JP2590903B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, and more particularly to a printing apparatus suitable for attaching and detaching an ink ribbon.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in a printing device, the print carrier part is divided into a part that stops rotation around the support rail and supports it, and a part that fixes and moves the print head on it, and retracts the print head when replacing the ink ribbon. , The exchangeability of the ink ribbon was intended.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 56-49293 is an example of this type of apparatus.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above prior art, the print carrier portion must be divided into a portion that movably supports the support rail and a portion on which the print head is fixed and held movably. In order to determine the position, there is a problem that the precision of the parts needs to be improved and the number of parts increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus which solves such a conventional problem, simplifies the structure of a print carrier unit and a lock mechanism, and reduces the time required for ink ribbon replacement and maintenance.

[Means for solving the problem]

To solve the above problems, the printing device of the present invention,
(1) The print head 2 is mounted on a print carrier 3 that is rotatable about a rod-shaped support rail 9 that has been inserted, and the print carrier 3 is moved along the support rail 9 in parallel with the platen 5 and the print head 2. A printing device for printing on the print medium 1 by the print head 2 while urging and moving the reference guide 4 for adjusting the distance between the print medium 1 and the platen 5 to a constant value. As means for urging the guide 4, an arm member (pressing arm 10) rotatably fixed at one end to the print carrier 3 and having a rotating member (ball bearing 11) at the other end, and a U-shaped A ball bearing 11 on the inside of the U-shape, in either a printing position where the print carrier 3 is urged by the reference guide 4 or a tilt position where the print carrier 3 is rotated away from the reference guide 4. You In a position where it can be accommodated, a U-shaped frame member which is fixed parallel to the support rail 9 (upper frame 16), urges the ball bearing 11 on the inner surface of the upper frame 16, the printing carrier 3
A spring member (spring 15), one end of which is engaged with the pressure arm 10 and the other end of which is engaged with the print carrier 3, so that the inner surface of the upper frame 16 with which the ball bearing 11 contacts is switched between the printing position and the tilting position. The spring 15 urges the ball bearing 11 at one of the inner surfaces of the upper frame 16 at the printing position of the print carrier 3 to urge the print carrier 3 to the reference guide 4. Ball bearing 11 in the tilted position
Is biased toward the other of the inner surfaces of the upper frame 16 to hold the print carrier 3 at the inclined position.

(2) The print carrier 3 moves the ribbon guide 24 for guiding the ink ribbon 25 so that the position in the width direction of the ink ribbon 25 used for printing is at a predetermined position with respect to the print head 2. It is characterized by being rotatably provided so as to maintain the printing position even when it is turned.

[Action]

In the present invention, at the time of printing, the pressing member comes into contact with the inner surface of the U-shaped frame to generate a force, rotate the print carrier, and follow the print carrier to the reference guide. Thereby, the distance between the print medium and the print head can always be kept constant. Further, when the print carrier is rotated and retracted, the pressurizing member contacts the other surface of the U-shaped frame, so that the print carrier can be held in the retracted state.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a state of a print carrier unit at the time of printing by the printing apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of a print carrier unit during retraction of the printing apparatus. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the print medium 1 conveyed to the printing unit via the paper pans 17, 27, and 28, and the position of the print medium 1 is determined. Platen bracket 20 with platen link 23
Is pressed against the reference guide 4 by a platen 5 that moves in the Z direction about a platen shaft 21 supporting the reference guide 4, and the gap between the reference guide 4 and the paper surface is kept constant.

On the other hand, the print carrier section 3 on which the print head 2 is mounted is rotatably and movably supported by one support rail 9, and is configured to move in the printing direction by a motor 13 and a timing belt 14. Print carrier part 3
A pressurizing unit 12 composed of a ball bearing 11 and a pressurizing arm 10 is rotatably supported on the printer 1, and is connected to the print carrier unit 3 by a spring 15. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the U fixed by the side frames 18, 19 on both sides.
A guide arm portion 6 composed of a guide shaft 8 and a ball bearing 7 attached to the print carrier portion 3 by contacting the inner surface of the U-shaped upper frame 16 to generate an X-direction force on the print carrier portion 3. To the reference guide 4, the gap between the print medium 1 and the print head 2 can be kept constant. At the same time, an ink ribbon guide 24 for guiding an ink ribbon 25 rotatably supported on the print carrier unit 3 about the support rail 9 follows the reference guide 4 by rollers 26.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, when the print carrier unit 3 is rotated in the Y direction and retracted, the pressurizing unit 12 comes into contact with the surface of the upper frame 16 opposite to the surface at the time of printing, and A force is generated to maintain the print carrier 3 in the retracted state. At this time, since the ink ribbon guide 24 is left on the reference guide 4, in the retraction state, the distance between the print medium 1 and the print head 2 can be increased, and at the same time, the distance between the ink ribbon guide 24 and the print head 2 can be increased. This has the advantage that the ink ribbon 25 can be easily filled.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the retraction of the print carrier portion is performed by rotation about the support rail, the print head can be fixed to the undivided print carrier portion, so that large rigidity is obtained, and The structure of the print carrier can be simplified. In addition, the locking mechanism can be simplified by switching the pressurizing section also for the mechanism for holding the retraction position.

Although one embodiment has been described above, the specific structure of each part is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings, and may be any structure having the desired function. In the present embodiment, the ink ribbon is of a type mounted on the apparatus. However, a structure in which an ink ribbon cassette is mounted on the print carrier unit 3 and the ink ribbon guide 24 may be a single ink ribbon cassette.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the structure of the print carrier and the lock mechanism can be simplified, and the time required for replacing and maintaining the ink ribbon can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a state of a printing carrier unit at the time of printing by the printing apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a printing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a print carrier state at the time of retraction. 1: print medium, 2: print head, 3: print carrier, 4: reference guide, 5: platen, 6: guide arm, 7, 11: ball bearing, 8: guide arm, 9: support rail, 10: Pressing arm, 12: Pressing section, 13: Motor, 14: Timing belt, 15: Spring, 16: Upper frame, 17, 27, 28: Paper pan, 18, 19: Side frame, 20: Platen bracket, 2
1: Platen shaft, 22: Platen solenoid, 23: Platen link, 24: Ribbon guide, 25: Ink ribbon, 26:
roller.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A print head is mounted on a print carrier that is rotatable about a rod-shaped support rail that is inserted, and the print carrier is moved along the support rail in parallel with a platen, and the print head and the print head. A printing apparatus for performing printing on the printing medium by the print head while urging and moving the printing medium on a reference guide for adjusting a distance between the printing medium and a printing medium on a platen, wherein the printing carrier is attached to the reference guide. As a biasing means, an arm member rotatably fixed to the print carrier at one end and a rotating member at the other end, and a U-shaped frame, wherein the rotating member is provided inside the U-shape. A position at which the print carrier can be accommodated at any of a print position where the print carrier is urged by the reference guide and a tilt position where the print carrier is rotated away from the reference guide. A U-shaped frame member fixed in parallel with the support rail; and a urging member for urging the rotating member against an inner surface of the U-shaped frame, and the rotating member at a printing position and an inclined position of the print carrier. And at least one end of the arm member and a spring member having the other end engaged with the print carrier, respectively, so that an inner surface of the U-shaped frame with which the U-shaped frame contacts is switched, and the printing of the print carrier is performed by the spring member. In the position, the rotating member is urged to one of the inner surfaces of the U-shaped frame to urge the print carrier to the reference guide, and in the inclined position of the print carrier, the rotating member is in the U-shape. A printing apparatus, wherein the printing carrier is held at the tilted position by urging the other side of the inner surface of the mold frame. 2. The print carrier according to claim 1, further comprising: a ribbon guide for guiding the ink ribbon such that a position in a width direction of the ink ribbon used for printing is at a predetermined position with respect to the print head. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is rotatably provided so as to be maintained at the printing position even when the printing apparatus is rotated.