Printer device

Abstract

This invention aims to improve the operability of a printer device that prints on roll paper, specifically one in which the lid is opened by pressing a button. [Solution] The printer device comprises a main body, a lid with one end rotatably connected to the main body, a storage section for storing roll paper, a printing section for printing while pulling paper from the roll paper, a button that receives pressure of a predetermined stroke, an actuator that is rotatable about a pivot center and has one end positioned to be pressed by the button which is pressed down within the stroke range, with the other end moving upward as the button is pressed down, a lock lever that is rotatable about a pivot center and has a locking part that holds a part of the lid in a hooked state and a pressed part positioned to be pushed up by the other end, and a pressing part provided at the tip of the button and having a curved shape which moves away from the pivot center of the actuator as it approaches the tip and towards the end of the one end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a printer device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a printer device that stores a roll paper, prints on a paper pulled out from the roll paper, and discharges it has been used. In such a printer device, a lid that opens and closes a storage portion for storing the roll paper is provided so as to be rotatable between a position where it closes the opening of the housing and a position where it opens.

[0003] In the printer device as described above, there is a demand to open the lid by pressing a button. However, when trying to transmit the pressing of the button to rotate the lid, there are problems such as the force required for pressing the button being too large and the operability deteriorating.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the operability in a printer device that prints while pulling out a paper from a stored roll paper when the lid is opened by pressing a button. [[ID=2​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​An actuator that is rotatable about a pivot center between one end and the other end, wherein the one end is positioned to be pressed by the button which is pushed down within the stroke range, and the other end moves upward as the button is pressed down, A locking lever having a locking portion that holds a part of the lid in a hooked state, and a pressed portion that is positioned to be pushed up by the other end, and which is rotatable about a pivot center, A pressing portion is provided at the tip of the aforementioned button and has a curved shape that moves away from the rotation center of the actuator as it approaches the tip and bends towards the end of the one end, It is equipped with. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of the printer device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the printer device with the casing open. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of a printer device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the positional relationship between the lid, the open button, the actuator, and the linkage. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the frame, open button, actuator, and linkage. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the link section. [Figure 7] Figure 7 illustrates the interlocking relationship between the open button, the actuator, and the linkage. [Figure 8] Figure 8 illustrates the interlocking relationship between the open button, the actuator, and the linkage. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the shape of the pressing part. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the positional relationship between the platen roller and the print head, and the support state of the print head. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] (First Embodiment) The embodiment will be described using drawings. In the drawings, the X-axis direction represents the width direction (left-right direction) of the printer device 1, the Y-axis direction represents the depth direction (front-back direction) of the printer device 1, and the Z-axis direction represents the height direction (up-down direction) of the printer device 1. The positive direction of the Z-axis is upward from the bottom of the printer device 1. The positive direction of the Y-axis is from the front to the back of the printer device 1. The positive direction of the X-axis is from left to right when viewing the printer device 1 in the direction of the positive Y-axis.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of the printer device 1 of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the printer device 1 with the housing 2 open. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the printer device 1, and is a longitudinal left side view showing the printer device 1 cut in the center in the width direction (X-axis direction).

[0009] The printer device 1 of this embodiment is a thermal printer and is used as a receipt printer for printing (printing, outputting, issuing) receipts, for example. The printer device 1 comprises a housing 2, a paper storage unit 3, a printing unit 4, and the like.

[0010] The housing 2 houses the other components (paper storage section 3, printing section 4, etc.). The housing 2 has a box-shaped main body 20 with an opening on one side (the top side in the illustrated state) and a lid 21 that opens and closes the opening. As shown in Figure 3, one end of the lid 21 is rotatably connected to the edge of the opening of the main body 20 by a hinge section 23, and the opening is opened and closed as the lid rotates.

[0011] With the lid 21 closed over the main body 20, as shown in Figure 1, a paper output port 22 is formed between the other end of the lid 21 and the edge of the opening in the main body 20. The paper output port 22 is an opening for discharging the paper 91 from the housing 2.

[0012] The cover 21 of the printer device 1 has a support portion 211 that protrudes outside the paper discharge port 22. The support portion 211 is provided on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction of the printing portion 4 and has an inclined surface that contacts the back surface of the printed surface of the paper 91 to support the paper 91. The support portion 211 is located outside the paper discharge port 22 and supports the lower side of the paper 91 discharged from the paper discharge port 22. The support portion 211 is provided detachably or integrally with the paper discharge port 22. That is, the support portion 211 is formed detachably or integrally with the cover 21. The support portion 211 may be referred to as a table.

[0013] The printer device 1 supports two ways of placement. One way of placement is a way in which the paper discharge port 22 of the printer device 1 discharges the paper 91 upward (that is, in the positive direction of the Z axis). Hereinafter, this way of placement is referred to as "top surface paper discharge placement". The printer device 1 in FIGS. 1 to 3 is placed in the top surface paper discharge placement. The other way of placement is a way in which the paper discharge port 22 discharges the paper 91 forward (that is, in the negative direction of the Y axis). Hereinafter, this way of placement is referred to as "front paper discharge placement". The printer device 1 in the front paper discharge placement is in a state where the printer device 1 is rotated 90° counterclockwise in the drawing in FIG. 3 about the width direction (X axis direction).

[0014] The paper storage portion 3 is a space between the recessed inner surface of the main body portion 20 and the inner surface of the cover 21, and stores the roll paper 90 so that the paper 91 can be drawn out from the roll paper 90. The roll paper 90 is formed by winding the belt-like paper 91 with the first surface facing outward. The first surface in the present embodiment is the surface to be printed (that is, the printed surface). Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the roll paper 90 is the printed surface of the paper 91. Also, the back surface of the printed surface is an example of the second surface. The paper 91 is an example of a sheet-like printing medium. In a state where the cover 21 is in a position to open the main body portion 20, the paper storage portion 3 is opened, and the roll paper 90 can be replaced or added.

[0015] The printer device 1 prints on the paper 91 while pulling out and conveying the paper 91 from the roll paper 90 stored in the paper storage portion 3.

[0016] The printing unit 4 draws out and conveys the sheet 91 from the roll paper 90 around which the belt-like sheet 91 is wound, and prints on the sheet 91 while doing so. It includes a printing head 41 and a platen roller 42. The printing head 41 is provided on the main body 20, and the platen roller 42 is provided on the lid 21. The platen roller 42 of the present embodiment conveys the sheet 91 sandwiched between it and the printing head 41 by being rotationally driven.

[0017] The platen roller 42 is attached to the lid 21 and meshes with a gear provided on the main body 20 side when the lid 21 is closed. The gear is rotationally driven by a drive source such as a motor built into the main body 20. The platen roller 42 rotates when the driving force of the drive source is transmitted through the gear.

[0018] The printing head 41 is a thermal head having a structure in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged in line. The printing head 41 prints on the sheet 91 sandwiched between the platen roller 42 and the printing head 41 by causing the heating elements corresponding to the printing pattern to generate heat.

[0019] More specifically, the printing head 41 is attached to a support portion and is arranged at a position facing the platen roller 42. The support portion is biased in the direction in which the printing head 41 presses against the platen roller 42 by the elastic force of a spring. As a result, the printing head 41 is biased in the direction of being pressed against the platen roller 42.

[0020] When replenishing or replacing the roll paper 90, the user opens the lid 21, replenishes or replaces the roll paper 90, sandwiches the leading end portion of the sheet 91 drawn out from the roll paper 9 with the platen roller 42 and the printing head 41, and closes the lid 21. As a result, the leading end portion of the sheet 91 is held by the platen roller 42 and the printing head 41.

[0021] The printer device 1 is further equipped with an open button 29. The open button 29 is an example of a button that accepts a predetermined stroke of pressure as an operation to rotate the lid 21 and open the opening, and when pressed, it releases the locked state of the housing 2. When the locked state is released, the lid 21 becomes movable from the position that closes the opening of the main body 20 to the position that opens it.

[0022] The open button 29 is located near the edge of the opening of the main body 20 and is positioned in substantially the same plane as the lid 21. The open button 29 is also located adjacent to the end of the lid 21 that forms the paper output slot 22.

[0023] Figure 4 shows the positional relationship between the lid 21, the open button 29, the actuator 7, and the link section 8.

[0024] The actuator 7 is rotatable about a pivot center 70 between one end and the other end, with one end positioned to be pressed by the tip of the open button 29, which is pushed down within a predetermined stroke range, and the other end moves upward as the open button 29 is pushed down. In this way, the actuator 7 rotates about the pivot center 70 along the width direction (X-axis direction) in conjunction with the movement of the opened button 29 that has been operated.

[0025] The link section 8 rotates in conjunction with the movement of the actuator 7, around a pivot center 80 along the width direction (X-axis direction), and switches between the locked and unlocked states of the lid 21.

[0026] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the frame 25, the open button 29, the actuator 7, and the link section 8. The lid 21 has a frame 25 inside the outer casing, which serves as the framework. The frame 25 is equipped with a pair of lock bosses 26 on the side farther from the hinge section 23 and closer to the paper output slot 22. The pair of lock bosses 26 protrude inward from both sides of the frame 25.

[0027] When the lid 21 closes the opening of the main body 20, the link portion 8 holds the lock boss 26, thereby locking the housing 2. In other words, the lid 21 is fixed in place with the opening of the main body 20 closed.

[0028] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the link section 8. The link section 8 includes a pair of locking levers 81 and 82, a connecting section 83, a locking section 84, a protruding section 85, a guide section 86, a protruding section 87, and an unlocking stud 88, etc.

[0029] The pair of lock levers 81 and 82 are plate-shaped members positioned on the inside of both sides of the main body 20, and are rotatable within the main body 20 about a pivot center 80. The connecting part 83 is located below the paper output opening 22 inside the main body 20 and connects one end of the lock levers 81 and 82.

[0030] The locking portion 84, the protruding portion 85, and the guide portion 86 are provided at the other end of each lock lever 81, 82 and are located on the opposite side of the connecting portion 83, with the pivot center 80 in between.

[0031] The locking portion 84 is a hook-shaped part that holds the lock boss 26 in a hooked state. The protruding portion 85 is a part that protrudes from the edge of the other end of the lock levers 81 and 82 in a direction away from the pivot center 80, and in the initial stages of unlocking, it pushes up the lock boss 26 and moves it in the direction of opening the lid 21.

[0032] The guide portion 86 is the part of the edge of the lock levers 81 and 82 between the locking portion 84 and the protruding portion 85, and guides the lock boss 26 along the edge of the protruding portion 85 toward the locking portion 84 and in the opposite direction.

[0033] Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the interlocking of the open button 29, the actuator 7, and the link section 8. Figure 7 shows the open button 29 before it is pressed, and Figure 8 shows the open button 29 being pressed.

[0034] The projection 87 and the unlocking stud 88 are provided on one of the locking levers 81. The projection 87 is located between the projection 85 and the connecting portion 83 and is a portion that protrudes from the edge of the other end of the locking lever 81 in a direction away from the pivot center 80.

[0035] The unlocking stud 88 is provided on the protruding portion 87 and is a part that protrudes in the width direction (X-axis direction), receiving the movement of the actuator 7. The stud 88 is an example of the pressed upper part.

[0036] The open button 29 is operated by a user attempting to open the lid 21. The open button 29 is biased in the positive direction of the Z axis by a biasing member 295 and accepts an operation to push it in the negative direction of the Z axis.

[0037] The actuator 7 has a pressed portion 71 at one end and a pressing portion 78 at the other end, which is located on the opposite side of the pivot center 70 from the pressed portion 71. The pressed portion 71 is the part that is pressed down by the pressing portion 291 provided at the tip of the open button 29.

[0038] The pushing portion 78 has a mountain-shaped form formed by the first slope 781 and the second slope 782. The first slope 781 is responsible for the initial part of the process of pushing up the protruding portion 87 (see Figure 7). The second slope 782 is responsible for the latter part of the process of pushing up the protruding portion 87 (see Figure 8).

[0039] In this configuration, when the open button 29 is pressed in response to user input, the pressing portion 291 pushes down the pressed portion 71 of the actuator 7. This causes the actuator 7 to rotate around the pivot center 70, and the pressing portion 78 moves upward. As the pressing portion 78 pushes up the stud 88, a force is applied to the lock lever 81 that causes it to rotate around the pivot center 80. This force is also transmitted to the lock lever 82 via the connecting portion 83, causing the lock lever 82 to rotate as well.

[0040] When the lock levers 81 and 82 are rotated, the locking portion 84 releases the lock boss 26, which it had been holding in a hooked state. When the lock levers 81 and 82 are rotated further, the lock boss 26 is pushed up along the guide portion 86 to the protruding portion 85. Consequently, the lid 21 rotates in a direction that opens the opening of the main body portion 20.

[0041] Here, Figure 9 shows an example of the shape of the pressing portion 291. The open button 29 is long along the Z-axis direction and has a curved pressing portion 291 at its tip. Due to the curvature, the angle between the pressing portion 291 and the Z-axis direction gradually increases towards the tip. The direction of the curvature of the pressing portion 291 is such that it moves away from the rotation center 70 of the actuator 7 and closer to the end of the pressed portion 71 as it moves towards the tip.

[0042] The pressing portion 291 has straight sections La, Lb, and Lc in that order from the tip. Each of the straight sections La, Lb, and Lc has a surface inclined at a different angle. Straight section Lc is approximately vertical, while straight section La is inclined closer to horizontal than vertical. Straight section Lb is inclined at the angle between straight sections La and Lc.

[0043] Furthermore, the pressing portion 291 has a curved portion Ra between the straight portion La and the straight portion Lb, and a curved portion Rb between the straight portion Lb and the straight portion Lc. The curved portions Ra and Rb may be circular arcs or other types of curves.

[0044] Due to the shape described above, the point of action when the pressing portion 291 presses the pressed portion 71 of the actuator 7 gradually approaches the pivot center 70 as the degree of pressing progresses. As a result, the angle at which the actuator 7 rotates with respect to the depth of pressing is small at the beginning of pressing and increases as pressing progresses. In this embodiment, the force required to press down the open button 29 is adjusted by making the pressing portion 291 this shape.

[0045] Furthermore, Figure 10 shows an example of the positional relationship between the platen roller 42 and the print head 41, and the support state of the print head 41. Referring to Figure 10, an example of the change in the force required to open the lid 21 will be explained.

[0046] The rotating support section 45 rotatably supports the print head 41 and the guide section 46, and the spring 48 biases the rotating support section 45 in a direction in which the print head 41 presses against the platen roller 42. The guide section 46 has an inclined surface that is tilted with respect to the ZX plane such that the larger the Z-axis value, the more it is located in the negative direction of the Y-axis.

[0047] The dotted line p indicates the extension of the upper end of the print head 41. The dashed line indicates the position of the platen roller 42 when its center of rotation coincides with the dotted line p. When the lid 21 is closed, that is, when the locking part 84 is holding the lock boss 26 in a hooked state, the platen roller 42 is in the position shown by the solid line. As the lid 21 rotates to open, the platen roller 42 moves upward accordingly.

[0048] As the platen roller 42 moves upward, it separates from the gear on the main body 20, and the engagement between them is released. This completes the first stage of the lid 21's rotation. As the lid 21 rotates, the platen roller 42 moves upward, rotating the gear it is engaged with and the drive source, such as a motor connected to the gear, until it separates from the gear. For this reason, the force required for rotation in the first stage is greater than in the later stages.

[0049] The second stage of rotation is until the platen roller 42 reaches the position indicated by the dashed line. The force required to rotate the lid 21 in the second stage is smaller than that required in the first stage.

[0050] When the platen roller 42 moves beyond the position indicated by the dashed line, the rotation support part 45 rotates due to the biasing force of the spring 48, and the guide part 46 approaches the platen roller 42. Then, the guide part 46 contacts the platen roller 42 from below and pushes it up. The stage in which the platen roller 42 and the guide part 46 are in contact is the third stage. In the third stage, the force required to rotate the lid 21 is even smaller than in the second stage because of the biasing force of the spring 48.

[0051] The fourth stage of rotation occurs when the platen roller 42 separates from the guide section 46 and the lid 21 opens completely. In the fourth stage, only the weight of the lid 21 itself acts as the rotational load. The force required to rotate the lid 21 in the fourth stage is greater than in the third stage, but less than in the second stage.

[0052] The above is an example of the change in force required to open the lid 21. Depending on the structure of the printer device 1, it may not always be divided into four stages as described above, but regardless of the structure of the printer device, the change in force required for rotation can generally be divided into several stages.

[0053] The force required to rotate the lid 21 changes with each of the stages described above. An example of a shape corresponding to this change is the shape of the pressing portion 291 shown in Figure 9. In other words, in the first stage, the straight portion La of the pressing portion 291 and the area before and after it press the actuator 7. In the second stage, the straight portion Lb of the pressing portion 291 and the area before and after it press the actuator 7. In the third stage, the curved portion Rb of the pressing portion 291 and the area before and after it press the actuator 7. This changes the rotation angle of the lid 21 with respect to the depth to which the open button 29 is pressed down.

[0054] In this embodiment, the pressing portion 291 cancels out or mitigates the changes in the force required to rotate the lid 21, which change in multiple stages as described above, by changing the angle of its tip shape. In other words, in the printer device 1, the force required to rotate the actuator 7 is not constant, being large in the beginning and small in the latter half. To address this, the shape of the pressing portion 291 is set so that the distance from the pivot center 70 to the position where the pressing portion 291 presses the pressed portion 71 of the actuator 7 is farther in the beginning and closer in the latter half. As a result, in stages where a large force is required for rotation, the force required to push down is reduced because it presses at a position far from the pivot point. Also, in stages where the force required for rotation is small, it presses at a position close to the pivot point, allowing it to operate efficiently (rotate the lid 21).

[0055] According to this embodiment, when opening the lid 21 by pressing down the open button 29, the force required to press down the open button 29 can be kept from becoming too large. Furthermore, the force required to press down the open button 29 can be kept close to a constant value. In addition, by configuring the lid 21 to rotate a large amount relative to the depth of the open button 29's press down when the force required to rotate the lid 21 is small, the lid 21 can be rotated efficiently.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the rotation is set to four stages, but in practice, it may be set to two or three stages, and the pressing part 291 can change the position in which it presses the actuator 7 in stages by adjusting its curved shape.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pressing portion 291 was formed by connecting multiple straight sections with different inclination angles using curved sections. However, the implementation is not limited to this, and for example, the straight sections may be directly connected to each other, with obtuse angles between the straight sections. Also, the pressing portion 291 may be formed entirely of curved sections without any straight sections.

[0058] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1…Printer device, 2...Housing, 20...Main body, 21...Lid, 211...Support part, 22...Paper output slot, 23...Hinge part, 25...frame, 26...rock boss, 29...Open button, 291...Pressing part, 295...Biasing member, 3…Paper storage section, 4…Printing section, 41...Print head, 42...Platen roller, 45...Rotating support part, 46...Guide part, 7…Actuator, 70...Rotation center, 71...Pressed part, 78...Pushing part, 781,782...Slope, 8... Link section, 80... Center of rotation, 81, 82... Locking lever, 83... Connecting part 84... Locking part, 85... Protruding part, 86... Guide part, 87... Protruding part, 88... Stud, 90...Roll paper, 91...Paper. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0060] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-114129

Claims

1. A main body having an opening on one side, A lid, whose one end is rotatably connected to the main body by a hinge, opens and closes the opening as it rotates, The space between the inner surface of the main body and the inner surface of the lid is a storage section for storing roll paper, A printing unit that prints while pulling paper from the aforementioned roll paper, The operation for rotating the lid to open the opening includes a button that accepts a predetermined stroke of pressure, An actuator that is rotatable about a pivot center between one end and the other end, wherein the one end is positioned to be pressed by the button which is pushed down within the range of the stroke, and the other end moves upward as the button is pressed down, A locking lever having a locking portion that holds a part of the lid in a hooked state, and a pressed portion that is positioned to be pushed up by the other end, and which is rotatable about a pivot center, A pressing portion is provided at the tip of the aforementioned button and has a curved shape that moves away from the rotation center of the actuator as it approaches the tip and bends towards the end of the one end, A printer device equipped with the following features.

2. The curved shape of the pressing portion is formed by connecting multiple straight sections with different angles of inclination at a curved section. The printer device according to claim 1.

3. The curved shape of the pressing portion is formed by connecting multiple straight sections with different angles of inclination. The printer device according to claim 1.

4. The curved shape of the pressing portion is formed by connecting multiple curved sections. The printer device according to claim 1.

5. The curved shape of the pressing portion includes, when the rotation range of the lid is divided into at least two stages, a first stage until the platen roller constituting the printing portion separates from the gear that transmits the driving force of the drive source, and a subsequent stage, at least two straight portions: a straight portion that contacts the actuator in the first stage and a straight portion that contacts the actuator in the stage after the first stage. The printer device according to claim 2 or 3.

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