the plane formed by the paper feeding surface, and when the lid 20 is completely closed, the paper feeding surface lid 2
0b may be configured to be in close contact with it.

On the other hand, when the lid 20 is opened from the above state, that is, when the arm 31 is rotated, the arm 31 goes up the inclined surface 55b of the cam surface 55, and the coil spring 5
3 against its urging force (55 in FIG. 9).
c). As a result, the lid 20 is lifted above the step difference of the cam with respect to the printer 10 main body, and the paper feeding surface lid 20b is slightly raised from the paper feeding surface 10b of the printer main body. Then, the arm 31 is supported on the higher portion of the cam surface 55 until the lid 20 is completely opened as shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8. As a result, while the paper supply surface cover 20b of the cover 20 is on the paper supply surface 10b of the printer 10, the paper supply surface cover 20b is raised with respect to the paper supply surface 10b. In this case, they are prevented from coming into contact with each other to damage the sheet feeding surface. Note that, in FIG. 8, in order to clearly show the relationship between the arm 31 and the cam member 54, the state where the coil spring 32 is removed is shown.

As described above, when the lid 20 is opened around the fixed shaft 50 from the state where it is completely closed (the state shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 7), the cam Member 54
As a result, the lid 20 is lifted slightly upward. For this reason, the sheet feeding surface cover 20 during rotation of the cover 20
rubbing between the sheet b and the sheet feeding surface 10b of the main body of the printer 10 is prevented. On the other hand, when the lid 20 is closed around the fixed shaft 50 from a state in which it is completely opened (the state shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 8), the lid 20 is almost completely closed. The state where the lid 20 is lifted up to the position is maintained.
When the lid 20 reaches a position where the lid 20 is almost completely closed, the arm 31 reaches the lower part of the cam surface 55 and the lid 2
0 is depressed by the urging force of the coil spring 53 (and its own weight in the installation mode shown in the drawing). As a result, the paper feeding surface cover 20b of the lid comes into close contact with the paper feeding surface 10b of the printer 10.

As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the matters shown in the above embodiment, and the claims and the detailed description of the invention, and The range in which those skilled in the art can make changes and applications based on well-known techniques is included. In the above embodiment, the lid is configured to open and close both the roll paper insertion opening and the paper path. However, the present invention can be applied to a lid formed only for opening and closing the insertion opening. Can be. In a printer having such a configuration, it is possible to configure a printer that does not require a space above the roll paper insertion opening. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the coil spring 53 for biasing the arm 31 toward the cam is provided, but in a printer in which the installation mode is fixed, that is, the cam surface is always located below the arm. Since the contact between the arm and the cam surface is guaranteed by the weight of the lid body, it is not always necessary to provide such an urging means.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the cover is opened and closed, the cover is prevented from being rubbed against the printer case and damaged. It is in close contact with the body and prevents intrusion of water droplets and dust from the outside, and at the same time, a sense of unity in design is guaranteed.

Further, by configuring the offset mechanism including a cam member, the effect can be realized by a simple and reliable mechanism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printer according to the present invention in a state where a lid is opened.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the printer in the state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the printer in the state of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a pivotal support structure of the lid in the state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing the pivotal support structure of the lid in the state of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a pivot support structure of the lid in the state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the pivot support structure of the lid in the state of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the cam member and a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 R Roll paper 10 Printer 10a Operation surface 10b Paper supply surface 10c to 10e Installation surface 11 Discharge port 12 LED and switch 13 Roll paper storage unit 13a Insertion opening 14 Support shaft 15 Locking claw 16 Platen 16a Gear 17 Printing head 20 Cover 20a Operation surface cover 20b Paper supply surface cover 31 Arm 32 Coil spring 50, 51 Fixed shaft 52 Fixed plate 53 Coil spring 54 Cam member 54a Screw hole 54b Positioning hole 55 Cam surface

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer for printing on a built-in roll paper, comprising: a housing having a roll paper storage portion having one side as an insertion opening for the roll paper; and a lid covering the insertion opening of the housing. An axis for pivotally supporting the lid so as to be rotated substantially parallel to a surface on which the insertion opening of the housing is formed, and for allowing movement in a direction away from the surface on which the insertion opening is formed; Supporting means, when the lid is at a position substantially completely covering the insertion opening of the housing, the lid is brought into contact with a surface on which the insertion opening is formed, and the lid is inserted into the housing. A printer which comprises: an offset mechanism for separating the lid from the surface on which the insertion opening is formed when the opening is at the open position. 2. The urging means, wherein the lid has an arm supported by the shaft supporting means, and the offset mechanism always urges the arm toward a surface on which the insertion opening is formed, A cam member that pushes the arm against the urging force of the urging means when the lid is located at a position where the insertion opening of the housing is opened when the lid is located on the movement locus of the arm. The printer according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The housing has a paper path opening communicated with the roll paper storage for opening a paper path for roll paper on a surface substantially perpendicular to a surface on which the insertion opening is formed. ,
3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the cover covers the insertion opening and the paper path opening when the cover is closed.