Patent Grant
12090751
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording on a sheet.
As an example of a jam handling method for a sheet in a recording apparatus that performs recording (printing) on a sheet such as recording paper, there is a method in which, when a sheet has remained in a sheet conveyance path for a predetermined or longer time period, it is determined that a jam has occurred as a sheet conveyance abnormality, and a conveyance roller is rotated in a paper discharge direction to discharge the sheet and thereby perform jam handling. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-167684 discloses a recording apparatus that performs, when a doubly-fed subsequent sheet remains in a detecting range of a sheet detecting sensor, conveyance control to discharge the detected subsequent sheet.
As a current-day recording apparatus, a recording apparatus capable of performing recording on various types of recording paper in such a mode as to allow paper passage of not only cut sheets such as single-sheet paper, but also a continuous sheet such as roll paper is in demand. The above-mentioned control described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-167684 is control assuming the single-sheet paper as the cut sheets separated from each other in advance, and is not control directly applicable to continuous paper as a continuous sheet from which a recorded region is separated from a non-recorded region to be discharged. If the above-mentioned control is directly applied to a case where the continuous paper is passed, the continuous paper is discharged more than necessary to undesirably increase waste paper.
An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that allows appropriate conveyance abnormality handling in a recording apparatus selectively switchable between recording on cut sheets and recording on a continuous sheet.
To attain the object described above, a recording apparatus in the present invention includes:
According to the present invention, it is possible to allow appropriate conveyance abnormality handling in a recording apparatus selectively switchable between recording on cut sheets and recording on a continuous sheet.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Referring to the drawings, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail by way of example on the basis of an embodiment example. Note that dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positioning, and the like of components described in this embodiment are to be appropriately changed in accordance with a configuration of an apparatus to which the invention is applied and with various conditions, and are therefore not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the following embodiment. While a plurality of features are described in the embodiment, it does not necessarily mean that all such features are indispensable to the invention, and the plurality of features may also be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
Outline of Recording Apparatus
The recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is an ink-jet-type (liquid-ejection-type) recording apparatus that ejects ink as recording liquid to perform recording on a sheet serving as a recording medium, but the present invention is also applicable to various recording apparatus other than an ink-jet recording apparatus.
Note that “recording” includes not only a case where significant information such as a character or graphic pattern is formed, but also a case where an image, design, or pattern is formed on a recording medium in a broader sense or the medium is processed regardless of whether the information is significant or insignificant or is made visible to allow human visual perception. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a cut sheet corresponding to a single-sheet recording medium is single-sheet paper and a continuous sheet corresponding to a continuous recording medium is continuous paper. The single-sheet paper is recording paper in a form separated from subsequent recording paper before conveyance is started. The continuous paper is recording paper held/contained in a containing portion in a form not separated from subsequent recording paper at least when conveyance is started. Typical examples include a form of a roll sheet such as roll paper in which a continuous sheet is wound, but the continuous paper may also be held/contained in the form of a folded sheet such as folded paper. In addition, effects of the present invention are not limited to a case where the recording medium is paper, but are also applicable to a film-type recording medium, fabric, or the like.
The recording apparatus 1 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and includes an apparatus main body 2 and a main body cover portion 3 including a plurality of covers. The main body cover portion 3 is provided so as to cover the apparatus main body 2 to form a top portion of the recording apparatus 1. In the main body cover portion 3 in the present embodiment, a paper feeding cover 301 for setting a recording medium, an access cover 302 for allowing a maintenance operation to be performed inside the apparatus, and a tank access cover 303 covering a portion of the apparatus that feeds ink to a tank are present. It may also be possible to provide a configuration in which a reading unit (scanner unit) 3a that reads an image of a document is provided, and the entire reading unit 3a makes an opening/closing movement similarly to the access cover 302 to allow the maintenance operation to be performed inside the apparatus. A front part of the recording apparatus 1 is formed with a discharge portion 10 from which the recorded recording medium is discharged. The front part of the recording apparatus 1 is also formed with an operation unit 36 that receives an operation by an operator (user). The operation unit 36 includes a touch-panel-type display portion to not only receive an input operation by the operator, but also display information to the operator. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 36 functions as a notifying portion that performs notifying to encourage the user to perform jam handling as conveyance abnormality handling and as an input portion that receives an input of completion of the jam handling from the user.
Referring to
The ejection head 4 in the present embodiment is a recording head that ejects ink fed from each of containers 5 to the recording medium to perform recording thereon. The ejection head 4 has an ejection surface 4a formed with a plurality of nozzles that eject the ink. Each of the nozzles is provided with, e.g., an electrothermal conversion element (heater), and the electrothermal conversion element heats the ink by electrification to bubble the ink and eject the ink with the resulting bubbling energy.
The ejection head 4 is mounted on a carriage 6. The carriage 6 reciprocates in the X-direction (main scanning direction) by a drive unit (not shown). The drive unit includes a driver pulley (not shown) and a driven pulley 7b which are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the X-direction, an endless belt 7c wound around these pulleys, and a carriage motor 7a serving as a drive source that rotates the driver pulley (not shown in
Thus, the recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is a serial-type ink jet recording apparatus in which the ejection head 4 is mounted on the reciprocating carriage 6. However, the recording apparatus to which the present invention is applicable is not limited thereto. The present invention is also applicable to another recording apparatus such as, e.g., an ink-jet recording apparatus including a so-called full-line-head ejection head (recording head) in which a plurality of nozzles that eject liquid are provided over a region corresponding to a width of the recording medium.
The recording apparatus 1 includes a single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a that conveys the single-sheet paper, a continuous paper feeding unit 8b that conveys the continuous paper, and a conveyance unit 9. First, the single-sheet paper is conveyed from the single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a toward a recording portion in which the ejection head 4 is disposed and subsequently conveyed by the conveyance unit 9, while image recording is performed thereon. In a case where the continuous paper is the roll paper, a sheet-shaped portion of the roll paper pulled out from a roll-shaped portion thereof is first conveyed by the continuous paper feeding unit 8b toward the recording portion, and further conveyed by the conveyance unit 9, while image recording is performed thereon. A conveyance path for the single-sheet paper and a conveyance path for the continuous paper join together before the recording portion to result in a common conveyance path from a junction point through the recording portion to subsequent paper discharge. Details thereof will be described later.
The single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a includes, as a first containing portion, a loading portion 810 on/in which a plurality of sheets of the single-sheet paper can be loaded/contained and a separable feeding portion 820 capable of separating the plurality of sheets of single-sheet paper loaded on the loading portion 810 one by one and feeding each of the sheets of single-sheet paper to the conveyance path. To the separable feeding portion 820, power is transmitted from the drive source (not shown) to allow the separable feeding portion 820 to operate.
The continuous paper feeding unit 8b includes, as a second containing portion, a roll set portion 8c serving as a holding portion in which the roll paper corresponding to the continuous paper wound in a roll shape is rotatably held/placed and a continuous paper feeding mechanism 835 (see
Referring to
In the single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a, as a part of the loading portion 810, a pressure plate 811 is rotatably provided around a rotation axis 811a parallel to the width direction (X-direction) of the recording paper perpendicular to the direction in which the recording paper is conveyed. On a widthwise middle portion of a downstream-side end portion of the pressure plate 811 in the direction in which the single-sheet paper is conveyed, a separation pad 812 is provided. In the separable feeding portion 820, a pickup roller 821 is provided at a position corresponding to the separation pad 812 in the width direction, while a separation roller 822 is provided at a position facing the pickup roller 821 on a side downstream of the separation pad 812 in the conveying direction. The pickup roller 821 and the separation roller 822 are rotatably provided around rotation axes 821a and 822a each parallel to the width direction (X-direction), and the separation roller 822 is configured so as to rotate following the rotation of the pickup roller 821.
A description will be given of a method of separably feeding the single-sheet paper. When the drive source (not shown) rotates, the pickup roller 821 begins to rotate around the rotation axis 821a. At the same time, the pressure plate 811 held down by a cam (not shown) pivots in the arrow direction in
In the present embodiment, a separation mechanism based on friction as described above is used, but the separation mechanism from which the effects of the present invention are obtainable is not limited thereto. For example, from an apparatus using adsorption separation using air or the like also, the effects of the present invention are obtainable.
Referring to
It is assumed that, as the continuous paper in the present embodiment, the roll paper R in which the elongated recording paper is wound into a roll shape is used. However, the continuous paper is not limited to the roll paper to obtain the effects of the present invention, and, e.g., the continuous paper in a form in which the elongated recording paper is folded may also be used.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
On a downstream side of the junction point 850 in the recording paper conveying direction, a common conveyance path 890 through which each of the single-sheet paper and the continuous paper is conveyed is provided. On an upstream side of the conveyance rollers 9a in the common conveyance path 890, a recording paper detecting sensor 870 that detects the single-sheet paper and the continuous paper is provided. The recording paper detecting sensor 870 detects a leading end and a rear end of the recording paper and functions as a trigger for each of a cuing operation during recording operation control, rear end processing, and operations during paper feeding and paper discharge or the like.
A specific configuration of the recording paper detecting sensor 870 is not particularly limited, and it may be possible to use e.g., an optical sensor. In other words, it may be possible to provide a configuration in which a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion are provided, and detecting light emitted from the light emitting unit toward the conveyance path is blocked by the recording paper to change a light receiving state of the light receiving portion and thereby effect intended detecting. Alternatively, it may also be possible to use a mechanical sensor in which a contact maker provided to be able to advance/retract with respect to the conveyance path comes into contact with the recording paper to detect the presence or absence of the recording paper. The same applies also to a continuous paper detecting sensor 880 (described later).
On an upstream side of the junction point 850 in the continuous paper conveyance path 860, the continuous paper detecting sensor 880 is provided. The continuous paper detecting sensor 880 is used when recording target switching is performed between the single-sheet paper and the continuous paper. When, e.g., switching is performed from a recording operation for the continuous paper to a recording operation for the single-sheet paper, the continuous paper is rewound until the continuous paper detecting sensor 880 detects the absence of the recording paper. Then, the continuous paper is sent again by the continuous paper feeding mechanism 835, and the feeding is continued until the continuous paper detecting sensor 880 detects the presence of the recording paper. When the recording operation is performed again with respect to the continuous paper, the continuous paper feeding mechanism 835 is operated to be able to send the continuous paper to the conveyance rollers 9a.
Note that, to merely rewind the continuous paper, the same operation can be performed by mere control of an amount of winding from the recording paper detecting sensor 870 located downstream of the junction point 850. However, when the power source is turned off, a position of the leading end of the continuous paper becomes unstable, and the feeding can no longer be performed again. In this mode in which the continuous paper detecting sensor 880 is mounted, after the power source is turned on, the continuous paper detecting sensor 880 detects the presence of the paper and, when recording is performed on the continuous paper, by operating the continuous paper feeding mechanism 835, it is possible to perform automatic feeding without user intervention.
The conveyance unit 9 is a mechanism that conveys the recording paper fed from the single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a or the continuous paper feeding unit 8b in the Y-direction (sub-scanning direction). The conveyance unit 9 includes the conveyance rollers 9a and a conveyance motor 9b (see
In the case of the present embodiment, the containers 5 (5C, 5M, 5Y, and 5Bk) each containing the ink are stationary containers fixed to the recording apparatus 1. When an amount of the remaining ink decreases, an operator refills each of the containers 5 with the ink without detaching the container 5 from the recording apparatus 1. The containers 5C, 5M, 5Y, and 5Bk are containers each having the same structure and present due to different colors of the ink contained therein, which are arranged in the Y-direction on a right side surface of a front part of the recording apparatus 1, as illustrated in
The MPU 31 controls the ejection head 4 via a driver 34a. The MPU 31 controls the carriage motor 7a via a driver 34b. The MPU 31 also controls, as a conveyance control portion, the conveyance motor 9b, the single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a, and the continuous paper feeding unit 8b via drivers 34c, 34d, and 34e. The MPU 31 also controls a cutting operation by a cutter 11 via a driver 34f.
The MPU 31 also acquires detecting results from a sensor group 35 including various sensors provided in the recording apparatus 1 and performs a control operation. The sensor group 35 includes the recording paper detecting sensor 870, the continuous paper detecting sensor 880, and a cover detecting sensor 35a. The MPU 31 also controls the display on the display portion of the operation unit 36 and receives the operation from the user to the operation unit 36.
The host computer 100 is, e.g., a personal computer or a mobile terminal (such as, e.g., a smartphone or a tablet terminal) used by the user. In the host computer 100, a printer driver 101 that performs communication between the host computer 100 and the recording apparatus 1 is installed. The recording apparatus 1 includes an interface portion 33, and the communication between the host computer 100 and the MPU 31 is performed via the interface portion 33. When, e.g., execution of a recording operation is input from the user to the host computer 100, the printer driver 101 compiles settings (information such as a quality of a recorded image) related to data on an image to be recorded and recording thereof to give, to the recording apparatus 1, an instruction to execute the recording operation.
Referring to
When the cutting operation by the cutter 11 is ended, the recorded recording paper corresponding to the separated recorded region of the continuous paper is subsequently discharged to the outside of the apparatus while, in S204, a continuous paper discharge operation of rewinding the unrecorded region of the continuous paper is performed. At that time, the leading end of the continuous paper is retracted to a position upstream of the junction point 850 so as not to stand in the way at the time of the recording on the single-sheet paper. When the retracting rewinding operation is performed, in S205, it is determined whether or not the continuous paper has passed through the detecting position in the recording paper detecting sensor 870. When the continuous paper has not normally passed therethrough, i.e., when the recording paper detecting sensor 870 detects the recording paper even after a lapse of a predetermined period after reverse conveyance of the continuous paper is started, the paper jam error is determined on the assumption that the continuous paper is caught somewhere and remaining.
A predetermined period used for the determination of the paper jam error by the recording paper detecting sensor 870 described above may be set as a threshold time period acquired from, e.g., a speed of the conveyance of the recording paper and from conveyance distances between the individual components in the conveyance path in accordance with an apparatus configuration.
Jam Handling Method
Referring to
As illustrated in
In a normal jam handling procedure in the present recording apparatus, in a jammed state as described above, in a case of a jam of the continuous paper, the user cuts the continuous paper in the vicinity of the roll. Then, the user pulls out the continuous paper in the paper discharge direction to remove the recording paper. As necessary, the access cover 302 is opened, and the remaining paper is removed. In a case of the single-sheet paper, jam handling is performed by pulling out, in a direction of a paper discharge port, the recording paper that can be pulled out in the direction of the paper discharge port and thereby removing the recording paper and by pulling out the recording paper remaining in the vicinity of the loading portion 810 to the rear of the recording apparatus.
When the jam handling is performed in a procedure as described above, it may be possible in very rare cases that the recording paper is torn to remain in a user inaccessible area upstream of the conveyance rollers 9a. In addition, when recording paper smaller than recording paper sizes according to the specification is fed from the single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a also, the recording paper does not reach the conveyance rollers 9a and remains there, resulting in a jam.
A handling method in such a case will be described using an example of the jam handling flow illustrated in
At this time, it may also be possible to adopt a mode in which the roll is automatically rewound as in S304 instead of encouraging the user to perform the jam handling as in, e.g., the other example of the jam handling flow illustrated in
Then, in S303, the recording paper detecting sensor 870 in the vicinity of the conveyance rollers 9a determines the remaining recording paper. When the remaining recording paper is not detected, the jam handling is completed herein, and an initializing operation for the apparatus is performed. When the remaining recording paper is detected, in S306, one sheet of the recording paper is conveyed from the single-sheet paper feeding unit 8a, and a jammed paper lead-out operation of leading out and discharging a paper piece, out-of-specification small-sized paper, or the like remaining on the recording paper detecting sensor 870 upstream of the conveyance rollers 9a is performed. This is the operation performed in the expectation that friction and snagging of the fed recording paper moves the remaining paper piece in the discharge direction. Then, the sensor state is checked again and, when there is no recording paper on each of the sensors, the flow of the jam handling is completed.
In the jam handling flow illustrated in
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-012084, filed on Jan. 28, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-012084 | Jan 2022 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5028965 | Kinoshita | Jul 1991 | A |
| 5144386 | Matsuo | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5328280 | Ito | Jul 1994 | A |
| 20120056365 | Kato | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20230264495 | Fukui | Aug 2023 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-167684 | Jun 2004 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230241906 A1 | Aug 2023 | US |
