Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6343884
-
Patent Number
6,343,884
-
Date Filed
Friday, October 20, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, February 5, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Hilten; John S.
- Nolan, Jr.; Charles H.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A printer includes a paper roll holder holding a roll of paper, a paper feed path guiding the paper from the paper roll holder, a printing head provided on a portion of the paper feed path for printing on the paper, and a cutter disposed on the paper feed path between the paper roll holder and the printing head for cutting the unraveled paper roll. A method for loading a paper roll to a printer includes the step of cutting the unraveled paper roll at a position upstream of the printing head, before the edge of the paper driven reaches a position downstream of the printing head. By positioning the cutter upstream of the printing head and cutting the paper before the forward edge of the paper moves downstream of the printing head, the printing head and a platen roller can be kept free of any dirt adhering to the paper.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper roll loading method for loading a roll of paper at a printer and a printer in which rolls of paper are used.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of printer is that which uses rolls of paper, such type of printer having a paper roll holder holding the paper roll. In this type of printer, an operator places a roll of paper into the paper roll holder and sets the roll so that a printer can print to the paper.
In the present specification, the term “loading a/the paper roll” refers to an operation of loading a roll of paper at a position at which a printer can then print to the paper roll, including inserting the roll of paper into the paper roll holder and a state in which a forward edge of an outermost portion of paper unraveled from the paper roll has passed through a printing mechanism including a printing head for printing to the paper.
The above-described loading of the roll of paper poses, for example, the following basic requirements:
1) Ease of handling. For example, an operator should be able to set the roll of paper even when the operator is wearing gloves, because depending on the conditions under which the printer is operated it may be essential that the operator wear gloves.
2) A dirty portion of the paper unraveled from the roll should not be fed to the printing mechanism.
3) The printing mechanism is not dirtied or damaged.
An example of a conventional printer
20
that uses a roll of paper
10
as described above is shown in FIG.
1
. As shown in the diagram, the printer
20
is constructed so that a printing head
22
is positioned in front of the paper roll holder
25
. The printer
20
itself comprises a main body
21
, the above-mentioned printing head
22
fixedly mounted on the main body
21
, and a platen roller
23
provided on a front edge of an upwardly openable cover
24
and a paper roll holder
25
.
In order to set the paper roll
10
to the printer
20
, an operator performs the following operations:
(1) An outermost portion of paper is unraveled from the roll as shown by reference numeral
11
.
(2) The cover
24
is opened.
(3) The paper roll
10
is placed in the paper roll holder
25
and the paper
11
unraveled therefrom is extended outside the printer
20
.
(4) The cover
24
is closed.
(5) The unraveled portion of paper
11
is cut at a point somewhere past the printing head
22
, that is, on a downstream side of the printing head
22
, opposite a side of the printing head
22
nearest the paper roll holder
25
.
FIG. 2
is a diagram showing another conventional printer
30
using the roll of paper
10
described above. In the printer
30
shown in the diagram, the printing head
32
is positioned inside the paper roll holder
35
and the printer
30
itself comprises a main body
31
, a printing head
32
, a platen roller
33
fixedly mounted on the main unit
31
, a cover
34
openable toward the bottom, and a paper roll holder
35
.
In order to set the paper roll
10
to the printer
30
, an operator performs the following operations:
(1) An outermost portion of paper is unraveled from the roll as shown by reference numeral
11
.
(2) The cover
34
is opened.
(3) The paper
11
unraveled from the paper roll
10
is held at both sides and fed between the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
, the platen roller
33
is briefly rotated and a forward edge of the paper
11
is passed between the printer head
32
and the platen roller
33
.
(4) The paper roll
10
is placed inside the paper roll holder
35
, the roll of paper
10
is supported with one hand while the cover
34
is closed with the other hand.
(5) The unraveled paper
11
is cut at a point somewhere past the printing head
22
, that is, on a downstream side of the printing head
22
.
However, both types of printers described above have disadvantages.
In the printer
20
shown in
FIG. 1
, although the operation of loading the paper roll
10
can be performed with the operator wearing gloves, because the printing head
22
and the platen roller
23
are positioned in front of the paper roll holder
25
, they can be easily accidentally contacted and dirtied by the operator's hand during that loading operation. If the printing head
22
and the platen roller
23
are dirtied the quality of the resulting print diminishes and even the printed paper is dirtied as well. For this reason the printer
20
shown in
FIG. 1
is unsuitable for locations in which the operator is likely to be wearing gloves.
In the printer
30
shown in
FIG. 2
, the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
are placed inside the paper roll holder
35
, thus they are not likely to be easily accidentally contacted by the operator's hand and hence are unlikely to be directly dirtied thereby. However, the operator wearing gloves must still grasp the paper unrolled from the roll at both sides and feed the paper between the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
, at which time any dirt adhering to the paper
11
dirties the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
when the paper
11
passes therebetween.
Additionally, with the operator wearing gloves it is virtually impossible to perform the relatively delicate task of threading the paper
11
between the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
. For this reason the printer
20
shown in
FIG. 2
also is unsuitable for locations in which the operator is likely to be wearing gloves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful, method for loading a paper roll to a printer and a printer using the method, in which the disadvantages described above are eliminated.
The above-described object of the present invention is achieved by a printer, comprising:
a paper roll holder for holding a roll of paper;
a paper feed path guiding the paper from the paper roll;
a printing head provided on a portion of the paper feed path for printing on the paper; and
a cutter disposed on the paper feed path between the paper roll holder and the printing head, for cutting the unraveled paper roll.
According to the invention described above, the cut edge of the paper cut by the cutter retains its stiffness and thus the paper can be fed accurately and easily to and through the printing head. Thereby, it is no longer necessary to provide the print head on an easily accessible part of the printer, thus providing improved print quality. In the printer of the present invention, the chance that the print head is dirtied or damaged is reduced substantially.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the printer as described above, further comprising a paper cut detector that detects a cutting of the portion of paper by the cutter and starts a paper feeder.
According to the invention described above, the starting of the paper feeder is automatic, eliminating the need for a separate operation to start the feeder.
Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by printer as described above, wherein the paper feed path includes a feed roller (
62
) and a platen roller (
53
).
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the printer as described above, wherein the cutter is provided on a front edge of a cover of the paper roll holder.
According to the invention described above, the structure of the cutter can be simplified.
Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the printer as described above, wherein a blade of the cutter is slanted with respect to a direction in a width of the paper roll.
According to the invention described above, the paper is cut gradually instead of all at once. Due to the concentration of force at the point of the blade making contact with the paper, the amount of the force needed to accomplish the diagonal cut is less than would be required if the cut were to be accomplished straight across the width of the paper, and as a result the cut is clean and smooth.
Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is achieved by a method for loading a paper roll to a printer, the printer comprising:
a paper roll holder for holding a roll of paper;
a paper feed path guiding the paper from the paper roll holder;
a printing head provided on a portion of the paper feed path for printing on the paper; and
a cutter disposed on the paper feed path between the paper roll holder and the printing head, for cutting the unraveled paper roll,
the method comprising the steps of:
setting the paper roll on the paper roll holder;
unraveling the paper roll to a position beyond a position of the cutter;
cutting the unraveled paper roll; and
driving an edge of the cut paper to a position such that the edge of the paper reaches a position downstream of the printing head.
Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by a method for loading a paper roll to a printer, the printer comprising:
a paper roll holder for holding a roll of paper;
a paper feed path guiding the paper from the paper roll holder;
a printing head provided on a portion of the paper feed path for printing on the paper; and
a cutter disposed on the paper feed path between the paper roll holder and the printing head, for cutting the unraveled paper roll,
comprising the step of cutting the unraveled paper roll at a position upstream of the printing head, before the edge of the paper driven reaches a position downstream of the printing head.
According to the invention described above, the cut edge of the paper retains its stiffness and thus can be fed accurately to and through the printing head, providing improved print quality.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a diagram showing an example of a conventional printer;
FIG. 2
is a diagram showing another example of a conventional printer;
FIG. 3
is a diagram showing a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4
is a diagram showing a perspective view of the printer of
FIG. 3
for a state after a roll of paper has been set;
FIG. 5
is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the'printer of
FIG. 3
along the line V—V shown in
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the printer of
FIG. 3
along the line VI—VI shown in
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 7
is a diagram showing of the printer of
FIG. 3
for a state in which the cover of the printer is open;
FIG. 8
is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of the printer of
FIG. 3
along the line VIII—VIII shown in
FIG. 7
;
FIGS. 9A
,
9
B and
9
C are diagrams showing the position of the cutter in the printer with respect to the sensor in the state shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
;
FIG. 10
is a diagram showing a state in which the paper roll is set to the supporting rod and the cover closed;
FIGS. 11A
,
11
B and
11
C are diagrams showing the state of the paper at the cutter shown in
FIG. 10
;
FIG. 12
is a diagram showing a state of the printer immediately after the paper has been cut;
FIGS. 13A
,
13
B and
13
C are diagrams showing a state of the paper at the cutter shown in
FIG. 12
;
FIG. 14
is a diagram showing a state after printing has commenced;
FIG. 15
is a flow chart showing operations performed by a microprocessor forming a control circuit;
FIG. 16
is a diagram showing a variation of the cutter;
FIG. 17
is a diagram showing a perspective view of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18
is a diagram for the purpose of explaining the loading of a roll of paper to the printer shown in
FIG. 16
;
FIGS. 19A and 19B
are diagrams showing a printer according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 20A and 20B
is a diagram showing a printer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A description will now be given of embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that identical or corresponding elements in the embodiments are given identical or corresponding reference numbers in all drawings and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.
FIGS. 3
,
4
,
5
,
6
,
7
,
8
,
9
A,
9
B,
9
C,
10
,
11
A,
11
B,
11
C,
12
,
13
A,
13
B,
13
C,
14
and
15
are diagrams showing a printer
40
according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3
is a diagram showing a perspective view of a printer
40
according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from the drawing, the printer
40
is of a type that uses a thermosensitive paper roll
10
(hereinafter referred to as a paper roll or a roll of paper), and is, for example, inserted in a device
41
, which may be a device mounted in a vehicle for recording an operation of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to simply as the device
41
) as shown in
FIGS. 3
,
4
and
5
. For ease of explanation, it should be noted that X
1
-X
2
represents a lateral, that is, a latitudinal direction, Y
1
-Y
2
represents a longitudinal direction, and Z
1
-Z
2
represents a vertical direction. It is in the latitudinal X
1
-X
2
direction that the paper roll
10
is unrolled. An operator's hand approaches the printer
40
and the device
41
. A space
42
for accommodating the printer
40
is formed on a front surface
43
of the device
41
, and it is in this space that the printer
40
is inserted. A substantially rectangular opening
44
is provided on the front
43
of the device
41
, as shown in FIG.
3
.
In general, the loading of the paper roll
10
into the printer
40
involves opening the paper roll holder
51
and inserting the paper roll
10
as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, and further, cutting a portion of the paper with the cut edge and feeding the paper onward with the edge thus formed as the leading or forward edge as shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13A
,
13
B and
13
C, and so obtaining a state like that shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
.
Referring for example to
FIG. 3
, the printer
40
has on a Y
2
side the paper roll holder
51
for holding the paper roll
10
, with a printing head
52
and a platen roller
53
positioned at a point further in the Y
1
direction than the paper roll holder
51
. The printer
40
, as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 5
, is accommodated within the space
42
described above. The paper roll holder
51
is positioned at the front
43
of the device
41
and the printing head
52
and the platen roller
53
are positioned inside the device
41
, such that the front opening
44
described above is covered and at the same time the paper roll holder is formed when a lid
55
is closed.
Additionally, the printer
40
has a frame
50
, a paper roll holder base
54
, a lid
55
and a top cover
56
.
The frame
50
is positioned at a portion of the Y
1
side. On the frame
50
are provided, at a point approximately midway in a height direction of the device
41
, that is, in the Z
1
-Z
2
direction, the above-noted printing head
52
, the rubber platen roller
53
, rear and front paper guides
60
and
61
, respectively, and a rubber feed roller
62
. The printing head
52
has resistive heating elements
63
and two sensors S
1
, S
2
for optically detecting paper, and further, a flexible cable
65
is extended from the printing head
52
.
The printing head
52
is mounted on the frame
50
via a supporting plate
66
and is urged by a pressure spring
67
so that the resistive heating elements
63
is pressed against the platen roller
53
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, both ends of the platen roller
53
are supported by shaft bearings
53
a
. Together, the printing head
52
and the platen roller
53
form a printing mechanism member
100
.
Additionally, the sensors S
1
and S
2
are positioned in the X
1
and X
2
directions, respectively, opposite a cutter on a front edge of the top cover
56
to be described later. The rear paper guide
60
is positioned so as to cover a portion of the platen roller
53
from a Y
1
side to a Z
1
side thereof. The front paper guide
61
is a bar member with a substantially triangular cross-section, the apex of the triangle pointing in a Y
2
direction, and is positioned so as to cover a portion of the platen roller
53
extending from a Y
2
side to a Z
2
side thereof. Additionally, a rib
61
b
is formed on a horizontal upper surface
61
a
in order to prevent the paper from sticking to the top of the front paper guide
61
.
Additionally, as shown in
FIG. 7
, grooves
68
,
69
for guiding the top cover into a position on an X
1
side and a position on an X
2
side are provided on the frame
50
, at a position intermediate between a position of an X
1
side and a position of an X
2
side thereof, near the feed roller
62
.
Additionally, a stepping motor
70
is provided on a portion of a bottom side of the frame
50
. The stepping motor
70
rotates the platen roller
53
and the feed roller
62
via the gears in a gearbox
71
.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, the paper roll holder base
54
is formed substantially in the shape of an L, and has a vertical plate member
54
a
and a horizontal plate member
54
b
. A paper guide
54
d
is provided on a top edge of the vertical plate member
54
a
. The paper guide
54
d
is fixedly mounted on the frame
50
. The vertical plate
54
a
extends along a front surface of the frame
50
and the horizontal plate member
54
b
extends to the position of the front opening
44
described above, in the Y
2
direction in a height of a lower edge of the frame
50
. The paper guide
54
d
is positioned at an entrance ENT opposite a location at which the platen roller
53
and the resistive heating elements
63
contact each other.
Additionally, on an interior surface of the paper roll holder base
54
a rib
54
c
is formed to prevent the paper from sticking to the interior surface of the paper roll holder base
54
.
Additionally, the feed roller
62
described previously projects from an opening
54
a
1
in a top edge of the vertical plate member
54
a
. Further, as shown also in
FIGS. 9A
,
9
B and
9
C, apertures
54
d
1
,
54
d
2
are formed in left and right side portions of the paper guide
54
d
so as to be disposed opposite sensors S
1
, S
2
described above.
The lid
55
has a size identical to a size of the above-described front opening
44
, and is rotatably connected by a hinge
73
to a front edge of the horizontal plate member
54
b
of the paper roll holder base
54
. As shown in
FIGS. 3 and 5
, the lid
55
closes an entry
51
a
to the paper roll holder
51
when in a vertical position and opens the entry
51
a
when rotated clockwise about the hinge
73
. Additionally, when the lid
55
is rotated to substantially a horizontal position as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
the lid
55
a stopper mechanism (not shown in the diagram) that forms a part of the hinge
73
prevents the lid from rotating further and retains the lid
55
in that substantially horizontal position. The lid
55
so supported in that substantially horizontal position performs the task of supporting the paper roll
10
loaded therein. Additionally, it can be appreciated that the lid
55
has a bulge
55
a
that follows the contour of the paper roll
10
. Additionally, a side panel
74
is provided at an X
1
side of the lid
55
. A base of a paper roll
10
supporting rod
75
is fixedly mounted on the side panel
74
so as to project in the X
2
direction. An X
2
side of the lid
55
has no side panel and is open.
A base side of the top cover
56
described previously is rotatably connected to the front edge of the lid
55
by a hinge
76
. A clockwise rotation of the top cover
56
is restricted at a position substantially vertical with respect to the lid
55
by a stopper mechanism (not shown in the diagram) that forms a part of the hinge
76
. A counter-clockwise rotation of the top cover
56
is enabled up to a position at which the top cover
56
rests atop the lid
55
as shown by the dotted lines in
FIG. 8
, while a clockwise rotation of the top cover
56
is enabled up to a position substantially vertical with respect to the lid
55
.
Hereinafter, the substantially vertical position of the top cover
56
with respect to the lid
55
is referred to as an upper position, while the position of the top cover
56
resting substantially atop the lid
55
as shown by the dotted lines in
FIG. 8
is referred to as a lower position. It should be noted that the top cover
56
is rotatably urged clockwise by the force of a torsion coil spring
77
included in the hinge
76
so as to be positioned at the upper position.
A cutter composed of a blade
56
a
is provided on a front edge of the top cover
56
, the blade
56
a
being disposed at an angle to the X
1
-X
2
axis, that is, slanted with respect to a direction in a width of the paper unraveled from the paper roll, in order to facilitate cutting of the paper.
Additionally, positioning tabs
56
b
,
56
c
that engage the grooves
68
,
69
for guiding the top cover into position described above are provided at both sides of the front edge of the top cover
56
. The front edge of the top cover
56
is also provided with a tab
56
d
to prevent the paper from curling back into the interior of the paper roll holder
51
. Additionally, a rib
56
e
is formed on a top surface of the top cover
56
to prevent the paper from sticking thereto.
Additionally, a paper press roller
78
made of rubber is supported at both ends of a shaft thereof by leaf springs
79
and disposed so as to engage an opening
56
f
in the top cover
56
.
The above-described frame
50
, the paper roll holder base
54
, the lid
55
and the top cover
56
are together constructed so that when the front edge of the lid
55
is pulled in the Y
2
direction the lid
55
is opened as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, the substantially rectangular opening
44
provided on the front
43
of the device
41
is opened, the top cover
56
comes out of the device
41
and the paper roll holder
51
is opened.
Additionally, the frame
50
, paper roll holder base
54
, lid
55
and top cover
56
are constructed so that, in the state shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, by rotating the lid so as to lift the front edge thereof upward, the lid
55
assumes a vertical position as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
and the front opening
44
closes, the top cover
56
passes through the front opening
44
and enters the interior of the paper roll holder
51
and is positioned under the front paper guide
61
and is further positioned above the horizontal plate
54
b
of the paper roll holder base
54
so as to confront the paper guide
54
d
, thus forming the paper roll holder
51
. A paper feed path
80
is formed between the front paper guide
61
and the top cover
56
.
In a final stage in which the lid
55
is closed, the positioning tabs
56
b
,
56
c
described above, are engaged, guided and positioned by the grooves
68
,
69
for guiding the top cover into position as described above, thus positioning the front edge of the top cover
56
in place. At this time, as shown in
FIG. 5
the blade
56
a
is positioned beneath the platen roller
53
and beneath the Z
2
side front edge of the front paper guide
61
. The result is that the blade
56
a
is accurately positioned at a point just above the paper guide
54
d
of the vertical plate member
54
a
, with a slight gap provided between the blade
56
a
and a top of the paper guide
54
d.
Accordingly, the blade
56
a
is positioned just in front of a point, with respect to the paper feeding direction, at which the resistive heating elements
63
and the platen roller
53
contact each other so as to perform printing, that is inside the printing mechanism member
100
. At this time, as shown in
FIGS. 9A
,
9
B and
9
C, opening
56
a
1
is disposed opposite sensor S
1
, with the portion that corresponds to the sensor S
2
disposed further back from sensor S
2
in the Y
2
direction.
Additionally, the positioning in place of the top cover
56
causes the paper press roller
78
to press against the feed roller
62
, and further causes the tab
56
d
to be disposed opposite a Y
2
side of the feed roller
62
.
Additionally, as shown in
FIG. 5
, the printing head
52
is driven by a printing head drive circuit
90
and the stepping motor
70
is driven by a stepping motor drive circuit
91
, with each of the drive circuits
91
,
92
controlled by a control circuit
93
.
A description will now be given of an operation of loading the paper roll
10
into the above-described printer
40
.
The printer
40
is in the state shown in
FIG. 3
prior to loading the paper roll
10
.
The loading of the paper roll
10
is completed when an operator performs the following five steps and the paper is fed onward automatically.
The steps performed by the operator are as follows:
(1) Opening the lid
55
.
The operation of opening the lid
55
involves rotating the lid
55
forward to the position shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, so that the entrance
5
l
a
to the paper roll holder
51
is open.
It should be noted that a spring is included in the hinge
73
, such that when the lid
55
presses a lock mechanism connected to the lid
55
the lock is released, so that the operator can open the lid
55
with a light push.
In a state in which the lid
55
is open, the supporting rod
75
projects beyond an outside of the paper roll holder
51
. Accordingly, a tip portion
75
a
of the supporting rod
75
is not covered but remains exposed.
(2) Unraveling the paper roll along the dotted line to the position shown by reference number
11
. The length to which the paper roll
10
is unraveled is, for example, approximately 10 cm, which is a length at which the paper extends along the paper feed path
80
up to an outside of the printer
40
in a state in which the paper roll
10
is loaded in the paper roll holder
51
.
(3) As shown in
FIG. 7
, pressing the paper roll
10
onto the lid
55
from the X
2
side of the lid
55
, engaging a cylindrical core
13
of the paper roll
10
with the supporting rod
75
so as to support the core
13
of the paper roll
10
with the supporting rod
75
. The unraveled portion
11
of the paper roll
10
covers the top of the top cover
56
.
In order to support the paper roll
10
with the supporting rod
75
it is sufficient to push the paper roll
10
in the X
1
direction until the paper roll
10
contacts the side panel
74
. No fine repositioning of the paper roll
10
is required.
(4) Lifting the front edge of the lid
55
up and rotating the lid approximately 90 degrees so as to close the lid.
After this operation is completed, the printer
40
is in the state shown in FIG.
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the paper roll
10
is moved together with the lid
55
, inserted into the interior of the paper roll holder
51
, and brought into proximity to the paper roll holder base
54
. The lid
55
is then closed, and the top cover
56
enters the interior of the paper roll holder
51
so as to cover a top of the paper roll
10
. In the process of the top cover
56
entering the interior of the paper roll holder
51
the paper
11
unraveled from the paper roll
10
is bent back by and at the blade
56
a
, entering the paper feed path
80
described above.
The paper roll holder base
54
, the lid
55
and the top cover
56
together form the paper roll holder
51
, in which is contained the paper roll
10
supported by the supporting rod
75
. The tip
75
a
of the supporting rod
75
projecting beyond an X
2
edge of the paper roll
10
is supported by a bearing mounted on the frame
50
though not shown in the drawings, such that the supporting rod
75
is supported at both ends so as to more firmly support the paper roll
10
.
As shown in
FIGS. 11A
,
11
B and
11
C, the portion
11
unraveled from the paper roll
10
is sandwiched between the feed roller
62
and the paper press roller
78
at the exit of the paper roll holder
51
passes beneath the blade
56
a
and is bent back by the blade
56
a
and, as shown in FIG.
11
B and as described above, extends over the top of the top cover
56
in the Y
2
direction through the paper feed path
80
and projects beyond the edge of the printer
40
.
(5) Pulling in the Y
2
direction the unraveled portion
11
of the paper roll
10
projecting beyond the side of the printer
40
and cutting the paper
11
at the blade
56
a.
At this point, the printer
40
is in the state shown in FIG.
12
.
The portion
11
of the paper roll
10
is bent back by and at the blade
56
a
and sandwiched between the feed roller
62
and the paper press roller
78
at the exit of the paper roll holder
51
, so if the portion
11
of the paper roll
10
extending beyond the edge of the printer
40
is pulled in the Y
2
direction it is cut by and at the blade
56
a
. As a result, a portion of paper
11
a
in the paper feed path
80
beyond the cutter
56
a
is removed while a portion of paper
11
b
between the blade
56
a and the paper roll
10
itself remains, a leading edge
11
b
1
of this latter portion being supported by a narrow portion between the paper guide
54
d
and the blade
56
a
and positioned at an entrance to a position at which printing is performed as shown in
FIGS. 13A
,
13
B and
13
C.
The portion of paper
11
a
that is cut and pulled from the printer
40
is discarded because this portion
11
a
has a glue that originally kept the paper roll
10
from unraveling, as the outermost layer of the paper roll
10
is frequently dirty and, if not dirty, is nevertheless often sullied by the operation of unraveling from the paper roll
10
.
The operations described above complete the task of loading the paper roll
10
in the paper roll holder
51
.
The feeding onward of the paper is performed automatically. More specifically, the control circuit
93
activates the stepping motor circuit
91
, the stepping motor
70
drives through a certain number of steps, the paper
11
b
is fed between the platen roller
53
and the resistive heating elements
63
by the feed roller
62
to a position such that the leading edge
11
b
1
of the paper is positioned atop the platen roller
53
. A more detailed description of this automatic paper feed operation is given later.
The operations described above complete the loading of the paper roll
10
into the printer
40
. By pressing the print button the stepping motor drive circuit
91
and the printing head drive circuit
90
are activated by the control circuit
93
, the paper
11
b
is pulled from the paper roll
10
by the feed roller
62
, the paper
11
b
is printed by the printing head
52
, the paper
11
b
with printing thereon indicated in
FIG. 14
by reference number
110
is fed by the platen roller
53
, guided by the rear paper guide
60
in the Y
2
direction and, as shown in
FIG. 14
, fed to the outside of the printer
40
. It will be noted that the leading edge
14
b
1
is slanted, having been cut at a diagonal by the blade
56
a.
A description is now given of certain aspects and advantages of the operation of loading the paper roll
10
not fully explained in the foregoing description.
(1) Operation is simple and easy.
Operations
1
,
2
,
3
,
4
, and
5
described above are not complicated operations and do not require precise manipulation, and accordingly can be performed in, for example, cold-weather conditions in which the operator is required to wear gloves. As can be appreciated, it is thus possible to load the paper roll
10
into the printer
40
simply and easily.
(2) There is no danger that the printing head
52
, platen roller
53
and feed roller
62
will be dirtied.
The feed roller
62
is positioned within the paper roll holder
51
, and the printing head
52
and platen roller
53
are positioned even further inside the paper roll holder
51
. Accordingly, the operator's hands do not contact the feed roller
62
, the printing head
52
and the platen roller
53
during the operations
1
,
2
,
3
,
4
, and
5
described above.
As described previously, the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
is bent backward by and at the blade
56
a
and inserted into the paper feed path
80
, so the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
does not contact either the printing head
52
or the platen roller
53
. Accordingly, the action of unraveling the portion
11
from the paper roll
10
does not dirty either the printing head
52
or the platen roller
53
even if the portion
11
happens to be dirty.
(3) The cutting of the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
is accomplished smoothly and efficiently, with a minimum of force, for the following four reasons:
First, in the state shown in
FIGS. 10
,
11
A,
11
B and
11
C, the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
is sandwiched between the feed roller
62
and the paper press roller
78
, so that when the portion of paper
11
is pulled in the Y
2
direction tension arises therein.
Second, a bent-back portion
11
c
of the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
extends latitudinally in the X
1
-X
2
direction while the blade
56
a
of the cutter lies at an angle with respect to the line X
1
-X
2
. Accordingly, when the portion of paper
11
is pulled in the Y
2
direction the portion of paper
11
begins to be cut from an X
1
edge thereof gradually toward an X
2
edge thereof, with cutting completed at the X
2
edge. That is, the cutting of the portion of paper
11
is a succession of points that moves gradually latitudinally. Accordingly, at any given moment the above-described tension exerted in the Y
2
direction on the portion of paper
11
is concentrated at a single point. As a result, cutting is accomplished more smoothly, more easily and with less force than is the case when the blade of the cutter is disposed perpendicular to the X
1
-X
2
direction.
Third, the positioning tabs
56
b
,
56
c
that engage the grooves
68
,
69
for guiding the top cover into position described above also firmly position the blade
56
a
in place.
Fourth, the presence of the rib
56
e
is on the top surface of the top cover
56
to prevent the paper from sticking thereto causes the paper to float slightly above the top surface of the top cover
56
. As a result, neither the formation of condensation on the top cover
56
nor the presence of a static electric charge on the paper causes the paper to stick to the top of the top cover
56
. Therefore when the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
is pulled in the Y
2
direction the force of that tension is directly transmitted to the point at which the blade
56
a
contacts the portion of paper
11
.
(4) There is no need to manually feed the paper to the printing mechanism.
The cutting of the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
is detected and the feeding of the cut portion of paper
11
to the printing mechanism is performed automatically in response to that detection. As a result, the need to feed the portion of paper
11
to the printing mechanism by hand is eliminated and operation is simplified accordingly.
(5) The paper is fed through the printing mechanism firmly and accurately, for the following three reasons:
First, the leading edge
11
b
1
of the paper
11
retains its stiffness, facilitating the accuracy with which it is fed onward.
Second, as shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13A
,
13
B and
13
C, the positioning tabs
56
b
,
56
c
that engage the grooves
68
,
69
guide the front edge of the top cover
56
and thus the blade
56
a
mounted on the front edge of the top cover
56
firmly and accurately into position, the paper feed roller
78
is accurately pressed by the feed roller
62
.
Third, as shown in
FIGS. 13A
,
13
B and
13
C, the leading edge
11
b
1
of the paper
11
is held between the paper guide
54
d
provided on the top edge of the vertical plate member
54
a
and the blade
56
a
and positioned at the entrance to the printing mechanism.
The core
13
of the paper roll
10
can be removed easily.
In a case in which the supporting rod
75
is not provided, the cylindrical core
13
gradually recedes into the interior of the paper roll holder
51
as the paper roll
10
is used and can be difficult to remove when the time comes to insert a new roll of paper
10
.
However, the present embodiment uses the supporting rod
75
described above to support the core
13
, eliminating the above-described disadvantage. More specifically, with the lid
55
open the core
13
projects beyond the exterior of the paper roll holder
51
, and so can be easily removed whether the roll of paper
10
is completely used or some portion of paper still remains wound around the core
13
.
A description will now be given of an operation of feeding the paper onward.
As shown in
FIGS. 9A
,
9
B and
9
C, the sensors S
1
, S
2
described above are each composed of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element disposed opposite each other. In a state in which the light-emitting and light-receiving elements receive no light a “0” is output, and in a state in which the light-emitting and lightreceiving elements receive light a “1” is output.
Before the paper roll
10
is loaded into the printer
40
, the output of both sensors S
1
, S
2
is “0”.
The paper roll
10
is then placed in the paper roll holder
51
, with the portion of paper
11
projecting beyond the exterior of the printer
40
as shown in
FIGS. 10
,
11
A,
11
B,
11
C. In such a state, the paper
11
covers the sensors S
1
, S
2
, the light-receiving element receives light emitted from the light-emitting element and reflected by the paper
11
, and the output from both sensors S
1
, S
2
is “1”.
When the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
is cut, the part of the paper
11
covering the sensor S
2
is removed and the output of sensor S
2
is “0”. The portion of the paper
11
opposite the sensor
1
remains in place, so the output of sensor S
1
remains “1”.
The control circuit
93
shown in
FIG. 5
comprises a microprocessor that performs the steps shown in
FIG. 15
, of which a description will now be given.
In a step ST
1
, the microprocessor determines whether or not the output from both sensors S
1
, S
2
is “1”. If the answer is “yes” then in a step ST
2
the microprocessor determines when the output from sensor S
2
turns “0”. If it is determined in step ST
2
that the output from sensor S
2
is “0” then the microprocessor activates the stepping motor circuit
91
in a step ST
3
. If on the other hand it is determined in step ST
2
that the output from the sensor S
2
is not “0” then the microprocessor determines in a step ST
4
whether or not a certain amount of time has elapsed and, if so, outputs an error signal in a step ST
5
.
When the stepping motor drive circuit
91
is activated by the control circuit
93
, the stepping motor
70
steps a certain number of steps, causing the feed roller
62
and the platen roller
53
to rotate. Initially, the feed roller
62
feeds the paper
11
b
left on the paper roll
10
side to and into the printing mechanism member
100
. Next, the paper
11
b
is picked up and fed onward by the feed roller
62
and the platen roller
53
together, so that the leading edge
11
b
1
of the paper
11
b
reaches and then stops at a position atop the platen roller
53
. It should be noted that the platen roller
53
and the feed roller
62
rotate in synchrony.
A description will now be given of a state during printing.
As the platen roller
53
and the feed roller
62
rotate in synchrony, a speed with which the paper is fed by the feed roller
62
is slightly slow than a speed with which the paper is fed by the platen roller
53
, so that the paper
11
b
is fed onward while being subjected to a tension between the feed roller
62
and the platen roller
53
, thus providing high-quality printing by the printing head
52
as shown by reference numeral
110
.
As described above, the rib
61
b
is provided on the top of the front paper guide
61
, so the paper is raised slightly above the top of the front paper guide
61
. As a result, neither the formation of condensation on the front paper guide
61
nor the presence of a static electric charge causes the paper to stick to the top of the front paper guide
61
, and thus the printed paper is transported smoothly, printed surface side up, in the Y
2
direction.
When the paper is fed onward by the feed roller
62
, the paper roll
10
rotates in the clockwise direction. However, it sometimes happens that static electricity causes the paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
to be dragged by the paper roll
10
. In such cases, the paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
contacts the tab
56
d
to prevent the paper from curling back into the interior of the paper roll holder
51
, thus lifting the paper from the paper roll
10
and preventing the paper from getting wound around the paper roll
10
.
A description will now be given of a variation of a method for loading the paper roll
10
. In this variation, there is no supporting rod
75
provided on the lid
55
. In this case, the operator places the paper roll
10
so as to let the paper roll
10
drop into the paper roll holder
51
as indicated by arrow Q in FIG.
7
. At this time the paper roll
10
extends over the top cover
56
and into the interior of the paper roll holder
51
. When the paper roll
10
extends over the top cover
56
, the top cover
56
is forced by the force of the torsion coil spring
77
to a lower position, thus blocking the paper roll
10
from unraveling prematurely. As a result, the loaded paper roll
10
is stopped by the top cover
56
and accommodated by the bulge
55
a
in the lid
55
now in an open state and firmly supported atop the lid. When the lid
55
is closed the paper roll
10
is moved in the Y
1
direction and loaded in the paper roll holder
51
.
Additionally, an automatic cutter
120
as shown in
FIG. 16
may be used in place of the manual paper cutting blade
56
a
shown in
FIGS. 8
,
9
A,
9
B and
9
C. As shown in the diagram, the automatic cutter
120
comprises a fixed blade
121
, a movable blade
122
and a plunger solenoid fixedly mounted on the frame
50
that moves the movable blade
122
in the direction of arrow C, and is disposed between the feed roller
62
and the platen roller
53
. The fixed blade
121
is mounted on the front edge of the top cover
56
, so that when the top cover
56
is closed the fixed blade
121
is disposed opposite the movable blade
122
.
When it is detected that the top cover
56
is closed and that a paper roll
10
is loaded in the paper roll holder
51
, the plunger solenoid
123
is activated and causes the movable blade
122
to intersect the fixed blade
121
, thereby automatically cutting the portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
.
A description will now be given of a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17
is a diagram showing a perspective view of a printer
40
A according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18
is a diagram for the purpose of explaining the loading of a roll of paper to the printer shown in FIG.
16
.
As shown in the diagrams, the printer
40
A is loaded in a device
41
A so that a lid
55
A of the printer
40
A is positioned on a bottom surface side thereof. The lid
55
A thus opens downward, as shown by the double-dotted-and-dashed lines in FIG.
18
. In a state in which the lid
55
A is open, a paper roll
10
is loaded in a paper roll holder
51
A from a bottom side of the printer
40
A, with a portion
11
of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
extending downward.
After the paper roll
10
is loaded into the paper roll holder
51
A, the portion of paper
11
is pulled and cut and, as with the first embodiment, the paper is fed onward automatically and positioned in place.
A description will now be given of a printer according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 19A and 19B
are diagrams showing a printer
40
B according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the diagrams, the printer
40
B is loaded with a small-diameter paper roll
10
B. A top cover
56
B is connected to a paper roll holder base
54
B via a hinge. The top cover
56
B opens to the position shown by the dotted lines in
FIG. 19B
, the paper roll
10
10
B is dropped into position inside the paper roll holder
51
B, the paper roll
10
B is unraveled outward and the top cover
56
B is closed, thereby loading the paper roll
10
B.
After the paper roll
10
B has been loaded into the paper roll holder
51
B, the portion
11
B of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
B is cut and, as with the previous embodiments, the paper is fed onward automatically and positioned in place.
A description will now be given of a printer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 20A and 20B
are diagrams showing a printer
40
C according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in the diagrams, the printer
40
C is loaded with a large-diameter paper roll
10
C. A top cover
56
C is connected to a paper roll holder base
54
C via a hinge. The top cover
56
C opens to the position shown by the dotted lines in
FIG. 20B
, the paper roll
10
C is dropped into position inside the paper roll holder
51
C, the paper roll
10
C is unraveled outward and the top cover
56
C is closed, thereby loading the paper roll
10
C.
After the paper roll
10
C has been loaded into the paper roll holder
51
C, the portion
11
C of paper unraveled from the paper roll
10
C is cut and, as with the previous embodiments, the paper is fed onward automatically and positioned in place.
The above description is provided in order to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention.
The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
The present application is based on Japanese Priority Application No. 11-0365557, filed on Dec. 22, 1999, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Claims
- 1. A printer, comprising:a paper roll holder including a cover for holding a roll of paper when the cover is closed; a paper feed path guiding the paper from the paper roll holder; a printing head provided on a portion of the paper feed path for printing on the paper; and a cutter disposed on the paper feed path between the paper roll holder and the printing head for cutting an unraveled portion of the roll of paper being held in the paper holder prior to printing on the paper by the printing head, the cutter being provided on a front edge of the cover of the paper roll holder and, when the cover is closed, the cutter is in a position on the paper feed path upstream of the printing head, so that as the roll of paper is unraveled a leading edge of an unraveled portion of the roll of paper passes the cutter to the printing head.
- 2. The printer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:a paper cut detector that detects cutting of a portion of the paper by the cutter; and a paper feeder which, in response to a detection by the paper cut detector, starts to feed an edge of a cut portion of the paper such that the edge of the cut portion of the paper reaches a position downstream of the printing head.
- 3. The printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the paper feed path includes a platen roller, a paper guide and a feed roller.
- 4. The printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a blade of the cutter is slanted with respect to a direction in a width of the paper unraveled from the paper roll.
- 5. A method for loading a paper roll into a printer, comprising:setting a paper roll on a paper roll holder having a cover; positioning a cutter on a front edge of the cover of the paper roll holder; unraveling paper from the paper roll to a position passing the cutter to a position beyond the cutter; cutting an unraveled portion of the paper roll held in the paper holder when the cover is closed and prior to printing on the paper; and driving a cut edge of the paper to a position downstream of a printing head.
- 6. A method for loading a paper roll to a printer comprising:positioning a cutter on a front edge of a cover of a paper roll holder such that when the cover is closed, the cutter comes to a position on a paper feed path upstream of printing head; and cutting an unraveled portion of the paper roll being held in the paper roll holder when the cover is closed and prior to printing on the paper by a printing head.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
11-365557 |
Dec 1999 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)