A printing device and a film printer

Abstract

The application discloses a printing device and a film printer. The printing device comprises a printing head assembly, a printing roller assembly, a pressure assembly and an adjusting assembly. The printing roller assembly is arranged below the printing head assembly. The pressure assembly is arranged on the side of the printing head assembly away from the printing roller assembly. The adjusting assembly can adjust the force applied by the pressure assembly to the printing head assembly. When the printing device is working and the pressure between the printing head assembly and the printing roller assembly needs to be adjusted, the adjusting assembly can act on the pressure assembly, so that the force applied by the pressure assembly to the printing head assembly is adjusted. Thus, the pressure between the printing head assembly and the printing roller assembly can be adjusted, and the printing quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of printing equipment technology, and in particular to a printing apparatus and a film printer. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, medical image printers are typically thermal film printers. The working principle of a thermal film printer is that a semiconductor heating element is installed on the print head. The print head heats up and contacts the thermal printing film, thus printing the desired image. Its principle is similar to that of a thermal fax machine; the image is generated through a chemical reaction within the film caused by heating. During printing, medical thermal film printers require a certain pressure between the print head and the film to ensure print quality. However, existing thermal printers cannot adjust the pressure, affecting reliable contact between the film and the print head, resulting in inconsistent print quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a printing device with adjustable printing pressure.

[0004] The present invention also proposes a film printer having the above-described printing apparatus.

[0005] A printing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0006] Printhead assembly;

[0007] A printing roller assembly is disposed below the print head assembly;

[0008] A pressure assembly is mounted on the side of the print head assembly opposite to the print roller assembly;

[0009] An adjustment component is provided, which is capable of adjusting the force applied by the pressure component to the print head component.

[0010] A printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0011] When the printing device is working, if it is necessary to adjust the pressure between the print head assembly and the print roller assembly, the adjustment component can act on the pressure component, thereby adjusting the force applied by the pressure component to the print head assembly. This allows the pressure between the print head assembly and the print roller assembly to be adjusted, thereby improving the printing quality.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure assembly includes an upper cover, a lower cover, and a spring. The lower cover is fixedly connected to the print head assembly, the upper cover is slidably connected to the upper end of the lower cover, and the spring is disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lower cover includes a lower cover body and a sleeve, the sleeve being fixedly connected to the upper end of the lower cover body, the upper cover includes an upper cover body and a sliding post, one end of the sliding post being fixedly connected to the lower end of the upper cover body and the other end being able to extend and retract inside the sleeve, the spring being sleeved on the outside of the sleeve, and the two ends of the spring being able to abut against the upper cover body and the lower cover body respectively.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lower cover includes two sleeves, which are connected at a distance to the upper end of the lower cover body. The upper cover includes two sliding posts, which are connected at a distance to the lower end of the upper cover body. The two sliding posts and the two sleeves are connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure assembly further includes a rotating cover, which is rotatably mounted on the upper cover body, and the upper end of the rotating cover is provided with a plurality of protrusions of different heights.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lower end of the rotating cover is provided with a cylindrical body passing through the upper cover body, the upper end of the lower cover body is provided with a column passing through the cylindrical body, and the end of the column away from the lower cover body is provided with a limiting plate, which can abut against the upper cover body.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rotating cover is provided with anti-slip texture, which is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the rotating cover.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the adjustment assembly includes a drive mechanism and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a rotating shaft and a pressing member. The pressing member is connected to the rotating shaft. The drive mechanism is capable of driving the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby causing the pressing member to rotate toward or away from the rotating cover.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pressing member is provided with a pressing block, which can abut against the protrusion to drive the rotating cover to push the upper cover member toward the lower cover member.

[0020] A second aspect of the present invention provides a film printer, which includes the printing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and readily understood in conjunction with the following description of the embodiments, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the printing apparatus of a film printer according to some embodiments of the present invention (the adjusting component abuts against the pressure component);

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the printing apparatus of a film printer according to some embodiments of the present invention (the adjusting component is not in contact with the pressure component);

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure component of a printing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] The attached icons are numbered as follows:

[0029] Printhead assembly 100;

[0030] Printing roller assembly 200;

[0031] Pressure assembly 300; upper cover 310; upper cover body 311; sleeve 312; lower cover 320; lower cover body 321; sliding column 322; column body 323; limiting plate 324; spring 330; rotating cover 340; protrusion 341; cylinder body 342; anti-slip texture 343;

[0032] Adjustment component 400; drive mechanism 410; transmission mechanism 420; rotating shaft 421; pressing component 422; pressing block 423. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0035] In the description of this invention, the use of "first" and "second" is for the purpose of distinguishing technical features only, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated or the order of the technical features indicated.

[0036] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0037] In related technologies, medical image printers are typically thermal film printers. The working principle of a thermal film printer is that a semiconductor heating element is installed on the print head. The print head heats up and contacts the thermal printing film, thus printing the desired image. Its principle is similar to that of a thermal fax machine; the image is generated through a chemical reaction within the film caused by heating. During printing, medical thermal film printers require a certain pressure between the print head and the film to ensure print quality. However, existing thermal printers cannot adjust the pressure, affecting reliable contact between the film and the print head, resulting in inconsistent print quality.

[0038] Therefore, this invention proposes a printing device that can adjust the pressure applied to the film by the print head assembly, thereby improving the printing quality.

[0039] Reference Figures 1 to 5 This invention discloses a printing apparatus for use in a film printer. The printing apparatus includes a printhead assembly 100, a print roller assembly 200, a pressure assembly 300, and an adjustment assembly 400. The print roller assembly 200 is disposed below the printhead assembly 100, and the film is located between the printhead assembly 100 and the print roller assembly 200. The pressure assembly 300 is mounted on the side of the printhead assembly 100 opposite to the print roller assembly 200. The adjustment assembly 400 can adjust the pressure applied to the printhead assembly 100 by the pressure assembly 300. Of course, multiple pressure assemblies 300 can be provided, distributed at intervals on the printhead assembly 100, thereby allowing for more balanced adjustment of the printhead assembly 100.

[0040] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 When the printing device is working, if it is necessary to adjust the pressure between the print head assembly 100 and the print roller assembly 200, the adjusting component 400 can act on the pressure component 300 to adjust the force applied by the pressure component 300 to the print head assembly 100. This allows the pressure between the print head assembly 100 and the print roller assembly 200 to be adjusted, thereby adjusting the force applied by the print head assembly 100 to the film, which helps to improve the printing quality.

[0041] Reference Figure 5Understandably, in order to make the force applied by the pressure component 300 to the print head assembly 100 more stable when adjusting the pressure, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure component 300 includes an upper cover 310, a lower cover 320, and a spring 330. The lower cover 320 is fixedly connected to the print head assembly 100, the upper cover 310 is slidably connected to the upper end of the lower cover 320, and the spring 330 is disposed between the upper cover 310 and the lower cover 320. When it is necessary to increase the pressure between the print head assembly 100 and the printing roller assembly 200, the upper cover 310 is pushed towards the lower cover 320 by the adjusting component 400. At this time, the spring 330 can buffer the impact force between the upper cover 310 and the lower cover 320, so that the force applied by the lower cover 320 to the print head assembly 100 changes more smoothly, avoiding damage to the film caused by excessive impact force.

[0042] Understandably, in order to make the relative movement between the upper cover 310 and the lower cover 320 smoother and prevent wobbling, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lower cover 320 includes a lower cover body 321 and a sleeve 312. The sleeve 312 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the lower cover body 321. The upper cover 310 includes an upper cover body 311 and a sliding post 322. One end of the sliding post 322 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the upper cover body 311, and the other end can extend and retract within the sleeve 312. A spring 330 is sleeved on the outside of the sleeve 312, and both ends of the spring 330 can abut against the upper cover body 311 and the lower cover body 321 respectively. With the above arrangement, when the upper cover body 311 moves relative to the lower cover body 321, the sliding post 322 extends and retracts within the sleeve 312. At this time, the sleeve 312 can play a guiding role, thereby preventing the sliding post 322 from wobbling, and thus making the movement of the upper cover 310 smoother.

[0043] Understandably, to further improve the smoothness of the movement of the upper cover 310, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lower cover 320 includes two sleeves 312, which are spaced apart and connected to the upper end of the lower cover body 321. The upper cover 310 includes two sliding posts 322, which are spaced apart and connected to the lower end of the upper cover body 311. The two sliding posts 322 and the two sleeves 312 are connected in a one-to-one correspondence. Of course, two springs 330 are also provided, with each spring 330 sleeved on the outside of the two sleeves 312. With the above arrangement, the force between the upper cover 310 and the lower cover 320 is more balanced, which is beneficial to further improving the smoothness of the movement of the upper cover 310.

[0044] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4It is understood that the pressure required to be adjusted at different locations in the printhead assembly 100 may vary. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure assembly 300 further includes a rotating cover 340, which is rotatably mounted on the upper cover 311. The upper end of the rotating cover 340 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 341 of varying heights. For example, a plurality of protrusions 341 of progressively increasing heights may be arranged in a ring at the upper end of the rotating cover 340. When adjusting the pressure, the rotating cover 340 can be rotated to adjust the protrusions 341 on the rotating cover 340 to the appropriate position. When the adjusting assembly 400 pushes the pressure assembly 300, the adjusting assembly 400 can abut against the corresponding protrusions 341 to achieve pressure adjustment at different locations of the printhead assembly 100. Specifically, for example, if a certain location on the printhead assembly 100 requires increased pressure compared to other locations, the rotating cover 340 of the pressure component 300 located at that location can be rotated. This allows the higher protrusion 341 on the rotating cover 340 to abut against the adjustment component 400, thereby compressing the spring 330 more and generating a greater amount of deformation. This allows the pressure component 300 to apply greater pressure to that location on the printhead assembly 100. Therefore, this application, through the above-described configuration, allows for the individual adjustment of pressure at different locations on the printhead assembly 100, thereby enabling more precise control of the pressure on the film and improving print quality.

[0045] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is understood that, in order to ensure that the rotating cover 340 is confined within the upper cover 311, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lower end of the rotating cover 340 is provided with a cylindrical body 342 passing through the upper cover 311, and the upper end of the lower cover 321 is provided with a column 323 passing through the cylindrical body 342. A limiting plate 324 is provided at the end of the column 323 away from the lower cover 321, and the limiting plate 324 can abut against the upper cover 311. With the above arrangement, the rotating cover 340 can move relative to the lower cover 320 through the cooperation of the cylindrical body 342 and the column 323, while the limiting plate 324 prevents the rotating cover 340 from detaching from the upper cover 311.

[0046] Reference Figure 4 It is understood that, in order to make it easier to rotate the rotating cover 340, in some embodiments of the present invention, the rotating cover 340 is provided with anti-slip texture 343. The anti-slip texture 343 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the rotating cover 340. The anti-slip texture 343 can greatly increase the friction between the rotating cover 340 and the hand, thereby improving the convenience of operation.

[0047] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2It is understood that in some embodiments of the present invention, the adjusting component 400 includes a driving mechanism 410 and a transmission mechanism 420. The transmission mechanism 420 includes a rotating shaft 421 and a pressing member 422. The pressing member 422 is connected to the rotating shaft 421. The driving mechanism 410 can drive the rotating shaft 421 to rotate, thereby causing the pressing member 422 to rotate toward or away from the rotating cover 340. Specifically, the driving mechanism 410 can be a motor, and the transmission mechanism 420 can be a worm gear mechanism. The output shaft driven by the motor drives the worm to rotate, the worm drives the worm wheel to rotate, the worm wheel drives the rotating shaft 421 connected to it to rotate, and the rotating shaft 421 drives the pressing member 422 to flip, thereby increasing the pressure of the printing head assembly 100 by pressing down on the rotating cover 340, or decreasing the pressure of the printing head assembly 100 by flipping away from the rotating cover 340, which is very convenient to operate.

[0048] Reference Figure 4 Understandably, in order to achieve better contact between the pressing member 422 and the rotating cover 340, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pressing member 422 is provided with a pressing block 423, which can abut against the protrusion 341 to drive the rotating cover 340 to push the upper cover 310 toward the lower cover 320. Specifically, the pressing block 423 may have an arc-shaped end, thereby making the contact between the pressing block 423 and the protrusion 341 smoother.

[0049] A film printer according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes a film picking device, a conveying device, and a printing device. The film picking device picks up film placed in a film cassette and then conveys it to the printing device via the conveying device. The printing device prints images and other content onto the film. When it is necessary to adjust the pressure between the print head assembly 100 and the print roller assembly 200, the adjusting component 400 acts on the pressure component 300, thereby adjusting the force applied by the pressure component 300 to the print head assembly 100. This allows for adjustment of the pressure between the print head assembly 100 and the print roller assembly 200, thereby adjusting the force applied by the print head assembly 100 to the film, which is beneficial for improving print quality.

[0050] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A printing device, characterized in that, include: Printhead assembly; A printing roller assembly is disposed below the print head assembly; A pressure assembly is installed on the side of the print head assembly opposite to the print roller assembly. The pressure assembly includes an upper cover, a lower cover, and a spring. The lower cover is fixedly connected to the print head assembly, and the upper cover is slidably connected to the upper end of the lower cover. The spring is disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover. The lower cover includes a lower cover body and a sleeve. The sleeve is fixedly connected to the upper end of the lower cover body. The upper cover includes an upper cover body and a sliding post. One end of the sliding post is fixedly connected to the lower end of the upper cover body, and the other end can extend and retract inside the sleeve. The spring is sleeved on the outside of the sleeve, and both ends of the spring can abut against the upper cover body and the lower cover body respectively. The pressure assembly also includes a rotating cover, which is rotatably installed on the upper cover body. The upper end of the rotating cover is provided with multiple protrusions of different heights. An adjustment component is provided, which can adjust the force applied by the pressure component to the print head component. The adjustment component includes a drive mechanism and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a rotating shaft and a pressing member. The pressing member is connected to the rotating shaft. The drive mechanism can drive the rotating shaft to rotate, so as to drive the pressing member to rotate toward or away from the rotating cover. The pressing member is provided with a pressing block, which can abut against the protrusion, so as to drive the rotating cover to push the upper cover component toward the lower cover component.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower cover includes two sleeves, which are connected at intervals to the upper end of the lower cover body. The upper cover includes two sliding posts, which are connected at intervals to the lower end of the upper cover body. The two sliding posts and the two sleeves are connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the rotating cover is provided with a cylinder that passes through the upper cover body, and the upper end of the lower cover body is provided with a column that passes through the cylinder body. The end of the column away from the lower cover body is provided with a limiting plate, which can abut against the upper cover body.

4. A printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating cover is provided with anti-slip texture, which is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the rotating cover.

5. A film printer, characterized in that, Includes the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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