A heat transfer label printer and a manual cutter assembly therefor

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of heat transfer label printer and manual cutter assembly thereof, including knife rest, fixed scissors, moving scissors, manual cutter component and paper outlet photoelectric component;Fixed scissors are in a word type, moving scissors are V-shaped;Fixed scissors are fixed on the knife rest side close to paper outlet;Moving scissors are slidably installed on the knife rest by first pin shaft and compression spring;Manual cutter component can drive moving scissors to slide to fixed scissors side along the long hole on the knife rest, compression spring can make moving scissors maintain close line contact with fixed scissors all the time and make moving scissors adaptively swing relative to fixed scissors;The electrical connection end of paper outlet photoelectric component adopts spring needle form, for forming the point contact connection without wiring with the contact of the main machine of heat transfer label printer;Manual cutter assembly is integrated quick-release assembly. It can also include auxiliary paper feed roller.The heat transfer label printer and manual cutter assembly thereof of the utility model can completely and stably cut off label paper, can conveniently clean residual glue and realize auxiliary paper feeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printers, and in particular to a thermal transfer label printer and its manual cutter assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal transfer label printers generally require a built-in cutter assembly to allow users to easily remove printed labels. Currently, there are two main types of cutter assemblies on the market: one-piece moving (fixed) cutters and two symmetrically arranged moving (fixed) cutters. Compared to symmetrically arranged two-piece cutters, the one-piece cutter requires ensuring good contact between the left and right contact points of the moving and fixed cutters during the cutting process, without interference between them. This places higher demands on the manufacturing of the cutter's related structure. If the cutter becomes dull or has significant manufacturing errors, the force on the two contact points will be inconsistent, resulting in one side of the label being cut while the other side simply slides past. In other words, the cutter assembly cannot completely and stably cut the label.

[0003] In addition, residual adhesive often occurs on the printing rollers, printhead, and cutter blades of thermal transfer label printers, which is generally difficult to handle.

[0004] Furthermore, existing thermal transfer label printers generally do not have an auxiliary paper feeding system in front of the printhead, making automatic paper feeding impossible. Usually, the paper needs to be manually fed in gradually.

[0005] Therefore, it is evident that the existing thermal transfer label printers and their manual cutter assemblies still have inconveniences and defects in terms of structure and use, and urgently need further improvement. How to create a thermal transfer label printer and its manual cutter assembly that can completely and stably cut label paper, easily clean residual adhesive, or provide auxiliary paper feeding has become a pressing goal for the industry. Utility Model Content

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a thermal transfer label printer and its manual cutter assembly, which can completely and stably cut the label paper, facilitate the cleaning of residual adhesive, or enable auxiliary paper feeding.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A manual cutter assembly for a thermal transfer label printer includes a cutter holder, a fixed cutter, a movable cutter, a manual cutter assembly, and a paper output photoelectric assembly.

[0009] The fixed and movable scissors have opposing cutting edges; the fixed scissors are straight and the movable scissors are V-shaped; the fixed scissors are fixed on the knife holder near the paper outlet; the movable scissors are slidably mounted on the knife holder via a first pin and a spring, wherein the knife holder has an elongated hole, and the first pin passes through the elongated hole, the movable scissors, and the spring from bottom to top, with its end fixed; the manual knife-pulling assembly is movably mounted on the knife holder and connected to the movable scissors, and can drive the movable scissors to slide along the elongated hole on the knife holder towards the fixed scissors. During sliding, the two ends of the V-shaped movable scissors first contact the fixed scissors, and then the middle part. The spring can keep the movable scissors in close contact with the fixed scissors and allow the movable scissors to swing adaptively relative to the fixed scissors.

[0010] The paper output photoelectric component is mounted on the blade holder near the paper output outlet; the electrical connection terminal of the paper output photoelectric component adopts a spring-loaded pin form, which is used to form a wireless point contact connection with the contacts of the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer; the manual cutter assembly is an integrated quick-release assembly.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, it also includes an auxiliary paper feed roller, which is located at the bottom of the blade holder corresponding to the position of the manual blade assembly; the auxiliary paper feed roller is also used to cooperate with the active paper feed roller set on the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer, and the two form an auxiliary paper feed channel, so that the label paper first passes through the auxiliary paper feed channel and then enters the print head area of ​​the thermal transfer label printer.

[0012] Furthermore, an auxiliary roller torsion spring is also provided at the bottom of the tool holder, and the auxiliary roller torsion spring is installed on the cylindrical protrusions on the left and right sides of the tool holder using its own circular inner ring.

[0013] The auxiliary feed roller is installed in the half-groove at the bottom of the knife holder. The half-groove is a downward-facing, tapered type. The auxiliary feed roller can be finely adjusted up and down within the half-groove.

[0014] The auxiliary feed roller is always positioned downwards by utilizing the elastic force of the auxiliary roller torsion spring that it is paired with.

[0015] Furthermore, the V-shaped structure of the movable scissors has upward-curving ends near the fixed scissors, allowing the movable scissors to be smoothly placed on the upper surface of the fixed scissors.

[0016] Furthermore, the manual knife-pulling assembly includes a knife handle, one end of which is mounted on the upper surface of the knife holder via a second pin and a knife handle torsion spring, and the other end of which passes through a transverse opening on the knife holder and is connected to a knife handle lever.

[0017] A third pin is riveted to the middle of the handle. The movable scissors are provided with a long slot. The third pin passes through the long slot on the movable scissors. Turning the handle knob will cause the third pin to contact the straight edge of one side of the long slot and drive the movable scissors to slide along the long slot on the blade holder towards the fixed scissors side. Releasing the handle knob will cause the handle to return to its original position under the action of the handle torsion spring.

[0018] Furthermore, the third pin is fitted with a bushing, and the third pin passes through the bushing through a long slot on the movable shears, forming a sliding connection by rotating the bushing and engaging with the long slot.

[0019] Furthermore, one end of the torsion spring of the blade handle is fixed to the blade holder, and the other end passes through the blade handle and bends downward to form a lower curved end. The movable scissors are also provided with a clearance hole, and the lower curved end is inserted into the clearance hole and can move in the clearance hole as the blade handle moves.

[0020] Furthermore, the paper outlet photoelectric component includes a through-beam photoelectric sensor and a reflective photoelectric sensor for positioning the paper outlet label; and a cutter reset detection reflective photoelectric sensor for determining the position of the moving scissors.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes a cutter cover and a brush; the cutter cover is installed on the cutter holder and located above the fixed and movable cutters, the cutter cover has a paper outlet, the brush is installed on the cutter cover, and the brush head is close to the paper outlet side of the cutter cover to squeeze the cut label paper to prevent it from falling off.

[0022] This utility model also provides a thermal transfer label printer, including a main unit and the aforementioned manual cutter assembly, wherein the manual cutter assembly is detachably connected to the main unit.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] (1) The present invention adopts a fixed scissor in the shape of a straight line and a movable scissor in the shape of a V. The movable scissor is slidably mounted on the knife holder by means of a pin and a spring. When sliding, the two ends of the V-shaped movable scissor first contact the fixed scissor, and the middle contacts it later. The spring can keep the movable scissor in close line contact with the fixed scissor and can make the movable scissor swing adaptively relative to the fixed scissor, thereby ensuring complete and stable cutting of the label paper.

[0025] (2) The manual cutter assembly of this utility model integrates a paper output photoelectric component at the paper output outlet. The paper output photoelectric component adopts a spring pin contact mode with no wiring structure. It is connected to the host contact only through the spring pin, which reduces the drawbacks of traditional wiring and enables quick disassembly of the cutter assembly, making it easy to clean the printing roller, print head, and cutter blade residue.

[0026] (3) This utility model integrates an auxiliary paper feed roller at the bottom of the blade holder and in front of the print head, which can achieve fast auxiliary paper feeding; with the auxiliary roller torsion spring, the auxiliary paper feed roller and the active paper feed roller can maintain a suitable gap so that the paper can be fed smoothly.

[0027] (4) The cutter cover in this utility model can play a safety protection role, preventing the operator from being injured due to improper operation when using the cutter assembly; the brush can squeeze the cut label paper to prevent it from falling into the paper outlet, and the brush can also play a role in removing static electricity. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The above is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model, the following describes this utility model in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 , 2 These are exploded structural diagrams of the manual cutter assembly of a thermal transfer label printer according to one embodiment of this utility model.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the manual cutter assembly of a thermal transfer label printer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the manual cutter assembly of a thermal transfer label printer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the explosive structure of the tool holder riveting;

[0033] In the diagram: 1-Knife holder; 2-Fixed scissors; 3-Moving scissors; 4-Paper outlet; 5-First pin; 6-Compression spring; 7-Elongated hole; 8-Clamping ring; 9-Knife handle; 10-Second pin; 11-Knife handle torsion spring; 12-Knife handle knob; 13-Third pin; 14-Elongated slot; 15-Busset; 16-Allowing hole; 17-Paper outlet photoelectric component; 18-Auxiliary feed roller; 19-Auxiliary roller torsion spring; 20-Cylindrical protrusion; 21-Half-groove; 22-Cutter cover; 23-Brush. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0035] like Figure 1-4 As shown, this embodiment provides a manual cutter assembly for a thermal transfer label printer, including a cutter holder 1, a fixed scissors 2, a movable scissors 3, and a manual cutter assembly.

[0036] Fixed scissors 2 and movable scissors 3 have opposing cutting edges; fixed scissors 2 is straight and movable scissors 3 is V-shaped; fixed scissors 2 is inserted into a side hole on one side of the knife holder 1 and fixed on the knife holder 1, with fixed scissors 2 close to the paper outlet 4 on the knife holder 1; movable scissors 3 is slidably mounted on the knife holder 1 via a first pin 5 and a compression spring 6. Specifically, the knife holder 1 is provided with an elongated hole 7, and the first pin 5 passes through the elongated hole 7, movable scissors 3, and compression spring 6 from bottom to top, and is then fixed at the end. In this embodiment, the end is fixed by a retaining ring 8; the manual knife-pulling assembly is movably mounted on the knife holder 1 and connected to the movable scissors 3, which can drive the movable scissors 3 to slide along the elongated hole 7 on the knife holder 1 toward the fixed scissors 2. When sliding, the two ends of the V-shape of the movable scissors 3 first contact the fixed scissors 2, and then the middle part. The compression spring 6 can keep the movable scissors 3 in close contact with the fixed scissors 2 and allow the movable scissors 3 to swing adaptively relative to the fixed scissors 2. The V-shaped structure of the movable scissors 3 has upward-curving ends near the fixed scissors 2, allowing the movable scissors 3 to rest smoothly on the upper surface of the fixed scissors 2. When the label paper comes out of the paper outlet 4, it is positioned between the movable scissors 3 and the fixed scissors 2, and the relative movement between the movable scissors 3 and the fixed scissors 2 can completely and stably cut the label paper.

[0037] The manual knife-shifting assembly includes a handle 9. One end of the handle 9 is mounted on the upper surface of the knife holder 1 via a second pin 10 and a handle torsion spring 11. The other end of the handle 9 passes through a transverse opening on the knife holder 1 and is connected to a handle lever 12. A third pin 13 is riveted to the middle of the handle 9. The movable scissors 3 has an elongated slot 14. The third pin 13 passes through the elongated slot 14 on the movable scissors 3. Manually turning the handle lever 12 will cause the third pin 13 to contact one straight edge of the elongated slot 14 and drive the movable scissors 3 to slide along the elongated hole 7 on the knife holder 1 towards the fixed scissors 2 (that is, converting the rotation of the handle 9 into the linear motion of the movable scissors 3). The movable scissors 3 and the fixed scissors 2 move relative to each other. A bushing 15 is also sleeved on the outside of the third pin 13 (to cooperate with...). Figure 5 As shown, the third pin 13 passes through the elongated slot 14 on the movable shear 3 via the bushing 15, and the bushing 15 rotates to engage with the elongated slot 14 to form a sliding connection. The bushing 15 prevents the third pin 13 from directly rubbing against the elongated slot 14, and the rotation of the bushing 15 makes the movement of the handle 9 smoother.

[0038] Releasing the handle lever 12 will reset the handle 9 under the action of the handle torsion spring 11. One end of the handle torsion spring 11 is fixed to the blade holder 1, and the other end passes through the handle 9 and bends downward to form a downward curved end. The movable scissors 3 are also provided with a clearance hole 16. The downward curved end is inserted into the clearance hole 16 and can move within the clearance hole 16 as the handle 9 moves. Through this design, the position of the handle 9 can be lowered as much as possible.

[0039] The manual cutter assembly in this embodiment also includes a paper output photoelectric component 17. The paper output photoelectric component 17 is mounted on the cutter holder 1 near the paper output port 4. For example, the paper output photoelectric component 17 can be glued to the cutter holder 1 using adhesive on its back, with three positioning points reinforced with hot melt for added strength. In terms of electrical connection, the electrical connection end of the paper output photoelectric component 17 uses a spring-loaded pin design, allowing for a wire-free point contact connection with the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer. Existing thermal transfer label printers use traditional wiring connections, which prevents quick disassembly and makes it inconvenient to handle residual adhesive on the printing roller, printhead, and cutter blade. This embodiment's manual cutter assembly breaks away from traditional wiring, forming an independent unit that connects to the main unit contacts only via spring-loaded pins. This reduces the drawbacks of traditional wiring, enabling quick disassembly of the cutter assembly and facilitating cleaning of residual adhesive on the printing roller, printhead, and cutter blade.

[0040] The aforementioned paper output photoelectric component 17 includes a through-beam photoelectric sensor and a reflective photoelectric sensor for label positioning at the paper output outlet; and a cutter reset detection reflective photoelectric sensor for determining the position of the moving scissors. During the paper cutting process, the change in the photoelectric signal indicates that the moving scissors 3 is performing a cutting action. This signal is transmitted to the host of the thermal transfer label printer. At this time, the printer will report an error when operating commands such as printing and paper feeding to avoid paper blockage caused by the moving scissors 3 blocking the paper output outlet 4. After the hand is released, the blade handle 9 returns to its original position under the action of the blade handle torsion spring 11. At this time, the photoelectric signal returns to normal, and the printer can be operated normally.

[0041] The manual cutter assembly in this embodiment also includes an auxiliary feed roller 18, which is located at the bottom of the blade holder 1 corresponding to the position of the manual cutter assembly. The manual cutter assembly is located on the blade holder 1 and also provides installation space for the auxiliary feed roller 18, so that the auxiliary feed roller 18 can cooperate with the active feed roller (extra equipped) set on the host of the thermal transfer label printer, and the two form an auxiliary feed channel, so that the label paper first passes through the auxiliary feed channel and then enters the print head area of ​​the thermal transfer label printer, which can realize fast auxiliary paper feeding.

[0042] Preferably, an auxiliary roller torsion spring 19 is also provided at the bottom of the blade holder 1. The auxiliary roller torsion spring 19 is installed on the cylindrical protrusions 20 on the left and right sides of the blade holder 1 using its own circular inner ring. The auxiliary paper feed roller 18 is installed in the semi-groove 21 at the bottom of the blade holder 1. The semi-groove 21 is a downward-facing constricted opening (the opening part is bent inward). The auxiliary paper feed roller 18 can be finely adjusted up and down within the semi-groove 21. The auxiliary paper feed roller 18 always stays downward due to the elastic force of the auxiliary roller torsion spring 19 that cooperates with it. It cooperates with the active paper feed roller (extra equipped) provided on the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer. The two form an auxiliary paper feeding channel. Here, due to the provision of the auxiliary roller torsion spring 19, a suitable gap can be maintained between the auxiliary paper feed roller 18 and the active paper feed roller, so that the paper can be fed smoothly.

[0043] In addition, the manual cutter assembly in this embodiment also includes a cutter cover 22 and a brush 23. The cutter cover 22 is fixedly mounted on the cutter holder 1 with screws and is located above the fixed scissors 2 and the movable scissors 3. This structure serves as a safety protection, preventing operator injury due to improper operation when using the cutter assembly. A paper outlet is provided on the cutter cover 22. The brush 23 is attached to the cutter cover 22 using adhesive on its back. Two brushes can be spaced apart. The brush head of the brush 23 is pressed against the paper outlet side of the cutter cover 22 to hold the cut label paper in place and prevent it from falling off. The brush 23 also serves to remove static electricity.

[0044] The manual cutter assembly described above can be used as an independent component of a thermal transfer label printer. It can be detachably connected to the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer. While achieving complete and stable cutting of label paper, it also facilitates cleaning of residual adhesive on the printing roller, print head, and cutter blade, and can also provide rapid auxiliary paper feeding.

[0045] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes or alterations made by those skilled in the art using the above-disclosed technical content shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A manual cutter assembly for a thermal transfer label printer, characterized in that, Includes a blade holder, fixed blades, movable blades, manual blade release assembly, and paper output photoelectric assembly; The fixed and movable scissors have opposing cutting edges; the fixed scissors are straight and the movable scissors are V-shaped; the fixed scissors are fixed on the knife holder near the paper outlet; the movable scissors are slidably mounted on the knife holder via a first pin and a spring, wherein the knife holder has an elongated hole, and the first pin passes through the elongated hole, the movable scissors, and the spring from bottom to top, with its end fixed; the manual knife-pulling assembly is movably mounted on the knife holder and connected to the movable scissors, and can drive the movable scissors to slide along the elongated hole on the knife holder towards the fixed scissors. During sliding, the two ends of the V-shaped movable scissors first contact the fixed scissors, and then the middle part. The spring can keep the movable scissors in close contact with the fixed scissors and allow the movable scissors to swing adaptively relative to the fixed scissors. The paper output photoelectric component is mounted on the blade holder near the paper output outlet; the electrical connection terminal of the paper output photoelectric component adopts a spring-loaded pin form, which is used to form a wireless point contact connection with the contacts of the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer; the manual cutter assembly is an integrated quick-release assembly.

2. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an auxiliary paper feed roller, which is located at the bottom of the blade holder corresponding to the position of the manual blade assembly; the auxiliary paper feed roller is also used to cooperate with the active paper feed roller set on the main unit of the thermal transfer label printer, and the two form an auxiliary paper feed channel, so that the label paper first passes through the auxiliary paper feed channel and then enters the print head area of ​​the thermal transfer label printer.

3. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the tool holder is also provided with an auxiliary roller torsion spring, which is installed on the cylindrical protrusions on the left and right sides of the tool holder using its own circular inner ring. The auxiliary feed roller is installed in the half-groove at the bottom of the knife holder. The half-groove is a downward-facing, tapered type. The auxiliary feed roller can be finely adjusted up and down within the half-groove. The auxiliary feed roller is always positioned downwards by utilizing the elastic force of the auxiliary roller torsion spring that it is paired with.

4. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The V-shaped structure of the movable scissors has upward-curving ends near the fixed scissors, allowing the movable scissors to rest smoothly on the upper surface of the fixed scissors.

5. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The manual knife-pulling assembly includes a knife handle. One end of the knife handle is mounted on the upper surface of the knife holder via a second pin and a knife handle torsion spring. The other end of the knife handle passes through a transverse opening on the knife holder and is connected to a knife handle lever. A third pin is riveted to the middle of the handle. The movable scissors are provided with a long slot. The third pin passes through the long slot on the movable scissors. Turning the handle knob will cause the third pin to contact the straight edge of one side of the long slot and drive the movable scissors to slide along the long slot on the blade holder towards the fixed scissors side. Releasing the handle knob will cause the handle to return to its original position under the action of the handle torsion spring.

6. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third pin is fitted with a bushing, and the third pin passes through the bushing through a long slot on the movable shears. The bushing rotates and engages with the long slot to form a sliding connection.

7. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, One end of the torsion spring on the handle is fixed to the blade holder, and the other end passes through the handle and bends downward to form a lower curved end. The movable scissors are also provided with a clearance hole, and the lower curved end is inserted into the clearance hole and can move in the clearance hole as the handle moves.

8. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The paper outlet photoelectric component includes a through-beam photoelectric sensor and a reflective photoelectric sensor for positioning the paper outlet label; and a cutter reset detection reflective photoelectric sensor for determining the position of the moving scissors.

9. The manual cutter assembly of the thermal transfer label printer according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It also includes a cutter cover and a brush; the cutter cover is installed on the cutter holder and located above the fixed and movable cutters, the cutter cover has a paper outlet, and the brush is installed on the cutter cover with the brush head close to the paper outlet side of the cutter cover to squeeze the cut label paper to prevent it from falling off.

10. A thermal transfer label printer, comprising a main unit, characterized in that, It also includes the manual cutter assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the manual cutter assembly is detachably connected to the main unit.

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