Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Recording means engaging or holding means
Patent
1998-02-03
1999-12-28
Le, N.
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Recording means engaging or holding means
B41J 25304
Patent
active
06008832&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This Invention relates to a thermal printer in which printing is made on recording paper (namely, labels temporarily pasted in succession on elongated mounting paper) which is wound into a roll, by a printing section equipped with a platen roller and a thermal head.
BACKGROUND ART
Some of thermal printers of this type are designed so that, in order to facilitate loading of a recording paper roll on the printing section, for example, the thermal head is cantilevered in a printer body and thereby the recording paper can be loaded from the side of the free end of the thermal head.
Such thermal printers, however, have the drawback of being inferior in stability of operation and durability because the thermal head is cantilevered.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a thermal printer which is free of such a drawback as in a conventional thermal printer and is excellent in stability of operation and durability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view showing a recording-paper loading section, a recording paper traveling section, an ink ribbon cassette, and a printing section which is not set, in the thermal printer according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view, similar to FIG. 1, showing the printing section which is set;
FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view showing the Ink ribbon cassette;
FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view showing one embodiment of a head block of the printing section;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a winding shaft, viewed from the opposite side of FIG. 3, of the ink ribbon cassette;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a guide member, viewed from the opposite side of FIG. 1 or 2;
FIG. 7 is a partial side view showing another embodiment of a setting mechanism of the printing section; and
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing a removing mechanism for each shaft in the ink ribbon cassette.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to the attached drawings, the present invention will be explained in detail below.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 101 denotes a molded printer base rigidly mounted to a printer body (a bottom plate) not shown, having a wall-like base portion 103. A motor protection 190 whose upper face functions as a traveling path of recording paper (a path for labels) is fixed to the body and the base portion 103.
Reference numeral 111 denotes a roll feed shaft cantilevered In a fixed state, suspending a recording paper roll. A pair of width holders free to slide in opposite directions from the center of the shaft along the longitudinal direction thereof are arranged In the periphery of the shaft. One of width holders 113 located on the side of the free end of the shaft can be raised (as in FIG. 1) or folded so that a label roll 115 is mounted on the feed shaft in a folded state and then when the holder 113 is raised and the label roll 115 is pushed inwardly, together with the holder, the other holder remaining raised on the side of the fixed end of the shaft is moved toward the free end by a rack mechanism inside the shaft. Subsequently, the label roll 115, when sandwiched between both holders, is suspended at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the shaft.
Here, the label roll 115 used as the recording paper is such that labels of constant width are temporarily pasted in turn on elongated, continuous mounting paper and are wound into a roll.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5 as well, reference numeral 120 represents an ink ribbon cassette, which includes a cassette base 130, a feed shafting 150, a winding shafting 160, and an ink ribbon 170, and which has no armored member so that the ink ribbon 170 is exposed directly.
The cassette base 130, for example, is molded, and comprises left- and right-hand side plates 131 and 132; a connecting plate 134 connecting the side plates 131 and 132; a ribbon feed guide 136 having a width practically corresponding to a direction between the side plates 131 and 132 and extending perpendicularly on the op
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patent: 5697714 (1997-12-01), Onuki et al.
patent: 5725317 (1998-03-01), Gonmori et al.
Le N.
Shinsei Industries Co., Ltd.
Vo Anh T.N.
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