A miniature thermal printer

Abstract

A micro thermal printer comprises an upper cover body and a lower cover body, one side of the upper cover body is hinged with the lower cover body and the other side is openably connected with the lower cover body through a lock catch assembly; the lock catch assembly comprises a button, a rotating shaft and two clamps, the rotating shaft is transversely arranged on the openable side of the lower cover body, the button is slidingly connected on the lower cover body and abuts against the middle part of the rotating shaft, the two clamps are arranged at the two ends of the rotating shaft respectively, and the upper cover body is provided with a buckle groove matched with the clamps; the two clamps are hinged on the lower cover body, the first ends of the two clamps are fixedly connected with the two ends of the rotating shaft respectively, and the second ends of the two clamps are provided with elastic members between the second ends and the lower cover body, the elastic members are compression springs; the button is pressed, the rotating shaft drives the clamps to rotate so that the clamps are separated from the buckle groove; the button is released, the elastic members drive the clamps and the rotating shaft to rotate reversely and reset. The micro thermal printer has reduced number of elastic members and is more convenient to install.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printer technology, specifically to a miniature thermal printer. Background Technology

[0002] Miniature thermal printers are widely used in various industries such as retail, logistics, healthcare, and catering, meeting the needs of different scenarios. Chinese utility model patent CN214522873U discloses a miniature thermal printer, the structure of which is as follows... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes an upper cover 1a and a lower cover 2a that are pivotally connected to each other to achieve flipping opening or closing. The upper cover 1a is provided with a fastening groove 3a, and the lower cover 2a is provided with a hook 4a that engages with the fastening groove 3a. When the upper cover 1a and the lower cover 2a are closed, the hook 4a engages with the fastening groove 3a. The lower cover 2a also includes a lower housing 5a, a button 6a, and a rotating shaft 7a. The button 6a is slidably connected to the lower housing 5a, and the rotating shaft 7a and the hook 4a are rotatably connected to the lower housing 5a. The button 6a is provided with a pushing part, and the rotating shaft 7a is provided with a toggle part. The rotating shaft 7a is provided with a first torsion spring 8a for driving the rotating shaft 7a to reset, and the hook 4a is provided with a second torsion spring for driving the hook 4a to reset. When it is necessary to open the cover, simply press button 6a. At this time, button 6a slides toward the rotating shaft 7a. The pushing part of button 6a pushes the rotating shaft 7a to rotate, which in turn causes the actuating part of the rotating shaft 7a to rotate the hook 4a. After the hook 4a rotates, it disengages from the latching groove 3a, so that the upper cover 1a can be opened. The operation is very convenient.

[0003] However, existing miniature thermal printers have the following technical problems: Since the rotating shaft 7a and the hook 4a are not directly connected together, but are rotatably connected to the lower housing 5a respectively, both the rotating shaft 7a and the hook 4a need to be equipped with torsion springs to reset them, which requires a large number of elastic components; since the torsion springs themselves are relatively troublesome to install, the large number of them makes the installation even more troublesome. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a miniature thermal printer with a reduced number of elastic elements and easier installation.

[0005] The technical solution of this utility model is: a miniature thermal printer, including an upper cover and a lower cover, wherein one side of the upper cover is hinged to the lower cover and the other side is closably connected to the lower cover via a locking assembly; the locking assembly includes a button, a pivot, and hooks, the pivot is laterally disposed on the opening / closing side of the lower cover, the button is slidably connected to the lower cover and abuts against the middle of the pivot, two hooks are provided and are respectively located at both ends of the pivot, and the upper cover is provided with buckles that engage with the hooks. The upper cover and lower cover are hinged together. The first ends of the two hooks are fixedly connected to the two ends of the rotating shaft, and the second ends of the two hooks are respectively provided with elastic elements between them and the lower cover. The elastic elements are compression springs. When the upper cover and the lower cover are closed, the hooks are engaged in the fastening groove. When the button is pressed, the rotating shaft drives the hooks to rotate, causing the hooks to disengage from the fastening groove. When the button is released, the elastic elements drive the hooks and the rotating shaft to rotate in the opposite direction and reset.

[0006] With the above structure, this utility model has the following advantages:

[0007] This utility model of a miniature thermal printer directly connects the two ends of the rotating shaft to two hooks, and sets the hooks to be hinged to the lower cover. This allows the rotating shaft and hooks to rotate synchronously not only when the button is pressed, but also when the button is released. Therefore, only elastic elements need to be set on the hooks to achieve the reset of the rotating shaft and hooks, reducing the number of elastic elements and making installation more convenient. In addition, the elastic elements are made of compression springs, which further facilitates installation.

[0008] Preferably, a mounting base for the elastic element is provided between the hook and the lower cover. The mounting base includes a positioning post on one of the hook and the lower cover, and a positioning groove on the other. A gap is provided between the positioning post and the positioning groove, and the elastic element is inclinedly inserted into the mounting base through the gap. This mounting base has a simple structure. The hook has a positioning post for positioning the compression spring, and the lower cover has a positioning groove that matches the positioning post. The compression spring is installed obliquely through the gap to the positioning post, and then the compression spring is manually pressed down to allow it to directly enter the positioning groove. No other tools are needed, making installation very convenient.

[0009] Preferably, the hook has a first extension arm on one side, a limiting step at the top of the first extension arm, a positioning post on the limiting step, and a positioning groove on the positioning post. This arrangement facilitates the use of the first extension arm to form a limiting step, and then placing the positioning post on the limiting step, thus ensuring that the elastic element is reliably limited on the positioning post.

[0010] Preferably, the sidewall of the positioning groove is further provided with a first opening. This arrangement further facilitates the installation of the elastic element and makes it easy to observe whether the elastic element is installed in place.

[0011] Preferably, a second extension arm is provided on the other side of the hook, and the second extension arm is fixedly connected to the end of the rotating shaft. This arrangement facilitates the connection between the hook and the rotating shaft using the second extension arm.

[0012] Preferably, the lower cover includes a first outer shell and a first inner shell. The first outer shell has an opening at its top, and the first inner shell is disposed at the opening of the first outer shell. A first mounting cavity is formed between the first inner shell and the first outer shell, and the locking assembly is installed within the first mounting cavity. This arrangement allows the locking assembly to be concealed within the first mounting cavity, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0013] Preferably, the first inner shell has a second opening for the hook to pass through. A first hinge seat extends from the second opening toward the first mounting cavity. The lower end of the hook is hinged to the first hinge seat, and the upper end extends through the second opening onto the inner shell. This arrangement facilitates communication between the hook and the fastening groove using the second opening, and the first hinge seat at the second opening facilitates the hinge of the hook, making the structure simpler and more compact.

[0014] Preferably, the first hinge seat includes a first side plate and a second side plate disposed on both sides of the second opening, and the hook is hinged between the first side plate and the second side plate via a first shaft. This first hinge seat has a simple structure, and by clamping the hook between the first side plate and the second side plate, it can guide the rotation of the hook.

[0015] Preferably, the hinged side of the upper cover is provided with a third extension arm. One end of the third extension arm is fixedly connected to the upper cover and the other end is hinged to the lower cover. An angle limiting mechanism is provided between the third extension arm and the lower cover to limit the upper cover to the lower cover after it is flipped upwards by 90 degrees. This arrangement allows the upper cover to be limited to the lower cover after being flipped 90 degrees, making it easier to put paper into the paper tray and preventing the cover from suddenly closing after the user lets go, resulting in a better user experience.

[0016] Preferably, the angle limiting mechanism includes a limiting protrusion on the hinge end of the third extension arm and a limiting rib on the lower cover, the limiting rib having a guide surface; when the upper cover is flipped upward, the limiting protrusion on the third extension arm is limited to the limiting rib by the guide surface; after the upper cover is closed downward, the limiting protrusion on the third extension arm disengages from the limiting rib by the guide surface. This angle limiting mechanism is simple, and the limiting protrusion and disengagement from the limiting rib are easily achieved through the guidance of the guide surface. Attached image description:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing miniature thermal printer;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lower cover of an existing miniature thermal printer.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the miniature thermal printer of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the miniature thermal printer of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a top view of the miniature thermal printer of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A sectional view along the middle AA';

[0023] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Cross-sectional view at the midline BB';

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the miniature thermal printer of this utility model after the first outer shell is hidden;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the upper cover of the miniature thermal printer of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 10 This mainly shows a schematic diagram of the locking assembly of this utility model installed on the lower housing;

[0027] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A magnified view of a portion of point C in the middle;

[0028] Figure 12 for Figure 10 A magnified view of a portion of point D in the middle;

[0029] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the locking assembly of this utility model with the first outer shell and the second inner shell;

[0030] In the existing technical drawings: 1a-upper cover, 2a-lower cover, 3a-fastening groove, 4a-hook, 5a-lower housing, 6a-button, 7a-rotating shaft, 8a-torsion spring;

[0031] In the figures of this utility model: 1-upper cover, 2-lower cover, 3-locking assembly, 4-button, 5-rotating shaft, 6-hook, 7-fastening groove, 8-elastic element, 9-mounting base, 10-positioning post, 11-positioning groove, 12-first extension arm, 13-limiting step, 14-first opening, 15-second extension arm, 16-first outer shell, 17-first inner shell, 18-first mounting cavity, 19-second opening, 20-first hinge base, 21-first side plate, 22-second side plate 23-First shaft, 24-Third extension arm, 25-Limiting protrusion, 26-Limiting rib, 27-Paper compartment, 28-Glue roller, 29-Second outer shell, 30-Second inner shell, 31-Second mounting cavity, 32-Circuit board, 33-Thermosensitive sheet, 34-Third opening, 35-Push-off part, 36-Sliding part, 37-Fourth opening, 38-Slide groove, 39-Slide rail, 40-Limiting through hole, 41-Limiting post, 42-Threaded hole, 43-Second shaft, 44-Oval hole, D1-Gap. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] Example:

[0034] like Figure 3-13 As shown, a miniature thermal printer includes an upper cover 1 and a lower cover 2. One side of the upper cover 1 is hinged to the lower cover 2, and the other side is connected to the lower cover 2 via a locking assembly 3, allowing it to be opened and closed. The locking assembly 3 includes a button 4, a rotating shaft 5, and hooks 6. The rotating shaft 5 is laterally positioned on the opening and closing side of the lower cover 2. The button 4 is slidably connected to the lower cover 2 and abuts against the middle of the rotating shaft 5. Two hooks 6 are provided, located at both ends of the rotating shaft 5. The upper cover 1 is provided with buckles that engage with the hooks 6. The upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2 are hinged together. The first ends of the two hooks 6 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the rotating shaft 5 respectively. The second ends of the two hooks 6 are provided with elastic elements 8 between them and the lower cover 2. The elastic elements 8 are compression springs. When the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2 are closed, the hooks 6 are engaged in the fastening groove 7. When the button 4 is pressed, the rotating shaft 5 drives the hooks 6 to rotate, causing the hooks 6 to disengage from the fastening groove 7. When the button 4 is released, the elastic elements 8 drive the hooks 6 and the rotating shaft 5 to rotate in the opposite direction and reset.

[0035] In this embodiment, the two ends of the rotating shaft 5 are directly fixedly connected to two hooks 6, and the hooks 6 are hinged to the lower cover 2. This allows the rotating shaft 5 and the hooks 6 to rotate synchronously not only when the button 4 is pressed, but also when the button 4 is released. Therefore, only the elastic element 8 needs to be set on the hook 6 to achieve the reset of the rotating shaft 5 and the hook 6. The number of elastic elements 8 is reduced, and the installation is more convenient. In addition, the elastic element 8 is a compression spring, which further facilitates the installation.

[0036] A mounting base 9 for an elastic element 8 is provided between the hook 6 and the lower cover 2. The mounting base 9 includes a positioning post 10 on one of the hook 6 and the lower cover 2, and a positioning groove 11 on the other. A gap D1 is provided between the positioning post 10 and the positioning groove 11. The elastic element 8 is inserted into the mounting base 9 at an angle through the gap D1. The mounting base 9 has a simple structure. The hook 6 has a positioning post 10 for positioning spring, and the lower cover 2 has a positioning groove 11 that matches the positioning post 10. The spring is installed at an angle to the positioning post 10 through the gap D1, and then the spring is manually pressed down so that the spring directly enters the positioning groove 11. No other tools are needed, making the installation very convenient.

[0037] The hook 6 has a first extension arm 12 on one side, and a limiting step 13 on the top of the first extension arm 12. The positioning post 10 is set on the limiting step 13, and the positioning groove 11 is set on the positioning post 10. This arrangement makes it convenient to use the first extension arm 12 to form the limiting step 13, and then set the positioning post 10 on the limiting step 13, so as to ensure that the elastic element 8 is reliably limited on the positioning post 10.

[0038] The positioning groove 11 also has a first opening 14 on its side wall. This arrangement further facilitates the installation of the elastic element 8 and makes it easy to observe whether the elastic element 8 is installed in place.

[0039] A second extension arm 15 is provided on the other side of the hook 6, and the second extension arm 15 is fixedly connected to the end of the rotating shaft 5. This arrangement facilitates the connection between the hook 6 and the rotating shaft 5 using the second extension arm 15.

[0040] The lower cover 2 includes a first outer shell 16 and a first inner shell 17. The first outer shell 16 has an opening at the top, and the first inner shell 17 is disposed at the opening of the first outer shell 16. A first mounting cavity 18 is formed between the first inner shell 17 and the first outer shell 16, and the locking assembly 3 is installed in the first mounting cavity 18. This arrangement can hide the locking assembly 3 in the first mounting cavity 18, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0041] The first inner shell 17 has a second opening 19 for the hook 6 to pass through. A first hinge seat 20 extends from the second opening 19 toward the first mounting cavity 18. The lower end of the hook 6 is hinged to the first hinge seat 20, and the upper end extends through the second opening 19 onto the inner shell. This arrangement facilitates communication between the hook 6 and the fastening groove 7 using the second opening 19. Furthermore, the first hinge seat 20 at the second opening 19 facilitates the hinge of the hook 6 and makes the structure simpler and more compact.

[0042] The first hinge seat 20 includes a first side plate 21 and a second side plate 22 disposed on both sides of the second opening 19. The hook 6 is hinged between the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22 via a first shaft 23. The first hinge seat 20 has a simple structure and clamps the hook 6 between the first side plate 21 and the second side plate 22, which can guide the rotation of the hook 6.

[0043] A third extension arm 24 is provided on the hinged side of the upper cover 1. One end of the third extension arm 24 is fixedly connected to the upper cover 1, and the other end is hinged to the lower cover 2. An angle limiting mechanism is provided between the third extension arm 24 and the lower cover 2 to limit the upper cover 1 to the lower cover 2 after it is flipped upwards by 90 degrees. This setting allows the upper cover 1 to be limited to the lower cover 2 after being flipped 90 degrees, making it easier to put paper into the paper tray 27 and preventing the cover from suddenly closing after the user lets go, resulting in a better user experience.

[0044] The angle limiting mechanism includes a limiting protrusion 25 on the hinge end of the third extension arm 24 and a limiting rib 26 on the lower cover 2. The limiting rib 26 has a guide surface. When the upper cover 1 is flipped upward, the limiting protrusion 25 on the third extension arm 24 is limited to the limiting rib 26 by the guide surface. After the upper cover 1 is closed downward, the limiting protrusion 25 on the third extension arm 24 disengages from the limiting rib 26 by the guide surface. This angle limiting mechanism is simple, and the limiting protrusion 25 and the limiting rib 26 are easily limited and disengaged by the guide surface.

[0045] In this embodiment, the rear side of the upper cover 1 is hinged to the lower cover 2, and the front side is connected to the lower cover 2 via a locking assembly 3. A button 4 is installed on the front side of the first outer shell 16, a rotating shaft 5 is installed on the rear side of the button 4, and two hooks 6 are installed on the rear side of the rotating shaft 5 and hinged to the left and right sides of the first inner shell 17 respectively. A paper tray 27 is provided on the rear side of the first inner shell 17, and a rubber roller 28 is provided on the front side of the first inner shell 17. The upper cover 1 includes a second outer shell 29 and a second inner shell 30. The lower end of the second outer shell 29 is open, and the second inner shell 30 is installed at the lower end opening of the second outer shell 29. A second mounting cavity 31 is formed between the second inner shell 30 and the first inner shell 17, and a circuit board 32 is installed in the second mounting cavity 31. A third extension arm 24 is provided on the rear side of the second inner shell 30, and a thermal sheet 33 is provided on the front side of the second inner shell 30. The thermal sheet 33 and the rubber roller 28 form a paper feeding channel and communicate with the paper tray 27. In this embodiment, the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear are... Figure 8 As the standard.

[0046] In this embodiment, two third extension arms 24 are provided and located on the left and right sides of the paper tray 27. The third extension arms 24 are roughly in the shape of an "L". The first inner shell 17 is also provided with a third opening 34 for the third extension arms 24 to pass through. The third extension arms 24 extend into the first mounting cavity 18 through the third opening 34 and are hinged to the left and right sides of the paper tray 27 through the second shaft 43.

[0047] In this embodiment, the button 4 is approximately L-shaped and includes a pressing part 35 and a sliding part 36. The front side of the first housing 16 is provided with a fourth opening 37 that exposes the pressing part 35. The sliding part 36 is slidably connected to the bottom of the first housing 16. One of the sliding part 36 and the bottom of the first housing 16 is provided with a groove 38 and the other is provided with a slide rail 39. In this embodiment, the groove 38 is provided on the sliding part 36, and two grooves 38 are provided and provided on the left and right sides of the sliding part 36. The middle part of the sliding part 36 is also provided with a limiting through hole 40, and the bottom of the first housing 16 is also provided with a limiting post 41, which is slidably fitted in the limiting through hole 40. The limiting post 41 is provided with a threaded hole 42. A bolt is screwed onto the limiting post 41. Any type of bolt is acceptable, but not shown in the attached diagram. The outer diameter of the bolt head is larger than the width of the limiting through hole 40, thereby limiting the height of the button 4. The bolt can be replaced with any limiting component with an outer diameter larger than the width of the limiting through hole 40. When installing the button 4, align the sliding groove 38 of the sliding part 36 with the sliding rail 39 at the bottom of the first housing, and align the limiting through hole 40 with the limiting post 41. Then, screw on a height-limiting bolt. When the pressing part 35 of the button 4 is pressed, the sliding rail 39 at the bottom of the first housing 16 slides back and forth relative to the sliding groove 38 of the sliding part 36, while the limiting post 41 slides back and forth relative to the limiting through hole 40.

[0048] In this embodiment, the main body of the rotating shaft 5 is cylindrical. The rotating shaft 5 is located in the "L"-shaped angle area formed by the pressing part 35 and the sliding part 36 of the button 4 to utilize the installation space of the button 4. The two ends of the rotating shaft 5 are tightly fitted with the waist-shaped hole 44 of the second extension arm 15 of the hook 6 to achieve a fixed connection.

Claims

1. A miniature thermal printer, comprising an upper cover (1) and a lower cover (2), wherein one side of the upper cover (1) is hinged to the lower cover (2) and the other side is closably connected to the lower cover (2) via a locking assembly (3); the locking assembly (3) comprises a button (4), a rotating shaft (5), and a hook (6), wherein the rotating shaft (5) is laterally disposed on the opening / closing side of the lower cover (2), the button (4) is slidably connected to the lower cover (2) and abuts against the middle of the rotating shaft (5), two hooks (6) are provided and are respectively located at both ends of the rotating shaft (5), and the upper cover (1) is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove (7) that engages with the hooks (6); characterized in that: Both hooks (6) are hinged to the lower cover (2). The first ends of the two hooks (6) are fixedly connected to the two ends of the rotating shaft (5). The second ends of the two hooks (6) are respectively provided with elastic elements (8) between them and the lower cover (2). The elastic elements (8) are compression springs. When the upper cover (1) and the lower cover (2) are closed, the hooks (6) are engaged in the fastening groove (7). When the button (4) is pressed, the rotating shaft (5) drives the hooks (6) to rotate and disengage the hooks (6) from the fastening groove (7). When the button (4) is released, the elastic elements (8) drive the hooks (6) and the rotating shaft (5) to rotate in the opposite direction and reset.

2. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mounting base (9) for the elastic element (8) is also provided between the hook (6) and the lower cover (2). The mounting base (9) includes a positioning post (10) provided on one of the hook (6) and the lower cover (2) and a positioning groove (11) provided on the other. A gap (D1) is provided between the positioning post (10) and the positioning groove (11). The elastic element (8) is inclinedly inserted into the mounting base (9) through the gap (D1).

3. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hook (6) has a first extension arm (12) on one side, and a limiting step (13) is provided at the top of the first extension arm (12). The positioning post (10) is provided on the limiting step (13), and the positioning groove (11) is provided on the positioning post (10).

4. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning groove (11) is also provided with a first opening (14) on its side wall.

5. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other side of the hook (6) is provided with a second extension arm (15), which is fixedly connected to the end of the rotating shaft (5).

6. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower cover (2) includes a first outer shell (16) and a first inner shell (17). The first outer shell (16) has an opening at the top, and the first inner shell (17) is disposed at the opening of the first outer shell (16). A first mounting cavity (18) is formed between the first inner shell (17) and the first outer shell (16), and the locking assembly (3) is installed in the first mounting cavity (18).

7. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first inner shell (17) is provided with a second opening (19) for the hook (6) to pass through. The second opening (19) extends toward the first mounting cavity (18) with a first hinge seat (20). The lower end of the hook (6) is hinged to the first hinge seat (20) and the upper end extends through the second opening (19) onto the inner shell.

8. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first hinge seat (20) includes a first side plate (21) and a second side plate (22) disposed on both sides of the second opening (19), and the hook (6) is hinged between the first side plate (21) and the second side plate (22) via a first shaft (23).

9. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper cover (1) is provided with a third extension arm (24) on the hinge side. One end of the third extension arm (24) is fixedly connected to the upper cover (1) and the other end is hinged to the lower cover (2). An angle limiting mechanism is provided between the third extension arm (24) and the lower cover (2) to limit the upper cover (1) to the lower cover (2) after it is rotated upward by 90 degrees.

10. A miniature thermal printer according to claim 9, characterized in that: The angle limiting mechanism includes a limiting protrusion (25) disposed on the hinge end of the third extension arm (24) and a limiting rib (26) disposed on the lower cover (2). The limiting rib (26) is provided with a guide surface. When the upper cover (1) is flipped upward, the limiting protrusion (25) on the third extension arm (24) is limited to the limiting rib (26) by the guide surface. After the upper cover (1) is closed downward, the limiting protrusion (25) on the third extension arm (24) is disengaged from the limiting rib (26) by the guide surface.

Images