JP2003182126A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer for which a recording ribbon can be easily replaced. <P>SOLUTION: A recording ribbon R is supported by a recording ribbon supporting member 120, and the recording ribbon supporting member 120 is mounted in a thermal printer 100 detachably. Since the thermal printer 100 comprises a guiding part elongating in the substantially horizontal direction, and a guiding member 140 for guiding the recording ribbon supporting member 120 to the mounting position, the recording ribbon supporting member 120 can be introduced in the substantially horizontal direction. In particular, it can be introduced from the front side of the thermal printer 100. <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 printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one type of printer, a printer that prints using a recording ribbon provided with ink has been proposed, and a thermal printer is typically proposed.

As such a thermal printer, for example, JP-A 2000-1013 and 2000-6
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 488, the supply and take-up spools around which the recording ribbon is wound and the recording paper are built in the same cassette, and the thermal head is moved from the recording position to the standby position. It has also been proposed that the cassette can be detached from the front side of the apparatus after being moved to the standby state so that the recording ribbon can be easily replaced and handled easily. Since the recording ribbon is a consumable item and its replacement frequency is high, it is extremely useful to be detachable from the printer and replaceable.

[0004]

However, if the replacement of the recording ribbon is complicated, it takes time and effort for the user. Further, it is inconvenient if the printer installation space is small if it is required to greatly expand a part of the printer when replacing the recording ribbon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer which can easily replace a recording ribbon.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printer in which a recording ribbon support for supporting a recording ribbon is detachably loaded, and a recording medium is printed using the recording ribbon. A printer is provided, which has a guide portion extending in the direction of the arrow, and is provided with a guide member for guiding the recording ribbon support to the loading position.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Structure of Thermal Printer> FIG. 1A shows a thermal printer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a usage state.
0 is an external perspective view of FIG. 0, and (b) is an external perspective view of the thermal printer 100 showing the front cover 111 pulled out.

In the figure, the thermal printer 100
Is installed on the shelf plate T with the wall surface W as the back surface as shown in the figure, so that the occupied installation area is minimized. Also,
The thermal printer 100 is formed in a box shape as shown, and a front cover 111 is provided on the front exterior surface 102 thereof so as to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction. The thermal printer 100 is disposed below the front cover 111. By operating the handle 111h, the front cover 111 can be pulled out to the front side as shown in FIG. 1 (b).

In the state shown in FIG. 1B, the roll paper RP stored in the space between the main body bases 1 and 2 shown by the broken lines forming the main body side base of the thermal printer 100 is exposed. After that, the roll paper RP, which is a recording medium, is exchanged. Further, the roll paper RP is, for example, 10
A 0 m long recording paper is wound and prepared.

Further, as shown in the drawing, the thermal printer 10
Reference numeral 0 denotes the front exterior surface 102, the top exterior surface 101, and the side exterior surfaces 103, 103 on both sides, which are connected to an image data processing device 200 such as a personal computer to which digital data from a digital camera or the like is input. used.

With the above configuration, the recording ribbon described below is arranged on the recording surface which is the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper RP, and the feeding operation of the roll paper RP in the forward and reverse directions and the feeding and winding operation of the recording ribbon are performed. . Then, by applying a printing pressure on the recording surface and heating it by energizing a thermal head to be described later, color printing is performed by sequentially performing print formation for each color, and after the print formation, a predetermined amount is set by a cutter device. The sheet is cut into a size, and discharged from the discharge port 5 provided above the front cover 111 toward the front. It should be noted that the front cover 111 is configured to be housed in a storage box 14 that is detachably provided on the upper part of the front cover 111. The storage box 14 has a large opening at the top and the front as shown in the figure in consideration of ease of taking out.

On the other hand, an opening 101a having a large opening area is formed on the upper exterior surface 101 as shown in the figure. Normally, the opening 101a is closed by the opening / closing lid 110 as shown in the figure, and the opening / closing lid 110 is opened when the recording ribbon is replaced or the thermal head is inspected, which will be described later.

For this reason, the opening / closing lid 110 is provided so as to be openable / closable with the back side of the upper exterior surface 101 as a fulcrum, and the opening / closing lid 110 is attached to the main body bases 1, 2 described above.
A locking mechanism is provided for setting the locked state (the state shown in FIG. 1A) and the unlocked state.

This locking mechanism is released by moving a lid handle 110h provided on the front side of the opening / closing lid 110 in the forward direction. Further, the opening / closing cover 110 is manually rotated to the illustrated position so that the cover 110 is automatically locked.

With the above structure, the user can perform all operations from the front exterior surface 102 side, which is the front surface.
As a result, the thermal printer 100 can be arranged on the shelf plate T which is close to the wall surface W as shown in the drawing, and other devices (not shown) can be arranged adjacent to the side surface exterior surface 103. Since it does not exist, the installation area can be effectively used.

Next, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a part of the thermal printer 100 with the roll paper RP and the recording ribbon support 120 being detached from the thermal printer 100.

In this figure, the components already described in FIG.
The opening / closing lid 110 is provided with a pair of main turning members 20 which also serve as a lid base.

A locking member 97 is provided on the cover handle 110h so as to be movable in parallel.
In the state shown in (a), the opening / closing lid 110 is brought into a locked state with respect to the pins 44, 44 respectively implanted in the inner walls of the main body bases 1, 2 by the movement operation of a spring (not shown).

In the above structure, the lid handle 110
When h is pulled to the front side, the locking state of the locking member 97 of the closing lid 110 with respect to the pins 44, 44 is released, and the main turning members 20, 20 fixed to the opening / closing lid 110 are rotated by the hinge. It is configured such that the movable shaft 22 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow D1 by the force of a torsion spring (not shown) about the rotation center and is stopped by a stopper (not shown).

In this state, the recording ribbon support 120 is moved in the direction of the arrow D2 from the front side of the opening 101a, and the first groove 140a and the second groove 14 of the guide members 140 and 140 are moved.
0b is set by inserting a pin, which will be described later, as a sliding member.

The recording ribbon R is prepared by being wound around the supply spool 3 and the take-up spool 4. The recording ribbon R has a predetermined amount of Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C that are necessary for printing a long recording roll paper RP.
(Cyan) and each overcoat recording layer serving as a protective layer are provided so that the roll paper RP can be replaced together with the replacement so as to prevent forgetting replacement.

The supply spool 3 and the take-up spool 4 of the recording ribbon R thus prepared are connected to the recording ribbon support 1
By setting the four bearings 63 fixed on the left and right wall surfaces of the base 60 of 20, the supply spool 3 and the take-up spool 4 can be pivotally supported in both supported states with respect to the recording ribbon support 120.

The recording ribbon support 120 is prepared as an injection molded product made of a sheet metal or a predetermined resin material in which the left and right wall surfaces of the base 60 are vertically bent, and is fixed to the main body bases 1 and 2, respectively. Guide member 140
The pair of first pins 61 and the pair of second pins 62 that individually enter the first groove portion 140a and the second groove portion 140b are fixed on the side wall as illustrated.

A torque limiter 7 provided with a gear 7a is provided in the vicinity of one of the bearings 63, which is a base 60.
A state in which the gear 64 fixed to the supply spool 3 is pivotally supported in a state of meshing with the gear 7a of the torque limiter 7 when the supply spool 3 is set on the bearing 63. As a result, the back tension of the recording ribbon R can be applied at the time of winding and supplying the recording ribbon R at the time of printing.

Further, a thermal head 10 is provided in the space between the main rotating members 20, 20, and the inspection work is performed with the heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10 exposed to the outside as shown in the figure. Is made easy.

On the other hand, by pulling out the front cover 111 to the front side, the front cover 111 projects from the front exterior surface 102 so that a relatively heavy-weight roll paper RP can be easily loaded even by a weak woman. There is. For this reason, a pair of left and right rod bodies 52 is provided on the bottom surface of the base portion 50 provided with the pair of bearings 26 that support the rotating shaft body that allows the roll paper RP to rotate.
(Only the front side is shown in FIG. 2) is fixed so as to extend to the back side as shown.

These rods 52 are reciprocally movable by bushes 51, 51 fixed at a predetermined interval on the bottom surface between the main body bases 1 and 2 on the side of the thermal printer, and the load of roll paper RP and the like is supported. It is designed so that it can be supported on one side. Thus, when the base portion 50 is pulled out to the illustrated position, the idle roller 33 and the drive roller 32, which are pivotally supported by the end portions of the pair of left and right rotating members 55, are exposed to the outside. 32, 33
In between, the roll end of the roll paper RP can be easily set.

On the other hand, on the back side of the main body bases 1 and 2, the power source unit 300 and the control unit 400, which are shown in broken lines, are centrally arranged in one place, and the image from the image data processing device 200 is displayed. It is configured to process data and perform predetermined energization of the thermal head 10 and each control via wiring not shown.

<Guide of Recording Ribbon Support 120> Next,
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the recording ribbon support 120 is attached and detached. As shown in the figure, when the opening / closing lid 110 is opened, the entire guide member 140 is exposed, and the recording ribbon support 120 can be replaced.

In this figure, the components already described are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted. In order to enable the recording ribbon support 120 to be taken in and out in the direction of arrow D2, a resin material or the like is used. Manufactured guide member 140
The first groove portion 14 is slidably guided by the first pins 61 fixed to the front end sides of both side surfaces of the recording ribbon support body 120.
0a and a second groove portion 140b in which the second pin 62 fixed to the rear end side of both side surfaces of the recording ribbon support 120 is guided while sliding.

The first groove portion 140a extends in a substantially horizontal direction at least at an intermediate portion thereof, and the bottom portion 140d.
It goes down diagonally in the area leading to. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, the recording ribbon support 120 is loaded by being introduced into the thermal printer 100 in a substantially horizontal direction. Also, the bottom portion 140d defines the loading position of the recording ribbon support.

On the other hand, the openings of the first groove portion 140a and the second groove portion 140b, which are opened on the front side of the thermal printer 100, are gradually widened so that the recording ribbon support 120 can be easily introduced. . Each of these openings constitutes an introduction end of the guide member 140 into which the recording ribbon support 120 is introduced.

As described above, in this embodiment, the recording ribbon support 120 can be loaded by introducing it from the front side of the thermal printer 100 in a substantially horizontal direction.
The advantages of this configuration are as follows.

First, it is not necessary to greatly expand a part of the thermal printer 100, and the recording ribbon support 120 can be easily loaded. Secondly, even if the thermal printer 100 is installed in a relatively narrow space, the recording ribbon support 120 can be easily replaced.
This is because, considering a general printer installation location, the front surface of the printer has less obstacles such as walls than the side surface, the top surface, or the back surface, and a working space can be secured.

In particular, in the case of this embodiment, since the printed matter printed by the thermal printer 100 is discharged from the front side, it is expected that the front space of the thermal printer 100 will be installed in an empty state. For,
In most cases, a working space will be available for replacing the recording ribbon support 120.

With the above structure, the recording ribbon support 12
After completely removing 0 from the outside, setting the recording ribbon R from above the recording ribbon support 120 as shown, and then moving the recording ribbon support 120 to the back side,
The first pin 61 falls on the bottom portion 140d of the first groove portion 140a and the second pin 62 falls on the bottom portion 140h of the second groove portion 140b, so that the recording ribbon support 120 can be arranged at the loading position.

It has been described above that the recording ribbon support 120 can be completely removed from the thermal printer 100 to the outside. However, the thermal printer 100
When the recording ribbon support 120 is installed in a narrow place on the shelf board T, it is impossible to temporarily secure a place for temporarily placing the recording ribbon support 120 after taking it out.

Therefore, the recording ribbon support 120 is not completely removed from the thermal printer 100, but the guide member 14
It is also possible to stop the recording ribbon R in the middle of 0 and replace only the recording ribbon R supported by the recording ribbon support 120. This configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the recording ribbon support 120. Further, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 2 and shows a state in which the recording ribbon support 120 is supported on one side.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the components already described are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
A gear 64 is fixed to one end of the shaft body 3a of the supply spool 3, and the shaft body 3a is supported by bearings 63 fixed to the left and right wall surfaces of the base 60, and a torque limiter 7 is provided for the gear 64. The gear 7a meshes with the gear 7a to apply back tension to the recording ribbon R when the recording ribbon R is wound and supplied during the printing.

The shaft body 4a of the take-up spool 4 is supported by the bearing 63 in both shafts, and the recording ribbon R is set so as to be stretched as shown in the drawing.

On the other hand, the base 60 has a pair of flange portions 60a bent outward as shown in the drawing, and these flange portions 60a are formed on the sliding surface 140c formed on the upper surface of the guide member 140. It is configured to slide.

Further, in FIG. 5B, the guide member 14
0 in the first groove portion 140a, the recording ribbon support 120
Is provided with a stop mechanism portion 141 composed of a spring member that temporarily stops the recording ribbon while it is being guided to the loading position where the recording ribbon is supplied and wound.

Since the stop mechanism portion 141 abuts the first pin 61 as shown in FIG. 5 (b) while the recording ribbon support 120 is being moved forward, the pulling force is temporary. Since it becomes large, the user knows that it can be in one-sided support state. That is, the collar portion 0 a of the base 60 is held by the sliding surface 140 c of the guide member 140, and the first pin 6
Since it can be seen that 1 is in the one-sided supported state of being held in the first groove portion 140a, only the recording ribbon R can be exchanged at this position.

For this reason, even if the thermal printer 100 is installed in a very narrow space and it is not possible to temporarily secure a place for temporarily placing the recording ribbon support 120 after taking it out, the recording ribbon R is replaced. You can do the work. After the above replacement work, the replacement work is completed by moving to the position shown in FIG.

Next, FIG. 6 is a front view in which the main body base portion 1 is cut away to show the main structure of the thermal printer 100, and shows the state after the recording ribbon support 120 is loaded. ing.

In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components already described, and the description is omitted. The main body base 1 and the main body base 2 are fixed to each other via a connecting member (not shown) extending in the front-back direction of the drawing. A space is formed between the main body bases 1 and 2, and the opening / closing lid 110 is locked in the position shown in the drawing, and the supply spool 3 around which the recording ribbon R shown in the broken line is wound. The recording ribbon support 120 provided with the take-up spool 4 is loaded in the above-mentioned loading position between the main body bases 1 and 2.

On the other hand, the roll paper RP is provided with a roll paper shaft 25 at the center of rotation, and the roll paper shaft 25 is rotatable by a roll paper bearing 26 fixed to the base 50 and detachable from above. The roll paper RP is set at the supply position after the roll paper RP is set as described above, and the winding end of the roll paper RP is sandwiched by the nip portion between the idle roller 33 and the drive roller 32. As the recording paper is fed in the direction of arrow d2, the roll paper R
P is pulled so as to rotate in the direction of arrow d1.

Subsequently, the winding end of the roll paper is guided by the first guide members 36a and 36b, and the second guide member 37 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the direction changing roller 29 and the outer peripheral surface of the direction changing roller 29. The direction is changed by being guided in the direction of the arrow d3 in the gap between them. By this direction change, the front end of the roll paper RP moves toward the front exterior surface 102.

After that, as will be described later, it is sent to the nip portion between the drive roller 30 and the idle roller 31 having a non-slip surface, and guided by the third guide member 36 so that it is between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 11. Is made to pass through.

Next, the upper guide member 39 and the lower guide member 3
It is sent during 8 and is made to enter the rotary cutter device 40, is sent in the direction of arrow d4 after cutting, and is discharged as a cut sheet S from the discharge port 5 to the outside.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a drive system. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the drive rollers 30, 32 are transmitted from pulley gears 47, 48. Therefore, a toothed belt 70 is stretched around the motor pulley 59a of the common stepping motor 59. Further, a pressure contact mechanism (not shown) is provided on the idle roller that follows the drive rollers, and particularly, the drive roller 30 and the idle roller 3 are provided.
In the nip portion between the ones, it is configured to perform printing in the forward and reverse directions in which slipping is completely prevented, and thereby to form a print image of each color of YMC for one screen.

Next, a platen roller 11 made of, for example, heat resistant elastic rubber is rotatably supported by the main body bases 1 and 2 so as to face the thermal head 10. Instead of the platen roller 11, a plate-shaped flat platen (not shown) made of, for example, heat resistant elastic rubber may be provided.

The thermal head 10 is fixed to the sub-rotating member 12 so as to move between an operating position arranged during printing operation and a retracted position arranged during preheating of the thermal head 10. Here, the operating position is
Further, it includes a recording position arranged when printing on the roll paper RP and an intermediate position arranged when the roll paper RP is conveyed.

At the recording position, the thermal head 10 is in pressure contact with the platen roller 11, and the roll paper RP and the recording ribbon R are sandwiched between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 11. Then, the heat of the thermal head 10 sublimes the ink of the recording ribbon R, and the roll paper RP is printed.

At the intermediate position, the thermal head 10 is separated from the platen roller 11, and a gap is formed so that the roll paper RP can be smoothly conveyed. In the retracted position, the thermal head 10 is further separated from the platen roller 11, and is in a position that prevents the recording ribbon R from sticking to the thermal head 10.

Next, in order to rotationally drive the sub-rotation member 12 to move the thermal head 10, the sub-rotation member 12 is rotatable around the arm shaft 13 provided on the main rotation member 20. The sub-rotation member 12 is rotated around the arm shaft body 13 by the cam motor 18 to move the thermal head 10 to the above-mentioned three positions.

The upper surface of the thermal head 10 and the main rotating member 2
A plurality of compression coil springs 15 are provided between the beam member 17 fixed between 0 and 0. The plurality of compression coil springs 15 cause the sub-rotation member 12 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Is kept in contact with the platen roller 11.

The cam motor 18 is fixed to the main rotating member 20 in order to drive the sub-rotating member 12 to the retracted position against the compressive force of the plurality of compression coil springs 15, and it is provided with teeth. The belt 87 is configured to drive a cam described later. In this way, the main mechanism is configured by the sub-assay unit provided on the opening / closing lid 110, and the printing pressure required for printing is generated between the platen roller 11 and the heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10. ing.

In addition, the recording ribbon R has each ink layer laid on the base film in an area corresponding to the area of one printing screen, and all three colors of yellow that can reproduce all the colors by additive color mixing. An overcoat layer that forms a protective layer is formed in addition to the solid ink layers of (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C).

When the thermal head 10 energizes the heat generating portion 10a at the recording position, the base film of the recording ribbon R is positioned on the heat generating portion 10a side, and the roll paper is interposed on the platen roller 11. Printing is possible. In addition, at the position corresponding to each ink layer,
Sense marks serving as detected portions detected by an optical sensor (not shown) are formed by printing or the like.

On the other hand, with the recording ribbon support 120 set, the torque limiter 7 is connected to the supply spool 3 so that the gear formed on the supply spool 3 meshes in the axially supported state shown in the drawing. The torque limiter 7 is configured to generate an appropriate back tension (tension) on the supply spool 3 during the ribbon winding operation.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the ribbon exchanging body is set at the loading position, the gear of the ribbon drive motor 9 is meshed with the take-up spool 4, and in the illustrated axial support state. The take-up operation is performed by engaging a tooth portion (not shown) formed on the take-up spool 4 with a tooth portion of a gear for transmitting power from the ribbon drive motor 9.

As described above, the recording ribbon R is provided between the supply spool 3 and the take-up spool 4 so that the heat generating portion 1 of the thermal head 10 is provided.
Since it is in a state of being developed to 0a, recording by a thermal sublimation recording method or a thermal transfer recording method is possible. That is, by positioning the recording ribbon R in the state shown by the broken line passing through the heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10, the recording spool R is wound from the supply spool 3 as the ribbon drive motor 9 is energized. While supplying in the direction of arrow r1, it can be wound in the direction of arrow r2. <Structure of Idle Roller 31> Next, the idle roller 31, which is a conveyance roller for the recording medium, will be described.

As described above, the roll paper RP is used for printing.
A non-slip surface is formed on the drive roller 30 in order to convey the paper in the forward and reverse directions. As such a slip stopper, for example, unevenness may be provided on the peripheral surface of the drive roller 30.

The idle roller 31, which is arranged to face the drive roller 30, securely holds the roll paper RP at the nip portion between the drive roller 30 and the idle roller 31 in order to perform color printing, and the roll roller RP is rotated in the forward and reverse directions. Need to be transported.

That is, the idle roller 31 is required to reliably convey the roll paper RP together with the drive roller 30 without slipping, and the image formed on the roll paper RP is not transferred to the peripheral surface of the idle roller 31. Is also required. In the present embodiment, in order to meet these requirements, as a material of the peripheral surface of the idle roller 31, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene ((UHMWPE: Ultra-high mole
cular weight polyethylene) "Sunfine (trade name, Asahi Kasei Corporation)" and "Polypenco U-PE
(Trade name, Nippon Polypenco Co., Ltd.) "or high-molecular-weight polyethylene. By using this material, the transport of the roll paper RP is ensured and
Transfer can also be prevented.

FIG. 8A shows a state in which the roll paper RP is sandwiched in the nip portion between the drive roller 30 and the idle roller 31, and a front view of each roller viewed in the longitudinal direction.
(B) is an XX line arrow view of (a), (c) is a principal part enlarged view of a nip part.

First, in FIG. 8C, the driving roller 3
On the outer peripheral surface of 0, innumerable projections 30b are formed so as to partly penetrate into the back surface of the printing screen of the roll paper RP, and unevenness is provided. When it is driven to, it is possible to prevent the misalignment of the transportation at all. The outer peripheral surface of the idle roller 31 is molded or formed of, for example, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene or high molecular weight polyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of 1 to 5 million. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the idle roller 31 is mirror-finished.

With the above configuration, for example, after the first thermal sublimation recording of the Y-color layer, the image forming section which has not been completely solidified and is in an unstable state is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the idle roller 31. Can be prevented.

Next, in FIG. 8A, in order to rotatably support the drive roller 30 and the idle roller 31 between the bases 1 and 2, the core metal 30 of each roller is used.
Bearings 30k and 31k are inserted in a and 31a,
In the state shown in the drawing, a gap g equal to or less than the thickness of the roll paper RP
Is provided to maintain.

With the above-described structure, the roll paper RP is conveyed in the forward and reverse directions while being sandwiched by the nip portion, so that the conveyance deviation can be prevented.

The weight average molecular weight is from 1,000,000 to 50.
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene of 0,000 has a weight average molecular weight of 2
Since the surface density is higher than that of high-density polyethylene of 10,000 to 300,000, it is effective not only for transfer but also for preventing any dirt.

Next, since the innumerable protrusions 30b are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive roller 30, as described above, the outer peripheral surface of the idle roller 31 is in the state where the roll paper RP is not present in the gap g. It will be pierced by and damaged.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, a bearing 31k that pivotally supports the core metal 31a of the idle roller 31 is fixed to the support member 41, and the support member 41 is rotated with respect to the base by the stud 41a. By providing a tension spring 42 at one end of the supporting member 41 that is pivotally supported, and forming an abutting portion 41b that abuts a stopper 43 fixed to the base portion at the other end, an idle is performed when the roll paper RP is not conveyed. The outer peripheral surface of the roller 31 is separated from the projections and depressions 30b formed on the drive roller 30.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8C, the tension spring 42 is provided on the rear surface of the printing screen of the roll paper RP with respect to the protrusion 30b.
A part of it can generate force to bite.

According to the structure described above, transfer can be prevented and excellent image formation can be performed, as compared with a silicon rubber roller of high hardness which has been used more often than before and has excellent abrasion resistance. .

Next, FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the thermal printer. In FIG. 9A, the drive rollers 30, 32 are driven in the forward direction of the arrow by the common stepping motor 59, Chasing the idle roller 3
1 (b) shows a state in which the drive rollers 30 and 32 are driven in the direction opposite to the arrow direction by the common stepping motor 59, and the idle rollers 31 and 33 that follow these are driven. It shows the situation.

In this figure, the components already described are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted. As described above, the cam motor 18 for driving the thermal head 10, the ribbon drive motor 9, and the rotary cutter device 40 are The power source unit 300 and the control unit 400 are connected to driver units (not shown), respectively, and are configured to perform control for print formation described later.

After the thermal head 10 is separated from the platen roller 11 and the recording ribbon R is indexed, the roll paper RP is conveyed as described above, and the winding end is cut by the rotary cutter device 40. Next, the printing operation is started, and when the cam motor 18 is energized, the thermal head 10 is brought into contact with the platen roller 11 with the recording ribbon R interposed therebetween and synchronized with the winding operation of the recording ribbon R. Then, the roll paper RP is conveyed in the opposite direction. In synchronism with this, the thermal head 10 is energized for a predetermined time to start the printing of the first color, and then the printing is carried out in the opposite direction, whereby the printing for one screen is completed.

Following this, the nip portion between the drive roller 30 and the idle roller 31 is surely held and conveyed in the forward and reverse directions, thereby performing the reciprocating drive for three times required for color printing.

Specifically, when the thermal printer 100 is started, the cam motor 18 is energized and the control unit 40 is activated.
Instructed from 0, the thermal head 10 is moved to the retracted position shown in FIG. 9A and preheated. Then, proceed to the initialization routine to make the printing initial state,
The ribbon drive motor 9 is energized to start winding the recording ribbon R, and the stepping motor 59 is driven at high speed.

Following this, the cue for detecting the start position of the Y-color layer of the recording ribbon R and the trailing end portion of the length of one screen by the conveyance of the roll paper RP in the forward direction are moved to the platen roller 11. The process is continued until it is determined that the nipping portion is in the nip portion, and the cueing and nipping state is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the process ends.

Following this, the cam motor 18 is energized to move the thermal head 10 to the recording position where printing is possible, which is the state shown in FIG. 9B.

Next, the printing operation of the Y layer of the first color is started, and the stepping motor 5 and the ribbon drive motor 9 and the thermal head 10 are energized by the color separated control signals.
9 is energized in synchronism, and printing is performed on roll paper RP.
Is carried in the reverse direction. At this time, the stepping motor 59 may be energized by microstep driving. Following this, when it is determined that the printing of one color has been completed, the cam motor 18 is energized and the thermal head 10 is returned to the intermediate position. With the above, printing of the Y color layer is completed, the stepping motor 59 is driven, and the sheet is conveyed at a high speed in the forward direction.

When the printing of the YMC layer is completed and the printing for one screen is completed, the thermal head 10 returns to the retracted position and is preheated. Further, the stepping motor 59 is driven, the roll paper RP is conveyed at a high speed, and it is determined whether or not one screen of the rotary cutter device 40 has been conveyed. When it is determined that the cutting is completed, the cutter device 40 is cut by energization,
After cutting, it is discharged from the discharge port 5 into the storage box 14.

The thermal printer 1 configured as described above
00 is the most suitable for business use, and can be used as a recording device for paid street installation, for example, which is directly printed from a digital camera. Here, the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and can be applied to any recording apparatus that forms an image while conveying the roll paper RP. The image is not limited to the above-described color image, and may be, for example, a monochrome image. Needless to say, in this case, only the printing operation of the black layer is required, so that further speedup can be realized. <Prevention of Fusing of Recording Ribbon> As described above, since the thermal printer 100 moves to the retracted position during preheating, sticking of the recording ribbon R can be prevented and the fusing of the recording ribbon R can be prevented. However, in order to prevent the recording ribbon R from sticking more reliably, the thermal printer 100 has the following configuration.

FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a schematic structure of the recording ribbon separating mechanism. In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components already described, and the description is omitted. The heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10 has a platen roller 11 rotatably supported between the bases 1 and 2. It is fixed to the sub-rotating member 12 as shown so as to face the outer peripheral surface thereof.

Further, the sub-rotating member 12 is formed as a pair of left and right members as shown in the figure, and is provided so as to rotate around the arm shaft body 13 fixed to the main rotating member 20, As described with reference to FIG. 7, it is configured to return to the illustrated position by the compression force of the plurality of compression coil springs 15 provided between the beam member 17 and the thermal head 10. That is, from the state where the sub-rotation member 12 is rotationally driven to bring the thermal head 10 into contact with the platen roller 11, the sub-rotation member 12 is further rotationally driven to compress the compression coil spring 15 by a predetermined distance. Is configured to generate a printing pressure.

Sliding contact surfaces 12b, 12b which slidably contact the cams 83, 83 are integrally formed on the sub-rotation member 12, and the sub-rotation member 12 is moved by following the rotation of the cam 83.
It is configured to be driven to rotate around.

Shaft body 8 fixed with these cams 83, 83
1 is rotatably supported between main rotating members 20. A toothed pulley 86 is fixed to the shaft body 81, and the cam motor 18 fixed to the main rotating member 20.
A toothed belt 87 is stretched between the toothed pulley 18 a fixed to the output shaft of the toothed pulley 86 and the toothed pulley 86, and the cam 83 is driven to drive the thermal head 10.
Is stopped at the retracted position, the recording position, and an intermediate position between them. Further, a dog 84 detected by a sensor 85 fixed to the main rotating member 20 is fixed to the shaft body 81.

On the other hand, since the recording ribbon R shown by the alternate long and short dash line in the drawing is in the expanded state where it passes through the heat generating portion 10a as shown in the figure, it is separated from the heat generating portion 10a when the thermal head 10 is moved to the retracted position. A rod-shaped shaft body 95 is provided so as to be interposed between the thermal head 10 and the recording ribbon R. This shaft 95 is used for the thermal head 1.
0 is driven by the component force of the driving force when moving to the retracted position shown in FIG.

In order to drive the shaft 95 with this component force, the first shaft 91, which is pivotally supported by the long holes 12a formed in the pair of left and right sub-rotating members 12, is used as the rotary shaft. The pair of left and right first members 90, 90 and the pair of second members 94, 9 pivotally supported by the shaft body 96 in the main pivoting member 20.
4, the shaft 95 is fixed in the width direction of the recording ribbon R. And these 1st member 90, 90 and 2nd
Tension springs 93, 93 are stretched between the members 94, 94.

With the above configuration, in the external perspective view for explaining the operation of the recording ribbon separating mechanism of FIG. 11, the toothed pulley 18a is moved to the arrow B1 by energizing the cam motor 18.
The shaft 81 is driven by the toothed belt 87, and the cams 83, 83 are driven in the arrow B2 direction. By pressing each sliding contact surface of the sub-rotation member 12, the sub-rotation member 12 is moved in the direction of arrow B with the arm shaft 13 as the rotation center, so that the thermal head 10 is moved to the retracted position and the recording position. Make sure to stop at an intermediate position in between. In particular, the shaft 95 that separates the recording ribbon R from the heat generating portion 10a when moving from the intermediate position to the retracted position.
Is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow B4.

That is, the pair of left and right first members 90, 90
Is a long hole portion 12 formed in a pair of left and right sub-rotating members 12.
Since the first shaft body 91 which is pivotally supported by the shafts a and 12a serves as the pivot shaft, the sub-rotating member 12 is pivoted in the arrow B3 direction to pivot in the arrow B3 direction.

On the other hand, the pair of second members 94, 94 to which the shaft body 95 is fixed are pivotally supported by the shaft body 96 in the main pivoting member 20, and the first members 90, 90 and the second member. Since the tension springs 93, 93 are stretched between the members 94, 94 as shown in the drawing, the shaft body 95 is indicated by the arrow B4.
It will be driven to rotate in the direction.

Further, the pair of left and right first members 90, 90 are
Elongated holes 12a formed in the pair of left and right auxiliary turning members 12,
Since the first shaft body 91 which is pivotally supported by 12a is used as the rotation shaft, the first shaft body 91 is rotated while the sub-rotation member 12 is driven to rotate between the recording position and the intermediate position. Is the long hole 12
a, 12a is moved in the longitudinal direction to move the pair of left and right first members 9
Nos. 0 and 90 are configured not to rotate, and when the sub-rotating member 12 is rotationally driven from the intermediate position to the retracted position, the first shaft body 91 stops at one end of the elongated holes 12a, 12a. The pair of left and right first members 90, 90 is rotated in the direction of arrow B3.

FIGS. 12A to 12C are front views for explaining the operation of the recording ribbon separating mechanism. In this figure,
Constituent parts that have already been described will be given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. (A) shows the cam motor 18
The sub-rotation member 12 is rotationally driven by the driving of the thermal head 10 and the heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10 is positioned in a state where the printing pressure is generated on the platen roller 11 with the roll paper (not shown) and the recording ribbon R interposed. The state of the recording position is shown, and this state is detected by the position detection of the dog 83 by the sensor 84 and sent to the control unit.

Further, in (b), the sub-rotating member 12 is rotationally driven by the driving of the cam motor 18 so that the heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10 causes the roll paper (not shown) and the recording ribbon R to intervene and the platen roller. 11 shows a state in which the intermediate position is located above 11, and this state is notified to the control unit by detecting the position of the dog 83 by the sensor 84. At this intermediate position, preparation is made for the next printing.

Then, in (c), the cam motor 18
The sub-rotation member 12 is largely rotated in the direction of the arrow B by the driving of the heat generating portion 10a of the thermal head 10 and the heat generating portion 10a is located on the platen roller 11 with the roll paper (not shown) and the recording ribbon R interposed therebetween. In this state, the sensor 84 detects the position of the dog 83 to notify the control unit. At this retracted position, preheating power is supplied to the thermal head for the next printing. At this time, as described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the shaft body 95 separates the recording ribbon R from the heat generating portion 10 a of the thermal head 10.

13 and 14 are flow charts for explaining the operation showing the control example of the recording ribbon separating mechanism. FIG.
At, the roll paper RP and the recording ribbon R are ready,
When the control unit sends a command to start the recording operation of the Y color layer of the first color in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, the cam motor 18 is activated, and the sub-rotation member 12 is rotationally driven in step S3. When the cam motor 18 is driven to the recording position shown in FIG. 12A and it is determined in step S4 that the recording position has been reached by the detection of the dog 84 by the sensor 85, the cam motor 18 is stopped in step S5. .

Subsequently, in step S6, the thermal head 1
The first color is printed by printing electricity by energizing 0, transporting the roll paper RP, supplying the Y color layer of the recording ribbon R, and winding up. In step S7, the printing of the first color is completed. If judged, the cam motor 18 is operated at step S8.
Is started, the sub-rotation member 12 is rotationally driven in steps S9 and S10, and when the dog 85 is detected by the sensor 85, control is performed so as to stop at the intermediate position shown in FIG. 12B. . At this intermediate position, the roll paper and the recording ribbon are cued for preparation for printing the next color. continue,
In step S11, the preparation for the printing operation of the M layer of the next color layer is performed. Thereafter, steps S1 to S10 are repeatedly executed to end the color printing, thereby waiting for the next printing start.

Next, in the flow chart of the operation explanation showing the control example of waiting for the next printing start of the recording ribbon separating mechanism of FIG. 14, the sub-rotating member 12 waits for the next printing start.
In order to rotationally drive the cam to the retracted position, the cam motor 18 is started in step S20, and step S21
Then, the cam motor 18 is driven until the cam motor 18 is rotated to the standby position shown in FIG. 12C, and if it is determined in step S22 that the dog 85 has been detected by the sensor 85, the cam motor 18 is driven in step S23. Be stopped.

Subsequently, in step S24, preheating is applied to the thermal head 10, and before and after this, in step S25 the shaft 95 is rotationally driven so as to separate the recording ribbon R from the heat generating portion 10a. This prevents the recording ribbon R from being cut due to melting and enables the time required for the next printing to be shortened. In step S26, the next printing is awaited and the processing is completed.

[0104]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The recording ribbon can be easily replaced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is an external perspective view of a thermal printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention showing a usage state, and FIG. 1B is an external perspective view of the thermal printer 100 showing a front cover 111 pulled out. Is.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view with a part cut away to show how the roll paper RP and the recording ribbon support 120 are attached to and detached from the thermal printer 100.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 2, showing a state in which the recording ribbon support body 120 is attached and detached.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a recording ribbon support 120.

5 is a view corresponding to a cross section taken along line XX of FIG. 2, showing a state where the recording ribbon support body 120 is supported on one side.

6 is a front view showing the main body base 1 in a cutaway view to show the main configuration of the thermal printer 100, showing a state after the recording ribbon support 120 is loaded. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a drive system of the thermal printer 100.

FIG. 8A shows a driving roller 30 and an idle roller 3.
1 is a front view in which the rollers are shown in the longitudinal direction, showing a state in which the roll paper RP is sandwiched between the nip portions between the rollers 1, and FIG.
-X arrow view, (c) is an enlarged view of a main portion of the nip portion.

FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a drive roller is driven in a positive direction indicated by an arrow by a stepping motor 59, and an idle roller following the drive is driven.
(b) is a schematic diagram showing the driving roller driven by the stepping motor 59 in the direction opposite to the arrow direction, and the idle roller following the driving roller driven.

FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a recording ribbon isolation mechanism.

FIG. 11 is an external perspective view for explaining the operation of the recording ribbon isolation mechanism.

12A to 12C are front views for explaining the operation of the recording ribbon separating mechanism.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining an operation showing an example of control of a recording ribbon isolation mechanism.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the operation, showing an example of control of the recording ribbon isolation mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 body base 3 supply spools 4 take-up spool 5 outlets 7 Torque limiter 9 Ribbon drive motor 10 thermal head 11 Platen roller 12 Sub rotation member 15 Compression coil spring 17 Beam members 18 cam motor 20 Main rotation member 30 drive roller 32 drive roller 31 Idol Laura 33 Idol Laura 40 rotary cutter device 50 base (for roll paper) 56 Rotation fulcrum 59 Stepping motor 60 base (ribbon exchanger) 61 1st pin (sliding member) 62 second pin (sliding member) 63 bearing 83 cam 84 dog 85 sensor 90 First member 91 First shaft 93 Extension spring 94 Second member 95 axis 110 Open / close lid 120 recording ribbon support 140 Guide member 140a first groove 140b second groove RP roll paper R recording ribbon

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A printer for printing a recording medium using the recording ribbon, wherein a recording ribbon support for supporting the recording ribbon is removably loaded, the printer having a guide portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction. A printer comprising a guide member for guiding the recording ribbon support to a loading position. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein an introduction end of the guide member, into which the recording ribbon support is introduced, is arranged on a front side of the printer. 3. The printer further comprises an openable / closable lid member provided on an upper surface of the printer, and when the lid member is opened, the introduction end portion appears so that the ribbon support can be loaded. The printer according to claim 2. 4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein the lid member is further provided with a print head for printing the recording medium using the recording ribbon. 5. The guide member slides between a stop portion for temporarily stopping the movement of the recording ribbon support and a sliding member provided on the recording ribbon support during the guide of the recording ribbon support. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a groove.