Printing apparatus

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: it has been difficult to downsize printing apparatuses.SOLUTION: A printing apparatus includes a case configured to receive roll paper of a rolled recording medium, a cover rotatably attached to the case to be used to open or close the case, a transport section including a transport motor provided to the case and a transport roller provided to the cover, the transport section being configured to pull the recording medium from the roll paper and transport the recording medium along a recording medium path, and a cut section including a first blade and a first blade motor configured to move the first blade provided to the cover and a second blade provided to the case, the cut section capable of cutting the recording medium. The first blade motor includes a first blade motor shaft, and the first blade motor is provided to the cover such that a first extension line extending from the first blade motor shaft and a second extension line extending from at least part of the recording medium path in a width direction of the recording medium intersect each other when the cover is closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a printing device is known in which dead space occurs around a motor that moves a blade for cutting a recording medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-72981 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the printing device described in Patent Document 1, dead space is generated around the motor that moves the blade for cutting the recording medium, making it difficult to reduce the size of the printing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The printing device comprises a case capable of accommodating roll paper on which a recording medium is wound, a cover rotatably attached to the case and capable of opening and closing the case, a transport unit having a transport motor mounted on the case and a transport roller mounted on the cover, which pulls the recording medium from the roll paper and transports it along a recording medium path, a first blade mounted on the cover and a first blade motor which moves the first blade, and a cutting unit having a second blade mounted on the case and capable of cutting the recording medium, wherein the first blade motor has a first blade motor shaft, and the first blade motor is mounted on the cover so that when the cover is closed, a first extension line extending from the first blade motor shaft and a second extension line extending from at least a portion of the recording medium path in the width direction of the recording medium intersect with each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the printing device when the cover is open. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the printing device when the cover is closed and the first blade is in the standby position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the printing device when the cover is closed and the first blade is in the cutting position. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of components mounted on the cover when the cover is open. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the cutting unit and the conveying unit when the cover is closed. [Figure 7] Schematic diagram of the printing unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the first blade with respect to the recording medium path when the first blade is in the standby position. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the first blade with respect to the path of the recording medium when the first blade is in the cutting position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 1. Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Directions in the drawings will be described using a three-dimensional coordinate system in which the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to one another. For convenience of explanation, the positive direction of the Z-axis will be referred to as the upward direction or simply "up," the negative direction as the downward direction or simply "down," the positive direction of the X-axis will be referred to as the rightward direction or simply "right," the negative direction as the leftward direction or simply "left," and the positive direction of the Y-axis will be referred to as the backward direction or simply "backward," and the negative direction as the forward direction or simply "front."

[0008] The printing device 1 according to the embodiment is used, for example, in a POS (Point Of Sale) system. POS systems are used in retail businesses such as shopping centers, department stores, convenience stores, and in-car sales, as well as food and beverage businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, and izakayas. POS systems have functions such as processing transactions based on the products and services purchased by customers and issuing receipts based on the transactions. When staff at a retail store, restaurant, or other establishment need to issue a receipt or other document for a transaction, they operate the POS system, send print data from the computer to the printer 1, and the printer 1 issues a receipt, which they then hand over to the customer. The printing device 1 is installed at the counter where the transaction is made in the store. Since the installation space for the counter is limited, the printing device 1 is also required to be compact.

[0009] 1-1. Printer configuration 1, the printing device 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, a printing unit 20, a conveying unit 30, and a cutting unit 40. The configuration of the printing device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7.

[0010] 2, cover 51 is attached to case 54 so as to be rotatable around hinge 52. Storage section 50 provided in case 54 can store roll paper R around which recording medium M is wound. By rotating, cover 51 can move between a state in which storage section 50 is open and a state in which storage section 50 of case 54 is closed.

[0011] 2 shows a state in which the cover 51 opens the storage section 50 of the case 54. In the following description, the cover 51 opening the storage section 50 of the case 54 is also referred to as the cover 51 being open. 3 shows a state in which the cover 51 closes the storage section 50 of the case 54. In the following description, the cover 51 closing the storage section 50 of the case 54 is also referred to as the cover 51 closing.

[0012] First, we will explain the parts mounted on the cover 51. As shown in Figure 2, the cover 51 is equipped with a transport roller 35 included in the transport unit 30, a movable blade 42 which is the first blade included in the cutting unit 40, and a guide 53 which can regulate the roll paper R as described below. A transport roller shaft 36 and a transport roller gear 37 are attached to the transport roller 35.

[0013] The components included in the cutting unit 40 mounted on the cover 51 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in Figure 5, in addition to the movable blade 42, the cover 51 is equipped with a moving mechanism that moves the movable blade 42, including a movable blade motor 43 which is a first blade motor, a movable blade motor shaft 43a which is a first blade motor shaft, a movable blade motor gear 44, a transmission gear 45, a worm 46, a worm wheel 47, a gear 48, and a pin 49 provided on the gear 48.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the cover 51 is provided with a motor cover 56, which is a first blade motor cover that covers at least a part of the movable blade motor 43 of the cutting unit 40. When store staff open the cover 51 and store the roll paper R in the storage section 50 of the case 54, the motor cover 56 prevents the store staff from touching the movable blade motor 43. This prevents malfunctions in the cutting unit 40 caused by store staff touching the movable blade motor 43 and displacing it. It is preferable that the motor cover 56 cover at least the portion of the movable blade motor 43 that is close to the movable blade motor gear 44, which transmits torque. This prevents malfunctions such as improper torque transmission in the cutting unit 40.

[0015] The motor cover 56 may also cover part of the movement mechanism of the cutting unit 40. For example, the motor cover 56 may also cover the movable blade motor shaft 43a, the movable blade motor gear 44, the transmission gear 45, and the worm 46. This can prevent malfunctions of the cutting unit 40 caused by store staff touching the respective parts and dislocating them. The other components that make up the movement mechanism of the cutting unit 40, the worm wheel 47 and the gear 48, are covered by a guide 53 so that store staff cannot touch them.

[0016] 2, the movable blade motor 43 is mounted on the cover 51 so that a straight line F, which is a third extension line extending through the hinge 52, which is the rotation center of the cover 51, and the transport roller shaft 36 of the transport roller 35, overlaps with at least a portion of the movable blade motor 43. At least a portion of the movable blade motor 43 may include at least a portion of a chassis that covers the movable blade motor 43. In this case, the straight line F overlaps with at least a portion of the chassis that covers the movable blade motor 43.

[0017] The chassis of the movable blade motor 43 has a screw hole on the side facing the movable blade motor gear 44. A first fixed plate and a second fixed plate are fixed to the cover 51. The side of the movable blade motor 43 facing the movable blade motor gear 44 is supported by the cover 51 with a screw fitted into the screw hole via the first fixed plate. The side of the movable blade motor 43 opposite the movable blade motor gear 44 is supported by the cover 51 so as to be sandwiched between the second fixed plate. The first fixed plate and the second fixed plate may be the same part, or may be the same part as the motor cover 56.

[0018] As will be described later, guide 53 provided on cover 51 has an arc shape that follows the shape of roll paper R. For this reason, the space on the left and right of this arc-shaped guide 53, which is surrounded by cover 51 and straight line F, is empty space, or so-called dead space, which is prone to occur. The positions of hinge 52 and transport roller shaft 36 correspond to the positions of both ends of the arc shape of guide 53, respectively. By mounting the movable blade motor 43 on the cover 51 in the above-described arrangement, the dead space surrounded by the cover 51 and the straight line F can be reduced, and the printing device 1 can be made smaller.

[0019] Next, we will explain the components mounted in the case 54. As shown in Fig. 2, the case 54 is equipped with the fixed blade 41, which is the second blade included in the cutting unit 40, the printing unit 20 including the head 21, the transport motor 31 included in the transport unit 30, the storage unit 50, etc. 7, the printing unit 20 includes a head 21, a head substrate 22, and an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) 23. The transport unit 30 includes a transport motor 31, a gear train 38, and a transport roller 35, as shown in FIG.

[0020] The case 54 also has a main board 60, which is a first board, and a sub-board 61, which is a second board, provided therein. The main board 60 is equipped with a control unit 10 (described below) that controls the printing unit 20. The FFC 23 of the printing unit 20 is connected to the main board 60. The sub-board 61 is equipped with a communication circuit and a power supply circuit that have relatively large connectors. These connectors are exposed to the outside from the case 54. The main board 60 and the sub-board 61 are connected to each other by an internal connector. The internal connector is, for example, a type that connects the boards in a vertical position. By using such an internal connector, the main board 60 and the sub-board 61 are arranged so that they intersect each other.

[0021] 3 shows a state in which the cover 51 is closed. At this time, the transport roller 35 of the transport unit 30 provided in the cover 51 is positioned opposite the head 21 of the printing unit 20 provided in the case 54. As a result, the recording medium M is sandwiched between the head 21 and the transport roller 35. In this way, when the cover 51 is closed, the head 21 of the printing unit 20 is positioned opposite the transport roller 35, and can come into contact with the recording medium M to perform printing.

[0022] Furthermore, as will be described later, when the cover 51 is closed, the gear train 38 and the transport roller gear 37 of the transport roller 35 mesh with each other, allowing torque to be transmitted from the transport motor 31 to the transport roller 35. In this way, when the cover 51 is closed, the transport roller 35 becomes able to transport the recording medium M. In this way, when the store staff opens the cover 51, places the roll paper R in the storage section 50, and then closes the cover 51, the printing device 1 is ready to print on the recording medium M.

[0023] 3 shows an example in which the printing device 1 is installed in a position where the cover 51 is located at the front of the printing device 1, but the printing device 1 can also be installed in a position where the cover 51 is located at the top. In these positions of the printing device 1, the discharge outlet 55 (described below) formed by the cover 51 is located at the front or top of the printing device 1, making it easy for store staff to pick up the recording medium M that has been printed and is discharged from the discharge outlet 55.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 3, when cover 51 is closed, movable blade 42 of cutting unit 40 provided on cover 51 is positioned opposite fixed blade 41 provided on case 54, and they can rub against each other. As shown in Fig. 3, the position where movable blade 42 is separated from fixed blade 41 is referred to as standby position A. Furthermore, when the cover 51 is closed, an outlet 55 for discharging the recording medium M is formed at the boundary between the cover 51 and the case 54. Specifically, when the cover 51 is closed, a rectangular outlet 55 is formed at the end of the cover 51 opposite the hinge 52 and at the boundary of the case 54 at a position opposite to the end of the cover 51.

[0025] When the cover 51 is closed, a recording medium path P is formed. The recording medium path P is formed so as to regulate the recording medium M from upstream to downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording medium M by the storage section 50, the head 21, the conveyance roller 35, and the discharge port 55. The recording medium M is drawn from the roll paper R by the conveyance unit 30 and conveyed along the recording medium path P. Note that within the recording medium path P, the range from the head 21 to the discharge port 55 is particularly referred to as range P1. In other words, the range P1 is at least a part of the recording medium path P, including from the position of the head 21 of the printing unit 20 and the transport roller 35 of the transport unit 30, which face each other, to the position of the discharge port 55.

[0026] The printing unit 20 may further include a pressing mechanism that presses the head 21 against the transport roller 35. The recording medium M is sandwiched between the head 21 and the transport roller 35 with a predetermined pressing force by the pressing mechanism. When the transport motor 31 rotates the transport roller 35 clockwise, the recording medium M sandwiched between the head 21 and the transport roller 35 with a predetermined pressing force is transported. The transport roller 35 is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber, which allows the transport roller 35 to pinch the recording medium M together with the head 21 with a predetermined pressing force, thereby generating a frictional force that can transport the recording medium M.

[0027] Incidentally, when the conveying unit 30 pulls out the recording medium M from the roll paper R, the roll paper R may roll back and forth. Like the storage unit 50, the guide 53 provided on the cover 51 is also arc-shaped to match the shape of the roll paper R. The storage unit 50 and the guide 53 restrict the roll paper R in the back and forth direction, preventing it from rolling.

[0028] The head 21 of the printing unit 20 is, for example, a line thermal head in which a plurality of heat generating elements are arranged in a line. The recording medium M is heat-sensitive paper. When the recording medium M comes into contact with the head 21, the recording medium M develops color due to heat generated by the heating elements, and printing is performed according to the print data. Since the head 21 is a line thermal head, printing is performed on the recording medium M by the head 21 while the recording medium M is transported by the transport roller 35. The printed recording medium M is discharged from the discharge port 55.

[0029] In the cutting unit 40, the movable blade 42 is moved from the standby position A shown in Fig. 3 toward the cutting position B shown in Fig. 4 by the above-mentioned movement mechanism including the movable blade motor 43. In other words, the movable blade 42 moves toward the fixed blade 41, and can cut the recording medium M that is in the range P1 of the recording medium path P and that is between the movable blade 42 and the fixed blade 41.

[0030] 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls all parts of the printer 1, a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) that manages input and output, and logic circuits such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). The CPU is also called a processor. The storage unit 11 includes a flash ROM (Read Only Memory) and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), which are rewritable nonvolatile memories, and a RAM (Random Access Memory), which is a volatile memory. The CPU of the control unit 10 reads out programs such as firmware stored in the nonvolatile memory of the storage unit 11, and executes them using the RAM of the storage unit 11 as a working area.

[0031] 7, the printing unit 20 includes a head 21, a head substrate 22, and an FFC 23. Specifically, the head 21 is mounted on the head substrate 22, which is made of ceramic or the like. The head 21 and the main substrate 60 are connected by a cable such as the FFC 23. When print data is received from the computer, the control unit 10 on the main board 60 generates a control signal to control the head 21 and applies it to the head 21 via the FFC 23. The head 21 prints a receipt on the recording medium M based on the applied control signal.

[0032] 1-2. Layout of the conveying and cutting sections The layout of the conveying section 30 and the cutting section 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 6, a wheel train 38 is provided on the side of the case 54 where the transport motor gear 33 of the transport motor 31 is attached. The wheel train 38 is in mesh with the transport motor gear 33 and is capable of transmitting the torque of the transport motor 31 to the transport roller 35. The wheel train 38 is a combination of multiple gears and transmits torque to the transport roller 35 while reducing the rotational speed of the transport motor 31.

[0033] 5, the transport roller gear 37 of the transport roller 35 is also disposed to the left of the cover 51. When the cover 51 is closed, the gear train 38 mounted on the case 54 meshes with the transport roller gear 37 mounted on the cover 51, allowing the transport roller 35 to rotate clockwise. As shown in FIG. 6, the transport motor gear 33 of the transport motor 31, the gear train 38, and the transport roller gear 37 of the transport roller 35, which are included in the transport unit 30, are efficiently arranged in the left space within the printing device 1.

[0034] 5, the movable blade motor 43, movable blade motor shaft 43a, movable blade motor gear 44, transmission gear 45, and worm 46 included in the cutting unit 40 are efficiently arranged in the space to the left of the guide 53 in the cover 51. The transport roller gear 37 of the transport roller 35 is also arranged in this space. In this way, the parts of the cutting unit 40 such as the movable blade motor 43 are also mounted on the cover 51 on the side where the gear train 38 is provided relative to the conveying motor 31.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the left-right lengths of the storage section 50, guide 53, and transport roller 35, which store, regulate, and transport the roll paper R and recording medium M, respectively, are longer than the widths of the roll paper R and recording medium M, and therefore occupy a considerable amount of space within the printing device 1. The components that make up the conveying section 30 and the cutting section 40 are efficiently arranged in the space within the printing device 1 as described above, while avoiding interference with the conveying roller 35, guide 53, storage section 50, etc., even when the cover 51 is closed, allowing the printing device 1 to be made compact.

[0036] The movable blade motor 43 of the cutting unit 40 is a particularly large component. For example, by efficiently arranging the movable blade motor 43 in the left space inside the printing device 1, where dead space is likely to occur, the dead space inside the printing device 1 can be reduced, and the printing device 1 can be made more compact. Furthermore, by efficiently arranging at least the movable blade motor gear 44, transmission gear 45, and worm 46 that constitute the cutting section 40, and at least the transport motor gear 33, gear train 38, and transport roller gear 37 of the transport roller 35 that constitute the transport section 30 in the left space within the printing device 1, the dead space within the printing device 1 can be further reduced and the printing device 1 can be made even smaller.

[0037] 1-3. Operation of the cutting part The operation of the cutting unit 40 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figures 8 and 9 show a state in which the cover 51 is closed, and the fixed blade 41 is omitted. 8, the movable blade 42 is at the standby position A. At the standby position A, the movable blade 42 is retracted downward from the range P1 of the recording medium path P.

[0038] When the recording medium M is cut by the movable blade 42, the movable blade motor 43 is started under the control of the control unit 10. When the movable blade motor 43 is started, the movable blade motor shaft 43a rotates, and the movable blade motor gear 44 attached to the movable blade motor shaft 43a also rotates. The movable blade motor gear 44 is meshed with a transmission gear 45 that is coaxial with a worm 46. When the movable blade motor gear 44 rotates, the worm 46 also rotates via the transmission gear 45. Then, the worm wheel 47 that meshes with the worm 46 rotates counterclockwise around the worm wheel shaft 47a. The worm 46 and the worm wheel 47 form a so-called worm gear.

[0039] The pin 49 is attached to the gear 48 so as to protrude forward from the gear 48. Meanwhile, the movable blade 42 has an elliptical slot 42a that is long in the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the upper edge of the elliptical shape of the slot 42a will be referred to as the upper edge, and the lower edge will be referred to as the lower edge. The pin 49 of the gear 48 is slidably fitted into the slot 42a of the movable blade 42. As shown in FIG. 8, when the pin 49 of the gear 48 is at its lowest point, the movable blade 42 is at the standby position A.

[0040] When the worm wheel 47 rotates counterclockwise, the gear 48 meshing with the worm wheel 47 rotates clockwise about the gear shaft 48a. As gear 48 rotates clockwise, pin 49 also rotates clockwise, moving while rubbing against the upper edge of slot 42a and pushing movable blade 42 upward. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, movable blade 42 moves to cutting position B. As movable blade 42 moves from standby position A to cutting position B, movable blade 42 advances above range P1 of recording medium path P, enabling it to cut recording medium M in range P1 of recording medium path P.

[0041] The movable blade 42 is made of a V-shaped metal, with the tip of the V-shape forming a cutting edge. The movable blade 42 is of a so-called cut-off type, in which the V-shaped cutting edge moves toward the fixed blade 41. The movable blade 42 can cut the recording medium M from both ends as it moves with the V-shaped cutting edge. At this time, cutting the entire width of the recording medium M with the movable blade 42 is called a full cut.

[0042] Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 10, it is also possible to perform a so-called partial cut, in which the central portion of the recording medium M is left uncut, by moving only the center of the V-shape of the movable blade 42 to a position where it will not cut the recording medium M and stopping it there. In this case, another detector may be provided to detect the position where the movable blade 42 performs the partial cut. When the other detector detects that the movable blade 42 has reached the position where the partial cut is performed, the control unit 10 can stop driving the movable blade motor 43 and stop the movable blade 42 at the partial cut position.

[0043] When the movable blade 42 reaches the cutting position B, cutting of the recording medium M is completed. As shown in Figure 9, when the pin 49 of the gear 48 is at its highest point, the movable blade 42 is at the cutting position B. Next, the control unit 10 causes the movable blade 42 to return toward the standby position A. Under the control of the control unit 10, the movable blade motor 43 is further driven and the movable blade motor shaft 43a rotates, which causes the worm wheel 47 to further rotate counterclockwise via the movable blade motor gear 44, transmission gear 45, and worm 46.

[0044] As the gear 48 rotates clockwise, the pin 49 also rotates clockwise, and this time the pin 49 rubs against the lower edge of the slot 42a, pushing the movable blade 42 downward. The movable blade 42 retreats downward from the range P1 of the recording medium path P, and moves to the standby position A. 8, when the pin 49 of the gear 48 returns to its lowest point and the movable blade 42 retreats downward from the range P1 to the standby position A, this is detected by the detector 70. When the detector 70 detects that the movable blade 42 has reached the standby position A, the control unit 10 stops driving the movable blade motor 43.

[0045] When a partial cut is made, the movable blade motor 43 is rotated in the reverse direction under the control of the control unit 10. The movable blade 42 does not advance any further from the position where the partial cut was made, and can return to the standby position A with the central portion of the recording medium M remaining. When the movable blade motor 43 rotates in the reverse direction, the gear 48 and pin 49 rotate counterclockwise, and the pin 49 rubs against the lower edge of the elongated hole 42a, pushing the movable blade 42 downward and moving it to the standby position A.

[0046] Alternatively, a long groove may be formed in the center of the movable blade 42 in the vertical direction of the movement of the movable blade 42, and another pin provided on the cover 51 may be fitted therein. The grooves of the movable blade 42 move along the other pins, so the movable blade 42 does not swing left and right. As a result, the movable blade 42 can advance and retreat straight within the range P1 of the recording medium path P. The movable blade 42 can cut the recording medium M with high precision.

[0047] Furthermore, even though the control unit 10 has driven the movable blade motor 43, if the detector 70 does not detect within a predetermined time that the movable blade 42 has moved from the standby position A to the cutting position B and then returned to the standby position A again, the control unit 10 determines that an error has occurred. For example, this may occur if the recording medium M is jammed in the range P1 of the recording medium path P, preventing the movable blade 42 from moving. In this case, the control unit 10 stops driving the movable blade motor 43 and notifies the user through a notification device such as a liquid crystal display device or a speaker that an error has occurred in the cutting unit 40.

[0048] 1-4. Layout of cutting section and recording medium path The layout of the cutting unit 40 and the recording medium path P will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. As described above, in Fig. 8, the movable blade 42 of the cutting unit 40 is located at standby position A, retracted from range P1, which is at least a part of the recording medium path P. In range P1, recording medium M that has been transported by the transport unit 30 and printed by the printing unit 20 is present and can be cut by the movable blade 42. In Fig. 9, the movable blade 42 has advanced into range P1 and is located at cutting position B where it has cut the recording medium M.

[0049] 8 and 9 show a straight line E, which is a second extension line extending to the left in one direction of the width of the recording medium, from at least a part of the range P1 of the recording medium path P. Also shown is a straight line D, which is a first extension line extending from the movable blade motor shaft 43a of the movable blade motor 43. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the movable blade motor 43 is mounted on the cover 51 so that the lines D and E intersect with each other when the cover 51 is closed.

[0050] As described above, dead space is likely to occur in the left space inside the printing apparatus 1. In other words, dead space is also likely to occur in the space inside the printing apparatus 1 to the left of the range P1 of the recording medium path P. On the other hand, the movable blade motor 43 has a cylindrical shape that is long in the direction of the movable blade motor shaft 43a, with the movable blade motor shaft 43a as the center of the circle.

[0051] When the cover 51 is closed, the movable blade motor 43 is mounted on the cover 51 so that a straight line D passing through the movable blade motor shaft 43a of the cylindrical movable blade motor 43 intersects with the straight line E in a dead space in the printing device 1 located to the left of at least a part of the range P1, the straight line D passing through the movable blade motor shaft 43a. As a result, while avoiding interference with the range P1 of the recording medium path P, dead space within the printing device 1 is reduced, and the cylindrical movable blade motor 43 can be efficiently mounted on the cover 51, making it possible to make the printing device 1 smaller.

[0052] Furthermore, by mounting the movable blade motor 43 on the cover 51 so that the lines D and E intersect with each other, the rotation axes that are the centers of rotation of the movable blade motor gear 44, transmission gear 45, and worm 46 of the cutting unit 40 can also be mounted on the cover 51 in an orientation parallel to the line D. In other words, the directions of the rotation axes of these components, including the movable blade motor shaft 43a of the movable blade motor 43, can be aligned. As a result, dead space within the printer 1 can be reduced, the components of the cutting section 40 can be efficiently mounted on the cover 51, and the printer 1 can be made more compact.

[0053] According to the embodiment described above, the movable blade motor 43 of the cutting unit 40 is mounted on the cover 51 so that the above-mentioned lines D and E intersect with each other when the cover 51 is closed. As a result, the dead space around the movable blade motor 43, which is the empty space within the printing device 1 where no other parts are arranged, can be reduced, and the printing device 1 can be made smaller.

[0054] These embodiments have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and may be changed, replaced, deleted, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0055] As described above, the head 21 of the printing device 1 has been described as a line thermal head, but there is no limitation on the type of the head 21. For example, the head 21 may be a line-type inkjet head. Although the recording medium M has been described as being thermal paper, if the head 21 is an inkjet head, it may be plain paper. Furthermore, the recording medium M may be label paper with a standard-sized label affixed to a backing sheet. The printing device 1 may be a label issuing device installed in a store. In this case, a photosensor that detects the position of the label affixed to the backing sheet may be provided at a position upstream of the range P1 of the recording medium path P in the conveyance direction of the recording medium M. For example, if the photosensor is a reflective type, the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit may be mounted either in the guide 53 of the cover 51 or in the storage unit 50 at that position. Alternatively, if the photosensor is a transmissive type, the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit may be mounted separately in the guide 53 of the cover 51 and in the storage unit 50, respectively.

[0056] The movable blade 42 may be made of metal and shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped, with the tip of one of its sides forming a cutting edge. In this case, the movable blade 42 is supported rotatably around a support shaft provided in the cover 51, in a so-called scissors-type configuration. The movable blade 42 rotates around the support shaft due to the movable blade motor 43, and moves relative to the fixed blade 41 from one end of the cutting edge of the movable blade 42 to the other, rubbing against the fixed blade 41 to cut the recording medium M. The movable blade motor 43 may be a DC motor, a step motor, or another type of motor. While the movable blade motor 43 has been described as being cylindrical, it may have other shapes. It may have any shape that allows it to be placed in the dead space on the left side of the printing device 1. Although the example of the gear train 38 using a plurality of gears has been described as transmitting the torque of the transport motor 31 to the transport roller 35, the torque may also be transmitted by a belt. The detector 70 that detects the position of the movable blade 42 may be a mechanical switch or an optical photosensor. A locking mechanism that can hold the cover 51 in a closed state may be provided in the space to the left of the case 54. This reduces dead space on the left side of the printer 1, improving space efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1...printing device, 10...control unit, 11...memory unit, 20...printing unit, 21...head, 23...FFC, 30...conveying unit, 31...conveying motor, 35...conveying roller, 36...conveying roller shaft, 38...wheel train, 50...storage unit, 51...cover, 60...main board, 61...sub-board, M...recording medium, P...recording medium path, P1...range, R...roll paper.

Claims

1. a case capable of accommodating roll paper around which a recording medium is wound; a cover rotatably attached to the case and capable of opening and closing the case; A transport motor mounted on the case and a transport roller mounted on the cover a conveying mechanism for pulling out the recording medium from the roll paper and conveying the recording medium along a recording medium path; Department and a first blade mounted on the cover and a first blade motor that moves the first blade; a cutting unit having a second blade mounted on the case and capable of cutting the recording medium; The first blade motor has a first blade motor shaft, and when the cover is closed, a first extension line extending from the first blade motor shaft and a second extension line extending from a part of the recording medium path to the recording medium; The first blade motor rotates the cartridge so that second extension lines extending in the width direction of the medium intersect with each other. Mounted on the bar, the cover includes a guide that can regulate the roll paper when the cover is closed; the first blade is covered by the guide; The printing device, wherein the first blade motor is disposed outside the guide in the width direction.

2. The transport roller has a transport roller shaft, A third extension line passing through the conveying roller shaft and the rotation center of the cover is 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first blade motor is mounted on the cover so as to hang over a portion of the first blade motor. The printing device described in

3. When the cover is closed, printing is performed on the recording medium at a position facing the transport roller. A printing department is provided. When the cover is closed, the recording medium is ejected to the boundary between the cover and the case. An outlet is formed, A part of the recording medium path is located between the positions of the transport roller and the printing unit, which are opposed to each other. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing section is a part of the area extending from the printing section to the position of the discharge outlet.

4. a storage section provided in the case for storing the roll paper; a gear train that transmits torque of the transport motor to the transport roller, the wheel train is disposed on the outer side of the housing portion in the width direction; When the cover is closed, the first blade motor is located outside the storage section in the width direction. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the printing device is a printer.

5. The cover includes a first blade motor cover that covers at least a portion of the first blade motor. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the printing device is a printer.

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