JP2003025620A - Thermal printer comprising paper cutting unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal printer comprising a paper cutting unit capable of cutting a paper with a linear and neat cut surface. SOLUTION: A paper cutting unit 17 comprises a longitudinal fixed blade 18, a rotatable blade 20 for cutting a paper 11 while contacting elastically with the fixed blade 18 and moving along the fixed blade 18, and a carriage 24 for rotatably supporting the rotatable blade 20. At the time of cutting the paper 11 between the rotatable blade 20 and the fixed blade 18 while moving the carriage 24 along the fixed blade 18, since a thermal head 16 with the head down is moved in the same direction as the carriage 24, the paper 11 being cut is pressured by the thermal head 16 with the head down. As a result, the paper 11 can be cut with a linear and neat cut surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal printer provided with a paper cutting device, and a thermal printer provided with a paper cutting device capable of cutting the paper into a desired length without bending the cutting surface linearly. Regarding the printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal printer equipped with a sheet cutting device capable of cutting a sheet of roll paper on which a desired image is printed can cut a sheet after printing to an arbitrary length, and so on. Has been proposed as an output device of.

The conventionally proposed thermal printer having a paper cutting device will be described with reference to FIG. 9. A paper 1 made of roll paper is placed on a paper placing portion 2. Further, a paper feed roller 3 and a pressure contact roller 4 that comes into pressure contact with the paper feed roller 3 with a predetermined urging force are disposed on the left side of the paper placing portion 2 in the figure. The paper feed roller 3 can be driven to rotate in both rightward and leftward directions. Then, the paper feed roller 3 and the pressure contact roller 4
The paper 1 can be conveyed in the conveyance direction indicated by arrow A by sandwiching the paper 1 under pressure between the paper and the paper feed roller 3 and rotating the paper feed roller 3 counterclockwise in the figure. Further, the paper 1 can be returned in the direction of arrow B by rotating the paper feed roller 3 to the right in the figure (clockwise direction).

A flat platen 5 wider than the width of the paper 1 is disposed downstream of the paper feed roller 3 in the direction of arrow A, and above the platen 5.
A thermal head 6 that can be brought into and out of contact with the platen 5 is arranged. Then, in the head-up state in which the thermal head 6 is separated from the platen 5, the paper feed roller 3
The sheet 1 conveyed by the rotation of is located between the platen 5 and the thermal head 6. When the paper 1 is plain paper, an ink ribbon (not shown) is positioned between the thermal head 6 and the paper 1 on the platen 5.

In order to print a desired image on the sheet 1 made of such plain paper, the sheet 1 and the ink ribbon are positioned between the platen 5 and the thermal head 6, and the thermal head 6 is moved down. The ink ribbon is pressed against the sheet 1 on the platen 5. Then, while the plurality of heat generating elements (not shown) of the thermal head 6 are selectively heated according to the print information and are conveyed in the print line direction which is the width direction of the paper 1, the ink of the ink ribbon is printed on the paper 1. After being transferred, a desired image can be printed.

Further, a sheet cutting device 7 capable of cutting the printed sheet 1 into a predetermined length is disposed on the downstream side of the thermal head 6 in the conveying direction of the sheet 1 indicated by the arrow A.
The sheet cutting device 7 has a long fixed blade 8 in the width direction of the sheet 1, and the printed sheet 1 is conveyed below the fixed blade 8. Further, a blade tip surface 8a is formed on an end surface of the fixed blade 8, and a rotary blade 9 which is reciprocally movable along the fixed blade 8 in a state of being in contact with the blade tip surface 8a is arranged. The rotary blade 9 is supported by a carriage 10 and is rotatable.

In the operation of the thermal printer provided with the conventionally proposed paper cutting device having such a structure, first, the paper feed roller 3 is rotated counterclockwise to carry the paper 1 in the carrying direction of arrow A. To do. Then, the first print line of the paper 1 is aligned with the heating element (not shown) of the thermal head 6, the head of the thermal head 6 is lowered, and printing is performed along the platen 5 while selectively heating the heating element. When the thermal head 6 is moved in the row direction, the first print row is printed. After that, the thermal head 6 is moved up to return the thermal head 6 to the initial position before printing. By repeating such an operation, a desired image can be printed on the print area of the paper 1.

The sheet 1 after printing the desired image is
The lower portion of the fixed blade 8 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A, and is conveyed downstream of the sheet cutting device 7 in the conveying direction of arrow A.
When the portion to be cut of the sheet 1 and the edge surface 8a of the fixed blade 8 are aligned with each other, the carriage 10 of the sheet cutting device 7 is moved.
Is moved along the fixed blade 8, the rotary blade 9 rotates, and the sheet 1 is cut between the fixed blade 8 and the fixed blade 8. Then, the printed sheet 1 is cut into a cut sheet shape by the sheet cutting device 7, and the cut sheet 1a is cut off. The thermal printer provided with such a paper cutting device can cut the paper 1 into an arbitrary length according to the size of the print image.

[0009]

However, in the thermal printer provided with the conventionally proposed paper cutting device, the paper 1 being cut between the fixed blade 8 and the rotary blade 9 is pressed against the paper feed roller 3. Since I only supported it with roller 4,
A force to escape in the direction of arrow C acts on the sheet 1 being cut, and the sheet 1 is cut.
There was a risk that the cut surface of was bent obliquely or curved. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal printer provided with a paper cutting device that can cut a cut surface of a paper in a straight line and cleanly.

[0010]

As a first solution for solving the above-mentioned problems, a thermal printer equipped with a paper cutting device of the present invention is a paper and a thermal head capable of printing a desired image on the paper. And a paper cutting device capable of cutting the paper into a predetermined length. When the paper cutting device cuts the paper, the thermal head is moved down to press the paper being cut. It was configured.

Further, as a second means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the paper cutting device is provided with an elongated fixed blade, and by elastically contacting the fixed blade and moving along the fixed blade. A rotary blade capable of cutting the paper sheet, and a carriage that rotatably supports the rotary blade, and the paper sheet between the rotary blade and the fixed blade while moving the carriage along the fixed blade. At the time of cutting, the thermal head with the head down is moved in the same direction as the carriage.

As a third means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the thermal head has a plurality of heating elements, and the thermal head is not energized when the head is down. And

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A thermal printer equipped with a paper cutting device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of a thermal printer having a sheet cutting device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an essential part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the sheet cutting device according to the present invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part of a paper cutting device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 6 to 8 are plan views illustrating the operation of a thermal printer including the paper cutting device of the present invention.

An embodiment of a thermal printer equipped with the paper cutting device of the present invention will be explained by using a serial type thermal printer as shown in FIG. 1, for example. The sheet is placed on the sheet placing section 12 on the right side of the drawing. Further, on the left side of the sheet stacking unit 12 in the drawing, a sheet feeding roller 13 that is a sheet conveying unit.
And a pressure roller 14 which is in pressure contact with the paper feed roller 13 at a predetermined pressure. The paper feed roller 1
3 is rotatably driven in the direction of arrow D or arrow E, and when the paper feed roller 13 is rotated in the direction of arrow D, the paper 11 of the paper tray 12 is pulled out from the roll 11a, and the arrow F The thermal head 16 is conveyed in the conveyance direction of (1) and can be conveyed between the platen 15 and the thermal head 16 which are printing means described later.

Further, when the paper feed roller 13 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow E, the paper 11 can be returned in the direction of arrow G, which is the opposite direction of arrow F. Further, on the downstream side of the paper feed roller 13 in the conveyance direction of the arrow F of the paper 11, a flat platen 15 which is a printing means and is long in the width direction of the paper 11, and is in contact with the platen 15. A thermal head 16 which can be separated (head up / down) and can reciprocate along the platen 15 is provided.

A plurality of heating elements (not shown) are formed on the thermal head 16. When the paper 11 is plain paper, an ink ribbon (not shown) is positioned between the platen 5 and the thermal head 6 to selectively heat the plurality of heating elements of the thermal head 16 according to the print information. By moving the platen 15 along the longitudinal direction while moving the ink, the ink of the ink ribbon is removed.
Then, the desired image is printed on the sheet.

Further, a paper cutting device 17 capable of cutting the paper 11 into a predetermined length is provided downstream of the thermal head 6 in the direction of conveyance of the arrow F of the paper 11.
The sheet cutting device 17 has a fixed blade 18 made of a long steel plate and formed to be longer than the width of the sheet 11, and a blade tip surface 18a is formed on an end surface on the left side of the fixed blade 18 in the figure. ing. Further, the paper 11 conveyed in the conveying direction of the arrow F is positioned below the fixed blade 18.

The fixed blade 18 is a carriage 2 described later.
4 has a rail member 19 for movably supporting it along the fixed blade 18, and this rail member 19 is detachable from the guide member 25 by being screwed together with the fixed blade 18 to a guide member 25 described later with a screw or the like. It has become. In addition, the rail member 19 is formed with a guide groove 19a with which a first engaging portion 24b of the carriage 24, which will be described later, can be engaged.

A rotary blade 20 having a sharp edge portion on its outer peripheral surface is in elastic contact with the blade edge surface 18a of the fixed blade 18. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotary blade 20 is screwed to the side surface of a disc-shaped flywheel 21. The flywheel 21 is disposed below the fixed blade 18, and an O-ring 22 made of rubber or the like having a large friction coefficient is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the flywheel 21. Further, a cutter shaft 23 is inserted through the centers of rotation of the rotary blade 20 and the flywheel 21.

The cutter shaft 23 is supported by a carriage 24 made of a resin material so that the rotary blade 20 attached to the flywheel 21 is rotatable. A hollow cutter mounting portion 24a is formed on the carriage 24, and the rotary blade 20 and the flywheel 21 are positioned on the cutter mounting portion 24a. Further, the carriage 24 has a groove-shaped second engaging portion 24c in the vicinity of the cutter shaft 23 on the right side of the drawing, which can be engaged with a metal guide member 25.
Are formed.

The guide member 25 is disposed below the fixed blade 18 and can engage with the second engaging portion 24c of the carriage 24. Then, the fixed blade 18 and the guide member 2
A sheet conveyance path Y having a predetermined gap is formed between the sheet conveyance path 5 and the sheet 5. Fixed blade 18 including the rail member 19
Is a position that does not interfere with the conveyance of the arrows F and G on the paper 11,
It is detachably attached to the guide member 25 with screws or the like.

The guide member 25 has a second engaging portion 24.
A bent portion 25a is formed at the end engaging with c at a substantially right angle and bent downward in the drawing. The guide member 25 and the second engaging portion 24c restrict the movement of the rotary blade 20 in the direction away from the fixed blade 18 while the sheet 11 is being cut. As shown in FIG. 6, the carriage 24 having the rotary blade 20 has a home position H and a movement end position S at a position outside the width dimension L of the sheet 11 so as not to disturb the conveyance of the sheet 11 in the arrow F direction. And are formed.

The carriage 24 before cutting the paper is positioned at the home position H, and the paper 11 can be cut by moving the carriage 24 from the home position H along the fixed blade 18 in the arrow J direction. There is. Further, the carriage 24 after cutting the paper 11 is positioned at the movement end position S. Further, a detection sensor 26 including a switch or the like is arranged at the right end portion of the movement terminating position S shown in FIG. 2, and when the detection sensor 26 is turned on, it is detected that the cutting of the paper 11 is completed. It is designed to detect.

On the lower end side of the carriage 24 shown in FIG. 4, a belt mounting portion 2 on which a belt 28 described later can be mounted.
4d is formed. A coil spring 27 is wound around the cutter shaft 23 protruding leftward from the rotary blade 20, and the rotary blade 2 is biased by the coil spring 27.
The blade edge portion formed on the outer peripheral portion of 0 securely contacts the fixed blade 18. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the carriage 24 is configured such that a belt 28 composed of a V-belt can be mounted on the lower belt mounting portion 24d. The belt 28 is stretched around a belt drive gear 29 arranged below the sheet cutting device 17 shown in FIG.

When the drive source 30 composed of a motor is rotationally driven, the belt drive gear 29 gear-connected to the drive source 30 rotates, and the carriage 24 passes through the belt 28.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, along the fixed blade 18, the arrow J,
It can move back and forth in the K direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a paper discharge roller 31 having a knurled outer peripheral portion is disposed downstream of the paper cutting device 17 in the conveyance direction of the arrow F of the paper 11. .

The operation of the thermal printer provided with the paper cutting device of the present invention will be described. First, the paper 11 made of roll paper is pulled out from the paper loading portion 12,
It is sandwiched between the paper feed roller 13 and the pressure contact roller 14.
Then, the paper feed roller 13 is rotated in the direction of arrow D,
The sheet 11 is conveyed in the conveying direction indicated by arrow F. Then, the thermal head 16 in which the leading end of the paper 11 is in a head-up state
Between the platen 15 and the platen 15. At this time, when the paper 11 is a thermal paper, the thermal head 16 is moved down so that the paper 11 is directly pressed and sandwiched between the thermal head 16 and the platen 15.

If the paper 11 is plain paper, the paper 1
An ink ribbon (not shown) is supplied between the thermal head 16 and the thermal head 16, and the thermal head 16 is moved down to move the ink ribbon and the paper 11 to the platen 1.
5 and the thermal head 16. In this state, a plurality of heating elements (not shown) of the thermal head 16
A desired image can be printed on the paper 11 by selectively generating heat according to the print information and repeating the operation of moving the thermal head 16 in the print row direction of the arrow J direction.

When the image printing is completed on the print area 11b of the paper 11 shown in FIG. 6, the print area 11b on which the image is printed is located on the left side of the fixed blade 18 as shown in FIG. The planned cutting position of 11c is the fixed blade 18
Is aligned with the blade edge surface 18a. Next, the drive source 30
Is driven to pull the carriage 24 in the arrow J direction via the belt 28, the rotary blade 20 moves from the home position H along the fixed blade 18 while rotating. Simultaneously with this, the thermal head 16 is moved down, and the paper 11 is moved in the arrow J direction, which is the same direction as the carriage 24, from the initial position in the lower part of the figure in a state where the paper 11 is pressed against the platen 15. The thermal head 16, which is moved down when the paper 11 is cut off, does not energize the plurality of heating elements, so that the paper 11 does not develop color or the ink of the ink ribbon is not transferred to the paper 11.

Then, as shown in FIG.
When the sheet 4 is positioned at the movement end position S, the cut sheet M is separated from the sheet 11. At this time, the cut sheet M is cut off, and the front end portion 11d of the newly formed sheet 11 is separated.
Is the same as the cutting edge surface 18a of the fixed blade 18. After cutting the paper 11, the carriage 24 located at the movement end position S turns on the detection sensor 26 to detect that the cutting of the paper 11 is completed. Then carriage 2
4 is moved from the movement end position S in the direction of arrow K to the home position H, and the thermal head 1
6 heads up and returns to the initial position on the lower side in the drawing.

Then, the paper 11 from which the cut paper M has been cut off is returned in the direction of arrow G, and the print start position of the next print area is aligned with the thermal head 16.
In such a thermal printer equipped with the sheet cutting device of the present invention, when the sheet 11 is cut by the sheet cutting device 17, the sheet 11 being cut is pressed down by pressing down the thermal head 16 so that the sheet being cut is cut. The tip 11d newly formed by cutting can be linearly cleaned without the escape of 11. In the embodiment of the present invention,
Although it has been described that the thermal head 16 moved down in the same direction as the carriage 24 is moved while the paper 11 is being cut, the thermal head 16 may not be moved from the position where the head is down.

[0031]

As described above, in the thermal printer provided with the paper cutting device of the present invention, when the paper is cut by the paper cutting means, the thermal head is moved down to press the paper being cut. Therefore, the paper being cut does not escape from the rotary blade and the fixed blade of the paper cutting device, and the cut surface of the paper after cutting can be cut linearly and neatly.

Further, since the head-down thermal head is moved in the same direction as the carriage,
The cut surface of the paper after cutting can be cut more linearly and neatly.

Further, since the heat generating element is not energized when the thermal head is down, the pressure-contacted paper does not develop color or the ink of the ink ribbon is not transferred, and there is no risk of soiling the paper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of main parts of a thermal printer including a paper cutting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an essential part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the sheet cutting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of the paper cutting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the thermal printer including the paper cutting device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the thermal printer including the paper cutting device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the thermal printer including the paper cutting device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a thermal printer including a conventional paper cutting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 sheets 12 Paper stacking section 13 Paper feed roller 14 Pressure roller 15 Platen 16 thermal head 17 Paper cutting device 18 fixed blade 18a Edge surface 19 Rail member 20 rotary blades 21 flywheel 22 O-ring 23 Cutter axis 24 carriage 24a Cutter mounting part 24b First engaging portion 24c Second engaging portion 25 Guide member 25a Bent section 26 Detection sensor

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C058 AB01 AC06 AE04 AF06 AF51                       LA24 LA36 LB03 LB10 LB17                       LB35 LC11 LC18                 2C065 AA02 AC04 CZ09 CZ10 CZ11                       CZ12

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A paper, a thermal head capable of printing a desired image on the paper, and a paper cutting device capable of cutting the paper into a predetermined length, and the paper cutting device cuts the paper when the paper is cut. A thermal printer provided with a paper cutting device, wherein the thermal head is moved down to press the paper being cut. 2. The paper cutting device includes a long fixed blade, a rotary blade capable of cutting the paper by elastically contacting the fixed blade and moving along the fixed blade, and the rotary blade. A carriage that rotatably supports the moving head, while moving the carriage along the fixed blade while cutting the paper between the rotary blade and the fixed blade, the thermal head with the head down, 2. The carriage is moved in the same direction as the carriage.
A thermal printer comprising the sheet cutting device described. 3. The sheet according to claim 1, wherein the thermal head has a plurality of heating elements, and the thermal head is not energized when the head is down. A thermal printer equipped with a cutting device.