Automatic cover opening mechanism and printing device

Abstract

To achieve low cost and further space saving of a mechanism which automatically opens an opening / closing cover 5 by utilizing power of a carriage 15, without adding new power.SOLUTION: An automatic open mechanism 3 for an opening / closing cover comprises: a lever 11 that can be rotated through a rotary fulcrum 9; a locking part 13 that is positioned at one end of the lever 11, and locks the opening / closing cover 11 in a closed state receiving force F in an opening direction to maintain the closed state of the opening / closing cover 11; and a power receiving part 17 that is positioned at the other end 8 of the lever 11, and contacts a carriage 15 which moves in a horizontal direction to receive power of the carriage 15. The lever 11 is rotated when the carriage 15 contacts the power receiving part 17 to press the part, to release the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 maintained by the locking part 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic cover opening mechanism and a printing device equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of this type of automatic cover opening mechanism is described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes a mechanism for automatically opening the front cover using a solenoid that is activated by passing an electric current through it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-161369 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 uses a solenoid, which increases costs and hinders space saving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover of the present invention comprises a lever that can rotate via a rotation fulcrum, a locking portion located at one end of the lever that locks with the opening / closing cover in a closed state when it is receiving a force in the opening direction, thereby maintaining the opening / closing cover in a closed state, and a power receiving portion located at the other end of the lever that comes into contact with a carriage that moves horizontally and receives the power of the carriage, and the lever rotates when the carriage contacts and pushes the power receiving portion, thereby releasing the locking portion from maintaining the opening / closing cover in a closed state. The printing device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a print head mounted on a carriage, an opening / closing cover that receives a force in an opening direction, and an automatic opening mechanism for the opening / closing cover. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the first embodiment with the opening / closing cover open. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an overall plan view showing the interior of the first embodiment with the main parts visible. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the first embodiment as seen from diagonally rearward. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the first embodiment as seen from diagonally front. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of a lever portion of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of a power receiving portion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the opening / closing cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 2A and 2B are perspective views of the main part of a sensor portion of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure in which a wall member is provided in front of the lever in a retractable manner according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 6 is a graph showing threshold values ​​of current values ​​for controlling the movement range of the carriage in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will now be briefly described. In order to solve the above problem, the automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a lever that can rotate via a rotation fulcrum, a locking portion located at one end of the lever that locks with the opening / closing cover in a closed state when the opening / closing cover is receiving a force in the opening direction, thereby maintaining the opening / closing cover in a closed state, and a power receiving portion located at the other end of the lever that comes into contact with a carriage that moves horizontally and receives the power of the carriage, and the lever rotates when the carriage contacts and pushes the power receiving portion, thereby releasing the locking portion from maintaining the opening / closing cover in a closed state.

[0008] According to this aspect, the lever rotates when the carriage contacts and pushes the power receiving portion, and this rotation releases the locking portion from maintaining the open-close cover in the closed state. This release causes the open-close cover to receive the force in the opening direction, and the force causes the cover to transition from the closed state to the open state. Therefore, by using the power of the carriage, there is no need to add a new power source, which reduces the cost and space required for the mechanism that automatically opens the open-close cover.

[0009] The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to the second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the force in the opening direction is designed so that a weight moment is generated on the side on which the opening / closing cover opens.

[0010] According to this aspect, the openable cover has a structure that generates a weight moment on the opening side, so when the locking state by the locking portion is released, the openable cover transitions from the closed state to the open state due to its own weight. This eliminates the need for a mechanism for opening the openable cover, thereby achieving cost reduction.

[0011] The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to a third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect, characterized in that it includes a sensor that detects the open / closed state of the opening / closing cover.

[0012] According to this aspect, a sensor is provided to detect the open / closed state of the opening / closing cover, which eliminates unnecessary operations such as operating the automatic opening mechanism when the opening / closing cover is already open, improving usability.

[0013] The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the power receiving portion of the lever is a sliding portion that slides when pushed by the carriage.

[0014] According to this aspect, the power receiving portion of the lever is a sliding portion that slides when pressed by the carriage, whereby the lever receives the power of the carriage as the sliding portion slides, thereby making it possible to effectively utilize the power of the carriage.

[0015] The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the slide portion has a contact convex portion that comes into contact with the carriage, and when the slide portion is pushed by the carriage, the contact convex portion enters a contact recess that the carriage has.

[0016] According to this aspect, when the sliding portion is pushed by the carriage, the contact protrusion of the sliding portion enters the contact recess of the carriage, which makes it easier for the sliding portion to move integrally with the carriage and reduces the risk of the sliding portion being caught in the carriage.

[0017] A printing device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a printing device comprising a print head mounted on a carriage and an opening / closing cover that receives a force in the opening direction, and is characterized by comprising an automatic opening mechanism for the opening / closing cover described in any one of the first to fifth aspects. According to this aspect, the printing device can achieve the above-described effects of the first to fifth aspects.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a printing device according to the sixth aspect, characterized in that the carriage moves back and forth when printing, and the automatic opening mechanism is located outside the range of the carriage's reciprocating movement.

[0019] According to this aspect, the automatic opening mechanism is located outside the range of the reciprocating movement of the carriage, and therefore exists independently of the normal printing operation of the printing device. In other words, the automatic opening mechanism can be provided in the printing device without affecting the structure that executes the printing operation, and it is easy to create models that include the automatic opening mechanism and models that do not.

[0020] The printing device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the sixth or seventh aspect, when the opening / closing cover is opened, at least one of the discharge tray that receives printed materials and the feeding cassette that contains the printing medium becomes operable.

[0021] According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the risk of damage or malfunction caused by accidentally touching the discharge tray that receives printed materials or the feed cassette that stores print media.

[0022] A printing device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, when it detects that the opening / closing cover is closed, it stops printing and performs an operation to release the opening / closing cover from the closed state. According to this aspect, if the opening / closing cover is closed during a printing operation, the opening / closing cover can be opened after the printing operation is stopped.

[0023] A printing device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the operation of releasing the closed state of the opening / closing cover occurs after the main switch of the printing device is turned on and before the printing operation begins.

[0024] According to this aspect, the operation of releasing the closed state of the opening / closing cover is performed at an appropriate timing, so that the opening / closing cover can be prevented from opening inadvertently.

[0025] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to a first embodiment and a printing apparatus including the same will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. In the following explanation, the three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, as shown in each figure. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, i.e., the direction in which gravity acts. The X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to the horizontal direction. In each figure, the directions indicated by the arrows on the three axes (X, Y, Z) are the positive directions of each direction.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with an automatic opening mechanism 3 (FIG. 3) for the opening / closing cover. The printing device 1 also has a print head 65 that prints on the medium P, and a carriage 15 that moves in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium P. FIG. 2 shows the opening / closing cover 5 located on the front side (+Y direction) of the printing device 1 in an open state, and also shows the state in which the discharge tray 7 housed inside the device is pulled out. The opening / closing cover 5 is configured to allow access to the discharge tray 7 that receives the medium P (hereinafter also referred to as "printed material P"). The device may also be configured to allow access to a feeding cassette (not shown) that stores the printing medium. The printing device 1 is a multifunction device with an inkjet printer 2 located below and a scanner unit 4 located above. The opening / closing cover 5 is located adjacent to the ink tank 12 of the printing device 1. The ink tank 12 can be filled with ink.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, in this embodiment, the automatic opening mechanism 3 for the opening / closing cover comprises a lever 11 that can rotate via a rotation fulcrum 9, a locking portion 13 located at one end of the lever 11 that locks with the opening / closing cover 5 in the closed state and receives a force F (Figures 1 and 8) in the opening direction, thereby maintaining the opening / closing cover 5 in the closed state, and a power receiving portion 17 located at the other end of the lever 11 that comes into contact with a carriage 15 (Figure 7) that moves horizontally and receives the power of the carriage 15. The lever 11 is configured to rotate when the carriage 15 comes into contact with and pushes the power receiving portion 17, thereby releasing the locking portion 13 from keeping the open / close cover 5 in the closed state. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0028] <Automatic opening mechanism lever> In this embodiment, the lever 11 has a shape that extends in the Y-axis direction, which is the horizontal direction, as shown in FIGS. One end of lever 11 has a locking portion 13 that locks onto locked portion 18 (Figs. 2 to 4, 6) of open-close cover 5 in the closed state. Note that Fig. 6 shows a state in which locking portion 13 of lever 11 is disengaged from locked portion 18 of open-close cover 5. Locking portion 13 is formed in a convex curved shape with the -X direction as the protruding direction, and is formed by integral molding with a resin locking portion main body 20 that extends in the Y-axis direction. Locking portion 13 is provided on the side surface of the tip of locking portion main body 20 in the +Y direction.

[0029] Furthermore, a power receiving portion 17 is provided at the other end of the lever 11, which receives the power of the moving carriage 15. In this embodiment, this power receiving portion 17 is configured as a slide portion 19 that slides when pushed by the carriage 15. The slide portion 19 has two portions 19a and 19b whose bottom surfaces are guided by two guide grooves 22 and 24 (FIG. 5) of the frame 30, respectively. The two portions 19a and 19b of the slide portion 19 are integrally connected, and move integrally in the X direction, which is the movement direction of the carriage 15. The slide portion 19 a guided by the guide groove 22 is configured as the power receiving portion 17 .

[0030] In this embodiment, the slide portion 19b guided by the guide groove 24 is connected to the locking portion main body 20 via a metal power transmission shaft 26. One end 6 (FIG. 6) of the power transmission shaft 26 is connected and fixed integrally to the base end portion 10 of the locking portion main body 20, and the other end 8 is inserted into a recess 28 of the slide portion 19b and is connected in an unfixed state in contact with the inner surface of the recess 28. When the slide portion 19a is pushed by the carriage 15, causing the integral slide portion 19b to move in the -X direction, the other end 8 of the power transmission shaft 26 moves while in contact with the inner surface of the recess 28. This allows the lever 11 to rotate about the rotation fulcrum 9. In other words, the horizontal linear movement of the carriage 15 is converted into rotational movement of the lever 11 and transmitted.

[0031] <Automatic opening mechanism lever rotation structure> Lever 11 is attached to a rotation fulcrum shaft 58 that forms a rotation fulcrum 9 so as to be rotatable within a horizontal plane. Rotation fulcrum 9 is formed at the axial center of rotation fulcrum shaft 58. In this embodiment, rotation fulcrum shaft 58 is fixed to lower plate 14 and upper plate 16, which are structural members of the device, with the shaft extending in the vertical direction. The locking portion body 20 of the lever 11 is located on the upper surface 32 of the upper plate 16, and the bottom of the base end 10 is rotatably connected to the rotation fulcrum shaft 58. A through-hole 34 (FIG. 4) is formed in the vicinity of the locking portion 13 of the upper plate 16, and a protrusion 36 provided on the locking portion body 20 is inserted into the through-hole 34 in a penetrating state. The through-hole 34 is formed in a size and shape that allows the locking portion body 20 to rotate around the rotation fulcrum 9 on the base end 10 side. A torsion coil spring 38 (FIG. 4) is provided between the lower plate 14 and the upper plate 16, and one end 40 of the torsion coil spring 38 is engaged with the protrusion 36 of the locking portion main body 20. As a result, the locking portion main body 20 is configured to receive the spring force of the torsion coil spring 38 and rotate in the direction in which the locking portion 13 engages with the locked portion 18 of the opening / closing cover 5.

[0032] 7, in this embodiment, the slide portion 19a has a contact protrusion 21 that comes into contact with the carriage 15, and the carriage 15 is provided with a contact recess 23 at a position that comes into contact with the contact protrusion 21. When the slide portion 19a of the lever 11 is pressed by the carriage 15, the contact protrusion 21 enters the contact recess 23, and the slide portion 19a easily moves integrally with the carriage 15.

[0033] 8, in this embodiment, the opening / closing cover 5 is constructed so as to have a moment of its own weight on the opening side. Specifically, the position of the center of gravity G of the opening / closing cover 5 is set so that it opens under its own weight relative to the opening / closing movement fulcrum 42. That is, the force F in the opening direction is generated by the weight of the opening / closing cover 5, so that the opening / closing cover 5 is configured to automatically open under the action of its own weight when the closed state is released. The force F in the opening direction is not limited to the structure utilizing the moment of its own weight. For example, the force F in the opening direction may be applied by utilizing the elasticity of a spring.

[0034] 9, this embodiment is also provided with a sensor 25 that detects the open / closed state of the opening / closing cover 5. In this case, the sensor 25 is composed of an action piece 27 provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 5, and a detection piece 29 provided in a state where it is pressed in the outgoing direction against a device structural member of the printing device 1. 9A corresponds to the OFF state of sensor 25. In other words, because action piece 27 is not pushing detection piece 29, sensor 25 detects that opening-closing cover 5 is open. The range within which sensor 25 detects that opening-closing cover 5 is open is set to an angle that will not cause a jam in the ejected printed material even if opening of opening-closing cover 5 stops midway. In this example, the angle is set to 70 degrees. 9B corresponds to the ON state of the detection of sensor 25. That is, since action piece 27 presses detection piece 29, sensor 25 detects that open-close cover 5 is closed.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation to release the open / close cover 5 from being kept closed is controlled so as to be executed before the printing operation starts after the main switch of the printing device 1 is turned on. This is because a control unit (not shown) is configured to execute the release operation using the main switch of the printing device 1 being turned on as a trigger. That is, the operation of releasing the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 is configured to be executed at an appropriate timing.

[0036] Alternatively, when the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 is detected, the printing operation may be stopped and an operation performed to release the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5. Even if the opening / closing cover 5 is closed during a printing operation, the opening / closing cover 5 can be opened after the printing operation is stopped, and the printing operation can be resumed.

[0037] In this embodiment, the carriage 15 moves back and forth when printing is performed, and the automatic opening mechanism 3 for the open / close cover is located outside the range W of the carriage 15's reciprocating movement. 3, the automatic opening mechanism 3 for the open / close cover is located outside the range W of reciprocating movement of the carriage 15 when printing. In other words, the automatic opening mechanism 3 is provided in the printing device 1 so as not to affect the structure that executes the printing operation.

[0038] <Carriage movement is restricted by wall members> 10, in this embodiment, a wall member 44 is provided in front of the power receiving portion 17 of the lever 11, i.e., in front of the slide portion 19a, so as to be able to protrude and retract in the vertical direction. When the carriage 15 is moved to operate the automatic opening mechanism 3 and open the opening / closing cover 5, the wall member 44 is in a retracted state, i.e., it is lowered and retracted. On the other hand, when the automatic opening mechanism 3 is not operated, the wall member 44 is in the extended state, i.e., in the raised position. For example, when moving the carriage 15 to detect its position, the position is detected by making the carriage 15 hit the wall member 44. In this case, the carriage 15 touches the wall member 44 but does not touch the power receiving portion 17 of the lever 11, so that the automatic opening mechanism 3 can be prevented from operating unintentionally. The power for the projection and retraction of the wall member 44 can be obtained by utilizing a power source such as a motor provided in the printing device 1. Reference numeral 65 denotes a print head.

[0039] <Carriage movement range controlled by current value> 11 is a graph showing threshold values ​​of the current value that controls the movement range of the carriage 15. The horizontal axis represents the movement distance D of the carriage 15 from the origin, and the vertical axis represents the current value I flowing through the carriage 15. When the carriage 15 starts moving from the origin and comes into contact with the power receiving portion 17 of the lever 11 of the automatic opening mechanism 3, it moves against the spring force of the torsion coil spring 38, and the value of the current I flowing through the carriage 15 starts to increase. Reference numeral 46 in the figure indicates the change in the value of the current I flowing through the carriage 15 at that time. Reference numeral 56 indicates the position of the carriage 15 where the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 is released, i.e., the position where the locking portion 13 of the lever 11 disengages from the locked portion 18 and the opening / closing cover 5 begins to transition to an open state. Reference numeral 50 indicates a first threshold value, and reference numeral 48 indicates a second threshold value. The first threshold value 50 is set in an area 52 from the position where the carriage 15 contacts the power receiving portion 17 of the lever 11 to a position 56 where the opening / closing cover 5 begins to open, and the second threshold value 48 is set in an area 54 after the opening / closing cover 5 begins to open.

[0040] As can be seen from Figure 11, in region 52, closer to the origin than position 56, carriage 15 is in contact with power receiving portion 17 of lever 11, but the amount of rotation of lever 11 is still small, and open-close cover 5 is maintained in the closed state. The first threshold value 50 set in this region 52 can be used to detect the position of carriage 15 without operating automatic open mechanism 3. In Figure 10, the position of carriage 15 is detected by having carriage 15 hit wall member 44, but in Figure 11, it is detected by detecting first threshold value 50. On the other hand, in region 54, since cover 5 has begun to open, second threshold 48 set in region 54 can be used to detect whether cover 5 is open.

[0041] <Operation of the automatic opening mechanism of the opening / closing cover> With the opening / closing cover 5 shown in FIG. 1 in the closed state, first the carriage 15 moves in the -X direction, contacting and further pushing the power receiving portion 17 of the slide portion 19a of the lever 11. The lever 11 receives the power of the carriage moving in the -X direction and rotates around the rotation fulcrum 9. This rotation of the lever 11 disengages the locking portion 13 of the lever 11 from the locked portion 18 of the opening / closing cover 5. The opening / closing cover 5 then opens under its own weight, reaching the state shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the discharge tray 7 has been further pulled out.

[0042] <Explanation of Effects of the Embodiment> (1) According to the automatic opening mechanism 3 of this embodiment, the lever 11 rotates when the carriage 15 contacts and pushes the power receiving portion 17, and this rotation of the lever 11 releases the locking portion 13 from maintaining the open-close cover 5 in the closed state. This release causes the open-close cover 5 to receive a force F in the opening direction, and the force F causes the cover to transition from the closed state to the open state. Therefore, by using the power of the carriage 15, there is no need to add a new power source, which reduces the cost of the mechanism that automatically opens the open-close cover 5 and also saves space.

[0043] (2) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the opening / closing cover 5 has a structure that generates a weight moment on the opening side, so that when the locking state by the locking portion 13 is released, the opening / closing cover 5 transitions from the closed state to the open state due to its own weight. This eliminates the need to provide a mechanism for opening the opening / closing cover 5, thereby achieving cost reduction. (3) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a sensor 25 is provided that detects the open / closed state of the opening / closing cover 5. This eliminates unnecessary movements such as operating the automatic opening mechanism 3 when the opening / closing cover 5 is already open, improving usability.

[0044] (4) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the power receiving portion 17 of the lever 11 is the slide portion 19 (19a, 19b) that slides when pushed by the carriage 15. As a result, the lever 11 receives the power of the carriage 15 in the form of the slide portion 19 sliding, and therefore the power of the carriage 15 can be used effectively. (5) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the slide portion 19a is pushed by the carriage 15, the contact protrusion 21 of the slide portion 19a enters the contact recess 23 of the carriage 15. This makes it easier for the slide portion 19a to move integrally with the carriage 15, reducing the risk of the slide portion 19a being caught in the carriage 15.

[0045] (6) Furthermore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes the print head 65 mounted on the carriage 15, the openable cover 5 that receives the force F in the opening direction, and the automatic open mechanism 3 for the openable cover configured as described above. This allows the printing device 1 to achieve the effects of the automatic open mechanism 3 described above. (7) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the carriage 15 moves back and forth when printing is performed, and the automatic open mechanism 3 is located outside the range W of the carriage 15's reciprocating movement. In this way, the automatic open mechanism 3 exists independently of the normal printing operation of the printing device 1. In other words, the automatic open mechanism 3 can be provided in the printing device 1 without affecting the structure that performs the printing operation, and it is easy to create models that include the automatic open mechanism 3 and models that do not. (8) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, opening the open / close cover 5 enables access to the discharge tray 7 and other devices that receive printed materials P. This reduces the risk of damage, malfunction, and the like caused by accidentally touching the discharge tray 7 and other devices that receive printed materials P. (9) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 is detected during a printing operation, the printing operation is stopped and an operation is performed to release the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5. As a result, even if the opening / closing cover 5 is closed during a printing operation, the opening / closing cover 5 can be opened after the printing operation is stopped, and the printing operation can be resumed. (10) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the operation of releasing the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 is performed after the main switch of the printing device 1 is turned on and before the printing operation starts. This allows the operation of releasing the closed state of the opening / closing cover 5 to be performed at an appropriate time, preventing the opening / closing cover 5 from opening inadvertently.

[0046] Other Embodiments The automatic opening mechanism 3 for the opening / closing cover and the printing device 1 according to the present invention are based on the configuration of the embodiment described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit partial configurations within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the lever 11 is configured by assembling the resin locking body 20 and the metal power transmission shaft 26, which are separate components, into one unit. However, the locking body 20 and the power transmission shaft 26 may be made, for example, by integral molding of resin. Furthermore, the slide portion 19 may be made integral with the lever 11. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the power receiving portion 17 is configured as the slide portion 19, but the carriage 15 may be brought into direct contact with the other end 8 of the power transmission shaft 26. In that case, it is desirable to structure the portion that comes into contact with the carriage 15 to receive the power so that it comes into stable contact with the carriage 15. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1...printing device, 2...inkjet printer, 3...automatic opening mechanism for opening / closing cover, 4...scanner unit, 5...opening cover, 6...one end, 7...output tray, 8...other end, 9...rotation fulcrum, 10...base end portion, 11...lever, 12...ink tank, 13...locking portion, 14...lower plate, 15...carriage, 16...upper plate, 17...power receiving portion, 18... 19 (19a, 19b)...sliding portion, 20...locking portion main body, 21...contact protrusion, 22... guide groove, 23... contact recess, 24... guide groove, 25... sensor, 26... power transmission shaft, 27... action piece, 28... recess, 29... detection piece, 30... frame, 32... upper surface, 34... through hole, 36... protrusion, 38... torsion coil spring, 40... one end, 42...opening / closing movement fulcrum, 44...wall member, 46...current change, 48...second threshold value, 50...first threshold, 52...area, 54...area, 56...position at which the opening / closing cover starts to open, 58...rotational fulcrum shaft, 65...print head, P: Printed material, G: Center of gravity, W: Range of carriage reciprocation

Claims

1. a lever that is rotatable in a horizontal plane via a rotation fulcrum and extends horizontally; The lever is a locking portion located at one end of the lever in the longitudinal direction, which locks with a locked portion of the openable cover in a closed state when the openable cover is subjected to a force in an opening direction, thereby maintaining the openable cover in a closed state; a power receiving portion that is located at the other end of the lever in the longitudinal direction and that comes into contact with a carriage that moves in a horizontal direction to receive power from the carriage, The carriage rotates within the horizontal plane by contacting and pushing the power receiving portion located at the other end, and the locking portion located at the one end retreats from the locked portion, thereby releasing the closed state of the openable cover. An automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover.

2. 2. The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to claim 1, The force in the opening direction is generated by a structure that has a weight moment on the side where the opening / closing cover opens. Automatic opening mechanism for opening and closing.

3. The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to claim 1 or 2, A sensor is provided to detect the open / close state of the opening / closing cover. An automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover.

4. The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the power receiving portion of the lever is a slide portion that slides when pushed by the carriage; An automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover.

5. 5. The automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover according to claim 4, the slide portion has a contact protrusion that comes into contact with the carriage, When the slide portion is pushed by the carriage, the contact convex portion enters into the contact concave portion of the carriage. An automatic opening mechanism for an opening / closing cover.

6. A carriage; a print head mounted on the carriage; a printing device having an opening / closing cover that receives a force in an opening direction, The automatic opening mechanism for the opening / closing cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is provided. A printing device characterized by:

7. 7. The printing device according to claim 6, The carriage moves back and forth when printing is performed, the automatic opening mechanism is located outside the range of the reciprocating movement of the carriage; A printing device characterized by:

8. 8. The printing device according to claim 6 or claim 7, When the openable cover is opened, at least one of an ejection tray for receiving printed materials and a feeding cassette for storing printing media can be operated. A printing device characterized by:

9. 9. The printing device according to claim 6, wherein: When the closed state of the opening / closing cover is detected, printing is stopped and an operation is performed to release the closed state of the opening / closing cover. A printing device characterized by:

10. 9. The printing device according to claim 6, wherein: The operation of releasing the open / close cover from the closed state is performed after a main switch of the printing device is turned on and before the printing operation starts. A printing device characterized by:

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