JP3879474B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
More particularly, the present invention relates to a printer having a rotary movable blade that moves along a fixed blade.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Printers equipped with a cutter mechanism that stores roll paper therein and automatically cuts the leading end of the roll paper that is discharged after printing have become widespread. In general, this type of cutter mechanism employs a slide cutting method in which the movable blade is in sliding contact with the fixed blade like scissors. In this method, a movable blade having substantially the same width as the fixed blade is fixed. Since the cutter mechanism is moved in the advancing and retracting direction with respect to the blade, not only the cutter mechanism is allowed to increase in size, but the crossing angle of the movable blade with respect to the fixed blade is insufficient, and good cutting performance may not be obtained. On the other hand, a rotary cutter mechanism that moves a rotary movable blade along a fixed blade has been proposed. According to this method, since the movable blade is moved along the fixed blade, it is not allowed to reduce the size of the cutter mechanism, and an appropriate constant crossing angle is secured between the fixed blade and the movable blade. Good cutting performance can be obtained.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, in this type of printer, it has been proposed to reduce the number of parts and simplify the structure by driving the paper feed roller mechanism and the cutter mechanism with a single motor. However, in the conventional rotary cutter mechanism, since the movable blade is moved using the rack and pinion mechanism, the directions of the cutter drive shaft and the paper feed roller shaft are different. When the cutter mechanism is driven by a single motor, a large number of gears including a direction changing mechanism such as a bevel gear are required, and this is ensured for each gear, not allowing for an increase in the number of parts and a complicated structure. The backlash has a disadvantage that the operation accuracy of the paper feed roller mechanism and the cutter mechanism is lowered.
[0004]
The object of the present invention is not to allow the paper feed roller mechanism and the rotary cutter mechanism to be driven by a single motor, but to transmit the motor power to each mechanism with the minimum number of gears. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of improving the operation accuracy of the paper feed roller mechanism and the cutter mechanism, as well as allowing the reduction and simplification of the structure.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a printer according to the present invention is arranged along a width direction of the paper path, a paper path for guiding the continuous paper, a paper path for guiding the continuous paper, and the continuous paper according to the rotation thereof. A paper feed roller shaft that conveys the paper, a print head that performs printing on the continuous paper, a fixed blade that is disposed along a width direction of the paper path, and a fixed blade that moves along the fixed blade, A rotary movable blade that cuts a predetermined position of the continuous paper in between, and a cam shaft that is arranged in parallel to the paper feed roller shaft and moves the movable blade along the fixed blade according to the rotation thereof A motor shaft that is arranged in parallel to the paper feed roller shaft and the cam shaft and rotates in accordance with motor driving, and a gear train that transmits the power of the motor shaft to the paper feed roller shaft and the cam shaft. And rotating the paper feed roller shaft A paper feed gear to be rotated, a cutter gear that rotates the cam shaft, a sun gear provided on the motor shaft, a planetary gear that meshes with the sun gear and is movable along the outer periphery thereof, A gear that selectively meshes with the paper feed gear or the cutter gear according to the rotation direction of the sun gear, and a lid that opens and closes the printer main body, and the planetary gear includes the printer main body. On the other hand, the cutter gear is provided on the lid body side.
[0006]
According to this configuration, the gear train for transmitting the motor power to the paper feed roller mechanism and the cutter mechanism can be configured with a minimum number of gears, and the transmission path can be switched according to the driving direction of the motor. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified. Further, since it is not necessary to mesh the gears when closing the lid, gear mounting errors can be allowed, and if the lid opens during the operation of the cutter mechanism, the planetary gear and the cutter gear The power transmission can be cut off and the cutter mechanism can be automatically stopped.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the printer. As shown in these drawings, the printer 10 includes a roll paper storage unit 11 that stores roll paper (continuous paper) P1, and a cut sheet insertion slot 12 into which the cut sheet P2 is inserted. The roll paper path and the cut paper path are configured so that the roll paper P1 drawn from the storage unit 11 and the cut paper P2 inserted from the cut paper insertion port 12 are conveyed through the common printing position 13. Is done. At the print position 13, the print head 14 and the movable platen 15 face each other in a close proximity, and a branching body 16 for branching the paper discharge path between the roll paper P1 and the cut paper P2 is provided downstream thereof. It is done.
[0009]
The roll paper P1 drawn out from the roll paper storage unit 11 passes through the first paper feed roller pair (paper feed mechanism) 17 and reaches the printing position 13, and further, the second paper feed roller pair 18 on the rear side of the branch body 16. The paper is discharged from the roll paper discharge port 20 through the cutter mechanism 19. On the other hand, the cut sheet P2 inserted from the cut sheet insertion opening 12 passes through the cut sheet feed roller pair 21 to the printing position 13, and further passes through the front side of the branch body 16 from the cut sheet discharge opening 22. Discharged.
[0010]
An opening 23 is formed above the roll paper storage unit 11, and the roll paper P <b> 1 is exchanged through the opening 23. The opening 23 is opened and closed by a lid body 24 that is rotatable up and down with the rear end side as a fulcrum. When the lid 24 reaches the closed position, a pair of left and right lock levers 25 provided on the lid 24 so as to be pivotable back and forth are engaged with the lock pins 27 on the printer frame 26. Accordingly, the lock of the lid 24 by the lock lever 25 is released according to the operation of the lid opening operation button 28 provided on the printer main body side.
[0011]
The print head 14 is provided on a carriage 29 that reciprocates in the left-right direction, and performs dot matrix printing of one or more columns on the surface of the roll paper P1 or cut paper P2 whose back surface is pressed by the movable platen 15. . The movable platen 15 is provided at the front end portion of the lid body 24 so as to be able to rotate back and forth. The movable platen 15 rotates in a direction away from the print head 14 with the opening operation of the lid body 24, while the lid body 24 is opened. Accordingly, it rotates in a direction approaching the print head 14. As a result, interference between the movable platen 15 and the branch body 16 can be avoided, and the lid body 24 can be smoothly opened and closed.
[0012]
The first paper feed roller pair 17 faces the printer frame 26 in a left-right direction toward a first paper feed drive shaft (paper feed roller shaft) 30 that is rotatably provided in the left-right direction and a lower end portion of the movable platen 15. The first paper feed driven shaft 31 is rotatably provided, and the power of the paper feed motor 33 is transmitted to the first paper feed drive shaft 30 via a gear train 32 described later. The second paper feed roller pair 18 is rotatably provided to the upper end portion of the movable platen 15 so as to be rotated in the left-right direction and to the lower end portion of the branch body 16 in the left-right direction. The second paper feed driven shaft 35 is provided, and the power of the paper feed motor 33 is also transmitted to the second paper feed drive shaft 34 via the gear train 32.
[0013]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cutter mechanism, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the cutter mechanism. As shown in these drawings, the cutter mechanism 19 includes a stationary blade 36 provided on the branch body 16 in the left-right direction, a guide shaft 37 provided on the distal end side of the lid body 24 in the left-right direction, A movable blade support member (movable body) 38 that can move left and right along the guide shaft 37, a rotary shaft 39 that protrudes downward from the front end portion of the movable blade support member 38, and a lower end portion of the rotary shaft 39 are integrated. And a camshaft 41 for reciprocally moving the movable blade support member 38 in the left-right direction. The cam shaft 41 is rotatably provided on the front end side of the lid body 24 in the left-right direction, and a cam groove 41a is formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof. The cam groove 41a is an endless shape including two spiral groove portions having different winding directions and a connecting groove portion that connects both ends of the cam groove 41a, and a follower member 42 that is rotatably provided on the movable blade support member 38 is provided. Is engaged. As a result, the movable blade support member 38 and the movable blade 40 are reciprocated along the fixed blade 36 in accordance with the one-way rotation of the cam shaft 41.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 4, a paper guide 43 facing in the left-right direction is provided between the rotation shaft 39 and the roll paper path. The paper guide 43 serves as a discharge guide for the roll paper P1, and a fixed rack 43a facing the left-right direction is integrally formed on the back surface thereof. The fixed rack 43 a meshes with a movable blade rotating gear 44 provided integrally with the rotary shaft 39, and moves the movable blade 40 in the appropriate direction (the moving direction tip of the movable blade 40 is fixed as the movable blade support member 38 moves). In the direction of rotation toward the blade 36). Accordingly, the movable blade 40 can be rotated in an appropriate direction without providing an intermediate gear between the fixed rack 43a and the movable blade rotating gear 44. In addition, when viewed from the side, the rotary shaft 39 moves to the roll paper path so that the lower side (movable blade 40 side) approaches the roll paper path while the upper side (movable blade rotation gear 44 side) moves away from the roll paper path. In contrast, they are arranged in an inclined manner. As a result, it is possible to secure an arrangement space for the fixed rack 43 a (paper guide 43) between the roll paper path and the movable blade rotating gear 44 while reducing the diameter of the movable blade 40.
[0015]
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a moving range of the movable blade. As shown in this figure, the movable blade 40 is normally located at a home position set at one end of the movable blade movement range. This position is detected by the home position sensor 45, and the rotation of the camshaft 41 is stopped according to the detection signal. When the camshaft 41 is rotated in a predetermined direction with the movable blade 40 positioned at the home position, the movable blade 40 moves along the fixed blade 36 while rotating in the predetermined direction, and rolls between the fixed blade 36 and the fixed blade 36. Cut the paper P1. The movable blade 40 reaches the other end of the movable blade movement range at a stage where it does not reach the other end of the roll paper P1, and then reverses and returns to the home position. As a result, the roll paper P1 is cut in a state where a predetermined amount is left uncut.
[0016]
FIG. 6 is an internal perspective view of the printer showing the gear train. As shown in this figure, a gear train 32 is formed on the left side surface of the printer frame 26 and the lid 24. The gear train 32 is configured to transmit the power of the paper feed motor 33 to the first paper feed drive shaft 30, the second paper feed drive shaft 34, and the cam shaft 41 that are arranged in parallel with the motor shaft 33a. That is, the gear train 32 enables the first paper feed roller pair 17, the second paper feed roller pair 18 and the cutter mechanism 19 to be driven by one paper feed motor 33, and the power of the paper feed motor 33 is minimized. The gear train 32 will be described in detail below.
[0017]
FIG. 7 is a side view of the gear train showing the paper feed drive state, and FIG. 8 is a side view of the gear train showing the cutter drive state. As shown in these drawings, the gear train 32 includes a first paper feed gear 46 provided at the left end of the first paper feed drive shaft 30 and a second paper provided at the left end of the second paper feed drive shaft 34. A paper feed gear 47, a pair of intermediate gears 48, 49 provided on the left side surface of the printer frame 26 and transmitting the power of the first paper feed gear 46 to the second paper feed gear 47, and the left end portion of the cam shaft 41 The camshaft gear 50 provided, the cutter gear 51 provided on the left side surface of the lid 24 and constantly meshing with the camshaft gear 50, the sun gear 52 provided on the motor shaft 33a, and the sun gear 52 constantly meshing. And a planetary gear 53 that selectively meshes with the first paper feed gear 46 or the cutter gear 51. The planetary gear 53 is provided on the planetary arm 54 that is rotatable about the motor shaft 33a, and is allowed to move along the outer periphery of the sun gear 52. As shown in FIG. 7, when the paper feed motor 33 is driven in the clockwise direction, the planetary gear 53 moves in the clockwise direction along the outer periphery of the sun gear 52 and meshes with the first paper feed gear 46. At this time, the planetary gear 53 is held at an appropriate meshing position by the first protrusion 54 a protruding from the planetary arm 54 contacting the first stopper piece 26 a formed on the printer frame 26. In this state, the power of the paper feed motor 33 is transmitted to the first paper feed drive shaft 30 and the second paper feed drive shaft 34, and the paper feed of the roll paper P1 is executed in the roll paper path. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the paper feed motor 33 is driven in the counterclockwise direction, the planetary gear 53 moves in the counterclockwise direction along the outer periphery of the sun gear 52 and meshes with the cutter gear 51. . At this time, the second protrusion 54 b protruding from the planetary arm 54 contacts the second stopper piece 26 b formed on the printer frame 26, so that the planetary gear 53 is held at an appropriate meshing position. In this state, the power of the paper feed motor 33 is transmitted to the cam shaft 41, and the cutting of the roll paper P1 by the cutter mechanism 19 is executed.
[0018]
FIG. 9 is a side view of the gear train showing the lid open state. As shown in this figure, when the lid 24 is opened, the planetary gear 53 and the cutter gear 51 are separated. Thereby, when the lid 24 is opened during the operation of the cutter mechanism 19, the power transmission between the planetary gear 53 and the cutter gear 51 is cut off, and the cutter mechanism 19 can be automatically stopped. The planetary gear 53 is normally meshed with the first paper feed gear 46 and does not require the cutter gear 51 to mesh with the planetary gear 53 when the lid 24 is closed. Therefore, it is possible to tolerate a gear mounting error and to avoid the disadvantage that the closing operation of the lid body 24 is hindered due to a gear meshing failure.
[0019]
FIG. 10A is a timing chart showing a normal motor drive signal, and FIG. 10B is a timing chart showing a motor drive signal when the drive direction is switched. As shown in these drawings, when the paper feed motor (step motor) 33 is driven in a normal state, the target rotation speed is reached while gradually increasing the output (frequency), and the paper feed motor 33 is stopped. In this case, the driving is stopped while gradually decreasing the output, but at the time of switching the driving direction, the constant value driving is performed first. The constant value drive is a motor drive with a constant output, and the initial torque can be increased as compared with a case where the output is gradually increased. That is, at the time of switching the driving direction with the meshing switching of the planetary gear 53, the meshing switching of the planetary gear 53 can be reliably performed by increasing the initial torque of the paper feed motor 33 by constant value driving.
[0020]
FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating input / output of the control unit. As shown in this figure, the printer 10 includes a control unit 55 including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. In addition to the print head 14, the paper feed motor 33, and the home position sensor 45 described above, a lid opening / closing sensor 56 that detects opening / closing of the lid 24 is connected to the control unit 55. Hereinafter, control procedures of initialization control and normal control executed by the control unit 55 will be described with reference to flowcharts.
[0021]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart of initialization control. The initialization control is executed when the lid 24 is closed or when the printer 10 is turned on. When this control starts, first, the position of the movable blade 40 is determined based on ON / OFF of the home position sensor 45 (S1201). If it is determined that the home position sensor 45 is ON, the paper feed motor 33 is immediately driven several steps in the clockwise direction (CW) (S1202) to sag the roll paper P1. On the other hand, if it is determined that the home position sensor 45 is OFF, the paper feed motor 33 is driven several steps counterclockwise (CCW) by constant value driving (S1203), and then the home position sensor 45 is turned ON. The motor is driven in the counterclockwise direction up to 2500 steps until it becomes (S1204). While the motor is being driven, it is determined whether or not the number of steps has reached 2500 (S1205). If the determination result is yes, error processing is executed (S1206). On the other hand, if it is determined that the home position sensor 45 is ON without reaching the number of steps 2500 (S1207), the paper feed motor 33 is driven several steps clockwise (S1208) by constant value driving, and then the paper feed motor. 33 is driven clockwise for several steps (S1202) to sag the roll paper P1. After the sagging is completed, the paper feed motor 33 is driven several steps counterclockwise by constant value driving (S1209), and then the motor in the counterclockwise direction is limited to 2500 steps until the home position sensor 45 is turned on. Driving is performed (S1210), and the roll paper P1 is cut. While the motor is being driven, it is determined whether or not the number of steps has reached 2500 (S1211). If the determination result is yes, error processing is executed (S1206). On the other hand, when it is determined that the home position sensor 45 is ON without reaching the number of steps 2500 (S1212), the paper feed motor 33 is driven several steps clockwise by constant value driving (S1213), and the planetary gear 53 is moved. The initialization is completed in a state where the first paper feed gear 46 is engaged.
[0022]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart of normal control. As shown in this figure, in normal control, first, the presence / absence of a print command is determined (S1301). When the print command is determined, the paper feed motor 33 is driven clockwise to carry the roll paper P1 according to the print content (S1302). When it is determined that printing is finished (S1303), the paper feed motor 33 is driven several steps counterclockwise by constant value driving (S1304), and then counterclockwise until the home position sensor 45 is turned on with a limit of 2500 steps. The direction motor is driven (S1305), and the roll paper P1 is cut. While the motor is being driven, it is determined whether or not the number of steps has reached 2500 (S1306). If the determination result is yes, error processing is executed (S1307). On the other hand, if it is determined that the home position sensor 45 is ON without reaching the number of steps 2500 (S1308), the paper feed motor 33 is driven several steps clockwise by constant value driving (S1309), and the planetary gear 53 is moved. The process ends with the first paper feed gear 46 meshed.
[0023]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the printer 10 is arranged along the roll paper storage unit 11 that stores the roll paper P1 and the width direction of the roll paper path, and conveys the roll paper P1 according to the rotation thereof. The first paper feed drive shaft 30, the print head 14 for printing on the roll paper P1, the fixed blade 36 disposed along the width direction of the roll paper path, and the fixed blade 36 that moves along the fixed blade 36. Between the rotary movable blade 40 for cutting the roll paper P1 and the first paper feed drive shaft 30, and the movable blade 40 is moved along the fixed blade 36 according to the rotation. A cam shaft 41, a motor shaft 33a that is arranged in parallel to the first paper feed drive shaft 30 and the cam shaft 41, and rotates according to the drive of the paper feed motor 33, and the power of the motor shaft 33a is used as the first paper feed. Transmission to drive shaft 30 and cam shaft 41 Constructed and a gear train 32 that. That is, the first paper feed roller pair 17 and the rotary cutter mechanism 19 are not allowed to be driven by one paper feed motor 33, but the motor power is transmitted to each mechanism with the minimum number of gears, and as a result, Not only can the number of parts be reduced and the structure simplified, but the operation accuracy of the first paper feed roller pair 17 and the cutter mechanism 19 can be improved.
[0024]
The gear train 32 includes a first paper feed gear 46 that rotates the first paper feed drive shaft 30, a cutter gear 51 that rotates the cam shaft 41, a sun gear 52 provided on the motor shaft 33a, and a sun gear 52. And the planetary gear 53 that is movable along the outer periphery thereof, and the oil gear 53 is selectively applied to the first paper feed gear 46 or the cutter gear 51 according to the rotational direction of the sun gear 52. In order to mesh, the gear train 32 for transmitting the motor power to the first paper feed roller pair 17 and the cutter mechanism 19 can be constituted by a minimum number of gears, and the transmission path is switched according to the driving direction of the paper feed motor 33. Therefore, a clutch mechanism using a solenoid or the like is unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified.
[0025]
In addition, a lid body 24 for opening and closing the printer body is provided, and the planetary gear 53 is provided on the printer body side, while the cutter gear 51 is provided on the lid body 24 side. There is no need to engage the gears, and if the lid 24 is opened during the operation of the cutter mechanism 19, the power transmission between the planetary gear 53 and the cutter gear 51 is cut off, and the cutter mechanism 19 is automatically activated. Can be stopped.
[0026]
As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the matters shown in the embodiment, and the description of the claims and the detailed description of the invention, as well as the well-known technology. Based on the above, a range in which those skilled in the art can make changes and applications thereof is included.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the paper feed roller mechanism and the rotary cutter mechanism are not allowed to be driven by one motor, but the motor power is transmitted to each mechanism with the minimum number of gears. Not only can the number of parts be reduced and the structure simplified, but also the operation accuracy of the paper feed roller mechanism and the cutter mechanism can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the printer.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cutter mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a cutter mechanism.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a moving range of the movable blade.
FIG. 6 is an internal perspective view of a printer showing a gear train.
FIG. 7 is a side view of a gear train showing a paper feed driving state.
FIG. 8 is a side view of a gear train showing a cutter driving state.
FIG. 9 is a side view of a gear train showing a lid open state.
FIG. 10A is a timing chart showing a motor drive signal at a normal time, and FIG. 10B is a timing chart showing a motor drive signal at the time of driving direction switching.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing input / output of a control unit.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart of initialization control.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart of normal control.
[Explanation of symbols]
P1 roll paper 10 printer 11 roll paper storage unit 14 print head 16 branching body 17 first paper feed roller pair 18 second paper feed roller pair 19 cutter mechanism 24 lid body 32 gear train 33 paper feed motor 33a motor shaft 36 fixed blade 38 Movable blade support member 39 Rotating shaft 40 Movable blade 41 Cam shaft 43a Fixed rack 43 Paper guide 44 Movable blade rotating gear 45 Home position sensor 46 First paper feed gear 51 Cutter gear 52 Sun gear 53 Planetary gear 55 Controller

Claims (1)

A storage section for storing continuous paper;
A paper path for guiding the continuous paper;
A paper feed roller shaft that is disposed along the width direction of the paper path and that conveys the continuous paper according to the rotation thereof;
A print head for printing on the continuous paper;
A fixed blade disposed along the width direction of the paper path;
A rotary movable blade that moves along the fixed blade and cuts a predetermined position of the continuous paper with the fixed blade;
A cam shaft that is arranged in parallel to the paper feed roller shaft and moves the movable blade along the fixed blade according to the rotation thereof;
A motor shaft that is arranged in parallel to the paper feed roller shaft and the cam shaft and rotates in accordance with motor drive;
A gear train for transmitting power of the motor shaft to the paper feed roller shaft and the cam shaft, a paper feed gear for rotating the paper feed roller shaft, a cutter gear for rotating the cam shaft, and the motor shaft A planetary gear that meshes with the sun gear and is movable along the outer periphery thereof, and is selective to the paper feed gear or the cutter gear according to the rotational direction of the sun gear. One that meshes with
A lid for opening and closing the printer body,
The printer, wherein the planetary gear is provided on the printer body side, and the cutter gear is provided on the lid side.

Images