JPH11165444A - Printer head positioning mechanism in cut-out character/ image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mechanism for positioning a printer head stably at a predetermined position while allowing a light and smooth operation of the printer head. SOLUTION: In a cut-out character/image forming apparatus for printing a character or an image on a sheet by means of a printer head 1 and then cutting out the character or image using a cut-out head, a plate 9 for supporting the printer head 1 is disposed such that it can approach the platen 3 or separate therefrom. A groove to be engaged with the shaft of the platen 3 is made at the end part of the head supporting plate 9 while a guide means 25 abutting on one side edge of the sliding member in the head supporting plate 9 is provided in the body of the apparatus. According to the structure, the shaft of the platen 3 is not removed from the engaging groove 23 at the time of up/down movement of the head supporting plate 9 and the slide member slides while abutting on a guide means 25.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cutout character / image forming apparatus having a printer head for printing on a sheet and a cutout head for cutting out a printed portion, and a printer head for positioning the printer head at a predetermined position on a platen. Related to a positioning mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this kind of cut-out character / image creation device, after inputting an arbitrary character or image with a keyboard or an image scanner, a start switch is pressed, and the input character or image is formed on an adhesive sheet on release paper by a printer head. It is known that when printing is performed, the adhesive sheet is cut out from the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet by a cutting head (see Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-76743).

[0003] During printing, it is necessary to perform printing by bringing the printer head close to the platen when the sheet is stopped and performing printing by moving the sheet away from the platen when predetermined printing is completed.

A mechanism for positioning the printer head at a predetermined position by moving the printer head toward and away from the platen includes:
As shown in FIG. 7, a slide plate 32 is fixed on a head support plate 31 for supporting the printer head 30.
2, two guide holes 34 are fixed to the main body of the apparatus, and an engagement groove 37 formed at the lower end of the head support plate 31 is formed in the platen 35. It is configured to be engaged with the rotation shaft 36.
Therefore, the head support plate 31 moves within a range in which the long hole 33 is regulated by the guide pin 34 and the engagement groove 37 is regulated by the rotating shaft 36 of the platen 35. At the same time when the guide pins 34 engage with the upper ends of the two long holes 33, the printer head 30
It is positioned at a position where the rotation shaft 36 of the platen 35 is engaged with the upper end of the engagement groove 37. In the above, in order to ensure the positioning, the guide pin 34 and the elongated hole 33, the engagement groove 37 of the head support plate 31, and the rotation axis of the platen 35 are formed so as not to rattle.

[0005]

However, as described above, the two long holes 33, the guide pins 34 and the engagement grooves 37 are provided.
In the configuration that guides without backlash at the three points of
The movement of the head support plate 31 becomes cramped and awkward, cannot operate smoothly, and the resistance to the movement of the head support plate 31 is large, and the stop position is not stable, so that the positioning may be uncertain. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to make it possible to operate the printer head lightly and smoothly, and to stably position the printer head at a predetermined position.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a printer head positioning mechanism in a cut-out character / image creating apparatus according to the present invention processes a character / image input unit and an input data from the input unit. A data processing unit, a printer head that prints characters or images on a sheet supplied on a platen controlled by an output signal from the data processing unit, and that is controlled independently of the printer head by an output signal from the data processing unit. A cutting head that cuts out characters or images from the sheet, feeds the sheet onto a platen, and cuts out desired characters or images from the sheet. Is arranged so that it can approach and separate from the platen, and engages with the platen shaft at the end of the head support plate. Guide means for contacting one side edge of a slide member provided on the head support plate, and the engagement groove is provided on the platen when the head support plate moves up and down. The printer head is positioned at a predetermined position on the platen so that the shaft does not deviate and the side edge of the slide member moves while being in contact with the guide means.

[0008]

1 and 2 show a plan view and a vertical sectional view, respectively, of a main part of a cut-out character / image creating apparatus. The apparatus has a built-in word processor unit and an input section mainly composed of a keyboard. (Not shown), a printer head 1 and a cutting head 2, an output part of a word processor unit, a roller type platen 3, and a stepping motor for rotating a sprocket 5 for supplying a long printing sheet 4 are provided. An ink ribbon 8 and a printing sheet 4 respectively unwound from a ribbon cassette 6 and a sheet roll 7 are supplied on the platen 3 in an overlapping state, and the printer head 1 is disposed thereon, and the sheet supply is performed. The cutting head 2 is disposed downstream. As shown in the block diagram of FIG.
An input unit, a data processing unit (for example, a CPU) for receiving and processing data from the input unit, a printer control circuit and a cutout control circuit for receiving an output from the data processing unit, and a printer head 1 controlled by the printer control circuit. Head 2 controlled by cutting control
Consisting of When a label is to be created, for example, desired characters and graphics are input from an input unit, and these characters are printed on a sheet 4 by a printer head 1. It is cut out as a label having.

The printer head 1 prints characters and images input to the word processor unit, and has a length substantially equal to the printable width of the printing sheet 4. The printer head 1 employs a thermal transfer method used together with the ink ribbon 8 in the same manner as the normal printer head 1, but may employ an ink jet method.

As shown in FIG. 4, both ends of the printer head 1 are formed into a U-shaped head support plate 9 which is bent.
Is fixed to the inside of the head portion 10 at the tip of the head. A tension roller 11 and a peeling roller 12 are also attached to the head unit 10. The engaging plate 1 is located above the head supporting plate 9.
The eccentric cam 15 is engaged with the lower surface of the engagement plate 14. The head support plate 9 is constantly urged downward by a spring (not shown), and a printing pressure is generated by this spring force. The rotation of the eccentric cam 15 causes the engagement plate 14 to rotate.
At the same time, the head support plate 9 moves up and down, whereby the printer head 1 also moves up and down with respect to the platen 3, and when the printer head 1 moves down, the ink on the ink ribbon 8 is transferred onto the sheet 4 and printed.

The printing sheet 4 is unwound from the roll, passes over the platen 3 and engages with a sprocket 5 disposed downstream thereof, and the sheet 4 is guided to a cutting section where scissors are disposed. The release paper superimposed on the lower surface of 4 is configured to be wound around a winding shaft (not shown).

The sprocket 5 includes a timing belt 16
(Without backlash) and operatively connected to the motor. The teeth of the sprocket 5 are engaged with feed holes 17 formed along both sides of the printing sheet 4. A pair of pressing rollers 18 are arranged above the sprocket 5 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the sheet 4 so that the teeth of the sprocket 5 and the feed holes 17 are not disengaged when the sheet 4 is fed. .

The ink ribbon 8 is wound around a supply shaft 19 of the ribbon cassette 6, attached to one end of the ink ribbon cassette 6, and wound around a winding shaft 20 attached to the other end of the ink ribbon cassette 6. ing. Then, the ink ribbon 8 unwound from the supply shaft 19 is engaged with the tension roller 11, and further, after overlapping on the sheet 4 on the platen 3, is engaged with the peeling roller 12 constituting the peeling mechanism. It is configured to be wound around the winding shaft 20. Accordingly, the ink ribbon 8 passes between the platen 3 and the printer head 1 and reaches the peeling roller 12 disposed downstream thereof.
Are in a state of overlapping with the sheet 4.

Next, the cutting head 2 is mounted on a flat guide rail 13 extending along the printer head 1 at a position downstream of the printer head 1 in the feeding direction of the sheet 4 so as to be freely movable. The cutting head 2 has a nib-shaped cutter that is substantially perpendicular to the peripheral surface of the platen 3. At one end of the guide rail 13, a stepping motor (not shown) is incorporated, and the cutting head 2 is connected to the guide rail 13 via a feed mechanism (not shown).
Move along. After the printing of a predetermined number of characters by the printer head 1 is completed, the control of the forward / reverse rotation of the platen 3 and the cutting
It is performed in cooperation with the forward / backward control of the vehicle.

The specific mode of printing and cutting out of the sheet 4 is substantially as described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-76743, and the description thereof is omitted here.

The printer head 1 is supported by the head portions 10 on both sides of the head support plate 9 bent in a U-shape as described above. As shown in FIG. 9 on the slide plate 21
Is attached. When the engaging plate 14 is pushed up as shown in FIG. 6 by rotating the eccentric cam 15, the printer head 1 moves up together with the head support plate 9, and when the pushing force on the engaging plate 14 is released, the spring is released. As a result, the head support plate 9 and the printer head 1 move downward as shown in FIG.

Next, the printer head 1 is positioned at a predetermined position on the platen 3 during the downward movement. This positioning mechanism is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, an engagement groove 23 that engages with the rotation shaft 22 of the platen 3 is formed at the end of the head support plate 9 so as to open downward. The rotation between the rotation shaft 22 of the platen 3 and both sides of the engagement groove 23 is formed such that there is no play. Further, the slide plate 2 of the head support plate 9 is mounted on the apparatus main body 24.
A guide bearing 25 (guide means) is provided in contact with one of the side edges 29 of the first bearing. The head support plate 9 has a spring 26
Thus, the head support plate 9 is urged toward the guide bearing 25 so that the side edge of the head support plate 9 always contacts the guide bearing 25. Reference numeral 27 denotes a retaining hole, and a shaft 28 provided on the side wall 24 is engaged with the retaining hole 27, but the engagement is loose.

According to the above configuration, when the head support plate 9 is moved up and down as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the engagement groove 23 of the head support plate 9 is not disengaged from the rotation shaft 22 of the platen 3, and The side edge 29 of the slide plate 21 is the guide bearing 2
5 moves in a state of contact.

When the head support plate 9 is moved up and down, the engagement groove 23 of the head support plate 9 moves so as not to deviate from the rotating shaft 22 of the platen 3, and the side edge of the slide plate 21 contacts the guide bearing 25. They are guided and move in contact with each other. At the lowermost end, the head support plate 9 is positioned at two points: the guide bearing 25 and the rotation shaft 22 of the platen 3, and the bottom dead center of the head support plate 9 is the rotation shaft 2 of the platen 3.
It is determined only by the engagement between 2 and the engagement groove 23. Therefore, the printer head 1 can be stably positioned at a predetermined position. In the method in which the side edge of the slide plate 21 of the head support plate 9 moves in contact with the guide bearing 25, the resistance to the movement of the head plate is small, so that the vertical movement can be performed lightly and smoothly. .

The slide member provided on the head support plate 9 is not limited to a plate-like material such as the slide plate 21 described above. For example, the shape may be a rod shape, a linear shape, or the like.
Similarly, one side edge of the slide member need not be the outer side edge. It may be one inner edge of a groove formed in the central longitudinal direction of the slide member. Further, the guide means is not limited to a bearing shape but may be, for example, a rod-shaped body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part of a cutout character / image creation device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the cutout character / image creating apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electric circuit of the cutout character / image creating apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical operation mechanism of a printer head.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a printer head positioning mechanism.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of an operation mode of a positioning mechanism of the printer head.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a conventional printer head positioning mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer head 2 Cutting head 3 Platen 4 Sheet 9 Head support plate 23 Engagement groove 25 Guide means

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tomoaki Saito 6-6, Hakozakicho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Max Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A character and image input unit, a data processing unit for processing input data from the input unit, and a character or image on a sheet supplied on a platen controlled by an output signal from the data processing unit. A printer head for printing, a cutting head that cuts out characters or images from the sheet by being controlled independently of the printer head by an output signal from the data processing unit, and supplies a sheet on a platen.
In a cut-out character / image forming apparatus for cutting out a desired character or image from the sheet, a head support plate supporting the printer head is arranged so as to be able to approach and separate from a platen, and an end of the head support plate has a platen. In addition to forming an engagement groove for engaging with the shaft, the apparatus main body is provided with guide means for contacting one side edge of a slide member provided on the head support plate. Positioning the printer head at a predetermined position on the platen so that the mating groove does not deviate from the axis of the platen and the side edge of the slide member moves while abutting the guide means. A printer head positioning mechanism in a character / image creation device.