JP2508855Y2 - Skew correction mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a skew correction mechanism of a printer capable of correcting a bend at the time of setting a sheet at the time of suction.

(Prior Art) As a mechanism for preventing skew (skew) of a sheet to be printed in a printer, the following types have been conventionally adopted.

The type shown in FIG. 4 adjusts the attitude of the paper P by abutting the paper P against the closed rollers 20 and 21 when setting the paper in the printer.

In the case shown in FIG. 5, the suction roller is used when the paper P is sucked.
Closed rollers 32 for skew correction behind 30, 31
33 will be provided. The rollers 32 and 33 try to apply a force in the opposite direction to the sheet suction direction. Specifically, the rollers 32 and 33 may be reversely rotated in the direction of the broken line arrow, may not be rotated, or may be equipped with a torque limiter so as to move when a certain amount of force is applied. . The paper P is abutted against this, and the suction roller is used to remove the bending of the paper.
Rotate 30 and 31 to feed the paper P to bend it.
After that, the rollers 32 and 33 are normally rotated in the direction of the solid line arrow and conveyed to the printing unit.

In the structure shown in FIG. 6, the rollers 40 and 41 are opened and closed, and the stopper 42 is projected and retracted onto the conveyance path of the paper P. The rollers 40 and 41 are opened and abutted against the stopper 42 when the paper P is set. After setting the paper, close the rollers 40 and 41, lower the stopper 42,
Rotate 41 to convey to the printing section.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, in the type shown in FIG. 4 that abuts against the rollers 20 and 21 which are closed when setting the paper, when the paper is bent at the time of setting, it is inhaled in that state or thick paper is A large number of copy papers or papers with loose ends are difficult to bite on the rollers 20 and 21, and there is a risk that the papers may slip or bend and may not enter between the rollers 20 and 21, resulting in an inhalation error. If the paper is curled, rollers 20 and 21
Since the paper does not enter the center of the space, skew occurs.

In the type shown in FIG. 5 which abuts against the closed rollers 32 and 33 after inhalation, thick paper or paper with loose ends is not absorbed between the rollers 32 and 33,
There was a risk of bending and causing a paper jam.

In the case shown in Fig. 6, it can be set while bent,
If it is set before hitting the stopper 42, it will be conveyed to the printing section as it is, and skew will occur.
Further, since the leading edge of the sheet abuts against the stopper 42 and receives a reaction force, the sheet may return before the rollers 40 and 41 are closed to cause skew.

An object of the present invention is to provide a skew correction mechanism that can surely perform skew correction without causing suction errors and paper jams.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the device according to claim 1 is
A feed roller that is rotated by a drive mechanism, a paper pressing roller that opens and closes by approaching and separating from the feed roller, and presses the feed roller to pinch the paper, and rotates by using the paper pressing roller as a central axis in common. It has a larger outer diameter than the paper pressing roller and does not prevent the paper pressing roller from contacting the surface of the paper when the paper pressing roller is completely closed and pressed by the feed roller. When the paper is not pressed by the paper, it comes in contact with the paper, and there are multiple auxiliary rollers that can convey the paper toward the paper stopper with a force that does not bend the paper from the part that is in contact with the paper to the paper stopper. Is also located downstream of the paper path, has a paper stop surface perpendicular to the paper traveling direction, and can project and retract into the paper path. To constitute a skew correction mechanism including a paper stopper which can bet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in each of the plurality of auxiliary rollers, when the paper pressing roller is completely closed, the peripheral edge portion protruding from the paper pressing roller can be distorted to a position substantially the same as the diameter of the paper pressing roller. 2. The material is made of a material that presses a sheet with a force that allows the feed roller to slide on the surface of the sheet when the leading edge of the sheet being conveyed hits the sheet stopper when the sheet pressing roller is partially closed.
The skew correction mechanism described in 1. is configured.

The invention according to claim 3 constitutes the skew correction mechanism according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of auxiliary rollers is made of sponge.

(Effect) Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

In the skew correction mechanism according to the first aspect of the present invention, first, the paper pressing roller is not completely closed but is closed halfway. At this time, the sheet is not sandwiched between the feed roller and the sheet pressing roller, but is rotated by the central axis of the sheet pressing roller in common and is sandwiched by the feed roller and the auxiliary roller having an outer diameter larger than that of the sheet pressing roller.

When the feed roller is rotated, the auxiliary roller is also driven and rotated as the paper is conveyed. The conveyed paper hits the paper stopper protruding on the path of the paper on the downstream side. The paper is transported by. Therefore, the sheet is pressed against the sheet stopper without bending, and the tip of the sheet is brought into close contact with the vertical sheet stop surface to correct skew.

After skew correction is completed, the paper pressing roller is completely closed,
In addition, the paper is fed after the paper stopper retracts, but at this time, the auxiliary roller does not prevent the paper pressing roller from contacting the paper surface, so the paper is pinched between the feed roller and the paper pressing roller to ensure accurate feeding. It can be performed.

Therefore, according to the skew correction mechanism according to the first aspect of the present invention, the inclination of the sheet at the time of setting the sheet can be corrected at the time of inhalation, and at that time, the closed roller is applied as in the conventional case. It does not cause a paper jam due to a paper feed error or the paper being fed in excessively and being bent.

Moreover, since a plurality of correction rollers are provided, skew correction can be performed regardless of the paper size.

Further, since the auxiliary roller shares the central axis with the paper pressing roller, it is not necessary to provide a special paper transport path for skew correction. Furthermore, the structure is simple and can be realized at low cost, and since it is normally equipped in the conventional printer with the feed roller and the paper pressing roller that opens and closes, it can be easily applied to the conventional printer by a minor design change or modification. is there.

In the skew correction mechanism according to the second aspect of the present invention, at the time of feeding when the paper pressing roller is completely closed, each correction roller has a peripheral portion protruding from the paper pressing roller up to a position substantially the same as the diameter of the paper pressing roller. It is not distorted and does not prevent the sheet from being sandwiched and fed between the sheet pressing roller and the feed roller. During skew correction when the paper pressing roller is partially closed, each auxiliary roller presses the paper with the force that allows the feed roller to slide on the paper surface when the leading edge of the paper being conveyed hits the paper stopper. The paper does not bend between itself and the paper stopper.

In the skew correction mechanism according to the third aspect of the present invention, since each auxiliary roller is made of sponge, the auxiliary roller is distorted by coming into contact with the surface of the paper at the time of feeding and does not hinder the feeding by the paper pressing roller and the feed roller. At the time of skew correction, even if each auxiliary roller comes into contact with the surface of the paper, it cannot be pressed with a strong force due to the distortion, and therefore, if the leading edge of the paper hits the paper stopper, the paper cannot be sent any further.

(Example) Hereinafter, the illustrated example will be described.

1 and 2 are a partially cutaway perspective view and a side view, respectively, showing an embodiment of a skew correction mechanism according to the present invention.

In each drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a paper pressing roller, and a plurality of shafts 3 whose both ends are axially supported are inserted through an opening / closing cover 2 and are fixed at regular intervals. The open / close cover 2 rotates about a shaft 4 to open and close in the direction of the arrow. The drive mechanism for the shaft 4 is not shown.

A plurality of feed rollers 5 are provided below the paper pressing roller 1 at positions corresponding to the paper pressing rollers 1 provided at a plurality of intervals, and when the opening / closing cover 2 is completely closed, the paper pressing roller 1 is pressed. The sheet P is reliably sandwiched between the roller 1 and the feed roller 5 so that an accurate feed can be obtained. The paper pressing roller 1 and the feed roller 5 are made of a hard rubber material or the like having a large friction coefficient with respect to the surface of the paper P in order to accurately feed the paper P. A shaft 6 is inserted and fixed to the feed roller 5, and the shaft 6 is fixed by a drive mechanism (not shown).
Is rotated in the direction of the arrow, and the paper P is fed from the paper setting portion toward the printing portion. The paper P is transported along the transport path defined by the guides 7 and 8.

An auxiliary roller 9 is fixed to the shaft 3 between the paper pressing rollers 1. The auxiliary roller 9 has a larger outer diameter than the paper pressing roller 1 and is made of a flexible material. Specifically, it is made of soft sponge.

A paper stopper 10 can be projected in the path of the paper P carried out by the feed roller 5. A plurality of paper stoppers 10 can be projected above the path of the paper P and retracted below the path of the paper P by a drive mechanism (not shown). A plurality of paper stoppers 10 are provided and form one stop surface perpendicular to the traveling direction of the paper P.

11 is a platen, 12 is a print head for printing, 13
Is a roller for discharging paper.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b).
This will be described with reference to (c).

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the paper P is set in the skew correction mechanism of this embodiment. In this state, the opening / closing cover 2 is open, and the sheet stopper 10 projects on the path of the sheet P.

Next, the opening / closing cover 2 is closed halfway so that the auxiliary roller 9 contacts the paper P. However, the paper feed roller 1 is not in contact with the paper P. When the feed roller 5 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the auxiliary roller 9 is also driven, and the paper P advances in the direction of the arrow and strikes the leading end of the paper P or the stop surface of the paper stopper 10. The stop surface is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the paper P, and when it abuts, the auxiliary roller 9 made of soft sponge has a weak force to press the paper P, so that the feed roller 5 slips on the surface of the paper P and runs idle. Therefore, the sheet P does not bend between the auxiliary roller 9 and the sheet stopper 10, and the leading edge of the sheet P abuts against the stop surface, and the sheet P and the stop surface come into close contact with each other to eliminate the skew. This state is shown in FIG. 3 (b).

Then the open / close cover 2 is completely closed, and the paper stopper
The sheet 10 is retracted downward from the path of the sheet P. In this state, the paper feed roller 1 is strongly pressed by the feed roller 5, so that by rotating the feed roller 5, the paper P is pinched between the paper feed roller 1 and the feed roller 5 and accurately in the arrow direction. It is fed and can be printed by the print head 12 (see FIG. 3 (c)). On the other hand, although the auxiliary roller 9 is in contact with the paper P, since it is made of soft sponge, the auxiliary roller 9 can be dented to a position having substantially the same diameter as the paper feed roller 1 on the surface of the paper P. In this case, the paper feeding action of the paper feed roller 1 and the feed roller 5 is hardly affected.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the paper P is tilted when the paper P is set, it can be corrected at the time of inhalation, and the paper absorption that occurs because it hits the closed roller as in the conventional case. No mistakes are made, and the force for transporting the paper P is adjusted by using the soft auxiliary roller 9. Therefore, when the leading end of the paper P is abutted against the paper stopper 10 to correct the inclination, the paper is bent. There is no paper jam.

Further, since the auxiliary roller 9 is provided on the same shaft 3 as the paper pressing roller 1 and is attached to the feed mechanism constituted by the paper pressing roller 1 and the feed roller 5, a special paper conveyance for skew correction is performed. There is no need to provide a route.

Further, since the two auxiliary rollers 9 are provided, skew correction can be performed by adapting various paper sizes.

Furthermore, the structure is simple and can be realized at low cost, and the feed roller 5 and the paper pressing roller 1 that opens and closes are commonly provided in the conventional printer, so that it can be easily applied to the conventional printer by a minor design change or modification. It is possible.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, although the auxiliary roller 9 is made of a flexible sponge in this embodiment, the auxiliary roller 9 may be a roller that slides on the shaft 3 with a weak force, or a roller that shifts the axis of rotation when pressed by the paper P. Also, the same effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 are partially cutaway perspective views and side views showing an embodiment of the skew correction mechanism according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 (a), (b) and (c) are the same operation of the embodiment. FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are partial side views for explaining the above, and are side views showing an example of a conventional skew correction mechanism. 1 ... Paper feed roller, 2 ... Open / close cover, 3 ... Shaft, 5 ... Feed roller, 9 ... Auxiliary roller, 10 ...
Paper stopper.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yasushi Kato 807 Taio-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Japan Business Computer Co., Ltd. Research & Development Headquarters (72) Shuji Kagawa 807 Taio-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Address: Research & Development Headquarters, Japan Business Computer Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor: Harumi Hanaoka, 807, Taio-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Japan Business Computer Co., Ltd. Research & Development Headquarters (56) Reference: JP-A-62-280150 ( JP, A) Actual development Sho 56-29048 (JP, U)

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A feed roller which is rotated by a drive mechanism, a paper pressing roller which approaches and separates from the feed roller and opens and closes, and which presses the feed roller to sandwich a paper, and a central axis common to the paper pressing roller. Has a larger outer diameter than the paper pressing roller and does not prevent the paper pressing roller from contacting the surface of the paper when the paper pressing roller is completely closed and pressed by the feed roller. Auxiliary rollers that can contact the paper when it is not pressed by the feed roller, and can convey the paper toward the paper stopper with a force that does not bend the paper between the part in contact with the paper and the paper stopper When,
A skew correction mechanism that is disposed on the downstream side of the paper path with respect to the auxiliary roller, has a paper stop surface that is perpendicular to the paper traveling direction, and that includes a paper stopper that can project and retract into the paper path. . 2. Each of the plurality of auxiliary rollers can distort a peripheral edge portion protruding from the paper pressing roller to a position substantially the same as the diameter of the paper pressing roller when the paper pressing roller is completely closed. 2. The skew correction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the skew correction mechanism is made of a material that presses the sheet with a force that allows the feed roller to slide on the sheet surface when the leading edge of the sheet being conveyed hits the sheet stopper when the sheet is closed halfway. 3. The skew correction mechanism according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of auxiliary rollers is made of sponge.