JPH0676154B2 - Recording paper feed control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method of controlling paper feeding by detecting a near-end state of the remaining amount of recording paper in a recording apparatus using cut paper as the recording paper according to the present invention.

[Conventional technology]

Currently, some recording devices used in electrophotographic recording devices, impact printers, facsimiles, etc. use cut paper as recording paper. In recording devices using this cut paper, for example, the near-end state of the remaining amount of recording paper is detected. As a method of doing so, the recording apparatus is provided with a paper thickness measuring means, etc., and the thickness of the entire recording paper remaining in the stacker is measured by the paper thickness measuring means etc., and the measured value reaches a certain value or less. There is a method to notify the operator when the recording paper is in the near-end state by displaying it on the display or the like.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, the thickness of the entire recording paper remaining in the stacker is measured by the paper thickness measuring means and the like, and based on the measurement result, it is determined whether or not the recording paper is in the near end state. Therefore, when the near end of the recording paper is detected, an error of about 10 to 20 sheets occurs in the number of the remaining recording papers, and there is a problem that the reliability is insufficient.

Further, if the measurement accuracy of the paper thickness measuring means or the like is increased in order to reduce the error, there is also a problem that the price of the recording device is increased.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and detects a near-end state of a recording paper only when the remaining number of recording papers is one to issue a near-end warning, It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly reliable recording paper feed control method capable of controlling the paper feed.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a recording apparatus having a stacker for accommodating recording paper cut into a certain size, and a recording unit for recording on the recording paper fed from this stacker. In the method of controlling the feeding of the recording paper in, a detection means for detecting whether or not the recording paper exists in the stacker, when the last recording paper is fed from the stacker to the recording unit, When the detection unit detects that there is no recording paper in the stacker, immediately after that, a near-end warning of the recording paper is issued, and before the recording operation by the recording unit for recording on the last recording paper is completed. When the detecting means detects that there is a recording sheet in the stacker, when recording is continued, the recording sheet is transferred from the stacker to the recording section before the recording operation by the recording section is started. Characterized in that it sent.

[Action]

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, when the last recording sheet is fed from the stacker to the recording section and the detection unit detects that there is no recording sheet in the stacker, a near end warning of the recording sheet is issued immediately thereafter. If the detection unit detects that there is a recording sheet in the stacker before the recording operation by the recording unit for recording on the last recording sheet is completed, when performing the continuous recording, The recording paper is fed from the stacker to the recording unit before the recording operation by the recording unit is started.

So, according to this, the last one left in the stacker
A near-end warning can be reliably issued immediately after the recording sheets are fed out from the stacker, and after the near-end warning,
If the recording paper is replenished in the stacker while the last recording paper is being recorded, it is possible to continue recording on the replenished recording paper without interrupting the recording operation.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is an operation process diagram of a recording apparatus showing an embodiment of a recording paper feeding control method according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a waiting state and FIG. 1B shows a recording state. FIG. 6C is a diagram showing a recording paper near end state, FIG. 7D is a diagram showing a recording state, and FIG.

In the figure, 1 is the apparatus body of the recording apparatus, 2 is a recording sheet cut into a certain size, 3 is a recording section provided near the center of the apparatus body 1, and 4 is a recording sheet suction section of the apparatus body 1. The stacker is detachably provided, and a recording paper holding portion 5 for mounting the recording paper 2 is provided in the stacker 4 so as to be vertically movable by a spring or the like.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a recording paper missing detection means provided in the vicinity of the stacker 4 mounted on the apparatus main body 1. Whether the recording paper missing detection means 6 exists on the recording paper holding portion 5 of the stacker 4 or not. Whether or not it is detected. For example, the recording paper missing detection means 6 is of a switch type which is turned off when the recording paper 2 is present on the recording paper holding portion 5 and is turned on when the recording paper 2 is not present. It is detected whether or not the recording paper 2 exists on the sheet 5. In this embodiment, when the recording apparatus is in the unused state, that is, in the standby state, the recording sheet 2 to be recorded next as shown in FIG. The paper 2 is mounted on the recording paper holding portion 5 of the stacker 4 inserted into the apparatus main body 1.

In the above-described structure, when the operation of the recording apparatus is started by the operation of the operator, first, as shown in FIG. 1A, the recording sheet 2 already sucked into the apparatus main body 1 is changed to the state shown in FIG. 1B. As shown in the figure, the recording sheet 2 is moved into the recording section 3 and an image such as a character, a figure or a graph is recorded on the recording sheet 2.

After that, the recording paper 2 for which recording has been completed is ejected to the outside of the apparatus main body 1, and at the same time as this ejection, the apparatus main body 1
The recording paper 2 to be recorded next is sucked into the interior of the sheet by the suction means (not shown) from the recording paper holding portion 5 of the stacker 4.

At this time, when the recording paper missing detection means 6 is in the OFF state, that is, when the recording paper 2 is present on the recording paper holding section 5, the recording and discharging / sucking operations are repeated.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1c, the last one in the stacker 4 is
When the sheet is sucked into the apparatus main body, the recording paper missing detection means 6
Turns on. That is, the recording paper missing detection means 6 detects that there is no recording paper 2 on the recording paper holding portion 5 of the stacker 4, and thus the recording paper 2 is in the near end state on the display unit or the like provided in the apparatus main body 1. Is displayed.

After that, when the operator continues the recording operation, as shown in FIG. 1D, the last recording sheet 2 is moved into the recording section 3, and recording is performed on the recording sheet 2 in the same manner as in the conventional case, and then the first recording sheet is recorded. As shown in FIG. 1e, the sheet is discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 1, and at this time, the display unit provided in the apparatus main body 1 displays that the recording paper 2 is not present. If the near-end state is detected as described above, if the recording paper 2 is replenished, 2
It is possible to record more than one sheet without any trouble.

In the present embodiment, the recording paper missing detection means 6 is of the switch type, but it is not limited to this, and it is possible to detect whether or not the recording paper 2 is present on the recording paper holding portion 5 of the stacker 4. Any other means may be used as long as it is a means.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when the last recording sheet is fed from the stacker to the recording section and the detection unit detects that there is no recording sheet in the stacker, immediately after that, the near end of the recording sheet is detected. If a warning is given and the recording unit detects that there is a recording sheet in the stacker before the recording operation by the recording unit for recording on the last recording sheet is completed, when the recording is continued, The recording paper is fed from the stacker to the recording unit before the recording operation by the recording unit is started.

So, according to this, the last one left in the stacker
A near-end warning can be reliably issued immediately after the recording sheets are fed out from the stacker, and after the near-end warning,
If the recording paper is replenished to the stacker while the last recording paper is being recorded, it is possible to continue recording on the replenished recording paper without interrupting the recording operation. , The reliability of the device can be increased.

Further, the detecting means does not need to improve the measurement accuracy unlike the conventionally used paper thickness measuring means and the like, so that an effect that the cost of the recording apparatus can be reduced can be obtained.

The paper feed control method surely detects the near end of the recording paper,
Since the paper feeding can be controlled, an electrophotographic recording device,
It can be widely used for recording devices such as impact printers and facsimiles.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an operation process diagram of a recording apparatus showing an embodiment of a recording paper feeding control method according to the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a waiting state, FIG. 1B shows a recording state, and FIG. FIG. C is a diagram showing a recording paper near end state, FIG. D is a diagram showing a recording state, and FIG. 1 ... Device body, 2 ... Recording paper, 3 ... Recording section, 4 ...
Stacker, 5 ... Recording paper holding unit, 6 ... Recording paper missing detection unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A paper feed control of a recording paper in a recording device having a stacker for accommodating recording paper cut into a certain size and a recording unit for recording on the recording paper fed from the stacker. A method for detecting whether or not recording paper is present in the stacker, wherein the detection means is provided in the stacker when the last recording paper is fed from the stacker to the recording unit. When it detects that there is no recording paper in the recording paper, a near-end warning of the recording paper is issued immediately after that, and the detection means detects the stacker before the recording operation by the recording unit for recording on the last recording paper is completed. When it is detected that there is a recording sheet in the inside, when the recording is continued, the recording sheet is fed from the stacker to the recording section before the recording operation by the recording section is started. The paper feed control method of the recording paper.