JP2017217861A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the work load for adjustment of a sheet guide part in a printer.SOLUTION: A printer includes: a storage part which stores a printing medium; a swing part which can swing with a first shaft as a fulcrum; and a guide part which moves in the width direction of the printing medium stored in the storage part by swinging of the swing part. For example, the printing medium is a band-like continuous sheet, the band-like continuous sheet is stored in the storage part in a form of a roll body wound in rolled shape. For example, the swing part may be an opening/closing part which opens or closes the storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printer that stores roll paper, a paper guide portion that defines an end position in the width direction of the roll paper is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer having a side guide (an example of a paper guide unit) that defines an end position in a paper width direction of continuous paper drawn from roll paper stored in a roll paper storage unit. Have been described. In this printer, the side guide is slidable in the paper width direction, and can be brought into contact with the end face of the roll paper in the roll paper storage unit when slid in the paper width direction.

JP 2014-37294 A

  In a conventional printer having a paper guide portion as described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary for the user to perform slide adjustment of the paper guide portion in the paper width direction, and the adjustment work is complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce a work burden of adjusting a paper guide unit in a printer.

  One aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage unit that stores a print medium, a swing unit that can swing around a first shaft, and a print medium that is stored in the storage unit by swinging the swing unit. And a guide unit that moves in the width direction.

  According to the printer according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the work burden of adjusting the paper guide unit.

It is a perspective view which shows the case where an opening-and-closing part is an open state about the principal part of a printer concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the case where an opening-and-closing part is a closed state about the principal part of the printer concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a paper guide unit in the printer according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on 7th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer which concerns on a modification.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of a printer according to the present invention will be described. In each embodiment, a case where the swinging part is an opening / closing part of a printer will be described as an example.

(1) First Embodiment (1-1) Printer Configuration A printer according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main part of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment when the opening / closing part 3 is in an open state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main part of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment when the opening / closing part 3 is in a closed state.
1 and FIG. 2 do not show the external appearance of the entire printer 1, but show a frame 2 provided inside a housing of the printer 1 (not shown) and components of the printer 1 attached to the frame 2. ing. The housing of the printer 1 that covers the frame 2 may be appropriately designed so as to be compatible with the frame 2, and is not directly related to the essence of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 1 of the present embodiment is a portable printer formed in a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example, and includes a frame 2, an opening / closing part 3, a platen roller 5 (conveying roller). An example), a thermal head 6 (an example of a print head), and a torque transmission mechanism 10.

  In the following description, the direction along the long side of the rectangular parallelepiped printer 1 is defined as the front-rear direction. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the side on which a platen roller 5 described later is provided is defined as the front (FR), and the opposite side is defined as the rear (RR).

The frame 2 is formed according to the outer shape of the printer 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the opening / closing part 3 is in the open state, the storage part RS of the roll paper R can be accessed from the outside. The accommodating part RS is a space for accommodating the roll paper R. The roll paper R is a roll body in which a strip-shaped continuous paper P (an example of a print medium) is wound in a roll shape. In the printer 1 of this embodiment, the continuous paper P is fed out from the roll paper R and printing is performed. Note that the continuous paper P may include a belt-like mount and a plurality of labels temporarily attached to the mount at predetermined intervals. In that case, for example, printing is performed on a label of a label roll around which a continuous body of labels as an example of the continuous paper P is wound.

A pair of paper guide portions 16R and 16L (hereinafter collectively referred to as “paper guide portion 16” in some cases) are installed on the placement portion 4 in the accommodating portion RS. The placement unit 4 is a member on which the roll paper R is placed. The paper guide portions 16R and 16L are members that guide the conveyance of the continuous paper fed out from the roll paper R while supporting the roll paper R in a rotatable state in contact with the side surfaces of the roll paper R.
As will be described later, in the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the sheet guide portions 16R and 16L are each rolled in accordance with the movement of the opening / closing portion 3 in the direction to close the housing portion RS (that is, in the process of closing the opening / closing portion 3). The paper guide parts 16R and 16L move in the direction approaching the side surface of the paper R, and the paper guide parts 16R and 16L are rolled paper R in accordance with the movement of the opening and closing part 3 in the direction to open the accommodating part RS (that is, in the process of opening the opening and closing part 3). Move away from the side.

As described above, the opening / closing part 3 is a cover that opens or closes in order to accommodate the roll paper R in the accommodating part RS or to remove it from the accommodating part RS. The rear end of the opening / closing part 3 is supported by the shaft 12 (an example of the first shaft) at the rear end of the frame 2 so that the front end of the opening / closing part 3 can swing in a direction away from and approaching the frame 2. It is pivotally supported.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the shaft 12 is fixed to the opening / closing part 3 by shaft support parts 31R and 31L. The shaft end fixing portions 21 </ b> R and 21 </ b> L provided at the rear end portion of the frame 2 are provided with holes penetrating both end portions of the shaft 12. Both ends of the shaft 12 are fastened to the frame 2 so as to be swingable outside the shaft end fixing portions 21R and 21L. As shown in FIG. 1, at one end portion of the shaft 12, the end portion of the shaft 12 is fastened to the center portion of the spur gear 110. Therefore, in the printer 1, the shaft 12 and the spur gear 110 are rotated by the swinging of the opening / closing part 3. The opening / closing part 3 is an example of a swinging part.

  The paper guide portions 16R and 16L are attached to the shaft 22 (an example of the second shaft). That is, the paper guide portions 16R and 16L are engaged with the shaft 22. The shaft 22 is rotatably attached to the frame 2 so as to be substantially parallel to the shaft 12 that is the center of swinging of the opening / closing portion 3. One end of the shaft 22 is fastened to the spur gear 120 with the frame 2 interposed therebetween. That is, the shaft 22 and the spur gear 120 are configured to rotate in conjunction with each other.

  The torque transmission mechanism 10 of the printer 1 according to the present embodiment transmits a rotational torque generated by the swinging of the opening / closing unit 3 to generate a force for moving the paper guide units 16R and 16L in the lateral direction. That is, the rotational torque of the shaft 12 as the first axis is transmitted to the shaft 22 as the second axis by the swinging of the opening / closing part 3. The rotation of the shaft 22 with which the paper guide portions 16R and 16L are engaged generates a force that moves the paper guide portions 16R and 16L in the width direction of the roll paper R that is a printing medium.

As shown in FIG. 1, the torque transmission mechanism 10 of this embodiment includes a spur gear 110, spur gears 101 and 103 that can rotate around a fulcrum 102, spur gears 114 and 120, and a shaft 22. The spur gears 101 and 103 have an integral structure. The spur gear 114 is a gear in which a small-diameter spur gear 114a and a large-diameter spur gear 114b, which are two concentric gears, are integrated. The spur gear 101 is fitted with the spur gear 110, and the spur gear 103 is fitted with the spur gear 114a. The spur gear 114b is engaged with the spur gear 120. In order to make the spur gear 120 faster than the spur gear 110, the distance from the fulcrum 102 to the spur gear 103 teeth is preferably longer than the distance from the fulcrum 102 to the spur gear 101 teeth. Since the swing angle of the opening / closing portion 3 is, for example, about 90 degrees, the spur gears 101 and 103 are fan-shaped gears from the viewpoint of space saving.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, since the rotation of the spur gear 103 is transmitted to the spur gear 120 via the small diameter spur gear 114a and the large diameter spur gear 114b, the rotation of the spur gear 103 is advantageous for further increasing the speed of the spur gear 120. It has become.
The spur gear 110 is connected to the shaft 12. Therefore, the spur gear 110 rotates in conjunction with the swing from the open state to the closed state by the opening / closing part 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a platen roller 5 is pivotally supported at the front end of the frame 2 so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The platen roller 5 is a conveying unit that conveys the continuous paper P fed out from the roll paper R, and is formed in a state of extending along the width direction of the continuous paper P. The platen roller 5 is mechanically connected to a stepping motor (not shown) or the like and driven.

  In addition, in a state where the opening / closing part 3 is closed, components (display panel, operation buttons, etc.) related to the interface to the user may be provided on the upper surface of the opening / closing part 3.

  The thermal head 6 is a printing unit that prints information such as characters, symbols, figures, barcodes, and the like on the continuous paper P fed out from the roll paper R. The thermal head 6 is provided so that the printing surface of the thermal head 6 faces the sheet passing route and faces the platen roller 5 when the opening / closing part 3 is in the closed state. On the printing surface of the thermal head 6, a plurality of heating resistors (heating elements) that generate heat when energized are arranged along the width direction of the continuous paper P. The thermal head 6 is connected to a wiring board (not shown) that transmits a print signal to the thermal head 6.

Although not shown, a coil spring is provided on the back side of the thermal head 6 as a biasing member that applies a biasing force to the thermal head 6.
When the open / close unit 3 is closed and printing is being performed, the continuous paper P fed from the roll paper R is conveyed between the platen roller 5 and the thermal head 6 while being conveyed by the platen roller 5. At this time, the thermal head 6 is pressed against the platen roller 5 by the urging force, thereby generating a head pressure suitable for printing.

(1-2) Operation of Torque Transmission Mechanism and Paper Guide Unit Next, the operation of the paper guide units 16R and 16L will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B. 3A shows a state of the torque transmission mechanism 10 when the opening / closing part 3 is opened in a side view of the printer 1, and FIG. 3B shows a state of the torque transmission mechanism 10 when the opening / closing part 3 is closed in a side view of the printer 1. Yes. 4A shows a state of the paper guide portions 16L and 16R when the opening / closing portion 3 is opened, and FIG. 4B shows a state of the paper guide portions 16L and 16R when the opening / closing portion 3 is closed.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the opening / closing part 3 is open, the paper guide parts 16R and 16L are largely separated so that the user can easily insert the roll paper R into the accommodating part RS. When the user opens the opening / closing part 3 after inserting the roll paper R into the housing part RS, the spur gear 110 is linked with the swinging from the opened state to the closed state by the opening / closing part 3 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 3A. The spar gear 101 and the spar gear 103 rotate around the fulcrum 102 counterclockwise. Then, the spur gear 114a fitted to the spur gear 103 rotates clockwise, and the spur gear 114b rotates clockwise in conjunction with the spur gear 114a. Then, the spur gear 120 rotates counterclockwise in accordance with the clockwise rotation of the spur gear 114a. As a result, the gear engagement state shifts from the state shown in FIG. 3A to the state shown in FIG. 3B.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the shaft 22 is provided with a spiral groove 221. The grooves 221 engage with protrusions 16Ra and 16La provided on the paper guide portions 16R and 16L, respectively. When the spur gear 120 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3A, the shaft 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4B in conjunction therewith. The protrusions 16Ra and 16La are engaged with the groove 221 of the shaft 22, and the sheet guide portions 16R and 16L move in the directions approaching each other as the shaft 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow.

When the width of the roll paper R used in the printer 1 is constant, the interval between the paper guide portions 16R and 16L matches the width of the roll paper R when the opening / closing section 3 is completely closed. Thus, it is preferable to determine the amount of movement of the paper guide portions 16R and 16L. The amount of movement of the paper guide portions 16R and 16L is determined by factors such as the gear ratio in the torque transmission mechanism 10, the diameter of the shaft 22, and the inclination of the groove 221.
For example, the gear ratio in the torque transmission mechanism 10 can be defined as the number of rotations of the shaft 22 (an example of the second axis) when the shaft 12 (an example of the first axis) makes one rotation. This gear ratio can be appropriately determined according to the required amount of movement of the paper guide portion when the diameter of the shaft 22 and the inclination angle of the groove 221 are predetermined values. That is, when the required amount of movement of the paper guide unit is known based on the width of the roll paper R used in the printer 1, the paper guides 16R and 16L are moved to both ends of the roll paper R when the opening / closing unit 3 is closed. The gear ratio of the torque transmission mechanism 10 is determined so as to be in contact with the torque transmission mechanism 10. Accordingly, the torque transmission mechanism 10 of this embodiment can be mounted on various printers according to various types of roll paper R having different widths.
The shaft 22 may be decelerated or accelerated from the shaft 12 (that is, the gear ratio may be an arbitrary value other than 1).
Further, the diameter of the shaft 22 and / or the inclination angle of the groove 221 of the shaft 22 is adjusted in accordance with the amount of movement of the paper guide portions 16R and 16L so that the gear ratio of the torque transmission mechanism 10 becomes a predetermined value. It may be configured.

When the width of the roll paper R used in the printer 1 is not constant, that is, when it is assumed that roll paper R having various widths is used, the shaft 12 serving as the swing shaft of the opening / closing unit 3 or It is preferable to provide a torque limiter on the shaft 22 to which the paper guide portion 16 is attached.
For example, a torque limiter is attached between the shaft 12 and the spur gear 110 without connecting them directly. The torque limiter rotates the shaft 12 and the spur gear 110 in conjunction with each other when the paper guide portion 16 is not in contact with both side surfaces of the roll paper R, that is, when the torque generated in the shaft 12 is a predetermined value or less. The torque limiter does not transmit the torque of the shaft 12 to the spur gear 110 when the paper guide portion 16 contacts both side surfaces of the roll paper R, that is, when the torque generated in the shaft 12 exceeds a predetermined value. That is, the transmitted torque is limited to the predetermined value. Therefore, the paper guide portions 16R and 16L can be brought into contact with the side surface of the roll paper R with respect to various types of roll paper R having different widths.
Alternatively, the torque limiter may be provided between the spur gear 120 and the shaft 22.

  Any known torque limiter can be applied regardless of the type of torque limiter. As an inexpensive torque limiter, a felt member may be attached between the shaft end fixing portion 21R and the spur gear 110. The felt member slips against the shaft end fixing portion 21 </ b> R when an excessive load is applied, and does not transmit the rotational torque of the shaft 12 to the spur gear 110.

  As described above, according to the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the opening / closing operation is performed so that the paper guide unit 16 moves in the axial direction (that is, the width direction) of the roll paper R in conjunction with the swinging of the opening / closing unit 3. A torque transmission mechanism 10 for transmitting torque generated by the swinging of the portion 3 is provided. For this reason, the paper guide portion can be adjusted without manual work. That is, when the user places the roll paper R in the housing part RS and closes the opening / closing part 3, the paper guide part 16 automatically moves so as to support both side surfaces of the roll paper R. Therefore, the user does not need to adjust the paper guide unit 16 by hand, and the work load for adjusting the paper guide unit can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a printer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, since the torque transmission mechanism is mainly different from that of the printer 1 of the first embodiment, overlapping description of the overall configuration of the printer is not performed.

(2) Second Embodiment Next, a printer according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the torque transmission mechanism 10A of the printer in a side view of the printer according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the torque transmission mechanism 10 </ b> A included in the printer of the present embodiment includes pulleys 105 and 111, spur gears 106 and 120, and a round belt 107.
The pulley 111 is coaxially connected to the shaft 12 (see FIG. 1), and rotates in conjunction with the swinging of the opening / closing part 3. The rotation of the pulley 111 is transmitted to the pulley 105 by the round belt 107. The pulley 105 and the spur gear 106 are connected, and the spur gear 106 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pulley 105. The spur gear 106 is engaged with the spur gear 120.

  In the printer of this embodiment, when the opening / closing part 3 shifts from the open state to the closed state, the pulley 111 connected to the shaft 12 rotates clockwise as indicated by an arrow in FIG. As the pulley 111 rotates clockwise, the pulley 105 and the spur gear 106 connected to the pulley 111 by the round belt 107 also rotate clockwise around the center point 105c. As a result, the spur gear 120 fitted to the spur gear 106 rotates counterclockwise, and the paper guide portions 16R and 16L move in the direction approaching each other, as in the first embodiment.

(3) Third Embodiment Next, a printer according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.
6A and 6B are views for explaining the operation of the torque transmission mechanism 10B of the printer according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6A shows the opened state of the opening / closing unit 3, and FIG. 6B shows the closed state of the opening / closing unit 3. Is shown.
As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the torque transmission mechanism 10B included in the printer of this embodiment includes a pulley 104, a pinion 108, a rack 109, and a spur gear 120. The rack 109 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.
The pulley 104 is connected to the shaft 12 (see FIG. 1), and rotates in conjunction with the swinging of the opening / closing part 3. The pinion 108 is connected to the pulley 104 by the belt 112 and is fitted to the rack 109, and converts the rotational movement of the pulley 104 into the linear movement of the rack 109. The rack 109 is engaged with the spur gear 120, and the linear motion of the rack 109 is converted into the rotational motion of the spur gear 120.

  In the printer of this embodiment, when the opening / closing part 3 shifts from the open state to the closed state, the pulley 104 connected to the shaft 12 rotates clockwise as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 6A. When the pulley 104 rotates clockwise, the pinion 108 connected to the pulley 104 by the belt rotates clockwise, thereby moving the rack 109 rearward. When the rack 109 moves rearward, the spur gear 120 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6A. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the paper guide portions 16R and 16L move in the directions close to each other.

(4) Fourth Embodiment Next, a printer according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C.
FIG. 7A is a view of the configuration of the torque transmission mechanism 10C of the printer according to the fourth embodiment as viewed from the side of the printer. FIG. 7B is a plan view of the torque transmission mechanism 10C. FIG. 7C is a perspective view of a part of FIG. 7B.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the torque transmission mechanism 10C included in the printer of this embodiment includes pulleys 301 and 302, a round belt 303, and spur gears 304 and 120.
The shaft 12 (see FIG. 1) and the pulley 301 are fastened and rotate in conjunction with each other. The pulley 302 and the spur gear 304 are connected. The pulleys 301 and 302 rotate in conjunction with a round belt 303. The spur gear 304 is engaged with the spur gear 120.

  In the printer of this embodiment, when the opening / closing part 3 shifts from the open state to the closed state, the pulley 301 connected to the shaft 12 rotates clockwise as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 7A. As the pulley 301 rotates clockwise, the pulley 302 and the spur gear 304 connected to the pulley 301 by the round belt 303 also rotate clockwise around the center point 302c. As a result, the spur gear 120 fitted to the spur gear 304 rotates counterclockwise.

7B and 7C, the torque transmission mechanism 10C further includes a shaft 310, a gear 312, and racks 314R and 314L. In the present embodiment, the shaft 310 is an example of a second axis.
The shaft 310 has one end connected to the spur gear 120 and the other end provided with a bevel gear 310a. The gear 312 is a gear in which a bevel gear 312a fitted to the bevel gear 310a and a pinion 312b formed coaxially with the bevel gear 312a are integrated. The racks 314R and 314L are both fitted to the pinion 312b and fastened to the paper guide portions 16R and 16L, respectively.

  As described above, when the spur gear 120 rotates counterclockwise when the opening / closing portion 3 transitions from the open state to the closed state, the gear 312 (that is, the bevel gear 312a and the pinion) is connected via the bevel gear 310a at the tip of the shaft 310. 312b) rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 7B. As a result, in FIG. 7B, the rack 314R fitted to the pinion 312b moves to the right, and the rack 314L fitted to the pinion 312b moves to the left. Therefore, the sheet guide portions 16R and 16L fastened to the racks 314R and 314L move in directions close to each other.

(5) Fifth Embodiment Next, a printer according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the torque transmission mechanism of the printer according to the fifth embodiment.
The torque transmission mechanism shown in FIG. 8 is different from the torque transmission mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 4A in that two shafts 22A and 22B are provided before and after the paper guide portions 16R and 16L. The shafts 22 </ b> A and 22 </ b> B are configured to rotate in conjunction with a round belt 180. The paper guide portion 16R has protrusions 16Ra and 16Rb, and the paper guide portion 16L has protrusions 16La and 16Lb. The protrusions 16Ra and 16La are engaged with the groove 221A of the shaft 22A, and the protrusions 16Rb and 16Lb are engaged with the groove 221B of the shaft 22B. Therefore, in the torque transmission mechanism of the present embodiment, when the opening / closing part 3 of the printer shifts from the open state to the closed state, the shafts 22A and 22B rotate in the same direction and the paper guide parts 16R and 16L move in the direction close to each other. To do.
According to this embodiment, since the paper guide portions 16R and 16L are supported by the shafts 22A and 22B at the two front and rear positions, the roll paper R can be guided stably.

(6) Sixth Embodiment Next, a printer according to a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 9A is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the torque transmission mechanism 10D of the printer according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 9B is a side view of the main part of the torque transmission mechanism 10D. In FIG. 9B, the rotation direction of each part when the opening / closing part 3 is changed from the open state to the closed state is indicated by arrows. Note that the grooved belt 403 is not shown in FIG. 9A.
The torque transmission mechanism 10D shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B includes pulleys 400 and 401 and spur gears 120A, 120B, and 402. The pulley 400 is connected to the shaft 12 (see FIG. 1), as in the first embodiment. The pulleys 400 and 401 can rotate in conjunction with a grooved belt 403 (see FIG. 9B).

  In the present embodiment, as in the fifth embodiment, the paper guide portion 16R is attached to the two shafts in the front and rear. That is, the leg portions 161A and 161B of the paper guide portion 16R are attached to the shaft 23A connected to the spur gear 120A and the shaft 23B connected to the spur gear 120B, respectively.

In the present embodiment, unlike the other embodiments, the shafts 23A and 23B are provided with spiral protrusions 231A and 231B. The leg portions 161A and 161B of the paper guide portion 16R are provided with spiral grooves (not shown) that engage with the spiral protrusions 231A and 231B of the shafts 23A and 23B. In other embodiments, similar to the present embodiment, protrusions may be provided on the shaft side and grooves may be provided on the paper guide portion side.
The number of shafts is not limited to two, and three or more shafts may be provided.

  In the printer of the present embodiment, when the opening / closing part 3 shifts from the open state to the closed state, the pulley 400 rotates clockwise in FIG. 9B, and the pulley 401 and the spur gear 402 also rotate clockwise in conjunction with each other. Then, both the spur gears 120A and 120B fitted to the spur gear 402 rotate counterclockwise. Accordingly, the paper guide portion 16R moves in a direction away from the pulley 401 (that is, a direction approaching the side surface of the roll paper R).

  In the present embodiment, the case where there is only one sheet guide unit is illustrated. When the roll paper R is used not in the center but in the left or right direction, only one paper guide portion is required. Similarly, in other embodiments, when the roll paper R is used by moving it to either the left or right, only one paper guide unit is required.

(7) Seventh Embodiment Next, a printer according to a seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B. 10A and 10B are views for explaining the operation of the torque transmission mechanism 10E of the printer according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 10A shows an open state of the opening / closing part 3, and FIG. 10B shows a closed state of the opening / closing part 3. Is shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the torque transmission mechanism 10E of the present embodiment removes the spur gear 114, compared to the torque transmission mechanism 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Are different from each other in that they are directly fitted to the spur gear 120. With such a configuration, a long distance from the fulcrum 102 to the teeth can be secured in the spur gear 103, so that a large gear ratio can be obtained without using the spur gear 114. However, in this configuration, unlike the torque transmission mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, the spur gear 120 rotates clockwise as the opening / closing part 3 shifts from the open state to the closed state. Therefore, in order to reduce the interval between the paper guide portions 16R and 16L with the clockwise rotation of the spur gear 120, the shaft of the groove in the direction opposite to the direction of the groove of the shaft 22 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B ( (Not shown).

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above. However, the printer of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is.

  In the above-described embodiment, the shaft 12 that traverses the shaft end fixing portions 21R and 21L of the frame 2 is described as an example of the first axis of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and if the axis is virtually formed. Good. For example, in FIG. 1, if a portion for connecting the shaft end fixing portion 21R and the shaft support portion 31R and a portion for connecting the shaft end fixing portion 21L and the shaft support portion 31L are provided, the shaft support of the shaft 12 is provided. There may not be a portion on the center side of the portions 31R and 31L.

In the above-described embodiment, the opening / closing unit 3 including the thermal head 6 is described as an example of the swinging unit, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example of the printer, the printer may include an opening / closing unit including a platen roller. In that case, the thermal head 6 is provided at the position of the platen roller 5 in FIG.
Further, the swinging portion that moves the paper guide portion may be an opening / closing portion that does not include a platen roller or a thermal head. For example, in the case of a printer that opens and closes a roll paper storage unit by operating a first opening / closing unit and a second opening / closing unit having a thermal head, for example, the swinging unit has a first opening / closing unit. The paper guide part may be moved in conjunction with the part, or the paper guide part may be moved in conjunction with the second opening / closing part.

  In the above-described embodiment, a thermal printer having a thermal head has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied regardless of the printing method, and can be applied to printers of other printing methods. The present invention may be applied to, for example, a thermal transfer printer using an ink ribbon. In that case, you may make it guide the both sides | surfaces of the ink ribbon supply part which supplies an ink ribbon by closing a cover.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the torque transmission mechanism uses a force that displaces the rotational torque of the shaft 12 accompanying the swing of the opening / closing unit 3 in the axial direction (that is, the width direction) of the roll paper R of the paper guide unit 16. It is something that is communicated, but that is not the case. Not only the paper guide portion 16 is moved by the rotational torque of the shaft 12, but also other paper guide portions may be moved. That is, a plurality of paper guide portions may be moved by swinging the opening / closing portion 3. For example, when the continuous paper P fed out from the roll paper R is guided on the downstream side of the paper path, the rotation of the spur gear 120 is transmitted from the spur gear 120 to the front (FR) in FIG. You may comprise so that an additional paper guide part may be moved by rotating an additional shaft.

FIG. 11 shows a torque transmission mechanism 10F as an example of a torque transmission mechanism in which a plurality of guide members are moved. As an example, the torque transmission mechanism 10F has an additional configuration added to the torque transmission mechanism 10C of the printer according to the fourth embodiment, but the torque transmission mechanism described in the embodiments other than the fourth embodiment. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above can also be applied.
The torque transmission mechanism 10F illustrated in FIG. 11 includes an integrally structured pulley 306, a spur gear 308, and a spur gear 122 that are coaxial with the center point 306c as compared with the torque transmission mechanism 10C of the printer according to the fourth embodiment. The member is provided. These additional members include, for example, an additional sheet guide unit (see FIG. 5) that guides both ends of the continuous sheet P in the width direction when the continuous sheet P conveyed from the storage unit RS and printed is discharged from the printer 1. (Not shown) can be moved.

  Assume that a printer provided with the torque transmission mechanism 10F is in a closed state of the opening / closing part. In that case, the spur gear 301 rotates clockwise as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 11 in conjunction with the swing from the open state to the closed state by the opening / closing portion, and the pulley 302 and the spur gear 304 rotate clockwise through the belt 303. . Then, in accordance with the clockwise rotation of the spur gear 304, the spur gear 120 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the sheet guide 16 moves as described above. In the torque transmission mechanism 10F, the clockwise rotational motion of the pulley 302 is transmitted through the belt 307 to the pulley 306 disposed further forward, whereby the spur gear 308 coaxial with the pulley 306 rotates clockwise. Then, in accordance with the clockwise rotation of the spur gear 308, the spur gear 122 rotates counterclockwise. Although not shown, an additional sheet guide portion can be moved according to the rotation of the spur gear 122 in the same manner as described in the above embodiments.

  The torque transmission mechanisms of the printers according to the first to fourth embodiments and the seventh embodiment described above are configured so that the second shaft such as the shaft 22 is used as the transport direction of the roll paper R with reference to the position of the housing portion RS (the embodiment In this example, it is an example in the case of being provided at the first position located forward FR). On the other hand, the torque transmission mechanisms of the printers of the fifth and sixth embodiments described above are configured so that the second shaft such as the shaft 22 is moved in the transport direction of the roll paper R with reference to the position of the housing portion RS (in the example of the embodiment, This is an example in which the first position located in the forward FR) and the second position located in the direction opposite to the transport direction (in the embodiment, the backward RR) are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to these cases, and the second axis such as the shaft 22 may be provided only in the second position located in the direction opposite to the transport direction (rear RR in the example of the embodiment).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer 2 ... Frame 3 ... Opening / closing part 4 ... Placing part 5 ... Platen roller 6 ... Thermal head 12 ... Shaft 21R, 21L ... Shaft end fixing part 22, 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B ... Shaft 221 ... Groove 231A, 231B: Protrusions 110, 114, 120, 120A, 120B, 401, 402 ... Spur gears 16R, 16L ... Paper guide portions 16Ra, 16La, 16Rb, 16Lb ... Protrusions 31R, 31L ... Shaft support portions 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D , 10E, 10F ... torque transmission mechanism 101, 103 ... spur gear 102 ... fulcrum 104, 105, 111, 301, 302, 400, 401 ... pulley 105c, 108c ... center point 106, 304 ... spur gear 107, 112, 180, 303, 307, 403 ... Belt 108 ... Pinio 109 ... rack 302c ... center point 310 ... shaft 310a ... bevel gear 312 ... gear (bevel gear 312a, the pinion 312b)
314R, 314L ... Rack RS ... Housing portion R ... Roll paper

Claims (13)

An accommodating portion for accommodating a print medium;
A swinging portion swingable around a first axis;
And a guide portion that moves in a width direction of the print medium accommodated in the accommodation portion by the oscillation of the oscillation portion.   The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission mechanism that transmits a swing torque of the swing portion so as to generate a force for moving the guide portion with respect to a width direction of the print medium.   The printer according to claim 1, wherein the swinging part is an opening / closing part that opens or closes the housing part. A second shaft with which the guide portion engages;
The printer according to claim 2, wherein the transmission mechanism transmits the rotation of the first shaft to the second shaft.   The printer according to claim 4, wherein the guide portion is moved in the width direction of the print medium by the rotation of the second shaft.   The transmission mechanism includes at least one of a second position in which the second shaft is positioned in the transport direction of the print medium with respect to the position of the storage portion, and a second position in the direction opposite to the transport direction. The printer according to claim 4 or 5, which is included in the printer.   The printer according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the transmission mechanism includes a gear or a belt connecting the first shaft and the second shaft.   The printer according to claim 7, wherein a gear ratio of the gear is other than one.   The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a torque limiter that limits a swing torque of the swing unit to a predetermined value or less. The guide portion is
Along with the movement of the opening / closing part in the direction of closing the storage part, the movement of the printing medium moves in a direction approaching the side surface of the print medium, and with the movement of the opening / closing part in a direction of opening the storage part. The printer according to claim 3, wherein the printer moves in a direction away from the side surface.   The printer according to claim 1, wherein the print medium is in the form of a roll body wound in a roll shape. The rocking part is
The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a transport roller that transports the print medium or a print head that prints on the print medium. An accommodating portion for accommodating a print medium;
An openable / closable portion that is swingable about a first axis and that opens or closes the housing portion;
And a guide unit that moves in a width direction of the print medium by swinging the opening / closing unit.

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