JP7381364B2 - printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printer.

A receipt printer prints information on products purchased by a customer on roll paper and outputs the paper. In the receipt printer described in Patent Document 1, roll paper is supported by rollers. The roller rotates with the roll paper.

JP 2019-18499 Publication

However, in the receipt printer described in Patent Document 1, if the rollers do not rotate smoothly, the conveyance of the roll paper may become unstable. Therefore, the quality of printing on roll paper may deteriorate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a printer that can improve the stability of conveyance of roll paper.

The printer according to the present invention includes a storage section, a conveyance section, and an elastic member. The storage section stores the roll paper rotatably around the rotation axis. The transport unit transports the roll paper. The elastic member has elasticity. The accommodating part has a bottom support part and a side support part. The bottom support section supports the bottom of the roll paper. The side support portion supports the side portion of the roll paper via the elastic member.

According to the printer according to the present invention, the stability of transporting roll paper can be improved.

1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a sectional view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the elastic member. It is a perspective view of an elastic member. It is a perspective view of an elastic member. 1 is a sectional view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a sectional view of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals and the description will not be repeated.

A printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3B. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a printer 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of printer 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the elastic member 160. Note that FIG. 1 shows the printer 100 with the side support part 134 closed, and FIG. 2 shows the printer 100 with the side support part 134 opened. The X, Y, and Z axes are orthogonal to each other, the X and Y axes are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is parallel to the vertical line.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 100 includes a housing 110, a base 120, a storage section 130 (FIG. 2), a printing section 140, an ejection port 150, two elastic members 160, It includes a holding member 172, a guide member 174, and an opening/closing lever 112. The two elastic members 160 include an elastic member 160a and an elastic member 160b. Note that the number of elastic members 160 may be one, or three or more. The guide member 174 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5A.

Printer 100 is, for example, a receipt printer. The printer 100 prints on roll paper RP (FIG. 3A) and outputs a receipt. The printer 100 is connected to, for example, a POS (Point of Sales) terminal. Note that the printer 100 may be built into a POS terminal.

The housing 110 accommodates a housing section 130, a printing section 140, two elastic members 160, a holding member 172, and a guide member 174.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the housing portion 130 has a bottom support portion 132, a side support portion 134, and a pair of end opposing portions 136. The storage unit 130 stores the roll paper RP rotatably around the rotation axis RX. The roll paper RP has, for example, a cylindrical shape extending in the X-axis direction.

The bottom support section 132 supports the bottom of the roll paper RP.

The side support portion 134 supports the side portion of the roll paper RP via an elastic member 160. The side support portion 134 is rotatable in the direction D1 about the rotation shaft 176. Therefore, the side support portion 134 can be opened and closed.

Each of the pair of end facing portions 136 faces an end of the roll paper RP in the direction of the rotation axis RX. Each of the pair of end facing portions 136 is arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction.

The printing unit 140 prints on roll paper RP. Specifically, the printing unit 140 prints information on the product purchased by the customer on roll paper RP. The printing section 140 includes a print head 142 (FIG. 3A) and a platen roller 144. Hereinafter, in this specification, information on products purchased by a customer may be referred to as product information. Note that the platen roller 144 is an example of a "transport unit".

The print head 142 is, for example, a thermal head. The print head 142 has, for example, a plurality of heating elements. The print head 142 prints product information on the roll paper RP by causing the heating element to generate heat.

A platen roller 144 faces the print head 142. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the platen roller 144 faces the print head 142 when the side support 134 is closed. The platen roller 144 is rotatable. The platen roller 144 transports the roll paper RP. Specifically, when the print head 142 prints, the platen roller 144 pulls out the roll paper RP and conveys the printed roll paper RP to the discharge port 150.

The roll paper RP is discharged from the discharge port 150. Specifically, the printed roll paper RP is discharged from the discharge port 150. That is, the receipt is discharged from the discharge port 150.

Elastic member 160 has elasticity. The elastic member 160 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate (PC), for example. Elastic member 160 is sheet-shaped. Elastic member 160 is attached to side support 134 . A portion of the elastic member 160 is wound around the holding member 172.

The holding member 172 is located inside the elastic member 160. The holding member 172 may be rotatable or non-rotatable. The holding member 172 holds the outer shape of the elastic member 160. The outer diameter of the holding member 172 is set to a size that prevents plastic deformation when the elastic member 160 comes into contact with the roll paper RP. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the elastic member 160 from returning to its original state after being deformed.

The opening/closing lever 112 is a member for opening and closing the side support part 134. By operating the opening/closing lever 112, the bottom support portion 132 can be opened and closed. For example, by pushing down the opening/closing lever 112 from the state shown in FIG. 1, the side support portion 134 can be opened as shown in FIG.

The side support portion 134 contacts the roll paper RP via the elastic member 160 at the first contact point P1. Therefore, the roll paper RP does not directly contact the side support portion 134. Therefore, the impact between the roll paper RP and the side support portion 134 can be alleviated and friction can be reduced. As a result, the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be rotated smoothly and the stability of the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be improved.

Further, the elastic member 160 makes line contact with the roll paper RP. Therefore, the contact area between the roll paper RP and the elastic member 160 can be reduced. Therefore, the friction between the roll paper RP and the elastic member 160 can be reduced. Furthermore, the impact between the roll paper RP and the side support portion 134 can be alleviated. As a result, the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be rotated smoothly and the stability of the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be improved. Line contact indicates that the angle between one end of the contact area and the other end of the contact area is within 30 degrees with respect to the rotation axis RX. The contact area indicates the area where the elastic member 160 and the roll paper RP are in contact.

The bottom support portion 132 contacts the roll paper RP at the second contact point P2. The first contact P1 is located above the second contact P2. Further, in the horizontal direction, the first contact P1 is located closer to the discharge port 150 than the second contact P2.

The bottom support portion 132 has a shape that slopes downward from the second contact point P2 toward the side support portion 134. Therefore, as the amount of the roll paper RP decreases as the roll paper RP is used, the roll paper RP approaches the side support portion 134 due to its own weight. As a result, even if the amount of the roll paper RP decreases, the side support portion 134 can support the roll paper RP via the elastic member 160.

The elastic member 160 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. 4A and 4B are perspective views of the elastic member 160. Note that FIG. 4A shows a state before the elastic member 160 is assembled, and FIG. 4B shows a state after the elastic member 160 is assembled.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the elastic member 160 includes a main body portion 161, a pair of projections 164, and a pair of insertion portions 166.

The main body portion 161 has a rectangular shape, for example. Specifically, the main body portion 161 is rectangular.

Each of the pair of protrusions 164 protrudes from the main body 161. A pair of protrusions 164 are provided on the short sides of the main body 161. The pair of protrusions 164 are arranged along the direction in which the short sides of the main body 161 extend. The pair of protrusions 164 are spaced apart from each other.

A corresponding pair of projections 164 is inserted into each of the pair of insertion portions 166 . Each of the pair of insertion parts 166 is provided in the main body part 161. The pair of insertion parts 166 are lined up along the direction in which the short sides of the main body part 161 extend. The pair of insertion portions 166 are spaced apart from each other. Each of the pair of insertion portions 166 is located at the same position as the corresponding pair of projection portions 164 in the direction in which the short sides of the main body portion 161 extend.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the elastic member 160 is assembled by inserting each of the pair of projections 164 into the corresponding pair of insertion portions 166. Elastic member 160 has a curved portion 162 and a flat portion 163. The curved portion 162 is curved. The curved portion 162 contacts the roll paper RP (see FIG. 3B). The flat portion 163 is flat. By attaching the flat portion 163 to the side support portion 134, the elastic member 160 is attached to the side support portion 134.

The guide member 174 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of printer 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the guide member 174. 5A and 5B show a state in which the roll paper RP is used and the outer diameter of the roll paper RP is smaller than that of the roll paper RP shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the guide member 174 contacts the roll paper RP at the third contact point P3. Guide member 174 is rotatable. In a state where the outer diameter of the roll paper RP is small, the guide member 174 guides the rotation of the roll paper RP. Therefore, the stability of transporting the roll paper RP can be improved. Note that the elastic member 160 may also be attached to the guide member 174.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B, in the printer 100, the side support portion 134 supports the side portion of the roll paper RP via the elastic member 160. Therefore, the roll paper RP does not directly contact the side support portion 134. Therefore, the impact between the roll paper RP and the side support portion 134 can be alleviated and friction can be reduced. As a result, the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be rotated smoothly and the stability of the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be improved.

Further, the elastic member 160 has a curved portion 162. The curved portion 162 is curved. The curved portion 162 contacts the roll paper RP. Therefore, the impact between the roll paper RP and the side support portion 134 can be alleviated and friction can be reduced. As a result, the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be rotated smoothly and the stability of the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be improved.

Further, the bottom support portion 132 has a shape that slopes downward from the second contact point P2 toward the side support portion 134. Therefore, as the amount of the roll paper RP decreases as the roll paper RP is used, the roll paper RP approaches the side support portion 134 due to its own weight. As a result, even if the amount of the roll paper RP decreases, the side support portion 134 can support the roll paper RP via the elastic member 160.

Further, the side support portion 134 can be opened and closed. Elastic member 160 is attached to side support 134 . Therefore, by opening the side support portion 134, the elastic member 160 can be exposed. As a result, maintenance of the elastic member 160 becomes easier. For example, elastic members 160 can be easily attached to side supports 134. Alternatively, elastic member 160 can be easily removed from side support 134.

Further, the elastic member 160 makes line contact with the roll paper RP. Therefore, the contact area between the roll paper RP and the elastic member 160 can be reduced. Therefore, the friction between the roll paper RP and the elastic member 160 can be reduced. Furthermore, the impact between the roll paper RP and the side support portion 134 can be alleviated. As a result, the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be rotated smoothly and the stability of the conveyance of the roll paper RP can be improved.

Further, the holding member 172 is located inside the elastic member 160. The holding member 172 holds the outer shape of the elastic member 160. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the elastic member 160 from returning to its original state after being deformed.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 5B). However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various embodiments without departing from the spirit thereof (for example, (1) to (4) shown below). The drawings mainly show each component schematically to make it easier to understand, and the thickness, length, number, etc. of each component shown in the diagram may differ from the actual one due to the drawing process. . Further, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and are not particularly limited, and various changes can be made without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention. be.

(1) In the printer 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B, the elastic member 160 is in the form of a sheet, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the elastic member 160 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this case, the material of the elastic member 160 may be, for example, sponge.

(2) Although the printer 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B includes the holding member 172, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the printer 100 may not include the holding member 172. By not including the holding member 172, the number of parts can be reduced.

(3) Although the printer 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B includes the guide member 174, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the printer 100 may not include the guide member 174. By not including the guide member 174, the number of parts can be reduced.

(4) Although the printer 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B performs printing using a thermal method, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the printer 100 may perform printing using an inkjet method or an electrophotographic method.

100 Printer 130 Storage section 132 Bottom support section 134 Side support section 144 Platen roller (conveyance section)
150 Discharge port 160 Elastic member 162 Curved portion 172 Holding member D1 Direction P1 First contact P2 Second contact RP Roll paper RX Rotating shaft

Claims (9)

a storage unit that stores roll paper rotatably around a rotation axis;
a transport unit that transports the roll paper;
An elastic member having elasticity,
The accommodating part is
a bottom support part that supports the bottom part of the roll paper;
a side support part that supports a side part of the roll paper via the elastic member,
The side support portion contacts the roll paper via the elastic member at a first contact point,
the bottom support portion contacts the roll paper at a second contact point;
The first contact is located above the second contact,
The printer wherein the bottom support slopes downwardly from the second contact toward the side support . The elastic member has a curved portion,
The printer according to claim 1, wherein the curved portion contacts the roll paper. further comprising an ejection port through which the roll paper is ejected,
3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the first contact is located closer to the discharge port than the second contact in the horizontal direction. The side support portion is openable and closable;
The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the elastic member is attached to the side support part. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the elastic member has a sheet shape. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the elastic member is in line contact with the roll paper. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising a holding member located inside the elastic member and holding the outer shape of the elastic member. a storage unit that stores roll paper rotatably around a rotation axis;
a transport unit that transports the roll paper;
An elastic member with elasticity
Equipped with
The accommodating part is
a bottom support part that supports the bottom part of the roll paper;
a side support part that supports a side part of the roll paper via the elastic member;
has
The side support portion is openable and closable;
The printer, wherein the elastic member is attached to the side support part. a storage unit that stores roll paper rotatably around a rotation axis;
a transport unit that transports the roll paper;
An elastic member with elasticity
Equipped with
The accommodating part is
a bottom support part that supports the bottom part of the roll paper;
a side support part that supports a side part of the roll paper via the elastic member;
has
The printer further includes a holding member located inside the elastic member and holding the outer shape of the elastic member.

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