Patent Publication Number: US-9902176-B2

Title: Printer

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosures herein relate to a printer. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Printers for producing sales receipts or the like are widely used in cash registers used in stores, ATMs (automatic teller machines) or CDs (cash dispensers) installed in banks, etc. In a printer for producing sales receipts or the like, a thermal head or the like prints on thermal paper serving as recording paper while the recording paper is advanced. After the recording paper is advanced a predetermined length, a predetermined length of the recording paper is cut from the rest of the paper. A cutter has a fixed blade and a movable blade. The movable blade is moved toward the fixed blade to cut recording paper that is placed between the fixed blade and the movable blade. 
     Such a printer may be provided with a presenter connected thereto for the purpose of allowing a printed recording sheet to be removed by the user. The presenter has a recording sheet placed therein that is printed by a thermal head or the like and cut by a cutter. The recording sheet that is cut by the cutter to have a predetermined length has a portion thereof exposed from a discharge slot and placed in the presenter so that the sheet can be removed by the user. Upon the recording sheet being removed by the user, the print operation by the printer comes to completion. If a predetermined time length passes without the recording sheet being removed by the user, the printed recording sheet is retracted into the presenter. 
     RELATED-ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Document 
     [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-19845 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     As may be noted, a printer such as a thermal printer utilizes a roll of recording paper. When the recording paper has strong curl or has a thin thickness, and is long, the recording paper may end up being folded or jammed in the presenter. 
     Accordingly, it may be desired to provide a printer having a presenter in which a recording sheet is neither folded nor jammed. 
     Means to Solve the Problem 
     According to one aspect of the embodiment, a printer includes a print head configured to print on recording paper, a first roller, a cutter unit configured to cut the recording paper, and a presenter unit connected to the cutter unit and having a discharge slot from which the recording paper is discharged, wherein the recording paper on which the print head has printed enters the presenter unit through the cutter unit, and comes out from the discharge slot, and wherein the presenter unit includes a second roller configured to convey the recording paper, a flapper disposed along a transportation path of the recording paper between the second roller and the cutter unit and configured to be flipped open to outside the presenter unit to expose the transportation path, and a recording paper sensor disposed between the second roller and the discharge slot, wherein detection of the recording paper by the recording paper sensor causes the second roller to stop rotating, and causes the flapper to be flipped open to outside the presenter unit. 
     Advantage of the Invention 
     According to at least one embodiment, a printer having a presenter is provided in which a recording sheet is neither folded nor jammed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a drawing illustrating the structure of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a main part of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is an axonometric view of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is an axonometric view of a recording paper transport guide of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 9A  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 9B  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 10A  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 10B  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 11A  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 11B  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 12A  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 12B  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 13A  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 13B  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 15A  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 15B  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a drawing illustrating the opening and closing of the flapper of the printer according to the present embodiment. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     In the following, embodiments for implementing the invention will be described. The same members or the like are referred to by the same numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. 
     A printer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 7 .  FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating the structure of the printer according to the present embodiment.  FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a main portion of the printer illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is an axonometric view of the printer.  FIG. 4  is a top view of the printer.  FIG. 5  is a front view of the printer.  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the printer taken along the doted and dashed line  4 A- 4 B in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the printer taken along the doted and dashed line  4 C- 4 D in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 6  illustrate recording paper  10  for the purpose of providing a clear view of a transport path of the recording paper  10 . 
     The printer of the present embodiment prints on the recording paper  10  from a paper roll. The printer includes a printer main body  20 , a cutter unit  30 , and a presenter unit  40 . In the present embodiment, the printer main body  20  and the cutter unit  30  are connected to each other, and the cutter unit  30  and the presenter unit  40  are connected to each other. 
     The printer main body  20  includes a thermal head  21  serving as a print head for printing on the recording paper  10 , a platen roller  22 , and a transport motor  23  for conveying the recording paper  10 . The recording paper  10  is fed into the printer main body  20  through a transport slot that is not illustrated. The cutter unit  30  includes a fixed blade  31 , a movable blade  32 , a movable-blade motor for driving the movable blade  32 , and gears and the like (not shown) for transmitting the driving force generated by the rotation of the movable-blade motor  33  to the movable blade  32 . 
     In the printer main body  20 , the transport motor  23  rotates the platen roller  22  while the recording paper  10  is placed between the thermal head  21  and the platen roller  22 , thereby conveying the recording paper  10 . The thermal head  21  prints on the recording paper  10  being conveyed by the rotation of the platen roller  22 . 
     The printed recording paper  10  is then cut by the cutter unit  30 . Specifically, upon the recording paper  10  being moved to a predetermined location, the movable-blade motor  33  rotates to drive the movable blade  32  and to move the movable blade  32  toward the fixed blade  31 , thereby cutting the recording paper  10  between the fixed blade  31  and the movable blade  32 . 
     The presenter unit  40  includes a first roller  41 , a second roller  42 , a third roller  43 , a fourth roller  44 , a transport roller  45 , a flapper  50 , and a recording paper transport guide  60 , which are provided for the purpose of conveying printed recording paper. The first roller  41  and the second roller  42  are disposed to face each other, and the third roller  43  and the fourth roller  44  are disposed to face each other. Both the second roller and the fourth roller  44  are rotated through gears (not shown) by the rotating transport roller  45 , resulting in the first roller  41  rotating by following the rotation of the second roller  42 , and the third roller  43  rotating by following the rotation of the fourth roller  44 . With this arrangement, the recording paper  10  placed between the first roller  41  and the second roller  42  and placed between the third roller  43  and the fourth roller  44  is conveyed inside the presenter unit  40 . The recording paper  10  conveyed in the presenter unit  40  is exposed from a discharge slot  46 . The user pulls out the exposed portion from the discharge slot  46  to remove the recording paper  10 . 
     The length of the recording paper  10  upon being cut is dependent on the usage thereof, so that the position at which the recording paper  10  is cut also varies. Since the length of the transport path of the recording paper  10  inside the presenter unit  40  is a fixed length, the recording paper  10  is cut after creating a slack in the recording paper  10  in the case in which a longer length of the recording paper  10  than the length of the transport path needs to be cut. In the present embodiment, as illustrated by dotted lines in  FIG. 7 , the flapper  50  of the presenter unit  40  is flipped open to outside the presenter unit  40  in the direction illustrated by an arrow, thereby providing a slack in the printed recording paper  10  extending to outside the presenter unit  40 . With this arrangement, the recording paper  10  can be cut to have a desired length even if the length of the recording paper  10  to be discharged is longer than the length of the transport path of the recording paper  10  inside the presenter unit  40 . 
     The flapper  50  is connected to the presenter unit  40  such as to be rotatable around a rotation axis  50   a . A flapper drive motor  52  disposed inside the presenter unit  40  rotates to flip open and close the flapper  50 . Specifically, a first gear  53 , a second gear  54 , a third gear  55 , and a fourth gear  56  are provided in the presenter unit  40 . The first gear  53  is connected to a gear  52   a  of the flapper drive motor  52 . Accordingly, rotation of the flapper drive motor  52  causes the gear  52   a  of the flapper drive motor  52 , the first gear  53 , the second gear  54 , the third gear  55 , and the fourth gear  56  to rotate, thereby causing the flapper  50  to rotate around the rotation axis  50   a  to flip open. 
     However, the recording paper  10  used in the printer of the present embodiment may be from a roll of recording paper, so that the recording paper  10  has curl. The use of such curled recording paper  10 , especially the use of strongly curled recording paper  10 , may give rise to a situation in which the opened flapper  50  fails to create a sufficient slack in the recording paper  10 , resulting in the recording paper  10  being folded or jammed. The same applies in the case of the recording paper  10  that is thin. 
     In the printer of the present embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , for example, the recording paper transport guide  60  is provided in the presenter unit  40 . When the flapper  50  of the presenter unit  40  is closed, the recording paper transport guide  60  is situated deeper inside the presenter unit  40  than is the flapper  50 , and is supported by the flapper  50 . The recording paper transport guide  60  is situated further toward the inside than the transport path of the recording paper  10 , and faces the flapper  50  across the transport path of the recording paper  10 . Namely, the recording paper transport guide  60  is situated further toward the inside than the transport path of the recording paper  10 , and the flapper  50  is situated further toward the outside than the transport path of the recording paper  10 . The support by the flapper  50  is removed as the flapper  50  opens, resulting in the recording paper transport guide  60  being also flipped outward (i.e., moving toward the outside). When the flapper  50  is closed and the recording paper  10  is situated in the transport path between the flapper  50  and the recording paper transport guide  60 , the recording paper transport guide  60  is supported by the flapper  50  via the recording paper  10 . 
     In the present embodiment, a first recording paper sensor  71  and a second recording paper sensor  72  are provided between the first roller  41  and the third roller  43  in order to detect whether the recording paper  10  is present in the transport path between the first roller  41  and the third roller  43 . The first recording paper sensor  71  and the second recording paper sensor  72  may be reflective-type optical sensors, for example. In the present embodiment, the first recording paper sensor is situated further toward the first roller  41  than is the second recording paper sensor  72 . Accordingly, the printed recording paper  10  being conveyed along the transport path inside the presenter unit  40  is first detected by the first recording paper sensor  71 , and is then detected by the second recording paper sensor  72  upon further travel. 
     The recording paper transport guide  60  may be flipped to outside due to its own weight. Alternatively, a member exerting a restorative force such as a spring may be provided, and the recording paper transport guide  60  may be flipped to outside by the restorative force of the spring or the like. As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the recording paper transport guide  60  is connected in a rotatable manner to a mount member  61 , which is provided to attach the recording paper transport guide  60  to the presenter unit  40 . Specifically, the recording paper transport guide  60  has a guide unit  60   a  for guiding the recording paper  10 , and rotates around a rotation axis  60   b  provided for the recording paper transport guide  60  so that the direction of the guide unit  60   a  changes downward as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . With this arrangement, the recording paper transport guide  60  is flipped outward (i.e., moves toward the outside) to intrude into the transport path, thereby being able to change the transport direction of the recording paper  10  toward the outside of the presenter unit  40 . 
     At the time of flipping open the flapper  50 , the timing of the flipping of the flapper  50  may cause the printed recording paper  10  to be folded between the cutter unit  30  and the presenter unit  40 , which may jam the recording paper  10  along the transport path. Namely, the failure to flip open the flapper  50  at desired timing causes the printed recording paper  10  to be folded and jammed. This is especially frequently observed when the recording paper  10  is thin, soft paper with small stiffness. 
     In the following, a description will be given of the opening and closing of the flapper  50  in the presenter unit  40  of the printer of the present embodiment. The printer of the present embodiment stops the rotation of the second roller  42  and flips open the flapper  50  in response to the detection of the recording paper  10  by the first recording paper sensor  71 . The operation of the printer of the present embodiment is performed under the control of a control unit  100  provided in the printer of the present embodiment. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , the recording paper  10  on which the thermal head  21  has printed passes through the cutter unit  30  first, and then enters the transport path situated inside the presenter unit  40 . As this happens, the recording paper  10  is conveyed while placed between the first roller  41  and the second roller  42  inside the presenter unit  40 . In this state, the flapper  50  is closed, so that the recording paper transport guide  60  is placed in its original position. The flapper  50  is situated under the transport path of the recording paper  10 , and the recording paper transport guide  60  is situated over the transport path of the recording paper  10 . The recording paper  10  thus passes through the transport path between the flapper  50  and the recording paper transport guide  60 . In  FIG. 9A , the first recording paper sensor  71  disposed between the first roller  41  and the third roller  43  has not yet detected the recording paper  10 , so that the flapper  50  remains to be closed, and the first roller  41  and the second roller  42  are rotating.  FIG. 93  is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dotted and dashed line  9 A in  FIG. 9A . 
     Subsequently, the printed recording paper  10  is further conveyed by the first roller  41  and the second roller  42  from the state illustrated in  FIGS. 9A and 9B  to the state as illustrated in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , in which the recording paper  10  has advanced to the position at which the first recording paper sensor  71  is disposed. The first recording paper sensor  71  thus detects the recording paper  10 . As the first recording paper sensor  71  detects the recording paper  10  as described above, the control unit  100  (see  FIG. 1 ) stops the rotation of the second roller  42 , thereby suspending the travel of the recording paper  10  in the transport path beyond the point of the second roller  42  in the presenter unit  40 , and flipping open the flapper  50 . The flapper  50  being flipped open toward the outside of the presenter unit  40  causes the transport path to be exposed to the outside of the presenter unit  40 . In this state, the portion of the printed recording paper  10  close to its head end is placed between, and gripped by, the first roller  41  and the second roller  42 .  FIG. 103  is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dotted and dashed line  10 A in  FIG. 10A . 
     Subsequently, as illustrated in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , the rotation of the second roller  42  is stopped. While the flapper  50  is in the open state, the recording paper  10  printed by the thermal head  21  is conveyed by the platen roller into the presenter unit  40  after passing through the cutter unit  30  Namely, the rotation of the platen roller  22  causes the printed recording paper  10  to be conveyed toward the presenter unit  40 . Since the first roller and the like are not rotating, the recording paper  10  will produce a slack that extends to outside the presenter unit  40  through the space provided by the opened flapper  50 .  FIG. 11B  is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dotted and dashed line  11 A in  FIG. 11A . 
     In the present embodiment, the flapper  50  of the presenter unit  40  is flipped open, and, together therewith, the recording paper transport guide  60  is flipped outward, so that the guide unit  60   a  of the recording paper transport guide  60  is directed downward (i.e., moves outwardly to intrude into the transport path). As a result, the downwardly directed guide unit  60   a  guides the recording paper  10  such that the travel direction of the recording paper  10  is directed to outside the presenter unit  40 . This creates a desired slack in the recording paper  10  without causing the recording paper  10  to be folded despite the presence of strong curl in the recording paper  10 . 
     Subsequently, as illustrated in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , the rotation of the second roller  42  is stopped. While the flapper  50  is in the open state, the recording paper  10  printed by the thermal head  21  is conveyed by the platen roller  22  to proceed further into the presenter unit  40  after passing through the cutter unit  30 . Namely, the rotation of the platen roller  22  causes the printed recording paper  10  to be further conveyed toward the presenter unit  40 . In this state, the second roller  42  and the like are not rotating, and the flapper  50  is open, so that the recording paper  10  printed by the thermal head  21  travels toward the outside of the presenter unit  40  due the open-position flapper  50  after passing through the inside of the cutter unit  30 . As a result, the slack of the recording paper  10  extending to the outside of the presenter unit  40  grows.  FIG. 123  is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dotted and dashed line  12 A in  FIG. 12A . 
     Subsequently, as illustrated in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , the cutter unit  30  uses the fixed blade  31  and the movable blade  32  to cut a desired length of the printed recording paper  10 . A portion of the printed recording paper  10  extends to outside the presenter unit  40  through the space provided by the open flapper  50 , which makes it possible for a desired length of the recording paper  10  to be cut even when such a desired length is longer than the length of the transport path.  FIG. 13B  is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dotted and dashed line  13 A in  FIG. 13A . 
     After this, as illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the rotation of the second roller  42  and the fourth roller  44  causes the head end of the printed recording paper  10  to be conveyed to the discharge slot  46  and thus to be placed in the state in which a user can pull out the recording paper  10  from the discharge slot  46 . In such a state in which the recording paper  10  is exposed from the discharge slot  46 , the user pulls out the recording paper  10  to remove the recording paper  10  from the discharge slot  46 . After the printed recording paper  10  is removed by the user, the flapper drive motor  52  rotates in a reverse direction to close the flapper  50  and, in conjunction therewith, to return the recording paper transport guide  60  to the closed position as illustrated in  FIGS. 15A and 15B . Reverse rotation of the flapper drive motor  52  at this instant is performed after the first recording paper sensor  71  and the second recording paper sensor  72  confirm the nonexistence of the recording paper  10  in the transport path, i.e., confirm the removal of the recording paper  10  from the transport path.  FIG. 15B  is an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a dotted and dashed line  15 A in  FIG. 15A . 
     There may be a case in which the recording paper  10  having a portion thereof exposed from the discharge slot  46  is not removed by a user even after the passage of a predetermined time following the cutting of the recording paper  10 . In such a case, the printed recording paper  10  is retracted as illustrated in  FIG. 16 . This is done for the purpose of preventing the printed recording paper  10  from being taken by an unintended user. The retraction of the recording paper  10  is performed by the reverse rotation of the transport roller  45  which causes the first roller  41  and the third roller  43  to be rotated in the reverse direction to convey the recording paper  10  in the reverse direction through the transport path. The recording paper  10  that has been conveyed in the reverse direction through the transport path in the presenter unit  40  in this manner is discharged to outside the presenter unit  40  through the space provided by the open flapper  50 . Thereafter, as illustrated in  FIGS. 15A and 15B , the flapper drive motor  52  rotates in the reverse direction to close the flapper  50  as well as to return the recording paper transport guide  60  to the closed position. 
     When next printing is performed on the recording paper  10 , the same or similar operations as described heretofore will be performed. 
     Further, although a description has been given with respect to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the contents of such a description do not limit the scope of the invention. For example, although the first recording paper sensor  71  and the second recording paper sensor  72  are used in the one or more embodiments heretofore described, a single sensor may solely be used, or three or more sensors may be used. 
     The present application claims foreign priority to Japanese priority application No. 2014-129556 filed on Jun. 24, 2014, with the Japanese Patent Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
           10  recording paper 
           20  printer main body 
           21  thermal head 
           22  platen roller 
           23  conveyance motor 
           30  cutter unit 
           31  fixed blade 
           32  movable blade 
           33  movable-blade motor 
           40  presenter unit 
           41  first roller 
           42  second roller 
           43  third roller 
           44  fourth roller 
           45  conveyance motor 
           46  discharge slot 
           50  flapper 
           50   a  rotation axis 
           52  flapper drive motor 
           52   a  gear 
           53  first gear 
           54  second gear 
           55  third gear 
           56  fourth gear 
           60  recording paper transport guide 
           60   a  guide unit 
           60   b  rotation axis 
           61  mounting member 
           71  first recording paper sensor 
           72  second recording paper sensor