Printer Locking Mechanism for Compact Design and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers with an arm-type locking method face challenges in miniaturization and safety due to protruding lock levers, which hinder the separation and combination of the recording head and platen roller, leading to poor workability and increased risk of finger interference during attachment/detachment operations.
Innovation Solution
A printer design featuring engagement and lock pins that are non-coaxial and parallel to the platen shaft, allowing for secure and reliable attachment/detachment operations without the need for protruding lock levers, enabling miniaturization and improved safety by using recesses and biasing members for smooth operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an arm-type locking method is used with a lock lever protruding from the cover frame, then reliable combination of the body frame and cover frame is achieved, but the printer size increases and miniaturization is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The lock pin is nested within the cover frame rather than protruding outward. The lock pin fits into a lock hole formed in the cover frame, creating a compact integrated structure that eliminates the need for external protruding lock levers, thereby reducing printer size while maintaining reliable locking functionality
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the lock lever protrude outward from the cover frame to engage the lock pin, the design inverts the structure by having the lock pin fit into a lock hole within the cover frame. This inversion allows the locking mechanism to be contained within the existing frame boundaries, preventing size increase
2Reliability
If the lock lever protrudes outward from the cover frame, then engagement onto the lock pin is achieved, but the width of the printer increases by at least the thickness of the lock lever
Solution Approach 1:
The lock pin is nested within the cover frame structure, fitting into a lock hole that is formed as part of the cover frame. This nesting approach eliminates the need for the lock lever to protrude outward, thereby maintaining the printer's width dimensions without additional increase from the locking mechanism
3Ease of operation
If a protruding lock lever is used, then smooth attachment/detachment operation is achieved, but fingertips easily touch the protrusion causing safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful protruding lock lever is extracted and replaced with a recessed lock pin structure. The lock pin fits into a lock hole within the cover frame, eliminating the external protrusion that causes finger interference, while the locking functionality and smooth operation are preserved through the recessed design
Solution Approach 2:
The design converts the potential harm of protruding elements into a benefit by creating a recessed lock hole structure. This recessed design not only eliminates finger interference hazards but also provides a clean, flush surface that improves overall safety while maintaining operational smoothness
Data Source
AI summary
A printer has first and second units configured for attachment/detachment relative one another and for supporting one of a recording head and a platen roller. The first unit has spaced wall portions provided with first and second recesses. The second unit has engagement pins that detachably fit into respective ones of the first recesses, a latch member that undergoes rotation about an axial line of the engagement pins and has a pair of lock pins that detachably fit into respective ones of the second recesses after the engagement pins are fitted in the first recesses, a biasing member biasing the latch member in a first direction of detachably fitting the lock pins in the second recesses, and a release member for moving the lock pins in a second direction opposite to the first direction to detach the lock pins from the second recesses.