JP2633703B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a printer. In particular, it relates to a printer that can be reduced in size.

2. Description of the Related Art In a printer that prints on paper by driving a print head while reciprocating a carrier having a print head on a surface facing a platen in a direction parallel to the platen, a ribbon is provided between the platen and the print head. In addition to the space for accommodating the ribbon cassette for supplying the print head, it is necessary to secure a space for allowing the bending of the flexible cable for driving the print head.

In other words, the cable usually has one end connected to the print head, the other end fixed to a stationary body such as the main body case, and even if the carrier moves from the fixed end to the position farthest from the fixed end, the printing is performed. The length is set to reach the head. Therefore, as the carrier approaches the fixed end of the cable, the cable gradually bends in a meandering state,
It is necessary to secure a space for allowing the cable to bend.

Therefore, in the conventional printer, the ribbon cassette is arranged at the upper position of the carrier, that is, on the side opposite to the platen, and a space is formed between the ribbon cassette and the carrier, and the space allows the cable to be bent. It is composed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional configuration, since a space allowing the bending of the cable is secured between the carrier and the ribbon cassette, the height dimension is correspondingly increased.

Then, it is conceivable to allow the bending of the cable at one end in the moving direction of the carrier, but this increases the width dimension.

Here, an object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem and to provide a printer that can be downsized.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the present invention, therefore, a carrier having a print head on a surface facing a platen is provided so as to be reciprocally movable in a direction parallel to the platen, and the platen is printed at a position above the carrier. In a printer provided with a ribbon cassette for supplying a ribbon between the head and a head, the first and second storage spaces are provided on the opposite side of the carrier from the platen at a substantially middle position of a reciprocating region of the carrier. The ribbon cassette is divided into two sections, a ribbon cassette body that stores an endless ribbon and is disposed in the first storage space, and a ribbon that is disposed outside the reciprocating region of the carrier and drawn out of the ribbon cassette body. A pair of ribbon guide portions held between the platen and the print head, and one end portion is formed in the second accommodation space. A cable, which is connected to the print head and whose other end is held above the carrier and in the vicinity of the intermediate position, is arranged in a meanderable manner.

[Operation] When the carrier reciprocates, the print head also reciprocates as the carrier moves. As the print head approaches the intermediate position of the carrier reciprocating region, the distance from the position where the other end of the cable is held to the print head becomes shorter, so that the cable meanders in the second accommodation space by that much. It is gradually bent.

Accordingly, the cable can be bent in the second housing space, that is, the cable can be bent within substantially the height of the ribbon cassette main body arranged in the first housing space and in the reciprocating movement area of the carrier. Since bending can be tolerated, the size of the device can be reduced.

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

FIG. 1 shows a main part of the printer of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a printing stand, and 2 denotes a belt-shaped rubber belt provided so as to include the printing stand 1, and these constitute a platen. Reference numeral 3 denotes a carrier frame provided above the carrier frame. The carrier frame 3 includes side frames 3A and 3B on both sides, and a connection frame 3C connecting the side frames 3A and 3B on both sides to each other.

A lead screw 11 also serving as a guide shaft is supported between the side frames 3A and 3B so as to be parallel and rotatable with respect to the stamp base 1, and is positioned at a predetermined distance from the lead screw 11. An axial guide shaft 12 is supported substantially parallel to the stamp base 1.
That is, the lead screw 11 and the guide shaft 12, which also serve as the guide shaft, are supported in parallel with the stamp base 1 and at a predetermined interval from each other.

The lead screw 11 has a male screw 13 formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and power from a motor (not shown) is applied to one end of the lead screw 11 via a timing belt 14.
A timing gear 15 for transmission to 11 is mounted. One end of a carrier 21 is attached to the male screw 13 via a nut member 22. The nut member 22 is held at one end of the carrier 21 and has an inner peripheral surface on which the lead screw 11 is attached.
Has an internal thread that meshes with the external thread 13 of the main body. Therefore, the other end of the carrier 21 can be rotated with the lead screw 11 as a fulcrum, and the carrier 21 is reciprocated in the axial direction of the lead screw 11 by the rotational driving of the lead screw 11.

A print head 23 is attached to the carrier 21 at a surface facing the stamp base 1, that is, at a substantially intermediate position on the lower surface, and the other end, that is, an end opposite to the end supported by the lead screw 11. An engagement portion 24 is formed at the bottom. The tendency portion 24 is supported by the guide shaft 12 via a gap adjusting member 31 provided rotatably on the guide shaft 12 and reciprocally movable in the axial direction of the guide shaft 12 with reciprocation of the carrier 21. Have been.

The outer peripheral surface of the gap adjusting member 31 is
12 different distances from the axis and the carrier
A cross section having a plurality of engagement surfaces 34 that are selectively elastically engaged with the engagement portions 24 of the 21 is formed in a regular polygon. Therefore, when the gap adjusting member 31 is rotated with respect to the guide shaft 12, the other end of the carrier 21 is turned around the lead screw 11 as a fulcrum according to the engaging surface 34 engaging with the engaging portion 24 of the carrier 21. It is dynamically displaced. Thereby, the gap between the rubber belt 2 and the print head 23 can be adjusted.

Both ends of the guide shaft 12 are eccentric bushes 41A,
It is supported by the side frames 3A, 3B via 41B. The eccentric bushes 41A and 41B are rotatably held by the side frames 3A and 3B, respectively, and the guide shaft 12 is eccentric with respect to its rotation axis.
Is rotatably supported. Therefore, when each of the eccentric bushes 41A and 41B is rotated, the end of the guide shaft 12 is rotationally displaced. As a result, the printing stand 1 and the print head 23
Can be adjusted to be constant at each point in the reciprocating movement region of the carrier 21.

Further, on the opposite side of the stamp stand 1 with respect to the carrier 21, that is, on the upper side of the carrier 21, the first accommodation space 51 and the second accommodation space 51 are bounded by a substantially middle position of the reciprocating region of the carrier 21. 61 are sectioned. That is, in FIG. 1, a first accommodation space 51 is formed on the right side, and a second accommodation space 61 is formed on the left side.

In the first storage space 51, a ribbon cassette main body 51 of a ribbon cassette 52 for supplying a ribbon between the rubber belt 2 and the print head 23 is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ribbon cassette 52 includes a horizontally long ribbon cassette main body 53 fixed on the connection frame 3C in the first storage space 51, and a reciprocating movement area of the carrier 21. A pair of ribbon guide portions (in this embodiment, a rectangular-shaped ribbon guide tube 54 in this embodiment) holding the ribbon drawn out of the ribbon cassette body 53 between the platen (1,2) and the print head 23. , 55). The ribbon guide cylinder 54 is a rectangular tubular ribbon guide cylinder 54 that is protruded forward from one side of the front surface of the cassette main body 53 and then bent downward at a right angle, and the cassette main body 53
Is projected parallel to the lead screw 11 from the rear side of the other side, and then bent forward at a right angle, bent downward at a right angle, and then bent downward at a right angle.

The cassette main body 53 has a form that can be arranged in the first storage space 51. An endless ribbon 56 is stored in the cassette body 53, and the ribbon 56
An ink fountain (not shown) for supplying ink is provided at 56. Ribbon 56 is one of the ribbon guide tubes
After being drawn out from the leading end openings of the ribbon guide tubes 54 and 55, the cassette body 53 passes through the leading end openings of the other ribbon guide cylinders 54 and 55 in parallel with the printing stand 1 and between the rubber belt 2 and the print head 23. It is wound up inside.

In a space formed between the other side surface of the cassette main body 53 and the ribbon guide cylinder 55, that is, in the second storage space 61, a flexible cable 62 for driving the print head 23 is arranged so as to meander. ing. One end of the flexible cable 62 is connected to the print head 23,
The other end of the carrier 21 is held by a holding member 63 near a substantially middle position of the reciprocating region of the carrier 21 and further connected to a printer driving circuit (not shown). The length of the flexible cable 62 from the holding member 63 to the print head 23 is set to a length that reaches the print head 23 when the carrier 21 reaches both ends of the reciprocating region, that is, the position farthest from the holding member 63. ing.

 Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

When the lead screw 11 is driven to rotate, the carrier 21 is reciprocated using the guide shaft 12 as a guide. Then, as the carrier 21 approaches the intermediate position of the reciprocating movement area, the distance from the holding member 63 to the print head 23 becomes shorter, so that the cable 62 gradually bends in the meandering state in the second accommodation space 61 by that much. Can be Therefore, carrier 21
The bending of the cable 62 due to the reciprocating movement of the second storage space
Within 61 can be acceptable.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, on the upper side of the carrier 21,
First and second storage spaces 51 and 61 are defined at substantially the middle position of the reciprocating region of the carrier 21, and a ribbon 56 is provided between the rubber belt 2 and the print head 23 in the first storage space 51. A ribbon cassette main body 53 to be supplied via both ribbon guide cylinders (54, 55) is arranged, and one end of the ribbon cassette main body 53 is connected to the print head 23 and the other end is formed in a reciprocating movement area of the carrier 21 in the second accommodation space 61. The cable 62 held in the vicinity of the substantially middle position of the
The bending of the cable 62 due to the reciprocating movement of the second storage space
Within 61 can be acceptable.

That is, the bending direction of the cable 62 can be within the approximate height of the ribbon cassette 52 disposed in the first storage space 51, and the width direction can be within the reciprocating region of the carrier 21. In addition, the size of the device can be reduced.

Further, the cassette main body 53 is formed in a size that is approximately half of the reciprocating movement area of the carrier 21, but since the ink fountain for supplying ink to the ribbon 56 is provided in the cassette main body 53, the life of the ribbon 56 is prevented from being shortened. can do.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the first and second storage spaces are defined on the opposite side of the platen with the carrier interposed therebetween at a substantially middle position of the reciprocating region of the carrier, A ribbon cassette body that accommodates an endless ribbon and is disposed in the first accommodating space, and a ribbon that is disposed outside the reciprocating movement area of the carrier and is drawn out of the ribbon cassette body is provided with a platen and a print head. And a pair of ribbon guides formed between a pair of ribbon guides that are held in between, and a cable whose one end is connected to the print head and whose other end is held near the intermediate position is arranged in the second housing space so as to meander. Second bending of cable due to carrier reciprocation
Can be absorbed in the accommodation space. That is, within a substantially height dimension of the ribbon cassette arranged in the first accommodation space,
In addition, since the cable can be bent in the reciprocating region of the carrier, the size of the device can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part, FIG. 2 is a view seen from the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an arrow III in FIG. It is the figure seen from the direction. 1,2 ... print stand and rubber belt (platen), 21 ... carrier, 23 ... print head, 51 ... first storage space, 53 ... ribbon cassette body, 56 ... ribbon, 61 ... second Housing space, 62 …… Flexible cable.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A ribbon having a print head on a surface facing a platen so as to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the platen, and supplying a ribbon between the platen and the print head at a position above the carrier. In a printer provided with a cassette, first and second accommodation spaces are defined on the opposite side of the carrier from the platen and at a substantially middle position of a reciprocating region of the carrier, and the ribbon cassette is endlessly formed. A ribbon cassette body that accommodates a ribbon in a shape and is arranged in the first accommodation space, and a ribbon that is arranged outside the reciprocating region of the carrier and drawn out of the ribbon cassette body is held between the platen and the print head. One end is connected to the print head and the other end is formed in the second housing space. Were disposed to be meandering cables held in the vicinity of the middle position in above said carrier, a printer that wherein the.