JPH0948538A - Detector for quantity of residual record material of image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily detect the residual quantity of record material without applying processing to the record material and regardless of the difference of the core diameter of rolled paper by equipping a detector with a means for detecting the thickness of rolled paper being a record medium and a means for detecting the outside diameter of the rolled paper by noncontact. SOLUTION: This detector detects the diameter of the core body, with the detection lever of the microswitch 4 provided on the side of device body being pressed by the flange 21 of a retaining member 2. A paper thickness detecting member 5 is arranged at a guide member 34, and it detects the paper thickness of a passing record material. The distance from the center of the rolled paper to the outside diameter detection position is determined by the position of the slit of a slit board, and the radius of the rolled paper is measured in the position where the light of a light emitting element 608 does not reach the light receiving element 609, being interrupted by the rolled paper. The residual quantity of rolled paper can be computed by this, the thickness of paper detected with the paper thickness sensor 5, and the diameter of the core by the core diameter detecting means by the microswitch 4. Hereby, the existence of the rolled paper and the residual quantity of the rolled paper with multikind of core diameter can be detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Object of the invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a plotter, and more particularly to an apparatus for detecting the remaining amount of the recording material of the image forming apparatus using a long recording material wound in a roll shape. It is a thing.

In this type of image forming apparatus, it is necessary to timely know the amount of the unused portion of the recording material loaded on the image forming apparatus before it is used up in order to improve the workability of the apparatus. Has been done. As a means for this, for example, a notch is made in a suitable place near the end of the recording material, and this is detected by a sensor on the device side to notify, or the device is stopped together therewith, or an appropriate position is prepared near the end of the recording material. A means for displaying a symbol, a color or the like to inform that the recording material is at the end or near the end is used.

However, such a means needs to provide some kind of means for notifying the vicinity of the end of the recording material, and this means varies depending on the recording material manufacturer, and it is difficult to unify them. At present, it is inconvenient for the user side.

It is also conceivable that a sensor is brought into contact with the outside of the roll paper to detect the outer diameter of the roll paper which becomes smaller as it is used, but this type of roll paper has a rigid core wound with the paper. Although it is usually configured, it has been the reality that it is not practical to detect the end of the recording material in this way because the diameters of the cores are different.

The present invention has been made to cope with such a situation as described above, and it is possible to detect the remaining amount of the recording material without performing special processing on the recording material wound in a roll shape. It is another object of the present invention to provide a recording material remaining amount detecting device for an image forming apparatus capable of accurately detecting the remaining amount regardless of the difference in the core.

[0006]

Configuration of the Invention

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a paper thickness detecting means for a roll paper as a recording medium and a means for detecting the outer diameter of the roll paper in a non-contact manner. The recording material remaining amount detecting device (1) of the image forming apparatus, or the recording material remaining amount of the image forming apparatus, comprising the means for detecting the diameter of the core holding member of the roll paper in the above (1). An amount detecting device (2) or a paper thickness detecting means for a roll paper as a recording medium, and a means for detecting the outer diameter of the roll paper in a non-contact manner, wherein the roll paper outer diameter detecting means is the roll paper. The recording material remaining amount detecting device (3) of the image forming apparatus, which is provided with means for displacing the core body holding member in the axial direction of the roll paper to a position where the diameter can be detected by aligning with the core body holding member. is there.

With such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a means for predicting the end of the roll paper used as the recording material, and the remaining amount of the roll paper can be accurately measured regardless of the difference in the core diameter. Can be detected.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS "FIG. 1" is a perspective view of a main part of a recording material remaining amount detecting device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and "FIG. 2" is a side view of the same. A roll paper holding member 2 having a flange 21 is attached to a hole in a core of a recording material 1 wound in a roll shape. The holding member 2 is placed on a receiving portion 31 provided on the apparatus main body side and rotates together with the roll paper 1.

The flange 21 of the holding member 2 is the detection lever 41 of the micro switch 4 provided at a proper position on the apparatus main body side.
Press to detect the core diameter. In the case shown, the core diameter is 3
Inches.

When the leading edge of the roll paper is pulled out and passed between the recording material guide members 33 and 34 on the main body side, a leading edge detection member (not shown) detects this and conveys the roll paper for a fixed amount and then stops. A paper thickness detecting member 5 is provided on the guide member 34 to detect the paper thickness of the recording material passing therethrough.

An outer diameter detecting section 6 for detecting the outer diameter of the roll paper is provided on the side of the roll paper 1 opposite to the pull-out side. The outer diameter detector 6 is provided with fixed side plates 601 and 602, and a fixed guide shaft 603 and a bearing 60 are provided between them.
5, 606 and a screw rod 604, which is rotatably driven by a motor 612, and a tension spring 607a,
A slit plate 607 having a large number of slits is arranged.

The guide shaft 603 has a light emitting element 608,
A sensor holding member 610 in which a light receiving element 609 is arranged so as to sandwich the roll paper 1 is slidably arranged, and the holding member 610 is screwed with the screw rod 604 and is driven by the screw rod 604. Roll paper 1 along the guide shaft 603
It shall move in the direction of moving toward and away from.

An optical position detecting member 611, for example, is arranged on the holding member 610, and when the slit plate 607 is sandwiched between the holding member 610 and the holding member 610 for traveling, light is passed or not passed by the slit to detect a sensor. The position of the holding member 610 is detected.

Further, a home position sensor 613 for the sensor holding member 610 is fixed to the side plate 601, and a projection 6101 for detection is arranged on the holding member 610. As a result, when the sensor holding member 610 is in the standby state, it can be positioned at the home position.

The distance from the center of the roll paper 1 to the outer diameter detection position is determined by the position of the slit of the slit plate 607, and the light of the light emitting element 608 is blocked by the roll paper and does not reach the light receiving element 609. The radius of the roll paper is measured with. The remaining amount of roll paper can be calculated from this, the paper thickness detected by the paper thickness sensor 5 described above, and the core diameter by the core diameter detection means by the microswitch 4.

In the case of a roll paper having a core diameter of 2 inches,
A core holding member, which is prepared in advance and suitable for this, is attached, and in this case, the member is configured so that the lever 41 of the microswitch 4 does not come into contact with the flange provided on the core holding member. I will leave it. Further, when the roll paper is not mounted, it is assumed that no signal is input to the paper thickness detecting member 5.

With this configuration, it is possible to detect the roll paper remaining amount by identifying the presence or absence of roll paper and the roll paper having two kinds of core diameters. It is possible to detect roll paper of various types of cores by increasing the number of microswitches.

The detection of the core diameter is not limited to the microswitch as described above, but a photointerrupter as shown in FIG. 3 may be used. This figure is a perspective view showing a portion of one end of the roll paper 1 to which the core body holding member 83 is attached.

A disk portion 83a is formed on the core holding member 83, and two photo interrupters 81 and 82 are arranged near the disk portion 83a in the case of the drawing. The distance from the center of rotation of the core holding member of these photo interrupters is different, and when the core diameter is 2 inches, the photo interrupter 81 is used.
In the case where the core diameter is 3 inches, the core diameter difference is detected by outputting a signal by sandwiching the disk portion 83a between both photo interrupters. Of course, it is possible to use a single photo interrupter so that it emits a signal only when the core diameter is 3 inches.

In the apparatus of the above embodiment, the sensor holding member 61
Although the slit plate was used as the positioning means for position 0, as shown in FIG. 4, a multi-rotation potential meter was attached to the sensor holding member 610, and the pinion 92 arranged on the rotation shaft of the multi-rotation potential meter was set in the traveling direction of the sensor holding member. It is also possible to use a structure in which the rack 93 is arranged parallel to the rack 93.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a main portion and a plan view of FIG. 6, respectively. In this device, parts corresponding to those of the device of the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals,
A description thereof will be omitted.

In this apparatus, there is no portion for detecting the core diameter of the core holding member for supporting the roll paper 1, and the side plate 6 swingably attached to the shaft 71 attached to the main body 7 of the apparatus.
011 and the guide shaft 603 and the screw rod 60 arranged on this
4. The side plate 6011 of the outer diameter detection part 6 including the sensor holding member 610 and the like attached to these parts is
As shown in the figure, it is connected to a solenoid 8 fixed to the main body of the apparatus, and a spring 72 is arranged on the opposite side of the outer diameter detecting section 6 from the solenoid 8. The outer diameter detection unit 6 is positioned at the roll paper outer diameter detection position by the stopper member 701 that comes into contact with the side plate 6011 provided on the main body side.

When the solenoid 8 is excited, the shaft 7
1, the sensor holding member 610 rotates together with the side plate 6011 in the direction of the white arrow in the figure, and is displaced from the roll paper outer diameter detection position to the position facing the flange 21 of the core body holding member 2. As a result, the sensor holding member 6
The light emitting element 608 and the light receiving element 609 of 10 detect the diameter of the flange 21 of the core body holding member 2.

The timing of exciting the solenoid is when the magnetic linear sensor 6071 and the detection member 6111 detect that the sensor holding member 610 is at a predetermined position.

The operation of this device will be described. When the roll paper is set and the leading edge of the roll paper is detected by a sensor (not shown), the leading end of the roll paper starts to be conveyed, and in the process, the skew of the recording material is checked, and then the recording material moves to the standby position. Sensor holding member 6 in the home position
10 advances to a position where the roll paper can be detected.

At this position, the light emitting element 608 and the light receiving element 609 once block the light to confirm the fixed position, and then the solenoid 8 is excited. As a result, the side plate 6011, and accordingly the sensor holding member 610, rotates in the direction of the white arrow (see FIG. 6) and emits light, and the light receiving elements 608 and 609 reach the position aligned with the flange 21 of the core body holding member 2. Then, the flange size is detected to determine the core diameter.

Thereafter, the solenoid is deenergized and the side plate 6
011 returns to the position where it abuts against the stopper 701 by the action of the spring 72, and after this is detected by the position detection sensor 702, it returns to the position where it aligns with the roll paper 1, and the outer diameter of the roll paper by the light receiving elements 608 and 609. Is detected.

The remaining amount of the roll paper is calculated from the above-mentioned outer diameter detection of the roll paper, the paper thickness detection by the same sensor 5 of the above-mentioned apparatus, and the outer diameter detection of the core holding member 2, and printing is performed. It becomes possible and the standby display is made.

To briefly explain the embodiment, an A0 size (841 × 1188 m) sensor is used by a paper width detection sensor (not shown).
When the recording material of (m) (paper width 841 mm) is determined, when the remaining amount becomes 1200 mm, new printing is stopped and this is displayed. Then, turn on the remaining amount check mode switch (not shown) to feed the roll paper, measure the length direction of the remaining recording material with the paper width detection sensor and display it, and also display the printable size and direction. To do. When the recording material is an A1 size (594 × 841 mm) recording material (paper width 594 mm), the same processing as above is performed when the remaining amount reaches 850 mm.

When the power is turned off and then turned on again, the sensor holding member 610 is returned to the home position and then the detection of the core outer diameter is started. Further, in the above-described device, when the flange diameter of the core body holding member is made larger than the roll paper outer diameter, the sensor holding member 610 is moved forward to detect the roll paper outer diameter after detecting the flange. do it.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an image forming apparatus such as a printer or plotter that uses roll paper wound around a cylindrical core as a recording material, it is necessary to add processing for displaying the remaining amount of the recording material especially at the last stage portion of the recording material. Moreover, the remaining amount of recording material can always be detected reliably regardless of the core diameter difference due to the roll paper, and further continuous detection is possible, so the workability of this type of device is improved. Has a remarkable effect on.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main portion of a roll paper remaining amount detection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a means for detecting a diameter of a core body holding member for roll paper.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a positioning unit for a roll paper outer diameter detection member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of a roll paper remaining amount detection device showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the same as above.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Roll Paper 2 Core Holding Member 4 Micro Switch 5 Paper Thickness Sensor 6 Outer Diameter Detection Section 601, 602 Side Plate 603 Guide Axis 604 Feeding Screw Rod 607 Slit Plate 6071 Magnetic Linear Sensor 608 Light Emitting Element 609 Light Receiving Element 610 Sensor Holding Member 6111 Detection member 612 Drive motor 7 Device body 71 Shaft 72 Spring 701 Stopper 8 Solenoid

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Paper thickness detection means for a roll paper as a recording medium,
A recording material remaining amount detecting device of an image forming apparatus, comprising a means for detecting the outer diameter of the roll paper in a non-contact manner. 2. A recording material remaining amount detecting device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting a diameter of a core body holding member for the roll paper. 3. Paper thickness detection means for roll paper as a recording medium,
A means for detecting the outer diameter of the roll paper in a non-contact manner,
Image formation comprising means for displacing the roll paper outer diameter in the substantially axial direction of the roll paper to a position where the roll paper outer diameter detection means is aligned with the core body holding member of the roll paper and the diameter of the core body holding member can be detected. The recording material remaining amount detection device of the device.