JP4473377B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus such as a thermal printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a printing apparatus such as a thermal printer, as shown in FIG. 4, an ink ribbon 2 is superimposed on a recording paper 1 wound on a roll, and the recording paper and the ink ribbon 2 are connected to a platen roller 3. While being sandwiched between the print heads 4 and feeding them by the platen roller 3, the ink on the ink ribbon 2 is thermally transferred to the recording paper 1 for recording.
[0003]
On the other hand, the ink ribbon 2 is stretched between a supply bobbin 5 around which the unused ink ribbon 2 is wound and a take-up bobbin 6 that winds up the used ink ribbon. 5 and the take-up bobbin 6 are attached to the bracket 7 by being fitted to a rotary drive shaft 8 and a driven shaft 9 provided on the bracket 7 to which the print head 4 is attached.
[0004]
A ribbon guide roller 10 that guides the ink ribbon 2 is rotatably provided below the rear portion of the print head 4, and is provided below the ribbon guide roller 10, so that the recording paper 1 Is provided with a recording paper guide roller 11 for feeding the ink to the platen roller 3 while being separated from the ink ribbon 2.
[0005]
The print head 4 and the bracket 7 are separated from the platen roller 3 (upward in the illustrated example) with one end in the width direction as the center in a plane orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording paper 1. The recording paper guide roller 11 swings on the print head 4 (or the bracket 7 to which the print head 4 is attached) at the end of the print head 4 on the swing center side. The other end (that is, the swinging end) of the recording paper guide roller 11 is detachably supported by a stay 12 that is suspended below the print head 4. .
The stay 12 is formed with a locking groove 13 into which the recording paper guide roller 11 is fitted and locked from below, and when a predetermined load is applied to the recording paper guide roller 11 downward. The recording paper guide roller 11 is supported in such a fitting relationship that the recording paper guide roller 11 can be detached.
[0006]
In such a conventional printing apparatus, when the ink ribbon 2 is used up, an operation of attaching a new ink ribbon 2 is required after the used ink ribbon 2 is removed.
As shown in FIG. 5, after the print head 4 is swung away from the platen roller 3, the other end of the recording paper guide roller 11 is moved to the stay as shown by a broken line in FIG. 12, and the other end side of the recording paper guide roller 11 is opened to secure an ink ribbon insertion path. Then, as shown by a chain line in FIG. 5, a new ink ribbon 2 is inserted into the recording paper. 5 is inserted through the gap between the guide roller 11 and the stay 12, and the supply bobbin 5 and the take-up bobbin 6 are fixed to the driven shaft 9 and the rotary drive shaft 8, and the ink ribbon 2 is not loosened. As shown by a solid line, after the ink ribbon 2 is brought into contact with the ribbon guide roller 10, the recording paper guide roller 11 is engaged with the stay 12 again.
Then, after the ink ribbon 2 is replaced, the recording head 1 is pressed by the recording sheet guide roller 11 as shown in FIG. 4 by swinging the print head 4 toward the original position. At the same time, the recording paper 1 and the ink ribbon 2 are separated and returned to use.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in such a conventional ink ribbon support device, when the ink ribbon 2 is replaced, a new ink is kept in a state where the recording paper guide roller 11 is engaged with the stay 12 for some reason. It is assumed that the ribbon 2 is inserted.
When the ink ribbon 2 is inserted below the print head 4 with the recording paper guide roller 11 engaged with the stay 12 as described above, the ink ribbon 2 is indicated by a line 5. Thus, the ink ribbon 2 and the recording paper 1 are placed under the recording paper guide roller 11 at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 5 when the print head 4 is returned to a printable state. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the recording paper guide roller 11 and the platen roller 3 are transported in an overlapping state.
In this way, when the recording paper 1 and the ink ribbon 2 are transported in a state where they overlap each other for a long distance, unnecessary ink adheres to the recording paper 1 during the transportation, and the recording paper 1 is soiled and the print quality is improved. There is a problem that it decreases.
[0008]
SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a printing apparatus capable of reliably mounting an ink ribbon at a proper position when the ink ribbon is mounted. .
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the printing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is supplied between the print head and the platen roller so as to surround the rear, lower and front of the print head. A printing apparatus which performs printing while feeding an ink ribbon and a recording paper opposed to the lower side of the ink ribbon in an overlapped state, wherein the print head is arranged in a conveyance direction of the recording paper. A ribbon guide roller that guides the ink ribbon is provided at a lower portion of the print head, and is spaced below the ribbon guide roller. And a recording paper guide roller for guiding the recording paper, and the recording paper guide roller at one end of the recording paper guide roller. Together swingably provided de and the other end, is detachably supported by the print head, it adapted to form the mounting path of said ink ribbon in a state of being is disengaged from the print head, also The print head is provided with a pressing member that is brought into contact with the other end portion of the recording paper guide roller and separates the other end portion of the recording paper guide roller from the print head. .
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printing device according to the first aspect, the pressing member according to the first aspect has a pair of substantially parallel guide grooves formed along a direction in which the recording paper guide roller is separated. The first guide pin provided in the print head and the second guide pin provided integrally with the end portion of the ribbon guide roller are slidably fitted in these guide grooves. Thus, the pressing member is supported by the print head, and the moving direction thereof is restricted.
Furthermore, the printing apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention is a support for the pressing member according to claim 1 or 2 to swing the print head away from the platen roller. It is characterized by.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
In the following description, the same parts as those in FIGS. 4 to 6 will be simplified by using the same reference numerals.
[0011]
The printing apparatus according to this embodiment includes an ink ribbon 2 that is supplied between the print head 4 and the platen roller 3 so as to surround the rear, lower, and front of the print head 4, and the ink ribbon 2. A printing apparatus that performs printing while feeding the recording paper 1 that is opposed to the lower side in an overlapped state, wherein the print head 4 is centered on one side of the recording paper 1 in the conveyance direction. A ribbon guide roller 10 that guides the ink ribbon 2 is provided below the print head 4 and is spaced below the ribbon guide roller 10. And a recording paper guide roller 11 that guides the recording paper 1, and the recording paper guide roller 11 has the mark at one end thereof. With the head 4 provided swingably, a state where the other end, is detachably supported on the locking groove 13 of the stay 12 which is provided continuously to the print head 4, was allowed to leave from the stay 12 And the other end portion of the recording paper guide roller 11 is brought into contact with the other end portion of the recording paper guide roller 11. Is a basic structure provided with a pressing member 20 for separating the ink from the print head 4.
[0012]
Next, to describe these details, the pressing member 20 is provided on the side portion of the print head 4 so as to be slidable along the swinging direction of the print head 4 (vertical direction in the illustrated example). A pressing piece 21 to which a user's finger or the like is applied when operating the pressing member 20 is integrally formed at the upper end portion, and the swing end of the recording paper guide roller 11 is formed at the lower end portion. A recess 22 is formed in which the portion is fitted from the side opposite to the opening of the locking groove 13 (that is, from above).
[0013]
The pressing member 20 is formed with a pair of substantially parallel guide grooves 23 and 24 formed along the direction in which the recording paper guide roller 11 is separated from the stay 12. The first guide pin 25 provided on the print head 4 and the second guide pin 26 provided integrally on the end of the ribbon guide roller 10 are slidably fitted to each other. The pressing member 20 is supported by the print head 4 and its moving direction is restricted.
A stopper member such as a washer (not shown) is attached to the distal end portion of each guide pin 25 and 26 to prevent the pressing member 20 from being detached.
[0014]
Next, the operation of the printing apparatus according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described.
In the printable state as shown in FIG. 1, the print head 4 is held at a position where it is brought into contact with the platen roller 3, and the recording paper guide roller 11 is locked to the stay 12. Is guided to the platen roller 3 through the ribbon guide roller 10, and further, the recording paper 1 is guided to the platen roller 3 in a state where the recording paper 1 is separated from the ink ribbon 2 by the recording paper guide roller 11. The ink ribbon 2 is in contact with the ink ribbon 2.
[0015]
Next, an operation when the ink ribbon 2 is used up and replaced with a new ink ribbon 2 will be described.
It can be considered that all of the used ink ribbon 2 is wound around the take-up bobbin 6 and that the end portion of the ink ribbon 2 is connected to the supply bobbin 5.
Here, in the former case, it is possible to remove the used ink ribbon 2 in the state shown in FIG. 1, but in the latter case, the ink ribbon 2 is attached to the print head 4 or the stay 12. In addition, since it is surrounded by the recording paper guide roller 11, it cannot be removed in the state of FIG.
Therefore, it is necessary to swing the print head 4 upward and to disengage the other end of the recording paper guide roller 11 from the stay 12 to form a mounting path for the ink ribbon 2 below the stay 12.
[0016]
In order to secure such a mounting path, in the present embodiment, an operation of lifting the print head 4 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 may be performed using the pressing piece 21 of the pressing member 20 as a support.
By such an operation, the print head 4 and the stay 12 are swung upward as shown in FIG. 2, but since the pressing member 20 is pressed to the original position, the pressing member 20 The recording paper guide roller 11 that is in contact is also held in its original position.
As a result, the recording paper guide roller 11 is pulled out of the locking groove 13 of the stay 12 and the engagement with the stay 12 is forcibly released as shown in FIG.
[0017]
Further, when the print head 4 is swung upward, the recording paper guide roller 11 is held at the lower position by its own weight. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12 is greatly opened.
[0018]
Therefore, the used ink ribbon 2 can be removed from between the recording paper guide roller 11 and the stay 12, and a new ink ribbon 2 can be remounted.
As described above, when the print head 4 is swung, the recording paper guide roller 11 is forcibly separated from the stay 12 and a large gap is formed between them. 2 can be reliably inserted between the ribbon guide roller 10 and the recording paper guide roller 11 to prevent erroneous mounting.
[0019]
After the new ink ribbon 2 is mounted in this manner, the ink ribbon 2 is removed from looseness and the ink ribbon 2 is brought into contact with the ribbon guide roller 10, and then the print head 4 is brought into contact with the platen roller 3. Swing it to the position where it will be fixed.
During the fixing operation of the print head 4, the stay 12 is moved toward the recording paper guide roller 11, and simultaneously with the fixing of the print head 4, the recording paper guide roller 11 is inserted into the locking groove 13 of the stay 12. By being engaged, the printable state as shown in FIG. 1 is restored.
[0020]
As described above, in the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, when the ink ribbon 2 is mounted, the mounting path of the ink ribbon 2 is forcibly formed so that the ink ribbon 2 is surely placed at a normal position. Can be installed.
[0021]
Note that the shapes, dimensions, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above embodiment are merely examples, and various changes can be made based on design requirements and the like.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the ink ribbon support device of any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the ink ribbon mounting path is forcibly formed when the ink ribbon is mounted. The ink ribbon can be securely attached to the regular position.
As a result, contact between the ink ribbon and the recording paper at an unnecessary position can be prevented, so that the recording paper can be prevented from being soiled and the printing quality can be ensured.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a main part showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a schematic side view of a main part showing an initial stage in which a print head is swung.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an essential part showing an intermediate stage in which the print head is swung according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a main part showing a conventional example.
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a main part showing an intermediate stage in which a print head is swung, showing a conventional example.
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a state where an ink ribbon is erroneously mounted, showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording paper 2 Ink ribbon 3 Platen roller 4 Print head 5 Supply bobbin 6 Take-up bobbin 7 Bracket 8 Rotation drive shaft 9 Driven shaft 10 Ribbon guide roller 11 Recording paper guide roller 12 Stay 13 Locking groove 20 Press member 21 Press piece 22 Recess 23 Guide groove 24 Guide groove 25 First guide pin 26 Second guide pin

Claims (3)

A state in which an ink ribbon supplied so as to surround the back, bottom, and front of the print head and a recording paper opposed to the bottom of the ink ribbon are overlapped between the print head and the platen roller The printing apparatus is configured to perform printing while being fed in, wherein the print head is provided so as to be swingable in a direction away from the platen roller around one side portion in the conveyance direction of the recording paper. A ribbon guide roller that guides the ink ribbon, and a recording paper guide roller that guides the recording paper and is provided below the ribbon guide roller at an interval below the print head.
The recording paper guide roller is provided at one end portion thereof so as to be swingable to the print head, and the other end portion is supported by the print head so as to be detachable,
A mounting path for the ink ribbon is formed in a state of being separated from the print head, and the recording paper guide is brought into contact with the other end of the recording paper guide roller. A printing apparatus comprising a pressing member for separating the other end of the roller from the print head. The pressing member is formed with a pair of substantially parallel guide grooves formed along a direction in which the recording paper guide roller is separated, and a first guide pin provided in the print head is formed in the guide grooves. The second guide pin provided integrally with the end portion of the ribbon guide roller is slidably fitted, whereby the pressing member is supported by the print head and its moving direction is restricted. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is provided. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a support for swinging the print head so as to be separated from the platen roller.

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