JP3658837B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer that is used for, for example, a register and issues a recording sheet such as a receipt.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of printer, a printer that performs printing or the like on a roll-shaped recording paper (hereinafter referred to as “roll paper”) on the recording paper by, for example, an impact dot method or an inkjet method is known.
[0003]
In this type of printer, the roll paper is sent to the upper part of the apparatus for the purpose of arranging the roll paper in the apparatus and for sending the printed roll paper (receipt) to a position where the user can easily take it out. is required.
[0004]
On the other hand, printers of this type are known that can perform printing or the like on cut recording paper (hereinafter referred to as “cut paper”) separately from roll paper. In such a printer, at least the roll paper needs to be cut after printing, so it is discharged to the discharge port where the cutting device is arranged, while the cut paper is another discharge port where such a device is not arranged. To be discharged.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a printer has the following problems.
[0006]
That is, in the case of a conventional printer, it is necessary to form a path for conveying recording paper for printing on cut paper, that is, a paper path for cut paper separately from the paper path for roll paper. Uses a part of the paper path of the roll paper as the paper path of the cut paper, conveys each sheet to a common printing unit, and, as described above, conveys each sheet to a different discharge port. Therefore, when the roll paper is inserted, the leading edge of the roll paper that has passed through the printing unit is not guided well and is sent to the cut paper discharge port.
[0007]
With respect to this point, by moving a part of the members constituting the paper path when the recording paper is inserted, the recording paper inserted from the lower rear of the printing unit is guided in the direction of the upper rear of the printing unit. of which the is also known apparatus designed to facilitate insertion (JP 61-106281, JP-see JP Hei 2-219 6 72).
[0008]
However, since these apparatuses have only one paper path, it is difficult to apply the apparatus as it is to an apparatus having a plurality of paper paths. That is, even if a paper path that crosses the printing unit in the vertical direction is attached to these apparatuses, it interferes with the movable member that constitutes the paper path described above, so it is difficult to attach such a paper path. Even if it was added, there was a risk of causing paper jam.
[0009]
FIGS. 3 and 4 of JP-A-61-106281 show a guide mechanism in which a guide member is provided on a carrier on which a print head is mounted, and guides a sheet inserted from the back of the printing unit in a predetermined direction. However, when such a mechanism is applied to an ink jet printer, there are problems in the following points. That is, in a printer using an ink jet print head, the tip of the nozzle for ejecting ink is very delicate, and the recording paper causes a print defect just by rubbing the nozzle surface lightly. It is not preferable to use a carrier on which the print head is mounted as a member constituting the paper path. In addition, when printing is not performed, such as when paper is inserted, the nozzle should be capped to prevent the nozzle from drying, that is, the carrier should be in front of the cap device arranged outside the printing area. From this point, it is not preferable to make the carrier part of the paper path.
[0010]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and provides a printer that can smoothly feed recording paper to a printing position in a printer having a plurality of recording paper conveyance paths. It is intended.
[0011]
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to use an ink jet print head in a printer having a plurality of recording paper transport paths.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a printer that feeds recording sheets conveyed through different conveying paths to the same platen unit and prints on each recording sheet by a print head. When the recording paper is fed into the platen unit, the platen unit is rotated in conjunction with opening and closing of the printer cover so that the platen unit is retracted from the printing position.
[0013]
In this case, as in the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the roll paper conveyance path formed so as to wrap around the platen portion and the platen portion linearly cross the platen portion. When the cut sheet is fed into the platen unit, the platen unit is rotated in conjunction with opening and closing of the printer cover to retract the platen unit from the printing position. Such a configuration is also effective.
[0014]
Also, as in the invention of claim 3, wherein, in the invention described in claim 2, mounting the platen portion rotatably around a drive shaft of the conveying roller for roll paper transportation provided to the platen portion, a cover of the printer It is also effective that the platen portion is retracted from the printing position by the rotation of the platen portion interlocked with the opening / closing of .
[0016]
On the other hand, as in the invention according to claim 4, the invention according to claims 1 to 3 is particularly effective when an ink jet type is used as the print head.
[0017]
Further, as in the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, it is also effective to make different transport paths different in at least the recording paper discharge port.
[0018]
Further, as in the invention described in claim 6, in the invention described in any one of claims 2 to 5 , the roll paper discharge port is disposed on the platen side, and the cut paper discharge port is provided on the print head side. It is also effective to arrange them.
[0019]
In the first aspect of the invention, in the printer in which the recording paper transported via different transport paths is fed to the same platen unit and printing is performed on each recording paper by the print head, one recording paper is placed on the platen unit. When feeding, the platen part is rotated in conjunction with the opening and closing of the printer cover, and the platen part is retracted from the printing position.Therefore, a dedicated solenoid and sensor for moving the platen part are installed. Without being necessary, one recording paper is smoothly fed to the printing position without contacting the print head.
[0020]
In this case, as in the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the roll paper conveyance path formed so as to wrap around the platen portion and the platen portion linearly cross the platen portion. When the roll paper is fed into the platen unit, the platen unit is rotated in conjunction with opening and closing of the printer cover to retract the platen unit from the printing position. With this configuration , the roll paper can be prevented from entering the cut paper conveyance path when the roll paper is inserted without requiring a dedicated solenoid or sensor for moving the platen section .
[0021]
Also, as in the invention of claim 3, wherein, in the invention described in claim 2, mounting the platen portion rotatably around a drive shaft of the conveying roller for roll paper transportation provided to the platen portion, a cover of the printer If the platen part is retracted from the printing position by the rotation of the platen part interlocked with the opening / closing of the platen, it is not necessary to provide another means for rotating the platen part in the platen part.
[0023]
Furthermore, in the invention according to claims 1 to 3 , when an ink jet system is used as the print head as in the invention according to claim 4 , when the recording paper is fed into the platen portion, it contacts the print head. As a result, printing defects do not occur.
[0024]
In addition, as in the invention of the fifth aspect, in the invention of the first to fourth aspects, the different conveyance paths are configured such that at least the discharge opening of the recording paper is different, or the invention of the sixth aspect of the invention. Thus, in the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , the roll paper discharge port is arranged on the platen side, and the cut paper discharge port is arranged on the print head side. It functions in the same manner as the inventions described in Items 4 to 4 .
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a printer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[0026]
1 and 2 show the overall configuration of the printer 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the internal configuration. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the printer 1 as viewed from the front. It is.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 1, in the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, a roll paper S is disposed on the rear side of a main body cover 2 made of resin or the like, and paper for conveying the roll paper to the front side thereof. A transport unit 3 is provided.
[0028]
On the other hand, on the front side of the paper transport unit 3, an ink jet printing unit 4 for printing on the roll paper S or the like is disposed adjacent to the paper transport unit 3. The printing unit 4 is made of resin or the like. The main body front cover 5 is covered.
[0029]
The roll paper S, the paper transport unit 3 and the printing unit 4 described above are attached to a main body frame 6 made of metal or the like.
[0030]
The printing unit 4 in the present embodiment performs printing by a known ink jet method. As shown in FIG. 2, the printing unit 4 is arranged along the guide rail 7 attached to the main body frame 6. It is comprised so that it can move between the both sides of.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printing unit 4 is arranged such that the inkjet head 4 a for performing printing opposes the platen unit 8 provided in the paper transport unit 3.
[0032]
As shown in FIG. 2, a cap device 4 b is provided at a position adjacent to the paper transport unit 3. The cap device 4b is configured to move the printing unit 3 to cover the nozzles of the inkjet head 4a when printing is not performed for a certain period of time. Thereby, even if it is a case where printing is not performed for a long time, drying of a nozzle can be prevented.
[0033]
On the other hand, the roll paper S is rotatably supported by a pair of support rollers 10 and 11 arranged in parallel with the winding core portion 9, and is configured such that its leading end is drawn upward from the lower side of the apparatus main body. Is done.
[0034]
In the paper transport unit 3, a transport path for the roll paper S is formed. That is, the paper transport unit 3 reverses the feeding direction of the roll paper S by the paper guide unit 12 and the transport roller 13, and the roll paper S after printing from the discharge port 16 provided in the upper cover 15 by the transport roller 14. Configured to discharge.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 1, the main body upper cover 15 is attached so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 17. As will be described later, the platen unit 8 moves away from the inkjet head 4 a as the main body upper cover 15 rotates. Configured as follows.
[0036]
Further, a discharge port 18 for discharging the cut sheet C is formed in the upper center of the main body by the main body upper cover 15 and the main body front cover 5. A pair of conveying rollers 19 and 20 are provided in the vicinity of the discharge port 18. Further, a pair of conveyance rollers 21 and 22 are provided between the paper conveyance unit 3 and the printing unit 4, and a pair of conveyance rollers 23 and 24 are provided below the printing unit 4. The conveyance rollers 23 and 24 and the pair of guide members 25 and 26 form a conveyance path for the cut sheet C, and the cut sheet C is inserted from the sheet insertion opening 27 as shown in FIG. Is done.
[0037]
3 and 4 show the paper transport unit 3 in the present embodiment.
[0038]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the above-described transport rollers 13 and 14 are attached to a metal U-shaped support frame 28, and this support frame 28 is made of a metal for forming a paper transport path. Attached to the transport frame 29. Here, the conveyance roller 13 for reversing the conveyance direction of the roll paper S is made of, for example, a non-slip material such as rubber, and the drive shaft 30 is connected to a drive motor (not shown). The transport roller 13 and the transport roller 14 are configured to rotate in the same direction by a gear mechanism (not shown).
[0039]
In the present embodiment, the support frame 28 is attached so as to be rotatable about the drive shaft of the transport roller 13.
[0040]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the first transport rollers 23 a and 23 b for transporting the cut paper C are provided on a shaft 31 that is rotatably attached to the opening / closing lever 37, and the second transport roller The rollers 21 a and 21 b are provided on a shaft 30 that is rotatably attached to the support frame 28.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 4, the first transport rollers 23 a and 23 b are configured to be driven via a driving pulley 32, a belt 33, and a driven pulley 34 that are driven by a motor (not shown). The second transport rollers 21 a and 22 b are driven by a gear 35 driven by the above-described motor and a gear 36 that meshes with the gear 35. The open / close lever 37 is configured to be rotatable about a shaft 32a to which the drive pulley 32 is attached.
[0042]
5 and 6 show the main part of the paper transport unit 3. FIG.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 5, the transport frame 29 is provided with a platen portion 8 including a support frame 28. A metal platen 38 having substantially the same length as the transport rollers 13 and 14 is attached to the support frame 28 at a position between the transport rollers 13 and 14 and facing the inkjet head 4a. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in order to guide the roll paper S between the transport rollers 13 and 14 and the inkjet head 4a without bringing the inkjet head 4a into contact with the transport rollers 13 and 14, for example, A metal guide member 39 is provided.
[0044]
As described above, in the case of the present embodiment, the support frame 28 is attached to the transport frame 29 so as to be rotatable about the drive shaft 30 of the transport roller 13. The support frame 28 is attached so that the distal end portion of the drive lever 40 is rotatable via a support shaft 41. The drive lever 40 is made of a long member, and is attached to the side surface of the transport frame 29 so that the central portion thereof is rotatable about the support shaft 42. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, it arrange | positions so that the other end part of the drive lever 40 may go upwards.
[0045]
Further, the drive lever 40 is provided with a pin 43 between the support shafts 41 and 42, and a coil spring 45 is hooked on this pin and a pin 44 provided on the side surface of the transport frame 29. It is configured to be pulled away from the head 4a.
[0046]
Further, a flat plate-like receiving portion 46 is provided at the other end portion of the drive lever 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving portion 46 is configured to engage with a distal end portion of a presser lever 47 provided on the inner surface of the main body upper cover 15.
[0047]
As shown in FIG. 5, a press roller 48 for pressing the roll paper S against the transport roller 14 is provided above the transport roller 14. The presser roller 48 is made of, for example, a pair of metal disk-shaped members. Further, as described above, the pair of transport rollers 19 and 20 for inserting the cut sheet C is provided above the presser roller 48.
[0048]
On the other hand, a paper guide unit 12 for guiding the roll paper S to the platen is provided below the conveyance roller 13. The paper guide unit 12 includes a paper guide lower frame 49 and a presser frame 50, both of which are made of resin or the like. As shown in FIG. 3, both the paper guide lower frame 49 and the presser frame 50 are formed of flat members having substantially the same width as the transport rollers 13 and 14, and these are attached to be rotatable about the support shaft 51. It is done. Then, the paper guiding lower frame 49 and the presser frame 50 are urged by the presser torsion coil spring 52 in a direction in which they open each other like a clothespin, for example. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a conveyance roller 53 is provided at the rear end portion of the paper guide lower frame 49, and a press roller driven by the rotation of the conveyance roller 13 at the front end portion of the press frame 50. 54 is provided.
[0049]
In the present embodiment having such a configuration, when the roll paper S is inserted, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the main body upper cover 15 is opened and the platen portion 8 is separated from the inkjet head 4a. Evacuate. As a result, the roll paper S is smoothly inserted without entering the transport path of the cut paper C.
[0050]
When printing on the roll paper S, printing is performed on the roll paper S with the main body upper cover 15 closed.
[0051]
As shown in FIG. 5, in this case, the main body upper cover 15 is closed, and the presser lever 47 attached to the back surface of the main body upper cover 15 abuts against the receiving portion 46 of the drive lever 40 to push it down. Therefore, the platen unit 8 is pressed against the printing unit 4 side by the link mechanism composed of the drive lever 40 and the support frame 28, and is arranged close to the inkjet head 4a. Then, the transport roller 13 is driven to transport the roll paper S through the platen unit 8, and predetermined printing is performed on the roll paper S by ejecting ink from the inkjet head 4 a.
[0052]
On the other hand, when printing on the cut sheet C, the cut sheet C is inserted from the insertion port 27 formed in the front portion of the printer 1 and the transport rollers 21, 22, 23, and 24 are rotated, thereby cutting the cut sheet. C is conveyed to the position of the platen unit 8. In this case, the leading end of the cut sheet C is guided by the guide member 26.
[0053]
Then, ink is ejected from the inkjet head 4a to the cut sheet C disposed at the print position, and predetermined printing is performed on the cut sheet C by driving the transport rollers 21, 22, 23, and 24.
[0054]
Thereafter, the cut sheet C is transported by the transport rollers 19 and 20 and is discharged from the discharge port 18.
[0055]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the roll paper S is inserted, the support frame 28 rotates clockwise about the drive shaft 30, and the platen unit 8 is located away from the inkjet head 4a. Therefore, the cut paper C can be smoothly inserted without the roll paper C entering the transport path of the cut paper C.
[0056]
Further, since the cut sheet C does not contact the nozzle surface of the inkjet head 4a, it is possible to prevent defects during printing.
[0057]
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, a member that obstructs the conveyance of the cut paper C in the conveyance path of the cut paper C, that is, a member for guiding the roll paper C does not protrude into the conveyance path of the cut paper C. Therefore, paper jam caused by catching the cut paper C can be prevented.
[0058]
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the platen unit 8 is retracted in conjunction with the opening and closing of the main body upper cover 15, so that a dedicated solenoid or sensor for moving the platen unit 8 is not necessary, There is also an effect of not complicating.
[0059]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made.
[0060]
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a printer using an ink jet system as a print head has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various print heads such as a dot impact system are used. Applicable to printers.
[0061]
However, when applied to an ink jet printer as in the above-described embodiment, there is a merit that printing defects on cut sheets can be prevented.
[0062]
In the above-described embodiment, the support frame is configured to be rotatable about the support shaft of the transport roller. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a separate support shaft for rotation is provided on the support frame. It is also possible to make the support frame pivotable about the support shaft, or to move the support frame itself.
[0063]
However, as in the above-described embodiment, the simplest configuration can be obtained by allowing rotation about the axis of the conveyance roller for conveying the roll paper.
[0064]
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a register that issues receipts, and can be applied to various printers.
[0065]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the printer that feeds the recording paper conveyed through different conveyance paths to the same platen unit and prints on each recording paper by the print head, When the recording paper is fed into the platen unit, the platen unit is configured to move away from the printing position by rotating the platen unit in conjunction with opening and closing of the printer cover, thereby moving the platen unit. Without requiring a dedicated solenoid or sensor, one recording paper, for example, roll paper or cut paper can be smoothly fed to the print position without contacting the print head.
[0066]
In particular, as in the invention according to claim 2, in the invention according to claim 1, the conveyance path for the roll paper formed so as to wrap around the platen portion, and so as to cross the platen portion linearly. When the cut sheet is fed into the platen unit, the platen unit is rotated in conjunction with opening and closing of the printer cover to retract the platen unit from the printing position. With this configuration, it is possible to smoothly insert a cut sheet without the roll sheet entering the cut sheet conveyance path without requiring a dedicated solenoid or sensor for moving the platen unit. . Further, it is possible to prevent a paper jam caused by the cut paper caught on the print head.
[0067]
Also, as in the invention of claim 3, wherein, in the invention described in claim 2, mounting the platen portion rotatably around a drive shaft of the conveying roller for roll paper transportation provided to the platen portion, a cover of the printer The platen part is retracted from the printing position by the rotation of the platen part interlocked with the opening / closing of the platen part, so that the platen part can be easily installed without providing a separate means for rotating the platen part. Can be saved from the printing position, and the structure can be simplified.
[0069]
Furthermore, as in the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claims 1 to 3 , when an ink jet system is used as the print head, the print head when the recording paper is fed into the platen portion is used. Printing defects due to contact can be prevented.
[0070]
In addition, as in the invention of the fifth aspect, in the invention of the first to fourth aspects, the different conveyance paths are configured such that at least the discharge opening of the recording paper is different, or the invention of the sixth aspect of the invention. Thus, in the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , the roll paper discharge port is arranged on the platen side, and the cut paper discharge port is arranged on the print head side. It has the same effect as the invention of thru | or 4 .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an overall internal configuration of an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the embodiment viewed from the front.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a paper transport unit in the same embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a drive mechanism of a transport roller for transporting cut sheets in the same embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of a paper transport unit in the same embodiment, showing a state where a platen unit is at a printing position.
FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of a paper transport unit in the same embodiment, showing a state in which the platen unit is in a retracted position.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Main body cover 3 Paper conveyance part 4 Printing part 4a Inkjet head 8 Platen part 12 Paper guide part 13 Conveyance roller 14 Conveyance roller 15 Main body upper cover 18 Discharge port 27 Paper insertion port 28 Support frame 29 Conveyance frame 30 Drive shaft 38 Platen 39 Guide member 40 Drive lever 41, 42 Support shaft 43, 44 Pin 45 Coil spring 46 Receiving portion 47 Presser lever C Cut paper S Roll paper

Claims (6)

In a printer that feeds recording paper transported via different transport paths to the same platen unit and prints on each recording paper by a print head,
A printer characterized in that, when one recording sheet is fed into the platen unit, the platen unit is rotated in conjunction with opening and closing of the cover of the printer to retract the platen unit from the printing position. A roll paper conveyance path formed so as to wrap around the platen section, and a cut paper conveyance path formed so as to linearly cross the platen section, and the roll paper is fed into the platen section. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the platen portion is rotated in conjunction with opening and closing of the cover of the printer to retract the platen portion from the printing position. The platen unit is pivotally mounted about the drive shaft of the transport roller for conveying the roll paper provided on the platen unit, and the platen unit is retracted from the printing position by rotating the platen unit in conjunction with opening and closing of the printer cover. 3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein Any one of claims printer according to claim 1, wherein the printhead is due to an ink jet method. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the different transport paths have at least different recording paper discharge ports. With arranging the outlet of the roll paper to the platen side, any one of claims printer according to claim 2 to 5, characterized in that arranged an outlet of the cut paper to the print head side.

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