JP3136018B2 - Recording device provided with backflow prevention means - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus provided with a reverse prevention means used for printers of various information devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a recording apparatus housed in a housing, when the recording material on which recording has been completed is discharged to the outside of the housing, the discharged recording material is rotated in reverse by a discharge roller. The paper discharge tray has a sufficient height difference so that the end of the recording material falls to a position sufficiently distant from the paper discharge roller so as not to be returned into the recording apparatus again.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a paper discharge roller and a paper discharge tray of such a conventional recording apparatus. In the figure, 103 is a recording material, 106 is a spur, 107
Denotes a paper discharge roller, 117 denotes a paper discharge tray unit, and 100 denotes a part of a housing of the information processing apparatus.

The recording material 103 discharged by the rotation of the paper discharge roller 107 falls in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 and reaches the paper discharge tray 117, where the paper discharge roller 107 and the recording material 1
When the paper discharge roller 107 rotates in the reverse direction, it is configured not to be pulled in again.

[0005]

However, in the above conventional example, it is necessary to provide a sufficient height difference between the paper discharge roller 107 and the paper discharge tray 117, so that the height of the entire recording apparatus is sufficient in the vertical direction. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the apparatus becomes large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus which is small in size and can prevent reverse movement.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in a recording apparatus for discharging a recording material to the outside of the recording apparatus by a discharging means, the recording medium once discharged is used. It is characterized by having a reverse movement preventing means for preventing the sheet from being conveyed again into the recording apparatus.

[0008] The reverse movement preventing means is a movable lever provided near the discharging means.

The reverse movement preventing means is also used as a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a recording material near the discharging means.

A recording head for recording information on the recording material, an ejection port for the recording head to eject ink, a liquid chamber for storing ink supplied to the ejection port,
A liquid path that connects the discharge port and the liquid chamber, a discharge energy generator that is provided in the liquid path and generates energy used for discharging ink, and an ink energy source that is provided in the liquid chamber. An ink detection element for detecting the presence / absence of the ink is provided, and an ink detection unit for detecting the presence / absence of ink in the liquid chamber based on information from the ink detection element is provided.

The discharge energy generator is an electrothermal conversion element for generating thermal energy, and is characterized in that ink is discharged from a discharge port by the generated thermal energy.

[0012] The discharge energy generator generates thermal energy, causes nucleate boiling in the ink, and discharges the ink from the discharge port as bubbles grow due to the nucleate boiling.

[0013]

After the recording is completed, the recording material discharged by the discharging means is prevented from moving back to the recording apparatus by means of a reverse prevention means such as a movable lever.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a discharge section of a recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the left side corresponds to a recording material feeding section, and the recording material is conveyed from left to right. Reference numeral 400 denotes a housing of the information processing apparatus containing the recording device, and reference numeral 17 denotes a paper discharge tray provided in a part of the housing. Although the discharge tray 17 is shown as being short, it may be extended along the transport direction of the recording material 3 using an auxiliary member. The recording material 3 discharged from the recording apparatus after the recording is completed is stacked and stored in the discharge tray 17. The paper output tray 17 including the extended auxiliary member
However, it is a matter of course that the type may be completely built in the housing.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a paper discharge lever as a reverse movement preventing means for preventing the recording material from moving backward. The paper discharge levers 16 are provided at two appropriate positions on the right and left sides of the path through which the recording material 3 passes near the paper discharge roller 7. In this embodiment, the paper discharge lever 16 is attached to a member constituting a paper path, and can rotate within a predetermined angle around a rotation axis (not shown). Note that the paper discharge lever 16 may be attached to any position where the position can be fixed, such as the frame of the recording apparatus. Note that the spur 6 and the paper discharge roller 7 are partially cut out to make the paper discharge lever 16 easy to see.

FIG. 1A shows a state before the recording material 3 reaches the paper discharge section. The discharge lever 16 is used for the recording material 3.
A rotational force (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) by a spring member is provided so as not to hinder the progress of the movement, and is stopped by being urged by the stopper 20.

Next, FIG. 1B shows a state in which the recording material 3 has reached the paper discharge section. When the recording material 3 reaches the paper discharge section, the leading end of the recording material 3 first strikes the paper discharge lever 16. At this time, the discharge lever 16 is pushed by the recording material 3 and starts rotating clockwise in the drawing, and rotates to the position of the discharge lever 16 shown in the drawing. At the same time as the paper discharge lever 16 starts rotating, the recording material 3 is drawn between the paper discharge roller 7 and the spur 6, and is conveyed in the direction A in the drawing by the rotation of the paper discharge roller 7 in the direction B as described above. Is done. This state continues until the rear end of the recording material 3 passes through the paper discharge roller 7.

When the trailing end of the recording material 3 passes through the paper discharge roller 7, the paper discharge lever 16 rotates counterclockwise by the above-described rotational force, hits the stopper 20, and returns to the position shown in FIG. Further, the discharged recording materials 3 are stacked with the rear end placed on the discharge tray 17.

However, since the height difference between the paper discharge tray 17 and the paper discharge roller 7 is reduced in order to suppress the height in the vertical direction, the trailing end of the recording material 3 discharged in this state is discharged. When the recording material 3 is located very close to the paper roller 7 and is pushed back by some external force, the paper discharge roller 7 may come into contact with the rear end of the recording material 3.
In this state, the process proceeds to the next recording operation, and when the next recording material 3 is fed and the paper is conveyed in the reverse direction for the purpose of slack removal or cueing, the discharge roller 7 is also moved to the state shown in FIG. Is rotated in the direction D of FIG.
May be drawn back into the recording device.

However, as shown in FIG. 1C, the recording material 3 conveyed backward in the direction C by the rotation of the sheet discharging roller 7 in the direction D has a trailing end (a leading end in the conveying direction C). It hits the paper discharge lever 16. Since the paper discharge lever is stopped by a stopper (not shown), even if the recording material 3 tries to move in the C direction, it is prevented. As a result, slippage occurs between the discharge roller 7 and the recording material 3, and the driving force of the discharge roller 7 is not transmitted. Due to the above movement, the recording material 3 discharged once does not enter the recording device again.

As described above, the discharge roller 7 and the discharge tray 1
By providing a paper ejection lever 16 near the paper ejection roller 7 with the height difference of the recording material 7 reduced, it is possible to prevent the discharged recording material 3 from being conveyed backward to the recording apparatus, and to prevent the recording material 3 from being transported. Since there is no need to provide the extra height difference required to drop,
There is an effect that the device can be downsized.

Further, it is also possible to add a role of a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the recording material 3 to the discharge lever 16. This can be realized, for example, by configuring the paper discharge lever 16 with the same spring-type switch as the paper sensor 14. Alternatively, a switch may be provided by combining a light emitting diode and a phototransistor in the operation range of the paper discharge lever 16.

Assuming that the paper ejection lever 16 is a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of paper, the recording material 3 having passed through the paper sensor 14 is moved by a predetermined amount so as to be conveyed to the position of the paper ejection lever 16 by the transport roller 4. When transported, the paper ejection lever 1
It can be detected whether or not the recording material 3 exists at the position 6. If it is detected that the recording material 3 is present, it can be determined that the recording material conveyance has been performed normally. If it is detected that the recording material 3 is not present, the recording material conveyance fails, and a jam occurs. It can be determined that there is. If it is determined that a jam has occurred, the subsequent recording operation is stopped, and a warning to that effect is issued.
It is possible to prevent the recording head from being damaged and unnecessary printing on the paper bus constituent members.

By using the paper discharge lever 16 as a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a recording material as described above, it is possible to detect a conveyance abnormality of the recording material 3 between the conveyance roller 4 and the paper discharge roller 7, Damage to the recording head and unnecessary printing can be prevented, and reliability is improved.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion where the recording material 3 is conveyed. Specifically, the recording material 3 whose recording surface faces the discharge port surface of the recording head 200 is pinched. The roller 8 is pressed against the conveying roller 4, and the conveying roller 4 is appropriately rotated by the paper feed motor 201, so that the sheet is conveyed to a recording position as needed. After the recording, the recording material 3 is pressed against the discharge roller 7 by the spur 6, and the discharge roller 7 rotates to discharge and convey the recording material 3 out of the apparatus.

Here, reference numeral 17 denotes a platen which also serves as a case for the waste ink absorber 18. Reference numeral 19 denotes a holding plate made of a thin elastic body such as a polyester sheet or stainless steel, which is attached to the pinch roller frame 11,
This prevents the recording material 3 from floating above the assumed transport path connecting the spur 8 and the transport roller 4. Further, since it is integrated from the printer unit paper feed port, it plays a role of guiding the recording material 3 from the paper feed port to the recording unit. Further, as shown in the drawing, the recording material can be more easily inserted by bending upward at the paper feed port. The driving of the transport roller 4 and the discharge roller 7 is controlled by a main body control circuit 204 and a paper feed control circuit 205.
The driving force is transmitted by transmission means 202 and 203 such as a reduction gear train.

The position of the rotation axis of the spur 6 that contacts the recording surface of the recording material 3 is fixed, and the contact position between the spur 6 and the recording material 3 changes regardless of the thickness of the recording material 3. On the other hand, the discharge roller 7 that contacts the non-recording surface side of the recording material 3 responds to a change in the thickness of the recording material 3 due to the deformation of the discharge roller 7 due to the thickness of the recording material 3. It has become. Specifically, the discharge roller 7 is made of thin rubber,
It is formed in a conical shape and deforms with a restoring force in the radial direction.
Therefore, deformation is performed according to the pressing force against the spur 6 and the thickness of the recording material 3.

The recording head 200 is for recording an ink image on the recording material 3 conveyed by the conveying means. As a recording means in this apparatus, an ink jet recording system is suitably used.

In the ink jet recording system, a liquid discharge port for discharging and ejecting a recording ink liquid as flying liquid droplets, a liquid flow path communicating with the discharge port, and a part of the liquid flow path are provided. Discharge energy generating means for applying discharge energy for causing the ink liquid in the flow path to fly. Then, the ejection energy generating means is driven in accordance with the image signal to eject ink droplets and record an image.

As the ejection energy generating means, for example, a method using a pressure energy generating means such as an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is irradiated and absorbed into an ink liquid to generate heat, and the action of the heat is used. There is a method using an electromagnetic energy generating means for discharging ink, a method using a thermal energy generating means for discharging ink by heating an ink liquid by an electrothermal converter, and the like. Among these, the method of ejecting ink using a thermal energy generating means such as an electrothermal converter or the like is capable of recording at a high resolution because the liquid ejection ports can be arranged at a high density, and the recording head is compact. It is preferable because the conversion can be performed.

In this embodiment, a serial bubble jet recording system, which is one of the ink jet recording systems, is used as a recording head.

FIG. 3 shows a recording head 20 constituting recording means.
FIG. 5 (a) to FIG. 5 (g) are explanatory diagrams of the bubble jet recording principle. The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat.
No. 3.129 and No. 4.740.796.

In FIG. 3, a is a heater board, and an electrothermal converter (discharge heater) is provided on a silicon substrate.
b and an electrode c made of aluminum or the like for supplying electric power thereto are formed and disposed. A top plate e having a partition for partitioning a liquid path (nozzle) d of the recording liquid is bonded to the heater board a. The recording head 200 is located at a predetermined position of the apparatus.
An ink cartridge for supplying ink to the printer is exchangeably mounted.

The ink supplied from the ink cartridge via a conduit is supplied to a supply port f provided on a top plate e.
The common liquid chamber g in the recording head is filled, and is guided from the common liquid chamber g into each nozzle d. These nozzles d are provided with ink ejection ports h, and the ejection ports h are formed at a predetermined pitch in the sheet transport direction so as to face the recording sheet of the recording head.

In this embodiment, the recording head having the above configuration is mounted on a reciprocally movable carriage, and performs recording by discharging and flying ink from the recording head in synchronization with the movement of the carriage.

Here, the principle of ink flying in the bubble jet recording system will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b).

In the steady state, as shown in FIG. 4A, the surface tension and the external pressure of the ink filled in the nozzle d are balanced at the discharge port surface. To fly the ink in this state, electricity is supplied to the electrothermal converter b in the nozzle d, and the ink in the nozzle d exceeds the nucleate boiling and causes a rapid temperature rise. Then, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the ink adjacent to the electrothermal transducer b is heated to generate fine bubbles, and the ink in the heated portion is vaporized to cause film boiling, and as shown in FIG. The bubbles grow rapidly, as shown in c).

When the bubble grows to the maximum as shown in FIG. 4D, the ink droplet is pushed out from the discharge port in the nozzle d. When the energization of the electrothermal transducer b is completed, the grown bubbles are cooled and contracted by the ink in the nozzle d, as shown in FIG. Fly from the outlet. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 (f), the ink comes into contact with the surface of the electrothermal transducer b and is rapidly cooled, and the bubbles disappear or shrink to a volume that can be almost ignored. When the bubble shrinks, as shown in FIG. 4 (g), ink is supplied from the common liquid chamber g into the nozzle d by capillary action, and is prepared for the next energization.

Accordingly, the ink image is recorded on the recording material by reciprocating the carriage and energizing the electrothermal transducer b according to the image signal in synchronization with the movement.

[0041]

[Effect of the Invention The present invention having the above structure and operation, since there is provided a backstop means movable levers so as not to reverse the once discharged recording material, the discharge position as in the conventional high It is not necessary to increase the height, and the size of the device can be reduced. In particular, the movable lever is
It is located upstream of the step, so the outside of the discharge is simplified
In addition, the recording material moves away from the discharging means and
Therefore, when discharged, there is nothing that hinders the discharge.

Further, by using the movable lever as the back-up preventing means also as the detecting means of the recording material, it is possible to detect the jam of the recording material between the feeding side and the discharging side in the recording apparatus. And reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a discharge unit of a recording apparatus provided with a reverse movement preventing unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of a recording apparatus including a reverse movement preventing unit to which the ejection unit of FIG. 1 is applied.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an exploded configuration of the recording head of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A to 4G are explanatory diagrams of the principle of bubble jet recording.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a discharge unit of a conventional recording apparatus.

[Description of Signs] 3 Recording material 7 Discharge roller (discharge means) 16 Discharge lever (reverse prevention means) 17 Discharge tray 20 Stopper

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording apparatus for discharging the recording material outside the recording apparatus by a discharge means for forward and reverse, for preventing the conveyed once ejected the recording material again in the recording apparatus has a backstop means , The reverse movement prevention
The means is a one-way movable laser provided near the upstream of the discharging means.
The bar is pressed when the recording material is moved in the discharge direction.
Evacuation, restoring by passing the recording material, moving in the opposite direction
A recording apparatus provided with a reverse movement preventing means, wherein the recording material is received at the time . 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reverse movement preventing means also serves as a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a recording material near the discharging means. A recording head for recording information on the recording material, an ejection port for the recording head to eject ink, a liquid chamber for storing ink supplied to the ejection port, A liquid path connecting the discharge port to the liquid chamber, a discharge energy generator provided in the liquid path to generate energy used for discharging ink, and the presence or absence of ink provided in the liquid chamber 2. The retrograde method according to claim 1, further comprising an ink detecting element for detecting the presence of ink in the liquid chamber based on information from the ink detecting element. 3. A recording device including a prevention unit. 4. The anti-return device according to claim 3 , wherein the discharge energy generator is an electrothermal conversion element that generates thermal energy, and discharges ink from a discharge port by the generated thermal energy. Recording device. Wherein said discharge energy generating elements are heat energy generated causes nucleate boiling in the ink, according to claim 3 is intended to eject ink from the discharge port along with the bubble growth by the nucleic boiling 6. A recording device comprising the back-up preventing means according to claim 1.