A portable printer

Abstract

The application provides a portable printer, which comprises an outer shell, a paper bin cover rotationally connected with the outer shell, a support arranged on the paper bin cover, a rubber roller assembly arranged on the support, a damping assembly arranged on the back of the outer shell, and a belt buckle rotationally connected with the damping assembly; a long hole for connecting with the rubber roller assembly is arranged on the support, and the belt buckle generates damping during rotation; the printer of the application can move the rubber roller backward when falling, so as to avoid damage to gears and the like; meanwhile, the belt buckle with damping effect is arranged, so as to prevent the belt buckle support from rotating by itself, and when rotation is needed, a certain force can be applied to rotate the belt buckle support, which not only facilitates the removal of the battery behind the outer shell, but also prevents the printer from falling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of printers, and in particular to a portable printer. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal printers are increasingly favored by businesses due to their advantages such as high speed, low noise, clear printing, and ease of use, especially in industries such as catering, banking, and supermarkets.

[0003] However, most existing portable printers have the following drawbacks:

[0004] First, some printers have a large gap between the belt buckle and the printer in order to facilitate the removal of the battery on the back of the casing. However, if the gap is too large, the printer may fall off when placed on the belt buckle, which could damage the printer.

[0005] Secondly, when the printer is dropped, the paper tray cover may pop open due to external pressure, exposing the gears. The printer may also bounce back after being dropped, which could damage the gears and other components during the second drop.

[0006] In view of this, the inventor specifically designed a portable printer, which led to this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the above problems, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A portable printer includes a housing, a paper tray cover rotatably connected to the housing, a bracket disposed on the paper tray cover, a rubber roller assembly disposed on the bracket, a damping assembly disposed on the back of the housing, and a belt buckle rotatably connected to the damping assembly.

[0009] The bracket is provided with an elongated hole for connecting to the rubber roller assembly, and the belt buckle generates damping during rotation.

[0010] Furthermore, the rubber roller assembly includes a roller, bearings sleeved at both ends of the roller and located in the elongated holes, and a gear disposed on the roller and close to one of the bearings. The paper tray cover is provided with a first protective step and a second protective step for protecting the rubber roller assembly at both ends.

[0011] Furthermore, fixing plates are provided at both ends of the bracket, and each fixing plate is provided with an elongated hole. The rubber roller assembly is mounted on both ends of the bracket through the two fixing plates.

[0012] Furthermore, the rubber roller assembly can slide within the elongated hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the damping assembly is detachably connected to the outer casing and includes a damping plate for generating a damping effect on the belt buckle, a locking member for setting the damping plate and belt buckle on the back of the outer casing, and an anti-rotation plate sleeved on the locking member and preventing the locking member from rotating when the belt buckle rotates.

[0014] Furthermore, the damping plate is provided with a limiting step on the side near the outer shell, and the outer shell is provided with a limiting groove that cooperates with the limiting step; the belt buckle bracket is provided with several damping grooves, and the damping plate is provided with several damping steps that cooperate with the damping grooves; the outer shell is provided with an internal threaded hole for locking the locking component.

[0015] Furthermore, the limiting step has a non-cylindrical structure. For example, a boss can be extended from a cylindrical body, and the inner shape of the limiting groove is consistent with the outer shape of the limiting step.

[0016] Furthermore, the damping groove and damping step are arranged in a circumferential array, and a certain force needs to be applied to rotate the belt buckle bracket through the cooperation between the two.

[0017] Furthermore, the outer shell, damping plate, and anti-rotation plate are in a relatively stationary state.

[0018] Furthermore, an anti-rotation structure is provided between the damping plate and the anti-rotation plate to prevent the belt buckle bracket from contacting the locking member; the anti-rotation structure includes a second step provided on the damping plate and a third step provided on the anti-rotation plate, and a locking groove is provided on the second step to cooperate with the third step.

[0019] Furthermore, the damping plate and the anti-rotation plate are both sleeved on the locking member. The anti-rotation plate, the belt buckle bracket and the damping plate are sequentially sleeved on the locking member and then limited by the retaining ring.

[0020] Furthermore, the locking member is provided with an annular groove for the retaining ring to engage.

[0021] Furthermore, both the damping plate and the anti-rotation plate are made of wear-resistant plastic material.

[0022] Furthermore, a flexible circuit board is also provided on the bracket, and a first optocoupler and a second optocoupler are provided on the flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is fixed on the bracket by a fixing block, and the first optocoupler and the second optocoupler have a height difference.

[0023] Furthermore, the flexible circuit board includes a first horizontal portion for placing a first optocoupler, a second horizontal portion for placing a second optocoupler, and a transition portion for connecting the first horizontal portion and the second horizontal portion, the transition portion being inclined; a first placement platform and a second placement platform are provided on the bracket, the flexible circuit board is placed on the first placement platform and the second placement platform, and there is a height difference between the first placement platform and the second placement platform; a first hole for placing the first optocoupler is provided on the first placement platform, and a second hole for placing the second optocoupler is provided on the second placement platform.

[0024] Furthermore, a first reinforcing plate is provided on the first horizontal portion, and a second reinforcing plate is provided on the second horizontal portion.

[0025] Furthermore, the bracket is also provided with positioning posts for positioning the flexible circuit board.

[0026] Furthermore, the fixing block and the bracket are detachably connected; the fixing block is provided with a buckle, and the bracket is provided with a slot for engaging the buckle.

[0027] Furthermore, the fixing block is provided with a stepped surface for pressing down on the flexible circuit board.

[0028] Furthermore, the fixing block is provided with positioning holes that cooperate with the positioning pins.

[0029] Furthermore, the first optocoupler is used to identify label paper; the second optocoupler is used to identify black label paper, and the use of the first optocoupler and the second optocoupler together can make the printer universal, capable of recognizing various types of printing paper such as label paper, black label paper, and continuous paper.

[0030] Furthermore, it also includes an inner shell disposed inside the outer shell and having a paper compartment, wherein a paper width adjustment device is disposed inside the paper compartment of the inner shell.

[0031] Furthermore, it also includes a battery, and the back of the housing is provided with a mounting groove for installing the battery, and a drain hole is provided on the side wall of the mounting groove.

[0032] Furthermore, the battery is provided with a buckle, the side wall of the mounting groove is provided with a buckle groove that engages with the buckle, and the drain hole is provided in the buckle groove.

[0033] The printer of this invention features an elongated hole that allows the rubber roller to move backward when the printer is dropped, preventing damage to gears and other components. It also incorporates a damping buckle to prevent the buckle bracket from rotating on its own. When rotation is necessary, a certain force can be applied to rotate the buckle bracket, facilitating the removal of the battery from the back of the casing and preventing the printer from falling. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate the invention and constitute a part of this invention, are illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention.

[0035] in:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the printer structure of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the printer structure of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a partial schematic diagram of the printer of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a partial schematic diagram of the printer of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure on the back of the outer casing of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the damping component of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the damping component of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the damping component of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the damping component of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0045] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the damping sheet of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-rotation plate of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rubber roller assembly of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the flexible circuit board of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board structure of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing block of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 17 This is a cross-sectional view of the flexible circuit board of the present invention after installation;

[0053] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the printer of this invention;

[0054] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner shell of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the paper width adjustment device of the present invention.

[0056] Label Explanation:

[0057] 10. Outer shell; 11. Limiting groove; 12. Internal threaded hole; 13. Mounting groove; 14. Drain hole; 20. Paper tray cover; 21. First protective step; 22. Second protective step; 30. Bracket; 301. First placement platform; 3011. First hole; 302. Second placement platform; 3021. Second hole; 303. Positioning post; 304. Slot; 31. Fixing piece; 311. Elongated hole; 32. Flexible circuit board; 321. First horizontal part; 3211. First reinforcing plate; 322. Second horizontal part; 3221. Second reinforcing plate; 323. Through Watanabe; 33, First optocoupler; 34, Second optocoupler; 35, Fixing block; 351, Buckle; 352, Stepped surface; 353, Positioning hole; 40, Inner shell; 50, Rubber roller assembly; 51, Roller; 52, Bearing; 53, Gear; 60, Damping assembly; 61, Damping plate; 611, Limiting step; 612, Damping step; 613, Second step; 6131, Locking groove; 62, Locking element; 63, Anti-rotation plate; 631, Third step; 70, Belt buckle; 80, Paper width adjustment device; 81, Paper width limiting slider; 811, Sliding table; 90, Battery. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To make the technical problems, solutions, and beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0059] Please see Figures 1 to 20This is a portable printer, a preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprising a housing 10, a paper tray cover 20 rotatably connected to the housing 10, a bracket 30 disposed on the paper tray cover 20, a rubber roller assembly 50 disposed on the bracket 30, a damping assembly 60 disposed on the back of the housing 10, and a belt buckle 70 rotatably connected to the damping assembly 60; the bracket 30 is provided with an elongated hole 311 for connecting to the rubber roller assembly 50, and the belt buckle 70 generates damping during rotation. The elongated hole 311 is racetrack-shaped, resembling a square or rectangle with semicircular structures on opposite sides.

[0060] The roller assembly 50 includes a roller 51, bearings 52 sleeved at both ends of the roller 51 and located within elongated holes 311, and a gear 53 mounted on the roller 51 and near one of the bearings 52. A paper tray cover 20 has a first protective step 21 and a second protective step 22 near both ends of the roller assembly 50 for protecting the roller assembly 50. A bracket 30 has fixing plates at both ends, each with an elongated hole 311. The roller assembly 50 is mounted on both ends of the bracket 30 via the two fixing plates. The roller assembly 50 can slide within the elongated holes 311. The first protective step 21 is located near the end of the gear 53, and the second protective step 22 is positioned opposite the first protective step 21. Together with the elongated holes 311, when the printer is dropped, the roller assembly 50 can retract, effectively protecting the entire roller assembly 50 and reducing the possibility of damage.

[0061] The damping assembly 60 is detachably connected to the outer casing 10 and includes a damping plate 61 for damping the belt buckle 70, a locking member 62 for mounting the damping plate 61 and belt buckle 70 on the back of the outer casing 10, and an anti-rotation plate 63 fitted onto the locking member 62 to prevent the locking member 62 from rotating when the belt buckle 70 rotates. A limiting step 611 is provided on the side of the damping plate 61 closest to the outer casing 10, and a limiting groove 11 is provided on the outer casing 10 to cooperate with the limiting step 611. Through the cooperation of the limiting step 611 and the limiting groove 11, the damping plate 61 can be kept relatively stationary when the belt buckle 70 rotates. The belt buckle 70 bracket 30 is provided with several damping grooves, and the damping plate 61 is provided with... Several damping steps 612 are provided to cooperate with the damping grooves. The damping grooves and damping steps 612 create resistance during the rotation of the belt buckle 70, i.e., a damping effect. The damping grooves and damping steps 612 are arranged in a circumferential array. Through the cooperation between the damping steps 612 and the damping grooves, a certain force needs to be applied to rotate the belt buckle 70. At the same time, since the damping plate 61 is located on the outside of the outer shell 10, the area of ​​the force-bearing surface is increased as much as possible, which greatly improves the damping effect. The outer shell 10 is provided with an internal threaded hole 12 for locking the locking member 62. The locking member 62 is provided with an external thread that cooperates with the internal threaded hole 12. The outer shell 10 and the locking member 62 are connected by threads.

[0062] The limiting step 611 has a non-cylindrical structure. For example, a boss can be extended from a cylindrical body, and the inner shape of the limiting groove 11 is consistent with the outer shape of the limiting step 611.

[0063] An anti-rotation structure is provided between the damping plate 61 and the anti-rotation plate 63 to prevent the belt buckle 70 bracket 30 from contacting the locking member 62. The anti-rotation structure includes a second step 613 on the damping plate 61 and a third step 631 on the anti-rotation plate 63. The second step 613 has a locking groove 6131 that cooperates with the third step 631. When the belt buckle 70 rotates, the outer shell 10, the damping plate 61, the anti-rotation plate 63, and the locking member are in a relatively stationary state. The damping plate 61 and the anti-rotation plate 63 are both sleeved on the locking member 62. The anti-rotation plate 63, the belt buckle 70 bracket 30, and the damping plate 61 are sequentially sleeved on the locking member 62 and then limited by a retaining ring. Before installing the damping assembly 60 onto the outer casing 10, first install the first anti-rotation plate 63, the belt buckle 70 bracket 30, and the first damping plate 61 onto the locking member 62, limit their movement with a retaining ring, and then lock the locking member 62 onto the outer casing 10. Simultaneously, rotating and releasing the locking member 62 adjusts the damping magnitude. When greater damping is required, the belt buckle 70 bracket 30 is clamped firmly by the first damping plate 61 and the first anti-rotation plate 63. The damping plate 61, anti-rotation plate 63, and belt buckle 70 are made of wear-resistant plastic to improve the service life of the belt buckle 70 assembly.

[0064] A flexible circuit board 32 is also provided on the bracket 30. A first optocoupler 33 and a second optocoupler 34 are mounted on the flexible circuit board 32. The flexible circuit board 32 is mounted on the bracket 30 by a fixing block. Since two optocouplers for sensing are also provided inside the bracket 30, and existing optocouplers have different heights, which can easily lead to sensing errors, the first optocoupler 33 and the second optocoupler 34 have a height difference. The flexible circuit board 32 includes a first horizontal portion 321 for placing the first optocoupler 33, a second horizontal portion 322 for placing the second optocoupler 34, and a connection... A transition section 323 connects the first horizontal section 321 and the second horizontal section 322, and the transition section 323 is inclined; a first placement platform 301 and a second placement platform 302 are provided on the bracket 30, and the flexible circuit board 32 is placed on the first placement platform 301 and the second placement platform 302, and there is a height difference between the first placement platform 301 and the second placement platform 302; a first hole 3011 for placing the first optocoupler 33 is provided on the first placement platform 301, and a second hole 3021 for placing the second optocoupler 34 is provided on the second placement platform 302. A first reinforcing plate 3211 is provided on the first horizontal part 321, and a second reinforcing plate 3221 is provided on the second horizontal part 322; this greatly improves the strength of the entire flexible circuit, so that the first optocoupler 33 and the second optocoupler 34 can be better confined between the bracket 30 and the fixing block; the first reinforcing plate 3211 and the second reinforcing plate 3221 are both made of FR4 (glass fiber epoxy resin material), and are bonded to the first horizontal part 321 or the second horizontal part 322 by adhesive.

[0065] The bracket 30 is also equipped with positioning posts 303 for positioning the flexible circuit board 32; two positioning posts 303 are provided, one for positioning the first horizontal part 321 and the first reinforcing plate, and the other for positioning the second horizontal part 322 and the second reinforcing plate, so that the flexible circuit board 32 is well constrained; during installation, it can be directly passed through the positioning post 303. The fixing block is detachably connected to the bracket 30; the fixing block is provided with a buckle 351, and the bracket 30 is provided with a slot 304 that cooperates with the buckle 351. There are two buckles 351, and the hooks of the two buckles 351 face inward. The fixing block has a stepped surface 352 for pressing down the flexible circuit board 32. Due to the stepped surface 352, the flexible circuit board 32 is securely restrained between the bracket 30 and the fixing block. The fixing block has positioning holes 353 that mate with positioning posts 303. After the fixing block is positioned by the positioning holes 353 and the positioning posts 303, it is then accurately installed on the bracket 30 by engaging with the slots 304 via clips 351. Furthermore, because the fixing block is made of plastic, the clips 351 have a certain degree of elasticity, facilitating future disassembly and maintenance.

[0066] The printer of the present invention also includes an inner housing 40 disposed inside the outer housing 10 and having a paper tray. A paper width adjustment device 80 is disposed within the paper tray of the inner housing 40. The paper width adjustment device 80 includes a paper width limiting slider 81. A groove for the paper width adjustment device 80 is provided at the bottom of the inner housing 40. This groove does not penetrate the inner housing 40. Two sliding platforms 811 are provided on both sides of the paper width limiting slider 81 to cooperate with the groove. The paper tray and the paper width limiting slider 81 are clamped by the deformation of the upper and lower structures of the paper width limiting lever and the paper width limiting slider 81, thus achieving a limiting function. However, the groove in the old structure uses a through-type structure. When the paper tray and the paper width limiting slider need to deform to achieve clamping, some stroke is lost to clamp, and it is prone to loosening. Therefore, the present invention, by setting a non-through groove, has a more robust overall structure, is less prone to loosening, and has a better limiting effect.

[0067] In this invention, the first optical coupler 33 is used to identify label paper; the second optical coupler 34 is used to identify black label paper. The use of the first optical coupler 33 and the second optical coupler 34 together makes the printer universal, capable of identifying various types of printing paper such as label paper, black label paper, and continuous paper. Since the distance between the reflective optical coupler (equivalent to the second optical coupler of this invention) and the through-beam optical coupler (equivalent to the first optical coupler of this invention) is required to be greater than 3mm, and the distance between the reflective optical coupler (one transmitting and one receiving) is required to be less than 0.6mm, otherwise the problem of paper skipping is likely to occur, there is a height difference between the first optical coupler 33 and the second optical coupler 34 of this invention to improve measurement accuracy and overcome the problem of paper skipping.

[0068] The printer of the present invention also includes a battery 90. A mounting groove 13 for mounting the battery 90 is provided on the back of the outer casing 10, and a drain hole 14 is provided on the side wall of the mounting groove 13. A buckle 351 is provided on the battery 90, and a slot 304 is provided on the side wall of the mounting groove 13 to engage with the buckle 351. The drain hole 14 is located within the slot 304. Because the drain groove is located inside the mounting groove 13, the drain hole 14 can be well hidden after the battery 90 is installed, greatly improving the overall aesthetics.

[0069] In summary, the printer of the present invention, by setting an elongated hole, allows the rubber roller to move backward when the printer is dropped, thus preventing damage to gears and other components. Simultaneously, the belt buckle with a damping effect prevents the buckle bracket from rotating on its own. When rotation is required, a certain force can be applied to rotate the belt buckle bracket, which not only facilitates the removal of the battery from the back of the casing but also prevents the printer from falling.

[0070] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A portable printer, characterized in that, It includes an outer shell (10), a paper tray cover (20) rotatably connected to the outer shell (10), a bracket (30) disposed on the paper tray cover (20), a rubber roller assembly (50) disposed on the bracket (30), a damping assembly (60) disposed on the back of the outer shell (10), and a belt buckle (70) rotatably connected to the damping assembly (60). The bracket (30) is provided with an elongated hole (311) for connecting to the rubber roller assembly (50), and the belt buckle (70) generates damping during rotation; The rubber roller assembly (50) includes a roller (51), a bearing (52) sleeved at both ends of the roller (51) and located in the elongated hole (311), and a gear (53) disposed on the roller (51) and close to a bearing (52). The paper tray cover (20) is provided with a first protective step (21) and a second protective step (22) for protecting the rubber roller assembly (50) at both ends close to the rubber roller assembly (50). A flexible circuit board (32) is also provided on the bracket (30). A first optocoupler (33) and a second optocoupler (34) are provided on the flexible circuit board (32). The flexible circuit board (32) is fixed on the bracket (30) by a fixing block. The first optocoupler (33) and the second optocoupler (34) have a height difference. The flexible circuit board (32) includes a first horizontal portion (321) for placing a first optocoupler (33), a second horizontal portion (322) for placing a second optocoupler (34), and a transition portion (323) for connecting the first horizontal portion (321) and the second horizontal portion (322), the transition portion (323) being inclined; a first placement platform (301) and a second placement platform (302) are provided on the bracket (30), the flexible circuit board (32) is placed on the first placement platform (301) and the second placement platform (302), and there is a height difference between the first placement platform (301) and the second placement platform (302); a first hole (3011) for placing the first optocoupler (33) is provided on the first placement platform (301), and a second hole (3021) for placing the second optocoupler (34) is provided on the second placement platform (302). A first reinforcing plate (3211) is provided on the first horizontal part (321), and a second reinforcing plate (3221) is provided on the second horizontal part (322); a positioning post (303) for positioning the flexible circuit board (32) is also provided on the bracket (30). The first optical coupler (33) is used to identify label paper; the second optical coupler (34) is used to identify black label paper, and the first optical coupler (33) and the second optical coupler (34) are used together to identify various types of printing paper; wherein, the first optical coupler (33) is a through optical coupler with a recognition distance greater than 3mm, and the second optical coupler (34) is a reflective optical coupler with a recognition distance less than 0.6mm, and there is a height difference between the two to overcome the problem of paper skipping.

2. A portable printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bracket (30) is provided with fixing plates at both ends, and each fixing plate is provided with an elongated hole (311). The rubber roller assembly (50) is provided at both ends of the bracket (30) through the two fixing plates.

3. A portable printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damping assembly (60) is detachably connected to the outer shell (10) and includes a damping plate (61) for generating a damping effect on the belt buckle (70), a locking member (62) for setting the damping plate (61) and the belt buckle (70) on the back of the outer shell (10), and an anti-rotation plate (63) sleeved on the locking member (62) and preventing the locking member (62) from rotating when the belt buckle (70) rotates.

4. A portable printer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The damping plate (61) is provided with a limiting step (611) on the side near the outer shell (10), and the outer shell (10) is provided with a limiting groove (11) that cooperates with the limiting step (611); the belt buckle bracket is provided with a plurality of damping grooves, and the damping plate (61) is provided with a plurality of damping steps (612) that cooperate with the damping grooves; the outer shell (10) is provided with an internal thread hole (12) for locking the locking member (62).

5. A portable printer according to claim 3, characterized in that, An anti-rotation structure is provided between the damping plate (61) and the anti-rotation plate (63) to prevent the belt buckle bracket from contacting the locking member (62); the anti-rotation structure includes a second step (613) provided on the damping plate (61) and a third step (631) provided on the anti-rotation plate (63), and a locking groove (6131) is provided on the second step (613) to cooperate with the third step (631).

6. A portable printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an inner shell (40) disposed inside the outer shell (10) and having a paper compartment, wherein a paper width adjustment device (80) is disposed in the paper compartment of the inner shell (40).

7. A portable printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a battery (90), and the back of the housing (10) is provided with a mounting groove (13) for mounting the battery (90), and a drain hole (14) is provided on the side wall of the mounting groove (13).

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