Cover system for a media processing device

Abstract

A printer includes a body having a set of interior walls defining a media enclosure for receiving a media cartridge, and a latch recess in one of the interior walls, the latch recess including a retention surface and a ramp surface; a cover rotatably coupled to the body and movable between an open position and a closed position; and a latch supported by the cover movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latch including a biasing member biasing the latch toward the locked position, a hook surface engageable with the retention surface when the cover is closed and the latch is in the locked position, and a cam surface slidable against the ramp surface via the biasing member and lifting the cover to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position when the cover is closed and the latch is released to the unlocked position.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application filed on October 15, 2021, with application number 202111202848.9 and invention title "Cover System for Media Processing Apparatus". Background Technology

[0002] Media handling devices, such as label printers, can store a supply of media for processing (e.g., applying labels to the media by printing or otherwise). When the media supply stored by the media handling device is depleted, the supply can be replenished by accessing the interior of the device to install a new supply (e.g., a new label roll). However, accessing the interior of the device can be a complex and error-prone task, which may result in damage to the device and / or incorrect installation of new media. Attached Figure Description

[0003] The accompanying drawings, together with the following detailed description, are incorporated in and form part of this specification and serve to further illustrate embodiments of the claimed invention and to explain the various principles and advantages of these embodiments, wherein the same reference numerals in separate views refer to the same elements or elements that are functionally similar.

[0004] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the printer with the printer cover in the closed position.

[0005] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An isometric view of the printer with the cover in the open position.

[0006] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The cross-section of the printer at plane S3.

[0007] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A detailed view of the printer's cross-section at plane S4, with the latch mechanism in the locked position.

[0008] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A detailed view of the printer's cross-section at plane S3, with the latch mechanism in the unlocked position.

[0009] Figure 6 It shows Figure 1 A diagram showing the opening of a printer.

[0010] Figure 7A yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the frame of the printer's cover.

[0011] Figure 7B yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the printer cover bracket.

[0012] Figure 8A yes Figure 2 A detailed view of the printer's cover.

[0013] Figure 8B It shows the result of Figure 8A The medium guiding surface formed by the cover and the surface without Figure 8A A schematic diagram comparing the medium guiding surface formed by the interlaced castellation of the cover.

[0014] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the elements in the figures are for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in understanding embodiments of the invention.

[0015] The components of the apparatus and methods have been indicated in their proper places by conventional symbols in the accompanying drawings, showing only those specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of the invention so as not to obscure this disclosure by details that would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this belongs, who would benefit from the description herein. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Media supplies (such as label rolls used in printers or other media handling devices) need to be replaced periodically, for example, when the media supported by the roll or other structure runs out. Replacing the media supply typically requires an operator to enter the printer's interior. Consumer-facing printers may be maintained by a variety of operators lacking experience in operating and maintaining such devices. Entering the printer's interior can be a complex, multi-step process that, if performed incorrectly by these operators, can lead to printer damage, incorrect media loading, and other issues.

[0017] The examples disclosed herein relate to a printer comprising: a body including (i) a set of inner walls defining a media housing, and (ii) a latch recess in one of the inner walls, the latch recess including a retaining surface and a ramp surface; a cover rotatably coupled to the body and movable between a closed position and an open position that closes the media housing; and a latch supported by the cover, the latch being movable relative to the cover between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latch including: (i) a biasing member biasing the latch toward the locked position, (ii) a hook surface configured to engage the retaining surface when the cover is closed and the latch is in the locked position, and (iii) a cam surface configured to slide against the ramp surface via the biasing member and lift the cover to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position when the cover is closed and the latch is released to the unlocked position.

[0018] Additional examples disclosed herein relate to a printer comprising: a body including a set of inner walls defining (i) a media housing and (ii) a media outlet; and a cover rotatably coupled to the body and movable between a closed position and an open position that closes the media housing, the cover including: (i) a frame having a first media guiding surface having a first set of crenellations; (ii) a bracket supporting a pressure roller, the bracket being movably supported by the frame, and including a second media guiding surface having a second set of crenellations configured to intersect with the first set of crenellations to define a continuous media guide for discharging media from the housing.

[0019] Figure 1 A media handling apparatus 100, also referred to herein as a printer 100, is shown. The printer 100 may be, for example, a desktop label printer, configured to accept media such as label rolls and apply markings to labels, which can then exit the printer 100 via an exit 104. The exit is defined at least partially by the body 108 of the printer 100. The body 108 includes a set of walls (e.g., in...) Figure 1 The printer 100 includes a set of outer walls visible in the document, and a set of inner walls discussed later herein, which house the various components of the printer 100 and define an internal housing for receiving the aforementioned media. For example, the media may be received in the housing in the form of a box for receiving label rolls.

[0020] The printer 100 also includes a cover 112 movably coupled to the body 108. The cover 112 can be... Figure 1 The cover 112 shown is movable between a closed position and an open position that allows access to the cover. The cover 112 includes a latching mechanism (discussed in more detail below) for holding the cover 112 in the closed position during operation of the printer 100. The latching mechanism is released by pressing a button 116 or other lever mechanism disposed on the cover 112. Additionally, the cover 112 includes certain structural features that allow the cover 112 to be moved from the closed position to an intermediate position (i.e., a partially open position) in response to pressing the button 116. The intermediate position provides the operator with a clear visual indication that the latching mechanism has been released and the cover 112 can be opened. Furthermore, the cover 112 includes certain structural features that facilitate movement by the operator from the closed position or the intermediate position to the open position.

[0021] Go to Figure 2 The image shows a printer 100 with the cover 112 in the open position. Specifically, the cover 112 is rotatable relative to the body 108 at hinge 200. The aforementioned housing 204, defined within the body 108, is also... Figure 2As shown, it is configured to receive a cassette containing media rolls such as labels. Labels are dispensed from the cassette and traverse the printhead 208 before exiting the printer 100 at exit 104. The printhead 208, together with the pressure roller 212, forms a roller gap. Figure 2 The pressure roller 212, which is supported inside the cover 112, is driven by a drive mechanism in the body 108 of the printer 100.

[0022] In the illustrated example, the pressure roller 212 is coupled to a gear 216, which is configured to engage with a drive gear 220 mounted in the body 108 and driven by a motor (not shown). As will be apparent, gears 216 and 220 are not engaged when the cover 112 is in the open position. Conversely, gears 216 and 220 are engaged when the cover 112 is in the closed position.

[0023] The latching mechanism mentioned above includes latches 224 (two latches 224 in this example) that can move relative to the cover 112, for example, in response to the pressing of button 116. Latches 224 engage corresponding latch recesses 228 (two recesses 228 in the illustrated example) defined in the body 108. Further features of latches 224 and latch recesses 228 will be described in more detail below. As will also be described further below, pressure roller 212 and gear 216 are movable relative to the remainder of the cover 112 along with latches 224. Specifically, the cover 112 includes a frame 232, and latches 224 and pressure roller 212 are movably supported by the frame 232 between a locked position and an unlocked position, in which latches 224 engage latch recesses 228 to hold the cover 112 in a closed position, and in the unlocked position, latches 224 disengage from latch recesses 228 to allow the cover 112 to open.

[0024] In this example, latch 224 and pressure roller 212 are movably supported in frame 232 by bracket 236, which is rotatably mounted within frame 232 of cover 112. As will be seen below, rotation of bracket 236 has several functions, including locking and unlocking latch 224, engaging and disengaging gears 216 and 220, and shifting cover 112 to the previously mentioned intermediate position.

[0025] Go to Figure 3 It shows that in Figure 1The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the printer 100 taken at plane S3. Specifically, a bracket 236 is visible within frame 232. The bracket 236 is connected to frame 232 via a main shaft 300 projecting into a complementary recess in frame 232. Therefore, the bracket 236 rotates relative to frame 232 about the main shaft 300. The bracket also includes an arm 304 connecting the body of the bracket 236 to a button 116. In some instances, the button 116 may be integrally formed with the arm 304 and the remainder of the bracket 236. Thus, pressing the button 116 in direction 308 causes the bracket 236 to rotate in direction 312 about the main shaft 300. As will be discussed below, rotation of the bracket 236 also causes rotation of the latch 224 extending from the bracket 236.

[0026] Rotation in direction 312 moves latch 224 to the unlocked position. Figure 3 The locked position is shown in the diagram. The bracket 236, and therefore the latch 224 and button 116, are biased toward the locked position, for example by a biasing member (e.g., a coil spring 316 between the frame 232 and the arm 304).

[0027] refer to Figure 4 This shows that in such Figure 1 A detailed view of the cross-section taken from plane S4 shown. Figure 4 The cross-sectional view shows the structure of the latch 224 extending downward from the bracket 236, and the structure of the latch recess 228 of the body 108 of the printer 100. Specifically, the latch recess 228 and the latch 224 include various surfaces configured to interact with each other under certain conditions.

[0028] Specifically, latch 224 includes a hook surface 400 and a cam surface 404. Recess 228 then includes a retaining surface 408 and a ramp surface 412. When latch 224 is in the locked position and cover 112 is in the closed position, as Figure 4 As shown, the hook surface engages with the retaining surface to hold the latch 224 (and thus the cover 112 as a whole) in the closed position. Consequently, the gear 216 of the pressure roller 212 also engages with the aforementioned drive gear 220. Furthermore, the pressure roller 212 is adjacent to the printhead 208 (for clarity, Figure 4 (Not shown) is placed to form a roller gap through which the media is drawn. In other words, with the cover 112 in the closed position and the latch 224 in the locked position, the printer 100 is in an operational state in which the media can be drawn from the housing 204 and processed at the printhead 208 before leaving via the outlet 104.

[0029] When button 116 is pressed, bracket 236 rotates clockwise (towards...). Figure 4(as shown in the diagram) rotation. As is now apparent, the rotation of the bracket releases the hook surface 400 from the retaining surface 408, thus allowing the cover 112 to move toward the open position.

[0030] Go to Figure 5 This shows the latch 224 after it has been released from the locked position to the unlocked position. Figure 4 The cross-section. Button 116 is shown as having been removed. Figure 4 The initial position shown is pressed, and the bracket 236 is therefore relative to Figure 4 The orientation shown rotates clockwise. The hook surface 400 disengages from the retaining surface 408. Furthermore, the cam surface 404 engages with the ramp surface 412. The action of the biasing member 316 helps to rotate the bracket 236 counterclockwise back to the locked position. However, since the cam surface 404 is engaged with the ramp surface, instead of relocking (in the absence of sufficient downward pressure on the cover 112), the cam surface 404 instead applies pressure to the ramp surface 412. This pressure causes the cam surface 404 to slide along the ramp surface 412.

[0031] like Figure 5 As seen, the ramp surface 412 is angled to allow this sliding movement, which causes the cover 112 to move from the closed position to the intermediate position. Figure 5 As seen, particularly at outlet 104, cover 112 has been raised from the closed position toward the open position. The transition position shown provides a visual indication that cover 112 is not latched and is ready to be opened (further opening requires additional mechanical input, for example, from the operator, after the cam surface 404 reaches the upper end of the ramp surface 412).

[0032] To allow the biasing member 316 to partially open the cover 112, the ramp surface 412 is tilted in the direction of rotation of the bracket 236. That is, as shown, the biasing bracket 236 rotates counterclockwise (by the biasing member 316). The latch 224 travels generally from bottom to top to the left and to the right during this rotation. The ramp surface 412 follows a similar trajectory. As will be apparent, a range of angles can be adapted to the ramp surface 412. For example, the cam surface 412 may be provided with an angle 500 less than 90 degrees (relative to the horizontal plane). In some instances, the angle 500 of the ramp surface 412 may be between 60 and 80 degrees.

[0033] In the illustrated example, the ramp surface has an angle of approximately 75 degrees, wherein the upper end of the ramp surface 412 (closer to button 116) is closer to the rear of printer 100 (i.e., closer to hinge 200), and the lower end of the ramp surface is closer to the front of printer 100 (i.e., closer to outlet 104). More generally, the angle of the ramp surface 412 can be selected such that the force applied by the cam surface 404 (due to biasing member 316) is sufficient to overcome the friction between the cam surface 404 and the ramp surface 412.

[0034] In addition to providing a visual indication when the cover 112 is not latched and is ready to be opened, Figure 4 and 5 An exemplary advantage of the arrangement shown is that such indication can be provided without an additional biasing member. That is, the biasing member 316 both biases the button 116 upward and biases the latch to the locked position, and applies force via the cam surface 404 to partially open the cover 112 when the latch 224 is released.

[0035] The cover 112 also includes an undercut 504. The undercut 504 is a region of the cover 112 in which a first front surface 508 of the cover 112 extends beyond a second front surface 512, and allows an operator to lift the cover 112 by applying upward pressure to the undercut 504. Specifically, turn to Figure 6 The cover 112 can be opened by an operator with one hand without the need to reposition the hand during opening. Specifically, the operator can first press button 116 in direction 308 with their fingertip 600. As described above, pressing button 116 releases latch 224 from the locked position, and when the operator releases the pressure applied via fingertip 600, the biasing member 316 is able to partially open cover 112.

[0036] As will be apparent, pressing button 116 also disengages gears 216 and 220, thereby separating the pressure roller 212 from the drive mechanism in body 108, in preparation for opening cover 112. The operator can then insert thumb 604 under undercut 504 and lift cover 112 in direction 608. Furthermore, pressing button 116 provides an edge for the fingertips 600 to grip when lifting cover 112.

[0037] If from Figure 2 and 4As is evident, although the body 108 defines a portion of the outlet 104, the outlet 104 is also partially defined by the cover 112. That is, the lower portion of the outlet 104 is defined by the body 108, and the upper portion of the outlet 104 is defined by the cover 112. Thus, both the body 108 and the cover 112 include media guiding surfaces to guide media from the gap formed by the printhead 208 and the pressure roller 212 to the outlet 104. Gaps in such guiding surfaces can cause the leading edge of the media to become stuck in the gap, thereby interfering with or otherwise interrupting the operation of the printer 100.

[0038] In this example, both frame 232 and bracket 236 include a guiding surface between pressure roller 212 and exit 104. As pressure roller 212 (and bracket 236) move relative to frame 232 of cover 112, these guiding surfaces are configured to interact to provide a relatively gapless guiding structure for the medium, while allowing bracket 236 to move relative to frame 232.

[0039] refer to Figure 7A and 7B Frame 232 and bracket 236 are shown separately. Figure 7A As shown, frame 232 includes a spindle housing 700 that rotatably supports the spindle 300 of bracket 236, and an opening 704 that exposes the pressure roller 212 when bracket 236 is mounted in frame 232. Additionally, frame 232 includes a set of crenellations 708 at the leading edge of opening 704. As will be seen below, the crenellations 708 interact with the complementary structure of bracket 236 to form a continuous medium guide that allows bracket 236 to move within frame 232.

[0040] Go to Figure 7B The bracket 236 may include a mounting member 712 to which the button 116 may be attached. The pressure roller 212 is rotatably mounted on the bracket 236 via a pair of opposing shaft housings 716. The bracket 236 also includes a set of crenellated portions 720 at its leading edge.

[0041] Go to Figure 8A A detailed view of the underside of cover 112 is shown, in which a portion of bracket 236 and pressure roller 212 protrude through opening 704. (See attached image.) Figure 8AAs seen, the crenellated portion 708 of frame 232 forms the front portion of the media guiding surface, and the crenellated portion 720 of bracket 236 forms the rear portion of the media guiding surface. The crenellations 708 and 720 are staggered to form a continuous media guiding surface where bracket 236 and frame 232 meet. The resulting media guiding surface is described as continuous because, as measured in a direction perpendicular to the media's direction of travel (i.e., in a direction parallel to the length 800 of pressure roller 212), there are no interruptions in the surface equal to or greater than the width of the media itself (e.g., interruptions between adjacent crenellations 708 or adjacent crenellations 720).

[0042] The medium is typically no wider than the length 800 of the pressure roller. Therefore, the medium guiding surface provided by the staggered crenellations has no interruptions longer than the length 800. In some examples, the width of each crenellation is approximately one-quarter of the length 800. In the example shown, the interruptions in the medium guiding surface are no greater than approximately one-tenth of the length 800. As is now apparent, sufficiently long interruptions in the medium guiding surface, for example... Figure 8B The gap 804 shown (in the absence of the crenellations 708 and 720) allows the leading edge of the medium 808 traveling in the direction 806 to be engaged in the gap 804. Figure 8B As shown on the right-hand side, small interruptions are provided in the guide surface to reduce or avoid such jamming, while still allowing movement between the bracket 236 and the frame 232. As will also be apparent, staggered crenellations are used to provide such guide surfaces to reduce or prevent the medium 808 from jamming in both directions of travel.

[0043] Specific embodiments have been described in the foregoing specification. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the teachings of this invention.

[0044] Benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may bring about or make more apparent any benefit, advantage, or solution should not be construed as key, necessary, or essential features or elements of any or all claims. This invention is defined solely by the appended claims, including any modifications made during the pending period of this application, and all equivalents of those claims.

[0045] Furthermore, in this document, relative terms such as first and second, top and bottom, etc., may be used only to distinguish one entity or action from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any such actual relationship or order between these entities or actions. The terms “comprises / comprising,” “has / having,” “includes / including,” “contains / containing,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion relationship, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes, has, contains, or contains a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element following “comprises,” “has,” “includes,” or “contains” does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes, has, contains, or contains that element. The terms “an” and “a” are defined as one or more unless otherwise expressly stated herein. The terms “substantially,” “approximately,” “about,” “around,” or any other form, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, are defined as near, and in one non-limiting embodiment, the term is defined as within 10%, in another within 5%, in yet another within 1%, and in yet another within 0.5%. The term “connection” as used herein is defined as a link, although it need not be direct or mechanical. A device or structure “constructed” in a certain way is constructed at least in this manner, but may also be constructed in ways not listed.

[0046] It will be appreciated that some embodiments may include one or more dedicated processors (or "processing means"), such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, custom processors, and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and unique stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) that control one or more processors to perform some, most, or all of the functions of the methods and / or devices described herein in conjunction with certain non-processor circuitry. Alternatively, some or all of the functions may be implemented by a state machine without stored program instructions, or in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), wherein each function or some combinations of certain functions is implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of these two approaches may be used.

[0047] Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented as computer-readable storage media having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., including a processor) to perform the methods described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, ROMs (read-only memories), PROMs (programmable read-only memories), EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memories), EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memories), and flash memory. Moreover, it is anticipated that those skilled in the art, guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein, will be able to readily generate such software instructions and programs, as well as ICs, with minimal experimentation, despite potentially considerable effort and numerous design options inspired by factors such as available time, current technology, and economic considerations.

[0048] An abstract of this disclosure is provided to enable the reader to quickly confirm the nature of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it is not intended to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the foregoing detailed description, various features can be seen combined in multiple embodiments for the purposes of this disclosure. This method of disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as stated in the following claims, the subject matter of the invention does not lie in all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the following claims are thereby incorporated into the detailed description, wherein each claim is independently claimed as a separate subject matter.

Claims

1. A printer, comprising: The body includes a set of inner walls defining (i) a medium housing and (ii) a medium outlet; A cover, rotatably coupled to the body and movable between a closed position and an open position that seals the medium housing, the cover comprising: (i) A frame having a first medium guiding surface, the first medium guiding surface having a first set of crenellated portions. (ii) A support for a pressure roller, the support being movably supported by the frame and including a second medium guiding surface having a second set of serrated portions that are interleaved with the first set of serrated portions to define a continuous medium guide for discharging medium from the housing.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the first media guiding surface and the second media guiding surface are adjacent to the media outlet when the cover is closed.

3. The printer of claim 1, wherein the width of each ridge portion is smaller than the width of the medium.

4. The printer of claim 3, wherein the width of each ridge is less than one-quarter of the width of the medium.

5. The printer of claim 1, wherein the carriage includes a latch; and The bracket and the latch are movable between a locked position and an unlocked position that secures the cover to the body in the closed position.

6. The printer of claim 5, wherein the body includes a drive mechanism coupled to the pressure roller when the cover is in the closed position; and The bracket moves to the unlocked position, causing the pressure roller to disengage from the drive mechanism.

7. The printer of claim 1, wherein the first set of serrated portions forms the front portion of the continuous media guiding surface, and the second set of serrated portions forms the rear portion of the continuous media guiding surface.

8. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: A pressure roller is disposed adjacent to the continuous medium guide. The width of the continuous medium guide is equal to or greater than the length of the pressure roller.

9. The printer of claim 8, wherein the width of each ridge is one-quarter of the length of the pressure roller.

10. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the gap between adjacent staggered crenellations in the first group of crenellations and the second group of crenellations is equal to or less than one-tenth of the length of the pressure roller.

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