Photo printer and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

Provided is a photo printer and a method for manufacturing the same that are capable of allowing a gap formed between a head and a platen roller to be kept constantly. The photo printer includes: a frame having both side walls; a paper accommodating part disposed between both side walls of the frame to accommodate the paper therein; a pickup roller located protrudingly from a bottom surface of the paper accommodating part to forward feed the paper accommodated in the paper accommodating part; a platen roller coupled to the frame to discharge the paper fed from the pickup roller forward; a head disposed above the platen roller to apply the heat to the paper; and a pair of brackets each having one side swingably coupled to the head and the other side hinge-coupled to the frame.

Claims

1. A photo printer for applying given heat to paper expressing colors in response to the heat to print images or texts, the photo printer comprising: a frame having both side walls; a paper accommodating part disposed between both side walls of the frame to accommodate the paper therein; a pickup roller located protrudingly from a bottom surface of the paper accommodating part to forward feed the paper accommodated in the paper accommodating part; a platen roller coupled to the frame to discharge the paper fed from the pickup roller forward; a head disposed above the platen roller to apply the heat to the paper; and a pair of brackets each having one side swingably coupled to the head and the other side hinge-coupled to the frame, wherein the head has swing holes formed on both sides thereof and the brackets have swing protrusions adapted to be inserted into the swing holes.

2. The photo printer according to claim 1, wherein the frame has support projections formed thereon to form a given gap between the head and the platen roller.

3. The photo printer according to claim 2, wherein the brackets have stepped projections formed on the undersides thereof in such a manner as to be locked onto the support projections to form the given gap between the head and the platen roller.

4. The photo printer according to claim 1, wherein the brackets have hinge holes hinge-coupled to the frame, and the hinge hole of any one of the brackets is a long hole.

5. The photo printer according to claim 1, further comprising fixing bolts adapted to fix the given gap formed between the head and the platen roller.

6. The photo printer according to claim 5, wherein the head has fastening holes adapted to fasten the fixing bolts thereto, and the brackets have fixing holes adapted to pass the fixing bolts therethrough, the fixing holes being long holes.

7. A method for manufacturing a photo printer comprising the steps of: mounting a platen roller onto a frame; swingably coupling a pair of brackets to both sides of a head; hinge-coupling one end of the pair of brackets to the frame; swinging the head with respect to the brackets form a given gap between the head and the platen roller; and fixing the brackets and the head to each other by means of fixing bolts to maintain the given gap.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the head has fastening holes adapted to fasten the fixing bolts thereto, and the brackets have fixing holes adapted to pass the fixing bolts therethrough, the fixing holes being long holes.

9. A photo printer for applying given heat to paper expressing colors in response to the heat to print images or texts, the photo printer comprising: a frame having both side walls; a paper accommodating part disposed between both side walls of the frame to accommodate the paper therein; a pickup roller located protrudingly from a bottom surface of the paper accommodating part to forward feed the paper accommodated in the paper accommodating part; a platen roller coupled to the frame to discharge the paper fed from the pickup roller forward; a head disposed above the platen roller to apply the heat to the paper; and a pair of brackets each having one side swingably coupled to the head and the other side hinge-coupled to the frame, wherein the frame has support projections formed thereon to form a given gap between the head and the platen roller.

10. The photo printer according to claim 9, wherein the brackets have stepped projections formed on the undersides thereof in such a manner as to be locked onto the support projections to form the given gap between the head and the platen roller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a conventional photo printer.

(2) FIGS. 4 to 8 show a photo printer according to the present invention.

(3) FIGS. 9 and 10 show a method for manufacturing the photo printer according to the present invention.

MODE FOR INVENTION

(4) Hereinafter, an explanation on a configuration and an operation of a photo printer according to the present invention will be in detail given with reference to the attached drawing.

(5) As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a photo printer 1 according to the present invention includes a paper accommodating part 10 disposed between both side walls of a frame 20 to accommodate paper therein.

(6) Further, a pickup roller R1 is located protrudingly from a bottom surface of the paper accommodating part 10 to forward feed the paper accommodated in the paper accommodating part 10.

(7) Also, a platen roller R2 is coupled to the frame 10 to discharge the paper fed from the pickup roller R1 forward.

(8) A drive-train 50 is provided to rotate the platen roller R2 and the pickup roller R1.

(9) A head 30 is disposed above the platen roller R2 to apply heat to the paper.

(10) The head 30 is swingably coupled to a bracket 40 having a pair of brackets 40a and 40b, and the brackets 40a and 40b are hinge-coupled to the frame 20.

(11) Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the head 30 has a heat emitting element 31 disposed on the underside thereof and fastening holes 32 and swing holes 33 formed on both sides thereof.

(12) Also, both sides of the head 30 are coupled to the pair of first and second brackets 40a and 40b. In detail, the first and second brackets 40a and 40b are plate-shaped and have swing protrusions 42 protruding inward therefrom in such a manner as to be press-fitted to the swing holes 33. Accordingly, the head 30 is swingably coupled to the first and second brackets 40a and 40b, thereby adjusting a gap from the platen roller R2.

(13) Further, the first and second brackets 40a and 40b have hinge holes 41a and 41b formed on one end thereof around the swing protrusions 42 in such a manner as to insert hinge pins h1 and h2 of the frame 20 thereinto. According to the present invention, the hinge hole 41a of the first bracket 40a is a hole having a shape of a circle, but the hinge hole 41b of the second bracket 40b is a long hole extended in a vertical direction. Since the second bracket 40b is the long hole, therefore, the left and right balance of the head 30 can be adjusted.

(14) Furthermore, the first and second brackets 40a and 40b have fixing holes 43 formed on the other end thereof around the swing protrusions 42. The fixing holes 43 of the first and second brackets 40a and 40b are long holes extended in a vertical direction.

(15) Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, an explanation on a process of forming the gap between the platen roller R2 and the head 30 in the photo printer according to the present invention and on a method for manufacturing the photo printer according to the present invention will be given below.

(16) First, the paper accommodating part 10 and the platen roller R2 are coupled to the frame 20.

(17) Next, the swing protrusions 42 of the bracket 40 are press-fitted to the swing holes 33 formed on both sides of the head 30.

(18) Next, the hinge holes 41a and 41b of the bracket 40 are swingably coupled to the hinge pins h1 and h2 of the frame 20. At this time, stepped projections 44 of the bracket 40 are locked onto support projections 21 of the frame 20, and accordingly, the bracket 40 is not descended anymore, so that the gap is primarily formed between the platen roller R2 and the head 30.

(19) Next, the gap formed between the platen roller R2 and the head 30 by means of the support projections 21 and the stepped projections 44 is measured through a vision camera or gauge, and after the measurement, the gap is adjusted to a set gap.

(20) If the measured gap is greater than the set gap, for example, the front side of the head 30 swings downward from the bracket 40 to allow the gap to be decreased. Like this, if the gap is adjusted, fixing bolts B are fastened to firmly keep the adjusted gap (See (a) of FIG. 9).

(21) If the measured gap is less than the set gap, contrarily, the front side of the head 30 swings upward from the bracket 40 to allow the gap to be increased. Like this, if the gap is adjusted, the fixing bolts B are fastened to firmly keep the adjusted gap (See (b) of FIG. 9).

(22) Reference symbols B of FIG. 9 indicate the fixing bolts, but to understand the above-mentioned processes, only portions where screws are formed on the fixing bolts are illustrated, while head portions on which cross lines are formed are being not illustrated.

(23) Like this, the formation of the gap between the platen roller R2 and the head 30 and the method for fixing the formed gap have been explained above.

(24) Next, a method for adjusting a horizontal level of the head 30 will be explained. In detail, if the head 30 is inclined toward any one side, the inclination is adjusted to the horizontal level to allow the gap between the platen roller R2 and the head 30 to be constant, without any deviation to left and right sides of the head 30.

(25) As mentioned above, the gap between the platen roller R2 and the head 30 is measured through the vision camera or gauge, and after that, if left and right gaps of the head 30 from the platen roller R2 are different from each other, the gap adjustment is carried out by means of the second bracket 40b, not by means of the first bracket 40a.

(26) In more detail, in a state of (a) of FIG. 10, that is, in a state where the hinge pin h2 is fixedly located at the center of the hinge hole 41b, the gap between the platen roller R2 and the head 30 is measured through the vision camera or gauge.

(27) If it is measured that the gap on the side where the second bracket 40b is coupled to the head 30 is less than the opposite gap to the gap, that is, if it is checked that the head 30 to which the second bracket 40b is coupled is inclined downward, one end of the second bracket 40b is lifted to allow the head 30 to be adjusted horizontally on the left and right sides and then fixed at the state. In this case, the hinge pin h2 is fixed down from the center of the hinge hole 41b (See (b) of FIG. 10).

(28) If it is checked that the head 30 to which the second bracket 40b is coupled is inclined upward, one end of the second bracket 40b is descended to allow the head 30 to be adjusted horizontally on the left and right sides and then fixed at the state. In this case, the hinge pin h2 is fixed up from the center of the hinge hole 41b.