JP3686543B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer including a platen in a lower unit and a thermal head in an upper unit that can be opened and closed with respect to the lower unit.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a thermal printer that is mounted on a merchandise sales registration data processing apparatus such as a POS terminal and prints a receipt includes a platen and a paper storage unit in a lower unit, and is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the lower unit. Some upper units are equipped with a thermal head. In this type of thermal printer, a paper transport path is formed between the lower unit and the upper unit. Therefore, a long receipt paper wound in a roll shape is stored in the paper storage unit and the receipt is received. After the paper is drawn out, the thermal head can be brought into contact with the platen with a predetermined pressure via the receipt paper simply by closing the upper unit and locking it to the lower unit.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the thermal printer as described above is often designed separately from the POS terminal, and moreover, it is often built in the POS terminal in consideration of the usage form and shape of the POS terminal. Therefore, a built-in printer cover for a thermal printer is provided in the casing of the POS terminal so as to be freely opened and closed.
[0004]
However, when replenishing receipt paper to a thermal printer of a POS terminal equipped with such a printer cover, the operation becomes complicated because the printer cover and the upper unit must be opened and closed separately. In some cases, the customer is inconvenienced.
[0005]
Further, in such a thermal printer, when the upper unit is closed with respect to the lower unit, the thermal head and the platen may be brought into intense contact with each other and the thermal head may be damaged.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to facilitate paper replenishment work for a printer.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to obtain a printer capable of protecting a thermal head.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotatable printer cover for opening and closing a printer mechanism housing portion provided in a casing, a lower unit housed in the printer mechanism housing portion and having a platen, and the lower unit. An upper unit having a thermal head that opens and closes in the same direction as the printer cover and contacts and separates from the platen along with the opening and closing of the printer cover, and a predetermined amount of the upper unit in the opening and closing direction with the printer cover closed. A connecting mechanism for connecting the printer cover and the upper unit with a play stroke that allows displacement; and a coupling mechanism for interlocking the printer cover and the upper unit; and positioning the upper unit in a half-open position with respect to the lower unit, External force greater than the weight of the upper unit at the load position of the upper unit And a locking mechanism that allows the upper unit to be displaced from a half-open position to a closed position and locks the upper unit that has been displaced to the closed position. An unlocking mechanism for unlocking the upper unit by the locking mechanism by the action of an external force, and a displaceable attachment at a position in contact with the load position of the upper unit in the printer cover. When the upper unit is in the half-open position in the closed state, it protrudes from the printer cover, and when the upper unit is in the closed position, the press is positioned substantially in the same plane as the printer cover. A member.
[0009]
Accordingly, when an external force of a predetermined level or more is applied to the printer cover in the opening direction, the lock of the upper unit is released by the lock release mechanism, and the thermal head of the upper unit is separated from the platen of the lower unit. Further, when an external force is applied to the printer cover and rotated in the opening direction, the upper unit is also rotated in the opening direction in conjunction with the opening operation of the printer cover by the connecting mechanism. On the other hand, when the printer cover is closed by applying an external force to the printer cover, the upper unit also rotates in the closing direction in conjunction with the closing operation of the printer cover by the connecting mechanism. The upper unit is positioned at a half-open position with respect to the lower unit by a play stroke that allows displacement in the direction, and a pressing member that contacts the load position of the upper unit partially protrudes from the printer cover. The locking mechanism is displaced by applying an external force greater than the weight of the upper unit to the partially protruding pressing member. The upper unit is also displaced and locked from the half-open position to the closing position, and the upper unit is closed. It will be in the state. As a result, the printer cover and the upper unit are simultaneously opened in a single operation, and when the printer cover is closed, the upper unit is temporarily positioned at the half-open position with respect to the lower unit. Damage is also avoided and the upper unit is securely locked to the lower unit by the presence of the pressing member.
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printer according to the first aspect, a portion of the pressing member that can be pulled out of the printer cover is colored with a color different from the color of the printer cover.
[0011]
Therefore, when the pullable portion of the pressing member with respect to the printer cover is colored with a color different from the color of the printer cover, the protrusion of the pressing member from the printer cover is clearly confirmed with the naked eye.
[0012]
A third aspect of the present invention is the printer according to the first or second aspect, further comprising a damper mechanism that exerts a restraining force on the operation of the printer cover in the closing direction.
[0013]
Therefore, during the closing operation of the printer cover, a restraining force acts on the operation in the closing direction of the printer cover by the damper mechanism, so that the printer cover does not rotate suddenly due to gravity.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the structure of the POS terminal 1. As shown in FIG. 1, on the left side of the casing 2 which is a casing of the POS terminal 1 as viewed from the operator side, there is a printer mechanism housing 4 containing an internal thermal printer unit 3 (see FIG. 2), an IC card, and the like. A card insertion slot 5 or the like for insertion is provided. The printer mechanism housing 4 has a printer cover 7 that is openable and closable with respect to the housing 2 and forms a receipt discharge port 6 for issuing a receipt printed by the thermal printer unit 3 in the closed state. Is provided. A scanner placement portion 8 for placing a hand scanner (not shown) is formed on the upper portion of the printer cover 7. On the other hand, a tiltable display 9, a keyboard 10 on which various keys are gathered, a magnetic card insertion slot 11 for inserting a magnetic card, and the like are provided on the right side when viewed from the operator side of the housing 2 of the POS terminal 1. Yes.
[0016]
Next, a mounting structure around the printer mechanism storage unit 4 will be described. Here, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view showing the vicinity of the printer mechanism housing portion 4 of the POS terminal 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the thermal printer unit 3 and the printer cover 7.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, the thermal printer unit 3 stored in the printer mechanism storage unit 4 includes a platen 12 and a paper storage unit 13 for storing a long receipt paper R wound in a roll shape. The lower unit 14 and the upper unit 16 including the thermal head 15 are configured. The upper unit 16 is pivotally supported by the support shaft A with respect to the lower unit 14 and can be opened and closed. Further, the upper unit 16 is configured to open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the printer cover 7 by a connecting mechanism described later. The lower unit 14 and the upper unit 16 are respectively provided with lock mechanisms L for locking the closed upper unit 16 with respect to the lower unit 14 on both the left and right sides when viewed from the operator of the thermal printer unit 3. It has been. The lock state of the lock mechanism L is released by a lock release mechanism described later. That is, the lower unit 14 and the upper unit 16 are detachable by the lock mechanism L and the lock release mechanism. When the upper unit 16 is closed and the lock mechanism L is in the locked state, a paper guide path (not shown) is formed between the platen 12 and the thermal head 15, and the thermal The head 15 can be brought into contact with the platen 12 with a predetermined pressure.
[0018]
Next, the structure of the lock mechanism L will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the lock mechanism L includes a hook arm 17 provided in the lower unit 14 and urged in an engagement direction by an urging member (not shown), and a lock pin provided in the upper unit 16. 18 as a main component. The hook arm 17 is pivotally supported by a shaft 19 and is detachably provided on the lock pin 18. That is, the upper unit 16 is positioned at the closed position when the hook arm 17 is engaged with the lock pin 18 and can be opened when the engagement is released. In addition, the hook arm 17 is formed with an inclined portion 17a for contacting the lock pin 18 when the upper unit 16 is closed and releasing the interference by the rotating action of the shaft 19 of the hook arm 17. When the upper unit 16 is positioned at the half-open position with respect to the lower unit 14, the lock pin 18 is positioned on the inclined portion 17a. When an external force larger than its own weight is applied to the load position 16a of the upper unit 16 in this half-open state, the upper unit 16 is displaced while the interference with the lock pin 18 is released by the pivoting operation of the hook arm 17, and finally. The hook arm 17 is engaged with the lock pin 18, and the upper unit 16 is closed and locked with respect to the lower unit 14. A triangular release tip 20 is attached to the hook arm 17.
[0019]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer cover 7 is pivotally supported by a support shaft B provided in parallel to the support shaft A, so that the printer cover 7 can be opened and closed with respect to the housing 2. A handle portion 21 is formed on the printer cover 7. The operator can hold the handle portion 21 and move it up and down to open and close the printer cover 7. Further, this handle portion 21 forms a part of the receipt discharge port 6 in a state where the printer cover 7 is closed. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a hole 22 is formed in the printer cover 7, and a push button 23 that functions as a pressing member is displaceable with respect to the surface 7 a of the printer cover 7 in the hole 22. It is attached. Specifically, protrusions 22a are formed in the hole 22 so as to face each other, and groove-shaped guides 23b are formed on the push button 23 so as to face the protrusions 22a. Then, by sliding the guide 23b of the push button 23 into the protrusion 22a of the hole 22, the protrusion 22a of the hole 22 is controlled so that the push surface 23a of the push button 23 does not fall below a certain position. Will do. That is, in the state where the lower unit 14 and the upper unit 16 of the thermal printer unit 3 are completely locked by the lock mechanism L, the push button 23 brings the lower portion 23d into contact with the load position 16a of the upper unit 16, The upper push surface 23a is positioned substantially in the same plane as the surface 7a of the printer cover 7 (see FIG. 2). In the push button 23, the color of the push surface 23 a and the color of the portion other than the push surface 23 a (the portion that can be pulled out from the hole 22) 23 c are differently colored. In the present embodiment, the color of the push surface 23a is white, which is the same color as that of the housing 2 and the printer cover 7, and the color of the portion 23c other than the push surface 23a is red.
[0020]
Guide rail frames 24 are provided on both the left and right sides as viewed from the operator of the printer cover 7. Each of the guide rail frames 24 is formed with a slit-shaped guide rail 25. Further, the end portion of the guide rail 25 located on the handle portion 21 side is a large-diameter portion 26 that is wider than the width of the guide rail 25. Further, a disc-shaped release rod 27 is provided at the end of the guide rail frame 24 located on the handle portion 21 side. When the printer cover 7 is in a closed state, the release rod 27 is in contact with one side of a triangular release tip 20 provided on the hook arm 17 of the lock mechanism L. Accordingly, when the printer cover 7 is rotated in the opening direction by applying an external force, the release rod 27 provided on the guide rail frame 24 of the printer cover 7 is connected to the triangular release tip 20 of the hook arm 17. The hook arm 17 is rotated by pushing according to its shape against the urging force of the urging member. By doing so, the engagement between the hook arm 17 and the lock pin 18 is released, and the lock of the lock mechanism L can be released. That is, the release tip 20 and the release rod 27 of the hook arm 17 function as a lock release mechanism.
[0021]
Further, rail-shaped leaf springs 28 are respectively provided on the guide rail frame 24 on the thermal printer unit 3 side.
[0022]
In addition, in the vicinity of the lock mechanism L of the upper unit 16, disk-shaped guide rail spacers 30 having slide shafts 29 inserted into the guide rails 25 of the guide rail frame 24 are rotatably provided. By inserting the slide shaft 29 of the guide rail spacer 30 into the guide rail 25 of the guide rail frame 24 provided on the printer cover 7, the slide shaft 29 slides in the guide rail 25 as the printer cover 7 is opened and closed. It will slide freely. That is, the upper unit 16 released from the engagement state with the lower unit 14 is configured to open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the printer cover 7 according to the track of the guide rail 25. In other words, the guide rail 25 and the slide shaft 29 constitute a connection mechanism that connects the upper unit 16 of the thermal printer unit 3 and the printer cover 7. The large diameter portion 26 of the guide rail 25 allows the slide shaft 29 of the guide rail spacer 30 to be positioned in a free state with the printer cover 7 closed and the lock mechanism L locked, and the upper unit 16. Has a play stroke that allows a predetermined amount of displacement in the opening and closing direction. The track of the guide rail spacer 30 interferes with a rail-shaped leaf spring 28 provided on the side of the thermal printer unit 3 of the guide rail frame 24 when the printer cover 7 is rotated in the closing direction.
[0023]
Further, the paper guide path of the thermal printer unit 3 is provided with a cutter mechanism C that cuts the receipt paper R. The cutter mechanism C is provided with a fixed blade 31 provided in the upper unit 16 and a movable blade provided in the lower unit 14. The blade 32 is constituted. The movable blade 32 uses a motor (not shown) as a drive source, and the receipt paper R is cut by the movable blade 32 and the fixed blade 31 engaging and sliding like scissors. In addition, a cutter cover 33 is provided on the fixed blade 31 so as not to touch, for example, an operator's hand when the upper unit 16 is opened. The cutter cover 33 is shaped to expose the movable blade 32 only when it comes into contact with the fixed blade 31.
[0024]
The opening operation of the printer cover 7 and the upper unit 16 in such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the receipt paper R is replenished to the paper storage portion 13 of the lower unit 14 of the thermal printer unit 3, the handle portion 21 of the printer cover 7 that forms a part of the receipt discharge port 6 is grasped and pulled up. When the handle portion 21 of the printer cover 7 is pulled up, the release rod 27 provided on the guide rail frame 24 of the printer cover 7 rotates the hook arm 17 while pressing the triangular release tip 20 of the hook arm 17. The engagement between the hook arm 17 and the lock pin 18 is released, and the closed state of the lower unit 14 and the upper unit 16 constituting the thermal printer unit 3 is released. In order to smoothly release the engagement of the lock mechanism L in this way, the lock pin 18 needs to be temporarily stopped. In the present embodiment, the end portion of the guide rail 25 is a wide large-diameter portion 26, so that the upper unit 16 is allowed to play a predetermined amount in the opening / closing direction, and the printer cover 7 is pulled up. At this time, the slide shaft 29 of the guide rail spacer 30 is inserted into the play portion of the large-diameter portion 26 so that the upper unit 16 is locked as compared with the start of the operation of the release rod 27 provided on the guide rail frame 24 of the printer cover 7. Since the operation start of the pin 18 can be delayed for an instant, the engagement between the hook arm 17 of the lock mechanism L and the lock pin 18 is smoothly executed.
[0025]
When the lock state of the lock mechanism L is released in this way, the printer cover 7 is opened as the handle portion 21 of the printer cover 7 is pulled up, and the fixed blade 31 and the movable blade 32 of the cutter mechanism C are separated. The Further, as the printer cover 7 is opened, the slide shaft 29 of the guide rail spacer 30 provided in the upper unit 16 moves while sliding in the guide rail 25 of the guide rail frame 24, as shown in FIG. Eventually, the upper unit 16 is also fully opened in conjunction with the opening operation of the printer cover 7.
[0026]
Therefore, even if the support shaft B of the printer cover 7 and the support shaft A of the upper unit 16 are not located on the same axis, the printer cover 7 and the upper unit 16 are interlocked and completely opened simultaneously. Since the platen 12 and the thermal head 15 are opened, and the movable blade 32 and the fixed blade 31 of the cutter mechanism C are opened, the paper guide path is completely opened and the receipt paper R is replenished to the paper storage unit 13. Becomes easier.
[0027]
Next, the closing operation of the printer cover 7 and the upper unit 16 will be described with reference to FIG. After the receipt paper R is replenished in the paper storage unit 13, the guide rail spacer provided in the upper unit 16 in accordance with the closing operation of the printer cover 7 by pushing down the printer cover 7 and rotating it in the closing direction. Since the 30 slide shafts 29 move while sliding in the guide rail 25 of the guide rail frame 24, the upper unit 16 is also rotated in the closing direction in conjunction with the closing operation of the printer cover 7. When the printer cover 7 is rotated in the closing direction in this way, the guide rail spacer 30 is brought into contact with the leaf spring 28 provided on the guide rail frame 24 and the slide shaft 29 is moved to the guide rail of the guide rail frame 24. The printer cover 7 does not rotate suddenly due to gravity. That is, the leaf spring 28 functions as a damper mechanism. As a result, the operator or the like is prevented from being pinched by the printer cover 7 or the upper unit 16, and safe operation can be achieved.
[0028]
However, when the printer cover 7 is pushed down and closed as described above, the slide shaft 29 of the guide rail spacer 30 escapes above the large diameter portion 26 of the guide rail 25 as shown in FIG. The lock pin 18 and the hook arm 17 of the lock mechanism L are not engaged, and the upper unit 16 is positioned at the half-open position. For this reason, when the lower portion 23d of the push button 23 comes into contact with the load position 16a of the upper unit 16 in the half-open state, the push button 23 is limited in the storage range by the upper unit 16, and therefore a part of the push button 23 is a printer. It will be in the state which protruded and protruded from the surface 7a of the cover 7. FIG. That is, by pushing the push button 23 out in this way, it is possible to notify the operator or the like that the lock mechanism L is not in the locked state. In addition, since the color of the push surface 23a of the push button 23 is different from the color of the portion 23c other than the push surface 23a, it is clearly confirmed with the naked eye that the push button 23 is protruding. Be able to. In addition, by temporarily positioning the upper unit 16 in the half-open position with respect to the lower unit 14 in this way, it is possible to prevent the thermal head 15 and the platen 12 from being brought into contact with each other and protect the thermal head 15. can do. Further, in this case, the printer cover 7 is not completely closed, and the receipt discharge port 6 is incompletely formed and is widened upward.
[0029]
When the push button 23 protrudes in this way, the load position 16a of the upper unit 16 is set by the push button 23 according to the idle stroke of the upper unit 16 of the large diameter portion 26 of the guide rail 25. When the upper unit 16 is rotated in the closing direction by being pushed down with a larger force, the lock pin 18 is brought into contact with the inclined portion 17a of the hook arm 17 and the interference is caused by the rotating action of the shaft 19 of the hook arm 17. The upper unit 16 is displaced while escaping, and finally the hook arm 17 is engaged with the lock pin 18 to bring the lock mechanism L into the locked state, and the fixed blade 31 and the movable blade 32 of the cutter mechanism C are brought into contact with each other. The upper unit 16 can be reliably closed.
[0030]
On the other hand, since the guide 23b of the push button 23 comes into contact with the protrusion 22a of the hole 22 of the printer cover 7 as the push button 23 is pushed down, the printer cover 7 is also pushed down. Can be reliably closed, and the receipt discharge port 6 can be formed in a complete state.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the upper unit is unlocked by applying an external force of a predetermined level or more in the opening direction to the printer cover to release the thermal head of the upper unit from the platen of the lower unit, and further to the printer cover. When an external force is applied and rotated in the opening direction, the upper unit also rotates in the opening direction in conjunction with the opening operation of the printer cover. On the other hand, when the printer cover is closed by applying an external force to the printer cover, the upper unit also rotates in the closing direction in conjunction with the closing operation of the printer cover, but allows the upper unit to be displaced in the opening / closing direction. By positioning the upper unit in the half-open position with respect to the lower unit by the idle stroke, the pressing member that contacts the load position of the upper unit is partially protruded from the printer cover, and at least the weight of the upper unit is caused by the partially protruding pressing member. By applying a large external force, the upper unit is also displaced from the half-open position to the closed position and locked to close the upper unit, so that the printer cover and the upper unit can be opened simultaneously in one operation. When the printer cover is closed, the upper unit can be It is possible to locate temporarily in the half-open position against, it is possible to avoid damage to the thermal head, and can be locked reliably upper unit relative to the lower unit by the presence of the pressing member.
[0032]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printer according to the first aspect, the portion of the pressing member that can be pulled out of the printer cover is colored with a color different from the color of the printer cover, whereby the pressing member is removed from the printer cover. Since the protrusion can be clearly confirmed with the naked eye, the lock mechanism can be surely brought into the locked state, and a paper jam or the like caused by reliably forming the paper guide path can be prevented.
[0033]
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the printer according to the first or second aspect, when the printer cover is closed, the damper mechanism exerts a restraining force on the operation in the closing direction of the printer cover by the damper mechanism. The cover can be prevented from rotating suddenly due to gravity, and an operator or the like can be prevented from being pinched by the printer cover or the upper unit, so that safe operation can be achieved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a structure of a POS terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view showing the vicinity of a printer mechanism storage unit of a POS terminal.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing configurations of a thermal printer unit and a printer cover.
FIG. 4 is a vertical side view showing the vicinity of the printer unit with the printer cover slightly lifted.
FIG. 5 is a vertical side view showing the vicinity of the printer unit with the printer cover fully opened.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the vicinity of the printer unit before being locked by pressing down the printer cover.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Casing
4 Printer mechanism storage
7 Printer cover
12 Platen
14 Lower unit
15 Thermal head
16 Upper unit
16a Load position
20, 27 Unlocking mechanism
23 Pressing member
23c Pullable part of pressing member
25, 29 coupling mechanism
28 Damper mechanism
L Lock mechanism

Claims (3)

A rotatable printer cover that opens and closes a printer mechanism housing provided in the casing;
A lower unit housed in the printer mechanism housing portion and having a platen;
An upper unit having a thermal head that opens and closes in the same direction as the printer cover with respect to the lower unit, and comes into contact with and separates from the platen in accordance with the opening and closing;
The printer cover and the upper unit are connected with an idle stroke that allows the upper unit to be displaced by a predetermined amount in the opening / closing direction with the printer cover closed, and the printer cover and the upper unit are interlocked. A coupling mechanism;
The upper unit is positioned at a half-open position with respect to the lower unit, and an external force greater than the weight of the upper unit is applied to the load position of the upper unit, whereby the upper unit is moved from the half-open position to the closed position. A locking mechanism that allows displacement and locks the upper unit displaced to the closed position;
An unlocking mechanism for unlocking the upper unit by the locking mechanism by applying an external force of a predetermined value or more in the opening direction to the closed printer cover;
When the upper unit is located in a half-open position with the printer cover closed, the printer cover is protruded from the printer cover. A pressing member that is positioned substantially in the same plane as the printer cover when the upper unit is located at a closed position;
Printer with. The printer according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the pressing member that can be pulled out with respect to the printer cover is colored with a color different from that of the printer cover. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a damper mechanism that exerts a restraining force on the operation of the printer cover in the closing direction.

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