Holder device for recording sheet roll

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6824091
  • Patent Number
    6,824,091
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, March 5, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 30, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A pair of support members provided in a feeding part may selectively contain plural types of recording sheet rolls having different widths. In order to mount the recording sheet roll, the first and the second holders are attached to both ends of the recording sheet roll. Each holder is provided with positioning grooves to decide the position of the recording sheet roll in the axial direction. A support member of the first holder is provided with one groove, while the support member of the second holder is provided with two grooves corresponding to the width of recording sheet rolls. The support member is provided to be able to expand and contract in the direction of the width of the recording sheet roll, and by the expansion and contraction, the groove is adjusted so as to meet the support member in accordance with the widths of recording sheet rolls.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a holder device for movably holding a recording sheet roll.




2. Description Related to the Prior Art




For a photographic printer and a color thermal printer, a recording sheet roll is used and cut into a sheet in predetermined sizes after printing. The recording sheet roll has a long recording sheet wound about a hollow core made of paper or plastic.




In order to mount the recording sheet roll in a feeding part of the printer, a holder device for a recording sheet roll, composed of a pair of holders, is set to both ends of the recording sheet roll. A pair of support members is fixed in the feeding part of the printer for supporting each holder, to which the recording sheet roll is mounted. The recording sheet roll is rotatably held by each holder, which is set in slits formed on the support members. In detail, each holder is composed of a fitting part to fit into the internal circumference of the core, a flange to press the lateral end of the recording sheet roll, and a shaft, that is inserted into the slits to rotatably hold the recording sheet roll. A positioning groove to fit the slits of the support member is provided in the shaft to decide the position of the recording sheet roll in the widthwise direction.




A variety of recording sheet are provided, and they often have different widths. The positioning groove and the slit do not meet each other if the width of the recording sheet roll is changed, since the distance between the holders are changed accordingly. Measures taken against such problem include using plural holders corresponding to the various widths of the recording sheet rolls. Alternatively, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Number H7-223759 discloses a spacer that fits into the core of the recording sheet roll. By applying and removing the spacer, the holder may correspond to plural types of recording sheet rolls with different widths.




However, it is inconvenient for a user to select the right holder or the right spacer among plural holders or spacers in accordance with the width of the recording sheet roll. In addition, if the user makes a wrong choice of the holder or the spacer, the user is required to remove the holder or the spacer from the recording sheet roll and to attach the right holder or the right spacer, and that is a burden for the user.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




An object of the present invention is to provide a holder device to which plural recording sheet rolls with different widths are easily mounted.




In order to achieve the above object, the holder device for holding a recording sheet roll comprises a first and a second holder members supported by a pair of support members, the first holder member has a first fitting part for one end of the recording sheet roll and a first shaft to rotatably support the first fitting part. On the first shaft, plural positioning grooves along the direction of the rotation axis of the first fitting part. One of the positioning grooves is fit into the support member in accordance with the width of the recording sheet roll.




The second holder member has a second fitting part fitted into the other end of the recording sheet roll, and a second shaft to rotatably support the second fitting part. One engaging groove is formed on the second shaft to fit into the support member. The second shaft is shiftable between a first position and a second position. At the first position, the engaging groove is the farthest from the fitting part. The engaging groove is the nearest to the fitting part at the second position. The second shaft to engage with the support member gets closer to the second position as the recording sheet roll becomes wider.




The second shaft has a substantially conical-shaped guide part that is pressed by the support member to shift the second shaft toward the second position. The second shaft may be biased toward the first position by an elastic member provided between the second fitting part and the second shaft. In order to facilitate attachment of the holder members to the support members, the positioning groove and the engaging groove are different in depth.




In the preferred embodiment, two positioning grooves are formed on the first shaft to selectively support a narrow recording sheet roll and a wide recording sheet roll. The second shaft is located at the first position when the narrow recording sheet roll is attached to the holder members, while the second shaft is at the second position when the wide recording sheet roll is attached.











BRIEF DISCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




One with ordinary skill in the art would easily understand the above-described objects and advantages of the present invention when the following detailed description is read with reference to the drawings attached hereto.





FIG. 1

is an explanation view of a holder device for a recording sheet roll and a feeding magazine;





FIG. 2

is a side view of the feeding magazine;





FIG. 3A

is an outside view of a first holder;





FIG. 3B

is an outside view of a second holder;





FIG. 4A

is a cross-sectional view of the holder device wherein a recording sheet roll having a narrow width is mounted; and





FIG. 4B

is a cross-sectional view of the holder device wherein a recording sheet roll having a wide width is mounted.











PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION




As shown in

FIG. 1

, a feeding magazine


10


is a feeding device removably set in a printer to feed a recording sheet roll to a printing part. The feeding magazine


10


may selectively contain a recording sheet roll


11


having a narrow width and a recording sheet roll


12


having a wide width. In order to contain each recording sheet roll


11


and


12


, holder devices for recording sheet roll


13


are fixed at both lateral ends.




The holder device


13


is composed of a pair of a first holder


23


and a second holder


24


. Recording sheet webs


14


and


15


are respectively wound about hollow cores


16


and


17


in each recording sheet roll


11


and


12


. The recording sheet


14


has a width L


1


of 89 mm, while the recording sheet


15


has the width L


2


of 100 mm for example.




The feeding magazine


10


is composed of a case body


18


and a lid


19


. A pair of support members


21


and


22


is fixed in the case body


18


. Nearly L-shaped slits


21




a


and


22




a


are formed in each support member


21


and


22


. Each recording sheet roll


11


and


12


is rotatably held by each holder


23


and


24


, which is fit into each slit


21




a


and


22




a


. The distance between each support member


21


and


22


is determined in accordance with the wide recording sheet roll


12


.




A feeding roller


26


is provided in the case body


18


. The peripheries of recording sheet rolls


11


and


12


are pressed against the feeding roller


26


. The feeding roller


26


is driven through a driving gear


27


by a driving motor


28


provided in the printer, and the rotation of the feeding roller


26


rotates the recording sheet rolls


11


and


12


. An opening (not shown) for feeding is formed in the lower front side of the case body


18


, from which each recording sheet


14


and


15


is fed to the printing part.




Though the diameter of each recording sheet roll


11


and


12


becomes smaller as used, the rotational centers of them shift toward the feeding roller


26


as the recording sheet is drawn out, so that the peripheries of them touch the feeding roller


26


all the time. In order to enable such shift, the bottoms of each slit


21




a


and


22




a


are bent into the direction of the feeding roller


26


and movably hold each holder


23


and


24


.




A pressing arm


29


is swingably provided on each supporting member


21


and


22


to press each recording sheet roll


11


and


12


against the feeding roller


26


by touching each holder


23


and


24


. The pressing arm


29


is composed of a main arm


31


and a subsidiary arm


32


.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, the main arm


31


is biased by a first spring


33


into the direction in which the holders


23


and


24


are pressed toward the feeding roller


26


(counterclockwise direction in the drawing.) The main arm


31


comes into contact with a stopper (not shown) to limit the rotation into the counterclockwise direction in the drawing. In order to set each holder


23


and


24


in the support members


21


and


22


, each holder


23


and


24


is respectively inserted into each slit


21




a


and


22




a


by swinging the main arm


31


clockwise against the bias of the first spring


33


.




One end of a second spring


34


is connected to the subsidiary arm


32


. The other side of the second spring


34


is connected to the main arm


31


to bias the subsidiary arm


32


and the main arm


31


so that they are drawn away from each other. A pin


32




a


provided for the subsidiary arm


32


is pressed into the counterclockwise direction in the figure by a hitting section


19




a


formed on the lid


19


when the lid


19


is being closed.




When the lid


19


opens, the hitting section


19




a


of the lid


19


is separated from the pin


32




a


of the subsidiary arm


32


. Therefore, the subsidiary arm


32


rotates into the clockwise direction in the figure (the direction for the second spring


34


to extend) by the bias of the second spring


34


and opens the slits


21




a


and


22




a


. In such condition, since only the main arm


31


covers the slits


21




a


and


22




a


, they are exposed when the main arm


31


is rotated into the clockwise direction in the figure against the bias of the first spring


33


. Accordingly, each holder


23


and


24


may be easily set.




When the lid


19


is closed after the holders


23


and


24


are inserted into the slits


21




a


and


22




a


, the subsidiary arm


32


is pressed by the hitting section


19




a


of the lid


19


to rotate into the counterclockwise direction in the figure. Thereby, the second spring


34


is pressed and biases the subsidiary arm


32


to rotate into the clockwise direction in the figure. However, since the subsidiary arm


32


is limited to rotate to the clockwise direction by the lid


19


, the second spring


34


biases the main arm


31


to rotate into the counterclockwise direction in the figure. Consequently, the main arm


31


is biased by both the first spring


33


and the second spring


34


, and that increases pressures against the holders


23


and


24


. Thereby, transmitting loss of rotary force caused by slipping may be prevented, since the recording sheet rolls


11


and


12


are pressed strongly against the feeding roller


26


.




As shown in FIG.


3


A and

FIG. 3B

, each of the first holder


23


and the second holder


24


is respectively composed of fitting parts


41


and


42


to fit in the core


16


of the recording sheet roll


11


and the core


17


of the recording sheet roll


12


, and shafts


43


and


44


for rotatably holding the fitting parts


41


and


42


. The main parts of each holder


23


and


24


are made of plastic, for example. As shown in

FIGS. 4A and 4B

, metallic rotary shaft


46


and


47


are respectively inserted into the fitting parts


41


and


42


and the shafts


43


and


44


. Each rotary shaft


46


and


47


rotates together with the fitting parts


41


and


42


, and each shaft


43


and


44


rotatably supports the rotary shafts


46


and


47


respectively. Flanges


48


and


49


are attached to each fitting part


41


and


42


and fixed by pins


50


.




In order to set the holders


23


and


24


, each shaft


43


and


44


are inserted into each slit


21




a


and


22




a


, and thereby each recording sheet roll


11


and


12


is rotatably held. The shaft


43


and


44


have positioning grooves to decide the position of recording sheet roll


11


and


12


in the axial direction, parallel to the rotation axis of the recording sheet roll, by engaging with the support member


21


and


22


. Grooves


44




a


and


44




b


are provided for the shaft


44


of the second holder


24


. The groove


44




a


is fit into the slit


22




a


to mount the narrow recording sheet roll


11


, while the groove


44




b


is inserted into the slit


22




a


to mount the wide recording sheet roll


12


.




In the meantime, a groove


43




a


is provided for the shaft


43


of the first holder


23


, which is able to expand and contract to the fitting part


41


into the axial direction of the recording sheet roll. The shaft


43


shifts into the axial direction between the first position (shown in FIG.


4


(A)) wherein the groove


43




a


meets the slit


21




a


when the narrow recording sheet roll


11


is mounted, and the second position (shown in FIG.


4


(B)) wherein the groove


43




a


meets the slit


21




a


when the wide recording sheet roll


12


is mounted.




A compression spring


53


is provided inside the fitting part


41


. One end of the compression spring


53


connects with the fitting part


42


and the other end thereof connects with the shaft


43


, which is biased toward the first position by the compression spring


53


.




A substantially conical-shaped guide part


54


is provided for the shaft


43


. The guide part


54


protrudes toward outside of the shaft and has a slope inclining from the periphery of the flange


48


to the center of the flange


48


. When the wide recording sheet roll


12


is mounted, the guide part


54


is pressed by the support member


21


to shift the shaft


43


to the second position and to guide the groove


43




a


to the slit


21




a.






Each shaft


43


and


44


has different thickness; for example, the diameter d


1


of the shaft


43


is smaller than the diameter d


2


of the shaft


44


. The widths of each slit


21




a


and


22




a


are formed in accordance with the diameters d


1


and d


2


so as to prevent each holder


23


and


24


from being inserted into the wrong slits.




The following is an explanation about the function of constitution described above. When the recording sheet roll


11


having a narrow width is mounted in the feeding magazine


10


, each holder


23


and


24


is fixed to both end of the recording sheet roll


11


. While keeping that condition, the recording sheet roll


11


is placed between the support members


21


and


22


. Since the shaft


43


of the first holder


23


is in the first position, the groove


44




a


of the second holder


24


meets the slit


22




a


when the groove


43




a


of the first holder


23


meets the slit


21




a


. While keeping each groove


43




a


and


44




a


respectly fixed in the slits


21




a


and


22




a


, the shafts


43


and


44


are inserted. After the pressing arm


29


rotates and the holders


23


and


24


are inserted into the slits


21




a


and


22




a


, the holders


23


and


24


are pressed against the feeding roller


26


by the biases of the first spring


33


and the second spring


34


. Thereby, the recording sheet roll


11


is mounted in the feeding magazine


10


.




A user cannot choose the grooves and will not be confused, as only one groove


43




a


is provided for the shaft


43


of the first holder


23


. Additionally, even if the user mistakenly attempt to mount the groove


44




b


of the second holder


24


in the slit


22




a


, the recording sheet roll


11


will not be mounted, as the groove


43




a


of the first holder


23


does not match the slit


21




a


. Also, even if the user tries to insert each holder


24


and


23


in the wrong slits, the recording sheet roll


11


is not mounted, as the thickness of each shaft


43


and


44


and the widths of each slit


21




a


and


22




a


are different from each other respectively. Accordingly, the user may mount the recording sheet roll


11


in a right position without mistake.




In order to mount the wide recording sheet roll


12


, the groove


44




b


of the second holder


24


is fit into the slit


22




a


. In that condition, since the shaft


43


of the first holder


23


is in the initial position (the first position), the groove


43




a


comes outside of the slit


21




a


, and the slit


21




a


meets the guide part


54


. When the recording sheet roll


12


is placed in that condition, the support member


21


and the guide part


54


touch each other. When the recording sheet roll


12


is pressed into the feeding magazine


10


, the shaft


43


shifts toward the second position by the function of the guide part


54


, and the groove


43




a


is guided to the slit


21




a


. The shaft


43


is inserted into the slit


21




a


when the groove


43




a


meets the slit


21




a


. Thereby, the recording sheet roll


12


is mounted in the feeding magazine


10


.




In the above case, even if the user mistakenly tries to set the groove


44




a


in the slit


22




a


, the groove


43




a


in the other side does not meet the slit


21




a


, as the distance between each support member


21


and


22


is determined in accordance with the width of the recording sheet roll


12


. Consequently, the user may mount the recording sheet roll


12


properly without question.




Since the plural grooves are provided for one of the holders, plural recording sheet rolls having different widths may be mounted in the feeding magazine


10


without using a spacer or plural holder devices corresponding to the widths of the recording sheet rolls. In addition, the user may properly mount the recording sheet roll without considering the width of the recording sheet roll, as only one groove is provided for the shaft of each of the holders to be able to expand and contract in accordance with the width of the recording sheet roll. Also, since the shaft is biased so that the groove meets the support member with corresponding to the recording sheet roll having the shortest width, the recording sheet roll may be mounted easily.




Though the embodiment described above is an example wherein plural grooves are provided for the second holder, it is possible to provide plural grooves for the first holder as well. It is also possible to provide more than two grooves for the second holder so as to mount the recording sheet rolls having more than two different widths.




Additionally, though the shaft of the first holder is biased by the spring, the spring may be eliminated. Even without the spring, the user would not select the wrong groove, as the moving range of the shaft of the first holder is determined in accordance with the widths of recording sheet rolls. Though the shaft, into which the rotary shaft is inserted, does not rotate but instead the fitting part and the flange rotate in the above embodiment, all of them may rotate in the holder at the same time. In addition, the rotary shaft may be inserted into the slit without being covered, regardless of that the rotary shaft is covered with the shaft in the above embodiment. In that case, the rotary shaft works as a shaft, and the groove is formed by attaching the positioning members to the rotary shaft.




Additionally, the first and the second holders may be engaged with each other inside the core when they are attached to the recording sheet roll, so that each holder would not be dislocated. In that case, it is preferable to provide plural engaging positions in accordance with the widths of recording sheet rolls.




Furthermore, though the feeding magazine is removably set in the printer in the above embodiment, the holder device for recording sheet roll of the present invention may be used to mount the recording sheet roll in the feeding part of the printer. The rotational center of the recording sheet roll shifts toward the feeding roller in accordance with the thickness of core of the recording sheet roll in the above embodiment, though the present invention may also be applied to the recording sheet roll whose rotational center does not shift. In the above embodiment, the recording sheet roll is rotated by pressing the feeding roller and the peripheries of the recording sheet roll against each other. However, the present invention may also be applied if a driving gear is provided for the holder so as to rotate the recording sheet roll through the holder. Not only photographic paper or a thermal recording sheet but normal paper may be used as a recording sheet.




Various changes and modifications are possible in the present invention and may be understood to be within the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A holder device composed of a first balder member and a second holder member to rotatably hold a recording sheet roll, in which a recording sheet is wound into a roll, said first holder member and said second holder member are removably attached respectively to a first and second support member respectively, said second holder member comprising:a second fitting part to be fit in one end of said recording sheet roll; and a second shaft to rotatably support said second fitting part, and plural positioning grooves to engage with said second support member, wherein said plural positioning grooves are arranged on said second shaft along the direction of the rotation axis of said second fitting part, and one of said plural positioning grooves is selected to engage with said second support member in accordance with the width of said recording sheet roll.
  • 2. A holder device described in claim 1, wherein said first holder member comprises:a first fitting part to be fit in the other end of said recording sheet roll; and a first shaft to rotatably support said first fitting part, wherein an engaging groove to engage with said first support member is formed on said first shaft.
  • 3. A holder device described in claim 2, wherein said first shaft is shiftable between a first position wherein said engaging groove is in a farthest position from said first fitting part, and a second position wherein said engaging groove is in a closest position to said first fitting part,wherein said first shaft to engage with said first support member gets closer to said second position as said recording sheet roll becomes wider.
  • 4. A holder device described in claim 3 further comprising:an elastic member provided between said first fitting part and said first shaft, said elastic member biasing said first shaft toward said first position.
  • 5. A holder device described in claim 3 further comprising:a substantially conical-shaped guide part formed on said first shaft and pressed by said first support member when said first holder member engages with said first support member, to shift said first shaft toward said second position.
  • 6. A holder device described in claim 2, wherein said positioning grooves and said engaging groove are different in depth.
  • 7. A holder device to selectively support a first recording sheet roll wherein a recording sheet having narrow width is wound into a roll and a second recording sheet roll wherein a recording sheet having wide width is wound into a roll, said holder device having a first holder member and a second holder member being removably attached to a first and second support member respectively, said second holder member comprising:a second fitting part to be fit in one end of said first recording sheet roll or said second recording sheet roll; and a second shaft to rotatably support said second fitting part, wherein a first positioning groove and a second positioning groove are arranged on said second shaft, said second positioning groove being provided between said first positioning groove and said second fitting part, said first positioning groove engaging with said second support member when said first recording sheet roll is mounted, said second positioning groove engaging with said second support member when said second recording sheet roll is mounted.
  • 8. A holder device described in claim 7, wherein said first holder member comprising:a first fitting part to be fit in the other end of said first recording sheet roll or said second recording sheet roll; and a first shaft to rotatably support said first fitting part, an engaging groove to engage with said first support member being formed on said first shaft, said first shaft being shiftable between a first position wherein said engaging groove is in a farthest position from said first fitting part and a second position wherein said engaging groove is in a closest position to said first fitting part, wherein said first shaft engages with said first support member in said second position when said second recording sheet roll is mounted.
  • 9. A holder device described in claim 8 further comprising:an elastic member provided between said first fitting part and said first shaft, said elastic member biasing said first shaft toward said first position; and a substantially conical-shaped guide part formed on said first shaft, said guide part being pressed by said first support member to shift said first shaft toward said second position when said first holder member, with said second recording sheet, roll engages with said first support member.
  • 10. A holder device described in claim 8, wherein said first positioning groove and said engaging groove are different in depth.
  • 11. The holder device described in claim 2, wherein said first and second support members are provided with L-shaped slits for receiving said first and second shafts.
  • 12. The holder device described in claim 2, wherein said first and second shafts have different diameters.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
2002-067518 Mar 2002 JP
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
1663836 Hall Mar 1928 A
2107020 Williams Feb 1938 A
3145943 Grant Aug 1964 A
3411734 Greenberg et al. Nov 1968 A
4129266 Masiello Dec 1978 A
4191342 Reinhold Mar 1980 A
5551647 Browning Sep 1996 A
6230999 Tanaka May 2001 B1
6402085 Smith Jun 2002 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
7-223759 Aug 1995 JP