Printer including first link, second link, and connection member for moving platen holder in accordance with movement of operation member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040554-B2
Application number	US-202016825528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2020
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A printer includes: a housing; a platen holder; a platen roller; a printing head; an operation member; a first link; a second link; a connection member having a connecting portion connecting the first link to the second link; and a movable member moving the platen holder in response to a pivotal movement of the second link to move the platen roller toward and away from the printing head. When the operation member is moved within a first movable range, the second link is pivotally moved while the first link and the connecting portion are maintained at a first positional relationship. When the operation member is moved within a second movable range different from the first movable range, a positional relationship between the first link and the connecting portion is changed from the first positional relationship to a second positional relationship while the second link is maintained stationary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a housing;
a platen holder accommodated in the housing and movable between a pressure position and a retracted position;
a platen roller rotatably supported by the platen holder;
a printing head configured to nip a printing medium in cooperation with the platen roller to perform printing on the printing medium, the platen roller pressing the printing head when the platen holder is at the pressure position, the platen roller being spaced apart from the printing head when the platen holder is at the retracted position;
an operation member provided at the housing and movable relative to the housing within a first movable range and within a second movable range different from the first movable range;
a first link pivotally movably supported by the operation member, the first link having a first portion and a second portion different from the first portion;
a second link supported by the housing and pivotally movable between an operation position and a standby position;
a connection member having a connecting portion at which the first link and the second link are connected to each other, the first link and the connecting portion providing therebetween a positional relationship including a first positional relationship at the first portion of the first link and a second positional relationship at the second portion of the first link; and
a movable member movable in interlocking relation to a pivotal movement of the second link from the operation position to the standby position to move the platen holder from the pressure position to the retracted position,
wherein, when the operation member is moved within the first movable range, the connection member causes the second link to be pivotally moved from the operation position to the standby position in response to a pivotal movement of the first link while maintaining the first positional relationship between the first link and the connecting portion, and
wherein, when the operation member is moved within the second movable range, the connection member causes the positional relationship between the first link and the connecting portion to be changed from the first positional relationship to the second positional relationship in response to the pivotal movement of the first link while maintaining the second link at the standby position.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed with an opening configured to accommodate the printing medium therein,
wherein the operation member is a cover supported by the housing and pivotally movable between an open position in which the opening is open and a closed position in which the opening is closed by the cover,
wherein the first movable range is a range including the closed position of the cover, and
wherein the second movable range is a range including the open position of the cover.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the connection member comprises:
a cam portion provided at the first link, the cam portion comprising:
a first cam provided at the first portion of the first link and has a substantially circular arc shape; and
a groove cam extending from the first cam to connect the first cam to the second portion of the first link, the groove cam having a groove width smaller than an inner diameter of the first cam; and

a pin provided at the second link and engaged with the cam portion, the pin having a major diameter and a minor diameter smaller than the major diameter, the major diameter being smaller than the inner diameter of the first cam and greater than groove width of the groove cam, the minor diameter being smaller than the groove width of the groove cam,
wherein, in accordance with a pivotal movement of the cover within the first movable range, the pin is rotated in response to the pivotal movement of the first link inside the first cam while a direction of the major diameter intersects a longitudinal direction of the groove cam such that an angle defined between the direction of the major diameter and the longitudinal direction of the groove cam is changed, and
wherein, in accordance with the pivotal movement of the cover within the second movable range, the second link is in a posture where the direction of the major diameter extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove cam, and the pin is moved from the first cam into the groove cam and is slidingly moved relative to the groove cam.

4. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the pin has a substantially oblong cross-section taken along a plane perpendicular to a direction in which a center axis of the pin extends.

5. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the first link comprises a protruding portion,
wherein the second link has a pivot center and comprises an extension portion positioned farther from the pivot center of the second link than the pin is from the pivot center, and
wherein, at a timing when the cover is moved from the second movable range into the first movable range, the protruding portion presses the extension portion to cause the second link in the standby position to be pivotally moved toward the operation position.

6. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the pin is engaged with the first cam with a clearance therebetween.

7. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein the cam portion further comprises a second cam positioned at the second portion of the first link, the second cam having a substantially circular arc shape substantially the same as the shape of the first cam.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Nobuo

Classifications

• B41J3/4075

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• B41J2202/31

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