JP2966967B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been conveyed to the recording position
Ink jet recording with ink ejection ports on sheet material
Inkjet recording for inkjet recording using a head
And a recording device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a printer for inputting recording data from an external device such as a host computer and recording it on a recording medium such as recording paper, for example, a wire dot printer, a laser beam printer, an ink jet printer and the like are known. Among these, in recent years, small-sized inkjet printers have been commercialized as inkjet printers, and are rapidly spreading because of being able to record on plain paper, being quiet and inexpensive.

However, such an ink-jet printer is capable of setting and recording plain paper (cut paper) of, for example, A3 or A4 size, although the mechanism for forming an image is small. However, the size of the printer itself has become large. On the other hand, if roll paper having a width of A3 size is used instead of cut paper, 200 or more A3-size images can be recorded on roll paper having a diameter of 70 mm. In this case, the size of the entire printer is almost the same in the width direction of the recording paper, but is approximately 350 mm in the longitudinal direction of the recording paper as shown in FIG.
Can also be shortened. As a result, the size of the entire printer in the longitudinal direction can be reduced to about half or less as compared with the cassette type using cut paper.

[0004]

However, when roll paper is used, there are problems in how to load the roll paper and curl due to the roll habit of the roll paper. The former problem can be solved by preparing a cartridge for storing roll paper and adopting a configuration in which the cartridge can be easily attached to and detached from the printer body. However, the latter had not been resolved.

[0005] In general, in the ink jet system, ink is impregnated into the recording paper, so that in the recorded recording paper, the internal stress on the surface on which the recording is performed is released, and the curl has no relation to the roll habit. Here, the internal stress on the recording paper surface is generated based on a process for making the paper surface smooth when producing the paper. That is, for example, by rolling the recording paper and adding a small amount of chemicals to increase the tension between the fibers of the paper close to the surface of the recording paper, the processing is performed so that the paper keeps a flat state without curling. Have been. Therefore, when the liquid permeates therewith in the recording by the ink jet method, the balance of the tension between the fibers of the paper is lost and the curl occurs.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and comprises a first sheet material and a second sheet material wound in a roll shape.
And recording using the second sheet material
Check that the second sheet material is not jammed in the conveyance path.
A sheet that can be actually conveyed to the recording position and that has been recorded so as to cancel the roll habit of each roll of sheet material.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus in which curling of a material is prevented .

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention has the following arrangement. That is, a first sheet material holding unit for holding a first sheet material wound in a roll shape, a second sheet material holding unit for holding a second sheet material wound in a roll shape, Using an ink jet recording head having a discharge port for discharging ink downward, ink jet is applied to the roll-shaped outer peripheral surface of each of the first sheet material and the second sheet material disposed at a position facing the discharge port. A recording position where recording is performed, and a first position disposed downstream of the first sheet material holding unit in the sheet material transport direction in order to transport the first sheet material or the second sheet material to the recording position. A roller member, a first conveyance path for conveying the first sheet material from the first sheet material holding section to the first roller member, and a first conveyance path from the second sheet material holding section to the first roller member. For transporting two sheet materials A second conveyance path, and a first insertion port arranged at an end of the first conveyance path to guide the first sheet material from the first sheet material holding unit to the first conveyance path, From the second sheet material holding section, the second
In order to guide the second sheet material to a conveying path, the second
A second insertion port disposed at an end of a transport path, and a second roller configured to transport the second sheet material from the second sheet material holding unit to the first roller member through the second transport path. And a member, wherein the recording position, the first sheet material holding unit, and the second sheet material holding unit are arranged in the horizontal direction in this order, wherein the second insertion port is provided with the first sheet material. The second conveyance path is disposed on the upstream side of the sheet material holding unit in the second sheet material conveyance direction, and the second conveyance path is configured to protrude upward from the second insertion port to above the first sheet material holding unit. An upper sheet material guide portion and a lower sheet material guide portion that reach the vicinity of a roller member, wherein the second sheet material is formed such that the second transport path is directed from the second insertion port through the second insertion port with the roll-shaped outer peripheral surface facing upward. It is transported to the vicinity of one roller member.

[0008]

In the above construction, the second sheet material holding portion for holding the second sheet material wound in a roll shape is
A second sheet material for conveying the second sheet material to a first roller member disposed downstream of the first sheet material holding unit in the sheet material conveyance direction in order to convey the first sheet material or the second sheet material to the recording position; The conveying path is located near the first roller member from the second insertion port arranged on the upstream side of the first sheet material holding unit in the second sheet material conveying direction, via the upwardly convex shape above the first sheet material holding unit. An upper sheet material guide and a lower sheet material guide are provided, and the second sheet material is conveyed from the second insertion port to the vicinity of the first roller member with the second conveyance path facing upward in a roll shape. .

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the schematic arrangement of an ink jet printer according to the present embodiment. In this ink jet printer, two roll paper cartridges are inserted from different insertion ports 51 and 52, respectively, and loaded. The recording paper can be conveyed from the cartridge to the recording section by the recording head 205 for recording.

Reference numeral 207 denotes a carriage, and the recording head 205
Is mounted on the recording paper while moving along the guide shaft 208. 216 is a carriage 207
The roller 216 is provided on the carriage 20.
By pressing the sheet pressing portion 211 during the movement of the recording paper 7, the floating of the recording paper is prevented. 217, a recording paper sensor for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper;
02, 203 and 204 are rollers for conveying the recording paper. A paper feed sensor 13 detects whether or not the recording paper from the roll paper cartridge has reached the position of the sensor 13. Reference numeral 4 denotes a recording paper feed roller, and reference numerals 5 and 6 denote pinch rollers. The recording paper is drawn out of the cartridge and conveyed between the paper feed roller 4 and the pinch rollers 5 and 6. Hereinafter, the configurations of these units will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Roll Paper Cartridge Configuration> FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a recording paper roll 1 having a size width and a roll paper cartridge 2 for accommodating the recording paper roll 1. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the roll paper cartridge 2 containing the recording paper roll 1. 4 is a roll paper cartridge 2
Is a front cross-sectional view when cut at the center of the recording paper roll 1.

In FIG. 2, 2a is a cover on the roll paper cartridge 2, 2b is a paper width guide for regulating the position of the recording paper roll 1 in the axial direction, and 2c is a rotating shaft 3 of the recording paper roll 1 mounted thereon. The rotating U-shaped groove 2d is a recording paper transport window for pulling out the recording paper 1a from the recording paper roll 1 to the outside of the cartridge and transporting it. 2e is a roller window,
A paper feed roller 4 (FIGS. 1, 5, and 6) attached to the recording main body device is inserted through the roll window 2e, and the recording paper 1a is sandwiched by the cooperation of the pinch rollers 5 and 6 to rotate. Thus, the recording paper 1a can be conveyed from the cartridge 2 toward the recording section. 2f (FIG. 4) is a lock groove for hooking a lock arm provided in the main body device, 2g.
(FIG. 3) is a leaf spring for preventing the recording paper roll 1 from sagging, and 2i is a paper dust tray for collecting paper dust generated with the conveyance of the recording paper 1a. 2k is a magnet catcher for locking the upper cover 2a, and 2m is an upper cover 2
A metal piece 3 for locking a is a roll rotating shaft integrally formed with the recording paper roll 1, and 3a is a rubber made of rubber having a high coefficient of friction provided for transmitting power to the roll rotating shaft 3 from outside. A power transmission member 16 is a brake pad for suppressing rotation of the pinch rollers 5 and 6.

When the recording paper roll 1 is loaded into the cartridge 2, the rotating shaft 3 is inserted into the U-shaped groove 2c while both ends of the recording paper roll 1 are along the paper width guide 2b in the roll paper cartridge 2. . Then, the upper cover 2a is closed with the leading end of the recording paper 1a pulled out so as not to protrude from the housing of the cartridge 2. As a result, the recording paper 1a is sandwiched between the leaf spring 2g and the pinch roller 5 attached to the upper cover 2a. Thus, the recording paper 1a is fixed so that the recording paper roll 1 does not slack. Further, the upper cover 2a is locked by the action of the magnet catcher 2k and the metal piece 2m provided inside the roll paper cartridge 2.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the roll paper cartridge 2 is mounted on the main unit, and FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the roll paper cartridge 2 is pushed down to the stopper 31 and the mounting is completed.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 4a denotes a position where the paper feed roller 4 is pushed up when the cartridge 2 is inserted,
Reference numeral 4b denotes a position where the paper feed roller 4 is pushed down to convey the recording paper 1a. In response, the position of the transport pulley 15 also moves up and down as indicated by 15a and 15b.

When the roll paper cartridge 2 is pushed down to the stopper 31 of the main body, the roll paper cartridge 2 is locked by a lock mechanism provided inside the main body. This locking mechanism is shown in detail in FIG.

In FIG. 7, a lock arm 24 for locking the roll paper cartridge 2, a spring 25 and a plunger 26 for controlling the lock arm 24, and a pushing spring for pushing the roll paper cartridge 2 outward when the lock is released. 27 and lock arm 24
And a lock arm position sensor 28 for detecting the position of the lock arm.

When the roll paper cartridge 2 enters the insertion slot, the lock arm 24 is pushed down, and the lock arm position sensor 28 is turned on. When the roll paper cartridge 2 is further pushed down to the stopper 31 in this state, the lock arm 24 enters the lock groove 2 f provided on the lower surface of the cartridge 2. As a result, the lock arm 24 is pushed up by the action of the spring 25, and the signal of the lock arm position sensor 28 changes from on to off. Accordingly, the control unit 1001 (described later with reference to FIG. 14) can know whether the roll paper cartridge 2 is set at a predetermined position of the main body device by turning on / off the signal of the position sensor 28. At this time, the paper size of the recording paper roll 1 of the cartridge 2 can be detected based on a signal from the size detection sensor 108 (FIG. 14).

Next, when pulling out the roll paper cartridge 2 from the main unit, the plunger 26 is turned on and the lock arm 24 is pushed down, whereby the lock of the cartridge 2 is released. 2 is pushed out of the main body by the action of the pushing spring 27.

When the power of the main unit is off, the lock arm 24 is kept engaged in the lock groove 2f of the roll paper cartridge 2 by the spring 25.
The cartridge 2 cannot be detached and removed. <Roll-paper unloading / rewinding mechanism> Next, a description will be given of a mechanism of a drive system used for conveying the recording paper 1a from the recording paper roll 1 and rewinding the recording paper roll 1.

The conveyance of the recording paper 1a of this embodiment and the recording paper 1
The rewinding mechanism a includes one feeding motor 19 and several gear trains as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the recording paper 1a is wound around the roll 1 by the forward rotation of the feeding motor 19. The recording paper 1a is returned by the
Has been transported.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the roll paper cartridge 2 is pushed to the position of the stopper 31, two types of driving systems are connected to the feed motor 19. That is, the first drive system is a drive system for rewinding the recording paper 1a to the roll 1.

When the roll paper cartridge 2 is pushed to the position of the stopper 31, the power transmission member 3a (made of rubber) of the rotating shaft 3 of the roll 1 comes into contact with the resin-made drive supply member 21a. Here, the rotation center of the power transmission member 3a and the rotation center of the drive supply member 21a are configured to coincide with each other. When the drive supply member 21a is rotated by the rotation of the feed motor 19, the power transmission contacting the drive supply member 21a is performed. The material 3a also rotates. However, the contact pressure between them is not very strong. For this reason, when the load resistance of the power transmission member 3a increases due to some force acting reversely on the unwinding of the recording paper roll 1, the rotational force cannot be transmitted by the frictional force between them, and the slip is generated. Occurs. in this case,
The power transmission member 3a made of rubber is provided with a drive supply material 21a made of resin.
The power transmission material 3a is a replacement part integrated with the recording paper roll 1 and the amount of the power transmission material 3a is considered to be small. It seems that there is no particular problem because it is durable. In addition, shavings generated by this shaving,
The roll paper cartridge 2 is stored in a space 2h provided at a corner.

The driving force for rewinding the recording paper 1a to the recording paper roll 1 is a feeding motor 19 (stepping motor).
Is transmitted from the motor gear 20 (number of teeth Z20) press-fitted to the rotary shaft of the one-way bearing 21 to the large gear (number of teeth Z21b) of the one-way bearing 21, and its power is rotated by the friction between the drive supply material 21a and the power transmission material 3a. It is transmitted to the shaft 3.

The one-way bearing is a bearing which rotates in one direction but does not rotate in the other direction, and its structure is shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a view of the one-way bearing 21 viewed from the feed motor 19 side.

As shown in FIG. 9, this one-way bearing is
An outer ring 21b having a large gear 21b, and a driving supply material 2
Inner ring 21a with 1a and four needles 21
c. As can be seen from this figure, the inner ring 21a tries to rotate in the counterclockwise direction (or
The outer ring 21b is about to rotate clockwise) and the needle 21c is in a narrow space 21 provided on the inner surface of the outer ring 21b.
Since the inner ring 21a and the outer ring 21b cannot be rotated only by the inner ring 21a (or the outer ring 21b), the inner ring 21a and the outer ring 21b rotate integrally. In contrast, the inner ring 21a tries to rotate clockwise (or
The outer ring 21b tries to rotate in the counterclockwise direction)
The needle 21c has a large space 21e on the inner surface of the outer ring 21b.
, The inner ring 21a (or the outer ring 2).
1b) alone, and the power of the inner ring 21a is
Can not be transmitted to

When the motor gear 20 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the feed motor 19, the outer ring 21b of the one-way bearing 21 rotates clockwise. As described above, when the outer ring 21b rotates in the clockwise direction, the one-way bearing 21 is configured to integrally transmit the rotational driving force, so that the drive supply material 21a of the inner ring rotates in the clockwise direction. . Thereby, the clockwise rotation force is transmitted from the drive supply member 21a to the power transmission member 3a at the end of the rotation shaft. Thus, the recording paper 1a is wound up on the recording paper roll 1. At this time, the recording paper roll 1
1 = (Z20) / (Z20b) × (n20) Here, n1 is the number of revolutions (winding speed) of the recording paper roll 1, and n20 is the number of revolutions of the motor gear 20. At this time, since the paper feed roller 4 is separated from the pinch rollers 5 and 6 under the control of the control unit 1001, the driving force of the paper feed roller 4 is not transmitted to the recording paper roll 1 and the recording paper roll 1 is released. In state. Therefore, the recording paper roll 1 can wind the recording paper 1a around the recording paper roll 1 with a force close to no load.

The second drive system is a drive system for pulling out the recording paper 1a from the roll paper cartridge 2 and conveying it.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a mechanism for moving the sheet feeding roller 4 up and down as shown in FIGS. Reference numeral 30 denotes a plunger, which is moved by the instruction of the control unit 1001 described later to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG.
, Or the paper feed roller 4 can be lowered to the position where the recording paper 1a is conveyed as indicated by the dotted line. Reference numeral 29 denotes a spring, which applies tension in a direction in which the paper feed roller 4 is separated from the pinch rollers 5 and 6.

The driving force for transporting the recording paper 1a is transmitted from the motor gear 20 to the transport pulley 15 directly connected to the paper feed roller 4 via the timing belt 22 as shown in FIG. The transport pulley 15 is a pulley for the timing belt 22 having the number of teeth Z15, and the timing belt 22 is wound around a part of the motor gear 20 having the number of teeth Z20.

When the motor gear 20 is rotated clockwise by the feed motor 19 when viewed from the feed motor 19 side, the transport pulley 15 is also rotated clockwise.
At this time, the paper feed roller 4 is lowered by the plunger 30. Accordingly, at this time, if the recording paper 1a is held between the paper feed roller 4 and the pinch rollers 5, 6, the rotation of the paper feed roller 4 pulls out the recording paper 1a from the cartridge 1 and conveys it. Become. Here, since the rubber hardness of the paper feed roller 4 is higher than the rubber hardness of the pinch rollers 5 and 6, the outer peripheral shape of the pinch rollers 5 and 6 is deformed along the outer peripheral shape of the paper feed roller 4. Will be. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The paper is conveyed along the outer circumference of the paper feed roller 4 which is almost circular.

At this time, since the pinch rollers 5 and 6 are suppressed in rotational force by the brake pad 16 shown in FIG.
The curl of the recording paper 1a sandwiched between the paper feed roller 4 and the pinch rollers 5, 6 is removed by friction with each roller. The paper dust generated by the curl removal is stored in a paper dust receiver 2i provided below the roll paper cartridge 2. Due to this decurling, static electricity is generated in the recording paper 1a, the paper feed roller 4, and the pinch rollers 5, 6 to charge them.
Therefore, in order to remove this, the roll paper cartridge 2 is formed of a conductive resin or the like, and a conductive rubber material is used for the paper feed roller 4 and the pinch rollers 5 and 6. Further, inside the main body device, a static elimination spring is provided at a position in contact with the cartridge 2, and a static elimination brush is provided on a conveyance path of the recording paper 1a. Thus, when the cartridge 2 is mounted on the main body, the static elimination spring contacts the surface of the cartridge 2, so that the static electricity accumulated on the recording paper 1 a, the paper feed rollers 4, the pinch rollers 5, 6, etc. And the like.

When the motor gear 20 rotates at the rotation speed n20, the transport roller 15 rotates at a rotation speed of n15 = (Z20) / (Z15) × n20.

Since the transport speed of the recording paper 1a on the paper feeding roller 4 is equal to the peripheral speed of the paper feeding roller 4, the recording paper 1a
Is transported at a speed of v4 = 2π × (r4) × (n15). Here, r4 represents the radius of the paper feed roller 4.

The rotation of the feed roller 4 causes the recording paper 1 to rotate.
a is conveyed at the speed v4, and the recording paper roll 1 rotates correspondingly to supply the recording paper 1a. At this time, the rotating shaft 3 of the recording paper roll 1 is rotated by n3 = (v4) / (2π × r1). Here, n3 is the rotation axis 3 of the roll 1.
, R1 is the roll radius of the recording paper roll 1.
Since the drive supply material 21a of the one-way bearing 21 is directly connected to the roll paper rotation shaft 3, it rotates at n21a = n3. Rearranging the above equation gives:

N21a = (r4 / r1) × (Z20 / Z15) × n20 Further, the outer ring gear 20b of the one-way bearing 21 is driven by the rotation of the motor gear 20 so that n21b = (Z20) / (Z21b) × (n20) It rotates at the rotation speed.

That is, when the feeding motor 19 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction to convey the recording paper 1a, the driving supply material 21a, which is the inner ring of the one-way bearing 21, is driven by the recording paper 1a.
A rotation force is received by the conveyance of a. Further, the outer ring gear 21 b of the one-way bearing 21 receives the rotational force directly from the motor gear 20. Even in such a case, in order to prevent the one-way bearing 21 from being burdened, it is sufficient to satisfy n21b> n21a. That is, the outer ring gear 21b only needs to rotate faster than the inner ring gear 21a. In this embodiment, the number of teeth of each gear and the radius of the paper feed roller 4 are set as Z20 = 20, Z21b = Z15 = 50, and r4 = 8. That is, the core diameter r1 of the recording paper roll 1 may be set to 8 mm or more. In the present embodiment, since the core diameter is set to 20 mm, there is no burden on the one-way bearing 21.

As described above, when the feeding motor 19 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from the motor side, the paper feed roller 4 is lifted upward to release the recording paper 1a, thereby enabling recording. The paper 1a can be rewound on the recording paper roll 1. When the paper feed motor 19 is rotated clockwise in a state where the paper feed roller 4 is lowered and the recording paper roll 1 is held between the pinch rollers 5 and 6, the recording paper 1 a is rolled into the roll paper cartridge 2. Can be pulled out and transported.

In this embodiment, the recording paper 1a is pulled out and conveyed from the recording paper roll 1 or rewound to the roll 1 by the forward and reverse rotations of one motor. May be used.

Up to this point, an A4 size recording paper roll 1
The mechanism for transporting and rewinding the recording paper 1a from the roll 1 has been described with regard to the cartridge 2 and its dedicated cartridge 2. In this embodiment, in addition to the A4 size roll paper cartridge 2, for example, B5, B4, and A3 size roll paper cartridges 2 can be used, and two types of cartridges 2 can be set at the same time. The cartridge 2 shown in this example is A3 size. The main unit is provided with the same mechanism as the lock mechanism and the roll paper rewinding / transporting mechanism described above.
Has a pair.

The printer is provided with a size detection sensor 108 (FIG. 14) for detecting the size of the inserted roll paper cartridge. The size of the recording paper can be known by the control unit 1001 shown in FIG. In this configuration, a size member (not shown) for size detection is provided outside the roll paper cartridge 2 according to the size of each roll 1, and the size of the recording paper of the cartridge is detected by detecting this member. Can be detected.

<Structure of Recording Unit (FIG. 11)> FIG. 11 is an external perspective view showing the structure of the recording unit. In this printer, the recording paper 1a is fed by the feed roller 4 or the conveying means 200.
And a recording head 205 records a predetermined image.

The conveying means 200 includes a conveying roller pair 2
01, 202 and a pair of paper discharge rollers 203, 204. The paper feed motor 109 (FIG. 14) rotates the transport roller 201 and the paper discharge roller 203 to transport the recording paper 1a in the direction of arrow Y. Have been.

The pair of paper discharge rollers 203 and 204 transmit a rotational force via a slip clutch (not shown) to the conveyed recording paper 1a (in this embodiment, the recording paper pulled out from the recording paper roll 1). It is configured so as to give an appropriate tension. The recording means is configured such that an ink jet type recording head 205 and a platen 206 are arranged to face each other, and the recording head 205 is
It is installed in. The carriage 207 is transported and driven by the carriage motor 104 (FIG. 14) and its drive transmission system, and reciprocates in the directions of arrows S and T along the guide shaft 208. During this movement, a predetermined image is recorded on the recording paper 1a by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head 205 according to the image signal. A home position sensor 209 for detecting the home position of the carriage 207 is provided. The sheet pressing means 210 includes a plate-shaped pressing member 211 and arms 212 formed at both ends thereof. The arm 212 is rotatably attached to a rotation shaft 213 of the transport roller 202. .

In the ink jet recording system as in this embodiment, the surface of the recording head 205 where the ink discharge ports are formed and the recording paper 1
The distance between the recording member 1a and the recording surface is relatively small, and the distance between the recording sheet 1a and the discharge port forming surface must be strictly controlled in order to avoid contact.
Is effective. The holding member 211 is made of 0.3 mm stainless steel and has a window in the recording area. The tension spring 21 is attached to the arm 212.
4 is attached, and the pressing member 211 is the recording paper 1a.
It is urged in the direction away from. A gentle slope 215 is provided at the end of the holding member 211 (at the home position of the carriage 207).
07, a rotatable roller 216 is provided below.

With such a configuration, the carriage 20
As the sheet 7 moves in the directions of the arrows S and T, the sheet pressing member 211 comes into contact with or separates from the recording paper 1a. That is, when the carriage 207 is at the home position, the pressing member 21 is biased by the spring 214.
1 is separated from the recording paper 1a, and the carriage 207 is
Moves in the direction of arrow S, the roller 216
5, the sheet pressing member 211 is rotated in the direction of arrow V, and the weight of the carriage 207 causes the pressing member 211 to rotate.
Move while pressing on the recording paper 1a. When the carriage 207 returns to the home position and the roller 216 comes off the gentle slope 215, the pressing member 211 again moves the recording paper 1
Separate from a. The above is the configuration of the recording unit.

Next, the transport and recording operation of the recording paper 1a will be described with reference to FIG. Insertion port 51 of main unit
When the roll paper cartridge 2 is set (FIG. 1), the control unit 1001 moves the paper feed roller 4 lifted by the spring 29 downward by the plunger 30, and moves the recording paper 1a to the paper feed roller pair 4, 5, 5. Hold it with 6. In this state, by rotating the feed motor 19 clockwise as described above, the recording paper 1a is fed from the cartridge 2 into the transport path. At this time, the recording paper 1
a is conveyed while skew is corrected by a paper width guide 2 b (FIG. 2) in the cartridge 2. The control unit 1001
When the paper feed sensor 13 detects the leading edge of the paper, the paper feed motor 109 (FIG. 14) is driven to rotate, and the pair of transport rollers 201,
Rotate 202. The recording paper 1a has a pair of conveying rollers 20.
It is pinched by the nip of 1,202 and further transported,
Since the transport speed of the transport roller pairs 201 and 202 is higher than the speed of the feed roller pairs 4, 5, and 6, and the nip pressure is sufficiently large, the paper is sent to the above-described recording unit at the transport speed of the transport roller 201.

When the registration sensor 217 disposed downstream of the transport roller 201 detects the leading edge of the paper, the control unit 1001 drives the paper feed motor 109 until the leading edge of the recording paper 1a reaches the point W of the recording unit. Stops when it reaches the W position. The stop position is 2 mm ahead (W) of the recording area at the leading end of the paper.
9 is controlled by the number of pulses given.

In the above description, the cartridge 2 is inserted into the insertion port 51 of the main unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and another cartridge is inserted into the other insertion port 52 (FIG. 1). Even in this case, the recording paper is conveyed to the recording unit according to a similar sequence.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer of this embodiment will be described based on an example of use of the printer with reference to FIG.

When a print command is sent from a host computer (not shown), the control unit 1001
17 to confirm that the recording paper 1a is present, and sends a printer ready signal to the host computer.
Wait for the record information to be sent. After receiving the ready signal, the host computer sends the record information for one recording width (B) and waits for the next ready signal. The printer scans the recording head 205 based on the recording information and gives a recording driving signal, and forms an image on the recording paper 1a by the above-described ink jet recording method.

Since the recording surface to be recorded on the recording paper is the outer surface of the roll paper, the direction in which the recording paper 1a absorbs ink and curls (the ink surface is concave) and the recording paper 1a
Will cancel each other out.

When the recording head 205 completes the recording scan and returns to the home position, the paper feed motor 109 is driven to rotate, and the recording paper 1a is conveyed again by the recording head width (B). And the next printing scan is continued. The discharge roller pair 203, 204 is driven by the drive motor of the transport roller pair 201, 202, and is about 2% faster than the transport roller 201, and the rotational force is transmitted by the slip clutch as described above. While the recording paper 1a is sandwiched between the pair of rollers, the feed amount (speed) of the recording paper 1a is controlled by the pair of conveying rollers 201 and 20.
2, the recording paper 1a is always in a taut state.

The recording range for the recording paper 1a is 2 mm around the standard paper size in consideration of expansion and contraction due to the humidity of the paper, deviation and skew caused by paper feeding and conveyance.
(FIG. 12).

The host computer transmits recording information of a predetermined size, and notifies the control unit 1001 of the printer that the transmission of the information of one page has been completed. Control unit 10
In FIG. 12, as shown in FIG. 12, the trailing edge of the printed page is conveyed to 2 mm (W) in front of the printing width, and the printing of the next page is waited. When the next recording is performed in that state, a gap of 4 mm is secured between the pages. And 2
During the recording of the sheet, 4 m
The middle of the gap m is stopped at the position of the cutter 219, and the cutting motor 220 (FIG. 14) is driven to cut the recording paper 1a. In order to perform this cutting sequence efficiently, the interval between the cutter 219 and the nozzle on the cutter side of the recording head 205 is set to an integer (n) of the recording width (B) +2 mm. That is, the sequence is such that the cutting is performed after the n-th paper feed of the next page is stopped.

The cut recording paper 1a (although it has been cut to a predetermined size) falls onto a tray 221 disposed below the cutter 219, and thereafter, the recording paper 1a on which image information is sequentially recorded is placed. The sheets are ejected and stacked.
The cutter 219 is a rotary cutter here.
This is a mechanism that cuts the recording paper 1a between the blade 222 fixed to the main body and the blade 223 that rotates around the rotation axes at both ends by a motor (not shown).

According to the above sequence, the last page is not ejected. However, a cutting command can be generated as necessary to cut and eject the sheet. That is, triggered by a command from the host computer, an input from a paper ejection switch (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body, or the like, the control unit 1001 conveys the rear end of the page to the position of the cutter 219, and the recording paper 1a. Disconnect. Thereafter, the feed motor 19 and the paper feed motor 109 are reversed, the recording paper 1a is rewound until the registration sensor 217 is turned off, and stopped again when the leading end of the recording paper 1a comes 2 mm ahead of the recording section. In the same way as when setting
It can be controlled to wait for the next recording operation.

<Change Sequence of Recording Paper Roll 1> Next, referring to FIG. 13, instead of recording paper roll 1 whose recording area is A4 size, another recording paper roll 101 (here, recording of A3 size) is performed. Two sequences for replacing the paper roll) will be described. The first sequence is
The operator sets a desired cartridge in the cartridge insertion slot 51 and conveys the recording paper 1a to a recording area.

In the second sequence, the cartridge insertion port 51 has already been received by a signal from the host computer or the like.
Alternatively, the cartridge (2, 10
The recording paper (1a, 10a) is pulled out from 2) and transported.

The cartridge 102 desired by the operator
Is set in the cartridge insertion slot 52. When the roll paper cartridge 102 loaded with the A3 size recording paper roll 101 is pushed into the cartridge insertion slot 52 of the main unit, the control unit 1001 first turns off the plunger 30 on the insertion slot 51 side, and lifts the paper feed roller 4. State (Fig. 1
The recording paper 1a is rewound to a predetermined position C at the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. The position C refers to the recording paper 10a from the A3-size recording paper roll 101 instead of the recording paper 1a from the recording paper roll 1.
Is a position where the leading end of the recording paper 1a does not become an obstacle when the paper is transported to the recording area. At this time, during the rewinding of the recording paper 1a, the leading end of the recording paper 1a is moved by the pair of conveying rollers 201 and 202.
Stop at the position 4-8 mm back after removing the nip.
This is controlled by the detection of the leading end of the recording paper 1a by the registration sensor 217 and the number of pulses supplied to the feed motor 19 and the paper feed motor 109, but varies between 4 mm to 8 mm depending on the diameter of the recording paper roll 1. . Next, the control unit 1001 conveys the A3-size recording paper roll 1 in the insertion slot 52 to the recording area in the same sequence as the method described in <Configuration of Recording Unit>.

When the cartridge 102 is already set in the cartridge insertion slot 52. When a command to print on the A3 size recording paper 10a is issued from the host computer or the like, the recording paper 1a on the cartridge insertion port 51 side is first rewound to the position C in the above-described sequence. Next, the feeding motor (not shown) and the sheet feeding motor 109 for the cartridge in the insertion slot 52 are simultaneously driven with respect to the recording paper 10a on the cartridge insertion slot 52 side, which has been rewound to the position C, to perform the recording. The paper 10a is transported and driven until the leading end of the paper 10a reaches the point W of the recording unit. This means that the recording paper in the recording area has been replaced with the recording paper 1a of A4 size and the recording paper 10a of A3 size.

<Cartridge Removal Sequence> When the operator removes the roll paper cartridge 2 set in the main body, the cartridge 2 of the recording paper 1a is
Is locked by the above configuration,
Regardless of the power on / off of the main unit,
The cartridge 2 cannot be removed. The removal of the cartridge is performed according to the following sequence when the power supply of the main unit is turned on.

The host computer (not shown) controls the controller 1
When a command to remove the roll paper cartridge 2 is issued to the control unit 001, the control unit 1001 controls the cartridge 2 of the recording paper 1a.
The output signal (presence / absence of paper) of the paper feed sensor 13 and the registration sensor 217 into which the is inserted is checked, and according to the signal, the extraction process of the roll paper cartridge 2 is performed in one of the following three sequences. Execute.

Paper feed sensor 13 and registration sensor 21
7 both detect the paper-out state. Control unit 100
1 sees the output of the paper feed sensor 13 and records the recording paper 1a there.
If it is determined that there is no plunger, the plunger 26 that controls the up and down of the lock arm 24 is turned on. As a result, the lock arm 24 is lowered and the lock of the cartridge 2 is released, and the roll paper cartridge 2 is pushed out of the pushing spring 2.
It is pushed outward by 7. However, in this state, since the cartridge 2 is not completely removed from the main body device, the signal of the lock arm detection sensor 28 remains ON, and the control unit 1001 cannot execute the next command. Therefore, it is necessary to completely remove the roll paper cartridge 2 from the main body device and turn off the signal of the lock arm detection sensor 28.

When there is paper in the paper feed sensor 13 and there is no paper in the registration sensor 217. If the control unit 1001 determines that the recording paper 1a is present at the paper feed sensor 13,
After the recording paper 1a is rewound to the predetermined position D as shown in FIG. 13, the roll paper cartridge 2 is removed from the main unit by the above-described method (sequence). Note that this position D
Is a position where the paper feed sensor 13 moves to the cartridge side by 4 to 8 mm after detecting the leading end of the recording paper 1a, and is a position where the recording paper 1a is completely hidden by the cartridge 2,
Further, this is a position where the recording paper 1a is held between the paper feed roller 4 and the pinch rollers 5, 6. This position is controlled by the number of pulses supplied to the feed motor 19, but varies within the range of 4 to 8 mm as described above, depending on the diameter of the roll paper 1.

Paper feed sensor 13, registration sensor 217
Are both detecting the presence of paper. The control unit 1001 uses the output signal of the registration sensor 217 to
If it is determined that the recording paper 1a is present at the position 7, the recording paper 1a may have already been recorded. Therefore, before rewinding the recording paper 1a, the nozzle portion (roll) of the recording head 205 is required. The recording paper 1a located on the paper cartridge 2 side) is conveyed to a cutting position by the cutter 219 and cut. After that, the recording paper 1a is
Is wound back into the cartridge 2 and the roll paper cartridge 2 is removed.

<Cartridge Withdrawal Sequence when Paper Is Empty> When the recording paper 1a is running low while the recording paper 1a is being conveyed and the reflection type paper feed sensor 13 detects the paper empty mark on the back surface of the recording paper 1a, the above-described cartridge is removed. The cartridge 2 is extracted from the main unit according to any one of the three sequences described in the extraction sequence.

The paper-out detecting mechanism includes a black paper-out mark previously printed on the back surface of the recording paper 1a and a paper feed sensor 13 installed near the roll paper transport window 2d of the recording paper 1a of the roll paper cartridge 2. And a total reflection plate 7d provided on a paper feed guide facing the paper feed sensor 13 in the conveyance path of the recording paper 1a. The paper-out mark on the back side of the recording paper 1a is set so that even if the paper-out mark is detected by the paper feed sensor 13 during the recording, the paper becomes out of paper during the current recording and the recording becomes impossible. Printing is performed linearly from the position where the recording can be completed to the end of the recording paper to the rear end of the recording paper 1a. The rear end of the recording paper 1a is attached to the core of the roll 1.

The output signal of the paper feed sensor 13 when the recording paper 1a is being conveyed can be considered to be the following three types according to the position of the recording paper 1a in the conveyance path. The case where the leading end of the recording paper 1a has not reached the area that can be detected by the paper feed sensor 13 and receives the reflected light of the total reflection plate 7d. Recording paper 1a
Is detected by the paper feed sensor 13 and diffused light is received by the white surface of the recording paper 1a. When receiving the diffused light of the black paperless mark printed on the back surface of the recording paper 1a. Above 3
It is on the street.

In these three cases, the output level of the paper feed sensor 13 can be clearly divided into three levels.
1 is to mistakenly determine whether the output of the paper feed sensor 13 is due to the total reflection plate 7d, the reflected light from the white surface of the recording paper 1a, or the reflected light from the no-paper mark (black). There is no.

In the course of transporting the recording paper 1a,
When the paper feed sensor 13 detects the black paper-out mark, the recording paper roll 1 is extracted from the main body according to the sequence described in the above-described cartridge extraction sequence. However, if a paper-out mark is detected during the recording, the cartridge 2 is removed after the recording is completed.

Thereafter, a new recording paper roll 1 is stored in the cartridge 2 by the above-described method, and then the cartridge 2 may be set in the main body according to the above-described cartridge setting sequence. The above description also applies to the case of the cartridge 102 inserted into the insertion port 52.
Of course, the same can be applied as it is.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ink jet printer of the embodiment. In this embodiment, the feeding motors 19 and 190 for two cartridges and the paper feed sensor 1 are shown.
3 and 113, the plungers 26 and 30 and the position sensor 28 and the size detection sensor 108 are shown only for the cartridge 2 for simplicity of the drawing. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, in the ink jet printer which can be used by mounting two cartridges, another set corresponding to the plungers 26 and 30 and the position sensor 28 and the size detection sensor 108 is prepared. become.

In FIG. 14, reference numeral 1001 denotes a control unit for controlling the entire apparatus, for example, a CPU such as a microprocessor.
120, the CPU 12 shown in the flowchart of FIG.
ROM that stores control program and various data of 0
121 and a RAM 122 used as a work area for the CPU 120. Reference numeral 102 denotes a head driver, which is a recording head 2 that performs recording by an inkjet method.
05 is driven. Reference numeral 207 denotes the recording head 205
The carriage 207 performs scanning by rotation of the carriage motor 104. Reference numeral 109 denotes a paper feed motor, which is a pair of the conveying rollers 201 and 202 and the discharge rollers 203 and 20 described above.
4 is rotationally driven. Reference numeral 110 denotes a motor driver for rotating the paper feed motor 109 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 1001.

A feed motor 19 is a motor for transporting the recording paper 1a contained in the cartridge 2 and pulling it out of the cartridge 2. Similarly, a feed motor 190 is for feeding the recording paper 10a contained in the cartridge 102 to the cartridge 102. It is a motor for transporting outside of 102. still,
The installation position of the feeding motor 190 is positioned with respect to the cartridge 102 in the same manner as the relative position with respect to the cartridge 2 shown in FIGS. Reference numeral 209 denotes a home position sensor for detecting that the carriage 207 is at the home position, and reference numerals 13 and 113 denote paper feed sensors for detecting whether or not recording paper has been pulled out from each cartridge. Registration sensor 2
Reference numeral 17 denotes a sensor for detecting whether or not a recording sheet is positioned below the recording head 205 as shown in FIG.

The cutter 219 is provided at the position shown in FIG. 12, and is driven by a cutting motor 220 driven by the motor driver 107 to cut the recording paper.
The plunger 30 includes the feed roller 4 and the feed pulley 15.
, The plunger 26 is a plunger for unlocking the cartridge 2, and the position sensor 28 is a sensor for detecting the arm position of the plunger 26. Further, as described above, the size detection sensor 108 detects the size member of the cartridge,
The size of the recording paper contained in the cartridge is detected and notified to the control unit 1001.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. A control program for executing the processing shown in these flowcharts is stored in the ROM 1 of the control unit 1001.
21.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are flowcharts showing normal processing after the power of the ink jet printer of this embodiment is turned on.

When the power of the apparatus is turned on, the process proceeds to step S1, where the work area of the RAM 122 is initialized, and
Up processing of the paper feed rollers 4, 1004 and the like is performed. Next, in step S2, it is checked whether or not the position sensor 28 provided in the insertion slot 51 is on. If it is on, in step S3, it is checked whether or not the recording paper size of the cartridge 2 is detected by the size detection sensor 108. .
If so, it indicates that the cartridge 2 is mounted in the insertion slot 51, so that it is determined in step S4 that the cartridge 2 is present (the corresponding flag is turned on), and
The recording paper size is stored in the RAM 122.

On the other hand, if the cartridge 2 is not in the insertion slot 51 or the cartridge 2 is not completely installed, the process proceeds to step S5, where the position sensor of the insertion slot 52 is turned on and the recording paper size is detected. Look at If the cartridge 102 is mounted in the insertion slot 52 and the recording paper size can be detected, the process proceeds to step S7, the recording paper size is stored, and it is determined that there is recording paper in the insertion slot 52. And so on. Here, when the cartridge is not mounted in either of the insertion ports 51 and 52, the process proceeds to step S21, and waits for the mounting of the cartridge. This processing will be described later.
Here, the mounting of the cartridge 102 is not checked when the cartridge 2 is mounted, but the mounting of the two cartridges is checked on the assumption that the cartridge is mounted in both the insertion ports. You may do it.

If a cartridge is installed in either of the insertion ports 51 and 52, the process proceeds to step S8, and it is checked whether removal of the cartridge has been instructed. If so, the process proceeds to step S9 to execute the cartridge removal process. . This processing will be described later in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. Further, when the change of the recording paper roll is instructed in step S10, the process proceeds to step S11, and processing for changing the recording paper used for recording is performed. This processing will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. Then, when a print instruction is input in step S12, the process proceeds to step S13, and print processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 21 and 22 is executed.

When the cartridge is not inserted into either of the insertion ports 51 and 52, the process proceeds to step S21, and whether the position sensor of one of the insertion ports 51 and 52 is turned on or not.
That is, it is determined whether the cartridge is inserted into one of the insertion ports. For example, in the case of the insertion slot 51, when the cartridge 2 is inserted, the position sensor 28 is once turned on as shown in FIG.
It is inserted up to the position where it reaches 1 and turns off again when it is fully mounted. In this state, the recording paper size of the cartridge 2 is read by the size detection sensor 108 (step S23).

Then, the process proceeds to a step S24, wherein the plunger 3
Then, the paper feed roller 4 is moved downward to clamp the recording paper as shown in FIG. 10, and in step S25, the feed motor 19 is driven to rotate to feed the recording paper 1a into the transport path. . The above processing is performed when the cartridge 10
2 is also attached, the detection by the corresponding sensor, and the conveyance process using the paper feed roller, the feed motor, etc.,
This can be performed in the same manner as in the case of the cartridge 2 having the insertion port 51. Although this is not particularly described in the following description, it goes without saying that the transfer processing and the like for the cartridge 2 and the cartridge 102 can be performed in the same manner.

When the leading end of the recording sheet is pulled out of the cartridge and reaches the position of the pair of conveying rollers 201 and 202, the sheet feeding motor 109 is driven to rotate next.
The recording paper is moved in the direction of the recording position by the recording head 205. In step S27, the registration sensor 217
When the leading end of the recording sheet is detected, the process proceeds to step S28, and the sheet feeding motor 109 is further driven to rotate to convey the leading end of the recording sheet to a position indicated by W in FIG. This can be adjusted by the number of drive steps of the paper feed motor 109 after the recording paper is detected by the registration sensor 217, as described above. As a result, the printer is ready for printing (print ready).

Next, the cartridge removal process will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. As described with reference to FIG. 7, since the cartridge is locked by the lock arm (24), the cartridge cannot be removed when the power of the printer is off. Here, the case where the removal of the cartridge 2 from the insertion port 51 is instructed will be described.
A description will be given with reference to these flowcharts.

When the removal of the cartridge 2 is instructed, the flow advances to step S31, and it is determined whether or not the recording paper is detected by the paper feed sensor 13. If the paper feed sensor 13 has not detected the recording paper, the process proceeds to step S32 to check whether the registration sensor 217 is off. In this case, it is usually impossible for the registration sensor 217 to be on, and if it is on, the process proceeds to the error processing of step S33.

Paper feed sensor 13 and registration sensor 217
If there is no paper, the process proceeds to step S34, where the plunger 26 is turned on and the lock arm 24 is
At the same time, the plunger 30 is turned off and the paper feed roller 4 is raised upward (the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 13). After the cartridge 2 is set in a detachable state in step S3,
At 5, it is checked whether the output of the size detection sensor 108 is off, that is, whether the cartridge 2 has been pulled out from the insertion slot 51. After the output of the size detection sensor 108 is turned off, the plunger 26 is turned off after waiting for a predetermined time in consideration of the operation time by a person in step S36. While the cartridge 2 is being removed, the tip of the lock arm 24 is pressed by the bottom of the cartridge 2 and the sensor 28
Output is on. Therefore, step S38
Waiting for the output of the position sensor 28 to be turned off, the recording paper size stored in the RAM 2 is cleared for the cartridge 2 and the cartridge is stored in the insertion slot 51 as if no cartridge is mounted. .

Next, the case where the paper feed sensor 13 detects the recording paper and the registration sensor 217 does not detect the recording paper will be described.

In this case, steps S40 to S
In step 41, the feeding motor 19 is driven to rotate so that the sheet feeding sensor 13 does not detect the recording sheet 1a.
Is rewound into the cartridge 2. Thus, the paper feed sensor 1
When 3 stops detecting the recording paper 1a, the process proceeds to step S43, where the transport motor 19 is further driven to rotate, and the recording paper 1a is rewound into the cartridge 2 until the leading end thereof reaches the position D in FIG. In this way, the process proceeds to step S34, and the cartridge 2 is extracted as described above.

If both the paper feed sensor 13 and the registration sensor 217 detect the recording paper, the process proceeds to step S4.
4, the recording paper 1a at the recording position may have been recorded. Therefore, the recording paper 1a is transported forward to the cutting position by the cutter 219, and the cutter 219 is driven in step S45. The recording paper portion is cut and discharged. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S41, where the recording paper 1a is rewound in the direction of the cartridge 2 as described above.
Unlock the cartridge 2 and wait for the cartridge 2 to be removed.

Next, the processing for changing the recording paper in step S11 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Here, a case will be described in which an instruction to change the recording paper from the A4 sized recording paper 1a to the A3 sized recording paper 10a is given.

This processing is started when, for example, the size of the recording paper (for example, A3 size) to be recorded is designated from a host computer or the like. First, in step S51, it is determined whether or not the designated recording paper is already at the recording position. See If it is already at the recording position, it can be recorded as it is, and the process returns to the main processing without doing anything. If not, the flow advances to step S52 to check whether a recording sheet 1a of another size is set at the recording position. Registration sensor 21
7 and the paper feed sensor 13 determine that the recording paper at the recording position is A
When it is detected that the recording paper 1a has four sizes, the process proceeds to step S53, in which the feed motor 19 is driven to rotate, and the recording paper 1a is rewound toward the cartridge 2. Accordingly, when the paper feed sensor 13 stops detecting the recording paper 1a, the process proceeds to step S55, and further, the leading end of the recording paper 1a is moved to the position C.
(Fig. 13). If another recording sheet is not at the recording position in step S52, the process proceeds to step S56.

In step S56, it is checked whether the recording paper 10a of the designated size (A3 size) has already been set in the insertion slot 102. If it is set, the flow advances to step S57 to lower the paper feed roller 1004 for the cartridge 102, rotate the transport motor 190, pull out the recording paper 10a from the cartridge 102, and transport the recording paper 10a in the direction of the recording position. Thereby, step S5
In step 8, it is checked whether the registration sensor 217 detects the leading end of the recording paper 10a. If not, the process proceeds to step S59 to check whether the end mark of the recording paper 10a is detected.
When the end mark is not detected, the recording paper 10a is kept until the registration sensor 217 detects the leading end in step S58.
Is transported.

When the registration sensor 217 is turned on and the recording paper 10a is detected, the process proceeds to step S60, and the paper feeding motor 109 is further driven to rotate so that the leading end of the recording paper 10a is moved to the position W shown in FIG. The recording paper 10a is conveyed so as to come up. On the other hand, step S59
When the paper feed sensor 113 detects the end mark of the recording paper 10a, the process proceeds to step S41 (FIG. 18), and the operator is instructed to rewind the recording paper 10a and change to another recording paper cartridge. I do.

If it is determined in step S56 that the cartridge 102 containing the recording paper of the designated size is not set in the insertion slot 52, the process proceeds to step S61.
The paper feed roller 1004 of the insertion port 52 is raised to allow the cartridge to be inserted. When the position sensor is turned on to detect that the cartridge 102 has been inserted in step S62, the cartridge 102 is completely inserted into the apparatus in step S63. It is checked whether or not the recording paper is set, and after the paper is completely mounted, the recording paper size is read in step S64. If the size of the recording paper coincides with the designated size of the recording paper in step S65, the process proceeds to step S57, and the recording paper 10a is conveyed to the recording position as described above. If the recording paper size does not match the designated size at this time, an error is displayed, and the operator is instructed to replace the cartridge.

In step S56, if a cartridge is already loaded in the insertion slot 52 and the recording paper size of the cartridge is different from the designated size, as shown in FIGS. It is instructed to perform the removal process of the cartridge set in the insertion slot 52. Then, it may be determined whether the newly set cartridge contains recording paper of a desired recording paper size.

Finally, the print processing in the printer of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, in step S71, it is checked whether or not a recording sheet of a desired size is at the recording position. If the recording sheet is not at the recording position, the flow advances to step S72 to output a not-ready signal and output a not-ready signal. Notifies that the recording paper is not at the recording position. Thus, the above-described cartridge replacement or recording paper change processing is executed as necessary.

If the desired recording paper is at the recording position, the flow advances to step S73 to output a ready signal to the host computer. In step S74, the host computer receives recording data for recording by one scan of the recording head 205. I do. After inputting the print data for one scan, the process proceeds to step S75, and the scan of the carriage 207 is started. In step S76, the print data is output to the print head 205 in synchronization with the scan of the carriage 207, and the image print for one scan is performed. When the image recording for one scan is completed in step S77, the process proceeds to step S78, in which the carriage 207 is returned to the home position.
Then, the recording paper is transported in the paper discharging direction by a length corresponding to the recorded amount. When the recording paper is conveyed, step S80
When the cutting position of the previous page reaches the cutting position of the cutter 219, the process proceeds to step S81, in which the cutter 219 is driven to cut the recording paper at the cutting position as shown in FIG. This eliminates the need for a special recording paper transporting process for cutting the recorded recording paper portion and a rewinding process when recording is performed continuously, so that the recording process can be performed at high speed.

In step S82, it is determined whether the recording process has been completed. When the recording has been completed, the flow advances to step S85.
If the recording is not to be ended, the flow proceeds to step S83 to check whether or not the end mark of the recording paper is detected. If the end mark is detected, the flow proceeds to step S84 to set a recording paper remaining amount insufficient flag and the like. At the end of the process, a message indicating that there is no recording paper is displayed. As described above, even if the end mark of the recording paper is detected during the current recording operation, the image currently being recorded can be recorded to the end, so that the recording is performed without performing a process such as outputting a not-ready signal. continue processing.

Upon completion of the recording process, the flow advances to step S85 to cut or eject the recorded recording paper by inputting a paper ejection instruction from the host computer or operating a paper ejection switch of the printer. Is instructed, the process proceeds to step S86, where the recorded recording paper is transported to a cutting position by the cutter 219, and the cutter 219 is driven to cut. Next, the discharge roller pairs 203 and 204 are driven to rotate,
The cut recording paper is ejected, and at step S8
At 8, the feed motor 19 (or 190) is driven to rotate,
The recording paper is rewound toward the cartridge until the registration sensor 217 no longer detects the recording paper.

<Explanation of Bubble Jet (FIG. 23, FIG. 2)
4)> In this embodiment, the recording head is described as a recording head of a general ink jet recording system. However, a recording head 205 of a serial type bubble jet recording system, which is one of the ink jet recording systems, will be described. FIG. 23 is an exploded view of the recording head 205 constituting the recording means, and FIGS. 24A to 24G are explanatory views of the principle of bubble jet recording. The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129.
No. 4,740,796.

In FIG. 23, reference numeral 205a denotes a heater board, which is an electrothermal converter (discharge heater) on a silicon substrate.
205b and an electrode 205c made of aluminum or the like for supplying power thereto are formed and disposed. A liquid path (nozzle) 2 for the recording liquid is supplied to the heater board 205a.
It is configured by bonding a top plate 205e having a partition for partitioning 05d. At a predetermined position of the apparatus, an ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording head 205 is exchangeably mounted.

The ink supplied from the ink cartridge via the conduit is filled into a common liquid chamber 205g in the recording head 205 through a supply port 205f provided in the top plate 205e, and the common liquid output 205g supplies each nozzle 205
Guided into d. These nozzles 205d are provided with ink discharge ports 205h.
h is formed at a predetermined pitch in the sheet conveying direction so as to face the recording sheet of the recording head 205.

In this embodiment, the recording head 20 having the above-described configuration is used.
5 is mounted on a reciprocally movable carriage, and performs recording by ejecting and flying ink from the recording head 205 in synchronization with the movement of the carriage. Here, the principle of ink flying in the bubble jet recording method is shown in FIG.
4 (a) to 4 (g).

In the steady state, as shown in FIG.
The surface tension and the external pressure of the ink 240 filled in the nozzle 205d are balanced at the ejection port surface. When the ink 240 is caused to fly in this state, electricity is supplied to the electrothermal converter 205b in the nozzle 205d, and the ink in the nozzle 205d exceeds the nucleate boiling and causes a rapid temperature rise.
Then, as shown in FIG.
The ink adjacent to 5b is heated to cause minute bubbles
And the ink in the heated portion is vaporized to cause film boiling,
As shown in FIG. 24C, the bubbles 241 grow rapidly.

When the bubble 241 grows to the maximum as shown in FIG. 24D, the ink droplet 242 is pushed out from the discharge port in the nozzle 205d. And the electrothermal converter 20
When the power supply to the nozzle 5d is completed, as shown in FIG.
The ink droplet 242 is cooled and contracted by the air bubbles 40, and the ink droplet 242 flies from the ejection port due to the growth and contraction of the bubble. Further, as shown in FIG. 24 (f), the ink is brought into contact with the surface of the electrothermal transducer 205b, is rapidly cooled, and the bubbles 241 disappear or shrink to a volume that can be almost ignored. When the bubble 241 contracts, the common liquid chamber 205 is formed in the nozzle 205d by capillary action as shown in FIG.
g to supply ink and prepare for the next energization.

Accordingly, the carriage on which such a recording head is mounted is reciprocated, and in synchronization with this movement, an electric current is supplied to the electrothermal converter 205b in accordance with an image signal to thereby form an ink image on the recording sheet. Is recorded.

In addition to the combination of the above-described discharge port, liquid path, and electrothermal converter, the configuration of the recording means is disclosed in US Pat.
No. 3, JP-A-59-123670 and the like can also be used.

The above-mentioned recording means may supply ink to the recording head from an ink cartridge mounted on the recording apparatus, or provide an ink storage chamber in the recording head so that the ink in the ink storage chamber is depleted. In such a case, a replaceable recording head that replaces the recording head may be used.

The recording apparatus of the present invention has
In addition to being used as a printer as an image output terminal of an information processing device such as a computer, it is used as a copying device combined with a reader or the like, and further as a facsimile device having a transmission / reception function.

In this embodiment, the recording head of the recording means is a recording head which performs recording by an ink jet method. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a heat sensitive method, a thermal transfer method, a wire dot recording method Needless to say, a recording head that performs recording by a method or an electrostatic recording method may be used.

The present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices or to an apparatus constituted by a single device. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a system or an apparatus with a program for executing the processing specified by the present invention.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by performing recording with a recording head such as an ink jet on the outer peripheral surface of a roll of recording paper, the curl habit of the recording paper and the curl habit by the ink jet recording are reduced. Since the directions work in directions that cancel each other, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of curling of the roll-shaped recording paper.

Further, according to this embodiment, the load of the paper feed roller is prevented from affecting the conveyance of the recording sheet in the recording section.
Further, there is an effect that the curl of the roll paper can be corrected. Further, according to the present embodiment, there is an effect that the time required for the recording paper conveyance process can be reduced, and the time required for the pudding can be shortened.

[0117]

According to the present invention as described above, according to the present invention, b
Using the first sheet material and the second sheet material wound in a roll shape.
Can be used for recording using the second sheet material.
Make sure that the sheet material is
Together can be conveyed to the recording position, a roll of the sheet material
There is an effect that the curl of the recorded sheet material can be prevented by canceling the roll habit .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a configuration of a recording paper roll used in the ink jet printer of the embodiment and a cartridge for accommodating the recording paper roll.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a cartridge used in the ink jet printer of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of a cartridge used in the ink jet printer of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where a cartridge is mounted on the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state where the mounting of the cartridge on the inkjet printer according to the embodiment is completed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for mounting and locking a cartridge in the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a mechanism for raising / lowering a transport roll and a feed pulley shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the one-way bearing.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining conveyance of a recording sheet by cooperation between a sheet feeding roller and a pinch roller.

FIG. 11 is an external perspective view illustrating a configuration of a recording unit of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a recording state in a recording unit of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating a configuration of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment capable of recording by mounting two cartridges.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment.

FIG.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a main processing operation of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a cartridge removal process in the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a recording paper changing process in the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 21

FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating print processing in the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining a disassembled configuration of a recording head by an inkjet method.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the principle of recording using a bubble jet.

FIG. 25 is a side view showing a configuration of a conventional ink jet printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,101 recording paper roll 1a, 10a recording paper 2,102 recording paper cartridge 4,1004 paper feed roller 5,6,105,106 pinch roller 13,113 paper feed sensor 19,190 feed motor 24,25,27, 29 Spring 26, 30 Plunger 28 Position sensor 51, 52 Insertion opening 104 Carriage motor 108 Size detection sensor 109 Paper feed motor 120 CPU 121 ROM 122 RAM 201, 202 Transport roller pair 203, 204 Paper discharge roller pair 205 Recording head 207 Carriage 209 Home position sensor 211 Sheet holding unit 216 Roller 217 Registration sensor 219 Cutter 1001 Control unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 2/01

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first sheet material holding portion for holding a first sheet material wound in a roll shape, and a second sheet material holding portion for holding a second sheet material wound in a roll shape. And a roll-shaped outer periphery of each of the first sheet material and the second sheet material disposed at a position facing the discharge port using an inkjet recording head having a discharge port for discharging ink downward. A recording position where ink jet recording is performed on the surface; and a first sheet material or the second sheet material, which is disposed downstream of the first sheet material holding unit in the sheet material conveyance direction in order to convey the sheet material to the recording position. A first roller member, a first conveyance path for conveying the first sheet material from the first sheet material holding unit to the first roller member, and a first roller member from the second sheet material holding unit. To the second sheet material A second transport path for feeding the first from the first sheet material holding portion into the first conveying path
A first insertion port disposed at an end of the first conveyance path for guiding a sheet material; and a second insertion port from the second sheet material holding unit to the second conveyance path.
A second insertion port disposed at an end of the second conveyance path to guide the sheet material; and a second insertion port passing the second sheet material from the second sheet material holding unit through the second conveyance path. A second roller member for conveying to one roller member, wherein the recording position, the first sheet material holding unit, and the second sheet material holding unit are arranged in this order in the horizontal direction. The second insertion port is disposed on the upstream side of the first sheet material holding unit in the second sheet material conveyance direction, and the second conveyance path extends from the second insertion port to the first sheet material holding unit. An upper sheet material guide portion and a lower sheet material guide portion that reach the vicinity of the first roller member via an upwardly convex shape, and wherein the second sheet material has a roll-shaped outer periphery along the second transport path. With the surface facing upward, from the second insertion port to the vicinity of the first roller member An ink jet recording apparatus which is transported.