US 12,145,381 B2
Printer including switch unit positioned in groove of casing with FPC connected to controller through hole of groove
Tetsuro Muramatsu, Nagoya (JP); Masashi Tanizaki, Kuwana (JP); Koshiro Shimoda, Tokoname (JP); and Yuya Nakamura, Toyoake (JP)
Assigned to BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya (JP)
Filed by BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya (JP)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/047,870.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-173980 (JP), filed on Oct. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0131978 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 29/02 (2006.01); B41J 29/13 (2006.01); B41J 29/38 (2006.01); H05K 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 29/02 (2013.01) [B41J 29/13 (2013.01); B41J 29/38 (2013.01); H05K 1/028 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printer comprising:
a casing;
a grooved part in a form of a recess formed on an outer surface of the casing, the grooved part having a groove bottom surface and a groove inner wall, the groove bottom surface having a prescribed end portion from which the groove inner wall extends;
a switch unit provided in the grooved part, the switch unit having a switch bottom surface;
a controller disposed inside the casing;
a flexible printed circuit having a first end connected to the switch bottom surface and a second end connected to the controller; and
a hole part formed at the prescribed end portion of the groove bottom surface, the flexible printed circuit extending through the hole part to be introduced inside the casing, the groove bottom surface defining a center thereof in a prescribed direction and the center and the hole part being aligned with each other in the prescribed direction, the hole part having inner walls defining a first inner end and a second inner end opposing each other in the prescribed direction, the first inner end being farther away from the center of the groove bottom surface than the second inner end is from the center of the groove bottom surface in the prescribed direction,
wherein the switch bottom surface is fixed to the groove bottom surface through the flexible printed circuit, and
wherein the first inner end is positioned outside of the grooved part in the prescribed direction or at the same position as the groove inner wall in the prescribed direction.