JP2562356Y2 - Printer automatic paper feed / discharge device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Industrial application field] This invention is based on the
The present invention relates to a paper discharge device, and more particularly to an improvement in a paper discharge structure in a case where paper of a printer using dedicated paper is incompatible with recording.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, video printers capable of hard-copying information for one field or one frame from a video signal, that is, a still image, have become widespread. Although this type of printer is mainly of the thermal transfer type, it is often used in combination with other video equipment in a system, and it is preferable that the printer be housed in a rack together. Therefore, there is a demand for the use of a full front loading mechanism having an automatic paper feeding / discharging function capable of performing operations from the front side and feeding / discharging and taking out / loading the ink ribbon cassette from the front side. Recently, a color video printer capable of printing a full-color hard copy has attracted attention. In such a color video printer, dedicated paper having a resin coating on the surface is used so that the ink on the ink sheet can be easily transferred. The special paper is set on a recording paper tray and loaded and set in a drawer-like manner in the apparatus. Then, the sheet is sent from the tray to the sheet feeding path by the automatic sheet feeding and discharging mechanism, and is sent to a recording unit having a print head. The special paper (hereinafter, referred to as recording paper) after recording by the print head is discharged through the paper discharge path by switching the path, and is stored in, for example, a paper discharge tray. By the way, in a printer using a dedicated recording paper, a case in which a user sets a recording paper of a type and a shape that does not conform to the recording in the recording paper tray or sets the recording paper in an inappropriate setting direction occurs. . Therefore, printers equipped with an automatic paper feeding and discharging mechanism have a recording paper discriminating function conventionally, and determine whether or not the recording paper set on the tray is suitable for recording. The recording paper is discharged to the outside of the apparatus by switching the path, or returned to the original position in the recording paper tray before the start of paper feeding. That is, when recording paper that is incompatible with recording is sent from the tray to the paper feed path, it is determined that the recording paper is incompatible by detecting the mark on the back surface, and the recording paper is moved to the innermost recording section by the rotation of the transport rollers. The paper path is switched from the paper supply side to the paper discharge side after the paper is once fed, and the incompatible recording paper is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the paper discharge path by the reverse rotation of the transport roller.

On the other hand, if the recording paper is not suitable for recording, the surface is too smooth and the frictional resistance is low, the frictional force between the paper and the paper feed roller is insufficient, and slippage occurs between the two. . Therefore, when the tray is in a stationary state, it can be slightly fed out of the tray by the rotation of the feed roller, but since the feed path in front of the tray is curved, it receives the contact resistance from the feed path and Then, the paper cannot be fed forward, and the paper cannot be fed. This state is detected based on the rotation time or the number of rotations of the paper feed roller, and when a certain value is exceeded, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred. Then, the sheet feeding roller is reversed to return the recording sheet unsuitable for recording to the original position in the tray before the start of sheet feeding.

[0004]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the recording paper that is not suitable for recording is discharged out of the apparatus, the hardness and slippage of the paper are different except for the special paper. This causes a so-called crumpled state, causing a problem that paper jam, that is, a paper jam phenomenon frequently occurs. In addition, each time the nonconforming recording paper is returned to the original position in the tray, the user pulls out the tray from the apparatus, removes the bundle of recording paper, and
After removing the lowermost unsuitable recording paper, the recording paper must be set on the tray again, which is extremely complicated. In addition, there is a problem that the next recording paper cannot be fed unless the non-conforming recording paper is removed from the tray, and therefore, the recording unit cannot record.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and it is possible to reliably return a recording sheet that does not conform to the recording sent out to the paper feeding path to an upper portion in a recording paper tray without causing a paper jam. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to be able to arbitrarily remove the returned nonconforming recording paper at an arbitrary time and to immediately feed the next recording paper to the recording unit without any trouble.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer having an automatic paper feed / discharge mechanism, which is provided on a recording paper feeding side of a transport roller for feeding paper to a recording section. Detecting means for detecting the type, shape, setting direction, and end face of the recording paper fed to the recording unit, and a paper return path from the paper supply path from the tray to the transport roller to the upper side of the tray. A path switching means for switching between a paper supply path and a return path in accordance with a paper / return operation, and a path switching means disposed adjacent to the return path and incompatible with a record returned to the return path. And a return roller for returning the recording paper to the upper portion of the tray by rotating the recording paper in the paper return direction. When it is determined that the recording paper fed to the recording unit is not suitable for recording, the detecting means is used. Based on the above signal It switches the paper path Kaekami side to operate the switch means, to reverse the transport roller, and so as to return the recording sheet to Kaekami roller on said Kaekami path.

Further, according to the present invention, a first sensor for detecting a type, a shape, and a setting direction of a recording sheet fed to a recording section is provided on a side of the conveying roller where the recording sheet is carried in. A second sensor is provided for detecting the trailing end of the recording paper fed to the recording unit in the feeding direction. When the first sensor determines that the recording paper fed to the recording unit is not suitable for recording, the second sensor is used. The path switching means is operated based on the detection of the trailing end of the recording paper by the sensor, and the paper path is switched to the return side, and the transport roller is rotated in the reverse direction. It is characterized by having been configured to return to.

[0008]

In the process in which the recording paper sent from the lower end of the tray to the paper feed path is sent to the recording section by the rotation of the conveying roller,
The recording paper is other than special paper, and the type and shape are incorrect.
Alternatively, if the setting direction is incorrect and it is determined by the detecting means that the recording paper is not suitable for recording, the nonconforming recording paper is fed to a predetermined position on the recording unit side by the normal rotation of the transport roller. When the trailing end of the recording paper in the feed direction is detected by the detection means, the signal is received and the path switching means operates to switch the paper path to the return side. At the same time, the transport roller rotates in the reverse direction, and returns the recording paper in the middle of the feed path to the return roller through the return path. The returned nonconforming recording paper is returned to the upper portion of the tray by rotation of the return roller. Therefore, it is possible to reliably return and return the recording paper unsuitable for recording to the upper portion of the tray from the middle of the feeding path without causing a paper jam. Also, recording paper that is not suitable for recording is returned to the top end of the tray, so there is no need to perform the complicated operation of pulling out the tray and removing the non-conforming recording paper each time. Can be removed. Further, since the non-conforming recording paper is returned to the uppermost end in the tray, the next recording paper can be immediately fed to the recording unit without any trouble, and
Can be recorded.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows the main structure of a printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an overall view of the printer. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer housing, and 2 denotes a front panel. The front panel is provided with an operation unit 3, a recording paper tray containing recording paper before hard copy, that is, a paper feed cassette 4, and a paper discharge port 5 for taking out a hard copy. The paper cassette 4 stacks a plurality of recording papers,
It is set and pulled out of the device. Reference numeral 6 denotes a door provided at the attachment / detachment port 61 of the ink ribbon cassette. A window 71 is provided in the ink ribbon cassette 7, and the ink ribbon 8 runs across the window 71.

The paper feed cassette 4 sets a plurality of recording papers before hard copy and is inserted into the apparatus in a drawer shape.
As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, when the paper feed cassette 4 is loaded, the paper feed roller 10 comes into contact with the lowermost recording paper 100 through the opening 41 at the bottom of the cassette 4, and the paper can be fed. Paper feed roller 1
0 is driven to rotate by the DC motor 11, for example.
A paper feed port 42 for feeding the recording paper 100 is formed at the lower end of the paper feed cassette 4 on the paper feed side.

The paper supply / discharge mechanism includes a paper supply path 12 for guiding the recording paper 100 sent out from the paper supply port 42 of the paper supply cassette 4 to the recording unit, and a recording paper hard-copyed by the recording unit. A paper discharge path 13 for discharging the paper 100 is provided.
The two paths 12 and 13 communicate with each other on the entrance side of the recording paper transport rollers 16 and 16. The paper feed / discharge paths 12, 13 are provided with a path switch 14 for switching the two paths 12, 13 to either one. The path switch 14 is
Operated by the drive of the solenoid 15, the two paths 12,
13 is switched to either the paper feed side or the paper discharge side.
When the recording paper 100 is fed, the paper is switched as shown by the solid line in FIG. When the paper is discharged after the hard copy, the paper is switched as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1 and the path is switched to the paper discharge path 13.

The transport rollers 16 are rotated in the forward and reverse directions by the driving of a stepping motor 17. Due to the forward rotation, the sheet feed path 1
2, the recording paper 100 sent out is sandwiched and sent to the recording unit. The first roller is located near the recording paper inlet side of the transport rollers 16 and 16.
Sensors 18 are provided. The first sensor 18 is constituted by a reflection type photoelectric sensor, and
The types 6 and 16 detect the type and shape of the recording paper 100 sent to the recording unit, that is, whether or not the recording paper 100 is dedicated paper and whether or not the setting direction is correct. Further, a second sensor 19 is provided near the paper feed path 12 on the side of the transport rollers 16 and 16. Second sensor 19
Is constituted by, for example, a reflection-type photoelectric sensor. When the recording paper 100 is fed to the recording unit side to a predetermined position by the rotation of the conveyance rollers 16 and 16, the rear end face in the feeding direction is detected. I have.

The paper feed path 12 is provided with a paper return path 20. The paper return path 20 extends from a predetermined portion of the paper feed path 12 on the side of the transport rollers 16 and 16 above the paper feed cassette 4. Further, a paper return roller 21 is disposed on the upper side of the paper supply cassette 4 on the paper supply side. The paper return roller 21 is disposed adjacent to the paper return path 20. Return roller 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes the same driving source as the paper feed roller 10, that is, the motor 11 rotates and drives the paper feed direction. However, the rotation may be performed by a separate drive source. Paper feed path 1
2 and a paper return path 20, a path switch 22 is mounted. The path switch 22 switches between the sheet supply path 12 and the sheet return path 20 by driving the solenoid 23. That is, in the normal paper feeding state, the path is switched to the paper feeding path 12 as shown by a solid line in FIG. 1, and when an unsuitable recording paper is returned, it is shifted to the paper return path 20 as shown by a broken line in FIG. Switch routes.

The recording unit 30 is configured as follows.
The ink ribbon cassette 7 is loaded from the front of the front panel, and is loaded as shown in FIG. In the recording unit 30 of FIG. 1, 31 is a line type printer head,
32 is a platen. At a pair of ends of the window 71 of the ink ribbon cassette 7, bobbins 9, 9 for winding and storing the ink ribbon 8 are provided. When the ink ribbon cassette 7 is mounted in the printer and starts operation, the ink ribbon 8 is pushed down by the rod 33 and becomes like 8 '. The printer head 31 rotates like 31 ',
Recording paper 100 and ink ribbon 8 ′ between platen 32
And abut on the ink ribbon 8 '. After printing is completed, the printer returns to the original state.

The recording paper 100 is a special paper in the form of cut paper, and its surface is coated with a resin so that the ink of the ink ribbon 8 can be easily transferred. Recording paper 1
As shown in FIG. 3, black marks 101 are formed at two locations on both sides, a total of four locations, on the surface of 00. The marks 101 are detected by the first sensor. By detecting the marks 101, the cue of the recording paper 100 at the time of printing is performed. That is, the first sensor 18 has a role of a recording paper cueing sensor. Further, by detecting the ground color (white) on the back surface of the recording paper 100 and the black marks 101,..., It is determined whether the recording paper sent to the recording unit 30 is the designated special paper, and its type and shape are determined. It is determined whether the setting is correct and whether the setting direction is correct.

Next, the operation of the automatic paper feed / discharge device configured as described above will be described.

The recording paper 100 sent out from the paper supply port 42 of the paper supply cassette 4 by the rotation of the paper supply roller 10 is guided to the conveyance rollers 16 through the paper supply path 12. Then, it is sandwiched between the two rollers 16, 16, and is sent to the recording unit 30 side by the forward rotation. In the meantime, the ground white on the back surface of the recording paper 100 and the black of the marks 101... Are detected by the first sensor 18, and whether the currently fed recording paper is the special paper or not is set correctly. Is determined. If it is determined that the recording paper 100 is a regular special paper and the setting direction is correct, that is, it is suitable for recording, the recording paper 100 is moved to the printing position by detecting the marks 101... Of the first sensor 18. It is caught. Then, the recording paper 100 reciprocates a predetermined number of times with respect to the printer head 31 by a constant stroke by the normal rotation and the reverse rotation of the transport rollers 16 and 16. In the course of the reciprocating movement, the yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) inks of the ink ribbon 8 are sequentially transferred to predetermined portions of the recording paper 100. When the printing of the three colors is completed, that is, when the printing of the final cyan (C) ink is completed, the path switching unit 14 is activated at that time, and switches the path from the paper supply path 12 to the paper discharge path 13. . Next, the transport rollers 16, 16
Of recording paper 100 after printing,
3, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge mechanism, and is sequentially stacked and accommodated in a paper discharge cassette 35 arranged in the paper discharge mechanism.

On the other hand, if the first sensor detects that the recording paper 100 'sent out of the paper supply cassette 4 is other than the special paper or that the setting direction is not correct, the recording paper 100'
0 'is determined to be incompatible with the recording. That is, two black marks 1 adjacent to the ground white on the back of the recording paper
01 and 101 are sequentially detected, the conveying rollers 16 and 1 are detected.
6, the rotation speed and rotation speed are uniquely determined. Therefore, by detecting the positions of the ground white and black marks 101, 101 based on the passage time, whether or not the paper is the special paper and the setting direction is correct. Can be determined.

When it is determined that the recording paper 100 'is not suitable for recording, the recording paper 100' is moved toward the recording unit 30 by the forward rotation of the transport rollers 16, 16 to a predetermined position as shown in FIG. Sent in. Then, the rear end face in the feed direction is detected by the second sensor 19. The path switch 22 operates based on the detection signal, and switches the paper supply / discharge path from the paper supply path 12 to the paper return path 20. at the same time,
The transport rollers 16 are rotated in the reverse direction, and the recording paper 100 ′ that does not conform to the recording is returned to the position of the return roller 21 through the return path 20. At this time, the paper return roller 21 is driven to rotate in the paper return direction. Therefore, the recording paper 100 ′ returned to the paper return roller 21 is cut off from the transport rollers 16, and is returned from above the paper feed cassette 4 to the uppermost portion inside the paper feed cassette 4 only by the rotation of the paper return roller 21. You.
Since the nonconforming recording paper 100 ′ is returned to the uppermost portion in the paper feeding cassette 4, the next lowermost recording paper 100 is fed without any trouble by the rotation of the paper feeding roller 10, and fed to the recording unit 30. And print. Also,
The recording paper 100 ′ that is unsuitable for recording is not sent to the inside of the recording section but is returned to the fixed position and is returned through the paper return path 20. Can be returned / returned. The returned nonconforming recording paper 100 'can be arbitrarily removed at any time.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when a recording sheet that does not conform to the recording sent to the paper feeding path is sent to the recording unit to a certain stage, the recording paper passes through the return path. Since the paper is returned / returned to the uppermost portion in the tray, the paper can be reliably returned without causing a paper jam, and the paper jam phenomenon can be reduced. In addition, since the returned nonconforming recording paper is stored at the top of the recording paper tray, the next recording paper at the lowermost end can be sent out of the tray without trouble and fed to the recording unit, and the recording can be performed. Can be.
Furthermore, the uppermost non-conforming recording paper can be arbitrarily removed at any time by pulling out the tray at any time, and does not require complicated labor.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a main structure of an automatic paper feed / discharge device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a color video printer to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the recording paper used in the printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view for explaining the operation of the automatic sheet feeding / discharging device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 4 paper feed cassette (tray) 10 paper feed roller 12 paper feed path 13 paper discharge path 16, 16 transport roller 18 first sensor 19 second sensor 20 paper return path 21 paper return roller 22 path switcher (switching means) 30 recording unit 100,100 'recording paper

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A plurality of recording papers set in a tray are sequentially sent out from a lower end side to a paper supply path by rotation of a paper supply roller, and the sent out recording papers are sent to a recording unit by forward rotation of a conveyance roller. An automatic feeder / discharge device for a printer that discharges a recording sheet after recording onto a sheet discharge path by reversing the conveyance roller, wherein a state of the recording sheet that is disposed on the recording sheet feeding side of the conveyance roller and is fed in; Detecting means for detecting the end face of the paper, and a paper return path from the paper supply path to above the tray, and switches between the paper supply path and the paper return path according to the paper supply / return operation. Path switching means; and a return roller disposed adjacent to the return path and returning the recording paper unsuitable for recording returned to the return path into the tray from above by rotating in a return direction. With When it is determined that the recording sheet fed to the recording unit is not suitable for recording, the path switching unit is operated based on a signal from the detection unit, and the path is switched to the return path side, and the conveyance is performed. An automatic paper feed / discharge device for a printer, characterized in that a roller is rotated in a reverse direction to return a recording sheet unsuitable for recording through the return path. A first sensor for detecting a type, a shape, and a setting direction of the recording paper fed to the recording unit; and a second sensor for detecting a rear end of the recording paper fed in the feeding direction. When it is determined by the first sensor that the fed recording paper is not suitable for recording, the path switching means is operated based on the detection signal of the second sensor, and the path is switched to the return path side. 2. The automatic paper feed / discharge device for a printer according to claim 1, wherein the recording paper is returned through a paper return path while the transport roller is rotated in the reverse direction.