JP7558566B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printer with a printer cover that rotates when opened and closed.

Printers are available that use a thermal head to print on paper pulled from a wound paper roll while transporting the paper. Such printers are configured to allow replacement of consumables such as the thermal head that prints on the paper and the transport roller that transports the paper. For example, it has been disclosed that the thermal head can be replaced by opening and closing a shielding member provided on the head unit of the printer cover (see Patent Document 1). It has also been disclosed that the transport plate (inner cover) that guides the transported paper in one direction can be removed from the printer frame to replace the platen roller, auxiliary roller, or sensor, or to replace the inner cover itself (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2019-147347 A JP 2018-43380 A

For example, in the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the thermal head is attached, the recess of the thermal head is fitted into the protrusion on the head unit, and the claw on the head unit is engaged with the groove on the top end of the thermal head, and then the shielding member is closed. When the shielding member is closed, the retracted connector moves toward the thermal head, and the connection part of the thermal head is inserted into the connector. However, if the cover is closed without closing the shielding member securely, the connection part of the thermal head is not completely inserted into the connector, and power is not supplied to the head unit properly, and a short circuit occurs between the connection part of the thermal head and the connector.

In addition, in the printer disclosed in Patent Document 2, the inner cover is attached to the printer frame by inserting (pressing) a U-shaped mounting tab on the back side into a recess in the printer frame. However, if the mounting tab of the inner cover is not firmly pressed into the recess in the frame, the components near the inner cover will not be properly installed inside the printer, causing problems with paper transport and printing by the thermal head.

The present invention was made in consideration of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can keep the internal covers closed and the components inside the printer in the correct position when the printer cover is closed with the internal covers not properly closed.

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect, a printer having a printer cover that rotates when opening and closing includes a first holding section having a head cover for attaching and detaching a thermal head that prints on the printing surface of the paper, and a second holding section having a holding cover for attaching and detaching a platen roller that supports the surface of the paper opposite the printing surface when printing with the thermal head, and is positioned below the first holding section when the printer cover is closed, and is characterized in that when the printer cover is closed with the holding cover and the head cover open, the first holding section presses the holding cover of the second holding section in accordance with the rotation of the printer cover to hold the holding cover in a closed state, and the head cover of the first holding section is held in a closed state.

According to the present invention, when the printer cover is closed while the internal covers are not properly closed, the covers can be closed and the components inside the printer can be held in the correct position.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the printer with the cover portion open. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a main configuration related to printing among the internal configurations of the printer. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding section and a thermal head with the opening and closing door open; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which a thermal head is held by a head holding portion. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a roller holding portion with a holding cover in a closed position. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a roller holding portion with a holding cover in an open position; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a roller holding portion with a conveying roller and a platen roller removed. 9A is a plan view of the roller holding portion with the holding cover in a closed state, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 9A. 10A is a plan view of the roller holding portion with the holding cover in an open state, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 10A. Figure 11(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration near the regulating piece of the head holding part when the lid part is rotated to the closed position, and Figure 11(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration near the regulating piece of the head holding part when the lid part is rotated to the closed position. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the locking piece of the holding cover when the lid portion rotates in the closing direction with the holding cover and the opening/closing door both open; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the regulating piece of the main body of the head holding part when the holding cover and the opening and closing door are both open and the lid part is rotated in the closing direction. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the locking portion of the opening/closing door of the head holding portion when the holding cover and the opening/closing door are both open and the lid portion is rotated in the closing direction. FIG. A cross-sectional view showing the configuration near the regulating piece of the main body of the head holding part when the regulating piece of the main body of the head holding part abuts against the positioning protrusion of the holding cover while the lid part is rotating in the closing direction. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the locking piece of the opening and closing door of the head holding part when the holding cover is closed in the process of the lid part rotating in the closing direction. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the locking piece of the opening and closing door of the head holding part when the opening and closing door is closed in the process of rotating the lid part in the closing direction; FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of a printer to which the present invention is applied, with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a printer in an embodiment, showing the cover in a closed state. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the printer shown in Fig. 1, showing the cover in an open state. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the main internal configuration of the printer.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the printer 10 is a device that prints on paper 101, which is fed from a paper roll 100 held in the printer body 16, during the process of transporting the paper, and discharges the printed paper 101 from, for example, the front of the printer 10. The printer 10 also loads the paper roll 100 and replaces each component installed inside the printer 10 by opening and closing a cover 15 on the top of the printer body 16. Here, the paper roll 100 is a long piece of paper 101 wound into a roll, which has a printing surface that is printed by a thermal head 50 (described later) and an adhesive surface on the opposite side to the printing surface where an adhesive is applied.

The printer 10 includes a lid 15, a printer body 16, and a handle 17. The lid 15 is pivotally supported on the rear side of the printer body 16. The lid 15 has a display panel 18 on its top surface. The display panel 18 is, for example, a touch panel display. The display panel 18 displays various setting screens for the printer 10 and displays information based on input operations on the display panel 18. The lid 15 corresponds to a printer cover as described in the claims.

The lid 15 has a lid body 20 provided on the underside of the lid 15. The lid body 20 has a head holder (corresponding to a first holder in the claims) 22 and an auxiliary roller 23 at the end opposite the rotation center of the lid 15, i.e., at the front end of the printer 10. The head holder 22 will be described later. When the lid 15 is closed, the auxiliary roller 23 is pressed against a feed roller 96 held by a roller holder (corresponding to a second holder in the claims) 24 described later, and sandwiches the paper 101 pulled out from the paper roll 100 and sends it toward the thermal head 50 and platen roller 97 described later.

The printer body 16 has a roller holding part 24 at the end opposite the rotation center of the lid part 15, i.e., at the front end of the printer 10. The roller holding part 24 will be described in detail later, but the roller holding part 24 is located in a position facing the head holding part 22 of the lid part 15 when the lid part 15 is closed.

The handle 17 is held by the user's hand when moving the printer 10 to the user's intended location.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the head holding part 22 holds the thermal head 50 described later. The head holding part 22 has a main body 31 and an opening/closing door (corresponding to a head cover in the claims) 32. The main body 31 is connected (axially supported) to the lid part 15 by a connecting shaft 33 extending in the width direction (y direction in Figure 4). The connecting shaft 33 is held by the main body 31 with both ends protruding from the main body 31. When the lid part 15 is closed, the connecting shaft 33 is engaged with a locking part 72 of the roller holding part 24 described later at one end and with a locking part 73 of the roller holding part 24 at the other end.

The main body 31 has a restricting piece 34 and an engaging protrusion 35 at one end in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 4), and a restricting piece 36 and an engaging protrusion 37 at the other end. The length (distance) from the inner wall surface of the restricting piece 34 to the inner wall surface of the restricting piece 36 is set to be approximately the same as the length of the thermal head 50 in the width direction.

When the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding portion 22, the left end of the thermal head 50 in FIG. 4 abuts against the regulating piece 34. Similarly, when the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding portion 22, the right end of the thermal head 50 in FIG. 4 abuts against the regulating piece 36. Therefore, when the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding portion 22, the thermal head 50 is positioned in the width direction of the main body 31 (y direction in FIG. 4).

When the lid 15 is closed, the regulating piece 34 enters the inside of the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the roller holding part 24 (described later) (the side of the rotation center of the lid 15) and is held in contact with the positioning protrusion 89b. Similarly, when the lid 15 is closed, the regulating piece 36 enters the inside of the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing part 09 of the roller holding part 24 (the side of the rotation center of the lid 15) and is held in contact with the positioning protrusion 90b. Therefore, when the lid 15 is closed, the head holding part 22 is positioned in the roller holding part 24.

The engagement protrusion 35 is, for example, an engagement protrusion that protrudes downward, and when the opening and closing door 32 is closed, it fits into the recess 44a of the locking portion 44 provided on the opening and closing door 32. When the opening and closing door 32 is opened or closed, the engagement protrusion 35 is located on the rotation trajectory of the slope 44b of the locking portion 44 provided on the opening and closing door 32. Similarly, the engagement protrusion 37 is, for example, an engagement protrusion that protrudes downward, and when the opening and closing door 32 is closed, it fits into the recess 45a of the locking portion 45 provided on the opening and closing door 32. When the opening and closing door 32 is opened or closed, the engagement protrusion 37 is located on the rotation trajectory of the slope 45b of the locking portion 45 provided on the opening and closing door 32.

The main body 31 has positioning protrusions 38, 39 between the regulating pieces 34, 36. The positioning protrusion 38 fits into a recess 58 provided in the heat sink 52 of the thermal head 50 when the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding part 22. The positioning protrusion 39 also fits into a recess 59 provided in the heat sink 52 of the thermal head 50 when the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding part 22.

Positioning protrusions 40, 41 are provided below positioning protrusions 38, 39. Positioning protrusion 40 is inserted into opening 56 provided in circuit board 51 of thermal head 50 when thermal head 50 is attached. Positioning protrusion 41 is inserted into opening 57 provided in circuit board 51 of thermal head 50 when thermal head 50 is attached.

The main body 31 has a terminal portion 42 between the positioning protrusions 40, 41. The terminal portion 42 has a plurality of connection terminals 43. When the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding portion 22, each of the plurality of connection terminals of the terminal portion 42 comes into contact with a corresponding contact of a contact portion 54 provided on the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50.

The opening/closing door 32 is a substantially rectangular member. The opening/closing door 32 is pivotally supported at the lower end of the main body 31 with one end in the short direction (x direction in FIG. 4) as the center of rotation. The opening/closing door 32 has locking portions 44, 45 (corresponding to the first locking portion described in the claims) at both ends in the long direction (y direction in FIG. 4).

The locking portion 44 is, for example, a substantially V-shaped member formed by bending a plate member. One end of the locking portion 44 is connected to the opening/closing door 32 so that the bent portion protrudes upward when the opening/closing door 32 is in the open state shown in FIG. 4. In other words, one end of the locking portion 44 is a fixed end that is fixed to the opening/closing door 32, and the other end is a free end.

The locking portion 44 has a thick free end and a recess 44a in the thick part. When the opening and closing door 32 is closed, the engagement protrusion 35 provided on the main body 31 fits into the recess 44a. The locking portion 44 has a slope 44b that slopes upward toward the recess 44a. As described above, the engagement protrusion 35 is located on the rotation trajectory of the slope 44b of the locking portion 44 of the opening and closing door 32. Therefore, in the process of the opening and closing door 32 rotating to the closed position, the slope 44b of the locking portion 44 abuts against the engagement protrusion 35 of the main body 31, and the free end of the locking portion 44 is elastically deformed. Then, when the opening and closing door 32 rotates to the closed position, the free end of the locking portion 44 returns to its original state, and the engagement protrusion 35 of the main body 31 fits into the recess 44a of the locking portion 44, that is, the locking portion 44 and the engagement protrusion 35 are engaged. The engagement between the locking portion 44 and the engagement projection 35 is released by pressing the free end of the locking portion 44 toward the fixed end (in the direction A in FIG. 4) and elastically deforming it. The locking portion 44 has a pressing portion 44c at the portion connected to the opening and closing door 32 that presses against the pressed surface 68a of the protective cover 68, which will be described later.

The locking portion 45 has the same configuration as the locking portion 44, and the free end is thick, and has a recess 45a and a slope 45b in the thick portion. When the opening and closing door 32 is closed, the engagement protrusion 37 provided on the main body 31 fits into the recess 45a of the locking portion 45. In the process of closing the opening and closing door 32, the engagement protrusion 37 of the main body 31 located on the rotation trajectory of the slope 45b causes the free end of the locking portion 45 to elastically deform toward the fixed end. The engagement between the locking portion 45 and the engagement protrusion 37 is released by pressing the free end of the locking portion 45 toward the fixed end (in the direction B in FIG. 4) and elastically deforming it. In addition, like the locking portion 44, the locking portion 45 has a pressing portion 45c in the portion connected to the opening and closing door 32 that presses the pressed surface 68b of the protective cover 68 described later.

The opening and closing door 32 has pressing protrusions 46, 47 on the inner surface. When the opening and closing door 32 rotates to the closed position, the pressing protrusions 46, 47 press the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50 attached to the head holding part 22 toward the main body 31. The position where the pressing protrusions 46, 47 press the circuit board 51 is, for example, a position near the contact part 54 on the surface opposite to the surface on which the contact part 54 of the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50 is formed. Therefore, contact is maintained between the connection terminal 43 of the terminal part 42 of the main body 31 and each contact of the contact part 54 of the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50.

The thermal head 50 is held in a state where it is sandwiched between the main body 31 of the head holding part 22 and the opening and closing door 32. When the thermal head 50 is held in the head holding part 22, the heating element array 53 provided on the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50 is exposed. The method of attaching the thermal head 50 to the head holding part 22 may be, for example, to position the thermal head 50 on the main body 31 of the head holding part 22 and then close the opening and closing door 32, or to position the thermal head 50 on the opening and closing door 32 on which the thermal head 50 is positioned and then close the opening and closing door 32. Note that Figures 4 and 5 show a case where the thermal head 50 is held in the head holding part 22 by closing the opening and closing door 32 after positioning the thermal head 50 on the main body 31.

The thermal head 50 has a circuit board 51 and a heat sink 52. The circuit board 51 has a circuit in which a heating element array 53 and contact parts 54 are part of the circuit configuration. The heating element array 53 has a plurality of heating elements arranged, for example, along the width direction of the circuit board 51 (y direction in FIG. 5). The heating element array 53 prints on the printing surface of the paper 101 by the heat generated by each heating element.

The contact portion 54 is provided on the surface of the circuit board 51 opposite to the surface having the heating element array 53. The contact portion 54 has a plurality of contacts that come into contact with each of the plurality of connection terminals 43 of the terminal portion 42 of the main body 31 when the thermal head 50 is attached to the head holding portion 22.

The circuit board 51 has openings 56 and 57 on the outside of the contact portion 54. The positioning protrusion 40 of the main body 31 is inserted into the opening 56, and the positioning protrusion 41 of the main body 31 is inserted into the opening 57.

The heat sink 52 is disposed on the surface of the circuit board 51 on which the contact portion 54 is provided, and dissipates heat generated by each heating element in the heating element array 53. The heat sink 52 has recesses 58 and 59. The positioning protrusion 38 of the main body 31 is inserted into the recess 58, and the positioning protrusion 39 of the main body 31 is inserted into the recess 59.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the roller holding section (corresponding to the second holding section in the claims) 24 supports the feed roller 96 and the platen roller 97, which will be described later. The roller holding section 24 has side plates 65, 66, a connecting plate 67, and a holding cover 68. The side plates 65, 66 are arranged at a fixed interval. The side plates 65, 66 support the platen roller 97 at the front end side so that it can be detached freely. Here, the side plate 65 supports one end of the platen roller 97 by inserting it into the bearing section (corresponding to the support section in the claims) 65a (see Figure 7). At the same time, the side plate 66 supports the other end of the platen roller 97 by inserting it into the bearing section (corresponding to the support section in the claims) 66a (see Figure 7). The side plates 65, 66 also support the holding cover 68 at the rear end side.

In the embodiment, the side plates 65, 66 are configured to support the platen roller 97, but the platen roller may be supported by the connecting plate 67 rather than by the side plates 65, 66.

The side plates 65, 66 support a connecting shaft 71. Both ends of the connecting shaft 71 in the axial direction (y direction in FIG. 6) protrude outward from the side plates 65, 66. The connecting shaft 71 has locking portions (corresponding to locking members in the claims) 72, 73 fixed to both ends protruding outward from the side plates 65, 66. The locking portions 72, 73 correspond to locking mechanisms in the claims.

The locking parts 72, 73 are biased in the direction C in FIG. 6 by a spring (not shown) and are held in the locking position shown in FIG. 6. The locking position is the position of the locking parts 72, 73 when they are locked to the connecting shaft 33 of the head holding part 22 when the lid part 15 is closed. During the process of closing the lid part 15, the locking parts 72, 73 are pressed by the connecting shaft 33 and rotate in the direction D in FIG. 6, and when the pressure from the connecting shaft 33 is released, they return to the locking position by a spring (not shown). These locking parts 72, 73 rotate in the direction B in FIG. 6 in response to the operation of the opening/closing lever (not shown) when opening the lid part 15.

Although details are omitted, of the side plates 65, 66, the side plate 65 is provided with a drive mechanism (not shown) that rotates the feed roller 96 and the platen roller 97. The drive mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism using multiple gears, a mechanism using a belt and pulleys, or a combination of these.

The connecting plate 67 is an L-shaped member that is arranged across the top surface of the roller holding portion 24 to the rear surface of the roller holding portion 24. The connecting plate 67 is arranged between the side plates 65 and 66.

The connecting plate 67 has bearings 77, 78 on the upper surface near the bent portion of the connecting plate 67. The bearing 77 supports one end of the feed roller 96 from below. The bearing 78 supports the other end of the feed roller 96 from below.

The connecting plate 67 also has openings (corresponding to the engagement portion described in the claims) 79, 80 along the rotation axis direction (y direction in FIG. 6) of the feed roller 96 held by the bearing portions 77, 78. The opening 79 receives an engagement portion 93 provided on the underside of the retaining cover 68 when the retaining cover 68 is moved to the closed position. The opening 80 receives an engagement portion 94 provided on the underside of the retaining cover 68 when the retaining cover 68 is moved to the closed position.

The holding cover 68 is supported with the vicinity of the feed roller 96 held by the roller holding portion 24 as the center of rotation. The holding cover 68 rotates between the closed position shown in FIG. 5 and the open position shown in FIG. 6.

The holding cover 68 is a member with a recessed central portion in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 6) located lower than both end portions in the top surface shape. When the holding cover 68 is in the closed position and the lid portion 15 is closed, a part of the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid portion 15 fits between both end portions of the top surface of the holding cover 68. This positions the head holding portion 22 in the width direction of the holding cover 68. Although not shown, the holding cover 68 has a step between the center and both end portions because the center portion in the width direction is located lower than both end portions in the top surface shape. By making these steps into inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the center of the holding cover 68 in the width direction, the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid portion 15 can be guided between both end portions of the holding cover 68 when the lid portion 68 is closed.

When the retaining cover 68 is in the closed position, a part of the upper surface of the connecting plate 67 and a part of the lower surface of the retaining cover 68 are in contact with each other. In this state, the retaining cover 68 supports the feed roller 96 supported by the roller holding portion 24 between the connecting plate 67 and the retaining cover 68. At the same time, the retaining cover 68 supports the platen roller 97 supported by the side plates 65, 66 between the side plates 65, 66 and the retaining cover 68.

On the other hand, when the retaining cover 68 is in the open position, the retaining cover 68 retreats from above the connecting plate 67. As a result, the support of the feed roller 96 by the retaining cover 68 and the connecting plate 67, and the support of the platen roller 97 by the retaining cover 68 and the side plates 65, 66 are released. Therefore, when the retaining cover 68 is in the open position, the feed roller 96 and the platen roller 97 become detachable from the roller retaining portion 24.

The upper surfaces of both end edges of the retaining cover 68 in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 6) are pressed by the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 and the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 described above. Hereinafter, the surface pressed by the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 is referred to as the pressed surface 68a, and the surface pressed by the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 is referred to as the pressed surface 68b.

The retaining cover 68 has a guide piece 85 and a shaft insertion portion 86 at one end in the width direction of the retaining cover 68 near the end that is the center of rotation of the retaining cover 68, and a guide piece 87 and a shaft insertion portion 88 at the other end.

The guide piece 85 fits between the side plate 65 and the bearing portion 77 of the connecting plate 67 when the retaining cover 68 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. The shaft insertion portion 86 fits into one end (the left end in FIG. 7) of the feed roller 96 in the direction of the rotation axis when the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position.

When the retaining cover 68 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the guide piece 87 enters between the side plate 66 and the bearing portion 78 of the connecting plate 67. When the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, the other end of the feed roller 96 in the direction of the rotation axis (the right end in FIG. 7) enters the shaft insertion portion 88.

The retaining cover 68 has shaft pressing portions 89, 90 at the free ends and at both ends in the width direction of the retaining cover 68. The shaft pressing portion 89 has a shaft insertion portion 89a and a positioning protrusion 89b. When the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, one end (the left end in FIG. 7) in the direction of the rotation axis of the platen roller 97 enters the shaft insertion portion 89a. When the lid portion 15 is closed, the positioning protrusion 89b abuts against a regulating piece 34 provided on the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22.

The shaft pressing portion 90 has a shaft insertion portion 90a and a positioning protrusion 90b. When the holding cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, the other end of the platen roller 97 in the direction of the rotation axis (the right end in FIG. 7) enters the shaft insertion portion 90a. When the lid portion 15 is closed, the positioning protrusion 90b abuts against a regulating piece 36 provided on the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22.

The retaining cover 68 has openings 91 and 92. The retaining cover 68 has a locking portion (corresponding to the second locking portion described in the claims) 93 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 91 on the underside of the retaining cover 68. The locking portion 93 is a generally V-shaped member formed by bending a plate member so that it is convex downward. Therefore, one end of the locking portion 93 is a fixed end that is fixed to the retaining cover 68, and the other end is a free end. The locking portion 93 has a locking projection 93a at the other free end. When the locking portion 93 is inserted into the opening 79 of the connecting plate 67, the locking projection 93a is locked to the periphery of the opening 79 of the connecting plate 67 on the underside of the connecting plate 67 (see FIG. 9).

Similarly, the retaining cover 68 has a locking portion (corresponding to the second locking portion in the claims) 94 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 92 on the underside of the retaining cover 68. The locking portion 94 is a generally V-shaped member formed by bending a plate member so that it is convex downward. Thus, the locking portion 94 has one end that is fixed to the retaining cover 68 and the other end that is a free end. The locking portion 94 has a locking projection 94a at the other end that is the free end. When the locking portion 94 is inserted into the opening 80 of the connecting plate 67, the locking projection 94a is locked to the periphery of the opening 80 of the connecting plate 67 on the underside of the connecting plate 67.

The above-mentioned openings 91 and 92 are used by the user's fingers, for example, to insert when releasing the locking of the connecting plate 67 by the locking portions 93 and 94.

The feed roller 96 rotates while clamping the paper 101 fed from the paper roll 100 between itself and the auxiliary roller 23 supported on the lid body 20 of the lid section 15, and feeds the paper 101 downstream in the conveying direction, i.e., toward the thermal head 50 and the platen roller 97. Therefore, the feed roller 96 comes into contact with the adhesive surface of the paper 101 in the process of feeding the paper 101 to the thermal head 50 and the platen roller 97. This may cause the paper 101 being conveyed to stick to the circumferential surface of the feed roller 96, causing a jam. Therefore, it is preferable that the feed roller 96 be a roller with multiple grooves along the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the feed roller 96, or a roller with a non-adhesive treatment applied to the outer circumferential surface.

The platen roller 97 is disposed downstream of the feed roller 96 in the transport direction of the paper 101 sent out from the paper roll 100. The platen roller 97 rotates while receiving the adhesive surface of the paper 101 against which the thermal head 50 is pressed. Therefore, like the feed roller 96, the platen roller 97 is preferably a roller with multiple grooves along the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the platen roller 97, or a roller with a non-adhesive treatment applied to the outer circumferential surface.

When the lid 15 is closed, the paper 101 pulled out from the paper roll 100 is clamped by the feed roller 96 and the auxiliary roller 23, and at the same time, is clamped by the thermal head 50 and the platen roller 97. In this state, the paper 101 is transported at a position above and away from the retaining cover 68, i.e., without contacting the retaining cover 68.

Next, the procedure for replacing the thermal head 50 held by the head holding part 22 will be described. When the cover 15 is opened, the head holding part 22 arranged on the cover 15 is exposed. At the same time, the roller holding part 24 arranged on the front side of the printer body 16 is exposed. The free end of the locking part 44 of the opening door 32 of the head holding part 22 is pushed downward (direction A in FIG. 4), and at the same time, the free end of the locking part 45 is pushed downward (direction B in FIG. 4). This releases the engagement between the recess 44a of the locking part 44 and the engagement protrusion 35, and the engagement between the recess 45a of the locking part 45 and the engagement protrusion 37. In this state, the opening door 32 is rotated from the closed position to the open position. When the opening door 32 is rotated to the open position, the thermal head 50 is removed from the head holding part 22.

After the thermal head 50 is removed from the head holding portion 22, the newly installed thermal head 50 is positioned on the main body 31. For example, the positioning protrusion 40 of the main body 31 is inserted into the opening 56 of the circuit board 51 of the newly installed thermal head 50, and the positioning protrusion 41 of the main body 31 is inserted into the opening 57. At the same time, the positioning protrusion 38 of the main body 31 is inserted into the recess 58 of the heat sink 52 of the thermal head 50, and the positioning protrusion 39 of the main body 31 is inserted into the recess 59 of the heat sink 52. This positions the thermal head 50 on the main body 31. After the thermal head 50 is positioned on the main body 31, the opening and closing door 32 in the open position is rotated to the closed position. When the opening and closing door 32 rotates toward the closed position, the engagement protrusion 35 of the main body 31 abuts against the inclined surface 44b of the locking portion 44 of the opening and closing door 32, elastically deforming the free end of the locking portion 44. At the same time, the engagement protrusion 37 of the main body 31 abuts against the inclined surface 45b of the locking portion 45 of the opening and closing door 32, elastically deforming the free end of the locking portion 45. Then, when the opening and closing door 32 rotates to the closed position, the free end of the locking portion 44 returns to its original state, and the engagement protrusion 35 of the main body 31 enters the recess 44a of the locking portion 44. At the same time, the free end of the locking portion 45 returns to its original state, and the engagement protrusion 37 of the main body 31 enters the recess 45a of the locking portion 45. As a result, the locking portion 44 of the opening and closing door 32 engages with the engagement protrusion 35 of the main body 31, and at the same time, the locking portion 45 of the opening and closing door 32 engages with the engagement protrusion 37 of the main body 31. As a result, the opening and closing door 32 is held in the closed position.

When the opening/closing door 32 is held in the closed position, the pressing protrusions 46, 47 on the opening/closing door 32 press the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50 toward the main body 31. Therefore, when the opening/closing door 32 is in the closed position, the connection between each contact of the contact portion 54 of the circuit board 51 of the thermal head 50 and each connection terminal 43 of the terminal portion 42 of the main body 31 is maintained.

Next, the procedure for attaching and detaching the feed roller 96 and the platen roller 97 to the roller holding section 24 will be described. In this case, the cover 15 is opened in the same way as when replacing the thermal head 50. This exposes the roller holding section 24 provided on the printer body 16. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the holding cover 68 is held in the closed position. In other words, the feed roller 96 is supported by the connecting plate 67 and the holding cover 68. At the same time, the platen roller 97 is supported by the side plates 65, 66 and the holding cover 68.

When a finger inserted through opening 91 of retaining cover 68 presses the free end of locking portion 93 toward the fixed end of locking portion 93, locking portion 93 is disengaged from connecting plate 67. At the same time, when a finger inserted through opening 92 of retaining cover 68 presses the free end of locking portion 94 toward the fixed end of locking portion 93, locking portion 94 is disengaged from connecting plate 67. By disengaging locking portions 93 and 94 from connecting plate 67, retaining cover 68 can be rotated from the closed position to the open position.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the retaining cover 68 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the support of the feed roller 96 by the connecting plate 67 and the retaining cover 68, and the support of the platen roller 97 by the side plates 65, 66 and the retaining cover 68 are released. When the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the open position, the feed roller 96 is supported across the bearings 77, 78 of the connecting plate 67. The platen roller 97 is supported across the side plates 65, 66.

For example, when replacing the feed roller 96, the currently installed feed roller 96 is pulled upward and removed from the bearings 77, 78 of the connecting plate 67. Then, a new feed roller 96 is attached across the bearings 77, 78 of the connecting plate 67.

When replacing the platen roller 97, the currently installed platen roller 97 is pulled upward and removed from the side plates 65, 66. Then, a new platen roller 97 is installed across the side plates 65, 66.

After replacing the rollers with new ones, the retaining cover 68 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. When the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, the guide piece 85 on the underside of the retaining cover 68 enters between the bearing portion 77 of the connecting plate 67 and the side plate 65. At the same time, the guide piece 87 on the underside of the retaining cover 68 enters between the bearing portion 78 of the connecting plate 67 and the side plate 66. This positions the retaining cover 68 relative to the connecting plate 67.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the retaining cover 68 is further rotated to the closed position, one end of the feed roller 96 supported by the connecting plate 67 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 86 of the retaining cover 68. At the same time, the other end of the feed roller 96 supported by the connecting plate 67 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 88 of the retaining cover 68.

In addition, one end of the platen roller 97 held across the side plates 65, 66 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 89a of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the holding cover 68. At the same time, the other end of the platen roller 97 held across the side plates 65, 66 is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 90a of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the holding cover 68.

Therefore, when the retaining cover 68 rotates to the closed position, the feed roller 96 is supported by the connecting plate 67 and the retaining cover 68. Also, the platen roller 97 is supported by the side plates 65, 66 and the retaining cover 68.

When the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, the locking portion 93 of the retaining cover 68 is inserted into the opening 79 of the connecting plate 67, and the locking portion 94 of the retaining cover 68 is inserted into the opening 80 of the connecting plate 67. In the process of being inserted into the opening 79 of the connecting plate 67, the locking portion 93 of the retaining cover 68 elastically deforms toward the fixed end while the free end side is in sliding contact with the peripheral portion of the opening 79. Then, when the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, the free end side of the locking portion 93 moves in a direction to return to its original state due to its own biasing force, that is, in a direction away from the fixed end side. This movement causes the locking projection 93a of the locking portion 93 to be locked on the underside of the connecting plate 67 and on the peripheral portion of the opening 79.

Similarly, the free end of the locking portion 94 of the retaining cover 68 elastically deforms toward the fixed end as it is inserted into the opening 80 of the connecting plate 67. Then, when the retaining cover 68 rotates to the closed position, the elastically deformed free end of the locking portion 94 of the retaining cover 68 moves in a direction that returns it to its original state due to its own biasing force, that is, in a direction away from the fixed end, and is locked to the underside of the connecting plate 67 and to the peripheral portion of the opening 80. This holds the retaining cover 68 in the closed position.

After at least one of the thermal head 50, the feed roller 96, and the platen roller 97 has been replaced, the lid 15 is closed. As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), when the lid 15 is closed, one end of the connecting shaft 33 of the head holding part 22 is engaged with the locking part 72 of the roller holding part 24, and the other end of the connecting shaft 33 is engaged with the locking part 73 of the roller holding part 24.

At this time, the restricting piece 34 of the body 31 of the head holding part 22 enters inside the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the holding cover 68 (towards the rotation center of the lid part 15) and comes into contact with the positioning protrusion 89b. At the same time, the restricting piece 36 of the body 31 of the head holding part 22 enters inside the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the holding cover 68 (towards the rotation center of the lid part 15) and comes into contact with the positioning protrusion 89b.

This positions the head holding part 22 relative to the roller holding part 24. When the head holding part 22 is positioned relative to the roller holding part 24, the auxiliary roller 23 journaled on the lid body 20 is pressed against the feed roller 96 journaled on the roller holding part 24. In addition, the heating element array 53 of the thermal head 50 held by the head holding part 22 is pressed against the platen roller 97, supporting the surface of the paper 101 being transported opposite the printing surface from below.

On the other hand, when replacing the thermal head 50, the cover 15 may be closed without rotating the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 to the closed position. In addition, when replacing at least one of the feed roller 96 or the platen roller 97, the cover 15 may be closed without securely closing the holding cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24.

The following describes the case where the lid 15 is closed without rotating the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding part 22 and the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24 to the closed position. At this time, as shown in Figures 12 to 14, for example, the slope 44b of the locking part 44 of the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding part 22 rides up on the top of the engagement protrusion 35 of the main body 31, and the slope 45b of the locking part 45 rides up on the top of the engagement protrusion 37 of the main body 31. Also, the locking protrusion 93a of the locking part 93 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24 abuts on the peripheral part of the opening 79 on the upper surface of the connecting plate 67, and the locking protrusion 94a of the locking part 94 abuts on the peripheral part of the opening 80 on the upper surface of the connecting plate 67.

In this state, the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding portion 24 is located on the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 34 provided on the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 held by the lid portion 15. Similarly, the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding portion 24 is located on the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 36 provided on the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 held by the lid portion 15. In addition, the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 is located at a position separated from the pressed surface 68a of the protective cover 68. Similarly, the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 is located at a position separated from the pressed surface 68b of the protective cover 68.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, when the lid 13 is closed, the regulating piece 34 of the body 31 of the head holding part 22 held by the lid body 20 abuts against the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24. At the same time, the regulating piece 36 of the body 31 of the head holding part 22 held by the lid body 20 abuts against the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing part 90 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24.

The restricting piece 34 of the body 31 of the head holding part 22 held by the lid body 20 presses the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24. At the same time, the restricting piece 36 of the body 31 of the head holding part 22 held by the lid body 30 presses the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing part 90 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24. Therefore, the holding cover 68 rotates toward the closed position.

When the retaining cover 68 starts to rotate, the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the retaining cover 68 moves away from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 34 of the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22. Then, at a position where the regulating piece 34 of the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 releases the pressure on the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the retaining cover 68 of the roller holding portion 24, the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 provided on the opening and closing door 32 comes into contact with the pressed surface 68a of the retaining cover 68.

In the same manner, the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the holding cover 68 retreats from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 36 of the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22. Then, as shown in FIG. 16, at the position where the regulating piece 36 of the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 releases the pressure on the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding portion 24, the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 provided on the opening and closing door 32 abuts against the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68. At this time, since the lid portion 15 is rotating in the closing direction, the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 presses the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68, and at the same time, the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 presses the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68. As a result, the holding cover 68 of the holding cover 68 is rotated toward the closed position.

When the retaining cover 68 rotates to the closed position, the locking projection 93a of the locking portion 93 is pressed against the periphery of the opening 79, and the free end of the locking portion 93 elastically deforms toward the fixed end. At the same time, the locking projection 94a of the locking portion 94 is pressed against the periphery of the opening 80, and the free end of the locking portion 94 elastically deforms toward the fixed end.

The free ends of the locking portions 93, 94 are elastically deformed, so that the locking portions 93, 94 are inserted into the openings 79, 80 while sliding against the peripheral portions of the openings 79, 80. When the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position, the free ends of the locking portions 93, 94 are returned to their original state by their own biasing force. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the locking projection 93a of the locking portion 93 is locked to the underside of the connecting plate 67 and the peripheral portion of the opening 79, and at the same time, the locking projection 94a of the locking portion 94 is locked to the underside of the connecting plate 67 and the peripheral portion of the opening 80. This holds the retaining cover 68 in the closed position.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the holding cover 68 is held in the closed position, the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 is in contact with the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68, and the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 is in contact with the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68. In this state, the lid portion 15 rotates in the direction to be closed, so the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 rotates together with the lid portion 15, while the opening and closing door 32 is restricted from rotating. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, the main body 31 rotates together with the lid portion 15, so that the engaging protrusion 35 of the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 engages with the recess 44a of the engaging portion 44 of the opening and closing door 32, and the engaging protrusion 37 of the main body 31 of the head holding portion 22 engages with the recess 45a of the engaging portion 45 of the opening and closing door 32. As a result, the opening and closing door 32 is held in the closed position.

Even after the opening and closing door 32 is held in the closed position, the lid portion 15 rotates in the direction to be closed. As described above, when the holding cover 68 is in the closed position, the positioning protrusion 89b of the holding cover 68 is in a position withdrawn from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 34 of the head holding portion 22. Similarly, the positioning protrusion 90 of the holding cover 68 is in a position withdrawn from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 36 of the head holding portion 22. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, when the lid portion 15 is completely closed, the regulating piece 34 of the head holding portion 22 is abutted against the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the holding cover 68 from the rotation center side of the lid portion 15. At the same time, the regulating piece 36 of the head holding portion 22 is abutted against the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the holding cover 68 from the rotation center side of the lid portion 15. As a result, the head holding portion 22 is positioned in the front-rear direction of the printer 10 with respect to the roller holding portion 24.

In addition, in the process of closing the lid 15, the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid body 20 of the lid 15 moves toward the upper surface of the holding cover 68 of the roller holding portion 24. As described above, the upper surface shape of the holding cover 68 is a shape in which the center in the width direction is located lower than both ends, that is, the center in the width direction is recessed. Therefore, when the lid 15 is closed, the head holding portion 22 provided on the lid body 20 of the lid 15 enters the recessed center part of the holding cover 68. As a result, the head holding portion 22 is positioned relative to the holding cover 68 in the width direction of the holding cover 68, i.e., in the left-right direction of the printer 10.

When the lid 15 is completely closed, one end of the connecting shaft 33 of the head holder 22 is engaged with the locking portion 72, and the other end is engaged with the locking portion 73, so that the lid 15 is held in the closed state.

In this way, even if the lid 15 is closed with the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24 not held in the closed position, when the lid 15 is closed, the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24 each rotate to the closed position and are held in the closed position. In other words, when the lid 15 is closed, the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24 are automatically locked and held in the closed position. This eliminates the need to provide a detection means for detecting whether the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24 are locked.

The restricting pieces 34 and 36 and the locking parts 44 and 45 of the head holding part 22 are positioned outward from both ends in the width direction of the thermal head 50, that is, they are positioned outward from both ends in the width direction of the paper 101 being transported when the printer 10 is in operation. In other words, these parts do not come into contact with the paper 101, so even if the lid body 15 is closed with the paper 101 set, when the lid part 15 is rotated to the closed position and locked, it is not affected by the paper 101, and the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding part 22 and the holding cover 68 of the roller holding part 24 are also automatically locked.

Although not described in the embodiment described above, it is possible to make it easier to identify replaceable parts by making the replaceable parts, such as the thermal head 50, the feed roller 96, and the platen roller 97, of different colors from the non-replaceable parts of the components that make up the printer 10. Furthermore, it is also possible to make the replacement work easier by making the parts that are moved during replacement, such as the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the head holding unit 24, of different colors from the two types of components described above.

In the embodiment described above, the state in which the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the retaining cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24 are not held in the closed position has been described. However, even if either the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 or the retaining cover 68 of the roller holding unit 24 is not held in the closed position, they will rotate to the closed position when the lid unit 15 is closed and will be held in the closed position in the same manner.

This prevents malfunction of the thermal head 50 held in the head holding section 22 and paper transport problems caused by the feed roller 96 and platen roller 97 held in the roller holding section 24.

In the embodiment described above, when the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the holding cover 68 is removed from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 34 of the head holding portion 22, and the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the holding cover 68 is removed from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 36 of the head holding portion 22, the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 of the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding portion 22 is abutted against the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68, and the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 of the opening and closing door 32 is abutted against the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68. However, the timing at which the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 of the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding portion 22 is abutted against the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68, and the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 of the opening and closing door 32 is abutted against the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68, is not limited to this.

For example, when the restricting piece 34 of the head holding part 22 is in contact with the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the holding cover 68 of the holding cover 68, and the restricting piece 36 of the head holding part 22 is in contact with the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing part 90 of the holding cover 68 of the holding cover 68 of the holding cover 68, the pressing part 44c of the locking part 44 of the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding part 22 may be in contact with the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68, and the pressing part 45c of the locking part 45 of the opening and closing door 32 may be in contact with the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68. In this case, the pressing part 44c of the locking part 44 of the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding part 22 and the pressing part 45c of the locking part 45 of the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding part 22, together with the restricting piece 34 and the restricting piece 36 of the head holding part 22, press the holding cover 68 to the closed position.

In addition, the method of rotating the holding cover 68 to the closed position is not limited to the above configuration. For example, instead of the regulating piece 34 of the head holding part 22 pressing the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the protective cover 68 and the regulating piece 36 pressing the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing part 90 of the holding cover 68, the pressing part 44c of the locking part 44 of the opening and closing door 32 of the head holding part 22 pressing the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68 and the pressing part 45c of the locking part 45 of the opening and closing door 32 pressing the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68, it is also possible to rotate the holding cover 68 to the closed position. In this case, the pressing part 44c of the locking part 44 needs to abut against the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68 before the regulating piece 34 of the head holding part 22 abuts against the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing part 89 of the protective cover 68. Similarly, the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 must come into contact with the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68 before the restricting piece 36 of the head holding portion 22 comes into contact with the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the protective cover 68.

In addition, there is no need for the pressing portion 44c of the locking portion 44 of the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding portion 22 to press the pressed surface 68a of the holding cover 68, and for the pressing portion 45c of the locking portion 45 of the opening/closing door 32 to press the pressed surface 68b of the holding cover 68. Instead, the restricting piece 34 of the head holding portion 22 presses the positioning protrusion 89b of the shaft pressing portion 89 of the protective cover 68, and the restricting piece 36 presses the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the protective cover 68, thereby preventing the shaft of the protective cover 68 from being pressed. After the positioning protrusion 89b of the pressing portion 89 is retracted from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 34 of the head holding portion 22, and the positioning protrusion 90b of the shaft pressing portion 90 of the protective cover 68 is retracted from the rotation trajectory of the regulating piece 36 of the head holding portion 22, the regulating piece 34 of the head holding portion 22 can press the shaft pressing portion 89 of the holding cover 68, and the regulating piece 36 of the head holding portion 22 can press the shaft pressing portion 90, respectively, to rotate the holding cover 68 to the closed position.

<Overview of the embodiment>
The present invention relates to a holding structure for a platen roller that is disposed in a position opposite a thermal head that prints on paper, and to a printer.

For example, in conventional printers, when a thermal head is attached, the recessed portion of the thermal head is fitted into the protruding portion of the head unit, and the claws on the head unit are engaged with the grooves on the top end of the thermal head, and then the shielding member is closed. When the shielding member is closed, the retracted connector moves toward the thermal head, and the connection part of the thermal head is inserted into the connector. However, if the cover is closed without closing the shielding member securely, the connection part of the thermal head is not completely inserted into the connector, and power is not supplied to the head unit properly, and problems such as a short circuit can occur between the connection part of the thermal head and the connector.

In addition, in conventional printers, the inner cover is attached to the printer frame by inserting (pressing) the U-shaped mounting tabs on the back side into the recesses in the printer frame. However, if the mounting tabs of the inner cover are not firmly pressed into the recesses in the frame, the components near the inner cover will not be properly installed inside the printer, causing problems with paper transport and printing by the thermal head.

The present invention was made in consideration of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can keep the internal covers closed and the components inside the printer in the correct position when the printer cover is closed with the internal covers not properly closed.

In the above embodiment, the printer 10 has a lid 15 that rotates when opening and closing, a head holder 22 that has an opening/closing door 32 for attaching and detaching a thermal head 50 that prints on the printing surface of the paper, and a roller holder 24 that has a holding cover 68 for attaching and detaching a platen roller 97 that supports the surface opposite the printing surface of the paper when printing with the thermal head 50, and is positioned below the head holder 22 when the lid 15 is closed. When the lid 15 is closed with the holding cover 68 and the opening/closing door 32 open, the head holder 22 presses the holding cover 68 of the roller holder 24 in accordance with the rotation of the lid 15 to hold the holding cover 68 in a closed state, and the opening/closing door 32 of the head holder 22 is held in a closed state.

Accordingly, even if the retaining cover 68 of the roller retaining unit 24 has not been rotated completely to the closed position, for example, when replacing the feed roller 96 or the platen roller 97, the retaining cover 68 is rotated to the closed position and held in the closed position by simply closing the lid unit 15. Also, even if the opening/closing door 32 of the head retaining unit 22 has not been rotated completely to the closed position, for example, when replacing the thermal head 50, the opening/closing door 32 is rotated to the closed position and held in the closed position by simply closing the lid unit 15. As a result, even if you forget to close the internal covers, you can close each cover by simply closing the lid unit.

The head holding unit 22 is attached to the opening and closing door 32 via a connecting shaft 33, and the roller holding unit 24 has locking units 72 and 73 that lock onto the connecting shaft 33 when the lid unit 15 is closed.

Accordingly, the lid 15 is closed after the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the head holding unit 22 are each held in the closed position. Therefore, by closing the lid 15, the opening/closing door 32 of the head holding unit 22 and the holding cover 68 of the head holding unit 22 can be reliably held in the closed position.

In addition, by configuring the locking portions 72 and 73 of the roller holding portion 24 to lock onto the connecting shaft 33 when the lid portion 15 is closed, the connecting shaft 33 can be used not only to connect the lid portion 15 and the head holding portion, but also to lock the locking portions 72 and 73 of the roller holding portion 24.

The head holding unit 22 has locking portions 44, 45 provided on the opening/closing door 32, and engagement protrusions 35, 37 that engage with the locking portions 44, 45 when the opening/closing door 32 is closed, and has a main body 31 that holds the thermal head 50 between itself and the closed opening/closing door 32, and the locking portions 44, 45 press against the holding cover 68 when the lid portion 15 is closed to close the holding cover 68.

As a result, when the lid portion 15 is closed while the retaining cover 68 is not held in the closed position, the retaining cover 68 can be rotated to the closed position by the pressure of the engagement protrusions 35, 37 that engage with the locking portions 44, 45 of the opening and closing door 32.

When the opening/closing door 32 is in contact with the closed retaining cover 68, the relative position between it and the main body 31, which rotates together with the lid portion 15, changes, and the locking portion 44 engages with the locking protrusion 35, and the locking portion 45 engages with the locking protrusion 37, thereby keeping the door in a closed state.

Accordingly, when the opening/closing door 32 is not in the closed position, the relative position between the opening/closing door 32 pressing the retaining cover 68 and the main body 31 changes, and the opening/closing door 32 is closed and maintained in the closed state. As a result, when the opening/closing door 32 of the head retaining unit 22 is not completely closed, the opening/closing door 32 is closed simply by closing the lid unit 15, and the thermal head is held between the main body 31 and the opening/closing door 32, preventing the occurrence of misalignment of the printing position when the thermal head 50 prints on the paper 101.

The roller holding portion 24 also has locking portions 93, 94 provided on the holding cover 68, openings 79, 80 that engage with the locking portions 93, 94 when the holding cover 68 is closed, bearing portions 65a, 66a that support the platen roller 97, and shaft pressing portions 89, 90 that are provided on the holding cover 68 and press the platen roller 97 supported by the bearing portions 65a, 66a when the holding cover 68 is closed. The holding cover 68 rotates when pressed by the locking portions 44, 45, and the locking portions 93, 94 engage with the openings 79, 80 to be held in a closed state.

As a result, even if the lid portion 15 is closed without closing the retaining cover 68 of the roller retaining portion 24, the retaining cover 68 is closed. By closing the retaining cover 68, the platen roller 97 is reliably supported between the bearing portions 65a, 66a of the side plate 65 and the shaft pressing portions 89, 90 of the retaining cover 68. As a result, when the paper 101 is transported, the occurrence of paper jams in the transport path of the paper 101 can be prevented.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 printer 15 lid 16 printer body 22 head holder 24 roller holder 31 body 32 openable/closable door 35, 37 engaging projections 44, 45 latching portion 50 thermal head 67 connecting plate 68 holding cover 96 feed roller 97 platen roller 101 paper

Claims (5)

In a printer having a printer cover that rotates when opening and closing,
a first holder having a head cover for attaching and detaching a thermal head that prints on a printing surface of paper;
a second holding section having a holding cover for attaching and detaching a platen roller that supports a surface of the paper opposite to a printing surface when printing is performed by the thermal head, the second holding section being disposed below the first holding section when the printer cover is closed;
Including,
A printer characterized in that, when the printer cover is closed while the retaining cover and the head cover are not closed, the first retaining portion presses the retaining cover of the second retaining portion in accordance with the rotation of the printer cover, thereby maintaining the retaining cover in a closed state, and the head cover of the first retaining portion in a closed state. 2. The printer according to claim 1,
the first holding portion is attached to the printer cover via a connecting member,
The printer according to claim 1, wherein the second holding portion has a locking member that is locked to the connecting member when the printer cover is closed. 3. The printer according to claim 1,
The first holding portion includes:
A first engaging portion provided on the head cover;
a main body having an engagement protrusion that is engaged with the first engagement portion when the head cover is closed, and holding the thermal head between the main body and the closed head cover;
having
The printer, wherein the first engaging portion presses the holding cover when the printer cover is closed, thereby closing the holding cover. 4. The printer according to claim 3,
A printer characterized in that, when the head cover is abutted against the closed retaining cover, the relative position between the head cover and the main body which rotates together with the printer cover changes, and the first engagement portion engages with the engagement protrusion to maintain the head cover in a closed state. 5. The printer according to claim 1,
The second holding portion includes:
a second locking portion provided on the retaining cover;
an engagement portion that is engaged with the second locking portion when the retaining cover is closed;
a support portion that supports the platen roller;
a shaft pressing portion provided on the holding cover, the shaft pressing portion pressing the platen roller supported by the support portion when the holding cover is closed.

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