US 6,474,883 B1Granted

Printer having roll paper housing

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsHideki Kawakami, Satoshi Iwaya, Kazuya Oshida

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Abstract

A printer has a roll paper housing for housing the recording paper roll, and an opening on its front side covered with a cover. The cover can be opened and closed by operating an operating lever attached to a movable-side paper feed mechanism section supported by a parallel linking mechanism. By pulling the operating lever toward this side of the printer, the movable-side paper feed mechanism section moves forward from a position above the roll paper housing while keeping the posture thereof. It is therefore possible to a sufficient space for charging the recording paper roll. The recording paper roll is charged, and the recoding sheet is drawn therefrom and passed above the movable-side paper feed mechanism section. In this state, by closing the cover by operating the operating lever, the movable-side paper feed mechanism section moves closer to a fixed-side paper feed mechanism section, thus automatically achieving the printable state in which the recording sheet is held between them.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A printer comprising:

a roll paper housing;
a cover attached to a front surface of the printer for opening and closing said roll paper housing;
a printing head for printing on a tape-shaped recording sheet of paper delivered from a recording paper roll charged in said roll paper housing;
a paper feed mechanism for transferring said tape-shaped recording sheet through a printing position of said printing head, which has a fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and a movable-side paper feed mechanism section movable between an operating position engaging with said fixed-side paper feed mechanism and a shunting position distant from said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section;
wherein said recording sheet is held between said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and said movable-side paper feed mechanism section at said operating position;
and
a parallel linking mechanism which causes said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move to said operating position in linkage with a closing operation of said cover, and causes said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move from said operating position to said shunting position while keeping a posture at said operating position, in linkage with an opening operation of said cover, wherein said parallel linking mechanism has a pair of swinging arms, each of which has a lower end rotatably supported by a side of said roll paper housing and an upper end hinge-connected by said movable-side paper feed mechanism section.

4 more elements

A printer comprising:

a roll paper housing;
a cover attached to a front surface of the printer for opening and closing said roll paper housing;
a printing head for printing on a tape-shaped recording sheet of paper delivered from a recording paper roll charged in said roll paper housing;
a paper feed mechanism for transferring said tape-shaped recording sheet through a printing position of said printing head, which has a fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and a movable-side paper feed mechanism section movable between an operating position engaging with said fixed-side paper feed mechanism and a shunting position distant from said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section;
wherein said recording sheet is held between said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and said movable-side paper feed mechanism section at said operating position;
and
a parallel linking mechanism which causes said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move to said operating position in linkage with a closing operation of said cover, and causes said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move from said operating position to said shunting position while keeping a posture at said operating position, in linkage with an opening operation of said cover,
wherein said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section comprises a first roller and a second roller arranged in the upstream and in the downstream, respectively, of said printing head in a recording paper transferring direction;
said movable-side paper feed mechanism section comprises a third roller in contact with said first roller and a fourth roller in contact with said second roller at said operating position;
and
said recording sheet is transferred between said first and third rollers, and between said second and fourth rollers.

8 more elements

A printer comprising:

a roll paper housing;
a cover attached to a front surface of the printer for opening and closing said roll paper housing;
a printing bead for printing on a paper delivered from a paper roll charged in said roll paper housing;
a paper feed mechanism for transferring said paper through a printing position of said printing head, which has a fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and a movable-side paper feed mechanism section;
and
a parallel linking mechanism for movably supporting said movable-side paper feed mechanism section relative to said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section between an operating position in which said movable-side paper feed mechanism section engages with said fixed-side paper feed mechanism and a shunting position in which said movable-side paper feed mechanism section disengages from said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section, said parallel linking mechanism causing said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move to said operating position in linkage with a closing operation of said cover, said paper being held between said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and said movable-side paper feed mechanism section at said operating position,
wherein said parallel linking mechanism has a pair of swinging arms, each of which has a lower end rotatably supported by a side of said roll paper housing and an upper end hinge-connected by said movable-side paper feed mechanism section.

4 more elements

A printer comprising:

a roll paper housing;
a cover attached to a front surface of the printer for opening and closing said roll paper housing;
a printing head for printing on a paper delivered from a paper roll charged in said roll paper housing;
a paper feed mechanism for transferring said paper through a printing position of said printing head, which has a fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and a movable-side paper feed mechanism section;
and
a parallel linking mechanism for movably supporting said movable-side paper feed mechanism section relative to said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section between an operating position in which said movable-side paper feed mechanism section engages with said fixed-side paper feed mechanism and a shunting position in which said movable-side paper feed mechanism section disengages from said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section, said parallel linking mechanism causing said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move to said operating position in linkage with a closing operation of said cover, said paper being held between said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and said movable-side paper feed mechanism section at said operating position;
wherein said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section comprises a first roller and a second roller arranged in the upstream and in the downstream, respectively, of said printing head in a transferring direction of the paper;
said movable-side paper feed mechanism section comprises a third roller in contact with said first roller and a forth roller in contact with said second roller at said operating position;
and said paper is transferred between said first and third rollers, and between said second and fourth rollers.

6 more elements

A printer comprising:

a roll paper housing;
a cover attached to a front surface of the printer for opening and closing said roll paper housing;
a printing head for printing on a paper delivered from a paper roll charged in said roll paper housing;
a paper feed mechanism for transferring said paper through a printing position of said printing head, which has a fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and a movable-side paper feed mechanism section;
a parallel linking mechanism for movably supporting said movable-side paper feed mechanism section relative to said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section between an operating position in which said movable-side paper feed mechanism section engages with said fixed-side paper feed mechanism and a shunting position in which said movable-side paper feed mechanism section disengages from said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section, said parallel linking mechanism causing said movable-side paper feed mechanism section to move to said operating position in linkage with a closing operation of said cover, said paper being held between said fixed-side paper feed mechanism section and said movable-side paper feed mechanism section at said operating position;
an operating lever rotatably attached to said movable-side paper feed mechanism section;
a locking mechanism for locking said movable-side paper feed mechanism section at said operating position such that a locking of said movable-side paper feed mechanism section by said locking mechanism is released when said operating lever is lifted;
and
operating lever rotating means for rotating said operating lever relative to said movable-side paper feed mechanism section in linkage with opening and closing of said cover.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.