JPH10315569A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing apparatus which is thin and compact enough to be built in a main body of a personal computer and allows papers to be supplied and discharged from the front side. SOLUTION: A printing part 20 exposing thereby printing a Cycolor medium 1 as a photosensitive medium in color, and a storing part 14 storing the media held in a cassette 5 are arranged back and forth nearly linearly in a first frame 11. The first frame 11 is supported by a second frame 12 mounted to a main body 8 of a personal computer in such manner that the first frame can be moved back and forth. At the time of printing, the first frame 11 is moved rearward to allow the printed medium 1 to be discharged from a front face. When the papers are to be supplied, the first frame 11 is moved forward to project the storing part 14 from the main body 8, so that the cassette 5 can be exchanged from the front face.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for printing images such as characters and images on printing paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Personal computers (personal computers)
Has been improving its functions and lowering its price every year,
It is being used in numerous fields. Furthermore, personal computers have become more sophisticated and smaller, and peripheral processing devices such as a large-capacity hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a floppy disk drive can be mounted on the main body of the personal computer. In addition, personal computers integrated with displays have also appeared.

[0003]

A printer is one of the main peripheral processing devices of a personal computer, and various types of printers are used. Currently, printers are marketed as independent peripheral devices, and they are used by connecting them to a printer port of a personal computer with a cable. In recent years, it has become common to process texts and images on a personal computer, and a printer has become important as one of peripheral devices that output images such as texts and images. For this reason, printers are indispensable equipment in homes and offices where personal computers have been introduced,
Space for installing a printer around a personal computer is required. Therefore, there is a demand for further downsizing of the printer in order to construct a work station centered on a personal computer in a narrow space.

On the other hand, it is also possible to connect a printer to a personal computer via a LAN and to share the printer, thereby reducing the installation space and the number of installed printers. However, there is also a demand for immediate printing out as needed at a location close to the user, and a small printer that requires a small installation space even when locally connected to a personal computer is demanded. In particular, in recent years, most of images have been colorized, and there is an urgent need to develop a small printer capable of performing color printing.

Therefore, in the present invention, a CD-ROM
It is an object of the present invention to realize a printing device that can be housed in a personal computer as well as a drive device or a floppy disk drive device, is small, thin, and can be supplied at low cost. It is another object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use printing apparatus which can print on a plurality of printing papers even in a small size and can easily supply the papers. It is another object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus which is small enough to be stored in a personal computer and capable of performing color printing.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A printing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a storage section capable of storing fixed-form printing paper so that the printing apparatus can be stored and used in a personal computer main body. A printing unit provided with a paper discharge port, a first frame on which the storage unit and the printing unit are mounted, and a second frame supporting the first frame so as to be movable back and forth; The first frame can be moved to a printing position in which at least the storage unit is accommodated in the second frame, and a paper feeding position in which at least a part of the storage unit protrudes forward from the second frame. When the second frame of the printing apparatus of the present invention is housed in the personal computer main body, the first frame can be fed from the front side of the personal computer main body at a paper feed position where the first frame is pulled out from the personal computer main body. At the printing position where the first frame is stored in the personal computer, printed printing paper can be output from the front of the personal computer. As described above, the printing apparatus according to the present invention is a front-in / front-out printer capable of feeding and discharging paper at the front face. It can be used as a printer.

Further, since the first frame is drawn out to the front side so as to be able to feed the paper, the storage section is arranged substantially straight behind the printing section on the front side. The thinnest arrangement without vertically stacked parts can be employed. For this reason, it is possible to provide a very compact and thin printing device that can perform all operations from the front.

Although the storage section can store a plurality of standard papers as they are, it is preferable that a paper cassette storing print papers can be mounted in consideration of the time required for paper supply. By providing an eject mechanism for opening the sheet cassette upward from the first frame at the sheet feeding position, the sheet cassette can be easily removed from the storage section.

In addition, a pickup roller can be used to pick up printing paper from a paper feed port of the paper cassette, and the paper feed port of the paper cassette is moved to the pickup roller in conjunction with the forward and backward movement of the first frame. It is desirable to provide a paper feed mechanism for pulling out and inserting in the operating range of. With this paper feeding mechanism, when the first frame is moved from the paper feeding position to the printing position at the rear, the paper feeding port automatically enters the operating range of the pickup roller to perform printing. When the frame is moved from the print position to the front paper feed position, the paper feed port is out of the operating range of the pickup roller, and the paper cassette can be taken out.

Although it is possible to adopt an impact type or an ink jet type in the printing section, it is possible to store photosensitive printing paper, such as a color medium using a color medium using a color medium or an emulsion, in which a color former is encapsulated. By adopting a printing unit that prints an image by exposing the photosensitive printing paper by making it storable, color printing becomes possible without the need for consumables such as ribbons and toners that increase the size. Therefore, since the printing unit can be made very small, a more compact printing apparatus that can be housed in a personal computer or that is portable can be realized. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus having a 5-inch file bay size or a smaller size, which is as small as a CD-ROM or a floppy disk device and can be easily incorporated into a personal computer. .

[0011] In order to handle photosensitive printing paper, it is desirable that a light-shielding cassette with a shutter accommodating photosensitive printing paper can be mounted in the storage section. And
By providing an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the shutter in conjunction with the movement of the first frame backward and forward, the shutter is automatically opened when the first frame is moved from the sheet feeding position to the printing position behind. Paper can be fed, and when the first frame is moved from the printing position to the front feeding position, the shutter is automatically closed to prevent printing paper from being exposed.

A first mechanism for moving the light-shielding cassette forward with respect to the first frame when the first frame moves backward, and a light-shielding mechanism for moving the first frame forward when the first frame moves forward. It is desirable to provide a second mechanism for moving the cassette backward relative to the first frame. First
With this mechanism, when the first frame is moved from the paper feeding position to the printing position at the rear, the light-shielding cassette can be moved forward to open the shutter and insert the paper feeding port into the operating range of the pickup roller.
Therefore, when the printing position is reached, the shutter is automatically opened to enable printing. Further, by moving the first frame from the printing position to the front feeding position by the second mechanism, the shutter is closed by moving the light-shielding cassette backward, and the feeding port is removed from the operating range of the pickup roller. Can be. Therefore, the cassette can be easily removed from the storage section in a state where the printing paper in the light-shielding cassette is not exposed to light.

Although such a first and second mechanism can be constituted by using a drive mechanism such as a dedicated motor, an engagement protrusion from the second frame toward the first frame is employed. This makes it possible to control the position of the light-shielding cassette with respect to the first frame by using the force for moving the first frame back and forth between the printing position and the paper feeding position. Therefore, the mechanism for controlling the position of the light-shielding cassette can be simplified, and a special drive system is not required. Therefore, the printing apparatus can be reduced in size and cost, and the power consumed by the drive system can be reduced. Can be.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the printing unit is in a state of protruding forward at the sheet feeding position. For this reason,
A printing unit that can easily access a printing unit where a paper jam or the like is likely to occur can be provided.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a printer 10 according to the present invention using a sectional view. Also,
FIGS. 2 and 3 show an example in which the printer 10 of this embodiment is housed in the main body 8 of a personal computer (personal computer). FIG. 2 shows a case where the printer 10 of the present example is in a print position, and FIG. 3 shows a case where the printer 10 is in a paper feed position. The printer 10 of the present embodiment is a thin plate-shaped metal or plastic first frame 1.
1 and a printing unit 20 in front X of the first frame 1.
Is provided at the rear Y, and a storage unit 14 capable of storing a paper cassette 5 in which standard printing paper is stored is provided.
The first frame 11 is supported by a metal or plastic second frame 12 attached to the main body 8 of the personal computer so as to be able to move back and forth (XY directions).

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a printing position, in which the first frame 11 moves to the rear Y of the second frame 12 and is stored in the second frame 12, that is, the storage portion in the personal computer body 8. 14 and a printing unit 20 are housed. In this printing position, the printer 1 of this example is
0 indicates that the front cover 21a of the printing unit 20 is
At the same position as the front surface 8a. Further, the light-shielding cassette 5 set in the storage unit 14 can be fed to the printing unit 20, and the cassette 5 feeds the color paper 1, which is photosensitive paper, to the printing unit 20. Then, the image is exposed in accordance with the print data from the personal computer, and the printed medium 1 is output from the paper discharge port 22 provided on the front cover 21a of the printing unit 20.

FIG. 3 shows a paper feed position, in which the first frame 11 is positioned in front of the second frame 12 in the X direction.
Then, at least one portion of the storage section 14 protrudes from the second frame 12, ie, the personal computer body 8, so that the cassette 5 can be attached and detached. In the printer 10 of the present example, a printing unit 20 is arranged in front of the first frame, and a storage unit 14 for setting the cassette 5 is arranged behind. For this reason, the storage section 14 is exposed from the front surface 8a of the personal computer main body by setting the first frame to the paper feed position, so that the cassette 5 storing a plurality of media 1 can be attached to and detached from the storage section 14.

Printing paper 1 handled by the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment
Is a photosensitive printing paper called Psycolor Media. A layer containing a myriad of capsules having a color-forming substance is formed on the surface thereof, and the surface is exposed to light of an appropriate wavelength and exposed, and these capsules are adjusted to an image. Activate or deactivate. Thereafter, color printing can be performed by applying pressure to break the activated capsule and performing development. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the outline of Psycolor media 1. The sycolor media 1 has a number of microcapsules called thyris 3a to 3c applied on a film 2 formed of polyester or the like. Each of the thyris 3a to 3c has a cyan, magenta, or yellow color developing substance. One is filled with a sensitive substance called a photo-initiator which is sensitive to light of a specific wavelength. The photoinitiator sealed in each of the thyris 3a to 3c cures when irradiated with light of a specific wavelength, for example, light of a complementary color of each thyris. Therefore, the color development sealed in the thyris according to the wavelength of the irradiated light. The coloring reaction of the substance can be inactivated. After irradiating (exposing) light to the three-color thyristors 3a to 3c, the activated thyristors 3a to 3c are crushed by applying a high pressure, and the color-forming substance of each capsule and the upper surface thereof are coated. A predetermined color image is printed by causing a chemical reaction with an image receiving layer formed of a transparent polyester or the like called a receiver 4. Therefore, a high-resolution color image can be obtained.

Returning to FIG. 1, the printer 10 of this embodiment will be described in more detail. The printing unit 20 of the printer 10 of this embodiment has a pickup roller 23 for picking up the media 1 one by one from the cassette 5, and a pickup roller 23. Paper feed roller 2 for feeding media 1 to print head 25
4. A print head 25 having an exposure unit 25a for exposing the medium 1 and a developing unit 25b for developing the exposed medium 1 under pressure, and a discharge roller 26 for feeding the printed medium 1 from a discharge port 22. Along the paper path 27,
It is arranged from the rear Y toward the front X. And
These are covered with a cover 21 to block light and prevent intrusion of dust. The print head 25 moves in the width direction of the medium 1 along a carriage shaft 28 installed in a direction (scanning direction) orthogonal to the direction from the paper feed roller 24 to the paper discharge port 22 (paper feed direction, in this example, the front-back direction). Can be reciprocated. For this reason, the printing unit 20 of the present example also includes a timing belt 29 for moving the print head 25 in the scanning direction and a motor. Motor 3
As shown in FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a paper feed unit which is disposed beside the storage section 14 of the first frame 11 and drives the print head 25 with one motor 31 and feeds paper and discharges rollers. The mechanism can also be driven.

The printer 10 of this embodiment includes an ejecting lever 32 for releasing the cassette 5 from the storage section 14 in the first frame 11, a mechanism 40 for holding the first frame 11 in the printing position, and a first And a position control mechanism 50 for operating the position of the cassette 5 in conjunction with the movement of the frame 11 described above. These will be described in detail below. When the first frame 11 is set at the print position, the second frame is located above the storage section 14.
A control board 33 having a function of controlling the printing unit 20 is arranged in a space with the frame 12.

In the printer 10 of this embodiment, the printing section 20 and the storage section 14 are arranged adjacent to each other in the first frame 11 so as to be substantially straight in the front and rear direction, so that the paper path 27 can be minimized without waste. Therefore, the moving distance of the medium 1 can be shortened and the printer 10 can be made compact. Further, since the storage unit 14 and the printing unit 20 are arranged linearly, there is no portion where the printing unit 20 and the storage unit 14 overlap, and the printer 10 can be made thinner.

Further, the printer 10 of this embodiment uses the color medium 1 and exposes each dot of the medium 1 by using an optical element such as an LED of the mounted exposure unit 25a while moving the print head 25 in the scanning direction. Developing unit 2
5b, a color image is formed on the medium 1 by pressure development. Photosensitive media such as the Psycolor media 1 do not require consumables such as ribbons and toners for printing, and the printing unit 20 does not need to provide a space for storing these consumables. Therefore, the printing unit 20 can be made very small and thin, and the printer 10 can be made more compact.

Further, since the printing unit 20 of the present embodiment employs the print head 25 which performs printing (exposure and development) while moving in the scanning direction, all the dots for forming an image with a small number of LEDs are used. Can be exposed. For this reason, the manufacturing cost of the printer 10 can be reduced, and a mechanism or the like for adjusting to obtain a uniform color tone using an LED having a large individual difference is not required. Therefore,
In this respect, the size of the printer 10 can be reduced, and a uniform and high-resolution image can be printed.

As described above, since the printer 10 of the present embodiment can be formed very compact, for example, a printer of a type that stores the media 1 of A6 size (about 105 mm × 148 mm) is about 5 inch file bay size, or It can be realized with a smaller size. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the printer 10 of the present embodiment can be mounted on the main body 8 of the personal computer similarly to the CD-ROM or the floppy disk device. Further, the printer 10 of this example can output the printed medium 1 from the front cover 21a of the printing unit 20 at the printing position, and the first frame 11 moves back and forth with respect to the second frame 12 at the paper feeding position. This is a front-loading type printer capable of front-in / front-out, in which the cassette 5 can be attached to and detached from the storage section 14 from the front. Therefore, the medium 1 can be supplied from the front surface 8a side of the personal computer main body 8 and can be supplied as a very small and thin printer 10 capable of outputting to the front surface 8a. For this reason, the printer 10 of the present embodiment uses a CD-ROM
It can also be stored in the personal computer main body 8 and used as usual, similarly to a disk drive, MO or floppy disk device. By implementing such a built-in printer in the personal computer body 8, the installation space for the printer can be saved, and the space for the cable connecting the printer and the personal computer body can also be eliminated. Therefore, the space for installing a personal computer station including a printer can be significantly reduced, or an Olin One type personal computer including a printer can be realized. Therefore, it is possible to provide a personal computer that can be easily used by anyone who has been set up, including a printer, at the stage of supply to the user. Furthermore, since a small and low-priced printer can be provided, it is possible to connect to each personal computer locally and make copies at hand whenever necessary, and it can be used for a purpose different from a LAN printer. .

Next, a mechanism for attaching and detaching the paper cassette 5 to and from the printer 10 of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. Since the color media 1 used as printing paper in the printer 10 of the present embodiment is photosensitive as described above, it has been studied to store it in a light-shielding cassette 5 for sale. This paper cassette 5
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, is a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape capable of storing a plurality of standard media 1 and can be formed of light-shielding paper or plastic. The cassette 5 does not transmit light during the distribution process and the storage process.
A paper feed port with a shutter 7 that moves back and forth to open and close is provided so that the media 1 can be fed from the cassette 5 when set to 0.

When such a light-shielding cassette 5 is attached to and detached from the printer 10, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the first frame 11 on which the storage section 14 and the printing section 20 are mounted is moved to the second frame. It is pulled out to the front X with respect to the frame 12 to set the sheet feeding position. In the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the first frame 11 protrudes from the personal computer main body 8 at this paper feeding position, and at least a part of the storage section 14 is opened forward X of the personal computer main body 8. Therefore, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 5A, the cassette 5 can be easily mounted on the storage section 14 or, conversely, the cassette 5 can be removed from the storage section 14. At this time, in the printer 10 of the present example, an ejector lever 32 is provided on the side of the storage unit 14, and the front end 5 a of the cassette 5 contacts the cover 21 of the printing unit 20 as shown in FIG. The cassette 5 set in the storage section 14 can be lifted from the first frame 11 by operating the lever 32 as shown in FIG. Since the cassette 5 can be removed after the cassette 5 is mechanically detached from the first frame 11 by the ejector lever 32, the removal of the cassette 5 becomes very easy. Further, since the user does not forcibly remove the cassette 5 by hand, it is possible to prevent an extra force from being applied to the first or second frame, and to use the strength of the frames 11 and 12 to actually operate as a printer. It is not necessary to increase the strength beyond the required strength. Therefore, the weight of the frames 11 and 12 can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the front end 5a of the cassette 5 is set in the storage section 14 so that the front end 5a of the cassette 5 comes into contact with the printing section 20 at the sheet feeding position. When the frame 11 is moved backward Y, FIG.
As shown in (a), the rear end 5b of the cassette 5 hits the first projection 51 of the cassette position control mechanism 50 for operating the position of the cassette installed on the second frame 12. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 0, the first frame 11 of the printer 10 of the present example has a rear side 11 b narrower than the width of the cassette 5. For this reason, the cassette 5 has both corners 5c of the rear end 5b.
Is accommodated in the storage portion 14 in a state where it is exposed from the first frame 11 to the second frame 12, and moves together with the first frame 11. The second frame 12 is provided with a position control mechanism 50 projecting from the second frame 12 toward the first frame 11 so as to hit both corners 5c of the cassette 5 exposed from the first frame at an appropriate position. And
Thus, the position of the cassette 5 with respect to the first frame 11 can be controlled in conjunction with the movement of the first frame 11 back and forth.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the rear end 5b of the cassette 5 is connected to the first projection 51 of the cassette position control mechanism 50.
As a result, the movement of the cassette 5 with respect to the second frame 12 is stopped. Therefore, the first frame 1
When the cassette 1 is further moved backward Y, the cassette 5 moves forward with respect to the first frame 11. For this reason, the first frame 11 moves to the print position and the front 2
6B, the front end 5a of the cassette 5 enters the inside of the front printing unit 20, as shown in FIG. 6B. At this time, the shutter 7 of the cassette 5 hits the cover 21 of the printing unit 20 and the cover 21
Since the shutter 7 can be moved by this, the shutter 7 opens and the paper feed port 6 appears, and the paper feed port 6 enters below the pickup roller 23. Therefore, when the first frame 11 is at the printing position shown in FIG. 6B, the paper can be fed from the cassette 5, and the paper can be fed at any time to start printing. Accordingly, the printer 10 of the present embodiment can perform color printing while continuously feeding the media 1 one by one or a plurality of media. As described above, the cassette position control mechanism 50 of the present example has both a function as an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the shutter 7 and a function as a paper feeding mechanism for inserting the paper feeding port 6 into an operable range of the pickup roller 23. ing.

The position control mechanism 50 is positioned so that the shutter 7 of the cassette 5 is opened when the cover 21 of the printing unit 20 has sufficiently entered the inside of the personal computer 8. For this reason, when the shutter 7 is opened, the personal computer main body 8 and the cover 21 of the printing unit provide sufficient light-shielding properties, so that the color medium 1 is not exposed to light and a beautiful color Printing is possible.

As shown in FIG. 10, the printer 10 of this embodiment has a holding mechanism 40 at the rear end 11b of the first frame 11.
Is provided to extend rearward. Further, the second frame 1 facing the projection 41
The two rear ends 12b are provided with a bi-stable retainer 42 that sequentially shows two functions of a function of engaging and fixing the projection 41 and a function of opening the projection 41. Therefore, FIG.
When the first frame 11 is moved backward Y to the printing position as shown in FIG.
Into the first and second frames 1 in the printing position
1 and 12 are retained.

In this printing position, when the front cover 21a of the printing section is pressed with a finger or the like, the bistable holder 42 opens the projection 41 of the first frame. Two coil springs 43 are provided on the rear end 12b of the second frame 12 so as to be compressed against the rear end 11b of the first frame. Therefore, while the first frame is in the printing position, the two coil springs 43 are in a contracted state, and when the projection 41 is released from the bi-stable holder 42, the first frame is caused by the force of the coil spring 43. 11 is pushed forward X, and the front surface 21 of the cover of the printing unit pops out of the personal computer 8a. With such a push-out mechanism, the user can grip the printing unit 20 and a part of the first frame 11 slightly protruding from the personal computer main body 8, and easily pull the first frame 11 forward X to the paper feeding position. Can be served.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cassette position control mechanism 50 of the present embodiment engages with a recess or a bar 5d provided on the bottom surface of the cassette 5 to prevent the cassette 5 from moving forward X. A second projection 52 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the first frame 11 is
When the cassette 5 is pulled out, the cassette 5 is prevented from moving by the second protrusion 52, so that the cassette 5 moves rearward relative to the first frame 11. For this reason,
The paper feed port 6 of the cassette 5 is out of the operating range of the pickup roller 23, and the paper feed port 6 is
The shutter 7 closes because the vehicle exits Y from 1 behind. Subsequently, when the first frame 11 is further pulled out in the front (front) X direction, the rear end 5b of the cassette hits the rear end 11b of the first frame 11. Since the second projection 52 is attached to the second frame 12 by the leaf spring 53, when the cassette 5 is pulled out together with the first frame, the second projection 52 comes off from the rail 5d. Therefore, FIG.
As shown in (b), the cassette 5 is moved together with the first frame 11 into the second frame 12, that is, the personal computer body 8
Can be withdrawn from. Thus, when pulling out the first frame 11 forward X, the second protrusion 52
When the first frame 11 is moved forward, it functions as a paper feed mechanism for pulling out the cassette 5 from the operating range of the pickup roller 23 to make it easy to come off, and as an opening / closing mechanism for closing the shutter 7. When the printing unit 20 exits the personal computer body 8 by these mechanisms, the shutter 7
In a closed state, and it is possible to surely prevent the exposure of the color medium 1 when the cassette is attached or detached.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the operation of the cassette position control mechanism 50 of this embodiment in an enlarged manner. The cassette position control mechanism 50 of this embodiment includes a plastic control jig 55 in which the first and second protrusions 51 and 52 are connected by a leaf spring 53. This control jig 55
As shown in FIG. 10, the first and second projections 51 and 52 are attached to the first frame 11 through an opening 19 provided in the second frame 12. , And perform their respective functions. The first protrusion 51 projects vertically from a jig 55 to stop the movement of the cassette 5 and to move the cassette 5 forward relative to the first frame 11. As shown in FIG. 8B, the rear end 5b of the cassette 5 can be reliably grasped. As a result, when the first frame 11 is in the printing position, the cassette 5 is moved to the front printing unit 2.
0, the shutter 7 opens, and the pickup roller is set in the paper feed port 6.

On the other hand, the second projection 52 inhibits the forward movement of the cassette 5 once inserted to the rear printing position, and moves the cassette 5 rearward relative to the first frame 11. It has. For this reason, the front X side of the second projection 52 is an inclined surface on which the cassette 5 can easily get over, and as shown in FIG. 8A, when the cassette 5 moves from the front X to the rear Y The second projection 52 is not caught. In contrast,
The rear Y surface of the second projection 52 is substantially vertical.
For this reason, as shown in FIG.
When 1 is moved from the printing position to the paper feeding position from the rear Y to the front X, the crosspiece 5d of the cassette 5 is engaged with the second projection 52, and the movement is hindered. The cassette 5 is pulled out from the printing unit 20. The shutter 7 can be closed. Further, since the second projection 52 is connected by a leaf spring 53, as shown in FIG.
Is pulled out to the front X, the second protrusion 52
Is automatically disengaged and the movement of the cassette 5 is not hindered any more, and the cassette 5 moves to the sheet feeding position together with the first frame 11 and becomes detachable.

As described above, the printer 10 of the present embodiment uses a photosensitive medium such as ink, such as ink, which does not require consumables, so that the printing unit 20 can be formed very compact. Further, the printing unit 20 and the storage unit 14 are arranged substantially linearly in front and
7 is minimized by eliminating waste, so that the entire printer can be made very thin and compact. Further, the printing unit 2
The front loading type printer is realized by enabling the media 1 or the cassette 5 to be set from the front to the storage unit 14 by allowing the first frame 11 on which the storage unit 14 and the storage unit 14 are mounted to be movable back and forth. doing. For this reason, it is suitable as a built-in type printer which is stored in the main body of the personal computer and used, and it is possible to provide a space for arranging the printer and to open the user to the trouble of wiring and setup.

The printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes a printing unit 2
Since the first frame 11 on which the “0” is mounted can be moved forward, the printing unit 20 where paper jam or the like easily occurs during printing can be opened forward. For this reason, processing such as removing jammed paper can be easily performed, and the printer 10 of this example is small in size and has very good maintainability, so even a novice user can accurately deal with troubles such as paper jams. Can deal with.

The printer 10 described above is
The front cover 21a of the printing unit 20 is located at the printing position at the surface position of the front surface 8a of the main body. However, as long as at least the storage unit 14 can be accommodated in the second frame 12 and an appropriate light shielding performance can be obtained. Of course, the front cover 21a of the printing unit 20 may protrude forward from the front surface 8a of the personal computer body so that a slight level difference may be generated. Further, in the above description, the present invention has been described with an example of a built-in printer housed in the main body of a personal computer, but the present invention is also applicable to a printer that is used alone with a personal computer or the like via a cable or an infrared interface. Of course, it can be applied. As described above, according to the present invention, the printer can be compactly packed, particularly, very thinly (assembled).
It is of course possible to provide the printer of the present invention as a small-sized portable printer that is suitable as a light-weight output terminal of a personal-use information processing device and is suitable for being carried around in a handbag or a pocket.

[0038]

As described above, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, the printing section and the storage section are mounted on the first frame in a substantially linear manner in the front and rear direction. The second frame can be moved to the front and rear sheet feeding position and printing position. Therefore, the entire printing apparatus can be configured to be thin and compact, and the printing paper can be supplied to the storage section from the front by setting the first frame to the front sheet feeding position. Therefore, a very thin and compact printing apparatus using a front-in / front-out front loading method can be provided. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to build in the personal computer 5.
It is possible to provide a printing apparatus that is more compact and suitable for carrying or personal use than ever before, such as an inch file bay size or thinner printer, a thin and compact handy type printer, and the like. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a compact and high-performance printer suitable as a peripheral device of a personal computer whose size and function are increasing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a printing apparatus (printer) of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state where the printer illustrated in FIG. 1 is in a print position.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the printer illustrated in FIG. 1 is in a paper feed position.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a color medium used in the printer shown in FIG. 1;

5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing how a cassette is attached to and detached from the printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5A shows a state where the cassette is taken out at a sheet feeding position, and FIG. It is a figure showing the state where was attached.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a paper feed port of a cassette is set in a printing unit in the printer shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6A shows a state in which the rear end of the cassette has hit the first protrusion, and FIG. 6B shows a state in which the paper feed port of the cassette has been inserted into the printing section by the first protrusion. .

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a paper feed port of a cassette is pulled out of a printing unit in the printer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7A shows a state in which a crosspiece of the cassette hits a second protrusion. FIG. 7 (b) shows a state in which the crosspiece of the cassette is released from the second projection.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing the movement of the position control mechanism corresponding to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b).

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing the movement of the position control mechanism corresponding to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

10 is a diagram when the printer shown in FIG. 1 is in a paper feed position, as viewed from above.

FIG. 11 is a view of the printer shown in FIG. 1 when in a print position, as viewed from above.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. Psycho-colored media (printing paper) 5. Light-shielding paper cassette 6. Paper feed port 7. Shutter 8. Personal computer body 10. Printer (printing device) 11. First frame 12.・ Second frame 14 ・ ・ Storage unit 20 ・ ・ Printing unit 21 ・ ・ Cover 22 ・ ・ Discharge port 23 ・ ・ Pickup roller 24 ・ ・ Paper feed roller 25 ・ ・ Print head 26 ・ ・ Discharge roller 32 ・ ・Ejector lever 33 control base 40 holding mechanism 41 projection 42 stable holder 43 spring 50 cassette position control mechanism 51 first projection 52 second projection 53 ..Leaf springs

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A storage section capable of storing fixed-form printing paper, a printing section disposed in front of the storage section and provided with a paper discharge port on a front face, and a first section including the storage section and the printing section. And a second frame that supports the first frame so that the first frame can move back and forth, at least a printing position in which the storage section is accommodated in the second frame, and the storage section At least one of
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first frame is movable to a sheet feeding position where a portion protrudes forward from the second frame. 2. The ejecting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a paper cassette storing printing paper is mountable in the storage section, and the eject mechanism for opening the paper cassette upward from the first frame at the paper feeding position is provided. A printing device mounted on a first frame. 3. A paper cassette according to claim 1, wherein a paper cassette containing print paper can be mounted in said storage section, and said print section has a pickup roller for picking up print paper from a paper feed port of the paper cassette. A printing apparatus having a paper feed mechanism for pulling a paper feed port of the paper cassette into and out of an operation range of the pickup roller in conjunction with the forward and backward movement of the first frame. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein photosensitive printing paper can be stored in the storage section, and the printing section can print an image by exposing the printing paper. 5. The storage unit according to claim 4, wherein the light-shielding cassette with a shutter that stores photosensitive printing paper can be mounted in the storage unit, and the storage unit is interlocked with the rearward and forward movement of the first frame. A printing apparatus comprising an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing a shutter. 6. The first opening and closing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the first mechanism moves the light-shielding cassette forward with respect to the first frame when the first frame moves rearward, and Moving the light-shielding cassette rearward with respect to the first frame when the frame moves forward;
A printing device comprising: 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first and the second
The mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement projection extending from said second frame to said first frame.