JPH0532005A - Information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize a space which is occupied by a recording sit in the non-recording mode by providing a movable member, with at least, its part being movable, which constitutes the recording unit in such a manner that data can be recorded in the recording action mode. CONSTITUTION:A personal computer consists of a main frame a printer part 2(recording unit) for recording a character or an image in a recording medium, a keyboard 3 with a key for entering a character, a numeral and any other figure and a key for giving various command, and a display part 10. In addition, a circuit part 5 on which drivers for CPU and a peripheral device and a sheet discharge roller unit 210 for discharging a recording medium after the completion of recording are arranged in the main frame 1. Further, the sheet discharge roller unit 210 as a movable member is installed around a sheet discharge roller hinge 20 a that it can be stored during the non-recording action of the printer part 2 and also can be converted to a state which allows it to rotate about, 90 deg. from the storage state for use.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing device having a recording device, and more particularly to an information processing device such as a personal computer, a word processor, an electronic typewriter, etc., which is provided with a display portion and a recording portion. More specifically, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that can reduce the size by eliminating waste in the space such as the carrier movement route section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional information processing apparatuses such as personal computers, word processors, and electronic typewriters have an integrated operation input section such as a keyboard and a display section. In recent years, like a so-called laptop type, the display unit is rotatably supported by a main body having an operation input unit, the display unit is on the operation input unit when stored, and the display unit is raised when used. There are many small-sized ones with excellent transportability and storability.

Further, a small and thin information processing apparatus called a notebook type or a book type, which is further excellent in portability and storability, has appeared, and along with this, a printer is also made small and inexpensive, which makes it more convenient for users. Something that can be used easily has been proposed.

Further, a serial type recording device is adopted as one system of the recording means used in the information processing device. In the case of ink jet recording, for example, this recording method is such that, as shown in FIG. 12, a head cartridge 101 is loaded in a carrier 102, and the recording head of the head cartridge 101 is moved while the carrier 102 reciprocates in parallel with a platen 207. Selectively generate heat,
The ejected ink is recorded on the recording medium 6, and when the recording for one line is completed, the recording medium 6 is conveyed for one line by the conveying roller 201 and the pinch roller 202, and the recording for the next and subsequent lines is performed.

[0005]

Based on these various information processing apparatuses, the present inventors have found that there are the following technical problems in installing a printer in the information processing apparatus. It was In the serial type recording method, the traveling area of the carrier 102 must be secured as a space so that the carrier 102 can travel back and forth during recording. Therefore, for example, the device member such as the circuit unit 5 cannot be arranged in the traveling region, and the circuit unit 5 or the like must be arranged in the bottom region or the front region. Therefore, the depth dimension or the height direction of the device is inevitably increased correspondingly, and the effective use of the space of the carrier movement path portion has been a technical issue in downsizing the information processing device.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems,
It is intended to provide an information processing device that enables effective use of the traveling area space and can reduce the size of the information processing device.

[0007]

A typical means for solving the above problems according to the present invention is a recording means for recording on a recording medium, and the recording means is mounted on the recording medium, and reciprocates along a path portion. And a means for moving a part of the recording medium conveying means with respect to the carrier movement path portion for.

Here, in the recording operation by the recording section,
By sliding a part of the recording medium conveying means, a part of the recording medium conveying means is separated from the carrier moving path portion.

Further, in the recording operation by the recording section,
By rotating a part of the recording medium conveying means, a part of the recording medium conveying means is separated from the carrier moving path portion.

In the recording operation by the recording section,
By sliding the printer unit 2 with respect to the apparatus main body 1, a part of the carrier moving unit is separated from the carrier moving path unit.

[0011]

According to the present invention, even if a part of the recording medium conveying means is arranged in the space of the carrier movement path portion, a part of the device member other than the recording portion is retracted from the carrier movement path portion during recording. As a result, the carrier can reciprocate along the traveling route portion without interfering with the device member.

With this, it is possible to arrange a part of the recording medium conveying means in the space of the carrier movement path portion during non-recording, and the space in the apparatus is effectively used.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIGS. 1, 2 and 3
Are personal computers (hereinafter abbreviated as personal computers) as information processing devices according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing FIG. In the figure, 1 is a device main body, 2 is a printer unit (recording unit) for recording characters and images on a recording medium 6 such as paper or OHP film, and 3 is a key for inputting characters, numbers and other characters. And a keyboard unit including keys for giving various commands, 4 is a display unit including the display device 5,
Is a circuit unit equipped with a CPU for controlling the personal computer main body, drivers for peripheral devices, etc. and a power supply circuit, and 210 is a paper ejection roller unit for pulling up and ejecting the recording medium for which recording has been completed. Composed.

The display unit 4 is rotatably attached to the apparatus main body 1 via hinges 4a provided at both ends of its rear edge. As a result, when the apparatus is used, the display unit 4 is opened to a position where the display unit 10 can be easily seen by the rotation thereof (hereinafter, this state is referred to as a display unit use state), and when not used, the display unit 4 functions as a cover. (Hereinafter, this state is referred to as a display unit accommodation state). As the display element of the display device 10, a liquid crystal display element, a plasma display, or the like is used because the display section can be made thin. Further, when a light source is provided to make the display easy to see, it may be of a backlight type, and may be of a sidelight type in order to make it thinner.

Whether the display unit 4 is in the display unit use state or the display unit storage state can be detected by the display unit open / closed state sensor 17 (see FIG. 9) provided near the hinge 4a. .

A latch hook 15 is provided on the upper edge of the display portion 4 as shown in FIG. 1, and is attached so as to be slidable by operating an operating portion (not shown). Further, a latch hole 16 for receiving the latch hook 15 is provided at a position corresponding to the latch hook 15 on the apparatus main body 1 side. When the display unit 4 is closed to form a cover when not in use, the latch hook 15 and the latch hole 15 are provided. By engaging the 16 locking parts,
It is possible to prevent undesired opening when the display unit is conveyed in the housed state.

4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the printer unit 2, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of the printer unit in the form of an ink jet recording apparatus as an example of the printer unit 2. Here, 210a is a paper ejection roller hinge that serves as a center when the rotatable paper ejection roller unit 210 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The paper discharge roller unit 210 has two types of states, and in FIG. 4, it shows a storage state that can be taken when the printer section 2 is not recording (hereinafter referred to as the printer section storage state), and from this position in the clockwise direction in the figure. About 9
When the printer unit 2 rotates 0 degrees, it reaches a state (hereinafter referred to as a printer unit use state) that can be taken during the recording operation of the printer unit 2 shown in FIG.

Here, whether the discharge roller unit 210 is in the printer section in use or in the printer section is detected by a discharge roller unit sensor (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the discharge roller hinge 210a. be able to.

In this embodiment, the printer section 2 using the ink jet recording head is arranged between the keyboard section 3 of the apparatus main body 1 and the rear end position of the display section 4. In this embodiment, the head cartridge 10 which is a recording head
The so-called serial printer 1 reciprocates in the main scanning direction which is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the recording medium 6.
That is, it is necessary to secure a space in which the head cartridge 101 and the carrier loaded with the head cartridge 101 move during a recording operation. However, if the head cartridge 101 is fixed at one place while the printer unit is housed, the carrier movement path portion that is the movement space can be used as a space for other purposes. In this embodiment, the head cartridge 101 is fixed to the end of the carrier moving path portion when the printer portion is housed so that the above-described paper discharge roller unit 210 fits into the space of the carrier moving path portion when housed. Constitute.

If the operator mistakenly places the paper ejection roller unit 210 in the printer section during the recording operation, the paper ejection roller unit 210 and the head cartridge 1 will be stored.
There is a possibility that 01 may interfere with the printer and cause the printer to break or malfunction. A means for preventing this will be described later.

Next, a method of conveying the recording medium in the recording operation state will be described with reference to FIGS.

A recording medium having a relatively low rigidity such as plain paper or OHP film can be conveyed in the state shown in FIG. That is, the recording medium 6 is provided along the recording medium insertion guide (not shown) provided for the purpose of preventing skew and meandering from the paper feed port 209 provided in the upper rear part of the apparatus main body 1 in the arrow direction in the figure. When is inserted, the tip reaches the platen 207 along the recording medium guide plate 208. If the release mechanism separates the pinch roller 202 and the transport roller 201, the recording medium 6 can be set at the recordable position by continuing to insert the recording medium 6 as it is.
If the conveyance roller 201 and the pinch roller 202 are not released and are in contact with each other, the platen 207 is rotated by the motor 402 in accordance with an instruction from the keyboard unit 3 from the state where the leading end of the recording medium 6 is abutted to the recordable position. Can be set.

The recording medium 6 continues to be conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the drawing during the recording operation, and is discharged to the front surface of the display unit 4 after the recording operation is completed.

Further, in the case of a recording medium having a relatively high rigidity such as a postcard or an envelope, it can be conveyed in the state of FIG. That is, a recording medium is inserted from a paper feed port 209 provided on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 1 in the direction of an arrow in the drawing along a recording medium insertion guide (not shown) provided for the purpose of preventing skew and meandering. When the recording medium 6 is inserted, the recording medium 6 reaches the platen 207 without bending. After that, Fig. 6
It can be set at the recordable position in the same manner as described above, and after the recording operation, it is discharged to the front surface of the display unit 4. By adopting such a transport path, the possibility of jamming is reduced and a smooth recording operation can be performed. However, when such a recording medium conveyance path is used, it is necessary to insert the recording medium from the position corresponding to the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 1, so that the rear end of the apparatus main body 1 is lifted or the personal computer is erected with the rear end of the apparatus main body 1 as the bottom surface. The recording operation can be performed with.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a printer unit in the form of an ink jet recording apparatus as an example of the printer unit 2.

Here, 101 is a head cartridge, which mainly comprises an ink jet recording head and an ink tank integrally. Head cartridge 10
The reference numeral 1 is detachably attached to the ink jet recording apparatus, and when the ink in the ink tank is used up, the ink can be replenished or replaced with a new head cartridge.

The recording head includes a substrate on which a plurality of electrothermal converters for generating thermal energy used for ink ejection and a drive circuit for driving the electrothermal converters are formed, and the plurality of electrothermal converters on the substrate. Of the discharge port and the liquid passage corresponding to each of the above, and a top plate for forming a common liquid chamber communicating with each liquid passage are laminated. Then, the recording head thus constructed is mounted on the apparatus so that the ejection port surface on which the ejection ports are arranged faces the recording medium 6.

By energizing the electrothermal converter,
Ink is ejected from the ejection port to perform recording on the recording medium 6. Incidentally, as the energy applying means for ejecting the ink, a method using an electromechanical converter such as a piezo element as well as the electrothermal converter is used, and an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is applied to generate heat to generate heat. Although there is a method of ejecting ink by the action, as described above, the recording head using the electrothermal converter as the energy generating means can be easily made compact, and the recent technological progress in the semiconductor field and improvement in reliability are achieved. However, the advantages of the IC technology and the micro processing technology, which are remarkable, can be fully utilized, high-density mounting is easy, and the manufacturing cost is low, which is advantageous.

The ink tank is the head cartridge 101.
The ink storage chamber for storing ink is provided inside thereof.

The carrier 102, on which the head cartridge 101 is mounted, engages with the pin (which engages with the spiral groove 105 of the lead screw 103 which rotates via a transmission mechanism (not shown) in conjunction with the forward / reverse rotation of the carrier motor 402a. (Not shown), and is reciprocated in the directions of arrows a and b in FIG. 7 with the rotation of the lead screw 103. Reference numeral 104 is a sliding shaft that regulates the rotation of the carrier. Further, the carrier sensor 510 (not shown) determines the carrier 102 at a predetermined position (for example, a home position) outside the recording area during non-recording.

A recovery unit 301 is provided with a cap 302 facing the ejection opening surface of the head cartridge 101 at a predetermined position (for example, a home position) outside the recording area of the head cartridge 101, and the cap 302 is brought into contact with the ejection opening surface. It has a cap advancing / retreating drive unit (not shown) for protecting it during non-recording. Also,
At the time of contact, a pump is provided to suck ink from the discharge port and discharge thickened ink, dust, bubbles, etc. to improve the ink discharge state, and a member for storing the sucked waste ink. May be.

Reference numeral 201 denotes a conveying roller for conveying the recording medium 6 in the direction c of FIG. 7, and 202 denotes a pinch roller for pressing the recording medium 6 against the conveying roller 201, which is sandwiched between these pair of rollers. At the time of recording, the recording medium 6 is intermittently fed in the direction c in the drawing. The transport roller 201 is engaged with the transport motor 402b via the power transmission mechanism of the transport roller gear 205 and the transport roller idler gear 206, and receives the driving force. Further, the pinch roller 202 can be brought into contact with or separated from the transport roller 201 by operating a release lever (not shown).

Similar to the transport roller 201, 210 is a paper discharge roller unit for transporting the recording medium 6 in the direction c in the drawing, 213 is a paper discharge roller, and 214 is the pressure of the recording medium 6 against the paper discharge roller 213. The spur roller is sandwiched between the pair of rollers and the recording medium 6 is intermittently fed in the direction c of FIG. 7 during recording. The paper discharge roller 213 transmits the conveyance motor 402b via the transmission of the conveyance roller gear 206.
To receive the driving force.

A spring (not shown) is added to the paper discharge roller unit 210 in the direction of the arrow in the drawing via the paper discharge roller hinge 210a, and the paper discharge roller unit 210 is opened via the paper discharge roller hinge 210a by opening the display section 4. 4 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4 to be fixed at the position shown in FIG. When the display unit 4 is closed, it is pushed by the display unit 4 and the paper discharge roller unit 210 is stored as shown in FIG.

The paper discharge roller unit 210 may be set to the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 by a lever that rotates the paper discharge roller hinge 210a.

Reference numeral 207 denotes a platen for regulating the recording surface of the recording medium 6 to be flat, and in this example, it is constructed integrally with the printer housing (base) 18. Further, a member for bringing the recording medium 6 into close contact with the platen 207 and preventing the recording medium 6 from floating may be provided.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 respectively show the conveying roller 20.
The pressed state and the separated state of the pinch roller 202 with respect to 1 are shown.

First, in FIG. 5, which is in a pressed state for sandwiching or conveying the recording medium 6 with a pair of rollers, the pinch roller 202 is the conveying roller 201 by a spring (not shown) provided on the side plate of the printer housing 18, for example. Is urged in the direction d in the figure.

From this state, when the release lever (not shown) is rotated counterclockwise in the figure about the rotation shaft (not shown), the state shown in FIG. 8 is reached. Therefore, the pinch roller 202
Moves counterclockwise in the figure against the urging force of a spring (not shown), and a gap is formed between the roller and the conveying roller 201.

The paper sensor 511 (not shown) is provided in front of the recording position in the recording medium conveyance direction c so as to detect the recording medium 6, and is a sensor for detecting the front and rear ends of the recording medium 6.

Next, the configuration of the electric circuit of the information processing apparatus of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electric circuit. In the figure, the components already described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

Here, 501 is a controller that performs main control, 502 is a CPU in the form of, for example, a microcomputer that executes the procedure shown in FIG. 10, and 503 is an area or work for expanding text data or image data. RAM provided with a memory area, 504 is a ROM storing fixed data such as a program corresponding to the above procedure and other font data, and 505 is necessary for creating an execution cycle of the CPU 502 and recording operation by the printer unit 2. A timer that creates timing, and 506 is an interface unit that connects a signal from the CPU 502 and a peripheral device.

Further, 507 is a controller of the printer unit 2, 508 is a head driver for sending recording signals and electric power to the head cartridge 101, 509a,
b and c are motor drivers 510 for sending out signals and electric power necessary for driving the carrier motor 402a, the carry motor 402b, and the recovery system motor 402c, respectively. The carrier sensor 511 for determining whether there is a recording medium 6 does not allow recording to a place other than the recording medium 6 when the recording medium 6 has not been inserted or recording has ended up to the end of the page. It is a paper sensor that detects the presence or absence of.

Further, 14 is, for example, FDD, HDD, R
An external storage device 512 such as an AM card is an external interface for communicating with another information processing device or for directly connecting to an internal bus and controlling peripheral devices.

Although not included in the block diagram of FIG. 9, there is another power supply unit for supplying electric power to the above electric circuit, which includes, for example, a rechargeable battery, a disposable dry battery, Alternatively, there is an AC power supply converter or the like that is fixed to the apparatus body 1 for use.

With the above-described configuration, information processing, communication, data storage, etc. can be performed. Next, the execution procedure for recording processing by the printer unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the schematic flowchart of

The following series of procedures are started by a recording start instruction by the recording command key on the keyboard unit 3, a recording start instruction by a command input, or an external recording start instruction by communication or the like.

First, at step S1, the display opening / closing state sensor 1 determines whether the display is in use.
Judge according to the information in 7. This is a measure to prevent the recording operation from being started in the storage state of the display unit 4 when the recording operation start instruction is sent mainly from the outside by communication or the like. If it is determined that the storage state is set, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, in order to call the operator's attention so as to bring the display unit into the display unit use state, for example, the fact that the printing operation cannot be started by a lamp or the like provided in the apparatus main body 1 which can be confirmed even when the display unit is stored. Display a message. This may be done by other means, for example, a warning sound may be issued by a buzzer, or a message signal may be sent to an external device through an external interface.

If it is confirmed in step S1 that the display unit 4 is in the display unit use state, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, whether or not the recording medium 6 is set in the printer unit 2 is determined by a signal from the paper sensor 511 or the like. This is because, particularly in a recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer, when printing is started without a recording medium, ink is scattered in the printer unit to contaminate the apparatus itself, or waste ink such as a recording medium is wasted. This is to prevent it from getting lost.

Further, in this step S3, not only the presence or absence of the recording medium but also the pinch roller 202 and the conveying roller 2 are used.
It may be judged whether or not 01 has been released. This is to prevent the recording medium 6 from being conveyed normally when the pinch roller 202 is released, even if the recording medium 6 is set.
The release of the pinch roller 202 can be determined by means such as providing a mechanical switch on the release lever. If it is determined that the recording medium is not properly set, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, as in step S2, a message is issued in order to call the operator's attention and set the recording medium. As a method of generating the message, for example, the message may be displayed in characters on the display 10 or may be displayed in the same manner as in step S2.

If it is determined in step S3 that the recording medium 6 is set, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the recording operation is started. C
The head driver 508 drives the head cartridge 101 in accordance with an instruction from the PU 502, and in synchronization with this, the motor drivers 509a, b, and c drive the carrier motor 402a, the conveyance motor 402b, and the recovery system motor 402c, respectively, Recording is performed while moving 102 in the main scanning direction, moving the recording medium in the sub scanning direction, and cleaning the head cartridge 101.

Here, when the display unit 4 enters the display unit housed state during the recording operation, the paper discharge roller unit 2
Since there is a possibility that 10 and the head cartridge 101 interfere with each other to cause destruction or failure of the printer unit 2, the following checks are performed in step S6 in order to prevent this.

That is, in step S6, it is determined whether the display unit 4 is in the display unit use state or the display unit storage state based on the information of the display unit open / close state sensor 17. Here, since it takes some time from the determination to the completion of the processing for preventing the failure, for example, when the display unit 4 reaches a predetermined position with some allowance, the display unit is stored. It may be determined that there is, or the angular velocity of the opening and closing of the display unit 4 may be detected and the time when the display unit is stored may be predicted and determined from the relationship between the angular velocity and the angle.

Here, if it is determined that the display unit 4 is in the display unit use state, the recording can be continued as it is, and the process proceeds to the next step S11.

As described above, in any case during the recording operation, when the display section open / close state sensor 17 detects that the display section 4 is in the display section housed state, an interrupt process is immediately generated, and the control is performed in step S6. It moves to step S7.

In step S7, the recording operation is immediately stopped. That is, even during recording, the ejection of ink from the head cartridge 101 is immediately stopped, the movement of the carrier 102 is stopped, and the conveyance of the recording medium is stopped.
At this time, since it is necessary to store the position of the carrier 102 at the time of interrupting the recording and the state of the recorded data as a preparation for restarting the recording operation thereafter,
These pieces of information are stored in the work area of the RAM 503.

Then, in step S8, the carrier 102 is quickly moved to the home position in order to retract the head cartridge 101, and the standby state is entered.

Next, in step S9, the display unit 4 is opened again and waits until the display unit is ready for use. Here, the display opening / closing state sensor 17 is monitored again. Display unit 4
Is opened up to a predetermined angle and it is confirmed that the paper discharge roller unit 210 has retracted from the carrier movement path of the printer unit 2, the process proceeds to the next step S10.

In step S10, the RAM 503 is used to continuously start the recording operation from where it was previously stopped.
The position of the carrier 102 stored in and the state of the recorded data are read, the carrier 102 is moved to that position, and the data being recorded is continued. At this time, in order to make the connection between the data already recorded and the data to be newly recorded smooth, the carrier 1 recorded before the stop
Recording can be resumed after backlash of the mechanism is taken into consideration in consideration of the moving direction of 02.

When the above step recording operation is restarted, the process returns to step S5 and the normal recording operation is performed.

Finally, in step S11, for example, the CPU
A signal from 502 gives an instruction to end the recording operation,
Alternatively, when it is determined that a predetermined number of recording lines in one sub-scanning direction within one page has been reached and recording cannot be performed on the recording medium any more, or the paper sensor 511 detects that the recording area of the recording medium 6 has ended. If the recording operation is completed, it is determined that the recording operation is completed and the recording operation procedure is completed.

As a procedure for ending the recording operation, first, the carrier 1
02 is returned to the home position. This is for keeping the carrier 102 in the carrier moving path portion in case of turning off the power after the recording operation to bring the display portion 4 into the display portion housed state.

Next, for example, the conveyance motor 402b is driven, or the conveyance motor 402b is driven until the paper sensor 510 confirms that the recording medium 6 has been ejected, thereby ejecting the recording medium. . Then, the CPU 502 notifies the software being executed of the end of recording, or notifies the peripheral device through an external interface to complete the recording operation.

As described above, the following effects can be obtained by arranging a part of the recording medium conveyance path in the space of the carrier movement path part when the recording means is not used as in the present embodiment.

That is, the space in the apparatus is effectively used, and downsizing can be realized.

Further, since the recording medium on which recording has been completed is ejected to the front surface of the display device, it is possible to easily confirm the recording result.

Further, since the recording means comes closer to the operator side than the display means, it becomes possible to easily replace consumables such as ink, and the operability is improved.

Further, since the paper discharge roller unit is provided, the recording medium can be surely discharged from the printer unit 2 and the reliability is improved.

Further, since the recording medium can be held until the lower end of the recording medium passes to the recording position, it is possible to record up to the lower end, and the unrecordable margin is reduced.

(Modification 1 of Embodiment) FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a cross section of a printer unit 2 of Modification 1 of the embodiment. 2 here
Reference numeral 10a denotes a paper discharge roller hinge that serves as a center when the rotatable paper discharge roller unit 210 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. The paper discharge roller unit 210 has two types of states, and in FIG. 13 shows a storage state that can be taken when the printer unit 2 is not recording (hereinafter referred to as printer unit storage state). It rotates about 90 degrees (in the opposite direction to that of the first embodiment) and reaches a state (hereinafter referred to as a printer section use state) that can be taken during the recording operation of the printer section 2 shown in FIG.

The difference from the first embodiment is that the position of the paper discharge roller unit 210 in the printer housing state is housed in the space where the head cartridge 101 and the carrier 102 on which the head cartridge 101 is mounted move, or the recording medium carrying means. Is it built-in?

In the embodiments described above or later, the case where the ink jet recording apparatus of the serial printer type is used as the recording means has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the thermal transfer method, the heat sensitive recording method, the wire. It goes without saying that a dot type recording device can be applied.

(Second Embodiment) FIGS. 14 and 15 are side sectional views of a printer unit 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Paper ejection roller unit 210 and paper ejection roller unit 2
The operation is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the mechanism for rotating 10, so that the description will be omitted.

Reference numeral 210a denotes a paper discharge roller hinge that serves as a center when the rotatable paper discharge roller unit 210 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. The paper discharge roller unit 210 takes two types of states, and in FIG. 14 shows a storage state (printer unit storage state) that can be taken during non-recording operation of the printer unit 2. From this position, about 90 degrees clockwise in the drawing. It rotates to reach a state (printer section use state) that can be taken during the recording operation of the printer section 2 shown in FIG. The printer unit is configured to move from the printer unit housed state to the printer unit used state.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the printer unit housed state, in which the paper discharge roller unit 210 is at the position in the drawing,
When the display unit 4 is opened, the hinge gear 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and the hinge idler gears 22a, 22b, 22
The paper discharge roller gear 22d is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure via c, and the state of use of the printer is shown in FIG.

If the operator mistakenly places the paper ejection roller unit 210 in the printer section during the recording operation, the paper ejection roller unit 210 and the head cartridge 1
01 may interfere with the printer to cause breakage or failure, but as a means for preventing this, when the display unit 4 described in the first embodiment is opened / closed except that the judgment by the discharge roller unit sensor 517 is used. This is the same as the interference prevention means.

(Third Embodiment) FIGS. 16 and 17 are side sectional views of a printer unit 2 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 2 is a printer unit for recording characters and images on a recording medium 6 such as paper or OHP film, 2a is a conveying device unit for the recording medium 6 of the printer unit, and 2b.
Is a carrier sliding device section of the printer section, 4 is a display section equipped with a display device, and 5 is a circuit section on which a driver for controlling a personal computer body and drivers such as peripheral devices and a power supply circuit are mounted. Is configured.

Since the structure of the apparatus main body 1 is almost the same as that of the personal computer shown in the first embodiment, the description of the similar parts will be omitted and the newly added paper feed port guide 50 will be mainly described.

FIG. 16 is a view showing the printer unit accommodated state. By sliding the paper feed port guide 50 in the direction of the arrow in the figure, a recording medium insertion port is provided as shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, since the workability of inserting the recording medium 6 from the rear of the main body of the apparatus is poor, a paper feed port is provided on the rear side of the upper surface of the main body of the apparatus. Further, in the conventional case, the size shown in FIG. 11 was required, but in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the apparatus main body becomes small in the printer section housed state. Further, the paper feed port guide 50 covers the paper feed port when the printer is housed, and also serves as a printer cover for preventing intrusion of dust and the like from the outside.

(Embodiment 4) FIGS. 18 and 19 are side sectional views of a printer section 2 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
The printer unit 2 is installed at the rear end portion 51 of the apparatus main body,
It is slidable with respect to the apparatus body 1. Further, by interlocking with the forward / reverse rotation of the carrier motor 402a, the timing belt 25 is slid through a transmission mechanism (not shown), so that the carrier 1 on which the head cartridge 101 is mounted is mounted.
02 slides along the sliding shafts 103a and 104. Except for the mechanism described above, the operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The rear end portion 51 of the apparatus main body is a rear end portion guide (not shown) of the apparatus main body which is provided at both ends of the apparatus main body 1.
A locking hook (not shown) is provided so as to slide along the device and not to be disengaged from the rear end guide of the apparatus body. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a printer unit housed state, and FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a printer unit used state. When the carrier 102 is slid using the timing belt 25, a timing belt pulley (not shown) is required, and a space between the timing belts 25 is required as shown in FIG. As shown in 18, when the printer unit 2 is not used, the printer unit 2 is slid in the opposite direction of the arrow and the timing belt 25 is pressed against the circuit unit 5,
The space between the timing belts 25 can be reduced.

Whether the printer unit 2 is in use or accommodated with respect to the apparatus body 1 is determined by a printer sensor (provided inside the apparatus body 1 or the printer unit 2 or the apparatus body rear end portion 51). (Not shown).

Further, if the operator mistakenly puts the printer unit 2 into the housed state during the recording operation, there is a possibility that the circuit unit 5 and the timing belt 25 interfere with each other to cause damage or failure of the printer. The means for preventing this is the same as that of the first embodiment, and will be omitted.

Further, in this embodiment, the width of the timing belt 25 was narrow because the load for sliding the carrier 102 was relatively small, but when the width of the timing belt 25 is wide, the effect is great.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIGS. 20 and 21 are side sectional views of a printer unit 2 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
The printer unit 2 is arranged at the rear end portion 51 of the apparatus main body,
It is slidable with respect to the apparatus body 1. Further, by interlocking with the forward / reverse rotation of the carrier motor 402a, the timing belt 25 is slid through a transmission mechanism (not shown), so that the carrier 1 on which the head cartridge 101 is mounted is mounted.
02 slides along the sliding shafts 103a and 104. Except for the mechanism described above, the operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The rear end 51 of the main body of the apparatus is a rear end guide (not shown) of the main body of the apparatus which is provided at both ends of the main body 1.
A locking hook (not shown) is provided so as to slide along the device and not to be disengaged from the rear end guide of the apparatus body. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a printer unit housed state, and FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a printer unit used state. The flexible cable 401 for transmitting the signal from the circuit unit 5 to the head cartridge 101 is required, and conventionally, a sliding space for the flexible cable 401 is required as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 20, when the printer unit 2 is not used, sliding space of the flexible cable 401 can be reduced by sliding the printer unit 2 in the opposite direction of the arrow and pressing the flexible cable 401 against the circuit unit 5. it can.

Whether the printer unit 2 is in use or accommodated with respect to the apparatus main body 1 is determined by a printer sensor (provided inside the apparatus main body 1, the printer unit 2 or the apparatus main body rear end portion 51). (Not shown).

Further, if the operator mistakenly puts the printer unit 2 into the housed state during the recording operation, there is a possibility that the circuit unit 5 and the flexible cable 401 interfere with each other to cause destruction or failure of the printer. The means for preventing this is the same as that of the first embodiment, and will be omitted.

(Others) In the present invention, various types of printers can be adopted as described above, and various types of printers can be used even when the inkjet recording system is used. A recording head and a recording device of a system that includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) that generates thermal energy as energy used for ejecting, and that causes a change in ink state by the thermal energy. When used, it brings about an excellent effect. This is because according to such a method, it is possible to reduce the size of the head and achieve high density and high definition of recording.

Regarding the typical structure and principle thereof, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740.
What is done using the basic principles disclosed in 796 is preferred. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
It can be applied to any of the continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to the sheet holding the liquid (ink) or the electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. By applying at least one drive signal that gives a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling corresponding to the recorded information, thermal energy is generated in the electrothermal converter, and bubbles in the recording head liquid (ink) are formed. It is effective because it can be done. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection openings by the growth and contraction of the bubbles to form at least one droplet. If this drive signal has a pulse shape,
Since the growth and shrinkage of the bubbles are immediately and appropriately performed, it is more preferable that the discharge of the liquid (ink) having excellent responsiveness can be achieved. This pulse shape drive signal is described in US Pat. No. 44.
Those described in the specification of No. 63359 and No. 4345262 are suitable. In addition, US Patent No. 43131 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise of the above-mentioned heat acting surface.
If the conditions described in the specification of No. 24 are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the ejection port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 44, which disclose a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
The structure using the specification of No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is provided. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461, which discloses the configuration corresponding to the ejection portion. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be surely and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

In addition, even in the case of the serial type as in the above example, the recording head fixed to the main body of the apparatus or the electrical connection to the main body of the apparatus or the ink from the main body of the apparatus by being attached to the main body of the apparatus. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be supplied or a cartridge-type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself is used.

Further, as the constitution of the recording apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to add ejection recovery means of the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc. because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, heating is performed by using a capping means, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or sucking means for the recording head, an electrothermal converter or another heating element or a combination thereof. Examples thereof include a preliminary heating unit for performing the discharge and a preliminary discharge unit for performing discharge different from the recording.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads to be mounted, for example, only one is provided corresponding to a single color ink, or a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities are supported. A plurality of pieces may be provided. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but it may be either the recording head is integrally formed or a plurality of combinations may be used. The present invention is also extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of full-color recording modes by color mixing.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the ink is described as a liquid, but an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and that softens or liquefies at room temperature may be used. Or, in the inkjet system, it is common to control the temperature of the ink itself within the range of 30 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is within the stable ejection range. Sometimes, a liquid ink may be used. In addition, the temperature rise due to thermal energy is positively prevented by using it as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or to prevent the ink from evaporating, it is solidified and heated in the standing state. You may use the ink liquefied by. In any case, the ink is liquefied by applying heat energy according to the recording signal,
The present invention is also applicable to the case of using an ink that has a property of liquefying only when heat energy is applied, such as one that ejects liquid ink or one that already begins to solidify when it reaches a recording medium. The ink in such a case is in a state of being held as a liquid or a solid in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet as described in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-71260. Alternatively, it may be configured to face the electrothermal converter. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

Although a so-called serial type printer is used as the recording means in the embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this and, for example, a full line corresponding to the maximum width in the main scanning direction of the recording medium. It is needless to say that the printer may be configured by using a line-type printer that uses the head of the form. In this case, for example, the invention can be applied to a color printer or the like in which a recording head repeatedly contacts and retracts to perform recording.

In addition, as a mode of the present invention, one used as a terminal such as a host computer, one combined with a reader or the like, one in which a recording head and a reading head can be replaced, and a facsimile function are further provided. You may have what etc.

[0104]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When the recording operation of the recording means, there is a member for recording,
And by having a space in which no member exists during the non-recording operation, by configuring so that a part of the movable member constituting the information processing device can move into the space during the non-recording operation,
The main body of the device can be downsized, which improves transportability and saves space.

Further, by making the main body of the apparatus compact and providing a paper feed port for the recording medium on the upper surface of the main body of the apparatus, it is easy to insert the recording medium and prevent dust from entering from the outside. Since it is also used as a printer cover, the number of parts is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the information processing apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention when it is stored.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention when used.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a stored state of the printer unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a usage state of the printer unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a usage state of the printer unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the printer unit of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the printer unit of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of recording processing means of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of recording processing means of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a stored state of a conventional printer unit.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing a usage state of a conventional printer unit.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a printer unit accommodation state of a modified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing a printer unit storage state of the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a side sectional view showing a usage state of the printer unit according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a side sectional view showing a printer unit storage state of the third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing the usage state of the printer unit in the third embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view showing a printer unit storage state of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a side sectional view showing a usage state of the printer unit according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a side sectional view showing a printer unit storage state of the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a side sectional view showing a usage state of the printer unit according to the fifth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 device body 2 Printer section 2a Conveyor unit 2b Carrier sliding device section 3 keyboard part 4 Display 4a hinge 5 circuit 6 recording media 7 Paper feed guide plate 10 Display 15 Latch hook 16 latch holes 17 Display opening / closing status sensor 18 Printer case 22 Hinge gear 22a Hinge idler gear 22b hinge idler gear 22c hinge idler gear 25 timing belt 50 Paper Feed Port Guide 51 Device body rear end 101 head cartridge 102 carrier 103 lead screw 103a Sliding shaft 104 sliding axis 105 spiral groove 201 Conveyor roller 202 pinch roller 203 Pinch roller guide 204 pinch roller shaft 205 Conveyor roller gear 206 Conveyor roller idler gear 207 Platen 209 paper feed port 210 Paper ejection roller unit 301 Recovery Unit 302 cap 401 flexible cable 402a Carrier motor 402b Conveyor motor 402c Recovery motor 501 Main controller 502 CPU 503 RAM 504 ROM 505 timer 506 Interface part 507 Printer controller 508 head driver 509 motor driver 510 carrier sensor 511 Paper sensor 512 external interface 514 Device body sensor 517 Paper ejection roller unit sensor

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus having a recording unit, wherein a movable member to which at least a part of a member constituting the recording unit moves at a recording operation possible position during a recording operation is provided during a non-recording operation. An information processing apparatus for reducing the space occupied by the recording unit. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is a recording medium conveying unit. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is a carrier driving unit or a drive transmitting unit. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is a recording head recording signal transmitting means. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is a member that constitutes a conveyance space for a recording medium or a guide unit. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is an inkjet recording system that performs recording by ejecting ink according to a signal. 7. The ink jet recording system according to claim 6, wherein the recording unit energizes an electrothermal converter according to a signal and ejects ink by using thermal energy of the electrothermal converter for recording. Information processing equipment. 8. The recording unit energizes an electrothermal converter in response to a signal, and ink is ejected from an ejection port for recording by growth of bubbles caused by heating beyond film boiling by the electrothermal converter. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, which is an inkjet recording system. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is moved by moving the recording unit relative to the information processing apparatus having the recording unit.