JPH0940252A - Recording paper residual quantity detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device that can detect the recording paper residual quantity correctly and easily regardless of the paper tube diameter of rolled recording paper and can visibly display the recording paper residual quantity. SOLUTION: The patterns of a recording paper receiver 1 is so arranged that the spacing of the patterns 3 differs according to the paper tube diameter of rolled recording paper 2a and that the cycle of output signals of a sensor 4 becomes equal regardless of the recording paper tube diameter in case of the recording paper residual quantity being the same. When this recording paper receiver 1 is rotated integrally with roll recording paper, the rising time width of both pulses sat the time of detecting n-th and (n+a)-th patterns by a sensor is counted by a counter part by the number of clock signals in a fixed cycle. The count value is compared with the data of a memory part stored with the information of the relation between the recording paper residual quantity and the number of clock signals, and the recording paper residual quantity is detected and displayed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a roll-shaped recording sheet remaining amount detecting device such as a thermal transfer recording device used in a facsimile, a copying machine, a printer, an ink jet recording device or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for detecting the remaining amount of recording paper, for example, a predetermined pattern that rotates with the rotation of the roll-shaped recording paper is provided on a recording paper receiver, and a sensor provided at a position capable of detecting this pattern is a roll-shaped sensor. The number of rotations of the recording paper is measured, and the remaining length of the roll-shaped recording paper is detected based on the measured number of rotations. An example of this is disclosed in JP-A-60-252555.

[0003]

In this conventional recording paper remaining amount detecting device, when roll recording papers having different recording paper tube diameters are mounted, the recording paper outer diameters are different even if the recording paper roll length is the same. There is a problem that the remaining amount of the roll-shaped recording paper cannot be accurately detected because the rotation period of the roll-shaped recording paper with respect to the fixed amount of recording paper conveyance is different.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A recording paper remaining amount detecting apparatus according to the present invention is a recording apparatus in which patterns at equal intervals are arranged on a surface of a roll-shaped recording paper which is orthogonal to the rotation axis, and which rotates integrally with the roll-shaped recording paper. A paper receiver, a sensor that detects the pattern of the recording paper receiver, and a cycle of an output signal when the sensor detects the pattern, and the remaining amount of the roll-shaped recording paper is determined from this cycle to perform recording. In a recording paper remaining amount detection device having a remaining amount determination circuit for visually displaying the remaining amount of paper,
The intervals of the patterns provided on the recording paper receiver differ depending on the paper tube diameter of the roll-shaped recording paper, and when the remaining recording paper is the same, the cycle of the output signal of the sensor is irrespective of the recording paper tube diameter. In this configuration, the patterns are arranged so as to be equal.

[0005]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 showing an embodiment of the present invention, a recording paper receiver 1 has a circular flange portion (flange portion) 1a in the middle abdomen, and the inner surface of the flange portion 1a is a roll-shaped recording. It contacts the side surface of the paper 2a. At the rear end from the flange portion 1a of the recording paper receiver 1, a cylindrical projection 1b having a tapered tip is provided, and the projection 1b is fitted with the paper tube 2b of the roll-shaped recording paper 2a. The fulcrum portion 1c is inserted into the fulcrum receiving portion of the fixing member 5, and the roll-shaped recording paper 2a and the recording paper receiver 1 rotate integrally around the fulcrum portion 1c. Radial patterns 3 are provided at equal angular pitches on the outer surfaces of the recording paper receiver 1 and the collar portion 1a. Recording paper receiver 1
A sensor 4 that faces the collar portion 1a of the recording paper receiver 1 is installed below the sensor, and detects the pattern 3 on the outer surface of the collar portion 1a. The recording paper receiver 1 is prepared corresponding to the type of the paper core diameter of the roll-shaped recording paper 2a. If the roll-shaped recording paper 2a has the same remaining amount even if the paper of different core diameters is used,
The patterns 3 are provided at a pitch such that the periods of the output signals when the sensor 4 detects the patterns 3 become equal.

The signal detected by the sensor 4 is input to a remaining amount determination circuit 11 composed of a pulse conversion unit 6, a counter unit 7, a memory unit 8, a comparison unit 9 and a display unit 10 to determine the remaining amount of recording paper. To detect.

Next, a case will be described in which the remaining amount of the roll-shaped recording paper 2a is detected based on the number of rotations of the roll-shaped recording paper 2a measured by the above configuration. When the roll-shaped recording paper 2a is conveyed and starts to rotate for recording image data, the roll-shaped recording paper 2a becomes integral with the roll-shaped recording paper 2a, the recording paper receiver 1 rotates, and the sensor 4 detects the pattern 3 of the recording paper receiver 1. ,
The pulse signal shown in FIG. 3A is output. This pulse signal is converted by the pulse conversion unit 6 into the nth pulse signal and (n
The pulse signal is converted into the pulse signal shown in FIG. 3B with the pulse width being the interval between the rising edge and the (+1) th pulse signal. This pulse signal is input to the counter unit 7, the pulse widths of the clock signals of a constant cycle shown in FIG. 3C are compared, the number of clock signals included in the width of the pulse signal is counted, and the comparison unit 9 Is entered. The comparison unit 9 stores in the memory 8 information about the relationship between the remaining amount of recording paper and the number of clock signals.
Is connected, and the remaining amount of recording paper is detected by comparing with the data of the number of clock signals input to the comparison unit 9, and the remaining amount of recording paper is displayed on the display unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, when detecting the remaining amount of the roll-shaped recording papers 20a having different paper tube diameters, the recording paper receiver 10 provided with the pattern 30 corresponding to the paper tube diameters is replaced. If so, the remaining amount of the recording paper can be detected in the same manner.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the pattern 5 of equal intervals corresponding to the paper tube diameter of another type of recording paper is provided on the opposite side of the flange of the recording paper receiver 50 in which the pattern 50a of equal intervals is arranged.
0b is arranged and a recording paper receiver provided with a projection that can be attached to the paper core diameters of both roll recording papers is used, and one recording paper receiver has two types of recording paper paper core diameters. It is also possible to detect the remaining amount of.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention,
If the pattern interval varies depending on the diameter of the roll recording paper core and the remaining amount of recording paper is the same, the recording paper receivers are arranged so that the output signal cycle of the sensor is the same regardless of the diameter of the recording paper core. By including the above, it is possible to easily and accurately detect the remaining amounts of the roll-shaped recording papers having different recording paper tubes, and visually display.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a recording paper remaining amount determination circuit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a pulse width detection method.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an external view of a recording paper receiver that can accommodate two different types of recording paper tubes.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,10,50 recording paper receiver 1a flange 1b protrusion 1c fulcrum 2a, 20a roll recording paper 2b paper tube 3,30, 50a, 50b pattern 4 sensor 5 fixing member 6 pulse converter 7 counter unit 8 memory unit 9 Comparison section 10 Display section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A recording paper receiver, in which patterns at equal intervals are arranged on a surface of a roll-shaped recording paper orthogonal to a rotation axis, and which rotates integrally with the roll-shaped recording paper, and the pattern of the recording paper receiver is detected. Recording including a sensor and a remaining amount determination circuit that measures the period of the output signal when the sensor detects the pattern, determines the remaining amount of the rolled recording paper from this period, and visually displays the remaining amount of recording paper In the remaining paper amount detection device, the interval between the patterns provided on the recording paper receiver varies depending on the paper tube diameter of the roll-shaped recording paper, and when the recording paper remaining amount is the same, regardless of the recording paper paper tube diameter, A recording sheet remaining amount detecting device, wherein the pattern is arranged so that the cycles of the output signals of the sensors are equal. 2. The recording paper remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the recording paper receivers in which the patterns are arranged are provided for different recording paper tube diameters. 3. The recording paper remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the patterns corresponding to two kinds of recording paper tube diameters are respectively arranged on opposite surfaces of a flange portion of the recording paper receiver. .