JP3003193B2 - Card guide - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] The present invention relates to a structure of a card guide for guiding a recording sheet to a print head in a printer, and aims at facilitating confirmation of a set position of the recording sheet and printed characters. A card guide made of a transparent synthetic resin that guides the recording paper to the gap between the platen and the print head has a prism that reflects the image of the recording paper and makes it visible from a predetermined area outside the apparatus. It is formed by being integrally formed or bonded on the surface of the ink ribbon mask area on the anti-platen side,
The prism is provided with a mark for confirming the set position of the recording paper. Further, a printing apparatus provided with such a card guide.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a structure of a card guide for guiding recording paper to a print head in a printer.

[Conventional technology]

In a printer to which the present invention is applied, as shown in a plan view of FIG. 3, a platen 2 is rotatably supported by side frames 1 on both sides, a recording paper 3 is wound around the platen 2, and the rotation of the platen 2 causes an arrow. It is discharged in the A direction.

On the other hand, a carrier 4 is slidably engaged with guide shafts 5 and 6 provided in parallel with the platen 2 on the front surface (the lower side in the figure) of the platen 2 and between the pulleys 7 and 7 '. It is fixed to a timing belt 8 stretched in parallel with the platen 2 by a lock fitting 9.

The timing belt 8 is connected to the motor 10 via the pulley 7, and the timing belt 8 reciprocates the carrier along the platen 2 as shown by arrows BC by forward and reverse rotation of the motor 10.

A print head 13 is mounted on the carrier 4, and a guide pin 14 for guiding and stretching the ink ribbon 12 fed from the ribbon cassette 11 into a gap between the print head 13 and the platen 2 is mounted. As shown in the side view of FIG. 4, a card guide 15 for guiding the recording paper 3 into the gap between the print head 13 and the platen 2 and pressing the recording paper 3 against the platen 2 is mounted.

The card guide 15 is provided with a ribbon mask for masking a portion of the ink ribbon 12 other than the printing area to prevent the recording paper 3 from being stained with ink.

The card guide 15 is made of a transparent synthetic resin for confirming the set position of the recording paper 3 and the printed characters.

For printing, dot printing is performed on the recording paper 3 via the ink ribbon 12 while the print head 13 is reciprocated by the carrier 4.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

When the recording paper set by the operator is visually recognized through the card guide, there is a problem that it is difficult depending on the viewing position, and it is difficult to visually recognize the printing paper when the printing position is in the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to facilitate confirmation of a set position of recording paper, printed characters, and the like.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, as shown in the side view of FIG. 1 (a), a card made of a transparent synthetic resin for guiding the recording paper 3 into the gap between the platen 2 and the print head 13. The guide 16 reflects an image of the recording paper 3 and makes the prism 17 visible from a predetermined area outside the apparatus. A prism 17 is integrally formed or adhered on the surface of the card guide 16 opposite the platen side ink ribbon mask area. Protruding, prism
This is a printing apparatus in which a mark 18 for confirming the set position of the recording paper 3 is provided on 17 and a card guide having such a card guide is provided.

[Action]

The image of the recording sheet guided to the gap between the platen and the print head by the card guide is reflected by the prism and becomes visible from a predetermined area outside the apparatus.

Further, it is easy to confirm the set position of the recording paper by the mark.

〔Example〕

 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention.

 The same reference numerals are given to the same parts throughout the drawings.

In the present invention, as shown in the side view of FIG. 1 (a), the printing paper 3 is placed in the gap between the platen 2 and the printing head 13 while maintaining an appropriate interval according to the thickness of the recording paper 3. It has a transparent card guide 16 for guiding, and a prism 17 protruding from the surface of the card guide 16 and reflecting the image of the recording paper 3 so as to be visible from a predetermined area outside the apparatus. The prism 17 may be protruded from the card guide 16 by integral molding, or may be separately molded and adhered with a transparent adhesive.

The prism 17 has a length of about 10 mm protruding from the left end of the card guide 16 by about 10 mm.

According to such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 2B, the image of the recording paper 3 guided by the card guide into the gap between the print heads 13 of the platen 2 is reflected by the prism 17, and
It becomes easily visible from a predetermined area outside the device.

In addition, as shown in another embodiment of FIG. 2, the setting position of the recording paper 3 can be easily confirmed by providing the mark 17 for confirming the setting position of the recording paper 3 on the prism 17.

The set position confirmation mark 18 is formed on any surface of the prism 17 by means of line engraving or the like.

After the line is engraved, the visibility is further improved by filling with a paint such as red.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, a great deal of economic and industrial effects can be achieved, such as easy recognition of the set position of recording paper and printed characters.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (a) is a side view of a printing unit using the card guide of the present invention, FIG. 1 (b) is an explanatory view of FIG. 1 (a), and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part showing another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a printer to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a printing unit using a conventional card guide. In the figure, 2 is a platen, 3 is a recording sheet, 4 is a carrier, 13 is a print head, 15 and 16 are card guides, 17 is a prism, and 18 is a mark for confirming a set position.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A card guide (16) made of a transparent synthetic resin for guiding a recording sheet (3) into a gap between a platen (2) and a print head (13) reflects an image on the recording sheet (3). A prism (17), which is visible from a predetermined area outside the apparatus, is integrally formed or adhered on the surface of the card guide (16) in the ink ribbon mask area on the side opposite to the platen, and is projected. Card guide to do. 2. A card guide, wherein a mark (18) for confirming a set position of a recording paper (3) is provided on the prism (17) according to claim 1. 3. A printing apparatus comprising the card guide (16) according to claim 1 or 2.