Patent ID: 8610751
Filing Date: 2013-12-17
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A thermal printer, comprising: a main body frame; a platen roller detachably mounted to the main body frame; a lock mechanism rotatably supporting the platen roller with respect to the main body frame; a thermal head having a head surface disposed in parallel with an axial direction of the platen roller when the platen roller is mounted to the main body frame, and having heating elements arranged on the head surface for performing printing on a recording paper; a head support member onto which the thermal head is integrally mounted, the head support member being rotatably supported about a rotation shaft provided to the main body frame; first urging means for urging the thermal head so as to be brought into pressure contact with the platen roller through intermediation of the head support member; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the thermal head with respect to the platen roller, the positioning mechanism comprising a guide portion which allows the head support member to be movable with respect to the main body frame along a first direction which is orthogonal to an axial direction of the platen roller within a plane which is parallel to the head surface of the thermal head; a regulating portion formed in the head support member and serving as a positioning reference portion at a time of positioning and fixing the thermal head to the head support member, the regulating portion positioning the heating elements with respect to the platen roller through abutment of the platen roller with the regulating portion when the platen roller is mounted to the main body frame; and second urging means for urging the head support member along the first direction so that the regulating portion is abutted to the platen roller; wherein the regulating portion has a flat surface, and a normal line direction of the flat surface coincides with the first direction; wherein the lock mechanism comprises slits formed in the main body frame and lock arms for rotatably engaging the platen roller between the lock arms and the respective slits; and wherein, at a time of a platen roller mounting operation, the regulating portion is arranged so as to abut on the platen roller earlier than an abutment on a bottom surface of each slit.