JP2003251876A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the work for setting a sheet or a work for unjamming a sheet. <P>SOLUTION: The printer for carrying a sheet and printing on that sheet is provided with a pair of guides 39 and 40 for guiding the surface and rear surface of a sheet wherein one guide 40 is held by a cantilever structure on one side in the widthwise direction of sheet such that the guide 40 can move to approach the other guide 39 or recede therefrom with the cantilever structure side as a fulcrum. The guides 39 and 40 are released from each other when one guide 40 is separated from the other guide 39. <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 that prints on the paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a roll paper, which is a paper in a paper guide path, is conveyed by a conveyance portion while guiding the front and back surfaces of the paper and both sides in the paper conveyance direction by a paper guide portion, and the paper is printed by the printing portion. There is a printer that prints.

FIG. 11 shows a paper guide portion of such a conventional printer. As shown in FIG. 11, the paper guide unit 1
00 is a paper surface guide 101 and a paper width guide 102
And a sheet back surface guide 103, and is formed by a pair of sheet guides 104 and 105 which are formed in a U-shape and are arranged so that their openings face each other. The paper surface guide 101 guides the front surface of the paper A, the paper back surface guide 103 guides the back surface of the paper A, and the paper width guide 1
Reference numeral 02 guides both side portions of the sheet A in the sheet conveying direction. Then, the paper guide unit 100 is provided with the paper guide path 10
6 is composed.

[0004]

In the conventional printer as described above, the paper guide path 1 in the paper guide unit 100 is used.
In the paper setting to 06, a pair of paper guides 10
Paper A must be set between No. 4 and No. 105, which causes a problem of poor workability. Also, the paper guide unit 10
Even in the paper jam processing in the paper guide path 106 at 0, there is a problem that the workability is similarly poor because the work space is small.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate the work of setting paper in the paper guide path and the paper jam processing work in the paper guide path.

[0006]

The printer of the present invention comprises a pair of paper front and back guides (for example, a paper front guide and a paper back guide) for guiding the front and back of the paper, and one of the paper front and back guides ( For example, a paper surface guide) is held in a cantilever structure on one side in the width direction of the paper, and approaches and separates from the other paper front / back surface guide (for example, paper back surface guide) with the cantilever structure side as a fulcrum. It is free to move.

Therefore, by separating one sheet front and back surface guide from the other sheet front and back surface guide, one sheet front and back surface guide and the other sheet front and back surface guide are opened.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The present embodiment is an example of application to a so-called center-based thermal printer in which the positioning reference of the paper is the center in the paper width direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction, and roll paper is used as the paper.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the external appearance of the printer. As shown in FIG. 1, on the front surface of the main body housing 2 of the printer 1, the printed sheet A (see FIG.
A discharge port 3 is formed for discharging (see). On the left side of the main body housing 2, a control box 6 having various operation keys 4 and a display unit 5 on the front surface is provided. Inside the control box 6, there is provided a control unit (not shown) for driving and controlling each unit of the printer 1. A cover 7 that opens and closes the inside of the main body housing 2 is provided on the right side of the main body housing 2. The cover 7 is provided rotatably in an upward direction around a hinge 8 provided on the control box 6 side of the upper surface of the main body housing 2.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the printer 1 with the cover 7 opened and the paper guide path opened, and FIG. 3 shows the cantilever unit in the open position. FIG. 4 is a perspective side view schematically showing an internal structure of the printer 1, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cantilever unit fixed to a holding side plate. 2 and 3 omit a part of the members, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the paper A and the ink ribbon B are set.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the printer 1
The main body housing 2 has a sheet holding section 9 for storing and holding a roll sheet of the sheet A, a driving roller 10 and a pinch roller block 11, and a conveying section 1 for conveying the sheet A.
2. Paper A having a platen 13 and a head block 14
There are provided a printing unit 15 for printing on the paper, an ink ribbon supply unit 16 for supplying the ink ribbon B to the printing unit 15, a sensor 17 for detecting the paper A, a paper guide unit 18 for guiding the paper A, and the like. Then, inside the main body housing 2,
A paper guide path 19 is provided to guide the paper A from the paper holding unit 9 to the discharge port 3 via the paper guide unit 18, the sensor 17, the transport unit 12, and the printing unit 15.

The pinch roller block 11 and the head block 14 are attached to and integrated with the sheet metal frame 20 to form a cantilever unit 21 rotatable with respect to the main body housing 2. Here, one end of each of the pinch roller block 11 and the head block 14 is fixed to the sheet metal frame 20. That is, the pinch roller block 11 and the head block 14 are held by the sheet metal frame 20 in a cantilever structure.

The cantilever unit 21 is located between an operating position where printing is possible and an open position where the pinch roller block 11 and the head block 14 separate from the drive roller 10 and the platen 13 to open the paper guide path 19. It is supposed to be rotatable. The free end of the cantilever unit 21 is fixed to the main body housing 2 by the holding side plate 22 provided on the main body housing 2 in the operating position.
As a result, the positioning accuracy of the members forming the cantilever unit 21 is improved and the rigidity is ensured. The holding side plate 22 is provided between a fixed position (FIG. 5) for fixing the cantilever unit 21 to the main body housing 2 and a fixed release position (FIG. 2) for releasing the fixation of the cantilever unit 21 to the main body housing 2. It is rotatably attached to the main body housing 2.

Here, the mounting structure of the cantilever unit 21 will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a mounting structure of the cantilever unit 21, FIG. 7 shows a mounting structure of the cantilever unit 21, (a) is a front view showing a state in which the cantilever unit 21 is in an operating position, and (b). FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state in which the cantilever unit 21 is in an open position.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the sheet metal frame 20 has the control box 6 from the one surface on the control box 6 side.
Of the pair of arms 2 that extend through the side plates 23 of the control box 6 and extend inside the control box 6 to face each other with a gap in the sheet transport direction.
4, 25 are formed. These arms 24, 25
Is rotatably held by a support shaft 26 provided inside the control box 6 on one side of the paper guide path 19. The axial direction of the support shaft 26 is the same as the paper transport direction. Then, the cantilever unit 21 includes the support shaft 2
It rotates about 6 as a fulcrum.

The cantilever unit 21 is pulled upward by the coil springs 27a and 27b functioning as tension springs so as to rotate from the operating position to the open position. These coil springs 27 a and 27 b are supported by the arms 24 and 25 and the upper portion of the main body housing 2, respectively. When the cantilever unit 21 is in the operating position, the cantilever unit 21 is positionally fixed by a fixing member (not shown) against the pulling force of the coil springs 27a and 27b. The fixing member is composed of a pair of magnets provided in the cantilever unit 21 and the main body housing 2, respectively.
The magnetic force fixes the cantilever unit 21 in the operating position.

A main body housing 2 of such a printer 1
The respective parts provided inside will be described in detail below.

First, the printing section 15 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the head block 14 constituting the printing unit 15 includes a thermal head 28 as a print head, a head pressure adjusting mechanism 29, and the thermal head 2 of these.
8 and a head pressure adjusting mechanism 29. The head block cover 30 holds the head pressure adjusting mechanism 29. The head block cover 30 has an auxiliary side plate 31 that faces the sheet metal frame 20 at a predetermined interval and is fixed to the sheet metal frame 20. The thermal head 28 is held by the sheet metal frame 20 and the auxiliary side plate 31 of the head block cover 30 so as to come into contact with the platen 13 via the paper guide path 19 so as to come into contact with and separate from the platen 13. Here, the thermal head 28
Touches the platen 13 with the cantilever unit 21 in the operating position. The head pressure adjusting mechanism 29 presses the thermal head 28 to cause the thermal head 28 to move.
The pressure of contacting the platen 13 of is adjusted. In the printing unit 15, the ink ribbon B is placed between the thermal head 28 pressed by the head pressure adjusting mechanism 29 and the paper A.
(See FIG. 4) is interposed, and the heating element of the thermal head generates heat to perform printing.

In addition, the head block 14 is provided with a head-up mechanism (not shown). The head-up mechanism uses the thermal head 28 during the printing operation.
When the sheet A is conveyed without being printed by, the head is moved to a head-up position separated from the sheet A.

As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 13 is rotatably held by a side plate 23 of the control box 6 and a side plate 32 provided upright on the bottom plate of the main body housing 2 so as to face the side plate 23. There is. The platen 13 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) provided inside the control box 6. Then, as the platen 13 is driven to rotate, the sheet A sandwiched between the thermal head 28 and the platen 13 is conveyed along the sheet guide path 19. That is, the platen 13 also functions as a transport unit that transports the sheet A.

Next, the transport section 12 will be described. Figure 2
As shown in FIG. 4, the pinch roller block 11 that constitutes the transport unit 12 includes a pinch roller body 33 and a roller block cover 34 that holds the pinch roller body 33.
It is composed of and. Roller block cover 34
Is fixed to the sheet metal frame 20 with an auxiliary side plate 35 facing the sheet metal frame 20 at a predetermined interval.
The pinch roller body 33 is arranged to face the drive roller 10 via the paper guide path 19, and is held by the sheet metal frame 20 and the auxiliary side plate 35 of the roller block cover 34 so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the drive roller 10. ing.

The pinch roller body 33 is urged by the urging means (not shown) provided in the pinch roller block 11 so as to come into contact with the drive roller 10. here,
The pinch roller body 33 contacts the drive roller 10 with the cantilever unit 21 in the operating position. The pinch roller body 33 includes two pinch rollers 36 a and 36 b arranged at a predetermined interval on the upstream side and the downstream side of the driving roller 10 in the sheet conveying direction, and the pinch rollers 36.
It is composed of a rubber belt 37 which is an endless belt stretched between a and 36b and functions as a pinch roller.

The drive roller 10 is rotatably held by the side plates 23 and 32. The drive roller 10 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) provided inside the control box 6. Then, as the drive roller 10 is rotationally driven, the paper A sandwiched between the drive roller 10 and the pinch roller body 33 is conveyed along the paper guide path 19.

Next, the paper guide portion 18 will be described with reference to FIGS.
A description will be given based on 0. 8 is a perspective view showing the paper guide portion 18, FIG. 9 is a vertical side view showing the paper guide portion 18, and FIG. 10 is a vertical front view showing the paper guide portion 18.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the paper guide portion 18 includes a pair of paper width guides 38a and 38b provided independently of the cantilever unit 21, a paper back surface guide 39, and a paper front surface guide. 40 and forms a part of the paper guide path 19.

The pair of sheet width guides 38a and 38b guide the both sides of the sheet A in the sheet conveying direction. The paper back surface guide 39 includes a pair of paper back surface guides 39a and 39b facing the back surfaces of both sides of the paper A. These paper backside guides 39a and 39b are integrally formed with the paper width guides 38a and 38b and guide the backside of the paper A. The paper surface guide 40 is the paper width guide 38.
paper width guides 38a, 38 so as to face a, 38b
b and the paper back surface guides 39a and 39b are provided independently of each other and guide the front surface of the paper A while facing the recording surface of the paper A. Here, the paper back surface guide 39 and the paper front surface guide 40 constitute a pair of paper front and back guides that guide the front and back surfaces of the paper A.

The paper width guides 38a and 38b are provided on the rack 4
A rack-and-pinion mechanism 43 including 1a and 41b and a pinion 42 holds the sheet A so that it can move in the width direction. The paper width guides 38a and 38b have
Racks 41a and 41b are attached, respectively.
These racks 41a and 41b are arranged so as to face each other in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. And
The racks 41a and 41b mesh with the pinion 42 and move in opposite directions.

The paper surface guide 40 is provided in the paper guide path 19
Is held in a cantilever structure on one side (that is, one side in the paper width direction) and is rotatably provided so as to approach and separate from the paper back surface guide 39. Specifically, the paper surface guide 40 is formed on the lower end portion of the roller block cover 34 that constitutes the cantilever unit 21. That is, the paper surface guide 40 is provided with the sheet metal frame 20.
An operation position that guides the paper A at the time of a printing operation centering on the support shaft 26 located on one side of the paper guide path 19, and an open position that separates from the paper back surface guide 39 and opens the paper guide path 19. It is rotatably provided between.

The paper surface guide 40 is a paper width guide 38.
It is composed of a first sheet surface guide 40a located upstream of the sheet conveying direction of a and 38b and a second sheet surface guide 40b located downstream of the sheet width guides 38a and 38b in the sheet conveying direction. An entry space C is formed between the first and second sheet surface guides 40a and 40b. In this entry space C, the paper width guides 38a, 3
8b is freely movable in and out, and the paper width guides 38a and 38b are inserted at the operating position. Even in the state where the paper surface guide 40 is located at the operating position, the paper width guides 38a and 38b are set in the entry space C.
Are movable in the paper width direction.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the ink ribbon supply unit 16 holds the unused ink ribbon B and supplies it to the printing unit 15, and the used ink ribbon B. And a ribbon take-up shaft 45 for taking up. The ribbon supply shaft 44 and the ribbon winding shaft 45 are
It is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) provided inside the control box 6. The ink ribbon B held by the ribbon supply shaft 44 and supplied to the printing unit 15 passes through between the thermal head 28 and the platen 13 and the ribbon take-up shaft 45.
To be wound up.

Next, the paper holding unit 9 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the paper holding unit 9 includes a paper holding shaft 46 that holds the paper A and a pair of side fences that restrict the movement of the paper A held by the paper holding shaft 46 in the width direction. 47a and 47b are provided.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, as the paper A, a label paper in which labels are attached at a predetermined interval is used on the downstream side of the platen 13 in the main body housing 2 in the paper conveying direction. A peeling plate 48 is provided for peeling the label from the mount when the label is peeled off. Although not shown in particular, the mount paper after the label paper is peeled off is wound up on the mount paper winding portion provided on the lower side of the main body housing 2.

In this embodiment, the cantilever unit 21 is composed of the sheet surface guide 40, the head block 14 and the pinch roller block 11, but the cantilever unit 21 is as follows. The present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured by the paper back surface guides 39a and 39b.

Further, in this embodiment, the paper width guide 3
Although the example in which 8a and 38b are provided independently of the cantilever unit 21 is described, the paper width guides 38a and 3b are provided.
8b is not limited to this, and may be provided in the cantilever unit 21.

In the present embodiment, the printer 1 in which the center of the paper A in the width direction is used as the positioning reference of the paper A has been described as an example, but the printer 1 is not limited to this, and the paper is not limited to this. The printer 1 in which one side of A is the positioning reference of the sheet A may be used. In this case, one of the paper width guides 38a and 38b may be provided so as to be movable in the paper width direction.

In such a structure, the paper guide path 1
In setting the paper A on the sheet 9, first, the holding side plate 22
Is rotated to the fixing release position to release the fixing of the cantilever unit 21 to the side plate 32. Next, the cantilever unit 21 is rotated to the open position to open the paper guide path 19. Then, the sheet A held by the sheet holding portion 9 is pulled out along the sheet back surface guides 39a and 39b, the drive roller 10 and the platen 13. Next, the paper width guides 38a and 38b are moved in the paper width direction according to the width of the paper A to adjust the position. Next, the cantilever unit 21 is rotated from the open position to the printable position. As a result, the sheet A is set on the sheet guide path 19. Next, the holding side plate 22 is rotated to the fixed position to fix the cantilever unit 21 to the side plate 32. As a result, printing can be performed on the paper A.

In the printing operation, as described above, the paper A is
And the ink ribbon B to the paper guide path 19 and the printing unit 15.
Drive roller 10 and platen 13
Is rotated to guide the front and back surfaces and both sides of the paper A by the paper guide portion 18, and the paper A is conveyed along the paper guide path 19. During the conveyance, the ribbon supply shaft 44 and the ribbon winding The take-up shaft 45 is rotationally driven to supply the ribbon to the printing unit 15, and the thermal head 2
Printing is performed by heating a predetermined heating element 8 to melt the ink applied to the ink ribbon B. At this time, the sensor 17 causes the paper guide path 19
It is detected whether or not there is a sheet A to be printed. Also,
When the paper is a label paper, the sensor 17 detects a label or a black mark printed on the back surface of the paper A at predetermined intervals.

As described above, in the printer of this embodiment, by rotating the cantilever unit 21 to the open position, the paper surface guide 40 is rotated to the open position and the paper guide path 19 is opened. Therefore, it is possible to expand the work space for various work such as setting work of the paper A in the paper guide path 19, jamming work of the paper A and the label, cleaning work and inspection work of the paper guide part 18, and the like. It can be facilitated.

Further, in the present embodiment, the carrying section 12 is
The drive roller 10 and the sheet A facing the drive roller 10
The printing unit 15 includes a platen 13 and a thermal head 28 serving as a print head. Since the cantilever unit 21 is rotated to the open position by being held integrally with the paper surface guide 40 which is the back surface guide, the head block 14 and the pinch roller block 11 are opened in addition to the paper surface guide 40. Since it is rotated to the position and the paper guide path 19 is opened, it is possible to expand the work space for various work such as cleaning work and inspection work for the print part 15 and the transport part 12 in addition to the paper guide part 18. In addition to facilitating these operations, setting work of the paper A in the paper guide path 19 and paper A and label It is possible to further facilitate the jam processing operations.

Further, in the present embodiment, at least one is provided with a pair of paper width guides 38a, 38b which are movable in the width direction of the paper A and guide both side portions of the paper A in the paper transport direction. The paper width guide 38 is a paper front surface guide 40 that is one of the moving paper front and back guides.
The paper width guide 3 is arranged to face the a and 38b.
Since the first paper surface guide 40a and the second paper surface guide 40b that are positioned on the upstream and downstream sides of the paper conveyance direction that form the entry space C that allows the entrance of the paper width guides 8a and 38b, the paper width guide 38a, 38b can be reliably moved in the paper width direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, the paper width guide 3
Since 8a and 38b are provided independently of the paper front surface guide 40 which is one of the moving paper front and back guides, the rotational operability of the paper front surface guide 40 can be improved.

[0042]

According to the printer of the present invention, the work space for the paper setting work and the paper jam clearance work can be expanded, and the work can be facilitated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the outer appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the printer with the cover open and the paper guide path open.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where the cantilever unit is in an open position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cantilever unit fixed to a holding side plate.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a mounting structure of a cantilever unit.

FIG. 7 shows a mounting structure of a cantilever unit, (a)
Is a front view showing the state where the cantilever unit is in the operating position,
(B) is a front view showing a state in which the cantilever unit is in the open position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a paper guide unit.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a paper guide unit.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional front view showing a paper guide unit.

FIG. 11 is a rear view showing a conventional paper guide unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Printer, 10 ... Driving roller, 12 ... Conveying section, 13
... platen, 15 ... printing section, 28 ... printing head (thermal head), 33 ... pinch roller (pinch roller body),
38a, 38b ... Paper width guide, 39 ... Paper front / back surface guide (paper back surface guide), 40 ... Paper front / back surface guide (paper front surface guide), 40a ... First paper surface guide, 40b ...
Second paper surface guide, A ... Paper, C ... Entry space

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A conveying unit configured to convey a sheet, a printing unit configured to perform printing on the conveyed sheet, and a pair of sheet front and back surface guides that guide the front and back surfaces of the sheet, one of the The paper front / back surface guide is held in a cantilever structure on one side in the width direction of the paper, and is movable so as to approach and separate from the other paper front / back surface guide with the cantilever structure side as a fulcrum. . 2. A front and back surface of one of the moving sheets, at least one of which is movable in the width direction of the sheet and comprises a pair of sheet width guides for guiding both sides of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction. The guide is arranged to face the paper width guide, and forms a space for allowing the paper width guide to enter. The first paper surface guide and the second paper surface are positioned on the upstream and downstream sides in the paper transport direction. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a guide. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the paper width guide is provided independently of the moving one of the paper front and back guides. 4. The transport section includes a drive roller and a pinch roller that sandwiches the sheet so as to face the drive roller. The printing section includes a platen and a print head. The pinch roller and the print head. 4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is held integrally with one of the moving sheet front and back guides.