JPH05238087A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use a built-in tractor even when a cassette is loaded. CONSTITUTION:A manual paper feed path B and an automatic paper feed path F are formed separately by switching the state of a platen 2 and friction rollers 7, 7 in pressed contact with each other between at the manual paper feed mode and at the automatic paper feed mode. Since the paths B and F are separated, a paper path C of a continuous form 5 formed by a built-in push tractor 8 is never obstructed by a cassette 11. Therefore, even when the cassette 11 is loaded, it is possible to use the built-in push tractor 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer such as a dot impact printer for printing output results of a computer, and more particularly to a printer having a manual paper feeding function, a tractor paper feeding function, and an automatic paper feeding function. Printing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing device such as a dot impact printer has been adopted as a device for outputting the output result of a computer or the like. In such a printing apparatus, a manual paper feed mechanism by an operator and a tractor paper feed mechanism by a pull tractor or a push tractor are built in, but an automatic paper feed mechanism by a cassette containing a plurality of cut sheets is handled as an optional device. Is common.

An example of such a conventional printing apparatus is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a printing apparatus main body composed of a dot impact printer, and this printing apparatus main body 1 is made of an elastic body and has a platen 2 which intermittently rotates in a direction of an arrow A.
And the print mechanism consisting of the print head 3 arranged facing the platen 2 and the platen 2 and the print head.
Printing is performed by the print head 3 on the cut paper 4 or the continuous paper 5 fed to the print unit between the three via the ribbon (not shown) stretched between the platen 2 and the print head 3.

The cut sheet 4 is supplied by an operator's manual sheet feeding from an upper opening (not shown) of the printer main body 1, and is a guide member disposed obliquely above the platen 2.
The guide roller is guided along the paper path B by the manual feed mechanism composed of 6 and the like, and the platen 2 and the two friction rollers 7, 7 that are in pressure contact with the lower circumferential surface of the platen 2 Reach the position where they are facing each other. The cut paper 4, which has reached the position where the platen 2 and the friction roller 7 face each other, is pressed to the platen 2 side by the friction rollers 7 and 7 and is conveyed to the printing section as the platen 2 rotates, and cut by the print head 3. Printing is performed on paper 4. Printed cut paper
4 is discharged from the upper opening of the printer main body 1 through a discharging mechanism (not shown).

On the other hand, the continuous paper 5 is a push tractor 8 built in the printer body 1 or the printer body 1
The paper is fed to the printing unit by the pull tractor 9 that is installed as an option. That is, the continuous paper 5 supplied from the back side of the printing apparatus main body 1 is conveyed along the paper path C by the push tractor 8, and the continuous paper 5 supplied from the bottom surface side of the printing apparatus main body 1 by the pull tractor 9. The paper is conveyed along the paper path D and fed to the printing unit. The continuous paper 5 fed to the printing unit is printed by the print head 3, and after printing, is discharged from the upper opening of the printer main body 1. The supply of cut paper 4 and continuous paper 5 is switched by a switching lever (not shown), and the friction rollers 7 and 7 are in pressure contact with the platen 2 when the cut paper 4 is supplied. At the time of supply, the friction rollers 7 and 7 are released from the pressure contact with the platen 2 and are in a free state.

Further, a cut sheet 4 having an automatic sheet feeding mechanism
A cassette (not shown) for storing paper can be installed as an option on the top of the printer body 1, and the cut sheet 4 is automatically taken out from the installed cassette and printed using the paper path B during manual paper feeding. Paper is automatically fed to the set.

As described above, the cut paper 4 or the continuous paper 5
Paper is fed to the printing section by manual feeding of cut sheets 4 by an operator, tractor feeding of continuous paper 5 by tractors 8 and 9, and automatic feeding by a cassette as an option.

[0009]

However, since the paper path B for manual paper feeding is used in the automatic paper feeding by the above-mentioned cassette, the cassette is mounted on the upper portion of the printer main body 1 in the vicinity of the paper path B. Therefore, the cassette advances to the position of the paper path C of the continuous paper 5 by the built-in push tractor 8 and interferes with the feeding by the push tractor 8. Therefore, there is a problem that the push tractor 8 cannot be used when the cassette is mounted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer having an automatic paper feed mechanism and capable of using a tractor even when a cassette is mounted.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a printer having a manual paper feed mode and an automatic paper feed mode, in which a plurality of cut sheets are accommodated and attached / detached to / from the printer body. A cassette that can be freely installed, an automatic paper feed mechanism that is placed at a position that comes into contact with the top surface of the cut paper that is stored when this cassette is installed, and that takes out the cut paper by this automatic paper feed mechanism. A platen having a lower end circumferential surface located substantially flush with the surface, a manual paper feed mechanism standing upright at a predetermined angle with respect to the cassette, and two rollers in a manual paper feed mode. When the automatic feed mode is selected, the rollers on the upstream side are brought into pressure contact with the platen to automatically feed the cut sheets that have been fed by hand. Characterized by comprising a friction mechanism for transporting the paper.

[0012]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, by switching the pressure contact state of the two rollers of the platen and the friction mechanism in the manual paper feed mode and the automatic paper feed mode, a paper path for manual paper feed can be obtained. The paper path for automatic paper feeding is formed separately, so that the paper path for continuous paper by the built-in tractor will not be obstructed by the cassette, and the built-in tractor even when the cassette is installed. Can be used.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the outline of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the essential parts thereof. The same parts as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 1, 11 is a cassette for storing a plurality of cut sheets 4 for each different size, and the cassette 11 is detachably mounted in the printer main body 1 in parallel with the floor surface. When the cassette 11 is mounted on the printer main body 1, the control unit (by the pickup roller 12 constituting the automatic paper feeding mechanism disposed at a position in contact with the uppermost surface of the cut sheets 4 stored in the cassette 11 The cut sheet 4 is automatically taken out based on the control (not shown). Further, the platen 2 and the cassette 11 are arranged so that the uppermost surface of the cut sheet 4 housed in the cassette 11 and the lower end circumferential surface of the platen 2 are substantially flush with each other. The cut sheet 4 taken out from the uppermost surface by the rotation of 12 in the direction of arrow E is placed on the platen along the paper path F.
The paper is fed toward the bottom edge 2 of the peripheral surface. The drive source of the pickup roller 12 is supplied from the drive shaft of the platen 2 by gear connection.

Further, since the manual paper feed mechanism consisting of the guide member 6 is erected at a predetermined angle with respect to the cassette 11, the paper path B for manual paper feed and the paper path F for automatic paper feed are provided. Form a separate paper path having a predetermined angle. Therefore, since the paper path C of the continuous paper is formed by the built-in push tractor 8 between the paper path B and the paper path F, the paper path C of the continuous paper 5 is not obstructed by the mounted cassette. Even when the cassette 11 is mounted, the push tractor 8 can carry and feed paper.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the friction rollers 7 and 7 are supported by a first paper guide 13 for guiding the printing paper, and are pressed against the platen 2 in cooperation with the first paper guide 13. In addition, press the printing paper against the platen 2 side between the platen 2 and the print head 3.
A second paper guide 14 for suppressing the floating of the printing paper is erected substantially vertically. It should be noted that the second paper guide 14 is formed with an opening for the print pin to project from the print head 3 so as to face the print head 3.

Further, there are three kinds of printing paper feeding modes, that is, a tractor feeding mode, a manual feeding mode and an automatic feeding mode. These modes can be switched by a switching lever. The position of 7 is switched in conjunction with the switching lever according to the selected mode. That is, the built-in push tractor
8 Or pull tractor optionally installed
In the tractor feeding mode of continuous paper 5 by 9, the two friction rollers 7 and 7 are released from the pressure contact state with the platen 2 and become free, and the continuous paper 5 is pushed by the push tractor 8 or the pull tractor 9 into the paper path C or The paper is conveyed along the paper path D and fed to the printing unit. Also,
In the manual feeding mode by the manual feeding mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two friction rollers 7,
7 is in pressure contact with the platen 2, and in the automatic paper feed mode by the automatic paper feed mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, the two friction rollers 7, 7 are shown by solid lines from the positions shown by broken lines. It moves to the position in conjunction with the first paper guide 13, and only the upstream friction roller 7 is switched to the state of being in pressure contact with the platen 2.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above construction will be described.

First, in the manual feed mode, the cut sheet 4 fed from the upper opening of the printer body 1 is brought into contact with the platen 2 and the upstream friction roller 7 by the guide member 6 of the manual feed mechanism. Paper path B to the position
Will be guided along. The cut sheet 4 that has reached the position where the platen 2 and the friction roller 7 are in contact with each other is guided by the first sheet guide 13 and is guided by the friction roller.
It is pressed against the platen 2 side by 7, 7 and is conveyed to the printing unit as the platen 2 rotates. The cut sheet 4 conveyed to the printing section is prevented from floating by the second sheet guide 14,
Printing is performed on the cut sheet 4 by the print head 3.
The printed cut sheet 4 is sent to the printer body 1 via the discharge mechanism.
Is discharged from the upper opening of the. (See Figure 2).

In the automatic paper feed mode, the top cut paper 4 from the cut paper 4 stored in the cassette 11 mounted in the printer main body 1 is the pickup roller.
Paper path F is taken out by the automatic paper feed mechanism consisting of 12 etc.
The paper is fed toward the lower end circumferential surface of the platen 2 along. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the friction rollers 7, 7 move from the position shown by the broken line to the position shown by the solid line, and only the friction roller 7 on the upstream side is moved to the platen 2.
The cut sheet 4 to be fed is almost flush with the lower end circumferential surface of the platen 2, so it is pressed to the platen 2 side by the friction roller 7 on the upstream side. Then, it goes straight and reaches the second paper guide 14. The cut sheet 4 that has reached the second sheet guide 14 is guided by the second sheet guide 14 and is pressed against the float so as to be fed to the printing portion, and the print head 3 prints on the cut sheet 4. The printed cut sheet 4 is
As in the manual feed mode, the paper is ejected from the top of the printer main body 1 via the ejection mechanism.

Further, in the tractor feeding mode, the friction rollers 7 and 7 are released from the pressure contact state with the platen 2, and the continuous paper 5 is pushed by the push tractor 8 or the pull tractor 9 into the paper path C or the paper path D.
Is conveyed along with and is fed to the printing unit. The continuous paper 5 fed to the printing section is kept from floating by the second paper guide 14, and printing is performed on the continuous paper 5 by the print head 3. The printed continuous paper 5 is discharged from the upper part of the printer main body 1 as in the above.

As described above, by switching the pressure contact state between the platen 2 and the friction rollers 7, 7 in the manual paper feed mode and the automatic paper feed mode, the paper path B for manual paper feed and the paper path for automatic paper feed are selected. Since F is formed separately, continuous paper with built-in push tractor 8
The paper path C 5 is not obstructed by the cassette 11, and the built-in push tractor 8 can be used even when the cassette 11 is mounted.

In the above embodiment, the printing apparatus is applied to the dot impact printer, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effects can be obtained by applying the printing apparatus to other types of printers such as an ink jet printer. be able to.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0026]

As described above in detail, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, by switching the pressure contact state of the two rollers of the platen and the friction mechanism in the manual feed mode and the automatic feed mode, The paper path for manual paper feeding and the paper path for automatic paper feeding can be formed separately, and the paper path for continuous paper by the built-in tractor is not obstructed by the cassette, and the cassette is installed. Even in the state, the built-in tractor can be used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of a main part in a manual feed mode.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of a main part in an automatic paper feed mode.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a conventional printing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1… Printer body 2… Platen 4… Cut paper 6… Guide member (manual paper feed mechanism) 7… Friction roller (friction mechanism) 11… Cassette 12… Pickup roller (automatic paper feed mechanism)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus having a manual sheet feeding mode and an automatic sheet feeding mode, wherein the cassette accommodates a plurality of cut sheets and is detachably attached to the main body of the printer, and the cassette accommodated when the cassette is attached. An automatic paper feed mechanism which is arranged at a position in contact with the uppermost surface of the cut paper and takes out the cut paper; and a platen whose lower end circumferential surface is located on substantially the same plane as the take-out surface of the cut paper by this automatic paper feed mechanism, A manual sheet feeding mechanism installed upright at a predetermined angle with respect to the cassette and two rollers, and in the manual sheet feeding mode, the two rollers are pressed against the platen to manually feed the cut sheet. And a friction mechanism that conveys cut sheets that are automatically fed by pressing only the roller on the upstream side to the platen in the automatic sheet feeding mode. And printing device.