US20020109037A1 - Printer - Google Patents
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- US20020109037A1 US20020109037A1 US10/067,935 US6793502A US2002109037A1 US 20020109037 A1 US20020109037 A1 US 20020109037A1 US 6793502 A US6793502 A US 6793502A US 2002109037 A1 US2002109037 A1 US 2002109037A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- paper
- roll
- printer
- detectors
- detector
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
- B41J11/0075—Low-paper indication, i.e. indicating the state when copy material has been used up nearly or completely
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J29/00—Details of, or accessories for, typewriters or selective printing mechanisms not otherwise provided for
- B41J29/12—Guards, shields or dust excluders
- B41J29/13—Cases or covers
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a compact printer such as an electronic cache register that is employed in, for example, a POS (Point of Sale) system, and particularly to a printer having a paper near end detecting means for detecting the residual quantity of a roll paper.
- POS Point of Sale
- the printer for the electronic cache register has been well known in which paper is drawn out from the roll contained in a paper holder, printed by a thermal print head on its transporting path and thereafter issued as a receipt.
- the roll of paper may be just thrown into the paper holder without rotatably supporting the roll core to ease the exchange of the roller.
- the roll of paper is reduced in diameter with consumption of paper until it finally comes to the paper exhaustion.
- the printer may be provided with a paper near end detecting means for detecting the amount of remaining paper immediately before paper out to warn that the exchange of the roll is needed.
- the above-mentioned printer may be placed on a horizontal table, or vertically placed on the wall.
- the paper holder of the printer is provided with two guide portions (for horizontal placement and vertical placement) for stably holding the roll in a predetermined accommodation position according to the installation state.
- Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 9-295436 discloses a printer in which the paper near end detecting means is rotatably disposed with respect to those two guide portions to detect near end of paper when the detector enters a cavity portion of the roll core.
- the present invention has been made under the above-mentioned circumstances, and therefore an object of the invention is to provide a printer that can correctly detect the residual quantity of a paper according to an installation state of the printer, which requires no operation of moving the paper near end detecting means according to the installation state, thereby lightening the burden on the user.
- a printer comprising: a paper holder provided with a plurality of guide portions for positioning a roll of paper, the plurality of guide portions being disposed with respect to a plurality of installation states of the printer, respectively; and paper near end detecting means comprising a detector disposed to be engageable with an end face of the roll of paper to detect that the amount of remaining paper is below a predetermined amount; wherein the detector is provided in the plural with respect to the plurality of guide portions, respectively; and wherein the plurality of detectors are disposed within a range that is defined by a locus of the center of the roll of paper as reduced in diameter with respect to one of the plurality of guide portions, a locus of the center of the roll of paper as reduced in diameter with respect to the other of the plurality of guide portions, and an inner surface of the paper holder between the plurality of guide portions.
- the printer may be installed in two ways of the horizontal placement and the vertical placement, and correspondingly the paper holder has two guide portions for positioning the roll of paper in place.
- the paper near end detecting means has the detectors for the two guide portions. In either installation state, the residual quantity of paper at present can be correctly detected by the detector corresponding to each of the guide portions. Accordingly, there is no need for the operation of moving the paper near end detecting means in accordance with the installation state of the printer as conventionally performed, thereby lightening the burden on the user.
- the detectors are disposed within the range, whereby the paper near end detecting means can be made compact and simplified in the constitution.
- the plurality of detectors are integrally connected by the connecting member.
- one of the plurality of detectors is engaged with the roll of paper, but if the detectors are integrated by the connecting member to be operable as a piece, one switch may be satisfactory in response to the plurality of detectors.
- the number of parts is reduced, and the constitution is simplified. This constitution can be easily achieved when the plurality of detectors are disposed within the range.
- the detectors are movable to change the diameter of the roll of paper for detection. Thereby, the amount of remaining paper for triggering the warning can be changed arbitrarily. Also, even when the core diameter or the paper thickness is varied, the diameter of the roll for detection can be adjusted to be constant.
- a printer comprising: a paper holder provided with a guide portion for positioning a roll of paper; and paper near end detecting means comprising a detector disposed to be engageable with an end face of the roller of paper to detect that the amount of remaining paper is below a predetermined amount; wherein a gap is provided in the paper near end detecting means through which paper drawn from the roll is conveyed after the detector gets disengaged with the end face of the roll of paper.
- FIG. 1 is a right side view of a printer, partially in cross section, according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a right side view of the printer, partially in cross section, according to the embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 3 is a left side view of the printer, partially in cross section, according to the embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is an upper view of a printer main body according to the embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a view of the printer main body taken along the arrow V-V in FIG. 4.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are right side views of a printer 1 , partially in cross section
- FIG. 3 is a left side view of the printer 1 , partially in cross section.
- the printer 1 includes a printer main body 2 having a paper holder 10 for holding a thermosensible paper S that has been rolled into a tube shape and a thermal print head 20 for printing on the paper drawn from the roll of paper S, and a cover 3 for covering an upper portion of the paper holder 10 .
- FIG. 4 is an upper view of the printer main body 2
- FIG. 5 is a view of the printer main body 2 taken along the arrow V-V in FIG. 4.
- the printer 1 allows for two installation states including a horizontal placement and a vertical placement.
- the printer 1 has, in its horizontal placement, a front side to the left and a rear side to the right in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 , or the rear side to the left and the front side to the right in FIG. 3.
- the left and right sides of the printer 1 appear in the case where the printer 1 is seen in a direction from the front to the back.
- the direction of front, rear, left or right in the following description is defined in the horizontal placement, unless specifically noted.
- the printer main body 2 has front and rear frames 4 and 5 , in which the paper holder 10 is secured on the rear frame 5 .
- the paper holder 10 has left and right side plates 11 and 12 , a bottom plate 13 and a rear plate 14 , and contains the roll of paper S within the paper holder 10 .
- the bottom plate 13 is curved in the shape of a recess in the front and rear directions, and a guide groove for horizontal placement (guide portion) 15 A extends in the left and right directions in an almost central portion of the bottom plate 13 .
- a guide groove for vertical placement (guide portion) 15 B extends in the left and right directions in a region defined by a rear end portion of the bottom plate 13 and a lower end portion of the rear plate 14 .
- the roll of paper S is contained within the paper holder 10 in a state where a leading end of the roll of paper S is drawn out from the lower side to the front side.
- the roll of paper S is reduced in diameter with its consumption, but in the case where the printer 1 is horizontally placed, the guide groove for horizontal placement 15 A retains the roll of paper S as the roll of paper S is reduced in diameter.
- the printer 1 can be used in vertical placement with the rear plate 14 of the paper holder 10 downside.
- the guide groove for vertical placement 15 B retains the roll of paper S, as the diameter of the roll of paper S is smaller.
- the roll of paper S, while being reduced in diameter is retained at a certain accommodation position by the guide grooves 15 A and 15 B.
- the front frame 4 has the print head 20 mounted thereon.
- the cover 3 is hinged rotatably at its rear end portion to the rear plate 14 of the paper holder 10 .
- a platen roller 21 is attached onto the front end portion of the cover 3 , that is its rotational end portion.
- the platen roller 21 presses against the print head 20 when the cover 3 is closed, and rotates in a direction of conveying the paper (clockwise direction in FIG. 1) by a drive motor not shown secured to the front frame 4 .
- the roll of paper S has a leading end drawn outside when the cover 3 is open, and pinched between the print head 20 and the platen roller 21 when the cover 3 is closed. In this state, the print head 20 makes the printing on the paper while the platen roller 21 conveys it.
- the paper near end detecting means 30 is disposed on the outside of the right side plate 12 of the paper holder 10 .
- the constitution and the mounting structure will be described below.
- the paper near end detecting means 30 is made up of a switch 32 having a lever 31 and two button detectors 33 A and 33 B that turn on or off the switch 32 .
- the detectors 33 A and 33 B are connected integrally via a substantially triangular plate (connecting member) 34 and projects from the plate 34 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.
- the detectors 33 A and 33 B have a certain gap 34 a therebetween, and are slightly offset from each other in front and rear directions, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
- a lower detector 33 A is for horizontal placement
- an upper detector 33 B is for vertical placement, whereby the detector for horizontal placement 33 A is disposed closer to the guide groove for horizontal placement 15 A and the detector for vertical placement 33 B is disposed closer to the guide groove for vertical placement 15 B.
- the plate 34 coupling these detectors 33 A and 33 B has its upper end portion suspended by a bracket 35 via a pair of shafts 35 b so that the plate 34 may be rotatable in right and left directions.
- the side plate 12 is formed with long holes 36 A and 36 B extending in the front and rear directions to enable the detectors 33 A and 33 B to project into the paper holder 10 .
- the bracket 35 is disposed below a shelf portion 12 a formed integrally at an upper end of the side plate 12 , and engaged with the shelf portion 12 a to be movable in the front and rear directions via a pair of engagement portions 35 a provided on an upper end portion of the bracket 35 .
- the bracket 35 is positioned with respect to the shelf portion 12 A such that one of the engagement portions 35 a is engaged at any of two front and rear positions on the shelf portion 12 a . If the bracket 35 is positioned at the front side, the detector for horizontal placement 33 A comes closer to the guide groove for horizontal placement 15 A, while the detector for vertical placement 33 B is positioned far away from the guide groove for vertical placement 15 B. Thereby, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by the detector 33 A is smaller, and conversely, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by the detector 33 B is larger.
- the detector for horizontal placement 33 A is far away from the guide groove for horizontal placement 15 A, while the detector for vertical placement 33 B comes closer to the guide groove for vertical placement 15 B.
- the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by the detector 33 A is larger, and conversely, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by the detector 33 B is smaller. In this way, the diameter of the roll of paper S to be detected, that is, the amount of the remaining paper to be detected can be adjusted by moving the detectors 33 A and 33 B forward or backward together with the bracket 35 .
- Each of the detectors 33 A and 33 B is disposed within a range P in the shape of a fan that is delineated by 1) a locus (indicated by the broken line A) of the center of the roll of paper S as reduced in diameter with respect to the guide groove 15 A, 2) a locus (indicated by the broken line B) of the center of the roll of paper S as reduced in diameter with respect to the guide groove 15 B, and 3) an inner surface of the bottom plate 13 of the paper holder 10 between the guide grooves 15 A and 15 B, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
- the detectors 33 A and 33 B are positioned at either of the two front and rear positions via the bracket 35 , but, in either position, does not deviate from the range P.
- the switch 32 is attached to the inside of a stay 6 (right side of the stay 6 in FIG. 5) at an upper end portion thereof that is attached on the rear frame 5 , and a lever 31 of the switch 32 always urges the plate 34 inwards due to a force of a spring, not shown, as shown in FIG. 5.
- the plate 34 is pressed by the lever 31 to be rotated inwards so that the detectors 33 A and 33 B protrude into the paper holder 10 , respectively. Then, when the roll of paper S is contained within the paper holder 10 , one of the detector 33 A and 33 B is pushed by one of the end faces of the roll of paper S, so that the plate 34 is rotated outwards, and the detectors 33 A and 33 B are retreated outwards out of the paper holder 10 . At this time, the lever 31 is inclined outwards by the plate 34 , so that the switch 32 is turned off. And the roll of paper S is reduced in diameter along with the consumption.
- the printer In the horizontal placement, the printer is placed with the bottom plate 13 being on the underside, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 .
- the roll of paper S is positioned by the guide groove 15 A due to its own weight, and as the roll of paper S is consumed, it is reduced in diameter along the locus A.
- the detector 33 B is disengaged from the end face of the roll of paper S.
- the plate 34 is still rotated outwards, namely, the switch 32 is in the off state.
- the detector 33 A is finally disengaged from the end face of the roll of paper S.
- the plate 34 is pressed against the lever 31 , so that the detectors 33 A and 33 B protrude into the paper holder 10 , respectively, and the switch 32 is turned on. Thereby, a predetermined indicator is lighted, warning that the paper S is shortly exhausted.
- the printer 1 In the vertical placement, the printer 1 is placed with the back plate 14 being on the underside, and the print head 20 being on the upside.
- the roll of paper is positioned by the guide groove 15 B due to its own weight, and as the roll of paper S is consumed, it is reduced in diameter along the locus B.
- the detector 33 B When the roll of paper S is further reduced in diameter, the detector 33 B is disengaged from the end face of the roll of paper S. Then, the detector 33 A and 33 B protrude into the paper holder 10 , respectively, and the switch 32 is turned on. Thereby, it is warned that paper is shortly exhausted in the same way as above. In this state, the paper drawn out of the roll of paper S is conveyed through the gap 34 a provided between the two detectors 33 A and 33 B.
- Adjusting the amount of remaining paper is enabled in the reverse way as in the horizontal placement. That is, when the bracket 35 is moved forwards to locate the detector 33 B away from the guide groove 15 B, making the diameter to be detected larger. Conversely, when the bracket 35 is moved backwards to bring the detector 33 B closer to the guide groove 15 B, the diameter to be detected is smaller.
- the detectors operate in accordance with the installation state, whether in the horizontal placement or vertical placement (i.e., detector for horizontal placement 33 A in the horizontal placement or detector for vertical placement 33 B in the vertical placement), whereby the paper near end can be correctly detected. Accordingly, when the installation state is changed, there is no need of moving the paper near end detecting means 30 , whereby the user is released from the trouble.
- the diameter of the roll of paper S for detecting the paper near end can be changed at two stages by moving the detectors 33 A and 33 B together with the bracket 35 .
- Such a function can be applied in the cases where the diameter of the roll of paper for detection is desired to be constant with a core of different size or with paper of different thickness.
- the gap 34 a is provided to allow paper to be passed between the two detectors 33 A and 33 B, but the same effect can be achieved by forming a gap in a single detector.
- the detectors as the paper near end detecting means are disposed at appropriate positions in accordance with the installation state, whereby there is no need of moving the detecting means in any of the installation states. It lightens the burden on the user, and brings the effect that the paper near end can be correctly detected in accordance with the installation state.
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- Handling Of Continuous Sheets Of Paper (AREA)
- Controlling Sheets Or Webs (AREA)
- Unwinding Webs (AREA)
- Recording Measured Values (AREA)
Abstract
In a printer, two detectors 33A and 33B are provided with respect to the guide grooves for horizontal placement and vertical placement 15A and 15B in a paper holder 10. The detectors 33A and 33B are connected by a plate 34 that turns on or off a switch 32, and disposed within a range P in the shape of a fan which is delineated by the loci A and B of the center of the roll of paper S as reduced in diameter with respect to the guide grooves 15A and 15B and an inner surface of a bottom plate 13 of the paper holder 10 between the guide grooves 15A and 15B.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a compact printer such as an electronic cache register that is employed in, for example, a POS (Point of Sale) system, and particularly to a printer having a paper near end detecting means for detecting the residual quantity of a roll paper.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- The printer for the electronic cache register has been well known in which paper is drawn out from the roll contained in a paper holder, printed by a thermal print head on its transporting path and thereafter issued as a receipt. In the printer of this type, the roll of paper may be just thrown into the paper holder without rotatably supporting the roll core to ease the exchange of the roller. The roll of paper is reduced in diameter with consumption of paper until it finally comes to the paper exhaustion. The printer may be provided with a paper near end detecting means for detecting the amount of remaining paper immediately before paper out to warn that the exchange of the roll is needed.
- The above-mentioned printer may be placed on a horizontal table, or vertically placed on the wall. The paper holder of the printer is provided with two guide portions (for horizontal placement and vertical placement) for stably holding the roll in a predetermined accommodation position according to the installation state. In the case where the paper near end detecting means is provided, it is desirable that its detecting position can be changed in correspondence with two guide portions. Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 9-295436 discloses a printer in which the paper near end detecting means is rotatably disposed with respect to those two guide portions to detect near end of paper when the detector enters a cavity portion of the roll core.
- In order to change the detecting position by rotating the paper near end detecting means, a user is required to conduct operation in a limited space within the paper holder, which possibly needs a tool in some cases, resulting in troublesome and often difficult operation at the user level. The user must conduct operation every time the installation state of the printer is changed, which is also troublesome for the user. In order to solve the above problem, a dedicated machine for the horizontal placement or the vertical placement may be separately provided, but there is the drawback that the installation state cannot be changed, and the manufacturing or product management costs may increase.
- The present invention has been made under the above-mentioned circumstances, and therefore an object of the invention is to provide a printer that can correctly detect the residual quantity of a paper according to an installation state of the printer, which requires no operation of moving the paper near end detecting means according to the installation state, thereby lightening the burden on the user.
- According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer comprising: a paper holder provided with a plurality of guide portions for positioning a roll of paper, the plurality of guide portions being disposed with respect to a plurality of installation states of the printer, respectively; and paper near end detecting means comprising a detector disposed to be engageable with an end face of the roll of paper to detect that the amount of remaining paper is below a predetermined amount; wherein the detector is provided in the plural with respect to the plurality of guide portions, respectively; and wherein the plurality of detectors are disposed within a range that is defined by a locus of the center of the roll of paper as reduced in diameter with respect to one of the plurality of guide portions, a locus of the center of the roll of paper as reduced in diameter with respect to the other of the plurality of guide portions, and an inner surface of the paper holder between the plurality of guide portions.
- With the above constitution, the printer may be installed in two ways of the horizontal placement and the vertical placement, and correspondingly the paper holder has two guide portions for positioning the roll of paper in place. And the paper near end detecting means has the detectors for the two guide portions. In either installation state, the residual quantity of paper at present can be correctly detected by the detector corresponding to each of the guide portions. Accordingly, there is no need for the operation of moving the paper near end detecting means in accordance with the installation state of the printer as conventionally performed, thereby lightening the burden on the user. Also, the detectors are disposed within the range, whereby the paper near end detecting means can be made compact and simplified in the constitution.
- The preferred mode of the invention will be set forth below.
- First of all, the plurality of detectors are integrally connected by the connecting member. In this invention, one of the plurality of detectors is engaged with the roll of paper, but if the detectors are integrated by the connecting member to be operable as a piece, one switch may be satisfactory in response to the plurality of detectors. Thereby, the number of parts is reduced, and the constitution is simplified. This constitution can be easily achieved when the plurality of detectors are disposed within the range.
- Also, the detectors are movable to change the diameter of the roll of paper for detection. Thereby, the amount of remaining paper for triggering the warning can be changed arbitrarily. Also, even when the core diameter or the paper thickness is varied, the diameter of the roll for detection can be adjusted to be constant.
- Further, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer comprising: a paper holder provided with a guide portion for positioning a roll of paper; and paper near end detecting means comprising a detector disposed to be engageable with an end face of the roller of paper to detect that the amount of remaining paper is below a predetermined amount; wherein a gap is provided in the paper near end detecting means through which paper drawn from the roll is conveyed after the detector gets disengaged with the end face of the roll of paper.
- With the above constitution, there is no interference between the paper and the detector, whereby there occurs no malfunction of detection.
- FIG. 1 is a right side view of a printer, partially in cross section, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is a right side view of the printer, partially in cross section, according to the embodiment of the invention;
- FIG. 3 is a left side view of the printer, partially in cross section, according to the embodiment of the invention;
- FIG. 4 is an upper view of a printer main body according to the embodiment of the invention; and
- FIG. 5 is a view of the printer main body taken along the arrow V-V in FIG. 4.
- An embodiment of the present invention for a small printer for electronic cache register will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are right side views of a
printer 1, partially in cross section, and FIG. 3 is a left side view of theprinter 1, partially in cross section. Theprinter 1 includes a printermain body 2 having apaper holder 10 for holding a thermosensible paper S that has been rolled into a tube shape and athermal print head 20 for printing on the paper drawn from the roll of paper S, and acover 3 for covering an upper portion of thepaper holder 10. FIG. 4 is an upper view of the printermain body 2, and FIG. 5 is a view of the printermain body 2 taken along the arrow V-V in FIG. 4. - The
printer 1 allows for two installation states including a horizontal placement and a vertical placement. Theprinter 1 has, in its horizontal placement, a front side to the left and a rear side to the right in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, or the rear side to the left and the front side to the right in FIG. 3. The left and right sides of theprinter 1 appear in the case where theprinter 1 is seen in a direction from the front to the back. The direction of front, rear, left or right in the following description is defined in the horizontal placement, unless specifically noted. - As shown in FIGS.1 to 5, the printer
main body 2 has front andrear frames paper holder 10 is secured on therear frame 5. Thepaper holder 10 has left andright side plates bottom plate 13 and arear plate 14, and contains the roll of paper S within thepaper holder 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, thebottom plate 13 is curved in the shape of a recess in the front and rear directions, and a guide groove for horizontal placement (guide portion) 15A extends in the left and right directions in an almost central portion of thebottom plate 13. A guide groove for vertical placement (guide portion) 15B extends in the left and right directions in a region defined by a rear end portion of thebottom plate 13 and a lower end portion of therear plate 14. - As shown in FIGS.1 to 3, the roll of paper S is contained within the
paper holder 10 in a state where a leading end of the roll of paper S is drawn out from the lower side to the front side. The roll of paper S is reduced in diameter with its consumption, but in the case where theprinter 1 is horizontally placed, the guide groove forhorizontal placement 15A retains the roll of paper S as the roll of paper S is reduced in diameter. Theprinter 1 can be used in vertical placement with therear plate 14 of thepaper holder 10 downside. In this case, the guide groove forvertical placement 15B retains the roll of paper S, as the diameter of the roll of paper S is smaller. In any case, the roll of paper S, while being reduced in diameter, is retained at a certain accommodation position by theguide grooves - As shown in FIGS.1 to 4, the
front frame 4 has theprint head 20 mounted thereon. Thecover 3 is hinged rotatably at its rear end portion to therear plate 14 of thepaper holder 10. Aplaten roller 21 is attached onto the front end portion of thecover 3, that is its rotational end portion. Theplaten roller 21 presses against theprint head 20 when thecover 3 is closed, and rotates in a direction of conveying the paper (clockwise direction in FIG. 1) by a drive motor not shown secured to thefront frame 4. The roll of paper S has a leading end drawn outside when thecover 3 is open, and pinched between theprint head 20 and theplaten roller 21 when thecover 3 is closed. In this state, theprint head 20 makes the printing on the paper while theplaten roller 21 conveys it. - The paper near
end detecting means 30 is disposed on the outside of theright side plate 12 of thepaper holder 10. The constitution and the mounting structure will be described below. - As shown in FIG. 5, the paper near
end detecting means 30 is made up of aswitch 32 having alever 31 and twobutton detectors switch 32. - The
detectors plate 34, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Thedetectors certain gap 34 a therebetween, and are slightly offset from each other in front and rear directions, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this case, alower detector 33A is for horizontal placement, and anupper detector 33B is for vertical placement, whereby the detector forhorizontal placement 33A is disposed closer to the guide groove forhorizontal placement 15A and the detector forvertical placement 33B is disposed closer to the guide groove forvertical placement 15B. - The
plate 34 coupling thesedetectors bracket 35 via a pair ofshafts 35 b so that theplate 34 may be rotatable in right and left directions. Theside plate 12 is formed withlong holes detectors paper holder 10. Thebracket 35 is disposed below ashelf portion 12 a formed integrally at an upper end of theside plate 12, and engaged with theshelf portion 12 a to be movable in the front and rear directions via a pair ofengagement portions 35 a provided on an upper end portion of thebracket 35. - The
bracket 35 is positioned with respect to the shelf portion 12A such that one of theengagement portions 35 a is engaged at any of two front and rear positions on theshelf portion 12 a. If thebracket 35 is positioned at the front side, the detector forhorizontal placement 33A comes closer to the guide groove forhorizontal placement 15A, while the detector forvertical placement 33B is positioned far away from the guide groove forvertical placement 15B. Thereby, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by thedetector 33A is smaller, and conversely, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by thedetector 33B is larger. Also, if thebracket 35 is positioned at the rear side, the detector forhorizontal placement 33A is far away from the guide groove forhorizontal placement 15A, while the detector forvertical placement 33B comes closer to the guide groove forvertical placement 15B. Thereby, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by thedetector 33A is larger, and conversely, the diameter of the roll of paper S detected by thedetector 33B is smaller. In this way, the diameter of the roll of paper S to be detected, that is, the amount of the remaining paper to be detected can be adjusted by moving thedetectors bracket 35. - Each of the
detectors guide groove 15A, 2) a locus (indicated by the broken line B) of the center of the roll of paper S as reduced in diameter with respect to theguide groove 15B, and 3) an inner surface of thebottom plate 13 of thepaper holder 10 between theguide grooves detectors bracket 35, but, in either position, does not deviate from the range P. - The
switch 32 is attached to the inside of a stay 6 (right side of thestay 6 in FIG. 5) at an upper end portion thereof that is attached on therear frame 5, and alever 31 of theswitch 32 always urges theplate 34 inwards due to a force of a spring, not shown, as shown in FIG. 5. - According to the above construction, when the roll of paper S is not contained within the
paper holder 10, theplate 34 is pressed by thelever 31 to be rotated inwards so that thedetectors paper holder 10, respectively. Then, when the roll of paper S is contained within thepaper holder 10, one of thedetector plate 34 is rotated outwards, and thedetectors paper holder 10. At this time, thelever 31 is inclined outwards by theplate 34, so that theswitch 32 is turned off. And the roll of paper S is reduced in diameter along with the consumption. When both of thedetectors plate 34 is pressed by thelever 31, and thedetectors paper holder 10 again, respectively. At this time, theswitch 32 is turned on. An on/off signal of theswitch 32 is processed by a control section provided in the printermain body 21, and at the on time, an indicator such as an LED is lighted (control section and display section, not shown) to warn that the amount of remaining paper is small. - The operation of the
printer 1 will be set forth in each installation state of the horizontal placement and vertical placement. - (1) Horizontal Placement
- In the horizontal placement, the printer is placed with the
bottom plate 13 being on the underside, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The roll of paper S is positioned by theguide groove 15A due to its own weight, and as the roll of paper S is consumed, it is reduced in diameter along the locus A. On this course, thedetector 33B is disengaged from the end face of the roll of paper S. However, since thedetector 33A is contact with the end face of the roll of paper S, theplate 34 is still rotated outwards, namely, theswitch 32 is in the off state. When the roll of paper S is further reduced in diameter, thedetector 33A is finally disengaged from the end face of the roll of paper S. Then, theplate 34 is pressed against thelever 31, so that thedetectors paper holder 10, respectively, and theswitch 32 is turned on. Thereby, a predetermined indicator is lighted, warning that the paper S is shortly exhausted. - A method for adjusting the amount of remaining paper when the warning is issued will be set forth below.
- When the
bracket 35 is moved backwards to locate thedetector 33A away from theguide groove 15A, the diameter to be detected is larger, whereby the amount of remaining paper is larger. Conversely, when thebracket 35 is moved forwards to bring thedetector 33A closer to theguide groove 15A, the diameter to be detected is smaller. - (2) Vertical Placement
- In the vertical placement, the
printer 1 is placed with theback plate 14 being on the underside, and theprint head 20 being on the upside. The roll of paper is positioned by theguide groove 15B due to its own weight, and as the roll of paper S is consumed, it is reduced in diameter along the locus B. When the roll of paper S is further reduced in diameter, thedetector 33B is disengaged from the end face of the roll of paper S. Then, thedetector paper holder 10, respectively, and theswitch 32 is turned on. Thereby, it is warned that paper is shortly exhausted in the same way as above. In this state, the paper drawn out of the roll of paper S is conveyed through thegap 34 a provided between the twodetectors - Adjusting the amount of remaining paper is enabled in the reverse way as in the horizontal placement. That is, when the
bracket 35 is moved forwards to locate thedetector 33B away from theguide groove 15B, making the diameter to be detected larger. Conversely, when thebracket 35 is moved backwards to bring thedetector 33B closer to theguide groove 15B, the diameter to be detected is smaller. - In the
printer 1 as descried above, the detectors operate in accordance with the installation state, whether in the horizontal placement or vertical placement (i.e., detector forhorizontal placement 33A in the horizontal placement or detector forvertical placement 33B in the vertical placement), whereby the paper near end can be correctly detected. Accordingly, when the installation state is changed, there is no need of moving the paper near end detecting means 30, whereby the user is released from the trouble. - Also, since two
detectors plate 34 are disposed within the range P, and a single switch (switch 32) detects the operation of theplate 34, there is no need of providing a combination of the switches for thedetectors detectors - Also, the diameter of the roll of paper S for detecting the paper near end can be changed at two stages by moving the
detectors bracket 35. Such a function can be applied in the cases where the diameter of the roll of paper for detection is desired to be constant with a core of different size or with paper of different thickness. - Moreover, in the installation state of vertical placement, paper drawn from the roll passes through the
gap 34 a provided between thedetectors detector 33B gets disengaged with the roll of paper S. Therefore, the paper can be smoothly conveyed without interference with thedetectors detectors gap 34 a is provided to allow paper to be passed between the twodetectors - As was described above, according to the invention, the detectors as the paper near end detecting means are disposed at appropriate positions in accordance with the installation state, whereby there is no need of moving the detecting means in any of the installation states. It lightens the burden on the user, and brings the effect that the paper near end can be correctly detected in accordance with the installation state.
Claims (6)
1. A printer comprising:
a paper holder provided with a plurality of guide portions for positioning a roll of paper, the plurality of guide portions being disposed with respect to a plurality of installation states of the printer, respectively; and
paper near end detecting means comprising a detector disposed to be engageable with an end face of the roll of paper to detect that the amount of remaining paper is below a predetermined amount;
wherein the detector is provided in the plural with respect to the plurality of guide portions, respectively; and
wherein the plurality of detectors are disposed within a range that is defined by a locus of the center of the roll of paper as reduced in diameter with respect to one of the plurality of guide portions, a locus of the center of the roll of paper as reduced in diameter with respect to the other of the plurality of guide portions, and an inner surface of the paper holder between the plurality of guide portions.
2. The printer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of detectors are integrally connected by a connecting member.
3. The printer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of detectors are movable to change the predetermined amount of paper.
4. The printer as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of detectors are movable to change the predetermined amount of paper.
5. A printer comprising:
a paper holder provided with a guide portion for positioning a roll of paper; and
paper near end detecting means comprising a detector disposed to be engageable with an end face of the roller of paper to detect that the amount of remaining paper is below a predetermined amount;
wherein a gap is provided in the paper near end detecting means through which paper drawn from the roll is conveyed after the detector gets disengaged with the end face of the roll of paper.
6. The printer as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the detector is movable to change the predetermined amount of paper.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2001033738A JP2002234223A (en) | 2001-02-09 | 2001-02-09 | Printer |
JPP.2001-033738 | 2001-02-09 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020109037A1 true US20020109037A1 (en) | 2002-08-15 |
Family
ID=18897444
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/067,935 Abandoned US20020109037A1 (en) | 2001-02-09 | 2002-02-08 | Printer |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20020109037A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1231070A3 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2002234223A (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100247217A1 (en) * | 2009-03-30 | 2010-09-30 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Printer |
US20100247215A1 (en) * | 2009-03-30 | 2010-09-30 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Near-end of roll detecting apparatus for detecting near-end of roll of recording medium, and printer |
US20120224017A1 (en) * | 2011-03-03 | 2012-09-06 | Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha | Detecting device and printer that detects a residual amount of paper in a paper roll |
CN103085509A (en) * | 2013-01-16 | 2013-05-08 | 深圳市乐州光电技术有限公司 | Roll-paper use-up detection device and printing device and roll-paper use-up detection method |
US10434800B1 (en) * | 2018-05-17 | 2019-10-08 | Datamax-O'neil Corporation | Printer roll feed mechanism |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
ITTO20030475A1 (en) * | 2003-06-25 | 2004-12-26 | Olivetti Tecnost Spa | END OF PAPER DETECTION DEVICE FOR A PRINTER |
DE602006000808T2 (en) * | 2005-08-09 | 2009-04-30 | Seiko Epson Corp. | Paper roll printer |
JP2012184054A (en) * | 2011-03-03 | 2012-09-27 | Toshiba Tec Corp | Remaining amount detector for roll paper, and printer |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5884861A (en) * | 1996-03-06 | 1999-03-23 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Paper termination detecting apparatus |
JP3480225B2 (en) * | 1996-03-06 | 2003-12-15 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Printer |
JP3491435B2 (en) * | 1996-03-26 | 2004-01-26 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Printer |
-
2001
- 2001-02-09 JP JP2001033738A patent/JP2002234223A/en active Pending
-
2002
- 2002-02-08 US US10/067,935 patent/US20020109037A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-02-08 EP EP02250865A patent/EP1231070A3/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100247217A1 (en) * | 2009-03-30 | 2010-09-30 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Printer |
US20100247215A1 (en) * | 2009-03-30 | 2010-09-30 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Near-end of roll detecting apparatus for detecting near-end of roll of recording medium, and printer |
US8240928B2 (en) | 2009-03-30 | 2012-08-14 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Printer |
US20120224017A1 (en) * | 2011-03-03 | 2012-09-06 | Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha | Detecting device and printer that detects a residual amount of paper in a paper roll |
CN103085509A (en) * | 2013-01-16 | 2013-05-08 | 深圳市乐州光电技术有限公司 | Roll-paper use-up detection device and printing device and roll-paper use-up detection method |
US10434800B1 (en) * | 2018-05-17 | 2019-10-08 | Datamax-O'neil Corporation | Printer roll feed mechanism |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2002234223A (en) | 2002-08-20 |
EP1231070A2 (en) | 2002-08-14 |
EP1231070A3 (en) | 2003-05-02 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: STAR MICRONICS CO., LTD., JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MIZUNO, OSAMU;REEL/FRAME:012582/0826 Effective date: 20020108 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO PAY ISSUE FEE |