JP4590360B2 - cassette - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for transferring ink recorded on an ink sheet by a thermal head onto a recording sheet for recording, and a cassette that can be attached to the recording apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printer devices as computer output devices and digital video output devices can be classified into thermal transfer printer devices, ink jet printer devices, laser printer devices, wire dot printer devices, and the like according to their recording methods. Among them, the thermal transfer printer device uses an ink sheet and a recording paper, selectively drives a plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction, and conveys the ink sheet and the recording paper in the sub scanning direction. Thus, printing is performed on the recording paper in the form of dot lines. In recent years, with the progress of image input devices such as digital cameras, digital video cameras, and scanners on the input side, attention has been paid to thermal transfer printer devices. The thermal transfer printer is a printer suitable for printing out image information captured by an imaging device such as a digital camera or a digital video camera that records a still image via a computer or a recording medium.

  For example, in a printer apparatus such as an ink jet printer apparatus, there is only a binary selection as to whether or not to form dots, so that an apparent resolution and gradation can be obtained by a method such as error diffusion while forming small dots on a recording sheet. Try to get sex. On the other hand, in the thermal transfer printer device, the heat value can be easily controlled for one pixel, so that a large gradation can be obtained for one pixel. Therefore, there is an advantage that a smooth and high-quality image can be obtained as compared with other printer apparatuses such as an ink jet printer apparatus. Further, since the thermal transfer printer device has improved the performance of the thermal head and the performance of the recording paper material, it is possible to obtain an image print that is not inferior to a silver salt photograph even in the finished quality. For this reason, it is attracting attention as a printer for natural images so as to keep pace with the recent progress of digital cameras.

  Furthermore, a system has also appeared in which image information captured by an imaging device is directly connected to a thermal transfer printer device and an imaging device for printing without using a computer or a recording medium. According to such a system, since print settings are performed from the image pickup apparatus, it is possible to easily print out image information, and the degree of attention to the thermal transfer printer apparatus is increasing.

  In the thermal transfer method, in order to perform full color printing, it is necessary to repeatedly transfer inks of a plurality of colors, and a general configuration for realizing this will be described below.

  A first example of a general configuration of a conventional thermal transfer printer is shown in FIG. As shown in (a), only the uppermost recording paper is separated and fed from the recording paper cassette 107 by the paper feed roller 108 and the separation means 109 and conveyed between the thermal head 104 and the platen roller 105. The In the printing operation, first, the recording paper P is wound around the platen roller 105 having an outer circumference slightly longer than the entire length of the recording paper P, and the ink sheet 106 and the recording paper P are pressed against each other by the thermal head 104 and the platen roller 105. Next, the platen roller 105 is rotated while the ink on the ink sheet 106 is thermally transferred onto the recording paper P by the heat generated by the thermal head 104. As shown in (b), in order to print the next color after printing the first color, the thermal head 104 is released and the platen roller 105 is rotated to advance the recording paper P to the printing start position. The second and subsequent colors are printed in the same operation as the first color. In this way, full-color printing is performed by superimposing three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan.

  FIG. 33 shows a second example of a general configuration of a conventional thermal transfer printer. As shown in (a), only the uppermost recording paper P is separated and fed from the recording paper P loaded on the paper cassette 201 by the paper feed roller 202 and the separating means 203 and conveyed to the thermal head 204 and the platen roller 205. In the printing operation, first, the ink sheet 206 and the recording paper P are pressed against each other by the thermal head 204 and the platen roller 205. Next, while the ink on the ink sheet 206 is thermally transferred onto the recording paper P by the heat generated by the thermal head 204, the recording paper P is conveyed by a pair of capstan rollers 207 and a pinch roller 208 provided downstream in the printing direction. Do. As shown in (b), after the first color is printed, the next color is printed. Therefore, the pressure contact of the thermal head 204 is released, the capstan roller 207 and the pinch roller 208 are rotated in the opposite directions to the printing operation, the recording paper P is returned to the printing start position, and the second color is operated in the same manner as the first color. Print the rest. In this way, full-color printing is performed by superimposing three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan.

  In both the example of FIG. 32 and the example of FIG. 33, the recording paper and the ink sheet in the paper cassette are consumables and need to be replaced / supplemented according to use. In general, the ink sheet is supplied to the user by a cartridge in which both ends of the ink sheet are wound around two bobbins and the two bobbins and the ink sheet are housed in a frame. No. 210 shows the frame of the cartridge. The cartridge has gaps such as 110a and 201a shown in the figure, and when the cartridge is inserted, the cartridge is guided and placed in a predetermined position so that the thermal heads 104 and 204 provided in the main body are accommodated in the gap of the cartridge. Installed.

  The above two methods are common in the past. In the first example, a platen roller having an outer periphery slightly longer than the entire length of the recording paper P is required, so that the apparatus becomes large, and a mechanism for winding and holding the recording paper around the platen roller is not shown in FIG. There is a demerit that the apparatus becomes complicated because it is necessary. However, since printing of the second color is immediately behind the printing of the first color after the printing of the first color is completed, there is an advantage that the time for returning the recording paper is not required as in the second example, and the printing time can be increased. Conversely, the second example has a demerit that the printing time is extended, but has an advantage that the apparatus can be easily downsized and simplified.

  In the above-described thermal transfer type printer apparatus, in order to obtain a good print, it is necessary to use a thermal transfer print dedicated paper having a surface on which ink is easily transferred as a recording paper. Therefore, an ink cartridge containing ink sheets for 50 recording sheets and 50 recording sheets are sold as a set. The user had to unpack the recording paper and ink cartridges sold as a set, and loaded the ink cartridge into the main body and the recording paper into the paper cassette to use the printer device.

  In the case of a thermal transfer printer, it is less wasteful to prepare different ink sheets according to the size of recording paper as shown in FIG. Therefore, for example, an A6 size recording paper and an ink cartridge containing an A6 size ink sheet are sold as a set, and an A7 size recording paper and an A7 size ink sheet are sold as a set. Buy according to their usage. When A7 size printing is performed after A6 size printing is performed, the A6 size recording paper and the A6 size ink cartridge must be taken out and replaced with the A7 size recording paper and the A7 size ink cartridge. Don't be. The A6 size recording paper and the A6 size ink cartridge taken out at this time must be stored for later use. Ink cartridges and recording papers are separate, and recording papers and ink cartridges do not like dust or direct sunlight, so they have to be stored in a storage bag or the like.

As an invention for solving these troublesomeness, a cartridge in which an ink sheet and a recording paper are integrally stored as in Patent Documents 1 and 2 has been invented.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-81660 JP 2000-108442 A

  However, Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which an ink cartridge and a paper cassette are integrated, but a printing operation cannot be performed in a state in which an ink sheet is stored in the cartridge. Therefore, in order to perform the printing operation, a mechanism for taking out the ink sheet from the cartridge and loading it to the printing position is required, and there is a problem that the apparatus becomes complicated by that mechanism and the reliability is lowered. Patent Document 2 is an improvement of the problem of Patent Document 1. In this invention, after storing the integrated cartridge, it is not necessary to load the ink sheet to the printing position, and the printing operation is performed in the stored state. Can be done. Therefore, the configuration does not make the user feel bothered to install the ink sheet and recording paper separately in the printer device or to store the removed ink sheet and recording paper separately when using different types of recording paper. ing. However, when photographic printing is the first purpose, the paper to be used requires a predetermined thickness in order to ensure its storage stability, durability or print quality. Therefore, if the paper is extremely bent during conveyance for printing, scratches or wrinkles may occur on the stamp screen. In addition, when the recording paper is thick, for example, when the recording paper is separated from the cassette by a claw separation method or the like, the separation reliability is low if there is not enough space for the recording paper to be bent at the time of separation. turn into. In Patent Document 2, the paper transport path is formed by a cassette. However, in order to prevent damage to the paper and to prevent extreme bending in order to increase the transport reliability, the outer shape of the cassette has a slightly larger radius R. Is forming. However, the inside of the R shape is a useless space to form this transport path. Further, in order to make the conveyance path bend smoothly, the thickness direction of the cassette is required to some extent, and there is a limit to downsizing. Eventually, the size becomes larger than the minimum necessary for storing the ink sheet of paper, and the size of the printer main body is increased.

  The present invention is to provide a recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette and a small printer with high usability that can cope with these problems.

  In general, in sublimation printing which is one of thermal transfer printing methods, it is necessary to strongly press the platen roller and the thermal head between the ink sheet and the recording paper during printing. For this reason, the ink sheet is wound up while being pulled strongly during printing. At this time, since the recording paper ink sheet cassette is partly in contact with the ink sheet in the vicinity of the ink sheet traveling path, if the ink sheet tension is insufficient and the rigidity is insufficient, bending or deformation occurs. In some cases, the running of the ink sheet becomes unstable.

  Further, for the convenience of manufacturing, the recording paper / ink sheet integrated cassette may be composed of a recording paper storage unit side and two housings on the ink sheet storage unit side, or three or more housings. Many. However, if a plurality of openings are required for functions such as recording paper discharge, it may be difficult to maintain rigidity as the housing. In addition, considering the manufacturing process, it is desirable that the two frames be coupled easily by assembling the claws and holes using the elastic deformation of the resin material. It may be difficult to maintain the required rigidity.

  The present invention provides a cassette and a printer capable of maintaining the rigidity of an ink cassette at the time of printing and preventing deformation due to a load while providing a cassette and a small printer with an integrated recording paper ink sheet having high usability. It is for providing.

In order to solve such a problem, the cassette of the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
The ink applied to the ink sheet by the thermal head can be mounted on a recording device for recording on the recording paper, and the recording sheet storage portion for storing the recording paper and the ink sheet on one side of the recording paper storage portion A first ink sheet storage unit that stores the wound first bobbin, and a second ink sheet storage unit that stores a second bobbin that winds up the ink sheet drawn from the first ink sheet storage unit. The paper storage unit, the first ink sheet storage unit, and the second ink sheet are integrally formed, and the recording paper storage unit is positioned in the axial direction of the first bobbin more than the first ink sheet storage unit and the second ink sheet storage unit. In the projecting cassette, a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the first bobbin of the casing that forms the first ink sheet storage unit and the second ink sheet storage unit, on the side from which the recording paper storage unit projects An engagement means for engaging with the engaging portion of the recording device, and a thermal head when the cassette is mounted on the recording device between the first ink sheet storage portion and the second ink sheet storage portion; A space in which the paper feed roller can enter and a first opening provided between the first ink sheet storage portion and the second ink sheet storage portion on one side of the recording paper storage portion, and the cassette is a recording device And a first opening provided so that the paper feed roller can come into contact with the recording paper in the recording paper storage portion when mounted on the recording paper, and the first opening is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the first bobbin. And a surface of the recording paper storage portion that continues to a surface protruding from the first ink sheet storage portion and the second ink sheet storage portion.

  The cassette of the present invention is engaged with the engaging portion of the recording apparatus in the ink cassette integrated with the recording paper, which has a reduced rigidity due to the provision of an opening between the two ink storing and storing portions, and is easily deformed. Engaging means is provided. Therefore, the rigidity of the cassette can be maintained, and deformation of the cassette can be prevented.

(First embodiment)
The configuration of the recording paper / ink sheet integrated cassette according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is an overall view of a recording paper / ink sheet integrated cassette according to the present invention, and 10 is an upper case for mainly loading and storing recording paper. Reference numeral 11 denotes a lower case that forms an ink-sheet storage portion with the upper case 10, 20 denotes a supply-side storage portion that stores an ink sheet before use for printing, and 21 denotes ink after use for printing. It is a winding side storage unit for storing a sheet.

  Reference numeral 30 denotes a discharge port for taking out the recording paper one by one from the cassette, and forms a substantially rectangular opening adjacent to the supply side storage section 20 and at the end of the recording paper storage section over the entire length of the recording paper. Yes. Separating claws 31 and 32 for separating recording sheets one by one are provided at the corners of the discharge port 30. The upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are injection-molded plastics, thereby reducing costs.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the take-up shaft of the ink sheet.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 denotes a belt-like ink sheet, which is wound around a first bobbin 12a, and the tip is attached to a second bobbin 12b for winding by adhesion or the like. The ink sheet 12 is stored in an ink sheet storage portion formed between the upper case 10 and the lower case 11, the first bobbin 12a is in the supply side storage portion 20, and the second bobbin 12b is in the take-up side storage portion. 21 respectively. The first bobbin is supported by two end surfaces forming the supply side storage portion of the cassette casing formed by the upper case and the lower case, and the second bobbin forms the winding side storage portion 2 of the cassette casing. Supported by two end faces.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes recording paper, which is stored in the recording paper storage portion 22 of the upper case 10 in the same number as the number of printable ink sheets 12. For example, if 50 sheets of the ink sheet 12 are wound up, 50 recording sheets 13 are also stored. That is, in the recording paper / ink sheet integrated cassette according to the present invention, for example, when printing for 50 screens is finished, the recording paper and the ink sheet are used at the same time, and only one of them does not finish using first. For this reason, only one of them is not replenished or replaced. When the user has finished using the cassette, the user only has to replace the entire cassette, and the labor of replacement can be saved.

  Reference numeral 200 denotes an upper surface opening when the recording paper 13 and the protective sheet are assembled into the recording paper storage unit 22, and when the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer and a printing operation is performed, the recording paper 13 is fed from the upper surface opening 200 to a paper feed roller. This is an opening for applying pressure in the direction of 48.

  Reference numeral 14 denotes a protective sheet for preventing the recording paper 13 from being stained and scratched. The outer shape of the recording sheet 13 has substantially the same outer dimensions as the recording paper 13, and the recording paper storage section is stacked on the top of the recording paper 13. 22 are stored. As shown in FIG. 2, there is a space 33 between the ink sheet 12 and the recording paper 13, and this is a space where a head unit, which will be described later, is located when this cassette is loaded in the printer. An opening 34 is provided in the middle of the upper case 10 between the supply side storage unit 20 and the winding side storage unit 21. The opening 34 extends over almost the entire area of the recording paper storage unit 22 in the longitudinal direction, and is connected to a side opening 34a on the side surface of the upper case 10 as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 35 denotes an end surface on the cassette insertion direction side of the casing forming the ink sheet supply side storage section 20, that is, a support surface for supporting the first bobbin of the cassette casing. It is the 1st fitting hole provided in the surface. Similarly, 36 is an end surface on the cassette insertion direction side of the casing forming the winding side storage portion 21, that is, a support surface for supporting the second bobbin of the cassette casing. It is the 2nd fitting hole provided in the surface. These fitting holes 35 and 36 are fitted with a fitting shaft on the printer body side when the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer, thereby preventing deformation of the upper cover and the lower cover near the take-up shaft of the ink sheet. In order to stabilize the running and winding of the ink sheet.

  Reference numeral 37 denotes a cassette discriminating projection whose shape varies depending on the type of cassette. The cassette discriminating projection 37 changes the projection shape according to the size of the recording paper or the type of the ink sheet, and the printer body discriminates this to determine the recording paper or the recording paper according to the type of the ink sheet. This is for controlling the conveyance and printing.

  The types of cassettes will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 15 and 16 show three types of cassettes having different recording paper sizes. FIGS. (A), (b), and (c) show post size, L size, and card size cassettes, respectively. Is shown. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the supply side storage section as viewed from the discharge port 30 side. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the recording paper storage portion 22 of the upper case 10 and the ink sheet storage portion formed by the lower case 11 have the same dimensions in the direction perpendicular to the ink sheet take-up shaft. Further, depending on the size of the recording paper, the size of the recording paper storage unit 22 differs in the ink sheet take-up shaft direction. However, the dimensions of the ink sheet storage portion in the take-up axis direction are the same regardless of the size of the recording paper. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the width of the ink sheet 12 differs depending on the size of each recording paper, but the length of the shaft for winding the ink sheet is set to be the same regardless of the size of the recording paper as in the ink sheet storage portion. It is. Further, the fitting holes 35 and 36 described above are provided on the end face of the ink sheet storage portion, and the cassette discrimination protrusion is also provided on the end face of the ink sheet storage portion.

  Next, an assembly method of the recording paper / ink sheet integrated cassette 1 will be described in order with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the first bobbin 12a and the second bobbin 12b of the ink sheet 12 with the recording paper storage portion 22 of the upper case 10 facing down are respectively cut into semicircular cuts 10b and U-shaped in the upper case 10. Into the notch 10c. The lower case 11 is assembled into the upper case 10 from above, and the claw 10a of the upper case 10 is engaged with the hole 11b of the lower case 11, and the claw 11a of the lower case 11 is engaged with the hole 10d of the upper case 10. Thus, the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are engaged. Although not visible in the figure, similar claws and holes are arranged in the rear of the figure, and the main part of the lower case 11 is fixed to the upper case 10. Further, in the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of the present invention, the welding shaft 80 provided in the upper case 10 and the welding hole 81 provided in the lower case 11 are coupled by thermal welding. Here, the upper cover and the lower cover are bonded by thermal welding, but may be welded by ultrasonic waves. Further, the upper cover 10 and the lower cover 11 may be coupled by screwing, as long as they are securely fixed and coupled.

  Details will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 4A shows a state in which the ink sheet 12 shown in FIG. 3 and the lower case 11 are assembled to the upper case 10, and in this state, the welding shaft 80 of the upper case 10 is attached to the lower case 11. It penetrates the welding hole 81. In this state, the tip of the welding shaft 80 is deformed by pressing the terminal 82 of the welding tool against the tip of the welding shaft 80 while applying a predetermined load. Then, the outer diameter of the welding shaft 80 becomes larger than the welding hole 81 as shown by 80a shown in FIG. 4B, and is firmly fixed and coupled to the lower case 11 from the upper side of the drawing. Become. 4 Since the tip shape of the terminal 82 of the welding tool is a concave shape of the sphere R, the deformed shape 80a of the welding shaft 80 is a sphere R shape. The shaft 80 is deformed into a flat shape, and the same effect can be obtained in this case. Further, the terminal 82 may be either one provided with a heater, or one that generates heat by vibrating the welding shaft 80 by ultrasonic vibration. At this time, the tip of the welding shaft 80 has a conical shape. Even in this case, deformation tends to occur from the conical tip.

  The incorporation of the recording paper 13 and the protective sheet 14 will be described with reference to FIG. After assembling the ink sheet 12 and the lower case 11 to the upper case 10, 50 pressing sheets of recording paper 13 and one protective sheet 14 are stacked on the upper case 10. Insert into the back side of 10e from an oblique direction. At this time, the recording paper 13 is not dropped from the discharge port 30 by the two separation claws 31 and 32 provided at the corner of the discharge port 30. After the recording paper and the protective sheet 14 are loaded into the upper case 10, the pressing members 15 and 16 are attached to the remaining two corner portions of the upper case 10 to hold the four corner portions of the recording paper 13. The recording paper storage unit 23 is stored so as not to drop out. The holding members 15 and 16 are also made of resin, and are attached to the upper case 10 by claws using elastic deformation of the resin. As described above, the recording paper / ink sheet integrated cassette according to the present invention mainly accommodates the recording paper and the ink sheet with the two parts of the upper case 10 and the lower case 11, and does not require many parts and can be downsized. Is.

  Next, a printer using the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 40 denotes a printer main body, showing a state in which a side door 41 is opened, and a cassette insertion slot 42 is exposed. The cassette insertion opening 42 is substantially the same shape as the cross section of the cassette 1 and is an opening that is slightly larger. The end of the head unit 45 can be seen in the cassette insertion slot 42. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the cassette 1 is inserted into the cassette insertion opening 42. As shown in FIG. 8, when the cassette 1 is inserted into the printer body, the tip of the head unit 45 is slightly exposed from the opening 17 of the cassette 1, and the shaft 46 at the tip of the head unit 45 protrudes from the cassette 1 by a predetermined amount. Become. When the door 41 is closed in this state, the engagement hole 41a provided in the inner surface of the door 41 is fitted into the shaft 46, and the tip position of the head unit 45 is restricted, so that the printer can be used.

  FIG. 9 shows a thermal head unit 45 of a printer using the recording paper ink ribbon integrated cassette according to the present invention.

  A thermal head 47 is electrically connected to a print control board in the main body. Reference numeral 48 denotes a paper feed roller, and both ends of the shaft 48 a are rotatably supported on the head unit 45. A gear 49 is attached to one end of the shaft 48a so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 48a, and the feed roller 48 is driven to rotate by a connection gear (not shown).

  Reference numeral 50 denotes an urging member for urging the recording paper in the cassette in the right direction in the drawing. The urging member 50 has a distal end portion 50a fitted to the shaft 48a, and the other end held by a rail 51 fixed to the head frame 55 so as to be slidable in the cassette loading direction. Is being energized.

  Reference numeral 53 denotes a photo reflector for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper in the cassette, and is attached to the head unit 45 by a holder 54. FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the photo reflector 53 attached. As shown in FIG. 10, the light projecting and receiving portions of the photo reflector 53 are attached to the head unit 45 upward, and are fixed by covering with a holder 54.

  Reference numerals 56 and 57 denote a first fitting shaft and a second fitting shaft for preventing the cassette 1 from being deformed when the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer main body. When the cassette 1 is loaded, the cassette 1 is fitted into the first determination hole 35 and the second fitting hole 36 provided in the cassette 1 to restrict the position of the cassette 1 in the printer main body.

  A cassette discriminating switch 58 discriminates the cassette type. When the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer body, the cassette type is discriminated by the shape of the protrusion provided on the cassette 1.

  Reference numeral 59 denotes a winding shaft that engages with the second bobbin 12b of the cassette 1 when the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer body, and drives the ink sheet sheet 12 to wind up during printing. The winding shaft 59 is connected to the gears 59a and 59b and is controlled to rotate at a predetermined speed during the printing operation. Reference numeral 60 denotes a driven shaft that rotates when the ink sheet 12 is rolled up. For example, the driven shaft 60 detects a rotation operation and checks whether the ink sheet 12 is reliably supplied.

  The head unit 45 described above is installed in the main body of the printer 40, and the state in which the cassette 1 is loaded into the head unit 45 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13. FIG. The cassette 1 is inserted into and loaded into the printer 40 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. At that time, the head unit 45 enters the space 33 between the ink sheet 12 and the recording paper 13 exposed between the ink sheet supply side storage portion and the ink sheet take-up side storage portion shown in FIG. It will be.

  FIG. 12 is a view of this state as viewed from the back side of the cassette 1. As shown in FIG. 12, the head unit 45 is in a space 33 above the ink sheet 12 and below the recording paper 13. FIG. 13 shows a state where the cassette 1 is completely loaded, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the details thereof. 13 and 14, the first fitting shaft 56 is fitted into the first fitting hole 35 and the second fitting shaft 57 is fitted into the second fitting hole 36. The winding shaft 59 is fitted to the second bobbin 12b, and the driven shaft 60 is fitted to the first bobbin 12a. Further, the cassette discrimination switch 58 is pressed by the cassette discrimination projection 37.

  The fitting holes 35 and 36 and the cassette discriminating protrusion 37 are provided on the end surface of the ink sheet storage unit having the same dimensions regardless of the size of the recording paper. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of fitting shafts 56 and 57 on the printer main body side and a cassette discriminating switch according to the paper size. Further, since the first bobbin 12a and the second bobbin 12b have the same total length, the winding shaft 59 and the driven shaft 60 do not need to be variable in total length, position, and the like. As described above, even if the cassette has a plurality of recording paper sizes or a cassette having a plurality of ink sheet 12 sizes, the outer dimensions of the ink sheet storage section are the same, and the fitting holes 35 and 36 and the cassette discriminating protrusion 37 are provided. Arranged in the ink sheet storage. Further, by making the entire lengths of the first bobbin 12a and the second bobbin 12b common, the configuration inside the printer main body can be simplified.

  FIG. 17 shows a state in which the cassette 1 is completely loaded in the printer 40, and the recording paper 13 and the protective sheet are not shown for easy understanding. As shown in FIG. 17, a paper feed roller 48 and a photo reflector 53 are located in the opening 34 of the upper case 10. The urging member 50 is located inside the side opening 34a.

  FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the urging member 50, the cassette 1, and the recording paper 13. In FIG. 18, the urging member 50 is urged to the right in the figure by the spring 52 as described above, and the contact surface 50a protrudes from the side opening 34a into the upper case 10 and contacts the end surface of the recording paper 13. Yes. At this time, since there is a gap with the outer side surface of the upper case 10, the recording paper 13 is surely offset in the right direction in the figure, that is, in the direction opposite to the cassette insertion direction. The inclined surface 50b provided with the biasing member 50 guides the recording paper to the contact surface 50a without being caught when the recording paper 13 is pressed by the pressure plate 75 and moves in the direction of the arrow in the figure. It is. In this way, the recording sheets 13 on the contact surface 50a side are fed one by one.

  Next, the operation of the urging member 50 will be described.

  FIGS. 20A and 20B are simplified diagrams for easy understanding of the relationship between the separation claw and the recording paper in the case where the urging member 50 is not employed. In FIG. 20A, 100 is an upper case, and 101 and 102 are separation claws. Reference numeral 110 denotes a recording paper, and a leading end corner portion in the discharge direction is hooked on the separation claw. In general, recording paper has an error when it is cut, so there is a tolerance in the vertical and horizontal dimensions. The inner dimension L1 of the recording paper storage portion of the upper case 100 needs to have a gap with respect to the upper limit (Lmax) of the longitudinal dimension of the recording paper. Therefore, the gap becomes large when the longitudinal dimension L is a tolerance lower limit. FIG. 20B shows a state where the longitudinal dimension L is a recording sheet having a dimensional tolerance lower limit (Lmin) and the recording sheet is shifted to the right side in the cassette 100. In this case, the amount X1 applied to the right separation claw 101 of the recording paper 103 and the amount X2 applied to the left separation claw 102 are greatly different. For example, as shown in FIG. 20B, when the tolerance of the longitudinal dimension L is ± 0.5 mm, the dimensional difference between the recording paper with the upper limit of dimension tolerance (Lmax) and the recording paper with the upper limit of dimension tolerance (Lmin) is 1.0 mm. It is. Further, when the margin of the inner dimension of the cassette 100 is set to 0.1 mm on each side, a gap of 1.2 mm is generated on the recording paper having a dimensional tolerance lower limit (Lmin). Therefore, the difference between the amounts X1 and X2 applied to the separation claws 101 and 102 is 1.2 mm.

  There is no problem if the amount applied to the separation claw is large enough to ignore this difference, but when using recording paper of a size and quality that prints a photo, considering the load of separation driving and damage to the recording paper It is not possible to use such a large separation claw. Therefore, it is difficult to use a separation claw having a size that can ignore the difference of 1.2 mm, and the difference in separation timing becomes large when the recording paper performs a claw separation operation. In the worst case, separation is not possible. It will cause defects.

  Hereinafter, the cassette 1 adapted to the urging member 50 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 (a), 19 (b) and 19 (c). This is also a simplified diagram for easy understanding. FIGS. 19A, 19B, and 19C are views seen from the outlet 30 side of the cassette 1 and show the relationship between the recording paper 13 and the separation claws 31, 32. FIG. FIG. 19A shows the case where the longitudinal dimension L of the recording paper is the upper limit of tolerance (Lmax). At this time, the longitudinal dimension L1 of the recording paper storage portion of the upper case 10 is set so that the recording paper 13 can be stored with a margin even when the longitudinal dimension L of the recording paper 13 is the upper limit of the tolerance. In this embodiment, when the longitudinal dimension L of the recording paper 13 is the upper limit of tolerance, the dimension is set so that a 0.2 mm gap is formed as shown in the figure.

  (B) shows the case where the longitudinal dimension L is the nominal dimension, and (c) shows the lower limit (Lmin) of the tolerance. In each of FIGS. 19A and 19B, the left side is the loading direction of the cassette 1, and the right side is the direction in which the cassette 1 is taken out. Therefore, the urging member 50 for displacing the recording sheet 13 is urged from the left to the right, and the right inner wall is in contact with the upper case 10.

  When the longitudinal dimension L is the nominal dimension as shown in (b), the separation claws 31 and 32 are arranged on the separation claw 32 so that the engagement amounts X1 and X2 between the separation claws 31 and 32 and the recording paper 13 are equal. On the other hand, the separation claw 31 is set larger. When the sizes of the separation claws 31 and 32 are set in this way, the recording paper 13 is biased toward the separation claws 32 by the biasing biasing member 50. Therefore, when the longitudinal dimension L varies within the tolerance. The difference between the engagement amounts X1 and X2 is equal to or less than the tolerance of the longitudinal dimension L.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 19A, the amount X2max applied to the separation claw 31 is equal to the dimension L in the longitudinal direction of the recording paper 13 with respect to the amount X1 applied to the separation claw 32 when the recording paper tolerance upper limit (Lmax) is reached. Only the tolerance increases. For example, if the longitudinal dimension tolerance is ± 0.5 mm, the engagement amount X2max is larger than the engagement amount X1 by 0.5 mm.

  On the other hand, at the tolerance lower limit (Lmin), the amount X2min applied to the separation claw 31 is smaller by the tolerance of the longitudinal dimension L of the recording paper 13 than the amount X1 applied to the separation claw 32, and the amount X2min is related. It becomes smaller by 0.5 mm than the amount X1.

  Therefore, the difference in the amount applied to the separation claw in the case of not using the biasing member 50 for the one-sided shift is 1.2 m on the left and right, whereas in the case of the cassette 1 adapted to the biasing member 50 according to the present invention, recording is performed. The dimensional tolerance of the paper can be suppressed to 0.5 mm. The difference in the amount of recording paper between the left and right separation claws can be minimized, the difference in separation timing can be reduced when the recording paper performs claw separation, and the occurrence of defects such as inability to separate can be suppressed. I can do it.

  Next, the operation of the printer 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 21 shows the standby position before printing loaded in the cassette 1 printer 40. A pressure plate 75 presses the recording paper 13 toward the paper feed roller 48 when feeding paper. Since the state of FIG. 21 is the standby position, the pressure plate 75 is at a position separated from the recording paper 13. From this state, the pressure plate 75 moves downward in the figure, and is pressed from the upper surface opening 200 to the recording paper 13 with a predetermined pressure. When the paper feed roller 48 rotates counterclockwise, only one sheet of recording paper 13 in contact with the paper feed roller 48 moves to the left in the figure, nail separation is performed, and the recording paper 13 is discharged from the discharge port 30. Is done.

  FIG. 22 shows a state in which the discharged recording paper 13 has been fed out from the cassette 1 by a predetermined amount.

  As shown in the figure, the recording paper 13 bends along the first storage portion 20 of the ink sheet 12 and exits from the discharge port 30. The recording paper 13 is a photographic paper for thermal transfer. If it is bent extremely, scratches, wrinkles, etc. will occur on the printing screen. However, in the printer of the present invention, as shown in the figure, it is adjacent to the ink sheet supply side storage section. In the space D below the discharge port 30, it can bend gently. Further, since the feed roller 48 can be driven near the approximate center of the recording paper 13, a sufficient length to bend the recording paper 13 can be secured, so that the reliability of separation is improved and the recording paper 13 is extremely It is possible to minimize damage to the recording paper 13 without causing bending. This is because the take-up side storage portion 21 of the ink sheet is arranged along the end of the recording paper storage portion 22, so that the space D can be secured.

  Further, since the paper feed roller 48 is installed in the head unit 45, the size of the apparatus can be reduced, and the upper surface opening 200 for loading and pressurizing the recording paper 13 is provided on the opposite side. Pressure is possible.

  After the recording paper 13 is fed by a predetermined amount, the recording paper 13 is pressed against the first roller 62 by the roller plate 61 as shown in FIG. 23, and is further pulled out from the cassette 1 by the rotation of the first roller 62. FIG. 24 shows a state in which the recording paper 13 is completely pulled out from the cassette 1 and fed by a predetermined amount. From this state, the recording paper 13 is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the surface of the recording paper 13. FIG. 25 shows a state during rotation. The rotation of the recording paper 13 is performed by piercing the two first rollers counterclockwise. The first roller 62a is rotated in the direction for drawing the recording paper 13 into the printer 40, and the first roller 62b is rotated in the direction for feeding out the printer 40. FIG. 26 shows a state where the rotation is completed. From this state, the recording paper 13 is fed into the printer 40 by the first rollers 62a and 62b, and the printing operation is started.

  The roller plate 61, the rollers 61a and 62b, and the roller plate 61 used for transporting the recording paper 13 described above are also the space D in which the ink sheet winding side storage portion 21 is arranged along the right side of the recording paper storage portion 22 in the drawing. Therefore, the printer 40 can be downsized. Further, since the discharge port 30 is provided outside the ink sheet supply side storage unit 21 that is upstream of the conveyance path during printing, the recording paper 13 can smoothly shift to print conveyance, and wasteful conveyance is performed. There is nothing.

  FIG. 27 shows a printing state. In the printing operation, the ink sheet 12 and the recording paper 13 are pressed against each other by the thermal head 45 and the platen roller 64, and the ink on the ink sheet 12 is thermally transferred onto the recording paper 13 by the heat generated by the thermal head 45. At that time, the recording paper 13 is conveyed by a pair of capstan roller 65 and pinch roller 66 provided downstream in the printing direction. When printing of the first color is completed, the thermal head 45 is moved away from the ink sheet 12 to release the pressure contact, and the capstan roller 65 and the pinch roller 66 are rotated in the opposite directions to the printing operation position. The recording paper 13 is returned to. The second and subsequent colors are printed in the same operation as the first color. In this way, full-color printing is performed by superimposing three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan.

  When printing is completed, the recording paper 13 is discharged to the outside on the downstream side of the conveyance path of the printer 40. If the user performs a printing operation, the above operation is repeated, and printing can be performed until the recording paper 13 and the ink sheet 12 stored in the cassette 1 run out. Since the recording paper 13 and the ink sheet 12 contain the same number of prints, it is basically not that one of them disappears first. The printer according to the present invention detects that the recording paper 13 has run out and does not perform a printing operation.

  Next, a method for detecting the presence or absence of the recording paper 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 28B shows a state where the record 13 is still sufficient. As shown in FIG. 28B, the photo reflector 53 is installed in a direction substantially opposite to the recording paper 13. When the printing operation is performed, the pressure plate 75 is pressed against the recording paper 13 so that the recording paper 13 is pressed against the photo reflector 53 side. The infrared light projected from the photoreflector 53 is reflected by the back surface of the recording paper 13, and the photoreflector 53 detects the reflected light. When the printer detects the reflected light, it determines that there is a recording sheet. Since the recording paper 13 is generally white, the reflectance is relatively high, and recording paper detection is easy. Further, since the detection operation is performed only when the pressure plate 75 is in the pressed position, the distance between the recording paper and the photo reflector is reduced, so that highly reliable detection can be performed.

  FIG. 28A shows a state in which the printing operation is performed in a state where there is no recording paper 13 and only the protective sheet 14 remains, and the pressure plate 75 is in the pressing position and the presence or absence of the recording paper 13 is detected. Yes. As shown in FIG. 29, the portion of the protective sheet 14 facing the photo reflector 53 is provided with ink that reduces the reflectance of infrared light, for example, black printing 14a, and the photo reflector 53 detects the reflected light. It is determined that there is no recording paper 13 because it cannot be performed. In this embodiment, the low-reflectance ink is printed. However, instead of printing, the reflected light cannot be detected in the same manner even if a hole is made at a position facing the photo reflector 53, so that the same object is achieved. I can do it.

  Next, traveling of the ink sheet 12 during printing will be described. FIG. 30 is a view of the travel path of the ink sheet 12 during printing as viewed from the main body side of the printer 40. Here, the traveling route is a route on which the ink sheet 12 wound around the first bobbin 12a travels before being wound around the second bobbin 12b. This travel path is formed by guide portions 70, 72, 73 provided on the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 or the peeling plate 71, etc., for guiding the travel of the ink sheet. The ink sheet 12 wound around the first bobbin 12a is first turned toward the thermal head 47 by the first guide 70 of the upper case. After being printed by the thermal head 47, it is peeled off from the recording paper 13 by the peeling plate 71, and then further turned by the second guide 72 and the third guide 73 of the lower case 11 and wound around the second bobbin 12b. . Since the ink sheet 12 during printing needs to have a predetermined tension, a predetermined torque is applied to the first bobbin 12a by a friction spring or the like. Tension is also applied when the recording paper 13 is peeled off by the peeling plate 71. Therefore, a load is applied to the upper case 10 in the direction of the arrow d and the lower case 11 is applied to the direction of the arrow e. Each load is a torsional load applied to the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 as a moment about the first bobbin 12a and the second bobbin 12b. The upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are plastic injection-molded products as described above, and the upper case 10 further has an outlet 30 for discharging the recording paper 13, a paper feed roller 48, and an opening for the photo reflector 53. 34 is provided. Therefore, the rigidity of the periphery of the supply-side storage unit 20 provided in the vicinity of the opening is particularly lowered and is likely to be deformed. In addition, a large load is applied to the second guide 72 and the third guide 73 of the lower case 11 in the vicinity of the winding side storage portion 21 due to the tension and the torque at the time of winding. FIG. 31 shows a detailed view of part A of FIG. As shown in the figure, the loads of arrows g and f are applied to the second guide 72 and the third guide 73, and the periphery of the second guide 72 and the third guide 73 acts to bend in the direction of the arrow h from the periphery of the lower case 74. In this way, a large load is applied to the guide portion that is in contact with the ink sheet between the first bobbin and the second bobbin, and is easily deformed.

  When the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are deformed, the traveling path of the ink sheet 12 is distorted, and stable traveling cannot be performed. If stable running is not possible, meandering or wrinkles will occur when winding with the second bobbin 12b. If the wrinkles spread on the print path, it will develop into an important problem for the printer that wrinkles appear on the print screen. Therefore, it is very important to stabilize the travel path of the ink ribbon 12.

  In the printer of the present invention, when the cassette 1 is inserted, the ink sheet exposed between the first ink sheet storage unit on the ink sheet supply side and the ink sheet and the second ink sheet storage unit on the take-up side and the recording paper The head unit will enter the space between. The head unit includes a paper feed roller for driving to discharge the recording paper. A thermal head and a paper feed roller are arranged in this space as a head unit, and the recording paper is ejected to the surface between the first ink sheet storage portion and the second ink sheet storage portion of the recording paper storage portion of the recording paper integrated ink cassette. An opening is provided. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide separate spaces for disposing the thermal head and the paper feed roller, so that the size of the recording apparatus can be reduced.

  In the printer of the present invention, a paper feed roller is arranged not between the ink sheet storage unit but the first ink sheet storage unit on the ink sheet supply side, the ink sheet, and the second ink sheet storage unit on the take-up side. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a sufficient space for feeding the recording sheet by bending the recording sheet outside the ink sheet storage unit.

  Further, as described above, the cassette 1 of the present invention is provided with the fitting holes 35 and 36 in the upper cover and the lower cover that form the ink sheet storage portions 20 and 21. Therefore, when the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer 40, the running path of the ink sheet 12 is stabilized without being deformed by the torsional load by being fitted to the first fitting shaft 56 and the second fitting shaft 57, respectively. Can be achieved.

  The fitting means may be provided anywhere on the upper cover and the lower cover forming the ink sheet storage portions 20 and 21, but by providing the fitting means in the vicinity of the ink sheet conveyance path inside the first bobbin and the second bobbin. Furthermore, the travel route can be stabilized.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the first cover fitting hole is provided in the lower cover forming the ink sheet supply side storage portion 20, and the second fitting hole is provided in the upper cover forming the ink sheet winding side storage portion 21. Yes. Thus, by providing the fitting holes in the upper cover and the lower cover, both covers can be stabilized. In addition, by providing a fitting hole in the lower cover that forms the ink sheet supply side storage unit 20 surrounded by two openings and has a very low rigidity, a portion that is low in rigidity and easily deforms is provided. Can be reinforced. In addition, the fitting hole is provided near the position where the tension due to running the ink sheet or the load due to the winding of the ink sheet is applied, so that the load can be reduced, the moment applied to the upper case and the lower case is reduced, and the deformation is reduced. It is more effective because it can be prevented.

  In the above embodiment, the fitting hole is provided on the cassette 1 side and the fitting shaft is provided on the printer 40 side, but the fitting shaft is provided on the cassette side. A fitting hole may be provided on the printer side.

  Further, the shaft 35 provided in the upper case 10 and the hole 36 provided in the lower case 11 are coupled by heat welding. For this reason, the vicinity of the second guide 72 and the third guide 73 of the lower case 11 becomes more integrated with the upper case 10, so that the rigidity can be further increased and the travel route can be further stabilized. At this time, if the shaft 35 and the hole 36 are provided in the vicinity of the ink sheet conveyance path which is easily subjected to a load due to the tension or winding moment of the ink sheet, it is possible to prevent the upper case and the lower case from being detached due to the load. As in the above embodiment, when the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are coupled by the engagement of the claw and the hole using the elastic deformation of the resin material, the coupling may be released due to the load. It is particularly effective.

Explanatory drawing of the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of the present invention Sectional view of recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the assembly method of the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of this invention Explanatory drawing of the assembly method of the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of this invention Explanatory drawing of the assembly method of the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of this invention Explanatory drawing of the assembly method of the recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of this invention Explanatory drawing of a printer using a recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of the present invention Explanatory drawing of a printer using a recording paper ink sheet integrated cassette of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the thermal head unit 45 of the printer which uses the recording paper ink ribbon integrated cassette by this invention. Sectional drawing of the attachment state of the photo reflector 53 The figure which showed the state in which the cassette 1 is loaded with respect to the head unit 45. The figure which showed the state in which the cassette 1 is loaded with respect to the head unit 45. The figure which shows the state in which the cassette 1 was loaded in the printer 1 with respect to the head unit 45. The figure which shows the state in which the cassette 1 was loaded in the printer 1 with respect to the head unit 45. The figure which showed three types of cassettes from which the size of the recording paper of the recording paper ink ribbon integrated cassette by this invention differs The figure which showed three types of cassettes from which the size of the recording paper of the recording paper ink ribbon integrated cassette by this invention differs An explanatory view in which the recording paper 13 and the protective sheet are not shown in a state where the cassette 1 is loaded in the printer 40. Sectional drawing which showed the positional relationship of the position of the biasing member 50, the cassette 1, and the recording paper 13 The figure which showed the example of the cassette at the time of adopting and adopting the biasing member 50, and the relationship between the separation claw and the recording paper The figure which showed the example of the cassette in case the urging | biasing member 50 is not employ | adopted, and the relationship between a separation nail and recording paper The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining operation of printer 40 The figure explaining the detection method of the presence or absence of the recording paper 13 The figure explaining the detection method of the presence or absence of the recording paper 13 The figure explaining the traveling of the ink sheet 12 The figure explaining the traveling of the ink sheet 12 First example of a general configuration of a conventional thermal transfer printer Second example of a general configuration of a conventional thermal transfer printer Ink sheet development

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 104 Thermal head 105 Platen roller 106 Ink sheet 107 Recording paper cassette 108 Paper feed roller 109 Separation means 110 Cartridge frame 201 Paper cassette 202 Paper feed roller 203 Separation means 204 Thermal head 205 Platen roller 206 Ink sheet 207 Capstan roller 208 Pinch Roller 210 Cartridge frame 110d Cavity 210d Cavity 1 Cassette 10 Upper case 11 Lower case 12 Ink sheet 12a First bobbin 12b Second bobbin 13 Recording paper 14 Protective sheet 15 Holding member 16 Holding member 20 Ink sheet supply side storage 21 Ink sheet take-up side storage unit 22 Recording paper storage unit 23 Recording paper storage unit 30 Discharge port 31 Separation claw 32 Separation claw 33 Gap portion 34 Opening 34a Side surface Opening 35 First fitting hole 36 Second fitting hole 37 Cassette discriminating protrusion 40 Printer 41 Side door 41a System joint hole 42 Cassette insertion slot 45 Head unit 45 Head unit 46 Shaft 47 Thermal head 48 Paper feed roller 48a Shaft 49 Gear 50 urging member 51 rail 52 spring 53 photo reflector 54 holder 55 head frame 56 first fitting shaft 57 second fitting shaft 58 cassette discriminating switch 59 take-up shaft 60 driven shaft 61 roller plate 62 first roller 70 first Guide 71 Peeling plate 72 Second guide 73 Third guide 75 Pressure plate 80 Welding shaft 81 Welding hole 82 Welding tool terminal 100 Upper case 101 Separation claw 102 Separation claw 103 Recording paper 110 Recording paper 200 Opening

Claims (7)

The ink applied to the ink sheet by the thermal head can be mounted on a recording device that records and records on the recording paper,
A recording paper storage section for storing recording paper;
On one side of the recording paper storage unit, a first ink sheet storage unit that stores a first bobbin around which an ink sheet is wound, and a second bobbin that winds up an ink sheet drawn from the first ink sheet storage unit A second ink sheet storage section for storing,
The recording paper storage unit, the first ink sheet storage unit, and the second ink sheet are integrally formed, and the recording paper storage unit is more than the first ink sheet storage unit and the second ink sheet storage unit. In the cassette protruding in the axial direction of the first bobbin,
On a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the first bobbin of the housing that forms the first ink sheet storage portion and the second ink sheet storage portion, on the side from which the recording paper storage portion protrudes, Engagement means for engaging with an engagement portion of the recording apparatus;
A space between the first ink sheet storage unit and the second ink sheet storage unit in which a thermal head and a paper feed roller can enter when the cassette is mounted on a recording apparatus;
A first opening provided between the first ink sheet storage portion and the second ink sheet storage portion on the one side of the recording paper storage portion when the cassette is mounted on a recording apparatus The paper feed roller has a first opening provided so as to be in contact with the recording paper of the recording paper storage unit,
The first opening is a surface of the recording paper storage unit that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the first bobbin, and is a surface that protrudes beyond the first ink sheet storage unit and the second ink sheet storage unit. A cassette characterized by continuing to.   2. The engagement means is a first engagement means provided in the first ink sheet storage portion and a second engagement means provided in the second ink sheet storage portion. The cassette described in 1. The cassette is mainly the first housing of the recording sheet accommodating unit mainly consists second housing constituting the first ink sheet containing portion and the second ink sheet containing portion,
The said engaging means is the 1st engaging means provided in the said 1st housing | casing, and the 2nd engaging means provided in the said 2nd housing | casing, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Cassette.   The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the engaging means is located in the vicinity of a travel path of the ink sheet. The cassette is inserted in the direction parallel to the axis of the first bobbin,
The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engaging means is formed by fitting a shaft and a hole parallel to an insertion direction into the recording apparatus. Furthermore, the one side of the recording paper storage unit has a second opening for discharging the recording paper fed by the paper feed roller from the recording paper storage unit,
The cassette according to claim 1, wherein the first ink sheet storage portion is provided between the second opening and the first opening.   The cassette according to claim 6, wherein the second opening is provided with a separation claw for separating the recording sheets fed by the sheet feeding roller one by one.

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