Patent Grant
7802750
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rolled sheet support mechanism for pivotally supporting a rolled sheet, and a printer having the rolled sheet support mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, there are provided many thermal printers of various types, for performing printing by pressing a heated thermal head to a special recording sheet, which is to be discolored when being applied with heat. In particular, without using toner, ink, or the like, smooth character printing and colorful graphic printing can be performed, so the thermal printer is suitably used for printing of various labels, receipts, tickets, or the like.
Meanwhile, the recording sheet used for the various printers represented by the thermal printer is normally used while being wound around a cylindrical core tube to be formed into a rolled sheet. In general, the rolled sheet is mounted by one of two types of methods, one of which is of a drop-in type in which the rolled sheet is dropped in an accommodation space, and the other of which is of a pivot support type in which the core tube is pivotally supported (supported so as to freely rotate).
Of those, as one of the pivot support types, there is known a support structure for a rolled sheet, capable of rotatably supporting the rolled sheet and easily performing a replacement operation of the rolled sheet (see, for example, JP 2003-171037 A). The support structure for the rolled sheet includes a pair of support members each biased by an elastic member such as a coil spring toward an inside of a rolled paper container in which the rolled sheet is accommodated. The pair of support members each have, at an end thereof, a tapered tip portion to be fitted into a hollow hole of the rolled sheet. That is, the pair of support members can support the rolled sheet while pressing the rolled sheet by fitting the tip portions into the hollow hole from both sides thereof. That is, outer surfaces of the tip portions each formed into the tapered shape abut on inner edges of the hollow hole of the rolled sheet, thereby making it possible to retain the rolled sheet while pressing the rolled sheet from the both sides thereof. In this case, a biasing force of the elastic member is adjusted such that the rolled sheet is rotatable.
Further, the support members are merely biased by the elastic members. Therefore, receiving a force in a reverse direction with respect to a biasing direction, the support members move in the direction thereof, thereby allowing the rolled sheet to be attached.
According to the support structure for a rolled sheet, the replacement can be performed by a simple operation of only putting in or pulling out the rolled sheet into or from the rolled sheet accommodating portion. Further, the pair of the support members retain the rolled sheet by pressing the rolled sheet from the both sides of the hollow hole, so the rolled sheet can be pivotally supported with reliability.
However, there still remain the following problems with the conventional support structure for a rolled sheet described above.
That is, since the above-mentioned support structure for a rolled sheet is structured such that the pair of support members are pressed to the both sides of the hollow hole with the biasing force by the elastic members to support the rolled sheet by sandwiching the rolled sheet from the both sides thereof, a pressing force (biasing force) for sandwiching the rolled sheet is required to be set to a relatively large value. This is because, if the pressing force is small, there is a risk in that, when the rolled sheet rotates, the support members are detached due to vibration or the like, thereby causing the rolled sheet to fall off. In particular, the unused rolled sheet which has been just replaced is heavy, thus tending to fall off. Accordingly, in order to enable reliable supporting of even the unused rolled sheet, the pressing force is required to be adjusted to a large value in advance.
On the other hand, when the rolled sheet is attached, the pair of support members are required to be moved with a force standing against the biasing force of the elastic member so as to be spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction. However, when the pressing force is adjusted to the large value as described above, it is required to apply a force to the rolled sheet such that a force stronger than the pressing force is applied to the support members at the time of attachment of the rolled sheet. As a result, mountability of the rolled sheet is low and a replacement operation takes time and effort. Further, during the replacement, the support member continuously abuts on the side surface of the rolled sheet with the strong biasing force, so there is a risk of deformation that the side surface of the rolled sheet is dented.
As described above, in the conventional support structure for a rolled sheet, in order to prevent the rolled sheet from falling off, it is required to set the pressing force of the pair of support members to the large value, so there arise the several problems described above.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rolled sheet support mechanism and a printer having the rolled sheet support mechanism, capable of enhancing mountability of a rolled sheet while preventing the rolled sheet from falling off, and further facilitating a replacement operation.
The present invention provides the following means to achieve the above-mentioned object.
A rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention is characterized by including a rolled sheet support mechanism for pivotally supporting a rolled sheet obtained by winding a recording sheet around a cylindrical core tube, the rolled sheet support mechanism being characterized by including: a pair of guide plates arranged in parallel to each other while sandwiching the rolled sheet therebetween, and opposed to side surfaces of the rolled sheet; a pair of support members arranged between the rolled sheet and the pair of guide plates, and having, at ends thereof, insertion portions to be partially inserted into opening portions of the core tube, which are exposed to the side surfaces of the rolled sheet; a displacement member displaced between an attachment position and an accommodation position for the rolled sheet while supporting the pair of support members movably in an axial direction of the core tube, with the pair of support members being moved along the guide plates when receiving an external force; and a biasing member arranged between each of the guide plates and each of the support members, for biasing the support member with an elastic force in such a direction that the support member is spaced apart from the guide plate and pressing the insertion portion to the core tube in a state where the insertion portion is partially inserted into the opening portion to allow the rolled sheet to be pivotally supported, and in that the pair of guide plates have a distance therebetween, which becomes smaller from the attachment position toward the accommodation position.
In the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, when the pair of support members are positioned in the attachment position, the rolled sheet is mounted. In order to perform the mounting, first, while holding the rolled sheet by a hand, the rolled sheet is pushed into a space between the pair of support members. In this case, the rolled sheet is pushed in with a force standing against the elastic force of the biasing members biasing the pair of support members. The pair of support members are then pressed by the rolled sheet to be moved so as to be spaced apart from each other. That is, the pair of support members move along the axial direction of the core tube so as to approach sides of the guide plates. Further, the pair of support members are biased by the elastic force caused by the biasing members. Therefore, after the rolled sheet is pushed in, the insertion portions are continuously brought into contact with the rolled sheet.
When the opening portions of the core tube, exposed to the side surfaces of the rolled sheet, reach positions of the insertion portions as a result of continuously pushing in the rolled sheet, the each insertion portion which is biased is partially inserted into the each opening portion so as to fit therein. That is, the pair of support members are pressed to the core tube, thereby making it possible to support the core tube by sandwiching the core tube from the both sides thereof. In this case, a part of the insertion portions are merely pressed while being inserted into the opening portions, so the core tube and the rolled sheet are in a rotatable state. As a result, the rolled sheet can be pivotally supported in the attachment position.
After the rolled sheet is mounted, the displacement member is displaced from the attachment position to the accommodation position. In this case, the displacement member may be displaced by directly applying a force to the displacement member, or may be displaced by transmitting the force to the displacement member through the rolled sheet and the pair of support members. As a result, the rolled sheet and the pair of support members are integrally moved to the accommodation position. In this case, the pair of support members move along the guide plates.
Here, the pair of guide plates are designed such that a distance therebetween becomes smaller from the attachment position toward the accommodation position. Therefore, there is obtained a state where the pair of support members are pressed to the core tube through the intermediation of the biasing members. That is, the distance between the pair of guide plates is smaller than that in the attachment position, so the biasing member is compressed, thereby increasing the elastic force. Thus, the support members can be pressed to the core tube with a stronger force. As a result, the rolled sheet can be pivotally supported by being sandwiched with the stronger force.
Note that, when removing the rolled sheet, the displacement member is moved in the reverse direction to allow the rolled sheet to be positioned in the attachment position, and then, an operation reverse to that at the time of mounting is performed, thereby achieving the removal.
As described above, the distance between the pair of guide plates is mechanically changed between the attachment position and the accommodation position, so the pressing force of the supporting members can easily be changed. Accordingly, even in a case where the rolled sheet is unused, that is, being heavy, falling off of the rolled sheet can be prevented. On the other hand, when replacing the rolled sheet, the pressing force of the support members can be weakened in the attachment position, so an attachment operation of the rolled sheet can easily be performed in a way similar to that of the drop-in type.
As described above, by the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously achieve prevention of falling off of the rolled sheet and facilitation of the attachment operation at the time of replacement which have conventionally been difficult. Further, when attaching the rolled sheet, the insertion portion is not pressed to the side surface of the rolled sheet with a strong force, so it is possible to prevent such deformation that the side surface of the rolled sheet is dented.
Further, the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism of the present invention, the insertion portion is formed into a tapered shape having a diameter gradually reduced toward the opening portion.
In the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, the insertion portion is formed in a tapered shape, so when attaching the rolled sheet, a direction of a force can easily be converted to a direction of an axis of the core tube. Accordingly, the pair of support members can be moved in the axial direction more smoothly, and the replacement operation can be further facilitated. Further, when the rolled sheet is pivotally supported, a tapered surface can be pressed to an inner edge of the core tube, so the rolled sheet can be pivotally supported more reliably.
Further, the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention is characterized by further including, in the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism of the present invention, a positioning member between the displacement member and the guide plate, for positioning, when the rolled sheet is not mounted, the pair of support members in predetermined positions with respect to the axial direction.
In the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, there are provided the positioning members, so it is possible to allow the pair of support members to be positioned continuously in the same positions with respect to the axial direction. That is, when the rolled sheet is not mounted, the insertion portions can continuously be retained in the same positions with respect to the pair of guide plates. Accordingly, when mounting the rolled sheet, the rolled sheet can be mounted without being caught or the like, and every time with the same sense of touch. Thus, the mountability can be improved more.
Further, the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that, in one of the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanisms of the present invention, when receiving the external force, the displacement member rotates and simultaneously displaces the pair of support members between the attachment position and the accommodation position.
In the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, when attaching the rolled sheet, the displacement member is rotated, thereby making it possible to displace the rolled sheet and the pair of support members between the attachment position and the accommodation position. Accordingly, unlike in a case of linear displacement, a small space can effectively be utilized, thereby achieving downsizing. Further, as compared to the case of the linear displacement, the attachment position and the accommodation position can be clearly distinguished, so usability is high.
Further, the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism of the present invention, the displacement member also serves as a cover member for covering the rolled sheet.
In the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, when the rolled sheet is positioned in the accommodation position, the displacement member can serve as the cover member for the rolled sheet, so dirt or dust does not easily adhere to the rolled sheet.
Further, the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that, in one of the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanisms of the present invention, the pair of guide plates are provided with resistance application members for applying rotation resistance by pressing the side surfaces of the rolled sheet while sandwiching the rolled sheet from both sides thereof in a case where, when the rolled sheet is positioned in the accommodation position, a diameter of the rolled sheet is equal to or more than a certain value.
In the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, when the rolled sheet having the diameter equal to or more than a certain value (for example, in an unused state) is positioned in the accommodation position, the resistance application members press the side surfaces of the rolled sheet by sandwiching the rolled sheet from both sides thereof, thus applying rotation resistance. As a result, excessive rotation due to an inertial force can be prevented, and sag at the time of rotation, that is, overrun can be prevented. Note that, with regard to application of rotation resistance, not only the resistance application members, but also the pair of support members pressed to the both sides of the core tube contribute in the same manner. Accordingly, in a case where the diameter of the rolled sheet is equal to or more than the certain value (when a weight is large, so an inertial force is large), by both the resistance application members and the pair of support members, the excessive rotation can effectively be prevented.
On the other hand, in a case where a residual amount of the rolled sheet is small, thereby resulting in a small-diameter rolled sheet state in which the diameter is less than the certain value, the rotation resistance only by the pair of support members is applied. However, even in this case, the inertial force becomes smaller in correspondence with the diameter, so the excessive rotation can be prevented, thereby making it possible to prevent the overrun.
As described above, since there is provided the resistance application members, even in the case where the diameter of the rolled sheet is large, the optimum rotation resistance can be applied, thereby making it possible to reliably prevent the overrun.
Further, a thermal printer according to the present invention is characterized by including: one of the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanisms according to the present invention; a thermal head having a plurality of heat generating elements and extending in a width direction of the recording sheet; a platen roller having a peripheral surface which can come into contact with the thermal head in a state where the recording sheet drawn out from the rolled sheet is sandwiched therebetween, for sending out the recording sheet through rotation; and a cutting member for cutting the recording sheet which has passed the thermal head.
In the thermal printer according to the present invention, when the platen roller is rotated, the rolled sheet pivotally supported by the rolled sheet support mechanism rotates, and the recording sheet drawn out from the rolled sheet is sent out in one direction while being sandwiched between the peripheral surface of the platen roller and the thermal head. At the same time, by the thermal head in which the plurality of heat generating elements generate heat as appropriate, it is possible to clearly print various characters, figures, or the like on the recording sheet which is sent out. After that, the printed recording sheet is appropriately cut by the cutting member. As a result, the recording sheet wound to be the rolled sheet can be used for receipts, tickets, or the like.
In particular, there is provided the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism, the rolled sheet can be pivotally supported continuously in a stable manner, and the replacement operation can easily be performed. Accordingly, reliability as the printer can be enhanced, and usability and maintainability can be improved.
According to the rolled sheet support mechanism according to the present invention, while preventing falling off of the rolled sheet, the mountability of the rolled sheet can be improved, so the reliability can be enhanced and the replacement operation can be facilitated.
Further, according to the thermal printer of the present invention, there is provided the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism, so the reliability as the printer can be enhanced, and usability and maintainability can be improved.
In the accompanying drawings:
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a rolled sheet support mechanism and a thermal printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to
A thermal printer 1 according to this embodiment includes, as shown in
The casing 3 is a casing formed by extrusion molding of plastic such as polycarbonate, or made of a metallic material, and is formed in a substantially cuboid shape. To a front surface of the casing 3, the recording sheet P1 which is drawn out from the rolled sheet P can be sent out, and the cover member (displacement member) 22 for the rolled sheet support mechanism 4 described later is fixed so as to be capable of opening and closing. Further, on the front surface of the casing 3, as shown in
The above-mentioned thermal head 5 has a plurality of heat generating elements (not shown), extends in a width direction of the recording sheet P1, and is provided on a side of the front surface of the casing 3. The thermal head 5 is biased to the platen roller 6 side by a coil spring or the like (not shown).
The platen roller 6 is provided to the cover member 22 side such that, when the cover member 22 is closed with respect to the casing 3, a peripheral surface of the platen roller 6 comes into contact with the thermal head 5 while sandwiching the recording sheet P1, which is drawn out from the rolled sheet P, therebetween. Further, the platen roller 6 has an end side to which a driven gear (not shown) is fixed so as to engage with a gear transmission mechanism (not shown) rotated by a motor. As a result, the platen roller 6 can be rotated by a rotation driving force from the motor and can send out the recording sheet P1 forwardly of the casing 3.
Further, the cover 22 is provided with the first cutting blade 7 in the vicinity of the platen roller 6. When the cover member 22 is closed with respect to the casing 3, the first cutting blade 7 moves along the second cutting blade 8 fixed to the casing 3 side. As a result, the recording sheet P1 which has passed the thermal head 5, that is, the recording sheet P1 on which printing is performed can be cut. The first and second cutting blades function as a cutting member 9 for cutting the recording sheet P1.
Further, in the casing 3, there is provided a control board 10 on which various electronic equipment are mounted. The control board 10 performs general control of various components by outputting an electronic signal or a control signal to the thermal head 5, and by outputting the control signal to the motor for driving the platen roller.
Subsequently, the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism 4 will be described with reference to
The pair of guide plates 20 are members which also serve as the side surfaces of the casing 3, are arranged in parallel spaced-apart relation to each other while sandwiching the rolled sheet P therebetween, and are opposed to side surfaces of the rolled sheet P. Note that, in
Each of the pair of bobbins 21 is arranged, as shown in
As illustrated, the cover member (displacement member) 22 has a pair of opposed spaced-apart wall portions on which are mounted the bobbins 21. Further, the bobbin 21 has the base end portion 21a inserted into a through hole 22a formed in a wall portion of the cover member 22, and is supported by the cover member 22 so as to be movable in a direction of an axis L of the core tube 2. Further, the insertion portion 21b of this embodiment is formed in a tapered shape having a diameter gradually decreasing toward the opening portion of the core tube 2. As a result, a tapered surface comes into line contact with an inner edge of the core tube 2 in a state where the insertion portion 21b is partially inserted into the core tube 2. Further, at a center of the insertion portion 21b, an opening portion 21c is bored. Between the opening portion 21c and an inner portion of the base end portion 21a, there is formed a through hole 21d for allowing a later-described shaft 30 to communicate therethrough.
The biasing member 23 is formed of a shaft 30, a bobbin pressing spring 31, and an end plate 32, and is arranged between the guide plate 20 and the bobbin 21. The biasing member 23 biases the bobbin 21 by an elastic force in such a direction that the bobbin 21 is spaced apart from the guide plate 20 to press a part of the insertion portion 21b to the core tube 2 with the part being inserted into the opening portion of the core tube 2, thereby allowing the rolled sheet P to be pivotally supported.
The shaft 30 is inserted into the through hole 21d of the bobbin 21 and is movable along the direction of the axis L. Further, one end side of the shaft 30 is fixed to a C pin 33 abutting on a wall surface of the opening portion 21c. As a result, when the bobbin 21 is biased by the bobbin pressing spring 31, the shaft 30 does not fall off.
The end plate 32 is made of a fluororesin or the like similarly to the bobbin 21. At a center of the end plate 32 on the guide plate 20 side, an opening portion 32a is bored, and a through hole 32b allowing passage of the shaft 30 therethrough is formed. To an inside of the through hole 32b, the other end side of the shaft 30 is press-fitted and fixed. Like on the one end side, the C pin 33 is also fixed to the other end side of the shaft 30.
Further, between the end plate 32 and the bobbin 21, the bobbin pressing spring 31 is arranged while being fitted to the shaft 30. The bobbin 21 is biased in such a direction that the bobbin 21 is spaced apart from the guide plate 20 by the bobbin pressing spring 31, that is, toward the core tube 2 side. As a result, as described above, the part of the insertion portion 21b is inserted into the opening portion of the core tube 2.
Between the wall portion of the cover member 22 and the end plate 32, there is arranged the bobbin off spring 24. The bobbin off spring 24 is arranged while surrounding the shaft 30 and the bobbin pressing spring 31, and has one end side fitted on a protruding portion 22b of the cover member 22 and the other end side fitted on a protruding portion 32c of the end plate 32. The end plate 32 is biased by the bobbin off spring 24, thereby continuously being brought into surface contact with the guide plate 20. As a result, when the rolled sheet P is not mounted, the bobbin 21 can be positioned in a predetermined position with respect to the direction of the axis L. That is, as shown in
The above-mentioned cover member 22 has a pair of opposed spaced-apart wall portions which are, as shown in
Further, to each of the pair of guide plates 20, as shown in
Next, a description will be made of a case where, after the unused rolled sheet P is mounted to the thermal-printer 1 structured as described above, information of various kinds are printed on the rolled sheet P.
First, as shown in
As a result of continuously pushing in the rolled sheet P, when each opening portion of the core tube 2 exposed to side surface of the rolled sheet P reaches the position of the each insertion portion 21b, as shown in
After the rolled sheet P is mounted, as shown in
Here, the pair of guide plates 20 has such a design that a distance therebetween decreases from the attachment position S1 to the accommodation position S2. Therefore, the bobbins 21 are further pressed to the core tube 2 through the bobbin pressing springs 31. That is, the distance between the pair of guide plates 20 is mechanically smaller in the accommodation position S2 than in the attachment position S1. Thus, as shown in
As described above, the distance between the pair of guide plates 2b mechanically changes between the attachment position S1 and the accommodation position S2. Therefore, the pressing force of the bobbin 21 can easily be changed. Accordingly, even in a case where the rolled sheet P is unused, thereby being heavy, the rolled sheet P can be pivotally supported in the accommodation position S2 with reliability, so the falling off of the rolled sheet P can be prevented. On the other hand, at a time of replacing the rolled sheet P, the pressing force of the bobbins 21 can be weakened in the attachment position S1. Therefore, an attachment operation of the rolled sheet P can easily be performed in a way similar to that of the drop-in type.
As described above, according to the rolled sheet support mechanism 4 of this embodiment, prevention of falling off of the rolled sheet P and facilitation of the attachment operation thereof at the time of replacement, which are conventionally difficult can be achieved at the same time. Further, when attaching the rolled sheet P, the insertion portion 21b of the bobbin 21 is not pressed to the side surface of the rolled sheet P with a strong force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent such deformation that the side surface of the rolled sheet P is dented.
Note that, when removing the rolled sheet P, the cover member 22 is rotated in a reverse direction to position the rolled sheet P in the attachment position S1, and then, an operation reverse to that at the time of mounting described above is performed, thereby achieving the removal.
Further, when the rolled sheet P is moved to the accommodation position S2, as shown in
Next, printing of various types of information on the recording sheet P1 drawn out from the rolled sheet P is performed.
First, a motor is operated through the control board 10 to rotate the platen roller 6 through a gear transmission mechanism. As a result, as shown in
Further, during the printing, as described above, the resistance application members 25 each composed of the compression spring 36 and the compression plate 37 press the side surfaces of the rolled sheet P while sandwiching the rolled sheet P from both sides thereof. Therefore, it is possible to apply the rotation resistance to the rolled sheet P. As a result, excessive rotation due to an inertial force can be prevented, so sag at the time of rotation, that is, overrun can be prevented. Note that, the application of the rotation resistance is performed with contribution of not only the resistance application members 25 but also the pair of bobbins 21 pressed to both sides of the core tube 2. Accordingly, when the diameter of the rolled sheet P is equal to or more than a certain value as in the unused sate (when the weight is large, so the inertial force is large), by both the resistance application members 25 and the bobbins 21, the excessive rotation can effectively be prevented.
On the other hand, in a case where, as shown in
In this manner, there is provided the resistance application members 25, so even when the diameter of the rolled sheet P is large as in the case of the unused rolled sheet P, the appropriate rotation resistance can be applied, thereby making it possible to prevent the overrun with reliability.
As described above, since the thermal printer 1 of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned rolled sheet support mechanism 4, the rolled sheet P can be pivotally supported in a stable manner, and the replacement operation can easily be performed. Accordingly, reliability as a printer can be enhanced, and usability and maintainability can be improved.
In particular, the insertion portions 21b of the pair of bobbins 21 are formed in a tapered shape, so, when the rolled sheet P is attached, a direction of a force can easily be converted into the direction of the axis L of the core tube 2. Accordingly, the pair of bobbins 21 can be smoothly moved in the direction of the axis L, thereby making it possible to easily perform the replacement operation of the rolled sheet P. Further, when the rolled sheet P is pivotally supported, the tapered surfaces can be pressed to the inner edges of the core tube 2, thereby making it possible to pivotally support the rolled sheet P with reliability.
Further, since the bobbin off spring 24 is interposed between the cover member 22 and the end plate 32, the end plate 32 and the guide plate 20 can continuously be brought into surface contact with each other, and the bobbin 21 can continuously be positioned in the same position with respect to the direction of the axis L. As a result, when the rolled sheet P is not mounted, the position of the insertion portion 21b can continuously be retained in the same position with respect to the guide plate 20. Accordingly, when mounting the rolled sheet P, the rolled sheet P can be mounted without being caught or the like, and every time with the same sense of touch. Thus, the mountability is excellent.
Further, in this embodiment, the cover member 22 is rotated by opening and closing, thereby making it possible to displace the rolled sheet P and the bobbins 21 between the attachment position S1 and the accommodation position S2. Accordingly, unlike in the case where the linear displacement is performed, a small space can effectively be utilized, thereby making it possible to downsize the rolled sheet support mechanism 4 and the thermal printer 1. Further, as compared to the case where the linear displacement is performed, the attachment position S1 and the accommodation position S2 can clearly be distinguished according to an opening/closing degree of the cover member 22, so the usability is enhanced.
Note that, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications may be added without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the description has been made by taking the case where the rolled sheet support mechanism 4 is incorporated in the thermal printer 1 as an example. However, the rolled sheet support mechanism 4 is not limited to the use for the thermal printer 1. Further, the bobbins 21 are displaced by opening and closing the cover member 22, but the bobbins 21 may be displaced by linearly moving the cover member 22.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-300003 | Nov 2006 | JP | national |
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| 4821974 | Poehlein | Apr 1989 | A |
| 6505981 | Takami et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
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| 7018119 | Koyabu | Mar 2006 | B2 |
| 20050002721 | Koyabu | Jan 2005 | A1 |
| 20050199763 | Myers et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2001163483 | Jun 2001 | JP |
| 2003171037 | Jun 2003 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080135674 A1 | Jun 2008 | US |
