JP7776170B2 - printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printer and thermal head that has multiple heating elements arranged across the width of the paper being transported, and prints on the paper by heat generated by any one of the multiple heating elements.

Thermal printers that use a thermal head to print on print media such as strip-shaped labels or paper are commonly available. Thermal heads are consumables, and when they reach the end of their life or malfunction, they need to be replaced. Thermal head replacement is usually done by sending the printer to a factory owned by the thermal printer's distributor or by a maintenance company, so replacing the thermal head is a significant burden on the thermal printer owner.

In recent years, thermal printers have been proposed that allow owners to easily replace their thermal heads (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). In Patent Document 1, the thermal head is held inside the printer with one end of the thermal head fitted into the print head base and one end engaged with the print head holder. In Patent Document 1, the thermal head is removed from the print head holder by deforming the print head holder to release the engagement at one end of the thermal head.

In addition, in Patent Document 2, the thermal head is fixed to the head unit by fitting a protrusion on the claw into a groove on the side of the thermal head. Patent Document 2 discloses that the connector is connected to the connection part of the thermal head by rotating the shielding member toward the head unit. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, removing the thermal head from the head unit requires two steps: rotating the shielding member away from the head unit to disconnect the connector from the connection part of the thermal head, and disengaging the protrusion on the inside of the claw from the groove in the thermal head.

JP 2014-133364 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-147347

As mentioned above, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the thermal head is attached and detached by elastically deforming the tabs on the print head holder or head unit. Therefore, when an inexperienced user attempts to replace the thermal head, there is a risk of damaging the print head holder or the tabs on the head unit, as well as the thermal head itself.

In addition, in Patent Document 2, the connection or disconnection between the connector and the connecting portion of the thermal head is performed by opening and closing a shielding member. The thermal head is attached to the head unit, for example, by inserting a convex portion of the head unit into a concave portion of the thermal head, and then fitting a protrusion on the claw into a groove on the side of the thermal head .

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that allows for easy attachment and detachment of a thermal head.

In order to solve the above problem, according to a first aspect, a printer that prints on transported paper is characterized by having a holding section that holds a thermal head, a first regulating section that regulates the orientation of the thermal head attached to the holding section, and a second regulating section that regulates the position of the thermal head in the width direction of the paper.

In another aspect, a thermal head is held in a holding section provided in a printer and prints while conveyed paper is pressed against a platen roller, and includes a substrate having: a plurality of heating elements; a heat dissipation member that dissipates heat generated by the plurality of heating elements; a first surface on which the plurality of heating elements are arranged along the width direction of the paper; and a second surface located on the back side of the first surface and having contact portions that come into contact with the heat dissipation member and terminal portions provided on the holding section, wherein the substrate has a restriction portion that receives a guide portion provided on the holding section when the thermal head is attached to the holding section in a first orientation, but is unable to receive the guide portion when the thermal head is attached to the holding section in a second orientation different from the first orientation, thereby restricting the orientation of the thermal head attached to the holding section.

According to the present invention, the thermal head can be easily attached and detached.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the main internal configuration of the printer related to printing. FIG. 3( a ) is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the roller holding portion when the protective cover is in the closed position, and FIG. 3( b ) is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the roller holding portion when the protective cover is in the closed position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a head holding unit and a thermal head. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion when a thermal head is attached to an opening/closing door. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion when the opening and closing door is rotated to a closed position. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the head holding portion and the roller holding portion when the lid portion is open, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the head holding portion and the roller holding portion when the lid portion is closed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a head holding unit and a thermal head according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion when a thermal head is attached to a main body. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion when the opening and closing door is rotated to a closed position. FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a head holding unit and a thermal head according to a third embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion when a thermal head is attached to a main body. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a head holding portion when the opening and closing door is rotated to a closed position. FIG.

The following describes a first embodiment of a printer incorporating the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a printer according to the present embodiment, and Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the main internal configuration of the printer related to printing.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, printer 10 is a device that performs thermal head printing on paper 21a fed from a paper roll 21 stored inside as it is transported, and ejects the printed paper, for example, from the front of printer 10. The information printed on the paper is, for example, information based on the user's operation of display panel 22.

The printer 10 includes a printer body 15, a lid 16, and a handle 17. The lid 16 is pivotally supported on the rear side of the printer body 15 and is opened and closed, for example, when loading a paper roll 21 or replacing the thermal head 85 (described below). The lid 16 has a display panel 22 located on its upper surface.

The handles 17 are pivotally supported on both sides of the printer body 15. The handles 17 are grasped by the user when transporting the printer 10.

The printer 10 has a roller holding unit 23 in the printer body 15. The printer 10 also has a head holding unit 26 journaled on the lid body 25 of the lid unit 16. The roller holding unit 23 and the head holding unit 26 are each positioned so that, when the lid unit 16 is closed, the heating element array 90 of the thermal head 85 can be pressed against the platen roller 28 (described below).

As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the roller holder 23 supports the conveying roller 27 and the platen roller 28.

The roller holding unit 23 has side plates 31, 32, a connecting plate 33, and a holding cover 34. The side plates 31, 32 are arranged at a fixed interval in the y direction in Figure 3(b). The connecting plate 33 is arranged between the side plates 31, 32, which are arranged at a fixed interval.

The side plates 31, 32 detachably hold the platen roller 28 at one end in the x direction in Figure 3(a) or 3(b). The side plates 31, 32 also support the retaining cover 34 at the other end in the x direction in Figure 3(a) or 3(b).

The side plates 31, 32 support a connecting shaft 35. Both ends of the connecting shaft 35 in the axial direction (direction y in Figure 3) protrude outward from the side plates 31, 32. The connecting shaft 35 has locking pieces 36, 37 fixed to the portions protruding outward from the side plates 31, 32, respectively.

Although not shown, the locking pieces 36, 37 are biased in direction A in Figure 3(a) and are held in the locking position shown in Figure 3(a). The locking position is the position of the locking pieces 36, 37 when the lid 16 is closed and locked to the connecting shaft 63 (described below). Note that engaging portions provided on the lid body 25 of the lid 16 correspond to each of the locking pieces 36, 37. Furthermore, the locking pieces 36, 37 rotate in direction B in Figure 3(a) when an opening/closing lever (not shown) is operated or when pressed by the connecting shaft 63.

Of the side plates 31 and 32, side plate 31 is equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) that rotates the conveyor roller 27 and the platen roller 28. The drive mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism composed of multiple gears, or a mechanism composed of a belt and pulleys.

The connecting plate 33 is an L-shaped member that straddles the upper surface of the roller holding portion 23 and the rear surface of the roller holding portion 23. The connecting plate 33 has bearing portions 41 and 42 on its upper surface near the bent portion of the connecting plate 33. The bearing portions 41 and 42 hold the conveying rollers 27.

The connecting plate 33 also has openings 43 and 44 along the axial direction (y direction in Figure 3(a) or Figure 3(b)) of the conveying roller 27 held by the bearing portions 41 and 42. A locking piece 50 provided on the underside of the retaining cover 34 is inserted into the opening 43 when the retaining cover 34 is moved to the closed position. A locking piece 51 provided on the underside of the retaining cover 34 is inserted into the opening 44 when the retaining cover 34 is moved to the closed position.

The holding cover 34 is supported by a shaft with its center of rotation near the conveying roller 27 held by the roller holding portion 23. The holding cover 34 rotates between the closed position shown in Figure 3(a) and the open position shown in Figure 3(b).

When the retaining cover 34 is in the closed position, it is positioned above the connecting plate 33. In this state, the conveying roller 27 held by the roller holding section 23 is supported by the connecting plate 33 and the retaining cover 34. The platen roller 28 is supported by the side plates 31 and 32 and the retaining cover 34.

On the other hand, when the retaining cover 34 is in the open position, the retaining cover 34 retracts from above the connecting plate 33. In this state, the conveying roller 27 is released from its axial support by the connecting plate 33 and retaining cover 34 and is held by the connecting plate 33. At the same time, the platen roller 28 is released from its axial support by the side plates 31, 32 and retaining cover 34 and is held across the side plates 31, 32. Therefore, when the retaining cover 34 is in the open position, the conveying roller 27 can be attached and detached from the connecting plate 33. The platen roller 28 can also be attached and detached from the side plates 31, 32.

The retaining cover 34 has a guide piece 34a and a shaft insertion portion 34b at one end, which is the rotation center of the retaining cover 34 and also at both ends in the width direction of the retaining cover 34, i.e., at one end in the axial direction of the conveying roller 27 (y direction in Figure 3(a) or Figure 3(b)), and a guide piece 34c and a shaft insertion portion 34d at the other end. When the retaining cover 34 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the guide piece 34a enters between the side plate 31 and the bearing portion 41 of the connecting plate 33. Furthermore, the guide piece 34c enters between the side plate 32 and the bearing portion 42 of the connecting plate 33 when the retaining cover 34 is rotated from the open position to the closed position.

When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, one end of the conveying roller 27 in the axial direction (the left end in FIG. 3(a) or 3(b)) fits into the shaft insertion portion 34b. When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, the other end of the conveying roller 27 in the axial direction (the right end in FIG. 3(a) or 3(b)) fits into the shaft insertion portion 34d.

The retaining cover 34 has shaft retainers 45, 46 at its free end, both widthwise ends of the retaining cover 34, i.e., both axial ends of the conveying roller 27. The shaft retainer 45 has a shaft insertion portion 45a and a positioning protrusion 45b. When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, one axial end of the platen roller 28 (the left end in Figure 3(a) or 3(b)) fits into the shaft insertion portion 45a. Furthermore, when the lid 16 is closed, the positioning protrusion 45b abuts against a restriction piece 65 provided on the main body 61 of the head holder 26, which is journaled on the lid main body 25 of the lid 16, from the rotation center side of the lid 16 (see Figures 7(a) and 7(b)).

The shaft pressing portion 46 has a shaft insertion portion 46a and a positioning protrusion 46b. When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, the other axial end of the platen roller 28 (the right end in FIG. 3(a) or 3(b)) fits into the shaft insertion portion 46a. Furthermore, when the lid portion 16 is closed, the positioning protrusion 46b abuts against a restricting piece 66 provided on the main body 61 of the head holding portion 26, which is journaled on the lid main body 25 of the lid portion 16, from the rotation center side of the lid portion 16 (see FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)).

When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, it supports the conveying roller 27 between the connecting plate 33 and the retaining cover 34, and simultaneously supports the platen roller 28 between the side plates 31, 32 and the retaining cover 34. Furthermore, when the lid portion 16 is closed with the retaining cover 34 in the closed position, the positioning protrusion 45b abuts against the restricting piece 65 provided on the main body 61 of the head retaining portion 26, and the positioning protrusion 46b abuts against the restricting piece 66 provided on the main body 61 of the head retaining portion 26, thereby positioning the head retaining portion 26 relative to the roller retaining portion 23.

The retaining cover 34 has openings 47, 48 along the width direction (y direction in Figure 3(a) or Figure 3(b)). The retaining cover 34 has locking pieces 50, 51 that protrude downward from the peripheral edges of the openings 47, 48, respectively. The locking pieces 50, 51 are generally V-shaped and convex downward. One end of the locking piece 50 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the opening 47 on the underside of the retaining cover 34. The locking piece 50 has a locking protrusion 50a on its free end. When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, the locking piece 50 is inserted into the opening 43 of the connecting plate 33, and the locking protrusion 50a is locked to the peripheral edge of the opening 43 on the underside of the connecting plate 33. Similarly, one end of the locking piece 51 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the opening 48 on the underside of the retaining cover 34. The locking piece 51 has a locking protrusion 51a at its free end. When the retaining cover 34 is rotated to the closed position, the locking piece 51 is inserted into the opening 44 of the connecting plate 33, and the locking protrusion 51a locks onto the periphery of the opening 44 on the underside of the connecting plate 33.

The engagement of the locking pieces 50, 51 with the connecting plate 33 can be released, for example, by inserting a finger through each of the openings 47, 48 provided in the retaining cover 34 and pressing the free ends of the locking pieces 50, 51 toward the fixed side, thereby elastically deforming each of the locking pieces 50, 51.

The transport roller 27 is held on the upper surface of the connecting plate 33 of the roller holding section 23. The transport roller 27 rotates while clamping the paper 22a fed from the paper roll 21 between itself and the transport roller 55, which is journaled on the lid body 25 of the lid section 16, and feeds the strip of paper 21a downstream in the transport direction, i.e., toward the platen roller 28.

The platen roller 28 is held downstream of the transport roller 27, straddling the side plates 31 and 32 of the roller holder 23. When the lid 16 is closed, the platen roller 28 rotates while receiving the backside of the paper 21a against which the heating element array 90 of the thermal head 85 is pressed. The paper 21a fed from the paper roll 21 is sandwiched between the transport roller 27 and the transport roller 55, and at the same time, is sandwiched between the thermal head 85 and the platen roller 28. In this state, the paper 21a positioned between the transport roller 27 and the platen roller 28 is held in a state where it is floating above the top surface of the connecting plate 33.

Returning to Figure 2, the lid portion 16 is pivotally supported at the rear end of the printer body 15 described above. The lid portion 16 has a lid main body 25. The lid main body 25 holds the head holding portion 26 on the front side of the printer 10.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the head holding unit 26 has a main body 61 and an opening/closing door 62. The main body 61 is pivotally supported, for example, by the lid main body 25. By pivotally supporting the main body 61 on the lid main body 25, the heating element array 90 of the thermal head 85 can be reliably pressed against the platen roller 28.

The main body 61 supports the opening/closing door 62 at its lower end in the z direction in Figure 4. Therefore, the axial direction of the opening/closing door 62 is the y direction in Figure 4. The main body 61 is supported on the lid main body 25 by a connecting shaft 63 on the back side, opposite the side on which the opening/closing door 62 opens and closes. The connecting shaft 63 is held with both ends protruding from the main body 61. When the lid 16 is closed, locking pieces 36, 37 provided on the roller holding portion 23 lock onto both ends of the connecting shaft 63.

The main body 61 has restricting pieces 65 and 66 at its upper end in the z direction and at both ends in the y direction in FIG. 4 . The length (distance) from the inner wall surface of the restricting piece 65 to the inner wall surface of the restricting piece 66 is set to be approximately the same as the length of the thermal head 85. The restricting pieces 65 and 66 restrict the widthwise movement of the thermal head 85 attached to the head holder 26 when the opening/closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position. When the lid 16 is closed, the restricting piece 65 abuts against the positioning protrusion 45b of the shaft retainer 45 of the retaining cover 34 of the printer body 15 , and the restricting piece 66 abuts against the positioning protrusion 46b of the shaft retainer 46 of the retaining cover 34 of the printer body 15, from the rotation center side of the lid 16. This abutment positions the head holder 26 relative to the roller holder 23. The restricting pieces 65 and 66 correspond to positioning means.

The main body 61 has positioning protrusions 67, 68 between the restricting pieces 65, 66. The positioning protrusion 67 is inserted into an insertion hole 97 of the thermal head 85 attached to the opening/closing door 62 when the opening/closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position. The positioning protrusion 68 is inserted into an insertion hole 98 of the thermal head 85 attached to the opening/closing door 62 when the opening/closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position. This positions the thermal head 85 relative to the main body 61. The positioning protrusions 67, 68 correspond to positioning means. The insertion holes 97, 98 correspond to insertion portions.

The main body 61 has bosses 69 and 70 below the positioning protrusions 67 and 68. The boss 69 has a recess 69a at its tip. The recess 69a abuts against a positioning protrusion 81 provided on the opening and closing door 62 when the opening and closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position. The boss 70 has a recess 70a at its tip. The recess 70a abuts against a positioning protrusion 82 provided on the opening and closing door 62 when the opening and closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position.

The main body 61 has an opening (not shown) between the bosses 69 and 70. The opening is located at the lower end where the opening/closing door 62 is pivotally supported. A terminal portion 71 is inserted into the opening. The terminal portion 71 has multiple connection terminals 72 that come into contact with the contact portions 88 of the thermal head 85.

The main body 61 has engagement portions 73, 74 at both ends in the y direction in Figure 4. The engagement portion 73 engages with a recess 77a provided in a locking piece 77 of the opening/closing door 62. The engagement portion 74 engages with a recess 78a provided in a locking piece 78 of the opening/closing door 62.

The opening/closing door 62 is, for example, a substantially rectangular member. The opening/closing door 62 is pivotally supported on the lower end of the main body 61, with one end in the short direction serving as the center of rotation. With the thermal head 85 attached, the opening/closing door 62 rotates between the closed position (see Figure 6) and the open position (see Figure 4), with the y direction in Figure 4 being the rotation centerline. When the opening/closing door 62 is in the closed position, the thermal head 85 is held with the contact portion 88 pressed against multiple connection terminals 72 provided on the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61.

On the other hand, when the opening/closing door 62 is in the open position, the thermal head 85 rotates together with the opening/closing door 62. This releases the pressure contact between the contact portion 88 of the thermal head 85 and the multiple connection terminals 72 provided on the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61.

The door 62 has locking pieces 77, 78 at both ends in the shorter direction, opposite the end that serves as the center of rotation, and at both ends in the longer direction. The locking pieces 77, 78 are generally V-shaped members with one end connected to the door 62. The locking piece 77 has a recess 77a at its free end. The recess 77a engages with an engaging portion 73 provided on the main body 61. The locking piece 78 has a recess 78a at its free end. The recess 78a engages with an engaging portion 74 provided on the main body 61. The door 62 is held in the closed position by the recess 77a of the locking piece 77 engaging with the engaging portion 73 of the main body 61 and the recess 78a of the locking piece 78 engaging with the engaging portion 74 of the main body 61.

The opening/closing door 62 has positioning protrusions 81, 82 and a guide piece 83 on the surface facing the main body 61 when in the closed position. The positioning protrusion 81 is inserted into an insertion hole 91 in the substrate 86 of the thermal head 85 when the thermal head 85 is attached. Furthermore, the positioning protrusion 82 is inserted into an insertion hole 92 in the substrate 86 of the thermal head 85 when the thermal head 85 is attached.

The guide piece 83 fits into the notch 93 provided in the base plate 86 of the thermal head 85, allowing the thermal head 85 to be attached to the door 62 in the correct orientation. When the thermal head 85 is attached in the correct orientation, the contact portion 88 of the base plate 86 of the thermal head 85 is held on the upper surface.

The thermal head 85 includes a substrate 86 and a heat sink 87. The substrate 86 has a contact portion 88 with multiple contacts on one side to which the heat sink 87 is fixed. When the thermal head 85 is attached to the head holding unit 26, the contact portion 88 is pressed against multiple connection terminals 72 protruding from the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61. As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate 86 has a heating element array 90 on the side opposite the side on which the contact portion 88 is provided, which extends in the width direction of the paper 22a (y direction in FIG. 6). The heating element array 90 is composed of an array of multiple heating elements.

The substrate 86 has insertion holes 91 and 92 outside the contact portion 88. The insertion hole 91 accepts the positioning protrusion 81 of the opening/closing door 62, and the insertion hole 92 accepts the positioning protrusion 82 of the opening/closing door 62. The substrate 86 also has a notch 93 at one end in the width direction. The notch 86a receives the guide piece 83 of the opening/closing door 62 when the thermal head 85 is attached to the opening/closing door 62.

The heat sink 87 dissipates heat generated by the heating element array 90. The heat sink 87 has insertion holes 95 and 96. The positioning protrusion 67 is inserted into the insertion hole 95 when the opening/closing door 62 is moved to the closed position. The positioning protrusion 68 is inserted into the insertion hole 96 when the opening/closing door 62 is moved to the closed position.

Next, the procedure for attaching the thermal head 85 to the head holder 26 will be described. The lid 16 of the printer 10 is opened to expose the head holder 26, which is pivotally supported on the lid body 25. At this time, the opening/closing door 62 of the head holder 26 is in the closed position. Therefore, the free ends of the locking pieces 77 and 78 of the opening/closing door 62 are pressed downward (direction C in Figure 6). Pressing the free ends of the locking pieces 77 and 78 downward causes the locking pieces 77 and 78 to elastically deform. As a result, the recessed portions 77a of the locking pieces 77 and 78 are disengaged from the engaging portions 73 of the main body 61, and the recessed portions 78a of the locking pieces 78 and 74 of the main body 61 are disengaged. In this state, the opening/closing door 62 is rotated from the closed position to the open position. The opening/closing door 62 holds the thermal head 85. Therefore, when the opening/closing door 62 is rotated to the open position, the connection between the contact portion 88 of the thermal head 85 held by the opening/closing door 62 and the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61 is released.

After the door 62 has rotated to the open position, remove the thermal head 85 from the door 62 and attach a new thermal head 85 to the door 62. At this time, attach the thermal head 85 to the door 62 so that the contact portion 88 of the circuit board 86 of the thermal head 85 is positioned on the upper surface.

When attaching the thermal head 85 to the door 62, the positioning protrusion 81 of the door 62 is inserted into the insertion hole 91, and the positioning protrusion 82 of the door 62 is inserted into the insertion hole 92. At this time, the notch 93 in the base plate 86 of the thermal head 85 receives the guide piece 83 of the door 62. This ensures that the thermal head 85 is attached in the correct orientation.

In this state, the door 62 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. When the door 62 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the engaging portion 73 of the main body 61 abuts against the guide surface 77b provided near the recess 77a of the locking piece 77 of the door 62, elastically deforming the locking piece 77. At the same time, the engaging portion 74 of the main body 61 abuts against the guide surface 78b provided near the recess 78a of the locking piece 78 of the door 62, elastically deforming the locking piece 78.

When the door 62 is rotated to the closed position, the engaging portion 73 of the main body 61 engages with the recess 77a of the locking piece 77. At the same time, the engaging portion 74 of the main body 61 engages with the recess 78a of the locking piece 78. This holds the door 62 in the closed position.

When the opening/closing door 62 is in the closed position, the positioning protrusion 67 of the main body 61 is inserted into the insertion hole 95 of the thermal head 85 attached to the opening/closing door 62. At the same time, the positioning protrusion 68 of the main body 61 is inserted into the insertion hole 96 of the thermal head 85 attached to the opening/closing door 62. This positions the thermal head 85 relative to the main body 61. In this state, the contact portions 88 of the thermal head 85 are held in pressure contact with the connection terminals 72 of the terminal portion 71 provided on the main body 61. At this time, because the terminal portions 71 provided on the main body 61 are positioned toward the center of rotation of the opening/closing door 62, the contact portions 88 of the thermal head 85 are securely pressed against the connection terminals 72 of the terminal portion 71 provided on the main body 61.

Furthermore, the positioning protrusion 81 of the opening/closing door 62 abuts against the recess 69a of the boss 69 of the main body 61, and the positioning protrusion 82 of the opening/closing door 62 abuts against the recess 70a of the boss 70 of the main body 61. This positions the opening/closing door 62 relative to the main body 61.

When the lid 16 is closed in this state, one end of the connecting shaft 63 of the head holder 26, which is journaled on the lid body 25, presses against the locking claw 36a of the locking piece 36, and the other end presses against the locking claw 37a of the locking piece 37. This causes the locking pieces 36 and 37 to rotate in the direction B in Figure 4(a). When the lid 16 is completely closed, the locking pieces 36 and 37 rotate in the direction A in Figure 4(a) and return from the retracted position to the locking position. As a result, the locking pieces 36 and 37 are locked to the connecting shaft 63.

Here, when the retaining cover 34 of the roller retaining unit 23 is in the closed position, the positioning protrusion 45b of the shaft pressing portion 45 of the retaining cover 34 is located outside the movement trajectory of the restricting piece 65 of the main body 61 of the head retaining unit 26 when the lid unit 16 is rotated. Similarly, the positioning protrusion 46b of the shaft pressing portion 46 of the retaining cover 34 is located outside the movement trajectory of the restricting piece 66 of the main body 61 of the head retaining unit 26 when the lid unit 16 is rotated. Therefore, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), when the lid unit 16 is closed (rotated in direction D in Figure 7(a)) with the retaining cover 34 of the roller retaining unit 23 in the closed position, the restricting piece 65 of the main body 61 of the head retaining unit 26 abuts against the positioning protrusion 45b of the shaft pressing portion 45 of the retaining cover 34 from the rotation center side of the lid unit 16. At the same time, the restricting piece 66 of the main body 61 of the head holding unit 26 abuts against the positioning protrusion 46b of the shaft pressing portion 46 of the holding cover 34 from the rotation center side of the lid unit 16. This positions the head holding unit 26 in the front-to-rear direction of the printer 10 relative to the roller holding unit 23. Note that when the lid unit 16 is closed, the heating element array 90 of the thermal head 85 held by the head holding unit 26 is pressed against the platen roller 28. Furthermore, when the thermal head 85 is attached to the head holding unit 26, the heating element array 90 provided on the substrate 86 of the thermal head 85 is exposed from the opening and closing door 62.

After attaching the thermal head 85 to the opening/closing door 62, the thermal head 85 can be easily attached to the head holding unit 26 by rotating the opening/closing door 62 to the closed position. Rotating the opening/closing door 62 to the closed position also allows the contact portion 88 on the circuit board 86 of the thermal head 85 to be pressed into contact with the multiple connection terminals 72 provided on the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61. This eliminates the need for a connector configuration for the thermal head 85 or head holding unit 26, allowing for a simplified configuration of the thermal head 85 and head holding unit 26.

In this embodiment, the thermal head 85 is positioned and held on the door 62, and the door 62 is then rotated from the open position to the closed position. When the door 62 is rotated to the closed position, the contact portions 88 of the thermal head 85 come into contact with the connection terminals 72 of the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61. To ensure reliable contact between the contact portions 88 of the thermal head 85 and the connection terminals 72 of the terminal portion 71 of the main body 61, the positioning protrusions 81, 82 on the door 62 can be configured to not only position the thermal head 85 held on the door 62, but also to press the areas near the insertion holes 91, 92 on the base plate 86 of the thermal head 85 toward the main body 61 when the door 62 is rotated to the closed position.

In the above-described embodiment, the thermal head 85 is attached to the opening/closing door 62 of the head holder 26, and then the opening/closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position to attach the thermal head 85 to the head holder 26. However, the method for attaching the thermal head to the head holder is not limited to this. For example, the thermal head can also be attached to the main body instead of the opening/closing door, and then the thermal head can be attached to the head holder by rotating the opening/closing door to the closed position.

Second Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 8 , the head holder 100, like the head holder 26 illustrated in the first embodiment, includes a main body 101 and an opening/closing door 102. The main body 101 has a restricting piece 103 and an engaging portion 104 at one end in the width direction (y direction in FIG. 8 ), and a restricting piece 105 and an engaging portion 106 at the other end. The length (distance) from the inner wall surface of the restricting piece 103 to the inner wall surface of the restricting piece 105 is set to be approximately the same as the length of the thermal head 120. The main body 101 has a terminal portion 107 at its lower end, which serves as the rotation center of the opening/closing door 102, and located at the lower center in the width direction. The terminal portion 107 has multiple connection terminals 108. The multiple connection terminals 108 are pressed against contact portions 123 of the thermal head 120 when the opening/closing door 102 is in the closed position. The restricting pieces 103 and 105 correspond to positioning means.

The main body 101 has magnets 111 and 112 between the restricting pieces 103 and 105 in the y direction in Figure 8. The magnets 111 and 112 may be electromagnets or permanent magnets. The magnets 111 and 112 attract ferromagnetic materials 127 and 128 provided on the thermal head 120.

The main body 101 has positioning bosses 113 and 114 below the magnets 111 and 112 in the z direction in Figure 8. The positioning bosses 113 and 114 have protrusions 113a and 114a at their tips. The protrusion 113a is inserted into an opening 124 provided in the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120. The protrusion 114a is inserted into an opening 125 provided in the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120. This positions the thermal head 120 relative to the main body 101.

The main body 101 also has a guide protrusion 115 below the restricting piece 103 in the z direction in Figure 8. The guide protrusion 115 fits into a notch 126 provided in the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 when the thermal head 120 is attracted to the magnets 111 and 112 of the main body 101.

The opening/closing door 102 has the same basic configuration as the opening/closing door exemplified in the first embodiment. That is, the opening/closing door 102 is rectangular and is pivotally supported at the lower end of the main body 101, with one end in the short side as the center of rotation. The opening/closing door 102 has locking pieces 116, 117 at both ends in the long side (y direction in Figure 8) opposite the end pivotally supported by the main body 101.

The door 102 has pressure protrusions 118, 119 on the surface that faces the main body 101 when rotated to the closed position, at positions offset from the center in the short direction toward the end that serves as the rotation center of the door 102. When the door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the pressure protrusions 118, 119 press the thermal head 120, which is attached to the main body 101, toward the main body 101. This pressure brings the contact portion 123 of the thermal head 120 into pressure contact with each connection terminal 108 of the terminal portion 107 of the main body 101.

The thermal head 120 has a substrate 121 and a heat sink 122. The substrate 121 has a contact portion 123 on the surface facing the main body 101. The substrate 121 also has openings 124 and 125 near the contact portion 123. When attaching the thermal head 120 to the main body 101, a protrusion 113a provided at the tip of the boss 113 of the main body 101 is inserted into the opening 124. When attaching the thermal head 120 to the main body 101, a protrusion 114a provided at the tip of the boss 114 of the main body 101 is inserted into the opening 125. The substrate 121 also has a notch 126 at its left end in the width direction in FIG. 8 . The notch 126 receives a guide protrusion 115 provided on the main body 101 when the thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101 by suction. This allows the thermal head 120 to be attached to the main body 101 in the correct orientation. The openings 124 and 125 correspond to the insertion portions.

The heat sink 122 has ferromagnetic materials 127 and 128. The ferromagnetic materials 127 and 128 are made of a metal such as iron. When the thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101, the ferromagnetic material 127 is attracted to the magnet 111 of the main body 101, and the ferromagnetic material 128 is attracted to the magnet 112 of the main body 101.

As shown in Figures 8 to 10, when attaching the thermal head 120 to the head holding unit 100, the door 102 is rotated to the open position. Then, the old thermal head 120 is removed and a new thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101. At this time, the thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101 with the contact portion 123 of the circuit board 121 facing the main body 101. When the thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101, the ferromagnetic material 127 on the heat sink 122 is attracted to the magnet 111 on the main body 101, and the ferromagnetic material 128 is attracted to the magnet 112 on the main body 101. At this time, the convex portion 113a of the boss 113 is inserted into the opening 124 of the thermal head 120, and the convex portion 114a of the boss 114 is inserted into the opening 125 of the thermal head 120. At the same time, the guide protrusions 115 on the main body 101 fit into the notches 126 on the base plate 121 of the thermal head 120. This positions the thermal head 120 relative to the main body 101. In this state, the thermal head 120 is positioned between the regulating pieces 103 and 105 of the main body 101, preventing misalignment of the thermal head 120 in the width direction.

When the door 102 is then rotated from the open position to the closed position, the pressing protrusions 118, 119 of the door 102 press against the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120. This causes the contact portion 123 of the thermal head 120 to be pressed against the multiple connection terminals 108 of the terminal portion 107 of the main body 101. At this time, because the terminal portion 107 of the main body 101 is positioned toward the center of rotation of the door 102, the contact portion 123 of the thermal head 120 is securely pressed against each connection terminal 108 of the terminal portion 107 provided on the main body 101.

When the door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the engaging portion 104 of the main body 101 engages with the recess 116a of the locking piece 116 of the door 102, and the engaging portion 106 of the main body 101 engages with the recess 117a of the locking piece 117 of the door 102. This holds the door 102 in the closed position. This attaches the thermal head 120 to the head holding unit 100. Note that when the thermal head 120 is attached to the head holding unit 100, the heating element array 129 provided on the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 is exposed from the door 102.

Although not shown, when the lid 16 is closed after the thermal head 120 is attached, the restricting piece 103 of the main body 101 abuts against the positioning protrusion 45b of the shaft pressing portion 45 of the holding cover 34 of the roller holding portion 23 from the rotation center side of the lid 16, as in the first embodiment. At the same time, the restricting piece 105 of the main body 101 abuts against the positioning protrusion 46b of the shaft pressing portion 46 of the holding cover 34 of the roller holding portion 23 from the rotation center side of the lid 16. This positions the head holding portion 26 relative to the roller holding portion 23.

In this case, after the thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101 by suction, the opening/closing door 102 can be rotated to the closed position, allowing the thermal head 120 to be easily attached to the head holding unit 100. Rotating the opening/closing door 102 to the closed position also allows the contact portions 123 of the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 to be pressed against the multiple connection terminals 108 provided on the main body 101. This eliminates the need for a connector configuration for the thermal head 120 or head holding unit 100, allowing for a simplified configuration of the thermal head 120 and head holding unit 100.

In this embodiment, the magnets 111, 112 provided on the main body 101 attract and hold the ferromagnetic materials 127, 128 provided on the heat sink 122 of the thermal head 120, and then the door 102 is rotated to the closed position. When the door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the pressing protrusions 118, 119 provided on the door 102 press against the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 that is attracted to the main body 101. When the pressing protrusions 118, 119 provided on the door 102 press against the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120, the contact portions 123 of the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 are pressure-welded to the multiple connection terminals 108 provided on the main body 101. Furthermore, when the opening/closing door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the contact portion 123 of the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 is pressed against the multiple connection terminals 108 provided on the main body 101, and the pressing protrusion 118 provided on the opening/closing door 102 can press against the opening 124 of the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 and its vicinity, and the pressing protrusion 119 can press against the opening 125 of the substrate 121 of the thermal head 120 and its vicinity.

In the head holder 100 shown in the second embodiment, the ferromagnetic materials 127, 128 on the heat sink 122 of the thermal head 120 are attracted by the magnets 111, 112 provided on the main body 101, and then the door 102 is rotated to the closed position to attach the thermal head 120 to the head holder 100. However, the method of attaching the thermal head to the head holder is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to provide a holding member that holds the thermal head on the main body of the head holder, as will be described below as the third embodiment. Note that the configuration of the door in the head holder shown in the third embodiment is the same as in the second embodiment, so the description of the door will be omitted below, and the components of the door will be described using the same reference numerals as in the second embodiment.

Third Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 11, the head holding unit 130 shown in the third embodiment has a main body 131 and an opening/closing door 102, similar to the head holding unit 26 shown in the first embodiment and the head holding unit 100 shown in the second embodiment.

The main body 131 has a restricting piece 135 and an engaging portion 136 at one end in the y direction in Figure 11, and a restricting piece 137 and an engaging portion 138 at the other end. The length (distance) from the inner wall surface of restricting piece 135 to the inner wall surface of restricting piece 137 is set to be approximately the same as the length of the thermal head 150. The main body 131 has a terminal portion 139 at the bottom center in the y direction in Figure 11. The terminal portion 139 has multiple connection terminals. Note that in Figure 11, the multiple connection terminals are located on the back side of the holding member, so reference numerals have been omitted.

11, the main body 131 has positioning protrusions 140 and 141 between the restricting pieces 135 and 137. The positioning protrusions 140 and 141 are inserted into recesses (not shown) provided in the thermal head 150. The positioning protrusions 140 and 141 correspond to the positioning means, and the recesses (not shown) provided in the thermal head 150 correspond to the insertion portions.

The main body 131 has positioning bosses 142 and 143 below the positioning protrusions 140 and 141 in the z direction in Figure 11. The positioning bosses 142 and 143 have protrusions 142a and 143a at their tips. The protrusion 142a is inserted into an opening 153 provided in the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150. Similarly, the protrusion 143a is inserted into an opening 154 provided in the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150. This positions the thermal head 120 relative to the main body 131. The protrusions 142a and 143a correspond to positioning means.

11, the main body 131 has a guide protrusion 144 below the restricting piece 135. When the thermal head 150 is held by the main body 131, the guide protrusion 144 fits into a notch 155 provided in the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150. The guide protrusion 144 corresponds to a positioning means.

The main body 131 has a support portion 145 on the front surface of the terminal portion 38. The support portion 145 is an L-shaped plate member that extends forward from the lower portion of the terminal portion 139 and then bends upward. The support portion 145 holds the thermal head 150, which is inserted between the main body 131 and the support portion 145.

The thermal head 150 has a substrate 151 and a heat sink 152. The substrate 151 has a contact portion on the surface facing the main body 131. The substrate 151 also has openings 153 and 154 near the contact portion. A protrusion 142a provided on the tip of a boss 142 of the main body 131 is inserted into the opening 153 when the opening/closing door 102 is rotated to the closed position. A protrusion 143a provided on the tip of a boss 143 of the main body 131 is inserted into the opening 154 when the opening/closing door 102 is rotated to the closed position. The substrate 151 also has a notch 155 at one end in the y direction in FIG. 11 (the left end in FIG. 11 ). The notch 155 receives a guide protrusion 144 provided on the main body 131 when the thermal head 150 is held on the main body 131. This allows the thermal head 150 to be held in the correct orientation on the main body 131. The openings 153 and 154 correspond to the insertion portions.

As shown in Figures 11 to 13, when attaching the thermal head 150 to the head holding portion 130, the opening and closing door 102 is rotated to the open position. Then, the old thermal head 150 is removed, and a new thermal head 150 is inserted between the main body 131 and the support portion 145. At this time, the notch 155 in the base plate 151 of the thermal head 150 receives the guide protrusion 144 of the main body 131. This ensures that the thermal head 150 is held in the correct orientation relative to the main body 131. In this state, the convex portion 142a of the boss 142 of the main body 131 is inserted into the opening 153 in the base plate 151 of the thermal head 150, and the convex portion 143a of the boss 143 of the main body 131 is inserted into the opening 154 in the base plate 151 of the thermal head 150. Additionally, because the thermal head 150 is positioned between the restricting pieces 135 and 137 of the main body 131, misalignment of the thermal head 150 in the width direction is prevented.

When the door 102 is then rotated from the open position to the closed position, the pressing protrusions 118, 119 of the door 102 press against the base plate 151 of the thermal head 150. This pressure causes the positioning protrusions 140, 141 of the main body 131 to fit into the recesses in the heat sink 152 of the thermal head 150. This positions the thermal head 150 on the main body 131. At the same time, the contact points of the thermal head 150 are pressed against the terminal points 139 of the main body 131. At this time, because the terminal points 139 on the main body 131 are positioned toward the center of rotation of the door 102, the contact points of the thermal head 150 are securely pressed against the connection terminals of the terminal points 139 on the main body 131.

When the door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the recess 116a of the locking piece 116 of the door 102 engages with the engaging portion 136 of the main body 131, and at the same time, the recess 117a of the locking piece 117 of the door 102 engages with the engaging portion 138 of the main body 131. This holds the door 102 in the closed position. This attaches the thermal head 150 to the head holder 130. In this state, the heating element array 156 provided on the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150 is exposed from the door 102.

Although not shown, when the lid 16 is closed after the thermal head 150 is attached, the restricting piece 135 of the main body 101 abuts against the positioning protrusion 45b of the shaft pressing portion 45 of the holding cover 34 of the roller holding portion 23 from the rotation center side of the lid 16, as in the first and second embodiments. At the same time, the restricting piece 137 of the main body 101 abuts against the positioning protrusion 46b of the shaft pressing portion 46 of the holding cover 34 of the roller holding portion 23 from the rotation center side of the lid 16. This positions the head holding portion 130 relative to the roller holding portion 23.

In this case, too, the thermal head 150 can be easily attached to the head holding unit 130 by holding the thermal head 150 in the main body 131 and then rotating the opening/closing door 102 to the closed position. Rotating the opening/closing door 102 to the closed position also allows the contact portion of the circuit board 151 of the thermal head 150 to be pressed into contact with the terminal portion provided on the main body 131. This eliminates the need for a connector configuration for the thermal head 150 or head holding unit 130, allowing for a simple configuration for the thermal head 150 and head holding unit 130.

In this embodiment, when the opening/closing door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the pressing protrusions 118, 119 provided on the opening/closing door 102 press the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150, which is supported by the support portion 145 of the main body 131, toward the main body 131. When the pressing protrusions 118, 119 provided on the opening/closing door 102 press the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150 toward the main body 131, the contact portions of the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150 are pressed into contact with multiple connection terminals provided on the main body 131. Furthermore, when the opening/closing door 102 is rotated to the closed position, the contact portion of the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150 is pressed against multiple connection terminals provided on the main body 131, and the pressing protrusion 118 provided on the opening/closing door 102 can press against the opening 124 of the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150 and its vicinity, and the pressing protrusion 119 can press against the opening 125 of the substrate 151 of the thermal head 150 and its vicinity.

<Summary of the embodiment>
The present invention relates to a holding structure for a thermal head that has a plurality of heating elements arranged in the width direction of a sheet of paper being transported, and that prints on the sheet of paper by heat generated by any one of the plurality of heating elements.

When attaching or detaching a thermal head by elastically deforming the tabs on the print head holder or head unit, there is a problem that if an inexperienced user attempts to replace the thermal head, they may damage the print head holder or head unit tabs, as well as the thermal head itself.

Furthermore, when opening and closing the shielding member to connect or disconnect the connector and the thermal head connection part, if the connector is not assembled accurately to the head unit, there is a problem that the connector will not be securely connected to the thermal head connection part.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer in which the thermal head can be easily attached and detached.

One aspect of the present invention is a printer that prints on transported paper 21a, characterized by having head holders 26, 100, 130 that hold thermal heads 85, 120, 150, guide pieces 83 or guide protrusions 115, 144 that regulate the orientation of the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 attached to the head holders 26, 100, 130, and regulation pieces 65, 66, 103, 105, 135, 137 that regulate the position of the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 in the width direction of the paper 21a.

This configuration allows the thermal heads 85, 120, and 150 to be attached to the head holding units 26, 100, and 130 in the correct orientation, preventing the thermal heads 85, 120, and 150 from being attached to the head holding units 26, 100, and 130 in the wrong orientation. Furthermore, by providing the guide pieces 83 or guide protrusions 115 and 144, misalignment of the thermal heads 85, 120, and 150 in the width direction of the paper 21a can be prevented when the thermal heads 85, 120, and 150 are attached to the head holding units 26, 100, and 130.

The head holding unit 26, 100, 130 also includes a main body 61, 101, 131 that is pivotally supported on the lid 16 of the printer 10, and an opening/closing door 62, 102 that is pivotally supported on the main body 61, 101, 131 and that rotates between an open position for attaching and detaching the thermal head 85, 120, 150 and a closed position for holding the thermal head 85, 120, 150. The thermal head 85, 120, 150 is clamped between the opening/closing door 62, 102 that has been pivoted to the closed position and the main body 61, 101, 131.

With this configuration, after attaching the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 to either the main body 61, 101, 131 or the opening/closing doors 62, 102, the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 can be easily held in the head holding units 26, 100, 130 simply by rotating the opening/closing doors 62, 102 to the closed position. Furthermore, by rotating the opening/closing doors 62, 102 to the open position, the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 can be easily removed from the head holding units 26, 100, 130.

The opening and closing door 62 is also characterized by having positioning protrusions 81 and 82 that are inserted into insertion holes 91 and 92 provided in the thermal head 85 to position the thermal head 85 on the door.

With this configuration, after the thermal head 85 is positioned on the opening/closing door 62, when the opening/closing door 62 is rotated to the closed position, the opening/closing door 62 in the closed position is positioned on the main body 61. Furthermore, because the thermal head 85 is positioned relative to the opening/closing door 62, closing the opening/closing door 62 allows the thermal head 85 to be held in an accurate position relative to the main body 61.

The main body 101 also has magnets 111 and 112 that attract and hold the thermal head 120, and the opening and closing door 102 is rotated to the closed position with the thermal head 120 attracted and held by the main body 101.

With this configuration, the thermal head 120 is attached to the main body 101 in a state where it is positioned relative to the main body 101 by the magnets 111 and 112, and then the thermal head 120 is held in position by the magnets 111 and 112. In this state, the opening and closing door 102 is closed, so the thermal head 85 can be held in an accurate position relative to the main body 61.

The main body 131 also has a support portion 145 that supports the thermal head 150 attached to the main body 131 from below, and positioning protrusions 140, 141 and convex portions 142a, 143a of bosses 142, 143 that position the thermal head 150 supported by the support portion 145 on the main body 131.

With this configuration, after attaching the thermal head 150 to the support portion 145 of the main body 131, the thermal head 150 can be positioned relative to the main body 131 and attached to the head holding portion 130 simply by rotating the opening/closing door 102 to the closed position.

It also has terminal portions 107, 139 that come into contact with the contact portions 123 of the thermal heads 120, 150 and supply power to the thermal heads 120, 150, and pressing protrusions 118, 119 that maintain the connection between the contact portions 123 of the thermal heads 120, 150 and the terminal portions 107, 139 that supply power to the thermal heads 120, 150.

With this configuration, simply attaching the thermal heads 120, 150 to the head holders 100, 130 brings the contact points 123 on the substrates 121, 151 of the thermal heads 120, 150 into pressure contact with the terminals 107, 139 on the main bodies 101, 131, eliminating the need to place connectors on the thermal heads 120, 150 and the main bodies 101, 131. As a result, the thermal heads 120, 150 can be simplified.

The head holders 26, 100, and 130 are held by the lid 16, which is rotatably supported on the printer body 15. The printer body 15 has a roller holder 23 that supports a platen roller 28 that is pressed against the thermal heads 85, 120, and 150 when the lid 16 is closed. When the lid 16 is closed, the restricting pieces 65, 66, 103, 105, 135, and 137 abut against positioning protrusions 45b and 46b provided on the roller holder 23 from the rotation center side of the lid 16.

With this configuration, the restricting pieces 65, 66, 103, 105, 135, and 137 not only function to prevent misalignment of the thermal heads 85, 120, and 150, but also function to position the head holding parts 26, 100, and 130 relative to the roller holding part 23, all in one component.

The thermal heads 85, 120, 150 are held by the head holders 26, 100, 130 provided in the printer 10 and perform printing while the transported paper 21a is pressed against the platen roller 28. The thermal heads 85, 120, 150 include substrates 86, 121, 156 that have heating element arrays 90, 129, 156, heat sinks 87, 122, 152 that dissipate heat generated by the heating element arrays 90, 129, 156, a first surface on which the heating element arrays 90, 129, 156 are arranged along the width direction of the paper 21a, and a second surface located on the back side of the first surface and having contact portions 88, 123 that come into contact with the heat sinks 87, 122, 152 and terminal portions 71, 107, 139 provided on the head holders 26, 100, 130. 1, and the substrates 86, 121, 151 have notches 93, 126, 155 that restrict the orientation of the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 attached to the head holding units 26, 100, 130. When a thermal head 85, 120, 150 is attached to the head holding units 26, 100, 130 in a first orientation, the substrates 86, 121, 151 receive the guide pieces 83 or guide protrusions 115, 144 provided on the head holding units 26, 100, 130, but when a thermal head 85, 120, 150 is attached to the head holding units 26, 100, 130 in a second orientation different from the first orientation, the substrates 86, 121, 151 are unable to receive the guide pieces 83 or guide protrusions 115, 144.

With this configuration, when attaching the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 to the head holding units 26, 100, 130, the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 can be attached to the head holding units 26, 94, 130 only if they are facing the correct direction. In other words, this prevents the thermal heads 85, 120, 150 from being attached to the head holding units 26, 94, 130 in the wrong direction.

10... Printer 15... Printer body 16... Cover portion 23... Roller holding portion 26, 100, 130... Head holding portion 61, 101, 131... Body 62, 102... Opening and closing door 65, 66, 103, 105, 135, 137... Regulating piece 71, 107, 139... Terminal portion 81, 82... Positioning protrusion 83... Guide piece 85, 120, 150... Thermal head 88, 123... Contact portion 90, 129, 156... Heating element array 93, 126, 155... Cutout portion 111, 112... Magnet 115, 144... Guide protrusion 118, 119... Pressing protrusion 127, 128... Ferromagnetic body 142, 143... Boss 145... Support portion

Claims (6)

In a printer that prints on transported paper,
a holding portion for holding the thermal head ;
The holding portion is
a main body pivotally supported on a cover portion of the printer;
a door pivotally supported on the main body and pivotable between an open position for attaching and detaching the thermal head and a closed position;
the main body has a suction means for suction-holding the thermal head;
A printer comprising: 2. The printer according to claim 1,
a first restricting portion that restricts the orientation of the thermal head attached to the holding portion;
A printer characterized by: 2. The printer according to claim 1 ,
The main body has a positioning means that is inserted into an insertion portion provided in the thermal head to position the thermal head on the main body.
A printer characterized by: 4. The printer according to claim 1 ,
The printer is characterized in that the door is rotated to the closed position with the thermal head held by suction on the main body. 4. The printer according to claim 1 ,
The body includes:
The thermal head is attached to the main body, and further includes a support portion that supports the thermal head from below.
A printer characterized by: 4. The printer according to claim 1 ,
a connection portion that is brought into contact with a contact point of the thermal head and supplies power to the thermal head;
a maintaining portion provided on the door, which maintains the connection between the contact point of the thermal head and the connecting portion when the door is closed.