printer

Abstract

To provide a printer that suppresses dust from entering to reduce printing failure.SOLUTION: A printer 1 comprises: a roll body holding part 11 which holds a roll body RB; a conveyance part 13 which feeds and conveys roll paper RP from the roll body RB; a printing part 15 which performs recording on the roll paper RP; a support part 17 which is arranged opposite the printing part 15; a housing 19 which houses the conveyance part 13, printing part 15 and support part 17 inside; and a first cover 21 which can be opened and closed, and covers the roll body RB when closed, wherein the roll body holding part 11 and first cover 21 are arranged above the housing 19, a medium supply port 24 for supplying the roll paper RP into the housing 19 is installed on a top surface of the housing 19, and the first cover 21 does not cover at least in part the medium supply port 24 when closed, a second cover 22 being capable of covering the uncovered region NZ of the medium supply port 24 that the first cover 21 does not cover.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a printing apparatus that uses both roll paper and single-sheet paper has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus including a cover member that covers a roll body of roll paper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that dust may enter the inside of the housing from the paper feed port where the cut paper, which is single-sheet paper, is supplied. The entered dust may adhere to the recording head or the like, which may cause printing defects. That is, there has been a demand for a printing apparatus that suppresses the entry of dust and reduces printing defects.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The printing apparatus includes: a roll body holding unit that holds a roll body of roll paper wound in a roll shape as a medium; a conveyance unit that feeds and conveys the medium from the roll body held by the roll body holding unit; a printing unit that performs printing on the medium conveyed by the conveyance unit; a support unit that is disposed to face the printing unit and can support the medium; and a housing that houses the conveyance unit, the printing unit, and the support unit therein. The printing apparatus further includes a first cover that is openable and closable and, when closed, covers the roll body held by the roll body holding unit. The roll body holding unit and the first cover are disposed above the housing. On the upper surface of the housing, a medium supply port for supplying the medium fed from the roll body into the interior of the housing is provided. In a state where the first cover is closed, the first cover does not cover at least a part of the medium supply port. At the medium supply port, when the first cover is closed, when an area not covered by the first cover is defined as an uncovered area, the printing apparatus has a second cover that can cover the uncovered area.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

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Figure 11

[0007] In the embodiments described below, a printing apparatus 1 capable of selectively using roll paper and single-sheet paper as media will be exemplified and described with reference to the drawings. The printing apparatus 1 is a large-format inkjet printer. Note that the materials of the single-sheet paper and roll paper referred to here are not limited to paper. The materials of the single-sheet paper and roll paper are roughly classified into a paper type and a film type. Specific examples include fine paper, cast paper, art paper, coated paper, etc. for the paper type, and synthetic paper, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), etc. for the film type.

[0008] In the following figures, XYZ axes, which are mutually orthogonal coordinate axes, are attached, the direction indicated by each arrow is defined as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is defined as the - direction. The +Z direction may be referred to as upward and the -Z direction as downward. When the printing apparatus 1 is installed on a horizontal plane, the -Z direction becomes the vertical direction. In the following figures, for the sake of illustration, the sizes of the respective members are shown differently from the actual sizes.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a roll body holding portion 11, a conveyance portion 13, a printing portion 15, a support portion 17, a housing 19, a first cover 21, a second cover 22, a media supply port 24, a cartridge accommodating portion 31, a paper discharge port 32, and legs 33. Here, FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 and 3 to be described hereinafter show the printing apparatus 1 in a state of printing on roll paper. Note that in the printing apparatus 1, the form of the second cover 22 changes depending on whether printing is performed on roll paper or on single-sheet paper.

[0010] Although illustration is omitted, the printing apparatus 1 also includes a control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to each component of the printing apparatus 1 including the above-described configuration, and integrally controls these components.

[0011] The control unit includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. as an arithmetic execution unit. In the ROM, firmware executable by the CPU, data related to the firmware, etc. are stored non-volatilely. Also, in the RAM, data related to the firmware executed by the CPU, etc. are stored temporarily. The control unit may include other peripheral circuits, etc., and may include a storage unit that can store various programs and data, such as control programs and data related to these control programs, non-volatilely.

[0012] The housing 19 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped elongated along the X-axis, and has an upper surface, a lower surface, and four side surfaces. The housing 19 houses the conveyance unit 13, the printing unit 15, the support unit 17, the cartridge housing unit 31, the control unit, etc. inside.

[0013] The upper surface of the housing 19 is along the XY plane and faces upward. The lower surface of the housing 19 is along the XY plane and faces downward. On the upper surface of the housing 19, a roll body holding unit 11, a medium supply port 24, a first cover 21, and a second cover 22 are installed. On the lower surface of the housing 19, legs 33 are installed. Among the four side surfaces of the housing 19, a discharge port 32 is installed on the side surface along the XZ plane and facing the +Y direction.

[0014] The roll body holding unit 11 is disposed above the housing 19 and protrudes upward from the -Y direction end of the upper surface. The roll body holding unit 11 rotatably holds a roll body RB of roll paper wound in a roll shape as a printing medium. Specifically, the roll body holding unit 11 supports both ends of the roll body RB so that the central axis of the roll body RB is along the X-axis. The roll body RB rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the -X direction and supplies the roll paper into the housing 19.

[0015] The leg portion 33 is a structural member that supports the housing 19 below the housing 19. The leg portion 33 is composed of, for example, a metal square tube. Casters are installed below the leg portion 33. The movement of the printing apparatus 1 is facilitated by the casters.

[0016] The first cover 21 is elongated along the X-axis and is disposed above the housing 19 and the roll body RB. The first cover 21 can be opened and closed with respect to the roll body RB held by the roll body holding portion 11. As described above, FIG. 1 shows a state in which printing is performed on the roll paper, and the first cover 21 is closed. When the first cover 21 is closed, it covers the roll body RB held by the roll body holding portion 11. The opening and closing of the first cover 21 will be described later.

[0017] In the direction along the X-axis, the length of the first cover 21 is equal to or greater than the length of the roll body RB. The first cover 21 is disposed along the side surface of the columnar roll body RB to protect the roll body RB.

[0018] The second cover 22 is installed on the first cover 21. The second cover 22 is an elongated member along the X-axis. In the direction along the X-axis, the length of the second cover 22 is substantially equal to the length of the first cover 21. The second cover 22 covers a part of the medium supply port 24. The form of the second cover 22 changes according to scenes such as roll paper printing and single-sheet paper printing. The form change of the second cover 22 will be described later.

[0019] The cartridge accommodating portion 31 is inside the housing 19 and is disposed near both ends in the direction along the X-axis. A plurality of ink cartridges used for printing by the printing apparatus 1 are accommodated in the cartridge accommodating portion 31. In the printing apparatus 1, a plurality of ink cartridges can be attached to and detached from the cartridge accommodating portion 31 by opening a door (not shown).

[0020] The plurality of ink cartridges are individually filled with inks of respective colors that exhibit colors such as black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Each color ink is supplied from the corresponding ink cartridge to the printing unit 15 via a pipe and is used for printing on a medium. Note that, instead of the cartridge housing portion 31, an external ink tank may be installed outside the housing 19. In this case, each color ink is supplied from the ink tank to the printing unit 15 via a tube or the like.

[0021] The paper discharge port 32 is disposed on the side surface of the housing 19 facing the +Y direction. The paper discharge port 32 is an elongated opening along the X axis. In the direction along the X axis, the length of the paper discharge port 32 is longer than the length of the medium. The paper discharge port 32 discharges the medium printed as a printed matter at the printing unit 15.

[0022] Although not shown, an operation unit and a display unit related to the operation of the printing apparatus 1 are installed in the housing 19. The operation unit and the display unit are electrically connected to the control unit. The operation unit has operation buttons and receives various operations of an operator on the printing apparatus 1 via the operation buttons. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays various information related to the printing apparatus 1. The operation unit and the display unit may be an integrated touch panel type liquid crystal display or the like.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, a back cover 25 is disposed in the substantially -Y direction of the roll body RB. In the direction along the X axis, the length of the back cover 25 is equal to or greater than the length of the roll body RB. The back cover 25 covers the -Y direction of the roll body RB. In the following description of FIG. 2, unless otherwise specified, the state seen from the -X direction will be described.

[0024] The first cover 21 covers the upper part and a part of the -Y direction of the roll body RB. The first cover 21 supports the second cover 22 at the end in the +Y direction.

[0025] The first cover 21 and the back cover 25 have a substantially arc-shaped cross-sectional shape along the YZ plane and have a shape along the circumferential surface of the roll body RB. The first cover 21, the back cover 25, the second cover 22, and the housing 19 surround substantially the entire circumference of the circumferential surface of the roll body RB. Thereby, the adhesion of foreign matters such as dust to the roll body RB is suppressed.

[0026] The roll body RB rotates counterclockwise to supply the roll paper RP from the media supply port 24 into the housing 19.

[0027] The media supply port 24 is installed on the upper surface of the housing 19. The media supply port 24 supplies the roll paper RP as the media fed out from the roll body RB into the housing 19. The media supply port 24 also supplies the single-sheet paper described later into the housing 19.

[0028] The conveying unit 13 has conveying rollers 13a and 13b. The conveying rollers 13a and 13b rotate counterclockwise by a drive motor (not shown). The conveying unit 13 feeds out and conveys the roll paper RP as the media from the roll body RB held by the roll body holding unit 11. The roll paper RP is conveyed along the conveyance path indicated by the dashed line, passes from the conveying roller 13a through the conveying roller 13b, and reaches the support unit 17. When applying a single-sheet paper as the media, the conveyance path of the single-sheet paper inside the housing 19 is the same as the conveyance path of the roll paper RP.

[0029] The support unit 17 is a so-called platen that can support the roll paper RP and the single-sheet paper as the media, and is disposed below the conveyance path. The media has the printing surface to be printed facing upward, and the back surface of the printing surface is supported by the support unit 17. In the support unit 17, the media is conveyed in the +Y direction.

[0030] The printing unit 15 is attached below the carriage 12. The printing unit 15 is disposed so as to face the support unit 17 in the vertical direction. The printing unit 15 records, that is, prints on the media conveyed by the conveying unit 13.

[0031] The printing unit 15 is an inkjet head. Although not shown, the printing unit 15 has a nozzle surface at a position facing the support unit 17. A plurality of nozzle rows composed of a plurality of nozzles are arranged on the nozzle surface. Each nozzle row corresponds individually to each of the above-described ink cartridges. Each color ink supplied from each ink cartridge is ejected from a predetermined nozzle of the corresponding nozzle row and adheres to the medium on the support unit 17.

[0032] The carriage 12 is supported by a frame member, although not shown, and reciprocates in a direction along the X-axis with respect to the support unit 17 by a drive mechanism. The printing unit 15 reciprocates with respect to the support unit 17 together with the carriage 12.

[0033] While conveying the medium in the +Y direction, the printing unit 15 is reciprocated relative to the medium along the X-axis, and ink is adhered from the printing unit 15 to the medium at a predetermined timing, thereby performing printing on the medium. As a result, an image, text, pattern, color, etc. are formed on the medium to form a printed matter.

[0034] The printed matter is conveyed in the +Y direction by the conveying unit 13 and discharged from the above-described paper discharge port 32 to the outside of the housing 19. As described above, printing is performed on the roll paper RP and the single-sheet paper.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the second cover 22 has a cover main body 220 and a cover attachment portion 222.

[0036] The cover main body 220 is an elongated member along the X-axis. The cover main body 220 is formed of, for example, plastic. In the present embodiment, for the purpose of weight reduction, etc., the cover main body 220 is a hollow plastic member. The cover main body 220 is attached to the cover attachment portion 222 at the +X direction end and an -X direction end (not shown).

[0037] The cover attachment parts 222 are paired and support the +X-direction end and the -X-direction end in the cover body 220. Each cover attachment part 222 is supported by the first cover 21. Specifically, the pair of cover attachment parts 222 are arranged at the end in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from the -X direction and at both ends in the direction along the X-axis in the first cover 21. That is, the cover body 220 is attached to the first cover 21 via the cover attachment parts 222.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, the cover attachment part 222 has a first part 222a and a second part 222b. The second part 222b has a third part 223 connected to the first part 222a and a fourth part 224 connected to the cover body 220. The second part 222b has a first rotation axis 225 and a second rotation axis 226. Note that FIG. 4 shows the printing apparatus 1 in a state of printing a single sheet of paper.

[0039] As described above, the cover attachment parts 222 are arranged at both ends in the direction along the X-axis of the first cover 21. In the following description, the cover attachment part 222 at the -X-direction end among the above two ends will be described, and the description of the cover attachment part 222 at the +X-direction end will be omitted. The cover attachment part 222 at the -X-direction end and the cover attachment part 222 at the +X-direction end have the same configuration and function and are symmetric with respect to a plane along the YZ plane.

[0040] The first part 222a is fixed to the first cover 21. The first part 222a and the second part 222b are connected via the first rotation axis 225. Specifically, the first rotation axis 225 is arranged along the X-axis. The first rotation axis 225 rotatably engages the substantially -Z-direction end of the first part 222a and the -Y-direction end of the third part 223 in the second part 222b. Thereby, the second part 222b can rotate with respect to the first part 222a with the first rotation axis 225 as the rotation center. Note that the rotation of the second part 222b is manually performed by an operator of the printing apparatus 1.

[0041] The third part 223 and the fourth part 224 are adjacent to each other at the boundary along the XZ plane in the posture of the second cover 22 shown in FIG. 4. In the second part 222b, the third part 223 is arranged in the -Y direction, and the fourth part 224 is arranged in the +Y direction.

[0042] The second part 222b and the cover body 220 are connected via the second rotation axis 226. Specifically, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the cover body 220 has its end portion in the substantially -Y direction supported by the second rotation axis 226. The second rotation axis 226 is arranged along the X axis in the fourth part 224. The second rotation axis 226 rotatably supports the cover body 220 with respect to the second part 222b. The second rotation axis 226 is made of metal. The material of the second rotation axis 226 is not particularly limited, and examples include aluminum and aluminum alloys. The rotation of the cover body 220 is also manually performed by the operator of the printing apparatus 1.

[0043] The cover body 220 has two gap sealing members 229. Each gap sealing member 229 is an elongated member along the X axis. The gap sealing member 229 is formed of an elastic material. The material of the gap sealing member 229 is not particularly limited, and examples include foamed materials such as resin and rubber. The function of the gap sealing member 229 will be described later.

[0044] When printing single sheets, the single sheets are supplied to the medium supply port 24 from the outside of the printing apparatus 1, specifically, from the substantially +Y direction and above the first cover 21, through the space between the cover body 220 and the first cover 21.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the second cover 22 can change its form to the form F1 surrounded by the dashed-dotted line and the form F2 surrounded by the dashed line. In the forms F1 and F2, the first part 222a has its arrangement unchanged and is fixed to the first cover 21 (not shown). In FIG. 5, the two forms F1 and F2 are shown superimposed. Also, in the following description of FIG. 5, unless otherwise specified, the state as viewed from the -X direction will be described.

[0046] Form F1 is applicable when printing on a roll of paper RP. In Form F1, the fourth part 224 is above the third part 223, and the second part 222b is along the first part 222a. At this time, with respect to the first rotation axis 225, the second rotation axis 226 is located above, and approximately the upper half of the cover body 220 overlaps the third part 223 and the fourth part 224. Approximately the lower half of the cover body 220 protrudes downward.

[0047] In Form F1, the gap sealing member 229 disposed near the second rotation axis 226 protrudes approximately in the -Y direction from the second part 222b. Also, the gap sealing member 229 disposed at the -Z direction end of the cover body 220 is disposed to protrude approximately downward.

[0048] Form F2 is applicable when printing on single sheets of paper. In Form F2, with respect to Form F1, the second part 222b rotates counterclockwise about the first rotation axis 225, and the second part 222b is laid along the Y-axis. At the same time, the cover body 220 rotates clockwise about the second rotation axis 226 and is in a state along the Y-axis. In Form F2, the second part 222b moves away from the first part 222a.

[0049] As described above, the cover attachment part 222 can displace the cover body 220 to the first position and the second position described later.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6, the fourth part 224 is detachable from the third part 223. That is, by pulling out the fourth part 224 in the direction of the arrow with respect to the first part 222a and the third part 223, the cover body 220 and the fourth part 224 are separated from the printing apparatus 1.

[0051] By removing the cover body 220 from the printing apparatus 1, the transportation and storage of the cover body 220 become easy, and maintenance work etc. with the cover body 220 removed becomes easy. Thereby, the convenience of the operator of the printing apparatus 1 can be improved.

[0052] Here, the conventional printing apparatus 2 which is a comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, the printing apparatus 2 according to the comparative example has a configuration in which the second cover 22 is omitted with respect to the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, and the other configurations are the same as those of the printing apparatus 1. The same reference numerals as those of the printing apparatus 1 are given to the other configurations of the printing apparatus 2, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In the description of FIG. 11 and the following descriptions of FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, unless otherwise specified, the state as viewed from the -X direction will be described.

[0053] In the printing apparatus 2, when printing on the roll paper RP with the first cover 21 closed, the space between the substantially lower end of the first cover 21 and the medium supply port 24 is exposed to the outside of the printing apparatus 2. That is, even when the first cover 21 is closed, the first cover 21 does not cover at least a part of the medium supply port 24. At the medium supply port 24, when the first cover 21 is closed, the region not covered by the first cover 21 is defined as an uncovered region NZ.

[0054] Since the uncovered region NZ is exposed to the outside, foreign matters such as dust easily enter the inside of the housing 19 from the uncovered region NZ. Therefore, it has been difficult to reduce the occurrence of printing defects.

[0055] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in the printing apparatus 1, the second cover 22 can cover the above-mentioned uncovered region NZ. Specifically, at the time of printing on the roll paper RP, the first cover 21 is rotated counterclockwise to close, and the second cover 22 is set in the form F1. The opening and closing of the first cover 21 is manually performed by an operator of the printing apparatus 1. In FIG. 7, the illustration of the first portion 222a is omitted.

[0056] When the conveying unit 13 feeds and conveys the roll paper RP from the roll body RB held by the roll body holding unit 11, that is, when printing is performed on the roll paper RP, the cover body 220 is supported by the second portion 222b and assumes the first position shown in FIG. 7. Also, when printing is performed on the roll paper RP, the first cover 21 is set to the third position that covers the roll body RB held by the roll body holding unit 11. The third position refers to the position where the first cover 21 shown in FIG. 7 is closed.

[0057] During printing of the roll paper RP, the first cover 21 is closed to the third position, and the second cover 22 is set to the form F1 to position the cover body 220 at the first position. Thereby, the non-covered area NZ is covered by the cover body 220.

[0058] The two gap sealing members 229 close the gap generated between the first cover 21 and the cover body 220 and the gap generated between the cover body 220 and the housing 19 when the cover body 220 is in the first position. As described above, since the gap sealing member 229 is formed of an elastic material, it closes the above gap by being crushed and deformed itself. Therefore, the intrusion of dust into the interior of the housing 19 is further suppressed, and the occurrence of printing defects is further suppressed.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 8, also during printing of the single-sheet paper CP, the first cover 21 is closed to the third position. At the same time, the second cover 22 is set to the form F2. Further, the cover body 220 is set to the second position shown in FIG. 8, which is the position when the single-sheet paper CP is supplied and conveyed. Also in this case, the cover body 220 is supported by the second portion 222b. The cover body 220 is displaceable between the first position and the second position. Note that in FIG. 8, the illustration of the first portion 222a is omitted.

[0060] The second position is a position where the cover body 220 is farther from the first cover 21 in the substantially +Y direction compared to the first position. When the cover body 220 reaches the second position, a gap is formed between the counterclockwise end of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22, that is, in the non-covered area NZ. In other words, the cover body 220 does not block the conveyance path of the single sheet CP in the non-covered area NZ at the second position.

[0061] Therefore, the single sheet CP is conveyed to the support part 17 (not shown) along the conveyance path of the single sheet CP indicated by the dashed-dotted line. Specifically, the counterclockwise end of the first cover 21 functions as a guide for supporting the single sheet CP when the conveying part 13 conveys the single sheet CP. The single sheet CP is drawn substantially downward along the above-mentioned end of the first cover 21 and the substantially +Y-direction surface in its vicinity, and moves from the medium supply port 24 into the housing 19. The conveying part 13 can convey the single sheet CP as a medium from the outside of the housing 19 to the support part 17 through the non-covered area NZ.

[0062] As described above, the cover body 220 of the second cover 22 is displaced to the second position, the cover body 220 is moved away from the first cover 21, and a conveyance path for the single sheet CP into the housing 19 is secured. Thereby, in printing on the single sheet CP, the cover body 220 of the second cover 22 does not get in the way. Since the first cover 21 serves as a guide, the conveyance property of the single sheet CP into the housing 19 is improved. Printing using the single sheet CP is possible while suppressing the intrusion of dust during printing of the roll paper RP.

[0063] When applying the roll paper RP and when applying the single sheet CP, it is not necessary to attach and detach the second cover 22, which improves the convenience for the operator of the printing apparatus 1. Even when printing on the single sheet CP, since the first cover 21 covers the roll body RB, the roll body RB is protected from dust and ink mist generated from the printing part 15. The second cover 22 is supported by the first cover 21 and is displaced together with the first cover 21, so the operator does not need to displace them individually.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 9, the first cover 21 is displaceable between a fourth position where it is located when replacing the roll body RB held by the roll body holding portion 11 and the above-described third position. Specifically, when replacing the roll body RB, the first cover 21 is manually rotated clockwise to open it to the fourth position in FIG. 9. At the fourth position, the circumferential surface of the roll body RB facing the +Y direction is exposed. As a result, the operator of the printing apparatus 1 can move the roll body RB in the +Y direction as indicated by the arrow to remove it and mount another roll body RB from the direction of the arrow.

[0065] The first portion 222a of the second cover 22 is supported at the counterclockwise end of the first cover 21. Therefore, the first portion 222a is displaceable together with the first cover 21 as the first cover 21 is displaced between the third position and the fourth position. Therefore, the second cover 22 is less likely to interfere during the replacement of the roll body RB, and the workability of the replacement can be improved.

[0066] Also, when replacing the roll body RB, it is preferable to displace the cover body 220 before and after setting the first cover 21 to the fourth position. Specifically, the cover body 220 is rotated clockwise about the second rotation axis 226 from the above-described first position. As a result, the cover body 220 does not protrude in the +Y direction from the counterclockwise end of the first cover 21, and the replacement work becomes easier.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 10, the second portion 222b of the cover mounting portion 222 has a grounding member 228 for grounding the second rotation axis 226. The grounding member 228 is disposed at the cover mounting portions 222 at both ends of the first cover 21 in the direction along the X axis. Note that FIG. 10 shows a state where the second cover 22 is in the form F2. In the description regarding FIG. 10, unless otherwise specified, the state as viewed from the +X direction will be described.

[0068] The grounding member 228 includes portions 228a, 228b, 228c, and 228d. The portions 228a, 228b, 228c, and 228d are formed of a conductive metal.

[0069] The portion 228a is a screw and is electrically connected to the second rotating shaft 226 made of a conductive metal. The portion 228b electrically connects the portion 228a and the portion 228c.

[0070] The portion 228c is interposed between the portion 228b and the portion 228d to electrically connect the portion 228b and the portion 228d. The portion 228c is wound around the periphery of the first rotating shaft 225 and also functions as a spring member.

[0071] Therefore, while maintaining the electrical connection, when the second cover 22 is displaced between the above-described first position and the second position, the grounding member 228 can be deformed following the displacement of the second cover 22. That is, even when the cover attachment portion 222 rotates counterclockwise about the first rotating shaft 225 to obtain the above-described form F1, the portion 228c is deformed and the electrical connection between the portion 228b and the portion 228d is maintained.

[0072] The portion 228d is a screw and is electrically connected to a structural member of the printing apparatus 1 having conductivity. Although not shown, the above-described structural member is grounded via a wiring. As described above, the second rotating shaft 226 can be secured with a simple configuration.

[0073] According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0074] It is possible to suppress the intrusion of dust from the medium supply port 24 and reduce the occurrence of printing defects. Specifically, by covering the non-covered area NZ that is not covered even when closed by the first cover 21 with the second cover 22, the intrusion of dust into the interior of the housing 19 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to provide the printing apparatus 1 that reduces the occurrence of printing defects.

[0075] Since the configuration of the second cover 22 is relatively simple, it can be retrofitted to a conventional apparatus.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0076] 1…Printing device, 11…Roll body holding part, 13…Conveying part, 15…Printing part, 17…Support part, 19…Housing, 21…First cover, 22…Second cover, 24…Media supply port, 220…Cover body, 222…Cover attachment part, 222a…First part, 222b…Second part, 223…Third part, 224…Fourth part, 225…First rotating shaft, 226…Second rotating shaft, 228…Grounding member, 229…Gap sealing member, CP…Single sheet paper as media, NZ…Uncoated area, RB…Roll body, RP…Roll paper as media.

Claims

1. a roll body holding part that holds a roll body of roll paper wound in a roll shape as a medium; a conveyance part that feeds out and conveys the medium from the roll body held by the roll body holding part; a printing part that performs recording on the medium conveyed by the conveyance part; a support part that is arranged to face the printing part and can support the medium; a housing that houses the conveyance part, the printing part, and the support part inside; a first cover that can be opened and closed and covers the roll body held by the roll body holding part when closed; and the roll body holding part and the first cover are arranged above the housing; a medium supply port for supplying the medium fed out from the roll body to the inside of the housing is provided on the upper surface of the housing; in a state where the first cover is closed, the first cover does not cover at least a part of the medium supply port; A printing apparatus, characterized in that at the medium supply port, when the first cover is closed, when a region not covered by the first cover is defined as an uncovered region, it has a second cover capable of covering the uncovered region.

2. The conveyance part can convey single-sheet paper as the medium from the outside of the housing to the support part through the uncovered region; The second cover has a cover body that covers the uncovered region; The cover body is displaceable between a first position where it is located when the conveyance part feeds out and conveys the roll paper from the roll body held by the roll body holding part and a second position where it is located when conveying the single-sheet paper; The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at the second position, the cover body does not block the conveyance path of the single-sheet paper in the uncovered region.

3. The first cover functions as a guide for supporting the single-sheet paper when the conveyance part conveys the single-sheet paper; The printing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the second position is a position where the cover body is farther away from the first cover than the first position.

4. The second cover has a cover attachment part; The cover body is attached to the first cover via the cover attachment part; The printing apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the cover attachment part enables the cover body to be displaced between the first position and the second position.

5. The cover body has a gap sealing member that closes a gap formed between the first cover and the cover body and a gap formed between the cover body and the housing when in the first position. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The cover attachment portion has a first portion fixed to the first cover and a second portion that supports the cover body at the first position and the second position. The second portion has a third portion connected to the first portion and a fourth portion connected to the cover body. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the fourth portion is detachable from the third portion.

7. The first cover is displaceable between a third position that covers the roll body held by the roll body holding portion and a fourth position that is located when replacing the roll body held by the roll body holding portion. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the first portion is displaceable together with the first cover as the first cover is displaced between the third position and the fourth position.

8. The second portion has a first rotation shaft that rotatably engages the first portion and the second portion. a second rotation shaft made of metal that rotatably supports the cover body with respect to the second portion. and a grounding member that grounds the second rotation shaft. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the grounding member is deformable following the displacement of the second cover when the second cover is displaced between the first position and the second position.

Images