JPH0367675A - Printer for cards or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the variation in card feed speed caused by a rotation difference between a drive platen roller and the other drive rollers by conducting the contact/separation of the drive rollers with/from follower rollers and the contact/separation of a printing head with/from the drive platen roller in an opposite manner by a change-over means. CONSTITUTION:A solenoid 6 is excited, a plunger 21 is attracted against the force of a spring 19, and a connecting board 4 is shifted leftward. The attraction of the plunger 21 causes an arm 5 to be rotated counterclockwise, an arm 7 to be rotated counterclockwise, and a follower roller 9 to be separated from a drive roller 8. Furthermore, a shaft 13 also moves leftward, an arm 3 rotates clockwise, and a follower roller 10 is separated from a drive roller 11. On the other hand, the arm 2 connected to the shaft 13 rotates clockwise, and a printing head 1 comes into pressure contact with a drive platen roller 17. In this manner, a card being fed by the rotation of the platen roller 17 is applied with printing by the printing head 1. On the other hand, the separation of the follower rollers 9, 10 from the drive rollers 8, 11 prevents the card from being fed by the rotation of the drive rollers 8, 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a printing device for cards and the like, and can be used, for example, to print the remaining amount of a prepaid card.

(Prior Art) For example, some prepaid card issuing machines and vending machines that use prepaid cards are equipped with a thermally destructible print head or the like in order to print the remaining amount on the prepaid card. FIG. 5 shows an example of such a conventional printing device for cards, etc., which is equipped with a printing section including a driving platen roller 42 and a printing head 41 that is provided so as to be able to move toward and away from the driving platen roller 42. This printing section includes a driving roller 48, a driven roller 49, a driving roller 50, and a driven roller 51, which are provided in pairs on both sides of the force 7 conveyance direction, respectively. The driven rollers 49 and 51 are driven by the drive rollers 48 and 51, respectively.
The distance between the rollers 48 and 42 and between the rollers 42 and 50 is shorter than the length of the card. Printing on the card is performed by transporting the inserted card between rollers 48 and 49, between the drive platen roller 42 and the print head 41, and between the drive platen roller 42 and print head 41 and between the rollers 50 and 51. At the same time, the card is pressed against the print head 41.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) According to the conventional printing device for cards, etc., as described above, there are cases in which printing is carried out while the card is being conveyed between the rollers 48 and 49 and between the platen roller 42 and the print head 41. , between the platen roller 42 and the print head 41 and the roller 50,
In both cases, the card is transported by two drive rollers, so variations in the diameter of the drive rollers cause variations in the card transport speed, and the printing position on the card may vary. Variations occurred, reducing printing accuracy. FIG. 6 shows an example of a card printed by a conventional printing device, in which the spacing between printing positions 56 on a card 55 is narrow as shown by S at some positions, and as shown by S' at other positions. It has become wider.

The present invention was made in order to solve the problems of the prior art, and when printing on a card, etc., the conveyance of the card, etc. is carried out only by the drive platen roller, and the drive rollers before and after the drive platen roller are used to convey the card, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device for cards, etc., which improves printing position accuracy by eliminating the involvement of the printing process.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a drive platen roller and a print head that are provided so as to be able to approach and separate from each other, and a drive platen roller and a print head that are in contact with each other and are arranged in pairs on both sides of a printing section in the conveying direction of a card or the like. It is characterized by comprising a drive roller and a driven roller that are separable, and a switching means that brings the print head and the drive platen roller into contact with each other and brings the drive roller into and out of the driven roller in a reciprocal manner.

(Function) When printing on a card or the like, the switching means brings the print head into contact with the driving platen roller, and separates the driving roller and driven roller on both sides of the printing section. Therefore, printing is performed while the card is conveyed only by the rotary platen roller. When not printing, instead of separating the print head and drive platen roller, the switching means brings the drive rollers and driven rollers on both sides of the printing section into contact with each other, and the drive roller and driven roller transport cards and the like.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of a printing device for a card or the like according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body plate 16 of the device in which the printing device is installed is connected to a mounting plate (not shown) that is fixed parallel to the main body plate 16 via an appropriate support. A support shaft 14 is supported between them, and a print head support arm 2 is attached to the support shaft 14 so as to be rotatable in a plane parallel to the plane of the paper in FIG. In FIG. 1, the print head 1 is supported at one end of a print head support arm 2 that extends diagonally upward to the left from the support shaft 14. As shown in FIG. The print head 1 is supported by the arm 2 via a gimbal-type leaf spring, and is biased by an appropriate leaf spring, but the specific support structure of the print head 1 is not directly related to the present invention. Therefore, detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 1, the other end of the arm 2 extending downward from the support shaft 14 is connected to one end of a horizontal connecting plate 4 by a shaft 13, and the other end of the connecting plate 4 is connected to the solenoid 6. It is connected to the plunger 21 by a shaft 22. The plunger 21 is biased by a spring 19 so as to protrude to the right in FIG. 1, and this biasing force biases the arm 2 to rotate counterclockwise.

The print head 1 is, for example, a thermal head, and a large number of fine heating resistors are arranged in rows on the upper surface side of the print head 1 in a direction parallel to the support shaft 14. A driving platen roller 17 is arranged opposite to the heat generating resistor portion of the print head 1 . The print head 1 is normally separated from the active platen roller 17 due to the rotating biasing force of the arm 2, but when the solenoid 6 is energized and its plunger 21 is attracted against the spring 19, the arm 2 is moved away from the active platen roller 17. The print head 1 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 so that the print head 1 is pressed against the platen roller 17.

A drive roller 8 is arranged above and to the left of the platen roller 17, and a drive roller 11 is arranged below and to the right of the platen roller 17. Driven rollers 9 and 10 are arranged opposite to each of the drive rollers 8 and 11, respectively. The driven roller 9 is rotatably supported by a shaft 24 of the arm 7, and the driven roller 10 is rotatably supported by a shaft 28 of the arm 3. The arm 7 is rotatable around a shaft 15 fixed to a base plate or the like, and the arm 3 is rotatable around the support shaft 14. When arm 7 and arm 3 rotate counterclockwise in FIG.
, 10 are spaced apart from the drive rollers 8, 11, respectively. The platen roller 17 and each driving roller 8, 11 are driven to rotate in the same direction at the same speed in forward and reverse directions.

A component including the platen roller 17 and the print head 1 constitutes a printing section. When a card is inserted into a device equipped with a printing device, the card is guided through a guide path 25 between a driving roller 8 and a driven roller 9, and then to the printing section. The card that has passed through the printing section is guided between the active roller 11 and the driven roller 10 via the guide path 26. Conversely, the printing section is reached from between the drive roller 11 and the driven roller 10 through the guide path 26, and furthermore, the drive roller 8
．． It is guided from between the driven rollers 9 through the guide passage 25 to the outside of the device. Therefore, the pair of driving roller 8, driven roller 9 and driving roller 11. The driven rollers 10 are arranged on both sides of the printing section in the card conveyance direction.

A pair of driving roller 8, driven roller 9 and driving roller 1
1. The driven roller 10 is configured to move toward and away from the contact between the print head 1 and the platen roller 17 contrary to the approach between the print head 1 and the platen roller 17, by means of a switching means described below.

The tip end 3a of the arm 3 supporting the driven roller 10 extends to the left side in FIG. 1 of the shaft 13 connecting the arm 2 and the connecting plate 4. A tension spring 18 is applied to the tip end 3a of the arm 3, and the arm 3 is urged to rotate counterclockwise, so that the driven roller 10 comes into contact with the driving roller 11. The rotation of the arm 3 in the counterclockwise direction is restricted by the contact of the tip 3a with the shaft 13, but in a normal state where the solenoid 6 is not energized, the force of the spring 19 of the plunger 21 causes the shaft 13 to move against the arm 2.
The arm 3 moves away from the tip 3a of the arm 3.
rotates counterclockwise, and the driven roller 10 rotates to the rotating roller 1.
Touches 1. When the solenoid 6 is energized, the tip 3a of the arm 3 is pushed by the shaft 13 to the left in FIG.
distance from.

The arm 7 that partially supports the driven roller 9 is biased by a spring 27 to rotate counterclockwise, so that the driven roller 9 comes into contact with the driving roller 8 .

The tip of the arm 7 extending downward in FIG. 1 is connected to the upper end of the arm 5 arranged in the vertical direction by a shaft 23. The arm 5 has its lower end supported by a shaft 12 provided on a base plate or the like.
It is provided so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane about 2. The arm 5 stands up in a direction substantially perpendicular to the connecting plate 4, and the intermediate portion of the arm 5 is connected to the connecting plate 4 and the plunger 21 by the shaft 22.

As is clear from the explanation of the operation described below, the solenoid 6,
The components including the connecting plate 4 and each arm 2, 3, 5.7 are:
It constitutes a switching means that brings the print head 1 and the platen roller 17 into contact with each other and brings the drive rollers 8 and 11 into contact with and leaves the driven rollers 9 and 10 in a contradictory manner.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 show the operation mode when printing on a card by the printing section. In this mode of operation, the solenoid 6 is energized, the plunger 21 is attracted against the spring 19,
The connecting plate 4 has moved to the left. The arm 5 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 12 due to the suction of the plunger 21,
The arm 7 rotates counterclockwise via the shaft 23 against the spring 27.

The driven roller 24 separates from the drive roller 8. Further, as the connecting plate 4 moves to the left, the shaft 13 also moves to the left, the tip 3a of the arm 3 is pushed to the left, the arm 3 rotates clockwise, and the driven roller 10 moves to the driving roller. It is separated from 11. On the other hand, as the shaft 13 moves to the left, the arm 2 connected to the shaft 13 rotates clockwise, and the print head 1 supported by the arm 2 moves to the rotating platen roller 17.
is pressed into contact with the In this way, the print head 1 and the platen roller 17 come into pressure contact, and the platen roller 17. The print head 1 prints on the card while the card is being conveyed by the rotational drive of the card. On the other hand, since the driven rollers 9 and 10 are spaced apart from the drive rollers 8 and 11, the drive rollers 8 and
The card is not conveyed by the rotational drive of the platen roller 11. Therefore, during the printing operation, the card is conveyed only by the platen roller 17, and the card conveyance speed varies due to the difference in rotation with other drive rollers. Since this does not occur, there is no variation in the printing position and there is an advantage that printing accuracy is improved. Note that the direction in which the card is conveyed during the printing operation is not limited to one direction, and there may be cases in which printing is performed when the card is conveyed in the card insertion direction, and there are cases in which printing is performed while the card is conveyed in the card ejection direction.

When conveying the card without printing, the solenoid 6 is demagnetized. By demagnetizing the solenoid 6, each spring 19
, 27, and 18 cause each member to operate as shown in FIG. That is, as the plunger 21 moves to the right, the arm 5 rotates clockwise, and the arm 7 connected to the arm 5 rotates counterclockwise, causing the driven roller 9 to rotate.
It comes into pressure contact with the printing roller 8. Also, by moving the connecting plate 4 to the right together with the shaft 13, the arm 3 is moved by the spring 18.
The driven roller 10 rotates counterclockwise under the urging force of , and the driven roller 10 comes into pressure contact with the driving roller 11 . On the other hand, as the shaft 13 moves to the right, the arm 2 rotates counterclockwise, and the print head 1
is separated from the platen roller 17. Therefore, in this case, a pair of drive rollers 8. The card is conveyed by the driven roller 9, another pair of drive rollers 11, and the driven roller 10.

According to the above embodiment, the driving rollers 8 and 1 are arranged in pairs on both sides of the printing section in the card transport direction.
1 and the driven rollers 9, 10, and the print head 1 and the platen roller 17, the solenoid 6, the connecting plate 4. Since the switching means including the arms 2 and 3 degrees 5.7 are used in a reverse manner, printing on the card can be carried out while the card is being conveyed only by the drive platen roller 17, and the printing can be done by the other drive rollers 8 and 11. Since there is no variation in the card conveyance speed due to the rotation difference between the two, there is no variation in the printing position, and printing accuracy can be improved.

Note that the device of the present invention is applicable not only to prepaid card issuing machines and vending machines that use prepaid cards, but also to various devices that use other cards, and can be applied to printing devices in facsimiles, printers, and other various devices. . Further, the type of print head is not limited to a thermal destructible head, and may be of any other suitable type. Although the drive rollers 8 and 11 are movably supported and are brought into pressure contact with the driven rollers 9 and 10, it is also possible.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, the contact and separation of the driving roller and the driven roller, which are arranged in pairs on both sides of the printing section in the card transport direction, and the contact and separation of the print head and the driving platen roller are controlled. , printing is performed on the card while conveying the card only by the drive platen roller, and the card conveyance speed varies due to the rotation difference with other drive rollers. Because there is no problem, there is no variation in the printing position.
This has the effect of improving printing accuracy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a printing device for a card or the like according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top and bottom view of the same, FIG. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing another operating mode according to Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a side view showing an example of a conventional printing device for cards, etc., and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing printing on a card by a conventional printing device. It is a front view showing an example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Print head, 2, 3, 5. 7... Arm constituting a switching means, 6... Solenoid constituting a switching means, 8, 11... Drive roller, 9°10
...Followed roller, 17...Disposal platen row Fig. 3 Fig. 4

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A drive platen roller and a print head that are provided so as to be able to move toward and away from each other, and a drive roller and a driven roller that are arranged in pairs on both sides of the printing section in the conveying direction of cards, etc., and that are able to move toward and away from each other. A printing device for cards, etc., comprising a roller, and a switching means for reciprocally bringing the print head into contact with and away from the drive platen roller, and bringing the drive roller into contact with and away from the driven roller.