JPH04319468A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to mount an information apparatus on a printer, see through the inside of a printer case so as to reduce an office space, and confirm printing condition immediately after completion of a printing. CONSTITUTION:A display 2 is mounted on the upper face 1a of a printer 1 superposed on a word processor body 4. On the front face of a printer case 3, a window 16 is provided for seeing through printing condition in the inside of the case. On a vacant part 1b on the upper face of the printer, an openable cover 3c is provided for dealing with abnormality occurred in the case and exchanging a ribbon cassette 12. Printing is performed in a state that an information apparatus 2 is superposed and the printing condition is seen through the window 16. When an abnormality occurs in the printing state or when the ribbon cassette 12 is to be exchanged, the cover 3c is opened for disposal of the above.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer in which an information device such as a display device can be placed on the top surface.

0002

[Prior Art] Generally, printers for printing the output of personal computers, word processors, etc. are configured to feed or eject recording paper from above, and the printing state is from above or from above. It can be observed from the front.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In conventional printers that feed or discharge recording paper from above,
Since information devices such as a display cannot be mounted on the printer, the printer must be placed separately from the main body of the word processor and the display, which has the disadvantage of requiring extra space in the office or on the desk. . As a countermeasure to this problem, if the printer is configured so that the recording paper is fed and ejected from the front or side, and information equipment is placed above the printer, the printing condition cannot be observed from above or from the front, and poor printing conditions may occur. The disadvantage is that it is not possible to take immediate action when a problem occurs. Furthermore, if an information device such as a display is placed on the top surface, it is difficult to access the inside of the case unless it is moved, and there are inconveniences such as the need to replace ribbon cassettes and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to use a printer by stacking it with the main body of a word processor or the like or with a display, thereby making effective use of office or desk space, and making it possible to observe the printing status inside the printer case. It is to make it. Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer in which ribbon cassettes and the like can be easily replaced.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the printer of the present invention includes a case configured such that an information device can be placed on the top surface thereof, and a printer provided near the front end of the case. It includes a printing means and a window located near the front end of the upper surface of the case or on the front wall so as to be able to see through at least the state of printing on the recording paper.

[0006]Furthermore, the case has a structure in which the information equipment is not placed in the vicinity of the front end of the upper surface, and a lid part is provided in the non-placement part so that it can be opened and closed while the information equipment is placed on the case. This is advantageous for replacing ribbon cassettes.

[0007]

[Function] Through the window, the printing status inside the case can be seen through the case while the information device is placed on the case, and when a situation such as a printing defect occurs, it can be dealt with immediately.

[0008] The lid provided on the part where the information equipment is not placed can be opened and closed while the information equipment is placed thereon, and the ribbon cassette can be replaced.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. ◆As shown in Figure 1, the printer 1 is
The entire upper surface of the case 3 is made flat so that an information device 2 such as a display can be placed on the upper surface, and the case 3 has a structure that has enough strength to withstand the weight of the display and the like. The printer 1 is placed on an information device 4 such as a word processor, and a display 2 is placed on the top surface 1a.
They are stacked in three tiers.

A printing means 5 is provided near the front end inside the case 3.
is provided, and after printing on the surface of the recording paper P fed from the rear, it is possible to send it out to the rear again. The configuration of the printing means 5 includes two carrier guides 6, 6 extending in parallel along the front wall 3a of the case 3.
A carrier 7 is provided so as to be movable back and forth along a book carrier guide. The carrier 7 has an arcuate band-shaped side surface, and as shown in FIG. 2, an arcuate portion 7a of a predetermined width and a fitting portion 7b with carrier guides 6 provided at both ends of the arcuate portion 7a.
7b.

As shown in FIG. 1, a dot impact type print head 8 is fixed slightly below the center of the rear surface of the carrier 7. A printing section 8a located at the rear end of the printing head 8 is oriented slightly diagonally downward, and the center of the printing section approaches and opposes the surface of a platen 9 installed horizontally within the case 3. The platen 9 is made of a cylindrical hard elastic body, and is supported on the support plate 10 by a platen shaft 9a extending through the center. A wheel train 11 for rotating the platen is attached to a portion projecting outward from the support plate.

In FIG. 1, an ink ribbon 1 is located on the opposite side of the print head 8 with respect to the platen shaft 9a.
A ribbon cassette 12 for supplying the ribbon 2a is attached via a cassette holder 13. ribbon cassette 1
2 has a width slightly larger than the length of the platen shaft 9a, and when the ribbon cassette is installed, the ink ribbon 12a is guided from the outside of the platen shaft 9a to the front of the platen 9, and the ink ribbon 12a is guided between the platen 9 and the print head 8. It is arranged so that it is located in between. Therefore, printing can be performed on the recording paper P by moving the print head 8 along the front surface of the ink ribbon 12a. A paper pressing roller 14 is provided below the platen 9 so as to come into elastic contact with the platen 9. A plurality of paper pressing rollers 14 having a predetermined width are rotatably attached to a roller shaft 14a at predetermined intervals. Below the position where the printing part 8a of the print head 8 and the platen 9 are close to each other, a paper holding plate 15 made of a leaf spring has its lower end locked to the bottom of the case, and its upper end presses the paper towards the platen. It is provided so that paper P can be pressed.

The front surface of the display 2 placed on the top surface of the case 3 is set back a predetermined distance from the front wall 3a of the printer case 1, and the vicinity of the front end of the top surface of the case 3 is occupied by the information equipment 2. It is set as a non-mounting section 1b for so-called information equipment that cannot be placed.

The non-loading section 1b is provided with a lid section 3c that is supported by a hinge 3b and can be opened and closed at a position slightly forward of the front surface of the display 2. In the closed state, the lid 3c hangs down so as to be continuous with the front wall 3a of the case 3. Most of the part hanging down from the front surface of the lid part 3c is a window part 16 made of a transparent plastic plate. This window portion 16 allows the inside of the printer case to be seen through from the outside even when the lid is closed, and at least the printing state on the recording paper P can be seen through the window portion 16.

When printing, the recording paper P is fed from the rear of the case 3 between the paper pressing roller 14 and the platen 9, and as the platen 9 rotates, it is further advanced and pressed against the platen 9 by the paper pressing plate 15. It is fed between the platen 9 and the print head 8 in a flat state. Since the print head 8 moves while being guided by the carrier guide 6 while performing a printing operation, the printing state on the recording paper P after the print head 8 has moved can be easily observed from the window 16. The printed recording paper P is conveyed to the upper rear part of the case 3 by a conveyance roller (not shown). If an abnormality occurs in the printing condition such as a paper jam or a printing error within the case 3, it can be immediately determined from the window 16, so that the printing operation can be stopped and appropriate measures taken. Open the lid 3c upward as shown by the two-dot chain line to adjust the condition of the recording paper P.
Alternatively, the ribbon cassette 12 can be replaced.

As another embodiment, the lid portion 3c may be formed only from the upper surface of the case, and the window portion 16 may be provided in the front wall portion 3a. Further, although the print head 8 is of a dot impact type, it may be of an inkjet type or other type. In this case, since an ink ribbon is not required, the ribbon cassette provided behind the platen 9 is also not required. Further, in the embodiment, the printer 1 is placed at an intermediate position, but it may be placed under the main body of a word processor, etc., and the information equipment placed on top of the printer is not limited to a display, but may also be an image scanner. , a drive desk unit, or other peripheral equipment.

[0017]

As described above, since the present invention allows information equipment to be placed on the top surface of the printer, effective office or desk space can be secured accordingly. Further, since a window is provided on the front wall of the case through which the printing condition inside the case can be seen, if a printing defect or the like occurs, it can be visually recognized and dealt with immediately. Furthermore, if the printer is equipped with a lid that can be opened and closed while the information device is placed on the printer, the ribbon cassette can be replaced without moving the item placed on the printer, and the window can be opened and closed. This has the advantage that it is possible to easily deal with defects in printing that are found in other parts.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the main parts of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway enlarged front view of essential parts of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Printer 1b Non-placement area 2 Information equipment 3 Case 3a Front wall 3c Lid part 5 Printing means 16 Window section P Recording paper

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: A case configured to allow an information device to be mounted on the top surface, a printing means provided near the front end of the case, and a printing means located near the front end of the top surface or on the front wall of the case. 1. A printer comprising: a window section provided so that at least the state of printing on recording paper can be seen through. 2. In claim 1, the case has a non-mounting part for the information equipment near the front end of the upper surface, and the information equipment is mounted on the case in the non-mounting part. A printer characterized in that it is provided with a lid part that can be opened and closed freely in any state.