JP4536643B2 - Printer and roll paper container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a roll paper storage body used in the printer and the printer.

  An example of a device having a structure for pulling out roll paper is a printer. The printer includes a paper feed mechanism, a printing mechanism, a cutter mechanism, and the like. In order to ensure stable printing quality, the load of the roll paper needs to be stable. In order to reduce the weight and size of the printing apparatus, it is desirable to use a small and low torque motor.

  At present, the roll paper holding structure in equipment using roll paper is roughly divided into a method of placing the roll paper inside the printer, that is, a throwing method, and a method of attaching a dedicated shaft through the roll paper, that is, a shaft. There is a support system.

  In the throw-in type, roll paper is thrown into a roll paper storage portion having a substantially semicircular shape, and the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper is brought into contact with and supported by the inner peripheral surface of the roll paper storage portion. This system is easy to handle and has a simple structure in that the roll paper can be set simply by throwing the roll paper into the roll paper storage section. However, in the case of the throw-in method, the roll paper itself can freely move in the roll paper storage unit, so when the roll paper is pulled out, it moves so that the roll paper itself is pulled in the pull-out direction, and then rolls. Return to the original position while sliding on the inner wall of the paper storage unit. When printing is performed for a long time, the roll paper is repeatedly moved every time the roll paper is pulled. For this reason, in this structure, the force for pulling out the roll paper is not stable, and the load caused by the movement of the roll paper becomes the torque required for the paper feed mechanism, and a high torque motor is required.

  Therefore, a shaft support type has been proposed. Generally, the shaft support type uses a cylindrical core member, for example, a roll paper having a paper core at the center, and the roll paper is held by inserting a holding shaft into the paper core. The roll paper storage unit is not in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper held in this manner. As a result, the roll paper does not move as in the throw-in method, and no unnecessary torque is required.

  However, each time the roll paper is replaced, it is necessary to remove the paper core from the holding shaft and insert the holding shaft into the new roll paper core. Work becomes complicated. Further, a separate mechanism for holding the roll paper composed of a holding shaft or the like is required, and the number of parts increases.

  Thus, another example of the shaft support system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, in a state in which a support shaft with a flange is fitted in the core portion of the center of the roll paper, the roll paper is thrown into a roll paper holding frame with a straight cut and has a protrusion. There has been proposed a roll paper storage unit having a structure in which a spindle is pressed and fixed from above with a lid.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-14050

  However, the method described in Patent Document 1 requires a material different from that of roll paper, although the number of parts is reduced in that it does not use a paper core that is necessary for a general shaft support method. The point which requires the exclusive holding shaft which requires a completely separate manufacturing facility, and the point that the setting operation | work of roll paper is complicated are not eliminated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer and a roll paper container having a simple structure in which the number of parts is small and roll paper can be set easily.

In the printer of the present invention, a hopper in which a roll paper storage body capable of selectively storing any one of a plurality of roll papers having different paper widths is set, and a printing mechanism for printing on the roll paper, A roll paper in which a plurality of roll papers having different paper widths include a pair of protrusions protruding on both sides in the paper width direction of the roll paper, and the length between the protrusions of the pair of protrusions is the maximum paper width. A core member having a common length longer than the paper width of the paper sheet, and the roll paper storage body is provided on a bottom wall disposed below the hopper and on both sides of the bottom wall in the paper width direction. A pair of side walls having inner surfaces that are erected and opposed to each other, with an upper end portion that is opposite to the bottom wall of the inner surfaces facing each other, facing the opposite side of the bottom wall Presenting an open U-shape and mutual in the paper width direction A roll having the largest paper width among a plurality of roll papers that are formed with U-shaped grooves that are opposed to each other and that hold the protrusions, and the inner surfaces of the side walls that face each other can be stored in the roll paper storage body. The protrusions of the core member of the roll paper in an initial state that is set larger than the paper width and has a maximum radius among the plurality of roll papers that can be stored in the roll paper storage body are respectively held in the U-shaped grooves. In this state, the height from the upper surface of the bottom wall to the central axis of the core member is set larger than the radius of the roll paper.

The roll paper container of the present invention is used in the printer.

  According to the present invention, the roll paper core member including the long paper and the core member around which the paper is wound is longer than the paper width of the paper and is predetermined from both ends of the paper being wound. Therefore, the roll paper can be easily attached to the roll paper storage section having a simple structure without requiring a dedicated support shaft.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1A is a front view showing a roll paper 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. First, the structure of the roll paper 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The roll paper 1 is used for a receipt printer 4 (see FIG. 4), and is composed of a cylindrical core member 12 and a long thermal paper 11. The roll paper 1 is manufactured by applying an adhesive or the like at the beginning of winding of the long thermal paper 11, pasting it on the center of the core member 12, and winding it. Cardboard or the like is used for the core member 12. At this time, the core member 12 is longer than the paper width X of the thermal paper 11, and has a length that protrudes from the both ends of the paper width X by a length Y when the thermal paper 11 is wound around the core member 12. A protruding portion of the core member 12 is referred to as a protruding portion 13 separately.

  Usually, the paper width X of the thermal paper 11 used for the receipt is a standardized length such as 58 mm or 80 mm, for example. At this time, if the length of the core member 12 is determined in accordance with the maximum paper width X of the thermal paper 11 to be used, the core member having the same length can be used if the roll paper 1 of the thermal paper 11 having a shorter paper width is desired. 12 can also be used. At this time, the length Y of the protrusion 13 protruding from the thermal paper 11 is longer than that of the thermal paper 11 having the maximum paper width.

  In addition, about the said roll paper 1, the core member 12 of predetermined length was prepared first, and the case where the thermal paper 11 of a standard width was wound around it was demonstrated. If a plurality of roll papers 1 are produced by winding a wide thermal paper 11 around a long core member 12 and then cutting to a predetermined length, the roll paper 1 has no protrusion 13; That is, the roll paper is produced in a cylindrical shape including the core member. In that case, a protruding member that takes into account the length Y of the protruding portion 13 is prepared separately, and is fitted into the core member 12 of the cut roll paper to prepare the protruding portion 13. The protruding member at this time has a length that varies depending on the paper width.

  Next, the structure of the roll paper storage unit 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  2 is a front view (a) showing a schematic structure of a roll paper storage unit 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a longitudinal side view (b) thereof. FIG. 3 is a roll paper storage unit shown in FIG. 2 is a front view (a) showing a state in which the roll paper 1 shown in FIG. 1 is installed, and a longitudinal side view (b) thereof.

  The roll paper storage unit 2 is a frame structure having a U-shaped groove 22 on the inner wall at the top of the frame 21. Basically, the U-shaped groove 22 allows the core member 12 of the roll paper 1 to turn freely by hooking the protruding portion 13 of the roll paper 1 when the roll paper 1 is installed from above the roll paper storage unit 2. It has a supporting structure. Here, a portion located outside the U-shaped groove 22 is separately referred to as a restriction portion 24.

  The U-shaped groove 22 is formed with the same curvature and the same diameter as the outer diameter of the core member 12 of the roll paper 1. However, the diameter of the U-shaped groove 22 is slightly larger than the diameter of the core member 12 so that the core member 12 can be rotated in a state where the core member 12 is placed. Further, the horizontal depth a of the U-shaped groove may be formed to such a depth that the protruding portion 13 of the roll paper 1 is caught, and between the restricting portions 24 opposite to the length of the support member 12 of the roll paper 1. By forming the distance Z so as to be substantially the same, the axial movement of the core member 12 can be restricted. The vertical depth d of the U-shaped groove 22 only needs to be high enough to restrict the axial movement of the core member 12 of the roll paper 1. In the present embodiment, the depth is about the radius of the core member 12 and the depth is such that the lower half of the core member 12 is supported when the roll paper 1 is placed.

  The U-shaped groove 22 may have another shape as long as it can rotatably support the protruding portion 13 of the core member 12. In the present embodiment, the structure has been described in which the frame 21, the U-groove 22, and the restricting portion 24 are integrally formed. For example, the U-shaped groove 22 is formed through the thin frame 21, A structure in which a restricting portion 24 is separately formed outside the U-shaped groove 22 is also possible.

  Next, internal dimensions other than the U-shaped groove 22 of the roll paper storage unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the length of the core member 12 of the roll paper 1 is constant, and the roll paper 1 is formed by winding the thermal paper 11 having a different paper width around the core member 12. Regardless of the width of the roll paper 1 installed in the U-shaped groove 22, the core member 12 does not move in the axial direction, and the distance b between the roll paper 1 and the inner wall 23 of the roll paper storage unit 2; The frame 21 is formed in such a size that a space (distance c) is formed between the roll paper 1 and the lower surface of the roll paper storage unit 2.

  That is, as described above, the inner dimension between the frames 21 when the roll paper storage unit 2 is viewed from the front is determined by the length of the core member 12 of the roll paper 1 in consideration of the maximum paper width of the thermal paper 11 to be used. Since the paper width X, the length a of the horizontal depth of the U-shaped groove 22 and the distance b between the roll paper 1 and the inner wall 23 are determined, the dimensions are naturally determined.

  Further, as described above, the inner dimension of the frame 21 in the height direction is such that when the roll paper 1 is set in the U-shaped groove 22, the lower part of the roll paper 1 and the roll paper storage portion are configured to be able to rotate. The length is determined so that a space (distance c) is formed between the bottom surface of the two.

  That is, the inner height f of the frame 21 is at least the length obtained by adding the radius c of the unused roll paper 1 and the distance c between the lower part of the roll paper 1 and the bottom surface of the roll paper storage unit 2. is necessary.

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing application of the roll paper 1 and the roll paper storage unit 2 to the thermal printer 4 for receipt printing according to the embodiment of the present invention. The thermal printer 4 is shown with the top cover 42 open. The printer main body 41 includes a hopper 43 in which the roll paper 1 is stored, a platen roller 49 and a thermal head 44 as a printing mechanism, a cutter 45 for cutting the roll paper, a paper sensor 46 for detecting the roll paper 1 being out of paper, and the like. Prepare.

  The roll paper storage unit 2 is installed in the hopper 43, the roll paper 1 is set in the roll paper storage unit 2, the sheet of the thermal paper 11 extending from the roll paper 1 is led out to the platen roller 49, and the upper cover 42 is connected to the printer main body 41. Then, the upper cover 42 is further pushed down until the set lever 48 moves to the lock position, and the upper cover 42 and the printer main body 41 are held in a locked state, whereby the setting of the roll paper 1 or the like is completed.

  The thermal printer 4 includes a thermal head 44 in which heating elements (not shown) are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the thermal paper 11. The thermal printer 4 sandwiches the thermal paper 11 and an ink ribbon (not shown) by a thermal head 44 and a platen roller 49 facing the thermal head 44, and a heating element of the thermal head 44 is brought into contact with the ink ribbon. Then, the platen roller 49 is rotated by a drive motor (not shown) and the thermal paper 11 is conveyed along the paper conveyance path, while the thermal head 44 thermally transfers ink from the ink ribbon to the thermal paper 11 to perform printing.

  With the above configuration, the roll paper 1 is produced by wrapping the thermal paper 11 around the core member 12 longer than the paper width of the thermal paper 11, so that conventionally, the roll paper 1 has been produced by a separate manufacturing facility using other materials. Does not require an axis. That is, the core member 12 functions as a core of the roll paper 1 and as a support shaft when the roll paper 1 is installed in the roll paper storage unit 2. Further, when the roll paper 1 is attached, it is very simple because it is completed simply by throwing the protruding portion 13 of the core member 12 into the U-shaped groove 22 of the roll paper storage portion 2.

  When the thermal paper 11 is conveyed toward the thermal head 44 and the platen roller 49, the roll paper 1 has the core member 12 (protrusion 13) of the roll paper 1 at the U-shaped groove 22 and the regulating portion 24. Since it fits and rotates, the movement to an axial direction is suppressed. In addition, since the roll paper 1 itself is not in contact with the roll paper storage section 2 except for the protruding portion 13, for example, compared to the case where a roll paper of a throw-in type transports a paper while bringing its outer peripheral surface into contact with the storage section, The thermal paper 11 is conveyed with very little friction. As a result, the load applied to the paper feed mechanism can be minimized, and a motor with a lower torque can be used.

  As described above, by forming the core member 12 longer than the paper width of the thermal paper 11, a dedicated support shaft that has been conventionally required is unnecessary. In addition, the roll paper 1 can be easily stored simply by fitting the protruding portion 13 of the roll paper 1 into the U-shaped groove 22 and the restriction portion 24 of the roll paper storage unit 2. Thereby, the roll paper 1 can be prevented from moving in the axial direction, and the roll paper 1 can be rotated and fed with less friction.

It is the front view (a) which shows the roll paper which is one Embodiment of this invention, and its longitudinal side view (b). It is the front view (a) which shows schematic structure of the roll paper storage part which is one Embodiment of this invention, and its vertical side view (b). FIG. 3 is a front view (a) showing a state in which the roll paper shown in FIG. 1 is installed in the roll paper storage unit shown in FIG. 2 and a longitudinal side view (b) thereof. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the application to the thermal printer for receipt printing of the roll paper which is one Embodiment of this invention, and a roll paper storage part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Roll paper, 2 ... Roll paper storage part, 12 ... Core member, 13 ... Projection part, 21 ... Frame, 22 ... U-groove, 23 ... Inner wall, 24 ... Restriction part

Claims (2)

A hopper on which a roll paper storage body capable of selectively storing any one of a plurality of roll papers having different paper widths is set;
A printing mechanism for printing on roll paper;
A printer comprising:
A plurality of roll papers having different paper widths include a pair of protrusions protruding on both sides in the paper width direction of the roll paper, and the length between the protrusions of the pair of protrusions is longer than the paper width of the roll paper having the maximum paper width. Having a core member that is long,
The roll paper storage body includes a bottom wall disposed below the hopper and a pair of side walls having inner surfaces that are erected on both sides of the bottom wall in the paper width direction and face each other. ,
The upper surfaces of the inner surfaces of the side walls opposite to each other on the opposite side of the bottom wall have U-shapes that are open toward the opposite side of the bottom wall and are opposed to each other in the paper width direction. U-shaped grooves that hold the respective parts are formed,
The interval between the inner surfaces of the side walls facing each other is set larger than the paper width of the largest roll paper among the plurality of roll papers that can be stored in the roll paper storage body,
Among the plurality of roll papers that can be stored in the roll paper storage body, the protrusions of the core member of the roll paper in the initial state where the radius is maximum are held in the U-shaped grooves, respectively, The height from the upper surface to the central axis of the core member was set to be larger than the radius of the roll paper
A printer characterized by that. The roll paper container used in the printer according to claim 1.

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