JPH0751375B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to a sheet feeding roller and a platen roller.

(Prior Art) FIG. 5 shows a thermal transfer recording apparatus as an example of a conventional image processing apparatus. In this recording apparatus A, only one sheet of paper C stacked on the paper tray B is fed to the paper transport path E by the separation paper feed roller D, and then the sheet of paper C is guided by the paper feed roller F to the platen C. It is fed between the roller G and the thermal recording head H. An ink ribbon I is interposed between the platen roller G and the recording head H, and the sheet paper C is sent between the ink ribbon I and the platen roller F. The recording head H is urged toward the platen roller F by a spring H ', and the sheet head C and the ink ribbon I are brought into close contact with each other by the cooperative action of the recording head H and the platen roller F. This sheet paper C and ink ribbon I
An image is formed on the sheet of paper C by selectively energizing the recording head H in accordance with an image signal while transporting the sheets and at the same speed. After that, the sheet paper C sent to the left by the platen roller G is separated from the ink ribbon I by the separation tab J, and is stored on the paper discharge tray K.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the thermal transfer recording apparatus, the separation sheet feeding roller D,
There are several rollers such as the paper feed roller F and the platen roller G, and there is a disadvantage that the apparatus becomes large in size to accommodate these rollers. Further, the increase in cost due to the use of many rollers has been a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of achieving compactness and cost reduction of the apparatus.

[Structure of Invention]

(Means and Actions for Solving Problems) In the present invention, therefore, the drive roller is movably disposed between the paper tray and the processing head, and the drive roller is appropriately moved by the roller moving means to drive the drive roller. When the drive roller is moved to the paper tray side, the drive roller is used as a separation / feeding roller, and when the drive roller is moved to the processing head side, the drive roller is used as a platen roller. Has been achieved.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating an example.

1 to 3 show an example in which the image processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a thermal transfer recording apparatus.
In the thermosensitive recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, a paper tray 2 is disposed below the paper tray 2, and sheet papers 3 are stacked and accommodated in the paper tray 2. On the other hand, the above paper tray 2
A thermal recording head 4 is fixed to a recording device casing (not shown) in the upper region of the. A drive roller 50 is disposed between the thermal recording head 4 and the paper tray 2. The drive roller 50 is processed by a roller moving means 100, which will be described in detail later, and is indicated by a solid line in the drawing. It is configured to move in a substantially vertical direction between an operating position and a paper feeding operating position indicated by a broken line in the drawing. Curved paper guides 5a and 5b are arranged on the right side of the moving area of the drive roller 50, while a separation claw 6 and a paper discharge tray 7 are provided on the left side area of the drive roller 50. ing. Further, immediately below the thermal recording head 4, an ink ribbon 8 is stretched while being guided by a plurality of guide pins 9. Note that reference numeral 8a
Is an ink ribbon supply reel, and 8b is an ink ribbon take-up reel. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the roller moving means 100 is rotatably supported by a shaft 101 rotatably supported on the wall plates 10a and 10b in the housing of the apparatus and swingably supported by the shaft 101. It has a pair of left and right arm members 102 and 103. The arm members 102 and 103 are connected to each other by stays 104 and 104. Further, the roller shaft 50a of the drive roller 50 is loosely fitted to the ends of the arm members 102 and 103, and the drive roller 50 is rotatably supported. There is. In addition, the tip portion 103a of the arm member 103
Includes a solenoid 105 fixed to the lower wall surface of the device housing.
The plunger 105a is connected via a pin 105b, and a tension spring 106 is stretched between the tip 103a of the arm member 103 and the wall surface above it. When the solenoid 105 is excited and the plunger 105a is moved downward against the tension of the tension spring 106, the arm members 102 and 103 swing downward about the shaft 101, and the drive roller 50 moves to the paper feeding operation position. Seize. On the other hand, when the solenoid 105 is demagnetized, the tension of the tension spring 106 causes the arm members 102 and 103 to swing upward, and the drive roller 50 is occupied at the processing operation position. A pulley 110 is provided on the roller shaft 50a, and a timing belt 112 is wound around the pulley 110 and the pulley 111 provided on the shaft 101. Further, the shaft 101 is provided with a pulley 113, and the pulley 113 and the pulley 115 provided on the shaft 114a of the motor 114 are connected to the timing belt 1.
16 is wrapped around. Thus, the rotational driving force of the motor 114 is transmitted to the driving roller 50 via each pulley and the timing belt.

Hereinafter, the operation mode of the thermal transfer recording apparatus 1 will be described step by step. Now, when the operator turns on a recording start button (not shown), the drive roller 50 occupying the sheet feeding operation position shown by the broken line in FIG. 1 starts to rotate. Drive roller
The sheet 50 is in contact with the sheet 3 accommodated in the sheet tray 2, and the driving roller 50 rotates in the direction of arrow P, so that the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets 3 is stacked.
The sheet 3a is pulled out from the sheet tray 2, and the sheet 3a is fed between the sheet guides 5a and 5b. The sheet 3a is conveyed while being guided by the sheet guides 5a and 5b, and the leading end of the sheet 3a is a heating element in the thermal recording head 4.
When reaching the lower region of 4a, the drive roller 50 moves upward from the paper feeding operation position and is occupied at the processing operation position shown by the solid line in FIG. At this time, the drive roller 50 moves the tension spring 10
6 (see FIG. 3) is urged upward in the figure,
Thus, the heating element 4a, the ink ribbon 8, and the sheet paper 3 are
a), the thermal recording head 4 and the driving roller 50 are in close contact with each other,
It will be pressed. While moving the ink ribbon 8 in the direction of the arrow q at the same speed as the driving roller 50 rotating in the direction of the arrow P, and conveying the sheet paper 3a to the left in the drawing, the heating element 4a is selectively operated according to the image signal. By applying heat to the sheet paper 3a, the ink of the ink ribbon 8 is thermally transferred to the sheet paper 3a, and an image is formed on the sheet paper 3a. The drive roller
The sheet paper 3a that has passed 50 is separated from the ink ribbon 8 by the peeling claw 6, and is then dropped into the paper discharge tray 7 and accommodated therein. After the image forming process on the sheet of paper 3a is completed, the driving roller 50 moves downward and is again occupied at the sheet feeding operation position to prepare for the next recording operation.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which a thermal recording head 4'is installed on the side of the paper tray 2 '. A roller moving means 100 'and a driving roller 50' supported on the roller moving means 100 'are provided between the tray 2'and the head 4'.
Is provided. A winding power transmission mechanism 202 is provided between the arm member 200 in the roller moving means 100 ′ and the arm member driving motor 201, and the arm member 200 is rotated about the shaft 200 ′ by the rotation of the motor 201. It swings and the drive roller 50 'moves between the sheet feeding operation position shown by the solid line and the processing operation position shown by the broken line as shown by the arrow r. Although not shown, the drive roller 50 'is not shown in FIGS.
It is driven and rotated by a configuration similar to that of the embodiment shown in the figure.

Now, when the recording start button is turned ON, the sheet paper in the paper tray 2'is pulled out from the tray 2'by the drive roller 50 which is occupied in the drive paper operating position, and the paper guide
It is sent between 210a and 210b. When the leading edge of the sheet reaches the upper area of the heating element 4a ', the drive roller 50'
Shifts to the processing operation position. While the sheet paper and the ink ribbon 8'which are sandwiched between the drive roller 50 'and the heating element 4a' are fed at the same speed in the direction of arrow s, the heating element 4a is heat-energized based on the image signal. By doing so, an image is formed on the sheet paper. After that, the above-mentioned sheet paper is attached to the ink ribbon 8'by separation tabs (not shown).
And is placed in the paper discharge tray. When the image forming process is completed, the driving roller 50 'moves to the sheet feeding operation position again to prepare for the next recording.

In the present embodiment, the power is transmitted to the drive roller by the winding power transmission mechanism, but power transmission by the gear train is of course possible, and a solenoid is used as the arm member swinging means in the roller moving means. In addition to the wrapping power transmission means, a cam mechanism may be interposed between the arm member and the drive motor to operate. In addition to swinging the drive roller by the arm member, a guide rail may be attached between the paper tray and the processing head, and the drive roller may be moved by being guided by this rail. Further, in addition to the thermal transfer recording apparatus described in the embodiment, an electrostatic recording apparatus, a dot printer, and The present invention can be applied to image reading devices and the like.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above in detail, in the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, one driving roller is made to function as the separation sheet feeding roller and the platen roller, so that the number of rollers used in the image processing apparatus is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to achieve downsizing of the device and cost reduction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual side view showing an example in which an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a thermal transfer recording apparatus, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a driving roller and roller moving means, and FIG. 3 is a driving roller. Further, FIG. 4 is a conceptual side view of the roller moving means, FIG. 4 is a conceptual side view showing another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a conceptual side view of a conventional image processing apparatus. 2,2 '... Paper tray, 3,3a ... Sheet paper, 4,4' ... Thermal recording head, 4a, 4a '... Heating element, 8,8' ... Ink ribbon, 50,50 '... … Drive rollers, 100,100 ′ …… Roller moving means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A drive roller is provided movably between a paper tray and a processing head, and a roller moving means is provided, and the drive roller is moved to a paper feeding operation position on the paper tray side by the roller moving means. When occupying, the drive roller is brought into contact with the sheet paper stacked on the paper tray to separate and feed the sheet paper, and the roller moving means processes the drive roller on the processing head side. An image processing apparatus, wherein a sheet of paper is sandwiched between the driving roller and the processing head to perform processing when the sheet is occupying the operating position.