JP2002137467A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a label printer requiring no troublesome positional adjustment between a print head and a platen roller. SOLUTION: The label printer comprises a main drive roller 4 being rotated with a rotating force from a drive source 28, a driven roller 6 disposed at an appropriate interval from the main drive roller 4, a carrying belt 8 entrained about the main drive roller 4 and the driven roller 6, and a print head 24 having heating elements 22 being pressed against the carrying belt 8 side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention particularly relates to a label printer which does not require a print head position adjustment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a printer for printing on thermal recording paper or the like, for example, a printer disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 50647/1981 (hereinafter referred to as "prior art") and shown in FIG. Are known.

Referring to FIG. 2, an outline of the printer will be described. The printer 20 includes a print head 24 having a large number of heating elements 22 in a width direction, a platen roller 26, and a motor 28 as a drive source. , Platen roller 2
Numeral 6 is adapted to rotate by receiving the rotational force of a motor 28 via a drive belt 32. Then, the label continuum 30 is inserted between the print head 24 and the platen roller 26, and the label continuum 30 is conveyed in the conveyance direction by the rotation of the platen roller 26. Thus, desired printing is performed. Note that before and after, the width direction of the print head refers to a direction that intersects the transport direction of the label continuous body 30.

By the way, as disclosed in the prior art,
When printing on the label continuous body 30 by the print head 24,
The positional relationship between the platen roller 26 and the heating element 22 of the print head 24 has been important. That is, if the pressing contact between the platen roller 26 and the heating element 22 of the print head 24 is displaced and becomes inconsistent, the recording density is reduced. The position of the heating element 22 is adjusted so that the pressing contacts are aligned.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a label printer which does not require the complicated position adjustment of the print head.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a label printer according to the present invention comprises a driving roller rotated by a rotational force from a driving source, and a driven roller disposed at an appropriate distance from the driving roller. Rollers, a transport belt stretched between the driven roller and the driven roller, and a heating element,
A print head that presses a heating element on the side of the transport belt. Further, the print head can press the heating element against the conveyor belt by the elastic member to make contact with the conveyance belt.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The same components as those in the related art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The label printer 2 includes a print head 24 having a spring 10 as a pressing elastic body and a plurality of heating elements 22 in the width direction, a driving roller 4 and a driven roller 6.
, A transport belt 8, and a motor 28, and the driving roller 4 is rotated by receiving the torque of the motor 28 via the drive belt 32.

A driven roller 6 is disposed at an appropriate distance from the main driving roller 4, and a driven roller 6 is provided between the two rollers 4, 6.
A transport belt 8 is stretched.

The transport belt 8 is a belt having a width in the width direction of the print head 24, and in combination with the spread extending between the driving roller 4 and the driven roller 6,
It has a planar shape. The heating element 22 of the print head 24 is pressed against the surface of the conveyor belt 8 by the action of the spring 10.

The transport belt 8 is transported in the transport direction by the rotation of the main driving roller 4 rotated via the drive belt 32.

When a continuous label 30 is inserted between the print head 24 and the transport belt 8 and the transport belt 8 is transported in the transport direction with the rotation of the driving roller 4, the print head 24 and the transport belt 8 are rotated. The label continuous body 30 sandwiched between them is transported in the transport direction.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The label continuous body 30 inserted between the print head 24 and the conveyor belt 8 is conveyed in the conveying direction on the conveyor belt 8 and, when passing through the print head 24, generates a desired print by the heat generated by the heating element 22. Is performed.
At this time, even if the position of the print head 24 and, consequently, the heating element 22 are moved in the transport direction with the transport of the label continuous body 30 in the transport direction, the print head 24 is moved by the spring 10 so that Since there is no change in the position of the heating element 22, there is no change in the pressing state between the heating element 22 and the label continuous body 30.

The coil-shaped spring 10 has been described as an example of the means for pressing the print head 24 and, consequently, the heating element 22 toward the conveyor belt 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this. An elastic body in the shape of a circle can also be adopted.

An "auxiliary roller" (not shown) can be provided from the back side between the driving roller 4 and the driven roller 6 and in the vicinity of the heating element 22 of the print head 24 so as to maintain the flat state of the conveyor belt 8. It is. By providing the auxiliary roller (not shown), the conveying speed of the conveying bell and 8 is increased, and even if the pressing force of the heating element 22 of the print head 24 on the conveying belt 8 is increased, the conveying belt 8 bends. Therefore, the influence on the density of printing on the label continuous body 30 conveyed in the conveying direction on the conveying belt 8 is reduced.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the heating element of the print head is received by the divergent transfer belt stretched over the driven roller and the driven roller, there is an effect that fine adjustment for a change in position such as the transfer direction of the print head becomes unnecessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing a relationship between a printing unit and a label continuum of a label printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view showing a relationship between a printing unit and a label continuum of a conventional label printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Label Printer 4 Drive Roller 6 Follower Roller 8 Conveying Belt 10 Elastic Body (Spring) 22 Heating Element 24 Print Head 28 Motor 30 Label Continuous Body

Claims (2)

[Claims] A driving roller that is rotated by a rotational force from a driving source; a driven roller that is disposed at an appropriate distance from the driving roller; and a transport belt that is bridged between the driving roller and the driven roller. A label printer, comprising: a heating element; and a print head for pressing the heating element on the belt side. 2. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the printing head presses a heating element against the conveyance belt by an elastic member to make contact with the heating belt.