Portable thermal transfer printer

Abstract

The portable thermal transfer printer comprises a base and a top cover which is reversibly arranged on the base, wherein the base is provided with a thermal print head assembly, a carbon tape box and a driving mechanism, the carbon tape box is provided with a rewinding core and a supply core which are arranged in parallel, a rubber roller is rotatably arranged on the top cover, and one end of the rubber roller is provided with a first input gear. The driving mechanism simultaneously drives the carbon tape box and the rubber roller, and the structure is simple, compact and low in cost. Meanwhile, the printing surface is located on the back of the printing paper, which can effectively avoid the peeping of the person beside and achieve good security for the output file.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a printer, in particular to a thermal transfer printer with a carbon ribbon cartridge, and belongs to the technical field of printing equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] The thermal transfer printer is widely used in various industries due to its fast printing speed and long storage time. The thermal transfer printer uses carbon ribbon as the printing medium, and the carbon powder coating on the carbon ribbon is transferred to the paper through heating. It is widely used in banks, hospitals, supermarkets and other places.

[0003] Many portable designs of thermal transfer printers have appeared, which include a base, a thermal print head assembly arranged on the base, and a top cover which can be reversibly arranged on the base. A rubber roller is rotatably arranged on the top cover. In the state that the top cover is folded with the base, the rubber roller is close to the thermal print head assembly. The thermal transfer coding machine usually includes two groups of driving structures. The first group of driving structures drives the rubber roller to rotate through a paper feed motor to control the movement of the printing paper, and the second group of driving structures is used to realize the feeding and recovery of the carbon ribbon.

[0004] The existing portable thermal transfer printer has the following disadvantages:

[0005] First, the two groups of driving structures are independently arranged and need to be controlled separately, which is complex and expensive.

[0006] Second, the existing carbon ribbon is arranged on a support to form a carbon ribbon cartridge. The carbon ribbon cartridge has a supply spool and a take-up spool. The speed of the supply spool and the take-up spool must be consistent, and the rhythm of feeding and taking up must also be controlled well, otherwise it will affect the uniformity of the printer, and even the carbon ribbon will be broken.

[0007] Third, the printing paper is inserted horizontally from front to back for printing. When feeding the paper, both hands need to be carefully aligned, and the hands will be tired. The printed paper is located behind the back of the printer, far away from the printer, which is not convenient for taking the printed document. When printing a document during a business meeting, the printed document will be located in front of the opposite person, and it will be very embarrassing to maintain the printed document, or the opposite person will directly take the printed document, which makes it difficult to effectively protect the printed document.

[0008] Fourth, the existing printer, when the top cover is opened, the stylus is usually exposed and has no protection structure. The user's careless touch will stick dirt, and the metal body contacting the stylus will cause short circuit and damage the circuit. Therefore, it needs to be improved. SUMMARY

[0009] The first technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a portable thermal transfer printer with simple and compact driving arrangement.

[0010] The technical solution adopted by the present application to solve the first technical problem is a portable thermal transfer printer, comprising a base and a top cover reversibly arranged on the base, characterized in that the base is provided with a thermal print head assembly, a carbon ribbon cassette and a driving mechanism, the carbon ribbon cassette has parallelly arranged take-up cores and supply cores, the top cover is rotatably provided with a rubber roller, and in the folded state of the top cover and the base, the rubber roller is close to the thermal print head assembly, one end of the rubber roller is provided with a first input gear, and the driving mechanism comprises

[0011] The base comprises a support portion at the bottom end and a vertical plate portion on the support portion.

[0012] The take-up motor is arranged on the base and has an output gear at the power output end.

[0013] The transmission gear set is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate portion, and the power input end is engaged with the output gear.

[0014] The take-up shaft is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate portion, and the take-up shaft is provided with an input gear engaged with the output end of the transmission gear set for transmission,

[0015] The first connecting sleeve is arranged at the end of the take-up shaft and can be connected with the take-up core of the carbon ribbon cassette.

[0016] The take-up shaft is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate portion; and

[0017] The second connecting sleeve is arranged at the end of the take-up shaft and can be connected with the supply core of the carbon ribbon cassette.

[0018] The take-up shaft is provided with a first compression spring, and the outer end of the first compression spring acts on the first connecting sleeve and always forces the first connecting sleeve to maintain the tendency of extending outward. It ensures that the first connecting sleeve can stably connect the take-up core.

[0019] The take-up shaft is provided with a second compression spring, and the outer end of the second compression spring acts on the second connecting sleeve and always forces the second connecting sleeve to maintain the tendency of extending outward, ensuring that the second connecting sleeve can stably connect the supply core.

[0020] As a preferred, one side of the input gear is formed with a first embedding groove, and the take-up shaft is provided with a constant torque assembly that can always keep the carbon ribbon in a taut state. The constant torque assembly can include

[0021] The first shaft sleeve is sleeved on the take-up shaft and has a second embedding groove on the front end face; and

[0022] The torsion spring is sleeved on the winding shaft, the front end is embedded in the first embedding groove, and the rear end is embedded in the second embedding groove.

[0023] The winding shaft is provided with a constant torque assembly, which can ensure that the output force is relatively stable and controllable, has a certain self-adjusting ability, the unwinding shaft is provided with a damping mechanism, and the unwinding shaft can generate damping when rotating; during the start and termination of the rotation of the carbon belt, the constant torque assembly and the damping mechanism cooperate to promote the carbon belt of the supply winding core to be in a taut state at all times, have a certain tension, and cannot appear loose and collapsed, so that the printing points are more regular and uniform, the printing quality is ensured, and the carbon belt is prevented from being pulled off due to excessive load and the excessive power consumption of the host computer.

[0024] The winding shaft is sleeved with a third compression spring, and the third compression spring is located between the vertical plate part and the first shaft sleeve. The input gear and the transmission gear set can always be kept in meshing state, and will not be misaligned.

[0025] Further, the base is provided with a gear cover, the gear cover has a first through hole for the winding shaft to penetrate through and a second through hole for the unwinding shaft to penetrate through, the transmission gear set is located in the inner cavity formed by the base and the gear cover, and the first connecting sleeve and the second connecting sleeve are located outside the gear cover.

[0026] As preferred, a third embedding groove is arranged on the inner side of the gear cover close to the second through hole, and the unwinding shaft is provided with a damping assembly capable of generating damping when the unwinding shaft rotates, which can include

[0027] A second shaft sleeve is arranged on the unwinding shaft;

[0028] A third shaft sleeve is arranged on the unwinding shaft and adjacent to the second shaft sleeve; and

[0029] A clamping spring is sleeved on the second shaft sleeve and limited by the rear end face of the third shaft sleeve at the front end, and the rear end is a free end, the front end of the clamping spring is embedded in the third embedding groove, and the clamping spring can clamp the second shaft sleeve to generate damping force under the condition that the unwinding shaft rotates.

[0030] An inclined paper feeding port is formed at the rear end of the top cover, and a paper outlet port is formed at the front end of the base.

[0031] An electric circuit connecting PCB is arranged on the inner side of one side of the top cover, and correspondingly, the upper end face of the base is provided with a contact pin capable of being in contact and conductive cooperation with the electric circuit connecting PCB, and an elastic cover is arranged on the upper end face of the base close to the contact pin;

[0032] When the top cover is opened on the base, the cover is lifted to cover the contact pin;

[0033] In the state that the aforementioned top cover is folded on the base, the aforementioned top cover presses the inner side of the shield downward, the shield is lowered to make the contact pin extend out of the shield and contact and conduct electricity with the circuit connection PCB.

[0034] The elastic shield is additionally arranged, so that when the top cover is opened, the shield is lifted to cover the contact pin to avoid adhesion of stains and interference of metal parts, and when the top cover is folded, the shield is pressed and lowered, and the circuit connection PCB can be ensured to contact and conduct with the contact pin, without affecting normal power supply.

[0035] The end surface of the shield is provided with a through hole for the contact pin to extend out of. Of course, a leather film structure with a cross-shaped cutout can also be adopted, the cutout is closed when the top cover is opened, and the shield is pressed and lowered when the top cover is folded, so that the contact pin can extend out of the cutout.

[0036] The elastic shield is preferably arranged as follows: the upper end surface of the base is provided with a reset spring on both sides of the contact pin, and the upper end of the reset spring abuts against the lower end surface of the shield.

[0037] The reset spring is conveniently arranged, and the upper end surface of the base is formed with a protruding column on both sides of the contact pin, and the lower end of the reset spring is sleeved on the protruding column.

[0038] Further, the shield is provided with a guide column extending downward at each end, and the guide column is provided with a hook at the distal end, and correspondingly, the upper end surface of the base is provided with a guide groove matched with the guide column, and the hook is matched with the inner wall of the guide groove to limit the guide column from being separated from the guide groove.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the drive mechanism can drive the carbon tape box and the rubber roller at the same time, is simple to arrange, has a more compact structure, and has a reduced cost, and meanwhile, the printing surface is located on the back of the printing paper, so that the peeping of people around can be effectively avoided, and the output file can be well kept secret. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment.

[0041] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the top cover after being opened.

[0042] Figure 3 It is an exploded view of an embodiment.

[0043] Figure 4 It is Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the carbon tape box from another perspective.

[0044] Figure 5 It is an enlarged schematic diagram of the drive mechanism of the carbon tape box.

[0045] Figure 6 It is Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the carbon tape box after the gear cover is removed.

[0046] Figure 7 Figure 2 is a partial exploded view of the embodiment. Figure 6

[0047] Figure 8 Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another perspective of the input gear in the embodiment. Figure 5

[0048] Figure 9 Figure 6 is an enlarged view of another perspective of the input gear in the embodiment. Figure 7

[0049] Figure 10 Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the rubber roller when printing.

[0050] Figure 11 Figure 10 is an enlarged exploded view of the shield and the thimble.

[0051] Figure 12 Figure 12 is a state diagram when printing in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The present application is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, the portable thermal transfer printer in the embodiment includes a base 1a and a top cover 2a which is reversibly arranged on the base 1a, the base 1a is provided with a thermal print head assembly 4a, a carbon tape box 5a and a driving mechanism, the carbon tape box 5a has a parallel arranged take-up core 52a and a supply core 51a, the top cover 2a is rotatably provided with a rubber roller 3a, in the state that the top cover 2a is folded with the base 1a, the rubber roller 3a is close to the thermal print head assembly 4a, and the rubber roller 3a has a first input gear 31a at one end. Figures 1-4 As shown in Figure 2, the top cover 2a is provided with a gear cover 13, the gear cover 13 is provided with a second input gear 33a, the second input gear 33a is rotatably arranged on the gear cover 13, and the second input gear 33a is rotatably arranged on the first input gear 31a.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, the driving mechanism includes a base 1, a gear cover 13, a motor 3, a transmission gear set 32, a take-up shaft 4, a first connecting sleeve 45, a pay-off shaft 2, a second connecting sleeve 25, a constant torque assembly and a damping assembly. Figure 12 As shown in Figure 4, the gear cover 13 is provided with a third input gear 34a, the third input gear 34a is rotatably arranged on the gear cover 13, and the third input gear 34a is rotatably arranged on the second input gear 33a.

[0055] As shown in Figure 5, the driving mechanism includes a base 1, a gear cover 13, a motor 3, a transmission gear set 32, a take-up shaft 4, a first connecting sleeve 45, a pay-off shaft 2, a second connecting sleeve 25, a constant torque assembly and a damping assembly. Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 As shown in Figure 6, the gear cover 13 is provided with a third input gear 34a, the third input gear 34a is rotatably arranged on the gear cover 13, and the third input gear 34a is rotatably arranged on the second input gear 33a.

[0056] ​​​​​The base 1 comprises a supporting part 11 at the bottom end and a vertical plate part 12 on the supporting part 11; the motor 3 is arranged on the base 1 and has an output gear 31 at the power output end; a transmission gear set 32 is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate part 12 and has a power input end 323, a first power output end 321 and a second power output end 322, the power input end 323 is engaged with the output gear 31, and the first power output end 321 is engaged with the first input gear 31a, as shown in the figure. Figure 10 The second power output end 322 is engaged with the input gear 43 of the winding shaft 4, as shown in the figure.

[0057] The winding shaft 4 is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate part 12, and the winding shaft 4 has the input gear 43 engaged with the second power output end 322 of the transmission gear set 32 for transmission, as shown in the figure. Figure 9 The first connecting sleeve 45 is arranged at the end of the winding shaft 4 and can be connected with the winding core 52a of the carbon tape box 5a.

[0058] The unwinding shaft 2 is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate part 12; the second connecting sleeve 25 is arranged at the end of the unwinding shaft 2 and can be connected with the supply core 51a of the carbon tape box 5a.

[0059] The first compression spring 44 is sleeved on the winding shaft 4, and the outer end of the first compression spring 44 acts on the first connecting sleeve 45 and always forces the first connecting sleeve 45 to keep extending outward; the second compression spring 24 is sleeved on the unwinding shaft 2, and the outer end of the second compression spring 24 acts on the second connecting sleeve 25 and always forces the second connecting sleeve 25 to keep extending outward.

[0060] The winding shaft 4 is provided with a constant torque assembly that can keep the carbon tape in a taut state, the constant torque assembly comprises a first shaft sleeve 41 and a torsion spring 42, the first shaft sleeve 41 is sleeved on the winding shaft 4 and has a second embedding groove 411 on the front end face; the torsion spring 42 is sleeved on the winding shaft 4, the front end is embedded in the first embedding groove 431, and the rear end is embedded in the second embedding groove 411. The third compression spring 46 is sleeved on the winding shaft 4 and located between the vertical plate part 12 and the first shaft sleeve 41. It can be ensured that the input gear and the transmission gear set always keep engaged state and are not misaligned.

[0061] The base 1 is provided with a gear cover 13, the gear cover 13 has a first through hole 132 for the winding shaft 4 to pass through and a second through hole 131 for the unwinding shaft 2 to pass through, as shown in the figure. Figure 8 The third embedding groove 14 is arranged on the inner side of the gear cover 13 close to the second through hole 131. The transmission gear set 32 is located in the inner cavity formed by the base 1 and the gear cover 13, and the first connecting sleeve 45 and the second connecting sleeve 25 are located on the outer side of the gear cover 13.

[0062] The damping assembly is arranged on the unwinding shaft 2 to generate damping when the unwinding shaft 2 rotates, and comprises a second shaft sleeve 21, a third shaft sleeve 23 and a clamping spring 22. The second shaft sleeve 21 is arranged on the unwinding shaft 2. The third shaft sleeve 23 is arranged on the unwinding shaft 2 and adjacent to the second shaft sleeve 21. The clamping spring 22 is sleeved on the second shaft sleeve 21 and limited by the rear end surface of the third shaft sleeve 23 at the front end. The front end of the clamping spring 22 is embedded on the third embedding groove 14, and the rear end is a free end. When the unwinding shaft 2 rotates, the clamping spring 22 can clamp the second shaft sleeve 21 to generate damping force.

[0063] The winding motor 3 drives the winding shaft 4 to rotate through the transmission gear set 32, so that the first connecting sleeve 45 drives the winding core 52a of the carbon tape box to rotate. The constant torque assembly can ensure that the output force is relatively stable and controllable, and has a certain self-adjusting ability. The first connecting sleeve 45 drives the supply winding core 51a to rotate, the second connecting sleeve 25 rotates, drives the unwinding shaft 2 to rotate, and the clamping spring 22 clamps the second shaft sleeve 21. Since the rear end of the clamping spring 22 is a free end, a certain damping force is generated. If it rotates in the opposite direction, a greater damping force is generated. Therefore, the second connecting sleeve can rotate in the opposite direction.

[0064] At the beginning and end of the rotation of the carbon tape, the constant torque assembly and the damping assembly cooperate to ensure that the carbon tape is always in a taut state and has a certain tension, so that the carbon tape does not appear loose and collapsed, ensures that the printing dots are more regular and uniform, guarantees the printing quality, and avoids the carbon tape being pulled apart due to excessive load and excessive power consumption of the host.

[0065] In combination with the figures shown in Figure 2 and Figure 11 , the inner side of one side of the top cover 2a is provided with a circuit connection PCB 4b. Correspondingly, the upper end surface of the base 1 has a contact pin 7b which can contact and conduct electricity with the circuit connection PCB 4b. The contact pin 7b is in a row, and the upper end surface of the base 1 is elastically provided with a protective cover 5b near the contact pin 7b. The end surface of the protective cover 5b has a through hole 53b for the contact pin 7b to extend out of.

[0066] The upper end surface of the base 1 is provided with a reset spring 6b on both sides of the contact pin 7b. The upper end of the reset spring 6b abuts against the lower end surface of the protective cover 5b. Further, the upper end surface of the base 1 is formed with a protruding column 12 on both sides of the contact pin 7b. The lower end of the reset spring 6b is sleeved on the protruding column 12.

[0067] The protective cover 5b is provided with a guide column 51b extending downward at both ends. The guide column 51b is provided with a hook portion 52 at the distal end. Correspondingly, the upper end surface of the base 1 has a guide groove 11b which can guide the guide column 51b. The hook portion 52 cooperates with the inner wall of the guide groove 11b to limit the guide column 51b from disengaging from the guide groove 11b.

[0068] In the state that the top cover 2a is opened from the base 1, the shield 5b is lifted by the restoring spring to shield the contact pin 7b, and the hook 52 is in contact with the inner wall of the guide slot 11b, so that the shield 5b cannot be separated from the guide slot 11b. In the state that the top cover 2a is closed to the base 1, the shield 5b is pressed by the inner side of the top cover 2a, and the shield 5b is lowered to make the contact pin 7b extend out of the through hole 53b of the shield 5b and contact the circuit connection PCB 4b.

Claims

1. A portable thermal transfer printer comprising a base (la) and a top cover (2a) which is pivotably arranged on the base (la), characterized in that The base (1a) is provided with a thermal printing head assembly (4a), a carbon tape box (5a) and a driving mechanism. The carbon tape box (5a) has a parallelly arranged winding core (52a) and a supply core (51a). The top cover (2a) is rotatably provided with a rubber roller (3a). When the top cover (2a) is folded with the base (1a), the rubber roller (3a) is close to the thermal printing head assembly (4a). One end of the rubber roller (3a) is provided with a first input gear (31a). The driving mechanism comprises The base (1) comprises a support part (11) at the bottom end and a vertical plate part (12) on the support part (11). The motor (3) is arranged on the base (1), and the power output end of the motor (3) is provided with an output gear (31). The transmission gear set (32) is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate part (12) and is provided with a power input end (323), a first power output end (321) and a second power output end (322). The power input end (323) is engaged with the output gear (31). The first power output end (321) is engaged with the first input gear (31a). The winding shaft (4) is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate part (12). The winding shaft (4) is provided with an input gear (43) engaged with the second power output end (322) of the transmission gear set (32) for transmission. The first connecting sleeve (45) is arranged at the end of the winding shaft (4) and can be connected with the winding core (52a) of the carbon tape box (5a). The unwinding shaft (2) is rotatably arranged on the vertical plate part (12). The second connecting sleeve (25) is arranged at the end of the unwinding shaft (2) and can be connected with the supply core (51a) of the carbon tape box (5a). The winding shaft (4) is provided with a first compression spring (44). The outer end of the first compression spring (44) acts on the first connecting sleeve (45) and always forces the first connecting sleeve (45) to extend outward. The unwinding shaft (2) is provided with a second compression spring (24). The outer end of the second compression spring (24) acts on the second connecting sleeve (25) and always forces the second connecting sleeve (25) to extend outward. The base (1) is provided with a gear cover (13). The gear cover (13) has a first through hole (132) for the winding shaft (4) to pass through and a second through hole (131) for the unwinding shaft (2) to pass through. The transmission gear set (32) is located in the inner cavity formed by the base (1) and the gear cover (13). The first connecting sleeve (45) and the second connecting sleeve (25) are located outside the gear cover (13). The third embedding groove (14) is arranged on the inner side of the gear cover (13) close to the second through hole (131). The unwinding shaft (2) is provided with a damping assembly that can generate damping when the unwinding shaft (2) rotates. The damping assembly comprises The second shaft sleeve (21) is arranged on the unwinding shaft (2). The third shaft sleeve (23) is arranged on the unwinding shaft (2) adjacent to the second shaft sleeve (21). And A clamping spring (22) is sleeved on the second shaft sleeve (21), and the front end of the clamping spring is limited by the rear end face of the third shaft sleeve (23), the front end of the clamping spring (22) is embedded on the third embedding groove (14), and the rear end is a free end; the clamping spring (22) can clamp the second shaft sleeve (21) to generate a damping force under the rotation of the unwinding shaft (2); The inner side of one side of the top cover (2a) is provided with a circuit connection PCB (4b), and correspondingly, the upper end face of the base (1a) has a contact pin (7b) capable of contacting and conducting electricity with the aforementioned circuit connection PCB (4b), and the upper end face of the base (1a) is elastically provided with a protective cover (5b) close to the contact pin (7b); In the state that the aforementioned top cover (2a) is opened on the base (1a), the aforementioned protective cover (5b) is raised to cover the contact pin (7b); In the state that the aforementioned top cover (2a) is closed on the base (1a), the inner side of the aforementioned top cover (2a) presses down the protective cover (5b), the protective cover (5b) is lowered to make the contact pin (7b) protrude out of the protective cover (5b) and contact and conduct electricity with the circuit connection PCB (4b).

2. The portable thermal transfer printer of claim 1, wherein The input gear (43) is formed with a first embedding groove (431) on one side, and the winding shaft (4) is provided with a constant torque assembly capable of keeping the carbon tape in a taut state, which comprises A first shaft sleeve (41) is sleeved on the winding shaft (4), and the front end face of the first shaft sleeve (41) is provided with a second embedding groove (411); and A torsional spring (42) is sleeved on the winding shaft (4), the front end of the torsional spring (42) is embedded on the aforementioned first embedding groove (431), and the rear end of the torsional spring (42) is embedded on the second embedding groove (411).

3. The portable thermal transfer printer of claim 1, wherein The rear end of the top cover (2a) is formed with an inclined paper inlet port (11a), and the front end of the base (1a) is formed with a paper outlet port (12a).

4. The portable thermal transfer printer of claim 1, wherein The end face of the protective cover (5b) is provided with a through hole (53b) for the contact pin (7b) to protrude out.

5. The portable thermal transfer printer of claim 1, wherein The upper end face of the base (1a) is provided with a reset spring (6b) on both sides of the contact pin (7b), and the upper end of the reset spring (6b) abuts against the lower end face of the protective cover (5b).

6. The portable thermal transfer printer of claim 1, wherein The protective cover (5b) is provided with a guide column (51b) extending downward at both ends, and the distal end of the guide column (51b) is provided with a hook portion (52b); correspondingly, the upper end face of the base (1a) is provided with a guide groove (11b) capable of guiding the aforementioned guide column (51b); and the hook portion (52b) is matched with the inner wall of the guide groove (11b) to limit the guide column (51b) from being separated from the guide groove (11b).

Images