Printhead moving mechanism and thermal transfer printing coding machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of print head moving mechanism and hot transfer printing coding machine.The print head moving mechanism includes support piece, driving part, transmission assembly and moving plate;Driving part is located on the side of support piece;The input end of transmission assembly is drivenly connected with the driving end of driving part;The side of moving plate is located on the output end of transmission assembly, the other side of moving plate is slidably arranged on the other side of support piece along height direction and is connected with print head by connecting piece, to drive print head to do up-down reciprocating motion under the driving of driving part.The utility model improves the moving mechanism for controlling print head down pressure and lifting action, realizes the accurate control to print head up-down position, can satisfy the print head down pressure height adjustment demand of greater stroke, improves the convenience of carbon ribbon replacement, reduces the cooperation gap of the component of moving mechanism due to processing and causes the shaking generated in print head printing process, guarantees the stability and definition of printing pattern.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of thermal transfer coding machine technology, and in particular to a printhead moving mechanism and a thermal transfer coding machine. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, thermal printers on the market use electromagnets and return springs to control the downward and upward movements of the print head during printing. While this method is simple in structure, in practical applications, especially during printing, the upward stroke of the print head is not large, resulting in a small downward adjustment distance for the print head. This limits the print quality and application scenarios. Furthermore, when changing the ribbon, the print head must first be moved out of the printing area, and then the entire printing assembly must be raised from this position to create space beneath the print head for ribbon replacement. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of this utility model is to provide a printhead moving mechanism and a thermal transfer coding machine, which aims to expand the movement stroke of the printhead to meet the printing needs of more application scenarios and improve the convenience of replacing the ribbon.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a printhead moving mechanism, comprising: Support components; A driving component is disposed on one side of the support component; A transmission assembly, the input end of which is drivenly connected to the drive end of the driving element; and A movable plate is provided on one side of the output end of the transmission assembly, and the other side of the movable plate is slidably provided on the other side of the support member along the height direction of the thermal transfer coding machine and connected to the print head through a connector, so as to drive the print head to reciprocate up and down under the drive of the drive member.

[0005] Optionally, the movable plate includes a connecting arm, a sliding arm, and a supporting arm connected in sequence; the transmission assembly is a lead screw nut, the lead screw of the lead screw nut is connected to the driving component, and the connecting arm is fixed to the nut of the lead screw nut; the sliding arm is slidably disposed on the support component, the supporting arm is used to support an electromagnet for controlling the rotation of the print head, the supporting arm is provided with a through hole for installing a spring, one end of the spring directly or indirectly abuts against the electromagnet, the other end of the spring directly or indirectly abuts against the print head, and two oppositely disposed side plates are provided at the connection between the sliding arm and the supporting arm, the two side plates are rotatably connected to one end of the print head and connected to the other end of the print head through the two connecting components.

[0006] Optionally, the support member has two opposing first spring pins on the side opposite to the drive member, and the support arm has first hooks corresponding to the two first spring pins. A first return spring is hung between each of the first spring pins and the first hooks.

[0007] Optionally, the printhead moving mechanism further includes a cover, which is mounted on the support arm and covers the electromagnet. The cover has two opposing second spring pins, and each of the two connecting members has a second hook corresponding to the position of the second spring pin. A second return spring is hung between the second spring pin and the second hook.

[0008] Optionally, the bottom of the support member is provided with a clearance channel to allow the connecting arm to reciprocate up and down.

[0009] Optionally, the support member is provided with a sliding guide rail extending along the height direction, and the sliding arm is provided with a groove adapted to slidably connect with the sliding guide rail; or The support member is provided with a sliding groove extending along the height direction, and the sliding arm is provided with a sliding guide rail adapted to slide and connect with the sliding groove.

[0010] Optionally, the printhead moving mechanism further includes a detection plate and a sensor. The detection plate is fixed on the sliding arm, and the sensor is located above the printhead and is used to cooperate with the detection plate to detect whether the printhead is in the initial position.

[0011] Optionally, the driving component is a linear motor, a pneumatic cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model also proposes a thermal transfer coding machine, including the printhead moving mechanism as described above and a printhead mounted on the printhead moving mechanism; the printhead moving mechanism includes: Support components; A driving component is disposed on one side of the support component; A transmission assembly, the input end of which is drivenly connected to the drive end of the driving element; and A movable plate is provided on one side of the output end of the transmission assembly, and the other side of the movable plate is slidably provided on the other side of the support member along the height direction of the thermal transfer coding machine and connected to the print head through a connector, so as to drive the print head to reciprocate up and down under the drive of the drive member.

[0013] Optionally, the thermal transfer coding machine further includes a mounting base, on which a transverse guide rail extends along the length or width direction of the thermal transfer coding machine, and the print head moving mechanism is slidably disposed on the transverse guide rail.

[0014] In the technical solution of this utility model, the printhead moving mechanism includes a support member, a driving member, a transmission assembly, and a moving plate. The driving member is located on one side of the support member. The input end of the transmission assembly is driven and connected to the driving end of the driving member. One side of the moving plate is located on the output end of the transmission assembly, and the other side of the moving plate is slidably located on the other side of the support member along the height direction of the thermal transfer coding machine and connected to the printhead through a connector, so as to drive the printhead to perform up-and-down reciprocating motion under the drive of the driving member. It can be understood that this utility model improves the moving mechanism used to control the pressing and lifting actions of the printhead. By setting the driving member to drive the transmission assembly to move, the moving plate moves up and down, so that the printhead mounted on the moving plate performs up-and-down reciprocating motion, thereby realizing precise control of the up-and-down position of the printhead, expanding the movement stroke of the printhead, and meeting the needs of adjusting the pressing height of the printhead with a larger stroke. Furthermore, when it is necessary to replace the ribbon, it is not necessary to move the printhead out of the printing range for replacement, which effectively improves the convenience of ribbon replacement.

[0015] Furthermore, this utility model incorporates an elastic reset structure that connects the movable plate and the support component. Essentially, it connects the nut and the lead screw via a reset spring. Therefore, when the reset spring is in a stretched state, the lead screw and the nut are pressed against each other under the spring's tension, reducing the clearance between the nut and the lead screw caused by processing. This, to a certain extent, improves the shaking caused by this clearance during printing, ensuring the stability and clarity of the printed pattern. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the printhead moving mechanism of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the printhead moving mechanism of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the moving plate in one embodiment of the printhead moving mechanism of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a front view of an embodiment of the printhead moving mechanism of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the printhead moving mechanism of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the printhead moving mechanism and the mounting base in one embodiment of the thermal transfer coding machine of this utility model.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 10. Support component; 20. Drive component; 30. Transmission assembly; 40. Moving plate; 21. Drive component bracket; 31. Lead screw; 32. Nut; 41. Connecting arm; 42. Sliding arm; 43. Supporting arm; 44. Side plate; 51. Connector; 52. Electromagnet; 53. Spring; 54. First return spring; 101. First spring pin; 431. First hook ear; 55. Cover component; 56. Second return spring; 102a. Clearance channel; 103. Sliding guide rail; 42a. Slide groove; 57. Detection plate; 58. Sensor; 59. Outer side plate; 100. Print head moving mechanism; 200. Print head; 300. Mounting base; 301. Horizontal guide rail.

[0019] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0021] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0023] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. If the word "and / or" appears throughout the text, it means including three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. The technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0024] This utility model proposes a printhead moving mechanism for driving the printhead to perform up-and-down reciprocating motion, which can be applied to thermal transfer coding machines, etc., and is not limited to this.

[0025] Reference Figures 1 to 6 In one embodiment of this utility model, the printhead moving mechanism 100 includes a support member 10, a driving member 20, a transmission assembly 30, and a moving plate 40; the driving member 20 is disposed on one side of the support member 10; the input end of the transmission assembly 30 is drivenly connected to the driving end of the driving member 20; one side of the moving plate 40 is disposed on the output end of the transmission assembly 30, and the other side of the moving plate 40 is slidably disposed on the other side of the support member 10 along the height direction of the thermal transfer coding machine and connected to the printhead 200 through a connector 51, so as to drive the printhead 200 to perform up-and-down reciprocating motion under the drive of the driving member 20.

[0026] In this embodiment, the support member 10 can be a plate-like structure or a mounting bracket structure assembled from multiple components; there is no limitation here.

[0027] In this embodiment, the drive component 20 can be a linear motor, a pneumatic cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder, etc., preferably a linear motor, but this is not limited here. The drive component 20 can be mounted on the support component 10 via the drive component bracket 21.

[0028] In this embodiment, the transmission component 30 can preferably be a lead screw and nut or other transmission structure, the lead screw 31 is connected to the linear motor, and one end of the moving plate 40 is fixed to the nut 32.

[0029] It is understood that this utility model improves the moving mechanism used to control the pressing and lifting actions of the print head 200. By setting the driving component 20 to drive the transmission component 30 to move, the moving plate 40 moves up and down, causing the print head 200 mounted on the moving plate 40 to reciprocate up and down. This achieves precise control of the up and down position of the print head 200, expands the movement stroke of the print head 200, and can meet the needs of adjusting the pressing height of the print head 200 with a larger stroke. Furthermore, when it is necessary to replace the ribbon, there is no need to move the print head 200 out of the printing range for the replacement operation, which effectively improves the convenience of ribbon replacement.

[0030] It should be noted that when replacing the ribbon, the drive unit 20 can be controlled first (linear motor rotating forward or reverse) to rotate the lead screw 31 and drive the nut 32 to move upward, thereby causing the moving plate 40 to move upward and slide upward relative to the support 10, moving the print head 200 to the appropriate position, and then the ribbon can be replaced. The entire replacement process is simple and efficient, without the need to move the print head 200 out of the printing range before replacing the ribbon.

[0031] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the movable plate 40 may include a connecting arm 41, a sliding arm 42, and a supporting arm 43 connected in sequence; the connecting arm 41 can be fixed to the nut 32 of the transmission assembly 30 by screws or other fasteners; the sliding arm 42 is slidably disposed on the support member 10; the supporting arm 43 is used to support the electromagnet 52 used to control the rotation of the print head 200; the supporting arm 43 is provided with a through hole for installing a spring 53; one end of the spring 53 directly or indirectly abuts against the electromagnet 52; the other end of the spring 53 directly or indirectly abuts against the print head 200; two oppositely disposed side plates 44 are provided at the connection between the sliding arm 42 and the supporting arm 43; the two side plates 44 are rotatably connected to one end of the print head 200 and connected to the other end of the print head 200 through two connecting members 51.

[0032] In this embodiment, the movable plate 40 serves multiple purposes. It not only mounts the printhead 200 but also drives the printhead 200 in a reciprocating motion. Furthermore, the movable plate 40 also functions as a support for the electromagnet 52 and forms a receiving hole for the accommodating spring 53. Therefore, by employing the aforementioned movable plate 40 structure, the structural compactness of the printhead moving mechanism 100 is significantly improved, and manufacturing costs are reduced.

[0033] To further improve the structural compactness of the printhead moving mechanism 100 and enable the moving plate 40 to move vertically within a target range, such as... Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the bottom of the support member 10 is provided with a clearance channel 102a for allowing the connecting arm 41 to move up and down reciprocally.

[0034] In this embodiment, to further improve the stability of the vertical movement of the moving plate 40, refer to Figures 1 to 3 The support member 10 is provided with a sliding guide rail 103 extending in the height direction, and the sliding arm 42 is provided with a groove 42a that is slidably connected and adapted to the sliding guide rail 103.

[0035] Of course, in other embodiments, a groove extending along the height direction may be provided on the support member 10, and a sliding guide rail adapted to slide and connect with the groove may be provided on the sliding arm 42.

[0036] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the support member 10 has two opposing first spring pins 101 on the side opposite to the drive member 20, and the support arm 43 has first hook ears 431 corresponding to the two first spring pins 101. A first return spring 54 is hung between the first spring pins 101 and the first hook ears 431.

[0037] Due to inherent machining errors in the parts, the threaded fit between the nut 32 and the lead screw 31 always has an axial clearance, which can easily cause slight wobbling errors during operation. To address this, this invention uses a first return spring 54 as an elastic reset structure connecting the moving plate 40 and the support member 10. Essentially, this first return spring 54 connects the nut 32 and the lead screw 31. Therefore, when the first return spring 54 is in a stretched state, the lead screw 31 and the nut 32 are pressed together under the tension of the spring 53, reducing the clearance caused by machining. This improves the wobbling caused by this clearance during printing to a certain extent, ensuring the stability and clarity of the printed pattern.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main reference is... Figure 4 The printhead moving mechanism 100 may further include a cover 55, which is mounted on the support arm 43 and covers the electromagnet 52. The cover 55 is provided with two opposing second spring pins, and each of the two connecting members 51 is provided with a second hook at the position corresponding to the second spring pin. A second return spring 56 is hung between the second spring pin and the second hook. In this way, the electromagnet 52 can be restored to its original state after the electromagnet 52 is de-energized, thereby resetting the connecting members 51 and the connected printhead 200.

[0039] In one embodiment, primarily referring to Figure 5 The printhead moving mechanism 100 may further include a detection plate 57 and a sensor 58. The detection plate 57 is fixed on the sliding arm 42, and the sensor 58 is located on the outer side plate 59 above the printhead 200. The sensor 58 is used in conjunction with the detection plate 57 to detect whether the printhead 200 is in its initial position. This helps to further improve the accuracy of the up-and-down movement control of the printhead 200 and avoids component collisions.

[0040] This utility model also proposes a thermal transfer coding machine, which includes a printhead moving mechanism 100 and a printhead 200 mounted on the printhead moving mechanism 100. The specific structure of the printhead moving mechanism 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the thermal transfer coding machine proposed in this utility model includes all the solutions of all embodiments of the above-described printhead moving mechanism 100, it has at least the same technical effects as the above-described printhead moving mechanism 100, which will not be described in detail here.

[0041] In one embodiment of this utility model, reference is made to Figure 6 The thermal transfer coding machine may also include a mounting base 300, on which a transverse guide rail 301 extending along the length or width of the thermal transfer coding machine is provided, and the print head moving mechanism 100 is slidably disposed on the transverse guide rail 301.

[0042] Please combine Figures 1 to 6 The specific working process of this thermal transfer coding machine is as follows: Before printing begins, the detection plate 57 is within the detection range of the sensor 58, meaning the print head 200 is in its initial inactive position. At this time, the control drive 20 operates (forward or reverse rotation), causing the lead screw 31 to rotate. The moving plate 40 and other components on it slide downwards relative to the support 10 along the lead screw 31 via the nut 32 until the print head 200 reaches the initial printing height. At this point, the control drive 20 stops operating, and the detection plate 57 is outside the detection range of the sensor 58.

[0043] During the printing process, the print head moving mechanism 100 and the print head 200 (i.e., thermal head assembly) on it move laterally and reciprocally on the horizontal guide rail 301 of the mounting base 300. At this time, the drive component 20 is not working, and the lead screw 31 is locked and cannot rotate. That is, the moving plate 40 is always at a fixed height in the vertical direction to ensure the consistency of the height position of the print head 200 during the printing process.

[0044] After printing is completed, the control drive 20 rotates in the reverse direction and drives the lead screw 31 to rotate in the reverse direction, so that the moving plate 40 and all its components move upward relative to the support 10 until the detection plate 57 returns to the detection range of the sensor 58. At this time, the control drive 20 stops working and the print head 200 returns to the initial non-working position.

[0045] The above description is only an optional embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A printhead moving mechanism, characterized in that, include: Support components; A driving component is disposed on one side of the support component; A transmission assembly, the input end of which is drivenly connected to the drive end of the driving component; as well as A movable plate is provided on one side of the output end of the transmission assembly, and the other side of the movable plate is slidably provided on the other side of the support member along the height direction of the thermal transfer coding machine and connected to the print head through a connector, so as to drive the print head to reciprocate up and down under the drive of the drive member.

2. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The movable plate includes a connecting arm, a sliding arm, and a supporting arm connected in sequence; the transmission assembly is a lead screw nut, the lead screw of which is connected to the driving component, and the connecting arm is fixed to the nut of the lead screw nut; the sliding arm is slidably disposed on the support component, and the supporting arm is used to support an electromagnet for controlling the rotation of the print head. The supporting arm has a through hole for installing a spring, one end of which directly or indirectly abuts against the electromagnet, and the other end of which directly or indirectly abuts against the print head. Two opposing side plates are provided at the connection between the sliding arm and the supporting arm, and the two side plates are rotatably connected to one end of the print head and connected to the other end of the print head through the two connecting components.

3. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The support member has two opposing first spring pins on the side opposite to the drive member. The support arm has first hooks that correspond one-to-one with the two first spring pins. A first return spring is hung between each of the first spring pins and the first hooks.

4. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The printhead moving mechanism also includes a cover, which is installed on the support arm and covers the electromagnet. The cover has two opposing second spring pins, and each of the two connecting members has a second hook corresponding to the position of the second spring pin. A second return spring is hung between the second spring pin and the second hook.

5. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the support member is provided with a clearance channel to allow the connecting arm to move up and down.

6. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The support member is provided with a sliding guide rail extending along the height direction, and the sliding arm is provided with a groove adapted to slidably connect with the sliding guide rail; or The support member is provided with a sliding groove extending along the height direction, and the sliding arm is provided with a sliding guide rail adapted to slide and connect with the sliding groove.

7. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The printhead moving mechanism also includes a detection plate and a sensor. The detection plate is fixed on the sliding arm, and the sensor is located above the printhead and is used to cooperate with the detection plate to detect whether the printhead is in the initial position.

8. The printhead moving mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving component is a linear motor, a pneumatic cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder.

9. A thermal transfer coding machine, characterized in that, It includes the printhead moving mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-8 and the printhead mounted on the printhead moving mechanism.

10. The thermal transfer coding machine as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The thermal transfer coding machine also includes a mounting base, on which a transverse guide rail extends along the length or width of the thermal transfer coding machine, and the print head moving mechanism is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail.

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