Printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632769-B2
Application number	US-201816147340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A printer includes a recording medium holding unit that holds a long, wound strip-like recording medium to enable the recording medium to be pulled out from a front end thereof, a recording unit that pulls out the recording medium held by the recording medium holding unit to a side higher in a vertical direction than a position for pulling out from the recording medium holding unit and that executes a recording operation for the pulled-out recording medium, and a second cutter mechanism disposed under the recording medium holding unit and that cuts the recording medium for which the recording operation is executed by the recording unit at the back end thereof separated from the front end by a predetermined length. A drawing position of the recording medium into an inversion path is arranged to be lower than the recording medium holding unit and the recording unit in the vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a recording medium holding unit that holds a long, wound, strip-like recording medium so as to enable the recording medium to be pulled out starting with a front end on an outer circumference side thereof;
a recording unit that pulls out the recording medium held by the recording medium holding unit to a position higher in a vertical direction than a position for pulling out from the recording medium holding unit, the recording unit performing a recording operation for the recording medium that is pulled out;
a cutting unit that is disposed beneath the recording medium holding unit in the vertical direction, the cutting unit cutting the recording medium at a back end of the recording medium for which the recording operation is executed by the recording unit, the back end being separated from the front end by a predetermined length;
a first switching unit that includes a first switching member selectively positioned at a front side recording position connecting a position for recording by the recording unit and the position for pulling out, and at an inversion position connecting a position for cutting by the cutting unit and the position for pulling out, the first switching unit positioning the first switching member at the front side recording position or the inversion position;
an inverting unit that includes an inversion path that draws in from the front end, the recording medium cut off by the cutting unit, the inverting unit discharging the recording medium drawn into the inversion path to an exterior of the inversion path starting with the back end thereof; and
a second switching unit that includes a second switching member selectively positioned at an inversion start position connecting a drawing position to draw the recording medium into the inversion path and the position for the cutting, and at the back side recording position connecting the drawing position and the recording position, the second switching unit positioning the second switching member at the inversion start position or the back side recording position, wherein
the first switching unit and the second switching unit are different units, and wherein
the drawing position is arranged to be lower than the recording medium holding unit and the recording unit in the vertical direction.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the inversion path is arranged on a side opposite the recording medium holding unit, sandwiching the recording unit therebetween in a horizontal direction for the recording medium for which the recording operation is executed by the recording unit.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein
the inversion path is arranged to surround the recording unit from a side opposite the recording medium holding unit.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the second switching unit includes an urging unit that urges the second switching member to position the second switching member at the back side recording position, and
the urging unit positions the second switching unit at the inversion start position when the second switching unit is urged by the recording medium conveyed to the drawing position.

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd
• Citizen Systems Japan Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Akira
• Yamazaki Takeshi
• Taguchi Yuichi

Classifications

• B41J3/60

  for printing on both faces of the printing material · CPC title

• B65H29/60

  diverting the stream into alternative paths (B65H29/62 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H16/02

  Supporting web roll · CPC title

• B41J11/70 Primary

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title

• B41J15/042

  for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material · CPC title