JPH059178Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a printing element, and particularly to a printing element that uses a piezo element as an actuator to print dots.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a printing element has been proposed that prints dots by magnifying and transmitting dimensional distortion generated by a piezo element due to a longitudinal strain effect to a printing wire. This printing element uses the longitudinal strain effect of the piezo element that is the actuator, so it can achieve higher electromechanical conversion efficiency than using the transverse strain effect, but since the dimensional strain generated by the actuator is small, the lever A mechanism expands the image and transmits it to the wire.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional printing element. Piezo elements 2 and 3 joined by joining member 4
The lower end is connected to the lower side of the L-shaped base member 20 via a hinge 21, and the upper end is connected to a lever member 24 via a hinge 22. The lever member 24 is connected via the hinge 23.
It is connected to the top of the base member 20. Further, an arm member 2 connected to one end of the lever member 24 is provided.
A printing wire 7 is attached to the tip of the wire 5 . When a printing drive voltage is applied to the piezo elements 2 and 3, a dimensional strain is generated in the direction of the broken line arrow A due to the longitudinal strain effect, and in response to this, the lever member 24 uses the hinge 22 as the point of action and the hinge 23 as the fulcrum. The dimensional distortion is enlarged and transmitted to the wire 7, and dots are printed in the direction of the broken line arrow B.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In the conventional printing element described above, the distance between the hinges 22 and 23 is set so that the piezo elements 2 and 3 and the joining member 4 do not come into contact with the base member 20. Therefore, in order to obtain the desired printing stroke with the wire 7 without making the distance between the hinges 22 and 23 too small, the lever member 24 and the arm member 25 must be
It is necessary to make the total length considerably longer. As a result,
As the printing element becomes larger, the moment of inertia of the lever mechanism increases, and the printing speed decreases. In addition, the dimensional distortion generated by the piezo elements 2 and 3 during printing drive is transmitted to the wire 7 as described above, and also deforms the lower side of the base member 20 by pushing down, as shown by the broken line in FIG. , electricity-
The efficiency of using mechanically converted energy for printing operations decreases. Furthermore, when the lower side of the base member 20 is deformed in this manner, stress in the direction shown by the broken line arrow C acts on the joint member 4, and the joint between the piezo elements 2 and 3 is likely to be damaged.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a printing element that is smaller than conventional printing elements, can print at high speed, has high energy utilization efficiency, and is less likely to cause damage to piezo elements.

[Means for solving problems]

The printing element of the present invention has a base member that is shaped like a hollow quadrilateral frame and has a slit that penetrates outward from the inner surface at a predetermined location, and a piezoelectric sensor that generates dimensional distortion due to a longitudinal strain effect during printing drive. an actuator having an element and having one end connected to the first inner surface of the base member via a hinge and disposed in a hollow portion of the base member; and an actuator connected to the other end of the actuator via a hinge and connected to the base member via a hinge. a lever member connected via a hinge to a second inner surface opposite to the first inner surface of the lever member; and a lever member directly connected to the lever member and penetrating through the slit and having a distal end protruding outside the frame of the base member. and a wire for dot printing attached to the tip of the arm member.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The base member 1 is a hollow rectangular frame, and the lower end of an actuator in which piezo elements 2 and 3 are joined by a joining member 4 is connected to the lower side of the rectangular frame via a hinge 10, and the lower end of the actuator is connected to the upper side of the rectangular frame through a hinge 10. The upper side of the lever member 5 is connected via a hinge 12. The upper end of the actuator is connected to the lower side of the lever member 5 via a hinge 11. An arm member 6 connected to one end of the lever member 5
penetrates through a slit 16 provided on the side of the base member 1, with its tip protruding outward, and a printing wire 7 is attached to the tip.

During printing drive, the actuator generates dimensional strain in the direction of the broken line arrow A due to the longitudinal strain effect, and in response to this, the lever member 5 uses the hinge 11 as the point of action and the hinge 12 as the fulcrum to expand the dimensional strain and tighten the wire. 7 to print dots in the direction of broken line arrow B.

In this embodiment, since the hinges 11 and 12 are connected to the lower side and the upper side of the lever member 5, respectively, the distance between them can be made as small as desired without being subject to the conventional arrangement restrictions. Therefore, the overall length of the lever member 5 and the arm member 6 can be shortened, and the printing element can be made smaller and faster. Further, since the base member 1 has a rectangular frame, the base member 1 is not deformed even during printing driving, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in energy utilization efficiency and reliability caused by deformation of the base member as in the conventional case.
Furthermore, since the arm member 6 is structured to pass through the slit 16, it is possible to prevent the generation of unnecessary vibrations such as horizontal vibration of the arm member 6 during printing driving.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the slit 16 is formed by making a hole on the side of the base member 1, but in this embodiment, a groove-shaped notch 1 is formed on the side of the base member 1.
7 is formed in advance, and a cover 18 is placed over and attached to form a slit through which the arm member 6 is passed. This has the advantage of facilitating processing during manufacturing. Other than this, the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore similar effects can be obtained.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, the present invention improves strength by using a hollow rectangular frame for the base member, and shortens the distance between the action point and fulcrum of the lever for expanding dimensional distortion, making it smaller and faster than before. This has the effect of realizing a printing element that can be printed, has high energy utilization efficiency, and is unlikely to cause damage to the piezo element.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are perspective views of embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional printing element. 1, 20... Base member, 2, 3... Piezo element, 4... Joining member, 5, 24... Lever member,
6, 25...Arm member, 7...Wire, 10~
12, 21-23...hinge, 16...slit, 17...notch, 18...cover.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The base member has the shape of a hollow quadrilateral frame and is provided with a slit that penetrates outward from the inner surface of a predetermined location, and a piezo element that generates dimensional distortion due to a longitudinal distortion effect during printing drive, and has one end connected to the base member. an actuator connected to a first inner surface of a base member via a hinge and disposed within a hollow portion of the base member; an actuator connected to the other end of the actuator via a hinge and connected to the first inner surface of the base member; a lever member connected to the opposing second inner surface via a hinge;
An arm member that is directly connected to the lever member, passes through the slit, and has a distal end protruding outside the frame of the base member, and a dot printing wire attached to the distal end of the arm member. A printing element characterized by: