JPH0470372A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce an energization force of an energizing member, decrease the height of a spring in an actual use state and enable a recording head to be installed in close proximity to a device cover to allow miniaturization of the device by providing the energizing member which energizes the recording head to a rotating element in an area outside of the recording head in the downstream side of a sheet transport direction. CONSTITUTION:A recording head 10 is allowed to come in contact with a platen roller 9 by opening/closing a recording cover 13 centered around a shaft 14, or the recording head 10 is isolated by said operation. A position for the installation of a pressing spring 17 is located outside the area of the recording head 10 and subsequently the rear of a fork member 15 can be installed in the closest proximity to the recording cover 13. Thus the front of the device can be lowered easily. Further, a pressing spring 17 with a low spring pressure can be used by providing the pressing spring 17 in the downstream side of a sheet transport direction farther than the recording head 10. In this way,the device is miniaturized more easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records on a recording sheet using a recording head.

<Prior Art> Since the opening of telephone lines, facsimile machines have been recognized by many people for their convenient functions, and two-speed facsimile machines have become popular. Fax machines have become a necessity, especially for people involved in business. Against this backdrop of strong demand, the main devices that make up facsimile machines became smaller and cheaper at an astonishing speed as facsimile machines became more widespread.

As a result, facsimile machines became cheaper and smaller enough to be used for personal or home use.

The recording system of a facsimile for personal use includes a recording head 50 and a platen roller 5, as shown in FIG.
1 is pressed by a pressure spring 52, and the heat-sensitive recording sheet 5
3 is sandwiched between a recording head 50 and a platen roller 51, and a load of about 4 kg is applied from behind the recording head 50 by a pressing spring 52. When recording, the heating element of the recording head 50 generates heat by applying a voltage to the recording nozzle 50.

Since the recording head 50 is strongly pressed against the platen roller 51 by the pressing spring 52 from behind, the heat generated by the recording head 50 is efficiently transmitted to the recording sheet 53, and the heat-sensitive recording sheet 53 develops color. When one line of recording corresponding to the heat generation is completed, the platen roller 51 feeds the recording sheet 53 in steps by one line.

Recording is performed on the recording sheet 53 by repeating the above-described operations.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The configuration shown in FIG. 3 is extremely basic as a facsimile recording system.

However, as mentioned above, facsimile machines are becoming increasingly popular for personal and home use, and for this purpose, it is desirable to make the machines as small as possible.

In particular, when it comes to personal use, the device is placed on a desk and used like a telephone, so it is preferable to have a so-called slant shape in which the front side of the device is inclined. To achieve this, it was necessary to make further efforts to reduce the size of the printer, and in particular, the key point was how to make the space for the pressure spring 52 that presses the recording head 50 from the back side as small as possible.

Furthermore, even when downsizing the space is not necessary, shortening the distance between the recording cover 54 and the recording head 50 shown in FIG. 3 increases the degree of freedom in the layout of the recording head 50 and platen roller 51. , is effective by design.

However, the force that presses the recording head 50 is usually 4k.
Generally, even if three springs 52 are used to press this, a pressing force of 1 kg or more is required per spring, and when the springs are compressed, at least 5 m in the stroke direction (in Fig. 3, the recording cover 54 Considering the overstroke of the lock when closing, more than 6 inlets are required.
It has been considered difficult to downsize the space.

The object of the present invention is to improve the conventional t! lII! It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording device which can be miniaturized and can perform reliable recording even when the biasing force of the biasing member is reduced.

<Means for Solving the Problems> Typical means according to the present invention for solving the above problems include a recording head that generates heat in response to an image signal, and a recording head that presses and conveys a recording sheet against the recording head. a head support member for attaching the recording head; a biasing member for biasing the head support member toward the rotary body; The present invention is characterized in that the biasing member has a fulcrum and biases the head support member in a region downstream of the recording sheet conveyance direction and outside the recording gutter.

<Function> With the above means, there is no need to provide a biasing member such as a spring between the recording cover and the recording head, and the head support member to which the recording head is attached can be biased outside the area of the recording head. good. Therefore, it is possible to bring the recording head and the recording cover close to each other, and it is possible to downsize the apparatus.

<Embodiment> Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in which the above means is applied to a slant-shaped facsimile machine.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between a pressing spring and a recording head.

First, to explain the overall configuration of the device, as shown in Figure 1, there is a reading system A located at the rear of the device (on the right side of Figure 1), and a reading system A located at the front of the device (on the left side of Figure 1). It consists of a recording system B.

The reading system A separates and feeds a plurality of documents 2 stacked on a document tray 1 one by one using a separation roller 3a and a separation piece 3b in pressure contact with the separation roller 3a, and feeds the documents 2 one by one using a pair of transport rollers 4a, 4b and a pair of ejection rollers 5.
The structure is such that the contact type sensor 6 reads information written on the document while the document is being conveyed by a and 5b. On the other hand, in the recording system B, a heat-sensitive roll sheet 8 stored in a roll holder 7 is conveyed by a platen roller 9 serving as a conveyance rotating body, and in synchronization with this conveyance, a recording head 10 is heated in accordance with an image signal to generate a recording sheet. 8, and the sheet after recording is discharged from a discharge port 11.

Next, the configuration of the recording system B will be specifically explained.

At the front of the device, the recording cover 13 is aligned with the shaft 1 relative to the device main body 12.
The platen roller 9 is attached to the apparatus main body 12 side, and the recording head 10 is attached to the recording cover 13 side. By opening and closing the recording cover 13, the recording head 10 is brought into contact with or separated from the platen roller 9.

The platen roller 9 is rotatably attached to a bearing 14 fixed to the apparatus main body 12, and is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 during recording by a motor and drive transmission means (not shown) to convey the recording sheet 8. has been done. Note that 18 in FIG. 1 is a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the recording sheet 8.

The recording head 10 has heating elements 10b arranged in a row on a head substrate 10a that generate heat in accordance with image signals, and is integrally attached to a fork member 15 serving as a head support member. The fork member 15 is composed of one piece made of molded material, and includes a support portion 15a.
The recording cover 13 is attached to the recording cover 13 with some play, and is configured so that when the recording cover 13 is opened, it is opened together with the cover 13. Further, a guide plate 16 for guiding the recording sheet 8 is attached to the recording cover 13, and the recording head 10 and fork member 15 are attached to the recording cover I so that the recording head 10 does not come off from the recording cover 13 when the cover 13 is opened.
It is sandwiched between 3 and 3. Further, the fork member 15 is formed with a fork portion 15b, and the recording cover 1
3 is closed and locked, the fork portion 15b is engaged with the bearing 14 of the platen roller 9 as shown by the broken line in FIG. The recording head 10 is configured to be positioned with respect to the platen roller 9.

Further, a pressing spring 17 serving as a biasing member is attached between the fork member 15 and the recording cover 13. This pressing spring 17 presses the recording pad 10 against the platen roller 9 when the recording cover 13 is closed.

Here, to explain the mounting position of the pressing spring 17, the fork member 15 has a cross section 13 as shown in FIG.
It is configured in a single character shape, and the downstream end 1 in the sheet conveyance direction
5c is configured to fall below the upper end of the recording head 10. The pressing spring 17 is attached between the fork member end 1.5c downstream of the recording head 10 in the sheet conveyance direction and the recording cover 13, and is attached along the longitudinal direction of the recording head IO as shown in FIG. Three pieces are provided across the direction (width direction of the recording sheet 8). Note that FIG. 2 is a diagram of the recording head 10 viewed from the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction.

As described above (installation of the pressure spring 17 is done by adjusting the position of the recording head l).
By placing it outside the area O, it becomes easier to bring the back surface of the fork member 15 closer to the recording cover 13 and realize a slant shape. That is, as generally considered dimensions, the thickness of the pad 10 is 6mm, and the thickness of the fork member 15 is 2mm.
51, when the recording cover 15 is closed, the back of the fork member 15 is attached as close as possible to the recording cover 13 even if a 6sa pressure spring is used in actual use in consideration of the overstroke of the lock when closing the recording cover 15. This makes it easy to lower the height of the front part of the device.

Furthermore, by providing the pressure spring 17 on the downstream side of the recording head 10 in the sheet conveyance direction as described above, it becomes possible to use the pressure spring 17 with a small spring force. That is, from the support portion 15a of the fork member 15 to the recording head 10
The distance to the 0 heat generation line is Ll, the distance from the support part 15a to the position where the pressure spring 17 is attached is L2,
If the contact force between the heating line of the throat 100 and the platen roller 9 is P, then the pressing force (spring pressure) by the pressing spring 17 is p (Ll/L).For example, generally speaking, As a numerical value Ll = 30mm,
If Lz-40mm and P = 4 kg, the pressing force by the pressing spring 17 will be 3 kg, and when pressing the back of the heating line of the recording head as in the past (L+ = Lz)
The spring pressure can be reduced compared to This makes it possible to use a pressure spring 17 with a small spring height, which makes it easier to downsize the device.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was shown in which three pressing springs 17 were provided, but it goes without saying that the number of pressing springs I7 can be changed as appropriate. You may also try to force it.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the fork member 15 is assumed to be made of a one-piece molded material, but other materials such as a steel plate may be used, and the fork member 15 may be composed of a plurality of members.

Further, the recording device need not be limited to a facsimile machine, and can of course be used in a communication recording system such as a printer.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention provides a biasing member for biasing the recording head toward the rotating body in an area downstream of the recording head in the sheet conveyance direction, so that the biasing member For example, if a coil spring is used, the height of the spring in actual use can be reduced.

Further, the recording head can be provided close to the device cover, and the device can be miniaturized to easily realize, for example, a slant shape.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a facsimile machine using a recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between a recording head and a pressure spring, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a prior art. . 1 is a document tray, 2 is a document, 3a is a separation roller, 3b is a separation piece, 4a and 4b are a pair of transport rollers, and 5a. 5b is a pair of discharge rollers, 7 is a roll holder, 8 is a recording sheet, 9 is a platen roller, 10 is a recording head, 11 is a discharge port, 12 is an apparatus main body, 13 is a recording cover 14 is a bearing, 15 is a fork member, 15a 15b is a support portion, 15b is a fork portion, 15c is a downstream end portion, 16 is a guide plate, 17 is a pressing spring, and 18 is a sheet presence/absence sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A recording head that generates heat in response to an image signal, a rotating member for pressing and conveying a recording sheet against the recording head, a head support member for attaching the recording head, and the head. a biasing member for biasing the support member toward the rotating body; the head support member has a fulcrum on the upstream side in the recording sheet conveyance direction; and the biasing member has a fulcrum on the downstream side in the recording sheet conveyance direction. A recording apparatus characterized in that the head support member is biased in an area outside the recording head.