JP2003159843A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To contrive the arranging position of a sheet sensor for setting an accurate print start position of a sheet in a portable printer. <P>SOLUTION: A section for containing sheets 4 in a sheet package while stacking, a separation roller block 12 and a pickup roller for carrying a sheet while separating, and a print mechanism section 7 comprising a thermal head 8, a platen roller 9 and a paper guide 10 are disposed in a body case 2. A sheet sensor 50 is disposed on the downstream side of the paper guide 10 in the carrying direction and on the upstream side of a heater part 8a in the carrying direction on the lower surface of the thermal head 8 secured to the lower surface of a supporting plate 51 in order to detect the forward end of the sheet 4 being carried and to deliver a print start signal to the thermal head 8 at a specified timing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small-sized printer such as a portable printer, and more particularly, to a front end portion of a print medium such as paper for enabling proper printing timing by the printer. The present invention relates to a configuration provided with a sensor for detecting a sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, due to the shift to mobile, miniaturized information devices such as notebook computers (personal computers) and portable information terminal devices have become widespread. With this,
There has also been a demand for a printer device that is thin and compact, which is convenient to carry.

Therefore, the present applicant has previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-2001.
No. 141717, a paper package containing a plurality of sheets of paper (medium to be printed) is set in a sheet containing section in a main body case of a small flat printer device, and a pickup roller in the sheet containing section is set. The sheets separated by the cooperation of the separation block are conveyed between the thermal head and the rotationally driven platen in the printing mechanism located on the downstream side of the conveyance to perform printing, and then the main body case I proposed the one configured to eject from the paper ejection port.

In this case, in order to determine the print start position on the paper at the location of the thermal head, a paper detection sensor is provided at the location of the separation block, and the leading edge of the paper conveyed by the paper detection sensor is detected. From that point, the platen roller was rotationally driven by a predetermined amount so that the print start position of the paper faced the heating element array of the thermal head.

[0005]

However, depending on the type of paper and the like, slippage may occur between the platen roller and the conveying means. Therefore, when the platen roller is rotated by the predetermined amount, the thermal head is rotated. The print start position of the paper does not face the print part (heating element part) in the above, and the print start position varies, and in the worst case, there is a problem such as the print start without the paper reaching. It was

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer device in which the arrangement position of the paper detection sensor is devised so as to reduce the variation in the print start position. Is.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a printer apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a printer case in which a medium to be printed is accommodated in a stacked state in a main body case, and the sheet container. A printer device having a cover body that is capable of abutting against a print-receiving medium housed in a printing section, and a printing mechanism section that prints on the print-receiving medium, and has a lid that can open and close the paper storage section. A sheet detection sensor is provided on either the thermal head that is pressed against the platen in the printing mechanism section or its support or the flexible flat cable connected to the thermal head.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printer apparatus according to the first aspect, the sensor for detecting the sheet is arranged in the vicinity of the heating element portion of the thermal head and on the upstream side of the sheet conveying path. It was done.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the sensor for detecting the sheet is a non-contact type optical sensor.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the printer apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the sensor for detecting the sheet is arranged in the vicinity of the sheet discharge port of the print medium. It has been done.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a small portable printer will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic structure of the printer device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The printer device 1 has an A6 size or A7 size in plan view and an upper surface open box type main body case 2 having a thickness of about 1 cm or less, and a fixed cover body 3 on one side of the upper surface. In the main body case 2 except for the fixed cover body 3, a paper storage unit 6 capable of storing a paper package 5 (see FIG. 3) in which a plurality of papers 4 as cut sheet-shaped print target media made of thermal paper are stored. Are formed. In the vicinity of the lower surface side of the fixed cover body 3,
A thermal head 8 as a printing mechanism section 7, which will be described in detail later,
Platen roller 9 as a platen, paper guide 1
0, a pickup roller 11 as a sheet separating unit, a separation block 12 and the like are arranged. Separation block 1
A guide locking surface 121, which is inclined with respect to the paper feeding direction of the pickup roller 11, is formed on the second roller 2. Then, the sheet storage section 6 is covered with a lid body 13 which can be opened and closed via an opening / closing support means 14 which is rotatable and slidable on the body case side.

The rotation fulcrum of the lid 13 is slidably provided along the upper surface of the main body case 2 between the locked position shown in FIG. 5A and the unlocked position shown in FIG. 5B. .
The lid 13 can be turned up and down when the turning fulcrum is in the unlocked position.

The thermal head 8 is a line head type, and prints characters and images on each line extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the thermosensitive paper 4 which is sandwiched between the platen roller 9 and conveyed. can do. The print width when printing one line is set to be substantially equal to the paper width of the paper 4 in the orthogonal direction. The thermal head 8 and the platen roller 9 have a length in the short side direction of the sheet 4 of A6 size or A7 size. The thermal head 8 is used as the print head because the thermal paper is used as the print medium, ink and ink ribbon consumables are not required, and the mechanism therefor can be omitted, and the printer device 1 can be made compact. Is.

Various types of heat-sensitive paper, such as a heat-sensitive color-developing type having a color-developing layer that develops color when the thermal head 8 is heated, a heat-sensitive perforating type in which a perforation layer that is perforated by heating is laminated on a substrate layer, and the like. Can be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, on the bottom plate 6a of the sheet storage section 6, an optical sensor section 6 for detecting an identification mark (not shown) provided on the outer surface of the sheet package 5.
b, the size and type of the paper 4 in the paper package 5 set in the paper storage unit 6 is determined by the control device (microcomputer) in the printer device 1 from the detection result of the identification mark. It is stored in the memory and the operation of the thermal head 8 is controlled.

Further, a transparent plate is formed from the inner surface side of the lid body 13 in a hole formed in the lid body 13 in the width direction of the sheet 4 on the side farther from the paper discharge port 20 of the sheet 4 (see FIG. (Not shown)
The 1st display part 40 which adheres is provided (refer FIG. 1).
As a result, the size and paper type of the paper 4 in the display mark portion 41 printed on the outer surface of the paper package 5 set in the paper storage unit 6 (for example, the type of the thermal paper, the color of the paper, the material, etc.). The letters and symbols such as
It can be observed through the display unit 40.

Further, since the paper package 5 is set in the paper storage portion 6 of the main body case 2 and can be carried while being covered with the lid 13, it is not bulky. The lid 13
Since the display mark portion 41 can be seen from the outside of the body through the first display portion 40 covered with the transparent plate, it is possible to surely avoid inconveniences such as dust entering the main body case 2 and causing a failure. It can be avoided.

Further, a window portion 44, which is a notch formed in the plate of the lid body 13, is provided at a position near one side of the lid body 13 near the rotation fulcrum side, while a plurality of light transmitting portions are provided to the surface portion of the main body case 2. The transparent window portions 43, 43 and a plurality of Ls arranged to face the lower surface side (inside the main body case 2) of the transparent window portions 43, 43.
A second display section 42 including the ED lamps 42a and 42b is provided (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 (a)). In the second display section 42, the LED lamps 42a, 42b are lit, turned off, and blinked to distinguish the ON / OFF state of the power source of the printer device 1 and at the time of printing (printing) and non-printing (non-printing).
It is possible to know the operating state such as distinction from time.

In that case, as shown in FIG. 1, when the sheet 4 discharged from the sheet discharge port 20 described later is in a state of being overlapped with the surface of the lid body 13, the arrangement position of the second display portion 42 is changed. ,
If the sheet 4 is located at a position offset outward in the width direction, the discharged sheet 4 does not cover the second display portion 42, and the operating state of the printer can be constantly checked.

The first display section 40 and the second display section 4 are also provided.
If 2 and 2 are arranged on the same side surface such as the side where the lid 13 is arranged, the user can easily change the position from one direction of the printer device 1.
You can observe one display at the same time, and save yourself the trouble of finding multiple displays.

A pickup roller 11 and a separation block 12 are disposed on the side of the sheet storage section 6 near the printing mechanism section 7 (FIGS. 5A and 5B).
reference). The paper package 5 accommodated in the paper accommodating portion 6 is provided with a bottom plate 6a of the paper accommodating portion 6 via a biasing means 15 such as a leaf spring provided on the inner surface side of the main body of the closed lid 13.
Is urged towards. Of the stacked sheets 4 in the sheet package 5, the sheet 4 exposed outside the sheet package 5
The (lowermost sheet) is abutted and urged against the upper surface of the pickup roller 11. Due to the cooperation of the rotational driving of the pickup roller and the guide locking surface 121 of the separation block 12, only the lowermost sheet 4 passes through the gap between the lower end of the separation block 12 and the guide plate 17. The platen roller 9 is rotatably provided adjacent to the separation block 12, and the paper guide 10 is biased to the outer peripheral surface thereof by a biasing means 16 such as a pressing coil spring. Pickup roller 12
By the guide locking surface 121, the single sheet 4 separated and conveyed from the sheet package 5 is conveyed between the platen roller 9 and the paper guide 10. Paper guide 10
Is formed on the sliding contact surface 10a having a concave curved shape such as a generally U-shaped cross section so that its cross section is along the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9.

The paper guide 10 and the lower surface of the thermal head 8 which is arranged above the paper guide 10 so as to be rotatable around the rotation pivot support portion P and which can be brought into contact with and separated from the printing position on the upper surface of the platen roller 9. Thus, the sheet 4 separated and conveyed from the sheet accommodating portion 6 is conveyed while being inverted in a lateral U-shape and conveyed to the printing position. A paper discharge port 2 that is printed on the upper surface of the paper 4 by the thermal head 8 and is a gap between the upper surface of the separation block 12 and the edge of the fixed cover body 3.
The sheet is discharged from 0 to the outside of the lid 13 (see FIG. 5).
(See (a)). The thermal head 8 has a coil spring (urging means) 19 on its back surface (upper surface side), which is urged to the platen roller 9 side, so that the thermal head 8 has a printing portion (heating element portion 8a). Is the platen roller 9
Abut the upper surface of.

The drive mechanism for the platen roller 9 and the pickup roller 11 is a drive motor arranged on one inner surface along the long side of the main body case 2 (in the embodiment, the right side in the transport direction of the sheet 4 shown in FIG. 2). 22 and a gear transmission mechanism (gear train) 23 (see FIG. 6B). The diameter of the platen roller 9 is larger than the diameter of the pickup roller 11, and the sheet conveyance speed at the platen roller 9 is set to be higher than the sheet conveyance speed at the pickup roller 11 so that the pickup roller 11 and the separation block 12 are separated. The paper is separated slowly, and the paper is conveyed by the platen roller 9, and the printing speed is increased. To this end, a pair of rotating bodies that rotate in opposition to each other are provided in the gear train, a protrusion is provided on each rotating surface, and when one rotating body is rotated in conjunction with the platen roller 9, the protrusions are also formed. A rotation transmission unit is provided which is rotated and engages the protrusion on the other rotating body to delay and rotate the other rotating body.
Pickup roller 11 rotated with the other rotating body
When the sheet 4 conveyed from the platen roller 9 reaches the platen roller 9, the peripheral speed of the platen roller 9 is changed to the pickup roller 11
Since the rotational speed is higher than the peripheral speed, the drive connection via the protrusion of the rotating body is released, and the pickup roller 11 rotates together with the sheet.

Next, the locking means for preventing the lid 13 for covering the upper opening surface of the main body case 2 from being opened carelessly will be described. This locking means is a lid 13
The release interlocking mechanism presses the paper guide 10 against the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9 and the thermal head 8 in a pressed state in conjunction with the locking operation (the forward movement of the lid 13). The release interlocking mechanism is for easily removing the sheet 4 when a sheet jam occurs in the outer peripheral portion of the platen roller 9.

The left and right guide support blocks 24, 24 made of synthetic resin, which are one component of the locking means, have a bilaterally symmetrical shape, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, are formed longitudinally in the conveying direction of the sheet 4. ing. A vertical guide groove 26 that vertically penetrates and is opened toward the center of the main body case 2 is formed in the middle of the longitudinal direction of each of the guide support blocks 24. A cutout window 31 that communicates in the direction is formed. The upper wall portion 241 of the removal window 31 of the guide support block 24 prevents the lock piece 25 as the intruding portion from coming out upward when the lid 13 is moved in the closing direction in parallel with the opening surface of the main body case 2. Become the first
It functions as a regulation means.

A lock piece 25 as an intruding portion projecting downward from both left and right sides of the free end side of the lid 13 can be vertically inserted through a middle portion of the inner surface of each guide support block 24 in the longitudinal direction. An inwardly-opening vertical guide groove 26 is formed. On the outer surface side of each of the guide support blocks 24, a lateral guide groove 27 is formed in the middle of the vertical direction along the longitudinal direction, and an operating member 28 is formed in the lateral guide groove 27 in the front-back direction (guide It is movably fitted in the longitudinal direction of the support block 24.

A pair of front and rear restriction blocks 29, 30 are laterally projected at the outer surface of each actuating member 28 at a position near one end in the direction of movement thereof, with the spacing of the vertical guide groove 26 being provided therebetween. On one side surface of the block 24, a pair of restriction blocks 29, 30 are provided sideways, and a punching window 31 is formed so as to be movable in the front-rear direction by a predetermined distance.

A base end portion 32b of the resin spring body 32 is connected to the lower end side of the guide support block 24, and an upward tip end portion 32a of the resin spring body 32 is arranged vertically with respect to the vertical guide groove 26. It is configured so that it can be fitted to. Then, in the state in which the lid body 13 is rotated upward at the retracted position and comes out of the vertical guide groove 26 of the guide support block 24 (this is referred to as an open position of the lid body 13, see FIG. 8C), the operation is performed. A pair of regulation blocks 2 in the member 28
Since the vertical guide groove 26 is located between 9 and 30, the upward end portion 32a of the resin spring body 32 projects upward between the pair of regulation blocks 29 and 30, and the operating member 28 is formed.
The movement in the front-back direction can be restricted. Therefore, by fitting the upward end portion 32a of the resin spring body 32 between the pair of regulation blocks 29 and 30, the release interlocking mechanism does not inadvertently move forward at the open position of the lid body 13. It becomes a locking means that can be held in a locked state.

On the other hand, the one (rear side) regulation block 3
On the lower surface side of 0, an inclined surface is formed which becomes an upper position toward the rear. Therefore, by rotating the lid 13 downward, the lock piece 25 enters the vertical guide groove 26 and presses the upward tip portion 32a to release the lock, and the operating member 28 is released.
In a state in which the control block 30 is moved forward (a state in which the regulation block 30 has moved to a position of the vertical guide groove 26, which is referred to as a closed position of the lid body 13 (see FIG. 8A)), the upward tip end portion is formed on the inclined surface 30a. 32a comes into contact with the actuating member 28 to hold it in the forward movement position, and this structure serves as a locking means for holding the release interlocking mechanism, which will be described later, in the locked position so as not to retract inadvertently.

The release interlocking mechanism is rotatably connected to the front end side of the actuating member 28 via a pin 34 and a vertically elongated hole, and is rotatably fitted on the rotating shaft 9a of the platen roller 9. Interlocking link body 33 and the interlocking link body 33
A first cam body 36 and a second cam body 37 which are integrally formed with each other
Consists of. According to the rotation of the interlocking link body 33, when the first cam body 36 comes into contact with and separates from the front surface of the paper guide 10, the second cam body 37 comes into contact with and separates from the lower surface of the thermal head 8 at the same time. Has been done.

With this structure, as shown in FIG. 5B, after the lid 13 is opened and the opened paper package 5 is set in the paper storage portion 6 of the main body case 2 with the paper 4 surface facing downward. When the lid 13 is rotated downward, the leaf spring urging means 15 (see FIG. 5A) on the lower surface of the lid 13 presses the paper package 5 downward.
The tip side of the lowermost surface of the stacked sheets 4 is pressed onto the pickup roller 11.

Then, an operation for preventing the lid 13 from being opened carelessly (the lid 13 is rotated downward to move forward to the state shown in FIG. 5A in parallel with the opening surface of the main body case 2). ), The paper guide 10 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9 and the thermal head 8 is also pressed.

When a print command and image data (print data) are sent to the printer device 1 from a personal computer (not shown) via a USB terminal or an infrared terminal, the drive motor 22 is driven to rotate, and the pickup roller 11 and the platen roller 9 are simultaneously driven. Start to rotate. By the rotation of the pickup roller 11, the leading end 4a of the lowermost sheet 4 of the stacked sheets 4 collides with the separation block 12 and the lowermost sheet 4
Only the parts are separated and conveyed between the lower surface of the separation block 12 and the guide plate 17. Then, the sheet 4 nipped between the platen roller 9 and the paper guide 10 is nipped and conveyed by the rotating platen roller 9 and the paper guide 10 and moved toward the thermal head 8 to be printed on the surface of the sheet 4. After that, the sheet can be discharged to the outside of the printer 1 from the sheet discharge port 20 which is a gap between the fixed cover body 3 and the back surface of the separation block 12. In that case, the printing surface of the paper 4 is opposite to the surface (outer surface) of the lid 13. In other words, when the user looks at the surface of the lid body 13, since the print surface faces the same direction, the print surface of the paper 4 can be observed at the same time.

When a paper jam occurs, first, the lid 13 parallel to the upper surface of the main body case 2 is horizontally moved (retracted) in the direction away from the fixed cover 3 (FIG. 8A).
The pivot of the lid 13 is moved to the unlocked position. When the lid body 13 is retracted, the lock pieces 25, 25 on both the left and right sides of the lid body 13 are fitted between the pair of front and rear regulation blocks 29, 30 of the respective actuating members 28, so that the actuating member 28.
Is forcibly retracted against the urging force of the urging means 16, 19.

At the retracted position of the operating member 28, the lid 13
When the lock piece 25 is rotated upward, the lock piece 25 is disengaged from the vertical guide groove 26. It is possible to engage from below between 29 and 30 to hold the retracted position of the operating member 28 (see FIG. 8C). The paper package 5 can be replaced by rotating the lid 13 upward.

With the backward movement of the operating member 28, the interlocking link body 33 rotates about the shaft 9a of the platen roller 9 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 (b). The first cam body 36 provided on the interlocking link body 33 pushes the front surface of the paper guide 10 against the urging force of the urging means 16 and separates it from the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9. At the same time, the second cam body 37 resists the urging force of the urging means 19 and the thermal head 8
The lower surface of the plate is pushed upward, and the heating element portion 8a of the thermal head 8 is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9. As a result, the paper 4 wound around the outer periphery of the platen roller 9 can be pulled out of the platen device 1 with a light force. Since the thermal head 8 and the paper guide 10 can be brought into contact with and separated from the platen roller 9 with one touch, the operability is excellent.

As an auxiliary locking means, one or a plurality of engaging claws 38 are formed in the free end edge of the lid 13 at the substantially central portion in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet 4 so as to extend in the conveying direction. Set up. The separation block 12 is provided with a locking groove 39 with which the locking claw 38 is locked when the lid body 13 is advanced in the direction of the separation block 12 in parallel with the upper surface of the main body case 2 (FIG. 5B. ) And FIG. 6 (a)). Even if the lid body 13 is formed to be thin (having a low rigidity) and the lid body 13 is easily bent by the reaction force of the pressing means 15 such as a leaf spring, the auxiliary lock means is pressed by the pressing means 15. Since it is located in the vicinity of the action portion, there is an effect that the free end side of the lid body 13 can be firmly closed and fixed to the main body case 2.

Next, the sensor 5 for detecting the sheet according to the present invention.
The arrangement of 0 will be described. 9 (a) and 9 (b)
In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a support plate 51 made of metal or the like as a support is rotatably provided around a rotation fulcrum P, and the line head type thermal head 8 is fixed to the lower surface thereof. The thermal head 8 has a flat plate-shaped substrate 52 made of ceramics or the like, and in the substrate 52, a direction (width direction) orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper 4 is provided in the vicinity of the edge on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper 4. ) Is provided with a heating element portion 8a extending linearly and having a length substantially close to the width dimension of the paper 4.
Lead parts (not shown) (common lead parts and individual lead parts connected to the heating element part 8a) are formed by printing, and a driving laminated circuit (IC) 53 for printing is mounted. In addition, a wire bonding portion for electrically connecting the lead portion and the driving laminated circuit (IC) 53 and the driving laminated circuit (I
C) 53 and the like are protected by the resin coat portion 54. Further, a flexible flat cable 55 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern on the substrate 52, and the flexible flat cable 55 extends to the lower surface of the support plate 51. Then, the sheet detection sensor 50 is fixedly arranged on the lower surface of the substrate 52 or the lower surface of the flexible flat cable 55 on the transport upstream side of the portion where the heating element portion 8a abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 9. The number of the sensors 50 for detecting the sheet may be one, or a plurality of the sensors may be provided at appropriate intervals in the width direction of the sheet 4. Further, any sensor may be used as the paper detection sensor 50, but a non-contact sensor is preferable from the viewpoint of paper jam prevention, and in particular, from the viewpoint of low cost and availability, a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit are used. The light reflection type (non-contact type) provided is preferable.

The thermal head 8 and the flexible flat cable 55 fixed to the lower surface side of the support plate 51 as a support function as a component (paper guiding member) which constitutes a conveying path for the paper 4 coming out of the paper guide 10. is doing. Since the sensor 50 for detecting the sheet is provided on the thermal head 8 as described above, the heating element 8a and the sensor 50 are provided.
It is possible to shorten the sheet conveyance path between the sheet and the sheet compared with the case where the sensor 50 is provided in the separation block 12 or the paper guide 10. Even if the paper feed slips at the pick-up roller 11 on the upstream side of the conveyance or at the nipping point between the paper guide 10 and the platen roller 9, the paper detection sensor 50 is located near the heat generating portion 8a of the thermal head 8. Since it is arranged on the upstream side of the conveyance, the control means outputs a print start signal at a predetermined timing in response to a detection signal from the paper detection sensor 50, and outputs the print start signal to a predetermined position on the leading end side of the paper 4. Printing can be started accurately.

The second shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b)
In the embodiment, the paper detection sensor 50 includes a support plate 51 as a support for supporting the thermal head 8 on the lower surface.
Is provided on the lower surface of. In that case, the thermal head 8
It is provided on the downstream side of the conveyance of the sheet 4 with respect to the heating element 8a. According to this embodiment, when the front end 4a of the paper 4 is detected by the paper detection sensor 50, the paper 4 is sandwiched between the heating element 8a and the outer periphery of the platen roller 9. Therefore, there is an effect that a print start signal can be immediately sent to start printing.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 10A, the paper discharge roller pair F is provided on the downstream side of the sensor 50.
If the sheet is provided, the sheet 4 can be discharged more reliably.

The thermal head 8 and the support plate 5 are also provided.
By arranging the arrangement position of the sensor 50 for paper detection in 1 in the vicinity of the paper discharge port 20, there is an effect that the print start position of the printed paper 4 can be quickly confirmed. Paper exit 2
By providing the paper detection sensor 50 in the vicinity of 0, it is possible to reliably detect not only the print start timing but also the paper jam with only one sensor.

By configuring the sensor 50 for paper detection by a non-contact type optical sensor, the sensor structure can be made extremely small, which can contribute to the size reduction of the printer device.

[0044]

As described above in detail, in the printer apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, the main body case accommodates the print medium in a stacked state, and the paper storage section accommodates the print medium. A printing device having a cover roller capable of contacting the printed medium and a printing mechanism unit for printing on the printing medium, the printer device having a lid for opening and closing the paper storage unit. A sensor for detecting paper is provided on either the thermal head in the mechanism section or its support or a flexible flat cable connected to the thermal head.

According to this structure, the thermal head or its support or the flexible flat cable connected to the thermal head becomes a component which constitutes the conveyance path of the medium to be printed to the printing mechanism section. The present invention has the effect of being able to reliably and accurately detect the leading edge of the printing medium conveyed by the provided sheet detection sensor.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printer apparatus according to the first aspect, the sensor for detecting the sheet is arranged in the vicinity of the heating element portion of the thermal head and on the upstream side of the sheet conveying path. It was done.

Therefore, in addition to the effect according to the first aspect of the invention, even if the conveyance roller causes the conveyance slip of the medium to be printed, a sensor for detecting a sheet is provided in the vicinity of the printing mechanism and on the upstream side of the conveyance. Is provided, there is an effect that it is possible to accurately start printing at a predetermined position of the front end portion of the print medium with a signal of a predetermined print timing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the sensor for detecting the sheet is a non-contact type optical sensor. Thus, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of the printer device.

Further, in the invention described in claim 4, in the printer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the sensor for detecting the paper is arranged in the vicinity of a paper discharge port of the print medium. Therefore, it is possible to detect the print start timing and reliably detect the paper jam.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a printer device of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a main body case.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a paper package.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pickup roller portion in the main body case.

5A is a side cross-sectional view of the printer device, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of a left side portion of the main body case with the lid opened.

FIG. 6A is an enlarged side view of a printing mechanism section, and FIG. 6B is a side view of a gear transmission mechanism.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of parts of a lock unit and a release interlocking mechanism.

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the paper guide and the thermal head are pressed against the platen lock when the lid is closed, and FIG. 8B is a released state of the paper guide and the thermal head when the lid is in the retracted position. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the lid is rotatable.

FIG. 9 shows a first embodiment of a paper detection sensor,
FIG. 6A is a side sectional view of the printing unit, and FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the arrangement positions of the thermal head and the paper detection sensor.

FIG. 10 shows a second embodiment of the paper detection sensor,
FIG. 6A is a side sectional view of the printing unit, and FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the arrangement positions of the thermal head and the paper detection sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Printer device 2 body case 4 Paper as print media 5 paper packages 7 Printing mechanism 8 thermal head 8a heating element part 9 Platen roller 10 Paper Guide 11 Pickup roller 12 separate blocks 13 Lid 16, 19 Biasing means 17 Guide plate 20 Paper exit 50 Paper detection sensor 51 support plate 52 substrate 53 Integrated circuits (ICs) 54 Resin coat part 55 Flexible flat cable

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 2C058 AB17 AC06 AC12 AD01 AE02                       AE10 AF17 AF31 GA02 GB05                       GB14 GB31 GB47 GC01                 2C065 AA01 AB01 DA24                 3F048 AA05 AB01 BA05 BB02 CC03                       DA08 DC14 EB37

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A paper housing unit for housing print media in a stacked state in a main body case, a conveyance roller capable of contacting the print media housed in the paper storage unit, and printing on the print media. A printer device having a lid for opening and closing the sheet storage unit, the printer being provided with a printing mechanism section for performing the above, and a thermal head press-contacted to a platen in the printing mechanism section or its support or connected to the thermal head. A printer device characterized in that a sensor for detecting paper is provided on any of the flexible flat cables. 2. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein a sensor for detecting the sheet is arranged in the vicinity of the heating element portion of the thermal head and on the upstream side of the sheet conveying path. 3. The paper detecting sensor is a non-contact type optical sensor.
Alternatively, the printer device according to claim 2. 4. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the paper detection sensor is arranged in the vicinity of a paper discharge port of the print medium.