JP7554642B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printer.

Generally, a label printer is configured to sandwich continuous paper, with multiple labels temporarily attached to a strip-shaped backing, between a thermal head and a platen roller, and then rotate the platen roller to transport the continuous paper and print the desired information on the label.
Conventionally, there is known a label printer that can switch between two types of issuing methods, namely, continuous issuing and peel-off issuing (for example, see Patent Literature 1). The continuous issuing method is a method in which labels are issued while being temporarily attached to a mount, and the peel-off issuing method is a method in which labels are issued by peeling them off from the mount.
The printer described in Patent Document 1 is configured to switch between continuous printing and peeling printing by moving the backing paper pressing roller support frame of the peeler unit (peeling unit) between a first rotation position and a second rotation position.

JP 2007-185774 A

However, in thermal label printers, since printing is performed by applying heat to the label, it is unavoidable that the heat generated during printing causes the label to expand, contract, and bend (i.e., curl). In particular, when printing is performed by pulling out continuous paper from a roll of continuous paper wound in a roll, the degree of curling becomes greater, especially when the roll diameter becomes smaller.
This type of curling is particularly problematic when labels are printed by peeling them off. When printing multiple labels with liner attached, the curl of each label is unlikely to become too large, and the user can straighten the curl after printing. In contrast, when printing by peeling them off, the labels are printed one by one with the liner peeled off, so it is difficult to straighten the curl of the labels after printing.

The present invention aims to prevent curling of labels peeled off from a backing paper during peel-off printing in a printer that can switch between continuous printing and peel-off printing.

One aspect of the present invention is a printer capable of switching between peel-off issuance, in which a print medium has a label peelably attached to a backing paper and the label is peeled off from the backing paper to issue the label, and continuous issuance, in which the label is issued without peeling off the label from the backing paper, and the printer is equipped with a platen roller that transports the print medium, a print head that prints on the label, a peeling unit having a peeling roller that can move between a peel-off issuance position and a continuous issuance position, a peeling member that peels off the label from the backing paper by directing the backing paper downstream of the platen roller toward the peeling roller at the peel-off issuance position during peel-off issuance, and a curl correction unit having an auxiliary roller that can move between a retracted position that is a position retracted from the print medium and a pressing position that presses the surface of the print medium between the platen roller and the peeling member, and the printer is configured such that the auxiliary roller moves from the retracted position to the pressing position in conjunction with the movement of the peeling roller from the continuous issuance position to the peel-off issuance position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a printer that can switch between continuous printing and peel-off printing, it is possible to prevent curling of the label that is peeled off from the backing paper during peel-off printing.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer according to the embodiment during continuous printing. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printer according to the embodiment during continuous printing. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer according to the embodiment during peeling and issuing; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the printer according to the embodiment during peeling issuance. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a stopper. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous printing to peel-off printing in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 6A is a perspective view and FIG. 6B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous printing to peeling printing in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 7A is a perspective view and FIG. 7B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous printing to peeling printing in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 8A is a perspective view and FIG. 8B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous issuance to peel-off issuance in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 9A is a perspective view and FIG. 9B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous printing to peel-off printing in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is a perspective view and FIG. 10B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous printing to peeling printing in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 11A is a perspective view and FIG. 11B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous issuance to peel-off issuance in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 12A is a perspective view and FIG. 12B is an enlarged cross-sectional view. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a state during a transition from continuous printing to peeling printing in the printer according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 13A is a perspective view and FIG. 13B is an enlarged cross-sectional view.

[Configuration of Printer 1]
A printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a label printer that is configured to be switchable between continuous printing and peel-off printing. The printer 1 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
In each drawing, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1, for example, the directions of up (UP), down (DN), left (LH), right (RH), front (FR), and rear (RR) are defined; however, these direction definitions are solely for the convenience of illustrating the drawings and are not intended to limit the position of the printer of the present invention when in use.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the printer 1 according to the embodiment when printing continuously. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 according to the embodiment when printing continuously. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the printer 1 according to the embodiment when printing peel-off. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 according to the embodiment when printing peel-off.

The perspective views in this disclosure are shown with the inside of the frame 2 exposed so that the internal structure of the printer 1 can be easily seen. Those skilled in the art can design a desired printer that embodies the present invention by, for example, mounting the frame on a housing based on this disclosure.
The cross-sectional views in this disclosure show a cut surface along a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction of the printer 1 and is located at the center of the printer 1 in the left-right direction, as viewed toward the right.

1 and 2, the printer 1 includes a frame 2, a printer cover 3, a peeling unit 4, a curl correction unit 5, a pair of stoppers 7L, 7R, a pair of coil springs 6L, 6R (an example of a biasing member), a hinge 8, a platen roller 10, a peeling bar 12, and a thermal head 28. Although the coil spring 6L is not visible in the figures, it is disposed in a position symmetrical to the coil spring 6R.
In the printer 1, various internal parts are protected by a frame 2 and a printer cover 3.

The printer cover 3 is configured to be able to swing between an open position that opens the roll paper storage chamber that contains the roll paper R (an example of a roll body) and a closed position that closes the roll paper storage chamber. The printer cover 3 can be moved to the open position by operating a cover opening button (not shown) provided on the frame 2.

The printer cover 3 is supported by a hinge 8 (see FIG. 2) on the frame 2 so that the printer cover 3 can swing relative to the frame 2 between an open position and a closed position. The printer cover 3 is biased from the closed position toward the open position by a torsion spring (not shown) arranged on the hinge 8. The printer cover 3 is provided with a locking mechanism that is released by pressing (operating) a cover opening button (not shown). When the lock is released by an operator pressing the cover opening button, the printer cover 3 is configured to swing from the closed position toward the open position by the biasing force of the torsion spring arranged on the hinge 8.

The roll paper R is a strip-shaped continuous paper P wound into a roll. The continuous paper P has a strip-shaped backing paper PM and a plurality of labels PL temporarily attached to the backing paper PM at predetermined intervals. The label attachment surface of the backing paper PM is coated with a release agent such as silicone so that the labels PL can be easily peeled off. In addition, position detection marks indicating the positions of the labels PL are formed at predetermined intervals on the back side of the label attachment surface of the backing paper PM.
The front side of the label PL is the printing surface on which information is printed, and is formed with a thermosensitive coloring layer that develops a specific color when a predetermined temperature range is reached. The back side of the printing surface is an adhesive surface covered with an adhesive, and the label PL is temporarily attached to the mount PM by attaching the adhesive surface to the label attachment surface of the mount PM.

As shown in FIG. 2, a platen roller 10 is supported at the tip of the printer cover 3 so that it can rotate freely in both forward and reverse directions. The platen roller 10 is a transport means for transporting the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R, and is formed to extend along the width direction of the continuous paper P. A platen side gear (not shown) is connected to one end of the platen shaft 10a of this platen roller 10. When the printer cover 3 is in the closed position, the platen side gear engages with a main body side gear arranged on the frame 2, and is mechanically connected to a stepping motor (not shown) for driving the roller via the main body side gear.

As shown in FIG. 2, a peeling bar 12 is installed along the platen roller 10 near the printer cover 3. This peeling bar 12 is a peeling member that peels the label PL from the backing paper PM when a peeling command is issued, and both ends of the peeling bar 12 are fixed to both side walls of the printer cover 3.

A pair of guide grooves 31L, 31R are provided at the tip of the printer cover 3 when it swings. The pair of guide grooves 31L, 31R are configured to receive both ends of the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 when peeling is issued.

The frame 2 is provided with a pair of notches 27L, 27R that hold both ends of the platen shaft 10a of the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is closed (notches 27R are not visible in FIG. 1). A thermal head 28 (an example of a print head) is positioned in front of the pair of notches 27L, 27R.

The thermal head 28 is a printing unit that prints information such as characters, symbols, figures, or bar codes on a label PL that is temporarily attached to a mount PM that is transported from the roll paper R. The thermal head 28 is disposed so as to face the platen roller 10 when the printer cover 3 is in the closed state.
The thermal head 28 has a plurality of heating elements (heating resistors) arranged along the width direction of the continuous paper P, and prints by selectively energizing the plurality of heating elements based on a signal transmitted from a circuit board (not shown).
It is preferable to provide a biasing member (e.g., a coil spring) in front of the thermal head 28 to bias the thermal head 28 toward the platen roller 10 so that the thermal head 28 is pressed against the platen roller 10 with an optimum pressure for printing.

1, the frame 2 has a pair of frame side portions 2L, 2R. The frame side portion 2L is formed with grooves 21L, 22L, 23L for engaging with the peeling unit 4. The frame side portion 2R is formed with grooves 21R, 22R, 23R for engaging with the peeling unit 4. The grooves 21L, 22L, 23L and the grooves 21R, 22R, 23R are provided at symmetrical positions on the left and right, respectively.
More specifically, the grooves 21L and 21R are engaged with the engaging protrusions 41L and 41R of the peeling roller arms 4L and 4R, respectively, so that the engaging protrusions 41L and 41R can move within the corresponding grooves. The grooves 22L and 22R are engaged with the engaging protrusions 42L and 42R of the peeling roller arms 4L and 4R, respectively, so that the engaging protrusions 42L and 42R can move within the corresponding grooves. The grooves 23L and 23R are engaged with the respective ends of the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45, respectively, so that the respective ends of the shaft 45a can move within the corresponding grooves.

As shown in Fig. 2, the groove 21R is substantially V-shaped and has a first groove 211R and a second groove 212R that are oriented in different directions. The first groove 211R is a groove that gradually slopes downward from the front end toward the rear. The second groove 212R is a groove that extends upward and forward from the branching position of the first groove 211R and the second groove 212R. The same is true for the groove 21L.
As described later, each groove is used for moving the peeling unit 4 when switching between continuous printing and peeling printing.

The peeling unit 4 has a peeling roller 45 that moves between a continuous issuing position and a peeling issuing position.
The peeling roller 45 extends in the same direction as the platen roller 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the peeling roller 45 is in a position (continuous issuing position) spaced away from the platen roller 10 during continuous issuing. As shown in Fig. 4, the peeling roller 45 is in a position (peel issuing position) facing the platen roller 10 during peeling issuing. When the peeling roller 45 is in the peeling issuing position, the peeling roller 45 rotates following the rotation of the platen roller 10, and clamps and transports the backing paper PM together with the platen roller 10.

A pair of peeling roller arms 4L, 4R are provided that are connected to the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 in order to move the peeling roller 45 between the continuous issuing position and the peeling issuing position. As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of peeling roller arms 4L, 4R extend from both ends of the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 along the inner surfaces of the frame side portions 2L, 2R, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the peeling roller arm 4R has engaging protrusions 41R and 42R.
A portion of the engaging protrusion 41R is inserted into the groove 21R, and the engaging protrusion 41R is configured to be movable along the groove 21R. The engaging protrusion 42R is inserted into the groove 22R, and is configured to be movable along the groove 22R. One end of the coil spring 6R is attached to the engaging protrusion 41R.
The peeling roller arm 4R is formed with a contact surface 43R facing rearward. The contact surface 43R comes into contact with the curl correction unit 5 when shifting from continuous issuing to peeling issuing, and serves to assist the movement of the curl correction unit 5.
The peeling roller arm 4L has a similar structure.

The curl correction unit 5 has an auxiliary roller 55, and is a member that corrects curls in the label PL by the auxiliary roller 55 during peeling and issuing. As shown in Fig. 1, the curl correction unit 5 is disposed between the peeling roller arm 4L and the peeling roller arm 4R.
The auxiliary roller 55 extends in the same direction as the platen roller 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the auxiliary roller 55 is in a retracted position where it is retracted from the continuous paper P during continuous printing.
4, during peeling, the auxiliary roller 55 is in a pressing position between the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12. When the auxiliary roller 55 is in the pressing position, the auxiliary roller 55 presses the continuous paper P backward between the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12, thereby correcting any curl in the continuous paper P.

The curl correction unit 5 has a shaft portion 51 (an example of a first shaft) and a pair of spring attachment portions 52L and 52R.
The shaft portion 51 is a pivot axis around which the curl correction unit 5 pivots, and is disposed in parallel with the auxiliary roller 55 .
2, the pair of spring attachment parts 52L, 52R have one end attached to the pair of engaging protrusions 41L, 41R, and the other end attached to the pair of coil springs 6L, 6R. Although the spring attachment part 52L and the coil spring 6L are not visible in the figure, they are disposed symmetrically to the spring attachment part 52R and the coil spring 6R. The pair of coil springs 6L, 6R are configured to operate the peeling unit 4 and the curl correction unit 5 in conjunction with each other.

The pair of stoppers 7L, 7R are provided to, as necessary, regulate the operation of the peeling unit 4. Each stopper is configured to be movable up and down in response to the operation of an operating lever (not shown).
The stopper 7L is provided to regulate the movement of the engaging protrusion 42L which is movable along the groove 22L of the frame side portion 2L. The stopper 7R is provided to regulate the movement of the engaging protrusion 42R which is movable along the groove 22R of the frame side portion 2R.
The structure and operation of the pair of stoppers 7L, 7R will be described in more detail later.

Although not shown, the printer 1 may have a cutter that cuts the backing paper PM of the continuous paper P when printing continuously. The cutter can be installed in a state where it extends along the width direction of the continuous paper P at the outlet from which the continuous paper P is discharged.

When printing continuously, a backing paper with the required number of labels PL affixed to it is created by cutting, and the labels PL can be peeled off from the backing paper PM and affixed on-site, making it suitable for cases where the object to which the labels PL are affixed is located far away from the printer 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, during continuous printing, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 is in a continuous printing position separated from the platen roller 10. The continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R is clamped between the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28, and the label PL on the continuous paper P is printed.

In the case of peel-off issuance, the labels PL are discharged one by one peeled off from the backing paper, so this is suitable when the object to which the label PL is to be attached is near the operator. For peel-off issuance, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 is set to the peel-off issuance position. In other words, the peeling roller 45 is positioned opposite the platen roller 10. In peel-off issuance, the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R is clamped by the platen roller 10 and the thermal head 28, and the label PL on the continuous paper P is printed, just like in continuous issuance. In peel-off issuance, as shown in FIG. 4, the backing paper PM of the continuous paper P pulled out from the roll paper R is sharply turned at the peeling bar 12 and is clamped between the platen roller 10 and the peeling roller 45 and discharged. As the backing paper PM sharply turns at the peeling bar 12, the label PL is peeled off from the backing paper PM and discharged.

Although not shown, it is preferable to provide a peeling sensor in the peeling unit 4. The peeling sensor is a light reflective sensor that detects the presence or absence of a peeled label PL when a peel is issued, and is preferably positioned facing the label PL. In FIG. 4, the label PL peeled by the peeling bar 12 remains on the peeling bar 12 due to the adhesive force of the label PL, and the presence or absence of this label PL is detected by the peeling sensor. When the operator removes the peeled label, the peeling sensor detects the absence of the label PL, and control is exercised to issue the next label.

[Stopper 7L, 7R]
Next, the operation of the stopper 7L will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The stopper 7R will not be described, but its configuration and operation are the same as those of the stopper 7L.

Figure 5 shows the positions of the peeling roller arm 4L during continuous printing, when switching between continuous printing and peeling printing, and when peeling printing. As described above, the engagement protrusion 41L of the peeling roller arm 4L moves along the groove 21L, and the engagement protrusion 42L of the peeling roller arm 4L moves along the groove 22L.

The stopper 7L can slide up and down, and a protrusion 71L is provided at the front and a protrusion 72L is provided at the rear of the lower end of the stopper 7L. The stopper 7L can move up and down in response to the operation of an operating lever (not shown), and can be positioned between a stopper operating position (lowest position) during continuous printing and peeling printing, and a stopper non-operating position (uppermost position) when switching between continuous printing and peeling printing.

The stopper 7L has an abutment surface 7Ls on the top, and a stopper abutment portion 25L that protrudes from the surrounding area is provided on the outer surface of the frame side portion 2L. In the stopper operating position, the abutment surface 7Ls abuts against the upper surface 2Lt of the frame side portion 2L, and the bottom surface of the stopper 7L abuts against the stopper abutment portion 25L.

During continuous printing, the engaging protrusion 41L of the peeling roller arm 4L is in the forwardmost position of the first groove 211L of the groove 21L, and the engaging protrusion 42L of the peeling roller arm 4L is in the forwardmost position (forward end position) of the groove 22L. At this time, the stopper 7L is in the stopper operation position, and the protrusion 71L of the stopper 7L limits the movement of the engaging protrusion 42L. In other words, the engaging protrusion 42L is locked. Therefore, the peeling roller arm 4L remains stationary. In this state, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 is in the continuous printing position.

When switching between continuous issuance and peeling issuance, the operator moves the stopper 7L to the stopper non-operating position (the uppermost position). That is, when switching between continuous issuance and peeling issuance, the operator moves the stopper 7L from the stopper operating position to the stopper non-operating position by operating an operation lever (not shown).
When the stopper 7L is in the stopper non-operating position, the engaging protrusion 42L of the peeling roller arm 4L can freely move along the groove 22L. Therefore, in conjunction with the movement of the engaging protrusion 42L, the engaging protrusion 41L can move along the groove 21L.

When peeling is issued, the engaging protrusion 41L of the peeling roller arm 4L is in the uppermost position (upper end position) of the second groove 212L of the groove 21L, and the engaging protrusion 42L of the peeling roller arm 4L is in the rearmost position (rear end position) of the groove 22L. At this time, the stopper 7L is in the stopper operation position, and the protrusion 72L of the stopper 7L limits the movement of the engaging protrusion 42L. In other words, the engaging protrusion 42L is locked. Therefore, the peeling roller arm 4L remains stationary. In this state, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 is in the peeling issue position.

[Switching from continuous printing to peeling printing]
Next, the switching operation from continuous issuance to peeling issuance of the printer 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 13. Each of Fig. 6 to Fig. 13 includes a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing the state during the transition from continuous issuance to peeling issuance of the printer 1 according to the embodiment.
In the following description, the operation of the peeling roller arm 4R of the peeling unit 4 will be mainly mentioned, but the operation of the peeling roller arm 4L is the same.

When the cover opening button (not shown) is operated from the continuous printing state shown in Figures 1 and 2, the printer cover 3 is unlocked and the printer cover 3 swings due to the biasing force of the torsion spring arranged on the hinge 8, and the printer cover 3 moves to the open position as shown in Figures 6A and 6B.
At this time, the peeling roller 45 remains in the continuous issuing position. There is also no change in the position of the curl correction unit 5, and the auxiliary roller 55 is in the retracted position.

6B , a biasing force (restoring force) of a coil spring 6R is configured to act between the engaging protrusion 41R of the peeling roller arm 4R and the spring mounting portion 52R of the curl correction unit 5. The biasing force of the coil spring 6R acts to move the engaging protrusion 41R rearward along the groove 21R and to swing the spring mounting portion 52R of the curl correction unit 5 around the shaft portion 51.
However, when the peeling roller 45 is in the continuous issuing position, as described above, the stopper 7R is in the stopper operating position, so the protrusion 71R of the stopper 7R restricts the movement of the engaging protrusion 42R. Therefore, regardless of the biasing force of the coil spring 6R, the engaging protrusion 42R does not move.
At this time, the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 is located at the lower end of the grooves 23L and 23R.

7A and 7B, the operator moves the stoppers 7L and 7R from the stopper operating position (lowest position) to the stopper non-operating position (uppermost position), thereby allowing the engaging protrusion 42L of the peeling roller arm 4L and the engaging protrusion 42R of the peeling roller arm 4R to move freely along the grooves 22L and 22R, respectively.
Then, for the peeling roller arm 4R, the engaging protrusion 41R starts to move along the first groove 211R of the groove 21R due to the biasing force of the coil spring 6R. In conjunction with the movement of the engaging protrusion 41R, the engaging protrusion 42R starts to move along the groove 22R. The same is true for the peeling roller arm 4L.
On the other hand, the spring attachment portion 52R of the curl correction unit 5 starts to swing clockwise in FIG. 7B around the shaft portion 51 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 6R.

8A and 8B, the engaging protrusion 41R of the peeling roller arm 4R advances along the first groove 211R due to the biasing force of the coil spring 6R. That is, as shown in FIG. 8B, the engaging protrusion 41R advances to the branching position of the first groove 211R and the second groove 212R, and the engaging protrusion 42R reaches the rear end position of the groove 22R. Accordingly, the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 leaves the groove 23R, and the peeling roller arm 4R protrudes upward from the frame side portion 2R. The spring mounting portion 52R of the curl correction unit 5 swings around the shaft portion 51 from the position shown in FIG. 7B, and is now in a position closer to the engaging protrusion 41R.
The operation of the peeling roller arm 4L is similar.

Furthermore, the contact surface 43R of the peeling roller arm 4R comes into contact with the curl correction unit 5 and begins to press the curl correction unit 5 backward. Similarly, the contact surface 43L of the peeling roller arm 4L comes into contact with the curl correction unit 5 and begins to press the curl correction unit 5 backward.

9A and 9B, the operator moves the stoppers 7L and 7R from the stopper non-operating position (uppermost position) to the stopper operating position (lowest position), whereby the engaging protrusions 42L of the peeling roller arm 4L and the engaging protrusions 42R of the peeling roller arm 4R are locked in their current positions (rear end positions).
As shown in FIG. 9B, the engaging protrusion 41R remains at the branch position between the first groove 211R and the second groove 212R, and the peeling roller arm 4R remains in a state of protruding upward.
The operation of the peeling roller arm 4L is similar.

Next, the operator performs an operation to close the printer cover 3. Then, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B, the guide groove 31R at the tip of the printer cover 3 receives one end of the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 located above the frame 2. Similarly, the guide groove 31L at the tip of the printer cover 3 receives the other end of the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45. In other words, the peeling roller arms 4L, 4R begin to engage with the printer cover 3.
The contact surfaces 43L, 43R of the peeling roller arms 4L, 4R remain in a state of pressing the curl correction unit 5.

As shown in Figures 11A and 11B, as the printer cover 3 moves to the closed position, the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 advances along the guide grooves 31L, 31R, and the peeling roller 45 begins to contact the affixed surface of the mount paper PM. Furthermore, since the guide grooves 31L, 31R extend downward toward the platen shaft 10a as they move from the entrance to the back, as shown in Figures 12A and 12B, as the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 advances within each guide groove, the mount paper PM is pressed downward.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12B, as the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 moves inside the guide groove 31R, the engaging protrusion 41R rises along the second groove 212R of the groove 21R, with the abutment surface 43R of the peeling roller arm 4R as a fulcrum. That is, the engaging protrusion 41R rises in the direction away from the spring mounting portion 52R of the curl correction unit 5 against the biasing force of the coil spring 6R due to the operating force of the operator closing the printer cover 3. The engaging protrusion 41L of the peeling roller arm 4L operates in the same way.

Furthermore, when the printer cover 3 moves toward the closed position, as shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the peeling roller arms 4L and 4R start to press the curl correction unit 5 backward. As a result, the auxiliary roller 55 of the curl correction unit 5 starts to contact the continuous paper P between the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12.

Thereafter, when the printer cover 3 reaches the closed position, the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 reaches the peeling issuing position as shown in Fig. 4. That is, the peeling roller 45 is in a position adjacent to the platen roller 10 and holds the backing paper PM together with the platen roller 10. The engaging protrusion 41R is in the upper end position of the second groove 212R of the groove 21R. The same is true for the engaging protrusion 41L.
The auxiliary roller 55 of the curl correction unit 5 reaches the pressing position between the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12 and presses the continuous paper P backward.

The auxiliary roller 55 of the curl correction unit 5 presses the continuous paper P between the platen roller 10 and the peel bar 12, thereby correcting the curl of the label PL on the continuous paper P.

[Switching from peeling printing to continuous printing]
Next, a description will be given of the operation of switching from peel-off issuance to continuous issuance of the printer 1. Switching from peel-off issuance to continuous issuance of the printer 1 is performed in the reverse order of switching from continuous issuance to peel-off issuance.
In this case too, the operator first slides the stoppers 7L, 7R from the stopper operating position (lowest position) to the stopper non-operating position (highest position), thereby unlocking the engaging protrusions 42L, 42R and allowing the engaging protrusions 42L, 42R to move within the corresponding grooves.

Then, by opening the printer cover 3, the peeling roller arms 4L and 4R are swung counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 8, which causes the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45 to escape from the guide grooves 31L and 31R of the printer cover 3. Then, due to the biasing force of the coil spring 6R, the engaging protrusion 41R of the peeling roller arm 4R moves along the second groove 212R to the branching position of the first groove 211R and the second groove 212R (the position shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B).

Next, the operator moves the engaging protrusions 42L, 42R forward against the biasing force of the coil springs 6L, 6R, and the engaging protrusions 41L, 41R move to the front end position. Here, the operator slides the stoppers 7L, 7R from the stopper non-operating position (topmost position) to the stopper operating position (bottommost position), locking the engaging protrusions 42L, 42R, fixing the peeling unit 4 to the position shown in Figures 1A and 1B, and fixing the peeling roller 45 to the continuous issuing position.

As described above, the printer 1 includes a peeling unit 4 and a curl correction unit 5, and is configured such that, in conjunction with the movement of the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 from the continuous paper issuing position to the peeling issuing position, the auxiliary roller 55 of the curl correction unit 5 moves from the retracted position to the pressing position, pressing the continuous paper P between the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12. This makes it possible to suppress curling of the label peeled off from the backing by the peeling bar 12 during peeling issuing.

As described above, the printer 1 includes coil springs 6L and 6R provided between the peeling unit 4 and the curl correction unit 5, and the coil springs 6L and 6R bias the peeling unit 4 in a direction that moves the peeling roller 45 from the continuous issuing position to the peeling issuing position. Therefore, when switching from continuous issuing to peeling issuing, the biasing force of the coil springs 6L and 6R can smoothly move the peeling roller 45 of the peeling unit 4 toward the peeling issuing position.

As described above, when the curl correction unit 5 swings around the shaft 51, the auxiliary roller 55 moves from the retracted position to the pressing position, and the peeling unit 4 presses the curl correction unit 5 with the biasing force of the coil springs 6L and 6R so that the curl correction unit 5 swings. Therefore, the biasing force of the coil springs 6L and 6R can be used to operate the curl correction unit 5 in conjunction with the movement of the peeling unit 4.

As described above, the printer 1 includes a roll paper storage chamber that stores roll paper R in which continuous paper P is wound in a roll shape, and a printer cover 3 that can move between an open position that opens the roll paper storage chamber and a closed position that closes the storage chamber. The printer cover 3 has guide grooves 31L, 31R, and as the printer cover 3 moves from the open position to the closed position, the guide grooves 31L, 31R accommodate the shaft 45a of the peeling roller 45, thereby moving the peeling roller 45 to the peeling issuing position. Therefore, the operator can move the peeling roller 45 to the peeling issuing position simply by closing the printer cover 3, which provides good operability.
Furthermore, as the printer cover 3 moves towards the closed position, the peeling unit 4 presses the curl correction unit 5, causing the auxiliary roller 55 to move to the pressing position between the platen roller 10 and the peeling bar 12. Therefore, the operator can move the peeling roller 45 to the peeling issuing position and simultaneously move the auxiliary roller 55 to the pressing position simply by performing the operation of closing the printer cover 3. Therefore, no special operation is required to move the auxiliary roller 55 to the pressing position.

As described above, the printer 1 is provided with stoppers 7L and 7R that restrict the movement of the peeling unit 4, thereby fixing the peeling roller 45 in the continuous printing position or the peeling printing position. Therefore, the operator can switch between continuous printing and peeling printing to print labels as needed.

Although the embodiment of the printer of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Furthermore, the above embodiment can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the above embodiment, the operation by the operator to move the engaging protrusions 42L, 42R forward has been mentioned, but an operating means such as a lever for performing this operation can be provided on the printer housing as appropriate by a person skilled in the art.
It is not essential that the printer cover 3 be engaged with the peeling unit 4 and the peeling roller 45 be moved to the peeling issuing position in response to the movement of the printer cover 3 from the open position to the closed position. The peeling roller 45 may be moved to the peeling issuing position in response to an operation on the peeling unit 4 by an operator.

1...Printer 2...Frame 2L, 2R...Frame side 2Lt...Upper surface 21L, 22L, 23L, 21R, 22R, 23R...Groove 211R...First groove 212R...Second groove 25R...Stopper contact portion 27L, 27R...Notch 3...Printer cover 31L, 31R...Guide groove 4...Peeling unit 4L, 4R...Peeling roller arm 41L, 41R, 42L, 42R...Engaging protrusion 43L, 43R...Contact surface 45...Peeling roller 45a...Shaft 5...Curl correction unit 51...Shaft portion 52L, 52R...Spring attachment portion 55...Auxiliary roller 6L, 6R...Coil spring 7L, 7R...Stopper 7Ls...Contact surface 71L, 72L...Protrusion 8...Hinge 10...Platen roller 10a... platen shaft 12... peeling bar 28... thermal head P... continuous paper PM... backing paper PL... label R... roll paper

Claims (6)

A printer capable of switching between peel-off issuing, in which a print medium has a label peelably attached to a mount, and issuing the label by peeling the label from the mount, and continuous issuing, in which the label is issued without peeling the label from the mount,
a platen roller for transporting the print medium;
a print head for printing on the label;
a peeling unit having a peeling roller movable between a peeling issuing position and a continuous issuing position;
a peeling member that, when peeling is performed, directs the backing paper located downstream of the platen roller toward the peeling roller at the peeling position to peel off the label from the backing paper;
a curl correction unit having an auxiliary roller that is movable between a retracted position that is a position retracted from the print medium and a pressing position where the platen roller and the peeling member press the surface of the print medium;
Equipped with
The auxiliary roller is configured to move from the retracted position to the pressing position in conjunction with the movement of the peeling roller from the continuous issuing position to the peeling issuing position.
Printer. a biasing member provided between the peeling unit and the curl correction unit,
the biasing member biases the peeling unit in a direction to move the peeling roller from the continuous issuing position to the peeling issuing position.
2. The printer according to claim 1. The curl correction unit swings around a first axis, and the auxiliary roller moves from the retracted position to the pressing position,
the peeling unit presses the curl correction unit by the biasing force of the biasing member so that the curl correction unit swings;
3. The printer according to claim 2. a storage chamber for storing a roll of the printing medium;
a cover movable between an open position for opening the storage chamber and a closed position for closing the storage chamber;
Equipped with
the cover has a groove, and the groove receives a shaft of the peeling roller in response to movement from the open position to the closed position, thereby moving the peeling roller to the peeling issuing position.
A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3. In response to the movement of the cover toward the closed position, the peeling unit presses the curl correction unit, causing the auxiliary roller to move to the pressing position.
5. The printer according to claim 4. a stopper that restricts movement of the peeling unit and thereby fixes the peeling roller at the continuous issuing position or the peeling issuing position;
A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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