JPH042435B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a print head cooling device in a printer that prints characters and the like using a reciprocating print head.

[Prior Art] For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,542, a serial dot printer is known that prints characters and the like on recording paper using a print head that moves back and forth. The actuator of the print head generates considerable heat during printing operations. To this end, the print head of such serial dot printers is equipped with heat dissipation fins to prevent the print head from overheating.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Heat is radiated by the heat radiating fins when the fins move to cut through the air around them when the head moves. Generally, since the printer machinery is housed within a printer case, the air in the area of movement of the print head is stagnant. For this reason, in known printers that only have heat dissipation fins attached to the print head, the ability of the fins to dissipate or cool the print head is limited, even though the fins are designed to cut air when the head is moved. Not enough. For this reason, high-speed printers that print at speeds as high as 400 characters per second have had the problem of overheating the print head. There is a built-in temperature sensor inside the print head to detect overheating, and when the print head overheats, printing is automatically interrupted, but up until now, high-speed printers have had to use it continuously. Occasionally, the temperature sensor would activate, frequently interrupting printing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to make it possible to significantly increase the cooling efficiency of the print head by simply adding a simple configuration.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention is characterized in that a fan is fixed to the output shaft of a carriage motor which is fixedly disposed at a side position of the movement area of the print head for driving the carriage, and A wall member surrounding the fan is disposed around the fan, and the wall member has an air outlet formed on the side facing the print head. This wall member is partially or entirely formed integrally with at least one of the heat dissipation fin attached to the outer peripheral surface of the carriage motor or the frame of the printer.

According to this configuration, air is blown toward the printing head from the air outlet of the wall member by the action of the fan that rotates together with the carriage motor during printing operations. The air in the space in which the printing head is disposed is forcibly exchanged without stagnation by this air blowing, and therefore the efficiency of heat radiation or cooling by the heat radiation fins of the printing head is significantly improved.

[Embodiment] In FIGS. 1 and 2, a frame 1 is made of plastic and includes a lower frame 1a and an upper frame 1b. A platen 2 rotatably supported by a frame 1 is rotationally driven by a line feed motor 3.

A print head 4 facing the platen 2 is mounted on a carriage 7 slidably received by guide shafts 5, 6 and reciprocated parallel to the platen 2. Further, a heat radiating fin 4a is attached to the rear of the print head 4 to radiate heat generated from the print head 4 during printing operations.

A carriage motor 9 is attached to a motor attachment plate 8 fixedly installed on the lower frame 1a. The output shaft 10 of the carriage motor 9 is
It protrudes from the top and bottom sides of the motor body.
A motor pinion 11 is fixed to the output side 10 on the lower surface side. The pinion 11 has a rotatable belt drive wheel 13 attached to a support shaft 12 vertically installed on the mounting plate 8.
It meshes with.

Therefore, the reciprocating rotation of the carriage motor 9 is transmitted to the belt drive wheel 13 via the pinion 11, and the timing belt 14 is caused to reciprocate. As the timing belt 14 moves back and forth, the carriage 7 moves back and forth along the guide shafts 5 and 6. The timing belt 14 is endless, and is wound around another belt drive wheel (not shown) provided on the right end side.

A heat dissipation fin 15 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the main body of the carriage motor 9 to dissipate heat generated by driving the motor, and a cross-shaped fan 1 is attached to the end of the output shaft 10 that protrudes from the top side of the motor main body.
6 is fixed. The heat radiation fins 15 have substantially the same height as the motor body. In this embodiment, a wall member 15a is integrally formed on the upper part of the heat dissipation fin 15.
5a is a side wall surrounding the side surface of the fan 16. The wall member 15a is cut away at the side facing the print head 4, and this cut out part serves as an air outlet 15b.

The carriage motor 9, the heat dissipation fins 15, the wall member 15a integral therewith, and the fan 16 are housed in a motor housing case 17 that is integrally formed with the frame 1.
A wall member disposed inside the fan 16 and whose upper surface portion 17a of the motor housing case 17 covers the upper surface of the fan 16 is connected to the printing area through the air discharge port 19.
An air intake port 18 is formed in the upper surface portion 17a of the motor housing case 17 close to the rotation center of the fan 16, and air discharge ports 19 and 20 are formed in the side surface portion of the case. An air discharge port 21 is also formed in the portion. Note that the air outlet 19 is in a positional relationship substantially opposing the air outlet 15b.

When the carriage motor 9 operates, the timing belt 14 is driven via the motor pinion 11 and the belt drive wheel 13, and the carriage 7 moves along the guide shafts 5 and 6. At this time, print head 4
A desired print is made on a recording paper (not shown) by the .

The heat generated by the print head 4 during printing operation is radiated or cooled by a heat radiation fin 4a at the rear of the head.

At this time, when the carriage motor 9 is operated, the fan 16 rotates at the same time, so that air is taken in from the air intake port 18 to the outside of the frame 1, and this air is blown as shown by arrows a to d. Air discharged from the air discharge port 15b is sent in the direction of the head 4. For this reason, the air in the moving area of the print head 4 is always forcibly replaced with outside air without stagnation. This dramatically improves the efficiency of heat radiation or cooling of the heat radiation fins 4a of the print head 4.

Note that a part of the air blown by the fan 16 is also sent into the space between the lower frame 1a and the upper frame 1b as shown by the arrow d in FIG. As shown in FIG.
As a result, the heat dissipation efficiency of the carriage motor 9 by the heat dissipation fins 15 is also improved at the same time.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiment is merely described as an example, and various changes can be made as necessary without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, wall members 17a and 17b surrounding the fan 16 may be formed integrally with a motor housing case 17 that is integral with the frame 1.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention described in detail above, a fan is fixed to the output shaft of a carriage motor that is fixedly disposed at a side position of the movement area of the print head to drive the carriage, and A wall member surrounding the fan is arranged around it, and an air outlet is formed in this wall member on the side facing the print head, so that air is discharged from this air outlet towards the print head. This dramatically improves the efficiency of heat dissipation or cooling of the print head.

As a result, even when using high-speed printers continuously,
The print head does not overheat, and the trouble of printing being interrupted due to overheating of the print head is also avoided. Another advantage is that the configuration is very simple, so it can be implemented at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a partially sectional plan view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the embodiment.
A line sectional view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a heat radiation fin integrally provided with a wall member, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another embodiment. 1...Frame, 4...Print head, 4a...
Print head heat dissipation fin, 7... Carriage, 9
... Carriage motor, 10 ... Output shaft, 15a
...Wall member, 15b...Air discharge port of wall member,
6...Fan, 17...Motor housing case, 17
a, 17b...wall member, 18...air intake port,
19...Air discharge port.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A slidably supported carriage, a printing head mounted on the carriage and provided with heat dissipation fins, and a printing head that drives the carriage reciprocally and lateral to the moving area of the printing head. a carriage motor disposed at a position, a fan is fixed to the output shaft of the carriage motor, and a wall member surrounding the fan is disposed around the fan, and the wall member is provided with a wall member facing the print head. An air outlet is formed on the side, and the wall member is partially or entirely formed integrally with at least one of the heat dissipation fin attached to the outer peripheral surface of the carriage motor or the frame of the printer. Features a printing head cooling system. 2. Cooling of a print head according to claim 1, characterized in that the output shaft of the carriage motor protrudes from both sides of the motor body, the motor pinion is fixed to one side, and the fan is fixed to the other side. Device.