Printer

Abstract

The application discloses a printer, which comprises a printing main body and an external paper bin connected to the printing main body; wherein the printing main body is provided with a paper feeding channel and a paper feeding assembly; the external paper bin is provided with a movable paper feeding plate, at least a part of the paper feeding plate extending into the printing main body; the paper feeding assembly comprises a paper feeding roller and a paper guide plate, the paper feeding roller being rotatably arranged at a position close to a paper feeding port, and the paper guide plate being oppositely arranged with a lower paper feeding panel of the paper feeding channel in the vertical direction. The printer can realize stable paper feeding of the external paper bin and more efficiently complete a printing task.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of printer technology, and more specifically to the paper feed structure of a printer. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional printers typically house the paper tray internally, resulting in a relatively large size. While removable external paper trays offer advantages such as reduced printhead size and easier storage, they are prone to paper jams at the connection point. This is especially true for smaller printers (such as thermal printers) with narrow paper feed paths, making it easy for paper to get stuck between the external paper tray and the printhead. Paper jams interrupt print jobs, requiring manual clearing, reducing printing efficiency, and wasting paper. Frequent paper jams can also damage the printhead, increasing maintenance costs and equipment failure rates. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to at least partially solve the above problems, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a printer that facilitates stable paper feeding from an external paper tray.

[0004] To achieve the aforementioned main objectives, the present invention discloses a printer, including a printing body and an external paper tray connected to the printing body; wherein:

[0005] The printing body is provided with a paper feeding channel, a paper feeding assembly, and a lifting assembly. The two ends of the paper feeding channel are respectively provided with a paper inlet and a paper outlet. The external paper tray is provided with a movable paper feed plate. When the external paper tray is connected to the printing body, at least a portion of the paper feed plate extends into the printing body from the paper inlet.

[0006] The paper feeding assembly includes a paper feeding roller and a guide plate. The paper feeding roller is rotatably disposed within the printing body near the paper inlet. The guide plate is disposed vertically opposite to the lower paper feeding panel of the paper feeding channel, forming a gap that allows paper to pass through.

[0007] In the above technical solution, after the paper enters the paper feeding channel, the warping of the paper is suppressed by the guide plate, so that it can be fed smoothly in the paper feeding channel, avoiding or reducing the occurrence of paper jams and achieving more efficient printing operations.

[0008] Furthermore, the printing body also includes a lifting assembly, which includes a lifting member, a first elastic member, and a reset driving mechanism; wherein the lifting member is rotatably disposed, the first elastic member enables the lifting member to rotate to a state of contact with the feed paperboard, so as to push the feed paperboard to move and make the paper in the external paper tray contact the feed roller, and the reset driving mechanism enables the lifting member to move in the opposite direction.

[0009] In the above technical solution, when the printer is working, the first elastic element can move the paper feed board toward the direction of the paper feed roller, so as to lift the paper in the external paper tray to the state where its front end is in contact with the elastic force, and the contact force between the paper and the paper feed roller is provided by the first elastic element, thereby avoiding paper jams at the connection between the printing body and the external paper tray and achieving stable paper feeding.

[0010] Furthermore, the feed paperboard is rotatably configured, and the reset drive mechanism can drive the lifting member to rotate in the opposite direction to a non-contact state separated from the feed paperboard. The reset drive mechanism includes a cam component and a motor that drives the cam component to rotate. The cam component is provided with a cam portion for forcing the lifting member to rotate to the non-contact state. The use of a cam portion to push the lifting member makes the rotation process of the lifting member smoother.

[0011] Furthermore, the printing body is equipped with a first detector and a second detector. The first detector is used to detect the position of the cam component, and the second detector is used to detect the position of the lifting plate. Preferably, the first detector and the second detector are microswitches.

[0012] Furthermore, the lower paper feed panel has side guards on opposite sides for laterally limiting the paper. These side guards prevent the paper from skewing and causing a jam.

[0013] Furthermore, the guide plate is movably sleeved on the roller shaft of the feed roller, and the feed assembly also includes a second elastic element acting on the guide plate. Under the action of the second elastic element, the guide plate abuts against the side guard. The guide plate being sleeved on the roller shaft of the feed roller has the advantage of simple installation structure; the second elastic element can prevent the guide plate from jumping when the feed roller rotates, thereby achieving a better paper guiding effect.

[0014] Furthermore, the lower paper feed panel includes a lifting surface located near the paper inlet, the lifting surface extending obliquely upward along the paper feed direction; the guide plate is located above the lifting surface, and the side of the guide plate facing the lifting surface has a guide rib adapted to the lifting surface. The lifting surface extending obliquely upward along the paper feed direction makes the paper feed channel smoother, which helps reduce paper jams.

[0015] Furthermore, the printing body includes an upper body and a lower body formed separately, with at least a portion of the paper feeding channel defined between the upper body and the lower body, and both the paper feeding assembly and the lifting assembly are disposed on the lower body.

[0016] Furthermore, the printer is a thermal printer, and the printing body is provided with a printing assembly including a thermal printhead and a paper feed roller. The paper feed roller is disposed on the lower body, and the thermal printhead is disposed on the upper body.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower body is equipped with a paper feeding drive mechanism capable of simultaneously driving the paper feed roller and the paper feed roller to rotate. This paper feeding drive mechanism, which simultaneously drives the paper feed roller and the paper feed roller to rotate, not only simplifies the structure but also ensures consistent paper feeding speed.

[0018] Furthermore, the external paper compartment includes an upper compartment and a lower compartment. One end of the lower compartment is detachably connected to the printing body, and the other end is rotatably connected to the upper compartment. The feed paper is rotatably mounted on the lower compartment. In the non-use state, the upper compartment can be folded over the lower compartment to reduce the area occupied by the external compartment, facilitating transportation and storage.

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the printer;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the printing body in the embodiment;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower main body in the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the external paper compartment in the unfolded state in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the paper feed assembly in the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the lower main body in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting component in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the reset drive mechanism of the lifting component in the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the lifting component comes into contact with the feed paperboard in the embodiment;

[0029] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the lifting component separates from the feed paper in the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in conjunction with embodiments in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, it should be understood that the following embodiments and detailed descriptions are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of protection of the invention.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the printer of this embodiment includes a printing body 100 and an external paper tray 200 detachably connected to the printing body 100. The printing body 100 includes a printing assembly, a paper feed path, a paper feed assembly 130, and a lifting assembly 140. One end of the paper feed path has a paper inlet 121, and the other end has a paper outlet 122, preferably located on opposite sides of the printing body 100. Exemplarily, the printing body 100 includes an upper body 101 and a lower body 102. The upper body 101 is rotatably connected to the lower body 102 in a flip-top configuration. At least a portion of the paper feed path is defined between the upper body 101 and the lower body 102. The paper inlet 121 is disposed on the lower body 102, and the paper outlet 122 is located between the upper body 101 and the lower body 102.

[0032] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the paper feeding channel has a lower paper feeding panel 123 disposed on the lower body 102. The lower paper feeding panel 123 includes a lifting surface 1231 disposed near the paper inlet 121. The lifting surface 1231 extends obliquely upward along the paper feeding direction (paper transport direction) to make the paper feeding channel smoother and reduce paper jams. The lower paper feeding panel 123 has side guards 124 on opposite sides for laterally limiting the paper, thereby preventing paper skewing. Preferably, the side guards 124 are movably disposed on the lower paper feeding panel 123, and the spacing between the two side guards 124 is adjustable to accommodate different paper widths.

[0033] For example, the printer is a thermal printer, and its printing components include a thermal printhead 111 disposed on the upper body 101 and a paper feed roller 112 disposed on the lower body 102. During operation, paper supplied by the external paper tray 200 enters the paper path 120 from the paper inlet 121, passes between the thermal printhead 111 and the paper feed roller 112, is printed by the thermal printhead 111, and is discharged from the paper outlet 122 by the paper feed roller 112.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the external paper tray 200 is provided with a movable feed plate 210. When the external paper tray 200 is connected to the printing body 100, at least a portion of the feed plate 210 extends into the printing body 100 from the paper inlet 121. In this embodiment, the external paper tray 200 includes an upper tray body 201 and a lower tray body 202, with the feed plate 210 rotatably mounted on the lower tray body 202. One end of the lower tray body 202 forms a detachable connection with the printing body 100, for example, by inserting into the paper inlet 121, and the other end of the lower tray body 202 is rotatably connected to the upper tray body 201. In the non-use state, the upper tray body 201 can be folded over the lower tray body 202 to reduce the space occupied by the external paper tray 200, facilitating transportation and storage. In the use state, the upper tray body 201 can be unfolded and used together with the lower tray body 202 to store printed paper.

[0035] Furthermore, combined Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the front end of the external paper tray 200 / lower tray 202 (the end that inserts into the printing body 100) is provided with a protruding detection part 220. A third detector 124, such as a micro switch, can be provided inside the paper inlet 121. When the external paper tray 200 / lower tray 202 is inserted into the paper inlet 121, the third detector 124 contacts the detection part 220, thereby detecting that the external paper tray 200 is installed. Preferably, there can be two third detectors 124, which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the paper inlet 121 along its length to prevent the external paper tray 200 from being installed skewed.

[0036] The paper feed assembly 130 is mounted on the lower body 102 and can cooperate with the paper feed board 210 to allow paper from the external paper tray 200 to smoothly enter the paper feed channel. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the paper feed assembly 130 includes a paper feed roller 131 and a guide plate 132. The paper feed roller 131 is rotatably disposed on the printing body 100 / lower body 102 near the paper inlet 121. The guide plate 132 is vertically opposed to the lower paper feed panel 123 of the paper feed channel 120, forming a gap that allows paper to pass through. As described later, during operation, paper in the external paper tray 200 contacts the paper feed roller 131 and enters the paper feed channel 120. Guided by the guide plate 132, paper warping can be limited, allowing it to be fed smoothly within the paper feed channel 120, avoiding or reducing paper jams.

[0037] Preferably, the guide plate 132 is positioned above the lifting surface 1231 of the lower paper feed panel 123, thereby better suppressing warping of the paper as it feeds along the lifting surface 1231 and achieving a more stable paper feeding process. Figure 5As shown, the guide plate 132 has a guide rib 1321 adapted to the lifting surface 1231 on the side facing the lifting surface 1231. The use of the guide rib 1321 for paper guidance can reduce the contact area and friction between the guide plate 132 and the paper, thereby reducing paper feeding resistance.

[0038] In this embodiment, the guide plate 132 is movably sleeved on the roller shaft 1311 of the feed roller 131. The feed assembly 130 also includes a second elastic member 133 acting on the guide plate 132. Under the elastic force of the second elastic member 133, the opposite sides of the guide plate 132 abut against the retaining edge 124, preventing the guide plate 132 from jumping when the feed roller 131 rotates, thereby achieving a better paper guiding effect. The second elastic member 133 can be a torsion spring, with its main body sleeved on the roller shaft 1311 of the feed roller 131. One torsion arm of the torsion spring is connected to the guide plate 132 to apply an elastic force to the guide plate 132 to abut against the retaining edge 124. The second elastic member 133 can also be other elastic members such as compression springs or tension springs, as long as they can keep the guide plate 132 in abutting state against the retaining edge 124.

[0039] like Figure 6 As shown, the lower body 102 is equipped with a paper feeding drive mechanism that can simultaneously drive the paper feed roller 112 and the paper feed roller 131 to rotate. The paper feeding drive mechanism includes a motor 151 and a gear transmission mechanism 152. The paper feed roller 112 and the paper feed roller 131 are connected to the motor 151 through the gear transmission mechanism 152 and are driven by the motor 151 to rotate simultaneously, thereby ensuring that the paper feed roller 112 and the paper feed roller 131 have the same paper feeding speed.

[0040] The lifting component 140 is mounted on the lower main body 102. Specifically, as shown... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the lifting assembly 140 includes a lifting member 141, a first elastic member 142, and a reset drive mechanism 143. The lifting member 141 is rotatably disposed, and the first elastic member 142 enables the lifting member 141 to rotate to a state of contact with the feed paperboard 210, so as to push the feed paperboard 210 to rotate and cause the paper in the outer paper tray 200 to contact the feed roller 131. The reset drive mechanism 143 enables the lifting member 141 to rotate in the opposite direction to a non-contact state separated from the feed paperboard 210.

[0041] The lifting assembly 140 can also employ a lifting method, comprising a lifting block that can be raised and lowered and abutted against the feed paper 210. The lifting block is driven by a motor, and its raising and lowering are achieved through gear transmission or screw transmission. When the motor is powered on, it drives the lifting block to move up and down along the guide rail. When the lifting block moves upward along the guide rail, it rises to abutting against the feed paper 210, thereby pushing the feed paper 210 to rotate and causing the paper in the outer paper tray 200 to contact the feed roller 131. When the lifting block moves downward along the guide rail, it descends to a non-abutting state, separating from the feed paper 210. Alternatively, the feed paper 210 can be flexibly and vertically mounted on the lower tray 202.

[0042] During printing, as paper is consumed in the external paper tray 200, the rotation amplitude of the feed paperboard 210 gradually increases under the action of the first elastic element 142, ensuring stable contact between the paper and the feed roller 131. The first elastic element 142 can be a torsion spring, with the main body of the torsion spring sleeved on the rotating shaft 141c of the lifting element 141. One torsion arm of the torsion spring is connected to the lifting element 141 to apply a spring force to the lifting element 141, allowing the lifting element 141 to rotate to a position abutting against the feed paperboard 210. The first elastic element 142 can also be other elastic elements such as compression springs or tension springs, as long as they allow the lifting element 141 to rotate upwards.

[0043] In the non-printing state where paper feeding is not required, the reset drive mechanism 143 can be controlled to drive the lifting member 141 to overcome the elastic force of the first elastic member 142 and rotate in the opposite direction to a non-contact state separated from the feed plate 210. At this time, the feed plate 210 can be reset under the action of gravity, and the paper in the external paper tray 200 will not contact the feed roller 131 accordingly. When installing the external paper tray 200, the lifting member 141 is also in a non-contact state separated from the feed plate 210 to avoid interference between the lifting member 141 and the feed plate 210 during the installation process, which would affect the installation of the external paper tray 200.

[0044] In this embodiment, the lifting member 141 is rotatably mounted on a rotating shaft 141c within the lower body 102. It includes a force-receiving part 141a for receiving a reset driving force and a pushing part 141b for pushing the feed paper 210. The force-receiving part 141a and the pushing part 141b are located on opposite sides of the rotating shaft 141c, and the pushing part 141c is at least partially located within the paper inlet 121 to abut against the feed paper 210. The reset driving mechanism 143 includes a cam member 1431 and a motor 1432 for driving the cam member 1431 to rotate. The cam member 1431 includes a cam portion 1431a for pushing the lifting member 141. A gear transmission mechanism 1433 is provided between the motor 1432 and the cam member 1431. When the motor 1432 drives the cam member 1431 to rotate, the lifting member 141 can rotate to a non-abutting state separated from the feed paper 210. The cam component 1431 can also be configured to be directly driven by the motor 1432, thus omitting the gear transmission mechanism 1433.

[0045] like Figure 9 As shown, as the cam member 1431 rotates to the position where the cam portion 1431a separates from the force-receiving portion 141a, the first elastic member 142 causes the lifting member 141 to rotate upwards to the state where the pushing portion 141b abuts against the feed paperboard 210, thereby pushing the feed paperboard 210 upwards toward the direction close to the feed roller 131, so that the paper in the outer paper tray 200 remains in contact with the feed roller 131.

[0046] like Figure 10 As shown, as the cam member 1431 rotates to the position where the cam part 1431a abuts against the force-bearing part 141a, the cam member 1431 pushes the lifting member 141 to overcome the elastic force of the first elastic member 142 and rotate in the opposite direction (downward) to the state of being separated from the feed paper 210. The feed paper 210 remains approximately horizontal under the action of gravity.

[0047] Furthermore, the printing body 100 / lower body 102 is provided with a first detector 161 and a second detector 162. The first detector 161 is used to detect the position of the cam member 1431, and the second detector 162 is used to detect the position of the lifting plate 141. For example, the first detector 161 and the second detector 162 can be microswitches.

[0048] like Figure 9 As shown, when the cam member 1431 rotates to the position where the cam portion 1431a separates from the force-receiving portion 141a, the detected portion 1431b on the cam member 1431 contacts the first detector 161, while the lifting member 141 separates from the second detector 162. Figure 10As shown, when the cam member 1431 rotates to the position where the cam portion 1431a abuts against the force-receiving portion 141a, the detected portion 1431b separates from the first detector 161, while the lifting member 141 contacts the second detector 162. As a variation of the embodiment, since the movements of the cam member 1431 and the lifting member 141 are interconnected, detection is performed using only the first detector 161 or the second detector 162.

[0049] In this embodiment, the detected portion 1431b of the cam member 1431 can form the same cam-shaped structure as the cam portion 1431a, or it can be other protruding structures, as long as it can be detected by the first detector 161. The fact that the cam portion 1431a and the detected portion 1431b are set as different parts of the cam member 1431 reduces the rotation angle range of the cam member 1431, thereby initiating the printing job more quickly. As a variation of this embodiment, the cam portion 1431a can also be used as the detected portion of the cam member 1431 to simplify the structure of the cam member 1431.

[0050] Although the present invention has been described above through embodiments, it should be understood that the above embodiments are only used to exemplarily describe possible implementations of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. That is, any substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the present invention should also be covered by the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A printer, comprising a printing body and an external paper tray connected to the printing body; characterized in that: The printing body is provided with a paper feeding channel and a paper feeding assembly. The two ends of the paper feeding channel are respectively provided with a paper inlet and a paper outlet. The external paper tray is provided with a movable paper feed plate. When the external paper tray is connected to the printing body, at least a portion of the paper feed plate extends into the printing body from the paper inlet. The paper feeding assembly includes a paper feeding roller and a guide plate. The paper feeding roller is rotatably disposed within the printing body near the paper inlet. The guide plate is disposed vertically opposite to the lower paper feeding panel of the paper feeding channel and forms a gap that allows paper to pass through. The printing body is also provided with a lifting assembly, which includes a lifting member, a first elastic member, and a reset driving mechanism; wherein, the lifting member is rotatably arranged, the first elastic member enables the lifting member to rotate to a state of contact with the feed paperboard, so as to push the feed paperboard to move and make the paper in the external paper tray contact the feed roller, and the reset driving mechanism enables the lifting member to rotate in the opposite direction to a non-contact state separated from the feed paperboard; The reset drive mechanism includes a cam component and a motor that drives the cam component to rotate. The cam component is provided with a cam portion for forcing the lifting member to rotate to the non-abutting state.

2. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed paperboard is rotatably configured.

3. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printing body is equipped with a first detector and a second detector. The first detector is used to detect the position of the cam component, and the second detector is used to detect the position of the lifting component.

4. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The paper feed panel has side guards on opposite sides for lateral control of the paper.

5. The printer according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide plate is movably sleeved on the roller shaft of the feed roller. The feed assembly also includes a second elastic member acting on the guide plate. Under the action of the second elastic member, the guide plate abuts against the stop edge.

6. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The paper feed panel includes a lifting surface located near the paper inlet, which extends obliquely upward along the paper feed direction; the guide plate is located above the lifting surface, and the side of the guide plate facing the lifting surface is provided with a guide rib adapted to the lifting surface.

7. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printing body includes an upper body and a lower body formed separately, and at least a portion of the paper feeding channel is defined between the upper body and the lower body. The paper feeding assembly and the lifting assembly are both disposed on the lower body.

8. The printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The printer is a thermal printer. The printing body is equipped with a printing assembly including a thermal printhead and a paper feed roller. The paper feed roller is disposed on the lower body, and the thermal printhead is disposed on the upper body. The lower body is provided with a paper feeding drive mechanism that can simultaneously drive the paper feed roller and the paper feed roller to rotate.

9. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external paper compartment includes an upper compartment and a lower compartment. One end of the lower compartment is detachably connected to the printing body, and the other end of the lower compartment is rotatably connected to the upper compartment. The paper feeder is rotatably mounted on the lower compartment.

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