JP2003048335A - Mechanism for mounting/demounting head of thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable simple head mounting/demounting so as to replace thermal heads as consumables in a thermal printer. SOLUTION: A mechanism for mounting/demounting heads of the thermal printer has a rotatable mounting/demounting lever set to the side of a head substrate. A part of a head supporting plate is pressed by rotating the lever. Since the head substrate side slips out of the head supporting plate side through a relative movement to outcome a frictional resistance of a fitting part between a connector of the supporting plate side and a connector of the head side, the head can be mounted/demounted by the simple operation of rotating the mounting/demounting lever.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head attaching / detaching mechanism of a thermal printer in which a line type thermal head formed on a head substrate is brought into contact with and separated from a platen roller via a head holding plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional thermal printer, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-314952, a thermal head (a head substrate represented by 255 in the present invention) is substantially The head support plate (250) is attached to the head support plate by screws that are developed on the right side of the head support plate (250) without a reference numeral. ,

[0003]

Therefore, in order to replace the thermal head, which is a consumable item, a screwdriver is required as a tool, and the connector is fitted even after the screw is removed. An object of the present invention is to provide a head attaching / detaching mechanism that can be carried out by a simple operation without using a tool because it is difficult to pull out the thermal head from the plate.

[0004]

A female member fixed to a head support plate in a state in which the head substrate is attached / detached to / from the head support plate by inserting / removing in parallel, and the head substrate is inserted deeply into the head support plate. In a thermal printer in which a (male) connector and a male (female) connector fixed to the back side of the head substrate are in a stable fit, a state in which the middle part is pivotally supported on the back side of the head substrate and fits in the area of the head substrate. Then, a detachable lever is provided which can rotate about 90 ° and one end of which can be protruded from the area.

[0005]

When the attachment / detachment lever is housed in the area of the head substrate and one end of the lever is rotated by about 90 ° so as to protrude from the area, the other end of the lever is moved to the head support plate. When the head board is pulled out relatively from the head support plate so that the board side connector is disengaged from the support plate side connector by grasping one end side of the detachable lever, the head board is moved to the head. If the head substrate is inserted into the head support plate while the detachable lever is returned to the area of the head substrate, the connectors can be attached to and detached from the support plate.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a thermal head block in a thermal printer of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are perspective views showing the respective states of mounting and demounting the head as viewed from the opposite direction to FIG. 2 is a mounted state, FIG. 3 is an intermediate state, and FIG. 4 is a detached state.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a head operating shaft, both ends of which are held by bearings arranged in the printer body (not shown). Reference numeral 21 is a base of the operation plate, which is the head operation shaft 1
It is rotatable to 1 and is held so as to stop at a position where a hand is released, and also has stop holes 22 and 23.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a head operation plate, which is a flat plate portion 32 and side plate portions 33, 33 bent at both right and left ends of the flat plate portion 32.
(The side shape is different between the right side and the left side), and the side plate portion 33,
33, and support portions 34, 34 that are partly bent inward. Stop holes 35 are formed in one side plate portion 33, and shaft holes 36, 36 are formed in both side plate portions 33, 33, respectively. A locked pin 37 is attached to the other side plate portion 33, and a knob 38 is attached.

The head operation plate 31 is connected to the operation plate base 21 on the one hand by screws and nuts at the stop holes 22 and 35, and on the other hand, the stop hole 23 and the shaft holes 36 and 3.
The head actuating shaft 41 is cantilevered at a portion 6 by connecting the washer and the screw.

Reference numeral 51 designates a head support plate (a part of which is cut away in FIGS. 2 to 4 to show an inner part / member).
Then, the flat plate portion 52, the side plate portions 53 and 53 bent at the left and right ends of the flat plate portion 52, and the shelf portions 54 and 54 in which the left half viewed from the side plate portions 53 and 53 in FIG. In addition, a part of the side plate portion 53 on one side of the side where the shelf 54 is formed is cut out in an L-shape at the front side, and the remaining portion is formed as a hook portion 55 by bending.
Long holes 56, 56 are formed in front of the ends of the side plates 53, 53 on which the shelves 54, 54 are not formed.

The width between the outer sides of the both side plate portions 53, 53 of the head support plate 51 is determined by the side plate portions 33, 33 of the head operation plate 31.
Is shorter than the width between the inner sides of the
The distance in the thickness direction from the outer surface of the head operating plate 31 to the end surface of the side plate portion 53 that does not form a shelf is
2 is shorter than the distance from the inner surface of the support portion 34 to the inner surface of the supporting portion 34, and the head operating shaft 41 has the head operating plate 3
1, the head support plate 51 is disposed inside the head operation plate 31 while fitting the elongated holes 56, 56 with the operation shaft 41 together with the side plate portion 53 not forming the shelves 54, 54. , 53 are opposed to the inner surfaces of the supporting portions 34, 34, and the compression spring 43 arranged between the end portions of the supporting portions 34, 34 receives the action of the opposing portions in contact with each other.

Reference numeral 61 is a connector on the side of the support plate, which is packaged by a lower connector holder 62 and an upper connector holder 63, the whole of which is attached to the inner surface of the flat portion 52 of the head support plate 51, and the connector holder 6
A hook 64 is formed at 3. Further, 65 is a flexible substrate, and 66 is a connector for connection with a control circuit.

Reference numeral 71 denotes a head substrate on which a line type thermal head is formed on the lower surface side (front surface) of the figure, and a heat radiating plate 72 and a head side connector 73 are fixed to the upper surface side (rear surface).

Reference numeral 74 is a head mounting plate, which is a flat surface portion 75 and side plate portions 76, 76 bent at both right and left ends of the flat plate portion 75.
In addition, a bent portion 77 is formed side by side with one side plate portion 76, and the head substrate 71 is attached via the heat dissipation plate 72 at three points.

Reference numeral 81 denotes a head attaching / detaching lever, which is an operating portion 82.
The operating portion 83, the spring portion 84, the window portion 85 at the tip of the operating portion, and the step portion 86 on the back of the operating portion are formed, and the head mounting plate 74 is formed.
When the head substrate 71 is attached to the head substrate 71, the head substrate 71 is rotatably attached at one point (a pivot point 87) in the intermediate portion.

The width between the outer sides of the side plate portions 76, 76 of the head mounting plate 74 is sufficiently wider than the width of the head substrate 71, the heat radiating plate 72, and the space between the inner side portions of the side plate portions 53, 53 of the head support plate 51. The width from the flat surface 75 to the end surfaces of the side plate portions 76 and 76 is slightly smaller than the width of the flat surface 75, and is slightly smaller than the spatial distance from the inner surfaces of the flat surface portions 53 and 53 to the shelves 54 and 54 in the head support plate 51. The thickness is set to be thin (short), so that the head mounting plate 74 can be inserted into and removed from the head supporting plate 51.

Reference numeral 91 denotes a platen roller arranged at a fixed position of the printer main body, and a recording paper 96 shown for convenience is interposed between the platen roller and the thermal head.

In the state shown in FIG. 2, the head mounting plate 74 is inserted all the way into the head supporting plate 51, and the head substrate 71 is inserted inside.
The connector 73 fixed to the connector is fitted to the connector 61 on the support plate side.

The detachable lever 81 is used for the head mounting plate 7
4, the window portion 85 on the operating portion 82 side is fitted to the hook portion 55 of the head supporting plate 51 and the bent portion 77 of the head mounting plate 74, and the step portion 86 on the operating portion 83 side is fitted.
Is engaged with the hook 64 on the connector holder 63 attached to the head support plate 51, and the spring portion 8
4 is elastically contacted with 63 on the connector holder.

The attachment / detachment lever 81 is formed in consideration of the bending of the material so that the window portion 85 is closely fitted to the hook portion 55 in the clockwise direction and the step portion 86 is closely engaged to the hook 64 in the counterclockwise direction. However, the bending on the side of the operating portion 82 from the pivot 87 to the window 85 having a long distance, that is, the window 85
The spring portion 84 is elastically contacted with the connector holder upper portion 63 so as to ensure a tight coupling between the hook portion 55 and the hook portion 55.

When replacing the thermal head, which is a consumable component, when the head substrate 71 is removed from the head support plate 51, first in the state of FIG. , The window portion 85 and the hook portion 55 and the bent portion 77 are released from the close coupling, and then the tip end side of the operation portion 82 is lifted in the direction orthogonal to the rotation direction from the state, When the part 85 is disengaged from the hook part 55 and the bent part 77 and the hand is loosened, the horizontal bending of the operation part 82 is restored, and the window part 8 is released.
The frame portion (backward side in the horizontal direction) of 5 is placed on the end surfaces of the hook portion 55 and the bent portion 77.

When the tip end side of the operating portion 82 is re-picked and the attaching / detaching lever 81 is turned clockwise, the operating portion side protrudes from the area of the head substrate 71, while the step portion 86 disengages from the hook 64 and the operating portion 83. Starts pushing on the connector holder upper part 63 integrated with the head support plate 51, and the head mounting plate 74 starts to come off from the head support plate 51 relatively, and the intermediate state is FIG. Although frictional resistance acts on the fitting portion of the connector 73 on the side, the disengagement operation can be performed with a light feel by the principle of leverage.

Further, as the protruding amount of the operating portion 82 increases, the operating portion 82 becomes easier to grip, and the state in which the entire head mounting plate 74 is pulled out by rotating the detachable lever 81 by about 90 ° is shown in FIG.

The head substrate 71, the heat radiating plate 72 and the connector 73 are unit parts, and a new unit part is reattached to the head mounting plate 74 together with the attaching / detaching lever 81, and the head mounting plate 74 is mounted on the head supporting plate 51. Starting by inserting the mounting plate 74 into the support plate 51,
The procedure is reverse to that of FIGS. 4, 3 and 2.

The head mounting plate 74 shown in FIG. 2 is the head support plate 5.
In the state of being attached to No. 1, the detaching lever 81 on the head mounting plate 74 is bent, and the window portion 85 (rotation direction surface side) and the step portion 86 (opposite rotation surface side) on both sides of the pivot point 87. However, since the hook portion 55 and the hook 64 on the side of the head support plate 51 are locked at two places, the connection between the two is firm.

The head mounting plate 74 shown in FIG. 2 is the head supporting plate 5.
1 with reference to FIG. 1, the knob 38 is pushed down to rotate the entire head operation plate 31 by the operation shaft 11, and the thermal head on the surface of the head substrate 71 is inserted via the recording paper 96. When the platen roller 91 is pressed against the platen roller 91 and the locked pin 37 is locked by a locking member on the main body side (not shown), the printable state is obtained.

The thermal head is the platen roller 9
At a stage where the head operating plate 31 and the head supporting plate 51 are not in contact with the supporting member 34,
34 and the end faces of the side plate portions 53, 53 opposed thereto, but when the thermal head starts to make contact with the platen roller 91, only the head operation plate 31 is displaced and the contact portion is separated, and the compression spring. By further compressing 43, the thermal head is brought into pressure contact with the platen roller 91.

[0029]

According to the head attaching / detaching mechanism of the thermal printer of the present invention, a rotatable attaching / detaching lever is arranged on the head substrate side so that a part of the head supporting plate is pushed by the lever rotation. Side connector and head-side connector, the head board side is pulled out from the head support plate side by relatively displacing the friction resistance of the mating part, so the detachable lever is more convenient than the head board side is pulled out with fingers. It can be attached and detached by a simple operation of rotating. Moreover, no tools are required for the attachment / detachment work.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a thermal head block attaching / detaching mechanism in a thermal printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a head is attached and detached when viewed from the opposite direction of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the head is being attached and detached when viewed from the opposite direction of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a detached state of the head attached and detached when viewed from the opposite direction of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Head operating axis 21 ... Operation plate base 31 ... Head operation plate 32: Flat plate part 33 ... Side plate 34 ... Supporting part 37 ... Locked pin 38 ... picking 41 ... Working axis 43 ... compression spring 51 ... Head support plate 52 ... Flat part 53 ... Side plate 54 ... Shelf 55: Hook part 61 ... Connector 62 ... Below connector holder 63 ... on connector holder 64 ... Hook 71 ... Head substrate 72 ... Heat sink 73 ... Connector 74 ... Head mounting plate 75 ... Plane 76 ... Side plate 77 ... Bending section 81-Detachable lever 82 ... Operation unit 83 ... Actuator 85 ... Window 86 ... Step 87 ... pivot point 91 ... Platen roller 96 ... Recording paper 96

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A female (male) connector fixed to a head support plate in a state where the head substrate is attached / detached to / from the head support plate by inserting / removing in parallel, and the head substrate is inserted deeply into the head support plate. In a thermal printer in which a male (female) connector fixed to the back side of the head substrate is stably fitted, a detaching lever pivotally supported on the back side of the head substrate is provided with an intermediate portion, and the detaching lever is attached to the head substrate. When one end is held in the area and is rotated by about 90 ° so as to protrude from the area, the other end of the lever pushes a part of the head support plate and the substrate side A head attachment / detachment mechanism for a thermal printer, wherein the head substrate is relatively removed from the head support plate so that the connector is disengaged from the support plate side connector. 2. When the detachable lever is accommodated in the area of the head substrate, one side of the detachable lever and the other side of the rotatable direction are engaged by a part of the head support plate. 2. The thermal printer according to claim 1, wherein the rotation operation is performed by stopping the lever and deforming one end side of the lever in a direction orthogonal to the rotation direction to disengage the head support plate. Head attachment / detachment mechanism.