JP2013086282A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal printer that can attain miniaturization at a low cost.SOLUTION: The problem is solved by providing the printing device which has a print head printing on a recording paper, a torsion coil spring which pressurizes the print head to the side of a platen roller, and an opening/closing arm which fixes the platen roller in a rotatable state. The torsion coil spring is wound to be approximately parallel to the direction extended to the platen roller. The one end of the torsion coil spring is connected to the opening/closing arm, and the other end is contacted to the print head.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer apparatus.

  Printers that issue receipts and the like are widely used for applications such as cash registers (registers in shops), ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) and CDs (Cash dispensers) in banks and the like. In a printer that issues such a receipt, printing or the like is usually performed at a predetermined position of the recording paper by a thermal head or the like while conveying the thermal paper as the recording paper.

  In a printer that prints on recording paper with a thermal head, etc., printing is performed with the recording paper interposed between the thermal head and the platen roller, but the recording paper is easily placed between the thermal head and the platen roller. The platen roller can be detached so that the platen roller can be interposed.

Japanese Patent No. 3734753 Japanese Patent No. 3599595

  By the way, in a printer that prints on recording paper with a normal thermal head or the like, the recording paper is sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller when the thermal head is pushed to the side where the platen roller is provided. Thus, printing or the like is performed on the recording paper.

  For this reason, normally, a coil spring or the like is provided as a biasing member behind the thermal head, and one end of the coil spring or the like is in contact with the thermal head and the other end is in contact with the back support plate. ing. Therefore, a force is applied by the restoring force of the coil spring or the like so that the thermal head is pushed to the side where the platen roller is provided via the back support plate.

  However, in the printer having such a structure, since it is necessary to provide a back support plate, the printer becomes expensive and becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer device that can print on a recording sheet with a thermal head or the like and can be reduced in size at a low cost.

  The present invention includes a print head for printing on recording paper, a torsion coil spring that presses the print head toward the platen roller, and an open / close arm that fixes the platen roller in a rotatable state. The coil spring is wound so as to be substantially parallel to the extending direction of the platen roller. One end of the torsion coil spring is connected to the open / close arm, and the other end is in contact with the print head. It is characterized by being.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that a shaft is provided substantially parallel to the platen roller, and the torsion coil spring is wound so as to cover the outside of the shaft.

  In the invention, it is preferable that the torsion coil spring is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the shaft.

  The present invention is characterized in that the two torsion coil springs are connected and integrated.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the torsion coil spring includes an open / close arm return spring portion for returning the open / close arm and a head pressurizing spring portion for pressurizing the print head.

  Further, the present invention has a print head for printing on recording paper, a leaf spring that pressurizes the print head toward the platen roller, and an open / close arm that fixes the platen roller in a rotatable state. The leaf spring is connected to an opening / closing arm.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the opening / closing arm and the leaf spring are formed of the same material having spring properties.

  In the invention, it is preferable that the leaf spring is formed by bending the material forming the opening / closing arm substantially parallel to the direction in which the platen roller extends.

  In the invention, it is preferable that the leaf spring includes an open / close arm return spring portion for returning the open / close arm and a head pressurizing spring portion for pressing the print head.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer device which can be miniaturized at a low cost in a printer device which performs printing or the like on a recording sheet with a thermal head or the like.

Structure of a conventional printer (1) Structure of conventional printer (2) Structural diagram of printer apparatus in first embodiment (1) Structural diagram of printer apparatus in first embodiment (2) Explanatory drawing (1) of the printer apparatus in the first embodiment Explanatory drawing (2) of the printer apparatus in 1st Embodiment Structural diagram of printer apparatus in first embodiment (3) Structure diagram of another printer device according to the first embodiment Explanatory drawing (3) of the printer apparatus in 1st Embodiment Explanatory drawing (4) of the printer apparatus in 1st Embodiment Explanatory drawing (5) of the printer apparatus in 1st Embodiment Structural diagram of a printer apparatus according to the second embodiment Structural diagram of another printer device according to the second embodiment (1) Structural diagram of another printer device according to the second embodiment (2) Structural diagram of a printer apparatus according to the third embodiment Explanatory drawing of the printer device in the third embodiment Structural diagram of another printer according to the third embodiment (1) Structural diagram of another printer device according to the third embodiment (2) Structural diagram of another printer device according to the third embodiment (3)

  The form for implementing this invention is demonstrated below. In addition, about the same member etc., the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

[First Embodiment]
First, a printer using a conventional thermal head having a back support plate will be described. The printer apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a thermal head 910 having a heat sink, a platen roller 920, an opening / closing arm 930, and a coil spring 950, and is installed on a frame 960. The open / close arm 930 is provided with a back support plate 940, and the platen roller 920 is supported by the open / close arm 930.

  In the printer device having this structure, a force is applied to the thermal head 910 on the side where the platen roller 920 is provided by a coil spring 950 provided between the back support plate 940 and the thermal head 910. When printing or the like is performed on the recording paper, the recording paper (not shown) is interposed between the thermal head 910 and the platen roller 920 to perform printing or the like on the recording paper. In order to install the recording paper, the platen roller 920 can be removed by moving the opening / closing arm 930 as shown in FIG. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the position of the frame 960 is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

  In the printer device having such a structure, since the back support plate 940 is formed to have a predetermined height, for example, it protrudes beyond the frame 960 of the printer device, and the outer shape of the printer device becomes large. In addition, since it is necessary to form a portion that becomes the back support plate 940 in the open / close arm 930, the cost of the printer device increases.

(Printer device)
Next, the printer apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a thermal head 110 serving as a print head, a platen roller 120, an opening / closing arm 130, and a torsion coil spring (torsion spring) 150. As shown in FIG. 4, the open / close arm 130 rotates with respect to the frame 160 about the arm rotation shaft 131. The torsion coil spring 150 is wound around the arm rotation shaft 131 substantially in parallel with the direction in which the platen roller 120 extends, and one end portion 151 is connected and fixed to the side surface of the open / close arm 130, and the other end The end 152 is installed so as to push the thermal head 110 toward the side where the platen roller 120 is provided from the back surface of the thermal head 110.

  In the present embodiment, the platen roller 120 can be removed when the open / close arm 130 rotates about the arm rotation shaft 131. At this time, the frame 160 is provided with a recess 161 for supporting the platen roller 120, and the platen roller 120 is held in the recess 161 of the frame 160 even when the opening / closing arm 130 is moved. In the present embodiment, the thermal head 110 is provided with a heat sink and the like, but the thermal head 110 includes those provided with such a heat sink.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the torsion coil spring 150 is wound around the arm rotation shaft 131, and the fulcrum 153 of the torsion coil spring 150 is located below the opening / closing arm 130. Therefore, as described above, in the printer device according to the present embodiment, one end 151 of the torsion coil spring 150 is fixed in contact with the open / close arm 130, and the thermal head 110 is connected to the other end 152 of the torsion coil spring 150. The thermal head 110 is pushed toward the side where the platen roller 120 is provided. Therefore, in FIG. 6, the back support plate 941 as shown by the broken line is not necessary, so that the number of parts and the number of manufacturing processes can be reduced, and a printer device can be manufactured at low cost. The printer device can be reduced in size.

  FIG. 7 shows the thermal head 110 and the torsion coil spring 150 of the printer apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG. 7A is a perspective view, and FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the torsion coil spring 150. In the present embodiment, the torsion coil spring 150 is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the shaft 170 installed substantially parallel to the platen roller 120. The shaft 170 rotates about the arm rotation shaft 131.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the printer apparatus according to the present embodiment may be provided with a torsion coil spring portion 155 having a structure in which two torsion coil springs are integrated. FIG. 8A is a perspective view, and FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the torsion coil spring portion 155.

  In the present embodiment, the platen roller 120 can be removed by rotating the open / close arm 130 about the arm rotation shaft 131. At this time, as shown in FIG. The opening / closing arm 130 may be rotated and moved in the pressurizing direction, and the opening / closing arm 130 may be moved in the direction in which the force applied to the thermal head 110 is released as shown in FIG. It may have a structure that rotates and moves.

  Moreover, as shown to Fig.11 (a), the thing of the structure which provided the bending part 131a for moving the opening-and-closing arm 130a in the side part of the opening-and-closing arm 130a may be used, and also in FIG.11 (b). As shown, a structure in which a bending portion 131b for moving the opening / closing arm 130b is provided below the opening / closing arm 130b may be used. In addition, FIG.11 (c) shows the opening / closing arm 130 in which the bending part is not provided.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is a printer apparatus having a structure using a leaf spring instead of the torsion coil spring in the first embodiment.

  The present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, a plate spring 250 connected to the opening / closing arm 130 is provided, and the thermal head 110 is pushed from the back surface of the thermal head 110 to the side where the platen roller 120 is provided by the plate spring 250. It is formed to be able to. By using the leaf spring 250 in this way, the number of parts can be further reduced, and the thermal head 110 can be pushed more uniformly from the back surface of the thermal head 110 to the side where the platen roller 120 is provided. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the open / close arm and the leaf spring may be integrally formed of the same metal material and a material having a spring property. Thereby, the number of parts can be further reduced. The open / close arm 280 with a spring having a structure in which the open / close arm 283 and the plate spring serving as the spring 285 are integrally formed can be formed, for example, by processing a metal plate or the like. Specifically, the spring portion 285 can be formed by bending a metal plate or the like substantially parallel to the direction in which the platen roller 120 extends, and the opening / closing arm portion 283 is substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the platen roller 120 extends. It can be formed by bending a metal plate or the like. In the present embodiment, an opening / closing arm 280a with a spring having a structure in which an opening / closing arm 283a having a structure as shown in FIG. 14 and a spring portion 285a are integrally formed may be used. Also in this case, similarly, the open / close arm 280a and the spring portion 285a are the same metal material, and are integrally formed of a material having a spring property.

  The contents other than the above are the same as in the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is a printer apparatus having a structure in which a spring for pressing a thermal head and a spring for returning an open / close arm are separated. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the printer apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with two torsion coil springs 350 at both ends of the shaft 170. The torsion coil spring 350 includes an open / close arm return spring portion 351 and a thermal head. And a head pressurizing spring part 352 for pressing. Further, the opening / closing arm return spring portion 351 and the head pressure spring portion 352 are connected by a connection portion 353, and the connection portion 353 is connected to the bottom surface of the opening / closing arm 130. The end of the opening / closing arm return spring 351 is connected to the side surface of the opening / closing arm 130. As a result, the function of returning the open / close arm 130 and the function of applying pressure to the thermal head 110 can be made independent. That is, the respective functions can be separated into the open / close arm return spring portion 351 and the head pressure spring portion 352.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, the present embodiment may be provided with a spring portion 360 having a structure in which two torsion coil springs 350 are connected and integrated by a connecting portion 355, as shown in FIG. As described above, the structure may be such that the opening / closing arm return spring portion 351 is provided only on one side of the shaft 170.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 19, this embodiment may use a leaf spring instead of the torsion coil spring. In this case, the plate spring portion 380 is formed by an opening / closing arm return spring portion 381 using a plate spring and a head pressure spring portion 382 using a plate spring.

  The contents other than those described above are the same as those in the first or second embodiment.

  As mentioned above, although the form which concerns on implementation of this invention was demonstrated, the said content does not limit the content of invention.

110 Thermal head (print head)
120 Platen roller 130 Opening and closing arm 150 Torsion coil spring 151 One end 152 of the torsion coil spring Other end 153 of the torsion coil spring Support point 160 Frame 171 Recess

Claims (9)

A print head for printing on recording paper;
A torsion coil spring that pressurizes the print head toward the platen roller;
An opening and closing arm for fixing the platen roller in a rotatable state;
And the torsion coil spring is wound so as to be substantially parallel to the direction in which the platen roller extends,
One end of the torsion coil spring is connected to the opening / closing arm, and the other end is in contact with the print head. A shaft is provided substantially parallel to the platen roller,
The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the torsion coil spring is wound so as to cover an outer side of the shaft.   The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the torsion coil spring is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the shaft.   The printer device according to claim 3, wherein the two torsion coil springs are connected and integrated.   The said torsion coil spring has an opening-and-closing arm return spring part which returns the said opening-and-closing arm, and a head pressurization spring part which pressurizes the said print head. Printer device. A print head for printing on recording paper;
A leaf spring that pressurizes the print head toward the platen roller;
An opening and closing arm for fixing the platen roller in a rotatable state;
And the leaf spring is connected to an open / close arm.   The printer device according to claim 6, wherein the opening / closing arm and the leaf spring are formed of the same material having spring properties.   8. The printer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the leaf spring is formed by bending a material forming the open / close arm substantially parallel to a direction in which the platen roller extends.   The said leaf | plate spring has an opening-and-closing arm return spring part which returns the said opening-and-closing arm, and a head pressurization spring part which pressurizes the said print head. Printer device.

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