Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer capable of enhancing the attaching workability of paper and an ink ribbon.SOLUTION: The printer has a printing unit, a conveying unit, and an integrating means. The printing unit is provided so as to be movable along a first movement path between a printing position at which information is printed on a printing medium via an ink ribbon and a first retracted position retracted from the printing position. The conveyance unit is provided so as to be movable along a second movement path parallel to the first movement path between a conveyance position where a conveyance force for conveying the medium to be printed is applied to the medium to be printed so as to overlap the opposite side of the ink ribbon with respect to the printing unit disposed at the printing position and a second retreat position separated from the conveyance position. The integration means integrates the conveyance unit and the printing unit to move the printing unit from the printing position to the first retreat position when moving the conveyance unit from the conveyance position to the second retreat position, and can arrange the printing unit in the first retreat position in a state of arranging the conveyance unit in the conveyance position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a printer that uses an ink ribbon, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] In a printer using an ink ribbon, for example, a long sheet of paper is pulled out from a paper roll, and the ink ribbon is placed on the paper and transported, and the ink on the ink ribbon is transferred to the paper by a thermal head. The ink ribbon is sandwiched together with the paper between the thermal head and a platen roller, and is transported together with the paper by rotating the platen roller.

[0003] To improve printing accuracy, some printers have a pair of transport rollers in addition to the platen roller. In this type of printer, only the paper passes between the pair of transport rollers, without the ink ribbon. This requires the paper and ink ribbon to be installed separately, which is time-consuming. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-251873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer that can improve the workability of mounting a print medium and an ink ribbon. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The printer of the embodiment includes a printing unit, a transport unit, and an integration device. The printing unit is movable along a first movement path between a printing position where it prints information on a print medium via an ink ribbon and a first retracted position retracted from the printing position. The transport unit is movable along a second movement path parallel to the first movement path between a transport position where it applies a transport force to the print medium to transport the print medium while overlapping the ink ribbon on the opposite side of the printing unit disposed at the printing position, and a second retracted position spaced from the transport position. The integration device integrates the transport unit and the printing unit when moving the transport unit from the transport position to the second retracted position, and moves the printing unit from the printing position to the first retracted position, and can also place the printing unit in the first retracted position with the transport unit disposed at the transport position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the printer of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the print unit and the transport unit of FIG. 2 are placed in the retracted position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transport unit in FIG. 2 is placed at the transport position and the printing unit is placed at the retracted position. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the procedure for attaching a print medium and an ink ribbon to the printer of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the procedure for attaching a print medium and an ink ribbon to the printer of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the procedure for attaching a print medium and an ink ribbon to the printer of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scale of each part in the drawings used in the following description may be changed as appropriate. Also, in order to make the description easier to understand, the drawings may show simplified or omitted configurations.

[0009] 1 and 2, printer 100 has an outlet 1 through which print medium M is discharged after information has been printed. In the following description, the direction in which print medium is discharged through outlet 1 is defined as the front, and the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions are defined when viewing printer 100 from the front. In addition, in each figure, the direction from back to front is indicated by arrow X, the direction from left to right is indicated by arrow Y, and the direction from bottom to top is indicated by arrow Z.

[0010] Printer 100 has a housing 2 that forms the outer shell of the device. On the left side of housing 2 is a rectangular box-shaped storage section 3 that houses the printer 100's drive section and its control section (not shown). On the front surface of housing 2, in front of storage section 3, are an operation section 4, a display section 5, a power switch 6, and the like. On the right side of storage section 3, housing 2 has a support plate 7 that is arranged parallel to the XZ plane. On the right side of support plate 7, there is a space for arranging printer 100's mechanical section 10.

[0011] The housing 2 has a cover that allows the front, top, and right sides to be widely opened. The cover functions as part of the housing 2. When closed, the cover covers the mechanism 10 located on the right side of the storage section 3. When the cover is opened, the mechanism 10 can be accessed. In Figure 2, the cover is not shown to make it easier to see the mechanism 10.

[0012] The mechanical section 10 of the printer 100 includes a hook 11 that rotatably holds a roll R of a long print medium M wound in a roll shape, a feed shaft 12 to which a ribbon roll wound with an unused ink ribbon r is attached, and a take-up shaft 13 to which a ribbon roll wound with a used ink ribbon is attached. The hook 11, feed shaft 12, and take-up shaft 13 each extend in the Y direction above the printer 100. The hook 11, feed shaft 12, and take-up shaft 13 are arranged in this order from rear to front, spaced apart from one another.

[0013] The support plate 7 holds the left ends of the hook 11, the feed shaft 12, and the take-up shaft 13. In other words, the support plate 7 holds the hook 11, the feed shaft 12, and the take-up shaft 13 in a cantilevered manner. Inside the storage section 3, there are a motor connected to the feed shaft 12 via a gear, a motor connected to the take-up shaft 13 via a gear, and a control circuit (not shown) that controls the torque by controlling the current supplied to the two motors. The feed shaft 12 and the take-up shaft 13 have slightly different rotation speeds due to different gear ratios so as to apply a predetermined tension to the ink ribbon r.

[0014] The roll R is, for example, a long strip of label paper wound into a roll. The label paper is, for example, a long backing sheet with multiple labels lined up and attached to one side. The labels have an adhesive layer on the backing sheet side, making them detachable and affixable to other items after being peeled off the backing sheet. The roll R is made by wrapping the label paper around a core material with the side of the backing sheet to which the label is attached facing inward. The print medium M is not limited to this type of label paper, and may be, for example, a strip of thermal paper, and does not necessarily have to be wound into a roll.

[0015] The ribbon roll is, for example, a long ink ribbon r wound around a paper tube. The ink ribbon r holds ink that is transferred to the print medium M by heat. An unused ribbon roll is an ink ribbon r wound around a paper tube before the ink is transferred, and its diameter decreases with use. A used ribbon roll is an ink ribbon r wound around a paper tube after the ink has been transferred, and its diameter gradually increases. In other words, a used ribbon roll is an ink ribbon r pulled out from an unused ribbon roll and wound up downstream of the thermal head 22, which will be described later.

[0016] The printer 100 has a transport path T that transports the print medium M pulled out from the roll R through the discharge port 1. The transport path T extends in the X direction substantially parallel to the XY plane at a position spaced below the hook 11, the delivery shaft 12, and the take-up shaft 13.

[0017] The mechanical section 10 of the printer 100 includes a printing unit 20 and a transport unit 30 disposed above the transport path T. The printing unit 20 includes a thermal head 22 that extends in the Y direction and contacts the transport path T when disposed at the printing position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The transport unit 30 includes a pinch roller 32 that extends in the Y direction and contacts the transport path T when disposed at the transport position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0018] The mechanism 10 also includes a platen roller 24 that is arranged opposite the thermal head 22 of the printing unit 20 that is arranged at the printing position, on the opposite side of the transport path T. The mechanism 10 also includes a transport roller 34 that is arranged opposite the pinch roller 32 of the transport unit 30 that is arranged at the transport position, on the opposite side of the transport path T. The platen roller 24 and the transport roller 34 each extend in the Y direction.

[0019] With the printing unit 20 positioned at the printing position, the thermal head 22 presses the ink ribbon r against the print medium M transported between the thermal head 22 and the platen roller 24, thermally transferring the ink of the ink ribbon r to the print medium M to print various information. The platen roller 24 can apply a transport force to the print medium M in cooperation with the thermal head 22 of the printing unit 20 positioned at the printing position.

[0020] With the transport unit 30 placed at the transport position, the pinch roller 32 rotates while clamping the print medium M between itself and the transport roller 34. By placing the transport unit 30 at the transport position, the pinch roller 32 can apply a transport force to the print medium M.

[0021] The printer 100 has a motor and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) that synchronously rotate the platen roller 24 and the transport roller 34. The motor and the drive transmission mechanism are disposed inside the housing section 3.

[0022] The printing unit 20 and the transport unit 30 are mounted rotatably with sufficient play around a single rotation shaft 40 (see Figures 5 to 7). The rotation shaft 40 is disposed inside the storage unit 3 and extends in the X direction. This allows the printing unit 20 and the transport unit 30 to rotate about the rotation shaft 40 along a movement path parallel to the YZ plane.

[0023] 3 and 4, the printing unit 20 can be disposed in a retracted position retracted upward from a printing position close to the transport path T. In other words, the printing unit 20 can be rotated about the rotation shaft 40 from the printing position shown in FIG. 2 to the retracted position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The transport unit 30 can also be disposed in a retracted position retracted upward from a transport position close to the transport path T. In other words, the transport unit 30 can be rotated about the rotation shaft 40 from the transport position shown in FIG. 2 to the retracted position shown in FIG.

[0024] The transport unit 30 has a protrusion 36 (FIGS. 5 to 7) that protrudes in the X direction toward the printing unit 20. When the transport unit 30 is rotated from the state in which the printing unit 20 is disposed at the printing position shown in FIG. 2 and the transport unit 30 is disposed at the transport position shown in FIG. 2 toward the retracted position (second retracted position) shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 36 engages with a part (for example, the underside) of the printing unit 20, and the printing unit 20 also rotates to the retracted position (first retracted position).

[0025] On the other hand, when the printing unit 20 is disposed at the printing position shown in Fig. 2 and the transport unit 30 is disposed at the transport position shown in Fig. 2, it is also possible to rotate only the printing unit 20 to the retracted position (first retracted position) shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the printing unit 20 rotates in a direction away from the protrusion 36, and therefore the printing unit can be rotated freely as long as the transport unit 30 is disposed at the transport position.

[0026] 2, if an attempt is made to move only the transport unit 30 to the retracted position, the protrusion 36 will get caught and prevent the transport unit 30 from rotating upward. In other words, the protrusion 36 functions as an integration means that moves the transport unit 30 to the retracted position as a unit with the printing unit 20 when the transport unit 30 is moved to the retracted position, and that allows the printing unit 20 to rotate with the transport unit 30 in the transport position.

[0027] The printer 100 has a support plate 50 that protrudes upward from the bottom of the right front of the housing 2, and a plate 60 that is rotatably connected to the upper end of the support plate 50 via a hinge 55. The support plate 50 extends parallel to the XZ plane. The hinge 55 extends in the X direction. The plate 60 is rotatable between a fixed position shown in FIG. 2 and an open position shown in FIG. 3. When rotated to the fixed position, the plate 60 is positioned approximately parallel to the XZ plane.

[0028] 2, the plate 60 has a receiving hole 61 that rotatably receives the right end of the central axis of the feed shaft 12, and a receiving hole 62 that rotatably receives the right end of the central axis of the take-up shaft 13. When the plate 60 is positioned at the fixed position shown in Fig. 2, the plate 60 also has an insertion hole 63 through which the fixing lever 14 provided at the free end of the printing unit 20 is inserted. By passing the fixing lever 14 through the insertion hole 63 of the plate 60 positioned at the fixed position and rotating it, the plate 60 can be fixed at the fixed position.

[0029] Furthermore, the plate 60 has positioning holes 64 and 65 that respectively receive the two studs 25 and 26 protruding from the free end of the printing unit 20 when the plate 60 is arranged in the fixed position. The plate 60 also has positioning holes 66 and 67 that respectively receive the two studs 37 and 38 protruding from the free end of the transport unit 30 when the plate 60 is arranged in the fixed position.

[0030] A positioning hole 64 that receives one stud 25 of the printing unit 20 positions the free end of the printing unit 20 in the X and Z directions. A positioning hole 65 that receives the other stud 26 of the printing unit 20 positions the free end of the printing unit 20 in the Z direction. The stud 26 and the positioning hole 65 prevent the printing unit 20 from rotating around the stud 25 relative to the plate 60.

[0031] A positioning hole 66 that receives one stud 37 of the transport unit 30 positions the free end of the transport unit 30 in the X and Z directions. A positioning hole 67 that receives the other stud 38 of the transport unit 30 positions the free end of the transport unit 30 in the Z direction. The stud 38 and the positioning hole 67 prevent the transport unit 30 from rotating around the stud 37 relative to the plate 60.

[0032] The printing unit 20 has a positioning hole 28 (FIG. 5) at its end in the Y direction near the pivot shaft 40, which receives a stud 27 protruding in the Y direction from the support plate 7 of the housing 2. For example, when the printing unit 20, which is placed in the retracted position shown in FIG. 3, is placed in the printing position shown in FIG. 2, the stud 27 is inserted into the positioning hole 28 of the printing unit 20 to position the end of the printing unit 20 on the pivot shaft 40 side.

[0033] Similarly, the transport unit 30 has a positioning hole 35 (FIGS. 5 and 7) at its end in the Y direction close to the rotation shaft 40, which receives a stud 33 (FIGS. 5-7) protruding in the Y direction from the support plate 7 of the housing 2. For example, when the transport unit 30, which is placed in the retracted position shown in FIG. 3, is placed in the transport position shown in FIG. 2, the stud 33 is inserted into the positioning hole 35 of the transport unit 30 to position the end of the transport unit 30 on the rotation shaft 40 side.

[0034] The procedure for loading the print medium M and the ink ribbon r into the printer 100 will be described below with reference to FIGS. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a standard state in which the printing unit 20 is positioned at the printing position, the transport unit 30 is positioned at the transport position, and the plate 60 is positioned at a fixed position, so that the printing unit 20 is positioned at the printing position and the transport unit 30 is positioned at the transport position.

[0035] In the standard state, both ends of the printing unit 20 in the Y direction are positioned by the three studs 25, 26, and 27 and their positioning holes 64, 65, and 28, and the thermal head 22 is pressed against the platen roller 24 via the transport path T. Also, in the standard state, both ends of the transport unit 30 in the Y direction are positioned by the three studs 37, 38, and 33 and their positioning holes 66, 67, and 35, and the pinch roller 32 is pressed against the transport roller 34 via the transport path T.

[0036] In this state, in order to accurately position the printing unit 20 at the printing position and the transport unit 30 at the transport position, the protrusion 36 of the transport unit 30 is out of contact with the printing unit 20. In other words, in the standard state, the two units 20, 30 are each independently positioned at predetermined positions with high accuracy. With the printing unit 20 positioned at the printing position and the transport unit 30 positioned at the transport position, there is a gap of about 1 mm between the protrusion 36 and the printing unit 20.

[0037] Furthermore, the protrusion 36 is located away from the transport path of the print medium M and the ink ribbon r. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion 36 is located away from the pivot shaft 40 and closer to the pivot shaft 40 than the left end in the Y direction of the transport path of the print medium M and the ink ribbon r. By providing the protrusion 36 in this position, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 36 from coming into contact with the print medium M or the ink ribbon r. Note that it is desirable to provide the protrusion 36 in the Y direction as far away from the pivot shaft 40 as possible so that the printing unit 20 can be lifted with as little force as possible when the transport unit 30 is lifted.

[0038] First, when loading the print medium M into the printer 100, from the standard state shown in Fig. 5, the fixing lever 14 is released and the plate 60 is opened from the fixed position shown in Fig. 5 to the open position shown in Fig. 6. This causes the studs 25, 26 of the printing unit 20 to disengage from the positioning holes 64, 65 of the plate 60, and the studs 37, 38 of the transport unit 30 to disengage from the positioning holes 66, 67 of the plate 60, allowing the printing unit 20 and transport unit 30 to rotate upward toward their respective retracted positions.

[0039] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 6, the transport unit 30 is rotated around the rotation shaft 40 toward the retracted position. When the transport unit 30 is rotated slightly upward from the transport position in Fig. 5, the protrusion 36, which was out of contact, engages with the underside of the printing unit 20, and the two units 20, 30 rotate together toward the retracted position shown in Fig. 6. At this time, the stud 27 comes out of the positioning hole 28 in the printing unit 20, and the stud 33 comes out of the positioning hole 35 in the transport unit 30.

[0040] 6, the print medium M pulled out from the roll R is placed in the transport path T, and the leading edge of the print medium M protrudes from the discharge port 1 to the outside of the printer 100. By placing the two units 20, 30 in the retracted position, the space above the transport path T can be opened widely, making it easy to attach the print medium M.

[0041] After this, the transport unit 30 is placed in the transport position, as shown in Figure 7. At this time, the protrusion 36 protruding from the transport unit 30 moves in a direction away from the printing unit 20, and the printing unit 20 remains in the retracted position shown in Figure 7. In this state, the ink ribbon r is placed on top of the print medium M placed in the transport path T between the transport unit 30 and the discharge port 1. At this time, there is a large gap between the transport unit 30 placed in the transport position and the printing unit 20 placed in the retracted position, making it easy to attach the ink ribbon r.

[0042] Finally, from the state shown in Figure 7, the printing unit 20 is rotated downward toward the printing position, the plate 60 is placed in the fixed position, and the plate 60 is fixed by the fixing lever 14 inserted into the insertion hole 63. In this state, the printer returns to the standard state shown in Figure 5, and with the print medium M and ink ribbon r attached, the printing unit 20 is positioned at the printing position, and the transport unit 30 is positioned at the transport position.

[0043] As described above, according to this embodiment, the printing unit 20 and the transport unit 30 can be placed in a retracted position above the transport path T, and the printing unit 20 can be placed in a retracted position independently of the transport unit 30, which makes it easier to attach the printing medium M and the ink ribbon r, improving workability.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 36 protruding from the transport unit 30 toward the printing unit 20 is used as a means for integrating the printing unit 20 and the transport unit 30. However, this is not limiting, and for example, two sets of magnets may be used to integrate the two units 20, 30. In this case, for example, a first set of magnets may be provided to magnetically attract the printing unit 20 arranged at the printing position and the transport unit 30 arranged at the transport position, and a second set of magnets with stronger magnetic force than the first set of magnets may be provided to secure the printing unit 20 in the retracted position.

[0045] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the two units 20, 30 are rotatably mounted on a single rotary shaft 40, and each unit 20, 30 is rotatably supported in a retracted position. However, this is not limiting, and a support mechanism that supports the printing unit 20 so that it can move vertically in a straight line between the printing position and the retracted position, and a support mechanism that supports the transport unit 30 so that it can move vertically in a straight line between the transport position and the retracted position may also be used. In this case, by making the movement paths of the two units 20, 30 parallel, the above-described protrusion 36 can be used as an integration means.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above-described embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1...discharge port, 2...housing, 3...storage section, 7...support plate, 10...mechanism section, 11...hook, 12...feed shaft, 13...winding shaft, 14...fixed lever, 20...printing unit, 22...thermal head, 24...platen roller, 25, 26...stud, 30...transport unit, 32...pinch roller, 34...transport roller, 36...protrusion, 37, 38...stud, 40...rotating shaft, 50...support plate, 55...hinge, 60...plate, 61, 62...receiving hole, 63...insertion hole, 64, 65, 66, 67...positioning holes, 100...printer, M...printing medium, R...roll, r...ink ribbon, T...transport path.

Claims

1. a printing unit that is movable (along a first movement path) between a printing position where information is printed on a print medium via an ink ribbon and a first retracted position retracted from the printing position; a transport unit that is movable (along a second movement path parallel to the first movement path) between a transport position that applies a transport force to the print medium to transport the print medium overlapping the opposite side of the ink ribbon with respect to the printing unit arranged at the printing position, and a second retracted position that is spaced apart from the transport position; an integration unit that integrates the transport unit and the printing unit when moving the transport unit from the transport position to the second retracted position, moves the printing unit from the printing position to the first retracted position, and can arrange the printing unit at the first retracted position while the transport unit is arranged at the transport position; A printer having

2. the integration means includes a protrusion that protrudes from the transport unit toward the printing unit and that engages with the printing unit when the transport unit is moved from the transport position to the second retracted position. The printer of claim 1 .

3. When the printing unit is disposed at the printing position and the transport unit is disposed at the transport position, the protrusion is in a non-contact state with the printing unit. The printer of claim 2 .

4. a rotation shaft that supports the printing unit rotatably between the printing position and the first retracted position, and that supports the transport unit rotatably between the transport position and the second retracted position; The printer of claim 1 .

5. the integration means includes a protrusion that protrudes from the transport unit toward the printing unit at a position spaced apart from the rotation shaft and out of the transport path of the ink ribbon and the print medium, and that engages with the printing unit when the transport unit is moved from the transport position to the second retracted position. The printer according to claim 4.

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