Abstract:
The present invention relates to a cutter structure of a printer, which is designed so as to have a cutting module of a particular structural mechanism for effectively cutting print paper, and to manipulate an existing lever to readily resolve the problems caused by unwanted engagement of the cutter or jammed print paper.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a cutter structure of a printer, and more particularly to a cutter structure of a printer which can effectively cut paper, such as receipts, slips, and labels which are output by the printer, and simply solve jamming of paper. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    In general, a printer is an apparatus connected to various electronic devices such as computers, for printing and outputting data stored in the devices on paper of a predetermined size. 
         [0003]    In recent years, as mobile communication terminals such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and PDAs or portable terminal devices such as laptop computers, as well as PCs, have become public, various printers connected to the terminal devices, for simply printing data stored in the terminal, are being widely used. 
         [0004]    The printer is configured such that a receiving part, in which paper for printing is accommodated, is provided in a body having a predetermined shape to be opened and closed by the medium of a cover, a discharge opening, through which the accommodated paper is discharged, is formed at one side of the cover, and a printing module for printing data on the paper, a paper feeding module for supplying the paper, and a cutting module for cutting the paper are installed at a point adjacent to the discharge opening. 
         [0005]    Then, in the configuration of the cutting module, a fixed blade is installed at one side of the discharge opening together with a paper feeding roller to be attached and detached, and a movable blade is installed at a portion corresponding to the fixed blade to be reciprocally moved through a mechanism of a specific structure. 
       PRIOR TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
       [0006]    (Patent document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-912461 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0007]    However, in the cutter structure provided in a printer according to the related art, because the mechanism for reciprocating the movable blade, the movable blade, and the mechanism for releasing printer paper when the printer paper is jammed form a complex structure, many components are required when the cutting module is manufactured, the assembly process is complex, manufacturing costs increase, and productivity is lowered. 
         [0008]    In particular, because the structure for releasing the movable blade when the movable blade is stuck in the printer according to the present invention requires a separate button, the user experiences inconvenience and an aesthetic feeling of the outer appearance of the printer is lowered. 
         [0009]    The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a cutter structure of a printer, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cutter structure of a printer, which is designed such that a cutting module for cutting printer paper has a mechanism of a specific structure in a printer, whereby paper can be efficiently cut and a problem caused by an unintended engagement of the cutter or jamming of printer paper can be simply solved by manipulating an existing lever. 
       Technical Solution 
       [0010]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cutter of a printer comprising: a rectangular parallelepiped housing in which a paper feeding roller and a fixed blade integrally coupled to each other are detachably mounted to an upper portion of one side thereof; a movable member corresponding to a plate-shape member having a slot at the center of a body thereof and provided at an upper side of the housing corresponding to the fixed blade such that a movable blade at one side thereof is engaged with the fixed blade while being selectively reciprocally moved; a motor fixedly installed within the housing, for receiving a control signal and generating a forward or reverse driving force; a gear unit including a driving gear installed in a driving shaft of the motor, a reduction gear engaged with the driving gear, an idle gear engaged with a shaft gear at a lower portion of the reduction gear, and a driven gear engaged with the idle gear to interlock with the idle gear and in which a guide boss is coupled to a central portion thereof; and an eccentric plate having a substantially disk shape, coupled to an upper surface of the driven gear, having a slot-shaped guide hole at the center thereof such that the guide boss of the driven gear passes through the guide hole, and having a coupling boss coupled to the slot of the movable member, for applying an external force for reciprocal motion thereof to the movable member at one side of the guide hole. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the guide boss of the driven gear is moved to one or an opposite side of the guide hole of the eccentric plate as the motor is rotated forwards or reversely, and a movement distance of the movable member is controlled according to an internal between the guide boss moved in the slot-shaped guide hole and the coupling boss to which the movable member is coupled. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the moveable blade returns through manipulation of the lever at one side of the housing when the movable blade of the movable member is unintendedly engaged with the fixed blade, and a return gear having a saw-toothed gear only at a portion of an outer peripheral surface thereof is formed on a lower side of the driven gear to interlock with the driven gear, a pressing piece having a sharp end attached to the return gear by the medium of an attaching spring is installed at one side of an outer peripheral surface of the return gear, the pressing piece is connected to one end of a horizontally rotated bar-shaped rotation member, and the rotation member receives a return force by the medium of the return spring such that an opposite end of the rotation member is engaged with the pressing part formed at an end of the lever so as to be inclined. 
         [0013]    More preferably, a guide wall having an L-shaped planar shape, for guiding the pressing piece such that the pressing piece is attached to the return gear when the rotation member is rotated is formed at a connection point of the rotation member and the pressing piece. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, a lower portion of the return gear does not have a gear portion over an entire outer peripheral surface thereof and a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the return gear is removed to form a detection part, and wherein a detection switch for detecting a rotation position of a gear and transmitting a signal is installed at a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the return gear. 
       Advantageous Effects 
       [0015]    According to the present invention, because a printer connected to various terminal devices including smartphones, tablet PCs, PDAs, and laptop computers is designed such that a mechanism for cutting printer paper has a specific structure, an operation of cutting printer paper can be efficiently performed while the cutting module is stably controlled when the printer is used. 
         [0016]    In addition, when the cutter is unintendedly engaged or printer paper is jammed during an operation of the printer, the problem can be very simply solved by manipulating a lever provided at one side of the housing, and accordingly, convenience of the user can be improved. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an entire configuration of a printer to which a cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view showing the entire configuration of the printer to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a partially exploded perspective view showing a configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are upper and lower perspective views showing an internal configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are upper and lower exploded perspective views showing the internal configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a plan view showing the configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied; 
           [0024]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  are views showing an operational state of a movable member through the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention; and 
           [0025]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  are views showing an operational state of a lever through the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an entire configuration of a printer to which a cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIG. 2  is a sectional view showing the entire configuration of the printer to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIG. 4  is a partially exploded perspective view showing a configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are upper and lower perspective views showing an internal configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIGS. 6A and 6B  are upper and lower exploded perspective views showing the internal configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIG. 7  is a plan view showing the configuration of the cutting module to which the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention is applied.  FIGS. 8A and 8B  are views showing an operational state of a movable member through the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention.  FIGS. 9A and 9B  are views showing an operational state of a lever through the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention. 
         [0028]    The cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention drives a printer more smoothly and provides convenience for a user by designing a cutting module for cutting printer paper of a printer connected to various terminal devices and a configuration for releasing unintended engagement of a cutter or insertion of printer paper such that the cutting module and the configuration have a specific structural mechanism. 
         [0029]    To this end, in the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention, a specific structural cutting module for cutting printer paper  300  is configured in a rectangular parallelepiped housing  10  in which a paper feeding roller  210  and a fixed blade  200  are detachably mounted to an upper portion of one side of a body thereof as an integral module and a means for releasing insertion of printer paper and engagement of a cutter are formed to integrally interlock with a lever  60 . 
         [0030]    As known, printer paper  300  on which a printing operation is completely performed by the printer  100  is discharged to the outside of the printer by a predetermined length and then a cutting operation is performed through a cutting module. 
         [0031]    To this end, a discharge opening  120  through which paper is discharged is formed on one side of a receiving part  110  in which printer paper  300  wound in the form of a roll in the printer  100  and an integral module including a paper feeding roller  210  for discharging printer paper  300  and a fixed blade  200  for a cutting operation is provided on a side of the discharge opening  120  such that the integral module can be selectively mounted and detached through manipulation of the lever  60  having a substantially hook-shaped latching recess  64 . 
         [0032]    Meanwhile, according to the present invention, the structure for cutting printer paper  300  as a movable blade  22  reciprocally moves toward the fixed blade  200  includes a motor fixedly installed within the housing  10 , a gear unit including a plurality of gears, an eccentric plate  50 , and a movable member  20  for converting rotation of the eccentric plate  50  to linear motion to reciprocally move the movable blade  22  toward the fixed blade  200 . 
         [0033]    The motor  30  is a DC motor fixed to one side of an inside of the housing  10 , and is configured to generate a forward or reverse driving force according to a control signal from a controller (not shown). 
         [0034]    The gear unit is configured such that a plurality of gears are engaged with each other to transfer a driving force from the motor  30  to the eccentric plate  50 , and includes a driving gear  40  fixedly installed in a driving shaft of the motor  30 , a reduction gear  42  engaged with the driving gear  40  to be rotated, for reducing rotating force, an idle gear  46  engaged with a shaft gear  44  installed in a rotary shaft of the reduction gear  42 , and a driven gear  48  engaged with the idle gear  46  to interlock with the idle gear  46 . 
         [0035]    A guide boss  58  passes through the center of an upper surface of the driven gear  48  such that the eccentric plate  50  may move. 
         [0036]    The eccentric plate  50  has a substantially disk shape, and one side of an outer peripheral surface of the eccentric plate  50  protrudes and expands such that the corresponding portion is engaged with an upper surface of the driven gear  48  while being rotatable through a hinge pin  56  and a slot-shaped guide hole  52  is formed at a central portion of the body of the eccentric plate  50  such that the guide boss  58  coupled to the driven gear  48  passes through the guide hole  52 . 
         [0037]    A coupling boss  54  coupled to a slot  26  of the movable member  20 , for applying an external force for reciprocal motion to the movable member  20  protrudes from a location adjacent to the guide hole  52 . 
         [0038]    The movable member  20  engaged with the coupling boss  54  of the eccentric plate  50 , for reciprocal motion thereof includes a plate in which a slot  26  is formed at the center of the body thereof, and is provided at an upper side of the housing  10  corresponding to the fixed blade  200  while the movable blade  22  is formed at a front end thereof to selectively perform reciprocal motion. 
         [0039]    A cutting prevention recess  24  is formed at the center of the movable blade  22  provided in the movable member  20 , and opposite ends of the movable blade  22  are inclined toward the central cutting prevention recess  24 . 
         [0040]    Accordingly, printer paper  300  is cut through engagement of the fixed blade  200  and the movable blade  22 , the printer paper  300  may be completely cut or a portion of the printer paper  300  corresponding to the cutting prevention recess  24  is left according to an engagement degree of the cutting prevention recess  24  and the fixed blade  200 . 
         [0041]    Then, the movement distance of the movable member is controlled as the guide boss  58  of the driven gear  48  is moved to one side or an opposite side of the guide hole  52  of the eccentric plate  50  according to forward or reverse rotation of the motor  30 . 
         [0042]    The movement distance of the movable member  20  is limited according to a distance between the guide boss  58  moved in the slot-shaped guide hole  52  and the coupling boss  58  to which the movable member  20  is coupled. 
         [0043]    In the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention, the movable blade  22  returns through manipulation of the lever  60  provided at one side of the housing  10  when the movable blade  22  of the movable member  20  is unintendedly engaged with the fixed blade  200  or the printer paper  300  is jammed. 
         [0044]    A return gear  49  having saw-toothed gears only at a portion of an outer peripheral surface thereof is installed on a lower side of the driven gear  48  to interlock with the rotary shaft of the driven gear  48 , and a pressing piece  74  selectively attached to the return gear  49 , for applying an external force to the gears on the outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  is installed at one side of the outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49 . 
         [0045]    The attaching spring  76  is a torsion spring, and one end of the attaching spring  76  is attached to a guide wall  78  and an opposite end thereof is fixed to the body of the pressing piece  74  such that a resilient force is applied to the pressing piece  74  to allow the pressing piece  74  to be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49 . 
         [0046]    A rotation member  70  having a bar shape and horizontally rotated by the medium of a central hinge is installed within the housing  10 , and one end of the rotation member  70  is connected to the pressing piece  74  in a hinge structure and an opposite end thereof contacts an end of the lever  60 . 
         [0047]    An opposite end of the rotation member  70  contacting an end of the lever  60  is restricted and guided in a separation prevention guide  68  having an inverse stapler-shaped recess to be smoothly horizontally rotated. 
         [0048]    Then, a guide wall  78  having an L-shaped planar shape, for performing a guide operation such that the pressing piece  74  is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  when the rotation member  70  is rotated according to manipulation of the lever  60  is formed on one side adjacent to a point where the rotation member  70  and the pressing piece  74  are connected to each other. 
         [0049]    A return spring  72  corresponding to a torsion spring is installed at a central hinge of the rotation member  70 , and the rotation member  70  rotated by an external force returns to an original position at the same time when the external force is removed. 
         [0050]    The lever  60  installed at one side of the housing  10  is a known button for attaching or detaching the fixed blade  200  and the paper feeding roller  200  constituting an integral module, in which a body of the lever  60  is vertically rotated through a hinge coupling structure, a push part  62  for separating the fixed blade  200  and the paper feeding roller  210  is formed at one side of the lever  60 , and a pressing part  62  for applying an external force while contacting an opposite end of the rotation member  70  is formed at an opposite end of the lever  60  so as to be inclined. 
         [0051]    A lower portion of an outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  is partially removed to form a detection part  49   a , and a detection switch  80  is installed at one side of the detection part  49   a  such that the detection part  49   a  detects a rotation position of the return gear  49  and transmits a signal according to the detection to the controller. 
         [0052]    Reference numeral  12  denotes a housing cover coupled to an upper surface of the housing  10  in which the motor  30 , the gear unit, and the movable member  20  are installed to close an interior of the housing  10 . 
         [0053]    Next, an operation of the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0054]    According to the present invention, in order to cut printer paper when the printer paper  300  is discharged according to a printing operation of the printer in the state in which the printer  100  is configured by applying a cutting module having a mechanism of a specific structure, first, the motor  30  generates a forward or reverse driving force according to a control signal from the controller (not shown) of the printer, and accordingly, the driving force of the motor  300  is transferred to the eccentric plate  50  via the driving gear  40 , the reduction gear  42 , the shaft gear  44 , and the idle gear  46 , and the driven gear  48  constituting the gear unit to rotate the eccentric plate  50  forwardly or reversely so as to interlock the eccentric plate  50 . 
         [0055]    Then, because the eccentric plate  50  is coupled to an upper surface of the driven gear  48  through a hinge pin  56  to move by the medium of the guide hole  52  and the guide boss  58 , and the coupling boss  54  provided on an upper surface of the eccentric plate  50  is installed in the slot  26  of the movable member  20 , a rotating force transferred from the motor  30  is provided to the movable member  20  as an external force for linear motion. 
         [0056]    Accordingly, the movable member  20  is moved forward by a predetermined distance as the coupling boss  54  of the eccentric plate  50  is moved in the slot  26 , and thus the movable blade  22  at the front end of the movable member  20  cuts the printer paper  300  located between the movable blade  22  and the fixed blade  200  while overlapping the fixed blade  200  at the position corresponding to the movable blade  22 . 
         [0057]    Then, the movable member  20  is controlled to reciprocate one time when the driven gear  48  is rotated one time according to driving of the motor  30 , and the detection switch  80  installed in the driven gear  48  detects the corresponding position through the detection part  49   a  formed in the return gear  49  to transmit a signal to the controller of the printer. 
         [0058]    Because the movable member  20  is designed such that a movement distance of the movable member  20  is controlled according to forward or reverse rotation of the motor  30 , the location where the movable blade  22  and the fixed blade  200  overlap each other is adjusted under the control of the controller of the printer so that the printer paper  300  may be cut while a central portion of the printer paper  300  is left by the medium of the central cutting prevention recess  24  of the movable blade  22  or the printer paper  300  or the printer paper  300  may be completely cut. 
         [0059]    Meanwhile, when the fixed blade  200  and the movable blade  22  are unintendedly engaged with each other or the printer paper  300  is jammed in the process of cutting the printer paper  300  through movement of the movable member  20 , the state may be released through manipulation of the lever  60  provided at one side of the printer  100 . 
         [0060]    That is, while the fixed blade  200  and the movable blade  22  are engaged with each other, the gear portion on the outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  formed at a lower portion of the driven gear  48  is located at a point corresponding to the pressing piece  74 . 
         [0061]    Accordingly, if the user repeatedly presses the push part  62  of the lever  60 , the pressing part  66  located on an opposite side of the push part  62  is raised through vertical rotation of the lever  60 , and thus an external force is transferred to the rotation member  70  of which one side contacts the pressing part  66  such that the rotation member  70  is horizontally rotated and the external force is applied to the pressing piece  74  hinge-coupled to an opposite side of the rotation member  70 . 
         [0062]    Then, because an end of the rotation member  70  is restricted by the separation prevention guide  68  corresponding to a substantially inverse stapler-shaped groove, the rotation member  70  may be rotated while being stably guided in the groove. 
         [0063]    The pressing piece  74  to which an external force is transferred through the rotation member  70  pushes the saw-toothed gear (see  FIG. 7 ) formed at a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  to apply a rotating force while being attached to the outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  through an operation of the guide wall  78  and the attaching spring  76 . 
         [0064]    Accordingly, the driven gear  49  is rotated through an operation of the pressing piece  74  as the lever  60  is repeatedly pressed, and then as the pressing piece  74  is located at a point where the return gear  49  has no gear portion through rotation of the driven gear  48 , unintended engagement of the movable blade  22  and the fixed blade  200  may be released. 
         [0065]    Thereafter, if the user completely manipulates the push part  62  of the lever  60 , the rotation member  70  returns to an original position through an operation of the return spring  72  such that the pressing piece  74  remains separated from the outer peripheral surface of the return gear  49  by a predetermined distance. 
         [0066]    Accordingly, through the cutter structure of a printer according to the present invention, when the cutter is unintendedly engaged or the printing paper  300  is jammed, the problem can be solved through a simple manipulation of the lever  60 . 
         [0067]    Even though other modifications may be made, they may be individually understood from the technical spirit or prospect of the present invention and fall within the scope of the present invention claimed in the claims. 
       DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               10 : Housing 
               12 : Housing cover 
               20 : Movable member 
               22 : Movable blade 
               24 : Cutting prevention recess 
               26 : Slot 
               30 : Motor 
               40 : Driving gear 
               42 : Reduction gear 
               44 : Shaft gear 
               46 : Idle gear 
               48 : Driven gear 
               49 : Return gear 
               49   a : Detection part 
               50 : Eccentric plate 
               52 : Guide hole 
               54 : Coupling boss 
               56 : Hinge pin 
               58 : guide boss 
               60 : Lever 
               62 : Push part 
               64 : Latching recess 
               66 : Pressing part 
               68 : Separation prevention guide 
               70 : Rotation member 
               72 : Return spring 
               74 : Pressing piece 
               76 : Attaching spring 
               78 : guide wall 
               80 : Detection switch 
               100 : Printer 
               110 : Receiving part 
               120 : Discharge opening 
               200 : Fixed blade 
               210 : Paper feeding roller 
               300 : Printer paper