JP2009102145A - Rolled paper holding mechanism and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rolled paper holding mechanism and a printer, which surely holds various rolled papers having different inner diameters, easily replaces rolled paper with another one, and is improved in maintenance and speedy restart. <P>SOLUTION: The rolled paper holding mechanism is provided with a rotation plate 51 operable by a finger tip for arranging selected holding members 50a, 50b, 50c from the plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, 50c to confront a holder hole 52 while switching relative positions of the plurality of the holding members 50a, 50b, 50c for the holder holes 52 so that insertion parts of the holding members 50a, 50b, 50c protrude from the holder hole 52 into a storing part to pivot the rolled paper. The insertion parts that the plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, 50c respectively have, are provided with different outer diameters. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a roll paper holding mechanism that supports roll paper and a printer having the roll paper holding mechanism.

Many types of thermal printers are currently available that perform printing by pressing a heated thermal head against special recording paper that changes color when heat is applied. In particular, since smooth character printing and various graphic printing can be performed without using toner or ink, it is preferably used for printing various labels, receipts and tickets.
By the way, recording paper used in various printers typified by this thermal printer is usually used in a state of being rolled paper wound around a cylindrical core tube. There are two types of roll paper, a drop-in type that is dropped into the storage space, or a shaft-supported type that supports the shaft by inserting the shaft through the core tube (for example, rotatably supported) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). It is common to install by a method.

Further, as one of the pivotal support types, there is known a roll paper support structure that can support the roll paper in a rotatable manner and can easily perform a roll paper replacement operation. The roll paper support structure includes a pair of holding members biased by a biasing member such as a coil spring toward the inside of the roll paper accommodating portion in which the roll paper is accommodated. Each of the pair of holding members has an insertion portion fitted in the hollow hole of the roll paper at the tip. That is, the pair of holding members can support the roll paper sandwiched from both sides by fitting the tip portions into the hollow holes from both sides. That is, the outer surface of the insertion portion comes into contact with the inner edge of the hollow hole of the roll paper so that the roll paper can be pressed and held from both sides. At this time, the urging force of the urging member is adjusted so that the roll paper can be rotated.
Further, since the holding member is merely urged by the urging member, when the force is applied in the direction opposite to the urging direction, the holding member moves in that direction. As a result, the roll paper can be easily detached.
JP 2003-146513 A

By the way, the roll paper described above differs in the diameter of the core tube around which the recording paper is wound, that is, the inner diameter of the roll paper, depending on the thickness of the recording paper.
However, in the above-described roll paper holding structure, when holding roll paper having different inner diameters, the inner diameter of the roll paper that can be held by the holding member provided in the storage unit is determined, so the diameter of the holding member There is a problem that a roll paper having a smaller inner diameter cannot be held.
On the other hand, there is also known a configuration in which a detachable holding member is provided in the accommodating portion, and this holding member is exchanged according to the inner diameter of the roll paper, or a separate attachment is attached to the holding member. In this case, there is a problem that it takes time to replace and switch the holding member. As a result, it took time to restart the printer, and speedy printing could not be performed. Further, when the holding member and the attachment are removed, there are many cases where they are lost.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention can reliably hold various roll papers having different inner diameters, and can be easily replaced with other roll papers, thereby improving maintenance. An object of the present invention is to provide a roll paper holding mechanism capable of realizing a speedy restart and a printer having the roll paper holding mechanism.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means.
A roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention includes a casing provided with a storage portion that stores roll paper wound so that the recording paper has a hollow hole, and a cover that is openably and closably connected to the casing. A pair of plates having holder holes provided on both sides of the casing so as to sandwich the roll paper accommodated in the accommodating portion and formed at positions facing the hollow holes of the accommodated roll paper; A holding member having an insertion portion that is arranged in the same number between the pair of plates and the casing and into which a part is inserted into a hollow hole of the accommodated roll paper, and the insertion portion is the plate. And a biasing portion that biases with a predetermined elastic force, and can be operated with a fingertip. The holding member selected from the plurality of holding members is arranged to face the holder hole and at the same time. A switching mechanism for switching the relative positions of the plurality of holding members with respect to the holder hole so that the insertion portion protrudes from the holder hole into the housing portion to pivotally support the roll paper, and the plurality of holding members The insertion portions respectively have different outer diameters.

In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, various roll papers having different inner diameters (hollow hole diameters) can be reliably held and can be quickly replaced.
First, when the switching mechanism is operated with a fingertip, the relative positions of the plurality of holding members with respect to the holder hole formed in the plate can be switched. At this time, since the insertion portion of each holding member is urged by the urging portion toward the plate side with a predetermined elastic force, only the insertion portion disposed to face the holder hole by the operation of the switching mechanism is inserted into the holder hole. It can be made to project into the accommodating portion through the through hole. In this way, by operating the switching mechanism, the insertion portions having different outer diameters can be sequentially projected into the housing portion. Then, an insertion portion having an optimum size (outer diameter) is selected according to the diameter of the hollow hole of the roll paper to be set, and the selected insertion portion is projected into the accommodation portion.

  Therefore, the user can hold the roll paper in a state of being pivotally supported by fitting the insertion portion protruding from the holder hole into the hollow hole from both sides of the roll paper. In particular, since the outer diameter of the insertion portion is an optimum diameter that matches the inner diameter of the hollow hole of the roll paper, the roll paper can be held stably and reliably. Moreover, since the insertion part is only urged | biased by the urging | biasing part, if it receives force in the reverse direction with respect to the urging | biasing direction, it will move to the direction. Therefore, the replacement work can be easily performed by simply pushing or pulling out the roll paper.

  Further, when setting roll paper having different inner diameters of the hollow holes, the switching mechanism is operated in the same manner as described above, and the insertion portion having the optimum size is projected into the accommodation portion and then set. In particular, it is not necessary to replace the holding member according to the size of the roll paper or to attach a separate attachment as in the conventional case, so the roll paper of various sizes can be replaced quickly. be able to. Moreover, there is no possibility of losing parts. Therefore, maintainability can be improved, and the time spent for roll paper replacement work can be shortened.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, in the roll paper holding mechanism, the switching mechanism is rotatably fixed inside the casing with a part of an outer peripheral surface exposed from the casing, and the plurality of holding mechanisms A rotating plate for supporting the member is provided, and the plurality of holding members are sequentially moved to positions facing the holder hole by the rotation of the rotating plate.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, a plurality of member members can be switched by rotating the rotating plate by touching the outer peripheral surface of the rotating plate exposed from the casing with a fingertip. The insertion portions having different sizes can be sequentially projected from the holder holes. In particular, the selected holding member can be made to face the holder hole and the insertion portion of the holding member can be protruded from the holder hole into the accommodating portion simply by rotating the rotating plate directly with the fingertip. Therefore, the holding member can be easily switched.

  The roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the roll paper holding mechanism, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating plate is formed in an uneven shape.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, since the outer peripheral surface of the rotating plate is formed in a concavo-convex shape, when the rotating plate is rotated by the fingertip, it can be reliably rotated without slipping. Therefore, operability can be improved.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, in the roll paper holding mechanism, the switching mechanism is rotatably fixed inside the casing, and at least a part of the rotating plate supports the plurality of holding members. An operating unit that is movably fixed to the casing in a state exposed from the casing, and mechanically connecting the rotating plate to rotate the rotating plate as the operating unit moves, And a connecting mechanism that sequentially moves the plurality of holding members to positions facing the holder holes in accordance with positions.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, when the operation unit exposed from the casing is moved with a fingertip, the rotating plate mechanically connected via the connecting mechanism rotates. Thereby, a several member member can be switched and the insertion part from which an outer diameter differs can be made to protrude from a holder hole sequentially. In particular, since the plurality of holding members sequentially face the holder hole according to the position of the operation portion, the insertion portion of the selected holding member can be securely inserted into the housing portion from the holder hole by positioning the operation portion at a desired position. Can be protruded. Therefore, the holding member can be easily switched.

  The roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention is the above roll paper holding mechanism, wherein the coupling mechanism is a rack member fixed to the operation unit, and a pinion gear fixed to the rotating plate in a state of meshing with the rack member. And switching the plurality of holding members by performing a sliding operation on the operation unit.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, when the operation unit is horizontally slid, the rack member is slid by the operation unit. Then, since the pinion gear meshed with the rack member rotates, the rotating plate rotates in the same direction. Thus, since the rack and pinion mechanism that converts linear motion into circular motion is used, the holding member can be switched only by sliding the operation portion.

  The roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention is the roll paper holding mechanism, wherein when the switching mechanism performs the switching, the plurality of holding members arranged between the one plate and the casing; The plurality of holding members arranged between the other plate and the casing are switched while being interlocked with each other.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, since the plurality of holding members arranged on both sides of the storage unit can be switched in an interlocked manner, the insertion portions having different outer diameters protrude from both sides of the storage unit. Trouble can be eliminated. Therefore, a new roll paper can be set reliably, and the trouble of matching the outer diameters of the insertion portions on both sides of the storage portion can be saved.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, in the roll paper holding mechanism, a blank area whose surface is a simple flat surface is formed on the rotating plate, and the blank area is opposed to the holder hole. It is possible to move to.

  In the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, the protrusion of the insertion portion from the holder hole can be eliminated by rotating the rotating plate so that the blank region faces the holder hole. Therefore, the roll paper can be accommodated in the accommodating portion by a throwing method (drop-in method) instead of a method of pivotally supporting the hollow hole when setting the roll paper. Thus, since the roll paper setting method can be changed according to the situation, the convenience can be improved.

  A printer according to the present invention includes the roll paper holding mechanism.

  In the printer according to the present invention, since the roll paper holding mechanism described above is provided, when switching to a roll paper having a different diameter, the switching work to the holding member corresponding to the diameter becomes easy, and the work efficiency is improved. Therefore, it is possible to reliably hold roll paper having various diameters while improving maintainability.

  In the thermal printer according to the present invention, the printer has a large number of heating elements, and the thermal head that extends in the width direction of the recording paper and the recording paper drawn from the roll paper are sandwiched therebetween. A peripheral surface of the thermal head is contactable, and includes a platen roller that feeds the recording paper by rotating, and a cutting unit that cuts the recording paper that has passed through the thermal head. Is.

In the thermal printer according to the present invention, when the platen roller is rotated, the roll paper pivotally supported by the holding member is rotated, and the recording paper drawn from the roll paper is placed between the peripheral surface of the platen roller and the thermal head. Sent out in one direction.
At the same time, various characters, figures, and the like can be clearly printed on the fed recording paper by a thermal head in which a large number of heating elements appropriately generate heat. Thereafter, the printed recording paper is appropriately cut by a cutting unit. As a result, the recording paper wound around the roll paper can be used as a receipt or a ticket.
In particular, since the roll paper holding mechanism described above is provided, when changing to a roll paper having a different diameter, it becomes easy to switch to a holding member in accordance with the diameter, and work efficiency can be improved. Maintainability can be improved after the roll paper having a certain diameter is securely held.

According to the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention, when changing to a roll paper having a different diameter, the switching work to the holding member according to the diameter can be facilitated, and the work efficiency can be improved. It is possible to improve the maintainability while securely holding the roll paper having the.
Further, according to the thermal printer according to the present invention, since the roll paper holding mechanism described above is provided, it is possible to improve the reliability as a printer and to improve the ease of maintenance and ease of use. it can. In addition, since the roll paper can be quickly replaced, a speedy restart can be realized.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a roll paper holding mechanism and a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a thermal printer will be described as an example of a printer. 1 and 2, FR indicates the front, LH indicates the left side, and UP indicates the upper side. 3 to 5 show only a roll paper holding mechanism to be described later for easy understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the thermal printer in the closed position, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermal printer in the open position.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thermal printer 1 includes a casing 3 that includes a housing portion 21 that houses a roll paper P in which a recording paper P <b> 1 is wound around a core tube 2 of a hollow hole 6. And a paper cover (cover) 20 that can be opened and closed. The recording paper P1 changes color when heat is applied, and is suitably used for printing various labels, receipts and tickets.

  The casing 3 is made of a plastic such as polycarbonate or a metal material, has a double structure including an inner wall (plate) 7 and an outer wall 8, has a top surface 10, and a part of the box shape that opens upward. Is formed. A power switch 13 is disposed on the side surface 12 of the outer wall 8. An operation unit for performing various operations of the thermal printer 1 is disposed on the upper surface 10 of the thermal printer 1. The operation unit is provided with various function switches 15 such as a CHARGE switch and a FEED switch.

A fixed blade (not shown) is provided along the periphery of the rear surface of the upper surface 10 of the casing 3. A thermal head 17 is provided in the vicinity of the fixed blade along the width direction of the thermal printer 1. The thermal head 17 has a large number of heat generating elements (not shown) and is biased toward a platen roller 22 (paper cover 20), which will be described later, by a coil spring or the like.
A paper cover open button (hereinafter referred to as an open button) 18 is provided between the upper surface 10 and the side surface 12 of the casing 3.

  The paper cover 20 is a translucent member made of plastic such as polycarbonate, and is configured so that the inside of the housing portion 21 of the casing 3 can be viewed at the closed position of the thermal printer 1. The paper cover 20 is configured to be rotatably connected to the casing 3 by a hinge portion (not shown) at the rear end, and to be locked to the casing 3 by a locking portion 19 (see FIG. 2) at the front end. That is, by pressing the open button 18 of the casing 3 described above, the engagement between the casing 3 and the paper cover 20 is released, and the paper cover 20 is moved from the closed position (see FIG. 1) to the open position (see FIG. 2). It can be opened and closed.

  A platen roller 22 (see FIG. 2) is provided at the front portion of the paper cover 20. The platen roller 22 is provided so that the peripheral surface of the platen roller 22 is in contact with the thermal head 17 in a state where the recording paper P1 drawn from the roll paper P is sandwiched between the platen roller 22 and the thermal printer 1. . A driven gear (not shown) is fixed to one end side of the platen roller 22 and meshes with a gear transmission mechanism (not shown) that is rotated by a motor. Thereby, the platen roller 22 is rotated by the rotational driving force from the motor, and can feed the recording paper P1 forward of the casing 3.

Further, a cutting portion (not shown) is formed on the front peripheral edge of the paper cover 20. The cutting portion is formed in a sawtooth shape, and the recording paper P is cut by tilting and pulling the recording paper P1 that has passed through the thermal head 17, that is, the printed recording paper P1 toward the cutting portion. It has become.
Note that a control board (not shown) on which various electronic devices are mounted is provided in the casing 3. This control board performs an overall control of each component by outputting an electrical signal or a control signal to the thermal head 17 or outputting a control signal to a motor for driving the platen roller 22.

3 is a perspective view of the roll paper holding mechanism, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, circular holder holes 52 through which insertion portions 53 of holding members 50 a, 50 b, 50 c described later are projected are formed in the inner walls 7 on both sides of the accommodating portion 21. In addition, rectangular through holes 54 are formed in the upper surface 10 of the casing 3 on both sides of the accommodating portion 21.

  Here, the same number of roll paper holding mechanisms of the present embodiment are arranged between the inner wall 7 and the outer wall 8, and a part of the roll paper holding mechanism is inserted into the hollow hole 6 of the roll paper P accommodated in the accommodating portion 21. The holding member 50a, 50b, 50c having the inserted portion 53 and the fingertip can be operated, and the holding member 50a, 50b, 50c selected from the plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, 50c is arranged to face the holder hole 52 At the same time, the plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, and 50c with respect to the holder hole 52 are arranged such that the insertion portion 53 of the holding members 50a, 50b, and 50c protrudes from the holder hole 52 into the accommodating portion 21 to pivotally support the roll paper P. And a rotating plate (switching mechanism) 51 that switches the relative positions of the two.

  The rotating plate 51 is fixed to the inside of the casing 3 so as to be rotatable at a central portion thereof with a part of the outer peripheral surface exposed from the casing 3. The rotating plate 51 has a fan shape in plan view that supports the plurality of holding members 50 a, 50 b, and 50 c, and the plurality of holding members 50 a, 50 b, and 50 c are sequentially placed at positions facing the holder holes 52 by the rotation of the rotating plate 51. It is to be moved (see arrow in FIG. 4). The rotating plate 51 is formed with a concavo-convex portion 55 formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof so as to be radially outward, and the concavo-convex portion 55 is exposed from the above-described through hole 54.

A plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, and 50c are provided on the concentric circle of the rotation center of the rotation plate 51 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
The plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, and 50c (insertion portion 53) have different diameters. For example, the holding member 50a having a large diameter, the holding member 50b having a medium diameter, and the holding member having a small diameter are sequentially arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotating plate 51. It is provided as a member 50c. In the following description, the holding members 50a, 50b, and 50c are collectively referred to as the holding member 50 when it is not necessary to distinguish between them. In addition, since the plurality of holding members 50 have the same configuration except for their diameters, the medium-sized holding member 50b will be mainly described, and the description of the other (large diameter and small diameter) holding members 50a and 50b will be omitted. .

  The holding member 50b includes a guide wall 56 formed on the rotating plate 51, an insertion portion 53 that protrudes from the holder hole 52 and is partially inserted into the hollow hole 6 of the core tube 2 of the roll paper P. An urging member (urging portion) 57 that urges the insertion portion 53 toward the inner wall 7 with a predetermined elastic force between the rotating plate 51 and the rotating plate 51 is provided.

The guide wall 56 has a cylindrical shape and is formed to rise vertically from the surface 58 of the rotating plate 51.
The insertion portion 53 has a tip formed in a spherical shape, and is configured to protrude from the holder hole 52 described above. A part of the insertion portion 53 abuts against the inner surface of the core tube 2 in the roll paper P to pivotally support the roll paper P. A counterbore 67 is formed in the insertion portion 53 from the base end portion toward the tip end portion, and the guide wall 56 of the rotating plate 51 is loosely fitted in the counterbore hole 67. A flange portion 68 is formed on the periphery of the proximal end portion of the insertion portion 53 so as to project outward in the radial direction. The flange portion 68 abuts on the periphery of the holder hole 63 from the inner wall 7 side in the casing 3, thereby preventing the insertion portion 53 from coming out of the holder hole 63.

  A biasing member 57 such as a coil spring is provided between the insertion portion 53 and the rotating plate 51. The urging member 57 has one end in contact with the tip of the counterbore 67 of the insertion portion 53 and the other end in contact with the surface 58 in the guide wall 56, thereby separating the insertion portion 53 from the rotary plate 51. An urging force is applied to.

Therefore, of the plurality of holding members 50a, 50b, and 50c, one holding member 50b protrudes from the insertion portion 53 through the holder hole 52, and the other holding members 50a and 50b are contracted by the biasing member 57. In this state, that is, in a state where the holding members 50a and 50c are contracted, the inner wall 7 is housed in a state where the tip of the insertion portion 53 is in contact with the inner surface.
Further, a blank area 61 in which the surface 58 of the rotating plate 51 is a flat surface is provided at a position adjacent to the small diameter holding member 50c of the rotating plate 51. Thereby, the rotating plate 51 is rotated and moved to the blank area 61, so that all the holding members 50 do not protrude from the holder hole 52. That is, both sides of the accommodating portion 21 are flush with each other.

  Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, it is assumed that a large-diameter holding member 50 a protrudes from the holder hole 52 as the initial position of the rotating plate 51.

A case where roll paper having a large inner diameter is accommodated will be described.
First, after pressing the open button 18 to open the paper cover 20, the roll paper is set. Specifically, when the roll paper is pushed into the accommodating portion 21, the insertion portion 53 of the holding member 50a comes into contact with the outer periphery of the roll paper. Then, a force against the urging force of the urging member 57 acts on the insertion portion 53, and the insertion portion 53 is pushed into the rotating plate 51 side by the roll paper P. Further, since the insertion portion 53 is urged by the urging member 57, the end of the insertion portion 53 is always in contact with the side surface of the roll paper P after the roll paper P is pushed. Yes.

  As a result of continuing to push the roll paper P, when the insertion portion 53 reaches the position of the hollow hole 6 of the core tube 2 of the roll paper P, a part of the urged insertion portion 53 is fitted into the hollow hole 6. Inserted. Thus, by inserting the insertion portion 53 projected from the holder hole 52 into the hollow hole 6 from both sides of the roll paper P, the roll paper P can be supported in a pressed state. That is, when the outer surface of the insertion portion 53 is in contact with the inner edge of the hollow hole 6 of the roll paper P, the roll paper P can be held so as to be sandwiched from both sides.

  At this time, since the holding member 50a is only pressed while a part of the insertion portion 21b is inserted into the hollow hole 6, the core tube 2 and the roll paper P are in a rotatable state. As a result, the roll paper P can be pivotally supported. Then, by closing the paper cover 20, the setting of the roll paper P is completed.

Next, a case where the roll paper P having an inner diameter is accommodated will be described.
By the way, when holding roll papers having different inner diameters, conventionally, the inner diameter of the roll paper that can be held by the holding member provided in the accommodating portion is predetermined, and therefore, holding the roll paper having an inner diameter smaller than the diameter of the holding member. There is a problem that can not be. On the other hand, there is also known a configuration in which a detachable holding member is provided in the accommodating portion, and this holding member is exchanged according to the inner diameter of the roll paper, or a separate attachment is attached to the holding member. In this case, it takes time to replace and change the holding member, and speedy printing cannot be performed. Further, when the holding member and the attachment are removed, there are many cases where they are lost.

  Here, in this embodiment, first, the rotation plate 51 switches from the large diameter holding member 50a to the medium diameter holding member 50b. Specifically, the rotating plate 51 is rotated by operating the uneven portion 55 exposed from the through hole 54 of the casing 3 with a fingertip. Then, the insertion portion 53 of the holding member 50 a protruding from the holder hole 52 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the holder hole 52, so that a force against the urging force of the urging member 57 acts, and the insertion portion 53 is rotated by the rotating plate 51. Pushed into the side. As a result, the urging member 57 is shrunk and the holding member 50 a is contracted, and the rotating plate 51 rotates while the holding member 50 a is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the inner wall 7 of the casing 3.

  At the same time, the holding member 50 b that is contracted between the inner wall 7 and the outer wall 8 of the casing 3 moves along the rotation direction of the rotating plate 51 while slidingly contacting the inner surface of the inner wall 7 of the casing 3. When the medium diameter holding member 50 b reaches the position of the holder hole 52, the urging member 57 extends and the insertion portion 53 protrudes from the holder hole 52. At this time, the flange portion 68 of the insertion portion 53 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the holder hole 63 from the inner wall 7 side, so that the insertion portion 53 can be prevented from coming out of the holder hole 63. Thereby, the switching from the large-diameter holding member 50a to the medium-diameter holding member 50b is completed.

Thereafter, the roll paper P is set in the same manner as the roll paper P setting method described above. Then, when the roll paper P is pushed into the accommodating portion 21 and the insertion portion 53 reaches the position of the hollow hole 6 of the core tube 2 of the roll paper P, a part of the urged insertion portion 53 enters the hollow hole 6. It is inserted to fit.
In this way, by changing the diameter of the holding member 50 to an appropriate diameter by the rotating plate 51 corresponding to the inner diameter of the roll paper P, the roll paper P having an inner diameter smaller than the roll paper P can be reliably held. it can. Then, by closing the paper cover 20, the setting of the roll paper P is completed.

Next, a case where roll paper P having a small inner diameter is accommodated will be described.
First, the rotation plate 51 switches from the medium diameter holding member 50b to the small diameter holding member 50c. Specifically, the rotating plate 51 is rotated in the same manner as the switching method to the holding member 50b described above. Thereby, the holding member 50b is reduced and accommodated between the inner wall 7 and the outer wall 8 of the casing 3, and the holding member 50c protrudes from the holder hole 52, so that the switching of the holding member 50 is completed.

  Thereafter, the roll paper P is set in the same manner as the roll paper P setting method described above. Then, when the roll paper P is pushed into the accommodating portion 21 and the insertion portion 53 reaches the position of the hollow hole 6 of the core tube 2 of the roll paper P, a part of the inserted insertion portion 53 is moved into the hollow hole 6. It is inserted so as to fit in. Then, by closing the paper cover 20, the setting of the roll paper P is completed.

Here, the case where the rotating plate 51 is switched to the blank area 61 will be described.
First, switching from the small-diameter holding member 50 c to the blank area 61 is performed by the rotating plate 51. Specifically, the rotating plate 51 is rotated in the same manner as the switching method described above. As a result, the holding member 50 c is reduced and accommodated between the inner wall 7 and the outer wall 8 of the casing 3 and switched to the blank region 61. At this time, all the holding members 50 do not protrude from the holder hole 52, and the inner wall 7 is in a flush state.

  Thereafter, roll paper P is set. In this case, since the holding member 50 that holds the roll paper P does not protrude from the holder hole 52, the roll paper P can be placed so as to be thrown into the housing portion 21. Then, by closing the paper cover 20, the setting of the roll paper P is completed.

Then, when the platen roller 22 is rotated after the thermal printer 1 is operated, the roll paper P pivotally supported by the holding member 50 is rotated, and the recording paper P1 drawn from the roll paper P is the peripheral surface of the platen roller 22. And the thermal head 17 are fed in one direction.
At the same time, various characters, graphics, and the like can be clearly printed on the fed recording paper P1 by the thermal head 17 in which a large number of heating elements appropriately generate heat. Thereafter, the recording paper P1 is cut by tilting and pulling the printed recording paper P1 toward the cutting portion. As a result, the recording paper P1 wound around the roll paper P can be used as a receipt or a ticket.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, various roll papers P having different diameters of the hollow holes 6 can be reliably held, and the roll paper P can be quickly replaced.
First, when the rotary plate 51 is operated with a fingertip, the relative positions of the plurality of holding members 50 with respect to the holder holes 52 formed in the inner wall 7 can be switched. At this time, the insertion portion 53 of each holding member 50 is urged toward the inner wall 7 side by the urging member 57 with a predetermined elastic force, so that the insertion portion 53 is opposed to the holder hole 52 by the operation of the rotating plate 51. Only the insertion portion 53 can be protruded into the accommodating portion 21 through the holder hole 52. Thus, by operating the rotating plate 51, the insertion portions 53 having different outer diameters can be sequentially projected into the housing portion 21. Then, an insertion portion 53 having an optimum size (outer diameter) is selected according to the diameter of the hollow hole 6 of the roll paper P to be set, and the selected insertion portion 53 is projected into the accommodating portion 21.

  Therefore, the user can hold the roll paper P in a state of being pivotally supported by fitting the insertion portion 53 protruding from the holder hole 52 into the hollow hole 6 from both sides of the roll paper P. In particular, since the outer diameter of the insertion portion 53 is an optimum diameter that matches the inner diameter of the hollow hole 6 of the roll paper P, the roll paper P can be held stably and reliably. Moreover, since the insertion part 53 is only urged | biased by the urging | biasing member 57, if it receives force in the reverse direction with respect to the urging | biasing direction, it will move to the direction. Therefore, the replacement work can be easily performed by simply pushing or pulling out the roll paper P.

  Further, when setting the roll paper P having a different inner diameter of the hollow hole 6, the rotation plate 51 is operated in the same manner as described above, and the insertion portion 53 having the optimum size is protruded into the accommodation portion 21. Set later. In particular, since there is no need to replace the holding member according to the size of the roll paper P or to attach a separate attachment as in the conventional case, it is possible to quickly replace the roll paper P of various sizes. Can be done. Moreover, there is no possibility of losing parts. Therefore, the maintainability can be improved and the time spent for replacing the roll paper P can be shortened.

  Furthermore, the protrusion of the insertion portion 53 from the holder hole 52 can be eliminated by adjusting the rotary plate 51 to the blank region 61 where the holding member 50 does not protrude from the holder hole 52. Accordingly, when the roll paper P is set, the roll paper P can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 21 by a throwing method (drop-in method) instead of a method of pivotally supporting the hollow hole 6. Thus, since the setting method of the roll paper P can be changed according to the situation, the convenience can be improved.

  Further, when the holding member 50 is switched by arranging the plurality of holding members 50 and the holder holes 52 on the concentric circle of the rotation center of the rotating plate 51, another holding member 50 is rotated by rotating the switching mechanism 51. Will protrude from the holder hole 52. Therefore, the switching operation of the holding member 50 can be easily performed.

As described above, when changing to the roll paper P having a different inner diameter, the switching work to the holding member 50 according to the diameter becomes easy and the work efficiency can be improved. Therefore, the roll paper P having various diameters can be obtained. Maintainability can be improved while reliably holding. Further, since the roll paper P can be quickly replaced, a speedy restart can be realized.
Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability of the thermal printer 1 and to improve the ease of maintenance and ease of use. As a result, the recording paper P1 wound around the roll paper P can be used as a receipt or a ticket.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 3 in the roll paper holding mechanism according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view. Since the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the roll paper holding mechanism, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the switching mechanism of the present embodiment includes a rotary plate 71 and a knob (operation unit) 79 that is movably fixed to the casing 3 with at least a part thereof being exposed from the casing 3. The two plates are mechanically coupled to rotate the rotary plate 71 as the knob 79 is moved, and the plurality of holding members 50 are sequentially moved to positions facing the holder holes 52 according to the position of the knob 79. And a coupling mechanism 70.
The coupling mechanism 70 employs a so-called rack and pinion mechanism including a rack member 73 and a pinion gear 74 fixed to the rotating plate 71 in a state of being engaged with the rack member 73.

The pinion gear 74 is a disk-shaped member, and a tooth portion 75 is formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof toward the radially outer side. A boss portion 76 protruding in the axial direction is formed at the center of the pinion gear 74, and this boss portion 76 is inserted into the through hole 77 of the rotating plate 71.
The rack member 73 is a member composed of two flat plates, and is a T-shaped member that includes a bottom plate portion 78 and a knob 79 in plan view. The bottom plate portion 78 is formed with tooth portions 80 along the longitudinal direction of the lower surface. The tooth portions 80 mesh with the tooth portions 80 of the pinion gear 74 described above, whereby the rack member 73 is engaged with the pinion gear 74. On the other hand, it is configured to be slidable. The knob 79 is formed so as to rise vertically from the central portion of the bottom plate portion 78 and is formed so that the tip thereof protrudes from the above-described through hole 54.

  In this case, when the knob 79 is slid horizontally (see the arrow in FIG. 6), the rack member 73 is slid by the knob 79. Then, since the pinion gear 74 meshed with the bottom plate portion 78 of the rack member 73 rotates, the rotation plate 71 rotates in the same direction and switches to each holding member 50 or the blank region 61. Thus, since the rack and pinion mechanism that converts the linear motion into the circular motion is used, the switching operation of the holding member 50 can be performed only by sliding the knob 79.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is obtained, and when the knob 79 exposed from the casing 3 is moved with a fingertip, the mechanical connection is made via the connection mechanism 70. The rotating plate 71 rotates. Accordingly, the plurality of member members 50 can be switched, and the insertion portions 53 having different outer diameters can be sequentially projected from the holder holes 52. In particular, since the plurality of holding members 50 sequentially face the holder holes 52 in accordance with the position of the knob 79, the insertion portion 53 of the selected holding member 50 is moved from the holder hole 52 by positioning the knob 79 at a desired position. It can be reliably projected into the accommodating portion 21. Therefore, the switching operation of the holding member 50 can be easily performed.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a roll paper holding mechanism according to the third embodiment. Since the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the roll paper holding mechanism, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 8, the inner wall is omitted for easy understanding.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the switching mechanism of the present embodiment is configured such that when the holding member 50 is switched, the plurality of holding members 50 arranged between one inner wall 7 and the outer wall 8 and the other inner wall. A plurality of holding members 50 arranged between the outer wall 7 and the outer wall 8 are switched in a state of being interlocked with each other.

  The rotating plate 91 is a disk-shaped member provided as a pair on both sides of the casing 3, and the plurality of holding members 50 described above are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the upper half periphery thereof. A knob 93 is connected to the rotating plate 91 from the outer wall 8 side of the casing 3. The knob 93 has a disk shape like the rotary plate 91, and has a diameter portion and an outer peripheral portion projecting in the axial direction, and other regions are cut and formed. In this case, by rotating the knob 93, the rotating plate 91 rotates in synchronization therewith.

  A pair of rotating plates 91 is provided with a connecting plate 94 that connects them. The connecting plate 94 is provided on the lower side of the rotating plate 91 along the outer periphery. In the present embodiment, the rotation plate 91 is configured such that the movement of the connecting plate 94 is not hindered, for example, a slit for restricting the movement of the connecting plate 94 is formed on the inner wall.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, while having the same effect as 1st Embodiment, it is not necessary to operate each rotation plate 91 separately by comprising a pair of rotation plate 91 so that interlocking is possible. That is, since the plurality of holding members 50 arranged on both sides of the housing portion 21 can be switched in an interlocked state, the problem that the insertion portions 53 having different outer diameters protrude from both sides of the housing portion 21 can be eliminated. it can. Therefore, a new roll paper P can be reliably set, and the trouble of matching the outer diameters of the insertion portions 53 on both sides of the storage portion 21 can be saved.

It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes those in which various modifications are made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the first or second embodiment described above and the third embodiment may be appropriately combined. That is, it is good also as a structure which forms the rotation plate of 1st Embodiment in disk shape, and connects each rotation plate with a connection board in the lower half circumference part.
In the present embodiment, the roll paper in which the recording paper is wound around the core tube has been described. However, the core tube may not be provided as long as it has a hollow hole that supports the roll paper. .
Further, in the present embodiment, the rotating plate is configured to be rotatable, but may be configured to be slidable.

  In this embodiment, the case where the roll paper holding mechanism according to the present invention is applied to a thermal printer has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to an inkjet printer or the like in addition to a thermal printer.

It is a perspective view which shows the closed state of the thermal printer in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the open state of the thermal printer in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the roll paper holding mechanism in 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line B-B ′ in FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing equivalent to the A-A 'line of FIG. 3 in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the roll paper holding mechanism in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the roll paper holding mechanism in 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal printer 3 Casing 4 Paper cover (cover) 6 Hollow hole 17 Thermal head 21 accommodating part 22 Platen roller 50, 50a, 50b, 50c Holding member 51, 71, 91 Rotating plate (switching mechanism) 52 Holder hole 53 Insertion part 57 Biasing means (biasing section) 61 blank area 70 coupling mechanism 73 rack member 74 pinion P roll paper P1 recording paper

Claims (9)

A casing having an accommodating portion in which roll paper wound so that the recording paper has a hollow hole is accommodated;
A cover connected to the casing so as to be openable and closable;
A pair of plates having holder holes provided on both sides of the casing so as to sandwich the roll paper accommodated in the accommodating portion and formed at positions facing the hollow holes of the accommodated roll paper;
A holding member having an insertion part that is arranged in the same number between the pair of plates and the casing and into which a part is inserted into the hollow hole of the accommodated roll paper;
A biasing portion that biases the insertion portion toward the plate with a predetermined elastic force;
The roll paper can be operated with a fingertip, and the holding member selected from the plurality of holding members is arranged to face the holder hole, and at the same time, the insertion portion of the holding member protrudes from the holder hole into the housing portion. A switching mechanism for switching the relative positions of the plurality of holding members with respect to the holder hole,
The roll paper holding mechanism, wherein the insertion portions of the plurality of holding members have different outer diameters. The roll paper holding mechanism according to claim 1,
The switching mechanism includes a rotating plate that is rotatably fixed inside the casing with a part of the outer peripheral surface exposed from the casing, and that supports the plurality of holding members. A roll paper holding mechanism that sequentially moves a plurality of holding members to a position facing the holder hole. The roll paper holding mechanism according to claim 2,
The rotating paper holding mechanism, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the rotating plate is formed in an uneven shape. The roll paper holding mechanism according to claim 1,
The switching mechanism is rotatably fixed inside the casing and supports a plurality of holding members;
An operation portion fixed at least partially movably to the casing in a state of being exposed from the casing;
The two are mechanically coupled so as to rotate the rotating plate as the operating portion moves, and the plurality of holding members are sequentially moved to positions facing the holder holes in accordance with the position of the operating portion. A roll paper holding mechanism. In the roll paper holding mechanism according to claim 4,
The coupling mechanism includes a rack member fixed to the operation unit, and a pinion gear fixed to the rotating plate in a state of being engaged with the rack member.
A roll paper holding mechanism that switches the plurality of holding members by sliding the operation unit. In the roll paper holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The switching mechanism, when performing the switching, the plurality of holding members disposed between the one plate and the casing, and the plurality of holding members disposed between the other plate and the casing. A roll paper holding mechanism, wherein members are switched in a state of being interlocked with each other. In the roll paper holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A roll paper holding mechanism in which a blank area whose surface is a simple flat surface is formed on the rotating plate, and the blank area can be moved to a position facing the holder hole.   A printer comprising the roll paper holding mechanism according to claim 1. A printer according to claim 8 is provided.
A thermal head having a number of heating elements and extending in the width direction of the recording paper;
A platen roller that allows the peripheral surface to come into contact with the thermal head in a state where the recording paper drawn from the roll paper is sandwiched therebetween, and feeds the recording paper by rotating;
A thermal printer comprising: a cutting unit that cuts the recording paper that has passed through the thermal head.

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