JPH07256962A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate defective conveyance of recording paper by reducing the diameter of a conveying roller or a pinch roller and enable pull-in of the recording paper to a nip part between the conveying roller and pinch roller even in the case where supply route of the recording paper is gotten out of place when the diameter of the roller is small and enable miniaturization and weight reduction of a device. CONSTITUTION:A conveying mechanism conveying recording paper 8 by placing between a conveying roller 9 and pinch roller 10 is provided and uneven part 18 of a rotary direction is provided on the outer circumference of at least the one roller out of the conveying roller 9 and pinch roller 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by recording means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having functions such as a printer, a copying machine and a facsimile, or a recording device used as an output device of a multifunction machine or a workstation including a computer, a word processor, etc., is a sheet or a plastic thin plate based on image information. An image (including characters and symbols) is recorded on a recording material (recording medium) such as (OHP). The recording device can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a heat sensitive type, a thermal transfer type, a laser beam type and the like depending on the recording system of the recording means used.

In a serial type recording apparatus which employs a recording system in which a main scanning is performed in a direction intersecting a conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of a recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position and then the recording material is set. An image (including characters, symbols, etc.) is recorded by a recording unit (recording head) mounted on a carriage that moves (main scanning) along, and after one line of recording is completed, a predetermined amount of paper is fed (sub-scan). An image is recorded in a desired range of the recording material by repeating the operation of performing (scanning) and then recording (main scanning) the image of the next row. On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus that records a recording material only in the sub-scanning direction in which the recording material is fed in the transport direction, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and one line of recording is continuously performed at one time. A predetermined amount of paper feed (pitch feed) is performed, and an image is recorded on the entire recording material.

Among them, the ink jet type (ink jet recording apparatus) is a means for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material, and it is easy to make the recording means compact and high definition. Images can be recorded at high speed, plain paper can be recorded without requiring special processing, running costs are low, and the non-impact method reduces noise and uses multicolor inks. Therefore, it has an advantage that it is easy to record a color image. Above all, a line type recording apparatus using a line type recording means in which a large number of ejection ports are arranged in the paper width direction can further speed up recording.

In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for ejecting ink by utilizing heat energy,
Through the semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, and sputtering, the electrothermal converter formed on the substrate, the electrode,
By forming the liquid passage wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a liquid discharge device having a high-density liquid passage arrangement (ejection port arrangement), and to further reduce the size. Further, by utilizing the advantages of IC technology and micro processing technology, it is easy to make the recording means long and planar (two-dimensional), and it is also easy to make the recording means full-multi and high-density mounting. is there.

The recording apparatus supplies recording materials such as recording sheets stacked in a cassette one by one, and repeats paper feeding (conveyance) of the recording materials and recording by a recording head. Recording is performed on the entire material, and the recorded recording material is ejected. The recording material transport mechanism is
Usually, an automatic paper feeding unit (automatic paper feeding device) that separates and feeds recording materials one by one, a conveying roller arranged on the upstream side of the recording position, a pinch roller in pressure contact with the conveying roller, and a recording position It is composed of a paper discharge roller which is disposed on the downstream side of the paper and is driven to rotate synchronously with the conveying roller, and a spur which is pressed against the paper discharge roller.

Then, when a recording operation command is issued, the recording material is fed to the nip portion (pressure contact portion) between the conveying roller and the pinch roller by the automatic paper feeding section, and when the feeding of the recording material is detected, the recording material is conveyed. The recording material is set at the recording start position by rotating the roller and the paper discharge roller by a predetermined amount, recording is performed on the entire recording material by repeating recording and paper feeding based on the image information, and recording is completed. When the recording material is discharged to the outside of the apparatus and the recording is continued, the above operation is repeated.

[0008]

By the way, in order to reduce the size and weight of the recording apparatus, it is necessary to reduce the diameters of the conveying roller and the pinch roller. However, in the conventional recording apparatus, when the diameter of the conveying roller or the pinch roller is reduced, the leading end of the recording material (recording sheet) fed by the automatic paper feeding device is moved to almost the center of the conveying roller or the pinch roller. When the paper comes in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the roller from the direction and the paper is fed by the transport roller and the pinch roller, it is difficult or difficult to pull the leading edge of the recording material into the nip portion (pressure contact portion) between the transport roller and the pinch roller. This is possible, and there is an inconvenience that the recording material is not conveyed properly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned prior art, and an object of the present invention is to eliminate defective conveyance of a recording material by reducing the diameter of the conveying roller or the pinch roller. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus that can easily and accurately draw a recording material into a nip portion between a conveyance roller and a pinch roller, and can reduce the size and weight of the apparatus.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by a recording means, there is provided a conveying mechanism for conveying the recording material while sandwiching it between a conveying roller and a pinch roller. However, the above-mentioned object is achieved by providing a rotational direction uneven portion on the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the transport roller and the pinch roller.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Note that FIG. 1 shows a case where the recording apparatus is an inkjet recording apparatus. In FIG. 1, a carriage 1 is equipped with a head cartridge (recording head) 2 as recording means. The head cartridge 2 is a replaceable cartridge in which an ink ejection unit 3 and an ink storage unit (ink tank) 4 are integrated, and is mounted on the carriage 1 in a replaceable manner.

A lead screw 6 for reciprocating the carriage 1 is rotatably supported on the chassis 5, and a guide rail 7 for guiding the reciprocating movement of the carriage 1 is provided on the chassis 5. Has been formed. The lead screw 6 and the guide rail 7 are arranged in parallel with each other. The ink discharge part 3 of the carriage 1
One end on the side is screwed into the lead screw 6, and the other end of the carriage 1 is fitted in the guide rail 7 via a guide (not shown) so as to be slidable in the axial direction. In this way, the carriage 1 is mounted so as to be capable of reciprocating in the axial direction of the lead screw 6 as the lead screw 6 is rotationally driven, while keeping the posture thereof constantly constant.

When one line of recording is performed by scanning the carriage 1 (movement along the lead screw 6 = main scanning), the recording material 8 is fed (conveyed) by one line by the conveying means. The recording of the next line is performed, and thereafter, the paper feed (sub-scanning) and the recording are repeated.
The entire record is recorded. The recording material 8 for which recording has been completed is discharged from the recording device.

Conveyance of the recording material 8 (paper feeding = sub scanning)
Is the conveying roller 9 with the recording material 8 sandwiched between the conveying roller 9 and the recording material 8.
It is carried out by a pair of conveying rollers composed of a pinch roller 10 that is pressed against and a pair of discharging rollers composed of a discharging roller 11 and a spur 12 that is pressed against the recording material 8 by the discharging roller 11. An arrow A in FIG. 1 indicates the paper feeding direction (sub-scanning direction = conveying direction) of the recording material 8.

The recording head (head cartridge) 2
Is an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink by utilizing thermal energy, which is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. Further, the recording head 2 uses the pressure change caused by the growth and contraction of bubbles due to film boiling generated by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter to eject ink from the ejection port for recording. Is.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of the ink ejection portion 3 of the recording head 2. In FIG.
A discharge port surface 8 that faces a recording material (recording paper or the like) 8 with a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.5 to 2.0 mm).
1, a plurality of discharge ports 82 are formed at a predetermined pitch,
An electrothermal converter (heat-generating resistor, etc.) 85 for generating energy for ejecting ink is arranged along the wall surface of each liquid passage 84 that connects the common liquid chamber 83 and each ejection port 82. In the case of this example, the recording head 2 includes the plurality of ejection ports 8
The carriages 1 and 2 are mounted on the carriage 1 in such a positional relationship that they are arranged in a direction (paper feed direction of the recording material 8) that intersects the moving direction (main scanning direction) of the recording head. In this way, the corresponding electrothermal converter 85 is driven (energized) on the basis of the image signal or the ejection signal to cause the ink in the liquid passage 84 to film-boil,
The recording unit 2 is configured to eject ink from the ejection port 82 by the pressure generated at that time.

In the recording operation, the recording material 8 having a recording surface facing the ejection opening surface 81 of the recording head 2 is pressed against the peripheral surface of the conveying roller 9 by the pinch roller 10 and the paper feeding motor 13 causes the conveying roller 9 to rotate. The recording material 8 is conveyed to the recording position by rotating the recording medium 9 by a predetermined amount, and the first line of recording is performed. When the recording for one line is completed, the conveying roller 9 is rotated by one line to feed the paper, and the recording for the next line is performed.
In this way, the recording performed by ejecting ink based on the image information and the paper feeding (conveying) in which the recording material 8 is pitch-fed by a predetermined amount are repeatedly performed, thereby recording the entire recording material 8 (a series of recording operations). Is done.

The recorded recording material 8 is pressed against the discharge roller 11 by the spur 12 and is discharged to the outside of the recording apparatus by the rotation of the discharge roller 11. The transport roller 9 and the discharge roller 11 are rotationally driven by the paper feed motor 13, and the driving force thereof is transmitted by the reduction gear train 14. Whether or not the recording material 8 is supplied prior to the start of the recording operation (presence or absence of the recording material)
Is detected by the paper sensor 15 and the presence of paper is confirmed, the series of recording operations described above is started.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 16 denotes an automatic paper feeding unit (automatic paper feeding device or automatic paper feeding mechanism).
Is a plurality of recording materials (recording paper) stacked and set
The recording material 8 is separated one by one, and the separated recording material 8 is fed to the nip portion (pressure contact portion) of the transport roller 9 and the pinch roller 10. Reference numeral 17 denotes a paper feed roller (separation / conveyance roller) of the automatic paper feed unit 16.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a main part of a paper feeding / conveying mechanism having a pinch roller 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is seen from a line 4-4 in FIG. It is a typical side view. 3 and 4 show a state in which the recording material 8 is fed to the nip portion of the pair of feeding rollers 9 and 10 by the separation feeding roller (feeding roller) 17 of the automatic feeding portion 16. In FIGS. 3 and 4, on the outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 10, there is formed a rotation direction concavo-convex portion 18 in which rectangular concavities and convexities are formed at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction.

In the above structure, when the recording material 8 is supplied from the automatic paper feeding section 16, the recording material 8 is supplied as shown in the drawing.
The tip of the abuts against the pinch roller 10. At this time, the separation / conveyance roller (paper feed roller) 17 is rotationally driven while the pinch roller 10 and the conveyance roller 9 are stopped for a while, and the leading end of the recording material 8 is completely abutted against the pinch roller 10. Let Next, for a while, the conveyance roller 9 and the pinch roller 10 and the separation conveyance roller 17 are simultaneously rotated (co-operated), and then the separation conveyance roller 17 is stopped, and the conveyance roller 9 and the pinch roller 10 cause the recording material. 8 is carried.

During the above operation, when the recording material 8 is abutting against the pinch roller 10, the recording material 8 is conveyed to the conveying roller 9 and the pinch roller 10 by the irregularities 18 in the rotation direction on the outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 10. Will be guided to the nip part (contact part). Therefore, even when the recording material 8 hits the outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 10 from the direction toward the substantial center, the recording material 8 can be easily and accurately drawn into the nip portion between the transport roller 9 and the pinch roller 10. You can Such a pulling action of the recording material 8 can be sufficiently realized regardless of the diameters of the pinch roller 10 and the conveying roller 9 (even if the diameter is small).

Therefore, according to the embodiment described above, it is possible to prevent the recording material 8 from being defectively conveyed by reducing the diameter of the conveying roller 9 or the pinch roller 10, that is, the recording material 8. Provided is a recording apparatus in which the recording material 8 can be easily and accurately drawn into the nip portion between the transport roller 9 and the pinch roller 10 even when the supply direction is deviated, and the size and weight of the apparatus can be reduced. To be done.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing another embodiment of the rotation direction uneven portion 18 on the outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 10.
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view seen from the line 6-6 in FIG.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 10 has a gear-shaped uneven shape. However, as in this embodiment, an uneven shape composed of a plurality of wrinkles 19 arranged in parallel to the axial direction is formed in the circumferential direction. They may be arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the same effects can be obtained by this embodiment.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the rotational direction uneven portion 18 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the pinch roller 10. However, when the recording material 8 abuts on the conveying roller 9 side, The rotation direction uneven portion 18 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 9, and the same effect can be obtained by this. Further, both the pinch roller 10 and the transport roller 9 have the above-mentioned rotational direction uneven portion 1
8 may be provided.

In the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to an ink jet recording apparatus has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the wire dot type, heat sensitive type, thermal transfer type or laser beam type. The same can be applied to the recording apparatus using the recording means of the method (3), and the same operation and effect can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the case of the serial recording method in which the recording means (recording head) is moved in the main scanning direction has been described as an example, but the present invention is the entire width or a part of the recording material. The same can be applied to the case of the line recording method in which the line recording unit having a length covering the above is used to perform recording only in the sub-scan, and the same effect can be achieved. Further, the present invention provides a single-color recording device for recording with one recording device, a color recording device using a plurality of recording devices for recording with different colors, or a plurality of recording devices for recording with the same color but different densities. The same can be applied to the gradation recording device used, and further to the recording device in which these are combined, and the same effect can be achieved.

Further, according to the present invention, when a replaceable head cartridge in which a recording head and an ink tank are integrated is used, or when the recording head and the ink tank are separately provided and the space between them is connected by an ink supply tube or the like. The same can be applied to any arrangement of the recording head and the ink tank, and similar effects can be obtained.

The present invention can be applied to an ink jet recording apparatus which uses a recording means (recording head) using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, but among others, thermal energy is utilized. The present invention brings excellent effects in an ink jet recording apparatus that uses a recording means of a type that ejects ink. This is because such a system can achieve high density recording and high definition recording.

Regarding the typical structure and principle thereof, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740 are incorporated.
This is preferably done using the basic principles disclosed in 796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type, but particularly in the case of the on-demand type, a liquid (ink) is used.
By applying at least one drive signal to the electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path in which is stored, which corresponds to the recorded information and causes a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling. , Generates heat energy in the electrothermal converter to cause film boiling on the heat acting surface of the recording means (recording head), and as a result, bubbles can be formed in the liquid (ink) in a one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal. So effective.

Due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles, the liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection openings to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make the driving signal into a pulse shape because bubbles can be grown and contracted immediately and appropriately, and thus a liquid (ink) with excellent responsiveness can be ejected. As this pulse-shaped drive signal, US Pat.
Those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,633,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Incidentally, US Pat. No. 43131 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise of the 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. US Pat. No. 4,558,333, US Pat. No. 4,558,333, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of No. 459600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 123670/1984 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. The present invention is also effective as a structure based on Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 138461/1984, which discloses a structure in which the discharge section is associated with the discharge section. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be reliably and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, as described above, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording material (recording medium) which can be recorded by the recording apparatus. . As such a recording head,
Either a structure that satisfies the length by combining a plurality of recording heads or a structure as one recording head integrally formed may be used. In addition, even with the serial type as in the above example, the recording head fixed to the device main body,
Alternatively, a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be electrically connected to the device body and supply ink from the device body when mounted on the device body, or an ink tank is integrally provided on the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when the cartridge type recording head described above is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means or preliminary auxiliary means to the recording head provided as a constitution of the recording apparatus in the present invention because the effect of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, in addition to the above-mentioned capping means, cleaning means, and suction recovery means for the recording head, a pressure-type recovery means, an electrothermal converter, or a heating other than this. It is also effective to perform stable recording by performing a preliminary heating means using an element or a combination thereof and a preliminary ejection mode for performing ejection different from recording.

As described above, 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 recording heads having different recording colors and densities are provided. A plurality of inks may be provided corresponding to the ink. 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 may be either the recording head is integrally configured or a combination of a plurality of recording heads may be used. The present invention is extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of color colors or full colors by color mixing.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the ink is described as a liquid, but it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and softens or liquefies at room temperature, or an ink jet. In the method, the temperature of the ink itself is generally adjusted within a range of 30 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower to control the temperature of the ink so that the viscosity of the ink is within a stable ejection range. It may be in a liquid form. in addition,
To prevent the temperature rise due to the thermal energy from being positively used as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or to use the ink that solidifies in the standing state for the purpose of preventing the evaporation of the ink. In any case, the ink is liquefied by applying the thermal energy according to the recording signal and the liquid ink is ejected,
The present invention is also applicable to the case of using an ink that has a property of being liquefied only by thermal energy, such as one that has already started to solidify when it reaches the recording medium.

The ink in such a case is disclosed in JP-A-54-54.
As described in JP-A-56847 or JP-A-60-71260, a mode in which it is held as a liquid or a solid in the recesses or through holes of the porous sheet and faces the electrothermal converter. May be In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as the form of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the one used as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a facsimile apparatus having a transmitting / receiving function. And the like may be used.

[0039]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the invention, in the recording apparatus for recording on the recording material by the recording means, the recording material is sandwiched between the conveying roller and the pinch roller. Since the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the conveying roller and the pinch roller is provided with a concavo-convex portion in the direction of rotation, it is possible to perform recording by reducing the diameter of the conveying roller or the pinch roller. Provided is a recording apparatus which can eliminate defective conveyance of a material, can easily and accurately draw a recording material into a nip portion between a conveyance roller and a pinch roller, and can reduce the size and weight of the apparatus. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part configuration of an embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of an ink ejection portion of the recording means in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a main part of a paper feed / conveyance mechanism including a pinch roller according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view seen from the line 4-4 in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a pinch roller according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view seen from the line 6-6 in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Carriage 2 Recording Means (Head Cartridge) 3 Ink Ejection Section 4 Ink Tank 5 Chassis 6 Lead Screw 7 Guide Rail 8 Recording Material 9 Conveying Roller 10 Pinch Roller 11 Paper Ejecting Roller 12 Spurs 13 Paper Feed Motor 15 Paper Sensor 16 Automatic Feeding Paper portion 17 Separation / conveyance roller 18 Uneven portion in rotation direction 19 Texture 81 Discharge port surface 82 Discharge port 84 Liquid path 85 Electrothermal converter

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by a recording means, comprising a conveying mechanism for conveying the recording material while sandwiching the recording material between a conveying roller and a pinch roller, and comprising the conveying roller and the pinch roller. A recording apparatus, wherein at least one roller is provided with an uneven portion in a rotation direction on an outer peripheral surface thereof. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording means is an inkjet recording means. 3. The ink jet recording means according to claim 1, wherein the recording means is an ink jet recording means provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink. Recording device. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording unit ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter.