JP4977552B2 - Printer head printing pressure adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer head printing pressure adjusting device capable of maintaining an optimum printing pressure even when the width and thickness of sheets differ, and more particularly to a printer head printing pressure adjusting device suitable for a label printer. About.

  A known label printer supports a roll-shaped original fabric on which a label is temporarily attached to a strip-shaped release sheet at a predetermined interval so as to be able to be fed, and allows the original fabric to pass between a printer head and a platen roller. The label is printed in synchronization with the feeding operation of the original fabric. In such a label printer, there is known a printing pressure adjusting device that can adjust the position of the printer head in order to maintain a constant printing pressure when the label width is different (for example, patent document). 1-3).

JP-A-6-99642 JP-A-10-181148 JP-A-2-84350

The printing pressure adjustment apparatus described in Patent Document 1 employs a configuration in which adjustment screws are provided at two locations on a bracket that pressurizes the printer head. However, in this printing pressure adjusting device, since the adjusting screws are dispersedly arranged, every time one adjusting screw is adjusted, the other adjusting screws must be adjusted again so that there is a plurality of adjusting points. There is an inconvenience that it becomes complicated over the two.
The printing pressure adjusting device described in Patent Document 2 includes a moving body biased by the printer head, and enables the printing pressure to be adjusted by moving the moving body in the longitudinal direction of the printer head. However, in this configuration, it is difficult to maintain a good balance between the positions on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the printer head. As a result, it is required to provide a plurality of moving bodies. Inconvenience.
Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which the parallelism between the printer head and the platen roller can be adjusted by adjusting the position of one end side of the rotation center axis of the bracket that supports the printer head. However, the configuration disclosed in the document 3 is a fine adjustment type in which the other end side of the central shaft is fixed, and it is only for correcting an assembly error such as a printer head. However, it does not satisfy the requirement for adjusting the printing pressure according to the change in the width of the sheet.

[Object of invention]
The present invention has been devised by paying attention to the above-mentioned disadvantages, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing pressure adjusting device for a printer head that can easily and quickly adjust the printing pressure.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer head along a width direction of a printing sheet, a head holder that holds the printer head along the printer head, and a sheet between the printer head. A platen roller to be sandwiched, and a printing pressure adjusting means of the printer head,
The printing pressure adjusting means includes first support means for rotatably supporting one end side of the head holding body and / or platen roller, and second support means for supporting the other end side to be displaceable. ,
The second support means includes a slider that supports the other end side, a guide member that guides the slider to be displaceable, and an eccentric cam mechanism that displaces the slider along the guide member,
The slider includes a recess;
The eccentric cam mechanism includes a cam shaft, an eccentric cam fixed to the cam shaft and positioned in the recess, a worm wheel fixed to the cam shaft, a worm shaft meshing with the worm wheel, and the worm shaft rotating. It is configured to include a knob that can be operated .

  In the present invention, it includes a moving means for supporting the printer head and the platen roller so as to be relatively separated and approachable, and the clearance between the printer head and the platen roller is provided via the moving means so as to be adjustable. Take it.

  In this specification, “printing” includes not only characters and symbols but also patterns, and “sheet” refers to sheet-type or strip-type paper or film, as well as a strip-like release sheet. It is used as a concept including labels temporarily attached at predetermined intervals.

According to the present invention, since one end side of the head holding body is rotatably supported while the other end side is supported to be displaceable, a degree of freedom is given to the movable range of the printer head. The printing pressure can be adjusted easily and quickly according to the width, thickness, etc. of the printing sheet.
Further, since the clearance between the printer head and the platen roller can be adjusted via the moving means, even if the thickness change of the sheet is large, it can be handled without difficulty.
Furthermore, according to the configuration provided with the eccentric cam mechanism for displacing the other end side of the head holding body, it is possible to set and adjust the printing pressure with high accuracy with a simple configuration.

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

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view according to an embodiment in which a printing pressure adjusting device for a printer head is applied to a label printer, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a main part thereof. In these drawings, a label printer 10 includes a supply roller 11 that supports a roll of an original fabric R in which labels L as printing sheets are temporarily attached to one surface of a strip-like release sheet RL at equal intervals, and a label. Thermal head 12 as a printer head along the width direction of L or original fabric R (a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of original fabric R), a head holding body 13 that holds thermal head 12, and said original fabric R as thermal A platen roller 14 sandwiched between the head 12, a moving means 15 (see FIG. 3) for supporting the platen roller 14, a printing pressure adjusting means 16 of the thermal head 12, and the label L are peeled from the release sheet RL. The peel plate 17 is supported by the frame F via an unillustrated arm and a pressing force is applied to the label L to cover the label L. A press roller 18 for affixing to the body W, a feeding means 20 for applying a feeding force to the original fabric R, and a winding means 22 for winding the release sheet RL after the label L is peeled off are configured. Yes. In this embodiment, the label L is made of thermal paper. However, when the label L is a film or plain paper, the label L is between the thermal head 12 and the original fabric R. A mechanism that feeds and winds up the ink ribbon when the ink ribbon is inserted is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the head holder 13 includes a prismatic shaft member 25 to which the thermal head 12 is attached. One end side of the shaft member 25 is rotatably supported by the frame F via the first support means 26 constituting the printing pressure adjusting means 16, while the other end side is together with the first support means 26. It is supported by the second support means 28 that constitutes the printing pressure adjusting means 16. The thermal head 12 is always urged toward the platen roller 14 by the spring B.

  The first support means 26 includes a frame F and a self-aligning bearing 29 provided on the frame F. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the second support means 28 includes a slider 32 having a self-aligning bearing 30 that supports the other end side of the head holding body 13, and the slider 32. A guide member 33 for guiding the displacement is provided, and an eccentric cam mechanism 35 for displacing the slider 32 along the guide member 33. In the present embodiment, the unit including the slider 32, the guide member 33, and the eccentric cam mechanism 35 is disposed in the case 36, and the case 36 is attached to the distal end side of the arm 31 fixed to the frame F. ing.

  The slider 32 includes a recess 32A on the surface opposite to the surface on which the self-aligning bearing 30 is located. Further, the guide member 33 includes a square hole 37 having a vertical height larger than the vertical height of the slider 32, and the slider 32 is accommodated in the square hole 37 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The slider 32 cannot be removed from the square hole 37 by a guide member (not shown).

  The eccentric cam mechanism 35 meshes with the cam shaft 40, the eccentric cam 41 fixed to the cam shaft 40 and positioned in the recess 32A, the worm wheel 42 fixed to the cam shaft 40, and the worm wheel 42. The worm shaft 43 and a knob 44 that allows the worm shaft 43 to be rotated outside the case 36 are configured. The cam shaft 40 and the worm shaft 43 are rotatably supported on the case 36 by bearings (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the moving means 15 that movably supports the platen roller 14 is constituted by a linear motion motor 46 fixed to the outer surface of the frame F. One end of a central shaft 48 that rotatably supports the platen roller 14 is connected to the output shaft 47 of the linear motor 46. The central shaft 48 passes through a slot hole 49 provided in the plane of the frame F, and is movable along the extending direction (vertical direction) of the slot hole 49, whereby the thermal head The platen roller 14 and the platen roller 14 can be relatively separated from each other, and the clearance between them can be adjusted.

  The feeding means 20 includes a motor M1 provided on the back side of the frame F, a driving roller 50 that is rotated by the motor M1, and a pinch roller 51 that sandwiches the release sheet RL between the driving roller 50. ing.

  The winding means 22 includes a motor M2 provided on the back side of the frame F, and a winding roller 53 that is rotated by the motor M2.

  Next, a printing operation by the label printer 10 according to the present embodiment and a printing pressure adjustment method will be described.

  In the initial setting, as shown in FIG. 1, the lead end of the roll-shaped raw fabric R supported by the supply roller 11 is pulled out by a predetermined length, and the paper is passed between the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 14. . At this time, the platen roller 14 can easily pass the sheet by retracting to the lowered position via the moving means 15. Then, the release sheet RL of the original fabric R is wound around so as to be reversed at the tip of the peel plate 17, and is then passed between the driving roller 50 and the pinch roller 51 of the feeding means 20, and the winding roller 53. Fixed to. Further, print data for the label L is separately input via an input unit (not shown).

  When the feeding means 20 and the winding means 22 are driven when the power is turned on, the web R is fed and printed, and when a sensor (not shown) detects that the printed label L has reached a predetermined position, Stop and enter standby. Then, when a sensor (not shown) detects that the adherend W has reached a predetermined position, the printed label L is peeled from the release sheet RL in accordance with the transport timing of the adherend W, while the pressing roller 18 presses. It is affixed to the adherend W while receiving pressure.

  Here, in the case where the original fabric R applied to the label printer 10 has initially set the printing pressure for the one having the width indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the width indicated by the solid line in FIG. If the original fabric R is changed, the printing pressure is relatively insufficient and the printing accuracy is lowered. Therefore, by rotating the knob 44 and lowering the slider 32 in the guide member 32, the head holder 13 is displaced in the direction approaching the platen roller 14 and necessary printing pressure adjustment is performed. . At this time, since the both ends of the head holder 13 are rotatably supported via the self-aligning bearings 29 and 30, the above displacement operation can be performed without difficulty. In addition, when the thickness of the raw fabric R changes, it can respond by moving the platen roller 14 up and down via the moving means 15.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even if the printing pressure is insufficient or excessive according to the width of the original fabric R, the printing pressure can be easily and quickly operated by rotating the knob 44 provided on one side. Adjustment can be performed, and the effect of eliminating the need for careful and balanced adjustment at a plurality of locations as in the past can be obtained.

As described above, the best configuration, method and the like for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited to this.
In other words, the present invention has been illustrated and described mainly with respect to specific embodiments, but without departing from the scope of the technical idea and object of the present invention, the shape, position, or With respect to the arrangement and the like, those skilled in the art can make various changes as necessary.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the label printer that applies the label L to the adherend W while peeling the label L from the release sheet RL has been illustrated and described. However, the label roller is punched and discharged one by one. May be omitted. Further, the original fabric R is not limited to a belt shape, and may be configured to feed and print a single sheet at a time. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the peel plate 17 and the winding means 22 or the like.

  In the embodiment, the printing pressure is adjusted by rotating the thermal head 12 side. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the platen roller 14 side can be rotated. The printing pressure may be adjusted by rotating both of them. When rotating the platen roller 14 side, a first support means for rotatably supporting one end side of the center shaft 48 on the output shaft 47 of the linear motion motor 46 and a first support means for supporting the other end side to be displaceable. It is only necessary to provide printing pressure adjusting means including two supporting means.

  Further, the thermal head 12 may be configured to be movable with respect to the platen roller 14 by the moving means 15, or both of them may be provided to be movable.

  Further, the moving means 15 and the arm 31 are not limited to the one-side supported type that is supported on one side as in the above-described embodiment, but may be a both-side supported type that supports on both sides.

1 is a schematic front view of a label printer according to an embodiment. The principal part schematic perspective view of the said label printer. The partial cross section side view of a printing pressure adjustment means. The principal part expansion perspective view of a printing pressure adjustment means. The schematic front view which shows the internal structure of a printing pressure adjustment means.

Explanation of symbols

10 Label printer 12 Thermal head (printer head)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Head holding body 14 Platen roller 16 Printing pressure adjustment means 26 1st support means 28 2nd support means 15 Moving means 32 Slider 33 Guide member 35 Eccentric cam mechanism L Label (sheet for printing)
R Original fabric RL Release sheet

Claims (2)

A printer head along the width direction of the sheet for printing, a head holder that holds the printer head along the printer head, a platen roller that sandwiches the sheet between the printer head, and a printing pressure of the printer head Adjusting means,
The printing pressure adjusting means includes first support means for rotatably supporting one end side of the head holding body and / or platen roller, and second support means for supporting the other end side to be displaceable. ,
The second support means includes a slider that supports the other end side, a guide member that guides the slider to be displaceable, and an eccentric cam mechanism that displaces the slider along the guide member,
The slider includes a recess;
The eccentric cam mechanism includes a cam shaft, an eccentric cam fixed to the cam shaft and positioned in the recess, a worm wheel fixed to the cam shaft, a worm shaft meshing with the worm wheel, and the worm shaft rotating. A printing head adjusting device for a printer head, comprising a knob that can be operated .   A moving unit that supports the printer head and the platen roller so as to be relatively spaced apart from each other is provided, and a clearance between the printer head and the platen roller is provided via the moving unit so as to be adjustable. Item 2. A printing pressure adjusting device for a printer head according to Item 1.

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