JP6567997B2 - Roll paper holding device and printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a roll paper holding device and a printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art A printer that uses a roll paper obtained by winding a long paper in a roll shape as a shaft as a printing medium is known. When printing on a sheet, the movement of the sheet is restricted by bringing a partition plate or the like into contact with both side edges of the sheet so that the sheet being printed does not move in the width direction. In the case of roll paper, for example, an end plate is provided on the shaft, and the end plate is brought into contact with both end faces of the roll paper to restrict the movement of the roll paper in the axial direction.

  Some printers are used by exchanging a plurality of types of roll papers having different paper widths. In this case, the roll paper having a smaller paper width among the replaceable roll papers has a gap between the end plate and a spacer or the like is provided between the roll paper and the end plate. There is something to install. However, since the spacers and the like are attached and detached every time they are replaced with roll papers having different paper widths, there is a problem that it takes time and labor to attach and detach and management in the removed state.

  On the other hand, a structure has been proposed in which the holder disk corresponding to the end plate is movable in the axial direction, thereby reducing the above-described mounting and dismounting and management labor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The holder disk of Patent Document 1 uses a fastener such as a screw for fixing to the shaft. In order to make the fixing operation easier, a rotating shaft having a protrusion formed on the peripheral surface, Paper width with a configuration in which a flanged roller in which a plurality of grooves with different depths along the axial direction are formed and a spring that presses the flanged roller against the shaft toward the shaft end side is combined. A regulation mechanism has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2003-146493 A JP 2009-107773 A

  Here, in the technique of Patent Document 2, when changing the axial position of the flange of the flanged roller corresponding to the end plate, the flanged rotor is moved against the elastic force of the spring pressed in the axial direction. It is necessary to rotate the shaft so that the protrusions are aligned with other grooves having different depths while maintaining the state where the protrusions are pushed in the axial direction to the position where the protrusions are removed from the grooves of the flanged roller. In other words, the elastic force of the spring acts in the axial direction, whereas when changing the position of the flanged roller in the axial direction, the force is applied in the opposite direction to the direction of the elastic force of the spring. It is necessary to continue to apply, requiring a large operating force.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a roll paper holding device and a printer that can reduce an operation force required to change an axial position of an end plate. .

  A first aspect of the present invention is a gear member that meshes with a feed gear of a printer, a shaft that is disposed on at least one shaft end side, and that passes through a cavity in the center of the roll paper, and an axis of the shaft An end plate that is movable in a direction and is disposed on the inner side of the shaft than the gear member; and an elastic member that applies a biasing force that causes the end plate to contact the gear member, the gear member and the end The plate is relatively rotatable about the axis, and a first convex portion projecting toward the end plate is formed on a surface of the gear member facing the end plate, and the first convex A second convex portion projecting toward the gear member on a surface facing the gear member of the end plate, and a second convex portion. And a roll paper holding device formed with an inclined surface extending in the circumferential direction.

  A second aspect of the present invention is a roll paper holding device according to the present invention, a paper storage portion that stores the roll paper held by the roll paper holding device, a feed gear that meshes with a gear member of the roll paper holding device, It is a printer provided with.

  According to the roll paper holding device and the printer of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the operation force required for the operation of changing the position of the end plate in the axial direction.

1 is a perspective view showing a photo printer which is an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention, and shows a use state with a cover closed. FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the main body is pulled out of the case and the cover is opened in the photo printer of FIG. 1. 1 illustrates a state in which the roll paper held in the roll paper holding device is taken out from the paper storage unit of the main body in the photo printer of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the roll paper holding | maintenance apparatus holding the roll paper. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the roll paper holding device shown in FIG. 4 is divided into two in the axial direction of the roll paper. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a roll paper holding part. It is a schematic diagram (the 1) which shows the state with which the block, protrusion, and the recessed part were combined. It is a schematic diagram (the 2) which shows the state with which the block, protrusion, and the recessed part were combined. It is a side view which shows typically the relationship between the convex part of an end plate, and the convex part of a gear member, and shows the state which the convex part and the convex part shifted | deviated to the circumferential direction. It is a side view which shows typically the relationship between the convex part of an end plate, and the convex part of a gear member, and shows the state where the convex part and the convex part were piled up in the axial center C direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the roll paper holding | maintenance part from the gear member direction, and shows the state which the character of "A4" was exposed from the window formed in the gear member. It is the perspective view which looked at the roll paper holding | maintenance part from the gear member direction, and shows the state which the character of "8 inches" was exposed from the window formed in the gear member. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the relative rotation of a gear member and an end plate was blocked | prevented by the lock mechanism, and shows the state by which protrusion was inserted in the recessed part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state by which the relative rotation of a gear member and an end plate was blocked | prevented by the lock mechanism, and shows the state by which protrusion was inserted in the recessed part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a roll paper holding device and a printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Photo printer configuration>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a photo printer 1 as an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention, showing a use state in which a cover is closed. FIG. 2 is a drawing of a main body 3 from a case 2 in the photo printer 1 of FIG. 3 shows a state in which the cover 4 is opened. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the roll paper 100 held by the roll paper holding device 10 is removed from the paper storage unit 6 of the main body 3 in the photo printer 1 of FIG. Indicates.

  The illustrated photo printer 1 mainly prints a photograph on the roll paper 100, and discharges a sheet on which a photograph or the like is printed from a sheet discharge port 1a formed on the front surface. The printer according to the present invention is not limited to a photo printer, and the roll paper 100 held by the roll paper holding device 10 such as a thermal printer, an ink jet printer, a laser printer, a dot printer using an ink ribbon or the like is used. The printer can be applied to any printer as long as it is used, and the printing method is not limited.

  The photo printer 1 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the photo printer 1 has a function as a front cover that covers the main body 3, a case 2 that covers the upper surface, side surface, and rear surface of the main body 3, and a front cover that covers the front surface of the main body 3. And a cut piece accommodating portion 7 for accommodating a cut piece (cut waste) generated at the time of cutting. When replacing the roll paper 100, the main body 3 is pulled forward with respect to the case 2 (or the case 2 is pushed rearward with respect to the main body 3), and the cover 4 of the main body 3 is exposed from the case 2.

  The exposed cover 4 rotates and opens upward. In a state where the cover 4 is opened upward, the cut piece accommodating portion 7 can be lifted upward and removed from the main body 3. In a state in which the cutting piece storage unit 7 is removed, the paper storage unit 6 (see FIG. 3) is largely exposed, and the roll paper 100 stored in the paper storage unit 6 can be accessed.

  In the state shown in FIG. 2, the roll paper 100 stored in the paper storage unit 6 can be detached from the photo printer 1 by pulling up the roll paper holding device 10 holding the roll paper 100 forward and upward. The paper storage unit 6 is provided with a feed gear 5 that meshes with a later-described gear unit 31 a of the roll paper holding device 10 that is stored in the paper storage unit 6 and rotates the roll holding device about the shaft 15.

<Configuration of roll paper holding device>
4 is a perspective view showing the roll paper holding device 10 holding the roll paper 100, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the roll paper holding device 10 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a state. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the roll paper holding device 10 includes two roll paper holding units 20 and 30 that are divided in the direction of the axis C of the roll paper 100. The roll paper holding unit 20 and the roll paper holding unit 30 have the same basic structure. However, the structure of the portion where the roll paper holding unit 20 and the roll paper holding unit 30 are combined is different. About the structure of the part which couple | bonds the two roll paper holding | maintenance parts 20 and 30 mutually, since it may be what kind of well-known structure, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. The structure in this embodiment will be described later.

  Hereinafter, although the roll paper holding unit 30 or the roll paper holding unit 20 will be described, since both the roll paper holding units 20 and 30 have the same basic structure, one of the roll paper holding units 20 (or the roll paper holding unit) is used. The description of the section 30) is also applied to the other roll paper holding section 30 (or the roll paper holding section 20) unless otherwise specified.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the roll paper holding unit 30. Note that the reference numerals in parentheses in the figure indicate the corresponding configuration in the roll paper holding unit 20 that is not described. As shown in FIG. 6, the roll paper holding unit 30 includes a gear member 31, a split shaft 35, an end plate 32, an elastic member 34, and a coupling plate 33. The gear member 31 is integrally formed with a gear portion 31 a having a gear formed on the outer peripheral surface and a boss portion 31 b extending toward the split shaft 35. The gear formed on the gear portion 31a meshes with the feed gear 5 (see FIG. 3) of the photo printer 1 provided in the paper storage portion 6, and the feed gear 5 rotates, so that the gear member 31 rotates about the axis C. Rotate to.

  The split shaft 35 is passed through the cavity 101 (see FIG. 5) at the center of the roll paper 100. The split shaft 35 has an outer diameter changing between a narrow diameter state smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity 101 and a larger diameter state larger than the inner diameter of the cavity 101, and the outer diameter changing portion 35a urged to the larger diameter state. Have Three outer diameter changing portions 35 a are provided in the circumferential direction of the split shaft 35.

  The split shaft 35 is inserted into the cavity 101 of the roll paper 100 with the outer diameter changing portion 35a in a small diameter state, and the outer diameter changing portion 35a inserted into the cavity 101 is changed in outer diameter by an urging force that causes the thick diameter state. The portion 35a presses the inner peripheral surface of the cavity 101. Thereby, a frictional force is generated between the outer diameter changing portion 35 a and the inner peripheral surface of the cavity 101, the roll paper 100 is rotated according to the rotation of the split shaft 35, and the roll paper 100 is rotated according to the stop of the split shaft 35. Stop.

  The split shaft 35, the gear member 31, and the coupling plate 33 are integrally fixed by screws 38, and the gear member 31, the coupling plate 33, and the split shaft 35 rotate integrally. As shown in FIG. 6, the gear member 31 is disposed on the end of the split shaft 35 on the side where the outer diameter changing portion 35 a is formed via a coupling plate 33. On the other end side of the split shaft 35, a coupling portion 37 is formed that is coupled to the end of the split shaft 25 of the roll paper holding unit 20 to which the gear member 21 is fixed. The roll paper holding unit 20 does not have a portion corresponding to the coupling unit 37. In the structure in which the coupling portion 37 and the split shaft 25 are coupled, for example, the coupling portion 37 is inserted into the split shaft 25, the split shaft 25 and the split shaft 35 are abutted, and both are relatively rotated by a predetermined angle. Therefore, it is possible to apply a structure to be combined.

  When the connecting portion 37 of the split shaft 35 is connected to the split shaft 25, the split shaft 35 and the split shaft 25 are connected in a straight line to form the shaft 15 (see FIG. 4) that supports the roll paper 100. . Therefore, gear members 21 and 31 and end plates 22 and 32 are provided on both ends of the shaft 15. The gear member 21 of the roll paper holding unit 20 is formed by sharing parts with the gear member 31 and does not contribute to the rotation of the shaft 15 by the photo printer 1.

  The end plate 32 is formed integrally with a flange portion 32a and a sleeve portion 32b. The boss portion 31b of the gear member 31 is inserted inside the sleeve portion 32b of the end plate 32, and is disposed between the gear member 31 and the coupling plate 33, and the boss portion 31b of the gear member 31 and the coupling plate 33 are coupled. Has been. The outer diameter of the coupling plate 33 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the sleeve portion 32b (same as the outer diameter of the sleeve portion 32b or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve portion 32b). Since the split shaft 35, the gear member 31, and the coupling plate 33 are integrally fixed, the end plate 32 is in a state of being disposed on the inner side in the axis C direction of the split shaft 35 with respect to the gear member 31. .

  Since the end plate 32 is not directly fixed to the gear member 31, the coupling plate 33, and the split shaft 35, the end plate 32 can rotate about the axis C with respect to the gear member 31, the coupling plate 33, and the split shaft 35. It has become. Further, the end plate 32 can be displaced in a direction approaching the split shaft 35.

  Here, on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 32b of the end plate 32, three columnar protrusions 32c protruding toward the center (axial center C) in the radial direction are formed in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, on the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 31b of the gear member 31, a concave portion 31c in which a corresponding portion of each projection 32c is recessed from the projection 32c is formed.

  These three recesses 31c have circumferential lengths so that the end plate 32 can be rotated by an angle of about 15 degrees in the circumferential direction with respect to the gear member 31 with the three protrusions 32c fitted. Is set. The concave portion 31c has a vertical end surface 31d that is partially perpendicular to the axis C direction, and the remaining portion that is connected to the vertical end surface 31d and is inclined toward the side closer to the gear portion 21a in the axis C direction. It has an end face 31e.

  Further, in these concave portions 31c, an elastic member 34, which is fitted into the shape of the concave portion 31c and formed in a shape shorter in the axial center C direction than the concave portion 31c, is disposed. The elastic member 34 includes a spring 34b whose one end is in contact with the coupling plate 33 and whose movement in the axis C direction is restricted, and a block 34a which is in contact with the other end of the spring 34b. The surface of the block 34a opposite to the spring 34b is the same as the end surface (the vertical end surface 31d and the inclined end surface 31e) of the recess 31c, and the vertical end surface 34d oriented perpendicular to the direction of the axis C and the inclined surface connected to the vertical end surface 34d. And an inclined end face 34e.

  7 and 8 are schematic views showing a state in which the block 34a, the protrusion 32c, and the recess 31c are combined. Each elastic member 34 is in a state where the gear member 31, the end plate 32, the coupling plate 33, and the split shaft 35 are integrally coupled, and the positional relationship between the block 34 a, the protrusion 32 c, and the recess 31 c is determined by the gear member 31 and the end plate 32. Changes between the state shown in FIG. 7 and the state shown in FIG.

  That is, in the rotation position shown in FIG. 7 where the protrusion 32c is disposed at the left end of the recess 31c, the inclined end surface 34e of each block 34a contacts each protrusion 32c and contracts between the coupling plate 33 and the protrusion 32c. The inclined end surface 34e presses the protrusion 32c against the inclined end surface 31e of the recess 31c by the elastic force of the spring 34b. In the rotational position shown in FIG. 8 where the protrusion 32c is disposed at the right end of the recess 31c, the vertical end surface 34d of each block 34a contacts each protrusion 32c, and the spring contracts between the coupling plate 33 and the protrusion 32c. Due to the elastic force of 34b, the vertical end surface 34d presses the protrusion 32c against the vertical end surface 31d of the recess 31c. In this way, the elastic member 34 presses the end plate 32 with an elastic force to contact the gear member 31.

  On the surface of the flange portion 32a of the end plate 32 facing the gear member 31, six convex portions 32g (second convex portions) projecting toward the gear member 31 are equiangularly spaced around the axis C. Is formed. Further, six convex portions 31g (first convex portions) projecting toward the end plate 32 are equiangular around the axis C on the surface of the gear member 31 facing the end plate 32 of the gear portion 31a. It is formed at intervals. Between the two convex parts 31g and 31g adjacent to the circumferential direction, it is a recessed part relatively low with respect to the convex part 31g, and each recessed part is set to the magnitude | size which the convex part 32g of the end plate 32 can fit. ing. Note that the gear member 31 may form a relatively recessed recess instead of the protruding protrusion 31g.

  9 and 10 are side views schematically showing the relationship between the convex portion 32g of the end plate 32 and the convex portion 31g of the gear member 31, and FIG. 9 shows that the convex portion 32g and the convex portion 31g are displaced in the circumferential direction. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the convex portion 32g and the convex portion 31g are stacked in the direction of the axis C. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the convex portion 31 g of the gear member 31 includes a vertical surface 31 h that is orthogonal to the direction of the axis C and an inclined surface 31 i that extends in the circumferential direction continuously to the vertical surface 31 h. Have. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the convex portion 32g of the end plate 32 includes a vertical surface 32h oriented perpendicular to the direction of the axis C, and an inclined inclined surface extending in the circumferential direction continuously to the vertical surface 32h. 32i.

  When the end plate 32 is rotated relative to the gear member 31 in the arrow direction around the axis C (see FIG. 9) from the state shown in FIG. 9, the end plate fitted between the convex portions 31g. The inclined surface 32i of the 32 convex portions 32g rides on the inclined surface 31i of the convex portion 31g, and the end plate 32 is displaced in the direction away from the gear member 31 along the axis C. When the rotation of the end plate 32 with respect to the gear member 31 proceeds, as shown in FIG. 10, the vertical surface 32h of the convex portion 32g of the end plate 32 rides on the vertical surface 31h of the convex portion 31g, and the convex portion 32g and the convex portion 31g is stacked in the direction of the axis C, and the end plate 32 is disposed farthest along the axis C with respect to the gear member 31.

  From the state shown in FIG. 10, when the end plate 32 is rotated relative to the gear member 31 in the direction of the arrow around the axis C (see FIG. 10), the vertical surface 31 h of the convex portion 31 g of the gear member 31 is formed. The protruding portion 32g of the end plate 32 that has ridden is displaced in the direction in which the inclined surface 32i approaches the gear member 31 along the axis C along the inclined surface 31i of the protruding portion 31g. . When the rotation of the end plate 32 with respect to the gear member 31 proceeds, as shown in FIG. 9, the convex portion 32 g of the end plate 32 fits into the concave portion between the convex portions 31 g of the gear member 31, and the end plate 32 becomes the gear member 31. On the other hand, the arrangement is closest along the axis C.

  9, the arrangement in which the end plate 32 is closest to the gear member 31 along the axis C is such that the protrusion 32c of the end plate 32 is the recess 31c of the gear member 31 shown in FIG. This corresponds to the state of being arranged at the left end of the inclined end surface 31e. Similarly, when the end plate 32 is located farthest along the axis C with respect to the gear member 31 as shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 32c of the end plate 32 shown in FIG. This corresponds to the state of being arranged at the right end of the vertical end face 31d of 31c. Accordingly, when the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 32g are displaced between the state shown in FIG. 9 and the state shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 32c has the concave portion 31c shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. Displace between states.

  11 and 12 are perspective views of the roll paper holding unit 30 as viewed from the gear member 31, and FIG. 11 shows a state in which the letters 32m of "A4" are exposed from a window 31m formed in the gear member 31. FIG. 12 shows a state where the characters 32n of “8 inch” are exposed from the window 31n formed in the gear member 31. “A4” that specifies two or more types of roll papers 100 having different paper widths in the region of the flange portion 32a of the end plate 32 that faces the gear member 31 and is hidden by the gear portion 31a of the gear member 31. 32m and “8 inch” 32n are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction.

  Here, the character 32m of “A4” is an example of an indicator that specifies that the paper width of the roll paper 100 held by the roll paper holding device 10 corresponds to the A4 size. The characters 8n of “8 inch” are an example of an indicator that specifies that the paper width of the roll paper 100 held by the roll paper holding device 10 corresponds to the 8 inch size.

  On the other hand, the window 31m that exposes the character 32m of "A4" or the character 32n of "8inch" formed on the end plate 32 to the gear member 31 according to the relative rotational position of the gear member 31 and the end plate 32. , 31n (an example of an opening). Specifically, the window 31m is formed in one of the convex portions 31g as shown in FIG. 11, and the convex portion 32g of the end plate 32 is a concave portion of the gear member 31 (two convex portions adjacent in the circumferential direction). In the state shown in FIG. 9 fitted to the portion 31g between the portions 31g and 31g, the characters 32m of “A4” are exposed from the window 31m.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the window 31n is formed in one of the concave portions between the convex portions 31g and 31g, and the convex portion 32g of the end plate 32 rides on the convex portion 31g of the gear member 31. In the state shown in FIG. 10, the character 32n of “8 inch” is set to be exposed from the window 31n.

  The boss portion 31b of the gear member 31 and the sleeve portion 32b of the end plate 32 are, as shown in FIG. 6, a stop position that prevents relative rotation between the gear member 31 and the end plate 32, and a stop that allows the rotation. A lock mechanism 36 that can move between the release positions is provided. Specifically, the sleeve portion 32b includes a lock slider 36a that is displaceable between a position close to the gear member 31 (stop position) and a position far from the gear member 31 (stop release position) along the shaft 15. A spring 36b for urging the lock slider 36a to the stop position is provided.

  The lock slider 36a is a part where a user who is going to replace the roll paper 100 applies his / her finger to apply an operating force. Although the lock slider 36a is exposed on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 32b, a lock projection 36c is formed integrally with the lock slider 36a on the inner peripheral surface side of the sleeve portion 32b of the lock slider 36a. Yes.

  On the other hand, the boss 31b of the gear member 31 is formed with a locking concave groove 31p for receiving the protrusion 36c. The concave groove 31p is formed with concave portions 31q and 31r into which the projections 36c of the lock slider 36a urged by the spring 36b are inserted at both ends in the circumferential direction, and between the two concave portions 31q and 31r. An overpass part 31s is formed which is an end face farther from the gear part 31a in the axis C direction than the recessed parts 31q and 31r.

  FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic views showing a state in which the relative rotation between the gear member 31 and the end plate 32 is prevented by the lock mechanism 36. FIG. 13 shows the projection 36c inserted into the recessed portion 31q. FIG. 14 shows a state in which the protrusion 36c is inserted into the recessed portion 31r. Here, in the state shown in FIG. 9 in which the convex portion 32g of the end plate 32 is fitted in the concave portion of the gear member 31 (the portion between the two convex portions 31g and 31g adjacent in the circumferential direction), the protrusion 36c is In the state shown in FIG. 10 in which the projection 32g of the end plate 32 rides on the projection 31g of the gear member 31 in the rotational position to be inserted into the recess 31q shown in FIG. It is in the rotational position to be inserted into the recess 31r shown.

  When the lock slider 36a is at the stop position, the projection 36c is inserted into the recess 31q or the recess 31r by the biasing force of the spring 36b, and the rotation of the end plate 32 relative to the gear member 31 is prevented. When the lock slider 36a is in the stop release position, the projection 36c is separated from the recessed portion 31q and the recessed portion 31r and straddles the overpass portion 31s, and is displaceable (rotatable) between the recessed portion 31q and the recessed portion 31r. Yes. Therefore, the end plate 32 is rotatable with respect to the gear member 31 within a range in which the protrusion 36c can rotate.

<Operation of roll paper holding device>
According to the roll paper holding device 10 having the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the coupling between the coupling unit 37 (see FIG. 6) of the roll paper holding unit 30 and the split shaft 25 of the roll paper holding unit 20 is released. 5, the roll paper holding unit 20 and the roll paper holding unit 30 are separated from each other, so that the roll paper 100 that has been passed through the shaft 15 can be removed from the roll paper holding device 10. . Further, in this separated state, the roll paper 100 is held by the roll paper holding device 10 by passing the hollow portion of the roll paper 100 through the split shafts 25 and 35 and connecting the coupling portion 37 and the split shaft 25. Can do.

  The roll paper holding device 10 of this embodiment is suitable for setting two types of roll paper 100 having different paper widths in the photo printer 1 with the center of the paper width of the roll paper 100 as a reference. Specifically, in a state where the two roll paper holding portions 20 and 30 are coupled (see FIG. 4), the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a can be changed in two stages. The flange portions 22a and 32a are in contact with both end surfaces of the roll paper 100, and in order to prevent the roll paper 100 from moving in the direction of the axis C, two kinds of flange portions 22a and 32a are changed by changing the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a. This can correspond to the paper width. The roll paper holding device 10 of the present embodiment is compatible with A4 size roll paper 100 and 8 inch size roll paper 100.

  First, with respect to the roll paper holding unit 30, when the protrusion 36c of the lock slider 36a is inserted into the recessed portion 31q as shown in FIG. 13 by the spring 36b (see FIG. 6), as shown in FIG. In a state where the convex portion 32g of the plate 32 is fitted in the concave portion (the portion between the convex portions 31g, 31g) of the gear member 31, and as shown in FIG. It is pressed to the side. Therefore, the flange portion 32 a of the end plate 32 is brought close to the gear member 31.

  The same applies to the other roll paper holding unit 20 whose description is omitted, and the flange portion 22 a of the roll paper holding unit 20 is brought close to the gear member 21. At this time, the flange portions 22a and 32a are in the state of being furthest away from each other, and the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a is set to the paper width of the A4 size roll paper 100. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the letter “A4” 32 m formed on the end plate 32 is exposed from the window 31 m of the gear member 31.

  Here, when the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a is changed to the paper width of the 8-inch roll paper 100, the lock slider 36a is moved against the urging force (elastic force) of the spring 36b with respect to the roll paper holding portion 30. The end plate 32 is allowed to rotate relative to the gear member 31 with the protrusion 36c pulled out from the recessed portion 31q (see FIG. 13) by moving to the stop release position. The spring 36b only needs to exhibit a weak elastic force that can maintain the lock slider 36a at the stop position unless an operating force is applied. Specifically, the elastic force may be weaker than the elastic force of the spring 34 b in the elastic member 34 that presses the end plate 32 against the gear member 31.

  Then, in this state, the end plate 32 is rotated about the axis C indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9 so that the inclined surface 32i of the convex portion 32g rides on the inclined surface 31i of the convex portion 31g, and the inclined surfaces 31i, 31i, As shown in FIG. 10, the vertical surface 32h of the convex portion 32g rides on the vertical surface 31h of the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 32g are stacked in the direction of the axis C while the 32i are in contact with each other. Also at this time, the protrusion 32c of the end plate 32 is pressed by the elastic member 34 and the end plate 32 is pressed toward the gear member 31, as shown in FIG. The direction away from the member 31, that is, the center side of the shaft 15 is approached.

  The same applies to the other roll paper holding unit 20, and the flange portion 22 a of the roll paper holding unit 20 is brought closer to the center side of the shaft 15. At this time, both flange portions 22a and 32a are in a state of being closest to each other, and the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a is set to the sheet width of the roll paper 100 of 8 inch size. That is, the sum of the protruding height of the protruding portion 31g and the protruding height of the protruding portion 32g is set to half the difference between the A4 size paper width and the 8 inch size paper width. Is set in the same way. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12, the “8 inch” character 32 n formed on the end plate 32 is exposed from the window 31 n of the gear member 31.

  After the end plate 32 has finished rotating, the lock slider 36a is returned to the stop position by the elastic force of the spring 36b by releasing the operation that was applied to maintain the lock slider 36a in the stop release position. As shown in FIG. 14, the protrusion 36c is inserted into the recessed portion 31r, and the relative rotation of the end plate 32 with respect to the gear member 31 is prevented. When the roll paper holding device 10 is returned from the state corresponding to the paper width of 8 inch size to the state corresponding to the paper width of A4 size, the operation described above may be performed in the reverse procedure.

<Effects of roll paper holding device and photo printer>
As described above in detail, according to the roll paper holding device 10 of the present embodiment and the photo printer 1 provided with the roll paper holding device 10, the relative positions of the end plate 32 and the gear member 31 around the axis C are relative to each other. The corresponding paper width can be changed by a typical rotation operation. Since the relative rotation operation of the end plate 32 and the gear member 31 is a direction different from the load direction of the elastic member 34 pressing the end plate 32 in the axial center C direction, the operation is performed in the opposite direction to the load direction. There is no need to apply force.

  Therefore, the roll paper holding device 10 and the photo printer 1 can reduce the operation force required for the operation of changing the paper width of the corresponding roll paper 100. And since it is the structure which rides on an inclined surface, the magnitude | size of the required operation force can also be adjusted by increasing / decreasing the inclination angle of inclined surface 31i, 32i.

  In addition, the roll paper holding device 10 increases or decreases the distance between the flange portions 22a and 32a by changing the protruding height of at least one of the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 32g (the same applies to the roll paper holding portion 20). The dimensions can be changed, and roll paper having a paper width different from that of the A4 size roll paper 100 and the 8 inch size roll paper 100 can be handled. Therefore, the roll paper holding device according to the present invention is not limited to one that can be switched between the A4 size roll paper 100 and the 8 inch size roll paper 100.

  Furthermore, at least one of the convex portions 31g and the convex portions 32g (the same applies to the roll paper holding unit 20) can be configured in two or more stages such that the protruding height changes in two or more stages. . In this case, the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 32g are stacked in the direction of the axis C (not stacked, the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 32g are stacked in the first stage, the convex portion 31g and the convex portion 32g, The dimensions of the flange portion 32a and the gear member 31 in the direction of the axis C can be changed to three or more types according to the state in which the two are stacked in the second stage. As a result, the roll paper holding device 10 can switch the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a to three or more types, and can cope with three or more types of roll papers having different paper widths.

  Since the photo printer 1 includes gear members 21 and 31 and end plates 22 and 32 at both ends of the shaft 15, the dimension between the gear member 21 and the end plate 22, the gear member 21 and the end plate 22, respectively. Can be set to the same size. Accordingly, the roll paper holding device 10 can correspond to the photo printer 1 having the center of the paper width of the held roll paper 100 as a reference position for setting the paper.

  In addition, since the roll paper holding device 10 is configured by the roll paper holding units 20 and 30 having substantially the same components, the roll paper holding unit 20 and the roll paper holding unit 30 share the components. The manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  The roll paper holding device 10 has a configuration in which the two roll paper holding units 20 and 30 are provided with the split shafts 25 and 35, respectively, but the shaft 15 with the split shafts 25 and 35 integrated as one roll paper. The split shaft 25 (or the split shaft 35) of the other roll paper holding unit 30 (or the roll paper holding unit 20) is used instead of the split shaft 25 (or the split shaft 35) of the holding unit 20 (or the roll paper holding unit 30). 25) can be eliminated.

  The roll paper holding device 10 is not a combination of the roll paper holding part 20 and the roll paper holding part 30, but includes the roll paper holding part 30 (or the roll paper holding part 20) only on one end side, and the other end. On the part side, a roll paper holding part in which the position of the flange part is fixed without changing the position of the flange part in the direction of the axis C can also be provided. The roll paper holding device 10 is configured by combining a roll paper holding part 30 that can change the position of the flange part 32a and a roll paper holding part that cannot change the position of the flange part. A plurality of types of roll papers having different paper widths can be held corresponding to a so-called misaligned printer in which the flange portion that cannot be changed is used as a reference position for setting paper.

  In this case, the roll paper holding part 20 and the roll paper holding part are the sum of the protruding dimension of the convex part 31g and the protruding dimension of the convex part 32g in the roll paper holding part 30 capable of changing the position of the flange part 32a. It is necessary to set twice the sum of the protruding dimension of the convex part 31g and the protruding dimension of the convex part 32g in the combination with 30.

  The roll paper holding device 10 and the photo printer 1 of the present embodiment have a lock mechanism that can move between a stop position that prevents relative rotation of the gear member 31 and the end plate 32 and a stop release position that allows rotation. 36, the relative rotation between the gear member 31 and the end plate 32 can be prevented as long as the lock mechanism 36 is disposed at the stop position. Therefore, the flange portion 22a of the roll paper holding device 10 is caused by an unexpected situation such as a change in posture or contact when the roll paper holding device 10 holding the roll paper 100 is set in the paper storage portion 6 of the photo printer 1. It is possible to prevent the interval 32a from being changed unintentionally.

  In addition, since the lock mechanism 36 is biased to the stop position by the spring 36b, it can prevent or suppress the lock slider 36a from moving from the stop position compared to a mechanism that is not biased to the stop position. it can. The roll paper holding device according to the present invention is not limited to the one provided with the lock mechanism 36, and the lock mechanism 36 may not be provided.

  In addition, since the lock slider 36a of the lock mechanism 36 in the present embodiment is disposed on the sleeve portion 32b of the end plate 32, when the roll paper 100 is held, the lock slider 36a is hidden by the roll paper 100 and is operated by the user. I can't do it. Therefore, after the roll paper 100 is held, it is possible to prevent the gap between the flange portions 22a and 32a from changing carelessly by touching the lock slider 36a. However, the lock slider 36 a is not limited to the one disposed on the sleeve portion 32 b of the end plate 32, and may be disposed on other portions such as the gear portion 31 a and the split shaft 35.

  Since the lock slider 36a has a stop position disposed on the side closer to the gear member 31 and a stop release position disposed on the side far from the gear member 31, an operation for setting the roll paper 100 in the roll paper holding unit 30 is performed. In other words, when the end of the split shaft 35 is inserted into the cavity 101 of the roll paper 100 and the roll paper 100 is fed toward the flange portion 32a, the inner peripheral portion of the roll paper 100 (on the outer periphery of the cavity 101). Even if the contact portion) contacts the lock slider 36a, the lock slider 36a is pushed toward the stop position. Therefore, there is no possibility that the lock slider 36a is moved to the stop release position by the operation of setting the roll paper 100.

  However, the lock slider 36a may have a stop release position on the side close to the gear member 31. In this case, it is preferable to employ a configuration in which the lock slider 36a is disposed in a state of being recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 32b. According to the configuration in which the lock slider 36a is disposed so as to be recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 32b, the inner peripheral portion of the roll paper 100 is less likely to contact the lock slider 36a when the roll paper 100 is set. Pushing the slider 36a toward the stop position can be prevented or suppressed.

  Although the split shaft 35 in this embodiment has an outer diameter changing portion 35 a, the outer diameter changing portion 35 a can pass the split shaft 35 through the cavity 101 of the roll paper 100 in a small diameter state against the urging force. On the other hand, the outer diameter changing portion 35 a is expanded after passing the split shaft 35 through the cavity 101, so that the outer diameter changing portion 35 a is in a large diameter state, and the expanded outer shape is the inner periphery of the roll paper 100. Press the surface outward in the radial direction. Thereby, a frictional force is generated or increased between the outer diameter changing portion 35 a and the roll paper 100, and the roll paper 100 is easily rotated integrally with the shaft 15 by this frictional force. The roll paper holding device according to the present invention is not limited to the one provided with the outer diameter changing portion 35a.

  The roll paper holding device 10 of the present embodiment is a surface facing the gear member 31 of the flange portion 32a of the end plate 32 and can be held by the roll paper holding device 10 in a region hidden by the gear member 31. Characters 32m and 32n that respectively specify two types (A4 size and 8 inch size) of roll paper 100 having different paper widths are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the gear member 31 is formed with windows 31m and 31n that expose the characters 32m and 32n corresponding to the distance between the flange portions 22a and 32a according to the relative rotational position of the gear member 31 and the end plate 32. . The character 32m or the character 32n specifying the roll paper 100 having a size corresponding to the interval between the flange portions 22a and 32a can be easily visually recognized by the user through the window 31m or the window 31n.

  Note that the roll paper holding device 10 of the present embodiment applies characters 32m and 32n as signs that identify the roll paper 100, but as signs, symbols, patterns, colors, and the like are applied in addition to characters. You can also

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photo printer 10 Roll paper holding | maintenance apparatus 15 Axis 20 Roll paper holding part 30 Roll paper holding part 31 Gear members 31g, 32g Protrusion part 31h, 32h Vertical surface 31i, 32i Inclined surface 32 End plate 35 Split shaft 36 Lock mechanism 100 Roll paper 101 Cavity C axis

Claims (6)

A gear member that meshes with the feed gear of the printer;
A shaft passing through a cavity in the center of the roll paper, wherein the gear member is disposed on at least one shaft end side;
An end plate that is movable in the axial direction of the shaft and is disposed on the inner side of the shaft than the gear member;
An elastic member for applying an urging force for bringing the end plate into contact with the gear member,
The gear member and the end plate are relatively rotatable about the axis,
A surface of the gear member facing the end plate is formed with a first convex portion protruding toward the end plate, and an inclined surface extending in the circumferential direction connected to the first convex portion,
A surface of the end plate facing the gear member is formed with a second convex portion projecting toward the gear member and an inclined surface extending in the circumferential direction and continuing to the second convex portion. Roll paper holding device.   The roll paper holding device according to claim 1, wherein the gear member and the end plate are provided on both ends of the shaft.   The roll paper holding device according to claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism that is movable between a stop position that prevents relative rotation between the gear member and the end plate and an allowable stop release position.   The shaft has an outer diameter changing portion between a narrow diameter state thinner than the inner diameter of the cavity and a thick diameter state larger than the inner diameter of the cavity, and an outer diameter changing portion biased to the thick diameter state. The roll paper holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Marks for identifying two or more types of roll papers having different paper widths are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction in the region of the end plate facing the gear member and hidden by the gear member,
The opening which exposes one of the said marks is formed in the said gear member according to the relative rotation position of the said gear member and the said end plate in any one of Claim 1 to 4 The roll paper holding device as described. A roll paper holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A paper storage unit for storing the roll paper held in the roll paper holding device;
A printer comprising: a feed gear that meshes with a gear member of the roll paper holding device.