Printing device

Abstract

To facilitate mounting of a cassette on an appropriate position of a carriage.SOLUTION: A printer 100 includes a carriage 71, and a guide part. The carriage 71 is mounted with a cassette 72 for storing an ink ribbon. The guide part projects from a mounting surface 71a of the cassette 72 of the carriage 71, and guides the cassette 72 when the cassette 72 is mounted on the carriage 71. A projection amount from the mounting surface 71a of the guide part is larger than a projection amount of the cassette 72 mounted on the carriage 71 projecting from the mounting surface 71a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device that prints on a predetermined medium, and more particularly to a printing device that prints on a predetermined medium using ink supplied from an ink ribbon. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a printing device that prints on a label sheet on which multiple labels are arranged (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this printing device, the print head applies heat to an ink ribbon to cause ink to adhere to the label L, thereby printing (thermal transfer method). A printing device that employs this printing method comprises a carriage that moves the print head in the width direction of the printing device, and a cassette that is attached to the carriage. The cassette stores the ink ribbon and supplies the ink ribbon between the print head and the label sheet.

[0003] Because the cassette is a consumable item, in the above-mentioned printing device, the cassette is detachable from the carriage. For this reason, the carriage is provided with a guide member that protrudes from the cassette mounting surface. The guide member guides the cassette to the appropriate position on the carriage when the cassette is attached to the carriage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4119177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the guide members in conventional printers only protrude a small amount from the cassette mounting surface, making it difficult to properly guide the cassette. This makes it difficult to properly align and mount the cassette on the carriage.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to facilitate the mounting of a cassette in the appropriate position on a carriage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A printing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a device that prints on a predetermined medium using an ink ribbon. The printing device includes a carriage and a guide unit. A cassette is attached to the carriage. The cassette stores an ink ribbon. The guide unit protrudes from the cassette mounting surface of the carriage and guides the cassette when the cassette is attached to the carriage. The amount of protrusion of the guide unit from the mounting surface is greater than the amount of protrusion of the cassette attached to the carriage from the mounting surface.

[0008] In the above-described printing device, the guide portion protrudes from the mounting surface by a greater amount than the cassette mounted on the carriage protrudes from the mounting surface. In other words, the length of the guide portion from the mounting surface is longer than the thickness of the cassette. Such a long guide portion makes it easier to guide the cassette to the appropriate position on the carriage. As a result, it becomes easier to mount the cassette in the appropriate position on the carriage.

[0009] In the above-described printing device, the guide portion may include a guide member that protrudes from a corner of the mounting surface and has an L-shape that corresponds to the corner of the cassette. This allows the L-shape of the guide member to mate with the shape of the corner of the cassette, thereby aligning the cassette at an appropriate position on the carriage.

[0010] The cassette may have a take-up reel that takes up the ink ribbon. The guide unit may also include a take-up shaft that rotates the take-up reel. Guiding the cassette with a long take-up shaft makes it easier to align the cassette to the appropriate position on the carriage. At the same time, the tip of the take-up shaft can be grasped and rotated manually while the cassette is attached to the carriage.

[0011] The guide unit may include a head that prints by applying ink from an ink ribbon to a medium. A resin member of a predetermined color may be attached to the tip of the head. This makes it easier to identify the position of the head on the carriage, making it easier to determine where the ink ribbon should be positioned when attaching the cassette to the carriage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] This makes it easy to attach the cassette to the appropriate position on the carriage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a label sheet. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the internal configuration of the printing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the internal configuration of the printing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of the internal configuration of the printing device. [Figure 6] A view of the carriage from the cassette mounting surface side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the internal configuration of a carriage. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] 1. First embodiment (1) Overview of the printing device The following describes a printing device 100 according to a first embodiment. The printing device 100 is capable of printing characters on multiple labels L arranged in mutually separated sections on the same surface of a label sheet LS (an example of a medium) as shown in FIG. 1. Each label L on the label sheet LS shown in FIG. 1 has a first printing sub-area La and a second printing sub-area Lb. The printing device 100 can print characters individually in the first printing sub-area La and the second printing sub-area Lb of the label L. A label L configured as described above is called an "index label." FIG. 1 shows an example of a label sheet. Each label L can be separated from the label sheet LS. The separated label L can be attached wherever the label L is desired.

[0015] Note that label sheets that can be printed by the printer 100 are not limited to the "index labels" shown in Figure 1. Label sheets that can be printed by the printer 100 include, for example, labels that have only one printable area per label. There are also various sizes (length and width) of labels and / or printable areas. Furthermore, there are also labels that do not have a printable area border.

[0016] (2) Printer configuration (2-1) Overall structure The configuration of the printing device 100 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the printing device. Figure 3 is a side view of the internal configuration of the printing device. The printing device 100 includes a display unit 1, an input unit 3, a sheet supply port 5, a printing mechanism 7, a conveying mechanism 9, and a control unit 11.

[0017] The display unit 1 is provided on the upper part of the main body B of the printing device 100. The display unit 1 displays an operation screen for operating the printing device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 1 has a rectangular display area, but has a certain degree of dimension not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction, providing a larger display area than conventional devices. The display unit 1 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The input unit 3 is provided below the display unit 1 in the main body B, and accepts operations for the printing device 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the input unit 3 is composed of a plurality of keys. Specifically, the input unit 3 mainly has character input keys for inputting characters and other operation keys.

[0018] The sheet supply port 5 is located below the input unit 3 in the main body B. Label sheets LS to be printed are supplied to the sheet supply port 5. A pair of paper guides 5a are provided at the sheet supply port 5. The distance between the pair of paper guides 5a can be adjusted by moving them closer or farther apart. This allows the sheet supply port 5 to supply label sheets LS of various sizes.

[0019] (2-2) Printing mechanism The printing mechanism 7 is a mechanism that prints on the label L by thermal transfer. The specific configuration of the printing mechanism 7 will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Figure 4 is a top view of the internal configuration of the printing device. Figure 5 is a front view of the internal configuration of the printing device. Figure 6 is a view of the carriage as seen from the cassette mounting surface side. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the carriage. Hereinafter, the width direction (left-right direction) of the printing device 100 is defined as the X direction, the front-rear direction is defined as the Y direction, and the height direction is defined as the Z direction. The printing mechanism 7 mainly has a carriage 71, a cassette 72, a thermal head 73, and a platen 74.

[0020] The carriage 71 is guided by a pair of rod-shaped members 75 extending in the X direction and is movable in the X direction. The carriage 71 is moved in the X direction by a carriage drive mechanism 76. The carriage drive mechanism 76 has a carriage drive belt 76a, a drive pulley 76b, a driven pulley 76c, and a carriage motor 76d.

[0021] The carriage drive belt 76a is fixed to the carriage 71. The carriage drive belt 76a is fixed to the carriage 71 by clamping the carriage drive belt 76a with a clamping member 711 provided on the carriage 71. The carriage drive belt 76a is wound around a drive pulley 76b and a driven pulley 76c.

[0022] The drive pulley 76b is provided at one end of the width of the printer 100 and rotates around the Y axis when driven by the carriage motor 76d. The driven pulley 76c is provided at the other end of the width of the printer 100 and rotates around the Y axis when the rotation of the drive pulley 76b is transmitted by the carriage drive belt 76a.

[0023] In the carriage drive mechanism 76 having the above configuration, the carriage motor 76d rotates the drive pulley 76b, causing the carriage drive belt 76a to move in the X direction. This movement of the carriage drive belt 76a in the X direction causes the carriage 71 to move in the X direction.

[0024] A cassette 72 is attached to a mounting surface 71a of the carriage 71. The cassette 72 stores an ink ribbon therein and supplies the ink ribbon between the thermal head 73 and the platen 74. By being attached to the carriage 71, the cassette 72 moves in the X direction as the carriage 71 moves in the X direction.

[0025] A guide member 712 is provided on the mounting surface 71a of the carriage 71. The guide member 712 guides the cassette 72 when the cassette 72 is mounted on the carriage 71. In this embodiment, the guide member 712 protrudes from the upper left corner of the mounting surface 71a and has an L-shaped cross section. The L-shaped cross section of the guide member 712 is the same as the shape of the upper left corner of the cassette 72. As a result, when the cassette 72 is mounted on the carriage 71, the L-shaped cross section of the guide member 712 is aligned with the shape of the upper left corner of the cassette 72, allowing the upper left corner of the cassette 72 to be properly aligned with the upper left corner of the mounting surface 71a.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, when the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the guide member 712 protrudes from the surface of the cassette 72. In other words, the amount by which the guide member 712 protrudes from the attachment surface 71a is greater than the amount by which the cassette 72 attached to the carriage 71 protrudes from the attachment surface 71a. In other words, the length of the guide member 712 is greater than the thickness of the cassette 72. Such a long guide member 712 is highly effective in restricting the movement of the cassette 72, making it easier to guide the cassette 72 to an appropriate position on the carriage 71. As a result, it becomes easier to attach the cassette 72 to an appropriate position on the carriage 71.

[0027] Furthermore, by making the length of the guide member 712 longer than the thickness of the cassette 72, the guide member 712 can protect the cassette 72 attached to the carriage 71.

[0028] In addition to the guide member 712, a short guide member 713 and a claw member 714 are also provided on the mounting surface 71a of the carriage 71. The short guide member 713 also has the function of guiding the cassette 72, similar to the guide member 712. The short guide member 713 is provided near the long guide member 712. As a result, by mounting the cassette 72 on the mounting surface 71a along the long guide member 712, the hole that guides the guide member 713 of the cassette 72 and the guide member 713 can be naturally aligned. In other words, there is no need to align the short guide member 713 with the hole of the cassette 72.

[0029] When the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71 , the claw members 714 are caught by the cassette 72 and fix the cassette 72 to the carriage 71 .

[0030] A take-up reel 72a is provided inside the cassette 72. The take-up reel 72a is a reel for taking up the ink ribbon. The ink ribbon, which is supplied between the thermal head 73 and the platen 74 and used for printing, is taken up by the take-up reel 72a. A take-up shaft 715 is provided on the carriage 71 to rotate the take-up reel 72a while the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71 and printing is being performed. The take-up shaft 715 protrudes in the Y direction from the attachment surface 71a and is rotatable around the Y axis. A concave-convex portion 715a is provided on the base end portion of the take-up shaft 715 near the attachment surface 71a. When the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the concave-convex portion 715a meshes with the take-up reel 72a.

[0031] 4, when the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the take-up shaft 715 protrudes from the surface of the cassette 72. In other words, the amount by which the take-up shaft 715 protrudes from the attachment surface 71a is greater than the amount by which the cassette 72 attached to the carriage 71 protrudes from the attachment surface 71a. In other words, the length of the take-up shaft 715 is greater than the thickness of the cassette 72.

[0032] When the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the opening of the take-up reel 72a of the cassette 72 is aligned with the take-up shaft 715. That is, when the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the take-up shaft 715 has the function of guiding the cassette 72. Such a long take-up shaft 715 is highly effective in restricting the movement of the cassette 72, and therefore makes it easy to guide the cassette 72 to an appropriate position on the carriage 71. As a result, it becomes easy to attach the cassette 72 to an appropriate position on the carriage 71. Furthermore, by making the length of the take-up shaft 715 longer than the thickness of the cassette 72, the take-up shaft 715 can protect the cassette 72 attached to the carriage 71.

[0033] Furthermore, by lengthening the winding shaft 715 so that it protrudes from the surface of the cassette 72 when the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the winding shaft 715 can be rotated while the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71. Specifically, the winding shaft 715 can be rotated manually by gripping the tip of the winding shaft 715 that protrudes from the surface of the cassette 72. This allows the ink ribbon to be manually wound later when it becomes slack.

[0034] The winding shaft 715 is rotated around the Y axis by the winding mechanism 77. The winding mechanism 77 has a first gear 77a, a second gear 77b, a third gear 77c, and a fourth gear 77d. The first gear 77a is rotatable around the Y axis and meshes with concave and convex gears 761a provided on the inner side of the carriage drive belt 76a. The carriage drive belt 76a is sandwiched between the first gear 77a and a pressure pulley 77e. The first gear 77a rotates around the Y axis as the carriage drive belt 76a moves in the X direction.

[0035] The second gear 77b is rotatable about the Y axis and is in mesh with the first gear 77a. The second gear 77b rotates about the Y axis in accordance with the rotation of the first gear 77a. The third gear 77c is rotatable about the Y axis. The rotation of the third gear 77c causes the take-up shaft 715 to rotate about the Y axis.

[0036] The fourth gear 77d is rotatable around the Y axis and moves up and down in accordance with the movement of the thermal head 73. When the thermal head 73 is lowered (i.e., when printing is being performed), the fourth gear 77d moves up and meshes with both the second gear 77b and the third gear 77c. At this time, the fourth gear 77d transmits the rotation of the second gear 77b to the third gear 77c. On the other hand, when the thermal head 73 is raised (i.e., when printing is not being performed), the fourth gear 77d moves down and does not mesh with either the second gear 77b or the third gear 77c. At this time, the fourth gear 77d does not transmit the rotation of the second gear 77b to the third gear 77c.

[0037] In the winding mechanism 77 having the above configuration, movement of the carriage drive belt 76a in the X direction, i.e., movement of the carriage 71 in the X direction, causes the first gear 77a to rotate about the Y axis. During printing, the thermal head 73 descends and the fourth gear 77d meshes with both the second gear 77b and the third gear 77c. When the fourth gear 77d is meshed with both the second gear 77b and the third gear 77c, when the first gear 77a rotates about the Y axis as the carriage 71 moves in the X direction, the rotation of the first gear 77a is transmitted to the third gear 77c via the second gear 77b and the fourth gear 77d. In this way, as the carriage 71 moves in the X direction, the first gear 77a rotates, which in turn rotates the third gear 77c, causing the take-up shaft 715 to rotate, and as printing is performed, the ink ribbon is taken up onto the take-up reel 72a as the carriage 71 moves in the X direction. In this way, printing can be performed on each label L on the label sheet LS while the carriage 71 (cassette 72 and thermal head 73) is moved in the X direction.

[0038] On the other hand, when printing is not being performed, the thermal head 73 rises and the fourth gear 77d does not mesh with the second gear 77b and the third gear 77c. When the fourth gear 77d is not meshed with the second gear 77b and the third gear 77c, the movement of the carriage 71 rotates the first gear 77a, but the rotation of the first gear 77a is not transmitted to the third gear 77c. In other words, when printing is not being performed and the carriage 71 is simply moving in the X direction, the take-up shaft 715 does not rotate and the ink ribbon is not wound onto the take-up reel 72a. This operation is performed, for example, after printing has been completed up to the end of a specific line on the label sheet LS, to move the carriage 71 (cassette 72 and thermal head 73) to the print start position for the next line in order to start printing the next line.

[0039] As described above, the winding mechanism 77 is driven by the movement of the carriage drive belt 76a in the X direction. That is, the carriage drive belt 76a provides the driving force for winding the ink ribbon and moving the carriage 71. This eliminates the need to provide a separate member for driving the winding mechanism 77 or a motor for driving the winding mechanism 77 on the carriage 71.

[0040] The thermal head 73 is provided below the carriage 71. The thermal head 73 moves in the X direction as the carriage 71 moves in the X direction. The thermal head 73 applies heat to the ink ribbon to cause ink to adhere to the label L. The thermal head 73 can be raised and lowered relative to the carriage 71 by an elevator mechanism 78. The elevator mechanism 78 has an elevator motor 78a and a transmission mechanism 78b that converts the rotation of the elevator motor 78a into the raising and lowering motion of the thermal head 73.

[0041] The elevation of the thermal head 73 by the transmission mechanism 78b is transmitted to the fourth gear 77d of the winding mechanism 77 by a lever member (not shown). That is, the fourth gear 77d is elevated and elevated as the thermal head 73 is elevated. Specifically, when the thermal head 73 is elevated, the fourth gear 77d is elevated and engages with both the second gear 77b and the third gear 77c. On the other hand, when the thermal head 73 is elevated, the fourth gear 77d is elevated and does not engage with either the second gear 77b or the third gear 77c.

[0042] 4, when the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71, the thermal head 73 protrudes from the surface of the cassette 72. In other words, the amount by which the thermal head 73 protrudes from the attachment surface 71a is greater than the amount by which the cassette 72 attached to the carriage 71 protrudes from the attachment surface 71a. In other words, the length of the thermal head 73 is greater than the thickness of the cassette 72.

[0043] When attaching the cassette 72 to the carriage 71, the ink ribbon needs to be positioned so that it passes under the thermal head 73. Specifically, the thermal head 73 needs to pass through the space between the recessed portion at the bottom of the cassette 72 and the ink ribbon bridging the recessed portion. In this way, the thermal head 73 functions to guide the cassette 72 when attaching the cassette 72 to the carriage 71. As described above, a long thermal head 73 can easily pass through the space between the recessed portion at the bottom of the cassette 72 and the ink ribbon, making it easier to guide the cassette 72 to the appropriate position on the carriage 71. As a result, it becomes easier to attach the cassette 72 to the appropriate position on the carriage 71. Furthermore, by making the length of the thermal head 73 longer than the thickness of the cassette 72, the thermal head 73 can protect the cassette 72 attached to the carriage 71.

[0044] A resin member 73a having a predetermined color is attached to the tip of the thermal head 73. The color of this resin member 73a is a color (e.g., a bright color such as yellow) that stands out against the color (e.g., black) of the mounting surface 71a of the carriage 71. This makes it easy to recognize the position of the thermal head 73 on the carriage 71, so that when attaching the cassette 72 to the carriage 71, it is easy to recognize where the ink ribbon should be placed.

[0045] By providing the tip of the thermal head 73 with a resin member 73a having a predetermined color, the problem of the colored tip peeling off and becoming less noticeable does not occur, compared to when the tip of the thermal head 73 is directly colored. Also, the tip of the thermal head 73 can be expected to be protected.

[0046] As described above, the guide member 712, the guide member 713, the claw member 714, the winding shaft 715, and the thermal head 73 all have the common function of guiding the cassette 72 when the cassette 72 is attached to the carriage 71. Therefore, these members can be collectively referred to as a "guide portion."

[0047] Of the guide parts, the guide member 712, the take-up shaft 715, and the thermal head 73 are longer than the thickness of the cassette 72. The guide member 712 protrudes from the upper left corner of the mounting surface 71a, the take-up shaft 715 protrudes from an area closer to the right of the mounting surface 71a, and the thermal head 73 protrudes from a lower part (closer to the left) of the mounting surface 71a. In other words, these components that protrude far from the mounting surface 71a are arranged at positions spaced apart from each other on the mounting surface 71a.

[0048] Compared to when a single member protrudes a long distance or when multiple long-protruding members are arranged closely together, by arranging multiple long-protruding members at positions spaced apart from one another on the mounting surface 71a, the effect of these multiple members restricting movement of the cassette 72 can be more enhanced. As a result, compared to when a single member protrudes a long distance or when multiple long-protruding members are arranged closely together, the guide section of this embodiment more easily guides the cassette 72 to an appropriate position on the carriage 71. In other words, compared to when a single member protrudes a long distance or when multiple long-protruding members are arranged closely together, the guide section of this embodiment makes it even easier to attach the cassette 72 to an appropriate position on the carriage 71.

[0049] The platen 74 is provided in a position facing the thermal head 73 in the printing device 100. The platen 74 presses the ink ribbon and the label L against each other between the platen 74 and the thermal head 73.

[0050] (2-3) Transfer mechanism The transport mechanism 9 transports the label sheet LS supplied to the sheet supply opening 5 along a transport path 9a to the position of the thermal head 73 and platen 74 of the printing mechanism 7, and discharges the label sheet LS printed by the printing mechanism 7 to the outside through the discharge opening 6. The transport path 9a is a gap inside the main body B that extends from the sheet supply opening 5 to the rear end of the main body B. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the transport mechanism 9 has a first roller 91, a second roller 92, a third roller 93, and a fourth roller 94.

[0051] The first roller 91 is provided on the side of the conveying path 9a that is closer to the discharge outlet 6 of the main body B, and rotates around a first shaft 91a that extends in the width direction (Y direction) of the main body B. Specifically, the rotation of the conveying motor 9b is transmitted to the first shaft 91a via a transmission mechanism 9c, causing the first roller 91 to rotate.

[0052] The second roller 92 is provided on the conveying path 9a so as to face the first roller 91. The second roller 92 rotates around a second shaft 92a extending in the width direction (Y direction) of the main body B. The roller surface of the second roller 92 is in contact with the roller surface of the first roller 91. As a result, the second roller 92 rotates around the second shaft 92a in accordance with the rotation of the first roller 91. In other words, the second roller 92 is a driven roller.

[0053] The third roller 93 is provided on the sheet supply opening 5 side of the conveying path 9a and rotates around a third shaft 93a extending in the width direction (Y direction) of the main body B. Specifically, the rotation of the conveying motor 9b is transmitted to the third shaft 93a via the transmission mechanism 9c, causing the first roller 91 to rotate. As described above, the conveying motor 9b rotates not only the third shaft 93a but also the first shaft 91a of the first roller 91. In other words, the conveying motor 9b can rotate the first roller 91 and the third roller 93 simultaneously.

[0054] The fourth roller 94 is disposed on the conveying path 9a so as to face the third roller 93. The fourth roller 94 rotates around a fourth shaft 94a extending in the width direction of the main body B. As shown in FIG. 3, the roller surface of the fourth roller 94 is in contact with the roller surface of the third roller 93. As a result, the fourth roller 94 rotates around the fourth shaft 94a in accordance with the rotation of the third roller 93. In other words, the fourth roller 94 is a driven roller.

[0055] In the conveying mechanism 9 configured as described above, the label sheet LS is sandwiched between the third roller 93 and the fourth roller 94 and / or between the first roller 91 and the second roller 92, and as the first roller 91 to the fourth roller 94 rotate, the label sheet LS can be conveyed to the position of the printing mechanism 7. In addition, as the first roller 91 to the fourth roller 94 rotate, the conveying mechanism 9 can discharge the printed label sheet LS to the outside through the discharge opening 6 at the rear end of the main body B.

[0056] The control unit 11 is a computer system that controls the printing device 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 11 has a CPU 11a, a storage device 11b such as RAM and ROM, and an input / output interface 11c. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. The CPU 11a executes various information processes. The storage device 11b stores programs executed by the CPU 11a, character data, parameters necessary for controlling the printing device 100, etc. The input / output interface 11c inputs and outputs signals and data between the CPU 11a and storage device 11b and each component of the printing device 100.

[0057] The control unit 11 controls the printing device 100, which will be described below, by having the CPU 11a execute a program stored in the storage device 11b. Note that part of the control of the printing device 100 may be realized by other hardware constituting the control unit 11. The control unit 11 may also be realized by a computer system having the CPU 11a, storage device 11b, and input / output interface 11c as separate devices, or may be realized by an SoC (System on Chip) in which these components are integrated on a single chip.

[0058] The control unit 11 controls the screen display of the display unit 1 connected to the input / output interface 11c. The control unit 11 accepts user operations using the input unit 3 connected to the input / output interface 11c and performs control based on the accepted operations. The control unit 11 controls the conveyance motor 9b connected to the input / output interface 11c to control the conveyance of the label sheet LS by the conveyance mechanism 9. The control unit 11 determines whether the label sheet LS has been supplied to the sheet supply port 5 based on a detection signal from a sheet detection unit 9d connected to the input / output interface 11c.

[0059] The control unit 11 controls the heating of the thermal head 73 connected to the input / output interface 11c. The control unit 11 controls the carriage motor 76d connected to the input / output interface 11c to control the movement of the carriage 71 in the X direction and the winding of the ink ribbon. The control unit 11 controls the lift motor 78a connected to the input / output interface 11c to control the lifting and lowering of the thermal head 73.

[0060] (3) Common features of the embodiments The first embodiment has the following common configurations and functions. A printing device (e.g., printing device 100) is a device that uses an ink ribbon to print on a predetermined medium (e.g., label sheet LS). This printing device includes a carriage (e.g., carriage 71) and a guide unit (e.g., guide member 712, winding shaft 715, thermal head 73). A cassette (e.g., cassette 72) is attached to the carriage. The cassette stores the ink ribbon. The guide unit protrudes from the cassette mounting surface of the carriage (e.g., mounting surface 71a) and guides the cassette when it is attached to the carriage. The amount by which the guide unit protrudes from the mounting surface is greater than the amount by which the cassette attached to the carriage protrudes from the mounting surface.

[0061] In the above-described printing device, the guide portion protrudes from the mounting surface by a greater amount than the cassette mounted on the carriage protrudes from the mounting surface. In other words, the length of the guide portion from the mounting surface is longer than the thickness of the cassette. Such a long guide portion makes it easier to guide the cassette to the appropriate position on the carriage. As a result, it becomes easier to mount the cassette in the appropriate position on the carriage.

[0062] (4) Other embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple embodiments and modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary. In addition to the ink ribbon, a printing medium (such as tape) may also be stored in the cassette 72. In other words, the cassette 72 may be a member that supplies the ink ribbon and printing medium between the thermal head 73 and the platen 74. [Industrial Applicability]

[0063] The present invention can be widely applied to printing devices that print on a predetermined medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100 Printing device 1 Display 3 Input section 5 Sheet supply port 5a Paper guide 6 Outlet 7 Printing mechanism 71 Carriage 71a Mounting surface 711 Clamping member 712 Guide member 713 Guide member 713a Uneven part 714 Claw member 715 Winding shaft 72 cassettes 72a Take-up reel 73 Thermal head 73a Resin parts 74 Platen 75 Rod-shaped member 76 Carriage drive mechanism 76a Carriage drive belt 761a uneven teeth 76b Drive pulley 76c driven pulley 76d Carriage motor 77 Winding mechanism 77a 1st gear 77b 2nd gear 77c 3rd gear 77d 4th gear 77e Presser pulley 78 Lifting mechanism 78a Lifting motor 78b Transmission mechanism 9. Transport mechanism 91 First Roller 91a First axis 92 Second Roller 92a 2nd axis 93 Third Roller 93a 3rd axis 94 4th Roller 94a Fourth axis 9a Transport Route 9b Transport motor 9c Transmission mechanism 9d Sheet detection unit 11 Control section 11a CPU 11b Storage device 11c input / output interface B body LS Label Sheet L Label

Claims

1. A printing device that prints on a predetermined medium using an ink ribbon, a carriage to which a cassette containing the ink ribbon is attached; a guide portion that protrudes from a mounting surface of the carriage on which the cassette is mounted and that guides the cassette when the cassette is mounted on the carriage; Equipped with a protrusion amount of the guide portion from the mounting surface is greater than a protrusion amount of the cassette mounted on the carriage from the mounting surface; the guide portion includes an L-shaped guide member that protrudes from a corner portion of the mounting surface, corresponds to two sides of the corner portion of the mounting surface, and corresponds to a corner portion of the cassette. Printing device.

2. the cassette has a take-up reel that takes up the ink ribbon, The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion includes a take-up shaft that rotates the take-up reel.

3. A printing device that prints on a predetermined medium using an ink ribbon, a carriage to which a cassette containing the ink ribbon is attached; a guide portion that protrudes from a mounting surface of the carriage on which the cassette is mounted and that guides the cassette when the cassette is mounted on the carriage; Equipped with a protrusion amount of the guide portion from the mounting surface is greater than a protrusion amount of the cassette mounted on the carriage from the mounting surface; the guide unit includes a head that prints by applying ink from the ink ribbon to the medium, A resin member having a predetermined color is attached to the tip of the head. Printing device.

Images