printer

Abstract

To provide a printer which contributes to preventing the temperature of an enclosure from being locally increased while releasing heat of an electronic part.SOLUTION: A rubber key 70 includes a protection unit 731 protruding upward from a base sheet 71 and covering from above a connection portion between a governor IC 62 and an electronic substrate 60. A top surface portion 733 of the protection unit 731 is a horizontal surface. An upper enclosure 4 includes a lower surface portion 47 that includes a recess 43 and three projections 44. The recess 43 is a portion where a lower surface 40 of the upper enclosure 4 is recessed upward, and includes a horizontal bottom surface. The three projections 44 are ribs that protrude downward from the bottom surface of the recess 43. The three projections 44 of the lower surface portion 47 comes into contact with the top surface portion 733. The lower surface portion 47 has a concavo-convex shape relative to the top surface portion 733.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The housing of the print label producing device described in Patent Document 1 includes an upper cover. A keyboard and a group of function keys are provided on the upper cover. The keys that make up the keyboard and the group of function keys are assigned to multiple key tops, respectively. The multiple key tops are provided on rubber keys. The rubber keys are provided so as to be superimposed on a key board. The key board detects keyboard operations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-271965 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned print label producing device, various electronic components are mounted on the key board, and the rubber key may have a protective part that covers the connection part between the key board and the electronic components. In this case, it is considered that the protective part comes into contact with the upper cover, and heat from the electronic components is released to the upper cover via the protective part. In this case, there is a possibility that the part of the upper cover that comes into contact with the protective part will become locally hot.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that contributes to preventing the housing from becoming locally hot while dissipating heat from electronic components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A printer according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing having a wall extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and having a key hole provided therein, a printing unit housed in the housing and performing printing on a medium, an electronic board housed in the housing, extending in the transverse direction, and having contacts on its upper surface, an electronic component mounted on the electronic board, and a rubber key housed in the housing, wherein the rubber key has a sheet-like base sheet extending in the transverse direction and covering the electronic board from above, a key top protruding upward from the base sheet and fitting into the key hole and facing the contacts in the vertical direction, and a protective part provided on the base sheet and covering from above the electronic component or a connection part of the electronic board with the electronic component, wherein a lower surface portion of the wall contacts an upper surface portion of the protective part, and at least one of the lower surface portion and the upper surface portion has an uneven shape relative to the other.

[0007] According to the above aspect, the printer dissipates heat from the electronic components to the wall via the protective unit. Because at least one of the lower surface of the wall and the upper surface of the protective unit has an uneven shape relative to the other, the contact area between the wall and the protective unit, which serves as a heat transfer path for the electronic components, can be reduced. Furthermore, because at least one of the lower surface and the upper surface of the protective unit has an uneven shape relative to the other, the transfer path for the heat from the electronic components when it is transferred from the protective unit to the wall is increased compared to when at least one of the lower surface and the upper surface of the protective unit does not have an uneven shape relative to the other. Therefore, the printer can easily transfer heat from the electronic components over a wide area of the wall. This contributes to preventing the housing from becoming locally hot while dissipating heat from the electronic components.

[0008] In the printer, the wall may be less likely to deform than the rubber key, the upper surface portion may be flat, and the lower surface portion may have an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion. In this way, the wall, which is less likely to deform than the rubber key, has an uneven shape relative to the rubber key. Therefore, in the printer, the uneven shape brings the lower surface portion of the wall and the upper surface portion of the protective part into close contact with each other, which contributes to preventing the housing from becoming locally hot.

[0009] In the printer, the lower surface portion may have a flat portion and a plurality of protrusions protruding from the flat portion toward the protective portion. With this, the lower surface portion of the wall has a plurality of protrusions, so that heat from the electronic components is transferred over a wide area of the wall of the housing. This contributes to preventing the housing from becoming too hot locally.

[0010] In the printer, the electronic component may be a control IC that controls the current flowing to a transport motor that transports the medium. In the printer, the control IC generates heat when transporting the medium. The printer dissipates the heat from the control IC while helping to prevent the housing from becoming locally hot due to the heat from the control IC.

[0011] In the printer, the protection portion may overlap the key top when viewed from the top-bottom direction, which contributes to preventing the rubber keys in the printer from becoming large.

[0012] In the printer, a plurality of the key tops may be provided on the base sheet, and the protection portion may be located between two of the key tops in the cross direction. This contributes to further suppressing the size of the rubber keys in the printer.

[0013] In the printer, a ground pattern may be provided on the periphery of the electronic board, and the periphery of the base sheet may be in contact with the ground pattern. Static electricity may be discharged when a user operates a keytop. The discharged static electricity travels along the surface of the base sheet via the keytop and reaches the periphery of the base sheet. A ground pattern is provided on the periphery of the electronic board, and the periphery of the base sheet is in contact with the ground pattern, so that static electricity that reaches the periphery of the base sheet is discharged from the ground pattern. This contributes to preventing static electricity from reaching electronic components mounted on the electronic board. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer 1 as seen from above the front left. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a bottom view of the lower housing 3 with the lower plate 31 removed and the platen unit 33 positioned at the standby position. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a bottom view of the lower housing 3 with the lower plate 31 removed and the platen unit 33 positioned at the transport position. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a left side view of the platen unit 33 before the platen gear 335 rotates. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the platen unit 33 before the platen gear 335 rotates. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a left side view of the platen unit 33 after the platen gear 335 has rotated. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the platen unit 33 after the platen gear 335 has rotated. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 2. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view of the lower housing 3 with the rubber key 70 removed, viewed from the upper left front. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower housing 3 as seen from the upper left front. [Figure 12] 4 is a diagram illustrating a display unit 42 and an ink unit 423. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a perspective view of the upper housing 4 as seen from the upper right rear. [Figure 14] 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 taken along the line XIV-XIV in FIG. [Figure 15] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 taken along the line XV-XV in FIG. 1. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the printer 1 as seen from the lower left front. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cover 5 as seen from the lower right rear. [Figure 18] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the cover 5. FIG. [Figure 19]10 is a perspective view of the plate cam portion 54 as seen from the lower left front. FIG. [Figure 20] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the cover 5. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is a diagram illustrating a portion where an upper surface portion 733 and a lower surface portion 47 come into contact with each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are used to explain technical features that can be adopted by the present invention. In other words, the configurations and the like shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0016] The configuration of the printer 1 will be described below. In the following, the lower left, upper right, upper left, lower right, upper, and lower in Fig. 1 will be referred to as the left, right, front, rear, upper, and lower of the printer 1. Note that in this embodiment, the up-and-down direction is used for convenience of explanation and is not limited to the vertical direction.

[0017] The printer 1 shown in Figure 1 is a label printer that can create labels by printing images on tape (not shown) stored in a cassette 9 (see Figure 16). The printer 1 has a housing 2. The housing 2 has a lower housing 3, an upper housing 4, and a cover 5. The lower housing 3 is the lower part of the housing 2.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the lower housing 3 is substantially rectangular parallelepiped in shape. An opening 39 (see Fig. 10) that opens upward is provided in the lower housing 3. The lower housing 3 accommodates a printing unit 32, a platen unit 33, a conveying motor 34 (see Fig. 3), a cutter unit 35, an electronic board 60 (see Fig. 10), a rubber key 70 (see Fig. 11), and a display unit 42.

[0019] The structure of the lower portion of the lower housing 3 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 9. As shown in Figure 2, the lower plate 31 of the lower housing 3 is provided with an opening 311, an attachment portion 312, an opening 314, and an ejection port 315. The opening 311 is located to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the lower plate 31 and behind the center in the front-rear direction of the lower plate 31. The opening 311 opens the lower plate 31 in the up-down direction. The attachment portion 312 is located to the right of the opening 311 and behind the center in the front-rear direction of the lower plate 31. The attachment portion 312 is a recess recessed upward from the lower plate 31. A cassette 9 is attached to the attachment portion 312. The left portion of the attachment portion 312 is covered by an extension portion 313 extending from the lower plate 31.

[0020] The opening 314 is located at the left rear end of the lower housing 3, and opens the lower housing 3 in the front-to-rear direction from the left rear end of the lower housing 3 to the inside of the lower housing 3. The discharge port 315 is located at the rear end of the lower housing 3, between the center of the lower housing 3 in the left-to-right direction and the opening 314. The lower housing 3 opens in the front-to-rear direction from the rear end of the lower housing 3 to the mounting portion 312. The printed tape is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the discharge port 315.

[0021] The printing unit 32 is provided to the left of the center in the left-right direction in the mounting unit 312. In this embodiment, the printing unit 32 is a thermal head that prints using heat. The printing unit 32 has a plate portion 321 and multiple heating elements 322 (see Figure 6). The plate portion 321 extends perpendicular to the left-right direction. The multiple heating elements 322 are provided on the left surface of the plate portion 321. The printing unit 32 prints on the tape by selectively causing the multiple heating elements 322 to generate heat.

[0022] The platen unit 33 is provided to the left of the printing unit 32 in the mounting section 312 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 5, the platen unit 33 has a shaft 331, a torsion spring 332, a platen holder 333, a shaft 334, a platen gear 335, and a platen 336. The shaft 331 is provided to the left of the center in the left-right direction in the mounting section 312 and approximately in the center in the front-rear direction in the mounting section 312 (see FIG. 3). The shaft 331 extends downward from the mounting section 312 and is located above the extension section 313. The torsion spring 332 is provided at the upper end of the shaft 331. A retaining ring 337 is provided at the lower end of the shaft 331.

[0023] The platen holder 333 is box-shaped and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The rear end of the platen holder 333 opens to the right. A shaft 331 is inserted into the front end of the platen holder 333. The platen holder 333 comes into contact with a torsion spring 332 from below. The platen holder 333 is rotatable around the shaft 331. The platen holder 333 is constantly biased in a clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom by the torsion spring 332. In the vertical direction, the size of the shaft 331 is larger than the combined size of the torsion spring 332 and the platen holder 333. Therefore, the platen holder 333 is guided by the shaft 331 and can move in the vertical direction.

[0024] The shaft 334 extends in the vertical direction and passes through the rear end of the platen holder 333. A retaining ring 338 is provided at the upper end of the shaft 334. The retaining ring 338 is fixed to the upper rear end of the platen holder 333. The retaining ring 338 is spaced downward from the mounting portion 312. The lower end of the shaft 334 protrudes downward from the lower rear end of the platen holder 333.

[0025] The platen gear 335 is connected to the lower end of the shaft 334 below the platen holder 333. The platen holder 333 is restricted from moving in the vertical direction by a retaining ring 338 and the platen gear 335. The platen gear 335 is cylindrical with an axis extending in the vertical direction. A plurality of teeth are provided on the side of the platen gear 335. The platen gear 335 is a helical gear, and the teeth of the platen gear 335 extend intersecting the vertical direction. The driving force of the transport motor 34 is transmitted to the platen gear 335 via the cassette 9, causing it to rotate around the shaft 334.

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, the platen 336 is inserted onto the shaft 334 inside the platen holder 333. The platen 336 is cylindrical with an axis extending in the vertical direction. The right end of the platen 336 protrudes rightward beyond the platen holder 333 through an opening in the platen holder 333. When the platen gear 335 is rotated by the drive of the conveyance motor 34 (see Figure 5), the platen 336 rotates around the shaft 334 together with the platen gear 335.

[0027] 5 and 6, before the platen gear 335 rotates, the platen unit 33 is located at the lowest end of its vertical movement range due to its own weight. In this embodiment, before the platen gear 335 rotates, the vertical center of the platen 336 is located approximately 0.4 mm below the vertical center of the multiple heating elements 322 (see FIG. 6).

[0028] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the platen gear 335 is a helical gear, and therefore, when the platen gear 335 rotates, an upward force (thrust force) is applied to the platen gear 335. The upward force applied to the platen gear 335 is applied to the platen holder 333, and the platen holder 333 moves upward while being guided by the shaft 331. The platen holder 333 moves upward until it comes into contact with the retaining ring 337. In this embodiment, when the platen gear 335 rotates, the vertical center of the platen 336 is positioned approximately 0.2 mm below the vertical center of the multiple heating elements 322 (see Figure 8).

[0029] In this way, in the printer 1, the upward force applied to the platen gear 335 reduces the amount of vertical deviation between the vertical center of the platen 336 and the vertical centers of the multiple heating elements 322. Although not shown, when the printing unit 32 prints on the tape, the platen 336 is deformed by the upward force applied to the platen gear 335, and the vertical center of the platen 336 is at approximately the same position as the vertical center of the multiple heating elements 322.

[0030] The platen unit 33 can move between a transport position (see FIG. 4) and a standby position (see FIG. 3) by rotating around an axis 331. When the platen unit 33 is located at the transport position shown in FIG. 4, the platen 336 is located to the left of the multiple heating elements 322 of the printing unit 32 with a slight gap between them (see FIG. 6). When the transport motor 34 is driven to rotate at this time, the platen 336 rotates around the axis 334 and pays out the tape from the cassette 9. The tape is pressed from the left by the platen 336 and pays out while coming into contact with the multiple heating elements 322. The tape is printed by the heat generated by the multiple heating elements 322. The printed tape is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 through the discharge port 315.

[0031] 3 is a position where the platen unit 33 has rotated clockwise as viewed from the bottom from the transport position (see FIG. 4). When the platen unit 33 is located at the standby position, the left rear end of the platen holder 333 is located inside the opening 311 as viewed from the bottom (see FIG. 16). The platen unit 33 is constantly biased by the torsion spring 332 in the clockwise direction as viewed from the bottom so that it is positioned at the standby position.

[0032] 2, the cutter unit 35 has a shaft 350, a torsion spring (not shown), a holder 351, and a cutting blade (not shown). The shaft 350 extends in the vertical direction. The shaft 350 is located between the discharge port 315 and the opening 311 in the left-right direction. The shaft 350 is located rearward of the mounting portion 312. The torsion spring is provided on the shaft 350.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, holder 351 has a triangular prism shape that is roughly triangular when viewed from the bottom. A shaft 350 is inserted into the right end of holder 351. Holder 351 is rotatable around shaft 350. Holder 351 is movable between a normal position (see Figures 3 and 9) and a cutting position (not shown). The cutting position is a position where holder 351 is rotated clockwise when viewed from the bottom from the normal position. A torsion spring provided on shaft 350 constantly biases holder 351 in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom so that it is positioned in the normal position.

[0034] The cutting blade is connected to holder 351. The cutting blade is provided near outlet 315 in mounting section 312. The cutting blade moves left and right depending on the position of holder 351. When the user moves holder 351 from the normal position to the cutting position, the cutting blade moves left and right to cut the tape.

[0035] 3 and 9, a portion of holder 351 is housed in lower housing 3, and the other portion of holder 351 protrudes left rearward from lower housing 3 through opening 314. A rib 352 is provided at the left front end of holder 351. Rib 352 protrudes downward from the left front lower end of holder 351. Rib 352 is housed in lower housing 3 over the entire range of movement of holder 351 from the normal position to the cutting position (see FIG. 9).

[0036] As shown in Figure 9, the rib 352 has a rear surface 353, a front surface 354, and an inclined surface 355. The rear surface 353 extends downward from the left front lower end of the holder 351. The front surface 354 is located forward of the left front lower end of the holder 351. The front surface 354 extends in the vertical direction. The inclined surface 355 inclines downward and rearward from the lower end of the front surface 354.

[0037] As shown in Figure 9, a groove 316 is formed near the opening 314 of the lower plate 31. The groove 316 is a recess in the upper surface of the lower plate 31 that is recessed downward. The upper end of the groove 316 is located higher than the upper end of the opening 314. The groove 316 extends in an arc shape centered on the axis 350 (see Figure 2). The rib 352 fits into the groove 316. When the holder 351 moves between the normal position and the cutting position, the holder 351 is guided by the rib 352 and the groove 316. The portion of the lower plate 31 that defines the opening 314 and the groove 316 is called a wall 317. The wall 317 extends in the vertical direction.

[0038] When holder 351 is in the normal position, rear surface 353 of rib 352 comes into contact with the front surface of wall 317. Therefore, even if holder 351 is urged by the torsion spring in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from the bottom, holder 351 will not pop out to the outside of lower housing 3. Even if holder 351 pops out to the outside of lower housing 3, the user can return holder 351 to the inside of lower housing 3 by gently pushing holder 351 forward, because rear surface 353 of rib 352 extends in the vertical direction while inclined surface 355 is inclined rearward and downward.

[0039] The structure of the upper portion of the lower housing 3 will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. As shown in Figure 10, the opening 39 of the lower housing 3 is provided over substantially the entire area of the lower housing 3 in the left-right direction. The front end of the opening 39 is located slightly rearward of the front end of the lower housing 3. The rear end of the opening 39 is located between the center of the lower housing 3 in the front-to-rear direction and the rear end of the lower housing 3. A plate 36 is provided behind the opening 39 at the top end of the lower housing 3.

[0040] A recess 361 is provided in the plate 36. The recess 361 is a portion that is recessed downward in the center portion in the left-right direction on the top surface of the plate 36. A display unit 42 (see FIG. 1) is provided in the recess 361. The display unit 42 is visible from outside the housing 2 through an opening 46 in the upper housing 4, as will be described in detail later. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the display unit 42 has a liquid crystal display 421 and a protective panel 422. The liquid crystal display 421 is a horizontally extending plate and is capable of displaying various types of information. A ring-shaped ink portion 423 is provided around the periphery of the upper surface of the liquid crystal display 421 (see FIG. 12). The ink portion 423 is ink that is printed directly onto the liquid crystal display 421 by silk screen printing. In this embodiment, the vertical size of the ink portion 423 is approximately 20 micrometers.

[0041] 12, the protective panel 422 is a transparent plate having approximately the same shape as the liquid crystal display 421. The protective panel 422 is placed on top of the liquid crystal display 421. A gap G is provided between the protective panel 422 and the liquid crystal display 421 by an ink portion 423.

[0042] Here, the protective panel 422 and the liquid crystal display 421 may be directly overlapped. The protective panel 422 and the liquid crystal display 421 have a manufacturing tolerance (approximately 0.5 micrometers), and when the protective panel 422 and the liquid crystal display 421 are directly overlapped, a non-contact portion will be created. In this case, when a user views the display unit 42 from above, interference fringes may be visible in the non-contact portion because the manufacturing tolerance is approximately the same size as the wavelength of visible light (approximately 0.5 micrometers). In this embodiment, the vertical size of the ink portion 423 is sufficiently larger than the wavelength of visible light, making it difficult for optical interference to occur in the gap R. Therefore, when a user views the display unit 42 from above, the liquid crystal display 421 can be clearly seen through the protective panel 422.

[0043] An electronic board 60 (see FIG. 10) and a rubber key 70 (see FIG. 11) are housed in the opening 39. The electronic board 60 shown in FIG. 10 is a plate-like board extending horizontally. The electronic board 60 has substantially the same shape as the opening 39 in a plan view.

[0044] 14, electronic components such as a governor IC 62 and a capacitor (not shown) are mounted on the electronic board 60. In this embodiment, the electronic components such as the governor IC 62 are mounted below the electronic board 60. The governor IC 62 controls the current flowing to the feed motor 34. The governor IC 62 generates heat when the tape is fed.

[0045] The governor IC 62 has a package 620 and a plurality of terminals 621, 622. The package 620 houses an electronic circuit. The plurality of terminals 621, 622 are connected to the electronic circuit of the package 620 and extend upward from the package 620. Four of the plurality of terminals 621 are provided at the left end of the package 620. The plurality of terminals 621 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction (see FIG. 15 ). Four of the plurality of terminals 622 are provided at the right end of the package 620. Although not shown, the plurality of terminals 622 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction. The upper ends of the plurality of terminals 621, 622 protrude above the top surface of the electronic board 60. The governor IC 62 is connected to the electronic board 60 at the portions of the plurality of terminals 621, 622 that protrude from the electronic board 60.

[0046] Electronic components such as a governor IC 62 and a capacitor (not shown) are electrically connected by wiring (not shown) provided on the electronic board 60. The wiring includes a plurality of contacts 63 (see FIG. 14) corresponding to a plurality of key tops 72 of a rubber key 70 (described later). The plurality of contacts 63 are provided on the upper surface of the electronic board 60. Each contact corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of key tops 72 (described later).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 10, a ground pattern 61 is provided on the periphery of the electronic substrate 60, which serves as a reference potential for the electronic components.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 11, the rubber key 70 has a base sheet 71, multiple key tops 72, and a protective portion 73. The material of the rubber key 70 is, for example, silicone rubber. The base sheet 71 is in the form of a horizontally extending sheet. The base sheet 71 is placed over the electronic board 60 from above. The peripheral edge of the base sheet 71 contacts the ground pattern 61. The rubber key 70 and the electronic board 60 are fixed to the upper housing 4, which will be described later, with screws (not shown).

[0049] A plurality of key tops 72 protrude upward from the base sheet 71. The plurality of key tops 72 fit into key holes 45 of the upper housing 4, which will be described later (see FIG. 1). In a plan view, each key top 72 faces a corresponding contact 63 of the electronic board 60 in the up-down direction (see FIG. 14). An electrode 720 (see FIG. 14) is provided at the bottom end of each key top 72. When a user presses the key top 72 from above, the key top 72 elastically deforms downward. The electrode 720 moves downward due to the elastic deformation of the key top 72 and comes into contact with the contact 63. The contact 63 is closed, and an input signal corresponding to the key top 72 is output to the control unit (not shown) of the printer 1.

[0050] The multiple key tops 72 include a power key 721, character keys 722, and function keys 723. The power key 721 is a key top 72 for turning the power of the printer 1 on or off in the control unit. The character keys 722 are key tops 72 for inputting characters to be printed on the tape. In this embodiment, the character key 722 corresponds to the letter "Q". The function keys 723 are key tops 72 for setting various functions of the printer 1. In this embodiment, the function keys 723 correspond to setting characters to be printed on the tape.

[0051] The power key 721 is provided at the rear left end of the multiple key tops 72. The function keys 723 are provided to the rear right of the power key 721. The character keys 722 are provided to the rear left of the function keys 723. The power key 721 and the character keys 722 are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. No other key tops 72 are provided in the area surrounded by the power key 721, character keys 722, and function keys 723 in a plan view.

[0052] The protective portion 73 is provided in an area of the base sheet 71 surrounded by the power key 721, the character keys 722, and the function keys 723. That is, the protective portion 73 is located between the power key 721 and the character keys 722 in the front-rear direction, and is located in a position that does not overlap with the key tops 72 in a plan view.

[0053] Protective portion 73 protrudes upward from base sheet 71. Protective portion 73 includes protective portions 731 and 732. Protective portions 731 and 732 extend in the front-to-rear direction. Protective portion 731 is provided to the left of protective portion 732. The upper ends of protective portions 731 and 732 are horizontal surfaces perpendicular to the up-down direction. The flat surfaces at the upper ends of protective portions 731 and 732 are called upper surface portions 733 (see Figures 15 and 21).

[0054] 14, the position of the protector 73 corresponds to the position of the governor IC 62 in a plan view. More specifically, the protector 731 corresponds to the positions of the multiple terminals 621 of the governor IC 62. The protector 732 corresponds to the positions of the multiple terminals 622 of the governor IC 62. The protector 731 covers from above the portions of the multiple terminals 621 that protrude upward from the electronic board 60. The protector 732 covers from above the portions of the multiple terminals 622 that protrude upward from the electronic board 60. In other words, the protectors 731 and 732 cover the connection portion between the governor IC 62 and the electronic board 60 from above. Heat from the governor IC 62 is transferred to the protectors 731 and 732.

[0055] The structure of the upper housing 4 will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. The upper housing 4 is the upper part of the housing 2, and is a wall that covers the lower housing 3 from above (see Figure 1). The material of the upper housing 4 is, for example, ABS resin. The upper housing 4 is less likely to deform than the rubber key 70. The upper housing 4 is provided with a plurality of key holes 45 and openings 46.

[0056] The multiple keyholes 45 open the upper housing 4 in the vertical direction. The positions of the multiple keyholes 45 correspond to the positions of the multiple key tops 72. The opening 46 opens the upper housing 4 in the vertical direction behind the multiple keyholes 45. The position of the opening 46 corresponds to the position of the display unit 42. The size of the opening 46 in the left-right direction is smaller than the size of the liquid crystal display 421 in the left-right direction, and the size of the opening 46 in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the size of the liquid crystal display 421 in the front-to-back direction. In a plan view, the ink unit 423 is outside the opening 46, and the user cannot see the ink unit 423 through the opening 46.

[0057] The lower surface 40 of the upper housing 4 is provided with a recess 43 and three protrusions 44. The recess 43 is a portion of the lower surface 40 that is recessed upward. A bottom surface 430 of the recess 43 is a horizontal plane. The position of the recess 43 corresponds to the position of the protection portion 73 (see FIG. 14).

[0058] The three protrusions 44 are ribs that protrude downward from the bottom surface 430. The lower surface of each of the protrusions 44 is a horizontal plane. The lower ends of the three protrusions 44 are located lower than the parts of the bottom surface 40 other than the recessed portion 43. The three protrusions 44 extend in the left-right direction and are provided across the protective portion 731 and the protective portion 732 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 14). The three protrusions 44 are arranged in the front-rear direction across the entire front-rear area of the protective portions 731 and 732 (see FIG. 15). The surface portion of the recessed portion 43 and the three protrusions 44 is referred to as the lower surface portion 47. When the rubber key 70 and the electronic board 60 are fixed to the upper housing 4, the three protrusions 44 of the lower surface portion 47 come into contact with the upper surface portion 733 of the protective portion 73.

[0059] The heat of the governor IC 62 is transferred to the upper housing 4 via the protective part 73 and then released from the upper housing 4 to the outside of the housing 2. The heat of the governor IC 62 is transferred from the protective part 73 to the upper housing 4 at the portion where the upper surface portion 733 contacts the three protrusions 44 of the lower surface portion 47. The hatched area in FIG. 21 indicates the portion where the upper surface portion 733 contacts the three protrusions 44 of the lower surface portion 47. As shown in FIG. 15, the upper surface portion 733 is a horizontal surface, and the lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion 733. Here, "the lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion 733" means that the lower surface portion 47 does not have a fitted relationship with the upper surface portion 733.

[0060] The structure of the cover 5 will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 19. The cover 5 is attached to the lower housing 3 and covers the lower housing 3 from below (see Figure 16). As shown in Figure 17, the cover 5 has a wall 50 and a cam 51. The wall 50 extends crosswise in the vertical direction.

[0061] The cam 51 has upright posts 52 and 53, and a plate cam portion 54. The upright post 52 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped that protrudes downward from the wall 50. The upright post 53 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped that protrudes downward from the upright post 52. The upright post 53 extends long in the up-down direction relative to the left-right and front-rear directions. The upright post 53 is provided with a hole 531, a rib 536 (see Figure 20), and openings 532 and 533 (see Figure 18).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 20 , the hole 531 extends vertically inside the upright pillar 53. A front wall 530 and a rear wall 535 of the upright pillar 53 define the edge of the hole 531. The rib 536 extends forward from the rear wall 535. The rib 536 includes a front surface 537 and an inclined surface 538. The lower end of the front surface 537 is located at approximately the same position as the lower end of the upright pillar 53. The upper end of the front surface 537 is located below the center of the up-down direction of the upright pillar 53. The inclined surface 538 inclines rearward and upward from the upper end of the front surface 537 toward the rear wall 535.

[0063] 17, opening 532 is provided from the lower surface of upright pillar 53 to a portion of the right surface. Opening 532 is connected to hole 531 (see FIG. 20) and opens upright pillar 53 downward and to the right. The upper end of opening 532 is located approximately in the center of upright pillar 53 in the vertical direction.

[0064] As shown in Figure 18, opening 533 is provided in a portion of the front surface of upright pillar 53. Opening 533 is connected to hole 531 (see Figure 20) and opens upright pillar 53 to the front. The lower end of opening 533 is located at approximately the same position as the lower end of upright pillar 53. The upper end of opening 533 is located at approximately the same position in the vertical direction as the upper end of front surface 537 of rib 536 (see Figure 20).

[0065] 19, the plate cam portion 54 has a plate 541, a protruding portion 542, a cylinder 544, an extending portion 545, and a rib 546. The plate 541 extends perpendicular to the left-right direction. The protruding portion 542 extends downward from the plate 541. The protruding portion 542 has a generally triangular prism shape when viewed from the front. A right surface 543 of the protruding portion 542 is inclined upward and leftward.

[0066] Cylinder 544 is provided at the upper end of plate 541. Cylinder 544 protrudes forward from plate 541. Cylinder 544 has an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction. Extension portion 545 extends downward from plate 541. Extension portion 545 is plate-shaped and extends perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. Rib 546 extends forward from the lower end of extension portion 545. The combined front-to-rear size of extension portion 545 and rib 546 is approximately the same as the front-to-rear size from front surface 537 of rib 536 to front wall 530 (see Figure 20).

[0067] As shown in FIG. 20 , the plate cam portion 54 is press-fit into the upright pillar 53 from below. The rib 546 is guided by the front wall 530 and the rib 536. The rib 546 fits into the opening 533 from behind. At this time, the cylinder 544 presses against the front wall 530. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , the right end of the plate 541 protrudes to the right of the upright pillar 53 through the opening 532. The protruding portion 542 protrudes below the upright pillar 53 through the opening 532. Because the front wall 530 presses the cylinder 544, the plate cam portion 54 is unlikely to detach from the upright pillar 53. Furthermore, even when a rearward force is applied to the rib 546, the rib 546 provided on the upright pillar 53 comes into contact with the rib 546, preventing the plate cam portion 54 from detaching from the upright pillar 53. Furthermore, since the combined vertical size of the extension portion 545 and the rib 546 is approximately the same as the vertical size from the front surface 537 of the rib 536 to the front wall 530, the rib 546 is unlikely to come off the opening 533. Therefore, the plate cam portion 54 is unlikely to come off the upright pillar 53.

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, before the cover 5 is attached to the lower housing 3, the platen unit 33 is biased by the torsion spring 332 and is located in the standby position (see FIG. 3). When the cover 5 is attached to the lower housing 3, the plate cam portion 54 is inserted into the opening 311 from below. The right surface 543 of the protrusion 542 contacts the platen holder 333 from the upper left end and slides relative to the platen holder 333. Because the right surface 543 is inclined upward and left, a force to the right is applied to the platen holder 333. The platen unit 33 rotates counterclockwise in a bottom view against the biasing force of the torsion spring 332. When the attachment of the cover 5 to the lower housing 3 is complete, the platen unit 33 is located in the transport position (see FIG. 4).

[0069] The main effects of the printer 1 in the embodiment described above will be described. The protective portion 73 of the rubber key 70 protrudes upward from the base sheet 71 and covers the connection between the governor IC 62 and the electronic board 60 from above. The upper surface portion 733 of the protective portion 73 is horizontal. The upper housing 4 has a lower surface portion 47. The lower surface portion 47 includes a recess 43 and three protrusions 44. The recess 43 is an upward recessed portion of the lower surface 40 of the upper housing 4 and includes a bottom surface 430, which is horizontal. The three protrusions 44 are ribs that protrude downward from the bottom surface 430. When the rubber key 70 and the electronic board 60 are fixed to the upper housing 4, the three protrusions 44 of the lower surface portion 47 come into contact with the upper surface portion 733 of the protective portion 73. The lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the top surface portion 733.

[0070] According to this, in the printer 1, heat from the governor IC 62 is transferred to the upper housing 4 via the protective portion 73 and then dissipated from the upper housing 4 to the outside of the housing 2. Because the lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion 733, the contact area between the lower surface portion 47 and the upper surface portion 733 can be made smaller compared to when the lower surface portion 47 contacts the entire upper surface portion 733 (see FIG. 21). Furthermore, because the lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion 733, the heat transfer path from the governor IC 62 is increased compared to when the lower surface portion 47 contacts the entire upper surface portion 733. Therefore, the printer 1 can easily transfer heat from the governor IC 62 over a wide area of the upper housing 4. Therefore, the printer 1 contributes to preventing the housing 2 from becoming locally overheated while dissipating heat from electronic components such as the governor IC 62.

[0071] In the printer 1, the upper housing 4 is less likely to deform than the rubber key 70. The upper surface portion 733 of the protective part 73 is a horizontal surface. The lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion 733. As a result, the lower surface portion 47 of the upper housing 4, which is less likely to deform than the rubber key 70, has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion 733, and deformation of the uneven shape makes it difficult for the lower surface portion 47 and the upper surface portion 733 to come into close contact with each other. Therefore, in the printer 1, the lower surface portion 47 and the upper surface portion 733 come into close contact with each other, which contributes to preventing the housing 2 from becoming locally hot.

[0072] In the printer 1, the bottom surface portion 47 includes a recess 43 and three protrusions 44. The three protrusions 44 protrude downward from the bottom surface 430 of the recess 43. This makes it easier for the printer 1 to transfer heat from the governor IC 62 to a wider area of the upper housing 4 compared to when the bottom surface portion 47 includes only one protrusion 44. This contributes to preventing the housing 2 from becoming locally hot.

[0073] In the printer 1, the electronic components mounted on the electronic board 60 include a governor IC 62. The protective part 73 covers the connection between the governor IC 62 and the electronic board 60 from above. In the printer 1, the governor IC 62 generates heat when the tape is fed. The printer 1 dissipates the heat from the governor IC 62, while contributing to preventing the housing 2 from becoming locally hot due to the heat from the governor IC 62.

[0074] In the printer 1, the protection section 73 is provided in an area surrounded by the power key 721, the character keys 722, and the function keys 723, and is located so as not to overlap with the multiple key tops 72 in a plan view. This contributes to preventing the rubber keys 70 in the printer 1 from becoming larger.

[0075] In the printer 1, the protection portion 73 is located in the front-rear direction between the power key 721 and the character keys 722. This contributes to preventing the rubber keys 70 in the printer 1 from becoming larger.

[0076] In the printer 1, the base sheet 71 is provided on the ground pattern 61 of the electronic board 60. The base sheet 71 is placed on top of the electronic board 60, and the peripheral edge of the base sheet 71 contacts the ground pattern 61. When a user operates a key top 72, static electricity may be discharged from the user. The discharged static electricity is transmitted along the surface of the base sheet 71 via the key top 72 and reaches the peripheral edge of the base sheet 71. In the printer 1, the peripheral edge of the base sheet 71 contacts the ground pattern 61. Therefore, static electricity that reaches the peripheral edge of the base sheet 71 is discharged from the ground pattern 61. Therefore, the printer 1 contributes to preventing static electricity from reaching electronic components such as a governor IC mounted on the electronic board 60.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the "crossing direction" of the present invention. The upper housing 4 corresponds to the "wall" of the present invention. The tape corresponds to the "medium" of the present invention. The governor IC 62 corresponds to the "electronic component" and "control IC" of the present invention. The bottom surface 430 corresponds to the "flat portion" of the present invention.

[0078] The present invention can be modified in various ways from the above embodiment. The various modified examples described below can be combined with each other as long as no contradictions arise. In the above embodiment, the upper surface portion 733 is horizontal, and the lower surface portion 47 has an uneven shape relative to the horizontal. However, it is sufficient if at least one of the lower surface portion 47 and the upper surface portion 733 has an uneven shape relative to the other. For example, the lower surface portion 47 may be horizontal, and the upper surface portion 733 may have an uneven shape relative to the horizontal. As long as the lower surface portion 47 and the upper surface portion 733 are not in a fitted relationship, the upper surface portion 733 may have an uneven shape relative to the horizontal, and the lower surface portion 47 may have an uneven shape relative to the horizontal.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the protective portion 73 covers the connection portion between the governor IC 62 and the electronic board 60 from above. Alternatively, the governor IC 62 may be mounted on the upper surface of the electronic board 60, and the protective portion 73 may cover the package 620 of the governor IC 62. In the above embodiment, the protective portion 731 covers the connection portion between the multiple terminals 621 and the electronic board 60, and the protective portion 732 covers the connection portion between the multiple terminals 622 and the electronic board 60. Alternatively, the protective portion 731 may cover both the multiple terminals 621 and the multiple terminals 622. The protective portion 731 may cover only one of the multiple terminals 621, or only two or three of the multiple terminals 621. The protective portion 732 may cover only one of the multiple terminals 622, or only two or three of the multiple terminals 622. The shape of the protective portion 73 may be changed as appropriate.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the printing unit 32 is a thermal head that performs printing by heat, but the printing unit 32 may also be, for example, an inkjet head that ejects ink.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the material of the upper housing 4 may be changed as appropriate. The material of the rubber key 70 may be changed as appropriate. The upper housing 4 may be more easily deformed than the rubber key 70.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the number of protrusions 44 is three. However, the number of protrusions 44 may be one, or any number equal to or greater than two. The shape of the protrusions 44 may be changed as appropriate. The shape of the lower surface portion 47 may be changed as appropriate. The protrusions 44 may have, for example, a circular cylindrical shape in a plan view, and may be provided across both the protective portion 731 and the protective portion 732.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 44 is provided across the protective portion 731 and the protective portion 732 in the left-right direction. In contrast, the protrusion 44 may be separated between the protective portion 731 and the protective portion 732 in the left-right direction. The protrusion 44 may be in contact with at least one of the protective portion 731 or the protective portion 732. The protrusion 44 may be in contact with the protective portion 731 but not with the protective portion 732. The protrusion 44 may be in contact with the protective portion 732 but not with the protective portion 731.

[0084] The bottom surface 430 of the lower surface portion 47 does not have to be flat. The lower surfaces of the protrusions 44 of the lower surface portion 47 do not have to be flat. For example, the protrusions 44 may be needle-like, becoming sharper as they extend downward. The lower surface portion 47 may have an uneven shape formed by a method such as embossing or etching.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the protection section 731 covers the terminals 621, 622 of the governor IC 62. However, the protection section 731 may cover an electronic component (for example, a capacitor) mounted on the electronic board 60 different from the governor IC 62.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the protection section 73 is provided in an area surrounded by the power key 721, the character keys 722, and the function keys 723, and is located between the power key 721 and the character keys 722 in the front-to-rear direction. However, the protection section 73 may be provided in an area other than the area surrounded by the power key 721, the character keys 722, and the function keys 723. The protection section 73 may be provided to the right of the function keys 723, for example. The protection section 73 may be provided to the left of the power key 721, for example.

[0087] The ground pattern 61 does not have to be provided on the peripheral edge of the electronic substrate 60. The base sheet 71 may be in contact with the ground pattern 61 at a portion other than the peripheral edge. The base sheet 71 does not have to be in contact with the ground pattern 61.

[0088] Other modifications will be described. In the above embodiment, the platen gear 335 is a helical gear, but this is not limiting as long as it generates an upward force (thrust force) on the platen holder 333. The platen gear 335 may be, for example, a crown gear. The platen unit 33 may apply a downward force to the platen holder 333 by rotating the platen gear 335. At this time, the platen holder 333 may move downward, thereby reducing the amount of misalignment between the vertical center of the platen 336 and the vertical center of the multiple heating elements 322. The platen unit 33 does not need to generate a force that moves the platen holder 333 upward or downward by rotating the platen gear 335. The platen unit 33 may generate a force that moves the platen holder 333 forward, backward, leftward, or rightward by rotating the platen gear 335. In the platen unit 33, the rotation of the platen gear 335 does not need to generate a thrust force. The platen gear 335 may be, for example, a spur gear, a helical gear, or the like.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the rib 352 protrudes downward from the left front lower end of the holder 351. However, the rib 352 may protrude upward from the left front upper end of the holder 351. The rib 352 may protrude leftward from the left front end of the holder 351. The rib 352 may include a first rib protruding upward from the left front upper end of the holder 351 and a second rib protruding downward from the left front lower end of the holder 351. In the above embodiment, the rear surface 353 of the rib 352 extends in the vertical direction parallel to the wall 317. However, the rear surface 353 may extend so as to intersect the vertical direction. The rear surface 353 does not have to extend parallel to the wall 317. In the above embodiment, the inclined surface 355 extends from the lower end of the front surface 354. However, the rib 352 does not have to include the front surface 354, and the inclined surface 355 may be the front surface of the rib 352. In the above embodiment, the inclined surface 355 extends downward after intersecting with the wall 317. However, the inclined surface 355 may extend parallel to the wall 317. The inclination direction of the inclined surface 355 may be changed as appropriate. The holder 351 does not necessarily have to be provided with the rib 352.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the ink portion 423 is provided on the surface of the liquid crystal display 421 by silk printing. However, the ink portion 423 may be provided on the surface of the liquid crystal display 421 by, for example, inkjet printing. Instead of the ink portion 423, a protrusion of about several tens of micrometers may be provided on the surface of the liquid crystal display 421. The ink portion 423 may be provided on the protective panel 422 instead of the liquid crystal display 421. The shape of the ink portion 423 is not limited to being annular and may be changed as appropriate. The shape of the ink portion 423 may be a line extending in the left-right direction between the front and rear ends of the liquid crystal display 421. The ink portion 423 may be visible to the user through the opening 46. The ink portion 423 may not be provided on the liquid crystal display 421, and the liquid crystal display 421 and the protective panel 422 may be directly stacked on top of each other.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the upright pillar 53 is provided with a rib 536. However, the upright pillar 53 does not necessarily have to be provided with a rib 536. The shape of the rib 536 may be changed as appropriate. The front surface 537 is not limited to extending in the vertical direction and may intersect with the vertical direction. In this case, the inclined surface 538 may not be provided. The position of the rib 536 may be changed as appropriate. The front-to-rear dimension from the front surface 537 to the front wall 530 may be different from the combined front-to-rear dimension of the extension portion 545 and the rib 546. The shape of the upright pillar 53 may be changed as appropriate. In the above embodiment, when the plate cam portion 54 is press-fitted into the upright pillar 53, the cylinder 544 presses against the front wall 530. However, when the plate cam portion 54 is press-fitted into the upright pillar 53, the cylinder 544 does not necessarily have to press against the front wall 530. The shape of the cylinder 544 may be changed as appropriate. The position of the cylinder 544 may be changed as appropriate. The plate cam portion 54 does not necessarily have to be provided with the cylinder 544. The shape of the plate cam portion 54 may be changed as appropriate. The plate cam portion 54 may be formed integrally with the upright pillar 53. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Printer 2. Case 32 Printing Department 33 Platen unit 35 Cutter unit 40 Wall 42 Display section 43 Recess 44 Protrusion 47 Bottom part 51 Cam 60 Electronic Board 61 Ground Pattern 62 Governor IC 70 Rubber Key 72 keycaps 73 Protection Department 335 Platen Gear 336 Platen 351 Holder 352 Ribs 423 Ink Department 536 Rib 544 Cylinder 733 Top part

Claims

1. a housing having a wall extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and having a key hole; a printing unit housed in the housing and configured to print on a medium; an electronic substrate housed in the housing, extending in the intersecting direction, and having a contact on an upper surface; an electronic component mounted on the electronic substrate; a rubber key accommodated in the housing; The rubber key is a sheet-like base sheet extending in the intersecting direction and covering the electronic substrate from above; a key top that protrudes upward from the base sheet, fits into the key hole, and faces the contact point in the up-down direction; a protective portion provided on the base sheet and covering from above the electronic component or a connection portion of the electronic board with the electronic component, a lower surface portion of the wall contacts an upper surface portion of the protection portion; At least one of the lower surface portion and the upper surface portion has an uneven shape relative to the other. A printer characterized by:

2. The wall is less likely to deform than the rubber key, the upper surface portion is planar; The lower surface portion has an uneven shape relative to the upper surface portion.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein:

3. 3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the lower surface portion has a flat portion and a plurality of protrusions protruding from the flat portion toward the protection portion.

4. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a control IC that controls current flowing to a transport motor that transports the medium.

5. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the protection portion does not overlap with the key top when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

6. a plurality of the key tops are provided on the base sheet; 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the protection portion is located between two of the key tops in the cross direction.

7. a ground pattern is provided on the periphery of the electronic substrate; 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge of the base sheet is in contact with the ground pattern.

Images