Printer

Abstract

To replace components near an inner cover easily without removing the inner cover.SOLUTION: A printer of the invention has a transport roller 82 which is provided at a position facing a printing part for making prints and with which a transported sheet is brought into pressure-contact during printing by the printing part. The printer includes: support members 51, 52, 53 supporting both ends of the transport roller; and a cover member 54 which pivotally supports both ends of the transport roller with the support members. The cover member is held by the support members so as to be movable between a first position where the cover member pivotally supports the transport roller with the support members and a second position where the cover member releases pivotal support of the transport roller and supports the transport roller in a manner that the transport roller can be detached from the support members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer that prints on transported paper. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a printer that uses a thermal head to print while transporting printing paper pulled out from a wound paper roll. In such printers, a transport plate (inner cover) is arranged on the top surface of the frame along the transported printing paper (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the inner cover is made detachable from the printer frame, which makes it easy to replace the inner cover as well as the platen roller, auxiliary roller, and sensor that are arranged near or on the back side of the inner cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-43380 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inner cover disclosed in Patent Document 1 is detachably attached to the printer and is attached to the printer frame simply by inserting (pressing) the U-shaped attachment tabs on the back side into the recesses in the printer frame. Therefore, the operation of attaching and detaching the inner cover is very simple. However, in Patent Document 1, components near the inner cover, such as the platen roller, transport roller, and sensor, cannot be replaced unless the inner cover is removed, making the replacement work cumbersome.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that makes it possible to easily replace components near the inner cover without removing the inner cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect, a printer has a transport roller that is disposed opposite a printing unit that performs printing and against which paper transported during printing by the printing unit is pressed, the printer including a support member that supports both ends of the transport roller, and a cover member that axially supports both ends of the transport roller between the support member, the cover member being held by the support member so as to be freely movable between a first position where the transport roller is axially supported between the support member and a second position where the support of the transport roller is released and the transport roller is supported so as to be detachable from the support member.

[0007] According to the present invention, components near the inner cover can be easily replaced without removing the inner cover. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a main configuration related to printing among the internal configurations of the printer. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion and a thermal head. [Figure 4] 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which a thermal head is held by a head holding portion. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a roller holding portion with a holding cover in a closed position. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a roller holding portion with a holding cover in an open position; FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a roller holding portion with a conveying roller and a platen roller removed; [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a plan view of the roller holding portion with the holding cover in a closed state, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 8(a). [Figure 9] 9(a) is a plan view of the roller holding portion with the holding cover in an open state, and FIG. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 9(a). [Figure 10] FIG. 10(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the head holding part and the roller holding part when the lid part is open, and FIG. 10(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the head holding part and the roller holding part when the lid part is closed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a printer to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a printer in the embodiment. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a main configuration related to printing among the internal configuration of the printer.

[0010] 1 and 2, printer 10 is a device that prints on paper 101 fed from a paper roll 100 stored inside as it is transported, and discharges the printed paper 101, for example, from the front of printer 10. Printer 10 is also structured so that the user can carry it to a desired location by gripping handle 17, which will be described later.

[0011] The printer 10 includes a cover 15, a printer body 16, and a handle 17. The cover 15 is pivotally supported on the rear side of the printer body 16, and is opened and closed, for example, when loading a paper roll 100 or replacing each component installed inside the printer 10. The cover 15 has a display panel 18 on its upper surface. The display panel 18 is, for example, a touch panel display. The display panel 18 displays various setting screens for the printer 10 and displays information based on input operations on the display panel 18.

[0012] The lid portion 15 has a lid body 20 provided on the underside of the lid portion 15. The lid body 20 has a head holding portion 22 at an end portion on the free end side of the lid portion 15. The head holding portion 22 holds a thermal head 23. The thermal head 23 corresponds to a printing portion recited in the claims.

[0013] 3 and 4, the head holding part 22 has a main body 24 and an opening / closing door 25. The main body 24 is journaled to the lid part 15 by a connecting shaft 26 extending in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 3). The connecting shaft 26 is held by the main body 24 with both ends protruding from the main body 24. When the lid part 15 is closed, a locking piece 57 of the roller holding part 50, which will be described later, is locked to one end of the connecting shaft 26, and a locking piece 58 of the roller holding part 50 is locked to the other end of the connecting shaft 26.

[0014] The main body 24 has a regulating piece 30 and an engaging protrusion 31 at one end in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 3), and a regulating piece 32 and an engaging protrusion 33 at the other end. The length (distance) from the inner wall surface of the regulating piece 30 to the inner wall surface of the regulating piece 32 is set to be approximately the same as the length of the thermal head 23 in the width direction.

[0015] 3 of the thermal head 23 abuts against the regulating piece 30 when the thermal head 23 is attached to the head holding portion 22. Similarly, the right end of the thermal head 23 in FIG. 3 abuts against the regulating piece 32 when the thermal head 23 is attached to the head holding portion 22. Therefore, when the thermal head 23 is attached to the head holding portion 22, the thermal head 23 is positioned in the width direction of the main body 24 (y direction in FIG. 3).

[0016] Furthermore, when the lid portion 15 is closed, the restricting piece 30 enters inside a positioning protrusion 71b (the rotation center side of the lid portion 15) of the roller holding portion 50 described below, and is held in contact with the positioning protrusion 71b. Similarly, when the lid portion 15 is closed, the restricting piece 32 enters inside a positioning protrusion 72b (the rotation center side of the lid portion 15) of the roller holding portion 50, and is held in contact with the positioning protrusion 72b. Therefore, when the lid portion 15 is closed, the head holding portion 22 is positioned in the roller holding portion 50.

[0017] The engagement protrusion 31 is, for example, an engagement protrusion that protrudes downward, and when the opening / closing door 25 is closed, it fits into a recess 38a of a locking portion 38 provided on the opening / closing door 25. Similarly, the engagement protrusion 33 is, for example, an engagement protrusion that protrudes downward, and when the opening / closing door 25 is closed, it fits into a recess 39a of a locking portion 39 provided on the opening / closing door 25.

[0018] The main body 24 has a terminal portion 34 between the restricting pieces 30, 32. The terminal portion 34 has a plurality of contact terminals 35. When the thermal head 23 is attached to the head holding portion 22, each of the plurality of contact terminals 35 of the terminal portion 34 comes into contact with a corresponding contact of a contact portion 43 provided on a circuit board 40 of the thermal head 23.

[0019] The main body 24 has positioning protrusions 36, 37 near the terminal portion 34. The positioning protrusion 36 is inserted into an opening 44 provided in a circuit board 40 of the thermal head 23 when the thermal head 23 is attached. In addition, the positioning protrusion 37 is inserted into an opening 45 provided in the circuit board 40 of the thermal head 23 when the thermal head 23 is attached.

[0020] The main body 24 pivotally supports the opening / closing door 25 at its lower end. The opening / closing door 25 is a substantially rectangular member. The opening / closing door 25 is pivotally supported at the lower end of the main body 24 with one end in the short side direction (x direction in FIG. 3) as the center of rotation. The opening / closing door 25 has locking portions 38, 39 at both ends in the long side direction (y direction in FIG. 3).

[0021] The locking portion 38 is, for example, a substantially V-shaped member formed by bending a plate member. One end of the locking portion 38 is connected to the opening / closing door 25 so that the bent portion protrudes upward when the opening / closing door 25 is in an open state as shown in Fig. 3. In other words, one end of the locking portion 38 is a fixed end that is fixed to the opening / closing door 25, and the other end is a free end.

[0022] The free end of the locking portion 38 is thickened, and the thickened portion has a recess 38a. When the opening and closing door 25 is closed, the locking protrusion 31 provided on the main body 24 fits into the recess 38a. Thus, the locking portion 38 and the locking protrusion 31 are engaged with each other. The engagement between the locking portion 38 and the locking protrusion 31 is released by pressing the free end of the locking portion 38 toward the fixed end.

[0023] Here, the locking portion 39 has a similar configuration to the locking portion 38, and the locking protrusion 33 of the main body 24 fits into the recess 39a of the locking portion 39, thereby engaging the locking portion 39 with the locking protrusion 33. The engagement between the locking portion 39 and the locking protrusion 33 is released by pressing the free end of the locking portion 39 toward the fixed end.

[0024] The thermal head 23 is held in a state where it is sandwiched between the main body 24 of the head holding part 22 and the opening and closing door 25. When the thermal head 23 is held in the head holding part 22, the heating element array 42 provided on the circuit board 40 of the thermal head 23 is exposed. The thermal head 23 may be attached to the head holding part 22, for example, by positioning the thermal head 23 on the main body 24 of the head holding part 22 and then closing the opening and closing door 25, or by positioning the thermal head 23 on the opening and closing door 25 on which the thermal head 23 is positioned. Note that Figs. 3 and 4 show a case where the thermal head 23 is held in the head holding part 22 by closing the opening and closing door 25 after positioning the thermal head 23 on the main body 24.

[0025] The thermal head 23 has a circuit board 40 and a heat sink 41. The circuit board 40 has a circuit in which a heating element array 42 and contact parts 43 are part of the circuit configuration. The heating element array 42 has a plurality of heating elements arranged, for example, along the width direction of the circuit board 40 (y direction in FIG. 4). The heating element array 42 prints on the printing surface of the paper 101 by heat generation of each heating element.

[0026] The contact portion 43 is provided on the surface of the circuit board 40 opposite to the surface having the heating element array 42. The contact portion 43 has a plurality of contacts that come into contact with each of the plurality of contact terminals 35 of the terminal portion 34 of the main body 24 when the thermal head 23 is attached to the head holding portion 22.

[0027] The circuit board 40 has openings 44 and 45 on the outer side of the contact portion 43. The positioning protrusion 36 of the main body 24 is inserted into the opening 44, and the positioning protrusion 37 is inserted into the opening 45.

[0028] The heat sink 41 is disposed on the surface of the circuit board 40 on which the contact portion 43 is provided, and dissipates heat generated by each heating element in the heating element array.

[0029] Returning to Fig. 2, the printer body 16 holds the paper roll 100 on the rear side. The paper roll 100 is a long piece of paper 101 wound into a roll. The paper 101 has a printing surface on which printing is performed by the thermal head 23, and an adhesive surface on the opposite side to the printing surface where an adhesive is applied.

[0030] The printer body 16 has a roller holding unit 50 on the front side of the printer 10. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the roller holding unit 50 axially supports a feed roller 81 and a platen roller 82, and holds the cover unit 15 in a closed state when the cover unit 15 is closed. Here, the platen roller 82 corresponds to a transport roller recited in the claims.

[0031] When the lid portion 15 is closed, the auxiliary roller 48 (see FIG. 2) axially supported by the lid main body 20 is pressed against the feed roller 81 axially supported by the roller holding portion 50. In addition, the heating element array 42 of the thermal head 23 held by the head holding portion 22 is pressed against the platen roller axially supported by the roller holding portion 50.

[0032] The roller holding unit 50 has side plates 51 and 52, a connecting plate 53, and a holding cover 54. The side plates 51 and 52 are arranged at a fixed interval. The side plates 51 and 52 support the platen roller 82 at the front end in a detachable manner. The side plate 51 supports one end of the platen roller 82 by inserting it into a bearing portion 51a (see FIG. 7). At the same time, the side plate 52 supports the other end of the platen roller 82 by inserting it into a bearing portion 52a (see FIG. 7). The side plates 51 and 52 also support the holding cover 54 at the rear end. The side plates 51 and 52 and the connecting plate 53 correspond to a supporting member in the claims. The holding cover 54 corresponds to a cover member in the claims.

[0033] In the following, the side plates 51, 52 are configured to support the platen roller 82, but the platen roller 82 may be supported by the connecting plate 53, similar to the feed roller 81, instead of by the side plates 51, 52.

[0034] The locking piece 57 is pivotally supported by the end protruding outward from the side plate 51 among both ends in the axial direction of the connecting shaft 59 that is pivotally supported across the side plates 51 and 52. The locking piece 58 is pivotally supported by the end protruding outward from the side plate 52 among both ends in the axial direction of the connecting shaft 59. The locking pieces 57 and 58 are biased in the direction A shown in FIG. 5 by a spring (not shown) and are held at the locking position shown in FIG. 5. The locking position is the position of the locking pieces 57 and 58 when they are locked to the connecting shaft 26 when the cover 15 is closed. The locking pieces 57 and 58 are rotated in the direction B in FIG. 5 by the operation of an opening / closing lever (not shown). The locking pieces 57 and 58 are pressed by the connecting shaft 26 during the process of closing the cover 15 and rotate in the direction B shown in FIG. 5.

[0035] Although details are omitted, of the side plates 51 and 52, the side plate 51 is provided with a drive mechanism (not shown) for rotating the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82. The drive mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism using multiple gears, a mechanism using belts and pulleys, or a combination of these.

[0036] The connecting plate 53 is an L-shaped member disposed straddling from the upper surface of the roller holding portion 50 to the rear surface of the roller holding portion 50. The connecting plate 53 is disposed between the side plates 51, 52.

[0037] The connecting plate 53 has bearings 61 and 62 on the upper surface near the bent portion of the connecting plate 53. The bearing 61 supports one end side of the feed roller 81 from below. The bearing 62 supports the other end side of the feed roller 81 from below.

[0038] Connecting plate 53 has openings 63, 64 along the direction of the rotation axis (y direction in FIG. 6) of feed roller 81 held by bearing portions 61, 62. Locking portion 77 provided on the underside of retaining cover 54 is inserted through opening 63 when retaining cover 54 is moved to the closed position. Locking portion 78 provided on the underside of retaining cover 54 is inserted through opening 64 when retaining cover 54 is moved to the closed position.

[0039] The connecting plate 53 has two insertion holes 65 between the openings 63 and 64. In the following description, the insertion hole on the left side in FIG. 5 is denoted by reference numeral 65a, and the insertion hole on the right side in FIG. 5 is denoted by reference numeral 65b. The insertion hole 65a communicates with an insertion hole 79a provided in the retaining cover 54 when the retaining cover 54, which will be described later, is in the closed position. Similarly, the insertion hole 65b communicates with an insertion hole 79b provided in the retaining cover 54 when the retaining cover 54, which will be described later, is in the closed position. A paper sensor (not shown) that detects the paper 101 transported between the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82 is inserted into each of the insertion holes 65a and 65b.

[0040] The holding cover 54 is supported around a rotation center near the feed roller 81 held by the roller holding part 50. The holding cover 54 rotates between a closed position shown in Fig. 5 and an open position shown in Fig. 6. The closed position corresponds to a first position recited in the claims, and the open position corresponds to a second position recited in the claims.

[0041] The holding cover 54 is a member having a shape in which the center in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 5) is located lower than both end portions in the top surface shape, and the center in the width direction is recessed. Although not shown, when the holding cover 54 is in the closed position and the lid portion 15 is closed, a part of the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid portion 15 enters between both end portions of the top surface of the holding cover 54. As a result, the head holding portion 22 is positioned in the width direction of the holding cover 54. Note that, in the top surface shape, the holding cover 54 has a step between the center and both end portions, because the center in the width direction is located lower than both end portions. By making these steps into inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the center in the width direction of the holding cover 54, the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid portion 15 can be guided between both end portions of the holding cover 54 when the lid portion 15 is closed.

[0042] When the retaining cover 54 is in the closed position, a part of the upper surface of the connecting plate 53 and a part of the lower surface of the retaining cover 54 are in contact with each other. In this state, the retaining cover 54 axially supports the feed roller 81 supported by the roller holding portion 50 between the retaining cover 54 and the connecting plate 53. At the same time, the retaining cover 54 axially supports the platen roller 82 supported by the side plates 51, 52 between the retaining cover 54 and the side plates 51, 52.

[0043] On the other hand, when the holding cover 54 is in the open position, the holding cover 54 retreats from above the connecting plate 53. As a result, the support of the feed roller 81 by the holding cover 54 and the connecting plate 53 and the support of the platen roller 82 by the holding cover 54 and the side plates 51, 52 are released. Therefore, when the holding cover 54 is in the open position, the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82 become detachable from the roller holding portion 50.

[0044] The retaining cover 54 has a guide piece 66 and a shaft insertion portion 67 at one end in the width direction of the retaining cover 54 near the end that is the center of rotation of the retaining cover 54, and a guide piece 68 and a shaft insertion portion 69 at the other end.

[0045] When the holding cover 54 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the guide piece 66 enters between the side plate 51 and the bearing portion 61 of the connecting plate 53. When the holding cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, one end portion (the left end portion in the drawing) in the rotation axis direction of the feed roller 81 enters the shaft insertion portion 67.

[0046] When the holding cover 54 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the guide piece 68 enters between the side plate 52 and the bearing portion 62 of the connecting plate 53. When the holding cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, the other end portion (the right end portion in the drawing) of the feed roller 81 in the rotation axis direction enters the shaft insertion portion 69.

[0047] The retaining cover 54 has shaft pressing portions 71, 72 at its free ends, which are opposite ends in the width direction of the retaining cover 54. The shaft pressing portion 71 has a shaft insertion portion 71a and a positioning protrusion 71b. One end of the platen roller 82 in the direction of the rotation axis is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 71a when the retaining cover 54 is rotated to the closed position. The positioning protrusion 71b comes into contact with a regulating piece 30 provided on the main body 24 of the head holding portion 22 on the rear side of the printer 10 when the lid portion 15 is closed.

[0048] The shaft pressing portion 72 has a shaft insertion portion 72a and a positioning protrusion 72b. When the holding cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, the other end of the platen roller 82 in the direction of the rotation axis is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 72a. When the lid portion 15 is closed, the positioning protrusion 72b comes into contact with a regulating piece 32 provided on the main body 24 of the head holding portion 22 on the rear side of the printer 10.

[0049] The retaining cover 54 has openings 75 and 76. The retaining cover 54 has a locking portion 77 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 75 on the underside of the retaining cover 54. The locking portion 77 is a generally V-shaped member formed by bending a plate member so as to be convex downward. Thus, the locking portion 77 has one end which is a fixed end that is fixed to the retaining cover 54, and the other end which is a free end. The locking portion 77 has a locking projection 77a at the other end which is the free end. When the locking portion 77 is inserted into the opening 63 of the connecting plate 53, the locking projection 77a is locked to the periphery of the opening 63 of the connecting plate 53 on the underside of the connecting plate 53 (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0050] Similarly, the retaining cover 54 has a locking portion 78 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 76 on the underside of the retaining cover 54. The locking portion 78 is a generally V-shaped member formed by bending a plate member so as to be convex downward. Thus, the locking portion 78 has one end which is a fixed end that is fixed to the retaining cover 54, and the other end which is a free end. The locking portion 78 has a locking projection 78a on the other end which is the free end. When the locking portion 78 is inserted into the opening 64 of the connecting plate 53, the locking projection 78a is locked to the periphery of the opening 64 of the connecting plate 53 on the underside of the connecting plate 53.

[0051] Incidentally, the above-mentioned openings 75 and 76 are used for inserting, for example, the fingers of the user when releasing the locking of the connecting plate 53 by the locking portions 77 and 78. The openings 75 and 76 have an opening area larger than the average thickness of, for example, an adult male's finger (e.g., index finger or thumb). Therefore, the openings 75 and 76 allow the user's fingers to be inserted, and the inserted fingers can be moved while inserted in the openings 75 and 76.

[0052] The retaining cover 54 has two insertion holes 79 between the openings 75 and 76. In the following description, the insertion hole on the left side in FIG. 5 is denoted by reference numeral 79a, and the insertion hole on the right side in FIG. 5 is denoted by reference numeral 79b. The insertion hole 79a communicates with an insertion hole 65a provided in the connecting plate 53 when the retaining cover 54, which will be described later, is in the closed position. Similarly, the insertion hole 79b communicates with an insertion hole 65b provided in the connecting plate 53 when the retaining cover 54, which will be described later, is in the closed position. A paper sensor (not shown) that detects the paper 101 transported between the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82 is inserted into each of the insertion holes 65a and 65b.

[0053] The feed roller 81 rotates while clamping the paper 101 fed from the paper roll 100 between itself and the auxiliary roller 48 which is journalled on the lid body 20 of the lid section 15, and feeds the paper 101 downstream in the transport direction, i.e., towards the thermal head 23 and the platen roller 82. Here, the paper 101 sent out from the paper roll 100 is transported with the printed surface facing up and the adhesive surface facing down. Therefore, the feed roller 81 comes into contact with the adhesive surface of the paper 101 in the process of sending the paper 101 to the thermal head 23 and the platen roller 82. This may cause the paper 101 being transported to stick to the circumferential surface of the feed roller 81, resulting in a jam. Therefore, it is preferable that the feed roller 81 is a roller having a plurality of grooves along the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the feed roller 81, or a roller having a non-adhesive treatment applied to its outer circumferential surface.

[0054] The platen roller 82 is disposed downstream of the feed roller 81 in the transport direction of the paper 101 sent out from the paper roll 100. The platen roller 82 rotates while receiving the adhesive surface of the paper 101 against which the thermal head 23 is pressed. Therefore, like the feed roller 81, the platen roller 82 is preferably a roller having a plurality of grooves along the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the platen roller 82, or a roller having a non-adhesive treatment applied to its outer circumferential surface.

[0055] Incidentally, in the process of being conveyed, the paper 101 is pinched between the feed roller 81 and the auxiliary roller 48, and at the same time, is pinched between the thermal head 23 and the platen roller 82. In this state, the paper 101 is conveyed at a position above and away from the holding cover 54, that is, without contacting the holding cover 54.

[0056] The flow of attaching and detaching the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82 in this embodiment will be described below. When the lid portion 15 is opened, the inside of the printer 10 is exposed. That is, the head holding portion 22 axially supported by the lid portion 15, and the paper roll 100 and roller holding portion 50 housed in the printer body 16 are exposed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 8, the holding cover 54 is held in the closed position. In this state, the feed roller 81 is axially supported by the connecting plate 53 and the holding cover 54. At the same time, the platen roller 82 is axially supported by the side plates 51, 52 and the holding cover 54.

[0057] When a finger inserted through opening 75 of retaining cover 54 presses the free end of locking portion 77 toward the fixed end of locking portion 77, locking portion 77 is released from locking engagement with connecting plate 53. At the same time, when a finger inserted through opening 76 of retaining cover 54 presses the free end of locking portion 78 toward the fixed end of locking portion 78, locking portion 78 is released from locking engagement with connecting plate 53. By releasing the locking engagement of locking portions 77, 78 with connecting plate 53, retaining cover 54 can be rotated from the closed position to the open position.

[0058] 6 or 9, when the holding cover 54 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the support of the feed roller 81 by the connecting plate 53 and the holding cover 54, and the support of the platen roller 82 by the side plates 51, 52 and the holding cover 54 are released. When the holding cover 54 is rotated to the open position, the feed roller 81 is supported by straddling the bearings 61, 62 of the connecting plate 53. The platen roller 82 is supported by straddling the side plates 51, 52.

[0059] For example, when replacing the feed roller 81, the currently installed feed roller 81 is pulled upward and removed from the bearings 61, 62 of the connecting plate 53. Then, a new feed roller 81 is attached to straddle the bearings 61, 62 of the connecting plate 53.

[0060] Furthermore, when replacing the platen roller 82, the currently installed platen roller 82 is pulled upward and removed from the side plates 51, 52. Then, a new platen roller 82 is attached straddling the side plates 51, 52.

[0061] After replacing the rollers with new ones, the retaining cover 54 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. When the retaining cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, a guide piece 66 provided on the underside of the retaining cover 54 enters between the bearing portion 61 of the connecting plate 53 and the side plate 51. At the same time, a guide piece 68 provided on the underside of the retaining cover 54 enters between the bearing portion 62 of the connecting plate 53 and the side plate 52. This positions the retaining cover 54 relative to the connecting plate 53.

[0062] When the holding cover 54 is further rotated to the closed position, one end of the feed roller 81 held by the connecting plate 53 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 67 of the holding cover 54. At the same time, the other end of the feed roller 81 held by the connecting plate 53 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 69 of the holding cover 54.

[0063] Moreover, one end of the platen roller 82 held across the side plates 51, 52 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 71a of the shaft pressing portion 71 of the holding cover 54. At the same time, the other end of the platen roller 82 held across the side plates 51, 52 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 72a of the shaft pressing portion 72 of the holding cover 54.

[0064] Therefore, when the holding cover 54 rotates to the closed position, the feed roller 81 is axially supported by the connecting plate 53 and the holding cover 54. In addition, the platen roller 82 is axially supported by the side plates 51, 52 and the holding cover 54.

[0065] When the retaining cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, the locking portion 77 of the retaining cover 54 is inserted into the opening 63 of the connecting plate 53, and the locking portion 78 of the retaining cover 54 is inserted into the opening 64 of the connecting plate 53. In the process of being inserted into the opening 63 of the connecting plate 53, the locking portion 77 of the retaining cover 54 elastically deforms toward the fixed end while the free end side abuts against the peripheral portion of the opening 63. Then, when the retaining cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, the free end side of the locking portion 77 moves in a direction to return to its original state by its own biasing force, that is, in a direction away from the fixed end side. Due to this movement, the locking projection 77a of the locking portion 77 is locked to the lower surface of the connecting plate 53 and to the peripheral portion of the opening 63.

[0066] Similarly, the free end of the locking portion 78 of the retaining cover 54 is elastically deformed toward the fixed end in the process of being inserted into the opening 64 of the connecting plate 53. Then, when the retaining cover 54 rotates to the closed position, the elastically deformed free end of the locking portion 78 of the retaining cover 54 moves in a direction in which it returns to its original state by its own biasing force, that is, in a direction away from the fixed end, and is locked by the lower surface of the connecting plate 53 and the periphery of the opening 64. This holds the retaining cover 54 in the closed position. When the retaining cover 54 is held in the closed position, the upper surface of the retaining cover 54 is at a position lower than the highest point of the feed roller 81 or the highest point of the platen roller 82.

[0067] In this state, when the lid 15 is closed, one end of the connecting shaft 26 of the head holding part 22 journaled on the lid body 20 presses the locking piece 57, and the other end presses the locking piece 58. This causes the locking pieces 57, 58 to rotate in the direction B in FIG. 5(a). Then, when the lid 15 is completely closed, the locking pieces 57, 58 rotate in the direction A in FIG. 5(a) and return from the retracted position to the locking position. As a result, the locking pieces 57, 58 are locked to the connecting shaft 26. As a result, the lid 15 is held in the closed state.

[0068] Here, in the process of closing the lid portion 15, when the holding cover 54 of the roller holding portion 50 is in the closed position, the positioning protrusion 71b of the shaft pressing portion 71 of the holding cover 54 is located outside the movement trajectory of the regulating piece 30 of the main body 24 of the head holding portion 22 when the lid portion 15 is rotated. Similarly, the positioning protrusion 72b of the shaft pressing portion 72 of the holding cover 54 is located outside the movement trajectory of the regulating piece 32 of the main body 24 of the head holding portion 22 when the lid portion 15 is rotated.

[0069] 10(a) and 10(b), when the lid portion 15 is closed (rotated in the direction D in FIG. 10(a)) with the retaining cover 54 of the roller retaining portion 50 in the closed position, the restricting piece 30 of the main body 24 of the head retaining portion 22 abuts against the positioning protrusion 71b of the shaft pressing portion 71 of the retaining cover 54 from the rotation center side of the lid portion 15. At the same time, the restricting piece 32 of the main body 24 of the head retaining portion 22 abuts against the positioning protrusion 72b of the shaft pressing portion 72 of the retaining cover 54 from the rotation center side of the lid portion 15. As a result, the head retaining portion 22 is positioned relative to the roller retaining portion 50 in the front-to-rear direction of the printer 10.

[0070] Furthermore, in the process of closing the lid 15, the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid body 20 of the lid 15 moves toward the upper surface of the holding cover 54 of the roller holding portion 50. As described above, the upper surface of the holding cover 54 has a shape in which the center in the width direction is located lower than both ends, that is, the center in the width direction is recessed. Therefore, when the lid 15 is closed, the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid body 20 of the lid 15 enters the recessed center portion of the holding cover 54. As a result, the head holding portion 22 is positioned relative to the holding cover 54 in the width direction of the holding cover 54, i.e., in the left-right direction of the printer 10.

[0071] At this time, the paper 101 sent out from the paper roll 100 is securely sandwiched between the auxiliary roller 48 and the feed roller 81, and the paper 101 is transported downstream in the transport direction of the paper 101. In addition, since the thermal head 23 performs printing while pressing the paper 101 against the platen roller 82, printing on the paper 101 can be performed reliably.

[0072] 8(b), when the holding cover 54 is held in the closed position, the upper surface 54a of the holding cover 54 is at a position lower than the highest point P1 of the feed roller 81 and the highest point P2 of the platen roller 82. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the paper 101 sent out by the auxiliary roller 48 and the feed roller 81 is transported at a position higher than the upper surface of the holding cover 54. Therefore, the adhesive applied to the back surface of the paper 101 prevents the paper 101 from sticking to the holding cover, and jamming of the paper 101 at the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82 is prevented.

[0073] It should be noted that some printers are not structured to feed the paper 101 toward the thermal head 23 and platen roller 82 using the auxiliary roller 48 and the feed roller 81. In such a case, as in the above embodiment, the retaining cover is disposed at a position away from the adhesive surface of the paper 101 fed from the paper roll 100 to prevent the adhesive surface of the paper 101 from adhering to the retaining cover. This can prevent paper jams from occurring inside the printer.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the configuration of the roller holding portion that axially supports the feed roller and the platen roller is disclosed. However, the configuration of the roller holding portion is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a roller holding portion that axially supports only the platen roller, or a roller holding portion that axially supports the platen roller and a conveying roller disposed downstream of the platen roller.

[0075] <Overview of the embodiment> The present invention relates to a holding structure for a platen roller that is disposed in a position opposite a thermal head that prints on paper, and to a printer.

[0076] In conventional printers, components near the inner cover, such as the platen roller, transport rollers, and sensors, cannot be replaced unless the inner cover is removed, making the task of replacing these components cumbersome.

[0077] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables components near an inner cover to be easily replaced without removing the inner cover.

[0078] In the above embodiment, printer 10 has a platen roller 82 that is disposed opposite thermal head 23 that performs printing and against which paper 101 transported during printing by thermal head 23 is pressed. Printer 10 includes side plates 51, 52 that support both ends of platen roller 82, and a retaining cover 54 that supports both ends of platen roller 82 between side plates 51, 52, and retaining cover 54 is provided on side plates 51, 52 so as to be movable between a closed position where platen roller 82 is supported between side plates 51, 52, and an open position where support of platen roller 82 is released and platen roller 82 is supported so as to be detachable from side plates 51, 52.

[0079] According to this, the platen roller 82 can be replaced simply by rotating the holding cover 54 from the closed position to the open position, without removing the holding cover 54 from the roller holding portion 50. At this time, since the holding cover 54 is not removed from the roller holding portion 50, the removed holding cover 54 is not lost, and is not damaged. Furthermore, since a configuration is adopted in which the holding cover 54 is rotated between the closed position and the open position, the orientation of the holding cover 54 does not need to be considered when attaching the holding cover 54.

[0080] It also has an in-feed roller 81 that is arranged at a position different from the platen roller 82 in the transport direction of the paper 101 and transports the paper 101 toward the thermal head 23, and the connecting plate 53 supports the in-feed roller 81 in addition to the platen roller 82, and when the retaining cover 54 is in the closed position, the retaining cover 54 axially supports the in-feed roller 81 between itself and the connecting plate 53, and when the retaining cover is in the open position, the retaining cover 54 supports the in-feed roller 81 so that it can be freely attached and detached from the connecting plate 53.

[0081] According to this, in the case of a configuration of the roller holding section 50 that axially supports the feed roller 81 in addition to the platen roller 82, the platen roller 82 and the feed roller 81 can be easily attached and detached by simply rotating the holding cover 54 from the closed position to the open position. Also in this case, when the holding cover 54 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the feed roller 81 is axially supported by the connecting plate 53 and the holding cover 54, and at the same time, the platen roller 82 is axially supported by the side plates 51, 52 and the holding cover 54. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a structure for axially supporting the feed roller 81 separately from the holding cover 54, and it is possible to axially support the feed roller 81 with a simple structure.

[0082] In addition, the paper 101 has a printing surface on which printing is performed by the thermal head 23 and an adhesive surface on the side opposite the printing surface to which adhesive is applied, and when the retaining cover 54 is in the closed position, it is retained in a position away from the adhesive surface of the paper 101 being transported between the platen roller 82 and the feed roller 81.

[0083] This prevents the adhesive surface of the paper 101 from sticking to the holding cover 54 when the paper 101 is transported, and prevents the paper from becoming jammed in the transport path of the paper 101.

[0084] The holding cover 54 has locking portions 77, 78 that lock onto the connecting plate 53 in the closed position, and the locking portions 77, 78 are disposed between the platen roller 82 and the feed roller 81.

[0085] According to this, when considering, for example, disposing the thermal head between the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82 inside the printer 10, the head holding unit 22 for holding the thermal head 23 must also be disposed between the feed roller 81 and the platen roller 82, and these rollers must be disposed at a certain distance apart. Therefore, by disposing the locking parts 77, 78 that lock with the connecting plate 53 on the holding cover 54 at a position between these rollers when the holding cover 54 is rotated to the closed position, the conveying length of the paper 101 can be shortened. Furthermore, when the lid part 15 is opened, the holding cover 54 is disposed on the side close to the user who opened the lid part 15, so that the locking parts 77, 78 are in a position that is easy to operate. In other words, when the holding cover 54 is in the closed position, the user can easily release the locking by the locking parts 77, 78. Furthermore, by the locking parts 77, 78 being locked with the connecting plate 53, the holding cover 54 can be positioned and fixed to the connecting plate 53.

[0086] It also includes a printer body 16 having a roller holding portion 50, and a lid portion 15 having a thermal head 23 and attached to the printer body 16, and the retaining cover 54 has positioning protrusions 71b, 72b that position the thermal head 23 relative to the platen roller 82 when the lid portion 15 is attached to the printer body 16.

[0087] According to this, simply by closing the lid portion 15, the head holding portion 22 is positioned relative to the roller holding portion 50. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of deviation in the printing position where the thermal head 23 prints on the paper 101. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10. Printer 15...Lid part 16…Printer body 22...Head holder 23…Thermal head 50...Roller holding part 51,52…Side plate 53...Connection plate 54…Retaining cover 81...Feed roller 82...Platen roller 101...Paper

Claims

1. A printer having a conveying roller that is provided at a position opposite a printing unit that performs printing and that presses against a paper that is conveyed by the printing unit when the paper is printed, a support member including bearings for supporting both ends of the conveying roller; a cover member including a shaft insertion portion that supports both ends of the conveying roller between the cover member and the support member; Including, The printer is characterized in that the cover member is held by the support member so as to be freely movable between a first position in which the conveying roller is supported between the shaft insertion portion of the cover member and the bearing portion of the support member, and a second position in which the support of the conveying roller in the shaft insertion portion is released and the conveying roller is supported so as to be freely detachable from the bearing portion of the support member.

2. 2. The printer according to claim 1, a feed roller that is disposed at a position different from the conveying roller in the conveying direction of the paper and conveys the paper toward the printing unit; The support member supports the feed roller in addition to the conveying roller, The printer is characterized in that, when the cover member is in the first position, the cover member supports the feed roller between itself and the support member, and when the cover member is in the second position, the cover member supports the feed roller in a manner that allows it to be freely detached from the support member.

3. 3. The printer according to claim 2, the paper has a print surface on which printing is performed by the printing unit, and an adhesive surface on the opposite side to the print surface and on which an adhesive is applied; The printer, wherein when the cover member is in the first position, the cover member is held at a position away from an adhesive surface of the paper transported between the transport roller and the feed roller.

4. 4. The printer according to claim 2, the cover member has a locking portion that locks to the support member at the first position, the locking portion is disposed between the transport roller and the feed roller, A paper sensor for detecting the paper is disposed between the transport roller and the feed roller. A printer characterized by:

5. 5. The printer according to claim 1, a body having the support member; a cover portion having the printing portion and attached to the main body; Including, The printer according to claim 1, wherein the cover member has a positioning portion that positions the printing portion relative to the transport roller when the lid portion is attached to the main body.

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