RECORDING SHEET CONTAINING CASSETTE AND PRINTER APPARATUS USING THE SAME CASSETTE

Abstract

A recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge, comprises a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets by stacking the sheets; and an ink sheet containing portion that contains ink sheets, the recording sheet containing portion including two separating pawls disposed to catch corners of a leading edge of the recording sheet in a feeding direction and separating the recording sheet and a first aperture portion formed in one of two side surfaces of said recording sheet containing portion in a direction orthogonal to the recording sheet feeding direction, and urging the recording sheet, wherein one of the two separating pawls, which is closer to the first aperture portion, is larger than the other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of components of the recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge and an assembling method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are explanatory views of the components of the recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge and the assembling method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the components of the recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge and the assembling method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the components of the recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge and the assembling method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a printer using the recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge and the assembling method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the printer using the recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge and the assembling method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a thermal head unit provided in a printer body illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a state of fitting a photo reflector of the thermal head unit.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a state of how the integral type cartridge is loaded with respect to the thermal head unit into the printer body.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the state in which the integral type cartridge is loaded with respect to the thermal head unit into the printer body.

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating the state in which the integral type cartridge is loaded with respect to the thermal head unit into the printer body.

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating the state in which the integral type cartridge is loaded with respect to the thermal head unit into the printer body.

FIGS. 15A, 15B and 15C are views illustrating three types of recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridges corresponding to different sizes of recording sheets according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C are views illustrating the three types of recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridges corresponding to the different sizes of recording sheets according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating a state of removing a protection sheet in a state of loading the integral type cartridge into the printer body.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view illustrating a positional relationship between an urging member (one-side aligning member) according to the present invention, the cartridge and the recording sheet.

FIGS. 19A, 19B and 19C are views illustrating a relationship between the separating pawls and the recording sheet in the example of the cartridge in the case of adopting the urging member (one-side aligning member) according to the present invention.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are views illustrating a relationship between the separating pawls and the recording sheet in the example of the cartridge in the case of adopting none of the urging member (one-side aligning member) according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory view of an operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory view of the operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 23 is an explanatory view of the operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory view of the operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory view of the operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory view of the operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory view of the operation of the printer apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 28A and 28B are explanatory views of a method of detecting existence or non-existence of the recording sheets in the cartridge.

FIG. 29 is an explanatory view of the method of detecting the existence or non-existence of the recording sheets in the cartridge.

FIG. 30 is an explanatory view of how running of the ink sheet is stabilized when printing.

FIG. 31 is an explanatory view of how the running of the ink sheet is stabilized when printing.

FIG. 32 is a view of a comparison between sizes of the right and left separating pawls in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 33A and 33B are sectional views illustrating a first example of a general construction of a conventional thermal transfer printer.

FIGS. 34A and 34B are sectional views illustrating a second example of the general construction of the conventional thermal transfer printer.

FIGS. 35A and 35B are views illustrating various sizes of recording sheets and ink sheet cartridges that are employed for the conventional thermal transfer printer.

Claims

1. A recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge, comprising: a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets by stacking the sheets; andan ink sheet containing portion that contains ink sheets,said recording sheet containing portion including:two separating pawls disposed to catch corners of a leading edge of the recording sheet in a feeding direction and separating the recording sheet; anda first aperture portion formed in one of two side surfaces of said recording sheet containing portion in a direction orthogonal to the recording sheet feeding direction, and urging the recording sheet,wherein one of said two separating pawls, which is closer to said first aperture portion, is larger than the other.

2. A recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a feeding port, formed in a bottom surface of said recording sheet containing portion, via which to feed the recording sheets within said recording sheet containing portion, and said two separating pawls are disposed at said feeding port.

3. A recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said ink sheet containing portion is constructed to include, at the bottom surface of said recording sheet containing portion, a first containing portion that contains ink sheets to be supplied and a second containing portion that winds up the ink sheets, and said feeding port neighbors to said first containing portion and is formed in an edge portion of said recording sheet containing portion.

4. A recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge according to claim 3, wherein a second aperture portion via which to feed the recording sheets is provided between said first containing portion and said second containing portion at the bottom surface of said recording sheet containing portion, and said second aperture portion extends in a direction orthogonal to the recording sheet feeding direction and communicates with said first aperture portion.

5. A printer apparatus loaded with a recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge comprising: a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets by stacking the sheets; andan ink sheet containing portion that contains ink sheets,said recording sheet containing portion including:two separating pawls disposed to catch corners of a leading edge of the recording sheet in a feeding direction and separating the recording sheet; anda first aperture portion formed in one of two side surfaces of said recording sheet containing portion in a direction orthogonal to the recording sheet feeding direction, and urging the recording sheet,one of said two separating pawls, which is closer to said first aperture portion, being larger than the other,wherein a printer body includes an urging member that urges the recording sheet via said first aperture portion of said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge loaded into an interior of said printer body, and aligns the recording sheets one-sidedly on the side of said smaller separating pawl within said recording sheet containing portion.

6. A printer apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge further comprises a feeding port, formed in a bottom surface of said recording sheet containing portion, via which to feed the recording sheets within said recording sheet containing portion, and said two separating pawls are disposed at said feeding port.

7. A printer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ink sheet containing portion is constructed to include, at the bottom surface of said recording sheet containing portion, a first containing portion that contains ink sheets to be supplied and a second containing portion that winds up the ink sheets, and said feeding port neighbors to said first containing portion and is formed in an edge portion of said recording sheet containing portion.

8. A printer apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a second aperture portion via which to feed the recording sheets is provided between said first containing portion and said second containing portion at the bottom surface of said recording sheet containing portion, and said second aperture portion extends in a direction orthogonal to the recording sheet feeding direction and communicates with said first aperture portion.

9. A printer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said printer body includes a thermal head unit disposed in a space area between said first containing portion and said second containing portion of said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge loaded into the interior of said printer body, and said thermal head unit includes a sheet feeding roller that feeds the recording sheet in said recording sheet containing portion via said second aperture portion and further includes said urging member.

10. A printer apparatus according to any one of claims 5 through 9, wherein said first aperture portion of said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge is formed in a front surface in a direction of loading said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge into said printer body.

11. A printer apparatus loaded with a recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge comprising: a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets by stacking the sheets; andan ink sheet containing portion that contains ink sheets,wherein said printer body includes:an urging member urged in a take-out direction of said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge; andan aperture portion, formed in part of said recording sheet containing portion on a leading side when loading said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge into said printer body, through which to pass said urging member.

12. A printer apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said recording sheet containing portion includes separating pawls that separate the recording sheet, and said separating pawls are a first separating pawl positioned on the leading side when loading said recording sheet/ink sheet integral type cartridge into said printer body and a second separating pawl positioned on a tailing side thereof.

13. A printer apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first separating pawl is larger than said second separating pawl.

14. A recording sheet containing cassette comprising: a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets;first and second separating pawls, disposed to engage with both of corners of a leading edge, in a sheet feeding direction, of the recording sheet in said recording sheet containing portion, and separating the recording sheet; anda regulating member that regulates a position of one edge of the recording sheet contained in said recording sheet containing portion,wherein said first separating pawl of said first and second separating pawls, which is closer to said regulating member, is formed smaller than said second separating pawl.

15. A recording sheet containing cassette according to claim 14, wherein a length of said first separating pawl in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction is shorter than a length of said second separating pawl in the direction orthogonal to the feeding direction.

16. A recording sheet containing cassette according to claim 14, wherein a length of said first separating pawl in the feeding direction is shorter than a length of said second separating pawl in the feeding direction.

17. A recording sheet containing cassette according to claim 14, wherein an area of the surface, facing the recording sheet, of said first separating pawl is smaller than an area of the surface, facing the recording sheet, of said second separating pawl.

18. A feeding apparatus comprising: a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets;a feeding unit that feeds the recording sheet contained in said recording sheet containing portion;first and second separating pawls, disposed to engage with both of corners of a leading edge, in a sheet feeding direction, of the recording sheet in said recording sheet containing portion, and separating the single recording sheet from other recording sheets, which is fed by said feeding unit;a regulating member that regulates a position of one edge of the recording sheet contained in said recording sheet containing portion; andan urging member that urges the recording sheet to abut on said regulating member,wherein said first separating pawl of said first and second separating pawls, which is closer to said regulating member, is formed smaller than said second separating pawl.

19. A recording apparatus comprising: a recording sheet containing portion that contains recording sheets;a feeding unit that feeds the recording sheet contained in said recording sheet containing portion;first and second separating pawls, disposed to engage with both of corners of a leading edge, in a sheet feeding direction, of the recording sheet in said recording sheet containing portion, and separating the single recording sheet from other recording sheets, which is fed by said feeding unit;a regulating member that regulates a position of one edge of the recording sheet contained in said recording sheet containing portion;an urging member that urges the recording sheet to abut on said regulating member; andrecoding unit that performs recording on the recording sheet fed by said feeding unit,wherein said first separating pawl of said first and second separating pawls, which is closer to said regulating member, is formed smaller than said second separating pawl.