JP2012086509A - Printing device and sheet-shaped medium processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the removal work of a check by releasing gripped states of transfer roller pairs at paper jam.SOLUTION: A check processor has the transfer roller pairs 12 to 14 which are arranged along a substantially U-shaped check transfer passage 4, and a printing head 10. A driven roller 12B of the transfer roller pair 12 is connected to a carriage 11 by a link member, and guided along a passage which passes through a gripping position Q1 for push-pressing a drive roller 12A and a retreat position Q2 separated from the drive roller 12A while being regulated in movement by the link member. When the printing head 10 moves to a printing position P1, the driven roller 12B moves to the gripping position Q1 in conjunction with the movement, and when the printing head 10 moves to a home position P2, the driven roller moves to the retreat position Q2 in conjunction with the movement. At the paper jam, the printing head 10 is returned to the home position P2 and the gripping of the check is released.

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a sheet-like medium processing apparatus that include a conveyance mechanism that conveys a sheet-like medium such as paper, and in particular, a printing mechanism that mounts a print head on a carriage and moves it to a printing position and a standby position; The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a sheet medium processing apparatus having a conveyance mechanism that sandwiches and conveys a sheet-like medium with a pair of conveyance rollers.

In financial institutions such as banks, checks (security securities) such as checks and bills that are brought in are put on a check processing device to read their surface images and magnetic ink characters, and if necessary We process payment information etc. on checks. In this type of check processing device (sheet-like medium processing device), a check made of a sheet-like medium such as paper is inserted into a conveyance path defined by a thin vertical groove, and a check having a width wider than the depth of the vertical groove is used. In some cases, a configuration is adopted in which a check is conveyed along the conveyance path with its upper end protruding upward from the upper end opening of the conveyance path. Patent Document 1 discloses a check processing apparatus having such a conveyance path.

In the check processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, a check conveyance path extends in a substantially U shape, and a magnetic head and a contact image scanner are arranged along a portion on the upstream side of the conveyance path. A printing mechanism is arranged along the downstream portion of the conveyance path. In this check processing apparatus, a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers are arranged along the conveyance path of the check, and a sheet-like medium is sandwiched and conveyed between the conveyance roller pairs. Each conveyance roller pair is configured by two rollers, a conveyance roller (drive roller) to which the rotation of the conveyance motor is transmitted, and a press roller (driven roller) that is pressed against the conveyance roller and rotates.

Here, in the check (sheet-like medium) transport mechanism in the check processing apparatus as described above, each pair of transport rollers is usually configured such that two opposing rollers are always sandwiched. For this reason, when a paper jam occurs in the conveyance path, it is difficult to pull out a check jammed in the conveyance path from between the pair of conveyance rollers, and there is a possibility that the check may be torn if forcibly pulled. If a check breaks in the transport path, it will be more difficult to remove,
In addition, there is a problem in that the paper dust generated at the time of tearing adheres to various mechanisms in the apparatus and causes a problem.

As described above, the conventional configuration is such that the conveyance roller pair is always sandwiched. Therefore, in order to eliminate paper jam, open the exterior cover of the part where the conveyance roller pair is installed and move the conveyance roller. Then, it is necessary to release the sandwiched state, and to access the jammed sheet-like medium by opening the apparatus cover at the paper jam position, if necessary, and take out the sheet-like medium. However, in order to open and close the exterior cover, it is necessary to secure an open / close flow line of the exterior cover. Therefore, the apparatus configuration becomes complicated and the installation location of the apparatus is also limited. Also, it takes time and effort to open the exterior cover and release it by hand.
User burden is heavy. Furthermore, there is a risk of inadvertent contact with other internal mechanisms during work, and there is a risk of causing dirt or other problems in the other internal mechanisms due to contact.

Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which an operation for removing a paper jam can be easily performed in an ink jet printing apparatus that performs printing while conveying a print medium (sheet-like medium) such as paper. Has been. In this printing apparatus, a gear is provided at one end of the rotation shaft of the transport roller, and the transport roller is rotated by meshing this gear with another gear connected to the output shaft of the motor. Then, the meshing of the gear on the transport roller and the gear on the motor side can be released by sliding the gear on the transport roller in the direction of the rotation axis based on the operation of the carriage on which the print head is mounted. As a result, the conveyance is stopped when the paper jam occurs, and the conveyance roller can be idled, and the return operation for eliminating the paper jam can be performed.

JP 2009-023758 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-265089

In Patent Document 2, when a paper jam occurs, the driving force transmission gear of the sheet-like medium conveyance mechanism can be moved based on the operation of the carriage. However, the configuration of Patent Document 2 does not allow the sheet-like medium to be released by moving the conveyance roller itself, but merely prevents the driving force from being transmitted. Therefore, even if this is applied to the check processing device of Patent Document 1, it is the same as the conventional configuration in that it is difficult to take out the sheet-like medium unless the outer cover is opened and the pinching is manually released.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, the present invention has been made in view of the above points. When a paper jam occurs, the user can release the paper by the pair of conveyance rollers without manually opening the exterior cover and performing manual work, and the sheet-like medium jammed in the conveyance path. The present invention is to propose a printing apparatus and a sheet-like medium processing apparatus that can easily perform the removal operation.

In order to solve the above problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention provides:
A transport roller pair including a driving roller and a driven roller for sandwiching and transporting the sheet-like medium;
A print head disposed along a conveyance path passing through the pair of conveyance rollers,
The print head is
Move to a printing position for performing a printing operation on the sheet-like medium passing through the conveyance path, and a standby position for not performing a printing operation on the sheet-like medium;
The driven roller is
When the print head moves to the printing position, it moves to the nipping position pressed against the drive roller,
When the print head moves to the standby position, the print head moves to a retracted position away from the drive roller.

In the present invention, as described above, the driven roller is moved in the nipping and releasing direction based on the operation of moving the print head to the standby position, and the nipping state of the sheet-like medium by the conveying roller pair can be released. Therefore, the sheet-like medium can be easily removed from the conveyance path, and therefore, it is not necessary to open the exterior cover and manually move the internal mechanism such as the conveyance roller pair. Therefore, the return work from the paper jam is easy. In addition, since the pinching state can be released by the operation of the releasing mechanism using the print head, it is not necessary to manually release the pinching, and there is no possibility that a new problem will occur due to carelessness during the return operation. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to open and close the exterior cover at the portion where the transport roller pair is disposed, the apparatus configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated, and the installation environment is not limited. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects due to paper dust that occurs when the sheet-like medium is torn.

In the present invention, a carriage on which the print head is mounted, a carriage guide shaft that movably supports the carriage, guide means that guides the driven roller along a movement path that passes through the sandwiching position and the retracted position, It is possible to adopt a configuration having a connecting means for connecting the carriage and the driven roller, and an urging means for urging the driven roller toward the clamping position side or the retracted position side. If it does in this way, a printing head and a driven roller can be interlocked and moved by a connection means. Further, the urging means can ensure the positioning of the driven roller to the nipping position or the retreating position, and nipping and nipping can be surely performed.

In this case, a link member is used as the connecting means, and a first connecting portion for rotatably connecting the carriage is provided at one end of the link member, and the driven roller is slidably connected to the other end. The second connecting portion is provided, and the driven roller is connected to the second connecting portion so as to be slidable in a direction approaching and leaving the first connecting portion. A spring member attached so as to urge the driven roller in the slidable direction in the second connecting portion can be used. If it does in this way, a driven roller can be moved within the slide range in a 2nd connection part, and the guide path by a guide member corresponding to the change of the positional relationship of the movement path of a driven roller and a carriage. Therefore, by appropriately setting the positional relationship and the biasing direction, the driven roller can be moved to the nipping position at the printing position of the print head, and the sheet-like medium can be reliably conveyed. In addition, the driven roller can be moved to the retracted position at the print head standby position to reliably release the pinching state.

Here, when the driven roller moves to one of the sandwiching position and the retracted position, a lock for forming a lock state that restricts the return of the driven roller from the one position to the other position. It has a mechanism, and the lock mechanism can be configured such that the lock is released by further moving the driven roller from the one position to the side opposite to the other position. In this way, since the driven roller can be locked at the sandwiching position or the retracted position, the sheet-like medium can be stably conveyed during the printing operation. Alternatively, the driven roller can be reliably retracted when the sheet-like medium is removed. Furthermore, since the lock can be released only by further moving the driven roller along the movement path to the sandwiching position or the retracted position, the unlocking is easy.

In the present invention, there is a paper jam detection unit for detecting the occurrence of a paper jam state in which the sheet-like medium is jammed in the conveyance path, and the occurrence of the paper jam state is detected by the paper jam detection unit In addition, it is desirable to perform stop control that causes the entire apparatus to stop due to an error after the print head is moved to the standby position. In this case, when the paper jam occurs, the apparatus is stopped after the pair of conveying rollers is released from being pinched, so that the jammed sheet-like medium can be easily removed.

In the present invention, it is desirable that the driven roller is disposed on the same side as the print head with respect to the transport path. In this case, since it is not necessary to connect the print head and the driven roller across the conveyance path, a simple configuration can be realized.

Here, at least a part of the conveyance path is a U-shaped conveyance path that conveys the sheet-like medium along a U-shaped path, and is arranged at a plurality of conveyance positions in the U-shaped conveyance path. When the plurality of transport roller pairs are provided, it is preferable that the driven heads of the print head and each transport roller pair are all disposed in a region surrounded by the U-shaped transport path. In this case, since the mechanisms for interlocking the driven roller and the print head can be arranged in a space surrounded by the conveyance path, a compact configuration can be realized.

Further, in the present invention, a groove that defines the conveyance path is formed in an exterior case that houses the print head and the pair of conveyance rollers, and at least one end of the sheet-like medium is inserted into the groove. It is desirable to apply a configuration that is conveyed in a state. In such a configuration, by releasing the pinching, the sheet-like medium inserted into the groove can be taken out very easily. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the outer case that defines the groove, and the work of returning from the paper jam is extremely easy.

Next, the present invention includes the above-described printing apparatus and reading means for reading recorded information recorded on the sheet-like medium, and the reading means is disposed along the conveyance path. It is characterized by. In this case, at least one of a magnetic head and an image scanner for reading magnetic ink characters can be used as the reading unit.

According to the present invention, the driven roller is moved in the nipping release direction based on the operation of moving the print head to the standby position, and the nipping state of the sheet-like medium by the conveying roller pair can be released. Therefore, the sheet-like medium can be easily removed from the conveyance path, and therefore, it is not necessary to open the apparatus cover and manually move the internal mechanism such as the conveyance roller pair. Therefore, the return work from the paper jam is easy. Further, since the pinching state can be released by the operation of the pinching release mechanism using the print head, it is not necessary to manually release the pinching, and there is no possibility that a new problem will occur due to carelessness during the return operation. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to open and close the exterior cover at the portion where the transport roller pair is disposed, the apparatus configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated, and the installation environment is not limited. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects due to paper dust that occurs when the sheet-like medium is torn.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the planar structure of the check processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the plane structure of a check conveyance mechanism and a printing mechanism.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a check processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a plan configuration of a check processing apparatus. Check processing device 1 (printing device /
The sheet-like medium processing apparatus) includes an upper case 2 (exterior case) that covers the upper part of the apparatus,
A check transport path 4 for transporting the check 3 is formed on the upper surface of the upper case 2. The check conveyance path 4 is defined by a narrow vertical groove extending in a substantially U shape when viewed from above. The upstream end of the check conveyance path 4 in the check conveyance direction is connected to a check supply unit 5 formed of a slightly wide vertical groove. On the other hand, the downstream end of the check conveyance path 4 is connected to the check storage unit 6. The check storing unit 6 includes a first branch passage 4a and a second branch passage 4b each having a narrow vertical groove connected to the downstream end of the check conveyance path 4, and a first branch connected to the downstream ends thereof.
A storage pocket 6a and a second storage pocket 6b are provided.

The check 3 (sheet-like medium) has a magnetic ink character string printed on the lower end portion of the surface 3a thereof. In addition, on the front surface 3a, an amount, a payer, a number, a signature, and the like are written on a background of a predetermined pattern, and a back-end column is provided on the back surface 3b. The check 3 is inserted into the check supply unit 5 so that the vertical direction is aligned and the surface 3 a faces the outside of the U-shaped check conveyance path 4. In the check supply unit 5, the check 3 inserted in a stacked state is placed in the check transport path 4.
A check delivery mechanism is provided that includes a delivery motor for delivering the sheets one by one.

On the upstream side of the curved portion of the check conveyance path 4, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 1, a front-side contact image scanner 7 for reading the surface image of the check 3 and a back-side contact image for reading the back-side image. A scanner 8 and a magnetic head 9 for reading the magnetic ink characters are arranged in this order. In addition, a printing mechanism including an inkjet print head 10 and a carriage 11 for printing “electronic payment completed” or the like on the surface of the check 3 is disposed downstream of the curved portion of the check conveyance path 4. Yes.

The check 3 sent out from the check supply unit 5 is conveyed along the check conveyance path 4 and its front image and back image are read. Thereafter, the magnetic ink character string printed on the front surface 3a is read. It is done. The check 3 from which these pieces of information were successfully read is “
After printing such as “electronic payment completed”, the first storage pocket 6a is sorted and stored therein. On the other hand, the check 3 in which reading is impossible, reading abnormality, etc. is sorted and stored in the second storage pocket 6b without such printing.

(Check transport mechanism and printing mechanism)
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a planar configuration of the check conveyance mechanism and the printing mechanism. The check transport mechanism that transports the check 3 sent out one by one from the check supply unit 5 along the check transport path 4 includes three pairs of transport rollers 12 to 14 arranged before and after the curved portion of the check transport path 4. When,
A transport motor 15 (see FIG. 1), which is a drive source for rotating the transport roller pairs 12 to 14, is provided. The conveyance roller pair 12 is configured by a driving roller 12A and a driven roller 12B that are arranged to face each other across the check conveyance path 4. The output rotation of the transport motor 15 is transmitted to the drive roller 12A via an endless belt or the like. When the check is conveyed, the driven roller 12B is pressed against the driving roller 12A and is rotated, so that the check 3 sandwiched between the rollers is conveyed in the rotation direction. Similarly, for the transport roller pairs 13 and 14, the drive rollers 13 </ b> A and 14 </ b> A that are driven to rotate based on the output rotation of the transport motor 15 and the driven rollers 13 </ b> B and 14 </ b> B are disposed opposite to each other with the check transport path 4 interposed therebetween. The check 3 is sandwiched between and conveyed. In addition, about the installation location and the number of conveyance roller pairs, it can change suitably according to the shape and dimension of the check conveyance path 4, the arrangement of various mechanisms provided along the check conveyance path 4, and the like.

The transport roller pair 12 is disposed on the downstream side of the curved portion of the check transport path 4, and the print head 1.
The check 3 is transported at the transport position immediately before 0. On the other hand, the conveyance roller pairs 13 and 14 are
It is arranged upstream of the curved portion of the check conveyance path 4. The transport roller pair 13 transports the check 3 at a transport position immediately before the front-side contact image scanner 7. Further, the transport roller pair 14 transports the check 3 at a transport position immediately before the magnetic head 9. Here, there is a paper jam detector 16 at a position upstream of the conveyance roller pair 12 in the check conveyance path 4.
(Paper jam detection means: see FIG. 1) is arranged. This paper jam detector 16 detects the presence or absence of the check 3 in the check conveyance path 4. When the paper jam detector 16 continuously detects the check 3 for a predetermined time or more, the check is detected. Check 3 on transport path 4
Is determined to be clogged.

The printing mechanism includes the above-described print head 10 and a carriage 11 on which the print head 10 is mounted, and a carriage guide (not shown) that supports the carriage 11 so as to be movable in the movement direction (direction A shown in FIG. 2) along the check conveyance path 4. A shaft and a carriage motor (not shown) which is a drive source of the carriage 11 are provided. The print head 10 and the carriage 11 are arranged in a region on the inner peripheral side surrounded by the substantially U-shaped check conveyance path 4.

When printing on the check 3, the print head 10 has moved to the print position P1 shown in FIG. On the other hand, when printing on the check 3 is not performed, it is set on the upstream side of the printing position P1 and is moved to the home position P2 (standby position) closer to the conveying roller pair 14. The print head 10 is disposed with its head surface directed toward the check conveyance path 4, and performs an ink ejection operation in conjunction with the conveyance operation of the check 3 while being stopped at the printing position P <b> 1 during printing. On the other hand, when the print head 10 moves to the home position P2, the head surface of the print head 10 can be capped by a cap member (not shown). Accordingly, the print head 10 can be put on standby in preparation for the next printing operation in a state where the thickening of the ink in the nozzles is suppressed by capping.

(Release check pinching)
As shown in FIG. 2, the driven rollers 12 </ b> B to 14 </ b> B constituting each pair of transport rollers are arranged on the inner peripheral side of the check transport path 4 where the print head 10 is provided. On the other hand, the driving rollers 12 </ b> A to 14 </ b> A are arranged on the outer peripheral side of the curved portion of the check conveyance path 4 with the check conveyance path 4 interposed therebetween. Here, a base plate 17 for supporting these mechanisms is arranged below the check conveyance path 4 and various mechanisms arranged along the check conveyance path 4.
At the mounting position of the driven roller 12B on the base plate 17, the driven roller 12
Curved guide groove 12C (guide means) for guiding B along the curved movement path
Is formed. The driven roller 12B has a rotating shaft 12D attached to the guide groove 12C so as to be slidable. Similarly, the driven roller 13B in the base plate 17
, 14B are provided with curved guide grooves 13C, 14C (guide means). The rotation shafts 13D and 14D of the driven rollers 13B and 14B are slidably attached to the guide grooves 13C and 14C.

The guide grooves 12C to 14C each have one end of each groove extending toward the drive rollers 12A to 14A. When the rotary shafts 12D to 14D are slid to the one end side, the drive rollers 12
A state where driven rollers 12B to 14B are pressed is formed. In other words,
At this time, the transport roller pairs 12 to 14 have moved to the sandwiching position Q1 where the check 3 can be sandwiched and transported. On the other hand, the other ends of the guide grooves 12C to 14C are driven rollers 12A to 1A.
It extends in a direction away from 4A and the carriage 11. For this reason, the guide groove 12C ~
When the rotary shafts 12D to 14D are slid to the other end of 14C, the drive rollers 12A to 14A
The driven rollers 12 </ b> B to 14 </ b> B are separated from A, and the check state of the check 3 sandwiched between the transport roller pairs 12 to 14 is released. That is, at this time, the driven rollers 12B to 14B
Has moved to the retracted position Q2 for releasing the sandwiched state. As described above, the guide grooves 12C to 14C are configured to guide the driven rollers 12B to 14B along the movement path that passes through the sandwiching position Q1 and the retracted position Q2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the driven rollers 12 </ b> B to 14 </ b> B are connected to the carriage 11 via link members 18 to 20 (connection means). When the print head 10 is moved to the home position P2 and the print position P1, the driven rollers 12B to 14B move to the above-described retracted position Q2 and the sandwiching position Q1 in conjunction with the movement of the carriage 11 at this time. It has become. Since the connection mechanism between the driven rollers 12B to 14B and the carriage 11 by the link members 18 to 20 and the operation thereof are the same, the configuration of the link member 18 and the operation of the driven roller 12B through this will be described below.

One end of the link member 18 is rotatably connected to the carriage 11, and the other end is a free end. This free end driven roller 12B is slidably connected. For this reason, the driven roller 12 </ b> B moves in the guide groove 12 </ b> C while its movement is restricted by the link member 18. More specifically, a rotation support portion 11a is provided on the side surface of the carriage 11, and at one end of the link member 18, a connection portion 18A (first connection portion) for forming a pin contact by connection with the rotation support portion 11a. ) Is formed. On the other hand, a slide groove 18B (second connecting portion) extending in the axial direction of the link member 18 is formed at the other end of the link member 18, and the rotary shaft 12D is slidably mounted in the slide groove 18B. Yes.

In the slide groove 18B, a spring member 21 (biasing member) that can be expanded and contracted in the sliding direction of the rotary shaft 12D is disposed. The spring member 21 is connected to the link member 1 in the slide groove 18B.
One end extending to the free end side of 8 is connected to the rotary shaft 12D, and the other end is connected to the end position on the carriage 11 side in the slide groove 18B. For this reason, the rotating shaft 12D is urged in the sliding direction by the spring member 21 in the slide groove 18B extending in the axial direction of the link member 18, and the urging direction depends on the expansion / contraction state of the spring member 21. Carriage 11
It is comprised so that it may become the direction which faces the side or free end side.

With such a configuration, when the print head 10 is moved to the printing position P1 side, the carriage 11
Moves in a direction away from the guide groove 12C. At this time, since the link member 18 moves together with the carriage 11 to the printing position P1 side, the rotation shaft 12D is connected to the slide groove 18.
It moves in B toward the free end side of the link member 18 (B1 direction shown in FIG. 2). At this time, while the movement is restricted by the link member 18 and the spring member 21, the guide groove 1
2C moves to the drive roller 12A side (C1 direction shown in FIG. 2). That is, at this time, the rotating shaft 12D slides toward the free end side of the link member 18 and the spring member 21 extends, and therefore the urging force (to the driving roller 12A side along the guide groove 12C) is applied to the rotating shaft 12D.
The urging force in the moving direction that allows the spring member 21 to contract) acts, and the driven roller 12B is urged toward the pinching position Q1. When the print head 10 reaches the print position P1, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the driven roller 12B is sandwiched by the position Q1.
It will be in the state reached.

On the other hand, when the print head 10 is moved to the home position P2, the carriage 11 moves in a direction approaching the guide groove 12C. At this time, the link member 18 has one end at the carriage 1.
1 so as to move toward the guide groove 12C as a whole, the rotary shaft 12D moves in the slide groove 18B toward the rotation support portion 11a (in the direction B2 shown in FIG. 2), and the link member 18 and While the movement is restricted by the spring member 21, the guide groove 12C moves to the side away from the drive roller 12A (direction C2 shown in FIG. 2). That is, at this time, the spring member 21 is compressed in accordance with the movement of the rotary shaft 12D in the slide groove 18B, and the rotary shaft 12D is biased toward the free end side of the link member 18. Then, an urging force (a urging force in a moving direction allowing the extension of the spring member 21) toward the side away from the driving roller 12A along the guide groove 12C acts on the rotating shaft 12D.
B is biased toward the retracted position Q2. When the print head 10 reaches the home position P2, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, the driven roller 12B reaches the retracted position Q2.

Thus, the driven roller 12B is connected to the carriage 11 by the link member 18, and is sandwiched in conjunction with the operation of moving the print head 10 to the print position P1.
Move to. Further, the driven roller 12B moves to the retracted position Q2 in conjunction with the operation of moving the print head 10 to the home position P2. Detailed descriptions of the driven rollers 13B and 14B and the link members 19 and 20 are omitted. However, the configuration and operation thereof are the same as those of the driven roller 12B and the link member 18, and the print head 10 is used as a home in the same manner as the driven roller 12B. It moves to the retracted position Q2 in conjunction with the movement to the position P2.

When the control unit of the check processing device 1 determines that a paper jam has occurred based on the detection output of the paper jam detector 16, the control unit 10 determines that an error state cannot be recovered only by automatic control before the operation is stopped. Is moved to the home position P2. Then, stop control for stopping the operation of the check processing device 1 is performed. If you do this,
As the print head 10 moves to the home position P2, the driven rollers 12B, 13B,
14B is separated from the driving rollers 12A, 13A, and 14A, respectively,
14 is in a pinching release state. In order to stop the check processing device 1 from operating in this state, the check 3 jammed in the check transport path 4 is not in a state of being strongly sandwiched between the rollers, but in a release state in which no clamping force is applied between the separated rollers. It has become. Accordingly, it is possible to very easily carry out the work of taking out the check conveyance path 4 from the vertical groove holding the upper end of the check 3 and to perform the work of returning from the paper jam.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the print head 10 and the carriage 11 on which the print head 10 is mounted.
The driven rollers 12B to 14B are moved in the pinching release direction based on the operation of moving the roller to the home position P2, and the pinching state of the check 3 by the transport roller pairs 12 to 14 can be released. Therefore, the check 3 can be easily removed from the check conveyance path 4, and therefore, it is not necessary to open the apparatus case such as the upper case 2 and move the internal mechanism by hand.
Therefore, the return work from the paper jam is easy. In addition, since the pinching state can be released by the operation control of the carriage 11, it is not necessary to manually release the pinching, and there is no possibility that a new problem occurs due to carelessness during the return operation. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to open and close the part which arrange | positioned the conveyance roller pairs 12-14 of the upper case 2, complication of an apparatus structure can be suppressed and an installation environment is not restrict | limited. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems caused by paper dust that occurs when the check 3 is torn.

In the present embodiment, the print head 10 and the conveyance roller pairs 12 to 14 are arranged along the substantially U-shaped portion of the check conveyance path 4, and the print head 10 and the driven roller 12 are arranged.
All of B to 14B are arranged in an inner peripheral region surrounded by the check conveyance path 4. In this case, the print head 10 and the driven rollers 12B to 14B are arranged on the same side with respect to the vertical groove that defines the check conveyance path 4, so that the carriage 11 bypasses the check conveyance path 4 and There is no need to connect the driven rollers 12B to 14B. Therefore, the configuration for connecting the carriage 11 and the driven rollers 12B to 14B can be simplified. In addition, since a mechanism for interlocking the driven rollers 12B to 14B with the print head 10 and the carriage 11 can be arranged in a space surrounded by the check conveyance path 4, a compact configuration can be realized.

(Modification example)
(1) In the above embodiment, the spring member 21 for biasing the driven rollers 12B to 14B and moving them to the sandwiching position Q1 side or the retreat position Q2 side is mounted in a slide groove formed on the link members 18 to 20. However, one end of the spring member 21 is fixed in the guide grooves 12C to 14C or to the base plate 17, and the other end is connected to the driven rollers 12B to 14B, so that the rotary shaft 12D is placed on the pinching position Q1 side or the retreat position Q2 side. It can also be set as the structure which energizes ~ 14D. For example, the spring member (biasing member) is installed so as to constantly urge the rotating shaft 12D toward the side away from the driving roller 12A (retreat position Q2 side). In this way, when the print head 10 is moved to the printing position P1, the link member 18 moves away from the guide groove 12C, so that the driven roller 12B is moved to the sandwiching position Q1 against the biasing force of the spring member by the link member 18. Can be made. Further, when the link member 18 approaches the guide groove 12C, the driven roller 12B is moved to the retracted position Q2 by the biasing force of the spring member. Therefore, it is possible to realize the same operation and effect as the above embodiment. In addition, you may employ | adopt the installation form of the other biasing member which can implement | achieve the same operation | movement.

(2) In the above embodiment, the rotary shaft 12D is movable in the guide groove 12C, and only the link member 18 and the spring member 21 regulate the movement of the driven roller 12B. The driven roller 12B is sandwiched between the position Q1 and the retracted position Q2.
It is also possible to provide a lock mechanism for locking at. For example, the driven roller 12
When B moves from the retracted position Q2 side to the sandwiching position Q1, the one-way type locking mechanism that locks the driven roller 12B that has reached the sandwiching position Q1 at that position and restricts the return to the retracted position Q2 side. Can be provided. Similarly, it is possible to provide a one-way locking mechanism that restricts the return to the pinching position Q1 at the retracted position Q2 and allows reverse movement. By providing such a lock mechanism, the driven roller 12B does not move inadvertently in an unfavorable direction due to vibration or the like, so that the check 3 can be stably conveyed during the printing operation. Alternatively, the driven roller 12B can be reliably held at the retracted position when the check 3 is removed.

In this case, it is desirable to configure the lock mechanism so that the unlocking can be performed by slightly moving the driven roller 12B locked at the sandwiching position Q1 in the direction opposite to the retracted position Q2. It is desirable that the lock mechanism at the retracted position Q2 can be unlocked by a similar operation. In this way, the lock can be easily released based on the operation of the print head 10.

(3) In the above embodiment, the link members 18 to 20 are used as the connecting means for connecting the carriage 11 and the driven rollers 12B to 14B, and the guide grooves 12C to 14C are used as the guide means for restricting the movement path of the driven rollers 12B to 14B. Although the pinching release based on the operations of the print head 10 and the carriage 11 is realized, the transmission mechanism of another configuration capable of converting the parallel movement of the carriage 11 into the movement of the driven rollers 12B to 14B from the pinching position Q1 to the retracted position Q2. Alternatively, the pinching release of the present invention may be realized using a guide mechanism. Moreover, you may comprise so that the driven rollers 12B-14B may be moved along the above movement paths using the other guide means with a structure different from the guide grooves 12C-14C.

(4) In the above embodiment, the check processing apparatus 1 includes the front-side contact image scanner 7, the back-side contact image scanner 8, and the magnetic head 9, but the present invention is a printing mechanism including the print head 10 and the carriage 11. The present invention can be applied to any printing apparatus having a sheet medium conveyance mechanism using a pair of conveyance rollers, or various sheet medium processing apparatuses in which other mechanisms are added to such a printing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Check processing apparatus (printing apparatus / sheet-like medium processing apparatus), 2 ... Upper case (exterior case), 3 ... Check (sheet-like medium), 3a ... Front surface, 3b ... Back surface, 4 ... Check conveyance path, 4a ...
1st branch passage, 4b ... 2nd branch passage, 5 ... Check supply part, 6 ... Check storage part, 6a ... 1st
Storage pocket, 6b ... 2nd storage pocket, 7 ... Front side contact image scanner, 8
... back side contact image scanner, 9 ... magnetic head, 10 ... print head, 11 ... carriage, 11a ... rotation support, 12-14 ... transport roller pair, 12A-14A ... drive roller, 12B-14B ... driven roller, 12C -14C ... Guide groove (guide means), 1
2D to 14D: Rotating shaft, 15 ... Conveyance motor, 16 ... Paper jam detector (paper jam detecting means), 17 ... Base plate, 18-20 ... Link member (connecting means), 18A ... Connecting portion (first connecting portion) , 18B ... slide groove (second connecting portion), 21 ... spring member (biasing member), P1 ...
Printing position, P2 ... Home position (standby position), Q1 ... Pinch position, Q2 ... Retraction position

Claims (10)

A transport roller pair including a driving roller and a driven roller for sandwiching and transporting the sheet-like medium;
A print head disposed along a conveyance path passing through the pair of conveyance rollers,
The print head is
Move to a printing position for performing a printing operation on the sheet-like medium passing through the conveyance path, and a standby position for not performing a printing operation on the sheet-like medium;
The driven roller is
When the print head moves to the printing position, it moves to the nipping position pressed against the drive roller,
When the printing head moves to the standby position, the printing apparatus moves to a retracted position away from the driving roller. In claim 1,
A carriage on which the print head is mounted and a carriage guide shaft that movably supports the carriage;
Guide means for guiding the driven roller along a movement path passing through the sandwiching position and the retracted position;
Connecting means for connecting the carriage and the driven roller;
An urging unit that urges the driven roller toward the pinching position or the retracted position. In claim 2,
The connecting means is a link member;
A first connecting part for rotatably connecting the carriage to one end of the link member is provided, and a second connecting part for slidably connecting the driven roller to the other end is provided.
The second connecting portion is configured such that the driven roller is connected in a state in which the second connecting portion is slidable toward and away from the first connecting portion.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging unit is a spring member attached to urge the driven roller in the slidable direction at the second connecting portion. In claim 2 or 3,
When the driven roller moves to one of the sandwiching position and the retracted position, a lock mechanism is provided for forming a lock state that restricts the return of the driven roller from the one position to the other position. And
The locking mechanism is
The printing apparatus is configured to be unlocked by further moving the driven roller from the one position to a side opposite to the other position. In any one of claims 1 to 4,
A paper jam detection means for detecting the occurrence of a paper jam condition in which the sheet-like medium is jammed in the conveyance path;
When the occurrence of the paper jam state is detected by the paper jam detection means, stop control is performed so that the entire apparatus is stopped due to an error after the print head is moved to the standby position. Printing device. In any one of claims 1 to 5,
The printing apparatus, wherein the driven roller is disposed on the same side as the print head with respect to the conveyance path. In claim 6,
At least a part of the conveyance path conveys the sheet-shaped medium along a U-shaped path.
It becomes a character-shaped conveyance path,
Comprising a plurality of the transport roller pairs arranged at a plurality of transport positions in the U-shaped transport path,
The printing apparatus, wherein the driven roller in each of the print head and each pair of transport rollers is arranged in a region surrounded by the U-shaped transport path. In any one of claims 1 to 6,
A groove that defines the transport path is formed in an exterior case that houses the print head and the transport roller pair,
The printing apparatus, wherein the sheet-like medium is conveyed in a state where at least one end thereof is inserted into the groove. A printing apparatus according to claim 8;
Reading means for reading the recorded information recorded on the sheet-like medium,
The sheet medium processing apparatus, wherein the reading unit is arranged along the conveyance path. In claim 9,
The sheet medium processing apparatus, wherein the reading means is at least one of a magnetic head and an image scanner for reading magnetic ink characters.

Images