JPH0634951U - Thermal head recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal head recording device for a facsimile or the like that has a simple structure and can reduce the number of assembling steps. [Structure] Bracket 20 is cut out to make an elastic piece (leaf spring)
24 is formed, and the leaf spring 24 constitutes elastic means. Therefore, the bracket 20 holds the thermal head 2 and also has the leaf spring 24, which simplifies the structure.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a thermal head recording device such as a facsimile, and relates to simplification of its structure.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Thermal recording is often used for recording in currently used facsimiles. FIG. 5 shows the basic configuration of the thermal head recording device. This apparatus is composed of a thermal head 2 for applying heat, a thermal paper 4 that develops color when heat is applied, and a platen 6 that rotates and sends the thermal paper 4. Further, the thermal head 2 includes an electrode 8 and a heating resistor 10.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a conventional thermal head recording device. The brackets 14a and 14b hold the thermal head 2. The positioning portions 14 _{U at} both ends of the bracket are fitted into the shaft 6 _S of the platen 6 facing the thermal head 2.

Leaf springs 16 (three in this example) are provided between the frame 12 and the thermal head 2. The leaf spring 16 is attached so that the fixed portion 16 _K is fixed to the lower surface of the frame 12 with a screw 18 and the movable portion 16 _M is brought into contact with the upper surface of the thermal head 2 to move. Therefore, the thermal head 2 presses the platen 6 via the thermal paper 4 by the elastic force of the leaf spring 16.

Next, the operation of this recording apparatus will be described. First, the heating resistor 10 generates heat by passing electricity to the electrode 8 of the thermal head 2. The heat-generating thermal head 2 applies heat to the thermal paper 4 on the rotating platen 6 and presses it with the elastic force of the leaf spring 16 to perform thermal recording on the thermal paper 4.

Conventionally, thermal head recording has been performed on the thermal paper 4 with such an apparatus.

[0007]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the conventional thermal head recording device has the following problems.

It was necessary to separately provide a leaf spring 16 for pressing the thermal head 2 against the thermal paper 4. Further, mounting parts such as screws 18 for mounting the leaf spring 16 are also required. Therefore, there are problems that the number of parts of the device is large and assembly is complicated.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a thermal head recording apparatus that can simplify the structure and reduce the number of assembling steps.

[0010]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The thermal head recording apparatus according to claim 1 includes a platen, a thermal head provided at a position facing the platen, a bracket for holding the thermal head, and an elastic means for pressing the thermal head against the platen. In the device, the bracket is cut out to form an elastic piece, and the elastic piece constitutes the elastic means.

[0011]

[Action]

 According to another aspect of the thermal head recording apparatus of the present invention, the bracket is cut out to form the elastic piece, and the elastic piece constitutes the elastic means. Therefore, the bracket holds the thermal head and also has elastic means, which simplifies the structure.

[0012]

【Example】

 FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a facsimile machine in which the thermal head recording device 5 according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. The facsimile 1 includes a roll paper 3 on which a thermal paper 4 is wound in a roll shape, a thermal head recording device 5, a reading device 7, a document feeding roller 11, and an operation panel section 32. Further, the thermal head recording device 5 is provided with a thermal head 2 for applying heat, a platen 6 for rotating and sending the thermal paper 4, and a bracket 20 for holding the thermal head 2 and having elastic means (elastic pieces) 24. ing. The thermal head 2 includes an electrode 8 and a heating resistor 10 (see FIG. 5).

At the time of transmission, the facsimile 1 rotates the document feed roller 11 to feed the document 9, while the reading device 7 reads the document 9 and sends it by facsimile. At the time of reception, the thermal head recording device 5 rotates the platen 6 to feed the thermal paper 4, while the thermal head 2 thermally records and thermally receives the facsimile.

The thermal head 2 and the bracket 20 of the thermal head recording device 5 are attached to the frame 26 of the operation panel section 32. The platen 6 is fixed to the main body of the fax machine 1. The operation panel unit 32 is integrated with the thermal head 2 and the bracket 20 and is openable and closable around the point B as the center of rotation. When the operation panel section 32 is closed, the thermal head 2 presses the platen 6 via the thermal paper 4. By opening the operation panel section 32 in the direction A, the thermal head 2 and the platen 6 are separated, and the thermal paper 4 nipped between them is released. At this time, the roll paper 3 can be replaced. Hereinafter, the details of the configuration of the thermal head recording device 5 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thermal head recording device 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device 5 includes a platen 6, a thermal head 2 and a bracket 20. The thermal head 2 and the bracket 20 are attached to the frame 26 as described above.

Here, the bracket 20 is integrally formed of a spring material. Then, notches 22 (three places in this example) are provided to push down the notched elastic pieces (leaf springs) 24.

The bracket 20 holds the thermal head 2. As thermal head 2 is properly abuts against the platen 6, the positioning portion 20 _U of the bracket at both ends so that fit to the platen shaft 6 _S. This ensures the function of the thermal head 2 and the platen 6 coming into contact with and separating from each other as the operation panel 32 is opened and closed.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of FIG. As shown, the bracket 20 is attached to the protrusion 26 _T of the frame 26. The thermal head 2 and the bracket 20 are screwed together with a screw 27. The outer diameter of the hole 28 (see FIG. 1) formed in the bracket 20 is larger than the screw diameter of the screw 27, and the bracket 20 is vertically movable. The outer diameter of the head 27 _H of the screw 27 is larger than the outer diameter of the hole 28 to prevent the thermal head 2 and the bracket 20 from being separated.

The elastic piece (leaf spring) 24 of the bracket 20 contacts the upper surface of the thermal head 2. Now, when the operation panel section 32 is closed, the vertically movable bracket 20 is pushed downward. As a result, the elastic piece (leaf spring) 24 between the bracket 20 and the thermal head 2 is compressed and an elastic effect is produced. The thermal head 2 presses the platen 6 via the thermal paper 4 by the elastic force of the elastic piece 24.

Further, due to the elastic effect of the elastic piece 24, the thermal paper 4 can be smoothly fed even if the thickness of the thermal paper 4 changes.

As described above, in the thermal head recording apparatus 5, the bracket 20 holds the thermal head 2 and also has the elastic piece (leaf spring) 24. Therefore, the number of parts of the thermal head recording device 5 can be reduced and the number of assembling steps can be reduced without separately providing attachment parts such as leaf springs and screws. As a result, the number of parts of the facsimile 1 and the number of assembling steps can be reduced, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

FIG. 4 shows a bracket 30 according to another embodiment. In this example, the bracket 30 made of a spring material is provided with a notch 32, and the notched elastic piece (leaf spring) 34 is pushed upward. The elastic piece 34 contacts the lower surface of the frame 26 and has the same elastic effect as the elastic piece 24 of the bracket 20.

[0023]

[Effect of device]

 According to another aspect of the thermal head recording apparatus of the present invention, the bracket is cut out to form an elastic piece, and the elastic piece constitutes elastic means (a leaf spring). Therefore, the bracket holds the thermal head and also has elastic means, which simplifies the structure. As a result, it is possible to provide a thermal head recording device having a simple structure and reducing the number of assembling steps.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a facsimile using a thermal head recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the thermal head recording device.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the above facsimile.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a bracket 30.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of a thermal head recording device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional thermal head recording device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Thermal head 4 ... Thermal paper 6 ... Platen 20 ... Bracket 24 ... Elastic piece (leaf spring) 26 ... Frame

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04N 1/23 102 Z 9186-5C

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A thermal head recording apparatus comprising a platen, a thermal head provided at a position facing the platen, a bracket for holding the thermal head, and an elastic means for pressing the thermal head against the platen. A thermal head recording apparatus, characterized in that an elastic piece is formed, and the elastic piece constitutes an elastic means.