JP2004167931A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent running out of papers during recording of an image in an image recorder using a long rolled paper such as a large format printer. <P>SOLUTION: After detecting a near-end condition of the amount of the residual paper, the rolled paper is taken out from the recorder prior to the recording operation of an image, so that the recording operation is started after the amount of the residual paper is confirmed beforehand. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium based on image recording data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As recording apparatuses for performing image recording on roll paper, there are recording apparatuses using various recording methods such as an electrophotographic method, an electrophotographic method, and a pen plotter method, including an ink jet recording apparatus.
[0003]
The roll paper used in these devices is wound around a core called a paper tube and supplied to the market.However, the diameter of the paper tube varies depending on the roll paper supply manufacturer, and the outer diameter of the roll may vary. It is hard to tell if there is no paper at that point. Further, since the paper tube is processed to have substantially the same width as the paper width, it is difficult to detect the diameter of the paper tube and estimate the remaining winding amount from the difference from the outer diameter of the roll paper each time. If the new roll paper is used up to the end continuously, the remaining amount in use can be known from the manufacturer's guaranteed winding amount, but the remaining amount is unknown when replacing it with another type of roll paper during use. I will.
[0004]
There is also a method in which the remaining amount is recorded on the leading edge of the paper before replacement, and the device reads the remaining amount when it is attached to the recording device again and checks the remaining amount.However, cut paper is cut out from the roll by manual feeding etc. If you do, you will not know the remaining amount.
[0005]
If long recording is performed while the remaining amount of the roll paper is small, the paper may run out just before the end of the recording, and the recording operation up to that time may be wasted.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention is to prevent the failure of the recording operation as described above, and to accurately detect the remaining amount of the roll paper before the recording operation from the time when the remaining amount of the roll paper is low, so that the image recording can be performed. This is to ensure that the process can be performed up to the end.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a roll supporting portion for supporting roll paper as a recording medium, a transport roller for transporting the roll paper to an image forming section, and a paper feed for feeding the roll paper to a transport roller A roller and a remaining amount detecting mechanism for detecting an approximate remaining amount of the roll paper, and a paper detecting mechanism for detecting whether or not the roll paper is present in a transport path from a support portion of the roll paper to the transport roller. A transport guide for guiding and transporting the leading end of the roll paper from the paper feed roller to the transport roller, a moving mechanism for moving the transport guide to a position separated from the roll paper, and a control mechanism for controlling the moving mechanism After the remaining amount detecting mechanism detects the approximate end of the roll paper, the transport guide is moved to the diverging position, and a length corresponding to a recording length based on a recording command is provided. The sent out, and the paper detection mechanism is obtained to perform only the image recording when not detecting the absence of paper.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are explanatory views showing details of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an external view of a recording apparatus according to the present invention.
[0009]
In FIG. 6, an image recording device 60 records an image on the roll paper conveyed to the image recording section from the roll paper 11 set in the roll paper cassette 10 by the image recording element 61. Further, the recording method is not particularly limited.
[0010]
Further, the roll paper cassette 10 is provided in a plurality of stages, and the same type of roll paper can be used continuously, or a plurality of types of roll paper can be set in advance, and the paper to be used can be arbitrarily selected for recording. It is taken into consideration.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 1, the roll paper 11 is set in the roll paper cassette 10 by pulling out the roll paper cassette 10, setting the roll paper 11 with the support shaft 13 passed through the paper tube 12, and then setting the roll paper 11. Is inserted into the nip of the paper feed roller 20, and the roll paper cassette 10 is pushed again as shown in the lower part.
[0012]
On the right end side of the set roll paper 11, a paper detection lever 35 is attached by a spring (not shown) so as to lightly contact the back surface of the roll paper 11, and detects a change in the remaining amount and the presence or absence of the paper.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a recording apparatus according to the present invention, and shows a state in which a new roll paper is set in each roll paper cassette according to the above-described procedure.
[0014]
The paper detection lever 35 is provided with two photo sensors 35a and 35b. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the leading end of the paper wound around the roll paper 11 is sandwiched by the nip of the paper feed roller 20, and the shaft of the roll paper 11 is appropriately braked by a clutch (not shown). Therefore, the tension of the roll paper 11 is applied between the paper feed roller 20 and the roll paper 11. Therefore, the paper detection lever 35 is in a state in which the two photo sensors are shut off at the same time, and it is detecting that the roll paper is sufficient.
[0015]
As shown in detail in FIG. 2, a pair of rollers 25b and 25c are arranged at a sufficient interval downstream of the above-described paper feed roller 20 to allow the paper to pass therethrough. A direction changing guide 25 is provided, which can take the two positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the illustrated driving mechanism.
[0016]
In this state, if the paper feed roller 20 is driven by a driving mechanism (not shown) to feed the roll paper 11 based on a recording operation instruction, the roll paper 11 is moved between the pair of rollers 25 b and 25 c of the direction change guide 25. , And reaches the transport roller 30 along the outer transport guide plate 40 due to the curl of the paper itself. Subsequently, the transport roller 30 is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) to transport the roll paper 11 to the image recording unit 62, and the image recording is continuously performed as it is.
[0017]
FIG. 2 shows a state in which the remaining amount of the roll paper 11a has reached the near end after continuing the image recording.
[0018]
At this time, the position of the paper between the paper feed roller 20 and the roll paper 11a is at the position of 11b, and the paper detection lever 35 is also rotated counterclockwise by a biasing spring (not shown). At this time, the photo sensor 35a is in the open state, and the near end state of the roll paper 11a is detected.
[0019]
When an instruction to start image recording is issued in the near-end state of the roll paper, the following operation is performed before the recording operation.
[0020]
First, the opening / closing cam 41 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 1 by a driving mechanism (not shown), and pushes the outer transport guide plate 40 in a direction away from the roll paper 11. The outer transport guide plate 40 is supported counterclockwise around the support shaft 40a by a biasing spring (not shown) in the image recording apparatus, but as shown in FIG. The 40b side is greatly opened.
[0021]
Subsequently, while rotating the direction changing guide 25 around its support shaft 25a counterclockwise by a drive mechanism (not shown), the feed roller 20 corresponds to the recording length while the transport roller 30 is stopped. When the roll paper 11a is fed by rotating the roll paper 11a by the length, the roll paper 11a is conveyed outward while smoothly curving in the direction opposite to the curl along the rollers 25b of the direction change guide 25 as shown in FIG. It is fed out while forming a loop 11c along the guide plate. Since the outer guide plate 40 is widely opened, the loop grows downward without being crushed, so that the roll paper is not damaged. In addition, the roll paper 11 is curved following the rollers 25a and 25b even in the direction changing guide 25, so that the roll paper is not damaged at this portion.
[0022]
At this time, if the roll paper 11 is still wound around the paper tube, the paper detection lever 35 is at the same position as in FIG. 2, and it is detected that there is a remaining amount. The operation will be started.
[0023]
FIG. 5 shows a state in which the rear end 11d of the roll paper is separated from the paper tube 12 before the length necessary for image recording is reached, that is, a state in which there is no paper, and the paper end 11d is in a free state. Then, the paper detection lever 35 further rotates counterclockwise, and the photo sensor 35b is also opened. Since both of the two photo sensors 35a and 35b are opened, the absence of paper is detected. By detecting the absence of the paper, the image recording command is canceled before the image recording is performed.
[0024]
After that, the recording operation is not performed, and the remaining paper is discharged outside the apparatus by the transport roller 30 and the discharge roller 31.
[0025]
Further, in preparation for setting a new roll paper, the outer guide plate 40 and the direction changing guide 25 return to the initial positions shown in FIG.
[0026]
In this manner, after the near end of the roll paper is detected in the state of FIG. 2, before the start of image recording, only the paper feed roller 20 is rotated to feed out the roll paper, and the roll paper is moved along the outer transport guide plate 40. Since the actual recording is performed after confirming the presence or absence of the length of the roll paper corresponding to the image recording instruction by forming a loop of the above, it is possible to avoid running out of paper during the recording.
[0027]
The operation of the uppermost roll paper cassette 10 has been described above, but the operation is the same for the second and third stages.
[0028]
In the present embodiment, one paper detection lever 35 detects the near end of the remaining amount of roll paper and the absence of paper. However, the same effect can be obtained by using two paper detection levers. Needless to say.
[0029]
In the present embodiment, the roll paper has been described, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to a film or a fabric as long as the medium is wound around a roll.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the remaining amount can be accurately detected before the recording operation, so that the recording operation does not fail due to the absence of the roll paper, and the waste of the roll paper and the ink does not occur.
[0031]
In addition, loss of working time can be eliminated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a cross-sectional view of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the image recording apparatus according to the present invention according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a cross section of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a cross section of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention according to the present invention. Schematic diagram of [Description of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 roll paper 12 paper tube 13 support shaft 20 paper feed roller 25 direction conversion guide 30 transport roller 35 paper detection lever 40 outer transport guide plate 41 opening / closing cam

Claims (3)

An image recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium based on image recording data,
A roll support unit that supports roll paper as a recording medium, a transport roller that transports the roll paper to an image forming unit, a paper feed roller that feeds the roll paper to a transport roller, and an approximate remaining amount of the roll paper are detected. A paper detection mechanism for detecting whether or not the roll paper is present in the transport path from the roll paper support portion to the transport roller, and the roll paper from the paper feed roller to the transport roller. A transport mechanism for guiding and transporting the leading end of the roll paper, a moving mechanism for moving the transport guide to a position separated from the roll paper, and a control mechanism for controlling the moving mechanism,
After the remaining amount detection mechanism detects the near end of the remaining amount of the roll paper,
Moving the transport guide to the diverging position,
An image recording apparatus, wherein a length corresponding to a recording length based on a recording instruction is sent out, and image recording is performed only when the paper detection mechanism does not detect the absence of paper. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount detection mechanism and the paper detection mechanism are mechanisms that perform detection using a lever that contacts the roll paper, and the lever is the same lever. 3. After the conveyance guide is separated from the roll paper on the downstream side in the paper feeding direction of the paper feed roller, the conveyance direction of the roll paper is moved to guide the conveyance direction in a direction substantially opposite to the conveyance direction at the time of image recording. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a direction changing guide.

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