printer
By strategically positioning the temperature sensor in a shielded area within the thermal printer's housing, away from heat sources, the printer maintains accurate ambient temperature detection, addressing the issue of heat interference and ensuring consistent printing quality.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024233230
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
Conventional thermal printers suffer from reduced printing quality due to the influence of heat generated inside the housing affecting the environmental temperature sensor, which is typically positioned in a location susceptible to this heat.
The printer design positions the temperature sensor away from heat sources by placing it in a separate area within the housing, shielded by partitions and metal members, and on a communication circuit board near the exterior to maintain ambient temperature detection accuracy.
The temperature sensor effectively detects ambient temperature without significant interference from internal heat sources, ensuring accurate temperature-based control of printing operations and maintaining printing quality.
Smart Images

Figure 2026116596000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a printer.
Background Art
[0002] In a thermal printer using a thermal head, the printing quality may be affected by the environmental temperature where the printer is placed. Therefore, a printer is known that is provided with a temperature sensor for detecting the environmental temperature of the printer and controls the thermal head according to the detection value of the temperature sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, when a temperature sensor for detecting the environmental temperature of the printer is provided inside the printer housing, it is desirable to minimize the influence of the heat generated inside the housing on the temperature sensor. However, in the conventional printer described above, the environmental temperature sensor for detecting the environmental temperature is attached inside the paper box and is located at a position that is easily affected by the heat generated inside the printer.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to minimize the influence of the heat generated inside the housing on the temperature sensor for detecting the environmental temperature of the printer inside the printer housing.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] One aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, a transport roller for transporting a printing medium, a print head for printing information on the printing medium, a temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature of the printer, a motor for rotating the transport roller, and a power supply board connected to an external power supply. When the printer is placed on a horizontal surface and the forward-backward and up-down directions are defined such that the direction in which the printing medium moves due to the rotation of the transport rollers is forward, At least a portion of the power supply board is positioned behind the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The motor is positioned in front of the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The temperature sensor is located in front of the power supply board and above the motor in the printer. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature of a printer can be placed inside the printer's casing so as to be as possible unaffected by the heat generated inside the casing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the printer with the printer cover open. [Figure 4] Figure 4A is a schematic side view of the inside of a printer according to one embodiment, and Figure 4B is a schematic, enlarged side view showing the parts related to printing by the printer shown in Figure 4A. [Figure 5] This is a functional block diagram of a printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the inside of the printer casing of one embodiment, viewed from the side. [Figure 7] This is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of the interior of the casing of a printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 8]This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printer according to one embodiment, when cut along the YZ plane at the location of the NFC substrate. [Figure 9] This figure shows examples of fluctuations in thermistor detection value, temperature sensor detection value, and ambient temperature in a printer according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] The forms described below are not limited to those shown in the brief description of the drawings.
[0010] A first aspect of one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, a transport roller for transporting a printing medium, a print head for printing information on the printing medium, a temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature of the printer, a motor for rotating the transport roller, and a power supply board connected to an external power supply. When the printer is placed on a horizontal surface and the forward-backward and up-down directions are defined such that the direction in which the printing medium moves due to the rotation of the transport rollers is forward, At least a portion of the power supply board is positioned behind the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The motor is positioned in front of the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The temperature sensor is located in front of the power supply board and above the motor in the printer.
[0011] According to a first aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention, the temperature sensor can be made to be as unaffected as possible by the heat generated inside the housing.
[0012] A second aspect of one embodiment of the present invention is the printer according to the first embodiment, wherein the housing includes a partition that separates a first area where the transport roller and the print head are arranged from a second area where the temperature sensor is arranged, and the temperature sensor, the motor, and the power supply board are arranged in the second area.
[0013] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the partition portion can shield the temperature sensor from the heat generated by the printing head. Further, the temperature sensor can be made to be hardly affected by the heat generated inside the second region of the housing.
[0014] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is the printer according to the first or second aspect, comprising a wall portion formed between the temperature sensor and the motor.
[0015] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the wall portion can shield the temperature sensor from the heat generated by the motor.
[0016] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is the printer according to the third aspect, comprising a partition portion that partitions, within the housing, a first region where the conveyance roller and the printing head are disposed and a second region where the temperature sensor is disposed, and at least a part of the partition portion and the wall portion is formed of an integral metal member.
[0017] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the heat generated inside the housing can be made difficult to be transmitted to the temperature sensor by an integral metal member having a high heat capacity.
[0018] A fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is the printer according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, comprising a display unit provided on the front surface portion of the housing, and the temperature sensor is disposed above the display unit.
[0019] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the display unit can prevent heat transfer from below to the temperature sensor.
[0020] A sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is the printer according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, comprising a communication circuit board on which a communication circuit for performing wireless communication with the wireless tag is mounted when the wireless tag is disposed in proximity to a predetermined exposed position of the housing, and the temperature sensor is disposed on the communication circuit board.
[0021] According to a sixth aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention, the communication circuit board is positioned near the outer surface of the casing when communicating with a wireless tag by electromagnetic coupling, and is at the same temperature as, or close to, the ambient temperature of the printer. Therefore, the temperature sensor mounted on the communication circuit board can accurately detect the ambient temperature of the printer.
[0022] A seventh aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention is the printer according to the sixth embodiment, further comprising a wall formed between the temperature sensor and the motor, and a resin holding portion connected to the wall and holding the communication circuit board.
[0023] According to a seventh aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention, the low thermal conductivity of the resin holding part makes it difficult for heat to be transferred to the communication circuit board on which the temperature sensor is mounted.
[0024] An eighth aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention is a printer according to any one of the first to seventh embodiments, comprising a control board for controlling printing by the print head, wherein at least a portion of the control board is positioned behind the center position in the front-rear direction of the housing.
[0025] According to an eighth aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention, the temperature sensor can be placed inside the housing so as to be as possible free from the influence of heat generated by the control board.
[0026] The printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of printer 1. Figure 2 is a front view of printer 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of printer 1 with the printer cover 6 open. Figure 4A is a schematic side view of the inside of printer 1. Figure 4B is a schematic, enlarged side view showing the parts related to printing by printer 1 as shown in Figure 4A. For the sake of the following explanation, we define the XYZ coordinate system when the printer 1 is placed on a horizontal plane, as shown in Figure 1. The X, Y, and Z axes correspond to the horizontal, front-to-back, and up-and-down directions of the printer 1, respectively. Referring to Figure 4A, the front-to-back and up-and-down directions are defined such that the printer 1 is placed on a horizontal plane and the direction in which the continuous paper CP advances due to the rotation of the platen roller 10 is forward.
[0027] Printer 1 is a thermal printer that prints information such as characters, symbols, graphics, or codes onto labels (an example of a printing medium) that have a heat-sensitive color-developing layer on one side. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the front of printer 1 is equipped with a power button 51, operation buttons 52, a display panel 4, and an output slot 20 from which the printed labels are ejected. The front of printer 1 is fitted with an exterior panel 31. The exterior panel 31, power button 51, operation buttons 52, and display panel 4, etc., constitute an integrated panel unit 3. The casing 2 of the printer 1 is roughly cubic in shape and includes a printer cover 6 that can be opened and closed. The printer cover 6 is rotatable around a hinge 7 (i.e., around the Y-axis). The interior of the enclosure 2 is divided into two regions RG1 and RG2 by a partition 40 (described later; see Figure 4A) that extends in the YZ plane. Figure 2 shows regions RG1 and RG2 as viewed from the front, with the partition 40 (invisible in Figure 2) positioned near the boundary between the two regions. Region RG1 is the region on the -X side of the partition 40, and region RG2 is the region on the +X side of the partition 40.
[0028] As shown in Figure 3, when the printer cover 6 is moved to the open position, area RG1 inside the housing 2 is exposed. Area RG1 inside the housing 2 houses the head unit 5, the roll paper support section 8, and the ink ribbon section 12 (ribbon supply section 12a and ribbon winding section 12b). Note that the printer 1 shown in Figure 3 does not have roll paper or ink ribbon installed. Figure 4A is a side view of area RG1 inside the housing 2, showing the roll paper R set in the roll paper support section 8 and the ink ribbon RB set in the ink ribbon section 12.
[0029] The roll paper R is a continuous paper CP in strip form wound into a roll. Although not shown in the figures, in one embodiment the continuous paper CP has, for example, a strip-shaped backing and a plurality of labels temporarily attached to the backing at predetermined intervals. The label attachment surface of the backing is coated with a release agent such as silicone so that each label can be easily peeled off. The continuous paper CP may also be a label without a backing.
[0030] As shown in Figure 4B, in the printer 1, the platen roller 10 (an example of a transport roller) is supported in a state where it can rotate freely in forward and reverse directions. The platen roller 10 is a transport means for transporting the continuous paper CP drawn from the roll paper R. The rotation axis of the platen roller 10 extends along the width direction of the continuous paper CP. A gear (not shown) is provided at one end of the platen axis of the platen roller 10, and this gear is mechanically connected to a motor 14 (see Figure 6) for driving the roller. The motor 14 operates based on a signal transmitted from the control unit, which will be described later, and the platen roller 10 rotates. Printing takes place on the label on the continuous paper CP while the continuous paper CP is being pulled from the roll paper R and ejected from the output slot 20.
[0031] The ink ribbon unit 12 comprises a ribbon supply unit 12a and a ribbon winding unit 12b, and supplies and winds up an ink ribbon RB coated with printing ink. The ribbon supply unit 12a supports the ink ribbon RB wound into a roll so that it can rotate. The ribbon winding unit 12b winds up and collects the printed ink ribbon RB. When using the ink ribbon RB, the ink ribbon RB is pulled out from the ribbon supply unit 12a, passed under the head unit 5, and wound up by the ribbon winding unit 12b. The ribbon supply unit 12a and the ribbon winding unit 12b are attached to the partition unit 40. The partition unit 40 is a metal member positioned to partition the inside of the housing 2. The partition unit 40 is made of, for example, aluminum and is manufactured by die-casting.
[0032] As shown in Figure 4B, the head unit 5 is installed inside the printer 1 in a state where it can be opened and closed, and includes a thermal head 16 (an example of a print head) that prints on labels. The thermal head 16 is a printing means that sequentially prints information onto multiple labels on continuous paper CP. The thermal head 16 includes a heating section containing multiple heating elements (heating resistors) arranged along the width direction of the continuous paper CP, and performs printing by selectively energizing the multiple heating elements based on signals transmitted from the control unit (described later). When the heating elements of the thermal head 16, which are heated by the electric current, are pressed against the labels on the continuous paper CP via the ink ribbon RB, the printing ink of the ink ribbon RB melts and is transferred to the labels, thereby printing information onto the labels. The thermal head 16 also has a built-in thermistor for measuring its temperature (for example, the temperature of the substrate on which the heating element is mounted). Based on the value detected by this thermistor, the temperature of the thermal head 16 is controlled so that it does not rise above a predetermined value.
[0033] In one embodiment, the printer 1 is capable of receiving data from an external wireless tag (e.g., an IC card, smartphone, or wearable device) by performing NFC (Near Field Communication) communication (an example of wireless communication). In Figure 1, NFC communication becomes possible when the wireless tag is held over (i.e., placed in close proximity to) a predetermined exposed position on the housing 2 (the position marked with mark 28). Inside the housing 2 near the position marked with mark 28, an NFC board 27 (an example of a communication circuit board) is arranged, on which a communication circuit (including an antenna) that performs NFC communication with the external wireless tag is mounted. The NFC board 27 is located near the outer surface of the housing 2 in order to properly communicate with the external wireless tag by electromagnetic coupling.
[0034] Although not shown in Figure 1, a temperature sensor 30 (see Figure 5) is mounted on the NFC substrate 27. The temperature sensor 30 is provided to detect the ambient temperature of the printer 1. As described above, the NFC board 27 is located near the outer surface of the housing 2 in order to communicate properly with the external wireless tag via electromagnetic coupling, and therefore its temperature is the same as or close to the ambient temperature of the printer 1. For this reason, placing the temperature sensor 30 on the NFC board 27 is convenient for measuring the ambient temperature of the printer 1. Furthermore, if the temperature sensor 30 were located on the keyboard circuit board 34 (Figure 8), which will be described later, the entire panel unit 3 (Figure 1), including the keyboard circuit board 34, would have to be replaced when replacing the temperature sensor 30. In contrast, by placing the temperature sensor 30 on the NFC circuit board 27, when replacing the temperature sensor 30, only the relatively small NFC circuit board 27 needs to be replaced, resulting in improved ease of replacement (serviceability).
[0035] Next, the internal configuration of printer 1 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of printer 1. As shown in Figure 5, printer 1 further includes, for example, a control unit 11, a motor drive circuit 13, a motor 14, a head drive circuit 15, a power supply unit 21, a display unit 22, an operation input unit 23, an external communication unit 24, and an NFC communication unit 25.
[0036] The control unit 11 includes a processor and memory 112 (RAM (Random-access memory) and ROM (Read-only memory); an example of a storage unit) and controls various operations of the printer 1. The processor reads and executes the firmware stored in memory 112 when the printer 1 is started up. For example, the control unit 11 supplies control signals to the motor drive circuit 13 to drive the motor 14. The control unit 11 also supplies data signals corresponding to the image data to be printed by the thermal head 16, and strobe signals indicating the energized period of the heating element of the thermal head 16 during the printing period of one line, to the head drive circuit 15. The image data is data in bitmap format of the print data. The memory 112 of the control unit 11 stores two or more density tables (for example, tables describing the strobe length for the required print speed and print density) according to the ambient temperature of the printer 1. Based on the ambient temperature of the printer 1 detected by the temperature sensor 30, the control unit 11 selects one of the two or more density tables stored in the memory 112 and generates a control signal to be supplied to the head drive circuit 15 based on the selected density table.
[0037] The motor drive circuit 13 is a circuit that drives a motor 14 that controls the rotation of the platen roller 10 and the ribbon roller 121 in response to a control signal from the control unit 11. The motor 14 is, for example, a stepping motor and is mechanically connected to the platen roller 10 and the ribbon roller 121. The ribbon roller 121 is included in the ribbon winding unit 12b and is a rotating member for winding the ink ribbon RB. The head drive circuit 15 controls the flow of current to each of the multiple heating elements in the thermal head 16 selectively, in accordance with the data signals and control signals supplied from the control unit 11, thereby enabling printing.
[0038] The power supply unit 21 is connected to a commercial AC power supply and generates a DC reference voltage that serves as the basis for operating each part of the printer 1. The display unit 22 includes a display panel 4 (see Figure 1) and a drive circuit for driving the display panel 4. A touch panel input mechanism may be incorporated into the display panel 4. The operation input unit 23 includes a power button 51 and operation buttons 52 (see Figure 1), and input circuits for each button. The external communication unit 24 communicates with external devices such as a host computer or server. The printer 1 receives print data via the external communication unit 24. The NFC communication unit 25 is mounted on the NFC board 27 (see Figure 1) and performs short-range wireless communication using NFC. Since both the NFC communication unit 25 and the temperature sensor 30 are mounted on the NFC board 27, they may communicate with the control unit 11 using a single communication line, for example, using a communication standard such as I2C.
[0039] The control unit 11 and the head drive circuit 15 are mounted on a control board 36 (Figure 6), which will be described later. The power supply unit 21 is mounted on a power supply board 38 (Figure 6), which will be described later.
[0040] Next, the arrangement of the temperature sensor 30 will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the inside of the printer 1's casing, viewed from the side. Figure 6 shows the inside of the printer 1's casing, specifically area RG2 (Figure 2). The partition 40 may include ribs to ensure strength, as will be shown later in Figure 7, but the ribs are omitted in Figure 6.
[0041] If ventilation holes were provided on the top of the enclosure 2, the hot air inside the enclosure 2 could be expelled to the outside through these holes. However, if ventilation holes were provided in the enclosure 2 of printer 1, dust, insects, and other foreign objects could enter the inside of the enclosure 2 through the ventilation holes, potentially leading to short circuits in the wiring or malfunctions in various parts. Therefore, ventilation holes are not provided in the enclosure 2 of printer 1. It is also conceivable to provide ventilation holes in the enclosure 2 and to install a fan inside the enclosure 2. However, installing a fan inside would increase the cost of printer 1. Therefore, printer 1 is designed without ventilation holes or a fan. Therefore, as will be described later, the temperature sensor 30 is designed to be less susceptible to the effects of heat generated during the printing operation inside the housing 2.
[0042] As shown in Figure 6, the region RG2 inside the housing 2 (the region +X side of the partition 40) contains a motor 14 that rotates the platen roller 10, a power supply board 38 connected to an external power supply, and a control board 36 that controls printing by the thermal head 16. The motor 14, power supply board 38, and control board 36 are attached to the partition 40. As mentioned above, the temperature sensor 30 is mounted on the NFC board 27. As shown in Figure 6, the NFC board 27 is positioned near the front and top of the printer 1. The NFC board 27 does not generate heat because it only performs a momentary communication operation when a wireless tag is held over the printer 1.
[0043] At least a portion of the power supply board 38 is positioned behind the center position CL in the front-to-back direction of the housing 2. The power supply board 38 has a power cable 39 extending toward the rear of the housing 2, and is positioned relatively far back from the viewpoint of shortening the power cable 39. The platen roller 10 is located near the discharge opening 20 (see Figure 4B), and it is preferable that the rotation axis of the motor 14, which is connected to the axis of the platen roller 10, is located close to the axis of the platen roller 10. For this reason, the motor 14 is positioned forward of the front-to-back center position CL of the housing 2.
[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the NFC board 27 on which the temperature sensor 30 is mounted is located in front of the power supply board 38 and above the motor 14. In other words, the temperature sensor 30 is positioned at a distance from the power supply board 38 and the motor 14 so as to minimize the impact of heat generated by the power supply board 38 and the motor 14. As mentioned above, since the housing 2 of the printer 1 does not have ventilation holes, it is important to keep the temperature sensor 30 as far away from heat sources as possible.
[0045] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, at least a portion of the control board 36 is positioned behind the center position CL in the front-to-back direction of the housing 2. This minimizes the influence of heat generated by the control board 36 on the temperature sensor 30.
[0046] In one embodiment, the printer 1 includes a wall 42 formed between the temperature sensor 30 and the motor 14. The wall 42 extends laterally (in the X-axis direction) behind the NFC substrate 27. By providing the wall 42, the temperature sensor 30 can be more effectively shielded from heat generated by the motor 14 and other components.
[0047] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the partition 40 and the wall 42 is made of a single metal member. This single metal member is very large and has a high heat capacity, so it takes time for the heat generated by the motor 14, power supply board 38, and control board 36 to be transferred to the entire metal member. Also, the printer 1 is not usually operated continuously for more than a day, and the heat transferred to the single metal member is dissipated to the environment around the printer 1 when the printing operation stops. Therefore, the partition 40 and the wall 42 do not maintain a constant high temperature, and the configuration makes it difficult for heat to be transferred to the NFC board 27.
[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of the area around the NFC board 27 inside the housing of the printer 1. As shown in Figure 7, the front of the printer 1 is provided with a display unit 22 and an operation input unit 23. The display unit 22 is located on the front of the housing and includes a display panel 4. The operation input unit 23 is located above the display unit 22 and corresponds to the power button 51. A resin substrate holder 32 (an example of a holding part) is positioned above the display unit 22. The substrate holder 32 is provided to hold the NFC substrate 27. As shown by the dotted line with an arrow in Figure 7, the NFC substrate 27 is installed in the substrate holder 32 and fixed with screws, adhesive, etc. The NFC substrate 27 has an NFC communication unit 25 and a temperature sensor 30 mounted on it. As shown in Figure 7, the lower side of the NFC substrate 27 is covered by a substrate holder 32 made of resin with low thermal conductivity, so that the heat generated by the motor 14, power supply board 38, and control board 36 is less likely to be transmitted to the NFC substrate 27 on which the temperature sensor 30 is mounted.
[0049] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of printer 1 when cut along the YZ plane at the location of the NFC substrate 27. Figure 8 is a side view opposite to that of Figure 6. As shown in Figure 8, the display unit 22 has a keyboard circuit board 34 positioned behind it. The display unit 22 is assembled onto the keyboard circuit board 34. The display unit 22, the operation input unit 23, and the circuit board holder 32 on which the NFC circuit board 27 is mounted are attached to the exterior panel 31 (Figure 1), which is the front of the housing 2, forming an integrated panel unit 3 (see also Figure 1). This panel unit 3 is fixed at the bottom by engaging portions 321 (two locations) of the circuit board holder 32 with the wall portion 42 (see Figures 6 and 7) at the top, and by screws (not shown) at the bottom.
[0050] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the NFC substrate 27 on which the temperature sensor 30 is mounted is positioned above the display unit 22. Therefore, the display unit 22 can prevent heat transfer to the temperature sensor 30 from below. The temperature sensor 30 is covered with a resin material on the front (+Y direction) and top (+Z direction) of the panel unit 3 so as not to obstruct communication with the external wireless tag, thus also preventing heat transfer.
[0051] As explained above, in printer 1, the temperature sensor 30 is designed to effectively measure the ambient temperature from the following perspectives, for example. In other words, within the housing, the temperature sensor 30 is positioned in area RG2, which is on the opposite side of area RG1 where the head unit 5 is located, separated by a partition 40. This allows the temperature sensor 30 to be shielded from the heat emitted by the head unit 5. At least a portion of the power supply board 38 is positioned behind the center of the housing 2 in the front-to-back direction, and the motor 14 is positioned in front of the center of the housing 2 in the front-to-back direction. The temperature sensor 30 is positioned in front of the power supply board 38 and above the motor 14 within region RG2. Therefore, the temperature sensor 30 is minimized from the effects of heat generated by the power supply board 38 and the motor 14. At least a portion of the control board 36 is positioned behind the center position CL in the front-to-back direction of the housing 2. This minimizes the impact of heat generated by the control board 36 on the temperature sensor 30. By providing a wall 42 between the temperature sensor 30 and the motor 14, heat generated from the motor 14 can be effectively shielded.
[0052] Figure 9 illustrates the relationship between the elapsed time from the start of measurement and the temperature for the ambient temperature, the temperature sensor 30's detected value (temperature sensor detected value), and the thermistor's detected value mounted on the thermal head 16 (thermistor detected value), obtained under certain conditions. The ambient temperature is the temperature measured by an independent thermometer outside the printer 1. Under the measurement conditions, printing was performed for approximately 1 hour (printing period) starting 2 hours and 50 minutes after the start of measurement. As shown in Figure 9, the ambient temperature was approximately 0°C during the measurement. The thermistor reading increased significantly at the start of the printing operation and gradually decreased as the printing operation ended. In contrast, the temperature sensor reading increased slightly depending on the printing period, but remained close to the ambient temperature without being significantly affected by the printing operation.
[0053] In the above-described connection, we explained the case where a temperature sensor 30 for detecting ambient temperature is placed on the printer 1. However, instead of the temperature sensor 30, a temperature and humidity sensor for detecting ambient temperature and humidity of the printer 1, or a temperature and humidity sensor that integrates both a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, may be placed.
[0054] Although several embodiments of the printer of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments. Furthermore, the above embodiments and technical matters can be combined as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0055] 1…Printer 2…Cabinet 3... Panel Unit 4…Display panel 3 5…Head unit 6…Printer cover 7…Hinge 8... Paper roll support section 9…Roll paper storage room 10... Platen roller 11...Control unit, 112...Memory 12…Ink ribbon section 12a...Ribbon supply unit, 12b...Ribbon winding unit, 121...Ribbon roller 13…Motor drive circuit 14…motor 15…Head drive circuit 16…Thermal head 20…Issuing Account 21...Power supply section 22…Display Unit 23... Operation Input Unit 24…External Communications Department 25…NFC Communication Department 27…NFC substrate 28... Mark 30...Temperature sensor 31…Exterior Unit 32...Substrate holder, 321...Engaging part 34... Keyboard circuit board 36…Control board 38... Power supply board 39…Power cable 40... Partition section 42…Wall part 51…Power button 52... Operation buttons CP…Continuous paper RB…Ink Ribbon R... Roll paper
Claims
1. The casing and A transport roller for transporting the printing medium, A print head for printing information onto the aforementioned printing medium, A temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature of the printer, A motor that rotates the aforementioned transport roller, A power supply board connected to an external power supply, Equipped with, When the printer is placed on a horizontal surface and the forward-backward and up-down directions are defined such that the direction in which the printing medium moves due to the rotation of the transport rollers is forward, At least a portion of the power supply board is positioned behind the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The motor is positioned in front of the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The temperature sensor is positioned in front of the power supply board and above the motor. Printer.
2. Within the housing, a partition is provided that separates a first region where the transport roller and the print head are arranged from a second region where the temperature sensor is arranged. The temperature sensor, the motor, and the power supply board are arranged in the second region. The printer according to claim 1.
3. The temperature sensor is provided with a wall formed between it and the motor. The printer according to claim 1.
4. Within the housing, a partition is provided that separates a first region where the transport roller and the print head are arranged from a second region where the temperature sensor is arranged. At least a portion of the partition and the wall are made of a single metal member. The printer described in claim 3.
5. The housing is equipped with a display unit located on the front of the housing, The temperature sensor is located above the display unit. The printer according to claim 1.
6. The enclosure includes a communication circuit board on which a communication circuit is mounted that performs wireless communication with the wireless tag when the wireless tag is placed in close proximity to a predetermined exposed position on the enclosure. The temperature sensor is located on the communication circuit board. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. A wall formed between the temperature sensor and the motor, The system further comprises a resin holding portion connected to the wall portion and holding the communication circuit board, The printer according to claim 6.
8. The system includes a control board that controls printing by the aforementioned print head, At least a portion of the control board is positioned behind the center position in the front-to-back direction of the housing. The printer according to claim 1.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Printer, thermal control method of printer and thermal control program of printer
JP2007038607A
