JP2002179309A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer that can reliably detect the remaining amount of recording paper even when changed in installation attitude. SOLUTION: A printer 1 comprises a housing part 6 for housing a roll of recording paper Q, a plurality of support portions 6a to 6d for supporting the recording paper in different positions according to the direction of gravity, a sensor unit 30 for detecting the remaining amount of the recording paper Q, and a slide guide plate 20 on which the sensor unit 30 is moved linearly and guided to detecting positions corresponding to the plurality of support positions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printer device whose installation posture can be changed such as horizontal installation and vertical installation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, roll paper is used for a printer for issuing a receipt, a boarding ticket, an entrance ticket, a parking ticket, and the like.
The direction of the issuing port differs depending on these uses, and is roughly classified into a type having an issuing port on the upper surface of the printer main body and a type having an issuing port on the side surface of the printer main body. Therefore,
It is desired that any type of printer can be accommodated only by changing the installation posture of the printer by sharing the internal structure of the printer as much as possible.

[0003]

In the structure for holding the roll paper core, the rotation center of the roll paper is stably maintained, so that the installation posture of the printer changes and the remaining amount of the roll paper decreases. However, relatively stable paper supply can be realized.

On the other hand, in the structure for supporting the outer periphery of the roll paper, when the installation posture of the printer changes or the remaining amount of the roll paper decreases, the fixed position of the roll paper also changes, so some measures are required. In particular, when a roll paper remaining amount sensor is provided, the detection position becomes indefinite unless the fixed position of the roll paper is determined, so that it is difficult to detect the remaining amount.

A related prior art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-29.
No. 5,436 describes a roll paper printer in which a detector for detecting the remaining amount is rotatably mounted. In this rotation method, loosen the bolt at the center of rotation, insert the detector into the hole of the frame, pinch the gripping part, rotate the detection unit, stop at the desired position, and tighten and fix the bolt Work. However, since this operation involves inserting the detector with one hand and operating the gripper with the other hand, operation with both hands is indispensable. become.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of easily moving a remaining amount sensor to a position corresponding to an installation posture and capable of reliably detecting the remaining amount of recording paper.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a storage section for storing roll-shaped recording paper, a plurality of support sections for supporting the recording paper at different positions according to the direction of gravity, and a recording paper. Printer device, comprising: a remaining amount sensor for detecting the remaining amount of the sheet, and a slide guide unit for linearly moving the remaining amount sensor and guiding the remaining amount sensor to detection positions corresponding to a plurality of support positions. It is.

According to the present invention, when the installation posture of the printer main body is changed, the direction of gravity acting on the roll-shaped recording paper also changes. Therefore, by providing a plurality of support portions corresponding to this change, the recording paper can be printed. The support position is determined.

Further, by providing a slide guide portion for guiding the remaining amount sensor to a plurality of detection positions,
Even if the installation position is changed and the support position of the recording paper changes, the remaining amount sensor can be shared, so that the number of electronic components and the load of signal processing can be reduced, thereby reducing costs and saving space.

Further, by linearly moving the remaining amount sensor, the operation of switching the sensor position is facilitated, and the attitude of the remaining amount sensor with respect to the printer body can be maintained constant, so that a stable sensor operation can be realized. .

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a sensor positioning section for positioning the remaining amount sensor at a predetermined detection position is provided.

According to the present invention, by providing the sensor positioning portion, the reproducibility of the sensor position is improved, and stable detection of the remaining amount can be realized. Further, even an unskilled worker can reliably set the sensor position.

Further, according to the present invention, the remaining amount sensor is sandwiched between the outer surface of the storage section and the slide guide section, and the sensor positioning section is provided in the storage section to bias the slide guide section toward the storage section. Is provided.

According to the present invention, the remaining amount sensor is sandwiched between the storage portion and the slide guide portion, and is urged toward the storage portion side via the slide guide portion by a spring member or the like, whereby the remaining amount sensor is provided. Because it elastically contacts the sensor positioning part,
The positioning accuracy of the remaining amount sensor is improved. Also, since the remaining amount sensor can be displaced against the urging force of the spring member or the like,
The engagement between the remaining amount sensor and the sensor positioning portion can be easily released, and the operation of switching the sensor position is simplified.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that an opening is formed in the storage section along a guide path of the slide guide section.

According to the present invention, by forming the opening along the guide path of the slide guide section, it is possible to access the remaining amount sensor from the internal space of the storage section via the opening. Therefore, the position of the remaining amount sensor can be switched without removing the housing or the outer cover of the printer body.

Since such a switching operation can be easily performed with one hand, it is possible to avoid the conventional difficulty in operation.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the remaining amount sensor is a light reflection type sensor. According to the present invention, since the remaining amount of the rolled recording paper can be detected in a non-contact manner, a stable detection operation can be realized without adversely affecting the movement of the recording paper. In addition, since a detector that projects into the internal space of the storage section is not required, there is no need to insert the detector into the hole of the frame when the slide is moved, and there is no risk of damaging the detector during the movement.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an installation example of a printer according to the present invention. FIG.
(B) shows a vertical setting. The printer 1 has a lower housing 2 and an upper housing 3, and the upper housing 3 is supported by a hinge 3 a at an upper rear portion of the lower housing 2,
A clamshell structure that facilitates loading of the recording paper Q is configured.

The lower housing 2 has a roll-shaped recording paper Q
There is provided a storage section 6 for storing the information. The storage section 6 is formed with support sections 6a to 6d for supporting the roll-shaped recording paper Q. The support portions 6a and 6b have a planar shape, and they intersect at a shallow angle to form a first valley Va. Support part 6c
Has a planar shape, the support portion 6d has a mountain shape protruding inward, and a second valley Vb is formed between the two.

In the horizontal state shown in FIG.
Due to gravity, the outer periphery of the roll-shaped recording paper Q is
The position of the recording paper Q is determined by touching both of the points b.
Even if the outer diameter of the recording paper Q becomes thinner with the printing time, the recording paper Q remains at the position of the first valley Va due to its own weight.

In the vertical position shown in FIG.
Due to gravity, the outer periphery of the roll-shaped recording paper Q is
By touching both of the positions d, the position of the recording paper Q is determined.
Even if the outer diameter of the recording paper Q becomes thinner with the printing time, the recording paper Q remains at the second valley Vb due to its own weight.

On the front upper part of the upper housing 3, a recording paper Q
A discharge port 3b for discharging the paper is formed. A print head 4 such as a line thermal head and a platen 5 for pressing and transporting the recording paper Q against the print head 4 are disposed inside the paper discharge port 3b. And tear bars.

The recording paper Q extends from the outer periphery of the roll close to the storage section 6, passes between the print head 4 and the platen 5, and is conveyed to the outside from the paper discharge port 3b.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the external appearance of the storage section 6. This indicates a vertically placed state. The storage unit 6 has a box shape having a storage space for the roll-shaped recording paper Q as a whole, and includes a pair of left and right side plates 11 and a connecting member (not shown) for connecting the bottom and back of the side plates 11. You. The support portions 6a to 6d shown in FIG. 1 are arranged between the side plates 11 at the bottom and the back of the storage space.

A slide guide plate 20 for guiding the sensor unit 30 linearly is provided outside the one side plate 11.
Is attached.

The sensor unit 30 includes the light reflection type sensor 3
8, the end face of the rolled recording paper Q is irradiated with light from the light emitting section 38a, and the reflected light is received by the light receiving section 38b.
The change in the outer diameter of the roll is detected based on the change in the strength. By setting the sensor detection position slightly outside the core, it is possible to determine that the remaining amount of the recording paper Q is small.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the printer body is installed vertically, the sensor unit 30 is displaced and positioned near the left end of the slide guide plate 20. On the other hand, when the printer body is installed horizontally, the sensor unit 30 is displaced and positioned near the right end of the slide guide plate 20.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing the shape of the slide guide plate 20, and FIGS. 3B and 3C are sectional views showing the positional relationship of the sensor unit 30. The slide guide plate 20 has a rounded rectangular shape, and rails 21 and 22 having a convex cross section are formed in parallel on the surface facing the side plate 11 at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction. The rail 21 is located substantially at the center of the slide guide plate 20, and the rail 22 is located near the long side.

Outside the side plate 11, the slide guide plate 2
Four spacers 13 are formed corresponding to the 0 corners. The slide guide plate 20 is placed on the spacer 13 and attached by screws 14. Of the four spacers 13, two spacers 13 close to the rail 22
Has an upper end surface slightly higher than the other and a step having the same height as the other, and a coil spring 15 is mounted between the upper end surface and the step. The upper end of the coil spring 15 is regulated by the screw 14, and the lower end is in contact with the slide guide plate 20 and urges it toward the side plate 11. The slide guide plate 20 is positioned at the step of the spacer 13 and is usually held substantially parallel to the side plate 11.

The sensor unit 30 includes rails 21 and 22
Has a rectangular parallelepiped shape elongated in the vertical direction, the bottom surface slidably abuts the slide guide plate 20, and the top surface is the side plate 1.
1, the slide guide plate 20 and the side plate 11
Is sandwiched between In the center of the bottom surface of the sensor unit 30, a groove 31 having a concave section is formed to substantially fit the shape of the rail 21. Thus, the rail 21 is connected to the sensor unit 30
And the sensor unit 30 is kept at a constant posture. Side wall 33 of sensor unit 30
Assists in maintaining the attitude of the sensor unit 30 by approaching or contacting the wall of the rail 22.

An operating portion 32 is provided protruding near the center of the upper surface of the sensor unit 30, and a protrusion 36 is formed near an end near the rail 22.

The side plate 11 has an opening 12 into which the operation unit 32 is inserted. The opening 12 is the sensor unit 3
An elongated slit shape is formed corresponding to the linear movement range of 0.

Further, the side plate 11 is formed with a concave portion 16 which is substantially fitted to the projection 36, corresponding to the set position of the sensor unit 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the concave portions 16 are formed at a plurality of positions (for example, three positions) near the left end and the right end of the slide guide plate 20, respectively, so that the setting position of the sensor unit 30 can be finely adjusted. By finely adjusting the set position, the remaining amount of paper detected by the sensor unit 30 can be adjusted.

Next, the procedure for changing the position of the sensor unit 30 will be described. The operator opens the upper housing 3 and once takes out the roll-shaped recording paper Q stored in the storage section 6, and as shown in FIG.
0 is inserted into the opening 12 from the inside of the side plate 11, and the operation unit 32 of the sensor unit 30 is pushed out of the side plate 11.
Then, the sensor unit 30 and the slide guide plate 2
0 inclines outward against the pressing force of the coil spring 15,
The engagement between the projection 36 and the recess 16 is released. In this state, since the sensor unit 30 can be linearly displaced, the operator moves the sensor unit 30 to a set position according to the installation posture of the printer. Next, when the tool 40 is pulled out, the sensor unit 30 and the slide guide plate 20
5 urges the side plate 11 so that the projection 36 is
6 and the sensor unit 30 is positioned. At the position where the sensor unit 30 is positioned, a window 37 for passing the sensor light is provided in the side plate 11.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of the roll-shaped recording paper Q in a state where the printer is installed horizontally.
FIG. 4A shows a state where a new roll of recording paper Q is stored, FIG.
4B illustrates a state in which the paper is being consumed, and FIG. 4C illustrates a state in which only the core Qa is used.

In the case of horizontal placement, the roll-shaped recording paper Q is positioned by contacting the support portions 6a and 6b by its own weight.
When the outer diameter of the roll becomes thinner with the consumption of paper, the core Qa
Is displaced toward the first valley Va.

The sensor unit 30 is previously switched to a position close to the valley Va, and when the recording paper Q wound around the core Qa reaches a predetermined remaining amount, the core hole of the core Qa and the sensor unit The 30 detection positions are adjusted so as to match.

In FIG. 4A, the sensor unit 30 detects the end face of the rolled recording paper Q, and a signal processing unit such as a CPU (central processing unit) determines that there is recording paper.

In FIG. 4B, the core hole of the core Qa is approaching the detection position of the sensor unit 30, and the sensor signal is switched when the core hole of the core Qa crosses the sensor detection position. The signal processing unit determines that the state is the near end state in which the remaining amount of the recording paper is small. At this stage, the user is notified of the imminent running out of paper through a warning display on the operation panel or an external host while allowing the printing operation.

In FIG. 4C, as a result of continuing the printing operation in the near-end state, the recording paper Q is consumed to the end, and only the core Qa remains in the storage unit 6. At this stage, the printing operation becomes impossible, so it is necessary to replace the recording paper Q with a new roll-shaped recording paper Q immediately before the state shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the state of the rolled recording paper Q in a state where the printer is installed vertically.
FIG. 5A shows a state where a new roll of recording paper Q is stored, FIG.
5B illustrates a state in which the paper is being consumed, and FIG. 5C illustrates a state in which only the core Qa is used.

In the case of the vertical placement, the roll-shaped recording paper Q is positioned by contacting the supporting portions 6c and 6d by its own weight.
When the outer diameter of the roll becomes thinner with the consumption of paper, the core Qa
Is displaced toward the second valley Vb.

The sensor unit 30 is previously switched to a position close to the valley Vb, and when the recording paper Q wound around the core Qa reaches a predetermined remaining amount, the core hole of the core Qa and the sensor unit The 30 detection positions are adjusted so as to match.

In FIG. 5A, the sensor unit 30 detects the end face of the rolled recording paper Q, and a signal processing unit such as a CPU (central processing unit) determines that there is recording paper.

In FIG. 5B, the core hole of the core Qa is approaching the detection position of the sensor unit 30, and the sensor signal is switched when the core hole of the core Qa crosses the sensor detection position. The signal processing unit determines that the recording paper remaining amount is in the near-end state. At this stage, the user is notified of the imminent running out of paper through a warning display on the operation panel or an external host while allowing the printing operation.

In FIG. 5C, as a result of continuing the printing operation in the near-end state, the recording paper Q is consumed up to the end, and only the core Qa remains in the storage unit 6. At this stage, the printing operation becomes impossible, and it is necessary to replace the recording paper Q with a new roll-shaped recording paper Q immediately before the state shown in FIG.

As described above, by switching the detection position of the sensor unit 30 according to the installation posture of the printer main body, the remaining amount of the recording paper can be reliably detected, and the sensor can be shared.

[0049]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, by providing a slide guide portion for guiding the remaining amount sensor to a plurality of detection positions, the installation position is changed to change the recording paper support position. However, since the remaining amount sensor can be shared, the number of electronic components and the load of signal processing can be reduced, and space can be saved.

Further, by providing the sensor positioning section, reproducibility of the sensor position is improved, and stable detection of the remaining amount can be realized.

The positioning accuracy of the remaining amount sensor is improved by sandwiching the remaining amount sensor between the storage portion and the slide guide portion and biasing the remaining amount sensor side through the slide guide portion with a spring member or the like. However, the work of switching the sensor position is simplified.

Further, by forming an opening along the guide path of the slide guide section, the position of the remaining amount sensor can be switched.

Further, by using the light reflection type sensor as the remaining amount sensor, the remaining amount of the recording paper can be detected in a non-contact manner, so that a stable detecting operation can be realized without adversely affecting the movement of the recording paper. Also, since there is no need for a detector that projects into the internal space of the storage unit,
There is no need to insert the detector into the hole of the frame, and there is no possibility that the detector will be damaged when moving.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of installation of a printer according to the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a horizontal installation, and FIG. 1B shows a vertical installation.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an appearance of a storage unit 6;

3A is a plan view showing a shape of a slide guide plate 20, and FIGS. 3B and 3C are sensor units 3; FIG.
It is sectional drawing which shows the positional relationship of 0.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state of a roll-shaped recording paper Q in a state where the printer is installed horizontally.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of rolled recording paper Q in a state where the printer is installed vertically.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Lower housing 3 Upper housing 3b Paper discharge port 6 Storage part 6a-6d Support part 4 Print head 11 Side plate 12 Opening 13 Spacer 14 Screw 15 Coil spring 16 Depression 20 Slide guide plate 21, 22 Rail 30 Sensor unit 36 Projection 40 Tools Va, Vb Valley

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C060 BA03 BC02 BC12 BC95 BC96 2C061 AQ04 AS06 LL04 3F048 AA05 AB01 AC02 BA03 BB10 CB06 CB08 DA01 DC14 3F052 AA01 AB05 BA02 3F105 AA02 AB04 BA22 CA03 DA44 DB11 DC13

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A storage section for storing rolled recording paper, a plurality of support sections for supporting recording paper at different positions according to the direction of gravity, and a detecting section for detecting the remaining amount of recording paper. A printer device comprising: a remaining amount sensor; and a slide guide unit that linearly moves the remaining amount sensor and guides the remaining amount sensor to detection positions corresponding to a plurality of support positions. 2. The printer device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor positioning section for positioning the remaining amount sensor at a predetermined detection position. 3. The remaining amount sensor is sandwiched between the outer surface of the storage section and the slide guide section, the sensor positioning section is provided in the storage section, and a bias for urging the slide guide section toward the storage section. 3. A printer according to claim 2, further comprising means. 4. The printer device according to claim 3, wherein an opening is formed in the storage section along a guide path of the slide guide section. 5. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount sensor is a light reflection type sensor.