JP7189052B2 - Printing unit and thermal printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to printing units and thermal printers.

For example, a thermal printer is equipped with a printing unit. The printing unit is a unit that cuts paper between the movable blade and the fixed blade by moving the movable blade from the standby position to the cutting position. When cutting paper by moving the movable blade to the cutting position, paper jams (that is, paper jams) may occur between the movable blade and the fixed blade. It is possible that it will stop.

In order to clear such a paper jam, a configuration is known in which a gap is opened between the movable blade and the fixed blade by operating, for example, an operation lever (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By providing a gap between the movable blade and the fixed blade, the load of the paper jam can be removed, so the movable blade can be returned to the home position (hereinafter referred to as the standby position) by the elastic restoring force of the spring. It is

JP 2014-40077 A

However, with the conventional configuration in which a gap is provided between the fixed blade and the movable blade, it is difficult to completely remove the paper jam load when a paper jam larger than the gap occurs. Therefore, even if a gap is provided between the fixed blade and the movable blade by one operation of the operating lever, the movable blade may not return. Therefore, it is necessary to operate the operation lever many times to clear the paper jam, and the paper jam clearing property is low.

Furthermore, if the paper jam cannot be cleared, the movable blade remains stopped at the position where it has run over the fixed blade. Therefore, the cover of the printer to which the fixed blade is attached cannot be opened, and the fixed blade and the movable blade cannot be exposed to the outside. Therefore, when a paper jam larger than the gap occurs, it is difficult to clear the paper jam, leaving room for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing unit and a thermal printer that can easily clear a paper jam.

(1) A printing unit according to the present invention includes a head unit having a thermal head for printing on recording paper, a platen roller for conveying the recording paper, and a platen unit separably combined with the head unit, and a fixed blade provided in one of the head unit and the platen unit; a movable blade provided in the other of the head unit and the platen unit and movable relative to the fixed blade; a driving mechanism for moving the movable blade between a standby position away from the fixed blade and a cutting position on the fixed blade; and the platen with respect to the head unit. an operation lever movable between a lock position for locking the unit and a release position for unlocking the platen unit with respect to the head unit; a return mechanism for moving the movable blade from the cutting position to the standby position side via the drive rack in conjunction with the movable blade, wherein the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position. In the state, the power accompanying the operation of the operation lever from the lock position toward the release position is transmitted to the drive mechanism to move the movable blade toward the standby position, and the operated operation A lever return mechanism is provided to return the lever from the release position side to the lock position.

According to the printing unit of the present invention, when the movable blade is positioned at the standby position, the platen unit is unlocked by operating the operation lever to move it from the lock position to the release position. can be done.
On the other hand, when the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position due to a paper jam occurring between the fixed blade and the movable blade, the operation lever is operated from the locked position toward the unlocked position. The return mechanism can be operated in conjunction with. That is, by operating the operating lever from the lock position toward the unlocking position, the return mechanism can transmit the power associated with the operation of the operating lever to the drive mechanism, thereby moving the movable blade toward the standby position. be able to. Furthermore, since the return mechanism has a lever return mechanism, the operated operating lever can be returned from the release position side to the lock position. Therefore, the operation lever can be operated again from the lock position toward the release position, and the return mechanism can move the movable blade further toward the standby position.

Therefore, the operation lever can be repeatedly operated from the lock position toward the release position side a plurality of times, and the movable blade can be moved toward the standby position side for each operation of the operation lever. Therefore, by operating the operating lever a plurality of times, the movable blade can be reliably moved to the standby position, and the state in which the movable blade rides on the fixed blade can be released. Therefore, the operation lever can be moved to the release position at the timing when the movable blade is released from riding on the fixed blade, and the lock of the platen unit can be released. As a result, a paper jam occurring between the fixed blade and the movable blade can be cleared.

In particular, the operation lever can be repeatedly operated from the lock position toward the release position side a plurality of times, and the movable blade can be moved toward the standby position side for each operation of the operation lever. Therefore, it is possible to keep the operation stroke of the operation lever at one time small, and in the normal case where the movable blade is positioned at the standby position without paper jamming, the platen can be moved without greatly operating the operation lever. Units can be unlocked. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the terminal (printer) in which the printing unit is mounted and to improve the layout. Furthermore, since the operation lever for unlocking the platen unit is interlocked with the return mechanism, it can also be used as a paper jam release lever. As a result, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed, and simplification of the configuration can be achieved.

(2) The lever return mechanism is formed so as to surround the clutch member, which rotates with the movement of the operating lever and has a first engagement portion, and the clutch member, and the clutch member rotates in one direction. a ratchet wheel having a second engaging portion that engages the first engaging portion when rotated and capable of transmitting power to and from the drive mechanism; a biasing member that biases toward the position, and when the operation lever is operated from the lock position toward the release position in a state where the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position. , the clutch member and the ratchet wheel are rotated together by the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, power is transmitted from the ratchet wheel to the driving mechanism, and the movable blade performs the cutting. When the operating lever is moved from the release position side toward the lock position side by the biasing member in a state of being stopped at the position, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged with each other. The clutch member may idle with respect to the ratchet wheel in a disengaged state.

In this case, when the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position due to the occurrence of a paper jam, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are separated by operating the operation lever from the lock position toward the release position. Engagement with the joint allows the clutch member and ratchet wheel to rotate together. As a result, the power associated with the operation of the operating lever can be transmitted to the drive mechanism via the ratchet wheel, and the movable blade can be moved toward the standby position.

Moreover, since the biasing member is provided, the operating lever that has moved to the release position side can be biased toward the locking position, and the operating lever can be moved to the locking position. At this time, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion can be disengaged, and the clutch member can idle with respect to the ratchet wheel. Therefore, with the ratchet wheel stationary, the operating lever can be rotated together with the clutch member, and the operating lever can be returned to the locked position. In particular, since the ratchet wheel can be maintained in a stationary state, the position of the movable blade moved toward the standby position can be maintained at that position.
Therefore, the operating lever can be returned to the locked position while the movable blade is held at a position halfway to the standby position. can be moved to

(3) The return mechanism includes a return rack formed on the drive rack and a return pinion that meshes with the rack teeth of the return rack, and the ratchet wheel has external teeth that mesh with the return pinion. can be

In this case, by operating the operating lever from the locked position toward the unlocked position to rotate the ratchet wheel, the power associated with the operation of the operating lever is reliably transmitted to the drive rack via the return pinion and the return rack. can be transmitted to As a result, the movable blade can be reliably moved toward the standby position.

(4) The return mechanism is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the operating lever, is supported rotatably around the rotation axis, and is engaged with a sun gear connected to the clutch member and the sun gear. a planetary gear that revolves along with movement of the operating lever; and an internal gear that meshes with the planetary gear when the planetary gear revolves, wherein the planetary gear engages when the operating lever is positioned at the lock position. In addition, idling may be allowed by disengagement from meshing with the internal gear.

In this case, when a paper jam occurs, by operating the operation lever from the lock position toward the release position, the planetary gear can be caused to revolve with the movement of the operation lever. At this time, the planetary gears can be caused to revolve while meshing with the internal gear, so that the planetary gears can be caused to revolve while rotating. Therefore, the sun gear can be rotated with the rotation of the planetary gear, and the clutch member can be rotated together with the sun gear. As a result, the clutch member and the ratchet wheel can be rotated together with the clutch member by the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. Power can be reliably transmitted. As a result, the movable blade can be reliably moved toward the standby position.

In particular, since a planetary gear is used, it is possible to secure a large rotation amount of the ratchet wheel relative to the operation stroke amount of the operation lever. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the amount of rotation of the ratchet wheel necessary to return the movable blade to the standby position side while the operation stroke amount of the operation lever is kept small. Thereby, the operability of the operating lever can be favorably secured.
It should be noted that the planetary gear is disengaged from the internal gear and allowed to idle when the operating lever is at the locked position. Therefore, even if the planetary gear rotates due to the power from the drive rack during a normal recording paper cutting process, it does not revolve due to meshing with the internal gear.

(5) The return mechanism includes a correction member that corrects the posture of the planetary gear with respect to the internal gear so that the planetary gear meshes with the internal gear in a predetermined meshing relationship when the planetary gear revolves. can be

In this case, when the planetary gear is caused to revolve by operating the operating lever from the locked position toward the unlocked position, the posture of the planetary gear with respect to the internal gear can be corrected by the correcting member. As a result, the planetary gear can always be meshed with the internal gear in a predetermined meshing relationship. That is, the phase of the planetary gear can be maintained in an appropriate state when meshing with the internal gear, and the planetary gear can be properly meshed with the first tooth of the internal gear every time. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inconvenience (interference between the internal gear and the planetary gear) such that the tooth tips of the internal gear and the planetary gear collide with each other. It is possible to prevent defects, troubles and malfunctions around the planetary gear, and the like. Therefore, it is possible to improve the operability of the operating lever and to perform more stable lever operation.

(6) In the correction member, the tooth tips of the planetary tooth portion of the planetary gear and the internal tooth portion of the first tooth portion of the internal tooth portion of the internal gear that the planetary gear first meshes with each other. The attitude of the planetary gears may be corrected so as to provide a non-contact meshing relationship.

In this case, by correcting the posture of the planetary gear with respect to the internal gear by the correcting member, the tooth tips of the planetary tooth portion and the internal tooth portion of the first tooth are in a non-contact meshing relationship. , the planetary gear can be meshed with the internal gear. Therefore, the tooth flanks of the internal tooth portion and the planetary tooth portion can be appropriately meshed so that they are in contact with each other. can be done.

(7) The correction member is disposed closer to the lock position side of the operating lever than the internal gear, and is an elastic body with which the planetary teeth are in sliding contact, and the elastic body is in sliding contact with the planetary teeth. The planetary gear may be elastically deformed at times, and the phase of the planetary gear may be shifted along with the elastic restoration deformation.

In this case, when the planetary gear is caused to revolve by operating the operating lever from the lock position toward the release position, the planetary tooth portion slides on the elastic body before the planetary tooth portion meshes with the internal tooth portion. can be brought into contact. This allows the planetary teeth to slide on the elastic body. Moreover, since the elastic body can be elastically deformed when the planetary tooth portion is in sliding contact, the elastic restoring force of the elastic body can be applied to the entire planetary gear.
For these reasons, the phase of the planetary gear can be forcibly shifted. Therefore, the phase of the planetary gears when meshing with the internal gear can be more reliably maintained in an appropriate state, and the planetary gears can be properly meshed with the internal gear every time. In particular, since a simple configuration using only an elastic body is sufficient, the configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

(8) The rack teeth mesh with the return pinion when the movable blade is positioned at the cutting position, and are released from mesh with the return pinion when the movable blade is positioned at the standby position. , it may be formed on the opposite side of the cutting edge of the movable blade.

In this case, when the movable blade is positioned at the standby position, the engagement between the rack teeth of the return rack and the return pinion can be released. can be idled. As a result, the platen unit can be unlocked while the movable blade is reliably maintained at the standby position.

(9) When the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position, the operation stroke amount of the operation lever from the lock position to the release position is adjusted by operating the operation lever a plurality of times. It may be set to return from the cutting position to the waiting position.

In this case, it is possible to reduce the operation stroke amount in one operation of the operation lever.

(10) The operation stroke amount may be set so as to return the movable blade from the cutting position to the standby position by operating the operation lever twice.

In this case, when a paper jam occurs, the movable blade can be returned to the standby position by operating the operating lever twice, so the operating stroke of the operating lever can be further reduced.

(11) A thermal printer according to the present invention includes the printing unit and a recording paper storage section for storing the recording paper, and the head unit and the platen unit provided with the movable blade are attached. and a printer cover to which the head unit and the platen unit provided with the fixed blade are attached and which is rotatably connected to the printer main body. and

According to the thermal printer of the present invention, by repeatedly operating the operating lever from the locked position a plurality of times, a paper jam occurring between the fixed blade and the movable blade can be easily cleared, and the operating lever It is possible to reduce the operation stroke amount when operating from the lock position toward the release position side. Therefore, miniaturization and layout improvement can be achieved. Furthermore, since the drive mechanism for driving the movable blade is provided not on the printer cover side but on the printer main body side, the weight of the printer cover can be reduced, and good operability when opening and closing the printer cover can be ensured. be able to.

According to the present invention, a paper jam occurring between the fixed blade and the movable blade can be easily cleared by operating the operating lever. Furthermore, since the amount of one operation stroke of the operation lever can be kept small, it is possible to reduce the size of the terminal (printer) in which the printing unit is mounted and to improve the layout.

1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a printer cover is closed; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermal printer with the printer cover shown in FIG. 1 opened; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing unit shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which recording paper is cut between a fixed blade and a movable blade of the printing unit shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the printing unit taken along line VV shown in FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the printing unit shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a return mechanism and an operation lever of the printing unit shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a return mechanism of the printing unit shown in FIG. 3; 4 is a perspective view showing an unlocking mechanism of the printing unit shown in FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the printing unit showing a state in which the movable blade is positioned at the standby position; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation when the operation lever is operated from the state shown in FIG. 10 to unlock the platen unit; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of returning the operating lever to the lock position from the state shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an operation in which a paper jam occurs between the movable blade and the fixed blade; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation when the operating lever is operated (first operation) from the state shown in FIG. 13; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of returning the operating lever to the lock position from the state shown in FIG. 14; FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation when the operation lever is operated again (second operation) from the state shown in FIG. 15; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a return mechanism and an operation lever, showing a modified example of the embodiment; FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a state in which a coil spring is removed from the state shown in FIG. 17; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the printing unit showing a state in which the movable blade is positioned at the standby position and the operating lever is positioned at the lock position; 18 is an enlarged side view of the periphery of the coil spring viewed from the direction of arrow W shown in FIG. 17; FIG. 21 is a side view showing a state in which the planetary gear has revolved toward the internal gear from the state shown in FIG. 20; FIG. FIG. 22 is a side view showing a state in which the planetary gears have further revolved from the state shown in FIG. 21; FIG. 23 is a side view showing a state in which the planetary gear has further revolved from the state shown in FIG. 22 and the planetary tooth portion is in mesh with the internal tooth portion of the first tooth of the internal gear; FIG. 10 is a side view showing a return mechanism and an operating lever, showing a modified example of the embodiment; FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a state in which an elastic body is removed from the state shown in FIG. 24;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<Configuration of thermal printer>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the thermal printer 1 prints on recording paper P (for example, thermal paper) pulled out from roll paper R, and can use the recording paper P as tickets, receipts, and the like. A printer (terminal).
The thermal printer 1 includes a casing (printer body according to the present invention) 2, a printer cover 3, a platen unit 4 provided on the printer cover 3 side, and a head unit 5 provided on the casing 2 side. there is A printing unit 8 is composed of the platen unit 4 and the head unit 5 .

In the embodiment, when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position shown in FIG. BA direction), the upper side is the upper side, and the lower side is the lower side. It is also assumed that the recording paper P is discharged forward FW. Further, a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction L1 and the up-down direction L2 is defined as a left-right direction L3.

(casing)
The casing 2 is made of, for example, a resin material, a metal material, or an appropriate combination thereof, and is formed in a cube shape opening to the front FW. However, the shape of the casing 2 is not limited to this case, and may be changed as appropriate.
The casing 2 is composed of a frame body that serves as a basic framework and an exterior cover that covers the frame body. Inside the casing 2, a recording paper container 10 for containing roll paper R is formed. By opening the printer cover 3, the recording paper container 10 is opened to the front FW.

The recording paper storage unit 10 is formed of a part of the above-described frame body and has a box shape that opens toward the front FW. be done.

A first rotating shaft 11 extending in the left-right direction L3 is arranged at the lower portion of the opening edge of the casing 2 . The printer cover 3 is rotatably connected to the casing 2 with the first rotating shaft 11 . The printer cover 3 has an angle of about 90 degrees between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 1) that closes the opening of the casing 2 and an open position (position shown in FIG. 2) that opens the opening of the casing 2. Rotate in range. As a result, the opening of the casing 2 (that is, the recording paper container 10) is opened and closed by the printer cover 3. As shown in FIG.
When the printer cover 3 is at the open position, for example, roll paper R can be loaded into the recording paper container 10 (so-called drop-in method).

The thermal printer 1 is configured such that a slight gap is formed between the leading end of the printer cover 3 and the casing 2 when the printer cover 3 is positioned at the closed position. The recording paper P is pulled forward FW from the inside of the casing 2 using this gap. Therefore, the slight gap functions as an ejection port 12 for the recording paper P. As shown in FIG.

The casing 2 and printer cover 3 are locked together with the combination of the platen unit 4 and the head unit 5 when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position. Of the corners located on the upper front side of the casing 2, at the corner located on one side in the horizontal direction L3, the combination (lock) of the platen unit 4 and the head unit 5 is released, and the printer cover 3 is opened. An operation lever 13 is provided for operation.

(printing unit)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head unit 5 is a unit that mainly incorporates a thermal head (not shown) and a movable blade 22, and is arranged in the casing 2 on the upper front side. The head unit 5 is fixed on an internal plate (not shown) that extends downward from the upper surface of the casing 2 and is held at the front FW of the recording paper container 10 .

The head unit 5 mainly includes a head frame 23 , a thermal head, a movable blade 22 , a drive mechanism 24 , an operating lever 25 , a return mechanism 26 and an unlocking mechanism 27 .
The head frame 23 is formed of, for example, a metal frame. The thermal head has a plurality of heating elements arranged in a line along the horizontal direction L3.

The platen unit 4 is attached to the upper portion of the inner surface of the printer cover 3 so as to overlap the reinforcing member 31 in the front-rear direction L1, and is separably combined with the head unit 5 as the printer cover 3 is opened and closed.
Specifically, the platen unit 4 includes a platen roller 33 , a fixed blade 34 and a platen frame 35 .

The platen roller 33 is a roller that conveys the recording paper P to the outside of the printer cover 3 . The fixed blade 34 is provided inside the printer cover 3 and arranged on the front FW with respect to the platen roller 33 . A platen frame 35 is a frame that supports the platen roller 33 and the fixed blade 34 .
The fixed blade 34 is thus provided on the printer cover 3 . Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the printer cover 3 with the driving mechanism 24 for driving the movable blade 22 . As a result, the weight of the printer cover 3 can be reduced, and good operability when opening and closing the printer cover 3 can be ensured.

The thermal head faces the platen roller 33 and allows the recording paper P to pass between it and the platen roller 33 when the printer cover 3 is at the closed position. Further, a coil spring is interposed between the thermal head and the platen roller 33 to urge the thermal head downward (toward the platen roller 33). As a result, the thermal head can be reliably pressed against the recording paper P sent out by the platen roller 33, and good printing by the printing unit 8 is enabled.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the movable blade 22 is provided in the casing 2 (see FIG. 2) via a drive mechanism 24. As shown in FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the movable blade 22 is moved to cut the recording paper P between the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22. FIG.
The movable blade 22 is arranged to face the fixed blade 34 in the front-rear direction L1 when the printer cover 3 is placed in the closed position (see FIG. 1) and the head unit 5 and the platen unit 4 are combined. It is The movable blade 22 is a V-shaped plate-shaped blade formed so that the length from the root 22a to the cutting edge 22b is gradually shortened from both ends toward the center.

The movable blade 22 is attached to the drive rack 46 of the drive mechanism 24 via the movable blade holder 29 . The movable blade 22 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction L<b>2 with respect to the head frame 23 by the operation of the drive mechanism 24 . Thereby, the movable blade 22 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction L2 with respect to the fixed blade 34 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the drive mechanism 24 is a mechanism that moves the movable blade 22 between the cutting position P1 and the standby position P2. The cutting position P1 is a position where the movable blade 22 rides on the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22 cuts the recording paper P together with the fixed blade 34 (see FIG. 4). The standby position P2 is a position where the movable blade 22 is separated from the fixed blade 34 (see FIG. 3).
Specifically, the drive mechanism 24 includes a drive motor M1, first to fourth drive teeth 41 to 44, a drive pinion 45, and a drive rack .

The drive motor M1 is a motor that can rotate forward and backward. The first drive tooth 41 is connected to the drive shaft of the drive motor M1. The first drive tooth 41 is connected to a drive pinion 45 via second to fourth drive teeth 42-44.
The drive pinion 45 is coaxially attached to the pinion support shaft 48 . The pinion support shaft 48 rotates together with the driving pinion 45 . A pair of driving pinions 45 are provided in the left-right direction L3. A pair of drive pinions 45 are meshed with a drive rack 46 extending in the left-right direction L3. A pair of drive pinions 45 are connected by a pinion support shaft 48 .

A plurality of drive rack teeth 47 are formed on the drive rack 46 from the end (upper end) on the standby position P2 side to the end (lower end) on the cutting position P1 side. That is, drive rack teeth 47 are formed over the entire area of the drive rack 46 .
The drive racks 46 are attached to both ends of the movable blade holder 29 along the horizontal direction L3 and extend along the vertical direction L2. That is, the movable blade 22 is attached to the drive rack 46 via the movable blade holder 29 .
Hereinafter, in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration, the drive pinion 45 and the drive rack 46 on the drive motor M1 side will be described in detail. Description of the drive rack 46 is omitted.

Rotation of the driving motor M1 is transmitted to the driving pinion 45 through the first to fourth driving teeth 41 to 44 by forward rotation of the driving motor M1. As a result, the drive pinion 45 rotates in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 3, and the drive rack 46 moves in the direction of arrow B shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 together with the return rack 64 (described later) of the return mechanism 26. As the drive rack 46 moves, the movable blade 22 linearly moves in the arrow B direction together with the drive rack 46 . Thereby, the movable blade 22 can be moved to the cutting position P1.

On the other hand, the rotation of the driving motor M1 is transmitted to the driving pinion 45 through the first to fourth driving teeth 41 to 44 by rotating the driving motor M1 in reverse. As a result, the drive pinion 45 rotates in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 3, and the drive rack 46 moves in the direction of arrow D shown in FIGS. As the drive rack 46 moves, the movable blade 22 linearly moves in the arrow D direction together with the drive rack 46 . Thereby, the movable blade 22 can be moved to the standby position P2.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the operating lever 25 is rotatably supported on the side wall portion 23 a of the head frame 23 via a lever support shaft 52 .
The operating lever 25 can be pushed backward (in the direction of arrow BA) from the lock position P3 toward the later-described contact position P4 or release position P5 about the lever support shaft 52 by an operating force F1 shown in FIG. It is configured. The lever support shaft 52 protrudes inward from an exterior cover 53 of the casing 2 .

The lock position P3 is a position where the platen unit 4 is held in a locked state with respect to the head unit 5. As shown in FIG. The contact position P4 refers to a position where the lever projection 57 of the operating lever 25 contacts the cam projection 97 of the release cam 91, which will be described later. The release position P5 is a position where the locked state of the platen unit 4 with respect to the head unit 5 is released.

As shown in FIG. 6, the operating lever 25 has a planetary shaft 55 protruding outward from the outer surface 25a, and a locking groove 56 is formed in the outer surface 25a. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the operating lever 25 has a lever protrusion 57 protruding inward from the inner side surface 25b.
The planetary shaft 55, locking groove 56 and lever projection 57 will be described later in detail.

Further, the operating lever 25 is coaxially rotatably supported via a lever support shaft 52 with respect to a clutch member 73 and a sun gear 66 which will be described later. That is, the clutch member 73 and the sun gear 66 are rotatably supported coaxially with the rotation axis of the operating lever 25 . The clutch member 73 and the sun gear 66 are members forming part of the return mechanism 26 .

A tip portion 25 c of the operating lever 25 is fitted inside the connecting body 16 (see FIG. 2 ) of the operating lever 13 . Therefore, the operating lever 25 is operated in conjunction with the operation of the operating lever 13 . Accordingly, by operating the operating lever 13 from the locking position to the releasing position, the operating lever 25 is operated from the locking position P3 toward the releasing position P5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the return mechanism 26 is a mechanism that returns the movable blade 22 from the cutting position P1 toward the standby position P2. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 , the return mechanism 26 mainly includes an acceleration mechanism 61 , a lever return mechanism 62 , a return pinion 63 and a return rack 64 .

The return mechanism 26 moves the movable blade 22 toward the standby position P2 in conjunction with the operation lever 25 when the movable blade 22 is stopped at the cutting position P1 due to the paper jam.
The acceleration mechanism 61 includes a sun gear 66 , planetary gears 67 and internal gears 68 .
The sun gear 66 is rotatably supported by the lever support shaft 52 so as to operate together with a clutch member 73 of a ratchet mechanism 72, which will be described later. The sun gear 66 is integrally formed on the inner surface 77 a of the clutch base 77 and arranged coaxially with the clutch member 73 . That is, the sun gear 66 and the ratchet mechanism 72 are rotatably supported coaxially with respect to the rotation center of the operating lever 25 . A planetary gear 67 is arranged so as to mesh with the sun gear 66 .

The planetary gear 67 is rotatably supported by the operating lever 25 via a planetary shaft 55 (see FIG. 6). The planetary shaft 55 is arranged at a position offset with respect to the lever support shaft 52 . Therefore, when the operation lever 25 rotates about the lever support shaft 52 , the planetary shaft 55 (that is, the planetary gear 67 ) revolves around the lever support shaft 52 following the movement of the operation lever 25 .

An internal gear 68 is provided so as to mesh with the planetary gear 67 . The internal gear 68 is arcuately formed on the inner periphery of the cover curved portion 53a. The cover curved portion 53a is formed integrally with an exterior cover 53 that covers the side portion of the printing unit 8 (see FIG. 6).

The internal gear 68 is formed so as to avoid meshing with the planetary gear 67 when the operating lever 25 is positioned at the lock position P3. Specifically, the planetary gear 67 is arranged on the inner peripheral portion 53b of the cover curved portion 53a when the operating lever 25 is positioned at the lock position P3. As a result, idle rotation of the planetary gear 67 is permitted when the operating lever 25 is positioned at the lock position P3.

According to the acceleration mechanism 61 configured as described above, when the operation lever 25 is operated from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 or the release position P5, the planetary gear 67 is rotated following the movement of the operation lever 25. revolves toward the internal gear 68 . As the planetary gear 67 revolves, it meshes with the internal gear 68 . By further operating the operating lever 25, the planetary gear 67 rotates (rotates) while meshing with the internal gear. As the planetary gear 67 rotates, the sun gear 66 rotates following the movement of the operating lever 25 .

The lever return mechanism 62 includes a ratchet mechanism 72 and a biasing member 75. As shown in FIG. Ratchet mechanism 72 includes a clutch member 73 and a ratchet wheel 74 .

The lever return mechanism 62 moves the operating lever 25 from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 or the release position P5 while the movable blade 22 is stopped at the cutting position P1. The operating force (pressing force) F1 is transmitted to the driving mechanism 24 . Specifically, the operating force F1 is transmitted to the drive rack 46 via the return rack 64 . By transmitting the operating force F1 to the drive mechanism 24, the movable blade 22 moves toward the standby position P2.
Further, the lever return mechanism 62 uses the biasing member 75 to return the operation lever 25, which has been operated to the contact position P4 or the release position P5, to the lock position P3.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the clutch member 73 has a clutch base 77 and a pair of clutch tooth portions (first engagement portions according to the invention) 78 . The clutch base 77 has a disc-shaped inner surface 77a on which the sun gear 66 is coaxially and integrally formed. The clutch base 77 is supported by the lever support shaft 52 so as to be rotatable together with the sun gear 66 . A pair of clutch tooth portions 78 are integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion 77b of the clutch base 77 so as to be axially symmetrical.

The clutch tooth portion 78 has an arm portion 78a and a meshing pawl 78b. The arm portion 78a has an arm base portion 78c formed integrally with the outer peripheral portion 77b of the clutch base 77, and is arranged at a constant distance from the arm base portion 78c to the outer peripheral portion 77b.

Specifically, when viewed from the outside in the left-right direction L3, the arm portion 78a curves counterclockwise from the arm base portion 78c along the outer peripheral portion 77b of the clutch base 77 to the engaging pawl 78b. there is That is, the arm portion 78a is cantilevered on the outer peripheral portion 77b of the clutch base 77 by the arm base portion 78c, and is elastically deformable toward the outer peripheral portion 77b with the arm base portion 78c as a fulcrum. An engaging claw 78b is formed at the tip of the arm portion 78a. The meshing pawl 78b is formed such that its radially outer tip protrudes counterclockwise so as to be meshable with an internal tooth 74a (described later) of the ratchet wheel 74 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the clutch base 77 is rotatably supported on the lever support shaft 52 integrally with the sun gear 66, so the clutch member 73 is rotatably supported on the lever support shaft 52. ing. The lever support shaft 52 coaxially supports the rotation centers of the operation lever 25 , the sun gear 66 and the clutch member 73 . The clutch member 73 is coaxially and integrally formed with the sun gear 66 so as to operate together with the sun gear 66 .

The sun gear 66 rotates following the movement of the operating lever 25 . Therefore, together with the sun gear 66 , the clutch member 73 rotates following the movement of the operating lever 25 . A ratchet wheel 74 is arranged to engage with the clutch member 73 .

The ratchet wheel 74 has a wheel base 81 (see FIG. 3) and a ratchet portion 82 . The wheel base 81 is formed in a disk shape coaxially with the sun gear 66 and the clutch member 73 and arranged outside the clutch member 73 in the left-right direction L3. The wheel base 81 is rotatably supported by the lever support shaft 52 in the same manner as the sun gear 66 and the clutch member 73 . A ratchet portion 82 is coaxially and integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the wheel base 81 .

The ratchet portion 82 is annularly formed so as to cover the radially outer side of the clutch member 73 (that is, the pair of clutch tooth portions 78 ), and is arranged coaxially with the clutch member 73 . The ratchet portion 82 has a plurality of internal teeth (second engaging portion according to the present invention) 74a annularly formed on the inner peripheral surface, and a plurality of external teeth 74b annularly formed on the outer peripheral surface.

The numbers of the internal teeth 74a and the external teeth 74b are appropriately selected in consideration of the operation amount (operation stroke amount) of the control lever 25. As shown in FIG.
The external teeth 74 b are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the ratchet portion 82 and mesh with the return pinion 63 . The internal teeth 74a are formed to mesh with the meshing claws 78b when the clutch member 73 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the outside in the left-right direction L3.
That is, the clutch member 73 and the ratchet wheel 74 constitute a meshing clutch that is connected by a pair of meshing pawls 78b and internal teeth 74a meshing with each other.

Therefore, when the operation lever 25 is operated from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 or the release position P5, the sun gear 66 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the outside in the left-right direction L3. Therefore, the clutch member 73 rotates counterclockwise together with the sun gear 66 . The meshing pawl 78b of the clutch member 73 meshes with the inner tooth 74a of the ratchet wheel 74, and the ratchet wheel 74 rotates counterclockwise together with the clutch member 73.

The ratchet wheel 74 rotates independently with respect to the operating lever 25 by the acceleration mechanism 61 . Therefore, a large amount of rotation of the ratchet wheel 74 can be ensured relative to the amount of operation stroke of the operating lever 25 . That is, it is possible to secure the rotation amount of the ratchet wheel 74 necessary to return the movable blade 22 to the standby position P2 while the operation stroke amount of the operation lever 25 is kept small. Thereby, when returning the movable blade 22 to the standby position P2, the operability of the operating lever 25 can be favorably secured.

When the clutch member 73 rotates clockwise when viewed from the outside in the left-right direction L3, the arm portion 78a elastically deforms so that the engaging claw 78b climbs over the inner tooth 74a. As a result, the internal teeth 74a are disengaged from the meshing claws 78b by rotating the clutch member 73 clockwise. By disengaging the internal teeth 74a and the meshing claws 78b, the clutch member 73 idles in the clockwise direction.

The operating lever 25 is configured to return from the contact position P4 or the release position P5 toward the lock position P3 by the biasing force of the biasing member 75 . When the operation lever 25 returns toward the lock position P3, the sun gear 66 rotates clockwise via the planetary gear 67 when viewed from the outside in the left-right direction L3. Therefore, the clutch member 73 rotates clockwise along with the sun gear 66 following the movement of the operating lever 25 . At this time, the clutch member 73 idles clockwise due to the disengagement between the internal teeth 74a and the meshing claws 78b.

Hereinafter, when viewed from the outside in the left-right direction L3, the counterclockwise rotation of the clutch member 73 is abbreviated as "counterclockwise rotation", and the clockwise rotation of the clutch member 73 is referred to as " abbreviated as "rotation in the clockwise direction".

As shown in FIG. 6, the biasing member 75 is engaged with the coil portion 75a supported by the support pin 85, the first end portion 75b engaged with the outer cover 53, and the engaging groove portion 56 of the operating lever 25. and a fastened second end 75c. As a result, the operating lever 25 is held in contact with a lever stopper (not shown) by the biasing force of the biasing member 75, and is positioned at the lock position P3.
However, the biasing member 75 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be, for example, a leaf spring.

Further, when the operating lever 25 is operated from the lock position P3 to the abutting position P4 or the releasing position P5 against the biasing force of the biasing member 75, the operating force F1 is removed from the operating lever 25. The operating lever 25 is returned to the lock position P3 by the elastic restoring force (biasing force) of the biasing member 75 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the external teeth 74b of the ratchet wheel 74 are meshed with the return pinion 63. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6 , the return pinion 63 is coaxially arranged outside the drive pinion 45 and rotatably supported on the pinion support shaft 48 . The return pinion 63 rotates around the pinion support shaft 48 in conjunction with the rotation of the ratchet wheel 74 . The ratchet wheel 74 is connected to the operating lever 25 so as to be interlockable. Therefore, the return pinion 63 is interlockably connected to the operating lever 25 .

Return pinion 63 is formed to mesh with a plurality of rack teeth 59 of return rack 64 . The return rack 64 is formed integrally with the drive rack 46 of the drive mechanism 24 in a state of being arranged outside the drive rack 46 . The return rack 64 has rack teeth 59 formed only on the opposite side of the cutting edge 22b of the movable blade 22 (see FIG. 3).
Therefore, the return rack 64 meshes with the return pinion 63 when the movable blade 22 is positioned at the cutting position P1, and disengages with the return pinion 63 when the movable blade 22 is positioned at the standby position P2.

The ratchet wheel 74 is interlockably connected to the operating lever 25 via the clutch member 73 . Therefore, by operating the operating lever 25, the movable blade 22 can be reliably returned to the standby position P2 via the clutch member 73, ratchet wheel 74, return pinion 63 and return rack 64.

Furthermore, by forming the return rack 64 on the drive rack 46, the drive rack 46 and the return rack 64 can be integrally formed, and the return rack 64 can be provided without increasing the number of parts. As a result, the configuration of the printing unit 8 and the thermal printer 1 can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

Of the plurality of rack teeth 59, the rack teeth 59 located on the cutting edge 22b (see FIG. 3) side of the movable blade 22 are displaceable rack teeth 59. As shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the displaceable rack teeth 59 will be abbreviated as rack teeth 59A.
The rack teeth 59A are formed at the tip of the rack arm 65. As shown in FIG. A base end portion of the rack arm 65 is connected to an end portion 64 a of the return rack 64 located on the cutting edge 22 b side of the movable blade 22 . The rack arm 65 is elastically deformable in a direction away from the return pinion 63 with the base end as a fulcrum.
Therefore, by elastically deforming the rack arm 65 in a direction away from the return pinion 63, the rack teeth 59A can be retracted radially outward of the return pinion 63. As shown in FIG.

The reason why the rack teeth 59A of the return rack 64 are formed so as to be retractable radially outward of the return pinion 63 will be briefly described.
For example, when the return rack 64 moves in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. In this case, the movement of the return rack 64 may be blocked by the cutting edge of the return pinion 63 . Therefore, the rack teeth 59A are formed at the tip of the rack arm 65. As shown in FIG. By elastically deforming the rack arm 65 , the rack tooth 59 A is retracted radially outward of the return pinion 63 and climbs over the cutting edge of the return pinion 63 . After the rack teeth 59A get over the cutting edge of the return pinion 63, the restoring force of the rack arm 65 causes the rack teeth 59A to return to their original positions. Then, the returned rack tooth 59A meshes with the next cutting edge of the return pinion 63. As shown in FIG. As a result, the return pinion 63 can be preferably rotated by the rack teeth 59 of the return rack 64 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the lever return mechanism 62 is provided with a clutch member 73, a ratchet wheel 74, and an urging member 75, so that the operating lever 25 is positioned between the contact position P4 and the release position P5. When operated toward the side, the clutch member 73 can be engaged with the inner teeth 74a of the ratchet wheel 74 to rotate the ratchet wheel 74. As shown in FIG. As a result, the power (operating force F1) accompanying the operation of the operating lever 25 can be transmitted from the return pinion 63 to the return rack 64 (that is, the drive mechanism 24) via the external teeth 74b of the ratchet wheel 74. Become.

On the other hand, if the movable blade 22 has not returned to the standby position P2 due to a paper jam, the operation lever 25 is operated to, for example, the contact position P4, and then the operation force F1 is released from the operation lever 25. Although the operation lever 25 attempts to return toward the lock position P3 by the elastic restoring force of the biasing member 75, the ratchet wheel 74 is restricted from rotating and remains stationary.
Therefore, the clutch member 73 idles between the inner teeth 74 a of the ratchet wheel 74 . As a result, the clutch member 73 can be idly rotated while the ratchet wheel 74 is kept stationary, so that the operating lever 25 can be moved to the lock position P3 while the movable blade 22 is held at a position on the way to the standby position P2. can be returned to Therefore, the operating lever 25 can be operated again from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4. Therefore, the operation lever 25 can be repeatedly operated a plurality of times, and the movable blade 22 can be reliably returned to the standby position P2.

In this manner, a paper jam occurring between the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22 can be easily cleared with a simple configuration in which the lever return mechanism 62 includes the clutch member 73, the ratchet wheel 74, and the biasing member 75. Furthermore, with a simple configuration, it is possible to reduce the operation stroke amount when operating the operation lever 25 from the lock position P3 to the release position P5.
The operation stroke amount refers to the moving distance of the operation lever 25 when operating the operation lever 25 from the lock position P3 to the release position P5.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, an unlocking mechanism 27 is arranged inside the operating lever 25 .
The unlocking mechanism 27 is a mechanism that unlocks the printer cover 3 in conjunction with the rotation of the operating lever 25 . That is, the lock of the platen unit 4 with respect to the head unit 5 is released by the operation lever 25 . The unlocking mechanism 27 includes a release cam 91 , a lever protrusion 57 and a cam stopper 92 .

The release cam 91 is arranged inside the operating lever 25 . The release cam 91 is rotatably supported by a cam shaft 94 at a base portion 91a. The camshaft 94 protrudes outward from the casing 2 . The release cam 91 is held at a stationary position (state shown in FIG. 9) by being sandwiched between a cam stopper 92 and a bearing 96 . Note that the bearing 96 functions as a bearing that rotatably supports the platen roller 33 .

A cam projection 97 projects downward from the release cam 91 . A lever projection 57 shown in FIG. 7 is arranged below the cam projection 97 . The lever projection 57 is formed on the operating lever 25 so as to face the cam projection 97 .

As shown in FIG. 10, when the release cam 91 is at the rest position and the operating lever 25 is at the lock position P3, the protrusion distance L1 between the lever protrusion 57 and the cam protrusion 97 is equal to L1. is set relatively small.
When the operating lever 25 is operated from the lock position P3 to the contact position P4, the lever projection 57 contacts the cam projection 97. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, when the operating lever 25 is moved beyond the contact position P4 to the release position P5, the release cam 91 moves about the cam shaft 94 from the rest position to the release position. As a result, the release cam 91 can be used to lift the bearing 96 and unlock the platen unit 4 from the head unit 5 .

By setting the protrusion interval L1 between the lever protrusion 57 and the cam protrusion 97 to be relatively small, the printer cover 3 can be locked by the operation lever 25 when the movable blade 22 is positioned at the standby position P2. When releasing with , the operation stroke amount of the operation lever 25 can be kept small.

Further, since the rack teeth 59 are formed only on the opposite side of the cutting edge 22b of the movable blade 22, after the printer cover 3 is unlocked, the engagement between the rack teeth 59 of the return rack 64 and the return pinion 63 is released. It is Therefore, in a state where the movable blade 22 is positioned at the standby position P2, when the printer cover 3 is unlocked by the operation lever 25, the return pinion 63 can be idly rotated, and the movable blade 22 is moved to the standby position P2. can keep.

As described above, according to the printing unit 8 of the present embodiment, when the movable blade 22 stops at the cutting position P1 due to a paper jam occurring between the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22, the operation lever 25 from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5, the return mechanism 26 can be operated in conjunction with the operation lever 25.
That is, by operating the operation lever 25 from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5, the return mechanism 26 transmits the power (operation force F1) associated with the operation of the operation lever 25 to the drive mechanism 24. and the movable blade 22 can be moved toward the standby position P2.
Further, since the return mechanism 26 includes the lever return mechanism 62, the operated operating lever 25 can be returned to the lock position P3 from the contact position P4 and release position P5. Therefore, the operation lever 25 can be operated again from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5, and the return mechanism 26 can further move the movable blade 22 toward the standby position P2. .

Therefore, the operation lever 25 can be repeatedly operated a plurality of times from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5. It can be moved toward the P2 side. Therefore, by operating the operating lever 25 a plurality of times, the movable blade 22 can be reliably moved to the standby position P2, and the state in which the movable blade 22 rides on the fixed blade 34 can be released. Therefore, the operation lever 25 can be moved to the release position P5 at the timing when the movable blade 22 is released from riding on the fixed blade 34, and the lock of the platen unit 4 can be released. As a result, the paper jam occurring between the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22 can be cleared.

In particular, the operation lever 25 can be repeatedly operated a plurality of times from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5, and each operation of the operation lever 25 moves the movable blade 22 toward the standby position P2. can be moved towards Therefore, the stroke amount of one operation of the operating lever 25 can be kept small, and the operating lever 25 can be greatly operated in the normal case where the movable blade 22 is positioned at the standby position P2 without causing paper jam. The lock of the platen unit 4 can be released without Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the thermal printer 1 in which the printing unit 8 is mounted and to improve the layout.
Furthermore, since the operation lever 25 for unlocking the platen unit 4 is interlocked with the return mechanism 26, it can also be used as a lever for clearing paper jams. As a result, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed, and simplification of the configuration can be achieved.

Furthermore, since the fixed blade 34 is provided on the printer cover 3 and the movable blade 22 is provided on the casing 2 , there is no need to provide the drive mechanism 24 for driving the movable blade 22 on the printer cover 3 . As a result, the weight of the printer cover 3 can be reduced, and good operability when opening and closing the printer cover 3 can be ensured.

Next, the operation of unlocking the printer cover 3 and opening the printer cover 3 by operating the operation lever 25 of the thermal printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16. FIG.
The operation lever 25 for operating the return mechanism 26 is configured to be interlocked with the operation lever 13. However, in FIGS. The operation of the lever 25 will be explained first.

First, the platen unit 4 is unlocked from the head unit 5 by operating the operation lever 25 when the movable blade 22 is at the standby position P2 (that is, when no paper jam occurs). Next, the operation for opening the printer cover 3 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the movable blade 22 is positioned at the standby position P2, the return pinion 63 is located away from the rack teeth 59 of the return rack 64. As shown in FIG. In this state, the protrusion interval L1 between the lever protrusion 57 of the operating lever 25 and the cam protrusion 97 of the release cam 91 is set relatively small.

From the state shown in FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 11, by applying an operating force F1 to the operating lever 25, the operating lever 25 is moved from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5. operate against the biasing force of As a result, the planetary gear 67 can revolve toward the internal gear 68 as the operation lever 25 moves, and the planetary gear 67 can mesh with the internal gear 68 .

Accordingly, by further operating the operating lever 25 , the planetary gear 67 can be rotated (rotated) while meshing with the internal gear 68 . Then, the rotation of the planetary gear 67 causes the sun gear 66 to rotate counterclockwise as the operation lever 25 moves. Accordingly, as the sun gear 66 rotates, the clutch member 73 can be rotated in the arrow E direction together with the sun gear 66 .

At this time, the clutch member 73 meshes with the inner teeth 74a of the ratchet wheel 74, so that the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the arrow E direction together with the clutch member 73. Therefore, the return pinion 63 meshing with the external teeth 74b of the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the arrow F direction.

As described above, the return pinion 63 is located away from the rack teeth 59 of the return rack 64, so that the return pinion 63 can be freely rotated. As a result, power is not transmitted from the operation lever 25 side to the return rack 64 side.
In addition, since the ratchet wheel 74 rotates independently of the operating lever 25 by the acceleration mechanism 61 , a large amount of rotation of the ratchet wheel 74 relative to the operating stroke of the operating lever 25 can be ensured.

The lever protrusion 57 contacts the cam protrusion 97 by operating the operating lever 25 from the lock position P3 to the contact position P4. By further operating the operating lever 25 beyond the contact position P4 to the release position P5, the lever protrusion 57 can be used to push up the cam protrusion 97. As shown in FIG. As a result, the release cam 91 can be moved in the direction of arrow G from the rest position shown in FIG. 10 to the release position, and the release cam 91 can be used to lift the bearing 96 . As a result, the platen unit 4 can be unlocked from the head unit 5 and the printer cover 3 can be opened.

In addition, since the protrusion interval L1 (see FIG. 10) between the lever protrusion 57 of the operating lever 25 and the cam protrusion 97 of the release cam 91 is set relatively small, the operating lever 25 is released from the locked position P3. It is possible to reduce the operation stroke amount when operating up to the position P5.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12, after the platen unit 4 is unlocked, the operating force F1 acting on the operating lever 25 is removed, whereby the elastic restoring force (biasing force F2) of the biasing member 75 is released. can be used to move the operating lever 25 in the arrow H direction from the release position P5 side toward the lock position P3. At this time, the planetary gear 67 rotates (rotates) while meshing with the internal gear 68 by moving the operating lever 25 . Further, the rotation of the planetary gear 67 causes the sun gear 66 to rotate clockwise. Thereby, the clutch member 73 can be rotated in the arrow I direction together with the sun gear 66 .

At this time, as described above, since the return pinion 63 is located away from the rack teeth 59 of the return rack 64, the load from the return pinion 63 acts on the outer teeth 74b of the ratchet wheel 74. not Therefore, the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the arrow I direction together with the clutch member 73 . By rotating the ratchet wheel 74, the return pinion 63 freely rotates in the arrow J direction.

As described above, the elastic restoring force (biasing force F2) from the biasing member 75 can be used to return the operating lever 25 to the lock position P3.

Next, referring to FIGS. 13 to 16, when a paper jam 95 occurs between the movable blade 22 and the fixed blade 34, the operation lever 25 is operated to unlock the platen unit 4. As shown in FIG. The operation of opening the printer cover 3 by pressing will be described.
13 to 16, an example of repeating the operation twice as a preferable number of times of repeating the operation of the operating lever 25 will be described.

First, a brief description will be given of the movement of moving the movable blade 22 to the cutting position P1 to cut the recording paper P as a step prior to the occurrence of the paper jam 95 .
As shown in FIG. 13, when the operating lever 25 is positioned at the lock position P3, the planetary gear 67 is prevented from meshing with the internal gear 68, so idle rotation of the planetary gear 67 is permitted. there is Therefore, it is possible to drive the drive motor M1 to move the drive rack 46 and move the movable blade 22 in the arrow K direction to the cutting position P1. Since the return rack 64 moves with the movement of the drive rack 46, the return pinion 63 can be rotated in the arrow L direction.

By rotating the return pinion 63 , the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow M, so that the internal teeth 74 a of the ratchet wheel 74 mesh with the clutch member 73 . Therefore, the sun gear 66 (see FIG. 12) can be rotated in the arrow M direction together with the clutch member 73 . As the sun gear 66 rotates, the planetary gear 67 freely rotates in the arrow N direction.

As described above, the movable blade 22 can be moved to the cutting position P<b>1 , so that the recording paper P can be cut between the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22 .
At this time, if a paper jam 95 occurs between the movable blade 22 and the fixed blade 34 , the paper jam 95 causes the movable blade 22 to stop at a position where it runs over the fixed blade 34 .

As shown in FIG. 14, with the movable blade 22 stopped by the paper jam 95, the operating lever 25 is operated with the operating force F1 from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4. By this operation, the planetary gear 67 revolves toward the internal gear 68 and meshes with the internal gear 68 . Therefore, the planetary gear 67 can revolve while rotating. Thereby, the clutch member 73 can be rotated in the direction of arrow O via the sun gear 66 . At this time, since the clutch member 73 is engaged with the internal teeth 74a of the ratchet wheel 74, the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow O together with the clutch member 73. Therefore, the return pinion 63 meshing with the external teeth 74b of the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the arrow P direction. Therefore, together with the return rack 64 meshing with the return pinion 63, the drive rack 46 can be moved in the arrow Q direction toward the standby position P2 side of the movable blade 22. FIG.

In the above-described process, the ratchet wheel 74 rotates independently of the operating lever 25 by the acceleration mechanism 61 , so that a large amount of rotation of the ratchet wheel 74 can be ensured relative to the operating stroke of the operating lever 25 . In other words, it is possible to secure the amount of rotation of the ratchet wheel 74 required to return the movable blade 22 to the standby position P2 while the operation stroke amount of the operation lever 25 is kept small.

By operating the operating lever 25 to the contact position P4, the lever projection 57 contacts the cam projection 97. As shown in FIG. However, in this state, the paper jam 95 between the movable blade 22 and the fixed blade 34 has not yet been cleared, so the movable blade 22 is on the fixed blade 34 . Therefore, the movable blade 22 prevents the opening of the platen unit 4 .
Accordingly, the movement of the lever projection 57 in contact with the cam projection 97 is blocked by the cam projection 97 . Therefore, further operation of the operating lever 25 is blocked, and the first operation of the operating lever 25 is completed.

In this state, by removing the operating force F1 acting on the operating lever 25, as shown in FIG. It can be moved in the direction of arrow R toward position P3. When the operating lever 25 moves toward the lock position P3, the planetary gear 67 rotates (rotates) while meshing with the internal gear 68, so that the clutch member 73 can be rotated in the arrow S direction via the sun gear 66. .

At this time, the return pinion 63 is meshed with the external teeth 74 b of the ratchet wheel 74 , and the rack teeth 59 of the return rack 64 are meshed with the return pinion 63 . However, due to the paper jam 95, the movable blade 22 is stopped on the way back to the standby position P2. Therefore, the return pinion 63 and ratchet wheel 74 are kept stationary.

Therefore, since the clutch member 73 tries to rotate in the direction of arrow S with respect to the stationary ratchet wheel 74, the arm portion 78a is elastically deformed so that the engaging pawl 78b climbs over the inner tooth 74a and the inner tooth 74a and the engaging pawl 78b are engaged. engagement with is released. Therefore, the clutch member 73 idles and rotates in the arrow S direction.
Therefore, the elastic restoring force (biasing force F2) of the biasing member 75 can be used to return the operating lever 25 to the lock position P3.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the second operation can be performed so as to move the operating lever 25 from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and the release position P5.
As shown in FIG. 16, the operating lever 25 returned to the lock position P3 is operated again with the operating force F1. As a result, the planetary gear 67 revolves toward the internal gear 68, meshes with the internal gear 68, and then revolves while rotating, as in the case described above. Therefore, the sun gear 66, the clutch member 73 and the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the arrow T direction. Therefore, the return pinion 63 meshing with the external teeth 74b of the ratchet wheel 74 can be rotated in the direction of arrow U, and the drive rack 46 can be moved in the direction of arrow Y together with the return rack 64.

As a result, the movable blade 22 can be further moved from the state shown in FIG. 16, and can be moved to the standby position P2. Therefore, the state in which the movable blade 22 overlaps the fixed blade 34 can be eliminated.

By operating the operating lever 25 from the lock position P3 to the contact position P4, the lever protrusion 57 contacts the cam protrusion 97 as described above. At this time, since the movable blade 22 has moved to the standby position P2 as described above, the operation lever 25 can be operated beyond the contact position P4 shown in FIG. 16 to the release position P5. Therefore, the cam protrusion 97 can be used to push up the lever protrusion 57 , and the release cam 91 can be used to lift the bearing 96 .

As a result, the lock of the platen unit 4 can be released, and the paper jam 95 occurring between the movable blade 22 and the fixed blade 34 can be released.

As described above, by repeating the operation of the operating lever 25 twice, the movable blade 22 can be reliably returned to the standby position P2. As a result, the paper jam 95 generated between the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 22 can be easily cleared. Furthermore, by repeating the operation of the operating lever 25 twice, it is possible to reduce the operating stroke amount when operating the operating lever 25 from the lock position P3.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Embodiments and modifications thereof include, for example, those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those within an equivalent range.

For example, in the above embodiment, the fixed blade 34 is provided on the printer cover 3 (specifically, the platen unit 4), and the movable blade 22 is provided on the casing 2 (specifically, the head unit 5). It is not limited to this case. For example, the fixed blade 34 may be provided on the casing 2 side, and the movable blade 22 may be provided on the printer cover 3 side.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the fixed blade 34 is held in a fixed state, and the operation lever 25 is used to return the movable blade 22 to the standby position P2, thereby clearing the paper jam 95. However, the present invention is limited to this case. not a thing For example, the fixed blade 34 may be separated from the movable blade 22 when the movable blade 22 is returned to the standby position P<b>2 by the operation lever 25 . In this case, for example, the operation of separating the fixed blade 34 from the movable blade 22 may also be performed by the operation lever 25 .

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the operation lever 25 is interlocked with the rotating operation of the operation lever 13 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the distal end portion 25 c of the operating lever 25 may be exposed outside the casing 2 so that the operating lever 25 can be directly operated from outside the casing 2 .

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example in which the return rack 64 is integrally formed with the drive rack 46 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, it is possible to provide the return rack 64 separately from the drive rack 46 . In this case, the return rack 64 should be attached to the movable blade 22 .

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example in which the return rack 64 is arranged outside the drive rack 46 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, it is possible to arrange the return rack 64 inside the drive rack 46 .
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example in which the acceleration mechanism 61 is composed of the sun gear 66, the planetary gears 67, and the internal gear 68 has been described, but the acceleration mechanism 61 can have other configurations, for example.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the clutch member 73 of the ratchet mechanism 72 is provided with a pair of clutch teeth 78 (that is, the meshing claws 78b), but the number of claws of the meshing claws 78b can be selected arbitrarily. , and the shape of the engaging claw 78b can be arbitrarily selected. Furthermore, the number of teeth of the internal teeth 74a of the ratchet wheel 74, the shape of the internal teeth 74a, and the like can be arbitrarily selected. In other words, the numbers and shapes of the engaging claws 78b and the internal teeth 74a may be set so that the ratchet mechanism 72 can transmit rotational motion only in an arbitrary direction.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example in which the clutch member 73 is arranged inside the ratchet wheel 74 has been described, but it is also possible to arrange the clutch member 73 outside the ratchet wheel 74 . Further, the example in which the inner teeth 74a are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the ratchet wheel 74 and the clutch member 73 is provided with the engaging claws 78b has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the ratchet wheel 74 may be provided with a pawl and the clutch member 73 may be provided with teeth.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the ratchet mechanism 72 is composed of the clutch member 73 and the ratchet wheel 74 has been described, but the invention is not limited to this case, and the ratchet mechanism can be configured in other ways, for example. be.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the operation of the operating lever 25 is preferably repeated two times is described as the preferable number of operations, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, it is possible to repeat the operation of the operating lever 25 three times or more.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the attitude of the planetary gear 67 with respect to the internal gear 68 is corrected so that the internal gear 68 and the planetary gear 67 always mesh in a predetermined meshing relationship, and the planetary gear 67 when meshing with the internal gear 68 is corrected. A correcting member may be further provided to bring the phase of the phase into an appropriate state.
This case will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, in the printing unit 8 in this case, the return mechanism 26 is planetary in response to the operation of the operation lever 25 (operation from the lock position P3 toward the contact position P4 and release position P5). A coil spring (elastic body, correction member according to the present invention) that corrects the attitude of the planetary gear 67 with respect to the internal gear 68 so that the planetary gear 67 meshes with the internal gear 68 in a predetermined meshing relationship when the gear 67 revolves. It has 100.

Specifically, the coil spring 100 is arranged closer to the lock position P3 of the operation lever 25 than the internal gear 68, and the planetary tooth portion 67a of the planetary gear 67 is allowed to slide.
The coil spring 100 is arranged substantially parallel to the lever support shaft 52 and fixed in a mounting hole 101 formed in the cover curved portion 53a of the exterior cover 53 . The mounting hole 101 is positioned closer to the lock position P3 of the operating lever 25 than the internal tooth portion 68a of the internal tooth portion 68a of the internal gear 68, which is the first tooth with which the planetary gear 67 meshes first. It is formed so as to be recessed in a semicircular shape in the inner peripheral portion 53b of the cover curved portion 53a. In the illustrated example, the mounting hole 101 is formed adjacent to the first internal tooth portion 68 a and is formed to extend substantially parallel to the lever support shaft 52 .

The coil spring 100 is attached so as to be inserted into the attachment hole 101 from the inside, and is fixed using an adhesive or the like, for example. In the illustrated example, the coil spring 100 has a length that protrudes inward from the cover curved portion 53a, but the length is not limited to this case and may be changed as appropriate.

As described above, since the coil spring 100 is arranged substantially parallel to the lever support shaft 52 using the mounting hole 101, the coil spring 100 is elastically deformable in the radial direction of the planetary gear 67. there is Further, when the planetary gear 67 revolves along with the operation of the operating lever 25, the planetary tooth portion 67a slides on the outer peripheral surface of the coil spring 100 while elastically deforming the coil spring 100 in the radial direction. is possible.
The coil spring 100 imparts an elastic restoring force through the planetary teeth 67a along with the elastic restoring deformation so as to press the planetary gear 67 in the radial direction or the circumferential direction by the mounting error of the planetary gear 67, for example. This makes it possible to shift the phase of the planetary gear 67 .

Therefore, the coil spring 100 adjusts the attitude of the planetary gear 67 so that the tooth tops of the planetary tooth portion 67a and the internal tooth portion 68a of the first tooth of the planetary gear 67 are in a non-contact meshing relationship. Correction is possible.

The action of the return mechanism 26 having the coil spring 100 constructed as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 23. FIG. 20 to 23 are enlarged side views of the periphery of the coil spring 100 viewed in the direction of arrow W shown in FIG.

As described above, when the operating lever 25 is positioned at the lock position P3, as shown in FIGS. 17, 19 and 20, the engagement between the planetary gear 67 and the internal gear 68 is avoided. idling of the planetary gear 67 is allowed. Therefore, at this stage, the rotational posture of the planetary gear 67 is not maintained in a fixed state. Therefore, when the planetary gear 67 revolves along with the subsequent operation of the operating lever 25, the rotational attitude of the planetary gear 67 toward the internal gear 68 changes.

Therefore, depending on the rotational posture of the planetary gear 67, for example, the planetary gear 67 may be rotated such that the tooth tips of the internal tooth portion 68a and the planetary tooth portion 67a contact each other and the internal tooth portion 68a and the planetary tooth portion 67a abut each other. may revolve.

However, according to this embodiment, the coil spring 100 is provided closer to the lock position P3 of the operation lever 25 than the first internal tooth portion 68a of the internal gear 68, so that the operation lever 25 is moved to the lock position P3. When the planetary gear 67 is caused to revolve by operating toward the abutment position P4 and the release position P5 from the coil spring 100, the posture of the planetary gear 67 with respect to the internal gear 68 can be corrected.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, when the planetary gear 67 revolves in the direction of the arrow X, before the planetary tooth 67a meshes with the internal tooth 68a of the first tooth, the planetary tooth 67a 67 a can be brought into sliding contact with the coil spring 100 . This allows the planetary teeth 67 a to slide on the outer peripheral surface of the coil spring 100 . Moreover, it is possible to elastically deform the coil spring 100 when the planetary tooth portion 67a is in sliding contact.
As the operation lever 25 is further operated, the planetary gear 67 continues to revolve so as to slide on the outer peripheral surface of the coil spring 100 in the arrow X direction while elastically deforming the coil spring 100 . During this time, the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 100 can be applied to the entire planetary gear 67 .

In particular, as shown in FIG. 22 , when the planetary gear 67 revolves further to move the planetary teeth 67 a in contact with the coil spring 100 so as to overcome the coil spring 100 , the planetary gear 67 moves toward the outer periphery of the coil spring 100 . In addition to sliding on the surface, it receives an elastic restoring force indicated by an arrow F3 from the coil spring 100 .
As a result, the planetary gear 67 is forcibly pushed toward the first internal tooth portion 68a by the installation error of the planetary gear 67, and the contact angle with respect to the internal tooth portion 68a changes.

As a result, the phase of the planetary gear 67 can be forcibly shifted, and the planetary gear 67 can always mesh with the internal gear 68 in a predetermined meshing relationship, as shown in FIG. That is, the phase of the planetary gear 67 can be maintained in a proper state when meshing with the internal gear 68, and the planetary gear 67 can be properly meshed with the first tooth of the internal gear 68 every time.

Specifically, the planetary gear 67 is meshed with the internal gear 68 so that the tooth tops of the internal tooth portion 68a and the planetary tooth portion 67a of the first tooth are in a non-contact meshing relationship. can be done. Therefore, the tooth surfaces of the internal tooth portion 68a and the planetary tooth portion 67a can be meshed properly so that the tooth flanks of the internal tooth portion 68a and the planetary tooth portion 67a are in contact with each other. can do.

Therefore, the phase of the planetary gear 67 can be more reliably maintained in an appropriate state when meshing with the internal gear 68, and the planetary gear 67 can be properly meshed with the internal gear 68 every time.
Therefore, as described above, not only is it possible to prevent the occurrence of inconvenience (interference between the internal gear 68 and the planetary gear 67) such that the tooth tips of the internal gear 68 and the planetary gear 67 collide with each other, but also It is possible to prevent malfunction and rotation failure of the planetary gear 67, malfunction and malfunction of the periphery of the planetary gear 67, and the like.
As a result, the operability of the operating lever 25 can be improved, and more stable lever operation can be performed. Moreover, since a simple configuration using only the coil spring 100 is sufficient, the configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

When the planetary tooth portion 67 a slides on the outer peripheral surface of the coil spring 100 , due to the shape of the coil spring 100 , the two slide in line contact. Therefore, the frictional resistance between the planetary tooth portion 67a and the coil spring 100 can be kept low, and the effects described above can be achieved more effectively.

In addition, although the coil spring 100 was mentioned as an example of the elastic body which is a correction member in the above-described embodiment, it is not limited to this case.
If it has elasticity and excellent slipperiness, it can be used as an elastic body, and the same effects as when the coil spring 100 is used can be achieved. For example, it is possible to use an elastic member using rubber or urethane (urethane rubber or urethane resin), a wire spring, a torsion spring, or the like as the elastic body.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the elastic body 110 may be integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.
The elastic body 110 in this case includes an arm support portion 111 that is detachably attached to the outer cover 53 , and cantilevered on the arm support portion 111 , and is elastically deformable in the radial direction of the planetary gear 67 . and an arm piece 112 .

The arm support portion 111 has a fitting protrusion 113 that fits into a mounting hole 115 formed in the exterior cover 53 . The arm support portion 111 is integrally attached to the exterior cover 53 in a state in which the fitting protrusion 113 is fitted in the attachment hole 115 so as to prevent the arm support portion 111 from coming off.
The arm piece 112 has a base end connected to the arm support portion 111 and a claw portion 112a projecting toward the planetary gear 67 at the tip end. The claw portion 112a is arranged so as to be adjacent to the internal tooth portion 68a of the first tooth.

Even in the case of the elastic body 110 configured in this way, when the planetary gear 67 revolves along with the operation of the operating lever 25, the planetary tooth portion 67a elastically deforms the arm piece 112 while the claw portion 112a is moved. It is possible to make sliding contact so as to slide on the top. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the same effects as when the coil spring 100 described above is used.

P... Recording paper P1... Cutting position P2... Standby position P3... Lock position P5... Release position 1... Thermal printer 2... Casing (printer body)
3 Printer cover 4 Platen unit 5 Head unit 8 Printing unit 10 Recording paper container 22 Movable blade 24 Drive mechanism 25 Operation lever 26 Return mechanism 27 Unlock mechanism 33 Platen roller 34 Fixation Blade 46 Drive rack 59 Rack tooth 62 Lever return mechanism 63 Return pinion 64 Return rack 66 Sun gear 67 Planetary gear 68 Internal gear 72 Ratchet mechanism 73 Clutch member 74 Ratchet wheel 74a Internal tooth ( second engaging portion)
74b... External tooth 75... Biasing member 78... Clutch tooth portion (first engagement portion)
67a... Planetary tooth part 68a... Internal tooth part 100... Coil spring (correction member, elastic body)
110... elastic body

Claims (11)

a head unit having a thermal head for printing on recording paper;
a platen unit having a platen roller for conveying the recording paper and detachably combined with the head unit;
a fixed blade provided on one of the head unit and the platen unit;
a movable blade provided in the other of the head unit and the platen unit and movable relative to the fixed blade;
a drive mechanism having a drive rack connected to the movable blade and moving the movable blade between a standby position away from the fixed blade and a cutting position on the fixed blade;
an operation lever movable between a lock position for locking the platen unit with respect to the head unit and a release position for unlocking the platen unit with respect to the head unit;
a return mechanism for moving the movable blade from the cutting position to the standby position side via the drive rack in conjunction with the operation lever in a state where the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position;
The return mechanism is
In a state in which the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position, power accompanying operation of the operating lever from the lock position to the release position is transmitted to the drive mechanism to move the movable blade to the standby position. and a lever return mechanism for returning the operated operating lever from the release position side to the lock position. The printing unit according to claim 1,
The lever return mechanism is
a clutch member that rotates with movement of the operating lever and has a first engaging portion;
a second engaging portion formed to surround the clutch member and engaged by the first engaging portion when the clutch member rotates in one direction; a ratchet wheel capable of transmitting
a biasing member that biases the operating lever from the release position side toward the lock position;
When the operating lever is operated from the lock position toward the release position in a state in which the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engagement causes the clutch member and the ratchet wheel to rotate together, transmitting power from the ratchet wheel to the drive mechanism;
In a state in which the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position, when the operating lever is moved from the release position side toward the lock position side by the biasing member, the first engaging portion and the first 2 engaging portion is in a disengaged state, and the clutch member idles with respect to the ratchet wheel. In the printing unit according to claim 2,
The return mechanism is
a return rack formed on the drive rack;
a return pinion that meshes with the rack teeth of the return rack;
The printing unit, wherein the ratchet wheel is formed with external teeth that mesh with the return pinion. In the printing unit according to claim 3,
The return mechanism is
a sun gear arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the operating lever, supported rotatably about the rotation axis, and connected to the clutch member;
a planetary gear that meshes with the sun gear and revolves along with the movement of the operation lever;
an internal gear with which the planetary gear meshes when the planetary gear revolves;
In the printing unit, the planetary gear is disengaged from the internal gear and allowed to idle when the operating lever is positioned at the lock position. In the printing unit according to claim 4,
The return mechanism includes a correction member that corrects the posture of the planetary gear with respect to the internal gear so that the planetary gear meshes with the internal gear in a predetermined meshing relationship when the planetary gear revolves. printing unit. In the printing unit according to claim 5,
In the correcting member, the tooth tips of the planetary tooth portion of the planetary gear and the internal tooth portion of the internal tooth portion of the internal gear, which is the first tooth with which the planetary gear meshes first, are not in contact with each other. a printing unit that corrects the attitude of the planetary gears so that the meshing relationship is the same. In the printing unit according to claim 6,
the correction member is an elastic body disposed closer to the lock position side of the operation lever than the internal gear and with which the planetary tooth portion is in sliding contact;
The printing unit, wherein the elastic body is elastically deformed when the planetary tooth portion is in sliding contact with the planetary tooth portion, and shifts the phase of the planetary gear along with the elastic restoration deformation. In the printing unit according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
The rack teeth are meshed with the return pinion when the movable blade is positioned at the cutting position, and are disengaged from the return pinion when the movable blade is positioned at the standby position, A printing unit formed on the side opposite to the cutting edge of the movable blade. In the printing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
When the movable blade is stopped at the cutting position, the operation stroke amount of the operation lever from the lock position to the release position is determined by operating the operation lever a plurality of times to move the movable blade from the cutting position. A printing unit that is set to return to the standby position. The printing unit according to claim 9,
The printing unit, wherein the operation stroke amount is set so that the movable blade is returned from the cutting position to the standby position by operating the operation lever twice. a printing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
a printer main body having a recording paper storage section for storing the recording paper, and to which a unit provided with the movable blade out of the head unit and the platen unit is attached;
A thermal printer, comprising: a printer cover, to which the unit provided with the fixed blade out of the head unit and the platen unit is attached, and which is rotatably connected to the printer main body.

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