JP2003080749A - Printing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing unit for printing on the surface of a recording medium, capable of easily and efficiently cleaning a thermal head without using a cleaning cartridge. SOLUTION: In a printing unit for printing on the surface of an optical disc 6 supported by a tray 8 by contacting a thermal head therewith and moving the thermal head, the tray 8 comprises a recess part 13 and a placing base 14 stored detachably in the recess part 13. The placing base 14 has a placing surface for placing the optical disc 6 thereon. The placing surface is provided with an elastic member 15 and a thermal head cleaning member 16 separately in different areas such that the elastic member 15 and the cleaning member 16 can be disposed selectively at a position corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head by taking out the placing base 14 from the recess part 13 and changing the orientation thereof.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a CD-R (Compa
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for printing desired characters such as characters and symbols on a surface of a recording medium such as a ct disk recordable) by a printing unit using a thermal head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printing apparatus using a thermal head, an ink ribbon moves while making contact with the printing surface of the thermal head, and therefore ink residues and the like adhere to the printing surface of the thermal head and gradually become dirty.

Conventionally, in order to clean such dirt of the thermal head, a cleaning cartridge containing a tape of a cleaning material is mounted in a printing apparatus instead of a transfer cartridge containing an ink ribbon, A cleaning material tape is brought into contact with the printing surface of the thermal head and moved to remove dirt on the printing surface of the thermal head.

[0004]

However, in the method using the cleaning cartridge, the cleaning cartridge must be separately prepared, and the cleaning cartridge is mounted on the printing apparatus at the time of cleaning. Therefore, the cleaning work is troublesome and time-consuming.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus for printing on the surface of a recording medium which can easily and efficiently clean a thermal head without using a cleaning cartridge.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a supporting means for supporting a recording medium arranged at a predetermined position in an apparatus main body, and a surface of the recording medium supported by the supporting means. By contacting the thermal head via the ink ribbon and moving this thermal head,
A printing apparatus comprising a printing unit for printing on the surface thereof, wherein the supporting unit includes a holding unit and a mounting table movably provided on the holding unit, and the mounting table is the recording medium. Has a mounting surface on which is mounted, and in this mounting surface,
An elastic member and a cleaning member capable of cleaning the thermal head are provided in different areas.
The mounting table is characterized in that the elastic member and the cleaning member can be selectively arranged at a position corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head by moving with respect to the holding unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the mounting table according to the first aspect is provided so as to be attachable / detachable to / from the holding portion, and by changing the orientation of the mounting table by the attachment / detachment, the elastic member is attached to the thermal head. It is possible to switch between a state of arranging the cleaning member at a position corresponding to the movement range of the thermal head and a state of arranging the cleaning member at a position corresponding to the movement range of the thermal head.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the mounting table according to the first aspect is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the holding portion, and the elastic member is rotated by its rotation position to correspond to the moving range of the thermal head. It is possible to switch between a state of arranging the cleaning member and a state of arranging the cleaning member at a position corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the elastic member is made of a rubber material, and the cleaning member is made of a felt material.

[0010]

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

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the appearance of the entire printing apparatus. This printing apparatus is provided with a case 1 as the main body of the printing apparatus. The case 1 is made of synthetic resin and has a relatively thin and almost box shape. Is formed in.

An opening 2 is formed in a portion extending from the front surface to a part of the upper surface of the case 1, and the opening 2 is opened and closed by rotating the pin 2 vertically with a pin 3 as a fulcrum. The printer cover 4 is provided. At the normal time, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer cover 4 has the opening 2
And the opening 2 is closed.

The case 1 has a base 7 on the inner bottom thereof, and a tray 8 as a supporting means is provided on the base 7. On both sides of the base 7, guide walls 9 are integrally formed so as to stand upright and face each other.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the base 7 and the tray 8 are taken out from the case 1, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the tray 8 is removed from the base 7, and FIG. 5 shows a state in which the tray 8 is inverted. 6 shows a single state of the base 7, and FIG. 7 shows a partial planar structure of the tray 8. The guide wall 9 provided on the base 7 has a U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. A guide groove 10 is formed inside, and slide portions 11 on both side edges of the tray 8 are slidably fitted in the guide grooves 10, whereby the tray 8 extends along the guide groove 10. 1 can be moved in the front-back direction.

That is, the tray 8 moves from a predetermined storage position in the case 1 so as to project forward through the opening 2 at the lower side of the printer cover 4, and moves from the projected state into the case 1. Are arranged in a predetermined storage position.

A standing wall 12 is provided at the front end of the tray 8, and a circular concave portion 13 is formed as a holding portion at a portion of the upper surface of the tray 8 near the front end, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. A cylindrical boss 8 a that is integral with the tray 8 is formed to project at the center of the recess 13. And this recess 13
A circular mounting table 14 is removably housed therein, and the upper surface of the mounting table 14 is a disc-shaped optical disk 6 as a recording medium.
Is a mounting surface for mounting.

The boss 8a penetrates through the central portion of the mounting table 14 and projects to the upper surface side thereof, and the optical disk 6 has a circular hole 6a in the central portion, and the circular hole 6a is fitted into the boss 8a. Then, it is mounted on the mounting table 14.

On the upper surface of the mounting table 14, that is, on the mounting surface of the optical disk 6, an elastic member 15 made of, for example, a rubber material or a foamed rubber material for closely contacting the optical disk 6 is divided into two different areas, and will be described later. A cleaning member 16 made of, for example, a felt material for cleaning the thermal head is attached.

That is, the elastic member 15 is attached to a portion of the surface of the mounting table 14 which is approximately 2/3 of the surface of the mounting table 14, and the remaining elastic member 15
The cleaning material 16 is attached to the 1/3 region. The elastic member 15 and the cleaning material 16
Are formed in a sheet shape as shown in FIG. 8, and are attached on the mounting table 14 so that their upper surfaces are flush with each other.

1, 3 and 4, a band-shaped area surrounded by a broken line and having a reference symbol H is a tray 8 (a mounting table) in a state where the tray 8 is stored at a predetermined storage position in the case 1. 14) Shows the position of the print area where the thermal head at the print position moves above to perform printing. The printing region H is located along the standing wall 12 of the tray 8 closer to the front surface side of the case 1 than the boss 8a provided at the center of the circular recess 13 formed on the upper surface of the tray 8.

Then, the mounting table 14 is taken out of the recess 13 and the orientation thereof is changed, so that the elastic member 15 and the cleaning member 16 are selectively arranged in the printing area H corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head. You can do it.

Positioning projections 14a are integrally formed at two symmetrical locations on the opposite sides of the mounting table 14 and the projections 14a are formed on the periphery of the recess 13. Corresponding notches 13a are formed symmetrically to each other. Further, finger hooking grooves 13b are formed symmetrically to each other on the peripheral portion of the recess 13. These finger hooking grooves 13b are formed so as to be inclined toward the inner bottom surface of the recess 13 as shown in FIG.

In the mounting table 14, the projections 14a are fitted into the notches 13a at the peripheral edge of the recess 13 so that the tray 8 can be provided.
The rotation detent against is set and positioned. Then, the fingertip is hung on the peripheral edge of the mounting table 14 through the finger hanging groove 13b to take out the mounting table 14 from the inside of the recess 13 and rotate it 180 degrees about the horizontal direction, and again store the mounting table 14 in the recess 13 in that posture. , The projections 14a to the notch 13
By being fitted in a, the positional relationship between the elastic member 15 and the cleaning member 16 on the surface of the mounting table 14 can be reversed.

A standing wall 12 provided at the front end of the tray 8.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the inner surface of the upper part of the engaging claw 17
Is formed in a protruding manner, and an engaging hole 18 facing the engaging claw 17 is provided in the lower end portion of the printer cover 4.

When the tray 8 is placed at a predetermined storage position in the case 1 and the printer cover 4 is closed in the opening 2, the engaging claw 17 engages in the engaging hole 18. Thus, a cover locking unit that locks the printer cover 4 and prohibits its opening is configured.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of projecting pieces 19 are formed on the upper surface of the rear portion of the base 7, and coil springs 21 constituting the pushing mechanism 20 for the tray 8 are provided on the inner surfaces of the projecting pieces 19. A pushing piece 22 is attached to the tip of each of the coil springs 21.

A locking mechanism 25 for locking the tray 8 in a disengageable manner is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion of the base 7. The locking mechanism 25 includes a solenoid 26 and a locking lever 2 that rotates around a pin 27 in conjunction with the solenoid 26.
And a hook 28 at one end of the locking lever 28.
a is integrally formed, and this hook 28a engages with the protrusion 29 shown in FIG. 5 formed on the lower surface of the rear portion of the tray 8 in a disengageable manner.

When the tray 8 is pushed into the case 1 and is located at a predetermined storage position in the case 1, the rear edge of the tray 8 abuts on the pushing piece 22 of the pushing mechanism 20 so that the coil spring 21 is released. When the tray 8 is compressed, the projection 29 of the tray 8 engages with the hook 28a of the locking lever 28, and the engagement holds the tray 8 in the case 1 against the elastic force of the coil spring 21.

A locking mechanism 25 is provided at one end on the front surface of the case 1.
An eject button 30 for inputting a control signal for driving the solenoid 26 of the solenoid 2 is provided. By pressing the eject button 30 with a fingertip, the solenoid 2
6, the plunger of the solenoid 26 is attracted by this excitation, and the engaging lever 28 causes the locking lever 28 to move to the pin 2
7, the hook 28a is moved to the tray 8 by this rotation.
The tray 8 is disengaged from the projection 29, and the tray 8 is pushed forward by the elastic force of the coil spring 21 of the push-out mechanism 20 by a certain size in response to the release of the engagement. There is.

The tray 8 extruded by a certain size
The user can pull out the tray 8 further forward with his or her hand so that the tray 8 can be largely projected up to the maximum allowable distance on the front side of the case 1.

On the other hand, when the pulled-out tray 8 is pushed into the case 1, the rear edge of the tray 8 contacts the pushing piece 22, and when the tray 8 is pushed further, the coil spring 21 is pushed.
Is compressed, the projection 29 of the tray 8 is engaged with the hook 28a of the locking lever 28, and by this engagement, the tray 8 is
Is held at a predetermined storage position in the case 1 against the elastic force of the coil spring 21.

On the upper surface of the base 7, raised portions 33a, 33b, 33c for raising the tray 8 in response to the pushing of the tray 8 are provided.
As shown in FIG. 6, these convex portions 33a, 33b, 33c are provided so as to be dispersed in the front portion, the intermediate portion, and the rear portion of the upper surface of the base 7, and the front portions of these convex portions 33a, 33b, 33c are respectively provided. An inclined surface 34 that is inclined obliquely downward toward the front of the base 7 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of riding convex portions 35a, 35b, 35c corresponding to the convex portions 33a, 33b, 33c on the upper surface of the base 7 are formed on the lower surface of the tray 8 so as to project therefrom. . These protruding portions 35a, 3 for riding
The protruding heights of 5b and 35c are the same as the protruding heights of the raised protrusions 33a, 33b and 33c formed on the base 7.

When the tray 8 is pushed in, the riding convex portions 35a, 35b, 35c are climbed on the corresponding raised convex portions 33a, 33b, 33c using the inclined surface 34 as a guide. As a result, the tray 8 is displaced upward while keeping the horizontal state.

The timing when the protrusions 35a, 35b, 35c of the tray 8 ride on the protrusions 33a, 33b, 33c of the base 7 is immediately before the pushing of the tray 8 into the case 1 is completed. That is, the tray 8 is
When the tray 8 is pulled out to the front side of the case 1, the convex portions 35a, 35b are held at the lower level position, and the tray 8 moves toward the inside of the case 1 and immediately before the tray 8 is placed in a predetermined storage position in the case 1. , 35c are convex portions 33a, 33b, 3
It rides on 3c, is displaced from the lower level position to the upper level position, and is placed.

The slide portions 11 on both side edges of the tray 8 are
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a step 39 is formed midway in the longitudinal direction of the tray 8 in order to allow the tray 8 to be vertically displaced, and the step 39 causes the slide portion 11 to move toward the rear side of the tray 8. Is divided into a high-level section 11a having a high height and a low-level section 11b having a low height extending from the high-level section 11a to the front side of the tray 8.

When the tray 8 is pushed into the case 1 and is displaced upward, the high section 11a is moved to the guide groove 1
The upper surface of the lower part section 11b is separated from 0 and the guide groove 10
When the tray 8 is pulled out to the front of the case 1 and is displaced downward, the high-level section 11a enters the guide groove 10 and enters into the guide groove 10.
The upper surface of the la 1 is almost in contact with the upper surface of the guide groove 10, so that the rattling of the tray 8 can be suppressed in any of the states.

As shown in FIG. 6, stopper claws 41 are provided on the upper surface of the base 7 near the front portion. Then, when the tray 8 is pulled out forward, the convex portion 35c of the tray 8 abuts on the stopper claw 41, whereby the protruding movement range of the tray 8 is restricted within a predetermined allowable range and the tray 8 is separated from the base 7. It is supposed to be prevented.

On the other hand, a printing mechanism as a printing means is provided at a position near the front of the case 1 and above the tray 8. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a metallic printer frame 45 extending in the width direction of the case 1 across the tray 8 is attached.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 10, the printer frame 45 has a horizontal beam 46 and a guide shaft 47 installed in parallel below the horizontal beam 46 when facing the upper surface of the tray 8 with a space therebetween. A guide rail 48 and a rack 49 extending along the longitudinal direction are provided on the lower surface of the horizontal beam 46. And the guide shaft 47
The carriage 50 is movable with respect to the guide rail 48, and the cartridge mounting surface on the front surface thereof is the case 1
It is provided so as to face the opening 2.

A head cover 51 is integrally formed on the front surface of the carriage 50, which is a cartridge mounting surface, and the thermal head 81 is provided inside the head cover 51. The thermal head 81 is the head cover 51. Covered.

Further, in the carriage 50, a traveling drive mechanism for the carriage 50, a head moving mechanism for the thermal head 81, and a take-up mechanism for the ink ribbon for printing are provided. A rotatable stepping motor 52 is attached to the back surface of the carriage 50.

A ribbon cartridge 5 containing an ink ribbon 55 for printing is provided on the front surface of the carriage 50.
6 is detachably attached. The ribbon cartridge 56 includes a case 57, and a U-shaped recess 57a into which the head cover 51 is fitted is formed in the case 57.

As shown in FIG. 11, a ribbon supply core 58 and a ribbon take-up core 59 are provided in the case 57, and a roll of the ink ribbon 55 is mounted on the ribbon supply core 58 and fed out from this roll. Ink ribbon 5
5 is wound around the winding core 59 through a plurality of guide pins 60, and the ink ribbon 55 is sequentially wound around the winding core 59 in accordance with the normal rotation of the winding core 59. And the case 5 is in the middle of the ink ribbon 55.
7 is exposed outside and runs on the lower surface side of the recess 57a where the thermal head 81 is located.

The traveling drive mechanism, the head moving mechanism, and the ribbon winding mechanism provided in the carriage 50 will be described. Inside the carriage 50, an output gear 64 attached to the output shaft of the stepping motor 52 is arranged. The first gear 65a is meshed with the output gear 64, and the second gear 65b is coaxial with the first gear 65a.
Is provided, and the second gear 65b is provided with a third gear 65c.
Mesh with each other, and further, the fourth gear 6 is connected to the third gear 65c.
5d is meshed. A ribbon winding shaft 63 is provided coaxially with the rotation shaft of the fourth gear 65d via a one-way clutch (not shown).
3 projects forward from the cartridge mounting surface of the carriage 50, and the winding core 59 is engaged with the ribbon winding shaft 63 according to the mounting of the ribbon cartridge 56 on the cartridge mounting surface.

The third gear 65c meshes with the rack 49 so that the carriage 50 reciprocates along the guide rail 48 and the guide shaft 47 according to the forward and reverse rotation of the third gear 65c. Has become.

A cam gear 66 is provided in the carriage 50.
The cam gear 66 is provided with an arcuate cam groove 67 that is eccentric to the center of rotation. A swing clutch 68 is provided between the cam gear 66 and the output gear 64.

This swing clutch 68 is provided with an output gear 64.
The sun gear 69 meshed with the sun gear 69, and a pair of planet gears 71a, 71b meshed with the sun gear 69 and movably supported in the circumferential direction of the sun gear 69 via an arm 70. During normal rotation (clockwise rotation), one planetary gear 71a meshes with the cam gear 66 and the other planetary gear 71b separates from the cam gear 66, and the sun gear 69 rotates in the reverse direction (counterclockwise direction). At the time of rotation), one planetary gear 71a separates from the cam gear 66 and the other planetary gear 71b meshes with the cam gear 66.

Inside the carriage 50 is provided a head arm 75 which rotates in the vertical direction about a shaft 74. The head arm 75 is provided with a spring 76 stretched at one end of the head arm 75. The head arm 75 is elastically biased in the circumferential direction, and a pin 77 is provided near the one end of the head arm 75. The pin 77 is slidably inserted into the cam groove 67 of the cam gear 66.

A head holder 78 is attached to the other end of the head arm 75.
Is the head cover 5 protruding toward the front side of the carriage 50.
1 and is extended to the front side of the carriage 50 along the head cover 51, and the head base 80 is supported on the lower surface of the head holder 78 via a shaft 79. A thermal head 81 as a print head is attached, and the thermal head 81 is arranged so as to face the opening on the lower surface of the head cover 51.

In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 50 and the ribbon cartridge 56.
Is a printer cover 4 which is closed in the opening 2 of the case 1.
It is covered and protected by.

The thermal head 81 moves integrally with the carriage 50 along the guide shaft 47 and the guide rail 48, and printing is performed within the moving range of the thermal head 81. Then, the convex portion 33a of the base 7 and the tray 8 overlapping the convex portion 33a
The convex portion 35a is provided at a position corresponding to the printing area, which is a portion that receives a pressing force from the thermal head 81.

That is, the convex portions 33a and 35a are arranged directly below the thermal head 81. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the convex portions 33a and 35a are provided so as to extend over a section of the stroke range S of movement of the thermal head 81.

In this way, in particular, by providing the convex portion 35a at the back surface position of the tray 8 corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head 81, the tray 8 is reinforced by the convex portion 35a at the portion to which the thermal head 81 exerts a force. Therefore, the entire tray 8 does not necessarily have to have a robust structure.

Although not shown, a circuit board having a control circuit for controlling the solenoid 26, the motor 52, the thermal head 81, etc. is provided at the rear of the case 1, and the power jack and the USB jack are provided at the back of the case 1. Is provided. When using the printing device, connect the power cable to the power jack to supply power.
A personal computer is connected to the printing apparatus by inserting a USB cable into the B jack.

In the printing apparatus, the tray 8 is normally stored in a predetermined storage position in the case 1, the elastic member 15 on the mounting table 14 is located below the carriage 50 as a printing unit, and the opening 2 is formed. Is closed by the printer cover 4, and the opening of the printer cover 4 is blocked by the engagement between the engaging claw 17 and the engaging hole 18.

When using the printer from this state,
A power cable is connected to the power jack of the printing device to supply power, and a USB cable is inserted into the USB jack to connect a personal computer to the printing device.

Then, the eject button 30 of the printing apparatus is pressed, or the eject toggle of the dedicated application on the screen of the personal computer is clicked. In response to this, the locking lever 28 is rotated by the drive of the solenoid 26,
The hook 28a and the projection 29 of the tray 8 are disengaged from each other, and the tray 8 is projected to the front side of the case 1 by a certain size by the elastic force of the coil spring 21 by the pushing mechanism 20.

Then, the tray 8 protruding by a certain size is
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the user manually pulls the case 1 to the front side to the maximum allowable distance.
At this time, the convex portion 35c of the tray 8 hits the stopper claw 41 of the base 7, whereby the length of pulling out the tray 8 is regulated within the allowable maximum distance, and the tray 8 is prevented from being detached from the case 1.

After the tray 8 is pulled out, as shown in FIG. 2, under the condition that the elastic member 15 on the mounting table 14 is arranged at the position corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head 81, the mounting table 14 is placed. An optical disk 6 as a recording medium is placed on the above. At this time, the circular hole 6a at the center of the optical disk 6
Is fitted to the boss 8a protruding to the upper surface side of the mounting table 14 and positioned.

An elastic member 15 is attached to the surface of the mounting table 14, so that the optical disk 6 is firmly fixed to the mounting table 14 while being in close contact with the elastic member 15.

After mounting the optical disk 6 on the mounting table 14, the tray 8 is manually pushed into the case 1. As a result of this pushing, the protrusion 29 of the tray 8 causes the locking lever 28 to move.
The tray 8 is held at a predetermined storage position in the case 1 by engaging with the hook 28a of the tray.

Next, the print contents are designated by the dedicated application on the personal computer, and the print toggle is clicked. In response to this, the printing operation is started, and characters such as predetermined characters and symbols are printed in a predetermined printing range on the surface of the optical disc 6.

The operation during printing will be described. First, when the printing operation is on standby, as shown in FIG. 11A, the head arm 75 in the carriage 50 is held in a substantially horizontal state, and the thermal head 81 causes the optical disk 6 to move. Is placed at a print standby position that is separated from the surface of the sheet by a certain distance. Further, the carriage 50 is stopped at the home position position set near the right end of the movement range.

In this state, the motor 52 is driven in the normal direction, and the output gear 64 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction). The rotational power of the output gear 64 is transmitted to the first, second, third, and fourth gears 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d.
Then, the counterclockwise rotation of the third gear 65c meshing with the rack 49 moves the carriage 50 to the right along the guide shaft 47 and the guide rail 48, and further the rotation of the fourth gear 65d causes the carriage 50 to move. The ribbon take-up shaft 63 rotates integrally with the ribbon take-up direction and engages with the ribbon take-up shaft 63.
The take-up core 59 in 6 rotates, and the ink ribbon 55 is sequentially taken up by the take-up core 59 by the rotation of the take-up core 59 and runs.

In parallel with this operation, the sun gear 69 of the swing clutch 68 is driven and rotated by the rotation of the output gear 64, and one planetary gear 71a is moved to the cam gear 66 according to the rotation of the sun gear 69. Approaching that cam gear 6
6, the rotational power of the sun gear 69 is transmitted to the cam gear 66 by this engagement, and the cam gear 66 rotates in the forward direction (clockwise direction).

When the cam gear 66 rotates in the forward direction, the pin 77 in the cam groove 67 moves upward together with the head arm 75. Then, the head arm 75 that moves integrally with the pin 77 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 74, and this rotation causes the thermal head 81 to move downward and horizontally as shown in FIG. 11B. Lean against.

A missing portion (not shown) is formed in a part of the peripheral edge of the cam gear 66, and when the cam gear 66 rotates by a certain angle, the planet gear 71 is formed in the missing portion.
a is depressed and idles, so that the thermal head 81
Is maintained at a printing position where it maintains a predetermined inclination angle and contacts the surface of the optical disc 6 with the ink ribbon 55 interposed therebetween. At this time, the thermal head 81 comes into contact with the surface of the optical disc 6 with a predetermined pressure by the elastic force of the spring 76.

When the motor 52 is further driven in the normal direction, the planetary gear 71a is positioned in the missing portion, so that the thermal head 81 is kept at the printing position and the carriage 50 moves rightward while the carriage 50 moves. The winding drive is performed.

At the same time as the movement of the carriage 50 and the winding operation of the ink ribbon 55, the ink of the ink ribbon 55 is sequentially melted by the heat generation drive of the heating element of the thermal head 81 based on the print data, and the surface of the optical disk 6 is melted. Characters such as predetermined characters and symbols are thermally transferred and printed along the moving direction of the carriage 50 (thermal head 81).

At this time, the optical disk 6 is firmly fixed to the mounting table 14 by being in close contact with the elastic member 15, so that the optical disk 6 may be displaced on the mounting table 14 during the printing operation. It is surely prevented, and therefore, clear and proper characters such as characters and symbols can be always printed without causing ink deviation. Further, the pressure when the thermal head 81 comes into contact with the surface of the optical disc 6 is buffered by the elastic member 15, so that the optical disc 6 is prevented from being damaged.

At the time of printing, the tray 8 on which the optical disk 6 is placed has the convex portions 33a, 33b, 33 overlapping each other.
It is horizontally supported by c, 35a, 35b and 35c. And among them, the convex portions 33a, 3 that overlap each other
5a is provided at a position corresponding to the print area by the thermal head 81 so as to extend along the print area. Therefore, even if the tray 8 is pressed by the thermal head 81, the deformation of the tray 8 is surely performed. Proper printing is prevented.

After the printing is completed, the motor 52 is driven in the clockwise direction in the reverse direction, and the output gear 64 rotates in the opposite direction. By the reverse rotation of the output gear 64, the third gear 65c also reversely rotates in the clockwise direction, and the reverse rotation of the third gear 65c causes the carriage 50 to move in the reverse direction (leftward) along the guide shaft 47 and the guide rail 48. To return to the home position.

Since the fourth gear 65d is connected to the winding core 59 of the ribbon winding shaft 63 via a one-way clutch, the reverse rotation operation of the fourth gear 65d is transmitted to the ribbon winding shaft 63. Therefore, the ink ribbon 55 is not wound up.

At the same time, the sun gear 69 of the swing clutch 68 reversely rotates due to the reverse rotation of the output gear 64, and the reverse rotation of the sun gear 69 causes one planetary gear 71a to move away from the cam gear 66 and the other planetary gear 71a. 71b approaches and meshes with the cam gear 66, and by this meshing, the rotational power of the sun gear 69 is transmitted to the cam gear 66 and the cam gear 66 rotates in the reverse direction.

By the reverse rotation of the cam gear 66, the pin 77 in the cam groove 67 moves downward together with the head arm 75. The head arm 75 that moves integrally with the pin 77 rotates clockwise around the shaft 74 in FIG. 11, and this rotation moves the thermal head 81 upward and away from the surface of the optical disk 6, 75 returns to the original horizontal state.

A cutout portion (not shown) is formed in a part of the peripheral edge of the cam gear 66 so as to correspond to the planet gear 71b. The cam gear 66 rotates by a certain angle and the thermal head 81 waits for printing. When returning to the position, the planetary gear 71b falls into the missing portion so as to idle. After the planet gear 71b is located in the missing part,
Due to the reverse drive of the motor 52, only the carriage 50 moves in the reverse direction (left direction) while the thermal head 81 is held at the print standby position. Then, after this, the tray 8 is automatically ejected and protrudes to the front side of the case 1.

By repeating such a printing process, the entire length of the effective length of the ink ribbon 55 is wound around the winding core 59 of the ribbon cartridge 56, and the ink ribbon 5
When 5 is consumed, the ribbon cartridge 56 is replaced with a new ribbon cartridge 56.

When replacing the ribbon cartridge 56, the eject button 30 is operated to cause the tray 8 to project to the front of the case 1, and the tray 8 is manually pulled out to the front side of the case 1 to the maximum allowable distance.

When the tray 8 is arranged at a predetermined storage position in the case 1, the engaging claws 17 of the upright wall 12 of the tray 8 are engaged with the engaging holes 18 in the lower portion of the printer cover 4, and the printer is closed. The cover 4 is prevented from being opened, so that the carriage 50 is stored during storage of the printing apparatus or during printing operation.
And the ribbon cartridge 56 is covered and protected by the printer cover 4.

Further, unless the tray 8 is pulled out forward, the printer cover 4 is prevented from being opened independently, so that the ribbon cartridge 56 cannot be exchanged right above the tray 8 on which the optical disk 6 is mounted. Therefore, the surface of the optical disk 6 will not be damaged when the cartridge is replaced.

On the other hand, when the tray 8 is pulled out to the front of the case 1, the engaging claw 17 is moved to the engaging hole 18
The printer cover 4 is released from the lock state. Therefore, when the tray 8 is pulled out to the front of the case 1 when replacing the revolving cartridge 56, the printer cover 4 is rotated upward as shown in FIG. 1 after the pulling out to open the opening 2 to open the carriage 50 and the ribbon cartridge. 56 is exposed to the outside.

Under this condition, the carriage 50
The consumed ribbon cartridge 56 is pulled out toward the front side and pulled out from the front surface of the carriage, and a new ribbon cartridge 56 is mounted on the front surface of the carriage 50 in place of the ribbon cartridge 56.

In this mounting, the recess 57a of the ribbon cartridge 56 is fitted to the outer periphery of the head cover 51 protruding to the front surface of the carriage 50 except the lower surface, and the ink ribbon 55 exposed below the recess 57a. Is inserted into the gap between the head cover 51 and the tray 8 so as to be attached.

When the tray 8 is pulled out to the front of the case 1, the convex portions 35a, 35b, 35c of the tray 8 are separated from the upper surfaces of the convex portions 33a, 33b, 33c of the base 7 and the tray 8 is at a lower level. Since the carriage 50 and the tray 8 are in the lowered state, the distance between the carriage 50 and the tray 8 is relatively large, and therefore, the ribbon cartridge 56 can be easily and efficiently attached to the carriage 50.

In particular, the recess 57 of the ribbon cartridge 56.
Even when the ink ribbon 55 exposed on the lower surface of a is easily inserted between the thermal head 81 (head cover 51) and the tray 8 and the ink ribbon 55 is slightly loosened, , The ink ribbon 55 to the tray 8 and the thermal head 81 (head cover 5
It can be inserted smoothly without being scratched by 1).

Even when the ribbon cartridge 56 is replaced with the optical disk 6 placed on the mounting table 14 of the tray 8, contact between the optical disk 6 and the ribbon cartridge 56 is avoided and the surface of the optical disk 6 is avoided. The ribbon cartridge 56 can be smoothly replaced without damaging the.

Further, since the tray 8 is pulled out to the maximum distance, the standing wall 12 at the front end portion thereof is in a state of being largely retracted from the carriage 50,
Therefore, the standing wall 12 at the front end portion of the tray 8 does not get in the way, and the ribbon cartridge 56 can be easily replaced.

On the other hand, when the optical disk 6 is printed, when the tray 8 is pushed into the case 1 and placed at a predetermined storage position, the convex portions 35a, 35b, 35c of the tray 8 are placed.
Rides on the respective convex portions 33a, 33b, 33c of the base 7 and the tray 8 is held at the upper level position. Therefore, the distance between the optical disc 6 on the tray 8 and the carriage 50 is narrowed, and the optical disc 6 The surface approaches and faces the thermal head 81.

Therefore, the moving distance of the thermal head 81 which moves from the print standby position to the print position by the rotation operation of the head arm 75 during printing can be reduced, and the length dimension of the head arm 75 can also be reduced. be able to. Since the length of the head arm 75 can be reduced, the carriage 50 can be downsized.

By repeating printing, the thermal head 8
When ink dirt, dust or the like adheres to the print surface of No. 1 and becomes dirty, first, the tray 8 is pulled out to the front side of the case 1 to the maximum allowable distance.

Then, the finger hanging groove 13b on the upper surface of the tray 8 is formed.
Then, the mounting table 14 is taken out of the recess 13 by hanging a fingertip on the periphery of the mounting table 14 from the recess 13, the mounting table 14 taken out is rotated 180 degrees horizontally to reverse its direction, and the mounting table 14 is repositioned again in this position. Store inside. At this time, the protrusion 14a of the mounting table 14 is inserted into the notch 13a of the tray 8 and positioned.

Further, the printer cover 4 is opened, the ribbon cartridge 56 is removed from the front surface of the carriage 50,
After this removal, the printer cover 4 is closed again.

Next, the tray 8 is pushed into the case 1 and placed at a predetermined storage position. As a result, the mounting table 14 on the tray 8 has its orientation reversed, so that the cleaning member 16 of the mounting table 14 is arranged at the position of the printing area H of the thermal head 81.

After that, the cleaning operation is started.
This cleaning operation is performed in the same manner as the above-mentioned printing operation by driving the motor 52 to rotate in the normal direction.
Is moved toward the tray 8 and brought into pressure contact with the surface of the cleaning member 16 to move on the surface of the cleaning member 16.

In this cleaning operation, similarly to the printing operation, the thermal head 81 is moved to the printing position and the printing standby position, and the carriage 5 on which the thermal head 81 is mounted.
Although 0 is moved, the heating element of the thermal head 81 is not driven to generate heat because printing is not performed.

By this cleaning operation, the ink residue, dust and the like adhering to the printing surface on which the heating element of the thermal head 81 is disposed are removed and cleaned.

In this printing apparatus, it is possible to selectively set a printing mode for performing a printing operation and a cleaning mode for performing a cleaning operation, and the control unit of the printing apparatus responds to the set operation mode. As described above, different controls are performed on the printing mechanism.

After cleaning, the tray 8 is pulled out, the mounting table 14 is inverted again, and the ribbon cartridge 56 is mounted on the front surface of the carriage 50.

In the above-described embodiment, the mounting table 14 is detachably provided in the recess 13 of the tray 8, and the orientation of the mounting table 14 is changed at the time of mounting and demounting, so that the cleaning member 16 on the mounting table 14 is thermally removed. Although the elastic member 15 is arranged at the position of the print area H corresponding to the moving range of the head 81, or the elastic member 15 is arranged at the position of the print area H corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head 81, it is not limited to such a configuration. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 as the second embodiment, the mounting table 14 can be rotatably provided and the positions of the elastic member 15 and the cleaning member 16 can be changed by the rotation operation thereof. Is.

That is, in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the mounting table 1 is mounted on the holding portion on the upper surface of the tray 8.
4 is rotatably provided via a shaft 8a.
The elastic member 15 and the cleaning member 16 are attached to the mounting surface of the upper surface of the No. 4 in two different areas.

A part of the mounting table 14 is exposed from the front surface of the tray 8 to the outside thereof, and a fingertip is hung on the exposed portion of the mounting table 14.
Can be rotated from the outside. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a pair of notches 14b are formed on the peripheral surface of the mounting table 14 on opposite sides, and a positioning lever 36 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the notches 14b. Is rotatably attached to the tray 8 via a pin 37. The lever 36 is a pin 37
It is elastically urged in the counterclockwise direction by a spring 38 mounted on the mounting table 14, and the lever 36 engages with one of the notches 14b in accordance with the rotation of the mounting table 14 so that the mounting table 14 is in a predetermined position. It is designed to be positioned at.

At the time of printing, the mounting table 14 is rotated to dispose the elastic member 15 at the position of the printing area H corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head 81, and printing is performed on the optical disk 6 in this state. Further, when cleaning the thermal head 81, the mounting table 14 is rotated 180 degrees from the state at the time of printing to dispose the cleaning member 16 at the position of the printing region H corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head 81. In this state, the thermal head 81 To clean.

Positions of the mounting table 14 during printing and cleaning are determined by engagement of the lever 16 and the notch 14b.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the supporting means for supporting the recording medium is provided so as to be movable from the inside of the apparatus main body to the outside, but the supporting means is fixedly provided in the inside of the apparatus main body. This may be the case.

[0106]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the elastic member and the cleaning member are provided on the mounting table on which the recording medium is mounted, the mounting table is moved to move the elastic member and the cleaning member. By simply changing the position, you can easily and efficiently clean the thermal head without the need for preparing a separate cleaning cartridge or mounting the cleaning cartridge in the printing unit one by one. .

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the mounting table is detachably provided on the holding portion, the position of the elastic member and the cleaning member can be easily and efficiently changed only by changing the orientation of the mounting table by the mounting and demounting. Can be changed.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the mounting table is rotatably provided on the holding portion, the positions of the elastic member and the cleaning member can be easily and efficiently changed only by the rotation operation. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall appearance of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical disk as a recording medium is mounted on the printing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a base and a tray of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tray.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the tray inverted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a base of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a part of the tray of the printing apparatus.

8 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

9 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing a support structure of a carriage and a ribbon cartridge of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the internal structures of a carriage and a ribbon cartridge of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of a printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 14 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the printing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Case (apparatus body) 6 ... Optical disc (recording medium) 8 ... Tray (supporting means) 10 ... Guide groove 11 ... Slide part 13 ... Recessed portion (holding portion) 14 ... Mounting table 15 ... Elastic member 16 ... Cleaning member 30 ... Eject button 50 ... Carriage 52 ... Stepping motor 55 ... Ink ribbon 56 ... Ribbon cartridge 81 ... Thermal head

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A supporting means for supporting a recording medium arranged at a predetermined position in the apparatus main body, and a thermal head is brought into contact with the surface of the recording medium supported by the supporting means via an ink ribbon, A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints on the surface by moving the thermal head, wherein the supporting unit includes a holding unit and a mounting table movably provided on the holding unit. The mounting table has a mounting surface on which the recording medium is mounted, and on the mounting surface, elastic members and cleaning members capable of cleaning the thermal head are provided in different areas. The mounting table allows the elastic member and the cleaning member to be selectively arranged at positions corresponding to the moving range of the thermal head by moving with respect to the holding unit. Printing apparatus according to claim Rukoto. 2. A state in which the mounting table is detachably attached to the holding section, and the elastic member is arranged at a position corresponding to a moving range of the thermal head by changing the direction by the mounting and demounting. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is possible to switch to a state in which the cleaning member is arranged at a position corresponding to a moving range of the thermal head. 3. The mounting table is rotatably provided with respect to the holding part, and a state in which the elastic member is arranged at a position corresponding to a moving range of the thermal head by the rotation operation thereof, and the cleaning member are arranged. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is possible to switch to a state in which the thermal head is arranged at a position corresponding to a moving range of the thermal head. 4. The elastic member is made of a rubber material,
The printer according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cleaning member is made of a felt material.