JP2005205733A - Printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer device capable of easily discriminating a rear side of a recording paper sheet in spite of the arrangement in which a platen is movable with respect to a print head. <P>SOLUTION: According to the arrangement of the printer device, a paper holder 3 arranged in the vicinity of a printer unit 13 of a body case 1, for storing therein the recording paper sheet 2, has a holder cover 25 openably attached thereto, and the holder cover 25 is provided with a platen roller 17 opposed to the print head 19, and a first optical sensor 37 located in the vicinity of the platen roller 17, for detecting the recording paper sheet 2. Therefore even if the platen roller 17 is moved according to opening/closing operation of the holder cover 25, the first optical sensor 37 is also moved together with the platen roller 17, so that the first optical sensor 37 can be arranged on the rear side of the recording paper sheet 2, which is within a movable range of the platen roller 17. In this manner, although the platen roller 17 is movable with respect to the print head 19, a marking point on the rear side of the recording paper sheet 2 can be easily and positively detected by the first optical sensor 37. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer device used in a portable electronic device such as a portable information terminal.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a portable information terminal has a main body case large enough to be held with one hand, a printer unit is provided in the main body case, and a recording paper wound in a roll shape in the vicinity of the printer unit Is provided with a paper holder for holding the main body case with one hand and can be operated with the other hand.

  In such a portable information terminal, a roll-shaped recording paper stored in a paper holder is sent between a print head of a printer unit and a platen by a pair of conveyance rollers, and printing of the printer unit is performed on the fed recording paper. Information is printed by the head, and the printed recording paper is sent out of the main body case.

  In this case, a frame for partitioning the printer unit and the paper holder is rotatably attached to the paper holder. The frame is rotated when the recording paper is exchanged and separated from between the printer unit and the paper holder, so that the space between the printer unit and the paper holder is opened and rotated when printing is performed. By being arranged between the print unit and the paper holder, the portion of the printer unit that faces the print head functions as a platen.

In addition, a driven transport roller, which is one of a pair of transport rollers, is attached to the frame. The driven conveying roller is a driving conveying roller provided in the main body case when the frame is disposed between the printer unit and the paper holder and the platen portion of the frame faces the print head of the printer unit. Are configured to be pressed against each other via a recording sheet. Therefore, the driven conveying roller rotates with the rotation of the driving conveying roller, so that the recording sheet can be fed between the print head of the printer unit and the platen portion of the frame.
JP 2002-193499 A

  By the way, in such a conventional portable information terminal, on the back side of the recording paper, that is, on the side opposite to the print head, an alignment mark for setting the head of the paper or a mark indicating the remaining amount of the paper The mark portion of the recording paper needs to be detected by a paper sensor.

  For this reason, in this portable information terminal, it is necessary to dispose a paper sensor on the back side of the recording paper, but since a frame having a platen portion is rotatably attached to the paper holder, It is difficult to dispose the paper sensor in the area where the attached transport roller for rotation rotates with the opening and closing operation of the frame, that is, the area located on the back side of the recording paper. There is a problem that a mark portion indicating the remaining amount of recording paper cannot be detected.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer device that can easily detect the back side of a recording sheet even if the platen moves relative to the print head.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following components.
In addition, the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the respective components described in the section of the embodiment to be described later are attached to the respective components together with parentheses.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, the invention described in claim 1 includes a main body case (1) provided with a printer unit (printer unit 13) having at least a print head (19), and the main body case in the main body case (1). In a printer apparatus provided with a paper holder (3, 55) that is attached in the vicinity of the printer unit and stores recording paper (2), a holder cover (25, 57) is attached to the paper holder so as to be openable and closable. The holder cover includes a platen (platen roller 17) that faces the print head when the holder cover closes the paper holder, and a paper sensor (first plate) that is located near the platen and detects the recording paper. And a single optical sensor 37).

  1 to 13, the main body case (1) includes a circuit board (14) and a connection terminal portion (39) electrically connected to the circuit board. The holder cover (25, 57) is electrically connected to the paper sensor (first optical sensor 37), and the holder cover closes the paper holder (3, 55) and The contact terminal (connection electrode 38) which contacts the said connection terminal part and conducts when a platen (platen roller 17) opposes the said print head (19) is provided. Printer device.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, the holder cover (25, 57) is provided with the paper sensor (first optical sensor 37) and the contact terminal (connection electrode 38). 3. The printer apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a sensor substrate (36) that is mounted and electrically connected to both.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, the connection terminal portion (39) is in contact with the contact terminal (connection electrode 38) of the sensor substrate (36) so as to be able to contact and separate. A plurality of contact pins (39b), a holding member (39a) that holds the plurality of contact pins so that they can protrude and retract, and a biasing member that urges the plurality of contact pins in a direction of projecting outward from the holding member ( 4. The printer device according to claim 2, further comprising a coil spring (39c), wherein the plurality of contact pins are electrically connected to the circuit board (14).

  In the invention according to claim 5, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, the paper holder (3, 55) accommodates either one of a roll-like recording paper (2) and a single-sheet recording paper. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the printer device is a printer device.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the holder cover is detachably attached to the paper holder that is attached to the main body case in the vicinity of the printer unit and stores the recording paper, and this holder cover covers the paper holder. Sometimes, a platen that faces the print head and a paper sensor that is positioned near the platen and detects the recording paper are provided, so even if the platen moves as the holder cover opens and closes, Since the sensor also moves, the sheet sensor can be arranged within the moving range of the platen. For this reason, the paper sensor can be arranged on the back side of the recording paper that is within the movement range of the platen, and even if the platen moves with respect to the print head, the paper sensor uses the back side of the recording paper, That is, it is possible to easily and reliably detect the mark portion indicating the head of the paper provided on the back surface of the recording paper or the remaining amount of paper.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the holder cover closes the paper holder and the platen faces the print head, the contact terminal provided on the holder cover and electrically connected to the paper sensor includes the main body case. Since the connection terminal portion that is electrically connected to the circuit board contacts and conducts, even if a paper sensor is provided on the holder cover that opens and closes to the paper holder, there is no need to route the connection wiring in a complicated manner. The paper sensor and the circuit board of the main body case can be easily and reliably connected.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the paper sensor and the contact terminal are mounted in a state of being electrically connected to the sensor substrate, it is only necessary to attach the sensor substrate to the holder cover. And the contact terminals are separately attached to the holder cover, and it is not necessary to connect them with a connection line or the like. Therefore, the assembling operation can be performed easily and easily, and a product with high productivity can be obtained.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the connection terminal portion includes a plurality of contact pins that come into contact with and separate from the contact terminals of the sensor substrate, a holding member that holds the plurality of contact pins so as to be able to protrude and retract, and a plurality of contact pins. An urging member that urges the contact pin in a direction that protrudes outward from the holding member, and a plurality of contact pins are electrically connected to the circuit board, thereby providing a holder cover that opens and closes with respect to the paper holder. Even if the contact terminal is provided, when the contact terminal comes into contact with the plurality of contact pins, the plurality of contact pins move in the direction of immersing into the holding member against the urging force of the urging member. The contact terminals can be elastically contacted with the plurality of contact pins, whereby the plurality of contact pins and the contact terminals can be reliably connected and electrically connected.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the paper holder is configured to store either one of the roll-shaped recording paper and the single-sheet recording paper. Any one of the vote recording papers can be selected and used, whereby a versatile and user-friendly one can be obtained.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the printer device of the present invention is applied to a portable information terminal will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 is a perspective view of the portable information terminal of the present invention as viewed from above, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable information terminal during printing, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the portable information terminal of FIG. FIG.
The portable information terminal includes a main body case 1 as shown in FIGS. The main body case 1 is of a size that can be held with one hand, and is formed in a constricted shape on the left and right sides of the main body case 1. The upper end of the main body case 1 is wound in a roll shape. A paper holder 3 for storing the recording paper 2 is attached.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a display opening 4 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the main body case 1, and character keys and numerals are provided on the lower side of the upper surface of the main body case 1. A key input unit 5 in which various keys such as keys are arranged is provided. A speaker unit 6, a push button switch 7, and a display lamp 8 are provided on the upper side of the upper surface of the main body case 1, and the side surface of the main body case 1 is provided with a side as shown in FIGS. A plurality of connector portions 9 for external connection and various push button switches 10 are provided.

  On the other hand, a module is disposed in the main body case 1 as shown in FIG. This module includes a middle case 11, and an input display section 12 is provided at the center of the middle case 11 so as to correspond to the display opening 4. The input display unit 12 is formed by overlaying a transparent touch panel on the upper surface of the display panel, and information is input by performing an input operation on the touch panel with an input pen or a fingertip through the display opening 4 of the main body case 1. In addition, the information displayed on the display panel through the transparent touch panel is configured to be visible from the outside of the main body case 1.

  A printer unit 13 is provided on one end side (right end side in FIG. 3) of the middle case 11, and a circuit board 14 is provided on the lower surface of the middle case 11. A card holder 15 into which a communication card (not shown) is removably inserted is provided along the longitudinal direction of the main body case 1 below the circuit board 14. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, each end of the printer unit 13 and the card holder 15 is open to one end side (right end side in FIG. 5) of the main body case 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the printer unit 13 includes a unit main body 16. In the unit main body 16, a platen roller 17 described later is detachably inserted, and a guide recess 18 for guiding the recording paper 2 is provided open to the upper surface and the end surface. A print head 19 is provided inside the unit main body 16 at a location corresponding to the guide recess 18. The print head 19 is electrically connected to the circuit board 14 by a flexible wiring board 20 and is configured to print information on the recording paper 2 by being driven to generate heat according to print data.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the platen roller 17 is placed at a predetermined position in the guide recess 18, that is, at a position where the platen roller 17 faces the print head 19, on both sides of the guide recess 18 in the unit body 16. A guide portion 21 for guiding is provided. The unit body 16 is attached on a metal reinforcing plate 22, and the reinforcing plate 22 is attached to the middle case 11 with screws 23. As a result, the unit main body 16 is disposed in the main body case 1 with the guide concave portion 18 opened to the outside from the printer opening portion 24 provided at the end of the main body case 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the card holder 15 has a communication card inserted from the end side (right end side in FIG. 5) of the main body case 1 and is inserted into a card connector (not shown) provided in the back thereof. A communication card is electrically connected to thereby transmit / receive data to / from an external device. In this case, the card connector is configured such that the installation location is set in advance by an adapter or the like according to the length of the communication card. In addition, the communication card is configured so that the communication part protrudes from the end of the main body case 1 in the state of being inserted into the card holder 11, and the protruding communication part is disposed below the paper holder 3. Has been.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the paper holder 3 is attached to one end portion (upper right end portion in FIG. 6) of the main body case 1 with a fixing screw (not shown). A holder cover 25 is attached to the top of the paper holder 3 so as to be openable and closable, and a card lid 26 is attached to the bottom of the paper holder 3 so as to be openable and closable. A lock member 27 that locks when the holder cover 25 is closed is attached to the outer side of the paper holder 3 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIG. 8, the holder cover 25 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape that protrudes upward, and a holder arm 28 is provided at the rear end (right end in FIG. 8). It is rotatably attached to a hinge shaft 29 provided at the lower rear end of the holder 3 (lower right end in FIG. 8) so that the paper holder 3 can be opened and closed by rotating up and down around the hinge shaft 29. It is configured. The card lid 26 has a rear end upper portion (right end surface upper portion in FIG. 8) rotatably attached to a hinge shaft 29 that is a rotation center of the holder cover 25, thereby protruding a communication portion from which the card communication card protrudes. It is comprised so that it can open and close.

  In this case, an engagement protrusion 30 is formed on the outer side of the front portion (right end portion in FIG. 6) of the holder cover 25 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a hook portion 31 is formed at the front portion of the holder cover 25 so as to close the printer opening portion 24 of the main body case 1 so as to be opened and closed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the flange 31 is provided with a paper discharge port 32 for discharging the recording paper 2 printed by the printer unit 13 to the upper side of the main body case 1. A platen roller 17 is rotatably attached to the lower surface of 31.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the platen roller 17 has a rotation shaft 33 rotatably supported by a support portion 34 formed on the flange portion 31 of the holder cover 25, and rotates the holder cover 25 to rotate the paper holder 3. And is inserted into the main body case 1 from the printer opening portion 24, and the rotating shaft 33 is guided by the guide portion 21 of the printer unit 13, thereby approaching the print head 19 of the printer unit 13. And are configured to face each other. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the platen roller 17 is provided with a driven gear 35 at the end of the rotating shaft 33, and this driven gear 35 is connected to a drive gear (not shown) provided in the main body case 1. By rotating in mesh with each other, the recording paper 2 is conveyed while being pressed against the print head 19 by rotating with the driven gear 35.

  A sensor substrate 36 is provided along the platen roller 17 on the lower surface of the collar portion 31 of the holder cover 25. On the lower surface of the sensor substrate 36 is provided a first optical sensor 37 for detecting a mark portion (not shown) provided on the back surface of the recording paper 2, that is, the surface located opposite to the print head 19. A connection electrode 38 to which the first photosensor 37 is electrically connected by a wiring pattern is provided.

  The first optical sensor 37 includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The first light sensor 37 irradiates the back surface of the recording paper 2 with the light emitted from the light emitting element, and receives the reflected light by the light receiving element. It is configured to detect the provided mark portion. This mark portion is a positioning mark for setting the head of the paper, a mark indicating the remaining amount of the paper, and the like, and is provided on the back surface of the recording paper 2 by printing or the like. When the holder cover 25 is rotated to cover and close the paper holder 3, the connection electrode 38 is inserted into the main body case 1 from the printer opening portion 24 of the main body case 1 and disposed in the main body case 1. It is configured to be in contact with the connection terminal portion 39 and to conduct.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), the connection terminal portion 39 has a plurality of contact pins 39b on a holding member 39a provided on the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1 by a coil spring 39c. When the contact electrode 39 on the holder cover 25 is brought into contact with the contact pins 39b and pressed from above, the contact pins 39b are attached to the contact pins 39b as shown in FIG. 10B. It is configured to be pushed down against the spring force of the coil spring 39c, whereby the connection electrode 38 is elastically contacted with each contact pin 39b to be conducted. In this case, each contact pin 39b is electrically connected to the circuit board 14 by a coil spring 39c.

  Incidentally, in the main body case 1 located below the first optical sensor 37, as shown in FIG. 8, a second optical sensor 40 for detecting the presence or absence of the recording paper 2 is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 8, the second optical sensor 40 is provided on the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1 in a state corresponding to the light transmission hole 16 a of the unit main body 16. Similarly to the first optical sensor 37, the second optical sensor 40 includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light emitted from the light emitting element passes through the light transmitting hole 16a of the unit main body 16 to the surface of the recording paper 2, that is, the print head 19. By irradiating the surface located on the side and receiving the reflected light by a light receiving element, the presence or absence of the recording paper 2 is detected.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a drip-proof cover 41 that covers the paper discharge port 32 so as to be openable and closable is attached to the holder cover 25 via a cover arm 42. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, in the drip-proof cover 41, the cover arm 42 is rotatably attached to support shafts 43 provided on both side surfaces of the holder cover 25, and the holder cover 25 is centered on the support shaft 43. It is comprised so that it may rotate along the semi-cylindrical upper surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a cushion member 44 for sealing the paper discharge port 32 is provided on the lower surface of the drip-proof cover 41.

  In this case, the both sides of the drip-proof cover 41 are provided with knobs 45 corresponding to both sides of the main body case 1 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 1 is provided with a locking projection 47 that is detachably locked to an engaging recess 46 provided on the upper part of both side surfaces. As a result, when the drip-proof cover 41 rotates about the support shaft 43 to cover the paper discharge port 32, the locking projection 47 of the knob 45 is locked to the engagement recess 46 of the main body case 1. Thus, the cushion member 44 is compressed to seal the paper discharge port 32. The paper discharge port 32 is provided with a cutter 48 for cutting the printed recording paper 2.

  The reinforcing plate 22 of the printer unit 13 is electrically connected to the ground of the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1. That is, the reinforcing plate 22 is made of a metal plate, and static electricity is charged. Therefore, it is necessary to drop the static electricity to the ground of the circuit board 14. In this case, the entire surface of the reinforcing plate 22 is insulated by a rust prevention treatment or the like, but as shown in FIG. 11, a screw hole into which a fixing screw 23 for attaching the reinforcing plate 22 to the middle case 11 is screwed. In 22a, the material is exposed. For this reason, the reinforcing plate 22 has a fixing screw 23 to be attached to the middle case 11 screwed into the screw hole 22a, and the screwed fixing screw 23 is brought into contact with a spring contact member 49 provided on the circuit board 14. Thus, the circuit board 14 is electrically connected to the ground.

Next, a case where such a portable information terminal is used will be described.
In this case, the roll-shaped recording paper 2 is stored in the paper holder 3 in advance. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the holder cover 25 is opened by rotating upward about the hinge shaft 28 of the paper holder 3, and the roll-shaped recording paper 2 is arranged on the paper holder 3. 2 is fed into the guide recess 18 of the printer unit 13 of the main body case 1. When the holder cover 25 is closed in this state, the platen roller 17 attached to the collar portion 31 of the holder cover 25 is inserted into the guide recess 18 of the printer unit 13 from the printer opening portion 24 of the main body case 1, and the holder cover 25 The lid 31 closes the printer opening 24.

  At this time, the rotation shaft 33 of the platen roller 17 is guided by the guide portion 21 of the printer unit 13, so that the platen roller 17 approaches and opposes the print head 19 of the printer unit 13 and at the end of the rotation shaft 33. The provided driven gear 35 meshes with a drive gear (not shown) provided in the main body case 1. At this time, the first optical sensor 37 is disposed close to the back surface of the recording paper 2, and the connection electrode 38 of the sensor substrate 36 comes into contact with the connection terminal portion 39 in the main body case 1 to conduct therethrough. Thus, the first optical sensor 37 and the circuit board 14 are electrically connected.

  That is, when the connection electrode 38 of the sensor substrate 36 contacts the connection terminal portion 39 in the main body case 1, the contact pins 39 b of the connection terminal portion 39 are pushed down by the contact electrode 38 against the spring force of the coil spring 39 c. As a result, the contact pin 39b and the connection electrode 38 are elastically brought into conduction. As a result, the print head 19 of the printer unit 13 can print on the recording paper 2. In this state, when the locking member 27 is slid to engage the engaging protrusion 30 of the holder cover 25, the holder cover 25 is locked so as not to open without permission.

  On the other hand, a communication card (not shown) is inserted and stored in the card holder 15 in the main body case 1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the card lid 26 is rotated downward about the hinge shaft 28 of the paper holder 3 and opened. In this state, the communication card is inserted into the card holder 15 shown in FIG. The inserted communication card is connected to a card connector (not shown) in the card holder 15. In this state, the communication portion of the communication card protrudes from the main body case 1, and the protruding communication portion is disposed below the paper holder 3. In this state, when the card lid 26 is rotated and closed, the communication portion of the communication card is covered by the card lid 26 and the lower side of the paper holder 3 is closed. In this state, the card cover 26 is fixed to the paper holder 3 with screws (not shown).

  When printing information on the recording paper 2 with this portable information terminal, first, the locking protrusions 47 of the knobs 44 provided on both sides of the drip-proof cover 41 are engaged with the engaging recesses 46 of the main body case 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the drip-proof cover 41 is rotated upward about the support shaft 43 of the holder cover 25 to open the paper discharge port 32. In this state, while viewing the information displayed on the input display unit 12, the input display unit 12 and the key input unit 5 are input to input information. In addition, the communication card transmits / receives data to / from an external device, and takes in necessary data.

  Thereafter, when the printer unit 13 starts printing, the first optical sensor 37 provided on the holder cover 25 side detects the mark portion provided on the back surface of the recording paper 2 and is disposed on the printer unit 13 side. The second optical sensor 40 detects the presence or absence of the recording paper 2 and rotates a drive gear (not shown) in the main body case 1 based on the detection results detected by the first and second optical sensors 37 and 40. In response to the rotation of the drive gear, the driven gear 35 is rotated to rotate the platen roller 17. Thereby, the head of the recording paper 2 is set.

  When the print head 19 of the printer unit 13 is driven to generate heat in this state, information is printed on the recording paper 2 by the print head 19 and the platen roller 17 is rotated according to the print speed of the print head 19. The recording paper 2 is sequentially conveyed. As a result, necessary information is sequentially printed on the recording paper 2 by the print head 19, and the printed recording paper 2 is conveyed in accordance with the rotation of the platen roller 17 and above the main body case 1 from the paper discharge port 32. Are discharged sequentially.

  As described above, according to this portable information terminal, the holder cover 25 is attached to the paper holder 3 that is attached to the main body case 1 in the vicinity of the printer unit 13 and accommodates the recording paper 2 so that the holder cover 25 can be opened and closed. In addition, since the platen roller 17 facing the print head 19 and the first optical sensor 37 for detecting the recording paper 2 located near the platen roller 17 are provided, the platen roller 17 is opened and closed as the holder cover 25 is opened and closed. Even if the roller 17 moves, the first optical sensor 37 also moves together with the platen roller 17, so that the first optical sensor 37 can be disposed within the moving range of the platen roller 17.

  For this reason, since the first optical sensor 37 can be disposed on the back side of the recording paper 2 within the movement range of the platen roller 17, even if the platen roller 17 moves relative to the print head 19, The mark portion provided on the back surface of the recording paper 2 can be easily and reliably detected by the one-light sensor 37, so that the recording paper 2 can be accurately cued and the remaining recording paper 2 remains. The amount can be accurately known, and a very convenient product can be obtained.

  In this case, when the holder cover 25 closes the paper holder 3 and the platen roller 17 faces the print head 19, the connection electrode 38 provided on the holder cover 25 and electrically connected to the first optical sensor 37 is provided. Since the connection terminal portion 39 that is electrically connected to the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1 is brought into contact and is conducted, the first optical sensor 37 is provided on the holder cover 25 that opens and closes with respect to the paper holder 3. There is no need to route the connection wiring in a complicated manner, and the first optical sensor 37 of the holder cover 25 and the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1 can be easily and reliably connected.

  Further, since the first optical sensor 37 and the connection electrode 38 are mounted on the sensor substrate 36 and both are electrically connected, it is only necessary to attach the sensor substrate 36 to the holder cover 25. Since it is not necessary to attach the one-light sensor 37 and the connection electrode 38 separately to the holder cover 25 and to electrically connect them with connection wiring or the like, the assembling work can be done easily and easily. You can get something expensive.

  The connection terminal portion 39 includes a plurality of contact pins 39b with which the connection electrodes 38 of the sensor substrate 36 come into contact with and separable from each other, a holding member 39a that holds the plurality of contact pins 39b so as to be able to protrude and retract, and a plurality of contact pins A coil spring 39c that urges 39b to protrude outward from the holding member 39a, and a plurality of contact pins 39b are electrically connected to the circuit board 14 by the coil spring 39c. Even if the connection electrode 38 is provided on the holder cover 25 that opens and closes, when the connection electrode 38 contacts the contact pins 39b, the contact pins 39b resist the urging force of the coil spring 39c. By moving in the direction of immersing in the holding member 39a, the connection electrode 38 can be elastically contacted with the plurality of contact pins 39b. The the emission 39b and the connection electrode 38 by reliably conduct can be electrically connected.

  Furthermore, since the unit main body 16 is fixed to the middle case 11 with the fixing screw 23 via the metal reinforcing plate 22, the strength of the printer unit 13 can be ensured by the metal reinforcing plate 22. In this case, since the reinforcing plate 22 is made of metal, the fixing screw 23 screwed to the reinforcing plate 22 is brought into contact with the spring contact member 49 connected to the ground of the circuit board 14 in consideration of static electricity. Thus, since the metal reinforcing plate 22 and the ground of the circuit board 14 are electrically connected, the static electricity of the reinforcing plate 22 can be reliably dropped to the ground of the circuit board 14.

  In this case, even if the entire surface of the metal reinforcing plate 22 is insulated by rust prevention treatment or the like, the screw hole 22a for attaching the reinforcing plate 22 to the middle case 11 is exposed from the material. By screwing the fixing screw 23 into the screw hole 22a, the fixing screw 23 and the reinforcing plate 22 can be electrically connected to each other, whereby the reinforcing plate 22 and the circuit board 14 can be reliably connected. , Good anti-static measures can be taken.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the paper holder 3 for storing the recording paper 2 wound in a roll shape is attached to the main body case 1 is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the modification shown in FIGS. As described above, a paper holder 55 for storing a single sheet of recording paper (not shown) may be attached to the main body case 1. That is, the paper holder 55 has a placement portion 56 on which a single sheet of recording paper is placed, and a holder cover 57 that covers the placement portion 56 is attached so as to be openable and closable. The platen roller 17 and the sensor substrate 36 are provided in the same manner as in FIG. Also in this case, the sensor substrate 36 is provided with the first optical sensor 37 and the connection electrode 38, and the connection electrode 38 comes into contact with the connection terminal portion 39 in the main body case 1 to be conductive, so that the first The one optical sensor 37 and the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1 are electrically connected.

  Also in such a portable information terminal, the first paper sensor 37 can be arranged on the back side of the single-sheet recording paper as in the above-described embodiment, so that the platen roller 17 moves relative to the print head 19. Even so, the mark portion provided on the back surface of the recording paper can be easily and reliably detected by the first optical sensor 37, whereby the head of the recording paper can be accurately performed. Also in this portable information terminal, the connection electrode 38 provided on the holder cover 57 and electrically connected to the first optical sensor 37 is connected to the circuit board 14 in the main body case 1. Therefore, even if the paper holder 55 for storing a single sheet of recording paper is attached to the main body case 1, there is no need to route the connection wiring in a complicated manner, and the first optical sensor 37 of the holder cover 57 is connected. The circuit board 14 in the main body case 1 can be easily and reliably connected.

  As described above, according to the portable information terminal, either the paper holder 3 for storing the roll-shaped recording paper 2 or the paper holder 55 for storing the single-sheet recording paper is attached to the main body case 1. Thus, it is possible to select and use either the roll-shaped recording paper 2 or the single-sheet recording paper according to the application, thereby obtaining a versatile and user-friendly one.

In the above-described embodiment and its modification, the case where the platen roller 17 is opposed to the print head 19 is described. However, the platen roller 17 is not necessarily required. For example, a plate-shaped platen is used as the print head. You may make it approach 19 and make it oppose. In this case, a pair of transport rollers for transporting the recording paper 2 may be provided separately.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its modifications, the case where the portable electronic device is applied to a portable information terminal has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a mobile phone, an electronic dictionary, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc. The present invention can be widely applied to various electronic devices.

1 is a perspective view of a portable information terminal to which a printer device of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state where printing is performed by the portable information terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal structure of the portable information terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the printer unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a main part in a state where the printer unit of FIG. 4 is disposed in a main body case 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a main part in a state where a holder cover of a paper holder is opened in the portable information terminal of FIG. 1. It is the perspective view which showed the paper holder of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the portable information terminal of FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the portable information terminal shown in FIG. 9 shows a connection structure between the connection terminal portion and the connection electrode of the sensor substrate in FIG. 9, (a) shows a state before the connection electrode contacts the connection terminal portion, and (b) shows the connection electrode on the connection terminal portion. It is the figure which showed the state which contacted. It is an enlarged view of the A section of FIG. It is the expanded side view of the principal part which showed the modification of the portable information terminal to which this invention was applied, and that part was fractured | ruptured. It is the perspective view which showed the paper holder of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 2 Recording paper 3, 55 Paper holder 11 Middle case 13 Printer unit 14 Circuit board 16 Printer main body 17 Platen roller 18 Guide recessed part 19 Print head 24 Printer open part 25, 57 Holder cover 28 Holder arm 29 Hinge shaft 31 Gutter 32 Paper discharge port 33 Rotating shaft 34 Support portion 35 Driven gear 36 Sensor substrate 37 First optical sensor 38 Connection electrode 39 Connection terminal portion 39a Holding member 39b Contact pin 39c Coil spring

Claims (5)

In a printer apparatus comprising a main body case provided with a printer unit having at least a print head, and a paper holder that is attached to the main body case in the vicinity of the printer unit and stores recording paper.
A holder cover is attached to the paper holder so as to be openable and closable. The holder cover includes a platen that faces the print head when the holder cover closes the paper holder, and is located near the platen. A printer apparatus comprising a paper sensor for detecting a recording paper.   The main body case is provided with a circuit board and a connection terminal portion electrically connected to the circuit board, the holder cover is electrically connected to the paper sensor, and the holder cover is connected to the paper The printer device according to claim 1, further comprising a contact terminal that is in contact with the connection terminal portion and is conductive when the platen is opposed to the print head by closing the holder.   The printer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holder cover is provided with a sensor substrate on which the paper sensor and the contact terminal are mounted and electrically connected to each other.   The connection terminal portion includes a plurality of contact pins with which the contact terminals of the sensor substrate come into contact with and away from each other, a holding member that holds the plurality of contact pins so that the contact pins can protrude and retract, and the plurality of contact pins from the holding member. 4. The printer device according to claim 2, further comprising an urging member that urges in a direction to project outward, wherein the plurality of contact pins are electrically connected to the circuit board. 5. The printer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper holder stores one of a roll-shaped recording paper and a single-sheet recording paper.

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