printer

Abstract

In a printer that houses two rolls of printing media internally, the ease of changing the printing media is improved. [Solution] The printer 100 has a housing that includes a case body 110 and a drawer 120 that is pulled out forward in the front-rear direction L relative to the case body 110. Inside the housing, there is a storage chamber S in which two roll bodies 201 and 202, each made of paper 201a and 202a, are arranged in a roll shape. With the drawer 120 pulled out forward, one of the two roll bodies 201 and 202 stored in the storage chamber S can be replaced while maintaining the state in which the other roll body 202 is placed in the storage chamber S, and the other roll body 202 can be replaced while maintaining the state in which the one roll body 201 is placed in the storage chamber S.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer.

Background Art

[0002] A printer performs printing on a printing medium such as paper or film using a thermal head or an inkjet head. As the printing medium, there is also a roll-shaped one in which long paper or film is wound in a roll. Some printers have two roll-shaped printing media (for example, see Patent Document 1). The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 facilitates the replacement work of the roll-shaped printing medium by arranging two roll-shaped printing media in an exposed state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, assuming a printer that houses two roll-shaped printing media inside the case, it is necessary to consider the workability of replacing the printing media.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve the workability of replacing roll bodies in a printer that houses two or more roll-shaped printing media (roll bodies) inside.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a printer having a housing that includes a case body and a drawer that extends forward in the front-rear direction relative to the case body, and inside the housing there is a storage chamber for arranging a plurality of roll bodies in which printing media are formed in a roll shape, and when the drawer is extended forward, any one of the plurality of roll bodies can be attached to the storage chamber while maintaining the state in which all the remaining roll bodies are placed in the storage chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The printer according to the present invention, which houses two or more roll-shaped printing media internally, can improve the ease of replacing the rolls. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the appearance of a dye-sublimation thermal printer in use, with the drawer section closed. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a dye-sublimation thermal printer when replacing the roll, and it shows the drawer pulled out and open. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a front view showing the front (front) of the dye-sublimation thermal printer in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section taken along the vertical plane parallel to line AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a front view showing the front of the dye-sublimation thermal printer. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section taken along the vertical plane parallel to line BB in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view, equivalent to Figure 4, showing a printer with a reverse transport path installed in the lower storage compartment and a sheet-fed paper feed unit installed at the bottom of the housing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] An embodiment of the printer according to the present invention is as follows.

[0010] <Overall Structure> Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the dye-sublimation thermal printer 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as printer 100) when in use, with the drawer section 120 closed. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the printer 100 shown in Figure 1 when replacing the roll bodies 201 and 202, with the drawer section 120 pulled out and the upper body 121 open. Figure 3 is a front view of the printer 100 shown in Figure 1, showing the front 101 in the front-to-back direction L, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section cut along the vertical plane along line AA in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a front view of the printer 100 shown in Figure 2, showing the front 101, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section cut along the vertical plane along line BB in Figure 5.

[0011] The printer 100 shown in Figure 1 is, as an example, a dye-sublimation thermal printer. A dye-sublimation thermal printer prints images and other data onto paper by bringing a heat-generating thermal head into contact with the sublimation dye coated on the ink ribbon, thereby causing the sublimation dye on the ink ribbon to diffuse and transfer (thermal diffusion transfer) to the receiving layer of the paper (printing medium) placed on top of the ink ribbon.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing. On the upper part of the front surface 101 of the printer 100 in the front-to-back direction L, two output ports 101A and 101B are formed vertically, extending along the width direction W. The first output port 101A, which is formed relatively higher in the height direction H, is an opening for discharging the paper 201a of the first roll body 201 (described later) to the outside. The second output port 101B, formed below the first output port 101A, is an opening for discharging the paper 202a of the second roll body 202 to the outside.

[0013] The printer 100 has, inside its casing, a printing unit 130, two cutter units 141 and 142, a transport unit 160 having a transport path 150, and a control unit 170, as shown in Figure 4. The printer 100 also has a storage chamber S inside its casing for housing two roll bodies 201 and 202. These components—the printing unit 130, the cutter units 141 and 142, the transport unit 160, the control unit 170, and the storage chamber S—are covered by the casing when the printer 100 is in use, as shown in Figure 1, that is, when printing on the paper 201a and 202a of the roll bodies 201 and 202.

[0014] The first roll body 201 is formed by winding a long sheet of paper 201a around an axis C1 to create a roll. The paper 201a is a printing medium having a receiving layer that develops color by receiving sublimation dye that has been thermally diffusively transferred from the ink ribbon 132 of the print section 130.

[0015] The second roll 202, like the first roll 201, is formed by winding a long sheet of paper 202a around an axis C2 to create a roll. The paper 202a, like the paper 201a, is a printing medium having a receiving layer that develops color by receiving sublimation dye transferred from the ink ribbon 132 by thermal diffusion. However, unlike the paper 201a, it is a translucent film label paper, for example, with an adhesive applied to one side and attached to a backing sheet. Note that the label paper is not limited to translucent; it may also be transparent or opaque.

[0016] (Printing Department) The printing unit 130 includes a thermal head 131, an ink ribbon 132, and a platen roller 133. The thermal head 131 is located in the case body 110. The thermal head 131 generates heat according to the input signal value under the control of the control unit 170.

[0017] The ink ribbon 132 and the platen roller 133 are located in the drawer section 120. The platen roller 133 is positioned on the opposite side of the thermal head 131, with the paper 201a and 202a being transported along the transport path 150 in between.

[0018] The ink ribbon 132 has a feed roll 132a, a take-up roll 132b, and a ribbon 132c. The ribbon 132c is a long film coated with a sublimation dye. One end of the unused ribbon 132c is fixed to the feed roll 132a and wound around the feed roll 132a. The other end of the ribbon 132c is fixed to the take-up roll 132b.

[0019] The take-up roll 132b rotates under the control of the control unit 170 to take up the ribbon 132c. As a result, the ribbon 132c is unwound from the feed roll 132a and fed out. Since a torque in the opposite direction to the rotational direction in which the ribbon 132c is unwound is applied to the feed roll 132a, the ribbon 132c is tensioned and stretched between the feed roll 132a and the take-up roll 132b.

[0020] The ribbon 132c is disposed between the thermal head 131 and the papers 201a, 202a being conveyed on the conveyance path 150 at the spanned portion thereof.

[0021] The printing unit 130 presses the papers 201a, 202a being conveyed on the conveyance path 150 and the ribbon 133c against each other and adheres them by sandwiching them between the platen roller 133 and the thermal head 131. While the control unit 170 feeds the papers 201a, 202a and the ribbon 132c, the thermal head 131 is heated to cause the sublimation dye of the ribbon 133c to thermally diffuse and transfer to the receiving layer of the papers 201a, 202a, and an image with a hue and density corresponding to the signal value is printed on the papers 201a, 202a.

[0022] The portion of the ribbon 132c where the sublimation dye has been thermally diffused and transferred by the thermal head 131 becomes used. Therefore, the ribbon 132c wound around the take-up roll 132b is a used ribbon 132c.

[0023] (Conveying unit) The conveying unit 160 includes a conveying path 150, conveying rollers 161, and flaps 162 (path switching section). The conveying path 150 includes a first conveying path 151, a second conveying path 152, a third conveying path 153, a fourth conveying path 154, and a fifth conveying path 155.

[0024] The first transport path 151 is a route that runs from the storage chamber S to the printing unit 130, and the paper 201a unwound from the first roll 201 is transported along this path. The second transport path 152 is a separate route from the first transport path 151 that also runs from the storage chamber S to the printing unit 130, and the paper 202a unwound from the second roll 202 is transported along this path. In other words, the first transport path 151 and the second path are separate routes.

[0025] The third transport path 153 is a path that passes through the print unit 130, including the space between the thermal head 131 and the platen roller 133, and is a path that is common to both the paper 201a sent from the first transport path 151 and the paper 202a sent from the second transport path 152.

[0026] The fourth transport path 154 is a path that runs from the third transport path 153 to the first output port 101A, and the paper 201a printed in the print unit 130 is transported along this path. The fifth transport path 155 is a path that runs from the third transport path 153 to the second output port 101B, and the paper 202a printed in the print unit 130 is transported along this path, which is separate from the fourth transport path 154. In other words, the fourth transport path 154 and the fifth transport path 155 are separate paths.

[0027] The flap 162 is located between the fourth transport path 154, the fifth transport path 155, and the third transport path 153. The orientation of the flap 162 is changed by the control unit 170, and this change in orientation switches the destination of the paper 201a and 202a that have passed through the third transport path 153 to either the fourth transport path 154 or the fifth transport path 155.

[0028] By the way, since the paper 201a of the first roll body 201 is formed in a roll shape, it develops a curl when unrolled from the first roll body 201. Therefore, the printer 100 is equipped with a decal mechanism 180 in the fourth transport path 154. The decal mechanism 180 presses the paper 201a passing through the fourth transport path 154 downwards, shaping the paper 201a into a downward-convex shape, thereby flattening (decaling) the upward-convex curl.

[0029] Although the paper 202a of the second roll body 202 is also formed in a roll shape, the paper 202a, which is a label paper made of the translucent film (including transparent and opaque films) as exemplified, is a sealing material with an adhesive. The sealing material will cause the adhesive to adhere to the decal mechanism, and if this adhesive accumulates, it will adversely affect the operation of the decal mechanism or the transport operation of the paper 202a (such as jamming). For this reason, the decal mechanism 180 is not provided in the fifth transport path 155.

[0030] If the printer 100 uses a printing medium without adhesive as the second roll 202, a decal mechanism may be provided in the fifth transport path 155 to flatten the printing medium.

[0031] However, in this embodiment, the printer 100 can switch the feeding destination of the paper 201a and 202a using the flap 162, and the decal mechanism 180 can switch whether or not to flatten the curl of the paper 201a and 202a, thereby allowing the user to select whether or not to apply a decal. Therefore, the printer 100 does not need to provide the decal mechanism 180 in addition to the fourth transport path 154, up to the fifth transport path 155.

[0032] The transport roller 161 is an example of a transport means that, under the control of the control unit 170, transports the paper 201a and 202a along the transport path 150 in the forward direction (towards the discharge ports 101A and 101B) and in the reverse direction (opposite to the forward direction). In Figures 4 and 6, only one transport roller 161 is shown as an example on the path where the first transport path 151 and the second transport path 152 merge, but they are also provided on the third transport path 153, the fourth transport path 154, and the fifth transport path 155. However, the printer 100 omits the illustration of the transport rollers 161 provided on the third transport path 153, the fourth transport path 154, and the fifth transport path 155.

[0033] (Cutter section) The first cutter unit 141 is located on the fourth transport path 154, in front of the first discharge port 101A. The first cutter unit 141, under the control of the control unit 170, cuts the long sheet of paper 201a wound around the first roll body 201 to a predetermined length along the width direction W.

[0034] The second cutter unit 142 is located on the fifth transport path 155, in front of the second discharge port 101B. The second cutter unit 142 cuts the long sheet of paper 202a wound around the second roll body 202 to a predetermined length along the width direction W, under the control of the control unit 170.

[0035] The control unit 170 is located in the case body 110. As described above, the control unit 170 controls the input of signal values ​​to the thermal head 131, the feeding of the ink ribbon 132, the transport of the paper 201a and 202a, and the driving of the cutter units 141 and 142.

[0036] (Enclosure) The printer 100's casing consists of a case body 110 and a drawer section 120. The case body 110 occupies most of the printer 100's exterior. The drawer section 120 is located in front of the case body 110.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the drawer section 120 contains the ink ribbon 132 and platen roller 133 of the print section 130, the transport path 150, and the cutter sections 141 and 142. The drawer section 120 also includes a storage chamber S, as shown in Figure 4, for accommodating the two roll bodies 201 and 202 (described later) without them coming into contact with each other. The storage chamber S has two areas: an upper storage chamber S1 for accommodating the first roll body 201 and a lower storage chamber S2 for accommodating the second roll body 202. The upper storage chamber S1 and the lower storage chamber S2 are formed as a single connected space (storage chamber S), but they may be separated into two spaces by a partition wall or the like.

[0038] The drawer section 120 is movable forward in the front-to-back direction L relative to the case body section 110. Therefore, when the printer 100 has the drawer section 120 pulled out forward in the front-to-back direction L as shown in Figures 2 and 6, the storage chamber S, ink ribbon 132, platen roller 133, transport path 150, and cutter sections 141 and 142 are also pulled out forward together with the drawer section 120.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the pull-out section 120 is not pulled out, the thermal head 131 is in contact with the ribbon 132c of the ink ribbon 132, and with the paper 201a and ribbon 132c, or the paper 202a and ribbon 132c, sandwiched between the platen roller 133, the print unit 130 is ready to print.

[0040] The drawer section 120 has a front end 120a and a tray section 122b. The front end 120a is provided with a removable waste container 105. The waste container 105 collects the paper scraps 201a and 202a cut by the cutter sections 141 and 142, which fall downward in front of the discharge ports 101A and 101B. The front surface of the waste container 105 forms the front surface 101, which is the front end surface in the front-to-back direction L of the printer 100 in the state shown in Figure 1.

[0041] The front end portion 120a and the chip tray 105 are exposed as part of the exterior of the printer 100. The tray portion 122b is housed inside the case body portion 110 and is not exposed to the outside in the closed state of the printer 100 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, when the tray portion 120b is pulled out forward from the closed state in Figure 1, at least a portion of it is exposed to the outside of the case body portion 110.

[0042] The drawer section 120 is formed by dividing it into an upper body 121 and a lower body 122. The upper body 121 is positioned relatively above along the height direction H. The lower body 122 is positioned below the upper body 121.

[0043] The upper body 121 includes a part of the third transport path 153, the fourth transport path 154 and the fifth transport path 155, a flap 162, cutter sections 141 and 142, and a decal mechanism 180. The upper body 121 has an upper front end 121a and a swivel section 121b. The upper front end 121a is the upper part of the front end 120a. Therefore, the upper front end 121a is always exposed as part of the exterior of the printer 100.

[0044] The swivel section 121b is located behind the upper front end portion 121a. A portion of the third transport path 153 is positioned within the swivel section 121b. The shaft 121c at the rear end of the swivel section 121b is rotatably supported by the tray portion 122b. The swivel section 121b, including the shaft 121c, is housed inside the case body portion 110 in the printer 100 as shown in Figure 1 and is not exposed to the outside. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, when the swivel section 121b is extended forward, a portion of it, including the shaft 121c, is exposed to the outside of the case body portion 110.

[0045] Therefore, the drawer section 120 moves forward together with the lower body 122 from the state shown in Figures 1 and 4 to the drawn-out state shown in Figures 2 and 6. With the drawer section 120 in the drawn-out state and the shaft 121c moved forward of the case body 110, the printer 100 can be opened by rotating the upper body 121 so as to flip it upward and backward around the shaft 121c. The printer 100 cannot rotate the upper body 121 so as to flip it upward and backward around the shaft 121c when the shaft 121c is housed inside the case body 110.

[0046] When the printer 100 has its drawer section 120 extended and its upper body 121 rotated, the upper part of the storage chamber S can be opened. Also, when the printer 100 has its drawer section 120 extended and its upper body 121 rotated, the chip tray 105 can be removed from the front end 120a. When the chip tray 105 is removed from the front end 120a, the front of the storage chamber S can be opened. Therefore, when the printer 100 has its drawer section 120 extended, its upper body 121 rotated, and the chip tray 105 removed, the front and upper parts of the storage chamber S can be greatly opened.

[0047] The lower body 122 has a lower front end portion 122a and a tray portion 122b. The lower front end portion 122a is the lower part of the front end portion 120a, located below the upper front end portion 121a. Therefore, the lower front end portion 122a is always exposed as part of the exterior of the printer 100.

[0048] The tray section 122b is located behind the lower front end portion 122a. The tray section 122b has a storage chamber S for accommodating the roll bodies 201 and 202, and a support section (not shown) is formed therein to support the axis C1 of the first roll body 201 and the axis C2 of the second roll body 202.

[0049] The support portion formed in the storage chamber S supports the shaft C1 such that the shaft C1 of the first roll body 201 is in a posture parallel to the width direction W, and supports the shaft C2 such that the shaft C2 of the second roll body 202 is in a posture parallel to the width direction W. Further, the support portion that supports the shaft C1 supports the first roll body 201 rotatably about the shaft C1, and the support portion that supports the shaft C2 supports the second roll body 202 rotatably about the shaft C2.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, in a state where the first roll body 201 and the second roll body 202 are housed in the storage chamber S, the support portion formed in the storage chamber S is formed in a displaced arrangement in the vertical and front-rear directions such that the shaft C2 is displaced downward in the height direction H and forward in the front-rear direction L with respect to the shaft C1.

[0051] Moreover, the vertical displacement amount H1 along the height direction H between the shaft C1 and the shaft C2 is smaller than the sum (= r1 + r2) of the maximum radius r1 of the unused first roll body 201 that has not used any printing medium and the maximum radius r2 of the unused second roll body 202 that has not used any printing medium (H1 < r1 + r2), and the front-rear displacement amount L1 along the front-rear direction L is set to be smaller than the sum (= r1 + r2) of the maximum radius r1 of the first roll body and the maximum radius r2 of the second roll body 202 (L1 < r1 + r2).

[0052] Thereby, the printer 100 can shorten the dimension in the front-rear direction L as compared with the case where the two roll bodies 201 and 202 are arranged in the front-rear direction L with the shafts C and C2 aligned in the same height direction H. Further, the printer 100 can also shorten the dimension in the height direction H as compared with the case where the two roll bodies 201 and 202 are arranged in the height direction H with the shafts C1 and C2 aligned in the same front-rear direction L.

[0053] Also, in a state where the support portion supporting the shaft C1 supports the first roll body 201 with a maximum radius r1 and the support portion supporting the shaft C2 supports the second roll body 202 with a maximum radius r2, the distance D1 between the shaft C1 and the shaft C2 in a state where the shaft C1 and the shaft C2 are connected by a straight line is set to be larger than the sum (= r1 + r2) of the maximum radius r1 of the first roll body 201 and the maximum radius r2 of the second roll body 202 (r1 + r2 < D1). Thereby, in the printer 100, in the storage chamber S, the first roll body 201 with the maximum radius r1 and the second roll body 202 with the maximum radius r2 are arranged so as not to contact each other.

[0054] And, in a state where the drawer portion 120 is in the pulled-out state, the upper body 121 is in the open state, and the chip container 105 is removed from the front end portion 120a, a largely open space is formed obliquely forward and upward of the first roll body 201 supported by the support portion of the drawer portion 120 as shown in FIG. 6. This space is the path through which the first roll body 201 passes, indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, from the arrangement (shown by the solid line) where the first roll body 201 is supported by the support portion to the position (shown by the two-dot chain line) taken out of the housing.

[0055] This path of the first roll body 201 is formed to be larger than the diameter (twice the radius r1) of the first roll body 201 so that the first roll body 201 can pass to the outside of the housing while maintaining the state where the second roll body 202 supported by the support portion of the drawer portion 120 is arranged in the support portion, that is, without moving the second roll body 202 from the support portion and without contacting the second roll body 202 with the upper body 121 and the lower body 122.

[0056] Therefore, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, the printer 100 can move the first roll body 201 obliquely forward and upward without contacting the second roll body 202 maintained in the storage chamber S or the housing, remove it from the storage chamber S, and attach it to the storage chamber S from the removed state.

[0057] Furthermore, with the printer 100 in the extended state of the drawer section 120, the open state of the upper body 121, and the chip tray 105 removed from the front end 120a, a large open space is formed diagonally in front of the second roll body 202, which is supported by the support section of the drawer section 120, as shown in Figure 6. This space is the path of the second roll body 202, indicated by the arrows in Figure 6, from the position where the second roll body 202 is supported by the support section (indicated by a solid line) to the position where it is taken out to the outside of the housing (indicated by a dashed line).

[0058] This path of the second roll body 202 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the second roll body 202 (twice the radius r2) so that the first roll body 201, which is supported by the support portion of the drawer portion 120, remains in the position of the support portion, that is, the second roll body 202 can pass to the outside of the housing without moving the first roll body 201 from the support portion, and without contacting the first roll body 201 with the upper body 121 and the lower body 122.

[0059] Therefore, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 6, the printer 100 can move the second roll 202 diagonally forward and upward without contacting the first roll 201, which remains in the storage chamber S, or the housing, and remove it from the storage chamber S, and can also reattach it to the storage chamber S from the removed state.

[0060] Thus, in this embodiment, the printer 100 is designed so that the first roll body 201 or the second roll body 202 can be individually attached and detached from the support part of the storage chamber S, without moving the second roll body 202 or the first roll body 201, even when the drawer section 120 is in the extended state, the upper body 121 is in the open state, and the chip tray 105 is removed from the front end 120a.

[0061] Therefore, in this embodiment, when replacing only one of the two roll bodies 201, 202 housed in the storage chamber S inside the casing of the printer 100, the other roll body 202, 201 can be replaced individually while remaining in its original state (without being moved), thereby improving the workability of replacing the roll bodies 201, 202.

[0062] Furthermore, the printer 100 of this embodiment is provided with separate cutter sections 141 and 142 corresponding to each roll body 201 and 202. Specifically, the printer 100 is provided with a first cutter section 141 in the fourth transport path 154 through which the paper 201a of the first roll body 201 is transported, and a second cutter section 142 in the fifth transport path 155 through which the paper 202a of the second roll body 202 is transported. Therefore, the first cutter section 141 cuts only the paper 201a of the first roll body 201 and does not cut the paper 202a of the second roll body 202.

[0063] In this case, when the cutter cuts label paper coated with adhesive, the adhesive adheres to the blade of the cutter, and the amount of adhesive adhering to the blade increases as the number of label papers cut increases. For this reason, the blade of the cutter used to cut label paper needs to be replaced more frequently than the blade of the cutter used to cut paper without adhesive.

[0064] Furthermore, when using the cutter blade to cut paper of different materials and thicknesses, differences in durability may occur, potentially leading to variations in the frequency of blade replacement.

[0065] Therefore, if the cutter section used for cutting the paper 201a of the first roll 201 and the cutter section used for cutting the paper 202a of the second roll 202 are separate, the frequency of blade replacement can be reduced compared to when a single cutter section is shared for cutting the paper 201a of the first roll 201 and the paper 202a of the second roll 202.

[0066] In this embodiment, the printer 100 has separate cutter units: a cutter unit 141 used for cutting the paper 201a of the first roll 201 and a cutter unit 142 used for cutting the paper 202a of the second roll 202. This allows for a lower frequency of blade replacement for the cutter units 141 and 142.

[0067] In this embodiment, the printer 100 is provided with a first cutter section 141 on the fourth transport path 154 of the first roll body 201 and a second cutter section 142 on the fifth transport path 155 of the second roll body 202. However, the printer according to the present invention may have a single cutter section that is shared by multiple roll bodies.

[0068] In other words, the printer according to the present invention may merge a portion of the multiple transport paths on which multiple rolls are transported into a single transport path, provide a single cutter section in that merged transport path, and share that single cutter section among the printing media of the multiple rolls.

[0069] In this embodiment, the printer 100 has a fourth transport path 154 formed relatively above the first roll 201 for transporting the paper 201a of the first roll 201, and a fifth transport path 155 formed below the fourth transport path 154 in the height direction H for transporting the paper 202a of the second roll 202. Furthermore, a first transport path 151 is formed relatively above the first roll 201 for transporting the paper 201a of the first roll 201, and a second transport path 152 is formed below the first transport path 151 in the height direction H for transporting the paper 202a of the second roll 202. Therefore, the transport paths through which the paper 201a of the first roll 201 is transported (first transport path 151, third transport path 153, and fourth transport path 154) and the transport paths through which the paper 202a of the second roll 202 is transported (second transport path 152, third transport path 153, and fifth transport path 155) intersect.

[0070] The printer 100 may also be configured such that a fifth transport path 155 is formed relatively above the fifth transport path 155 in the height direction H, and a fourth transport path 154 is formed below the fifth transport path 155 in the height direction H. In this case, the printer 100 has a configuration in which the transport paths for transporting the paper 201a of the first roll body 201 (first transport path 151, third transport path 153, and fourth transport path 154) and the transport paths for transporting the paper 202a of the second roll body 202 (second transport path 152, third transport path 153, and fifth transport path 155) do not intersect.

[0071] Furthermore, since the printer 100 has a fourth transport path 154 formed above the fifth transport path 155, it is suitable for positioning the decal mechanism 180 above the fourth transport path 154.

[0072] In this embodiment, the printer 100 may have a partition member placed between the first roll body 201 and the second roll body 202, which are supported by a support in the storage chamber S, to separate the space for storing the first roll body 201 from the space for storing the second roll body 202.

[0073] In this way, the printer 100 has a partition member placed in the storage compartment S, which ensures that when replacing the first roll 201 or the second roll 202, the partition member reliably prevents the rolls 201 and 202 from coming into contact with each other.

[0074] In this embodiment, the printer 100 has a structure in which the front end portion 120a, which constitutes the front of the housing, is divided into an upper body 121 that opens by pivoting upward and backward, and a removable chip tray 105. When the drawer portion 120 is pulled forward, the printer 100 opens the upper body 121 and removes the chip tray 105, thereby opening the front of the housing and forming paths for the roll bodies 201 and 202 from their respective positions in the storage chamber S to the outside of the housing.

[0075] However, in the printer according to the present invention, when the drawer is pulled forward, the front of the housing may be opened by tilting the front of the housing, for example, forward and downward, thereby forming a path for each roll from each arrangement in the storage compartment of each roll to the outside of the housing.

[0076] Furthermore, in the printer according to the present invention, when the drawer is pulled forward, the front of the housing may be opened, for example, by opening it to the side, thereby creating a path for each roll from its respective position in the storage compartment to the outside of the housing.

[0077] Furthermore, although the printer 100 of this embodiment has two roll bodies to house in the storage chamber S, the printer according to the present invention may be configured such that the storage chamber S houses three or more roll bodies. In the printer of the present invention having a storage chamber that houses three or more roll bodies, any one of the three or more roll bodies housed in the storage chamber may be detachably placed in the storage chamber with its drawer pulled forward, without moving any of the other roll bodies.

[0078] The printer 100 in this embodiment is a dye-sublimation thermal printer, but the printer according to the present invention is not limited to a dye-sublimation thermal printer. It may be a thermal printer other than a dye-sublimation printer, or a printer with a printing method other than a thermal printer, that is, an inkjet printer.

[0079] In this embodiment, the printer 100 is a printing medium in which the first roll body 201 and the second roll body 202 are wound with different types of paper 201a and 202a. However, the printer according to the present invention may print on a printing medium in which the same type of paper 201a and 202a are wound.

[0080] Furthermore, the printer 100 of this embodiment is not limited to a printing medium in which the paper 201a, 202a has a receiving layer that develops color by receiving sublimation dye that has been thermally diffusively transferred from the ink ribbon 132 of the print unit 130, but any printing medium corresponding to the printing method of the printer according to the present invention is acceptable.

[0081] In the printer 100 of this embodiment, "paper" is not limited to materials that are "made of paper," but may also be "plastic film," etc. In short, "paper" can be any printing medium that can be printed on the printer's print section, whether it be paper or any other material.

[0082] <Reversing transport path for sheet-fed paper> Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view, equivalent to Figure 4, showing the printer 100 with a reversal transport path 156 attached to the lower storage compartment S2 in which the lower second roll body 202 is located, and a sheet paper feeding unit 190 attached to the lower part of the housing.

[0083] In this embodiment, the printer 100 may have a removable inversion transport path 156 in the lower storage chamber S2 for inverting the front and back sides of other sheets of paper (sheet paper 203).

[0084] In other words, as shown in Figure 7, the printer 100 can have a sheet-fed paper feed unit 190 detachably positioned below the housing, that is, below the drawer unit 120, and can also have a reversal transport path 156 detachably positioned in the lower storage chamber S2 when the second roll body 202 is removed.

[0085] In addition, the printer 100 can have the reversal transport path 156 installed without removing the support part that supports the second roll body 202 from the lower storage chamber S2, but the printer 100 may also be configured to install the reversal transport path 156 after removing the support part that supports the second roll body 202.

[0086] (Sheet paper feed section) The sheet-feeding unit 190 comprises a storage unit S3, a feeding mechanism 191, and a feeding transport path 159. The storage unit S3 stores sheets 203 cut to a predetermined length, stacked in the height direction H. The feeding mechanism 191, under the control of the control unit 170, feeds only the topmost sheet 203 from the sheets 203 stacked in the storage unit S3 to the feeding transport path 159.

[0087] The feed transport path 159 is a transport path that connects the sheets 203 fed out from the storage section S3 by the feed mechanism 191 to the feed transport path 158 of the reversal transport path 156 located in the lower storage chamber S2.

[0088] (Reversal transport path) The reversal transport path 156 is the path through which the sheets of paper 203 are transported, and it reverses the front and back sides of the sheets of paper 203 (turns the sheets of paper 203 over). The reversal transport path 156 includes a feed transport path 158 and a return transport path 157. The feed transport path 158 is the path through which a single sheet of paper 203, fed from the feed transport path 159, is sent to the third transport path 153 where the printing unit 130 is located, and it is located below the first transport path 151. The downstream side of the feed transport path 158 in the feed direction is connected to the third transport path 153, and the upstream side in the feed direction is connected to the return transport path 157.

[0089] The return transport path 157 is the path through which the printed sheets 203 from the printing unit 130 are sent from the third transport path 153. The downstream side of the return transport path 157 in the feeding direction is connected to the feed transport path 158, and the upstream side of the return transport path 157 in the feeding direction is connected to the third transport path 153.

[0090] The feed transport path 158 and the return transport path 157 are each provided with transport rollers, which are not shown in the illustration. These transport rollers, like the transport roller 161, are rotated under the control of the control unit 170, and the sheets of paper 203 are fed along the feed transport path 158 and the return transport path 157, as described above.

[0091] The printer 100 uses a feeding mechanism 191 to feed one sheet of paper 203 from the storage section S3 to the feeding transport path 159. The sheet of paper 203 fed to the feeding transport path 159 is sent to the third transport path 153 via the feed transport path 158, and as it is pulled back along the third transport path 153 in the opposite direction to the feed direction, printing is performed on one side in the print section 130. The sheet of paper 203 with one side printed is sent to the feed transport path 158 via the return transport path 157.

[0092] When the sheet paper 203 is sent from the return transport path 157 to the feed transport path 158, it is in a state where its front and back sides are reversed compared to when it was first sent from the feed transport path 159 to the feed transport path 158, that is, it is flipped over. Therefore, when the sheet paper 203 is sent again from the feed transport path 158 to the third transport path 153 and printed in the printing unit 130 while being pulled back along the third transport path 153, the print is made on the opposite side (the other side) from the side that has already been printed.

[0093] Therefore, the printer 100 can print on both sides of the sheet 203 simply by passing the sheet 203 through the reversal transport path 156.

[0094] In this embodiment, the printer 100 has interchangeable storage for the second roll 202 and the reverse transport path 156 for the sheet paper 203 when the sheet paper feed unit is attached. Therefore, it is possible to switch between using two types of rolls 201 and 202 and using double-sided printable sheet paper 203 and one roll 201, thus providing high convenience.

[0095] In this embodiment, the printer 100 has two rolls of paper stored in the storage chamber S. However, in the case of a printer configured to store three or more rolls of paper in the storage chamber S, it is preferable to place the reversal transport path 156 in the area where the roll of paper located at the lowest position among the three or more rolls of paper is stored. This allows the printer according to the present invention to place the reversal transport path 156 as close as possible to the sheet-fed paper feeding section 190 located below the drawer section 120. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 100 Dye-sublimation thermal printers (printers) 110 Case body 120 Drawer section 121 Upper body 122 Lower body 130 Printing Department 141 First Cutter Section 142 Second Cutter Section 151 First transport route 152 Second transport route 153 Third transport route 154 Fourth transport route 155 Fifth transport route 170 Control Unit 201 First Roll 202 Second Roll Paper 201a, 202a C1,C2 axis L Anteroposterior direction S Confinement Chamber W (width direction)

Claims

1. The housing has a case body and a drawer that extends forward in the front-to-back direction relative to the case body, and inside this housing is a storage chamber for arranging multiple rolls of printing media formed in a roll shape. A printer in which, with the drawer section pulled out forward, any one of the multiple roll bodies is positioned in the storage chamber, while all the other roll bodies are positioned in the storage chamber, and the printer is detachable from the storage chamber.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein, with the drawer section pulled out forward and all the remaining roll bodies housed in the storage chamber, the path through which one roll body passes from the position where it is positioned in the storage chamber to the position where it is removed from the housing is formed to be at least larger than the diameter of one roll body.

3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the containment chamber supports the plurality of rolls such that the vertical displacement in the height direction between the axis of the roll that is positioned at the highest position among the plurality of rolls and the axis of the roll that is positioned at the lowest position among the plurality of rolls is less than the sum of the maximum radii of the plurality of rolls, and the longitudinal displacement in the longitudinal direction between the axis of the roll that is positioned at the frontmost position among the plurality of rolls and the axis of the roll that is positioned at the rearmost position among the plurality of rolls is less than the sum of the maximum radii of the plurality of rolls.

4. The transport path through which the multiple rolls of paper are transported is formed in common in the portion that passes through the printing section where printing is performed on the printing medium, and is divided into multiple sections corresponding to each of the multiple rolls in the portion that leads to the discharge port from the housing. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a cutter section for cutting the printing medium is provided separately for each portion leading to the discharge port.

5. The transport path through which the multiple rolls of paper are transported is formed in common in the portion that passes through the printing section where printing is performed on the printing medium, and is divided into multiple sections corresponding to each of the multiple rolls in the portion that leads to the discharge port from the housing. One of the parts leading to the discharge port, which is formed in multiple sections, is equipped with a decal mechanism for flattening the curl of the printing medium. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transport path is provided with a path switching unit between the portion of the transport path that passes through the printing section and the portion of the transport path that leads to one of the multiple discharge ports, the destination of the printing medium that has passed through the portion of the transport path that passes through the printing section is to the portion that leads to one of the discharge ports.

6. A sheet feed unit containing sheets of paper is detachably positioned below the aforementioned housing. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in the storage chamber, a reversing transport path is detachably arranged in the area where the roll body located at the lowest position among the plurality of roll bodies is stored, and which transports the front and back sides of the sheet of paper inverted when the roll body located at the lowest position is removed.

7. A sheet feed unit containing sheets of paper is detachably positioned below the aforementioned housing. The printer according to claim 4, wherein, in the storage chamber, a reversing transport path is detachably arranged in the area where the roll body positioned at the lowest position among the plurality of roll bodies is stored, and which transports the front and back sides of the sheet of paper inverted when the roll body positioned at the lowest position is removed.

8. A sheet feed unit containing sheets of paper is detachably positioned below the aforementioned housing. The printer according to claim 5, wherein, in the storage chamber, a reversing transport path is detachably arranged in the area where the roll body positioned at the lowest position among the plurality of roll bodies is stored, and which transports the front and back sides of the sheet of paper inverted when the roll body positioned at the lowest position is removed.

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