JPH04129762A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correctly place the front end of a recording sheet to a recording position and to make setting therewith for recording by a method wherein a driving means is controlled so that the recording sheet is carried in the normal direction until the front end thereof is detected by a detecting means and is further carried in the same direction until it reaches a sheet delivery means and after this, the recording sheet is carried in the backward direction until it reaches the recording position. CONSTITUTION:An MPU15a sends a command for rotation in the normal direction to a sheet- feeding motor 5 and makes the motor carry the front end of continuous sheets 1 for a distance from pin feed wheels 4 to a PE sensor 12, plus an optional distance (alpha). Then the MPU15a judges whether or not the PE sensor 12 detects the existence of the continuos sheets 1. In the case where the detection is made, the MPU15a sends a command for the rotation in the normal direction to the sheet-feeding motor 5 so that the continuous sheets 1 are carried for a distance from the PE sensor 12 to a delivery roller 14, plus an optional distance (beta), and when the sheet-feeding motor 5 is stopped, the continuous sheets are kept for waiting. The MPU15a then sends a command for the backward rotation to the sheet-feeding motor 5 so that the continuous sheets are carried backward for a distance from the delivery roller 14 to a position for starting of recording, plus the optional distance (beta), and when the motor 5 is stopped, operation of the MPU15a finishes.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording using a recording sheet, particularly a continuous sheet.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, a recording device having a bin foot wheel (tractor) for conveying continuous sheets has been used as an output device for a personal computer, a 2-1' processor, etc.

For example, in the recording device shown in No. 10D, there is a bin feed wheel (fan fold holder) inside the recording device.
51, a continuous sheet 50 having large perforations at both ends is hung thereon, and the continuous sheet 50 is conveyed to a recording position together with a friction roller 52 rotating in synchronization with the bin foot wheel 51. The above continuous sheet 5
A sensor (PE sensor) 53 that detects the presence or absence of the continuous sheet 50 is installed on the conveyance path of 0. After the PE sensor 53 detects the leading edge of the continuous sort 50, the distance to the recording position is determined. The recording start position was adjusted by transporting the

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, since the continuous sheet 50 is conveyed by the friction roller 52 and the bin fit wheel 51 when starting the recording start position, the cut Since the frictional force between the friction roller 52 and the continuous sheet 50 is reduced compared to the case of a sheet, the continuous sheet 5
There were times when the 0 was bent around the Friknoyon Roller-52, making it impossible to start accurately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide a recording apparatus having a control means that can accurately position and set the leading end of a recording sheet at a recording position.

<Means for Solving the Problems> Typical means applied to the embodiments described below to solve the above problems include a conveyance means for conveying the recording sort to the recording position, and a conveyance means for conveying the recording sort to the recording position. a recording means for recording an image on the recorded recording sort; a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a recording sheet disposed upstream from the recording means in a sheet conveyance direction; and a detecting means for discharging the recorded recording sort after recording. a drive means for driving the conveyance means; and a control means for controlling the drive of the drive means in accordance with a detection signal from the detection means, and the control means is configured to eject the recording sheet. The recording sheet is transported in the forward direction until the leading edge of the recording sheet is detected by the detection means, further transported in the forward direction until it reaches the ejection means, and then driven to transport the recording sheet in the reverse direction to the recording position. It is characterized by controlling means.

<Operation> In the above means, the operation of the driving means for driving the conveying means is controlled as follows when the leading end of the recording sheet is positioned at the recording start position.

First, the conveyance means is driven to convey the recording sort in the forward direction until the leading edge of the recording sheet is detected by the detection means.

Next, when the recording sheet is detected by the detection means, the recording sheet is further conveyed by a predetermined amount in the forward direction by the conveyance means until it reaches the ejection means.

Next, the leading end of the recording sort is conveyed by a predetermined amount in the reverse direction to the recording position, and can be accurately set at the recording start position.

<Embodiment> Next, an embodiment in which the above means is applied to a line type bubblegient recording apparatus will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view of the recording apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view thereof.

The recording apparatus described in this embodiment uses a continuous sheet as a recording sheet, and uses a paper feed switch or a paper feed command to transport the continuous sheet whose leading edge is caught on a bin feed wheel to a recording start position. It is composed of

In addition, the continuous sheet (fanfold paper) with the pinhole at the leading end of the continuous sheet caught in the bin feed wheel (paper bark state) is
When the operator presses the paper feed switch (not shown), the recording sheet is conveyed downstream in response to a paper feed request command from the host computer, and the recording sheet is kept at a certain distance from the recording head by an ejection roller or other mechanism. After applying tension to the recording head to sufficiently remove slack, the recording head is returned to the recording start position to start the recording.

First, the first section will explain the general configuration of the recording device to which the present invention is applied.
This will be explained with reference to the figures and FIG.

1 is a continuous sheet used as a recording sheet with pinholes perforated at equal intervals on both ends thereof.

This continuous sheet 1 is wound into a roll so that it can be supplied to the rotating shaft 1a.

A friction roller 2 is a conveying means for conveying the continuous sheet 1 to a recording position.

This friction roller 2 has a surface made of a high friction member such as rubber in order to maintain the conveying force. Further, around the friction roller 2, pinch rollers 3a and 3b are provided which press against the friction roller 2 and rotate as a result of the rotation. The continuous sheet 1 includes a frikken roller 2, a pinch roller 3a,
It is conveyed to the recording position by cooperation with 3b.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a bin foot wheel for engaging the bins in the pinholes of the continuous sheet 1 and feeding the bins between the fringe rollers 2 and the pinch rollers 3a. The friction roller 2 and pin feed wheel 4 are driven by a gear train 6a,
6b and 6c, they are driven synchronously. As the sheet conveying motor 5, a stepping motor is used that can rotate forward and backward to convey the continuous sheet 1 in the downstream and upstream directions.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a recording head which is a recording means for recording an image on the continuous sheet 1 conveyed to the recording position by the friction roller 2.

The recording head door used in this embodiment uses a line type recording head 7 provided in the width direction of the continuous sheet 1, and is configured to perform full line recording.

An example of a recording head suitably used in this apparatus is an ink-end head. The inkjet recording method includes an orifice (liquid ejection opening) for ejecting recording ink liquid as flying droplets, a liquid flow path communicating with the orifice, and a part of this liquid flow path. and ejection energy generating means for applying ejection energy to the ink liquid in the container to form flying droplets. and driving the ejection energy generating means according to the image signal,
An image is recorded by ejecting ink droplets.

Examples of the ejection energy generating means include a method using pressure energy generating means such as an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, and an electromagnetic energy generating means that generates flying droplets by irradiating and absorbing electromagnetic waves such as a laser into the ink liquid. There are two methods: a method using a thermal energy generating means such as an electrothermal converter, and a method using a thermal energy generating means such as an electrothermal converter. Among these methods, a method using a thermal energy generating means such as an electrothermal converter is preferable because it allows the orifices to be arranged in high density and the recording head can be made compact.

In this embodiment, a bubble jet recording method, which is one of the above-mentioned inkjet recording methods, is used as a recording means.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the recording head 7 constituting the recording means, and FIGS. 4(a) to 4 (to) are explanatory diagrams of the bubble jet recording principle.

In FIG. 3, 7a is a heater board, and an electrothermal converter (discharge heater) 7b and an electrode 7c made of aluminum or the like for supplying power to this are formed and arranged on a silicon substrate. . A top plate 7e having a partition wall for partitioning a liquid path (nozzle) 7d for recording liquid is adhered to the heater board 7a. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an ink tank 9 is connected to the recording head 7 via an ink supply tube 8.

Reference numeral 10 denotes an ink circulation pump, which supplies ink from the ink tank 9 to the recording head 7 under pressure.

Furthermore, the door and the ink tank 9 are connected to each other by an ink circulation tube 11, and the recording head 7 is connected to the recording head 7.
The remaining amount of ink supplied to the ink tank 9 returns to the ink tank 9 through the ink circulation tube 11 and is supplied again.

The ink supplied from the ink tank 9 through the ink supply tube 8 is supplied to a supply lower e provided on the top plate 7e.
A common liquid chamber 7f in the recording nozzle 7 is filled with the liquid from +, and the liquid is guided into each nozzle 7d from this common liquid chamber 7f. Ink ejection ports (orifices) 7d1 are formed in these nozzles 7d, and the orifices 7dl face the recording sheets 1 of the recording head 7 in the sort conveyance direction (third direction).
It is formed with a predetermined pinch in the vertical direction (in the figure).

Here, the principle of ink flying in the above-mentioned hub printing method will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(b).

In a steady state, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the surface tension and external pressure of the ink 7g filled in the nozzle 7d are balanced on the orifice surface. When the ink 7g is to be ejected in this state, the electrothermal converter 7b in the nozzle 7d is energized to cause the ink in the nozzle 7d to rapidly rise in temperature beyond nucleate boiling. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the ink 7g that came into instant contact with the electrothermal transducer 7b is heated and generates microbubbles, and the ink in the heated portion evaporates, causing film boiling. However, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the bubbles 7g+ grow rapidly.

When the bubble 1g+ grows to the maximum as shown in FIG. 4(d), an ink droplet is pushed out from the orifice surface in the nozzle 7d. When the electricity supply to the electrothermal converter 7b is finished, as shown in FIG. 4(e), 1g+ of bubbles have grown.
is cooled by the ink 7g in the nozzle 7d and contracts. The growth and contraction of this bubble causes ink droplets to fly out of the orifice. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4(f), the ink contacts the surface of the electrothermal converter 7b and is rapidly cooled, and the bubbles 7g+ disappear or shrink to an almost negligible volume.

When the bubble 1g+ contracts, the 4111J(g
), ink is supplied into the nozzle 7d from the common liquid chamber 7f by capillary action in preparation for the next energization.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the presence or absence of the continuous sheet 1 is detected between the pinch rollers 3a and 3b on the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction from the recording hand door (hereinafter simply referred to as "upstream side J"). A PE (paper end) sensor 12 is provided as a detection means for this purpose.

13a is a pressing plate for pressing the continuous sheet 1 onto the platen 13b. When the continuous sheet 1 is conveyed to the recording position by the friction roller 2, the presser plate 13a prevents the continuous sheet 1 from lifting off from the platen 13b.

14 is a discharge roller for discharging the continuous sheet 1 after recording to the outside of the apparatus. The continuous sheet 1 is nipped on the downstream side by the discharge roller 14 and held on the upstream side by the pressing plate 13a and the platen 13b, so that a certain tension is applied at the recording position.

The discharge roller 14 is driven by the sheet conveyance motor 5 via a gear train (not shown).

Assuming that the speed difference between the respective conveying parts is 1 for the pin feed wheel 4, the friction roller 2 is set to the same speed as the pin feed wheel 4, or about 1% to 10% slower to avoid errors due to tolerances. There is. Further, the discharge roller 14 is set to be approximately 1% to 10% faster in order to apply tension for pulling up the continuous sheet 1 on the platen 13b (not shown).

Reference numeral 15 denotes a control means for controlling the driving of the sheet conveying motor 5 in accordance with the detection signal of the PE sensor 12. The control means 15 for controlling the driving of the sheet conveyance motor 5 will be explained with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

The control means 15 is an MPU 15 that controls the entire recording apparatus.
a, a ROM 15b storing the control contents and various data shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, and the MPUL
It has a RAM 15c which is used as a work area of 5a and temporarily stores various data such as the number of sheets to be recorded, an input/output section (Ilo) 15d for inputting to the control means 15, and the like.

The sheet conveyance motor 5 is connected to the input/output section 15d via a driver (not shown), and a PE sensor 12 and a paper feed switch 16 provided on the operation panel are connected to the input/output section 15d.
, a data receiving unit 17 for recording 7) and 7 are connected.

Next, the control operation for moving the continuous sheet 1 from the paper bark state to the recording start position will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 and the operation diagrams shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

The following control operations are performed by the MPU 15a in the ROM 15b.
This is done according to a program stored in the.

In the recording standby state, continuous sheet 1 is in the paper back state (
The tip of the continuous sheet 1 is hanging on the pin feed wheel 4). When the paper feed switch 16 is pressed or the data receiving section 17 receives a paper feed command, the program shown in FIG. 7 is activated.

First, in step S1, the MPU 15a sends a rotation command to the sheet conveyance motor 5 in the forward direction (direction F in FIG. distance).

Next, the process moves to step S2, and it is determined whether or not the sheet transport J motor 5 is rotating. At this time, if the motor 5 is rotating, the process moves to step S4, and if it is stopped, the process moves to step S3 to convey the continuous sheet l, but whether it has not reached the PE sensor 12 or whether the continuous sheet 1 is pinned. It is determined that the paper has not been placed in the foot wheel 4 or that a paper jam has occurred, and the program is terminated as an error.

Next, in step S4, it is determined whether the PE sensor 12 has detected the continuous sheet 1. When the PE sensor 12 cannot detect continuous sort 1 (in case of No)
Then, the process returns to step S2 again to continue the conveyance operation.

When the PE sensor 12 detects the continuous sheet 1 (
If YES), the process moves to step S5.

In step S5, a command is sent to rotate the sheet conveyance motor 5 in the forward direction (direction F in FIG. 6) to a distance point β (arbitrary distance) from the PE sensor 12 to the discharge roller 14, and the process proceeds to step S6. In S6,
The process continues to wait until the rotation of the sheet conveying motor 5 stops, and when it stops, the process moves to step S7, and in order to smooth out the slack in the sheet, the process waits for T m5ec in the state shown in FIG. 6.

Next, the process moves to step S8, and a command is sent to rotate the sheet conveyance motor 5 in the opposite direction (direction B in FIG. 7) from the discharge roller 14 to the recording start position + β (arbitrary distance), and then the process moves to step S9. The operation is completed after waiting until the motor 5 is shifted and stopped.

According to the above configuration, the continuous sheet 1 can be accurately centered at the recording start position without being bent until the continuous sheet 1 is moved from the paper park state to the recording start position.

<Other Examples> Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In addition to the above-mentioned combination of the discharge outlet liquid path and the electrothermal converter, the recording means has a structure similar to that described in US Pat. It is also possible to employ those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 123670 and the like.

Further, the recording means described above is a line-type recording head capable of full-line recording in the width direction of the recording sheet, but a recording device in which ink is supplied to the recording head from an ink sheet rim attached to the recording device, Alternatively, it is also possible to use an unreal type recording head, such as a disposable type, in which an ink storage chamber is provided in the recording head, and the recording head is replaced when the ink in the ink storage chamber runs out. be.

Furthermore, even if it is a line-type recording head, it is also possible to use a recording head that is capable of full-color recording by adding an ink tank and nozzles.

Furthermore, the recording means of the present invention need not be limited to the bubble jet recording method described above. For example, there is a so-called thermal transfer recording method in which an ink sheet coated with heat-melting ink is heated in accordance with an image signal and the melted ink is transferred to a recording sheet 1, and a so-called thermal transfer recording method in which a recording sort 1 that develops color by heat is heated in accordance with an image signal. Various recording methods can be employed, such as a window thermal recording method and a so-called wired-groove recording method in which recording is performed by striking an ink ribbon with a wire according to an image signal. Therefore, the recording head is not limited to the above-mentioned hub head, and for example, a thermal head, a wire dot head, a daisy wheel head, etc. can be used.

The recording device may be used as an image output terminal for information processing equipment such as a computer, and may also be applied to a copying device combined with a reader or the like, or even a facsimile device having a sending/receiving function. It is possible.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention allows the recording sheet to be accurately set at the recording start position without bending until the recording sheet is moved from the vapor burn state to the recording start position.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view of a line type bubble recorder according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view thereof, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the recording device, and FIG. 4(a) ~(g)
5 to 7 are explanatory diagrams of the bubble jet recording principle, FIGS. 5 to 7 are explanatory diagrams of the recording sorting conveyance operation, FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the control means, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the control operation, and FIG. The figure is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example. 1 is a continuous sheet, 2 is a frikunyong roller 3a 3
b is a pinch roller, 4 is a bin feed wheel, 5 is a sheet conveyance motor, 6a, 6b. 6c is gear train, 7 is to record, 7a is heater board,
7b is an electrothermal converter, 7C is an electrode, 7d is a nozzle, 7d
l is orifice, 7e is top plate, 7e+ is supply port, 7f is common liquid chamber, 7g is ink, 7g+ is air bubble, 8 is ink supply tube, 9 is ink tank, 10 is ink circulation pump, 11 is for ink circulation tube, 12 is a PE sensor, 13a is a holding plate, 13b is a platen, 14 is a discharge roller, 15 is a control means, 15a is an MPU, 15b is an R
OM, 15c is a RAM, 15d is an input/output section, 16 is a paper feed switch, and 17 is a data receiving section.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) a conveyance means for conveying a recording sheet to a recording position; a recording means for recording an image on the recording sheet conveyed by the conveyance means; and a recording means disposed upstream of the recording means in the sheet conveyance direction. a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a recording sheet; a discharging means for discharging the recording sheet after recording; a driving means for driving the conveying means; control means for controlling driving of the drive means, the control means transporting the recording sheet in the forward direction until the leading edge of the recording sheet is detected by the detection means, and further reaches the ejection means. A recording apparatus characterized in that a driving means is controlled to transport the recording sheet in a reverse direction to a recording start position after the recording sheet is conveyed in a forward direction to a recording start position. (2) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control of the driving means is executed after a switch for conveying the recording sheet to a recording start position is pressed. (3) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control of the driving means is executed after receiving a paper feed command for conveying the recording sheet to a recording start position. (4) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus uses an inkjet recording method in which the recording means performs recording by ejecting ink in response to a signal. (5) The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording apparatus is an inkjet recording system in which the recording means uses thermal energy to eject ink to perform recording. (6) In the recording device, the recording means energizes the electrothermal transducer in accordance with a signal, and the ink is ejected from the ejection port by the growth of bubbles generated by heating exceeding film boiling by the electrothermal transducer, thereby recording. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, which uses a bubble jet recording method.