JP2016104665A - Sheet feeder and printing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably pull out a sheet from a roll sheet and convey the sheet, without reference to a roll outside diameter of the roll sheet.SOLUTION: A sheet feeder includes driven rotors 8 and 9 that pressure-weld an outer peripheral part of a roll sheet R from below in a gravity direction without reference to a roll outside diameter of the roll sheet R by moving depending on the roll outside diameter of the roll sheet R, and an arm member 4 that guides an undersurface of a sheet 1 pulled out through a space above the driven rotors 8 and 9 without reference to the roll outside diameter of the roll sheet R by moving depending on the roll outside diameter of the roll sheet R.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet supply apparatus and a printing apparatus that draw and supply a sheet from a roll sheet in a form in which the sheet is wound into a roll.

  As a printing apparatus, there is known a printing apparatus that includes a sheet supply apparatus that pulls out and supplies a sheet from a roll sheet and prints an image on the sheet supplied from the sheet supply apparatus. A sheet supply device provided in a printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is formed between a movable separation flapper and a conveyance guide, and a sheet pulled out from a roll sheet is conveyed upward through a conveyance path extending from below to above. It is the structure conveyed to. The movable separation flapper separates the front end of the sheet from the roll sheet by pressing the lower end of the movable separation flapper against the outer peripheral surface of the roll sheet.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-11750

  In the sheet supply apparatus of Patent Document 1, the separation flapper moves as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet decreases, so that a conveyance path formed between the separation flapper and the conveyance guide is greatly expanded. Since the sheet pulled out from the roll sheet is conveyed upward through the conveyance path that is widened in this way, against the dead weight of the sheet, there is a risk of buckling. Moreover, since the sheet pulled out from the roll sheet having a small roll outer diameter is strong in winding, it is difficult to convey the sheet smoothly through the conveyance path.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet supply apparatus and a printing apparatus that can reliably pull out and convey a sheet from the roll sheet regardless of the outer diameter of the roll sheet.

  The sheet supply apparatus according to the present invention is a sheet supply apparatus that pulls out and supplies a sheet from a roll sheet, and moves in accordance with the outer diameter of the roll sheet, and press-contacts the outer periphery of the roll sheet from below in the direction of gravity. And a lower guide body that moves in conjunction with the press contact body and guides the lower surface of the sheet drawn through the press contact body.

  According to the present invention, the press contact body is pressed against the outer periphery of the roll sheet from below, and the lower surface of the sheet drawn through the press contact body is guided by the lower guide body, thereby smoothly guiding the sheet. Can be supplied. Further, by moving the pressure contact body and the lower guide body according to the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet, the sheet can be reliably pulled out from the roll sheet and conveyed regardless of the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet.

1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet conveyance path in the printing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the spool in a sheet supply apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of a sheet supply apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the equalization mechanism in a sheet supply apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of a sheet supply apparatus when a roll outer diameter is small. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a sheet supply preparation operation. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a control system of the printing apparatus. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the sheet supply apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the sheet supply apparatus in the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing when the roll outer diameter of the sheet supply apparatus in the 5th Embodiment of this invention is large. It is explanatory drawing when the roll outer diameter is small of the sheet supply apparatus in the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing when a roll outer diameter is large of the sheet supply apparatus in the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing when a roll outer diameter is small of the sheet supply apparatus in the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing when a roll outer diameter is large of the sheet supply apparatus in the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing when a roll outer diameter is small of the sheet supply apparatus in the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the sheet supply apparatus in the 8th Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the rotation mechanism of the isolation | separation flapper in FIG. It is explanatory drawing at the time of the inner winding set of the sheet | seat of the printing apparatus in the 9th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the printing apparatus of FIG. 19 when a sheet is wound outwardly. It is explanatory drawing of the spool in the sheet supply apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the spool in the sheet supply apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the sheet supply apparatus of FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining a sheet setting operation of the printing apparatus of FIG. 19. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining a printing operation of the printing apparatus of FIG. 19. FIG. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining sheet end processing of the printing apparatus of FIG. 19. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the principal part of the printing apparatus in the 10th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the control system of the printing apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the printing apparatus of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
1 to 8 are explanatory views of a first embodiment of the present invention. The printing apparatus according to the present embodiment is an application example as an inkjet printing apparatus including a sheet supply device for supplying a sheet as a print medium and a print unit that prints an image on the sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 1, two roll sheets R obtained by winding the sheet 1 in a roll shape can be set in the printing apparatus 100. An image is printed on the sheet 1 selectively drawn out from the roll sheets R. The user can use the various switches provided on the operation panel 28 to input various commands to the printing apparatus 100 such as specifying the size of the sheet 1 and switching between online and offline.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the printing apparatus 100. Two sheet supply devices 200 corresponding to the two roll sheets R are arranged up and down. The sheet 1 pulled out from the roll sheet R by the supply device 200 is conveyed by a sheet conveying unit (conveying mechanism) 300 to a printing unit 400 capable of printing an image. The printing unit 400 prints an image on the sheet 1 by ejecting ink from the inkjet print head 18. The print head 18 ejects ink from the ejection port using an ejection energy generating element such as an electrothermal conversion element (heater) or a piezo element. When the electrothermal conversion element is used, the ink is foamed by the heat generation, and the ink can be ejected from the ejection port using the foaming energy. The print head 18 is not limited to the ink jet method, and the print method of the print unit 400 is not limited, and may be, for example, a serial scan method or a full line method. In the case of the serial scanning method, an image is printed with the conveyance operation of the sheet 1 and the scanning of the print head 18 in the direction crossing the conveyance direction of the sheet 1. In the case of the full line method, an image is printed while the sheet 1 is continuously conveyed using a long print head 18 extending in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the sheet 1.

  A shaft-shaped spool member 2 is inserted into the hollow hole portion of the roll sheet R, and the spool member 2 is driven forward and backward by a roll drive motor described later. As a result, the roll sheet R is held in the center, and is rotated forward and backward in the directions of the arrows C1 and C2. As will be described later, the supply device 200 includes a drive unit 3, an arm member (moving body) 4, an arm rotating shaft 5, a first sheet sensor 6, a swinging member 7, driven rotating bodies (pressure contact bodies) 8 and 9. , A separation flapper (upper guide body) 10 and a flapper rotating shaft 11 are provided.

  The conveyance guide 12 guides the sheet 1 to the printing unit 400 while guiding the front and back surfaces of the sheet 1 pulled out from the supply device 200. The transport roller 14 is rotated forward and reverse in the directions of arrows D1 and D2 by a transport roller driving motor described later. The nip roller 15 can be driven and rotated in accordance with the rotation of the conveyance roller 14, and can be brought into contact with and separated from the conveyance roller 14 by a nip roller separation motor (not shown) and the nip force can be adjusted. The conveyance roller 14 is rotated when the second sheet sensor 16 detects the leading edge of the sheet 1. The conveying speed of the sheet 1 by the conveying roller 14 is set to be higher than the drawing speed of the sheet 1 due to the rotation of the roll sheet R, thereby giving a back tension to the sheet 1 and conveying the sheet 1 in a stretched state. be able to. As a result, the slack of the sheet 1 can be prevented, and the occurrence of folds and conveyance errors in the sheet 1 can be suppressed.

  The platen 17 of the print unit 400 sucks the back surface of the sheet 1 through the suction hole 17 a by the negative pressure generated by the suction fan 19. As a result, the position of the sheet 1 is regulated along the platen 17 so that the print head 18 can print an image with high accuracy. The cutter 20 cuts the sheet 1 on which an image is printed. The cover 42 of the roll sheet R prevents the sheet 1 on which an image has been printed from returning to the supply device 200. Such an operation in the printing apparatus 100 is controlled by a CPU described later.

  FIGS. 3A, 3 </ b> B, and 3 </ b> C are explanatory diagrams of a procedure for setting the roll sheet R to the supply device 200 by the spool member 2. The spool member 2 includes a spool shaft 21, a friction member 22, a reference side spool flange 23, a non-reference side spool flange 24, and a spool gear 25. A reference-side spool flange 23 is provided at one end of the spool shaft 21, and a spool gear 25 for rotating the spool shaft 21 is attached to the other end. A friction member 22 is provided inside the reference side spool flange 23 and the non-reference side spool flange 24.

  When setting the spool member 2 on the roll sheet R, first, the non-reference side spool flange 24 fitted to the spool shaft 21 is removed, and then the spool shaft 21 is inserted into the hollow hole portion of the roll sheet R. Since the outer diameter of the spool shaft 21 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow hole portion of the roll sheet R, and a gap is formed between them, the user can insert the spool shaft 21 with a slight force. When the end on the right side of the roll sheet R in FIG. 3A contacts the reference side spool flange 23, the friction member 22 inside the reference side spool flange 23 is fitted into the hollow hole of the roll sheet R. Thereby, the reference side spool flange 23 is fixed to the roll sheet R. Thereafter, the friction member 22 inside the non-reference side spool flange 24 is fitted into the hollow hole portion of the roll sheet R through the non-reference side spool flange 24 through the spool shaft 21. Thereby, the non-reference side spool flange 24 is fixed to the roll sheet R.

  In this way, the roll sheet R is attached to the spool member 2 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, the both ends of the spool member 2 are fitted into the spool holder 31 of the supply device 200, whereby the setting of the roll sheet R is completed.

  The spool holder 31 is provided at a position corresponding to each of both ends of the spool shaft 21. The inner surface of the spool holder 31 is U-shaped, and the end of the spool shaft 21 can be fitted from the opening side. In a state where the spool member 2 is fitted in the spool holder 31, the spool gear 25 is connected to a roll drive motor, which will be described later, via a drive gear 30 on the supply device 200 side. By the roll drive motor, the roll sheet R together with the spool member 2 is driven to rotate forward and backward, whereby the sheet 1 can be supplied and wound. The roll sensor 32 detects the presence or absence of the roll sheet R.

  4 and 5 are explanatory views of the supply device 200, and the roll sheet R in FIG. 4A has a relatively large roll outer diameter.

  An arm member (moving body) 4 is attached to the transport guide 12 by a rotation shaft 5 so as to be rotatable in the directions of arrows A1 and A2. On the upper part of the arm member 4, a guide portion 4 b (lower guide body) that guides the lower surface of the sheet 1 pulled out from the roll sheet R is formed. A torsion coil spring 3c that presses the arm member 4 in the direction of the arrow A1 is interposed between the arm member 4 and the rotary cam 3a of the drive unit 3. When the rotary cam 3a is rotated by a pressurizing drive motor 34 described later, the force with which the torsion coil spring 3c presses the arm member 4 in the arrow A1 direction changes. When the relatively large-diameter portion 3a-1 of the rotating cam 3a comes into contact with the torsion coil spring 3c, the pressing force is increased to generate a “strong nip pressing force” as described later. Further, when the relatively small diameter portion 3a-2 of the rotating cam 3a comes into contact with the torsion coil spring 3c, the pressing force is reduced to generate a “weak nip pressing force” as described later. When the planar portion 3a-3 of the rotating cam 3a contacts the torsion coil spring 3c, the pressing force that presses the arm member 4 in the direction of the arrow A1 is released, and first and second driven rotating bodies, which will be described later, become roll sheets. Leave R.

  The supply device 200 has a state in which the arm member 4 is pressed with a predetermined “weak nip pressing force”, a state in which the arm member 4 is pressed with a predetermined “strong nip pressing force”, and a pressing force on the arm member 4. It is configured to be switchable in three stages: a state to be released.

  A swinging member 7 is swingably attached to the arm member 4, and the swinging member 7 is provided with first and second driven rotating bodies (rotating bodies) 8 that are shifted in the circumferential direction of the roll sheet R. , 9 are rotatably mounted. These driven rotators 8 and 9 are pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R from below in the direction of gravity by the pressing force in the direction of arrow A <b> 1 against the arm member 4. That is, the driven rotators 8 and 9 are in pressure contact with the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R from below the center axis in the horizontal direction of the roll sheet R. The pressure contact force is changed according to the pressing force that presses the arm member 4 in the arrow A1 direction. Therefore, the drive unit 3 functions as a pressing mechanism that presses the arm member 4. The drive unit 3 also functions as a moving mechanism that moves the arm member 4 so that the driven rotors 8 and 9 are separated from the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of swinging members 7 are attached to the arm member 4 so as to be aligned in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the roll sheet R. As shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 5 (a), the swing member 7 is provided with a bearing portion 7a and a shaft retaining portion 7b, so that the rotating shaft 4a of the arm member 4 has a predetermined backlash. Accepted with The bearing 7a is in contact with the upper part of the rotating shaft 4a, and the shaft stoppers 7b are located on both sides of the rotating shaft 4a as shown in FIG. 5A, and the lower and front and rear portions of the rotating shaft 4a (FIG. 4B). It faces the middle and left and right parts) at a predetermined interval. As a result, the shaft stopper 7b regulates the backlashed range of the rotating shaft 4a and prevents the rotating shaft 4a from coming off. When the rotating shaft 4a is received between the bearing portion 7a and the shaft retaining portion 7b, the shaft retaining portions are extended so that the interval between the left and right shaft retaining portions 7b in FIG. At least one of 7b is temporarily elastically deformed. That is, the rotating shaft 4a is received through the space between the shaft fastening portions 7b widened in the left-right direction. Thus, after receiving the rotating shaft 4a, the shaft retaining portion 7b is elastically restored, whereby the rotating shaft 4a is prevented from coming off as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5A. The shaft fastening portion 7b can be formed of an elastically deformable resin material.

  The bearing portion 7a is provided at the center of gravity of the swing member 7, and is supported by the rotary shaft 4a so that the swing member 7 has a stable posture in each of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis directions. . That is, like the swing member 7 on the left side in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the swing member 7 is supported in a stable posture in each of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis directions. Further, since the rotating shaft 4a is received with backlash, the swinging member 7 is pushed in the direction of the arrow A1 with respect to the arm member 4 like the swinging member 7 on the right side in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). The pressure is equalized along the outer periphery of the roll sheet R. With such a configuration (equalizing mechanism), a change in the pressure contact posture of the first and second driven rotating bodies 8 and 9 with respect to the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R is allowed. As a result, the contact area between the sheet 1 and the first and second driven rotating bodies 8 and 9 is always maximized, and the pressing force on the sheet 1 is equalized, so that the conveyance force of the sheet 1 is reduced. Variations can be suppressed. When the driven rotators 8 and 9 are in pressure contact with the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R, the occurrence of slack in the sheet 1 is suppressed, and the conveying force is increased. The driven rotator 8 mainly contributes to an increase in the conveying force of the sheet 1, and the driven rotator 9 mainly contributes to suppressing the occurrence of looseness of the sheet 1.

  The rotation shaft 4a is a shaft having a circular cross section extending in the X-axis direction, and a groove having a U-shaped cross section extending in the X-axis direction is formed in the bearing portion 7a. As the upper part of the former rotating shaft 4a and the latter groove fit stably, the posture of the swinging member 7 becomes like the swinging member 7 on the left side in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). Stabilize. A force for returning to such a stable posture acts on the swing member 7. Such an equalizing mechanism is not limited to the configuration of this example, and it is sufficient that the change in the pressure contact posture of the first and second driven rotating bodies 8 and 9 with respect to the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R can be allowed.

  In this example, the equalizing mechanism is provided at the connecting portion between the swing member 7 and the arm member 4, but the equalizing mechanism may be provided at a connecting portion between the arm member 4 and the conveyance guide 12. In this example, a plurality of swing members 7 are provided at intervals in the width direction of the sheet 1. When the position of the non-reference side spool flange 24 with respect to the reference side spool flange 23 changes according to the width of the seat 1, the position of the non-reference side spool flange 24 between the swing members 7 adjacent to each other is changed. Let As a result, interference between the swing member 7 and the non-reference side spool flange 24 can be avoided.

  A separation flapper 10 located above the arm member 4 is attached to the main body (printer main body) of the printing apparatus 100 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 11 in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. The separation flapper 10 is configured to lightly press the roll sheet R by its own weight. When it is necessary to press the roll sheet R more strongly, an urging force by an urging member such as a spring may be used. In order to suppress the influence of the pressing force on the sheet 1, a driven roller 10 a is rotatably provided at a contact portion of the separation flapper 10 with the roll sheet R. Further, the separation portion 10b at the tip of the separation flapper 10 is formed to extend as close as possible to the surface of the roll sheet R in order to easily separate the sheet tip from the roll sheet R.

  The sheet 1 passes through the driven rotors 8 and 9 and is pulled out from the roll sheet R. The lower surface of the sheet 1 is guided by the upper guide portion 4 b of the arm member 4, and then between the separation flapper 10 and the arm member 4. Is supplied through a supply path formed in In this way, the driven rotators 8 and 9 are pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet R from below, and the lower surface of the sheet 1 drawn out over the driven rotators 8 and 9 is guided by the guide portion 4b. To do. Thereby, the sheet 1 can be smoothly supplied by utilizing the weight of the sheet 1. Further, the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the guide portion 4b move according to the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R, so that the sheet 1 is reliably pulled out from the roll sheet R regardless of the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R. Can be transported.

  The sheet 1 drawn from the roll sheet R passes below the lower surface 10 c of the separation flapper 10 and then passes below the lower surface 12 a of the conveyance guide 12. By forming the lower surface 12a of the conveyance guide 12 along a virtual circle centered on the rotation shaft 11, the lower surface 10c and the lower surface 12a can be separated from each other regardless of the rotational position in the directions of arrows B1 and B2 of the separation flapper 10. A supply path without a step can be formed between them. Thereby, the occurrence of catching of the leading edge of the sheet 1 in the supply path can be suppressed. The lower surface 10 c of the separation flapper 10 has a curved shape along a virtual circle with the rotation axis 11 as the center.

  The position of the first sheet sensor 6 provided in the arm member 4 is preferably set to a position slightly deviated from the nip position between the roll sheet R and the driven rotating body 8 to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet 1. In this example, since the upper and lower supply devices 200 are provided, the state in which the sheet 1 is supplied from one supply device 200 can be switched to the state in which the sheet 1 is supplied from the other supply device 200. In such a case, one supply device 200 rewinds the sheet 1 that has been supplied to the roll sheet R, and retracts the leading end of the sheet 1 to a position where it is detected by the sheet sensor 6. If the position of the sheet sensor 6 is greatly shifted downstream in the conveyance direction as compared with the case of this example, the leading end portion of the sheet 1 is placed in the gap between the driven rotating body 8 and the arm member 4 by its own weight. The sagging may affect the nip state of the sheet 1. As in this example, the position of the sheet sensor 6 is brought close to the nip position between the roll sheet R and the driven rotating body 8, so that the occurrence of sagging due to the weight of the sheet 1 is suppressed and the nip mark is hardly left on the sheet 1. be able to.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the supply device 200 when the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R is relatively small.

  Since the arm member 4 is always pressed in the direction of the arrow A1 by the torsion coil spring 3c, the arm member 4 rotates in the direction of the arrow A1 as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R decreases. Since the separation flapper 10 is also always pressed in the arrow B1 direction, it rotates in the arrow B1 direction as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R decreases. As a result, the separation flapper 10 forms a supply path with the conveyance guide 12 even when the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R becomes small, and guides the upper surface of the sheet 1 by the lower surface 10c. As described above, the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 rotate according to the change in the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R, so that a substantially constant size is supplied between them regardless of the roll outer diameter. A path is formed. Thereby, the low-rigidity sheet | seat 1 etc. can be supplied reliably, without buckling.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a sheet supply preparation procedure starting from the setting of the roll sheet R.

  First, the cover (dust / roll cover) 42 (see FIG. 2) of the roll sheet R is opened (step S1). At this time, the supply device 200 stands by in a state (weak nip state) in which the arm member 4 is pressed in the arrow A1 direction by the “pressing force of the weak nip”. Next, after attaching the spool member 2 to the roll sheet R as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the roll sheet R is set in the supply device 200 as shown in FIG. 3C (step S2). . The roll sensor 32 detects that the roll sheet R has been set.

  After setting the roll sheet R in this way, the user manually rotates the roll sheet R in the direction of arrow C2 to loosen the sheet 1, and then manually moves at least one of the spool flanges 23, 24 in the direction of arrow C1. Rotate with Thereby, the front end of the sheet 1 is inserted into the sheet supply port between the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 (step S3). When the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the first sheet sensor 6, the CPU of the printing apparatus 100 described later says “Please close the dust roll cover” on the display unit of the operation panel 28 (see FIG. 1). A message is displayed (steps S4 and S5). When the user closes the cover 42 in response to this message (step S6), the CPU locks the spool shaft 21 by a lock mechanism (not shown) so that the spool shaft 21 does not float from the spool holder 31 (step S7). Thereafter, the CPU switches the supply device 200 from the weak nip state to a state in which the arm member 4 is pressed in the arrow A1 direction by the “strong nip pressing force” (strong nip state) (step S8).

  Thereafter, the CPU rotates the roll sheet R in the direction of the arrow C1 with a roll drive motor described later, and starts the supply of the sheet 1 (step S9). When the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the second sheet sensor 16 (step S10), the CPU rotates the transport roller 14 in the direction of the arrow D1 to pick up the leading edge of the sheet 1 (step S11). When the pickup is completed, the CPU releases the pressing force that presses the arm member 4 of the supply device 200 in the direction of the arrow A1, and separates the first and second driven rotors 8 and 9 from the roll sheet R (nip). (Release state) (step S12).

  Thereafter, the CPU detects the skew of the sheet 1 conveyed in the sheet conveying unit 300. Specifically, a predetermined amount of the sheet 1 is conveyed in the sheet conveying unit 300, and the skew amount generated at that time is detected by a sensor or the like provided in the sheet conveying unit 300. When the skew feeding amount is larger than a predetermined allowable amount, feeding and back feeding of the sheet 1 are repeated with forward rotation and reverse rotation of the conveying roller 14 and the roll sheet R while applying a back tension to the sheet 1. . By such an operation, the skew of the sheet 1 is corrected (step S13). As described above, when the skew of the sheet 1 is corrected and when an image is printed on the sheet 1, the driven rotating bodies 8 and 9 can correct the skew of the sheet 1 by setting the supply device 200 to the nip release state. The influence on the accuracy and the printing accuracy of the image can be avoided. Thereafter, the CPU causes the sheet conveying unit 300 to move the leading edge of the sheet 1 to a standby position (fixed position) before starting printing in the printing unit 400 (step S14). Thereby, the supply preparation of the sheet 1 is completed. Thereafter, the sheet 1 is pulled out from the roll sheet R with the rotation of the roll sheet R, and is conveyed to the printing unit 400 by the sheet conveying unit 300.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of a control system in the printing apparatus 100. The CPU 201 controls each unit of the printing apparatus 100 including the supply device 200, the sheet conveyance unit 300, and the printing unit 400 according to a control program stored in the ROM 204. The CPU 201 receives the type and width of the sheet 1 and various setting information from the operation panel 28 via the input interface 202. The CPU 201 writes and reads information on the sheet 1 and the like with respect to the RAM 203. The roll drive motor 33 is a motor for rotating the roll sheet R forward and backward, and constitutes a drive mechanism (rotation mechanism) capable of rotationally driving the roll sheet R. The pressure drive motor 34 is a motor that rotates the rotating cam 3a in order to adjust the pressing force on the arm member 4, and the transport roller drive motor 35 is a motor that rotates the transport roller 14 forward and backward. .

  After the roll sheet R set in the supply device 200 is detected by the roll sensor 32, the set completion information is sent to the CPU 201 when the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the first sheet sensor 6. Accordingly, the CPU 201 issues a rotation command for the pressure drive motor 34 and adjusts the pressing force on the arm member 4 by rotating the pressure drive motor 34. Thereafter, the CPU 201 causes the roll drive motor 33 to rotate the roll sheet R forward in the direction of the arrow C1 and send out the sheet 1. Thereafter, when the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the second sheet sensor 16, the CPU 201 causes the conveyance roller driving motor 35 to rotate the conveyance roller 14 in the direction of the arrow D <b> 1 to convey the sheet 1.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the supply device 200 is in a nip release state when correcting the skew of the sheet 1 and when printing an image on the sheet 1. In the present embodiment, even when the sheet 1 cannot be automatically supplied, the supply device 200 is set to the nip release state. For example, when the sheet 1 is a paper type having high rigidity, strong curl wrinkles, and a large conveyance resistance, it is difficult to automatically supply the sheet 1 as in the first embodiment. .

  In the present embodiment, first, the path formed on the arm member 4 by the user after the feeding device 200 is in the nip release state as shown in FIG. 9 and the driven rotors 8 and 9 are separated from the roll sheet R. Insert the leading edge of the sheet 1 into the guide. Thereafter, the user puts a hand in the gap between the supply device 200 and the roll sheet R, or in the supply device 200, rotates the roll sheet R in the direction of the arrow C 1, Send to position. Thus, by completing the supply of the sheet 1, the types of usable sheets 1 are greatly increased, and more types of sheets 1 can be handled.

(Third embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the pressing force of the arm member 4 is switched in three stages so that the supply device 200 is in a strong nip state, a weak nip state, and a released state. The adjustment stage of the pressing force is not limited to only three stages, and may be configured to adjust steplessly. In this case, the pressing force in the strong nip state is optimally set according to the conveyance resistance that varies depending on the shape of the conveyance path of the sheet 1, the rigidity of the sheet 1, and the friction coefficient of the surface of the sheet 1. When the roll sheet R is set, the lock mechanism that locks the spool shaft 21 so that it is in the weak nip state and does not float from the spool holder 31 as described above is in the unlocked state. For this reason, the pressing force in the weak nip state is set to an optimum size so that the spool shaft 21 does not float even when only the paper tube of the roll sheet R is set on the spool shaft 21.

  For example, in the case of a sheet such as high-stiffness paper such as art paper and high basis weight paper typified by canvas, which has a strong surface layer and can increase the pressing force at the time of supply, in a strong nip state Set the pressing force strongly. Thereby, the conveyance force of a sheet can be strengthened and it can be supplied reliably. That is, it is possible to automatically supply more types of sheets 1 by setting the pressing force in the strong nip state to the sheet 1 that is difficult to supply. Further, the sheet 1 which is difficult to be automatically supplied can be manually supplied as in the second embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 10, the supply device 200 in this embodiment is not provided with the rotating cam 3 a of the drive unit 3 in the above-described embodiment, and a torsion coil spring 3 c and a fixing portion 3 d that fixes one end thereof. , Exists. Therefore, the pressing force for pressing the arm member 4 in the arrow A1 direction is constant. In order to suppress a large change in the pressing force of the arm member 4 due to a change in the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R, the spring constant of the torsion coil spring 3c is optimally set.

  Depending on the type of printing apparatus, the type of sheet to be used is limited. For example, in the case of a CAD machine, plain paper is mainly used. Since plain paper has low rigidity, its conveyance resistance is not large. Therefore, even when the pressing force of the arm member 4 is constant and the nip pressure cannot be switched, the plain paper can be supplied. As described above, depending on the type of sheet used in the printing apparatus, the configuration for switching the pressing force of the arm member 4 is eliminated, thereby simplifying the configuration of the supply device 200 and, consequently, the printing device 100, and reducing the cost. Can do.

(Fifth embodiment)
11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

  The support arm 41a is supported so as to be rotatable in the directions of arrows E1 and E2 around the rotation shaft 41 at a fixed position in the supply device 200. The separation flapper 40 is supported so as to be rotatable in the directions of arrows F1 and F2 around a flapper shaft 40b provided on the support arm 41a. The separation flapper 40 is movably pressed onto the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4 via a sliding member (a rotatable roller) 40a by the action of its own weight or a low-load spring (not shown). The separation flapper 40 is provided with a regulating member 40d that can slide in the directions of arrows G1 and G2 along the elongated hole 12a of the conveyance guide 12. The restricting member 40d restricts the range of rotation of the separation flapper 40 in the directions of arrows F1 and F2 around the flapper shaft 40b. That is, when the arm member 4 is at one rotational position in the directions of arrows A1 and A2, the posture of the separation flapper 40 positioned on the arm member 4 is restricted to one. Thus, a supply path having a constant vertical width in the drawing can be formed between the guide portion 4b on the arm member 4 and the guide surface 41c of the separation flapper 40.

  During the feeding operation of the sheet 1, the sheet 1 enters between the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4 and the sliding member 40a. Therefore, the sheet 1 is supplied through a supply path between the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4 and the guide surface 41c of the separation flapper 40 while pushing up the separation flapper 40 by the thickness. Since the supply path is formed with a constant width as described above, it is possible to suppress buckling of sheets such as low-stiffness paper and thin paper.

  Since the arm member 4 is always pressed in the direction of the arrow A1 by the torsion coil spring 3c, when the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R is reduced as shown in FIG. 12, the arm member 4 is moved according to the roll outer diameter. It rotates in the direction of arrow A1. In addition, the posture of the separation flapper 40 changes in conjunction with the arm member 4, and a supply path having a constant width is formed between the guide surface 40 c of the separation flapper 40 and the guide portion 4 b of the arm member 4. The Therefore, as in the case where the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R is large as shown in FIG. 11, buckling of sheets such as low-stiffness paper and thin paper can be suppressed.

  In the case where there is a large gap between the roll sheet R and the leading end portion 40e of the separation flapper 40, especially the sheet 1 having a large curl wrinkle is wound around the roll sheet R and the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 40 are separated from each other. It may be difficult to enter the sheet supply port. Therefore, the gap between the roll sheet R and the tip 40e of the separation flapper 40 should be small. In the present embodiment, as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R decreases, the separation flapper 40 is accompanied by the rotation of the support arm 41a, the rotation of the separation flapper 40, and the movement of the regulating member 40d as shown in FIG. The front end portion 40e approaches the center of the roll sheet R. Thereby, regardless of the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R, the gap between the roll sheet R and the front end portion 40e of the separation flapper 40 is kept small, and the front end of the sheet 1 is reliably separated from the roll sheet R. And can be guided into the sheet supply port.

(Sixth embodiment)
13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the driven rotor 8 moves along the locus of the arrow 8a in FIG. 14 as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R changes from a large diameter as shown in FIG. 13 to a small diameter as shown in FIG. Is configured to do. In the state of FIG. 13, the driven rotator 8 is located closer to the sheet supply port side between the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 than the vertical downward position at the center of the roll sheet R. In this state, the contact position (contact point) P1 of the driven roller 10a with respect to the roll sheet R and the contact position (contact point) P2 of the driven rotor 8 with respect to the roll sheet R are separated by an angle θ in the rotation direction of the roll sheet R. ing. In the state of FIG. 14, the driven rotator 8 is positioned in a direction away from the sheet supply port, rather than a vertically lower position at the center of the roll sheet R. That is, the driven rotor 8 moves along the locus of the arrow 8a so as to increase the angle θ.

  The curl of the sheet 1 becomes stronger as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R becomes smaller. However, since the driven rotating body 8 moves as the roll outer diameter decreases, the supply direction of the sheet 1 along the tangent at the point P2 changes so as to face the lower right direction in FIG. The leading edge of the sheet 1 is easily separated. Further, since the distance from when the sheet 1 is pulled out from the roll sheet R until the sheet 1 comes into contact with the guide portion 4b on the arm member 4, the sheet 1 is conveyed without being guided. The conveyance range can be kept small. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of buckling of a low-rigidity sheet | seat can also be suppressed.

(Seventh embodiment)
15 and 16 are diagrams for explaining a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a guide unit 51 that guides the rotation shaft 5 of the arm member 4 so as to be movable in the directions of arrows H1 and H2 parallel to the conveyance direction of the sheet 1 with respect to the supply device 200 of the sixth embodiment. , And a drive unit 50 that moves the rotary shaft 5 in the directions of arrows H1 and H2. The drive unit 50 constitutes an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the arm member 4 so as to shift the position of the contact P2 in the circumferential direction of the roll sheet R.

  The drive unit 50 moves the position of the rotary shaft 5 in the arrow H1 direction opposite to the sheet 1 supply direction as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet R decreases. Thereby, as the roll outer diameter decreases, the position of the contact P2 shifts to the upstream side in the supply direction along the circumferential direction of the roll sheet R, and the supply direction of the sheet 1 along the tangent at the contact P2 is the sixth. It changes so that it may face the lower right direction in FIG. 16 further than the case of this embodiment. Therefore, the front end of the sheet 1 is further easily separated from the roll sheet R. Furthermore, the distance from when the sheet 1 is pulled out from the roll sheet R to when the sheet 1 comes into contact with the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4 is further shorter than in the case of the sixth embodiment. Therefore, the air conveyance range in which the sheet 1 is conveyed without being guided can be further reduced, and the occurrence of buckling of the low stiffness sheet can be further suppressed. The drive unit 50 can adjust the position of the arm member 4 according to the type of the sheet 1 and the like.

(Eighth embodiment)
17 and 18 are diagrams for explaining a main part of the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

  In this example, a plurality of separation flappers 10 are arranged in the width direction of the roll sheet R as shown in FIG. By arranging a plurality of separation flappers 10, the separation function for separating the leading edge of the sheet 1 from the roll sheet R can be enhanced, and the sheet 1 is loosened when passing the supply path in the entire width direction of the roll sheet R. Can be prevented. Thereby, a sheet | seat can be supplied more stably.

  As described above, the separation flapper 10 rotates in the direction of the arrow B1 by its own weight, and lightly presses the roll sheet R via the driven roller 10a. Depending on the type of the sheet 1, the sheet 1 may be damaged by contact with the driven roller 10a. In particular, in the case of a sheet 1 that is likely to be scratched or dented, the sheet 1 is likely to be damaged, and when the surface of the sheet 1 on which an image is printed is damaged, the image quality may be deteriorated. When supplying such a sheet 1 that is easily damaged, it is desirable to retract the separation flapper 10 from the roll sheet R as shown in FIG. A plurality of separation flappers 10 arranged in the width direction of the roll sheet R may be configured to move independently to a contact position that contacts the roll sheet R and a retreat position that retreats from the roll sheet R. Alternatively, the separation flappers 10 may be linked to move them simultaneously to the contact position and the retracted position.

  In the case of this example, these separation flappers 10 are configured to be interlocked with each other. Each separation flapper 10 has a cam surface 10e formed on an arm portion 10d between the rotating shaft 11 and the driven roller 10a, and a cam 10g corresponding to each cam surface 10e acts on the cam surface 10e. . The cam 10g is slidable in the directions of arrows J1 and J2 along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the roll sheet R. When the cam 10g slides in the arrow J1 direction and contacts the cam surface 10e, the separation flapper 10 is rotated in the arrow B2 direction against its own weight. Further, when the cam 10g slides in the direction of arrow J2 and is separated from the cam surface 10e, the separation flapper 10 is allowed to rotate in the direction of arrow B1 due to its own weight.

  Cams 10g corresponding to the respective separation flappers 10 are connected so as to slide in conjunction with each other. When the user operates a lever portion (not shown) in one direction, all the cams 10g are simultaneously slid in the direction of the arrow J1 by the operating force and come into contact with the corresponding cam surface 10e. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, each separation flapper 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow B <b> 2 and maintained in a state of being separated from the roll sheet R. Further, when the user operates the lever portion in the other direction, all the cams 10g are simultaneously slid in the direction of the arrow J2 by the operation force, and separated from the corresponding cam surface 10e. As a result, each separation flapper 10 is allowed to rotate in the direction of arrow B1, and the driven roller 10a contacts the roll sheet R.

  In this example, when the user manually operates the lever portion as necessary, the separation flapper 10 is separated from the roll sheet R as shown in FIG. However, the separation flapper 10 may be automatically separated from the roll sheet R using a motor or the like based on the selection result of the type of the sheet 1 to be used. Further, the cam 10g is not limited to a slider cam that slides linearly as in this example, and may be a rotating cam, for example. Further, the cam 10g may be manually rotated.

  Also, if the roll sheet R is rotated in the direction of the arrow C1 while the driven roller 10a is in contact with the roll sheet R while the leading edge of the sheet 1 is not peeled off from the roll sheet R, The tip of the sheet 1 is forcibly separated from the roll sheet R. In this case, the sheet 1 may be damaged. For example, the roll sheet R is stored in a state where one central portion in the width direction at the front end of the sheet 1 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the roll sheet R by tape (or constrained by a loosening prevention band or the like). If the roll sheet R in such a storage state is set in the printing apparatus and then the roll sheet R in the storage state is erroneously rotated in the direction of the arrow C1, the sheet 1 may be broken. That is, the leading edge of the sheet 1 is forcibly separated from the roll sheet R in a range where the sheet 1 is not fixed or restrained (in this case, both sides away from the center in the width direction), and as a result, the sheet 1 may be broken. There is.

  In consideration of such a case, as shown in FIG. 17, the driven roller 10a of the separation flapper 10 is retracted from the roll sheet R in advance, so that the roll sheet R in the stored state is erroneously rotated. However, damage to the sheet 1 can be avoided. In addition, when the roll sheet R in the storage state is set in the printing apparatus, the driven roller 10a is brought into contact with the roll sheet R after removing the tape, the band, or the like that fixes or restrains the leading end of the sheet 1. Thus, the separation flapper 10 is rotated. Thereafter, feeding of the sheet 1 is started in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

(Ninth embodiment)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the upper supply device 200 is used as the sheet 1 supply unit, and the lower supply device 200 is used as the sheet 1 winding unit. The lower supply device 200 in FIG. 19 is wound up (inner winding) with the print surface of the sheet 1 on which the image is printed inward, and the lower supply device 200 in FIG. 20 is the sheet 1 on which the image is printed. Wind the paper with the printed side facing out (outside winding). Similarly to the above-described eighth embodiment, a plurality of separation flappers 10 are arranged in the width direction of the roll sheet R, and they can be rotated in the direction of the arrow B2. The description of the same configuration and operation as those in the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

  A roll sheet R is set to the upper supply device 200 used as the supply unit by a spool member 2 (1) as shown in FIG. The spool member 2 (1) is formed with tapered guide surfaces 23a, 24a on the inner side of the spool flanges 23, 24 with respect to the spool member 2 of FIG. In this configuration, 24 inner flange attachments 26 are provided. The flange attachment 26 on the spool flange 23 side functions as a reference side spool flange of the roll sheet R, and the flange attachment 26 on the spool flange 24 side functions as a non-reference side spool flange of the roll sheet R.

  On the other hand, the paper tube 27 is set by the spool member 2 (2) as shown in FIG. 21B to the lower supply device 200 used as the winding unit. The spool member 2 (2) is obtained by removing the flange attachment 26 from the spool member 2 (1), and a paper tube 27 is set in place of the roll sheet R. The guide surfaces 23 a and 24 a of the spool flanges 23 and 24 function as a guide for the sheet 1 wound around the paper tube 27. When this spool member 2 (1) is used for winding the sheet 1, wrinkles or the like of the sheet 1 may be generated due to contact with the flange attachment 26. However, such a concern can be eliminated by using the spool member 2 (2) with the flange attachment 26 removed from the spool member 2 (1) for winding the sheet 1. Further, the configuration of the spool member 2 (1) for supplying the sheet 1 and the spool member 2 (2) for winding the sheet 1 can be shared.

  FIG. 22 is a front view in which the upper supply device 200 used as the supply unit and the lower supply device 200 used as the take-up unit are arranged vertically in order to explain the relationship. The leading end of the sheet 1 of the roll sheet R is attached to the paper tube 27 with tape or the like.

  The spool member 2 (1) for supplying the sheet 1 has a flat surface 26a on the inner end surface of the flange attachment 26 provided on the spool member 2 (1), so that the end surface of the roll sheet R is abutted against the flat surface 26a. The position in the width direction can be determined. The non-reference side spool flange 24 side may not necessarily have the flat surface 26a, and the flange attachment 26 on the non-reference side spool flange 24 side may be removed and used as the spool member 2 (2) for winding the sheet. Good. On the other hand, in the spool member 2 (2) for winding the sheet 1, the space between the opposing surfaces of the spool flanges 23, 24 is set wider than the width of the sheet 1, and the guide surfaces 23a, 24a are tapered. is there. Therefore, the skew of the sheet 1 wound around the paper tube 27 is allowed to some extent.

  Each of the upper and lower supply devices 200 is provided with a sensor (for example, a reflective sensor) 128 for detecting the flange attachment 26. The CPU 201 (see FIG. 8) can use the detection result from the sensor 128 to select which of the upper and lower feeding devices 200 is used for sheet feeding and sheet winding. That is, when the flange attachment 26 is attached to the reference spool flange 23 side of the set spool member, the supply device 200 in which such a spool member is set is selected for sheet supply. When the flange attachment 26 is not attached to the reference spool flange 23 side of the set spool member, the supply device 200 in which such a spool member is set is selected for sheet winding. In addition, the user may select which of the upper and lower feeding devices 200 is used for sheet feeding and sheet winding by using a changeover switch. Such a selection method is not limited.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 23A, a sheet discharge guide 61 for guiding the sheet 1 cut by the cutter 20 to the basket 62 is provided.

  The sheet discharge guide 61 can be rotated in the directions of arrows K1 and K2 about the shaft 61a. When the sheet 1 is guided, the sheet discharge guide 61 is rotated to a position as shown in FIG. For example, it is rotated to a retracted position (not shown). A guide member 68 that is rotatable in the directions of arrows L1 and L2 about a shaft 68a is attached to the paper discharge guide 61. The guide member 68 is movable between a position where it hangs down by its own weight as shown in FIG. 23A and a position where it is housed on the discharge guide 61 side as shown in FIG. The guide member 68 is formed, for example, by forming a wire. The sheet discharge guide 61 is provided with a position detection sensor 69. The position detection sensor 69 outputs a detection signal when the guide member 68 is stored on the sheet discharge guide 61 side as shown in FIG. Output.

  The basket 62 includes rods 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d and a cloth member 64. The rod 63d is coupled to the rod 63c, and a combined body of these rods 63c and 63d is disposed on both sides in the width direction of the sheet 1 (the front and back direction in FIG. 23A). The base ends of the rods 63c in the two sets of combined bodies are respectively attached to members 65 provided on both sides in the width direction of the sheet 1 in the stand of the printing apparatus 100 so as to be rotatable in the directions of arrows M1 and M2. Between the tips of the rods 63a in the two sets of joined bodies, a rod 63a extending in the horizontal direction is spanned. Similarly, between the tips of the rods 63d in the two sets of joined bodies, A rod 63b extending in the horizontal direction is stretched over. These rods 63a and 63d connect the two sets of joined bodies to each other. The cloth member 64 is a flat cloth, one end of which is attached to the rod 63a and the other end is attached to the rod 63b. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 23A, when the rod 63c is rotated in the direction of the arrow M1 and the basket 62 is in the open state, the intermediate portion of the cloth member 64 is loosened to form a storage space for the sheet 1. The printing apparatus 100 is provided with a position detection sensor 67. The position detection sensor 67 detects the rod 63d and outputs a detection signal when the basket 62 is in an open state.

  The base end portion of the rod 63c is attached to the member 65 on the printing apparatus 100 side so as to be rotatable in the directions of arrows M1 and M2, and is attached to be slidable in the directions of horizontal arrows N1 and N2. . When the basket 62 is not used, the rod 63c is rotated in the direction of the arrow M2 as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 23B, and is then slid in the direction of the arrow N2 as indicated by the phantom line in FIG. 62 is stored below the printing apparatus 100.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the upper supply device 200 is used as the sheet 1 supply unit, and the lower supply device 200 is used as the sheet 1 winding unit. At this time, the guide member 68 and the basket 62 are moved to the storage position as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 so as not to interfere with the seat 1. In this state, the position detection sensor 69 detects the guide member 68 and is turned on, and the position detection sensor 67 is turned off without detecting the basket 62.

  FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining an operation procedure from the setting of the paper tube 27 to the attachment of the leading end of the sheet 1 to the paper tube 27.

  First, the spool member 2 (2) is inserted into the paper tube 27, and the spool member 2 (2) is set in the spool holder 31 (see FIG. 3C) of the lower supply device 200 (step S21). . After it is detected by the roll sensor 32 (see FIG. 3C) that the spool member 2 (2) is set (step S22), the driven rotating bodies 8 and 9 in the lower supply device 200 are moved to the paper tube 27. (Step S23). That is, the arm member 4 is rotated in the arrow A2 direction by the drive unit 3. Further, the separation flapper 10 can be rotated in the directions of arrows B1 and B2 as in the above-described eighth embodiment. As will be described later, the separation flapper 10 in this example is moved to the retracted position in the direction of arrow B2 by the user manually.

  Thereafter, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the conveying operation of the sheet 1 supplied from the roll sheet R set in the upper supply device 200 is performed. That is, the conveying roller 14 is rotated forward in the direction of the arrow D1 by the conveying roller driving motor 35 (see FIG. 8) (step S24), and the sheet 1 is conveyed by a predetermined amount (step S25). As a result, the leading edge of the sheet 1 reaches the position of the paper tube 27 set in the lower supply device 200. Thereafter, the user inserts the leading end of the sheet 1 between the paper tube 27 and the driven rotors 8 and 9 (step S26).

  When the sheet 1 is set inward as shown in FIG. 19, the separation flapper 10 is maintained in a state (pressure contact state) in which rotation in the direction of the arrow B1 due to its own weight is allowed, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the sheet 1 is set as shown in FIG. 20, the separation flapper 10 is rotated by the user to the retracted position in the direction of the arrow B2 as shown in FIG. Specifically, when the user operates a lever (not shown), the cam 10g (see FIG. 18) in the above-described eighth embodiment slides in the arrow J1 direction, and the separation flapper 10 retracts in the arrow B2 direction. Pivoted into position. At the same timing as step S23, the user may be prompted to operate the lever. Further, the separation flapper 10 may be automatically rotated using a motor or the like.

Thus, switching the state of the separation flapper 10 according to the inner winding set and the outer winding set of the sheet 1 has the following advantages When the sheet 1 is set to the inner winding as shown in FIG. In this case, it is necessary to wrap the leading end of the sheet 1 with the curl like the two-dot chain line in FIG. That is, it is necessary to pass the leading end of the sheet 1 from the upper side of the paper tube 27 to the back side (right side in FIG. 19) of the paper tube 27 and then stick the leading end to the paper tube 27 with tape. At this time, as described above, the leading edge of the sheet 1 is guided by the separating flapper 10 even when the rigidity of the sheet 1 is high or when the basis weight is large by keeping the separating flapper 10 in a pressure contact state. Can do. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet 1 can be smoothly guided to the attachment position of the paper tube 27 where the leading edge of the sheet 1 is attached with a tape or the like, and the workability of attaching the leading edge of the sheet 1 can be improved.

  On the other hand, when the sheet 1 is externally set as shown in FIG. 20, the leading edge of the sheet 1 is wound around the paper tube 27 in the same manner as the curl. At this time, as described above, by moving the separation flapper 10 to the separated position, the leading edge of the sheet 1 can be moved without being disturbed by the separation flapper 10 by using the curl at the leading edge of the sheet 1. The paper tube 27 can be wound. If the separation stopper 10 is in a pressure contact state, the tape that attaches the leading end of the sheet 1 to the paper tube 27 may be peeled off by the separation stopper 10. By moving the separation flapper 10 to the separation position as in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent such a tape from being peeled off and the sheet 1 from being damaged due to the tape.

  Thus, after the front end of the sheet 1 is inserted between the paper tube 27 and the driven rotary bodies 8 and 9, the user operates the operation panel 28, whereby the driven rotary body in the lower supply device 200 is operated. 8 and 9 press the paper tube 27 (step S27). That is, the arm member 4 is rotated in the arrow A1 direction by the drive unit 3. Further, when the separation flapper 10 is in the pressure contact state, the separation flapper 10 is moved to the separation position by the user.

  Thereafter, the transport roller 14 is rotated in the direction of arrow D2 by the transport roller driving motor 35, and the paper tube 27 is wound together with the spool member 2 (2) in the sheet winding direction by the roll drive motor 33 of the lower supply device 200. (Step S28). When the sheet 1 is set to the inner winding as shown in FIG. 19, the sheet winding direction is the arrow C2 direction, and when the sheet 1 is set to the outer winding as shown in FIG. 20, the sheet winding direction is the arrow C1 direction. is there. Therefore, regardless of whether the inner winding set or the outer winding set, the conveying roller 14 rotates in the direction of rewinding the sheet 1 from the paper tube 27, and conversely, the paper tube 27 rotates in the direction of winding the sheet 1. To do. Since the frictional force between the conveying roller 14 and the sheet is set sufficiently stronger than the frictional force between the paper tube 27 and the sheet 1, the sheet 1 is fed back. Then, after feeding back the sheet 1 by a predetermined amount (step S29), the conveyance roller driving motor 35 and the roll driving motor 33 in the lower supply device 200 are stopped.

  By such feedback of the sheet 1, tension is applied to the sheet 1. By back feeding the sheet 1 while applying tension in this way, the bending of the sheet 1 wound around the paper tube 27 is eliminated, and the skew is corrected. Then, after feeding back the sheet 1 by a predetermined amount, the leading end of the sheet 1 is attached to the paper tube 27 with a tape or the like (step S30), and the setting operation of the sheet 1 is completed and a standby state is set (step S31). . When the sheet 1 is fed back by a predetermined amount, the leading edge of the sheet 1 moves to a position where it can be easily attached to the paper tube 27.

  FIG. 25 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of printing an image on the sheet 1 while winding the sheet 1 around the paper tube 27 after step S31 of FIG.

  Upon receiving print data from a host device such as a personal computer, the printing apparatus 100 rotates the transport roller 14 in the arrow D1 direction and rotates the paper tube 27 in the lower supply apparatus 200 in the sheet winding direction. (Step S42). In this way, after the sheet 1 is conveyed by a predetermined amount (step S43), the driven rotors 8 and 9 are separated from the paper tube 27 by the drive unit 3 in the lower supply device 200 (step S44), and the image Printing is started (step S45). The roll driving motor 33 in the lower supply device 200 winds the sheet 1 by rotating the paper tube 27 in the winding direction together with the spool member 2 (2) in accordance with the conveying operation of the sheet 1 by the conveying roller 14. Let me take it. At that time, the drive current to the roll drive motor 33 is limited, and control is performed so that the sheet 1 is not pulled more than a predetermined torque (tension). By such control, the sheet 1 can be stably conveyed. If a tension more than necessary occurs, the conveyance accuracy of the sheet 1 is lowered. After the printing is completed, a similar printing operation, that is, an operation for printing an image on the sheet 1 while winding the sheet 1 around the paper tube 27 is set in a standby state (step S46).

  Next, operations of the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the separation flapper 10 during such a printing operation will be described.

  In the example described above, the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the separation flapper 10 are separated from the sheet 1 wound around the paper tube 27. However, when winding a high-rigidity sheet with an inner volume, it must be wound against the strong winding, and during the winding of the sheet, the sheet once wound is loosened. ”May occur. On the other hand, in a printing apparatus that requires reduction in size and cost, it is necessary to wind up sheets having various stiffnesses, thicknesses, and basis weights with limited motor torque. While the sheet is being wound, the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the separation flapper 10 are brought into pressure contact with the sheet, thereby suppressing the occurrence of “winding looseness” of the sheet even if a low torque motor is used. it can. In addition, by bringing the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the separation flapper 10 into the press contact state as described above, the force to inflate the sheet wound around the paper tube 27 is suppressed, and the winding operation is stabilized. be able to. In particular, when the sheet is wound inwardly, since the driven rotators 8 and 9 are pressed against the non-printing surface, the influence on the printing surface of the image is small. Similarly, by causing the separation flapper 10 to come into pressure contact with the sheet, the occurrence of “winding looseness” of the sheet can be suppressed. Further, in order to further enhance the effect of suppressing the “winding looseness” of the sheet, the separation flapper 10 may be pressed against the sheet using a biasing member such as a spring (not shown) instead of the weight of the separation flapper 10.

  On the other hand, when winding a sheet having low rigidity and a delicate surface, it is desirable to separate the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the separation flapper 10 from the sheet. The pressure contact and separation of the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the separation flapper 10 with respect to the sheet include the sheet physical properties (rigidity, thickness, basis weight, etc.), the sheet winding direction (inner / outer winding), the surface condition of the sheet, and It can be switched according to the environmental temperature. Thereby, various sheets can be wound up in an optimum state.

  FIG. 26 is a flowchart for explaining the operation for processing the end of the sheet 1 after the end of the printing operation involving the winding of the sheet 1 as described above.

  The user instructs the start of the sheet 1 termination process from the operation panel 28. As a result, the transport roller 14 is rotated forward in the direction of arrow D1 by the transport roller driving motor 35, and the paper tube 27 is wound together with the spool member 2 (2) by the roll drive motor 33 of the lower supply device 200. It is rotated in the taking direction (step S51). Thus, after the sheet 1 is conveyed by a predetermined amount along with the winding of the sheet 1 (step S52), the driven rotors 8 and 9 are moved to the paper tube 27 by the driving unit 3 in the lower supply device 200. Press (step S53).

  At this time, if the driven rotators 8 and 9 are in contact with the image print surface of the sheet 1, there is a possibility that ink transfer or the like occurs. Therefore, in step S52, the print surface of the sheet 1 on which the image is printed is shifted to the downstream side in the transport direction from the driven rotators 8 and 9, so that the driven rotators 8 and 9 do not come into contact with the print surface. It is desirable to convey the sheet 1 by a predetermined amount. If the contact of the driven rotators 8 and 9 with the print surface of the sheet 1 is unavoidable, the printed surface is sufficiently dried and then brought into contact with the driven rotators 8 and 9 of the print surface. May be. Alternatively, the print surface of the sheet 1 may be subjected to a treatment such as fluorine coating and then brought into contact with the driven rotators 8 and 9.

  Thereafter, the cutter 20 is driven by a cutter driving motor (not shown) to cut the sheet 1 (step S54). When the user cuts the sheet 1, the user can hold the rear end portion by hand so that the rear end portion of the sheet 1 wound on the paper tube 27 does not fall. Thereafter, after the user operates the operation panel 28 or the like, the paper tube 27 is rotated in the sheet winding direction by the roll drive motor 33 of the lower supply device 200 (step S55). Thereby, the rear end portion of the sheet 1 is wound around the paper tube 27. Thereafter, the trailing end portion of the sheet 1 is attached to the paper tube 27 with a tape or the like, whereby the sheet termination processing is completed, and a standby state is set (step S56).

  As described above, the surface of the sheet 1 wound around the paper tube 27 is pressed by the driven rotating bodies 8 and 9 after step S53. Therefore, between steps S54 and S56, even if the sheet 1 is loosened between the rear end portion of the sheet 1 and the pressed position of the sheet 1 by the driven rotating bodies 8 and 9, the paper tube 27 The wound sheet 1 does not loosen due to slack. With the functions of the driven rotors 8 and 9, the user does not need to handle the sheet 1 wound around the paper tube 27 with particular care so that the sheet 1 is not loosened. Further, since it is not necessary to wind up the loose sheet 1, there is no possibility that the printed surface of the sheet 1 is rubbed and scratches are generated during the winding. In this way, the lower supply device 200 functions as a sheet 1 winding device.

(Tenth embodiment)
27 to 29 are views for explaining the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

  Similar to the first embodiment described above, each of the upper and lower supply devices 200 is provided with a sheet sensor 6. In the following, as shown in FIG. 27, the sheet sensor 6 of the upper supply device 200 will be described as a sheet sensor 6a, and the sheet sensor 6 of the lower supply device 200 will be described as a sheet sensor 6b. Similarly, the roll sensor 32, the roll drive motor 33, and the pressure drive motor 34 included in each supply device 200 are provided with reference numerals 32a, 33a, and 34a in the upper supply device 200, and the lower supply device 200. The reference numerals 32b, 33b, and 34b are attached to the description. FIG. 27 is a block diagram of a control system in the printing apparatus 100. The description of the same configuration and operation as those of the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, encoders (roll rotation amount detection sensors) 36a and 36b for detecting the rotation amounts of the roll drive motors 33a and 33b are provided. The CPU 201 detects the feed speed of the leading edge of the sheet 1 fed from the roll sheet R based on the detection signals of the encoders 36a and 36b. Further, the CPU 201 controls the conveying speed of the sheet 1 when the leading edge of the sheet 1 enters between the conveying roller 14 and the nip roller 15 based on the feeding speed of the leading edge of the sheet 1.

  FIG. 29 shows control of the conveyance speed of the sheet 1 when the leading edge of the sheet 1 enters between the conveyance roller 14 and the nip roller 15 between step S3 and step S14 of FIG. 7 of the first embodiment described above. It is a flowchart for demonstrating. Below, the case where the sheet | seat 1 is supplied from the roll sheet R set to the upper supply apparatus 200 is demonstrated. The same applies to the case where the sheet 1 is supplied from the lower supply device 200.

  In step S3, as in the case of FIG. 7 of the first embodiment described above, the user loosens the sheet 1 in the roll sheet R set in the supply device 200, and then the tip of the sheet 1 is the arm member. 4 and the separation flapper 10. After the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the sheet sensor 6a (step S61), the CPU 201 displays a message “Do you want to start feeding?” On the display unit of the operation panel 28 (see FIG. 1) ( Step S62). After waiting for the user to select “Start” from the operation panel 28 (step S63), a message “Please close the dust roll cover” is displayed on the display unit of the operation panel 28 (step S64). In response to this message, when the user closes the cover 42 of the upper supply device 200 (step S65), the CPU 201 reversely rotates the roll drive motor 33a to temporarily rotate the roll sheet R in the arrow C2 direction (step S65). S66). Then, after the sheet sensor 6a no longer detects the sheet 1 (step S67), the roll drive motor 33a is rotated forward at a temporary constant speed V0 to rotate the roll sheet R in the direction of the arrow C1 (step S68). ). Then, after the sheet sensor 6a detects the leading edge of the sheet 1 (step S), the detection of the output pulse (encoder pulse) of the encoder 36a, that is, the rotation amount of the roll drive motor 33a is started (step S70).

  When the leading edge of the sheet 1 sent out by the rotation of the roll sheet R in the direction of the arrow C1 is detected by the sheet sensor 16, the CPU 201 calculates the radius r1 of the roll sheet R based on the count value of the encoder pulse up to that point. (Steps S71 and S72). If the sheet sensor 16 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet 1 even after a predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that a paper feed timeout error has occurred, and the user is prompted to reset the sheet 1 (step S76).

The CPU 201 determines the radius of the roll sheet R based on the conveyance distance L1 (see FIG. 27) from the sheet sensor 6a to the sheet sensor 16 and the rotation number N of the roll sheet R calculated from the count value of the encoder pulse. r1 is calculated. The radius r of the roll sheet R can be calculated by the following formula (1).
r1 = L1 / 2πN (1)

  Based on the radius r1 and the rotational angular velocity ω of the roll sheet R obtained from the rotational speed N of the roll sheet R, the feeding speed V1 (= rω) of the sheet 1 is calculated, and the speed V1 is conveyed by the conveying roller 14. The speed is set (step S73). Then, by driving the conveying roller 14 and setting the conveying speed to the feeding speed V1 of the sheet 1 (step S74), an impact when the leading edge of the sheet 1 enters between the conveying roller 14 and the nip roller 15 is applied. It can be kept small. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet 1 can be reliably picked up by the conveying roller 14 and the nip roller 15 (step S75), and jamming can be suppressed.

  Thereafter, similarly to the case of FIG. 7 of the first embodiment described above, steps S12 to S14 are executed.

Further, when the sheet 1 is supplied from the roll sheet R set in the lower supply device 200, the lower distance is set using the conveyance distance L2 (see FIG. 27) from the sheet sensor 6b to the sheet sensor 16. The radius r2 of the roll sheet R can be calculated from the equation (2).
r2 = L2 / 2πN (2)

  As described above, the CPU 201 has a function as a detection unit that detects the feed speed of the leading edge of the sheet 1 and a function as a control unit that controls the transport speed of the transport roller 14 based on the feed speed. The feed speed of the leading edge of the sheet 1 may be input from an external detection unit. The calculated roll sheet radius can also be used for other controls.

(Other embodiments)
The printing apparatus is not limited to a configuration including two sheet supply devices corresponding to each of two roll sheets, and may be configured to include eleven or three or more sheet supply devices. The printing apparatus may be configured to print an image on a sheet supplied from the sheet supply apparatus, and is not limited to an inkjet printing apparatus. The printing method and configuration of the printing apparatus are also arbitrary. For example, the print scan of the print head and the sheet transport operation are repeated to print an image, or the image is printed by continuously transporting the sheet to a position facing the long print head. Any of the full line systems to be used may be used.

  Further, the present invention is applicable to various sheet supply apparatuses in addition to a sheet supply apparatus that supplies a sheet as a print medium to a printing apparatus. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a device that supplies a sheet to be read to a reading device such as a scanner or a copier, and a device that supplies a sheet-like processed material to a processing device such as a cutting device. Such a sheet supply apparatus can be configured separately from apparatuses such as a printing apparatus, a reading apparatus, and a processing apparatus, and may include a control unit (CPU) for the sheet supply apparatus.

1 sheet 4 arm member (moving body)
4b Guide part (lower guide body)
7 Oscillating member 8 First driven rotating body (rotating body)
9 Second driven rotating body (rotating body)
10, 40 Separation flapper (upper guide body)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Printing apparatus 200 Sheet supply apparatus 400 Printing part R Roll sheet

Claims (20)

A sheet supply apparatus that pulls out and supplies a sheet from a roll sheet,
A pressure contact body that moves according to the outer diameter of the roll sheet and presses the outer periphery of the roll sheet from below in the direction of gravity;
A lower guide body that moves in conjunction with the pressure contact body and guides the lower surface of the sheet drawn through the pressure contact body;
A sheet supply apparatus comprising:   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure contact body and the lower guide body are provided in a movable body that is movable according to a roll outer diameter of the roll sheet.   The sheet according to claim 2, further comprising an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a position of the movable body so as to shift a contact position of the press contact body with respect to an outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet in a circumferential direction of the roll sheet. Feeding device.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a pressing mechanism that presses the moving body in a direction in which the pressing body is pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing mechanism is capable of changing a pressing force for pressing the movable body.   6. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a moving mechanism capable of moving the moving body in a direction in which the press contact body is separated from the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the press contact body includes a rotatable rotating body that contacts the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet.   The sheet feeding device according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the rotating bodies are provided along a circumferential direction of the roll sheet.   The sheet supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a drive mechanism capable of rotationally driving the roll sheet around the axis of the roll sheet. A conveyance roller for conveying the sheet supplied from the roll sheet;
A control unit that controls the conveying speed of the conveying roller according to the feeding speed of the leading edge of the sheet when the roll sheet is rotationally driven by the driving mechanism in order to send the leading edge of the sheet to the position of the conveying roller. When,
The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit includes a detection unit for detecting a feeding speed of a leading end of the sheet.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the press contact body includes an equalizing mechanism that allows a change in press contact posture with respect to the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet. An upper guide body located above the lower guide body;
The upper guide body moves according to the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet to form a supply path through which the sheet passes between the lower guide body and the lower guide body regardless of the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet. The sheet supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet supply apparatus is a sheet supply apparatus. The upper guide body is located at the upper part of the lower guide body and is movable in conjunction with the lower guide body,
The sheet supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the upper guide body forms a supply path through which the sheet passes between the upper guide body and an upper portion of the lower guide body.   The sheet feeding device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the upper guide body moves so as to approach the center of the roll sheet as the roll outer diameter of the roll sheet decreases.   16. The moving mechanism according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising a moving mechanism capable of moving the upper guide body to a position where it is pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the roll sheet and a position separated from the outer peripheral portion. Sheet feeding device.   17. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of the upper guide bodies are provided along an axial direction of the roll sheet. A sheet winding device for winding a sheet into a roll sheet,
A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
A winding drive mechanism capable of rotationally driving the roll sheet in the winding direction of the sheet;
A sheet winding device comprising: A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 17,
A print unit capable of printing an image on a sheet supplied from the sheet supply device;
A printing apparatus comprising: The sheet winding device according to claim 18,
A print unit capable of printing an image on the sheet wound up;
A printing apparatus comprising:

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