JP3424712B2 - Printer carriage drive mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carriage driving mechanism of a printer, and more particularly to a carriage driving mechanism of a printer such as a serial printer which can smoothly transmit the driving force of a driving motor to the carriage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a printer configured to reciprocate a carriage with a toothed belt is used as an output device for a computer, a word processor and the like.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show an example of a carriage driving mechanism of such a conventional printer. The carriage driving mechanism 1 of the conventional printer has a toothed belt 2 called a timing belt. ing. The toothed belt 2 is wound around a drive pulley 4 fixedly provided at a position outside the moving range of the carriage 3 with a space therebetween and a driven pulley 6 movably provided by a tension spring 5. The carriage 3 is fixed to a part of the toothed belt 2.

A drive gear 7 is connected to the lower end surface of the drive pulley 4. That is, the drive pulley 4 and the drive gear 7 are integrally formed. The drive pulley 4 and the drive gear 7 are rotatably supported by being fitted into a small diameter portion of a support shaft 8 whose upper end is formed with a step with a small diameter. Further, the drive pulley 4 and the drive gear 7 supported by the support shaft 8 include a stop ring arranged near the end surface connecting the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the support shaft 4 and the end surface of the small diameter portion of the support shaft 8. Positioning with respect to the axial direction is performed by 9 and 9.
In addition, the drive gear 7 includes an output shaft 10 a of the drive motor 10.
A motor gear 11 such as a pinion attached to is meshed.

According to the carriage drive mechanism 1 of the conventional printer thus configured, the drive motor 10
The toothed belt 2 can be rotated in the normal and reverse directions to reciprocate the carriage 3 in the left-right direction indicated by a double-headed arrow A in FIG.

[0006]

However, in the carriage drive mechanism 1 of the conventional printer described above,
The teeth 2a, 4a formed on the toothed belt 2, the drive pulley 4, the driven pulley 6, the drive gear 7 and the motor gear 11,
Since the tooth profile of 6a, 7a, 11a is straight,
When the driving force of the drive motor 10 is transmitted to the carriage 3, when the toothed belt 2 and the drive pulley 4 are meshed with each other, or when the drive gear 7 and the motor gear 11 are meshed with each other, that is, when the immediate teeth are meshed with each other, Periodic vibration occurs, the driving force of the drive motor 10 cannot be smoothly transmitted to the carriage 3,
There is a problem that the printing quality of the printer is deteriorated by the vibration of the tooth cycle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a carriage driving mechanism of a printer which can smoothly transmit the driving force of a driving motor to a carriage.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the features of the carriage drive mechanism of the printer according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1 are the drive pulleys and the drive pulleys arranged at intervals. A driven pulley, a toothed belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and a drive gear driven by a drive motor connected to the drive pulley, the drive gear being driven by the drive force of the drive motor. A carriage driving mechanism for a printer, which reciprocates a carriage fixed to a part of the toothed belt by rotating the driving pulley via a toothed belt, the toothed belt, a driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a driving gear. The tooth profile of each tooth is made to be helical, and the drive gear and the drive pulley are integrally formed as a two-stage structure to form a support shaft.
Rotatably supporting, and together with the the teeth of the driving gear to the teeth of the drive pulley inclination direction of stripe forms an inclined direction of the stripes in the opposite direction, the teeth of the stripes of the drive gear
Equal to the inclination angle of the drive pulley teeth
It is in the point where it was formed .

By adopting such a structure, it is possible to prevent the vibration of the tooth cycle, and the inclination directions of the lines formed in the opposite directions are in the axial direction generated in the drive pulley and the drive gear. The thrust can be eased.

The carriage drive mechanism of the printer according to the present invention is characterized in that the drive pulley and the driven pulley are arranged at intervals, and the drive pulley and the driven pulley are connected to each other. The toothed belt wound around, the drive gear connected to the drive pulley, the drive motor, and the drive shaft attached to the output shaft of the drive motor for transmitting the drive force of the drive motor to the drive gear. A motor gear that meshes with a gear, and reciprocates a carriage fixed to a part of the toothed belt by rotationally driving the drive pulley via the motor gear and the drive gear by the driving force of the drive motor. A carriage drive mechanism for a printer, wherein the tooth profile of each tooth of the toothed belt, drive pulley, driven pulley, drive gear and motor gear is removed. In addition to supporting , the drive gear and drive pulley are integrally formed as a two-stage structure and supported.
Rotatably supported by the shaft, and together with the the teeth of the driving gear to the teeth of the drive pulley inclination direction of stripe forms an inclined direction of the stripes in the opposite direction, the teeth of the drive gear
Equip the angle of inclination of the line with the angle of inclination of the tooth of the drive pulley tooth.
It is in the point that it was formed properly .

[0011] By employing such a configuration, it can be prevented more vibration of tooth period, driving
Reduces axial thrust generated on the moving pulley and drive gear
You can do it .

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

1 and 2 show a main part of an example of an embodiment of a carriage driving mechanism of a printer according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view and FIG. 2 is a part near a driving gear. It is a cutting expansion front view.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carriage driving mechanism 12 of the printer of this embodiment has a toothed belt 13 called a timing belt. The toothed belt 13 is a drive pulley 1 that is fixedly provided at a position outside the moving range of the carriage 14 at intervals.
5 and a driven pulley 17 movably provided by a tension spring 16, and a carriage 14 is fixed to a part of the toothed belt 13.

A drive gear 18 is connected to the lower end surface of the drive pulley 15. That is, the drive pulley 15 and the drive gear 18 are integrally formed in a two-stage structure . The drive pulley 15 and the drive gear 18 are rotatably supported by being fitted into a small-diameter portion of a support shaft 19 having a small-diameter stepped upper end. Further, the support shaft 1
The drive pulley 15 and the drive gear 18 supported by 9 are
The end surface connecting the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the support shaft 19 and the retaining ring 20 arranged near the end surface of the small diameter portion of the support shaft 19 perform axial positioning. A motor gear 22 such as a pinion attached to the tip of the output shaft 21a of the drive motor 21 is meshed with the drive gear 18.

The toothed belt 13, the drive pulley 15,
The teeth 13a, 15a, 17a, 18a, 22a of the driven pulley 17, the drive gear 18, and the motor gear 22 are all toothed.

Further, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, the inclining direction of the lines of the teeth 15a of the drive pulley 15 and the inclining direction of the lines of the teeth 18a of the drive gear 18 are formed in opposite directions. There is. That is, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, when the tooth 15a of the drive pulley 15 is inclined to the left, the tooth 18a of the drive gear 18 is formed to be inclined to the right.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above-mentioned structure will be described.

According to the carriage driving mechanism 12 of the printer of the present embodiment, the toothed belt 13 is rotated in the normal and reverse directions by rotating the drive motor 21 in the normal and reverse directions, and the carriage 14 is indicated by the double-headed arrow B in FIG. It can be reciprocated in the left-right direction shown.

According to the carriage driving mechanism 12 of the printer of this embodiment, the teeth 13a, 15a, 17a, 18a of the toothed belt 13, the driving pulley 15, the driven pulley 17, the driving gear 18 and the motor gear 22 are provided. 22
Since the tooth profile of "a" is entirely helical, it is possible to reliably prevent the vibration of the tooth cycle that occurs when the conventional teeth of the rear are engaged. That is, each tooth 13a, 15a, 1
By using 7a, 18a, and 22a as the teeth, the number of teeth that mesh at the same time at the time of meshing can be plural, and rattling at the time of shifting from meshing of one tooth to meshing of the next tooth can be reliably prevented. .

Further, the teeth 15a of the drive pulley 15 and the teeth 18a of the drive gear 18 are formed in opposite directions, so that the teeth 15a of the drive pulley 15 and the teeth 18a of the drive gear 18 are opposed to each other. Since the direction of the axial thrust generated in the thin drive gear 18 can be made opposite to the direction of the axial thrust generated in the drive pulley 1,
It is possible to reliably reduce the axial thrust generated in the drive gear 5 and the drive gear 18. Then, by mitigating the axial thrust generated in the drive pulley 15 and the drive gear 18, abrasion of the end faces of the drive pulley 15 and the drive gear 18 caused by the axial thrust is prevented, and the reliability is high for a long period of time. You can get sex.

It is to be noted that it is necessary to form the line 15a of the drive pulley 15 and the line 18a of the drive gear 18 at the same inclination angle in the axial direction of the drive pulley 15 and the drive gear 18. Is most preferable for alleviating the thrust of.

Therefore, according to the carriage driving mechanism 12 of the printer of the present embodiment, the driving force of the driving motor can be smoothly transmitted to the carriage, and the printing quality of the printer can be surely improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be modified as necessary.

[0027]

As described above, according to the carriage drive mechanism of the printer of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the vibration of the tooth cycle by making the tooth profile of the tooth so that the drive motor is driven. This has an excellent effect that the force can be smoothly transmitted to the carriage and the printing quality of the printer can be improved.

Further, the inclination directions of the drive gear teeth and the drive pulley teeth are formed in opposite directions , and the inclination angle of the drive gear teeth is set.
And the angle of inclination of the drive pulley teeth are made equal
As a result, the thrust in the axial direction of the drive pulley and the drive gear that occurs when the tooth profile is spread can be mitigated, so that there is an excellent effect that high reliability can be obtained for a long period of time. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a main part of an example of an embodiment of a carriage driving mechanism of a printer according to the invention.

2 is a partially cutaway enlarged front view of the vicinity of the drive gear of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a main part of a carriage driving mechanism of a conventional printer.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a part of the drive gear shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 Printer carriage drive mechanism 13 toothed belt 13a teeth (of a toothed belt) 14 carriage 15 Drive pulley 15a teeth (of drive pulley) 17 Driven pulley 17a teeth (of the driven pulley) 18 Drive gear 18a (drive gear) teeth 21 Drive motor 22 Motor gear 22a (motor gear) teeth

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-330853 (JP, A) JP-A-4-152169 (JP, A) Actually opened 61-47140 (JP, U) Actually opened 60- 123251 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 19/20

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A drive pulley and a driven pulley arranged at intervals, a toothed belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and a drive driven by a drive motor connected to the drive pulley. A carriage drive mechanism of a printer, which has a gear and reciprocates a carriage fixed to a part of the toothed belt by rotationally driving the drive pulley via the drive gear by the drive force of the drive motor. The toothed belt, the drive pulley, the driven pulley, and the drive gear each have a tooth profile of a tooth, and the drive gear and the drive pulley are integrally formed as a two-stage structure and supported.
The drive gear is rotatably supported by the holding shaft , and the driving gear teeth are inclined in opposite directions, and the driving gear teeth are inclined in opposite directions .
The inclination angle of the line and the inclination angle of the line of the teeth of the drive pulley
A carriage drive mechanism for a printer, characterized in that they are formed equally . 2. A drive pulley and a driven pulley arranged at intervals, a toothed belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, a drive gear connected to the drive pulley, and a drive motor. A motor gear that is attached to the output shaft of the drive motor and meshes with the drive gear to transmit the drive force of the drive motor to the drive gear,
A carriage drive mechanism of a printer, which reciprocates a carriage fixed to a part of the toothed belt by rotationally driving the drive pulley via the motor gear and the drive gear by the drive force of the drive motor, The teeth of the toothed belt, the drive pulley, the driven pulley, the drive gear, and the motor gear have a tooth profile, and the drive gear and the drive pulley are integrally formed as a two-stage structure so as to be rotatable about a support shaft. supporting, and together with the the teeth of the driving gear to the teeth of the drive pulley inclination direction of stripe forms an inclined direction of the stripes in the opposite direction, the
The inclination angle of the drive gear teeth and the drive pulley teeth
A carriage driving mechanism for a printer, wherein the same inclination angle is formed .