Thermal printer

Abstract

The utility model provides a thermal printer which comprises a bottom shell with a top opening, supporting plates are vertically arranged in the left end and the right end of the bottom shell, guide grooves obliquely extending towards the rear lower portion are formed in the front sides of the two supporting plates in a sunken mode respectively, and a fixed cover and a movable cover are detachably arranged on the front side and the rear side of the top of the bottom shell respectively in a covering mode. A gap between the movable cover and the fixed cover forms a guide channel; the driving device is arranged between the fixing cover and the bottom shell, and the output end of the driving device is provided with a gear set in a linkage mode; the printer core is arranged between the movable cover and the bottom shell, the two ends of the printer core are rotationally erected at the bottoms of the corresponding guide grooves respectively, the left side and the right side of the movable cover rotationally sleeve the two ends of the printer core respectively, the rear side of the printer core corresponds to the guide channel, and one end of the printer core is provided with a linkage gear meshed with the gear set. And the locking mechanism is arranged between the movable cover and the bottom shell and is used for locking the printer core until the two ends are positioned at the bottoms of the guide grooves. And after a user opens the movable cover, the printer core can be manually rotated for comprehensive cleaning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of printers, in particular to a thermal printer. Background Art

[0002] The working principle of a thermal printer is that a semiconductor heating element is installed on the print head. After the print head is heated and contacts the thermal printing paper, the required pattern can be printed out. Its principle is similar to that of a thermal fax machine.

[0003] At present, in order to realize the direct flip-open cleaning of the printer mechanism, the existing thermal printer flips the cover at a large angle to fully open, resulting in a large space occupied after the cover is flipped, and only one side of the printer mechanism can be cleaned after the cover is opened, and the other side is difficult to clean, unless the printer mechanism is turned on to drive the other side to be exposed or the printer mechanism is disassembled for cleaning. Therefore, it is difficult to thoroughly clean the printer mechanism of the existing thermal printer.

[0004] The purpose of this utility model is to design a thermal printer in view of the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, the utility model provides a thermal printer, which can effectively solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0006] The technical solution of the utility model is:

[0007] A thermal printer, comprising:

[0008] A bottom shell with an opening at the top, wherein support plates are vertically arranged at the left and right ends of the bottom shell, and the front sides of the two support plates are respectively recessed with guide grooves extending obliquely backward and downward, and the front and rear sides of the top of the bottom shell are respectively detachably covered with a fixed cover and a movable cover, and a gap between the movable cover and the fixed cover is arranged to form a guide channel;

[0009] A driving device, disposed between the fixed cover and the bottom shell, wherein an output end of the driving device is linked with a gear set;

[0010] A printer mechanism is disposed between the movable cover and the bottom shell, and the two ends are rotatably mounted on the corresponding bottom of the guide groove, and the left and right sides of the movable cover are rotatably sleeved on the two ends of the printer mechanism, and the rear side of the printer mechanism corresponds to the guide channel and one end is provided with a linkage gear meshing with the gear set;

[0011] A locking mechanism is provided between the movable cover and the bottom shell and is used to lock the printer mechanism until both ends are located at the bottom of the guide groove. When the locking mechanism is released, both ends of the printer mechanism move to the guide groove notch, the movable cover moves forward and upward to be spaced apart from the fixed cover and the bottom shell, and the printer mechanism moves forward and upward until the linkage gear is disengaged from the gear set, so that the front side of the movable cover can be swung open and the printer mechanism can rotate.

[0012] Furthermore, a cover opening button that can move up and down is provided on one side of the fixed cover, and a movable hole corresponding to the cover opening button is penetrated at the rear of the support plate, and the locking mechanism includes a swing plate arranged at the bottom of the printing mechanism and located between the two support plates, and a trigger plate integrally arranged at the left and right ends of the swing plate, and a plurality of elastic members are arranged on the top of the swing plate and the printing mechanism, the lower parts of the two trigger plates are rotatably connected with the support plate to form a rotation point, and the upper parts are arranged as curved hooks extending forward and with openings downwardly hooked on the two ends of the printing mechanism, and the rear end of the curved hook extends backward and is folded through the movable hole and is located below the cover opening button; the cover opening button is pressed down, and the curved hook and the front side of the swing plate swing up around the rotation point together, and the two ends of the printing mechanism move forward and upward to the notch of the guide groove after being pushed up by the plurality of elastic members.

[0013] Furthermore, the left and right ends of the fixed cover extend forward to form guide ends arranged at the left and right ends of the movable cover, and the left and right sides of the movable cover are provided with connecting parts extending backward, the rear parts of the two connecting parts are penetrated by a long guide hole extending laterally, and the front parts are penetrated by a long circular hole extending vertically, the lower end of one of the long circular holes penetrates to the lower end surface of the movable cover, and the two guide ends are respectively provided with guide columns corresponding to the long guide holes, the long guide holes are slidably sleeved on the guide columns, and the left and right sides of the movable cover are respectively sleeved on the two ends of the printer mechanism through the long circular holes.

[0014] Furthermore, the hook portion is arranged between the support plate and the connecting portion, and the protrusions on the far sides of the two connecting portions form a convex ridge corresponding to the upper side of the hook portion; when the hook portion swings upward, it abuts against the corresponding convex ridge to drive the front side of the movable cover to swing open.

[0015] Furthermore, the fixed cover and the movable cover are respectively provided with a first guide portion and a second guide portion extending obliquely downward from the rear to the front on opposite sides, the guide channel being formed between the first guide portion and the second guide portion, the printing mechanism comprising a pressure roller corresponding to the guide channel at the rear, a guide plate provided between the pressure roller and the swing plate and supported by a plurality of elastic members and abutting against the pressure roller and the first guide portion, the left and right front ends of the guide plate are penetrated in the two support plates and can swing up and down, the left and right rear ends of the guide plate are rotatably connected to the rotating point, the pressure roller is mounted in the guide groove after being sleeved at both ends, and the connecting portion is sleeved on the outside of the sleeve through the oblong hole.

[0016] Furthermore, the left and right sides of the top of the first guide portion are fixedly provided with limiting protrusions spaced from the left and right ends, and the first guide portion is provided with a plurality of anti-slip ribs extending forward and backward at intervals between the protrusions, and the height of the limiting protrusions is greater than the anti-slip ribs.

[0017] Furthermore, the middle part of the front side of the movable cover is recessed upward and is provided with a cleaning groove corresponding to the front side of the bottom shell, and the upper swing-opening angle of the front side of the movable cover is 16°-17°.

[0018] Therefore, the utility model provides the following effects and / or advantages:

[0019] 1. The present application provides a support plate with a guide groove extending obliquely backward and downward, so that when the locking mechanism is released, the two ends of the printer mechanism move to the notches of the guide grooves, the movable cover moves forward and upward to be spaced apart from the fixed cover and the bottom shell, and the printer mechanism moves forward and upward until the linkage gear is disengaged from the gear group, so that the front side of the movable cover can be swung up to open the cover and the printer mechanism can rotate. Therefore, after the locking mechanism is released, the user can swing up and open the front side of the movable cover to a certain angle to expose the printer mechanism, and then manually rotate the printer mechanism for comprehensive cleaning. The printer mechanism can be thoroughly cleaned without completely flipping the movable cover open or disassembling the printer mechanism, which improves the convenience and comprehensiveness of cleaning the printer mechanism while ensuring the compactness of the printer structure and reducing the size.

[0020] 2. When the printer mechanism needs to be cleaned, the cover opening button is pressed down, and the hook part and the front side of the swing plate swing upward around the rotation point together. After the printer mechanism is pushed up by a number of elastic parts, the two ends move forward and upward to the guide groove notch, thereby releasing the locking mechanism. Thus, the printer mechanism is clamped on the swing plate by the downward pressure of the hook parts on the left and right sides and the elastic force of a number of elastic parts, which improves the stability of the swing plate driving the printer mechanism to move when the cover opening button controls the trigger plate to drive the swing plate to swing, thereby improving the stability of the locking mechanism braking.

[0021] 3. The present application improves the convenience of disassembly and assembly of the movable cover by penetrating the lower end of an oblong hole through the lower end surface of the movable cover. Under this premise, the upward swing of the movable cover is further guided by the cooperation of the guide column and the long guide hole, thereby improving the stability of the upward swing of the movable cover. At the same time, when the bent hook part swings upward, it abuts against the corresponding convex ridge to drive the front side of the movable cover to swing upward and open the cover, thereby realizing that the movable cover can be automatically opened when the locking mechanism is released, and the movable cover does not fall after opening the cover, so that the user can clean the printer mechanism.

[0022] 4. The present application coordinates the cleaning groove with the upper swing opening angle so that the front side of the pressure roller can be fully exposed after the movable cover is opened. The user only needs to manually rotate the pressure roller to carry out comprehensive cleaning. Under the premise of achieving the compactness of the printer structure, the front side of the movable cover can be swung upward at a large angle.

[0023] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 The present invention is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal printer provided by the utility model.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure after removing the movable cover and fixed cover.

[0026] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the movable cover and the fixed cover.

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the partial structure viewed from above.

[0028] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the locking mechanism and printer mechanism.

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the local structure.

[0030] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the movable cover and the pressure roller.

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the half-section structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, the structure of the present invention is further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0033] refer to Figure 1-8, a thermal printer, comprising:

[0034] The bottom shell 1 is open at the top, and support plates 11 are vertically arranged at the left and right ends of the bottom shell 1. The front sides of the two support plates 11 are respectively recessed with guide grooves 111 extending obliquely backward and downward. The front and rear sides of the top of the bottom shell 1 are respectively detachably covered with a fixed cover 2 and a movable cover 3. The gap between the movable cover 3 and the fixed cover 2 forms a guide channel. Specifically, in this embodiment, the fixed cover 2 is U-shaped and surrounded on the left, right and rear sides of the movable cover 3. The fixed cover 2 is installed on the bottom shell 1 through an elastic arm button, and the elastic arm button has the advantage of quick installation.

[0035] The driving device 4 is disposed between the fixed cover 2 and the bottom shell 1, and the output end of the driving device 4 is linked with a gear set 41; specifically, the driving device 4 includes a battery, a circuit board, a motor, etc., and the motor drives the gear set 41 to rotate;

[0036] The printer mechanism 5 is disposed between the movable cover 3 and the bottom shell 1, and the two ends are rotatably mounted on the corresponding bottom of the guide groove 111, and the left and right sides of the movable cover 3 are rotatably mounted on the two ends of the printer mechanism 5, respectively. The rear side of the printer mechanism 5 corresponds to the guide channel, and one end is provided with a linkage gear 51 meshing with the gear set 41; so that after the printing paper is placed in the guide channel, it can be guided to the printer mechanism 5 for printing;

[0037] The locking mechanism 6 is provided between the movable cover 3 and the bottom shell 1 and is used to lock the printer mechanism 5 until both ends are located at the bottom of the guide groove 111. When the locking mechanism 6 is released, the two ends of the printer mechanism 5 move to the notch of the guide groove 111, the movable cover 3 moves forward and upward to be spaced apart from the fixed cover 2 and the bottom shell 1, and the printer mechanism 5 moves forward and upward until the linkage gear 51 disengages from the gear set 41, so that the front side of the movable cover 3 can be swung open and the printer mechanism 5 can rotate.

[0038] The arrangement of the above structure allows the user to, after the locking mechanism 6 is released, swing up and open the front side of the movable cover 3 to a certain angle to expose the printer mechanism 5, and then manually rotate the printer mechanism 5 for comprehensive cleaning. The printer mechanism 5 can be thoroughly cleaned without completely flipping open the movable cover 3 or disassembling the printer mechanism 5, thereby ensuring the compactness of the printer structure and reducing its size while improving the convenience and comprehensiveness of cleaning the printer mechanism 5.

[0039] In order to improve the braking stability of the locking mechanism 6, a cover opening button 13 that can move up and down is provided on one side of the fixed cover 2. The cover opening button 13 includes a button body and a reset spring for driving the button body to rise and reset. A movable hole 112 corresponding to the cover opening button 13 is penetrated at the rear of the support plate 11. The locking mechanism 6 includes a swing plate 61 that is arranged at the bottom of the printing mechanism 5 and located between the two support plates 11, and a trigger plate 62 that is integrally arranged at the left and right ends of the swing plate 61. A plurality of elastic members 63 are arranged on the top between the swing plate 61 and the printing mechanism 5. Specifically, the elastic member 63 is set as a spring. The lower part of the trigger plate 62 is rotatably connected with the support plate 11 to form a rotation point 621, and the upper part is set as a hook part 622 extending forward and opening downward to hook on both ends of the printer mechanism 5, and the rear end of the hook part 622 extends backward and folds through the movable hole 112 and is located below the cover opening button 13; when the printer mechanism 5 needs to be cleaned, the cover opening button 13 is pressed down, and the hook part 622 and the front side of the swing plate 61 swing upward around the rotation point 621 together, and the printer mechanism 5 is pushed up by the elastic members 63 and the two ends move forward and upward to the notch of the guide groove 111, so that the locking mechanism 6 is released. Therefore, the printer mechanism 5 is clamped on the swing plate 61 by the downward pressure of the hook parts 622 on the left and right sides and the elastic force of the elastic members 63, which improves the stability of the swing plate 61 driving the printer mechanism 5 to move when the cover opening button 13 controls the trigger plate 62 to drive the swing plate 61 to swing, thereby improving the stability of the locking mechanism 6 braking.

[0040] In order to improve the stability of the movable cover 3 when swinging upward, the left and right ends of the fixed cover 2 extend forward to form guide ends 21 arranged at the left and right ends of the movable cover 3, and the left and right sides of the movable cover 3 are provided with connecting parts 31 extending backward, and the rear parts of the two connecting parts 31 are penetrated by a long guide hole 311 extending horizontally, and the front parts are penetrated by an oblong hole 312 extending vertically, and the lower end of one of the oblong holes 312 penetrates to the lower end surface of the movable cover 3, and the two guide ends 21 are respectively provided with guide columns 211 corresponding to the long guide holes 311. Specifically, the guide columns 211 are integrated with the fixed cover 2, and the long guide holes 311 are slidably mounted on the guide columns 211. The left and right sides of the movable cover 3 are respectively mounted on the two ends of the printer mechanism 5 through the oblong holes 312. Therefore, by passing the lower end of the oblong hole 312 through the lower end surface of the movable cover 3, the convenience of disassembly and assembly of the movable cover 3 is improved. Under this premise, through the cooperation of the guide column 211 and the long guide hole 311, the upward swing of the movable cover 3 is further guided, thereby improving the stability of the upward swing of the movable cover 3.

[0041] In order to improve the linkage between the movable cover 3 and the locking mechanism 6, the hook portion 622 is arranged between the support plate 11 and the connecting portion 31, and the two distal protrusions of the connecting portions 31 form a convex ridge 313 corresponding to the upper portion of the hook portion 622; when the hook portion 622 swings upward, it abuts against the corresponding convex ridge 313 to drive the front side of the movable cover 3 to swing upward and open the cover. Thus, the movable cover 3 can be automatically opened when the locking mechanism 6 is released, and the movable cover 3 does not fall after opening, so that the user can clean the printer mechanism 5.

[0042] In order to improve the stability of the printer when it is working, the opposite sides of the fixed cover 2 and the movable cover 3 are respectively provided with a first guide part 22 and a second guide part 32 extending obliquely downward from the back to the front, and the guide channel is formed between the first guide part 22 and the second guide part 32. The printer mechanism 5 includes a pressure roller 52 corresponding to the guide channel at the rear, and a guide plate 53 arranged between the pressure roller 52 and the swing plate 61 and supported by a plurality of elastic members 63 to abut against the pressure roller 52 and the first guide part 22. The front parts of the left and right ends of the guide plate 53 penetrate the two support plates 11 and can swing up and down. The rear parts of the left and right ends of the guide plate 53 are rotatably connected with the rotation point 621, so that the printing paper is stably guided by the guide plate 53. The two ends of the pressure roller 52 are sleeved with shaft sleeves 54 and then mounted in the guide groove 111. The connecting part 31 is sleeved on the outside of the shaft sleeve 54 through the oblong hole 312. Therefore, the shaft sleeve 54 is used to increase the service life of both ends of the pressure roller 52 and improve the rotation stability of the pressure roller 52 when the printer is working.

[0043] In order to achieve the position-limiting and guiding of printing papers of different specifications, the left and right sides of the top of the first guide part 22 are fixedly provided with position-limiting protrusions 221 set at intervals from the left and right ends. The first guide part 22 is provided with a plurality of anti-skid ribs 222 extending forward and backward at intervals. The height of the position-limiting protrusions 221 is greater than the anti-skid ribs 222. Specifically, in this embodiment, the left and right ends of the first guide part 22 are spaced 216mm apart, and the spacing between the two position-limiting protrusions 221 is 210mm, thereby achieving the position-limiting and guiding of printing papers of two specifications. At the same time, the friction between the first guide part 22 and the printing paper can be increased by setting a plurality of anti-skid ribs 222 to prevent the printing paper from slipping in the guide channel. In other embodiments, the above spacing can be adaptively adjusted.

[0044] In order to facilitate the user to clean the pressure roller 52, the middle part of the front side of the movable cover 3 is recessed upward and provided with a cleaning groove 33 corresponding to the front side of the bottom shell 1. The upper swing-opening angle of the front side of the movable cover 3 is 16°-17°. Specifically, in this embodiment, the upper swing-opening angle of the front side of the movable cover 3 is 17°. In other embodiments, the angle can be adaptively adjusted according to specific circumstances. Therefore, through the cooperation of the cleaning groove 33 and the upper swing-opening angle, the front side of the pressure roller 52 can be fully exposed after the movable cover 3 is opened. The user only needs to manually rotate the pressure roller 52 to perform comprehensive cleaning. Under the premise of achieving the compactness of the printer structure, the front side of the movable cover 3 can be swung upward at a large angle.

[0045] The above description is only the preferred implementation of the utility model, and is not intended to limit the utility model. For those skilled in the art, the utility model can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the utility model shall be included in the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A thermal printer, characterized in that: include: A bottom shell (1) with an opening at the top, support plates (11) being vertically arranged inside the left and right ends of the bottom shell (1), the front sides of the two support plates (11) being respectively recessed and provided with guide grooves (111) extending obliquely rearward and downward, the front and rear sides of the top of the bottom shell (1) being respectively detachably provided with a fixed cover (2) and a movable cover (3), and a gap between the movable cover (3) and the fixed cover (2) forming a guide channel; A driving device (4) is provided between the fixed cover (2) and the bottom shell (1), and an output end of the driving device (4) is linked to a gear set (41); A printer mechanism (5) is arranged between the movable cover (3) and the bottom shell (1) and its two ends are respectively rotatably mounted on the bottom of the corresponding guide groove (111), and the left and right sides of the movable cover (3) are respectively rotatably mounted on the two ends of the printer mechanism (5), and the rear side of the printer mechanism (5) corresponds to the guide channel and one end is provided with a linkage gear (51) meshing with the gear set (41); A locking mechanism (6) is provided between the movable cover (3) and the bottom shell (1) and is used to lock the printer mechanism (5) until both ends are located at the bottom of the guide groove (111). When the locking mechanism (6) is released, both ends of the printer mechanism (5) move to the notches of the guide groove (111), the movable cover (3) moves forward and upward to be spaced apart from the fixed cover (2) and the bottom shell (1), and the printer mechanism (5) moves forward and upward until the linkage gear (51) is disengaged from the gear set (41), so that the front side of the movable cover (3) can be swung upward to open the cover, and the printer mechanism (5) can rotate and move.

2. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A cover opening button (13) movable up and down is provided on one side of the fixed cover (2); a movable hole (112) corresponding to the cover opening button (13) is penetrated through the rear of the support plate (11); the locking mechanism (6) comprises a swing plate (61) arranged at the bottom of the printer mechanism (5) and between the two support plates (11); a trigger plate (62) integrally arranged at the left and right ends of the swing plate (61); a plurality of elastic members (63) are arranged on the top between the swing plate (61) and the printer mechanism (5); the lower parts of the two trigger plates (62) are rotatably connected to the support plate (11); A rotating point (621) is formed, and the upper part is set as a hook portion (622) extending forward and opening downward to hook on both ends of the printer mechanism (5); the rear end of the hook portion (622) extends backward and is folded through the movable hole (112) and is located below the cover opening button (13); when the cover opening button (13) is pressed downward, the hook portion (622) and the front side of the swing plate (61) swing upward around the rotating point (621), and the two ends of the printer mechanism (5) are pushed up by the plurality of elastic members (63) and move forward and upward to the notch of the guide groove (111).

3. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The left and right ends of the fixed cover (2) extend forward to form guide ends (21) arranged at the left and right ends of the movable cover (3). The left and right sides of the movable cover (3) are provided with connecting parts (31) extending backward. The rear parts of the two connecting parts (31) are penetrated by long guide holes (311) extending horizontally, and the front parts are penetrated by long round holes (312) extending vertically. The lower end of one of the long round holes (312) penetrates to the lower end surface of the movable cover (3). The two guide ends (21) are respectively provided with guide columns (211) corresponding to the long guide holes (311). The long guide holes (311) are slidably sleeved on the guide columns (211). The left and right sides of the movable cover (3) are respectively sleeved on the two ends of the printer mechanism (5) through the long round holes (312).

4. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The hook portion (622) is arranged between the support plate (11) and the connecting portion (31), and the protrusions on the far sides of the two connecting portions (31) form a convex ridge (313) corresponding to the convex ridge (313) arranged above the hook portion (622); when the hook portion (622) swings upward, it abuts against the corresponding convex ridge (313) to drive the front side of the movable cover (3) to swing upward and open the cover.

5. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The fixed cover (2) and the movable cover (3) are provided with a first guide portion (22) and a second guide portion (32) extending obliquely downward from the rear to the front, respectively, on opposite sides thereof; the guide channel is formed between the first guide portion (22) and the second guide portion (32); the printing mechanism (5) comprises a pressure roller (52) at the rear corresponding to the guide channel, a guide plate (53) provided between the pressure roller (52) and the swing plate (61) and supported by a plurality of elastic members (63) to abut against the pressure roller (52) and the first guide portion (22); the front portions of the left and right ends of the guide plate (53) penetrate through the two support plates (11) and can swing up and down; the rear portions of the left and right ends of the guide plate (53) are rotatably connected to the rotation point (621); the pressure roller (52) is sleeved with shaft sleeves (54) at both ends and then mounted in the guide groove (111); the connecting portion (31) is sleeved on the outer side of the shaft sleeve (54) through the oblong hole (312).

6. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The left and right sides of the top of the first guide part (22) are fixedly provided with limiting protrusions (221) spaced from the left and right ends, and the first guide part (22) is provided with a plurality of anti-slip ribs (222) extending forward and backward at intervals between the protrusions, and the height of the limiting protrusions (221) is greater than the anti-slip ribs (222).

7. A thermal printer as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The middle part of the front side of the movable cover (3) is recessed upwards and is provided with a cleaning groove (33) corresponding to the front side of the bottom shell (1); the upper swinging angle of the front side of the movable cover (3) is 16°-17°.

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