JP4138201B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer that performs printing on roll paper stored in a housing, and in particular, has a function of detecting the presence / absence of roll paper stored in the housing and the open / closed state of a cover that enables the storage of the roll paper. Regarding printers.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a printer generally called a roll paper printer that includes a roll paper storage space in a housing and performs printing on a paper surface drawn from the roll paper stored in the storage space. The roll paper printer does not require replenishment of paper for a long period of time, and is suitably used as a printer used with a cash register or the like. The roll paper printer is provided with an open / close cover that opens or closes a part of the roll paper storage space. By opening the open / close cover, an operator can load the roll paper into the storage space. It seems to be.
[0003]
A typical conventional roll paper printer, like other general printers, is provided with several state sensors for notifying the operator of the internal state of the printer. A cover opening / closing sensor that detects the state of the cover, that is, whether the cover is open or closed, and a roll paper detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of roll paper in the storage space are included.
[0004]
The cover open / close sensor includes, for example, an optical sensor and a micro switch arranged in the vicinity of the open end of the open / close cover, and when a specific part of the open / close cover (for example, an extended region in the cover frame) is opened or closed Changes in the amount of light received and the on / off state of the switch as it moves are detected. In addition, the roll paper detection sensor includes, for example, an optical sensor and a microswitch arranged in the roll paper storage space, and changes in the amount of received light and the on / off of the switch that occur depending on the presence or absence of the roll paper Is detected.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
On the other hand, in a certain type of roll paper printer, the two sensors are arranged in the vicinity of the open end of the opening / closing cover in order to efficiently route the wiring to the control board. There is. In the printer having such a configuration, since the roll paper is detected in the pulled-out area, when the open / close cover is opened, the pulled-out area moves as the cover is opened, and the roll paper sensor detects the roll paper. However, if the detection is performed prior to detection by the cover opening / closing sensor, there is a problem that erroneous detection occurs, and an erroneous notification is given to the operator.
[0006]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to ensure that, in a roll paper printer of this type of configuration, when the opening / closing cover is opened, the output of the sensor that detects this is ahead of the output of the sensor that detects the presence or absence of roll paper. It is to provide a printer having a configuration.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a printer according to the present invention has a housing having a roll paper storage space and a part of the storage space opened or closed so that an operator can put the roll paper into the storage space. A cover body that allows the end of the roll paper loaded in the storage space to be pulled out from a gap between the open end side of the cover body and the housing; and the housing side or the cover A print head installed on one side of the body side and a platen installed on the other side of the housing side or the cover body side, and is in contact with the print head or with a certain gap when the cover body is closed And a first and second swing lever that swings as the cover body is opened and closed, and the second swing lever is pulled out. Roll paper The first and second detection means for detecting the swing of the first and second swing levers, wherein the cover body is opened. The first detection means is arranged to detect the swing of the swing lever prior to the second detection means.
[0008]
In the above configuration, when the cover body is opened, the output from the first detection means for detecting the opening is obtained before the output from the second detection means for detecting the presence or absence of roll paper. Is ensured, and erroneous detection when the cover body is opened is prevented.
[0009]
In this case, it is preferable that the first and second swing levers are arranged side by side in the width direction of the roll paper.
[0010]
The present invention further includes a paper guide plate provided on the cover body side for guiding one side of the roll paper drawn from a gap between the open end side of the cover body and the housing. It is preferable that each swing end of the swing lever is urged toward the paper guide plate in a state where the cover body is closed.
[0011]
In this case, the paper guide plate has a notch at a position corresponding to the swing end of the second swing lever, and the swing end falls into the notch when the roll paper is exhausted. Accordingly, it is preferable that the second swing lever is swung.
[0012]
The first and second detection means preferably include first and second push button switches whose states are changed as the first and second swing levers swing.
[0013]
In addition, the first and second detection means are arranged differently with respect to the first and second swing levers so that the first detection means comes before the second detection means. It is preferable to detect the swing of the swing lever.
[0014]
Furthermore, the first and second swing levers include a second swing end opposite to the swing end with respect to the fulcrum, and the first and second detection means are configured to move the second swing lever. The state is preferably changed by the movement of the moving end.
[0015]
The present invention also notifies the user that the cover body is open when the first detecting means detects the swing of the first swing lever, and the second detecting means A notification means for notifying the user that there is no roll paper can be provided when the detection means detects the swing of the second swing lever.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 with an open / close cover opened. The printer 10 shown in the figure performs printing by an ink jet method. Here, a functional member for printing is mounted on a frame member (not shown), and this case is covered with a case member made of plastic, for example. 12 is constituted.
[0017]
A roll paper storage space 14 is formed in the housing 12 as shown in FIG. The end of the roll paper R is fed out from the paper discharge unit 16 disposed on the front surface and provided to the operator. As will be described later, the lower portion of the paper discharge unit 16 is configured as an opening / closing cover 18, and the roll paper storage space 14 is opened by opening the cover 18 forward. The opening allows the worker to access the storage space 14, and in this state, the roll paper R is loaded by the worker. The opening / closing cover 18 is configured such that the lower end side thereof is pivotally supported by the housing 12 and the upper end side thereof can be opened to the front side. The end of the roll paper R loaded in the storage space 14 is With the opening / closing cover 18 closed, the opening / closing cover 18 is pulled out from a gap 20 between the upper end of the opening / closing cover 18 and the housing 12 and provided to the paper discharge unit 16. The printer 10 includes an ink cartridge storage unit 15, and the door 17 is opened to install the ink cartridge.
[0018]
3 and 4 are perspective views showing an internal structure around the roll paper storage space in the printer 10, and show a state in which the open / close cover 18 is closed and a state in which the open / close cover is opened, respectively. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the internal structure when the open / close cover 18 is closed. In these drawings, the storage space 14 for the roll paper R is formed by the frame member 22 on the housing 12 side. One side of the storage space 14, that is, the front side of the printer is opened, and an opening / closing cover 18 is attached thereto.
[0019]
The open / close cover 18 is configured by covering the outer surface of the frame member 24 with a case member 26 made of, for example, plastic (the case member 26 is omitted in FIG. 5), and the lower end side of the frame member 24 is a frame on the housing side. It can be opened and closed by pivotally supporting the member 22. A transport roller unit 28 is attached to the upper end of the opening / closing cover 18. The transport roller unit 28 is supported by a shaft 28 a with respect to the frame member 24 of the opening / closing cover 18, and is supported by a connecting rod 30 that is supported on the frame member 22 side at a shaft 28 b at the rear position. . Regarding the movement of the conveying roller unit 28 accompanying the opening and closing of the opening / closing cover 18, the frame members 22, 24, the conveying roller unit 28 and the connecting rod 30 function as a four-bar linkage mechanism, and the conveying surface of the conveying roller unit 28 is this When the opening / closing cover 18 is opened / closed by the mechanism, the opening / closing cover 18 is moved while maintaining a substantially horizontal state.
[0020]
The conveyance roller unit 28 includes auxiliary rollers 32 and 34 and a platen 36 on the conveyance surface. In a state where the opening / closing cover 18 is closed with respect to the housing 12, the auxiliary rollers 32 and 34 are in contact with the driving rollers 38 and 40 installed on the housing 12 side (see FIG. 5), and the roll paper is placed between them. Enable transport. Further, the platen 36 is opposed to the print head 42 in a state in which the opening / closing cover 18 is closed, and enables printing on the roll paper R by the print head 42.
[0021]
On the opening / closing cover 18 side, a metal operation plate 44 is further provided so as to overlap the transport roller unit 28, and an opening / closing operation lever 46, a pair of lock claws 48, and a paper guide plate 50 are provided here. Is formed. The actuating plate 44 is pivotally supported by the shaft 28b of the connecting rod 30 and is configured such that the lock claw 48 at the tip thereof engages with the groove 22a of the frame member 22 of the housing in a state where the opening / closing cover 18 is closed. Is done. In order to maintain the engagement of the lock pawl 48 when the open / close cover 18 is closed, the operation plate 44 is constantly urged clockwise in the figure by a spring or other urging means (not shown). When the opening / closing operation lever 46 is lifted slightly against the urging force of the spring, the operating plate 44 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 28b, whereby the lock pawl 48 is disengaged from the groove 22a. The opening / closing cover 18 can be opened. In the present embodiment, the opening / closing operation lever 46 is covered with and integrated with the paper discharge unit 16, so that the operator can perform the operation by lifting the paper discharge unit 16 upward. .
[0022]
The paper guide plate 50 formed on the operation plate 44 is positioned on the upstream side of the auxiliary roller 32 on the upstream side of the transport roller unit 28 so as to extend from the lower side thereof. The paper guide plate 50 is a guide member for guiding the paper end r drawn from the roll paper R in the storage space 14 to the conveyance surface of the conveyance roller unit 28, and is drawn from the roll paper R as shown in FIG. The paper edge r is drawn so as to cover the paper guide plate 50, thereby changing its path and guided to the gap between the auxiliary roller 32 and the driving roller 38. By the operation of the opening / closing operation lever 46 when the opening / closing cover 18 is opened, the paper guide plate 50 together with the lock claw 48 is pulled down with respect to the transport roller unit 28, and the track thereof is driven on the housing 12 side. The roller 38 is prevented from hitting. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a notch 50 a is formed at a substantially central position in the width direction of the paper guide plate 50, and this corresponds to the tip position of one swing lever 54 described later. .
[0023]
The printer 10 according to the present invention further includes a mechanism for detecting whether or not the opening / closing cover 18 is opened (hereinafter referred to as an opening / closing detection mechanism), and whether or not roll paper remains in the storage space 14. Is provided with a mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a roll paper detection mechanism). Below, the structure of each of these mechanisms is demonstrated. In the description, in addition to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, reference is made to FIG. 6 to FIG.
[0024]
As shown in these drawings, the printer 10 includes two swing levers 52 and 54 and two micro switches 56 and 58 arranged along the depth direction in the upper part of the roll paper storage space 14. Each swing lever and each micro switch have the same configuration, and include the one swing lever 52 and one micro switch 56 (the front side in the figure) to constitute the open / close detection mechanism, and the other The roll paper detection mechanism is configured to include the swing lever 54 and the other micro switch 58 (back side in the figure). Each of the swing levers 52 and 54 is formed of an elastic material such as plastic, for example, and is pivotally supported by the frame member 22 of the housing 12 at an intermediate position C, as shown particularly clearly in FIG. The front end side 52a (54a) and the rear end side 52b (54b) are made swingable. In a state where the open / close cover 18 is closed, the leading ends 52 a and 54 a of the swing lever are directed to the surface of the paper guide plate 50. As shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the paper r is disposed on the paper guide plate 50, the leading ends 52 a and 54 a of the respective swing levers are in contact with the paper r and are moved upward by the pressing force of the paper guide plate 50. Has been lifted. Since the paper r on the paper guide plate 50 is pressed from above by the resistance of the swing levers 52 and 54 against this force, the swing levers 52 and 54 prevent the paper r from floating in this embodiment. It functions as a paper presser. The micro switches 56 and 58 are installed on the rear ends 52b and 54b of the swing levers. In the state, the button portions 56a and 58a are pushed down by the operation surfaces 52c and 54c. Yes. The printer 10 incorporates a control board (not shown) for performing the control, and wiring for detecting signal transmission is drawn from each of the microswitches 56 and 58 and connected to the control board.
[0025]
In order to open the opening / closing cover 18 from this state, as shown in FIG. 7, when the opening / closing operation lever 46 is lifted upward, the paper guide plate 50 is lowered downward by the rotation of the operation plate 44. As a result, the swing levers 52 and 54 are rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing, and their operation surfaces 52c and 54c are disengaged from the button portions 56a and 58a of the micro switches 56 and 58. Here, as shown in the figure, the relative installation positions of the microswitches 56 and 58 are slightly shifted in the vertical direction. This is a device for changing the timing at which the action surfaces 52c and 54c are disengaged from the button portions 56a and 58a when the swing lever is rotated. The microswitch 56 constituting the open / close detection mechanism is a roll It is attached below the micro switch 58 constituting the paper detection mechanism. With the above configuration, when the opening / closing operation lever 46 is operated and the paper guide plate 50 is lowered, first, the state of the microswitch 56 constituting the opening / closing detection mechanism changes, and the detection signal is sent to the control board side. Thereafter, a detection signal is sent from the micro switch 58 constituting the roll paper detection mechanism. The control board side is configured to determine the status of the printer based on the detection signal received first. Therefore, when the opening / closing operation lever 46 is operated as described above, it is correctly determined that the opening / closing cover 18 is opened and closed, and the operator can be notified accurately.
[0026]
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a notch 50 a is formed in the paper guide plate 50 corresponding to the tip position of the swing lever 54 constituting the roll paper detection mechanism. As shown in FIG. 8, even when the open / close cover 18 is closed, when the paper r is not present on the paper guide plate 50, the tip 54a of the swing lever 54 falls into the notch 50a. As a result, the swing lever 54 is rotated in the clockwise direction, and the action surface 54 c is disengaged from the micro switch 58. A control board (not shown) receives the detection signal from the micro switch 58, determines that there is no roll paper based on this signal, and notifies the operator.
[0027]
As described above, in the printer 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, two types of detection mechanisms, that is, the open / close detection mechanism and the roll paper detection mechanism, are arranged in the upper portion of the housing space of the housing 12. In this case, the relative positions of the detection mechanisms with respect to the swing levers of the microswitches are shifted, and the output of the microswitch 56 constituting the open / close detection mechanism is first when the open / close cover 18 is opened. Therefore, the operator is not notified of the absence of roll paper by mistake when the opening / closing cover is opened.
[0028]
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 above-described embodiment, the description of the claims and the detailed description of the invention, and 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. In this embodiment, a microswitch is used to configure each detection mechanism. However, you may comprise so that the movement of the said rocking lever may be detected using another detection element, for example, an optical sensor. Other specific shapes and installation modes of the swing lever can be employed. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the arrangement of the two micro switches can be made the same, and the shape of the action surface of each swing lever can be changed to cause the switch to shift in operation.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in the roll paper printer, when the open / close cover is opened, it is ensured that the output of the sensor that detects this is ahead of the output of the sensor that detects the presence or absence of roll paper. It is possible to prevent an erroneous notification with respect to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 in a state in which an opening / closing cover is opened.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an internal structure around a roll paper storage space, showing a state in which an opening / closing cover is closed; The state where the open / close cover is opened is shown.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an internal structure around a roll paper storage space, showing a state in which an opening / closing cover is opened.
FIG. 5 is a side view showing an internal structure in a state in which an opening / closing cover is closed.
6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5, showing a state in which an opening / closing cover is closed.
7 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5, showing a state where an opening / closing operation lever is operated.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 5, showing a state in which roll paper has been removed.
[Explanation of symbols]
R Roll paper 10 Printer 12 Case 14 Roll paper storage space 15 Ink cartridge storage portion 16 Paper discharge portion 17 Door 18 Cover body 20 Gap 22, 24 Frame member 22a Groove 26 Case member 28 Transport roller unit 30 Connecting rod 32, 34 Auxiliary Roller 36 Platen 38, 40 Drive roller 42 Print head 44 Operation plate 46 Opening / closing operation lever 48 Lock claw 50 Paper guide plate 50a Notch 52, 54 Swing lever 56, 58 Micro switch

Claims (8)

A housing having a roll paper storage space;
A cover body that opens or closes a part of the storage space so that an operator can put roll paper into the storage space, and is formed from a gap between the open end side of the cover body and the housing. Enabling the paper edge of the roll paper loaded in the storage space to be pulled out;
A print head installed on one of the housing side or the cover body side;
A platen installed on the other side of the housing side or the cover body side, and when the cover body is closed, contacts the print head or faces with a certain gap, and supports the roll paper pulled out therebetween. What to do,
First and second swing levers swinging as the cover body is opened and closed, and the second swing lever is disposed so as to swing even when the roll paper to be pulled out runs out. And
First and second detection means for detecting the swing of the first and second swing levers, wherein the first detection means detects the second detection when the cover body is opened. Arranged to detect the swing of the swing lever prior to the means;
With printer. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the first and second swing levers are arranged side by side in the width direction of the roll paper. A paper guide plate that is provided on the cover body side, and that guides one side of the roll paper that is drawn from a gap between the open end side of the cover body and the housing;
3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the swing ends of the first and second swing levers are urged toward the paper guide plate in a state where the cover body is closed. The paper guide plate is provided with a notch at a position corresponding to the swing end of the second swing lever, and when the roll paper runs out, the swing end falls into the notch so that the first The printer according to claim 3, wherein the two swing levers are swung. The said 1st and 2nd detection means contains the 1st and 2nd pushbutton switch from which the state changes according to the rocking | fluctuation of the said 1st and 2nd rocking lever. Printer. The first detection means and the second detection means are arranged differently with respect to the first and second swing levers so that the first detection means moves the swing before the second detection means. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the swing of the moving lever is detected. The first and second swing levers include a second swing end opposite to the swing end with respect to a fulcrum thereof, and the first and second detection means include the second swing end. The printer according to claim 1, whose state is changed by movement of the printer. When the first detection means detects the swing of the first swing lever, the user is notified that the cover body is open, and the second detection means causes the first The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising notification means for notifying a user that the roll paper is not present when the swing of the two swing levers is detected.

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