Printer and printer cutter unit

Abstract

To form a cutter unit body and a cutter unit cover as an integrated unit and make cleaning of a cutter blade easy.SOLUTION: A printer includes a cutter unit which may be attached to or detached from a printer body. The cutter unit includes: a cutter unit body which holds a cutter blade for cutting a print medium; and a cutter unit cover which has a discharge port for discharging the print medium and is pivotally supported by an openable and a closable shaft in a manner that the cutter unit cover may open or close relative to the cutter unit body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer and a cutter unit for the printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a printer that includes a printer main body having a printing unit that prints data on labels (printing media), a cutter unit (cutter unit main body) that is provided in the printer main body and has a cutter (cutter blade) that cuts the labels in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction, and a cover (cutter unit cover) that is attached to the printer main body, covers the outer surface of the cutter unit, and has a paper outlet (outlet) for ejecting the labels with printed data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-335016 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some labels have adhesive to attach them to the substrate. When such labels are cut with a cutter blade, the adhesive may adhere to the cutter blade. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the cutter blade to remove the adhesive that has adhered to the cutter blade.

[0005] Furthermore, in the printer described in Patent Document 1, the cutter unit body and the cutter unit cover are provided separately, which makes it time-consuming to attach and detach the cutter unit body and the cutter unit cover to and from the printer body when cleaning the cutter blade.

[0006] Therefore, the present inventors have proposed that the cutter unit body and the cutter unit cover be integrated into one unit.

[0007] However, when the cutter unit body and the cutter unit cover are integrated into one unit, it is difficult to clean the surface of the cutter blade facing the cutter unit cover.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to integrate the cutter unit body and the cutter unit cover into an integrated unit and to facilitate cleaning of the cutter blade. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a printer is provided with a cutter unit that is detachable from a printer body, the cutter unit having a cutter unit body that holds a cutter blade that cuts a print medium, and a cutter unit cover that has an outlet for discharging the print medium and is pivotally supported by an opening / closing shaft so as to be openable and closable relative to the cutter unit body, one end of the cutter unit being pivotally supported by the printer body and the other end being held by the printer body, so that the cutter unit is detachably provided on the printer body. The cutter unit body has an opening through which a part of the surface of the cutter blade facing the printer body is exposed, and the opening is formed separately from an insertion port for setting the print medium in the cutter unit body. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In this aspect, the cutter unit has a cutter unit body that holds the cutter blade and a cutter unit cover that has an outlet for discharging the print medium, and the cutter unit cover is supported by an opening / closing shaft so that it can be opened and closed relative to the cutter unit body. Therefore, when the cutter unit cover is in the open state, the surface of the cutter blade that faces the cutter unit cover can be easily cleaned. Therefore, the cutter unit body and the cutter unit cover are integrated into one unit, and cleaning of the cutter blade is easy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an example of a linerless print medium for a printer. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an example of a print medium used in continuous printing and peel printing of the printer. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the printer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cutter unit is removed from the printer. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cutter unit from the front. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cutter unit from the rear. [Figure 7] 7 is a front perspective view showing the cutter unit shown in FIG. 5 in an open state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the printer with the protective cover removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the inner surface of the cutter unit in the open state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the outer surface of the cutter unit in the open state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0013] First, the overall configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer 1. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an example of a linerless print medium M of the printer 1. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an example of a print medium M used by the printer 1 during continuous printing and peel-off printing. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the printer 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the printer 1 with the cutter unit 3 removed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cutter unit 3 from the front. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cutter unit 3 from the back. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cutter unit 3 shown in FIG. 5 in an open state. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the printer 1 with the protective cover 6 removed.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, printer 1 comprises a printer main body 2 and a cutter unit 3. Printer 1 is a direct thermal printer that prints by heating print medium M (see Figures 2A and 2B), which is thermal paper coated with a thermosensitive coloring agent that changes color when the temperature reaches a predetermined range. Hereinafter, the direction along the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the transported print medium M will be referred to as the "front-rear direction," the direction along the width direction of the transported print medium M will be referred to as the "left-right direction," and the direction along the thickness direction of the transported print medium M will be referred to as the "up-down direction."

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2A, the print medium M is wound into a roll and held in a paper tube PT. The print medium M is a linerless continuous label strip NSP. Alternatively, a continuous label strip SP having a liner PB may be used as the print medium M.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2A, the linerless continuous label strip NSP is a roll of long thermal paper whose printable surface (front side) is coated with a release agent such as silicone, and whose reverse side (back side) is coated with an adhesive for affixing to an adherend. This linerless continuous label strip NSP may have perforations PF formed at predetermined intervals. In this case, each area defined by the perforations PF constitutes one label LB. The back side of the thermal paper also has a black timing mark TM formed on it to detect the position of the label LB.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2B, the continuous label strip SP is composed of a long backing sheet PB wound into a roll and multiple labels LB temporarily attached to the surface of the backing sheet PB at predetermined intervals. The labels LB temporarily attached to the surface of the backing sheet PB are thermal labels with a heat-sensitive coloring agent coated on the printable surface (front side) and an adhesive coated on the opposite side (back side). A gap G of approximately 3 mm is provided between adjacent pairs of labels LB, which exposes the backing sheet PB. Furthermore, a black timing mark TM is formed on the back side of the backing sheet PB to detect the position of the label LB. The surface of the backing sheet PB is coated with a release agent such as silicone to facilitate the removal of the labels LB.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the printer main body 2 includes a housing 21, a printer cover 22, a touch panel display 23, a storage section 24, a platen roller 25 as a conveying roller, a thermal head 26, a first auxiliary roller 27a, a second auxiliary roller 27b, a guide member 28, and a cutter unit mounting section 29.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the housing 21 forms the outer shape of the printer main body 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the housing 21 is provided with a storage section 24, a first auxiliary roller 27a, a platen roller 25, a guide member 28, and a cutter unit mounting section 29. The housing 21 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) that keeps the printer cover 22 closed. The locking mechanism is released by operating a lever 11 (see Fig. 1) provided on the printer cover 22.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, printer cover 22 covers a portion of housing 21. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, printer cover 22 is provided with touch panel display 23, thermal head 26, and second auxiliary roller 27b. One end of printer cover 22 is supported so as to be able to swing freely by a support shaft (not shown) provided in housing 21. By swinging printer cover 22 about the support shaft as a fulcrum, it is possible to switch between an open state (see Fig. 4) in which the components housed in opening 21a formed in a portion of housing 21 are exposed, and a closed state (see Fig. 1) in which the components are closed.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the touch panel display 23 is provided on the outer surface of the printer cover 22. The touch panel display 23 is placed on the top surface of the printer cover 22 when it is closed. The touch panel display 23 is configured to display predetermined information. The predetermined information includes information about the printer 1 and operation key images. When the user touches an operation key image, the processor of the printer 1 accepts an instruction corresponding to the operation key image. The touch panel display 23 is, for example, a liquid crystal display having a touch sensor.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the storage section 24 is located on the support shaft side of the housing 21. The storage section 24 is configured to store the print medium M. When the printer cover 22 is in the open state, the storage section 24 is accessible from outside the printer 1 through the opening 21a. This allows the user to set the print medium M in the storage section 24.

[0024] The platen roller 25 is disposed on the surface (top surface) of the housing 21 facing the printer cover 22, and is exposed at the opening 21a. The platen roller 25 is located downstream of the first auxiliary roller 27a in the transport direction of the print medium M. The platen roller 25 is axially supported by the housing 21. That is, the platen roller 25 is rotatable relative to the housing 21. The platen roller 25 is connected to a stepping motor (not shown). The platen roller 25 transports the print medium M by rotating relative to the housing 21 under the control of the stepping motor.

[0025] The thermal head 26 is disposed on the surface (lower surface) of the printer cover 22 facing the housing 21. The thermal head 26 is located downstream of the second auxiliary roller 27b in the transport direction of the print medium M. The thermal head 26 has multiple heating elements (not shown) that generate Joule heat when energized. The thermal head 26 is connected to a control circuit (not shown). Each heating element generates heat under the control of the control circuit. The thermal head 26, together with a platen roller 25 provided on the housing 21 side, constitutes a printing unit that prints on the print medium M. When the printer cover 22 is in an open state, the thermal head 26 is separated from the platen roller 25. When the printer cover 22 is in a closed state, the thermal head 26 faces the platen roller 25. The print medium M printed by the thermal head 26 is transported to the cutter unit 3 by the rotation of the platen roller 25.

[0026] The first auxiliary roller 27a is disposed on the surface (upper surface) of the housing 21 facing the printer cover 22, and is exposed at the opening 21a. The first auxiliary roller 27a is located downstream of the storage section 24 in the transport direction of the print medium M. The first auxiliary roller 27a is axially supported by the housing 21. That is, the first auxiliary roller 27a is rotatable relative to the housing 21.

[0027] The second auxiliary roller 27b is disposed on the surface (lower surface) of the printer cover 22 facing the housing 21. The second auxiliary roller 27b is located downstream of the storage section 24 in the transport direction of the print medium M. The second auxiliary roller 27b is axially supported by the printer cover 22. That is, the second auxiliary roller 27b is rotatable relative to the printer cover 22. The second auxiliary roller 27b is spaced apart from the first auxiliary roller 27a when the printer cover 22 is in the open state. When the printer cover 22 is in the closed state, the second auxiliary roller 27b faces the first auxiliary roller 27a and rotates while holding the print medium M between them. The first auxiliary roller 27a and the second auxiliary roller 27b assist in the transport of the print medium M from the storage section 24 to the platen roller 25.

[0028] 4, the guide member 28 is provided on a transport path for the print medium M that includes the first auxiliary roller 27a and the platen roller 25, and is exposed at the opening 21a. The guide member 28 is a substantially flat resin member that guides the print medium M transported by the first auxiliary roller 27a and the platen roller 25. The guide member 28 has a pair of protruding ends 28a.

[0029] The pair of protruding ends 28a protrude forward from both left and right ends of the guide member 28. The protruding ends 28a are provided so as to cover the upper surface of a pin holding portion 31 (described later) of the housing 21 into which a pin 52 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the cutter unit 3 is inserted. The protruding ends 28a are made of a resin material and can be elastically deformed when pressed downward by a user. When the protruding ends 28a are pressed downward, the protruding ends 28a press the pin 52 in the axial direction, moving the pin 52 in a direction retracting from the pin holding portion 31. This allows the pin 52 to be removed from the pin holding portion 31, and the cutter unit 3 to be removed from the cutter unit attachment portion 29.

[0030] The cutter unit attachment portion 29 is provided on the front surface of the housing 21. The cutter unit 3 is detachably attached to the cutter unit attachment portion 29. The cutter unit attachment portion 29 has a shaft support portion 30 as a first support portion, a pair of pin holding portions 31 as second support portions, and a terminal portion 32.

[0031] The shaft support portion 30 supports an opening / closing shaft 41 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the cutter unit 3, which will be described later. A pair of shaft support portions 30 are provided facing each other so as to support both ends of the opening / closing shaft 41 extending in the left-right direction of the housing 21. The shaft support portion 30 is formed to have an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the opening / closing shaft 41 at the minimum diameter position. The shaft support portion 30 is formed so that its diameter gradually increases toward the inside in the left-right direction. This makes it easy to insert the opening / closing shaft 41 into the shaft support portion 30.

[0032] The pin holding portion 31 holds pins 52 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the cutter unit 3, which will be described later. The pin holding portion 31 is a through hole extending in the vertical direction of the housing 21. The pin holding portion 31 is formed with an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the pin 52. The pair of pin holding portions 31 are provided at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction. A protruding end portion 28a of the guide member 28 is disposed on the upper surface of the pin holding portion 31.

[0033] The cutter unit 3 is attached to the cutter unit attachment portion 29 in a state in which the shaft support portion 30 supports the opening / closing shaft 41 and the pin holding portion 31 holds the pin 52 .

[0034] The terminal section 32 is made up of a plurality of electrodes for electrically connecting to the cutter unit 3 and transmitting and receiving electrical signals. A signal corresponding to, for example, the timing of cutting the print medium M is transmitted from the printer main body 2 to the cutter unit 3 through the terminal section 32.

[0035] The cutter unit 3 is detachably provided on the printer body 2. Specifically, the cutter unit 3 is detachably provided on a cutter unit mounting portion 29 of the printer body 2. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cutter unit 3 has a cutter unit body 4, a cutter unit cover 5, and a protective cover 6.

[0036] Here, the print medium M is provided with an adhesive for adhering to an adherend. When the print medium M is cut with the movable blade 43, the adhesive may adhere to the movable blade 43. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the movable blade 43 to remove the adhesive that has adhered to the movable blade 43. Therefore, in the printer 1, the cutter unit 3 is structured so that the cutter unit main body 4 and the cutter unit cover 5 can be opened and closed. The case where the cutter unit main body 4 and the cutter unit cover 5 are in the open state will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

[0037] The cutter unit body 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape and includes an opening / closing shaft 41, a fixed blade 42, a movable blade 43 serving as a cutter blade, a cutter drive mechanism 44, an opening 45, a terminal portion 46, and an engaging protrusion 48.

[0038] 5 to 7, the opening / closing shaft 41 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the cutter unit main body 4. The opening / closing shaft 41 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The cutter unit 3 is attached to the printer main body 2 by supporting the opening / closing shaft 41 on the printer main body 2.

[0039] 7, the fixed blade 42 is fixed to the cutter unit body 4. The tip of the fixed blade 42 is formed substantially horizontally in the left-right direction.

[0040] The movable blade 43 is held by the cutter unit body 4. The tip of the movable blade 43 is formed obliquely so as to be inclined in the left-right direction. The movable blade 43 is provided so as to be movable relative to the fixed blade 42. When the movable blade 43 moves toward the fixed blade 42, the print medium M is cut. After cutting the print medium M between the movable blade 43 and the fixed blade 42, the movable blade 43 retreats in a direction away from the fixed blade 42. The movable blade 43 is driven by a cutter drive mechanism 44.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the cutter drive mechanism 44 has a rack gear 44a and a pinion gear 44b.

[0042] The movable blade 43 is fixed to the rack gear 44a. The rack gear 44a is provided so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. When the rack gear 44a moves, the movable blade 43 also moves integrally.

[0043] The pinion gear 44b is connected to an electric motor (not shown). The pinion gear 44b rotates under the control of the electric motor, thereby moving the rack gear 44a. A portion of the pinion gear 44b is exposed to the outside from the cutter unit body 4. As a result, when cleaning the movable blade 43, the user can manually rotate the pinion gear 44b to move the movable blade 43, thereby exposing a large portion of the movable blade 43.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, the opening 45 is an opening that exposes a part of the surface of the movable blade 43 that faces the printer body 2.

[0045] Terminal section 46 is made up of a plurality of pins that respectively contact a plurality of electrodes of terminal section 32 of printer body 2. Terminal section 46 is electrically connected while in contact with terminal section 32. Therefore, terminal section 46 is electrically connected to terminal section 32 simply by attaching cutter unit 3 to printer body 2.

[0046] The guide plate 47 guides the print medium M when the user sets the print medium M in the cutter unit 3. The guide plate 47 has a first plate portion 47a and a second plate portion 47b. The first plate portion 47a is provided above the second plate portion 47b. The first plate portion 47a and the second plate portion 47b are each provided at an incline so that the distance between them increases as they move away from the cutter unit main body 4. As a result, the distance between the first plate portion 47a and the second plate portion 47b is largest at the entrance of the print medium M, making it easy for the user to insert the print medium M.

[0047] 7, the engaging protrusion 48 protrudes upward from the upper portion of the cutter unit body 4. The engaging protrusion 48 engages with the engaging recess 54 of the cutter unit cover 5 when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the closed state.

[0048] 5 to 8, the cutter unit cover 5 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The cutter unit cover 5 is larger than the cutter unit body 4 and is formed to be substantially the same size as the cutter unit mounting portion 29. The cutter unit cover 5 is supported by an opening / closing shaft 41 so as to be openable and closable relative to the cutter unit body 4. That is, the cutter unit cover 5 is rotatable about the opening / closing shaft 41 relative to the cutter unit body 4. The cutter unit cover 5 has a discharge port 51, a pair of pins 52 as held portions, a support portion 53 (see FIG. 8), and an engagement recess 54.

[0049] The discharge port 51 is a rectangular opening through which labels LB formed by cutting the print medium M with the fixed blade 42 and the movable blade 43 are discharged. The discharge port 51 has a front guide portion 51a as a first guide portion and a back guide portion 51b as a second guide portion (see FIG. 9). The front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0050] The pin 52 is held in a position spaced apart from the opening / closing shaft 41 when the opening / closing shaft 41 is supported by the printer body 2. The pin 52 is biased in a direction (extension direction) to be inserted into the pin holder 31 by a spring 52a serving as a biasing member.

[0051] When attaching the cutter unit 3 to the printer body 2, the user inserts the opening / closing shaft 41 of the cutter unit 3 into the shaft support portion 30 of the printer body 2, and then rotates the cutter unit 3 about the opening / closing shaft 41 to insert it into the cutter unit attachment portion 29. Then, the user presses the cutter unit 3 against the printer body 2 to insert the pin 52 into the pin holding portion 31. At this time, the pin 52 is inserted into the pin holding portion 31 as the compressed spring 52a returns to its original position due to its restoring force. In this way, the cutter unit 3 is attached to the printer body 2.

[0052] The cutter unit 3 is attached to the printer body 2 by supporting the opening / closing shaft 41 on the shaft support portion 30 of the printer body 2 and holding the pin 52 on the cutter unit cover 5 in the pin holding portion 31 of the printer body 2. The cutter unit cover 5 never opens while the printer 1 is in operation because the printer cover 22 is closed and the pin 52 cannot be removed from the pin holding portion 31. Therefore, the user cannot touch the cutter unit body 4 while the printer 1 is printing and cutting the print medium M, improving safety.

[0053] On the other hand, when removing the cutter unit 3 from the printer body 2, the user presses the protruding end 28a of the guide member 28 downward to compress the spring 52a, remove the pin 52 from the pin holding portion 31, and at the same time rotates the cutter unit 3 around the opening / closing shaft 41 to remove the upper end of the cutter unit 3 from the cutter unit mounting portion 29. Then, the cutter unit 3 is moved away from the cutter unit mounting portion 29 so that the opening / closing shaft 41 comes out of the shaft support portion 30. This allows the cutter unit 3 to be removed from the printer body 2.

[0054] The support part 53 shown in FIG. 8 is covered by the protective cover 6 when not in use (see FIG. 1). The support part 53 is housed in the protective cover 6 in a folded state. As shown in FIG. 8, the support part 53 is exposed to the outside when the protective cover 6 is removed. When the support part 53 is raised from its folded state, it protrudes toward the front of the printer 1. When the support part 53 is raised, it is possible to prevent the print medium M cut by the cutter unit 3 after printing from sticking to the printer 1.

[0055] 7, the engagement recess 54 is a rectangular hole that is formed in the upper part of the cutter unit cover 5 and penetrates in the vertical direction. The engagement protrusion 48 of the cutter unit body 4 engages with the engagement recess 54 when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the closed state.

[0056] 1, the protective cover 6 is a cover that prevents the user or the like from inserting their fingers through the outlet 51. The provision of the protective cover 6 improves safety.

[0057] Next, cleaning of the cutter unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0058] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the inner surface of the cutter unit 3 in the open state, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the outer surface of the cutter unit 3 in the open state.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cutter unit 3 can be opened up to approximately 180 degrees by rotating the cutter unit cover 5 around the opening / closing shaft 41 relative to the cutter unit body 4.

[0060] As shown in Figure 9, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the open state, the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b of the discharge outlet 51 are completely exposed, and the surfaces of the fixed blade 42 and the movable blade 43 facing the cutter unit cover 5 are largely exposed.

[0061] The front surface guide portion 51a guides the printing surface (front surface) of the print medium M. The front surface guide portion 51a is formed in a convex curved shape with respect to the print medium M so as to gradually approach the back surface guide portion 51b from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the print medium M. For this reason, the further from the discharge port 51 it is located, the less visible the front surface guide portion 51a is, making it difficult to insert a cotton swab or the like into the discharge port 51 from the front side of the cutter unit 3 to clean it.

[0062] The back surface guide portion 51b guides the surface (back surface) opposite to the printing surface of the print medium M. The back surface guide portion 51b is formed in a flat shape along the conveyance direction of the print medium M.

[0063] The print medium M is provided with an adhesive for adhering to an adherend. When the print medium M passes repeatedly, the adhesive may adhere to the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b. Therefore, in order to remove the adhesive that has adhered to the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b, it is necessary to periodically clean the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b.

[0064] In contrast, in the cutter unit 3, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the open state, the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b of the discharge outlet 51 are completely exposed, making it easy to clean the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b.

[0065] When the cutter unit cover 5 is in the closed state, even if a cotton swab or the like is inserted through the discharge port 51, only a portion of the discharge port 51 can be cleaned. In contrast, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the open state, a larger portion of the discharge port 51 is exposed than when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the closed state. This makes it easier to clean the front guide portion 51a and the back guide portion 51b.

[0066] Furthermore, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the closed state, part of the movable blade 43 is visible from the discharge port 51, but even if a cotton swab or the like is inserted through the discharge port 51, only part of the movable blade 43 can be cleaned. In contrast, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the open state, a larger portion of the surface of the movable blade 43 facing the cutter unit cover 5 is exposed than when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the closed state. This makes it easier to clean the surface of the movable blade 43 facing the cutter unit cover 5, and increases the area of ​​the movable blade 43 that can be cleaned.

[0067] As described above, the cutter unit 3 has the cutter unit body 4 that holds the movable blade 43, and the cutter unit cover 5 that has the discharge port 51 for discharging the print medium M, and the cutter unit cover 5 is pivotally supported by the opening / closing shaft 41 so as to be openable and closable relative to the cutter unit body 4. Therefore, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the open state, the surface of the movable blade 43 that faces the cutter unit cover 5 can be easily cleaned. Therefore, the cutter unit body 4 and the cutter unit cover 5 are integrated into an integrated unit, and cleaning of the movable blade 43 can be facilitated.

[0068] In addition, in the printer 1, no tools are required to remove the cutter unit from the cutter unit mounting portion 29 of the printer body 2 and to open the cutter unit cover 5, which improves workability.

[0069] 10, the cutter unit body 4 has an opening 45 through which a portion of the surface of the movable blade 43 facing the printer body 2 is exposed. Therefore, it is possible to clean the portion of the movable blade 43 exposed through the opening 45. This makes it easy to clean not only the surface of the movable blade 43 facing the cutter unit cover 5 but also the surface of the movable blade 43 facing the printer body 2, and also increases the area of ​​the movable blade 43 that can be cleaned.

[0070] According to the above embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0071] The printer 1 is equipped with a cutter unit 3 that is detachable from the printer main body 2. The cutter unit 3 has a cutter unit main body 4 that holds a movable blade 43 that cuts the printing medium M, and a cutter unit cover 5 that has an outlet 51 for discharging the printing medium M and is supported by an opening / closing shaft 41 so that it can be opened and closed relative to the cutter unit main body 4.

[0072] In this configuration, the cutter unit 3 has a cutter unit body 4 that holds the movable blade 43, and a cutter unit cover 5 that has an outlet 51 for discharging the print medium M, and the cutter unit cover 5 is pivotally supported by an opening / closing shaft 41 so as to be openable and closable relative to the cutter unit body 4. Therefore, when the cutter unit cover 5 is in the open state, the surface of the movable blade 43 that faces the cutter unit cover 5 can be easily cleaned. Therefore, the cutter unit body 4 and the cutter unit cover 5 are integrated into an integrated unit, and cleaning of the movable blade 43 can be facilitated.

[0073] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment merely shows one application example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configuration of the above embodiment.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the case where the print medium M has an adhesive and the adhesive adhering to the cutter unit 3 is cleaned has been described, but the print medium M does not have to have an adhesive. In this case, by making the cutter unit 3 openable and closable, it is possible to easily clean off cutting debris and the like that is generated when the print medium M is cut by the cutter unit 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Printer 2 Printer body 3 Cutter unit 4 Cutter unit body 5 Cutter unit cover 6 Protective cover 11 Lever 21. Cabinet 21a opening 22 Printer cover 23 Touch panel display 24 Storage section 25 Platen roller (transport roller) 26 Thermal head 27a First auxiliary roller 27b Second auxiliary roller 28 Guide member 28a Protruding end 29 Cutter unit mounting part 30 Shaft support part (1st support part) 31 Pin holding portion (second support portion) 32 Terminal section 41 Opening and closing axis 42 Fixed blade 43 Movable blade (cutter blade) 44 Cutter drive mechanism 44a rack gear 44b pinion gear 45 Opening 46 Terminal section 47 Guide plate 47a First plate section 47b Second plate section 48 Engagement protrusion 51 Outlet 51a Surface guide portion (first guide portion) 51b Back guide portion (second guide portion) 52 pin (held part) 52a Spring (biasing member) 53 Support part 54 Engagement recess G Gap LB Label M Print media NSP Linerless Label Continuum PB mount PF perforation PT paper tube SP Label Continuum TM Timing Mark

Claims

1. The printer is equipped with a detachable cutter unit. The cutter unit includes: a cutter unit body that holds a cutter blade that cuts the print medium; a cutter unit cover having an outlet for discharging the print medium and supported by an opening / closing shaft so as to be openable and closable relative to the cutter unit body; and the cutter unit is detachably attached to the printer body by having one end pivotally supported by the printer body and the other end held by the printer body; the cutter unit body has an opening through which a portion of the surface of the cutter blade facing the printer body is exposed, The opening is formed separately from an insertion port for setting the print medium in the cutter unit body. Printer.

2. 2. The printer according to claim 1, When the cutter unit cover is in an open state, a surface of the cutter blade facing the cutter unit cover is exposed to a greater extent than when the cutter unit cover is in a closed state. Printer.

3. 3. The printer according to claim 1, When the cutter unit cover is in an open state, the discharge port is exposed to a greater extent than when the cutter unit cover is in a closed state. Printer.

4. 4. The printer according to claim 1, The discharge port has a first guide portion that guides the print surface of the print medium, and a second guide portion that guides the surface of the print medium opposite to the print surface. Printer.

5. 5. The printer according to claim 1, the cutter unit is attached to the printer body by the opening / closing shaft being supported by the printer body; Printer.

6. 6. The printer according to claim 5, The cutter unit is attached to the printer body by holding the cutter unit cover on the printer body. Printer.

7. 6. The printer according to claim 5, the cutter unit cover has a held portion for holding the cutter unit cover to the printer body at a position separated from the opening / closing shaft while being supported on the printer body by the opening / closing shaft; Printer.

8. 8. The printer according to claim 1, The cutter unit cover opens to approximately 180 degrees relative to the cutter unit body. Printer.

9. A cutter unit for a printer that is detachable from a printer body, a cutter unit body that holds a cutter blade that cuts the print medium; a cutter unit cover having an outlet for discharging the print medium and supported by an opening / closing shaft so as to be openable and closable relative to the cutter unit body; and One end of the printer is pivotally supported by the printer body and the other end is held by the printer body, so that the printer is detachably attached to the printer body; the cutter unit body has an opening through which a portion of the surface of the cutter blade facing the printer body is exposed, The opening is formed separately from an insertion port for setting the print medium in the cutter unit body. Printer cutter unit.

Images