JPH088113Y2 - Print head protector for handy printer - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial field of application The present invention provides a print head such as a thermal head in a handy printer such as a handy printer, a handy transfer machine, a handy word processor, or a handy printing terminal of various information processing devices. The present invention relates to a print head protection device for protection.

Conventional technology Conventionally, in a handy printer, a cover separate from the main body case is prepared to protect the thermal head.
At the time of use, this was removed from the main body cover, and after use, it was attached to cover the thermal head.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, since it is necessary to manually attach and remove the cover, it is often the case that the thermal head is accidentally brought into contact with another object and destroyed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reliably protect the print head at times other than printing and to improve the operability of switching between the protected state and the used state.

Therefore, the print head protection device of the handy printing machine according to the present invention has a main body case that is placed on the paper surface and moves on the paper surface at the time of printing, and a protruding position and an immersive position in the main body case. Attached to and retractable to and always biased to the protruding position,
When the main body case is placed on the paper surface at the time of printing, a head protection frame that pushes into the retracted position against the biasing force of the main body case and a downwardly biased body protection frame that is provided at the protruding position While enclosing the printing unit in the head protection frame at a certain time, a printing head for recording on the paper surface at the printing unit by exposing the printing unit from the printing opening of the head protection frame at the immersion position, And a lock mechanism that locks the head protection frame at the protruding position so that the head protection frame can be released manually when the head protecting frame is at the protruding position.

Operation When not printing, the head protection frame is biased to the projecting position where it projects from the main body case, and the print head is enclosed in the head protection frame and locked by the lock mechanism.

When printing, unlock the lock manually, and when the main body case is placed on the paper surface, push the head protection frame into the retracted position against the urging force, and print the print head from the print port of the head protection frame. The exposed portion is pressed against the paper surface by the downward urging force applied to the print head, and when the paper body is moved by holding the main body case, recording is performed on the paper surface by the print portion.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a handy printer will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are sectional views of a print head protection device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a state when no printing is performed, and FIG. 2 is a state when printing is performed. Further, FIG. 3 is a perspective view with a part thereof omitted.

In Fig. 1, the main body case (1
A rectangular head window (11) is formed on the bottom portion (10a) of (0), and a projection (12) is projected on the outer bottom surface around it. Further, on the inner bottom surface of the main body case (10), a guide cylinder portion (13) is integrally provided on the peripheral edge of the head window (11). A rectangular box-shaped head protection frame (14) as shown in FIG. 3 is vertically movably mounted in the guide tube portion (13).

The head protection frame (14) contains a thermal head (15), and the thermal head (15) moves up and down in the head protection frame (14). A print port (16) is formed on the bottom (14a) of the head protection frame (14) to expose the print part (15a) at the lower end of the thermal head (15), and the rear side wall (14b) is vertically long. A guide hole (17) and a shoulder (18) are provided, and a ribbon guide frame (19) is horizontally and integrally projected on the front side wall (14c). And head protection frame (14)
Is urged downward by a spring (21) stretched between its shoulder (18) and ribbon guide frame (19) and the hook (20) on the inner bottom surface of the main body case (10), Usually first
As shown in the figure, the shoulder portion (18) and the ribbon guide frame (19) are lowered to a position where they abut on the upper end of the guide tube portion (13). At this time, the lower part of the head protection frame (14) is located at the head window (11).
From the outside to the outside of the body case (10).

As shown in FIG. 3, the head protection frame (14) also has a print position mark (22) indicating the print position of the thermal head (15) on the outer surface of the rear side wall (14b) and the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls (14d). ) ・ (23) is displayed, and the rear wall (14
A ribbon cutting tooth (25) for cutting the ink ribbon (24) is engraved on the lower end edge of b).

The thermal head (15) is vertically slidably mounted on the guide tube portion (13) of the main body case (10) by means of a stay (26) provided on the rear surface of the thermal head (15). That is, the stay (26) is slidably fitted into the guide groove (27) of the guide tube portion (13) through the guide hole (17) of the head protection frame (14), and its removal is performed by the ring (28). It is regulated. Then, the thermal head (15) is urged downward by a spring (29) arranged between the thermal head (15) and the upper wall (10b) of the body case (10), and normally the stay (26) is guided by the guide groove (27). ) Is held in the position shown in FIG. At this time, the printing portion (15a) at the lower end of the thermal head (15) is located above the printing port (16) and is enclosed in the head protection frame (14).

A lock lever (30) is pivotally supported on the main body case (10) about a fulcrum (31). The operating portion (30a) of the lock lever (30) is the main body case (10).
It protrudes above it so that it can be operated from the outside.
The lock lever (30) is biased counterclockwise in the figure by the spring (32), and the lower end thereof is normally in the position shown in FIG. 1 where it engages with the shoulder portion (18) of the head protection frame (14). Retained. Therefore, the head protection frame (14) is locked by the lock lever (30) in the normal state of FIG. 1 protruding from the main body case (10).

The ink ribbon (24) is paid out from the roll (24a), passes through the ribbon guide frame (19), and is drawn below the bottom portion (14a) of the head protection frame (14).

When printing, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation portion (30a) of the lock lever (30) is pushed down by hand and rotated clockwise, and the head protection frame (14) is unlocked while the head protection frame is unlocked. Bottom (14a) of (14) and body case (1
Press the protrusion (12) of (0) against the paper surface (33). Then
The head protection frame (14) sinks inside the main body case (10), and the printing section (15a) of the thermal head (15) is set to the printing port (1
6) exposed more, and through the ink ribbon (24)
Contact 3). In this state, if the whole is moved in the direction of the arrow a in the figure along the paper surface (33), printing is performed.

The ink ribbon (24) can be cut near the printing section (15a) by the ribbon cutting teeth (25). Also,
The ink ribbon (24) may sag due to the vertical movement of the head protection frame (14), but since it is guided by the ribbon guide frame (19) and moves up and down following the head protection frame (14),
The slack is prevented.

Since the head protection frame (14) is close to the size of the thermal head (15) and protrudes from the head window (11) so as to surround the thermal head (15), it is convenient as a guide for printing.
Furthermore, since the print position marks (22) and (23) are displayed on the outer surface of the head protection frame (14), the print position and print range of the thermal head (15) can be accurately known. The mark may be unevenness on the outer surface of the head protection frame (14).

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, there are the following effects.

When printing is not performed, at least the printing portion of the print head can be enclosed and protected by the head protection frame, so that the print head is not damaged even if it is dropped by mistake.

The print head can be reliably protected at times other than printing, and the operability of switching between the protected state and the used state is good.

In the printing state, the print surface and the ink ribbon can be pressed by the head protection frame around the print portion of the print head, so that the print quality is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 are sectional views of a print head protection device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a state when no printing is performed, and FIG. 2 is a state when printing is performed. Further, FIG. 3 is a perspective view with a part thereof omitted. (10) …… Main body case (14) …… Head protection frame (15) …… Print head (16) …… Print port (30) …… Lock lever

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A main body case which is placed on a paper surface and moves on the paper surface at the time of printing, and a main body case which is removably mounted at a projecting position and a retracted position, and is normally urged to the projecting position. When the main body case is placed on the paper surface at the time of printing, the head protection frame is pushed into the retracted position against the biasing force of the main body case, and the main body case is provided with a downward biasing force so that the head protection frame is at the protruding position. While enclosing the printing unit in the head protection frame at a certain time, a printing head for recording on the paper surface at the printing unit by exposing the printing unit from the printing opening of the head protection frame at the immersion position, A print head protection device for a handy printing machine, comprising: a lock mechanism that locks the head protection frame at the protruding position so that the head protection frame can be released manually when the head protection frame is at the protruding position.