JP2023179910A - Supply winding device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a supply winding device that can eliminate as much as possible a portion of a printing medium that is wasted when setting the printing medium, can reduce the time and effort required when setting the printing medium, and uses a reusable connecting member and fixing member.SOLUTION: A supply winding device includes: supply means that supplies a roll-shaped printing medium; conveyance means that conveys the printing medium; and winding means that winds up the printing medium. The winding means has: a winding tube around which the printing medium is wound; a connecting member that can be stored inside the winding tube and connects a tip of the printing medium to the winding tube; a fixing member that is provided on the connecting member, clamps the tip of the printing medium and fixes the tip of the printing medium to the connecting member; and tension application means that applies tension to the connecting member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a supply take-up device and an image forming apparatus.

In conventional image forming apparatuses, it is known that a media wound into a roll is transported by a transporting means, and after ink is ejected from, for example, an inkjet head, the media is wound up.

Patent Document 1 discloses a printer in which a print medium is supplied by a print medium supply means, ink is ejected by a printer head, and then the print medium is wound up into a roll by a print medium winding device. This printing media winding device includes a winding tube for winding up a printing medium into a roll, a roll sheet whose one end side is joined to the winding tube and is wound up so that it can be fed out into the winding tube, and a roll sheet for winding up the printing medium into a roll. It has a print medium connecting means for connecting the leading end side and the leading end side of the print medium. Moreover, in Patent Document 1, hook-and-loop fasteners and tapes are exemplified as printing medium connecting means.
According to Patent Document 1, it is possible to eliminate as much as possible the blank and wasted portion of the print medium that occurs in the area between the front part of the platen and the print medium winding device during setting, thereby preventing wastage of the print medium. It is said that it can be done.

However, in Patent Document 1, the front end side of the roll sheet and the front end side of the print medium are connected using a hook-and-loop fastener or tape, so the work of connecting them is laborious. Further, if a consumable hook-and-loop fastener or tape is attached to a roll sheet, it becomes difficult to reuse the roll sheet, and it becomes necessary to remove the portion to which the hook-and-loop fastener or the like is attached, for example. In this case, it was necessary to consider adjusting the length of the roll sheet, which was inconvenient. Furthermore, when a roll sheet is used, the print medium is wrapped around the roll sheet, making it impossible to reuse the roll sheet. If the roll sheet cannot be reused, setting the print medium takes time and costs increase.

Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to eliminate as much as possible the portion of the print media that is wasted when setting the print media, and to reduce the effort required when setting the print media. The purpose is to provide a device for

In order to solve the above problems, the supply and winding device of the present invention includes a supply means for supplying a roll-shaped print medium, a conveyance means for conveying the print medium, and a winding means for winding the print medium. , the winding means is provided with a winding tube around which the printing medium is wound, a connecting member which can be stored inside the winding tube and which connects the leading end of the printing medium and the winding tube, and the connecting member, It is characterized by comprising a fixing member that clamps the leading end of the medium to fix the leading end of the print medium and the connecting member, and a tension applying means that applies tension to the connecting member.

According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate as much as possible the portion of the print media that is wasted when setting the print media, reduce the effort when setting the print media, and supply using reusable connecting members and fixing members. A winding device can be provided.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention and an example of a supply winding device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a fixing method. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of setting a print medium. It is a figure (A) and (B) which show other examples of a fixing member. FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams showing other examples of the fixing member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A supply and take-up device and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and may be modified within the scope of those skilled in the art, such as other embodiments, additions, modifications, deletions, etc. These are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they exhibit the functions and effects of the present invention.

The supply and winding device of the present invention includes a supply means for supplying a roll-shaped printing medium, a conveyance means for conveying the print medium, and a winding means for winding up the print medium, and the winding means is configured to a winding tube around which a medium is wound; a connecting member that can be stored inside the winding tube and connects the leading end of the print medium to the winding tube; It is characterized by having a fixing member that fixes the tip of the connecting member to the connecting member, and a tension applying means that applies tension to the connecting member.

Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes the supplying and winding device of the present invention and an image forming means for forming an image on a print medium.

According to the invention, it is possible to eliminate as much as possible the portion of the print media that is wasted when setting the print media, and it is also possible to reduce the effort when setting the print media, and to provide a supply roll using reusable connecting members and fixing members. A photographing device and an image forming device can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention and an embodiment of a supply and take-up device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a printing medium (which may also be called a media, a recording medium, a base material, etc.) is set, and this is also called an initial state. When forming an image, the image is formed by transporting the media 40 in the direction of the black arrow in the figure.

The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes the supply and take-up device 2 and the image forming means 3 according to the present embodiment, and includes other means as necessary. The supply winding device 2 of this embodiment includes a supply means 100, a conveying means 50, a winding means 110, and other means as necessary.

An example will be described below along the conveyance direction of the media 40.
The supply means 100 supplies the roll-shaped media 40. The supply means 100 feeds the media 40 stored in a roll to a position where image formation is performed (for example, a position where ink is ejected). The supply means 100 may also be referred to as an unwinding means, a feeding means, etc.
The medium 40 (print medium) can be selected as appropriate, and includes roll paper, for example.

The media 40 supplied by the supply means 100 is conveyed on the conveyance path 60 and heated by the heater 70a. The heater 70a used in this embodiment heats the media 40 from the surface opposite to the surface on which the image is formed (also referred to as the back surface).

Although heating with a heater is optional, heating makes it easier to print on various media. As the heater, for example, an electric heater using ceramic or nichrome wire can be used.

The supply winding device 2 of this embodiment has a conveying means 50. The conveyance means 50 has, for example, a feed roller 51 and a press roller 52, and conveys the medium 40 by sandwiching it between the two rollers. The supply and take-up device 2 may include the conveyance means 50, or the supply and take-up device 2 may not include the conveyance means 50 and the image forming apparatus 1 has the conveyance means 50. Furthermore, the conveying means 50 only needs to be able to convey the medium 40, and is not limited to the illustrated example, and can be modified as appropriate.

The media 40 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and is conveyed over the platen 30. An image is formed on the medium 40 conveyed on the platen 30 by the image forming means 3 . A heater 70b is provided below the platen 30, and heats the media 40 from the back side, for example.

Further, a fan 80 and an air chamber 90 are provided below the platen 30, and the media 40 is attracted by, for example, negative pressure. By adsorbing the media 40, lifting of the transported media 40 can be suppressed. In order to make it easier to attract the media 40, the platen 30 may be provided with suction holes.

The image forming means 3 includes, for example, a carriage 20, and the carriage 20 includes a liquid ejection head 10. The liquid ejection head 10 uses, for example, an inkjet head. The number of liquid ejection heads 10 may be one or more. Although the image forming means 3 of this embodiment uses a serial method in which the carriage 20 scans, it is not limited to this, and a line method may be used.

The liquid ejection head 10 ejects ink, and the ejected ink lands on the media 40. The ink is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate. One type of ink may be used, or multiple types of ink may be used. An ink containing no coloring material may also be used. The surface of the media 40 on which the ink lands may be referred to as the surface.

Note that the operation of ejecting ink may be referred to as image formation, or a series of operations such as conveyance, heating, and ink ejection may be referred to as image formation. Further, image formation may also be referred to as printing.

The medium 40 on which the ink has been ejected is conveyed on the conveyance path 60 and heated by the heater 70c.

The winding means 110 winds up the medium 40 on which the image has been formed. The winding means 110 has a winding tube 120 around which the media 40 is wound, and winds up the media 40 on which the image has been formed around the winding tube 120, for example, in the form of a roll. The winding tube 120 is, for example, a cylindrical member, and may simply be referred to as a tube. The size of the winding tube 120 is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate.

The winding means 110 has a wire 122 that can be stored inside a winding tube 120. The wire 122 is an example of a connecting member, and connects the tip of the media 40 and the winding tube 120. The wire 122 can be stored, for example, inside the winding tube 120 in the form of a roll. By being retractable in this manner, the space of the device can be saved and the wires 122 can be prevented from becoming tangled.

In order to store the wire 122 inside the winding tube 120, it is possible to select an appropriate method, such as a method of providing a shaft inside the winding tube 120 and attaching one end of the wire 122 to the shaft. In this case, the wire 122 can be stored in a roll inside the winding tube 120 by rotating the winding tube 120 or the shaft.

The winding means 110 has a fixing member 121. The fixing member 121 is provided on the wire 122 and fixes the tip of the media 40 and the wire 122 by sandwiching the tip of the medium 40 . As the fixing member 121, for example, a member using magnetic force (for example, it may be called a magnet), a clip-shaped member (for example, it may be called a clip), etc. can be used. A detailed example will be described later. The fact that the fixing member 121 is provided on the wire 122 may also be referred to as the fixing member 121 being attached to the wire 122.

The winding means 110 has a spring 123. The spring 123 is an example of tension applying means, and applies tension to the wire 122. As illustrated, the spring 123 can be stored inside the winding tube 120, and by storing it in this way, the space of the device can be saved. The tension applying means may be referred to as a tension applying means, and the tension may be referred to as a tension. The spring 123 pulls the wire 122 into the interior of the tube 120, for example. The spring 123 in the illustrated example is a coiled spring.

By using the spring 123 (tension applying means), for example, the wire 122 is pulled in the direction of the black arrow in the figure. This can prevent the media 40 from sagging in the initial state when the media 40 is set and the supply of the media 40 is stopped. Therefore, it is possible to prevent image disturbances (abnormal images) caused by slack in the media 40 when transitioning from the initial state to the image forming operation.

According to the supply take-up device 2 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the wire 122 is arranged between the winding tube 120 and the platen 30 instead of the media 40, so when setting the print medium, the wire 122 is It is possible to eliminate as much of the media as possible. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fixing member 121 clamps the tip of the media 40 and fixes the tip of the media 40 and the wire 122, so that the effort required to fix the media 40 and the wire 122 is reduced. Furthermore, by using such a fixing member 121, it is possible to reuse the fixing member 121 after image formation is completed. Further, in this embodiment, the wire 122 can be stored inside the winding tube 120, and even when the media 40 is wound around the winding tube 120, the wire 122 can be reused.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the main parts of the paper feed winding device of this embodiment, and is a schematic diagram for explaining fixing of the media 40 in the winding means 110.

A fixing member 121 is attached to the tip of the wire 122. The wire 122 in this example includes a wire connected to one end of the fixing member 121 and a wire connected to the other end. In this way, by connecting the wire 122 to one end side and the other end side of the fixing member 121, the leading end of the media 40 can be stably fixed.

In order to connect the wire 122 to one end side and the other end side of the fixing member 121, for example, there is a method using two wires. Although not particularly limited, when two wires are used, corresponding springs 123 may be used. In this embodiment, the number of wires used is not particularly limited and may be changed as appropriate.

The winding tube 120 used in this embodiment can store the wire 122 inside, and can also store the spring 123 inside. The winding tube 120 in the illustrated example is a preferred example, as it is capable of storing a wire 122 and a spring 123 therein. This makes it possible to save space in the device.

For example, one end of the wire 122 is attached to the fixing member 121 and the other end is attached to the spring 123. In this case as well, it can be said that the wire 122 connects the tip of the media 40 and the winding tube 120. Further, for example, an opening may be provided in the winding tube 120, and the wire 122 may be taken out from the opening.

The fixing member 121 clamps the tip of the media 40 and fixes the tip of the media 40 and the wire 122. As shown in the figure, the leading end of the medium 40 can be said to be an area having a certain width (length).

As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the fixing member 121 sandwiches the leading end of the medium 40, so there is no need to attach tape or the like to the medium 40. Therefore, the effort required to set the media 40 can be reduced.

When winding the media 40 around the winding tube 120, the media 40 is wound with the fixing member 121 positioned outside the winding tube 120. Therefore, although the fixing member 121 is present between the winding tube 120 and the media 40, the image formed on the media 40 is not affected. In this embodiment, for example, the conveyance of the media is controlled by conveying the medium while applying tension using a supply means and a winding means. In this case, if excessive tension is applied on the winding means side, there is a risk that the conveyance accuracy of the medium will deteriorate. In consideration of this, the winding means is provided with a one-way clutch for the purpose of winding with low tension, and the tension is controlled to be low. Therefore, we believe that there is no problem even if the diameter of the winding tube changes slightly depending on the fixing member.

In this embodiment, the fixing member 121 and the wire 122 can be reused. Although not particularly limited, media after printing is often subjected to post-processing while still in roll form. Therefore, the fixed member 121 and the wire 122 may be collected by setting the rolled printed matter together with the fixing member in a post-processing machine and unwinding it. The fixing member 121 and wire 122 collected in this way can be reused, and the used fixing member 121 and wire 122 can be used for another medium.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of setting a print medium. Note that FIG. 3(B) is the same diagram as FIG. 1. Note that setting the print medium (media) may also be referred to as filling the media.

First, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3(A), the media 40 is unwound (feeded out) so that the leading end of the media 40 is near the winding tube 120 of the winding means 110. Next, the leading end of the media 40 is sandwiched between the fixing members 121 and fixed to the wire 122. FIG. 3(A) shows the state at this point. Next, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3(B), the conveyance means 50 and the supply means 100 are reversely driven to rewind the media 40 to the upstream side. When the fixing member 121 reaches the vicinity of the downstream side of the platen 30, the rewinding is stopped. FIG. 3(B) shows the state at this point.

By doing this, the media 40 is set in the image forming apparatus and becomes ready for image formation. In this way, in this embodiment, the media 40 can be easily set.

Next, another example of the fixing member in this embodiment will be explained.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of the fixing member. FIG. 4(A) is a schematic side view of the fixing member 121 of this example, and FIG. 4(B) is a diagram when the fixing member 121 sandwiches the tip of the media 40. The arrows in FIG. 4(A) schematically indicate biasing forces, and when such biasing forces work, the fixing member 121 can sandwich the tip of the media 40.

The fixing member 121 in this example is a clip-shaped member. Further, the wire 122 in this example includes a wire connected to one end of the fixing member 121 and a wire connected to the other end. The fixing member 121 of this example is a clip-shaped member, so that the leading end of the media 40 can be easily held. Further, it is stable and easy to attach to the wire 122.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the biasing force is generated by a spring, for example, but the biasing force is not limited to this, and the biasing force may be generated by magnetic force.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of the fixing member. FIG. 5(A) is a schematic side view of the fixing member 121 of this example, and FIGS. 5(B) and 5(C) are diagrams when the fixing member 121 sandwiches the tip of the media 40. FIG. 5(B) is a schematic side view when the fixing member 121 pinches the tip of the media 40, and FIG. 5(C) is a schematic plan view when the fixing member 121 pinches the tip of the media 40. be.

The fixing member of this example consists of a first member 121a provided on the wire 122 (connection member) and a second member 121b that is separable from the first member 121a, and the first member 121a and the second member 121b are The leading end of the media 40 is pinched by magnetic force.

FIG. 5A shows that the first member 121a is provided on the wire 122, and that the first member 121a and the second member 121b are separable. Further, in the same figure, magnetic force is schematically shown with double-headed arrows. By magnetically attracting the first member 121a and the second member 121b to each other, the media 40 can be sandwiched as shown in FIGS. 5(B) and 5(C). Also in this example, the fixing member 121 of this example can easily sandwich the tip of the media 40. Further, it is stable and easy to attach to the wire 122.

In the above example, the wire 122 was used as an example of the connection member. In addition to wires, a resin sheet can also be used as the connection member in the present invention. Even when a resin sheet is used, it is stored inside the winding tube 120. Similarly to the above, it can be stored inside the winding tube 120 by, for example, providing a shaft inside the winding tube 120 and attaching one end of the resin sheet to the shaft.

Aspects of the present invention are, for example, as follows.
<1> Supply means for supplying a roll-shaped printing medium;
a conveyance means for conveying the print medium;
A winding means for winding the print medium,
The winding means is
A winding tube around which printing media is wound,
a connecting member that can be stored inside the winding tube and connects the leading end of the printing medium and the winding tube;
a fixing member provided in the connecting member and fixing the leading end of the printing medium and the connecting member by sandwiching the leading end of the printing medium;
A supply and take-up device comprising: tension applying means for applying tension to the connecting member.
<2> The supply and take-up device according to <1>, wherein the connecting member is a wire.
<3> The supply and take-up device according to <2>, wherein the wire includes a wire connected to one end side of the fixing member and a wire connected to the other end side.
<4> The fixing member includes a first member provided on the connecting member and a second member separable from the first member,
The supply and take-up device according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the first member and the second member sandwich the leading end of the print medium by magnetic force.
<5> The supply and take-up device according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the fixing member is a clip-shaped member.
<6> The supply and take-up device according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the tension applying means applies tension to the connecting member using a spring.
<7> The supply and take-up device according to <6>, wherein the spring is stored inside the winding tube.
<8> The supply take-up device according to any one of <1> to <7>;
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming means for forming an image on a print medium.

10 Liquid discharge head 20 Carriage 30 Platen 40 Media 50 Conveyance means 51 Feed roller 52 Press roller 60 Conveyance path 70 Heater 80 Fan 90 Air chamber 100 Supply means 110 Winding means 120 Winding tube 121 Fixing member 122 Wire 123 Spring

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-005959

Claims (8)

a supply means for supplying a roll of printing media;
a conveying means for conveying the print medium;
A winding means for winding the print medium,
The winding means is
A winding tube around which printing media is wound,
a connecting member that can be stored inside the winding tube and connects the leading end of the printing medium and the winding tube;
a fixing member that is provided on the connecting member and clamps the leading end of the printing medium to fix the leading end of the printing medium and the connecting member;
A supply and take-up device comprising: tension applying means for applying tension to the connecting member. The supply and take-up device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is a wire. 3. The supply and take-up device according to claim 2, wherein the wire includes a wire connected to one end of the fixing member and a wire connected to the other end. The fixing member includes a first member provided on the connecting member and a second member separable from the first member,
The supply and take-up device according to claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member sandwich the leading end of the print medium by magnetic force. The supply take-up device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a clip-shaped member. The supply and take-up device according to claim 1, wherein the tension applying means applies tension to the connecting member using a spring. The supply take-up device according to claim 6, wherein the spring is housed inside the winding tube. A supply take-up device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming means for forming an image on a print medium.

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