JP2001253601A - Label loading device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To ensure that even if both a label with a core tube and a label without a core tube are loaded, they are held, so that rattling is not generated in the label loading portion, and a complicated structure is adopted. To provide a label loading device 4 capable of loading a label with a simple component shape and a small number of components without using a component. SOLUTION: A label guide 13 movable in the width direction of the label is provided, and a loading boss 1 is provided on the label guide 13.
Focusing on detachable mounting of 4, etc.,
A label guide 13 for holding a roll-shaped label in the label loading section from the left and right in the width direction, a guide housing 12 formed with guide grooves 20A and 20B for guiding the label guide 13 movably in the label width direction, It is characterized by having.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label loading device, and more particularly to a label loading device capable of easily loading a roll-shaped label in a portable printer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional printer, a label for printing is wound in a belt shape and is loaded in a label loading section. The type of label to be loaded is a paper tube for winding the label in a roll shape. Alternatively, there are a type using a core tube such as a plastic tube (label with a core tube) and a type not using a core tube (label without a core tube).

Many conventional printers are basically provided with a loading boss capable of holding the core tube from the left and right in the axial direction (label width direction) in order to cope with the label with the core tube. When a blank label is loaded, the loading boss is removed from the printer body, and a roll-shaped label is directly loaded into the label loading section.

However, especially in a portable printer, if the label is loaded in such a state that it is not securely held or supported from the left and right, rattling occurs inside the printer when the printer is carried. There is a problem that the transfer of the label is hindered and the label itself may be damaged inside.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the label without the core tube is held properly and properly, especially when the label without the core tube is loaded.
There is a problem that it is necessary to deal with this point.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is intended that both a label with a core tube and a label without a core tube be held securely even if they are loaded. An object of the present invention is to provide a label loading device that prevents rattling in a loading section.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a label loading apparatus which can adjust the width direction of a label even if the width of the label differs, can reliably guide the label, and can appropriately hold the label.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a label loading apparatus capable of loading a label with a simple component shape and a small number of components without employing a complicated structure.

[0009]

That is, the present invention focuses on providing a label guide movable in the width direction of a label, and removably attaching a loading boss to the label guide. A label loading device for loading the label of the label and feeding it out in a band shape, comprising: a label guide for holding the roll-shaped label in the label loading section from the left and right in the width direction; And a guide housing formed with a guide groove for movably guiding the label.

[0010] The label guide can hold the label without a core tube, and can attach and detach a loading boss capable of holding the label with a core tube.

[0011] A guide lock for switching the label guide between a fixed state and a movable state in the guide groove may be provided.

[0012] The label guide may include a holding plate portion capable of holding the label, and an engaging / disengaging leg portion capable of engaging and disengaging with the guide groove.

In the label loading device according to the present invention,
A label guide that can be moved in the width direction of the label is provided, so that the position where the left and right ends of the label are supported in the width direction is set regardless of whether the roll-shaped label to be loaded has a core tube or no core tube. The label can be adjusted so that the loaded label can be securely held and its rattling in the label loading section can be prevented. Further, since the loading boss is detachably attached to the label guide, it can be dealt with by attaching and detaching the loading boss depending on whether the label to be loaded has a core tube or no core tube. Specifically, when loading a label with a core tube, the core boss is held by the loading boss, and when loading a label without the core tube, the loading boss is removed from the label guide, and the label guide is used. What is necessary is just to hold a label directly.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a portable printer 1 equipped with a label loading device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a portable printer 1 (portable thermal printer).
, An opening / closing cover 3, a label loading device 4, and a label printing unit 5.

The printer body 2 includes a printer operation unit 6
On its upper surface, and can be mounted on the waist W of the operator.

The opening / closing cover 3 is opened and closed around the cover opening / closing axis 8 with respect to the printer main body 2 by operating the cover opening / closing mechanism 7, and a label loading device 4 is provided between the opening and closing cover 3 and the printer main body 2. ing.

The label loading device 4 includes a roll-shaped label L.
The space (label loading section 9) for loading the label L is defined, and can be held according to the width size of the label L.

The label printing section 5 has a thermal head 10 and a platen roller 11, and holds the label L loaded in the label loading device 4 and fed out in a belt-like shape between the label L and the platen roller 11. The head 10 prints predetermined information.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable printer 1 with the openable cover 3 opened.
Has a guide housing 12, a label guide 13, a loading boss 14, and a guide lock 15 (FIGS. 3, 4, and 5).

The guide housing 12 forms the label loading section 9 at the bottom of the printer main body 2.
Label guide guiding portion 17 and label guide facing portion 18
And

The inner part 16 of the inner surface of the housing is an arc-shaped wall surface capable of supporting the innermost part of the roll-shaped label L in the label loading part 9, and forms a label guide guide part 17 continuously on its extension. I have.

A pair of left and right guide projections 19 extend in the width direction of the label L in parallel with each other.
A, 19B, and guide grooves 20A, 20B respectively.
And a scale 21 is provided on the guide projection 19B side. As described later, the guide groove 20
A and 20B guide the label guide 13 movably in the width direction of the label L.

The label guide facing portion 18 is fixed to the printer main body 2 at a position facing the label guide 13 with the label guide guide portion 17 interposed therebetween.

The label guide 13 includes a holding plate 22
And an engaging / disengaging leg portion 23 extending from the bottom of the holding plate portion 22 in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the label L. FIG.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the label guide 13 and the guide lock 15, FIG. 4 is a front view of the label guide 13 viewed from the width direction of the label L, and FIG. The holding plate portion 22 of the label guide 13 is
The label L is held from one of the left and right sides in the width direction (in the example shown, the right side in the feeding direction of the label L). When the label L has a core tube, the loading boss 14 is provided.
And when the label L has no core tube,
The loading boss 14 is removed from the label guide 13, and the side surface of the label L is directly held by the holding plate 22.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the loading boss 14, FIG.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6, wherein the loading boss 14 has a boss main body 24 and a pair of engaging pieces 25 provided on the left and right sides of the boss main body 24 so as to be elastically deformable. The boss body 24 holds the side surface of the core tube (not shown) in the label L with the core tube. The engaging pieces 25 are engaged with the engaging grooves 26 in the holding plate portion 22 of the label guide 13 (FIG. 3).
The loading boss 14 can be attached to and detached from the label guide 13.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the engaging and disengaging leg 23 of the label guide 13 is
7A and 27B. The locking claws 27A and 27B are provided so as to protrude in the width direction of the label L with a predetermined interval therebetween, and are elastically deformable so as to approach and separate from each other. Therefore, in the label guide guide portion 17, the lock claw 27A
Is movably engaged with the guide groove 20A of the guide projection 19A, and the lock claw 27B is relatively movably engaged with the guide groove 20B of the guide projection 19B. Of course, by pinching the lock claws 27A and 27B so as to approach each other, the state of engagement with the guide grooves 20A and 20B is relaxed, and the label guide 13 can be easily slid.

The guide projection 19A (guide groove 20A) and the guide projection 19 are provided at the leftmost end in FIG.
B (the guide groove 20B) is not formed, and the label guide 13 is guided to the extreme end to lock the lock claws 27A, 27B.
B are brought close to each other, the engagement between the lock claw 27A and the guide groove 20A and the engagement between the lock claw 27B and the guide groove 20B are completely released to release the label guide 13
The whole can be removed from the printer body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the guide lock 15 is rotatably pivoted about the label guide 13 at a pivot 28. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide lock 15 has a lower side surface 15A,
15B is slightly projected right and left outward, and when engaged with the engaging and disengaging leg portion 23, the locking claw 27A and the locking claw 27B of the engaging and disengaging leg portion 23 are elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward. ing.

When the guide lock 15 is in the inclined state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (solid line), the lower side surface 15A
Is the lock claw 27A, and the lower side surface 15B is the lock claw 2
7B and the locking claw 27A and the locking claw 2
7B, the lock claws 27A and 27B strongly contact the guide grooves 20A and 20B, respectively. As a result, the engagement / disengagement leg 23 (label guide 13) is attached to the label guide guide 17 (guide protrusion). Part 19
A, is fixed to the guide projection 19B).

As shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5, when the guide lock 15 is pinched with a finger and rotated counterclockwise around the rotation fulcrum 28, the guide lock 15
Is disengaged from the lock claw 27A and the lock claw 27B, so that the engagement / disengagement leg portion 23, that is, the label guide 13 can be moved along the guide grooves 20A and 20B, and is adapted to the width of the label L When the guide lock 15 is adjusted to the position, and the guide lock 15 is depressed at that position to return to the engagement state with the engagement / disengagement leg 23 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the position can be fixed.

Although the guide lock 15 is not shown in FIG. 2, the guide lock 15 is located between the label guide facing portion 18 and the label guide 13.
Therefore, if the guide lock 15 is not tilted when the roll-shaped label L is loaded and is in an inclined state as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5, the posture of the label L is unstable. However, the guide lock 15 can be engaged with the engagement / disengagement leg 23 so that the label guide 13 is securely fixed. Of course, the guide lock 15 can be provided on the opposite side to the label guide facing portion 18.

In the portable printer 1 and the label loading device 4 configured as described above, when loading the label L with the core tube, the label guide 13 is held in a state where the loading boss 14 is engaged with the label guide 13. The label L is moved relatively to the label guide facing portion 18 to adjust the width direction of the label L. Specifically, in a state where the guide lock 15 is tilted upright with respect to the rotation fulcrum 28 as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5, the locking claw 27A and the lock claw 27A Insert the claw 27B into the guide groove 20
The label guide 13 is moved and adjusted in the width direction of the label L while pushing or pulling the surface of the holding plate portion 22 of the label guide 13 opposite to the guide lock 15 along the A and the guide groove 20B. When the position is determined, the guide lock 15 is rotated around the rotation fulcrum 28 (clockwise in FIG. 5 so as to be in the state shown in FIG. 4), and the label guide 13 is fixed at that position. At the time of this position adjustment work, the scale 21 of the guide projection 19B can be used as a guide. With the adjustment position of the label guide 13 determined, the roll-shaped label L can be loaded into the label loading section 9 without looseness.

When loading a label L without a core tube,
The pair of engaging pieces 25 of the loading boss 14 attached to the label guide 13 is pinched from the left and right, and the engagement between the engaging pieces 25 and the engaging grooves 26 of the label guide 13 is released, so that the label guide 13 is released. By removing the loading boss 14, the label L can be directly loaded between the holding plate portion 22 of the label guide 13 and the label guide facing portion 18.

Thus, with or without a core tube,
In any case, the label guide 13 is set in accordance with the width of the label L, and the label L can be securely loaded without rattling. If the position of the label guide 13 is set once, it is not necessary to remove the label guide 13 much, and the engaging / disengaging leg 23 is engaged with the guide grooves 20A, 20B with a predetermined length over the width direction of the label L. There is no risk that the label guide 13 will be lost due to the locking action of the guide lock 15.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the position of the label guide can be adjusted and fixed in the width direction of the label, the label can be surely loaded, and the label guide can be mounted on a portable printer or the like. The rattling of the label can be eliminated so that there is no trouble in operating the printer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a portable printer 1 (portable thermal printer) equipped with a label loading device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable printer 1 with the opening / closing cover 3 opened.

FIG. 3 shows the same label guide 13 and guide lock 15;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows the label guide 1 as viewed from the width direction of the label L.
It is a front view of No. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the label guide 13. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the loading boss 14;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable printer (portable thermal printer, FIGS. 1 and 2) 2 Printer body 3 Opening / closing cover 4 Label loading device (embodiment, FIG. 2) 5 Label printing unit 6 Printer operating unit 7 Cover opening / closing mechanism 8 Cover opening / closing axis 9 Label Loading Section 10 Thermal Head 11 Platen Roller 12 Guide Housing 13 Label Guide 14 Loading Boss (FIGS. 6 and 7) 15 Guide Lock (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) 15A Lower Side of Guide Lock 15 (FIG. 4) 15B Lower side surface of the guide lock 15 (FIG. 4) 16 Inner inner surface of the housing of the printer body 2 17 Label guide guide portion 18 Label guide opposing portion 19A Guide protrusion of the label guide guide portion 19B Guide of the label guide guide portion 17 Projection 20A Guide groove 20B formed in guide projection 20A Guide groove 21 formed in the projection 20B for the guide 21 scale formed in the projection 19B for the guide 22 holding plate part of the label guide 13 23 disengagement leg part of the label guide 13 24 boss body of the boss 14 for loading 25 boss 14 for loading A pair of left and right engagement pieces 26 engagement grooves of the holding plate portion 27 27A locking claws of the engaging and disengaging leg portions 23B locking lock claws of the engaging and disengaging leg portions 23 28 pivot points of the guide lock 15 L label W operator's waist

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A label loading device for loading a roll-shaped label and feeding it out in a band shape, comprising: a label guide for holding the roll-shaped label in a label loading section from the left and right in the width direction; A guide housing formed with a guide groove for guiding the guide so as to be movable in the width direction of the label. 2. The label guide according to claim 1, wherein the label guide is capable of holding the label without a core tube, and is detachable with a loading boss capable of holding the label with a core tube. Label loading device. 3. The label loading device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide lock for switching the label guide between a fixed state and a movable state in the guide groove. 4. The label loading device according to claim 1, wherein the label guide has a holding plate portion capable of holding the label, and an engaging / disengaging leg portion capable of engaging and disengaging with the guide groove. .