JPH11199062A - Sheet cassette and recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store the sheets with various sizes without mis-filling of the sheet by forming a sheet filling part to a shape matching with a filling prevension part and also changing the size of the sheet filling part in response to the sheet size. SOLUTION: A sheet cassette 3 is composed of a first subcassette 3a, a second subcassette 3b and a third subcassette 3c. A projection part 3d projected to the same shape as a notch part when a record sheet 2 having the notch part is filled in a normal state is provided in the first subcassette 3a. Even if the sheet is filled in an erroneous state, it can not be filled due to the obstacle by the projection 3b. When the record sheet with a small size is filled to the filling part, 3e of a sheet cassette 3, the whole subcassettes 3a, 3b, 3c are shorten in a sheet width direction. While, when the record sheet with a big size is filled, the subcassettes 3a, 3b, 3c are stretched in the sheet width direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet cassette and a recording apparatus which can reliably prevent erroneous loading of a recording sheet whose loading direction is fixed in the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, with the spread of video cameras and digital cameras, there is an increasing demand for color printers for recording color images from various image input devices.

There are various recording methods of the above color printer, and an ink sheet coated with a heat sublimable or heat fusible ink is selectively heated by a thermal head.
Thermal recording devices that transfer and record ink images on recording sheets are widely used. In particular, the sublimation thermal transfer recording device can provide high-quality full-color images comparable to photographs,
Expectations are high for printers for digital cameras. In the recording apparatus, a method of recording over the entire area of the recording sheet is realized by perforating the cut sheet, so that a powerful output image can be obtained.

Here, a description will be given of full-area recording using a recording sheet in which a perforated cut sheet is provided. In a conventional thermal transfer printer, a recording sheet is pinched using a pinch roller or the like, and the recording sheet is fed. Heat is applied to the ink sheet by the thermal head to transfer the coloring material of the ink sheet to the recording sheet. In the case of recording with this color printer, it is necessary to sequentially record each color ink while reciprocating the recording sheet in order to sequentially transfer the inks of each color to the recording sheet. In order to adjust the overlapping position of each ink by reciprocating the recording sheet, it is necessary to reliably pinch the recording sheet with a pinch roller or the like to improve the positional accuracy.

At this time, since a certain distance is always required between the pinch roller and the thermal head, as shown in FIG. 11, in addition to the recording area 50a of the recording sheet 50, a portion (gripping margin) 50b sandwiched by the pinch roller. Is required, and this portion 50b remains after recording even though it is a non-recording area.

[0006] Since the grip 50b is an unnecessary portion after recording, as shown in FIG.
There has been proposed a recording sheet 50 in which a perforation 50c is provided at a boundary between a and the grip 50b. The presence of the perforations 50c allows the user to cut off the portion of the grip 50b after recording, so that a non-recording area does not exist on the recording sheet 50 and a color image is recorded in substantially the entire area.

[0007]

However, when the perforations 50c are formed in the recording sheet 50 as described above, the recording direction is generated on the sheet 50. For this reason, when the recording sheet 50 is loaded in the reverse direction to the printer, as shown in FIG. 13, an image is recorded in a portion 50d which is originally cut off from the perforation 50c due to a margin, and the image is recorded on the sewing machine. The role of the eye 50c will not be fulfilled.

On the other hand, the perforation 50c is inserted into the recording sheet 50.
At two locations symmetrical on both sides in the transport direction of the
By providing grips 50b at both ends of the recording sheet, it is conceivable that the directionality is lost when loading the recording sheet. However, this increases the area of the recording sheet, increases the cost, and increases the amount of wasted sheet. I will.

Incidentally, in the case of a sheet which can be recorded only on one side of the recording sheet, there has been a method in which a corner of one side of the sheet is cut off so that the front and back of the sheet are not erroneously loaded. This is not preferable for full area recording because part of the recorded image is cut off.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet cassette and a recording apparatus having a sheet storage section capable of storing sheets of various sizes without misloading sheets. To provide.

[0011]

A representative configuration according to the present invention for achieving the above object is to provide a sheet cassette for loading sheets, in which a sheet having an erroneous loading prevention section is loaded. The loading portion is formed in a shape corresponding to the erroneous loading prevention portion, and the size of the sheet loading portion is configured to be changeable according to the sheet size.

In the above configuration, even if a sheet having an erroneous loading prevention section is erroneously loaded, the sheet does not enter the sheet loading section and is not erroneously loaded. Further, it is possible to load sheets of various sizes of the sheet having the erroneous loading preventing portion by using one cassette.

If the cassette is provided with a size detecting means, it is possible to detect a sheet size with a simple structure and record an image corresponding to the size.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a sheet cassette and a recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a sheet cassette for loading recording sheets, and FIG.
FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram when a small size sheet is loaded, and FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram when a large size sheet is loaded. 2 is an explanatory view of a cross section of the sheet cassette, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a recording sheet provided with an erroneous loading prevention unit, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a mounting configuration of the sheet cassette, and FIG. FIG.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory perspective view of the recording apparatus.

Here, the overall configuration of the recording apparatus will be described first, and then the configuration of the recording sheet to be recorded by the recording apparatus and the sheet cassette for loading the recording sheet will be described.

{Recording Apparatus} The recording apparatus according to the present embodiment is a thermal transfer recording apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a sheet cassette 3 in which recording sheets 2 are loaded and set on an apparatus main body 1 is loaded. The sheet is separated and fed one by one from a cassette 3 by a feeding roller 4, and is nipped and conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers 5 to be sent out to a recording unit 6. In the recording unit 6, a platen roller 7 that is driven and rotated with a sheet conveyance path interposed therebetween and a thermal head 8 that is a line-type recording head that generates heat according to recording information are opposed to each other. A predetermined image is transferred and recorded on the recording sheet 2 by pressing the ink sheet 9 coated with the hydrophilic ink against the recording sheet 2 by the thermal head 8 and selectively heating the recording sheet.

In the present embodiment, a color image is recorded. Ink sheets 9 are sequentially coated with inks of a plurality of colors. The ink part is sent out. The recording sheet 2 is nipped and conveyed back and forth by the conveying roller pair 5 so that the inks of the respective colors are transferred in an overlapping manner. Then, the recording sheet 2 after recording is discharged out of the apparatus by a discharge roller pair 10.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 11 denotes an insertion slot for attaching and detaching an ink cassette 12 (see FIG. 5) in which the ink sheet 9 is made into a cassette, and 13 denotes an operation panel.

{Recording Sheet} As shown in FIG. 3, the recording sheet 2 recorded by the recording apparatus has a recording area 2a on which an image is recorded, and a non-recording sheet which is held by a pair of conveying rollers 5 so as to be gripped. Region 2b, and both regions 2a,
2b, a perforation 2c is provided at the boundary of the perforation 2c.
The non-recording area 2b can be separated from the recording area 2a by c. At the time of recording, the conveying roller pair 5 sandwiches the non-recording area 2b and reciprocates the sheet 2 to record a color image in the recording area 2a in the recording unit 6, and the non-recording of the recording sheet 2 discharged. By separating the recording area 2b by the perforations 2c, an image recorded in the entire area of the sheet can be obtained.

The recording sheet 2 is provided with an erroneous loading preventing portion for preventing erroneous loading in the non-recording area 2b. In the present embodiment, a cut-out portion 2d is formed by cutting out a part of the non-recording area 2b as an erroneous loading prevention portion, and the width direction (the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction) is left-right asymmetric. ing. For this reason, when the recording sheet 2 is loaded into the apparatus main body 1, it is possible to prevent a situation where the recording sheet 2 is mistakenly loaded upside down by checking the position of the notch 2d.

{Sheet Cassette} In this embodiment, a sheet cassette 3 for stacking and storing the recording sheets 2 is configured as shown in FIGS.

That is, the first sub-cassette 3a comprises a first sub-cassette 3a, a second sub-cassette 3b, and a third sub-cassette 3c. On the bottom surface of the first sub-cassette 3a, an inverted T-shaped projection 3a1 is provided. The projection 3a1 is engaged with a groove 3b1 formed on the bottom surface of the second sub-cassette 3b so as not to fall off and to be slidable in the sheet length direction. Also, two inverted T
A letter-shaped projection 3b2 is provided, and this projection 3b2 engages with a groove 3c1 formed on the bottom surface of the third sub-cassette 3c so as not to fall off and slidably in the sheet length direction. Thereby, the three sub-cassettes 3a, 3b, 3
“c” is extendable in the sheet width direction.

A protruding portion 3d projecting in the same shape as the notch 2d is located at a corner of the first sub-cassette 3a corresponding to the notch 2d when the recording sheet 2 is loaded in a normal state. Is provided.

Since the projection 3d is provided as described above, even if the recording sheet 2 provided with the notch 2d is loaded in the cassette 3 in an erroneous state, the projection 3b is provided.
When the recording sheet 2 is loaded in a normal state, the notch 2d and the protruding portion 3b can be loaded when the recording sheet 2 is loaded in a normal state. Therefore, the recording sheet 2 is always stored and loaded in the sheet cassette 3 in a normal state.

As shown in FIG. 3 (a), when a small-sized recording sheet 2 is loaded into the loading section 3e of the sheet cassette 3, all the sub-cassettes 3a, 3b, 3c are moved in the sheet width direction. The state shown in FIG. On the other hand, when a large-sized recording sheet 2 is loaded in the loading section 3e as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the sub-cassettes 3a, 3b and 3c are extended in the sheet width direction as shown in FIG. 1 (b). State. Thereby, the recording sheet 2
Even if the sheet sizes are different, a single sheet cassette 3 can be used to load small to large sheets, eliminating the need for preparing a sheet cassette for each sheet size as in the related art.

Further, the sheet cassette 3 is mounted on the main body 1 of the apparatus.
, So that it cannot be loaded back and forth.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the loading rail 3c2 is provided on both sides of the outer side of the third sub-cassette 3c and about half forward (frontward with respect to the sheet feeding direction). FIG. 4 (b) shows the cassette mounting portion 14 of the apparatus body 1.
As shown in the figure, a guide portion 14a is provided, into which the loading rail 3c2 can be fitted and slidably inserted.

Therefore, the sheet cassette 3 can be loaded by inserting only the front half into the apparatus main body 1 (see the state of FIG. 6). Since the rail 3c2 is not provided, it cannot be inserted into the apparatus main body 1. As a result, the sheet cassette 3 can be mounted on the apparatus main body 1 only in a normal state, and the sheet cassette 3 has the recording sheets 2 stored and set in a normal state. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the recording sheet 2 from being erroneously loaded into the recording apparatus and an image being recorded in the non-recording area 2b.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the size of the loading section 3e is changed by using three sub-cassettes. However, the number of sub-cassettes need not be limited to three, but may be two. Or you may make it comprise four or more. As shown in FIG. 7, the sheet cassette 3 may be configured to be separable into a front half part 3f and a rear half part 3g, and to be connected so as to be able to expand and contract by a connection plate 3h stored in both bottom plates. .

[Second Embodiment] Next, an example of a sheet cassette 3 capable of detecting the size of the loading portion 3e will be described as a second embodiment with reference to FIGS. 8 is a diagram illustrating the state of the sheet cassette when small-size sheets are loaded, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the state of the sheet cassette when large-size sheets are loaded, and FIG. 10 is a recording operation according to the sheet size. It is a flowchart of a procedure. The configuration of the sheet cassette 3 according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that a size detection unit for detecting the size of the sheet loading unit is provided. Will be described, and other description will be omitted.

When the sheet cassette 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 1, contact points 15a are provided on both sides of the front end of the third sub-cassette 3c positioned at the front end in the mounting direction when the sheet cassette 3 is mounted. 15a is configured to contact a contact (not shown) of the apparatus main body 1. The contact 15a is connected to a conductor 15b provided at a predetermined position on both side surfaces of the third sub-cassette 3c, and a conductor 15c is similarly provided at a predetermined position on both side surfaces of the second sub-cassette 3b. A conductor 15d is provided at a predetermined position and a bottom surface on both side surfaces of the first sub-cassette 3a.
As shown in FIG. 8, the positional relationship between the conductors 15b, 15c, and 15d is as follows.
When e is minimized, each conductor 15b, 15c, 15d
Are not in contact with each other, and at this time, the two contacts 15a are electrically disconnected. On the other hand, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the loading section 3e is maximized to load a large-size sheet, each of the conductors 15b, 15c, 15
The two contacts 15a are electrically connected at this time.

When the sheet cassette 3 is loaded into the apparatus main body 1, current flows between the contacts 15a, and the conductors 15b, 15c,
A discriminating means for discriminating whether the set recording sheet 2 is of a large size or a small size by discriminating whether the 15d is in a conducting state or a non-conducting state is provided, and a signal from the discriminating means is provided. In this case, whether to perform a recording operation or to display a warning is selected and executed.

The control procedure for that will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, when the recording apparatus inputs a recording start signal (S
1), the conduction state of the detecting means of the sheet cassette 3 is detected to determine the size of the sheets loaded in the cassette 3 (S2). Then, it is determined whether or not the size of the set recording sheet 2 matches the recording image size (S
3) If they match, recording is performed on the sheet fed from the sheet cassette 3 (S4). On the other hand, if the size of the set recording sheet 2 does not match the recording image size, the process proceeds to step S5 to display a warning on the display unit (not shown) that the sheet size is different, and returns to step S1 to perform recording. Wait for start signal.

Thus, it is possible to prevent a situation in which recording is performed on a sheet having a size different from the recording image size.

By detecting the sheet size by the detecting means provided on the sheet cassette 3 as described above, there is no need to provide an optical sensor as compared with a configuration in which the sheet length is detected using an optical sensor, for example. The number of parts and the assembly process can be reduced, and the space for the device can be reduced. In addition, even when the sheet length is detected based on the sheet conveyance amount, detection failure due to a sheet conveyance slip or conveyance failure does not occur.

In this embodiment, the conductors 15b, 15c, 15
An example has been described in which two types of sheets, large and small, are detected depending on whether d is in a conductive state or a non-conductive state. However, when the sheet cassette 3 is in a state of three or more sizes,
A plurality of resistors having different resistance values may be used as the conductors, and the resistance value may be changed according to the state of the sheet cassette 3, and the sheet size may be detected based on the change in the resistance value.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the perforation 2c is provided at the boundary between the recording area 2a and the non-recording area 2b of the recording sheet 2, but the structure for separating both areas is provided at the perforation 2c. There is no need to limit the configuration, and another configuration such as a broken line may be used as long as the configuration can be easily separated.

Although the erroneous loading prevention portion provided in the non-recording area 2b is constituted by the notch 2d in the above-described embodiment, it is not necessarily limited to the notch, but may be constituted by a hole, a depression, a projection, or the like. However, the sheet cassette 3 may be configured to have a shape or the like corresponding to the erroneous loading prevention section so that the sheet cassette 3 can be loaded only in one direction.

As means for detecting the erroneous loading preventing portion of the recording sheet 2, a configuration in which the erroneous loading preventing portion is detected by a reflection type photosensor, or an erroneous loading of the recording sheet 2 utilizing electric and magnetic properties is used. What is necessary is just to detect a loading prevention part (a notch, a hole, a dent, a protrusion, etc.).

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the recording apparatus is loaded with the sheet cassette 3 and the recording sheets 2 are fed is shown. However, the same sheet loading section as that of the above-described sheet cassette is provided in the apparatus. Even if a configuration is adopted in which a sheet is loaded in the loading section and fed, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, a thermal transfer recording method has been exemplified as a recording method for recording a color image. However, this recording method is not limited to the thermal transfer recording method, and may be, for example, an ink jet recording method, an electrophotographic recording method, or the like. May be used.

In particular, the ink jet recording method uses an ink jet recording head which performs recording by discharging ink from an ink discharge port to a recording medium.
It is easy to make the recording unit compact, can record high-definition images at high speed, can record on plain paper without special processing, has low running cost, and is a non-impact method. Therefore, there are advantages such as low noise and easy recording of a color image using a large number of color inks.

Such an ink jet recording head may be of an electromechanical conversion type using deformation of a piezo element by application of electric energy. In particular, an electrothermal conversion element such as a heater which generates heat by application of electric energy may be a liquid. An ink-jet type recording means (recording head) which is disposed in a path and ejects ink by causing a state change such as film boiling of ink by utilizing thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter is used for etching, Through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as vapor deposition and sputtering, by forming an electrothermal transducer, an electrode, a liquid path wall, and a top plate formed on a substrate,
This is preferable in that it can be easily manufactured having a high-density liquid passage arrangement (discharge port arrangement), can be made more compact, and can perform higher-speed image formation.

[0044]

The present invention is constructed as described above.
Even if an erroneous loading of the sheet having the erroneous loading preventing portion does not enter the sheet loading portion, the erroneous loading does not occur. In addition, one sheet of various sizes of the sheet having
It can be loaded by individual cassettes.

Further, if the cassette is provided with a size detecting means, the sheet size can be detected with a simple structure and an image corresponding to the size can be recorded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a sheet cassette for loading recording sheets, wherein FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a case where small size sheets are loaded, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a case where large size sheets are loaded.

FIG. 2 is a sectional explanatory view of a sheet cassette.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a recording sheet provided with an incorrect loading prevention unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a mounting configuration of a sheet cassette.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory perspective view of a recording apparatus.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment in which a sheet cassette can be separated.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a state of a sheet cassette when small-sized sheets are loaded.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a state of a sheet cassette when a large size sheet is loaded.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a recording operation procedure according to a sheet size.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state where an image is recorded on a recording sheet provided with a grip margin.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet provided with perforations at a boundary between a recording area and a non-recording area.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where an image is recorded on a perforated line.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body 2 ... Recording sheet 2a ... Recording area 2b ... Non-recording area 2c ... Perforation 2d ... Notch 3 ... Sheet cassette 3a ... First sub-cassette 3a1 ... Protrusion 3b ... Second sub-cassette 3b1 ... Groove 3b2 ... Projection 3c 3rd subcassette 3c1 Groove 3c2 Loading rail 3d Projecting portion 3e Loading portion 3f Front half 3g Late half 3h Connection plate 4 Feeding roller 5 Transport roller pair 6 Recording unit 7 … Platen roller 8… Thermal head 9… Ink sheet 10… Discharge roller pair 11… Insertion slot 12… Ink cassette 13… Operation panel 14… Cassette mounting part 14a… Guide part 15a… Contacts 15b, 15c, 15d… Conductor

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takanobu Shiraiwa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (5)

[Claims] In a sheet cassette for loading sheets, a sheet loading section is formed in a shape corresponding to the erroneous loading prevention section to load a sheet having an erroneous loading prevention section. A sheet cassette characterized in that the size can be changed according to the sheet size. 2. The sheet cassette according to claim 1, further comprising a size detecting unit for detecting a size of the sheet loading unit changed according to a sheet size. 3. A recording apparatus having a sheet loading section for loading a sheet and recording an image on the sheet, wherein the sheet loading section is loaded with the erroneous loading in order to load a sheet having an erroneous loading prevention section. A recording apparatus having a shape corresponding to a prevention unit and a configuration in which the size of the sheet loading unit can be changed according to a sheet size. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a size detecting means for detecting a size of the sheet loading unit changed according to a sheet size. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the printing apparatus is a color printing apparatus that prints an image by overlapping a plurality of colors.