JP6205332B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing apparatus that stores a ribbon cassette filled with ink in a storage unit and performs printing on a conveyed medium has been used. Some of such printing apparatuses can lock the ribbon cassette to the accommodating portion by pressing when closing the cover. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer that locks a process unit 50 corresponding to a ribbon cassette to an apparatus main body 41 when a user closes a cover 43. Similarly, Patent Document 2 discloses a printer 100 that locks the printing unit 5 on which the ink ribbon cartridge 9 is set to the mechanism unit body 4 when the operator closes the up cover 3. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses an ink jet printer 1 that has a cover 70 and an ink cartridge 20 and that can be securely attached by an easy operation of closing the cover 70.

JP-A-7-325535 JP2013-123867A JP 11-348303 A

  However, all of the above-described prior arts lock the ribbon cassette to the accommodating portion via a mechanism such as a lever. For example, in the printer of Patent Document 1, the cover 43 presses the lock lever 61 to forcibly lock the drum shaft 53 in the receiving groove 59. Further, the printer 100 of Patent Document 2 locks the printing unit 5 to the mechanism unit main body 4 by the projection 31 of the up cover 3 pressing the lock lever 10 and rotating it clockwise. Furthermore, in the inkjet printer 1 of Patent Document 3, a part of the cover 70 comes into contact with the receiving unit 50 and the operation lever 65 to slide the receiving unit 50. Therefore, the conventional printing apparatus cannot lock the ribbon cassette to the accommodating portion with a simple configuration.

  The disclosed technique has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of easily and reliably locking a ribbon cassette to a storage unit.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a printing apparatus disclosed in the present application, in one aspect, rotates a ribbon cassette having a rotation shaft around the rotation shaft and detachably accommodates the ribbon cassette. When the storage portion and the ribbon cassette are closed without being locked, the flat surface for locking the ribbon cassette to the storage portion is formed by contact with the ribbon cassette. A cover having a convex portion, and the flat surface of the convex portion is accommodated in the accommodating portion by rotating the ribbon cassette around the rotation axis by pressing a corner portion of the ribbon cassette. Subsequently, the side surface of the ribbon cassette that is continuous with the corner of the ribbon cassette is pressed against the accommodating portion .

  According to one aspect of the printing device disclosed in the present application, the ribbon cassette can be easily and reliably locked to the accommodating portion.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printing apparatus in a state where an upper cover is opened and a small window is opened. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus in a state where the upper cover is opened and the small window is closed. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus in a state where the upper cover is closed and the small window is closed. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printing apparatus. FIG. 5A is an external perspective view of a small window. FIG. 5B is a three-sided view of a small window. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating the printing apparatus in which the ribbon cassette is in a half-locked state. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the printing apparatus in a state in which the small window starts to act on the ribbon cassette by the closing operation. FIG. 6C is a view showing the printing apparatus in a state where the small window is further closed and the ribbon cassette is operating. FIG. 6D is a diagram illustrating the printing apparatus in a state where the locking of the ribbon cassette is completed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a printing apparatus disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The printing apparatus disclosed in the present application is not limited by the following embodiments.

  First, the configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application will be described. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus 10 in a state where the upper cover 12 is opened and the small window 12b is opened. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 10 includes a main body cover 11, an upper cover 12, a ribbon cassette 13, a medium insertion port 14, and an operation unit 15.

  The main body cover 11 covers the lower half of the apparatus main body. The upper cover 12 covers the upper half of the apparatus main body. The ribbon cassette 13 is detachably accommodated in the accommodating portion 12a of the upper cover 12. The upper cover 12 has a small window 12b that is opened and closed by the user when a jam occurs or the like and opened and closed by the user when the ribbon cassette 13 is replaced.

  The medium insertion port 14 is provided on the front surface of the printing apparatus 10, and when a medium such as a passbook is set by the user, the medium insertion port 14 takes in the set medium and discharges the medium after the printing process is completed. The operation unit 15 is provided on the front surface of the printing apparatus 10, and a user confirms an error code, and a CE (Customer Engineer) or a maintenance staff instructs stop or restart of printing by a button operation or the like.

  FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus 10 in a state where the upper cover 12 is opened and the small window 12b is closed. As shown in FIG. 2, when the ribbon cassette 13 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 12a in a semi-locked state, when the user closes the small window 12b, the ribbon cassette 13 is moved into the accommodating portion 12a by pressing the small window 12b. Locked forcibly. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus 10 in a state where the upper cover 12 is closed and the small window 12b is closed. As shown in FIG. 3, the small window 12 b forms a part of the upper surface of the upper cover 12. The upper cover 12 is opened and closed by pressing the open / close switch 12c.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the printing apparatus 10 includes an upper cover 12, a ribbon cassette 13, a cassette lock sensor 16, a small window closed state sensor 17, a medium conveyance path 18, a print head 19, and a platen 20.

  The upper cover 12 is supported by a rotating shaft 12d at the rear of the apparatus main body so as to be opened and closed in the vertical direction. The small window 12b opens and closes by rotating in the vertical direction about the rotation shaft 12e. The ribbon cassette 13 moves integrally with a print head 19 described later, and supplies ink to the print head 19. The cassette lock sensor 16 detects that the ribbon cassette 13 is locked in the housing portion 12a. The small window closed state sensor 17 detects that the small window 12b is closed.

  The medium conveyance path 18 is provided subsequent to the medium insertion port 14 and includes a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 18a that nipping and conveying the medium. The print head 19 is mounted behind the medium insertion opening 14 and below the ribbon cassette 13, and performs printing on the medium with ink supplied from the ribbon cassette 13. The platen 20 is provided in the entire region in the width direction with respect to the medium conveyance direction at a position facing the print head 19, and presses the conveyed medium from the back during printing. A reading unit (not shown) reads page marks and printed lines of a passbook as a medium.

  When the user inserts a medium into the medium insertion opening 14, the printing apparatus 10 corrects the inclination of the medium by a width adjusting roller (not shown). The printing apparatus 10 conveys the medium to the printing unit by a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 18a. The printing apparatus 10 performs printing on a medium conveyed on the platen 20 by the print head 19.

  FIG. 5A is an external perspective view of the small window 12b. FIG. 5B is a three-sided view of the small window 12b. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the small window 12b has a rotating shaft 12e provided in the longitudinal direction along the side portion. The length of the small window 12b in the longitudinal direction is, for example, about 25 cm. The small window 12b rotates in the vertical direction about the rotation shaft 12e when the rotation shaft 12e is fitted to the upper cover 12. As a result, the upper cover 12 can be opened and closed. Moreover, the small window 12b has the sensor shielding part 12f in the one side edge part. When the small window 12b is closed, the sensor shielding unit 12f shields light emitted from the small window closed state sensor 17, so that the small window closed state sensor 17 detects that the small window 12b is closed. Can do. In addition, the sensor shielding part 12f may be provided on both sides of the small window 12b.

  Next, a process in which the ribbon cassette 13 that has been in a semi-locked state is completely locked in the accommodating portion 12a by the small window 12b acting on the ribbon cassette 13 will be described. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating the printing apparatus 10 in which the ribbon cassette 13 is in a half-locked state. In the process shown in FIG. 6A, since the small window 12b is opened, the ribbon cassette 13 is not completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 12a, and there is a slight gap between the ribbon cassette 13 and the back plate 12g. .

  FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the printing apparatus 10 in a state where the small window 12b starts to act on the ribbon cassette 13 by the closing operation. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the small window 12b enters the closing operation, the ribbon cassette 13 is rotated by the pressing force in the arrow Y1 direction from the convex portion (shaded portion) of the small window 12b to the ribbon cassette 13. The rotation in the direction of the back plate 12g is started around the shaft 13a. FIG. 6C shows the printing apparatus 10 in a state where the small window 12b is further closed and the ribbon cassette 13 is in operation. As shown in FIG. 6C, when the small window 12b continues to close, the ribbon cassette 13 is rotated by the pressing force in the arrow Y2 direction from the convex portion (shaded portion) of the small window 12b to the ribbon cassette 13. It further rotates in the direction of the back plate 12g about the shaft 13a.

  FIG. 6D is a diagram illustrating the printing apparatus 10 in a state where the locking of the ribbon cassette 13 is completed. As shown in FIG. 6D, when the locking is completed, the ribbon cassette 13 is fitted (locked) to the accommodating portion 12a by the claw portion 13b and joined to the back plate 12g. Accordingly, the sensor shielding portion 12f of the small window 12b shields the light emitted from the small window closed state sensor 17, so that the small window closed state sensor 17 detects that the small window 12b is closed. can do. Although not shown, the small window 12 b is fitted (locked) to the upper cover 12 by the claw portion of the upper cover 12.

  As described above, the printing apparatus 10 includes the accommodating portion 12a and the small window 12b. The accommodating part 12a accommodates the ribbon cassette 13 so that attachment or detachment is possible. The small window 12b has a convex portion that locks the ribbon cassette 13 to the accommodating portion 12a by contact with the ribbon cassette 13 when the ribbon cassette 13 is closed without being locked and accommodated in the accommodating portion 12a. .

  That is, when the printing apparatus 10 closes the small window 12b provided in the upper cover 12, the ribbon cassette 13 in the half-locked accommodation state is pushed by the pressure of the convex portion of the small window 12b and is forcibly locked to the accommodation part 12a. Is done. As a result, the ribbon cassette 13 in the half-locked state easily and reliably shifts to the locked state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which printing is not started despite the ribbon cassette 13 being set, or printing is started while the ribbon cassette 13 is in a half-locked state. Since the printing apparatus 10 has a configuration in which the small window 12b directly pushes the ribbon cassette 13 without interposing a lever or the like, a separate mechanism such as a lever or its rotating shaft is not necessary. Therefore, the number of parts is reduced, and cost can be reduced.

  The small window 12 b is provided with a rectangular upper surface along the longitudinal direction of the ribbon cassette 13. For this reason, the small window 12b can push the substantially whole ribbon cassette 13 into the accommodating part 12a side equally, without interposing mechanisms, such as a lever.

  For example, when the ribbon cassette 13 is in a half-locked state, it is not unlocked, so the cassette lock sensor 16 may erroneously detect that it is in a locked state. In the conventional printing apparatus, in such a case, there is a concern that printing may be started in a state where the ribbon cassette 13 is not completely locked in the housing portion 12a. In the printing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, even when the above-described erroneous detection occurs, the ribbon cassette 13 is pushed into the accommodating portion 12a side by the operation of the user closing the small window 12b and is completely locked. . Therefore, the above-mentioned concerns are eliminated.

  In the printing apparatus 10, a plurality of the convex portions may be provided corresponding to (for example, opposed to) a plurality of positions where the ribbon cassette 13 is locked to the storage portion 12 a. For example, the convex portions are provided at two positions corresponding to the end portions on both sides of the ribbon cassette 13 (for example, two locations near both end portions of the small window 12b). Thereby, the small window 12b can push in the part locked by the accommodating part 12a to the accommodating part 12a side reliably among the components of the ribbon cassette 13. FIG. Therefore, the user can securely lock the ribbon cassette 13 to the accommodating portion 12a through the small window 12b with a small force.

  The printing apparatus 10 further includes a cassette lock sensor 16 that detects that the ribbon cassette 13 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 12a, and a small window closed state sensor 17 that detects that the small window 12b is closed. Also good. The printing apparatus 10 is brought into a printable state (for example, a standby state) when it is detected by the cassette lock sensor 16 that it is stored and the small window closed state sensor 17 detects the closing. Transition. For this reason, printing is not started when the ribbon cassette 13 is not completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 12a or when the small window 12b is not completely closed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent erroneous printing from occurring due to printing in an incomplete state.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the upper cover 12 is closed after the small window 12b is closed is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the closing order may be reversed. That is, the user may close the upper cover 12 with the small window 12b opened, and then close the small window 12b. On the other hand, when the user opens the small window 12b, the upper cover 12 is in an open state prior to the opening operation of the small window 12b. In other words, the user can open the small window 12b only after opening the upper cover 12.

  Moreover, although the said convex part is desirably provided corresponding to the position where the ribbon cassette 13 is locked to the accommodating part 12a from a viewpoint of locking the ribbon cassette 13 reliably, it is not necessarily restricted to the both ends of the small window 12b. For example, it may be provided inside or near the center from both ends. The shape of the convex portion is not limited to a trapezoidal shape, and may be, for example, a semicircular shape or a rectangular shape. Further, the number of the convex portions is not limited to two for each small window 12b, and may be three or more.

  Furthermore, although the printing apparatus 10 has been illustrated in the above embodiment, for example, the technology according to this embodiment may be applied to a copying machine or a scanner apparatus. The medium to be printed is not limited to a passbook, and may be a slip or paper, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printing apparatus 11 Main body cover 12 Upper cover 12a Accommodating part 12b Small window 12c Open / close switch 12d Rotating shaft 12e Rotating shaft 12f Sensor shielding part 12g Back plate 13 Ribbon cassette 13a Rotating shaft 13b Claw part 14 Medium insertion port 15 Operation part 16 Cassette lock sensor 17 Small window closed state sensor 18 Media transport path 18a Transport roller pair 19 Print head 20 Platen Y1, Y2 Press direction arrow

Claims (3)

An accommodating portion for removably accommodating a ribbon cassette having a rotation axis by rotating about the rotation axis ;
When the ribbon cassette is closed in a state of being accommodated in the accommodating portion without being locked, it has a convex portion formed with a plane for locking the ribbon cassette to the accommodating portion by contact with the ribbon cassette. A cover ,
I have a,
The flat surface of the convex portion rotates the ribbon cassette around the rotation axis by pressing a corner portion of the ribbon cassette, and stores the flat surface in the storage portion. A printing apparatus , wherein a side surface continuous with a corner portion is pressed against the housing portion .   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the convex portions are provided corresponding to a plurality of positions where the ribbon cassette is locked to the housing portion. A first detection unit that detects that the ribbon cassette is stored in the storage unit;
A second detection unit that detects that the cover is closed;
The printing apparatus shifts to a printable state when it is detected that the container is contained by the first detection unit and the closure is detected by the second detection unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

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