JP5897484B2 - Printer device - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a printer apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Printers that perform printing on a single sheet and continuous sheet are known. In this printer, cut sheet paper is inserted from the front of the printer, and continuous paper is inserted into the printer from the back of the printer using a tractor feeder provided at the back of the printer, and printing is performed on each paper.

  Since the cut sheet conveyance path and continuous sheet conveyance path are provided at the same horizontal height, when printing on a cut sheet, the leading edge of the cut sheet reaches the tractor feeder due to the sheet length. . At that time, since the transport path has the same horizontal height, the leading edge of the cut sheet comes into contact with the tractor feeder. In order to prevent this, the tractor feeder is provided with a movable paper guide in the vicinity of the tractor feeder to change the conveyance height of the paper, and the tractor feeder has an angle between the paper conveyance path of the tractor feeder and the paper conveyance path of the cut sheet. There is known one provided with a mechanism for tilting.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-6585

  When a mechanism for grasping whether to print on a cut sheet or a continuous sheet and inclining a movable guide or a tractor feeder accordingly is adopted, the mechanism becomes complicated and the printer itself becomes large. In addition, even when the tractor feeder is fixed so that the paper transport path of the tractor feeder and the paper transport path of the cut sheet paper have an angle, if the cut sheet with curl at the tip is used, the tractor feeder The leading edge of the cut sheet abuts and a paper jam occurs.

  The present invention provides a printer apparatus that can be used even with a cut sheet with a curled tip.

One form of printing apparatus, a printing unit, and a sheet insertion portion for conveying the cut sheet paper toward the printing unit, the transporting the cut sheet paper is inserted by the sheet insertion unit toward the printing section A second sheet that joins at an angle with respect to the first conveyance path and the first conveyance path and conveys the continuous sheet from the direction different from the conveyance direction of the cut sheet toward the sheet insertion portion. Is provided in the vicinity of the merging position of the first conveyance path and the first conveyance path, and is biased in the conveyance direction of the cut sheet, and is tilted by the contact of the continuous sheet. a movable paper guide is provided by stretching the second transport path, to have a, a stretching member for stopping said movable sheet guide.

1 is a structural diagram of a printer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a control circuit configuration of a printer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram illustrating a posture of a movable paper guide according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing the posture of a movable paper guide when printing a cut sheet according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a structural diagram for explaining a defect according to a conventional embodiment. FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing the relationship between a movable paper guide and a stopper according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a structural diagram showing a relationship between a movable paper guide and a stopper according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, a printer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the printer apparatus described in the present embodiment includes a sheet that is conveyed from left to right and a sheet that is conveyed from right to left depending on the sheet type in FIG. For convenience, the left side of FIG. 1 will be described as the upstream side and the right side as the downstream side, regardless of the sheet conveyance direction.

  FIG. 1 shows a main configuration of the printer apparatus 10.

  An opening 12 is provided in the front surface 11 of the printer apparatus 10, and a manual feed tray 13 is provided in the opening 12 so as to be freely opened and closed.

  An upper conveyance guide 14 and a lower conveyance guide 15 are provided extending from the opening 12 of the printer device 10 toward the downstream side of the printer device 10, and a sheet is provided between the upper conveyance guide 14 and the lower conveyance guide 15. The cut sheet 28 and the continuous sheet 29 printed as the conveyance path 16 are conveyed.

  A feed roller 17 that can be rotated by a motor (not shown) on the downstream side of the opening 12 in the sheet conveyance direction, and an idler roller 18 that is opposed to the feed roller 17 with the sheet conveyance path 16 interposed therebetween, are fed. By sandwiching the roller 17 and the idler roller 18, the cut sheet 28 and the continuous sheet 29 are conveyed.

  On the downstream side of the feed roller 17, a dot impact head 19 and a platen roller 20 are disposed opposite to the dot impact head 19 with the paper conveyance path 16 interposed therebetween. The dot impact head 19, an ink ribbon and a platen roller (not shown) are arranged. 20 constitutes a printing unit 21.

  A tractor feeder 23 is provided on the back surface 22 of the printer device 10. The tractor feeder 23 conveys a continuous sheet 29 called a fanfold sheet toward the sheet conveyance path 16 of the printer apparatus 10.

  A movable sheet guide 24 is provided on the upstream side of the tractor feeder 23 with the rotation shaft 25 as a rotation center, and is urged by a spring 26 to a cut sheet printing position described later.

  A display unit 27 is provided above the front surface 11 of the printer device 10 to display various types of information including paper jam and paper out error information of the printer device 10.

  FIG. 2 shows the control unit 50 of the printer 10 described above. The control unit 50 has means for controlling the conveyance of the cut sheet 28 and the continuous sheet 29, the printing on the cut sheet 28 and the continuous sheet 29, the discharge of the cut sheet 28 and the continuous sheet 29, and the printer status display. Have.

  The control unit 50 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer that links with the host computer 51 and executes various controls. A central processing unit (MPU) 52 of the control unit 50 performs sheet conveyance control, printing control, sheet discharge control, printer status display control, and the like according to a program. The MPU 52 includes a timer 53 as means for performing time setting and time control.

  In addition, the control unit 50 is provided with a ROM 54 and a RAM 55 as main storage means for storing a control program executed by the MPU 52, data during control or calculation, and the like. The ROM 54 is a read-only memory having a control program and the like, and the RAM 55 is an occasional write memory for storing data and the like during calculation.

  In addition, the control unit 50 is provided with an input / output unit (I / O) 56 that takes in various input data from the host computer 51 and performs control output of the control unit 50 to the host computer 51. In the I / O 56, an MPU 52, a ROM 54, and a RAM 55 are linked through a bus.

  The I / O 56 is connected with first, second, third and fourth drivers 57, 58, 59 and 60 as means for taking out the control output.

  The driver 57 supplies necessary drive output to the printing unit 21. The driver 58 supplies a driving output to the feed roller 17. The driver 59 supplies a drive output to the tractor feeder 23. The driver 60 supplies the display unit 27 with a display drive output for performing various displays.

  Hereinafter, printing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

(Printing on cut paper 28)
Print data is transmitted from the host computer 51 to the printer apparatus 10. Along with this print data, a command to print on the cut sheet 28 is transmitted to the printer 10. For this reason, the printer device 10 does not start printing until the cut sheet 28 is inserted even if print data is received.

  The operator of the printer apparatus 10 puts the cut sheet 28 on the manual feed tray 13, and comes into contact with the contact portion between the feed roller 17 and the idler roller 18 through the opening 12 provided on the front surface 11 of the printer apparatus 10. Insert until

  A paper sensor (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the feed roller 17 of the printer apparatus 10. This sheet sensor detects that the cut sheet 28 has been inserted to the position where it contacts the portion where the feed roller 17 and idler roller 18 are in contact with each other, and detects that the cut sheet 28 has been inserted. Then, the control unit 50 instructs the feed roller 17 to rotate in the direction of transporting the cut sheet 28 toward the downstream side via the driver 58. In response to this instruction, the feed roller 17 rotates, and the cut sheet 28 is conveyed in the downstream direction in cooperation with the feed roller 18.

  The cut sheet 28 conveyed in the downstream direction is then printed by the printing unit 21. Thereafter, the paper is conveyed toward the movable paper guide 24 by cooperation of a feed roller and an idler roller (not shown) provided between the printing unit 21 and the movable paper guide 24.

  The cut sheet 28 is inserted from the opening 12 and transports the sheet transport path 16 in the horizontal direction. The continuous paper 29 is provided from the back surface 22 side of the printer device 10 toward the paper conveyance path 16 by a tractor feeder 23 provided so as to have an angle with the paper conveyance path 16 of the cut sheet 28. It is conveyed on the second conveyance path 30. A movable paper guide 24 is provided at a position where the paper transport path 16 and the second transport path 30 meet.

  The movable sheet guide 24 changes its posture when the cut sheet 28 is conveyed and when the continuous sheet 29 is conveyed.

  The movable paper guide 24 has a substantially L shape, and can be rotated in the X and Y directions shown in FIG. A spring 26 is provided between the lower end of the movable paper guide 24 and a frame (not shown). The spring 26 biases the movable paper guide 24 to rotate in the X direction. The posture shown by the broken line in FIG. 3 is maintained. In this posture, the height of the upper surface of the movable sheet guide 24 and the height of the conveying surface in the sheet conveying path 16 are substantially the same.

  A frictional force is generated between the cut sheet 28 printed by the printing unit 21 and conveyed through the sheet conveyance path 16 and the movable sheet guide 24. However, this frictional force is a force that rotates the movable paper guide 24 in the X direction. Further, as described above, the movable paper guide 24 is rotated in the X direction by the spring 26. Accordingly, since the movable paper guide 24 maintains the posture shown by the broken line in FIG. 4, the leading edge of the cut sheet 28 does not come into contact with the tractor feeder.

  After the printing is completed, the cut sheet 28 is directed toward the opening 12 by the cooperation of a feed roller and an idler roller (not shown) provided between the printing unit 21 and the movable sheet guide 24, and the cut sheet 28 is moved to the printer 10. The paper is conveyed in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is inserted, and discharged from the opening 12 to the outside of the printer device 10.

  If the movable paper guide 24 shown in this embodiment is not provided, the leading edge of the cut sheet 28 comes into contact with the tractor feeder 23 as shown in FIG. It is good if the stiffness of the cut paper 28 is strong and the tip of the cut paper 28 can get over the point A in FIG. 5, but if the curl is curled on the paper, the A point You can't get over.

(Printing of continuous paper 29)
Print data is transmitted from the host computer 51 to the printer apparatus 10. Along with this print data, a command for printing on the continuous paper 29 is transmitted to the printer 10.

  Holes called sprocket holes (not shown) are provided on both sides of the continuous paper 29, and the tractor feeder 23 is provided with protrusions that hook the sprocket holes. The tractor feeder 23 rotates a belt (not shown). The projection is rotated, and the continuous paper 29 provided with a sprocket hole on which the projection is caught is conveyed.

  The printer 10 confirms whether or not the continuous paper 29 is set on the tractor feeder 23 with a sensor (not shown) and whether or not there is a cut sheet 28 on the paper transport path 16 with a sensor (not shown). After that, the tractor feeder 23 is driven to convey the continuous paper 29 toward the printing unit 21.

  As described above, when printing is not performed, the movable paper guide 24 maintains the posture of the broken line shown in FIG. However, the leading edge of the continuous sheet 29 conveyed by the tractor feeder 23 comes into contact with the movable sheet guide 24.

  When printing is not being performed, the spring 26 maintains the posture of the movable guide 24 at the position of the broken line in FIG. 1, but the force of the spring 26 is when the leading edge of the continuous paper 29 comes into contact. It is set to rotate in the Y direction in FIG. The movable paper guide 24 indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 is a case where the leading edge of the continuous paper 29 comes into contact.

  As shown in FIG. 1, since the movable paper guide 24 is rotated by the contact of the continuous paper 29, there is no obstacle on the transport path in transporting the continuous paper 29.

  Thereafter, the continuous paper 29 is further conveyed toward the opening 12 when predetermined printing is performed by the printing unit 21. The conveyance of the continuous paper 29 is stopped at the position where the predetermined printing is made from the opening 12 to the outside of the printer device 10. Thereafter, the operator cuts the continuous paper 29 at the perforations provided in the continuous paper 29, and then the tractor feeder 23 is operated to prepare the continuous paper 29 for the next printing and to the back side 22 side of the printer device 10 to a predetermined position. Transport.

  As described above, when printing on the cut sheet 28 inserted from the front surface of the printer apparatus 10, the movable sheet guide 24 does not tilt, and the leading end of the cut sheet 28 contacts the tractor feeder 23. prevent. Further, when printing is performed on the continuous paper 29, the movable paper guide 24 tilts so that the leading edge of the continuous paper 29 comes into contact with the transport path so that the transport of the continuous paper 29 is not adversely affected.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the upper surface of the tractor feeder 23 is used as a stopper for maintaining the posture of the movable sheet guide 24 when printing is not performed and when the cut sheet 28 is printed.

  There are various types of the cut sheet 28, and depending on the storage state, it may be greatly curled. When printing is performed on the cut sheet 28 in such a state, after passing through the movable sheet guide 24, the leading end enters between the point A in FIG. 4 and the movable sheet guide 24. In such a case, a paper jam occurs.

  In order to prevent this, the upper surface of the tractor feeder 23 is used as a stopper for maintaining the posture of the movable sheet guide 24 when printing is not performed and when the cut sheet 28 is printed. As a result, even if printing is performed on the single-sheet paper 28 that is curled largely, there is no gap between the point A and the movable paper guide 24, so the leading edge of the single-sheet paper 28 is point A and the movable paper in FIG. No entry into the guide 24 occurs. Therefore, it is possible to prevent paper jams from occurring even when printing is performed on the sheet paper 28 that is curled greatly.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the stopper for maintaining the posture of the movable paper guide 24 when printing is not performed and when the cut sheet 28 is printed is the extending member 32 that extends the upper surface of the tractor feeder 23.

  In the third embodiment, similarly to the case described in the second embodiment, even when the cut sheet paper 28 is largely curled, the movable sheet when printing is not performed and when the cut sheet paper 28 is printed. Since the stopper for maintaining the posture of the guide 24 is a member having the upper surface of the tractor feeder 23 extended, there is no gap between the point A and the movable paper guide 24. For this reason, the leading edge of the cut sheet 28 does not enter between the point A in FIG. 4 and the movable sheet guide 24, and a paper jam occurs even if printing is performed on the large curled cut sheet 28. Can be prevented.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

10. Printer device 16. First transport path 21. Printing unit 23. Tractor feeder 24. Movable paper guide 26. Spring 28. Single-cut paper 29. Continuous paper 30. Conveying path 31 .. Stopper 32 .. Stretching member

Claims (2)

A printing section;
A paper insertion section for conveying the cut sheet toward the printing section;
A first conveyance path for conveying the cut sheet inserted by the sheet insertion unit toward the printing unit ;
A second transport path that joins at an angle with respect to the first transport path and transports continuous paper from the direction different from the transport direction of the cut sheet toward the paper insertion portion;
Provided near the joining position of the second conveyance path between the first conveying path, it is biased in the conveying direction before Kitanhyo sheet, a movable sheet guide being tilted by the abutment of the continuous paper ,
An extending member that extends the second transport path and stops the movable paper guide;
A printer apparatus.   The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the continuous paper has sprocket holes on both sides, and the second transport path has a protrusion for hooking the sprocket hole, and the continuous paper is transported by the protrusion.

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