EP0344097B1 - Device for transporting charts in office machines, particularly for papers in paper-processing appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

In a device for transporting charts (3) in office machines, particularly for papers in paper processing appliances (1), the chart (3) can in each case be fed in with processing means (5), in particular printing and/or reading means (6, 7) moved into positions outside the chart path, and there is a drawing-in shaft (8) composed of guide means which form one or more successive recesses (19), extending transversely in the direction (4) of transport, for the processing means (5) which are movable transversely to the direction (4) of transport. <??>In order to allow fault-free drawing-in even of damaged or irregular charts (3) or papers, it is proposed that the recesses (19) be at least partially closable by means of elastic coverings (24, 25) which each form inlet funnels (26) for the chart (3) in the direction (4) of transport, and that, in the case of transverse movements of the processing means (5), the respective elastic covering (24, 25) can temporarily be moved by the moved processing means (5) from its respective functioning position assumed in the starting state into another functioning position while the processing means (5) are being moved past. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for the transport of recording media in office machines, in particular for documents in document processing equipment, in which the recording medium in each case in processing in positions outside the recording medium trajectory processing means, in particular pressure and / or reading means, is insertable and a feed shaft consists of guide means, form in the transport direction one or more consecutive, transversely extending recesses for the transversely movable to the transport direction processing means.

Such devices serve the purpose of recording media such as e.g. Documents (checks, forms and the like) flat and without bulges at the corners in the office machine, e.g. in a document processing device or a printer, introduce and bring to a read or write position.

It is known to form a feed shaft from a lower support level on the lower part of the unit and protruding through cutouts lower transport rollers and each counter-roller, wherein the support plane opposite a guide rail is arranged, the thickness of the thickest printed material and thus the height of the feed chute limited and not self-adjustable. In contrast, the counter-roller is resiliently adjustable and adjusts to the thickness of the recording medium. The lower transport rollers are driven. The upper counter rolls can be driven and are usually smaller in diameter than the lower transport rollers.

In such transport means special processing means are provided which are moved transversely to the transport direction of the recording medium and necessarily interrupt the course of the feed chute. For example, e.g. interrupted in a document processing device of the feed chute in the transport direction behind the first pair of counter roller / transport roller through a transverse recess for a printhead, wherein on the length of the movement path of the printhead, a pressure abutment is arranged. In the same document processing device, a recess for a read head is provided in the transport direction behind the movement path of the print head and behind another pair of counter roller / transport roller, which is also moved on a carriage transversely to the transport direction of the recording medium. Within such a recess, which may thus occur in the lower part of the device and / or in the upper part of the device, the above-mentioned support level in the lower part of the device is not interrupted opposite the reading head, but the upper part of the device, in which the carriage guide must be arranged for the reading head.

These recesses of all kinds and the processing means (print head, print head, read head, reading head guide, etc.) basically interfere with the free transport of the recording medium. In the event that now the recording medium also has deformations (damage to the edges, dog ears, etc.), the transport of the recording medium is considerably at risk, if not impossible. In such disorders, there is a misdirection of one or several recording media, eg for smaller documents, or to a jam of deformed pieces of paper, depending on the type of processing.

It is also known (DE-B-23 07 893) to provide a pressing device for the recording medium on a printing unit with a movable print head. Here, the recording medium to be pressed against the pressure abutment on both sides of the writing or printhead, including on both sides of the movable head depending a transversely arched band spring is fixed end, extending from the head to different sides along the entire line and there are stiff and edged out, so that shortened in the effective range of a row at a displacement movement of the head to the right, the length of the right band spring and extended the left and vice versa. However, such a pressing device does not solve the problem of guiding a recording medium over a plurality of processing stations, which are not limited to a printhead such as a printing head. a matrix needle printhead or a thermal printhead, but also a reading means for optical character recognition. The resulting from the arrangement of such treatment stations recesses in the guide can not be compensated by the known means.

It is also known a paper guide about a cylindrical pressure roller (US-A-4,197,023), which consists of a recording medium in the region of a printhead leading curved channel portion which causes the paper to rest on the pressure roller. Since, in this case too, the recesses mentioned above do not arise, these means are also unsuitable for eliminating the existing problems.

The invention is therefore based on the object, in office machines, the interruptions in the transport path of the recording medium, in particular of the feed shaft, have (so-called recesses) to propose means to eliminate the adverse effects of such interruptions.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the recesses are at least partially closed by means of elastic covers which form each inlet funnel for the recording medium in the transport direction and that in transverse movements of the processing means the respective elastic cover by the moving processing means from its occupied in the initial state each functional position during the passing of the processing means is temporarily movable into another functional position. An improvement consists in the fact that over the recess for the reading means two opposing, angled covers are provided, which are located in the end positions located reading means except for a gap or touching each other. The invention is also characterized in that the cover is provided with an additional, directed downward in the feed chute. Finally, the invention consists in that adjacent covers for adjacent processing means are combined to form a single cover. As a result, covers, e.g. be created from transparent, thin plastic films that form the feed tray for the first inlet funnel and opened after retraction of the recording medium in trouble-free feeding operation into the feed chute and after reaching the recesses for the processing means or displaced from this, i. be moved into a desired position. In addition, the foils close in the running area of the optical reading device when the latter is in the right or left rest position and thus form at the Einsugsseite the desired inlet funnel. Further, the document tray - depending on the recording medium thickness - narrowed, so that the record carrier led to the head or foot side buckling closer in the feed chute and misguidance is prevented. The features limit the number of covers or foils.

An embodiment of the invention provides that the cover is attached to a guide plate as a guide means and extends angularly outside of the guide plate, wherein a printing medium associated cover covers the ribbon outside of the pressure field. This intended for a liftable and lowerable printhead Cover is thus used successively as an inlet funnel and as a ribbon guide or as a ribbon cover, with deformed documents are recovered trouble-free and smearing of the document is prevented by the ribbon.

• Fig. 1 eine Draufsicht auf ein geöffnetes Belegverarbeitungsgerät mit Druck- und Lesemittel,
• Fig. 2 einen Querschnitt II-II gemäß Fig. 1, wobei das Lesemittel jedoch in seiner Endstellung, d.h. an einem Anschlag steht,
• Fig. 3 den Querschnitt II-II wie Fig. 2 mit in Betrieb befindlichem Druckkopf bzw. Lesekopf,
• Fig. 4 eine Draufsicht auf eine Abdeckung zusammen mit dem Führungsblech im Bereich des Lesemittels,
• Fig. 5 die zu Fig. 4 gehörende Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 6 eine Draufsicht auf eine Abdeckung zusammen mit einem anderen Führungsblech im Bereich zweier benachbarter Bearbeitungsmittel (Lese- und Druckmittel) und
• Fig. 7 die zu Fig. 6 gehörende Seitenansicht.

In the drawing, an embodiment of the invention is shown schematically and will be explained in more detail below. Show it:

• 1 is a plan view of an open document processing device with pressure and reading means,
• 2 shows a cross section II-II of FIG. 1, wherein the reading means, however, in its end position, that is, at a stop,
• 3 shows the cross section II-II as shown in FIG. 2 with printhead or read head in operation,
• 4 is a plan view of a cover together with the guide plate in the region of the reading means,
• 5 is the side view belonging to FIG. 4,
• Fig. 6 is a plan view of a cover together with another guide plate in the region of two adjacent processing means (reading and printing means) and
• Fig. 7 belonging to FIG. 6 side view.

As an office machine, a document processing apparatus 1 with a lower device part 2 is shown (FIG. 1). A recording medium 3 is moved in the transporting direction 4 by the document processing apparatus 1. The record carrier 3 can also consist of vouchers, as are customary in the banking business. For the processing of the recording medium 3 processing means 5 are therefore required, which in the present case consist of printing means 6, e.g. a matrix needle printhead or a thermal printhead, or a reading means 7 for optical character recognition.

A feed shaft 8 consists of a lower support level 9 on the lower part of the unit 2 and projecting from cutouts 10 lower transport rollers 11 and from each one above Counter roller 12. At the beginning of the feed chute 8, the support plane 9 is arranged opposite a guide plate 13 which limits the thickness of the thickest printed material and thus the height of the feed chute 8. The guide plate 13 is not adjustable by itself. In contrast, the counter-roller 12 is resiliently adjustable and adjusts to the thickness of the recording medium 3 a. The lower transport roller 11 may be driven. In the exemplary embodiment (FIG. 1), the counter-roller 12 is driven by means of a belt drive 14 or by means of equivalent drive elements only in the case of the front pair of counter-roller and transport roller. For the drive transmission is a common drive shaft 15. In each case two counter-rollers 12 are mounted together and connected via shafts 16. The lengths of the shafts 16 are matched to the width of a recording medium 3 or a document. The guide plate 13 is provided with cutouts 17 for the counter-roller 12. The transport rollers (11) are all driven, only in the first pair of rollers in addition, the counter-roller (12) is also driven.

The processing means 5 are movable in the transverse direction 18, ie transversely to the transport direction 4 of the recording medium 3. For the transverse direction 18 special slide guides are provided, which, however, are of no significance to the understanding of the invention in its embodiment. The respective necessary aids for the processing means 5, ie the slide guides for the processing means 5, necessarily interrupt the course of the feed chute 8. Thus, for example, in the illustrated document processing apparatus 1, the feed chute 8 in the transport direction 4 behind the first pair of counter-roller 12 and transport roller 11 a transverse recess 19 interrupted. Within the recess 19 is a pressure abutment 20 with a length which the movement path of the pressure medium 6 corresponds. In the transport direction 4 further transport rollers 11 and counter rollers 12 are now provided behind the recess 19. Here, the counter-rollers 12 are each rotatably mounted on pivot levers 21, and all pivot levers 21 are fixed to a pivot shaft 22 which is provided with a drive 23. From the pair of counter-roller 12 and transport roller 11 also follows here a recess 19, which, however, is represented by the said slide guide for the reading means 7. Again, the feed chute 8 is interrupted, so that the risk of paper jams arises. The recess 19 is located in the region of the reading means 7 in the (not shown) upper device part.

This problem is solved by the invention in that the recesses 19 are at least partially closed by means of elastic covers 24 or 25, said elastic covers 24 and 25, e.g. consist of transparent, elastic plastic films and wherein these elastic covers 24, 25 each have their own inlet funnel 26 to avoid the paper jam by an irregular recording medium 3.

The system of the elastic covers 24, 25 is further designed such that the transverse movement of the processing means 5 changes the initial state (the initial position) of the covers 24 and 25 for the overflow of the processing means 5, whereby the respective inlet funnel 26 can be temporarily lost or persisted , After the overflow, i. the processing of the recording medium 3, the initial state is resumed.

The cover 24 is attached to a guide plate 27 as a guide means and extends outside of the guide plate 27 as angular cover 24a. The cover 24 associated with the printing means 6 covers an ink ribbon 28 outside a printing field 29, thereby avoiding smears on the recording medium 3.

Over the recess 19 for the reading means 7, two opposing covers 24 and 25 are present. When located in an end position 30 reading means 7, the covers are 24 and 25 with respect to a gap (37) opposite or even touch.

The cover 24 is provided with an additional, directed downward into the feed chute 8 bend 31 (Fig. 2, 3 and 7).

Adjacent covers for adjacent processing means 5, e.g. the pressure means 6 and the reading means 7 can be combined to form a single cover 24.

The blank of the covers 24 and 25 is shown separately in FIGS. 4 to 7. The guide plate 27 is provided with the cutouts 17 and formed for the counter-rollers 12 with guide angle 32. The guide plate 27 is fastened through screw holes 33 by means of screws 34 (FIG. 1) at the necessary vertical distance from the device lower part 2. The made of transparent plastic, foil-like covers 24 and 25 are adapted in their outlines on the local conditions. Thus, for the reading means 7 (FIGS. 4 and 5), the cover 25 is provided with cutouts 35 in the area of the counter-rollers 12. Similar cutouts 36 are attached to the cover 24 (Figures 6 and 7).

The covers 24 and 25 are displaceable with respect to the reading means 7 in two positions: In the end position 30 of the reading means 7 (Fig. 2), the covers 24 and 25 except for a narrow gap 37th closed. In the operating position (FIG. 1), the reading means 7 temporarily opens the covers 24 and 25 during movements in the transverse directions 18. Here an inlet funnel 26a always remains. On the other hand, the cover 24 or the angular cover 24a is in an upper position (FIG. 2) in the end position 30 of the pressure means 6 and is pressed down during the movements in the transverse directions 18 (FIG. 3), with a chamfer 38 on the pressure abutment 20 creates a favorable investment of the angular cover 24a. In addition, the ink ribbon 28 is covered outside the printing field 29, whereby smearing on the recording medium 3 can be avoided.

Claims (2)

1. An apparatus for transporting record carriers (3) in office machines, in particular for paper in paper-processing appliances (1), into which the record carrier (3) can be introduced in each case with processing means (5), in particular printing means (6) and/or reading means (7), moved in positions outside the path of the record carrier and an intake shaft (8) consists of guide means (9, 13) which in the direction of transportation (4) form one or more successive, transversely running recesses (19) for the processing means (5) which are movable transversely to the direction of transportation (4),
   characterised in that
   the recesses (19) can be at least partially closed by means of elastic covers (24, 25) which in the direction of transportation (4) in each case form entry funnels (26) for the record carrier (3) and that upon transverse movements of the processing means (5) the respective elastic cover (24; 25) can be moved temporarily from its respective function position adopted in the initial state into a different function position by the moved processing means (5) during the moving-past of the processing means (5), that two opposed, angled covers (24, 25) are provided over the recess (19) for the reading means (7), which covers when the reading means (7) are in the end positions (30) lie opposite one another up to a gap (37) or contact one another, that the cover (24) is provided with an additional angled section (31) pointing downwards into the intake shaft (8), and that adjacent covers for adjacent processing means (5) are combined to form a single cover (24).
2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cover (24) is attached to a guide plate (27) as a guide means and runs in angular manner (24a) outside the guide plate (27), with a cover (24) associated with a printing means (6) covering the ribbon (28) outside the print area (29).

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