Printer

Abstract

A printer according to the present invention has a conveying section, a printing section, a pressing section, a supporting section, and a setting section. The conveying section has a platen roller disposed extending in a first direction across a conveying path of a print medium to be printed, and conveys the print medium along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction via the conveying path. The printing section is disposed in opposition to the platen roller with the conveying path interposed therebetween, and prints an image on the print medium conveyed on the conveying path. The pressing section presses the printing section in a third direction toward the platen roller. The supporting section supports the pressing section so as to be movable in the first direction in correspondence with a width of the print medium along the first direction. The setting section sets a pressing force corresponding to a position of the pressing section in the first direction so that the pressing force applied to the print medium by the platen roller and the printing section becomes uniform along the first direction, and the pressing force per unit length along the first direction becomes constant regardless of the width of the print medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to, for example, printers that print images on strips of label paper having a specified width. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, printers existed that had a pressure roller that pulled and fed long strips of label paper from the rollers, and a thermal printhead that pressed the label paper against the pressure roller to print an image. The thermal printhead had a length exceeding the width of the label paper.

[0003] Label sheets come in various widths, and thermal printheads are designed to print on the widest possible label sheets. Therefore, when printing images on narrow label sheets, the thermal printhead may come into contact with the pressure roller at a position deviating from the label sheet's width. This can cause the pressure applied by the thermal printhead to become uneven across the label sheet, resulting in decreased print quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The printer according to the embodiment includes a transport section, a printing section, a pressing section, a support section, and a setting section. The transport section has a pressure roller extending in a first direction along a transport path traversing a printable medium carrying an image, and transports the printable medium along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction via the transport path. The printing section is positioned opposite the pressure roller, sandwiching the transport path, and prints an image onto the printable medium transported along the transport path. The pressing section presses the printing section upwards in a third direction toward the pressure roller. The support section supports the pressing section in a way that matches the width of the printable medium along the first direction, allowing it to move in the first direction. The setting section sets a pressing force corresponding to the position of the pressing section in the first direction, such that the pressing force applied to the printable medium by the pressure roller and the printing section becomes uniform along the first direction, and the pressing force per unit length along the first direction becomes constant regardless of the width of the printable medium. Attached Figure Description

[0005] The general architecture for implementing various features of the embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings and related descriptions are provided to illustrate the embodiments, but not to limit the scope of the invention.

[0006] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a printer illustrating an embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A 3D view of the main parts of a printer.

[0008] Figure 3 It shows that Figure 2 A 3D view of the thermal head in the retracted position.

[0009] Figure 4It is cut along the F4-F4 line. Figure 2 A sectional view of the main part.

[0010] Figure 5 It shows that Figure 3 A 3D view of the thermal head in the printing position.

[0011] Figure 6 It shows that Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the left-side pressing component facing the second pressure surface from the left of the pressed block.

[0012] Figure 7 It shows that Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the left-side pressing component facing the third pressure surface from the left of the pressed block.

[0013] Figure 8 It shows that Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the left-side pressing component facing the non-contact surface of the pressed block.

[0014] Figure 9 It is a local magnification representation Figure 8 A magnified view of the main part.

[0015] Figure 10 This is a diagram used to illustrate the effects of this embodiment.

[0016] Figure 11 This is a diagram used to illustrate the effects of this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of a modified printer. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, a printer 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, the printer 100 has a generally rectangular box-shaped frame 1 that constitutes the housing of the device. The frame 1 has an outlet 2 for discharging labels L (printed media) with printed images and an openable / closing cover (not shown) for feeding a roll R of label paper M. A frame (not shown) for mounting various mechanisms of the printer 100 is fixed inside the frame 1. In the following description, this frame is considered to be part of the frame 1.

[0020] Furthermore, in the following description, the outlet 2 side of the frame 1 is designated as the front, and the printer 100 is viewed from the front to define the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions. Additionally, in the figures, arrow X indicates the direction from rear to front, arrow Y indicates the direction from left to right, and arrow Z indicates the direction from bottom to top. In the claims, the first direction is the Y direction, the second direction is approximately the X direction, and the third direction is approximately the Z direction.

[0021] Printer 100 houses a roll R within its housing 1, formed by winding a strip of label paper M onto a core material 41. The roll R is positioned such that when the label paper M is pulled out... Figure 1 The label paper M is mounted inside the frame 1, rotating counterclockwise. For example, multiple labels L are pasted onto one side of a strip of backing paper D. The label L has an adhesive layer on the side facing backing paper D, allowing it to be attached and detached from the backing paper D and then pasted onto other items after being peeled off. Furthermore, the label L is heated to develop color, enabling image printing on its surface. The roll R winds the label paper M onto the core material 41 with the side of the backing paper D with the label L pasted on it facing inwards. The backing paper D, after the label L is peeled off, is wound onto the core material 42 and recycled within the frame 1. After printing, the label L peeled off from the backing paper D is discharged out of the frame 1 via the discharge port 2. The printer 100 of this embodiment can use rolls R, for example, with label paper M widths of 4 inches, 3 inches, 2 inches, and 1 inch.

[0022] The printer 100 includes a conveying section 10, a printing section 20, a pressing section 30, a support section 40, and a setting section 50 within a housing 1. The conveying section 10 pulls label paper M from the roll R and conveys it along the conveying path T with a right-hand reference. The printing section 20 prints images on each label L of the label paper M. The pressing section 30 presses the pressed block 22 of the printing section 20 towards the pressure roller 11 at multiple positions in the Y direction. Figure 2 The support part 40 holds the two pressing parts 31 and 32 of the pressing part 30. Figure 2 The support is movable in the Y direction. The setting unit 50 is set with the width of the label paper M and, as described later, the pressing force corresponding to the position of the two pressing members 31, 32 that move in the Y direction.

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the conveying section 10 includes a pressure roller 11 with a rotating shaft extending in the Y direction. The pressure roller 11 is located slightly below the discharge port 2 and forward of the center in the front-rear direction within the frame 1. The pressure roller 11 has a length in the Y direction exceeding the width of the label paper M at its maximum width (4 inches). The two ends of the rotating shaft of the pressure roller 11 are rotatably mounted relative to the frame 1. The pressure roller 11 is located on the side that contacts the backing paper D of the label paper M conveyed on the conveying path T. That is, the pressure roller 11 is adjacent to the lower side of the conveying path T of the label paper M. The pressure roller 11 is located on the side that contacts the backing paper D of the label paper M conveyed on the conveying path T. Figure 1 Rotate clockwise from the center.

[0024] In addition to the pressure roller 11, the conveying unit 10 includes two guide rollers 12 and 13, a winding shaft 14 on which a core material 42 for winding the backing paper D after the label L has been peeled off is mounted, and a motor (not shown) for rotating the pressure roller 11 and the winding shaft 14. The conveying path T of the label paper M conveyed by the conveying unit 10 begins at the point where the label paper M is pulled out from the roll R, passes through the guide roller 12, the thermal head 21 (pressure roller 11), and the guide roller 13, and ends at the point where the label paper M is wound by the core material 42 mounted on the winding shaft 14. The conveying path T between the guide roller 12 and the thermal head 21, located behind the frame 1, extends approximately horizontally along the XY plane toward the discharge port 2.

[0025] The printing unit 20 includes a thermal head 21. The pressing unit 30 presses the thermal head 21 against the pressure roller 11 by pressing the pressing block 22 of the printing unit 20 toward the pressure roller 11. The thermal head 21 is positioned above the pressure roller 11, sandwiching the transport path T of the label paper M in the middle. The thermal head 21 has a length along the Y direction that exceeds the width of the maximum width of the label paper M. The pressure roller 11 and the thermal head 21 are approximately the same length. The label paper M pulled from the roll R passes through the transport path T between the pressure roller 11 and the thermal head 21. The thermal head 21 is located on the side of the label paper M that contacts the label L.

[0026] The thermal head 21 is pressed against the pressure roller 11 by the pressing part 30. Therefore, if the pressure roller 11 of the conveying part 10 is rotated in this state, a conveying force is applied from the pressure roller 11 to the label paper M passing between the thermal head 21 and the pressure roller 11. Figure 1 In the middle, when the pressure roller 11 rotates clockwise, the label paper M is pulled out from the roll R, and the roll R rotates counterclockwise as shown in the figure.

[0027] The printing unit 20 has a swing frame 24 that is pivotally mounted relative to the frame 1 with a shaft 23 extending in the Y direction as its center. The shaft 23 is located approximately at the center of the frame 1 in the front-rear direction, and the swing frame 24 extends forward from the shaft 23. A thermal head 21 is fixed to the lower surface of the swing frame 24 at its swinging front end. A pressing block 22 is fixed to the upper surface of the swing frame 24 at its swinging front end, opposite to the thermal head 21. Figure 1 As shown, the pressed block 22 can be integrally set with the swing frame 24 or integrally set with the thermal head 21.

[0028] The thermal head 21 has multiple heating elements arranged in the Y direction along the transport path T that traverses the label paper M. The thermal head 21 can be configured to press against the pressure roller 11 while sandwiching the transport path T in between. Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The printing position shown is determined by causing the swing frame 24 to move from that position towards... Figure 1 Rotating counterclockwise allows it to be positioned separately from the pressure roller 11. Figure 3 The shown retraction position. When the thermal head 21 is positioned in the printing position, it energizes multiple heating elements according to the image signal and prints an image on the label L of the label paper M conveyed along the transport path T.

[0029] The printing unit 20 has a tension spring 25 fixed at one end to the frame 1. The other end of the tension spring 25 is fixed to the swing frame 24 in a position separated from the shaft 23. When the thermal head 21 is positioned in the printing position, the tension spring 25 is in a stretched state. The tension spring 25 extends along its restoring force... Figure 1 A counterclockwise force is applied to the swing frame 24, causing the thermal head 21 to move to the retracted position.

[0030] like Figures 2-4 As shown, the pressed block 22 has four pressure surfaces 221, 222, 223, 225 that can be pressed by the two pressing members 31, 32 of the pressing part 30 and a non-contact surface 220 that are non-contact with the pressing member 32 when the thermal head 21 is positioned in the above-mentioned printing position. Figure 4 It is along Figure 2 The cross-sectional view along line F4-F4 shows the state in which the left pressing member 32 is pressed against the leftmost pressure surface 221.

[0031] Four pressure-receiving surfaces 221, 222, 223, and 225, and one non-contact surface 220 are arranged in the order shown in the figure along the Y direction and are disposed on the upper surface of the pressed block 22 away from the thermal head 21. That is, the non-contact surface 220 is located between the rightmost pressure-receiving surface 225 and the pressure-receiving surface 223 to its left. The four pressure-receiving surfaces 221, 222, 223, and 225 are planes that are approximately orthogonal to the direction in which the thermal head 21 is pressed against the pressure roller 11 when the thermal head 21 is positioned in the pressing position.

[0032] The four pressure-bearing surfaces 221, 222, 223, and 225, which are located at different distances from the support portion 40 to the slide rail 41 (described later), also function as components of the setting portion 50 (described later), which sets the pressing force of the pressing member 32 to a desired value. The four pressure-bearing surfaces 221, 222, 223, and 225, and the non-contact surface 220, will be described in detail later.

[0033] The pressing part 30 includes: a pressing member 31, which is fixedly disposed on the right side of the conveying path T opposite to the rightmost pressing surface 225 of the pressed block 22; and a pressing member 32, which is movable in a position opposite to the pressing surfaces 221, 222, 223 and the non-contact surface 220. The two pressing members 31 and 32 can be disposed at a desired position in the Y direction along the slide rail 41 of the support part 40.

[0034] In this embodiment, in order to convey four types of label paper M with different widths based on the right end of the conveying path T (side reference), the right-side pressing member 31 is fixedly positioned to press the rightmost pressing surface 225. Furthermore, the left-side pressing member 32 is positioned to press any one of the remaining three pressing surfaces 221, 222, and 223, or opposite the non-contact surface 220, in accordance with the width of the label paper M. Since the two pressing members 31 and 32 have the same structure, the description here will focus on the left-side pressing member 32, and a detailed description of the right-side pressing member 31 will be omitted.

[0035] like Figure 4As shown, the pressing member 32 includes a pressing element 321 capable of pressing the pressing surfaces 221, 222, and 223, a compression coil spring 322 (elastic member), and a shaft 323 passing through the compression coil spring 322. The compression coil spring 322 has a front end fixed to the pressing element 321 and a base end fixed to the slider 42 of the support portion 40. The pressing element 321 is pressed against the pressing surfaces 221, 222, and 223 by a restoring force based on compression. As an elastic member that generates a restoring force based on compression, a leaf spring or the like can be used instead of the compression coil spring 322. One end of the shaft 323, which protrudes from the base end of the compression coil spring 322, is axially movably mounted relative to the slider 42. The pressing element 321 is axially movably mounted relative to the other end of the shaft 323.

[0036] The pressing member 32 has a stop 324 fixed to one end of the shaft 323 to prevent one end of the shaft 323 from axially dislodging relative to the slider 42. The compression coil spring 322 is in a slightly compressed state when the stop 324 fixed to one end of the shaft 323 abuts against the surface 421 of the slider 42, the pressing member 321 is located at the farthest end of the shaft 323, and the pressing member 321 is not pressed in. When the pressing member 321 is pressed against the pressure surface 221 from this state, one end of the shaft 323 slides relative to the slider 42 towards the slide rail 41, the stop 324 moves away from the surface 421, the compression coil spring 322 is compressed, and a pressing force based on the restoring force of the compression coil spring 322 acts relative to the pressure surface 221.

[0037] As described above, the support portion 40 has two sliders 42 with base ends for mounting two pressing members 31, 32, and a slide rail 41 for mounting the two sliders 42 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The slide rail 41 is, for example, a tube with a rectangular cross-section, which can pass through the sliders 42 without rotation relative to the rectangular holes 422 of the sliders 42. The support portion 40 has a fixing screw 43 (fixing part) for fixing the sliders 42 to the slide rail 41. The sliders 42 have threaded holes 423 for the fixing screws 43 to engage with. By pressing the front end of the fixing screw 43 engaged in the threaded hole 423 against the outer surface of the slide rail 41, the sliders 42 can be fixed to the slide rail 41.

[0038] When the slide rail 41 is rotated about its suspended central axis (an axis extending in the Y direction through the center of gravity of the rectangular cross-section), the slider 42 can be rotated, and the pressing members 31 and 32, whose base ends are mounted on the slider 42, can be rotated. In this case, the rotation direction of the pressing members 31 and 32 is along a plane parallel to the XZ plane. The two ends of the slide rail 41 in the Y direction are rotatably supported by the frame 1. Figure 3As shown, the base of the rotating operating lever 44 is fixed to the left end of the slide rail 41. The base of the rotating hook 45, which has a locking claw 451 at the front end, is fixed to the right end of the slide rail 41.

[0039] Therefore, if the operating lever 44 is moved from the position where the thermal head 21 is positioned in the retracted position... Figure 3 When the state shown is rotated counterclockwise as illustrated, the two pressing components 31 and 32, whose base ends are mounted on the slide rail 41, will rotate from... Figure 3 The position shown is towards Figure 4 , 5 The thermal head 21 is rotated to the indicated position. When the two pressing members 31 and 32 are rotated from the retracted position toward the pressing position, pressing member 311 presses the pressure surface 225 of the pressed block 22, and pressing member 321 presses the pressure surface 221. As a result, the thermal head 21 of the printing unit 20 is pressed against the paper pressure roller 11.

[0040] When the two pressing components 31 and 32 are rotated to the pressing position, the hook 441 at the rotating front end of the operating lever 44 located at the left end of the slide rail 41 engages with the pin 3 protruding from the frame 1 in the -Y direction, and the engaging claw 451 of the hook 45 located at the right end of the slide rail 41 is inserted into the groove 4 provided in the frame 1. Therefore, the thermal head 21 can be easily positioned relative to the frame 1 (pressure roller 11) by means of the operating lever 44 and the hook 45, and the pressing force of the two pressing components 31 and 32 can be easily managed. In addition, by means of the operating lever 44 and the hook 45, when the two pressing components 31 and 32 are positioned to press the thermal head 21 against the pressure roller 11, the rotation of the slide rail 41 can be stopped, and the two pressing components 31 and 32 can be fixed in the pressing position. The two pressing components 31 and 32 can be fixed in the pressing position by means of the operating lever 44. Figure 5 It can be easily released by rotating it clockwise.

[0041] The two pressing parts 31 and 32 are arranged in Figure 3 In the retracted position shown, the pressing members 311 and 321 move away from the pressure surfaces 221 and 225, so the pressing force in the direction of the pressure roller 11 does not act on the pressed block 22. Therefore, the swing frame 24 of the printing section 20 is pushed away by the restoring force of the tension spring 25. Figure 3 When force is applied counterclockwise, the thermal head 21 is positioned in the retreating position.

[0042] If the operating lever 44 is rotated counterclockwise from this state, the two pressing parts 31 and 32 swing toward the pressing position, and the pressing parts 311 and 321 slide on the upper surface of the swing frame 24 and abut against the pressing surfaces 221 and 225. At this time, according to the distance between the pressing surfaces 221 and 225 and the slide rail 41, the compression coil springs 312 and 322 are compressed, and a prescribed pressing force is applied to the pressing surfaces 211 and 225.

[0043] The setting unit 50 sets the pressing force corresponding to the Y-direction positions of the two pressing members 31 and 32. By adjusting the distance from the slide rail 41 to the pressure surface of the pressed block 22, the pressing force applied to the pressed block 22 by the pressing members 31 and 32 can be set to a desired value. In this embodiment, the pressing force of the pressure surfaces 221 and 225 is set to the maximum, the pressing force of the pressure surface 222 is set to a smaller value, the pressing force of the pressure surface 223 is set to an even smaller value, and the pressing force of the non-contact surface 220 (which is not actually pressed) is set to zero.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, the distance between the leftmost pressure surface 221 in the Y direction and the slide rail 41 on which the pressing components 31 and 32 are mounted is the shortest. When the pressing member 321 of the left pressing component 32 is pressed against the pressure surface 221, the compression of the coil spring 322 is at its maximum. Increasing the compression of the coil spring 322 after compression also increases the restoring force. Therefore, the pressing force exerted by the pressing member 321 of the pressing component 32 on the pressure surface 221 is the greatest compared to the pressing force exerted on the other pressure surfaces 222 and 223.

[0045] The rightmost pressure surface 225 in the Y direction is assigned to the right-side pressing member 31, and the pressing member 311 of the right-side pressing member 31 is pressed against this pressure surface 225. This pressure surface 225 is disposed on the same plane as the leftmost pressure surface 221, and the distance between it and the slide rail 41 is also set to the same value as that of the pressure surface 221. Therefore, when the pressing member 311 of the right-side pressing member 31 is pressed against the pressure surface 225, the compression amount of the compression coil spring 312 of the pressing member 31 is the same as that of the compression coil spring 322, and the pressing force of pressing the pressure surface 225 is the same as that of pressing the pressure surface 221.

[0046] The second pressure-bearing surface 222 from the left has a step between it and the pressure-bearing surface 221. This pressure-bearing surface 222 is located at a distance slightly larger than the distance between the pressure-bearing surface 221 and the slide rail 41. Therefore, as... Figure 6 As shown, when the pressing member 321 of the left pressing member 32 is pressed against the pressure surface 222, the compression amount of the compressed coil spring 322 is greater than that when the pressing member 321 is pressed against the pressure surface 221. Figure 2 The pressing force of the pressing member 32 pressing the pressing member 321 against the pressure surface 222 is smaller than the pressing force of the pressing member 321, 225.

[0047] The third pressure-bearing surface 223 from the left has a step between it and the pressure-bearing surface 222. This pressure-bearing surface 223 is located at a distance slightly longer than the distance between the pressure-bearing surface 222 and the slide rail 41. Therefore, as... Figure 7 As shown, when the pressing member 321 of the left pressing member 32 is pressed against the pressure surface 223, the compression of the coil spring 322 is less than when the pressing member 321 is pressed against the pressure surface 222. Therefore, the pressing force of the pressing member 321 of the pressing member 32 pressing against the pressure surface 223 is also less than the pressing force of the pressing member 321 pressing against the pressure surface 222.

[0048] As described above, by providing steps on the four pressure surfaces 221, 222, 223, and 224, the pressing force of the pressing members 31 and 32 on the pressed block 22 can be set to a desired value according to the pressing position in the Y direction. In this case, the pressing force of the pressing members 31 and 32 can be set to a desired value by adjusting the distance between the pressure surfaces 221, 222, 223, and 224 and the slide rail 41.

[0049] As described above, the printer 100 of this embodiment can use four types of rolls R wound with label paper M of different widths in the Y direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the label paper M is fed with the right end of the transport path T as a reference (side reference), and the position of the pressing member 32 in the Y direction on the left side is adjusted to match the width of the label paper M. The position adjustment of the pressing member 32 is performed by the operator manually moving the pressing member 32 along the slide rail 41. The pressing member 31 of the pressing block 22 is fixed to the rightmost pressure surface 225 near the right end of the label paper M, which serves as the transport reference.

[0050] For example, when a label sheet M with the maximum width (4 inches) is mounted on printer 100, such as Figure 2 As shown, the right-hand pressing member 31 is positioned to press the rightmost pressing surface 225, and the left-hand pressing member 32 is positioned to press the leftmost pressing surface 221. The Y-direction positions and widths of the two pressing surfaces 221 and 225 are set such that the Y-direction interval between the pressing members 31 and 32 pressing the two pressing surfaces 221 and 225 is approximately the same as the width of the label paper M with the maximum width. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the pressing force applied to the thermal head 21 relative to the label paper M with the maximum width can be set to a uniform and desired value along the Y-direction, enabling high-quality printing of the label paper M with the maximum width.

[0051] Additionally, when a 3-inch wide label sheet M is mounted on printer 100, such as Figure 6 As shown, the right-hand pressing member 31 is positioned to press the rightmost pressure surface 225, and the left-hand pressing member 32 is positioned to press the second pressure surface 222 from the left. The Y-direction positions and widths of the two pressure surfaces 222 and 225 are set such that the Y-direction interval between the pressing members 31 and 32 pressing the two pressure surfaces 222 and 225 is approximately the same as the width of a 3-inch label paper M.

[0052] In this case, the pressing force of the left pressing member 32 pressing the pressure surface 222 is less than the pressing force of the right pressing member 31 pressing the pressure surface 225, and the total pressing force of the two pressing members 31 and 32 pressing the pressed block 22 is less than that of the pressing member 31. Figure 2 The situation is small. When considering the label paper M as a reference, by changing the position and pressing force of the pressing block 22 in the Y direction to match the width of the label paper M, the pressing force per unit width of the label paper M can be kept constant. In addition, since there is no position of the label paper M in the width direction, it is difficult for the thermal head 21 to contact the pressure roller 11, enabling high-quality printing on 3-inch wide label paper M.

[0053] Similarly, when a 2-inch wide label sheet M is mounted on printer 100, as... Figure 7 As shown, the right-hand pressing member 31 is positioned to press the rightmost pressure surface 225, and the left-hand pressing member 32 is positioned to press the third pressure surface 223 from the left. The Y-direction positions and widths of the two pressure surfaces 223 and 225 are set such that the Y-direction interval between the pressing members 31 and 32 pressing the two pressure surfaces 223 and 225 is approximately the same as the width of a 2-inch label paper M.

[0054] In this case, the pressing force of the left pressing component 32 on the pressing surface 223 is smaller than the pressing force on the pressing surface 222, and the total pressing force of the two pressing components 31 and 32 on the pressed block 22 is less than that of the left pressing component 32 on the pressing surface 222. Figure 6 The situation is even smaller compared to other cases. When considering the label paper M as a reference, by changing the position and pressing force of the pressing block 22 in the Y direction to match the width of the label paper M, the pressing force per unit width of the label paper M can be kept constant. In addition, since there is no position of the label paper M in the width direction, making it difficult for the thermal head 21 to contact the pressure roller 11, high-quality printing of 2-inch wide label paper M is possible.

[0055] In contrast, when a 1-inch wide label paper M is mounted on the printer 100, the center of the label paper M in the width direction is close to the pressing position of the pressing member 31 on the pressure surface 225 on the right side. Therefore, if the pressing force of the pressing member 32 on the left side is applied to the pressed block 22, the pressing force from the thermal head 21 on the label paper M will become excessive. Therefore, in this embodiment, when using a 1-inch wide label paper M as the minimum width, if... Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 As shown, the pressing member 32 on the left is positioned opposite the non-contact surface 220 of the pressed block 22, and the pressing member 321 of the pressing member 32 is in a non-contact state relative to the non-contact surface 220.

[0056] Figure 10 This indicates the load distribution in the width direction of the pressing force acting on the label paper M in each case where the two pressing parts 31 and 32 are arranged in the positions described above to match the width of the label paper M. Figure 11 It is to extract Figure 10 A graph showing the load distribution relative to a 2-inch wide label sheet M. Figure 10 , Figure 11 In the figure, the target pressure value (195) for all widths of label paper M is represented by a dashed line.

[0057] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, when the Y-direction positions of the pressing members 31 and 32 are changed to match the width of the label paper M to set the pressing force applied to the pressed block 22, the pressing force applied to all widths of the label paper M can be made approximately constant and close to the target value in the width direction. The pressing force per unit width applied to all label papers M with different widths can be made approximately the same. For all widths of the label paper M, the unwanted pressing force applied in the position where there is no label paper M can be largely eliminated.

[0058] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when multiple labels M of different widths are mounted on the printer 100, the pressing force of the thermal head 21 against the label M can be kept constant in the width direction. The pressing force per unit width can be made approximately the same regardless of the width of the label M. For each width of label M, the undesirable situation where the thermal head 21 contacts the pressure roller 11 in a location where no label M is present can be suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, high-quality printing can be performed regardless of the width of the label M.

[0059] Figure 12 The main parts of the printer in the modified example are indicated. Structures that function in the same way as the printer 100 in the embodiment are labeled with the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0060] The printer involved in the variation differs from the printer 100 of the above embodiment in that it feeds the label paper M with a center reference. The center reference refers to feeding the label paper M such that the center of the label paper M in the width direction overlaps with the center of the feed path T in the width direction, regardless of the width of the label paper M.

[0061] Similarly to the above-described embodiments, in order to achieve high-quality printing by feeding various label papers M with different widths with a central reference in the printer of the modified example, it is sufficient to have multiple pressing members 31, 32 that can move in the Y direction and multiple pressure surfaces 61 to 67 arranged in a V-shape along the Y direction on the pressed block 22 of the printing section 20.

[0062] For example, when conveying label paper M with the maximum width (4 inches), the pressing member 32 is positioned opposite the leftmost pressing surface 61, and the pressing member 31 is positioned opposite the rightmost pressing surface 67, pressing the two pressing surfaces 61 and 67 towards the pressure roller 11 with the same pressing force. The pressing surfaces 61 and 67 are closer to the slide rail 41 than the other pressing surfaces 62 to 66, so the compression of the coil springs 312 and 322 is the greatest, and the pressing force acting on the 4-inch wide label paper M is also greater.

[0063] Similarly, when label sheets M are provided with widths of 3 inches, 2 inches, and 1 inch, the two pressing parts 31 and 32 are gradually moved towards the conveying center, so that the compression of the compression coil springs 312 and 322 gradually decreases in accordance with the width of the label sheet M, thereby gradually reducing the pressing force applied to the label sheet M. When conveying a 1-inch wide label sheet M, one of the pressing parts 31 and 32 is positioned opposite the pressure surface 64, while the other is in a non-contact state relative to the pressed block 22.

[0064] As described above, in the printer involved in the modified example, similarly to the printer 100 of the above embodiment, the pressing force of the thermal head 21 can be kept constant for various label papers M with different widths. The pressing force per unit width can be made approximately the same value regardless of the width of the label paper M. For each width of label paper M, the undesirable situation where the thermal head 21 contacts the pressure roller 11 in a location where no label paper M is present can be suppressed. Therefore, in the modified example, high-quality printing can also be performed regardless of the width of the label paper M.

[0065] While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In fact, the novel embodiments described herein may also be embodied in various other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made to the forms of the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover these forms or modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A printer having: The conveying unit has a pressure roller that extends in a first direction along a conveying path through the printable medium of the printed image, and conveys the printable medium in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction via the conveying path. The printing unit is positioned opposite the pressure roller and sandwiches the transport path in the middle to print an image on the printable medium transported on the transport path. The pressing part presses the printing part in a third direction toward the paper pressure roller; A support portion, which matches the width of the printed medium along the first direction, supports the pressing portion so that it can move in the first direction; The setting unit sets the pressing force of the pressing part corresponding to the position of the pressing part in the first direction, such that the pressing force applied to the printed medium by the paper pressure roller and the printing part becomes uniform along the first direction, and the pressing force per unit length along the first direction becomes constant regardless of the width of the printed medium.

2. The printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The pressing part includes: a pressing member that presses the printing part; and an elastic member that presses the pressing member against the printing part by a restoring force based on the compression in the third direction. The setting unit adjusts the compression amount of the elastic member to set the pressing force for pressing the printing unit.

3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein, The elastic component is a compression coil spring whose base is supported by the support portion and whose front end is fitted with the pressing element.

4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein, The setting part has a plurality of pressure-receiving surfaces capable of pressing the pressing member. The plurality of pressure-receiving surfaces are arranged in the printing part in a manner that varies with the support part according to the amount of compression.

5. The printer according to claim 4, wherein, The printing section has a non-contact surface that is arranged in the first direction together with a plurality of the pressure surfaces at a distance from the support section away from the pressing member mounted on the front end of the compression helical spring with zero compression, so that the pressing member becomes non-contact.

6. The printer according to claim 2, wherein, The support portion includes: a slide rail extending in the first direction; and a slider that is movably mounted along the slide rail in the first direction. The pressing part includes: a compression helical spring, the base end of which is fixed to the sliding member, and the pressing member is fixed at the front end; a shaft, which is disposed through the compression helical spring and has one end that is movably mounted relative to the sliding member in a third direction and the other end on which the pressing member is mounted.

7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein, The support portion has a fixing portion for fixing the slider to the slide rail.

8. The printer according to claim 6, wherein, The pressing part has a stop fixed to one end of the shaft to prevent the one end of the shaft from falling off relative to the slider in the third direction.

9. The printer according to claim 6, wherein, The pressing element is mounted so that it can move relative to the other end of the shaft in the third direction.

10. A printer having: The conveying unit has a pressure roller that extends in a first direction along a conveying path through the printable medium of the printed image, and conveys the printable medium in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction via the conveying path. The printing unit extends in a first direction, sandwiching the transport path in the middle and opposing the pressure roller, to print an image on the printable medium transported on the transport path. The pressing part has pressing members at multiple positions in the first direction that press the printing part upward toward a third party toward the pressure roller; A support portion, which matches the width of the printed medium along the first direction, supports the base ends of the plurality of pressing members so that they can move in the first direction; The setting unit has a plurality of pressure-receiving surfaces arranged in the printing unit in the first direction. These surfaces are pressable in the third direction by the front ends of a plurality of pressing members whose base ends are supported by the support unit. The distance between the plurality of pressure-receiving surfaces and the support unit is set such that, when the plurality of pressing members move in the first direction in a manner that matches the width of the printed medium, the pressing force applied to the printed medium by the pressure roller and the printing unit becomes uniform along the first direction, and the pressing force per unit length along the first direction becomes constant regardless of the width of the printed medium.

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