JP4172891B2 - Paper cassette - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette, and more particularly to a paper feed cassette provided with a chip storage portion for storing chips of recording paper.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a printer, for example, a thermal printer, there is known a printer that records a full-color image in a three-color surface sequence by a thermal head while reciprocating a thermal recording paper a plurality of times. In the thermal printer, the thermal recording paper is reciprocated while being nipped by the conveyance roller. Since the thermal head is disposed at a position close to the transport roller, an image cannot be recorded in a portion corresponding to the distance between the transport roller and the thermal head, and this portion becomes a blank space. The thermal head nips the thermal recording paper with the platen roller. If the platen roller is heated at the part of the thermal head that protrudes from the thermal recording paper, the platen roller may be thermally deformed or May deteriorate. Therefore, margins are left on both sides of the thermal recording paper, and images are recorded on both sides. For these reasons, the printed thermal recording paper has margins formed along the four sides.
[0003]
By the way, recently, an increasing number of users desire prints without blank spaces. Further, a postcard size is widely used as a thermal recording paper, but there is a problem that this size is too large and inconvenient when a photo album is pasted. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a shearing front / rear end cutter for cutting the front and rear margins of the recording paper after recording, a rotary cutting slitter for cutting the side end margin of the recording paper, and the like.
[0004]
When a cutting means for cutting such a blank is provided, blank chips are scattered in the printer. In view of this, a printer having a waste box for collecting chips at the lower part of the cutter has been proposed so that the chips can be easily taken out from the printer and discarded.
[0005]
In addition, a paper feeding cassette provided with a chip storage portion for storing chips instead of separately providing a waste box has been proposed. Furthermore, in order to prevent the accumulation of chips near the entrance of the chip storage unit, a paper feed cassette incorporating a transport belt that transports chips to the back of the chip storage unit has also been invented. The transport belt is connected to a belt drive mechanism provided on the printer side when the paper feed cassette is set in the printer.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The conveyor belt uses a thin rubber for the purpose of reducing the weight of chips and preventing the paper feed cassette from becoming large. For this reason, when the hand directly touches the transport belt, problems such as the transport belt being displaced, drowning, or being damaged and cut off may occur. In addition, it may be cut due to deterioration due to light, or an operation failure due to adhesion of dust.
[0007]
Also, if you try to remove the paper cassette from the printer with a large amount of chips in the chip storage unit, the chips overflowing from the chip storage unit may be entangled and damaged by the paper feed mechanism of the printer. Is also possible.
[0008]
An object of the present invention is to protect a conveyance belt when a sheet feeding cassette is a single unit.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the paper feed cassette according to the present invention is provided with a shutter mechanism that opens the chip storage part when set in the paper feed part and closes the chip storage part when removed from the paper feed part. It is.
[0010]
As the shutter mechanism, for example, a shutter plate that is movable between an open position that opens the chip storage portion and a closed position that closes the chip storage portion, and urges the shutter plate toward the closed position. The shutter spring can be simply configured. Further, the shutter plate may be slidable in accordance with the operation of setting and removing the paper feed cassette.
[0011]
In addition, a receiving portion for receiving the leading edge of the shutter plate is provided in the chip storage portion so that the shutter plate is positioned at an appropriate position when in the closed position, or both the leading edge and the receiving portion are inclined surfaces. Alternatively, a notch and a protrusion may be provided on each of the leading edge of the shutter plate and the receiving portion of the chip storage portion. Furthermore, in order to reduce the dimension in the thickness direction of the paper feed cassette, it is preferable to incorporate the shutter spring so as to be within the thickness of the shutter plate.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an external view of a color thermal printer 3 in which a paper feed cassette 2 embodying the present invention is used. In the center of the front surface of the thermal printer 3, a cassette insertion slot 4 in which the paper feed cassette 2 is set is provided. In the back of the cassette insertion slot 4, a paper feed unit 6 is incorporated which pulls the color thermal recording paper 5 from the set paper feed cassette 2 and discharges the printed color thermal recording paper 5.
[0013]
About half of the front end side in the insertion direction of the paper feed cassette 2 is housed in the paper feed unit 6, and the rear end side in the insertion direction protrudes outside the apparatus. The upper surface of the paper feed cassette 2 is a paper discharge tray section 8 for stacking the printed color thermal recording paper 5. A main switch 9 for turning on / off the color thermal printer 3 and a pilot lamp 10 that is turned on when the power is turned on are provided on the side of the cassette insertion slot 4.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main part in the vicinity of the paper feeding unit of the color thermal printer 3. The paper feed cassette 2 inserted from the cassette insertion slot is positioned and held in the paper feed unit 6. A paper feed roller 13 incorporated in the paper feed unit 6 enters an opening 12 provided on the upper surface of the paper feed cassette 2 and is stacked and stored in a recording paper storage unit 15 below the paper feed cassette 2. It contacts the upper surface of the color thermal recording paper 5. The paper feed roller 13 rotates in a clockwise paper feed direction in the drawing during printing, and sends the uppermost color thermal recording paper 5 out of the paper feed cassette 2 from a feed outlet 16 provided on the back surface of the paper feed cassette 2. .
[0015]
The color thermal recording paper 5 sent out from the paper feed cassette 2 passes through the paper feed path 18 and is conveyed to the print unit 20 provided in the back of the paper feed unit 6. Although not shown in detail, the print unit 20 is pressed against the color thermal recording paper 5 being transported by sandwiching the color thermal recording paper 5 and the color thermal recording paper 5 being transported by the conveyance roller, thereby yellow, magenta, and cyan. A thermal head that prints three thermal color layers in a surface sequence, a platen roller that presses the color thermal recording paper 5 against the thermal head, ultraviolet rays after printing on the yellow thermal color layer and after printing on the magenta thermal color layer And an optical fixing device for fixing each thermosensitive coloring layer.
[0016]
The color thermal recording paper 5 on which printing has been completed passes through the paper discharge passage 22 provided above the paper feed unit 6 and is discharged from the cassette insertion port 4 onto the paper discharge tray unit 8 of the paper feed cassette 2. A front end cutting cutter 23 for cutting off margins at the four corners of the color thermal recording paper 5, a rear end cutting cutter 24, and a pair of slitters 25 are disposed in the paper discharge passage 22.
[0017]
The front end cutting cutter 23 is composed of a fixed blade 23 a and a movable blade 23 b extending in the main scanning direction of the color thermal recording paper 5. When the color thermal recording paper 5 reaches a predetermined position, the movable blade 23b is lowered to cut off the front end margin, which is the margin on the front end side of the recording area of the color thermal recording paper 5. Similarly, the rear end cutting cutter 24 is also composed of a fixed blade 24 a and a movable blade 24 b, and cuts off a rear end margin that is a rear end side margin from the recording area of the color thermal recording paper 5. The slitter 25 is a rotary cutter comprising an upper blade 25a and a lower blade 25b, and cuts off both side margins formed on both sides of the recording area of the color thermal recording paper 5 being discharged.
[0018]
The paper discharge passage 22 and the paper feed unit 6 in which the paper feed cassette 2 is set are connected, and the chips 27 cut off by the cutters 23 and 24 and the slit waste 28 cut off by the slitter 25 are supplied. The paper is stacked in a chip storage unit 30 provided between the paper discharge tray unit 8 of the paper cassette 2 and the recording paper storage unit 14.
[0019]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the paper feed cassette 2, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the paper feed cassette 2. The paper feed cassette 2 is loaded with a recording paper storage section 14 in which the color thermal recording paper 5 is stored, a chip storage section 30 in which the chips 27 and slit scraps 28 are stored, and a printed color thermal recording paper 5. And a paper discharge tray section 8 to be provided.
[0020]
The recording paper storage unit 14 is made of a light-shielding plastic and is formed in a substantially box shape. The cassette main body 32 in which sheet-like, for example, postcard-sized color thermal recording paper 5 is stacked and stored, and the cassette main body 32 A lid member 34 is attached to the upper portion so as to be rotatable by a hinge portion 33. The color thermal recording paper 5 is set in the recording paper storage unit 14 with the lid member 34 opened. A lock mechanism for locking the lid member 34 in the closed position is provided at the front end portion of the cassette body 32 and the lid member 34, and the lock mechanism is released by a sliding operation of the release lever 35.
[0021]
On the upper surface on the rear end side of the lid member 34, two rotating shafts 37 and 38 that are rotatable in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the color thermosensitive recording paper 5, and two thin rubbers are formed. A chip conveying mechanism 40 including three conveying belts 39a, 39b, and 39c that are hung at equal intervals between the rotating shafts 37 and 38 is incorporated. A connecting gear 41 that rotationally drives the rotary shaft 37 is attached to the end of the rotary shaft 37 on the rear end side. The connecting gear 41 meshes with a drive gear provided in the printer when the paper feed cassette 2 is set in the color thermal printer 3. The chip conveyance mechanism 40 constitutes a part of the chip storage unit 30, and the chips 27 of the color thermal recording paper 5 cut by the cutters 23 and 24 fall on the three conveyance belts 39 a to 39 c. Then, the chips 27 are fed into the interior of the chip storage unit 30 by driving the three conveying belts 39a to 39c.
[0022]
The chip storage unit 30 includes an upper surface 34a of the lid member 34, a cover member 43 attached to the upper part of the lid member 34, a disposal lid 44 that is opened when the chip 27 is removed from the chip storage unit 30 and discarded, A support plate 45 incorporated between the cover member 34 and the cover member 43, a shutter plate 46 incorporated between the cover member 43 and the support plate 45, and a biasing force in a direction in which the shutter plate 46 protrudes from the cover member 43. The two shutter springs 47a and 47b and the chip conveying mechanism 40 described above. The cover member 43, the disposal lid 44, the support plate 45, and the shutter plate 46 are formed of a transparent plastic so that the amount of the chips 27 stored in the chip storage unit 30 can be visually recognized.
[0023]
The cover member 43 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the color thermal recording paper 5 and is opened downward. The cover member 43 has an upper surface 34 a of the lid member 34 and an upper portion of the lid member 34. The chip storage portion 30 is formed by closing the space. An upper surface of the cover member 43 serves as a paper discharge tray portion 8 that receives the printed color thermal recording paper 5 discharged from the upper portion of the cassette insertion slot 4. On both sides of the upper surface of the cover member 43, restriction pieces 43 a that prevent the color thermal recording paper 5 from falling from the paper discharge tray unit 8 are provided upright.
[0024]
The disposal lid 44 is configured to cover the disposal port 49 (see FIG. 6) of the chip storage unit 30 formed by the front end side of the cover member 43 and the upper surface 34a of the lid member 34, and is provided at both ends. The piece 44a is pivotally attached to ribs 34b erected on both sides of the upper surface of the lid member 34, thereby opening and closing the disposal port 49.
[0025]
The support plate 45 is positioned and placed on the rib 34b of the lid member 34, and is fixed by attaching a cover member 43 to the upper portion thereof. A recess 51 is formed on the upper surface of the support plate 45 to support the shutter plate 46 slidably along the setting direction of the paper feed cassette 2. The width of the recess 51 is slightly larger than the width of the shutter plate 46 so that the shutter plate 46 can slide without hindrance.
[0026]
On both sides of the concave portion 51 of the support plate 45, guide pieces 52 that receive slit waste 28 of the color thermal recording paper 5 cut by the slitter 25 of the color thermal printer 3 and guide it into the chip storage portion 30 are integrally formed. ing. The guide piece 52 and the upper surface of the cover member 43 form a chip receiving port 53 for receiving the slit waste 28. The slit waste 28 is fed from the chip receiving port 53 to the chip storage unit 30 along with the discharge of the color thermal recording paper 5. It is.
[0027]
In the recess 51 of the support plate 45, a regulation groove 54 into which two slide pins 45a standing on the lower surface of the shutter plate 46 are inserted, and spring housing grooves 55a and 55b in which shutter springs 47a and 47b are respectively housed. Is provided. The shutter plate 46 slides along the restriction groove 54 in which the slide pins 45 a and 45 b are inserted, and the slide is restricted at a position where the slide pins 45 a and 45 b abut against the inner wall surface of the restriction groove 54.
[0028]
The shutter springs 47a and 47b include spring hooks 57a and 57b erected on the ends of the spring housing grooves 55a and 55b of the support plate 45, and spring hooks 58a and 57b formed on the edge of the lower surface of the shutter plate 46, respectively. Both ends are respectively hung on 58b. Thereby, the shutter springs 47a and 47b urge the shutter plate 46 in a direction in which the shutter plate 46 protrudes from the rear end side of the cover member 43, that is, in a direction to cover and protect the upper portion of the chip conveying mechanism 40 as shown in FIG. Further, since the shutter springs 47a and 47b are incorporated between the spring housing grooves 55a and 55b and the shutter spring 46, they do not affect the increase in size of the sheet feeding cassette 2 in the thickness direction.
[0029]
The shutter plate 46 has a substantially plate shape, and is a cover member that is slidable between a closed position that covers the chip conveying mechanism 40 and an open position that exposes the chip conveying mechanism 40 as shown in FIG. 43 and the support plate 45 are incorporated. A pressed piece 60 that protrudes upward is integrally formed on the front end side of the upper surface of the shutter plate 46 in the sliding direction. The pressed piece 60 comes into contact with a pressing piece 61 disposed at the back of the cassette insertion port 4 when the paper feed cassette 2 is inserted into the cassette insertion port 4 of the color thermal printer 3. When the paper feed cassette 2 is inserted into the color thermal printer 3 to a predetermined position, the pressed piece 60 is pressed by the pressing piece 61, and the shutter plate 46 slides in the direction in which it is housed in the cover member 43. As a result, the upper portion of the chip conveying mechanism 40 is automatically opened simultaneously with the setting of the paper feed cassette 2, and preparations for receiving the chips 27 of the color thermal recording paper 5 cut in the color thermal printer 3 into the chip storage unit 30 are performed. Is completed.
[0030]
Further, when the paper feeding cassette 2 is taken out from the color thermal printer 3, the upper portion of the chip conveying mechanism 40 is covered by the urging of the shutter springs 47a and 47b. As a result, since the access to the conveyor belts 39a to 39c of the chip conveyor mechanism 40 is restricted when the sheet feeding cassette 2 is a single unit, the conveyor belts 39a to 39c are displaced or twisted, cut due to generation of scratches or light. It is possible to effectively prevent deterioration, adhesion of dust and the like.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 6, a receiving portion 63 that receives the leading edge of the shutter plate 46 when the shutter plate 46 slides to the closed position is provided at the rear portion of the chip conveying mechanism 40 of the lid member 34. An inclined surface having an adjusted angle is formed on the receiving portion 63 and the lower surface of the front end edge of the shutter plate 46. For this reason, when the shutter plate 46 is slid to the closed position, the leading edge easily gets on the receiving portion 63, and the vertical displacement of the leading edge of the shutter plate 46 is restricted.
[0032]
In addition, a triangular protrusion 65 projects from the center of the receiving portion 63, and a triangular notch 66 with which the protrusion 65 engages is formed at the tip edge of the shutter plate 46. Thereby, the shift | offset | difference in the left-right direction of the shutter board 46 when it exists in a closed position is controlled. The shutter plate 46 in the closed position is positioned at an appropriate position by the inclined surface and notch 66 of the shutter plate 46 and the inclination and protrusion 65 of the receiving portion 63, so that the paper feed cassette 2 is attached to the color thermal printer 3. The contact between the pressing piece 61 and the pressed piece 60 when set can be ensured.
[0033]
Next, the operation of the printer will be described. The color thermal printer 3 is used by being connected to a personal computer, for example, and the printing mode, the number of prints, an instruction to start printing, and the like are performed from the personal computer. As a preparation for printing with the color thermal printer 3, as shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed cassette 2 in which the color thermal recording paper 5 is stored in the recording paper storage portion 14 is inserted into the cassette insertion slot 4.
[0034]
When the paper feed cassette 2 is not set in the color thermal printer 3 but is a single unit, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the shutter plate 46 biased by the shutter springs 47a and 47b causes the chip transport mechanism 40 to move. The upper part is covered and protected. Therefore, the conveying belts 39a to 39c of the chip conveying mechanism 40 are not in direct contact, and the conveying belts 39a to 39c are prevented from being displaced or twisted, cut due to generation of scratches, deterioration due to light, dust adhesion, and the like.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 2, when the paper feed cassette 2 is inserted into the cassette insertion slot 4, the pressed piece 60 of the shutter plate 46 is pressed by the pressing piece 61 incorporated at the back of the cassette insertion slot 4. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the shutter plate 46 is pushed into the cover member 43 against the bias of the shutter springs 47a and 47b, and the chip conveying mechanism 40 is exposed.
[0036]
After the paper cassette 2 is set, the main switch 9 is operated to turn on the color thermal printer 3. Then, an image to be printed is selected on the personal computer, and a print start operation is performed. When printing is instructed, the paper feed roller 13 rotates in the paper feed direction, and the uppermost color thermal recording paper 5 in contact with the paper feed roller 13 is sent out of the paper feed cassette 2 from the feed outlet 16. The fed color thermal recording paper 5 is conveyed to the printing unit 20 through the paper feeding path 18.
[0037]
In the printing unit 20, the color thermosensitive recording paper is reciprocally conveyed by the conveying roller, and during that time, printing is performed on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer, the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer, and the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer by the thermal head. Further, after printing on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer and the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer, ultraviolet light is irradiated from the optical fixing device to fix the image.
[0038]
The color thermal recording paper 5 on which full-color printing has been completed is sent out to the paper discharge passage 22. In the paper discharge passage 22, the color thermosensitive recording paper 5 is nipped by the paper discharge roller pair 68 and conveyed toward the cassette insertion port 4. In the middle of this, when the planned cutting position of the front end side of the color thermal recording paper 5 reaches the front end cutting cutter 23, the paper feed is temporarily stopped, and the movable blade 23b is lowered to the front end side of the recording area of the color thermal recording paper 5. The front end margin part, which is a margin, is cut off on the chip conveying mechanism 40 as the chip 27. The color thermal printer 3 rotates the drive gear by the motor as the movable blade 23b is lowered, and rotates the connecting gear 41 connected thereto in the transport direction. Thereby, the conveyance belts 39a to 39c are driven, and the chips 27 are fed into the interior of the chip storage unit 30.
[0039]
The paper is fed again after the front end margin is cut, and when the planned cutting position of the rear end side of the color thermal recording paper 5 reaches the rear end cutting cutter 24, the paper feeding is stopped again, and the movable blade 24b is lowered to move the color thermal. Chips 27 at the trailing edge margin, which is the trailing edge margin from the recording area of the recording paper 5, are cut off on the chip conveying mechanism 40. The color thermal printer 3 drives the conveyor belts 39 a to 39 c as the movable blade 24 b is lowered, and feeds the chips 27 into the interior of the chip storage unit 30 in the same manner as the cutting of the front margin. Note that one cutting cutter on the front end side and one on the rear end side may be combined.
[0040]
By the conveyance after the cutting of the front margin, the leading edge of the color thermosensitive recording paper 5 is sent to the slitter 25, and the margins on both sides are cut off as slit waste 28. The tip of the slit waste 28 falls into the chip receiving port 53, is guided by the guide piece 52, and enters the chip storage unit 30. Then, as the color thermal recording paper 5 is discharged, it is stored in the interior of the chip storage unit 30. The color thermal recording paper 5 from which all the surrounding margins have been cut off is discharged from the upper part of the cassette insertion slot 4 onto the discharge tray section 8. This completes one full color print.
[0041]
In addition, the slit waste 28 sent to the chip storage part 30 will be in the state by which the rear end was mounted on the induction | guidance | derivation piece 52, and the rear end edge is from the position where the slit waste 28 of the chip receiving port 53 enters. Is also arranged on the rear side of the sheet feeding cassette 2. As a result, the leading edge of the slit waste 28 to be fed next hits the rear end edge of the previously stored slit waste 28, and the chip receiving port 53 is not clogged with the slit waste 28. Moreover, since the slit waste 28 accommodated previously becomes a guide of the slit waste 28 sent next, the slit waste 28 can be accommodated in the state laminated | stacked neatly.
[0042]
When the color thermal recording paper 5 stored in the paper feed cassette 2 is reduced, the paper feed cassette 2 is pulled out from the cassette insertion port 4 of the color thermal printer 3. Then, the shutter plate 46 is automatically closed by the urging of the shutter springs 47a and 47b, so that the chip conveying mechanism 40 is appropriately protected. Thereby, when the paper feeding cassette 2 is removed, chips are not caught by the mechanism in the color thermal printer.
[0043]
Further, when the shutter plate 46 is closed, the leading edge of the shutter plate 46 is received by the receiving portion 63, and the inclined surface of the leading edge and the inclined surface of the receiving portion coincide with each other. There is no deviation in direction. Further, since the notch 66 of the shutter plate 46 and the protrusion 65 of the receiving portion 63 are engaged, the leading edge of the shutter plate 46 is not displaced in the left-right direction. Thereby, when the paper feed cassette 2 is set in the color thermal printer 3 again, the contact between the pressed piece 60 and the pressed piece 60 is ensured.
[0044]
When the color thermal recording paper 5 is replenished, the scraps 27 and the slit scraps 28 may be discarded. The scraps 27 and the slit scraps 29 can be discarded by rotating the disposal lid 44 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 to expose the disposal port 49, so that the shutter plate 46 is forcibly opened by the user. The protection of the chip conveyance mechanism 40 can be continued.
[0045]
In the above-described embodiment, the movement of the shutter plate 46 at the open position and the closed position is slid along the setting direction of the paper feed cassette 2. However, the shutter plate 46 is slid in another direction using a cam mechanism or a link mechanism. You may let them. The shutter plate can be opened and closed by turning.
[0046]
Further, the notch 66 is formed in the shutter plate 46 and the protrusion 65 is formed in the receiving portion 63. However, the protrusion may be formed in the shutter plate 46 and the notch may be formed in the receiving portion 63. Although the shutter plate 46 is made of transparent plastic, when the sheet feeding cassette 2 is a single unit, the shutter plate 46 does not hide the chip storage portion 30 and may be made of opaque plastic.
[0047]
In the above embodiment, the color thermal printer has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to various printers such as a thermal transfer printer, an inkjet printer, and a laser printer.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the paper feed cassette of the first invention, since the chip storage portion is closed by the shutter plate when the paper feed cassette is taken out, the chips do not overflow. In addition, when the sheet feeding cassette is a single unit, it is possible to appropriately protect the transport belt for transporting chips incorporated in the chip storage unit.
[0049]
Furthermore, the movement of the shutter plate can be adopted at a low cost because the shutter plate is moved by using the setting operation of the paper feed cassette with the minimum component configuration.
[0050]
Further, since the leading edge of the shutter plate at the time of closing is positioned, it is possible to prevent damage due to the displacement of the shutter plate, and to improve the operation reliability when reloading the paper feed cassette.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a paper feed cassette according to the present invention and a color thermal printer using the same.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part in the vicinity of a paper feeding unit of a color thermal printer.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a paper feed cassette when the shutter plate is closed.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a paper feed cassette.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a paper feed cassette when the shutter plate is opened.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the paper feed cassette.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 paper feed cassette 3 color thermal printer 4 cassette insertion slot 5 color thermal recording paper 6 paper feed unit 8 paper discharge tray unit 14 recording paper storage unit 30 chip storage units 37 and 38 rotary shaft 39 transport belt 40 chip transport mechanism 43 cover member 44 Waste cover 45 Support plate 46 Shutter plate 47 Shutter spring 63 Receiving portion 65 Protrusion 66 Notch

Claims (8)

In a paper feed cassette that includes a recording paper storage unit that stores a plurality of recording papers, and a chip storage unit that stores chips of recording paper cut in the printer, and is set in the paper supply unit of the printer.
A paper feed cassette provided with a shutter mechanism that automatically opens a chip storage section when set in the paper feed section and automatically closes the chip storage section when removed from the paper feed section. The shutter mechanism includes a shutter plate that is movable between an open position that opens the chip storage portion and a closed position that closes the chip storage portion, and a shutter spring that biases the shutter plate toward the closed position. 2. The sheet feeding cassette according to claim 1, wherein the shutter plate is pressed by a component of the printer when set in the sheet feeding section and moves from the closed position to the opened position. The paper feed cassette according to claim 2, wherein the shutter plate is slidable along a setting direction with respect to the paper feed unit. 4. The paper feed cassette according to claim 3, wherein the chip storage portion is provided with a receiving portion for receiving a leading edge perpendicular to the sliding direction of the shutter plate when the shutter plate is in the closed position. An inclined surface that is inclined in the thickness direction of the shutter plate is provided on the side of the shutter plate facing the receiving portion of the leading edge, and the receiving portion is provided with an inclination of the same angle as the inclined surface of the leading edge. The paper feed cassette according to claim 4. 6. The paper feed according to claim 4, wherein a notch is formed in one of a leading edge of the shutter plate and a receiving portion of the chip storage portion, and a protrusion engaging with the notch is formed on the other. cassette. The paper feed cassette according to claim 2, wherein the shutter spring is provided so as to fit within a thickness of a shutter plate. The paper feed cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a chip transport belt for transporting chips to the back of the chip storage unit is incorporated in the vicinity of the entrance of the chip storage unit.

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