JPH0357479Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of industrial application] This invention relates to a small manual printer.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, a handheld type small manual printer has been developed that prints on a printing surface while manually moving it over the printing surface.

This small manual printer has a thermal print head, a thermal transfer ink tape, and a timing signal generating means that generates timing signals as the printer moves, inside the printer body that can be held in your hand. The printer is equipped with a control unit that drives the printing head in response to a timing signal from the device, and the printer is held upright against the printing surface and prints the markings provided at the lower end of the printer main body. When the head is brought into contact with the printing surface via the ink tape and the printer is moved in this state, a timing signal is sent from the timing signal generating means to the control section as the printer moves, and printing is performed according to this timing signal. The head is driven and characters and figures are printed on the printing surface.

In other words, this small manual printer prints by manually moving the printer itself, and although this small printer has restrictions on print width, unlike printers that use a platen, it is possible to print on a platen such as a notebook. It is possible to print on thick materials that cannot be wrapped.
Furthermore, it is small and lightweight, making it convenient to carry.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, the above-mentioned small manual printers are held upright against the printing surface and manually moved over the printing surface, so only your hands are supporting the printer to prevent it from falling over. and
For this reason, while the printer is moving and printing, the printer's posture may tilt forward or backward in the direction of movement due to the movement of the arm or wrist. The contact angle and contact pressure also change, causing changes in the density of printed characters and figures, making it impossible to obtain high-quality prints with constant density.

This idea was created in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to prevent changes in posture when printing by moving the printing surface, and to achieve quality with constant density. An object of the present invention is to provide a small manual printer capable of high-quality printing.

[Means to solve problems]

This invention has a device that protrudes obliquely downward from one side of the printer body and contacts the printing surface at a position away from the printing surface contacting part of the printer body when the printer body is tilted relative to the printing surface. The present invention is characterized in that the printer is provided with a leg that can be stored within the printer main body, and that the print head is provided within the printer main body or on the leg.

[Effect]

In other words, the small manual printer of this invention is
By providing legs that contact the printing surface at a position away from the printing surface contact part of the printer main body when the printer body is held at an angle with respect to the printing surface, the printer can be held on the printing surface of the printer main body. The printer is supported on the printing surface at two locations, the contact part and the tips of the legs, and can be moved while always maintaining a constant inclination angle. Alternatively, the printing head provided on the legs can always be brought into contact with the printing surface at a constant contact angle and contact pressure to produce high-quality prints with constant density. Since the printer can be stored inside the printer body, the legs can be stored inside the printer main body and carried compactly when being carried.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show a cross section of the small manual printer in a printing state and an external appearance with the legs retracted, and FIG. 3 shows the printer mechanism of this small manual printer.

In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a printer main body that is shaped like a vertical thin box and is large enough to be held in the hand. One paper contact roller 12a, 12b that rolls into contact with the surface A is rotatably provided. Reference numeral 14 denotes an encoder that detects the rotation of one paper contact roller 12a and generates a timing signal every time this roller 12a rotates by a predetermined angle. The encoder 14 includes a rotary plate 15 provided with a large number of slits 16, 16 on the entire circumference, which is rotated by the rotation of the roller 12a in frictional contact with a drive wheel 13a that rotates integrally with the paper contact roller 12a; It is composed of a light emitting element 17 and a light receiving element 18 which are fixed in the printer body 10 with a space between them.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a leg that is pulled up to protrude diagonally downward from the rear surface of the printer main body 10 during printing, and this leg 20 extends from the opening 19 provided on the rear surface of the printer main body 10 as shown by solid lines in FIG. It is pulled up as shown, and when not in use, is stored inside the printer main body 10 as shown by the chain line in FIG. The leg body 20 includes a rotating frame 21 made of a metal plate whose upper end is pivotally supported within the printer body 10 by a support shaft 22, and a removable leg body cover 23.
A thermal printing head 24 is attached to the rotating frame 21. This thermal print head 24 has a large number of heating electrodes formed in a line on the lower surface of a ceramic base material, and wiring is formed on both sides of the ceramic base material. It is fixed to this rotating frame 21 by gluing or screwing. The leg cover 23 has a thin box shape with an open upper end and a slit-shaped printing opening 23a on the lower surface. cover guide plate 25 and print head 24
The rotating frame 21 is guided along the inner surface of the cover by a pair of cover guide plates 27 formed on both sides of a reinforcing metal plate 26 fixed to the other surface by adhesive or screws.
and is adapted to be fitted on the outside of the print head 24. Note that leaf springs (not shown) are provided on both inner surfaces of the leg cover 23 for elastically contacting the cover guide plate 25 or 27 to lock the leg cover 23 in the installed state.

Further, in FIG. 3, reference numeral 28 indicates leg lock portions provided on both sides of the rotating frame 21, and the leg lock portions 28 have balls 29 that come into elastic contact with the inner surfaces of both sides of the printer body 10 by spring force. It is provided. The inner surfaces of both sides of the printer body 10 show the position of the leg lock portion 28 when the leg body 20 is pulled up at a predetermined angle, and the position of the leg body lock portion 28 when the leg body 20 is retracted into the printer body 10. A locking recess (not shown) is provided corresponding to each position, and the leg body 20 is locked in the raised state and the retracted state by fitting the ball 29 into the locking recess.

Further, a tape feeding shaft 30 and a tape winding shaft 31 are provided in the upper part of the printer main body 10 so as to be replaceable, and the thermal transfer ink tape 32 wound around the tape feeding shaft 30 is attached to the printing head. The tape winding shaft 31 is wound around the tape winding shaft 31 with the leading end of the tape winding shaft 24 being detoured. In addition, 33, 33 and 3
Reference numerals 4 and 34 designate tape guides, the upper tape guides 33 and 33 being provided within the printer main body 10, and the lower tape guides 34 and 34 being attached to the cover guide plates 25 and 27 of the leg body 20. The tape winding shaft 31 is rotationally driven by the rotation of the other paper contact roller 12b of the printer main body 10. That is, in Figure 3,
35 is a rotating wheel that is rotated by the rotation of the roller 12b in frictional contact with the driving wheel 13b that rotates integrally with the paper contact roller 12b; 36 is a driving pulley that rotates integrally with this rotating wheel 35; and 37 is a tape winding shaft 31.
A passive pulley 38 is fixed to the end of the drive pulley 36 and a belt wound around the passive pulley 37. As the contact roller 12b rotates along with the rotation, the tape is rotated in the tape winding direction via the belt drive mechanism.

Although not shown in the printer body 10, a power supply battery and a control unit for controlling the printing operation are provided inside the printer body 10, and this control unit includes an external device connection cable 39 ( (see Figure 2) are connected. Further, a push-button type print start switch 40 is provided on the rear surface of the printer main body 10.

This small manual printer is connected to an external device such as a personal computer by the cable 39 and prints out information stored in the memory section of the external device. The printer body 1
It is used by raising it outside of 0. That is, in this small printer, by tilting and gripping the printer main body 10 with the legs 20 raised, the printing surface contact portions of the printer main body 10, that is, the paper contact rollers 12a and 12b, and the legs Place the tip of the body 20 (the tip surface of the leg cover 23) on the printing surface A first.
The printer is brought into contact as shown in the figure, and in this state, the printer is moved forward (in the direction of the arrow) to print on the printing surface A. When the printer is moved,
A timing signal generated as the printer main body 10 moves is sent from the encoder 14 to the control section, and the control section reads print information line by line from the memory section of the external device in response to the timing signal and prints the print information according to the information. to drive the print head 24.
The printing head 24 is in contact with the printing surface A through the ink tape 32 in the printing opening 23a of the leg cover 23, and the ink tape 32 is moved around the tape feeding shaft 30 as the printer main body 10 moves. The tape is unwound from the tape winding shaft 31 and wound around the tape winding shaft 31. Further, the control section reads print information from an external device and drives the print head 24 only when the printer is moved while pressing a print start switch 40 provided on the rear surface of the printer main body 10. Therefore, if the print start switch 40 is not pressed, even if the printer is moved,
The ink tape 32 is merely wound up and no printing operation is performed.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned small printer, by lifting the legs 20 from the printer main body 10 and holding the printer main body 10 at an angle with respect to the printing surface A, the printing surface contact portion of the printer main body 10 and the Since the printer is moved and printed with the tip of the leg 20 in contact with the printing surface A, the printer is moved between the printing surface contacting part of the printer body 10 and the tip of the leg 20. According to this small printer, the printer body 10 and the legs 20 can be moved on the printing surface A while always maintaining a constant inclination angle while being supported by the printing surface A at two locations. Since the printer does not tilt forward or backward to change the posture of the printer, the printing head 24 provided on the legs 20 is always brought into contact with the printing surface A at a constant contact angle and contact pressure to increase the density. It is possible to print with consistent high quality. The lifting angle of the legs 20 with respect to the printer main body 10 is set at an angle such that the legs 20 become perpendicular to the printing surface A when the printer main body 10 is held at an angle as described above. It is desirable that the printing head 24 of the leg 20 be brought into contact with the printing surface A from the perpendicular direction, and good printing can be performed.

In addition, with conventional printers, the posture of the printer body may change during printing, so
An encoder (similar to the encoder 14 in the above embodiment) that generates a timing signal as the printer body moves also generates a timing signal when the printer body changes its posture (for example, when the printer is not being moved). However, when the posture of the printer body changes, the light-emitting element and light-receiving element, which are fixed inside the printer body through a rotary plate with slits, displace together with the printer body, so even though the printer is not moved, As a result, the rotation of the contact roller generates a timing signal in the same way as when the rotary plate is rotated).As a result, the actual amount of printer movement and the timing signal do not match, and the printing characters ( However, in the above-mentioned small printer, the printer's posture does not change, so the encoder
By generating a timing signal from the printer, it is possible to print without stretching or shrinking.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned small printer, the leg body 20
can be stored in the printer main body 10, so when carrying the printer, the legs 20 can be stored in the printer main body 10, making it possible to carry the printer compactly.

In the above embodiment, the leg body 20 is brought into contact with the printing surface A at the lower surface of the cover 23, but the leg body 20 is provided with a roller at its lower end, and the printing surface A is brought into contact with the leg body 20 through this roller. It may be made to contact the surface A, and in that case, the timing signal may be obtained by rotation of the roller on the leg body 20 side. Further, in the above embodiment, the tape winding shaft 31 is driven to rotate by the rotation of the contact roller 12b caused by the movement of the printer main body 10, but the winding of the ink tape 32 is performed using a motor as power. Good too. Further, in the embodiment described above, the print head 24 is provided on the leg 20, but this print head may be provided inside the printer body 10 (in this case, when the printer body 10 is held at an angle, the print head 24 will be removed). (It is desirable to install the print head so that the print head is perpendicular to the printing surface.) Further, in the above embodiment, a small printer that only performs printing has been described, but if an image sensor is provided in the printer main body 10 or in the legs 20, this small printer can also be provided with a reading function.

[Effect of idea]

The small manual printer of this invention has legs that come into contact with the printing surface at a position away from the printing surface contacting part of the printer body when the printer body is held at an angle with respect to the printing surface. Since the printer is supported on the printing surface at two places, the printing surface contact portion of the printer body and the tips of the legs, it is possible to move the printer while always maintaining a constant inclination angle. According to this small printer, the printing head provided within the printer body or on the legs is always brought into contact with the printing surface at a constant contact angle and contact pressure to produce high quality prints with constant density. Moreover, the legs can be stored inside the printer main body and carried compactly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of this invention. Figures 1 and 2 are a vertical side view of the small manual printer in the printing state and an external view with the legs retracted, and Figure 3 is the manual printer. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a printer mechanism section of a small printer. 10... Printer main body, 20... Leg body, 24...
...Print head, 32...Ink tape, A...Print surface.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a small manual printer that prints on a printing surface using a printing head while holding the printer main body and manually moving it over the printing surface, the printer main body has a structure that protrudes diagonally downward from one side of the printer main body and covers the printer main body. Providing legs that contact the printing surface at a position remote from the printing surface contacting portion of the printer main body when tilted with respect to the printing surface, and the legs can be stored within the printer main body, A small manual printer characterized in that the print head is provided within the printer main body or on the legs.