Multipurpose portable thermal printer

Abstract

A multipurpose portable thermal printer disclosed by the present invention comprises a printer body, and further comprises a hard card paper driving roller, a sensor unit, a flexible paper mounting rack and a hard card paper box, a paper bin matched with the flexible paper mounting rack is arranged in the printer body, the flexible paper mounting rack is detachably assembled in the paper bin, and the hard card paper box is arranged in the printer body. The side, close to the paper bin, of the printer body is provided with a paper box inlet allowing the hard card paper box to be inserted in a matched mode, the paper outlet end of the hard card paper box movably penetrates through the paper box inlet and is detachably assembled in the printer body, and the sensor unit at least comprises a printing mode switching switch, a hard card paper sensor and a paper outlet sensor. The printing mode change-over switch is only used for sensing insertion of a hard card paper box so that the printer body can be switched between a hard card paper printing mode and a flexible paper printing mode, and therefore the two printing modes of flexible roll paper printing and hard card paper printing can be compatible at the same time under the same thermal printer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of thermal printers, in particular to a multi-purpose portable thermal printer. Background Art

[0002] Thermal printing paper of thermal printers is mainly divided into flexible roll paper (such as printing paper for receipts or labels) and hard card paper (such as printing paper for photos). However, currently thermal printers can only perform separate flexible roll paper printing or hard card paper printing, that is, they are not compatible with flexible roll paper printing and hard card paper printing at the same time, which brings great inconvenience to users. Summary of the invention

[0003] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a multi-purpose portable thermal printer, which can be compatible with both flexible roll paper printing and hard card paper printing under the same thermal printer.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0005] The present invention provides a multi-purpose portable thermal printer, comprising a printer body, a hard card paper transmission roller, a sensor unit, a flexible paper mounting frame for mounting a flexible roll of paper, and a hard card paper box for accommodating hard card paper; a paper bin cooperating with the flexible paper mounting frame is arranged in the printer body, and the flexible paper mounting frame is detachably mounted in the paper bin; a paper box entrance cooperating with the hard card paper box is opened on one side of the printer body close to the paper bin, and a paper outlet end of the hard card paper box can movably pass through the paper box entrance and is detachably mounted in the printer body; the sensor unit at least comprises a print mode switching switch, a hard card paper sensor, and a paper outlet sensor; the print mode switching switch is only used to sense the insertion of the hard card paper box, so as to prevent the hard card paper box from being inserted into the printer body. The printer body is switched between a hard cardboard printing mode and a flexible paper printing mode, thereby forming a multi-purpose printing setting; when switching to the hard cardboard printing mode, the hard cardboard sensor is used to sense the hard cardboard in the hard cardboard box, and trigger the hard cardboard transmission roller and the rubber roller of the printer body to rotate synchronously, and the rotating hard cardboard transmission roller drives the hard cardboard to move between the rubber roller and the print head of the printer body for thermal printing; the paper output sensor is arranged at the paper output port of the printer body, so as to sense the hard cardboard moved to the paper output port, and only trigger the hard cardboard transmission roller to stop rotating, so as to form an anti-step-out setting; when switching to the flexible paper printing mode, the hard cardboard sensor is turned off to pause triggering the hard cardboard transmission roller to rotate.

[0006] Furthermore, the hard cardboard box includes a box body and a paper pressing plate and an elastic member arranged in the box body; the box body is provided with a hard cardboard outlet located at the paper outlet end of the hard cardboard box and a clearance notch for making way for the hard cardboard transmission roller; one end of the paper pressing plate is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the box body, and the other end extends to the hard cardboard outlet; the clearance notch corresponds to the hard cardboard transmission roller; the elastic member applies an elastic force toward the hard cardboard to the paper pressing plate, so that the hard cardboard located in the box body elastically abuts against the hard cardboard transmission roller through the clearance notch, thereby driving the hard cardboard in the box body to move between the rubber roller and the print head.

[0007] Furthermore, the box body includes a box cover and a bottom box that cover each other, one end of the paper pressing plate is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the box cover, the elastic member is arranged between the box cover and the paper pressing plate, and the bottom box is provided with the hard cardboard outlet and the clearance gap.

[0008] Furthermore, the inner wall of the box cover is provided with a first L-shaped connecting piece and a second L-shaped connecting piece arranged at a distance from each other, the paper pressing piece is provided with a third L-shaped connecting piece and a clearance hole for making way for the second L-shaped connecting piece, the first L-shaped connecting piece and the inner wall of the box cover jointly form a mounting groove with an opening on one side, one end of the paper pressing piece can be movably inserted into the mounting groove, and the second L-shaped connecting piece can be movably passed through the clearance hole; when the second L-shaped connecting piece abuts against the third L-shaped connecting piece, the second L-shaped connecting piece restricts the paper pressing piece from moving toward the cardboard transmission roller.

[0009] Furthermore, a guide piece is provided in the box cover, and the paper pressing board is also provided with a guide slot hole matching the guide piece, and the guide piece is arranged to penetrate the guide slot hole with a gap, so that the rotation trajectory of the paper pressing board is limited by the guide piece.

[0010] Furthermore, the elastic member is a spring.

[0011] Furthermore, the printing mode switching switch includes a matching clamping switch and a status detection switch. A locking component is provided at one end of the hard cardboard box facing the printer body. The locking component can be detachably inserted into the clamping switch so that the locking component is clamped by the clamping switch, thereby ensuring that the hard cardboard box is detachably locked to the printer body, and at the same time stimulating the status detection switch to enable the printer body to enter the hard cardboard printing mode.

[0012] Furthermore, the printer body also includes a paper width adjustment component arranged therein, and the paper width adjustment component is used to adaptively limit the feeding direction of the flexible paper roll; the flexible paper mounting frame includes a mounting shaft for sleeved with a flexible paper core and a paper roll cover slidably sleeved on both ends of the mounting shaft, and the paper roll cover is detachably inserted in the paper bin.

[0013] Furthermore, the printer body is built with a battery unit for supplying power thereto.

[0014] Furthermore, the sensor unit includes a through-beam optical coupling sensor.

[0015] The technical solution provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] By using a printing mode switching switch that is only used to sense the insertion of the hard cardboard box, the printer body can be switched between the hard cardboard printing mode and the flexible paper printing mode, and through the cooperation between the hard cardboard box, the rubber roller, the hard cardboard drive roller, the print head and the sensor unit, a multi-purpose printing setting is formed. Therefore, under the premise of using the same thermal printer, the corresponding printing function can be achieved by replacing different types of printing consumables. In this way, it can be compatible with two printing modes at the same time, meet the different needs of users, bring convenience to users, and enhance the user experience. It is small in size and easy to carry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose portable thermal printer in a flexible paper printing mode and in an open cover state in an embodiment;

[0018] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of a multi-purpose portable thermal printer in a cardboard printing mode according to an embodiment;

[0019] Figure 3 Shown is a cross-sectional view of a multi-purpose portable thermal printer in a cardboard printing mode according to an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 4 The figure shows the installation diagram of the hard cardboard box inserted into the printer body in the embodiment;

[0021] Figure 5 Shown is a cross-sectional view of a hard cardboard box in an embodiment;

[0022] Figure 6 Shown is an exploded view of a hard cardboard box in an embodiment;

[0023] Figure 7 Shown is a cross-sectional view of a multi-purpose portable thermal printer in a flexible paper printing mode according to an embodiment;

[0024] Figure 8 Shown is a schematic diagram of a flexible paper mounting frame in an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] To further illustrate the various embodiments, the present invention provides drawings. These drawings are part of the disclosure of the present invention, which are mainly used to illustrate the embodiments and can be used in conjunction with the relevant descriptions in the specification to explain the operating principles of the embodiments. With reference to these contents, a person of ordinary skill in the art should be able to understand other possible implementations and advantages of the present invention. The components in the figures are not drawn to scale, and similar component symbols are generally used to represent similar components.

[0026] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a multi-purpose portable thermal printer (hereinafter referred to as a thermal printer), including Figure 1 and Figure 2 The printer body 1 shown in the figure includes an upper cover 11 and a main body 12 . The upper cover 11 is rotatably connected to the main body 12 so that the upper cover 11 can be flipped and covered on the main body 12 .

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the thermal printer of this embodiment also includes a cardboard drive roller 2, a sensor unit, a flexible paper mounting frame 4 for mounting flexible roll paper, and a cardboard box 5 for accommodating cardboard, and a print head 10 is arranged in the upper cover 11. Of course, the printer body 1 is also equipped with a general control system for coordinating the normal operation of various functional components or assemblies, and the rubber roller 6 of the printer body 1 is also arranged on the main body 12, and is equipped with a first transmission gear assembly to drive the rubber roller 6 to rotate; the cardboard drive roller 2 is equipped with a second transmission gear assembly to drive the cardboard drive roller 2 to rotate; when the upper cover 11 and the main body 12 are covered, the print head 10 and the rubber roller 6 are arranged up and down, and cooperate with each other to achieve thermal printing of the printing paper between the print head 10 and the rubber roller 6.

[0029] A paper bin 13 is provided in the main body 12 to cooperate with the flexible paper mounting frame 4. The flexible paper mounting frame 4 can be detachably assembled in the paper bin 13. A paper box entrance 14 for inserting a hard cardboard box 5 is provided on one side of the main body 12 close to the paper bin 13. The paper outlet end of the hard cardboard box 5 can movably pass through the paper box entrance 14 and can be detachably assembled on the main body 12.

[0030] The specific sensor unit includes at least a print mode switching switch 31, a hard jam sensor 32 and a paper output sensor 33 arranged on the main body 12, and the output end of the sensor unit is connected to the input end of the overall control system, and the output end of the overall control system is respectively connected to the input ends of the first transmission gear assembly and the second transmission gear assembly to ensure coordinated work with each other.

[0031] The printing mode switching switch 31 is only used to sense the insertion of the hard cardboard box 5 so as to switch the printer body 1 between the hard cardboard printing mode and the flexible paper printing mode, thereby forming a multi-purpose printing setting.

[0032] When implementing it, Figure 1 The main body 12 shown also includes a paper width adjustment component 7 disposed therein. The paper width adjustment component 7 is used to adaptively limit the paper feeding direction of the flexible roll paper, and can also adaptively adjust printing papers of different paper widths.

[0033] like Figure 8 The flexible paper mounting frame 4 shown includes a mounting shaft 41 for mounting a flexible paper core and a paper roll cover 42 slidably mounted on both ends of the mounting shaft 41. The paper roll cover 42 can be detachably inserted into the paper bin 13 to freely adjust the distance between the two paper roll covers 42 to match flexible paper cores of different paper widths.

[0034] The flexible paper mounting frame 4 is configured to be detachable to ensure that when switching from the flexible paper printing mode to the hard card paper printing mode, after the upper cover 11 is opened, the flexible paper mounting frame 4 can be taken out from the paper bin 13, and then the hard card paper box 5 containing hard card paper is inserted from the paper box entrance 14 and then assembled on the main body 12 through the paper bin 13, so as to ensure that there is no structural interference between the flexible paper mounting frame 4 and the hard card paper box 5.

[0035] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, when it is necessary to switch to the hard cardboard printing mode, open the upper cover 11, then take out the flexible paper mounting bracket 4, and then insert the hard cardboard box 5 into the paper box entrance 14. After the printing mode switching switch 31 senses the insertion of the hard cardboard box 5, it triggers the overall control system to switch to the hard cardboard printing mode. At this time, the hard cardboard sensor 32 is turned on and is used to sense the hard cardboard in the hard cardboard box 5, and trigger the hard cardboard drive roller 2 and the rubber roller 6 to rotate synchronously, and the rotating hard cardboard drive roller 2 drives the hard cardboard to move between the rubber roller 6 and the print head 10 for thermal printing.

[0036] When the hard card paper that has been thermally printed moves to the end of the paper outlet 15, since the paper outlet sensor 33 is set at the paper outlet 15 of the printer body 1 to sense the hard card paper moved to the paper outlet 15, the paper outlet sensor 33 can only trigger the hard card paper transmission roller 2 to stop rotating, so as to form an anti-step-out setting, that is, the rubber roller 6 alone feeds the paper and performs heating and printing to prevent double transmission.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, when it is necessary to switch to the flexible paper printing mode, first pull the hard cardboard box 5 out of the main body 12, and install the flexible paper mounting frame 4 containing the flexible roll paper in the paper bin 13. At this time, the printing mode switching switch 31 cannot sense the insertion of the hard cardboard box 5, and thus triggers the overall control system to switch to the flexible paper printing mode. At this time, the hard cardboard sensor 32 is turned off to pause the triggering of the hard cardboard drive roller 2 to rotate, or move away from the hard cardboard box 5, and perform thermal printing according to the flexible paper printing method of the prior art.

[0038] In this embodiment, Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, a battery unit 8 for normally powering the printer body 1 is disposed on the main body 12, so that the printer can be used normally anytime and anywhere in application scenarios without an external power supply.

[0039] The sensor unit includes a Figure 1 The shown opposed optical coupling sensor 34 is used to monitor whether the printing paper is used up, and to determine whether there is paper in the printer body 1 by accurately detecting the gap formed by the printing paper in the printer body 1. It can also cooperate to complete the positioning of the printing paper, and detect whether the hard cardboard is successfully rolled out from the hard cardboard box 5, and calculate the number of steps for the hard cardboard to be transmitted to the print head 10, so that when the printing of the hard cardboard starts, the transportation of the hard cardboard transmission roller 2 is turned off.

[0040] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the print mode switching switch 31 includes a matching clamping switch and a status detection switch. A locking member 54 is provided at one end of the hard cardboard box 5 facing the printer body 1. The locking member 54 can be detachably inserted into the clamping switch of the print mode switching switch 31 so that the locking member 54 is clamped by the clamping switch, thereby ensuring that the hard cardboard box 5 is detachably locked to the printer body 1, and at the same time stimulating the status detection switch of the print mode switching switch 31, so that the printer body 1 enters the hard cardboard printing mode.

[0041] A locking member 54 is provided at one end of the hard paper box 5 facing the printer body 1 , and the locking member 54 can be detachably inserted into the print mode switching switch 31 so that the locking member 54 is tightly held by the print mode switching switch 31 , thereby ensuring that the hard paper box 5 can be detachably locked to the printer body 1 .

[0042] More specifically, the hard cardboard box 5 includes a box body 51 and a paper pressing plate 52 and an elastic member 53 arranged in the box body 51. The box body 51 is provided with a hard cardboard outlet 513 located at the paper outlet end of the hard cardboard box 5 and a clearance notch 514 for making way for the hard cardboard driving roller 2. One end of the paper pressing plate 52 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the box body 51, and the other end extends to the hard cardboard outlet 513. The clearance notch 514 corresponds to the hard cardboard driving roller 2. The elastic member 53 applies an elastic force toward the hard cardboard to the paper pressing plate 52, so that the hard cardboard located in the box body 51 is elastically abutted against the hard cardboard driving roller 2 through the clearance notch 514, so as to drive the hard cardboard in the box body 51 to move between the rubber roller 6 and the print head 10, and also ensure that the hard cardboard in the hard cardboard box 5 is completely printed or used up.

[0043] In this specific embodiment, the box body 51 includes a box cover 511 and a bottom box 512 that cover each other, one end of the paper pressing plate 52 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the box cover 511, and the specific elastic member 53 is a spring, which is arranged between the box cover 511 and the paper pressing plate 52, and the bottom box 512 is provided with a hard cardboard outlet 513 and a clearance notch 514. Of course, in other embodiments, the elastic member 53 can also be other elastic members such as a torsion spring or a spring.

[0044] After the cardboard box 5 is inserted into the printer body 1, the locking member 54 is inserted into the clamping switch of the print mode switching switch 31 so that the locking member 54 is clamped by the clamping switch and automatically judged through the state detection switch of the print mode switching switch 31 to realize automatic switching between the cardboard printing mode and the flexible paper printing mode.

[0045] After entering the hard card printing mode, when the hard card sensor 32 senses that there is hard card in the hard card box 5, the hard card transmission roller 2 and the rubber roller 6 work together to send the hard card in the hard card box 5 to the rubber roller 6 through the hard card transmission roller 2, and when the paper output sensor 33 detects the end of the hard card, the hard card transmission roller 2 will stop working to prevent double transmission or avoid step loss. At this time, only the rubber roller 6 is used to feed the paper alone, and the print head 10 is used to heat and print. Of course, in other embodiments, the motor assembly can also be used to drive the hard card transmission roller 2 to rise or fall, so that the hard card transmission roller 2 is away from or abuts against the hard card, thereby stopping the paper feeding action.

[0046] In addition, when the hard paper jam sensor 32 detects that the printing paper is exhausted, an alarm will be issued to remind the user to reload the printing paper.

[0047] By using the printing mode switching switch 31 which is only used to sense the insertion of the hard cardboard box 5, the printer body 1 can be switched between the hard cardboard printing mode and the flexible paper printing mode. By cooperating with the hard cardboard box 5, the rubber roller 6, the hard cardboard drive roller 2, the print head 10 and the sensor unit, a multi-purpose printing setting is formed. Therefore, under the premise of using the same thermal printer, the corresponding printing function can be achieved by replacing different types of printing consumables. In this way, two printing modes can be compatible at the same time, different needs of users can be met, convenience can be brought to users, and the user experience can be enhanced.

[0048] In addition, the thermal printer of this embodiment can not only print on different paper media, but also quickly change the printing media. The overall structure is compact and small in size, which is easy to carry. It is equipped with a variety of sensors, so that the overall control system can automatically select the corresponding printing mode and can also realize paper shortage alarm.

[0049] Further preferably, Figure 6 As shown, the inner wall of the box cover 511 is respectively provided with two first L-shaped connecting members 515 and second L-shaped connecting members 516 arranged at intervals, and the pressboard 52 is provided with two third L-shaped connecting members 521 and a clearance through hole 522 for making way for the second L-shaped connecting member 516, wherein the two first L-shaped connecting members 515 and the inner wall of the box cover 511 respectively form a mounting groove with an opening on one side, one end of the pressboard 52 can be movably inserted in the corresponding mounting groove, and the two second L-shaped connecting members 516 can be movably penetrated in the corresponding clearance through holes 522, when the second L-shaped connecting member 516 abuts against the third L-shaped connecting member 521, the second L-shaped connecting member 516 restricts the pressboard 52 from moving toward the cardboard driving roller 2, and plays a foolproof role. Of course, in other embodiments, the connection between the pressboard 52 and the inner wall of the box cover 511 can also be pivoted to achieve swinging within a certain rotation angle range.

[0050] Further preferred, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a guide member 517 is further provided in the box cover 511 , and the paper pressing plate 52 is also provided with a guide slot hole 523 matching the guide member 517 . The guide member 517 is arranged with a gap and penetrates the guide slot hole 523 , so that the rotation trajectory of the paper pressing plate 52 is limited by the guide member 517 .

[0051] Although the present invention has been specifically shown and described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made to the present invention in form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, all of which are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose portable thermal printer, comprising a printer body, characterized in that: Also included are a hard card paper transmission roller, a sensor unit, a flexible paper mounting frame for mounting a flexible roll of paper, and a hard card paper box for accommodating the hard card paper; A paper bin cooperating with the flexible paper mounting bracket is disposed in the printer body, and the flexible paper mounting bracket is detachably mounted in the paper bin; A paper box entrance for inserting the hard cardboard box is provided on one side of the printer body close to the paper bin, and a paper outlet end of the hard cardboard box can movably pass through the paper box entrance and can be detachably assembled in the printer body; The sensor unit at least includes a print mode switch, a hard paper jam sensor and a paper output sensor; The printing mode switching switch is only used to sense the insertion of the hard cardboard box, so that the printer body switches between the hard cardboard printing mode and the flexible paper printing mode, thereby forming a multi-purpose printing setting; When switching to the hard card printing mode, the hard card sensor is used to sense the hard card in the hard card box, and trigger the hard card transmission roller and the rubber roller of the printer body to rotate synchronously, and the rotating hard card transmission roller drives the hard card to move to between the rubber roller and the print head of the printer body for thermal printing; the paper output sensor is arranged at the paper output port of the printer body, so as to sense the hard card moved to the paper output port, and only trigger the hard card transmission roller to stop rotating, so as to form an anti-step-out setting; When switching to the flexible paper printing mode, the hard paper sensor is turned off to suspend triggering the hard paper transmission roller to rotate.

2. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hard cardboard box includes a box body, a paper pressing plate and an elastic member arranged in the box body; the box body is provided with a hard cardboard outlet located at the paper outlet end of the hard cardboard box and a clearance notch for making way for the hard cardboard transmission roller; one end of the paper pressing plate is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the box body, and the other end extends to the hard cardboard outlet; the clearance notch corresponds to the hard cardboard transmission roller; the elastic member applies an elastic force toward the hard cardboard to the paper pressing plate, so that the hard cardboard located in the box body elastically abuts against the hard cardboard transmission roller through the clearance notch, so as to drive the hard cardboard in the box body to move between the rubber roller and the print head.

3. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The box body comprises a box cover and a bottom box which cover each other, one end of the paper pressing plate is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the box cover, the elastic member is arranged between the box cover and the paper pressing plate, and the bottom box is provided with the hard cardboard outlet and the clearance gap.

4. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner wall of the box cover is provided with a first L-shaped connecting piece and a second L-shaped connecting piece arranged at a distance from each other, the paper pressing plate is provided with a third L-shaped connecting piece and a clearance hole for making way for the second L-shaped connecting piece, the first L-shaped connecting piece and the inner wall of the box cover jointly form a mounting groove with an opening on one side, one end of the paper pressing plate can be movably inserted into the mounting groove, and the second L-shaped connecting piece can be movably passed through the clearance hole; when the second L-shaped connecting piece abuts against the third L-shaped connecting piece, the second L-shaped connecting piece restricts the paper pressing plate from moving toward the cardboard transmission roller.

5. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to claim 4, characterized in that: A guide piece is also arranged in the box cover, and the paper pressing plate is also provided with a guide slot hole matching the guide piece. The guide piece is arranged to penetrate the guide slot hole with a gap, so that the rotation track of the paper pressing plate is limited by the guide piece.

6. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic member is a spring.

7. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The printing mode switching switch includes a matching clamping switch and a status detection switch. A locking component is provided at one end of the hard cardboard box facing the printer body. The locking component can be detachably inserted into the clamping switch so that the locking component is clamped by the clamping switch, thereby ensuring that the hard cardboard box is detachably locked to the printer body and at the same time stimulating the status detection switch so that the printer body enters the hard cardboard printing mode.

8. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The printer body also includes a paper width adjustment component arranged therein, and the paper width adjustment component is used to adaptively limit the feeding direction of the flexible paper roll; the flexible paper mounting frame includes a mounting shaft for sleeved with a flexible paper core and a paper roll cover slidably sleeved on both ends of the mounting shaft, and the paper roll cover is detachably inserted in the paper bin.

9. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The printer body is internally provided with a battery unit for supplying power thereto.

10. The multi-purpose portable thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The sensor unit includes a through-beam optical coupling sensor.

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