JP2022027214A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printer that is able to cool a motor while preventing adhesion of dust, fine, dry particles, etc., to a control board.SOLUTION: A printer 1 includes: a base plate 21; a mounting portion 22A rotatably provided on a front surface of the base plate 21 and on which a ribbon roll around which an ink ribbon is wound is mounted; a thermal head 7A provided on the front surface of the base plate 21, wherein the thermal head 7A has a heating element 71A for heating the ink ribbon drawn out from the ribbon roll according to a rotation of the mounting portion 22A and prints on a printing medium disposed below the heating element 71A; a motor 31A provided on a rear surface of the base plate 21 and that drives the mounting portion 22A; a control board 41 that controls drive of the motor 31A; a cover 6 by which a first area 66A where the motor 31A is disposed and a second area 66B where the control board 41 is disposed are partitioned off each other; and a fan 81 that forms a flow of air inside the first area 66A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus that prints on a printing medium such as a packaging material conveyed by a conveying machine. The printing apparatus includes a base plate, a thermal head, a motor, a control board, a fan, and the like. The thermal head is fixed to the front of the base plate. The thermal head heats the ink ribbon to print on a printing medium. The motor and control board are fixed to the rear surface of the base plate. The motor controls the transfer of the ink ribbon and the drive of the thermal head. The control board controls the thermal head, the motor, and the like. The fan creates an air flow from the second region on the front side of the base plate to the third region by flowing the air in the third region on the rear side of the base plate toward the first region on the front side of the base plate. As a result, the printing device cools the motor.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-77109

There is a problem that dust, dust, etc. adhere to the control board due to the air flow by the fan, which may cause a malfunction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device capable of cooling a motor while preventing dust and the like from adhering to a control board.

The printing apparatus according to the present invention is rotatably provided on a base plate orthogonal to the first direction and one surface of the base plate on one side of the first direction, and is mounted with a ribbon roll around which an ink ribbon is wound. A mounting portion, a thermal head provided on one side of the base plate on one side of the first direction, and a thermal head for printing on a printing medium arranged on one side of the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A motor provided on the other side of the base plate in the first direction to drive the mounting portion, a control board for controlling the drive of the motor, a first region in which the motor is arranged, and the control. It is characterized by including a cover for partitioning a second region in which a substrate is arranged, and a fan for forming an air flow inside the first region.

The printing apparatus cools the motor in the first region by forming an air flow inside the first region by a fan. The printing apparatus partitions the first area where the motor is arranged and the second area where the control board is arranged by a cover. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility of dust, dust, etc. adhering to the control board due to the air flow formed by the fan. Therefore, the printing apparatus can cool the motor while preventing dust and the like from adhering to the control board.

In the present invention, the fan may form an air flow inside the first region by rotating in a direction of discharging the air inside the first region to the outside. The fan discharges the air whose temperature has risen due to the cooling of the motor to the outside of the first region. Therefore, the printing device can efficiently cool the motor according to the air flow.

In the present invention, the base plate, the mounting portion, the thermal head, the motor, the control board, and the housing covering the cover are provided, and the housing is the thermal head when printing on the printing medium is performed. Has a first opening that projects from the inside to the outside on one side of the second direction, and the base plate has a second opening that communicates one side and the other side of the first direction. The fan is arranged at the other end of the housing in the second direction, and the fan is inside the first region at the other end of the housing in the second direction. By discharging the air to the outside, the air outside the housing may be taken in from the first opening and flowed toward the inside of the first region through the second opening. The printing device uses a fan to form an air flow from one end of the housing in the second direction toward the other end of the housing in the second direction via the inside of the first region. Can be made to. In this case, the printing apparatus can smoothly form the air flow inside the first region, so that the motor can be efficiently cooled.

In the present invention, a heat insulating material may be provided between the base plate and the motor. The possibility of motor heat being transferred to the base plate can be reduced.

In the present invention, the holding portion provided with the fixing portion for fixing the fan and holding the printing device may be connected to the fixing portion. The holding portion can prevent dust and dirt from entering the first region via the fan.

In the present invention, the fan may be provided with a first filter. The printing apparatus can reduce the possibility of dust or the like entering the inside of the first region through the fan.

In the present invention, a second filter may be provided in the second opening. The printing apparatus can reduce the possibility of dust or the like entering the inside of the first region through the second opening.

In the present invention, the control board is arranged on the other side of the first direction with respect to the base plate and on the other side of the first direction with respect to the motor, is parallel to the base plate, and the cover is. , At least a part thereof may be arranged between the motor and the control board, and the first region and the second region may be partitioned in the first direction. In this case, since the arrangement of the control board can be made efficient, the printing device can be miniaturized.

It is a perspective view which looked at the printing system 50 from the front. It is a perspective view which looked at the printing system 50 from the rear. It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (with the ribbon cartridge 9). It is a perspective view of the ribbon cartridge 9. It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (without ribbon cartridge 9 and with cover 16). It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (without a housing 11 and with a cover 16). It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (without the second housing 13 and without the cover 16). 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6 as viewed from the direction of the arrow (without the first housing 12 and with the second housing 13). FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 6 as viewed from the direction of the arrow (without the first housing 12 and with the second housing 13). It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (without the second housing 13, without the control board 41, without the cover 6). It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (without the second housing 13, without the control board 41, with the cover 6). It is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 (without the second housing 13, with the control board 41, with the cover 6). It is sectional drawing of the cover 6.

<Overview of printing system 50>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The printing system 50 is a system for performing thermal transfer printing. The printing system 50 prints on a printing medium conveyed by an external device (not shown). A specific example of the external device is a packaging machine that conveys a packaging material. In this case, for example, the printing system 50 is used by being incorporated in a part of a conveying line in which a printing medium is conveyed by a packaging machine. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printing system 50 includes a printing device 1 and a moving mechanism 5.

Hereinafter, in order to help understanding the description of the figure, the upper side, the lower side, the left side, the right side, the front side, and the rear side of each configuration included in the printing system 50 are defined. The upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side of the printing device 1, the moving mechanism 5, and the ribbon cartridge 9 described later are the upper side, the lower side, the diagonally upper left side, and the diagonally lower right side of FIG. 1, respectively. Corresponds to the diagonally lower left side and the diagonally upper right side, respectively. In FIG. 1, the transport direction of the print medium coincides with the left-right direction. The print medium is conveyed by an external device from the lower side of the printing device 1 from the right side to the left side (arrow Y1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2)).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing apparatus 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A ribbon cartridge 9 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, is detachably attached to the printing apparatus 1. The printing apparatus 1 pays out the ink ribbon 9A (see FIG. 4) from the ribbon roll 90A (see FIG. 4) of the mounted ribbon cartridge 9 and heats it by the thermal head 7A (see FIG. 5 and the like). As a result, printing is executed on the print medium conveyed below the printing apparatus 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the moving mechanism 5 has a pair of frame bodies 51, a guide rail 52, and a holding portion 56. The pair of frames 51 are separated in the front-rear direction. Each frame 51 has an upper support portion 51A, a lower support portion 51B, and a pair of erection portions 51C. The upper support portion 51A and the lower support portion 51B have a prismatic shape and extend in the left-right direction. The upper support portion 51A and the lower support portion 51B are separated in the vertical direction. The upper support portion 51A is arranged above the lower support portion 51B. The pair of erection portions 51C have a columnar shape and extend in the vertical direction. The pair of erection portions 51C are bridged between both ends of the upper support portion 51A and the lower support portion 51B in the left-right direction.

The guide rail 52 has four cylindrical bodies extending in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, each columnar body is referred to as a guide rail 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D. The guide rails 52A and 52B are bridged between the upper support portions 51A of the pair of frame bodies 51. The guide rail 52A is located on the left side with respect to the guide rail 52B. The guide rails 52C and 52D are bridged between the lower support portions 51B of the pair of frame bodies 51. The guide rail 52C is located on the left side of the guide rail 52D.

The holding portion 56 has an apparatus holding portion 56A and a platen holding portion 56B. The shapes of the device holding portion 56A and the platen holding portion 56B are rectangular parallelepipeds. The device holding portion 56A and the platen holding portion 56B each have two through holes penetrating in the front-rear direction. The guide rails 52A and 52B are inserted into the two through holes of the device holding portion 56A. The device holding portion 56A is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the guide rails 52A and 52B. The guide rails 52C and 52D are inserted into the two through holes of the platen holding portion 56B. The platen holding portion 56B is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the guide rails 52C and 52D.

The device holding portion 56A is provided with four through holes 57 that penetrate in the vertical direction. A bolt 57A is inserted downward through each through hole 57. The four bolts 57A connect the printing device 1 to the device holding portion 56A. A notch 58 is provided at the rear end of the device holding portion 56A. The cutout portion 58 is formed in the central portion in the left-right direction of the lower surface. On the other hand, the platen holding portion 56B has a flat flat upper surface, and holds the platen facing the thermal head 7A of the printing apparatus 1 at the time of printing. The platen holding portion 56B is not connected to the printing device 1, and the printing device 1 and the platen are independently held up and down with a predetermined gap. The printing apparatus 1 is held by the apparatus holding portions 56A on the guide rails 52A and B. The printing device 1 moves in the front-rear direction in response to the device holding portion 56A moving in the front-rear direction with respect to the guide rails 52A and 52B (arrow Y2). Similarly, the platen is held by the platen holding portion 56B on the guide rails 52C and 52D. The platen moves in the front-rear direction as the platen holding portion 56B moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the guide rails 52C and D.

<Ribbon cartridge 9>
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ribbon cartridge 9 has a base 91 and shafts 92A to 92E (see FIG. 4, hereinafter collectively referred to as “shaft 92”). The base 91 has a substantially square plate shape. A notch 910 is formed in the upper left corner of the base 91. As shown in FIG. 3, a handle 91A extending in the vertical direction is provided on the front surface of the base 91 and in the center in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the shafts 92A to 92E extend from the rear surface of the base 91 toward the rear side. The shafts 92A to 92D are columnar and are spindles that can rotate around a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. The shaft 92E has a columnar shape and is fixed to the base 91.

The shaft 92A is provided above the center of the base 91 in the vertical direction and on the right side of the center in the left-right direction. The shaft 92D is provided above the vertical center of the base 91 and on the left side of the left-right center. The shafts 92A and 92D are arranged in the left-right direction. A spool 921 to which one end side of the ink ribbon 9A is connected is mounted on the shaft 92A. A spool 922 to which the other end side of the ink ribbon 9A is connected is mounted on the shaft 92D. The ink ribbon 9A is wound in a roll shape on each of the spool 921 mounted on the shaft 92A and the spool 922 mounted on the shaft 92D. Hereinafter, the ink ribbon 9A in a state of being wound around the spool 921 in a roll shape is referred to as a “ribbon roll 90A”. The ink ribbon 9A wound around the spool 922 in a roll shape is referred to as a "ribbon roll 90B". As the spools 921 and 922 rotate, the ink ribbon 9A is unwound from the ribbon roll 90A and wound around the ribbon roll 90B.

The shaft 92B is provided in the lower right corner of the base 91. A hole 923 is formed at the tip of the shaft 92B. The shaft 92C is provided in the lower left corner of the base 91. An engagement gear 924 is provided at the tip of the shaft 92C. The ink ribbon 9A stretched between the spools 921 and 922 comes into contact with a part of the peripheral surfaces of the shafts 92B and 92C. The shaft 92E is provided at the upper end of the base 91 and at the center in the left-right direction.

The ribbon cartridge 9 is removable from the printing device 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the user grips the handle 91A of the ribbon cartridge 9 and slides the ribbon cartridge 9 forward with respect to the printing device 1 (arrow Y3). As a result, the ribbon cartridge 9 is detached from the printing device 1. On the other hand, for example, the user grips the handle 91A of the ribbon cartridge 9 and slides the ribbon cartridge 9 to the rear side with respect to the printing device 1 (arrow Y4). As a result, the ribbon cartridge 9 is mounted on the printing device 1.

<Overview of printing device 1>
As shown in FIG. 3, the printing apparatus 1 has a housing 11. The housing 11 has a first housing 12 and a second housing 13. The first housing 12 covers a region of the printing apparatus 1 on the front side with respect to the base plate 21 (see FIG. 5) described later. In this area, a mounting portion 22 (see FIG. 5), a thermal head 7A (see FIG. 5), a moving mechanism 7B (see FIG. 5), a relay board 42 (see FIG. 6), and the like, which will be described later, are accommodated. The second housing 13 covers the area of the printing apparatus 1 on the rear side with respect to the base plate 21. A motor 31 (see FIG. 10), a cover 6 (see FIG. 11), a control board 41 (see FIG. 12), and the like, which will be described later, are housed in this area.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, each of the first housing 12 has a plate-shaped partial housing 12U, 12L, 12R, 12B, 12C. The partial housing 12U is orthogonal to the vertical direction and extends in the horizontal direction. The partial housing 12L is orthogonal to the left-right direction and extends downward from the left end portion of the partial housing 12U. The partial housing 12B is orthogonal to the vertical direction and extends to the right from the lower end portion of the partial housing 12L. The partial housing 12R is orthogonal to the left-right direction and extends downward from the right end portion of the partial housing 12U. The partial housing 12C is orthogonal to the vertical direction and extends to the left from the lower end portion of the partial housing 12R. As shown in FIG. 5, a base plate 21 described later is connected to the rear end portion of each of the partial housings 12U, 12L, 12R, 12B, and 12C.

The front ends of the partial housings 12U, 12L, 12R, 12B, and 12C each form an opening 12P. The ribbon cartridge 9 (see FIG. 4) is attached to the printing apparatus 1 by being inserted into the inside of the first housing 12 through the opening 12P of the first housing 12. The shape of the base 91 (see FIG. 4) of the ribbon cartridge 9 is substantially the same as the shape of the opening 12P. Hereinafter, among the areas inside the first housing 12, the area in which the ribbon cartridge 9 mounted on the printing apparatus 1 is arranged is referred to as a mounting area 90. The right end of the partial housing 12B and the left end of the partial housing 12C form an opening 12Q. The thermal head 7A, which will be described later, heats the ink ribbon 9A (see FIG. 4) of the mounted ribbon cartridge 9 in a state of protruding downward from the opening 12Q to perform printing.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the second housing 13 has a plate-shaped partial housing 13U (see FIG. 3), 13L (see FIG. 3), 13R (see FIG. 5), and 13B, respectively. It has (see FIG. 5) and 13S (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the partial housing 13S is square and is orthogonal to the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the partial housing 13U is orthogonal to the vertical direction and extends forward from the upper end portion of the partial housing 13S. The partial housing 13L is orthogonal to the left-right direction and extends forward from the left end portion of the partial housing 13S. The partial housing 13L is located on the right side of the partial housing 12L of the first housing 12. The partial housing 13R is orthogonal to the left-right direction and extends forward from the right end portion of the partial housing 13S. The partial housing 13B is orthogonal to the vertical direction and extends forward from the lower end portion of the partial housing 13S.

A base plate 21, which will be described later, is connected to each of the front ends of the partial housings 13U, 13R, and 13B. As shown in FIG. 3, an opening 13P is formed substantially in the center of the partial housing 13U in the left-right direction. The fan 81 described later is exposed from the opening 13P. An opening 13Q is formed at the front end of the partial housing 13L. A part of the cover 6 described later passes through the opening 13Q from the inside of the second housing 13 and is exposed to the outside.

<Base plate 21>
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the base plate 21 of the printing apparatus 1 has a substantially square plate shape. The base plate 21 is orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The base plate 21 has a mounting portion 22 (22A to 22E), a thermal head 7A, a moving mechanism 7B, and the like.

The mounting portion 22 is provided on the front surface of the base plate 21. When the ribbon cartridge 9 (see FIG. 4) is mounted on the printing apparatus 1, the shafts 92A to 92E (see FIG. 4) of the ribbon cartridge 9 are connected to the mounting portions 22A to 22E, respectively. The mounting portion 22A is provided on the upper side of the center of the base plate 21 in the vertical direction and on the right side of the center in the left-right direction. The mounting portion 22D is provided on the upper side of the center of the base plate 21 in the vertical direction and on the left side of the center in the left-right direction. The mounting portions 22A and 22D each have a circular shape and are arranged in the left-right direction. For example, when the ribbon cartridge 9 is mounted on the printing device 1, the ribbon roll 90A wound around the spool 921 (see FIG. 4) connected to the shaft 92A is mounted on the mounting portion 22A. A ribbon roll 90B (see FIG. 4) wound around a spool 922 connected to the shaft 92D is mounted on the mounting portion 22D.

The mounting portion 22B is provided in the lower right corner of the base plate 21. The mounting portion 22B has a columnar shape and extends forward from the base plate 21. The mounting portion 22C is provided in the lower left corner of the base plate 21. The mounting portion 22C has a cylindrical shape and has an engaging gear (not shown) inside. The mounting portion 22E is provided at the upper end portion of the base plate 21 and at the center in the left-right direction. The mounting portion 22E has a cylindrical shape and extends forward from the base plate 21. When the ribbon cartridge 9 is mounted on the printing apparatus 1, the mounting portion 22B is inserted into the hole 923 (see FIG. 4) of the shaft 92B. The engaging gear of the mounting portion 22C engages with the engaging gear 924 (see FIG. 4) of the shaft 92C. The shaft 92E is inserted into the tubular shape of the mounting portion 22E.

A rotation shaft of a motor 31A (see FIG. 9), which will be described later, is connected to the mounting portion 22A from the rear side. The mounting portion 22A rotates according to the rotation of the motor 31A. A rotation shaft of a motor 31B (see FIG. 9), which will be described later, is connected to the mounting portion 22D. The mounting portion 22D rotates according to the rotation of the motor 31B. When the mounting portions 22A and 22D rotate while the shafts 92A to 92E (see FIG. 4) of the ribbon cartridge 9 are connected to the mounting portions 22A to 22E, the ink ribbon 9A (see FIG. 4) of the ribbon cartridge 9 becomes. The spools 921 and 922 (see FIG. 4) are conveyed in the printing apparatus 1 while being in contact with and guided by the shafts 92B and 92C.

<Thermal head 7A>
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the thermal head 7A is provided at the lower end of the front surface of the base plate 21 and at a portion between the mounting portions 22B and 22C. The thermal head 7A is movably supported in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction with respect to the base plate 21. The thermal head 7A is a line thermal head. The thermal head 7A has a base 71, a rail 72, and a plurality of heat generating elements 71A. Further, the thermal head 7A is connected to a belt 32A connected to a pulley 32 connected to a rotating shaft of a motor 31B (see FIG. 10) described later. The thermal head 7A moves in the left-right direction in response to the rotation of the belt 32A by the motor 31B.

The base 71 has an elongated plate shape and extends in the front-rear direction. The base 71 is inclined with respect to a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The base 71 is urged upward by a spring 71B (see FIG. 6). A rail 72 extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the upper side of the base 71.

A plurality of heat generating elements 71A arranged in the front-rear direction are provided on the lower side of the base 71. The plurality of heat generating elements 71A are provided between the shafts 92B and 92C (see FIG. 2) of the ink ribbons 9A (see FIG. 4) unwound from the ribbon roll 90A of the ribbon cartridge 9 in response to the rotation of the mounting portions 22A and 22D. Contact the stretched part from above. The plurality of heat generating elements 71A sandwich the ink ribbon 9A and the print medium between the platen held on the upper surface of the platen holding portion 56B. The plurality of heat generating elements 71A heat the ink ribbon 9A while pressing the ink ribbon 9A against the print medium. As a result, the thermal head 7A prints by transferring the ink of the ink ribbon 9A to the printing medium.

<Movement mechanism 7B>
The moving mechanism 7B is provided on the front surface of the base plate 21 and above the thermal head 7A. The moving mechanism 7B is a mechanism for moving the thermal head 7A in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The moving mechanism 7B has a pair of support portions 75, guide rails 76A, 76B, 76C, and a swing member 77. The pair of support portions 75 are provided above the mounting portions 22B and 22C and are separated in the left-right direction. The pair of support portions 75 are swingably supported by the base plate 21 about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The guide rails 76A, 76B, and 76C have a columnar shape and extend in the left-right direction. The guide rails 76A, 76B, and 76C are bridged between the pair of support portions 75.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, the arm 33 is connected to the guide rail 76B. The arm 33 extends rearward from the guide rail 76B, passes through the opening 21A formed in the base plate 21, and extends rearward of the base plate 21. The opening 21A communicates the front side and the rear side of the base plate 21. The opening 21A is provided with a filter 210 for suppressing the passage of dust and dirt. The filter 210 is flexible and does not interfere with the movement of the arm 33. As shown in FIG. 8, the rear end portion of the arm 33 is connected to the crank 34 connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 31C described later. The arm 33 is driven by the motor 31C in response to the rotation of the crank 34. The pair of support portions 75 and the guide rails 76A, 76B, 76C swing in response to the drive of the arm 33.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the swing member 77 is supported so as to be movable in the left-right direction with respect to the guide rail 76C. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the swing member 77 has a first portion 77A extending diagonally forward and downward from the guide rail 76C and a second portion 77B extending diagonally upward and forward from the guide rail 76C. The pulley 77C is rotatably supported at the tip of the first portion 77A. The pulley 77C comes into contact with the rail 72 of the thermal head 7A from above. The pulley 77C moves the swing member 77 in the left-right direction in response to the movement of the thermal head 7A in the left-right direction. A rotating body 77D is rotatably supported at the tip of the second portion 77B. The rotating body 77D comes into contact with the guide rail 76A from the front.

When the motor 31C rotates, the swing member 77 swings in conjunction with the swing of the pair of support portions 75 and the guide rails 76A, 76B, 76C. As shown in FIG. 8, when the swing member 77 swings in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the right side, the first portion 77A of the swing member 77 pushes the thermal head 7A downward via the pulley 77C. .. The thermal head 7A moves downward against the urging force of the spring 71B. With the thermal head 7A moved to the lowermost position, the plurality of heat generating elements 71A of the thermal head 7A slightly project downward from the opening 12Q (see FIG. 5) of the housing 11. On the other hand, when the swing member 77 swings in the clockwise direction when viewed from the right side, the thermal head 7A moves upward according to the urging force of the spring 71B. With the thermal head 7A moved most upward, the plurality of heat generating elements 71A of the thermal head 7A are located above the opening 12Q of the housing 11.

<Relay board 42>
As shown in FIG. 6, the relay board 42 is provided on the left side of the base plate 21. The relay board 42 extends in a direction orthogonal to the base plate 21, that is, in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction. The relay board 42 is a printed circuit board on which various devices are mounted. Hereinafter, for the sake of facilitation of explanation, the relay board 42 may be described separately as a first portion 42A and a second portion 42B. The first portion 42A is a portion above the center of the relay board 42 in the vertical direction. The second portion 42B is a portion below the center of the relay board 42 in the vertical direction.

The shape of the first portion 42A is a rectangle long in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the positions of the front end portions of the first portion 42A and the partial housing 12L of the first housing 12 in the front-rear direction coincide with each other. As shown in FIG. 9, the rear end portion of the first portion 42A is located behind the base plate 21. That is, the first portion 42A extends from the front end portion of the first housing 12 to a position behind the base plate 21. The portion of the first portion 42A that is arranged in front of the base plate 21 is located on the left side of the mounting area 90 in which the ribbon cartridge 9 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the interface portion 43 is provided at the front end portion of the first portion 42A. The interface unit 43 has a USB connector 43A and a push button 43B on the front surface. A USB memory (not shown) is connected to the USB connector 43A. The push button 43B is operated when an instruction to the printing apparatus 1 is input. The first portion 42A transmits an electric signal received from the USB memory connected to the USB connector 43A and an electric signal indicating that the push button 43B has been operated to the control board 41 (see FIG. 12) described later. .. Further, the interface unit 43 is provided with a plurality of indicators made of LEDs, and the operating status of the printing device 1 and the remaining amount of the ribbon can be indicated to the user by the color and the lighting pattern thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, the interface portion 43 is adjacent to the notch 910 of the base portion 91 with the ribbon cartridge 9 (see FIG. 4) mounted. Therefore, the front surface of the interface portion 43 is not covered by the base portion 91 even if the ribbon cartridge 9 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second portion 42B extends downward from the lower end portion of the first portion 42A and the center in the front-rear direction. The front end of the second portion 42B is located posterior to the front end of the first portion 42A. The rear end of the second portion 42B is located behind the base plate 21 (see FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. 7, an encoder 74A is provided on the right side of the second portion 42B. The encoder 74A measures the amount of rotation of the pair of support portions 75 of the moving mechanism 7B. The CPU mounted on the control board 41 described later can detect the amount of movement of the thermal head 7A in the vertical direction based on the amount of rotation detected by the encoder 74A. Further, the LED 74B is provided on the right side of the second portion 42B. The LED 74B irradiates a region on the front side of the base plate 21 with light. By irradiating with light, the vicinity of the mounting portion 22 becomes bright. As a result, the user can visually recognize the remaining amount of the ribbon of the ink ribbon 9A of the ribbon cartridge 9 and the operating state of the printing device 1 through a window (not shown) provided in the base 91. Further, by lighting the LED 74B when the ribbon cartridge 9 is attached / detached, it is possible to assist the operation of attaching / detaching the ribbon cartridge 9.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the portion of the relay board 42 located on the front side of the base plate 21 is covered with the cover 16 except for the left surface. As shown in FIG. 5, a part of the relay board 42 is accommodated in the space between the partial housing 12L of the first housing 12 and the cover 16. A part of the cover 16 has transparency and can transmit the light of the LED 74B.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the portion of the relay board 42 located behind the base plate 21 is covered with the cover 6 described later. As shown in FIG. 9, the rear end portion of the relay board 42 is located on the front side of the rear end portion of the second housing 13. As shown in FIG. 10, connectors 45A, 45B, and 45C are provided at the rear end of the relay board 42.

<Motor 31>
As shown in FIG. 10, motors 31A to 31D (hereinafter collectively referred to as "motors 31") are provided on the rear surface of the base plate 21. As shown in FIG. 9, the motor 31A is connected to a portion of the rear surface of the base plate 21 that is rearward with respect to the front mounting portion 22A (see FIGS. 5 to 7). The motor 31D is connected to a portion of the rear surface of the base plate 21 that is rearward with respect to the front mounting portion 22D (see FIGS. 5 to 7). The motors 31A and 31D are arranged in the left-right direction. The motor 31A is arranged on the right side with respect to the motor 31D. The rotation shafts of the motors 31A and 31D penetrate the base plate 21 from the rear surface to the front surface and are connected to the front mounting portions 22A and 22D, respectively. The motor 31A rotates the mounting portion 22A, and the motor 31D rotates the mounting portion 22D. A heat insulating material 30A is provided between the motor 31A and the base plate 21. A heat insulating material 30D is provided between the motor 31D and the base plate 21. The heat insulating materials 30A and 30D suppress the heat of the motors 31A and 31D from being transferred to the base plate 21.

As shown in FIG. 10, the motor 31B is connected to the lower side of the rear surface of the base plate 21 with respect to the motor 31A. The motor 31C is connected to the lower side of the rear surface of the base plate 21 with respect to the motor 31D. As shown in FIG. 7, the rotation shaft of the motor 31B penetrates the base plate 21 from the rear surface to the front surface and is connected to the pulley 32 on the front side of the base plate 21. The motor 31B moves the thermal head 7A in the left-right direction by rotating the pulley 32. As shown in FIG. 8, the rotation shaft of the motor 31C extends to the right and connects to the crank 34. The motor 31C moves the thermal head 7A in the vertical direction by rotating the crank 34.

<Control board 41>
As shown in FIG. 12, the control board 41 is arranged behind the motor 31 (see FIG. 10). The control board 41 is a printed circuit board on which various devices are mounted. The control board 41 is fixed by the spacer 41A at a position separated rearward from the base plate 21. The control board 41 is orthogonal to the front-rear direction and parallel to the base plate 21. A CPU for controlling the motor 31, an encoder for detecting the amount of rotation of the motors 31A, 31D, and the like are mounted on the control board 41. The encoder for detecting the amount of rotation of the motor 31A is provided behind the rotation shaft 33A (see FIGS. 10 and 11) of the motor 31A in the front surface of the control board 41. The encoder for detecting the amount of rotation of the motor 31D is provided behind the rotation shaft 33D (see FIGS. 10 and 11) of the motor 31D on the front surface of the control board 41. Further, the control board 41 is electrically connected to the relay board 42 by an FPC (not shown).

<Cover 6>
As shown in FIG. 11, the cover 6 is arranged behind the base plate 21 and in front of the control board 41 (see FIG. 12). The cover 6 covers the motors 31A to 31D and a part of the rear end portion of the relay board 42 from the rear side.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, each cover 6 has a plate-shaped partial cover 61S, 61U, 61B, 61R, 61L, 62U, 62S, 62B, 62L, respectively. The partial cover 61S has irregularities, and the main constituent parts are orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The partial cover 61S is arranged between the motor 31 and the control board 41. The partial covers 61U, 61R, 61L, and 61B extend forward from the upper end portion, the right end portion, the left end portion, and the lower end portion of the partial cover 61S, respectively. The partial cover 62S extends from the front end portion of the partial cover 61L toward the left and is orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The partial covers 62U, 62B, and 62L extend forward from the upper end, the lower end, and the left end of the partial cover 62S, respectively. The partial cover 62S is provided with a partition wall 62R extending from the front surface to the front. The partition wall 62R is orthogonal to the left-right direction and extends in the up-down direction. The rear ends of the partial covers 61U, 61R, 61B, 62U, 62L, 62B, and the partition wall 62R are connected to the base plate 21.

The cover 6 divides the area covered by the second housing 13 (see FIGS. 2, 3, etc.) into the first area 66A, the second area 66B, and the third area 66C. The first region 66A is an region surrounded by the partial covers 61S, 61U, 61R, 61B, and the partition wall 62R. Motors 31A to 31D are arranged in the first region 66A. The third region 66C is an region surrounded by the partial covers 62S, 62U, 62L, 62B, and the partition wall 62R. A part of the rear end portion of the relay board 42 is arranged in the third region 66C. As shown in FIG. 9, the second region 66B is a region covered by the second housing 13 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and the like) excluding the first region 66A and the third region 66C. A control board 41 is arranged in the second region 66B. The first region 661 and the second region 66B are arranged in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 13, an opening 61P is provided in the partial cover 61U. Through holes 63A and 63D are provided in the partial cover 61S. As shown in FIG. 11, the rotating shaft 33A of the motor 31A is inserted into the through hole 63A from the front side and protrudes to the rear side. The rotating shaft 33D of the motor 31D is inserted into the through hole 63D from the front side and protrudes to the rear side. As shown in FIG. 13, through holes 64A, 64B, 64C are provided in the partial cover 62S. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the connectors 45A and 45B provided on the relay board 42 are inserted through the through holes 64A and 64B from the front side and protrude to the rear side. The connector 45C provided on the relay board 42 is exposed from the through hole 64C.

<Fan unit 8>
As shown in FIG. 3, the fan unit 8 is arranged in the opening 13P of the partial housing 13U corresponding to the upper end portion of the second housing 13. As shown in FIG. 6, the fan unit 8 is fixed at the upper end of the base plate 21 and at the center in the left-right direction, and protrudes rearward. As shown in FIG. 11, the fan unit 8 is located above the opening 61P provided in the partial cover 61U of the cover 6. The fan unit 8 has a fan 81 and a fixing portion 82.

The fan 81 has a plurality of propellers and a hub in which the plurality of propellers are connected, and rotates about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. The fan 81 has a built-in motor. When the fan 81 is rotated, the air in the first region 66A of the cover 6 is directed to the outside of the printing apparatus 1 through the opening 61P of the cover 6 and the opening 13P of the second housing 13 (see FIG. 9). Is discharged.

The fixing portion 82 has a C-shape when viewed from above, and covers the left side, the right side, and the rear side of the fan 81. The fixing portion 82 rotatably supports the fan 81 and fixes the fan 81 to the base plate 21. The fixing portion 82 has a rectangular plate body 82P on the upper surface. The front end portion of the plate body 82P is fixed to the upper side of the upper end portion of the base plate 21. Screw holes 82A extending in the vertical direction are formed at the four corners of the base plate 21. A filter 85 for suppressing the passage of dust and dirt is provided in the opening inside the plate body 82P.

As shown in FIG. 2, the four bolts 57A inserted into the four through holes 57 of the device holding portion 56A are screwed into the four screw holes 82A of the fixing portion 82 shown in FIG. The printing apparatus 1 is held by the apparatus holding portion 56A by connecting the apparatus holding portion 56A to the fixing portion 82 by four bolts 57A. The device holding portion 56A covers the fan 81 from above in a state of being connected to the fixing portion 82.

<Outline of printing operation>
The ribbon cartridge 9 is mounted on the printing apparatus 1. With the printing device 1 held by the moving mechanism 5 by the holding unit 56, the printing surface of the printing medium conveyed by the external device and the thermal head 7A of the printing device 1 face each other in the vertical direction. Further, a platen roller (not shown) is arranged on the opposite side of the printing device 1 with respect to the printing medium.

The power of the fan unit 8 is turned on, and the fan 81 starts rotating. As shown in FIG. 8, the fan 81 discharges the air in the first region 66A of the cover 6 to the outside from the upper end portion of the housing 11 (arrow Y13). The discharged air passes through a gap formed between the notch 58 of the device holding portion 56A connected to the fixing portion 82 of the fan unit 8 and the fan unit 8. As a result, an upward air flow is formed inside the first region 66A (arrow Y12). In response to this air flow, the air outside the housing 11 is taken into the inside of the housing 11 and the front side of the base plate 21 through the opening 12Q (see FIG. 5) at the lower end of the housing 11 (see FIG. 5). Arrow Y10). Further, the air taken into the front region of the base plate 21 passes through the opening 21A of the base plate 21 to the rear side and flows inside the first region 66A (arrow Y11).

When the printing operation by the printing device 1 is started, the mounting portions 22A and 22D rotate according to the driving of the motors 31A and 31D. Along with this, the shafts 92A and 92F of the ribbon cartridge 9 connected to the mounting portions 22A and 22D also rotate. The ink ribbon 9A is unwound from the ribbon roll 90A of the spool 921 mounted on the shaft 92A, and is wound up by the ribbon roll 90B of the spool 922 mounted on the shaft 92D. The portion of the ink ribbon 9A between the shafts 92B and 92C moves in the same direction as the transport direction of the print medium.

The motors 31A and 31D generate heat when driven. On the other hand, by driving the fan 81 of the fan unit 8, an air flow (arrow Y12) is generated inside the first region 66A. The motors 31A and 31D are cooled by this air flow.

When the transport speed of the ink ribbon 9A rises to a predetermined speed, the motor 31C is driven, and the thermal head 7A descends and protrudes below the opening 12Q. The thermal head 7A contacts the platen roller from above via the ink ribbon 9A and the print medium. The ink ribbon 9A is pressed against the printing surface of the printing medium according to the movement of the thermal head 7A. The heat generating element 71A of the thermal head 7A generates heat, and the ink of the ink ribbon 9A is transferred to the printing surface of the printing medium. As a result, printing by the printing device 1 is executed.

<Action and effect of this embodiment>
The printing apparatus 1 partitions the first region 66A in which the motor 30 is arranged and the second region 66B in which the control board 41 is arranged by the cover 6. The printing apparatus 1 cools the motor 30 of the first region 66A by forming an air flow (arrow Y12) inside the first region 66A by the fan 81. In this case, the printing device 1 can reduce the possibility of dust or the like adhering to the control board 41 due to the air flow formed by the fan 81. Therefore, the printing device 1 can cool the motor 30 while preventing dust and the like from adhering to the control board 41.

The fan 81 rotates in the direction of discharging the air inside the first region 66A to the outside (arrow Y13), thereby forming an air flow (arrow Y12) inside the first region 66A. In this case, the fan 81 can discharge the air whose temperature has risen due to the cooling of the motor 30 to the outside of the first region 66A. Therefore, the printing device 1 can efficiently cool the motor 30 according to the air flow.

The printing apparatus 1 discharges the air inside the first region 66A to the outside at the upper end portion of the housing 11 in which the fan 81 is provided. At this time, the air outside the housing 11 is taken in from the opening 12Q at the lower end of the housing 11. Further, the air taken in from the opening 12Q flows toward the inside of the first region 66A through the opening 21A of the base plate 21. In this way, the printing apparatus 1 can form the air flow from the lower end portion of the housing 11 to the upper end portion of the housing 11 via the first region 66A by the fan 81. In this case, the printing device 1 can smoothly form the air flow in the first region 66A, so that the motor 30 can be efficiently cooled.

By providing the heat insulating materials 30A and 30D between the base plate 21 and the motors 31A and 31D, the printing apparatus 1 can reduce the possibility that the heat of the motors 31A and 31D is transferred to the base plate 21.

The fan unit 8 includes a fixing portion 82 for fixing the fan 81 to the base plate 21. The device holding portion 56A covers the upper side of the fan 81 in a state where the device holding portion 56A of the moving mechanism 5 is connected to the fixing portion 82. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can prevent dust and dirt from entering the first region 66A via the fan 81 by the apparatus holding portion 56A.

The printing device 1 can reduce the possibility of dust or the like entering the inside of the first region 66A through the fan unit 8 by the filter 85 provided in the fan unit 8.
The printing apparatus can reduce the possibility of dust or the like entering the inside of the first region through the second opening.

The control board 41 is arranged on the rear side with respect to the base plate 21 and on the rear side with respect to the motor 31. The control board 41 and the base plate 21 are parallel to each other. Further, at least a part of the cover 6 is arranged between the motor 31 and the control board 41, and the cover 6 is divided into the first region 66A and the second region 66B in the front-rear direction. In this case, the size of the region in the front-rear direction required for arranging the control board 41 can be reduced as compared with the case where the control board 41 is arranged in an inclined direction with respect to the base plate 21. Therefore, the printing device 1 can streamline the arrangement of the control board 41, so that the entire size can be reduced.

<Modification example>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. The number of fan units 8 provided in the printing apparatus 1 is not limited to one as in the above embodiment, and may be two or more. The position where the fan unit 8 is provided may be provided at the left end portion or the right end portion of the housing 11. The control board 41 may be provided at a position where the relay board 42 is arranged.

The fan 81 of the fan unit 8 may rotate in a direction of taking in air inside the first region 66A. In this case, the air inside the first region 66A may be discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the opening 21A of the base plate 21 and the opening 12Q of the housing 11.

An opening for taking in air in the first region 66A may be provided separately from the opening 12Q of the housing 11. For example, an opening communicating with the first region 66A may be provided at the lower end of the second housing 13. A fan for flowing air from the front side to the rear side of the base plate 21 may be provided in the opening 21A of the base plate 21.

The printing device 1 may have a fixing member for fixing the motor 30 to the base plate 21. The fixing member may fix the motor 30 in a state where the motor 30 is separated from the base plate 21. In this case, the heat insulating material may not be provided between the motors 31A and 31D and the base plate 21.

A cover may be provided to cover the upper part of the filter 85 of the fan unit 8. The cover may prevent dust and the like from entering the inside of the first region 66A via the filter 85. In this case, the device holding portion 56A does not have to be connected to the fixing portion 82 of the fan unit 8. The filter 85 may not be provided on the fan unit 8. The filter 210 may not be provided in the opening 21A.

<Others>
The front-back direction is an example of the "first direction" of the present invention. The front side is an example of "one side in the first direction" of the present invention. The rear side is an example of the "other side of the first direction" of the present invention. The vertical direction is an example of the "second direction" of the present invention. The lower side is an example of "one side in the second direction" of the present invention. The upper side is an example of the "other side in the second direction" of the present invention. The opening 12Q is an example of the "first opening" of the present invention. The opening 21A is an example of the "second opening" of the present invention. The filter 85 is an example of the "first filter" of the present invention. The filter 210 is an example of the "second filter" of the present invention.

1: Printing device 6: Cover 7A: Thermal head 8: Fan unit 11: Housing 12Q: Opening 21: Base plate 21A: Opening 22: Mounting part 30A, 30D: Insulation material 31: Motor 41: Control board 56A: Device holding part 66A: 1st area 66B: 2nd area 81: Fan 82: Fixed portion 85, 210: Filter

Claims (8)

A base plate orthogonal to the first direction,
A mounting portion that is rotatably provided on one surface of the base plate in the first direction and on which a ribbon roll around which an ink ribbon is wound is mounted.
A thermal head that prints on a printing medium provided on one side of the base plate in the first direction and arranged on one side in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
A motor provided on the other side of the base plate in the first direction to drive the mounting portion, and a motor.
The control board that controls the drive of the motor and
A cover that separates the first region in which the motor is arranged and the second region in which the control board is arranged.
A printing apparatus including a fan for forming an air flow inside the first region. The fan
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus rotates in a direction in which air inside the first region is discharged to the outside. A housing that covers the base plate, the mounting portion, the thermal head, the motor, the control board, and the cover is provided.
The housing is
A first opening in which the thermal head projects from the inside to the outside when printing on the print medium is performed is provided on one side in the second direction.
The base plate has a second opening that communicates one side and the other side in the first direction.
The fan is arranged at the other end of the housing in the second direction.
The fan takes in the air outside the housing from the first opening by discharging the air inside the first region to the outside at the other end of the housing in the second direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing apparatus is made to flow inward of the first region through the second opening. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a heat insulating material is provided between the base plate and the motor. A fixing part for fixing the fan is provided.
The printing device according to claim 3, wherein the holding portion that holds the printing device is connected to the fixed portion. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fan is provided with a first filter. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a second filter is provided in the second opening. The control board is
It is arranged on the other side of the first direction with respect to the base plate and on the other side of the first direction with respect to the motor, and is parallel to the base plate.
The cover is
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least a part thereof is arranged between the motor and the control board, and the first region and the second region are partitioned in the first direction. Printing equipment.

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