JPS63302078A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a compact construction and an arbitrary shape, by providing a driver comprising a piezoelectric element, at a part or plural parts of an arbitrarily shaped surface brought into contact with a recording paper, and generating a progressive wave an the piezoelectric element to feed the paper along the progressive wave. CONSTITUTION:A paper-pressing part presses a recording paper 5 by a spring or the like so that a frictional force is generated between the paper 5 and piezoelectric driving units 2. When the left and right piezoelectric driving elements located at arbitrary corresponding positions in the units 2 are supplied with driving signals with a specified timing, the elements are caused to repeat charging and discharging, with the driving signals as triggers, whereby mechanical vibration is repeated, and it is possible to feed the paper 5 in an arbitrary direction, at an arbitrary velocity and with arbitrary accuracy. The degree of freedom as to the geometrical shape of a paper-feeding mechanism is increased, as compared with that in a conventional system. Besides, the need for a mechanically complicated construction using gears or the like is eliminated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a paper feeding device consisting of a set of piezoelectric elements on the surface that comes into contact with recording paper, and while feeding the paper intermittently, characters or images are transferred onto the recording paper. The present invention relates to the structure and driving method of a paper feeding device of a recording apparatus that performs printing.

[Conventional technology]

In terminal printers used as printing terminals for processing devices such as computers and word processors, the recording paper is transferred to a main paper with a cylindrical shape called a paper feed roller, which uses the driving force generated by a drive device such as a motor. The rotational motion of the feeding device is converted into rotational motion, and the recording paper is pressed against the main paper feeding device using a cylindrical-shaped sub paper feeding device called a paper press roller, and the recording paper is moved between the main paper feeding device and the recording paper. A common method is to feed the recording paper using the abrasive force of the paper.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, the above-mentioned technology, that is, the paper feeding method using a paper feeding roller and a paper pressing roller, requires a complicated gear train using gears to transmit the driving force from the driving device.
This resulted in a reduction in the efficiency of driving force transmission, and required a complex electrical control device to accurately control the amount of paper feed.

Furthermore, using the paper feeding method to feed the recording paper in the reverse direction requires a complicated mechanism and control method due to the amount of mechanical play in the driving force transmission mechanism.

Furthermore, the geometrical constraints of using one or several pairs of cylindrical rollers placed significant constraints on the shape of the printing device.

(Means for solving 8 points of "f!!") The paper feeding device of the present invention is provided with a drive device made of a piezoelectric element on a part or a plurality of parts of a surface having an arbitrary shape that contacts the recording paper,
It is characterized in that a traveling wave is generated on a piezoelectric element, and paper is fed along the traveling wave.

[Effect]

According to the above configuration of the present invention, it is possible to feed the recording paper in any direction, speed, and precision, and the geometrical shape of the paper feeding mechanism also has greater flexibility compared to the prior art.

Further, a mechanically complicated wheel train structure using gears or the like is not required.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in detail based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus including a paper feeding device of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a line head unit 1 includes a recording device such as a line type thermal transfer head, a bubble type line inkjet head, an on-demand type line inkjet head, etc., and a piezoelectric drive unit 2 located below the line head unit 1. This is a general term for the entire part including the part that fixes the recording paper 5 - the part that presses the recording paper 5 downward. The paper holding part is designed to be able to press the recording paper 5 with a spring or the like so as to generate a certain amount of frictional force between the recording paper 5 and the piezoelectric drive unit 2, and also to pressurize the recording paper 5 with a spring or the like so as to generate a certain amount of frictional force between the recording paper 5 and the piezoelectric drive unit 2. It is made of smooth material so that the frictional force is small.

The paper pressing portion of the line head unit 1 may be configured separately from the line head unit 1.

The present embodiment will be described below with respect to the case where the paper presser portion is included in the head unit 1, or it can be similarly applied to a system having a separate structure.

In the standby state, a gap is provided between the line head unit 1 and the ultrasonic drive unit 2 into which the recording paper 5 can be inserted.

The recording paper 5 inserted in the main scanning direction 6 is subjected to ultrasonic waves by a head plunger 3 driven by a paper detection signal from a paper detection device made of a photosensor or the like provided in the line head unit 1. An appropriate load is applied between the drive device 2 and the paper holding portion of the line head unit 1 and the line head unit 1 is fixed.

In FIG. 2, Ln, m and Rn, m shown with subscripts represent the left piezoelectric drive element and the right ultrasonic drive element constituting the piezoelectric drive unit 2, and the subscript (n
, m), the natural numbers from l to n assigned to the position n of m) represent rows in the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and
The natural numbers from 1 to m assigned to the positions represent columns in the direction parallel to the main scanning direction 6.

The piezoelectric drive unit 2 has elements Li,j and Ri,j expressed using the subscripts 1≦i≦n 1≦jam
arranged in a matrix with individual elements Li.

JsR1+J is an inorganic piezoelectric material such as a compound such as titanium oxide or zircon oxide, or a polymeric piezoelectric material such as a fluorine compound, and these are hereinafter referred to as a left piezoelectric drive element and a right piezoelectric drive element, respectively.

Hereinafter, the left and right piezoelectric drive elements located at arbitrary positions in the piezoelectric drive unit 2 will be represented by Lll and Lll, respectively.
J% R11J is used.

A drive signal is given to the piezoelectric elements having the same number of overlaps, ie, the left piezoelectric drive element LIIJ1 and the right piezoelectric element Ri, j, at the timing shown in the timing chart of FIG. 3, and each piezoelectric drive element uses the timing signal as a trigger. Mitsuru,
Repeated discharge and no repeated mechanical vibration.

For example, when focusing on the row with subscript i, a traveling wave having a period of 9 in the row scanning direction is generated in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction 6. This is called Wi for convenience.

Also, when focusing on the column with subscript j, a traveling wave having a period of 8 in the column scanning direction is generated in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction 6. This will be referred to as Wj for convenience.

The direction of the traveling wave generated in the piezoelectric drive unit 2 driven at the timing shown in FIG. 3 is the traveling wave in the direction of linearly adding Wi and Wj.

Let this be a traveling wave Wi,j.

The recording paper moves in the direction in which Wi+J moves.

Actually, the movement of the recording paper is caused by Wj, and the paper feeding speed of the recording paper is determined by the column direction period 8 of Wj and the piezoelectric drive element L1.
+ J+ determined by the energy applied to R1,J.

Wi acts perpendicularly to the main scanning direction on the recording paper in a direction that generates tension on the recording paper, smooths the recording paper, and reduces the resistance of the recording paper when it is moved in the main scanning direction by Wj. decrease.

When a drive signal is given by the timing signal in FIG. 4, Wi acts in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction 6, and W
j becomes a traveling wave in the sub-scanning direction 7, and the recording paper moves in the sub-scanning direction.

Printing on the recording paper involves repeating the steps of printing one line by the line head and feeding the paper one line long until the recording paper leaves the paper feeding device by the paper detection device in the line head unit 1. It will be done.

FIG. 5 represents a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a serial printer in which a recording device 16 is periodically moved in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction 6 and the sub-scanning direction 7 to perform printing.

The recording device 16 can be of any widely used type, such as a thermal head, an ink jet type recording head, or a wire dot type recording head.

The piezoelectric drive unit 2 is provided at the center of the platen 13 with a suitable area.

According to the first embodiment, the piezoelectric drive unit 2 can be located in one pair or in multiple pairs on both the left and right sides of the platen 13.

As long as the shape of the platen 12 is not an extremely arcuate or square shape, the piezoelectric drive unit 2 can be easily provided in a portion thereof.

Furthermore, when the recording paper 5 is inserted between the platen 13 and the paper guide 14, the relative distance between them decreases, increasing the frictional force between the recording paper 5 and the piezoelectric drive unit 20, and generating heat to generate an appropriate paper presser load. It has a mechanism to

The piezoelectric driving rope 2 is formed of the IJ Fuchs structure shown in FIG. Moving.

Printing on the recording paper 5 is performed character by digit, and the cycle of printing, paper feeding, and printing is repeated recursively until the recording paper 5 is detached from the piezoelectric drive unit 2, and then ends.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the paper feeding device of the present invention can be realized more compactly than a paper feeding device using a zero motor and a train of gears, and the shape of the paper feeding device also allows the piezoelectric drive unit and the recording paper to come into close contact with each other. Any shape can be selected as long as it can ensure the following.

It also helps eliminate problems such as deterioration of mechanical parts.

O An extremely thin recording device can be realized.

The zero paper feed speed and paper feed pitch can be changed continuously with extremely high precision depending on the energy and timing of the drive signal applied to the piezoelectric drive element.

It is possible to easily change the direction in which the recording paper is scanned, and for example, it is also possible to print text information and image information on the same side separately.

By applying appropriate tension to the surface of the recording paper and maintaining the smoothness of the recording paper, paper jams in the recording device can be prevented.

0 Applicable to recording paper of a wide range of paper thicknesses.

○By combining it with an image reading device, it is possible to precisely print at a predetermined position on recording paper.

By providing a large number of O drive parts, a paper feeding device of any length can be constructed without including any mechanical parts.

This has a remarkable effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of a line type recording apparatus using a paper feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged view of the paper feeding device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drive timing diagram showing a method of driving the paper feeding device of the present invention in the main scanning direction. FIG. 4 is a drive timing chart showing a method of driving the paper feeding device of the present invention in the sub-scanning direction. FIG. 5 is a schematic partial configuration diagram of a serial type recording apparatus using a paper feeding device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 2...Piezoelectric drive unit 5...Recording paper 6...Main scanning direction 7...Sub-scanning direction or higher

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printing device such as a terminal printer or a copying device that continuously records characters or images on recording paper, a driving device comprising a set of one or more piezoelectric driving elements on a surface in contact with the recording paper; A paper feeding device characterized by having a paper holding member.