JP2000335028A - Printer and paper feed magazine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the printing inferiority or printer trouble caused by the diffusion of a paper powder or cut pieces generated when recording paper is cut. SOLUTION: The blank around the printing area of thermal recording paper 21 is cut off by cutters 31, 32 and cut pieces 39 fall to a dust box 11. A fine paper powder at a time of cutting is sucked to a filter by a fan 13 to be caught thereby and prevented from diffusing into a printer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer and a paper feed magazine, and more particularly, to a printer and a paper feed magazine for preventing the diffusion of paper dust and the like generated when cutting recording paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a long recording paper is fed from a paper feed magazine containing rolled recording paper as a recording paper of various printers and printing is performed, the printed recording paper is formed into a sheet one by one. Many printers are equipped with a shear type cutter for cutting the recording paper in the width direction in order to separate them.

[0003] For example, in a thermal printer for recording an image, a shearing type cutter for cutting a margin portion where an image formed before and after the thermal recording paper is not recorded is formed along with side edges formed on both sides of the thermal recording paper. Some machines are provided with a rotary cut type slit cutter for cutting a margin.

[0004]

As described above, when cutting a long recording sheet into a sheet or cutting a margin outside the recording area, fine paper dust or the like near the cutter is required. In this case, the margin of the recording paper is cut off.

If printing is continued without appropriately removing such chips such as paper dust and scraps of recording paper, the chips are diffused into the printer due to the flow of air inside the printer and adhere to the print head. This can cause improper printing or printer failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer and a paper feed magazine for effectively preventing print defects and printer failures caused by chips generated when recording paper is cut.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, in the printer according to the present invention, a fan for sucking chips of the recording paper by the cutting means, a filter for catching the sucked chips, and a filter for catching the sucked chips. A dust box for storing chips is provided. The filter and the dust box are preferably provided in a paper feed magazine for feeding the recording paper to a printer. Further, the configuration of the fan for sucking chips is simplified by also using the cooling fan of the printer.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper feed magazine including a dust box for storing recording paper chips by the cutting means. The paper feed magazine preferably has a filter for catching chips, and further preferably has a fan for sucking chips and causing the filters to catch the chips.

[0009]

1 and 2, a dust collecting device 20 including a dust box 11, a filter 12, and a fan 13 is formed on the front side of a thermal printer 10. As shown in FIG. A handle 11a is formed on the front surface of the dust box 11, and can be pulled out of the thermal printer 10. At the bottom of the dust box 11, a holding frame 11b for supporting the filter 12 is provided.

The filter 12 is placed on the holding frame 11b. The filter 12 is for catching recording paper chips, and is made of coarse fibrous paper, cloth, or sheet-like glass that does not allow fine paper dust to pass through and allows sufficient air to pass through. Fiber or the like is used.

The fan 13 comprises a motor 13a, a frame 13b for holding the motor 13a, and blades 13c mounted on the rotating shaft of the motor 13a. Three fans 13 are mounted side by side with a length substantially equal to the width of the dust box 11. Due to the rotation of the fan 13, an air flow is formed from the upper surface of the filter 12 toward the fan 13 (see the dotted arrow in FIG. 1).

The fan 13 may be any type of fan, such as a centrifugal fan or a cross flow fan, in addition to the axial flow fan. Also, the number of blades is not limited to three, but may be an appropriate number.

An exhaust port 14 is formed in the middle of the front surface of the thermal printer 10. This exhaust port 14 is a fan 13
The air sucked by is exhausted to the outside of the thermal printer 10. At the opening of the exhaust port 14, a net 1 for preventing foreign matter from entering
4a is attached.

A power switch 15 and a pilot lamp 16 are provided below the thermal printer 10. Also,
In the upper part of the thermal printer 10, a paper discharge port 18 for discharging printed recording paper is formed. This thermal printer 10
The upper part can be opened about the rotation shaft 19 on the back side. Then, by opening the upper part, feed magazine 2
2 can be exchanged.

As shown in FIG. 3, a paper feed magazine 22 is detachably housed in the thermal printer 10. The paper feed magazine 22 stores the roll-shaped thermosensitive recording paper 21. The thermal recording paper 21 is a pair of paper feed rollers 22a.
Nip transport. The thermosensitive recording paper 21 is a well-known color thermosensitive recording paper including three thermosensitive coloring layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow. When irradiated with 420 nm ultraviolet rays, the coloring ability of the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer is lost, and 365 nm ultraviolet rays are irradiated. As a result, the coloring ability of the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer disappears.

Inside the thermal printer 10, a recording paper transport path (not shown) is formed in a U-shape in a horizontal direction from the paper feed magazine 22 to the paper discharge port 18, and transport rollers 23a to 23e and heat A thermal head 25 for recording, a platen drum 24, fixing lamps 26a and 26b for erasing the coloring ability of the thermal coloring layer, and a cutting device 27 for cutting the thermal recording paper 21 are formed.

As is well known, the thermal head 25 is provided with heating elements formed in a line in the main scanning direction, and performs thermal recording on three thermosensitive coloring layers of cyan, magenta and yellow of the thermosensitive recording paper 21.

The yellow fixing lamp 26a is provided on the thermosensitive recording paper 21 after thermal recording on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer.
Irradiation with ultraviolet light of nm causes the coloring ability of the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer to disappear. Further, the magenta fixing lamp 26b is connected to the thermal recording paper 21 after thermal recording is performed on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer.
Is irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 365 nm, so that the coloring ability of the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer is lost.

The cutting device 27 includes a cutting cutter 31 and a pair of slit cutters 32. The front / rear end cutting cutter 31 includes a fixed blade 31a and a movable blade 31b extending in the main scanning direction of the recording paper. Then, the movable blade 31b descends and cuts off a front end margin portion which is a margin on the leading end side of the recording area of the thermal recording paper 21 and a rear end margin portion which is a margin on the rear end side, and prints the thermal recording paper. 21 is cut into a sheet. Of course, other types of these cutters can be used.

The slit cutter 32 is a rotary cutter having an upper blade 32a and a lower blade 32b. The slit cutter 32 moves the thermal recording paper 21 in the sub-scanning direction to form a margin on both sides of the thermal recording paper 21. Cut off the part. The slit cutter 32 is normally located at a position retracted from the recording paper transport path, and is located at a position where the recording paper is held during the cutting process.

Below the cutting device 27, the above-described dust collecting device 20 is disposed. Then, the cut pieces 39 formed by the cutters 31 and 32 fall into the dust box 11. In addition, the chips are also captured by the filter 12 in the dust box 11 by suction by the fan 13.

Next, the operation of the printer will be described. When the power switch 15 is turned on, the fan 13 of the dust collector 20 starts rotating. The rotation of the fan 13 causes a flow of air from the vicinity of the cutting device 27 to the exhaust port 14 through the filter 12 as shown by a dotted arrow in FIG. The fan 13 is provided with a paper dust and a piece 39 described later.
It is always rotating during the operation of the printer other than the time of suction.
Then, heat generated by thermal recording or the like is discharged from the exhaust port 14 to function as a cooling fan.

When image data to be printed is input from a personal computer or a scanner, and a print start operation is performed,
The paper feed roller 22a and the transport rollers 23a to 23e rotate, and the thermal recording paper 21 is sent from the paper feed magazine 22 to the thermal head 25. Then, thermal recording of a yellow image is performed on the print area of the thermal recording paper 21 by the thermal head 25. During the thermal recording of the yellow image, the yellow fixing lamp 26a is turned on to fix the yellow image.

When the recording of the yellow image is completed, the thermal recording paper 21 is pulled back to the printing start position. Then, magenta recording and fixing are performed on the print area in the same manner as thermal recording of a yellow image. After magenta recording, cyan recording is performed in the same manner. Further, even during the cyan recording, the magenta fixing lamp 26b is turned on, and bleaching of the uncolored portion is performed. Then, the surrounding margin of the thermal recording paper 21 on which the full-color image is recorded is cut by the cutting device 27.

In the cutting of the margin, the thermal recording paper 21 is pulled back to the front end side scheduled cutting line, and the front margin is cut off by the cutter 31. Thereafter, the slit cutter 32 is set at the cutting position, and the recording paper 21 is fed. Thereby, the left and right margins are cut off. Transport roller 23e
Nip-conveys only the print area, and the left and right margins fall into the dust box 11. Further, when the cutter 31 is positioned at the rear end side cutting line of the thermal recording paper 21, the recording paper feeding is stopped. After that, the thermal recording paper 21 is cut off by the cutter 31 at the rear end side scheduled cutting line.
The recording paper from which the margin has been cut is discharged from the paper discharge port 18.

Thermal recording paper 21 by each cutter 31, 32
At the time of cutting, fine paper dust of the thermal recording paper 21 is scattered.
Such paper dust, if left as it is, diffuses into the printer and adheres to the thermal head, causing recording unevenness or soiling the recording paper. However, the fan 13 closes the exhaust port 1 from the vicinity of the cutting device 27 through the filter 12.
By forming the flow of air reaching 4, fine and light paper dust is also quickly sucked into the dust box 11 without being diffused inside the printer and captured by the filter 12. Also, dust and the like flowing from the paper discharge port 18 can be captured by the filter 12 without diffusing into the inside of the printer.

The scrap 39 in the dust box 11 can be easily discarded by pulling the handle 11a and pulling out the dust box 11 from the thermal printer 10. Further, since the filter 12 is only placed on the holding frame 11b, when the paper dust is excessively captured and becomes clogged, it can be easily replaced. Excessive accumulation of paper dust lowers the suction power of paper dust and the cooling efficiency inside the printer. Therefore, it is preferable to periodically clean or replace the filter 12.

Incidentally, the dust box may be provided in the paper feed magazine. In FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the second embodiment, a dust box 44 constituting a dust collecting device together with a fan 43 provided in the printer is integrally provided at a rear portion of a paper feed magazine 42 accommodating a recording paper roll 41. Is formed. A holding frame 44a is formed at the bottom of the dust box 44, and a filter 45 is placed thereon.

The paper feed magazine 42 with the dust box 44 is set immediately below a cutting device 46 for cutting margins at the front and rear ends and side edges of the printed recording paper 41a. During operation of the printer, the fan 43 rotates to form an air flow from the cutting device 46 to the fan 43 via the filter 45.

As a result, the paper dust of the recording paper 41a, which is generated when the margins at the front and rear ends and side edges of the printed recording paper 41a are cut by the cutting device 46, is quickly diffused into the dust box without being diffused into the printer. It is sucked into 44 and captured by the filter 45. The cut piece 49 also falls into the dust box 44.

As described above, by forming the dust box 44 at the rear of the paper feed magazine 42, when the recording paper roll 41 is replenished, the scraps 49 and the paper dust in the dust box 44 are periodically discarded. 49 and paper dust can be prevented from being forgotten.

FIG. 6 shows a paper feed magazine according to another embodiment having a built-in fan. A dust box 5 is provided at the rear of the paper feed magazine 51 for storing the recording paper roll.
2, a dust collector 50 including a filter 53 and a fan 54
Are formed. A contact piece 55 for supplying electric power to the fan 54 is provided at the bottom of the paper feed magazine 51.

When the paper feed magazine 51 is set in the printer, the power supply electrode 56 provided in the printer and the contact piece 55 come into contact with each other. Therefore, when the power is turned on, the fan 54
And the fan 54 starts rotating. Then, an air flow is formed from the upper part of the dust box 52 toward the fan 54. The paper feed magazine 51 is set below a cutting device (not shown) for cutting a margin of the recording paper 57.

When the margin of the recording paper 57 is cut by the cutting device above the paper feed magazine 51, the cut end of the margin falls into the dust box 52. Further, the paper dust generated at the time of cutting is quickly captured by the filter 53, so that the paper dust does not diffuse into the printer.

By providing the dust collecting device 50 including the fan 54 in the paper feed magazine 51, the configuration of the printer main body can be simplified. Further, even in a printer without the dust collecting device 50, paper dust and scraps generated when cutting the recording paper can be effectively suctioned and captured simply by providing the power supply electrode.

In each of the above embodiments, a color thermal printer is exemplified as a printer. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to various printers such as a thermal printer, an ink dot printer, a laser printer, and a dot impact printer. . In addition, although a paper feed magazine that stores roll-shaped thermosensitive recording paper has been illustrated, the present invention can be similarly applied to a paper feed magazine that stores cut sheets.

In addition to cutting off the margins around the print area, the cutting device may cut off some of the margins, or may cut long recording paper into sheets.

[0038]

According to the present invention, a fan for sucking chips generated when cutting recording paper, a filter for capturing the sucked chips, and the captured paper dust and margin are stored in the printer. Since the dust box is provided, it is possible to effectively prevent print failure and printer failure due to the diffusion of chips generated when cutting the recording paper. Further, by providing the dust box in the paper feed magazine, there is no need to separately provide a dust box, and the configuration is simplified. Further, chips can be discarded when the recording paper is replaced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a dust collecting device portion of a printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the printer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view illustrating a paper feed magazine according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a dust collecting device part in a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway view showing a paper feed magazine according to a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Thermal printer 11 Dust box 12 Filter 13 Fan 20 Dust collecting device 21 Thermal recording paper 22 Feeding magazine 27 Cutting device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A printer provided with a cutting means for cutting recording paper, a fan for sucking chips of the recording paper by the cutting means,
A printer characterized by comprising a filter for capturing sucked chips and a dust box for storing the captured chips. 2. The filter and the dust box,
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is provided in a paper feed magazine for feeding the recording paper to the printer. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the fan is a cooling fan of the printer. 4. A paper feed magazine for feeding recording paper to a printer having recording paper cutting means, characterized by comprising a dust box for storing recording paper chips by said cutting means. 5. The paper feed magazine according to claim 4, further comprising a filter for catching said chips. 6. The paper feed magazine according to claim 4, further comprising a fan that sucks the chips and traps the chips in the filter.