Patent Publication Number: US-2012031944-A1

Title: Conveying device, printer, and abutting member

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-176483, filed on Aug. 5, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate generally to a conveying device, a printer, and an abutting member. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the related art, a device (e.g., a printer) including an abutting member which abuts against a backing sheet (or a mount) to separate a label (on which information is printed) from the backing sheet is known. 
     In such a device, a mechanism is needed to easily separate a label from a flexible backing sheet (or a mount). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view showing an exemplary internal configuration of a printer according to an illustrative embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing one example of a paper roll to be used in a printer according to an illustrative embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing one example of an abutting member to be used in a printer according to an illustrative embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a side sectional view showing one example of an abutting member and a web material having a label provided thereon, which are used in a printer according to an illustrative embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevational view showing one example of an abutting member and a web material having a label provided thereon, which are used in a printer according to an illustrative embodiment, as seen from a paper discharge direction. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing another example of an abutting member to be used in a printer according to another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     According to one embodiment, a conveying device includes a conveying mechanism configured to convey a mount with a web material provided thereon in a conveying direction; and an abutting member including an edge portion extending in a widthwise direction intersecting with the conveying direction and configured to allow the edge portion to abut against the mount. 
     Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements, and thus a description thereof will be omitted to avoid duplication herein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a device (e.g., a printer  1 ) according to an illustrative embodiment may print on a label (used as a printing medium)  14  (see  FIG. 2 ), which is provided on (e.g., adhered to) an inner surface  2   a  of a web material  2  (e.g., strip-shaped material such as paper). In some embodiments, the printer  1  may print on a printing medium other than the label  14 , for example, a continuous-form paper without a backing sheet. In addition, the printer  1  may write and read data to and from an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) chip  2   c  attached on the label  14 . The web material  2  is flexible and corresponds to a strip-shaped body, a backing sheet, or a mount. Further, the label  14  is formed in a sheet shape and corresponds to a pasting material or a printing medium. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a main body  1   a  of the printer  1  includes a housing  1   b  with a bottom wall  1   c  and a side wall. The housing  1   b  includes a longitudinal wall  1   d  provided perpendicular to the bottom wall  1   c  and also parallel to the side wall. On the longitudinal wall  1   d,  a roll holding shaft  3 , a conveying roller  4 , a platen roller  5 , a supply shaft  7  for an ink ribbon  6 , a take-up shaft  8  for the ink ribbon  6 , a print head block  9 , a pinch roller block  10  and the like are mounted perpendicular to the longitudinal wall  1   d.  A control circuit may be disposed on the rear side of the longitudinal wall  1   d  in the housing  1   b,  as seen in the plane of  FIG. 1 . 
     The roll holding shaft  3  may rotatably support a roll (e.g., a paper roll)  11 , around which the web material  2  is wound, in a state perpendicular to the plane of  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, the roll holding shaft  3  may be rotatably supported by the longitudinal wall  1   d.  Alternatively, the roll holding shaft  3  may be fixed on the longitudinal wall  1   d,  thereby allowing the paper roll  11  wound with the web material  2  to rotate around the roll holding shaft  3 . In any case, in this embodiment, the roll holding shaft  3  and the paper roll  11  are not driven by, for example, a motor. The paper roll  11  wound with the web material  2  rotates (or is driven) in conjunction with rotation of the conveying roller  4  and the platen roller  5 , which are located downstream of the paper roll  11  in a paper feeding direction TD (the left direction in  FIG. 1 ). As such, the web material  2  is discharged from the paper roll  11 . 
     The conveying roller  4  and the platen roller  5  may be rotary-driven by means of, for example, a motor. The conveying roller  4  is located upstream of the platen roller  5  and a print unit  12  in the paper feeding direction TD. The pinch roller block  10  may include a pinch roller (not shown) which is horizontally placed adjacent to the conveying roller  4  along the paper feeding direction TD. The pinch roller is biased toward the conveying roller  4  with predetermined pressure. The web material  2 , interposed between the conveying roller  4  and the pinch roller, is conveyed in the paper feeding direction TD in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying roller  4 . In this embodiment, the conveying roller  4 , the platen roller  5 , the motor, a motor controller and the pinch roller block  10  may constitute a conveying mechanism. 
     A ribbon roll  13 , around which a web material (e.g., the ink ribbon  6 ) is wound, is held by the supply shaft  7  of the ink ribbon  6 . A take-up shaft  8  may be rotary-driven by means of, for example, a motor. With the rotation of the take-up shaft  8 , the ink ribbon  6  is wound around the take-up shaft  8  while being discharged from the ribbon roll  13 . Both the ink ribbon  6  and the web material  2  are interposed between a thermal head  9   a  contained in the print head block  9  and the platen roller  5 . The thermal head  9   a  generates heat, which allows ink on the ink ribbon  6  to melt or sublimate. Through such operation of the thermal head  9   a,  a predetermined pattern such as a character, numeric character, bar code, or graphic, is transferred onto a label which is provided on (e.g., attached to) a surface of the web material  2 , e.g., the inner surface  2   a.  Specifically, in this embodiment, a print mechanism may include the ink ribbon  6 , the supply shaft  7 , the take-up shaft  8 , the print head block  9 , the thermal head  9   a,  the motor, and the motor controller. The print unit  12  includes the thermal head  9   a  and the platen roller  5 . 
     The label  14 , which is printed with information by the print unit  12 , is separated from the web material  2 . In such a separation, an abutting member  15  is used to abut against a reverse side (i.e., an outer side) of the web material  2 . The abutting member  15  is disposed downstream of the print unit  12  and the platen roller  5  in the paper feeding direction TD. Further, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the abutting member  15  is disposed along a widthwise direction WD of the strip-shaped material  2 . The paper feeding direction TD intersects with (e.g., is perpendicular to) the widthwise direction WD 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the abutting member  15  may be formed by bending a plate-shaped material. The abutting member  15  as shown in  FIG. 3  includes an edge portion (i.e., a folded portion)  15   c  extending along the widthwise direction WD, around which the abutting member  15  is folded in a substantially V-shape. The edge portion  15   c  is sharpened upward downstream of the paper feeding direction TD. The abutting member  15  further includes a top plate  15   a  formed at one side of the edge portion  15   c,  which extends longitudinally along the widthwise direction WD so that the top plate  15   a  is in contact with the reverse side  2   b  of the web material  2  which is being passed through the print unit  12  along the paper feeding direction TD (i.e., along the horizontal direction in  FIG. 1 ). The abutting member  15  further includes an inclined plate  15   b  formed at the other side of the edge portion  15   c,  which extends longitudinally along the widthwise direction WD and is obliquely oriented downward. The top plate  15   a  makes an acute angle with the inclined plate  15   b.  The outer surface of the edge portion  15   c  is cylindrically curved at a radius of curvature on the order of a thickness of the plate-shaped material. 
     In one embodiment, the abutting member  15  further includes a plurality of through-holes  15   d,  each of which makes a concave portion and are formed on a tip section of the edge portion  15   c.  In this embodiment, the plurality of through-holes  15   d  are spaced apart by a predetermined distance while extending from one end of the tip section of the edge portion  15   c  to the other end thereof along the widthwise direction WD. In one embodiment, the plurality of through-holes  15   d  may be of the same shape. In an alternative embodiment, respective gaps (e.g., pitches) between the plurality of through-holes  15   d  may be substantially equal to a width of the through-hole  15   d  (i.e., a length thereof along the widthwise direction WD). Further, in one embodiment, each of the plurality of through-holes  15   d  may be formed by cutting out a portion of the joint area between the top plate  15   a  and the inclined plate  15   b  around the edge portion  15   c.  In the above embodiment, the respective gaps (e.g., pitches) between the plurality of through-holes  15   d  has been explained to be substantially equal to the width of the through-hole  15   d  (i.e., the length along the widthwise direction WD), but may not be limited thereto. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the respective gaps (e.g., pitches) between the plurality of through-holes  15   d  may be shorter or longer than the width of the through-hole  15   d  (i.e., the length along the widthwise direction WD). 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in the printer  1  according to an illustrative embodiment, the tip section of the edge portion  15   c  presses against the reverse side  2   b  of the web material  2 , thereby facilitating the separation of the label  14  from the inner surface  2   a  of the web material  2 . In this arrangement, an operator may grip the web material  2  with his/her hand(s) and then press the same against the edge portion  15   c  for the separation. In some embodiments, the web material  2  may be pressed against the edge portion  15   c  under tension created by a take-up mechanism (e.g., a rewinder  21  as shown in  FIG. 1 ) provided in the printer  1 . The rewinder  21  serves to rewind the backing sheet that is detached from the web material  2  being discharged from the paper roll  11 . While in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the reverse side  2   b  of the web material  2  is shown to be in contact with both the top plate  15   a  and the inclined plate  15   b.  In an alternative embodiment, the web material  2  may not be in contact with the top plate  15   a  and the inclined plate  15   b.    
       FIG. 5  is a front sectional view showing a state in which the web material  2  is in contact with the abutting member  15 . As described above, the plurality of through-holes  15   d,  each of which makes a concave portion, are formed on the tip section of the edge portion  15   c  of the abutting member  15 . In this arrangement, as shown in  FIG. 5 , when the abutting member  15  abuts against the web material  2 , the web material  2  is under tension so that the web material  2  is in contact with a plurality of edges  15   e  which are formed on both ends of each of the through-holes  15   d  along the widthwise direction WD. As a result, the web material  2  may be deformed (or curved) to have ripples thereon. The reason for this is that, when the web material  2  is under tension which allows the web material  2  to be urged against the edge portion  15   c,  the web material  2  is not supported at a lower side thereof in portions where the through-holes  15   d  are formed, while it is supported by only the other portions where the through-holes  15   d  are not formed. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the web material  2  is deformed to have a corrugated shape along the widthwise direction WD, which facilitates both edges  14   a  of the label  14  in the widthwise direction WD to be separated from the web material  2 . Therefore, the label  14  may be easily separated starting from respective corners  14   b  (see  FIG. 2 ) thereof, which are positioned respectively at both ends of the label  14  in the widthwise direction WD (or downstream of the paper feeding direction TD). In addition, in a state that the web material  2  is curved along the widthwise direction WD, a crease may be visibly formed on the web material  2  (being in contact with the edge portion  15   c ) along the paper feeding direction TD. In  FIG. 5 , a sectional view of the web material  2  is shown. 
     As described above, the device (e.g., the printer  1 ) according to the above embodiment includes the abutting member  15  having the edge portion  15   c  which longitudinally extends along the widthwise direction WD and abuts against the reverse side  2   b  of the web material  2 . In addition, the plurality of through-holes  15   d  are formed on the tip section of the edge portion  15   c.  In this arrangement, a portion of the web material  2  to be abutted by the edge portion  15   c  is bended along the widthwise direction WD so that the label  14  is easily separated from the web material  2 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing another example of an abutting member to be used in a printer according to another embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 6 , an abutting member  15 A according to another embodiment includes a plurality of protrusions  15   f  in place of the plurality of through-holes  15   d  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The plurality of protrusions  15   f,  each of which makes a convex portion, are formed spaced apart by a predetermined distance on the tip section of the edge portion  15   c.  Further, the plurality of protrusions  15   f  are arranged from one end of the tip section of the edge portion  15   c  to the other end thereof along the widthwise direction WD. Similar to the above embodiment, in this arrangement, the web material  2  is under tension so that a support condition of the web material  2  by the edge portion  15   c  varies depending on the presence or absence of the plurality of protrusions  15   f  in the widthwise direction WD. This results in a condition under which the web material  2  is bended by the edge portion  15   c  as described above with reference to  FIG. 5 , which in turn, allows the label  14  to be easily separated from the web material  2 . The abutting member  15 A shown in  FIG. 6  may be substituted for the abutting member  15  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     In the embodiments as described above, the through-holes (i.e., the concave portions)  15   d  or the plurality of protrusions (i.e., the convex portions)  15   f  are formed on the tip section of the edge portion  15   c.  Therefore, the abutting member  15  (or  15 A) with the plurality of through-holes  15   d  (or the plurality of protrusions  150  may have applicability to numerous sizes of the web material  2  or the label  14  in the widthwise direction WD, thereby facilitating the separation of the label  14  from the web material  2 . 
     Further, in the above embodiments, the abutting member  15  is formed by bending a plate-shaped material. This simplifies the procedures for manufacturing the abutting member  15  (or  15 A) compared to the case the abutting member  15  (or  15 A) is produced by, for example, a molding, which reduces the production cost of the abutting member  15  (or  15 A). Since an edge portion of an abutting member is formed by bending a plate-shaped material, it may be difficult to sharpen the edge portion. Accordingly, in the related art where the separation of the label  14  from the strip-shaped material  2  is performed by using the sharpness of the tip section of the edge portion, it may be difficult to configure a desired abutting member merely by employing a process of bending the plate-shaped material. In view of the foregoing, according to this embodiment, the separation of the label  14  from the web material  2  is facilitated by employing the concave portions or the convex portions formed on the tip section of the edge portion  15   c,  which makes it easier to produce the abutting member by bending the plate-shaped material. Furthermore, it will be apparent that, even when an abutting member with concave portions or convex portions is produced through the use of various techniques (e.g., a molding, etc.) other than the bending process, similar results can be obtained. 
     Moreover, in the above embodiment, the concave portions are made by the plurality of through-holes  15   d  formed on the plate-shaped material, which allows the abutting member to be produced with reduced size. Likewise, this makes the production of the concave portions easier. In addition, using a technique of forming the plurality of through-holes  15   d  and followed by bending the abutting member  15 , allows the abutting member  15  to be easily bended. 
     While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, various modifications and alterations may be made without being limited to the disclosed embodiments. For example, the present disclosure is applicable to a printing device other than the label printer, including a label issuing device, a conveying device, electronic equipment, office machinery, or the like. Alternatively, the concave portions may be formed by bottomed grooves instead of the through-holes, thereby producing similar effects. In addition, chamfering may be performed on the concave or the convex portions if necessary, thereby minimizing damage to the web material or the printing medium (e.g., label). Further, no necessity arises for forming the edge portion perpendicular to the paper feeding direction TD, but the edge portion may be formed along a direction obliquely intersecting the paper feeding direction TD. Furthermore, the edge portion may include both concave and convex portions. Still furthermore, the edge portion may include a plurality of arrays which are formed by the concave portions, the convex portions, or a combination thereof in various directions (e.g., an intersecting direction, etc.). In addition, specifications (form, structure, shape, size, length, width, height, thickness, section, weight, number, material, arrangement, position, etc.) of various elements (device, printer, an article to be pasted, a strip-shaped body, pasting material, printing medium, conveying mechanism, abutting member, edge portion, concave portion, convex portion, plate-shaped member, through-holes, protrusions, print unit, etc.) may be appropriately changed for practice. 
     While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, 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.