Opening and closing lid automatic opening mechanism and printing device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism of an opening and closing cover and a printing device, and achieves low cost of a mechanism for automatically opening an opening and closing cover (5) by using power of a carriage (15) without adding new power, and further achieves space saving. The automatic opening mechanism (3) of the opening and closing cover has a lever (11) rotatable via a rotation fulcrum (9), a locking portion (13) at one end of the lever (11) for locking the opening and closing cover (11) in a closed state to maintain the closed state of the opening and closing cover (11) in response to a force (F) in an opening direction, and a power receiving portion (17) at the other end (8) of the lever (11) for contacting a carriage (15) moving in a horizontal direction and receiving power of the carriage (15). The lever (11) is rotated by the carriage (15) contacting and pushing the power receiving portion (17), and the maintenance of the closed state of the opening and closing cover (5) based on the locking portion (13) is released.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing lids and a printing apparatus having the same. Background Technology

[0002] As an example of such an automatic opening and closing mechanism, the mechanism described in Patent Document 1 can be cited. Patent Document 1 describes the use of a solenoid that is actuated by the flow of electric current to automatically open the front cover.

[0003] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-161369.

[0004] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 has the problem of high cost and hinders space saving due to the use of a solenoid. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing a cover according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a rod rotatable via a pivot point; a locking part located at one end of the rod, which locks against the opening and closing cover, which is in a closed state and receives force in the opening direction, to maintain the closed state of the opening and closing cover; and a power receiving part located at the other end of the rod, which contacts a slide that moves in the horizontal direction and receives power from the slide. The slide contacts the power receiving part and pushes the power receiving part, causing the rod to rotate and releasing the closed state of the opening and closing cover maintained by the locking part.

[0006] Furthermore, the printing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a printing head mounted on a carriage; an opening / closing cover that receives force in the opening direction; and an automatic opening mechanism for the opening / closing cover. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the printing apparatus according to Embodiment 1.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the open / closed state in Embodiment 1.

[0009] Figure 3 An overall top view showing the interior of Embodiment 1 as the main part.

[0010] Figure 4 This is an enlarged perspective view of the main part as seen from the oblique rear of Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 5 This is an enlarged perspective view of the main part as seen from the oblique front of Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 6 This is an enlarged top view of the main part of the rod section in Embodiment 1.

[0013] Figure 7 An enlarged side sectional view of the main part of the power receiving section in Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 8 This is an enlarged side sectional view of the opening and closing cover of Embodiment 1.

[0015] Figure 9 These are perspective views (A) and (B) of the main parts of the sensor section in Embodiment 1.

[0016] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing a structure in which the wall component is positioned in front of the rod in Embodiment 1, allowing it to emerge.

[0017] Figure 11 A graph showing the threshold current value for controlling the range of movement of the carriage in Embodiment 1.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0019] 1: Printing apparatus; 2: Inkjet printer; 3: Automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing the cover; 4: Scanner unit; 5: Cover opening and closing; 6: One end; 7: Discharge tray; 8: The other end; 9: Rotation fulcrum; 10: Base end; 11: Rod; 12: Ink tank; 13: Locking part; 14: Lower plate; 15: Carriage; 16: Upper plate; 17: Power receiving part; 18: Locked part; 19 (19a, 19b): Sliding part; 20: Locking part body; 21: Contact protrusion; 22: Guide groove; 23: Contact recess; 24: Guide groove; 25: Sensor; 26: Power transmission shaft; 27: Actuating piece; 28: Recess; 29: Detection piece; 30: Frame; 32: Upper surface; 34: Through hole; 36: Protrusion; 38: Torsion coil spring; 40: One end; 42: Opening and closing motion fulcrum; 44: Wall component; 46: Current change; 48: Second threshold; 50: First threshold; 52: Region; 54: Region; 56: Position where the opening / closing cover begins to open; 58: Rotation fulcrum shaft; 65: Printing head; P: Printed material; G: Center of gravity; W: Range of reciprocating movement of the carriage. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in general terms.

[0021] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the first aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism for a cover, characterized in that it comprises: a rod rotatable via a pivot point; a locking portion located at one end of the rod, which locks against the cover when it is in a closed state and receives force in the opening direction to maintain the closed state of the cover; and a power receiving portion located at the other end of the rod, which contacts a slide that moves in a horizontal direction and receives power from the slide. When the slide contacts the power receiving portion and pushes the power receiving portion, the rod rotates, releasing the closed state of the cover maintained by the locking portion.

[0022] According to this aspect, the rod rotates by contacting and pushing the power receiving part with the carriage, and this rotation releases the closed state of the opening / closing cover maintained by the locking part. Upon this release, the opening / closing cover, receiving a force in the opening direction, changes from a closed state to an open state under the action of this force. Therefore, because the power of the carriage is utilized without the need for additional power, the mechanism for automatically opening and closing the opening / closing cover can be made cost-effective and space-saving.

[0023] The second aspect of the invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing a cover, characterized in that, in the first aspect, the force in the opening direction is generated by a structure having a gravitational torque on the side where the cover is open.

[0024] According to this aspect, since the opening and closing cover has a self-weight torque on the open side, it will change from a closed state to an open state by its own weight once the locking state achieved by the locking part is released. Therefore, there is no need to provide a mechanism for opening and closing the cover, thus achieving low cost.

[0025] The third aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing a lid, characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, it includes a sensor for sensing the opening and closing state of the lid.

[0026] According to this aspect, the automatic opening mechanism for the lid is equipped with a sensor that senses the open / closed state of the lid. This eliminates unnecessary activity by causing the automatic opening mechanism to operate when the lid is already open, thus improving ease of use.

[0027] The fourth aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing a cover, characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the power receiving part is a sliding part that is pushed and slid by the carriage.

[0028] According to this aspect, the power receiving part is a sliding part that is pushed and slidable by the carriage. Therefore, because the rod receives the power of the carriage in the form of sliding by the sliding part, it is possible to...

[0029] Make effective use of the carriage's power.

[0030] The fifth aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing a cover, characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the sliding portion has a contact protrusion that contacts the carriage, and is pushed by the carriage...

[0031] When in motion, the sliding part changes to the state where the contact protrusion enters the contact recess of the carriage.

[0032] According to this aspect, when pushed by the carriage, the sliding part becomes such that the contact protrusion of the sliding part enters the contact recess of the carriage. Therefore, the sliding part becomes easier to move integrally with the carriage, reducing the possibility of the sliding part getting caught in the carriage.

[0033] 5. The printing apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a print head, mounted on...

[0034] The printing apparatus includes a carriage and an opening / closing cover, which receive force in the opening direction, and the printing apparatus has an automatic opening mechanism for the opening / closing cover as described in any one of the first to fifth aspects.

[0035] According to this aspect, it is possible to obtain the aforementioned effects of the first to fifth aspects as a printing apparatus.

[0036] The seventh aspect of the present invention relates to a printing apparatus characterized in that, in the sixth aspect, the...

[0037] The carriage reciprocates during printing, and the automatic opening mechanism is located outside the range of the carriage's reciprocating movement.

[0038] According to this aspect, the automatic opening mechanism exists independently of the printing operation of a typical printing apparatus because it is located outside the reciprocating movement range of the carriage. That is, the structure can be configured in the printing apparatus without affecting its printing operation, and it can simplify...

[0039] The system distinguishes between equipment types that have the automatic opening mechanism and equipment types that do not have the automatic opening mechanism.

[0040] The printing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the sixth or seventh aspect, at least one of the discharge tray for receiving printed matter and the feed box for storing printing medium is operable by opening the opening and closing cover.

[0041] According to this aspect, the possibility of damage or malfunction caused by accidental contact with the discharge tray for receiving printed materials or the feed box for storing printing media can be reduced.

[0042] The printing apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, printing is stopped and an action is performed to release the closed state of the opening and closing cover when the closed state of the opening and closing cover is sensed.

[0043] According to this aspect, when the cover is closed during the printing process, it is possible to set the cover to the open state after the printing process stops.

[0044] The printing apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the action of releasing the maintenance of the closed state of the opening and closing cover is performed after the main switch of the printing apparatus is turned on and before the printing operation begins.

[0045] According to this aspect, because the action of releasing the closed state of the opening and closing cover is performed at an appropriate time, the opening and closing cover can be prevented from opening accidentally.

[0046] Implementation Method 1

[0047] The following is based on Figures 1 to 9 The automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing the cover and the printing device equipped with it according to Embodiment 1 will be described in detail.

[0048] As shown in the figures, in the following explanation, the three mutually orthogonal axes are designated as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, i.e., the direction of gravity. The X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to the horizontal direction. In the figures, the arrows indicating the three axes (X, Y, Z) represent the positive (+) direction.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes an automatic opening mechanism 3 for opening and closing the cover. Figure 3 In addition, the printing apparatus 1 has a print head 65 for printing on the medium P, and a carriage 15 that moves in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium P. Figure 2 The diagram shows the open state of the cover 5 located at the front (+Y direction) of the printing apparatus 1, and further shows the pulled-out state of the discharge tray 7 housed inside the apparatus. The discharge tray 7 is configured to be operable by opening the cover 5 to receive the medium P (hereinafter also referred to as "printed material P"). It can also be configured to be operable by a feed box (not shown) for storing printing media.

[0050] It should be noted that the printing device 1 is a multifunction printer with the inkjet printer 2 located on the lower side and the scanner unit 4 on the upper side. Furthermore, the opening and closing cover 5 is positioned adjacent to the ink tank 12 of the printing device 1. The ink tank 12 is capable of being filled with ink.

[0051] like Figures 4 to 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the automatic opening mechanism 3 for opening and closing the cover includes a rod 11 that can rotate via a pivot point 9, and a force F ( ) located at one end of the rod 11 that receives the force in the opening direction. Figure 1 , Figure 8 The locking part 13, which is in the closed state, is engaged with the opening and closing cover 5 to maintain the closed state of the opening and closing cover 5, and the slide 15, located at the other end of the rod 11 and moving in the horizontal direction, is also present. Figure 7 The power receiving part 17 contacts and receives the power of the carriage 15.

[0052] In addition, the lever 11 is configured such that it contacts the power receiving part 17 via the slide 15 and pushes the power receiving part 17 to rotate the lever 11, thereby releasing the closed state of the opening and closing cover 5 maintained by the locking part 13.

[0053] The following is a detailed explanation of each component.

[0054] Automatic opening mechanism lever

[0055] In this embodiment, as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, rod 11 has a shape that extends in the Y-axis direction, which is horizontal.

[0056] One end of the rod 11 has a locking part 18 that is locked to the open / closed cover 5 when it is in the closed state. Figures 2-4 , Figure 6 The locking part 13. It should be noted that, in Figure 6 The image shows the state where the locking portion 13 of the lever 11 is disengaged from the locking portion 18 of the opening / closing cover 5. The locking portion 13 is formed as a convex curved surface with the -X direction as the protruding direction, and is integrally formed with the resin locking portion body 20 extending in the Y-axis direction. The locking portion 13 is provided on the side of the front end portion in the +Y direction of the locking portion body 20.

[0057] Additionally, a power receiving part 17 is provided at the other end of the rod 11 to receive the power of the moving carriage 15. In this embodiment, the power receiving part 17 is composed of a sliding part 19 that is pushed and slidable by the carriage 15. The sliding part 19 consists of two guide grooves 22 and 24 on the bottom surface of the frame 30, respectively. Figure 5 The guide parts 19a and 19b are formed. The two parts 19a and 19b of the sliding part 19 are connected as one unit and move together in the moving direction of the carriage 15, that is, in the X direction.

[0058] The sliding part 19a guided by the guide groove 22 is configured as the power receiving part 17.

[0059] In this embodiment, the sliding portion 19b, guided by the guide groove 24, is connected to the locking portion body 20 via a metal power transmission shaft 26. One end 6 ( Figure 6 The other end 8 is connected and fixed to the base end 10 of the locking part body 20 as one piece, and is connected in a non-fixed state by inserting into the recess 28 of the sliding part 19b and contacting the inner surface of the recess 28.

[0060] When the integrated sliding part 19b moves in the -X direction by being pushed by the carriage 15 via the sliding part 19a, the other end 8 of the power transmission shaft 26 moves in contact with the inner surface of the recess 28. As a result, the rod 11 can rotate relative to the pivot point 9. That is, the linear motion of the carriage 15 in the horizontal direction is converted and transmitted into the rotational motion of the rod 11.

[0061] Rotating structure of the lever in the automatic opening mechanism

[0062] The rod 11 is mounted on the pivot shaft 58, which serves as the pivot point 9, in a manner that allows it to rotate in the horizontal plane. The pivot point 9 is formed by the axis center of the pivot shaft 58. In this embodiment, the pivot shaft 58 is fixed to the lower plate 14 and the upper plate 16, which are structural components of the device, with an orientation extending in the vertical direction.

[0063] The locking part 20 of rod 11 is located on the upper surface 32 of upper plate 16, and the bottom of the base end 10 is rotatably connected to the pivot shaft 58. A through hole 34 is formed near the locking part 13 of upper plate 16. Figure 4 The protrusion 36 provided on the locking part body 20 enters the through hole 34 in a through state. The through hole 34 is formed in a size and shape that allows the locking part body 20 to rotate around the rotation fulcrum 9 on one side of the base end 10.

[0064] A torsion coil spring 38 is provided between the lower plate 14 and the upper plate 16. Figure 4 One end 40 of the torsion coil spring 38 is engaged with the protrusion 36 of the engaging part body 20. Thus, the engaging part body 20 is configured to receive the spring force of the torsion coil spring 38 and rotate in the direction in which the engaging part 13 engages with the engaging part 18 of the opening and closing cover 5.

[0065] In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the sliding portion 19a has a contact protrusion 21 that contacts the carriage 15, and the carriage 15 has a contact recess 23 at the position where it contacts the contact protrusion 21. When the sliding portion 19a of the rod 11 is pushed by the carriage 15, the contact protrusion 21 enters the contact recess 23, and the sliding portion 19a becomes easier to move integrally with the carriage 15.

[0066] In addition, such as Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, the opening / closing cover 5 is manufactured with a structure having a self-gravity torque on the open side. Specifically, the position of the center of gravity G of the opening / closing cover 5 is set so that it opens relative to the opening / closing motion fulcrum 42 by its own weight.

[0067] That is, since the force F in the opening direction is generated by the weight of the opening and closing cover 5, the opening and closing cover 5 is configured such that if it is to be released from its closed state, it will automatically open by the action of its own weight.

[0068] It should be noted that the force F in the opening direction is not limited to a structure that utilizes the torque of gravity. For example, it can also be designed to utilize the elasticity of a spring to impart the force F in the opening direction.

[0069] In addition, such as Figure 9 As shown, in this embodiment, a sensor 25 is provided to sense the opening and closing state of the cover 5. The sensor 25 consists of an actuating piece 27 provided on the inner surface of the cover 5 and a detection piece 29 configured to be pressed against the device structure component of the printing apparatus 1 along the outward direction.

[0070] exist Figure 9 In (A), the sensor 25 is in an off state. That is, because the actuating piece 27 is not pressed into the detection piece 29, the sensor 25 senses that the open / closed cover 5 is open. It should be noted that the range at which the sensor 25 senses the open / closed cover 5 is at an angle that will not clog the discharged printed material even if the opening of the open / closed cover 5 stops midway. Here, this angle is set to 70 degrees.

[0071] exist Figure 9 In (B), the sensor 25 senses the open state. That is, because the actuating piece 27 is pressed into the detection piece 29, the sensor 25 senses that the cover 5 is closed.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the action of releasing the closed state of the cover 5 is controlled to be performed after the main switch of the printing device 1 is turned on and before the printing operation begins. This is configured such that the control unit (not shown) performs the release action when the main switch of the printing device 1 is turned on.

[0073] That is, it is configured to perform the action of releasing the closed state of the cover 5 at an appropriate time.

[0074] Alternatively, it can be configured such that, upon sensing that the cover 5 is in a closed state, the printing operation is stopped and the cover 5 is released from its closed state. Even if the cover 5 is closed during the printing operation, it is possible to set the cover 5 to an open state after the printing operation is stopped, and the printing operation can be restarted.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, the carriage 15 reciprocates during printing, and the automatic opening mechanism 3 for opening and closing the cover is located outside the range W of the reciprocating movement of the carriage 15.

[0076] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the automatic opening mechanism 3 for opening and closing the cover is located outside the reciprocating movement range W of the carriage 15 during printing. That is, the automatic opening mechanism 3 is configured in the printing apparatus 1 to not affect the execution of the printing action.

[0077] The movement of the carriage is restricted by wall components.

[0078] like Figure 10 As shown, in this embodiment, the wall member 44 is configured to move in and out in the vertical direction before the power receiving part 17 of the rod 11, that is, before the sliding part 19a. When the carriage 15 is moved and the automatic opening mechanism 3 is activated to open the opening and closing cover 5, the wall member 44 is in a submerged state, that is, it descends downward and retracts.

[0079] On the other hand, when the automatic opening mechanism 3 is not activated, the wall member 44 is in the present state, that is, in the position of being moved upward. For example, when the carriage 15 is moved to detect the position of the carriage 15, the position is detected by temporarily touching the wall member 44 with the carriage 15. In this case, although the carriage 15 will contact the wall member 44, it will not contact the power receiving part 17 of the rod 11, so the accidental activation of the automatic opening mechanism 3 can be prevented.

[0080] It should be noted that the power for the movement of the wall component 44 can be provided by a power source such as a motor in the printing apparatus 1. Reference numeral 65 shows the printing head.

[0081] The range of movement of the carriage is controlled by the current value.

[0082] Figure 11 A graph showing the threshold current values ​​that control the range of movement of carriage 15. The horizontal axis represents the distance D that carriage 15 moves from the origin, and the vertical axis represents the current value I flowing to carriage 15.

[0083] When the carriage 15 moves from the origin and connects with the power receiving part 17 of the lever 11 of the automatic opening mechanism 3, it moves against the spring force of the torsion coil spring 38, so the current value I flowing to the carriage 15 begins to rise. The reference numeral 46 in the figure indicates the change in the current value I flowing to the carriage 15 at this moment.

[0084] Reference numeral 56 indicates the position of the carriage 15 when the closed state of the cover 5 is released, i.e., the position where the cover 5 begins to open as the locking part 13 of the lever 11 is disengaged from the locking part 18. Reference numeral 50 is a first threshold, and reference numeral 48 is a second threshold. The first threshold 50 is set in the region 52 from the position where the carriage 15 connects to the power receiving part 17 of the lever 11 to the position 56 where the cover 5 begins to open, and the second threshold 48 is set in the region 54 from the point where the cover 5 begins to open.

[0085] according to Figure 11 It can be understood that region 52 is a region such that, in the portion closer to the origin than position 56, although the carriage 15 is in contact with the power receiving part 17 of the lever 11, the rotation of the lever 11 is still small, thus keeping the cover 5 in a closed state. A first threshold 50 set in this region 52 can be used to detect the position of the carriage 15 without activating the automatic opening mechanism 3. Figure 10 In this process, the position of the carriage 15 is detected by temporarily bringing the carriage 15 into contact with the wall component 44. However, here... Figure 11 The detection is performed by measuring the first threshold 50.

[0086] On the other hand, since the opening and closing cover 5 begins to open in region 54, the second threshold 48 set in region 54 can be used to detect the open state of the opening and closing cover 5.

[0087] The operation of the automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing the lid

[0088] Figure 1 With the cover 5 shown in the closed state, firstly, the carriage 15 moves in the -X direction, engaging with the power receiving part 17 of the sliding part 19a of the rod 11 and then pushing it. The rod 11 receives the power for the carriage to move in the -X direction and rotates about the pivot point 9. Through this rotation of the rod 11, the locking part 13 of the rod 11 is disengaged from the locking part 18 of the cover 5. Then, the cover 5 opens by its own weight, becoming... Figure 2 The state. In Figure 2 Then, tray 7 is pulled out.

[0089] Explanation of the effects of the implementation method

[0090] (1) According to the automatic opening mechanism 3 of this embodiment, the slide 15 contacts the power receiving part 17 and pushes the power receiving part 17, causing the rod 11 to rotate. The rotation of the rod 11 releases the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 maintained by the locking part 13. Because of this release, the opening / closing cover 5 receives a force F in the opening direction, and thus changes from the closed state to the open state by the action of this force F. Therefore, since the power of the slide 15 is utilized without the need for additional power, the mechanism for automatically opening / closing the cover 5 can be made cost-effective and space-saving can be further achieved.

[0091] (2) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the opening and closing cover 5 has a self-weight torque on the open side, if the locking state achieved by the locking part 13 is released, it will change from the closed state to the open state by its own weight. Therefore, there is no need to provide a mechanism for opening and closing the cover 5, which can reduce costs.

[0092] (3) In addition, according to this embodiment, a sensor 25 is provided to sense the opening and closing state of the cover 5. This eliminates unnecessary activities such as causing the automatic opening mechanism 3 to operate when the cover 5 is already open, thus improving ease of use.

[0093] (4) In addition, according to this embodiment, the power receiving part 17 of the rod 11 is a sliding part 19 (19a, 19b) that is pushed by the slide 15. Therefore, since the rod 11 receives the power of the slide 15 in the form of sliding part 19, the power of the slide 15 can be effectively utilized.

[0094] (5) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the sliding portion 19a is pushed by the carriage 15, the contact protrusion 21 of the sliding portion 19a enters the contact recess 23 of the carriage 15. As a result, the sliding portion 19a becomes easier to move integrally with the carriage 15, and the possibility of the sliding portion 19a getting caught in the carriage 15 can be reduced.

[0095] (6) Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a printing head 65 mounted on a carriage 15, an opening / closing cover 5 that receives a force F in the opening direction, and an automatic opening mechanism 3 for the opening / closing cover configured as described above. Thus, the various effects of the automatic opening mechanism 3 can be obtained as the printing apparatus 1.

[0096] (7) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the carriage 15 reciprocates during printing, and the automatic opening mechanism 3 is located outside the range W of the reciprocating movement of the carriage 15. Therefore, the automatic opening mechanism 3 exists independently of the printing operation of the ordinary printing apparatus 1. That is, the automatic opening mechanism 3 can be installed in the printing apparatus 1 without affecting its printing operation, and the manufacturing of equipment types equipped with the automatic opening mechanism 3 and those without it can be easily distinguished.

[0097] (8) In addition, according to this embodiment, the discharge tray 7, which is used to receive printed materials P, can be opened by opening and closing the cover 5. This reduces the possibility of damage or malfunction caused by accidental contact with the discharge tray 7, which is used to receive printed materials P.

[0098] (9) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the closed state of the cover 5 is sensed during the printing operation, the printing operation is stopped, and the closed state of the cover 5 is released. Thus, even if the cover 5 is closed during the printing operation, the cover 5 can be set to the open state after the printing operation is stopped, and the printing operation can be restarted.

[0099] (10) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the action of releasing the closed state of the opening and closing cover 5 is performed after the main switch of the printing apparatus 1 is turned on and before the printing operation begins. Therefore, since the action of releasing the closed state of the opening and closing cover 5 is performed at an appropriate time, the opening and closing cover 5 can be prevented from opening accidentally.

[0100] Other implementation methods

[0101] The automatic opening mechanism 3 for opening and closing the cover and the printing device 1 of the present invention basically have the configuration of the embodiments described above. Of course, some configuration changes or omissions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the rod 11 is configured to combine the resin locking body 20 and the metal power transmission shaft 26, which are separate entities, into one piece. However, for example, the locking body 20 and the power transmission shaft 26 can also be manufactured by integral molding of resin. Furthermore, the sliding part 19 can also be manufactured as one piece with the rod 11.

[0103] In addition, in the above embodiment, the power receiving part 17 is configured as the sliding part 19, but the carriage 15 may also be in direct contact with the other end 8 of the power transmission shaft 26. In this case, it is preferable that the structure of the part that contacts the carriage 15 and receives power is in stable contact with the carriage 15.

Claims

1. An automatic opening mechanism of an openable and closable cover characterized by comprising: a lever rotatable via a rotation fulcrum; a locking portion provided at one end of the lever, locking the openable and closable cover in a closed state to maintain the closed state of the openable and closable cover, the openable and closable cover receiving a force in an opening direction; and a power receiving portion provided at the other end of the lever, contacting a carriage moving in a horizontal direction and receiving power of the carriage, the lever rotating by the carriage contacting and pushing the power receiving portion, the closed state of the openable and closable cover maintained by the locking portion being released.

2. The automatic opening mechanism of an openable and closable cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the force in the opening direction is generated by a structure having a self-weight moment on a side where the openable and closable cover is opened.

3. The automatic opening mechanism of an openable and closable cover according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising a sensor sensing an open and close state of the openable and closable cover.

4. A printing device characterized by comprising: a carriage mounting a print head; and an openable and closable cover receiving a force in an opening direction, 5. The printing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the carriage reciprocally moves when performing printing, and the automatic opening mechanism is located outside a range of the reciprocating movement of the carriage.

6. The printing device according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one of a discharge tray receiving a printed matter and a feeding cassette housing a printing medium is operable by the openable and closable cover being opened.

7. The printing device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, in a case where the closed state of the openable and closable cover is sensed, printing is stopped, and an operation of releasing the closed state of the openable and closable cover is performed.

8. The printing device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that an operation of releasing the maintenance of the closed state of the openable and closable cover is performed after a main switch of the printing device is turned on and before an operation of the printing is started. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 4. A printing device characterized by comprising: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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