JP2008080649A - Transfer mechanism and recording device with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transfer mechanism which permits the work of removing a blocking medium to be easily carried out when the medium blocking occurs in the transfer mechanism, and a recording device with the mechanism. <P>SOLUTION: The transfer mechanism 11 of an inkjet printer 1 includes a first transfer section which pinches and transfers a form P onto a platen surface 91a from a supply side, a second transfer section which pinches and transfers the form P passing over the platen surface 91a downstream, a processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 which adjusts a gap PG between the platen surface 91a and a printing mechanism 43, a control section 101 which expands the gap PG to the maximum by operating the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 when detecting the blocking of the form P during transfer, a first release mechanism 78 which releases the pinching condition of the first transfer section to the form P, and a second release mechanism 97 which releases the pinching condition of the second transfer section to the form. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport mechanism that transports a medium to a processing unit that performs information processing on a sheet-like medium on a processing reference surface, and a recording apparatus including the transport mechanism.

An example of a device that conveys a sheet-shaped medium along a predetermined conveyance path and performs information processing on a medium conveyed on a processing reference plane in the middle of the conveyance path is a personal computer or the like. A connected printer (recording device) can be mentioned.
In such a printer, in a device case forming an outline, a sheet feeding unit that stacks and stores sheets of media, and a sheet that is fed out one by one from the sheet feeding unit and conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path A mechanism, a print head that performs image printing processing such as characters and figures on the surface of the paper that has been transported to the platen surface (processing reference surface) set in the middle of the transport path, and a predetermined movement to the print head Various operating devices such as a carriage for applying force are incorporated.

In recent printers, there are various types of front feed / discharge types in which both the paper feed unit and the printed paper discharge unit are arranged on the front side of the device in order to make the device compact and save space. It has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In such a front feed / discharge type printer, a paper cassette in which sheets are stacked and fed for paper feeding is arranged at the lower part of the front of the apparatus, and a paper discharge tray for discharging the printed paper is provided in the paper cassette. A U-shaped transport path that is disposed above and connects between the paper cassette and the paper discharge tray is constructed in the apparatus case, and the platen surface is located in the middle of the linear transport path that constitutes the U-shaped transport path. Is set, the print head is arranged above the platen surface.

  In the U-shaped conveyance path of the front feed / discharge type printer, a paper feed roller and a driven roller for holding the sheet and conveying it to the platen surface provided on the downstream side of the conveyance path, An intermediate roller and an assist roller for holding the paper fed into the transport path and transporting it to the paper feed roller and the driven roller separated by a predetermined distance on the downstream side of the transport path, or transport onto the platen surface A print head that performs a printing process on the sheet that has been printed, and a discharge roller and a guide roller that discharge the sheet printed by the print head to a discharge tray at the exit of the conveyance path are disposed.

  Further, in the case of recent printers, for example, between the platen surface and the print head so that stable printing can be performed on various types of media such as plain paper, thick paper such as postcards, and CD-R. A processing gap adjustment mechanism that adjusts the gap, and a paper feed roller and a driven roller on the conveyance path that can adjust the gap between the rollers that sandwich the paper have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2 and Patent Document). 3 and Patent Document 4).

  By the way, in the case of a front feed / discharge type printer, it is generally possible to open and close a part of the transport mechanism constituting the U-shaped transport path in order to remove paper jammed due to paper jam in the transport path. A transport path opening / closing mechanism is provided, and when a paper jam occurs, the transport path opening / closing mechanism is opened so that at least a part of the paper in a paper jam state can be exposed to the outside.

Japanese Patent No. 3520469 JP 2003-266856 A JP 2002-356036 A JP-A-5-309909

However, as a countermeasure against paper jam (paper jam) in the printer, there are few cases where the jammed paper cannot be easily removed simply by providing a transport path opening / closing mechanism that exposes at least a part of the paper jammed to the outside. There was also the possibility of causing another problem.
In other words, a part of the jammed paper is sandwiched between each pair of rollers in the transport path, so that it is difficult to remove with a small force, or when the jammed paper is forcibly pulled out, it is sandwiched between the pair of rollers. There is a possibility that a part is torn off, and the torn piece remains in the transport path and causes a new failure during the next transport processing.

In addition, if a part of the jammed paper is between the printing reference surface and the print head, the print head may be damaged or soiled by rubbing the print head when the jammed paper is pulled out. There was a possibility of inviting.
Further, when pulling out the paper jammed by the paper jam, if the driving roller of each roller pair is rotated by the frictional force with the paper, the rotation of the driving roller reverses the power transmission system, and the driving motor is rotated. Since the power generation phenomenon of the drive motor occurs, the circuit may be damaged by the power generation of the drive motor.
On the other hand, in order to prevent the occurrence of such a problem, if a new mechanism for preventing paper jam is added, an increase in cost due to a complicated configuration is inevitable.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to easily remove a jammed medium when a medium jam occurs in the conveyance mechanism, and to provide a conveyance mechanism excellent in handling property and maintainability and a recording equipped with the same. To provide an apparatus.

  A transport mechanism according to the present invention that can solve the above-described problems is a transport mechanism that transports the medium to a processing unit that performs information processing on a sheet-like medium on a processing reference surface. A first transport unit that sandwiches the medium and transports it from the supply side onto the processing reference plane; a second transport unit that sandwiches the medium that has passed on the processing reference plane and transports it downstream; A processing gap adjusting mechanism for adjusting a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit; and when the clogging of the medium in the middle of conveyance is detected, the processing gap adjusting mechanism is operated to operate the processing reference surface. A control unit that widens the gap between the first processing unit and the processing unit, a first release mechanism that releases a clamping state of the first transport unit with respect to the medium, and a clamping state of the second transport unit with respect to the medium 2nd release to release Characterized in that it comprises a mechanism.

According to the transport mechanism configured as described above, when the jam of the medium in the middle of transport is detected, the control unit operates the processing gap adjustment mechanism so that the gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit is a predetermined value. It can be expanded to the interval. Therefore, when the jammed medium is pulled out, there is no risk that the jammed medium will be rubbed between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to contaminate the processing unit, and the jammed medium can be removed safely. it can. Further, since the first release mechanism that releases the clamping state of the first transport unit with respect to the medium and the second release mechanism that releases the clamping state of the second transport unit with respect to the medium are provided, the first release mechanism and the second release mechanism are provided. By operating the release mechanism, it is possible to reduce (substantially eliminate) the load when removing the medium by releasing the nipping state of the first conveyance unit and the nipping state of the second conveyance unit with respect to the jammed medium. . Therefore, when the jammed medium is pulled out, it is possible to prevent a part of the medium from being broken and remaining in the transport mechanism as a small piece. In addition, the jammed medium can be easily pulled out with a small force, and the handling and maintenance of the transport mechanism when the jam occurs can be improved.
In addition, the processing gap adjustment mechanism that automatically operates when a media jam occurs, is shared with the media gap countermeasures that were provided to enable processing of media with different thicknesses. There is no need to additionally provide a mechanism for preventing jamming of the medium, and protection of the processing unit at the time of removing the jammed medium can be realized at a low cost.

  In the transport mechanism of the present invention, the first release mechanism is operated in accordance with an operation of expanding a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval by the processing gap adjusting mechanism. Is preferred.

  According to the transport mechanism configured as described above, when the medium is jammed, the processing gap adjustment mechanism performs an operation of widening the gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval, and accordingly, Since the 1 release mechanism is operated and the holding state of the first transport unit with respect to the medium is released, the load for taking out the jammed medium can be reduced at the same time.

  Furthermore, in the transport mechanism of the present invention, it is preferable that the first release mechanism is operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism by power transmission from the processing gap adjustment mechanism.

  According to the transport mechanism configured as described above, since the first release mechanism is operated by the power of the processing gap adjustment mechanism, there is no need to provide a dedicated drive source for operating the first release mechanism. Cost reduction can be achieved.

  In the transport mechanism of the present invention, the second release mechanism is operated in accordance with an operation of expanding a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval by the processing gap adjusting mechanism. Is preferred.

  According to the transport mechanism configured as described above, when the medium is jammed, the processing gap adjustment mechanism performs an operation of widening the gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval, and accordingly, Since the two-release mechanism is activated and the holding state of the second transport unit with respect to the medium is released, the load for taking out the jammed medium can be reduced at the same time.

  Furthermore, in the transport mechanism of the present invention, it is preferable that the second release mechanism is operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism by power transmission from the processing gap adjustment mechanism.

  According to the transport mechanism configured as described above, since the second release mechanism is operated by the power of the processing gap adjustment mechanism, there is no need to provide a dedicated drive source for operating the second release mechanism. Cost reduction can be achieved.

  In addition, a recording apparatus according to the present invention that can solve the above-described problems includes the transport mechanism according to the present invention, and the processing unit includes a print head that performs a printing process on the medium. And

  The recording apparatus configured as described above can easily remove the jammed medium even if the medium is clogged in the transport mechanism when performing a printing process with the print head. Excellent maintainability.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a transport mechanism according to the present invention and a recording apparatus including the transport mechanism will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, the ink jet printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example of a recording apparatus having a transport mechanism. However, the transport mechanism according to the present invention may be, for example, a copier, a scanner, a facsimile, in addition to a printer. It is also applicable to banknote change machines and the like.

  1 is an external perspective view of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are external perspective views of a state in which a paper discharge tray and an upper case are removed from the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining a paper transport path in the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 7 to 10 are side cross-sectional views of main parts of a paper transport path in the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a control block diagram in the ink jet printer shown in FIG.

An ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment is a front feed / discharge type printer, and has a sheet-like shape in the center of the front surface of an apparatus case 4 composed of an upper case 2 and a lower case 3 as shown in FIG. A substantially box-shaped paper cassette 5 in which paper P, which is a medium of the above, is stacked and accommodated, is detachably inserted.
Further, a paper discharge tray 6 for receiving the printed paper is provided so as to cover the open top portion of the paper cassette 5.

  Further, a display unit 7 such as an indicator and an operation unit 8 such as a power switch are disposed on the left and right sides of the front surface of the device case 4. The black ink cartridge mounting portion and the color ink cartridge mounting portion disposed on the left and right sides of the front surface of the apparatus case 4 are covered with a black ink cover 9 and a color ink cover 10 that can be freely opened and closed, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper sheet P that is fed out from the paper cassette 5 one by one by a pickup roller (paper feed roller) 21 of a paper feed unit 22 to be described later is conveyed in a U-shape inside the apparatus case 4. A transport mechanism 11 that transports along a path (transport path), a carriage 13 that is reciprocally movable in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper P in the middle of the U-shaped transport path by the transport mechanism 11, A print head 44 that is mounted on the carriage 13 and discharges micro droplets of recording ink onto the paper P to perform printing processing (information processing), and ink tanks 15 and 16 that store recording ink supplied to the print head 44. And a control unit (see FIG. 11) for controlling the conveyance speed of the paper P by the conveyance mechanism 11, the movement speed of the carriage 13, the ink ejection operation of the print head 44, and the like. There.

2 and 3, the carriage 13 is supported by a pair of carriage shafts 53, 53 extending in the paper width direction so as to be movable in the paper width direction, and is driven by a carriage motor 14. It is fixed to 54 and is reciprocated in the paper width direction according to the travel of the timing belt 54.
The inkjet printer 1 controls the ink ejection operation from the print head 44 mounted on the carriage 13 with the transport direction of the paper P as the sub-scanning direction and the moving direction of the carriage 13 as the main scanning direction. Image recording (printing processing) of characters and graphics is performed.

In the case of the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the U-shaped transport path through which the paper P is transported by the transport mechanism 11 is an arc-shaped transport path for transporting the paper P fed from the paper cassette 5 as shown in FIG. A and a linear conveyance path B that connects the arcuate conveyance path A to the paper discharge tray 6.
Further, a guide part 34 which is a part of a mechanism constituting the arcuate conveyance path A of the U-shaped conveyance path is assembled to the rear opening / closing cover 17 shown in FIG. The rear opening / closing cover 17 that can open and close the portion 34 constitutes a conveyance path opening / closing mechanism that exposes a part of the paper P jammed in the arcuate conveyance path A due to a paper jam.

The transport mechanism 11 further includes an auto sheet feeder (ASF) unit, a first transport unit, and a second transport unit.
The auto sheet feeder is provided in the arcuate conveyance path A, and a paper feeding unit 22 that feeds a plurality of sheets P stacked in the paper cassette 5 one by one to the entrance of the arcuate conveyance path A at the rear of the apparatus. An intermediate roller 31 and an assist roller 33 for conveying the paper P fed out by the paper feeding unit 22 while being sandwiched between a paper feed roller 41 and a driven roller 42 separated by a predetermined distance on the downstream side, and on the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 31 And a guide portion 34 that regulates the conveyance direction of the sheet P fed along the arc to reach the exit of the arcuate conveyance path A.

  The intermediate roller 31 as a driving roller sandwiches and conveys the paper P by sandwiching the paper P with the assist roller 33 as a driven roller. A retard roller 32 is provided on the upstream side of the assist roller 33 to prevent a plurality of sheets P from being fed out to the arcuate conveyance path A.

The first transport unit arranges the paper P transported from the paper P supply side (arc transport path A) downstream by the paper feed roller 41 and the driven roller 42 provided on the linear transport path B. This is a paper feeding section that conveys the platen on the platen 91 provided with the platen surface (processing reference surface) 91a (see FIG. 7).
In the first transport unit of the present embodiment, the driven roller 42 presses and urges the upper surface of the paper P against the paper feed roller 41 as a driving roller that contacts the lower surface of the paper P, thereby sandwiching the paper P. Transport.

  Further, inside the apparatus case 4, a print processing mechanism (processing unit) 43 including a print head 44 that prints images such as characters and graphics on the paper P conveyed on the platen surface 91 a of the platen 91. Is incorporated. The paper P that has undergone the printing process by the print processing mechanism 43 is conveyed while being sandwiched between a paper discharge roller 48a that is a driving roller and a guide roller 48b that is a driven roller that constitutes the second conveyance unit, and is conveyed in a U-shape. The paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray 6 at the route exit.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the paper feed unit 22 is configured such that a rear end of a paper feed lever 25 having a pickup roller 21 for feeding at the front end can be rotated in the vertical direction in the figure by a support pin 24. The sheet feeding unit 22 can bring the pickup roller 21 into contact with the uppermost sheet P in the sheet cassette 5 by swinging the sheet feeding lever 25 downward.

In the paper feeding unit 22, when the ink jet printer 1 is stopped, the paper feeding lever 25 is maintained substantially horizontal as shown in FIG. 4, and the pickup roller 21 is kept away from the paper P on the paper cassette 5. .
At the time of paper feeding, the pickup roller 21 is pressed against the uppermost paper P in the paper cassette 5, as shown in FIG. As the roller 21 rotates, the paper P in the paper cassette 5 comes into contact with the inclined friction pad 23, and is fed out to the arcuate conveyance path A one by one while being separated by the frictional force and the stiffness of the paper P.

At this time, the retard roller 32 applies a force in a direction to push the paper P back to the paper cassette 5 and sandwiches it between the intermediate rollers 31 so as to separate the paper P one by one and to provide a downstream arcuate conveyance path. When the paper feeding is completed and printing is started by the print processing mechanism 43, the paper feeding lever 25 is returned to the original horizontal state as shown in FIG.

An auxiliary guide member 35 is provided on the upper side of the guide unit 34 together with an assist roller 33 for feeding the conveyed paper P toward the linear transport path B side.
The auxiliary guide member 35 is rotatably supported at the rear end side with respect to the guide portion 34 and is swingable at the front end side.
As shown in FIG. 6, the auxiliary guide member 35 presses the sheet P conveyed from the arcuate conveyance path A to the linear conveyance path B by its own weight from the upper side, and holds the sheet P in the linear conveyance path B. To the front side of the ink jet printer 1.

  The paper feed roller 41 and the driven roller 42 constituting the first transport unit are provided a predetermined distance away from the exit end of the arcuate transport path A (the downstream end of the guide unit 34) on the front side of the apparatus. As shown in FIG. 6, the paper P sent out from the arcuate conveyance path A to the linear conveyance path B is nipped and conveyed under the print processing mechanism 43 which is the printing position. By controlling the rotational driving amount of the paper feed roller 41, it is possible to position the paper P with respect to the print processing mechanism 43 (such as a cueing operation).

As shown in FIG. 4, the print head 44 of the print processing mechanism 43 has a discharge nozzle 46 that discharges ink droplets toward the paper P. On the rear side of the inkjet printer 1 with respect to the discharge nozzle 46, A PW sensor 47 that detects the paper P and detects its width is provided.
The PW sensor 47 detects the presence or absence of the paper P by detecting the reflected light of the light irradiated toward the paper P, and detects the width of the paper P by the movement of the carriage 13.
In the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment, paper detection sensors that detect the presence or absence of the paper P are installed at a plurality of appropriate locations on the transport path. For example, in the present embodiment, a sheet detection sensor 45 provided at a position where the sheet P conveyed from the arcuate conveyance path A to the linear conveyance path B can be detected is provided. The paper detection sensor may be a transmissive sensor.

  Further, the transport mechanism 11 of the present embodiment adjusts the gap between the platen surface 91a and the print head 44 for the printing process on the paper P having a different thickness and the direct printing process on the CD-R surface. A processing gap adjustment mechanism (APG: Auto Platen Gap mechanism) 51 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 is rotatably provided at each end of a pair of carriage shafts 53 and 53 that support the carriage 13 so as to be movable in the width direction of the paper P. A housing on the side of the device case 4 so that the transmission gear 55 and the cam 57 formed integrally with the transmission gear 55 with a cam surface 57b raised on a part of the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 57a are in contact with the outer periphery of the cam 57. A ring-shaped cam receiver 59 supported by the body, a gap adjusting wheel train 61 (see FIG. 2) for inputting rotational force to the transmission gear 55, and a gap adjusting motor for rotationally driving the gap adjusting wheel train 61 63.

  In the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 configured as described above, the rotational driving force output from the gap adjusting motor 63 is input to the transmission gear 55 via the gap adjusting wheel train 61, and the transmission gear 55 is predetermined in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. When the angle rotates, as shown in FIG. 8, the cam surface 57 b of the cam 57 rides on the cam receiver 59 to move each carriage shaft 53 upward. Due to the upward movement of the carriage shaft 53, the print head 44 of the print processing mechanism 43 ascends integrally with the carriage 13, and the gap PG between the platen 91 and the platen surface 91a is expanded.

The cylindrical portion 57a of the cam 57 adjusts the gap PG between the platen 91 and the print head 44 to the minimum by contact with the cam receiver 59, and has a thickness among the paper types to be printed. Used when printing the thinnest paper P.
As shown in FIG. 9, the cam surface 57b of the cam 57 includes an inclined portion 58a in which the amount of protrusion from the rotation center gradually changes, and an arc portion 58b that maintains the maximum amount of protrusion of the inclined portion 58a. The inclined portion 58a is used for gap adjustment when printing on paper P or CD-ROM having different thicknesses such as postcards, and the arc portion 58b is provided between the platen 91 and the print head 44 when a paper jam occurs. This is used when the gap PG is adjusted to the maximum (predetermined interval).

In the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the paper feed roller 41 is connected to a shaft end of a wheel train (gear train) that transmits rotation by the rotation of the paper feed shaft 71, as shown in FIG. And is driven by the rotation of the paper feed shaft 71.
A large-diameter belt wheel 72 is fixed to the outer periphery of the paper feed shaft 71. Further, a small-diameter belt wheel 74 is provided on the output shaft of a paper feed motor (PF motor) 73 provided at the lower part on the left side of the ink jet printer 1, and the belt wheel 74 and the large-diameter belt wheel are provided. A timing belt 75 is wound around the belt 72. That is, the paper feed roller 41 is rotationally driven by the paper feed motor 73.

On the other hand, the driven roller 42 paired with the paper feed roller 41 is rotatably provided at the tip (swing end) of a swing arm 77 supported swingably by a support shaft 76 as shown in FIG. In general, the size and arrangement of the swing arm 77 are set so that the driven roller 42 is kept in press contact with the paper feed roller 41.
In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, when the gap adjustment between the print head 44 and the platen 91 is performed by driving the gap adjustment motor 63, the tip of the swing arm 77 is interlocked. A first release mechanism 78 is provided that swings and displaces upward to retract the driven roller 42 away from the paper feed roller 41.

The first release mechanism 78 receives the rotation of the gap adjusting motor 63, and the oscillating arm when the rotation amount of the rotation shaft 81 reaches a predetermined angle on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft 81 rotating in the direction of the arrow Y1 in FIG. A release projection 82 is provided to project the lower end of 77 and swing the tip of the swing arm 77 upward.
Therefore, when the release projection 82 pushes down the rear end of the swing arm 77 by the rotation of the rotary shaft 81, the tip of the swing arm 77 swings upward as shown by the arrow Z in FIG. 42 is released (released) from the paper feed roller 41.

  The rotation shaft 81 of the first release mechanism 78 transmits power through the transmission gear 55 of the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 and a gear (not shown). The transmission gear 55 rotates by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow X in FIG. When the cam surface 57b of the cam 57 rides on the cam receiver 59, the rotation shaft 81 is set to rotate by a predetermined angle so that the release protrusion 82 pushes down the rear end of the swing arm 77. As described above, the first release mechanism 78 is operated in conjunction with the operation in which the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 widens the gap PG to the maximum extent.

  Further, in the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the discharge rollers 48a provided in two rows along the conveyance direction of the second conveyance unit are arranged such that one row is provided on the rotation shaft 90 (see FIG. 3) and the other row is provided. The row is provided on a shaft that rotates in the same direction as the rotation shaft 90 via a wheel train that is transmitted by rotation of the rotation shaft 90. The rotary shaft 90 is rotationally driven by gears 79 and 80 that transmit the rotation of the paper feed shaft 71 as shown in FIG. That is, the paper discharge roller 48a is driven to rotate by the paper feed motor 73 in the same manner as the paper feed roller 41 of the first transport unit.

  The guide roller 48b constituting the driven roller of the second transport unit is a roller for pressing the upper surface of the paper P that has passed between the platen 91 and the print head 44 to a transport reference position having a predetermined height. It is supported at a predetermined position by the support member 92. The guide rollers 48b are so-called serrated rollers provided with protrusions at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, and are arranged in three rows at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction, and are rotatably supported by the support member 92. Further, the guide roller 48b is supported by a coil spring-like shaft, and is appropriately elastically displaced in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis when the paper P is pressed so that the position and the contact pressure with respect to the paper P are adjusted appropriately. It has become. Of the three rows of guide rollers 48b, two rows are arranged corresponding to the paper discharge rollers 48a arranged in two rows, and the paper P is sandwiched and conveyed in cooperation with these paper discharge rollers 48a. To do.

  In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, when the gap adjustment between the print head 44 and the platen 91 is performed by driving the gap adjustment motor 63, the support member 92 is displaced upward in conjunction with it. Thus, a second release mechanism 97 is provided for retracting the guide roller 48b in a direction to separate from the paper discharge roller 48a.

The second release mechanism 97 is connected to the support member 92 when the rotation amount of the rotary shaft 95 reaches a predetermined angle on the outer periphery of the rotary shaft 95 that is transmitted in the direction of arrow Y2 in FIG. A release arm 96 that pushes upward is extended. In addition, two bosses 93 for sliding project from both ends of the support member 92 in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and these are provided on the frame of the ink jet printer 1 that supports each of the rotating shafts and the like. The upper and lower guide slits 94 are respectively engaged.
When the release arm 96 pushes the support member 92 upward by the rotation of the rotary shaft 95, the slide boss 93 is guided upward along the guide slit 94 as shown in FIGS. Translate upwards. As a result, the guide roller 48b is released from the paper discharge roller 48a.

  The rotary shaft 95 of the second release mechanism 97 transmits power through the transmission gear 55 of the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 and a gear (not shown). The transmission gear 55 rotates by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow X in FIG. When the cam surface 57b of the cam 57 rides on the cam receiver 59, the rotation shaft 95 is set to rotate by a predetermined angle so that the release arm 96 pushes up the support member 92. As described above, the second release mechanism 97 is operated in conjunction with the operation in which the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 widens the gap PG to the maximum extent.

Further, in the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, a paper feed motor 73 that also serves as a drive source for the paper feed roller 41 is input to the paper feed shaft 71 via the belt wheel 74, the timing belt 75, and the large-diameter belt wheel 72. The rotational driving force thus transmitted is transmitted to the intermediate roller 31 and the paper discharge roller 48 a via a train wheel (not shown) connected to the paper feed shaft 71.
However, in the case of the intermediate roller 31, a one-way clutch mechanism 84 that enables power transmission only when the paper feed motor 73 rotates forward is interposed between the intermediate roller 31 and the train wheel connected to the paper feed shaft 71.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the one-way clutch mechanism 84 of this embodiment includes a relay gear 85 that is rotatably supported by the pivot 83 and to which the rotational force of the paper feed roller 41 is transmitted, and the relay gear 85. A frame 87 having an intermediate portion rotatably supported by a pivot 86 disposed between the intermediate roller 31 and the intermediate roller 31, and is rotatably supported on one end side of the frame 87 via a torque limiter. The planetary gear 88 that can mesh with the provided gear 31a and the planetary gear 88 that is arranged on the pivot 86 so that the central axis coincides with the direction of the rotational force that is received from the relay gear 85 are transferred to the intermediate roller 31. And a transmission gear 89 capable of transmitting a rotational force while swinging in a direction to be engaged with and disengaged from the gear 31a.

  When the paper feed roller 41 is rotationally driven in the direction in which the paper P is normally conveyed (that is, when the paper feed motor 73 is rotating forward), the transmission gear 89 meshes the planetary gear 88 with the gear 31a of the intermediate roller 31. The rotational force is transmitted to the gear 31a of the intermediate roller 31 via the planetary gear 88 while maintaining the meshing state by swinging and biasing in the direction of rotation (the direction opposite to the arrow D shown in FIG. 10).

  On the other hand, when the paper feed roller 41 is driven in reverse by the reverse drive of the paper feed motor 73 as shown by the arrow E in FIGS. 7 and 10, the transmission gear 89 moves the planetary gear 88 from the gear 31 a of the intermediate roller 31. Since the meshing state is released by swinging and energizing in the direction of detachment (the direction of arrow D shown in FIG. 10), the planetary gear 88 simply rotates idle and cannot transmit the rotational force to the intermediate roller 31 and the gear 31a. Thereby, power transmission to the intermediate roller 31 via the one-way clutch mechanism 84 is interrupted.

In order to return the one-way clutch mechanism 84 to the original state in which power can be transmitted to the intermediate roller 31, the paper feed motor 73 is rotated forward, and the planetary gear 88 is transferred to the gear 31 a of the intermediate roller 31 via the transmission gear 89. What is necessary is just to carry out rocking | biasing biasing in the direction to mesh.
The swinging range of the planetary gear 88 is defined by engaging the engaging portion provided on the other end side of the frame 87 with the pivot 83.

  Next, control of the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to perform a paper jam countermeasure operation for removing a paper jam when a paper jam occurs in a print processing execution state by the print processing mechanism 43. Hereinafter, the control of the ink jet printer 1 will be described focusing on the paper jam countermeasure operation when the paper jam occurs.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control mechanism for controlling the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment.
The ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment is configured around a control unit 101. The control unit 101 is physically configured by a processor such as a CPU, a volatile memory having a rewritable storage area such as a RAM, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash ROM, and the like, and firmware stored in the flash ROM By executing the above, each part of the inkjet printer 1 is controlled, and printing processing is executed while communicating with the host computer 200 installed outside via the communication interface 121.

  For example, the inkjet printer 1 drives a carriage motor 14 that controls the position of the carriage by driving the carriage motor 14 and a gap adjustment motor 63 as a driver circuit that controls drive parts. A gap adjusting motor driving unit 103 that adjusts the gap PG between the printing head 44 and a paper feeding motor driving unit 104 that drives the paper feeding motor 73 to rotationally drive various paper feeding rollers to convey the paper P. And a print head driving unit 105 that controls ejection of ink droplets from the print head 44.

  The inkjet printer 1 includes a plurality of sensors that detect the state of the printer. For example, the inkjet printer 1 includes a paper detection sensor 45 that detects the presence or absence of the paper P in the transport path upstream of the print head 44, a PW sensor 47 that detects the presence or absence of the paper P immediately below the print head 44, and a black ink cover. Are provided with a black ink cover sensor 112 for detecting the opening / closing of the color ink cover 10, a color ink cover sensor 113 for detecting the opening / closing of the color ink cover 10, a paper cassette attaching / detaching sensor 114 for detecting whether the paper cassette 5 is attached. .

The control unit 101 monitors signals from a PW sensor 47 provided in the print head 44 and a paper detection sensor 45 provided in the transport path during a paper feeding operation and a printing process. Further, the driving load of the carriage motor 14 by the carriage motor driving unit 102 and the driving load of the paper feeding motor 73 by the paper feeding motor driving unit 104 are monitored by a change in voltage or the like.
The control unit 101 detects the presence or absence of the paper P in the transport path based on these detection signals and voltage changes, and detects an increase in the driving load of the carriage 13 and the transport mechanism 11. If it is determined from the above information that a paper jam has occurred, the gap adjusting motor 63 is driven by the gap adjusting motor driving unit 103 to set the gap PG between the platen 91 and the print head 44 at a predetermined interval (this embodiment). It expands to the maximum in form.

The following conditions can be exemplified as conditions for the control unit 101 to determine the occurrence of paper jam during normal printing processing.
・ No detection by the paper detection sensor 45 (paper jam occurs upstream of the paper detection sensor 45)
・ Detection of the paper detection sensor 45 and no detection of the PW sensor 47 (the paper jam occurs before the PW sensor 47 after the front edge of the paper P passes the paper detection sensor 45)
-Detection of the paper detection sensor 45 and the PW sensor 47 and no detection of the trailing edge of the paper P by the paper detection sensor 45 (paper jam occurs after the front edge of the paper P passes through the paper detection sensor 45 and the PW sensor 47)
-Increase in driving load of the carriage motor 14 (paper jam occurs due to interference between the carriage 13 and the paper P)
・ Abnormal increase in driving load of paper feed motor 73 (paper jam occurs due to interference of paper P with any drive roller)
When at least one of these conditions is met, the control unit 101 determines that a paper jam has occurred, and performs an operation process according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  The control unit 101 determines whether any of the above conditions is satisfied during execution of the normal printing process (step S01), and if the occurrence of paper jam is not detected, the printing process is normal. The paper discharge operation is performed on the assumption that the process has ended.

  If occurrence of paper jam is detected in step S01, the process proceeds to step S02. In step S02, the processing gap adjusting mechanism (APG) 51 is operated to cause the cam surface 57b of the cam 57 to ride on the cam receiver 59 as shown in FIG. 8, and the platen surface 91a of the platen 91 and the printing processing mechanism 43 are moved. The gap PG to the print head 44 is set to the maximum position.

  Since the first release mechanism 78 and the second release mechanism 97 operate in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51, in this step S02, not only the gap adjustment by the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 but also the first release mechanism 78. In addition, by the operation of the second release mechanism 97, the driven roller 42 is withdrawn from the paper feed roller 41 in the first conveyance unit, and the guide roller 48b is separated from the paper discharge roller 48a in the second conveyance unit. Is evacuated.

  In the next step S03, the paper feed motor (PF motor) 73 is rotated in the reverse direction to swing the planetary gear 88 of the one-way clutch mechanism 84 shown in FIG. Since the meshing state is released by moving, the power transmission between the paper feed roller 41 and the intermediate roller 31 is interrupted.

Next, display processing such as turning on an indicator for notifying the user of the occurrence of a paper jam error is performed, and the printer is stopped (step S04).
That is, when a paper jam occurs in the apparatus, the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 is automatically operated, and the first release mechanism 78 and the second release mechanism 97 are operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51. The power transmission between the paper feed motor 73 and the intermediate roller 31 is cut off by the reverse drive of the paper feed motor 73, and then the occurrence of a paper jam error is notified.

As described above, according to the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment, when a paper jam occurs in the apparatus, the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 is automatically operated, and the space between the platen surface 91a and the print head 44 is activated. The gap GP is maximized.
Therefore, when the rear opening / closing cover 17 which is the transport path opening / closing mechanism is opened and the jammed paper P is pulled out, the jammed paper P is rubbed against the print head 44 of the print processing mechanism 43, and the print head 44 is moved. There is no risk of fouling, and the jammed paper P can be removed safely.

  Further, in the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 that is automatically operated by the control unit when a paper jam occurs is provided for the purpose of, for example, processing of paper P having different thicknesses. Is used for paper jam countermeasures, and it is not necessary to add a new paper jam countermeasure mechanism, so the configuration is not complicated, and the cost of removing paper P jammed by paper jams is low. It is possible to easily do without applying.

Further, when the jammed paper P is pulled out, the first release mechanism 78 operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 releases the driven roller 42 from the jammed paper P to release the grip on the paper P. In addition, the second release mechanism 97 operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 is clogged because the guide roller 48b is released from the jammed paper P and the nipping of the paper P is released. The paper P can be easily pulled out even with a small operating force, and further, when a part of the jammed paper P is pulled out, it does not remain in the apparatus as a small piece.
Accordingly, it is possible to easily remove the paper P jammed by the paper jam, and it is possible to improve the handleability and maintainability of the inkjet printer 1 when the paper jam occurs.

  Further, since the first release mechanism 78 and the second release mechanism 97 are operated in conjunction with the transmission of power from the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51, a dedicated mechanism for operating the first release mechanism 78 and the second release mechanism 97 is used. There is no need to provide each drive source, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

  Further, in the case of the ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment, even when the intermediate roller 31 is in contact with the jammed paper P, the paper feed motor 73 is rotated in reverse after determining the occurrence of paper jam. Since the direction clutch mechanism 84 cuts off the power transmission between the paper feed motor 73 and the intermediate roller 31, the paper feed motor 73 is not loaded when the jammed paper P is pulled out. The operation can be done with a small operating force.

  Further, in the state where the power transmission is interrupted by the one-way clutch mechanism 84, the rotational force acting on the intermediate roller 31 due to the frictional force with the paper P to be pulled out is not transmitted to the paper feed motor 73, and the paper feed The inconvenience of causing circuit damage in the apparatus due to the power generation of the paper feed motor 73 can be avoided, and the reliability and durability of the inkjet printer 1 can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the second release mechanism 97 is configured to operate in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51. However, the second release mechanism 97 may be operated independently. . In that case, it is necessary to provide a drive motor for operating the second release mechanism 97, but it is possible to execute an appropriate paper jam countermeasure operation according to the paper jam detection status by the control unit 101. . Next, an example of the control operation will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  The control unit 101 determines whether or not a sheet is detected by the sheet detection sensor 45 during normal print processing execution (step S11) (step S12). When the sheet P is not detected at an appropriate timing (step S12: None). Determines that a paper jam has occurred on the upstream side of the paper detection sensor 45 (that is, the arcuate conveyance path A), and the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 is not operated, and an error is notified (step S13). In that case, the user opens the rear opening / closing cover 17 which is a conveyance path opening / closing mechanism, and pulls out the jammed paper P from the arcuate conveyance path A.

  When the paper P is detected by the paper detection sensor 45 in step S12 (step S12: present), it is determined whether or not the paper is detected by the PW sensor 47 (step S14). If the paper P is not detected at an appropriate timing (step S14: None), it is determined that a paper jam has occurred before the PW sensor 47 after the front end of the paper P has passed the paper detection sensor 45, and the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 To notify the occurrence of an error (step S15). Here, when the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 is operated, the gap PG between the platen surface 91a and the print head 44 is maximized, and the first release mechanism 78 is operated in conjunction with the first conveying unit. , The driven roller 42 is retracted in the direction of separating from the paper feed roller 41.

  When the paper P is detected by the PW sensor 47 in step S14 (step S14: present), it is determined whether or not the paper trailing edge is detected by the paper detection sensor 45 (step S16). If the trailing edge of the paper P does not pass the paper detection sensor 45 at an appropriate timing (step S16: No), it is determined whether or not the leading edge of the paper has reached the paper discharge roller 48a of the second transport unit (step S16). S17). The position of the leading edge of the paper can be calculated by counting the rotation amount of the paper feed motor 73 with reference to the leading edge detection of the paper P by the PW sensor 47 and the cueing operation with respect to the print head 44.

  If it is determined in step S17 that the leading edge of the sheet has not reached the discharge roller 48a (step S17: No), it is determined that a paper jam has occurred before the discharge roller 48a, and the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 is determined. To notify the occurrence of an error (step S15). After step S15, the user opens the rear opening / closing cover 17 and pulls out the jammed paper P.

  If it is determined in step S17 that the leading edge of the sheet has reached the paper discharge roller 48a (step S17: Yes), it is determined that a paper jam has occurred in the second transport unit, and the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 is activated. At the same time, the second release mechanism 97 is operated to notify the occurrence of an error (step S18). Here, when the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 is operated, the gap PG between the platen surface 91a and the print head 44 is maximized, and the first release mechanism 78 is operated in conjunction with the first conveying unit. , The driven roller 42 is retracted in the direction of separating from the paper feed roller 41. In addition, when the second release mechanism 97 is operated, the guide roller 48b is retracted in the direction of separating from the paper discharge roller 48a in the second transport unit. After step S18, the user opens the rear opening / closing cover 17 and pulls out the jammed paper P.

  If it is detected in step S16 that the trailing edge of the paper P has passed the paper detection sensor 45 (step S16: present), it is determined whether or not the driving load of the carriage motor 14 has increased more than usual (step S19). . If it is determined that the driving load of the carriage motor 14 has increased more than usual (step S19: Yes), the carriage 13 and the paper P interfere with each other with the trailing edge of the paper P passing through the paper detection sensor 45. Then, it is determined that a paper jam has occurred, and the second release mechanism 97 is operated to notify the occurrence of an error (step S21).

  If it is determined in step S19 that the driving load of the carriage motor 14 is not abnormal (step S19: No), it is determined whether or not the driving load of the paper feed motor 73 has increased more than usual (step S20). If it is determined that the driving load of the paper feed motor 73 has increased more than usual (step S19: Yes), the paper P has interfered with the paper discharge roller 48a in the second transport unit and a paper jam has occurred. The second release mechanism 97 is activated to notify the occurrence of an error (step S21). In step S21, the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 may be operated simultaneously. After step S21, the user pulls out the jammed paper P from the front side of the printer 1.

  If it is determined in step S20 that the driving load of the paper feed motor 73 is normal (step S20: No), a normal paper discharge operation is performed (step S22), and a series of print processing operations is completed.

  As described above, when the second release mechanism 97 is operated independently, as shown in FIG. 13, the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51 and the first release mechanism 78 are operated according to the paper jam occurrence state. By operating only the second release mechanism 97 or by operating all of the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51, the first release mechanism 78, and the second release mechanism 97, an appropriate paper jam countermeasure operation can be performed.

  It is preferable to set a hidden command for causing each drive unit in the apparatus to execute a paper jam countermeasure operation when a service engineer of the manufacturer performs maintenance inspection of the printer 1. By setting a combination of sensor states that are difficult to satisfy in advance as a trigger for executing a paper jam countermeasure operation in the state normally used by the user as described above, the service engineer can safely remove the paper jam. it can.

  As an example, the condition for instructing execution of the paper jam countermeasure operation is determined according to the output states of the black ink cover sensor 112, the color ink cover sensor 113, and the paper cassette attachment / detachment sensor 114, for example. In that case, the control unit 101 detects whether or not the paper cassette 5 is mounted, whether the cover of the black ink mounting unit is open or closed, and whether the cover of the color ink mounting unit is open or closed from the sensors 112 to 114 provided in advance in the apparatus. (1) The paper cassette 5 is not inserted, (2) the cover of the black ink mounting part is opened, and (3) the cover of the color ink mounting part is closed. When all of the two conditions are satisfied, it is determined that the execution of the paper jam countermeasure operation is instructed, and the processing gap adjusting mechanism 51, the first release mechanism 78, and the second release mechanism 97 are operated.

  Moreover, the apparatus provided with the conveyance mechanism according to the present invention is not limited to the ink jet printer exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to various devices having a similar transport path for transporting a medium such as a thermal printer, a copier, a fax machine, a scanner, a magnetic information reading device, a magnetic information recording device, and a bill changer. Even when a magnetic head that is a processing unit of the processing mechanism is in contact with a medium that is a medium, such as a magnetic information reader, if a jam is detected, the medium is urged to the magnetic head or the magnetic head. Providing the gap by moving the biasing member that is retracted from the conveyance path has the same effect as the above-described embodiment that makes it easy to pull out the jammed medium.

In the above embodiment, when a paper jam occurs, the processing gap adjustment mechanism 51 maximizes the gap GP between the platen surface 91a and the print head 44. It does not matter as an interval.
Further, although the flat platen 91 has been described as an example of the processing reference surface, it may be a roller platen.

  In the above embodiment, the sheet-like medium has been described by taking paper as an example. However, the present invention is also applicable to a medium made of a resin film or the like.

1 is an external perspective view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a state where a paper discharge tray and an upper case are removed from the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 1. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 2 from the rear surface side upper side. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a sheet conveyance path in the ink jet printer illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a paper feeding state of the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a paper conveyance state of the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a partial side cross-sectional view showing a processing gap adjusting mechanism in the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a partial side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the processing gap adjustment mechanism illustrated in FIG. 7 is operated. FIG. 8 is a partial side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the processing gap adjustment mechanism illustrated in FIG. 7 is operated. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state where power transmission between the drive motor and the intermediate roller in the conveyance path illustrated in FIG. 9 is interrupted. It is a block diagram which shows the control mechanism which controls the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation when a paper jam occurs in the ink jet printer illustrated in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of an operation when a paper jam occurs in the ink jet printer illustrated in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet printer (recording apparatus), 2 ... Upper case, 3 ... Lower case, 4 ... Apparatus case, 5 ... Paper cassette, 6 ... Paper discharge tray, 11 ... Conveyance mechanism, 13 ... Carriage, 14 ... Carriage motor, 17 ... rear opening / closing cover, 31 ... intermediate roller, 32 ... retard roller (driven roller), 41 ... paper feed roller (drive roller), 42 ... driven roller, 43 ... print processing mechanism (processing unit), 44 ... print head, 48a DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Paper discharge roller, 48b ... Driven roller, 51 ... Processing gap adjustment mechanism, 53 ... Carriage shaft, 55 ... Transmission gear, 57 ... Cam, 59 ... Cam receiver, 63 ... Gap adjustment motor, 73 ... Paper feed motor, 78 ... first release mechanism, 84 ... one-way clutch mechanism, 91 ... platen, 91a ... platen surface (reference surface for processing), 97 ... second release mechanism, A ... circle Jo conveying path, B ... straight transporting path, P ... paper (medium)

Claims (6)

A transport mechanism that transports the medium to a processing unit that performs information processing on a sheet-like medium on a processing reference surface;
A first transport unit that sandwiches the medium and transports the medium from the supply side onto the processing reference surface;
A second transport unit that sandwiches and transports the medium that has passed over the processing reference surface to the downstream thereof;
A processing gap adjustment mechanism for adjusting a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit;
A control unit that activates the processing gap adjustment mechanism to widen the gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval when detecting the clogging of the medium in the middle of conveyance;
A first release mechanism that releases a clamping state of the first transport unit with respect to the medium;
And a second release mechanism that releases a clamping state of the second transport unit with respect to the medium. The transport mechanism according to claim 1,
The transport mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first release mechanism is operated in accordance with an operation of widening a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval by the processing gap adjusting mechanism. The transport mechanism according to claim 2,
The first release mechanism is operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism by power transmission from the processing gap adjustment mechanism. It is a conveyance mechanism as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3,
The transport mechanism, wherein the second release mechanism is operated in accordance with an operation of widening a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing unit to a predetermined interval by the processing gap adjusting mechanism. The transport mechanism according to claim 4,
The second release mechanism is operated in conjunction with the processing gap adjustment mechanism by power transmission from the processing gap adjustment mechanism. Comprising the transport mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The recording apparatus, wherein the processing unit includes a print head that performs a printing process on the medium.

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