Patent Publication Number: US-10780700-B2

Title: Printing unit, printing device, and capping device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-56106, filed Mar. 23, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     This application relates generally to a printing unit, a printing device, and a capping device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Unexamined Japanese Patent Application kokai Publication No. 2001-225512 describes a handy printer in which a recording head prints images onto recording paper while a printer main body is manually moved over the recording paper. 
     SUMMARY 
     A printing unit according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: 
     a printing device that includes a metal component, and a print head that prints a print-target image onto a print medium; and 
     a capping device that includes a cap covering the print head, an elastic member that urges the cap toward the print head, and a magnet that attracts the metal component. 
     A printing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: 
     a print head that prints a print-target image onto a print medium, the print head being covered by a cap that is energized by an elastic member; and 
     a metal component that is attracted by a magnet; wherein 
     the print head is covered by the cap when the printing device is mounted on a capping device including the elastic member, the cap, and the magnet. 
     A capping device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: 
     a cap that covers a print head that prints a print-target image onto a print medium; 
     an elastic member that urges the cap toward the print head; and 
     a magnet that attracts a metal component; wherein 
     the print head is covered by the cap when a printing device including the print head and the metal component is mounted on the capping device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of this application can be obtained when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a printing unit according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 2A  is a side view of a printing device according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 2B  is a bottom view of the printing device according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 3A  is a top view of a capping device according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view of the capping device according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the printing device of Embodiment 1 is mounted on the capping device; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of a printing device according to Embodiment 2; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of a printing device according to Embodiment 3; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of a printing device according to Embodiment 4; and 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of a printing device according to Embodiment 5. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiment 1 
     Hereinafter, a printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 1 is described while referencing the drawings. Note that, in the drawings, identical or corresponding components are marked with the same reference numerals. 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 1. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the printing unit  1  includes a printing device  100  and a capping device  200 . 
     When not printing, the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . When printing is to be performed, the user removes the printing device  100  from the capping device  200 , and holds and moves the printing device  100  over a print medium  2  in a sliding manner to print a print-target image onto the print medium  2 . This type of manual sweeping-type printing device is also referred to as a handy printer, a hand-held printer, and a direct printer. 
     The capping device  200  is a stand on which the printing device  100  is mounted. The capping device  200  prevents a print head  120  (described later) from drying while the printing device  100  is mounted thereon. 
     The print medium  2  is a medium onto which the printing device  100  prints the print-target image. The print medium  2  is also referred to as recording media and a print object. The print medium  2  includes printing paper, printing labels, and cardboard and, typically, is made from paper and resin, but is not limited thereto. The print medium  2  may be formed from any material as long as the material has a surface condition that allows ink to adhere. 
     The print-target image is printed onto the print medium  2  by the printing device  100 . The print-target image is also referred to as a print image or a printing pattern. The print-target image can include characters, shapes, patterns, pictures, and photographs, but is not limited thereto. 
       FIG. 2A  is a side view of the printing device  100 , and  FIG. 2B  is a bottom view of the printing device  100 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the printing device  100  includes a housing  110 , a print head  120 , a sensor  130 , and a metal component  140 . 
     The housing  110  houses the print head  120  and the sensor  130 , which are constituents of the printing device  100 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the print head  120  and the sensor  130  are exposed from a surface, namely the bottom surface, of the housing  110  that contacts the print medium  2 , and the metal component  140  is attached to the bottom surface. The housing  110  is typically formed from resin, but is not limited thereto. The housing  110  includes, in the interior, boards, processing devices, batteries, and the like, but these constituents are not illustrated in the drawings. 
     The print head  120  is disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110  and prints the print-target image onto the print medium  2 . A plurality of nozzles are arranged on the print head  120  in the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The print head  120  prints using an ink jet printing method. In this method, ink stored in an ink tank is heated in the nozzles by a heater to produce air bubbles, and the ink is micronized by the produced air bubbles and discharged from each of the nozzles onto the print medium  2 . 
     The sensor  130  is disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110 , and measures the amount that the printing device  100  moves relative to the print medium  2 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the printing device  100  includes two sensors  130 . The sensors  130  include a light emitting diode (LED) and an image sensor. The image sensor reads the light emitted from the LED and reflected from the print medium  2  and compares the reflected light from before and after movement to measure the amount and direction of movement of the printing device  100 . 
     The metal component  140  is a rectangular metal plate disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110 . The metal component  140  includes a metal or an alloy that contains ferromagnetic material. When the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 , the metal component  140  and magnets  220  (described later) of the capping device  200  are attracted to each other by the magnetic field generated by the magnets  220 . Typically, the metal component  140  is implemented as an iron plate, but is not limited thereto and, provided that it is a material that is attracted to the magnets  220 , may have irregularities on the surface. 
     The printing device  100  calculates the position of the print head  120  on the basis of the amount of movement, measured by the sensors  130 , relative to the print medium  2 , and prints a portion of the print-target image that corresponds to the calculated position using the print head  120 . The printing device  100  executes the measuring of the amount of movement and the printing while being held and moved over the print medium  2  by the user. Thus, the entire print-target image is printed onto the print medium  2 . 
       FIG. 3A  is a top view illustrating the configuration of the capping device  200 .  FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of  FIG. 3A . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the capping device  200  includes a capping device housing  210 , magnets  220 , an elastic member  230 , and a cap  240 . 
     The capping device housing  210  includes constituents of the capping device  200 , namely, a bottom  211  on which the magnets  220 , the elastic member  230 , and the cap  240  are disposed, an inner periphery  212  erected around the bottom  211 , and an outer periphery  213  erected outward from the inner periphery  212 . The capping device housing  210  is typically formed from material similar to that of the housing  110  of the printing device  100 , namely resin, but is not limited thereto. 
     The magnets  220  are disposed on the bottom  211 . The magnets  220  project from the bottom  211 . A first end of the elastic member  230  is connected to the bottom  211 . The elastic member  230  is disposed so as to project from the bottom  211 . 
     The inner periphery  212  is erected around the bottom  211 . An end of the inner periphery  212  contacts the bottom surface of the printing device  100  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     The outer periphery  213  is erected integrally with the inner periphery  212 , outward from the inner periphery  212 , which is erected around the bottom  211 . The outer periphery  213  projects from the bottom  211  beyond the edge of the inner periphery  212 . The inner edge of the outer periphery  213  that does not contact the inner periphery  212  instead contacts the periphery of the printing device  100  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     The magnets  220  attract the metal component  140  of the printing device  100 . As a result of the magnets  220  attracting the metal component  140 , the printing device  100  is guided so that the print head  120  is appropriately covered by the cap  240  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . Due to the magnets  220  attracting the metal component  140 , the state in which the print head  120  is appropriately covered by the cap  240  is maintained and the printing device  100  is prevented from sliding off the capping device  200  while the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     A first end of the elastic member  230  is connected to the bottom  211 , and a second end is connected to the cap  240 . The elastic member elastically energizes the cap  240 . The elastic member  230  is typically a coil formed from metal, but the material and shape of the elastic member  230  is not limited thereto. 
     The cap  240  covers the print head  120  while the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . The cap  240  is typically formed from rubber, but is not limited thereto. The cap  240  covering the print head  120  prevents clogging of the nozzles caused by the ink drying, adhering of foreign matter including debris and dust to the print head  120 , damaging of the nozzles due to the print head  120  coming in contact with the capping device housing  210 , and declines in printing quality caused by these problems. The cap  240  functions as a covering means 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the cap  240 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the cap  240  includes a cap bottom  241  that connects to the elastic member  230  on a first surface, and a cap periphery  242  erected in the direction opposite the first surface to which the elastic member  230  connects. The cap periphery  242  is erected on the fringe of the cap bottom  241 . The cap  240  covers the print head  120  as a result of the cap periphery  242  contacting the bottom surface of the printing device  100 . The cap bottom  241  has a shape that matches the shape of the lower surface of the print head  120 . While the shape of the cap bottom  241  is rectangular in the drawings, any shape may be used, provided that the shape of the cap bottom  241  matches the shape of the lower surface of the print head  120 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the bottom of the printing device  100  contacts the end of the inner periphery  212  of the capping device  200 , and the periphery of the printing device  100  contacts the inner edge of the outer periphery  213  of the capping device  200 . 
     The magnets  220  attract the metal component  140  of the printing device  100 , thereby fixing the printing device  100  to the capping device  200 . 
     The cap  240  is energized by the elastic member  230  and brought into contact with the bottom surface of the printing device  100 , thereby covering the print head  120 . 
     Due to the configuration described above, with the printing unit according to Embodiment 1, the print head  120  is covered due to the user mounting the printing device  100  on the capping device  200 . As a result, the work of covering the print head  120  with the cap  240  can be simplified. 
     The cap  240  is connected to the capping device housing  210  via the elastic member  230  and, as such, the cap  240  moves flexibly and can appropriately cover the print head  120 , regardless of the direction and angle at which the user mounts the printing device  100  on the capping device  200 . 
     Since the printing device  100  and the capping device  200  are attracted to each other due to the metal component  140  and the magnet  220 , the printing device  100  can be guided to the appropriate position when the user mounts the printing device  100  on the capping device  200 . As a result, the mounting work can be simplified. Moreover, the mounted printing device  100  can be prevented from sliding off the capping device  200 . 
     In cases in which the self-weight of the printing device is used as the force that maintains the state of the cap covering the print head, the weight of the printing device may change according to the remaining amount of ink or whether batteries are installed. In such cases, it may become impossible to appropriately maintain the covering. The printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 1 uses the repulsive force of the elastic member  230  and the attractive force of the magnets  220  to enable the maintenance of appropriate covering, regardless of the weight of the printing device  100 . 
     Embodiment 2 
     Hereinafter, a printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 2 is described while referencing the drawings. The configuration of the capping device  200  according to Embodiment 2 is the same as the capping device  200  according to Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 2. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 2 includes a plurality of metal components  141  in place of the metal component  140  of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 1. 
     The metal components  141  are circular metal plates disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110 . The metal components  141  attach to the magnets  220  of the capping device  200  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . The metal components  141  are formed from material similar to that of the metal component  140 . 
     The metal components  141  and the magnets  220  are of similar shape and size. The metal components  141  are disposed so as to overlap with the magnets  220  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     Due to the configuration described above, with the printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 2, in addition to the advantageous effects demonstrated by the printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 1, it is easier for a user to perform alignment when mounting the printing device  100  on the capping device  200  due to the overlapping metal components  141  and the magnets  220  being attracted to each other. 
     Embodiment 3 
     Hereinafter, a printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 3 is described while referencing the drawings. The configuration of the capping device  200  of Embodiment 3 is similar to that of the capping device  200  of Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 3. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 3 includes a plurality of fixing members  142  in place of the metal component  140  of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 1. 
     The fixing members  142  are metal fixing members and are disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110 . The fixing members  142  are used to fix the bottom surface of the housing  110  to another surface, internal boards, and the like. The fixing members  142  are typically screws, but are not limited thereto. The fixing members  142  are formed from material similar to that of the metal component  140 . The fixing members  142  attach to the magnets  220  of the capping device  200  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     The fixing members  142  are disposed so as to overlap with the magnets  220  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     Due to the configuration described above, with the printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 3, in addition to the advantageous effects demonstrated by the printing units  1  according to Embodiments 1 and 2, the fixing members  142  used to fix the constituents of the housing  110  also function as metal components that are attracted to the magnets  220 . Therefore, the number of components of the printing device  100  can be reduced. 
     Embodiment 4 
     Hereinafter, a printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 4 is described while referencing the drawings. The configuration of the capping device  200  according to Embodiment 4 is the same as the capping device  200  according to Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom view of a printing device  100  according to Embodiment 4. As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 4 includes a plurality of rollers  143  in place of the metal component  140  of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 1. 
     The rollers  143  are disposed rotatably on the bottom surface of the housing  110 . The rollers  143  assist the sliding of the printing device  100  over the print medium  2 . The rollers  143  are formed from material similar to that of the metal component  140 . The rollers  142  attach to the magnets  220  of the capping device  200  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     At least a portion of the rollers  143  is disposed so as to overlap with the magnets  220  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . In this case, the magnets  220  may be the same as the magnets  220  of Embodiment 1, or a number of magnets  220  corresponding to the number of rollers  143  may be disposed at positions opposite the rollers  143 . 
     Due to the configuration described above, with the printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 4, in addition to the advantageous effects demonstrated by the printing units  1  according to Embodiments 1 and 2, the rollers  143  used to assist the sliding of the printing device  100  also function as metal components that are attracted to the magnets  220 . Therefore, the need to provide dedicated magnets that are attracted to the magnets  220  separate from the rollers  143  is eliminated. 
     Embodiment 5 
     Hereinafter, a printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 5 is described while referencing the drawings. The configuration of the capping device  200  of Embodiment 5 is the same as the capping device  200  of Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 5. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 5 includes a plurality of magnets  150  in place of the metal component  140  of the printing device  100  according to Embodiment 1. 
     The magnets  150  are circular magnets disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110 . The magnets  150  and the magnets  220  are configured such that the poles on the sides of the magnets  150  facing the magnets  220  are one of a S pole and a N pole, and the poles on the sides of the magnets  220  facing the magnets  150  are the other of the S pole and the N pole. The magnets  150  of the printing device  100  attach to the magnets  220  of the capping device  200  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     The magnets  150  and the magnets  220  are of similar same shape and size. The magnets  150  are disposed so as to overlap with the magnets  220  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . The polarities of the magnets  150  and the magnets  220  are arranged such that the magnets  150  and the magnets  220  are attracted to each other when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     Due to the configuration described above, with the printing unit  1  according to Embodiment 5, in addition to the advantageous effects demonstrated by the printing unit  1  according to Embodiments 1 and 2, the attractive force between the printing unit  100  and the capping device  200  is strengthened and, as a result, it is easier for a user to perform alignment when mounting the printing device  100  on the capping device  200  and the printing device  100  can be reliably prevented from sliding off the capping device  200 . 
     Modified Examples 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are described above, but these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the scope of application of the present disclosure. That is, various applications of the embodiments of the present disclosure are possible, and all embodiments are included in the scope of the present disclosure. 
     In the embodiments described above, examples are given in which the sensors  130  include an LED and an image sensor, and the image sensor reads the light emitted from the LED and reflected from the print medium  2  to measure the amount of movement. However, the sensors  130  are not limited thereto. A configuration is possible in which the sensors  130  include rollers or balls disposed on the bottom surface of the housing  110  and measure the amount of movement by measuring the rotation of the rollers or balls. Moreover, a configuration is possible in which the sensors  130  include laser light sources, and the image sensors read the laser light emitted from the laser light source and reflected from the print medium  2  to measure the amount of movement. 
     In the embodiments described above, examples are given in which the printing device  100  includes two sensors  130 . However, the number of sensors  130  is not limited thereto. Configurations are possible in which the printing device  100  includes one sensor  130  or three or more sensors  130 . 
     In the embodiments described above, examples are given in which the metal components  140  and  141 , the fixing members  142 , the rollers  143 , and the magnets  150  are disposed on the bottom surface of the printing device  100 . However, the location at which these constituents are disposed is not limited thereto. Configurations are possible in which the metal components  140  and  141 , the fixing members  142 , the rollers  143 , and the magnets  150  are disposed at a desired location other than on the bottom surface of the printing device  100 . In such cases, the magnets  220  of the capping device  200  are disposed at positions that overlap with the metal components  140  and  141 , the fixing members  142 , the rollers  143 , or the magnets  150  when the printing device  100  is mounted on the capping device  200 . 
     The configurations described in Embodiments 1 to 5 may be combined. For example, a configuration is possible in which the printing device  100  includes the metal component  140  of Embodiment 1 and the fixing members  142  of Embodiment 3. 
     In this specification, the term “metal component” is used to indicate that the component is attracted to magnets and should be construed as including non-metal objects as well. 
     The foregoing describes some example embodiments for explanatory purposes. Although the foregoing discussion has presented specific embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. This detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is defined only by the included claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.