JP2017024323A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can more stably detect whether or not a tube being a printing medium is properly attached than a conventional technique.SOLUTION: A printer comprises a body case, an attachment part, a conveyance part, a printing part, a discharge part, a rotation shaft 34, a detection member 351, an energization member 36, a first optical sensor 37 and a cover. The rotation shaft 34 is provided in the body case and extends in the first direction at a position being in the third direction with respect to the center in the width direction of the attachment part on an attachment surface of the body case. The detection member 351 has one end part 354 which is rotationally supported by the rotation shaft 34 and another end part 355 which is arranged in the attachment part. The energization member 36 energizes the detection member 351 in the fourth direction on the side opposite to the third direction. The first optical sensor 37 is provided at the position retreating from the attachment part in the body case and being on the second direction side with respect to the attachment surface and can optically detect the position of the detection member 351.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of printing on a tube which is a cylindrical print medium.

  Conventionally, a printing apparatus capable of printing on a tube is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The printing apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 arranges optical sensors on both the upstream side and the downstream side of a printing unit that prints on a tube in the tube conveyance direction, and monitors whether or not the tube is properly attached.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-226044

  In a conventional printing apparatus, light (disturbance light) that has entered the main body case of the printing apparatus from the discharge section or supply section of the tube may affect the detection result of the optical sensor. In this case, the printing apparatus cannot accurately determine whether the tube is properly attached.

  The objective of this invention is providing the printing apparatus which can detect more stably than before whether the tube used as a printing medium was mounted | worn appropriately.

  A printing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a main body case having a mounting surface that blocks light in a first direction, and a concave portion that is provided in the main body case and in which a tube that is a cylindrical print medium is mounted. A mounting portion that is a recess recessed in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the mounting surface, and a first opening that is provided at one end of the mounting portion and guides the tube to the inside. A supply unit, a transport unit capable of transporting the tube mounted on the mounting unit, a printing unit provided in the main body case and capable of printing on the tube transported by the transport unit, and the printing unit. A discharge portion having a second opening capable of discharging the printed tube to the outside; and a position provided in the main body case and in a third direction with respect to the center in the width direction of the mounting portion on the mounting surface. In the first direction A pivoting shaft, one end portion rotatably supported by the pivoting shaft, and the other end portion disposed in the mounting portion, and the fourth direction opposite to the third direction. A biasing member that biases the detection member; and a position retracted from the mounting portion in the main body case, the position being on the second direction side with respect to the mounting surface, and the position of the detection member A first optical sensor that can be detected optically, and is movable to a closed position that is pivotally supported by the main body case and closes the mounting surface of the main body case, and an open position that opens the mounting surface of the main body case. And a cover.

  The printing apparatus according to this aspect can detect whether or not the tube is attached to the attachment portion by detecting the position of the detection member with the first optical sensor. Specifically, when the tube is not attached to the attachment portion, the other end of the detection member is in a position urged in the fourth direction by the urging member. When the tube is attached to the attachment part, the other end of the detection member is moved against the urging force of the urging member, and is in a position moved in the third direction from the position when the tube is not attached. . The first optical sensor optically detects the position of the detection member. Since the first optical sensor is in the second direction with respect to the mounting surface that blocks light, the first optical sensor is less susceptible to disturbance light that has entered the main body case from the supply unit and the discharge unit. Therefore, the printing apparatus can detect whether or not the tube is properly attached to the attachment portion more stably than in the past.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 with a cover 12 in a closed position as viewed from the upper right front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 with a cover 12 in an open position as viewed from the upper right front. 3 is a plan view of a main body case 11. FIG. In the top view of the main body case 11 of FIG. 3, it is the figure which expanded the discharge part 16 vicinity. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 as viewed from the upper left front side, with illustration of the cover 12, the handle portion 18, the print head 61, and the like omitted. In the perspective view of the main body case 11 of FIG. 5, the illustration of the brushes 162 and 163 is omitted, and the vicinity of the discharge unit 16 is enlarged. (A) is a front view of the roller member 19 (first posture). (B) is a front view of the roller member 19 (second posture). 3 is a perspective view of the cover 12 removed from the main body case 11. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a first pressing member 41. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second pressing member 46. FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the 1st detection part 33 from the front right upper part. 3 is a plan view of a first detection unit 33. FIG. 3 is a front view of a first detection unit 33. FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the opening-and-closing mechanism 70 from the upper right front when the opening-and-closing lever 71 exists in a closed position. It is sectional drawing of the opening / closing lever 71 when the opening / closing lever 71 exists in a closed position. It is a top view of the opening-and-closing mechanism 70 in case the opening-and-closing lever 71 exists in a closed position. It is sectional drawing of the opening / closing lever 71 when the opening / closing lever 71 exists in an open position. It is a top view of the opening-and-closing mechanism 70 in case the opening-and-closing lever 71 exists in an open position. It is a top view of the 1st detection part 33 of a modification.

[1. Overview of printing apparatus 1]
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a printing apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions indicated by the arrows in the figure are the up / down, left / right, and front / back directions.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing apparatus 1 includes a tape printing unit 50 (hereinafter referred to as “printing unit 50”) and a tube printing unit 60 (hereinafter referred to as “printing unit 60”). The printing apparatus 1 can print on a tape that is a belt-shaped print medium by the printing unit 50. The printing apparatus 1 can print on the tube 9 (see FIG. 3), which is a cylindrical print medium, by the printing unit 60.

  The printing apparatus 1 includes a rectangular parallelepiped casing 10 including a main body case 11, a cover 12, and a lock mechanism 13. The main body case 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped member having a mounting surface 111 on the upper side and extending in the left-right direction. The mounting surface 111 of this example extends substantially parallel to the horizontal plane, and is formed of a material that blocks light (that is, does not have light transmittance). The cover 12 is a plate-like member disposed on the upper side of the main body case 11. The cover 12 is pivotally supported by the main body case 11 and moves between a closed position (see FIG. 1) for closing the mounting surface 111 of the main body case 11 and an open position (see FIG. 2) for opening the mounting surface 111 of the main body case 11. Is possible. The moving direction of the cover 12 is indicated by the arrow Y1 in FIG. In the following description, the configuration of the housing 10, the cover 12, and the members provided on the cover 12 will be described with reference to the case where the cover 12 is in the closed position. The lock mechanism 13 is provided on the upper side of the front end portion of the main body case 11. The lock mechanism 13 locks the front end portion of the cover 12 that is closed with respect to the main body case 11 to restrict the opening of the cover 12. As shown in FIG. 1, when the cover 12 is in the closed position, the cover 12 covers the mounting surface 111. When the user opens the cover 12, the user operates the lock mechanism 13 to release the lock of the cover 12, and rotates the cover 12 upward from the lock mechanism 13. As shown in FIG. 2, when the cover 12 is opened with respect to the main body case 11, the mounting surface 111 is exposed upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the housing 10 includes a discharge port 14, an opening 151 of the supply unit 15, an opening 161 of the discharge unit 16, a user interface unit 17, and a handle unit 18 on the side surface. In the present example, the side surface of the housing 10 substantially corresponds to the side surface of the main body case 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the discharge port 14 is an opening for discharging the tape to the outside of the housing 10. The discharge port 14 is provided in the upper right part of the front surface of the housing 10 and has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction. The supply unit 15 has an opening 151 that can guide the tube 9 into the housing 10. The opening 151 is provided in the upper part on the rear side of the right surface of the housing 10 and has a rectangular shape that is slightly longer in the vertical direction. The discharge unit 16 has an opening 161 that can discharge the tube 9 to the outside of the housing 10. The opening 161 has a rectangular shape that is provided in the upper part on the rear side of the left surface of the housing 10 and is slightly longer in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a flexible fibrous brush 162 extending toward the rear side is provided on the front side of the opening 161 of the discharge portion 16. A flexible fibrous brush 163 extending toward the front side is provided on the rear side of the opening 161 of the discharge unit 16. The brushes 162 and 163 are attached to the left surface of the main body case 11 with an adhesive tape. The brushes 162 and 163 are disposed across the opening 161, thereby reducing light entering the housing 10 from the opening 161.

  The user interface unit 17 includes a display unit and an operation unit. In this example, the display unit is a plurality of LEDs that indicate the operating state of the printing apparatus 1. The operation unit is a plurality of operation buttons including a power button and a start button. The user interface unit 17 is provided on the right side of the discharge port 14 on the front surface of the housing 10. The handle portion 18 is a member that is gripped when the user carries the printing apparatus 1. The handle portion 18 is installed on the left and right surfaces of the housing 10 and can be rotated to the front and rear sides via the upper side of the main body case 11.

  As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the housing | casing 10 is provided with the window parts 121 and 122 on the upper surface. In this example, the upper surface of the housing 10 corresponds to the upper surface of the cover 12. The window parts 121 and 122 are members having light permeability and are formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The window portion 121 is provided at a position corresponding to a mounting portion 20 described later (that is, the right portion of the cover 12 in plan view). When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the window 122 is provided at a position corresponding to a ribbon mounting portion 30 described later (that is, the left portion of the cover 12 in plan view). The user can check the tape cassette 80 mounted on the mounting unit 20 through the window unit 121. The user can check the ribbon cassette 90 mounted on the ribbon mounting unit 30 through the window 122.

  The internal configuration of the housing 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the printing apparatus 1 includes printing units 50 and 60 inside the housing 10. A control board and a power supply (not shown) are provided below the mounting surface 111 of the main body case 11. The control board is a board that includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, CGROM, and the like (not shown), and controls various operations of the printing apparatus 1. For example, the control board controls each printing operation of the printing units 50 and 60. The control board of this example is provided at the right rear portion inside the main body case 11 and extends in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The power supply unit is connected to a battery (not shown) mounted in the main body case 11 or connected to an external power supply (not shown) via a cord to supply power to the printing apparatus 1. The power supply unit of this example is provided on the front side of the control board.

[2. Tape printing unit 50]
The printing unit 50 includes a mounting unit 20, escape units 21 and 22, and a conveyance path 23 (see FIG. 3) provided in the main body case 11. The mounting part 20 is a part where the tape cassette 80 can be attached and detached. The tape cassette 80 is a box-shaped body having a rectangular shape in plan view. The tape cassette 80 is, for example, a laminate type tape cassette. The mounting portion 20 is a concave portion that opens upward and is formed in an opening shape that substantially corresponds to the tape cassette 80 in plan view. The mounting portion 20 of this example is provided on the right side of the mounting surface 111 and on the front side of the mounting portion 40 described later.

  The escape portion 21 is a portion that extends forward from the front portion of the mounting portion 20 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. The relief portion 22 is a portion that extends rearward from the rear portion of the mounting portion 20 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. In a state where the cover 12 is in the open position, the user can detach the tape cassette 80 from the mounting portion 20 from above. The user can easily attach and detach the tape cassette 80 to and from the mounting portion 20 by inserting the finger holding the tape cassette 80 into the escape portions 21 and 22. The conveyance path 23 is a groove portion extending continuously forward from the right front portion of the mounting portion 20. The front end of the conveyance path 23 is connected to the discharge port 14.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the printing unit 50 further includes a print head 52, a platen roller 53, a movable conveyance roller 54, a platen holder (not shown), a cutter (not shown), and a cutter motor provided in the main body case 11. (Not shown). The print head 52 is a thermal head provided with a heating element (not shown) provided at the right front portion of the mounting portion 20. The platen roller 53 is a roller that can rotate relative to the print head 52. The movable conveyance roller 54 is a roller that can rotate relative to the tape drive shaft 55. The platen roller 53 and the movable conveyance roller 54 are rotatably supported at the tip of the platen holder. The platen holder is disposed on the right side of the mounting portion 20 and can be displaced between an operating position and a retracted position as the cover 12 is opened and closed. The cutter can cut the tape in the transport path 23. The cutter motor is a motor that drives the cutter.

[3. Tube printing unit 60]
The printing unit 60 includes a ribbon mounting unit 30, escape units 31 and 32, a supply unit 15, a mounting unit 40, a discharge unit 16, a first pressing member 41, a second pressing member 46, a first detection unit 33, and a second optical unit. A sensor 95 and a guide member 128 are provided. The ribbon mounting part 30 is a part that is provided in the main body case 11 and to which the ribbon cassette 90 can be attached and detached. The ribbon cassette 90 is a box-shaped body that can accommodate an ink ribbon. The ribbon mounting portion 30 is a concave portion that is recessed below the mounting surface 111 and is provided in the main body case 11 at a position opposite to the mounting portion 40 side with respect to the print head 61 (described later). The ribbon mounting part 30 is formed in an opening shape substantially corresponding to the ribbon cassette 90 in plan view. The ribbon mounting portion 30 of this example is provided on the left side of the mounting surface 111 and on the front side of the mounting portion 40. That is, the mounting unit 20 and the ribbon mounting unit 30 are arranged along a conveyance direction, which will be described later, so as to be aligned in the left-right direction.

  The relief portion 31 is a portion that is provided in the main body case 11 and extends from the right portion of the ribbon attachment portion 30 to the right and is recessed downward from the attachment surface 111. The relief portion 32 is a portion that extends from the left front portion of the ribbon attachment portion 30 to the left front and is recessed below the attachment surface 111. The user can attach and detach the ribbon cassette 90 to and from the ribbon mounting portion 30 with the cover 12 opened. At this time, the user can easily attach and detach the ribbon cassette 90 to and from the ribbon mounting portion 30 by inserting the finger holding the ribbon cassette 90 into the escape portions 31 and 32.

  The supply unit 15 is a recess that is provided at one end (right end) of the mounting unit 40 and has an opening 151 that is recessed below the mounting surface 111. The supply unit 15 includes a sponge-like cleaner 152 that closes the recess of the supply unit 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaner 152 has three diagonal cuts of a regular hexagon when viewed from the right side. The cut 153 among the three cuts extends in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the cut 153 reaches the upper end of the cleaner 152. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40, the tube 9 is inserted downward from the upper end of the cut 153. The tube 9 is sandwiched between the cleaners 152 in such a posture that the intersection of the three cuts substantially coincides with the center of the cross section of the tube 9. The cleaner 152 stabilizes the posture of the tube 9 supplied from the outside of the printing apparatus 1. The cleaner 152 wipes off dust adhering to the surface of the tube 9 serving as a printing surface.

  The mounting portion 40 is a recess provided in the main body case 11 and in which the tube 9 is mounted. The mounting portion 40 is a concave portion that extends from the supply portion 15 to the discharge portion 16 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting portion 40 has a reference surface 401, a first side surface 402, and a second side surface 403. The reference surface 401 is a lower surface (bottom surface) of the mounting portion 40. The reference surface 401 is a substantially horizontal plane. The first side surface 402 is a rear side surface of the mounting portion 40. The second side surface 403 is a front side surface of the mounting portion 40. The first side surface 402 and the second side surface 403 are substantially perpendicular to the reference surface 401. In the printing apparatus 1 of this example, the user positions the tube 9 in the vertical direction by attaching the tube 9 along the reference surface 401.

  The extending direction of the mounting portion 40 is referred to as a conveyance direction. In the transport direction, a side from the supply unit 15 toward the discharge unit 16 is referred to as a downstream side in the transport direction. The side from the discharge unit 16 toward the supply unit 15 is referred to as the upstream side in the transport direction. The discharge unit 16 in this example is slightly in front of the supply unit 15. In the transport direction, between the supply unit 15 and a print head 61 to be described later, the mounting unit 40 slightly tilts to the left front side and extends substantially in the left-right direction. In the transport direction, between the print head 61 and the discharge unit 16, the mounting unit 40 is slightly tilted to the right front side (that is, tilted forward from the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the extending surface of the opening 161). ), Extending substantially in the left-right direction. In the transport direction, the transport direction between the print head 61 and the discharge unit 16 is indicated by an arrow Y2 in FIGS. In the mounting portion 40 of this example, the tube 9 whose outer diameter of the cross section orthogonal to the extending direction of the tube 9 (that is, the cross section of the tube 9) is smaller than the opening cross section of the mounting portion 40 orthogonal to the transport direction can be mounted. It is.

  The rear end portion of the escape portion 22 is spatially connected to the mounting portion 40 on the left side of the supply portion 15. The rear end portion of the ribbon mounting portion 30 is spatially connected to the mounting portion 40 on the right side of the discharge portion 16. The user can attach and detach the tube 9 to the mounting portion 40 from above with the cover 12 being opened. At this time, the user can easily attach and detach the tube 9 to and from the mounting portion 40 by inserting the finger holding the tube 9 into at least one of the escape portion 22 and the ribbon mounting portion 30. The user attaches the tube 9 to the attachment unit 40 along the transport direction so that the tube 9 extends from the supply unit 15 to the discharge unit 16.

  The discharge unit 16 is a recess having an opening 161 and is provided below the mounting surface 111 and is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction. The discharge unit 16 is provided with a roller member 19. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the roller member 19 includes a plate member 191, a roller 192, and a support portion 193. The plate member 191 is a plate-like member whose one end is rotatably supported by the support portion 193. The plate member 191 has a shaft 195 in a first posture (see FIG. 7A) extending downward and a second posture (see FIG. 7B) extending leftward from the discharge portion 16 to the outside. It can rotate as a center. The rotation direction of the roller member 19 is indicated by an arrow Y3 in FIG. The plate member 191 has a restricting portion 194 on the upper right end side in the first posture. The restriction portion 194 is a portion whose distance from the shaft 195 is longer than the shortest distance between the shaft 195 and the support portion 193. The restricting portion 194 restricts the plate member 191 from rotating from the first posture to the right (counterclockwise) by contacting the support portion 193. The shape on the upper left side of the plate member 191 is a circular arc shape when viewed from the front where the distance from the shaft 195 is equal to or shorter than the shortest distance between the shaft 195 and the support portion 193. The roller 192 is supported on the other end of the plate member 191 so as to be rotatable leftward. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment portion 40, the plate member 191 is in the first posture. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40 and the tube 9 is discharged from the discharge portion 16, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower end of the roller 192 is in contact with the tube 9, and the plate member 191 is in the second posture. It becomes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 are provided on the facing surface 123 of the cover 12. The facing surface 123 is a surface on the side facing the main body case 11. Each of the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 is retracted from the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the open position. Each of the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 is disposed in the recess of the mounting portion 40 and can press the tube 9 mounted on the mounting portion 40 downward when the cover 12 is in the closed position.

  When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the first pressing member 41 is disposed at a position indicated by P1 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cover 12 is in the closed position, the first pressing member 41 is on the side opposite to the discharge unit 16 (that is, on the supply unit 15 side) with respect to the print head 61 (described later) in the transport direction. Placed in. More specifically, the first pressing member 41 corresponds to a substantially middle position between the transport roller 66 and the center M1 when a substantially intermediate position between the supply unit 15 and a transport roller 66 (described later) is the center M1 in the transport direction. Placed in position.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first pressing member 41 includes a rotating shaft 42, an arm portion 43, a first urging member 44, and a roller 45. The arm portion 43 has a rectangular shape extending in the transport direction in plan view. One end 431 of the arm part 43 is rotatably supported by the support part 124 of the cover 12 on the facing surface 123 side. When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the rotation shaft 42 of the arm portion 43 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. The support part 124 is a part extending perpendicularly to the facing surface 123 of the cover 12. The other end 432 is in the lower left direction of the arm 43. In other words, the other end 432 is on the downstream side in the transport direction from the one end 431. As shown in FIG. 9, the other end 432 is disposed in the recess of the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The arm portion 43 includes a guide portion 433 extending toward the facing surface 123 with respect to the side connecting the one end portion 431 and the other end portion 432. The cover 12 includes a pair of plate-shaped guide portions 125 and 126 extending substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. The guide portions 125 and 126 extend in the transport direction when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The guide portion 433 of the arm portion 43 is disposed between the pair of guide portions 125 and 126. The arm portion 43 is guided by the guide portions 125 and 126 and rotates around the rotation shaft 42.

  The first biasing member 44 biases the other end 432 of the arm portion 43 in a direction away from the facing surface 123. The direction away from the facing surface 123 is downward when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The first urging member 44 is a torsion spring having a coil portion and two arm portions extending radially outward from the coil portion. One arm portion of the first urging member 44 is fixed to the arm portion 43, and the other arm portion is fixed to the cover 12. The first urging member 44 urges the arm portion 43 to rotate downward (counterclockwise in FIG. 9) when the cover 12 is in the closed position.

  The roller 45 is supported by the other end portion 432 of the arm portion 43 so as to be rotatable in the transport direction. The width of the roller 45 is determined in consideration of the diameter of the tube 9 that can be printed. The width of the roller 45 is a length in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction on a horizontal plane. In this example, the width of the roller 45 is longer than the minimum diameter of the tube 9 that can be printed. When the cover 9 is in the closed position with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40, the roller 45 comes into contact with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40 and presses the tube 9 downward.

  When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the second pressing member 46 is disposed at a position indicated by P2 in FIG. The second pressing member 46 is disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the print head 61 (described later) in the transport direction when the cover 12 is in the closed position. More specifically, the second pressing member 46 is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting unit 40 between the print head 61 and a conveyance roller 67 (described later) in the conveyance direction. The second pressing member 46 is a member having a square shape in plan view and a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction in front view.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the second pressing member 46 includes a pressing portion 47, a support portion 48, and a second urging member 49. The pressing portion 47 is retracted from the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the open position, and is disposed in the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The pressing portion 47 includes a roller 471 on the side away from the facing surface 123 (that is, the lower side). The roller 471 is supported to be rotatable in the transport direction. In this example, like the roller 45, the width of the roller 471 is longer than the minimum diameter of the tube 9. The support portion 48 has a box shape having an opening 481 below, and supports the pressing portion 47 so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the facing surface 123 with the lower end side of the pressing portion 47 exposed from the opening 481. The support portion 48 of this example supports the pressing portion 47 so as to be movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. The second urging member 49 urges the pressing portion 47 to the side away from the facing surface 123 (that is, downward). The second urging member 49 is a compression coil spring. When the cover 9 is in the closed position with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40, the roller 471 contacts the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40 and presses the tube 9 downward.

  When the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting portion 40 and the cover 12 is in the closed position, the load with which the second pressing member 46 presses the tube 9 is set smaller than the load with which the first pressing member 41 presses the tube 9. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first detection unit 33 is disposed closer to the supply unit 15 than the print head 61 in the transport direction, and can optically detect whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting unit 40. It is configured. More specifically, the first detection unit 33 is provided between the conveyance roller 66 and the center M1 between the supply unit 15 and a conveyance roller 66 (described later) in the conveyance direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the first detection unit 33 includes a rotation shaft 34, a rotation member 35, a biasing member 36, and a first optical sensor 37. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotation shaft 34 is provided in the main body case 11, and is positioned in the direction indicated by the arrow Y <b> 5 (back diagonally leftward) from the center M <b> 2 in the width direction W <b> 1 of the mounting portion 40 on the mounting surface 111. , The shaft extending upward. The rotation shaft 34 of this example is disposed on the opposite side to the print head 61 side described later (that is, the conveyance roller 65 side described later) with respect to the mounting portion 40.

  The rotation member 35 includes a detection member 351, a detection unit 352, and a contact portion 353. The detection member 351 is a plate-like member in which one end portion 354 is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 34 and the other end portion 355 is disposed in the mounting portion 40. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotation shaft 34 of this example is disposed on the discharge portion 16 side with respect to the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351. As shown in FIG. 13, the downward width W2 (length in the vertical direction) of the detection member 351 is narrower than the downward width W3 (length in the vertical direction) of the mounting portion 40, and the downward direction of the mounting portion 40. It is wider than half of the width W3. The center M3 of the downward width W2 of the detection member 351 is below the center M4 of the downward width W3 of the mounting portion 40. When the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment portion 40, the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 is disposed at a position that is in the direction indicated by the arrow Y6 (front oblique rightward) from the center M2. The detection unit 352 is a plate-like part provided below the detection member 351. The detection unit 352 is disposed below the mounting unit 40. The contact portion 353 is a plate-like portion that extends from the one end portion 354 in a direction that intersects with the extending direction of the planar view detection member 351 and that is long in the vertical direction. The detection member 351, the detection part 352, and the contact part 353 are integrally molded. The urging member 36 urges the rotating member 35 clockwise in plan view. The biasing member 36 is a spring.

  The first optical sensor 37 is provided at a position retracted from the mounting portion 40 in the main body case 11 and below the mounting surface 111. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first optical sensor 37 of this example is provided at a position below the mounting portion 40. Since the mounting surface 111 and the mounting portion 40 are formed of a material that blocks light, disturbance light that enters the inside of the housing 10 does not easily reach the first optical sensor 37. The first optical sensor 37 is a sensor that can optically detect the position of the rotating member 35.

  When the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment part 40, the detection member 351 is disposed so as to cross the attachment part 40. The other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 contacts the second side surface 403 of the mounting portion 40. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the tip of the detection unit 352 (the end opposite to the rotation shaft 34 side) is disposed between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. The light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 does not receive the light emitted from the light emitting unit and outputs an OFF signal. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40, the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 contacts the rear side surface of the tube 9. At this time, the detection unit 352 is disposed at a position retracted from between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. The light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and outputs an ON signal. The printing apparatus 1 determines that the tube 9 is attached to the attachment unit 40 when the first optical sensor 37 outputs an ON signal. The printing apparatus 1 determines that the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment unit 40 when the first optical sensor 37 outputs an OFF signal.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second optical sensor 95 is disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the print head 61 in the transport direction, and can optically detect whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting unit 40. It is configured. More specifically, the second optical sensor 95 is provided between the transport roller 67 (described later) and the discharge unit 16 in the transport direction. The second optical sensor 95 includes a light receiving unit 96 and a light emitting unit 97. The light receiving unit 96 is disposed on the second side surface 403 which is the front side surface of the mounting unit 40. The light emitting unit 97 is disposed on the first side surface 402, which is a position facing the light receiving unit 96. As described above, the mounting portion 40 is extended on the discharge portion 16 side from the print head 61 in the direction indicated by the arrow Y <b> 2 inclined forward from the direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the discharge portion 16. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving unit 96 is outside the range R in which the opening 161 of the discharge unit 16 is provided when viewed from the left side. Considering that the light that enters the housing 10 from the opening 161 reduces the influence on the detection result of the second optical sensor 95, the mounting unit 40 reflects the light on the discharge unit 16 side from the print head 61. It is preferable to be formed in a color that is difficult to perform (for example, black).

  The cover 12 of this example has a window portion 122. In consideration of the influence of the light that enters the housing 10 from the window 122 on the detection result of the second optical sensor 95, the cover 12 has ribs 127 as shown in FIG. The rib 127 extends from the facing surface 123 of the cover 12 to the side away from the facing surface 123. The rib 127 of this example extends substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the rib 127 is disposed at a position indicated by P3 in FIG. The rib 127 blocks the optical path between the window 122 and the second optical sensor 95 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The cover 12 of this example further includes a guide member 128 on the facing surface 123. The guide member 128 is a convex portion that extends substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the guide member 128 is disposed in the mounting portion 40 between the transport roller 67 and the discharge portion 16. When the cover 12 is in the open position, the guide member 128 is retracted from the mounting portion 40. When the cover 9 is in the closed position with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting portion 40, the guide member 128 suppresses the tube 9 from moving away from the reference surface 401 to the cover 12 side (raising).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the printing unit 60 further includes a print head 61, a ribbon take-up shaft 63, transport rollers 65 to 69, an opening / closing mechanism 70, a cutting unit 100, a drive motor (not shown), and the like. The print head 61 and the ribbon take-up shaft 63 are each erected upward from the bottom surface of the ribbon mounting portion 30. The print head 61 is provided in the main body case 11 and can print on the tube 9 conveyed by the conveyance rollers 65 to 69. The print head 61 is a thermal head including a heating element (not shown) provided at the rear portion of the ribbon mounting portion 30. The print head 61 can print on the tube 9 using an ink ribbon supplied from a ribbon cassette 90 mounted on the ribbon mounting unit 30. The print head 61 can be displaced between an operating position and a retracted position. When the printing apparatus 1 receives an instruction to print on the tube 9, the printing apparatus 61 moves the print head 61 to an operating position (a position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2). When the print head 61 is in the operating position, the print head 61 is disposed inside the mounting portion 40 and is close to the transport roller 65. When the printing process for the tube 9 is completed, the printing apparatus 1 moves the print head 61 to the retracted position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2). When the print head 61 is in the retracted position, the print head 61 is disposed on the front side of the mounting portion 40 and is separated from the transport roller 65. The ribbon take-up shaft 63 is a shaft capable of rotating a ribbon take-up spool (not shown).

  The conveyance rollers 65 to 69 are configured to be able to convey the tube 9 attached to the attachment unit 40 along the conveyance direction. The transport roller 65 is a roller that can rotate relative to the print head 61. The transport roller 66 is a roller that can rotate relative to the transport roller 68. The transport roller 67 is a roller that can rotate relative to the transport roller 69. The transport rollers 68 and 69 are disposed on the rear side of the ribbon mounting portion 30 and are operated according to the posture of the opening / closing lever 71 (position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2) and retracted position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2). And can be displaced. When the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the operating position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are disposed inside the mounting portion 40 and close to the transport rollers 66 and 67, respectively. When the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the retracted position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are respectively disposed on the front side of the mounting portion 40 and are separated from the transport rollers 66 and 67. The drive motor (not shown) is a motor that rotationally drives the transport rollers 65, 66, 67 and the ribbon take-up shaft 63.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, the opening / closing mechanism 70 includes an opening / closing lever 71, link members 72 and 73, a slider 74, and arm portions 75 and 76. The link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74 constitute a toggle mechanism whose output is increased by the boost structure. The opening / closing mechanism 70 switches the position of the arm portions 75, 76 to the first position and the second position by switching the opening / closing lever 71 between a closed position (see FIGS. 14 to 16) and an open position (see FIGS. 17 and 18). And can be switched. When the arm portions 75 and 76 are in the first position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the operating position. In the operating position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in pressure contact with the transport rollers 66 and 67, respectively, with a predetermined pressure. When the arm portions 75 and 76 are in the second position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the retracted position. In the retracted position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are separated from the transport rollers 66 and 67, respectively. In the following description, the configuration of the opening / closing mechanism 70 will be described with reference to the case where the opening / closing lever 71 shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 is in the closed position.

  The opening / closing lever 71 is attached to a recess 113 that extends in the left-right direction behind the mounting portion 40 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. The open / close lever 71 is a rectangular parallelepiped member that is long in the left-right direction. The opening / closing lever 71 includes a shaft hole 711, a tail 712, and a recess 713. The shaft hole 711 is a hole provided in the right end portion of the opening / closing lever 71 and penetrating in the front-rear direction having a circular shape when viewed from the front. A shaft 821 supported by the support portion 82 is inserted through the shaft hole 711. The support portion 82 is a portion where the rear end portion of the substrate 81 extending substantially parallel to the horizontal plane is bent upward. The shaft 821 is a bar extending in the front-rear direction. The opening / closing lever 71 is supported by a shaft 821 so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow Y4 in FIGS. The opening / closing lever 71 is urged clockwise by an urging member 77. The biasing member 77 is a torsion spring having one end fixed to the support portion 82 and the other end fixed to the opening / closing lever 71. The tail 712 is a part provided at the right end of the opening / closing lever 71. The concave portion 713 is a portion that is provided on the lower surface of the left end portion of the opening / closing lever 71 and that is recessed upward in an arch shape. The recess 713 is a part that the user operates with a finger when operating the opening / closing lever 71.

  The link member 72 is a member that is long in the left-right direction. The link member 72 includes a shaft 721, a guide part 722, and a connection part 723. The shaft 721 extends in the front-rear direction and is rotatably supported by the support portion 88. The support portion 88 is a portion where the right rear end portion of the substrate 81 is bent upward. The support portion 88 has a bowl shape that is open on the left side when viewed from the front. The guide portion 722 is a plate-like portion that is provided on the upper surface of the link member 72 and extends upward. The guide part 722 has a bowl-like shape opened on the left side when viewed from the front. The connection portion 723 is a portion that is provided at the left end portion of the link member 72 and is connected to the right end portion of the link member 73.

  The link member 73 is a member that is long in the left-right direction. The link member 73 has connection portions 731 and 732. The connection portion 731 is a part provided at the right end portion of the link member 73 and connected to the connection portion 723 of the link member 72. The connecting portion 732 is a portion provided at the left end portion of the link member 73 and connected to the right end portion of the slider 74.

  The slider 74 is a rectangular plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction in plan view. The slider 74 has a connecting portion 741 and guide holes 742 and 743. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the connection portion 741 is a portion provided at the right end portion of the slider 74 and connected to the connection portion 732 of the link member 73. The connecting portion 741 has a bowl shape with the lower part in front view open. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, the guide holes 742 and 743 are holes that extend in the horizontal direction and penetrate in the vertical direction. Protrusions 83 and 84 are inserted into the guide holes 742 and 743, respectively. The convex portions 83 and 84 protrude upward from the upper surface of the substrate 81.

  As shown in FIGS. 14, 16, and 18, the arm portion 75 is a hook-like member that extends from the left side to the front side of the slider 74 and is open on the right side in plan view. The arm part 75 includes a shaft hole 751, a support part 752, and a contact part 753. The shaft hole 751 is a circular hole provided in the right front end portion of the arm portion 75 and penetrating in the vertical direction in plan view. A shaft 85 extending upward from the substrate 81 is inserted into the shaft hole 751. The arm part 75 is rotatably supported by a shaft 85. The support portion 752 is a portion that is provided to the left of the shaft hole 751 and supports the transport roller 69. The contact portion 753 is a convex portion that is provided on the lower surface of the right rear end of the arm portion 75 and protrudes downward. The arm portion 75 is urged clockwise in plan view by an urging member (not shown), and the abutting portion 753 abuts against the left end of the slider 74.

  The arm part 76 is an L-shaped member provided in front of the connection part 741 of the slider 74 in plan view. The arm portion 76 supports the conveyance roller 68 and is supported by the main body case 11 so as to be able to swing between the first position and the second position. The arm portion 76 includes a shaft hole 761, a support portion 762, and contact portions 763 and 764. The shaft hole 761 is a circular hole that is provided in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction of the arm portion 76 and penetrates in the up-down direction. A shaft 86 extending upward from the substrate 81 is inserted into the shaft hole 761. The arm portion 76 is rotatably supported by a shaft 86. The support portion 762 is provided on the left side of the shaft hole 761 and is a portion that supports the transport roller 68. The contact portion 763 is a portion connected to the slider 74 at the right rear end of the arm portion 76. The contact portion 764 is a portion that contacts the contact portion 353 of the first detection unit 33 at the right rear end portion of the arm portion 76 according to the position of the arm portion 76. The arm portion 76 is urged clockwise by the urging member 87 in plan view.

  The operation of the opening / closing mechanism 70 will be described. When the user opens and closes the opening / closing lever 71 from the closed position shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 clockwise, the lower surface of the tail portion 712 of the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the left portion of the upper surface of the link member 72. . The opening / closing lever 71 is biased clockwise by a biasing member 77 when viewed from the front. For this reason, the user can operate the opening / closing lever 71 with less force than when the urging member 77 is not provided. The link member 72 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front centering on the shaft 721 while abutting against the opening / closing lever 71. The link member 73 rotates clockwise as the link member 72 rotates. The slider 74 is pushed to the left by the link member 73 and moves to the left. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 75 rotates about the shaft 85 counterclockwise in plan view. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 76 rotates about the shaft 86 counterclockwise in plan view. The abutting portion 764 of the arm portion 76 abuts on the abutting portion 353 of the rotating member 35. The rotation member 35 rotates counterclockwise in plan view as the arm portion 76 rotates.

  When the open / close lever 71 is moved to the open position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74 are aligned on a substantially straight line when viewed from the front. At this time, only a substantially horizontal force is applied to the link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74. The open / close lever 71 does not receive force from the link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74 in the open position. Therefore, when the opening / closing lever 71 is in the open position, the opening / closing lever 71 is not automatically moved to the closed position by the action of the opening / closing mechanism 70 even if the user releases the opening / closing lever 71. As shown in FIG. 18, when the opening / closing lever 71 is moved to the open position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the retracted position (first position). The detection member 351 of the rotation member 35 is in a position retracted from the mounting portion 40. When the rotating member 35 is in the retracted position, the detection unit 352 is retracted from between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. When the rotating member 35 is in the retracted position, the light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 can receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit.

  When the opening / closing lever 71 is turned counterclockwise by the user from the open position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the upper surface of the tail portion 712 of the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the guide portion 722 of the link member 72. . When the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the link member 72, the link member 72 receives a counterclockwise force when viewed from the front. The urging member 77 functions as a damper that urges the opening / closing lever 71 clockwise when viewed from the front, and relieves the force received by the opening / closing lever 71 from the link member 72. The link member 72 rotates clockwise around the shaft 721 while contacting the opening / closing lever 71. The link member 73 rotates counterclockwise in front view as the link member 72 rotates. The slider 74 is pulled to the right by the link member 73 and moves to the right. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 75 rotates about the shaft 85 clockwise in plan view. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 76 rotates about the shaft 86 clockwise in plan view. The rotation member 35 rotates clockwise in plan view as the arm portion 76 rotates. Thereafter, the contact portion 764 of the arm portion 76 is separated from the contact portion 353 of the rotating member 35.

  When the opening / closing lever 71 is moved to the closed position shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the link member 72, and the clockwise rotation in front view is restricted. Therefore, when the open / close lever 71 is in the closed position, even if the user releases the open / close lever 71, the open / close lever 71 is not automatically moved to the open position by the action of the open / close mechanism 70. When the open / close lever 71 is moved to the closed position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the operating position as shown in FIG. The other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 of the rotating member 35 is in an operating position arranged in the mounting portion 40. When the rotating member 35 is in the operating position, the detection unit 352 is disposed between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. When the rotating member 35 is in the operating position, the light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 cannot receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit.

  The cutting unit 100 is provided upstream of the discharge unit 16 in the transport direction and downstream of the ribbon mounting unit 30 in the transport direction. The cutting unit 100 includes a cutter, a cutting board, and a cutter motor (not shown). The cutter and the cutting board are arranged to face each other with the mounting portion 40 interposed therebetween. The cutter can be cut by pressing the tube 9 in the mounting portion 40 against the cutting board by moving toward the cutting board. The cutter motor is a motor that drives the cutter.

[4. Printing operation of tube printing unit 60]
The printing unit 60 executes the following printing operation according to the control of the control board. The drive motor of the printing unit 60 rotates the transport rollers 65 to 67 and the ribbon take-up shaft 63. As the transport rollers 65 to 67 rotate, the tube 9 in the mounting portion 40 is transported downstream in the transport direction. At this time, the tube 9 before printing outside the housing 10 is drawn into the mounting unit 40 from the right surface of the housing 10 via the supply unit 15. As the ribbon take-up shaft 63 rotates, the ink ribbon in the ribbon cassette 90 is pulled out.

  The print head 61 prints a character on the transported tube 9 using the drawn ink ribbon. The print head 61 of this example prints a normal image of the character on the front surface of the tube 9 via the rear side. Therefore, the front surface of the tube 9 is the printing surface of the tube 9. The used ink ribbon is wound up in the ribbon cassette 90. The tube 9 after printing is transported from the transport roller 65 to the downstream side in the transport direction, and is discharged from the main body case 11 through the discharge unit 16. At this time, the tube 9 is discharged leftward from the opening 161 on the left surface of the housing 10 so that the printing surface faces forward.

  The cutter motor of the printing unit 60 drives the cutter and cuts the tube 9 upstream of the discharge unit 16 in the transport direction. The cut tube 9 is blown to the left from the discharge unit 16 by a distance corresponding to the rotation speed of the transport roller 65 and falls to a discharge region (not shown).

  In the printing apparatus 1, the mounting surface 111, the main body case 11, the mounting portion 40, the print head 61, the cover 12, the window portion 122, the facing surface 123, the rib 127, and the ribbon mounting portion 30 are respectively the mounting surface and main body of the present invention. It corresponds to a case, a mounting part, a printing part, a cover, a window part, a facing surface, a rib, and a ribbon mounting part. The conveyance rollers 65 to 69 correspond to the conveyance unit of the present invention. The opening 151 and the supply unit 15 correspond to the first opening and the supply unit of the present invention, respectively. The opening 161 and the discharge part 16 correspond to the second opening and the discharge part of the present invention, respectively. The rotation shaft 34, the detection member 351, the biasing member 36, and the first optical sensor 37 correspond to the rotation shaft, the detection member, the biasing member, and the first optical sensor of the present invention, respectively. The upper and lower directions are the first direction and the second direction of the present invention, respectively. The direction toward the print head 61 with respect to the mounting portion 40 corresponds to the fourth direction of the present invention. The conveyance rollers 66 and 68 correspond to the first roller and the second roller of the present invention, respectively. The arm portion 76 and the opening / closing lever 71 correspond to the holder and the opening / closing lever of the present invention. The light receiving unit 96, the light emitting unit 97, and the second optical sensor 95 correspond to the light receiving unit, the light emitting unit, and the second optical sensor of the present invention, respectively. The front corresponds to the fifth direction of the present invention. The brushes 162 and 163 correspond to the brushes of the present invention. The plate member 191, the restricting portion 194, and the roller 192 correspond to the plate member and the third roller of the present invention, respectively. The left side corresponds to the sixth direction of the present invention.

  In the printing apparatus 1, it is possible to detect whether or not the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40 by detecting the position of the detection member 351 with the first optical sensor 37. Specifically, when the tube is not attached to the attachment portion 40, the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 is in a position urged clockwise by the urging member 36 in plan view. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40, the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 is moved against the urging force of the urging member 36, and the plan view is reflected from the position when the tube 9 is not attached. It is in the position moved clockwise. The first optical sensor 37 optically detects the position of the detection member 351. Since the first optical sensor 37 is below the mounting surface 111 that blocks light, the first optical sensor 37 is not easily affected by ambient light that has entered the main body case 11 from the supply unit 15 and the discharge unit 16. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can detect whether or not the tube 9 is properly attached to the attachment unit 40 by the first optical sensor 37 more stably than in the past.

  The other end 355 of the detection member 351 is disposed between the conveyance roller 66 and the center M1 of the conveyance roller 66 and the supply unit 15 in the extending direction (conveyance direction) of the mounting unit 40. Even if the length of the tube 9 is relatively short, the printing apparatus 1 can detect whether or not the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40.

  The rotation shaft 34 is disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351. The printing apparatus 1 may transport the tube 9 in the direction from the discharge unit 16 toward the supply unit 15 when performing cueing of the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40. When the tube 9 is transported in the direction from the discharge unit 16 toward the supply unit 15 as compared with the case where the rotation shaft 34 is disposed on the supply unit 15 side with the other end 355 of the detection member 351, the printing apparatus 1 is The possibility that the movement of the tube 9 is delayed can be reduced. The printing apparatus 1 can reduce the possibility that a conveyance abnormality such as clogging of the tube 9 occurs.

  The rotation shaft 34 is on the side opposite to the print head 61 side with respect to the mounting portion 40. The printing apparatus 1 can press the tube 9 against the mounting portion 40 toward the print head 61 by the detection member 351.

  The center M3 of the width W2 in the downward direction of the detection member 351 is below the center M4 of the width W3 below the mounting portion 40. In the printing apparatus 1, when the user arranges the lower surface of the mounting portion 40 as the reference surface 401 and the tube 9 is arranged along the reference surface 401 of the mounting portion 40, the diameter of the tube 9 is relatively thin. Even if it is, it can be detected appropriately whether the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40.

  The printing apparatus 1 includes transport rollers 66 and 68 that are rotatable in the extending direction of the mounting unit 40. The arm unit 76 supports the transport roller 68 and swings between a first position where the transport roller 68 is pressed against the transport roller 66 with a predetermined pressure and a second position where the transport roller 68 is separated from the transport roller 66. It is supported by the main body case 11 as possible. The opening / closing lever 71 can switch the position of the arm portion 76 between the first position and the second position. When the arm part 76 is in the second position, the detection member 351 comes into contact with the arm part 76 and retracts from the mounting part 40. When the arm part 76 is in the first position, the detection member 351 is separated from the arm part 76. The other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 is disposed in the mounting portion 40. The user can switch both the position of the transport roller 68 and the position of the detection member 351 by operating the opening / closing lever 71. The user can retract the detection member 351 from the mounting portion 40 by operating the opening / closing lever 71 to move the arm portion 76 to the second position, and the other end 355 of the detection member 351 is moved to the mounting portion 40. The tube 9 can be easily attached to the attachment portion 40 as compared with the case where the intrusion has occurred.

  The mounting portion 40 is extended on the discharge portion 16 side of the print head 61 so as to be inclined forward with respect to a direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the discharge portion 16. The second optical sensor 95 is provided at a position closer to the discharge unit 16 than the print head 61, and can optically detect the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40. The second optical sensor 95 includes a light receiving unit 96 disposed in front of the mounting unit 40 and a light emitting unit 97 disposed at a position facing the light receiving unit 96. In the printing apparatus 1, since the light receiving unit 96 is disposed at a position where the light receiving unit 96 is retracted from the direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the discharge unit 16, ambient light entering the main body case 11 from the discharge unit 16 reaches the light receiving unit 96. This can be suppressed. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can appropriately detect whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the discharge unit 16 side of the print head 61 by the second optical sensor 95.

  The printing apparatus 1 is a concave portion that is provided at a position opposite to the mounting portion 40 side with respect to the print head 61 in the main body case 11 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. A ribbon mounting portion 30 that is a recess in which a ribbon cassette 90 that can be accommodated is mounted is provided. The print head 61 uses the ink ribbon supplied from the ribbon cassette 90 mounted on the ribbon mounting unit 30 to print on the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40. The cover 12 includes a light-transmitting window 122 provided at a position corresponding to the ribbon mounting portion 30 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The printing apparatus 1 includes a rib 127 that is provided on the facing surface 123 of the cover 12 on the side facing the main body case 11 and closes between the window 122 and the second optical sensor 95 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. . Therefore, in the printing apparatus 1, the user covers whether the ribbon cassette 90 is attached to the ribbon attachment unit 30 and the type of the ribbon cassette 90 attached to the ribbon attachment unit 30 with respect to the main body case 11. It can confirm from the window part 122 in the state which closed. Since the printing apparatus 1 includes the ribs 127, disturbance light reaching the second optical sensor 95 when the window portion 122 is provided on the cover 12 can be reduced.

  The printing apparatus 1 further includes flexible fibrous brushes 162 and 163 arranged in the opening 161 of the discharge unit 16. The printing apparatus 1 reduces disturbance light reaching the light receiving unit 96 of the second optical sensor 95 with the brushes 162 and 163, and determines whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the discharge unit 16 side of the print head 61. Can be detected.

  The printing apparatus 1 is a plate-like member whose one end is rotatably supported by the discharge unit 16, and has a first posture extending downward and a second posture extending leftward from the discharge unit 16 toward the outside. And a plate member 191 having a restricting portion 194 that restricts rightward rotation from the first posture. The printing apparatus 1 includes a roller 192 that is attached to the other end of the plate member 191 and that can rotate in the left direction. The printing apparatus 1 uses the plate member 191 to block disturbance light reaching the light receiving unit 96 of the second optical sensor 95, and appropriately determines whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the discharge unit 16 side of the print head 61. It can be detected.

  The first detection unit 33 is disposed between the first pressing member 41 and the transport roller 66 in the transport direction. The first detection unit 33 can detect whether or not the tube 9 is properly mounted on the premise that the first detection unit 33 is pressed by the first pressing member 41 and is disposed along the reference surface 401. The second optical sensor 95 is disposed between the transport roller 67 and the left end of the guide member 128 in the transport direction. The second optical sensor 95 can detect whether or not the tube 9 is properly mounted on the premise that the floating is suppressed by the guide member 128 and that the second optical sensor 95 is disposed along the reference surface 401.

  The printing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following modifications (A) to (C) may be added as appropriate.

  (A) The configuration of the printing apparatus 1 may be changed as appropriate. In the printing apparatus 1, the printing unit 50 may be omitted. When the printing apparatus 1 includes the printing unit 60 and the printing unit 50, the arrangement of the printing unit 50 with respect to the printing unit 60 may be changed as appropriate.

  (B) The arrangement and configuration of the first detection unit 33 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the rotation shaft 34 may be disposed on the print head 61 side with respect to the mounting portion 40 as shown in FIG. In this case, the printing apparatus 1 can press the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40 to the side opposite to the print head 61 side with respect to the mounting unit 40 by the detection member 351. The tube 9 can be disposed along the first side surface 402 side. The printing apparatus 1 can suppress the tube 9 attached to the attachment part 40 from being bent by the escape part 22.

  The rotation shaft 34 of the first detection unit 33 may be disposed on the supply unit 15 side with respect to the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351. In this case, the printing apparatus 1 can reduce the friction generated between the detection member 351 and the tube 9 when the tube 9 is conveyed in the direction from the supply unit 15 toward the discharge unit 16. The position and width of the detection member 351 in the vertical direction may be changed as appropriate.

  The detection member 351 of the first detection unit 33 may not be retracted from the mounting unit 40 depending on the position of the opening / closing lever 71. The detection member 351 of the first detection unit 33 may be configured to be retractable from the mounting unit 40 by a mechanism different from the opening / closing mechanism 70 (for example, a link mechanism that is not a toggle mechanism). The conveyance rollers 66 and 68, the arm portion 76, and the opening / closing lever 71 may be omitted as necessary.

  (C) The second optical sensor 95 may be omitted. Depending on the presence / absence, arrangement, and configuration of the second optical sensor 95, the configuration, number, and arrangement of the brushes 162 and 163, the rib 127, and the roller member 91 may be appropriately changed or omitted. The window part 122 and the rib 127 may be omitted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printing apparatus 10 Housing | casing 11 Main body case 12 Cover 15 Supply part 16 Ejection part 19 Roller member 30 Ribbon attachment part 33 Rotation member 33 Detection part 34 Rotation shaft 35 Rotation member 36 Energizing member 37 1st optical sensor 40 Attachment Portions 65 to 69 Conveying roller 71 Open / close lever 75, 76 Arm portion 95 Second optical sensor 96 Light receiving portion 97 Light emitting portion 111 Mounting surface 122 Window portion 123 Opposing surface 127 Rib 151, 161 Opening 162, 163 Brush 191 Plate member 192 Roller 194 Regulator 351 Detection member

Claims (11)

A body case having a mounting surface for blocking light in the first direction;
A mounting portion provided in the main body case, to which a tube that is a cylindrical print medium is mounted, and a mounting portion that is a recess recessed in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the mounting surface; ,
A supply portion provided at one end of the mounting portion, which is a first opening for guiding the tube to the inside;
A transport unit capable of transporting the tube mounted on the mounting unit;
A printing unit provided in the main body case and capable of printing on the tube conveyed by the conveying unit;
A discharge part having a second opening capable of discharging the tube printed by the printing part to the outside;
A rotation shaft provided in the main body case and extending in the first direction at a position that is a third direction from the center in the width direction of the mounting portion on the mounting surface;
One end portion is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft, and the other end portion is disposed in the mounting portion;
A biasing member that biases the detection member in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction;
A first optical sensor provided at a position retracted from the mounting portion in the main body case and closer to the second direction than the mounting surface, and capable of optically detecting the position of the detection member; ,
A printing apparatus comprising: a cover pivotally supported by the main body case and movable to a closed position for closing the mounting surface of the main body case and an open position for opening the mounting surface of the main body case.   The said other end part of the said detection member is arrange | positioned between the center of the said conveyance part and the said supply part, and the said conveyance part in the extension direction of the said mounting part. The printing apparatus as described in.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation shaft is disposed on the discharge portion side with respect to the other end portion of the detection member.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third direction is a direction on the printing unit side with respect to the mounting unit.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fourth direction is a direction on the printing unit side with respect to the mounting unit.   6. The center of the width of the detection member in the second direction is in the second direction rather than the center of the width of the mounting portion in the second direction. 6. Printing device. The transport unit includes a first roller and a second roller that are rotatable in the extending direction of the mounting unit;
Swing between a first position that supports the first roller and presses the first roller against the second roller with a predetermined pressure, and a second position that separates the first roller from the second roller A holder supported by the main body case,
An opening / closing lever capable of switching the position of the holder between the first position and the second position;
When the holder is in the second position, the detection member comes into contact with the holder and retracts from the mounting portion, and when the holder is in the first position, the detection member is separated from the holder to detect the detection member. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other end portion of the member is disposed in the mounting portion. The mounting portion extends on the discharge portion side with respect to the printing portion and inclines in a fifth direction from a direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the discharge portion,
A sensor that is provided at a position closer to the discharge portion than the printing portion and that optically detects the tube attached to the attachment portion, and is disposed on the fifth direction side of the attachment portion. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second optical sensor having a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion disposed at a position facing the light receiving portion. A concave portion recessed in the second direction with respect to the mounting surface provided in a position opposite to the mounting unit side with respect to the printing unit in the main body case, and can accommodate an ink ribbon A ribbon mounting portion that is a recess in which a ribbon cassette is mounted;
The printing unit uses the ink ribbon supplied from the ribbon cassette mounted on the ribbon mounting unit to print on the tube mounted on the mounting unit,
The cover is
When the cover is in the closed position, a window having light transmissivity provided at a position corresponding to the ribbon mounting portion;
A rib is provided on a facing surface of the cover facing the main body case, and closes between the window and the second optical sensor when the cover is in the closed position. The printing apparatus according to claim 8.   The printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a flexible fibrous brush disposed in the second opening of the discharge unit. A plate-like member having one end portion rotatably supported by the discharge portion, and a first posture extending in the second direction and a second posture extending in the sixth direction from the discharge portion to the outside. A plate member that is rotatable and has a restricting portion that restricts rotation from the second direction to the direction opposite to the sixth direction;
The printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a third roller attached to the other end portion of the plate member and capable of rotating in the sixth direction.

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