Printer device

Abstract

To provide a printer device capable of efficiently cutting information reversely printed on an ink ribbon into an unreadable state.SOLUTION: A printer device of an embodiment includes an ink ribbon feeding mechanism, a print head, an ink ribbon conveying roller pair, and a shredding roller pair. The ink ribbon feeding mechanism supports an unused ink ribbon wound around a shaft portion, and feeds and winds the ink ribbon by rotation operation of the shaft portion. The print head performs printing on a medium by heating the fed unused ink ribbon. The ink ribbon conveying roller pair clamps the used ink ribbon used for printing on the medium by the print head, and transports the ink ribbon in a feeding direction in which the ink ribbon is fed by the ink ribbon feeding mechanism. The shredding roller pair is provided on a downstream side of the ink ribbon conveying roller pair in the feeding direction, and shreds the conveyed ink ribbon so that the contents reversely printed on the ink ribbon cannot be read.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Printers that perform transfer printing are known in the art. In transfer printing, a transported ink ribbon and a medium such as paper that is transported in synchronization with the transport of the ink ribbon are heated and pressed together between a printing unit consisting of a thermal head and a platen roller, and then the ink ribbon is peeled off from the medium to print on the medium.

[0003] However, after ink ribbons have been used to print on media, the content printed on the media remains reversed. Since it is easy to restore the original content from the reversed content, it is desirable to dispose of used ink ribbons in such a way that the reversed content becomes illegible, in order to prevent information leaks.

[0004] In response to this, for example, a technique has been proposed in which a roller (shredding roller) having a cutting means such as a cutter is provided in a printer device to shred the used ink ribbon in the transport direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] However, even if a used ink ribbon is cut in the transport direction, it is possible that the ink ribbon can be easily restored to its original state by collecting and rearranging the cut strips. In other words, it is difficult to say that conventional techniques are able to cut the information printed in reverse on the ink ribbon so that it becomes illegible. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer device that can efficiently shred information printed in reverse on an ink ribbon so that it becomes illegible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The printer device of the embodiment includes an ink ribbon feeding mechanism, a print head, a pair of ink ribbon transport rollers, and a pair of shredding rollers. The ink ribbon feeding mechanism supports an unused ink ribbon wound around a shaft and feeds and takes up the ink ribbon by rotating the shaft. The print head heats the fed, unused ink ribbon to print on a medium. The pair of ink ribbon transport rollers sandwich the used ink ribbon used to print on a medium by the print head and transport it in the feeding direction fed by the ink ribbon feeding mechanism. The pair of shredding rollers is located downstream of the pair of ink ribbon transport rollers in the feeding direction and shreds the ink ribbon transported by the ink ribbon transport rollers, rendering the content printed in reverse on the ink ribbon illegible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the printer according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the printer according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a printer according to a modified example. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a feedback operation of a printer different from that of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a feedback operation of a printer different from that of 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] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of the printer 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an example of the printer 1 with a part of the cover removed. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of the internal configuration of the printer 1 according to an embodiment.

[0011] In the following, the configuration of the printer 1 will be described using three mutually perpendicular axial directions: the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The X-axis runs horizontally through the printer 1, heading from the left side to the right side of the printer 1. The Y-axis runs vertically through the printer 1, heading from the front to the rear of the printer 1. The Z-axis runs vertically through the printer 1, heading from the bottom to the top of the printer 1. In the following, the negative Y-axis side will also be referred to as the front side of the printer 1. The positive Y-axis side will also be referred to as the back side of the printer 1.

[0012] The printer 1 is an example of a printer device. The printer 1 is used by being connected to an information processing device such as a PC so that communication can be performed via wired or wireless communication. The printer 1 of this embodiment prints on label paper L. However, the printer 1 may also print on other long media made of paper, polyester, or other materials.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the printer 1 includes a cutting mechanism 2, a housing 11, a medium holding unit 12, a printing unit 13, an ink ribbon holding unit 14, a pair of ink ribbon transport rollers 15, an ink ribbon transport guide 16, a pair of shredding rollers 17, a dust box 18, a display unit 19, and an operation unit 20.

[0014] The housing 11 has a generally box-like shape and houses a medium holding unit 12 and a printing unit 13. The printer 1 also has a drive mechanism (not shown) inside the housing 11 that drives each unit of the printer 1. The housing 11 also houses a control unit (not shown) such as a processor that controls the overall operation of the printer 1.

[0015] The medium holding unit 12 holds the rolled label paper L so that it can be freely fed out. The label paper L may be a strip of label paper with labels of a predetermined size affixed to a strip of backing paper, or it may be a strip of label paper without a backing paper. In the example of Figure 3, the label paper L is a strip of label paper LA with labels LB of a predetermined size affixed to a strip of backing paper LA.

[0016] The printing unit 13 includes a print head 131 and a platen 132. The label paper L fed from the medium holding unit 12 is inserted between the print head 131 and the platen 132 and transported toward the first discharge port 133.

[0017] The print head 131 is a thermal head that prints on the label paper L fed out from the medium holding unit 12. The print head 131 is a thermal transfer print head that prints on the label paper L using an ink ribbon R that is inserted between the print head 131 and a platen 132.

[0018] The print head 131 may be a flat-edge type thermal head that contacts the label paper L at a flat portion, or a near-edge type thermal head that contacts the label paper L at a corner. The label paper L printed by the print head 131 is transported to the cutting mechanism 2 through the first discharge port 133.

[0019] The ink ribbon holding unit 14 holds the ink ribbon R wound in a roll so that it can be freely unwound. The ink ribbon holding unit 14 includes a shaft 141. An unused ink ribbon R is wound around and held on the shaft 141. The ink ribbon holding unit 14 delivers and rewinds the ink ribbon R by rotating the shaft 141. In other words, the ink ribbon holding unit 14 is an example of an ink ribbon delivery mechanism.

[0020] The ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 transports the used ink ribbon R that has been used for printing on label paper L by the print head 131. For example, the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 holds the used ink ribbon R and rotates clockwise in the drawing to transport the ink ribbon R in the feed direction in which the ink ribbon R held by the ink ribbon holding unit 14 is fed.

[0021] The ink ribbon transport guide 16 guides the transport of the ink ribbon R. The ink ribbon transport guide 16 is provided downstream in the delivery direction of the ink ribbon R and upstream of a pair of shredding rollers 17, which will be described later.

[0022] The ink ribbon transport guides 16 are provided in pairs. One of the ink ribbon transport guides 16 is provided approximately parallel to the other in the height direction (up and down direction) of the printer 1. Between the two ink ribbon transport guides 16 in the height direction of the printer 1, there is a gap long enough to allow the ink ribbon R to pass through. The ink ribbon transport guide 16 guides the transport of the ink ribbon R by allowing the ink ribbon R to pass through this gap.

[0023] The ink ribbon transport guide 16 guides the transport of the ink ribbon R, thereby enabling the ink ribbon R to be transported between one shredding roller and the other shredding roller of the shredding roller pair 17 in the height direction of the printer 1.

[0024] The shredding roller pair 17 shreds the ink ribbon R so that the content printed in reverse on the ink ribbon R becomes illegible. The shredding roller pair 17 is provided downstream of the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 in the feeding direction of the ink ribbon R. The shredding roller pair 17 also has a plurality of cutting blades on the surface that cut the ink ribbon R.

[0025] The shredding roller pair 17 rotates clockwise in the drawing, causing the cutting blades on its surface to cut the ink ribbon R being transported by the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15. At this time, the shredding roller pair 17 performs cutting in the feed direction and in the width direction of the printer 1, which is perpendicular to the feed direction. For this type of cutting, known cutting methods such as cross cutting and micro cross cutting can be used as appropriate.

[0026] As described above, by cutting both in the feed direction and the width direction, it becomes much more difficult to restore the state before cutting than when cutting is performed only in the feed direction. In other words, the printer 1 according to this embodiment can further reduce the risk of information leakage caused by restoring the content printed in reverse on the ink ribbon R.

[0027] The dust box 18 collects the ink ribbon R', which is the cut ink ribbon R. The dust box 18 is an example of a collection unit. The dust box 18 is provided below the pair of shredding rollers 17 in the height direction of the printer 1. The ink ribbon R' cut by the pair of shredding rollers 17 falls due to gravity and moves into the dust box 18. This allows the dust box 18 to collect and recover the ink ribbon R'.

[0028] In printers that perform transfer printing, used ink ribbons are generally collected wound around a paper core, etc. Therefore, even if the ink ribbon is made of recyclable materials, the presence of the paper core, etc., can make it difficult to collect it as a recyclable material.

[0029] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the ink ribbon R' is cut from the ink ribbon R and does not contain materials such as a paper core. Therefore, the dust box 18 of this embodiment can collect the ink ribbon R' in a recyclable state.

[0030] The display unit 19 has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc. Under the control of a control unit (not shown) provided in the printer 1, the display unit 19 displays various information such as a screen showing the status of the printer 1 and the status of the cutting mechanism 2.

[0031] The operation unit 20 has various buttons related to operating the printer 1. For example, the operation unit 20 has a power button, a paper feed button, etc. The power button is an operation button for switching the printer 1 on and off. The paper feed button is an operation button for driving a motor or the like to instruct feeding of label paper L in the transport direction.

[0032] The cutting mechanism 2 is an example of a cutting unit. The cutting mechanism 2 cuts the label paper L conveyed through the first discharge port 133 to a predetermined length. In this embodiment, the cutting mechanism 2 cuts the label paper L in the width direction (X-axis direction) at a position between the label LA printed by the printing unit 13 and the next label LA to be printed.

[0033] The cutting mechanism 2 is provided at a location opposite the first discharge outlet 133 of the printer 1, and receives the input of label paper L printed by the printing unit 13 via the first discharge outlet 133. The cutting mechanism 2 may be configured to be integral with the printer 1, or may be configured to be detachable from the printer 1.

[0034] Here, whether the cutting mechanism 2 is configured to be integral with the printer 1 or configured to be detachable from the printer 1, the area outside the first discharge outlet 133 is considered to be outside the printer 1. In other words, the first discharge outlet 133 can be said to be an example of a discharge section.

[0035] The cutting mechanism 2 includes a cutting unit 22, a conveying unit 23, and a guide unit 24 inside the housing 21. The cutting mechanism 2 may include a drive mechanism (not shown) inside the housing 21 that drives each unit of the cutting mechanism 2, separate from the drive mechanism provided inside the housing 11.

[0036] The cutting unit 22 has cutting means for cutting the label paper L. The transport unit 23 transports the label paper L cut by the cutting unit 22 and discharges it from a second discharge outlet 25 provided in the housing 21. The guide unit 24 guides the transport of the label paper L cut by the cutting unit 22. Here, the path and direction from the first discharge outlet 133 to the second discharge outlet 25 become the transport path and transport direction of the label paper L in the cutting mechanism 2.

[0037] The cutting unit 22 includes a mechanism for cutting the label paper L conveyed from the printing unit 13. Specifically, the cutting unit 22 includes a fixed blade 221 and a movable blade 222.

[0038] The fixed blade 221 is installed after the first discharge opening 133 and above the conveying path, and has a blade at its lower end that faces the conveying path. On the other hand, the movable blade 222 is installed below the conveying path. The movable blade 222 is a substantially plate-shaped member that extends in the width direction (left-right direction) of the cutting mechanism 2. The movable blade 222 has a support shaft 223 that is parallel to the width direction of the cutting mechanism 2 at a position eccentric to the downstream side in the conveying direction (the front side of the cutting mechanism 2), and is rotatable around this axis.

[0039] The upper surface of the movable blade 222 serves as a placement surface for placing the cut label paper L. The upper surface of the movable blade 222 forms part of the conveyance path during the process of cutting the label paper L. The upper surface of the movable blade 222 may be flat, or may have a mountain-like shape or other shape that takes into account the conveyance of the label paper L. The upper surface of the movable blade 222 is preferably a smooth surface to ensure smooth conveyance of the label paper L.

[0040] Furthermore, a blade (hereinafter also referred to as blade surface) facing the conveyance path is provided on an end face (for example, the upper end) of the movable blade 222 on the upstream side in the conveyance direction (the back side of the cutting mechanism 2). As the movable blade 222 rotates around the support shaft 223, the blade surface of the movable blade 222 moves from below to above and from above to below in the conveyance path, thereby sandwiching and cutting the label paper L between the movable blade 222 and the fixed blade 221. In other words, the position, size, shape, etc. of the movable blade 222 are designed so that as it rotates around the support shaft 223, the blade surface of the movable blade 222 passes the position where it meshes with the fixed blade 221.

[0041] The conveying unit 23 is provided above the conveying path, downstream in the conveying direction from the cutting unit 22. The conveying unit 23 operates to convey the label paper L cut by the cutting unit 22 to the second discharge outlet 25. Specifically, the conveying unit 23 includes a first paddle unit 231, a second paddle unit 232, and a paddle rotation shaft 233.

[0042] The paddle rotation shaft 233 is provided across the width of the cutting mechanism 2. The paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates in a clockwise direction in the figure, which corresponds to the transport direction of the label paper L. By being attached to the paddle rotation shaft 233, the first paddle section 231 and the second paddle section 232 rotate in a clockwise direction in the figure as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates.

[0043] Here, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 are attached at different angles relative to the paddle rotation shaft 233. Specifically, the attachment angles relative to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different so that, as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates, the first paddle portion 231 enters the conveying path first, followed by the second paddle portion 232.

[0044] The difference in the mounting angle between the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 is not particularly important, but it is preferable to adjust it depending on the type of label paper L, etc.

[0045] The guide section 24 guides the transport of the label paper L cut by the cutting section 22. Specifically, the guide section 24 has an upper guide section 241 and a lower guide section 242.

[0046] The upper guide section 241 is provided above the conveying path and after the cutting section 22. More specifically, the upper guide section 241 is provided between the upper surface of the movable blade 222 and the paddle rotation shaft 233. The upper guide section 241 is provided so as to be movable up and down in conjunction with the movable blade 222. By moving up and down in conjunction with the movable blade 222, the upper guide section 241 guides the label paper L that has passed between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction of the conveying path.

[0047] On the other hand, the lower guide part 242 is provided below the conveying path and below the conveying unit 23. Specifically, the lower guide part 242 is provided substantially vertically below the paddle rotation shaft 233. The lower guide part 242 supports, from below, the label paper L scraped off from the upper surface of the movable blade 222 by the conveying unit 23 in the conveying path, thereby guiding the conveyance of the label paper L to the second discharge outlet 25.

[0048] Printers equipped with a configuration similar to the cutting mechanism 2 described above typically perform a backfeed operation. For example, the backfeed operation involves moving the label paper to a position where the printed label is cut, and then pulling the label paper back to a position where the next label can be printed. First, the backfeed operation will be described using Figures 5 and 6 as an example of a printer 10 with a general configuration different from the embodiment.

[0049] 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating an example of a feedback operation of the printer 10, which is different from the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5 and 6, the printer 10 includes a cutting mechanism 220, a print head 1310, a platen 1320, an ink ribbon holding unit 142, and an ink ribbon take-up unit 171.

[0050] The cutting mechanism 220, print head 1310, platen 1320, and ink ribbon holding unit 142 are similar to the above-described cutting mechanism 2, print head 131, platen 132, and ink ribbon holding unit 14, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. The ink ribbon take-up unit 171 delivers and takes up the used ink ribbon R by rotating the shaft 1711.

[0051] 5 and 6, the printing position where printing is performed on the label LA by the print head 1310 is a', the cutting position (the discharge position of the label paper L) where the cutting mechanism 220 cuts the label paper L is b', the distance from the printing position a' to the cutting position b' (the conveying distance of the label paper L) is Y, the printed label is LAa, the next label to be printed is LAb, and the midpoint between the bottom end of LAa and LAb in the conveying direction is P.

[0052] Furthermore, when printing is completed, the printer 10 transports the label paper L so that the print head 1310 and platen 1320 are positioned at point P in the transport direction.

[0053] First, as shown in FIG. 5, in order to cut the label LAa, the printer 10 rotates the shaft 1421 of the ink ribbon holding unit 142 and the shaft 1711 of the ink ribbon winding unit 171, and moves point P on the label paper L by a distance Y to the cutting position b' (hereinafter also referred to as overlap).

[0054] After the label LAa is cut by the cutting mechanism 220, as shown in Figure 6, the printer 10 rotates the shaft 1421 of the ink ribbon holding unit 142 and the shaft 1711 of the ink ribbon take-up unit 171 to pull back the label paper L by the overlap distance Y. This moves point P on the label paper L in the transport direction to the position where the print head 1310 and platen 1320 are located. This is the backfeed operation of the printer 10.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 5, when label LAa is cut, point P on label paper L is located downstream in the transport direction from the positions of the print head 1310 and platen 1320. In other words, the leading edge of label LAb in the transport direction is located downstream from the positions of the print head 1310 and platen 1320. Therefore, in the state of Fig. 5, printing cannot be performed on the area of ​​label LAb located downstream from the positions of the print head 1310 and platen 1320.

[0056] 6, the printer 10 performs a backfeed operation to pull back the label paper L so that the top edge of the label LAb in the transport direction is located upstream of the print head 1310 and platen 1320. This enables the printer 10 to print on the entire surface of the label LAb.

[0057] Incidentally, since reversed printed content remains on the used ink ribbon R, in order to prevent information leakage, a technique has been proposed in which the ink ribbon take-up unit 171 is replaced with a shredding roller that can shred the ink ribbon R in the transport direction. However, if this technique is applied to the printer 10, there is a possibility that the backfeed operation described above may become difficult.

[0058] This is because, in order to perform the backfeed operation, the ink ribbon take-up section 171 is required to apply uniform tension to the ink ribbon R in the transport direction across the entire width of the ink ribbon R. More specifically, with the above-mentioned technology, the cut ink ribbon R is rewound during the backfeed operation, making it impossible to apply uniform tension to the ink ribbon R.

[0059] Furthermore, after cutting using the above technology, the ink ribbon R may become tangled around the shredding roller. In this case, the ink ribbon R may not be properly wound up during the backfeed operation, which may cause the shredding roller to break down.

[0060] In contrast, the printer 1 of this embodiment achieves both the cutting of the ink ribbon R and the continuous cutting of the label paper L by providing a distance between the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17. Returning to Figure 3, the reason why both are possible will be explained below.

[0061] In Figure 3, the printing position where printing is performed on the label LA is a, the cutting position where the label paper L is cut (the position of the first discharge outlet 133) is b, the distance from the printing position a to the cutting position b (the conveying distance of the label paper L) is Y, and the distance between the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17 (the conveying distance of the ink ribbon R) is X.

[0062] In this embodiment, the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17 are provided so that the relationship distance X is equal to or greater than distance Y. This is because the backfeed distance for the overlap is Y, and the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15 can hold the ink ribbon R even if the ink ribbon R is pulled back by the distance Y.

[0063] In other words, if distance X<distance Y, when a backfeed operation is performed, the leading edge of the ink ribbon R in the conveying direction will be located upstream of the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15. In other words, if distance X<distance Y, the ink ribbon R will no longer be able to be sandwiched between the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15 (the ink ribbon R will deviate from the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15), and the ink ribbon R will no longer be able to be conveyed.

[0064] Therefore, by providing the ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17 so that the relationship distance X≧distance Y is established, it is possible to simultaneously cut the ink ribbon R and perform a backfeed operation to continuously cut the label paper L.

[0065] Furthermore, during the backfeed operation, the ink ribbon R deviates from the pair of shredding rollers 17. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the ink ribbon transport guide 16 is provided between the pair of ink ribbon transport rollers 15 and the pair of shredding rollers 17.

[0066] Therefore, when printing is resumed after the backfeed operation, the printer 1 can transport the ink ribbon R between one shredding roller and the other shredding roller of the shredding roller pair 17 in the height direction of the printer 1. In other words, the printer 1 according to this embodiment can quickly transition to forward rotation operation after the backfeed operation.

[0067] As described above, the printer 1 of this embodiment comprises an ink ribbon holding unit 14 that supports unused ink ribbon R wound around the shaft 141 and feeds out and takes up the ink ribbon R by the rotation of the shaft 141, a print head 131 that heats the fed, unused ink ribbon R and prints on label paper L, a pair of ink ribbon transport rollers 15 that holds the used ink ribbon R that has been used for printing on the label paper L and transports the ink ribbon R in the feed direction of the ink ribbon R, and a pair of shredding rollers 17 that are provided downstream of the pair of ink ribbon transport rollers 15 in the feed direction and shred the transported ink ribbon R in the feed direction of the ink ribbon R and in the width direction perpendicular to the feed direction.

[0068] The printer 1 according to this embodiment is capable of rendering content printed in reverse on the ink ribbon R illegible by cutting the ink ribbon R in the feed direction and in the width direction perpendicular to the feed direction. Furthermore, because the printer 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15, even if the ink ribbon R is cut in the width direction, the ink ribbon R can be transported and wound up by rotating the shaft 141 while the ink ribbon R is sandwiched between the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15. In other words, the printer 1 according to this embodiment can efficiently cut information printed in reverse on the ink ribbon so that it is illegible.

[0069] The printer 1 according to this embodiment also includes a first discharge opening 133, which is the position where the label paper L is discharged. In the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 transports the ink ribbon R in the direction opposite to the sending direction. In the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the distance between the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17 is equal to or greater than the distance between the print head 131 and the first discharge opening 133.

[0070] By making the distance between the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17 equal to or greater than the distance between the print head 131 and the first discharge port 133, even when a backfeed operation is performed to transport the ink ribbon R in the opposite direction to the feeding direction, the ink ribbon R can be prevented from deviating from the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15. In other words, the printer 1 according to this embodiment can achieve both cutting of the ink ribbon R and continuous backfeed operation.

[0071] In addition, the printer 1 according to this embodiment further comprises a cutting mechanism 2 having a fixed blade 221 provided above the transport path along which the printed label paper L is transported, and a movable blade 222 provided below the transport path, and cutting the label paper L between the movable blade 222 and the fixed blade 221 as the movable blade 222 moves upward.

[0072] The printer 1 according to this embodiment performs a backfeed operation after cutting the printed label LA, so that even if the printed label LA is cut, printing can be performed on the entire surface of the next label LA.

[0073] The above-described embodiment can be modified as needed by changing some of the configurations or functions of the printer 1. Therefore, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. The following mainly focuses on differences from the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions of commonalities with the content already described will be omitted. The modifications described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combinations.

[0074] (Variation) In the above embodiment, the printer 1 is provided with the cutting mechanism 2. In this modified example, a configuration in which the printer 1 has a peeling mechanism that peels off labels instead of the cutting mechanism 2 will be described.

[0075] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a printer 1 according to a modified example. As shown in Fig. 4, the printer 1 according to the modified example includes a housing 11, a medium holding unit 12, a printing unit 13, a peeling mechanism 9, an ink ribbon holding unit 14, a pair of ink ribbon transport rollers 15, an ink ribbon transport guide 16, a pair of shredding rollers 17, and a dust box 18.

[0076] The housing 11, medium holding section 12, printing section 13, ink ribbon holding section 14, ink ribbon conveying roller pair 15, ink ribbon conveying guide 16, shredding roller pair 17, and dust box 18 are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0077] The peeling mechanism 9 peels off the label LA stuck to the backing sheet LB of the label paper L. Specifically, the peeling mechanism 9 includes a peeling unit 91 and a backing sheet holding unit 92.

[0078] The peeling unit 91 is located downstream of the platen 132 in the feeding direction of the label paper L, and peels off the label LA affixed to the backing sheet LB by bending the backing sheet LB at an acute angle in a direction that moves it away from the label LA as the label LA is conveyed. The peeled label LA is discharged from the discharge opening 134. The discharge opening 134 is an example of a discharge unit.

[0079] The liner holding unit 92 holds the liner LB from which the label LA has been peeled in a roll shape.

[0080] The liner take-up shaft 921 rotates by receiving a driving force from a drive mechanism (not shown) via a gear train (not shown) arranged on the right side wall (not shown) of the printer 1, and takes up only the liner LB of the label paper L that has passed through the peeling unit 91. The peeling unit 91 and the liner take-up shaft 921 are positioned so that the liner take-up shaft 921 takes up the liner LB and bends the liner LB at an acute angle in the peeling unit 91.

[0081] Incidentally, even when the printer 1 has a peeling mechanism 9 instead of the cutting mechanism 2, it is common for the printer 1 to perform a backfeed operation, just as when the printer 1 has the cutting mechanism 2. The backfeed operation of the printer 1 according to the modified example will be described below. In Figure 4, the peeling position (position of the discharge port 134) where the peeling mechanism 9 peels the label LA from the backing sheet LB is designated as c, and the distance from the printing position a to the peeling position c (the transport distance of the label paper L) is designated as Y.

[0082] After printing on the label LA, the printer 1 moves the label paper L so that the top edge of the label LAb in the transport direction is at the peeling position c. This allows the peeling mechanism 9 to peel the label LAa from the backing sheet LB.

[0083] When label LAa is peeled off from backing paper B, the upper end of label LAb in the transport direction is located downstream of the positions of print head 131 and platen 132. Therefore, when label LAa is peeled off from backing paper B, printing cannot be performed on the area of ​​label LAb that is located downstream of the positions of print head 131 and platen 132.

[0084] Therefore, after peeling off label LAa, the printer 1 of this modified example pulls back the label paper L by a distance Y so that the leading edge of label LAb is at printing position a. This makes it possible for the printer 1 of this modified example to print on the entire surface of label LAb.

[0085] Also in this modified example, as in the above-described embodiment, the ink ribbon transport roller pair 15 and the shredding roller pair 17 are provided so that the relationship distance X is equal to or greater than distance Y. This allows the printer 1 according to this modified example to simultaneously cut the ink ribbon R and perform a backfeed operation to continuously peel off the label paper L.

[0086] Although the above description has been given of a configuration in which the peeling mechanism 9 is provided integrally with the printer 1, the peeling mechanism 9 may be configured to be detachable from the printer 1. Furthermore, the above description has been given of a configuration in which the printer 1 is provided with the peeling mechanism 9 instead of the cutting mechanism 2, but the printer 1 may have the peeling mechanism 9 in addition to the cutting mechanism 2. In this case, the user may be able to select whether to perform the cutting operation or the peeling operation.

[0087] According to this modification, in addition to the effects of the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to enable a backfeed operation in a printer device having a peeling mechanism for peeling off labels.

[0088] 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 and their modifications can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, 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 defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Printer 2 Cutting mechanism 12 Media holding section 13 Printing Department 14 Ink ribbon holder 15 Ink ribbon transport roller pair 16 Ink ribbon transport guide 17 Shredding Roller Pair 18 Dustbin 19 Display section 20 Control section 22 Cut section 221 Fixed blade 222 Movable blade 223 Spindle 23 Conveyor 231 First Paddle Section 232 Second Paddle Section 24 Guide section 241 Upper guide part 242 Lower guide part [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0090] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-305798

Claims

1. an ink ribbon feeding mechanism that supports an unused ink ribbon wound around a shaft and feeds and takes up the ink ribbon by rotating the shaft; a print head that heats the unused ink ribbon that has been fed and prints on a medium; a pair of ink ribbon transport rollers that sandwich the used ink ribbon that has been used in printing on the medium by the print head and transport the used ink ribbon in the feeding direction fed by the ink ribbon feeding mechanism; a pair of shredding rollers provided downstream of the pair of ink ribbon transport rollers in the feeding direction, the shredding rollers shredding the ink ribbon transported by the pair of ink ribbon transport rollers so that the content printed in reverse on the ink ribbon becomes illegible; A printer device comprising:

2. the shredding roller pair shreds the ink ribbon conveyed by the ink ribbon conveying roller pair in the feeding direction and in a width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction.

2. The printer device according to claim 1.

3. a recovery unit that is provided below the pair of shredding rollers in a height direction perpendicular to the feeding direction and the width direction and that recovers the shredded ink ribbon; 3. The printer device according to claim 2.

4. The printer further includes a discharge unit that serves as a position for discharging the medium printed by the print head to the outside, The ink ribbon transport roller pair further transports the ink ribbon in a direction opposite to the direction in which the ink ribbon is wound by the ink ribbon delivery mechanism, a distance between the ink ribbon transport roller pair and the shredding roller pair is equal to or greater than a distance between the print head and the discharge unit; 4. The printer device according to claim 1.

5. an ink ribbon transport guide for guiding transport of the ink ribbon in the sending direction or the reverse direction between the ink ribbon transport roller pair and the shredding roller pair; 5. The printer device according to claim 4.

6. a cutting unit that has a fixed blade provided above a transport path along which the printed medium is transported and a movable blade provided below the transport path, and that cuts the medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade as the movable blade moves upward; 4. The printer device according to claim 1.

7. the medium is a label sheet composed of a strip-shaped backing and a label affixed to the backing, a platen roller for conveying the label paper; a peeling unit that is disposed downstream of the platen roller in the feeding direction and that peels the label from the backing sheet by bending the backing sheet at an acute angle in a direction away from the label while the label paper is being conveyed.

4. The printer device according to claim 1.

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