JP6358184B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of printing on a tube which is a cylindrical print medium.

    Conventionally, a printing apparatus capable of printing on a tube is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The printing apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 includes a tube guide for stabilizing the tube conveyance state. The tube guide includes a pressing portion that presses the tube against the guide plate to perform a left-right guide, and a spring portion that presses the tube against the bottom surface of the cassette holder portion via the pressing portion to perform a vertical guide.

JP 2006-27242 A

  In a conventional printing apparatus, when a user sets a tube, it is necessary to operate both the retracting lever of the tube guide mechanism and the head moving lever, which is complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of pressing a tube by a simpler operation than before.

  A printing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a main body case having a mounting surface in a first direction, and a concave portion provided in the main body case to which a tube that is a cylindrical print medium is mounted. A mounting portion that is a concave portion recessed in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a transport portion capable of transporting the tube mounted on the mounting portion, and the body case. A printing unit capable of printing on the tube conveyed by the unit, a discharge unit having an opening capable of discharging the tube printed by the printing unit to the outside, and pivotally supported by the main body case, A cover that is movable to a closed position that closes the mounting surface, an open position that opens the mounting surface of the main body case, and a member that is provided on the facing surface that is the surface of the cover that faces the main body case. Before When the cover is in the open position, the tube is retracted from the mounting portion, and when the cover is in the closed position, the tube disposed in the recess of the mounting portion and mounted in the mounting portion is moved in the second direction. A pressing member that can be pressed.

  In the printing apparatus according to this aspect, with the cover in the open position, the user arranges the surface in the second direction of the mounting portion as a reference surface and the tube along the reference surface of the mounting portion, and places the cover in the closed position. By a simple operation of doing, the tube arranged in the mounting portion can be pressed in the second direction by the pressing member. The pressing member can make the tube follow the reference plane more reliably by pressing the tube arranged in the mounting portion in the second direction. Therefore, the printing apparatus can print at an appropriate position as compared with the case where the pressing member is not provided. In the printing apparatus, since the pressing member is provided on the cover member, the degree of freedom in designing the pressing member is higher than that of the conventional printing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 with a cover 12 in a closed position as viewed from the upper right front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 with a cover 12 in an open position as viewed from the upper right front. 3 is a plan view of a main body case 11. FIG. In the top view of the main body case 11 of FIG. 3, it is the figure which expanded the discharge part 16 vicinity. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 as viewed from the upper left front side, with illustration of the cover 12, the handle portion 18, the print head 61, and the like omitted. In the perspective view of the main body case 11 of FIG. 5, the illustration of the brushes 162 and 163 is omitted, and the vicinity of the discharge unit 16 is enlarged. (A) is a front view of the roller member 19 (first posture). (B) is a front view of the roller member 19 (second posture). 3 is a perspective view of the cover 12 removed from the main body case 11. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a first pressing member 41. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second pressing member 46. FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the 1st detection part 33 from the front right upper part. 3 is a plan view of a first detection unit 33. FIG. 3 is a front view of a first detection unit 33. FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the opening-and-closing mechanism 70 from the upper right front when the opening-and-closing lever 71 exists in a closed position. It is sectional drawing of the opening / closing lever 71 when the opening / closing lever 71 exists in a closed position. It is a top view of the opening / closing mechanism 70 when the opening / closing lever 71 is in the closed position. It is sectional drawing of the opening / closing lever 71 when the opening / closing lever 71 exists in an open position. It is a top view of the opening / closing mechanism 70 when the opening / closing lever 71 is in the open position.

[1. Overview of printing apparatus 1]
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a printing apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions indicated by the arrows in the figure are the up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing apparatus 1 includes a tape printing unit 50 (hereinafter referred to as “printing unit 50”) and a tube printing unit 60 (hereinafter referred to as “printing unit 60”). The printing apparatus 1 can print on a tape that is a belt-shaped print medium by the printing unit 50. The printing apparatus 1 can print on the tube 9 (see FIG. 3), which is a cylindrical print medium, by the printing unit 60.

  The printing apparatus 1 includes a rectangular parallelepiped casing 10 including a main body case 11, a cover 12, and a lock mechanism 13. The main body case 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped member having a mounting surface 111 on the upper side and extending in the left-right direction. The mounting surface 111 of this example extends substantially parallel to the horizontal plane, and is formed of a material that blocks light (that is, does not have light transmittance). The cover 12 is a plate-like member disposed on the upper side of the main body case 11. The cover 12 is pivotally supported by the main body case 11 and moves between a closed position (see FIG. 1) for closing the mounting surface 111 of the main body case 11 and an open position (see FIG. 2) for opening the mounting surface 111 of the main body case 11. Is possible. The moving direction of the cover 12 is indicated by the arrow Y1 in FIG. In the following description, the configuration of the housing 10, the cover 12, and the members provided on the cover 12 will be described with reference to the case where the cover 12 is in the closed position. The lock mechanism 13 is provided on the upper side of the front end portion of the main body case 11. The lock mechanism 13 locks the front end portion of the cover 12 that is closed with respect to the main body case 11 to restrict the opening of the cover 12. As shown in FIG. 1, when the cover 12 is in the closed position, the cover 12 covers the mounting surface 111. When the user opens the cover 12, the user operates the lock mechanism 13 to release the lock of the cover 12, and rotates the cover 12 upward from the lock mechanism 13. As shown in FIG. 2, when the cover 12 is opened with respect to the main body case 11, the mounting surface 111 is exposed upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the housing 10 includes a discharge port 14, an opening 151 of the supply unit 15, an opening 161 of the discharge unit 16, a user interface unit 17, and a handle unit 18 on the side surface. In the present example, the side surface of the housing 10 substantially corresponds to the side surface of the main body case 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the discharge port 14 is an opening for discharging the tape to the outside of the housing 10. The discharge port 14 is provided in the upper right part of the front surface of the housing 10 and has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction. The supply unit 15 has an opening 151 that can guide the tube 9 into the housing 10. The opening 151 is provided in the upper part on the rear side of the right surface of the housing 10 and has a rectangular shape that is slightly longer in the vertical direction. The discharge unit 16 has an opening 161 that can discharge the tube 9 to the outside of the housing 10. The opening 161 has a rectangular shape that is provided in the upper part on the rear side of the left surface of the housing 10 and is slightly longer in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a flexible fibrous brush 162 extending toward the rear side is provided on the front side of the opening 161 of the discharge portion 16. A flexible fibrous brush 163 extending toward the front side is provided on the rear side of the opening 161 of the discharge unit 16. The brushes 162 and 163 are attached to the left surface of the main body case 11 with an adhesive tape. The brushes 162 and 163 are disposed across the opening 161, thereby reducing light entering the housing 10 from the opening 161.

  The user interface unit 17 includes a display unit and an operation unit. In this example, the display unit is a plurality of LEDs that indicate the operating state of the printing apparatus 1. The operation unit is a plurality of operation buttons including a power button and a start button. The user interface unit 17 is provided on the right side of the discharge port 14 on the front surface of the housing 10. The handle portion 18 is a member that is gripped when the user carries the printing apparatus 1. The handle portion 18 is installed on the left and right surfaces of the housing 10 and can be rotated to the front and rear sides via the upper side of the main body case 11.

  As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the housing | casing 10 is provided with the window parts 121 and 122 on the upper surface. In this example, the upper surface of the housing 10 corresponds to the upper surface of the cover 12. The window parts 121 and 122 are members having light permeability and are formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The window portion 121 is provided at a position corresponding to a mounting portion 20 described later (that is, the right portion of the cover 12 in plan view). When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the window 122 is provided at a position corresponding to a ribbon mounting portion 30 described later (that is, the left portion of the cover 12 in plan view). The user can check the tape cassette 80 mounted on the mounting unit 20 through the window unit 121. The user can check the ribbon cassette 90 mounted on the ribbon mounting unit 30 through the window 122.

  The internal configuration of the housing 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the printing apparatus 1 includes printing units 50 and 60 inside the housing 10. A control board and a power supply (not shown) are provided below the mounting surface 111 of the main body case 11. The control board is a board that includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, CGROM, and the like (not shown), and controls various operations of the printing apparatus 1. For example, the control board controls each printing operation of the printing units 50 and 60. The control board of this example is provided at the right rear portion inside the main body case 11 and extends in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The power supply unit is connected to a battery (not shown) mounted in the main body case 11 or connected to an external power supply (not shown) via a cord to supply power to the printing apparatus 1. The power supply unit of this example is provided on the front side of the control board.

[2. Tape printing unit 50]
The printing unit 50 includes a mounting unit 20, escape units 21 and 22, and a conveyance path 23 (see FIG. 3) provided in the main body case 11. The mounting part 20 is a part where the tape cassette 80 can be attached and detached. The tape cassette 80 is a box-shaped body having a rectangular shape in plan view. The tape cassette 80 is, for example, a laminate type tape cassette. The mounting portion 20 is a concave portion that opens upward and is formed in an opening shape that substantially corresponds to the tape cassette 80 in plan view. The mounting portion 20 of this example is provided on the right side of the mounting surface 111 and on the front side of the mounting portion 40 described later.

  The escape portion 21 is a portion that extends forward from the front portion of the mounting portion 20 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. The relief portion 22 is a portion that extends rearward from the rear portion of the mounting portion 20 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. In a state where the cover 12 is in the open position, the user can detach the tape cassette 80 from the mounting portion 20 from above. The user can easily attach and detach the tape cassette 80 to and from the mounting portion 20 by inserting the finger holding the tape cassette 80 into the escape portions 21 and 22. The conveyance path 23 is a groove portion extending continuously forward from the right front portion of the mounting portion 20. The front end of the conveyance path 23 is connected to the discharge port 14.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the printing unit 50 further includes a print head 52, a platen roller 53, a movable conveyance roller 54, a platen holder (not shown), a cutter (not shown), and a cutter motor provided in the main body case 11. (Not shown). The print head 52 is a thermal head provided with a heating element (not shown) provided at the right front portion of the mounting portion 20. The platen roller 53 is a roller that can rotate relative to the print head 52. The movable conveyance roller 54 is a roller that can rotate relative to the tape drive shaft 55. The platen roller 53 and the movable conveyance roller 54 are rotatably supported at the tip of the platen holder. The platen holder is disposed on the right side of the mounting portion 20 and can be displaced between an operating position and a retracted position as the cover 12 is opened and closed. The cutter can cut the tape in the transport path 23. The cutter motor is a motor that drives the cutter.

[3. Tube printing unit 60]
The printing unit 60 includes a ribbon mounting unit 30, escape units 31, 32, a supply unit 15, a mounting unit 40, a discharge unit 16, a first pressing member 41, a second pressing member 46, a first detection unit 33, and a second optical unit. A sensor 95 and a guide member 128 are provided. The ribbon mounting part 30 is a part that is provided in the main body case 11 and to which the ribbon cassette 90 can be attached and detached. The ribbon cassette 90 is a box-shaped body that can accommodate an ink ribbon. The ribbon mounting portion 30 is a concave portion that is recessed below the mounting surface 111 and is provided in the main body case 11 at a position opposite to the mounting portion 40 side with respect to the print head 61 (described later). The ribbon mounting part 30 is formed in an opening shape substantially corresponding to the ribbon cassette 90 in plan view. The ribbon mounting portion 30 of this example is provided on the left side of the mounting surface 111 and on the front side of the mounting portion 40. That is, the mounting unit 20 and the ribbon mounting unit 30 are arranged along a conveyance direction, which will be described later, so as to be aligned in the left-right direction.

  The relief portion 31 is a portion that is provided in the main body case 11 and extends from the right portion of the ribbon attachment portion 30 to the right and is recessed downward from the attachment surface 111. The relief portion 32 is a portion that extends from the left front portion of the ribbon attachment portion 30 to the left front and is recessed below the attachment surface 111. The user can attach and detach the ribbon cassette 90 to and from the ribbon mounting portion 30 with the cover 12 opened. At this time, the user can easily attach and detach the ribbon cassette 90 to and from the ribbon mounting portion 30 by inserting the finger holding the ribbon cassette 90 into the escape portions 31 and 32.

  The supply unit 15 is a recess that is provided at one end (right end) of the mounting unit 40 and has an opening 151 that is recessed below the mounting surface 111. The supply unit 15 includes a sponge-like cleaner 152 that closes the recess of the supply unit 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaner 152 has three diagonal cuts of a regular hexagon when viewed from the right side. The cut 153 among the three cuts extends in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the cut 153 reaches the upper end of the cleaner 152. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40, the tube 9 is inserted downward from the upper end of the cut 153. The tube 9 is sandwiched between the cleaners 152 in such a posture that the intersection of the three cuts substantially coincides with the center of the cross section of the tube 9. The cleaner 152 stabilizes the posture of the tube 9 supplied from the outside of the printing apparatus 1. The cleaner 152 wipes off dust adhering to the surface of the tube 9 serving as a printing surface.

  The mounting portion 40 is a recess provided in the main body case 11 and in which the tube 9 is mounted. The mounting portion 40 is a concave portion that extends from the supply portion 15 to the discharge portion 16 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting portion 40 has a reference surface 401, a first side surface 402, and a second side surface 403. The reference surface 401 is a lower surface (bottom surface) of the mounting portion 40. The reference surface 401 is a substantially horizontal plane. The first side surface 402 is a rear side surface of the mounting portion 40. The second side surface 403 is a front side surface of the mounting portion 40. The first side surface 402 and the second side surface 403 are substantially perpendicular to the reference surface 401. In the printing apparatus 1 of this example, the user positions the tube 9 in the vertical direction by attaching the tube 9 along the reference surface 401.

  The extending direction of the mounting portion 40 is referred to as a conveyance direction. In the transport direction, a side from the supply unit 15 toward the discharge unit 16 is referred to as a downstream side in the transport direction. The side from the discharge unit 16 toward the supply unit 15 is referred to as the upstream side in the transport direction. The discharge unit 16 in this example is slightly in front of the supply unit 15. In the transport direction, between the supply unit 15 and a print head 61 to be described later, the mounting unit 40 slightly tilts to the left front side and extends substantially in the left-right direction. In the transport direction, between the print head 61 and the discharge unit 16, the mounting unit 40 is slightly tilted to the right front side (that is, tilted forward from the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the extending surface of the opening 161). ), Extending substantially in the left-right direction. In the transport direction, the transport direction between the print head 61 and the discharge unit 16 is indicated by an arrow Y2 in FIGS. In the mounting portion 40 of this example, the tube 9 whose outer diameter of the cross section orthogonal to the extending direction of the tube 9 (that is, the cross section of the tube 9) is smaller than the opening cross section of the mounting portion 40 orthogonal to the transport direction can be mounted. It is.

  The rear end portion of the escape portion 22 is spatially connected to the mounting portion 40 on the left side of the supply portion 15. The rear end portion of the ribbon mounting portion 30 is spatially connected to the mounting portion 40 on the right side of the discharge portion 16. The user can attach and detach the tube 9 to the mounting portion 40 from above with the cover 12 being opened. At this time, the user can easily attach and detach the tube 9 to and from the mounting portion 40 by inserting the finger holding the tube 9 into at least one of the escape portion 22 and the ribbon mounting portion 30. The user attaches the tube 9 to the attachment unit 40 along the transport direction so that the tube 9 extends from the supply unit 15 to the discharge unit 16.

  The discharge unit 16 is a recess having an opening 161 and is provided below the mounting surface 111 and is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction. The discharge unit 16 is provided with a roller member 19. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the roller member 19 includes a plate member 191, a roller 192, and a support portion 193. The plate member 191 is a plate-like member whose one end is rotatably supported by the support portion 193. The plate member 191 has a shaft 195 in a first posture (see FIG. 7A) extending downward and a second posture (see FIG. 7B) extending leftward from the discharge portion 16 to the outside. It can rotate as a center. The rotation direction of the roller member 19 is indicated by an arrow Y3 in FIG. The plate member 191 has a restricting portion 194 on the upper right end side in the first posture. The restriction portion 194 is a portion whose distance from the shaft 195 is longer than the shortest distance between the shaft 195 and the support portion 193. The restricting portion 194 restricts the plate member 191 from rotating from the first posture to the right (counterclockwise) by contacting the support portion 193. The shape on the upper left side of the plate member 191 is a circular arc shape when viewed from the front where the distance from the shaft 195 is equal to or shorter than the shortest distance between the shaft 195 and the support portion 193. The roller 192 is supported on the other end of the plate member 191 so as to be rotatable leftward. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment portion 40, the plate member 191 is in the first posture. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40 and the tube 9 is discharged from the discharge portion 16, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower end of the roller 192 is in contact with the tube 9, and the plate member 191 is in the second posture. It becomes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 are provided on the facing surface 123 of the cover 12. The facing surface 123 is a surface on the side facing the main body case 11. Each of the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 is retracted from the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the open position. Each of the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 is disposed in the recess of the mounting portion 40 and can press the tube 9 mounted on the mounting portion 40 downward when the cover 12 is in the closed position.

  When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the first pressing member 41 is disposed at a position indicated by P1 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cover 12 is in the closed position, the first pressing member 41 is on the side opposite to the discharge unit 16 (that is, on the supply unit 15 side) with respect to the print head 61 (described later) in the transport direction. Placed in. More specifically, the first pressing member 41 corresponds to a substantially middle position between the transport roller 66 and the center M1 when a substantially intermediate position between the supply unit 15 and a transport roller 66 (described later) is the center M1 in the transport direction. Placed in position.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first pressing member 41 includes a rotating shaft 42, an arm portion 43, a first urging member 44, and a roller 45. The arm portion 43 has a rectangular shape extending in the transport direction in plan view. One end 431 of the arm part 43 is rotatably supported by the support part 124 of the cover 12 on the facing surface 123 side. When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the rotation shaft 42 of the arm portion 43 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. The support part 124 is a part extending perpendicularly to the facing surface 123 of the cover 12. The other end 432 is in the lower left direction of the arm 43. In other words, the other end 432 is on the downstream side in the transport direction from the one end 431. As shown in FIG. 9, the other end 432 is disposed in the recess of the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The arm portion 43 includes a guide portion 433 extending toward the facing surface 123 with respect to the side connecting the one end portion 431 and the other end portion 432. The cover 12 includes a pair of plate-shaped guide portions 125 and 126 extending substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. The guide portions 125 and 126 extend in the transport direction when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The guide portion 433 of the arm portion 43 is disposed between the pair of guide portions 125 and 126. The arm portion 43 is guided by the guide portions 125 and 126 and rotates around the rotation shaft 42.

  The first biasing member 44 biases the other end 432 of the arm portion 43 in a direction away from the facing surface 123. The direction away from the facing surface 123 is downward when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The first urging member 44 is a torsion spring having a coil portion and two arm portions extending radially outward from the coil portion. One arm portion of the first urging member 44 is fixed to the arm portion 43, and the other arm portion is fixed to the cover 12. The first urging member 44 urges the arm portion 43 to rotate downward (counterclockwise in FIG. 9) when the cover 12 is in the closed position.

  The roller 45 is supported by the other end portion 432 of the arm portion 43 so as to be rotatable in the transport direction. The width of the roller 45 is determined in consideration of the diameter of the tube 9 that can be printed. The width of the roller 45 is a length in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction on a horizontal plane. In this example, the width of the roller 45 is longer than the minimum diameter of the tube 9 that can be printed. When the cover 9 is in the closed position with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40, the roller 45 comes into contact with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40 and presses the tube 9 downward.

  When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the second pressing member 46 is disposed at a position indicated by P2 in FIG. The second pressing member 46 is disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the print head 61 (described later) in the transport direction when the cover 12 is in the closed position. More specifically, the second pressing member 46 is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting unit 40 between the print head 61 and a conveyance roller 67 (described later) in the conveyance direction. The second pressing member 46 is a member having a square shape in plan view and a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction in front view.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the second pressing member 46 includes a pressing portion 47, a support portion 48, and a second urging member 49. The pressing portion 47 is retracted from the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the open position, and is disposed in the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The pressing portion 47 includes a roller 471 on the side away from the facing surface 123 (that is, the lower side). The roller 471 is supported to be rotatable in the transport direction. In this example, like the roller 45, the width of the roller 471 is longer than the minimum diameter of the tube 9. The support portion 48 has a box shape having an opening 481 below, and supports the pressing portion 47 so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the facing surface 123 with the lower end side of the pressing portion 47 exposed from the opening 481. The support portion 48 of this example supports the pressing portion 47 so as to be movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. The second urging member 49 urges the pressing portion 47 to the side away from the facing surface 123 (that is, downward). The second urging member 49 is a compression coil spring. When the cover 9 is in the closed position with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40, the roller 471 contacts the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40 and presses the tube 9 downward.

  When the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting portion 40 and the cover 12 is in the closed position, the load with which the second pressing member 46 presses the tube 9 is set smaller than the load with which the first pressing member 41 presses the tube 9. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first detection unit 33 is disposed closer to the supply unit 15 than the print head 61 in the transport direction, and can optically detect whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting unit 40. It is configured. More specifically, the first detection unit 33 is provided between the conveyance roller 66 and the center M1 between the supply unit 15 and a conveyance roller 66 (described later) in the conveyance direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the first detection unit 33 includes a rotation shaft 34, a rotation member 35, a biasing member 36, and a first optical sensor 37. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotation shaft 34 is provided in the main body case 11, and is positioned in the direction indicated by the arrow Y <b> 5 (back diagonally leftward) from the center M <b> 2 in the width direction W <b> 1 of the mounting portion 40 on the mounting surface 111. , The shaft extending upward. The rotation shaft 34 of this example is disposed on the opposite side to the print head 61 side described later (that is, the conveyance roller 65 side described later) with respect to the mounting portion 40.

  The rotation member 35 includes a detection member 351, a detection unit 352, and a contact portion 353. The detection member 351 is a plate-like member in which one end portion 354 is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 34 and the other end portion 355 is disposed in the mounting portion 40. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotation shaft 34 of this example is disposed on the discharge portion 16 side with respect to the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351. As shown in FIG. 13, the downward width W2 (length in the vertical direction) of the detection member 351 is narrower than the downward width W3 (length in the vertical direction) of the mounting portion 40, and the downward direction of the mounting portion 40. It is wider than half of the width W3. The center M3 of the downward width W2 of the detection member 351 is below the center M4 of the downward width W3 of the mounting portion 40. When the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment portion 40, the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 is disposed at a position that is in the direction indicated by the arrow Y6 (front oblique rightward) from the center M2. The detection unit 352 is a plate-like part provided below the detection member 351. The detection unit 352 is disposed below the mounting unit 40. The contact portion 353 is a plate-like portion that extends from the one end portion 354 in a direction that intersects with the extending direction of the planar view detection member 351 and that is long in the vertical direction. The detection member 351, the detection part 352, and the contact part 353 are integrally molded. The urging member 36 urges the rotating member 35 clockwise in plan view. The biasing member 36 is a spring.

  The first optical sensor 37 is provided at a position retracted from the mounting portion 40 in the main body case 11 and below the mounting surface 111. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first optical sensor 37 of this example is provided at a position below the mounting portion 40. Since the mounting surface 111 and the mounting portion 40 are formed of a material that blocks light, disturbance light that enters the inside of the housing 10 does not easily reach the first optical sensor 37. The first optical sensor 37 is a sensor that can optically detect the position of the rotating member 35.

  When the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment part 40, the detection member 351 is disposed so as to cross the attachment part 40. The other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 contacts the second side surface 403 of the mounting portion 40. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the tip of the detection unit 352 (the end opposite to the rotation shaft 34 side) is disposed between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. The light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 does not receive the light emitted from the light emitting unit and outputs an OFF signal. When the tube 9 is attached to the attachment portion 40, the other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 contacts the rear side surface of the tube 9. At this time, the detection unit 352 is disposed at a position retracted from between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. The light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and outputs an ON signal. The printing apparatus 1 determines that the tube 9 is attached to the attachment unit 40 when the first optical sensor 37 outputs an ON signal. The printing apparatus 1 determines that the tube 9 is not attached to the attachment unit 40 when the first optical sensor 37 outputs an OFF signal.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second optical sensor 95 is disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the print head 61 in the transport direction, and can optically detect whether or not the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting unit 40. It is configured. More specifically, the second optical sensor 95 is provided between the transport roller 67 (described later) and the discharge unit 16 in the transport direction. The second optical sensor 95 includes a light receiving unit 96 and a light emitting unit 97. The light receiving unit 96 is disposed on the second side surface 403 which is the front side surface of the mounting unit 40. The light emitting unit 97 is disposed on the first side surface 402, which is a position facing the light receiving unit 96. As described above, the mounting portion 40 is extended on the discharge portion 16 side from the print head 61 in the direction indicated by the arrow Y <b> 2 inclined forward from the direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the discharge portion 16. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving unit 96 is outside the range R in which the opening 161 of the discharge unit 16 is provided when viewed from the left side. Considering that the light that enters the housing 10 from the opening 161 reduces the influence on the detection result of the second optical sensor 95, the mounting unit 40 reflects the light on the discharge unit 16 side from the print head 61. It is preferable to be formed in a color that is difficult to perform (for example, black).

  The cover 12 of this example has a window portion 122. In consideration of the influence of the light that enters the housing 10 from the window 122 on the detection result of the second optical sensor 95, the cover 12 has ribs 127 as shown in FIG. The rib 127 extends from the facing surface 123 of the cover 12 to the side away from the facing surface 123. The rib 127 of this example extends substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the rib 127 is disposed at a position indicated by P3 in FIG. The rib 127 blocks the optical path between the window 122 and the second optical sensor 95 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The cover 12 of this example further includes a guide member 128 on the facing surface 123. The guide member 128 is a convex portion that extends substantially perpendicular to the facing surface 123. When the cover 12 is in the closed position, the guide member 128 is disposed in the mounting portion 40 between the transport roller 67 and the discharge portion 16. When the cover 12 is in the open position, the guide member 128 is retracted from the mounting portion 40. When the cover 9 is in the closed position with the tube 9 mounted on the mounting portion 40, the guide member 128 suppresses the tube 9 from moving away from the reference surface 401 to the cover 12 side (raising).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the printing unit 60 further includes a print head 61, a ribbon take-up shaft 63, transport rollers 65 to 69, an opening / closing mechanism 70, a cutting unit 100, a drive motor (not shown), and the like. The print head 61 and the ribbon take-up shaft 63 are each erected upward from the bottom surface of the ribbon mounting portion 30. The print head 61 is provided in the main body case 11 and can print on the tube 9 conveyed by the conveyance rollers 65 to 69. The print head 61 is a thermal head including a heating element (not shown) provided at the rear portion of the ribbon mounting portion 30. The print head 61 can print on the tube 9 using an ink ribbon supplied from a ribbon cassette 90 mounted on the ribbon mounting unit 30. The print head 61 can be displaced between an operating position and a retracted position. When the printing apparatus 1 receives an instruction to print on the tube 9, the printing apparatus 61 moves the print head 61 to an operating position (a position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2). When the print head 61 is in the operating position, the print head 61 is disposed inside the mounting portion 40 and is close to the transport roller 65. When the printing process for the tube 9 is completed, the printing apparatus 1 moves the print head 61 to the retracted position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2). When the print head 61 is in the retracted position, the print head 61 is disposed on the front side of the mounting portion 40 and is separated from the transport roller 65. The ribbon take-up shaft 63 is a shaft capable of rotating a ribbon take-up spool (not shown).

  The conveyance rollers 65 to 69 are configured to be able to convey the tube 9 attached to the attachment unit 40 along the conveyance direction. The transport roller 65 is a roller that can rotate relative to the print head 61. The transport roller 66 is a roller that can rotate relative to the transport roller 68. The transport roller 67 is a roller that can rotate relative to the transport roller 69. The transport rollers 68 and 69 are disposed on the rear side of the ribbon mounting portion 30 and are operated according to the posture of the opening / closing lever 71 (position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2) and retracted position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2). And can be displaced. When the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the operating position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are disposed inside the mounting portion 40 and close to the transport rollers 66 and 67, respectively. When the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the retracted position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are respectively disposed on the front side of the mounting portion 40 and are separated from the transport rollers 66 and 67. The drive motor (not shown) is a motor that rotationally drives the transport rollers 65, 66, 67 and the ribbon take-up shaft 63.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, the opening / closing mechanism 70 includes an opening / closing lever 71, link members 72 and 73, a slider 74, and arm portions 75 and 76. The link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74 constitute a toggle mechanism whose output is increased by the boost structure. The opening / closing mechanism 70 switches the position of the arm portions 75, 76 to the first position and the second position by switching the opening / closing lever 71 between a closed position (see FIGS. 14 to 16) and an open position (see FIGS. 17 and 18). And can be switched. When the arm portions 75 and 76 are in the first position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the operating position. In the operating position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in pressure contact with the transport rollers 66 and 67, respectively, with a predetermined pressure. When the arm portions 75 and 76 are in the second position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the retracted position. In the retracted position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are separated from the transport rollers 66 and 67, respectively. In the following description, the configuration of the opening / closing mechanism 70 will be described with reference to the case where the opening / closing lever 71 shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 is in the closed position.

  The opening / closing lever 71 is attached to a recess 113 that extends in the left-right direction behind the mounting portion 40 and is recessed below the mounting surface 111. The open / close lever 71 is a rectangular parallelepiped member that is long in the left-right direction. The opening / closing lever 71 includes a shaft hole 711, a tail 712, and a recess 713. The shaft hole 711 is a hole provided in the right end portion of the opening / closing lever 71 and penetrating in the front-rear direction having a circular shape when viewed from the front. A shaft 821 supported by the support portion 82 is inserted through the shaft hole 711. The support portion 82 is a portion where the rear end portion of the substrate 81 extending substantially parallel to the horizontal plane is bent upward. The shaft 821 is a bar extending in the front-rear direction. The opening / closing lever 71 is supported by a shaft 821 so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow Y4 in FIGS. The opening / closing lever 71 is urged clockwise by an urging member 77. The biasing member 77 is a torsion spring having one end fixed to the support portion 82 and the other end fixed to the opening / closing lever 71. The tail 712 is a part provided at the right end of the opening / closing lever 71. The concave portion 713 is a portion that is provided on the lower surface of the left end portion of the opening / closing lever 71 and that is recessed upward in an arch shape. The recess 713 is a part that the user operates with a finger when operating the opening / closing lever 71.

  The link member 72 is a member that is long in the left-right direction. The link member 72 includes a shaft 721, a guide part 722, and a connection part 723. The shaft 721 extends in the front-rear direction and is rotatably supported by the support portion 88. The support portion 88 is a portion where the right rear end portion of the substrate 81 is bent upward. The support portion 88 has a bowl shape that is open on the left side when viewed from the front. The guide portion 722 is a plate-like portion that is provided on the upper surface of the link member 72 and extends upward. The guide part 722 has a bowl-like shape opened on the left side when viewed from the front. The connection portion 723 is a portion that is provided at the left end portion of the link member 72 and is connected to the right end portion of the link member 73.

  The link member 73 is a member that is long in the left-right direction. The link member 73 has connection portions 731 and 732. The connection portion 731 is a part provided at the right end portion of the link member 73 and connected to the connection portion 723 of the link member 72. The connecting portion 732 is a portion provided at the left end portion of the link member 73 and connected to the right end portion of the slider 74.

  The slider 74 is a rectangular plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction in plan view. The slider 74 has a connecting portion 741 and guide holes 742 and 743. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the connection portion 741 is a portion provided at the right end portion of the slider 74 and connected to the connection portion 732 of the link member 73. The connecting portion 741 has a bowl shape with the lower part in front view open. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, the guide holes 742 and 743 are holes that extend in the horizontal direction and penetrate in the vertical direction. Protrusions 83 and 84 are inserted into the guide holes 742 and 743, respectively. The convex portions 83 and 84 protrude upward from the upper surface of the substrate 81.

  As shown in FIGS. 14, 16, and 18, the arm portion 75 is a hook-like member that extends from the left side to the front side of the slider 74 and is open on the right side in plan view. The arm part 75 includes a shaft hole 751, a support part 752, and a contact part 753. The shaft hole 751 is a circular hole provided in the right front end portion of the arm portion 75 and penetrating in the vertical direction in plan view. A shaft 85 extending upward from the substrate 81 is inserted into the shaft hole 751. The arm part 75 is rotatably supported by a shaft 85. The support portion 752 is a portion that is provided to the left of the shaft hole 751 and supports the transport roller 69. The contact portion 753 is a convex portion that is provided on the lower surface of the right rear end of the arm portion 75 and protrudes downward. The arm portion 75 is urged clockwise in plan view by an urging member (not shown), and the abutting portion 753 abuts against the left end of the slider 74.

  The arm part 76 is an L-shaped member provided in front of the connection part 741 of the slider 74 in plan view. The arm portion 76 supports the conveyance roller 68 and is supported by the main body case 11 so as to be able to swing between the first position and the second position. The arm portion 76 includes a shaft hole 761, a support portion 762, and contact portions 763 and 764. The shaft hole 761 is a circular hole that is provided in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction of the arm portion 76 and penetrates in the up-down direction. A shaft 86 extending upward from the substrate 81 is inserted into the shaft hole 761. The arm portion 76 is rotatably supported by a shaft 86. The support portion 762 is provided on the left side of the shaft hole 761 and is a portion that supports the transport roller 68. The contact portion 763 is a portion connected to the slider 74 at the right rear end of the arm portion 76. The contact portion 764 is a portion that contacts the contact portion 353 of the first detection unit 33 at the right rear end portion of the arm portion 76 according to the position of the arm portion 76. The arm portion 76 is urged clockwise by the urging member 87 in plan view.

  The operation of the opening / closing mechanism 70 will be described. When the user opens and closes the opening / closing lever 71 from the closed position shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 clockwise, the lower surface of the tail portion 712 of the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the left portion of the upper surface of the link member 72. . The opening / closing lever 71 is biased clockwise by a biasing member 77 when viewed from the front. For this reason, the user can operate the opening / closing lever 71 with less force than when the urging member 77 is not provided. The link member 72 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front centering on the shaft 721 while abutting against the opening / closing lever 71. The link member 73 rotates clockwise as the link member 72 rotates. The slider 74 is pushed to the left by the link member 73 and moves to the left. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 75 rotates about the shaft 85 counterclockwise in plan view. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 76 rotates about the shaft 86 counterclockwise in plan view. The abutting portion 764 of the arm portion 76 abuts on the abutting portion 353 of the rotating member 35. The rotation member 35 rotates counterclockwise in plan view as the arm portion 76 rotates.

  When the open / close lever 71 is moved to the open position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74 are aligned on a substantially straight line when viewed from the front. At this time, only a substantially horizontal force is applied to the link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74. The open / close lever 71 does not receive force from the link members 72 and 73 and the slider 74 in the open position. Therefore, when the opening / closing lever 71 is in the open position, the opening / closing lever 71 is not automatically moved to the closed position by the action of the opening / closing mechanism 70 even if the user releases the opening / closing lever 71. As shown in FIG. 18, when the opening / closing lever 71 is moved to the open position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the retracted position (first position). The detection member 351 of the rotation member 35 is in a position retracted from the mounting portion 40. When the rotating member 35 is in the retracted position, the detection unit 352 is retracted from between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. When the rotating member 35 is in the retracted position, the light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 can receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit.

  When the opening / closing lever 71 is turned counterclockwise by the user from the open position shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the upper surface of the tail portion 712 of the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the guide portion 722 of the link member 72. . When the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the link member 72, the link member 72 receives a counterclockwise force when viewed from the front. The urging member 77 functions as a damper that urges the opening / closing lever 71 clockwise when viewed from the front, and relieves the force received by the opening / closing lever 71 from the link member 72. The link member 72 rotates clockwise around the shaft 721 while contacting the opening / closing lever 71. The link member 73 rotates counterclockwise in front view as the link member 72 rotates. The slider 74 is pulled to the right by the link member 73 and moves to the right. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 75 rotates about the shaft 85 clockwise in plan view. As the slider 74 moves, the arm portion 76 rotates about the shaft 86 clockwise in plan view. The rotation member 35 rotates clockwise in plan view as the arm portion 76 rotates. Thereafter, the contact portion 764 of the arm portion 76 is separated from the contact portion 353 of the rotating member 35.

  When the opening / closing lever 71 is moved to the closed position shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the opening / closing lever 71 contacts the link member 72, and the clockwise rotation in front view is restricted. Therefore, when the open / close lever 71 is in the closed position, even if the user releases the open / close lever 71, the open / close lever 71 is not automatically moved to the open position by the action of the open / close mechanism 70. When the open / close lever 71 is moved to the closed position, the transport rollers 68 and 69 are in the operating position as shown in FIG. The other end portion 355 of the detection member 351 of the rotating member 35 is in an operating position arranged in the mounting portion 40. When the rotating member 35 is in the operating position, the detection unit 352 is disposed between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit of the first optical sensor 37. When the rotating member 35 is in the operating position, the light receiving unit of the first optical sensor 37 cannot receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit.

  The cutting unit 100 is provided upstream of the discharge unit 16 in the transport direction and downstream of the ribbon mounting unit 30 in the transport direction. The cutting unit 100 includes a cutter, a cutting board, and a cutter motor (not shown). The cutter and the cutting board are arranged to face each other with the mounting portion 40 interposed therebetween. The cutter can be cut by pressing the tube 9 in the mounting portion 40 against the cutting board by moving toward the cutting board. The cutter motor is a motor that drives the cutter.

[4. Printing operation of tube printing unit 60]
The printing unit 60 executes the following printing operation according to the control of the control board. The drive motor of the printing unit 60 rotates the transport rollers 65 to 67 and the ribbon take-up shaft 63. As the transport rollers 65 to 67 rotate, the tube 9 in the mounting portion 40 is transported downstream in the transport direction. At this time, the tube 9 before printing outside the housing 10 is drawn into the mounting unit 40 from the right surface of the housing 10 via the supply unit 15. As the ribbon take-up shaft 63 rotates, the ink ribbon in the ribbon cassette 90 is pulled out.

  The print head 61 prints a character on the transported tube 9 using the drawn ink ribbon. The print head 61 of this example prints a normal image of the character on the front surface of the tube 9 via the rear side. Therefore, the front surface of the tube 9 is the printing surface of the tube 9. The used ink ribbon is wound up in the ribbon cassette 90. The tube 9 after printing is transported from the transport roller 65 to the downstream side in the transport direction, and is discharged from the main body case 11 through the discharge unit 16. At this time, the tube 9 is discharged leftward from the opening 161 on the left surface of the housing 10 so that the printing surface faces forward.

  The cutter motor of the printing unit 60 drives the cutter and cuts the tube 9 upstream of the discharge unit 16 in the transport direction. The cut tube 9 is blown to the left from the discharge unit 16 by a distance corresponding to the rotation speed of the transport roller 65 and falls to a discharge region (not shown).

  In the printing apparatus 1, the mounting surface 111, the main body case 11, the mounting portion 40, the print head 61, the cover 12, and the facing surface 123 are respectively the mounting surface, the main body case, the mounting portion, the printing portion, the cover, and the facing surface of the present invention. It corresponds to a surface. The first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 correspond to the first pressing member and the second pressing member of the present invention, respectively. The first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 correspond to a plurality of pressing members of the present invention. The conveyance rollers 65 to 69 correspond to the conveyance unit of the present invention. The opening 151 and the supply unit 15 correspond to the first opening and the supply unit of the present invention, respectively. The opening 161 and the discharge part 16 correspond to the second opening and the discharge part of the present invention, respectively. The upper and lower directions are the first direction and the second direction of the present invention, respectively. The rotation shaft 42, the arm portion 43, and the first biasing member 44 correspond to the rotation shaft, the arm portion, and the first biasing member of the present invention, respectively. The pressing part 47, the supporting part 48, and the second urging member 49 correspond to the pressing part, the supporting part, and the second urging member of the present invention, respectively. The rollers 45 and 471 correspond to the rollers of the present invention.

  In the printing apparatus 1, when the user attaches the tube 9 to the printing apparatus 1, the surface below the attachment unit 40 is used as the reference surface 401 with the cover 12 in the open position, and the tube 9 serves as the reference surface of the attachment unit 40. It arrange | positions along 401 and makes the cover 12 into a closed position. The printing apparatus 1 can press the tube 9 disposed in the mounting portion 40 downward by the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 by the above-described simple operation. The 1st press member 41 and the 2nd press member 46 can make the tube 9 follow the reference plane 401 more reliably by pressing the tube 9 arrange | positioned at the mounting part 40 below. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can print at an appropriate position as compared with the case where the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 are not provided. Since the printing apparatus 1 is provided with the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 on the cover 12, the degree of freedom in designing the pressing member is higher than that of the conventional printing apparatus.

  The printing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of pressing members, a first pressing member 41 and a second pressing member 46. The printing apparatus 1 can more reliably press the tube 9 arranged in the mounting portion 40 downward, without increasing the number of user operations, as compared with the case where the number of pressing members is one.

  The plurality of pressing members include a first pressing member 41 disposed on the opposite side of the discharge unit 16 with respect to the print head 61 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The printing apparatus 1 can supply the tube 9 pressed downward by the first pressing member 41 to the print head 61. The printing apparatus 1 can stably print on the tube as compared with the case where the first pressing member 41 is not provided.

  The plurality of pressing members include a second pressing member 46 disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the print head 61 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. The printing apparatus 1 can press the tube 9 mounted on the mounting unit 40 downward on both the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the print head 61 by the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46. . The print head 61 can print more stably at an appropriate position.

  The first pressing member 41 has a rotating shaft 42 supported by the cover 12 on the facing surface 123 side, and one end portion 431 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 42, and the cover 12 is in the closed position. The other end portion 432 includes an arm portion 43 disposed in the mounting portion 40, and a first biasing member 44 that biases the other end portion 432 of the arm portion 43 toward the side away from the facing surface 123. From the viewpoint of printing finish, it is preferable that the tube 9 is conveyed to the print head 61 in a state of being positioned according to the reference surface 401. Therefore, it is preferable that the first pressing member 41 disposed on the side opposite to the discharge unit 16 with respect to the print head 61 is configured to press the tube 9 relatively firmly downward. In the printing apparatus 1, the printing apparatus 1 arranges the tube 9 along the reference surface 401 with respect to the tube 9 attached to the attachment part 40 by the arm portion 43 urged by the first urging member 44. It is possible to apply a sufficient load.

  The second pressing member 46 includes a pressing portion 47 disposed in the mounting portion 40 when the cover 12 is in the closed position, and a support portion 48 that supports the pressing portion 47 so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the facing surface 123. And a second urging member 49 that urges the pressing portion 47 to the side away from the facing surface 123. The second pressing member 46 disposed on the discharge unit 16 side with respect to the print head 61 preferably has a compact configuration in terms of space. Since the pressing part 47 is supported by the support part so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the facing surface 123, the second pressing member 46 can be made compact. In this case, the printing apparatus 1 can press the tube 9 attached to the attachment portion 40 downward by the second pressing member 46 having a compact configuration. Particularly in this example, since the space in plan view of the second pressing member 46 is relatively small, the second pressing member 46 can be installed in a relatively narrow space between the conveying roller 65 and the conveying roller 67 indicated by P2 in FIG. . Since the second pressing member 46 presses the tube 9 downward at the position P2 close to the print head 61, the print head 61 can print more stably at an appropriate position.

  Each of the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 includes rollers 45 and 471 that can rotate in the extending direction of the mounting portion 40 at the end portion on the side away from the facing surface 123. The rollers 45 and 471 can reduce the friction between the tube 9, the first pressing member 41, and the second pressing member 46 during tube conveyance while pressing the tube 9 disposed in the mounting portion 40 downward. For this reason, the printing apparatus 1 may cause jamming (clogging) due to the transportation of the tube 9 due to friction between the tube 9 and the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 during the tube transportation. Can be reduced.

  When the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting portion 40 and the cover 12 is in the closed position, the load with which the second pressing member 46 presses the tube 9 is smaller than the load with which the first pressing member 41 presses the tube 9. Since the load by which the second pressing member 46 presses the tube 9 is smaller than the load by which the first pressing member 41 presses the tube 9, the printing apparatus 1 reliably secures the tube 9 while suppressing jamming during tube conveyance. Can be held down.

  The first pressing member 41 is preferably in contact with the tube 9 in the vicinity of the upstream of the conveying roller 66. In relation to the first detection unit 33, the first pressing member 41, the first detection unit 33, the conveyance roller 66, and the print head 61 are preferably arranged in this order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction with the cover 12 in the closed position. With such a configuration, the first detection unit 33 can detect whether or not the tube 9 is attached in a state where the tube 9 is firmly pressed downward by the first pressing member 41. The second pressing member 46 is preferably disposed between the print head 61 and the conveyance roller 67 from the viewpoint of smoothly conveying the tube 9.

  The printing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following modifications (A) and (B) may be added as appropriate.

  (A) The configuration of the printing apparatus 1 may be changed as appropriate. In the printing apparatus 1, the printing unit 50 may be omitted. When the printing apparatus 1 includes the printing unit 60 and the printing unit 50, the arrangement of the printing unit 50 with respect to the printing unit 60 may be changed as appropriate.

  (B) The printing apparatus 1 may include at least one pressing member. The arrangement and configuration of the pressing member may be changed as appropriate. For example, the printing apparatus 1 may include either the first pressing member 41 or the second pressing member 46. The pressing member may not include a roller at an end portion on the side away from the facing surface 123. In this case, it is preferable that the shape or the configuration take into account the reduction of friction between the pressing member and the tube 9. For example, the end of the pressing member on the side away from the facing surface 123 may have a rounded shape. The load at which the first pressing member 41 and the second pressing member 46 press the tube 9 when the tube 9 is mounted on the mounting portion 40 and the cover 12 is in the closed position may be appropriately changed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printing apparatus 10 Housing | casing 11 Main body case 12 Cover 15 Supply part 16 Ejection part 41 Pressing member 42 Rotating shaft 43 Arm part 44 Energizing member 45 Roller 46 Pressing member 47 Pressing part 48 Supporting part 49 Energizing member 123 Opposing surface 401 Reference surface 431 One end 432 The other end 471 Roller 481 Opening

Claims (8)

A body case having a mounting surface in a first direction;
A mounting portion provided in the main body case, to which a tube that is a cylindrical print medium is mounted, and a mounting portion that is a recess recessed in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the mounting surface; ,
A transport unit capable of transporting the tube mounted on the mounting unit;
A printing unit provided in the main body case and capable of printing on the tube conveyed by the conveying unit;
A discharge part having an opening through which the tube printed by the printing part can be discharged to the outside;
A cover pivotally supported by the main body case and movable to a closed position for closing the mounting surface of the main body case and an open position for opening the mounting surface of the main body case;
A member provided on an opposing surface that is a surface of the cover facing the main body case, wherein the cover is retracted when the cover is in the open position, and the cover is in the closed position. A printing apparatus comprising: a pressing member disposed in the recess of the mounting portion and capable of pressing the tube mounted on the mounting portion in the second direction.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the pressing members.   The plurality of pressing members include a first pressing member disposed on a side opposite to the discharging unit with respect to the printing unit when the cover is in the closed position. The printing apparatus as described.   4. The printing according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of pressing members include a second pressing member disposed on the discharge unit side with respect to the printing unit when the cover is in the closed position. apparatus. The first pressing member is
A pivot shaft supported by the cover on the opposite surface side;
One end portion is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft, and the other end portion is disposed in the mounting portion when the cover is in the closed position; and
The printing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a first urging member that urges the other end portion of the arm portion toward a side away from the facing surface. The second pressing member is
A pressing portion disposed in the mounting portion when the cover is in the closed position;
A support part for supporting the pressing part so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the facing surface;
The printing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a second urging member that urges the pressing portion toward a side away from the facing surface.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member includes a roller that is rotatable in an extending direction of the mounting portion at an end portion on a side away from the facing surface.   When the tube is mounted on the mounting portion and the cover is in the closed position, the load with which the second pressing member presses the tube is smaller than the load with which the first pressing member presses the tube. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 or 6.

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