JPH01176580A - Scanning type printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent slack and texture dirt of an ink tape from occurrence, by a method wherein a printing head, the ink tape, and a mechanical part for winding it are mounted on a slide board which is in a vertical motion free manner attached to an apparatus body and is always energized downwards with an energizing member. CONSTITUTION:When an apparatus body 1 is manually scanned in a scanning direction, rotation of a paper contact roller 3 is transferred to a gear train 23 via a gear 13a, and a thermal head 8 prints a character on a printing surface 42a while the thermal head 8 is being driven to be controlled according to a transfer amount of the apparatus body 1 by a transfer amount detection means 12 and while a thermal transfer ink tape 10 is being wound according to the transfer amount of the apparatus body 1 with a tape winding axis 22. When the apparatus body 1 is released from the printing face 42a after ending printing, though the thermal head 8 is moved downward by sliding downward of a sliding board 15 by energization with its energizing members 16, 16, the thermal transfer ink tape 10 keeps a state as it is in printing without being pulled with the thermal head 8 in this time.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention prints information such as characters stored in a document memory within the device body onto an external recording paper while scanning the device body manually or the like. The present invention relates to a scanning printing device.

[Prior Art] Since it is impossible to wrap thick recording paper such as a notebook around a platen, a scanning printing device is known as a device that makes it possible to print on such thick recording paper. .

This scanning printing device is equipped with a word processor function section and a printing function section inside a box-shaped device body that is considered to be handy. Information such as characters stored in the document memory is printed on external recording paper such as a notebook in a printing function section.

The printing function section of such a printing device generally includes an ink tape (tape cassette), an ink tape winding mechanism, a print head such as a thermal head, a moving distance detecting means such as an encoder, a contact roller, etc. There is. In this case, the winding speed of the ink tape in the ink tape winding mechanism and the printing speed of the print head should be matched to the amount of scanning movement of the main body of the apparatus so that the printing operation is performed according to the amount of scanning movement of the main body of the apparatus. It has become. The ink tape winding mechanism and the moving distance detecting means normally obtain rotation from a paper contact roller that rotates in contact with the recording paper surface when the main body of the apparatus scans, and match the ink tape and print head to the amount of scanning movement of the main body of the apparatus. ing.

Conventionally, each component such as an ink tape (tape cassette), an ink tape winding mechanism, a print head such as a thermal head, a moving distance detecting means such as an encoder, a contact roller, etc., which make up the above-mentioned printing mechanism section is located in the main body of the apparatus. The structure is attached directly to the In addition, the print head needs to be in contact with the recording paper surface with a predetermined pressure (print pressure) when performing a printing operation, and for this purpose, it is attached so that it can move up and down with respect to the main body of the device, and it is equipped with a compression coil spring, etc. is biased downward by a biasing member. This kind of print head normally protrudes from the bottom of the device body, and when the device body is placed on the recording paper (the paper contact roller comes into contact with the recording paper surface), it is pressed against the biasing member. The ink tape is moved upward against the pressure, and the ink tape that is in contact with the tip of the print head is brought into contact with the recording paper surface with a predetermined pressure.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the case of the above-mentioned conventional structure, when the ink tape is in a non-printing operation, the ink tape is in a nearly tensioned state due to the print head being urged downward by the urging member. , when the main body of the device is placed on the recording paper and the printing operation is performed,
Since the print head, which had been urged downward by the urging member, moves upward, the tension is released and the print head loosens, causing sag. Therefore, when the main body of the device scans,
The slack portion of the ink tape may get caught between the print head and the recording paper, or the ink tape running section, making it impossible for the ink tape to run smoothly.

Also, when you remove the device from the recording paper after printing,
The print head, which had been moving upward against the biasing member, is urged by the biasing member and moves downward again, but in this case, the ink tape is moved to the supply reel side and A phenomenon occurs in which both sides of the take-up reel are pulled out from the supply reel and the take-up reel. At this time, since the rotational load torques of the supply reel and take-up reel are usually not equal, the length of the ink tape pulled out from them is also not equal, so a relative movement occurs between the recording paper surface and the ink tape, and this As a result, there is a problem in that the ink rubs off and the surface of the recording paper is smeared, causing a scumming phenomenon.

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances,
The purpose is to provide a scanning printing device that does not cause sagging of the ink tape or background smearing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a print head and an ink tape mounted on a slide plate that is vertically movably attached to the main body of the apparatus and is constantly urged downward by a biasing member. This is equipped with an ink tape winding mechanism that winds up the ink tape.

[Function] In this configuration, when the main body of the apparatus is placed on the recording paper, the upward movement of the print head is performed by the slide plate moving upward against the biasing member, and the main body of the apparatus is separated from the surface of the recording paper. The downward movement of the print head at this time is performed by the downward movement of the slide plate urged by the urging member. Therefore, in these cases, the ink tape and the ink tape winding mechanism that winds it are also attached to the slide plate to which the print head is attached, so the ink tape is always under tension with the print head. As a result, neither sagging of the ink tape nor scumming occurs.

〔Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show a manual scanning printing device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

In the figure, l is a rectangular box-shaped device body made of synthetic resin (Fig. 2) consisting of an upper body 2 and a lower body 3, and a word processor function section is provided inside the upper body 2 side. A printing function section is provided inside the lower main body 3 side. Upper body 2 with word processor function section
The lower main body 3, which is provided with a printing function section, is integrally connected with screws or the like. In FIG. 2, 4 is a key input section of a word processor function section provided on the front of the upper main body 2, and 5 is a display section.

The back surface of the lower body 3 is composed of a lid 7 that can be opened and closed about a hinge 6, and inside the lower body 2 there is a thermal head 8 that constitutes a printing function section and an ink tape winding mechanism. 9, a tape force set (11) incorporating a thermal transfer ink tape (10), a moving distance detecting means (encoder) 12, and contact rollers (13, 14).

Among the elements constituting the printing mechanism section, the thermal head 8, ink tape winding mechanism 9, tape force setting 11, and moving distance detection means 12 are attached to a slide plate 15 provided in the lower main body 3. Paper contact roller 1
3.14 is attached directly to the lower body 3.

The slide plate 15 is arranged parallel to the front wall 3a of the lower main body 3 at a predetermined interval, and has opposite ends 15a, 15a.
are fitted into grooves 30.3C integrally formed on both side walls 3b, 3b of the lower main body 3, and are attached so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. Such a slide plate 15 is urged downward at a predetermined pressure by urging members 16.16 arranged on both sides of the upper part of the front wall 3a of the lower main body 3. The lower limit of the slide of the slide plate 15 urged downward in this manner is set by the lower end of the groove 3C13C.

When the slide plate 15 is at its lower sliding limit, the tip (lower end) of the thermal head 8 protrudes from the lower surface of the lower body 3 by a predetermined length. The biasing member 16 is a compression coil spring, and is fitted into a vertical pin 16b provided on an L-shaped bracket fixed to the front wall 3a. Slide plate 15
The pin 16b is interposed between the bracket 16c formed at the upper end of the bracket 16c, and is expandable and retractable by inserting the pin 16b into a hole (not shown) provided in the bracket 16c.

The thermal head 8 is vertically supported (
fixed). In this case, the thermal head 8 protrudes to the outside from a notch 20 formed in the bottom wall 19 of the lower main body 3.

The ink tape winding mechanism 9 has a spool engagement piece 21 at the tip.
a tape winding shaft 22 having a
2 and a gear 13a provided on one side of the paper contact roller 13.
The rotation of the gear 13a is controlled by the tape winding shaft 22.
The gear train 23 is configured to transmit data to the gear train 23.

The gear train 23 includes a first gear 24, a second gear 25, a third gear 26, a fourth gear 27 incorporating a one-way clutch,
5th gear 28, and the first gear 24 is gear 1.
3a is transmitted to a second shaft 29 having a second gear 25 and a third gear 26, the third gear 26 transmits this rotation to a fourth gear 27, and this rotation is transmitted onto the tape winding shaft 22. The information is transmitted to the fifth gear 28 provided. The tape winding shaft 22 is rotatably fixed to the slide plate 15, and each gear shaft 29 of the gear train 23 and the like are fixed to the slide plate 15.

Tape force setting) 11 is a tape cassette provided by fitting the winding side spool 30 into the tape winding shaft 22, fitting the notch 31a into the head holder 17, and inserting the grooves 31b and 31c on both sides into the tape cassette provided on the slide plate 15. Support member 32
a and 32b and placed on the inner surface of the slide plate 15.

In this case, the thermal transfer ink tape 10 is pulled out of the cassette through the tape pull-out slit 33 at the tip of the notch 31a, and drawn into the cassette through the tape pull-in slit 34, with a portion crossing the open end of the notch 31a. is in contact with the tip surface of the thermal head 8 in a substantially tensioned state.

The moving distance detecting means 12 includes a rotating disk 36 rotatably supported by a support shaft 35 vertically disposed on the slide plate 15, and a rotation amount detecting device attached to the slide plate 15 for detecting the amount of rotation of the rotating disk 36. The detector 37 is configured to include a detector 37.

The rotating disk 36 has a structure in which a large number of slits 38 are formed at equal intervals all around its outer periphery, and the rotation of the gear train 23 of the ink tape winding mechanism 9 is transmitted thereto. ing. In this case, the gear 39 rotatably mounted on the support shaft 35 is connected to the gear train 23.
It meshes with the third gear 26 of. The rotation amount detector 37 has a U-shape that covers the outer periphery of the rotating disk 36 from both sides thereof, and a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode (not shown) and a light receiving element such as a phototransistor (not shown) sandwich the rotating disk 36. They are arranged to face each other. In such a moving distance detecting means 12, the rotation amount detector 37 detects the amount of rotation of the rotary disk 36 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the gear train 23, and the thermal head 8 is driven and controlled based on this. The rotation amount detector 37 outputs a pulse signal to the thermal head 8 when the light from the light emitting element passes through the slit 38 of the rotating disk 36 and is received by the light receiving element.

The contact rollers 13 and 14 are respectively arranged at the front and rear of the lower body 3, are rotatably supported by a shaft 40, and project slightly outward from an opening 41 formed in the bottom wall 19.

Next, the operation when the scanning type printing apparatus of the embodiment configured as described above performs printing will be described.

First, the apparatus main body 1 is placed on the recording paper 42 facing in the printing direction (arrow direction) as shown in FIG.

In this way, the front and rear paper contact rollers 13 and 14 come into contact with the printing surface 42a of the recording paper 42, and the thermal head 8 is pressed against the printing surface 42a and moves upward, making contact with the leading edge of the thermal transfer roller. Place the ink tape 10 on the printing surface 42a.
face to face. The upward movement of the thermal head 8 is caused by the biasing member 16 of the slide plate 15 to which it is attached.
This is done by sliding the grooves 3c, 3c upward against the groove 16. And in this case, thermal transfer ink tape 1
Since the tape force setter 11 and the ink tape winding mechanism 9, which incorporates It is brought into contact with the printing surface 42a without sagging while maintaining its condition. When the main body 1 of the apparatus is manually scanned in the scanning direction, the contact roller 13.
14 rotates, and the rotation of the paper contact roller 3 is transmitted to the gear train 23 via the gear 13a, whereby the thermal transfer ink tape 10 is wound around the tape winding shaft 22 according to the amount of movement of the main body 1 of the apparatus. , and thermal head 8
is controlled by the moving distance detecting means 12 according to the amount of movement of the apparatus main body l, and prints on the printing surface 42a.

After finishing printing on the printing surface 42a, move the device main body 1 to the printing surface 42a.
When the thermal head 8 is released from the thermal head 8, the slide plate 15 slides downward under the force of the biasing member 16.16, and the thermal head 8 moves downward. , the state remains as it was when printed. Therefore, the printing surface 42
There is no relative movement between a and the thermal transfer ink tape 10, and no scumming phenomenon occurs.

FIG. 3 shows a scanning type printing device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment, the thermal transfer ink tape (
This prevents scumming on the recording paper even if the paper (not shown) expands due to the heat of the thermal head or the surrounding temperature rise.

That is, in this embodiment, the thermal head 8 is attached to the head holder 17 so as to be movable in the vertical direction and to be urged downward with a predetermined pressure. Two vertical pins 8a, 8a are provided at the front and rear of the upper end surface of the thermal head 8, and these pins 8a, 8a
a is a hole formed in the head holder 17 (not shown)
is embedded in. Compression coil springs 8b, 8b are fitted between the upper end surfaces of the thermal head 8 and the lower surface of the head holder 17 of the pins 8a, 8a. In this case, each pin 8a has a circular flange 8c provided on its head.
The head holder 17 is prevented from being removed from the hole. In this way, the thermal head 8 attached to the head holder 17 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the head holder 17 (by sliding the pins 8a, 8a), and is held downward by the compression coil springs 8b, 8b. It is energized by pressure. In this case, the biasing force (spring force) by the compression coil springs 8b, 8b is applied to the slide plate 15.
The biasing force (spring force) of the biasing member 16.16 is set to be larger than the biasing force (spring force) of the biasing member 16. This is slide plate 1
This is to avoid affecting the printing pressure of the thermal head 8 obtained by the spring force of the biasing member 16. During printing, the spring force is either not compressed at all, or compressed very slightly to the extent that ink stains are not noticeable.

When the thermal transfer ink tape is stretched by the heat of the thermal head and its tension is reduced during the printing operation in the scanning printing device configured as described above, the thermal transfer ink tape is compressed by the thermal pressure applied by the compression coil springs 8b, 8b. Since the tape is pressurized with a predetermined pressure by the head 8, the tape is held between the thermal head 8 of the thermal transfer ink tape and the recording paper until the tape winding shaft 22 winds up this elongation and reaches a predetermined winding torque. Therefore, even if the thermal transfer ink tape elongates, the elongated portion is wound up by the tape winding shaft 22 each time, and the sudden gap between the thermal head 8 and the thermal transfer ink tape This eliminates relative movement and prevents background smudges on the recording paper caused by the thermal transfer ink tape.

In the embodiment, the groove 3c in which the slide plate 15 slides is provided directly (integrally formed) on the lower main body 3 side, but a separate member having the groove 30 may be attached to the lower case. Turn the groove 3c into the slide plate 15
A protrusion portion may be provided on the lower main body 3 side to fit into the groove 3c.

Further, in the embodiment, the paper contact roller 13 having the gear 13a that rotates the ink tape winding mechanism 9 is attached to the lower main body 3, but it may be attached to the slide plate 15 side. However, in this case, care should be taken to prevent the printing function section attached to the slide plate 15 from being drawn into the lower body 3 during scanning movement of the apparatus body 1.
It is necessary to set a large biasing force (spring force) of the biasing member 16.16 that biases the slide plate 15.

Further, the biasing member 16 that biases the slide plate 15 downward may be replaced with a tension coil spring or a plate spring in addition to the compression coil spring of the embodiment.

Further, in the case of the embodiment, the thermal transfer ink tape 10 built into the tape cassette 11 was used, but an ink tape directly attached to the main body 1 of the apparatus may also be used.

Furthermore, in the case of the embodiment, a thermal head was used in which a heating element made of a ceramic substrate with a heating layer and a protective layer was fixed to the tip of the head main body made of a metal material. A current-carrying transfer head may be employed in which a current is passed through the ink tape from a current-carrying electrode to generate heat in a resistive layer formed on the ink tape.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the scanning printing device according to the present invention, the printing head and the ink tape are mounted on the slide plate which is attached to the main body of the device so as to be movable up and down and which is always urged downward by the urging member. Since an ink tape winding mechanism is installed to wind the ink tape, there is no slack in the ink tape, allowing the ink tape to run smoothly, and there is no background smearing, resulting in beautiful printing. has.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings each show a scanning type printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an internal perspective view of the printing machine part of the scanning type printing device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an overall view of the scanning type printing device according to the first embodiment. External perspective view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printing function section of the scanning type printing device according to the second embodiment. 1... Loading body, 3c... Groove, 8...
... Thermal head, 9 ... Ink tape winding mechanism, 10 ... Thermal transfer ink tape, 15
...Slide plate, 16...Biasing member,
42... Recording paper. Patent applicant Casio Computer Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A scanning printing device that places a main body on a recording paper and scans it, and prints on the recording paper with a print head disposed in close contact with the ink tape while winding up the ink tape, The printing head, the ink tape, and an ink tape winding mechanism for winding the same are attached to a slide plate that is attached to the apparatus main body so as to be movable up and down and is always urged downward by an urging member. scanning printing device.