US20110215189A1 - Roll holder unit for printer - Google Patents
Roll holder unit for printer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110215189A1 US20110215189A1 US12/894,422 US89442210A US2011215189A1 US 20110215189 A1 US20110215189 A1 US 20110215189A1 US 89442210 A US89442210 A US 89442210A US 2011215189 A1 US2011215189 A1 US 2011215189A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- roll
- axle
- regulating
- movable arm
- lock arm
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H16/00—Unwinding, paying-out webs
- B65H16/02—Supporting web roll
- B65H16/06—Supporting web roll both-ends type
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J15/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in continuous form, e.g. webs
- B41J15/04—Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
- B41J15/042—Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/41—Winding, unwinding
- B65H2301/413—Supporting web roll
- B65H2301/4134—Both ends type arrangement
- B65H2301/41346—Both ends type arrangement separate elements engaging each end of the roll (e.g. chuck)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2801/00—Application field
- B65H2801/03—Image reproduction devices
- B65H2801/12—Single-function printing machines, typically table-top machines
Definitions
- Embodiments described herein relate generally to a roll holder unit for a printer.
- the related roll holder unit suffers from a problem in that the paper roll is likely to move because the roll holder unit does not have any paper roll locking portion but merely holds the paper roll with a biasing force applied to the side surface of the paper roll by a biasing member.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer having a roll holder unit for a printer with a cover kept in an open state.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a roll holding mechanism provided within the roll holder unit for a printer.
- FIG. 3 is a front view showing a roll, a regulating wall and a movable arm when the roll is moved toward a set position.
- FIG. 4 is a front view showing the regulating wall, the movable arm and a lock arm when the roll is set in the set position.
- FIG. 5 is a side view of the printer having the roll holder unit for a printer with the cover kept in an open state.
- FIG. 6 is a side view of the printer having the roll holder unit for a printer with the cover kept in a closed state.
- a roll holder unit for a printer includes a regulating wall, a movable arm, and a lock arm.
- the regulating wall is located on the same axial side of the roll as the regulating wall to prevent axial movement of a roll.
- the movable arm moves between an adjacent position in which the axle is contact with a shaft of the roll and a spaced-apart position in which the axle is apart from the shaft. The movable arm is biased toward the adjacent position from the spaced-apart position.
- the lock arm moves between a regulating position in which the lock arm regulates the movable arm from moving from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position and a release position in which the lock arm allows the movable arm to move from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position.
- the roll holder unit for printer 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as “unit 1 ”) is mounted to a printer.
- the unit 1 is designed to removably and rotatably hold a roll 3 of strip-shaped continuous paper 2 .
- the printer prints on the continuous paper 2 drawn from the roll 3 of the unit 1 .
- the unit 1 includes a housing 4 divided into a base 4 A having a depressed portion 4 a for accommodating components and a cover 4 B having a depressed portion 4 b for covering the components.
- the base 4 A and the cover 4 B are coupled to each other by a hinge mechanism (not shown) for rotation about a hinge axis Ah.
- the cover 4 B openably covers the base 4 A.
- a plurality of ribs 4 c (five ribs 4 c in the present embodiment) each having an arc-shaped cutout and being perpendicular to the hinge axis Ah protrudes from the inner surface of the cover 4 B in a mutually parallel spaced-apart relationship.
- the opposite end portions of the ribs 4 c from the hinge axis Ah are connected to a transverse wall 4 d parallel to the hinge axis Ah.
- the ribs 4 c and the transverse wall 4 d serve to enhance the rigidity of the cover 4 B.
- the arc-shaped cutouts of the ribs 4 c serve to create a clearance between the ribs 4 c and the roll 3 set in the base 4 A and between the ribs 4 c and regulating walls 6 (see FIG. 6 ).
- a thermal head 10 is provided in the cover 4 B.
- a roll holding mechanism 9 including a base portion 5 , a pair of regulating walls 6 , a pair of movable arms 7 and a pair of lock arms 8 is installed on the base 4 A.
- the regulating walls 6 protrude from the base portion 5 in a mutually parallel spaced-apart relationship.
- the roll holding mechanism 9 holds the roll 3 by interposing the roll 3 between the regulating walls 6 so that they are closely spaced apart to be in contact.
- An operator raises the lock arms 8 up into the release position Pa 2 shown in FIG. 1 and then sets the roll 3 in the set position Ps by bringing the roll 3 toward the roll holding mechanism 9 from above. Subsequently, the operator (user) turns the lock arms 8 clockwise in FIG.
- the roll holding mechanism 9 is configured to be symmetrical along an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis C of the roll 3 .
- a platen roller 11 facing the thermal head 10 is provided in the base 4 A. A paper is brought between the platen roller 11 and the thermal head, and the platen roller 11 is rotatably driven by a motor (not shown). In this manner the paper 12 is drawn from the roll 3 .
- the base portion 5 includes a rectangular bottom wall section 5 a and a side wall section 5 b surrounding the periphery of the bottom wall section 5 a .
- Each of the regulating walls 6 includes a rectangular base section 6 a placed on the bottom wall section 5 a and a transverse wall section 6 b vertically protruding from the base section 6 a .
- a circular through-hole 6 c is provided in the transverse wall section 6 b .
- the width of the peripheral edge portion of the through-hole 6 c is substantially uniform.
- the upper portion of the transverse wall section 6 b has a ring shape.
- Each of the movable arms 7 includes a leaf spring 7 a as an arm portion and an axle 7 b fixed to the tip end of the leaf spring 7 a and movable in response to the elastic deformation of the leaf spring 7 a .
- the leaf spring 7 a is contiguous to the outer surface 6 d of each of the regulating walls 6 .
- the base end section, i.e., lower section, of the leaf spring 7 a is fixed to the base section 6 a of each of the regulating walls 6 .
- the leaf spring 7 a extends upwards from the bottom wall section 5 a along the outer surface 6 d of the regulating wall 6 in the form of a strip with a specified width.
- the upper end section of the leaf spring 7 a acts as a free end.
- the movement of the leaf spring 7 a toward the roll 3 is regulated by each of the regulating walls 6 .
- the movement of the leaf spring 7 a away from the roll 3 is not regulated if each of the lock arms 8 is in an upright state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , the leaf spring 7 a can be elastically bent away from the axis of the roll 3 .
- the leaf spring 7 a corresponds to an elastic member.
- the axle 7 b includes a cylindrical columnar protrusion 7 c protruding away from the roll 3 .
- the protrusion 7 c is press-fitted to the circular through-hole 7 d formed in the leaf spring 7 a and protrudes away from the roll 3 through the through-hole 7 d .
- the leaf spring 7 a fixedly holds the axle 7 b .
- the leaf spring 7 a may hold the axle 7 b in such a manner that the axle 7 b can rotate about the through-hole 7 d as a bearing.
- the axle 7 b includes a frusto-conical insertion section 7 e protruding toward the roll 3 and inserted into the shaft 3 a of the roll 3 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). As shown in FIG. 4 , when the leaf spring 7 a is raised up into the adjacent position Pb 1 , the axle 7 b extends through the through-hole 6 c of each of the regulating walls 6 and the insertion section 7 e is inserted into the opening 3 b of the shaft 3 a of the roll 3 . The tip end side of the insertion section 7 e is chamfered to form a slant surface 7 f.
- the axle 7 b includes three extension sections 7 g extending radially outwards of the roll 3 between the leaf spring 7 a and the insertion section 7 e . If the gap between the inner surfaces 6 e and 6 e of the mutually opposing transverse wall sections 6 b becomes the same as the width W of the roll 3 (see FIG. 1 ), the surfaces 7 h of the extension sections 7 g facing toward the roll 3 will make contact with the axial end portion 3 c of the roll 3 as shown in FIG. 4 .
- rails 5 c extending along the axial direction of the roll 3 are provided on the bottom wall section 5 a of the base portion 5 .
- the regulating walls 6 may slide along the longitudinal direction of the rails 5 c , i.e., the axial direction of the roll 3 .
- an operator When setting the roll 3 in the roll holding mechanism 9 , an operator (user) first causes the regulating walls 6 to slide along the rails 5 c , thereby positioning a pair of the regulating walls 6 in such a state that the gap between the inner surfaces 6 e and 6 e of the mutually opposing transverse wall sections 6 b becomes substantially equal to the width W of the roll 3 .
- the operator brings the roll 3 toward the roll holding mechanism 9 from above.
- the axial end portion 3 c of the roll 3 presses the axle 7 b axially outwards.
- the movable arm 7 may be elastically bent to lean away from the roll 3 .
- the position of the movable arm 7 available at this time corresponds to a spaced-apart position Pb 2 .
- the movable arm 7 is returned from a leaning orientation to an upright orientation by the elastic biasing force of the leaf spring 7 a . Consequently, the insertion section 7 e of the axle 7 b is inserted into the shaft 3 a . This establishes a state where the roll holding mechanism 9 holds the roll 3 tight.
- the position of the movable arm 7 at this time corresponds to an adjacent position PM.
- the operator (user) can attach the roll 3 to the roll holding mechanism 9 in an easy manner by bringing the roll 3 toward the roll holding mechanism 9 (moving the roll 3 downwards in the present embodiment).
- the operator (user) can easily take out the roll 3 by raising the lock arms 8 from the regulating position Pa 1 to the release position Pa 2 and then pulling the roll 3 upwards from the roll holding mechanism 9 .
- the lock arms 8 are rotatably supported on the outer surfaces 6 d of the regulating walls 6 for rotation about the rotational axis A 1 parallel to the axis C of the roll 3 .
- Each of the lock arms 8 can be shifted by the operator (user) between the upright release position Pa 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 5 ) and the leaning regulating position Pa 1 (see FIGS. 4 and 6 ).
- each of the lock arms 8 is positioned on the opposite side of the roll 3 with respect to the leaf spring 7 a of each of the movable arms 7 . Accordingly, in this state, the leaf spring 7 a is interposed between each of the regulating walls 6 and each of the lock arms 8 . In the regulating position Pa 1 , the lock arms 8 regulate the movable arms 7 from leaning.
- each of the lock arms 8 protrudes relatively high from the base 4 A.
- the direction in which each of the lock arms 8 rotates about the rotational axis Ai from the release position Pa 2 to the regulating position Pa 1 coincides with the direction in which the cover 4 B rotates about the axis Ah from the open state to the closed state (namely, the clockwise direction in FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Therefore, in the present embodiment, if the operator (user) closes the cover 4 B, the cover 4 B pushes and brings down the lock arms 8 staying in the release position Pa 2 , thereby inclining the lock arms 8 toward the regulating position Pa 1 . This makes it possible to reliably move the lock arms 8 into the regulating position Pa 1 .
- the movable arms 7 and the lock arms 8 are fixed to the regulating walls 6 . Therefore, when the regulating walls 6 are caused to slide along the rails 5 c installed on the base portion 5 , the movable arms 7 and the lock arms 8 can also move along with the regulating walls 6 . This makes it possible to reliably obtain the effects provided by the movable arms 7 and the lock arms 8 , regardless of the position of the regulating walls 6 , i.e., the width W of the roll 3 .
- the transverse wall 4 d of the cover 4 B regulates the movement of the lock arms 8 from the regulating position Pa 1 to the release position Pa 2 . That is, if the cover 4 B is closed as shown in FIG. 6 , the transverse wall 4 d are located close to or on contact with the tip end portions of the lock arms 8 . In the present embodiment, the transverse wall 4 d corresponds to an unlock regulating portion. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 1 , the transverse wall 4 d extends parallel to the hinge axis Ah. Thus, the transverse wall 4 d can regulate the movement of the lock arms 8 regardless of the position of the regulating walls 6 depending on the size of the roll 3 .
- the axle 7 b regulates the movement of the lock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa 1 from the release position Pa 2 .
- each of the lock arms 8 is arranged on the protrusion 7 c of the axle 7 b and extends in the direction crossing the leaf spring 7 a .
- the protrusion 7 c regulates each of the lock arms 8 from rotating downwards, which assists in maintaining the state in which each of the lock arms 8 lies on the opposite side of the leaf spring 7 a from the roll 3 and regulates the leaf spring 7 a from leaning.
- the roll holder unit 1 for a printer includes the regulating walls 6 , the movable arms 7 and the lock arms 8 .
- Each of the regulating walls 6 is provided on at least one axial side of the roll 3 (on both sides of the roll 3 in the present embodiment) opposite the axial end portion 3 c of roll 3 , thereby regulating the axial movement of the roll 3 .
- Each of the movable arms 7 is provided on the same side as each of the regulating walls 6 from the roll 3 and can move between the adjacent position Pb 1 in which the axle 7 b positioned close to the axial end portion 3 c of the roll 3 comes into the shaft 3 a and a spaced-apart position Pb 2 in which the axle 7 b positioned distant from the axial end portion 3 c of the roll 3 moves away from the shaft 3 a .
- the movable arms 7 are elastically biased from the spaced-apart position Pb 2 toward the adjacent position Pb 1 .
- the lock arms 8 are provided to move between the regulating position Pa 1 in which the lock arms 8 regulate the movable arms 7 from moving from the adjacent position Pb 1 to the spaced-apart position Pb 2 and the release position Pa 2 in which the lock arms 8 allow the movable arms 7 to move from the adjacent position Pb 1 to the spaced-apart position Pb 2 .
- the roll 3 can be easily mounted and removed using the movable arms 7 while reliably regulating the movement of the roll 3 with the regulating walls 6 .
- the axle 7 b comes into the shaft 3 a , which makes it possible to reliably hold the roll 3 tight.
- each of the movable arms 7 includes the leaf spring 7 a as a elastic member supporting the axle 7 b and biasing the axle 7 b in the direction in which the insertion section 7 e of the axle 7 b is inserted into the shaft 3 a . Consequently, it is possible to simplify the configuration and to reduce the production cost, as compared with the case where a member for supporting the axle 7 b and a biasing member are provided separately.
- the leaf spring 7 a supports the axle 7 b in a state that the axle 7 b passes through the through-hole 7 d along the axial direction of the roll 3 .
- the lock arms 8 are provided to rotate about the rotational axis Ai parallel to the axis C of the roll 3 .
- the movement of the lock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa 1 from the release position Pa 2 is regulated by the axle 7 b .
- Use of the axle 7 b makes it possible to provide a relatively simple configuration for regulating the movement of the lock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa 1 from the release position Pa 2 .
- the cover 4 B includes the transverse wall 4 d as an unlock regulating portion to regulate the movement of the lock arms 8 from the regulating position Pa 1 toward the release position Pa 2 when the cover 4 B is kept in a closed state. Accordingly, if an operator (user) closes the cover 4 B, the movement of the lock arm 8 can be easily regulated.
- each of the movable arms 7 is arranged on the opposite side of each of the regulating walls 6 from the roll 3 and is provided with the through-hole 6 c as a penetration portion through which the axle 7 b passes. Therefore, the axial movement of the roll 3 can be reliably regulated by bringing the relatively wide area around the through-hole 6 c into an opposing relationship with the axial end portion 3 c of the roll 3 .
- the lock arms 8 are movably supported on the regulating walls 6 . Therefore, the effects provided by the lock arms 8 can be obtained regardless of the position of the regulating walls 6 .
- the movable arms 7 are also movably supported on the regulating walls 6 . As a result, the effects provided by the movable arms 7 can be obtained regardless of the position of the regulating walls 6 .
Abstract
A roll holder unit for a printer includes a regulating wall, a movable arm, and a lock arm. The regulating wall is located on the same axial side of the roll as the regulating wall to prevent axial movement of a roll. The movable arm moves between an adjacent position in which the axle is contact with a shaft and a spaced-apart position in which the axle is apart from the shaft. The movable arm is biased toward the adjacent position from the spaced-apart position. The lock arm moves between a regulating position in which the lock arm regulates the movable arm from moving from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position and a release position in which the lock arm allows the movable arm to move from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position.
Description
- This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-049381, filed on Mar. 5, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- Embodiments described herein relate generally to a roll holder unit for a printer.
- In the related art, there is known a roll holder unit that holds a printer paper roll by applying a biasing force to the side surface of the paper roll with a biasing member provided in one axial end portion of the paper roll.
- However, the related roll holder unit suffers from a problem in that the paper roll is likely to move because the roll holder unit does not have any paper roll locking portion but merely holds the paper roll with a biasing force applied to the side surface of the paper roll by a biasing member.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer having a roll holder unit for a printer with a cover kept in an open state. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a roll holding mechanism provided within the roll holder unit for a printer. -
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a roll, a regulating wall and a movable arm when the roll is moved toward a set position. -
FIG. 4 is a front view showing the regulating wall, the movable arm and a lock arm when the roll is set in the set position. -
FIG. 5 is a side view of the printer having the roll holder unit for a printer with the cover kept in an open state. -
FIG. 6 is a side view of the printer having the roll holder unit for a printer with the cover kept in a closed state. - According to one embodiment, a roll holder unit for a printer includes a regulating wall, a movable arm, and a lock arm. The regulating wall is located on the same axial side of the roll as the regulating wall to prevent axial movement of a roll. The movable arm moves between an adjacent position in which the axle is contact with a shaft of the roll and a spaced-apart position in which the axle is apart from the shaft. The movable arm is biased toward the adjacent position from the spaced-apart position. The lock arm moves between a regulating position in which the lock arm regulates the movable arm from moving from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position and a release position in which the lock arm allows the movable arm to move from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position.
- One embodiment of a roll holder unit for a printer will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- The roll holder unit for printer 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as “unit 1”) is mounted to a printer. The unit 1 is designed to removably and rotatably hold a
roll 3 of strip-shapedcontinuous paper 2. The printer prints on thecontinuous paper 2 drawn from theroll 3 of the unit 1. - The unit 1 includes a
housing 4 divided into abase 4A having adepressed portion 4 a for accommodating components and acover 4B having adepressed portion 4 b for covering the components. Thebase 4A and thecover 4B are coupled to each other by a hinge mechanism (not shown) for rotation about a hinge axis Ah. Thecover 4B openably covers thebase 4A. - A plurality of
ribs 4 c (fiveribs 4 c in the present embodiment) each having an arc-shaped cutout and being perpendicular to the hinge axis Ah protrudes from the inner surface of thecover 4B in a mutually parallel spaced-apart relationship. The opposite end portions of theribs 4 c from the hinge axis Ah are connected to atransverse wall 4 d parallel to the hinge axis Ah. In the present embodiment, theribs 4 c and thetransverse wall 4 d serve to enhance the rigidity of thecover 4B. When the cover 413 is in a closed state, the arc-shaped cutouts of theribs 4 c serve to create a clearance between theribs 4 c and theroll 3 set in thebase 4A and between theribs 4 c and regulating walls 6 (seeFIG. 6 ). In addition, athermal head 10 is provided in thecover 4B. - A roll holding mechanism 9 including a
base portion 5, a pair of regulatingwalls 6, a pair ofmovable arms 7 and a pair oflock arms 8 is installed on thebase 4A. As shown inFIG. 1 , the regulatingwalls 6 protrude from thebase portion 5 in a mutually parallel spaced-apart relationship. The roll holding mechanism 9 holds theroll 3 by interposing theroll 3 between the regulatingwalls 6 so that they are closely spaced apart to be in contact. An operator (user) raises thelock arms 8 up into the release position Pa2 shown inFIG. 1 and then sets theroll 3 in the set position Ps by bringing theroll 3 toward the roll holding mechanism 9 from above. Subsequently, the operator (user) turns thelock arms 8 clockwise inFIG. 1 about a rotational axis Ai to bring thelock arms 8 into the regulating position Pa1 (seeFIG. 6 ), thereby locking theroll 3 in the set position Ps. The roll holding mechanism 9 is configured to be symmetrical along an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis C of theroll 3. Aplaten roller 11 facing thethermal head 10 is provided in thebase 4A. A paper is brought between theplaten roller 11 and the thermal head, and theplaten roller 11 is rotatably driven by a motor (not shown). In this manner thepaper 12 is drawn from theroll 3. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , thebase portion 5 includes a rectangularbottom wall section 5 a and aside wall section 5 b surrounding the periphery of thebottom wall section 5 a. Each of the regulatingwalls 6 includes arectangular base section 6 a placed on thebottom wall section 5 a and atransverse wall section 6 b vertically protruding from thebase section 6 a. A circular through-hole 6 c is provided in thetransverse wall section 6 b. The width of the peripheral edge portion of the through-hole 6 c is substantially uniform. The upper portion of thetransverse wall section 6 b has a ring shape. - Each of the
movable arms 7 includes aleaf spring 7 a as an arm portion and anaxle 7 b fixed to the tip end of theleaf spring 7 a and movable in response to the elastic deformation of theleaf spring 7 a. Theleaf spring 7 a is contiguous to theouter surface 6 d of each of the regulatingwalls 6. The base end section, i.e., lower section, of theleaf spring 7 a is fixed to thebase section 6 a of each of the regulatingwalls 6. Theleaf spring 7 a extends upwards from thebottom wall section 5 a along theouter surface 6 d of the regulatingwall 6 in the form of a strip with a specified width. The upper end section of theleaf spring 7 a acts as a free end. In this regard, the movement of theleaf spring 7 a toward theroll 3 is regulated by each of the regulatingwalls 6. In contrast, the movement of theleaf spring 7 a away from theroll 3 is not regulated if each of thelock arms 8 is in an upright state. Therefore, as shown inFIG. 1 , theleaf spring 7 a can be elastically bent away from the axis of theroll 3. In the present embodiment, theleaf spring 7 a corresponds to an elastic member. - The
axle 7 b includes a cylindricalcolumnar protrusion 7 c protruding away from theroll 3. Theprotrusion 7 c is press-fitted to the circular through-hole 7 d formed in theleaf spring 7 a and protrudes away from theroll 3 through the through-hole 7 d. In the present embodiment, theleaf spring 7 a fixedly holds theaxle 7 b. However, this is presented only by way of example. Theleaf spring 7 a may hold theaxle 7 b in such a manner that theaxle 7 b can rotate about the through-hole 7 d as a bearing. - The
axle 7 b includes a frusto-conical insertion section 7 e protruding toward theroll 3 and inserted into theshaft 3 a of the roll 3 (seeFIGS. 3 and 4 ). As shown inFIG. 4 , when theleaf spring 7 a is raised up into the adjacent position Pb1, theaxle 7 b extends through the through-hole 6 c of each of the regulatingwalls 6 and theinsertion section 7 e is inserted into the opening 3 b of theshaft 3 a of theroll 3. The tip end side of theinsertion section 7 e is chamfered to form aslant surface 7 f. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , theaxle 7 b includes threeextension sections 7 g extending radially outwards of theroll 3 between theleaf spring 7 a and theinsertion section 7 e. If the gap between theinner surfaces transverse wall sections 6 b becomes the same as the width W of the roll 3 (seeFIG. 1 ), thesurfaces 7 h of theextension sections 7 g facing toward theroll 3 will make contact with theaxial end portion 3 c of theroll 3 as shown inFIG. 4 . - In addition, as shown in
FIG. 2 , rails 5 c extending along the axial direction of theroll 3 are provided on thebottom wall section 5 a of thebase portion 5. The regulatingwalls 6 may slide along the longitudinal direction of therails 5 c, i.e., the axial direction of theroll 3. - When setting the
roll 3 in the roll holding mechanism 9, an operator (user) first causes the regulatingwalls 6 to slide along therails 5 c, thereby positioning a pair of the regulatingwalls 6 in such a state that the gap between theinner surfaces transverse wall sections 6 b becomes substantially equal to the width W of theroll 3. - Then, as shown in
FIG. 1 , the operator (user) brings theroll 3 toward the roll holding mechanism 9 from above. At this time, as illustrated inFIG. 3 , theaxial end portion 3 c of theroll 3 presses theaxle 7 b axially outwards. Thus, themovable arm 7 may be elastically bent to lean away from theroll 3. The position of themovable arm 7 available at this time corresponds to a spaced-apart position Pb2. When theroll 3 initially makes contact with theaxle 7 b, the lower end of theaxial end portion 3 c of theroll 3 comes into contact with theslant surface 7 f of theaxle 7 b. Therefore, as compared with the case where theslant surface 7 f is not formed in theaxle 7 b, theroll 3 can smoothly move downwards and themovable arm 7 can lean more smoothly. - If the operator (user) further moves the
roll 3 downwards, as illustrated inFIG. 4 , themovable arm 7 is returned from a leaning orientation to an upright orientation by the elastic biasing force of theleaf spring 7 a. Consequently, theinsertion section 7 e of theaxle 7 b is inserted into theshaft 3 a. This establishes a state where the roll holding mechanism 9 holds theroll 3 tight. The position of themovable arm 7 at this time corresponds to an adjacent position PM. Although the configuration and operation of only one axial end portion is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , this configuration and operation works in the other axial end portion in the same manner (which has a mirror image relationship with the one axial end portion). According to the present embodiment, the operator (user) can attach theroll 3 to the roll holding mechanism 9 in an easy manner by bringing theroll 3 toward the roll holding mechanism 9 (moving theroll 3 downwards in the present embodiment). When removing theroll 3 from the roll holding mechanism 9, the operator (user) can easily take out theroll 3 by raising thelock arms 8 from the regulating position Pa1 to the release position Pa2 and then pulling theroll 3 upwards from the roll holding mechanism 9. - The
lock arms 8 are rotatably supported on theouter surfaces 6 d of the regulatingwalls 6 for rotation about the rotational axis A1 parallel to the axis C of theroll 3. Each of thelock arms 8 can be shifted by the operator (user) between the upright release position Pa2 (seeFIGS. 1 and 5 ) and the leaning regulating position Pa1 (seeFIGS. 4 and 6 ). - As shown in
FIG. 4 , in the regulating position Pa1, each of thelock arms 8 is positioned on the opposite side of theroll 3 with respect to theleaf spring 7 a of each of themovable arms 7. Accordingly, in this state, theleaf spring 7 a is interposed between each of the regulatingwalls 6 and each of thelock arms 8. In the regulating position Pa1, thelock arms 8 regulate themovable arms 7 from leaning. - As illustrated in
FIG. 5 , in the release position Pa2, each of thelock arms 8 protrudes relatively high from thebase 4A. The direction in which each of thelock arms 8 rotates about the rotational axis Ai from the release position Pa2 to the regulating position Pa1 (namely, the clockwise direction inFIGS. 5 and 6 ) coincides with the direction in which thecover 4B rotates about the axis Ah from the open state to the closed state (namely, the clockwise direction inFIGS. 5 and 6 ). Therefore, in the present embodiment, if the operator (user) closes thecover 4B, thecover 4B pushes and brings down thelock arms 8 staying in the release position Pa2, thereby inclining thelock arms 8 toward the regulating position Pa1. This makes it possible to reliably move thelock arms 8 into the regulating position Pa1. - In the present embodiment, the
movable arms 7 and thelock arms 8 are fixed to the regulatingwalls 6. Therefore, when the regulatingwalls 6 are caused to slide along therails 5 c installed on thebase portion 5, themovable arms 7 and thelock arms 8 can also move along with the regulatingwalls 6. This makes it possible to reliably obtain the effects provided by themovable arms 7 and thelock arms 8, regardless of the position of the regulatingwalls 6, i.e., the width W of theroll 3. - In the present embodiment, the
transverse wall 4 d of thecover 4B regulates the movement of thelock arms 8 from the regulating position Pa1 to the release position Pa2. That is, if thecover 4B is closed as shown inFIG. 6 , thetransverse wall 4 d are located close to or on contact with the tip end portions of thelock arms 8. In the present embodiment, thetransverse wall 4 d corresponds to an unlock regulating portion. In this regard, as shown inFIG. 1 , thetransverse wall 4 d extends parallel to the hinge axis Ah. Thus, thetransverse wall 4 d can regulate the movement of thelock arms 8 regardless of the position of the regulatingwalls 6 depending on the size of theroll 3. - In the present embodiment, the
axle 7 b regulates the movement of thelock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa1 from the release position Pa2. As shown inFIG. 6 , when in the regulating position Pa1, each of thelock arms 8 is arranged on theprotrusion 7 c of theaxle 7 b and extends in the direction crossing theleaf spring 7 a. In the present embodiment, theprotrusion 7 c regulates each of thelock arms 8 from rotating downwards, which assists in maintaining the state in which each of thelock arms 8 lies on the opposite side of theleaf spring 7 a from theroll 3 and regulates theleaf spring 7 a from leaning. This makes it possible reduce the amount of labor used during the manufacturing process and to reduce production cost, as compared with the case where a member for regulating the movement of thelock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa1 from the release position Pa2 is provided separately with theaxle 7 b. - As described above, the roll holder unit 1 for a printer according to the present embodiment includes the regulating
walls 6, themovable arms 7 and thelock arms 8. Each of the regulatingwalls 6 is provided on at least one axial side of the roll 3 (on both sides of theroll 3 in the present embodiment) opposite theaxial end portion 3 c ofroll 3, thereby regulating the axial movement of theroll 3. Each of themovable arms 7 is provided on the same side as each of the regulatingwalls 6 from theroll 3 and can move between the adjacent position Pb1 in which theaxle 7 b positioned close to theaxial end portion 3 c of theroll 3 comes into theshaft 3 a and a spaced-apart position Pb2 in which theaxle 7 b positioned distant from theaxial end portion 3 c of theroll 3 moves away from theshaft 3 a. Themovable arms 7 are elastically biased from the spaced-apart position Pb2 toward the adjacent position Pb1. Further, thelock arms 8 are provided to move between the regulating position Pa1 in which thelock arms 8 regulate themovable arms 7 from moving from the adjacent position Pb1 to the spaced-apart position Pb2 and the release position Pa2 in which thelock arms 8 allow themovable arms 7 to move from the adjacent position Pb1 to the spaced-apart position Pb2. According to the present embodiment, therefore, theroll 3 can be easily mounted and removed using themovable arms 7 while reliably regulating the movement of theroll 3 with the regulatingwalls 6. When themovable arms 7 are kept in the adjacent position Pb1, theaxle 7 b comes into theshaft 3 a, which makes it possible to reliably hold theroll 3 tight. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to attach and remove theroll 3 with ease and to reliably hold theroll 3 tight. - In the present embodiment, each of the
movable arms 7 includes theleaf spring 7 a as a elastic member supporting theaxle 7 b and biasing theaxle 7 b in the direction in which theinsertion section 7 e of theaxle 7 b is inserted into theshaft 3 a. Consequently, it is possible to simplify the configuration and to reduce the production cost, as compared with the case where a member for supporting theaxle 7 b and a biasing member are provided separately. - In the present embodiment, the
leaf spring 7 a supports theaxle 7 b in a state that theaxle 7 b passes through the through-hole 7 d along the axial direction of theroll 3. Thelock arms 8 are provided to rotate about the rotational axis Ai parallel to the axis C of theroll 3. The movement of thelock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa1 from the release position Pa2 is regulated by theaxle 7 b. Use of theaxle 7 b makes it possible to provide a relatively simple configuration for regulating the movement of thelock arms 8 toward the opposite side of the regulating position Pa1 from the release position Pa2. - In the present embodiment, the
cover 4B includes thetransverse wall 4 d as an unlock regulating portion to regulate the movement of thelock arms 8 from the regulating position Pa1 toward the release position Pa2 when thecover 4B is kept in a closed state. Accordingly, if an operator (user) closes thecover 4B, the movement of thelock arm 8 can be easily regulated. - In the present embodiment, each of the
movable arms 7 is arranged on the opposite side of each of the regulatingwalls 6 from theroll 3 and is provided with the through-hole 6 c as a penetration portion through which theaxle 7 b passes. Therefore, the axial movement of theroll 3 can be reliably regulated by bringing the relatively wide area around the through-hole 6 c into an opposing relationship with theaxial end portion 3 c of theroll 3. - In the present embodiment, the
lock arms 8 are movably supported on the regulatingwalls 6. Therefore, the effects provided by thelock arms 8 can be obtained regardless of the position of the regulatingwalls 6. In the present embodiment, themovable arms 7 are also movably supported on the regulatingwalls 6. As a result, the effects provided by themovable arms 7 can be obtained regardless of the position of the regulatingwalls 6. - While certain embodiments have been described above, these embodiment have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. For example, the specifications (shape, structure, number, material, arrangement, etc.) of the regulating walls, the movable arms, the lock arms, the leaf spring, the axle, the base, the cover, the unlocking and regulating portion and the penetration portion may be embodied in other suitable forms. The present embodiments may be applied to other rolls other than paper rolls. The lock arms may be connected to each other to operate as a unit. It may be possible to use other elastic members other than a leaf spring. Various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Claims (20)
1. A roll holder unit for a printer, comprising:
a regulating wall that regulates axial movement of a roll located on at least one axial side of the roll in opposing relationship with one axial end portion of the roll;
a movable arm comprising an axle that supports the roll, the movable arm located on the same axial side of the roll as the regulating wall and configured to move between an adjacent position in which the axle is in contact with a shaft of the roll and a spaced-apart position in which the axle is apart from the shaft, the movable arm biased toward the adjacent position from the spaced-apart position; and
a lock arm configured to move between a regulating position in which the lock arm regulates the movable arm from moving from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position and a release position in which the lock arm allows the movable arm to move from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position.
2. The roll holder unit of claim 1 , wherein the movable arm comprises an elastic member supporting the axle and biasing the axle in a direction in which the axle is in contact with the shaft.
3. The roll holder unit of claim 2 , wherein the elastic member supports the axle in a state that the axle penetrates the roll in an axial direction, the lock arm is rotatable about a rotational axis extending parallel to an axis of the roll, and the axle regulate the lock arm from moving toward the opposite side of the regulating position from the release position.
4. The roll holder unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base supporting the regulating wall, the movable arm, and the lock arm; and
a cover to openably cover the base,
wherein the cover comprises an unlock regulating portion to regulate the lock arm from moving from the regulating position toward the release position when the cover is closed.
5. The roll holder unit of claim 1 , wherein the movable arm is arranged on the opposite side of the regulating wall from the roll, and the regulating wall comprises a penetration portion through which the axle passes.
6. The roll holder unit of claim 1 , wherein the lock arm is movably supported on the regulating wall.
7. The roll holder unit of claim 1 wherein the regulating wall is located on both axial sides of the roll.
8. A roll holder comprising:
a regulating wall located on at least one axial side of a roll;
a movable arm located on the same axial side of the roll as the regulating wall, the movable arm comprising an axle movable between an adjacent position in which the axle engages the roll and a spaced-apart position in which the axle disengages the roll; and
a lock arm that moves between a regulating position that prevents the movable arm from moving from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position, and a release position in which the lock arm allows the movable arm to move from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position.
9. The holder of claim 8 , wherein the movable arm further comprises an elastic member supporting the axle which biases the axle in a direction in which the axle is inserted into a shaft of the roll.
10. The holder of claim 9 , wherein the elastic member supports the axle so that the axle penetrates the roll in an axial direction, the lock arm is rotatable about a rotational axis extending parallel to an axis of the roll, and the axle regulates the lock arm from moving toward the opposite side of the regulating position from the release position.
11. The holder of claim 8 , further comprising:
a base supporting the regulating wall, the movable arm, and the lock arm; and
a cover to openably cover the base, the cover comprising an unlock regulating portion to regulate the lock arm from moving from the regulating position toward the release position when the cover is closed.
12. The holder of claim 8 , wherein the movable arm is located on the opposite side of the regulating wall from the roll, and the regulating wall comprises a penetration portion through which the axle passes.
13. The holder of claim 8 , wherein the lock arm is movably supported on the regulating wall.
14. The holder of claim 8 , wherein the regulating wall is located on both axial sides of the roll.
15. A method for securing a roll in a roll holder, the method comprising:
restricting axial movement of the roll with a regulating wall located on at least one axial side of the roll;
engaging the roll with a movable arm located on the same axial side of the roll as the regulating wall, the movable arm comprising an axle movable between an adjacent position in which the axle engages the roll and a spaced-apart position in which the axle disengages the roll; and
locking the roll into position with a lock arm that moves between a regulating position that prevents the movable arm from moving from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position, and a release position in which the lock arm allows the movable arm to move from the adjacent position to the spaced-apart position.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising biasing the axle into a shaft of the roll with an elastic member of the movable arm that supports the axle.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the elastic member supports the axle so that the axle penetrates the roll in an axial direction, the lock arm is rotatable about a rotational axis extending parallel to an axis of the roll, and the axle regulates the lock arm from moving toward the opposite side of the regulating position from the release position.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
supporting the regulating wall, the movable arm, and the lock arm with a base; and
openably covering the base with a cover comprising an unlock regulating portion to regulate the lock arm from moving from the regulating position toward the release position when the cover is closed.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the movable arm is located on the opposite side of the regulating wall from the roll, and the regulating wall comprises a penetration portion through which the axle passes.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising movably supporting the lock arm on the regulating wall.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2010-49381 | 2010-03-05 | ||
JP2010049381 | 2010-03-05 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20110215189A1 true US20110215189A1 (en) | 2011-09-08 |
Family
ID=44530469
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/894,422 Abandoned US20110215189A1 (en) | 2010-03-05 | 2010-09-30 | Roll holder unit for printer |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20110215189A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5411182B2 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20130105617A1 (en) * | 2011-10-31 | 2013-05-02 | Hiroaki Kita | Printer |
US10052895B2 (en) * | 2008-06-19 | 2018-08-21 | Zih Corp. | Portable printer |
CN109689386A (en) * | 2017-03-17 | 2019-04-26 | 佐藤控股株式会社 | Printer |
US20190127170A1 (en) * | 2017-10-30 | 2019-05-02 | Transact Technologies Incorporated | Two-part spindle mechanism for a printer paper bucket, a printer paper bucket, and a printer having a paper bucket with a two-part spindle mechanism |
JP2019181764A (en) * | 2018-04-06 | 2019-10-24 | ブラザー工業株式会社 | Printer |
EP4037908A4 (en) * | 2020-02-28 | 2023-07-19 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Media roll supports |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP5317234B2 (en) * | 2011-12-22 | 2013-10-16 | Necインフロンティア株式会社 | Printer and handy terminal |
JP6433677B2 (en) * | 2014-04-30 | 2018-12-05 | サトーホールディングス株式会社 | Printer |
JP6282530B2 (en) * | 2014-06-04 | 2018-02-21 | サトーホールディングス株式会社 | Printer |
JP6386857B2 (en) * | 2014-09-30 | 2018-09-05 | サトーホールディングス株式会社 | Printer |
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US20030170065A1 (en) * | 2002-03-08 | 2003-09-11 | Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. | Paper holding device for label printer |
US20090114758A1 (en) * | 2007-11-05 | 2009-05-07 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Paper supply mechanism and roll paper printer |
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JPH0611999Y2 (en) * | 1987-10-20 | 1994-03-30 | 株式会社リコー | Recording device |
JP2000177889A (en) * | 1998-12-11 | 2000-06-27 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Printer |
JP5162211B2 (en) * | 2007-11-19 | 2013-03-13 | Necエンベデッドプロダクツ株式会社 | Support structure for swing member, roll paper support structure using the same, and printer device |
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2010
- 2010-09-30 US US12/894,422 patent/US20110215189A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US20030170065A1 (en) * | 2002-03-08 | 2003-09-11 | Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. | Paper holding device for label printer |
US6695500B2 (en) * | 2002-03-08 | 2004-02-24 | Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. | Paper holding device for label printer |
US20090114758A1 (en) * | 2007-11-05 | 2009-05-07 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Paper supply mechanism and roll paper printer |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US10052895B2 (en) * | 2008-06-19 | 2018-08-21 | Zih Corp. | Portable printer |
US10807395B2 (en) | 2008-06-19 | 2020-10-20 | Zebra Technologies Corporation | Portable printer |
US20130105617A1 (en) * | 2011-10-31 | 2013-05-02 | Hiroaki Kita | Printer |
US9205686B2 (en) * | 2011-10-31 | 2015-12-08 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Printer |
CN109689386A (en) * | 2017-03-17 | 2019-04-26 | 佐藤控股株式会社 | Printer |
US11840413B2 (en) | 2017-03-17 | 2023-12-12 | Sato Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha | Roll printer holder |
US20190127170A1 (en) * | 2017-10-30 | 2019-05-02 | Transact Technologies Incorporated | Two-part spindle mechanism for a printer paper bucket, a printer paper bucket, and a printer having a paper bucket with a two-part spindle mechanism |
US10611588B2 (en) * | 2017-10-30 | 2020-04-07 | Transact Technologies Incorporated | Two-part spindle mechanism for a printer paper bucket, a printer paper bucket, and a printer having a paper bucket with a two-part spindle mechanism |
JP2019181764A (en) * | 2018-04-06 | 2019-10-24 | ブラザー工業株式会社 | Printer |
JP7095369B2 (en) | 2018-04-06 | 2022-07-05 | ブラザー工業株式会社 | Printing equipment |
EP4037908A4 (en) * | 2020-02-28 | 2023-07-19 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Media roll supports |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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JP5411182B2 (en) | 2014-02-12 |
JP2011201705A (en) | 2011-10-13 |
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