JP2549602Y2 - Recording head unit - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording head unit having a thermal head used for a facsimile apparatus or a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a facsimile apparatus or a printer is provided with a recording head unit having a thermal head, and the recording head unit prints on recording paper.

FIG. 3 shows a main part of a facsimile apparatus. The facsimile apparatus has a cover 50 in which a roll-shaped recording paper R is rotatably stored. The paper R is printed by the thermal head 53 when passing between the recording head unit Uo and the platen roller 52 while being guided by the lower end guide portion of the guide plate 51, and is discharged from the discharge port O to the outside. The recording head unit Uo is attached to a recording paper cover 54, and includes a flat radiator plate 55 extending in the axial direction of the recording paper R as shown in FIG. The thermal head 53 is attached near one side edge thereof.
Is formed with a heating element 56. In order to electrically connect the thermal head 53 and the connector 61, a central portion of the thermal head 53 is pressed by a pressing plate 57, and a pressing rubber 58 is attached to a lower surface of the pressing plate 57 as shown in FIG. The pressing rubber 58 presses and fixes the front edge of the wide flexible cable 59 on the thermal head so as not to move. The flexible cable 5 9 mounted on the relay board 60, the connector 61 by disposing spacing the trailing edge of the relay substrate,
61 are attached.

[0004]

However, the flexible cable 59 must have its lower surface 59a conductive on the thermal head 53 and its upper surface 59b conductive at the portion where the connector 61 is to be soldered. In addition, it is necessary to form both the upper and lower surfaces of the flexible cable 59 in a conductive state, which is not only expensive but also requires the pressing plate 57 and the pressing rubber 58 and the like, and the number of parts increases. This flexible cable 5
9 has a thermal expansion coefficient difference that cannot be ignored as compared with the thermal head 53, and it is necessary to gather the electrical connection portions between the flexible cable 59 and the thermal head 53 in one place in terms of circuit design.

Further, the conventional recording head unit Uo does not have a sensor for detecting the presence of recording paper in order to increase versatility and reduce cost and cost. For this reason, the apparatus maker has provided the optical sensor 70 separately from the recording head unit Uo when the apparatus is incorporated in a facsimile apparatus or the like.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a recording head unit which has a small number of components, makes the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the thermal head substrate and the relay substrate negligible, and does not require a separate recording paper detecting sensor. The purpose is to:

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems According to the first aspect of the present invention.
The recording head unit is used in a facsimile apparatus or a printer in which a thermal head is mounted on a heat radiating plate having a heat radiating function, and the thermal head is operated via a relay member supported on the heat radiating plate. In the recording head unit, a relay substrate is provided on the heat sink along the thermal head, and a conductive pattern printing portion is provided on one surface of the relay substrate, so that the pattern printing portion and both ends of the thermal head are resilient. Electrically connected by a conductive member having a
Tei fitted with a data Ru. The recording head according to claim 2.
The unit is the recording head unit according to claim 1.
Thus, an optical sensor for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper on the relay board is provided.
Is installed.

[0008]

[Action] In the invention of claim 1, since the both end portions of the conductive pattern printing unit and the thermal head on the relay board one side connected by conductive members having a spring property, a conventional double-sided conductive state as There is no need to use a flexible cable, and a pressing plate for pressing the flexible cable onto the thermal head is not required. Further, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the thermal head and the relay board is absorbed by the spring property of the conductive member. Further, in the invention of claim 2,
Equipped with an optical sensor for recording paper detection on the relay board,
It is not necessary to provide an optical sensor separately from the recording head unit in a casing or the like of the facsimile apparatus.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, the recording head unit U ₁ of the present invention has a flat radiator plate 1 extending in the width direction of the facsimile apparatus, the thermal head substrate 2 is mounted elongated along the front edge of the radiating plate 1 The heating element 3 is provided on the thermal head substrate 2.

On the other hand, a relay board 4 is provided on the heat radiating plate 1 along the thermal head so as to protrude slightly from the rear edge of the heat radiating plate 1, and a pattern printing section 5 is provided on one surface of the relay board 4. ing. Notch portions 6 whose edges are cut out are formed on both sides of the relay board and the pattern printing portion 5,
The notch 6 is provided with a plurality of spring fittings 7, 7,... 7 as conductive members for electrically connecting the thermal head substrate 2 and the pattern printing section 5. That is, the thermal head substrate 2 and the relay substrate 4 are attached in a state where the connection fitting 7 is elastically deformed, and the conduction between the two is maintained by the biasing force due to the elasticity. The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the thermal head substrate 2 and the relay substrate 4 is absorbed by the spring property of the connection fitting.

Meanwhile, wherein the back side of the relay substrate 4, the optical sensor 9 is fixed for detecting the presence or absence of the recording sheet R together with the connector 8 is attached for connecting the recording head unit U ₁ and the external device Have been. One end of the detection lever 10 faces the middle of the optical sensor 9, and the other end contacts the recording paper R. The detection lever 10 is pivotally attached to one end of an optical sensor 9, and one end of the detection lever 10 shields or opens between two elements 9 a and 9 b provided at two intervals of the optical sensor 9. Recording paper R
Detect the presence or absence of

As described above, if the relay board 4 is provided on the heat radiating plate, it is not necessary to use an expensive flexible cable having double-sided conduction as in the related art, and a pressing plate, a pressing rubber, and the like for pressing the cable are required. It becomes unnecessary and the number of parts is reduced. Further, since the relay board 4 has a sufficient area, an optical sensor for detecting the presence of the recording paper R can be attached to the relay board. When assembling a facsimile apparatus or a printer, the relay board 4 is separate from the recording head unit. It is not necessary to attach a separate substrate for sensors, a harness, a connector, and the like to the body, so that it is not necessary to use a double-sided substrate, wiring becomes easy, and assembly of the device becomes easy.

[0013]

[Effect of the Invention] The present invention is configured as described above.
Since the number of parts is reduced, and the optical sensor itself is provided, the facsimile apparatus can be easily assembled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an installation diagram when a recording head unit of the present invention is installed in a facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording head unit of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an installation diagram when a conventional recording head unit is installed in a facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional recording head unit.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a conventional recording head unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Heat sink 2 ... Thermal head 3 ... Heating element 4 ... Relay board 5 ... Pattern printed board 8 ... Connector 9 ... Optical sensor 10 ... Detection lever

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A facsimile apparatus or a printer which has a thermal head mounted on a heat radiating plate having a heat radiating function and is operated via a relay member supported on the heat radiating plate. In the recording head unit, a relay substrate is provided on the heat sink along the thermal head, and a conductive pattern printing portion is provided on the relay substrate, and the pattern printing portion and both ends of the thermal head are provided with a spring property. A recording head unit electrically connected by the conductive member, and a connector is attached to the relay board. 2. The recording head unit according to claim 1, wherein an optical sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a recording sheet is mounted on the relay board.