label printer

Abstract

To provide a label printer reducing the occurrence of conveying failure occurring when performing incorrect closure procedures.SOLUTION: An under cover is a rectangular parallelepiped case releasing a part of a front surface and an upper surface, which protects a printer body. A top cover moves between a first position opening with respect to the under cover and a second position closing. A label peel-off unit moves between a third position opening with respect to the under cover and a fourth position. A lock portion engages with an engagement claw that is provided on the top cover and is operable, and an engagement claw that is stored in the under cover to keep the top cover so as not to move from the second position. A projecting portion is a part of an exterior member of the label peel-off unit, which projects toward the upstream side in a label conveying direction, abuts on the engagement claw, and moves the label peel-off unit from the fourth position to the third position through the engagement claw.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a label printer. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Label printers are known that print information on the printing surface of a label on a continuous label roll and then peel the printed label off a backing sheet to issue the label.

[0003] In such label printers, when issuing printed labels in a peeled state, a label peel-off unit that pulls the label to bend the backing is provided in an openable and closable manner on part of the front cover of the label printer. In some label printers, in order to properly peel the label from the backing, it is necessary to open and close in the proper order a top cover that presses the label during printing and a label peel-off unit that pulls the label to peel it from the backing. In the label printer, if a printing operation is performed while an improper closing procedure has been performed, the label may not be peeled off properly, which may cause a transport failure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-75445 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a label printer that reduces the occurrence of transport problems caused by improper peeling of the label even when an incorrect closing procedure is performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the label printer of this embodiment has an under cover, a top cover, a label peel-off unit, an engaging claw, a locking portion, and a protruding portion. .to The top cover moves between a first position where it opens relative to the under cover and a second position where it closes relative to the under cover. The label peel-off unit is located downstream of the under cover in the label transport direction and moves between a third position where it opens relative to the under cover and a fourth position where it closes relative to the under cover. The engaging claw is provided on the top cover and is movable in the label transport direction. The locking part is The engaging claw is provided inside the undercover and engages with the engaging claw. The protrusion is a part of an exterior member of the label peel-off unit, When the label peel-off unit is located at the fourth position and the top cover is moved from the first position to the second position, the label peel-off unit is moved in the label conveying direction. It comes into contact with the engaging claw, By The label peel-off unit is moved from the fourth position to the third position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a label printer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a label printer according to a first embodiment, with a continuous label strip accommodated therein; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a top cover of a label printer according to a first embodiment is open. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the front end portion of the label printer according to the first embodiment with both the top cover and the label peel-off unit open. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the front end portion of the label printer according to the first embodiment in a closed state. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the front end portion when the operating lever is slightly operated from the closed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the front end portion when the operating lever is further operated from the state shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the front end portion of the label printer according to the second embodiment in a closed state. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the front end of the label printer in the second embodiment when the printer is about to be closed using an incorrect closing procedure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, a label printer according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a label printer according to a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the label printer according to the first embodiment with a continuous label strip stored therein, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the label printer according to the first embodiment with the top cover open.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the label printer 1 of the first embodiment is primarily comprised of a printer main body 20, an undercover 7 that houses the printer main body 20, a top cover 2 that is rotatably supported relative to the printer main body 20 by pivot supports 6a and 6b and covers the top of the printer main body 20, and a label peel-off unit 60 that is rotatably supported relative to the printer main body 20 by pivot supports (not shown) and covers the front of the printer main body 20. The printer main body 20 is primarily comprised of a locking unit 21, a platen roller 22, a peeling bar 23, a thermal head 40, and an engagement claw 41, and is housed within a space formed by the top cover 2, undercover 7, and label peel-off unit 60. When the printer main body 20 is housed within the space formed by the top cover 2, undercover 7, and label peel-off unit 60, a space is formed between the printer main body 20 and the closed label peel-off unit 60, and this space is open to the paper exit 10. The printer main body 20 also prints labels 32 using the thermal head 40.

[0011] A storage compartment for storing a continuous label strip 30, which is made up of a liner 31 and labels 32 removably attached to the liner, is provided at the rear end of the printer body 20. The continuous label strip 30 is transported in the direction of the dashed arrow T shown in FIG. 2 (hereinafter referred to as the label transport direction). A platen roller 22 and a peeling bar 23 are provided at the front end of the printer body 20. The platen roller 22 is connected to a drive motor (not shown) via gears or the like as a drive source. The peeling bar 23 peels the labels 32 from the liner 31 by bending the liner 31. Note that the smaller the angle at which the peeling bar 23 bends the liner 31, the easier it is to peel the labels 32 from the liner 31. In addition, locking sections 21a and 21b are provided at the front end of the printer body 20, in a space formed between the printer body 20 and the label peel-off unit 60 in the closed state, and on the top surface of the printer body 20.

[0012] The undercover 7 is a rectangular parallelepiped case with the top and part of the front open, and the top is covered by the top cover 2, and the front is covered by the label peel-off unit 60, thereby protecting the internal printer body 20. The undercover 7 is provided with connection terminals (not shown) for supplying power to the internal printer body 20.

[0013] The top cover 2 is movable between an open state (hereinafter referred to as a first position) in which the continuous label strip 30 can be stored inside the printer body 20, and a closed state (hereinafter referred to as a second position) in which the labels 32 can be printed. The top cover 2 is provided with a control panel 3 consisting of operation buttons 4 and a display unit 5. The operator can use the operation buttons 4 to perform various operations and check various information on the display unit 5.

[0014] The top cover 2 houses the thermal head 40, engagement claw 41, and operation lever 42, which are parts of the printer body 20. The thermal head 40 prints by sandwiching the label 30 between itself and the platen roller 22. The platen roller 22 has a rotation shaft and is rotatable in the paper transport direction. The engagement claw 41 keeps the label printer 1 closed by engaging with the locking portions 21a and 21b. The engagement claws 41a and 41b are connected to the operation lever 42 and move in the label transport direction in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever 42. In other words, the engagement claw 41 can move between a position where it engages with the locking portion 21 and a position where it is spaced apart from the locking portion 21. The engagement claw 41 is also connected to a spring (not shown) and is biased in the direction opposite to the label transport direction.

[0015] The label peel-off unit 60 moves between an open position (hereinafter referred to as the third position) where the liner 31 is inserted into the paper discharge slot 10, and a closed position (hereinafter referred to as the fourth position) where a nip roller 62 of the label peel-off unit 60 abuts against the platen roller 22 to clamp the liner 31. The label peel-off unit 60 is equipped with the nip roller 62. When the label peel-off unit 60 is located at the fourth position, the nip roller 62 abuts against the platen roller 22, thereby assisting in peeling the label 30 from the liner 31 and transporting the peeled liner 31 to the paper discharge slot 10. The exterior member of the label peel-off unit 60 facing the printer body 20 is equipped with a protrusion 61 that fits inside the top cover 2 when the label peel-off unit 60 is located at the fourth position.

[0016] The protrusion 61 abuts against the engagement claw 41a when the engagement claw 41a is located downstream in the label conveyance direction. The protrusion 61 is pushed out by the engagement claw 41 when the engagement claw 41 is separated from the locking portion 21. That is, the protrusion 61 is pushed out by the engagement claw 41, thereby pushing the label peel-off unit 60 from the fourth position toward the third position. The protrusion 61 may be formed integrally with the label peel-off unit 60, or may be formed as a separate member. In the present embodiment, the protrusion 61 is described as being provided at the end of the label peel-off unit 60 on the engagement claw 41a side. However, the protrusion 61 may be provided at either end of the label peel-off unit 60 in the direction perpendicular to the label conveyance direction, or at both ends.

[0017] The nip roller 62 is a driven roller that does not have a drive source and is rotatably provided in the label peel-off unit 60. When the nip roller 62 is located at the fourth position, it presses the backing paper 31 from the downstream side in the label conveyance direction as seen from the peeling bar 23, thereby bringing the backing paper 31 into contact with the peeling bar 23 and bending it to an angle necessary for the peeling bar 23 to peel the label 30 from the backing paper 31.

[0018] A gap is provided between the upper end of the label peel-off unit 60 and the lower tip of the top cover 2, and a label discharge outlet 8 through which the printed label 30 is discharged is provided in this gap.

[0019] The paper discharge outlet 10 is provided at the bottom of the label peel-off unit 60, and discharges the backing paper 31 from which the label 30 has been peeled by the peeling bar 23.

[0020] Next, the operation of the engaging claw 41 and the label peel-off unit 60 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0021] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the front end of the label printer 1 according to the first embodiment with both the top cover 2 and the label peel-off unit 60 open, Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the front end of the label printer 1 according to the first embodiment with the label printer 1 closed, Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the front end with the operating lever 42 slightly operated from the closed state, and Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the front end with the operating lever 42 further operated from the state shown in Figure 6.

[0022] When printing on the label 32, the operator inserts the backing paper 31 into the paper discharge port 10 while the top cover 2 and the label peel-off unit 60 are open, as shown in Figure 4. In order for the label printer 1 to perform printing, the operator moves the top cover 2 and the label peel-off unit 60 to the second position and the fourth position, which are their respective closed positions.

[0023] At this time, to maintain the label 30 in the appropriate printing position, the top cover 2 is first moved to the second position. Then, the label peel-off unit 60 is moved to the fourth position. When moving the top cover 2 from the first position to the second position, the operator operates the operating lever 42 to move the engaging claw 41 in the label conveyance direction so that the engaging claw 41 engages with the locking portion 21. After moving the top cover 2 to the second position, the operator stops operating the operating lever 42, and the engaging claw 41 moves to a position where it engages with the locking portion 21 due to the biasing force of the attached spring toward the upstream side in the label conveyance direction. By closing the top cover 2 and the label peel-off unit 60 in the above-described manner, the label printer is in the closed state as shown in FIG.

[0024] Next, the procedure for changing from the closed state shown in FIG. 5 to the open state shown in FIG. 4 will be described. First, since the top cover 2 and label peel-off unit 60 are in a closed state, the operator operates the operating lever 42 to move the engaging claw 41 in the label conveyance direction, thereby releasing it from engagement with the locking portion 21 (see Figure 6). When the operator moves the top cover 2 to the first position while operating the operating lever 42, the engaging claw 41a comes into contact with the protruding portion 61 along the way (see Figure 7).

[0025] 7, the top cover 2 is lifted from the abutting state, and a force is applied to the protruding portion 61 in the label conveyance direction, pushing it out. In other words, the label peel-off unit 60 is pushed out by the engaging claw 41a via the protruding portion 61, and moves from the fourth position to the third position.

[0026] (Second embodiment) 8 is an enlarged view of the front end of the label printer according to the second embodiment when it is closed. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the end of the protrusion 61 is provided with an interference member 70 that interferes with the engagement claw 41.

[0027] In this configuration, the protrusion 61 has an interference member 70 at the end not connected to the label peel-off unit 60. The interference member 70 may be made of a different material from the protrusion 61, or may be integrally molded. Even in this configuration, when the top cover 2 is opened, the label peel-off unit 60 can be moved from the fourth position to the third position by being pushed out by the engagement claw 41 via the protrusion 61. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, it is possible to prevent an incorrect closing procedure.

[0028] 9 is an enlarged view of the front end of the label printer in the second embodiment when an attempt is made to close it using an incorrect closing procedure. That is, the label peel-off unit 60 is moved to the fourth position before the top cover 2 is moved to the second position. In this case, when the top cover 2 is moved from the first position to the second position, the interference member 70 comes into contact with the engaging claw 41a. Since the interference member 70 interferes with the engagement claw 41a, the engagement claw 41 cannot engage with the lock portion 21, and the top cover 2 is not in the closed state.

[0029] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, even if an incorrect opening / closing procedure is performed, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of transport problems caused by improper peeling of labels. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, a rotatable roller may be fitted to the tip of the protrusion 61 or interference member 70 used in the first and second embodiments. Also, a configuration in which the locking unit 21 operates rather than the engaging claw 41 may be configured to operate. Note that if the locking unit 21 operates, the operating lever 42 may be provided on the undercover 7.

[0030] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1. Label printer 2...Top cover 3. Control Panel 4...Operation buttons 5...Display section 7...Undercover 10...Paper output slot 20...Printer body 21...Rock Club 22...Platen roller 23...Peeling bar 31... Mount 32...Label 40...Thermal head 41...Engaging claw 42...Operating lever 60...Label peel-off unit 62...Nip roller 61...Protrusion 70...Interference member

Claims

1. Undercover and a top cover that moves between a first position where it opens relative to the under cover and a second position where it closes relative to the under cover; a label peel-off unit that is located downstream of the undercover in the label conveying direction and that moves between a third position where it opens the undercover and a fourth position where it closes the undercover; an engaging claw provided on the top cover and movable in the label conveying direction; a locking portion provided in the undercover and engaging with the engaging claw; a protrusion that is a part of an exterior member of the label peel-off unit, the protrusion coming into contact with the engaging claw that is moved in the label conveyance direction when the label peel-off unit is located at the fourth position and the top cover is moved from the first position to the second position, and causes the engaging claw to move the label peel-off unit from the fourth position to the third position; A label printer comprising:

2. the engaging claws positioned outside the label paper width; The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is located outside the width of the label paper.

3. 3. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are provided on both ends of the label peel-off unit in a direction perpendicular to the label transport direction.

4. 4. The label printer according to claim 1, further comprising an interference member at an end of the protrusion that abuts against the engagement claw, the interference member interfering with the engagement claw when the top cover moves from the first position to the second position.

5. 5. The label printer according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatable member at an end of said protruding portion that abuts against said engaging claw.

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