JP2015150754A - Paper guide mechanism of printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper guide mechanism of a roll sheet printer which has a simple constitution and which can so guide a pair of paper guides that said pair of paper guides approach and are separated from each other.SOLUTION: A printer 1 includes: a printer body having a roll sheet storage part 11; first and second paper guides 15L, 15R which respectively contact both end surfaces of the roll sheet 2 in the roll sheet storage part and suppress positional deviation of the roll sheet 2 in a rotary shaft direction; first and second guide rails 17a, 17b which respectively so restrict directions of movements of the first and second paper guides 15L, 15R as so slide in the rotary shaft direction of the roll sheet 2; and a link lever 18 which connects the first paper guide 15L and the second paper guide 15R to each other. Th link lever 18 links the slide motions of the first and second guides 15L, 15R to each other, whereby the first and second paper guides 15L, 15R approach and are separated from each other.

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper guide mechanism for a printer, and more particularly to a slide mechanism for a pair of paper guides that suppress both end faces of a roll paper.

  In recent years, small-sized printers that print on roll paper have been widely used. Commercially available roll paper has several specified sizes, but in order to be able to handle multiple sizes, this type of printer has a roll paper of any size set correctly at a predetermined position in the printer. A paper guide mechanism for feeding in the direction is provided.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a pair of paper guides are connected to one end portions of a pair of guide arms, the other end portions of the pair of guide arms are connected to each other, and the guide arms are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the paper guides. A paper guide mechanism is disclosed in which a pair of paper guides are moved close to and away from each other by sliding the other end portion. Patent Document 2 discloses a paper guide mechanism in which a rack is formed in each of a pair of paper guides, and the pair of paper guides are moved closer to and away from each other using the pair of racks and a pinion gear. Patent Document 3 discloses a mechanism in which a slide of a pair of paper guides is locked by closing a case lid. Patent Document 4 discloses a slide mechanism for a pair of pressing plates.

JP-A-8-2407 Japanese Patent No. 4776023 JP2013-154580A Japanese Patent No. 4537541

  As the conventional paper guide mechanism described above, a mechanism is disclosed in which a pair of paper guides are interlocked with a pair of guide arms, or a pair of racks are engaged with a pinion gear and one of the pair of paper guides is interlocked with the other. Yes. In either method, the mechanism is complicated and it is difficult to realize a small size and light weight. Further, in the conventional paper guide mechanism, the paper guide is fixed by a lock mechanism such as a ratchet mechanism so that the paper guide cannot be easily moved after adjusting the guide width.

  However, when changing the guide width in a paper guide mechanism having such a lock mechanism, it is necessary to release the lock mechanism with an operation lever or the like, which causes a problem that the mechanism becomes complicated and operability is poor. is there.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a paper guide mechanism for a printer that can move a pair of paper guides close to and away from each other with a simple configuration. It is another object of the present invention to provide a paper guide mechanism that can be easily locked and unlocked by a paper guide slide.

 In order to solve the above-described problems, a paper guide mechanism for a printer according to the present invention includes a printer main body having a roll paper storage unit, and both ends of the roll paper in the roll paper storage unit respectively in contact with the center axis direction of the roll paper. First and second paper guides that suppress the positional deviation of the first and second paper guides, and first and second guides that restrict the movement directions of the first and second paper guides so as to slide in the central axis direction of the roll paper, respectively. A rail, and a link lever connecting the first paper guide and the second paper guide, the first and second paper guides at one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the link lever. The link levers are engaged with each other, and a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the link lever is pivotally supported by the printer main body via a rotation shaft. The link lever is supported by the first and second paper guides. The ride operation in conjunction with each other, characterized in that to close to and away from said first and second paper guides.

  According to the present invention, a paper guide mechanism that moves a pair of paper guides close to and away from each other can be realized with a simple configuration.

 In the present invention, a cover for opening and closing the roll paper container is further provided, and the cover is fitted to the first paper guide and the second paper guide when the cover is closed, and the first paper guide is engaged with the first paper guide. And a ratchet portion for fixing the position of the second paper guide. According to this configuration, the paper guide can be fixed and released simply by closing or opening the cover without releasing the lock mechanism with an operation lever or the like, and a paper guide mechanism with excellent operability is provided. can do.

 In the present invention, it is preferable that the link lever has a leaf spring portion, and the leaf spring portion is friction-engaged with an uneven surface provided on the printer main body side located in the biasing direction. . According to this configuration, the positioning accuracy and operability of the paper guide can be enhanced by the click feeling received when the leaf spring portion gets over the uneven surface.

 In the present invention, it is preferable that the first and second paper guides have the same shape, and the first paper guide has a two-fold symmetrical relationship with the second paper guide. According to this configuration, the cost can be reduced by sharing the parts.

 In the present invention, a third guide rail disposed on an extension line of the second guide rail and restricting the moving direction of the first paper guide so as to slide in the central axis direction of the roll paper, A fourth guide rail disposed on an extension line of the guide rail and restricting a moving direction of the second paper guide so as to slide in a central axis direction of the roll paper; , A first fitting portion that fits into the first guide rail, and a second fitting portion that fits into the third guide rail, and the second paper guide includes the second fitting portion. A third fitting portion that fits with the guide rail and a fourth fitting portion that fits with the fourth guide rail, and the cross-sectional shapes of the first and third fitting portions are: Detachable from the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the first and second guide rails It has a C-shape or an O-shape, and the cross-sectional shape of the second and fourth fitting portions is a U-shape that can be detached from the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the third and fourth guide rails. It is preferable to have. According to this configuration, the first and second paper guides can be smoothly slid while being stably supported.

 In the present invention, the first to fourth guide rails are preferably formed integrally with the printer body. According to this configuration, the slide mechanism for the paper guide can be realized simply and at low cost.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a paper guide mechanism for a printer capable of moving a pair of paper guides close to and away from each other with a simple configuration. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a paper guide mechanism that can easily lock and unlock the slide operation of the paper guide.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the paper guide mechanism. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a frame structure of the printer main body, and is a schematic perspective view showing in detail the structure of the bottom portion of the printer main body (surface facing the link lever). FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the leaf spring portion of the link lever along the line XX in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a connection structure between a pair of paper guides and a link lever. 6A and 6B are views showing the relationship between the sheet guide and the guide rail, wherein FIG. 6A is a schematic perspective view, and FIG. 6B is a schematic side view.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where a cover is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a printer main body 10 having a roll paper storage unit 11, a label printing unit 12 including a thermal head, and a cover 13 provided above the roll paper storage unit 11. And. The roll paper storage unit 11 is located behind the printer main body 10, and the label printing unit 12 is provided in front of the printer main body 10 with respect to the roll paper storage unit 11. The rotation shaft 13a of the cover 13 is provided at the rear end portion of the printer main body 10, and the front end portion of the cover 13 is lifted by pressing the lock release button 13b to unlock the cover 13 with respect to the printer main body 10. The cover 13 can be opened.

  The roll paper 2 is accommodated in the roll paper accommodating portion 11, and a pair of paper guides 15L and 15R are provided on both sides of the roll paper 2 in the width direction. The pair of paper guides 15L and 15R are in contact with the left side surface and the right side surface of the roll paper 2, respectively, and serve to suppress the positional deviation in the central axis direction of the roll paper. A platen roller 16 is attached to the front end portion of the cover 13, and the platen roller 16 is provided so as to face a thermal head (not shown) of the label printing unit 12 when the cover 13 is closed. .

  Although details will be described later, a ratchet portion 13c is provided on the back surface of the cover 13, and when the cover 13 is closed, the upper end portions of the pair of paper guides 15L and 15R are engaged with the corresponding ratchet portions 13c. Thus, the positions of the pair of paper guides 15L and 15R are securely fixed.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the paper guide mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the paper guide mechanism includes a pair of paper guides 15L and 15R, guide rails 17a and 17c that define the sliding direction of one paper guide 15L (first paper guide), and the other paper guide. Guide rails 17b and 17d for defining the sliding direction of 15R (second paper guide) and a link lever 18 for connecting the first paper guide 15L and the second paper guide 15R are provided. The slide direction of the paper guides 15L and 15R is the central axis direction of the roll paper (see FIG. 1).

  In the present embodiment, the guide rails 17 a to 17 d are provided at the bottom of the roll paper storage unit 11 and are formed integrally with the printer main body 10. The first paper guide 15L is attached to two guide rails 17a and 17c that are parallel to each other, and the second paper guide 15R is attached to two guide rails 17b and 17d that are parallel to each other. The first paper guide 15L includes a first fitting portion 15a that fits with the first guide rail 17a, and a second fitting portion 15b that fits with the third guide rail 17c. . The second paper guide 15R includes a third fitting portion 15c that fits with the second guide rail 17b, and a fourth fitting portion 15d that fits with the fourth guide rail 17d. .

  The third guide rail 17c is disposed on an extension line of the second guide rail 17b, and the fourth guide rail 17d is disposed on an extension line of the first guide rail 17a. That is, the first and fourth guide rails 17a and 17d are configured such that one guard rail is divided in the middle, and the second and third guide rails 17b and 17c are also one guide. The rails are divided in the middle. The reason for this configuration is that the first paper guide 15L can be fitted from the front ends of the guide rails 17a and 17c, and the second paper guide 15R can be fitted from the front ends of the guide rails 17b and 17d. This is to make it possible to facilitate the attachment of the paper guide to the guide rail. Therefore, the space width between the tip portions of the first and fourth guide rails 17a and 17d facing each other and the space width between the tip portions of the second and third guide rails 17c and 17b facing each other are as follows. The width of the paper guides 15L and 15R is set wider.

  The link lever 18 is made of an elongated plate made of metal or resin, and is disposed below the roll paper storage unit 11. When the thin link lever 18 is disposed below the roll paper storage unit 11, the paper guide mechanism can be mounted without disturbing the layout of other components, and the printer can be reduced in size and weight. is there.

  The first paper guide 15L is engaged with one end of the link lever 18 in the longitudinal direction, and the second paper guide 15R is engaged with the other end of the link lever 18 in the longitudinal direction. Further, the central portion of the link lever 18 in the longitudinal direction is pivotally supported by the printer main body 10 via a rotation shaft 18a. The rotation axis 18 a of the link lever 18 is located at the center in the width direction of the roll paper storage unit 11, and more preferably at the center in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the width direction of the roll paper storage unit 11.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the frame structure of the printer main body 10, and in particular, is a schematic perspective view showing in detail the structure of the bottom portion (surface facing the link lever 18) of the printer main body 10. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the leaf spring portion of the link lever 18 along the line XX in FIGS. 2 and 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the link lever 18 has a pair of leaf spring portions 18b, 18b formed by cutting out a part thereof. As will be described in detail later, a protrusion (boss) 18c formed at the tip of the leaf springs 18b, 18b is frictionally engaged with an uneven groove 10a formed on the opposing surface on the printer body 10 side, and the protrusion 18c is a plate. It is pressed against the concave and convex groove 10a by the elastic force of the spring portion 18b. When the link lever 18 rotates, the protrusion 18c gets over the crest of the concave and convex groove 10a, so that a click feeling can be given when the paper guides 15L and 15R are slid, and the fixing positions of the paper guides 15L and 15R can be set finely. .

  FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a connection structure between the pair of paper guides 15L and 15R and the link lever 18. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a first engagement pin 15e is provided below the first fitting portion 15a of the first sheet guide 15L, and the third engagement of the second sheet guide 15R. A second engagement pin 15f is provided below the portion 15c. The first and second engagement pins 15e and 15f are engaged with elongated holes 18d (or elongated slits) formed at one end and the other end of the link lever 18, respectively. That is, the first paper guide 15L is engaged with one end portion of the link lever 18 via the first engagement pin 15e, and the second paper guide 15R is interposed via the second engagement pin 15f. The other end of the link lever 18 is engaged. The first and second engagement pins 15e and 15f slide in the elongated hole 18d in accordance with the rotation of the link lever 18, whereby the first and second paper guides 15L and 15R are moved from the link lever 18 in the sliding direction. Only power can be received.

  Since the first and second paper guides 15L and 15R are connected via the link lever 18 in this way, one slide operation of the paper guides 15L and 15R is interlocked with the other slide operation. When the first paper guide 15L is slid in the direction approaching the second paper guide 15R, one end of the link lever 18 also rotates in the same direction as the first paper guide 15L, and conversely, the other end of the link lever 18 The part rotates in a direction approaching the first paper guide 15L, and thereby the second paper guide 15R also slides in the same direction as the other end of the link lever 18. Conversely, when the first paper guide 15L is slid in the direction away from the second paper guide 15R, the second paper guide 15R is slid in the direction away from the first paper guide 15L. In this way, one of the pair of paper guides 15L and 15R slides in conjunction with the other, and the link lever 18 brings the pair of paper guides 15L and 15R close to and away from each other.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing the relationship between the first paper guide 15L and the pair of guide rails 17a and 17c, in particular, (a) is a schematic perspective view, and (b) is a schematic side view. The relationship between the second paper guide 15R and the pair of guide rails 17b and 17d is the same as the relationship between the first paper guide 15L and the pair of guide rails 17a and 17c. Only the guide 15L will be described, and the description of the second paper guide 15R will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the upper end portion of the paper guide 15L is provided with a knob portion 15g protruding upward, and the user of the printer 1 pinches the knob portion 15g to hold the paper guide. The position can be adjusted by moving 15L. The tip of the knob 15g has a tapered shape, and when the cover 13 is closed, the tip of the knob 15g engages with the ratchet 13c, thereby fixing the position of the paper guide 15L. On the contrary, when the cover 13 is opened, the fixing of the paper guide 15L is naturally released.

  The sheet guide 15L includes a first fitting portion 15a that fits with one guide rail 17a, and a second fitting portion 15b that fits with the other guide rail 17c. The first fitting portion 15a has a C-shaped (or O-shaped) cross-sectional shape that is non-detachable from the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rail 17a, and has a shape that allows only sliding. However, the second fitting portion 15b has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that is detachable from the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rail 17c. As described above, the paper guide 15L is slidably fixed only to the one guide rail 17a, and the play with the other guide rail 17c is allowed to be loosened, so that the paper guide 15L can be supported stably and smoothly. Can be slid.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the link lever 18 extends in the diagonal direction of the roll paper accommodating portion 11, and one end and the other end of the link lever 18 are respectively positioned at the front and rear of the printer. doing. The first engaging pin 15e of the first paper guide 15L disposed on the left side when viewed from the front of the printer body 10 is connected to one end of the link lever 18, and is viewed from the front of the printer body 10. The second engagement pin 15 f of the second paper guide 15 R disposed on the right side is connected to the other end of the link lever 18. That is, the second paper guide 15R is obtained by inverting the first paper guide 15L by 180 degrees, and the first paper guide 15L has a two-fold symmetrical relationship with the second paper guide 15R. . The paper guides 15L and 15R have the same shape, and the positions of the engagement pins are also the same. According to such a configuration of the sheet guide, it is possible to reduce the cost by sharing the parts.

  As described above, the paper guide mechanism of the printer according to the present embodiment includes the link lever 18 that connects the pair of paper guides 15L and 15R, and the link lever 18 performs one slide operation of the pair of paper guides on the other slide. Since the operation is linked to the operation, a paper guide mechanism that moves the pair of paper guides close to and away from each other can be realized with a simple configuration. Further, when changing the guide width of the paper, it is possible to provide a paper guide mechanism with good operability without releasing the lock mechanism with an operation lever or the like.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say, it is included in the range.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, two guide rails are provided for one paper guide. However, two guide rails are not necessarily required, and one guide rail is provided for one paper guide. Only may be provided. In other words, the first guide rail 17a that restricts the moving direction of the first paper guide 15L and the second guide rail 17b that restricts the moving direction of the second paper guide 15R may be used. Furthermore, each guide rail does not have to be integral with the printer body, and may be retrofitted to the printer body.

  In the above embodiment, the first and second paper guides 15L and 15R have the same shape, but the first and second paper guides 15L and 15R may have different shapes.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the click feeling when the paper guide is slid is realized by friction engagement between the leaf spring portion formed on the link lever and the uneven surface on the printer main body side. Such a structure is not necessarily required, and a click feeling may be imparted by another method.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Roll paper 10 Printer main body 10a Irregular groove 11 Roll paper accommodating part 12 Label printing unit 13 Cover 13a Rotating shaft 13b Lock release button 13c Ratchet part 15L First paper guide 15R Second paper guide 15a First fitting Part 15b Second fitting part 15c Third fitting part 15d Fourth fitting part 15e First engagement pin 15f Second engagement pin 15g Knob part 16 Platen roller 17a First guide rail 17b First Second guide rail 17c Third guide rail 17d Fourth guide rail 18 Link lever 18a Rotating shaft 18b Leaf spring portion 18c Projection (boss)
18d slot

Claims (6)

A printer body having a roll paper container;
First and second paper guides that abut against both end faces of the roll paper in the roll paper container and suppress positional deviation in the central axis direction of the roll paper;
First and second guide rails for respectively restricting the moving directions of the first and second paper guides so as to slide in the direction of the central axis of the roll paper;
A link lever connecting the first paper guide and the second paper guide;
The first and second paper guides are respectively engaged with one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the link lever,
A central portion in the longitudinal direction of the link lever is pivotally supported by the printer body via a rotation shaft,
A printer paper guide mechanism for a printer, wherein the link lever causes the first and second paper guides to approach and separate by interlocking sliding operations of the first and second paper guides. A cover for opening and closing the roll paper container;
The cover includes a ratchet portion that fits into the first paper guide and the second paper guide and fixes the positions of the first and second paper guides when the cover is closed. Item 2. The paper guide mechanism according to Item 1.   The link lever includes a leaf spring portion, and the leaf spring portion is frictionally engaged with an uneven surface provided on the printer main body side located in the biasing direction. The paper guide mechanism described. The first and second paper guides have the same shape,
4. The sheet guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first sheet guide has a two-fold symmetrical relationship with the second sheet guide. 5. A third guide rail which is disposed on an extension line of the second guide rail and regulates the moving direction of the first paper guide so as to slide in the central axis direction of the roll paper;
A fourth guide rail disposed on an extension line of the first guide rail and restricting a moving direction of the second paper guide so as to slide in a central axis direction of the roll paper;
The first paper guide has a first fitting portion that fits into the first guide rail, and a second fitting portion that fits into the third guide rail,
The second paper guide has a third fitting portion that fits with the second guide rail, and a fourth fitting portion that fits with the fourth guide rail,
The cross-sectional shape of the first and third fitting portions has a C-shape or O-shape that is not removable from the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the first and second guide rails,
5. The cross-sectional shape of each of the second and fourth fitting portions has a U shape that is detachable from a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the third and fourth guide rails. The paper guide mechanism according to the item.   The sheet guide mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the first to fourth guide rails are formed integrally with a printer main body.

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