JPH08300752A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent property to be set of a continuous paper from being damaged by a transmitting type paper sensor and prevent damage of the detecting function of the transmitting type paper sensor. CONSTITUTION: A transmitting type paper sensor 46 consists of a pair of a light emitting element 47 and a light receiving element 48, for detecting a continuous paper 15, arranged being divided into a cover side guide 31 and a body side guide 17 at opposing positions with a part of a paper convey passage 30 to be formed by the cover side guide 31 sandwiched in between the two. A lock mechanism 41 is provided for locking a cover 13 to make a closed state at a position where optical axes ϕ of the light emitting element 47 and the light receiving element 48 coincide with each other incident to the closing operation of the cover 13, so as to simply set the continuous paper 15 by only opening/closing the cover 13 and normally operate the transmitting type paper sensor 46.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer such as a label printer which prints using long paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in this type of printer,
In order to set the long paper in the printer body, the printer body has an opening surface which is opened and closed by a cover. Then, as schematically shown in FIG. 8, a platen 2 for conveying the long paper 1 is provided on the printer body side, and the cover side is brought into contact with the platen 2 by the closing operation of the cover to print. A print head 3 forming a part is provided. Therefore, when the long paper 1 is set, first, the cover is opened and the print head 3 is separated from the platen 2, and the roll-shaped long paper 1 is set in the storage unit in the printer main body and the leading end thereof is set. The side is pulled out to the platen 2 side, the cover is closed, and the print head 3 is brought into pressure contact with the platen 2 to be in a usable state.

By the way, in this type of printer,
In many cases, a paper sensor for detecting the state of the long paper in the paper conveyance path is provided for the purpose of controlling the position of the long paper with respect to the printing unit. In particular, in a label printer that prints on a label attached at equal intervals on a long mount, for conveyance control such as stop control so that the label tip is positioned with respect to the printing unit, A transmissive paper sensor 4 is provided in the paper transport path on the upstream side of the printing unit to detect the mount position between the labels. Here, as the transmissive paper sensor 4, an infrared method is often used in which the mount portion has good transparency and the detection output from the label portion is different. In this case, accurate measurement cannot be performed unless the optical axes of the pair of the infrared light emitting element 5 and the infrared light receiving element 6 are aligned.
It is said to be a sensor incorporated as one module.

[0004]

However, according to such a conventional printer, when the long paper 1 is set,
The long paper 1 must be set so that one side of the long paper 1 passes between the transmissive paper sensors 4 (between the infrared light emitting element 5 and the infrared light receiving element 6), and it is difficult to insert the paper depending on the paper quality of the paper. It is necessary to add extra guides. In particular, since the transmissive paper sensor 4 is easily affected by ambient light and the detection distance between the infrared light emitting element 5 and the infrared light receiving element 6 is short, it is difficult to insert paper between the transmissive paper sensor 4 and The maintenance property is poor when paper powder or dust enters between the pattern paper sensors 4.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A printer according to the present invention is a printer main body having an opening surface having an opening on one surface and a storage portion for storing long paper wound in a roll shape, and the printer main body. A cover that is rotatably held to open and close the opening surface, a platen that faces the opening surface and is held by the printer body, and a platen that is held by the cover and that closes the cover to face the platen. A print head, a main body side guide that is formed in the printer main body and guides a long sheet of paper pulled out from the storage section toward the platen side, and is formed on the cover side at a position upstream of the print head. A cover-side guide that forms a part of the paper-conveying path by approaching the main-body-side guide when the cover is closed, and a paper-conveying path formed by the cover-side guide A transmissive paper sensor including a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, which are separately disposed in the cover side guide and the main body side guide at positions facing each other with a part sandwiched therebetween, and the light receiving element and the light receiving element, and the cover. A lock mechanism is provided for locking the cover in the closed state at a position where the optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the transmissive paper sensor coincide with the closing operation.

[0006]

[Function] When the cover is opened and the front end of the long paper stored in the storage unit of the printer main body is pulled out to the position where it covers the surface of the platen, the cover is closed. Long paper is set between the cover and the cover side guide, and between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the transmissive paper sensor. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a setting operation of inserting a part of the long paper between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the transmissive paper sensor. Here, in the transmissive paper sensor, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged in a state where they are separated by the main body side guide and the cover side guide, but the cover is operated to be closed and locked by the lock mechanism. In this state, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are positioned and held so that the optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element coincide with each other, so that the normal detection operation for the long paper is ensured.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The printer of this embodiment is applied to, for example, a portable label printer suitable for use by a person in charge of collection and delivery of a home delivery service. First, 11 is a printer body, and an opening surface 12 is formed on the front surface of the printer body 11. A cover 13 for opening and closing the opening surface 12 is rotatably held by a fulcrum shaft 14 at one end of the opening surface 12. Has been done.
A long piece of paper 15 wound in a roll on the printer body 11
A hopper 16 is formed which is a storage unit that stores the rollable rolls. The long paper 15 in this embodiment is shown in FIG.
(B) As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, this is an example in which the labels 15b are continuously arranged and affixed to one surface of the mount paper 15a wound in a roll shape, but long paper such as fanfold paper can also be used. Good.

A main body side guide 17 extending from the bottom of the hopper 16 toward the opening surface 12 is formed in the printer main body 11, and a portion of the main body side guide 17 near the opening surface 12 is formed. A rotatable platen 18 and a label peeling body 19 along the longitudinal direction of the platen 18 are arranged. Further, a battery 20 is detachably attached to the printer body 11.

On the other hand, on the head support 21 fixed to the inner surface of the cover 13, a thermal head 22 which is a print head is urged in one direction by a leaf spring 23 and a spindle 24 is provided.
It is rotatably held around. Also, the cover 13
Bearings 27, which are urged in one direction by a spring 25 and rotatably support a pinch roller 26, are displaceably provided on both sides of the free end side of the. Furthermore, the cover 13
The label issuing port 28 is disposed between the thermal head 22 and the pinch roller 26 to eject the label 15b, the paper retainer 29 for retaining the floating of the long paper 15 in the hopper 16, and the paper retainer 29. The main body side guide 17 at a position upstream of the thermal head 22 integrally with 29.
And a cover-side guide 31 that protrudes to a position close to and forms a part of the sheet conveyance path 30. Further, a protrusion 32 is formed integrally with the cover 13, and a cover open / close switch 33 which is turned on by the protrusion 32 when the cover 13 is closed in a completely closed state described later is provided in the printer body 11. ing.

The length of such a cover 13 is shorter than the length of the opening surface 12 of the printer body 11, and therefore,
When the cover 13 is closed, as shown in FIG. 1B, a mount discharge port 34 for discharging the mount 15a is formed between the free end of the cover 13 and the end of the opening surface 12. In addition, the center of the label peeling body 19 is the label issuing port 28.
The position is set so as to substantially coincide with the center of. The distance from the center of the label peeling body 19 to the center of the support shaft 24 is slightly longer than the distance from the tip of the thermal head 22 on the label issuing port 28 side to the center of the support shaft 24.
Moreover, the distance is set to be slightly shorter than the distance from the contact portion between the platen 18 and the pinch roller 26 to the center of the support shaft 24.

Further, between the printer body 11 and the cover 13, a lock mechanism 41 for locking the cover 13 in the closed state when the cover 13 is closed is releasably provided. The lock mechanism 41 is provided with locking recesses 42 formed on the upper and lower inner walls of the printer body 11 and vertically slidable on the upper and lower edges of the cover 13 so that the thermal head 22 can be pressed with an appropriate pressure. A lock claw 43 that can be locked in the locking recess 42 when the lock claw 43 is closed in a state in which the lock claw 18 is pressed against the lock claw 43;
Is provided on the surface of the cover 13 in a state of being connected to the lock claw 43 and a spring (not shown) that locks the lock claw 43 in the locking recess 42 and is used as a spring. It is constituted by an operation knob 44 for performing a sliding operation in the direction of reversing against. The lock claw 43
An inclined surface 43a is formed on the inner surface side of the so as to improve the movement when the cover 13 is closed (see FIG. 3). Further, the cover 13 is provided on the surface of the cover 13.
Direction of the operation knob 44 when releasing the lever (release direction)
Is indicated by an arrow 45a. Further, a marker 45b indicating the state of the operation knob 44 is provided within the operation range of the operation knob 44. That is, this marker 45b
Is normally visible from the outside, but is provided at a position hidden by the operation knob 44 when the operation knob 44 is slid to the release position.

Further, a transmissive paper sensor 46 is provided at a part of the paper transport path 30 formed by the cover side guide 31. The transmissive paper sensor 46 is of an infrared type in which a pair of infrared light emitting element (light emitting element) 47 and infrared light receiving element (light receiving element) 48 are opposed to each other. Here, in this embodiment, the infrared light emitting element 47 is attached to the front end portion of the cover side guide 31, and the infrared light receiving element 48 is attached to a part of the main body side guide 17, and the transmissive paper having a separated structure. It is a sensor 46.
More specifically, to the extent that the infrared light emitting element 47 and the infrared light receiving element 48 do not hinder the conveyance of the long paper 15 in the state where the cover 13 is completely closed by the locking mechanism 41. And the optical axes φ of the both are aligned with each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an arc surface 51 is formed on the rear side of the printer body 11 of the portable label printer of the present embodiment, which is in close contact with the waist of the user. On the arc surface 51, a belt hook 52 for hooking on a user's belt or the like is formed. Further, on the upper surface of the printer body 11, a power switch 53, a feed key 54 for feeding the mount 15a regardless of printing, and a light for receiving data (optical information) from a detachably mounted handy terminal (not shown). An I / F light receiving unit 55 and the like are provided. In addition, a wireless I / F that receives data (wireless information) from the handy terminal is also incorporated.

Next, a configuration example of a part of the electrical equipment control system relating to the transmissive paper sensor 46 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. First, a CPU 61 is provided which is in charge of overall control, and a light emitting side drive circuit 64 for driving the infrared light emitting element 47 to emit light is connected to the CPU 61 via a bus line 62 and an I / O port 63. In addition, I
A light receiving side signal input circuit 65 for taking in the detection output of the infrared light receiving element 48 is connected to the / O port 63. The output side of the light receiving side signal input circuit 65 is connected to the CPU via a level conversion circuit 66 and an A / D converter 67.
It is connected to 61. Further, the I / O port 63
The cover open / close switch 33 is connected to.

The operation and the like when setting the roll-shaped long paper 15 in such a configuration will be described. First, the two operation knobs 44 are slid on the surface of the cover 13 according to the arrow 45a to retract the lock claws 43, so that the lock claws 43 are released from the locking recesses 42 and the locked state is released. In the unlocked state of the lock mechanism 41, a part of the cover 13 is grasped and released from the printer body 11 as shown in FIG. In such an opened state of the cover 13, the infrared light emitting element 47 and the infrared light receiving element 48 are provided.
Since it is also exposed, maintenance can be easily performed when the detection sensitivity is lowered due to dirt or dust. Therefore, the long paper 15 wound in a roll shape is stored in the hopper 16, and further, in a wide space where the cover 13 is opened, the leading end side of the mount 15a reaches a position where the platen 18 and the label peeling body 19 are covered. Withdraw. And FIG.
The cover 13 is closed as shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2 after the progress shown in FIG.

In the closing process of the cover 13 as described above, in the state as shown in FIG. 1 (a), the thermal head 22 is in a position where it can contact the platen 18, but is in a state of being in pressure contact with an appropriate pressure. There is no. Since the locking claw 43 is not closed to the position where it is locked in the locking recess 42, the locking claw 43 remains retracted by the inner wall surface of the printer body 11 and is not locked. At this time, when viewed from the side of the operation knob 44, since the operation knob 44 covers the marker 45b and the marker 45b cannot be seen, it can be seen that the cover 13 is not yet in the locked state. Further, at this stage, the cover open / close switch 33 is not completely closed, and the infrared light emitting element 47 and the infrared light receiving element 48 are close to each other, but their optical axes are still coincident with each other. There is no state.

Therefore, when the cover 13 is further pushed in the closing direction in the state as shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 2, the thermal head 22 is further displaced by the leaf spring 23 so as to be pressed against the platen 18 with an appropriate pressure, and the lock claw 43 is displaced to a position where it can be locked in the locking recess 42. As a result, it is locked in the locking recess 42 by receiving the outward biasing force of the spring. As a result, the cover 13 is maintained in the locked state with respect to the printer body 11. In such a locked state, the cover open / close switch 33 causes the cover 1
3 is closed by a protrusion 32 to show that it is in a closed state. At the same time, the infrared light emitting element 47 and the infrared light receiving element 48 are maintained close to each other while sandwiching the paper transport path 30 and maintaining their optical axes φ aligned. Therefore,
The transmissive paper sensor 46 is in a state where it can normally detect the state of the long paper 15. In this way, the CPU 61 controls to permit the operation of the transmissive paper sensor 46 under the condition that the cover open / close switch 33 detects the locked closed state of the cover 13.

In the closed state where the cover 13 is locked by the lock mechanism 41 as described above, the leading end side of the mount 15a of the long paper 15 is pressed against the platen 18 by the thermal head 22 and the pinch roller 26 ( The thermal head 22 is moved by the plate spring 1 with a proper pressure by the platen 1.
In addition, the label peeling body 19 sets the paper path 15a in the paper conveyance path 30 in a state where the drawing path of the backing paper 15a is bent at an acute angle, so that the long paper 15 from the bottom surface of the hopper 16 is conveyed. Floating is prevented. Such work is performed with the printer main body 11 mounted on the waist of the operator, and the long paper 15 is placed between the platen 18 and the thermal head 22 and between the platen 18 and the pinch roller 26.
Also, since the work is not to pass through the narrow gap between the infrared light emitting element 47 and the infrared light receiving element 48, the setting of the long paper 15 is extremely easy.

At the time of printing, when the power switch 53 is turned on, printing is performed based on the data transmitted from the handy terminal. That is, the thermal head 22 prints out according to the voltage supplied from the battery 20. Then, every time one line is printed, the platen 18 is driven by one pitch by a pulse motor (not shown) using the battery 20 as a drive source, and the mount 15a is conveyed together with the label 15b. In this case, the mount 15a is the label peeling body 19
Since it is conveyed in a state of being bent at an acute angle, the strong label 15b goes straight, is peeled off from the mount 15a, is peeled and issued from the label issuing port 28, and the mount 15a is discharged from the mount discharging port 34.

Data such as print data from the handy terminal is normally transmitted and received by wireless communication with good workability using a wireless I / F, but normal wireless communication due to the influence of noise and the like. If the optical I / F is not possible, a handy terminal is attached to the optical I / F light receiving unit 55 to perform highly reliable optical communication using the optical I / F.

In such a label peeling / issuing operation, for example, the rear end of the label 15b peeled off by the label peeling body 19 is slightly attached to the mount 15a at the label peeling body 19 so as not to drop. It is necessary to control the conveyance of the long paper 15 so that the long paper 15 is stopped at a position where it remains above. The detection output of the transmissive paper sensor 46 is used for such conveyance control. That is, label 1
When the mount 15a with 5b passes between the infrared light emitting element 47 and the infrared light receiving element 48, the infrared transmittance is low in the label 15b portion, and the light receiving side signal input circuit 65, the level conversion circuit 66 and the A / D converter 67 are provided. Although the digital data value taken in by the CPU 61 via the CPU is low, the transmittance of infrared rays is high in the mount 15a portion, and the C via the light receiving side signal input circuit 65, the level conversion circuit 66 and the A / D converter 67.
The digital data value taken into PU61 becomes high.
Therefore, by setting an appropriate threshold value, it is possible to reliably detect whether or not the portion that passes through the transmissive paper sensor 46 is the mount 15a between the labels 15b. Then, based on the distance between the transmissive paper sensor 46 and the label peeling body 19 or the printing unit (thermal head 22),
The conveyance state of the long paper 15 is controlled.

Further, when the printed label 15b is peeled from the mount 15a by a label sticking device (not shown) and stuck to a product or the like, as shown in FIG. 6A, the leading end of the mount 15a is removed. Without pulling it off with the label peeling body 19, pull it out straight, and in this state, cover 13
Close. That is, the set position on the mount 15a side is different. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6B, the printed label 15b can be discharged from the label issuing port 28 together with the mount 15a. In this case, since the label printing for the set number of issued labels is continuously executed, when the printing on the preceding label 15b is completed, the head of the next label 15b becomes the printing position by the thermal head 22. It is necessary to control the feeding of the mount 15a (label 15b), and the detection output of the transmissive paper sensor 46 is used for this control.

The label printer of this embodiment has been described as an example of application to a portable label printer in which the printer body 11 is mounted on the human body, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the label printer may be installed on a desk or the like. It may be the one used. Further, in this embodiment, the infrared light emitting element 4 is provided on the cover side guide 31.
7 is provided, and the infrared light receiving element 48 is provided in the main body side guide 17, but it goes without saying that the light emitting side and the light receiving side may be interchanged. Further, in the present embodiment, the infrared type transmissive paper sensor 46 having a high transparency to the mount 15a portion and having an output characteristic which is easily distinguishable from the label 15b portion is used. The sensor is not limited to the infrared type as long as it can detect the state of the scale 15, and a sensor using visible light may be used.

[0024]

According to the present invention, a printer main body having an opening surface having an opening on one surface and a storage portion for storing a long paper wound in a roll, and a printer main body capable of rotating freely. A cover that is held by the cover to open and close the opening surface, a platen that faces the opening surface and that is held by the printer body, and a print head that is held by the cover and that faces the platen when the cover is closed. A main body side guide formed on the printer main body to guide the long paper drawn out from the storage portion toward the platen side;
A cover side guide that is formed on the cover side at a position upstream of the print head and that approaches the main body side guide by the closing operation of the cover to form a part of the sheet conveyance path, and the cover side guide. A transmissive paper sensor including a pair of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, which are separately arranged between the cover-side guide and the main-body-side guide at positions facing each other across a part of the paper transport path And a lock mechanism that locks the cover in the closed state at a position where the optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the transmissive paper sensor coincide with the closing operation of the cover. When opening the cover, the light emitting element and the light receiving element that compose the transmissive paper sensor are separated into the printer body side and the cover side, so insert a long paper between both elements. Such a setting operation is not required, and after that, the cover can be easily set to the predetermined position by closing it in the closed state where it is locked by the lock mechanism, and the cover is closed by the lock mechanism. In the locked state, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are positioned and held in such a state that the optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element coincide with each other.
Even if the transmissive paper sensor has a separate structure, it is possible to ensure a normal detection operation for a long paper and improve maintainability for dirt and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a process of closing a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention with a part thereof cut away.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a locked closed state.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing an incomplete closed state.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a usage state.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where a cover is opened with a part thereof cut away.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a partially cutaway process of closing the cover when used in different modes.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electrical equipment control system relating to a transmissive paper sensor.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional side view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Printer Main Body 12 Opening Surface 13 Cover 15 Long Paper 16 Storage Section 17 Main Body Side Guide 18 Platen 22 Print Head 30 Paper Transport Path 31 Cover Side Guide 41 Locking Mechanism 46 Transmissive Paper Sensor 47 Light Emitting Element 48 Light Receiving Element φ Optical Axis

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location B65H 7/14

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printer main body having an opening surface having an opening on one surface and a storage portion for storing a long paper wound in a roll shape, and the opening rotatably held by the printer main body. A cover that opens and closes a surface; a platen that is held by the printer body so as to face the opening surface; a print head that is held by the cover and faces the platen when the cover is closed; A main body side guide that guides the long paper that is pulled out from the storage portion toward the platen side, and a main body side guide that is formed on the cover side at a position upstream of the print head and that closes the cover. To a cover-side guide that forms a part of the paper-conveying path that is close to the A transmissive paper sensor including a pair of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, which are separately disposed in the cover-side guide and the main-body-side guide and detect the long paper, and the transmissive paper sensor of the transmissive paper sensor when the cover is closed. A printer, comprising: a lock mechanism that locks the cover in a closed state at a position where the optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element coincide with each other.