Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Housing or mounting
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-22
2002-07-02
Tran, Huan (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Housing or mounting
Reexamination Certificate
active
06414704
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for forming predetermined image recording on a recording sheet using a printing head, more specifically, to a printer of a line thermal type installable in a small space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Small printers constructed to form predetermined image recording on thermal paper, which is one of recording media, with use of a line thermal head have hitherto been in wide practical use.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a printer of this type has a printer body
102
having an opening
102
a
in its upper portion, a body cover
103
connected to the upper rearward portion of the printer body
102
and pivoted in the direction of arrow A or B to be opened and closed so as to cover the opening
102
a
, a printing portion
104
for printing and recording letters or photo images on a roll sheet (thermal paper)
119
, and a platen roller
105
provided in the front inner portion of the body cover
103
so as to be positioned opposite to a line-like thermal head
104
a
of the printing portion
104
when the body cover
103
is closed.
In the printer, one end side of the body cover
103
is pivotably supported on the printer body
102
through a hinge axis
110
. The printer
102
is provided with a housing
120
, so that a roll sheet
119
is housed rotatably in the housing
120
.
The replacing operation of the roll sheet
119
in the printer will be described below. First, the operator opens the body cover
103
. The body cover
103
is pivoted in the direction of arrow A. When the body cover
103
is opened to a predetermined position, the body cover
103
is retained in the opening position by a retaining portion, not shown. A new roll sheet
119
is inserted into the housing
120
of the printer body
102
to pivot the body cover
103
in the direction of arrow B. The roll sheet
119
is loaded in a predetermined position of the housing
120
of the printer body
102
.
The front end of the roll sheet
119
is pulled and extended out of the printer
102
. When the body cover
103
is closed, the front end side of the roll sheet
119
is held between the printing portion
104
and the platen roller
105
.
The printer with the roll sheet
119
loaded drives the printing head
104
a
of the printing portion
104
corresponding to image recording information and rotates the platen roller
105
to print and record the image recording information in a predetermined position of the roll sheet
119
.
Such a prior art printer requires a space for opening and closing the body cover
103
in the upper portion of the printer body
102
, and must secure the space.
To secure the space, the position for installing the printer is limited so that the printer cannot be used in a small place such as a shelf. When the printer is installed in a high place, the operator has difficulties in replacing the roll sheet
119
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer which requires no excess space for opening and closing a body cover, can be installed in any place, and can be small and thin.
As a first solving means for solving at least one of the foregoing problems, a printer comprises a printing head provided in a printer body having in its front an opening, wherein a recording medium is inserted into a housing of a cover provided with a platen member, wherein part of the recording medium is placed on the platen member, wherein the cover is inserted from the opening of the printer body into the printer body, wherein and the printing head is resiliently pressed through the recording medium onto the platen member.
As a second solving means, the printing head is provided through a biasing member in the printer body so as to be resiliently pressed onto the platen member provided in the cover by means of the biasing force of the biasing member.
As a third solving means, the printing head presses the cover forward through the platen member by means of the biasing force of the biasing member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4641980 (1987-02-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 5255012 (1993-10-01), Amano
patent: 1-127851 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 11-78146 (1999-03-01), None
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Tran Huan
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