Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer that contributes to prevention of a jam.SOLUTION: A printer includes: a cassette attaching portion to which a cassette is detachably attached; a platen roller 543 that conveys a tape 101; a thermal head 42 that prints on the tape 101; a receiving base 61 that supports the tape 101; a cutter blade 64 having a blade edge 641 facing the receiving base 61; and a cutter holder 63 by which the cutter blade 64 is movably held between a retracting position P1 and a cutting position. The cutter holder 63 includes a rear wall 63D disposed further rearward than the cutter blade 64. If an imaginary straight line V1 connecting the left end of an ejection port 126 through which the tape 101 is ejected from the cassette case and the blade edge 641 is defined, the right end of the rear wall 63D is disposed further rightward than the imaginary straight line V1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, printers equipped with a cutting mechanism for cutting printed media are known. For example, a tape printing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a cutter blade receiving member, a guide holder, and a cutter blade. The cutter blade receiving member supports the media. The guide holder supports the cutter blade so that it can move between a retracted position and a cutting position. The cutter blade cuts the media between the cutter blade receiving member and the cutter blade by moving from the retracted position to the cutting position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-136219 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the tape printing device, there is a possibility that the cutter blade will return from the cutting position to the retracted position with the leading edge of the medium touching the cutting edge of the cutter blade. If printing is started with the leading edge of the medium touching the cutting edge of the cutter blade, a jam may occur.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that contributes to reducing the occurrence of paper jams. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] a cutter holder that holds the cutter blade movably between a retracted position and a cutting position, and when the cutter blade is positioned at the retracted position, the cutting edge moves away from the receiving base in the opposing direction, and the cutter blade ... and a cutter holder that, when positioned at a retracted position, sandwiches the medium between the receiving table and the cutting edge to cut the medium, the cutter holder includes a specific wall that is positioned upstream of the cutter blade in the transport direction, and when the cassette is attached to the cassette attachment section and the cutter blade is positioned at the retracted position, an opening is formed at the downstream end of the cassette case in the transport direction, and at an outlet through which the medium is ejected from the cassette case, when an imaginary line is defined connecting the end of a first opposing direction from the receiving table to the cutter blade, among the opposing directions, the end of the specific wall in a second opposing direction opposite to the first opposing direction among the opposing directions is positioned in the second opposing direction relative to the imaginary line.

[0007] According to the above aspect, the printer contributes to reducing the occurrence of jams. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer 1 and the cassette 100. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cassette 100. [Figure 3] 10 is a plan view of the front part of the upper wall 2B when the cassette 100 is not mounted in the cassette mounting portion 11. FIG. [Figure 4]1 is a perspective view of the print mechanism 4, the conveyance mechanism 5, and the cutting mechanism 6 in a state where the holder unit 62 is attached to the cutter attachment portion 14. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of the print mechanism 4, the conveyance mechanism 5, and the cutting mechanism 6 in a state where the holder unit 62 is attached to the cutter attachment portion 14. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holder unit 62. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the holder unit 62. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of the print mechanism 4, the conveyance mechanism 5, and the cutting mechanism 6 when the holder unit 62 is not attached to the cutter attachment portion 14. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting mechanism 6 and its surroundings when the cutter blade 64 is positioned at the retracted position P1, as viewed from above. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the cutting mechanism 6 when the cutter blade 64 is positioned at the cutting position P2, as viewed from above. [Figure 11] 10 is a plan view of the front part of the upper wall 2B in a state where the cassette 100 is mounted in the cassette mounting portion 11. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship of a protrusion 633A. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A printer 1 and a cassette 100 according to 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.

[0010] In the following description, the lower left, upper right, upper left, lower right, lower, and upper in FIG. 1 are respectively referred to as the front, rear, left, right, lower, and upper of the printer 1 and the cassette 100. In this embodiment, a side surface facing a specific direction is referred to as a "face in a specific direction." For example, the rear surface of a component is the side surface of the component facing rearward. A face in a specific direction does not necessarily have to extend perpendicular to the specific direction, as long as it extends intersecting with the specific direction. Similarly, "a component extending in a first direction and a second direction that are perpendicular to each other" does not necessarily have to extend perpendicular to a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions, as long as the component extends intersecting with the third direction.

[0011] The printer 1 shown in Figure 1 is a device that uses a cassette 100 and prints on a tape 101. In this embodiment, the printer 1 is a mobile thermal printer. The tape 101 is a type of printing medium, and in this embodiment, it is composed of a base material, a double-sided adhesive layer, and a release paper laminated together.

[0012] 1 and 2, the general structure of the cassette 100 will be described. The cassette 100 includes a cassette case 110, a tape 101, and an ink ribbon 102 (see FIG. 2). The cassette case 110 has a rectangular box shape.

[0013] A recess 123 is formed on the left side of cassette case 110. Recess 123 recesses from the lower left front of cassette case 110 to the right and then to the rear. Recess 123 opens downward from the bottom surface of cassette case 110. Hereinafter, the opening formed on the left side of cassette case 110 by recess 123 will be referred to as "exposed portion 122," and the portion of cassette case 110 to the left of recess 123 will be referred to as "arm portion 127" (see FIG. 2).

[0014] 2, a guide opening 124 is formed at the front end of the arm portion 127 to guide the tape 101 and the ink ribbon 102 from inside the arm portion 127 to the exposing portion 122. In other words, the exposing portion 122 is an opening between the guide opening 124 and an ejection opening 126, which will be described later, to expose the tape 101 and the ink ribbon 102 from the cassette case 110. The guide opening 124 has a slit shape and extends in the vertical direction.

[0015] A guide 129 is provided at the lower left front corner of the cassette case 110. The guide 129 is columnar and extends in the vertical direction. An ejection opening 126 is formed in the guide 129 for ejecting the tape 101 from inside the cassette case 110 to the outside. The ejection opening 126 is slit-shaped and extends in the vertical direction. The ejection opening 126 is an area surrounded by the front end of the guide 129. The ejection opening 126 is located at the downstream end of the transport path of the tape 101 in the cassette 100. In other words, the tape 101 does not come into contact with the cassette 100 after passing through the ejection opening 126.

[0016] The recess 123 has an entrance 128 formed to the right of the discharge port 126 for allowing the ink ribbon 102 to enter the cassette case 110 from the exposed portion 122. The entrance 128 has a slit shape and extends in the vertical direction.

[0017] A support hole 111 is formed in the bottom surface of the cassette case 110. The support hole 111 rotatably supports the ribbon take-up spool 130. The ribbon take-up spool 130 is housed in the cassette case 110. The ribbon take-up spool 130 is cylindrical and extends in the vertical direction. An input gear (not shown) is fixed to the upper end of the ribbon take-up spool 130. An output gear 131 is connected to the input gear via a connecting gear (not shown) that is rotatably supported by the cassette case 110. The output gear 131 is disposed above the exposed portion 122 and is rotatably supported by the cassette case 110. The output gear 131 is exposed leftward from the left surface of the cassette case 110.

[0018] The cassette case 110 further accommodates a ribbon roll (not shown) and a tape roll (not shown). The ribbon roll is formed by winding the ink ribbon 102 around a ribbon spool. The ink ribbon 102 is stretched over the ribbon roll and ribbon take-up spool 130 via the exposed portion 122. The tape roll is formed by winding the tape 101 around a tape spool.

[0019] In the cassette 100, the ink ribbon 102 is pulled out from the ribbon roll as the ribbon take-up spool 130 rotates. After being pulled out from the ribbon roll, the ink ribbon 102 passes through the exposed portion 122 via the guide opening 124. The ink ribbon 102 is exposed from the cassette case 110 at the exposed portion 122. After passing through the exposed portion 122, the ink ribbon 102 enters the cassette case 110 via the entrance opening 128. After entering the cassette case 110, the ink ribbon 102 is taken up by the ribbon take-up spool 130.

[0020] The tape 101 is fed by a feeding mechanism 5, which will be described later, and is then drawn out from the tape roll. After being drawn out from the tape roll, the tape 101 passes through an exposed portion 122 via a guide opening 124. The tape 101 is exposed from the cassette case 110 at the exposed portion 122, and is overlapped with the ink ribbon 102 from the left side. After passing through the exposed portion 122, the ink ribbon 102 is discharged from the cassette case 110 via a discharge opening 126.

[0021] The configuration of printer 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Printer 1 includes a housing 2, a lid 3, a printing mechanism 4, a conveying mechanism 5, and a cutting mechanism 6. Housing 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a bottom wall 2A, a top wall 2B, a front wall 2C, a rear wall 2D, a left wall 2E, and a right wall 2F. Bottom wall 2A is located at the bottom end of housing 2 and extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. A display (not shown) and operation buttons (not shown) are provided on bottom wall 2A.

[0022] The top wall 2B is located at the top end of the housing 2 and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. A cassette mounting section 11 and a discharge path 28 are provided in the front part of the top wall 2B. The cassette mounting section 11 is a recessed section that is recessed downward from the top wall 2B. The cassette mounting section 11 has a shape that corresponds to the outer shape of the cassette 100 in a plan view (see Figure 11). The cassette 100 is removably mounted in the cassette mounting section 11 in the vertical direction. The discharge path 28 is connected to the front left part of the cassette mounting section 11 and extends forward from the cassette mounting section 11 to the front wall 2C. The discharge path 28 is a recessed section that is recessed downward from the top wall 2B. The discharge path 28 defines a transport path for the tape 101 discharged from the discharge opening 126.

[0023] The front wall 2C is located at the front end of the housing 2 and extends from the front end of the lower wall 2A to the front end of the upper wall 2B. The front wall 2C is provided with an outlet 29 for discharging the printed tape 101 from inside the housing 2. The outlet 29 is slit-shaped and extends in the vertical direction. The outlet 29 is the front end of the outlet path 28. The rear wall 2D is located at the rear end of the housing 2 and extends from the rear end of the lower wall 2A to the rear end of the upper wall 2B. The left wall 2E is located at the left end of the housing 2 and extends from the left end of the lower wall 2A to the left end of the upper wall 2B. The right wall 2F is located at the right end of the housing 2 and extends from the right end of the lower wall 2A to the right end of the upper wall 2B.

[0024] A cutting lever 21 is provided at the left front corner of the housing 2. The cutting lever 21 has a triangular shape in a plan view and is supported rotatably around a cutter mounting shaft 13. The cutter mounting shaft 13 is disposed in front of a cutter holder 63, which will be described later. The cutter mounting shaft 13 is fixed to a support plate 12, which will be described later, and extends upward from the support plate 12. The cutting lever 21 includes an operating portion 211 and a contact portion 212 shown in FIG. 4. The operating portion 211 is a portion that protrudes leftward from the left wall 2E. The contact portion 212 is disposed inside the housing 2 to the left of the cutter holder 63, which will be described later.

[0025] The lid 3 shown in FIG. 1 has a plate shape and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The lid 3 is attached to the housing 2 from above. When the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2, the lid 3 covers the cassette mounting portion 11 from above, and in this embodiment, covers the entire top wall 2B from above. The lid 3 can be removed from the housing 2. When the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2, the lid 3 opens the cassette mounting portion 11 upward, and in this embodiment, opens the entire top wall 2B upward.

[0026] The printing mechanism 4 is a mechanism for printing on the tape 101 and is housed in the housing 2. The transport mechanism 5 is a mechanism for transporting the tape 101 and is housed in the housing 2. The cutting mechanism 6 is a mechanism for cutting the tape 101 and is housed in the housing 2.

[0027] The detailed structures of the printing mechanism 4, conveying mechanism 5, and cutting mechanism 6 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. The printing mechanism 4, conveying mechanism 5, and cutting mechanism 6 are supported by a support plate 12 (see Figures 4 and 5). The support plate 12 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The support plate 12 is located below the cassette mounting section 11 (see Figure 3) in the space surrounded by the lower wall 2A, upper wall 2B, front wall 2C, rear wall 2D, left wall 2E, and right wall 2F in the housing 2, and is fixed to the housing 2.

[0028] The printing mechanism 4 includes a head holder 41 and a thermal head 42. The head holder 41 is located at the front left of the cassette loading section 11 (see FIG. 3). The head holder 41 is plate-shaped and extends in the front-rear and up-down directions. The lower end of the head holder 41 is fixed to the support plate 12 through an opening provided in the bottom surface of the cassette loading section 11 shown in FIG. 3.

[0029] The thermal head 42 is fixed to the left surface of the head holder 41. The thermal head 42 is plate-shaped and extends in the front-to-back and up-down directions. The thermal head 42 includes multiple heating elements. The multiple heating elements are aligned in the up-down direction on the left surface of the thermal head 42. The thermal head 42 selectively heats the multiple heating elements to print on the tape 101. The head holder 41 functions as a heat sink to dissipate heat from the multiple heating elements away from the thermal head 42.

[0030] The transport mechanism 5 includes a rotary shaft 51, a transport motor 52, a gear train 53, and a platen unit 54. The rotary shaft 51 is disposed to the right of the thermal head 42 in the cassette loading section 11 (see FIG. 3) and extends in the vertical direction. The lower end of the rotary shaft 51 is rotatably supported by the support plate 12 through an opening provided in the bottom surface of the cassette loading section 11.

[0031] The transport motor 52 is disposed behind the cassette mounting section 11 (see FIG. 3) and is fixed to the support plate 12. The gear train 53 is rotatably supported on the support plate 12 and connects the transport motor 52 to the rotary shaft 51. Therefore, the driving force of the transport motor 52 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 51 via the gear train 53.

[0032] The platen unit 54 includes a platen holder 541, a platen shaft 542, a platen roller 543, and a platen gear 544. The platen holder 541 is disposed to the left of the cassette loading section 11 (see FIG. 3). The platen holder 541 extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the right. A swing shaft 545 is provided at the rear end of the platen holder 541. The swing shaft 545 extends in the up-down direction and rotatably supports the platen holder 541. The lower end of the swing shaft 545 is fixed to the support plate 12. The front end of the platen holder 541 swings left and right around the swing shaft 545 in a plan view. The front end of the platen holder 541 is biased by a spring (not shown) so as to swing leftward around the swing shaft 545.

[0033] The platen shaft 542 is rotatably supported at the front end of the platen holder 541 and extends in the vertical direction. The platen roller 543 is located at the front end of the platen holder 541 and faces the thermal head 42 from the left. The platen roller 543 is cylindrical and extends in the vertical direction. The platen roller 543 is attached to the lower part of the platen shaft 542 and fixed to the platen shaft 542. The platen roller 543 transports the tape 101. The platen gear 544 is located at the front end of the platen holder 541 and is located above the platen roller 543. The platen gear 544 is attached to the upper end of the platen shaft 542 and fixed to the platen shaft 542. The platen gear 544 receives power from the output gear 131.

[0034] The cutting mechanism 6 includes a receiving table 61 and a holder unit 62. The receiving table 61 and the holder unit 62 are disposed forward of the thermal head 42 and are aligned in the left-right direction with the discharge path 28 between them. In this embodiment, the receiving table 61 is disposed to the right of the discharge path 28, and the holder unit 62 is disposed to the left of the discharge path 28. The receiving table 61 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a receiving surface 611 shown in FIG. 4. The receiving surface 611 is provided on the left surface of the receiving table 61. The receiving surface 611 extends in the front-rear and up-down directions and faces left. The receiving surface 611 supports the printed tape 101 from the right side.

[0035] The holder unit 62 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. As shown in Figure 6, the holder unit 62 is equipped with a cutter blade 64 and a cutter holder 63, and is configured in a state in which the cutter holder 63 holds the cutter blade 64. The cutter blade 64 is plate-shaped and extends in the left-right and up-down directions. A cutting edge 641 is formed on the right end of the cutter blade 64. The cutting edge 641 extends in the up-down direction and faces right. The length of the cutting edge 641 in the up-down direction is longer than the maximum width (e.g., 12 mm) in the up-down direction of the tape 101 that can be used in the printer 1. The cutting edge 641 faces the receiving surface 611 in the left-right direction, with the transport path of the tape 101 between them (see Figure 9).

[0036] The cutter holder 63 is box-shaped and opens to the right and left. The cutter holder 63 houses a cutter blade 64 and holds the cutter blade 64 so that it can move left and right between a retracted position P1 (see FIG. 9) and a cutting position P2 (see FIG. 10), which will be described later.

[0037] The cutter holder 63 includes a lower wall 63A, an upper wall 63B, a front wall 63C, a rear wall 63D, a mounting shaft 63E, and a mounting portion 63F. The lower wall 63A extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The upper wall 63B is aligned above the lower wall 63A and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The front wall 63C extends from the front end of the lower wall 63A to the front end of the upper wall 63B. The rear wall 63D extends from the rear end of the lower wall 63A to the rear end of the upper wall 63B. The rear wall 63D is a portion of the cutter holder 63 located rearward of the cutter blade 64 and includes a plate 631, multiple guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D, and multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D. The plate 631 is a plate-shaped portion of the rear wall 63D and extends in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0038] The multiple guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D protrude forward from the front surface of the plate body 631 and extend in the left-right direction. The multiple guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D are arranged from top to bottom in the following order: guide rib 632C, guide rib 632A, guide rib 632B, and guide rib 632D. The multiple guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D each come into contact with the rear surface of the cutter blade 64 and guide the left-right movement of the cutter blade 64 between a retracted position P1 (see FIG. 9) and a cutting position P2 (see FIG. 10), which will be described later.

[0039] The protrusion 633A continues from the right end of the guide rib 632A and protrudes rightward from the right end of the plate body 631. The protrusion 633B continues from the right end of the guide rib 632B and protrudes rightward from the right end of the plate body 631. The protrusion 633B continues from the right end of the guide rib 632B and protrudes rightward from the right end of the plate body 631. The protrusion 633B continues from the right end of the guide rib 632B and protrudes rightward from the right end of the plate body 631. Therefore, the right ends of each of the multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D form the right end of the rear wall 63D.

[0040] The mounting shaft 63E protrudes downward from the lower wall 63A. The mounting portion 63F protrudes forward from the front wall 63C. A coil spring 637 is wound around the lower end of the mounting portion 63F. One end of the coil spring 637 is hooked onto the cutter blade 64. The coil spring 637 biases the cutter blade 64 leftward, that is, from a cutting position P2 (see FIG. 10) described below toward a retracted position P1 (see FIG. 10). A mounting hole 636 is formed in the mounting portion 63F. The mounting hole 636 extends upward from the underside of the mounting portion 63F, and in this embodiment, penetrates the mounting portion 63F in the vertical direction.

[0041] As shown in Figure 7, when the cassette 100 is loaded into the cassette loading section 11, the center of the tape 101 in the up-down direction is referred to as the "center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction." The protrusions 633A and 633C are positioned above the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction. The protrusion 633C is positioned above the protrusion 633A. The protrusions 633B and 633D are positioned below the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction. The protrusion 633D is positioned below the protrusion 633B.

[0042] In this embodiment, the vertical distance from the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction to the protrusion 633A is the same as the vertical distance from the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction to the protrusion 633B. The vertical center distance between the protrusions 633A and 633B is smaller than the minimum vertical width of the tape 101 that can be used in the printer 1 (for example, 9 mm). The vertical distance from the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction to the protrusion 633C is the same as the vertical distance from the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction to the protrusion 633D. The vertical center distance between the protrusions 633C and 633D is smaller than the vertical length of the cutting edge 641 and smaller than the maximum vertical width of the tape 101 that can be used in the printer 1 (for example, 12 mm).

[0043] Protrusion 633A is formed with first inclined surface 634A, second inclined surface 635A, and third inclined surface 636A. First inclined surface 634A is provided on the upper surface of protrusion 633A and extends in the left-right direction, and also extends downward as it moves to the right from the left end of protrusion 633A to the right end of protrusion 633A. Second inclined surface 635A is provided on the lower surface of protrusion 633A and extends in the left-right direction, and also extends upward as it moves to the right from the left end of protrusion 633A to the right end of protrusion 633A. Third inclined surface 636A is provided on the rear surface of protrusion 633A and extends in the up-down direction, and also extends forward as it moves to the right from the left end of protrusion 633A to the right end of protrusion 633A (see FIG. 6).

[0044] Protrusion 633B is formed with a first inclined surface 634B and a third inclined surface 636B. First inclined surface 634B is provided on the upper surface of protrusion 633B, extends in the left-right direction, and extends downward as it moves rightward from the left end of protrusion 633B to the right end of protrusion 633B. Third inclined surface 636B is provided on the rear surface of protrusion 633B, extends in the up-down direction, and extends forward as it moves rightward from the left end of protrusion 633B to the right end of protrusion 633B (see FIG. 6).

[0045] The protrusion 633C is formed with a first inclined surface 634C, a second inclined surface 635C, and a third inclined surface 636C. The first inclined surface 634C is provided on the upper surface of the protrusion 633C and extends in the left-right direction, and also extends downward as it moves to the right from the left end of the protrusion 633C to the right end of the protrusion 633C. The second inclined surface 635C is provided on the lower surface of the protrusion 633C and extends in the left-right direction, and also extends upward as it moves to the right from the left end of the protrusion 633C to the right end of the protrusion 633C. The third inclined surface 636C is provided on the rear surface of the protrusion 633C and also extends in the up-down direction, and also extends forward as it moves to the right from the left end of the protrusion 633C to the right end of the protrusion 633C (see FIG. 6).

[0046] Protrusion 633D is formed with a first inclined surface 634D and a third inclined surface 636D. First inclined surface 634D is provided on the upper surface of protrusion 633D, extends in the left-right direction, and extends downward as it moves to the right from the left end of protrusion 633D to the right end of protrusion 633D. Third inclined surface 636D is provided on the rear surface of protrusion 633D, extends in the up-down direction, and extends forward as it moves right from the left end of protrusion 633D to the right end of protrusion 633D (see FIG. 6).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8 , in this embodiment, the holder unit 62 is detachably attached to the cutter attachment portion 14. The cutter attachment portion 14 is arranged in a position aligned with the receiving base 61 in the left-right direction, with the discharge path 28 between them. The cutter attachment portion 14 is formed on the upper surface of the support plate 12 and includes a cutter attachment shaft 13 and a cutter attachment hole 15. The cutter attachment hole 15 is arranged in front of the cutter attachment shaft 13 and penetrates the support plate 12 in the up-down direction. The user attaches the holder unit 62 to the cutter attachment portion 14 from above and removes the holder unit 62 upward from the cutter attachment portion 14. For example, the user attaches the holder unit 62 to the cutter attachment portion 14 so that the attachment shaft 63E fits into the cutter attachment hole 15 and the cutter attachment shaft 13 fits into the attachment hole 636.

[0048] The retracted position P1 and the cutting position P2 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. As shown in Figure 9, when the cutter blade 64 is located at the retracted position P1, the cutting edge 641 moves away from the receiving surface 611 to the left, and the entire cutter blade 64 is housed in the cutter holder 63. In this embodiment, when the cutter blade 64 is located at the retracted position P1, the cutting edge 641 is positioned to the left of the right end of the plate body 631. The retracted position P1 is the leftmost position in the movement range of the cutter blade 64 during the cutting operation.

[0049] 10, when the cutter blade 64 is located at the cutting position P2, a part of the cutter blade 64 protrudes to the right from the cutter holder 63, and the cutting edge 641 comes into contact with the receiving surface 611 from the left. When the cutter blade 64 is located at the cutting position P2 with the receiving surface 611 supporting the tape 101, the cutting edge 641 sandwiches the tape 101 between itself and the receiving surface 611, and cuts the tape 101.

[0050] The printing and cutting operations of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 9 to 11. As shown in FIG. 1, with the lid 3 removed from the housing 2, the user installs the cassette 100 in the cassette mounting section 11 from top to bottom so that the rotation shaft 51 fits into the support hole 111 shown in FIG. 2 and the printing mechanism 4 fits into the recess 123 shown in FIG. 2. The user then attaches the lid 3 to the housing 2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the front end of the platen holder 541 swings rightward about the swing shaft 545 via a cam (not shown) from a position (see FIG. 3) where it is biased leftward by a spring (not shown). In this case, the platen roller 543 presses the ink ribbon 102 and the tape 101, overlapping each other, against the thermal head 42 from the left. Furthermore, the platen gear 544 meshes with the output gear 131.

[0051] A user inputs a print command to the printer 1 via an operation unit (not shown). The printer 1 drives the transport motor 52 shown in FIG. 4. This causes the rotary shaft 51 shown in FIG. 3 to rotate the ribbon take-up spool 130 and input gear (not shown) shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the rotation of the ribbon take-up spool 130 shown in FIG. 2 transports the ink ribbon 102 so that it enters the cassette case 110 from the entrance 128. The rotation of the input gear rotates the output gear 131 shown in FIG. 11 via a connecting gear (not shown). The rotation of the output gear 131 rotates the platen gear 544 shown in FIG. 11, which rotates the platen roller 543.

[0052] The platen roller 543 rotates clockwise in a plan view, thereby feeding the tape 101 sandwiched between it and the thermal head 42 forward. Therefore, the rear of the printer 1 is upstream in the feeding direction of the tape 101, and the front of the printer 1 is downstream in the feeding direction of the tape 101. The thermal head 42 selectively heats multiple heating elements. This causes ink on the ink ribbon 102 to be thermally transferred to the tape 101 at positions corresponding to the heated heating elements. The printer 1 prints on the tape 101 by repeatedly feeding the tape 101 with the platen roller 543 and selectively heating the multiple heating elements with the thermal head 42.

[0053] The tape 101 printed on the exposed portion 122 is ejected from the cassette case 110 through the ejection port 126. When the tape 101 is ejected from the cassette case 110, it passes through the ejection path 28 and is ejected from the ejection port 29.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10, when printing is finished, the user pushes the operating portion 211 of the cutting lever 21 backward. This causes the contact portion 212 to swing to the right around the cutter mounting shaft 13. The contact portion 212 comes into contact with the left end of the cutter blade 64, pushing the cutter blade 64 from left to right. This causes the cutter blade 64 to move to the right, from the retracted position P1 shown in Figure 9 to the cutting position P2 shown in Figure 10.

[0055] In the discharge path 28, the receiving surface 611 supports the tape 101 from the right. Therefore, the cutter blade 64 moves from the retracted position P1 to the cutting position P2, and the cutting edge 641 presses the tape 101 against the receiving surface 611 from left to right. The tape 101 is cut by the cutter blade 64. The user releases the cutting lever 21. The biasing force of the coil spring 637 moves the cutter blade 64 from the cutting position P2 shown in FIG. 10 to the retracted position P1 shown in FIG. 9, and the cutting lever 21 returns to its original position.

[0056] The positional relationship of the protrusion 633A will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The protrusion 633A is positioned forward of the discharge port 126. The protrusion 633A is positioned rearward of the cutter blade 64. Imaginary lines V1 and V2 are defined. The imaginary line V1 is an imaginary line connecting points Q1 and Q2. In this embodiment, the imaginary line V1 extends leftward as it moves forward. The imaginary line V2 is an imaginary line connecting points Q1 and Q3. In this embodiment, the imaginary line V1 extends rightward as it moves forward.

[0057] Point Q1 indicates the position of the left end of the discharge port 126 when the cassette 100 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 11. Point Q2 indicates the position of the cutting edge 641 when the cutter blade 64 is positioned at the retracted position P1. Point Q3 indicates the position of the cutting edge 641 when the cutter blade 64 is positioned at the cutting position P2 (see FIG. 10). Point Q4 indicates the position of the right end of the protrusion 633A.

[0058] Point Q4 (the right end of protrusion 633A) is located to the right of imaginary line V1 and to the left of imaginary line V2. The sum of the distance D1 between points Q1 and Q4 and the distance D2 between points Q4 and Q2 is smaller than the distance D3 between points Q1 and Q3. The distance D2 between points Q4 and Q2 is smaller than the distance D1 between points Q1 and Q4.

[0059] The positions of the right ends of the multiple protrusions 633B, 633C, and 633D in the left-right direction are the same as the position (point Q4) of the right end of the protrusion 633A, and the positions of the right ends of the multiple protrusions 633B, 633C, and 633D in the front-rear direction are the same as the position (point Q4) of the right end of the protrusion 633A. Therefore, like the right end of the protrusion 633A, the right ends of the respective protrusions 633B, 633C, and 633D are disposed to the right of the imaginary line V1 shown in Figure 9 and to the left of the imaginary line V2 shown in Figure 10.

[0060] 12, in the above embodiment, when the tape 101 is cut by the cutting mechanism 6, there is a possibility that the cutter blade 64 moves from the cutting position P2 toward the retracted position P1 with the leading end 101A of the tape 101 adhering to the cutting edge 641.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the right end of the rear wall 63D is located to the right of the imaginary line V1. This configuration makes the sum of the distance D1 between points Q1 and Q4 and the distance D2 between points Q4 and Q2 smaller than the distance D3 between points Q1 and Q3. Therefore, while the cutter blade 64 is moving from the cutting position P2 to the retracted position P1, the tape 101 comes into contact with the right end of the rear wall 63D, and the tape 101 is likely to come off the cutting edge 641 (see FIG. 12 ). This prevents the printer 1 from starting the next printing job with the leading end 101A of the tape 101 attached to the cutting edge 641. This configuration contributes to reducing jams. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which a member other than the cutter holder 63 comes into contact with the tape 101 to prevent jams, the printer 1 contributes to reducing the number of parts, the size of the housing 2, and the weight of the housing 2.

[0062] If the right end of the rear wall 63D were flat, the contact area between the tape 101 and the right end of the rear wall 63D would be large, which could damage the tape 101. In the above embodiment, the right ends of the multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D each correspond to the right end of the rear wall 63D. This prevents the contact area between the tape 101 and the right end of the rear wall 63D from becoming large. This helps prevent the printer 1 from damaging the tape 101.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 633A is disposed above the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction. The protrusion 633B is disposed below the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction. This causes the tape 101 to contact the protrusions 633A and 633B on both sides of the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction in the vertical direction. This makes it easier for the tape 101 to come off the cutting edge 641 compared to when the tape 101 contacts the protrusions 633A and 633B on one side of the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction in the vertical direction. This further reduces the likelihood of the printer 1 starting the next printing job with the leading end 101A of the tape 101 adhering to the cutting edge 641. This therefore contributes to further reducing the occurrence of jams in the printer 1.

[0064] In the above embodiment, protrusion 633C is positioned above protrusion 633A, and protrusion 633D is positioned below protrusion 633B. As a result, on both sides of center C1 in the width direction of tape 101 in the up-down direction, the vicinity of both ends of tape 101 contacts protrusions 633C and 633D, and the vicinity of the center of tape 101 contacts protrusions 633A and 633B. This ensures that tape 101 is released from cutting edge 641. This further reduces the likelihood that the printer 1 will start the next printing job with leading end 101A of tape 101 adhering to cutting edge 641. This further reduces the occurrence of jams in the printer 1.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the first inclined surfaces 634A, 634B, 634C, and 634D are provided on the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D, respectively. With this, even if the tape 101 comes into contact with the protrusion 633A, for example, while the cassette 100 is being loaded into the cassette loading portion 11, the tape 101 is guided downward along the first inclined surface 634A, that is, along the direction in which the cassette 100 is loaded into the cassette loading portion 11. Therefore, when the cassette 100 is loaded into the cassette loading portion 11, the printer 1 helps to prevent the tape 101 from getting caught on the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D, and damaging the tape 101.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the protrusions 633A and 633C are provided with the second inclined surfaces 635A and 635C. With this, even if the tape 101 comes into contact with the protrusion 633A, for example, while the cassette 100 is being removed from the cassette mounting portion 11, the tape 101 is guided upward along the second inclined surface 635A, that is, in the direction in which the cassette 100 is removed from the cassette mounting portion 11. Therefore, when the cassette 100 is being removed from the cassette mounting portion 11, the printer 1 helps to prevent the tape 101 from getting caught on the protrusions 633A and 633C and being damaged.

[0067] The smaller the distance D2 between point Q4 and point Q2, the greater the rigidity acting on the front end of tape 101 when tape 101 contacts protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D. In the above embodiment, guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D protrude forward from plate body 631. Guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D contact the rear surface of cutter blade 64 and guide movement of cutter blade 64 between retracted position P1 and cutting position P2. Protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D protrude rightward continuously from the right ends of guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D, respectively. With this, the guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D come into contact with the rear surface of the cutter blade 64, and the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D are positioned closer to the cutter blade 64 in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the distance D2 between point Q4 and point Q2 becomes smaller, and the rigidity acting on the front end of the tape 101 when the tape 101 comes into contact with the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D increases. This makes it even easier for the tape 101 to come off the cutting edge 641. This contributes to further reducing the occurrence of jams in the printer 1.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the cutter holder 63 is detachably attached to the cutter attachment portion 14 with the cutter holder 63 holding the cutter blade 64. With this, even if adhesive from the tape 101 adheres to the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D, the user can remove the cutter holder 63 from the cutter attachment portion 14 and attach a cleaned cutter holder 63 or a new cutter holder 63 to the cutter attachment portion 14. This prevents the printer 1 from starting the next printing operation with the tape 101 adhered to the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D. This therefore contributes to reducing the occurrence of jams.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the third inclined surfaces 636A, 636B, 636C, and 636D are provided on the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D. With this, even if the leading edge 101A of the tape 101 collides with the protrusion 633A while the tape 101 is being transported, the tape 101 is guided forward along the third inclined surface 636A, that is, downstream in the transport direction. This contributes to preventing the tape 101 from getting caught on the protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D while the tape 101 is being transported, thereby preventing a jam from occurring.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the tape 101 corresponds to the "medium" of the present invention. The cassette case 110 corresponds to the "cassette case" of the present invention. The cassette 100 corresponds to the "cassette" of the present invention. The cassette mounting section 11 corresponds to the "cassette mounting section" of the present invention. The platen roller 543 corresponds to the "transport roller" of the present invention. The thermal head 42 corresponds to the "print head" of the present invention. The receiving table 61 corresponds to the "receiving table" of the present invention. The up-down direction of the printer 1 corresponds to the "crossing direction" of the present invention. The cutting edge 641 corresponds to the "cutting edge" of the present invention. The left-right direction of the printer 1 corresponds to the "opposing direction" of the present invention. The cutter blade 64 corresponds to the "cutter blade" of the present invention. The cutter holder 63 corresponds to the "cutter holder" of the present invention. The rear wall 63D corresponds to the "specific wall" of the present invention. The discharge port 126 corresponds to the "discharge port" of the present invention. The left side of the printer 1 corresponds to the "first opposing direction" of the present invention. The imaginary line V1 corresponds to the "imaginary line" of the present invention. The right side of the printer 1 corresponds to the "second opposing direction" of the present invention.

[0071] Plate 631 corresponds to the "plate" of the present invention. Protrusion 633A corresponds to the "first protrusion" of the present invention. Protrusion 633B corresponds to the "second protrusion" of the present invention. The upper side of printer 1 corresponds to the "first intersecting direction" of the present invention. The lower side of printer 1 corresponds to the "second intersecting direction" of the present invention. Protrusion 633C corresponds to the "third protrusion" of the present invention. Protrusion 633D corresponds to the "fourth protrusion" of the present invention. First inclined surfaces 634A, 634B, 634C, and 634D correspond to the "first inclined surface" of the present invention. Second inclined surfaces 635A and 635C correspond to the "second inclined surface" of the present invention. Guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D correspond to the "guide rib" of the present invention. Cutter mounting portion 14 corresponds to the "cutter mounting portion" of the present invention.

[0072] The present invention may be modified in various ways from the above-described embodiment. The modifications described below may be combined with each other as long as no contradictions arise. Regarding modifications related to the multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D, only a modification related to the protrusion 633A may be illustrated as an example. In this case, the protrusions 633B, 633C, and 633D may also be modified in the same way as the protrusion 633A.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the holder unit 62 may be non-detachable from the cutter mounting portion 14. Some or all of the guide ribs 632A, 632B, 632C, and 632D may be omitted. For example, when the guide rib 632A is omitted, the protrusion 633A may protrude rightward from the right end of the plate body 631.

[0074] In the above embodiment, second inclined surface 635A may not be provided on the lower surface of protrusion 633A. In this case, the lower surface of protrusion 633A may extend, for example, perpendicular to the up-down direction. First inclined surface 634A may not be provided on the upper surface of protrusion 633A. In this case, the upper surface of protrusion 633A may extend, for example, perpendicular to the up-down direction. Third inclined surface 636A may not be provided on the rear surface of protrusion 633A. In this case, the rear surface of protrusion 633A may extend, for example, perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0075] In the above embodiment, one of the plurality of protrusions 633A, 633C may be omitted, and one of the plurality of protrusions 633B, 633D may be omitted. One of the pair of the plurality of protrusions 633A, 633C and the pair of the plurality of protrusions 633B, 633D may be omitted.

[0076] The rear wall 63D may omit some or all of the multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D. For example, if all of the multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D are omitted, the right end of the plate 631 becomes the right end of the rear wall 63D. In this case, it is preferable that the right end of the plate 631 is positioned at least to the right of the imaginary line V1. The rear wall 63D may have an additional protrusion in addition to the multiple protrusions 633A, 633B, 633C, and 633D. For example, the plate 631 may have a protrusion at the same position as the center C1 of the tape 101 in the width direction in the up-down direction.

[0077] The cassette 100 may be provided with a tube instead of the tape 101. The cassette 100 may omit the ink ribbon 102. In this case, the tape 101 may be made of thermal paper. The thermal head 42 may be disposed to the left of the cassette mounting portion 11, and the platen roller 543 may be disposed in the cassette mounting portion 11 so that it is inserted into the recess 123.

[0078] The receiving table 61 may be disposed to the left of the discharge path 28, and the holder unit 62 may be disposed to the right of the discharge path 28. The printer 1 may include a shaft for swinging the cutter blade 64 between the retracted position P1 and the cutting position P2. The printer 1 may include a motor for moving the cutter blade 64 between the retracted position P1 and the cutting position P2.

[0079] The sum of the distance D1 between points Q1 and Q4 and the distance D2 between points Q4 and Q2 may be equal to or smaller than the distance D3 between points Q1 and Q3. The distance D2 between points Q4 and Q2 may be equal to or larger than the distance D1 between points Q1 and Q4.

[0080] The right end (point Q4) of protrusion 633A may be located at the same position as imaginary line V2 in the left-right direction, or may be located to the right of imaginary line V2. The positions of the right ends of the multiple protrusions 633B, 633C, and 633D in the left-right direction may be different from the position of the right end (point Q4) of protrusion 633A. The positions of the right ends of the multiple protrusions 633B, 633C, and 633D in the front-rear direction may be different from the position of the right end (point Q4) of protrusion 633A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1: Printer 11: Cassette mounting section 14: Cutter attachment part 42: Thermal head 61: Receiving stand 63: Cutter holder 64: Cutter blade 100: Cassette 101: Tape 110: Cassette case 126: Outlet 543: Platen roller 631: Plate 632A, 632B, 632C, 632D: Guide rib 633A, 633B, 633C, 633D: Protrusion 634A, 634B, 634C, 634D: First slope 635A, 635C: Second slope 641: Cutting edge V1, V2: Virtual lines

Claims

1. A printer using a cassette having a medium and a cassette case for accommodating the medium, a cassette mounting portion to which the cassette is detachably mounted; a conveying roller for conveying the medium; a print head for printing on the medium; a receiving table that is disposed downstream of the print head in the medium transport direction and supports the medium; a cutter blade that is a plate having a cutting edge formed thereon and extending in a cross direction that crosses the conveying direction, and the cutting edge faces the receiving base in an opposing direction that crosses the conveying direction and the cross direction; a cutter holder that holds the cutter blade movably between a retracted position and a cutting position, wherein when the cutter blade is located at the retracted position, the cutting edge moves away from the receiving base in the opposing direction, and when the cutter blade is located at the cutting position, the cutting edge sandwiches the medium between the receiving base and the cutter holder to cut the medium; Equipped with the cutter holder includes a specific wall disposed upstream of the cutter blade in the conveyance direction, When the cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting section and the cutter blade is disposed at the retracted position, an opening is formed at the downstream end of the cassette case in the transport direction, and the outlet through which the medium is discharged from the cassette case. When an imaginary line is defined connecting an end of a first opposing direction from the receiving base to the cutter blade in the opposing directions and the blade tip, an end of a second opposing direction opposite to the first opposing direction in the opposing directions at the specific wall is positioned in the second opposing direction with respect to the imaginary line. A printer characterized by:

2. The specific wall is a plate body extending in the intersecting direction and the opposing direction; a first protrusion that protrudes in the second opposing direction beyond an end of the plate body in the second opposing direction; Including, The end of the first protrusion in the second opposing direction is the end of the specific wall in the second opposing direction.

2. The printer according to claim 1.

3. The specific wall is Further, a second protrusion protruding from the plate body in the second opposing direction is included. the cassette mounting portion is configured so that the cassette is mounted to the cassette mounting portion from a first intersecting direction among the intersecting directions toward a second intersecting direction opposite to the first intersecting direction, the first protrusion is disposed in the first intersecting direction with respect to the center of the medium in the intersecting direction when the cassette is attached to the cassette attachment portion, The second protrusion is disposed in the second intersecting direction with respect to the center of the medium in the intersecting direction when the cassette is attached to the cassette attachment portion.

3. The printer according to claim 2.

4. The specific wall is a third protrusion protruding from the plate body in the second opposing direction; a fourth protrusion protruding from the plate body in the second opposing direction; further comprising the third protrusion is disposed in the first intersecting direction relative to the first protrusion, The fourth protrusion is disposed in the second intersecting direction relative to the second protrusion.

4. The printer according to claim 3.

5. the cassette mounting portion is configured so that the cassette is mounted to the cassette mounting portion from a first intersecting direction among the intersecting directions toward a second intersecting direction opposite to the first intersecting direction, A first inclined surface extending toward the second intersecting direction as it approaches the second opposing direction is provided on a surface of the first projection in the first intersecting direction.

3. The printer according to claim 2.

6. the cassette mounting portion is configured so that the cassette is mounted to the cassette mounting portion from a first intersecting direction among the intersecting directions toward a second intersecting direction opposite to the first intersecting direction, the first protrusion is disposed in the first intersecting direction with respect to the center of the medium in the intersecting direction when the cassette is attached to the cassette attachment portion, A second inclined surface extending toward the first intersecting direction as it approaches the second opposing direction is provided on a surface of the first projection in the second intersecting direction.

3. The printer according to claim 2.

7. the specific wall further includes a guide rib that protrudes downstream from the plate body in the conveying direction, contacts a side surface of the cutter blade facing upstream, and guides movement of the cutter blade between the retracted position and the cutting position; The first protrusion protrudes in the second opposing direction continuously from an end of the guide rib in the second opposing direction.

3. The printer according to claim 2.

8. 8. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a cutter mounting portion to which the cutter holder is detachably mounted while holding the cutter blade.

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