JP2011251489A - Portable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide drip-proof configuration without increasing the number of components, regarding a portable payment terminal equipped with a printer.SOLUTION: The portable information terminal includes: the printer section having a recording paper cover for storing a recording paper; a display section for displaying information; and a body cover, the one end of which is rotatably attached to the body to be opened/closed. The recording paper cover is rotatably attached to the body at the one end, and the body cover is configured to cover the display section and the paper discharge port of the printer section in a closed state, and also, to overlap at least a part of the recording paper cover.

Description

The present invention relates to a handy terminal having a printer and a portable information terminal.

Some portable information terminals include a body cover that protects a touch panel, a liquid crystal, and a key input unit. The main body cover has a structure in which the main body portion and the main body cover are attached via a hinge portion so as to be openable and closable.

Particularly, in order input terminals, an input portion is provided on the main body cover via a flexible printed wiring board having flexibility, and is widely used as a so-called spread type terminal.

As printers mounted on portable information terminals, thermal printers are widely used because they are lightweight and easy to handle.

In addition, a thermal printer having a clamshell structure using a recording paper cover that can be rotated and opened is often used.

When a portable information terminal equipped with such a printer is used outdoors, it is necessary to consider dust proofing and drip proofing at the paper discharge port from the viewpoint of protecting the paper and parts inside the terminal. For example, a drip-proof cover as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used for drip-proofing the discharge port of the terminal.

Japanese Patent No. 3081068

The one attached to the recording paper cover, such as the drip-proof cover described in Patent Document 1, has a problem that it is necessary to separately provide parts and the number of parts increases.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to obtain a drip-proof configuration without increasing the number of parts by using a body cover that is connected to a portable information terminal having a printer having a recording paper cover and can be opened and closed.

In order to achieve the above object, a portable information terminal according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement. That is, a portable information terminal having a printer unit having a recording paper cover for storing recording paper, a display unit for displaying information, a main body, and a main body cover that is pivotally attached at one end and can be opened and closed. One end of the recording paper cover is attached to the main body and is rotatable. The main body cover covers the display unit and the paper discharge port of the printer unit when closed, and at least a part of the recording paper cover. It is solved by using a portable information terminal characterized by overlapping.

In the present invention, since the main body cover covers the paper discharge port of the printer, water droplets are prevented from entering the terminal without increasing the number of parts, and the movement of the recording paper cover is suppressed when the main body cover is closed. With this configuration, the recording paper cover can be prevented from opening.

In addition, according to the second aspect of the invention, the rotation directions of the recording paper cover and the main body cover are orthogonal to each other, so that both covers are simultaneously opened by an impact, compared to the case where both covers open and close in the same direction. Can be prevented.

It is a perspective view of the state where the main body cover of the personal digital assistant concerning an embodiment of the present invention was closed. It is a perspective view in the state where the main body cover of the personal digital assistant concerning an embodiment of the present invention was opened. FIG. 3 is an open / close view of a printer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the printer part and main body cover which concern on embodiment of this invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a printer unit and a main body cover according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of the state where the main body cover of the personal digital assistant concerning Example 2 was opened.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are common throughout the drawings in the embodiments. Moreover, in embodiment of this invention, the handy terminal 1 is illustrated as an example of a portable information terminal.

The main body cover 2 in the embodiment of the present invention exemplifies a cover that covers the entire front surface of the apparatus. However, the main body cover in the present invention is a cover that covers a member that is vulnerable to shock, and may cover only a member that is vulnerable to shock, such as a display unit, as long as the button has sufficient strength.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a main body cover 2 of a handy terminal 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the main body cover 2 of the handy terminal 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened.

The handy terminal 1 has an upper case 3 and a lower case 4 which are casings of the main body 9, and these are molded from a resin such as PC + ABS or ABS. A liquid crystal display device 5 and a main body input key 6 are provided on the front surface of the upper case 3, and a touch panel 7 as an input device is provided on the surface of the liquid crystal display device 5. The liquid crystal display device 5 includes an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU mounted inside the handy terminal 1 (not shown). The arithmetic processing unit displays various types of information on the liquid crystal display device 5 in response to an operation performed on the portable information terminal by the input unit such as the main body unit input key 6 or the touch panel 7. The liquid crystal display device 5 serving as a display unit is disposed above the main body unit input key 6. However, the arrangement relationship may be any arrangement relationship, and a plurality of display units may exist.

In addition, the handy terminal 1 according to the present embodiment has a main body cover 2 that protects the main body 9, the liquid crystal display device 5, and the main body input key 6 via a hinge portion 8 so as to be openable and closable. The main body cover 2 is provided with a sheet key input unit 10 made of a membrane sheet on the back surface. Although the sheet key is used as the input unit provided in the main body cover 2, any type of input device may be used as long as no erroneous operation is performed with opening and closing.

In each key of the sheet key input unit 10, pre-registered operation contents used for ordering and ordering are registered. The sheet key input unit 10 also has a function as an input unit similar to the main unit input key 6 and the touch panel 7, and the display of the liquid crystal display device 5 changes even if each key of the sheet key input unit 10 is operated. Depending on the registered contents, any of the keys of the sheet key input unit 10 can be set to a key that does not change the display of the liquid crystal display device 5.

Further, the sheet key input unit 10 includes a tail part 12 having a conductor pattern, and the sheet key input is performed by the tail part 12 extending from the hinge part 8 through the opening of the upper case 3 to the board inside the main body. The part 10 and the main body part 9 are configured to be electrically connected. The handy terminal 1 includes a printer unit 14 that performs printing according to input contents.
The printer unit 14 includes a recording paper cover 17 that is rotatably attached to the end of the lower case 4 and is rotatable.

3A shows a state where the main body cover 2 is opened and the recording paper cover 17 is closed, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the main body cover 2 is opened and the recording paper cover 17 is opened. .

4 is a cross-sectional view of the printer unit 14 showing a state in which the main body cover 2 and the recording paper cover 17 are both closed. A paper discharge port 18 is formed at the end of the storage unit 16.

On the paper path 19, a thermal print head 20, a platen roller 21 that conveys the roll paper 15 that is a recording paper at a position facing the print head 20, and a cutter 22 that cuts the roll paper 15 are arranged. Has been. The platen roller 21 is rotatably attached to a platen holding portion on the side surface of the recording paper cover 17 via a bearing portion.

When the recording paper cover 17 shown in FIG. 3B is rotated and opened, the platen roller 21 provided in the recording paper cover 17 is retracted from the print head 20. That is, when the roll paper 15 is replaced, the recording paper cover 17 is opened and the roll paper 15 is stored in the storage unit 16, and then one end side of the roll paper 15 is pulled out to the outside of the paper discharge port 18. By closing the recording paper cover 17, the roll paper 15 is set along the paper path 19.

The recording paper cover 17 includes two lock portions 24. When the recording paper cover 17 is closed, one side of the upper case 3 which is a housing of the main body is locked by two lock engagement portions 28 (not shown). . The lock portion 24 is configured as a lever-type hook at the left and right ends of the recording paper cover 17.

The unlocking operation is performed by an operation of pinching and pushing the unlocking portions 23 on both sides. The lock portion 24 can prevent the recording paper cover 17 from being opened and prevent the platen roller 21 from dropping from the platen holding portion 18 during printing. Note that any method may be used as a method of locking and releasing the recording paper cover 17 from the housing of the main body.

Next, the configuration of the main body cover 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body cover 2 is provided with a locking portion 26 that engages with the engaging portion 25 of the upper case 3 that is a housing of the main body portion at the position corresponding to the engaging portion 25 when closed. Yes. When performing an input operation, the main body cover 2 is opened, and when not in use, the main body cover 2 is closed to protect the liquid crystal display device 5 as a display section, the main body section input key 6 as an input section, and the like.

A paper discharge port protecting portion 27 that covers the printer paper discharge port 18 is provided as a part of the main body cover 2 at the top of the main body cover 2. The paper discharge port protection unit 27 covers the printer paper discharge port 18 when closed, thereby preventing water droplets and dust from entering the inside of the terminal from being damaged.

Further, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the paper discharge port protecting portion 27 covers the printer paper discharge port 18 and overlaps the recording paper cover 17 when the main body cover 2 is closed. If the structure is such that the sheet is protected by a rotatable cover, the recording sheet cover 17 is prevented from rotating when the main body cover 2 is closed by the engaging portion 25 and the locking portion 26, so that the recording sheet cover is provided. 17 cannot be opened. In the present embodiment, the main body cover 2 is configured to rotate in a direction orthogonal to the rotation direction of the recording paper cover 17. Thereby, compared with the case where both covers open and close in the same direction, since the force in the direction of opening differs, the structure is more difficult to open.

When the recording paper cover 17 is opened, water droplets and dust are likely to enter the terminal. Since the recording paper cover 17 described above includes the lock portion 24, if either the main body cover 2 or the recording paper cover 17 is closed, the recording paper cover 17 is opened even when a force such as a drop impact is applied. Thus, it is possible to prevent the roll paper 15 from rolling down.

The locking force between the lock portion 24 and the lock engagement portion 28 is proportional to their size. Since the main body cover 2 has two closing portions, the locking force at the time of closing can be secured even if the main body cover 2 is downsized.

When the body cover 2 is closed, the handy terminal 1 is not used. Therefore, the operator is highly likely to perform a large operation such as movement. Dropping while moving will also increase the impact.

Further, when the body cover 2 is provided with the sheet key input unit 10, it is possible to obtain a drip-proof effect and diversification of input functions, thereby avoiding an increase in size by increasing the number of input units and reducing the size. Can contribute.

Further, not only the mechanical fitting is performed, but also a magnet or a locking portion 26 that engages with the engaging portion 25, a portion that overlaps the discharge cover protecting portion 27 of the main body cover 2 and the recording paper cover 17, or the like. By attaching a material such as iron that generates an attractive force to the magnet or by mixing in the material, it is possible to generate an attractive force and strengthen the locking force.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the clamshell structure, but may be modified in the case where a rotatable recording paper cover is used or the main body cover is rotatably attached to the end of the lower case. The idea of the present invention can also be applied.

  A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The handy terminal of FIG. 5 has a structure in which a convex deformation portion 29 is provided along the paper discharge port 18 in the paper discharge port protection unit 27 that is in contact with the recording paper cover 17 and prevents rotation. . The recording paper cover 17 has a concave deformed portion in accordance with the convex deformed portion 29. Since a suitable water receiving portion is formed around the concave portion corresponding to the convex deformation portion, a structure in which water droplets are less likely to enter is obtained. Further, the discharge port protecting part 27 may have a concave part, and the recording paper cover 17 may have a convex part.

Since the parts of the main body cover 2 are plastic materials and are molded by a molding die, some deformation can be performed without increasing the cost. The deformation part 29 can also be provided with a resinous elastic body such as rubber. In this case, even if there is no concave portion, the adhesion can be improved by the elastic body, and dust can be prevented from entering the printer discharge port 18 with a simple configuration. The deformable portion 29 is preferably an elastic body because of its good adhesion, but may be made of any material. Anything that can be adhered to the paper discharge outlet protection unit 27 can be handled as the main body cover 2 without increasing the number of components in operating the portable information terminal.

In this embodiment, when the main body cover 2 is provided with the deforming portion 29, the recording paper cover 17 is caught more firmly when the main body cover 2 is closed than when the discharge port protecting portion 27 is flat. The recording paper cover 17 can be fixed.

A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The portable information terminal of FIG. 6 is provided with a plurality of locking portions 25 and engaging portions 26.

By providing the locking part 25 and the engaging part 26 near the printer unit 14, the locking force to the recording paper cover 17 can be strengthened.

Preferably, when the locking portion 25 and the engaging portion 26 are located near the center of the main body cover 2 or at a position that includes the position facing the tail portion 12 and the straight line of the paper discharge port 18, the main body cover 2 is also difficult to open. The locking force to the recording paper cover 17 can be improved.

In particular, if the locking force of the position including the straight line of the paper discharge port 18 is strengthened, the adhesion of the main body cover 2 can be further improved, and the drip-proof performance by the main body cover 2 can be improved.

When the configuration of the deformed portion of the first embodiment is combined with the present embodiment, the locking portion 25 and the engaging portion 26 are close to the deformable portion 29, so that the position of the deformable portion 29 can be more accurately determined. The performance can be further improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Handy terminal 2 Main body cover 5 Liquid crystal display device 7 Touch panel 8 Hinge part 9 Main body part 10 Sheet key input part 12 Tail part 14 Printer part 15 Roll paper 16 Storage part 17 Recording paper cover 18 Printer discharge port 25 Engagement part 26 Engagement Stop part 27 Paper discharge port protection part 29 Deformation part

Claims (4)

A portable information terminal having a printer unit having a recording paper cover for storing recording paper, a display unit for displaying information, a main body, and a main body cover that is pivotally attached at one end and can be opened and closed.
The recording paper cover is rotatable with one end attached to the main body,
The portable information terminal characterized in that the main body cover covers the display portion and the paper discharge port of the printer portion when closed, and overlaps at least a part of the recording paper cover. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the main body cover rotates in a direction orthogonal to a rotation direction of the recording paper cover. Further, the main body cover and the recording paper cover have a convex portion on one of the portions where the main body cover and the recording paper cover overlap when closed, and a concave portion on the other. Item 3. A portable information terminal according to Item 2. Furthermore, the said main body cover is provided with the input part which changes the display of the said display part, The portable information terminal of Claim 1 to 3 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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