Thermal printer core and thermal printer

Abstract

The application provides a thermal printer core and a thermal printer. The thermal printer core comprises a main body, a rubber roller assembly, a thermal sheet assembly and an elastic member mounted on the main body. The elastic member, the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly are sequentially abutted. The thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly form a paper feeding position. In the axial projection of the rubber roller assembly, the arrangement direction of the elastic member, the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly is inclined to the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the feeding direction of the paper feeding position is inclined to the width direction of the thermal printer core. The thermal printer comprises the above thermal printer core. The application improves the structure and arrangement of the core to effectively reduce the thickness, so that the printer body can be made thinner to meet the appearance optimization requirement.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of thermal printer, in particular to a thermal printer core and a thermal printer with improved core design to compress the height of the whole machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] Referring to Figure 8 , the thermal printer core is arranged in the body of the thermal printer, the thickness direction of the thermal printer core is consistent with the thickness direction of the body, and correspondingly, the width direction of the thermal printer core is consistent with the width direction of the body, and the width direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction. The thermal printer core comprises a main body and a rubber roller assembly 91, a thermal sheet assembly 92 and a spring 93 arranged in the main body in sequence along the thickness direction. The thermal sheet assembly 92 and the rubber roller assembly 91 form a paper feeding position, and the feeding direction of the paper feeding position is the width direction, which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rubber roller assembly 91. As shown in Figure 8 , the thickness direction is vertical, and the width direction and the axial direction of the rubber roller assembly 91 are both horizontal. The spring 93 is a compression spring, and the spring is used to realize the floating of the thermal sheet assembly 92.

[0003] The existing thermal printer core has the problem that the body of the thermal printer is generally thick, which cannot meet the demand of thin appearance. SUMMARY

[0004] The first object of the present application is to provide a thermal printer core with improved component layout to effectively reduce the thickness, so that the body of the thermal printer can be made thinner to meet the demand of appearance optimization.

[0005] The second object of the present application is to provide a thermal printer with a thinner body.

[0006] The thermal printer core provided by the first object of the present application comprises a main body and a rubber roller assembly, a thermal sheet assembly and an elastic member installed on the main body; the elastic member, the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly are in sequence and abut each other, and the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly form a paper feeding position; on the axial projection of the rubber roller assembly, the arrangement directions of the elastic member, the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly are inclined to the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the feeding direction of the paper feeding position is inclined to the width direction of the thermal printer core.

[0007] As can be seen from the above analysis, the reason why the printer body cannot be made thinner is that the rubber roller assembly, thermal sheet assembly, and springs are arranged along the thickness direction, resulting in a relatively thick thermal printer core. Therefore, this invention first optimizes the internal structural layout. Taking a horizontally placed printer as an example, this invention sets the springs, thermal sheet assembly, and rubber roller assembly, which were originally arranged vertically or nearly vertically, to an inclined arrangement. This significantly reduces the thickness of the thermal printer core. Furthermore, unexpectedly, this arrangement also allows the paper feed path to be tilted, enabling a "top-in, front-out" paper feeding method. Compared to the "rear-in, front-out" paper feeding method of the prior art, this is more convenient for users to handle, improving the user experience.

[0008] A further embodiment is that the elastic element is a torsion spring; the thermal sheet assembly is rotatably arranged around a first axis, and the thermal sheet assembly includes a rotating connecting part located at the first axis and a swinging part spaced apart from the first axis; the base of the torsion spring is located at a second axis, the first spring arm of the torsion spring abuts against the main body, and the second spring arm of the torsion spring abuts against the swinging part; the rubber roller assembly is opposite to the swinging part, and the rotating connecting part is opposite to the base.

[0009] As can be seen from the above solutions, in the background technology, the elastic element is a compression spring, and the vertical compression spring is fixed to the horizontal main body plate by a positioning post. However, if the elastic element, the thermal sheet assembly, and the rubber roller assembly are arranged at an angle, the angled compression spring is difficult to install and fix to the horizontal main body plate. Therefore, the present invention uses a torsion spring as the elastic element. In this way, the torsion spring can be fixed by a horizontal torsion spring mounting shaft, and compared with the compression spring, the height of the torsion spring is smaller, which further facilitates the reduction of the core thickness. In addition, unexpectedly, since the torsion spring needs to abut against the rubber roller assembly on opposite sides of the thermal sheet assembly with its first spring arm, that is, in this setting, the thickest base of the torsion spring and the rubber roller assembly will inevitably be misaligned and arranged in a "%" shape. Compared with arranging the three in a "I" shape, this can further reduce the core thickness, thereby making the printer body thinner to meet the requirements of appearance optimization.

[0010] A further embodiment is that, in the normal direction of the thermal sheet assembly, the thermal sheet assembly includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other; the rubber roller assembly is located on the first side and the torsion spring is located on the second side.

[0011] As can be seen from the above, theoretically, the torsion spring can be located on the first side of the thermal sheet along with the rubber roller assembly, while the second arm of the torsion spring is bent around to the second side of the thermal sheet assembly to provide force. This can also compress the thickness of the compressor core and body. However, the first side of the thermal sheet assembly is the thermal sheet, which is a sensitive device and requires electrical connection. Therefore, it is better to stagger the rubber roller assembly and spring located on both sides of the thermal sheet assembly in a "%" shape to avoid affecting the normal operation of the thermal sheet.

[0012] Further, the thermal printer core rubber roller assembly is arranged around a third axis; in the axial projection of the first axis, the normal of the thermal sheet assembly forms a first angle with the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the line direction of the second axis and the third axis forms a second angle with the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the second angle is greater than the first angle.

[0013] As can be seen from the above, when the second angle is greater than the first angle, the thickness of the core is reduced relative to the prior art. Within a certain angle range, the greater the second angle, the smaller the thickness of the core. Of course, the greater the second angle, the greater the width of the core, so the second angle can be adjusted according to the actual needs of the appearance of the printer body.

[0014] Further, the main body comprises a torsion spring mounting shaft and a torsion spring support fixedly arranged; the base portions of the at least two torsion springs are sleeved on the torsion spring mounting shaft; the first elastic arms abut against the torsion spring support, the torsion spring support is provided with a first buckle portion, the first elastic arms are provided with a second buckle portion, and the first buckle portion and the second buckle portion are buckled.

[0015] As can be seen from the above, after replacing the spring with a torsion spring, it is necessary to consider how to install and fix the torsion spring. In addition, generally, the long strip-shaped thermal sheet assembly needs to be supported by multiple elastic members, so it is necessary to further consider how to install and fix multiple torsion springs. Therefore, the present application is based on the concentricity of the middle holes of the winding bases of the multiple torsion springs arranged in a straight line, and a torsion spring mounting shaft is inserted to simultaneously complete the center positioning of the multiple torsion springs, and a torsion spring support is additionally provided to fix the first elastic arms of the torsion springs, and the cooperation of the first buckle portion and the second buckle portion effectively prevents the torsion springs from being buckled off, further ensuring the installation stability of the torsion springs. In this way, the multiple torsion springs can be stably and reliably assembled in the core.

[0016] Further, the torsion spring mounting shaft and the torsion spring support are sequentially arranged along the width direction of the thermal printer core.

[0017] As can be seen from the above, under this arrangement, the torsion spring mounting shaft and the torsion spring support do not increase the thickness of the core.

[0018] Further, the torsion spring comprises two base portions arranged along the axial direction of the torsion spring; the two first elastic arms comprise first rods respectively extending from the two base portions and bent segments connected to the ends of the first rods, and the bent segments serve as the first buckle portions; the second elastic arms comprise second rods respectively extending from the two base portions and a cross rod bently connected between the two second rods.

[0019] As can be seen from the above, since the length of the torsion spring does not affect the thickness of the core and the printer body, the present application selects a double torsion spring, and the "door" type second elastic arms of the double torsion spring can form a better and stable abutment relationship with the thermal sheet assembly, ensuring that the interaction forces at the respective cooperation positions of the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly are consistent, and further ensuring the printing effect.

[0020] Still further, the main body further comprises a bottom plate and side plates; the two side plates are arranged opposite along the axial direction of the first shaft, and the bottom plate is fixedly connected with the two side plates at both ends thereof; the torsion spring mounting shaft is connected with the two side plates at both axial ends thereof, and the torsion spring support is connected with the bottom plate.

[0021] Still further, the side plate is provided with a first shaft hole, and the thermal sensitive sheet assembly is provided with a first short shaft, the first short shaft is inserted and assembled with the second shaft hole; and / or, the side plate is provided with a second shaft hole, and the axial end of the torsion spring mounting shaft is provided with a second short shaft, the second short shaft is inserted and assembled with the second shaft hole.

[0022] From the above, the arrangement can simultaneously complete the assembly of the components between the side plates, thereby improving the assembly efficiency.

[0023] Still further, the bottom plate supports the torsion spring support from the width direction and / or the thickness direction of the thermal sensitive printer core.

[0024] From the above, the bottom plate, in addition to serving as the basic structure of the main body, also serves as the structure for supporting the torsion spring support, thereby further ensuring better stability of the torsion spring support and the torsion spring.

[0025] The second object of the present application provides a thermal sensitive printer comprising the thermal sensitive printer core. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0027] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0028] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a structural view of the side plate in the first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0029] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a partial view of the bottom plate in the first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0030] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a structural view of part of the components in the first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0031] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a partial view of the torsion spring support in the first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0032] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a structural view of the torsion spring in the first embodiment of the thermal sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0033] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a background art thermal sensitive printer core.

[0034] Figure 9 The first embodiment of the heat-sensitive printer core of the present application.

[0035] Figure 10 The second embodiment of the heat-sensitive printer core of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The first embodiment of the heat-sensitive printer core

[0037] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the heat-sensitive printer of the present application comprises a heat-sensitive printer core, the heat-sensitive printer core of the present embodiment comprises a main body 1, a heat-sensitive sheet assembly 2, a rubber roller assembly 3, a torsion spring 4 and a gear set 7, the main body 1 comprises side plates 12, a bottom plate 11, a torsion spring mounting shaft 5, a torsion spring bracket 6 and screws, the heat-sensitive sheet assembly 2 comprises a heat-sensitive sheet 21, a fixing frame 22 and a side connecting frame 23. The gear set 7 is connected to the outside of one of the side plates 12.

[0038] Hereinafter, the axial directions of the components and assemblies are the same, Figure 2 In the present embodiment, the thickness direction of the heat-sensitive printer is consistent with the thickness direction of the heat-sensitive printer core, the width direction of the heat-sensitive printer is consistent with the width direction of the heat-sensitive printer core, the thickness direction of the heat-sensitive printer core is vertical, the width direction and the axial direction of the heat-sensitive printer core are both horizontal, and the width direction and the axial direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0039] Referring to Figures 2 to 4 , the two side plates 12 are oppositely arranged along the axial direction of the first axis 200 (the y-axis direction shown in the figure), and the two ends of the bottom plate 11 are fixedly connected with the two side plates 12 respectively. In the present embodiment, the axial ends of the bottom plate 11 are both provided with two first insertion holes 116 and a first connecting hole 111 penetrating along the thickness direction of the bottom plate 11, and a first folded edge 14 bent upward, and the first folded edge 14 is provided with a second connecting hole 140 penetrating along the axial direction.

[0040] On the contrary, the lower end of the side plate 12 is provided with two first insertion tongues 126 extending downward, the side plate 12 is provided with a third connecting hole 124, the lower end of the side plate 12 is provided with a second folded edge 121 extending along the axial direction, and the second folded edge 121 is provided with a fourth connecting hole 1210.

[0041] The side plate 12 is connected with the bottom plate 11, the two first insertion tongues 126 are inserted into the two first insertion holes 116 respectively, the second folded edge 121 is overlapped with the bottom plate 12, the first connecting hole 111 is in communication with the fourth connecting hole 1210, and the two are matched with the screws to lock. The first folded edge 14 is overlapped with the side plate 12, the second connecting hole 140 is in communication with the third connecting hole 124, and the two are matched with the screws to lock.

[0042] Referring toFigure 4 and Figure 5 The side plate 12 is provided with a first shaft hole 122. The thermal sheet assembly 2 has a first short shaft 29 at the first axis 200 at both axial ends. The first short shaft 29 is inserted into the first shaft hole 122. The side plate 12 is also provided with a second shaft hole 125. The torsion spring mounting shaft 5 has a second short shaft 59 at the second axis 500 at both axial ends. The second short shaft 59 is inserted into the second shaft hole 125. The side plate 12 is also provided with a third shaft hole 123. The rubber roller assembly 3 has a third short shaft 39 at the third axis 300 at the position near the end on both sides of the axial direction. The third short shaft 39 is inserted into the third shaft hole 123. The rubber roller assembly 3 is rotatable around the third axis 300.

[0043] See Figure 5 In the thermal sheet assembly 2, the thermal sheet 21 is bonded to the fixing frame 22, and the two side connecting frames 23 are fixed to the two axial ends of the fixing frame 22 by screws respectively. The two first short shafts 29 are respectively set on the two side connecting frames 23.

[0044] See Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The torsion spring bracket 6 includes a portion along the width direction of the thermal printer core. Figure 1 Two vertical portions 69 (shown in the x-axis direction) are opposite each other. Each vertical portion 69 is provided with a downwardly extending second tongue 62 and a third tongue 63, and the second tongue 62 is also provided with a fifth connecting hole 620; see also... Figure 3 The rear side of the base plate 11, i.e., the side of the base plate 11 in the width direction of the thermal printer cartridge, is provided with an upwardly bent retaining edge 163. The main body of the base plate 11 is provided with a second insertion hole 161 between the retaining edges 163, and a sixth connecting hole 160 is provided directly above the second insertion hole 161 on the retaining edge 163. In addition, the main body of the base plate 11 is also provided with a third insertion hole 162.

[0045] Combination Figure 1 The torsion spring bracket 6 is disposed between the two side plates 12 and fixedly installed on the base plate 11. The second tongue 62 is inserted into the second insertion hole 161, and the third tongue 63 is inserted into the third insertion hole 162. The torsion spring bracket 6 is provided with the upright part 69 of the second tongue 62 overlapping with the side guard 163 along the width direction. The fifth connecting hole 620 and the sixth connecting hole 160 are connected and both are engaged with screws to lock them.

[0046] See Figure 1 and Figure 5 See also Figure 1 As shown in the axial projection, the torsion spring bracket 6, torsion spring mounting shaft 5, thermal sheet assembly 2, and rubber roller assembly 3 are arranged sequentially along the width direction of the thermal printer core.

[0047] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 The torsion spring bracket 6 includes a horizontal portion 68 connected between the two vertical portions 69. The horizontal portion 68 has a second latching portion 61 formed by bending upwards. One side of the second latching portion 61 has a fastening opening 610 that opens axially. The torsion spring bracket 6 has multiple pairs of second latching portions 61 spaced apart along its own axial direction, with the openings of the fastening openings 610 of each pair of second latching portions 61 facing each other.

[0048] The torsion spring 4 includes a base 40, a first spring arm 41, and a second spring arm 42. In this embodiment, the torsion spring 4 includes two bases 40 wound into a cylindrical shape and spaced apart along its own axial direction. The two first spring arms 41 are respectively a first rod 411 extending from the two bases 40 and a bent section 412 connected to the end of the first rod 411, the bent section 412 serving as a first latching part. The second spring arm 42 includes a second rod 421 extending from the two bases 40 and a crossbar 422 bent and connected between the two second rods 421.

[0049] The base 40 of all torsion springs 4 is sleeved on the torsion spring mounting shaft 5 and located at the second axis 500. The two first spring arms 41 of each torsion spring 4 are respectively fastened to the fastening openings 610 of the two second snap-fit ​​parts 61, and the first spring arms 41 abut against the horizontal part 68 of the torsion spring bracket.

[0050] See also Figure 1 The thermal sheet assembly 2 is rotatably disposed around a first axis 200. Along the extension direction of the thermal sheet assembly 2, the thermal sheet assembly 2 includes a rotating connecting portion 201 located at the first axis 200 and a swinging portion 202 spaced apart from the first axis 200. In the normal direction (direction a in the figure), the thermal sheet assembly 2 includes opposing first sides 208 and second sides 209. The rubber roller assembly 3 is located on the first side 208, and the torsion spring 4 is located on the second side 209. The second spring arm 42 of the torsion spring 4 abuts against the swinging portion 202, and the rubber roller assembly 3 is opposite to the swinging portion 202. More specifically, the rubber roller assembly 3 and the swinging portion 202 are opposite each other along a second straight line L2, and the rotating connecting portion 201 and the base 40 are opposite each other along a first straight line L1. Figure 1 As shown in the axial projection, both the first straight line L1 and the second straight line L2 extend along the normal direction of the thermal sheet assembly 2, and there is a large distance between the first straight line L1 and the second straight line L2 along the extension direction of the thermal sheet assembly 2. In this arrangement, the rubber roller assembly 3, the thermal sheet assembly 2, and the torsion spring 4 are arranged in a "%" shape.

[0051] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 and compare Figure 8 and Figure 9 ,Figure 8 In the prior art, the rubber roller assembly 91, the thermal sheet assembly 92 and the spring 93 are arranged in a vertical straight line, Figure 1 Figure 9 In the embodiment, firstly, the arrangement direction of the torsion spring 4, the thermal sheet assembly 2 and the rubber roller assembly 3, i.e. the direction of the line connecting the second axis 500 and the third axis 300 (the direction b in the figure), is inclined to the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, so that the thickness of the thermal printer core is greatly reduced, and the angle between the direction b and the direction x is smaller than the angle between the direction a and the direction z.

[0052] Further, the rubber roller assembly 3, the thermal sheet assembly 2 and the torsion spring 4 are arranged in a “%” shape. At this time, it can be seen that, in the axial projection of the first axis 200, the normal of the thermal sheet assembly 2 forms a first angle with the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the direction of the line connecting the second axis 500 and the third axis 300 (the direction b in the figure) forms a second angle with the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the second angle is greater than the first angle.

[0053] In addition, unexpectedly, the inclined arrangement of the torsion spring 4, the thermal sheet assembly 2 and the rubber roller assembly 3 makes the paper feeding direction c of the paper feeding position 2000 formed between the thermal sheet assembly 2 and the rubber roller assembly 3 inclined to the width direction x of the thermal printer core.

[0054] By comparison Figure 8 Figure 9 In the figure, the rubber roller assembly 3, the thermal sheet assembly 2 and the elastic members (the spring 93 and the torsion spring 4) with the same diameter are compared in the same size, Figure 9 The thickness of the embodiment is greatly reduced, and the degree of thickness reduction is greater than the degree of width increase, and the area of the smallest circumscribed rectangle in the axial projection is reduced. It can be seen that, by improving the structure of the core assembly and the arrangement of the components, the printer body can be made thinner to meet the appearance optimization requirements under the premise of ensuring the printing effect.

[0055] Second embodiment of the thermal printer core

[0056] Referring to Figure 10 In the embodiment, the elastic member 96 is a compression spring, the elastic member 96, the thermal sheet assembly 95 and the rubber roller assembly 94 are arranged in a straight line, and the arrangement direction a of the elastic member 96, the thermal sheet assembly 95 and the rubber roller assembly 94 is inclined to the thickness direction of the thermal printer core.

[0057] In the embodiment, although the elastic member 96, the thermal sheet assembly 95 and the rubber roller assembly 94 are not arranged in a “%” shape, the inclined arrangement can still reduce the thickness of the thermal printer core to a certain extent.

[0058] ​​In other embodiments, the base of the torsion spring can be clamped by a fixed clamp, so that the torsion spring mounting shaft is not needed.

[0059] In other embodiments, the first elastic arm of the torsion spring abuts against the convex portion of the bottom plate, so that the torsion spring support is not needed.

[0060] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above description is only the preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various changes and modifications, and any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal printer module, comprising a main body and a rubber roller assembly, a thermal sheet assembly, and an elastic element mounted on the main body; the thermal sheet assembly and the rubber roller assembly form a paper feeding position; Its features are: On the axial projection of the rubber roller assembly, the paper feeding position is inclined to the width direction of the thermal printer core; The elastic element is a torsion spring; The thermal pad assembly is rotatably disposed around a first axis, and the thermal pad assembly includes a rotatable connecting part located at the first axis and a swinging part that is at a distance from the first axis. The base of the torsion spring is located at the second axis, and the first and second spring arms of the torsion spring respectively abut against the main body and the swinging part; The rubber roller assembly abuts against the swing portion, and the rotating connection portion is opposite to the base portion; The rubber roller assembly is rotatably arranged around a third axis; On the axial projection of the first axis, the normal of the thermal sheet assembly forms a first angle with the thickness direction of the thermal printer core, and the line connecting the second axis and the third axis forms a second angle with the thickness direction that is greater than the first angle.

2. The thermal printer cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the normal direction of the thermal pad assembly, the thermal pad assembly includes opposing first and second sides; The rubber roller assembly is located on the first side and the torsion spring is located on the second side.

3. The thermal printer cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The main body includes a fixedly installed torsion spring mounting shaft and a torsion spring bracket; The bases of at least two of the torsion springs are sleeved on the torsion spring mounting shaft; The first spring arm abuts against the torsion spring bracket, the torsion spring bracket is provided with a first latching part, the first spring arm is provided with a second latching part, and the first latching part and the second latching part are engaged.

4. The thermal printer cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The torsion spring mounting shaft and the torsion spring bracket are arranged sequentially along the width direction of the thermal printer core.

5. The thermal printer module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The torsion spring includes two bases spaced apart along its own axial direction; The two first elastic arms extend from the two bases respectively, forming a first rod and a bent section connected to the end of the first rod, the bent section serving as the first latching part; The second spring arm includes a second rod extending from each of the two bases and a crossbar that bends and connects the two second rods.

6. The thermal printer cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main body also includes a base plate and side plates; The two side plates are arranged opposite each other along the axial direction of the first axis, and the two extended ends of the bottom plate are respectively fixed to the two side plates; The two ends of the torsion spring mounting shaft are respectively connected to the two side plates, and the torsion spring bracket is connected to the base plate.

7. The thermal printer cartridge according to claim 6, characterized in that: A first shaft hole is provided on the side plate, and a first short shaft is provided on the thermal sheet assembly. The first short shaft is inserted into the first shaft hole. And / or, A second shaft hole is provided on the side plate, and a second short shaft is provided at the axial end of the torsion spring mounting shaft. The second short shaft is inserted into the second shaft hole.

8. The thermal printer cartridge according to claim 6, characterized in that: The base plate supports the torsion spring bracket in both the width and thickness directions of the thermal printer core.

9. A thermal printer, characterized in that, Includes the thermal printer core as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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