Printer device

Abstract

To provide a printer device capable of preferably reducing fluctuation of a tension applied to a sheet.SOLUTION: A printer device according to an embodiment includes: a storage part that stores a sheet wound in a roll shape; a conveyance part that draws the sheet from the storage part and conveys the sheet; a printing part that performs printing on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance part; and a damper part that is provided between the storage part and the conveyance part, contacts with one surface side of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance part, energizes an elastic force to the sheet, and thereby, reduces a tension applied to the sheet due to conveyance of the conveyance part. The damper part has a non-linear elastic member and energizes the sheet by using the elastic force of the elastic member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a printer device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a printer device that pulls out paper from a roll of paper and prints on the pulled-out paper.

[0003] For example, in a thermal printer, which is an example of a printer device, paper is pulled from a roll of paper by a transport roller such as a platen roller, and printing is performed by a thermal head positioned opposite the platen roller. For such thermal printers, a configuration has been proposed that includes an elastic member that applies a biasing force to the thermal head in the direction of contact with the platen.

[0004] In the printer described above, tension is applied to the paper as it is pulled from the roll. The tension applied to the paper varies depending on the acceleration during paper transport and the condition of the roll. For example, the diameter and weight of the roll paper decrease as the paper is pulled, causing the moment of inertia of the roll paper to vary. Therefore, even when the paper is pulled with the same force, the tension applied to the paper varies depending on the condition of the roll paper.

[0005] Furthermore, the tension applied to the paper can hinder stable paper transport. For example, if the tension is too high, the motor that drives the platen roller can lose synchronization, which can lead to a decrease in print quality. For these reasons, it is preferable to reduce the tension applied to stabilize paper transport. However, because the tension applied to the paper fluctuates as described above, a technology that can deal with tension fluctuations is desired. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer device that can suitably reduce fluctuations in tension applied to paper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The printer device of the embodiment comprises a storage section that stores paper wound in a roll, a transport section that pulls out the paper from the storage section and transports it, a printing section that prints on the paper transported by the transport section, and a damper section that is provided between the storage section and the transport section and abuts against one side of the paper transported by the transport section and applies an elastic force to the paper, thereby reducing the tension applied to the paper as it is transported by the transport section, and the damper section has a nonlinear elastic member and uses the elastic force of the elastic member to apply force to the paper. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the printer device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of the damper portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of the damper portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of the damper portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of the arrangement position of the elastic member according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a spring constant of the elastic member of the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the damper unit according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0010] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer device according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the printer device 1 is a thermal printer, and is an example of a printer device.

[0011] In the drawings described below, for convenience, mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are shown, and the left-right direction (X-axis), front-back direction (Y-axis), and up-down direction (Z-axis) of the printer device 1 of the embodiment will be described using the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In the following description, when simply referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis, it refers to the respective axial direction and includes two opposite directions. Furthermore, the positive direction of the X-axis refers to one direction from right to left, the positive direction of the Y-axis refers to one direction from rear to front, and the positive direction of the Z-axis refers to one direction from bottom to top.

[0012] The printer device 1 comprises a lower housing 11, an upper cover 12, and an outlet 13. The lower housing 11 is a box-shaped container with an opening on one side. The lower housing 11 is provided with a connection terminal (not shown) used to connect to an external device such as a host computer that manages the printer device 1, a power terminal (not shown) that supplies power to the printer body, and the like. The upper cover 12 opens and closes the storage section 18. The upper cover 12 is an example of a lid. One end of the upper cover 12 is rotatably supported by the lower housing 11, and opens and closes the opening of the lower housing 11 as it rotates.

[0013] The discharge port 13 is a gap-like opening through which paper is discharged, and this opening is formed between the other end of the upper cover 12 and the lower housing 11. The lower housing 11 and the upper cover 12 constitute the housing 10.

[0014] Next, the internal structure of the printer device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the printer device according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a YZ cross-sectional view of the printer device 1 shown in Fig. 1 taken along line AA.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the printer device 1 stores roll paper 22, which is thermal paper 21, an example of paper, wound in a roll around a roll core 23, in a storage section 18 inside the housing, and prints by pulling out the thermal paper 21 from the roll paper 22.

[0016] The paper is not limited to thermal paper 21, and may be, for example, label paper. The label paper may be a strip of paper with labels of a predetermined size attached to it, or may be strip-shaped labels without a backing.

[0017] The printer device 1 includes a housing 10 therein, which includes a flapper 15, a platen roller 16, a thermal head 17, a housing portion 18, and a damper portion 30.

[0018] The printer device 1 pulls out thermal paper 21 from roll paper 22 by rotating the platen roller 16, and prints on the pulled-out thermal paper 21 with the thermal head 17.

[0019] The flapper 15 is provided on the rear side of the upper cover 12. The end of the flapper 15 that is closest to the thermal head 17 is rotatably attached to the upper cover 12. Specifically, the flapper 15 is rotatably attached around a flapper rotation shaft 151 while being biased in the direction of the roll paper 22 stored in the storage section 18.

[0020] The flapper rotation shaft 151 is installed along the X axis at a position on the positive side of the Y axis relative to the upper cover rotation shaft 14, which rotates the upper cover 12 so that it can be opened and closed. For example, a torsion spring (not shown) is attached to the flapper rotation shaft 151, and the flapper 15 is biased by the torsion spring toward the paper roll 22 stored in the storage section 18. As a result, the flapper 15 presses the paper roll 22 stored in the storage section 18 in a direction away from the upper cover 12, pressing it against the inner wall of the storage section 18.

[0021] The platen roller 16 is installed on the back side of the top cover 12. The platen roller 16 is an example of a conveying unit. The platen roller 16 rotates when a driving force from a stepping motor (not shown) is transmitted to it, and pulls out the thermal paper 21 from the roll paper 22 stored in the storage unit 18 and conveys it toward the thermal head 17.

[0022] The thermal head 17 is installed on the inner surface of the lower housing 11. The thermal head 17 is an example of a printing unit. When the upper cover 12 is closed, the thermal head 17 abuts against the platen roller 16. The thermal head 17 prints on the thermal paper 21 transported by the platen roller 16. The thermal paper 21 is transported toward the discharge opening 13 while being sandwiched between the thermal head 17 and the platen roller 16. Hereinafter, the direction in which the thermal paper 21 is transported from the roll paper 22 toward the discharge opening 13 is also referred to as the transport direction B.

[0023] The thermal head 17 has a structure in which multiple heating elements are aligned, and prints on the thermal paper 21 held between the thermal head 17 and the platen roller 16 by heating the heating elements corresponding to the printing pattern.

[0024] The storage section 18 is a space provided inside the housing 10 for storing the paper roll 22. The storage section 18 stores the paper roll 22 that has been inserted into the housing 10. Note that in this embodiment, the storage section 18 does not support the roll core 23 of the paper roll 22, so-called a throw-in method, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the roll core 23 of the paper roll 22 is rotatably supported by providing a bearing or the like in the storage section 18 may be adopted. In this case, the flapper 15 and flapper rotation shaft 151 may be unnecessary.

[0025] The damper unit 30 is provided between the platen roller 16 and the storage unit 18 (roll paper 22). The damper unit 30 applies an elastic force from one side (the lower side) of the thermal paper 21, thereby reducing the tension applied to the thermal paper 21 when it is pulled out by the platen roller 16.

[0026] The damper section 30 has a rotating roller 31, a frame section 32, and an elastic member 36. The rotating roller 31 is provided at the tip of the frame section 32 and is rotatable in the transport direction of the thermal paper 21. The rotating roller 31 abuts against one side (the lower side in the figure) of the thermal paper 21 transported by the platen roller 16, and the thermal paper 21 is transported toward the thermal head 17 while in contact with the rotating roller 31.

[0027] The frame portion 32 is a plate-like member that is provided across the width (X-axis direction) of the thermal paper 21. The frame portion 32 rotatably supports the rotating roller 31 at its upper end portion. The frame portion 32 is also rotatably supported around a frame rotation shaft 33 provided at its lower end portion.

[0028] The elastic member 36 is provided on the Y-axis positive side of the frame portion 32. The elastic member 36 biases the frame portion 32 toward the Y-axis negative side, causing the frame rotation shaft 33 to rotate about its axis.

[0029] Specifically, the frame 32 is rotated in a direction approaching the thermal paper 21 by the biasing force of the elastic member 36. As a result, the thermal paper 21 pulled out from the roll paper 22 is pressed by the rotating roller 31 attached to the tip of the frame 32, forming a bent buffer area at the upper part of the figure.

[0030] In addition, when tension is applied to the thermal paper 21 as it is transported by the platen roller 16, the rotating roller 31 attached to the tip of the frame portion 32 is pressed downward by the thermal paper 21, causing the frame portion 32 to rotate in a direction away from the roll paper 22.

[0031] In this way, the damper unit 30 forms a buffer area between the platen roller 16 and the roll paper 22, reducing the tension applied to the thermal paper 21. The damper unit 30 also reduces the direct effect of power on the roll paper 22 when the platen roller 16 starts to transport the thermal paper 21.

[0032] The tension applied to the thermal paper 21 varies depending on the acceleration during paper transport and the state of the roll paper 22. For example, the diameter and weight of the roll paper 22 decrease as the thermal paper 21 is pulled out, causing the moment of inertia of the roll paper to vary. Therefore, even if the paper is pulled out with the same force, the tension applied to the thermal paper 21 will vary depending on the state of the roll paper 22.

[0033] However, if the tension applied to the thermal paper 21 fluctuates, a single elastic coefficient (e.g., spring constant) for the elastic member 36 may not be able to respond appropriately to changes in the state of the roll paper 22. For example, if the elastic member 36 is unable to respond when the tension increases immediately after replacing the roll paper 22, or when the tension decreases shortly before replacement, the motor that drives the platen roller 16 may lose synchronization, leading to a decrease in print quality.

[0034] Therefore, the damper section 30 of the present invention has a structure for dealing with fluctuations in tension applied to the thermal paper 21. The detailed structure of the damper section 30 will be described below.

[0035] Figures 3 to 5 are perspective views showing an example of the configuration of the damper unit 30. Here, Figures 3 to 5 are perspective views of the damper unit 30 as seen from the rear of the printer device 1, that is, from the side of the roll paper 22. Also, Figure 3 shows the frame unit 32 rotated toward the roll paper 22, and Figure 4 shows the frame unit 32 rotated away from the roll paper 22. Also, Figure 5 shows the damper unit 30 with the frame unit 32 removed.

[0036] The frame portion 32 has a cross section formed in a substantially L-shape, and has a first frame portion 321 arranged on the side facing the roll paper 22, and a second frame portion 322 provided above the first frame portion 321.

[0037] The first frame portion 321 is a plate-like member provided across the left and right direction of the printer device 1. The first frame portion 321 has frame rotation shafts 33 at the left and right ends at the bottom in the figure. The first frame portion 321 also rotatably holds the rotating roller 31 at the upper corner in the figure, which is the connection portion with the second frame portion 322.

[0038] The rotating rollers 31 are attached in pairs at positions symmetrical to each other, for example, with respect to the center position in the left-right direction of the first frame portion 321. The rotating rollers 31 have an uneven surface, and contact the thermal paper 21 at ring-shaped protrusions provided at predetermined intervals along the axial direction. The thermal paper 21 pulled out from the paper roll 22 is transported in the transport direction B while in contact with the rotating rollers 31. At this time, the rotation of the rotating rollers 31 reduces the sliding resistance of the thermal paper 21 as it is transported.

[0039] The second frame portion 322 is a plate-like member extending from an upper corner of the first frame portion 321 toward the positive side of the Y axis. The second frame portion 322 has a hole 323 in its left-right center, which separates it into left and right halves. As the frame portion 32 rotates away from the roll paper 22, the second frame portion 322 is inserted into a hole 343 provided in the base portion 34, which will be described later. Note that a locking portion is provided at the tip of the second frame portion 322 in the positive direction of the Y axis to prevent the second frame portion 322 from coming off the hole 343.

[0040] Furthermore, the tip of the actuator 35 is placed in the hole 323 of the second frame portion 322. The actuator 35 is placed at a height where it comes into contact with the thermal paper 21 being transported via the rotating roller 31, and is biased upward in the drawing by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown).

[0041] When the actuator 35 comes into contact with the thermal paper 21, it is pushed downward by the thermal paper 21. The printer device 1 is equipped with a sensor (not shown) that senses the position of the actuator 35, and detects whether the thermal paper 21 (paper roll 22) is out of paper based on the position of the actuator 35. The sensor may be, for example, a microswitch, which is a mechanical sensor, or a non-contact switch equipped with an optical sensor.

[0042] The base portion 34 is a holding member for holding the frame portion 32 inside the housing 10 of the printer device 1. The base portion 34 has a first base portion 341 facing the first frame portion 321 and second base portions 342 located on the left and right ends of the first frame portion 321.

[0043] The second base portion 342 extends in the negative direction of the Y axis from both left and right end portions of the first base portion 341. The second base portion 342 has, below it, bearing portions 3421 for rotatably holding the frame rotation shaft 33 provided on the frame portion 32 (first frame portion 321). That is, by connecting the frame rotation shaft 33 to the bearing portions 3421 of the second base portion 342, the frame portion 32 can rotate around the axis of the frame rotation shaft 33, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0044] On the other hand, the first base portion 341 is disposed opposite the first frame portion 321. The first base portion 341 has a hole 343 through which the above-mentioned second frame portion 322 passes. The first base portion 341 also has a hole through which the above-mentioned actuator 35 passes.

[0045] The first base portion 341 also holds elastic members 36 for biasing the first frame portion 321 in the negative Y-axis direction in the figure. Here, as shown in Fig. 5, a pair of elastic members 36 are provided at positions that are symmetrical with respect to the center position of the first base portion 341 in the left-right direction, for example.

[0046] The arrangement positions of the elastic members 36 are not limited to the example in Fig. 5, and may be configured, for example, as shown in Fig. 6, to be provided at three positions, i.e., positions symmetrical with respect to the center position in the left-right direction of the first base portion 341, and at the center position in the left-right direction. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of the arrangement positions of the elastic members 36.

[0047] Here, each of the elastic members 36 is made of a nonlinear elastic member. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, the elastic members 36 have a characteristic in which the deflection of the elastic members 36 in response to a load (hereinafter also referred to as the displacement amount of the elastic members 36) changes nonlinearly, that is, a spring constant. In such elastic members 36, the spring constant increases with the displacement amount of the elastic members 36. Note that Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the spring constant of the elastic members 36.

[0048] The elastic member 36 having such characteristics can be configured, for example, by a compression coil spring with an unequal pitch. In this case, the elastic member 36 can be configured by a compression spring with at least two different pitches. The elastic member 36 can also be configured by a compression spring having multiple sections with different outer diameters, such as a conical spring.

[0049] 7 shows a characteristic in which the amount of displacement changes in three stages depending on the load, but the number of stages is not limited to this and may be at least two stages. Furthermore, the characteristic of the elastic member 36 may be such that the amount of displacement changes in a curved manner relative to the load.

[0050] Next, the operation of the damper section 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the damper section 30, and is an enlarged view of the periphery of the damper section 30 shown in Fig. 2.

[0051] First, when tension is not being applied to the thermal paper 21, such as when the platen roller 16 is stopped, the frame 32 rotates (moves) in a direction approaching the roll paper 22 due to the bias of the elastic member 36, causing the thermal paper 21 to assume the state shown by the solid line in the figure. Specifically, the thermal paper 21 is pressed in the negative direction of the Y axis by the rotating roller 31 attached to the tip of the frame 32, and is held in an upwardly bent state (hereinafter also referred to as the first state).

[0052] In this first state, when the rotation of the platen roller 16 starts transport in the transport direction B, the tension applied to the thermal paper 21 causes the frame portion 32 to receive a pressing force in the positive direction of the Y axis via the rotating roller 31, and the frame portion 32 rotates (moves) in a direction away from the roll paper 22, as shown by the dashed line.

[0053] Furthermore, as the frame section 32 moves, a pressing force is also applied to the elastic member 36. However, as described above, the elastic member 36 is a nonlinear elastic member, so the amount of displacement is not linear but nonlinear. For example, if the elastic member 36 has three spring constants as shown in FIG. 7, the spring constant switches in three stages depending on the magnitude of the pressing force. This allows the damper section 30 to exert a damping effect against a variety of loads, from small to large pressing forces.

[0054] As described above, the printer 1 comprises the storage section 18 that stores the thermal paper 21 (roll paper 22) wound in a roll, the platen roller 16 that pulls out the thermal paper 21 from the storage section 18 and transports it, the thermal head 17 that prints on the thermal paper 21 transported by the platen roller 16, and the damper section 30 that is provided between the storage section 18 and the platen roller 16 and comes into contact with one side of the thermal paper 21 transported by the platen roller 16, exerting an elastic force on the thermal paper 21 to reduce the tension applied to the thermal paper 21 as it is transported by the platen roller 16. The damper section 30 also has a nonlinear elastic member 36 that uses the elastic force of the elastic member 36 to urge the thermal paper 21.

[0055] As a result, the damper section 30 of the printer device 1 can exert a damping effect against various tensions, even when the tension applied to the thermal paper 21 fluctuates due to factors such as the acceleration when transporting the thermal paper 21 or the condition of the roll paper 22, and can effectively reduce fluctuations in the tension applied to the thermal paper 21. This allows the printer device 1 to improve print quality.

[0056] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Printer device 16 Platen roller 17 Thermal head 18 Storage section 21 Thermal Paper 22 roll paper 23 Roll core 30 Damper section 31 Rotating roller 32 Frame section 33 Frame pivot axis 36 Elastic member [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0058] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-118247

Claims

1. a storage section for storing paper wound in a roll; a conveying unit that draws out the paper from the storage unit and conveys it; a printing unit that prints on the paper transported by the transport unit; a damper section that is provided between the storage section and the conveying section, and that abuts against one side of the paper conveyed by the conveying section and applies an elastic force to the paper, thereby reducing the tension applied to the paper due to conveyance by the conveying section; Equipped with The damper section has a nonlinear elastic member, and urges the paper by using the elastic force of the elastic member.

2. The elastic member is a compression coil spring with an unequal pitch.

2. The printer device according to claim 1.

3. The compression coil spring has a plurality of portions with different pitches or different outer diameters in at least two stages.

3. The printer device according to claim 2.

4. the damper unit has a rotary roller at a portion in contact with the paper, the rotary roller being rotatable in the paper transport direction; 2. The printer device according to claim 1.

5. the damper portion further includes a frame member that rotatably supports the rotary roller, the elastic member biases the frame member in a direction approaching the paper, thereby pressing the rotating roller against the paper.

5. The printer device according to claim 4.

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