JP2018153990A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which enables enhancement of printer maintainability such as replacement of an ink ribbon and cleaning and adjustment etc., of a printer component.SOLUTION: A printer includes: a print head 11; a platen roller 22 which is disposed so as to face the print head; a first transport part 33 having a first upper roller 33a disposed at a print head side and a first lower roller 33b disposed at a platen roller side; a print head unit 61 in which the print head, an ink ribbon supply shaft 42, and a take-up shaft 43 are disposed; and an upper roller unit 31 in which the first upper roller is disposed. In a state of printing operation onto a print medium P, the print head unit is disposed above the upper roller unit. The print head unit is movably disposed so that a print head unit side surface in the upper roller unit is exposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a printer for printing on a print medium.

  In a thermal transfer printer that prints on a print medium using an ink ribbon, it is inevitable to replace the ink ribbon. For this reason, some thermal transfer printers take into consideration the arrangement of the print head and the supply roll of the print medium so that the printing operation can be performed smoothly and maintenance work such as ink ribbon replacement is easy (Patent Document). 1).

JP 2009-119827 A

  The form of the printer is complicated and diversified, but the maintainability of the printer such as ink ribbon replacement, printer component cleaning, and adjustment should not be impaired. For this reason, the printer described in Patent Document 1 has been required to be further improved.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the maintainability of a printer.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, a print head that prints on a print medium and a print head that is disposed opposite the print head and that is sandwiched between the print medium and the ink ribbon are conveyed. A printer having a platen roller, wherein the printer has a first upper roller disposed on the print head side and a first lower roller disposed on the platen roller side, and conveys the print medium. A print head unit in which the print head, the supply shaft and the take-up shaft of the ink ribbon are arranged, and an upper roller unit in which the first upper roller is arranged, and printing on the print medium In an operating state, the print head unit is disposed above the upper roller unit, and the print head unit is configured to print the print on the upper roller unit. As the surface of the head unit side is exposed, movably arranged printer is provided.

  According to the above aspect, the maintainability of the printer can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper roller unit 31 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the print head side. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the upper roller unit 31 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the platen roller side. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the upper roller unit 31 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the swinging operation of the upper roller unit 31 and the print head unit 61 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the invention.

[Description of printer overview]
Hereinafter, a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a device that prints characters, figures, and the like on a print medium P. Examples of the printing method in the printer 1 include an ink jet method, a laser method, and a thermal transfer method. In the present embodiment, the printing medium P is compatible with the printing method applied to the printer 1.

  In the present embodiment, as the print medium P, an IC tag medium P1 having an IC chip and an antenna corresponding to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, and a normal medium that does not include the IC chip and the antenna and can perform only normal printing. P2 can be used.

  In the present embodiment, both the IC tag medium P1 and the normal medium P2 are single leaves. In the following description, the print medium P includes both the IC tag medium P1 and the normal medium P2.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment takes in the printing medium P, prints on the printing medium P, and discharges the printed printing medium P after printing.

  In the present embodiment, “take-in” refers to carrying the print medium P from the outside into the casing 10 for printing. Further, discharging means that the printing medium P that has been printed is carried out of the casing 10.

  As a basic operation, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to take in the print medium P from an opening 10R formed in a casing 10 described later, print it, and then discharge it from the opening 10F.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment can also take in and discharge the print medium P at the opening 10F. In this case, the print medium P is transported from the opening 10F to a later-described opening 10R (the direction of the arrow F1 shown in FIG. 1), and after printing, from the opening 10R to the opening 10F ( The print medium P is conveyed in the direction of arrow F2 shown in FIG.

  The printer 1 according to this embodiment includes a print head 11 that prints characters, symbols, and the like on the print medium P, and an IC writing unit 12 that writes predetermined information on the IC tag medium P1.

  The print head 11 prints the printing ink applied to the ink ribbon R described later on the print medium P by thermal transfer. The print head 11 is disposed so as to be swingable toward the platen roller 22 and is pressed against the platen roller 22 with a predetermined pressure during a printing operation.

  A platen roller 22 is disposed at a position facing the print head 11. The platen roller 22 conveys the print medium P in the direction of the arrow F1 or the arrow F2 in a state where the print medium P is held between the platen roller 22 and the print head 11.

  The printer 1 according to this embodiment includes an upper roller unit 31 and a lower roller unit 32. In FIG. 1, the main part of the upper roller unit 31 and the main part of the lower roller unit 32 are shown. Details of the upper roller unit 31 in this embodiment will be described later.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first transport unit 33 disposed on the upstream side of the print head 11 in the direction of an arrow F1 that takes in the print medium P. The first transport unit 33 includes a first upper roller 33a located on the print head 11 side and a first lower roller 33b located on the platen roller 22 side.

  In addition, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a second transport unit 34 disposed on the downstream side of the print head 11 in the direction of the arrow F1 that takes in the print medium P. The second transport unit 34 includes a second upper roller 34a and a second lower roller 34b.

  In addition, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a third transport unit 35 disposed on the downstream side of the second transport unit 34 in the direction of the arrow F1 that takes in the print medium P. The 3rd conveyance part 35 has the 3rd upper side roller 35a and the 3rd lower side roller 35b.

  The third transport unit 35 sandwiches the print medium P and transports it toward the print head 11 when the print medium P is taken in from an opening 10 </ b> R described later.

  In the present embodiment, the first lower roller 33b, the second lower roller 34b, and the third lower roller 35b are connected to a motor 81 (motor 81 in FIG. 6) not shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the first lower roller 33b, the second lower roller 34b, and the third lower roller 35b. Here, the rotation directions of the first lower roller 33b, the second lower roller 34b, and the third lower roller 35b are configured to be interlocked with the rotation direction of the platen roller 22.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with an opening 10R on the downstream side of the casing 10 in the direction of the arrow F1. The print medium P is also taken in from the opening 10R.

  The IC writing unit 12 is disposed on the downstream side of the print head 11 in the direction of the arrow F1 that takes in the print medium P from the opening 10F. The IC writing unit 12 is set with antenna sensitivity, radio wave output, installation location, and the like so that predetermined information can be written into the captured IC tag medium P1.

  The IC writing unit 12 has a UHF band (300 MHz to 3 GHz, particularly 860 MHz to 960 MHz), a microwave (1 to 300 GHz, particularly 2.4 GHz), and an HF band (3 MHz to 30 MHz, particularly 13 according to the communication standard. A signal corresponding to a radio wave in a specific frequency band (such as .56 MHz) can be transmitted.

  The IC tag medium P1 is provided with an antenna according to these RFID standards.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment has an IC tag mode for printing on the IC tag medium P1 and a normal mode for printing on the normal medium P2. In the printer 1, the normal mode and the IC tag mode can be switched.

  The printer 1 further includes a ribbon container 41 that supplies an ink ribbon R to which printing ink to be transferred to the printing medium P is applied.

  The ribbon container 41 includes a supply shaft 42 that supplies the ink ribbon R wound in a roll shape, and a winding shaft 43 that winds up the ink ribbon R that has been used for printing.

  The supply shaft 42 and the winding shaft 43 are connected to a drive unit (not shown), and rotate so as to transport the ink ribbon R in accordance with the transport of the print medium P in the direction of the arrow F1 or the arrow F2. In FIG. 1, the movement of the ink ribbon R when the print medium P is conveyed in the direction of the arrow F1 is indicated by a white arrow. The movement of the ink ribbon R when the print medium P is conveyed in the direction of the arrow F2 is indicated by a black arrow.

  The ribbon container 41 includes tension rollers 44 and 45 that apply a predetermined tension to the ink ribbon R sent from the supply shaft 42 or the ink ribbon R that passes through the print head 11 and travels toward the winding shaft 43.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the ribbon container 41 and the print head 11 form a print head unit 61. The print head unit 61 is movably arranged so that the surface of the upper roller unit 31 on the print head unit 61 side is exposed.

  The ink ribbon R drawn from the roll mounted on the supply shaft 42 is supplied between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22. The ink ribbon R is conveyed in the direction of the arrow F1 or the arrow F2 while being sandwiched between the platen roller 22 and the print head 11 together with the print medium P.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a sensor 51 that detects that the print medium P has been inserted into the casing 10 from the opening 10F.

  In addition, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a sensor 52 that detects that the print medium P has been inserted from the opening 10R.

<Detailed explanation of upper roller unit>
Next, the details of the upper roller unit 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper roller unit 31 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the print head side. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the upper roller unit 31 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the platen roller side. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the upper roller unit 31 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The upper roller unit 31 is movably disposed so that the surface on the platen roller 22 side, that is, the lower surface of the upper roller unit 31 and the upper surface of the lower roller unit 32 are exposed. The upper roller unit 31 is disposed below the print head unit 61 during a printing operation.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper roller unit 31 includes a first roller storage portion 31A for storing the first upper roller 33a, a second roller storage portion 31B for storing the second upper roller 34a, and a third roller storage portion 31B. A third roller storage portion 31C for storing the upper roller 35a is formed.

  Further, an opening 31D is formed between the first roller storage portion 31A and the second roller storage portion 31B of the upper roller unit 31. Further, an opening 31E is formed between the second upper roller 34a and the third upper roller 35a of the upper roller unit 31 (see FIG. 3).

  As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the ink ribbon R urged by the print head 11 and pushed out to the print medium P side and the head corresponding area PA in the ink ribbon R are exposed from the opening 31 </ b> D. It has become so.

  The first upper roller 33a includes a bearing 33t at one end of the roller shaft 33s and a bearing 33u at the other end. The first upper roller 33a has a gear 36 connected to a motor 81 (not shown in FIGS. 2 to 5) for driving the first upper roller 33a outside the bearing 33u in the axial direction. Prepare.

  The second upper roller 34a includes bearings 34t and 34u at the end of the roller shaft 34s. The second upper roller 34a includes a gear 37 connected to a motor 81 (not shown in FIGS. 2 to 5) outside the bearing 34u in the axial direction.

  The third upper roller 35a includes bearings 35t and 35u at the end of the roller shaft 35s. The third upper roller 35a includes a gear 38 connected to a motor 81 (not shown in FIGS. 2 to 5) outside the bearing 35u in the axial direction.

  The first roller storage portion 31A has a recess 31a in which a bearing 33t provided at one end of the first upper roller 33a is received. Further, a recess 31b is formed in which the bearing 33u provided at the other end of the first upper roller 33a is received.

  The second roller storage portion 31B is formed with a recess 31c in which a bearing 34t provided at one end of the second upper roller 34a is received. Further, a recess 31d is formed in which the bearing 33u provided at the other end of the second upper roller 34a is received.

  The third roller storage portion 31C is formed with a recess 31e in which a bearing 35t provided at one end of the third upper roller 35a is received. Further, a recess 31f is formed in which the bearing 35u provided at the other end of the third upper roller 35a is received.

  The distance between the first upper roller 33a and the print head 11 is set to be narrower than the smallest one of various print media P usable in the printer 1 in the longitudinal direction. The interval between the print head 11 and the second upper roller 34a is set to be narrower than the minimum length in the longitudinal direction among the various print media P usable in the printer 1.

  Further, the distance between the second upper roller 34a and the third upper roller 35a is set to be narrower than the smallest one of the various print media P usable in the printer 1 in the longitudinal direction.

  In the present embodiment, the first upper roller 33a, the second upper roller 34a, and the third upper roller 35a are connected to a motor 81 (motor 81 in FIG. 6) not shown in FIG. Here, the rotation directions of the first upper roller 33a, the second upper roller 34a, and the third upper roller 35a are configured to be interlocked with the rotation direction of the platen roller 22.

  The IC writing unit 12 is fitted in the opening 31E of the upper roller unit 31. The IC writing unit 12 is fastened to the upper roller unit 31 by bolts 12a and 12b.

  The upper roller unit 31 includes support members 71A and 71B at the downstream end 31R in the direction of the arrow F1. The upper roller unit 31 is rotatably supported on the shaft 71S by the support members 71A and 71B.

  As a result, the upper roller unit 31 can swing the end portion 31F with the shaft 71S as the rotation center.

  Similarly, the print head unit 61 is rotatably supported on the shaft 71S at the downstream end 61R in the direction of the arrow F1.

  As a result, the print head unit 61 can swing between the closed state and the open state, with the end portion 61F being able to swing around the shaft 71S as the rotation center.

  The upper roller unit 31 includes a magnet 39 at a predetermined position closer to the end 31F than the opening 31D. The magnet 39 is magnetically attached to a corresponding position in the print head unit 61 opened earlier when the upper roller unit 31 is opened. The magnet 39 functions as a locking portion that locks the upper roller unit 31 to the print head unit 61. When the print head unit 61 and the upper roller unit 31 are both in the closed state, the print head unit 61 and the upper roller unit 31 are locked at predetermined positions, respectively, so that they are not magnetized by the magnet 39.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the swinging operation of the upper roller unit 31 and the print head unit 61 of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 indicate the upper roller unit 31 and the print head unit 61 in the closed state, and the two-dot chain line indicates the upper roller unit 31 and the print head unit 61 in the opened state.

  Since the print head unit 61 is disposed above the upper roller unit 31 as shown in FIG. 5, the print head unit 61 is provided in the print head unit 61 as shown in FIG. The ink ribbon R pushed by the printed print head 11 faces the print medium P from the opening 31D of the upper roller unit 31.

  On the other hand, at the time of maintenance inspection or the like, as indicated by the arc S1 in FIG. 5, the print head unit 61 rotates upward and can move to the open position indicated by a two-dot chain line. Thereby, the upper surface of the upper roller unit 31 is exposed.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the upper roller unit 31 can subsequently rotate upward as indicated by the circular arc arrow S2 and can move to the open position indicated by the two-dot chain line. At this time, the upper roller unit 31 is magnetized and held on the print head unit 61. Thereby, the upper surface of the lower roller unit 32 is exposed.

  As described above, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes the first upper roller 33a located on the print head side among the rollers constituting the first transport unit 33, the second transport unit 34, and the third transport unit 35. , The second upper roller 34 a and the third upper roller 35 a are disposed in the upper roller unit 31, and the ink ribbon R and the print head 11 are disposed in the print head unit 61, which is a unit different from the upper roller unit 31. Yes.

  Further, in the printer 1, the upper roller unit 31 and the print head unit 61 are rotatable about a shaft 71S.

  That is, the printer 1 can open the print head unit 61 to expose the surface of the upper roller unit 31 on the print head unit 61 side.

  Since the printer 1 thus opens between the print head unit 61 and the upper roller unit 31, frequent maintenance such as replacement of the ink ribbon R and maintenance of the upper roller unit 31 can be easily performed.

  Further, the printer 1 can be opened so that the lower surface of the upper roller unit 31 and the upper surface of the lower roller unit 32 are further exposed from the state in which the print head unit 61 is opened. Accordingly, even when maintenance such as cleaning and replacement of the lower roller unit 32 is necessary, the maintenance work can be easily performed.

[Description of printer internal configuration]
Next, the configuration of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the invention.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the printer 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 101, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102 that controls each unit according to various control programs stored in the ROM 101, and a RAM as a work area of the CPU 102. (Random Access Memory) 103. These ROM 101, CPU 102, RAM 103, and each component described later are connected by an internal bus 104.

  In the printer 1, the ROM 101, the CPU 102, and the RAM 103 constitute a controller 105.

  The ROM 101 stores a control program for executing a printing operation in the printer 1, various fixed data for the control program, control table data, IO constants, a motor control program, and the like.

  The RAM 103 has a work area for storing various data necessary for the operation of the CPU 102 and a print development area for developing print data.

  In addition, the printer 1 includes an operation unit 106 that receives an operation input from a user. The operation unit 106 is connected to the controller 105 via the interface 111 and the internal bus 104. The operation unit 106 receives an input for selecting the normal mode or the IC tag mode. An example of the operation unit 106 is a keyboard or a touch panel.

  The printer 1 also includes a display unit 107 that displays print data and the like. The display unit 107 is connected to the controller 105 via the interface 112 and the internal bus 104. The display unit 107 displays information related to the normal mode or the IC tag mode selected by the operation unit 106. Also, information necessary for operation input and print data are displayed.

  The printer 1 also includes a storage unit 108 that stores print data and the like.

  The printer 1 further includes an input terminal 109 that acquires print data and the like from an external device. The input terminal 109 is connected to the controller 105 via the interface 113 and the internal bus 104.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the controller 105 performs a predetermined printing operation on the printing medium P based on a control program stored in the ROM 101. In the printer 1, the controller 105 controls the operation of the supply shaft 42 and the winding shaft 43 in the ribbon container 41 that supplies the ink ribbon R to the print head 11.

  The printer 1 also includes the sensors 51 and 52 described in FIG. The platen roller 22 and a motor 81 for driving the first lower roller 33b, the second lower roller 34b, and the third lower roller 35b are provided.

  The printer 1 also includes a sensor control circuit 114 that controls the sensor 51, a print head control circuit 115 that controls the operation of the print head 11, and a motor control circuit 116 that controls the operation of the motor 81. .

  Based on the control signal from the CPU 102, the print head control circuit 115 supplies the print head 11 with a signal corresponding to print data such as characters, symbols, and barcodes to be printed developed in the print development area of the RAM 103. Perform printing operation.

  The motor control circuit 116 generates a control signal for the motor 81 based on the control signal from the CPU 102, and rotates the platen roller 22 in the direction of arrow F1 or arrow F2.

  According to the printer 1 having the above-described configuration, the print medium P is taken in the direction of the arrow F1 from the opening 10F by the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b, printed on the print medium P, and after printing The print medium P can be discharged from the opening 10F by conveying it in the direction of the arrow F2.

[Description of printing operation]
Next, a printing operation on the IC tag medium P1 and the normal medium P2 by the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment can be switched between an IC tag mode for printing on the IC tag medium P1 and a normal mode for printing on the normal medium P2.

<IC tag mode>
When the IC tag mode is selected and the IC tag medium P1 is inserted from the opening 10F, the insertion is detected by the sensor 51. The capture phase is initiated when an insertion is detected.

  When the insertion is detected, the press of the print head 11 to the platen roller 22 is released. That is, the clamping state between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22 is released. Thereby, the print medium P conveyed from the opening 10 </ b> F side can be inserted between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22.

  Subsequently, the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b convey the IC tag medium P1 to the print head 11 in the direction of the arrow F1.

  When the IC tag medium P1 reaches the print head 11, the print head 11 is pressed against the platen roller 22. The IC tag medium P1 is conveyed to the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b by the rotation of the platen roller 22 while being sandwiched between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22 together with the ink ribbon R.

  When the IC tag medium P1 is conveyed to the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b by the rotation of the platen roller 22, the IC tag medium P1 is delivered to the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b. Then, the clamping state between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22 is released.

  At this time, the ink ribbon R corresponds to the transport distance from when the print head 11 is pressed against the platen roller 22 until the IC tag medium P1 reaches the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b. The used area is rewound in the direction of arrow F1.

  Therefore, in the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the controller 105 releases the used region of the ink ribbon R that has been rewound in the direction of the arrow F1 after releasing the clamping state between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22. Sends out until the area reaches the print start position.

  Further, the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b cause the IC tag medium P1 to reach a writing position where the antenna provided in the IC writing unit 12 and the antenna provided in the IC tag medium P1 match. Transport.

  When the IC tag medium P1 reaches the writing position, the ejection phase (writing process and printing process) is started. Prior to printing by the print head 11, the IC writing unit 12 writes predetermined information on the IC tag medium P1.

  Thereafter, the IC tag medium P1 is conveyed to the print head 11 in the direction of arrow F2 by the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b. The IC tag medium P1 is printed by the print head 11 while being conveyed in the direction of arrow F2 while being sandwiched between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22.

  When printing is completed, the IC tag medium P1 is conveyed to the opening 10F in the direction of arrow F2 by the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b.

  The first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller when the IC tag medium P1 is conveyed to the position of the print head 11 by the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b in the above-described IC tag mode capture phase. The rotation amount of 33b, the rotation amount of the platen roller 22 when the IC tag medium P1 is conveyed by the platen roller 22 to the positions of the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b, and the ink rewinded in the direction of the arrow F1. The sending amount of the ink ribbon R in the ribbon container 41 when the used area of the ribbon R is sent out until the unused area reaches the print start position is the ROM 101 or the storage unit 108 as work information for executing the IC tag mode. Stored in advance.

  As described above, the printer 1 takes in the IC tag medium P1 from the opening 10F and writes predetermined information on the IC chip and prints on the surface of the IC tag medium P1 with respect to the IC tag medium P1. Then, it can be discharged from the opening 10F.

<Normal mode>
When the normal mode is selected and the normal medium P2 is inserted from the opening 10F, the sensor 51 detects the insertion. The capture phase is initiated when an insertion is detected.

  When the insertion is detected, the clamping state between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22 is released.

  Subsequently, the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b convey the normal medium P2 to the print head 11 in the direction of the arrow F1.

  When the normal medium P <b> 2 reaches the print head 11, the print head 11 is pressed against the platen roller 22. The normal medium P2 is conveyed to the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b by the rotation of the platen roller 22 while being sandwiched between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22 together with the ink ribbon R.

  When the normal medium P2 is rotated by the platen roller 22 and the upstream end of the normal medium P2 in the direction of arrow F1 reaches the print position sandwiched between the print head 11 and the platen roller 22, the discharge phase (printing process) starts. Is done.

  When printing is completed, the normal medium P2 is conveyed to the opening 10F in the direction of the arrow F2 by the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b.

  In the above-described normal mode take-in phase, the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b move the normal medium P2 to the position of the print head 11 by the first upper roller 33a and the first lower roller 33b. The amount of rotation, the amount of rotation of the platen roller 22 when the normal medium P2 is conveyed to the position of the second upper roller 34a and the second lower roller 34b by the platen roller 22, and the ink ribbon R rewound in the direction of the arrow F1 The amount of ink ribbon R sent out from the ribbon container 41 when the used area is sent out until the unused area reaches the print start position is stored in advance in the ROM 101 or the storage unit 108 as work information for executing the normal mode. Has been.

  As described above, the printer 1 can take in the normal medium P2 from the opening 10F, print predetermined information on the surface of the normal medium P2, and discharge the normal medium P2 from the opening 10F.

[Other Embodiments]
The above-described embodiment of the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, a paper feeding device capable of continuously feeding the IC tag medium P1 or the normal medium P2 may be connected to the opening 10R. Thereby, continuous printing on the IC tag medium P1 or the normal medium P2 becomes possible.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the IC writing unit 12 that writes predetermined information to the IC tag medium P1 is not necessarily provided.

  In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the platen roller 22, the first lower roller 33b, the second lower roller 34b, and the third lower roller 35b are configured to be cooperatively driven by individual motors. May be.

  The printer 1 according to this embodiment includes three conveyance units, a first conveyance unit 33, a second conveyance unit 34, and a third conveyance unit 35. However, the number of transport units is variable according to the length in the longitudinal direction of various print media P that can be used in the printer 1. Any one of the second transport unit 34 and the third transport unit 35 may be provided.

  Further, when the length from the opening 10F to the print head 11 is shorter than the length of the print medium P in the longitudinal direction, the first transport unit 33 is not necessary. Further, even when the print medium P is not taken in from the opening 10F, the first transport unit 33 is not necessary.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above embodiment only shows a part of application examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the specific configuration of the above embodiment. is not.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 10 Casing 10F Opening part 10R Opening part 11 Print head 12 IC writing part 12a, 12b Bolt 22 Platen roller 31 Upper roller unit 31F, 31R End part 31A 1st roller accommodating part 31B 2nd roller accommodating part 31C 3rd roller Housing 31D Opening 31E Opening 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f Recess 32 Lower roller unit 33 First transport unit 33a First upper roller 33b First lower roller 33s Roller shaft 33t Bearing 33u Bearing 34 First 2 transport section 34a second upper roller 34b second lower roller 34s roller shaft 34t bearing 34u bearing 35 third transport section 35a third upper roller 35b third lower roller 35s roller shaft 35t bearing 35u bearing 36 Gear 37 Gear 38 Gear 39 Magnet 41 Ribbon housing portion 42 Supply shaft 43 Winding shaft 44, 45 Tension roller 51 Sensor 52 Sensor 61 Print head unit 61F, 61R End portions 71A, 71B Support member 71S Shaft 81 Motor 101 ROM
102 CPU
103 RAM
104 Internal bus 105 Controller 106 Operation unit 107 Display unit 108 Storage unit 109 Input terminal 111 Interface 112 Interface 113 Interface 114 Sensor control circuit 115 Print head control circuit 116 Motor control circuit P Print medium P1 IC tag medium P2 Normal medium S1, S2 Arc Arrow

Claims (8)

A printer having a print head that prints on a print medium, and a platen roller that is disposed opposite to the print head and conveys the print medium and an ink ribbon between the print head and the print head. ,
A first transport unit that includes a first upper roller disposed on the print head side and a first lower roller disposed on the platen roller side, and transports the print medium;
A print head unit in which the print head and a supply shaft and a take-up shaft of the ink ribbon are disposed;
An upper roller unit in which the first upper roller is disposed,
In the printing operation state on the print medium, the print head unit is disposed above the upper roller unit,
A printer in which the print head unit is movably arranged so that a surface of the upper roller unit on the print head unit side is exposed. The printer according to claim 1,
A second transport unit that transports the print medium, further including a second upper roller disposed on the print head side and a second lower roller disposed on the platen roller side;
The print head and the platen roller are disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit in the transport direction of the print medium. The printer according to claim 1 or 2,
A printer in which an opening for allowing the print head to face the print medium is formed in the upper roller unit. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The upper roller unit is a printer that is movably disposed so that a surface of the upper roller unit on the platen roller side is exposed. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A printer further comprising an IC writing unit for writing predetermined information to an IC tag medium having an IC tag. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A printer having an opening for taking in the print medium and discharging the print medium after printing. The printer according to claim 5 or 6,
The IC writing unit is a printer disposed downstream of a position where printing is performed on the print medium by the print head in a direction from the opening toward the print head. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The upper roller unit includes a locking portion that is locked to the print head unit in a state where the upper roller unit is moved so that a surface on the platen roller side of the upper roller unit is exposed.

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