Printer device

Abstract

The present invention provides a printer device that can correct the tilt of the paper pulled out from a roll of paper held at an angle, right up to the printing position. [Solution] The printer device comprises a paper holding unit that holds a roll of paper wound in a strip shape at an angle, a printing unit that prints on the paper pulled out from the roll of paper, and a housing that houses the paper holding unit and the printing unit, and is configured so that the direction in which the paper is discharged can be selectively changed to either a first direction or a second direction different from the first direction by changing the way the housing is placed.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In a printer device that holds a roll paper around which a strip-shaped paper is wound and pulls out the paper from the roll paper for printing, a pressing member for determining the widthwise position of the roll paper is often provided. For such a general structure, there is a technical idea of eliminating the above-described pressing member by holding the roll paper obliquely (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] If the roll paper is held obliquely, the subsequent paper path will also be inclined. In that case, the size of the printer device will increase. Also, if the thermal head and the platen roller are not inclined, the inclination of the paper must be eliminated in the paper path to the printing position.

[0004] In an attempt to obtain effects such as reducing the number of parts, cost reduction, and facilitating paper replenishment by holding the roll paper obliquely and eliminating the pressing member, a printer device requires a structure for correcting the inclination of the paper to the printing position.

[0005] Also, some printer devices are configured such that the direction in which the printed matter is discharged can be changed, for example, from upward to forward, by changing the placement of the housing. In such a printer device as well, consideration is required for a structure in which the roll paper is held obliquely.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer device capable of correcting the inclination of the paper drawn from the roll paper held obliquely to the printing position.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The printer device of the embodiment includes a paper holding unit that holds a roll of paper wound in a strip shape at an angle, a printing unit that prints on the paper pulled out from the roll of paper, and a housing that houses the paper holding unit and the printing unit, and is configured so that the direction in which the paper is discharged can be selectively changed to either a first direction or a second direction different from the first direction by changing the way the housing is placed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a printer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) The embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 5 are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device 1 of the first embodiment. For convenience of explanation, a three-dimensional coordinate system is shown in the figures. The X-axis direction is the width direction (left-right direction) of the printer device 1 and the roll paper 9. The Y-axis direction is the depth direction (front-back direction) of the printer device 1. The Z-axis direction is the height direction (up-down direction) of the printer device 1. Note that Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0010] In Figure 1, the depth direction corresponds to the depth direction (Y-axis direction) of printer device 1. The right side of Figure 1 is the right side of printer device 1, and the left side of Figure 1 is the left side of printer device 1. The positive direction of the X-axis is from left to right.

[0011] In Figures 2 to 5, the depth direction corresponds to the width direction (X-axis direction) of the printer device 1 and the roll paper 9. Furthermore, in Figures 2 and 3, the printer device 1 is shown with upward paper output, while in Figures 4 and 5, it is shown with forward paper output. Additionally, in Figures 2 and 4, the roll paper 9 is shown at its maximum diameter, while in Figures 3 and 5, an example of the roll paper 9 with a reduced diameter is shown.

[0012] Note that "upward" in "upward paper output" is an example of the first direction, and "forward" in "forward paper output" is an example of the second direction.

[0013] In the description of this embodiment, the front, back, left, and right of the printer device 1 may be shown, but this is merely an example for the sake of clarity, and it goes without saying that the front, back, left, and right of the printer device 1 may be reversed in actual implementation.

[0014] The printer device 1 comprises a housing 2, a paper holding unit 3, an adjustment unit 4, a damper 5, a printing unit 6, and the like. The housing 2 is a box-shaped container composed of a main body 21, a lid 22, and a hinge 23, and houses the above-mentioned parts (paper holding unit 3, adjustment unit 4, damper 5, printing unit 6, etc.).

[0015] The main body 21 has a box-shaped form with an opening. The lid 22 is configured to move between a position that closes the opening of the main body 21 and a position that opens it, and the opening of the main body 21 is opened and closed as it moves. The hinge 23 rotatably connects a portion of the lid 22 to a portion of the edge of the main body 21. This rotation allows the lid 22 to move relative to the main body 21, and the opening of the main body 21 is opened and closed as it moves (rotates).

[0016] The roll paper 9 is made by winding a strip of paper 91. The paper holding section 3 is the space between the main body 21 and the lid 22, and it holds the roll paper 9 so that it can rotate. The roll paper 9 rotates when the paper 91 is pulled out. The paper 91 is pulled out downstream in the transport direction as it is transported by the printing section 6.

[0017] The paper holding section 3 supports the outer surface of the roll paper 9 with surfaces that are inclined in a direction in which the distance from the lid section 22 is displaced along the width direction of the roll paper 9, and in a direction in which the distance from the printing section 6 is displaced along the width direction of the roll paper 9.

[0018] The paper holding section 3 is a so-called drop-in type and has a roughly U-shaped recess that is inclined with respect to the width direction (X-axis direction) and the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) of the printer device 1. The roll paper 9 is held at an angle when dropped into this recess. The roll paper 9, dropped into the recess of the paper holding section 3 which is inclined with respect to the width direction, is inclined along the recess as its outer surface contacts the inside of the recess. The inclination direction of the roll paper 9 is such that the right side is higher and the left side is lower in Figure 1, and the front side is higher and the back side is lower in Figures 2 and 3. The inclination direction of the roll paper 9 is such that the front side is higher and the back side is lower in Figures 4 and 5. The adjustment section 4 is located at a position where the recess is extended downstream in the paper transport direction.

[0019] The recessed shape described above is composed of multiple bottom surfaces 31, 32, and 33. The bottom surfaces 31 to 33 are examples of bottom surfaces, and are inclined first with respect to the depth direction of the recess, and also inclined in another direction. This other direction is the depth direction of the recess when the opening of the recessed shape is facing forward (i.e., when the housing 2 is placed in the state shown in Figures 4 and 5).

[0020] Each of the bottom surfaces 31, 32, and 33 is inclined, and their inclination directions are such that, first, the right side in the figure of FIG. 1 is higher and the left side is lower, or in other words, the front side in the figures of FIGS. 2 and 3 is higher and the back side is lower. Also, at least the bottom surface 31 among the bottom surfaces 31 to 33 is further inclined in such a direction that the front side in the figures of FIGS. 4 and 5 is higher and the back side is lower.

[0021] The printing unit 6 includes a thermal head 61 and a platen roller 62. The thermal head 61 includes a number of heating elements arranged linearly along the width direction. The platen roller 62 holds the paper 91 between itself and the heating elements and conveys the paper 91 by rotating. The printing unit 6 performs printing on the paper 91 by selectively driving the heating elements while conveying the paper 91.

[0022] The damper 5 is an example of a buffer unit that mitigates the impact caused by fluctuations in the conveyance force of the paper 91 between the paper holding unit 3 and the printing unit 6. The damper 5 mitigates the conveyance resistance when the roll paper 9 starts to rotate as the paper 91 is conveyed between the paper holding unit 3 and the printing unit 6. That is, when the force required to convey the paper 91 is large, the damper 5 relaxes the tension of the paper 91. [[ID=,10]]

[0023] An example of the structure of the damper 5 is as follows. The damper 5 includes a pair of side walls 51, a shaft 52, and a pair of elastic members 54. [[ID=1,3]]

[0024] The shaft 52 is an example of one or more shafts around which the paper 91 is wound. The shaft 52 supports the paper 91 such that the height difference from the bottom surface 32 of the paper holding unit 3 can vary at both sides in the width direction of the paper 91.

[0025] The elastic member 54 biases the shaft 52 and is built into a slit 53 formed in the side wall 51. The slit 53 is long in the vertical direction, and the dimension in the short side direction is slightly larger than the thickness of the shaft 52.

[0026] Both ends of the shaft 52 are supported by the slit 53, and the shaft 52 can slide vertically within the slit 53 and is biased downward by the elastic member 54.

[0027] With this structure, the axis 52 slides up and down according to the tension of the paper 91, while maintaining a state that is generally parallel to the X axis, although it allows for some rolling around the Y axis.

[0028] The adjustment unit 4 guides the paper 91 from the paper holding unit 3 to the damper 5 and adjusts the length of the transport path of the paper 91 in a predetermined section. The adjustment unit 4 adjusts the length of the transport path of the paper 91 by changing it according to the widthwise position of the paper 91. More specifically, the adjustment unit 4 adjusts the transport path length so that it is longer on the higher side of the roll paper 9 and shorter on the lower side.

[0029] (Example of upward paper output) For the sake of clarity, the example of upward paper output (where printer device 1 is used in the configuration shown in Figures 2 and 3) will be explained first. The example of forward paper output (where printer device 1 is used in the configuration shown in Figures 4 and 5) will be described in detail later, highlighting the differences from the upward paper output example.

[0030] The adjustment section 4 is located between the paper holding section 3 and the damper 5 and is a part that protrudes upward in the height direction. The adjustment section 4 bends the transport path of the paper 91 from the paper holding section 3 to the damper 5 into a V-shape.

[0031] The top of the adjustment section 4 is an example of a bent section, and its shape, which protrudes away from the bottom of the paper holding section 3, bends the transport path of the paper 91 between the paper holding section 3 and the damper 5. More specifically, the top of the adjustment section 4 is roughly a straight line with a lower left side and a higher right side. At the top of the adjustment section 4, the direction of travel of the paper 91 is bent, changing from upward to downward. The bent portion 95 of the paper 91 is roughly a straight line along the top of the adjustment section 4.

[0032] If the adjustment unit 4 were to guide the paper 91 only at its top, then in order to prevent any difference in the length of the paper transport path from the paper holding unit 3 to the damper 5, the top of the adjustment unit 4 would have to be tilted in the same way as the inclination of the roll paper 9. However, such a structure would make the top of the adjustment unit 4 higher, resulting in a larger housing 2.

[0033] Therefore, in the printer device 1 of this embodiment, the surface of the adjustment unit 4 prior to the top is configured to push up the paper 91 so that the transport path length on the higher side (right side) of the paper 91 is longer than that on the lower side (left side). The details are as follows. The "surface prior to the top" mentioned above refers to the surface located below the top of the adjustment unit 4, and corresponds to the slope 45 (see Figures 2 and 3) which will be described next.

[0034] The right edge 44 and left edge 46 of the contour line of the slope 45 (see Figures 2 and 3) have different shapes. Specifically, the left edge 46 is a straight diagonal line, while the right edge 44 is a curved line that bulges in the negative direction of the Y-axis when viewed from the direction along the width of the printer device 1 (the direction shown in Figures 2 and 3). As a result, the slope 45 sandwiched between the right edge 44 and the left edge 46 is a curved surface.

[0035] The slope 45 is an example of a support surface that supports the paper 91 between the paper holding section 3 and the bending section 95 (the top of the adjustment section 4), where the higher side of the roll paper 9 protrudes more than the lower side.

[0036] By guiding the paper 91 along this slope 45, the length of the paper 91 from where it is pulled out of the roll paper 9 to the top of the adjustment section 4 can be made different on the left and right sides, with the right side being longer and the left side shorter.

[0037] With the above-described structure, the height difference gb between the right edge 94 and the left edge 96 of the paper 91 at the top of the adjustment unit 4 can be made smaller than the height difference ga between the right edge 92 and the left edge 93 of the roll paper 9.

[0038] Note that the dashed line 950 shown in Figure 1, positioned at the top of the adjustment section 4, reflects the inclination of the roll paper 9. The bent portion 95 of the paper 91 has a reduced inclination by an angle P compared to the dashed line 950. The height difference gn between the right edge 94 of the paper 91 and the dashed line 950 at the top of the adjustment section 4 is equal to the difference between the height difference ga and the height difference gb.

[0039] Here, the paper holding section 3 has its lowest point at the corner between the bottom surfaces 31 and 32. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, when the diameter of the roll paper 9 decreases, the roll paper 9 moves in the negative direction of the Y-axis. In this state, the transport path of the paper 91 moves away from the inclined surface 45 of the adjustment section 4, so the adjustment of the transport path length of the paper 91 by the inclined surface 45 may not be sufficiently effective. However, when the diameter of the roll paper 9 decreases as the paper 91 moves away from the inclined surface 45, the weight of the roll paper 9 also decreases and becomes lighter, so even if the adjustment of the left and right path lengths is not sufficient, it can be absorbed by the movement of the shaft 52 of the damper 5.

[0040] (Example of forward paper output) Next, referring to Figures 4 and 5, we will explain the case of forward paper output, noting the differences from the example of upward paper output.

[0041] When the paper is placed in the forward-facing output orientation, the roll of paper 9 is stabilized in a position where its outer surface is supported by the bottom surface 31 and the lid portion 22. Therefore, the direction of inclination of the roll of paper 9 is reduced from two directions in the upward-facing output orientation to one direction in the forward-facing output orientation. Thus, the amount of inclination of the roll of paper 9 relative to the width direction of the printer device 1 is considered to be less than in the upward-facing output orientation.

[0042] As the diameter of the roll paper 9 decreases, the transport path of the paper 91 moves away from the inclined surface 45. In the case of forward paper output, the inclined surface 45 is located above the roll paper 9, so the paper 91 moves away from the inclined surface 45 earlier than in the case of upward paper output.

[0043] Therefore, in the case of forward-facing paper output, even if the amount of tilt of the roll paper 9 is less than in the case of upward-facing paper output, the inconvenience of the adjustment unit 4 over-adjusting the left and right path lengths of the paper 91 does not occur. Thus, according to this embodiment, appropriate path length adjustment can be achieved.

[0044] As described above, according to the first embodiment, in a printer device 1 configured to selectively change its installation state between an upward paper output orientation and a forward paper output orientation, the roll paper 9 can be held at an angle in either orientation. Furthermore, a printer device 1 can be provided that can correct the inclination of the paper 91 pulled out from the diagonally held roll paper 9 until it reaches the printing position.

[0045] The embodiments described above can also be modified and implemented as appropriate by changing some of the configurations or functions of each of the devices described above. Therefore, the following describes modified versions of the embodiments described above as other embodiments. In this description, we will mainly explain the differences from the embodiments described above, and the same reference numerals will be used for parts that are common to those already described, and detailed explanations will be omitted. Each embodiment may be implemented individually or in combination as appropriate.

[0046] (Second Embodiment) Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the printer device 1 of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, a damper 501 is provided instead of the damper 5 in the first embodiment.

[0047] The damper 501 is composed of a pair of shafts 521 and 522, a biasing member 541 that biases shaft 521 downward, and a biasing member 542 that biases shaft 522 downward.

[0048] With this configuration, shafts 521 and 522 can move independently.

[0049] When the axes 521 and 522 that hold the paper 91 are separated on the left and right sides in this way, it becomes easier to compensate for the adjustment of the left and right path lengths of the paper 91, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in adjusting the left and right path lengths of the paper 91 using the slope 45.

[0050] While 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 implemented in various 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 within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 ... Printer device, 2...Housing, 21...Main body, 22...Lid, 23...Hinge 3...paper holding section, 31~33...bottom, 4...Adjustment section, 44...Right edge, 45...Slope, 46...Left edge, 5...damper, 51...side wall, 52...shaft, 53...slit, 54...elastic member, 6...Printing section, 61...Thermal head, 62...Platen roller, 9...Roll paper, 92...Right edge, 93...Left edge, 91...Paper, 94...Right edge, 95...Bent section, 96...Left edge, 501...Damper, 521, 522...Shaft, 541, 542...Biasing member. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0052] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-024677 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-130302

Claims

1. A paper holder that holds a roll of paper, which is wound in a strip-like shape, at an angle, A printing unit for printing on the paper pulled out from the roll paper, A housing that houses the paper holding unit and the printing unit, wherein the orientation in which the paper is discharged can be selectively changed to either a first orientation or a second orientation different from the first orientation by changing the orientation of the container, A printer device equipped with the following features.

2. The housing has a main body having an opening and a lid that opens and closes the opening. The paper holding portion supports the outer surface of the roll paper with a surface inclined in a direction in which the distance from the lid portion is displaced along the width direction of the roll paper, and in a direction in which the distance from the printing portion is displaced along the width direction of the roll paper. The printer device according to claim 1.

3. A buffer is provided between the paper holding section and the printing section to mitigate fluctuations in the paper transport force, A device that guides the paper from the paper holding section to the buffer section, and includes an adjustment section that adjusts the length of the paper transport path in a predetermined section, The printer device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. The buffer portion comprises one or more shafts around which the paper is wrapped and a biasing member that biases the shafts. The shaft supports the paper such that the height difference with respect to the bottom of the paper holding section can vary on both sides of the paper in the width direction. The printer device according to claim 3.

5. The adjustment unit adjusts the length of the paper transport path by changing it according to the widthwise position of the paper. The printer device according to claim 3.

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