JPH11240213A - Printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent tractor traveling failure during the rear surface image transfer period caused through heat contraction after surface fixation by providing a controller for driving a tractor control means in a manner that the tractor paper width of a tractor pin unit is matched with the paper width detected by a paper width detecting means. SOLUTION: The edge sensor F1 and edge sensor R2 installed immediately rear the heat roll 9 of an A lane 30 detect the paper width during the paper set period at which the heat roll 9 does not come in press contact with the paper 32 and paper width during the printing period at which the heat roll 9 come in press contact with the paper 32, and supply driving current to a tractor position control motor by detection signals in the paper setting period by the controller. Once, the tractor of a B lane 31 is matched with the initial position; then supplying a necessary rate of driving current for the tractor position control motor in accordance with the detection signal value of the edge sensor, and thus automatically controlling the tractor pin unit of the B lane 31 in that the tractor paper width is matched with the width of paper 32 before printing at the A lane 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer device, and more particularly to a printer device for two-sided printing using continuous paper, which prints on the front side of a sheet and then prints on the back side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, many printer apparatuses for outputting data of a computer system are of an electrophotographic type using a continuous paper as a medium and having a high printing speed in order to rapidly process enormous data. Many of these printer devices use a hot roll fixing method for fixing unfixed toner on the printing surface of the paper, and the heat roll serves as a paper feed roll that conveys the printing paper to a paper storage unit simultaneously with fixing. Also plays.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer of this type which performs double-sided printing. As shown in the figure,
Two printers for the same single-sided printing are arranged in series. First, the surface of the paper 32 is printed on the first printer (A lane 30).
After the toner is fixed, the sheet 32 is turned over, and the process of setting the sheet 32 on the second tractor (B lane 31) and transporting the sheet 32 again to print the back surface of the sheet 32 is performed.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing a conventional printer device. FIG. 6 is a view as seen from the arrow a in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a view as seen from the arrow b. In the A lane 30, continuous paper is supplied from the supply unit 33, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 12 is transferred onto the surface of the paper 32, and the image is transferred to the paper 3 by the heat roll 9.
Fix to 2. After the sheet 32 is further inverted, the sheet 32 is conveyed to the B lane 31, and the image transferred from the photosensitive drum 20 to the sheet 32 is fixed by the heat roll 17 with toner. The paper 32 is sent from the B lane 31 to the storage unit 34.

As shown in FIG. 7, the paper 32 is guided and transported by a paper guide 10 and a feed roll 11. As shown in FIG. 6, a tractor pin unit 16 is provided near the photosensitive drum 20 (the tractor pin unit is provided not only on the B lane 31 but also on the A lane 30). The paper 32 is conveyed by inserting the pins of the pin unit 16 into the sprocket holes of the paper 32. The one on the side of the paper 32 (the back side of the printer) is the moving screw shaft 2.
By moving the tractor knob 15 provided on the moving screw shaft 21 so that the position of the tractor pin unit 16 is adjusted to the width of the paper 32.

[0006]

In the above-mentioned conventional printer, if the paper 32 is thin and contains some moisture, the toner is thermally contracted when the toner is fixed by the heat roll 9 in the A lane 30. When the tractor pin unit 16 of the B lane 31 is engaged with the pin in the sprocket hole of the paper 32, the tractor pin unit 16 has a characteristic that the tractor pin is not engaged with the paper 32 in which the toner is not fixed. The paper width becomes tight, and the possibility of causing tractor jam of the paper 32 increases.

[0007] Therefore, when setting the paper in the tractor pin unit 16 in the B lane 31, the paper width must be slightly narrower than that in the tractor pin unit in the A lane 30, and the slackness must be adjusted. If the adjustment is incorrect, the sprocket hole of the paper 32 will be disengaged from the tractor pin during the printing operation, and there is a disadvantage that tractor jam occurs.

One of the objects of the invention is to use continuous paper as a medium,
The tractor pin unit transports the paper and has two printing units for fixing the toner image with the hot rolls, one for the front side and the other for the back side of the paper.
In a high-speed double-sided printer that transports paper to a storage unit after printing, when printing from the front side, there is provided a printer device that prevents tractor running defects that are likely to occur at the time of back side image transfer caused by thermal contraction of the paper after the surface is fixed. Is to do.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a tractor for transferring a sheet along a conveying path by engaging pins with sprocket holes provided on both sides of the sheet (32 in FIG. 2). Pin unit (16 in FIG. 2), tractor adjusting means (4, 21 in FIG. 2) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, and paper width detection provided in the transport path and detecting the width of the paper Means (1 and 2 in FIG. 3) and a control unit (5 in FIG. 2) for driving the tractor adjusting means so that the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit matches the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. ).

According to the present invention, first and second printing units (FIG. 1)
30, 31), the paper (32 in FIG. 1) is passed through the first printing unit and then conveyed so as to pass through the second printing unit. Paper width detecting means (1, 2 in FIG. 3) for detecting the width of
A tractor pin unit (1 in FIG. 2) that engages pins with sprocket holes provided in both sides of the paper provided in the second printing unit and transports the paper along a transport path.
6), tractor adjusting means (4, 21 in FIG. 2) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, and the tractor pin unit (5 in FIG. 2) based on the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. And a control unit for driving the tractor adjusting means so as to adjust the tractor paper width.

The printer of the present invention comprises a first printing unit (30 in FIG. 1) and a second printing unit (32 in FIG. 1) for further printing on paper (32 in FIG. 1) printed by the first printing unit. 1), sheet width detecting means (1 and 2 in FIG. 3) for detecting the width of the sheet printed by the first printing unit, and a sheet width detecting unit provided in the second printing unit. A tractor pin unit (16 in FIG. 2) that engages pins with sprocket holes provided on both sides to convey the paper along the conveyance path.
A tractor adjusting means (4, 21 in FIG. 2) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit; and adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit to the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. And a control unit (5 in FIG. 2) for driving the tractor adjusting means.

In the printer of the present invention, the toner image formed on the first photosensitive member (12 in FIG. 1) and transferred to the sheet (32 in FIG. 1) is transferred by the first heat roll (9 in FIG. 1). A first printing unit (30 in FIG. 1) that prints on the paper by thermocompression fixing, and a second photoconductor (22 in FIG. 1) is further applied to the paper printed by the first printing unit. A second printing unit (31 in FIG. 1) for printing on the sheet by thermocompression-fixing the toner image formed and transferred to the sheet by a second heat roll (17 in FIG. 1); Paper width detecting means (1, 2 in FIG. 3) for detecting the width of the paper passing through the portion of the heat roll; and sprocket holes provided in the second printing unit and provided on both sides of the paper. A tractor pin unit that engages pins to transport the paper along the transport path (Figure 16), tractor adjusting means (4, 21 in FIG. 2) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, and the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit is adjusted to the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. And a control unit (5 in FIG. 2) for driving the tractor adjusting means so that

In the printer device of the present invention, the toner image formed on the first photosensitive member (12 in FIG. 1) and transferred to the sheet (32 in FIG. 1) is transferred by a first heat roll (9 in FIG. 1). A first printing unit (30 in FIG. 1) that prints on the paper by thermocompression fixing, and a second photoconductor (22 in FIG. 1) is further applied to the paper printed by the first printing unit. A second printing unit (31 in FIG. 1) for printing on the sheet by thermocompression-fixing the toner image formed and transferred to the sheet by a second heat roll (17 in FIG. 1); Paper width detecting means (1, 2 in FIG. 3) for detecting the width of the paper thermocompression-fixed by the hot roll, and sprocket holes provided in the second printing unit and provided on both sides of the paper. A tractor pin unit that engages a pin with the (16 in FIG. 2), tractor adjusting means (4, 21 in FIG. 2) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, and the tractor pin unit is adjusted to the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. A control unit (5 in FIG. 2) for driving the tractor adjusting means so as to adjust the tractor paper width.

In the above-mentioned printer device, the first printing section prints on the front side (or back side) of the sheet, and the second printing section prints on the back side (or front side) of the sheet. Can be.

In the above-mentioned printer apparatus, the paper width detecting means is an optical sensor that arranges an edge of the paper between a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion of a certain length facing each other,
The optical sensor may be arranged on both sides of the sheet, and the tractor adjusting means may be any one of the portions of the tractor pin unit corresponding to both sides of the sheet. Screw shaft for moving the paper in the width direction of the paper (21 in FIG. 2)
And a motor for rotating the screw shaft (FIG. 2)
4).

According to the present invention, the toner image formed on the first photosensitive member (12 in FIG. 1) and transferred to the sheet (32 in FIG. 1) is thermocompression-fixed by a first heat roll (9 in FIG. 1). 1st printing part which prints on the above-mentioned paper by doing (30 of Figure 1)
And a toner image formed on a second photosensitive member (22 in FIG. 1) on the paper printed by the first printing unit and transferred to the paper, and a second heat roll (17 in FIG. 1). A pin is engaged with a second printing section (31 in FIG. 1) for printing on the paper by thermocompression-fixing, and sprocket holes provided on the first printing section and provided on both sides of the paper. A first tractor pin unit (8 in FIG. 4) for transporting the paper along the transport path, and a first tractor adjusting means (FIG. 4) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the first tractor pin unit. 7, 13), tractor paper width detecting means (6 in FIG. 4) for detecting the tractor paper width of the first tractor pin unit, and the width of the paper thermocompression-fixed by the first heat roll. The sheet width detecting means (1, 2 in FIG. 3) And a second tractor pin unit (16 in FIG. 2) that engages pins with sprocket holes provided in both sides of the paper provided in the second printing unit and transports the paper along the transport path. ) And a second tractor adjusting means (4, 21 in FIG. 2) for adjusting the tractor paper width of the second tractor pin unit. The tractor sheet width of the first tractor pin unit is adjusted to the width of the sheet to be set by the first tractor pin unit, and the tractor sheet width of the first tractor pin unit detected by the tractor sheet width detection unit at this time. The width of the tractor paper of the second tractor pin unit is adjusted, and the width of the second tractor pin unit is then adjusted to the width of the paper detected by the paper width detection means. Using the printer apparatus characterized by driving the second of the tractor adjusting means to match the Tsu City of tractor paper width.

[0017]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of this embodiment, and FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are views taken along arrows a and b shown in FIG. 1 of this embodiment. , C arrow view.
As shown in FIG. 4, the tractor pin unit 8 is also provided on the A lane 30, and the moving screw shaft 13 for moving the rear portion of the tractor pin unit 8 in the width direction of the paper 32 and rotating the moving screw shaft 13. A tractor knob 7 is provided.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Paper 32 after fixing by heat roll 9 in lane 30
Sensor 1 (front side), edge sensor R2 (rear side), and edge sensor R position adjustment motor 3 for moving edge sensor R2 in accordance with the paper width.

As shown in FIG. 2, a moving screw shaft 21 for moving the portion of the tractor pin unit 16 where the back side of the paper 32 is set in the B lane 31 in the width direction of the paper 32, To control the tractor position adjustment motor 4 for rotating the tractor pin unit 16 to move the back side of the tractor pin unit 16 and the detection signals of the edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R2, thereby supplying drive power to the tractor position adjustment motor 4. Unit 5.

The edge sensor F1 is fixed to the front side of the paper guide 10 for guiding the paper 32 in order to monitor the position of the edge of the paper 32 on the front side of the A lane 30.
The edge sensor R2 is provided to monitor the position of the edge of the sheet 32 on the back side of the A lane 30. The edge sensor R2 is moved by rotating the screw shaft by the edge sensor R position adjusting motor 3, and the paper guide 10 is moved. Is fixed so as to be aligned with the tractor paper width of the A lane 30.

The tractor position adjusting motor 4 and the edge sensor R position adjusting motor 3 are stepping motors with clutch gears, supplied with drive pulses output from the control unit 5, and finely adjust the paper width of the tractor pin unit 16 in real time. I do. The control unit 5 supplies a necessary amount of electric power to the tractor position adjusting motor 4 based on input signals from the edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R2 to drive the motor.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

First, the tractor pin unit 8 is moved by manually turning the tractor knob 7, and the distance between the front and rear portions of the tractor pin unit 8 is adjusted to the width of the sheet 32 to be set ( This is referred to as adjusting the tractor paper width, and the tractor pin units 8 and 16 are adjusted.
The width of paper that can be set in the tractor is called the tractor paper width). The paper width detection sensor 6 provided in the A lane 30 detects the iron bar 35 provided in the back part of the tractor pin unit 8, detects the tractor paper width, and
Send a detection signal to

Upon receiving a detection signal from the paper width detection sensor 6, the control unit 5 supplies a required amount of drive pulses to the edge sensor R position adjustment motor 3 and the tractor position adjustment motor 4, and the tractor pin unit 8 of the A lane 30 The tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit 16 in the B lane 31 is adjusted by adjusting the position of the edge sensor R2 in the A lane 30 according to the tractor paper width set in the tractor.

When the adjustment of the position of the edge sensor R2 and the adjustment of the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit 16 are completed, the control unit 5 starts the automatic loading of the paper 32, and loads the paper 32 into the A lane 30 from the supply unit 33. The edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R2 are
2 are detected and output to the control unit 5.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing detection signals of the edge sensors F1 and R2 when the paper 32 is printed and run. The horizontal direction indicates time, and the vertical direction indicates the magnitude of the detection signal.

Each of the edge sensors F1 and R2 is an optical sensor in which a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion each having a certain length are opposed to each other and the edge of the paper 32 is disposed therebetween. The closer the end of 32 is to the center of the sheet 32, the greater the amount of light received by the light receiving section. Edge sensor F1,
R2 outputs a detection signal having the magnitude of the relationship obtained by reversing the amount of received light. Therefore, if the width of the paper 32 becomes smaller,
The detection signals of the edge sensors F1 and R become smaller.

In FIG. 5, the detection signal values of the edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R2 at the time of the first sheet setting are a1 and b1, respectively. Paper 32 during printing
Is fixed by thermocompression bonding by the heat roll 9, and slightly shrinks and shrinks in the width direction, so that the detection signal values of the edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R2 decrease, and a0 and b0 respectively.
Becomes Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the tractor width of the B lane 31 by an amount corresponding to the heat contraction.
, A drive pulse for moving by a distance corresponding to (a1-a0) + (b1-b0) of the detection signal value is supplied, and during printing, the width of the tractor paper in the B lane 31 is always fixed immediately after fixing in the A lane 30. Make fine adjustments so that the paper width is

In the present embodiment, the edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R2 installed immediately after the heat roll 9 in the A lane 30 (front surface printing traveling path) are used when the heat roll 9 does not press the paper 32 when setting a sheet. And the control unit 5 supplies a drive current to the tractor position adjustment motor 4 for back side printing based on a detection signal at the time of paper setting. The tractor in the B lane 31 (backside printing travel path) is once adjusted to the initial position (the sheet width setting position before printing), and the tractor position adjusting motor 4 is driven by a necessary amount according to the detection signal values of the edge sensors F1 and R2. A current is applied to automatically adjust the tractor pin unit 16 in the B lane 31 so that the tractor paper width matches the width of the paper 32 in the A lane before printing. Similarly, the edge sensor F1 and the edge sensor R during the printing travel in which the heat roll 9 is pressed against the paper 32.
2 is also input to the control unit 5, and based on the result of the paper width change amount with respect to the tractor paper width position automatically adjusted,
A required amount of drive power is supplied to the tractor position adjustment motor 4 to automatically and finely adjust the width of the tractor paper in the B lane 31.

The present invention is not limited to printing in which toner is fixed on paper by a hot roll, but printing by other methods is also possible.
For example, it can be applied to something like a wet copying machine.

Further, the present invention is not limited to a double-sided printing machine, but can be applied to an apparatus for printing an image on the same sheet for each color.

[0033]

The first effect is that, by automatically adjusting the tractor paper width of the second printing unit when the paper is set, the adjustment of the tractor paper width in the second printing unit is automated.
This eliminates the need to manually turn and adjust the tractor knob and the like.

The second effect is that even if the width of the paper changes due to thermal contraction or the like that changes depending on the degree of moisture absorption of the paper, the tractor pin width of the tractor pin unit follows the change in the width of the paper. This makes it possible to prevent the paper hole tractor pin from jamming during the printing operation in the printing section.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a view as viewed in the direction indicated by an arrow a in FIG. 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from an arrow b in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view of the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the arrow c in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows an edge sensor F1 and an edge sensor R2 in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a time chart illustrating the detection signal of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view of a conventional printer device as viewed from an arrow a in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a view of the conventional printer viewed from an arrow b in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Edge sensor F 2 Edge sensor R 3 Edge sensor R position adjustment motor 4 Tractor position adjustment motor 5 Control part 6 Paper width detection sensor 7 Tractor knob 8 Tractor pin unit 9 Heat roll 10 Paper guide 11 Feed roll 12 Photosensitive drum 13 Moving screw shaft 15 Tractor Knob 16 Tractor Pin Unit 17 Heat Roll 20 Photosensitive Drum 21 Moving Screw Shaft 30 A Lane 31 B Lane 32 Paper 33 Supply Unit 34 Storage Unit 35 Bar

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A tractor pin unit for engaging a pin with sprocket holes provided on both sides of a sheet to convey the sheet along a conveyance path, and a tractor adjustment for adjusting a tractor sheet width of the tractor pin unit. Means,
Paper width detecting means provided in the transport path for detecting the width of the paper, and driving the tractor adjusting means to adjust the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit to the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. And a control unit for causing the control unit to perform the control. 2. A printer device comprising a first and a second printing unit, wherein a sheet is passed through the first printing unit and then conveyed so as to pass through the second printing unit. Paper width detecting means for detecting the width of the paper, and a pin engaged with sprocket holes provided on both sides of the paper provided in the second printing section to convey the paper along the conveyance path A tractor pin unit, a tractor adjusting unit for adjusting a tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, and the tractor adjusting unit for adjusting a tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit to a width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting unit. And a control unit for driving the printer. 3. A first printing unit, a second printing unit that further prints on the paper printed by the first printing unit, and a width of the paper printed by the first printing unit are detected. A tractor pin unit configured to engage a pin with a sprocket hole provided in both sides of the sheet provided in the second printing unit and to convey the sheet along a conveyance path; A tractor adjusting unit that adjusts the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, and a control unit that drives the tractor adjusting unit so that the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit matches the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting unit. A printer device comprising: 4. A first printing unit that prints on a sheet by thermocompression-fixing a toner image formed on a first photoconductor and transferred to the sheet by a first heat roll, and the first printing unit.
A second printing unit that prints on the sheet by thermocompression-fixing the toner image formed on the second photoconductor on the sheet printed by the printing unit and transferred to the sheet by a second heat roll Paper width detecting means for detecting the width of the paper that has passed through the first heat roll portion, and a pin engaged with sprocket holes provided in the second printing section and provided on both sides of the paper. A tractor pin unit for transporting the sheet along the transport path, a tractor adjusting unit for adjusting a tractor sheet width of the tractor pin unit, and a tractor pin unit for adjusting the width of the sheet detected by the sheet width detection unit. A control unit for driving the tractor adjusting means so as to adjust the tractor paper width of the unit. 5. A first printing unit that prints on a sheet by thermocompression-fixing a toner image formed on a first photoconductor and transferred to a sheet by a first heat roll, and the first printing unit.
A second printing unit that prints on the sheet by thermocompression-fixing the toner image formed on the second photoconductor on the sheet printed by the printing unit and transferred to the sheet by a second heat roll Paper width detecting means for detecting the width of the paper thermally fixed by the first heat roll, and a pin inserted into a sprocket hole provided in the second printing section and provided on both sides of the paper. A tractor pin unit that engages and transports the paper along the transport path; a tractor adjusting unit that adjusts a tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit; and a tractor that adjusts the width of the paper detected by the paper width detection unit. A control unit for driving the tractor adjusting means so as to adjust the tractor paper width of the pin unit. 6. A first printing unit for printing on a sheet by thermocompression-fixing a toner image formed on a first photoconductor and transferred to a sheet by a first heat roll, and the first printing unit.
A second printing unit that prints on the sheet by thermocompression-fixing the toner image formed on the second photoconductor on the sheet printed by the printing unit and transferred to the sheet by a second heat roll A first tractor pin unit that engages pins with sprocket holes provided in both sides of the paper provided in the first printing unit and transports the paper along a transport path; First tractor adjusting means for adjusting the tractor paper width of the tractor pin unit, tractor paper width detecting means for detecting the tractor paper width of the first tractor pin unit, and thermocompression fixing by the first heat roll Paper width detecting means for detecting the width of the paper thus formed, and a pin engaged with sprocket holes provided on both sides of the paper provided in the second printing section to move the paper along the conveyance path. And a second tractor pin unit for adjusting the width of the tractor sheet of the second tractor pin unit, wherein the second tractor pin unit adjusts the width of the tractor sheet. The tractor sheet width of the first tractor pin unit is adjusted to the width of the sheet to be set by the first tractor pin unit, and the tractor sheet width of the first tractor pin unit detected by the tractor sheet width detection unit at this time. Adjusting the tractor paper width of the second tractor pin unit, and thereafter adjusting the tractor paper width of the second tractor pin unit to the width of the paper detected by the paper width detecting means. A method for using a printer device, characterized by driving the means. 7. The printing method according to claim 2, wherein the first printing unit prints on the front surface (or back surface) of the paper, and the second printing unit prints on the back surface (or front surface) of the paper. 6. The printer according to any one of claims 5 to 5. 8. The sheet width detecting means is an optical sensor that arranges an edge of the sheet between a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit of a certain length, and the optical sensor is disposed on both sides of the sheet. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein
The printer according to any one of claims 5 and 7. 9. The tractor adjusting means, the first tractor adjusting means or the second tractor adjusting means,
A moving screw shaft for moving one of the portions of the tractor pin unit, the first tractor pin unit, and the second tractor pin unit corresponding to both sides of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet; 9. The printer device according to claim 1, further comprising a motor for rotating a screw shaft.