JPH05221566A - Paper feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a paper feeding device, reduce the size and the cost of the device and simplify setting of a continuous paper sheet to a tractor, in a paper feeding device for a printer to make print selectively on a continuous paper sheet and a cutform paper sheet. CONSTITUTION:A paper feed roller 10 is arranged downstream in a paper sheet conveying direction from the tractor 5 on a continuous paper conveying passage and a continuous paper sheet 11 and a cutform paper sheet 12 are selectively fed by means of a switch lever. This constitution miniaturizes a paper sheet feeding device, simplifies a mechanism, reduces a cost, and simplifies setting of the continuous paper sheet 11 to the tractor 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer capable of printing on continuous paper and single-cut paper. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds cut sheets and continuous sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some printers are equipped with a paper transport mechanism for supplying various papers such as continuous paper and single-cut paper to a printing unit. A sheet feeding device as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-119068 is known.

The contents disclosed therein are as shown in FIG. In this paper feeding device, the continuous paper 11 or the cut sheet 12 can be selectively used, and a dedicated paper feeding device for feeding the cut sheet 12 is provided with a paper feed roller 10. The tractor 5 is provided as a device for conveying the continuous paper 11, and the arrangement of the two is such that the tractor 5 is mounted below the paper feed roller 10.

[0004]

However, in the above-described paper feeding device, the paper feed roller 10 of the feeding device for the single-cut paper 12 and the tractor 5 for conveying the continuous paper 11 are arranged in the vertical direction. Becomes large, and the mechanism becomes complicated and expensive. Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to set the continuous paper 11 on the tractor 5 because there is a feeding device for the cut paper 12 above the tractor 5.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding device which is simple in size, small in size, inexpensive, and easy to set the continuous paper 11 on the tractor 5. Is to provide.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a paper feeding apparatus of the present invention comprises a tractor for feeding continuous paper along a paper transport path and a paper feed roller for feeding cut paper. In the provided paper feeding device, a paper feed roller is provided on the downstream side of the paper transport path for continuous paper with respect to the tractor. Further, a switching mechanism for selectively switching between the feeding of cut sheets and continuous sheets, a detection means for detecting the state of continuous sheet feeding or single sheet feeding, And a means for controlling the paper feed mechanism in accordance with the output signal of the detection means, and selectively switching between the feeding of cut sheets and continuous sheets.

[0007]

The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a sheet feeding device of a printer of the present invention, which is a tractor 5.
Shows the state in which the continuous paper 11 is conveyed. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the paper feed roller 10 and the tractor 5 according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a side view of a train wheel corresponding to a single-cut sheet feeding state (hereinafter referred to as a friction mode state) of the switching lever according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a continuous sheet feeding state of the switching lever according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a tractor mode state). Called.)
5 is a side view of a train wheel corresponding to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a paper feeding device of a printer that feeds cut-sheet paper 12 according to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the signal path of the printer of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a print head for outputting a print on a sheet, 2 is a platen, 5 is a tractor for conveying a continuous sheet 11, 6 is a cut sheet 12 and a continuous sheet 11
Paper detector for detecting the presence or absence of paper, 8 is a paper print head 1
Feed rollers for conveying to 10 separates single-cut sheets,
A sheet feeding roller for conveying, a sheet feeding roller shaft 9 for driving the sheet feeding roller 10, a hopper portion 13 for setting the cut sheet 12 and a hopper plate 14.

Next, the operation of the paper feeding device of the printer of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper of the tractor 5 that conveys the continuous paper 11 to the printer main body. Cut sheet 12 on the downstream side in the transport direction
A paper feed roller 10 for feeding the continuous paper 1 is arranged.
1 is a structure in which the upper surface of the tractor 5 is fed, and the cut-sheet paper 12 is fed in the lower surface of the paper feed roller 10. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the paper feed motor 31 depending on the detection state of the paper detector 6 from the input of the paper feed signal of the paper, and shows the schematic operation in the friction mode and the tractor mode.

First, when the cut sheet 12 is fed as shown in FIG. 5, the cut sheet 12 is fed to the hopper plate 14 of the sheet feeding device.
A predetermined number of sheets are set on the upper side, and then the switching lever 30 is switched in the clockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as CW) to be in the state shown in FIG. In this state, the signal from the detection switch 17 causes the central processing unit 18 (hereinafter referred to as CPU) of the printer to recognize the friction mode. When a paper feed signal is input to the CPU 18 of the printer by the command of the paper feed switch of the host computer or the operation panel 34 of the printer, the paper feed motor 31 transmits the signal from the CPU 18 in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. (Hereinafter referred to as CCW), the transmission gear 21 rotates the platen gear 20, and the feed roller gear 2
3 is rotated to CCW, the planetary gear 25 is rotated to CCW via the planetary lever 24 connected to the feed roller gear 23, meshes with the paper feed roller gear 26, and the paper feed roller gear 26 is rotated to CCW. The coupled paper feed roller 10 is rotated CCW. Further, the disengage gear 27 is disengaged by the slider lever 28 connected to the switching lever 30 and is not meshed with the feed roller gear 23.

Further, in FIG. 5, the cut sheet 12 set on the hopper plate 14 of the hopper section 13 is pressed to a predetermined load by the hopper spring 15 and is fed to the sheet feeding roller 1.
Pressed to 0. The cut sheet 12 is fed in the direction of the print head 1 by the rotation of the paper feed roller 10, reaches the sheet detector 6, and is then conveyed to a position where the cut sheet 12 is engaged with the feed roller 8. Next, set the paper feed motor 31 to CW
By rotating the feed roller gear 23 to CW by a predetermined amount (M), the feed roller 8 is rotated to CW, and the cut sheet 12 is set at the print start position. At that time, the planetary lever 24 is rotated by the CW and stopped at the hit position, so that the planetary gear 25 is retracted from the paper feed roller gear 26 and the driving force of the paper feed roller 10 does not act.

On the other hand, when manually inserting the cut sheet 12 in the state shown in FIG.
Is inserted from the front paper supply port 3, the switching lever 30 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 3, and is inserted until it abuts on the feed roller 8, the paper detection switch 6 operates as shown in FIG.
A signal for inserting the cut sheet 12 is input to U18. Then, in response to an execution command from the CPU 18 to rotate the paper feed motor 31 by a predetermined amount (M), the feed roller 8 is rotated and the cut sheet 12 is conveyed and set at the print start position.

Next, when the continuous paper 11 is fed as shown in FIG. 1, the continuous paper 11 is first set on the tractor 5. At this time, since there is no obstacle above the tractor 5, the continuous paper 11 can be easily set on the tractor 5. Next, the switching lever 30 is rotated to CCW, as shown in FIG.
When the tractor mode position is tilted as shown in FIG. 5, the disengage gear 27 meshes with the feed roller gear 23 by the slider lever 28 connected to the switching lever 30, and the slider lever 28 operates the actuator portion of the detection switch 17. Detection switch 1
The CPU 18 recognizes the tractor mode by the signal of 7. The CPU of the printer is instructed by the instruction of the paper feed switch on the operation panel 34 of the host computer or the printer.
When a paper feed signal is input to 18, the paper feed motor 31 rotates to CW by the signal transmission from the CPU 18, and the transmission gear 21 causes the platen gear 20 to CW as shown in FIG.
The feed roller gear 23 is rotated to CW, the disengagement gear 27 is passed, the tractor drive gear 29 is rotated to CW, the continuous paper 11 is conveyed, and the paper detection switch 6 is operated. The paper feed motor 31 is rotated by CW by the amount (N) to convey it to the printing portion, and is set at the printing start position. At this time, the slider lever 28 (a) connected to the switching lever 30 does not fix the planet lever 24 to the hitting position so that the planet gear 25 and the feed roller gear 26 are engaged. Therefore, the cut sheet 12 is not fed.

Although the embodiment in which the tractor 5 and the paper feed roller 10 are laid out on the front surface has been described here, FIG.
You may arrange | position on the back surface part like this. That is, even in such an arrangement, if the paper feed roller 10 is provided on the downstream side of the tractor 5 in the paper conveyance direction, the same effect as that of the embodiment of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

In this embodiment, an example having one paper feed roller 10 has been described, but it goes without saying that a configuration having two or more paper feed rollers 10 may be used.

The example in which the disengagement gear 27 and the like are manually switched by the switching lever 30 when switching from the friction mode to the tractor mode has been described above, but instead of switching by the switching lever 30, the operation panel 34 on the printer is replaced. CPU 1 inside the printer based on information from switches and host computer
A switching signal may be applied in accordance with the command of 8, and a switching motor (not shown) is rotated by a switching motor drive circuit to switch the disengagement gear 27 by an operation cam.

According to the present invention, in the printer which selectively prints on the continuous paper 11 and the single-cut paper 12, the paper feed roller 10 is provided downstream of the tractor 5 in the continuous paper transport path from the tractor 5. Since the tractor 5 and the paper feed roller 10 do not overlap each other in the vertical direction, and the entire apparatus can be downsized and the mechanism can be simplified, the apparatus can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the tractor for the continuous paper 11 can be obtained. 5
The present invention provides a paper feeding device that can be easily set in the paper.

[0018]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, in a printer that selectively prints on continuous paper and single-cut paper, it is located downstream of the tractor in the continuous paper transport path in the paper transport direction. Since the tractor and the paper feed roller do not overlap each other in the vertical direction due to the provision of the paper feed roller, the entire device can be downsized and the mechanism can be simplified, resulting in simplification of the device and low cost. It is possible to realize a paper feeding device that is easy to use and that can easily set continuous paper on the tractor. Further, since the friction mode and the tractor mode can be detected by the detection switch and continuous paper and single-cut paper can be independently supplied, an easy-to-use paper conveyance device can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a paper feeding device that conveys continuous paper by a tractor method of the paper feeding device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a paper feed roller and a tractor according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a train wheel corresponding to a position of a switching lever when a cut sheet of the present invention is conveyed.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a train wheel corresponding to a position of a switching lever when a continuous sheet of the present invention is conveyed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet feeding device that conveys cut sheets by a sheet feeding roller of the sheet feeding device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a signal path of the paper feeding device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a paper feeding device showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional paper feeding device.

[Simple explanation of symbols]

 1 Print Head 2 Platen 3 Paper Supply Port 4 Tractor Drive Shaft 5 Tractor 6 Paper Detector 7 Paper Ejection Roller 8 Feed Roller 9 Paper Feed Roller Shaft 10 Paper Feed Roller 11 Continuous Paper 12 Single Cut Paper 13 Hopper 14 Hopper Plate 15 Hopper Spring 16 Switching mechanism 17 Detection switch 18 CPU 19 Motor drive circuit 20 Platen gear 21 Transmission gear 22 Motor pinion 23 Feed roller gear 24 Planetary lever 25 Planetary gear 26 Paper feed roller gear 27 Disengage gear 28 Slider lever 29 Tractor drive gear 30 Switching lever 31 Paper feed motor 33 Feed roller holder 34 Friction spring

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A paper feeding device comprising a tractor for feeding continuous paper along a paper transport path and a paper feed roller for feeding cut-sheet paper, wherein the paper transport path for the continuous paper is supplied to the tractor. A sheet feeding device comprising the sheet feeding roller on the downstream side of the sheet feeding device. 2. The feeding of the cut sheet and the continuous sheet,
A switching mechanism for selectively switching, a detecting means for detecting which of continuous paper feeding and single-cut sheet feeding is selected, and means for controlling the paper feeding mechanism by an output signal of the detecting means. 2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: and selectively switching between feeding the single-cut sheet and the continuous sheet.