Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer that can stably convey a printing medium when the printing medium is supplied from the outside of an enclosure.SOLUTION: In a printer, a paper supply port 8 is formed at a rear wall 2D of an enclosure 2. A handle 40 is provided on the enclosure 2 through a mounting part. The handle 40 can rotate between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position where the handle 40 rotates when a gripping part 44 is positioned upper than the paper supply port 8. The second position is a position where the handle 40 rotates when the gripping part 44 opposes to the rear wall 2D, behind the enclosure 2 and the gripping part 44 is positioned lower than the paper supply port 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Printers that print on print media supplied from outside a housing are known. In the printer described in Patent Document 1, a paper insertion port for inserting fanfold paper into the housing is formed in the housing. The housing is provided with a handle that is rotatably supported on the housing and has a grip formed thereon. The handle is rotatable between a frontmost position and a rearmost position. The printer is capable of positioning the handle at an intermediate stop position that is between the frontmost position and the rearmost position and where the grip of the handle does not overlap with the paper insertion port when the paper insertion port is viewed from the insertion direction of the fanfold paper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-202796 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above printer, if the intermediate stop position is one in which the gripping part is above the paper insertion opening, the stack of fanfold paper may come close to the paper insertion opening. In this case, the fanfold paper is inserted at a large incline relative to the paper insertion opening, causing it to slide against the inner wall of the housing that defines the paper insertion opening, which may prevent the fanfold paper from being transported stably from outside the housing to the thermal head inside the housing.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can transport a print medium stably when the print medium is supplied from outside the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A printer according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a printing unit, a housing that houses the printing unit, and a handle rotatably supported on the housing and having a grip, the housing having an outer wall extending in a vertical direction and provided with a paper feed port for supplying printing medium from outside the housing to the printing unit, and the handle is rotatable between a first position in which the grip is located above the paper feed port and a second position in which the grip faces the outer wall and is located below the paper feed port.

[0007] In the printer, the print medium is supplied from a supply source disposed outside the housing. In the printer, when the gripping portion is in the second position, the handle restricts the supply source from approaching the paper feed port. The print medium is prevented from being significantly tilted in the vertical direction, and the printer can stably transport the print medium when the print medium is supplied from outside the housing.

[0008] In the printer, a connector for electrically connecting with an external device may be provided below the paper feed port on the outer wall, and the gripping portion may be located above a lower end of the outer wall when the handle is located at the second position. When the printer is electrically connected with the external device via a wired cable, the wired cable is connected to the connector. When the handle is located at the second position, the gripping portion is located above the lower end of the outer wall, so that the wired cable routed below the handle is not interfered with by the handle.

[0009] In the printer, the outer wall may be provided with a lid that opens and closes the paper feed opening. When the print medium is not supplied from outside the housing, the lid closes the paper feed opening, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the inside of the housing.

[0010] In the printer, when the handle is located at the second position, the gripping portion may be farther from the outer wall than the lid that opens the paper feed port, whereby when the lid opens the paper feed port, the handle restricts a supply source of printing media from approaching the paper feed port.

[0011] In the printer, a display unit that displays various information may be provided on an upper end of the housing, and the grip unit may be located above the display unit when the handle is located at the first position. In the printer, since the grip unit is located above the display unit when the handle is located at the first position, a user can grip the grip unit in the first position without being interfered with by the display unit.

[0012] The printer may include a guide section housed in the housing and guiding the print medium supplied into the housing through the paper feed port to the printing section, and when the handle is located at the second position, the grip section may be located below an imaginary line passing through the guide section and the paper feed port. In the printer, when the handle is located at the second position, the grip section is located below an imaginary line passing through the guide section and the paper feed port. This allows the print medium to be transported along the imaginary line, making it less likely for the print medium to slide on the inner wall of the outer wall that defines the paper feed port. Therefore, the printer can stably transport the print medium to the printing section.

[0013] In the printer, the housing may be provided with a restricting portion that restricts the rotation range of the handle between the first position and the second position. By restricting the rotation range of the handle with the restricting portion, the printer can easily position the handle at the first position or the second position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the printer 1 with the opening of the first housing 3 closed, as viewed from above and on the front right. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of the printer 1 viewed from above and front left with the opening of the first housing 3 open. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the printer 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the printer 1 with the paper feed port 8 open. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the printer 1 with the paper feed opening 8 closed. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of the mounting portions 30L and 30R and the handle 40 as viewed from the right front. [Figure 7] 1 is a right side view of the printer 1 with the handle 40 in the first position and the display panel 5 in the upright position. [Figure 8] 1 is a right side view of the printer 1 with the handle 40 in the second position and the display panel 5 in the lying position. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view of the printer 1 seen from above and rear on the left when a label P is being fed from the fanfold paper R through the paper feed port 8 into the housing 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are used to explain technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. In other words, the configurations and the like shown in the drawings are not intended to be limiting, but are merely illustrative examples. In the description of this embodiment, the upper left, lower right, lower left, upper right, upper, and lower in FIG. 1 are defined as the left, right, front, rear, upper, and lower of the printer 1.

[0016] <Printer 1> 1 and 2, the printer 1 has a housing 2, a display panel 5, a platen roller 18, a thermal head 19, and a handle 40. The printer 1 of this embodiment is a portable printer. The printer 1 prints on a label P (see FIG. 9) attached to, for example, fanfold paper R.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 9, fanfold paper R is composed of labels P and a backing paper Q. The backing paper Q is long and has perforations extending in the width direction at predetermined intervals in the long direction. A plurality of labels P are arranged in the long direction on one side of the backing paper Q. Fanfold paper R is formed by folding the backing paper Q multiple times along the perforations extending in the width direction. In this embodiment, the labels P are arranged on the fanfold paper R, but for example, the labels may be affixed to a roll of paper in which a long sheet is wound. The print medium is not limited to paper and may be, for example, a plastic sheet.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 2 has a first housing 3 and a second housing 4. The first housing 3 is the lower part of the housing 2, and the second housing 4 is the lower part of the housing 2. The first housing 3 and the second housing 4 are each a rectangular box extending in the front-to-rear direction in a plan view. The first housing 3 is composed of a left wall 3A, a right wall 3B, a front wall 3C, a rear wall 3D, and a bottom wall 3E, and opens upward. The left wall 3A and the right wall 3B are perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. The front wall 3C and the rear wall 3D are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. The bottom wall 3E is perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0019] The second housing 4 is composed of a left wall 4A, a right wall 4B, a front wall 4C, a rear wall 4D, and a top wall 4E, and opens downward. The left wall 4A and the right wall 4B are perpendicular to the left-right direction. The front wall 4C and the rear wall 4D are perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The top wall 4E intersects in the up-down direction and is inclined forward and slightly downward.

[0020] The second housing 4 is a cover that opens and closes an opening at the top of the first housing 3, and is provided on the first housing 3 so as to be rotatable about an axis C1. The axis C1 extends in the left-right direction at the rear upper end of the first housing 3. As shown in FIG. 1, a front wall 3C of the first housing 3 and a front wall 4C of the second housing 4 are collectively referred to as a front wall 2C of the housing 2. A rear wall 3D of the first housing 3 and a rear wall 4D of the second housing 4 are collectively referred to as a rear wall 2D of the housing 2.

[0021] An outlet 9 is formed in the front wall 2C of the housing 2. The outlet 9 is a gap between the front wall 3C of the first housing 3 and the front wall 4C of the second housing 4, and extends in the left-right direction. The fanfold paper R with the label P printed on it is discharged from inside the housing 2 through the outlet 9.

[0022] A display panel 5 is provided on an upper wall 4E of the second housing 4. The display panel 5 is a rectangular plate in a plan view. The display panel 5 is provided on the upper wall 4E so as to be rotatable about an axis C2. The axis C2 extends in the left-right direction through the center of the upper wall 4E in the front-rear direction.

[0023] The display panel 5 can move between a lying position and an upright position by rotating about the axis C2. The lying position is a rotation position of the display panel 5 in which the display panel 5 abuts against the upper wall 4E from above (see Figs. 1 and 8). The upright position is a rotation position of the display panel 5 rotated counterclockwise from the lying position about the axis C2 when viewed from the right side (see Fig. 7). When the display panel 5 is in the upright position, the display panel 5 extends rearward and upward from the axis C2. The display panel 5 has a liquid crystal display 5A for displaying various information. The liquid crystal display 5A is provided in front of the display panel 5 in the lying position (see Fig. 1).

[0024] <Internal structure of case 2> 2 and 3, the first housing 3 accommodates therein a base plate 11, a control unit 20 (see FIG. 3), a battery (not shown), restriction plates 12L, 12R, guide units 13L, 13R, and a platen roller 18. The base plate 11 has a rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction in a plan view, and has an arc shape recessed downward in a side view.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the rear end of the base plate 11 is connected to the bottom end of the paper feed port 8, which will be described later. The front end of the base plate 11 is located between the center of the first housing 3 in the front-to-rear direction and the front wall 3C. The front end of the base plate 11 is higher than the rear end of the base plate 11 in the vertical direction. The base plate 11 and the bottom wall 3E of the first housing 3 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The control unit 20 and the battery are provided in the space between the base plate 11 and the bottom wall 3E. The control unit 20 has overall control over the printer 1. The battery is the power source for the printer 1.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, the regulating plates 12L, 12R are provided at the front end of the base plate 11 and face each other in the left-right direction. The regulating plate 12L extends upward from the left front end of the base plate 11 and then extends to the right. The regulating plate 12R extends upward from the right front end of the base plate 11 and then extends to the left. The guide portion 13L is provided in front of the base plate 11 and is a plate that extends in the left-right direction. The guide portion 13L is slightly above the front end of the base plate 11 in the up-down direction (see Fig. 3).

[0027] The platen roller 18 is provided in a position between the guide portion 13L and the front wall 3C of the first housing 3 in the front-rear direction, and is a cylinder with an axis extending in the left-right direction. The platen roller 18 is slightly above the guide portion 13L in the up-down direction (see FIG. 3). The platen roller 18 is provided in the first housing 3 so as to be rotatable about its axis, and is rotated by the drive of a motor (not shown).

[0028] The second housing 4 accommodates a guide unit 13U and a thermal head 19. The guide unit 13U is a plate that is provided at the lower end of the second housing 4 and extends in the left-right direction. When the second housing 4 closes the opening of the first housing 3, the guide unit 13U faces the guide unit 13L with a slight gap therebetween in the up-down direction.

[0029] The thermal head 19 is provided at the lower end of the second housing 4 and in front of the guide portion 13U. The thermal head 19 is a plate extending in the left-right direction and includes multiple heating elements lined up in the left-right direction. When the second housing 4 closes the opening of the first housing 3, the thermal head 19 faces the platen roller 18 with a slight gap therebetween in the vertical direction. The thermal head 19 prints on the label P by selectively heating the multiple heating elements based on instructions from the control unit 20.

[0030] <2D rear wall structure> As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rear wall 2D of the housing 2 is provided with a paper feed opening 8 (see Figure 4), a cover 14 (see Figure 5), and a connector group 21. As shown in Figure 4, the paper feed opening 8 is provided at the upper end of the rear wall 3D of the first housing 3, and extends in the left-right direction. The axis C1 is located above the lower end of the paper feed opening 8. The paper feed opening 8 is located in approximately the center of the rear wall 2D in the up-down direction. Fanfold paper R is transported into the housing 2 through the paper feed opening 8.

[0031] The lid 14 is a plate extending in the left-right direction and opens and closes the paper feed opening 8. The lid 14 is provided on the rear wall 3D so as to be rotatable about an axis C3 extending in the left-right direction. The axis C3 extends through the lower end of the lid 14 and is located approximately in the center of the rear wall 3D in the up-down direction. The lid 14 is rotated approximately 90 degrees clockwise when viewed from the right side from a closed state (see FIG. 5) in which the paper feed opening 8 is closed to an open state (see FIGS. 3 and 4) in which the paper feed opening 8 is open.

[0032] The connector group 21 is provided at the lower end of the rear wall 3D, and is located below the paper feed port 8. The connector group 21 is a connector for electrically connecting to an external device, and includes a power connector 22 and a communication connector 23.

[0033] The power connector 22 can be connected to a power cable (not shown) for supplying power from an external power source (not shown) to the battery in the first housing 3. The external power source is, for example, a commercial power source or a generator. The communication connector 23 can be connected to a communication cable (not shown) for communicating via electric signals between the control unit 20 (see FIG. 3) and an external device (not shown). The external device is, for example, a PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, etc. The communication cable is, for example, an Ethernet cable.

[0034] <Mounting parts 30L and 30R> As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the first housing 3 is provided with mounting parts 30L and 30R that support a handle 40 (described later) rotatably around an axis C4. The axis C4 extends in the left-right direction at the upper end of the first housing 3 and at the center of the first housing 3 in the front-rear direction. The mounting part 30L is provided on the left wall 3A and on the axis C4 (see Fig. 2). The mounting part 30R is provided on the right wall 3B and on the axis C4. The mounting parts 30L and 30R are substantially semicircular plates that bulge downward in side view. The mounting parts 30L and 30R have a symmetrical structure. The following description will focus on the mounting part 30R, and the mounting part 30L will be briefly described.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, the mounting portion 30R is provided with a bearing hole 31R and restricting portions 32R, 33R (see FIG. 7). The bearing hole 31R is a circular hole provided in the center of the mounting portion 30R in a side view and extending in the left-right direction. The restricting portions 32R, 33R are columnar extending leftward from the left end of the mounting portion 30R. As shown in FIG. 8, the restricting portion 32R is provided at the upper end portion of the mounting portion 30R. The restricting portion 32R is located in the center of the mounting portion 30R in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the restricting portion 33R is provided at the rear lower end portion of the mounting portion 30R.

[0036] 6, the mounting portion 30L has a bearing hole 31L and restriction portions 32L and 33L. The bearing hole 31L and the restriction portions 32L and 33L correspond to the bearing hole 31R and the restriction portions 32R and 33R of the mounting portion 30R, respectively.

[0037] <Handle 40> 6 to 8, it has engagement portions 41L and 41R, arm portions 43L and 43R, and a grip portion 44. The engagement portions 41L and 41R have a symmetrical structure, and the arm portions 43L and 43R have a symmetrical structure. The following description will focus on the engagement portions 41R and the arm portions 43R, and will briefly describe the engagement portions 41L and the arm portions 43L.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 6, the engagement portion 41R has a columnar portion 42R and a shaft portion (not shown). The columnar portion 42R has an axis extending in the left-right direction. The shaft portion extends leftward from the left end of the columnar portion 42R. The axis of the columnar portion 42R, the axis of the shaft portion, and the axis C4 are on the same line. The shaft portion is inserted into the bearing hole 31R from the right side of the mounting portion 30R, and the engagement portion 41R is attached to the mounting portion 30R. The engagement portion 41L has a columnar portion 42L and a shaft portion (not shown). The columnar portion 42L and the shaft portion of the engagement portion 41L are configured to correspond to the columnar portion 42R and the shaft portion of the engagement portion 41R, respectively. The shaft portion is inserted into the bearing hole 31L from the left side of the mounting portion 30L, and the engagement portion 41L is attached to the mounting portion 30L.

[0039] The arm 43R has one end connected to the cylindrical portion 42R and is rod-shaped extending in the radial direction of the axis C4. The arm 43L has one end connected to the cylindrical portion 42L and is rod-shaped extending in the radial direction of the axis C4. The grip 44 is rod-shaped extending in the left-right direction. The left end of the grip 44 is connected to the other end of the arm 43L, and the right end of the grip 44 is connected to the other end of the arm 43R. The handle 40 is supported by the mounting portions 30L, 30L to be rotatable around the axis C4.

[0040] <Handle 40 position> The handle 40 can rotate between a first position and a second position by rotating about the axis C4. As shown in Fig. 7, the first position is a rotational position of the handle 40 when the grip portion 44 is located above the paper feed port 8. When the handle 40 is in the first position, the arms 43L, 43R extend upward from the cylindrical portions 42L, 42R. When the handle 40 is in the first position, the grip portion 44 is located above the display panel 5, which is in the upright position. With the handle 40 in the first position, the user grips the grip portion 44 and carries the printer 1.

[0041] 4 and 8, the second position is a rotational position of the handle 40 when the gripping portion 44 faces the rear wall 2D at the rear of the housing 2 and is located below the paper feed opening 8 in a rear view. When the handle 40 is in the second position, the arms 43L, 43R extend rearward and slightly downward. Although not shown, when the handle 40 rotates between the first position and the second position, the handle 40 rotates without being interfered with by the display panel 5 which is in the upright position.

[0042] 3, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the grip portion 44 is located below and behind the lid 14 in the open state. In other words, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the grip portion 44 is further rearward from the rear wall 2D in the front-to-rear direction than the lid 14 in the open state. When the handle 40 is in the second position, the grip portion 44 is located below an imaginary line S. The imaginary line S is a straight line passing through the guide portion 13U and the center of the paper feed opening 8 in the up-down direction.

[0043] 4, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the grip portion 44 is located above the lower end of the rear wall 2D. Therefore, a power cable (not shown) that connects to the power connector 22 and a communication cable (not shown) that connects to the communication connector 23 are routed below the grip portion 44 without interfering with the handle 40.

[0044] The axis C1 is located above the lower end of the paper feed opening 8, and when the handle 40 is in the second position, the gripping portion 44 is located below the paper feed opening 8. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2, the second housing 4 can rotate about the axis C1 without being interfered with by the handle 40 to open and close the opening of the first housing 3.

[0045] When the handle 40 is in the first position, the arm 43L abuts against the restricting portion 33L from above, and the arm 43R abuts against the restricting portion 33R from above. When the handle 40 is in the second position, the arm 43L abuts against the restricting portion 32L from behind, and the arm 43R abuts against the restricting portion 32R from behind. That is, the rotation range of the handle 40 is restricted between the first position and the second position by the restricting portions 32L, 32R, 33L, and 33R.

[0046] <Printing media supply> As shown in Fig. 9, the fanfold paper R is positioned at the rear of the housing 2. When the fanfold paper R is supplied to the printer 1, the handle 40 is in the second position. When the handle 40 is in the second position, the gripping part 44 faces the rear wall 2D at the rear of the housing 2 and is positioned lower than the paper feed opening 8. Therefore, the fanfold paper R is restricted by the gripping part 44 and cannot be positioned closer to the paper feed opening 8 than the gripping part 44, and is positioned further rearward than the gripping part 44.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 3, the backing paper Q is fed forward from the fanfold paper R toward the paper feed opening 8. The backing paper Q is transported toward the paper feed opening 8 along the imaginary line S. When the backing paper Q passes through the paper feed opening 8, the label P is placed on the upper surface of the backing paper Q.

[0048] The liner Q that has passed through the paper feed opening 8 is transported inside the housing 2 along the imaginary line S. The liner Q passes through a gap defined by the base plate 11 and the regulating plates 12L, 12R, and reaches the guide sections 13L, 13U (also see FIG. 2). The liner Q is guided by the guide sections 13L, 13U and reaches the platen roller 18. While transporting the liner Q forward, the platen roller 18 presses the label P upward toward the thermal head 19. The thermal head 19 selectively heats a plurality of heating elements to print on the label P. The printed label P is discharged from inside the housing 2 together with the liner Q through the discharge opening 9.

[0049] <Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment> As described above, in the printer 1, the rear wall 2D of the housing 2 is provided with the paper feed port 8. The handle 40 is provided on the housing 2 via the attachment parts 30L and 30R. The handle 40 can rotate between a first position and a second position. The first position is a rotation position of the handle 40 when the grip part 44 is located above the paper feed port 8. The second position is a rotation position of the handle 40 when the grip part 44 faces the rear wall 2D at the rear of the housing 2 and is located below the paper feed port 8 in a rear view. In this case, when the label P is supplied to the printer 1 from the fanfold paper R arranged at the rear of the housing 2, the handle 40 is in the second position. The grip part 44 restricts the fanfold paper R from being closer to the paper feed port 8 than the grip part 44, and the fanfold paper R is arranged further rearward than the grip part 44. This prevents the backing paper Q fed from the fanfold paper R from being significantly inclined with respect to the paper feed port 8. Therefore, when the label P is supplied from the fanfold paper R arranged outside the housing 2, the printer 1 can transport the label P stably.

[0050] In the printer 1, a connector group 21 is provided on the rear wall 3D below the paper feed port 8. When the handle 40 is in the second position, the gripping portion 44 is located above the lower end of the rear wall 2D. In this case, the power cable connecting to the power connector 22 and the communication cable connecting to the communication connector 23 are not interfered with by the handle 40 below the gripping portion 44. Therefore, the printer 1 can be easily connected to external devices such as an external power source and an external device.

[0051] In the printer 1, a lid 14 that opens and closes the paper feed opening 8 is provided on the rear wall 3D. In this case, when the label P is not being fed from the fanfold paper R arranged outside the housing 2, the printer 1 closes the lid 14, thereby preventing foreign matter such as dust from entering the inside of the housing 2 through the paper feed opening 8.

[0052] In the printer 1, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the gripping portion 44 is further rearward from the rear wall 2D in the front-to-rear direction than the lid 14 in the open state. In this case, even when the lid 14 is in the open state in which the paper feed opening 8 is open, the handle 40 prevents the fanfold paper R from approaching the paper feed opening 8. Therefore, when the label P is supplied from the fanfold paper R arranged outside the housing 2, the printer 1 can stably transport the label P. Furthermore, in the printer 1, the handle 40 does not interfere with the opening and closing of the lid 14.

[0053] In the printer 1, when the handle 40 is in the first position, the grip part 44 is located above the display panel 5 in the upright position. This allows the user to grip the grip part 44 in the first position without being interfered with by the display panel 5 and carry the printer 1.

[0054] In the printer 1, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the gripping portion 44 is below the imaginary line S. In this case, the backing paper Q is transported along the imaginary line S from the fanfold paper R toward the guides 13L and 13U. If the gripping portion 44 is above the imaginary line S when the handle 40 is in the second position, the backing paper Q is lifted by the gripping portion 44, and the label P may slide against the rear wall 3D at the upper end of the paper feed slot 8. In the printer 1, the backing paper Q is transported along the imaginary line S and is less likely to be lifted by the gripping portion 44. Therefore, in the printer 1, the label P is less likely to slide against the rear wall 3D, and the label P can be transported stably to the thermal head 19.

[0055] Mounting portions 30L and 30R are provided on the housing 2. Restricting portions 32L, 32R, 33L, and 33R provided on the mounting portions 30L and 30R restrict the rotation range of the handle 40 between a first position and a second position. This allows the printer 1 to easily position the handle 40 at the first position or the second position.

[0056] <Modification> The present invention can be modified in various ways from the above embodiment. The various modified examples described below can be combined with each other as long as no contradiction occurs. For example, the structure of the handle 40 of the printer 1 may be modified as appropriate. In the above embodiment, the left end of the grip 44 is connected to the arm 43L, and the right end of the grip 44 is connected to the arm 43R. In contrast, the grip 44 does not need to be connected to either the arm 43L or the arm 43R. In this case, the handle 40 is L-shaped in a plan view. The grip 44 does not need to connect the arm 43L and the arm 43R, and for example, an opening that divides the grip 44 into left and right parts may be provided in the center of the grip 44 in the left-right direction. The grip 44 may be an arc shape that extends in the left-right direction and bulges downward.

[0057] When the handle 40 is in the second position, the grip portion 44 does not have to be located above the lower end of the rear wall 2D. For example, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the lower end of the grip portion 44 may be located at the same vertical position as the lower end of the rear wall 2D.

[0058] The connector group 21 may be provided on a wall different from the rear wall 2D, for example, on the left wall 3A. The connector group 21 does not have to include either the power connector 22 or the communication connector 23. The connector group 21 may include a connector for connecting to a cable (for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable) that includes both a power line that supplies power to the battery and a communication line for communicating with an external device. The printer 1 does not have to include the connector group 21.

[0059] The printer 1 does not need to be provided with the lid 14. In the above embodiment, the axis C3, which is the center of rotation of the lid 14, extends in the left-right direction at the bottom end of the lid 14. In contrast, the axis C3 may extend in the up-down direction at the left end of the lid 14. In this case, the lid 14 is opened by rotating clockwise in a plan view from a closed state. The lid 14 may be detachable from the rear wall 3D.

[0060] When the handle 40 is in the second position, the grip 44 may be in a position overlapping the lid 14 in the open state in the front-rear direction. In other words, when the handle 40 is in the second position, the rear end of the grip 44 may be forward of the rear end of the lid 14 in the open state.

[0061] The printer 1 does not have to have a display panel 5. The display panel 5 does not have to be rotatable around the axis C2. The display panel 5 may be disposed in a position different from the standing position and the lying position. The display panel 5 may be located below the upper wall 4E. For example, the display panel 5 may be provided on the right wall 3B.

[0062] In the above embodiment, when the handle 40 is in the first position, the grip portion 44 is located above the display panel 5 in the upright position. In contrast, when the handle 40 is in the first position, the grip portion 44 may be located below the display panel 5 in the upright position. For example, when the handle 40 is in the first position, the grip portion 44 may be located above the paper feed port 8 and overlapping in the vertical direction with the display panel 5 in the lateral position. In the above embodiment, when the handle 40 is in the first position, the arms 43L, 43R extend upward from the cylindrical portions 42L, 42R. In contrast, when the handle 40 is in the first position, if the grip portion 44 is above the rear wall 2D, the arms 43L, 43R may extend upward from the cylindrical portions 42L, 42R toward the front or the rear.

[0063] The printer 1 does not need to have the guide units 13L and 13U. The guide units 13L and 13U may have a structure that guides the thermal head 19, and the structure may be modified as appropriate. For example, the guide units 13L and 13U may be rollers that have axes extending in the left-right direction and face each other in the up-down direction.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the imaginary line S is a straight line passing through guide portion 13U and the vertical center of paper feed opening 8. In contrast, the imaginary line S may be defined by guide portions 13L, 13U and paper feed opening 8, and may be, for example, a straight line passing through guide portion 13L and the upper end of paper feed opening 8. Grip portion 44 may be located above imaginary line S when handle 40 is in the second position.

[0065] The mounting portion 30L may not have one or both of the regulating portions 32L and 33L. The mounting portion 30R may not have one or both of the regulating portions 32R and 33R. The printer 1 may have, for example, a stepping motor that rotates the handle 40 around the axis C4, and the handle 40 may be rotated to the first position and the second position under the control of the control portion 20. The configuration of the regulating portions 32L, 32R, 33L, and 33R may be changed as appropriate. For example, the regulating portion 32L may be a tension coil spring that biases the handle 40 in a direction to place it in the first position. The regulating portions 32L and 33L may be provided on, for example, the left wall 3A. The regulating portions 32R and 33R may be provided on, for example, the right wall 3B. In the above embodiment, the handle 40 was connected to the housing 2 via the mounting portions 30L and 30R. In contrast, the handle 40 may be connected to the housing 2 in a straight line.

[0066] <Other> The thermal head 19 is an example of the "printing section" of the present invention. The housing 2 is an example of the "housing" of the present invention. The gripping section 44 is an example of the "grip section" of the present invention. The handle 40 is an example of the "handle" of the present invention. The label P is an example of the "printing medium" of the present invention. The paper feed port 8 is an example of the "paper feed port" of the present invention. The rear wall 2D is an example of the "outer wall" of the present invention. The first position of the handle 40 is an example of the "first position" of the present invention. The second position of the handle 40 is an example of the "second position" of the present invention. The power connector 22 and the communication connector 23 are examples of the "connector" of the present invention. The lid 14 is an example of the "lid" of the present invention. The display panel 5 is an example of the "display section" of the present invention. The guide sections 13L and 13U are examples of the "guide section" of the present invention. The virtual line S is an example of the "virtual line" of the present invention. The restricting sections 32L, 32R, 33L, and 33R are examples of the "restricting section" of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1. Printer 2. Chassis 2D back wall 5 Display Panel 8 Paper feed slot 13L, 13U guide section 14 Lid 19 Thermal head 22 Power Connector 23 Communication connector 32L, 32R, 33L, 33R regulation section 40 Handle 44 Gripping part P Label R Fanfold paper

Claims

1. A printing unit; A housing that houses the printing unit; a handle rotatably supported by the housing and having a grip portion; the housing has an outer wall extending in a vertical direction and provided with a paper feed port for supplying a print medium from the outside of the housing to the printing unit; The handle is a first position where the gripping portion is located above the paper feed opening; The printer, wherein the gripping portion is rotatable between a first position where the gripping portion faces the outer wall and a second position where the gripping portion is located below the paper feed opening.

2. a connector for electrically connecting to an external device is provided below the paper feed opening on the outer wall, 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the handle is in the second position, the gripping portion is located above a lower end of the outer wall.

3. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall is provided with a cover for opening and closing the paper feed opening.

4. 4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein when the handle is located at the second position, the gripping portion is spaced farther from the outer wall than the lid that opens the paper feed opening.

5. A display unit for displaying various information is provided at the top end of the housing, 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the handle is in the first position, the grip portion is located above the display portion.

6. a guide section that is accommodated in the housing and guides the print medium supplied into the housing through the paper feed port to the printing section; 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the handle is located at the second position, the grip portion is located below an imaginary line passing through the guide portion and the paper feed opening.

7. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a restricting portion that restricts a rotation range of the handle between the first position and the second position.

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