Label printer

Abstract

Label printer comprising a main body section and a cover assembly arranged open or closed at an upper end of the main body section, wherein the cover assembly is provided with a cover housing, a cover base plate and a cutting mechanism, the cutting mechanism being mounted on the cover base plate, characterized in that that the cover housing comprises a first cover body and a second cover body which covers the cutting mechanism, wherein the second cover body is movably arranged relative to the first cover body, wherein when the second cover body is pressed downwards it can push the cutting mechanism to perform a cutting operation; and that a limiting mechanism is arranged between the first cover body and the second cover body to limit a starting position of the second cover body; and that the cutting mechanism is provided with a first elastic return element and a cutting knife assembly, wherein the first elastic return element can cause the cutting knife assembly to return to its starting position during a non-cutting operation, and wherein, when returned to its starting position, the cutting knife assembly pushes the second cover body to move into its starting position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202323178896.6 entitled “Label Printer,” filed on November 24, 2023, the entire contents of which, together with amendments, are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of printers, and in particular to a label printer. STATE OF THE ART

[0003] The label printer has the advantages of being small, easy to carry, and easy to operate, and is widely used in daily life and industrial production. Typical label printers consist of a main body section and a cover assembly that can be opened and closed. The main body section includes an outer casing, a paper tray arranged within the outer casing, and a paper feed mechanism. The cover assembly includes a print head and a cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism can be used to cut the label paper after printing.

[0004] Generally, the label printer uses a press-cutting mechanism, and the user can use the cutter of the cutting mechanism to cut the label by sliding it toward the label paper. In the prior art, a pressing element independent of the cover case is usually provided on the cover assembly to actuate the cutting mechanism. This is not only structurally complex, making assembly difficult, but due to the small size of the label printer itself, the printing area of ​​this pressing element is also relatively small, which is not conducive to the user's printing operation. CONTENTS OF THE PRESENT UTILITY MODEL

[0005] The main purpose of the present utility model is to provide a label printer that simplifies its structure and facilitates a cutting operation.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main purpose, the utility model discloses a label printer comprising a main body portion and a cover assembly arranged openly or closed at an upper end of the main body portion, wherein the cover assembly is provided with a cover housing, a cover base plate and a cutting mechanism, wherein the cutting mechanism is mounted on the cover base plate, and wherein the cover housing comprises a first cover body and a second cover body covering the cutting mechanism, wherein the second cover body is arranged to be movable relative to the first cover body, wherein when the second cover body is pressed downward, it can push the cutting mechanism to perform a cutting operation; and wherein a limiting mechanism is arranged between the first cover body and the second cover body to limit an initial position of the second cover body; and wherein the cutting mechanism is provided with a first elastic return element and a cutting blade assembly, wherein the first elastic return element is operable to return the cutting blade assembly during a non-cutting operation, and wherein the cutting blade assembly, when returned, pushes the second cover body to move to the initial position.

[0007] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the limiting mechanism comprises a limiting slot and a limiting projection movably disposed within the limiting slot, one of the limiting slot and the limiting projection being disposed on the first cover body and the other of the limiting slot and the limiting projection being disposed on the second cover body.

[0008] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the second cover body is rotatably or slidably connected relative to the first cover body.

[0009] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the upper side of the second cover body and the upper side of the first cover body are flush with each other in the initial position, or the upper side of the second cover body is arranged inclined relative to the upper side of the first cover body.

[0010] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the second cover body is provided with a connecting end rotatably connected to the first cover body and a printing end relative to the connecting end; and in the home position, the top surface of the second cover body is inclined so that the printing end is higher than the connecting end to facilitate printing and improve usability.

[0011] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the second cover body is provided with a connecting end rotatably connected to the first cover body and a pressing end relative to the connecting end, wherein the pressing end is provided with a first side wall and the first cover body is provided with a second side wall facing the first side wall, wherein the first side wall abuts against the second side wall to form the limiting mechanism when the second cover body is in the home position.

[0012] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the cover assembly is provided with a snap-in element, wherein the main body portion is provided with a second elastic return element and a movable snap-in element, wherein the movable snap-in element is movable between a locking position in which it forms a snap connection with the snap-in element and an unlocking position in which it is separated from the snap-in element, wherein the second elastic return element is used to hold the movable snap-in element in the locking position.

[0013] Further, the movable latch member is provided with an unlocking portion exposed on the side of the main body portion; and when the unlocking portion is pressed, the movable latch member can overcome the elastic force of the second elastic return member and move to the unlocking position.

[0014] According to a detailed embodiment of the present utility model, the cutting blade assembly comprises a movable seat and a cutting blade mounted on the movable seat, the movable seat being mounted movably up and down on the cover base plate and abutting against the second cover body, the first elastic return element being arranged between the cutting blade assembly and the cover base plate.

[0015] Further, the second cover body is provided with a positioning projection on an inner surface, the movable seat is provided with a positioning recess at an upper end, wherein the positioning projection is arranged within the positioning recess to define a relative position of the movable seat and the second cover body, so that the movable seat can stably receive a pressing force transmitted from the second cover body.

[0016] Furthermore, the cutting blade assembly further comprises a paper pressing member connected to the first elastic return member, the paper pressing member being movably connected to the movable seat; a third elastic return member being arranged between the paper pressing member and the movable seat, the third elastic return member being capable of allowing the lower end of the paper pressing member to protrude from the cutting blade.

[0017] The technical solution of the present utility model has the following advantageous effects: In the present utility model, the second cover body is used as part of the cover case to press the cutting mechanism to perform the label cutting, without the need to separately install a dynamic pressure element outside the cover case as in the prior art, which contributes to simplifying the structure and assembly process of the label printer; furthermore, the second cover body covers the cutting mechanism to form a larger printing area, which is convenient for the user to perform the cutting operation.

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present utility model, the attached drawings and specific embodiments of the present utility model are summarized below for further detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of a label printer in one embodiment; Fig. 2 is a structural diagram of the main body portion of a label printer in one embodiment; Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of the main body portion of the label printer in the embodiment after removing the paper guide plate; Fig. 4 is a structural diagram of the movable snap-in member and the second elastic return member in the embodiment; Fig. 5 is a structural diagram of the cover assembly in the embodiment; Fig. 6 is a side view of the cover assembly in the embodiment; Fig. 7a is an exploded structural view of the cover assembly in the embodiment; Fig. 7b is a structural exploded view of another view of Fig. 7a; Fig. 8 is a structural view of a second cover body in the embodiment; Fig. 9 is a structural view of the assembly of the cutting mechanism in the embodiment; Fig. 10 is a structural diagram of the cutting mechanism in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in connection with the embodiments to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the following embodiments and detailed description are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0020] As in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the label printer of this embodiment includes a cover assembly 1 and a main body portion 2, with the cover assembly 1 being openable and closable at an upper end of the main body portion 2. The cover assembly 1 is provided with a cover case 11, a cover base plate 12, and a print head 13. The main body portion 2 is provided with an outer case 21, a label paper container 22, a paper feed roller 23, and a paper guide plate 24. A paper travel passage is formed between the paper guide plate 24 and the cover base plate 12, and both ends of the paper travel passage are connected to the label outlet 3 and the label paper container 22, respectively. During printing, the label paper in the label paper container 22 can be fed toward the label outlet 3 by the paper feed roller 23 and printed by the print head 13 during feeding.

[0021] The cover assembly 1 can form a rotatable connection with the main body portion 2 and is capable of pivoting between an open position and a closed position. In particular, the main body portion 2 is provided with a pivot hole 211 (see Fig. 2), and one end of the cover assembly 1 is provided with a pivot axis 17 (see Fig. 5), and the pivot axis 17 forms a rotational fit with the pivot hole 211 to allow the cover assembly 1 to form a rotatable connection with the main body portion 2. It goes without saying that the positions of the pivot hole 211 and the pivot axis 17 can be interchangeable.

[0022] As in Fig. 3, the main body portion 2 is provided with a second elastic return element 26, e.g. a spring, and a movable snap-in element 25; and as shown in the Fig. 5 and Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the cover assembly 1 is provided with one or more (e.g., the two illustrated) snap-in elements 16. The movable snap-in element 25 is movable between a locking position, in which it forms a snap connection with the snap-in element 16, and an unlocking position, in which it is separated from the snap-in element 16, and the second elastic return element 26 is used to hold the movable snap-in element 25 in the locking position.

[0023] In detail, the snap-in element 16 is provided with a first snap-in projection 161 having a first guide bevel 1611. The movable snap-in element 25 is provided with a second snap-in projection 251 having a second guide bevel 2511. When closing the cover assembly 1, the snap-in element 16 is pushed through the escape hole 241 (see Fig. 2) guided downward in the paper guide plate 24, and then the first guide slope 1611 of the first snap-in projection 161 is abutted against the second guide slope 2511 of the second snap-in projection 251; the snap-lock member 16 can push the movable snap-in member 25 to overcome the elastic force of the second elastic return member 26 during the displacement operation and retract from the locking position, so that the first snap-in projection 161 can traverse the second snap-in projection 251 downward;After the first snap-in projection 161 has traversed the second snap-in projection 251, the movable snap-in element 25 returns to the locking position under the action of the second elastic return element 26, with the first snap-in projection 161 resisting the second snap-in projection 251 in the upward and downward directions to lock the cover assembly 1 in the closed position.

[0024] Furthermore, the movable latch member 25 is provided with an unlocking portion 252 exposed from the main body portion 2 side (i.e., the outer casing 21 side), and the unlocking portion 252 may be in the shape of a column and form a sliding fit with the outer casing 21 in the horizontal direction; the unlocking portion 252 is provided on the side of the movable latch member 25 that abuts against the second elastic return member 26, and when the user presses the unlocking portion 252, the movable latch member 25 can overcome the elastic force of the second elastic return member 26 and move to the unlocking position with the first latch projection 161 not abutting against the second latch projection 251 in the up-and-down direction, and the cover assembly 10 can be opened accordingly.The release portion 252 may also take other forms, and the present application does not limit this.

[0025] As in the Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b, the cover assembly 1 further comprises a cutting mechanism, which can be located on the downstream side of the print head 13 in the feed direction of the label paper (i.e., the cutting mechanism is located closer to the label outlet 3 than the print head 13), for cutting the printed label paper. The cover housing 11 comprises a first cover body 111 and a second cover body 112 that covers the cutting mechanism. The second cover body 112 is movably arranged relative to the first cover body 111, and when the second cover body 112 is pressed downward, it can push the cutting mechanism 14 to perform the cutting operation. As described in detail later, the cutting mechanism is provided with a first elastic return element 15, e.g., a spring, and a cutting blade assembly 14 connected to the second cover body 112 (e.g.,rests), so that the first elastic return element 15 resets the cutting blade assembly 14 when it is not in a cutting operation, and the cutting blade assembly 14 resets the cutting blade assembly 14 when it is reset, thereby pressing the second cover body 112 into a home position.

[0026] The second cover body 112 may be rotatably connected to the first cover body 111. As shown in the Fig. 7a and Fig. As shown in Figure 7b, the first cover body 111 is provided with a horizontal pivot hole 1111, and the second cover body 112 is provided with a pivot axis 1121 that rotatably cooperates with the pivot hole 1111. It goes without saying that the positions of the pivot hole 1111 and the pivot axis 1121 can be interchangeable. As a variant, the second cover body 112 can also be slidably connected to the first cover body 111 (e.g., with a fitting structure between a sliding groove and a sliding rail) and slide up and down relative to the first cover body 111.

[0027] Furthermore, the second cover body 112 is provided with a connecting end 112a that is rotatably connected to the first cover body 111, and a pressing end 112b relative to the connecting end 112a. The pivot axis 1121 is provided at the connecting end 112a, and the pressing end 112b is a free end that can be rotated up and down. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the upper surface 1120 of the second cover body 112 in the home position is preferably inclined so that the printing end 112b is higher than the connecting end 112a to make printing more convenient for the user and improve the user experience. Alternatively, the upper surface 1120 of the second cover body 112 in the home position may also be configured to be flush with the upper surface of the first cover body 111; alternatively, the upper surface 1120 of the second cover body 112 is inclined in a position where the printing end 112b is lower than the connecting end 112a.

[0028] Furthermore, a limiting mechanism is provided between the first cover body 111 and the second cover body 112 to define an initial position of the second cover body 112. As shown in the Fig. 7a and Fig. As shown in Figure 7b, in a detailed embodiment, the limiting mechanism comprises a limiting slot 1112 and a limiting projection 1122 movably disposed within the limiting slot 1112, wherein the limiting slot 1112 is disposed on the first cover body 111 and the limiting projection 1122 is disposed on the second cover body 112. When the limiting projection 1122 abuts the upper end of the limiting slot 1112, the second cover body 112 cannot be rotated or moved upward and is locked in the initial position. As a variant, the positions of the limiting slot 1112 and the limiting projection 1122 can be interchangeable.

[0029] Preferably, as in Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b, the printing end 112a of the second cover body 112 is provided with a first side wall 1124, and the limiting projection 1122 may be arranged on an outer surface of the first side wall 1124, and the first cover body 111 is provided with a second side wall 1113 facing the first side wall 1124, and the limiting slot 1112 is arranged on an inner surface of the second side wall 1113.

[0030] Another variation is that when the second cover body 112 is in the home position, the first side wall 1124 located at the printing end 112b directly abuts the second side wall 1113 of the first cover body 111 ("friction fit") to form a limiting mechanism, and at this time, it is not necessary to set up the limiting protrusion 1122 and the limiting slot 1112. When the second cover body 112 is in the home position, the lower end of the first side wall 1124 abuts the second side wall 1113 and can no longer be rotated upward. When the second cover body 112 is pressed, the lower end of the first side wall 1124 is separated from the second side wall 1113, and a gap is formed between the first side wall 1124 and the second side wall 1113, allowing the second cover body 112 to rotate downward.Among other things, the first side wall 112c may be perpendicular to each other and to the top surface 1120 of the first cover body 112 or may be inclined relative to the top surface 1120 into a position in which the lower end widens outwardly.

[0031] As in the Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the cutting mechanism is mounted on the cover base plate 12 and includes a cutting blade assembly 14 and a first elastic return element 15, such as a spring, wherein the first elastic return element 15 is provided between the cutting blade assembly 14 and the cover base plate 12. The cutting blade assembly 14 includes a cutting blade 142 and a movable seat 141 connected to the cutting blade 142, wherein the movable seat 141 can be moved up and down on the cover base plate 12 and slidably cooperates with a guide groove 121 of the cover base plate 12.The movable seat 141 resists the second cover body 112, and when the second cover body 112 is pressed down, the cutting knife device 14 can overcome the spring force of the first elastic return member 15 and move down, and the cutting knife 142 extends downward from the cover base plate 12 and then enters an escape groove 242 on the paper guide plate 24 to perform cutting of the labels.

[0032] When the second cover body 112 is in the initial position of the non-cutting operation, the first elastic return member 15 can exert an upward elastic force on the second cover body 112 via the cutting blade assembly 14, so that the movable seat 141 and the second cover body 112 are held together to avoid impairment of the pressing action by the formation of a gap between the two.

[0033] Preferably, the second cover body 112, as in Fig. 8, provided with a positioning projection 1123 on the inner surface; and as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 7a, the movable seat 141 is provided with a positioning recess 1412 at the upper end of the movable seat 141. The positioning protrusion 1123 is provided within the positioning recess 1412 to limit the relative positions of the movable seat 141 and the second cover body 112, so that the movable seat 141 can stably receive the pressing force transmitted from the second cover body 112.

[0034] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 10, the cutting blade assembly 14 may further include a paper pressing member 143 to prevent the label paper from shaking or shifting during the cutting operation and to improve cutting accuracy. The paper pressing member 143 is movably connected (e.g., sliding connection) to the movable seat 141 and can move up and down relative to the movable seat 141. A third elastic return member 144, such as a spring, is disposed between the paper pressing member 143 and the movable seat 141, and the third elastic return member 144 allows a lower end of the paper pressing member 143 to protrude downward from the cutting blade 142 (the home position of the paper pressing member 143 during a non-cutting operation).

[0035] The paper printing member 143 is provided with a connecting seat 1431, and the first elastic return member 15 and the third elastic return member 144 are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the connecting seat 1431, respectively. Specifically, the upper and lower ends of the first elastic return member 15 are connected to the connecting seat 1431 and the cover base plate 12, respectively, and the upper and lower ends of the third elastic return member 144 are connected to the movable seat 141 and the connecting seat 1431, respectively.

[0036] During the cutting operation, the paper pressing member 143 first moves downward together with the movable seat 141, and the paper pressing member 143 presses the label paper onto the paper guide plate 24 and then stops moving downward; the cutting blade 142 and the movable seat 141 can overcome the force of the first elastic return member 15 and the third elastic return member 144 to continue moving downward until the cutting blade 142 enters the escape groove 242 on the paper guide plate 24 to perform the label cutting.

[0037] After the cutting operation is completed, when the pressing force exerted on the second cover body 112 and the movable seat 141 decreases, the cutting blade assembly 14 moves upward as a whole under the action of the first elastic return element 15 to return to the initial state or position. At the same time, the paper pressing member 123 returns to the initial position with the cutting blade 142 protruding from its lower end under the action of the third elastic return element 144.

[0038] As in Fig.1, the side of the main body portion 2 is provided with a switch button 4 and an indicator light 5, wherein the switch button 4 is used to turn the operation on and off, and the indicator light 5 can display a variety of different lighting effects to help the user distinguish the various states of the label printer, such as connecting to Bluetooth, charging or turning off the printer and the like.

[0039] Although the present utility model is illustrated above with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood that the above embodiments serve only to exemplify the feasible embodiments of the present utility model and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present utility model. That is, any substitution or modification made by a person skilled in the art according to the present utility model falls within the scope of the claims of the present utility model. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] CN 202323178896.6

[0001]

Claims

[1] A label printer comprising a main body portion and a cover assembly arranged openly or closed at an upper end of the main body portion, the cover assembly being provided with a cover housing, a cover base plate, and a cutting mechanism, the cutting mechanism being mounted on the cover base plate, characterized by , that the cover housing comprises a first cover body and a second cover body covering the cutting mechanism, wherein the second cover body is arranged to be movable relative to the first cover body, wherein, when the second cover body is pressed downward, it can push the cutting mechanism to perform a cutting operation; and that a limiting mechanism is arranged between the first cover body and the second cover body to limit an initial position of the second cover body; and that the cutting mechanism is provided with a first elastic return element and a cutting blade assembly, wherein the first elastic return element is operable to return the cutting blade assembly during a non-cutting operation, and wherein the cutting blade assembly, when returned, pushes the second cover body to move to the initial position. [2] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized byin that the limiting mechanism comprises a limiting slot and a limiting projection movably disposed within the limiting slot, one of the limiting slot and the limiting projection being disposed on the first cover body and the other of the limiting slot and the limiting projection being disposed on the second cover body. [3] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized by that the second cover body is rotatably or slidably connected relative to the first cover body. [4] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized by that in the starting position the upper side of the second cover body and the upper side of the first cover body are flush with one another, or that the upper side of the second cover body is arranged inclined relative to the upper side of the first cover body. [5] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized bythat the second cover body is provided with a connecting end rotatably connected to the first cover body and a pressure end relative to the connecting end; and that in the initial position, the upper side of the second cover body is inclined such that the pressure end is higher than the connecting end. [6] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized by in that the second cover body is provided with a connecting end which is rotatably connected to the first cover body and a pressing end relative to the connecting end, wherein the pressing end is provided with a first side wall and the first cover body is provided with a second side wall which faces the first side wall, wherein the first side wall abuts against the second side wall to form the limiting mechanism when the second cover body is in the home position. [7] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized byin that the cover assembly is provided with a snap-in element, wherein the main body portion is provided with a second elastic return element and a movable snap-in element, wherein the movable snap-in element is movable between a locking position in which it forms a snap connection with the snap-in element and an unlocking position in which it is separated from the snap-in element, wherein the second elastic return element is used to hold the movable snap-in element in the locking position. [8] Label printer according to claim 7, characterized bythat the movable latch member is provided with an unlocking portion exposed on the side of the main body portion; and that when the unlocking portion is pressed, the movable latch member can overcome the elastic force of the second elastic return member and move to the unlocking position. [9] Label printer according to claim 8, characterized by that the snap-in element is provided with a first snap-in projection, and that the movable snap-in element is provided with a second snap-in projection which snaps into the first snap-in projection, and that the snap-in element can be guided downwards through an escape hole in a paper guide plate so that the first snap-in projection abuts the second snap-in projection. [10] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized byin that the cutting blade assembly comprises a movable seat and a cutting blade mounted on the movable seat, the movable seat being mounted movably up and down on the cover base plate and abutting the second cover body. [11] Label printer according to claim 10, characterized by that the first elastic return element is arranged between the cutting blade arrangement and the cover base plate. [12] Label printer according to claim 11, characterized by that the second cover body is provided with a positioning projection on an inner surface, that the movable seat is provided with a positioning recess at an upper end, wherein the positioning projection is arranged within the positioning recess. [13] Label printer according to claim 11, characterized bythat the cutting blade assembly further comprises a paper pressing member connected to the first elastic return member, wherein the paper pressing member is movably connected to the movable seat; wherein a third elastic return member is arranged between the paper pressing member and the movable seat, wherein the third elastic return member can allow the lower end of the paper pressing member to protrude from the cutting blade. [14] Label printer according to claim 13, characterized bythat the paper printing element is provided with a connecting seat, wherein the first elastic return element and the third elastic return element are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the connecting seat, respectively, and wherein the upper and lower ends of the first elastic return element are connected to the connecting seat and the cover base plate, respectively, and wherein the upper and lower ends of the third elastic return element are connected to the movable seat and the connecting seat, respectively. [15] Label printer according to claim 1, characterized by in that the cover assembly forms a rotatable connection with the main body portion, one of the cover assembly and the main body portion being provided with a pivot hole, and the other of the cover assembly and the main body portion being provided with a pivot axis, the pivot axis forming a rotational fit with the pivot hole.

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