printer

Abstract

To reduce an occupied space of a printer performing printing on a fan-fold paper, in comparison with constitution in which a housing portion, a transportation path and a printing portion are arranged in parallel in a straight line along a transportation direction.SOLUTION: A printer 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a casing 20 in which a delivery port 21b is formed at a front panel 21 pointing to one side; a housing tray 30 which is arranged inside the casing 20 and houses a fan-fold paper PF; a guide plate 40 which turns the fan-fold paper PF pulled out from the housing tray 30 to the opposite side of the delivery port 21b and guides the paper to a transportation path 50 arranged between a bottom surface of the housing tray 30 and a bottom surface of the casing 20; a transportation roller 60 which transports toward the delivery port 21b, the fan-fold paper PF guided by the guide plate 40 to the transportation path 50; and a printing portion 70 which performs printing on the fan-fold paper PF being transported by the transportation roller 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Fanfold paper is known as one type of print medium that can be printed on by a printer. Fanfold paper is a long sheet of paper that extends in one direction, in the width direction of the paper, and is stacked by folding the paper alternately into a Z shape at perforations provided on the paper, aligned at set intervals in the length direction of the paper. The printer described in Patent Document 1 is known as a printer that prints on fanfold paper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-237565 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a printer prints on fanfold paper, it is necessary to put the fanfold paper into an unfolded state before printing. In a configuration in which the fanfold paper is pulled from a storage unit that stores fanfold paper in a folded state along an imaginary straight line connecting the storage unit and the printing unit, the printer unfolds the fanfold paper on a transport path that is formed along the imaginary straight line. Therefore, the space occupied by a printer having this configuration is such that at least the respective occupied spaces corresponding to the storage unit, the transport path, and the printing unit are arranged in a straight line along the transport direction.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer that prints on fanfold paper and occupies less space than a configuration in which the storage section, transport path, and printing section are arranged in a straight line along the transport direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is A housing having an exhaust port formed on a surface facing one side; a storage section disposed inside the housing and configured to store fanfold paper; a guide section that turns the fanfold paper that is pulled out from the storage section to the side opposite the discharge port and guides it to a transport path that is provided between a bottom surface of the storage section and a bottom surface of the housing; a conveying roller that conveys the fanfold paper guided from the guide section to the conveying path toward the discharge outlet; a printing unit that prints on the fanfold paper transported by the transport roller; A printer comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a printer that prints on fanfold paper, the space occupied by the printer can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the storage section, transport path, and printing section are arranged in a straight line along the transport direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic layout diagram showing the internal structure of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic layout diagram showing the internal structure of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic layout diagram showing the internal structure of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic layout diagram showing the internal structure of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic layout diagram showing a modified example of the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic layout diagram showing a modified example of a printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The embodiments described below are not limited to the drawings which are illustrated by the brief description of the drawings.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention is a printer comprising a housing having an outlet formed on a surface facing one side, a storage section disposed inside the housing for storing fanfold paper, a guide section for turning fanfold paper pulled out of the storage section to the side opposite the outlet and guiding it to a transport path provided between the bottom of the storage section and the bottom of the housing, transport rollers for transporting the fanfold paper guided from the guide section to the transport path toward the outlet, and a printing section for printing on the fanfold paper transported by the transport rollers.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the space occupied can be made smaller than in a configuration in which the storage section, the transport path, and the printing section are arranged in a straight line along the transport direction.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention is a printer according to the first aspect, wherein the housing has an exit through which fanfold paper pulled from the storage section is sent outside the housing, and an entrance through which fanfold paper sent outside the housing enters the transport path.

[0013] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the space occupied by the housing can be made smaller than in a configuration in which the fanfold paper in the storage section is guided to the transport path only via the inside of the housing.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention is a printer according to the second aspect, wherein the guide portion has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the housing between the exit and the entrance, and the protrusion has a curved portion that contacts the fanfold paper so as to conform to the fanfold paper outside the housing.

[0015] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the fanfold paper can be transported smoothly when it is transported to the transport path via the outside of the housing.

[0016] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a printer according to the second or third aspect, wherein the housing is provided with a cover that covers at least one of the exit and the entrance and opens at least one of the exit and the entrance during operation.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, intrusion of foreign matter into the inside of the housing when the device is not in operation is suppressed.

[0018] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a printer described in the first aspect, wherein the guide section includes one or more rod-shaped members extending inside the housing in the paper width direction of the fanfold paper, and at least one end of the rod-shaped members is supported by the housing.

[0019] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, fanfold paper can be transported smoothly when it is transported to the transport path via only the inside of the housing.

[0020] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a printer according to the fifth aspect, in which there are multiple rod-shaped members, the guide section has a connecting member that connects two of the multiple rod-shaped members, and the connecting member has a curved portion that contacts the fanfold paper so as to follow the fanfold paper as it moves from the opening toward the transport path.

[0021] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, when the fanfold paper is transported to the transport path via only the inside of the housing, it can be transported even more smoothly. A seventh aspect of the present invention is the printer described in the third aspect, wherein the position where the fanfold paper contacting the curved portion intersects with the outer surface of the housing is higher than the position where the top surface of the fanfold paper folded in the storage section intersects with the outer surface when the top surface is virtually extended to the outer surface of the housing. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, bending of the paper surface that occurs when the fanfold paper is pulled out can be suppressed, compared to a configuration in which the position of the upper end of the curved portion and the position of the top surface of the fanfold paper in the storage section overlap in the vertical direction.

[0022] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a printer described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the storage unit is detachable from the housing, the printing unit is capable of printing on roll paper, and the housing is capable of mounting a holding unit that holds the central axis of the roll paper when the storage unit is removed from the housing.

[0023] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to print on roll paper instead of fanfold paper.

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] The printer of the present invention prints information such as letters, symbols, figures or barcodes on fanfold paper PF, which is an example of a printing medium, and ejects the printed information to the outside of the housing through an ejection outlet provided on one side of the housing. In the following description, the surface of the housing where the discharge port is located is referred to as the front, and the width direction (left-right direction), up-down direction (height direction), and depth direction (front-back direction) when the printer is viewed from the front are respectively described as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. Furthermore, when it is necessary to distinguish one side from the other in each of the width direction, up-down direction, and depth direction, the right side when the printer is viewed from the front is described as the +X side, the left side as the -X side, the upper side as the +Y side, the lower side as the -Y side, the back side as the -Z side, and the front side as the +Z side.

[0026] (1) First embodiment As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the printer 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 20, a storage tray 30, a guide plate 40, transport rollers 60, and a printing unit 70. The housing 20 has a function of covering the inside of the printer 10. The storage tray 30 is a tray located inside the housing 20, on the opposite side of the discharge port 21b across the transport rollers 60 described below, and has a function of storing fanfold paper PF in a folded state. The storage tray 30 is an example of a storage unit. The storage tray 30 stores fanfold paper PF so that the paper width direction of the fanfold paper PF is aligned with the left-right direction with respect to the front of the printer. The guide plate 40 is located on the rear outside of the housing 20 when viewed from the front of the printer. The housing 20, the storage tray 30, and the guide plate 40 will be described in detail below.

[0027] The transport rollers 60 have the function of nipping the unfolded fanfold paper PF with the printing unit 70 described below and transporting it toward the discharge opening 21b. The printing unit 70 has the function of printing on the surface of the fanfold paper PF transported by the transport rollers 60, on the side opposite the transport rollers 60. The area where the fanfold paper PF is nipped between the transport rollers 60 and the printing unit 70 is called the nip portion NP.

[0028] The transport rollers 60 can transport long sheets of paper other than fanfold paper PF. Specifically, the transport rollers 60 can transport paper pulled out from roll paper PR (see FIG. 3), which is formed by winding a long sheet of paper extending in one direction into a roll. The printing unit 70 can print on the surface of the paper pulled out from the roll paper PR.

[0029] The printer 10 further includes a control unit (not shown) that controls each unit of the printer 10.

[0030] The storage tray 30 and the guide plate 40 are structured to be detachable from the housing 20. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, the printer 10 is structured such that a holder 80 that holds the central axis of the roll paper PR can be attached to the housing 20 when the storage tray 30 is removed from the housing 20. In the following explanation, first, the configuration in which the storage tray 30 and the guide plate 40 are attached to the housing 20 will be described, and then the configuration in which the storage tray 30 is removed from the housing 20 and the holder 80 is attached will be described.

[0031] (Configuration in which the storage tray 30 and the guide plate 40 are attached to the housing 20) <Case 20> As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 20 includes a front panel 21, an operation panel 21a, a bottom panel 25, a rear panel 24, a side panel 23, and a ceiling panel 22, and these panels cover part of the interior of the printer 10. The front panel 21 is a member facing the front (nearby side). The front panel 21 is formed with an outlet 21b for discharging the unfolded fanfold paper PF facing upward. The operation panel 21a stands on the left side of the front panel 21 and is a member facing the front (nearby side). The operation panel 21a includes a display panel that accepts operation inputs from the user. The bottom panel 25 is a member facing downward and forming the bottom surface of the housing 20. The rear panel 24 is provided on the opposite side of the bottom panel 25 to the front panel 21 and the operation panel 21a, and is a member facing the back side. The rear panel 24 is a member formed to overlap the front panel 21 and the operation panel 21a when viewed from the front of the printer. The height of the right part of the rear panel 24 that overlaps with the front panel 21 when viewed from the front of the printer is lower than the height of the front panel 21, and has a step. The side panel 23 is provided to span from the left edge of the operation panel 21a to the left edge of the rear panel 24 when viewed from the front of the printer, and is a member that faces left when viewed from the front of the printer. The ceiling panel 22 is formed to span from the upper edge of the operation panel 21a to the upper edge of the rear panel 24, and is a member that faces upward.

[0032] The housing 20 further includes a movable panel 27. The movable panel 27 is a member formed on the right side of the ceiling panel 22 when viewed from the front of the printer. The movable panel 27 includes a ceiling portion 28 and a side portion 26. The ceiling portion 28 is provided so as to span from the upper edge of the front panel 21 to the upper edge of the rear panel 24, and faces upward. The side portion 26 is formed so as to extend downward from the right edge of the ceiling portion 28, extends to the bottom panel 25, and faces right when viewed from the front of the printer. The ceiling portion 28 is divided into a front portion 28a, which is the portion on the near side, and a rear portion 29, which is the portion on the far side. The front portion 28a and the rear portion 29 are connected by a hinge portion 27a having a rotation axis around the X-axis. Furthermore, the front portion 28a is connected to the ceiling panel 22 by a hinge portion 22a having a rotation axis about the Z axis, and is capable of swinging about the hinge portion 22a. The movable panel 27 swings about the hinge portion 22a toward the outer surface of the ceiling panel 22, thereby causing the state of the housing 20 to be in a first open state in which the inside of the printer 10 is open and exposed. Note that a state in which the movable panel 27 is closed so as not to expose the inside of the printer 10, as shown in FIG. 1, is referred to as a closed state. In principle, the printer 10 is in a closed state when not in operation.

[0033] The rear section 29 of the movable panel 27 can swing about the hinge section 27a when the movable panel 27 is in the closed state. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear section 29 swings about the hinge section 27a toward the outer surface side of the front section 28a of the front section 28, thereby causing the state of the housing 20 to be in a second open state in which the inside of the printer 10 is exposed.

[0034] The open portion of the housing 20 in the second open state is the opening 20a. The opening 20a is formed in the housing 20 in the second open state, and is also formed in the housing 20 in the first open state. That is, the housing 20 has the opening 20a through which the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 can be sent out of the housing 20 in an unfolded state in the first or second open state in the printer 10 during operation. In other words, the opening 20a is formed by the movable panel 27 swinging toward the outer surface of the ceiling panel 22 during operation of the printer 10. Also, the opening 20a is formed by the rear portion 29 swinging toward the outer surface of the front portion 28a during operation of the printer 10. The rear portion 29 is an example of a cover. The opening 20a is an example of an outlet for the fanfold paper PF. Fanfold paper PF can be inserted and removed through the opening 20a. Specifically, when the printer 10 is in the first open state, fanfold paper PF in a folded state can be replenished into the storage tray 30 through the opening 20a from outside the housing 20. Also, when the printer 10 is in the first open state, fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 can be unfolded and pulled out from the opening 20a toward the back side of the rear panel 24. In addition, when the printer 10 is in the second open state, the fanfold paper PF in a folded state may be replenished into the storage tray 30 (described below) through the opening 20a from outside the housing 20. In addition, when the printer 10 is in the second open state, the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 may be unfolded and pulled out from the opening 20a toward the back side of the rear panel 24.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, rear portion 29 covers opening 20a when housing 20 is in a closed state.

[0036] An entrance 20c is formed in the rear panel 24 of the housing 20, through which the fanfold paper PF that has been unfolded and sent out from the opening 20a to the outside of the housing 20 can be fed into the inside of the housing 20. The entrance 20c is positioned so that its left-right position overlaps with the discharge opening 21b when viewed from the front of the printer (the front side).

[0037] In the printer 10, when in the first open state, the leading edge of the fanfold paper PF that is unfolded and sent out from the opening 20a to the outside of the housing 20 and then sent into the inside of the housing 20 from the entrance 20c can be inserted into the nip portion NP via the transport path 50 described later.

[0038] An inner frame (not shown) extending along the front-rear and up-down directions is provided inside the housing 20. The space inside the housing 20 is divided by the inner frame into two spaces aligned in the left-right direction.

[0039] <Storage Tray 30> As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving tray 30 is a tray that is disposed inside the housing 20 on the opposite side to the discharge outlet 21b with a transport roller 60, which will be described later, interposed therebetween.

[0040] The storage tray 30 includes a bottom plate 31 and a stopper 32. The bottom plate 31 forms the bottom surface of the storage tray 30, and the folded fanfold paper PF is placed on it. The stopper 32 contacts the edge of the fanfold paper PF placed on the bottom plate 31 on the rear side when viewed from the front of the printer, thereby restricting the position in the depth direction. The storage tray 30 contacts the edge in the paper width direction of the fanfold paper PF placed on the bottom plate 31 to restrict the position in the width direction, and may also include an adjustment means that makes it possible to adjust the restricted position in the width direction to accommodate fanfold paper PF of different paper widths. The adjustment means for the storage tray 30 can be realized, for example, by a slide mechanism that can slide left and right when viewed from the front of the printer. The storage tray 30 has an opening 33 on the upper side, and the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 can be pulled out rearward from the opening 33.

[0041] In this embodiment, the storage tray 30 is supported at a position spaced above the bottom panel 25 by a support (not shown) that is detachably attached to an inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20. Therefore, a transport path 50 is formed between the bottom plate 31 of the storage tray 30 and the bottom panel 25. The transport path 50 is connected to the entrance 20c and the discharge opening 21b, and can pass along the front-rear direction when viewed from the front of the printer when the fanfold paper PF is spread out facing upward. In other words, the transport path 50 is provided between the bottom surface of the storage tray 30 and the bottom surface of the housing 20. The receiving tray 30 may be detachably attached to the side panel 23.

[0042] In this embodiment, the bottom plate 31 of the storage tray 30 is preferably arranged at an incline so that it becomes higher toward the front. This keeps the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 in a state where its position in the front-to-rear direction is restricted by the stopper 32, even if the fanfold paper PF is continuously pulled out of the storage tray 30. This inclined arrangement of the storage tray 30 is also effective from the perspective of space saving. It is more preferable that the bottom plate 31 of the storage tray 30 is inclined at an angle of 1 degree to 10 degrees with respect to the bottom panel 25 when viewed from the side of the printer. It is even more preferable that the bottom plate 31 of the storage tray 30 is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees to 10 degrees with respect to the bottom panel 25 when viewed from the side of the printer. If the inclination angle of the bottom plate 31 of the storage tray 30 relative to the bottom panel 25 exceeds 10 degrees, the force of the fanfold paper PF being pulled rearward from the opening 33 of the storage tray 30 will be strong, leading to the occurrence of a paper jam.

[0043] In this embodiment, the stopper 32 preferably stands from the rear edge of the bottom plate 31 when viewed from the front of the printer, and is formed of a plate-like member that curves toward the rear. This prevents the fanfold paper PF being pulled out of the storage tray 30 from getting caught on the stopper 32, allowing it to be pulled out smoothly to the rear. In addition, it is preferable that the upper end of the stopper 32 be located lower than the upper end of the right side of the rear panel 24.

[0044] <Signboard 40> As shown in FIG. 2, the guide plate 40 is a plate-like member that is provided above the entrance 20c, extends in the vertical direction, and stands toward the outside of the rear panel 24. For example, two guide plates 40 are provided side by side in the width direction, but the number of guide plates 40 can be set arbitrarily. The guide plate 40 has a semicircular portion 41 that is approximately semicircular and protrudes outward from the outer surface of the housing 20 from the rear panel 24 when viewed from the side of the printer. The upper end 41a of the semicircular portion 41 protrudes upward from the upper end of the stopper 32. The end 41a of the semicircular portion 41 protrudes upward from the upper end of the rear panel 24. The end 41a of the semicircular portion 41 partially overlaps in the vertical direction with the rear portion 29 of the movable panel 27 in the closed state. In this way, the semicircular portion 41 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the housing 20 between the opening 20a and the entrance 20c when viewed from the side of the printer. The semicircular portion 41 is an example of a protruding portion. The position where the fanfold paper PF in contact with the end 41a of the semicircular portion 41 intersects with the rear panel 24 is preferably higher than the position where an imaginary plane KH along the top surface TS of the fanfold paper PF folded in the storage tray 30 intersects with the rear panel 24. The imaginary plane KH is an imaginary plane obtained by virtually extending the top surface TS of the fanfold paper PF to the rear panel 24.

[0045] The guide plate 40 is disposed at a position inside the fanfold paper PF pulled out from the storage tray 30 in the paper width direction. The fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 in a folded state is first pulled out while coming into contact with the end 41a of the guide plate 40. Therefore, the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 is pulled out in a direction that is inclined so that it becomes higher as it goes toward the back side relative to the top surface TS in the folded state. The fanfold paper PF that is pulled out of the storage tray 30 and sent out from the opening 20a to the outside of the housing 20 is guided to the entrance 20c while in an unfolded state and in contact with the semicircular portion 41 of the guide plate 40. At this time, the surface of the fanfold paper PF is curved to follow the curved edge of the semicircular portion 41. In other words, the semicircular portion 41 comes into contact with the fanfold paper PF so as to follow the fanfold paper PF that is pulled out from the opening 33 of the storage tray 30 and heads toward the transport path 50. The semicircular portion 41 is an example of a curved portion. The fanfold paper PF that is guided to the entrance 20c by the guide plate 40 is then sent from the entrance 20c into the transport path 50 inside the housing 20. In other words, the guide plate 40 turns the fanfold paper that is pulled out from the storage tray 30 to the opposite side to the discharge port 21b behind the storage tray 30 and guides it to the transport path 50. The guide plate 40 is an example of a guide portion.

[0046] Of the two guide plates 40, at least one of the guide plates 40 preferably has an adjustment means (not shown) that can adjust its position in the left-right direction to match the paper width of the fanfold paper PF. The adjustment means for the guide plate 40 can be realized, for example, by a slide mechanism that can slide in the width direction of the fanfold paper PF. Note that the adjustment means for the guide plate 40 is not limited to a slide mechanism, and can also be realized, for example, by multiple holes or grooves formed in the rear panel 24 lined up in the left-right direction that engage with the guide plate 40.

[0047] The two guide plates 40 preferably have a structure that allows them to be attached to and detached from the housing 20 by means of an engagement portion (not shown).

[0048] <Other> The transport roller 60 is rotatably supported by a support section 62 arranged at the bottom on the discharge outlet 21b side inside the housing 20. The support section 62 has a damper 62a that applies tension to the fanfold paper PF that is fed into the transport path 50 from the entrance 20c and heads toward the nip section NP, and guides the fanfold paper PF to the nip section NP in a determined position. The transport roller 60 is connected to a drive means (not shown) that includes, for example, a gear and a motor. The operation of the drive means is controlled by the control section, and is capable of driving the transport roller 60. The transport roller 60 is driven to rotate while the fanfold paper PF is sandwiched between the print section 70 and the nip section NP, and transports the fanfold paper PF toward the discharge outlet 21b.

[0049] The printing unit 70 includes a thermal head 72 and an ink ribbon unit 74. The thermal head 72 is disposed above the transport roller 60 so that it can pinch the fanfold paper PF between it and the transport roller 60. The ink ribbon unit 74 is disposed above the thermal head 72. The thermal head 72 is configured to include a plurality of heating elements (not shown) arranged side by side in the left-right direction (i.e., the width direction of the fanfold paper PF). The ink ribbon unit 74 includes a ribbon supply unit 75 and a ribbon recovery unit 76. The ribbon supply unit 75 holds an ink ribbon RB to which printing ink is applied, and supplies the ink ribbon RB between the thermal head 72 and the fanfold paper PF at the nip portion NP. The ribbon recovery unit 76 winds up and recovers the ink ribbon RB from the nip portion NP.

[0050] The printing unit 70 thermally transfers the printing ink of the ink ribbon RB onto the paper surface at the nip NP while the fanfold paper PF is sandwiched between the transport roller 60, the ink ribbon RB, and the thermal head 72 by heating the heating elements of the thermal head 72. At this time, the printing unit 70 thermally transfers and prints the printing information onto the fanfold paper PF with the printing ink by selectively heating the multiple heating elements corresponding to the printing information using the control unit.

[0051] (Configuration in which the holding portion 80 is attached to the housing 20) Next, a configuration will be described in which the storage tray 30 is removed from the housing 20 and the holder 80 that holds the central axis of the roll paper PR is attached.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 3, the holding unit 80 includes a support shaft 82 and a restricting unit 84. The support shaft 82 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the printer. As shown in Fig. 3, the left end of the support shaft 82 is detachably attached by an engagement means (not shown) to an inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20 from which the storage tray 30 and a support unit (not shown) have been removed. The support shaft 82 rotatably supports the central axis of the roll paper PR. The restricting unit 84 is a plate-shaped member that comes into contact with the edge of the roll paper PR in the paper width direction to restrict the position of the roll paper PR in the width direction.

[0053] When the housing 20 is in the first open state, the storage tray 30 and the support parts (not shown) that support the storage tray 30 can be attached and detached. Furthermore, when the housing 20 is in the first open state, the holding part 80 can be attached and detached to an inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20. Therefore, when attaching the holding part 80 to the housing 20 to store the roll paper PR, the following work is performed. That is, the housing 20 is placed in the first open state, the storage tray 30 and the support parts (not shown) that support the storage tray 30 are removed, and then the holding part 80 is attached to the inner frame.

[0054] The paper is pulled out from the roll paper PR supported by the holder 80 and unfolded, and is guided via damper 62a to the nip portion NP between the transport rollers 60 and the printing unit 70. The roll paper PR guided to the nip portion NP has printing information printed by the printing unit 70, and is transported by the transport rollers 60 toward the discharge port 21b.

[0055] (Action and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0056] In the printer 10, the fanfold paper sheet PF stored in the storage tray 30 is pulled out from the storage tray 30 while being unfolded, and is guided to the nip portion NP via the guide plate 40 and the transport path 50. That is, inside the housing 20, the fanfold paper sheet PF is once pulled out rearward, and then guided to the nip portion NP on a transport path that heads forward along the transport path 50. The fanfold paper sheet PF guided to the nip portion NP is printed by the printing unit 70, transported by the transport rollers 60, and discharged from the discharge port 21b to the outside of the housing 20. That is, by providing the storage tray 30 and the guide plate 40, the printer 10 can print on the fanfold paper sheet PF while it is stored inside the housing 20. And by providing the transport path, the printer 10 can save space. In other words, the space occupied by the printer can be made smaller than in a printer that prints on fanfold paper PF in which the storage section, transport path, and printing section are arranged in a straight line along the transport direction.

[0057] When the housing 20 is in the first open state or the second open state, the housing 20 has the opening 20a and the entrance 20c, and thus the fanfold paper PF pulled rearward from the opening 33 can be unfolded outside the housing 20. On the other hand, if the fanfold paper PF pulled from the storage tray 30 were unfolded inside the housing, the size of the housing would increase by an amount corresponding to the space required to unfold the fanfold paper PF. Therefore, the printer 10 can reduce the space occupied by the housing 20 compared to a configuration in which the fanfold paper PF in the storage tray 30 is guided to the transport path 50 only via the inside of the housing.

[0058] The guide plate 40 has a semicircular portion 41 that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the housing 20 between the opening 20a and the entrance 20c. The semicircular portion 41 also comes into contact with the fanfold paper PF so as to follow the fanfold paper PF that is pulled out from the opening 33 of the storage tray 30 and heads toward the transport path 50. At this time, the fanfold paper PF pulled out from the opening 20a to the outside of the housing 20 is guided to the entrance 20c while being prevented from falling out of the opening 20a and being folded, because it is in contact with the semicircular portion 41. Therefore, the printer 10 can smoothly transport the fanfold paper PF to the transport path 50 via the outside of the housing 20.

[0059] The housing 20 includes a rear portion 29 that covers the opening 20a when the printer 10 is not in operation and opens the opening 20a when the printer 10 is in operation. Thus, the printer 10 prevents foreign matter from entering the housing 20 through the opening 20a when the printer 10 is not in operation. 2, the position where the fanfold paper PF in contact with the semicircular portion 41 intersects with the rear panel 24 is higher than the position where the top surface TS of the fanfold paper PF in the storage tray 30 intersects with the rear panel 24 when the top surface TS is virtually extended to the rear panel 24. At this time, in the printer 10, the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 30 is pulled out in a direction that is inclined so that it gets higher the further back it goes than the top surface TS in its folded state. As a comparative example of the printer 10, consider a printer in which the position of the upper end 41a of the semicircular portion 41 and the position of the top surface TS of the fanfold paper PF in the storage tray 30 overlap in the vertical direction. In this comparative example, the fanfold paper PF folded in the storage tray 30 is pulled out in a direction along the top surface TS. At this time, as viewed from the side of the printer, the direction in which the fanfold paper PF is pulled out is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the fanfold paper PF is unfolded, so the fanfold paper PF is pulled out with a load applied to the fanfold paper PF near the crease. Therefore, there is a risk that the fanfold paper PF folded in the storage tray 30 of the comparative example will have its surface bent when it is pulled out and unfolded. In particular, if the fanfold paper PF is label paper with multiple labels attached along the longitudinal direction of the mount, there is a risk that the mount will be bent as the fanfold paper PF is pulled out, causing the labels to peel off. On the other hand, in the printer 10, when fanfold paper PF in a folded state is pulled out in a direction inclined relative to the top surface TS as viewed from the side of the printer, the pulling direction is inclined in a direction that is not perpendicular to the direction in which the fanfold paper PF is unfolded. Therefore, the load applied to the fanfold paper PF near the fold when pulling out the fanfold paper PF in the printer 10 is smaller than the load in the comparative form. Therefore, the printer 10 can prevent bending of the paper surface that occurs when the fanfold paper PF is pulled out, compared to a configuration in which the position of the upper end 41a of the semicircular portion 41 and the position of the top surface TS of the fanfold paper PF overlap in the vertical direction. In particular, when the fanfold paper PF is label paper, the printer 10 can prevent bending of the backing paper and peeling of the label that accompanies the drawing of the fanfold paper PF, compared to the comparative configuration.

[0060] A holder 80 that holds the central axis of the roll paper PR can be attached to the housing 20 when the storage tray 30 is removed from the housing 20. This allows the printer 10 to print on the roll paper PR instead of the fanfold paper PF.

[0061] (2) Second embodiment Next, a printer 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this description, when parts and the like similar to those used in the printer 10 of the first embodiment are used, the reference numerals and names of those parts and the like will be used as they are. In the following description, duplicated descriptions of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0062] 4, the printer 110 includes a storage tray 130 in place of the storage tray 30 in the first embodiment. The printer 110 also includes a guide unit 140 in place of the guide plate 40 in the first embodiment.

[0063] In the printer 110, the storage tray 130 and the guide unit 140 are configured to be detachable from the housing 20. Furthermore, the printer 110 is configured such that the holder 80, which holds the central axis of the roll paper PR, can be attached to the housing 20 when the storage tray 130 and the guide unit 140 are detached from the housing 20, as shown in FIG.

[0064] <Storage Tray 130> The receiving tray 130 is a tray disposed inside the housing 20 on the opposite side to the discharge outlet 21b with the transport rollers 60 interposed therebetween.

[0065] The storage tray 130 has a bottom plate 131 that is shorter in the longitudinal direction than the bottom plate 31, instead of the bottom plate 31 of the storage tray 30 of the first embodiment. A space S is formed between the storage tray 130 and the rear section 29 and the back panel 24 in the closed state. Fanfold paper PF that is pulled out rearward from the storage tray 130 (i.e., the side opposite the discharge outlet 21b) can pass through the space S in an unfolded state.

[0066] A transport path 150 is formed between the bottom plate 131 of the storage tray 130 and the bottom panel 25. The transport path 150 is connected to the space S and the discharge outlet 21b, and allows the fanfold paper PF to pass through in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the front of the printer while the fanfold paper PF is laid out and facing upward.

[0067] <Information Department 140> The guide section 140 guides the fanfold paper pulled out from the opening of the storage tray 130 to the transport path 150. The guide section 140 is configured to include two hanging sections 142 and two guide plates 144.

[0068] The wrapping portion 142 is disposed in the space S, and is a cylindrical member extending in the left-right direction (i.e., the width direction of the fanfold paper PF) when viewed from the front of the printer. The wrapping portion 142 is an example of a rod-shaped member. The two wrapping portions 142 are disposed side by side in the up-down direction. Of the two wrapping portions 142, the upper wrapping portion 142 is preferably disposed at a position higher than the stopper 32. Of the two wrapping portions 142, the lower wrapping portion 142 is preferably disposed at a similar height to the transport path 150.

[0069] The ends of the two wrapping parts 142 on the side panel 23 side are supported in a state in which they are detachably attached to an inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20. With the wrapping parts 142 attached to the inner frame, it is preferable that the ends on the side surface part 26 side protrude toward the side surface part 26 further than the fanfold paper PF stored in the storage tray 130. In other words, it is preferable that the length of the wrapping parts 142 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the paper width of the fanfold paper PF. As a result, the fanfold paper PF pulled out of the storage tray 130 is wrapped around the wrapping parts 142 over the entire width.

[0070] The fanfold paper PF pulled out from the storage tray 130 passes through the space S while being wrapped around the upper and lower wrapping portions 142 in an unfolded state, and is guided to the transport path 150.

[0071] Each of the two guide plates 144 connects the two winding portions 142 and is a plate-like member facing the side of the printer. Any known method may be used to connect the guide plate 144 and the two winding portions 142, for example, a method of connection using an adhesive may be used. The guide plate 144 is an example of a connecting member. When viewed from the side of the printer, each of the two guide plates 144 has a substantially elliptical shape extending from one winding portion 142 to the other winding portion 142, and is spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. When viewed from the side of the printer, the guide plate 144 narrows in width at both ends in the longitudinal direction toward the tip so that the fanfold paper PF pulled out of the storage tray 130 can be wound around the winding portions 142 connected by the guide plate 144.

[0072] The guide plate 144 is disposed at a position that is inward in the paper width direction from the fanfold paper PF pulled out from the storage tray 130. The fanfold paper PF pulled out from the storage tray 130 and wrapped around the upper wrapping part 142 passes through the space S while contacting an edge 144a of the guide plate 144 that faces the rear panel 24 in an unfolded state, and is wrapped around the lower wrapping part 142 and guided to the transport path 150. At this time, the fanfold paper PF is curved to follow the shape of the edge 144a. In other words, the edge 144a of the guide plate 144, which has a substantially elliptical shape, comes into contact with the fanfold paper PF so as to follow the fanfold paper PF that is pulled out from the opening of the storage tray 130 and heads toward the transport path 150. The edge 144a is an example of a curved part.

[0073] Of the two guide plates 144, at least one of the guide plates 144 preferably has an adjustment means (not shown) that can adjust its position in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the printer to match the paper width of the fanfold paper PF. The adjustment means for the guide plate 144 can be realized, for example, by a slide mechanism that can slide in the width direction of the fanfold paper PF.

[0074] The two guide plates 144 preferably have a structure that allows them to be attached to and detached from the hanging portion 142 by means of an engagement portion (not shown).

[0075] When the housing 20 is in the first open state, the storage tray 130, the support parts that support the storage tray 130, and the guide part 140 can be attached and detached. Furthermore, when the housing 20 is in the first open state, the holder 80 can be attached and detached to an inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20. Therefore, when attaching the holder 80 to the housing 20 to store the roll paper PR, the following work is performed. That is, after the housing 20 is placed in the first open state and the storage tray 130, the support parts that support the storage tray 130, and the guide part 140 are removed, the holder 80 is attached to the inner frame.

[0076] (Action and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of the second embodiment will be described.

[0077] The guide section 140 includes two wrapping sections 142. The printer 110 can guide the fanfold paper PF pulled out from the storage tray 130 to the transport path 150 by passing the fanfold paper PF through the space S while wrapping the fanfold paper PF around the upper wrapping section 142 and the lower wrapping section 142 in an unfolded state. Thus, the printer 110 can smoothly transport the fanfold paper PF when transporting the fanfold paper PF to the transport path 150 via the inside of the housing 20.

[0078] The guide section 140 includes a guide plate 144 that connects the two hanging sections 142. The guide plate 144 also has an edge 144a that comes into contact with the fanfold paper PF so as to follow the fanfold paper PF that is pulled out of the opening of the storage tray 130 and heads toward the transport path 150. The printer 110 can guide the fanfold paper PF pulled out of the storage tray 130 to the transport path 150 along a gentle trajectory by bringing the fanfold paper PF into contact with the edge 144a of the guide plate 144. Thus, when the printer 110 transports the fanfold paper PF to the transport path 150 via the inside of the housing 20, it can transport the fanfold paper PF more smoothly than if the guide plate 144 were not present.

[0079] As described above, an embodiment of the present invention has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0080] For example, in the first embodiment, the storage tray 30 is supported by a support portion (not shown) attached to the inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20. However, the storage portion is not limited to a configuration in which it is supported by a support portion (not shown) attached to the inner frame, as long as a transport path is formed between the bottom surface of the storage portion and the bottom surface of the housing. For example, the storage portion may be supported from below by a cylindrical member that is detachably attached to the inside of the bottom panel of the housing, extends in the front-rear direction of the printer, and has a hollow portion with both ends open. In this case, the transport path is formed by the hollow portion of the cylindrical member.

[0081] In the first embodiment, the guide plate 40, which is a plate-like member, is taken as an example of the guide section. However, in a configuration in which the fanfold paper PF is sent out from the opening 20a to the outside of the housing 20 and fed into the transport path 50 from the entrance 20c, the guide section is not limited to a plate-like member. In this configuration, the guide section may be, for example, a rod-like member that is supported on the outside of the housing 20 and extends in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the printer, or a roller-like member that is supported to rotate freely.

[0082] In the first embodiment, the rear part 29, which is an example of a cover, covers the opening 20a when the housing 20 is in a closed state. However, the rear part 29 may have an extension part 29d that extends downward from the rear part 29 to the entrance 20c when in a closed state, as shown in FIG. 6. A printer in which the rear part 29 has the extension part 29d is in a closed state when not in operation, and covers the entrance 20c with the extension part 29d, thereby suppressing the intrusion of foreign matter from the entrance 20c into the inside of the housing 20 when not in operation. Also, in the first embodiment, the housing 20 may have another cover that covers the entrance 20c when the printer 10 is not in operation and opens the entrance 20c when the printer 10 is in operation.

[0083] In the first embodiment, the semicircular portion 41 that is approximately semicircular when viewed from the side of the printer is given as an example of the protruding portion and the curved portion. However, the protruding portion and the curved portion in the first embodiment are not limited to being approximately semicircular. The protruding portion and the curved portion in the first embodiment may be egg-shaped or teardrop-shaped when viewed from the side of the printer. Also, the guide portion in the first embodiment does not need to have a curved portion as long as it has a protruding portion.

[0084] In the second embodiment, the guide section 140 is configured to include two hanging sections 142, which are an example of rod-shaped members. However, in the second embodiment, the number of rod-shaped members that make up the guide section is not limited to two. The number of rod-shaped members that make up the guide section may be one, or three or more. The number of hanging sections 142 and / or the positions of the hanging sections 142 as viewed from the side of the printer can be set as appropriate to transport the fanfold paper PF more smoothly.

[0085] In the second embodiment, the guide unit 140 is configured to include a guide plate 144, which is an example of a connecting member. However, in the second embodiment, the guide unit 140 may be configured not to include a connecting member, as shown in FIG.

[0086] In the second embodiment, the winding portion 142 is a cylindrical member. However, the rod-shaped member in the present invention is not limited to a cylindrical member. The winding portion 142 may have a polygonal cross section, or may have a polygonal cross section with rounded corners. The winding portion 142 may also be a roller-shaped member that is supported so as to be freely rotatable.

[0087] In the second embodiment, one end of the hanging portion 142 is supported by an inner frame (not shown) of the housing 20. However, both ends of the hanging portion 142 may be supported by the inner frame and the side surface portion 26. In addition, the hanging portion 142 may be supported by the rear panel 24 of the housing 20.

[0088] The printing unit 70 includes an ink ribbon unit 74. However, the printing unit 70 is not limited to including an ink ribbon unit 74. For example, if the fanfold paper PF and / or roll paper PR is thermal paper, the printing unit 70 does not need to include an ink ribbon unit 74. In this case, when the thermal head 72 of the printing unit 70 selectively causes a heating element (not shown) to generate heat in response to the printing information while the paper is sandwiched between the thermal head 72 and the transport roller 60, the thermal paper reacts with the heating element to develop a color, thereby printing the printing information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10: Printer 20: Housing 20a: opening 20c: Entrance 21: Front panel 21a: Operation panel 21b: Outlet 22: Ceiling panel 22a: Hinge part 23: Side panel 24: Rear panel 25: Bottom panel 26: Side part 27: Movable panel 27a: Hinge part 28: Ceiling 28a: Front section 29: Rear section 29d: Extension part 30: Storage tray 31: Bottom plate 32: Stopper 33:Aperture 40: Information board 41: Semicircular section 41a: End 50: Transport path 60: Transport roller 62: Support part 62a: Damper 70: Printing section 72: Thermal head 74: Ink ribbon section 75: Ribbon supply unit 76: Ribbon recovery section 80: Holding part 82: Support shaft 84: Regulatory Department 110: Printer 130: Storage tray 131: Bottom plate 140: Information department 142: Winding section 144: Information board 144a :Edge 150: Transport path KH: Virtual plane NP: Nip section PF: Fanfold paper PR: Roll paper RB: Ink ribbon S: Space TS: The top surface of the fanfold paper when folded

Claims

1. a housing having an outlet formed on one surface; a storage section disposed inside the housing for storing fanfold paper; a guide section that turns the fanfold paper that has been drawn out of the storage section to the side opposite the discharge outlet and guides it to a conveyance path that is provided between the bottom of the storage section and the bottom of the housing; a conveyance roller that conveys the fanfold paper guided from the guide section to the conveyance path toward the discharge outlet; a printing unit that prints on the fanfold paper conveyed by the conveying roller; A printer comprising:

2. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an outlet through which fanfold paper pulled out of the storage section is sent to the outside of the housing, and an inlet through which fanfold paper sent to the outside of the housing is sent into the transport path.

3. the guide portion has a protrusion that protrudes outward from an outer surface of the housing between the outlet and the inlet, The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion has a curved portion that comes into contact with fanfold paper so as to conform to the fanfold paper outside the housing.

4. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a cover that covers at least one of the outlet and the inlet and that opens at least one of the outlet and the inlet during operation.

5. the guide section includes one or more rod-shaped members extending in the width direction of the fanfold paper inside the housing, The printer according to claim 1 , wherein at least one end of the rod-shaped member is supported by the housing.

6. the rod-shaped members are plural, the guide portion has a connecting member that connects two of the plurality of rod-shaped members, The printer according to claim 5 , wherein the connecting member has a curved portion that comes into contact with the fanfold paper so as to follow the fanfold paper that is pulled out of the storage portion and headed toward the transport path.

7. 4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein the position where the fanfold paper contacting the curved portion intersects with the outer surface of the housing is higher than the position where the top surface of the fanfold paper folded in the storage section intersects with the outer surface when the top surface is virtually extended to the outer surface of the housing.

8. the housing is detachable from the housing, the printing unit is capable of printing on roll paper, 8. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the housing is capable of mounting a holder that holds a central axis of the roll paper when the storage section is removed from the housing.

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