JPH04164729A - Paper feeding cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify construction of a paper feeding cassette for a copying machine and the like and to store two kinds of paper in the cassette by forming upper and lower storage portions by means of partitioning the cassette interior, and by selecting paper to be used by a method of installing upper and lower sides of the cassette reversely. CONSTITUTION:The interior of a paper feeding cassette 20 is formed by partitioning it into an upper and lower portions for a first storage portion 46a and a second storage portion 46b, respectively. Different kinds of blank paper such as OHP paper Pa and an ordinary synthetic paper pb are stored in the storage portions 46a, 46b, respectively. Bearing portions 49, 50 are provided in the central portions of side walls 43, 44 of both storage portions 46a, 46b and cover members 51, 52 are provided in a freely rotatably manner. A cover of the storage portion wherein paper to be used is stored is opened and a cover of the storage portion on the opposite side is closed. For example, a cover 51 is opened and a cover 52 is closed, and the cassette 20 is installed with the storage portion 46a, containing paper to be used, facing upward.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette for accommodating sheet-like recording paper.

Conventional technology In image forming devices such as thermal transfer printers and copying machines,
Sheet-shaped recording papers are stored in a stacked state in a paper feeding center, and when a printing operation is performed, the recording papers are fed out one by one from the paper feeding cassette. In the above-mentioned image forming apparatus, a plurality of types having different sizes, paper qualities, etc. are usually used. In a small thermal transfer printer, only one paper feed cassette can be loaded, so when images are to be formed on multiple types of recording paper, for example,
A plurality of paper feed cassettes are prepared depending on the type of recording paper, and when an operator operates the printer, it is necessary to select an arbitrary paper feed cassette and load it into the printer. Therefore, paper cassettes containing unused recording paper are
It may be difficult to store as it will be left outside.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As a paper feed cassette for accommodating multiple types of recording paper of different sizes, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-2-5116
There is a technique disclosed in Publication No. 9. This paper cassette is
A paper feed cassette is formed by a plurality of cassette members that can be reassembled with each other, and the size of the recording paper stored therein is changed by changing the assembly position of the cassette members. However, even in this case, only one type of recording paper can be accommodated, and recording paper of unused sizes must be left outside the printer, which can be difficult to store.

Further, as a paper feed cassette in which two types of recording eaves having different sizes are housed simultaneously in one paper feed cassette, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-9646 and
There is one shown in Bijitsu Publication No. 59-39696. The paper feed cassettes disclosed in these publications are each provided with upper and lower cassette members, each of which accommodates two types of recording paper of different sizes. When using the recording paper stored in the lower cassette member, the upper cassette member is shifted. However, this type of paper feed cassette has a problem in that it has a complicated structure.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and it is an object of the present invention to enable two types of recording paper to be accommodated in one paper feed cassette having a simple structure.

Means for Solving the Problems C The present invention for achieving the above objects comprises providing a partition in the cassette body, and forming a first storage compartment L which is partitioned into upper and lower sections and accommodates recording paper respectively. This paper feeding cassette has a second accommodating portion and is configured to select and obtain recording paper to be fed by turning the cassette body upside down.

- Recording paper of different types is stored in two storage sections separated by a partition. From the state where the recording paper stored in one storage section is fed by being fed out from the cassette main body, to feed the recording paper stored in the other storage section, insert and remove the cassette and move it up and down. By reversing the paper, you can change the type of recording paper.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the illustrated examples.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a thermal transfer printer loaded with a paper feed cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention. A platen roller 11 is rotatably mounted in a casing 10 of the device and is driven by a motor (not shown). be done. The thermal head 13, which is swingable around the support shaft 12, can press against and release from the platen roller 11. These thermal heads 13 and platen rollers 11
An ink film 16 is conveyed between the supply side film roll 14 and the ink film 16, which is unwound from the supply side film roll 14 and wound onto the winding side film roll 15. These rolls 14, 15 are removably installed within the casing 10. The illustrated ink film 16 is coated with ink of three colors: yellow, magenta, and cyan in this order. By driving the take-up film roll 15, the ink film 16 is guided by the peeling member 17 provided at the tip of the thermal head 13 and the film winding roller 18, and is wound onto the take-up film roll 15. become.

A paper feed cassette 20 is removably attached to the casing 10, and a paper feed plate 22 is attached to a support shaft 21 so as to be able to swing freely about the support shaft 21 in order to take out the recording papers in the cassette 20 one by one. A vacuum cup 23 for vacuum suctioning OHP paper is provided at the tip of the paper feed plate 22. After the paper feed plate 22 is oscillated clockwise in FIG. 1 and one sheet of recording paper is sucked by the vacuum cup 23, the paper feed plate 22 is returned to its original position as indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure. The leading edge of the recording paper is lifted to a predetermined position. At this position, an auxiliary roller 24 is rotatably mounted, and an arm 26 swingably mounted on a support shaft 25.
A rotary roller 27 is rotatably attached to the tip of the recording paper, and the recording paper is conveyed while being sandwiched between the auxiliary roller 24 and the rotating roller 27 . This rotating roller 27 is driven by a motor (not shown) connected thereto via a gear or the like.

Further, the arm 26 is driven by a swinging means (not shown).

Therefore, the recording paper whose leading end is lifted by the vacuum cup 23 is held between the rotation roller 27 and the auxiliary roller 24 by rotating the arm 26 in the hit direction, and is conveyed rightward in the figure. In order to guide the conveyance of the recording paper, a lower guide member 30 is installed between the platen roller 11 and the support shaft 25, and an upper guide member 31 is installed above this. Further, a guide plate 32 is fixed to the arm 26 as well.

In the illustrated case, printing an image on recording paper is carried out by transporting the recording paper to the forward limit position and then returning the recording paper while transporting it. A platen roller 1 is used to guide the recording paper while it is conveyed to the forward limit position.
A guide plate 33 is installed on the right side of 1. When printing, as described above, the recording paper is returned and conveyed, and in order to detect the leading edge position of the recording paper at that time, the upper guide member 31 is equipped with a leading edge detection sensor S made of a photosensor. is installed. A paper discharge tray 34 is attached above the paper feed cassette 20 to accommodate recording paper after image formation is completed. When the recording paper is discharged toward the paper discharge tray 34, the paper feed plate 22 rotates clockwise to a predetermined position and guides the recording paper with its upper surface.

The length of the platen roller 11 is set to be approximately the same as the width of the ink film 16, and paper nipping rollers 35 are fixed to both ends of the platen roller 11, respectively. These paper nipping rollers 35 are made of a highly hard material, have a high friction coefficient on their outer peripheral surfaces, and have a diameter set to be the same as the diameter of the platen roller 11. Furthermore, paper press rollers 36 are provided at positions corresponding to the respective paper nipping rollers 35, and these rollers 35 pinch the left and right sides of the recording paper. It is rotatably attached to an arm (not shown), and by swinging this arm, the paper pressing roller 36 can be moved toward the paper nipping roller 35 to press it and release the pressure. Since the recording paper is held between the paper nipping roller 35 and the paper pressing roller 36 on both sides from the start to the end of printing, it has a width larger than the width of the ink film 16. The speed of forward and return conveyance of the recording paper is determined by these rollers 35.
．． The rotation speed of 36 is the standard.

Next, the paper feed cassette 20 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The paper feed cassette 20 has a rectangular cassette body 45 consisting of an outer wall 41, an inner wall 42, and left and right side walls 43 and 44.
A partition 47 is provided inside the cassette main body 45 to vertically divide the interior into a first accommodating section 46a and a second accommodating section 46b. In the case shown in the figure, the respective accommodating parts 46a and 46b have the same size, and one first accommodating part 46a has a 0HP
(Overhead Projector) Paper, that is, paper Pa for projection materials used in a transmission type overhead projector is stored, and the other second storage section 46b is designed to store ordinary synthetic paper PB. It has become. The type of recording paper stored in each storage section is indicated by a type label 48a marked on the outer wall 41.
, 48b to the operator.

Bearing portions 49.50 are provided on both the front and back surfaces of the longitudinal center portions of both side walls 43.44, and each bearing portion 49.
．． 50, a first lid member 51 and a second lid member 52 are rotatably attached.

These lid members 51 and 52 allow the cassette body 45 to
The opening 53 formed on the inner wall 42 side is closed to prevent the recording paper stored therein from falling out. Portions of the cassette body 45 other than the opening 53 are covered with covers 54, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the first storage section 46a for storing OHP paper Pa as recording paper is on the upper side, the first lid member 51 is fully open, and the second lid member 52 is closed. . When OHP paper Pa is loaded into the first storage section 46a or an image is printed on this OHP paper Pa as shown in FIG. The lid member 46a is set to a fully open state.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a locking mechanism for fastening each lid member 51, 52 in a closed state. A locking member 55 is fixed to the inner wall 42 at its longitudinally central portion, and locking claws 56 are provided at both ends. Both lid members 51 .
A lock hole 57 is formed in 52. therefore,
The lid members 51, 52, respectively, when closed, the lid member 5
The lock pawl 56 engages with the outer surface of 1.52 and is locked. In order to release the lock, two lock release members 58a and 58b, one for the first lid member and one for the second lid member, are provided at both end sides of the lock member 55, penetrating the inner wall 42. .

When loading the above-described paper feed cassette 20 into a thermal transfer printer, the OHP paper P is placed in the first storage section 46a of one of the two storage sections partitioned vertically by the partition 47.
A is stacked and stored, and synthetic paper pb is stored in the second storage section 46b.
are stacked and stored. If an image is to be formed on the OHP paper Pa, the paper feed cassette 20 is loaded into the thermal transfer printer with the second storage section 46a facing upward. When switching from this state to image formation on synthetic paper pb, first remove the paper feed cassette 20 from the printer, then turn the paper feed cassette 20 upside down.
The paper feed cassette 20 is loaded into the printer again with the second storage section 46b containing the synthetic paper pb facing upward. This eliminates the problem of finding a storage location for a cassette that is not in use, unlike when paper feed cassettes are provided for each type of recording paper.

In order to clarify the advantages of the paper feed cassette of the present invention, FIG.
This is a diagram showing a thermal transfer printer loaded with a paper feed cassette 20 of a type that can accommodate only one type of recording paper P, and the structure of the printer itself is the same as that shown in FIG. 1. .

As is clear from a comparison with the paper feed cassette shown in FIG. 6, the paper feed cassette 20 shown in FIG. The size is approximately twice that of the paper feed cassette 20 shown in FIG. However, if it is a thermal transfer printer that is used infrequently, the fourth
As shown in the figure, two types of recording paper may be stored in a paper feed cassette 20 having approximately the same width dimension as the paper feed cassette shown in FIG. Even in this case, there is no need to worry about where to store the cassette that is not in use.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a paper feed cassette and a thermal transfer printer loaded with the cassette according to yet another embodiment, and the structure of the thermal transfer printer is the same as that described above.

This paper feed cassette 20 is designed to open and close the opening 53 by rotating the lid member 51, 52 about the bearing 49, 50 in the case shown in FIG. Lid members 61 and 62 for opening and closing the openings 53 formed in both covers 54 are slidable in the longitudinal direction of the cassette body 45. Each lid member 61
．． At the tip of 62, there is an engaging portion 63 protruding outward.
When the paper feed cassette 20 is loaded into the thermal transfer printer in a closed state, an engagement pin 64 is installed inside the printer to automatically open the upper lid member. ing. FIG. 5(A) shows a state in which the first lid member 61 is open. This prevents you from forgetting to open the lid. Further, in order to prevent forgetting to close the lid, a spring member may be incorporated into the paper feed cassette 20, and each lid member may be automatically closed by the spring member.

Alternatively, a mechanism may be built into the printer to automatically close the lid member when the paper feed cassette 20 is removed. Of course, these lid members may be opened and closed manually.

In each of the illustrated embodiments, OHP paper Pa
Although two types of recording paper, ie, PB and synthetic paper, are stored in the paper feed cassette, each of them may be OHP paper or synthetic paper, and recording papers of different sizes may be stored in the paper feed cassette. .

In that case, in the storage section where the small recording paper is stored,
It is preferable to provide a partition member corresponding to the size of the recording paper. Further, as the partition 47, in addition to a plate member, a large number of bar members may be arranged, or a lattice-like member may be used as the partition.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the type of recording paper to be fed can be changed by inserting and removing the paper cassette and flipping it upside down. Not only can the type of recording paper be replaced with a simple operation, but there is no need to worry about where to install the paper feed cassette when it is not in use.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a thermal transfer printer loaded with a paper feed cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the paper feed cassette shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a thermal transfer printer loaded with a paper feed cassette according to another embodiment, and FIG. 5(A) is another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(B) is a sectional view showing a thermal transfer printer loaded with the paper feeding cassette shown in FIG. 5(A), and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a paper feeding cassette according to an example. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a thermal transfer printer loaded with a paper feed cassette. 10...Housing, 45...Cassette body, 46
a...First storage part, 46b...Second storage part, 47.
...Partition, 51.52...Lid member, Pa...O
HP paper, pb...synthetic paper.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A partition is provided in the cassette main body to form a first accommodating section and a second accommodating section which are vertically divided into the cassette main body and accommodate recording paper, respectively, and the recording paper is fed by turning the cassette main body upside down. A paper cassette that allows you to select the paper feed cassette.