JP2003118153A - Thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal printer capable of performing high quality printing and reducing the time of period for assembling. SOLUTION: This thermal printer comprises a head attachment table 9 having a thermal head 8 attached thereto, a cover body 4 having this head attachment table 9 attached thereto, and a lower case 12 having a platen 13 to which the thermal head 8 is elastically contacted by opening and closing this cover body 4. The head attachment table 9 is attached to the cover body 4 such that the thermal head 8 can be moved in the vertical direction roughly parallel to a direction of being pressed against the platen 13 and in the horizontal direction roughly perpendicular to the vertical direction. A restriction section 12b capable of restricting the movement of the head attachment table 9 in the horizontal direction is provided to the lower case 12. As a result, it is possible to achieve the parallelism between the thermal head 8 and the platen 13 with high accuracy by restricting the movement of the head attachment table 9 in the horizontal direction by the restriction section 12b, even when the parallelism between the thermal head 8 and the platen 13 is not attained in the assembling.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal printer, and more particularly to a thermal printer in which a thermal head can be attached to and detached from a platen by opening and closing a case to which the thermal head is attached.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional thermal printer is provided with a cover that can be opened and closed at the upper part of the housing on the printer side. The cover is opened to replace roll-shaped thermal paper or the like, and to perform maintenance such as paper jam. Was there. Further, a thermal head is attached to the cover, and a lower case having a platen roller attached to and detachable from the thermal head by opening and closing the cover is arranged on the bottom plate inside the casing facing the thermal head. It is set up.

In the assembly of such a conventional thermal printer, a thermal head is attached to a predetermined position of a cover of a casing by screwing, and a lower case having a platen roller attached on a bottom plate of the casing is attached by screwing or the like. Then, when the upper part of the housing is closed with a cover, the thermal head is pressed against the platen roller via the thermal paper, and by selectively energizing a plurality of heating elements of the thermal head, the thermal paper is colored to produce a desired image. Is printable.

[0004]

However, in the conventional thermal printer, the thermal head is attached to the cover,
Or, when the thermal head is pressed against the platen roller by closing the upper part of the housing with a cover due to variations such as mounting the platen roller to the lower case, the thermal heads are not evenly pressed against the platen roller. There were times when it wasn't. Further, the parallelism between the plurality of linear heating elements of the thermal head and the platen roller may vary. Therefore, when printing is performed on thermal paper with such a conventional thermal printer, there is a possibility that printing defects may occur with different print densities near the ends of the thermal paper in the width direction.

Further, in order to eliminate such printing defects, after assembly, fine adjustment is performed so that the pressure contact pressure of the thermal head with the platen roller becomes uniform, or the parallelism between the thermal head and the platen roller varies. Since it had to be adjusted so as to eliminate the problem, there was a problem that it took time to assemble. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal printer capable of performing high-quality printing and shortening the assembly time.

[0006]

As a first means for solving the above problems, the thermal printer of the present invention is
The head mount includes a head mount to which a thermal head is fixed, a cover body to which the head mount is mounted, and a lower case having a platen capable of elastically contacting the thermal head by opening and closing the cover body. The table is attached to the cover body so as to be movable in a vertical direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the thermal head is pressed against the platen and a horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the head is attached to the lower case. A configuration is provided in which a restriction portion that can restrict the horizontal movement of the mounting base is provided.

As a second means for solving the above problems, the cover body has a support shaft for rotatably supporting the head mount, and the head is provided via the support shaft. The mounting base is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

As a third means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the cover body has a first shaft hole formed in an elongated hole shape substantially parallel to the horizontal direction capable of supporting the support shaft. And a configuration in which the head mount has a second shaft hole formed in an elongated hole shape substantially parallel to the vertical direction into which the support shaft pivotally supported in the first shaft hole can fit. did.

Further, as a fourth solution means for solving the above-mentioned problems, when the cover body is opened and closed, the support shaft engages with the restriction portion of the lower case so that the horizontal direction of the support shaft. It is configured to regulate the movement in the direction.

As a fifth means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the regulating portion is constituted by a U-shaped groove having a predetermined depth capable of positioning and guiding the support shaft.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A thermal printer which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer apparatus equipped with a thermal printer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the printer apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a semifinished head product according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the semi-finished head.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a semi-finished platen according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal printer S of the present invention is mounted inside a housing 1 which constitutes a printer apparatus P. The printer device P has an upper lid 2 capable of opening and closing the upper part of the housing 1, and the upper lid 2 can be opened and closed with a hinge portion 3 as a fulcrum. A thermal printer S is mounted inside the housing 1, and the thermal printer S is mounted on the inner surface of the upper lid 2 as shown in FIG. It mainly consists of a platen semi-finished product R as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the semifinished head product H is provided with a cover body 4 made of a metal plate or the like on the uppermost portion of the figure, and the cover body 4 is a flat top plate portion 4a. A pair of side plate portions 4b facing each other are formed by bending downward on the right end portion of the top plate portion 4a in the figure. Further, hook-shaped claw portions 4c protruding leftward in the drawing are formed on the respective side plate portions 4b, 4b. In addition, a pair of head support walls 4d facing each other is formed by bending the top plate portion 4a on the left side of the side plate portion 4b in the figure downward in parallel with the side plate portion 4b.

Each of the head support walls 4d is provided with a first shaft hole 4e formed in an elongated hole shape substantially parallel to the horizontal direction of the arrow A. Further, a plurality of coil springs 5 are aligned and attached at predetermined positions of the top plate portion 4a,
It can be elastically biased to a head mount 9 described later.
A roller member 6 is bridged between the pair of side plate portions 4b so as to be rotatable. In addition, in the first shaft hole 4e,
The support shaft 7 is inserted so that it can be pivotally supported. And
The support shaft 7 pivotally supported by the first shaft hole 4e is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal direction of arrow A.

A support shaft 7 pivotally supported in the first shaft hole 4e.
A head mounting base 9 to which a thermal head 8 having a plurality of heating elements 8a aligned and formed in the longitudinal direction is fixed can be attached to the. The head mount 9 is formed with a pair of mounting plates 9a facing each other by bending the side opposite to the side on which the heating element 8a is formed upward in the drawing. The mounting plate 9a is formed in an elongated hole shape which is fit to the support shaft 7 pivotally supported in the first shaft hole 9b and which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction of the arrow B substantially orthogonal to the horizontal direction of the arrow A. A second shaft hole 9b is provided. Therefore, the head mount 9 attached to the cover body 4 is movable in the horizontal direction indicated by the arrow A and the vertical direction indicated by the arrow B via the support shaft 7.

A flexible substrate 10 having a plurality of circuit patterns (not shown) connected to a plurality of heating elements 8a is connected to the thermal head 8. Also,
A support body 11 having a substantially triangular cross section can be attached to the top plate portion 4a of the cover body 4 where the head support wall 4d is formed. A plurality of mounting legs 11 a are formed on the support body 11, and the mounting legs 11 a are covered with the cover body 4.
The support body 11 can be attached to the cover body 4 without being screwed to the top body 4a. In addition, the support 11 is covered with the cover body 4
Escape groove 1 for escaping the support shaft 7 when attached to
1b is formed. The escape groove 11b is provided in the support shaft 7
It is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the support shaft 7 so that the support shaft 7 fits loosely. Further, a small roller 17 which is rotatable is attached to the support 11.

In the head semi-finished product H having such a configuration, the first shaft hole 4e and the second shaft hole 9b, which are aligned by aligning the mounting plate 9a of the head mounting base 9 with the head support wall 4d,
A head mount 9 can be pivotally supported on the cover body 4 through the support shaft 7 by inserting the support shaft 7. In such a head mount 9 pivotally supported by the cover body 4, the heating element 8a side is rotatable in the vertical direction in the figure with the support shaft 7 as a fulcrum, and the plurality of coil springs 5 allow the heating element 8a to rotate.
The side is elastically biased in a direction away from the top plate portion 4a.

Further, since the support shaft 7 which is inserted into the first shaft hole 4e and supported by the shaft is movable in the horizontal direction of the arrow A along the first shaft hole 4e, the head can be mounted. Stand 9
Is also movable in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal direction of arrow A. Further, the head mount 9 having the second shaft hole 9b fitted into the support shaft 7 is movable in the substantially vertical direction of the arrow B along the second shaft hole 9a. Further, in the head mounting base 9 in which the second shaft hole 9b is fitted in the support shaft 7, the heating element 8a side faces the top plate portion 4 against the biasing force of the coil spring 5.
The rotation angle is regulated by a rotation regulation portion (not shown) so as to be rotatable in a direction approaching a, and a rotation range of a predetermined angle can be rotated from the top plate portion 4a. And
The semi-finished head product H is constructed by attaching the support 11 to the cover body 4 to which the head mount 9 is attached via the support shaft 7. In such a semi-finished head product H, the cover body 4 is attached to the upper lid 2 of the housing 1 with screws (not shown) or the like, so that the upper lid 2 can be opened and closed and the upper portion of the lower case 12 described later can be opened and closed. There is.

A semi-finished product H attached to the upper lid 2
A platen semi-finished product R is attached on the bottom plate 1a of the housing 1 on the lower side facing the. This platen semi-finished product R is, as shown in FIG. 5, a lower case 12 made of a metal plate.
The lower case 12 has a pair of platen support plates 12a facing each other by being bent into a substantially U shape. The pair of platen support plates 12a is formed with a restricting portion 12b formed of a U-shaped groove, and the restricting portion 12b forms an arrow A of the support shaft 7 protruding outward from the head supporting wall 4d of the cover body 4. The horizontal movement of the can be regulated.

Further, the platen support plates 12 facing each other
A rotating shaft 13a of a cylindrical platen 13 having an outer peripheral portion made of rubber or the like is rotatably supported between a and 12a. The dimension from the regulating portion 12b to the platen 13 is the same as the dimension from the support shaft 7 fitted into the second shaft hole 9b of the head mount 9 to the heating element 8a. A gear 14 is attached to a rotary shaft 13a protruding outward from one platen support plate 12a so that the rotation of a drive source such as a motor can be transmitted to the platen 13.

Also, a pair of platen support plates 12a, 12
On the outside of a, an arrow C is formed with a connecting shaft (not shown) as a fulcrum.
A pair of locking members 15 that are rotatable in the direction are provided. The pair of locking members 15 are integrated by caulking or the like with a connecting shaft (not shown) on the lower side in the drawing, and when one side is operated, the other side is also rotatable around the connecting shaft as a fulcrum. Further, one locking member 15 has a bent operation portion 15a, and by operating this operation portion 15a in the direction of arrow C, the locking member 15 engages with the claw portion 4c of the cover body 4. It is removable. Further, a support rod 16 for supporting the pair of platen support plates 12a is attached by caulking or the like between the pair of platen support plates 12a near the platen 13. The platen semi-finished product R having such a configuration is attached to the bottom plate 1a of the housing 1 by screws (not shown) or the like.

In the thermal printer of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, as shown in FIG. 1, when the upper lid 2 of the housing 1 is closed, the locking member 15 is the claw portion 4c of the cover body 4.
And the vertical movement of the cover body 4 is restricted. At this time, the both ends of the support shaft 7 projecting outward from the escape groove 11b of the support 11 are engaged with the restricting portions 12b of the lower case 12 to restrict the horizontal movement of the arrow A. Therefore, the parallelism between the plurality of heating elements 8a of the thermal head 8 and the platen 13 is maintained, and the plurality of heating elements 8a can be pressed in parallel to the outer peripheral portion of the platen 13 without being displaced.

The head mount 9 has a first shaft hole 4e.
The support shaft 7 which is rotatably supported is fitted into a second shaft hole 9b having an elongated hole in a substantially vertical direction of an arrow B to be rotatably supported, and is elastically urged in a substantially vertical direction by a plurality of coil springs 5. Has been done. Therefore, by absorbing the variation of the pressure contact pressure in the longitudinal direction of the thermal head 8 which is pressure-contacted to the platen 13,
The thermal head 8 can be pressed against the platen 13 uniformly.

When the operating portion 15a of the engaging member 15 is operated in the direction of arrow C, the engaging member 15 and the claw 4c are disengaged, and the upper lid 2 opens upward as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the thermal head 8 is separated from the platen 13. At this time, the support shaft 7 can move out of the restriction portion 12b of the lower case 12 to move horizontally in the first shaft hole 4e and move vertically in the second shaft hole 9b. Has become. Therefore, the head mount 9 is
It can be moved horizontally and vertically.

By mounting the head mount 9 movably in the substantially horizontal and vertical directions as described above, the positional relationship between the head semi-finished product H and the platen semi-finished product R is improved.
Even if it shifts a little, it absorbs this mutual misalignment,
The heating element 8a of the thermal head 8 can be pressed against the platen 13 in parallel. Further, since the head mount 9 is movable in the vertical direction, even if the pressure contact pressure in the longitudinal direction of the thermal head 8 with respect to the platen 13 varies, this variation is absorbed and the thermal head with respect to the platen 13 is absorbed. The contact pressure of 8 can be made uniform.

[0026]

According to the thermal printer of the present invention as described above, the head mount is movably movable in the vertical direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the thermal head is pressed against the platen and in the horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction. Since the lower case is attached to the cover body, and the lower case is provided with a restricting portion capable of restricting the horizontal movement of the head mount, the cover body and the lower case are prevented from being displaced from each other, and the heating element of the thermal head and the platen It is possible to prevent variations in parallelism with. Therefore, a thermal printer capable of high-quality printing can be provided.

The cover body has a support shaft for rotatably supporting the head mount, and the head mount can be moved horizontally and vertically via the support shaft. Therefore, the parallelism between the thermal head and the platen can be obtained with high accuracy simply by engaging the support shaft with the restriction portion of the lower case. Therefore, complicated assembly for obtaining parallelism between the thermal head and the platen is not required, and a thermal printer with good assemblability can be provided.

Further, the cover body has a first shaft hole formed in an elongated hole shape substantially parallel to the horizontal direction capable of supporting the support shaft,
The head mount has a second shaft hole formed in the shape of an elongated hole that is substantially parallel to the vertical direction and can be fitted to the support shaft that is axially supported by the first shaft hole. It can be attached to the cover body in a vertically movable manner.

Further, when the cover is opened and closed, the support shaft engages with the restriction portion of the lower case to restrict the horizontal movement of the support shaft, so that the parallelism between the thermal head and the platen is increased. The thermal head can be accurately pressed, and the thermal head can be pressed against the platen uniformly. Therefore, it is possible to provide a thermal printer capable of high-quality printing without uneven printing.

Further, since the restricting portion comprises a U-shaped groove having a predetermined depth capable of positioning and guiding the support shaft, the supporting shaft is surely positioned by the restricting portion so that the thermal head and the platen are parallel to each other. You can get a degree.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer device equipped with a thermal printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the printer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a semifinished head product according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a semi-finished head product according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a platen semi-finished product according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 case 2 Top lid 3 Hinge part 4 cover body 4a Top plate part 4b side plate 4c claw 4d head support wall 4e First shaft hole 5 coil spring 7 Support shaft 8 thermal head 8a Heating element 9 head mount 9a Mounting plate 9b Second bearing 11 Support 12 Lower case 12a Regulation Department 13 Platen 13a rotating shaft 15 Locking member 15a operation unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A head mounting base to which a thermal head is fixed, a cover body to which the head mounting base is mounted, and a lower case having a platen capable of elastically contacting the thermal head by opening and closing the cover body. The head mount is attached to the cover body so as to be movable in a vertical direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the thermal head is pressed against the platen and in a horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the lower case. The thermal printer is provided with a regulating portion capable of regulating the horizontal movement of the head mount. 2. The cover body has a support shaft that rotatably supports the head mount, and the head mount can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction via the support shaft. The thermal printer according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The cover body has a first shaft hole formed in the shape of an elongated hole substantially parallel to the horizontal direction capable of supporting the support shaft, and the head mount has the first shaft hole. 3. The thermal printer according to claim 2, further comprising a second shaft hole formed in an elongated hole shape substantially parallel to the vertical direction into which the support shaft axially supported by the shaft hole can be fitted. 4. The opening and closing of the cover body, the support shaft engages with the restriction portion of the lower case to restrict the movement of the support shaft in the horizontal direction. The thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The thermal printer according to claim 2, wherein the restricting portion comprises a U-shaped groove having a predetermined depth and capable of positioning and guiding the support shaft.