Patent Publication Number: US-8529146-B2

Title: Printer

Description:
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-198782, filed on Jul. 31, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a printer used for an electronic device such as a POS (Point Of Sales system) terminal. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A small-sized printer, which is used for an electronic device such as a POS terminal and carries out printing on roll paper, is provided with a cutter section for cutting the roll paper after carrying out printing at an appropriate position (or length). 
     In this type of cutter section, a fixed blade and a movable blade are disposed so as to provide a paper conveying path therebetween. This type of cutter section is configured so as to put roll paper between them and cut the roll paper positioned in the paper conveying path by moving the movable blade toward the fixed blade. Normally, a movable cutter unit provided with the movable blade and the fixed blade are respectively fixed to a lower frame and an upper frame of the printer, which are combined so as to be openable and closable with each other, in consideration to easiness for setting of roll paper to the printer. 
     Now, in this type of cutter section, paper dust or a slip of paper is generated when roll paper is cut. On the other hand, electric parts such as an electronic circuit board are mounted in the lower frame of the printer. In the case where paper dust or a slip of paper is deposited on the electric parts, it causes an incorrect operation, fire or the like. For this reason, it is required a scheme to collect such paper dust or a slip of paper. 
     As the related art for collecting paper dust or a slip of paper generated from a cutter section, there is a device including: a path downwardly continuing from a roll paper cutting position of a cutter section; a paper-slip receiving portion provided at a lower end of the path and having a table-like form, the paper-slip receiving portion being in communication with the outside via a paper-slip collecting port; and a cover that openably blocks the paper-slip collecting port, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-310512, for example. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the cutter section of the related art, the paper-slip receiving portion is fixedly provided inside a housing of the printer, and the paper-slip collecting port is normally blocked (or closed) by means of the cover. For this reason, in order to collect the paper dust or the slip of paper deposited on the paper-slip receiving portion, the cover must first be opened, a small-sized dustpan or the like must be set to the paper-slip receiving portion, and a small-sized broom or the like must then be swept out of the paper-slip receiving portion. Therefore, there has been a problem that such a cleaning operation is complicated. In addition, there is a possibility to spill the paper dust or the slip of paper when sweeping it out of the paper-slip receiving portion. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printer capable of collecting paper dust or a slip of paper generated by a cutter section easily and surely without spilling it. 
     According to the present invention, it can be obtained a printer including a lower frame on which roll paper is loaded, a cutter section mounted above the lower frame for cutting the roll paper on which printing is made, and a cover that allows a front of the lower frame to be opened and closed, a slope portion for causing paper dust or a slip of paper to slip down toward the front of the lower frame being provided at a portion of the lower frame below the cutter section, the paper dust or the slip of paper falling from the cutter section, wherein the cover is provided with a pocket portion for receiving the paper dust or the slip of paper slipping down on the slope, and the pocket portion is adjacent to the lowest portion of the slope portion when the cover is closed. 
     Further, according to the present invention, it can be obtained an electronic device including the printer as described above. 
     According to the present invention, since paper dust or a slip of paper generated by a cutter section is deposited in a pocket portion of a cover, the paper dust or the slip of paper can be collected easily and surely without spilling it only by carrying out an operation to open the cover. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing a basic configuration of a printer according to an example of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a plan view of a movable cutter unit in the printer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a front view of the movable cutter unit in the printer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a bottom view of the movable cutter unit in the printer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2D  is a back view of the movable cutter unit in the printer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2E  is a left side view of the movable cutter unit in the printer shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 2F  is a right side view of the movable cutter unit in the printer shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     A printer according to the present invention includes a lower frame in which roll paper is loaded, a cutter section mounted above a lower frame for cutting the roll paper on which printing is made, and a cover that allows a front of the lower frame to be opened and closed. A slope portion for causing paper dust or a slip of paper, which falls from the cutter section, to slip down toward the front of the lower frame is provided at a portion of the lower frame below the cutter section. 
     Then, the cover is provided with a pocket portion for receiving the paper dust or the slip of paper slipping down on the slope. The pocket portion is adjacent to the lowest portion of the slope portion when the cover is closed. 
     In this regard, the cover may be one that is rotatively opened in a direction to which a rear end of the pocket portion is lifted when the vicinity of a front surface of a lower end of the cover is used as a fulcrum. 
     Further, the cover may be a single part made of a resin. 
     The cutter section may include a fixed blade and a movable cutter unit disposed opposite to a lower side of the fixed blade. In this case, the cover covers at least the front surface of the movable cutter unit. 
     Further, the lower frame is provided with a portion continuing over a front surface of the lower frame from the slope portion. 
     Moreover, the present printer may further include a platen for sending out the roll paper loaded on the lower frame toward the cutter section. In this case, a shielding member for preventing the paper dust or the slip of paper to be scattered toward a loaded portion of the roll paper may be provided between the slope portion and the platen. This shielding member may be composed of an electricity removing brush that removes static electricity charged on the platen by sliding on a peripheral surface of the platen. 
     Furthermore, the cover may be provided with a paper discharge path that supports and discharges the roll paper cut by the cutter section, and a hole portion that causes paper dust, a slip of paper and water arriving from the outside of the cover to fall to the outside of the cover is formed in the paper discharge path. 
     EXAMPLE 
     Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     A printer according to the present example is a printer integrated into an electronic device such as a POS terminal or used as a stand-alone device in connection with an electronic device such as a POS terminal, for example. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a printer according to an Example of the present invention includes: a lower frame  10  on which roll paper  500  is loaded; an upper frame  20  that openably covers the lower frame  10 ; a platen  30  mounted on the lower frame  10 , which sends out the roll paper  500  toward a cutter section (will be described later); and a thermal type of print head  40  that carries out printing on a sheet of paper placed on a peripheral surface of the platen  30 , for example. 
     The present printer further includes: a cutter section mounted above the lower frame  10  for cutting the roll paper  500  on which printing is made; an upper cover  70  detachably attached to a front of the upper frame  20 ; a lower cover  60  that allows a front of the lower frame  10  to be opened and closed, which is a single part made of a resin; and a control board  50  integrated into the lower frame  10  for controlling operations of the present printer. 
     The cutter section is constructed from a fixed blade  81  attached to the upper frame  20  and a movable cutter unit  82  attached to the lower frame  10  so as to face a lower portion of the fixed blade  81  through the roll paper  500  on which printing is made. The lower cover  60  covers at least a front surface of the movable cutter unit  82 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A to 2F , the movable cutter unit  82  has a valley-shaped movable blade  82   b  connected to a drive mechanism (not shown in the drawings) and a casing  82   a  that receives the drive mechanism. The movable blade  82   b  is driven by the drive mechanism so as to perpendicularly go in and out from a top surface of the casing  82   a . A hole portion  82   e  is formed on a front surface of the casing  82   a , a hole portion  82   f  is formed on a back surface thereof, and three hole portions  82   g  are formed on a bottom surface thereof. Paper dust or a slip of paper generated by cutting roll paper  500  and entering the casing  82   a  is discharged from the hole portion to the outside of the casing  82   a.    
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , a slope portion  101  is provided at a portion of the lower frame  10  below the cutter section. The slope portion  101  causes the paper dust or the slip of paper arriving from the cutter section to slip down toward the front of the lower frame  10 . 
     In the present printer, a pocket portion  61  is provided in the lower cover  60 . In particular, the pocket portion  61  is adjacent to the lowest portion of the slope portion  101  to receive the paper dust or the slip of paper slipping down on the slope when the lower cover  60  is closed. The pocket portion  61  is integrally formed with the lower cover  60 , and the lower cover  60  is a single part made of a resin. 
     In the present printer, there is no need for a user to collect paper dust or a slip of paper, set a small-sized dustpan or the like to the pocket portion  61  and sweep out with a small-sized broom or the like when the paper dust or the slip of paper is discarded, because the paper dust or the slip of paper slipping on the slope is received by the pocket portion  61 . It is thus superior in operability and maintenance. Further, in the present printer, there is no worry about spillage that may occur when the paper dust or the slip of paper is swept out. 
     Moreover, a convex portion  65  is formed in the vicinity of a front surface of a lower end of the lower cover  60 . On the other hand, a concave portion  103  is formed in the lower frame  10  so as to correspond to the convex portion  65 . Thus, the lower cover  60  is rotatively opened in a direction (indicated by an allow A in  FIG. 1 ) to which a rear end of the pocket portion  61  is lifted when the convex portion  65  is used as a fulcrum. Therefore, the paper dust or the slip of paper deposited in the pocket portion  61  does not fall when the lower cover  60  is opened. In this regard, with respect to a configuration for this fulcrum, a concave portion may be formed in the lower cover  60 , while a convex portion may be formed in the lower frame  10 . In this case, in the event that paper dust or a slip of paper is spilled from the pocket portion  61  when the lower cover  60  is opened, the paper dust or the slip of paper is not to be deposited because there is no concave portion in the lower frame  10  by forming the convex portion therein. 
     A pair of claw portions  66  (only one side is shown in the drawing) is also formed at the both sides of the lower cover  60  in a width direction (in  FIG. 1 , a direction perpendicular to a surface of the paper). On the other hand, a pair of concave portions  104  (only one side is shown in the drawing) is also formed at the both sides of the lower frame  10  in a width direction (in  FIG. 1 , a direction perpendicular to the surface of the paper) so as to correspond to the pair of claw portions  66 . Then, when the lower cover  60  is closed using the convex portion  65  as a fulcrum, the pair of claw portions  66  is engaged with the pair of concave portions  104  of the lower frame  10 , whereby the lower cover  60  is detachably fixed with respect to the lower frame  10 . 
     Further, the lower frame  10  is provided with a portion  102  continuing over a front surface of the lower frame  10  from the slope portion  101 . Thus, in the event that paper dust or a slip of paper is spilled from the pocket portion  61  when the lower cover  60  is opened, the paper dust or the slip of paper does not fall on the control board  50 . 
     Moreover, in the present printer, a shielding member for preventing the paper dust or the slip of paper to be scattered toward a loaded portion of the roll paper  500  is provided between the slope portion  101  and the platen  30 . In the present example, this shielding member is composed of an electricity removing brush  91  that removes static electricity charged on the platen  30  by sliding on a peripheral surface of the platen  30 . Paper dust or a slip of paper generated by cutting the roll paper  500  may be scattered with great force from the top surface of the movable cutter unit  82  or each hole portion of the casing  82   a . For this reason, it may be scattered toward the loaded portion of the roll paper  500  or the platen  30  from the top surface of the movable cutter unit  82  or the hole portion  82   f  and the like of the casing  82   a . On the other hand, the shielding member of the present invention prevents the paper dust or the slip of paper to be scattered toward the loaded portion of the roll paper  500 . Moreover, in the case where the shielding member is composed of the electricity removing brush  91 , it removes the paper dust or the slip of paper attached to the peripheral surface of the platen  30 , and prevents paper dust or a slip of paper to be attached to the peripheral surface of the platen  30  by canceling static electricity of the peripheral surface of the platen  30 . 
     Further, in the present printer, a paper discharge path  62  that supports and discharges the roll paper  500  cut by the cutter section is provided on the lower cover  60 . A drain portion  63  as a hole portion is formed in the paper discharge path  62 . The drain portion  63  causes paper dust, a slip of paper and water arriving from the outside of the lower cover  60  to fall to the outside of the lower cover  60 . On the other hand, a flap  92  that closes a paper discharge port  71  for protection against dust and water is provided in the vicinity of the paper discharge port  71  of the upper cover  70 . The flap  92  is lightweight and is made of a material having flexibility, and thus, it allows discharge of the roll paper  500 . The roll paper  500  that passes through the paper discharge path  62  and is discharged from the paper discharge port  71  is slightly pressed toward the paper discharge path  62  by the flap  92 , whereby bending thereof is reformed. 
     Here, when the roll paper  500  is cut, paper dust or a slip of paper does not fall and may be attached to the roll paper  500  that has already been cut. Even if paper dust or a slip of paper is attached to a receipt or a ticket to be discharged from the paper discharge port  71 , it does not cause a serious situation. However, in quality of a printed matter, it is preferable that paper dust or a slip of paper is not attached to the receipt or the ticket as much as possible. On the other hand, in the present printer, the roll paper  500  slides while the roll paper  500  is pressed to the paper discharge path  62  including the drain portion  63  by means of the flap  92 . For this reason, the paper dust or the slip of paper attached to a back surface of the roll paper  500  is discharged from the drain portion  63  to the outside of the printer to an extent. 
     Further, in a printer used for a POS terminal, which is placed at an outdoor space such as a self-service filling station or placed in a store such as a restaurant and a supermarket for food, water may arrive at the inside of the paper discharge port. On the other hand, in the present printer, since water is discharged to the outside of the printer from the drain portion  63 , water hardly enters the inside of the printer. 
     As described above, although the present invention has been described in view of the preferred example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a printer of a printing method other than a thermal printer, and a printer having an ink head, for example.