JPS61132363A - Printer with drawable printing medium fitting part - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a printing function from being damaged due to adhesion of dust to a printing head or the like, by providing a platen, which is opposed to a printing head in the condition wherein a drawer mechanism is contained in a housing, and a printing medium fitting part. CONSTITUTION:In the condition wherein a drawer frame 3 is contained in the housing 1, a motor M2 is started, whereby the frame 3 is moved forward to be drawn out from the housing 1. In the beginning of the forward movement, a roller 22 is depressed downward by a slant part 24 of a side plate of the frame 3, the printing head 8 is moved upward, and the part on the rear side of the platen 5 is drawn out of the housing 1 by passing under the head 8. In the condition wherein the printing medium fitting part 16 is exposed to the outside of the housing 1, a roll 4 of a printing paper 4a is fitted, and the paper 4a is led over the platen 5 to an opening 13. Next, the motor M2 is reversely rotated to retract the frame 3 into the housing 1. By the passage of the slant part 24 in the vicinity of the head 8, the head 8 is lowered to press the paper 4a against the platen 5, thereby printing. Accordingly, the printing head is not exposed, and printing function is not damaged.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to hard copying of images from televisions, video tape recorders, etc., output images from personal computers, etc., such as thermal printers and discharge rupture printers. Regarding printers suitable for printing.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in thermal printers and the like, the top cover of the housing can be opened in order to install, inspect, and maintain thermal paper as a printing medium.

When the remaining thermal paper runs out, open the top cover, take out the remaining thermal paper, and insert a new one.

- Cent the le. In addition, inspection and maintenance of the printing section, etc., is performed by opening the top cover.

However, with this configuration in which the top cover is opened and closed, it is not possible to place anything on top of the printer, and the top of the printer must be left open at all times.

Therefore, this is not preferable from the point of view of effective use of space.

It also cannot be inserted horizontally into a narrow space such as a rack. Furthermore, if the structure is such that the printing of thermal paper is performed from the top of the printer, an operation panel or the like must also be placed on the top of the casing. Then, the printer must be installed at a low location, such as on a desk, so that the operation panel can be easily seen, which limits the installation location.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention housed a printing section, a printing medium mounting section, a control circuit section for controlling the printing section, etc., and a power supply section in a housing, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this printer, the printing part and the printing medium mounting part are built into the housing and supported through a pull-out mechanism so that the printing part and the printing medium mounting part can be pulled forward together with respect to the housing. With this proposal, the upper side of the printer can be completely opened, allowing recording media such as thermal paper to be inserted and removed from the front of the printer, and an operation panel can be installed on the front.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the printing section is pulled into the housing, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the printing section is pulled out from the housing. Reference numeral 1 denotes a casing of the printer, in which a control circuit section for controlling a printing section, a paper feeding mechanism, etc., and a power supply section are housed. An operation panel 2 is disposed on the front of the housing, and the operation panel 2
Each operation switch, display means, etc. are arranged on the .

The housing 1 also houses a printing section and a printing medium mounting section. This printing section and printing medium mounting section are usually located in the third
As shown in the figure, it is housed in the housing 1 on the side of the operation panel 2, but when attaching or removing a print medium, it is pulled out forward from the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 3 denotes a drawer frame having a shape similar to a drawer of a desk or the like, and is mounted on a guide rail provided in the housing 1 so as to be movable back and forth.

A roll paper 4 of thermal paper serving as a print medium is housed in a print medium mounting portion in the drawer frame 3. Between this roll paper 4 and the front plate 3a of the drawer frame 3,
A platen 5 is provided.

Further, a cover-like arm 7 is attached to the inner part of the drawer frame 3 via a support shaft 6 so as to be openable and closable. A thermal head 8 is disposed below this arm 7 at a position facing the platen 5. In FIG. 4, this arm 7 is open, but when this arm 7 is pushed down and closed, the heating element portion of the thermal head 8 is pressed against the platen 4 by a pressure means (not shown). However, the thermal paper 4a fed out from the thermal paper roll 4 is
It is led out from between the platen 5 and the thermal head 8 to the front of the casing. Therefore, the heating element of the thermal head 8 comes into pressure contact with the thermal paper 4a on the platen 5. When the drawer frame 3 is pushed into the housing 1 with the arm 7 closed from above the thermal paper 4a, the state shown in FIG. Ru.

Then, the heating element is energized based on the print information and selectively generates heat to heat the thermal paper 4a, thereby performing printing. Note that the heating element of the thermal head 8 and the thermal paper 4
Needless to say, the feeding mechanism of a and the control circuit and power supply section in the housing 1 are electrically connected by a cable.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, with this configuration, when the arm 7 is opened upward, the print head 8, which is most important for the printing operation, is exposed to the outside. Therefore, there is a serious problem that dust may adhere to the print head 8, impairing the printing function. Particularly in the case of devices for home use, there is a risk that children may play with the device and scratch or smear the print.

The technical problem of this invention is to solve this problem in conventional printers in which the print media mounting section can be pulled out, and to print by pulling out the print media mounting section from the casing while leaving the print head inside the casing. The purpose is to make it possible to attach a medium.

[Means for solving problems]

The technical means of the present invention taken to solve this problem is a printer that houses a printing section, a printing medium mounting section, a control circuit section for controlling the printing section, etc., and a power supply section in a housing. The print head of the printing unit is mounted on the housing, and a drawer mechanism that can be taken in and out of the housing is provided, and the drawer mechanism is housed in the housing. A configuration is adopted in which a platen facing the print head and a print medium mounting section are provided.

[Effect]

According to this technical means, the printing nozzle is disposed in the housing, the pull-out mechanism is housed in the housing, the platen mounted on the pull-out mechanism faces the print head, and the print medium is placed between them. Then, printing is performed by the print head.

The pull-out mechanism is equipped with a platen and a print medium loading section, and when the pull-out mechanism is pulled out of the housing,
The platen and print medium mounting section are exposed to the outside. When the print medium is loaded with the drawer mechanism pulled out and then pushed into the housing again to store it, the print medium is pulled out from between the platen and the print head, and the print medium is sandwiched between the platen and the print head. are facing each other and become ready for printing as described above.

〔Example〕

Next, how the printer according to the present invention from which the print medium loading section can be pulled out is actually implemented will be explained using examples. 1 and 2 are internal side views showing an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention from which a printing medium mounting section can be pulled out, and FIG. 1 shows a state in which the printing medium mounting section is housed in a housing;
FIG. 2 shows a state in which the print medium mounting section is pulled out. In the case of the present invention, the printing section, the printing medium loading section, the control circuit section for controlling the printing section, etc., and the power supply section are housed in the housing 1, as in the conventional case. In order to enable the print medium mounting section to be pulled out from the housing, a roll paper 4 formed by winding a print medium is mounted on the drawer frame 3. The printing section consists of platen 5 and printing pad 8.
However, in the present invention, only the platen 5 is attached to the drawer frame 3, and the print head 8 is attached to the ceiling part 10 of the housing 1 with a leaf spring 11. The printing paper 4a fed out from the roll paper 4 passes between the platen 5 and the print head 8, and is fed out from the opening 13 between the cutter 12 and the front plate 3a. In order to feed out the printing paper 4a from the roll paper 4 in this manner, the platen 5 is connected to the boot IJ15 by a belt 14. The pulley 15 is a reduction mechanism consisting of a gear G1 fixed to the shaft of the motor M1, and gears G2, G3, and G4.
is connected to. Therefore, the platen 5 is
When the printing paper 4a is sandwiched between the platen 5 and the printing head 8 by the spring pressure of the plate spring 11, the printing paper 4a is fed at a constant speed, and the heating element of the printing head 8 is heated based on the printing information. Printing is performed by energizing and selectively generating heat to heat the printing paper 4a made of thermal paper.

The print paper 4a on which printing has been completed is cut by the cutter 12.

The drawer frame 3 includes a platen 5, a print medium mounting section 16 for mounting the roll paper 4, and the gears G1...G4.
A speed reduction mechanism and a drive motor M are mounted. Rollers 17, 18 are attached to the drawer frame 3, allowing the drawer frame 3 to move back and forth on the housing bottom 19. A speed reduction mechanism consisting of a motor M2 and a plurality of gears is built into the back of the drawer frame 3 in the housing 1, and a pinion 20 at the final stage of the speed reduction mechanism meshes with a rack 21 fixed to the drawer frame 3. There is. Therefore, by rotating the binion 20 with the motor M2, the drawer frame 3 moves back and forth together with the rack 21, and the drawer frame 3 can be pulled out from the housing 1 or pulled into the housing 1 and stored as shown in FIG. Ru.

When pulling out the drawer frame 3 from the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 2, after the platen 5 moves forward from the print head 8, the drawer frame 3
The portion that passes through the lower part of the drawer frame 3 may come into contact with the print head 8 and obstruct the passage of the drawer frame 3 . To prevent this, rollers 22 are attached to both ends of the printing pad 8.

And on the side plates 23 on both the left and right sides of the drawer frame 3,
Slanted portions 24 are formed on both sides of the platen 5. Therefore, when the drawer frame 3 is pulled out, the roller 22 is pushed up by the inclined portion 24,
The print head 8 separates from the platen 5 and rises, causing the slope 1
1 and retreat to the ceiling 10 side. Then, platen 5
Since the rear portion of the print medium holder 16 passes under the print head 8, it is possible to pull out the print medium mounting portion 16 that is not obstructed by the print head 8. Also, when storing the drawer frame 3, when the top end 25 of the side plate passes the print head 8 part and the inclined part 24 passes the position of the printing gutter 8,
The print head 8 descends and is pressed against the platen 5.

The cutter 12 can be attached to the drawer frame 3 side so that it can move back and forth together with the drawer frame 3, but it can also be attached to the housing side.

In the latter case, the cutter 12 should be attached to the rotating shaft 26 attached to the housing side so as to be rotatable, and the cutter 12 should be rotated up to the position shown by the chain line and the drawer frame 3 should be pulled out in a locked state. is necessary.

Next, the operation of loading the print medium will be explained. First, when the operation switch is operated with the drawer frame 3 housed in the housing 1 as shown in FIG. , and is pulled out from the housing 1.

At the beginning of this forward movement, the roller 22 is pushed up by the sloped portion 24 of the side plate of the drawer frame, and the print head 8 is raised.

In this way, in a retracted state so that the printing gutter 8 does not get in the way, the portion behind the platen 5 passes under the printing gutter 8 and is pulled out of the housing, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 2. With the printing medium mounting section 16 exposed outside the housing, the roll paper 4 is mounted on the printing medium mounting section 16, and the printing paper 4a is passed from above the platen 5 to the opening 1 at the bottom of the cutter.
I am guided by 3. Next, by operating the operation switch on the front plate 3a, the motor M2 is reversed, the drawer frame 3 is moved backward together with the rack 21, and the drawer frame 3 is drawn into the housing 1. Then, as the inclined portion 24 passes near the print head 8, the print head 8 moves to the roller 22.
and presses the printing paper 4a against the platen 5,
The state shown in Figure 1 will be reached. In this state, the motor M1 feeds the paper and prints.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the print head can be left inside the facepiece and the print medium can be attached by pulling out the platen and the print medium mounting section outside the housing, so that the print head can be pulled out of the housing. It will not be exposed. Therefore, it is impossible to stain or damage the print head, and there is no risk of impairing the printing function.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are internal side views showing an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention from which a printing medium loading section can be pulled out, and FIG. 1 shows a state in which the printing medium loading section is housed in a housing, and FIG. shows the state in which the print medium loading section is pulled out. Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views showing a conventional printer from which the print medium loading section can be pulled out. Figure 3 shows the print medium loading section pulled into the housing, and Figure 4 shows the print medium loading section. is pulled out from the housing. In the figure, 1 is a housing, 3 is a drawer frame, 4 is roll paper, 4a is printing paper, 5 is a platen, 8 is a print head, Ml, M2 are motors, 10 is a housing ceiling, 11 is a leaf spring, 16 is a print medium loading section, 17.18 is a roller,
19 is the bottom of the case, 20 is the binion, 21 is the rack, 22
23 represents a roller, 23 represents a drawer frame side plate, and 24 represents an inclined portion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A printer in which a printing section, a printing medium mounting section, a control circuit section for controlling the printing section, etc., and a power supply section are housed in a housing, wherein a print head of the printing section is attached to the housing. is mounted, and on the other hand, a drawer mechanism that can be taken in and out of the housing is provided, and a platen and a print medium mounting section that face the print head are connected to the pullout mechanism while the pullout mechanism is housed in the housing. A printer from which a print medium loading section can be pulled out.