JP2857213B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, and the like.

(Prior art)

Various types of image recording apparatuses such as copying machines and printers are used. For example, as an image forming method, there are a powder phenomenon method, a thermal transfer printing method, an ink jet printing method, and the like.

In the conventional image recording apparatus, the apparatuses of the respective systems are individually manufactured, and if it is desired to use the ink jet printing system and the thermal transfer printing system, at least two printers must be prepared. Further, when there is a printer for black and white and color printing is required, a printer for color printing must be additionally prepared or replaced with a device that can be used for black and white and color. Therefore, a lot of expense is required for the user, and there is a problem that a maker has to manufacture many devices.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an image recording apparatus which solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and makes it possible to configure various types of image recording apparatuses with a small cost and a small space by using common components. That is the task.

[Means for solving the problem]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described problems by providing at least an electric control circuit device in a single case, a base unit in which a sheet feeding cassette is detachable, and a component member for forming an image based on an image signal in one case. And a transport unit that transports the recording paper in a single case. At least one image forming unit is overlapped and fixed on the base unit, and the image forming unit is formed on the base unit. The problem has been solved by the image recording apparatus, wherein the transport unit is arranged so as to bridge the image unit, and a heating element is provided on a transport belt in the transport unit.

[Action]

According to the present invention, a plurality of image forming units each formed by individually storing image forming components for forming an image of a predetermined color are stacked on a base unit storing a control device and a drive mechanism including a motor. A transport unit is arranged beside the base unit and the image forming unit so as to bridge between the base unit and the image forming unit and between the image forming units, and the recording paper is arranged substantially linearly from the base unit to the uppermost image forming unit. Is transported by the transport unit, and during this time, an image is formed on the recording paper by each image forming unit. A heating element is provided on a transport belt that transports the recording paper to keep the temperature of the recording paper constant and improve image quality. Since the recording paper is conveyed by suction to the conveyance belt, image color misregistration in each image forming unit can be prevented.

According to the present invention, all image forming units can be appropriately driven by superimposing and assembling a plurality of image forming units on one base unit, and a plurality of image forming units can be driven and controlled by one control device and a driving device. It became possible to do. Therefore, according to the present invention, for a plurality of types of image forming apparatuses,
The control device, the motor, and the drive device can be shared as one unit, and the number of parts and the required space can be reduced.

Embodiment Details of the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus has a base unit 1 and an image forming unit 2, and a plurality of image forming units 2 are stacked on the base unit 1. The base unit 1 is formed so that a paper feed cassette 3 containing a plurality of recording papers such as plain paper and special paper is detachable. The portion where the sheet cassette is mounted may be formed as a single unit separate from the base unit.

The base unit 1 has a case 11 provided with a paper feed port 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and the case 11 includes an image processing system including an electric control device, for example, a CPU, an interface, a signal memory, and the like, and an image forming system. A substrate 13 and a drive motor 14 constituting a drive system circuit for moving a system in the unit, and a mechanical drive device 15 for transmitting the drive force of the drive motor 14 to the image forming unit 2 are stored.

The mechanical drive device 15 is provided with a transmission member mounted on the drive shaft 15a, for example, a bevel gear 16a, and the bevel gear 16a is provided in an image forming unit mounted on the base unit 1, for example, a bevel gear. Meet 17

The bevel gear 17 is supported on the transmission shaft 18 in the image forming unit,
From the transmission shaft 18, a combination of a worm 19a, a worm gear 19b and other mechanisms and a transmission O of a clutch or a solenoid 19c, etc.
It is transmitted to each rotating body such as a roller via an acceleration / deceleration mechanism 19 including an N / OFF mechanism.

In each image forming unit 2 as well, as in the base unit 1,
A shaft 15b that can be connected to the drive shaft 15a and a bevel gear 16b attached to the shaft 15b are provided for transmitting the drive to the image forming unit mounted thereon.

The above example is an example, and any structure can be used as long as the structure allows drive transmission from one unit to another unit.

When the image forming method is the thermal transfer method, for example, a first image forming unit 2 ′ shown in FIG. 3 can be used as the image forming unit 2.

The first image forming unit 2 'has a case 31 provided with a paper feed port 32 and a paper discharge port 33.

A substantially straight paper path from the paper feed port 32 to the paper output port 33
A printing position is provided by a thermal head 34 capable of line printing and a back roller 35 facing the thermal head 34. The ink ribbon 36 is arranged so as to be able to move between the recording paper to be passed and the thermal head 34 in the same direction as the recording paper. The ribbon 36 is fed from the supply roll 37, the printing position is guided by the first deflecting roller 38 and the second deflecting roller 39, and is guided to the take-up roll 41 by the third deflecting roller 40.

The thermal head 34, the back roller 35, the supply roll 37, and the take-up roll 41 are arranged such that their respective axes are substantially in the same plane, and the case 31 can be formed flat.

In case 31, feed roller pair 4
2, 43 are arranged.

A switching claw 44 can be provided for switching between the case where the recording paper discharged from the paper discharge port 44 is directed to the discharge tray concave portion 31a provided in the case 31 and the case where the recording paper is discharged to the left in the drawing. . By inclining the switching claw 44 rightward or leftward, the paper discharge direction can be switched. The switching claw 44 is used for turning the recording paper toward the paper feed port of the image forming unit arranged above.
It is possible to provide a configuration for moving the center of rotation of.

One image forming apparatus can be formed by the base unit 1 and the first image forming unit 2 '.

When it is desired to switch between a black image and a single-color image for use or to form a multi-color image, a plurality of image forming units 2 'on which ink ribbons of different colors are arranged are stacked.
The demand can be met by arranging a black ink ribbon in the first place, another color ink ribbon in the other, or yellow, magenta and cyan ink ribbons respectively.

In FIG. 1, a first image forming unit 2 'is used for image formation.
The recording paper 20 fed from the paper feed cassette 3 in the base unit 1 disposed below the paper feed roller 3a is fed from the paper feed inlet 32 of the first image forming unit 2 ', and the thermal head 34 Transfer printing is performed, and the paper is discharged from the paper discharge port 33.
In the case of one image forming unit 2 ', the recording paper to be discharged is immediately stored in the tray 31a, and when two or more image forming units 2' are stacked, the recording paper is passed to the uppermost image forming unit. The paper is ejected. When a plurality of image forming units 2 'are used in an overlapping manner, it is necessary to operate one image forming unit 2' according to a desired color to form an image and not to form an image in another image forming unit 2 '. . For this purpose, a thermal head 34 or a rear roller 35 as a heating roller is used.
It is preferable that one or both of them move to release the press-contact state, so that transfer is not performed.

The thermal head 34 is formed so as to be movable between a printing position where printing is performed by pressing the recording paper against the rear roller 35 as indicated by an arrow and a standby position where the recording paper is separated from the rear roller 35.

A plurality of first image forming units 2 'each having an ink ribbon of a desired color arranged as the ink ribbon 54 for color image formation are arranged, and color switching printing becomes possible.

As opposed to the structure in which the recording paper passes through the inside of the imaging unit case as in the imaging unit 2 'in FIG. 3, the means for transporting the recording paper can be configured as another unit.

In FIG. 4, as a modification of FIG. 3, a paper feed port 32 for recording paper conveyance, a paper discharge port 33, and a paper feed port 33 are provided on a base unit 1 having a paper feed cassette 3 formed in the same manner as in FIGS. The second image forming unit 2 ″ excluding the back roller 35 is overlapped,
The base unit 1 and the second image forming unit 2 "are mounted beside the base unit 1 and the second image forming unit 2", and the transport unit 4 is mounted so as to bridge between the second image forming unit cases 2 ".

The image forming unit 2 ″ is provided as a tray for discharging recording paper after image formation by the image forming unit 2 ″ in the transport unit 4.
An upper paper discharge tray 4a for discharging the paper upward and a horizontal paper discharge tray 46 for discharging horizontally are fixed or integrally formed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transport unit 4 has a case 51 attached to the base 1 so as to be position-adjustable.

A drive roller 52 and a driven roller 53 are rotatably supported by the case 51, and the drive roller 52 is driven by a drive motor (not shown) disposed in the case. A transport belt 54 is wound around the driving roller 52 and the driven roller 53.

When a voltage is applied to the transport belt 54 when passing between the driven roller 53 and the potential forming roller 55, a potential (+) (−) is formed in a shape suitable for sucking the recording paper, such as a striped or checkered pattern. You. A voltage is applied to the potential forming roller 55 by a potential forming power supply 56.

If the transport belt 54 sags or bends when transporting the recording paper, the image forming position shifts between the image forming units, causing a color shift. The transport belt 54 is guided by the guide rollers 57 so that the transport belt 54 does not sag or bend. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide roller 57
The position is set so as to serve as a substitute for the back roller 35 disposed opposite to the thermal head 34. Therefore the third
In the case of the thermal transfer method shown in the figure, a material having high rubber hardness is used for the guide roller 57.

The recording paper 20 fed from the paper feed cassette 3 by the paper feed roller 3a is electrostatically attracted to the transport belt 54, and is transported upward through the image forming units 2 'while being superimposed by the thermal heads 34. Transcribed. Recording paper after transfer
Thus, the sheet is separated from the transport belt 54 and discharged to the upper discharge tray 4a or the horizontal discharge tray 4b fixed or integrally formed with the case 51 according to the switching position of the switching claw 59. The upper part of the switching claw 59 is covered by the upper cover 60.

When the recording paper 20 is transported by the transport belt 54, instead of the above-mentioned electrostatic adsorption method, a method of providing a clamping means on the transport belt and clamping the leading end of the recording paper to transport the recording paper, or providing a vacuum device to transport the recording paper It is also possible to use a method of transporting while sucking toward the belt.

An ink jet recording head may be arranged in place of the thermal head 34 shown in FIG.

In many cases, it is preferable to keep the temperature of the recording paper constant in a thermal transfer method, an ink-jet method, and other suitable recording methods.

In the ink-jet system, by keeping the temperature of the recording paper constant, the degree of ink bleeding can be kept within a certain range, and the printing quality can be maintained. This degree is in the range of 25 ° C. to 50 ° C., depending on the characteristics of the ink.
Is preferably controlled.

A heating element can be built in the guide roller 57 for temperature control, or a flexible sheet heating element can be used for the transport belt 54.

It is convenient to use a self-temperature control heating element having a positive characteristic effect in which the resistance value increases with increasing temperature as the heating element and the sheet heating element.

As shown in FIG. 7, the insulating film 54a, the first conductive layer 54b, and the heating element 54 are viewed from the side where the conveyor belt 54 faces the recording paper.
c, a second conductive layer 54d is formed as a laminated body, and a potential forming roller 55 contacts the insulator film 54a, and a voltage is applied to the surface of the insulator film 54a and the first conductive layer 54b by a potential forming power source 56. A heating element having positive characteristics is heated by applying a voltage from the heating element power supply 61 between the first conductive layer 54b and the second conductive layer 54d to form an adsorption potential. Heating element
Since 54c has a positive characteristic, when the temperature rises, the resistance rises and the energization is turned off, so that there is no need to provide a special control unit, which is convenient.

Electrophotographic method, thermal method,
Although there is a wire dot method or the like, any of these methods can be stored in a case in a manner similar to each of the above examples to form one image forming unit. Here, the description with reference to the drawings is omitted.

Each image forming unit can store a cooling fan, a detecting device and a circuit for favorably performing image forming, a solenoid, a small motor, and the like, as necessary, in addition to the above-described constituent members.

〔effect〕

According to the present invention, an image forming unit can be combined with a common base unit to form one image forming apparatus, and production costs can be reduced by using a common unit.

According to the present invention, a plurality of image forming units can be superposed and assembled on one base unit, and a plurality of image forming units can be switched and formed by one base unit. Thus, a color image can be formed without causing the problem, and a high-quality and high-quality image can be obtained.

According to the present invention, the recording paper can be conveyed while being maintained at a constant temperature, and in the case of the ink jet system, the dot diameter printed by each image forming unit can be kept constant, and a high-quality and stable image can be obtained.

It has become possible to control the temperature of the heating element without requiring external temperature control.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an entire image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a base unit, FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of an image forming unit, FIG. Fifth
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the transport unit, FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the image forming unit and the transport unit in the example of FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a transport belt sectional view. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Base unit 2 ... Image forming unit 3 ... Paper feed cassette 4 ... Transport unit 54 ... Transport belt

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 29/00 B41J 13/00 B41J 13/08

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A product comprising at least an electric control circuit device housed in one case, a base unit in which a paper feed cassette is detachable, and a component member for forming an image based on an image signal in one case. An image unit, and a transport unit in which a transport belt device for transporting recording paper is stored in one case, at least one image forming unit is overlapped and fixed on the base unit, and the base and the image forming unit are fixed to each other. An image recording apparatus, wherein the transport unit is arranged so as to be cross-linked, and a heating element is provided on a transport belt in the transport unit. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transport belt has a flexible sheet heating element. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said planar heating element has a positive characteristic effect and is a heating element capable of self-temperature control. 4. The transport unit according to claim 1, wherein a motor for driving the transport belt is built in the transport unit case.
4. The image recording apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3,