JP2003001884A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which makes a platen take shelter together with a lid body avoiding an interference with an inner member of the printer when the lid body is opened, does not hinder the lid body from smooth opening and closing motion, is prevented from becoming larger in size, and does not require a wide space around the printer. SOLUTION: A platen supporting body 26 having a platen 14 at one end side is rotatably provided on a tip portion of a lid frame 23, a guide member 29 to rotate the one end side to backward direction engaging with the other end side of the platen supporting body 26 incident to opening/closing of the lid frame 23 is provided inside a printer, the one end side of the platen supporting body 26 is rotated so as to go back from a proximity opposed position of a print head 11 incident to opening of the lid frame 23, and the one end side of the platen supporting body 26 is rotated so as to go forward the proximity opposed position of the print head 11 incident to closing of the lid frame 23.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer that prints on a continuous sheet such as roll paper, and more particularly to a printer that retracts a platen from a position close to a print head when a lid is opened.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printer is known which has a storage unit for storing roll paper therein and which draws the roll paper from the storage unit for printing. In this type of printer, when the roll paper is replaced, it is necessary to manually pull out the roll paper from the storage section and set the pulled-out roll paper along the predetermined paper transport path. It is proposed to attach a platen or a driven transport roller forming one side to the lid side that opens and closes the opening of the storage section. In other words, in this device, when the lid is opened to replace the roll paper, the platen and the driven transport roller retract together with the lid to open the paper transport path, so that the roll paper can easily follow the paper transport path. be able to.

[0003]

However, in a printer having no space in the retracting movement direction of the platen, the platen cannot be retracted together with the lid, and for example, printing is performed on cut sheets together with roll paper. In the printer capable of performing the above, the paper discharge branch body is arranged near the upper side of the platen, and this paper discharge branch body has a disadvantage of hindering the retracting movement of the platen.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-118064, the platen is retracted from the print head proximity facing position when the lid is opened, and the print head is approached when the lid is closed. It has been proposed that the platen is retracted together with the lid while avoiding interference with a printer internal member such as a paper discharge branch by adding an operation of advancing toward the facing position. Since a large slide mechanism is used to retract the platen from the print head proximity facing position,
There are the following problems. (1) The sliding resistance of the slide mechanism may hinder the smooth opening and closing of the lid. (2) By incorporating a large-scale slide mechanism, the size of the printer is increased. (3) In order to retract the slide mechanism from above the roll paper storage unit, the lid must be largely opened outward, which requires a large space around the printer.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to prevent the platen from retracting together with the lid while avoiding interference with the internal members of the printer when the lid is opened, while hindering smooth opening and closing of the lid. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer that does not increase the size of the printer and does not require a large space around the printer.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the printer of the present invention comprises a storage unit for storing a continuous sheet, a lid for opening and closing the opening of the storage unit, and the above-mentioned storage unit which is pulled out from the storage unit. A print head that prints on a continuous sheet, a platen that guides the back surface of the continuous sheet at a position close to and facing the print head, and a lid that is rotatably provided on the lid and that has the platen on one end side thereof. A platen support, and a guide member that engages with the other end of the platen support and rotates one end of the platen support in a back-to-back direction as the lid opens and closes. And a unit for retracting the lid body from the close-to-opposite position when the lid body is opened, and advancing toward the close-opposite position when the lid body is closed.

Further, a single-cut sheet conveying path for introducing the single-cut sheet between the print head and the platen and discharging the printed single-cut sheet, the printed single-cut sheet and the continuous state It is preferable that a sheet discharge branching body for branching and guiding the sheet is further provided, and the guide member is arranged in the vicinity of the sheet discharge branching body. In this case, the platen support can be made as small as possible by arranging the guide member in the vicinity of the paper discharge branching body that is the object of avoiding the interference of the platen. In this case, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of the guide member being an obstacle.

Further, a driven convey roller which is provided at one end side of the platen support and conveys the continuous sheet between itself and a drive convey roller provided inside the printer is further provided, and the roller support shaft has a side surface. It is preferable that the print head is disposed closer to the print head than an imaginary line passing through the center of rotation of the platen support and the center of rotation of the drive transport roller. In this case, the platen can be pressed against the print head by using the drive conveyance roller and the drive conveyance roller, and the platen can be positioned, thereby providing a dedicated platen pressing member and platen positioning member. Compared with the case, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified.

Further, it is preferable to further include an interchange means for allowing the driven transport roller to pass over the drive transport roller when the lid is opened and closed. In this case, the load when the driven transport roller passes over the drive transport roller can be reduced, so that it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of deforming or damaging the member when overriding and obstructing the smooth opening and closing of the lid.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a side view showing a lid frame closed state of a printer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG.
Is a side view showing an open state of the lid frame of the printer unit,
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a roll paper transport path and a cut paper transport path.

The printer unit 10 is incorporated in a printer housing together with the movable print head 11 and the like to form a printer (not shown). This printer includes a roll paper storage unit 12 that stores roll paper (continuous sheet) P1.
And cut sheets (cut sheets, slip sheets, etc.) P
2 and a cut sheet feed port (not shown) for inserting the roll paper P1 supplied from the roll paper storage unit 12 and the cut sheet paper P2 supplied from the cut sheet feed port are common printing positions. A roll paper transport path and a cut paper transport path are configured to be transported through 13. At the printing position 13, the print head 11 and the platen 14 are arranged so as to face each other in close proximity, and further, on the upstream side and the downstream side of the printing position 13, the platen 14 and the platen 14 are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals. A paper guide plate 15 and a paper discharge branch plate 16 are arranged.

The roll paper P1 is pulled out from the roll paper storage unit 12 and driven and transported by the transport roller 17 and driven roller 18.
Between the sheet feeding guide plate 15 and the platen 14 to reach the printing position 13, and the platen 1
4 and the sheet discharge branching plate 16 to pass through to the back side of the sheet discharge branching plate 16, and the sheet is discharged above the printer. on the other hand,
The cut-sheet paper P2 passes between the transport rollers 19 and 20, passes through the front side of the paper feed guide plate 15 to reach the printing position 13, and is further discharged above the printer through the front side of the paper discharge branch plate 16. It

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a closed state of the lid frame of the printer unit, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an opened state of the lid frame of the printer unit. As shown in these drawings, the printer unit 10 includes a unit frame 21 that is bent and formed in a squat shape when viewed from the front. Inside the unit frame 21, a resin roll paper holding member 22 forming the roll paper storage portion 12 is provided, and the roll paper P1 can be exchanged through an opening 21a formed in the upper portion of the unit frame 21. Done. This opening 21a is
It is opened and closed by a lid frame 23 that forms a lid of the roll paper storage unit 12 together with a lid cover (not shown). The lid frame 23 is formed of a pair of left and right side plates 23a and a top plate 23b integrally connecting the side plates 23a, and a rear end portion of the lid frame 23 is installed on a projecting upper end of the unit frame 21. It is supported by 24 so as to be vertically rotatable. When the lid frame 23 is opened and closed, when it reaches the closed position, it is automatically locked by the lock lever 25 provided at the tip of the lid frame 23, and the lock is operated by operating the operating portion 25a of the lock lever 25 upward. Is released by. Since this locking mechanism employs a known technique, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a closed state of the lid frame, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an essential part showing an opened state of the lid frame.
As shown in these figures, a platen support 26 is further provided at the tip of the lid frame 23.
The platen support body 26 is supported by a rotation support shaft 27 that is provided between the front end portions of the lid frames 23 so as to be rotatable back and forth. The platen support 26 includes a rotation support portion 26a into which the rotation support shaft 27 is inserted, a platen support portion 26b extending downward from the rotation support portion 26a, and a rotation support portion 26a.
A pair of left and right engaging portions 26c extending upward from the unit are integrally provided. The platen 14 is integrally provided on the front side of the leading end of the platen support portion 26b, and the driven transport roller 18 is provided on the lower side of the leading end via a roller support shaft 28.
Is rotatably provided. In addition, the platen support 2
6b is a lid frame 23 by a retracting ammunition not shown.
Is urged to the lower surface side of. As a result, the lid frame 2
When 3 is in the open position, the platen support portion 26b is held in a posture along the lower surface of the lid frame 23. On the other hand, at the upper end of the front side of the unit frame 21, that is, in the vicinity of the upper portion of the sheet discharge branch plate 16, an axial guide member 29 for changing the relative rotational posture of the platen support body 26 as the lid frame 23 is opened and closed. Has been erected.

Next, the operation of the platen support 26 with the opening and closing of the lid frame 23 will be described. 2, 5, and 7
As shown in FIG. 6, when the lid frame 23 is at the fully open position, the platen support body 26 is held in a posture along the lower surface of the lid frame 23 by the urging force of the retracting ammunition, and the upper portion of the roll paper storage unit 12 is wide. It will be released. Also, platen 1
The side of the roll paper transport path is opened by retracting 4 and the driven transport roller 18 together with the lid frame 23. In this state, the roll paper P1 is stored, and at the same time, the roll paper P1 is pulled out from the roll paper storage unit 12 and placed along the roll paper transport path.

After storing the roll paper P1, the lid frame 2
When 3 is operated to close, the platen support 2
The engaging portion 26c of 6 engages with the guide member 29. When the lid frame 23 is further pushed to the closing side, the engaging portion 26c, whose downward movement is restricted by the guide member 29, relatively rotates in the backward direction with respect to the lid frame 23, and accordingly the platen support portion 26b is retracted. It counter-rotates in a forward direction against the biasing force of the bullet munition. As a result, the platen support 2
6b rotates in the forward direction while moving downward together with the lid frame 23, and enters the space below the paper output branch plate 16. Then, when the lid frame 23 reaches the automatic lock position (fully closed position) by the lock lever 25, the platen support portion 26b.
The platen 14 provided at the tip of the printer reaches the position where the print head 11 closely faces the printer, and the printer is ready for printing. (FIGS. 1, 4 and 6).

When the operating portion 25a of the lock lever 25 is pulled upward with the lid frame 23 closed,
The opening operation of the lid frame 23 becomes possible. Lid frame 23
Is pulled in the opening direction, the engaging portion 26c of the platen support 26 is
Moves relative to the forward direction by the action opposite to that at the time of the closing operation, and accordingly causes the platen support portion 26b to rotate relative to the backward direction in a reciprocal manner. As a result, the platen support 2
6b rotates in the backward direction while moving upward together with the lid frame 23, and retracts from the lower space of the paper output branch plate 16. Then, when the engaging portion 26c separates from the guide member 29, the relative rotation of the platen supporting portion 26b ends, and thereafter, the platen supporting portion 26b rotates integrally with the lid frame 23 to be in the fully opened state.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing the arrangement of the driven conveyance rollers. As shown in this figure, the roller support shaft 28 of the driven conveyance roller 18 is closer to the print head 11 than the virtual line A passing through the rotation center of the platen support 26 and the rotation center of the drive conveyance roller 17 in a side view. It is located in. In other words, the roller tangent line B passing through the contact points of both the transport rollers 17 and 18 is inclined toward the print head 11 side, whereby the escape of the driven transport roller 18 in the backward direction is restricted and the driven transport roller 18 is advanced. It becomes possible to exert a pressing force in a direction, and by extension, the platen 14 provided on the platen support 26 together with the driven transport roller 18 is positioned by using both transport rollers 17 and 18, and the print head is It becomes possible to press on 11. When the roller support shaft 28 is arranged at the above position,
The driven transport roller 18 is required to ride over the drive transport roller 17 when the lid frame 23 is opened and closed.
Therefore, the roller support shaft 28 is supported by the platen support 26 so as to be vertically movable via the elongated hole 26d (interchange means), and is urged downward by an ammunition machine (not shown).

As described above, the printer unit 10 of this embodiment has the roll paper storage portion 12 for storing the roll paper P1 which is a continuous sheet and the opening 21 of the roll paper storage portion 12.
A lid frame 23 that opens and closes a, and a print head 1 that prints on the roll paper P1 pulled out from the roll paper storage unit 12
1, a platen 14 that guides the back surface of the roll paper P1 at a position close to the print head 11, a platen support 26 that is rotatably provided on the lid frame 23 and that has the platen 14 on its platen support 26b. A guide member 29 that engages with the engaging portion 26c of the platen support body 26 to rotate the platen support portion 26b in the anti-backward direction as the lid frame 23 is opened and closed. With the opening operation of the lid frame 23, the print head 1
1 is retracted from the close opposing position, and the lid frame 23
With the closing operation of (1), the vehicle is advanced toward the close-opposing position. This prevents the platen 1 from interfering with internal members of the printer when the lid frame 23 is opened.
4 is retracted together with the lid frame 23, but does not hinder the smooth opening and closing of the lid frame 23 or increase the size of the printer, unlike the one in which the platen 14 is advanced and retracted using a slide mechanism. , It does not require a lot of space around the printer.

Further, the cut sheet P2 is introduced between the print head 11 and the platen 14, and the cut sheet conveying path for discharging the printed cut sheet P2, the printed cut sheet P2 and the roll paper. And a sheet discharge branch plate 16 for branching and guiding P1 and
The guide member 29 is arranged in the vicinity of the paper discharge branch plate 16. That is, by disposing the guide member 29 in the vicinity of the discharge branching plate 16 which is the object of avoiding the interference of the platen 14, it is not possible to make the platen support 26 as small as possible, and the roll paper P1 It is possible to avoid the inconvenience that the guide member 29 interferes with the replacement or the like.

Further, a driven conveying roller 18 for conveying the roll paper P1 between the platen supporting portion 26b of the platen supporting member 26 and the drive conveying roller 17 provided inside the printer is further provided, and its roller support shaft is provided. 28 indicates the print head 11 from a virtual line A passing through the center of rotation of the platen support 26 and the center of rotation of the drive conveyance roller 17 in a side view.
The platen 14 can be pressed against the print head 11 by utilizing the driving and transporting rollers 17 and the driven transporting roller 18 because it is arranged near the platen 14.
Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified as compared with the case where a dedicated platen pressing member or platen positioning member is provided.

Further, since the driven conveying roller 18 is further provided with an elongated hole 26d for allowing the driven conveying roller 18 to pass over the driving conveying roller 17 when the lid frame 23 is opened and closed, the load when the driven conveying roller 18 passes over the driving conveying roller 17 is further provided. As a result, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of deforming or damaging the member at the time of climbing over and obstructing smooth opening and closing of the lid frame 23.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the matters shown in the embodiment, and the claims and the detailed description of the invention, and It includes a range in which those skilled in the art can make changes and applications based on well-known techniques.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the lid is opened, the platen is retracted together with the lid while avoiding interference with internal members of the printer, and the lid is opened and closed smoothly. It does not hinder or increase the size of the printer, and does not require a large space around the printer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a lid frame closed state of a printer unit.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an open state of a lid frame of the printer unit.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a roll paper transport path and a cut paper transport path.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a lid frame closed state of the printer unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an open state of a lid frame of the printer unit.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part showing a lid frame closed state.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of relevant parts showing an opened state of the lid frame.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing an arrangement of driven conveyance rollers.

[Explanation of symbols]

P1 roll paper P2 cut sheet 10 Printer unit 11 print head 12 Roll paper storage 14 Platen 15 Paper feed guide plate 16 Paper output branch plate 17 Drive transport roller 18 Driven transport roller 21 unit frame 21a opening 23 lid frame 26 Platen support 26b Platen support 26c engaging part 26d long hole 27 Rotating support shaft 28 Roller support shaft 29 Guide member

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) B65H 23/28 B65H 29/52 3F101 29/52 B41J 29/00 A 3F104 F term (reference) 2C058 AB12 AC05 AE02 AE04 AF03 AF06 AF31 DA11 DA34 2C059 DD05 DD13 2C060 BA01 BA04 BA06 BC03 BC04 BC12 BC15 BC37 2C061 AS02 AS06 BB01 BB02 BB08 BB10 CD07 CD12 3F052 AA01 AB05 BA02 BA17 BA19 3F101 FB12 FB15 LA07 LB03 3F104 A02

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A storage unit for storing a continuous sheet, a lid for opening and closing an opening of the storage unit, a print head for printing on the continuous sheet pulled out from the storage unit, and a proximity of the print head. A platen that guides the back surface of the continuous sheet at an opposing position, a platen support that is rotatably provided on the lid and that has the platen at one end side thereof, and the platen support that opens and closes the lid. A guide member that engages with the other end side of the body to rotate one end side of the platen support member in an anti-reverse direction, and retracts the platen from the proximity facing position with the opening operation of the lid body. And a printer that advances the cover body toward the close facing position in response to a closing operation of the cover body. 2. A single-cut sheet conveying path for introducing a single-cut sheet between the print head and the platen and discharging the printed single-cut sheet, a printed single-cut sheet and the continuous state. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: a sheet discharge branch body that guides a sheet and a sheet, and the guide member is disposed in the vicinity of the sheet discharge branch body. 3. A driven conveyance roller, which is provided at one end side of the platen support and conveys the continuous sheet between itself and a drive conveyance roller provided inside the printer, the roller support shaft having a side surface. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is arranged closer to the print head than an imaginary line passing through a center of rotation of the platen support and a center of rotation of the drive conveyance roller in view. 4. The printer according to claim 3, further comprising an interchange unit that allows the driven transport roller to pass over the drive transport roller when the lid is opened and closed.