JP2011168042A - Pin tractor device for printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To convey paper with high positional precision even if the paper has a large size. <P>SOLUTION: The device has: a casing 31; a plurality of rollers 33, 36, and 38 rotatably attached to the casing; and a timing belt 39 wound around the plurality of rollers. Pins PN which are engaged with punch holes provided in paper are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the belt. The paper is conveyed by driving the timing belt. A paper guide part 32 is provided on the upper surface of the casing. The paper guide part 32 is provided with a push-up part 32a having a higher height in the driving end side of the timing belt so as to push up and detachably adjust the paper from the pins. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pin tractor device for a printer for conveying a sheet having punch holes.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image display medium such as an electric advertisement or an electric signboard is often used in which an image is printed on a printer paper (printer sheet) with an ink jet printer.

  In such an image display medium, printing is performed on both sides of the printer paper so that the image is clearly displayed by either reflected light or transmitted light.

  When printing on both sides of the printer paper, it is necessary to increase the positional accuracy of the paper transport so that the image on the front side and the image on the back side exactly match.

  An ink jet printer is disclosed in which a recording medium is sandwiched and conveyed by a paper conveying roller and a pressure roller, and a print head is reciprocated on a platen in a direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction to perform printing (Patent Document). 1). When printing on both sides using such an ink jet printer, the position of the paper with respect to the paper transport roller is misaligned, resulting in misalignment of the image.

  Therefore, conventionally, such a method is used only when printing on a large-sized sheet by a large inkjet printer. In other words, when the size of the paper is large, the viewing distance is long, that is, the user often sees from a distance, and the difference between the front and back images is not so noticeable.

  However, since there is a considerable image shift, the shift is conspicuous when viewed in the vicinity, which causes a problem in terms of image quality.

  In addition, there are a method of automatically detecting an image misalignment and manually correcting the error, a method of automatically correcting the printing position by reading the error with a CCD camera, and the like. However, even when the deviation is corrected by these methods, it is difficult to sufficiently correct the deviation. Although it is not so conspicuous when viewed from a large size and far away, the shift is conspicuous as it is in the middle size or small size, and there still remains a problem in terms of image quality.

  Further, as a recording sheet for transmitted light for an ink jet printer, an ink receiving layer containing titanium oxide in a porous ink receiving layer (Patent Document 2), water-containing silica particles, a water retention material, and the like. What has (patent document 3) etc. are known.

  In addition, as a recording sheet for reflected light and transmitted light for an ink jet printer, a sheet having an ink receiving layer containing silica particles and an overall opacity of 70 to 90% has been proposed (Patent Document 4).

JP 2001-335183 A JP 2004-167706 A JP 2000-135859 A JP2003-312131

  As described above, when double-sided printing of an image is performed by the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to align the sheets, and the images cannot be accurately aligned with high accuracy.

  Further, even when performing double-sided printing of images using the papers disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 4, it is difficult to align the paper, and it is not possible to perform accurate and accurate alignment. That is, when performing double-sided printing of images on these conventional papers, after printing an image on one surface, the paper is turned upside down and positioned as much as possible, and the image is placed on the other surface (back surface). Print. If a deviation occurs after printing is started, the position is corrected each time.

  However, in such a method, a great amount of labor is required to set the paper on the paper transporting roller, and it is not known until printing is started whether the set position is correct. Even if the position is found to be misaligned, it is not easy to correct it and adjust it accurately. If the position cannot be corrected, it must be set again from the beginning.

  Further, there is a conventional form paper in which punch holes for feeding are provided at both ends. However, such a conventional form sheet is small in size, such as B5 or A3, and is lightweight, so that it can be sufficiently conveyed by a conventional pin tractor device. In addition, the required positional accuracy of the paper is about 1 mm or less because character printing is the main application.

  However, when performing double-sided printing of images on paper, high accuracy that is incomparable with the accuracy of the form, for example, accuracy in the micron range is required. Moreover, the paper used for electric advertisements is as large as 1 meter or more, and is heavy. Conventionally, it has not been possible to perform double-sided printing of images on a large size sheet with high positional accuracy.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a pin tractor device for a printer that can transport a large size sheet with high positional accuracy.

  The apparatus according to the present invention includes a casing, a plurality of rollers rotatably attached to the casing, and a pin that is spanned by the plurality of rollers and that engages with a punch hole that is provided in a sheet. A sheet guide portion that is slidably in contact with the lower surface of the sheet, and is provided on the upper surface of the casing. The guide portion is provided with a push-up portion whose height is increased in order to push up the paper and to remove it from the pin on the traveling end side of the timing belt.

  Preferably, a portion of the paper guide portion excluding the push-up portion is the same height as or lower than the upper surface of the timing belt.

  Preferably, the push-up portion is 30 to 300 micrometers higher than the upper surface of the timing belt.

  The pin may be conical or bullet-shaped.

  Further, on the upper surface of the casing, on the traveling end side of the timing belt, the lower surface of the paper is in sliding contact, and the height of the push-up portion is increased because the paper is pushed up and removed from the pin. May be provided.

  According to the present invention, even a large-size sheet can be conveyed with high positional accuracy.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. It is a front view of a pin tractor. It is AA arrow sectional drawing of the pin tractor of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pin tractor of FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows the paper guide part of the pin tractor of FIG. 2 to the vertical direction. It is a figure which shows the cross section of a timing belt. It is a figure which shows the mode of engagement of a paper and a pin. It is a front view of a sheet. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating examples of images printed on both sides of a sheet. It is a figure similar to FIG. 3 which shows the other Example of a pin tractor. It is a front view of the pin tractor of other embodiments. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of the pin tractor of FIG.

  In FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a machine body 11, a delivery roller 12, a driving roller 13, a pin tractor 14, a pressure roller 15, a recording head 16, a platen box 17, a fan 18, a paper guide 19, and a control circuit.

  The printer 1 is connected to a computer via an interface (not shown), and can be operated and controlled using a pointing device such as a keyboard.

  A paper PY wound in a roll shape is rotatably set on the machine body 11, and the paper PY is transported by a paper transport device YH configured by a pin tractor 14 and the like, and an image is recorded on the surface thereof by a recording head 16. GZ is printed. The paper PY can be printed on both sides and is transparent or translucent, and the printed image can be observed with reflected light or transmitted light.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the paper PY has feed punch holes PA at both ends thereof arranged in a line at a constant pitch along the length direction. The punch hole PA has a circular shape, and its peripheral edge is cut off along the circumference. That is, there is no jaggedness or the like for avoiding interference with the pin at the peripheral portion of the punch hole PA, and the positional relationship thereof is accurately determined by the outer peripheral surface of the pin contacting the peripheral portion of the punch hole PA. .

  Further, a mark MKP indicating the positional relationship between the punch holes PA provided in one row and the punch holes PA provided in the other row is attached to the paper PY.

  One mark MKP is provided for a predetermined number of punch holes PA. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, one mark MKP is provided for five punch holes PA. As the mark MKP, a black dot, a color dot, an arrow, or the like can be used. Further, a hole may be provided as the mark MKP.

  The mark MKP indicates that the left and right punch holes PA with the mark MKP are in the same position in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the number, position, shape, addition method, etc. of the mark MKP can be arbitrarily selected as long as it can indicate which of the left and right punch holes PA is at the same position.

  The feed roller 12 sends the paper PY to the drive roller 13 and the pin tractor 14. The feed roller 12 may or may not be provided with a pin that engages with the punch hole PA. Further, a guide plate may be provided in place of the feed roller 12. A guide plate may be provided together with the feed roller 12.

  The driving roller 13 and the pin tractor 14 cooperate with the pressure roller 15 to accurately position and convey the paper PY.

  That is, the driving roller 13 is driven to rotate in a state where the lower surface of the paper PY is in contact with the paper. The pin tractor 14 is disposed at both ends of the drive roller 13, has a plurality of pins PN that engage with feed punch holes PA provided at both ends of the paper PY, and is coaxial with the drive roller 13. It is rotationally driven by the rotational driving force.

  That is, the pin tractor 14 is rotationally driven by the drive shaft 34 having the same axis as the axis of the drive roller 13. The timing belt 39 travels by the rotational drive by the drive shaft 34, and the pin PN engaged with the punch hole PA travels the paper PY.

  In this way, it is easy to synchronize the conveyance of the paper PY by the pin tractor 14 and the conveyance of the paper PY by the drive roller 13. The pin tractor 14 will be described in detail later.

  In this embodiment, the shaft 34 of the pin tractor 14 and the shaft 13a of the drive roller 13 are integrally connected in the axial direction. However, a power transmission mechanism such as a coupling or a gear is provided at an appropriate position in the axial direction. It may be connected via.

  The pressure roller 15 is disposed to face the driving roller 13 and presses the paper PY toward the driving roller 13. That is, the pressure roller 15 is pressed against the driving roller 13 weakly. This prevents a large frictional force from acting on the contact surface between the driving roller 13 and the paper PY, and allows a slight deviation between the driving roller 13 and the paper PY.

  In order to weaken the force that presses the pressure roller 15 against the drive roller 13, the force of the spring that presses the pressure roller 15 may be weakened. In the case of a structure in which the pressure roller 15 is pressed by its own weight, the weight of the pressure roller 15 may be reduced. Further, a spring or the like for adjusting the pressing force of the pressure roller 15 may be provided. Alternatively, the number or length of the pressure rollers 15 may be reduced.

  Further, instead of or in addition to weakening the pressing force of the pressure roller 15, the surface material of the pressure roller 15 may have a small friction coefficient. Further, the material of the surface of the driving roller 13 may have a small friction coefficient.

  Further, the pressure roller 15 presses the paper PY against the pin tractor 14. As a result, the punch hole PA of the paper PY does not accidentally come off from the pin PN, and the position of the punch hole PA accurately moves along the paper guide portion with the rotation of the pin tractor 14, and the paper PY is accurately It is conveyed with high accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, the paper transport device YH is configured by the drive roller 13, the pin tractor 14, and the pressure roller 15. The paper transport device YH is driven to rotate at a controlled speed by a motor (not shown) and a power transmission mechanism such as a gear or a belt.

  The paper transport device YH transports the paper PY at a speed synchronized with the movement of the pin PN, and sends the paper PY forward by the rotation of the driving roller 13. That is, both ends of the paper PY are conveyed by the pin tractor 14 and the central portion of the paper PY is conveyed by the driving roller 13 at the same speed. The conveyance speed by the pin tractor 14 and the conveyance speed by the drive roller 13 are the same, and the paper PY is conveyed accurately in a straight line at a controlled speed without being twisted or dropped off.

  Actually, the conveyance by the pin tractor 14 is more dominant than the drive roller 13, and the paper PY is conveyed at a speed synchronized with the movement of the pin PN of the pin tractor 14. That is, when a slight difference in the conveyance speed due to changes in temperature or humidity occurs between the pin tractor 14 and the drive roller 13, the conveyance speed is obtained by the pin tractor 14, and the drive roller 13 is almost the same speed as that. Thus, the paper PY is sent forward.

  The recording head 16 performs color printing on the surface of the paper PY by an ink jet method immediately after being sent out by the paper transport device YH. The recording head 16 is attached to a carriage that reciprocates along a rail (not shown), and has a slight gap with the paper PY above the platen box 17 so as to cross the paper PY in the width direction. Move back and forth. The ink nozzles of the recording head 16 are opposed to the upper surface of the platen box 17, and the image GZ is printed by ejecting ink onto the paper PY adsorbed on the upper surface of the platen box 17.

  Assuming that the transport direction of the paper PY is the X direction, the moving direction of the recording head 16 is the Y direction orthogonal thereto, and the surface of the paper PY is obtained by the movement of the paper PY in the X direction and the movement of the recording head 16 in the Y direction. An image GZ is printed on the XY plane.

  In order for the printing position to be accurate, it is necessary that the image GZ drawn by the ink ejected from the recording head 16 and the position in the XY direction of the paper PY have a certain correct relationship. In addition, in order to accurately align the positions of the images GZ to be printed on both sides of the same sheet PY with high accuracy, the sheet PY is accurately set at an accurate position with respect to the sheet transport device YH. It needs to be transported accurately so that there is no.

  In the paper transport device YH of the present embodiment, the paper PY is transported by the pin tractor 14, so that the position of the paper PY is accurately determined by the pin PN engaged with the punch hole PA of the paper PY, and there is no deviation during transport. .

  Note that a fan 18 is provided below the platen box 17, and the air inside the platen box 17 is exhausted by the fan 18 to reduce the pressure. A large number of fine holes are provided on the upper surface of the platen box 17, and the paper PY is adsorbed by a negative pressure and is in close contact with the upper surface of the platen box 17. That is, the paper PY is conveyed in a state of being in close contact with the upper surface of the platen box 17.

  The paper PY on which the image GZ is printed by the recording head 16 is discharged along the paper guide 19.

  Next, the pin tractor 14 will be described.

  2 to 4, the pin tractor 14 includes a casing 31, a paper guide portion 32, a gear roller 33, a drive shaft 34, a key 35, a tension roller 36, a shaft 37, a tension roller 38, a timing belt 39, and the like. .

  The casing 31 is formed by integrating side plates 31 a and 31 b and a bottom plate 31 c with bolts 311. As shown in FIG. 2, the side plates 31a and 31b are rectangular plate-like bodies, and the upper corners thereof are cut obliquely, and inclined surface portions 312 and 313 are formed there. A member 314 made of synthetic rubber is provided on the inclined surface portion 313 on the traveling end side so as to fill the notched portion.

  The bottom plate 31c is a rod-shaped body having a rectangular cross section, and is sandwiched between the two side plates 31a and 31b so as to maintain an interval therebetween.

  The side plates 31a and 31b and the bottom plate 31c are each made of a steel material, an aluminum alloy, a metal material such as brass, or a synthetic resin.

  Between the two side plates 31a and 31b, a tension roller 36 is rotatably attached to the traveling start side, and a gear roller 33 is rotatably attached to the traveling end side.

  That is, the gear roller 33 is rotatably supported by the drive shaft 34 inserted in the shaft hole 315 provided in the side plates 31a and 31b. The drive shaft 34 and the gear roller 33 are provided with a key groove, and a key 35 is attached to the key groove, whereby the gear roller 33 rotates integrally with the rotational drive by the drive shaft 34.

  The gear roller 33 is provided with teeth 331 and 331 on both sides in the axial direction, and a central portion in the axial direction is a cylindrical surface 332 having a smaller diameter than the tooth bottoms of the teeth on both sides. By setting it as such a shape, interference with the protruding part of the back side of the pin PN provided in the timing belt 39 can be prevented. However, when the protruding portion on the back side of the pin PN does not appear in the timing belt 39, a gear roller having teeth on the entire outer peripheral surface may be provided without providing the cylindrical surface 332 having a small diameter.

  Further, the shaft center portion of the gear roller 33 is provided with a shaft hole for inserting the drive shaft 34 and the key groove described above. The gear roller 33 is made of a metal material or a synthetic resin.

  The tension roller 36 is rotatably supported by a shaft 37 inserted into a shaft hole 315 provided in the side plates 31a and 31b. The tension roller 36 is provided with a large-diameter cylindrical surface 361 on both sides in the axial direction, and a small-diameter cylindrical surface 362 at the center in the axial direction. A radial screw hole is provided in the small-diameter cylindrical surface 362 so that the tension roller 36 and the shaft 37 rotate integrally, and a screw is screwed there to fix the tension roller 36 and the shaft 37 to each other. Good.

  The tensioning roller 36 is provided such that the surface of the timing belt 39 hung on the tensioning roller 36 is lowered more than the gear roller 33 side.

  Rather than directly inserting the drive shaft 34 or the shaft 37 into the shaft holes 315, 316, appropriate bushes or bearings are provided on the side plates 31a, 31b so that the drive shaft 34 or the shaft 37 can be rotated through the bushes or the bearings. You may support.

  The tension roller 38 is rotatably mounted on the casing 31 between the gear roller 33 and the tension roller 36 by a shaft 381. The tension roller 38 abuts on the inner surface of the timing belt 39 and applies tension to the timing belt 39 so as to slightly push the timing belt 39 outward.

  In the present embodiment, the tension roller 36 and the tension roller 38 are simple rollers having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, but may be a gear roller having teeth provided on the outer peripheral surface. Even in such a case, the timing belt 39 is not driven by the tension roller 36 or the tension roller 38, so that they may be used as freely rotatable rollers. By using a free roller having such a gear, it is possible to reduce wear of the timing belt 39 and maintain smooth running.

  Referring also to FIG. 6, the timing belt 39 has a large number of teeth 391 that engage with the teeth 331 of the gear roller 33 formed on the inner surface, and a plurality of pins PN provided on the outer surface. The pin PN has a conical shape in FIG. 6 and is provided at a substantially central position in the width direction of the timing belt 39.

  In addition to the conical shape as shown in FIG. 6, the pin PN may have a truncated cone shape by cutting the top portion. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, it may be a shell-shaped one having a bulge on the peripheral surface. The cannonball shape shown in FIG. 7 is easy to fit the pin PN into the punch hole PA, and is excellent in feeding accuracy by the pin PN and smoothness when the pin PN comes out of the punch hole PA. Moreover, the thing of various shapes other than these may be sufficient.

  As shown in FIG. 5, on the upper surfaces of the side plates 31a and 31b, which are the casing 31, a paper guide portion 32 is provided so that the lower surface of the paper PY can come into sliding contact therewith. The sheet guide portion 32 is the same height as the upper surface of the timing belt 39 or lower than that. In FIG. 5, the level LV indicated by the alternate long and short dash line is the height position of the paper guide portion 32.

  Further, a push-up portion 32 a is provided on the traveling end side of the timing belt 39, that is, on the upper portion of the gear roller 33. The push-up portion 32a is higher in height than the portion 32b of the paper guide portion 32 other than the push-up portion 32a.

  That is, the upper surface JMa of the push-up portion 32a is higher than the upper surface JMb of the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32a. The upper surface JMc of the portion from the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32a to the push-up portion 32a is smoothly inclined.

  Therefore, the paper PY conveyed in the direction of the arrow M1 by the pin PN is pushed upward by the push-up portion 32a so that the punch hole PA is removed from the pin PN.

  In FIG. 5, the paper guide portion 32 is an area AR excluding the inclined surface portion 312 on the upper surface of the side plates 31a and 31b, of which the area AR1 is the push-up portion 32a and the area AR2 is the other portion 32b. The push-up portion 32a is preferably provided at a position where the punch hole PA of the paper PY starts to come out from the pin PN. In FIG. 5, the inclination of the upper surface JMc starts from a position immediately above the center point of the gear roller 33, but the position may be shifted back and forth.

  As a specific example of the height dimension of the paper guide part 32, in FIG. 5, the height H1 of the push-up part 32a is about 50 to 170 micrometers.

  In addition, the value of height H1 may be other than this. For example, the height H1 of the push-up portion 32a may be about 30 to 300 micrometers, or a numerical value other than this.

  Thus, by providing the push-up portion 32a, the paper PY is pushed upward in the area AR1, and thereby the punch hole PA of the paper PY is removed from the pin PN.

  Accordingly, as the timing belt 39 travels, the pin PN inserted into the punch hole PA of the paper PY is pulled out without interfering with others, and an adverse effect on the positional accuracy of the paper PY can be prevented. .

  That is, the pin PN inserted in the punch hole PA of the paper PY needs to come out of the punch hole PA on the travel end side as the timing belt 39 travels. However, as shown as paper PYj in FIG. 7, when the pin PN comes out of the punch hole PA, the tip of the pin PN interferes with the peripheral portion of the punch hole PA, dragging the paper PY and reducing the conveyance accuracy. Or the paper PY may be damaged. In particular, in the second printing in double-sided printing, if the interference occurs, the positioning accuracy of the image decreases.

  However, by providing the push-up portion 32a as in this embodiment, the position of the sheet PY becomes higher than the position of the sheet PYj in FIG. 7, and the pin PN can easily come out without interfering with the punch hole PA. it can. As a result, the above adverse effects can be prevented.

  Next, a method for printing the image GZ on both sides of the paper PY by the printer 1 will be described.

  As described above, the paper PY provided with the punch holes PA for feeding at both ends, the drive roller 13 that rotates in contact with the paper PY, and the two pin tractors 14 provided on both sides are provided. The paper transport device YH is used.

  The positions of the two pin tractors 14 are adjusted in accordance with the positions of the punch holes PA of the paper PY to be used.

  The paper PY is set on the paper transport device YH, and in this state, the paper PY is transported at a speed synchronized with the movement of the pin PN, and an image GZ1 is printed on one surface HM1 of the paper PY [see FIG. 9A] .

  When the printing on one surface UM1 of the paper PY is finished, the paper PY is cut from the web at that position. The cut paper PY is turned over, set in the paper transport device YH, and in this state, the paper PY is transported at a speed synchronized with the movement of the pin PN, and the image GZ2 is printed on the other front surface (back surface) UM2 of the paper PY [ See FIG. 9B].

  At this time, the image GZ2 printed on the back surface UM2 of the paper PY is an image obtained by turning over the image GZ1 printed on the front surface UM1, that is, a mirror image. That is, the image GZ2 is an image having the same content as the image GZ1, and is an image obtained by horizontally inverting the image GZ1. Note that when the orientation of the top and bottom of the paper PY is reversed, the image GZ2 may also be reversed.

  The images GZ1 and GZ2 are printed so as to overlap at the same position. That is, in the state viewed through the paper PY, the position of the origin GG2 of the image GZ2 printed on the back surface UM2 is the same position as the position of the origin GG1 of the image GZ1 printed on the front surface UM1.

  That is, for example, if one punch hole PA11 in the paper PY is used as a reference, the positional relationship between the punch hole PA11 and the origin GG1 or GG2 may be the same on the front and back of the paper PY.

  The pin PN11 inserted into the punch hole PA11 when printing the front surface UM1 is inserted with the opposite punch hole PA21 on the left and right sides when printing the back surface UM2. Therefore, for the image GZ2, if the upper left position is the origin GG21, the positional relationship between the origin GG21 and the pin PN11 may be defined. Since the positional relationship between the origin GG2 and the origin GG21 is known for the image GZ2, the positional relationship between the origin GG21 and the pin PN11 may be set based on these.

  In the paper transport device YH, the position of the paper PY is accurately and accurately determined and transported by the pin tractor 14, so that the print positions of the images GZ1 and GZ2 on the front and back are determined and printed as described above. , They match exactly without shifting.

  That is, even if the paper PY is large or small, it is possible to perform double-sided printing of the image GZ with high positional accuracy.

  Note that the paper PY on which double-sided printing has been completed may be cut and separated at both ends where the punch holes PA are provided.

  In the embodiment described above, the paper guide portion 32 is a part of the upper surface of the side plates 31a and 31b, that is, a part of the side plates 31a and 31b. That is, the paper guide portion 32 can be formed by cutting or the like so that the upper surfaces of the side plates 31a and 31b have the shapes described above. Further, the sheet guide portion 32 may be manufactured as a separate body instead of being integrated with the side plates 31a and 31b and attached to the upper surfaces of the side plates 31a and 31b. For example, a sheet-like body made of a synthetic resin or a metal material may be manufactured, and this may be attached to the upper surfaces of the side plates 31a and 31b with an adhesive tape or an adhesive to form the paper guide portion 32. Alternatively, the paper guide portion 32 and the push-up portion 32a may be separately manufactured as a sheet-like body, and the push-up portion 32a may be pasted on the paper guide portion 32. In addition, as the paper guide part 32 and the push-up part 32a, those having a smooth surface and excellent in lubricity are preferable.

  In the embodiment described above, the paper PY is pressed against the pin tractor 14 by the pressure roller 15. However, instead of being pressed by the pressure roller 15, a paper guide plate parallel to the paper guide portion 32 may be provided above the paper guide portion 32.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the substantially L-shaped paper guide plate 41 is attached to the side surface of the side plate 31a with screws or the like. A gap is provided between the lower surface of the paper guide plate 41 and the upper surface of the paper guide portion 32 so that the paper PY can freely pass therethrough. The paper guide plate 41 is provided with a long hole 42 at a position corresponding to the pin PN, and the pin PN enters the long hole 42. The length of the paper guide plate 41 in plan view (front view) may be substantially the same as the length of the pin tractor 14 or may be shorter than that. Further, the paper guide plate 41 may be openable and closable so that the paper PY can be easily attached to the pin PN.

  When such a paper guide plate 41 is used, the pin PN and the punch hole PA are more securely engaged with each other, and the conveyance of the paper PY by the pin tractor 14 becomes smoother and more accurate.

  Further, in order to correspond to the paper width of the paper PY, the pin tractor 14 may be movable along the shaft 13a or the drive shaft 34 as shown in FIG. That is, when the long key groove 45 is provided on the shaft 13a or the drive shaft 34 and the pin tractor 14 is moved along the shaft 13a or the drive shaft 34, the shaft 13a or the drive shaft 34 and the gear roller 33 are Always engage via 35.

  Further, as a mechanism for moving the pin tractor 14, a rail parallel to the shaft 13a or the drive shaft 34 is provided, and the pin tractor 14 is attached to a slider that can move along the rail. In order to fix the pin tractor 14 after moving and adjusting its position, an appropriate lever is provided.

When printing, the lever is loosened, the pin tractor 14 is moved in accordance with the paper width of the paper PY, and the lever is fastened and fixed.
[Other Embodiments]
Next, another embodiment of the push-up unit 32a will be described.

  In the pin tractor 14 described above, the push-up portion 32a is made higher by several tens to several hundreds of micrometers than the other portion 32b. However, it can be higher. For example, the height may be the same as or higher than the height of the pin PN provided on the timing belt 39. Next, an example of the pin tractor 14B provided with such a push-up portion 32Ba will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, parts having the same functions as those of the pin tractor 14 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  11 and 12, the pin tractor 14B is provided with a push-up portion 32Ba on the traveling end side of the timing belt 39.

  The push-up portion 32Ba is higher in the upper portion corresponding to the vicinity of the center portion of the gear roller 33 than the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32Ba, and before and after that, the height of the original portion 32b is increased. I'm back.

  That is, the upper surface JMa of the push-up portion 32Ba is higher than the upper surface JMb of the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32a. The upper surface JMc of the portion from the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32Ba to the push-up portion 32Ba is smoothly inclined in the upward direction. Further, the upper surface JMd of the portion from the push-up portion 32Ba to the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32Ba is also smoothly inclined in the downward direction.

  The height of the upper surface JMa of the push-up portion 32Ba is approximately the same as the height of the pin PN provided on the timing belt 39. In this case, the height of the push-up portion 32Ba is about several millimeters, for example, about 1 to 2.5 millimeters, with respect to the other portion 32b. Note that the height of the upper surface JMa of the push-up portion 32Ba can be set to a value corresponding to the height of the pin PN.

  Accordingly, the sheet PY conveyed in the direction of the arrow M1 by the pin PN is pushed upward by the push-up portion 32Ba when it comes above the gear roller 33, and the punch hole PA is almost removed from the pin PN. . Thereafter, the sheet PY is lowered to the surface of the portion 32b without being inserted into the punch holes PA or interfering with each other, and is further conveyed as it is.

  Even when the paper PY is pushed upward by the push-up portion 32Ba, and the punch hole PA comes off from the pin PN, the other pins PN engage with the punch hole PA in the pin tractor 14B. Therefore, the paper PY can be accurately conveyed.

  In addition, when the pin tractor 14B is used, a plurality of pins PN, in this embodiment, three pins PN on one side mesh with the punch holes PA, so that the contact pressure of the pins PN with respect to the punch holes PA is the number of pins PN. The sheet PY can be conveyed without damaging the punch hole PA. Therefore, even when the paper PY does not have the strength like a synthetic resin film, it can be accurately conveyed.

  When the height of the push-up portion 32Ba is 2.5 mm as described above, for example, the pitch of the pins PN is 21 mm, and the height of 2.5 mm at a position 16 mm from the start of the push-up by the push-up portion 32Ba. If it is pushed up, the inclination angle at that time is about 8.9 degrees. Moreover, if it pushes up to the height of 0.2 mm (200 micrometers) on the same conditions, the inclination angle at that time will be about 0.7 degree | times.

  Thus, according to the pin tractor 14B, by providing the push-up portion 32Ba, the paper PY is conveyed along the surface of the push-up portion 32Ba, and the position of the paper PY is higher in the upper part near the center of the gear roller 33. Thus, the pin PN can be easily pulled out without interfering with the punch hole PA.

  In this case, even when the punch hole PA of the paper PY is pulled forward by the pin PN above the gear roller 33, the paper PY is pushed up by the push-up portion 32Ba, and the punch hole PA becomes the pin. Since the removal is moderate with respect to the PN, it is possible to prevent the periphery of the punch hole PA of the paper PY from being damaged.

  In addition, in the pin tractor 14B demonstrated by other embodiment, the modification example or modification etc. which were described about the upper pin tractor 14 are applicable similarly.

  In the embodiment described above, the lower surface of the paper PY is configured to be in sliding contact with the paper guide portion 32 provided on the upper surface of the casing 31. However, the sliding contact of the paper PY with the paper guide portion 32 is slid in the entire length. It may be in contact, but it may be in sliding contact only at a part of its length. For example, the paper PY may be in sliding contact with the paper guide portion 32 only at or near the portion where the push-up portion 32Ba is provided.

  Further, the sheet PY may be prevented from slidingly contacting the portion 32b other than the push-up portion 32Ba.

  In the embodiment described above, the gear roller 33 is rotationally driven, but the tension roller 38 or the tension roller 36 may be rotationally driven. In that case, teeth may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tension roller 38 or the tension roller 36. The number, type, shape, size, and the like of the rollers in the pin tractors 14, 14B can be variously changed.

  In the embodiment described above, the casing 31, the paper guide portion 32, the push-up portions 32a and 32Ba, the gear roller 33, the drive shaft 34, the tension roller 36, the tension roller 38, the timing belt 39, the pin tractors 14 and 14B, The structure, shape, size, number, material, composition, etc. of the whole or each part of the pressure roller 15, the pin PN, the paper PY, the punch hole PA, or the printer 1 can be appropriately changed in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 13 Drive roller 14, 14B Pin tractor (pin tractor device)
31 Casing 32 Paper guide part 32a, 32Ba Push-up part 33 Gear roller (roller)
36 Tension roller (roller)
38 Tension roller (roller)
39 Timing belt 331 Teeth 332 Cylindrical surface YH Paper transport device PY Paper PA Punch hole PN Pin

Claims (10)

A casing,
A plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the casing;
A timing belt provided on the outer peripheral surface with a pin that is spanned by the plurality of rollers and that engages with a punch hole provided in the paper;
The sheet is transported by running of the timing belt,
A paper guide portion is provided on the upper surface of the casing,
The paper guide portion is provided with a push-up portion whose height is increased in order to push up the paper and remove it from the pin on the running end side of the timing belt.
Pin tractor device for printer. The portion of the paper guide portion excluding the push-up portion is the same height as or lower than the upper surface of the timing belt,
The pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 1. The push-up portion is 30 to 300 micrometers higher than the upper surface of the timing belt,
A pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 1 or 2. The pin has a conical shape or a shell shape,
4. A pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 1. A casing,
A plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the casing;
A timing belt provided on the outer peripheral surface with a pin that is spanned by the plurality of rollers and that engages with a punch hole provided in the paper;
The sheet is transported by running of the timing belt,
On the upper surface of the casing, on the traveling end side of the timing belt, there is provided a push-up portion having a high height so that the lower surface of the paper is in sliding contact with the pin and pushes up the paper to be removed from the pin. Become
Pin tractor device for printer. The push-up part is high in the upper part of the vicinity of the central part of the roller on the traveling end side,
6. A pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 5. The height of the upper surface of the push-up portion is substantially the same height as the pin.
A pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 5 or 6. The running end side roller is a gear roller provided with teeth on the outer peripheral surface,
The timing belt is driven by the rotation of the gear roller and travels.
A pin tractor device for a printer according to any one of claims 5 to 7. The roller on the running end side is provided with teeth on both sides in the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface, and the central part in the axial direction is a cylindrical surface having a smaller diameter than the tooth bottom of the teeth on both sides.
9. A pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 8. The rollers other than the roller on the traveling end side are free rollers having teeth provided on the outer peripheral surface.
A pin tractor device for a printer according to claim 8 or 9.

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