Printer and accessory mounted to the printer

Abstract

The printer (100) is provided with: guides (22, 22) arranged to guide consumables M1 to a printing position and arranged in opposition in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the consumables M1, M2; and an accessory (80) formed to guide the consumables M2 to the printing position, extending in the conveying direction of the consumables M1, M2, and arranged to be attached to and detached from the guides (22, 22). The guides (22, 22) are configured to be slidable in the direction intersecting the conveying direction, and the accessory (80) is sandwiched and latched between the guides (22, 22).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to printers and accessories installed on the printer. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, printers were developed for directly printing, for example, terminal numbers and markings used in electrical equipment, onto consumables made of resin, such as tubular components called tubes or sleeves, or sheet-like components like plates or strips. Thus, when printing consumables of different shapes using a single printer, examples can be given of providing a guide structure to direct any consumable to the printing position of the print head, and using a dedicated guide adapter for other consumables. For example, the applicant has developed a strip guide adapter that can stably guide adhesive tape with release paper when printing in a tube printer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-226004 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Typically, such accessories, including guide adapters, are so-called specialized parts with varying widths, heights, and shapes depending on the form of each consumable. To print on multiple consumables using a single printer, a different number of accessories of the same type are required. Furthermore, to install these different accessories into the printer, installation openings need to be formed on the printer body. The more types of accessories there are, the greater the number of openings required. This raises concerns about insufficient strength on the printer body; conversely, from the perspective of preventing insufficient strength, it may lead to a limitation on the number of compatible accessories. Additionally, foreign objects may enter through the openings, potentially becoming trapped between the consumable and the pressure rollers / printhead, causing poor feed and printing defects. In such cases, to prevent these defects, the number of compatible accessories may also be limited.

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a printer and accessories installed on the printer, which can print on a variety of printing media using a single printer, while suppressing the intrusion of weak or foreign objects.

[0009] [Methods used to solve problems]

[0010] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure employs the following structure. Specifically, the printer of this disclosure is capable of conveying a first printing medium and a second printing medium along a predetermined conveying direction, and includes: a pair of guides configured to guide the first printing medium toward a printing position and disposed opposite each other in a direction intersecting the conveying direction; and an accessory formed to guide the second printing medium toward the printing position, extending along the conveying direction, and detachably disposed on the pair of guides. Furthermore, the pair of guides are configured to slide in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, and the accessory is clamped and secured between the pair of guides.

[0011] The printer equipped with this structure has a pair of guide members arranged opposite each other to guide a first print medium to the print position, thereby enabling printing of the first print medium in a normal printing mode. Furthermore, an accessory formed to guide a second print medium to the print position is detachably mounted on the pair of guide members for the first print medium, thus enabling printing of the second print medium in this state as well. At this time, the accessory is clamped and locked between the pair of guide members, thus the accessory is stably and reliably fixed to the pair of guide members. Additionally, the pair of guide members slide in a direction intersecting the transport direction to create a locking state, thus allowing for easy fixing of the accessory to the pair of guide members through simple operation.

[0012] [Invention Effects]

[0013] According to the printer disclosed herein, an accessory formed in a manner that guides a second printing medium to a printing position is disposed in a detachable manner on at least a pair of guides for a first printing medium, and both are securely and stably fixed by a specific locking structure. Therefore, it is unnecessary to form an opening for mounting the accessory to the printer, thus effectively suppressing insufficient strength on the printer body side and the intrusion of foreign objects into the printer interior. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of the external structure of the printer according to this embodiment, showing the printer viewed from slightly to the left with its front facing it.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing an example of the external structure of the printer according to this embodiment, showing the printer viewed from slightly to the left with its back facing away from it.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional view showing the printer with its cover open, viewed from a slightly angled frontal view above, indicating that consumables are installed.

[0017] Figure 4 It means to substitute Figure 3A 3D diagram showing the state of consumable M1 and consumable M2.

[0018] Figure 5A This is a perspective view showing the state before the accessory 80 is installed on the positioning guide 20.

[0019] Figure 5B This is a perspective view showing the state of accessory 80 installed on positioning guide 20.

[0020] Figure 6A Observing from the downstream side towards the upstream side Figure 5A A cross-sectional view of the state shown. Figure 6B Observing from the downstream side towards the upstream side Figure 5B A cross-sectional view of the state shown.

[0021] Figure 7A It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the various shapes of the bottom of the guide 22 and the bottom of the accessory 80, as well as the state of the locking parts divided by them.

[0022] Figure 7B It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the various shapes of the bottom of the guide 22 and the bottom of the accessory 80, as well as the state of the locking parts divided by them.

[0023] Figure 7C It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the various shapes of the bottom of the guide 22 and the bottom of the accessory 80, as well as the state of the locking parts divided by them.

[0024] Figure 7D It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the various shapes of the bottom of the guide 22 and the bottom of the accessory 80, as well as the state of the locking parts divided by them.

[0025] Figure 7E It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the various shapes of the bottom of the guide 22 and the bottom of the accessory 80, as well as the state of the locking parts divided by them. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals will be used as much as possible to denote the same constituent elements in the drawings, and repeated descriptions will be omitted. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly shown below. That is, an example of this disclosure can be implemented through various modifications without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, the drawings are schematic and may not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Moreover, the drawings may sometimes include portions with different dimensional relationships or ratios. Additionally, the embodiments described below are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and certainly not all of them. Furthermore, other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are all within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] <Example of printer appearance and structure>

[0028] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing an example of the external structure of the printer according to this embodiment. Figure 1 This indicates the printer 100 is facing forward and viewed from slightly to the left. Figure 2 The figures show the printer 100 viewed from slightly to the left with its back side facing away from it. As shown in these figures, the printer 100 includes a main body 1 and a cover 2 that is openable and closable and mounted on its upper part. Both the main body 1 and the cover 2 are, for example, generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housings, with their boundaries formed on their front sides 1F, 2F and their back sides 1B, 2B. Furthermore, the main body 1 and the cover 2 are configured to connect at their right side surfaces 1SR, 2SR, and the left side surface 2SL of the cover 2 pivots about this boundary, thereby opening and closing the cover 2.

[0029] Furthermore, an input / output display unit 3 for performing various input operations to the printer 100 and displaying outputs is provided on the front 1F of the main body 1, as well as an operation button 4 for fully cutting the consumables M1 and M2 (described later). A connector unit 5 is provided on the back 1B of the main body 1, which includes ports for connecting a power switch, power cable, and other communication cables. The insertion port SI and discharge port SO for the consumables M1 and M2 (described later) are respectively provided on the right side 1SR and left side 1SL of the main body 1. On the other hand, an operation unit 6 for opening and closing the cover 2 is provided on the left side 2SL of the cover 2. The input / output display unit 3 is configured to accept user input (e.g., text or numbers to be printed on consumables, selection requests for consumable types, etc.) and provide information output to the user via multiple operation buttons such as text buttons, number buttons, and a print start button displayed on a screen such as an LCD or OLED display, as well as various displays.

[0030] <Example of printer internal structure>

[0031] then, Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the printer 100 with its cover 2 open, viewed from a slightly oblique frontal position above, indicating the presence of a consumable item M1 (equivalent to an example of a "first printing medium"), for example, a long tube. Furthermore, Figure 4 Indicates substitution Figure 3 The consumable M1 is provided with a consumable M2 (an example of a "second printing medium") which is provided with an adhesive tape with a release paper or a plate-shaped medium formed of resin.

[0032] As described above, the opening and closing of the cover 2 is achieved by operating the operating unit 6 (e.g., lifting a lever or button under applied force). Specifically, the locking claw E2 of the cover 2 interacts with... Figure 3 and Figure 4 When the locking receiving part E1 of the main body 1 is engaged, the cover 2 is closed. The engagement is released by the operation of the operation part 6, thereby allowing the cover 2 to be opened. In addition, as shown in the figure, the printer 100 mainly houses a pressure plate unit 110 or pressure plate unit 120, a positioning guide 20, a feed amount detection unit 30 and a cutting unit 40 located on the side of the main body 1, and an ink ribbon unit 50 and a print head 60 located on the side of the cover 2.

[0033] The pressure plate unit 110, for example, has a generally cylindrical shaft 111 and a cylindrical guide 112 that is embedded in the shaft 111 in such a way that it covers a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the central portion of the shaft 111. On the other hand, the pressure plate unit 120, for example, has a generally cylindrical shaft 121 and a cylindrical roller 122 that is embedded in the shaft 121 in such a way that it covers a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the central portion of the shaft 121. In addition, the pressure plate unit 110 is a component used when printing consumable M1, and the pressure plate unit 120 is a component used when printing consumable M2. These pressure plate units 110 and 120 are mounted on the main body 1 of the printer 100 in a replaceable manner. More specifically, the pressure plate units 110 and 120 are supported in a rotatable and detachable manner on a bearing J provided on the downstream side in the forward transport direction of consumables M1 and M2 (from the right side 1SR of the main body 1 toward the left side 1SL). Furthermore, in this state, the pressure plate units 110 and 120 are driven to rotate (forward or reverse) via the pressure plate gear PG by a conveying motor (not shown). Thus, during normal conveying, consumables M1 and M2 are conveyed along the forward conveying direction, and if necessary, during reverse conveying, consumables M1 and M2 are conveyed along the reverse conveying direction (from the left side 1SL of the main body 1 towards the right side 1SR).

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the positioning guide 20 has two pairs of guides 21 and 22, which are arranged along the conveying direction of the consumable M1 and are used to position the consumable M1 from both sides and guide it toward the printing position on the pressure plate unit 110. These guides 21 and 22 are respectively disposed on the upstream and downstream sides in the forward conveying direction of the consumables M1 and M2. On the other hand, as... Figure 4 As shown, when consumable M2 is provided instead of consumable M1, an accessory 80 is used to guide the consumable M2 to the printing position on the pressure plate unit 120. This accessory 80 is configured, for example, to be detachable relative to two pairs of guides 21, 22, and has an extension shape spanning between these guides 21, 22. Details regarding the positioning guides 20 and accessory 80 will be described later.

[0035] The feed rate detection unit 30 is a component used to enable printing on the same transport path even when the types of consumables are different. For example, in the case of a consumable with a shape different from consumables M1 and M2 and with a shape that does not use accessory 80, it has a feed rate detection roller (not shown) for detecting its feed rate (movement amount). However, in this embodiment, the feed rate detection roller is not used when printing consumables M1 and M2; therefore, the feed rate detection unit 30 is housed in the lower part of the main body 1 in a manner that avoids the transport path of consumables M1 and M2. Figure 3 and Figure 4 (This indicates the state).

[0036] The cutting unit 40 includes: a half cutter (not shown) disposed downstream of the pressure plate units 110, 120 and the print head 60 in the forward conveying direction of the consumables M1 and M2, for half-cutting the upper surface of the consumables M1; and a full cutter (not shown) disposed further downstream of the half cutter, for full-cutting the consumables M1 and M2.

[0037] The ink ribbon unit 50 includes an ink ribbon R, a spool 51 detachably mounted on both sides of the printhead 60 and housing the ink ribbon R in a wound state, and a cartridge 52. In this ink ribbon unit 50, for example by a suitable rotary motor (not shown) that drives the cartridge 52 to rotate, the ink ribbon R is fed out from the spool 51 and returned to the cartridge 52 during the forward transport of consumables M1 and M2.

[0038] The printhead 60 is arranged opposite to the platen units 110 and 120. By applying recording energy supplied by a head drive circuit (not shown) to the ink ribbon R, it prints prescribed text, marks, patterns, etc., on the printing surface of consumables M1 and M2. Furthermore, the printhead 60 moves closer to or further away from the platen units 110 and 120 via a suitable printhead moving mechanism (not shown). Additionally, the printhead 60 is configured such that, when consumables M1 and M2 are conveyed in the forward transport direction and printing is performed, it is pressed against the platen units 110 and 120 with a predetermined pressure by a head pressing mechanism (not shown), abutting against the ink ribbon R.

[0039] <Structural Example of Positioning Guides and Accessories>

[0040] Next, an example of the structure of the positioning guide 20 and the accessory 80 will be described. Figure 5A This is a perspective view showing the state before the accessory 80 for consumable M2 is installed on the positioning guide 20 for consumable M1. Figure 5B This is a perspective view showing the state in which accessory 80 for consumable M2 is installed on positioning guide 20 for consumable M1. Additionally, Figure 6A The view is taken from the downstream side to the upstream side (from the left side 1SL side to the right side 1SR side). Figure 5A A cross-sectional view of the state shown. Figure 6B The view is taken from the downstream side to the upstream side (from the left side 1SL side to the right side 1SR side). Figure 5B A cross-sectional view of the state shown.

[0041] As shown in these figures, the pair of guides 21, 21 and the pair of guides 22, 22 constituting the positioning guide 20 are all along a direction intersecting the conveying direction of consumables M1, M2 (in Figure 6A and Figure 6BThe components are arranged opposite each other (in the direction indicated by double arrows Ya) and configured to slide along guide grooves 21g and 22g in that direction. In addition, when the accessory 80 is installed on the main body 1, it extends as a whole along the conveying direction of consumables M1 and M2 and is formed by a base 81, two wings 82 and a front head 83 arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0042] This accessory 80 is provided on the main body 1, for example, as follows. That is, firstly, as... Figure 5A as well as Figure 6A As shown, by sliding the positioning guide 20 outward in the direction of the double arrow Ya, the opposing guides 21, 21 and the opposing guides 22, 22 are separated respectively. Then, in this position, the fitting 80 is inserted between them, as shown. Figure 5B and Figure 6B As shown, guides 21, 21 and guides 22, 22 are brought close together, so that guides 21, 21 and guides 22, 22 abut against accessory 80 from the side. Thus, after accessory 80 is inserted between guides 21, 21 and between guides 22, 22 of positioning guide 20, it is clamped and fixed by positioning guide 20.

[0043] Furthermore, the fixing of the accessory 80 to the positioning guide 20 is achieved by the interlocking of the bottom 22a of the guide 22 with the bottom 83a of the front head 83 in the accessory 80. That is, from Figure 6A and Figure 6B It can be seen that the abutting surface of the bottom 22a (lower protrusion) of the guide 22, which has a roughly L-shaped stepped structure divided by the bottom wall and the side wall connected thereto, abuts against the abutting surface of the bottom 83a of the front head 83 of the fitting 80, which has a stepped structure, thereby forming a locking structure between the two. In other words, as described above, this locking part is formed by the operation of abutting from the side after the fitting 80 is inserted between the guides 22, 22, in a way that the fitting 80 is clamped by the approach of these guides 22, 22.

[0044] Here, Figures 7A to 7E This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the various shapes of the bottom 22a of the guide 22 and the bottom 83a of the accessory 80, and the state of the locking portions divided by them (from the perspective of...). Figure 6A and Figure 6B (Images viewed from the same direction). Figure 7A The locking structure shown has the same characteristics as... Figure 6A and Figure 6BThe structure shown is substantially equivalent. That is, the left side surface and the lower surface of the bottom wall of the stepped bottom 22a abut against the right side surface and the upper surface of the bottom wall of the stepped bottom 83a, respectively. Thus, the fitting 80 has: an abutted portion (the side wall of the bottom 83a) that, in the locked state with the guides 22, 22, allows the guides 22, 22 to abut laterally from a direction intersecting the transport direction of consumables M1, M2; and a locked portion (the bottom wall of the bottom 83a) located below the guides 22, 22. On the other hand, the guides 22, 22 have: an abutted portion (the side wall of the bottom 22a) that, in the locked state with the fitting 80, abuts laterally with the fitting 80 from a direction intersecting the transport direction of consumables M1, M2; and a locked portion (the bottom wall of the bottom 22a) located above the locked portion of the fitting 80. In addition, when the locking part (bottom wall of bottom 83a) of accessory 80 is loosely inserted into or embedded in guide groove 22g, a locking structure is formed between accessory 80 and guides 22, 22.

[0045] At this point, the forces acting and reacting on the two bottoms 22a and 83a become the resultant force of the horizontal force F1 and the vertical force F2. As a result, the accessory 80 is fixed to the positioning guide 20 in a manner that restricts its movement in the horizontal (lateral) and vertical (longitudinal) directions.

[0046] On the other hand, Figure 7B and Figure 7C In the locking structure shown, although they differ in that the inclined surfaces are planar and curved respectively, in any case, the inclined outer surface of the bottom 22a, which has an inclined structure relative to the horizontal or vertical direction, abuts against the inclined outer surface of the bottom 83a, which has the same inclined structure. Therefore, with this structure, the accessory 80 is fixed to the positioning guide 20 in a way that restricts the movement of the accessory 80 in the horizontal (lateral) and vertical (longitudinal) directions.

[0047] on the other hand, Figure 7D and Figure 7E The locking structure shown can be said to have the ability to Figure 7A The locking structure shown and Figure 7B The structure shown is a combination of locking structures, functioning as both a stepped structure and an inclined structure. That is, in... Figure 7D In the locking structure, the left surface and inclined left surface of the side wall of bottom 22a abut against the right surface and inclined right surface of the side wall of bottom 83a, respectively. At this time, the forces acting and reacting on the two bottoms 22a and 83a become the resultant force of the horizontal force F1 and the inclined force F3. In addition, in Figure 7EIn the locking mechanism, the left sidewall surface, lower bottom surface, and inclined left surface of the bottom 22a abut against the right sidewall surface, upper bottom surface, and inclined right surface of the bottom 83a, respectively. Furthermore, the forces acting and reacting on the bottoms 22a and 83a become the resultant force of a horizontal force F1, a vertical force F2, and an inclined force F3. Through these locking mechanisms, the accessory 80 is fixed to the positioning guide 20 by restricting its movement in the horizontal (lateral) and vertical (upward) directions.

[0048] The printer 100, configured as described above, includes a positioning guide 20 for consumable M1 and an accessory 80 for consumable M2, which is detachably mounted on the positioning guide 20, thus enabling printing of different types of consumables M1 and M2. Furthermore, the accessory 80 is clamped and locked between the guides 22 and 22 of the positioning guide 20, thus securing the accessory 80 stably and reliably. At this time, the guides 22 and 22 slide in a direction intersecting the transport direction of consumables M1 and M2 (in the direction indicated by the double arrow Ya) to create a locking state, thus easily securing the accessory 80 to the guides 22 and 22 with simple operation. Therefore, there is no need to provide an opening or dedicated component for mounting the accessory 80 to the main body 1 of the printer 100, thus preventing insufficient strength of the main body 1 of the printer 100 and the intrusion of foreign objects into the interior of the main body 1. Furthermore, as a result, it is possible to prevent poor delivery and printing caused by foreign objects getting stuck between consumables M1 and M2 and pressure plate units 110 and 120 and print head 60.

[0049] Furthermore, since the cost and number of parts required to form the opening for the accessory 80 or to form a dedicated component can be reduced, economic efficiency (cost reduction) can be improved. In addition, since various accessories 80 can be installed on the positioning guide 20, the versatility of the printer 100 can also be improved.

[0050] In addition, such as Figures 7A to 7E As illustrated, if the locking structure of the guide 22 and the accessory 80 is configured with a stepped structure and / or an inclined structure, the accessory 80 can be installed and fixed to the positioning guide 20 more reliably and securely. In this case, it is possible to use... Figures 7A to 7E The various structures shown enable the design of various accessories 80 that correspond to the structure and properties of consumable M2.

[0051] Furthermore, it is preferable that the locking structures of the guides 22, 22 and the accessory 80 are separated at their respective bottoms 22a, 83a. More specifically, as in this embodiment, the abutting portion (side wall of bottom 83a) of the accessory 80 abuts against the abutting portions (side walls of bottom 22a) of the guides 22, 22, and the locking portion (bottom wall of bottom 83a) of the accessory 80 locks against the locking portions (bottom walls of bottom 22a) of the guides 22, 22, thereby separating the locking structures of the two. In addition, including the above structure, it is also preferable to adopt... Figures 7A to 7E The illustrated locking structure further simplifies the locking structure, thereby further improving the economic efficiency in manufacturing the printer 100 and the ease of operation of the components in the printer 100.

[0052] Furthermore, the guides 21 and 22 are configured to slide in a direction intersecting the transport direction of consumables M1 and M2 (e.g., laterally as indicated by the double arrow Ya), and the accessory 80 is configured to be inserted between the guides 22 and 22. Thus, the accessory 80 can be reliably fixed to the positioning guide 20 with extremely simple operation, thereby further improving the ease of operation and operability of the printer 100. In addition, when the locking portion (bottom wall of bottom 83a) of the accessory 80 is loosely inserted into or embedded in the guide groove 22g, a locking structure is formed between the accessory 80 and the guides 22 and 22, thus enabling a compact locking structure (simplifying or minimizing the installation space).

[0053] Furthermore, the accessory 80 also has a protrusion 82a extending in a direction (e.g., laterally) intersecting the conveying direction of the consumable M2 (i.e., the extension direction of the accessory 80), and the main body 1 of the printer 100 also has a receiving portion 25 that abuts against the protrusion 82a. In this way, by abutting against the receiving portion 25, the accessory 80 is supported by the main body 1 except for the locking portion, thus making the posture of the accessory 80 more stable.

[0054] The above description of this embodiment is based on specific examples, but it is for ease of understanding and is not intended to limit or interpret this disclosure. That is, this disclosure is not limited to these specific examples; any content obtained by those skilled in the art through appropriate design modifications to these specific examples, provided they possess the features of this disclosure, is also included within the technical scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the elements, configurations, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, scales, etc., of the aforementioned specific examples are not limited to the illustrated content unless specifically stated otherwise, and can be appropriately modified. Moreover, the elements of the aforementioned specific examples can be appropriately combined and modified as long as they do not create technical contradictions. For example, the base 81 of the accessory 80 can be further shortened so that the accessory 80 is clamped by only a pair of guides 22, 22. Alternatively, multiple pairs of guides having the same structure as the guides 22, 22 can be provided.

[0055] Furthermore, this application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-030211 filed on February 29, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0056] [Potential for Industrial Applications]

[0057] It is possible to provide a printer and accessories installed on the printer that can print on multiple printing media using a single printer, while suppressing the intrusion of weak or foreign objects.

[0058] [Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures]

[0059] 1 Main body

[0060] 1B and 2B back

[0061] 1F and 2F front

[0062] 1SL, 2SL left side

[0063] 1SR, 2SR right side

[0064] 2 cover

[0065] 3 Input / Output Display Section

[0066] 4 operation buttons

[0067] 5 Connector Section

[0068] 6 Operations Department

[0069] 20 guides

[0070] 21, 22 A pair of guides

[0071] 21g, 22g guide slots

[0072] 22a bottom

[0073] 25. Contracting Department

[0074] 30 feed rate detection unit

[0075] 40 cutting units

[0076] 50 ink ribbon units

[0077] 51 scrolls

[0078] 52 boxes

[0079] 60 printheads

[0080] 80 parts

[0081] 81 cadres

[0082] 82 Wings

[0083] 82a protrusion

[0084] 83 front head

[0085] 83a bottom

[0086] 100 printers

[0087] 110 and 120 pressure plate units

[0088] 111 axis

[0089] 112 cylindrical guide

[0090] 120 pressure plate unit

[0091] 121 axis

[0092] 122 cylindrical roller

[0093] E1 locking bearing part

[0094] E2 locking claw

[0095] F1, F2, F3 forces

[0096] J Bearing Department

[0097] M1 Consumables (First Printing Media)

[0098] M2 Consumables (Second Printing Media)

[0099] PG pressure plate gear

[0100] R Ink Ribbon

[0101] SI Insertion Port

[0102] SO discharge outlet

[0103] Ya double arrow (sliding direction).

Claims

1. A printer capable of conveying a first printing medium and a second printing medium along a predetermined conveying direction, wherein, have: A pair of guides, arranged to guide the first printing medium toward the printing position, and opposed to each other in a direction intersecting the transport direction; and The accessory is formed in such a way as to guide the second printing medium toward the printing position, extends along the transport direction, and is detachably disposed on the pair of guides. The pair of guides are configured to slide in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. The accessory is clamped and locked between the pair of guides.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein, The accessory has: an abutting portion, in a locked state with the pair of guides, the pair of guides abutting the abutting portion from a direction intersecting the conveying direction, i.e., laterally; and a locking portion, located below the pair of guides.

3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein, The pair of guides have: an abutment portion that abuts against the accessory from a direction intersecting the conveying direction, i.e., a side, in a locked state with the accessory; and a locking portion located above the accessory.

4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein, The abutting portion and the locking portion of the pair of guides, as well as the abutting portion and the locking portion of the fitting, have stepped and / or inclined structures.

5. The printer according to claim 4, wherein, The guide is configured to slide and has a guide groove for the locked part to loosely insert or be inserted.

6. The printer according to claim 1, wherein, The accessory has a protrusion extending in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. The printer also has a receiving portion that abuts against the protrusion from below.

7. An accessory, mounted on a printer capable of conveying a first printing medium and a second printing medium along a predetermined conveying direction, and having a pair of guides that guide the first printing medium toward a printing position, and configured to slide along a direction intersecting the conveying direction, wherein... The accessory is configured to extend along the conveying direction to guide the second printing medium toward the printing position. The accessory is detachably mounted on the pair of guides, clamped and locked between the pair of guides.

Images