JPH0249911B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a print medium feeding device in a printer for an electronic computer.

In agency work and counter work where work including the preparation of documents for an unspecified number of customers is regularly performed, it is normal for payment to be made at the same time as the documents are delivered and received, so The preparation of the various accounting documents that arise must be done at the same time as the preparation of the relevant documents. When a computer is introduced in such business, the documents that constitute the content of the business are usually single sheets, and accounting slips are usually created using continuous paper called 1-inch cut, so it is necessary to connect the computer to the computer. Printers are required to be able to efficiently process cut media and continuous media simultaneously or alternately.

However, with conventional printers, even if they are capable of processing both single-sheet media and continuous media, exchanging the media is cumbersome and takes several minutes even for an experienced person, and it is difficult to change the media frequently. There is a problem in that it is extremely complicated and greatly reduces the operating rate of the computer. Of course, this problem can be solved by using two printers, one for single sheets and one for continuous sheets, or by using a printer with a long platen that can process single sheet media and continuous sheet media side by side. However, in this case, a new problem arises in that the installation space for the printer becomes large and the price becomes expensive.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has been made for the purpose of providing a printer that allows continuous paper media and cut paper media to be easily exchanged in a short period of time.

Continuous forms of slips are printed using a printer with a so-called 1-inch cut, which allows the previously printed slip to be cut off 1 inch above the printing start line. In such a printer, in order to keep the distance from the print position to the cut position within 1 inch, a tractor 2 for feeding the continuous medium is placed upstream of the platen 1, and the medium is fed by this tractor. In order to attach the media to platen 1,
A friction roller 11 is provided that rotates while being pressed against the platen 1 on the downstream side of the printing position. The electric motor 21 for feeding the medium connects the platen 1 and the tractor 2.
They are rotated in the same direction in conjunction with each other, and the circumferential speed of the platen is normally configured to be slightly faster than the circumferential speed of the tractor.

In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, in a similar type of device capable of processing continuous media and cut media and reverse feeding processing of the media, in addition to the above configuration, a fixed guide plate 4 for supplying cut sheets is arranged side by side with the tractor 2. A cut guide roller 17 for guiding the cut medium fed from the guide plate to the printing position is provided on the upstream side of the printing position, and a reversible electric motor is used as the electric motor 21.

The present invention provides a printing medium feeding device having the above-described configuration, in which a clutch 31 is provided between the electric motor 21 and the tractor 2 to disconnect the connection between the two, and the continuous feeding medium is fed backwards by reversing the electric motor 21. A media leading edge detection sensor 14 that detects the leading edge of the media and issues a stop command to the electric motor 21 is installed in the continuous sheet feeding path upstream from the confluence of the single sheet feeding path and the continuous sheet feeding path, and further along the platen 1. A media guide plate 7 is provided to guide the leading edge of the media.When processing continuous media, the clutch 31 is connected, and when processing single media, the clutch 31 is disconnected and the single guide roller 17 is in a pressed state. Thus, the motor 21 is stopped when the medium leading edge detection sensor 14 switches from detecting the medium to non-detecting the medium when the motor 21 rotates in reverse.

With this configuration, it is possible to process single media while the continuous media is engaged with the tractor, and to immediately set the continuous media at the printing position after processing the continuous media. becomes possible.
Furthermore, since the continuous sheet medium is evacuated from the platen when processing cut sheets, there is no need to increase the length of the platen.

Hereinafter, a more detailed explanation will be given based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the main parts, and FIG. 3 is a right side view showing only the drive mechanism.
2 is a tractor, 3 is a fixed guide plate that guides the continuous medium from the tractor 2 to the platen 1, 4 is a fixed guide plate that guides the cut sheet to the platen 1, 5 is a platen shaft, and 6 is pivoted to the platen shaft 5. 7 is arm 6
8 is a solenoid for advancing the medium guide plate 7 by rotating the arm 6 counterclockwise in FIG. 2; 9 is a plunger of the solenoid 8; A rod connecting the arms 6, 10 a tension spring for returning the medium guide plate 7 to the illustrated retreated position, 11 a friction roller that rotates in pressure contact with the platen 1, 12 a cutter for separating the continuous medium, 13 14 is a print head, 14 is a photo sensor for detecting the leading edge of continuous paper,
15 is an arm pivoted on a fixed pin 16, 17 is arm 1
18 is a solenoid for pressing the cut guide roller 17 against the platen 1, 19 is a rod connecting the plunger of the solenoid 18 and the arm 15, and 20 is a cut guide roller. a tension spring separating 17 from platen 1;
21 is an electric motor, 22 is a pulley fixed to the platen shaft 5, and 23 is an output shaft of the electric motor 21 and the pulley 22.
24 is a gear fixed to the platen shaft 5; 25 is a gear that meshes with the gear 24 to rotate the friction roller 11; 26;
1 is a fixed shaft mounted on the machine frame 27 shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 1, 28 is an idle gear rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 26, 29 is a boss of the idle gear 28,
30 is a pulley, 31 is an electromagnetic clutch interposed between the boss 29 and the pulley 30, 32 is a pulley fixed to the drive shaft 33 of the tractor 2, and 34 is the pulley 3.
This is a timing belt wound between 0 and 32.

The operation of the print medium feeding device constructed as described above is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. In the figure, 35 is a continuous sheet medium, and 36 is a single sheet medium. FIG. 4 shows the state when printing is being performed on a continuous medium, in which both the solenoids 8 and 18 are not energized, the medium inner plate 7 is in the retracted position, and the cut guide roller 17 is in a remote position. The electromagnetic clutch 31 connects the boss 29 and the pulley 30, and the platen 1 and the tractor 2 rotate in conjunction with each other to feed the continuous medium 35.

Conversion from continuous paper media to single paper media is performed as follows. First, the processed slip 35a is cut off at the position of the cutter 12, and the electric motor 21 is reversed to move the continuous paper medium 35 backward. When the photo sensor 14 detects the leading edge of the continuous medium, the motor 21 stops, the electromagnetic clutch 31 is disconnected, and the solenoids 8,
18 is excited, the medium guide plate 7 advances, and the cut guide roller 17 is pressed against the platen 1. While rotating the platen 1 in this state, the cut medium 36 is supplied from the fixed guide plate 4 and mounted on the platen 1. Thereafter, the medium guide plate 7 is moved back, and the printing state of the cut medium 36 shown in FIG. 5 is achieved. When processing this cut medium 36, the electromagnetic clutch 31 remains disengaged, and the tractor 2 remains stopped.

When the processing of the cut medium 36 is completed, the electromagnetic clutch 31 is connected, the cut guide roller 17 is separated, and the retracted continuous medium 35 is sent out with the medium guide plate 7 advanced (6th figure). The continuous medium is guided by the fixed guide plate 3 and the medium guide plate 7, is sent along the platen 1, and is sandwiched between the platen 1 and the friction roller 11, and then the medium guide plate 7 retreats and the continuous medium 35 is conveyed. The setup is complete.

Note that when the medium guide plate 7 moves forward, the sixth
As shown in the figure, the print head 13 must be retracted or retracted to the side of the platen 1, but this can be done using the same method used when inserting the medium in conventional printers. The medium guide plate 7 is provided to feed the media 35 and 36 while aligning their leading edges along the periphery of the platen. In the illustrated embodiment, the medium guide plate 7 extends to the front of the platen 1 only when inserting the medium, and guides the media 35 and 36.
36, but if the tip of the print head is sufficiently thin or the media 3
When the widths of 5 and 36 are narrow, it is also possible to provide the medium guide plate 7 in a fixed manner. Further, the cut guide roller 17 is for guiding the leading end of the cut medium 36 toward the platen 1.
It is also possible to have a configuration in which it remains in contact with the platen 1 even during continuous book processing.

As mentioned above, the print medium feeding device of the present invention has the following features:
The continuous paper medium is evacuated from the single sheet feeding path, and the continuous paper medium is engaged with the tractor at the time of evacuation, and the continuous paper medium can be supplied and printed while the continuous paper medium is stopped. Since the continuous media is quickly reset by feeding the media to the platen with a tractor, it is possible to change the media very easily and in a short time, and it is possible to alternate between continuous media and single media. This is extremely effective as a media feeding device in a printer when processing is required. Furthermore, the device of the present invention achieves the above effects without increasing the width of the platen, and the device is more efficient than conventional devices that load cut media and continuous media on the platen side by side and selectively process them. This has the effect that the width dimension of the device can be approximately halved, and the installation space and cost of the device can be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the invention, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view, FIG. 2 is a left side view showing essential parts, and FIG. 3 is a right side view showing only the drive mechanism. Fourth
Figures 6 to 6 are diagrams showing the operating states, with Figure 4 showing the state when processing continuous media, Figure 5 showing the state when processing cut media, and Figure 6 showing the state when continuous media is being set. This shows the state when DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Platen, 2...Tractor, 3, 4...Fixed guide plate, 5...Platen shaft, 6...Arm, 7...Medium guide plate, 8...Solenoid, 10...Tension spring, 11...Friction roller, 12...Cut, 13 ...Print head, 1
4... Photo sensor, 17... Single sheet guide roller, 21
...Electric motor, 22...Pulley, 23...Timing belt, 24, 25...Gear, 26...Fixed shaft, 28...Idle gear, 30...Pulley, 31...Electromagnetic clutch, 32...Pulley, 33...Tractor drive shaft, 34
…Timing belt.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A platen 1, a friction roller 11 that rotates in pressure contact with the platen on the downstream side of the print position, a cut guide roller 17 that guides the cut medium to the print position on the upstream side of the print position, and a platen. A tractor 2 for feeding continuous media located upstream of the tractor, a fixed guide plate 4 for feeding cut media juxtaposed to the tractor, and a reversible platen that links the platen and the tractor to rotate in the same direction. In the printing medium feeding device having an electric motor 21, a clutch 31 is provided between the electric motor 21 and the tractor 2 to disconnect and disconnect the two, and a medium guide for guiding the leading edge of the medium to be fed along the platen 1. A plate 7 is provided in the continuous sheet feeding path upstream of the confluence of the single sheet feeding path formed by the fixed guide plate 4 and the continuous sheet feeding path from the tractor 2 to the platen 1, when the electric motor 21 is reversed. Media leading edge detection sensor 14 that detects the leading edge of continuous media
is provided, and the clutch 31 is in a connected state when feeding and printing a continuous medium, and the clutch 31 is in a disconnected state when feeding and printing a cut medium, and the cut guide roller 17 is in a pressed state, so that the electric motor 21 rotates in the reverse direction. At the same time, the media leading edge detection sensor 1
A printing medium feeding device characterized in that an electric motor 21 stops when the output of No. 4 switches from medium detection to non-detection.