Sheet discharge member, sheet delivery device and printing device

Abstract

To provide a sheet discharge member capable of preventing an erroneously inserted card member from advancing to internal of an apparatus with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A sheet discharge member 30 comprises a body part 31 forming a transport pathway P through which a sheet S is to be carried and a guide part 33 fixedly provided in the body part 31 to guide the sheet being carried. The transport pathway P includes a guide passage P1 formed in the guide part 33 and a sheet discharge passage 40 formed downstream of the guide part 33. In part of the guide part 33, an advancement preventing part 37 is formed to prevent a card member C from moving upstream in a transport direction of the sheet by an abutment of an end of the card member C erroneously inserted from a sheet discharge port 40a of the sheet discharge passage 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper discharge member, a paper discharge device, and a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a paper discharge device having a movable shutter that prevents the intrusion of foreign matter such as a card member inserted through a paper discharge port (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-83398 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional configuration, the need to provide a movable shutter causes a problem of a complicated structure.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a paper discharge member, a paper transport device, and a printing device that can prevent an incorrectly inserted card member from entering the inside of the equipment with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A paper discharge member of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body portion forming a transport path along which paper is transported, and a guide portion fixedly provided within the main body portion and guiding the paper being transported, the transport path including a guide path formed in the guide portion and a paper discharge path formed downstream of the guide portion, and a part of the guide portion is formed with an entry prevention portion that prevents the card member from moving upstream in the transport direction of the paper by abutting an end of the card member that has been erroneously inserted through the paper discharge opening of the paper discharge path.

[0007] The guide portion may have a plurality of first guide ribs provided on one side of the paper passing through the transport path, and a plurality of second guide ribs provided on the other side of the paper passing through the transport path, and the entry prevention portion may be formed by the rear end of the first guide rib formed to protrude into the paper discharge path, and the rear end of the second guide rib formed to protrude into the paper discharge path.

[0008] The rear end of the first guide rib and the rear end of the second guide rib may extend in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the paper ejection path.

[0009] The guide path may be formed between the plurality of first guide ribs and the plurality of second guide ribs, and the height of the narrowest portion of the guide path may be less than 0.7 mm.

[0010] The paper sensor may further include a paper sensor arranged in the guide section and having a movable lever that changes position by coming into contact with the paper, and when the paper hits the movable lever from the upstream side in the paper transport direction, the movable lever moves to enable the paper to be transported, and when the card member hits the movable lever from the downstream side in the paper transport direction, the movable lever remains positioned in the guide path and prevents the card member from moving.

[0011] A paper discharge device of one embodiment of the present invention comprises the paper discharge member described above and a transport mechanism for transporting the paper, and is configured such that the underside of the paper discharge path of the paper discharge member is positioned lower than the paper discharge outlet, which is the exit of the transport path downstream of the transport mechanism, and when the misinserted card member moves along the underside, an end of the card member abuts against a surface that intersects with the extension direction of the underside.

[0012] In a cross-sectional view of the paper discharge device, when a straight line passing through a first point on the periphery of the paper discharge outlet of the paper discharge member and a second point on the periphery of the paper discharge outlet intersects with a surface of a member forming the transport path inside the transport path, the intersection may be configured to be located downstream of the position where the paper discharge roller of the transport mechanism contacts the paper.

[0013] A printing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the paper discharge device described above and a printing unit that prints on the paper.

[0014] A printing device according to another aspect of the present invention includes the paper discharge member described above and a printing section that prints on the paper. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a paper discharge member, a paper discharge device, and a printing device that can prevent an erroneously inserted card member from entering the inside of a device with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paper discharge member and an attachment. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the central portion in the width direction of the paper discharge member. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the paper discharge member as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the presenter as seen from the front side. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the card member is erroneously inserted. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a card member has entered a paper transport path of the presenter. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, terms indicating directions such as "upper" and "lower" are used according to the orientation of objects depicted in each drawing, but these terms are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0018] 1 includes a printing unit 10, a transport mechanism 20, a paper discharge member 30, and an attachment 50. One of the features of the printing device S100 is that it is provided with an entry prevention unit 37 that prevents the card member C from entering the inside of the printing device S100 when the card member C is erroneously inserted from the attachment 50 side. Note that, although the present embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the attachment 50 is provided, the attachment 50 is not an essential component of the present invention.

[0019] The printing device S100 prints on paper S. The printing device S100 prints, for example, on a long sheet of paper S pulled out from a roll (not shown). Although not shown, the printing device S100 also includes a roll holding unit that holds the roll, a paper cutting mechanism that cuts the printed paper S, and a control device that controls the operation of each unit. These can be conventionally known devices, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0020] Specifically, the printing unit 10 has a thermal head (not shown) for printing on the paper S. The thermal head is disposed so as to extend in the width direction of the paper S.

[0021] The transport mechanism 20 is a mechanism that transports the paper S. The transport mechanism 20 has, for example, a platen roller (not shown) disposed at a position facing the thermal head with the paper S therebetween. The platen roller rotates in response to a control signal from the control device to transport the paper S. In the example of FIG. 1, the paper S is transported from the right side to the left side of the figure.

[0022] (Paper ejection member 30) Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the paper discharge member 30 and the attachment 50. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the paper discharge member 30 alone. Fig. 3(a) shows the paper discharge member 30 as seen from the front side, and Fig. 3(b) shows the paper discharge member 30 as seen from the rear side. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the central portion in the width direction of the paper discharge member 30.

[0023] 1 and 2, the attachment 50 is detachably attached to the main body 31 of the paper discharge member 30. The printing device S100 is incorporated into, for example, various types of KIOSK terminals. The attachment 50 is a member for adjusting the length of the discharge path of the paper S according to the shape of the KIOSK terminal.

[0024] 3 and 4, the paper discharge member 30 has a main body portion 31, a guide portion 33, and an entry prevention portion 37. The paper discharge member 30 is, for example, a resin molded product in which the main body portion 31 and the guide portion 33 are integrally formed.

[0025] The main body 31 is a member that forms a transport path P (FIG. 1) along which the paper S is transported. The main body 31 has a generally horizontally elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and is attached to a housing (not shown) of the printing device S100. The transport path P specifically includes a guide path P1 and a paper discharge path 40 downstream of the guide path P1. These paths will be described later.

[0026] The guide section 33 is fixedly provided inside the main body section 31, as shown in Fig. 3(b) and Fig. 4. The guide section 33 is a section that guides the paper sheet S transported by the transport mechanism 20. Specifically, the guide section 33 has an upper guide rib 34 arranged on one side of the paper sheet S (above the paper sheet S in Fig. 4) and a lower guide rib 35 arranged on the other side of the paper sheet S (below the paper sheet S in Fig. 4). Each rib is not provided movable relative to the main body section 31, but is fixedly provided inside the main body section 31.

[0027] For the sake of convenience, expressions such as "above the paper S" are used here, but "above the paper S" means above the transport path for the paper S, and "below the paper S" means below the transport path for the paper S.

[0028] Specifically, the upper guide rib 34 has a first portion 34a and a second portion 34b. The first portion 34a is located on the upstream side of the transport direction of the paper S and curves gently. The second portion 34b is a portion continuing on the downstream side of the first portion 34a. In this example, the bottom surface of the second portion 34b is approximately parallel to the transport direction of the paper S.

[0029] Similarly, the lower guide rib 35 has a first portion 35a and a second portion 35b. The first portion 35a is located on the upstream side of the transport direction of the paper S and curves gently. The second portion 35b is a portion continuing on the downstream side of the first portion 35a. The top surface of the second portion 35b is also approximately parallel to the transport direction of the paper S.

[0030] 5 is a view of the paper discharge member 30 as seen from the rear side. As shown in FIG. 5, the paper discharge member 30 has a plurality of upper guide ribs 34 and a plurality of lower guide ribs 35. In this embodiment, the plurality of upper guide ribs 34 and the plurality of lower guide ribs 35 are arranged in staggered positions so that the ribs do not overlap each other in the vertical direction. A guide path P1 through which paper can pass is formed between the upper guide rib 34 and the lower guide rib 35. The height of the narrowest part of the guide path P1 (the rectangular part indicated by the dashed line) is preferably less than 0.7 mm, for example, and more preferably 0.5 mm or less.

[0031] (Entry prevention part 37) 4, an entry prevention section 37 is provided inside the paper discharge member 30. The entry prevention section 37 is a structural section for preventing the card member C from entering the inside of the printing device S100 if the card member C is erroneously inserted through the paper discharge opening 40a (details below).

[0032] The intrusion prevention portion 37 is formed by the upper guide rib 34 and the lower guide rib 35. Specifically, the intrusion prevention portion 37 is formed by the rear end 34b-1 of the upper guide rib 34 and the rear end 35b-1 of the lower guide rib 35. The rear end 34b-1 of the upper guide rib 34 and the rear end 35b-1 of the lower guide rib 35 extend, for example, linearly in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the paper discharge path 40 (the up-down direction in FIG. 4).

[0033] Here, the paper discharge path 40 will be described. The paper discharge path 40 is a path that extends from the portion where the upper guide rib 34 and the lower guide rib 35 are formed toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the paper S. In this example, the paper discharge path 40 extends from the right side to the left side in Fig. 4. At the end of the paper discharge path 40, a paper discharge opening 40a for discharging the paper S is formed.

[0034] In this embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 4, the rear end 34b-1 of the upper guide rib 34 is formed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the paper discharge path 40 into the paper discharge path 40. Similarly, the rear end 35b-1 of the lower guide rib 35 is formed so as to protrude from the lower surface of the paper discharge path 40 into the paper discharge path 40. The space between the rear end 34b-1 of the upper guide rib 34 and the rear end 35b-1 of the lower guide rib 35 forms the exit portion of the guide path P1. In this embodiment, this exit portion is the narrowest portion, and is preferably formed to be less than 0.7 mm, and more preferably 0.5 mm or less.

[0035] 4, in the configuration of this embodiment, the entry prevention section 37 is provided so as to protrude into the paper discharge path 40, so that even if the card member C is erroneously inserted from the paper discharge opening 40a side, the leading end of the card member C abuts against the rear end 34b-1 or the rear end 35b-1. Therefore, the card member C is prevented from moving upstream of the entry prevention section 37 (specifically, upstream of the guide section 33 in this embodiment).

[0036] In addition, if the card member C is, for example, a credit card, its thickness is approximately 0.7 mm. Therefore, if the dimension of the exit portion of the guide path P1 is formed to be less than 0.7 mm as in this embodiment, the card member C such as a credit card will not enter the guide path P1, and the intrusion of the card member C can be more effectively prevented.

[0037] In the configuration of this embodiment, in which guide path P1 is located away from the upper and lower surfaces of the paper discharge path 40, and rear ends 34b-1 and 35b-1 are located between the upper surface and guide path P1, and between the lower surface and guide path P1, respectively, it is difficult to insert the end of the card member C into guide path P1 in itself compared to a configuration in which the path through which the paper passes is located in a position contacting the upper surface (or a configuration in which the path is located in a position contacting the lower surface), so that intrusion can be effectively prevented.

[0038] (Other measures to prevent intrusion) If the card member C is relatively thick, such as a credit card, the card member C will not enter the guide path P1, but depending on the thickness of the card, there is a risk that the end of the card member C may go beyond the entry prevention section 37 and enter inside the printer S100. Therefore, in the printer S100 of this embodiment, a paper sensor 60 is provided to function as an entry prevention means.

[0039] The paper sensor 60 is a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of paper S, and is electrically connected to a control device (not shown). As shown in Figs. 3(b) and 4, the paper sensor 60 is disposed inside the paper discharge member 30. More specifically, the paper sensor 60 is disposed in the guide portion 33. The paper sensor 60 has a movable lever 61.

[0040] The movable lever 61 is supported by a sensor main body (not shown) and is configured to be rotatable around a predetermined axis. As shown in Fig. 4, the movable lever 61 is arranged so that a part of it is located within the guide path P1 before the paper S touches the movable lever 61. When the paper S hits the movable lever 61 from the upstream side in the transport direction of the paper S, the movable lever 61 rotates so as to fall in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 4, thereby enabling the paper S to be transported. The movable lever 61 is a member that changes its position when the paper S hits it.

[0041] In the printing device S100 of this embodiment, when printing is completed, the paper S is cut by a cutting mechanism (not shown). The cut paper S is pulled out of the printing device S100, for example by the user. This results in a state where the paper S is not present on the paper sensor 60. In this state, the movable lever 61 returns to the state shown in Figures 3 and 4 (the movable lever 61 is located on the guide path P1) by the biasing force of a biasing means (not shown) such as a spring. When the movable lever 61 is in this state, the control device determines that the paper S is not present on the paper sensor 60.

[0042] In this example, the movable lever 61 is configured not to rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow A. Therefore, even if the card member C is erroneously inserted and the end of the card member C reaches a position where it passes over the entry prevention portion 37 and hits the movable lever 61, the movable lever 61 maintains a state of being positioned on the guide path P1 unless the lever breaks or the support member of the lever is damaged. With this configuration, the paper sensor 60 prevents the movement of the card member C and functions as an entry prevention means separate from the entry prevention portion 37, so that the entry of the card member C can be more reliably prevented.

[0043] (Effects of the printing device S100) As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the intrusion prevention portion 37 is provided inside the paper discharge member 30, so that an erroneously inserted card member C is prevented from entering the inside of the printing device S100. In particular, the intrusion prevention portion 37 is formed by a part of the upper guide rib 34 and the lower guide rib 35, so that the configuration can be simplified compared to the conventional configuration in which intrusion is prevented by a shutter that is a movable member.

[0044] The paper discharge member 30 may be used as a part of the printing device S100, or may be connected to a presenter, which will be described later. When the paper discharge member 30 is connected to a presenter for use, the paper sensor 60 does not need to be electrically connected to a control device (not shown). Also, the paper sensor 60 does not need to be provided.

[0045] <Second embodiment> FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the presenter as seen from the front side. In FIG. 6, the paper discharge member of the presenter is depicted in a position away from the housing. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the presenter. Specifically, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the presenter cut along a plane parallel to the paper transport direction and perpendicular to the extension direction of the paper discharge roller. Note that the "presenter" does not have a printing unit, but is common to a printing device in that it has a transport mechanism for transporting paper, and is a device included in the paper discharge device of the present invention.

[0046] The presenter S101 includes a housing 110, a transport mechanism 120, and a paper ejection member 130, as shown in FIGS.

[0047] The housing 110 is a member that houses the transport mechanism 120. The housing 110 has a paper discharge port 110a at its front surface.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 7, the transport mechanism 120 has a paper discharge roller 121, a driven roller 122, and a transport path forming member 125. The paper discharge roller 121 is driven by a drive source such as a motor (not shown). The paper discharge roller 121 transports the paper S by rotating with the paper S sandwiched between the paper discharge roller 121 and the driven roller 122. In the example of Fig. 7, the paper discharge roller 121 transports the paper S from the right side to the left side of the figure.

[0049] The transport path forming member 125 forms a part of the transport path P2 along which the paper S is transported. More specifically, the transport path forming member 125 forms the upper surface of the transport path P2.

[0050] (Paper ejection member 130) The paper discharge member 130 is a member that forms a transport path through which the paper S passes. Fig. 7 shows a paper discharge path 140 on the downstream side of the transport path. The paper discharge member 130 is, for example, a resin molded product like the paper discharge member 30, and is attached to the housing 110. The paper discharge member 130 has a paper discharge opening 140a. A plurality of guide ribs 134 are formed inside the paper discharge member 130 as shown in Fig. 6.

[0051] The guide rib 134 corresponds to the upper guide rib 34 in the first embodiment. No rib corresponding to the lower guide rib 35 is provided on the paper discharge member 130. The guide rib 134 guides the paper S transported by the transport mechanism 120 toward the paper discharge opening 140a. The guide rib 134 has a lower end 134a and a rear end 134b. Note that a rib corresponding to the lower guide rib 35 may be provided.

[0052] Similar to the first embodiment, the rear end 134b extends in a direction protruding into the paper discharge path 140. The rear end 134b extends, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the paper discharge path 140. The rear end 134b functions as an entry prevention portion that prevents the entry of the card member C.

[0053] In this example, the lower end 134a of the guide rib 134 is located at a position lower than the opening of the paper discharge port 110a. In this example, the lower surface of the paper discharge path 140 extends horizontally and is perpendicular to the outer surface 137a of the housing 110 which extends vertically. With this configuration, a reference line L1 extending horizontally through a path between the lower end 134a of the guide rib 134 and the lower surface of the paper discharge path 140 intersects perpendicularly with the outer surface 137a of the housing 110.

[0054] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the card member C is erroneously inserted. According to the configuration of this embodiment, even if the card member C is erroneously inserted from the paper discharge opening 140a in a direction along the reference line L1 as shown in Fig. 8, the outer surface 137a is located on the path (on the reference line L1) of the card member C that moves along the underside of the paper discharge path 140, so that the end of the card member C abuts against the outer surface 137a and is prevented from entering.

[0055] (Other measures to prevent intrusion) For example, it is assumed that the card member C may enter the paper discharge port 110a if the user applies a large force to push the card member C during erroneous insertion, or depending on the angle of entry of the card member C. Therefore, even in such a case, the presenter S101 may be configured as follows to prevent the card member C from entering the inside of the device as much as possible.

[0056] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which a card member C has entered the transport path P2 of the presenter S101. As can be seen from the cross-sectional view of Fig. 9, the presenter S101 is configured so that an "intersection Pc" is located downstream of a position A where the paper discharge roller 121 contacts the paper S. Here, the intersection Pc is a point where the "straight line L2" intersects with the bottom surface of the transport path forming member 125 inside the transport path P2.

[0057] Specifically, the "straight line L2" is a straight line that passes through a first point Pa on the periphery of the paper discharge opening 140a of the paper discharge member 130 and a second point Pb on the periphery of the paper discharge opening 110a on the housing side. This straight line L2 is a reference line that extends along the underside of the imaginary underside of the erroneously inserted card member C.

[0058] In this way, when the intersection Pc where the straight line L2 intersects with the underside of the transport path forming member 125 is configured to be located downstream of the transport mechanism 120, as shown in Figure 9, the end of the erroneously inserted card member C will abut against the transport path forming member 125 at a position further downstream than the intersection Pc.

[0059] According to this configuration, even if the card material C is erroneously inserted into the transport path P2, the end of the card material C abuts against the lower surface of the transport path forming member 125, so that the card material C can be more effectively prevented from entering.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by distributing or integrating functionally or physically in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination combines the effect of the original embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10 Printing section 20 Conveyor mechanism 30 Paper ejection member 31 Main body 33 Guide section 34 Upper guide rib 34a Part 1 34b Part 2 34b-1 Rear end 35 Lower guide rib 35a Part 1 35b Part 2 35b-1 Rear end 37 Entry prevention section 40 Paper ejection path 40a Paper outlet 50 Attachments 60 Paper Sensor 61 Movable Lever 110 Cabinet 110a Paper outlet 120 Conveyor mechanism 121 Paper eject roller 122 Driven roller 125 Conveyor path forming member 130 Paper ejection member 134 Guide rib 134a bottom end 134b rear end 137 Entry prevention section 137a Exterior 140 Paper ejection path 140a Paper outlet A Arrow C Card material L1 Reference Line P1 Guide Path P2 transport path S paper S100 Printer S101 Presenter

Claims

1. a main body portion that forms a transport path along which paper is transported; a guide portion that is fixedly provided within the main body portion and guides the paper being transported; Equipped with The transport path is A guide path formed in the guide portion; a paper discharge path formed downstream of the guide portion; Including, an intrusion prevention portion is formed in a part of the guide portion, the intrusion prevention portion being configured to prevent the card member from moving upstream in the paper transport direction by an end of the card member that has been erroneously inserted through a paper discharge port of the paper discharge path coming into contact with the intrusion prevention portion; Paper ejection component.

2. The guide portion is a plurality of first guide ribs provided on one surface side of the paper passing through the transport path; a plurality of second guide ribs provided on the other surface side of the paper passing through the transport path; having The intrusion prevention portion is a rear end of the first guide rib formed to protrude into the paper discharge path; a rear end of the second guide rib formed to protrude into the paper discharge path; It is formed by The paper ejection member according to claim 1 .

3. the rear end of the first guide rib and the rear end of the second guide rib extend in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the paper discharge path; The paper ejection member according to claim 2 .

4. The guide path is formed between the plurality of first guide ribs and the plurality of second guide ribs, The height of the narrowest part of the guide path is less than 0.7 mm. The paper ejection member according to claim 2 .

5. a paper sensor disposed in the guide portion and having a movable lever that changes its position by contacting the paper; The paper sensor includes: When the paper hits the movable lever from the upstream side in the paper transport direction, the movable lever moves to enable transport of the paper, When the card member hits the movable lever from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the paper, the movable lever maintains a state in which it is positioned on the guide path, and prevents the card member from moving. The paper ejection member according to claim 4.

6. A paper ejection member according to claim 1 or 2; A conveying mechanism for conveying the paper; Equipped with a lower surface of the paper discharge path of the paper discharge member is provided at a position lower than a paper discharge opening which is an outlet of the transport path on the downstream side of the transport mechanism, When the erroneously inserted card member moves along the lower surface, an end of the card member comes into contact with a surface intersecting an extending direction of the lower surface. Paper discharge device.

7. When viewed in cross section of the paper discharge device, a point where a straight line passing through a first point on the periphery of the paper discharge outlet of the paper discharge member and a second point on the periphery of the paper discharge outlet intersects with a surface of a member forming the transport path inside the transport path is defined as an intersection point, and the intersection point is configured to be located downstream of a position where a paper discharge roller of the transport mechanism contacts the paper. The paper discharge device according to claim 6.

8. The paper discharge device according to claim 6 ; a printing unit that prints on paper; A printing device comprising:

9. A paper ejection member according to claim 1 or 2; A printing unit that prints on the paper; A printing device comprising:

Images