A printer core and a printer

Abstract

The application discloses a printer core and a printer. The printer core is provided with a leaf spring between a frame and a heating element, and the leaf spring is used to press the heating element forward so that a thermal head on the heating element is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of a paper feed roller to heat a printing material driven by the paper feed roller. The leaf spring is fixed by the frame and / or is pressed against a first position by the frame and is pressed against a second position by the frame, so that the leaf spring presses the heating element forward at a third position. In the up-down direction, the second position is between the first position and the third position. The printer adopts the above printer core. The technical scheme has the advantages that the printer core is relatively thin in the front-back direction, thereby reducing the size of the printer, and further improving the problem that the printed characters, patterns or symbols on the printing material are not uniform in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of printing apparatus, and more specifically to a printer core and a printer. Background Technology

[0002] In the prior art, a printer includes a housing and a printer core. The printer core is detachably fixed to the housing and housed within the housing. The housing has a paper roll receiving cavity for holding a paper roll used as printing material. The printer core includes a frame, a paper feed roller, a heating element, a helical spring, a first flexible circuit board, a motor, a transmission gear set, and a second flexible circuit board. The frame is adapted to be detachably fixed to the housing. The paper feed roller extends along the width direction and is mounted on the frame, rotating relative to the frame about a rotation axis extending along the width direction to drive the printing material towards the paper exit. The heating element extends along the width direction and includes a heating head and a tray. The heating head presses against the outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller to selectively heat the printing material driven by friction from the paper feed roller, causing text, patterns, or symbols to appear on the printing material. The heating head is generally fixedly attached to the tray. Several helical springs are disposed between the tray and the frame and distributed along the width direction. The helical springs press forward against the tray and press the heating head forward against the paper feed roller to apply positive pressure to the printing material. The first flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the heating element, supplying power to the heating element and transmitting control signals to it. The motor drives the paper feed roller to rotate via a transmission gear set. The motor is detachably fixed to the frame, and the transmission gear set is generally housed within a cavity formed by the frame. The second flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the motor, supplying power to it and transmitting control signals to it. In the above-described technical solution, the printer cartridge is often thicker along the front-to-back direction (roughly equivalent to the direction in which the heating element presses against the paper feed roller), making the printer bulky and inconvenient for users. Furthermore, for some wide printing materials, it is often found that the printed text, patterns, or symbols are darker on one side and lighter on the other along the width direction; that is, the existing technical solution still suffers from uneven density of printed text, patterns, or symbols along the width direction. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to overcome the aforementioned defects or problems in the prior art and to provide a printer core and a printer, wherein the printer core is thinner in the front-to-back direction than the printer cores in the prior art, thereby reducing the size of the printer.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the following technical solution is adopted:

[0005] The first technical solution relates to a printer core, comprising: a frame; a paper feed roller that rotates relative to the frame about a rotation axis extending in the width direction; a heating element mounted on the frame and having a support plate and a heating head fixed to the front surface of the support plate, the heating head pressing forward against the outer peripheral surface of the paper feed roller; and a leaf spring mounted on the frame; the leaf spring being fixed by the frame and / or pressed backward against a first portion, and further pressed forward against a second portion by the frame to deform it, and further pressing forward against the support plate at a third portion; the second portion being located between the first portion and the third portion in the vertical direction.

[0006] The second technical solution is based on the first technical solution, wherein the tray extends along the width direction; the frame pushes the tray backward to give the tray a degree of freedom to swing back and forth; the leaf spring has a base plate and at least two spring pieces, the base plate extends along the width direction, the spring pieces extend from the base plate perpendicular to the width direction, each spring piece is arranged along the width direction, and at least one spring piece is on each side along the left and right directions at the position where the tray is pushed backward by the frame; the first part is located on the base plate, and the second part and the third part are located on the spring pieces.

[0007] The third technical solution is based on the second technical solution, wherein each of the spring pieces is symmetrically arranged along the width direction relative to the position where the support plate is pushed backward by the frame.

[0008] The fourth technical solution is based on the second technical solution, wherein the frame includes a front frame and a rear frame fixedly connected to each other; the front frame is provided with two side frames and a connecting frame, the two side frames support the paper feed roller, the connecting frame is provided with a frame body, a first abutment part, a second abutment part and a positioning post, the frame body connects the two side frames, the first abutment part and the second abutment part both protrude rearward from the frame body, the first abutment part abuts the tray rearward, and the second abutment part abuts the substrate rearward at the first position; the rear frame is provided with a third abutment part, the third abutment part abuts the spring piece forward at the second position.

[0009] The fifth technical solution is based on the fourth technical solution, wherein the pallet has a plate body and a first leg protruding downward from the middle of the plate body along the width direction, and the hot head is fixed to the plate body; the first top abutment portion abuts the first leg backward.

[0010] The sixth technical solution is based on the fifth technical solution, wherein the plate body is provided with a bending portion in the vertical direction, and the bending portion extends in the width direction; the two sides of the plate body are respectively provided with ears; each side frame is provided with a receiving groove on the surface facing the other side frame, the receiving groove is provided with a rearward opening, and the ears are adapted to enter the receiving groove from the opening and be received in the receiving groove.

[0011] The seventh technical solution is based on the fourth technical solution, and further includes a first flexible circuit board, which is electrically connected to the heat head and extends downward from the middle of the heat head along the width direction. A first abutment portion passes through the first flexible circuit board and abuts against the first support foot. There are at least two second abutment portions, each of which is arranged along the width direction. The first flexible circuit board passes through a first gap formed between two adjacent second abutment portions. The rear frame is provided with a rearwardly protruding fourth abutment portion. The substrate is provided with a substrate body and a second support foot. The second support foot is located within the range of the first gap along the width direction. The second support foot protrudes downward from the substrate body and passes through the rear frame. The fourth abutment portion abuts against the second support foot rearward, and the second abutment portion abuts against the substrate body, so that the portion of the first part within the range of the first gap along the width direction is located on the second support foot, and the remaining portion of the first part along the width direction is located on the substrate body.

[0012] The eighth technical solution is based on the seventh technical solution, wherein the number of the second support legs is at least two, and each second support leg is symmetrically arranged along the width direction relative to the position where the support plate is pushed back by the frame.

[0013] The ninth technical solution is based on the fourth technical solution, wherein the rear frame is further provided with a fifth top abutment opposite to the second top abutment, and the fifth top abutment and the second top abutment clamp and fix the substrate to the first part.

[0014] The tenth technical solution is based on the seventh technical solution, wherein the connecting frame is further provided with a positioning post, the positioning post protruding from the rear end of the second top abutment and penetrating the substrate to position the leaf spring; the number of positioning posts is at least two, each positioning post is arranged along the width direction, and at least two positioning posts are located on both sides of the first flexible circuit board along the width direction.

[0015] The eleventh technical solution is based on any one of the fourth to tenth technical solutions, and further includes a motor, a transmission gear set, and a second flexible circuit board; the frame also includes a side cover, which is detachably fixedly connected to a side frame on one side and forms an accommodating cavity; the motor is fixedly connected to the outside of the side cover and drives the paper feed roller to rotate through the transmission gear set; the transmission gear set is accommodated in the accommodating cavity; the second flexible circuit board is fixedly connected to and electrically connected to the motor; the rear frame is detachably connected to the frame body by fasteners.

[0016] The twelfth technical solution relates to a printer, which includes a housing and a printer core as described in any one of the first to eleventh technical solutions, the printer core being detachably fixed to the housing and housed within the housing.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, the above solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The first technical solution uses a leaf spring to press against the heating element, which, compared to the solution using a coil spring, allows the printer core to be thinner along the front-to-back direction, thereby reducing the size of the printer.

[0019] The first technical solution places the second part of the leaf spring between the first part and the third part in the vertical direction. The first part is defined as the part that is fixed and / or pushed backward by the frame, the second part is defined as the part that is pushed forward by the frame and deformed, and the third part is defined as the part that pushes forward against the support plate. Compared to the technical solution that relies solely on the elastic force of the leaf spring to press against the tray, the above-mentioned technical method has two technical effects: First, because the second part is pressed forward by the frame, the leaf spring deforms, which increases the pressure of the leaf spring against the tray. This results in a greater force of the hot head pressing against the outer circumference of the paper feed roller, which can, to some extent, improve the problem of uneven density of printed text, patterns, or symbols along the width direction caused by uneven force of the hot head pressing against the outer circumference of the paper feed roller. Second, because the second part is pressed forward by the frame, the leaf spring deforms. While ensuring sufficient force of the leaf spring pressing against the tray, the leaf spring can be made thinner. This not only helps to make the printer core thinner along the front-to-back direction, thus reducing the size of the printer, but also helps to reduce the cost of the leaf spring, making the printer core or printer more cost-effective.

[0020] In the second technical solution, the degree of freedom of the tray to swing back and forth should be interpreted as the first and second ends of the tray along the width direction being able to swing forward or backward approximately around the swing fulcrum where the tray is pushed backward by the frame. Each spring extends from the base plate perpendicular to the width direction, and the springs are arranged along the width direction. At least one spring is located on each side along the left and right directions at the position where the tray is pushed backward by the frame, with the second and third portions situated on the springs. The combination of these technical features enables each spring to adaptively correct the deviation of the heating element along the width direction relative to the rotation axis of the feed roller. Specifically, if the first end of the heating element along the width direction is further backward and away from the rotation axis of the feed roller than the second end, then, since each spring is relatively independent... The spring piece against the first end, under the action of the heating element, deforms more backward than the spring piece against the second end. This results in a greater pressure exerted by the spring piece against the first end on the first end of the heating element compared to the pressure exerted by the spring piece against the second end on the second end. This imbalance of forces causes the first end of the heating element to swing forward, and correspondingly, the second end to swing backward, until the pressure exerted by the two spring pieces is approximately the same. This adaptively corrects the misalignment of the heating element along the width direction relative to the rotation axis of the paper feed roller. It should be noted that this misalignment of the heating element along the width direction relative to the rotation axis of the paper feed roller leads to uneven force exerted by the heating head against the outer circumference of the paper feed roller along the width direction. This is the cause of uneven density in the printed text, patterns, or symbols along the width direction. Therefore, the above-mentioned technical means can improve the problem of uneven density in the printed text, patterns, or symbols along the width direction.

[0021] The third technical solution sets each spring piece symmetrically along the width direction relative to the position where the frame pushes it backward. This helps to keep the force applied by each spring piece to the heating element on both sides of the swing fulcrum consistent with the lever arm of the swing fulcrum. This ensures that when the force applied by each spring piece to the heating element is balanced, the swing torque on both sides of the swing fulcrum of the heating element is also balanced. This is more conducive to the heating element applying a uniform pressing force to the feed roller along the width direction.

[0022] In the fourth technical solution, two side frames support the feed roller, and a first and second abutment protrudes from the frame connecting the two side frames. This allows the frame to serve as a common positional reference for the feed roller and the leaf spring, thus realizing the technical effects of the first to third technical solutions. The rear frame is fixed to the front frame, and the rear frame has a third abutment that pushes forward against the spring. When the leaf spring and the rear frame are assembled onto the front frame, the frame can push forward against the second part of the leaf spring, causing it to deform. The assembly process is simple.

[0023] In the fifth technical solution, the first abutting part protrudes forward from the frame and abuts against the first leg of the tray, while the heating head is fixed to the plate. The first leg protrudes downward from the plate, so that the tray has the freedom to swing back and forth when pressed by the leaf spring, which is more conducive to the heating element pressing against the paper feed roller in a more balanced manner along the width direction.

[0024] In the sixth technical solution, the plate body has a bent part extending along the width direction in the vertical direction, which helps to enhance the rigidity of the plate body in the width direction, thereby making the plate body thinner and the printer core thinner.

[0025] In the seventh technical solution, the first flexible circuit board extends downward from the middle of the heat head along the width direction, which is more conducive to the connection of the printing core with other devices, such as power supply devices and control devices.

[0026] In the seventh technical solution, when the first flexible circuit board passes between the front frame and the support plate (as can be seen from the first abutment portion passing through the first flexible circuit board and abutting the first support leg), the front frame cannot provide a second abutment portion that abuts the substrate backward within the range through which the first flexible circuit board passes. In this case, a fourth abutment portion that abuts the substrate backward is provided on the rear frame. In the area through which the first flexible circuit board passes, the leaf spring can also have a first part that is abutted backward by the frame. In conjunction with the spring piece being abutted forward by the third abutment portion, the relevant technical effects of the first technical solution can also be obtained in this area.

[0027] In the eighth technical solution, there are at least two second legs, which are symmetrically arranged along the width direction relative to the position where the tray is pushed back by the frame. This also helps to keep the force of the second legs on both sides of the swing fulcrum being pushed forward by the fourth pushing part consistent with the lever arm of the swing fulcrum. This allows the force applied by the leaf spring to the heating element in the area through which the first flexible circuit board passes to reach a balance, and the swing torque on both sides of the swing fulcrum of the heating element to reach a balance as well. This is more conducive to the heating element applying a uniform pressing force to the paper feed roller along the width direction.

[0028] The ninth technical solution is a specific implementation of the first part of the leaf spring being fixed by the frame by setting a fifth top abutment opposite to the second top abutment and clamping the base plate between the fifth top abutment and the second top abutment. Of course, there are other specific implementations of the leaf spring being fixed by the frame, such as fastening with screws.

[0029] In the tenth technical solution, the positioning post penetrates the leaf spring, facilitating its positioning and assembly to the frame. The positioning post protrudes rearward from the rear end of the second abutment portion, and the second abutment portion abuts the leaf spring at the first position, ensuring that when the leaf spring is assembled to the frame, the frame abuts the leaf spring at the first position. The rear frame is fixed to the front frame, and the rear frame has a third abutment portion that abuts the spring piece forward. This allows the leaf spring and rear frame to be assembled onto the front frame, enabling the frame to abut the leaf spring at the second position, causing it to deform. The assembly process is simple. In the fifth technical solution, at least two positioning posts are located on both sides of the first flexible circuit board along its width, which helps prevent the leaf spring from wobbling up and down at both ends along its width, resulting in more accurate positioning of the leaf spring.

[0030] In the eleventh technical solution, the motor is fixed to the outside of the side cover, which is beneficial for heat dissipation.

[0031] The twelfth technical solution correspondingly possesses the technical effects of the printing core in the first to eleventh technical solutions it references. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments, the accompanying drawings used are briefly described below:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the printer cartridge in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the printer cartridge in Example 1;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the front frame in Example 1;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a rear view of the printer cartridge in Example 1;

[0037] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along axis AA;

[0038] Figure 6 for Figure 4 BB-direction sectional view;

[0039] Figure 7 for Figure 4 CC-direction sectional view;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the printer cartridge structure in Example 2;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the printer cartridge structure in Example 3;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the printer cartridge structure in Example 4.

[0043] Explanation of key figure labels:

[0044] 1. Printer cartridge; 2. Frame; 3. Paper feed roller; 4. Heating element; 5. Leaf spring; 6. First flexible circuit board; 7. Motor; 8. Transmission gear set; 9. Second flexible circuit board; 10. Front frame; 11. Rear frame; 12. Side cover; 13. Side frame; 14. Connecting frame; 15. Groove; 16. Receiving slot; 17. Connecting part; 18. Frame body; 19. Paper guide surface; 20. First top abutment; 21. Second top abutment; 22. Positioning post; 23. Connecting post; 24. First vertical wall; 25. First horizontal wall; 26. Second vertical wall; 27. 28. Second horizontal wall; 29. ​​Third top abutment; 30. Positioning hole; 31. Fifth top abutment; 32. First hole; 33. Fourth top abutment; 34. Connecting hole; 35. First screw; 36. Support plate; 37. Heating head; 38. Plate body; 39. First support leg; 40. Ear; 41. Bending part; 42. Base plate; 43. Spring piece; 44. Base plate body; 45. Second support leg; 46. Support hole; 47. First part; 48. Second part; 49. Third part; 50. Second hole; 51. Third screw; 52. Width direction. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Unless otherwise specified, the terms “first,” “second,” or “third,” etc., in the claims and description are used to distinguish different objects and not to describe a particular order.

[0046] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "up and down direction" refers to a double-arrow direction, the direction of which is the set of "up" and "down" directions in the drawings of the description; the term "width direction" refers to a double-arrow direction and should be interpreted as indicated in the relevant drawings of the description; the terms "front," "back," "up," and "down" are all single-arrow directions and should be interpreted as indicated in the relevant drawings of the description.

[0047] Unless otherwise specified in the claims and description, the terms "fixed connection" or "fixed connection" shall be interpreted broadly to mean any connection in which there is no displacement or relative rotation relationship between the two parties, including non-removable fixed connection, detachable fixed connection, integral connection, and fixed connection by other means or components.

[0048] Unless otherwise specified, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof in the claims and description shall mean “including but not limited to.”

[0049] Unless otherwise specified in the claims and description, the term "symmetrically arranged along the width direction relative to the position where the tray is pushed back by the frame" shall be interpreted as follows: each elastic part or each second leg forms a plurality of first projections on the axis of rotation, and the position where the tray is pushed back by the frame forms a second projection on the axis of rotation, wherein the portion of each first projection located on one side of the second projection and the portion located on the other side of the second projection are substantially symmetrical with respect to the second projection, and if a first projection crosses the midpoint, then the first projection is also substantially symmetrical with respect to the second projection.

[0050] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "have" means that a feature following the term is subordinate to a feature preceding the term.

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Example 1

[0053] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 and Figure 2 Printer cartridge 1 is shown in the embodiment. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the printer core 1 includes a frame 2, a paper feed roller 3, a heating element 4, a leaf spring 5, a first flexible circuit board 6, a motor 7, a transmission gear set 8, and a second flexible circuit board 9.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, frame 2 includes a front frame 10, a rear frame 11, and a side cover 12 that are fixed to each other.

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown, the front frame 10 has two side frames 13 and a connecting frame 14 that are integrally connected. Each side frame 13 has a groove 15 at its upper end, which supports the feed roller 3 and allows the feed roller 3 to rotate relative to the frame 2 about a rotation axis extending along the width direction 52. Each side frame 13 has a receiving groove 16 on its surface facing the other side frame 13. The receiving groove 16 has a rearward opening. Figure 4 As shown, each side frame 13 has a connecting portion 17 protruding outward along the width direction 52 on the surface opposite to the other side frame 13, and the connecting portion 17 has a through hole extending in the front-to-back direction. Figure 3 As shown, the connecting frame 14 includes a frame body 18, a first top abutment 20, a second top abutment 21, a positioning post 22, and a connecting post 23. The frame body 18 extends along the width direction 52 and connects to two side frames 13. Figure 1 As shown, the front surface of the frame 18 forms a paper guide surface 19 for guiding printing material between the feed roller 3 and the heating element 4. Figure 3As shown, the first abutment 20 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the middle part of the frame 18. There are two second abutments 21, arranged along the width direction 52 and located on both sides of the first abutment 20. Each second abutment 21 is plate-shaped and protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the frame 18. Positioning posts 22 protrude rearward from the rear end of the second abutment 21. Each second abutment 21 is connected to two positioning posts 22, each arranged along the width direction 52. Two positioning posts 22 are located on one side of the first abutment 20, and the other two are located on the other side. In other embodiments, the number of second abutments 21 may exceed two, and the number of positioning posts 22 may be fewer or more. In this embodiment, two connecting posts 23 are also provided below each second abutment 21, and the rear end face of the connecting posts 23 has threaded holes.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the rear frame 11 extends along the width direction 52. The rear frame 11 is provided with a first vertical wall 24, a first horizontal wall 25, a second vertical wall 26, and a second horizontal wall 27 sequentially from top to bottom. The first vertical wall 24 is positioned opposite to the second abutment portion 21, and the upper end of the first vertical wall 24 forms a forward-protruding third abutment portion 28. In this embodiment, the third abutment portion 28 has dimensions along the vertical direction. The first vertical wall 24 has four positioning holes 29, each corresponding to a positioning post 22 and arranged along the width direction 52. The first horizontal wall 25 has two through holes 31 arranged along the width direction 52, symmetrically positioned relative to the first abutment portion 20. The second vertical wall 26 has two rearward-protruding fourth abutment portions 32, each corresponding to a first hole 31 and located below it. The second vertical wall 26 is also provided with four connecting holes 33 through the second vertical wall 26 along the width direction 52, and the connecting holes 33 are provided corresponding to the connecting posts 23. The connecting holes 33 are adapted to be penetrated by the first screw 34, and the first screw 34 is adapted to be screwed into the threaded hole on the connecting post 33.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, the side cover 12 is detachably fixed to the side frame 13 on one side by the second screw 35 and forms a receiving cavity.

[0058] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the paper feed roller 3 is supported on the grooves 15 on the two side frames 13. The paper feed roller 3 rotates relative to the frame 2 about a rotation axis extending along the width direction 52, so as to drive the printing material to move by friction.

[0059] like Figure 5As shown, the heating element 4 extends along the width direction 52 and is provided with a support plate 36 and a heating head 37. The heating head 37 is fixed to the front surface of the support plate 36 and is used to selectively heat the printing material driven by the friction of the paper feed roller 3, and to make the printing material display text, patterns or symbols. Figure 2 As shown, the tray 36 has a plate body 38 and a first support leg 39, with the plate body 38 extending along the width direction 52. Ears 40 protrude outwards from both sides of the plate body 38, as shown... Figure 4 As shown, the ear portion 40 is adapted to enter the receiving groove 16 through the opening of the receiving groove 16 and be received in the receiving groove 16. The ear portion 40 is also adapted to be limited by the rearward front groove wall of the receiving groove 16. The plate body 38 has a bent portion 41 at its upper part along the vertical direction. The heating element 4 is fixed to the upper part of the front surface of the plate body 38 and located at the lower part of the bent portion 41. The first support leg 39 protrudes downward from the middle of the plate body 38 along the width direction 52. The first support leg 39 is adapted to be pushed rearward by the first abutment portion 20.

[0060] like Figure 2 As shown, the leaf spring 5 has a base plate 42 and at least two spring pieces 43. The base plate 42 has a base plate body 44 and two second legs 45. The base plate body 44 extends along the width direction 52 and has four support holes 46 suitable for the positioning post 22 to pass through. The second legs 45 extend downward from the base plate body 44 and are suitable for being pushed backward by the fourth abutment portion 32 after passing through the first hole 31. The two second legs 45 are symmetrically arranged relative to the first abutment portion 20 along the width direction 52. In this embodiment, there are six spring pieces 43. The spring pieces 43 extend upward from the base plate body 44 and are arranged along the width direction 52. There is at least one spring piece 36 on each side of the first abutment portion 20 (the position where the support plate 36 is pushed backward by the frame 2) in the left and right directions. The spring pieces 43 are symmetrically arranged relative to the first abutment portion 20 along the width direction 52.

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, the first flexible circuit board 6 is electrically connected to the heating head 37 and is used to supply power to the heating head 37 and transmit control signals. The first flexible circuit board 6 extends downward from the middle of the heating head 37 in the width direction. The portion of the first flexible circuit board 6 corresponding to the first foot 39 is provided with a second hole 50, through which the first abutment portion 20 passes to abut against the first foot 39. The first flexible circuit board 6 is configured to pass through a first gap formed in the width direction 52 between two adjacent second abutment portions 21.

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown, the motor 7 is fixed to the outside of the side cover 12 to generate power and drive the paper feed roller 3 to rotate through the transmission gear set 8.

[0063] like Figure 2As shown, the transmission gear set 8 is configured to be housed in the accommodating cavity formed by the cooperation of the side cover 12 and the side frame 13. Its input end meshes with the gear on the output shaft of the motor 7, and its output end meshes with the gear on the shaft of the paper feed roller 3 to realize the transmission function. In this embodiment, it can also have a deceleration function.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the second flexible circuit board 9 is configured to be fixedly and electrically connected to the motor 7 for supplying power to the motor 7 and transmitting control signals.

[0065] See Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the printer core 1 after assembly in this embodiment.

[0066] like Figure 7 As shown, after the printer core 1 is assembled, the first screw 34 passes through the positioning hole 29 and is screwed into the threaded hole on the connecting post 23, so that the front frame 10 and the rear frame 11 are detachably fixed together. Figure 2 As shown, the side cover 12 is detachably fixed to the side frame 13 on one side by the second screw 35 and forms a receiving cavity.

[0067] like Figure 7 As shown, the feed roller 3 is rotatably supported in the grooves 15 of the two side frames 13, and the heating head 37 is fixed to the front surface of the plate 38 and presses forward against the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 3. Figure 4 As shown, the two ears 40 enter the receiving groove 16 through the opening and are received within the receiving groove 16. Figure 2 As shown, the motor 7 is fixed to the outside of the side cover 12 by the third screw 51 and drives the paper feed roller 3 through the transmission gear set 8. The transmission gear set 8 is housed in the receiving cavity. The first flexible circuit board 6 is fixed to and electrically connected to the heating head 37, and the first flexible circuit board 6 also passes through the first gap between the two second top portions 21. The second flexible circuit board 9 is fixed to the plate body 38 and thus fixed relative to the motor 7 and electrically connected to the motor 7.

[0068] like Figure 7 As shown, the positioning post 22 passes through the support hole 46 on the substrate body 44 and extends into the positioning hole 29, thereby supporting and positioning the leaf spring 5.

[0069] like Figure 6As shown, within the first interval along the width direction 52, each second leg 45 passes through the first hole 31 and is pushed backward by the fourth abutment 32 against the first part 47 of the leaf spring 5. Within the first interval along the width direction 52, the middle part of the spring piece 43 is also pushed forward by the third abutment 28 against the second part 48 of the leaf spring 5. Specifically, the upper and lower ends of the third abutment 28 both abut against the rear surface of the spring piece 43, causing the spring piece 43 to deform forward. Therefore, the parts of the spring piece 43 that contact the third abutment 28 all belong to the second part 48. Within the first interval along the width direction 52, the upper part of the spring piece 43 also presses forward against the rear surface of the plate 38. Therefore, within the first interval along the width direction 52, the second part 48 of the leaf spring 5 is located above the first part 47 and below the third part 49.

[0070] like Figure 7 As shown, outside the first interval along the width direction 52, two second abutting portions 21 abut rearward against the substrate body 44. The first vertical wall 24, as the fifth abutting portion 30 opposite to the second abutting portions 21, together with the second abutting portions 21, clamps and fixes the substrate body 44 at the first part 47. Outside the first interval along the width direction 52, the middle part of the spring piece 43 is also abutted forward by the third abutting portion 28 against the second part 48 of the leaf spring 5. Specifically, the upper and lower ends of the third abutting portion 28 abut against the rear surface of the spring piece 43, causing the spring piece 43 to deform forward. Therefore, the parts of the spring piece 43 that contact the third abutting portion 28 all belong to the second part 48. Outside the first interval along the width direction 52, the upper part of the spring piece 43 also presses forward against the rear surface of the plate body 38. Therefore, outside the first interval along the width direction 52, the second part 48 of the leaf spring 5 is also located above the first part 47 and below the third part 49.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, the first abutment portion 20 passes through the second hole 50 and abuts against the first support leg 39, so that the support plate 36 has the freedom to swing back and forth. Figure 2 As shown, relative to the position where the support plate 36 is abutted by the first abutting part 20, each spring piece 43 is symmetrically arranged along the width direction, and each second support leg 45 is symmetrically arranged along the width direction.

[0072] The printer in this embodiment (not shown in the figure) includes a housing and a printer core 1. The through hole on the connecting part 17 of the printer core 1 is used to achieve a detachable connection with the housing by screws. The printer core 1 is also housed in the housing.

[0073] In this embodiment, a leaf spring 5 is used to press against the heating element 4. Compared with the technical solution of using a helical spring, the printer core 1 can be made thinner in the front-to-back direction, thereby reducing the size of the printer.

[0074] In this embodiment, the second part 48 of the leaf spring 5 is placed between the first part 47 and the third part 49 in the vertical direction. The first part 47 is defined as the part that is fixed and / or pushed backward by the frame 2, the second part 48 is defined as the part that is pushed forward by the frame 2 and deformed, and the third part 49 is defined as the part that presses forward against the support plate 36. Compared to the technical solution that relies solely on the elastic force of the leaf spring 5 to press against the tray 36, the above-mentioned technical means have two technical effects: First, because the second part 48 is pressed forward by the frame 2, the leaf spring 5 deforms, which increases the pressure of the leaf spring 5 against the tray 36. This results in a greater force of the hot head 37 pressing against the outer circumference of the paper feed roller 3, which can, to some extent, improve the problem of uneven density of printed text, patterns, or symbols along the width direction caused by the uneven force of the hot head 37 pressing against the outer circumference of the paper feed roller 3. Second, because the second part 48 is pressed forward by the frame 2, the leaf spring 5 deforms. While ensuring sufficient force of the leaf spring 5 pressing against the tray 36, the leaf spring 5 can be made thinner. This not only helps to make the printer core 1 thinner along the front-back direction, thereby reducing the size of the printer, but also helps to reduce the cost of the leaf spring 5, making the printer core 1 or the printer more cost-effective.

[0075] In this embodiment, the back-and-forth swing freedom of the tray 36 should be interpreted as the first and second ends of the tray 36 along the width direction 52 being able to swing forward or backward approximately around the swing fulcrum where the tray 36 is pushed backward by the frame 2. Each spring 43 extends from the base plate 42 perpendicular to the width direction 52. Each spring 43 is arranged along the width direction 52, with at least one spring 43 on each side of the tray 36 at the position where the frame 2 pushes backward, and the second portion 48 and the third portion 49 are located on the spring 43. This allows each spring 43 to adaptively correct the deviation of the heating element 4 along the width direction 52 relative to the rotation axis of the feed roller 3. Specifically, if the first end of the heating element 4 along the width direction 52 is further backward than the second end from the rotation axis of the feed roller 3, then, since each spring 43 is relative to each other… Independently subjected to force and exerted force, the spring 43 abutting the first end will deform more backward under the action of the heating element 4 than the spring 43 abutting the second end. This results in the spring 43 abutting the first end exerting a greater pressure on the first end of the heating element 4 than the spring 43 abutting the second end exerting a greater pressure on the second end of the heating element 4. This imbalance of forces will cause the first end of the heating element 4 to swing forward, and correspondingly the second end of the heating element 4 to swing backward, until the pressure exerted by the two springs 43 is approximately the same, thereby adaptively correcting the skewness of the heating element 4 along the width direction 52 relative to the rotation axis of the paper feed roller 3. It should be noted that the skewness of the heating element 4 along the width direction 52 relative to the rotation axis of the paper feed roller 3 will cause the force of the heating head 37 pressing against the outer circumference of the paper feed roller 3 to be uneven along the width direction 52. Therefore, this is the cause of the problem of uneven density of the text, patterns or symbols printed by the printing material along the width direction. Thus, the above-mentioned technical means can improve the problem of uneven density of the text, patterns or symbols printed by the printing material along the width direction.

[0076] In this embodiment, each spring 43 is set to be symmetrical about the position of the support plate 36 being pushed back by the frame 2 along the width direction 52. This is beneficial to make the force applied by each spring 43 on the heating element 4 on both sides of the swing fulcrum consistent with the lever arm of the swing fulcrum. This makes it easier for the force applied by each spring 43 on the heating element 4 to reach a balance, and the swing torque of the heating element 4 on both sides of the swing fulcrum to also reach a balance. This is more conducive to the heating element 4 applying a uniform pressing force to the paper feed roller 3 along the width direction 52.

[0077] In this embodiment, two side frames 13 support the paper feed roller 3, and a first abutment portion 20 and a second abutment portion 21 protrude from the frame body 18 connecting the two side frames 13, so that the frame 2 can serve as a common position reference for the paper feed roller 3 and the leaf spring 5. The rear frame 11 is fixedly connected to the front frame 10, and the rear frame 11 is provided with a third abutment portion 28. The third abutment portion 28 abuts forward against the spring piece 43, so that after the leaf spring 5 and the rear frame 11 are assembled to the front frame 10, the frame 2 can abut forward against the second part 48 of the leaf spring 5 to deform it, and the assembly process is simple.

[0078] In this embodiment, the first abutting part 20 protrudes forward from the frame 18 and abuts against the first support leg 39 of the tray 36, while the heating head 37 is fixed to the plate 38. The first support leg 39 protrudes downward from the plate 38, so that the tray 36 has the freedom to swing back and forth when pressed by the leaf spring 5, which is more conducive to the heating element 4 pressing against the paper feed roller 3 in a more balanced manner along the width direction 52.

[0079] In this embodiment, the plate 38 is provided with a bent portion 41 extending along the width direction 52 in the vertical direction, which helps to enhance the rigidity of the plate 38 along the width direction 52, thereby making the plate 38 thinner and the printer core 1 thinner.

[0080] In this embodiment, the first flexible circuit board 6 extends downward from the middle of the heat head 37 along the width direction 52, which is more conducive to the connection of the printing core 1 with other devices, such as power supply devices and control devices.

[0081] In this embodiment, when the first flexible circuit board 6 passes between the front frame 10 and the support plate 36 (as can be seen from the first abutting part 20 penetrating the first flexible circuit board 6 and abutting the first support leg 39), the front frame 10 cannot provide a second abutting part 21 that abuts the substrate 42 backward within the range through which the first flexible circuit board 6 passes. At this time, a fourth abutting part 32 that abuts the substrate 42 backward is provided on the rear frame 11, so that the leaf spring 5 can also have a first part 47 that is abutted backward by the frame 2 in the area through which the first flexible circuit board 6 passes. In conjunction with the spring piece 43 being abutted forward by the third abutting part 28, the spring piece 43 can also have a stronger force pressing against the support plate 36 in this area.

[0082] In this embodiment, there are two second legs 45, which are symmetrically arranged along the width direction 52 relative to the position where the support plate 36 is pushed back by the frame 2. This also helps to keep the force of the second legs 45 on the left and right sides of the swing fulcrum pushed forward by the fourth pushing part 32 consistent with the lever arm of the swing fulcrum. This makes it possible for the force applied by the leaf spring 5 to the heating element 4 in the area through which the first flexible circuit board 6 passes to reach a balance, and the swing torque of the heating element 4 on both sides of the swing fulcrum to also reach a balance. This is more conducive to the heating element 4 applying a uniform pressing force to the paper feed roller 3 along the width direction 52.

[0083] This embodiment uses a fifth abutment 50 positioned opposite the second abutment 21 to clamp and fix the base plate 42 between the fifth abutment 50 and the second abutment 21. This is a specific implementation of the leaf spring 5 being fixed by the frame 2 to form the first part 47. Of course, there are other specific implementations of the leaf spring 5 being fixed by the frame 2, such as fastening with screws.

[0084] In this embodiment, the positioning post 22 penetrates the leaf spring 5, facilitating the positioning and assembly of the leaf spring 5 to the frame 2. The positioning post 22 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the second abutment portion 21, and the second abutment portion 21 abuts the leaf spring 5 rearward at the first part 47, so that when the leaf spring 5 is assembled to the frame 2, it can be positioned so that the frame 2 abuts the leaf spring 5 at the first part. At least two positioning posts 22 are located on both sides of the first flexible circuit board along the width direction 52, which helps to prevent the leaf spring 5 from wobbling up and down at both ends along the width direction 52, making the positioning of the leaf spring 5 more accurate.

[0085] In this embodiment, the motor 7 is fixed to the outside of the side cover 12, which is beneficial for heat dissipation.

[0086] Example 2

[0087] See Figure 8 , Figure 8 The structure of Embodiment 2 is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the only difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the third abutment portion 28 is thinner in the vertical direction, so that in the cross-section, the third abutment portion 28 and the rear surface of the spring piece 43 have only one contact point, instead of two as in Embodiment 1. In this case, the position on the spring piece 43 corresponding to this contact point is the second portion 48. Based on the technical principles disclosed in this application, this embodiment can also achieve the effect of thinning the printing core 1 and improving the problem of uneven density of text, patterns, or symbols printed from the printing material along the width direction.

[0088] Example 3

[0089] See Figure 9 , Figure 9 The structure of Embodiment 3 is shown. Figure 9As shown, this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that the first vertical wall 24 no longer clamps the substrate 42 with the second abutment 21, while the second abutment 21 still abuts the substrate 42 rearward at the first position 47. This allows the portion of the substrate 42 located below the positioning post 22 to deflect rearward when the third abutment 28 abuts the spring 43 forward at the second position 48. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the substrate 42 no longer has a second support leg 45, and the rear frame 11 no longer has a first hole 31 and a fourth abutment 32. Based on the technical principles disclosed in this application, even if the substrate 42 is not fixed by the frame 2 but is only abutted rearward by the second abutment 21 at the first position 47, this embodiment can still achieve the effect of thinning the printing core 1 and improving the uneven density of text, patterns, or symbols printed from the printing material along the width direction.

[0090] Example 4

[0091] See Figure 10 , Figure 10 The structure of Embodiment 4 is shown. Figure 10 As shown, this embodiment differs from Embodiment 3 in that, similar to Embodiment 1, the substrate 42 in this embodiment is provided with a second support 45, and the rear frame 11 is provided with a first hole 31 and a fourth abutment 32. The second support 45 passes through the first hole 31 and is pushed backward by the fourth abutment 32. Based on the technical principles disclosed in this application, this embodiment can also achieve the effect of thinning the printer core 1 and improving the problem of uneven density of text, patterns, or symbols printed from the printing material along the width direction.

[0092] The description of the above specification and embodiments is used to explain the scope of protection of this application, but does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A printer cartridge (1), characterized in that it comprises: Framework (2); The paper feed roller (3) rotates relative to the frame (2) about a rotation axis extending in the width direction; A heating element (4), mounted on the frame (2) and having a support plate (36) and a heat head (37) fixed to the front surface of the support plate (36), the heat head (37) pressing forward against the outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller (3); and A leaf spring (5) is mounted on the frame (2); it is fixed by the frame (2) and / or pushed back against a first part (47), and is also pushed forward against a second part (48) by the frame (2) to deform it, and it also pushes forward against the support plate (36) against a third part (49); in the vertical direction, the second part (48) is located between the first part (47) and the third part (49); The tray (36) extends along the width direction; the frame (2) pushes the tray (36) backward to give the tray (36) the freedom to swing back and forth; the leaf spring (5) is provided with a base plate (42) and at least two spring pieces (43), the base plate (42) extends along the width direction, the spring pieces (43) extend from the base plate (42) perpendicular to the width direction, each spring piece (43) is arranged along the width direction, and there is at least one spring piece (43) on each side along the left and right directions at the position where the tray (36) is pushed backward by the frame (2); the first part (47) is located on the base plate (42), the second part (48) and the third part (49) are located on the spring pieces (43). Each of the spring pieces (43) is symmetrically arranged relative to the position where the frame (2) pushes the plate (36) backward along the width direction.

2. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (2) includes a front frame (10) and a rear frame (11) fixedly connected to each other; the front frame (10) is provided with two side frames (13) and a connecting frame (14), the two side frames (13) support the paper feed roller (3), the connecting frame (14) is provided with a frame body (18), a first abutment (20) and a second abutment (21), the frame body (18) connects the two side frames (13), the first abutment (20) and the second abutment (21) both protrude rearward from the frame body (18), the first abutment (20) abuts the tray (36) rearward, and the second abutment (21) abuts the substrate (42) rearward at the first part (47); the rear frame (11) is provided with a third abutment (28), the third abutment (28) abuts the spring piece (43) forward at the second part (48).

3. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The tray (36) has a plate (38) and a first leg (39) protruding downward from the middle of the plate (38) in the width direction. The hot head (37) is fixed to the plate (38). The first abutting part (20) abuts the first leg (39) backward.

4. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The plate (38) has a bent portion (41) in the vertical direction, and the bent portion (41) extends in the width direction; the plate (38) has ears (40) on both sides; each side frame (13) has a receiving groove (16) on its surface facing the other side frame (13), the receiving groove (16) has a rearward opening, and the ears (40) are adapted to enter the receiving groove (16) from the opening and be received in the receiving groove (16).

5. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a first flexible circuit board (6), which is electrically connected to the heat head (37) and extends downward from the center of the heat head (37) in the width direction. The first abutting part (20) passes through the first flexible circuit board (6) and abuts against the support plate (36). The number of the second abutment (21) is at least two, and each second abutment (21) is arranged along the width direction. The first flexible circuit board (6) passes through the first gap formed between two adjacent second abutments (21); the rear frame (11) is provided with a rearward protruding fourth abutment (32). The substrate (42) is provided with a substrate body (44) and a second leg (45); the second leg (45) is located within the first interval along the width direction, and the second leg (45) protrudes downward from the substrate body (44) and passes through the rear frame (11). The fourth abutting portion (32) abuts the second foot (45) rearward and the second abutting portion (21) abuts the substrate body (44) rearward, so that a portion of the first portion (47) within the first interval along the width direction is located on the second foot (45) and the remaining portion of the first portion (47) along the width direction is located on the substrate body (44).

6. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The number of the second support (45) is at least two, and each second support (45) is symmetrically arranged in the width direction relative to the position where the frame (2) pushes the tray (36) backward.

7. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The rear frame (11) is also provided with a fifth top abutment (30) opposite to the second top abutment (21), and the fifth top abutment (30) and the second top abutment (21) clamp and fix the substrate (42) to the first part (47).

8. A printer cartridge (1) as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting frame is also provided with positioning posts (22), which protrude from the rear end of the second top abutment (21) and penetrate the substrate (42) to position the leaf spring (5); the number of positioning posts (22) is at least two, each positioning post (22) is arranged along the width direction, and at least two positioning posts (22) are located on both sides of the first flexible circuit board (6) along the width direction.

9. A printer cartridge (1) as described in any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that, It also includes a motor (7), a transmission gear set (8), and a second flexible circuit board (9); the frame (2) also includes a side cover (12), which is detachably fixed to a side frame (13) on one side and forms a receiving cavity; the motor (7) is fixed to the outside of the side cover (12) and drives the paper feed roller (3) to rotate through the transmission gear set (8); the transmission gear set (8) is housed in the receiving cavity; the second flexible circuit board (9) is fixed to and electrically connected to the motor (7); the rear frame (11) is detachably connected to the frame body (18) by fasteners.

10. A printer comprising a housing, characterized in that, It also includes a printer core (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the printer core (1) being detachably fixed to the housing and housed within the housing.

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