JP2006341441A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording device which can restrain impact caused during the transfer of a recording material. <P>SOLUTION: The recording device records images by transferring a sheet to a recording section, and comprises roller pairs 7 and 8 to pinch and transfer the sheet to the upstream side and the downstream side of a sheet transfer direction relative to the recording section. The roller pair 8 in the downstream side of the sheet transfer direction relative to the recording section is structured so as to drive and rotate each of the rollers at the time of recording. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a pair of rotating members for conveying a recording material on an upstream side and a downstream side of a recording unit.

  A conventional thermal printer will be described by taking a thermal sublimation printer as an example. An ink ribbon and a thermal head are arranged on the recording surface of a sheet as a recording material, and a platen roller is configured on the back side of the recording sheet. When recording a desired image on a recording sheet, a thermal head is pressed against a platen roller, and a plurality of heating elements arranged in a line on the thermal head are selectively heated based on image information, and an ink ribbon The upper ink is sublimated and transferred to a recording sheet.

  The recording sheet conveying means is composed of a roller pair of a driving roller that self-drives and conveys the recording sheet, and a rotatable free driven roller that is provided opposite to the driving roller and presses the driving roller with a certain tension. It is nipped and conveyed.

  The sheet conveying means is arranged on either the upstream side or the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the recording unit, and when recording on a recording sheet, the recording sheet is always sandwiched between the conveying means. Is done. When color recording is performed, recording for each color is performed by transporting the recording sheet once, and inks of different colors are overlapped and recorded on the recording sheet by forward / reverse rotation driving of a pair of transport rollers to form a color image. .

  However, in such a conventional printer system, it is necessary to always hold the recording sheet between the conveying means when recording as described above. For this reason, there is a problem in that the vicinity of the recording start end portion or the recording end portion of the recording sheet cannot be recorded, and a blank portion is generated.

  In order to solve such a problem, there is one in which recording sheet conveying means is arranged on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the recording unit. In this case, when recording the first half recording area on the recording start end side of the recording sheet, the recording sheet is conveyed by using a conveying unit arranged on the upstream side in the recording sheet conveying direction. On the other hand, when recording the latter half recording area on the recording end side of the recording sheet, the recording sheet is conveyed by using a conveying unit arranged on the downstream side in the recording sheet conveying direction. As a result, it is possible to record without a blank portion on the recording sheet. A printer that performs recording without a blank portion on a recording sheet is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

JP-A-6-55749

  However, the image recording without a margin as described above is caused by the recording sheet being transported by an impact generated when the recording sheet enters the sheet sandwiching portion of the downstream transport unit and when the recording sheet comes out of the sandwiching unit of the upstream transport unit. Changes in speed are likely to occur. As a result, there is a problem that density unevenness occurs in the recorded image.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus capable of suppressing an impact generated when a recording material is conveyed.

  A typical means in the present invention for solving the above problems is a recording apparatus for recording an image by conveying a recording material to a recording unit, and the recording unit conveys the recording material upstream and downstream in the recording material conveyance direction. The rotating body pair for holding and transporting the recording material is provided, and the rotating body pair on the downstream side in the recording material transport direction with respect to the recording unit is configured so that each rotating body is driven to rotate during recording. Features.

  In the present invention, when the recording material enters the pair of rotating bodies positioned on the downstream side of the recording unit, each rotating body constituting the rotating body pair is driven to rotate and enters the rotating body that is driven to rotate. The impact is suppressed compared to the case. For this reason, the conveyance speed of the recording material can be kept constant, and the deterioration of the quality of the recorded image can be suppressed.

  Next, a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory diagram of the recording apparatus, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the leading end of the recording material hits one of the rotating members of the downstream rotating member pair, and FIG. 3 is an upstream rotating member pair of the recording material. It is state explanatory drawing which cancel | released clamping.

  A recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a thermal printer that records an image by heating an ink ribbon with a thermal head that generates heat in accordance with an image signal.

  Image information is transferred to the recording apparatus 1 from a computer and a digital device such as a digital camera via a connection cable (not shown). The recording apparatus 1 operates according to the image information and performs recording on the recording material. Hereinafter, the configuration of the recording apparatus 1 will be described together with the recording operation.

  A recording sheet 3 which is a recording material stored in the photographic paper tray 2 in response to a recording start signal is pressed against a rotating supply / discharge roller 6 by an upper and lower plate 5 driven around the upper and lower plate shafts 4. It is fed into the body.

  The fed recording sheet 3 is conveyed in the direction opposite to the arrow D in FIG. The sheet conveying means of the present embodiment is provided with an upstream conveying means 7 on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “upstream side”) with respect to the thermal head 10 as a recording unit. Further, a downstream side conveyance unit 8 is provided on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “downstream side”) with respect to the thermal head 10. These conveying means 7 and 8 are both constituted by a pair of rollers which are rotating bodies, and the roller pair nipping and conveying the recording sheet 3.

  When the recording start end portion of the recording sheet 3 is conveyed to the recording sheet leading edge detection sensor 9, the conveyance driving of the upstream conveying means 7 and the downstream conveying means 8 is stopped by a command from the recording apparatus 1.

  In the process from when the recording sheet 3 is conveyed into the recording apparatus 1, a gap is secured between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 11 so that the recording sheet 3 can be conveyed.

  Next, according to a command from the recording apparatus 1, the upstream side conveyance unit 7 and the downstream side conveyance unit 8 start conveying the recording sheet 3 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the recording sheet 3 has been conveyed so far (arrow D direction). .

  When the recording start end portion of the recording sheet 3 is conveyed to the heating element array 12 on the thermal head 10 serving as the recording portion, the recording sheet 3 stops.

  The thermal head 10 starts moving toward the platen roller 11 with the head arm shaft 13 as a fulcrum, and presses the ink ribbon 14 and the recording sheet 3 against the platen roller 11. The platen roller 11 is rotatably supported by the recording apparatus 1.

  Next, the recording operation on the recording sheet 3 is started. That is, energization based on the image information is started to the heating element array 12 on the thermal head 10 and ink on the ink ribbon 14 fed from the ink ribbon feeding unit 16 is started to be transferred to the recording sheet 3. At the same time, the conveyance of the recording sheet 3 in the downstream direction by the upstream conveying means 7 is started, and the winding operation of the ink transferred ribbon by the ink ribbon winding unit 15 is started.

  When the recording start end of the recording sheet 3 that continues to be conveyed downstream reaches the downstream conveying unit 8, the recording sheet 3 is nipped and conveyed by the upstream conveying unit 7 and the downstream conveying unit 8.

  Here, a case will be described as an example in which one of the two rollers constituting the downstream-side transport unit 8 is a driven roller that is rotatably supported.

  The leading edge of the recording sheet 3 toward the downstream conveying unit 8 does not always go straight to the roller pair nip portion of the downstream conveying unit 8, but slightly swings up and down. For this reason, it first collides with one of the two conveying rollers constituting the downstream conveying means 8 (see FIG. 2). There is no problem if the colliding roller is a driving roller that rotates. However, if the driven roller is a driven roller, it does not rotate when the recording sheet 3 collides. The impact of is great. The greater the impact, the easier the change in the conveyance speed of the recording sheet 3 and the higher the density unevenness of the recorded image.

  On the other hand, in the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, each of the two rollers constituting the downstream conveying unit 8 is configured such that the impact is suppressed regardless of which roller of the roller pair collides with the front end of the recording sheet 3. Is configured to be driven to rotate. .

  In the recording apparatus of this embodiment, when the nipping and conveying of the recording sheet 3 is started by both the upstream conveying unit 7 and the downstream conveying unit 8, the recording terminal portion of the recording sheet 3 is the roller of the upstream conveying unit 7. Before passing through the pair, the roller pair of the upstream conveying means 7 is separated by more than the thickness of the recording sheet 3. Thus, before the recording terminal portion of the recording sheet 3 passes through the upstream conveying roller pair, the nipping by the roller pair is released, and the recording sheet 3 is conveyed only by the downstream conveying means 8 (see FIG. 3). .

  Even if the upstream conveyance means 7 and the downstream conveyance means 8 are designed to have the same sheet conveyance amount, the sheet conveyance amounts of both conveyance means actually differ due to variations in component accuracy and the like. For this reason, if the recording sheet 3 is held between the upstream and downstream conveying means 7 and 8 for a long time, the recording sheet 3 is tensioned or bent between the conveying means 7 and 8. As a result, density unevenness may occur in the recorded image. In the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, the occurrence of the above-described problem is prevented by releasing the sheet nipping of the roller pair before the sheet passes through the upstream conveying roller pair.

  The recording sheet 3 transported by the downstream transport unit 8 is transported until it passes through the heating element array 12 on the thermal head 10, and thereafter, the upstream side and the downstream transport units 7 and 8 are rotationally driven, and the ink ribbon. The winding operation of 14 is stopped, and the printing operation for the first color is completed.

  By repeating the operations so far several times, inks of different colors are recorded on the recording sheet 3 to form a color image. After the color image is formed, the recording sheet 3 follows the discharge path by the flap 17, and is discharged onto the photographic paper tray 2 by nipping and conveying the rotating supply / discharge roller 6 and the discharge presser roller 18.

  In the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the sheet conveying means is arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the recording unit, so that the upstream side conveying means 7 conveys the sheet when recording in the first half recording area on the recording start end side of the sheet. To do. On the other hand, when recording in the latter half recording area on the recording end side of the sheet, the sheet is conveyed by the downstream conveying means 8. Thereby, it is possible to record without generating a blank portion near the recording start end portion or the recording end portion of the recording sheet 3.

  Further, the roller pair constituting the downstream side conveyance unit 8 is configured such that each roller is driven to rotate, and performs control to release the sheet nipping by the roller pair of the upstream side conveyance unit 7 at a predetermined timing. As a result, the conveyance speed of the recording sheet 3 is kept constant, the occurrence of density unevenness in the recorded image is prevented, and a stable high-quality recorded image can be output.

  The recording apparatus described above is configured so as to drive and rotate the roller pairs of the downstream conveying unit 8, but not only the downstream conveying unit 8 but also the two rollers constituting the upstream conveying unit 7 are also driven. You may comprise so that it may rotate. By doing so, the impact when the sheet end collides with the upstream conveying means 7 is also suppressed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the roller pair is exemplified as the pair of rotating bodies that convey the recording sheet 3, but this may not be a roller but may be conveyed by a pair of rotating belts, for example.

  Further, the recording unit of the present embodiment exemplifies thermal transfer recording in which the ink ribbon is selectively heated by the thermal head and the molten ink is transferred to the recording sheet. However, the recording unit may be a thermal recording system that performs recording on thermal paper without using an ink ribbon, or may be an inkjet recording system that performs recording by discharging ink from a recording head.

2 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory diagram of a recording apparatus. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the leading end of the recording material has abutted against one rotating body of a downstream rotating body pair. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a state where the upstream rotating body pair has released the recording material.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Recording device 2 ... Printing paper tray 3 ... Recording sheet 4 ... Upper / lower plate axis | shaft 5 ... Upper / lower plate 6 ... Supply discharge roller 7 ... Upstream side conveyance means 8 ... Downstream side conveyance means 9 ... Recording sheet front-end | tip detection sensor
10… Thermal head
11… Platen roller
12 ... Heating element array
13… Head arm shaft
14… Ink ribbon
15… Ink ribbon take-up section
16… Ink ribbon feeding part
17 Flap
18… discharge presser roller

Claims (4)

In a recording apparatus that conveys a recording material to a recording unit and records an image,
Each having a pair of rotating bodies for sandwiching and conveying the recording material upstream and downstream in the recording material conveyance direction with respect to the recording unit;
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of rotating bodies on the downstream side in the recording material conveyance direction with respect to the recording unit is configured such that each rotating body is driven to rotate during recording. The recording device comprises:
When recording in the first half recording area on the recording start end side of the recording material, the recording material is conveyed by the upstream rotating body pair,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording material is conveyed by the pair of rotating bodies on the downstream side when recording in the latter half recording area on the recording end side of the recording material. Before the recording terminal portion of the recording material conveyed by the upstream and downstream rotating member pairs exits the upstream rotating member pair, the upstream rotating member pair releases the recording material from being clamped. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit performs recording using a thermal head that generates heat according to an image signal.

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