JP3725952B2 - Head pressure variable device for label printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention particularly relates to a head pressure variable device for a label printer using a thermal head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As conventional head pressure variable devices, for example, those shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 are known.
[0003]
The head pressure varying device 1 mainly includes a print head support member 4 that is rotatably supported by a head shaft 2, a thermal head (print head) 6 provided at the tip of the print head support member 4, and a cam. It comprises a pair of pressing cams 12a and 12b that are rotatably supported on the shaft 10.
[0004]
As shown mainly in FIG. 5, a label L as a medium to be printed is sandwiched between the print head 6 and the platen roller 8, and the print head support member 4 is rotated about the head shaft 2 as a fulcrum, thereby the platen roller 8. After the print head 6 is positioned at the opposite position, the pressing cams 12a and 12b are rotated around the cam shaft 10 and pressed against the print head support member 4 from above, thereby pressing the print head 6 against the print head 6. Is supposed to be granted. Then, desired information is printed on the label L via the print head 6 while the label L is sandwiched and conveyed between the print head 6 and the platen roller 8.
[0005]
By the way, the pressing force on the print head 6 has a significant effect on the printing quality of characters, symbols, etc. Generally, when the pressing force is large, the printing density of characters, symbols, etc. to be printed becomes darker. In addition, it is known that the print density decreases when the pressing force is small.
[0006]
For this reason, in order to set the print quality of characters and symbols to an appropriate print density, the left and right (left and right in FIG. 6) pair of pressing cams 12a and 12b are finely adjusted to increase or decrease the pressing force of the entire print head 6. In order to eliminate uneven printing density, it is necessary to adjust the pressure cams 12a and 12b separately to make the left and right balance of the head pressure with respect to the print head 6 uniform.
[0007]
However, in particular, there are many types of labels and tags to be output, and in label printers that frequently print and output a plurality of types of labels L, the label width differs depending on the type. Each time it was switched to L, pressure adjustment was necessary. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, even if the pressing cams 12a and 12b are adjusted so that the pressure distribution (not shown) is bilaterally (left and right in FIG. 6) symmetrical to the wide label L1 as shown in FIG. If the label L2 is changed to a narrow label L2, the pressure distribution (not shown) is different, which causes printing unevenness. Therefore, adjustment according to the narrow label L2 is necessary. In a label printer that changes to the above, there is a need to easily change the head pressure in accordance with the width of the label.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problems. A label printer head pressure adjusting device that can easily adjust the print head to an appropriate head pressure even when the width of the label changes. The issue is to provide.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been focused on the above-described problem, and a label printer that holds a print-receiving medium temporarily attached with a label on a mount by a platen roller and a print head, and prints the label with the print head. The guide member is provided adjacent to and opposed to the print head and has a guide groove formed along the width direction of the label, and is formed at an appropriate position in the width direction of the label near the guide groove of the guide member. A scale for a head pressure index , provided at a position where the print head is pressed against the platen roller, and is movable along the guide groove of the guide member, and between the guide member and the print head. between, and a single biasing the moving body applying a pressing force to the print head, the biasing mobile, by moving to the desired index position of the scale part, printing Is a variable you shall in head pressure to meet the head pressure on the index for the head.
Further, the urging movable body has a top shape, and can be configured such that the upper end portion of the top-shaped shaft portion is inserted through the guide groove of the guide member and protrudes to the outside.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, a head pressure variable device for a label printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0015]
In addition, about the part similar to the past, it attaches | subjects the same code | symbol and abbreviate | omits duplication description.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the head pressure varying device 20, and mainly includes a print head 22, a support member 24, a guide member 26, and an urging moving body 28.
[0017]
The print head 22 is pressed against the platen roller 8, and a known thermal head is used.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of support members 24 are provided at the left and right end portions of the print head 22 so as to support the print head 22 and position the print head 22 and the guide member 26 at a predetermined distance. It has become.
[0019]
The guide member 26 has a U-shaped cross section and is provided on the print head 22 so as to be close to and opposed to the print head 22 via the support member 24.
[0020]
A guide groove 30 is formed in the guide member 26 along the width direction of the label L (the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 1). Further, a head pressure is provided at an appropriate position in the width direction of the guide groove 30. An index scale 32 is provided.
[0021]
The urging moving body 28 has a shape like a top, and a spring 34 as urging means is provided on the peripheral surface. Then, the upper end portion 28a of the shaft portion of the frame-shaped urging moving body 28 is inserted through the guide groove 30 of the guide member 26 and protrudes to the outside, and the lower end portion is in contact with the print head 22, and the print head 22 22 and the guide member 26.
[0022]
The urging force is applied to the spring 34 of the urging moving body 28 in a direction that spreads outward between the print head 22 and the guide member 26. Therefore, the urging moving body 28 causes the print head 22 to move to the platen roller 8. A pressing force that can be pressed is obtained, and an urging force at a position where the urging moving body 28 is placed is large and acts on the print head 22.
[0023]
Further, the biasing moving body 28 has the shaft portion protruding from the guide groove 30 of the guide member 26 with the finger at the upper end 28a, and in the pinched state, along the guide groove 30 in the width direction of the label L (the arrow in FIG. 1). (In the direction indicated by X), the urging moving body 28 can be easily moved from the outside.
[0024]
Further, the urging moving body 28 moves along the guide groove 30 in a state where the lower end portion abuts on the print head 22 and the spring 34 has a pressing force to press the print head 22 against the platen roller 8. Since the head pressure applied to the print head 22 at the position where the urging moving body 28 is placed is increased, the head pressure can be varied by an external operation.
[0025]
Further, the scale portion 32 of the guide member 26 is provided at a position where the pressure distribution of the head pressure applied to the print head 22 is suitable when the biasing moving body 28 moves along the guide groove 30. By providing a position suitable for the frequently used label L as the scale portion 32, the head pressure can be easily changed to a balanced head suitable for the label of the width.
[0026]
In order to vary the head pressure of the print head 22 with respect to the label L with such a head pressure varying device 20, it is only necessary to move the urging moving body 28 along the guide groove 30. As shown in FIG. When the label L1 is used, when the print head 22 is positioned in the width direction (the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 3), that is, near the center of the label L1, the biasing force of the biasing moving body 28 is applied to the print head 22. Since it acts near the center, the pressure distribution is almost symmetrical.
[0027]
By setting the position of the biasing moving body 28 as the scale portion 32 of the guide member 26, an appropriate variable position in this kind of label L1 can be easily obtained.
[0028]
Next, when using a narrow label (not shown), if the urging moving body 28 is moved to the vicinity of the center of the narrow label (not shown) (the position of the phantom line in FIG. 3), the narrow label is formed. On the other hand, the pressure distribution is close to symmetry.
[0029]
As described above, by moving the urging moving body 28 along the guide groove 30 of the guide member 26, the head pressure of the print head 22 can be easily changed, and a preferable pressure distribution can be obtained by a simple operation. .
[0030]
FIG. 4 shows a head pressure varying device 40 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and two urging moving bodies 28 are provided. That is, a pair of urging moving bodies 28 that move along the guide grooves 30 of the guide member 26 are provided between the print head 22 and the guide member 26, and each of the urging moving bodies 28b and 28c has an upper end portion. It can be moved by pinching 28a.
[0031]
Since the plurality of urging moving bodies 28b and 28c are movable along the guide groove 30, the urging force at the position where each of the urging moving bodies 28b and 28c is large acts on the print head 22. The left and right balance (left and right in FIG. 4) is easier to adjust than when the urging moving body 28 is single.
[0032]
Other operations and effects are the same as in the previous embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the single urging moving body that applies the pressing force to the print head between the guide member and the print head moves along the guide groove of the guide member, and the scale portion Since the head pressure for the print head can be easily changed to a head pressure corresponding to the index by moving to a desired index position, there is an effect that a preferable pressure distribution with balanced left and right can be obtained with a simple operation.
Also, if the urging moving body has a top shape, and the top end of the top shaft portion is inserted through the guide groove of the guide member and protrudes to the outside, the top end of the shaft portion is pinched with fingers and pinched Therefore, the biasing member can be easily moved from the outside.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a head pressure varying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view taken along the arrow 〓-〓 line in FIG. Fig. 4 is a front sectional view taken along line 〓-〓 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 3 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a side view of a conventional head pressure variable device. Fig. 7 is a front view when the wide label L1 is mounted. Fig. 7 is a front view when the narrow label L2 is mounted.
L Print medium (label)
L1 Wide label L2 Narrow label X Label width direction 8 Platen roller 20 Head pressure variable device (first embodiment)
Reference numeral 22 Print head 24 Support member 26 Guide member 28 Biasing moving body 28a Upper end portion 30 of biasing moving body 28 Guide groove 32 Scale portion 34 Biasing means (spring)
40 Head Pressure Variable Device (Second Embodiment)
28b Energizing moving body 28c Energizing moving body

Claims (2)

In a label printer in which a printing medium on which a label is temporarily attached is sandwiched between a platen roller and a printing head, and printing is performed on the label by the printing head, the printing medium is provided close to and opposed to the printing head. A guide member formed with a guide groove along the width direction of the sheet, a scale portion for a head pressure index formed at an appropriate position in the width direction of the label in the vicinity of the guide groove of the guide member, and the print head with the platen roller And a position that is movable along the guide groove of the guide member, and that applies a pressing force to the print head between the guide member and the print head. and a biasing mobile, the biasing mobile, by moving to the desired index position of the scale part, the head pressure to meet the head pressure for the print head to the index Head pressure variable unit of the label printer, wherein variable to Rukoto. 2. The label according to claim 1, wherein the biasing moving body has a top-like shape, and the top end portion of the top-like shaft portion is inserted through the guide groove of the guide member and protrudes to the outside. Printer head pressure variable device.

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