1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feeding device that is used in a printer, which prints and issues a receipt, ticket, or the like using a sheet of a paper roll, and feeds the sheet of the paper roll to a printing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As such a paper feeding device, for example, there is known a paper feeding device disclosed in Patent Document JP 05-345429 A.
However, in the paper feeding device disclosed in Patent Document JP 05-345429 A, a paper roll holder which bearing-supports the paper roll accommodates only one kind of paper roll, in other words, only, for example, a paper roll having 4 inches diameter in an unused (new) state. Thus, when a user intends to change to a paper roll having a larger diameter (paper roll having 6 inches diameter, for example) in response to usage condition or the like, the paper roll having the larger diameter cannot be mounted to the paper roll holder, thereby causing a problem of bad usability.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and therefore has an object to provide a paper feeding device in which a plurality of paper rolls having different diameters in an unused (new) state can be mounted freely according to a choice of a user, and can increase convenience for a user.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention adopts the following means.
A paper feeding device according to the present invention is a paper feeding device that feeds a sheet of a paper roll to a printing device and includes two side plates vertically arranged along both side surfaces of the paper roll, each of the side plates including a plurality of notches which are capable of bearing-supporting paper rolls having different diameters in an unused state, one of the side plates including: a near end sensor that detects a remaining amount of the paper roll; and a linear groove that causes the near end sensor to slide in two directions moving close to and away from the paper roll bearing-supported by each of the notches.
In the paper feeding device according to the present invention, there are provided the plurality of notches which are capable of bearing-supporting the paper rolls having the different diameters in the unused (new) state, and hence the paper rolls having the different diameters in the unused (new) state can be mounted freely according to a choice of a user, whereby it is possible to increase the convenience for a user.
Further, even in a state where the paper roll is bearing-supported by any notches, the near end sensor is caused to slide along the linear groove, whereby the near end sensor can be easily moved to a direction close to or a direction away from the paper roll and can be easily arranged in a position suitable for detecting the remaining amount of the paper roll.
In the paper feeding device, it is more suitable that the groove is formed so that a longitudinal axis of the groove passes through a midpoint of a straight line connecting a rotation center of a paper roll bearing-supported by one notch of the plurality of notches and a rotation center of a paper roll bearing-supported by another notch of the plurality of notches and is placed on another straight line which is vertical to the straight line.
According to the paper feeding device described above, in the case where a diameter of a paper tube which is set (fixed) to a center portion of the paper roll bearing-supported by the one notch and rotates together with the paper roll and a diameter of a paper tube which is set (fixed) to a center portion of the paper roll bearing-supported by the another notch and rotates together with the paper roll are equal (or substantially equal) to each other, a sensor portion of the near end sensor detects that a remaining amount of the paper roll set in the one notch and a remaining amount of the paper roll set in the another notch are equal (or substantially equal) to each other.
Therefore, even in the case where a paper roll having other diameter (different diameter) is set in the one notch or the another notch, when a remaining amount of a paper roll to be detected is not changed, the near end sensor can be left as it is without being caused to move, whereby it is possible to further increase the convenience for a user.
In the paper feeding device described above, it is more suitable that the groove is formed so that the near end sensor can be moved close to and away from a paper roll bearing-supported by a notch other than the one notch and the another notch.
According to the paper feeding device described above, the near end sensor can be moved close to and away from the paper roll bearing-supported by any notch, whereby it is possible to increase the convenience for a user.
A printer according to the present invention includes the paper feeding device which is capable of freely mounting the paper rolls having the different diameters in the unused (new) state according to the choice of a user, thereby increasing the convenience for a user.
According to the present invention, the plurality of the paper rolls having the different diameters in the unused (new) state can be mounted freely according to the choice of a user, thereby attaining an effect of increasing the convenience for a user.
In the accompanying drawings:
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a paper feeding device according to the present invention is described with reference to
As illustrated in
The printing device 4 is a so-called thermal printer, and includes a thermal head (not shown) for heating the thermal printing layer of the sheet of the paper roll 2a (2b) and a platen roller (not shown) pressed to the thermal head. The printing device 4 performs printing while pinching the sheet of the paper roll 2a (2b) fed from the paper feeding device 3 between the thermal head and the platen roller, and conveys the same.
The cutting device 5 includes, for example, a pair of disk-like rotating blades (not shown) for cutting the sheet of the paper roll 2a (2b) taken out from the printing device 4 to a desired length, and conveys the cut sheet of the paper roll 2a (2b) to the paper discharging device 6.
Further, the paper feeding device 3, the printing device 4, the cutting device 5, and the paper discharging device 6 are combined through a main body frame 7.
As illustrated in
The paper holder 8 includes a bottom plate 8a having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view extending in the conveying direction and a width direction of the sheet of the paper roll 2a (2b), and two side plates 8b extending upward in a vertical direction from side edges of the bottom plate 8a.
In each side plate 8b of the paper holder 8, there are provided, for example, a first notch 11 which is set (fixed) to a center portion of the paper roll 2a having 6 inches diameter and bearing-supports a paper tube (core: rotating shaft) 10 rotating together with the paper roll 2a, and, for example, a second notch 13 which is set (fixed) to a center portion of the paper roll 2b having 4 inches diameter and bearing-supports a paper tube (core: rotating shaft) 12 rotating together with the paper roll 2b. The first notch 11 and the second notch 13 are formed so that a front end (end portion on the printing device 4 side) 14 of an outer peripheral surface of the unused (new) paper roll 2a having 6 inches diameter when the paper roll 2a is set in the first notch 11 through the paper tube 10, and a front end (end portion on the printing device 4 side) 15 of an outer peripheral surface of the unused (new) paper roll 2b having 4 inches diameter when the paper roll 2b is set in the second notch 13 through the paper tube 12 are positioned in the same vertical plane.
Further, a groove 16 is provided in one side plate 8b of the paper holder 8 (near-side side plate 8b of
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, in the near end sensor 9, a screw 17 is loosened to generate clearances (gaps) between end surfaces of the protrusions 9a and a surface of a presser plate 18, whereby the near end sensor 9 can be caused to slide integrally with the screw 17 and the presser plate 18 while keeping that condition along the groove 16 to a desired position. At the same time, the screw 17 is fastened at a desired position to sandwich the one side plate 8b between the end surfaces of the protrusions 9a and the surface of the presser plate 18, whereby the near end sensor 9 can be set (fixed) to a desired position.
In the paper feeding device 3 according to this embodiment, the first notch 11 and the second notch 13 are provided on each side plate 8b of the paper holder 8, and hence any one of the two paper rolls 2a, 2b having the different diameters in the unused (new) state is mounted freely according to a choice of a user, whereby it is possible to increase the convenience for a user.
Further, when the paper roll 2a having 6 inches diameter or the paper roll 2b having 4 inches diameter in the unused state is mounted to the first notch 11 or the second notch 13, the first notch 11 and the second notch 13 are formed so that the front ends 14, 15 of the outer peripheral surfaces of the paper rolls 2a, 2b are positioned in the same vertical plane, whereby it is possible to stably feed a paper sheet to the printing device 4 in the case of using any one of the paper rolls 2a, 2b.
Moreover, in the paper feeding device 3 according to this embodiment, the groove 16 forming of a long hole is provided in the one side plate 8b of the paper holder 8. Accordingly, a user can set the near end sensor 9 to a desired position easily and rapidly in accordance with the diameter of the paper roll 2a (2b) selected appropriately as needed.
Note that, adjusting the position of the near end sensor 9 can be performed by merely sliding along the groove 16, and hence anyone can perform it easily.
Still further, in the paper feeding device 3 according to this embodiment, the groove 16 is formed so that the central axis thereof passes through the midpoint of the straight line L1 connecting the central axis C1 of the paper tube 10 and the central axis C2 of the paper tube 12 and is placed on the straight line L2 which is vertical to the straight line L1. Accordingly, in the case where the diameter of the paper tube 10 and the diameter of the paper tube 12 are equal (or substantially equal) to each other, the sensor portion 9b of the near end sensor 9 detects that the remaining amount of the paper roll 2a set in the first notch 11 and the remaining amount of the paper roll 2b set in the second notch 13 are equal (or substantially equal) to each other.
Therefore, even in the case where the paper roll 2b or a paper roll having a diameter other than that of the paper rolls 2a, 2b is set in the first notch 11, or a paper roll having a diameter other than that of the paper rolls 2a, 2b is set in the second notch 13, when a remaining amount of the paper roll to be detected is not changed, the near end sensor 9 can be left as it is without being caused to move, whereby it is possible to further increase the convenience for a user.
On the other hand, a manufacturer which manufactures and sells the paper feeding device 3 does not need to prepare paper holders corresponding to respective paper rolls having the different diameters in the unused (new) state, and hence the number of components can be reduced. Further, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and to realize the simplification of parts control.
Further, the printer 1 provided with the paper feeding device 3 according to the present invention includes the paper feeding device 3 which can mount the paper rolls 2a, 2b having the different diameters in the unused (new) state freely according to the choice of a user, whereby it is possible to increase the convenience for a user.
Note that, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and variation or modification can be effected appropriately as needed without departing from the technical idea of the present invention.
For example, in the embodiment described above, the paper holder 8 provided with the two notches 11, 13 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and can employ a paper holder 25 provided with three notches 21, 22, 23 and a circular hole (notch) 24 as illustrated in
The notches 21, 22, 23 and the circular hole 24 are each provided in each of the side plates 8b of the paper holder 8 and bearing-support paper tubes 26, 27, 28, 29 which are set to center portions of paper rolls (not shown) and rotate together with the paper rolls. The notches 21, 22, 23 and the circular hole 24 are formed so that a straight line L3 connecting a central axis (rotation center) C3 of the paper tube 26 and a central axis (rotation center) C4 of the paper tube 29 passes through a midpoint of a straight line L4 connecting a central axis (rotation center) C5 of the paper tube 27 and a central axis (rotation center) C6 of the paper tube 28 and is placed on straight line (vertical bisector) which is vertical to the straight line L4.
Further, a groove 30 is provided in the one side plate 8b of the paper holder 8. The groove 30 guides the protrusions 9a (see
Then, as illustrated in
Further, the groove 30 is also formed so that the sensor portion 9b can detect a near end of a paper roll (not shown) having the paper tube 26 when the near end sensor 9 is slid (positioned) to an end (upper end of
Effects and actions of the paper feeding device provided with the paper holder 25 are the same as those of the paper feeding device according to the embodiment described above. Accordingly, a description thereof is omitted here.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2008-041228 | Feb 2008 | JP | national |