JP2008049539A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a positioning structure which is high in positional accuracy regardless of a rotary shaft position at a positioning member disposed at a lid in a printer with the lid that rotates to carry out the opening/closing action, and which is strong against disturbances such as vibration. <P>SOLUTION: In the structure, the positioning member is assigned to have an angle to become parallel to the lid at a fitting start position during the opening/closing action. The positioning member is also held to be freely movable by some degrees to the lid. The structure can absorb positional variation by inducing fitting at the time of starting fitting. In the structure, the positioning member is urged to a body side at the time of closing the lid. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer in which an ink cassette in which an ink sheet is stored can be mounted and an image is printed on a printing paper by a thermal head using ink applied to the ink sheet.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a sublimation type printer, a thermal head or a platen roller is movable in order to mount an ink cassette containing an ink sheet on the printer. When an ink ribbon or the like is mounted, a space for retracting and inserting the thermal head or the opposing platen roller is created. In the sublimation type printer, there is a thing in which a thermal head is attached to the main body with a cantilever structure in order to attach an ink ribbon or the like to a predetermined position. Further, in order to attach an ink ribbon or the like and protect the inside, a lid that can be opened and closed is generally provided.
In such a printer having a cantilever-supported thermal head, the free end of the thermal head is positioned by engaging a positioning member that is integrally supported with the lid and an uneven portion disposed on the printer body. This is common (see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-323461

  However, in the above conventional example, since the lid rotates to fit the concave and convex shapes, the concave and convex shapes are fitted while having an angle by rotation. For this reason, in order to absorb the relative position shift due to this rotation and fit, it is necessary to make the fitting length as short as possible and set the clearance in the concave and convex fitting portions. Due to this clearance, there is a problem that the positioning accuracy deteriorates. Further, if the fitting length is shortened, positioning may be lost due to vibration or the like, and thus a structure for preventing this is necessary.

  In addition, in order to improve positioning accuracy when the fitting length is increased and the clearance of the concave and convex fitting parts is reduced, the fitting part is arranged at a position as far as possible from the rotation center of the lid, and by rotation It was necessary to reduce the influence of the angle.

  In order to solve the above problems, the printer of the present invention has the following configuration.

An ink cassette containing an ink sheet can be mounted, and a printer that prints an image by transferring ink applied to the ink sheet onto a recording sheet by a thermal head,
An opening for mounting the ink cassette;
A lid for the opening that rotates and opens and closes;
A thermal head that is cantilevered by the printer body and has a fitting portion;
A positioning member that is provided on the lid portion and is fitted to the fitting portion of the thermal head when the lid is closed to fix the free end of the thermal head;
The positioning portion is arranged such that when the fitting portion and the positioning member are fitted, the surface of the positioning member that comes into contact with the free end of the thermal head is substantially parallel to the surface of the free end of the thermal head. It is characterized by being provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the positioning member provided on the lid and the thermal head can be fitted to each other without being influenced by the angle caused by the rotation of the lid. Therefore, there are no restrictions on the position where the fitting portion is provided or the fitting length, and a free design is possible, and highly accurate positioning can be provided. In addition, since the fitting length can be increased, it is possible to prevent the fitting between the positioning member and the main body from being released due to factors such as vibration.

  1 and 2 are printers according to an embodiment of the present invention, and are perspective views in a state where a lid is opened. This printer is a sublimation type printer that performs printing by transferring ink applied to an ink sheet onto printing paper by a thermal head 12. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lid of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lid of the sublimation printer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis thrust direction of the lid.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sublimation type printer according to the present invention has a lid 15 held by a rotating shaft 14 on a main body 11 in a rotationally movable state. The lid 15 is opened and closed to store ink sheets and printing paper. It has a structure in which the cassette is attached to the main body. The thermal head 12 is fixed to the printer body in a cantilevered manner, and a convex fitting portion 13a used for positioning is provided at the free end. The printer body 11 is also provided with a convex fitting portion 13b used for positioning. Leaf springs 17 a and 17 b are fixed to the lid 15, and a claw portion 18 for hooking the positioning member 16 is also provided. The positioning member 16 is provided with a convex fitting portion 13a provided at the free end of the thermal head, and concave portions 16a and 16b which are fitted with the convex fitting portion 13b of the printer main body. By closing the lid, 13a, 13b and 16a, 16b are respectively fitted, and the free end of the thermal head is positioned and fixed with respect to the printer body.

  The positioning portion 16 is supported on the lid by the leaf springs 17a and 17b, and the positioning portion 16 is urged by the leaf spring in a direction away from the lid. The positioning member 16 is provided with a hole that engages with the claw portion 18, and the positioning member 16 is urged away from the lid by the leaf springs 17 a and 17 b, so that it engages with the claw portion 18. The state is retained. Further, while maintaining this engaged state, the positioning member 16 is supported by the lid by being prevented from falling off the lid by the step shape provided on the leaf springs 17a and 17b. Further, the positioning member 16 is movable because it is supported on the lid by the leaf spring.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the lid is opened. In FIG. 3, the positioning member 16 is movably held by a claw shape 18 and leaf springs 17a and 17b. Further, the surface of the positioning member 16 that comes into contact with the free end of the thermal head when the lid is closed is parallel to the lid 15 when biased by the leaf springs 17a and 17b. Rather, it is held at a certain angle.

  FIG. 4 shows that the convex engagement portion 13a provided at the free end of the thermal head and the convex engagement portion 13b provided at the printer main body are engaged with the concave engagement of the positioning member 16 during the rotation operation for closing the lid. It is sectional drawing in the position which starts engagement with the parts 16a and 16b. In the engagement start position shown in FIG. 4, the lid and the positioning member 16 are not parallel, but the positioning member 16 that abuts each other when the positioning lid is closed and the surface of the free end of the thermal head are substantially parallel. ing. Therefore, the fitting shafts of the convex fitting portions 13a and 13b and the concave fitting portions 16a and 16b are parallel to each other without having an angle, and thus are smoothly fitted. Further, the convex fitting portion 13a arranged at the free end of the thermal spring 17 and the convex fitting portion 13b arranged on the main body and the concave fitting portions 16a and 16b of the positioning member 16 are inviting shapes such as chamfering to each other. Even better. Since the thermal head 12 is supported in a cantilevered manner, the position of the convex fitting portion 13a at the free end varies. However, since the positioning member 16 is supported by a leaf spring, it is free to the lid 15 to some extent. It has a structure that can move. Therefore, the variation in the position of the convex fitting portion 13a can be absorbed.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the lid 15 is completely closed and the positioning member 16 is completely fitted with the convex engagement portion 13a disposed at the free end of the thermal head and the convex engagement portion 13b disposed at the main body. . The leaf springs 17a and 17b, which function to hold the positioning member 16 movably with respect to the lid 15 in the open state and prevent it from falling off, are in the fully closed state shown in FIG. Due to deformation. The positioning member 16 is pressed against the main body 11 by the reaction force of the deformation. In addition, the position of the positioning member 16 that is movably supported is fixed by fitting with the fitting portion 13b of the printer main body. The thermal head fitted with the positioning member 16 whose position is fixed is in a state where the free end is fixed and both ends are fixed.

  Thus, according to the present invention, the surface of the positioning member that contacts the free end of the thermal head when the lid is closed and the lid are held at a certain angle rather than in parallel. It is possible to prevent the concave and convex shapes from being fitted to each other while having an angle by rotation. Further, the positioning member is held by an urging member such as a leaf spring so that the positioning member can be moved, so that when the lid is closed, the surface of the positioning member that comes into contact with the free end is parallel to the lid. It is possible to absorb variations in the position of the free end. As described above, it is possible to provide a positioning structure with high positional accuracy and reduced adverse effects such as vibrations by eliminating the restriction due to the position of the rotation center with a small number of parts.

1 is a perspective view of a printer according to the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a printer according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing in the state in which the cover of the printer which concerns on this invention is open. It is sectional drawing in the position where the positioning structure of the printer based on this invention starts an engagement. It is sectional drawing in the state which the lid | cover of the printer concerning this invention closed completely.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Printer main body 12 Thermal head 13a Convex fitting part 13b Convex engagement part 14 Rotating shaft of lid 15 Lid 16 Positioning member 16a Concave fitting part 16b Concave fitting part 17a, 17b Leaf spring 18 Claw part

Claims (2)

An ink cassette containing an ink sheet can be mounted, and a printer that prints an image by transferring ink applied to the ink sheet onto a recording sheet by a thermal head,
An opening for mounting the ink cassette;
A lid for the opening that rotates and opens and closes;
A thermal head that is cantilevered to the printer body;
A positioning member for fixing the free end of the thermal head provided on the lid,
The positioning member is urged toward the thermal head, and the surface of the positioning member on the thermal head side and the surface of the lid on the thermal head side are not substantially parallel but in an angle when the lid is open. The printer is located substantially in parallel with the lid closed. An ink cassette containing an ink sheet can be mounted, and a printer that prints an image by transferring ink applied to the ink sheet onto a recording sheet by a thermal head,
An opening for mounting the ink cassette;
A lid for the opening that rotates and opens and closes;
A thermal head that is cantilevered by the printer body and has a fitting portion;
A positioning member for fixing the free end of the thermal head by being fitted to the fitting portion of the thermal head, provided on the lid portion;
The positioning portion is arranged such that when the fitting portion and the positioning member are fitted, the surface of the positioning member that comes into contact with the free end of the thermal head is substantially parallel to the surface of the free end of the thermal head. A printer characterized by being provided.

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