Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer equipped with a peeling unit, which can be further downsized.SOLUTION: A printer, which can be switched between peeling issuing and a continuous issuing, comprises: a conveying roller that conveys a printing medium; a peeling roller holding part that holds a peeling roller facing the conveying roller during the peeling issuing; and a peeling unit which pivotally supports the peeling roller holding part oscillatably and has a peeling roller cover that can move to a closing position and to an opening position. When the roller cover is at the opening position, the peeling roller holding part is configured to be able to oscillate between a first position facing a rear face of the peeling roller cover and a second position at which the peeling roller is not covered with the peeling roller cover. The peeling unit has an energizing member that energizes the peeling roller holding part from the first position toward the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a label printer is configured to sandwich continuous paper, with multiple labels temporarily attached to a strip-shaped backing, between a thermal head and a platen roller, and then rotate the platen roller to transport the continuous paper and print desired information on the labels. Conventionally, there is known a label printer that can switch between two types of issuing methods, continuous issuing and peel-off issuing, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1. The continuous issuing method issues labels while they are temporarily attached to a mount, while the peel-off issuing method issues labels by peeling them off from the mount. The printer described in Patent Document 1 is configured to switch between continuous printing and peeling printing by moving a mount pressing roller support frame of a peeler unit (peeling unit) between a first rotation position and a second rotation position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-185774 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a printer that can switch between continuous issuing and peeling issuing, the peeling unit needs to be moved between the continuous issuing position and the peeling issuing position in order to switch between continuous issuing and peeling issuing. Here, in order to further reduce the size of the printer, it is required that the peeling unit be movable between the continuous issuing position and the peeling issuing position while being able to be stored compactly inside the printer.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to achieve a further miniaturization of a printer equipped with a peeling unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a printer capable of switching between peel-off issuance, in which a print medium has a label peelably attached to a backing paper and the label is peeled off from the backing paper to issue a label, and continuous issuance, in which the label is issued without peeling off the label from the backing paper, and the printer comprises a peeling unit having a transport roller that transports the print medium, a peeling roller holding section that holds a peeling roller that faces the transport roller during peel-off issuance, and a peeling roller cover that pivotally supports the peeling roller holding section and is movable between a closed position and an open position, and when the peeling roller cover is in the open position, the peeling roller holding section is in a first position facing the back surface of the peeling roller cover, and a second position facing the peeling roller cover when the peeling roller is covered by the peeling roller cover. and the peeling roller holding portion faces the rear surface of the peeling roller cover. and a second position where the peeling unit is not rotated, and the peeling unit has a biasing member that biases the peeling roller holding portion from the first position toward the second position. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a printer equipped with a peeling unit can be further miniaturized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the printer according to the embodiment when the printer cover is in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the printer according to the embodiment when the printer cover is in an open state. [Diagram 2] 1 is an oblique view of a printer according to an embodiment with a printer cover open, a peeling unit open, and no roll of paper loaded. FIG. [Diagram 3] 5A and 5B are partial cross-sectional views for explaining continuous printing and peeling printing in the printer of the embodiment. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a mechanism by which the printer cover is opened by the cover opening button. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between a platen holding bracket and a group of levers. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are perspective views of the peeling unit when opened and closed. [Figure 7] 7 is a perspective view of the removal unit when opened, seen from a different viewpoint from that in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the peeling unit opening lever and the peeling unit during continuous printing and when the peeling unit opening button is operated. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the peeling unit opening lever and the peeling unit during continuous printing and when the peeling unit opening button is operated. [Figure 10] FIG. 10A is a plan view of a printer cover of the printer of this embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the peeling roller during peeling. [Figure 12] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an operation when folding the peeling unit. [Figure 13] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an operation when folding the peeling unit. [Figure 14] 10A to 10C are diagrams sequentially illustrating operations performed when the printer of the embodiment is switched from continuous issuance to peel-off issuance. [Figure 15] 10A to 10C are diagrams sequentially illustrating operations performed when the printer of the embodiment is switched from continuous issuance to peel-off issuance. [Figure 16] FIG. 16A is a diagram showing the front side of the thermal head, and FIG. 16B is a diagram showing the rear side of the thermal head. [Figure 17] 16B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing cross sections AA and BB in FIG. 16A. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a printer including a bearing groove for a thermal head. [Figure 19] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a method for replacing a thermal head. [Figure 20] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing protrusions provided on the internal frame and supporting the thermal head. [Figure 21] 20A and 20B are diagrams for explaining forces acting on a thermal head in a printer according to an embodiment, where FIG. 20A shows a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction, and FIG. 20B shows a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. [Figure 22] FIG. 22A is a perspective view of a thermal head of another embodiment as seen from the front, and FIG. 22B is a perspective view of a thermal head of another embodiment as seen from the rear. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a plate-shaped member included in a thermal head according to another embodiment. [Figure 24] 23 is a perspective view of a thermal head according to another embodiment, seen from a different viewpoint from that of FIG. 22. FIG. [Diagram 25] 13 is a side view showing the positional relationship between a thermal head and a platen holding bracket according to another embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Printer 1 schematic configuration] A printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a label printer that is configured to be switchable between continuous issuance and peel-off issuance. The printer 1 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, as shown in the oblique views of Figures 1A and 1B, for example, the directions of up (UP), down (DN), left (LH), right (RH), front (FR), and rear (RR) are defined; however, these direction definitions are solely for the convenience of illustrating the drawings and are not intended to limit the position of the printer of the present invention when in use. In this definition of direction, the "printer front-rear direction" refers to the front-rear direction of the printer 1. The "printer width direction" refers to the left-right direction or lateral direction of the printer 1.

[0010] Figures 1A, 1B, and 2 are perspective views of a printer 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 1A shows the printer cover 3 in a closed state, and Figures 1B and 2 show the printer cover 3 in an open state. Figure 1B shows the printer with roll paper R set in it, and Figure 2 shows the roll paper R and the state of the printer 1 before the roll paper R is set.

[0011] 1A, the internal functional parts of the printer 1 are protected by a main body case 2 and a printer cover 3. On the top surface of the printer 1, a discharge unit 20 for discharging labels is provided. The printer 1 can be used with the discharge section 20 facing upwards (horizontal placement), but it can also be used with the discharge section 20 facing sideways (vertical positioning) by hooking the operator's belt onto a belt hook (not shown) on the bottom of the printer 1, or by attaching a shoulder belt (not shown) and hanging it on the operator's shoulder. A display panel 15 is provided in front of the discharge unit 20 in the main body case 2. The display panel 15 may include a touch panel input mechanism that accepts operational inputs from an operator. The display panel 15 is connected to a circuit board inside the printer 1, and outputs images showing, for example, the operating state of the printer 1 and a user interface related to the operation of the printer 1, based on a display signal supplied from the circuit board.

[0012] Although not shown, an internal frame for supporting or holding various functional parts is disposed inside the printer 1, which is surrounded by the main body case 2 and the printer cover 3. This internal frame, the main body case 2, and the printer cover 3 correspond to the printer main body.

[0013] The printer cover 3 is configured to be able to swing between an open position in which the inside of the printer 1 is exposed and a closed position in which the inside of the printer 1 is closed. Operating the cover opening button 51b on the main body case 2 opens the printer cover 3 as shown in Fig. 1B. Opening the printer cover 3 exposes the roll paper chamber 9. The roll paper chamber 9 is a space that contains roll paper R (an example of a roll body).

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, the roll paper R is a strip-shaped continuous paper P wound into a roll. The continuous paper P has a strip-shaped backing PM and a plurality of labels PL temporarily attached to the backing PM at predetermined intervals. The label attachment surface of the backing PM is coated with a release agent such as silicone so that the labels PL can be easily peeled off. In addition, position detection marks M indicating the reference positions of the labels PL are formed at predetermined intervals on the back side of the label attachment surface of the backing PM. The front side of the label PL is the printing surface on which information is printed, and is formed with a thermosensitive coloring layer that changes color to a specific color when a predetermined temperature range is reached. The back side of the printing surface is an adhesive surface covered with an adhesive, and the label PL is temporarily attached to the mount PM by attaching the adhesive surface to the label attachment surface of the mount PM.

[0015] A pair of roll paper guides 6a are installed in the roll paper storage chamber 9. The pair of roll paper guides 6a are members that rotatably support the roll paper R while in contact with both sides of the roll paper R and guide the transport of the continuous paper pulled out from the roll paper R, and are preferably movable along the width direction of the roll paper R so that their position can be changed according to the width of the roll paper R.

[0016] 2, the printer cover 3 is pivotally supported by a hinge 8 relative to the main body case 2 so that the printer cover 3 can swing relative to the main body case 2 between an open position and a closed position. The hinge 8 has a hinge shaft 81, and a torsion spring (not shown) is provided on the hinge shaft 81 to bias the printer cover 3 from the closed position toward the open position.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, a platen roller 10 (an example of a transport roller) is axially supported at the tip of the printer cover 3 so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. The platen roller 10 is a transport means that transports the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R, and is formed to extend along the width direction of the continuous paper P. A gear 10b is connected to one end of a platen shaft 10a of the platen roller 10. When the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, this gear 10b engages with a gear 22b arranged inside the main body case 2, and is mechanically connected via the gear 22b to a stepping motor (not shown) for driving the roller, or the like.

[0018] 2, a peeling bar 12 is installed along the platen roller 10 in the vicinity of the platen roller 10 on the printer cover 3. This peeling bar 12 is a peeling member that peels the label PL from the backing paper PM, and both ends of the peeling bar 12 are fixed to both side walls of the printer cover 3. The peeling bar 12 may also be fixed to both ends of the platen shaft 10a. In one embodiment, the cross section of the peel bar 12 is substantially triangular, but is not limited to being spherical or elliptical.

[0019] A platen holding bracket 27 that holds the platen shaft 10a of the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is closed is provided inside the main body case 2. In front of the platen holding bracket 27, a thermal head 28 is disposed.

[0020] The thermal head 28 (an example of a print head) is a printing means that prints information such as characters, symbols, figures, or barcodes on a label PL that is temporarily attached to a mount PM that is transported from the roll paper R. The thermal head 28 is disposed so as to face the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is in a closed state. As will be described later, a flexible cable that connects to a circuit board (not shown) is removably attached to the thermal head 28. The thermal head 28 has a plurality of heating elements (heating resistors) arranged along the width direction of the continuous paper P, and performs printing by selectively energizing the plurality of heating elements based on a signal transmitted from the circuit board.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, a coil spring 55 is disposed in front of the thermal head 28. One rear end of the coil spring 55 abuts against the thermal head 28, and the other front end of the coil spring 55 abuts against the internal frame (see also Fig. 19). The coil spring 55 biases the thermal head 28 toward the platen roller 10 during printing, thereby pressing the thermal head 28 against the platen roller 10 with a pressure optimal for printing.

[0022] The printer 1 has a peeling unit 4, and performs continuous issuing and peeling issuing by moving the peeling unit 4 between a continuous issuing position and a peeling issuing position. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the printer cover 3 is in the open position, a peeling unit opening button 52b is exposed. The peeling unit 4 can be operated by operating the peeling unit opening button 52b. FIG. 2 shows the state of the peeling unit 4 when the peeling unit opening button 52b is operated. As will be described later, the peeling unit opening button 52b is operated by the operator when switching from continuous issuance to peeling issuance.

[0023] 2, the peeling unit 4 has a peeling roller cover 41 and a peeling roller holding part 42 that holds the peeling roller 45. The peeling roller cover 41 is configured to cover the peeling roller holding part 42 during continuous printing. The peeling roller cover 41 is journaled on an internal frame within the main body case 2, and swings from a closed position to an open position (the state shown in FIG. 2) in response to operation of the peeling unit opening button 52b. The peeling roller holding portion 42 is axially supported by the peeling roller cover 41. During continuous printing, the peeling roller holding portion 42 is folded and stored under the rear surface of the peeling roller cover 41. The peeling unit 4 will be described in detail later.

[0024] The printer cover 3 is provided with a sensor 35. The sensor 35 is disposed on the paper passage route of the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R until it reaches the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is closed, and detects the position of the label PL. It is preferable to control the transport amount of the continuous paper P based on the detection result of this sensor 35.

[0025] Although not shown, it is preferable to provide a cutter for cutting the backing paper PM of the continuous paper P after continuous printing. When a cutter is provided, the cutter is installed in the discharge section 20 in a state where it extends along the width direction of the continuous paper P. Also, the peeling bar 12 may function as a cutter.

[0026] [Continuous printing and peeling printing] Next, continuous printing and peeling printing of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The printer 1 is configured to be switchable between peel-off issuing, in which labels are peeled off from a backing paper of the continuous paper and issued, and continuous issuing, in which labels are issued without being peeled off from the backing paper.

[0027] In the case of continuous printing, a backing with the required number of labels attached is prepared in advance, and the labels can be peeled off from the backing and attached on-site, making it suitable for cases where the object to which the labels are to be attached is located far away from the printer 1. For continuous printing, the peeling unit 4 attached to the printer 1 is set to the continuous printing position.

[0028] On the other hand, in the case of peel-off issuance, the labels are discharged one by one peeled off from the backing paper, which is suitable when the object to which the label is to be affixed is located near the operator. For peel-off issuance, the peeling unit 4 mounted on the printer 1 is set to the peel-off issuance position. As a result, when the platen roller 10 is rotated to transport the continuous paper for printing, the backing paper is transported while being sandwiched between the peeling roller 45 and the platen roller 10, while the printed labels are peeled off from the backing paper one by one and discharged outside the printer 1.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the peeling unit 4, the platen roller 10, the peeling bar 12, and the thermal head 28 during continuous printing and peeling printing. In Fig. 3, the peeling roller cover 41 and the peeling roller holding part 42 of the peeling unit 4 are shown by outlines only. The outline of the peeling roller cover 41 is shown by a dotted line. In addition, since the position of the peeling roller holding portion 42 differs between continuous issuing and peeling issuing, only the peeling roller holding portion 42 is shaded. The position of the peeling unit 4 during continuous issuing corresponds to the continuous issuing position, and the position of the peeling unit 4 during peeling issuing corresponds to the peeling issuing position.

[0030] 3, during continuous printing, the peeling roller holding portion 42 is housed under the peeling roller cover 41, so that the peeling roller 45 is located away from the platen roller 10 and does not interfere with the discharge of the continuous paper P. The continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R is clamped between the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28, and a label on the continuous paper P is printed.

[0031] When switching from continuous issuance to peel issuance, the peel roller holding unit 42 is moved around the shaft 42a to the swung position shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, during peel issuance, the peel roller 45 is positioned opposite the platen roller 10. In peel issuance, the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R is clamped between the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28, and the label on the continuous paper P is printed, just like in continuous issuance. In peel issuance, the liner PM of the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R is made to turn sharply at the peel bar 12, and is held between the platen roller 10 and the peel roller 45 and discharged. As the liner PM turns sharply at the peel bar 12, the label PL is peeled off from the liner PM and discharged.

[0032] [Printer cover 3 opening operation] Next, the opening operation of the printer cover 3 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Additionally, the cover opening lever 51 and the peeling unit opening lever 52 will also be described.

[0033] 4 is a side view of the cover opening lever 51 when the printer cover is closed and when the cover opening button is operated, the peeling unit opening lever 52 (an example of a swinging member), the platen holding bracket 27 (an example of a locking member), and the peeling unit 4. Note that FIG. 4 shows, as an example, a case where the peeling unit 4 is in the continuous issuing position. As shown in FIG. 4, when viewed from the side, the cover opening lever 51 and the peeling unit opening lever 52 are arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction, but extend in the front-to-rear direction at different heights, resulting in an arrangement that is highly space-efficient.

[0034] 5 is a perspective view of the cover opening lever 51 when the printer cover is closed, the peeling unit opening lever 52, the platen holding bracket 27, and the peeling unit 4 as seen from the rear. The peeling unit 4 is not shown in FIG.

[0035] The cover opening lever 51 has a cover opening button 51b exposed to the outside as shown in Fig. 1A. A shaft insertion hole 51a is formed in the cover opening lever 51, and a shaft 56 (not shown in Fig. 5) provided on the internal frame is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 51a. This allows the cover opening lever 51 to swing around the shaft 56. As shown in Fig. 5, the cover opening lever 51 has a protrusion 51c protruding inward.

[0036] 5, the platen holding bracket 27 has a shaft 27a. One end of the shaft 27a is inserted into a boss 52a provided on the peeling unit opening lever 52, and the other end of the shaft 27a is inserted into a boss provided on an internal frame (not shown). This allows the platen holding bracket 27 to swing around the shaft 27a. Although not visible in Fig. 5, the peeling unit opening lever 52 has an engaging protrusion 523 (see Fig. 4) that protrudes inward. As will be described later, the engaging protrusion 523 engages with the peeling roller cover 41 of the peeling unit 4.

[0037] A hole 27c is formed in the side wall of the platen holding bracket 27, and a protrusion 51c of the cover opening lever 51 is inserted into the hole 27c. Here, the hole 27c is formed larger than the protrusion 51c in a side view (i.e., the hole 27c has a play), so that the platen holding bracket 27 can swing. The platen holding bracket 27 swings around the shaft 27a, and the cover opening lever 51 swings around the shaft 56 (see FIG. 4), so that the two have different swing axes. Therefore, by providing a play in the hole 27c, it is configured to absorb the difference in trajectories of the hole 27c and the protrusion 51c due to the difference in the swing axis.

[0038] The peeling unit opening lever 52 is configured to be rotatable (or swingable) around the shaft 27a inserted into the boss 52a. In other words, the platen holding bracket 27 and the peeling unit opening lever 52 share the shaft 27a, which is a single swing shaft, so there is no need to provide a separate swing shaft for the peeling unit opening lever 52, which contributes to space saving and cost saving. However, this is not limited to the above, and in another embodiment, separate swing shafts may be set for the platen holding bracket 27 and the peeling unit opening lever 52.

[0039] A coil spring 53 (an example of a biasing member) is disposed between the peeling unit opening lever 52 and an internal frame (not shown) at a position directly below the peeling unit opening button 52b. When the peeling unit opening lever 52 is pressed (operated) downward against the restoring force of the coil spring 53, the peeling unit opening lever 52 swings around the shaft 27a (swings clockwise in FIG. 4). As will be described later, the peeling unit 4 swings via the engaging protrusion 523 in response to the swinging of the peeling unit opening lever 52, and moves from the closed position to the open position. When the downward pressing force of the peeling unit opening button 52b is released, the peeling unit opening lever 52 returns (swings) to the position before it was pressed down due to the restoring force of the coil spring 53.

[0040] The platen holding bracket 27 is biased by a pair of coil springs 29. In Fig. 5, one end of each coil spring 29 is connected to the platen holding bracket 27, and the other end of each coil spring 29 is connected to an inner frame (not shown). When no external force is applied to the platen holding bracket 27, the platen holding bracket 27 is in the printer cover closed position shown in Fig. 4 and holds the platen shaft 10a in the groove 27b. This position is a lock position that locks the printer cover 3 to which the platen shaft 10a is connected in the closed position.

[0041] Here, when the cover opening button 51b is pressed (operated), the cover opening lever 51 swings (swings counterclockwise in FIG. 4) around the shaft 56. As the cover opening lever 51 swings, the protrusion 51c presses the periphery of the hole 27c of the platen holding bracket 27, causing the platen holding bracket 27 to swing around the shaft 27a (clockwise in FIG. 4) against the restoring force of the coil spring 29. As described above, the printer cover 3 to which the platen shaft 10a is attached is biased from the closed position toward the open position, so it moves to the open position when the platen shaft 10a disengages from the groove 27b due to the swinging of the platen holding bracket 27. The position of the platen holding bracket 27 at this time is the unlocked position that releases the lock on the printer cover 3 in the closed position.

[0042] Conversely, when closing the printer cover 3, the pressing force of the operator closing the printer cover 3 causes the platen shaft 10a attached to the printer cover 3 to press down on the inclined top of the platen holding bracket 27 against the restoring force of the coil spring 29. This causes the platen holding bracket 27 to swing clockwise in Figure 4, and the platen shaft 10a is inserted into the groove 27b of the platen holding bracket 27. With the platen shaft 10a inserted into the groove 27b, the restoring force of the coil spring 29 causes the platen holding bracket 27 to return to the locked position when the printer cover is closed, as shown in Figure 4.

[0043] [Removal unit 4] Next, the peeling unit 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0044] 6 is a perspective view of the peeling unit 4 when it is open and when it is closed. Note that the peeling unit 4 when it is closed in FIG. 6 is in the continuous issuing position. The open position of the peeling unit 4 is a position where the peeling roller cover 41 is opened in response to the operation of the peeling unit opening button 52b.

[0045] The open position of the peeling roller cover 41 is a position that opens at least a part of the inside of the printer 1, in other words, at least a part of the inside of the main body case 2, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position, the coil spring 55 inside the main body case 2 and the flexible cable 57 (see FIG. 21) connected to the thermal head 28 are in an open state. From another perspective, the open position of the peeling roller cover 41 can be said to be a position that opens the thermal head 28 inside the main body case 2. From yet another perspective, the open position of the peeling roller cover 41 can be said to be a position that allows the peeling roller cover 41 to be opened when the peeling roller holding part 42 is in a position facing the back surface of the peeling roller cover 41. As shown in FIG. 6, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position (open), the peeling roller holding part 42 is in a state of protruding upward (protruding state).

[0046] The closed position of the peeling unit 4 is a position where the peeling roller cover 41 is closed. That is, the closed position of the peeling unit 4 corresponds to the closed position of the peeling roller cover 41. The closed position of the peeling roller cover 41 is a position that closes at least a part of the inside of the printer 1 that is opened when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position, in other words, at least a part of the inside of the main body case 2 that is opened when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the closed position, the coil spring 55, the flexible cable 57, etc. are not visible from the outside and are in a closed state. From another perspective, the closed position of the peeling roller cover 41 can be said to be a position that closes at least a part of the thermal head 28 inside the main body case 2. Furthermore, from another perspective, the closed position of the peeling roller cover 41 can be said to be a position that, when the peeling roller holding part 42 is in a position facing the back surface of the peeling roller cover 41, keeps the peeling roller cover 41 in that position without opening it. When the peeling roller cover 41 is in the closed position, the position of the peeling roller holding part 42 differs between the case of continuous printing and the case of peeling printing. As shown in FIG. 6, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the closed position (closed) during continuous printing, the peeling roller holding portion 42 is housed under the peeling roller cover 41 (housed state).

[0047] 6, the peeling roller cover 41 has a pair of shafts 41a (one example of first shafts) and is a swinging member configured to be swingable around the shafts 41a. The shafts 41a have a circular cross section and are inserted into a cylindrical section (not shown) provided in the internal frame, and configured to be rotatable. The cylindrical section preferably has a long hole formed in the front-rear direction of the printer so that the shafts 41a can be slightly displaced inside the cylindrical section, for example, in the front-rear direction of the printer. This allows play to be provided in the front-rear direction of the printer when the shafts 41a are inserted into the cylindrical section, and improves the impact resistance of the printer 1 against a drop or the like. The direction of the long hole formed in the cylindrical portion is not limited to the front-rear direction of the printer, but may be set in any direction within a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction of the printer 1, such as the up-down direction of the printer 1, for example.

[0048] The peeling roller cover 41 extends in the same direction as the platen roller 10. The peeling roller cover 41 has a front surface 411 and a back surface 412. The front surface 411 is the surface that is exposed when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the closed position. The back surface 412 has a recess so that the peeling roller holding part 42 can be accommodated therein. Conversely, the front surface 411 has a shape that bulges in the center in the front-to-rear direction, which is convenient when a cutter is provided in the discharge part 20 and when cutting the backing paper. An engagement hole 415 is formed in the peeling roller cover 41 near the shaft 41a. As will be described later, an engagement protrusion 523 of the peeling unit opening lever 52 is inserted into the engagement hole 415.

[0049] A pair of U-shaped grooves 413 (an example of abutment portions) may be provided on the side of the peeling roller cover 41. When the shaft 41a is in the closed position, the U-shaped groove 413 abuts against a protrusion 26 (see FIG. 18) formed on the internal frame. The U-shaped groove 413 abuts against the protrusion 26, thereby functioning to position the peeling unit 4 in the up-down direction. When the U-shaped groove 413 abuts against the protrusion 26, a predetermined gap is provided between the peeling unit 4 and the thermal head 28. This can reliably prevent interference between the peeling unit 4 and the thermal head 28. As described above, the shaft 41a of the peeling unit 4 is preferably inserted into a long hole formed in the cylindrical portion of the internal frame in the front-rear direction of the printer, thereby providing play in the front-rear direction of the printer. At this time, the U-shaped groove 413 abuts and engages with the protrusion 26 (see FIG. 18), thereby preventing the peeling unit 4 (peeling roller cover 41) from being displaced in the front-rear direction of the printer due to play of the shaft 41a inserted in the long hole (i.e., it functions to position the peeling unit 4 in the front-rear direction of the printer).

[0050] It is not essential to provide the U-shaped groove 413 and the protrusion 26. The shape of the abutting portion can be appropriately formed as long as a part of the peeling unit 4 and the internal frame can abut with a gap between the peeling unit 4 and the thermal head 28. Instead of such an abutting structure, the peeling unit 4 can be positioned in the up-down direction by, for example, restricting the movable range of the shaft 41a of the peeling roller cover 41.

[0051] A peel sensor 47 is disposed on the surface 411 of the peel roller cover 41. The peel sensor 47 is a light reflection sensor that detects the presence or absence of a peeled label when a peel is issued. In Fig. 3, the label PL peeled by the peel bar 12 is controlled to be transported so that a portion of the label PL on the upstream side in the transport direction stops near the peel bar 12, and the peeled label PL remains on the peel bar 12 due to its adhesive force, and the presence or absence of this label PL is detected by the peel sensor 47. When the operator removes the peeled label, the peel sensor 47 detects the absence of the label PL, and the system is controlled to issue the next label.

[0052] With reference to FIG. 6, the peeling roller holding portion 42 is a member that holds the peeling roller 45. The peeling roller holding part 42, like the peeling roller cover 41, extends in the same direction as the platen roller 10. The pair of shafts 42a of the peeling roller holding part 42 are disposed inside the pair of shafts 41a of the peeling roller cover 41 so that the peeling roller holding part 42 can be accommodated under the rear surface 412 of the peeling roller cover 41, and the width of the peeling roller holding part 42 is narrower than the width of the peeling roller cover 41.

[0053] The peeling roller holding part 42 has a pair of shafts 42a (an example of second shafts) and is a swinging member configured to be swingable around the shafts 42a. The pair of shafts 42a are journaled by the peeling roller cover 41 at a position spaced apart from the shaft 41a. The peeling roller 45 is disposed at the tip of an arm 421 extending from the shafts 42a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the peeling unit 4 is opened, the peeling roller 45 protrudes significantly upward with respect to the shafts 41a.

[0054] That is, the peeling roller holding part 42 is capable of swinging between a housed position (an example of a first position of the peeling roller holding part) where the peeling roller 45 is housed under the peeling roller cover 41, and a protruding position (an example of a second position of the peeling roller holding part; the open position in FIG. 6) where the peeling roller 45 is not covered by the peeling roller cover 41. The housed position of the peeling roller holding part 42 is a position facing the back surface 412 of the peeling roller cover 41, and is also a position covered by the peeling roller cover 41. When storing the peeling roller holding part 42, the peeling roller holding part 42 is swung around the shaft 42a to the back surface 412 of the peeling roller cover 41, and further the entire peeling roller cover 41 and the peeling roller holding part 42 are swung around the shaft 41a. As a result, the peeling roller holding part 42 is folded and stored compactly under the peeling roller cover 41.

[0055] On the other hand, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position, the peeling roller holding part 42 can swing between the housed position and the protruding position. As described below, the peeling roller holding part 42 is biased from the housed position toward the protruding position by the coil spring 43, so that as soon as the peeling roller cover 41 moves from the closed position to the open position, the peeling roller holding part 42 moves so as to jump out from the housed position toward the protruding position. This allows the operator to immediately switch from continuous printing to peeling printing. Furthermore, when the peeling roller holding portion 42 is in the protruding position, the peeling roller 45 protrudes highly, and this allows the peeling roller 45 to be moved far away when the peeling unit 4 is set to the peeling issuing position.

[0056] A pair of arms 421 extend from a pair of shafts 42a. A shaft 45a that rotates the peeling roller 45 and the auxiliary roller 46 is disposed at the tip of the pair of arms 421. The diameter of each auxiliary roller 46 is smaller than the diameter of the peeling roller 45. By providing the auxiliary rollers 46 on both sides of the peeling roller 45, the wide liner can be smoothly discharged when peeling and issuing a wide label. In other words, without the auxiliary rollers 46, the wide liner would move in the width direction (left and right direction), but by providing the auxiliary rollers 46, the wide liner can be transported stably. It is not essential to provide the auxiliary roller 46. Even if the auxiliary roller 46 is not provided, peeling and issuing can be performed as long as the peeling roller 45 is provided. An outwardly protruding projection 422 is formed on each arm 421. As will be described later, the projection 422 is provided for engaging the peeling unit 4 with the printer cover 3 when peeling is performed.

[0057] 6, a pair of coil springs 43 (an example of a biasing member) are provided near the pair of shafts 42a of the peeling roller holding part 42. Although not shown, one end of the coil spring 43 is connected to the peeling roller holding part 42 and the other end is connected to the peeling roller cover 41, thereby biasing the peeling roller holding part 42 in a direction to swing from the housed position to the protruding position. Therefore, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position (i.e., when the peeling unit 4 is in the open position), the peeling roller holding part 42 is always in the protruding position.

[0058] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the peeling unit 4 in an open state, seen from a different perspective than that of Fig. 6. When the peeling roller holding part 42 is located at the protruding position, a part of the arm 421 of the peeling roller holding part 42 abuts against the surface 411 of the peeling roller cover 41. In other words, the surface 411 of the peeling roller cover 41 functions as a stopper for the peeling roller holding part 42, which is swung by the coil spring 43.

[0059] Next, the operation when the peeling unit 4 is moved to the open position from continuous printing will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 are side views of the peeling unit opening lever 52 and the peeling unit 4, and states S1 to S3 are shown in chronological order in the side views. State S1 indicates the state when the printer cover 3 is open during continuous printing, state S2 indicates the state when the peeling unit opening button is continuously pressed, and state S3 indicates the state when the peeling unit opening button is released.

[0060] The peeling unit opening lever 52 and the peeling unit 4 are engaged with each other by inserting the engaging protrusion 523 of the peeling unit opening lever 52 from the inside into the engaging hole 415 of the peeling roller cover 41. The peeling unit opening lever 52 swings to move the peeling roller cover 41 between the closed position and the open position. The engagement hole 415 has, for example, a heart shape, and the engagement protrusion 523 is movable within the engagement hole 415 . 8, when the printer cover 3 is open during continuous printing, the engagement protrusion 523 is located below the engagement hole 415. At this time, the peeling roller holding part 42 is in the housed position below the back surface 412 of the peeling roller cover 41 (see FIG. 6).

[0061] Here, when the peeling unit opening button 52b is pressed (operated), the peeling unit opening lever 52 swings clockwise around the shaft 27a in FIG. 8. As a result, the engagement protrusion 523 of the peeling unit opening lever 52 moves upward in the engagement hole 415 and presses the peeling roller cover 41 upward at the upper edge of the engagement hole 415. As a result, the peeling roller cover 41 swings counterclockwise around the shaft 41a toward the open position in FIG. 8. As described above, the peeling roller holding part 42 is biased by the coil spring 43 (see FIG. 6) in the swing direction from the housed position toward the protruding position. Therefore, when the peeling roller cover 41 swings toward the open position, the position restriction of the peeling roller holding part 42 by the second stopper 522 described later is released, and a space in which the peeling roller holding part 42 can swing is formed, so that the peeling roller holding part 42 swings to the protruding position as shown in state S2 in FIG. 8.

[0062] 8, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position, the shaft 42a is in a higher position than when it is in the closed position. Also, as described above, the printer 1 is formed with a space that allows the peeling roller holding part 42 to swing from the housed position to the protruding position when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position. Therefore, the biasing force of the coil spring 43 allows the peeling roller holding part 42 to protrude upward with force.

[0063] When the peeling unit opening button 52b is released from the state shown in state S2, the peeling unit opening lever 52 swings counterclockwise around the shaft 27a in FIG. 8 due to the restoring force of the coil spring 53. As a result, the peeling unit opening lever 52 and the peeling roller cover 41 return to the positions of state S1. However, the peeling roller holding part 42, which once swung to the protruding position, does not return to the housed position and remains in the protruding position. As a result, the peeling unit 4 becomes the form shown in state S3 in FIG. 9.

[0064] [Engagement of peeling unit 4 and printer cover 3] In the printer 1, by pivoting the printer cover 3 from the open position to the closed position in state S3 of FIG. 9, the peeling unit 4 can be set to the peeling issuing position while the printer cover 3 and the peeling unit 4 are engaged with each other. Therefore, hereinafter, the engagement between the peeling unit 4 and the printer cover 3 during peeling issuance will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the structure of the printer cover 3 for engaging with the peeling unit 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10A is a plan view of the printer cover 3, and Fig. 10B is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Fig. 10A.

[0065] 10A, the printer cover 3 has at its front end a pair of peeling unit receiving portions 31. The peeling unit receiving portions 31 are provided near the positions where the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12 are supported. 10B, a guide groove 31p that is open at the front is formed in the peeling unit receiving portion 31. The guide groove 31p is a groove that is open only on the inside along the direction from the front end to the rear end of the printer cover 3. The guide groove 31p receives the protrusion 422 (see FIG. 9) of the peeling unit 4 that is located at the front when the printer cover 3 is in the process of closing.

[0066] A roller pressing mechanism 37 is provided in the guide groove 31p. As described below, the roller pressing mechanism 37 presses the peeling roller 45 toward the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, thereby generating a nip pressure when the backing paper is sandwiched between the peeling roller 45 and the platen roller 10. The roller pressing mechanism 37 includes a contact portion 32 disposed in the guide groove 31p, and a coil spring 33 (an example of a biasing member) disposed behind the contact portion 32. As the printer cover 3 moves to the closed position, the protrusion 422 of the peeling unit 4 is guided to the contact portion 32.

[0067] 9, when the printer cover 3 is moved from the open position to the closed position, the protrusion 422 of the peeling unit 4 enters the guide groove 31p of the peeling unit receiving portion 31 as the printer cover 3 moves. As the printer cover 3 swings to the closed position, the protrusion 422 advances toward the rear of the printer cover 3 along the guide groove 31p and abuts against the abutment portion 32. In this way, the printer cover 3 engages with the peeling unit 4. When the printer cover 3 reaches the closed position, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 engaged with the printer cover 3 is in a position facing the platen roller 10. Therefore, by simply closing the printer cover 3, the operator can engage the printer cover 3 with the peeling unit 4 and move the peeling unit 4 to the peeling issuing position.

[0068] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is completely closed and the peeling unit 4 is set to the peeling issuing position. As shown in FIG. 11, when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 is disposed in a position facing the platen roller 10. The protrusion 422 of the peeling unit 4 abuts against the abutment portion 32 of the peeling unit receiving portion 31 of the printer cover 3, and the coil spring 33 behind the abutment portion 32 is in a compressed state. Since the restoring force of the coil spring 33 acts on the peeling roller 45 through the protrusion 422, the peeling roller 45 is pressed against the platen roller 10, thereby generating a nip pressure when the backing paper is sandwiched. As a result, the force in the rotational direction around the shaft 42a of the peeling roller holding portion 42 (F5c in FIG. 11) is replaced by the nip pressure between the peeling roller 45 and the platen roller 10.

[0069] 11, in a side view, the normal direction (direction indicated by F5b) of the contact surface of the contact portion 32 with which the protrusion 422 contacts may be the same as the direction from the center of the peeling roller 45 toward the center of the platen roller 10, but is not limited to being the same because the direction of the force of F5 changes depending on the angle at which the protrusion 422 contacts the contact portion 32. As shown in Fig. 11, the component force F5b of the normal component with respect to the contact surface of the reaction force F5 of the contact portion 32 acting on the protrusion 422 presses the peeling roller 45 against the platen roller 10, making it possible to more effectively generate a nip pressure when nipping the backing paper.

[0070] [Operation of storing peeling roller holding portion 42] Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, an operation will be described when the peeling roller holding portion 42 in the protruding position is accommodated under the peeling roller cover 41 and the peeling unit 4 is set to the continuous issuing position. To switch from peeling issuance to continuous issuance, the cover opening button 51b is pressed to open the printer cover 3, and the peeling unit opening button 52b is pressed. Then, as shown in state S2 of Fig. 8, the peeling roller cover 41 swings to the open position, and the peeling roller holding part 42 swings to the protruding position. In this state, the operator can set the peeling unit 4 to the continuous issuance position by folding the peeling roller holding part 42 and storing it under the peeling roller cover 41 (folding operation).

[0071] 12 and 13 are perspective views showing the peeling unit opening lever 52 and the peeling unit 4 in a time series when the operator performs a folding operation of the peeling unit 4. In FIG. 12, the peeling unit opening lever 52 has a first stopper 521 (an example of a first restricting portion) and a second stopper 522 (an example of a second restricting portion) that protrude inward. The first stopper 521 and the second stopper 522 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front and rear, and are provided to restrict the swinging of the arm 421 of the peeling roller holding part 42 by abutting against the arm 421.

[0072] In state S5 of Fig. 12, the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position and the peeling roller holding part 42 is in the protruding position, which is the same as state S2 of Fig. 8. This state is maintained by the operator continuing to press the peeling unit opening button 52b.

[0073] In state S5, when the operator rotates (or swings) the peeling roller holding part 42 around the shaft 42a and moves it to the housed position under the back surface 412 of the peeling roller cover 41, the state changes to state S6. At this time, the operating force causes the part of the arm 421 farthest from the shaft 42a to climb over the first stopper 521. Therefore, the arm 421 comes into contact with the first stopper 521, thereby restricting the swinging of the peeling roller holding part 42 against the restoring force of the coil spring 43 (see FIG. 6). In other words, when the peeling roller holding part 42 is located at the housed position and the peeling roller cover 41 is located at the open position, the first stopper 521 comes into contact with the arm 421 to restrict the swinging of the peeling roller holding part 42. The first stopper 521 restricts the rocking of the peeling roller holding part 42, making it easy to move the peeling roller cover 41 to the closed position while keeping the peeling roller holding part 42 in the housed position. Without the first stopper 521, the operator would have to release the pressure on the peeling unit opening button 52b to move the peeling roller cover 41 to the closed position while holding the peeling roller holding part 42 with his / her hand to prevent it from rocking from the housed position. In other words, the provision of the first stopper 521 improves operability.

[0074] When the operator releases the peeling unit opening button 52b while the peeling roller holding part 42 is locked in the housed position by the first stopper 521, the peeling roller cover 41 starts moving toward the closed position. State S7 shows a state in which the peeling roller cover 41 is on the way to the closed position. In the process in which the peeling roller cover 41 moves toward the closed position, the restriction on the swinging of the arm 421 by the first stopper 521 is released in accordance with the swinging of the peeling roller cover 41. That is, the outer edge of the arm 421 is formed so that the restriction on the swinging of the arm 421 is released when the peeling roller cover 41 is closed to a predetermined angle.

[0075] 13 is a state at the time when the operator further closes the peeling roller cover 41 from state S7. The peeling roller holding part 42, whose swing restriction by the first stopper 521 has been released, swings due to the restoring force of the coil spring 43, but the swing is restricted again by the second stopper 522 located behind the first stopper 521. In other words, the second stopper 522 abuts against the arm 421 while the peeling roller holding part 42 moves from the open position to the closed position, thereby restricting the swing of the peeling roller holding part 42 at a position between the housed position and the protruding position. State S9 is a state in which the peeling roller cover 41 is in the closed position, and the peeling unit 4 is in the continuous issuing position. By providing the second stopper 522, it is possible to prevent the peeling roller holding part 42 from swinging while the peeling roller cover 41 moves from the open position to the closed position. Furthermore, since the second stopper 522 is located rearward of the first stopper 521, as shown in state S9, when the peeling unit opening button 52b is operated while the peeling unit 4 is in the continuous issuing position, the peeling roller holding part 42 can be smoothly swung to the protruding position.

[0076] It is not always necessary to provide the first stopper 521 and the second stopper 522. Providing just one of the stoppers contributes to improved operability. Even if neither the first stopper 521 nor the second stopper 522 is provided, it is possible to perform the folding operation of the peeling unit 4. That is, the operator can store the peeling roller holding part 42 under the peeling roller cover 41 by carefully moving the peeling roller cover 41 to the closed position while stopping the peeling roller holding part 42 at the stored position by hand.

[0077] [Switching between continuous printing and peeling printing on Printer 1] Next, the switching operation between continuous printing and peeling printing of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 show side views of the main parts of the printer 1 in chronological order when switching from continuous issuance to peel-off issuance. Note that the platen holding bracket 27 is omitted from FIG.

[0078] State S10 in Fig. 14 shows the state of the printer 1 during continuous printing. In this state, the printer cover 3 is held by the platen shaft 10a of the platen roller 10, which is axially supported by the printer cover 3, fitting into the groove 27b of the platen holding bracket 27. In state S10, the peeling unit 4 is set to the continuous printing position.

[0079] When the operator presses the cover opening button 51b in state S10, the platen shaft 10a is released from the platen holding bracket 27, and the printer cover 3 moves toward the open position due to the biasing force of the torsion spring provided on the hinge 8 (see Figure 2), as shown in state S11. Next, when the operator presses the peeling unit opening button 52b, the peeling roller cover 41 swings from the closed position to the open position and the peeling roller holding part 42 swings from the housed position to the protruding position as shown in state S12. After that, when the operator releases the pressing of the peeling unit opening button 52b, the peeling roller cover 41 returns to the closed position as shown in state S13 in Fig. 15, but the peeling roller holding part 42 remains in the protruding position due to the biasing force of the coil spring 43 (see Fig. 6).

[0080] Next, when the operator performs the operation to close the printer cover 3, the protrusion 422 of the peeling roller holding portion 42, which is in the protruding position, is inserted into the guide groove 31p (see Figure 10) of the printer cover 3 and is guided along the guide groove 31p, thereby engaging the printer cover 3 and the peeling unit 4, as shown in state S14.

[0081] As shown in state S15, when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, the platen shaft 10a of the platen roller 10 is held by the platen holding bracket 27, and the peeling unit 4 is set to the peeling issuing position. That is, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 is positioned opposite the platen roller 10, and holds the backing paper PM together with the platen roller 10. In this state, as described above, the protrusion 422 engaged with the printer cover 3 is pressed by the coil spring 33 (see FIG. 11), generating an appropriate nip pressure between the peeling roller 45 and the platen roller 10. In peel-off issuance, the label PL printed by the thermal head 28 is peeled off from the liner PM by causing the liner PM to turn sharply with the peel bar 12. The peel-off roller 45 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the platen roller 10, and discharges the liner PM.

[0082] When switching from peeling issuance to continuous issuance, the cover opening button 51b is pressed to open the printer cover 3, and then the peeling unit opening button 52b is pressed. This causes the peeling roller cover 41 of the peeling unit 4 to swing to the open position, and the peeling roller holding part 42 to swing to the protruding position. Thereafter, as described with reference to Figures 12 and 13, the peeling unit 4 is folded up, and the peeling unit 4 is set to the continuous issuance position.

[0083] As described above, the printer 1 according to one embodiment is equipped with a peeling unit 4 that is movable between a continuous issuing position and a peeling issuing position, and when the peeling unit 4 is in the continuous issuing position, the peeling roller holding portion 42 that holds the peeling roller 45 can be compactly stored in a stored position below the back surface of the peeling roller cover 41. When switching from continuous printing to peeling printing, the printer cover 3 is opened, the peeling unit opening button 52b is operated to move the peeling roller holding part 42 to the protruding position, and the printer cover 3 is closed. In other words, switching can be done with a simple action of three steps, and operability is excellent. Moreover, when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, the roller pressing mechanism 37 of the printer cover 3 presses the peeling roller 45 against the platen roller 10, and an appropriate nip pressure can be generated. Conversely, when switching from peeling issuance to continuous issuance, the printer cover 3 is opened, the peeling unit opening button 52b is operated to move the peeling roller holding part 42 to the protruding position, a folding operation is performed to move the peeling roller holding part 42 to the housed position, and the printer cover 3 is closed. This case also requires simple operations.

[0084] [How to attach and detach the thermal head 28] Next, a method for attaching and detaching the thermal head 28 from the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 16A is a diagram showing the front side (an example of the first side) of the thermal head 28 that is biased by a coil spring 55, and Fig. 16B is a diagram showing the rear side (an example of the second side) of the thermal head 28. The rear side of the thermal head 28 faces the platen roller 10. Fig. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing cross sections AA and BB of Fig. 16A.

[0085] 16 and 17, the thermal head 28 has a structure in which a substrate 282 is attached to a heat sink 281 (an example of a base) that is substantially rectangular in plan view. The heat sink 281 is made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. As can be seen from the AA cross section of FIG. 17, the substrate 282 (an example of a coating layer) is attached to the heat sink 281 so as to extend from a front surface 281a of the heat sink 281 to a back surface 281b on the opposite side of the front surface 281a, through a first end 281e1 interposed between the front surface 281a and the back surface 281b, and to the back surface 281b. The substrate 282 is, for example, a ceramic substrate. The area of ​​the heat sink 281 that is occupied by the substrate 282 is an example of a covered area. The front surface 281a (the surface facing the rear of the printer 1) is an example of a first surface, and the back surface 281b (the surface facing the front of the printer 1) is an example of a second surface. 16B and the BB cross section of FIG. 17, a notch 283c (an example of an opening and a non-covered area) is provided at a substantial center position in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction) of the surface 281a of the thermal head 28. The substrate 282 is not formed in the notch 283c, and the surface 281a of the heat sink 281 is exposed. As will be described later, a protrusion 211 (see FIG. 19) for enabling the thermal head 28 to swing is abutted against the notch 283c.

[0086] 16A and 17, surface mounted devices (SMD) such as, but not limited to, a connector 285, an EEPROM 286 (an example of a memory chip), and a diode 287 are mounted on a board 282 attached to a rear surface 281b of a heat sink 281. When the thermal head 28 is mounted on the printer 1, a flexible cable 57 is connected to the connector 285. The flexible cable 57 transmits signals from a circuit board of the printer 1 (not shown) to the thermal head 28. When the thermal head 28 is attached to the printer 1, the relatively tall surface-mounted components (connector 285, EEPROM 286, diode 287, etc. in FIG. 16A) mounted on the back surface 281b of the heat sink 281 face the front of the printer 1, so that the surface-mounted components can be protected from moisture and the like that may invade from the discharge section 20 located behind the thermal head 28. A driving IC (not shown) is mounted near the heat generating section 284 on the rear side of the thermal head 28 facing the discharge section 20 (the side on which the front surface 281a of the heat sink 281 is located), but since the driving IC is short, the driving IC and wiring are protected by a protective layer or coating layer together with the heat generating section 284, so there is no problem even if moisture invades from the discharge section 20 adheres to the driving IC.

[0087] 16B, the rear side of the thermal head 28 (the side where the heat generating part 284 is arranged) does not have tall surface mounted components such as connectors, so the conveying angle of the label PL with respect to the heat generating part 284 can be made small (that is, the angle is made close to vertical with respect to the heat generating part 284 when viewed from the side) (see FIG. 3). Therefore, the print quality can be improved for the following reasons. The heat generating portion 284 has a convex shape as a whole because it includes a glaze layer (partial glaze) that is generally convex. If a tall surface-mounted component is arranged behind the thermal head 28, the conveyance angle of the label PL relative to the heat generating portion 284 becomes large in order to avoid the surface-mounted component. In that case, due to the convex shape of the heat generating portion 284 and the rigidity (stiffness) of the label PL, the label PL tends to float from the heat generating portion 284 at the position of the heat generating portion 284, making it difficult to apply an optimal printing pressure to the label PL between the heat generating portion 284 and the platen roller 10. On the other hand, when the conveyance angle of the label PL relative to the heat generating portion 284 is small, even if the heat generating portion 284 is convex, the heat generating portion 284 can hold the label PL between the platen roller 10 and the heat generating portion 284 with an appropriate printing pressure near the top of the heat generating portion 284, so that the print quality can be improved.

[0088] A pair of shafts 28a extending outward are connected to both end surfaces of the heat sink 281. As described below, the pair of shafts 28a are provided for mounting the thermal head 28 to the internal frame of the printer 1. As shown in Figures 16A and 16B, the shafts 28a include a large diameter portion connected to the heat sink 281 and a small diameter portion extending outward from the large diameter portion, giving the shafts 28a a high strength configuration. The small diameter portion of the shafts 28a is inserted into the bearing grooves 25 described below.

[0089] Fig. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of the printer 1 taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction in a state in which the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position and the peeling roller holding part 42 is in the protruding position by continuing to press the peeling unit opening button 52b. In Fig. 17, the thermal head 28 and the coil spring 55 are not shown so that the bearing groove 25 into which the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 is inserted can be clearly seen. As shown in Fig. 18, a substantially L-shaped bearing groove 25 is formed in the internal frame of the printer 1. Note that Fig. 18 shows only the bearing groove 25 that receives one of the pair of shafts 28a of the thermal head 28, but the bearing groove 25 that receives the other shaft 28a is formed in the same manner.

[0090] 18, the bearing groove 25 has a first groove 251 and a second groove 252. Here, positions P1 and P2 respectively indicate imaginary positions that the shaft 28a can take in the bearing groove 25. Note that in the present disclosure, when the shaft 28a is at position P1 or P2, it may be expressed that the thermal head 28 is at position P1 or P2, respectively.

[0091] The first groove 251 extends from position P1 (an example of a first position of the print head) in a direction in which the thermal head 28 is attached and detached. The second groove 252 extends from position P1 to position P2 (an example of a second position of the print head) in a direction in which the coil spring 55 in front of the thermal head 28 urges the thermal head 28 (i.e., rearward; an example of a first direction). By making the bearing insertion groove 25 an L-shaped groove consisting of the first groove 251 and the second groove 252, it is possible to switch, with a relatively simple shape, between a position (position P2) where the thermal head 28 cannot be removed by moving it upward and a position (position P1) where the thermal head 28 can be removed by moving it upward.

[0092] In addition, the thermal head 28 can be displaced between positions P1 and P2 in the direction in which the coil spring 55 biases the thermal head 28. Therefore, when attaching the thermal head 28, if the shaft 28a is inserted along the first groove 251 to position P1, the thermal head 28 can be easily set to position P2 by the biasing force of the coil spring 55.

[0093] Next, a method for replacing the thermal head 28 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a method for replacing the thermal head 28, showing partial side views of the thermal head 28 to be replaced in states S20 and S21. First, as shown in state S20, the thermal head 28 to be replaced is disposed at position P2 of the bearing groove 25 when attached to the printer 1. In this state, the entire thermal head 28 is urged toward the platen roller 10 (not shown in FIG. 19) (i.e., rearward) by the urging force of the coil spring 55, whereby the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 is stably positioned at position P2.

[0094] Here, to remove the thermal head 28 to be replaced, as shown in state S21, the thermal head 28 to be replaced is moved from position P2 in the direction opposite to the first direction (i.e., the direction in which the coil spring 55 biases the thermal head 28) (forward) to position P1 against the biasing force of the coil spring 55. Next, the thermal head 28 to be replaced is moved upward (an example of a second direction) from position P1 to disengage the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 to be replaced from the bearing groove 25, and the thermal head 28 to be replaced is removed. At this point, the flexible cable 57 is connected to the connector 285 of the thermal head 28 to be replaced (see FIG. 21B), so the flexible cable 57 is disconnected from the connector 285 of the thermal head 28 to be replaced. After the thermal head 28 to be replaced has been separated from the flexible cable 57, a new thermal head 28 can be attached to the printer 1 by following the steps in reverse order to those for removal. That is, first, the separated flexible cable 57 is connected to the connector 285 of the new thermal head 28 (see FIG. 16A). Then, when the operation of inserting the new thermal head 28 into position P1 is performed, the thermal head 28 moves from position P1 to position P2 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 55. That is, the new thermal head 28 is moved downward (an example of a direction opposite to the second direction) and the shaft 28a of the new thermal head 28 is inserted into the bearing insertion groove 25 from the first groove 251 (see FIG. 18). At this time, the tip of the coil spring 55 (one end at the rear of the coil spring 55) is pushed forward (in a direction against the biasing force of the coil spring 55) with the back surface 281b (the surface facing the front of the printer 1) of the new thermal head 28 while being inserted. When the shaft 28a of the new thermal head 28 reaches position P1, the shaft 28a can be moved to position P2 without the need for an operating force due to the biasing force of the coil spring 55. The replacement of the thermal head 28 is carried out as described above.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 16B, no surface-mounted components such as connectors are arranged on the rear side of the thermal head 28 (the side where the heat generating portion 284 is arranged), which has the advantage of facilitating the replacement work of the thermal head 28. Combined with the fact that the thermal head 28 is biased rearward by the coil spring 55, if the rear side of the thermal head 28 is not flat, the thermal head 28 will interfere with the rear internal frame (e.g., the wall surface 21, etc.; see Fig. 20), making it difficult to smoothly insert the thermal head 28 into the bearing groove 25. In contrast, since the rear side of the thermal head 28 is flat, a new thermal head 28 can be smoothly inserted into the bearing groove 25 under the condition where the biasing force of the coil spring 55 is working.

[0096] The thermal head 28 is attached and detached when the peeling unit 4 is in the open position. That is, when the peeling unit 4 is in the closed position, it is in a position that covers at least a part of the thermal head 28, whereas when the peeling unit 4 is in the open position, it is in a position that does not cover the thermal head 28, as shown in Fig. 2. The thermal head 28 is attached and detached when the peeling unit 4 is in the open position. When the peeling unit 4 is in the closed position, there is no other member between the peeling unit 4 and the thermal head 28, and the peeling unit 4 directly covers at least a portion of the thermal head 28.

[0097] 18 again, when the peeling roller cover 41 is in the open position (i.e., the peeling unit 4 is in the open position), a space is formed in which the thermal head 28 with the shaft 28a located at position P1 can be attached and detached. Therefore, when the operator wants to remove the thermal head 28 from the printer 1, he or she simply opens the printer cover 3, keeps pressing the peeling unit opening button 52b to place the peeling unit 4 in the state shown in FIG. 18, slides the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 from position P2 to position P1 against the biasing force of the coil spring 55 as described above, and then pulls out the thermal head 28 upward. 2, in the printer 1 of this embodiment, at least a portion of the rear side of the thermal head 28 is exposed to the roll paper storage chamber 9, so that by temporarily removing the roll paper R, a working space can be secured when removing the thermal head 28, making it easier to remove the thermal head 28. That is, when sliding the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 from position P2 to position P1, the operator needs to apply an operating force to the thermal head 28 from the rear to the front, but because there is space behind the thermal head 28, it is easy to apply the operating force. Also, because there is space behind the thermal head 28, when the operator performs the operation of pulling the thermal head 28 upward, it is easy to insert a hand into the space, making the pull-out operation easier.

[0098] When attaching the thermal head 28 to the printer 1, the operation is the reverse of that when removing the thermal head 28 from the printer 1. Similarly, with the peeling unit 4 in the state shown in Fig. 18, the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 is inserted from the first groove 251 of the bearing groove 25 to position P1 while pressing the tip of the coil spring 55 (the rear end of the coil spring 55) forward (in the direction against the biasing force of the coil spring 55) with the back surface 281b (the surface facing the front of the printer 1) of the thermal head 28, whereby the thermal head 28 moves to position P2 by the biasing force of the coil spring 55. Therefore, the thermal head 28 can be easily replaced without using any tools.

[0099] In another embodiment, the bearing groove may have a different shape other than the L-shape. For example, the bearing groove may have a groove that extends diagonally forward or backward from the position P1, as long as the thermal head 28 can be attached and detached from the position P1. Although this makes attachment and detachment somewhat difficult, the bearing groove may have a U-shaped groove path between the positions P1 and P2, starting from the position P1 in FIG. 18, moving forward, slightly downward, and then moving backward to the position P2. In this case, the operator can remove the shaft 28a of the thermal head 28 by moving the shaft 28a from the position P2 to the position P1 along the U-shaped groove.

[0100] [Support structure of thermal head 28] Next, the support structure of the thermal head 28 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the structure of the internal frame behind the thermal head 28 will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a part of the internal frame together with the parts attached to the internal frame, with a part being shown enlarged. Note that Fig. 20 does not show the thermal head 28.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 20, behind the area where the thermal head 28 is disposed (on the roll paper storage chamber 9 side), the internal frame has a wall 21 that faces the rear surface of the thermal head 28. A protrusion 211 is formed on the wall 21. The protrusion 211 (an example of a contact portion) contacts the rear surface of the thermal head 28 when the thermal head 28 is attached. As shown in Fig. 20, the contact surface of the protrusion 211 is preferably curved so as to be convex toward the rear surface of the thermal head 28.

[0102] Figures 21A and 21B are diagrams for explaining the forces acting on the thermal head 28 in the printer 1 of this embodiment, with Figure 21A showing a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction, and Figure 21B showing a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. Note that Figures 21A and 21B are on different scales. 21A, the protrusion 211 is provided at a position that abuts substantially on the center in the left-right direction of the thermal head 28 when the thermal head 28 is mounted. Also, the protrusion 211 is provided at a position on the rear side of the thermal head 28 that abuts substantially on the center position of the pair of coil springs 55 in the left-right direction.

[0103] As described above, the thermal head 28 has a notch 283c (see FIG. 16B) provided at approximately the center in the left-right direction, and the protrusion 211 abuts against the thermal head 28 at the notch 283c. The notch 283c is not covered by the substrate 282, and is a portion where the heat sink 281 of the thermal head 28 is exposed, so that the thermal head 28 can be supported more stably. It is not essential to provide the notch 283c. The protrusion 211 may support the thermal head 28 in the region of the substrate 282 without providing the notch 283c.

[0104] It is preferable that a recess having a shape corresponding to the protrusion 211 is provided on the rear surface of the thermal head 28 at a position where the thermal head abuts against the protrusion 211. This makes it difficult for the position where the thermal head abuts against the protrusion 211 to shift, and allows the thermal head 28 to be supported more stably. In one embodiment, a recess may be provided on the wall surface 21 of the internal frame, and a protrusion having a shape corresponding to the recess on the wall surface 21 may be provided on the rear surface of the thermal head 28. Even in this case, the thermal head 28 can be stably supported while being swingable. The shape of the protrusion 211 shown in Fig. 20 is merely an example, and other shapes may be adopted as long as they can swingably support the thermal head 28. For example, instead of the shape shown in Fig. 20, the outer shape of the protrusion 211 may be a part of a sphere.

[0105] 21A, when the printer 1 is viewed in a plan view, restoring forces F1 and F2 from a pair of coil springs 55 acting rearward act on the front side of the thermal head 28, and a reaction force F3 acts from the protrusion 211 abutting the rear side of the thermal head 28. Here, since the protrusion 211 is located approximately in the center when viewed from above the printer 1, the thermal head 28 is configured to be able to swing clockwise and counterclockwise in FIG. 21A with the protrusion 211 as a fulcrum.

[0106] As shown in Fig. 21B, when the printer 1 is viewed from the side, restoring forces F1, F2 (F2 is not visible in Fig. 21B) acting rearward by a pair of coil springs 55 act on the front side of the thermal head 28. A reaction force F4 from the platen roller 10 acts on the rear side of the thermal head 28 above the points of application of the restoring forces F1, F2, and a reaction force F3 from the protrusion 211 acts on the rear side of the thermal head 28 below the points of application of the restoring forces F1, F2. Therefore, the thermal head 28 is configured to be able to swing clockwise and counterclockwise in Fig. 21B with the protrusion 211 as a fulcrum.

[0107] Moreover, when viewed from the side of the printer 1, the point at which the biasing force of the coil spring 55 acts on the thermal head 28 is between the position at which the thermal head 28 receives a reaction force from the platen roller 10 and the position at which the protrusion 211 supports the rear side of the thermal head 28. Therefore, since the biasing force of the coil spring 55 is received from above and below, the thermal head 28 can be supported in a well-balanced manner.

[0108] 21B, at the rear side of the thermal head 28, it is preferable that the surface with which the protrusion 211 abuts (i.e., the surface where the heat sink 281 is exposed by the cutout 283c) and the surface corresponding to the heat generating portion 284 are on the same reference plane. This allows the heat generating elements of the thermal head 28 to be pressed against the platen roller 10 at an appropriate angle.

[0109] 21A and 21B, the thermal head 28 is configured to be able to swing around the protrusion 211 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction when the printer 1 is viewed from the side, and around the protrusion 211 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction when the printer 1 is viewed from above. Therefore, the thermal head 28 can apply uniform pressure to the platen roller 10 during printing. The reason for this is as follows.

[0110] In conventional printers equipped with a thermal head, the thermal head is attached to the printer's internal frame or housing by fixing it at, for example, two points using screws, shafts, brackets, etc. In such cases, misalignment of the attachment position can cause the pressure when the thermal head contacts the platen roller to become uneven in the axial direction of the platen roller, which can lead to a deterioration in print quality. In contrast, in this embodiment, when viewed from the side and in a plan view of the printer 1, the thermal head 28 can swing around the convex portion 211 as a fulcrum. Therefore, even if there is an installation error in the platen roller 10, if there is circumferential runout when the platen roller 10 rotates, or if there are unevenness in the label temporarily attached to the backing paper, the thermal head 28 can follow and maintain uniform pressure on the platen roller 10. Moreover, since the thermal head 28 is displaceable between positions P1 and P2 (see FIG. 18) in the direction in which the coil spring 55 biases the thermal head 28, the thermal head 28 is not hindered from swinging about the protrusion 211 as a fulcrum.

[0111] In addition, some conventional printers equipped with thermal heads have a fulcrum shaft provided below the thermal head and fixed to the printer body to allow the thermal head to swing in a side view, but unlike printer 1, the thermal head cannot be replaced without tools. In contrast, printer 1 is superior to conventional printers in that the thermal head 28 can be replaced without tools and can swing in a side view and a plan view of the printer 1.

[0112] In another embodiment, the wall surface 21 shown in Fig. 20 may be provided with two protrusions 211 spaced apart in the left-right direction. Even in this case, the thermal head 28 can be made to swing around the protrusions 211 as a fulcrum when viewed from the side of the printer 1. Even if the thermal head 28 is swingable only when viewed from the side of the printer 1, this can contribute to reducing the deterioration of print quality. In another embodiment, the wall surface 21 shown in Fig. 20 may be provided with two convex portions 211 spaced apart in the vertical direction. Even in this case, the thermal head 28 can be made to swing around the convex portions 211 as a fulcrum in a plan view of the printer 1. Even if the thermal head 28 is swingable only in a plan view of the printer 1, this can contribute to reducing the deterioration of print quality.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 16A, a flexible cable 57 is detachably connected to the thermal head 28. As shown in Fig. 21B, when the thermal head 28 is attached to the printer 1, this flexible cable 57 is connected from the connector 285 of the thermal head 28 to a circuit board (not shown) located in the front of the printer 1. At this time, the flexible cable 57 is fixed at a fixing position 24a on the upper surface of the bracket 24 located in front of the thermal head 28, for example, by screws or adhesive.

[0114] A cable housing chamber 59 for housing the flexible cable 57 is formed between the thermal head 28 and the circuit board. A relatively long flexible cable 57 is configured to be housed in the cable housing chamber 59 between the connector of the thermal head 28 and the fixing position 24a. Therefore, when the thermal head 28 is removed, the thermal head 28 can be moved to a position sufficiently higher than the printer 1 with the fixing position 24a as the reference, and the flexible cable 57 can be easily removed from the connector of the thermal head 28 and replaced with a new thermal head 28. It is not essential to form the cable housing chamber 59. Although the cable length from the connector 285 of the thermal head 28 to the fixing position 24a will be shortened, it is still possible to detach the flexible cable 57 from the connector 285 and replace the thermal head 28 in this case.

[0115] 21A and 21B, the cable accommodating chamber 59 is formed in the space sandwiched between the platen holding bracket 27 and the thermal head 28. Therefore, the space formed by the platen holding bracket 27, which is U-shaped in a plan view, can be efficiently utilized. The cable accommodating chamber 59 does not have to be formed in the space between the platen holding bracket 27 and the thermal head 28. For example, the flexible cable 57 extending from the connector of the thermal head 28 can be passed under the platen holding bracket 27, and the accommodating chamber can be provided in front of the platen holding bracket 27.

[0116] As described above, in the above-mentioned printer 1, since no surface-mounted components are mounted on the rear surface of the thermal head 28, the surface-mounted components can be protected from moisture and the like that may enter from the discharge section 20. In the printer 1 described above, when the peeling unit 4 is in an open position where it does not cover the thermal head 28, a space is formed in which the thermal head 28 can be attached and detached, thereby improving the ease of replacing the thermal head 28. Moreover, the thermal head 28 is biased backward (toward the platen roller 10) and configured to be displaceable along this direction between a first position where the thermal head 28 can be attached and detached, and a second position where attachment and detachment of the thermal head 28 is restricted. Therefore, in order to remove the thermal head 28, it is only necessary to move the thermal head 28 from the second position to the first position, and no tools or the like are required.

[0117] In the printer 1 described above, the thermal head 28 is configured to be able to swing clockwise or counterclockwise around the protrusion 211 as a fulcrum when the printer 1 is viewed from the side, and clockwise or counterclockwise around the protrusion 211 as a fulcrum when the printer 1 is viewed from above. Therefore, the thermal head 28 can apply uniform pressure to the platen roller 10 during printing, and deterioration of print quality caused by the thermal head mounting method can be prevented.

[0118] [Another embodiment of the thermal head] Next, a thermal head 28A according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 22A is a perspective view of the thermal head 28A seen from the front, and Fig. 22B is a perspective view of the thermal head 28A seen from the rear. Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a plate-like member included in the thermal head 28A. Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the thermal head 28A seen from a different viewpoint than that in Fig. 22.

[0119] As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 22A and 22B with FIGS. 16A and 16B, thermal head 28A differs from thermal head 28 in that it includes a plate-shaped member 7. The plate-shaped member 7 is a member formed from a metal material such as stainless steel, and is fastened to the heat dissipation plate 281 by screws. As shown in FIG.

[0120] The protruding pieces 72L, 72R protrude from both ends of the base 71 in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the base 71 (i.e., a direction perpendicular to the surface 281a when attached to the heat sink 281). When the plate-like member 7 is attached to the heat sink 281, the protruding pieces 72L, 72R protrude from the side on which the heat generating part 284 is mounted, as shown in Fig. 24. The protruding pieces 72L, 72R have tip portions 721L, 721R at their tips. A hole 72a is formed in the protruding piece 72L, and a U-shaped groove 72b is formed in the protruding piece 72R. As shown in Figures 22A and 28B, one of the pair of shafts 28a is inserted into the hole 72a, and the other shaft 28a is inserted into the U-shaped groove 72b. Since a hole is formed in one of the tip portions 721L, 721R, and a U-shaped groove is formed in the other, attachment of the plate-like member 7 to the heat sink 281 is facilitated. When the plate-shaped member 7 is attached to the heat sink 281, as shown in FIG. 22A, the protruding plate 73 protrudes from the side on which the relatively tall surface-mounted components (e.g., connector 285, EEPROM 286, diode 287, etc.) are mounted.

[0121] The protruding plate 73 is provided between the protruding pieces 72L, 72R along the longitudinal direction of the base 71, and protrudes from the base 71 in the opposite direction to the protruding pieces 72L, 72R. Two holes 71a are formed in the base 71 for inserting screws when attaching the plate-shaped member 7 to the heat sink 281. The base 71 has two protrusions 711. As shown in Fig. 22A, the protrusions 711 are positioned so as not to interfere with surface-mounted components when the plate-shaped member 7 is attached to the heat sink 281.

[0122] The effect of the thermal head 28A having the plate-like member 7 will be described below with reference to Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is a side view showing the positional relationship between the thermal head 28A and the platen holding bracket 27.

[0123] As described above, when the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, the platen shaft 10a of the platen roller 10 attached to the printer cover 3 fits into the groove 27b of the platen holding bracket 27 to hold the printer cover 3. In this case, in the case of a thermal head 28 that does not have a plate-shaped member 7, when an operator presses the printer cover 3 from above, such as when closing the printer cover 3, the platen roller 10 is displaced downward from the designed position where the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28 contact each other. This causes fluctuations in print density. The thermal head 28 is attached to the bearing groove 25 (see FIG. 18) provided in the internal frame, and one end of the shaft 27a of the platen holding bracket 27 is inserted into the boss 52a of the peeling unit opening lever 52, and the other end of the shaft 27a is inserted into a boss provided in the internal frame (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the position where the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28 come into contact is easily affected by accumulated errors in assembling the various parts, and is easily displaced from the designed position.

[0124] The above-mentioned disadvantages of the thermal head 28 are eliminated by the thermal head 28A. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 25, when the thermal head 28A is mounted on the printer 1 instead of the thermal head 28, the upper ends of the tip portions 721L, 721R of the plate-shaped member 7 of the thermal head 28A are positioned higher than the edge forming the groove 27b of the platen holding bracket 27. Therefore, the platen shaft 10a that fits into the platen holding bracket 27 abuts against the tip portions 721L, 721R in the groove 27b. This makes it difficult for the platen roller 10 to shift downward from the designed position where the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28 contact each other, even if the operator presses the printer cover 3 from above. This is because the plate-shaped member 7 is integral with the heat sink 281 on which the heat generating portion 284 is mounted, and therefore the relative positional relationship between the platen roller 10 and the heat generating portion 284 is unlikely to be affected even if the platen shaft 10a presses down the tip portions 721L, 721R.

[0125] Referring again to FIG. 25, when the thermal head 28A is mounted on the printer 1, the protruding plate 73 of the plate-like member 7 protrudes toward the front of the printer 1. Therefore, the protruding plate 73 covers the upper part of the cable housing chamber 59 formed in front of the thermal head 28A, preventing dust from entering the printer 1 from the outside and preventing dust from adhering to the upper surfaces of the surface-mounted components arranged in front of the thermal head 28A. In other words, the protruding plate 73 functions as a visor. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, the roll paper R is replaced with the printer cover 3 in the open position, which makes it easy for dust to enter the printer 1, but even in this case, the surface-mounted components of the thermal head 28A can be protected from dust. From another point of view, providing the protruding plate 73 has the advantage that the strength of the plate-like member 7 can be increased.

[0126] Although the embodiment of the printer of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Furthermore, the above embodiment can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the individual technical features described in the above embodiment can be appropriately combined as long as there is no technical contradiction.

[0127] For example, the structure and attachment / detachment method of the thermal heads 28, 28A are not technically related to the structure of the peeling unit 4 or the method of switching the issuance mode, and therefore may be applied to a printer that does not include a peeling unit 4. Conversely, the structure of the peeling unit 4 and the method of switching the issuance mode may be applied to a printer that employs a structure and attachment / detachment method of the thermal heads 28, 28A different from those described above.

[0128] Although a case has been described in which some of the internal parts of the printer 1 (for example, a shaft, one end of a spring, etc.) are connected to the internal frame, this is not limiting, and they may be connected to the main body case 2.

[0129] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where a continuous paper with multiple labels temporarily attached to a mount is used as the printing medium is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. When used for continuous printing, or in the case of a printer without a peeling unit, for example, a continuous label having an adhesive surface on one side (backing paperless label), a continuous sheet having no adhesive surface (continuous sheet), or a film that can be printed by a thermal head, not limited to paper, can be used as the printing medium. In addition, when conveying a backing paperless label with exposed adhesive, the conveying path can be covered with a non-adhesive and a non-adhesive roller containing silicone or the like can be provided as a platen roller. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1. Printer 2. Main unit case 21...Wall 211…Convex part 24…Bracket 3. Printer cover 31…Removal unit receiving section 31p...Guide groove 37...Roller pressing mechanism 32...Abutting part 33...Coil spring 35…Sensor 4…Peeling unit 41...Peeling roller cover 41a...axis 411...Surface 412...Back side 413...U-shaped groove 415…Engagement hole 42...peeling roller holding portion 42a...axis 421…Arm 422…Protrusion 43…Coil spring 45...Peeling roller 45a…axis 46...Auxiliary roller 47…Peeling sensor 6a...Roll paper guide 7...Plate-shaped member 71...Base 71a…hole 711...Protrusion 72L,72R…Protruding piece 72a…hole 72b…U-shaped groove 721L,721R…Tip 73...Protruding plate 8…Hinge 81...Hinge axis 9…Roll paper storage chamber 10...Platen roller 10a…Platen shaft 10b…Gear 12…Peeling bar 15...Display panel 20…Discharge section 22b…Gear 25...Bearing receiving groove 251…1st groove 252…Second groove 26…Protrusion 27…Platen retention bracket 27a...axis 27b…Groove 27c…hole 28,28A…Thermal head 28a...axis 281...Heat sink 281a…Surface 281b…Back side 282... Circuit board 283c…Notch 284…heat generating part 285…Connector 29...Coil spring 51…Cover release lever 51a...Shaft insertion hole 51b…Cover release button 51c…Protrusion 52...Peeling unit release lever 52a…Boss 52b…Removal unit release button 521…First stopper 522…Second stopper 523...Engagement protrusion 53,55…Coil spring 56…Shaft 57...Flexible cable 59…Cable storage room P...Continuous paper PM…Paper PL…Label R…Roll paper

Claims

1. A printer capable of switching between peel-off issuing, in which a print medium has a label peelably attached to a mount, and issuing the label by peeling the label from the mount, and continuous issuing, in which the label is issued without peeling the label from the mount, A conveying roller that conveys the print medium; a peeling unit including a peeling roller holder that holds a peeling roller that faces the conveying roller when peeling is performed, and a peeling roller cover that pivotally supports the peeling roller holder and is movable between a closed position and an open position; Equipped with When the peeling roller cover is located at the open position, the peeling roller holding part is configured to be swingable between a first position facing a back surface of the peeling roller cover and a second position in which the peeling roller is not covered by the peeling roller cover and the peeling roller holding part does not face the back surface of the peeling roller cover, the peeling unit has a biasing member that biases the peeling roller holding portion from the first position toward the second position; Printer.

2. the peeling roller cover has a first shaft serving as a pivot shaft for pivoting between the closed position and the open position; the peeling roller holder has a second shaft supported by the peeling roller cover, When the peeling roller cover is in the open position, the second shaft is located at a higher position than when the peeling roller cover is in the closed position, and a space is formed in which the peeling roller holding portion can swing from the first position to the second position.

2. The printer according to claim 1.

3. a first restricting portion that restricts the rocking of the peeling roller holding portion; the first regulating portion regulates the pivoting of the peeling roller holding portion by abutting against a part of the peeling roller holding portion when the peeling roller holding portion is located at the first position and the peeling roller cover is located at an open position; 3. A printer according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a second restricting portion that restricts the rocking of the peeling roller holding portion; the second regulating portion abuts against a part of the peeling roller holding portion while the peeling roller cover moves from the open position to the closed position, thereby regulating the pivoting of the peeling roller holding portion at a position between the first position and the second position.

4. The printer according to claim 3.

5. a printer cover that is pivotable between an open position that exposes the interior of the printer and a closed position that closes the interior of the printer; a locking member that is pivotable between a locking position that locks the printer cover in a closed position and an unlocking position that unlocks the printer cover in the closed position; a swinging member that swings to move the peeling roller cover between a closed position and an open position; Equipped with The lock member and the swing member share a single swing axis. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a printer body having a slot formed therein and accommodating the first shaft of the peeling roller cover; 3. The printer according to claim 2.

7. a print head that holds the print medium between the transport roller and the print medium and prints information on the label; a printer body having a protrusion protruding upward; the peeling roller cover has an abutment portion that abuts against the protrusion when in a closed position, When the peeling roller cover is in a closed position, a gap is provided between the peeling unit and the print head. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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