JP2010234695A - Medium processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medium processor capable of securing printing quality for a medium by making it possible to adjust the contact position of a thermal head with the medium, while the configuration is simplified. <P>SOLUTION: The medium processor includes: a medium conveying path 11 in which the medium 2 is conveyed; the thermal head 3 which performs printing on the medium 2; an opposing part 5 which is arranged to face the thermal head 3 across the medium conveying path 11; a supporting part 21 which supports the thermal head 3; a driving source 20 which is attached to the supporting part 21 and moves the thermal head 3 in a direction where the thermal head 3 comes into contact with the opposing part 5 and a direction where the thermal head 3 gets away from the opposing part 5; and a body part to which the supporting part 21 and the opposing part 5 are attached. In the medium processor, the attachment position of the supporting part 21 to the body part in a medium conveying direction X can be adjusted. The attachment position of the supporting part 21 to the body part in the medium conveying direction X is adjusted, so that the contact position of the thermal head 3 with the opposing part 5 can be adjusted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus including a thermal head that performs printing on a medium by a thermal method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a thermal transfer type card printing apparatus that performs printing by heating ink applied to an ink ribbon with a thermal head to transfer the ink onto a medium such as a card (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the card printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a thermal head fixed to a bracket is fixed to an auxiliary support member, and the auxiliary support member is fixed to the support member. Further, in this card printing apparatus, the support member can move up and down, and when the support member is lowered, the thermal head comes into contact with the card and printing is performed on the card.

  Further, in this card printing apparatus, an elongated long hole is formed in the upper part of the auxiliary support member so as to penetrate in a direction orthogonal to the card moving direction, and the round hole is orthogonal to the card moving direction in the lower part of the auxiliary support member. The long hole is inserted with a screw for fixing the bracket to the auxiliary support member, and the round hole is inserted with a pin fixed to the bracket. Therefore, in this card printing apparatus, the bracket is fixed to the auxiliary support member after rotating the bracket relative to the auxiliary support member within the range of the long hole around the pin inserted into the round hole. Is possible. Further, in this card printing apparatus, the bracket is rotated relative to the auxiliary support member so that the heating resistor formed on the thermal head contacts the card at the optimum contact position. The contact angle is adjusted.

  As a mounting structure for thermal heads used in card printers, etc., the head bracket that holds the thermal head is biased by a compression coil spring so that the thermal head is biased toward the platen roller disposed opposite to the thermal head. A thermal head mounting structure is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the thermal head mounting structure described in Patent Document 2, the thermal head can be brought into contact with the card with a uniform contact pressure in the width direction of the card orthogonal to the card transport direction.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-18855 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-50701

  In the card printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the contact angle of the thermal head to the card is adjusted so that the heating resistor formed on the thermal head contacts the card at the optimum contact position. It is possible to print on a card at an appropriate density without uneven printing and blurring. That is, with this card printing apparatus, it is possible to ensure the printing quality on the card. However, in this card printing apparatus, brackets, pins, auxiliary support members, and the like are provided in order to adjust the contact angle of the thermal head to the card. That is, in this card printing apparatus, brackets, pins, auxiliary support members and the like that are not necessary unless the contact angle of the thermal head to the card is adjusted adjust the contact angle between the thermal head and the card. Is provided. Therefore, in this card printing apparatus, the configuration of the apparatus is complicated accordingly.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a medium processing apparatus capable of adjusting the contact position of the thermal head to the medium and ensuring the print quality on the medium while simplifying the configuration. There is to do.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a medium processing apparatus according to the present invention is disposed so as to face a thermal head, a medium conveying path through which a medium is conveyed, a thermal head that prints on a medium by a thermal method, and a medium conveying path. An opposing part, a support part that supports the thermal head, a drive source that is attached to the support part and moves the thermal head in a direction in which the thermal head abuts on the opposing part and away from the opposing part, and the support part and the opposing part And the attachment position of the support part to the main body part in the medium conveyance direction can be adjusted, and the attachment position of the support part to the main body part in the medium conveyance direction can be adjusted. The contact position of the thermal head to the opposed portion can be adjusted.

  In the medium processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the attachment position of the support portion to the main body in the medium conveyance direction, and by adjusting the attachment position of the support portion to the main body in the medium conveyance direction. The contact position of the thermal head to the facing portion can be adjusted. For this reason, it is possible to adjust the contact position of the thermal head to the facing portion that is disposed to face the medium conveyance path by using a configuration for attaching the support portion to the main body portion. That is, it is possible to adjust the contact position of the thermal head on the medium using a configuration for attaching the support portion to the main body portion. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the contact position of the thermal head to the medium without separately providing a configuration for adjusting the contact position of the thermal head to the medium. As a result, in the present invention, it is possible to adjust the contact position of the thermal head on the medium while simplifying the configuration of the medium processing apparatus, and it is possible to ensure the print quality on the medium.

  In the present invention, the medium processing apparatus includes a plurality of attachment screws for attaching the support part to the main body part, and the attachment screw is inserted into one of the support part or the main body part and the conveyance direction of the medium is the longitudinal direction. At least two long holes are formed, and the other of the support part or the main body part is formed with an engaging part that engages with each of the long holes, and the engaging part has a female screw that engages with a mounting screw. Preferably it is formed. If comprised in this way, it will become possible to slide a support part in the conveyance direction of a medium with respect to a main-body part in the state which engaged the engaging part with the long hole. Therefore, adjustment of the attachment position of the support part to the main body part in the medium transport direction is facilitated. That is, it is easy to adjust the contact position of the thermal head on the medium.

  In the present invention, for example, the support portion includes a head fixing member to which the thermal head is fixed, and a driving source fixing member to which the driving source is fixed and fixed to the main body, and the head fixing member is fixed to the driving source. The member is rotatably held.

  In the present invention, the drive source is a solenoid, and the support portion is provided with a rotation center shaft that is attached to the drive source fixing member and serves as the rotation center of the head fixing member. The head fixing member is fixed to the solenoid plunger. A substantially square or substantially U-shaped pin engaging groove that engages with the fixed pin to be engaged, and a substantially square or substantially U-shaped shaft engaging groove that engages with the rotation center shaft. preferable. With this configuration, when the thermal head is in contact with the medium, the head fixing member can be rotated around the plunger. Therefore, the followability of the thermal head fixed to the head fixing member to the medium can be improved, and the print quality on the medium can be improved. Further, with this configuration, it is possible to remove the fixed pin from the pin engaging groove relatively easily, and to remove the rotation center shaft from the shaft engaging groove. That is, the thermal head and the head fixing member can be detached from the driving source and the driving source fixing member relatively easily. Therefore, the replacement operation of the thermal head is facilitated.

  In the present invention, the medium processing apparatus includes a biasing member for biasing the thermal head toward the facing portion, and the biasing member is a head in a direction orthogonal to the medium transport direction and the medium thickness direction. It is preferable that they are arranged on both ends of the fixing member. With this configuration, the thermal head can follow the medium, and the thermal head can be brought into contact with the medium with a uniform contact pressure in a direction orthogonal to the medium transport direction and the medium thickness direction. Become.

  In the present invention, the medium processing apparatus includes an urging member for urging the thermal head toward the facing portion, and in a state where the thermal head is in contact with the medium, a contact portion between the thermal head and the medium, The biasing member and the rotation center axis are preferably arranged in this order in the medium transport direction. With this configuration, in order to improve the followability of the thermal head to the medium, the head fixing member is formed with a substantially rectangular or substantially U-shaped pin engagement groove and a shaft engagement groove. However, when the thermal head comes into contact with the medium, it is possible to prevent the head fixing member from floating with respect to the drive source fixing member. That is, when the biasing member, the contact portion between the thermal head and the medium, and the rotation center axis are arranged in this order in the medium transport direction, the thermal head contacts the medium. The head fixing member is lifted with respect to the drive source fixing member with the contact portion between the thermal head and the medium as a fulcrum by the biasing force of the biasing member, but the contact portion between the thermal head and the medium, the biasing member, When the rotation center axis is arranged in this order in the medium transport direction, the head fixing member does not float with respect to the drive source fixing member. Therefore, the thermal head can be brought into contact with the medium with a predetermined contact pressure.

  In the present invention, the medium processing apparatus includes an urging member for urging the thermal head toward the facing portion, the drive source is a solenoid including a permanent magnet, and an adsorption force between the plunger of the solenoid and the permanent magnet As a result, the state where the thermal head is separated from the facing portion is maintained, and when the attracted state between the plunger and the permanent magnet is released, the state where the thermal head is in contact with the medium is maintained by the biasing force of the biasing member. It is preferable that With this configuration, it is not necessary to supply current to the solenoid when the thermal head is in contact with the medium and when the thermal head is away from the opposing portion, so that the medium processing apparatus can save power. Is possible. In addition, when the thermal head is in contact with the medium, the current for printing on the medium is supplied to the thermal head, so that the current consumed by the thermal head increases. It is not necessary to supply current to the solenoid when it is in contact with the medium, and it is possible to reduce current consumption in the medium processing apparatus when the thermal head is in contact with the medium. In addition, when the thermal head is away from the facing portion, the medium processing apparatus is in a standby state or performing processing other than the printing process on the medium. It is no longer necessary to supply current to the solenoid when away from the printer, reducing current consumption in the media processing device during standby, and consumption in the media processing device when processing other than printing processing is performed The current can be reduced.

  As described above, in the medium processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the contact position of the thermal head to the medium while simplifying the configuration, and to ensure the print quality on the medium. Become.

1 is a perspective view of a medium processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the upper guide part of the medium processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are side views showing a printing unit and a platen roller arranged inside the medium processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A shows a state in which a thermal head is in contact with a card, and FIG. The head is separated from the platen roller. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a part of the medium processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 with a printing unit and the like removed. 4A and 4B are perspective views of the printing unit and the platen roller shown in FIG. 3, in which FIG. 3A shows a state where the thermal head is in contact with the platen roller, and FIG. 4B shows a state where the thermal head is separated from the platen roller. It is a perspective view which shows the printing unit and platen roller which are shown in FIG. 3 from another direction. FIG. 4 is a side view of the head fixing member shown in FIG. 3. It is a figure for demonstrating the state at the time of adjustment of the contact position to the card | curd of the thermal head shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Schematic configuration of media processing device)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medium processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the medium processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 with the upper guide portion 12 opened. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the printing unit 4 and the platen roller 5 arranged inside the medium processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3A shows the thermal head 3 in contact with the card 2. (B) shows a state in which the thermal head 3 is separated from the platen roller 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the medium processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 with the printing unit 4 and the like removed.

  The medium processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a card reader that is installed and used in a host device such as a ticketing machine or a clearing machine installed in a parking lot or the like, and prints on a card 2 as a medium by a thermal method. It has a print function to perform. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the medium processing apparatus 1 includes a printing unit 4 having a thermal head 3 that prints on a card 2 by a thermal method, and a platen roller as a facing portion disposed to face the thermal head 3. 5, a magnetic head 6 for reproducing and recording magnetic information, a conveying roller 7 for conveying the card 2 in the medium processing apparatus 1, a pad roller 8 disposed opposite to the conveying roller 7, and conveying A roller driving mechanism 9 for driving the roller 7 and a card insertion / ejection unit 10 into which the card 2 is inserted and ejected are provided.

  The card 2 is, for example, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) card having a thickness of about 0.18 to 0.36 mm. On the surface of the card 2, a heat-sensitive layer on which printing is performed by a heat-sensitive method or a rewrite layer (not shown) such as leuco and white turbidity is formed. A magnetic layer or magnetic stripe (not shown) on which magnetic information is recorded is formed on the back surface of the card 2. The card 2 may be a vinyl chloride card having a thickness of about 0.7 to 0.8 mm, or a paper card having a predetermined thickness.

  In this embodiment, the card 2 is transported in the X direction in FIG. That is, the X direction is the card 2 conveyance direction. Further, the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction is the thickness direction of the card 2 when taken into the medium processing apparatus 1, and the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction is within the medium processing apparatus 1. It is the width direction of the card | curd 2 when it was taken in. In the following description, the X1 direction side in FIG. 1 or the like is the “front” side, the X2 direction side is the “rear (back)” side, the Y1 direction side is the “right” side, the Y2 direction side is the “left” side, The Z1 direction side is the “upper” side, and the Z2 direction side is the “lower” side. In the following description, the clockwise rotation direction in FIG. 3 is referred to as “clockwise”, and the counterclockwise rotation direction is referred to as “counterclockwise”.

  In addition to the above configuration, the medium processing apparatus 1 includes an upper guide portion 12, a lower guide portion 13, a right side plate 14, and a left side plate 15 that form a card transport path (medium transport path) 11 through which the card 2 is transported. A card transport path 11 is formed between the upper guide portion 12 and the lower guide portion 13 in the vertical direction and between the right side plate 14 and the left side plate 15 in the left and right direction. In the present embodiment, the upper guide portion 12, the lower guide portion 13, the right side plate 14 and the left side plate 15 constitute a main body portion of the medium processing apparatus 1.

  A right side plate 14 is fixed to the right end of the lower guide portion 13, and a left side plate 15 is fixed to the left end of the lower guide portion 13. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper guide portion 12 is configured to be rotatable with the rear end side as a fulcrum with respect to the lower guide portion 13, the right side plate 14 and the left side plate 15. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a shaft 16 whose axial direction is the left-right direction is fixed to the rear end side of the right side plate 14 and the rear end side of the left side plate 15. The rear end side is rotatably supported by the shaft 16. That is, in the medium processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the upper guide portion 12 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the lower guide portion 13, and the upper guide portion 12 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 16. When the upper guide portion 12 is moved, the upper guide portion 12 is opened. When the upper guide portion 12 is rotated about the shaft 16 in the clockwise direction, the upper guide portion 12 is closed. The shaft 16 is inserted through a torsion coil spring 17 that urges the upper guide portion 12 counterclockwise.

  The printing unit 4 is attached to the upper guide portion 12. The detailed configuration of the printing unit 4 and the peripheral part of the printing unit 4 will be described later.

  The platen roller 5 is rotatably attached to the lower guide portion 13. Specifically, the platen roller 5 is attached to the lower guide portion 13 so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as an axial direction. Further, as described above, the platen roller 5 is disposed to face the thermal head 3. Specifically, the platen roller 5 is disposed so as to face the thermal head 3 with the card transport path 11 interposed therebetween, and the thermal head 3 and the platen roller 5 can come into contact when there is no card 2 in the card transport path 11. It has become.

  The magnetic head 6 is attached to the lower guide portion 13. The transport roller 7 is rotatably attached to the lower guide portion 13, and the pad roller 8 is rotatably attached to the upper guide portion 12. The roller drive mechanism 9 includes a pulley that is fixed to the rotation shaft of the transport roller 7, a belt that spans the pulley, a drive motor, and the like, and is attached to the lower guide portion 13. The card insertion / ejection unit 10 is fixed to the front ends of the upper guide unit 12, the lower guide unit 13, the right side plate 14, and the left side plate 15 as shown in FIG.

(Configuration of the printing unit and its surroundings)
5 is a perspective view of the printing unit 4 and the platen roller 5 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5A shows a state in which the thermal head 3 is in contact with the platen roller 5, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the thermal head 3 is in contact with the platen roller 5. The state away from the roller 5 is shown. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the printing unit 4 and the platen roller 5 shown in FIG. 3 from other directions. FIG. 7 is a side view of the head fixing member 28 shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a state at the time of adjusting the contact position of the thermal head 3 shown in FIG.

  In addition to the thermal head 3 described above, the printing unit 4 includes a solenoid 20 as a drive source for moving the thermal head 3 in a direction in which the thermal head 3 abuts on the platen roller 5 and in a direction away from the platen roller 5, and a thermal head 3. A supporting portion 21 for supporting, and a tension coil spring 22 as an urging member for urging the thermal head 3 toward the platen roller 5 are provided. The printing unit 4 is fixed to a plurality of mounting protrusions 24 (see FIG. 4) formed on the upper guide portion 12 by a plurality of mounting screws 23. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, four mounting protrusions 24 are formed on the upper guide portion 12, and the printing unit 4 is fixed to the upper guide portion 12 by four mounting screws 23.

  The thermal head 3 of this embodiment is a so-called direct type thermal head that directly contacts the surface of the card 2 and prints on the card 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the thermal head 3 (the lower end of FIG. 3A) is formed in a curved surface whose shape when viewed from the left-right direction is an arc having a predetermined radius of curvature. Yes. The thermal head 3 may be a so-called thermal transfer type thermal head that prints on the card 2 by contacting the card 2 via an ink ribbon. That is, the thermal head 3 may be a thermal transfer type thermal head that prints on the card 2 by heating the ink applied to the ink ribbon.

  The solenoid 20 includes a plunger (iron core) 25 that moves in the front-rear direction when a current is supplied to a coil (not shown). In this embodiment, the solenoid 20 is arranged so that the plunger 25 protrudes from the main body of the solenoid 20 toward the front side. Further, a permanent magnet (not shown) for maintaining the retracted state of the plunger 25 (that is, the state in which the plunger 25 has moved to the rear end side of the solenoid 20) is disposed inside the main body of the solenoid 20. That is, the solenoid 20 of this embodiment is a solenoid that does not need to be energized constantly when the plunger 25 is retracted. If one-shot pulse energization is performed with the plunger 25 protruding, then a current is supplied to the coil. Even if not, the plunger 25 is retracted by the attracting force between the plunger 25 and the permanent magnet, and the state in which the plunger 25 is retracted by the attracting force between the plunger 25 and the permanent magnet (the attracting state of the plunger 25) is maintained. . As will be described later, the printing unit 4 of the present embodiment is configured so that the plunger 25 is maintained in a protruding state by the urging force of the tension coil spring 22, and the one-shot pulse is generated when the plunger 25 is retracted. If energization is performed thereafter, the state in which the plunger 25 protrudes with the urging force of the tension coil spring 22 and the plunger 25 protrudes with the urging force of the tension coil spring 22 is maintained even if no current is supplied to the coil. .

  On the front end side of the plunger 25, a fixing pin 26 having an axial direction in the left-right direction is fixed. Specifically, the fixing pin 26 is fixed to the front end side of the plunger 25 so that both end sides of the fixing pin 26 protrude in the left-right direction of the plunger 25.

  The support portion 21 includes a drive source fixing member 27 to which the solenoid 20 is fixed, and a head fixing member 28 to which the thermal head 3 is fixed. A rotation center shaft 29 that rotatably supports the head fixing member 28 is attached to the driving source fixing member 27, and the head fixing member 28 is rotatably held by the driving source fixing member 27. .

  The drive source fixing member 27 is formed of, for example, a metal plate such as a steel plate, and includes a drive source fixing portion 27a to which the solenoid 20 is fixed and two shaft attachment portions 27b to which the rotation center shaft 29 is attached. I have. When the plane formed by the X direction and the Y direction is an XY plane, the drive source fixing portion 27a is substantially rectangular in shape with the upper guide portion 12 closed (the state shown in FIG. 1) and substantially parallel to the XY plane. The solenoid 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the drive source fixing portion 27a. The shaft mounting portion 27b is formed substantially parallel to the ZX plane formed from the Z direction and the X direction, and is formed to bend downward from each of the left and right ends of the drive source fixing portion 27a. .

  In the vicinity of the four corners of the driving source fixing portion 27a, as shown in FIG. 6, long holes 27c whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction are formed so as to penetrate the driving source fixing portion 27a. That is, four long holes 27c are formed in the drive source fixing portion 27a. A mounting screw 23 is inserted through the elongated hole 27c from above. On the front end side of the shaft mounting portion 27b, mounting holes are formed so as to penetrate through the shaft mounting portion 27b and are attached to both ends of the rotation center shaft 29.

  The head fixing member 28 is made of, for example, resin, and the head fixing portion 28a to which the thermal head 3 is fixed, the pin engaging groove 28b to which the fixing pin 26 is engaged, and the rotation center shaft 29 are engaged. And a groove forming portion 28d in which a shaft engaging groove 28c is formed. In this embodiment, the front end side of the head fixing member 28 is configured by the head fixing portion 28a, and the rear end side of the head fixing member 28 is configured by the groove forming portion 28d.

  The head fixing portion 28a is formed in a hollow, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose lower end side is open, and the thermal head 3 is fixed therein. Specifically, the thermal head 3 is fixed inside the head fixing portion 28a so that the lower end side of the thermal head 3 protrudes below the lower end of the head fixing portion 28a.

  On the front surface of the head fixing portion 28a, a substantially plate-like detected portion 28e for detecting that the thermal head 3 is moving in a direction in contact with the platen roller 5 is formed so as to protrude toward the front side. ing. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the detected portion 28e blocks between the light emitting element (not shown) and the light receiving element (not shown) of the sensor 32 disposed in front of the printing unit 4. Then, it is detected that the thermal head 3 is moving in the direction in which it contacts the platen roller 5.

  On both the left and right side surfaces of the head fixing portion 28a, spring engaging portions 28f with which the upper end portions of the tension coil springs 22 are engaged are formed. Specifically, spring engaging portions 28f are formed on the upper end sides of the left and right side surfaces of the head fixing portion 28a.

  The pin engaging groove 28b is formed on the upper end side of the groove forming portion 28d. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, pin engagement grooves 28b are formed in each of two plate-like portions 28g formed in a state substantially parallel to the ZX plane and spaced apart in the left-right direction. Is formed. The pin engagement groove 28b is formed so as to penetrate the plate-like portion 28g in the left-right direction, and is formed so that the upper end side is opened. The pin engagement groove 28b is formed in a substantially square shape. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the pin engagement groove 28b is formed in a square groove shape that is substantially square when viewed from the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, both ends of the fixing pin 26 are disposed in the pin engaging groove 28b, and both ends of the fixing pin 26 are engaged with the pin engaging groove 28b. . In this embodiment, the width of the pin engaging groove 28b in the front-rear direction is larger than the diameter of the fixed pin 26, and a gap is formed between the side surface of the pin engaging groove 28b and the fixed pin 26. .

  The shaft engaging groove 28c is formed on the lower end side of the groove forming portion 28d. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, shaft engagement grooves 28c are formed in the two block portions 28h formed at the left and right ends on the lower end side of the groove forming portion 28d. The shaft engagement groove 28c is formed so as to penetrate the block portion 28h in the left-right direction, and is formed so that the lower end side is opened. The shaft engaging groove 28c is formed in a substantially U shape. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the shaft engagement groove 28 c is formed in a U-groove shape that is substantially U-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, both ends of the rotation center shaft 29 are disposed in the shaft engagement groove 28c, and both ends of the rotation center shaft 29 are engaged with the shaft engagement groove 28c. Match. Specifically, small-diameter portions 29a having small diameters formed on both end sides of the rotation center shaft 29 are disposed in the shaft engagement groove 28c. In this embodiment, the width in the front-rear direction of the shaft engagement groove 28c is slightly larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion 29a. Further, the radius of curvature of the bottom surface of the shaft engagement groove 28c disposed on the upper end side of the shaft engagement groove 28c is slightly larger than the radius of the small diameter portion 29a. Therefore, a slight gap is formed between the side surface of the shaft engagement groove 28c and the small diameter portion 29a. Specifically, when printing on the card 2, there is only a slight gap so that the thermal head 3 does not shake with respect to the card 2, and there is only a small amount that does not hinder the rotation of the head fixing member 28. A slight gap (for example, a gap of 0.1 mm or less) is formed between the side surface of the shaft engagement groove 28c and the small diameter portion 29a.

  In this embodiment, the interval between the two plate-like portions 28 g in the left-right direction is larger than the diameter of the plunger 25. That is, a gap is formed between the two plate-like portions 28 g and the plunger 25. In addition, the length of the small-diameter portion 29a in the left-right direction is larger than the width of the block portion 28h in the left-right direction. That is, a step surface 29b (see FIG. 6) between the small-diameter portion 29a and a portion other than the small-diameter portion 29a of the rotation center shaft 29 formed at both ends of the small-diameter portion 29a in the left-right direction, and a block portion in the left-right direction A gap is formed between both end faces of 28h.

  The upper end side of the tension coil spring 22 is engaged with the spring engaging portion 28 f of the head fixing member 28. That is, the tension coil spring 22 is disposed on each of the left and right ends of the head fixing member 28. Further, the lower end side of the tension coil spring 22 is engaged with a spring engaging portion 12 a (see FIG. 4) formed on the upper guide portion 12. In this embodiment, the head fixing member 28 is urged clockwise about the rotation center axis 29 by the tension coil spring 22. That is, the thermal head 3 is biased toward the platen roller 5 by the tension coil spring 22.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the attachment protrusion 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that protrudes upward. An engaging portion 24 a that engages with the elongated hole 27 c of the drive source fixing member 27 is formed at the upper end of the mounting projection 24 so as to slightly protrude upward. The diameter of the engaging portion 24a is slightly smaller than the width of the long hole 27c in the left-right direction. In addition, the diameter of the engaging portion 24 a is smaller than the diameter of the other portion of the mounting protrusion 24. Therefore, in a state where the engaging portion 24a is disposed in the long hole 27c, the lower surface of the drive source fixing portion 27a is in contact with a stepped surface that spreads outward in the radial direction of the engaging portion 24a. A female thread that engages with the mounting screw 23 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting protrusion 24. The mounting screw 23 of this embodiment is a self-tapping screw, and when the mounting screw 23 is screwed into the inner peripheral surface of the mounting projection 24, a female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting projection 24. That is, a female thread is not formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting protrusion 24 before assembly, and a female thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting protrusion 24 during assembly.

  In the printing unit 4, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 5B, when the plunger 25 is retracted (that is, the permanent magnet disposed inside the main body of the solenoid 20 and the plunger 25 are attracted to each other). The thermal head 3 is separated from the platen roller 5. That is, when the plunger 25 is retracted, the thermal head 3 is retracted from the card transport path 11. In this state, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 5 (A), when the plunger 25 protrudes from the main body of the solenoid 20 toward the front side (that is, the one-shot pulse energization causes the permanent magnet and the plunger 25 to move. When the attracted state is released), the head fixing member 28 rotates clockwise around the rotation center axis 29, and the thermal head 3 moves in a direction to contact the platen roller 5. That is, when the plunger 25 protrudes, the thermal head 3 moves in the direction in which it contacts the card 2.

  In this embodiment, the state in which the thermal head 3 is retracted from the card transport path 11 is maintained by the magnetic attractive force between the permanent magnet and the plunger 25 disposed inside the main body of the solenoid 20. The state in which the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2 is maintained by the urging force of the tension coil spring 22. In this embodiment, one-shot pulse energization (for example, pulse energization of about 100 ms) is performed during the initial operation when the head fixing member 28 is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise, and thereafter, the permanent magnet and The thermal head 3 is retracted from the card transport path 11 by the magnetic attraction force with the plunger 25, and the thermal head 3 is moved in the direction in which the thermal head 3 contacts the card 2 by the urging force of the tension coil spring 22.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2, the contact portion between the thermal head 3 and the card 2, the tension coil spring 22, and the rotation The central axis 29 is arranged in this order in the front-rear direction (card 2 transport direction). Specifically, in the state where the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2, the contact portion between the thermal head 3 and the card 2, the point of action of the tension coil spring 22 on the head fixing member 28, and the head fixing member 28 The rotation center position is arranged in this order from the front side to the rear side. That is, in the state where the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2, the virtual line L 1 parallel to the vertical direction passing through the contact portion between the thermal head 3 and the card 2 and the vertical direction passing through the center of the tension coil spring 22. And a virtual line L3 parallel to the vertical direction passing through the center of the rotation center axis 29 are arranged in this order from the front side to the rear side.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the attachment position of the support portion 21 to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction can be adjusted. That is, in this embodiment, the support portion 21 is slid in the front-rear direction with the engagement portion 24 a of the attachment protrusion 24 engaged with the elongated hole 27 c of the drive source fixing member 27, to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction. After adjusting the mounting position of the printing unit 4, the printing unit 4 is fixed to the upper guide portion 12 by the mounting screw 23.

  In this embodiment, since the head fixing member 28 is rotatably held by the driving source fixing member 27, the mounting position of the driving source fixing member 27 on the mounting protrusion 24 in the front-rear direction can be adjusted ( That is, by adjusting the attachment position of the printing unit 4 to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction), the contact position (contact angle) of the thermal head 3 to the platen roller 5 can be adjusted. That is, by adjusting the attachment position of the printing unit 4 to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 (as shown by the solid line, broken line, and two-dot chain line in FIG. The contact angle) can be adjusted.

  Specifically, for example, when the mounting position of the printing unit 4 to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction is at the design reference position, as shown by the solid line in FIG. The center position contacts the card 2. That is, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is the center position of the tip of the thermal head 3.

  Further, by making the mounting position of the printing unit 4 behind the design reference position, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is set at the tip of the thermal head 3 as shown by the broken line in FIG. It becomes a position on the front side (right side in FIG. 8) from the center position of the portion. That is, when the mounting position of the printing unit 4 is moved rearward, the line connecting the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 and the center of the platen roller 5 and the center position of the tip of the thermal head 3 are set. An angle θR is formed by the center line CL parallel to the vertical direction passing through. This angle θR is the contact angle of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 when the mounting position of the printing unit 4 is moved rearward. Since the thermal head 3 is urged toward the platen roller 5 by the tension coil spring 22, the thermal head 3 is placed in the state where the mounting position of the printing unit 4 is behind the design reference position. When brought into contact with the card 2, the card 2 is bent along the surface of the platen roller 5 by the urging force of the tension coil spring 22 as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is a position ahead of the center position of the tip of the thermal head 3.

  Further, by making the mounting position of the printing unit 4 in front of the design reference position, the contact position of the thermal head 3 with respect to the card 2 can be adjusted as shown in FIG. The position is on the rear side (left side in FIG. 8) from the center position of the tip. That is, when the mounting position of the printing unit 4 is moved to the front side, it passes through the line connecting the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 and the center of the platen roller 5 and the center position of the tip of the thermal head 3. The angle θF is formed by the center line CL parallel to the vertical direction. This angle θF is the contact angle of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 when the mounting position of the printing unit 4 is moved to the front side. Since the thermal head 3 is urged toward the platen roller 5 by the tension coil spring 22, the thermal head 3 is placed in the card 2 with the mounting position of the printing unit 4 in front of the design reference position. As shown in FIG. 8, the card 2 bends along the surface of the platen roller 5 by the urging force of the tension coil spring 22. Therefore, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is a position behind the center position of the tip of the thermal head 3.

  In this embodiment, the printing quality on the card 2 is optimized so that the printing quality on the card 2 is optimal (that is, the printing quality can be printed on the card 2 at an optimum density without uneven printing and blurring). After the contact position of the thermal head 3 is adjusted, the printing unit 4 is fixed to the upper guide portion 12 by the mounting screw 23.

  In this embodiment, the method of adjusting the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is the same as the method of adjusting the contact angle of the thermal head to the card in the card printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above. The same. That is, in this embodiment, by adjusting the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2, the contact angles θR and θF of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 are also adjusted, but the contact angles θR and θF are adjusted. This adjustment method is the same as the adjustment method of adjusting the contact angle of the thermal head to the card by rotating the bracket relative to the auxiliary support member in the card printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above. Yes, the contact angles θR and θF of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 in this embodiment correspond to the contact angles of the thermal head to the card in the card printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1.

  In this embodiment, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is adjusted for the following reason. In other words, the tip portion of the thermal head 3 is formed in a curved surface shape having a predetermined radius of curvature when viewed from the left-right direction. In some cases, the apex of the tip and the center of the tip may be displaced. In some cases, the center of the intensity of the heating temperature deviates from the center of the tip. Furthermore, the processing accuracy of the platen roller 5 also varies. For this reason, when the thermal head 3 is brought into contact with the card 2 and printing is performed on the card 2, uneven printing or blurring of the card 2 may occur. In order to prevent the occurrence of printing unevenness and blurring, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is adjusted.

(Main effects of this form)
As described above, in this embodiment, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 can be adjusted by adjusting the attachment position of the printing unit 4 to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction. . Therefore, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 using the configuration for attaching the print unit 4 to the upper guide portion 12 such as the long hole 27c of the drive source fixing member 27, the attachment protrusion 24 and the attachment screw 23. Adjustments can be made. Therefore, the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 can be adjusted without providing a separate configuration for adjusting the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to adjust the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 while simplifying the configuration of the medium processing apparatus 1, and to ensure the printing quality on the card 2. become.

  In this embodiment, the printing unit 4 can be slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the upper guide portion 12 with the engaging portion 24a engaged with the long hole 27c. Therefore, in this embodiment, adjustment of the attachment position of the print unit 4 to the upper guide portion 12 in the front-rear direction is facilitated, and as a result, adjustment of the contact position of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 is facilitated.

  In this embodiment, a substantially square pin engaging groove 28b with which the fixing pin 26 engages and a substantially U-shaped shaft engaging groove 28c with which the rotation center shaft 29 engages are formed in the head fixing member 28. The tension coil springs 22 are arranged on the left and right ends of the head fixing member 28. Further, both end sides of the fixed pin 26 are engaged with the pin engaging grooves 28b of the two plate-like portions 28g formed with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, and the groove forming portion Both end sides of the rotation center shaft 29 are engaged with respective shaft engaging grooves 28c of the two block portions 28h formed at the left and right ends on the lower end side of 28d. Further, a gap is formed between the two plate-like portions 28g and the plunger 25, and a gap is formed between the step surface 29b of the rotation center shaft 29 and both end surfaces of the block portion 28h in the left-right direction. Has been.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the head fixing member 28 can be rotated around the plunger 25 when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2. That is, in this embodiment, the thermal head 3 can be rotated around the plunger 25 when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the followability of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 can be improved, and the printing quality on the card 2 can be improved. Further, since the followability of the thermal head 3 to the card 2 can be improved, the thermal head 3 can be brought into contact with the card 2 with a uniform contact pressure in the left-right direction.

  In this embodiment, a substantially square pin engaging groove 28b with which the fixing pin 26 engages and a substantially U-shaped shaft engaging groove 28c with which the rotation center shaft 29 engages are formed in the head fixing member 28. Yes. Therefore, if the plunger 25 is pulled out from the main body of the solenoid 20 after the printing unit 4 is removed from the upper guide portion 12, the fixing pin 26 can be easily removed from the pin engagement groove 28b, and the shaft engagement is also possible. The rotation center shaft 29 can be removed from the groove 28c. That is, the thermal head 3 and the head fixing member 28 can be easily detached from the printing unit 4. Therefore, the replacement work of the thermal head 3 is facilitated.

  In this embodiment, when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2, the contact portion between the thermal head 3 and the card 2, the tension coil spring 22, and the rotation center shaft 29 are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction. Has been. Therefore, even when the shaft engagement groove 28c formed in a substantially U shape and the rotation center shaft 29 are engaged, when the thermal head 3 comes into contact with the card 2, the drive source fixing member It is possible to prevent the head fixing member 28 from being lifted with respect to 27. That is, when the tension coil spring 22, the contact portion between the thermal head 3 and the card 2, and the rotation center shaft 29 are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction, the thermal head 3 contacts the card 2. Then, the head fixing member 28 is lifted with respect to the driving source fixing member 27 with the urging force of the tension coil spring 22 as a fulcrum at the contact portion between the thermal head 3 and the card 2. Disappears. As a result, in this embodiment, the thermal head 3 can be brought into contact with the card 2 with a predetermined contact pressure.

  In this embodiment, the state in which the thermal head 3 is retracted from the card transport path 11 is maintained by the magnetic attractive force between the permanent magnet and the plunger 25 disposed inside the main body of the solenoid 20, and the biasing force of the tension coil spring 22 is maintained. Thus, the state in which the thermal head 3 is in contact with the platen roller 5 is maintained. Therefore, it is not necessary to supply current to the solenoid 20 when the thermal head 3 is retracted from the card transport path 11 and when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to save power in the medium processing apparatus 1.

  Further, when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2, since the current for printing on the card 2 is supplied to the thermal head 3, the current consumption in the thermal head 3 increases. In this embodiment, There is no need to supply current to the solenoid 20 when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2, and current consumption in the medium processing apparatus 1 when the thermal head 3 is in contact with the card 2 can be reduced. it can. When the thermal head 3 is away from the platen roller 5, the medium processing apparatus 1 is in a standby state or performing processing other than printing processing on the card 2. In this embodiment, the thermal head 3 It is not necessary to supply current to the solenoid 20 when 3 is away from the platen roller 5, reducing current consumption in the medium processing apparatus 1 during standby, or performing processing other than printing processing. It becomes possible to reduce current consumption in the medium processing apparatus 1.

(Other embodiments)
The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  In the embodiment described above, the thermal head 3 is biased toward the platen roller 5 by the tension coil spring 22. In addition, for example, the thermal head 3 may be urged toward the platen roller 5 by another spring member such as a compression coil spring or a leaf spring, or the thermal head 3 may be urged by an elastic member such as rubber. It may be biased toward 5.

  In the embodiment described above, the pin engagement groove 28b is formed in a substantially square shape, but the pin engagement groove 28b may be formed in another shape as long as the upper end side is open. For example, the pin engagement groove 28b may be formed in a substantially U shape. In the embodiment described above, the shaft engagement groove 28c is formed in a substantially U shape, but the shaft engagement groove 28c may be formed in another shape as long as the lower end side is open. For example, the shaft engagement groove 28c may be formed in a substantially square shape. A pin engagement hole such as a round hole may be formed instead of the pin engagement groove 28b, or a shaft engagement hole such as a round hole may be formed instead of the shaft engagement groove 28c. Also good.

  In the embodiment described above, the platen roller 5 rotatably attached to the lower guide portion 13 is disposed so as to face the thermal head 3. In addition, for example, a fixed guide fixed to the lower guide portion 13 may be disposed to face the thermal head 3. In other words, the facing portion disposed to face the thermal head 3 may be a fixed guide.

  In the embodiment described above, the engaging portion 24a is formed at the upper end of the mounting protrusion 24 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. In addition, for example, when a planar planar portion is formed on the upper guide portion 12, the engaging portion 24a may be formed so as to protrude upward from the planar portion. In the above-described embodiment, the engaging portion 24a is formed on the upper guide portion 12 side and the long hole 27c is formed on the print unit 4 side. However, the long guide having the longitudinal direction as the longitudinal direction is the upper guide portion 12. An engaging portion that is formed on the side and engages with the elongated hole may be formed on the printing unit 4 side.

  In the embodiment described above, the drive source for moving the thermal head 3 is the solenoid 20, but the drive source for moving the thermal head 3 may be another drive source such as a motor. In the above-described embodiment, the embodiment of the present invention has been described by taking the relatively small medium processing apparatus 1 as an example. However, the medium processing apparatus to which the configuration of the present invention is applied has a function of issuing a medium such as a card. It may be a large medium processing apparatus.

1 Media processing device 2 Card (medium)
3 Thermal head 5 Platen roller (opposite part)
11 Card transport path (medium transport path)
12 Upper guide (part of the main body)
13 Lower guide (part of the main body)
14 Right side plate (part of main body)
15 Left side plate (part of main body)
20 Solenoid (drive source)
21 Supporting part 22 Tension coil spring (biasing member)
23 mounting screw 24 mounting projection 24a engaging portion 25 plunger 26 fixing pin 27 drive source fixing member 27c long hole 28 head fixing member 28b pin engaging groove 28c shaft engaging groove 29 rotation center axis X medium transport direction Z medium conveyance Thickness direction

Claims (7)

A medium conveyance path through which a medium is conveyed, a thermal head that prints on the medium by a thermal method, a facing portion that is disposed to face the thermal head across the medium conveyance path, and a support portion that supports the thermal head A drive source that is attached to the support and moves the thermal head in a direction in which the thermal head abuts on the facing portion and in a direction away from the facing portion, and a body to which the support portion and the facing portion are attached With
It is possible to adjust the mounting position of the support part to the main body part in the conveyance direction of the medium,
Adjusting the attachment position of the support part to the main body in the medium transport direction enables adjustment of the contact position of the thermal head to the facing part. apparatus. A plurality of attachment screws for attaching the support part to the main body part,
One of the support part or the main body part is formed with at least two elongated holes through which the mounting screw is inserted and the medium transport direction is a longitudinal direction,
On the other of the support part or the main body part, an engaging part that engages with each of the elongated holes is formed,
The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed with a female screw that engages with the mounting screw. The support part includes a head fixing member to which the thermal head is fixed, and a driving source fixing member to which the driving source is fixed and fixed to the main body part.
The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the head fixing member is rotatably held by the drive source fixing member. The drive source is a solenoid;
The support portion includes a rotation center axis that is attached to the drive source fixing member and serves as a rotation center of the head fixing member.
The head fixing member has a substantially square or substantially U-shaped pin engagement groove with which a fixing pin fixed to the solenoid plunger is engaged, and a substantially square or substantially U with which the rotation center shaft is engaged. 4. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a shaft engaging groove having a shape is formed. An urging member for urging the thermal head toward the facing portion;
5. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the biasing member is disposed on each of both end sides of the head fixing member in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the medium and a thickness direction of the medium. . An urging member for urging the thermal head toward the facing portion;
When the thermal head is in contact with the medium, the contact portion between the thermal head and the medium, the urging member, and the rotation center axis are arranged in this order in the conveyance direction of the medium. 6. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the medium processing apparatus is provided. An urging member for urging the thermal head toward the facing portion;
The drive source is a solenoid including a permanent magnet,
When the state in which the thermal head is separated from the facing portion is maintained by the attracting force between the solenoid plunger and the permanent magnet, and the attracting state between the plunger and the permanent magnet is released, the biasing member The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state in which the thermal head is in contact with the medium is maintained by the urging force.

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