Thermal printer with detachable print head

Abstract

This utility model discloses a thermal printer with a detachable printhead, comprising: a printer body with a recessed receiving cavity on its surface, the edge of which is provided with a first locking hole and a communication female pin; a flip cover hinged to the top of the printer body and covering the receiving cavity; and a printhead assembly including a printhead and mounting seats at both ends of the printhead, which are integrally placed within the receiving cavity. The gap between the printer body and the printhead assembly is defined as the paper path. The mounting seats are provided with a first latch matching the first locking hole and a communication male pin matching the communication female pin. An unlocking button is provided on the first latch. The advantages of this utility model are: the printhead assembly is fixed in the receiving cavity of the printer body using the first locking hole and the first latch; after the printhead assembly is fixed, the communication male pin is correspondingly inserted into the communication female pin, forming a reliable electrical connection between the printhead assembly and the printer body; and the installation process is simple and quick.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of thermal printer technology, and in particular to a thermal printer with a detachable printhead. Background Technology

[0002] A thermal printer is a device that prints on thermal paper. Its print head is equipped with a semiconductor heating element. After the print head heats up and comes into contact with the thermal paper, it can print the desired pattern.

[0003] The printhead of existing thermal printers is usually mounted on the cover with screws and communicates with the controller via a ribbon cable connector. This design is complex, and non-professional users usually do not have the skills to remove the screws and properly plug and unplug the ribbon cable. Therefore, once the printhead is damaged, users are basically unable to replace it themselves, and the entire printer will become unusable, leaving them with no choice but to purchase a new printer. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model proposes a thermal printer with a detachable printhead, aiming to solve the problem that existing thermal printers lack a quick-connect design for their printheads.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0006] A thermal printer with a detachable printhead includes:

[0007] The printer body has a recessed receiving cavity on its surface, and the edge of the receiving cavity is provided with a first locking hole and a communication female pin;

[0008] A flip cover is hinged to the top of the printer body and covers the receiving cavity;

[0009] The printhead assembly includes a printhead and mounting bases disposed at both ends of the printhead, and is placed entirely within the receiving cavity. The gap between the printer body and the printhead assembly is defined as the paper feed path. The mounting base is provided with a first latch that matches the first locking hole and a communication male pin that matches the communication female pin. The first latch is provided with an unlock button.

[0010] In some embodiments, the edge of the receiving cavity is provided with a second locking hole, and the edge of the flip cover is provided with a second latch that matches the second locking hole.

[0011] In some embodiments, the edge of the receiving cavity is provided with a mirror-symmetrical fixing platform, and the first locking hole, the second locking hole and the communication female pin are disposed on the surface of the fixing platform.

[0012] In some embodiments, an in-situ detection switch is provided inside the first keyhole.

[0013] In some embodiments, a paper inlet is provided on the top of the printer body, and a paper outlet is provided on the side of the printer body, the paper inlet and the paper outlet being in communication with the paper feed channel.

[0014] In some embodiments, a set of paper clamping supports slidably disposed on the paper inlet is also included.

[0015] In some embodiments, the printer body is provided with a print button and a back button.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: By setting a first locking hole and a communication female pin on the printer body, and setting a corresponding first locking buckle and a communication male pin on the printhead assembly, the printhead assembly is fixed in the receiving cavity of the printer body by utilizing the positioning and locking effect between the first locking hole and the first locking buckle. Furthermore, after the printhead assembly is fixed, the communication male pin is correspondingly inserted into the communication female pin, forming a reliable electrical connection between the printhead assembly and the printer body. The printhead installation process is simple and quick. In addition, the first locking buckle is also equipped with an unlocking button. When the user needs to replace a faulty printhead assembly, they only need to press the unlocking button to release the locking relationship between the first locking hole and the first locking buckle, making it convenient for the user to remove the printhead assembly without the need for tools or consideration of the device's circuit connections. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the thermal printer with a detachable printhead disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention after the flip cover is opened;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a thermal printer with a detachable printhead disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention, with the flip cover closed.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the printer disclosed in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the printhead assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] The components are: 1-Printer body, 2-Flip cover, 3-Print head assembly, 4-Fixing platform, 5-Paper inlet, 6-Paper outlet, 7-Paper clamping bracket, 8-Print button, 9-Return button, 101-Receiving cavity, 102-First locking hole, 103-Communication female pin, 104-Second locking hole, 105-In-position detection switch, 201-Second latch, 301-Print head, 302-Mounting base, 303-First latch, 304-Communication male pin, 305-Unlock button. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer and more explicit, the content of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining this utility model and not for limiting it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this utility model are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all of them.

[0023] This embodiment proposes a thermal printer with a detachable printhead, comprising:

[0024] Printer body 1, such as Figure 1 As shown, a concave receiving cavity 101 is provided on the surface, and a first locking hole 102 and a communication female pin 103 are provided on the edge of the receiving cavity 101. Among them, the inherent components such as the paper feeding roller that are not part of the invention point of this solution are omitted and not described.

[0025] Flip cover 2, such as Figure 1 and 3 As shown, it is hinged to the top of the printer body 1 and covers the receiving cavity 101;

[0026] Printhead assembly 3, such as Figure 4 As shown, the printer includes a printhead 301 and mounting bases 302 located at both ends of the printhead 301, and is entirely placed within a receiving cavity 101. The gap between the printer body 1 and the printhead assembly 3 is defined as the paper feed path (not shown in the figure). The mounting base 302 is provided with a first latch 303 that matches the first locking hole 102, and a communication male pin 304 that matches the communication female pin 103. An unlock button 305 is provided on the first latch 303. In one example, the unlock button 305 and the first latch 303 are integrally injection molded from a flexible plastic material, such as polyoxymethylene. When the user presses the unlock button 305, the first latch 303 disengages from the first locking hole 102, thereby releasing the locking relationship between the printhead assembly 3 and the printer body 1.

[0027] It should be noted that the paper feeding path described in this solution is a necessary physical structure for thermal printers. The paper feeding path is preferably a plane, but it can also be a curved surface or other curved surfaces, all for the purpose of facilitating paper movement.

[0028] In this solution, a first locking hole 102 and a communication female pin 103 are provided on the printer body 1, and a corresponding first locking buckle 303 and a communication male pin 304 are provided on the printhead assembly 3. The positioning and locking effect between the first locking hole 102 and the first locking buckle 303 fixes the printhead assembly 3 in the receiving cavity 101 of the printer body 1. After the printhead assembly 3 is fixed, the communication male pin 304 is inserted into the communication female pin 103, forming a reliable electrical connection between the printhead assembly 3 and the printer body 1. The printhead installation process is simple and quick. In addition, an unlocking button 305 is provided on the first locking buckle 303. When the user needs to replace the faulty printhead assembly 3, he only needs to press the unlocking button 305 to release the locking relationship between the first locking hole 102 and the first locking buckle 303, making it convenient for the user to remove the printhead assembly 3 without the need for tools or consideration of the device's circuit connections.

[0029] Optionally, the aforementioned communication male pin 304 can be a spring pin. A spring pin is a spring-type probe formed by riveting three parts: a pin shaft, a spring, and a pin tube. The surface is generally gold-plated to enhance corrosion resistance and electrical performance.

[0030] Optional, such as Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the edge of the receiving cavity 101 is provided with a second locking hole 104, and the edge of the flip cover 2 is provided with a second latch 201 that matches the second locking hole 104. In the above optional solution, the flip cover 2 is detachably mounted on the printer body 1 by utilizing the cooperation between the second locking hole 104 and the second latch 201 to protect the printhead assembly 3. In one example, the second locking hole 104 and the second latch 201 can adopt an interference fit hole-step structure, that is, the friction of the second latch 201 inserted into the second locking hole 104 is used to lock the flip cover 2.

[0031] Another alternative, such as Figure 3 As shown, a mirror-symmetrical fixing platform 4 is provided on the edge of the receiving cavity 101. The first locking hole 102, the second locking hole 104, and the communication female pin 103 are provided on the surface of the fixing platform 4. In this optional solution, the fixing platform 4 supports a certain height on both sides of the receiving cavity 101. On this basis, the first locking hole 102, the second locking hole 104, and the communication female pin 103 are provided on the surface of the fixing platform 4. Correspondingly, the positions of the first latch 303, the second latch 201, and the communication male pin 304 also need to be aligned.

[0032] It should be noted that the number of the first locking hole 102 and the first latch 303 in this solution can be selected according to the actual situation, but at least one set is required, preferably two sets, respectively set on the two fixed platforms 4. Similarly, the number of combinations of the second locking hole 104 and the second latch 201 can also be freely set according to actual needs. Only one set of communication male pin 304 and communication female pin 103 is required. The communication female pin 103 can be set on the surface of one of the two fixed platforms 4, and the communication male pin 304 can be set on the surface of one of the two mounting bases 302.

[0033] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, an in-position detection switch 105 is provided in the first locking hole 102. More preferably, when there are two first locking holes 102, there are correspondingly two in-position detection switches 105, which are installed in the two first locking holes 102 respectively, and can detect whether the printhead assembly 3 is properly installed on the printer body 1.

[0034] Existing thermal label printers typically have rear paper feed and front paper output, but rear paper feed is inconvenient. As another preferred solution in this invention, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the printer also includes a paper inlet 5 located at the top of the printer body 1 and a paper outlet 6 located on the side of the printer body 1. The paper inlet 5 and the paper outlet 6 are connected to the paper feed path. In this design, the top of the paper feed path is chosen as the paper inlet 5. The angle between the paper inlet 5 and the vertical plane is 0–90 degrees, preferably 30–60 degrees. Because the paper inlet 5 is at the top of the printer, it is convenient to insert paper into the paper inlet 5. The front part of the paper feed path is the paper outlet 6. The angle between the front paper outlet 6 and the horizontal plane is 0–90 degrees, preferably 30–60 degrees. Because the paper outlet 6 is at the front, it is convenient to view the printed content. The angle between the paper inlet 5 and the paper outlet 6 of the paper feed path is 90–180 degrees, preferably 180 degrees, at which point the paper output resistance is low.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, it also includes a set of paper clamping brackets 7 that are slidably set on the paper inlet 5. The paper clamping brackets 7 are divided into left and right parts that can move relative to each other, making it easy to adjust their position according to different paper widths.

[0036] In existing technologies, thermal printers generally require opening the flip cover 2 to change the paper roll. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead described in this solution is a type without a paper tray, thereby reducing the size of the device. Specifically, the printer body 1 is equipped with a print button 8 and a return button 9. The return button 9 is used to eject the paper from the printer during printing and paper changing.

[0037] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and features of this utility model, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made based on the substance of the content of this utility model should be covered within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A thermal printer with a detachable printhead, characterized in that, include: The printer body has a recessed receiving cavity on its surface, and the edge of the receiving cavity is provided with a first locking hole and a communication female pin; A flip cover is hinged to the top of the printer body and covers the receiving cavity; The printhead assembly includes a printhead and mounting bases disposed at both ends of the printhead, and is placed entirely within the receiving cavity. The gap between the printer body and the printhead assembly is defined as the paper feed path. The mounting base is provided with a first latch that matches the first locking hole and a communication male pin that matches the communication female pin. The first latch is provided with an unlock button.

2. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the receiving cavity is provided with a second locking hole, and the edge of the flip cover is provided with a second latch that matches the second locking hole.

3. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The edge of the receiving cavity is provided with a mirror-symmetrical fixing platform, and the first locking hole, the second locking hole and the communication pin are provided on the surface of the fixing platform.

4. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead as described in claim 1, characterized in that, An in-position detection switch is installed inside the first keyhole.

5. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a paper inlet located on the top of the printer body and a paper outlet located on the side of the printer body, the paper inlet and the paper outlet being connected to the paper feed channel.

6. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead as described in claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a set of paper clamping supports that are slidably disposed on the paper inlet.

7. The thermal printer with a detachable printhead as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The printer body is equipped with a print button and a back button.

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