JP6780490B2 - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that prints on a long print medium.

Conventionally, a cassette accommodating a long print medium is mounted, and arbitrary characters, figures, pictures, etc. are printed on the print medium drawn from this cassette, and then the print portion is separated from the print medium. A label printer that creates a label in is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-176052

By the way, in a printing device such as the label printer that prints on a long print medium, the print medium is conveyed by a platen roller facing the print head, but the print medium is orthogonal to the transfer direction. When the printing surface is tilted in the width direction of the printing surface, printing is performed diagonally on the printing medium, the printing medium is bent and the printing is blurred, or the printing medium is the discharge port of the printing device. It gets clogged with such things.

The cassette accommodating the print medium has a guide portion for guiding the print medium drawn from the cassette, but there is a gap between the guide portion and the print medium in order to suppress resistance during transportation. Provided. Therefore, it is not possible to prevent the print medium from being conveyed in an inclined manner in the width direction depending on such a guide portion.

Further, when the cassette is stored in the storage unit of the printing device, the user manually attaches the cassette to the storage unit, so that the cassette may be stored while being in contact with the periphery of the storage unit. When the cassette is stored in the storage unit while being in contact with the periphery of the storage unit in this way, the print medium may be tilted in the width direction due to the contact.

Then, the cassette is attached to the storage section of the printing device with the opening / closing lid of the printing device open, and the printing medium is also conveyed in the storage section. Therefore, it is difficult to prevent the print medium from being transported in an inclined manner in the width direction in the storage portion which is a space opened by the opening / closing lid. The printing device may be equipped with a plurality of types of cassettes having different widths of the printed media to be accommodated. In such a case, the printing medium is prevented from being transported at an angle in the width direction. That becomes even more difficult.

An object of the present invention is to prevent a long print medium from being conveyed at an angle in the width direction of the print surface.

In one aspect, the printing apparatus prints on the apparatus housing having a storage portion for storing a long-shaped printable medium, an opening / closing lid for opening and closing the storage portion, and the printable medium. The printing unit, the transport unit that sandwiches and conveys the printing surface of the printing medium on which the printing is performed between the printing unit, and the opening / closing lid are provided, and the printing is performed with the opening / closing lid closed. It is provided with a pressing portion that presses the end portion in the width direction of the medium from a direction different from the direction of sandwiching the printing portion and the conveying portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a long print medium from being conveyed at an angle in the width direction of the print surface.

It is a perspective view which shows the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the cassette housed in the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the cassette storage part of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the cassette storage part of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a control block diagram which shows the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view (the 1) for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view (the 2) for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view (the third) for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view (the 4) for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on the 1st modification of one Embodiment. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd modification of one Embodiment. It is a control block diagram which shows the printing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the holding part of the printing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment.

Hereinafter, the printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The printing device 1 is a printing device that prints on a long print medium M, and is, for example, a label printer provided with a thermal head. Hereinafter, a thermal transfer type label printer using an ink ribbon will be described as an example, but the printing method is not particularly limited. For example, it may be a printing device that prints on thermal paper, or it may be a printing device that performs inkjet printing. The print medium M is, for example, a tape member having a base material having an adhesive layer and a release paper removably attached to the base material so as to cover the adhesive layer. The print medium M may be a tape member without a paper pattern, or may be a print medium having no adhesive layer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 includes a device housing 2 having an opening / closing lid 18 and a cassette storage unit 19, an input unit 3, and a display unit 4. An input unit 3, a display unit 4, and an opening / closing lid 18 are arranged on the upper surface of the device housing 2. Further, although not shown, the device housing 2 is provided with a power cord connection terminal, an external device connection terminal, a storage medium insertion port, and the like.

The input unit 3 includes various keys such as an input key, a cross key, a conversion key, and a decision key. The display unit 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, and displays a selection menu for various settings such as characters corresponding to input from the input unit 3, messages related to various processes, and the like. Further, during printing, the contents (hereinafter, referred to as a print pattern) such as characters and figures instructed to be printed on the print medium M may be displayed, and the progress status of the printing process may be displayed. The display unit 4 may be provided with a touch panel unit, and in that case, the display unit 4 may be regarded as a part of the input unit 3.

The opening / closing lid 18 is provided on the upper part of the cassette storage portion 19 and covers the cassette storage portion 19 so as to be openable / closable. The opening / closing lid 18 is opened by pressing the button 18a. A window 18b is formed on the opening / closing lid 18 so that it can be visually confirmed whether or not the cassette 30 (see FIG. 2) is stored in the cassette storage portion 19 even when the opening / closing lid 18 is closed. There is. Further, a discharge port 2a is formed on the side surface of the device housing 2. The printable medium M printed in the printing device 1 is discharged from the discharge port 2a to the outside of the device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cassette 30 housed in the printing apparatus 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cassette storage unit 19 of the printing apparatus 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cassette storage portion 19 of the printing apparatus 1.

The cassette 30 shown in FIG. 2 is detachably stored in the cassette storage unit 19 shown in FIG. 3, which is an example of the storage unit for storing the print medium M. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the cassette 30 is stored in the cassette storage unit 19. As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette 30 has a cassette case 31 for accommodating the print medium M and the ink ribbon R on which the thermal head insertion portion 36 and the engagement portion 37 are formed.

Further, the cassette case 31 is provided with a tape core 32, an ink ribbon supply core 34, and an ink ribbon winding core 35. The print medium M is wound in a roll around the tape core 32 inside the cassette case 31. Further, the ink ribbon R for thermal transfer is wound around the ink ribbon supply core 34 inside the cassette case 31 in a roll shape with its tip wound around the ink ribbon winding core 35.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cassette storage unit 19 of the apparatus housing 2 is provided with a plurality of cassette receiving units 20 for supporting the cassette 30 at a predetermined position. Further, the cassette receiving unit 20 is provided with a tape width detecting switch 24 which is an example of a width detecting mechanism for detecting the width of the print medium M. Since the cassette storage unit 19 can selectively store a plurality of types of cassettes 30 having different widths of the print medium M, the tape width detection switch 24 has the shape of the cassette 30 (the uneven shape provided on the cassette 30). ), The width of the print medium M is detected, and a sensor signal indicating the detected width of the print medium M is output.

The cassette storage unit 19 further includes a thermal head 10 having a plurality of heat generating elements 10a for printing on the print medium M, a platen roller 21 for transporting the print medium M, a tape core engaging shaft 22, and an ink ribbon. A take-up drive shaft 23 and a winding drive shaft 23 are provided. Further, a thermistor 13 that outputs a sensor signal indicating the temperature of the thermal head 10 is embedded in the thermal head 10. The thermal head 10 is an example of a printing unit that is arranged in the cassette storage unit 19 and prints on the printing medium M. Further, the platen roller 21 is an example of a transport unit that sandwiches and conveys the printing surface on which the printing medium M is printed with the printing unit (thermal head 10). The platen roller 21 is also arranged in the cassette storage portion 19 in the same manner as the thermal head 10.

In the state where the cassette 30 is stored in the cassette storage portion 19, as shown in FIG. 4, the engaging portion 37 provided in the cassette case 31 is supported by the cassette receiving portion 20 provided in the cassette storage portion 19. The thermal head 10 is inserted into the thermal head insertion portion 36 formed in the cassette case 31. The engaging portion 37 is provided at the center of the cassette 30 in the width direction of the printing surface orthogonal to the transport direction T of the printing medium M. As a result, regardless of which of the plurality of types of cassettes 30 having different widths of the print medium M and the width of the cassette 30 itself is arranged, the centers of the print media M coincide with each other in the width direction of the print media M. However, the cassette 30 is stored so as to reach the bottom surface of the cassette storage unit 19 so that the positions of the end portions (lower ends) of all of the plurality of types of print media M having different widths match, for example, the cassette storage unit 19. The lower end of the print medium M may be positioned on the bottom surface of the printing medium M or the like. In this case, the pressing portion 40, which will be described later, can press the printing medium M between the pressing portion 40 and the bottom surface of the cassette storage portion 19.

The tape core 32 of the cassette 30 is engaged with the tape core engaging shaft 22, and the ink ribbon winding core 35 is further engaged with the ink ribbon winding drive shaft 23. In each of the plurality of types of cassettes 30, the tape core 32 engages with the tape core engaging shaft 22, and the ink ribbon winding core 35 engages with the ink ribbon winding drive shaft 23.

When a printing instruction is input to the printing apparatus 1, the printing medium M is fed out from the tape core 32 by the rotation of the platen roller 21. At this time, the ink ribbon winding drive shaft 23 rotates in synchronization with the platen roller 21, so that the ink ribbon R is fed out from the ink ribbon supply core 34 together with the print medium M. As a result, the print medium M and the ink ribbon R are conveyed in an overlapping state. Then, when the ink ribbon R is heated by the thermal head 10 when passing between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21, the ink is transferred to the printing medium M and printing is performed.

The used ink ribbon R that has passed between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 is wound around the ink ribbon winding core 35. On the other hand, the printed medium M to be printed that has passed between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 is cut by the half-cut mechanism 16 and the full-cut mechanism 17 and discharged from the discharge port 2a.

FIG. 5 is a control block diagram showing the printing device 1.
In addition to the above-mentioned input unit 3, display unit 4, thermal head 10, thermista 13, half-cut mechanism 16, full-cut mechanism 17, platen roller 21, and tape width detection switch 24, the printing device 1 includes a control unit 5. It includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 6, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 7, a display drive circuit 8, a head drive circuit 9, a transport motor drive circuit 11, a stepping motor 12, a cutter motor drive circuit 14, and a cutter motor 15. .. The control unit 5, the ROM 6, and the RAM 7 constitute the computer of the printing device 1.

The control unit 5 includes a processor 5a such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 5 controls the operation of each unit of the printing apparatus 1 by expanding and executing the program stored in the ROM 6 in the RAM 7. The control unit 5 controls, for example, energization of the heat generating element 10a of the thermal head 10 via the head drive circuit 9. Further, the control unit 5 controls the platen roller 21 via the transport motor drive circuit 11 and the stepping motor 12. Further, the control unit 5 controls the half-cut mechanism 16 and the full-cut mechanism 17 via the cutter motor drive circuit 14 and the cutter motor 15.

The ROM 6 stores a print program for printing on the print medium M and various data (for example, fonts and the like) necessary for executing the print program. The ROM 6 also functions as a storage medium in which a program readable by the control unit 5 is stored.

The RAM 7 functions as an input data memory for storing information about printing (hereinafter referred to as print information). The RAM 7 also functions as a print data memory for storing data (hereinafter, referred to as print data) indicating a print pattern to be formed on the print medium M, which is generated based on the print information. Further, the RAM 7 also functions as a display data memory for storing display data generated based on print information. The printing device 1 may receive print information or print data from a separate computer.

The display unit drive circuit 8 controls the display unit 4 based on the display data stored in the RAM 7. The display unit 4 may display the print pattern under the control of the display unit drive circuit 8, for example, in a manner in which the progress status of the print process can be recognized.

The head drive circuit 9 energizes a plurality of heat generating elements 10a based on the print pattern during the period when the strobe signal is ON. The thermal head 10 has a plurality of heat generating elements 10a arranged in the main scanning direction. The control unit 5 selectively energizes the heat generating element 10a by the head drive circuit 9 according to the print data. As a result, the thermal head 10 prints one line at a time on the print medium M by thermal transfer in which the heat generating element 10a heats the ink ribbon R during the energization period of the strobe signal supplied from the control unit 5.

The transport motor drive circuit 11 drives the stepping motor 12. The stepping motor 12 drives the platen roller 21. The platen roller 21 is rotated by the power of the stepping motor 12 to convey the print medium M in the longitudinal direction (sub-scanning direction) of the print medium M.

The cutter motor drive circuit 14 drives the cutter motor 15. The half-cut mechanism 16 and the full-cut mechanism 17 are operated by the power of the cutter motor 15 to half-cut or full-cut the print medium M. The full cut is an operation of cutting the base material of the print medium M together with the release paper along the width direction, and the half cut is an operation of cutting only the base material along the width direction.

6 to 8 are perspective views for explaining the pressing portion 40 of the printing apparatus 1.
As shown in FIG. 6, the pressing portion 40 has a first contact portion 41, a second contact portion 42, a compression spring 43, an arm portion 44, and a torsion spring 45, and opens and closes. It is provided on the lid 18. The compression spring 43 and the torsion spring 45 are examples of elastic bodies that displace the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 in the width direction W of the printing medium M by being deformed. Further, when a part or all of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 is made of an elastic body, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are also made of an elastic body. It works as an example. Even when a part or all of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 is an elastic body, the printing medium of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 is printed. Since the contact surface with M is displaced, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are deformed so that the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 in the width direction W of the print medium M are deformed. It can be said that it is an elastic body that displaces the contact portion 42 of 2.

The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 have, for example, a rectangular plate shape, and come into contact with the print medium M at positions separated from each other in the transport direction T of the print medium M. The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 can simultaneously contact the ink ribbon R (see FIGS. 2 and 4) having the same width as the print medium M. Since the cassette storage unit 19 stores the cassette 30 so that the width direction W of the printing surface orthogonal to the transport direction T of the print medium M is the vertical direction (vertical direction), the first contact unit 41 The second contact portion 42 abuts on the upper end of the print medium M, which is the end portion in the width direction W. When the cassette 30 is stored in the cassette storage portion 19 so that the print medium M is horizontal and the opening / closing lid 18 is provided on the side surface of the device housing 2, the first contact portion 41 and The second contact portion 42 contacts one end of the left and right ends of the print medium M.

The first contact portion 41 is arranged on the upstream side (left side in FIGS. 6 to 8) of the thermal head 10 in the transport direction T, and the second contact portion 42 is from the thermal head 10 in the transport direction T. Is also located on the downstream side (on the right side in FIGS. 6 to 8). As described above, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are located on opposite sides of the thermal head 10 in the transport direction T. The thermal head 10 sandwiches the print medium M with the platen roller 21 during or after the opening / closing lid 18 is closed or after the opening / closing lid 18 is closed by a configuration linked to the closing operation of the opening / closing lid 18 or by the control of the control unit 5. Move to the position where you want to.

It is preferable that at least the contact surface of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 with the printing medium M is made of an elastic body. Further, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 come into contact with the print medium M at the thermal head insertion portion 36. However, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 may come into contact with the print medium M outside the cassette 30.

The compression spring 43 is provided between the arm portion 44 and the torsion spring 45, and after the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 come into contact with the print medium M, the print medium M Compress in the width direction W. Since the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 need only hold the print medium M to such an extent that the print medium M is not tilted in the width direction W and conveyed, the compression spring 43 and the torsion spring 43 are used. It is desirable that the spring constant of 45 is low. Further, since the pressing portion 40 is provided with the compression spring 43 and the torsion spring 45, the wider the width of the printed medium M, the stronger the force for pressing the printed medium M. Therefore, even for the printable medium M having the widest width among the plurality of types of printable media M that can be mounted, the printable medium M presses the printable medium M by the pressing portion 40, so that the printable medium M presses the printable medium M in the width direction D. It is desirable that the spring constant is low enough not to tilt.

The arm portion 44 has, for example, a downward U-shape and is connected to both the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42.
One end of the torsion spring 45 is fixed to the opening / closing lid 18, and the other end is connected to the compression spring 43. The torsion spring 45 compresses so that both ends of the torsion spring 45 come close to each other.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the pressing portion 40 (S1) with the opening / closing lid 18 open, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 do not come into contact with the print medium M. As shown in FIG. 7, in the pressing portion 40 (S1 → S2) while the opening / closing lid 18 is closing, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 come into contact with the print medium M. After that, as shown in FIG. 8, in the pressing portion 40 (S2) in the state where the opening / closing lid 18 is closed, the compression spring 43 and the arm portion 44 are compressed, and the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 41 and the second contact portion. 42 presses the upper end of the print medium M downward (width direction W). In this way, the pressing portion 40 may press the printed medium M from a direction different from the direction in which the printed medium M is sandwiched between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21 (thickness direction of the printed medium M). In addition, the pressing portion 40 can simultaneously press the ink ribbon R (see FIGS. 2 and 4) having the same width as the print medium M. At the timing when the opening / closing lid 18 is closed, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 of the pressing portion 40 (S2) come into contact with the printing medium M, and the printing medium M is pressed as it is. May be good.

When the print medium M is aligned with the center of the width direction W as described above, the print medium M is also pressed from below by a pressing portion provided on, for example, the bottom surface of the cassette storage portion 19. Is desirable. Like the pressing portion 40, the pressing portion may have a contact portion that comes into contact with the print medium M and an elastic body that displaces the contact portion in the width direction W by being deformed. Alternatively, when the print medium M is brought close to one end such as the bottom surface of the cassette storage unit 19, the print media M is the bottom surface of the cassette storage unit 19, the guide portion of the cassette 30 that guides the print media M. It is desirable that the device housing 2 be pressed from below (on the side opposite to the direction of being pressed by the pressing portion 40) by any or a plurality of outlets 2a of the device housing 2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows an example in which the cassette 30 (N) accommodating the print medium M (N) narrower than the print medium M described above is stored in the cassette storage unit 19. The cassette 30 (N) shown in FIG. 9 also has a narrower width in the width direction W of the print medium M than the cassette 30 described above.

The narrower the width of the printed medium M, the slower the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 come into contact with the printed medium M, but the pressing portion 40 is stored in the cassette storage portion 19. The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are arranged so as to be in contact with all of the plurality of types of print media M of the cassette 30 that can be printed.

In this way, the cassette storage unit 19 can selectively store a plurality of types of cassettes 30 having different widths of the print medium M, but the pressing unit 40 is located at different positions in the width direction W of the print medium M. It is possible to hold down a plurality of types of print media M having different widths.

10 and 11 are perspective views for explaining the holding portion 50 of the printing apparatus according to the first modified example and the second modified example.
In the first modification and the second modification shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the pressing portion 50 has a single contact portion 51. This contact portion 51 can be the same as each of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 except that the contact portion 51 is connected to the compression spring 52 without passing through the arm portion 44. , Detailed description will be omitted.

The contact portion 51 of the pressing portion 50 in the first modification shown in FIG. 10 is arranged on the upstream side (left side in FIG. 10) of the thermal head 10 in the transport direction T, similarly to the first contact portion 41. , The thermal head comes into contact with the print medium M in the inserted portion 36. On the other hand, the contact portion 51 of the pressing portion 50 in the second modification shown in FIG. 11 is located downstream of the thermal head 10 (on the right side in FIG. 11) in the transport direction T, similarly to the second contact portion 42. It is arranged and comes into contact with the print medium M in the thermal head insertion portion 36. The contact portion 51 of the pressing portion 50 may come into contact with the print medium M outside the cassette 30.

In one embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 1 includes an apparatus housing 2, a thermal head 10 which is an example of a printing unit, a platen roller 21 which is an example of a transport unit, and a pressing unit 40. The device housing 2 has a cassette storage unit 19 which is an example of a storage unit for storing a long print medium M, and an opening / closing lid 18 which covers the cassette storage unit 19 so as to be openable and closable. The thermal head 10 prints on the printing medium M. The platen roller 21 sandwiches the printing surface on which the printing medium M is printed with the thermal head 10 and conveys the printing surface. The pressing portion 40 is provided on the opening / closing lid 18, and when the opening / closing lid 18 is closed, the upper end, which is an example of the end portion of the print surface of the printing medium M in the width direction W, is formed by the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 21. Press from a direction different from the direction in which it is sandwiched between them.

Therefore, in the cassette storage unit 19 where it is difficult to prevent the print medium M from being conveyed in an open space so as to be tilted in the width direction W, the print medium M is moved by closing the opening / closing lid 18. You can hold it down. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the long-shaped printable medium M from being conveyed at an angle in the width direction W of the print surface. As a result, printing is performed diagonally on the print medium M, the print medium M bends and blurring occurs in printing, or the print medium M is clogged with the discharge port 2a of the printing device 1. Can also be prevented. Further, since the pressing portion 40 presses the upper end of the printing medium M with the opening / closing lid 18 closed, it is possible to prevent the tip of the printing medium M in the transport direction T from coming into contact with the pressing portion 40. Further, when the pressing portion 40 also presses the ink ribbon R having a width similar to that of the print medium M, for example, it is possible to prevent the ink ribbon R from being tilted and conveyed in the width direction W.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pressing portion 40 is deformed from the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42, which are examples of the contact portions that come into contact with the print medium M, to be printed. It has an elastic body that displaces the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 in the width direction W of the medium M. Therefore, the pressing unit 40 can press a plurality of types of print media M having different widths.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first contact portion 41 in which the contact portion contacts the print medium M and the first contact portion 41 are separated in the transport direction T of the print medium M. It includes a second contact portion 42 that abuts on the print medium M at a position. As a result, the printing medium M can be pressed at a plurality of positions separated by the pressing portion 40 in the transport direction T, so that the pressing portion 40 can be pressed more reliably. Since the thermal head 10 sandwiches the printing medium M with the platen roller 21, this sandwiching position, the contact position of the first contact portion 41 with respect to the printing medium M, and the second contact. It is also possible to support the print medium M at three points, that is, the contact position of the portion 42 with respect to the print medium M.

Further, in the present embodiment, the thermal head 10 is arranged in the cassette storage unit 19 and prints on the print medium M. The second contact portion 42 is located on the side opposite to the first contact portion 41 with the thermal head 10 in the transport direction T of the print medium M. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the printed medium M from tilting in the width direction W at the printed portion of the printed medium M by the thermal head 10. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent printing on the print medium M at an angle or bending of the print medium M to cause blurring in printing.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cassette storage unit 19 stores the cassette 30 that houses the print medium M so that the width direction W of the print medium M is in the vertical direction. The pressing portion 40 presses the upper end of the print medium M with the opening / closing lid 18 closed (S1). Therefore, when printing and cutting of the printable medium M are continuously performed, the width direction W of the printable medium M becomes the vertical direction, so that the cut printable medium M can be transferred to the apparatus housing 2. It can be easily dropped without being clogged with the discharge port 2a. Further, it can be said that it is difficult for the printed medium M whose width direction W is in the vertical direction to hold the end portion of the width direction W due to the weight of the printed medium M or the like, but it is possible to hold the upper end of the printed medium M. it can.

FIG. 12 is a control block diagram showing a printing apparatus 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view for explaining the pressing portion 60 of the printing apparatus 100.
In the present embodiment, the contact motor 63, which is an example of the drive unit, is arranged instead of the elastic body, and the configuration accompanying this configuration is different from the above-described embodiment. Others can be the same, so detailed description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, the contact portion motor drive circuit 25, which is an example of the drive control unit, controls the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62 via the contact portion motor 63. To do.
The contact portion motor drive circuit 25 drives the contact portion motor 63. The contact portion motor 63 moves the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62 in the width direction W of the print medium M. As described above, since the tape width detection switch 24, which is an example of the width detection mechanism, can detect the width of the print medium M, the control unit 5 is based on the width detected by the tape width detection switch 24. The contact motor 63 is controlled via the contact motor drive circuit 25, and the first contact 61 and the second contact 62 are moved to positions where the printing medium M is pressed.

As shown in FIG. 13, the contact motor 63 is provided on the opening / closing lid 18. Further, the contact portion motor 63 is covered with the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62 connected to the arm portion 64 via, for example, an arm portion 64 having a downward Y shape. The print medium M is moved in the width direction W. The configuration of the arm portion 64 for moving the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62 is such that the rotational force of the contact portion motor 63 is applied to the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 61. Anything that can be converted into a linear motion of the contact portion 62 in the width direction W is sufficient, and a configuration using a rack and pinion can be given as an example. Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the contact portion of the pressing portion 60 may be a single contact portion.

In the other embodiment described above, the pressing portion 60 includes the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62, which are examples of the contact portions that come into contact with the print medium M, and the print medium M. It has a contact motor 63, which is an example of a drive unit that moves the first contact portion 61 and the second contact portion 62 in the width direction W of the above. Further, the printing device 100 is an example of a tape width detection switch 24 which is an example of a width detection mechanism for detecting the width of the print medium M and a drive control unit which controls a contact motor 63 based on the detected width. The motor drive circuit 25 for the contact portion is provided. Therefore, the pressing unit 40 can press a plurality of types of print media M having different widths.

Although one embodiment and other embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention of the present application includes the invention described in the claims and the equivalent range thereof. The inventions described in the claims at the time of filing the application of the present application are described below.

[Appendix 1]
An apparatus housing having a storage unit for storing a long print medium and an opening / closing lid for opening and closing the storage unit.
A printing unit that prints on the print medium and
A transport unit that sandwiches and conveys the printing surface of the print medium on which the printing is performed between the printing unit and the printing unit.
A presser that is provided on the opening / closing lid and holds the end portion of the printing medium in the width direction of the printing surface in a state where the opening / closing lid is closed from a direction different from the direction of sandwiching between the printing portion and the conveying portion. Department and
A printing apparatus comprising.

[Appendix 2]
The pressing portion has a contact portion that comes into contact with the print medium and an elastic body that deforms to displace the contact portion in the width direction of the print medium.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 3]
The pressing portion has a contact portion that comes into contact with the print medium and a drive portion that moves the contact portion in the width direction of the print medium.
The printing device is
A width detection mechanism that detects the width of the print medium, and
A drive control unit that controls the drive unit based on the detected width is further provided.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 4]
The contact portion abuts on the print medium at a position where the first contact portion that contacts the print medium and the first contact portion are separated from each other in the transport direction of the print medium M. Including the second contact portion,
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 2 or 3, wherein the printing apparatus is described above.

[Appendix 5]
The second contact portion is located on the opposite side of the printing portion from the first contact portion in the transport direction of the print medium.
The printing apparatus according to Appendix 4, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

[Appendix 6]
The storage unit stores the cassette containing the printable medium so that the width direction of the printable medium is in the vertical direction.
The pressing portion presses the upper end of the printing medium with the opening / closing lid closed.
The printing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to 5, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.

1 ... printing device, 2 ... device housing, 5 ... control unit, 10 ... thermal head, 19 ... cassette storage unit, 21 ... platen roller, 24 ... tape width Detection switch, 30 ... cassette, 40 ... pressing part, 41 ... first contact part, 42 ... second contact part, 43 ... compression spring, 44 ... arm Part, 45 ... torsion spring, 50 ... pressing part, 51 ... contact part, 52 ... compression spring, 53 ... torsion spring, 60 ... pressing part, 61 ... 1 contact portion, 62 ... second contact portion, 63 ... contact portion motor, 64 ... arm portion, M ... printable medium

Claims (6)

An apparatus housing having a storage unit for storing a long print medium and an opening / closing lid for opening and closing the storage unit.
A printing unit that prints on the print medium and
A transport unit that sandwiches and conveys the printing surface of the print medium on which the printing is performed between the printing unit and the printing unit.
A pressing portion provided on the opening / closing lid and pressing the end portion in the width direction of the printing medium with the opening / closing lid closed from a direction different from the direction of sandwiching between the printing portion and the transport portion.
A printing apparatus comprising. The pressing portion has a contact portion that comes into contact with the print medium and an elastic body that deforms to displace the contact portion in the width direction of the print medium.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1. The pressing portion has a contact portion that comes into contact with the print medium and a drive portion that moves the contact portion in the width direction of the print medium.
The printing device is
A width detection mechanism that detects the width of the print medium, and
A drive control unit that controls the drive unit based on the detected width of the print medium is further provided.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1. The contact portion abuts on the print medium at a position where the first contact portion that contacts the print medium and the first contact portion are separated from each other in the transport direction of the print medium. Including the contact portion of 2
The printing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3. The second contact portion is located on the opposite side of the printing portion from the first contact portion in the transport direction of the print medium.
4. The printing apparatus according to claim 4. The storage unit stores the cassette containing the printable medium so that the width direction of the printable medium is in the vertical direction.
The pressing portion presses the upper end of the printing medium with the opening / closing lid closed.
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the printing apparatus is characterized by the above.