JP6632700B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly to a printer having a function of printing desired information such as characters, symbols, figures, bar codes, and the like on a print medium such as a label.

  A label printer is, for example, a method for feeding a plurality of labels temporarily attached to a long backing sheet constituting a continuous paper while feeding a continuous paper wound in a roll shape into a sheet and transporting the continuous paper along a transport path. These are printers each having a function of printing desired information.

  In a label printer, a damper unit that applies tension to continuous paper is installed between a paper supply unit that supplies continuous paper and a thermal head that prints desired information on a continuous paper label. The continuous paper fed from the printer is conveyed to a thermal head via a damper unit.

  The damper portion is a member that applies tension to the continuous paper, and is generally urged downward by a spring or the like. The continuous paper is set so as to be sunk under the damper portion, and is conveyed to the print head side.

  It should be noted that a printer having such a label printing function is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-163873.

JP 2007-301869 A

  By the way, in order to set the continuous paper as described above, since the continuous paper is sunk under the damper portion, the field of view is blocked by the damper portion, and it is difficult to set the continuous paper. The damper section is provided with a width guide section for preventing the continuous paper from meandering, but this width guide section is also located directly below the damper section. The field of view is blocked by the section, and it is also difficult to set the position of the width guide section. In particular, since the position of the width guide portion is adjusted based on the tactile sensation of the width guide portion abutting on the end portion of the continuous paper in the width direction, the position setting operation may be complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can easily set a print medium.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a medium supply unit that supplies a print medium, a conveyance unit that conveys the print medium supplied from the medium supply unit, a print unit that prints on the print medium , and the print A first medium transport path forming unit that forms a part of a medium transport path for the medium, the first medium transport path forming unit being connected to the first medium transport path forming unit via a shaft, and provided at a downstream side in the transport direction of the shaft. A second medium transport path forming unit that forms another part different from a part of the medium transport path, and the other part of the medium transport path that the second medium transport path forming unit forms, A printer is provided, wherein the printer is formed to be narrower than a part of the medium transport path formed by the first medium transport path forming section, and the second medium transport path forming section is made of a transparent material.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily set a print medium .

1 is an overall perspective view of the appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the printer of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view of the printer in FIG. 2. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of the print unit when the print head unit of FIG. 3 is in a closed state when viewed from the front, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of the print unit when the print head unit of FIG. FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the printing unit in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a printing unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the print head unit of FIG. 6 taken out and viewed from below. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the printing unit when the print head unit is in a closed state. FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the printing unit when the print head unit is in an open state. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a head support plate and a damper support member in a state where the print head unit is opened and closed. 10A is a side view of the head support plate and the damper support member when the print head unit in FIG. 10 is closed, and FIG. 10B is a side view of the head support plate and the damper support member when the print head unit in FIG. 10 is open. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a damper unit and a damper support member viewed from a side of the printing unit in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a damper support member viewed from a side where a damper unit is mounted. 14A is a perspective view showing a connection portion between the outer damper portion and the damper support member in FIG. 12, and FIG. 14B is an exploded view showing a connection positional relationship between the outer damper portion and the damper support member in FIG. It is a perspective view. (A) is a perspective view of a damper part and a damper support member viewed from diagonally above, and (b) is a perspective view of a damper part viewed from diagonally below. It is the perspective view which looked at the damper part and the damper support member from the upper part. It is an exploded perspective view of an outer damper part. It is an exploded perspective view of an outer damper part and an inner damper part. (A) is an enlarged side view of the damper portion when the continuous paper of the front-wound label is inserted, and (b) is an enlarged side view of the damper portion when the continuous paper of the back-wound label is inserted. (A) is a side view of the damper unit in a stage before the continuous paper is inserted into the paper feeding route, and (b) is a case of a front-wound label, in which the roll-shaped continuous paper in the paper supply unit is reduced and the roll-shaped continuous paper is reduced. FIG. 4C is a side view of the damper portion when the outer peripheral portion of the paper approaches the support shaft. FIG. (A) is a side view of a damper section in the initial stage in which the rolled continuous paper of the paper supply section is a front-wound label, and (b) is a roll-shaped continuous sheet of the paper supply section in the case of a back-wound label. It is a side view of a damper part in the stage where the continuous paper decreased and the outer peripheral part of the roll-shaped continuous paper approached the support shaft. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an outer damper section as viewed from the front side of the printer. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing an outer damper portion extracted from FIG. 22. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a width adjustment guide section and a guide operation section 28 extracted from FIG. 22. It is the perspective view which showed the connection part of a width adjustment guide part and a guide operation part. It is a perspective view of the engagement part of the shaft part of a guide operation part, and a width adjustment guide part. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a damper section of the printer of FIG. 1 as viewed from the back side.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings for describing the embodiments, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in principle, and the repeated description thereof will be omitted.

  The direction in which continuous paper (printing medium) is conveyed for printing, specifically, the direction in which continuous paper is sent from the paper supply unit to the thermal head unit, is referred to as a printing direction. Means upstream in the printing direction, and downstream in the transport direction means downstream in the printing direction.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the appearance of a printer according to the present embodiment.

  The printer 1 of the present embodiment has a label printing function of printing information such as characters, symbols, figures, bar codes, and the like on a label temporarily attached to a mount.

  An operation panel section 3, a power switch 4, and an issuing port (medium discharge port) 5 are provided on a front cover section 2 on the front of the printer 1.

  The operation panel unit 3 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying a message and the like, a plurality of keys (a line key, a feed key, a function key, a direction instruction key and a cancel key, etc.) for operating the operation of the printer 1. A plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) indicating the state of the printer 1 are arranged.

  An open cover 6 is attached to one side surface of the printer 1 so as to be openable and closable vertically by two hinges 7.

  Next, the internal structure of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the printer of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the printer of FIG. In the following description, the front side (front cover section 2 side) of the printer 1 is forward (downstream side in the continuous paper transport direction), and the back side (back cover section side) opposite thereto is rearward (upstream in the continuous paper transport direction). Side).

  Inside the printer 1, a paper supply unit (medium supply unit) 10 disposed behind, a print unit 11 disposed in front, and an ink ribbon unit 12 disposed above the print unit 11 are installed. .

  The paper supply unit 10 is a component that supplies continuous paper (print medium) P to the printing unit 11, and includes a support shaft 10a and a roll guide unit 10b installed at one end thereof.

  The support shaft 10a is a component that rotatably supports the continuous paper P wound in a roll shape. The roll guide portion 10b is a component for fixing the continuous paper P in a roll form, and is installed so as to be movable along the axial direction of the support shaft 10a so that the position thereof can be changed according to the width of the continuous paper P. ing.

  The continuous paper P has, for example, a long backing paper and a plurality of labels temporarily attached at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. A release agent such as silicone is coated on the surface of the backing paper where the adhesive surface of the label comes into contact, so that the label can be easily peeled off. In addition, a position detection mark indicating the position of the label is formed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction on the surface of the backing sheet on which the label is not attached. Labels may be made of thermal paper or plain paper. In the case of a thermal paper, a thermal coloring layer that develops a specific color (black, red, etc.) when a predetermined temperature region is reached is formed on the surface thereof.

  Further, there are two types of continuous paper P, a front-wound label and a back-wound label. The front-wound label is wound in a state in which the label of the continuous paper P is positioned on the outer peripheral surface of the continuous paper P in a roll form. As shown in FIG. 3, the continuous paper Ps (P: broken line) is It is fed out from around the center in the height direction of 10 toward the bottom of the printing unit 11. On the other hand, the back-wound label is wound in a state where the label of the continuous paper P is located on the inner peripheral surface side of the continuous paper P in the form of a roll, and as shown in FIG. : Solid line) is drawn out from around the inner bottom surface of the printer 1 toward the bottom of the printing unit 11. In addition, the paper passing route of the continuous paper P (Ps, Pb) in the printing unit 11 is the same regardless of the front winding or the back winding. In addition, the continuous paper P is transported with the surface on which the label is temporarily attached (the surface to be printed) facing up, whether it is a front-wound label or a back-wound label.

  The above-described printing unit 11 is a component that prints on a label or the like of the continuous paper P, and includes a print head unit 13, a support table 14 disposed below the print head unit 13, and a rear portion thereof (the continuous paper P during the printing process). And a damper unit 15 disposed upstream of the conveyance.

  The print head unit 13 is installed inside the printer 1 so as to be openable and closable, as described later. When the print head 13 is in the closed state, a paper passing route (medium transport path) is formed between the print head 13 and the support 14. The paper passing route is connected to the issuing port 5 (see FIG. 1).

  A head lock lever section 16 that maintains the print head section 13 in a closed state is installed on the support base 14. When the head lock lever 16 is operated, the closed state of the print head 13 is released, the front part of the print head 13 is lifted, and the print head 13 is opened (separated from the platen roller 23). I have.

  The damper unit 15 is a component that applies tension to the continuous paper P. In the present embodiment, the damper section 15 includes an outer damper section (first damper section) 15a and an inner damper section (second damper section) 15b, and interlocks with opening and closing of the print head section 13. And move up and down (open and close). However, when the print head unit 13 is in the closed state, the outer damper unit 15a and the inner damper unit 15b are installed so as to be swingable so that tension can be applied to the continuous paper P.

  The above-described ink ribbon unit 12 is a component that supplies and winds an ink ribbon to which printing ink has been applied, and includes a ribbon supply unit 12a and a ribbon winding unit 12b disposed in front of the ribbon supply unit 12a. . The ribbon supply unit 12a is a component that rotatably supports the ink ribbon wound in a roll shape. The ribbon winding unit 12b is a component that winds and collects the printed ink ribbon RB. When an ink ribbon is used, the ink ribbon drawn from the ribbon supply unit 12a is passed under the print head unit 13 and wound by the ribbon winding unit 12b.

  In such a printer 1, the continuous paper P (Ps, Pb) fed out in a sheet form from the paper supply unit 10 passes through a damper unit 15 to a paper passing route between the print head unit 13 and the support table 14. After being conveyed and printed on a label or the like of the continuous paper P on the way, it is discharged from the issuing port 5 to the outside of the printer 1.

  Next, the configuration of the printing unit 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4A is an enlarged perspective view of the print unit in the closed state of the print head unit of FIG. 3 as viewed from the front, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the print unit in the open state of the print head unit of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the printed portion of FIG. 4A as viewed from the back side, FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the printed portion of FIG. 3, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a part extracted and viewed from below.

  The print head unit 13 has a front portion that can swing vertically (i.e., open and close) about a rear rotation axis S <b> 1 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). It is supported by a plate (first support) 17.

  On the lower surface (the surface facing the paper passing route) of the print head unit 13, a thermal head unit 18 (see FIGS. 4B and 7) is installed with the printing surface facing the paper passing route. The thermal head unit 18 is a printing unit that prints on a label or the like of the continuous paper P by a heating resistor of a printing line 18L disposed on the printing surface. In the print line 18L, a plurality of heating resistors (heating elements) that generate heat when energized are arranged side by side along the width direction of the continuous paper P (a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the continuous paper P).

  On the lower surface on the front side of the print head portion 13, concave claw portions 19, 19 (see FIGS. 4B and 7) are provided so as to sandwich the thermal head portion 18. Behind the concave claw 19 on the lower surface of the print head 13, pins 20, 20 protruding outward from both side surfaces of the print head 13 are provided.

  The print head unit 13 is urged in the opening direction by a torsion spring 21 mounted on the rotation shaft S1 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The closed state is maintained by the locking claw portions 22 of the support base 14 being hooked. When the head lock lever portion 16 is pulled rightward in FIG. 6, the lock claw portion 22 moves rightward in FIG. 6 in conjunction therewith and comes off the pin 20. When the lock claw portion 22 comes off the pin 20, the print head portion 13 is automatically opened by the urging force of the torsion spring 21, as shown in FIG.

  When the print head unit 13 is in the closed state, the printing surface of the thermal head unit 18 is pressed against the lower platen roller unit 23 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B), and the concave claw unit of the print head unit 13 is pressed. 19 and 19 (see FIGS. 4B and 7) are fitted to both ends of the rotation shaft S2 (see FIGS. 4 and 6) of the platen roller portion 23.

  The platen roller unit 23 is a conveyance unit that conveys the continuous paper P fed from the paper supply unit 10 to the issuing port 5 (see FIG. 1) along a paper route, and has a surface having an elasticity such as hard rubber. Coated with material. The platen roller portion 23 is installed on the support base 14 so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions. A gear G1 is connected to one axial end of the rotation shaft S2 of the platen roller unit 23. The gear G1 is engaged with a rotating shaft of a driving body (not shown) such as a stepping motor via, for example, a timing belt (not shown). The gear G1 is connected to a gear G4 via connection gears G2 and G3 (see FIG. 5).

  Further, in the present embodiment, a restraining portion 17 a (see FIGS. 5 to 7) is integrally formed at an end of the head support plate 17 that supports the print head portion 13 on the damper portion 15 side. The restraining portion 17a is formed at a position opposite to the front portion of the head support plate 17 with respect to the rotation axis S1. A pin 17b (see FIG. 7) protruding from the surface facing the damper portion 15 on the distal end side of the restraining portion 17a is provided. The suppression unit 17a and the pin 17b are part of a mechanism that opens and closes the damper unit 15 in conjunction with opening and closing of the print head unit 13. This opening / closing mechanism will be described later in detail.

  A paper position detection sensor (not shown) is provided between the thermal head section 18 and the damper section 15 in the paper passing route of the printing section 11. This paper position detection sensor is a sensor that detects the position of a label on the continuous paper P by detecting a position detection mark formed on the continuous paper P or a mount portion between adjacent labels. It is composed of a light transmission type sensor.

  During the printing process, the continuous paper P is conveyed by rotating the platen roller section 23 with the continuous paper sandwiched between the thermal head section 18 and the platen roller section 23. The printing timing is determined based on the information detected by the paper position detecting sensor, and the heating resistor of the printing line 18L is selectively heated by the printing signal transmitted to the thermal head unit 18. As a result, desired information such as characters, symbols, figures, bar codes, or the like is printed on the label of the continuous paper P.

  On the other hand, the outer damper portion 15a of the damper portion 15 extends obliquely downward from the front side to the rear side when looking at the side surface of the printing section 11, and has a front rotation shaft S3 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). ) Is supported by a damper support member (second support) 25 such that the rear portion can swing vertically. The coil spring 26 in FIG. 5 is a member that suppresses the outer damper portion 15a from going too far upward (rearward side) and supports the outer damper portion 15a in a swingable state, as described later. is there.

  The inner damper portion 15b of the damper portion 15 extends obliquely downward from the rear side toward the front side, opposite to the outer damper portion 15a, when viewing the side surface of the printing portion 11, and the rotation of the rear side. The front portion is supported by the rear portion of the outer damper portion 15a with the front portion swinging up and down around the axis S4 (see FIGS. 4 and 6).

  During the printing process, the paper contact portion of the inner damper portion 15b is located downstream of the continuous paper P in conveyance from the paper contact portion of the outer damper portion 15a. That is, the paper contact portion of the inner damper portion 15b is disposed between the print head portion 13 and the paper contact portion of the outer damper portion 15a.

  Further, at the stage before paper passing, the height of the paper contact portion of the inner damper portion 15b is arranged at a position lower than the height of the paper contact portion of the outer damper portion 15a. That is, the height of the paper contact portion of the inner damper portion 15b is located between the paper contact portion of the outer damper portion 15a and the inner bottom surface of the printer 1. The configurations of the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b will be described later in detail.

  In addition, a width adjustment guide portion 27 is installed below the outer damper portion 15a so as to be movable along the axial direction of the rotation shafts S3 and S4. The width adjustment guide unit 27 is a component that contacts the widthwise end of the continuous paper P transported from the paper supply unit 10 and guides the transport of the continuous paper P. The width adjustment guide portion 27 is connected to a guide operation portion 28 on the back side of the outer damper portion 15a. The guide operation section 28 is a knob for moving the width adjustment guide section 27 in accordance with the width of the continuous paper P and fixing the position of the width adjustment guide section 27.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a recess 29 (see FIG. 6) is partially formed on the inner bottom surface of the printer 1 below the damper unit 15. The recess 29 is formed such that the lower part of the width adjustment guide 27 is located below the inner bottom surface of the printer 1 when the print head 13 and the damper 15 are closed. The lower end portion of the width adjustment guide portion 27 is located in the depression portion 29 as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, but does not contact the bottom surface of the depression portion 29, and is determined in advance from the bottom surface of the depression portion 29. Separated distance. The lower end of the width adjustment guide 27 may be formed, for example, in an arc shape. The depression 29 will be described later in detail.

  The damper support member 25 that supports the outer damper portion 15a of the damper portion 15 is in a state in which a rear portion is vertically swingable about a rotation shaft S5 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) on a front portion side. Are supported in the printer 1.

  A long groove (guiding portion) 25a (see FIG. 5) extending along the longitudinal direction of the damper support member 25 is formed on the upper portion of the damper support member 25. The pin 17b (see FIG. 8) of the head support plate 17 is fitted into the long groove 25a so as to be movable along the long groove 25a. Thus, the head support plate 17 that supports the print head unit 13 is engaged with the damper support member 25.

  Further, the damper support member 25 has a rear portion opened upward around the rotation axis S5 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) by a torsion spring 30 (see FIG. 5) mounted on the rotation axis S5 (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). 15 is lifted), while the restraining portion 17a of the head support plate 17 is located on the outer damper portion 15a side, the restraining portion 17a suppresses the holding portion 17a, and the closed state is maintained.

  Next, the opening and closing operation of the damper unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of the printing unit when the print head unit is closed, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the printing unit when the print head unit is open. 8 and 9, the back surface of the damper support member 25 is seen through.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the damper unit 15 moves up and down (opens and closes) in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the print head unit 13. That is, assuming that the height of the reference position of the damper unit 15 when the print head unit 13 is in the closed state is the first height, when the print head unit 13 is opened, the height of the reference position of the damper unit 15 interlocks with it. When the print head unit 13 is moved to a second height higher than the first height and the print head unit 13 is closed, the height of the reference position of the damper unit 15 returns to the first height. ing.

  When the print head unit 13 is opened as a preparation stage of the printing operation, and the continuous paper P is passed through the paper feeding route, if the damper unit 15 is fixed, the damper unit 15 is installed near the bottom surface of the housing of the printer 1. Therefore, the continuous paper P drawn from the paper supply unit 10 must be passed under the damper unit 15 near the bottom surface of the housing where it is difficult to work. Further, since the gap between the damper unit 15 and the bottom surface of the casing of the printer 1 is narrow, it is difficult to pass the continuous paper P. Further, since the width adjusting guide 27 is attached to the lower portion of the damper portion 15, the continuous paper P may be caught by the width adjusting guide 27 when the continuous paper P is inserted. For these reasons, there is a problem that it is difficult to insert the continuous paper P into the paper passing route of the printer 1. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when the print head unit 13 is opened, the damper unit 15 is lifted in conjunction therewith, so that the frontage for inserting the continuous paper P is widened, and the visibility of the lower portion of the damper unit 15 is improved. Can be improved. For this reason, the continuous paper P pulled out from the paper supply unit 10 can easily pass under the damper unit 15 without being hooked on the width adjustment guide unit 27. Therefore, the operation of inserting the continuous paper P into the paper passing route of the printer 1 can be facilitated.

  In some cases, a mechanism for manually opening the damper unit 15 may be provided separately. In such a case, the print head unit 13 is closed by forgetting to close the damper unit 15 and a sufficient tension is not applied to the continuous paper P. In some cases, a problem of performing printing may occur. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when the print head unit 13 is closed, the damper unit 15 lowers and returns to the original first height in conjunction therewith. That is, since it is possible to prevent the damper unit 15 from being forgotten to be closed, it is possible to prevent a problem that printing is performed in a state where tension is not applied to the continuous paper P. Further, a series of operations for inserting the continuous paper P can be simplified.

  Next, an interlocking mechanism between the print head unit 13 and the damper unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the head support plate and the damper support member when the print head unit is opened and closed, and FIG. 11A is a head support plate and a damper support member when the print head unit in FIG. 10 is closed. FIG. 11B is a side view of the head support plate and the damper support member when the print head unit of FIG. 10 is in the open state. In FIG. 10, the two-dot chain line indicates the head support plate 17 and the damper support member 25 in the closed state. FIGS. 10 and 11 show the side surface of the printing unit 11 shown in FIG.

  First, as shown in the two-dot line in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11A, the rear portion (the left side in FIGS. 10 and 11) of the damper support member 25 is moved upward by the urging force of the torsion spring 30 (see FIG. 10). It is urged in the opening direction (the direction away from the inner bottom surface of the printer 1), but when the head support plate 17 (print head unit 13) is in the closed state, the restraining portion 17a of the head support plate 17 Since the restraining position on the rear side (the side on which the outer damper portion 15a is disposed) is suppressed, the opening of the damper support member 25 is restrained, and the damper portion 15 is also closed as shown in FIG.

  Here, as shown in the solid line of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11B, the front part (the right part of FIGS. 10 and 11) of the head support plate 17 (print head part 13) is moved upward (separated from the platen roller part 23). The head support plate 17 rotates about the rotation axis S 1, so that the restraining portion 17 a positioned opposite to the front portion of the head support plate 17 moves in the direction of movement of the front portion of the head support plate 17. Moves in the opposite direction. That is, the pin 17b of the restraining portion 17a moves away from the restraining position at one end of the long groove 25a of the damper support member 25 and automatically moves along the long groove 25a to the restraining release position at the other end of the long groove 25a. . As a result, the rear portion of the damper support member 25 is automatically lifted by the urging force of the torsion spring 30, so that the damper portion 15 is automatically lifted and opened as shown in FIG. 9 (from the inner bottom surface of the printer 1). Separated). In this case, the damper portion 15 is gradually lifted as the pin 17b of the restraining portion 17a moves from the restraining position to the restraining release position along the long groove portion 25a, and thus occurs when the damper portion 15 is suddenly opened. Generation of unpleasant sounds can be suppressed or prevented.

  On the other hand, when the front portion of the head support plate 17 (print head portion 13) is closed downward (in the direction approaching the platen roller portion 23), the restraining portion 17a of the head support plate 17 moves in the forward movement direction of the head support plate 17. And move in the opposite direction. That is, the pin 17b of the restraining portion 17a moves away from the restraining release position at the other end of the long groove 25a of the damper support member 25, and automatically returns to the restraining position at one end of the long groove 25a along the long groove 25a. As a result, the rear portion of the damper support member 25 is lowered against the urging force of the torsion spring 30, so that the damper portion 15 is automatically lowered and closed as shown in FIG. Close to each other).

  The opening / closing mechanism of the damper unit 15 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be, for example, as follows. That is, the rear portion of the damper support member 25 may be urged by the torsion spring 30 mounted on the rotation shaft S5 in a direction in which the damper support member 25 closes around the rotation shaft S5 (a direction in which the entire damper portion 15 is lowered). In this case, when the print head unit 13 is opened, the rear part of the damper support member 25 is pulled up as the restraining part 17a moves from the restraining position to the restraining release position along the long groove 25a. As a result, the rear portion of the damper unit 15 opens in conjunction with the opening operation of the print head unit 13. On the other hand, when the print head unit 13 is closed, the rear portion of the damper support member 25 is lowered by the action of the torsion spring 30 as the suppression unit 17a moves from the suppression release position to the suppression position along the long groove 25a. I have. Thereby, the rear part of the damper part 15 is closed in conjunction with the closing operation of the print head part 13. In this case, the urging force of the torsion spring 21 on the print head unit 13 side is set to be larger than the urging force of the torsion spring 30 on the damper support member 25 side.

  In the case where a mechanism for manually opening the damper unit 15 is separately provided as described above, the structure becomes complicated and the number of parts increases, so that the cost of the printer 1 increases and the downsizing of the printer 1 is hindered. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a mechanism for manually opening the damper unit 15 is not separately provided, and the opening mechanism and the closing mechanism of the damper unit 15 are shared with each other. Can be simplified, and the number of parts can be reduced. Therefore, the cost of the printer 1 can be reduced, and the size of the printer 1 can be reduced.

  Next, the configuration of the damper support member 25 and the connection relationship between the damper portion 15 and the damper support member 25 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the damper portion and the damper support member as viewed from the side surface of the printing portion in FIG. 5, FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the damper support member as viewed from the side where the damper portion is mounted, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a connecting portion between the outer damper portion and the damper supporting member in FIG. 12, and FIG. 14B is an exploded perspective view showing a connection positional relationship between the outer damper portion and the damper supporting member in FIG. FIG. Note that, on both side surfaces of the damper support member 25, the side surface facing the outer damper portion 15a is referred to as an inner surface, and the side surface on the back side is referred to as an outer surface.

  At one longitudinal end of the damper support member 25, a bearing hole 25b penetrating both side surfaces of the damper support member 25 is formed. The rotating shaft S5 is inserted into the bearing hole 25b in a fixed state so as not to rotate, and is fixed by a screw 35a (see FIG. 13) so as not to come off. The torsion spring 30 is mounted with its ring fitted on the rotation shaft S5.

  Further, a hole 25c is formed at the other end of the damper support member 25 in the longitudinal direction, and penetrates between both side surfaces of the damper support member 25. A protrusion 36 formed on the side surface of the outer damper 15a protrudes from the hole 25c. The hole 25c is formed such that a margin of a predetermined dimension is formed around the protrusion 36.

  The outer surface of the damper support member 25 is formed so as to be depressed in the thickness direction. On the outer surface of the damper support member 25, a protrusion 25d is formed near the hole 25c. The coil spring 26 is installed between the protrusion 25d of the damper support member 25 and the protrusion 36 of the outer damper portion 15a so as to bridge the coil spring 26. The coil spring 26 is connected to the protrusion 36 of the outer damper portion 15a. The damper support member 25 is urged to pull in the direction of the protrusion 25d. Thereby, the outer damper portion 15a is firmly supported along the axial direction of the rotation shaft S3, is suppressed from going too far upward, and is swingable so as to apply tension to the continuous paper P. Supported in state.

  Further, a bearing hole 25e (see FIG. 13) is formed near the center in the longitudinal direction at the upper part of the inner surface of the damper support member 25. The rotation shaft S3 of the outer damper portion 15a is inserted into the bearing hole portion 25e in a fixed state so as not to rotate, and is fixed by a screw 35b (see FIG. 12) so as not to come off.

  Next, the configuration of the damper unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15A is a perspective view of the damper portion and the damper support member as viewed obliquely from above, FIG. 15B is a perspective view of the damper portion as viewed obliquely from below, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the damper portion and the damper support member as viewed from above. FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the outer damper portion, and FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the outer damper portion and the inner damper portion.

  A bearing hole 37 is formed at one end (upper end) in the longitudinal direction when the outer damper portion 15a is viewed from the side. The rotation shaft S3 is inserted into the bearing hole 37. Thus, the outer damper portion 15a is rotatably supported around the rotation axis S3. That is, the outer damper portion 15a is pivotally supported in the vertical direction so that the other end portion (lower end portion) in the longitudinal direction of the outer damper portion 15a can swing vertically so that tension can be applied to the continuous paper P about the rotation axis S3. .

  A slide hole 38 is formed on the back surface of the outer damper 15a along the axial direction of the rotation shaft S3, that is, along the longitudinal direction of the outer damper 15a. For example, the shaft portions of the two guide operation units 28 are inserted into the slide holes 38. A width adjusting guide 27 is connected to the shaft of the guide operating unit 28 so as to be sandwiched between the shaft and a pin 39 (see FIG. 17) constituting a part of the guide operating unit 28. . The width adjustment guide 27 is located on the lower surface of the outer damper 15a.

  The guide operation unit 28 is rotatably connected to the width adjustment guide unit 27. The moving position of the guide operation unit 28 and the width adjustment guide unit 27 in the slide hole 38 is fixed or released depending on the rotation position of the guide operation unit 28.

  Here, for example, the rear guide operation unit 28 and the width adjustment guide unit 27 connected thereto are fixed. Further, the guide operation section 28 on the front side and the width adjustment guide section 27 connected thereto can be moved along the slide hole section 38, and can be fixed according to the width of the continuous paper P. It is possible. However, the number of the guide operation unit 28 and the width adjustment guide unit 27 may be one. The width adjustment guide 27 and the guide operation unit 28 will be described later in detail.

  Further, the paper contact portion with which the continuous paper P contacts at the other end (lower end) in the longitudinal direction when the outer damper portion 15a is viewed from the side is formed in an arc shape when the outer damper portion 15a is viewed from the side. Thereby, the contact resistance between the outer damper portion 15a and the continuous paper P can be reduced, so that the flow of the continuous paper P can be smoothed.

  A bearing hole 40 is formed at the lower end of the outer damper 15a. The rotating shaft S4 is inserted into the bearing hole 40 in a fixed state so as not to rotate. The rotation axis S4 is arranged parallel to the rotation axis S3. An inner damper portion 15b is supported by the rotation shaft S4.

  The inner damper portion 15b has two support portions 41a, 41a, and a main body portion 41b integrally formed at one end thereof so as to bridge them. A bearing hole 41c is formed at one end of each of the support portions 41a, 41a. The rotation shaft S4 is inserted into the bearing holes 41c. Thus, the inner damper portion 15b is rotatably supported around the rotation axis S4.

  A torsion spring 42 (see FIGS. 16 and 18) is attached to one end of the rotation shaft S4 in a state where the torsion spring 42 is engaged with the inner damper portion 15b. Due to the urging force of the torsion spring 42, the inner damper portion 15b is pivotally moved up and down in the vertical direction so that the lower end portion (paper contact portion) can apply tension to the continuous paper P. Supported.

  On the other hand, the paper contacting portion of the main body 41b of the inner damper portion 15b that contacts the continuous paper P is formed in an arc shape when the inner damper portion 15b is viewed from the side. Thereby, the contact resistance between the inner damper portion 15b and the continuous paper P can be reduced, so that the flow of the continuous paper P can be made smooth.

  In the main body 41b, a recess 41d is formed on the side opposite to the paper contact section. In the recess 41d, a plurality of reinforcing plates 41e are arranged at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the rotation shaft S4. Thereby, the weight of the inner damper portion 15b can be reduced while the strength of the inner damper portion 15b is secured.

  It is also conceivable to provide the damper function completely separately, but in that case, the space near the damper unit 15 is limited, which may cause the printer 1 to be large. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the inner damper portion 15b is pivotally supported on the outer damper portion 15a, so that sufficient tension can be applied even in the case of a back-wound label without increasing the size of the printer 1. A possible damper function can be added.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b as described above are made of, for example, a transparent resin. Thereby, the visibility below the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b can be improved, so that the continuous paper P is inserted under the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b under the paper passing route. Work can be further facilitated. Further, since the width adjustment guide portion 27 below the outer damper portion 15a can be visually observed, the position setting operation of the width adjustment guide portion 27 can be facilitated. From such a viewpoint, “transparent” means that the other side of the member is visible, and “transparent material” means not only a non-colored material but also a colored translucent material or a non-colored material. It shall include transparent materials.

  The resin constituting the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b is made of a resin capable of giving a certain degree of bending.

  A gap 43 (see FIGS. 15B and 16) is formed between the main body 41b of the inner damper 15b and the outer damper 15a so as not to block the movement of the width adjustment guide 27. I have.

  Next, the operation and effect of the damper unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 19A is an enlarged side view of the damper unit when the continuous paper of the front-wound label is inserted, and FIG. 19B is an enlarged side view of the damper unit when the continuous paper of the back-wound label is inserted.

  As shown in FIG. 19A, in the case of a front-wound label, the continuous paper Ps is fed out from around the center in the height direction of the paper supply unit 10 and passes under the damper unit 15, so that the outer damper unit 15a and The sheet is inserted into the paper passing route in a state of being in contact with both of the inner damper portions 15b. Therefore, a sufficient tension can be applied to the continuous paper Ps, so that the continuous paper Ps can be satisfactorily conveyed and print quality can be ensured.

  On the other hand, in the case of a back-wound label, since the continuous paper P is fed out from around the inner bottom surface of the printer 1 and passed under the damper portion 15, only the outer damper portion 15a is disposed (the inner damper portion 15b is In the case where the continuous paper P is not provided, the continuous paper P may be inserted into the paper passing route without applying sufficient tension. For this reason, the continuous paper P cannot be conveyed well, and the print quality may deteriorate.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19B, even in the case of a back-wound label, the continuous paper Pb is inserted into the paper passing route in a state of being in contact with the inner damper portion 15b. You. Therefore, even in the case of a back-wound label, a sufficient tension can be applied to the continuous paper Pb by the inner damper portion 15b, so that the continuous paper Pb can be conveyed favorably and print quality can be ensured. it can.

  Next, FIGS. 20A to 20C are side views of the damper portion at each stage. FIG. 20A shows a stage before the continuous paper P is inserted into the paper passing route of the printer 1.

  FIG. 20B illustrates a case where the roll-shaped continuous paper Ps of the paper supply unit 10 decreases and the outer peripheral portion of the roll-shaped continuous paper Ps approaches the support shaft 10a in the case of the front-wound label. I have. In this case, since the feeding position of the continuous paper Ps is lower than the initial stage, the pressing force of the continuous paper Ps against the outer damper portion 15a is weakened, and the height of the outer damper portion 15a does not change, but the inner damper portion 15b is lifted. A sufficient tension can be applied to the continuous paper Ps.

  FIG. 20C illustrates the case where the roll-shaped continuous paper Pb of the paper supply unit 10 starts to decrease in the case of a back-wound label. In this case, since the feeding position of the continuous paper Pb is slightly higher than the initial stage, the continuous paper Pb contacts the outer damper portion 15a, but the pressing force is weak and the height of the outer damper portion 15a does not change, but the inner damper portion 15b Can be lifted and a sufficient tension can be applied to the continuous paper Pb.

  FIG. 21A illustrates the case of a front-wound label, in which the rolled continuous paper Ps of the paper supply unit 10 is in the initial stage. In this case, since the feeding position of the continuous paper Ps is high, both the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b are lifted, and sufficient tension can be applied to the continuous paper Ps.

  FIG. 21B illustrates the case of a back-wound label, in which the roll-shaped continuous paper Pb of the paper supply unit 10 decreases and the outer peripheral portion of the roll-shaped continuous paper Pb approaches the support shaft 10a. I have. In this case, the feeding position of the continuous paper Pb is higher than in the initial stage, so that both the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b are lifted, and sufficient tension can be applied to the continuous paper Pb.

  Next, the width adjustment guide section 27 and the guide operation section 28 will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 is a perspective view of the outer damper portion viewed from the front side of the printer, FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the outer damper portion extracted from FIG. 22, and FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the width adjustment guide portion and the guide operation portion 28 from FIG. FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a connection portion between the width adjustment guide portion and the guide operation portion, and FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an engagement portion between the shaft portion of the guide operation portion and the width adjustment guide portion. FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the damper portion of the printer as viewed from the rear side. In FIG. 26, the pins 39 are omitted to make it easier to see the shaft 28a of the guide operation unit 28. FIG. 27 illustrates a case where the number of the guide operation unit 28 and the width adjustment guide unit 27 is one.

  As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, two guide rails (a pair of guide rails) 45, 45 are formed inside the outer damper portion 15 a in the slide hole 38 so as to sandwich the upper and lower sides of the slide hole 38. It is formed so as to extend along. The two guide rail portions 45 are integrally formed with the outer damper portion 15a, and are formed of, for example, a transparent resin. The two guide rail portions 45, 45 are made of a resin capable of giving a certain degree of bending, similarly to the outer damper portion 15a.

  As shown in FIG. 22, a pin 39 for connecting the width adjustment guide portion 27 and the guide operation portion 28 is arranged at a position sandwiched between the two guide rail portions 45, 45 of the outer damper portion 15a. As shown in FIGS. 22, 24 and 25, two convex portions 39a, 39a projecting in the radial direction are formed on the outer periphery of the pin 39 so as to partially increase the diameter of the pin 39. The projections 39a, 39a are formed at positions 180 degrees apart from each other. Further, the knob portion of the guide operation unit 28 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the position of the flat plate portion matches the position of the convex portions 39a, 39a.

  When the guide operation part 28 is pinched and rotated about the shaft part 28a, the pin 39 also rotates. When the two convex portions 39a, 39a of the pin 39 are pressed against the two guide rail portions 45, 45 by the rotation position of the pin 39, the two guide rail portions 45, 45 are bent, and the pin 39 is fixed. It has become so. Here, the guide operation section 28 and the width adjustment guide section 27 are positioned at a position where the guide operation section 28 substantially perpendicularly intersects with the extending direction of the slide hole section 38 (that is, the guide operation section 28 is in a vertical position). Fixed. As described above, when the guide operation unit 28 is in the fixed state, the guide operation unit 28 is in the vertical state, so that the range in which the guide operation unit 28 obstructs the field of view can be reduced.

  On the other hand, when the guide operation unit 28 is further rotated by 90 degrees from the fixed state, the two convex portions 39a, 39a of the pin 39 are separated from the two guide rail portions 45, so that the fixed state of the pin 39 is released. Has become. Here, the guide operation section 28 and the width adjustment guide section 27 are positioned at a position where the guide operation section 28 is substantially horizontal to the extending direction of the slide hole section 38 (that is, in a state where the guide operation section 28 is laid sideways). The fixed state is released.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the position of the width adjustment guide 27 can be set with a simple structure and a simple operation. Further, in the present embodiment, since the outer damper portion 15a is transparent, the width adjustment guide portion 27 can be visually recognized through the outer damper portion 15a. For this reason, based on the relative relationship between the posture (vertical or horizontal) of the guide operation unit 28 and the posture (always vertical) of the width adjustment guide unit 27, it is possible to determine at a glance whether the guide operation unit 28 is in the fixed state or the fixed state. You can check.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 26, a projection 28b is formed on the outer periphery of the shaft 28a of the guide operation unit 28. A range setting hole 27b is formed on the outer periphery of the hole 27a of the width adjustment guide portion 27 into which the shaft portion 28a of the guide operation portion 28 is inserted so as to communicate with the hole 27a. The convex portion 28b is arranged in the range setting hole 27b, and the guide operation unit 28 can be rotated within a range θ in the circumferential direction of the range setting hole 27b.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 27, on the bottom surface of the printer 1 (below the damper portion 15), a plurality of convex portions 31 projecting from the bottom surface and extending along the transport direction of the continuous paper P are continuously provided. They are arranged side by side along the width direction of the paper P (the longitudinal direction of the damper portion 15). This convex portion 31 is formed such that the adhesive surface of the continuous paper P is not stuck to the bottom surface of the printer 1 when a ruined label (a continuous label having an adhesive surface on one side) is mainly used as the continuous paper P. It is provided to reduce the contact area between the paper P and the bottom surface of the printer 1.

  In the present embodiment, since the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b are transparent, the width adjustment guide 27 and the convex portion 31 can be seen through the outer damper portion 15a and the inner damper portion 15b. For this reason, it can also be estimated from the relative positional relationship between the width adjustment guide 27 and the projection 31 whether the fixing position of the width adjustment guide 27 is appropriate.

  Next, the operation and effect of the provision of the depression 29 below the damper 15 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the continuous paper P is returned from the printing unit 11 to the paper supply unit 10 side, that is, when the so-called back feed is performed in a case where there is no depression 29 below the damper unit 15 and the flat surface, the continuous paper P is loosened and the internal bottom surface of the printer 1 I will. In this case, since the lower portion of the width adjustment guide portion 27 of the damper portion 15 is located above the inner bottom surface of the printer 1, the continuous paper is located below the lower end of the width adjustment guide portion. Therefore, the continuous paper may fall outside the range determined by the width adjustment guide. However, when returning to the printing operation in that state, the continuous paper rides on the width adjustment guide section and is transported in a state where the damper section does not function.As a result, the printing position is shifted from the expected position or the print density is reduced. Therefore, there is a problem that the printing quality is deteriorated. Particularly, in the case of continuous paper having a short width, the continuous paper often comes off from the width adjustment guide portion. Further, the rolled continuous paper loaded in the paper supply unit may be loosened due to inertia due to rotation.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the recess 29 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the printer 1 so that the lower portion of the width adjustment guide portion 27 of the damper portion 15 is located below the inner bottom surface of the printer 1. . As a result, since the lower portion of the width adjustment guide 27 of the damper 15 is located below the line on the inner bottom surface of the printer 1, the continuous paper P does not fall out of the range determined by the width adjustment guide 27. . For this reason, when returning to the printing operation, the continuous paper P does not run on the width adjustment guide portion 27, so that the function of the damper portion 15 is not impaired. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a problem that the printing position is deviated from the expected position or the printing density is reduced, so that the printing quality of the printer 1 can be ensured.

  The cross-sectional shape of the concave portion 29 is formed such that the inclination of the rear (upstream of the conveyance in the printing process) is gentler than the inclination of the front (downstream of the conveyance in the printing process). However, the inner wall surface of the recess 29 may be substantially perpendicular to the inner bottom surface of the printer 1.

  Further, a plurality of protrusions (not shown) extending along the transport direction of the continuous paper P are arranged at predetermined intervals along the width direction of the continuous paper P on the inner bottom surface of the printer 1 including the depressions 29. You may. Thus, since the flow of the continuous paper P can be made smooth at the time of the back feed, it is possible to reduce or prevent a problem that the continuous paper P is jammed below the damper unit 15.

  Next, an operation of inserting the continuous paper P into the paper passing route of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, when the head lock lever 16 of the printing unit 11 shown in FIG. 8 is pulled rightward in FIG. 8, the lock claw 22 moves rightward and disengages from the pin 20 in conjunction with the operation. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the front portion of the print head portion 13 automatically opens upward by the urging force of the torsion spring 21 (see FIG. 10 and the like), and the rear portion of the damper support member 25 interlocks with the operation. The portion is lifted by the biasing force of the torsion spring 30 (see FIG. 10 and the like), and the damper portion 15 is also automatically lifted. Thereby, the frontage below the damper part 15 can be widened.

  Subsequently, the continuous paper P fed from the paper supply unit 10 is passed under the damper unit 15 and passed between the print head unit 13 and the support base 14. At this time, since the damper portion 15 is lifted and opened, the operation of inserting the continuous paper P can be facilitated.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, when the front portion of the print head portion 13 is pushed down to close the print head portion 13, the rear portion of the damper support member 25 opposes the urging force of the torsion spring 30 in conjunction with the operation. The falling damper unit 15 is also automatically lowered. This prevents the damper unit 15 from being forgotten to be closed, so that tension can be applied to the continuous paper P by the damper unit 15 during the printing process. Therefore, the continuous paper P can be satisfactorily conveyed, so that print quality can be ensured.

  As described above, the invention made by the inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification are illustrative in all points, and are limited to the disclosed technology. It should not be considered a thing. That is, the technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted restrictively based on the description in the above embodiment, but should be interpreted according to the description of the claims. And any modifications that do not depart from the gist of the claims and the technology equivalent to the technology described in the claims.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which continuous paper in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached to a mount is used as a print medium.However, the present invention is not limited to this. The printing medium is not limited to a continuous label (a label without a backing sheet), a continuous sheet (a continuous sheet) having no adhesive surface, or a film that can be printed by a thermal head without being limited to paper. Unmounted labels, continuous sheets or films can have position detection marks. In the case of transporting a label without a backing sheet on which the adhesive is exposed, it is possible to provide a non-adhesive coating on the transport path and provide a roller containing silicone.

In the above description, a case has been described in which the present invention is applied to a stand-alone printer in which input operations to the printer are performed without using a personal computer. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention may be applied to an online printer in which an input operation is performed via a personal computer.
The printer according to the present embodiment, a medium supply unit that supplies a print medium, a conveyance unit that conveys the print medium supplied from the medium supply unit along a medium conveyance path, provided in the medium conveyance path, A printing unit for printing on the printing medium, and between the printing unit and the medium supply unit, provided so as to be swingable so as to apply tension to the printing medium, and formed of a transparent material. And a damper part.
According to this, the visibility under the damper portion can be improved, so that it is possible to easily set the print medium.
Further, in the present embodiment, the damper portion includes a slide hole formed along the longitudinal direction of the damper portion, and a pair of slide holes formed along the slide hole so as to sandwich the slide hole above and below. A guide rail portion, a width adjustment guide portion that is provided movably along the slide hole portion, and guides the conveyance of the print medium by contacting a width direction end of the print medium; and the pair of guide rails. A guide operation unit rotatably connected to the width adjustment guide unit at a position sandwiched between the units, and having a protrusion protruding radially on an outer periphery along the rotation direction.
According to this, by the rotation of the guide operation unit, the guide operation unit and the width adjustment guide unit connected thereto can be fixed and released.
In the present embodiment, the position of the guide operation unit can be fixed or released by rotating the guide operation unit.
According to this, since the guide operation unit and the width adjustment guide unit connected thereto can be fixed and released by the rotation of the guide operation unit, the position setting work of the width adjustment guide unit can be easily performed. Becomes
In the present embodiment, the width adjustment guide is located on the lower surface of the damper.
According to this, since the width adjustment guide portion below the damper portion can be visually observed, the position setting operation of the width adjustment guide portion can be facilitated.
Further, in the present embodiment, the guide operation unit has a flat plate shape, and when the guide operation unit is disposed in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the slide hole, the width adjustment guide unit may be used. Fixed.
According to this, it is possible to reduce the range in which the guide operation unit interferes with the field of view when the width adjustment guide unit is fixed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 10 Paper supply part 10a Support shaft 10b Roll guide part 11 Printing part 12 Ink ribbon part 13 Print head part 14 Support stand 15 Damper part 15a Outer damper part 15b Inner damper part 16 Head lock lever part 17 Head support plate 17a Suppression part 17b Pin 18 Thermal head 18L Printing line 19 Concave claw 20 Pin 21 Torsion spring 22 Lock claw 23 Platen roller 25 Damper support member 25a Long groove 25b Bearing hole 25c Hole 25d Projection 25e Bearing hole 26 Coil spring 27 Width adjustment guide part 28 Guide operation part 29 Depression part 30 Torsion spring 31 Convex part 35a, 35b Screw 36 Protrusion part 37 Bearing hole part 38 Slide hole part 39 Pin 39a Convex part 40 Bearing hole part 41a Support part 41b Body part 41c Bearing hole Part 41d See section 41e reinforcing plate 42 torsion spring 43 clearance P, Ps, Pb continuous paper RB ink ribbon S1~S5 rotation axis G1 gear

Claims (6)

A medium supply unit for supplying a print medium;
Conveyance means for conveying the print medium supplied from the medium supply unit,
Printing means for printing on the printing medium ,
A first medium transport path forming unit that forms a part of a medium transport path of the print medium;
A second medium transport path that is connected to the first medium transport path forming unit via a shaft and that is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the shaft and forms another part different from a part of the medium transport path; Forming part,
With
Another part of the medium transport path formed by the second medium transport path forming unit is formed to be narrower than a part of the medium transport path formed by the first medium transport path forming unit,
The second medium transport path forming unit is made of a transparent material.
Printer. The printer according to claim 1, wherein
The first medium transport path forming unit includes:
A width adjustment guide section that is movable in the axial direction of the shaft while guiding the conveyance of the print medium by contacting the width direction end of the print medium,
A guide operation unit that moves the width adjustment guide unit and fixes the position thereof,
The width adjustment guide portion and the guide operation portion are connected such that one of them is inserted into a slide hole formed along the axial direction of the shaft in the first medium transport path forming portion. ,
Printer. The printer according to claim 2, wherein
The width adjustment guide section is located on a lower surface of the first medium transport path forming section.
Printer. The printer according to claim 3, wherein
The guide operation unit is located on an upper surface of the first medium transport path forming unit.
Printer. The printer according to claim 3 or 4, wherein
The width adjustment guide section is opposed to the bottom of the printer.
Printer. The printer according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein
The guide operation unit is a flat plate, and in a state where the print medium is guided by the width adjustment guide unit, the guide operation unit is arranged in parallel with a width direction end of the print medium.
Printer.

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