JP2689427B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device such as a portable word processor or a personal computer, and more particularly to a printing device capable of printing by plane feed of a sheet by changing its arrangement. . [Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a printing apparatus capable of printing by feeding a sheet in a plane by changing the arrangement, by changing the direction of a paper guide path arranged substantially vertically of the printing apparatus to a substantially horizontal direction. When printing by feeding the paper flat, a paper guide is provided at the bottom of the printing device to guide the insertion of the paper, and this paper guide is used as the paper guide for the above printing, and when necessary otherwise, the foot of the device is used. By improving the operability of the plane feed,
The device can be downsized. [Prior Art] Conventionally, in a printing device such as a portable word processor, a printing operation unit, that is, a printer is integrally incorporated. Roll feeding is generally used for feeding the printing paper in this printer. That is, there is a paper insertion portion at the top of the printer, the paper is bent downward to print, and the paper is ejected upward again. However, in the case of this roll feeding, if the paper is thick or hard, the paper may be curled and may not return to its original shape, or printing may not be possible because the paper is not bent sufficiently. Therefore, the applicant of the present invention filed Japanese Patent Application No. 61-248158 previously filed.
No. 2 has a paper insert section, the first paper insert section is used to form a first paper guide path for roll feeding of normal paper, and the second paper insert section is used for thick paper. Or used to form a second paper guide path for flat feed that feeds hard paper with little bending,
We proposed a printer that can print on any paper. FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing the usage state of the printer. (A) shows use in roll paper feeding, and (B) shows use in flat paper feeding. In the above, the print head 1, the platen 2 and the paper ejection unit 3
In order to be used for both, the first paper insertion portion 4 is provided on the top of the printer, and the second paper insertion portion 5 is provided on the bottom of the printer. Therefore, since the second paper guide path is substantially in the vertical direction, when printing is performed by feeding the paper in a plane, that is, feeding the paper in a flat plane, the printer is replaced so that the bottom is horizontal as shown in (b). Then, the second paper guide path is used by changing it in a substantially horizontal direction. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the printer capable of flat sheet feeding in the above-described conventional technique, one in which the second sheet insertion portion 5 normally serves as the bottom portion and guides the sheet is required. Cannot be installed. Therefore, when using the horizontal plane feed as shown in FIG. 5B, it is very difficult to insert the paper into the paper insertion section 5, and when the paper is bent, the mechanical section is overloaded and printing operation is performed. There was a problem that it had an adverse effect. On the other hand, a portable word processor is required to be compact in consideration of its portability, and the inclination angle of the operation surface such as a keyboard is not 8 ° to 10 ° which is ergonomically appropriate but 3 ° to 10 °. It is about 4 °. As a remedy, generally, a leg that can be stowed is provided and the rear part is lifted at the time of use to make an angle, but the leg becomes relatively large and the space factor deteriorates, so it is small. It has been difficult to provide such a leg in order to realize The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and improves operability when using flat paper feeding, prevents paper from exerting a load on the mechanical portion, and reduces the space factor of the leg portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device that improves the above and enables downsizing of the device. [Means for Solving the Problems] The configuration of the printing device of the present invention for achieving the above object is a printing device which is integrally or detachably attached to the rear part of a device such as a word processor or a personal computer. And a member that is pivotally supported in a paper guide path formed in a substantially vertical direction of the printing device and in a state of being housed in the bottom part of the printing device or in a position that is continuous with the paper guide path and is substantially perpendicular to the bottom part. And a member for guiding the insertion of the paper into the paper guide path in the substantially right angle state when performing the printing operation by changing the arrangement so that the paper guide path is oriented in the substantially horizontal direction, A paper guide that lifts and supports the rear portion from the installation surface in the substantially right angle state when operating the apparatus. [Operation] The present invention provides the bottom of the printing device with a paper guide for use in flat paper feeding. This paper guide guides the paper into the paper guide path to facilitate the insertion when the printing device or the printing operation unit is turned to perform horizontal flat paper feeding operation, and supports the paper during the printing operation. To prevent the mechanical part from being overloaded. In addition, this paper guide
When flat feeding is not performed, and when the attachment portion is the original bottom portion, it is used as a leg portion when necessary and is stored so as to be flush with the bottom portion when unnecessary. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are configuration diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is applied to a portable word processor in which two parts, a printer part 6 and a main body part 7 which is an information input operation part, are configured to be separable / joinable.
(A) shows a sectional view of a use state in which the printer section 6 is separated from the main body section 7 and a printing operation is performed by flat sheet feeding,
(B) Joins the printer section 6 to the main body section 7 (docking)
Then, a cross-sectional view of a use state in which printing is performed by, for example, an information input operation or roll paper feeding is shown. The mechanical section inside the printer section 6 has substantially the same configuration as that of the conventional one, and the same members are designated by the same reference numerals for description. The main body unit 7 includes a keyboard 7a, a display unit (not shown), an external storage device unit, and the like, and the print content input from the keyboard 7a can be stored in an external storage device unit such as a floppy disk. The printed contents are read and print data and a print control command are issued to the printer unit 6 via the cable 8. The printer unit 6 receives this and prints. As will be described later, the printer unit 6 has a hook 9 provided at the four corners of the joining surface and joining means composed of the engaging portions 10 on the main body 7 side as shown in FIG. It is also possible to separate them and to join them as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the vertical direction of the printer unit 6 and its upper and lower portions will be defined with reference to the joining state of FIG. The printer unit 6 has the first paper insertion unit 4 at the top.
As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the relatively thin and soft paper 11 inserted from there passes through the guide path 12 and is rotated by a motor (not shown) and the paper feed roller 13 and its driven roller. The direction is changed by the roll feed by 13 '. There are mechanical parts such as the print head 1 and the platen 2 at the destinations of the paper feed rollers 13 and 13 ', and the paper 11 is line-fed and printed by the paper feed rollers 13 and 13'. The printed sheet 11 is discharged to the upper sheet discharge section 3 by a discharge roller 14 which is rotated in the same direction as the sheet feed rollers 13 and 13 'and a driven roller 14' thereof. In the above, the press contact surfaces of the paper feed rollers 13 and 13 ', the press contact surfaces of the discharges 14 and 14',
The platen and the contact surface of the head are arranged on the same plane. As described above, the printer 6 has the first paper guide path for roll feeding. The printer 6 also has a second paper insertion portion 5 at the bottom 6a on the extension of the paper path in the vertical direction formed by the paper feed rollers 13 and 13 'and the discharge rollers 14 and 14', so that Forming a directional second paper guide path. When printing is performed by plane feed by the second paper guide path, the arrangement of the printer unit 6 is changed so that the bottom portion 6a lies sideways as shown in FIG. Make it almost horizontal. At this time, a paper guide 15 is provided at a position to support the lower part of the paper to be inserted into the second paper insertion portion 5 and in the plane direction of the second paper guide path. Paper guide 15
Is provided on the bottom 6a so that it can be opened and closed, and is used to support and guide thick or hard paper from below in the open state in FIG. 1 (a). In FIG. 1 (b), the keyboard 7a or the like is used. It is also used in the open state as a leg to lift the rear part of the device in order to make the angle of the operation surface provided ideally 8 ° to 10 °, but it is closed when carrying it and the bottom part is closed.
It is stored so that it is flush with 6a. Since the paper is guided in this way, the insertion operation becomes easy and the paper does not bend, so that the flexural deformation prevents the mechanical portion from being loaded and the printing operation from being adversely affected. be able to. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bottom of the printer section, which corresponds to the state of FIG. There is a paper guide on the bottom 6a.
The paper guide 15 has a recess 6b capable of accommodating 15 flush, and the paper guide 15 is exposed at a position where the second paper insertion portion 5 is exposed to support and guide the paper 11 from below in the horizontal plane feed direction. It is pivotally supported so that it can be opened and closed. The paper guide 15 contains more paper 11
It is preferable to provide guide members 16 and 16 for guiding the sheet from the left and right directions in order to easily align the orientations of the sheets, and one or both of the guide members 16 and 16 are adjusted according to the size and the printing position of the sheet 11. The slide guide groove 15c allows sliding. When the paper guide 15 is closed and stored in the recess 6b, the protrusions 15a, 15a at the left and right edges of the paper guide 15 are fitted into the holes 6c, 6c provided on the left and right sides of the recess 6b, respectively. It is locked in the holes 6c, 6c by a locking projection 15b provided on the portion. Further, a cutout portion 6d is provided on the bottom portion 6a for opening the closed paper guide 15. When the root of the cable 8 is at the bottom 6a, a groove 17 is provided in the bottom 6a so as to communicate with the groove 18 of the joint surface, and the cable 8 can be fitted into the groove 17 and 18 to be housed at the time of joining. This groove is provided with a notch 17a for laterally extending the cable 8 from the root and a notch 17b for rearwardly extending the cable 8 when the printer 6 is used in a separated state. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a pivotal support portion for opening and closing the paper guide. In this pivot, the shaft 6e on the bottom 6a side is the paper guide.
It is configured by being loosely fitted to the bearing portion 15d of 15. In FIG. 2, the open state of the paper guide 15 is supported by the edge of the recess 6b, but in order to lock it in that position, the projection 6f and the bearing 15d provided on the peripheral surface of the shaft 6e are pivotally supported. There is provided a positioning lock mechanism including a recess 15e provided on the end face of the. In the open position, the protrusion 6f and the recess 15e are fitted and positioned. When the paper guide 15 is in the closed state, the protrusion 6f rides over the end face of the bearing 15d, and is fitted and locked in the other recess 15f corresponding to the storage position. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the joining means. Hook 9,9 ...
Is provided on the side of the joint surface of the printer unit 6, and the locking unit 10
Is provided on the joint surface of the main body 7. Generally, hook 9
Since it protrudes from the joint surface, it is better to provide it on the device side that is not carried alone. Each of the locking portions 10 and 10 'is recessed by a space in which the hook 9 can be fitted, and when the hook 9 is slid sideways after the fitting, the hole portions 10a and 10a' for hooking and locking the tip portion 9a thereof. have. The locking portion 10 'is further provided with a lock mechanism 19 for locking the slide of the locked hook 9. The lock mechanism 19 includes a lock member 19a and a biasing member 19b such as a spring. The lock member 19a is pushed into the main body portion 7 when the hook 9 is fitted therein, and is biased to a space portion that appears when the hook 9 slides.
Then, the slide of the hook 9 is locked.
The lock member 19a has an L-shaped continuous unlocking portion 19c.
However, when the lock member 19a is slidably exposed on the side surface of the main body 7 and is slid, the lock member 19a retracts into the main body portion 7,
The hook 9 can be slid again, and the printer unit 6 can be separated by the reverse procedure of the joining. The joining by the horizontal slide described above is superior in the joining strength as compared with other joining means. It is preferable that the cable 8 is directly wired to a device side that is not carried alone, and is electrically connected to the main body portion 7 by a cable connector 8a. In order to house the cable 8 and the cable connector 8a at the time of joining, a housing portion is provided on the joint surface of each device. First, the above-mentioned groove 18 for accommodating a cable is provided on the joint surface of the printer unit 6. The groove portion 18 is formed by folding back from the root of the cable 8 so as to reciprocate in the lateral direction, and the cable 8 is pushed into the groove portion 18. Further, a claw 20 for holding a cable is provided at an appropriate portion of the groove portion 18 to prevent the cable from falling off during the joining operation. In the present embodiment, since the slide connection is used, the cable 8 may slacken before the slide and may be sandwiched between the connection surfaces. Therefore, a slack absorbing portion 18a is provided at an appropriate portion of the groove portion 18, such as a folded portion of the cable, so that the joining operation by sliding can be performed while absorbing the slack. In the case where there is no folded portion of the cable, the slack absorbing portion may have a structure in which a part of the groove is widened and the portion is slackened. In addition, in order to easily set the cable in a state in which the slack is absorbed by these slack absorbing portions, an elastic body may be arranged to guide the cable into a slack shape. Further, in accordance with the shape of the cable connector 8a, a connector accommodating portion 21 continuous to the groove portion 18 is provided in the joint portion of the printer portion 6, and a connector connecting portion 22 for connecting the cable connector 8a to the joint surface of the main body portion 7 is provided.
Is provided. Openable and closable lids 23 and 24 are provided on the upper portion of the printer unit 6, one lid unit 23 covers a mechanical unit such as the print head 1, and the other lid unit 24 is used for the first paper insertion unit 4 and the like. Cover with the paper discharge unit 3. The lid portion 24 can also serve as a paper guide for roll feeding in the open state. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the invention is applied to the printing apparatus having the joining means has been described, but it is needless to say that the invention can be applied to a case where the printer unit (printing operation unit) is integrally formed with the main body unit. is there. Further, the object of the present invention can be achieved even when the printing operation unit has only the plane feed sheet guide path. As described above, the present invention can be applied in various ways according to the gist and can take embodiments. [Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the printing device of the present invention has the following effects. (1) It becomes easy to insert a sheet when printing is performed by plane feed. (2) When printing is performed by horizontal plane feeding, the paper can be supported from below, and no load is exerted on the mechanical section or the printing is adversely affected. (3) The operating surface has an ideal angle so that the device is easy to use. (4) By making the legs of the apparatus and the paper guides identical, the apparatus can be downsized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are configuration diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of a printer section, and FIG. 3 is a pivot for opening / closing a paper guide. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the supporting portion, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the joining means, and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are explanatory views showing a conventional example of the printer. 3 ... Paper discharging section, 4 ... First paper inserting section, 5 ... Second paper inserting section, 6 ... Printer section, 6a ... Bottom section, 15 ...
… Paper guide.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A printing device that is integrally or detachably attached to a rear portion of a device such as a word processor or a personal computer, and has a paper guide path formed in a substantially vertical direction of the printing device, and a state of being housed in a bottom portion of the printing device or When a printing operation is performed by arranging a member that is pivotally supported in a position that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom at a position that is continuous with the paper guide path, and is arranged so that the paper guide path is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction. A paper guide having a member for guiding the insertion of the paper into the paper guide path in the substantially right angle state, and lifting and supporting the rear part from the installation surface in the substantially right angle state when operating the apparatus; A printing device comprising: