Printing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a printing device that can be installed on a mounting surface. [Solution] The printing apparatus 1 comprises a housing 10 that can be installed in two orientations and is provided with a device connector 36 to which a cable with a connector 50 is connected, and a cable cover 60 that is located in the direction in which the device connector 36 is open and covers at least a part of the surface of the housing 10, wherein the cable cover 60 is formed to contact the installation surface and support the housing 10 when installed in at least one of the two orientations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic apparatus that can suppress the risk of a USB Type-C receptacle connector detaching from a board when a load is applied to a USB Type-C cable. This electronic apparatus includes a sheet metal, a board having a first surface facing the inner surface of the sheet metal, a first receptacle connector that has a first portion in contact with the first surface and a second portion facing the first portion, and is connectable to a first plug through a first opening of the sheet metal, and a first prevention portion connected to the sheet metal, that presses the second portion to prevent the first receptacle connector from peeling off from the first surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Some printing apparatuses, which are the electronic apparatuses described in Patent Document 1, include a housing provided with a surface that comes into contact with a placement surface when installed on the placement surface, and a cable with a connector is connected to the housing. However, in such a printing apparatus, depending on the internal structure and the like of the printing apparatus, at least a part of the cable with a connector protrudes outside the housing, which may hinder the installation on the placement surface.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] One embodiment for solving the above problem is a printing apparatus comprising a housing that can be installed in two orientations and is provided with a device connector to which a cable with a connector is connected, and a cable cover that is positioned in the direction in which the device connector opens and covers at least a part of the surface of the housing, wherein the cable cover is formed to contact the installation surface and support the housing when installed in at least one of the two orientations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure schematically shows a cross-section in Plane II of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view of a printing press. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing the connection point between the housing and the cable cover. [Figure 5] Perspective view of a printing device. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the cable cover in Plane II of Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the explanation, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the same direction as the printing device 1 unless otherwise specified. In addition, the symbol FR in each figure indicates the front of the printing device 1 when it is installed on a mounting surface, the symbol UP indicates the area above the printing device 1, and the symbol LH indicates the area to the left of the printing device 1. In each figure, the up and down direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the front, back, and left and right directions coincide with the horizontal direction.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a printing function. As shown in Figure 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 houses the various parts that make up the printing apparatus 1. The housing 10 of this embodiment is formed in a substantially cubic shape. The housing 10 comprises a device body 12, an outlet 11, and a lid 15.

[0009] Figure 2 schematically shows a cross-section of Plane II in Figure 1. In Figure 2, the cable cover 60 is omitted. Plane II is a plane that faces the left and right planes and passes approximately through the center of the housing 10 in the left-right direction. The main body of the device 12 has an opening 13 on its front surface 2, and is formed in a roughly cubic shape, similar to the housing 10. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the discharge port 11 discharges the printing paper 100, which is the printing medium, from inside the main body 12 of the device to the outside. The discharge port 11 is formed on the upper part of the front surface 2 of the housing 10. The discharge port 11 is formed in the shape of a slit that extends in the left-right direction.

[0010] The lid 15 is attached to the front 2 side of the device body 12 so as to be able to open and close, opening or closing the opening 13. When the opening 13 is closed, the lid 15 forms the front 2 of the housing 10. The lid 15 is provided with hinge portions 17 on both sides in the left-right direction of its lower end, and is attached to the device body 12 via these hinge portions 17, so as to be able to rotate with the hinge portions 17 as the pivot axis. In this embodiment, the outlet 11 is the gap between the upper edge of the cover 15 and the device body 12 when the opening 13 is closed. The cover 15 is opened, for example, when performing maintenance on the printing device 1.

[0011] The main body of the device 12 is equipped with a storage compartment 20, a print head 22, and a fixed blade 24a. The storage section 20 forms a storage space S1 inside the main body 12 of the device, capable of storing printing paper 100. The front side 2 of the storage section 20 is open, allowing communication between the storage space S1 and the outside of the storage section 20. The printing paper 100 is stored in the storage space S1 as roll paper, wound into a roll. In this embodiment, the printing paper 100 is, for example, thermal paper. The printing paper 100 can be stored in the storage section 20 through the opening 13 when the lid 15 is opened. The storage section 20 of the present embodiment may be configured to be capable of storing two types of print sheets 100 having different paper widths.

[0012] The print head 22 functions as a printing section that performs printing on the print sheet 100. In the present embodiment, the print head 22 is a thermal head. The print head 22 includes a plurality of heating elements, and these heating elements generate heat when energized. In the printing apparatus 1, heat is applied to the thermal paper from the print head 22, whereby an image is formed on the thermal paper. The print head 22 is disposed at an upper portion and a front portion of the storage section 20.

[0013] The fixed blade 24a cuts the print sheet 100 printed by the print head 22. The fixed blade 24a is disposed on the front side relative to the print head 22.

[0014] A control board 30 that controls each section of the printing apparatus 1 is accommodated in an upper portion of the apparatus main body 12. The control board 30 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like as an arithmetic execution section, and firmware executable by the CPU, data related to the firmware, and the like are non-volatilely stored in the ROM. Further, data related to the firmware executed by the CPU and the like are temporarily stored in the RAM. The control board 30 may include other peripheral circuits and the like. The control board 30 may include a storage section capable of non-volatilely storing various programs and data such as control programs and data related to these control programs. Note that the control board 30 may be provided in another apparatus with which the printing apparatus 1 can communicate.

[0015] The lid body 15 is provided with a columnar conveyance roller 32. The conveyance roller 32 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction extends along the left-right direction, and is provided to be rotatable in the circumferential direction. The conveyance roller 32 is provided at an upper end portion of the lid body 15 and at a position facing the print head 22 in the lid body 15 when closing the opening 13. The conveyance roller 32 is rotationally driven by a driving device such as a motor provided in the printing apparatus 1.

[0016] When the lid body 15 closes the opening 13, a part of the printing paper 100 is pulled out from the roll and sandwiched between the transport roller 32 and the print head 22. In the printing apparatus 1, the sandwiched printing paper 100 is transported by the transport roller 32 along the transport direction F, and is printed by the print head 22. As described above, in the present embodiment, the transport roller 32 functions as a transport unit.

[0017] The lid body 15 is provided with a movable blade 24b. The movable blade 24b is provided at the upper end portion of the lid body 15 when closing the opening 13, at a position that is ahead of the transport roller 32 and faces the fixed blade 24a. The movable blade 24b is connected to a driving device such as a motor via a gear or the like, and when the motor is driven, the movable blade 24b moves upward. When the movable blade 24b moves upward, the printed printing paper 100 is sandwiched between the movable blade 24b and the fixed blade 24a and cut. After that, the transport roller 32 feeds out the printing paper 100, so that the cut printing paper 100 is discharged from the discharge port 11 to the outside of the housing 10.

[0018] The trailing end portion of the printing paper 100 that has been cut and discharged from the discharge port 11 is held at the discharge port 11. The printing paper 100 is removed from the discharge port 11 by being pulled out by the user who performed the operation to print on the printing paper 100.

[0019] Inside the apparatus main body 12, an interface board 34 is accommodated on the rear surface 3 side, which is the surface located on the opposite side of the lid body 15 across the storage portion 20. The interface board 34 is arranged such that each of its flat surfaces faces the front surface 2 and the rear surface 3 of the housing 10. In the present embodiment, the interface board 34 has a flat surface with dimensions substantially the same as the rear surface 3. A power supply circuit, a communication control circuit, and the like are mounted on the interface board 34.

[0020] A plurality of apparatus connectors 36 are mounted on the lower end portion of the interface board 34. In the present embodiment, each of the apparatus connectors 36 is a connector of a different standard from the others. The device connector 36 may be of various standards, such as a LAN connector, modular connector, serial connector, USB Type-C connector, or USB Type-A connector.

[0021] In this embodiment, one of the device connectors 36 is a power connector to which a power cable that inputs power to the printing device 1 from an external source can be connected. On the interface board 34, the power connector is connected to the power supply circuit, and the other connectors are connected to the communication control circuit. In this embodiment, each of the device connectors 36 is a female connector.

[0022] Each of the device connectors 36 is formed to allow connection of an external connector cable 50 that functions as a plug. The connector cable 50 comprises a connector portion 52 that functions as a plug and a cable portion 54 which is wiring extending from the connector portion 52. In this embodiment, each of the connector portions 52 is a male connector.

[0023] At least one of the device connectors 36 may be a male connector. In this case, the connector portion 52 corresponding to the device connector 36 may be a female connector.

[0024] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the printing device 1. In Figure 3, the printing device 1 is viewed from the rear. As shown in Figure 3, in the main body of the device 12, a connection portion 38 is provided at the corner formed by the rear surface 3 and bottom surface 5 of the housing 10, into which an external cable with a connector 50 can be inserted. The connection portion 38 is formed by the corner being recessed inward on the main body of the device 12.

[0025] The connecting portion 38 rises forward from the lower end of the rear surface 3 of the housing 10 and has connecting surfaces 40 that face each other in the vertical direction. The connecting surfaces 40 are planes that face each other in the front-rear direction and are parallel to the bottom surface 5. The connection surface 40 is provided with a plurality of connector openings 41, which are through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction of the plate. Inside the device body 12, each device connector 36 is positioned at a location that overlaps each of the connector openings 41. The device connectors 36 are exposed to the outside of the device body 12 through each of the connector openings 41. The connector openings 41 open in a direction in which the bottom surfaces 5 face each other, and the device connectors 36 are positioned facing the direction in which the bottom surfaces 5 face each other. As a result, the connection portion 38 is positioned so that its bottom surface 5 faces opposite directions, and functions as a receptacle. Therefore, the connection portion 38 is formed so that the cable 50 with a connector can be inserted into and removed from it in the direction where the bottom surface 5 faces opposite directions.

[0026] The connection surface 40 is positioned in a location that is recessed upward by a predetermined distance from the bottom surface 5. The depth of the recess of the connection surface 40 is such that the interface board 34 can be placed inside the main body 12 of the device. In this embodiment, a portion of the device connector 36 is provided on the bottom surface 5 of the housing 10.

[0027] The connecting portion 38 is surrounded on the left and right sides by a pair of connecting surfaces 42. Each of the connecting surfaces 42 is continuous with each of the left and right sides 6 of the housing 10 and is located on the same plane as each of the sides 6. On each of the connecting surfaces 42, a main body connecting piece 44 is provided on the opposing surfaces. The main body connecting piece 44 is formed in a claw shape that protrudes toward the opposing surface on each of the connecting surfaces 42. In the connecting surfaces 42 of this embodiment, the main body connecting piece 44 is positioned closer to the front surface 2 than to the rear surface 3.

[0028] On the rear surface 3, each corner in a plan view is provided with a leg portion 46. The leg portions 46 are formed of, for example, a flexible rubber material. The printing device 1 can be installed with the rear surface 3 facing the installation surface of the printing device 1, using the leg portions 46 as supports.

[0029] The printing apparatus 1 includes a cable cover 60. The cable cover 60 is formed separately from the housing 10 and is detachable from the housing 10. The cable cover 60 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped box. The cable cover 60 comprises a plate-shaped contact surface portion 62 and side portions 64 that rise upward from each of the left and right sides of the contact surface portion 62.

[0030] The contact surface portion 62 is formed as a flat surface that, in a plan view, is capable of covering the entire bottom surface 5 and the connecting surface 40. In this embodiment, the contact surface portion 62 is formed to have approximately the same dimensions as the top surface 4 of the housing 10 in a plan view.

[0031] Each of the side sections 64 forms a roughly rectangular flat surface when viewed from the left or right. Each of the side sections 64 has a length dimension in the front-to-back direction that is approximately the same as the distance between the front 2 and the rear 3. In the up-to-down direction, each of the side sections 64 is sized to accommodate the connector section 52 when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10 and the cable with connector 50 is connected to the device connector 36, while also preventing the cable section 54 from bending at a sharp angle. Each of the side portions 64 is preferably formed with dimensions such that, when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10 and the contact surface portion 62 is in contact with the installation surface, the center of gravity of the printing device 1 does not exceed approximately the midpoint in the vertical direction.

[0032] At the upper end of each side portion 64, a connecting portion 66 is provided at the rear end, projecting upward from the side portion 64. The connecting portion 66 is formed in a flat plate shape with surfaces facing each other in the left-right direction. The connecting portion 66 comprises a guide portion 68 located on the rear side and a cover connecting portion 70 located in front of the guide portion 68 and capable of engaging with the main body connecting piece 44.

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection point between the housing 10 and the cable cover 60. In Figure 4, the main body connecting piece 44 and the cover connecting piece 70 intersect and the cross-section is shown in a plane facing each other in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 4, when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10, each of the connecting parts 66 is inserted into the connecting part 38 such that its outer surface abuts against the inner surface of the connecting surface part 42. In this way, each of the cover connecting pieces 70 engages with the main body connecting piece 44, and the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10. Each of the side sections 64 becomes flush with each of the side sections 6 when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10. This makes it possible to improve the design of the printing device 1.

[0034] Each of the contact surface portion 62 and the side portion 64 may be provided with a cable opening 72 through which the cable portion 54 can be inserted. Each of the cable openings 72 may be closed by a flat closing piece 76 that is flush with each of the contact surface portion 62 and the side portion 64, for example via a runner 74, and the closing piece 76 may be removed by the user as needed.

[0035] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the printing device 1 from the rear. As shown in Figure 5, the cable cover 60 is provided with flat partition plates 78 that rise upward from the contact surface 62 and have approximately the same dimensions as each of the side surfaces 64. The left and right ends of the partition plates 78 are connected to each of the side surfaces 64. The partition plate section 78 is positioned in the front-to-back direction to accommodate each of the connector sections 52 when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10 and the cable with connector 50 is connected to the device connector 36, and is positioned so that the cable section 54 does not bend at a sharp angle. In this embodiment, when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10, the partition plate portion 78 is positioned in front of the device connector 36 provided on the bottom surface 5 in the front-to-back direction.

[0036] In the partition plate portion 78, a pair of retaining portions 80 that protrude toward the rear are provided on the rearward-facing surfaces. In this embodiment, each of the retaining portions 80 is formed in a substantially U-shape in plan view. In the printing device 1, the cable portion 54 can be held in the cable cover 60 by wrapping it around each of the retaining portions 80. Therefore, the printing device 1 can properly route the cable portion 54. Each of the holding parts 80 may have any shape as long as it is possible to wrap the cable part 54 around it.

[0037] Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cable cover 60 in Plan II of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, the cable cover 60 has an upper surface portion 82 that extends from the upper end of the partition plate portion 78 to the front end of the contact surface portion 62 and has a plane facing the plane of the contact surface portion 62. As a result, the cable cover 60 is provided with a parts storage portion 81, which is a space enclosed by the partition plate portion 78, the contact surface portion 62, and the upper surface portion 82. The parts storage portion 81 can store the print head 22, replacement parts such as the fixed blade 24a and movable blade 24b, and various parts related to printing of the printing device 1.

[0038] The cable cover 60 is provided with a lid 84 that can be opened and closed to close the front side of the component storage section 81. The lid 84 is formed to be rotatable, for example, around its upper end. The plane of the lid 84 is formed to be substantially flush with the front surface 2. This makes it possible to improve the design of the printing device 1. Furthermore, the parts storage section 81 may contain a case or the like that can be pulled out from the front.

[0039] In the cable cover 60, the area located behind the partition plate portion 78 has an open top and rear surface. Therefore, the cable cover 60 is provided with a storage space S2 behind the partition plate portion 78, where the top and rear surfaces are open, and the front and bottom surfaces are enclosed by the partition plate portion 78 and the contact surface portion 62. Storage space S2 is an example of a "cable storage area".

[0040] Next, the operation of the printing device 1 will be described. As described above, the printing device 1 can be installed in a position where its rear surface 3 faces the mounting surface of the printing device 1. In the following description, this position will be referred to as the first position. When the printing device 1 is installed in the first position, it discharges the printed paper 100 upwards from the discharge port 11 to the outside of the housing 10.

[0041] In the first position, when each of the connector-equipped cables 50 is connected to each of the device connectors 36, as shown in Figure 2, depending on the type of connector-equipped cable 50, a portion of the connector part 52 and the cable part 54 protrude outside the connection part 38. The portion of the connector part 52 and the cable part 54 extend and are routed along the installation surface. When the printing device 1 is installed in the first orientation, the cable cover 60 may be removed from the housing 10.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the printing device 1 can be installed in a position where the contact surface portion 62 faces the installation surface when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10. In the following description, this position will be referred to as the second position. When the printing device 1 is installed in the second position, it discharges the printed paper 100 from the discharge port 11 toward the outside of the housing 10.

[0043] In the printing device 1, when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10, each of the side portions 64 and each of the side portions 6 become flush with the surface. In this case, the lid portion 84 becomes flush with the front portion 2. In this case, as shown in Figures 1, 5, and 6, the contact surface 62 covers the entire bottom surface 5 and the connection surface 40 when viewed from below the printing device 1. Furthermore, the connection part 38 and the storage space S2 are surrounded by the device body 12 and the cable cover 60, forming a single continuous space. The device connector 36 provided on the bottom surface 5 is positioned facing this space.

[0044] As described above, when each of the connector-equipped cables 50 is connected to each of the device connectors 36, depending on the type of connector-equipped cable 50, a part of the connector portion 52 and the cable portion 54 protrude outside the connection portion 38, as shown in Figure 2.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1, 5, and 6, in a printing apparatus 1 to which the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10, each of the connector-equipped cables 50 may be connected to each of the apparatus connectors 36. In this case, the connector portion 52 that protrudes outward from the connection portion 38 and a part of the cable portion 54 are housed in the storage space S2 of the cable cover 60. As a result, in the printing device 1, the connector section 52 and a portion of the cable section 54 are housed in the cable cover 60. After the cable section 54 comes into contact with the contact surface section 62 at an intermediate point, it is bent to the extent that it does not bend at a sharp angle, routed to the rear of the cable cover 60, and then extends outward from the storage space S2 to the outside of the cable cover 60.

[0046] Therefore, in the printing device 1, the cable section 54 is prevented from breaking, and the cable 50 with connector is prevented from protruding toward the mounting surface, allowing for stable installation in the second orientation. In other words, the printing device 1 can be installed in two different orientations. In addition, in the printing apparatus 1, predetermined portions of the connector-equipped cables 50 that protrude outward from the housing 10 are covered by the cable cover 60, thereby suppressing their visibility from the front or side. As a result, the printing apparatus 1 can be designed to improve aesthetics, and each of the connector-equipped cables 50 can be neatly routed.

[0047] The embodiments described above are illustrative of one aspect of the present disclosure and can be modified and applied at will without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0048] In the embodiment described above, the cable cover 60 is formed to be detachably attached to the housing 10. However, the cable cover 60 is not limited to this and may be formed integrally with the housing 10.

[0049] In the embodiment described above, the contact surface portion 62 was formed to be a flat surface that, in a plan view, could cover the entire bottom surface 5 and the connecting surface 40, in other words, with dimensions approximately the same as the top surface 4 of the housing 10. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the contact surface portion 62 may also be formed with a notch or the like so that, in a plan view, the position that overlaps with the connecting surface 40 is open when the cable cover 60 is connected to the housing 10.

[0050] In the embodiment described above, the cable cover 60 covers the bottom surface 5 and the connection surface 40. However, the cable cover 60 is not limited to this, and may be formed to cover the bottom surface 5 and surfaces other than the connection surface 40, as long as it covers at least a portion of the connector cable 50 connected to the device connector 36 and can be installed in two different orientations.

[0051] In the embodiments described above, the horizontal and vertical directions and various shapes, unless otherwise specified, include a so-called equidistant range that produces the same effects and functions as those directions and shapes.

[0052] [Summary of this disclosure] A summary of this disclosure is provided below.

[0053] (Note 1) A printing apparatus comprising a housing that can be installed in two orientations and is provided with a device connector to which a cable with a connector is connected, and a cable cover that is positioned in the direction in which the device connector opens and covers at least a portion of the surface of the housing, wherein the cable cover is formed to contact the installation surface and support the housing when installed. This prevents the connector-equipped cable 50 from protruding toward the mounting surface in the printing device.

[0054] (Note 2) The printing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the cable cover has a cable storage section that accommodates at least a portion of the cable with the connector that protrudes to the outside of the housing when the cable is connected to the device connector. This prevents the connector-equipped cable 50 from protruding toward the mounting surface in the printing device.

[0055] (Note 3) The printing apparatus as described in Appendix 2, wherein the cable cover is provided with a component storage section that is separated from the cable storage section and capable of storing a predetermined component. This allows the printing device to accommodate various components.

[0056] (Note 4) The printing apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, wherein the cable cover is provided with a holding portion capable of holding the cable that has a connector. This allows the printing device to secure the cable with the connector to the cable cover by wrapping it around the holding mechanism.

[0057] (Note 5) The cable cover is provided detachably from the housing in the printing apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 4. This allows the printing device to properly route the cables with connectors according to the orientation in which it is installed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 1...Printing device, 2...Front, 3...Rear, 4...Top, 5...Bottom, 6...Side, 10...Housing, 11...Discharge port, 12...Device body, 13...Opening, 34...Interface board, 36...Device connector, 38...Connection part, 50...Cable with connector, 52...Connector part, 54...Cable part, 60...Cable cover, 62...Contact surface part, 78...Partition plate part, 80...Holding part, 81...Parts storage part, 100...Printing paper, S1, S2...Storage space.

Claims

1. A device connector is provided to which a cable with a connector is connected, and the enclosure can be installed in two orientations. A cable cover is positioned in the direction in which the device connector opens and covers at least a portion of the surface of the housing, Equipped with, The cable cover, when installed, is formed to contact the installation surface and support the housing. Printing device.

2. The aforementioned cable cover is When the cable with the connector is connected to the device connector, the housing includes a cable storage section that accommodates at least a portion of the cable that protrudes outside the housing. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The cable cover is provided with a component storage section, separated from the cable storage section, which is capable of storing a predetermined component. The printing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The cable cover is provided with a holding portion capable of holding the cable of the cable with the connector. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The cable cover is provided so as to be detachable from the housing. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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