Abstract:
The invention provides a portable printer wherein provisions are made to prevent rain drops or dust particles from entering the interior of a body case through a paper exit port of the printer when a person carrying the portable printer in an exposed manner, for example, on his or her waist, is caught in rain or passes through a dusty area, and provisions are also made to ensure that power to the portable printer is turned off when not in use. More specifically, the invention provides a portable printer comprising: a body case having a paper storage section for storing paper; a storage cover swingably attached to the body case in order to open and close the paper storage section; a paper exit cover for opening and closing a paper exit port formed between the body case and the storage cover; and a control unit for controlling ON/OFF of power to the portable printer in conjunction with the opening and closing of the paper exit cover, wherein the control unit turns off power to the portable printer when the paper exit cover is set to close the paper exit port.

Description:
[0001]    The entire content of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-189507 is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a paper exit cover for a portable printer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    When taking a meter reading for billing of electricity or gas charges, a bill collector who reads the meter may at the same time enter the data into a portable printer and issue a receipt on the spot. In that case, the bill collector saves the entered data and the issued receipt data into the portable printer. The saved data are retrieved later using a personal computer or the like and processed. A portable printer having such a function is often used outdoors by home-delivery service personnel, sales personnel, etc. This type of printer is equipped with a paper exit port through which printed paper is ejected, for example, in order to issue a receipt or the like. The paper exit port is usually not covered. Consequently, when the person carrying the printer is caught in rain or passes through a dusty area, rain drops or dust particles may enter the interior of the machine through the paper exit port, adversely affecting the internal electronic precision parts, causing the moving parts to malfunction, or allowing the paper to get wet, resulting in a printing failure. 
         [0004]    Further, since this type of portable printer is operated by a battery, the power switch has to be turned on and off constantly. However, as is often the case, the operator may forget to turn off the power switch when he or she is busy. 
         [0005]    Patent document 1 discloses a portable electronic apparatus which aims to prevent printed recording paper from getting wet by storing the printed recording paper inside a drip-proof cover as the printed paper is fed out in continuous form. For this purpose, the drip-proof cover is mounted so as to cover an area extending from an upper face of a body case  1 , where the paper exit port is provided, to a lower face of the body case  1  by passing the rear of a paper holder  13 , and the printed recording paper is stored inside the cover. Accordingly, the portable electronic apparatus disclosed in patent document 1 can prevent rain drops from entering the interior through the paper exit port even if the apparatus is exposed to some rain. However, the disadvantage is that the printed recording paper cannot be seen directly unless the drip-proof cover is opened. JP2001-130057 cited in patent document 1 also discloses a portable electronic apparatus having a similar storage cover, in which the position of the axis about which the storage cover is turned to open and close is located closer to the wrist, thereby aiming to improve operability when the storage cover is opened. 
         [0006]    Patent document 2 discloses a small portable printer, in which the interior of the printer case is partitioned by a drip-proof wall  12  between a directly underneath area  8  and a drip-proof area  9 , the structure being such that any liquid entering the directly underneath area  8  through a paper exit port  6  formed in the front surface of the printer case is prevented from entering the drip-proof area  9  but is drained to the outside through a liquid exit port formed in the bottom of the printer case. The technical idea of the small portable printer disclosed in patent document 2 is to protect important internal parts from the infiltration of rain drops by providing the drip-proof wall  12 , while allowing the rain drops infiltrating through the paper exit port to pass through the interior of the printer case and drain to the outside through the bottom, but the structure is not intended to prevent the infiltration of rain drops. 
         [0007]    Patent document 3 discloses a printer in which a cover  12  for opening and closing a print paper exit port is related with a printer operation button so that the printer can operate only after the printer is set ready for operation by opening the cover  12 . The small portable printer disclosed in patent document 3 thus prevents erroneous print operations. 
         [0008]    Patent document 4 discloses a printer in which the sliding operation of a slide cover provided on a main body  13  is related with the operation of a print button so that the print button  18  cannot be operated unless the slide cover is slid into a print position. The small portable printer disclosed in patent document 4 thus prevents erroneous print operations. 
         [0009]    Patent document 1: JP2005-288992-A 
         [0010]    Patent document 2: JP2005-88350-A 
         [0011]    Patent document 3: JP2001-199122-A 
         [0012]    Patent document 4: JP2002-23255-A 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The invention provides a portable printer wherein provisions are made to prevent rain drops or dust particles from entering the interior of the body case through the paper exit port of the printer when a person carrying the portable printer in an exposed manner, for example, on his or her waist, is caught in rain or passes through a dusty area, and provisions are also made to ensure that power to the portable printer is turned off when not in use. 
         [0014]    The portable printer includes a body case having a paper storage section for storing paper; a storage cover rotatably attached to the body case in order to open and close the paper storage section, a paper exit cover for opening and closing a paper exit port formed between the body case and the storage cover, and a control unit for controlling ON/OFF of power to the portable printer in conjunction with the opening and closing of the paper exit cover, wherein the control unit turns off power to the portable printer when the paper exit cover is set to close the paper exit port. 
         [0015]    Preferably, the portable printer is constructed so that when the storage cover is closed, a front surface of the body case forms substantially the same plane as a front surface of the storage cover. 
         [0016]    Preferably, in the portable printer, the paper exit cover is attached to the body case so as to be slidable along the body case. 
         [0017]    Preferably, in the portable printer, the paper exit cover is attached to the storage cover so as to be slidable along the storage cover. 
         [0018]    Preferably, the portable printer further includes a hand cutter blade attached to an edge of the body case or to an edge of the paper exit cover. 
         [0019]    Preferably, the portable printer further includes a warning unit which issues a warning at predetermined intervals when the paper exit cover is set to open the paper exit port. 
         [0020]    More specifically, the portable printer is a portable printer whose printer case is made of a body case having a paper storage section for holding a paper roll and a storage cover for opening and closing the paper storage section, wherein the storage cover is rotatably attached to the body case and, when the storage cover is closed, the front surface of the body case forms substantially the same plane as the front surface of the storage cover, thus forming a portion of the front face of the printer case, and wherein a paper exit cover capable of opening and closing the paper exit port is attached to a portion of the front face so as to be slidable along the portion of the front face, and the ON/OFF operation of the power to the portable printer is conjunction with the open/close operation of the paper exit cover so that when the paper exit port is closed, the power to the portable printer is turned off. 
         [0021]    Even when the person carrying the portable printer in an exposed manner, for example, on his or her waist, is caught in rain or passes through a dusty area, since the paper exit port is closed, rain drops, etc., do not enter the interior of the printer case, and thus the functions of the portable printer can be safely maintained. Furthermore, since the power is always turned off when the paper exit port is closed, the battery charge per charge can be prolonged. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portable printer  1  as viewed from the front thereof; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the portable printer  1  from which a battery has been removed, as viewed from the rear thereof; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a schematic elevation view of the right side of the portable printer  1 , revealing the internal construction thereof; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a control circuit mounted in the portable printer  1 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the portable printer  1 , showing the condition in which a paper exit cover is removed. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing how a storage cover is opened and closed; 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the condition in which the paper exit cover  5  is fitted into a rectangular cutout  29  formed in the storage cover  4 ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a diagram showing how the paper exit cover is moved; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a modified example of the portable printer  1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0032]      FIGS. 1 to 7  are diagrams for explaining a portable printer  1 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  is a diagram showing the portable printer  1  in its entirety, as viewed from the front thereof. 
         [0034]    A printer case  2  comprises a body case  3  having a paper storage section for storing a paper roll, a storage cover  4 , and a paper exit cover  5 . 
         [0035]    The body case  3  is provided on its front face with an operation panel  6 , a magnetic card insertion slit  7 , and a paper exit port  8  in this order from the top. A serial I/F connector  10  and a USB I/F connector  11  for connection with a host apparatus are provided on the right side face of the body case  3 . The storage cover  4  is provided with a cover window  9  formed from a transparent material. The paper exit cover  5  is mounted in the center of the front face of the printer case  2 . A belt clip  12  is attached to the rear of the body case  3 .  FIG. 1  shows the condition in which printed paper  13  is being ejected through the paper exit port  8 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the portable printer  1  in its entirety, as viewed from the rear thereof. 
         [0037]      FIG. 2  shows the condition in which a battery  14  is removed. The battery  14  can be easily installed by pushing the battery  14  into a battery compartment  18  in the rear of the printer case  2  and engaging a lower end hook  16  onto an engaging portion  17  in the rear of the printer case  2 . The belt clip  12  is used to fit the portable printer  1  onto a belt worn around the waist, and is rotatable about a mounting axis  15 . The belt clip  12  is rotated downward for use after the battery  14  has been placed into the battery compartment  18  in the rear of the printer case  2 . A strap hook  19  is used to attach a shoulder strap or the like. 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  is a schematic elevation view of the right side of the portable printer, revealing the internal construction thereof. 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , a printer unit  20 , a cutter unit  21 , a platen  22 , a control circuit board  23 , and a paper roll  24  are housed inside the printer case  2 . The lower part of the body case  3  forms the storage section for storing the paper roll  24 , and the storage cover  4  is mounted so as to be able to open and close the storage section. The printer unit  20  has a print head  25  which is a thermal head, but the head is not limited to this particular type of head. The printer unit  20  and the cutter unit  21  are respectively commercially available units. Various other components necessary for the operation of the portable printer  1  are arranged inside the printer case  2 , but they are not shown here. 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a control circuit mounted in the portable printer  1 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , a control unit  100  which includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., mounted on the control circuit board  23  executes prescribed printing operations by controlling the printer unit  20  and the cutter unit  21  in accordance with operation commands entered from an operation unit provided on the operation panel  6 . The control unit  100  also produces a visual display of prescribed printing operations, warnings, etc., on a display unit provided on the operation panel  6 . Further, the control unit  100  is connected to a short-range wireless communication (Bluetooth) transmitter/receiver  26  and a magnetic card reader  27  provided inside the magnetic card insertion slit  7 , as well as to the serial I/F connector  10  and the USB I/F connector  11 , and controls data inputs and outputs to and from them. 
         [0042]    The control unit  100  can record in a memory  101  the data input from or to be output to the serial I/F connector  10 , the USB I/F connector  11 , the short-range wireless communication transmitter/receiver  26 , and the magnetic card reader  27 . The control unit  100  can also detect the remaining capacity of the battery  14  and produce a battery level indication or low battery warning on the display unit of the operation panel  6 . Further, the control unit  100  can detect the remaining amount of the paper roll  24  using a sensor not shown and produce a paper roll indication or warning on the display unit of the operation panel  6 . 
         [0043]    As will be described later, the control unit  100  performs control so that when the storage cover  4  is closed, and when the paper exit cover  5  is moved downward, causing a microswitch  36  to turn on (see  FIG. 8 ), the power to the portable printer  1  is turned on and, when the microswitch  36  is turned off, the power to the portable printer  1  is turned off. 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the portable printer, showing the condition in which the paper exit cover is removed. 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the printer case  2  is made up of the body case  3 , the storage cover  4 , and the paper exit cover  5 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing how the storage cover is opened and closed. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the storage cover  4  is constructed so that it can be opened and closed on the body case  3  by turning upward and downward about an axis  28  located at the lower end on the front side of the printer case  2 . When the storage cover  4  is closed, its surface is flush with the front face of the body case  3  and thus forms, together with the front face of the body case  3 , a portion of the front face of the printer case  2 . The printer case  2  is a clamshell type, and the cutter unit  21  and the platen  22  are mounted on the inside surface of the storage cover  4 . When the storage cover  4  is opened, the cutter unit  21  and the platen  22  are separated from the printer unit  20  and move into an open position together with the storage cover  4 . When the storage cover  4  is closed, the platen  22  moves into a position where it presses the paper drawn out of the paper roll  24  onto the print head so that printing can be made on the paper. 
         [0048]    Further, when the storage cover  4  is closed, the paper exit port  8  is formed between it and the body case  3  (see  FIG. 5 ). That is, a rectangular cutout  29  formed by downwardly cutting the center area of the upper portion of the storage cover  4  combines with an exit port edge  30  on the body case  3  side, thereby defining the paper exit port  8 . When the paper exit cover  5  is mounted, the paper exit port  8  is defined between the exit port edge  30  on the body case  3  side (the edge of the body case that forms the upper edge of the paper exit port) and an upper edge  31  of the paper exit cover  5  (the edge of the paper exit cover that forms the lower edge of the paper exit port) (see  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0049]    The paper exit cover  5  is attached to the front face of the storage cover  4  (see  FIGS. 1 and 5 ). The paper exit cover  5  is a plate-like member whose width is substantially equal to that of the front face of the printer case  2  and whose horizontal and vertical dimensions are large enough to cover the paper exit port  8 , and is provided with rollers  32  at both ends on its inside surface. The rollers  32  are rotatably mounted in pairs on support plates  33  formed in protruding fashion and spaced apart from each other by a distance substantially equal to the width of the rectangular cutout  29  of the storage cover  4 . Each roller  32  is mounted on the outwardly facing side of each of the support plates  33  so that when the paper exit cover  5  is attached to the storage cover  4 , the rollers  32  engage with wall portions  34  at both ends of the rectangular cutout  29  and allow the paper exit cover  5  to move up and down. 
         [0050]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the condition in which the paper exit cover  5  is fitted into the rectangular cutout  29  of the storage cover  4 . 
         [0051]    In  FIG. 7 , the paper exit cover  5  is moved downward to expose the paper exit port  8 , allowing the printed paper  13  to be fed out through the exposed paper exit port  8 . The paper exit cover  5  is mounted in such a manner as to hold the wall portions  34  of the storage cover  4  between the plate-like member of the paper exit cover  5  and the rollers  32 . From this condition, when the paper exit cover  5  is pushed upward, the paper exit cover  5  moves upward by sliding along the wall portions  34  at both ends and closes the paper exit port  8 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 8  is a diagram showing how the paper exit cover is moved. 
         [0053]    The upper and lower positions of the paper exit cover  5  are determined by projections  35  formed on the inside faces of the two wall portions  34 . When the paper exit cover  5  is moved into the lower position, the microswitch  36  is turned on, and when the paper exit cover  5  is moved into the upper position, the microswitch  36  is turned off. The OFF state of the microswitch  36  indicates that the power to the portable printer  1  is OFF. That is, the control unit  100  performs control so that when the paper exit port  8  is closed by the paper exit cover  5 , that is, when the portable printer  1  is not in use, the power to the portable printer  1  is always OFF (see  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0054]    The control circuit board  23  includes a control unit (not shown) that causes a red warning lamp to flash at predetermined intervals of time when the portable printer  1  is in use, thus reminding the operator to close the paper exit cover  5  when the portable printer  1  is actually not in use. 
         [0055]      FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a modified example of the portable printer  1 . In  FIG. 9 , the same components as those of the portable printer  1  shown in  FIGS. 1 to 7  are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of such components will not be repeated here. 
         [0056]    In the modified example shown in  FIG. 9 , a hand cutter blade  37  for cutting the paper by hand is attached to the upper edge of the paper exit cover  5  which corresponds to the lower edge of the paper exit port  8 . A protective edge  39  is formed in overhanging fashion on the body case  3  thereby forming a space  40  into which the upper edge of the paper exit cover  5  is accommodated. Accordingly, when the paper exit cover  5  is closed, the hand cutter blade  37  is not exposed. Furthermore, since the upper edge of the paper exit cover  5  enters the space formed under the protective edge  39  and is held fixedly therein, the storage cover  4  can be locked in position, thus preventing it from accidentally opening with respect to the body case  3 . 
         [0057]    Alternatively, the hand cutter blade may be attached to the body case  3 , as shown by a dashed line  38  in  FIG. 9 . In this case, it is preferable to dispose the hand cutter blade  38  inwardly of the lower end of the protective edge  39  in order to prevent the fingers of the operator from touching the blade. 
         [0058]    In the above embodiment, the paper exit cover  5  has been described as being attached to the storage cover  4 , but the paper exit cover  5  may be attached to the body case  3  by forming the body case  3  so as to have a structure corresponding to the rectangular cutout  29 . This offers the further advantage of stabilizing the working of the paper exit cover  5  because, unlike the case of the storage cover  4 , the body case  3  is not movable. 
         [0059]    When attaching the paper exit cover  5  to the body case  3 , if the paper exit cover  5  is formed so that the lower end thereof engages with the storage cover  4  not only when the paper exit port  8  is closed but also when it is opened, the paper exit cover  5  can be made to also function as a lock member for preventing the storage cover  4  from accidentally opening. 
         [0060]    In the above embodiment, the paper exit cover  5  has been described as being moved in sliding fashion using the rollers  32 , but the paper exit cover  5  may be attached to the storage cover  4  or the body case  3  in other suitable ways, as long as the paper exit cover  5  can be made movable in sliding fashion. For example, grooves may be formed in the body case  3  so that the paper exit cover  5  moves in sliding fashion with the portions at both ends thereof engaging with the grooves. 
         [0061]    In the above embodiment, use has been made of the microswitch  36 , but the mechanism for turning the power on and off to the portable printer  1  in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the paper exit cover  5  is not limited to the microswitch, and use may be made of any other suitable ON/OFF switch such as a magnetic switch. 
         [0062]    According to the portable printer described above, the usability of the portable printer that is often used outdoors by meter reading personnel, home-delivery service personnel, etc. can be improved, and at the same time, the durability of the portable printer can be increased.