Thermal printer closing apparatus
AssigneeCustom Engineering Spa
InventorAlberto Campanini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A closing apparatus for a thermal printer having a fixed chassis portion and a closable cover supporting on the inside thereof a paper drive roll fixed inside of the cover for positioning itself, when the printer is closed, in a seat associated with the chassis portion and having a bottom with a level wall for locking the paper drive roll and the seat together for locking the chassis and cover together in their closed condition for preventing the paper drive roll from getting out in case of accidental pushes and consequently prevents the cover from opening, and the paper drive roll and a thermal printing head cooperate to hold the paper between the paper drive roll and the thermal printing head while the cover is closed.
Claims14
A thermal printer closing apparatus, for a thermal printer provided with a fixed chassis portion (1), and a cover (2) therefore, the chassis supporting in a backlash manner a thermal printer apparatus inside the chassis portion and the cover in its closed condition and a paper drive roll having an outside rubber surface (3a) and an inside steel shaft ends (3b), the rubber surface being molded on said steel shaft, and said shaft has ends protruding on the two sides of the rubber surface, and the thermal printer includes a printing phase and a closing phase, and the closing apparatus comprises:
- a housing seat (4) associated with said chassis for the steel shaft, said housing seat having a bottom with a level wall (4a);
- and the closing phase includes;
- said cover including said steel shaft ends associated therewith;
- means for closing the cover at the beginning of the closing phase of the cover (2) including means for moving the steel shaft ends (3b) and the paper drive roll (3) for movement of the steel shaft into the seat (4) and causing the thermal head (6) to rotate on a fulcrum (7) while the cover is closed and with the thermal printer (1) moved into its stand-by condition, the paper drive roll (3) is caused to penetrate into the housing seat (4), and the thermal head (6) rotates on its fulcrum (7) from a position lowering of the roll (3) and being pushed by the springs (8), for pressing the paper (5) between the paper drive roll (3) and the thermal head;
- and
- during the printing phase the paper drive roll (3) begins to rotate keeping itself in a printing position E, being the seat (4) planed in operation of the rotation way of the paper drive roll (3).
The thermal printer closing apparatus, as claimed in 1, including:
- means, when the printing apparatus is in the printing position E, a possible outside force FE may be caused to act on the paper drive roll (3) by an eventual falling, vibrations or pushes and is opposed, in a first direction of opening/closing of the cover (2),towards a wall of the seat (4) of the roll and,
- in a direction towards the first direction parallel to the bottom (4a) having a level wall of the seat (4), to a force generated by the rotation of the paper drive roll (3) on itself, and
- means for keeping the paper (5) compressed between the thermal head (6) and the paper drive roll (3), when this last one is in the printing position E, by the push actuated by the springs (8) on the same thermal head (6).
In a thermal printer apparatus, a safety closure for maintaining closure of a cover on a chassis containing the printer apparatus, the printer apparatus including a paper drive roll for rotating a printing paper roll and including a steel shaft and an outside rubber surface on said steel shaft, said steel shaft having its opposite ends extending outside and beyond said rubber surface, said printing apparatus being fixed to said chassis, and a cover movably connected with said chassis for movement from an open position to provide access to said printing apparatus to a closed position to prevent access to said printing apparatus, said safety closure including:
- a housing seat associated with said chassis having a level wall;
- a paper drive roll coupled to said cover, said paper drive roll having said opposite ends extending from said rubber surface;
- and
- locking means for locking said cover to said chassis;
- said locking means including an entry to said housing seat for receiving said opposite ends of said steel shaft and holding said ends in said housing seat and locking said cover to said chassis.
In the thermal printer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said housing seat includes a U-shaped portion for providing an entry to said housing seat, for receiving said ends of the steel rod.
In a thermal printer apparatus, a safety closure for maintaining closure of a cover on a chassis containing the printer apparatus, the printer apparatus including a paper drive roll for carrying printing paper, and said paper drive roll including a shaft and an outside rubber surface on said shaft, said printing apparatus being fixed to said chassis, and a cover movably connected with said chassis for movement from an open position to provide access to said printing apparatus to a closed position to prevent access to said printing apparatus, said safety closure including:
- a housing seat associated with said chassis
- means for locking said cover to said chassis, including:
- said paper drive roll being coupled to said cover, said shaft having its opposite ends extending outside of and beyond said rubber surface;
- and said housing seat including an entry to said housing seat for receiving at least one of said opposite ends for locking said paper drive roll and said housing seat for locking said cover and said chassis together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.