Optical fiber light-guiding type thermal printer for detecting label gap

Abstract

This utility model provides a fiber optic thermal printer for detecting label gaps, including a base, a cover, a core, a rubber roller, and a thermal sheet. The core has a receiver installed in a mounting groove and a transmitter installed outside the groove. The cover has a U-shaped light guide groove containing a fiber optic cable. The rubber roller is located in the mounting groove and adjacent to the thermal sheet. The thermal sheet and rubber roller face each other, forming a paper path. The paper path passes through the mounting groove. The light outlet is located inside the mounting groove, and the light inlet is located outside. The transmitter faces the light inlet, and the light outlet faces the receiver. In this invention, the detection light first bypasses the paper in the paper path, and then passes through the paper only once to detect edges and gaps, significantly reducing light loss and improving detection stability and print quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of thermal printing equipment, and in particular to a thermal printer that uses fiber optic light guide to detect the gap between labels. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of thermal printers, they are used not only in bank ATMs, supermarket cash registers, and e-commerce shipping points, but also in the rapidly growing e-commerce and express delivery industries, which place higher demands on the stability, durability, and printing accuracy and speed of printers.

[0003] With the widespread use of label printing paper, more precise edge positioning of the label paper can greatly improve print quality and stability. Current edge detection or label gap detection primarily relies on a transmitter emitting detection light. After the detection light penetrates the backing paper for the first time, it enters through a refractor A on the cover, is refracted again, and exits through a refractor B. The detection light then passes through the backing paper again to return to the receiver. Therefore, this existing structure requires the detection light to pass through the backing paper twice to detect the label gap. This results in significant light attenuation, often leading to missed gaps and negatively impacting print stability. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal printer that utilizes fiber optic guidance for efficient and stable detection of label gaps.

[0005] To achieve the objective of this utility model, a fiber optic thermal printer for detecting label gaps is provided, comprising a base, a cover, a mechanism base, a rubber roller, and a thermal sheet. The cover is located above the base and is hinged to the base. The mechanism base is mounted on the base. The thermal sheet is mounted on the mechanism base, and the mechanism base has a mounting groove on one side of the thermal sheet. A receiver is mounted in the mounting groove, and a transmitter is mounted outside the mounting groove. A fixed bracket is provided on the cover, and the rubber roller is rotatably mounted on the fixed bracket. The upper part of the fixed bracket is equipped with a U-shaped light guide groove. The light guide groove has a light inlet and a light outlet at both ends. The light guide optical fiber is installed in the light guide groove. The light guide optical fiber has a light inlet end and a light outlet end at both ends. The light inlet end is located at the light inlet end, and the light outlet end is located at the light outlet end. The rubber roller is located in the mounting groove and is adjacent to the thermal sheet. The thermal sheet and the rubber roller are opposite each other and form a paper feeding channel. The paper feeding channel passes through the mounting groove. The light outlet is located inside the mounting groove, and the light inlet is located outside the mounting groove. The transmitter is opposite to the light inlet end, and the light outlet end is opposite to the receiver.

[0006] A further proposed solution is to provide an assembly bracket on the cover, the assembly bracket having a rubber roller groove, the rubber roller being rotatably mounted in the rubber roller groove, the assembly bracket being connected to the fixed bracket and covering the light guide groove, and the assembly bracket having a first light-transmitting hole in the mounting groove, the first light-transmitting hole being opposite to and connected to the light outlet.

[0007] A further proposed solution is that the mounting bracket has a first paper guide surface in the mounting slot, the mechanism base has a second paper guide surface in the mounting slot, the first paper guide surface and the second paper guide surface are opposite each other, the paper path passes between the first paper guide surface and the second paper guide surface, the first light-transmitting hole is located on the first paper guide surface, and the receiver is located on the second paper guide surface.

[0008] A further proposed solution is to have a second light-transmitting hole on the second paper guide surface, with the receiver placed inside the second light-transmitting hole.

[0009] A further solution is to install a baffle on the outside of the rubber roller groove of the mounting bracket, and the baffle is fitted into the outer part of the light guide groove with a gap fit.

[0010] A further proposed solution is to have mounting sidewalls on both sides of the axial direction of the rubber roller, with assembly grooves on the mounting sidewalls. The axial end of the rubber roller is installed in the assembly groove. A drive gear is provided on the outer side of one of the mounting sidewalls, and a driven gear is provided on the axial end of one of the sidewalls. The drive gear and the driven gear are connected, and the transmitter is located on the outer side of the mounting sidewall on the other side.

[0011] A further proposed solution is to have a circuit board at the bottom of the mechanism base, with an extension portion on the outside of the mounting slot. The transmitter is soldered onto the extension portion, and the receiver is connected to the circuit board.

[0012] As can be seen from the above scheme, the light inlet is set outside the mounting slot, while the light outlet is set inside the mounting slot. The detection light emitted by the transmitter can bypass the paper feeding channel and, after transmission through the optical fiber, will be output from the light outlet to the receiver. At this time, the detection light will pass through the label printing paper. Since the label printing paper is composed of a backing paper and a label paper bonded together, the light transmittance of the backing paper is higher than that of the label paper. Therefore, the receiver will detect the change in light when the label printing paper is feeding, and can then accurately measure the label gap and the edge position of the label paper. In addition, the detection light in this case is emitted from the base, which simplifies the wiring and bypasses the printing paper in the paper feeding channel. The detection light can then achieve edge and gap detection by passing through the printing paper only once, thereby greatly reducing light loss and improving detection stability and printing quality.

[0013] Furthermore, the assembly of the mounting bracket and the arrangement of the two paper guide surfaces not only facilitates the assembly of the rubber roller and optical fiber, but also improves paper feeding. The arrangement of the light-transmitting holes and inlet / outlet points protects the optical fiber, transmitter, and receiver. The use of baffles stabilizes the position of the optical fiber to ensure optical coupling efficiency. Moreover, the direct soldering of the transmitter and receiver to the circuit board improves assembly portability. The arrangement of gears at both ends of the transmitter further optimizes the structural layout, resulting in higher equipment integration. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model in the open state.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model from another perspective when it is in the open state.

[0017] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the cover of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the cover of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the base of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the transmitter of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the receiver of an embodiment of the thermal printer of this utility model.

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Reference Figures 1 to 8 The thermal printer includes a base 1, a cover 2, a mechanism base 3, a circuit board 34, a rubber roller 24, and a thermal sheet 33. The cover 2 is located above the base 1 and is hinged to the base 1. The mechanism base 3 is set on the base 1. The base 1 is provided with a paper tray 11, and the cover 2 covers the paper tray 11.

[0024] A thermal sheet 33 is mounted on a core holder 3. The core holder 3 has a mounting groove 31 on one side of the thermal sheet 33. Mounting sidewalls 32 are provided on both axial sides of the mounting groove 31, each with an assembly groove 321. Hooks are provided on the inner sides of the mounting sidewalls 32 to engage the ends of the rubber roller 24. A drive gear 35 is provided on the outer side of one of the mounting sidewalls 32. A second paper guide surface 311 with a second light-transmitting hole 312 is provided within the mounting groove 31 of the core holder 3. A receiver 41 is also provided within the mounting groove 31 of the core holder 3, and the receiver 41 is positioned within the second light-transmitting hole 312.

[0025] The bottom of the mechanism base 3 is provided with a circuit board 34. The circuit board 34 has an extension 341 on the outside of the mounting groove 31. The transmitter 42 is soldered on the extension 341, and the receiver 41 is soldered to the circuit board 34. Of course, the transmitter 42 and the receiver 41 can also be connected to the circuit board 34 through jumpers. The transmitter 42 is located outside the mounting groove 31.

[0026] A fixed bracket 211 is provided on the cover 2. The rubber roller 24 is rotatably mounted on the fixed bracket 211. A U-shaped light guide groove 212 is provided on the fixed bracket 211. The light guide groove 212 has a light inlet 213 and a light outlet 214 at both ends. A light guide fiber 22 is provided inside the light guide groove 212. The light guide fiber 22 has a light inlet end 221 and a light outlet end 222 at both ends. The light inlet end 221 is located at the light inlet 213, and the light outlet end 222 is located at the light outlet 214.

[0027] The cover 2 is also provided with an assembly bracket 23, which has a roller groove. The roller 24 is rotatably disposed in the roller groove. The assembly bracket 23 is connected to the fixed bracket 211 and covers the light guide groove 212. The assembly bracket 23 has a first light-transmitting hole 242 in the mounting groove 31. The first light-transmitting hole 242 is opposite to and communicates with the light outlet 214. The fixed bracket 211 has an extension post 25 on the outer side of the light guide groove 212, and part of the light guide groove 212 is located on the extension post 25. The assembly bracket 23 has a stop strip 25 on the outer side of the roller groove. The stop strip 25 is fitted into the outer side of the light guide groove 212 with a clearance fit and is connected to the extension post 25.

[0028] The base 1 has positioning grooves 12 at the axial ends of the paper tray 11 based on the rubber roller 24. The lower end of the positioning groove 12 has a through hole 121. The emitter 42 is located in the through hole 121. When the cover 2 is closed, the extension post 25 and the stop bar 25 are located in the positioning groove 12.

[0029] The mounting bracket 23 has a first paper guide surface 244 in the mounting groove 31, which is opposite to the second paper guide surface 311. The first light-transmitting hole 242 is located on the first paper guide surface 244, and the receiver 41 is located on the second paper guide surface 311. The axial end of the rubber roller 24 is installed in the mounting groove 321, and a driven gear 241 is provided on one side of the axial end. The drive gear 35 is connected to the driven gear 241, and the transmitter 42 is located on the outside of the mounting side wall 32 on the other side.

[0030] The rubber roller 24 is located in the mounting groove 31 and adjacent to the thermal sheet 33. The thermal sheet 33 and the rubber roller 24 are opposite to each other and form a paper feeding channel 10. The paper feeding channel 10 passes through the mounting groove 31 and passes between the first paper guide surface 244 and the second paper guide surface 311. The light outlet 214 is located in the mounting groove 31, and the light inlet 213 is located outside the mounting groove 31. The emitter 42 is opposite to the light inlet end 221, and the light outlet 222 is opposite to the receiver 41.

[0031] During printing, the printing paper is fed from the paper tray through the paper feed channel to the position between the rubber roller and the thermal sheet. Then, thermal imaging is achieved on the printing paper through the thermal sheet. Since the light inlet 213 is located outside the mounting slot and the light outlet 214 is located inside the mounting slot 31, the detection light emitted by the transmitter 42 can bypass the paper feed channel 10. After being transmitted through the optical fiber 22, it will be output from the light outlet 214 to the receiver 41. At this time, the detection light will pass through the label printing paper. Since the label printing paper is composed of a backing paper and a label paper bonded together, the light transmittance of the backing paper is higher than that of the label paper. Therefore, the receiver will detect the change in light when the label printing paper is fed, and can then accurately measure the label gap and the edge position of the label paper. The detection light bypasses the printing paper in the paper feed channel 10. When the detection light returns, it only passes through the printing paper once to achieve edge and gap detection, thereby greatly reducing light loss and improving detection stability and printing quality.

Claims

1. A fiber optic thermal printer for detecting label gaps, comprising a base, a cover, a mechanism base, a rubber roller, and a thermal sheet, wherein the cover is located above the base and is hinged to the base, and the mechanism base is disposed on the base; Its features are: The thermal element is disposed on the core base, the core base has a mounting groove on one side of the thermal element, a receiver is disposed in the mounting groove, and a transmitter is disposed outside the mounting groove. A fixed bracket is provided on the cover, and the rubber roller is rotatably mounted on the fixed bracket. A U-shaped light guide groove is provided on the fixed bracket. A light inlet and a light outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the light guide groove. A light guide fiber is provided inside the light guide groove. A light inlet end and a light outlet end are respectively provided at both ends of the light guide fiber. The light inlet end is located at the light inlet end, and the light outlet end is located at the light outlet end. The rubber roller is located in the mounting groove and adjacent to the thermal sheet. The thermal sheet and the rubber roller are opposite to each other and form a paper feeding channel. The paper feeding channel passes through the mounting groove. The light outlet is located in the mounting groove, and the light inlet is located outside the mounting groove. The transmitter is opposite to the light inlet, and the light outlet is opposite to the receiver.

2. The thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover is provided with an assembly bracket, the assembly bracket is provided with a rubber roller groove, the rubber roller is rotatably disposed in the rubber roller groove, the assembly bracket is connected to the fixed bracket and covers the light guide groove, the assembly bracket is provided with a first light-transmitting hole in the mounting groove, the first light-transmitting hole is opposite to and communicates with the light outlet.

3. The thermal printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The assembly bracket is provided with a first paper guide surface in the mounting groove, and the mechanism seat is provided with a second paper guide surface in the mounting groove. The first paper guide surface and the second paper guide surface are opposite to each other. The paper feeding channel passes between the first paper guide surface and the second paper guide surface. The first light-transmitting hole is located on the first paper guide surface, and the receiver is located on the second paper guide surface.

4. The thermal printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second paper guide surface is provided with a second light-transmitting hole, and the receiver is disposed in the second light-transmitting hole.

5. The thermal printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting bracket has a baffle bar on the outside of the rubber roller groove, and the baffle bar is fitted into the outer part of the light guide groove with a clearance fit.

6. The thermal printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting groove has mounting sidewalls on both sides of the axial direction of the rubber roller. The mounting sidewalls have assembly grooves. The axial end of the rubber roller is installed in the assembly groove. A drive gear is provided on the outer side of one side of the mounting sidewall. A driven gear is provided on the axial end of one side. The drive gear is connected to the driven gear. The transmitter is located on the outer side of the mounting sidewall on the other side.

7. The thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A circuit board is provided at the bottom of the mechanism base. The circuit board has an extension portion on the outside of the mounting groove. The transmitter is soldered onto the extension portion, and the receiver is connected to the circuit board.

8. The thermal printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The receiver is soldered to the circuit board.

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