Seiko Instruments Inc

Sii P & S Inc.

Other

Akihiko Ito

Yoshinori Sato

Minoru Hoshino

Shinichi Yoshida

Hideki Watanabe

Masanori Takahashi

Kazuo Yoneyama

Takumi Seino

Norimitsu Sambongi

Kimitaka Hirai

A paper feeding device that feeds a sheet of a paper roll to a printing device includes two spaced-apart side plates having opposed first notches for rotatably bearing-supporting a first paper roll and opposed second notches for rotatably bearing-supporting a second paper roll that may have a different diameter in an unused state from that of the first paper roll. A near end sensor for detecting the remaining amount of the paper rolls is slidably positioned in a linear groove formed in one of the side plates. The linear groove having a longitudinal axis that passes through a midpoint of a straight line connecting a rotation center of a first paper roll bearing-supported in the first notches and a rotation center of a second paper roll bearing-supported in the second notches. When first and second paper rolls of different sizes are used, if both paper rolls are wound on paper tubes of the same size, the position of the near end sensor need not be changed, which is a great convenience for the user.

Paper feeding device

A thermal printer has a thermal head pivotally mounted on a main body frame to pivot toward and away from a platen roller. The platen roller has shaft bearings at opposite ends thereof that are removably inserted in two spaced-apart opposed slots formed in the main body frame to rotatably support the platen roller. First springs bias a pivotal lock arm to a locked position to prevent removal of the shaft bearings from the slots, and second springs bias the thermal head toward the platen roller. Manual pivotal movement of the lock arm to an unlocked position permits removal of the shaft bearings from the shaft. The biasing directions of the first and second springs are parallel, which reduces the stroke distance of the first springs resulting in size reduction of the thermal printer.

Thermal printer

In order to enable a plurality of paper rolls having different diameters in an unused (new) state to be mounted freely according to a choice of a user, and to increase convenience for a user. A paper feeding devicethat feeds a sheet of a paper roll() to a printing device, includes two side platesvertically arranged along both sides of the paper roll(), in which the side platesare provided with a plurality of notcheswhich are capable of bearing-supporting the paper rolls() having the different diameters in the unused state, and in which, when the notchesare mounted with the corresponding paper rolls() in the unused state, end portionsof outer peripheral surfaces of the paper rolls() on the printing deviceside are arranged to be positioned in substantially the same vertical plane.

A thermal activator has a heating device that heats a heat sensitive adhesive layer of a heat sensitive adhesive sheet to activate the adhesive layer. The adhesive sheet has a printable surface formed on one side of a sheet-like base and the heat sensitive adhesive layer formed on the other side thereof. A transporting device transports the heat sensitive adhesive sheet in a predetermined direction. A sheet material prevents a heat sensitive adhesive of the heat sensitive adhesive layer or a denatured product of the heat sensitive adhesive from adhering to the transporting device.

Thermal activator for heat sensitive adhesive sheet and printer apparatus utilizing the thermal activator

A sheet holding structure comprises a container for holding fanfold paper layered by being alternately folded every predetermined length as a sheet. The container has upper and lower sections that are fixed to each other so as to be non-movable relative one another and that collectively form an accommodation portion that accommodates the fanfold paper. The lower section of the container has an inner wall surface formed in a concave shape along a lengthwise direction of the fanfold paper so that the fanfold paper curves in an inward direction and exerts an expanding force acting, at least in part, against the self-weight of the fanfold paper and in a direction opposite to the inward direction.

Sheet holding structure and printer for an electronic voting apparatus

A platen moving mechanism has a main body frame having a first recess, a head that performs processing on a sheet material, and a platen roller having a shaft portion that is inserted in the first recess of the main body frame while the sheet material is fed in a preselected feeding direction between the platen roller and the head during processing of the sheet material. A platen frame supports the platen roller and is mounted to undergo pivotal movement between an open state and a closed state. The platen frame has a second recess that retains the shaft portion of the platen roller during processing of the sheet material and from which the shaft portion can be completely removed in the open state of the platen frame. A lock arm is mounted to undergo pivotal movement to support the platen roller in the closed state of the platen frame. The lock arm has a third recess in which the shaft portion of the platen roller is inserted in the closed state of the platen frame. During the processing of the sheet material, the platen frame remains in the closed state while the shaft portion of the platen roller is securely retained in the second recess of the platen frame and inserted in the first recess of the main body frame and the third recess of the lock arm.

Platen moving mechanism and thermal printer

Provided is a thermal printer which provides ease of maintenance, such as ease of replacement of the thermal head, and which can shorten the time required for maintenance work and reduce maintenance cost. The thermal printer is one which performs printing on a sheet sandwiched between a thermal head having a heat generating element and a platen roller, and includes a first frame (outer frame) for retaining a printing mechanism including the thermal head and the platen roller; a head support member to which the thermal head is secured; a pressure plate that detachably retains the head support member; a joining member for joining the head support member and the pressure plate together; a support shaft (shaft) passed through a shaft hole provided in each of both side walls of the first frame, the support shaft rotatably supporting the head support member; a second frame (lock arm) which is rotatable integrally with the pressure plate about the support shaft; and an urging member suspended between the pressure plate and the second frame, for generating a pressing force between the thermal head and the platen roller in a state where the head support member is joined to the pressure plate.

A label peeling mechanism has a peeling member for peeling adhesive backed labels from a backing member of a continuous label strip. A conveying unit conveys the continuous label strip to the peeling member. A discharge frame has a discharge opening for discharging the adhesive backed labels peeled by the peeling member from the backing member of the continuous label strip. A slack preventing member integral with the discharge frame suppresses slack of the continuous label strip as the adhesive backed labels are peeled by the peeling member from the backing member of the continuous label strip.

Label peeling mechanism for continuous label strip, and label printer apparatus using the mechanism

A thermal printer has an outer frame that rotatably supports a platen roller. An inner frame is detachably attachable to the outer frame and has assembled thereon a head support body, a thermal head supported by the head support body, and biasing springs for urging the head support body toward the platen roller to apply a pressing force between the thermal head and the platen roller. During a printing operation, heating elements of the thermal head are energized to perform printing on a paper sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller. The inner frame together with the head support body, the thermal head and the biasing springs are detachable as an assembled unit from the outer frame. This enables easy maintenance of the thermal printer, such as replacement of the thermal head, and shortening of the time for maintenance and a reduction in maintenance cost.

A thermal activating device has an activation heating apparatus for heating and activating a heat sensitive adhesive on a thermal activator layer of a thermal activation sheet. A pressing device presses the thermal activation sheet into pressure contact with the activation heating apparatus to heat and activate the heat sensitive adhesive on the thermal activator layer of the thermal activation sheet. A detector detects the presence of the thermal activation sheet at a predetermined position along its path of travel. A pressure releasing device releases the pressure contact between the thermal activation sheet and the activation heating apparatus when the detector does not detect the presence of the thermal activation sheet at the predetermined position.

Thermal activating device of thermal activation sheet and printer using the thermal activating device

Forwarding and cutting method of a heat sensitive adhesive sheet using a printing device for printing on a printable layer of a heat sensitive adhesive sheet formed by the printable layer on one surface of a sheet-shaped substrate and a heat sensitive adhesive layer on the other surface thereof and first forwarding device for forwarding the heat sensitive adhesive sheet in a predetermined direction, a cutter provided in a posterior stage to the printing device, a thermal activating device including heating means provided in the posterior stage to the cutter, for heating the heat sensitive adhesive layer and second forwarding device for forwarding the heat sensitive adhesive sheet in a predetermined direction, an operation of the first forwarding device is stopped so as to cut the sheet by the cutter after temporarily loosening the sheet between the cutter and the thermal activating device according to speed control of the first and second forwarding devices.

Forwarding and cutting method of heat sensitive adhesive sheet and printer for heat sensitive adhesive sheet

A paper discharge device has a first conveyance path having an input port through which paper is introduced, a second conveyance path having a discharge port through which the paper is discharged, and a third conveyance path. A paper feeding mechanism feeds the paper through the first, second and third conveyance paths. A paper storage space temporarily stores the paper to prevent removal of the paper from the discharge port prior to completion of a paper cutting operation or a paper printing operation.

Paper discharge device

A dual type thermal printer comprises a main body frame, a first platen roller supported by the main frame for undergoing rotation, and a second platen roller supported by the main body frame in coaxial relation to the first platen roller for undergoing rotation independently from the first platen roller. A thermal head is supported by the main body frame for undergoing pivotal movement into and out of pressure contact with the first and second platen rollers. A print paper feeding mechanism separately feeds print paper to a first space between the first platen roller and the thermal head and to a second space between the second platen roller and the thermal head. An adjusting device adjusts a width of each of the first and second spaces to accommodate print paper of varying width sizes.

Dual type thermal printer

A paper feeding device has a first guide portion through which paper having a preselected width and thickness is introduced, a second guide portion for receiving the paper introduced into the first guide portion, and at least one connecting guide portion disposed between the first and second guide portions. A paper feeding roller mechanism feeds the paper from the first guide portion to the second guide portion through the connecting guide portion of the paper feeding guide. The paper feeding roller mechanism has a clamping portion for clamping the paper when the paper is fed to the second guide portion. The clamping portion of the paper feeding roller mechanism is disposed generally parallel to the connecting guide portion of the paper feeding guide.

Paper feeding device and printer having the paper feeding device

A printer comprises a frame, a platen supported by the frame for undergoing rotation, and a printing head for printing on a recording medium fed between the platen and the printing head. The printing head is supported by the frame for undergoing pivotal movement into and out of pressure contact with the platen. A biasing member is mounted for movement between a first position in which the biasing member is in a neutral, unstretched state, and a second position in which the biasing member is in stretched state. The biasing member has a first end integrally connected to the printing head and a second end opposite the first end. An operation member is integrally connected to the second end of the biasing member and is supported by the frame for undergoing pivotal movement between a first position and a second position. When the operation member is pivoted to the first position, the biasing member is moved to the first position and the printing head is pivoted out of pressure contact with the platen. When the operation member is pivoted to the second position, the biasing member is moved to the second position and the printing head is pivoted into pressure contact with the platen.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Akihiko Ito