KR20160097927A - Photo printer and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a photo printer and a method for controlling the same. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a photo printer comprises: a loading unit into which paper is loaded; a pickup roller which feeds the paper loaded in the loading unit in a paper feeding direction; a press unit which presses, a part located on an opposite side of the paper feeding direction based on a vertical axis passing through the center of the pickup roller from the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller, downwards; and a guide unit which is disposed at a predetermined interval apart from an upper surface of the loading unit and has an inclined surface protruding downwards in the paper feeding direction. Accordingly, the present invention provides a photo printer which can reduce paper jams.

Description

[0001] PHOTO PRINTER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME [0002]

The present invention relates to a photo printer, and more particularly, to a portable photo printer and a control method thereof.

With the development of digital technology, miniaturized cameras have been installed in various mobile devices including mobile terminals. Thus, the user can easily take a picture regardless of place and time. Furthermore, a portable printer has been developed that adopts a printing system that is simple in structure and can be miniaturized, in accordance with a demand of a user who wants to output a photographed image immediately from anywhere.

In the dye sublimation method, heat is applied to the print head to dissolve the thermosensitive ink ribbon, and the ink ribbon is transferred to print a predetermined shape on the paper. The dye sublimation method may include a space for mounting the ink ribbon in the photo printer and a separate means for driving the ink ribbon.

On the contrary, since the thermal printing method using a thermal paper, which is a special paper that expresses a predetermined color in response to heat, ink of different colors is already laminated on the thermal paper, the ink ribbon is not necessary. The disadvantages can be solved.

In order to miniaturize the photo printer employing such a direct thermal method, the transfer part and the image forming part can be arranged in parallel along the paper feeding direction. When the sheet is placed on the photo printer having such a structure, the sheet is positioned on the upper surface of the conveying portion. The larger the number of sheets is seated at the same time, the greater the frictional force between the sheets due to the gravity, and when the sheet conveying section directly feeds the sheet (i.e., the sheet placed at the bottom of the stacking section) There is a problem that paper is jammed in the conveyance path at the same time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a photo printer and a control method thereof that can reduce the occurrence of paper jam according to the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a pick-up roller for picking up a sheet, a pick-up roller for picking up a sheet placed on the pick- A pressing portion which presses downward a portion located on the opposite side in the paper feeding direction with respect to a vertical axis passing through the center, and a guide portion which is spaced apart from the upper surface of the loading portion by a predetermined distance and which has an inclined surface protruding downward along the paper feeding direction A photo printer is provided.

Effects of the photo printer and the control method according to the present invention will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the entire size of the photo printer can be miniaturized by disposing the stacking portion, the conveying portion, and the image forming portion side by side along the paper feeding direction.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage that the paper jamming phenomenon of the photo printer can be reduced by adjusting the pressing position of the pressing portion with respect to the pickup roller.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, when two or more paper sheets fed at the same time are brought into contact with the guide portion, vibrations of a predetermined intensity are generated in the guide portion.

Further, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, by controlling the generation of vibration of the guide portion based on the sheet detection information, it is possible to improve the sheet separation performance and utilize the available power efficiently.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a photo printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of a photo printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of the photo printer related to the present invention as viewed from the outside.
4 is a side cross-sectional view taken along the line AB shown in FIG. 3 (a) for explaining a sheet feeding process of the photo printer related to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an exemplary view for explaining a process of forming an image on a sheet of paper according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a paper jam phenomenon that may occur in the paper feeding process of the photo printer shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a process of feeding a sheet of a photo printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a process of transferring paper of a photo printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a view showing a process in which the photo printer shown in FIG. 8 controls the driving of the vibration module according to the conveying position of the paper to convey the paper.
10 is a diagram illustrating a control method of a photo printer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", and the like are used to specify that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a photo printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a photo printer 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 110, an operation unit 120, an output unit 130, a sensing unit 140, a memory 150, a power unit 160, A transfer unit 170, an image forming unit 180, and a control unit 190. [

The communication unit 110 connects the photo printer 100 to an external device through a wired / wireless network. Here, the external device is not limited to a portable electronic device such as a smart phone, but may be a fixed electronic device such as a desktop, and is not particularly limited as long as the device can communicate with the photo printer 100. The communication unit 110 is connected to an external device and can transmit / receive various information including image data (e.g., photographed photo file) from an external device. To this end, the communication unit 110 may include at least one module that enables wired communication or wireless communication. Specifically, the communication unit 110 may include a short-range communication module 111 and a wired communication module 112.

The near field communication module 111 supports contactless communication with an external device. The short-range communication module 111 may be at least one of Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Wi-Fi It is possible to receive image data and various commands or information related to the operation of the photo printer 100 from an external apparatus by supporting short-range communication using one.

The wired communication module 112 supports contact communication with an external device. The wired communication module 112 may include a memory card port, a USB port, and the like, and is directly connected to an external device to support transmission and reception of various information including image data, as in the case of the near field communication module 111.

The operation unit 120 includes at least one operation module operatively associated with the operation of the photo printer 100. [ For example, the operation unit 120 may include a first operation module 121 and a second operation module 122. [ The first operation module 121 can be interlocked with the power on / off function of the photo printer 100. The first operation module 121 can operate power on / off of the photo printer 100 in a physical manner such as a slide switch method or a button method. For example, the user can move the first operation module 121 to the left side to turn the power of the photo printer 100 on or move the power to the right side to turn off the power. The second operation module 122 may be a reset button.

The memory 150 stores data supporting various functions of the photo printer 100. [ The memory 150 may store application programs necessary for driving the photo printer 100, data for performing various operations related to image printing, and image data received through the communication unit 110 together with instructions. At least some of these applications may be stored in the memory 150 from the time of shipment. Alternatively, at least a part of the application program may be transmitted from an external server or an external device via the communication unit 110. An application program stored in the memory 150 may be installed in the photo printer 100 under the control of the control unit 190. [

The sensing unit 140 may sense various information generated inside or outside the photo printer 100. The sensing unit 140 may include a paper detection sensor 141, a temperature sensor 142, an opening and closing sensor 143, a horizontal sensor 144, and a mark recognition sensor. First, the paper detection sensor 141 is disposed in the paper conveyance path, and detects the presence or absence of the paper in the conveyance path. For example, the paper detecting sensor 141 may be disposed at a position adjacent to the loading unit 165 on which the paper is loaded. It is determined whether the illuminance value, which varies as the paper is covered by the paper, is less than a predetermined value, Can be detected. Alternatively, the paper detecting sensor 141 may include a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion. The paper detecting sensor 141 may detect whether or not the paper is seated in the loading portion according to the distance or time that light emitted through the light emitting portion is reflected and returned to the light receiving portion have. If the control unit 190 receives the print command for the predetermined image data in a state in which the paper is not detected through the paper detection sensor 141, the control unit 190 can guide the user to the absence of paper through the output unit 130 . The temperature sensor 142 detects whether the battery or the motor is operating at a temperature within the normal range.

The temperature sensor 142 transmits a corresponding signal to the control unit 190 when the battery or the motor is operating at a temperature outside the normal range (i.e., low temperature or superheat), and the control unit 190 controls the output unit 130, The information corresponding to the signal input from the temperature sensor 142 can be output in a form recognizable to the user.

The horizontal sensor 144 detects whether the photo printer 100 is placed horizontally with respect to the ground. The controller 190 detects the angle of the gravitational direction with respect to the main body of the photo printer 100 based on the information provided from the horizontal sensor 144, It can be judged whether or not it is horizontally seated on the ground. When the control unit 190 determines that the photoprinter 100 is not horizontally mounted on the ground, the predetermined information is output through the output unit 130 so that the user can select the inclination of the photoprinter 100 You can be guided to change your posture.

The opening / closing sensor 143 senses whether or not the first case 101A and the second case 101B, which will be described later, are fastened together. The control unit 190 can stop the operation of the image forming unit 180 when it senses that the first case 101A and the second case 101B are not engaged with each other through the opening and closing sensor 143. [

A mark recognition sensor (not shown) reads the mark displayed on the paper and recognizes information about the paper. For example, on the bottom surface of the paper, information related to the characteristics of the paper may be displayed in a barcode format. The mark recognition sensor sequentially reads the barcode information of the paper along the paper feed direction. The image forming unit 180 is controlled in accordance with the detected barcode information, so that an image can be printed with an optimum image quality suited to the sheet.

The output unit 130 outputs information on the status of the photo printer 100 to the outside. The output unit 130 may include a light emitting module 131, a display module 132, a haptic module 133, a sound module 134, and the like.

The light emitting module 131 may flicker or change color at different periods according to the state of the photo printer 100. The plurality of light emitting modules 131 may be provided at different positions in the body of the photo printer 100.

The display module 132 displays various information processed by the photo printer 100. For example, the display module 132 may display print progress, failure information, remaining battery power, battery information, a preview image of an image to be formed, and the like. The display module 132 may be coupled to the photo printer 100 so as to be tiltable along one side thereof.

The sound module 134 outputs sound corresponding to the state of the photo printer 100 (e.g., completion of charging, paper jam, no paper, printing completion, and the like).

The haptic module 133 generates vibration having a predetermined intensity or pattern according to a predetermined condition or input. The intensity or pattern of the vibration generated by the vibration module 212 may be different for each state of the photo printer 100. [ For example, when the image data is transmitted from the external device through the communication unit 110, the haptic module 133 vibrates once for a long time to the first intensity, and when the printing according to the received image data is completed, the haptic module 133 vibrates twice .

The power supply unit 160 receives an external power supply or an internal power supply under the control of the controller 190 and supplies power required for operation of each component. The power supply unit 160 may include a battery. The battery may be an internal battery configured to be rechargeable, and may be detachably coupled to the case and replaced with another battery. In addition, the power supply unit 160 may include a charging port 161 connected to an external power source for charging the battery. For example, the charging port may be a micro USB type port. The charging port can be connected to a wired cable in addition to the power supply, and can have a function of transmitting and receiving data.

The transfer unit 170 includes at least one motor 171 and a pickup roller 172. The pick-up roller 172 rotates in the forward direction (the direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feeding direction) or the reverse direction through the driving force transmitted from the motor 171, Lt; / RTI > The motor 171 may be driven or stopped under the control of the controller 190, or the rotational speed of the pickup roller 172 may be increased or decreased by varying the driving force.

The image forming unit 180 forms an image on a sheet conveyed by the conveying unit 170. [ The image forming unit 180 converts electrical energy supplied from the power supply unit 160 into heat energy through a plurality of heat generating resistors, and applies the heat energy to the paper. The paper is gradually conveyed along the paper feeding direction through the conveying unit 170 and at the same time, different colors are developed according to the size and time of the heat applied from the image forming unit 180, so that the images from the front end to the rear end are formed do.

The control unit 190 controls the overall operation of the photo printer 100. The control unit 190 processes signals, data, information, and the like input or output through the above-described components or drives an application program stored in the memory 150 so that an image corresponding to the image data can be properly formed on the paper . The control unit 190 generates print data that can be processed by the image forming unit 180 based on the image data transmitted from the external device. The control unit 190 may control the power supply unit 160 to supply appropriate power to the respective heating resistors of the thermal head 181 according to the print data.

1 are not essential to the implementation of the photo printer 100, so that the photo printer 100 described herein may have more or fewer components than the components listed above, Lt; / RTI >

2 is an exploded perspective view of a photo printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, various components may be mounted inside the case while forming the appearance of the photo printer 100, and some components may be partially exposed to the outside through the outer surface of the case. Such a case may include a first case 101A and a second case 101B. The first case 101A and the second case 101B are provided on the outermost side of the photo printer 100 to support internal components and function as a buffer.

The first case 101A separates the various components disposed therein from the ground by a predetermined distance. The second case 101B may be formed to be engageable with the first case 101A. For example, one end of the second case 101B may be hinged to one end of the first case 101A. In addition, the other end of the second case 101B may be formed in a structure detachable from the other end of the first case 101A. All or a part of each of the components described above with reference to Fig. 1 may be disposed in the inner space formed by the first case 101A and the second case 101B.

Specifically, the loading unit 165, the transfer unit 170, the guide unit 210, and the image forming unit 180 may be disposed in the inner space of the first case 101A. That is, since the stacking unit 165, the transferring unit 170, and the image forming unit 180 are arranged in parallel along one row, the total size of the photo printer 100 can be reduced.

The paper is seated in the loading section 165. Since the paper size may have a predetermined error, the loading unit 165 may be formed to have a predetermined value larger than the predetermined paper size so that the clearance can be provided. The mounting portion 165 may be formed with a stepped portion having a predetermined height downwardly from the upper end of the first case 101A. The left end, the right end, and the rear end of a plurality of sheets are supported by such a step, and can be stably stowed on the stacking unit 165. The height of the step can be designed variously according to the number of sheets which can be set at one time.

The transfer unit 170 may be disposed in parallel with the front end of the loading unit 165 along the paper feeding direction. The conveyance unit 170 may include a motor 171, a pickup roller 172 and a gear assembly (not shown). The conveyance unit 170 may convey the paper, which is placed on the loading unit 165, And can be transferred to the image forming unit 180. The pickup roller 172 can be disposed adjacent to the front end of the loading section 165 so that the paper loaded in the loading section 165 can be transported in the paper feeding direction.

At this time, the length of the stacking unit 165 may be shorter than the length of the sheet, so that a part of the front end of the sheet placed on the stacking unit 165 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller 172 along the width direction, 172, respectively. When the motor 171 is driven under the control of the control unit 190, the driving force of the motor 171 is transmitted to the pick-up roller 172, Can be fed in the feeding direction.

The gear assembly is interposed between the motor 171 and the pickup roller 172 and includes at least one gear for transmitting the driving force of the motor 171 to the pickup roller 172. On the other hand, when the pickup roller 172 is disposed at a position where it can directly receive the driving force of the motor 171, all or a part of the gear assembly may be omitted.

At this time, the first paper detecting sensor 141A may be disposed at a position substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the pickup roller 172 in the upper surface of the conveying path. Further, the second paper detecting sensor 141B may be disposed at a position adjacent to the image forming unit 180. [ In this case, the control unit 190 determines whether or not to start printing on the print data in accordance with whether or not the paper is detected by the first paper detecting sensor 141A. When the paper is detected by the second paper detecting sensor 141B, It is possible to judge whether or not a paper jam has occurred in the path.

The pressing portion 200 can be mounted on the lower surface of the second case 101B, that is, the surface facing the upper surface of the first case 101A. The pressing portion 200 may include a pressing plate 201 and an elastic member 202. The rear end of the pressure play portion can be hinged to one side of the rear end of the second case 101B. The elastic member 202 is interposed between one side of the front end of the pressing plate 201 and the second case 101B to elastically support the pressing plate 201. [ Such an elastic member 202 may be, for example, a coil spring, but is not limited thereto. The pressing portion 200 may further include a stopper 203 for limiting a range in which the elastic member 202 is deformed between the lower end of the second case 101B and the pressing plate 201. [ One end and the other end of the stopper 203 are rotatably coupled to the pressure plate 201 and the second case 101B respectively so that the stopper 203 is pushed by the auxiliary member 202 so that the elastic member 202 does not extend beyond a certain range. can do.

The guide unit 210 guides the front end of the sheet conveyed through the conveying unit 170 to the image forming unit 180. The paper conveyed through the conveying unit 170 is spaced apart from the conveying unit 170 by a gap formed between the guide unit 210 and the conveying unit 170, To the image forming unit 180 through the intermediary of the image forming unit.

On the other hand, the paper on which the image is formed in the photo printer 100 according to the present invention may be a thermal paper having dye-based color ink including cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow have. In this paper, a heat-meltable protective member can be laminated together with the color ink layer. The image forming unit 180 is configured to apply heat to the paper so that the ink layer stacked on the paper can react and form an image. The image forming unit 180 includes a thermal head 181, a heating member, And a roller 182.

Specifically, the heat radiating member 183 may include first to fourth heat radiating members 183A, 183B, 183C and 183D as shown in FIG. First, the first heat discharging body 183A abuts on the upper surface of the thermal head 181 directly or through a heat insulating body, so that the heat radiated from the thermal head 181 can be absorbed quickly. A portion of the upper surface of the first heat discharging body 183A is fixed to the first case 101B by a bracket 184 and a portion of the upper surface of the first heat discharging body 183A The second heat discharging body 183B and the third heat discharging body 183C may be sequentially stacked. At this time, the bracket 184 may serve to fix the first heat discharging body 183A and to maintain the pressing strength of the thermal head 181 against the paper to a predetermined level or higher. The second heat discharging body 183B and the third heat discharging body 183C may be made of a silicone material. In this case, the contact area with the first heat discharging body 183A The heat emitted from the thermal head 181 can be transmitted to the outside more effectively. The fourth heat discharging body 183D may be disposed above the third heat radiating body 183C and the heat transmitted through the first to third heat radiating bodies 183A, 183B and 183C Diffuse outward. For this, the fourth heat discharging body 183D may be formed to have a wider area than the first to third heat discharging bodies 183A, 183B and 183C. However, the first to fourth heat sinks 183A, 183B, 183C and 183D are not essential components, and some of them may be omitted. For example, the second heat discharging body 183B and the third heat radiating body 183C may be integrally manufactured or may not include any one of the second heat radiating body 183B and the third heat radiating body 183C.

A more detailed structure of the image forming unit 180 will be further described below with reference to FIG. 4 and the like.

The outlet (H) may be formed in the first case (101A) or the second case (101B). The paper can be discharged from the front end through which the image forming unit 180 prints (that is, image formation) is completed first through the outlet H and out of the case.

3 is a perspective view of the photo printer 100 according to the present invention viewed from the outside.

3 (a) is an exemplary view for explaining a state in which the first case 101A and the rear end of the second case 101B are engaged (that is, the state in which the cover is closed), and FIG. 3 Fig. 11 is an exemplary view for explaining a state in which one case 101A and the rear end of the second case 101B are separated (i.e., the cover is opened).

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the second case 101B can function as a cover of the photo printer 100. In the cover fixing state, when the paper is separated or foreign matter (for example, dust, ) Can be blocked.

When the first case 101A and the second case 101B are hinged to each other, the first case 101A and the second case 101B are fixed to the other end with a locking ring 102 One or more fixing grooves 103 may be formed. Also, a fixing release button 104 connected to the fixing ring 102 may be disposed outside the first case 101A. When the release button 104 is pressed, the engagement between the retainer ring 102 and the fixing groove 103 is released so that the other end of the second case 101B can be separated from the other end of the first case 101A. In a state in which the engagement of the first case 101A and the second case 101B is released, the user can insert the paper into the loading section 165. [ 3 shows the first case 101A in which the fixing ring 102 and the fixing release button 104 are formed and is formed in the fixing groove 103 in the second case 101B, It goes without saying that the fixing ring 103 may be formed in the case 101A and the fixing ring 102 may be formed in the second case 101B.

The first case 101A and the second case 101B may each have receiving grooves 105 and insertion protrusions 106 and an opening and closing sensor 143 may be provided inside the receiving grooves 105 . When the other end of the first case 101A is engaged with the other end of the second case 101B, the insertion protrusion 106 formed in the second case 101B is formed in the first case 101A, do. When the insertion protrusion 106 is inserted into the receiving groove 105 and the opening and closing sensor 143 provided inside the receiving groove 105 is pressed downward, the opening and closing sensor 143 detects that the first case 101A The control unit 190 can transmit a signal indicating that the two cases 101B are closed.

At least one light emitting module 131 may be disposed on one side of the first case 101A. When the light emitting module 131 is disposed on the upper surface of the first case 101A, a through hole 107 is formed in the second case 101B at a position facing the light emitting module 131 of the first case 101A . The light emitted from the light emitting module 131 of the first case 101A is transmitted through the through holes of the second case 101B regardless of whether the second case 101B is opened or closed with respect to the first case 101A 107). ≪ / RTI >

The first light emitting module 131A emits light when the image is printed under the control of the controller 190, and can terminate the emission of light when the image is printed. That is, the first light emitting module 131A can emit light until the printing of the image data is completed through the outlet H from the start of printing of the predetermined image data. The second light emitting module 131B can blink or change the color depending on the battery remaining amount or the battery temperature of the power supply unit 160 in conjunction with the power supply unit 160. [ For example, the second light emitting module 131B emits light of a first color when the battery is fully charged, and emits light of a second color different from the first color when the battery temperature exceeds the normal range can do. The third light emitting module 131C may blink a predetermined number of times when an error occurs in the printing process. However, it is merely an example, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that each light emitting module can output the information about the state of the photo printer or the printing process through light in various other ways. The light emitting module 131 may be an LED, an LCD, or the like, but is not limited thereto. The light emitting module 131 is not particularly limited as long as the light can be blinked or the color of light can be changed under the control of the controller 190.

The first operation module 121, the second operation module 122, and the power supply port 161 may be disposed on one side of the first case 101A. The user can turn on or off the photo printer 100 by operating the first operation module 121 and can reset the photo printer 100 by operating the second operation module 122. [ The power port 161 may be connected to an external power source through a USB cable or the like to function as a connection path for charging the battery or supplying power to each component.

4 is a cross-sectional side view taken along the line A-B shown in FIG. 3 (a) to explain the sheet feeding process of the photo printer 100 related to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of sheets can be seated on the upper surface of the stacking unit 165. Specifically, the loading section 165 may have a top surface on which the paper is loaded, and side walls that support the left, right, and rear ends of the paper placed on the top surface. At this time, the length of the loading section 165 may be shorter than the length of the paper, and thus, a part of the front end of the paper loaded on the loading section 165 may be a pickup roller, And the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 172. That is, the pickup roller 172 may partially take charge of the function of the loading unit 165 in a state in which printing is not in progress.

When the rear end of the second case 101B is fastened to the rear end of the first case 101A (i.e., the cover is in the closed state), the front end of the pressurizing plate 201 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction, And one side of the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller 172 can be pressed downward along the direction parallel to the rotation axis of the pickup roller 172 through the elastic force of the elastic member 202. [ The paper positioned between the pressing plate 201 and the pickup roller 172 can be pressed downward by the elastic force of the elastic member 202 and fixed to the upper surface of the loading section 165. [ For example, even when the user wiggles or tilts the photo printer 100, the sheet can be stably held in the loading unit 165 by the pressing force of the pressing unit 200. [

The paper P1 directly contacting the pick-up roller 172 among the plurality of sheets vertically seated on the upper surface of the stacking unit 165 is guided by the pickup roller 172, And is conveyed to the image forming portion 180 along the guide of the guide portion 210 by a frictional force generated between the guide portion 210 and the image forming portion 180. [

As shown in Fig. 4, the image forming unit 180 includes a thermal head 181 disposed on the upper side of the paper feeding path and a platen roller 182 disposed on the lower side. The sheet P1 conveyed to the image forming unit 180 through the guide unit 210 is interposed between the thermal head 181 and the platen roller 182 as shown in FIG. An image is formed while being applied with the heat radiated from the thermal head 181.

Specifically, the thermal head 181 applies heat to the sheet P1 conveyed through the guide portion 210, discolors the heat applied portion, and forms an image on the sheet P1. The thermal head 181 can be formed by laminating a heat generating resistor on a substrate. The plurality of heat generating resistors may be arranged in parallel along a line orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. An electrode formed on the substrate is connected to each heat generating resistor. The control unit 190 adjusts the power supplied to each electrode according to a color to be formed on the sheet through each heat generating resistor, so that the heat generating resistor converts electric energy into heat energy . The control unit 190 may calculate the heat to be generated through each heat generating resistor based on the print data and may control the power supply unit 160 to transmit the power corresponding to the calculated heat to each heat generating resistor.

The heat radiating member 183 is configured to radiate heat generated in the thermal head 181 to the outside as described above. At least a part of the heat radiating member 183 may be formed in a concavo-convex shape in order to increase the contact area with air.

The platen roller 182 may be spaced apart from the lower portion of the thermal head 181. That is, the platen roller 182 and the heat generating resistor may be arranged to face each other up and down along a line orthogonal to the feeding direction. The platen roller 182 supports the lower surface of the paper and also presses the paper toward the thermal head 181 upward. Accordingly, the heat released from the heat generating resistor of the thermal head 181 can be applied to the paper interposed between the thermal head 181 and the plastic pick-up roller 172. [

At this time, the platen roller 182 rotates at a predetermined speed to discharge the printed paper P1 through the discharge port H to the outside of the photo printer 100. The rotation of the platen roller 182 may be caused by a rotational force transmitted from a motor or may be caused by a frictional force generated by contact with a sheet conveyed along the sheet feeding direction. At this time, the rotational speed of the platen roller 182 may be a speed corresponding to the printing speed of the paper by the thermal head 181. [

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view for explaining a process of forming an image on a sheet of paper by the photo printer 100 according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the control unit 190 can calculate the amount of heat generated for each of the plurality of heat generating resistors S included in the thermal head 181 based on the image data.

Specifically, the control unit 190 can generate print data of m rows and n columns by sampling image data having a predetermined resolution.

For example, assuming that n heat generating resistors S are provided in the thermal head 181, the print data is written in the column a (n? A? 1) during printing for the row b (m? B? 1) Information about how much heat is to be generated for the a-th heat generating resistor S corresponding to the heat generating resistor S, that is, information about the heat generation amount of each heat generating resistor S.

A pickup roller 172 is disposed below the thermal head 181 at a position opposite to the paper feed direction to feed the paper. At this time, as described above, the first paper detecting sensor 141 is disposed at a position close to the pickup roller 172, so that the presence or absence of paper on the paper feeding path can be detected.

In this structure, when the image formation for the first to n-th rows of the b-th row (m? B? 1) is completed, the control unit 190 causes the motor to drive the platen roller 182 at a distance So as to control the thermal head 181 to form an image of the portion corresponding to the next row (i.e., row b + 1) of the print data on the sheet. The control unit 190 repeats the above-described process from the first row to the mth row, and can print an image corresponding to the image data on the sheet.

On the other hand, the control unit 190 can generate different print data according to the feeding speed (or the printing speed) even if the same image data is used.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a paper jam phenomenon that may occur during the paper feeding process of the photo printer 100 shown in FIG.

Only the paper P1 directly contacting the pick-up roller 172 among the plurality of sheets placed on the stacking unit 165 in the photo printer 100 is not always fed one by one, and various factors (e.g., load of stacked sheets) (Particularly, the interval between the guide portion 210 and the paper feed path is formed) on the paper feed path as the two or more paper sheets (e.g., P1 and P2) , Which will be specifically described below.

Referring to FIG. 6A, when the paper P1 in contact with the pickup roller 172 is conveyed by the rotation of the pickup roller 172, as shown in FIG. 4B, (Particularly, toward the gap between the guide portion 210 and the conveyance portion 170) to the other portion of the paper P2 that is not in direct contact with the guide portion 210. This is due to the friction between the paper P1 and the paper P2 due to the load of the paper and the pressing of the pressing portion 200. [ For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the two sheets of paper P1 and P2, which are the bottom one of the plurality of sheets placed on the stacking unit 165, are simultaneously transported.

The guide part 210 may be formed with an inclined surface 211 protruding downward along the paper feeding direction. The front ends of the two sheets P1 and P2 conveyed through the conveyance unit 170 can be guided at intervals formed between the conveyance units 170 by the inclination of the inclined surface 211 after coming into contact with the inclined surface 211. [ Hereinafter, it is assumed that the inclination of the inclined surface 211 forms an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the upper surface of the paper feeding path. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it should be understood that the inclination of the inclined surface 211 may be different depending on the sheet thickness, the design cost, and the like.

The guide part 210 is spaced apart from the upper surface of the conveyance path by a predetermined distance, which is larger than the thickness of one sheet of paper and smaller than the thickness of two sheets of paper. Accordingly, when two or more sheets of paper are fed together by the rotation of the pickup roller 172, they can be caught in the gap formed on the guide part 210 and the upper surface of the conveyance path, That is, a paper jam phenomenon occurs.

The control unit 190 can determine whether a paper jam has occurred through the sensing unit 140. For example, the second paper detecting sensor 141B may be disposed at a position substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the platen roller 182 or at a position between the platen roller 182 and the pickup roller 172. [ This second paper detecting sensor 141B can be used in combination with the above-described first paper detecting sensor 141A to detect the occurrence of the paper jamming phenomenon. More specifically, when the paper is not detected by the second paper detecting sensor 141B even though the pickup roller 172 is rotated after the paper is detected by the first paper detecting sensor 141A, It can be determined that a paper jam phenomenon has occurred in a part of the path (e.g., guide unit 210).

If the paper jamming occurs, the pickup roller 172 as well as the motor that transmits the driving force to the roller can be inflicted. In addition, if the user forcibly exerts a force on the guiding portion 210 to pull out the stagnant paper, the guiding portion 210 and other components may be severely damaged. The present invention can prevent the paper jam I suggest a way to do that.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are views illustrating a process of transporting a sheet of paper by the photo printer 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the cover is opened with the second case 101B separated from the other end of the first case 101A and the cover is closed as shown in FIG. 7A, It can be confirmed that the pressing plate 201 of the pressing portion 200 mounted on the second case 101B presses down a plurality of sheets placed on the loading portion 165 toward the pickup roller 172 downward.

6 (a) and 6 (b), the pressing plate 201 rotates about the vertical axis V passing through the center of the pickup roller 172 in the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller 172, (That is, the first quadrant of the pickup roller 172). For example, when the paper feeding direction is the left direction as shown in Fig. 7, the pressing plate 201 can press down one point in the range of 0 to 45 degrees corresponding to the first quadrant of the pickup roller 172 downward.

The paper sandwiched between the pressing plate 201 and the pick-up roller 172 by the pressure transmitted from the pressing unit 200 may cause a bending stress along the width direction. According to the bending stress, The guide portion 210 is separated from the upper surface of the conveying path at a predetermined angle and bent toward the guide portion 210 as shown in FIG.

For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the front end portion of the paper is bent in the tangential direction of the point where the pressure by the pressing portion 200 is applied in the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller 172. [ For example, when the paper feeding direction is the direction from the right to the left as shown in the drawing, when the pressing plate 201 presses the point corresponding to the degrees in the clockwise direction from the central vertical axis V of the pickup roller 172, May be spaced upward with a slope of &thetas; degrees from the pressing point.

The guide part 210 is provided with a slope 211 protruding downward along a conveyance path (i.e., a paper feeding direction). The inclined surface 211 may be at an angle of 45 degrees from the conveyance path, as described above. In this case, the angle formed between the front end of the sheet and the inclined surface 211 is (45 +?) Degrees and? Has a size larger than 0 and less than 45 so that the front edge of the sheet and the inclined surface 211 are larger than 45 degrees and 90 The angle becomes smaller than the angle. That is, since the angle between the front edge of the sheet and the inclined surface 211 is limited to less than 90 degrees, it is possible to prevent the sheet from being misdirected upward from the conveyance path by the inclined surface 211.

The inclined surface 211 may be made of a material having a relatively large frictional force between frictional force generated when the frictional force comes into contact with the front end portion of the paper. The outer circumferential surface of the pickup roller 172 may be made of a material having a relatively larger frictional force generated when the slant surface 211 and the front end of the sheet are in contact with each other. That is, when the frictional force between the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller 172 and the paper is a first value, the frictional force between the paper and the slope surface 211 is a second value, and the frictional force between the paper is a third value, > The frictional force is small in order of the third value.

Accordingly, when the pickup roller 172 continues to rotate in a state in which the front end portion of the paper and the slope surface 211 are in contact with each other, as shown in FIG. 7B, the first value, which is the frictional force between the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller 172 and the paper, The paper P1 directly contacting the outer circumferential surface of the pickup roller 172 is guided to the lower side of the inclined surface 211 and is guided to the image forming unit 180 through a gap provided between the guide unit 210 and the conveying path Lt; / RTI >

On the other hand, the overlapped fed paper P2 is prevented from further entering along the feeding direction by the inclined surface 211, which provides greater frictional force with the underlying paper P1. The overlapped paper P2 is brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pickup roller 172 only after the paper P1 positioned at the bottom passes through the pickup roller 172 to the rear end as shown in FIG. , And then remains in a state of being seated in the loading section 165 without being conveyed until the pickup roller 172 is driven in accordance with an additional print command.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a sheet feeding process of the photo printer 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, unlike that shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the guide portion 210 may include a vibration module 212. The vibration module 212 can output a vibration of a predetermined intensity under the control of the controller 190. [ The vibration output by the vibration module 212 is transmitted to the inclined surface 211. A predetermined clearance is generated between the two sheets of paper P1 and P2 which are in contact with the inclined surface 211 due to the vibration of the vibration module 212. The contact area between the two sheets of paper P1 and P2 is reduced according to the clearance, The two sheets of paper P1 and P2 can be easily separated from each other in accordance with the rotation of the pickup roller 172. [

In addition, the control unit 190 can activate the vibration module 212 only when printing for predetermined image data is started. More specifically, the control unit 190 starts printing of predetermined image data, and rotates the pickup roller 172 or the pickup roller 172, and at the same time, drives the inclined surface 211 , And stop the driving of the vibration module 212 before the end of the image formation on the paper P1.

9 is a view illustrating a process of controlling the driving of the vibration module 212 according to the conveyance position of the paper by the photo printer 100 shown in FIG.

The control unit 190 of the photo printer 100 according to the present invention activates the vibration module 212 only when the paper is detected by the paper detection sensor 141, The vibration module 212 can be deactivated.

The sensing unit 140 may include a first paper detection sensor 141A and a second paper detection sensor 141B. The control unit 190 may include a first paper detection sensor 141A and a second paper detection sensor 141B. It is possible to determine whether or not the vibration module 212 is driven based on the detection information provided from the detection sensor 141B.

At this time, the first paper detecting sensor 141A and the second paper detecting sensor 141B may be disposed on opposite sides of the guide unit 210, respectively. For example, the first paper detecting sensor 141A is disposed at a position before the paper enters the guide portion 210, and the second paper detecting sensor 141B is disposed at a position before the first paper detecting sensor 141A 141A. ≪ / RTI > Thus, the second paper detecting sensor 141B can detect the presence or absence of the paper conveyed through the guide unit 210 along the paper feeding direction after being detected by the first paper detecting sensor 141A.

9, the second paper detecting sensor 141B is disposed at a position before the thermal head 181 (or the platen roller 182) enters, but this is an example, and the thermal head 181 (E.g., between the outlet H and the thermal head 181) after entry of the platen roller 182 (e.g., platen roller 182).

First, referring to FIG. 9A, as the sheet P1 positioned at the bottom of the plurality of sheets placed on the stacking unit 165 is detected by the first sheet detecting sensor 141A, 190 may rotate the pickup roller 172 in the forward direction and drive the vibration module 212 to generate vibration in the inclined surface 211 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, even if two or more sheets of paper P1 and P2 are conveyed toward the guide portion 210 at a time, they can be easily separated from each other by the vibration of the inclined surface 211. [

The sheet P1 separated from the upper sheet P2 by the guide portion 210 is guided by the rotation of the pickup roller 172 by the guide portion 210 And can be guided in the gap of the conveyance path.

At this time, the paper P1 conveyed through the guide unit 210 can be detected by the second paper detection sensor 141B. The control unit 190 detects the paper P1 from the second paper detection sensor 141B Upon receipt of a signal indicating that the vibration has been detected, the vibration module 212 can be stopped. The fact that the second paper detecting sensor 141B detects the paper P1 means that paper jamming does not occur in the gap between the guide unit 210 and the conveying path, Is correctly separated by the guide portion 210. [0157]

When the front edge of the sheet P1 is interposed between the thermal head 181 and the platen roller 182, the controller 190 rotates the platen roller 182 in the forward direction and rotates the thermal head 181 through the thermal head 181 After forming an image on the sheet of paper P1, it is discharged to the outside of the photo printer 100 through the discharge opening H.

When the sheet P1 is interposed between the thermal head 181 and the platen roller 182, the control unit 190 stops the rotation of the pickup roller 172 and rotates only the platen roller 182, P1. The control unit 190 may be set such that the pickup roller 172 and the platen roller 182 transport the paper P1 by the same distance but the mechanical error of the pickup roller 172 and the platen roller 182 The actual conveying distance may be different from each other. In this case, the paper P1 may be deformed due to the difference of the actual conveying distance.

10 is a diagram showing a control method of the photo printer 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

First, the control unit 190 receives a print command through the communication unit 110 (S0110). The print command may include image data as well as a signal indicating the start of printing. In addition, the print command may additionally include various setting information (e.g., reduction ratio, amount of rotation, visual effect, etc.) for image data.

Next, the control unit 190 determines whether the first paper detecting sensor 141A detects paper (S1020). The first paper detecting sensor 141A detects the presence or absence of the paper placed on the loading section 165, that is, whether there is paper to perform the image shape.

As a result of the determination in step S1020, if no paper is detected by the first paper detecting sensor 141A, the control unit 190 outputs a predetermined warning signal indicating 'no paper' through the output unit 130 to the outside (S1025), and transmits an alarm signal to the device that has transmitted the print command through the communication unit 110. [

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1020 that the paper loaded on the loading unit 165 is detected, the controller 190 drives the pickup roller 172 and the vibration module 212 of the guide unit 210 (S1030) . Specifically, the control unit 190 rotates the pick-up roller 172 in the forward direction through the driving force of the motor 171 to feed the paper along the paper feed direction. In contrast to the case where two or more paper sheets are fed at a time, Only the paper positioned at the bottom of the overlapped paper sheets through the vibration output from the module 212 is controlled to advance through the gap between the guide portion 210 and the conveyance path.

Then, the controller 190 determines whether the second paper detecting sensor 141B detects paper (S1040). At this time, the control unit 190 rotates the pickup roller 172 in the forward direction by a distance equal to or greater than the distance between the first paper detecting sensor 141A and the second paper detecting sensor 141B, and then the second paper detecting sensor 141B It is possible to judge whether or not the paper is detected. In order for the second paper detecting sensor 141B to detect the same paper as the paper detected by the first paper detecting sensor 141A, the paper detected by the first paper detecting sensor 141A is detected by the two sensors 141A and 141B In the direction of the arrow.

As a result of the determination in step S1040, if the paper is not detected, the control unit 190 can temporarily suspend printing and output a predetermined warning signal to the outside via the output unit 130 S1045), and the corresponding warning signal can be transmitted to the device that has transmitted the print command through the communication unit 110. [

If it is determined in step S1040 that the paper is detected by the second paper detecting sensor 141B, the control unit 190 stops the driving of the vibration module 212 and can drive the image forming unit 180 (S1050). The control unit 190 can also stop the rotation of the pickup roller 172 and rotate the platen roller 182 of the image forming unit 180 in accordance with the printing speed. That is, after the paper is interposed between the thermal head 181 and the platen roller 182, the control unit 190 can control the rotation of the pickup roller 172 and the platen roller 182 so as not to be simultaneously rotated.

Next, the control unit 190 controls the image forming unit 180 according to the print data to form a predetermined image on the sheet (S1060).

The embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The control method of the photo printer 100 according to the present invention described above can be implemented as a computer readable code on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer readable medium include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state disk (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, , And may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (e.g., transmission over the Internet). Also, the computer may include a control unit 190 of the terminal. Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

100: Photo printer 101A: First case
101B: first case 110:
111: Local area communication module 112: Wired communication module
120: Operation part 121: First operation module
122: second operation module 130: output section
131: light emitting module 132: display module
133: Haptic module 134: Acoustic module
140: sensing unit 141: paper detection sensor
142: temperature sensor 143: opening / closing sensor
144: Horizontal sensor 150: Memory
160: power supply unit 165:
170:
171: Motor 172: Pickup roller
180: Image forming unit 181: Thermal head
182: Platen roller 183: Heat dissipating member
184: Bracket
190: control unit 200:
201: pressing plate 202: elastic member
203: stopper 210: guide portion
211: slope 212: vibration module
H: Outlet S: Heat generating resistor

Claims (13)

A loading portion on which the paper is seated;
A pick-up roller for conveying the sheet placed on the stacking portion along the sheet feeding direction;
A pressing unit for pressing downward a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the pickup roller which is located on the opposite side to the paper feeding direction with respect to a vertical axis passing through the center of the pickup roller; And
A guide portion disposed at a predetermined distance from an upper surface of the loading portion and having an inclined surface protruding downward along the paper feeding direction;
. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the inclined surface generates a predetermined frictional force at a front end of the paper conveyed through the pick-up roller. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the frictional force between the inclined surface and the front end of the sheet is greater than the frictional force between the sheets. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the frictional force between the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roller and the paper is greater than the frictional force between the inclined surface and the paper front end. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the inclined surface has an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the upper surface of the conveyance path. The method according to claim 1,
The pressing portion
And a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the pickup roller which is located within a range of 45 degrees from a vertical axis passing through the center of the pickup roller is pressed downward. The method according to claim 1,
The pressing portion
Elastic member; And
A pressing plate elastically supported by the elastic member to press down one area of the sheet placed on the stacking unit;
. The method according to claim 1,
The end portion of the guide portion
Is spaced apart from the upper surface of the loading section by an interval larger than the thickness of one sheet of paper and smaller than the thickness of two sheets of paper. The method according to claim 1,
An image forming unit for applying heat to the paper fed through the guide unit along the paper feeding direction to form an image;
Further comprising a photo printer. 10. The method of claim 9,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
A thermal head for converting electrical energy into thermal energy; And
And a platen roller for pressing the paper toward the thermal head,
Wherein the thermal head comprises:
And a plurality of heat generating resistors arranged in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the paper is a paper in which a dye-based color ink including cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) and a heat-meltable protective member are formed of a plurality of layers The method according to claim 1,
The guide portion
A vibration module for generating vibration on the inclined surface;
Further comprising: an image forming unit that prints the image on the recording medium. The method according to claim 1,
A first paper detecting sensor and a second paper detecting sensor disposed opposite to each other with reference to the guide portion;
Further comprising:
Wherein the first paper detecting sensor detects the presence or absence of the paper placed in the loading section and the second paper detecting sensor detects the presence or absence of the paper fed through the guide section along the paper feeding direction. printer.

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