Sheet conveyance device

Abstract

To reduce the space occupied by a structure that allows adjustment, in the sheet width direction, of the position of a detection unit for detecting the position of a sheet in the longitudinal direction in a sheet conveyance device.SOLUTION: This sheet conveyance device comprises: a detection unit including a sensor element facing the front face of a belt-like sheet and a sensor element facing the back face of the sheet, the detection unit detecting a mark indicating the position in the longitudinal direction of the sheet; a first sensor holder that holds the sensor element facing the front face and is supported to be movable in the sheet width direction; a second sensor holder that holds the sensor element facing the back face and is supported to be movable in the sheet width direction; an interlocking member that is provided on the front face of the sheet and is moved in the opposite direction to the first sensor holder by the transmitted movement of the first sensor holder in the sheet width direction; and a connection member that connects the interlocking member and the second sensor holder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a paper conveyance device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, paper conveyance devices for conveying strip-shaped paper have become widespread. The paper conveyance device is, for example, a printer that prints on strip-shaped paper. Examples of the strip-shaped paper include label paper and ticket paper. Label paper is obtained by attaching labels of a predetermined size to a strip-shaped base paper at regular intervals. Ticket paper is used as a lottery ticket or the like by being printed and cut into a predetermined size. Label paper and ticket paper are printing media for which displacement of the printing position is hardly tolerable. A paper conveyance device that handles such paper is provided with a detection unit that detects the position of the paper (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The detection unit detects the position of the paper in the length direction by detecting a feature (such as a mark) at a predetermined position in the width direction of the paper. The position of the feature in the width direction of the paper varies depending on the specifications of the paper and is not constant. For this reason, the paper conveyance device is provided with a structure that enables the detection unit to move in the width direction of the paper.

[0004] When the detection unit includes sensor elements on both the front and back sides of the paper, this structure needs to keep both sensor elements overlapping above and below the paper. In this case, the conventional structure is likely to be large in the width direction of the paper for the convenience of moving the two sensor elements in the width direction of the paper while keeping them overlapping in the vertical direction, which is a factor that hinders miniaturization and space saving in the paper conveyance device.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to reduce the space occupied by a structure that enables adjustment of the position of a detection unit that detects the position of the paper in the length direction in the width direction of the paper in a paper conveyance device.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The paper conveyance device of the embodiment includes a sensor element facing the front surface of the strip-shaped paper and a sensor element facing the back surface of the paper, a detection unit that detects a mark indicating the position in the length direction of the paper, a first sensor holder that holds the sensor element facing the front surface and is supported so as to be movable in the paper width direction, a second sensor holder that holds the sensor element facing the back surface and is supported so as to be movable in the paper width direction, an interlocking member provided on the front surface side of the paper, to which the movement of the first sensor holder in the paper width direction is transmitted and which moves in the direction opposite to the first sensor holder, and a connecting member that connects the interlocking member and the second sensor holder.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described below.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the printer 1 according to the embodiment. Here, for convenience of explanation, a three-dimensional coordinate system is also shown in the drawing. In the three-dimensional coordinate system, the width direction (left and right direction) of the printer 1 is the X-axis direction, the depth direction (front and back direction) is the Y-axis direction, and the height direction (up and down direction) is the Z-axis direction. The three axes of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. Note that the positive direction of the Z-axis is the direction from bottom to top. Also, the positive direction of the Y-axis is the direction from the front side to the back side of the printer 1, and the negative direction of the Y-axis is "forward". And the positive direction of the X-axis is the direction from left to right when facing forward (negative direction of the Y-axis).

[0010] Printer 1 is an example of a paper conveyance device, and prints and issues information on paper. The housing 2 of printer 1 is divided into left and right parts, and includes a left case 21 and a right case 22. The left case 21 and the right case 22 are connected by a hinge portion 23.

[0011] The hinge portion 23 rotatably connects the right end of the upper surface of the left case 21 and the left end of the upper surface of the right case 22. Thereby, the right case 22 can rotate about the hinge portion 23 with respect to the left case 21, and functions as a lid for opening and closing the housing 2.

[0012] The right case 22 moves between a closed position (see FIG. 1) for closing the housing 2 and an open position (see FIG. 2, described later) for opening the housing 2 according to the above rotation. The open position is a position above the left case 21, and when the right case 22 is in the open position, the upper surface of the right case 22 faces the upper surface of the left case 21.

[0013] A display unit 25 and an operation unit 26 are provided on a front panel 24 constituting the front portion of the left case 21. The display unit 25 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display with a backlight, but other types of display devices may be used. The operation unit 26 includes a plurality of operation buttons 27. The operation buttons 27 receive operations by an operator.

[0014] In addition to the above-described parts, the left case 21 houses electronic components such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a non-volatile memory, as well as a motor and the like. The CPU realizes various functional units for the operation of printer 1 by expanding and executing the programs stored in the ROM in the RAM.

[0015] A front panel 28 that constitutes the front portion of the right case 22 is provided with a paper discharge port 29. The paper discharge port 29 is an opening for discharging the printed paper.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer 1 with the housing 2 opened. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the printer 1. The printer 1 includes a paper storage unit 3, a ribbon holding unit 4, a printing unit 5, and a detection unit 7 inside the housing 2.

[0017] The paper storage unit 3 stores the roll paper 9 in a manner that allows the paper 90 to be drawn out freely. The roll paper 9 is a roll around which the strip-shaped paper 90 is wound.

[0018] The printing unit 5 prints on the surface of the paper 90 and includes a printing head 51 and a platen 52. The printing head 51 is, for example, a line thermal head. The platen 52 is, for example, a roller whose surface is made of an elastic material and rotates under the driving force of a motor or the like. The paper 90 sandwiched between the platen 52 and the printing head 51 is conveyed as the platen 52 rotates. The printing head 51 prints on the conveyed paper 90. The paper 90 that has passed through the printing unit 5 is discharged from the paper discharge port 29.

[0019] The ribbon holding unit 4 includes a supply shaft 41 and a take-up shaft 42 and holds the ink ribbon 100. The ink ribbon 100 is strip-shaped, with the wound portion before supply supported by the supply shaft 41 and the portion after passing through the printing unit 5 wound by the take-up shaft 42. The ink ribbon 100 is sandwiched between the printing head 51 and the platen 52 together with the paper 90. The thermal ink applied to the ink ribbon 100 is heated and melted by the printing head 51 and transferred to the paper 90.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the paper 90. There are various types of paper 90. In addition to simple strip-shaped paper, there is, for example, a label paper in which a label 92 is attached to a strip-shaped mount 91 as shown in FIG. 4. The label 92 has an adhesive paste layer provided on one side of a sheet of a predetermined size. The sheet may be paper or a resin film.

[0021] The label 92 is affixed to the strip-shaped backing paper 91 at substantially equal intervals, and a gap 93 of a predetermined size is provided between adjacent labels 92. In order to stabilize the printing position on the label 92, it is necessary to detect (confirm) the position of the label 92 on the backing paper 91 and then perform printing. For this reason, the detection unit 7 detects the position of the label 92 on the backing paper 91.

[0022] Also, the sheet 90 includes, for example, tickets such as admission tickets that are continuous (ticket paper). When such a sheet 90 is printed and cut, it becomes a ticket (voucher, coupon). The sheet 90 as ticket paper is often a non-plain one with a background image or general information pre-printed on the side (front surface) to be printed by the printing unit 5, and it is difficult to tolerate a deviation in the printing position. A black mark may be marked on the back surface of such a sheet 90 to indicate the cutting position of the ticket.

[0023] The black mark is, for example, a rectangular mark displayed in black that absorbs light, like the one indicated by reference numeral 95 in FIG. 4 (hereinafter referred to as the black mark 95). The black mark 95 is generally provided at either the left or right end in the sheet width direction or at the center in the sheet width direction.

[0024] In the above, the black mark 95 has been described by taking the case of indicating the cutting position of the ticket on the ticket paper as an example, but the black mark 95 is also used for other purposes such as indicating the position of the label 92 on the label paper.

[0025] The detection unit 7 includes, for example, a transmission sensor or a reflection sensor and detects the detection target. The detection target is, for example, the label 92, the gap 93 between adjacent labels 92, or the black mark 95 provided on the back surface of the sheet 90. The output (detection result) of the detection unit 7 is used for determining the printing position on the sheet 90. For the sake of convenience in explanation, the processing unit that determines the printing position based on the output of the detection unit 7 is hereinafter referred to as the determination unit. Also, the processing unit that controls the printing position based on the determination of the determination unit is referred to as the control unit. The determination unit and the control unit are examples of the above functional units.

[0026] The transmissive sensor includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged so as to sandwich the sheet 90 therebetween. The light receiving unit receives the light emitted by the light emitting unit when the sheet 90 does not exist between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, or when the backing sheet 91 is thin enough to transmit light.

[0027] When the light receiving unit receives the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the transmissive sensor, based on the output of the detection unit 7 indicating this, the determination unit determines that the sheet 90 does not exist, or that the light has passed through the backing sheet 91, that is, the position where the label 92 does not exist. Also, as the sheet 90 (backing sheet 91) is conveyed, when the light receiving unit stops detecting light, based on the output of the detection unit 7 indicating this, the determination unit determines that the edge of the label 92 has been detected. The control unit controls the rotation of the platen 52 so that the sheet 90 is conveyed by a predetermined length from the time when the edge of the label 92 is detected, thereby aligning the position of the label 92 with respect to the print head 51.

[0028] The reflective sensor includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that face the back surface of the sheet 90. When the sheet 90 exists, the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the reflective sensor is reflected by the sheet 90, and the light receiving unit receives the reflected light. When the sheet 90 does not exist, since the light receiving unit does not detect light, based on the output of the detection unit 7 indicating this, the determination unit determines that the sheet 90 does not exist.

[0029] Also, when the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the reflective sensor reaches the black mark 95 on the back surface of the sheet 90, the light is not reflected and the light receiving unit stops detecting light. Based on the output of the detection unit 7 indicating this, the determination unit determines that the black mark 95 has been detected.

[0030] Also, the determination criteria of the determination unit and the control content of the control unit are preset in association with, for example, the combination of the type of the sheet 90 and the type of the output of the detection unit 7, and are stored in a non-volatile memory.

[0031] As described above, in the printer 1, the detection unit 7, the determination unit, and the control unit determine and control the printing position on various sheets 90 such as label sheets and ticket sheets.

[0032] Here, the black mark 95 is generally not provided over the entire width direction of the sheet 90, but is provided in a partial area such as the central part in the width direction of the sheet 90 or one side end in the width direction. Therefore, when using the sheet 90 provided with the black mark 95, the detection unit 7 needs to be arranged at a position where the black mark 95 can be detected. For this reason, the printer 1 includes a structure (detection position adjustment unit 8) for moving the detection unit 7 in the sheet width direction when adjusting the position of the detection unit 7.

[0033] The detection unit 7 of the present embodiment integrally includes a transmission sensor and a reflection sensor. Therefore, the detection position adjustment unit 8 moves the detection unit 7 in the sheet width direction while maintaining the positional relationship in which the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the transmission sensor face each other. Hereinafter, the detection position adjustment unit 8, which is a structure for making the detection unit 7 movable along the sheet width direction, will be described.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the printer 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is described as an example. However, in practice, even if the type of the printer is different, as long as it prints on the belt-like sheet 90 and the position of the sheet 90 is detected by the detection unit 7, it does not matter. For example, the detection unit 7 and the detection position adjustment unit 8 of the present embodiment may be adopted for an in-line printer incorporated in a production line for printing.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the detection position adjustment unit 8. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the detection position adjustment unit 8. The detection position adjustment unit 8 includes a front unit cover 81, a first sensor holder 82, a pinch 831, a rail member 832, a pinion gear 841, an interlocking rack 842, a front unit casing 85, a back unit casing 86, a second sensor holder 87, a back unit cover 88, etc., and these parts overlap from top to bottom in the above-listed order.

[0036] The front unit cover 81 and the front unit casing 85 house and protect between them components such as the first sensor substrate 71, the first sensor holder 82, the pinch 831, the rail member 832, the pinion gear 841, and the interlocking rack 842. The back unit casing 86 and the back unit cover 88 house and protect between them components such as the second sensor holder 87 and the second sensor substrate 72.

[0037] The front unit casing 85 faces the front surface of the sheet 90. The back unit casing 86 faces the back surface of the sheet 90. That is, the front unit casing 85 and the back unit casing 86 are positioned with the sheet conveyance path therebetween. The front unit cover 81, the front unit casing 85, and the components therebetween are rotatable about a rotation shaft 869 provided at one end of the back unit casing 86. Along with this rotation, the detection position adjustment unit 8 opens and closes the sheet conveyance path.

[0038] The first sensor holder 82 holds the first sensor substrate 71. The second sensor holder 87 holds the second sensor substrate 72. The first sensor substrate 71 and the second sensor substrate 72 constitute the detection unit 7. The first sensor substrate 71 is disposed on the front side of the sheet 90 and includes either the light emitting part or the light receiving part of the transmissive sensor. The second sensor substrate 72 is disposed on the back side of the sheet 90 and holds the other part of the transmissive sensor and the light emitting part and the light receiving part of the reflective sensor. Note that the light emitting part and the light receiving part are examples of sensor elements facing the front surface or the back surface of the sheet 90.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the inside of the front unit casing 85. FIG. 8 is a view showing a partial cross section of the inside of the front unit casing 85. The front unit casing 85 has a box shape with an open top surface, and houses therein the first sensor holder 82, the pinion gear 841, the interlocking rack 842, and the like. The interlocking rack 842 is an example of an interlocking member.

[0040] At the bottom of the first sensor holder 82, a rectangular protrusion 821 is provided. Also, in the front unit casing 85, a rectangular opening 851 is formed. The dimension of the opening 851 in the depth direction (Y-axis direction) is substantially the same as that of the protrusion 821. Also, the dimension of the opening 851 in the paper width direction (X-axis direction) is longer than that of the protrusion 821 and corresponds to the length of the movable range of the first sensor holder 82.

[0041] The protrusion 821 fits into the opening 851 and is slidable along the longitudinal direction (paper width direction) of the opening 851. The opening 851 guides the first sensor holder 82 to be movable along the paper width direction. In this way, the front unit casing 85 supports the first sensor holder 82 to be movable in the paper width direction.

[0042] The pinion gear 841 is a small-diameter gear (spur gear) and is rotatably supported by a shaft 855 erected at the center of the front unit casing 85. On the surface of the first sensor holder 82 facing the pinion gear 841, a rack 843 that meshes with the pinion gear 841 is formed. The interlocking rack 842 meshes with the pinion gear 841, faces the rack 843, and sandwiches the pinion gear 841 between it and the rack 843. These pinion gear 841, interlocking rack 842, and rack 843 constitute a rack and pinion structure.

[0043] Although not shown here, the interlocking rack 842 and the pinion gear 841 are covered from above by a rail member 832 (see FIG. 5). Also, a hole 835 is provided at the center in the paper width direction of the rail member 832, and the above-mentioned shaft 855 fits into the hole 835. The rail member 832 presses the pinion gear 841 fitted into the shaft 855 from above to prevent the pinion gear 841 from falling off.

[0044] Further, the first sensor holder 82 includes a pinch 833 that mates with the pinch 831. At the lower end of the pinch 833, the lower end of the pair of pinches 831 is rotatably attached by a shaft. Further, a torsion spring attached to the shaft biases both pinches 831 and 833 in a direction in which their tip ends move away from each other.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the connection relationship between the first sensor holder 82 and the second sensor holder 87. Further, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the overlapping state in the height direction of the first sensor substrate 71 and the second sensor substrate 72 with the first sensor holder 82 removed from FIG. 9.

[0046] The first sensor holder 82 and the second sensor holder 87 are connected and interlocked by a rack and pinion structure. The movement of the first sensor holder 82 along the paper width direction (X-axis direction) is transmitted to the interlocking rack 842 by the rack 843 and the pinion gear 841, and thereby the interlocking rack 842 moves in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the first sensor holder 82.

[0047] The detection position adjustment unit 8 further includes a connecting member 845. The interlocking rack 842 is connected to the second sensor holder 87 by the connecting member 845. The second sensor holder 87 is located below the interlocking rack 842. The connecting member 845 is a belt-shaped or string-shaped member having flexibility and no extensibility in the length direction, and is, for example, a leaf spring. The connecting member 845 is bent in a substantially U-shape and wraps around the peripheral edge of the back unit casing 86, and connects the interlocking rack 842 located above the back unit casing 86 and the second sensor holder 87 located below the back unit casing 86.

[0048] Note that the substantially U-shaped bent portion of the connecting member 845 is supported from the inner peripheral side of the bend by a semi-circular portion 865 (see FIG. 13) described later, and its position and shape are maintained. One end of the connecting member 845 is fixed to the second sensor holder 87 by a fixing member 872 and a screw 873 (see FIG. 6). Further, the second sensor substrate 72 is fixed to the second sensor holder 87 by a fixing member 874 (see FIG. 6).

[0049] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the inside of the rear unit casing 86 from obliquely below. FIG. 12 is a view showing a partial cross section of the inside of the rear unit casing 86. FIG. 13 is a perspective view seen from below of the front unit casing 85 and the rear unit cover 88 stacked together up to the rear unit cover 88.

[0050] The rear unit casing 86 has a box shape with an open bottom surface, and inside it, a second sensor holder 87, a second sensor substrate 72, a rear unit cover 88, etc. are housed.

[0051] On the upper surface of the second sensor holder 87, a rectangular protrusion 871 is provided. Also, in the rear unit casing 86, a rectangular opening 861 is formed. The dimension of the opening 861 in the depth direction (Y-axis direction) is substantially the same as that of the protrusion 871. Also, the dimension of the opening 861 in the paper width direction (X-axis direction) is longer than that of the protrusion 871 and corresponds to the length of the movable range of the second sensor holder 87.

[0052] The protrusion 871 fits into the opening 861 and is slidable along the longitudinal direction (paper width direction) of the opening 861. The opening 861 guides the second sensor holder 87 to be movable along the paper width direction. In this way, the rear unit casing 86 supports the second sensor holder 87 to be movable in the paper width direction.

[0053] The rear unit casing 86 includes a semi-circular portion 865 around a rotation axis 869. The semi-circular portion 865 supports the substantially U-shaped bent portion of the connecting member 845 from the inner peripheral side of the bend.

[0054] FIG. 14 is a plan view (a) and a front view (b) showing a state where the first sensor holder 82 and the second sensor holder 87 are closest to the left end (the side where the value of the X-axis is small). FIG. 15 is a plan view (a) and a front view (b) showing a state where the first sensor holder 82 and the second sensor holder 87 are closest to the right end (the side where the value of the X-axis is large).

[0055] The movement of the first sensor holder 82 along the paper width direction (X-axis direction) is transmitted to the interlocking rack 842 by the rack 843 and the pinion gear 841. As a result, the interlocking rack 842 moves in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the first sensor holder 82. The movement of the interlocking rack 842 is transmitted to the second sensor holder 87 by the connecting member 845, and the second sensor holder 87 moves in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the interlocking rack 842. Therefore, the second sensor holder 87 and the first sensor holder 82 move in the same direction.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, when the first sensor holder 82 and the second sensor holder 87 are located at the leftmost end (or the rightmost end) of their movable ranges, the interlocking rack 842 is located at the rightmost end (or the leftmost end) of its movable range. That is, at this time, the first sensor holder 82, the second sensor holder 87, and the interlocking rack 842 are farthest from each other and are positioned near the opposite ends.

[0057] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a cross section along the paper width direction of the members stacked from the rail member 832 to the back unit cover 88. The detection position adjustment unit 8 further includes a biasing member 846. The biasing member 846 is an example of a biasing member that biases the second sensor holder 87 in a direction to apply a tensile force to the connecting member 845.

[0058] The biasing member 846 is realized by, for example, a coil spring. The biasing member 846 is, for example, a tension spring, and one end is connected to the second sensor holder 87 and the other end is connected to the back unit casing 86. Thereby, the biasing member 846 biases the second sensor holder 87 in a direction to move it closer to one side (left end) within the movable range in the back unit casing 86.

[0059] Since the second sensor holder 87 is connected to the interlocking rack 842 via the connecting member 845, the first sensor holder 82 is also biased by the biasing member 846 in a direction to move closer to one side (left end) in the movement direction within the front unit casing 85 via the interlocking rack 842 and the pinion gear 841.

[0060] FIG. 17 shows the meshing state between the serrated portion 836 of the rail member 832 and the serrated portion 837 of the pinch 831, and shows the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism fixes the positions of the respective members movable in the paper width direction provided in the detection position adjustment unit 8, and fixes the first sensor holder 82 so as not to move in the paper width direction.

[0061] The rail member 832 is formed with a serrated portion 836. The serrated portion 836 meshes with the serrated portion 837 provided at the bottom of the pinch 831. Both the serrated portions 836 and 837 have a serrated shape in which a slope rising from the lower left to the upper right along the paper width direction (X-axis direction) and a surface along the height direction are alternately continuous. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 17, the ZX cross section of the serrated portions 836 and 837 is a continuous series of substantially right-angled triangles in the X-axis direction. The slope of the serrated portion 836 faces upward, and the slope of the serrated portion 837 faces downward.

[0062] The serrated portion 836 and the serrated portion 837 mesh with each other so that the tip and the root in the height direction (Z-axis direction) overlap. The meshed serrated portion 836 and serrated portion 837 are in contact with each other at the above-described slopes, and by sliding the slopes, the serrated portion 837 can move relative to the serrated portion 836 on the downstream side of the X-axis (the direction in which the value increases; rightward).

[0063] As described above, the serrated portion 836 and the serrated portion 837 constitute a ratchet structure. That is, in a state where the serrated portion 836 and the serrated portion 837 are meshed, the pinch 831 can move only in one direction (downward in the X-axis direction) with respect to the rail member 832 and cannot move in the reverse direction (upward in the X-axis direction).

[0064] The biasing by the biasing member 846 is in the upward flow direction (leftward) in the X-axis direction. For this reason, the biasing of the biasing member 846 acts in a direction in which the meshing between the serrated portion 836 and the serrated portion 837 becomes deeper.

[0065] Needless to say, the left and right in the above description may be configured in reverse in practice.

[0066] Pinches 831 and 833 project upward from the opening 811 provided in the front unit cover 81. Pinches 831 and 833 function as grips for use when manually sliding the first sensor holder 82 relative to the front unit casing 85.

[0067] Pinch 831 and pinch 833 are rotatably connected to each other at their lower ends by a shaft, and a torsion spring attached to the shaft biases pinch 831 toward pinch 833 in a direction in which the serrated portion 837 of pinch 831 meshes with the serrated portion 836. By pinching the upper ends of pinch 831 and pinch 833 toward each other, the engagement between the serrated portion 836 and the serrated portion 837 is released, and the first sensor holder 82 becomes slidable relative to the front unit casing 85.

[0068] In such a configuration, when an operator uses the printer 1 and inserts the roll paper 9 into the paper storage unit 3, the operator adjusts the position of the detection unit 7 in accordance with the position in the paper width direction of the black mark 95 provided on the paper 90.

[0069] At this time, the operator pinches the tip portions of pinches 831 and 833 and rotates pinch 831 relative to pinch 833. Thereby, the engagement between the serrated portion 836 and the serrated portion 837 is released, and the first sensor holder 82 can be moved left and right (in the paper width direction).

[0070] The movement of the first sensor holder 82 is transmitted to the second sensor holder 87 via the rack 843, the pinion gear 841, the interlocking rack 842, and the connecting member 845. As the first sensor holder 82 moves, the second sensor holder 87 also moves in the same direction. Thereby, the first sensor substrate 71 and the second sensor substrate 72 move while maintaining a state of overlapping in the height direction.

[0071] When the operator positions the first sensor holder 82 at a desired position, the pinchers 831 and 833 are released. As a result, the pincher 831 rotates, and the serrated portion 837 of the pincher 831 meshes with the serrated portion 836 of the rail member 832. In this state, since the biasing force of the biasing member 846 is acting, the first sensor holder 82 does not move unless a force sufficient to slide the inclined surfaces of the serrated portions 836 and 837 against the biasing force of the biasing member 846 is applied. Thereby, the position of the detection unit 7 in the paper width direction is positioned.

[0072] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the space occupied by the structure (detection position adjustment unit 8) that enables adjustment of the position of the detection unit 7 that detects the position in the length direction of the sheet 90 in the sheet width direction.

[0073] The above-described embodiment can also be appropriately modified and implemented by changing a part of the configuration or function of each of the above-described devices.

[0074] For example, even if the part having the rack and pinion structure in the embodiment is realized with a different configuration. For example, even if the members corresponding to the interlocking rack 842 and the rack 843 are flat without teeth and the pinion gear 841 is an elastic roller-shaped member, the same operation can be achieved.

[0075] Also, when there is a member surrounding the movement path of the connecting member 845 in the above embodiment, the biasing member 846 is not essential. Further, when there is a biasing member 846, the connecting member 845 may be a wire, a belt-shaped or string-shaped member instead of a leaf spring. However, a leaf spring is preferable because it has high durability and is suitable for long-term use.

[0076] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Signs

[0077] 1... Printer, 2... Housing, 21... Left case, 22... Right case, 23... Hinge part, 24... Front panel, 25... Display part, 26... Operation part, 27... Operation button, 28... Front panel, 29... Paper discharge port, 3... Paper storage part, 4... Ribbon holding part, 41... Supply shaft, 42... Take-up shaft, 5... Printing part, 51... Print head, 52... Platen, 7... Detection part, 71... First sensor board, 72... Second sensor board, 8... Detection position adjustment part, 81... Front unit cover, 811... Opening, 82... First sensor holder, 821... Protrusion, 831... Pinch, 832... Rail member, 833... Pinch, 835... Hole, 836, 837... Serrated part, 841... Pinion gear, 842... Interlocking rack, 843... Rack, 845... Connecting member, 846... Biasing member, 85... Front unit casing, 851... Opening, 855... Shaft, 86... Rear unit casing, 865... Semi-circular part, 869... Rotation shaft, 87... Second sensor holder, 871... Protrusion, 872... Fixing member, 873... Screw, 874... Fixing member, 88... Rear unit cover, 9 … Roll paper, 90… Paper, 91… Mounting board, 92… Label, 93… Gap, 95… Black mark, 100… Ink ribbon.

Prior art documents

Patent documents

[0078]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. A detection unit including a sensor element facing a front surface of a strip-shaped paper and a sensor element facing a back surface of the paper, and configured to detect a mark indicating a position of the paper in a longitudinal direction; a first sensor holder that holds a sensor element facing the front surface and is supported so as to be movable in the paper width direction; a second sensor holder that holds a sensor element facing the back surface and is supported so as to be movable in the paper width direction; a linking member provided on the front surface side of the paper, the linking member being moved in a direction opposite to that of the first sensor holder by the movement of the first sensor holder in the paper width direction; a connecting member that connects the interlocking member and the second sensor holder; A paper transport device comprising:

2. The interlocking member is a rack that constitutes a rack and pinion structure, the first sensor holder has a rack facing the interlocking member, The sensor further includes a pinion gear that meshes with the rack and the interlocking member of the first sensor holder. The paper transport device according to claim 1 .

3. The connecting member is a band-like or string-like member that is flexible and does not stretch in the length direction. The paper transport device according to claim 1 .

4. The sensor holder further includes a biasing member that biases the second sensor holder in a direction that applies a tensile force to the connecting member. The paper transport device according to claim 1 .

5. The printer further includes a lock mechanism for fixing the first sensor holder so as not to move in the paper width direction.

5. The paper transport device according to claim 4.

6. the first sensor holder holds, as the sensor element, one of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion constituting a transmission type sensor; The second sensor holder holds the other of the light emitting section and the light receiving section as the sensor element, and holds the light emitting section and the light receiving section that constitute a reflective sensor. The paper transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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