JP2005138942A - Paper discharge system and paper discharge method for continuous paper printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce running cost and reduce skew and jam well.
SOLUTION: A housing, a discharge drive roller having a shaft in the width direction of the continuous paper, and rotatably supported by the housing, and a detachable and pivotally supported by the housing, and in series in the axial direction. Arranged in a plurality of discharge driven rollers that press the discharge drive roller so as to sandwich the continuous paper, so that each of the pressing force of the plurality of discharge driven rollers against the discharge drive roller can be changed, respectively A plurality of types of discharge driven rollers having different frictional forces are prepared.
[Selection] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a continuous paper printer that prints information using continuous paper, and more particularly to a paper discharge system and method for a continuous paper printer.

A photosensitive member on the surface of the photosensitive drum is exposed to form a latent image, toner is attached to the latent image and developed, the toner image is transferred to a recording sheet, and the transferred toner image is transferred to a recording sheet by a fixing unit. There are printers that use the so-called electrophotographic method of fixing on top. As one form of such a printer, an electrophotographic printer that prints information on a folding continuous recording paper with feed holes called a fan hold paper is known and widely used (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-7-146625

  Generally, various printers are provided with a mechanism for discharging paper, and such a mechanism is provided with a paper discharge roller for transporting and discharging paper. When such a paper discharge roller is worn according to the usage situation, the conveying force of the paper discharge roller to the paper is reduced. For this reason, the mechanism cannot convey the paper satisfactorily, and as a result, a so-called skew or paper jam is easily caused when the paper is conveyed in an inclined state.

  For example, when skew or jam occurs in a printer that prints using cut paper that has been cut to a predetermined size (hereinafter abbreviated as printer for cut paper), the affected paper is slanted. Only the cut sheet conveyed in step 1 or one sheet that is currently jammed in the printer. Therefore, if the cut sheet is discharged from the printer, there is no influence of skew or jam.

  On the other hand, when a skew or jam occurs in a printer that prints information using continuous recording paper as described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as continuous paper printer), the affected paper is , Continuous paper set in the printer. Therefore, even if the portion of the page that is currently being printed or has been printed is ejected or cut out, the skew or jam will be caused by all the continuous paper remaining in the printer (in other words, all the pages that follow this page). Paper). For this reason, it is highly necessary to reduce skew and jam in a continuous paper printer.

  Further, a cut paper printer generally has a smaller printable size than a continuous paper printer. Therefore, the device itself is small and inexpensive. For this reason, when any part is consumed, it can be less expensive to replace the worn part with a new one than to replace the worn part. Therefore, when manufacturing a cut sheet printer, there is a tendency that the structure is integrated as much as possible to reduce the number of parts and the manufacturing cost. For example, when the above-mentioned skew or jam frequently occurs, it is cheaper to replace the printer itself than to replace the paper discharge roller.

  On the other hand, the continuous paper printer has a larger printable size than the cut paper printer. Therefore, the device itself is large and expensive. For this reason, when some parts are consumed, it can be cheaper to replace the worn parts than to replace the apparatus itself with a new one. As described above, in a continuous paper printer, skew and jam greatly affect the printing operation. Therefore, when the cause of skew or jam is wear of the paper discharge roller, it is desirable to replace the roller immediately.

  The paper discharge roller provided in the continuous paper printer as described in Patent Document 1 is worn out according to the use situation (specifically, the length of the conveyed continuous paper). Generally, a continuous paper printer is configured to print paper of various sizes (widths). Therefore, the area of the surface of the paper discharge roller used for conveyance differs depending on the width of the continuous paper to be conveyed. That is, there are a frequently used area and a less frequently used area on the surface of the paper discharge roller. Therefore, for example, in the case of a printer that discharges continuous paper mainly using the surface of the central portion of the paper discharge roller, the surface of the central portion wears faster than the surface of the peripheral portion. Further, in the case of a printer that discharges continuous paper mainly using the peripheral surface of the paper discharge roller, the peripheral surface is worn faster than the central surface. That is, the paper discharge roller often wears unevenly rather than uniformly over its entire surface in the axial direction (that is, the same direction as the width direction of the continuous paper).

  The skew is likely to occur when the conveyance force for the paper in the paper discharge roller becomes uneven. In other words, skew is likely to occur when the discharge rollers are worn unevenly. Therefore, when skew occurs due to wear on some surfaces, the roller must be replaced even if the other surfaces are hardly worn. In addition, the continuous paper printer is a type of printer in which skew and jam must be suppressed as much as possible. As a result, the replacement frequency of the roller is increased, and the running cost is increased.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a paper discharge system and method for a continuous paper printer that can reduce running costs and can satisfactorily reduce skew and jam.

  A paper discharge system for a continuous paper printer according to an aspect of the present invention that solves the above problems includes a housing and a discharge driving roller that has a shaft in the width direction of the continuous paper and is rotatably supported by the housing. And a plurality of discharge driven rollers that are supported by the housing so as to be detachable and turnable, and are arranged in series in the axial direction, and press the discharge drive roller so as to sandwich the continuous paper, A plurality of types of discharge driven rollers having different frictional forces are provided so that each of the pressing forces of the plurality of discharge driven rollers with respect to the discharge drive roller can be changed. Further, these plural types of discharge driven rollers may have different surface roughnesses, or may be formed of different materials.

  The paper discharge system of the continuous paper printer includes a plurality of urging means that are detachable from the housing, and each of the plurality of discharge driven rollers applies a urging force in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. These urging means may be further provided, and a plurality of urging means having different urging forces may be provided so that each pressing force can be changed. The plurality of types of urging means may have different shapes or may be formed of different materials.

  In addition, a paper discharge method for a continuous paper printer according to an aspect of the present invention that solves the above-described problem is provided between a pair of discharge rollers that have axes in the width direction of the continuous paper and press each other with a predetermined force. The continuous paper is sandwiched between the two, and the pair of discharge rollers are rotated to discharge the continuous paper. Any one of the discharge rollers is arranged in series in the axial direction, and the plurality of discharge rollers are arranged. In this method, the continuous paper is discharged by adjusting each pressing force at the contact point between each of the paper and the other discharge roller to be uniform.

  In the paper discharge system and method of the continuous paper printer of the present invention, a plurality of discharge driven rollers are arranged in series in the width direction of the continuous paper. Among them, it is possible to replace only the discharge roller located in a region where the sheet is frequently conveyed and having a high replacement frequency. Therefore, since the size of the discharge driven roller that can be replaced at a time can be suppressed, the running cost can be reduced. Further, since the discharge driven rollers and the biasing means having different parameters are provided, each of the pressing forces of the plurality of discharge driven rollers with respect to the discharge drive roller can be appropriately changed. For example, each of these pressing forces can be adjusted to be uniform to effectively prevent the occurrence of skew.

  Hereinafter, a continuous paper printer employing a paper discharge system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of a continuous paper printer 10 of the present embodiment. The continuous paper printer 10 is a so-called laser beam printing apparatus, and prints character or image information input from an external device such as a computer on fan hold paper P, which is continuous recording paper, by electrophotography using a laser beam. It is a device that outputs.

  The fan hold paper P used in the continuous paper printer 10 of the present embodiment has feed holes (not shown) formed at equal intervals on both sides at a predetermined pitch (for example, 1/2 inch in the present embodiment). (Not shown) is formed in the width direction every predetermined length. One page to be printed is defined by the interval between adjacent perforations. Note that the length of one page defined in each fan hold paper P has a standard length defined in 1/2 inch increments, as well as a special one defined in 1/6 inch increments or 1/8 inch increments. Some have a length. The continuous paper printer 10 is set so that the fan hold paper P of any size can be used.

  The fan hold paper P includes, for example, fan hold paper made of plain paper and fan hold paper made of label paper. The continuous paper printer 10 is set so that any type of fan hold paper P can be used.

  The continuous paper printer 10 is roughly divided into a housing 12 that supports various parts, a laser scanning unit (LSU) 14 that outputs laser light modulated in accordance with print information, and a laser scanning unit 14 that outputs light. A process unit 18 that develops a latent image according to characters and image information formed on the drum 16 using toner by electrophotography, and a fan hold paper P at the transfer position of the toner image developed by the process unit 18. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit 44 that transfers the toner image to the top, a conveyance mechanism 20 that conveys the fan hold paper P, and a fixing unit 22 that fixes the toner image transferred onto the fan hold paper P conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 20. .

  The housing 12 is mounted on the lower housing portion 12a in which the control unit 24 that controls the print control operation, the conveyance control operation, and the like, and the control system such as the interface circuit and the image processing circuit are housed. The above-described laser scanning unit is supported by the middle housing portion 12b that supports the process unit 18, the transport mechanism 20, and the fixing device 22 and is pivotally supported at one end (the left end in FIG. 1) of the middle housing portion 12b. 14 and an upper housing portion 12c that supports 14.

  An inlet 26 for introducing the fan hold paper P is formed on one side surface (right side surface in FIG. 1) of the middle housing 12b, and on the other side surface (left side surface in the drawing). A discharge port 28 through which the fan hold paper P is discharged is formed.

  The middle housing portion 12b is configured such that the upper surface thereof is fully opened by rotating the upper housing portion 12c upward. Thus, when the upper surface of the middle housing part 12b is opened, the user can freely access the process unit 18 and the transport mechanism 20. Accordingly, it is possible to easily replace the photosensitive drum 16 and supply the toner to the developing unit 42, and when the fan hold paper P is set for the first time, the leading end of the fan hold paper P is used as a tractor unit described later. 74 can be easily set.

  The laser scanning unit 14 supported by the upper housing portion 12c is configured as a unit, and includes a laser scanning unit housing 32 including a polygon mirror 30 therein. The laser scanning unit housing 32 is attached to the lower surface of the upper housing portion 12c.

  Further, the process unit 18 supported by the middle housing portion 12 b is also configured in a unitized state, like the laser scanning unit 14. The process unit 18 includes a process unit housing 34 that is detachably disposed in the middle housing portion 12b.

  In the process unit housing 34, the photosensitive drum 16 is rotatably supported. Around the photosensitive drum 16, there are a toner cleaning unit 36 for removing untransferred toner adhering to the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 16, and a static eliminating unit for uniformly removing the entire photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 16. 38, a charging unit 40 for uniformly charging the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 16 that has been neutralized by the static eliminating unit 38, and a modulated laser beam scanned by the laser scanning unit 14, and formed on the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 16. A developing unit 42 that develops the latent image with toner and a transfer unit 44 that transfers the developed toner image onto the fan hold paper P are arranged. These components are arranged in the above described order in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 16 (clockwise in the figure). In addition, the transfer unit 44 includes a corona charger 46 that extends over the entire length of the photosensitive drum 16 in the axial direction. The corona charger 46 is disposed so as to be parallel and retractable with respect to the photosensitive drum 16. By removing the process unit housing 34, the transport path 68 of the fan hold paper P in the transport mechanism 20 described above is opened almost entirely.

  Further, the transport mechanism 20 includes a transport path 68 from the introduction port 26 to the discharge port 28. A plurality of transport means for transporting the fan hold paper P is disposed along the transport path 68. The plurality of conveying means will be described in order from the introduction port 26 side.

  Along the introduction direction of the fan hold paper P, first, a pair of upper and lower back tension rollers 70a and 70b, which are tension applying means, are disposed in the vicinity of the inlet 26. Next, a pair of upper and lower guide plates 72a and 72b for guiding the fan hold paper P that has passed between the back tension rollers 70a and 70b toward the transfer position described above are disposed. Further, a tractor unit 74 is provided between the transfer position and the fixing unit 22 for conveying and driving the fan hold paper P along the introduction (discharge) direction indicated by symbol A in the figure or the pull-back direction indicated by symbol B in the figure. Has been placed. In addition, a tension sensor 76 is disposed between the tractor unit 74 and the fixing unit 22 for detecting the tension of the fan hold paper P passing through the conveyance path 68 between the tractor unit 74 and the tension sensor. A movable guide plate 78 for moving the conveyance path 68 up and down is disposed between the fixing unit 22 and the fixing unit 22. Further, the heat roller 128 and the press roller 130 which are components of the fixing unit 22 sandwich the conveyance path 68 (in other words, the fan hold paper P) in the conveyance path 68 ahead of the movable guide plate 78. Is arranged. A unit for driving the fan hold paper P to be further conveyed in the discharge direction between the fixing unit 22 and the discharge port 28, and is a discharge follower that is a component of the discharge unit 500 that is a characteristic part of the present invention. A roller 510a and a paper discharge drive roller 510b are arranged.

  The continuous paper printer 10 includes a main motor 82 for mainly driving the process unit 18, a tractor motor 84 for exclusively driving the transport mechanism 20, a fixing unit 22, and a discharge driving roller 510 b as driving sources. There are three drive motors, a fuser motor 86 for driving mainly. These three drive motors 82, 84, and 86 are all connected to the control unit 24, and are driven and controlled by the control unit 24.

  The main motor 82 drives various elements of the process unit 18. Specifically, the main motor 82 moves the photosensitive drum 16, the cleaning roller constituting the toner cleaning unit 36, the developing roller constituting the developing unit 42, and the like in one direction (for example, for the photosensitive drum 16, the clock in FIG. Direction). Further, the main motor 82 rotates the back tension roller 70b disposed below the conveyance path 68 in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the fan hold paper P.

  The back tension roller 70b is a roller that is driven when the fan hold paper P is conveyed in the pull-back direction B, and is formed of, for example, a material having elasticity such as rubber and a high friction coefficient.

  Further, the back tension roller 70a disposed at a position facing the back tension roller 70b across the conveyance path 68 (or fan hold paper P) functions as a driven roller that is driven according to the conveyance of the fan hold paper P. It is not rotated by the drive motor. The back tension roller 70a is made of, for example, a material having a low friction coefficient such as plastic, and is rotatably supported in the middle housing portion 12b. The back tension roller 70a is biased so as to press the back tension roller 70b from above by a spring (not shown). Note that the back tension rollers 70a and 70b have such a length as to be applied to substantially the entire width direction of the fan hold paper P in the axial direction thereof.

  The back tension roller 70b applies a conveying force in the pull-back direction B to the fan hold paper P sandwiched between the back tension roller 70b and the back tension roller 70a. At this time, the back tension roller 70b is rotated at a peripheral speed set faster than the conveyance speed of the fan hold paper P at the time of pulling back. Thus, back tension is applied to the fan hold paper P at any time of introduction (discharge) or pullback.

  The tractor unit 74 driven by the tractor motor 84 includes a tractor belt, and includes protrusions arranged at a predetermined pitch on the belt. The protrusions are arranged at the same pitch as the feed holes of the fan hold paper P. When the fan hold paper P is transported, the tractor belt and the fan hold paper P can be moved together by inserting a protrusion into the feed hole. Specifically, when the tractor motor 84 is rotated in the forward direction, the tractor belt is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, and the fan hold paper P is conveyed along the discharge direction A. When the tractor motor 84 is rotated in the reverse direction, the tractor belt is rotated in the clockwise direction, and the fan hold paper P is conveyed along the pull-back direction B.

  A top sensor for detecting the leading edge position of the fan hold paper P is located downstream of the tractor unit 74 in the transport direction of the fan hold paper P and upstream of the tension sensor 76 in the transport direction of the fan hold paper P. PT sensor) 126 is arranged. The top sensor 126 is a mechanical sensor, and outputs an ON signal while the fan hold paper P is positioned on the top sensor 126 (that is, while the fan hold paper P is conveyed on the top sensor 126). While the fan hold paper P is not positioned on the top sensor 126, an off signal is output.

  Next, the fixing unit 22 provided in the continuous paper printer 10 of the present embodiment will be described. The fixing unit 22 includes a heat roller 128 that is heated by a heat source such as a halogen lamp installed therein, and further includes a press roller 130 at a position facing the heat roller 128 with the conveyance path 68 interposed therebetween. The press roller 130 is pressed against the heat roller 128 by an urging means (not shown). When the fan hold paper P is sandwiched between these rollers 128 and 130 and heated and pressed, the toner transferred by the transfer unit 44 is fixed to the fan hold paper P. The heat roller 128 is rotated clockwise by the fuser motor 86. The press roller 130 is driven according to the conveyance of the fan hold paper P (in other words, the rotation of the heat roller 128), and has a function of applying a predetermined pressure to the heat roller 128. Yes. The press roller 130 is configured to be able to contact and separate in the vertical direction with respect to the heat roller 128.

  In the paper discharge driven roller 510a and the paper discharge driving roller 510b disposed on the discharge port 28 side from the fixing unit 22, the paper discharge driving roller 510b is rotated by the fuser motor 86, and the paper discharge driven roller 510a is connected to the fan hold paper P. Is driven in accordance with the conveyance (in other words, the rotation of the paper discharge drive roller 510b). The paper discharge drive roller 510b is rotated by the same drive source as the heat roller 128 (ie, the fuser motor 86). Accordingly, the paper discharge driving roller 510b is rotated in synchronization with the heat roller 128. The fan hold paper P conveyed by the paper discharge driven roller 510a and the paper discharge driving roller 510b is discharged from the discharge port 28. In addition, although the fuser motor 86 is provided in the lower housing part 12a, in another embodiment, it may be provided in the discharge unit 500 which is a characteristic part of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, a discharge unit 500 having the above-described discharge driven roller 510a and discharge drive roller 510b, which is a characteristic part of the present invention, will be described.

  2 to 4 are perspective views showing the fixing unit 22 and the discharge unit 500 extracted from the overall configuration diagram of the continuous paper printer 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the discharge unit 500 functions to discharge the fan hold paper P, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show the state of the discharge unit 500 when parts are replaced. 5 and 6 are exploded views showing a part of the structure inside the discharge unit 500. FIG. Hereinafter, the discharge unit 500 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the discharge unit 500 includes a fixing member 521 that is a housing serving as a base of the unit, and a first conveyance assist that is a housing that is rotatably supported by the fixing member 521. A member 522 and a second conveyance auxiliary member 523 are provided. 2 to 6, the fan hold paper P is conveyed from the right side to the left side in the drawing.

  The fixing member 521 is a housing for supporting the paper discharge driving roller 510b in addition to the first conveyance auxiliary member 522 and the second conveyance auxiliary member 523. Referring to FIG. 5, the fixing member 521 is a conveyance path surface that defines a conveyance path on the side opposite to the back surface of the fixing surface of the fan hold paper P (that is, the paper surface on which characters and images are fixed). 521a, a support portion 521b for supporting the first transport assisting member 522, a support portion 521c for supporting the second transport assisting member 523, and a roller support groove for supporting the paper discharge driving roller 510b 521d and an opening 521e formed at the center of the conveyance path surface 521a. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the discharge unit 500 will be described in accordance with the assembly order of the discharge unit 500.

  The opening 521 e of the fixing member 521 is a space for installing a mechanical sensor 551 that detects the conveyance state of the fan hold paper P on the conveyance path 68 formed by the discharge unit 500. The mechanical sensor 551 has the same configuration as the top sensor 126 described above, and fulfills a function of detecting whether or not the fan hold paper P is passing through itself. While the fan hold paper P is positioned on the mechanical sensor 551 (that is, while the fan hold paper P is transported on the mechanical sensor 551), the mechanical sensor 551 is driven by the pressing force of the fan hold paper P. By detecting this, an ON signal is output to the control unit 24. Further, while the fan hold paper P is not positioned on the mechanical sensor 551, the mechanical sensor 551 is in the standing position, and outputs an OFF signal to the control unit 24 by detecting this.

  When the signal output from the mechanical sensor 551 is an ON signal, the control unit detects that the fan hold paper P is being conveyed through the discharge unit 500, and the signal output from the mechanical sensor 551 is an OFF signal. In this case, it is detected that the fan hold paper P is not conveyed in the discharge unit 500.

  The paper discharge drive roller 510b has a shaft hole at the center thereof, and the paper discharge drive roller shaft 511b is inserted into and supported by the shaft hole, so that the paper discharge drive roller 510b is rotatably supported by the fixing member 521. The In the present embodiment, six paper discharge driven rollers 510 a and paper discharge driving rollers 510 b are arranged in series in the width direction of the discharge unit 500. Thus, the user can efficiently change the conveying force f for the fan hold paper P at the rolling contact portion between the paper discharge driven roller 510a and the paper discharge drive roller 510b (details will be described later). The discharge driving roller 510b is made of, for example, a material having elasticity such as rubber and having a high friction coefficient in order to ensure the friction force with the fan hold paper P and to discharge the fan hold paper P satisfactorily. Is formed. Accordingly, the paper discharge driving roller 510b is gradually worn according to the usage situation. Therefore, it has a shorter life than other parts and is a consumable part.

  A bearing 541 is assembled in the vicinity of each end of the paper discharge drive roller shaft 511b. Further, in the vicinity of each end portion of the paper discharge drive roller shaft 511b and closer to the end portion side than each bearing 541, a retaining ring 542 is assembled so as to come into contact with these bearings 541.

  The paper discharge drive roller shaft 511b assembled with each part as described above is placed on the fixed member 521 so that the six paper discharge drive rollers 510b can rotate around the shaft holes. At this time, the place where the discharge driving roller shaft 511b is placed is a roller support groove 521d of a U-shaped groove formed in the wall portions at both ends of the fixing member 521. By dropping each of the bearings 541 into each of the roller support grooves 521d, the paper discharge drive roller 510b is supported by the fixing member 521 under its own weight. Accordingly, the paper discharge drive roller shaft 511b is not supported in the upward direction in FIG. 5 (the direction dropped into the roller support groove 521d), and can be easily detached in this direction. Note that the paper discharge drive roller shaft 511b is not detached from the fixed member 521 in the axial direction by the action of the retaining ring 542 (that is, the action as a stopper).

  When the paper discharge drive roller 510b is supported by the fixing member 521 as described above, the second conveyance assisting member 523 is then incorporated into the fixing member 521. The second conveyance assisting member 523 is engaged with a conveyance path surface 523 a (see FIG. 3) that defines a conveyance path on the side opposite to the reverse side of the fixing surface of the fan hold paper P, and the fixing unit 22. A joint portion 523b and a contact portion 523c that contacts the bearing 541 are provided. One engaging portion 523b and one abutting portion 523c are provided in the vicinity of both end portions of the second conveyance assisting member 523, respectively.

  Support portions 521c are formed on the wall portions at both ends of the fixing member 521 and on the wall portion closer to the discharge port 28 than the roller support groove 521d. When the support portion 521c and the support portion (not shown) of the second conveyance assisting member 523 are fitted, the second conveyance assisting member 523 is moved from the standing position as shown in FIG. 4 to the sheet discharge driving roller as shown in FIG. It is supported by the fixing member 521 so that it can be rotated between storage positions for storing 510b.

  When the second conveyance assisting member 523 is moved from the standing position to the retracted position, the engaging portion 523b provided in the second conveyance assisting member 523, and the engaging portion 23 provided in the fixing unit 22 Are engaged, and the discharge unit 500 and the fixing unit 22 are relatively fixed. At this time, the contact portion 523c provided on the second conveyance assisting member 523 contacts the bearing 541 from the upper side of FIG. However, in this state, since no force other than its own weight is applied to the second conveyance assisting member 523, it cannot be said that the paper discharge driving roller 510b is supported so as not to come off the fixing member 521. The storage position is determined by the contact between the contact portion 523c and the bearing 541.

  When the second conveyance auxiliary member 523 is in the storage position, the conveyance path surface 521a of the fixed member 521 and the conveyance path surface 523a of the second conveyance auxiliary member 523 are located on the same plane. Accordingly, the fan hold paper P is smoothly conveyed on the above surface.

  When the second conveyance assisting member 523 is supported by the fixing member 521 as described above, the first conveyance assisting member 522 assembled with various parts is then incorporated into the fixing member 521. First, the configuration and operation related to the first conveyance assisting member 522 will be described using a process of assembling various parts to the first conveyance assisting member 522. Here, the description will proceed mainly with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

  The first conveyance assisting member 522 is for supporting the support 522a to be supported by the fixing member 521, a spring hole 522b for fixing one end of a coil spring 530, which will be described later, and the mechanical sensor 551 in the upright position. Sensor opening 522c, a roller opening 522d for disposing the paper discharge driven roller 510a, a conveyance path surface 522e defining a conveyance path on the side opposite to the fixing surface of the fan hold paper P, and a stop described later. It has a tapping hole 522f to which the screw 513 is tapped. One support 522a and one spring hole 522b are provided in the vicinity of both ends of the first conveyance assisting member 522, respectively. Further, the sensor opening 522c is formed at a position corresponding to the mechanical sensor 551, that is, at the center of the conveyance path surface 522e. Further, the roller opening 522d and the tapping hole 522f are formed corresponding to the number of the discharge driven rollers 510a attached to the first conveyance assisting member 522. That is, six roller openings 522d and six tapping holes 522f are provided.

  Each of the paper discharge driven rollers 510 a is attached to the first conveyance assisting member 522 via a leaf spring 512, a set screw 513, and a spacer 514. These discharge driven rollers 510a have a shaft hole at the center thereof, and the discharge driven roller shaft 511a is inserted into the shaft hole. The paper discharge driven roller 510a is formed of a material having a relatively low friction coefficient such as plastic (for example, polyacetal). That is, the paper discharge driven roller 510a is formed of a lower friction material than the paper discharge driving roller 510b. Accordingly, the service life is longer than that of the paper discharge drive roller 510b and is not substantially replaced.

  Each of the leaf springs 512 attached to each paper discharge driven roller 510a has elasticity in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the fan hold paper P, and has a function of supporting the paper discharge driven roller 510a and a paper discharge drive roller 510b. And a function of determining the pressing force of the paper discharge driven roller 510a. These leaf springs 512 are formed with two roller holes 512a and one set screw hole 512b.

  The leaf spring 512 can rotatably support the paper discharge driven roller 510a by inserting the two roller hole portions 512a through both ends of the paper discharge driven roller shaft 511a. The set screw hole 512b of the leaf spring 512 supporting the paper discharge driven roller shaft 511a and the tapping hole 522f are overlapped and aligned coaxially, and a spacer 514 is sandwiched between them to fix the screw 513. When the tapping hole 522f is tapped, the leaf spring 512 is fixed to the first conveyance assisting member 522. At this time, each of the paper discharge driven rollers 510a is accommodated in the corresponding roller opening 522d.

  Support portions 521b are formed on the wall portions at both ends of the fixing member 521 and on the wall portion closer to the discharge port 28 than the support portion 521c. When the support portion 521b and the column 522a are fitted, the first conveyance assisting member 522 brings the discharge driven roller 510a and the discharge driving roller 510b into contact with each other from the standing position as shown in FIG. 3 as shown in FIG. It is supported by the fixing member 521 so that it can be rotated between such contact positions. As shown in FIG. 3, at the standing position, the discharge driven roller 510a and the discharge drive roller 510b are separated from each other.

  In addition, one end of a coil spring 530 is hooked in the spring hole 522b of the first conveyance assisting member 522. Accordingly, one end of the coil spring 530 is fixed at the first conveyance assisting member 522. The other end of the coil spring 530 is fixed by a fixing means (not shown) of the middle housing portion 12b. The coil spring 530 biases the first conveyance auxiliary member 522 so as to hold the position when the first conveyance auxiliary member 522 is in the standing position. Also, the first conveyance assisting member 522 is gradually tilted from the standing position to the contact position, and when the tilt angle reaches a predetermined angle or more, the first transport assisting member is held at the contact position. 522 is activated.

  When the first conveyance auxiliary member 522 is held at the contact position by the biasing force of the coil spring 530, the first conveyance auxiliary member 522 presses the second conveyance auxiliary member 523 toward the bottom surface side of the discharge unit 500. As a result, the contact portion 523c presses the bearing 541, and the bearing 541 is sandwiched between the contact portion 523c and the roller support groove 521d. For this reason, the paper discharge driving roller 510b is in a state of being rotatably supported by the fixing member 521 about the paper discharge driving roller shaft 511b. Note that the pressing force of the contact portion 523c against the bearing 541 at this time is a force that can rotate the discharge driving roller 510b by the fuser motor 86. At this time, the mechanical sensor 551 in the standing position is accommodated in the sensor opening 522c. Further, the contact portion 523c and the bearing 541 include a surface that defines the lower side of the conveyance path 68 (that is, the conveyance path surface 521a of the fixed member 521 and the conveyance path surface 523a of the second conveyance auxiliary member 523) and the conveyance path 68. A predetermined gap (that is, the conveyance path 68) is in contact with a surface that defines the upper side (that is, the conveyance path surface 522e of the first conveyance auxiliary member 522).

  When the first conveyance auxiliary member 522 and the second conveyance auxiliary member 523 are moved to the upright position as shown in FIG. 4, the discharge driving roller 510b is supported by the fixing member 521 by its own weight as described above. Therefore, the user can easily remove the discharge driving roller 510b from the fixing member 521. Since the user can replace only the paper discharge drive roller 510b having the shortest life, the cost for replacing consumable parts can be reduced.

  Further, when the first conveyance assisting member 522 is held at the contact position, the paper discharge driven roller 510 a presses the paper discharge driving roller 510 b with a predetermined pressing force by the urging force of the plate spring 512. Note that the pressing force at this time can be freely changed according to the usage state of the discharge unit 500. The change of the pressing force is achieved by appropriately changing various parameters such as the paper discharge driven roller 510a, the leaf spring 512, and the spacer 514.

  When the paper discharge driving roller 510b wears, the frictional force of the paper discharge driving roller 510b decreases and the pressing force of the paper discharge driven roller 510a against the paper discharge driving roller 510b also decreases. As a result, the conveyance force f at which the rollers 510a and 510b convey the fan hold paper P is reduced, and skew and jam are likely to occur. That is, the fan hold paper P cannot be discharged well. In the discharge unit 500 of the present embodiment, the function of properly discharging the fan hold paper P can be maintained by appropriately changing the conveyance force f.

  The continuous paper printer 10 of the present embodiment is a so-called center resist printer in which the fan hold paper P is set with reference to the central portion of the conveyance path. In the case of such a type of printer, the discharge driving roller 510b located near the center of the conveyance path is worn more quickly because it is used more frequently. That is, the consumption speed is different between the discharge driving rollers 510b at the central portion and the peripheral portion of the conveyance path. In this embodiment, the discharge driven roller 510a and the discharge drive roller 510b are divided into a plurality of parts, so that the conveyance force f can be set by changing only the minimum necessary parameters (for example, parameters near the center of the conveyance path). It can be changed effectively. Hereinafter, various parameters for changing the conveyance force f will be described.

  First, an example in which the conveyance force f is changed using the paper discharge driving roller 510b, which is one of the parameters described above, will be described. In this case, the material and surface roughness of each paper discharge drive roller 510b are changed according to the respective installation positions. Hereinafter, for example, a paper discharge driving roller 510b (hereinafter abbreviated as a central paper discharge driving roller 510b) disposed in the vicinity of the central portion of the conveyance path is another paper discharge driving roller 510b (hereinafter, referred to as a central paper discharge driving roller 510b). The description will be made on the assumption that the peripheral sheet discharge driving roller 510b is abbreviated.

  At this time, the frictional force in the central portion discharge driving roller 510b is lower than the frictional force in the peripheral portion discharge driving roller 510b. Therefore, the conveyance force f of the central portion discharge driving roller 510b is lower than the conveyance force f of the peripheral portion discharge driving roller 510b. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the frictional force of the central discharge driving roller 510b or to increase the pressing force of the discharge driven roller 510a against the central discharge driving roller 510b. Here, the conveying force f is increased by increasing the frictional force of the central sheet discharge driving roller 510b, and the fan hold paper P is transported satisfactorily.

  Specifically, a plurality of types of paper discharge drive rollers 510b formed of materials having different friction coefficients are prepared, and the central paper discharge drive roller 510b has a higher friction coefficient than the peripheral paper discharge drive rollers 510b. Replace with a material formed. Also, a plurality of types of paper discharge drive rollers 510b having different surface roughnesses are prepared, and the central paper discharge drive roller 510b is replaced with one having a rougher surface roughness than the peripheral paper discharge drive rollers 510b. As a result, the frictional force of the central paper discharge drive roller 510b increases relative to the frictional force of the peripheral paper discharge drive roller 510b.

  Next, an example in which the conveying force f is changed using the leaf spring 512, which is one of the parameters described above, will be described. In this case, the material and shape of each leaf spring 512 are changed according to the respective installation positions. As in the case of the paper discharge drive roller 510b described above, the description will be made assuming that the central paper discharge drive roller 510b is worn away from the peripheral paper discharge drive roller 510b.

  In this case, by increasing the pressing force of the paper discharge driven roller 510a (hereinafter abbreviated as the central paper discharge driven roller 510a) with respect to the central paper discharge driving roller 510b, the conveyance force f is increased and the fan hold paper P Make it transport well. Here, the center-part discharge driven roller 510a is supported by a plate spring 512 that is less likely to be deformed (that is, has a higher elastic modulus) than the plate spring 512 that supports the peripheral discharge discharge roller 510a.

  Specifically, a plurality of types of leaf springs 512 formed in different shapes are prepared, and the leaf spring 512 that supports the central discharge driven roller 510a is supported by the peripheral discharge driven roller 510a. Replace the leaf spring 512 with one having a width or thickness. Further, the plate spring 512 supporting the central discharge driven roller 510a is replaced with one having a higher elastic modulus than the plate spring 512 supporting the peripheral discharge driven roller 510a.

  An example in which the conveyance force f is changed using the spacer 514, which is one of the parameters described above, will be described. In this case, the number of spacers 514 sandwiched between the set screw hole 512b and the tapping hole 522f is changed according to the respective installation positions. As in the above-described two cases, the description will be made assuming that the central discharge roller 510b is worn away from the peripheral discharge roller 510b.

  In this case as well, as in the case of the plate spring 512 described above, by increasing the pressing force of the discharge driven roller 510a against the central discharge drive roller 510b, the conveyance force f is increased and the fan hold paper P is good. To transport. Specifically, the spacer 514 provided to support the center-part discharge driven roller 510a is removed, and the seating surface of the leaf spring 512 that supports the roller 510a is replaced with the plate that supports the peripheral-part discharge driven roller 510a. Lower than the seating surface of the spring 512. As a result, the amount of deflection of the leaf spring 512 that supports the central sheet discharge driven roller 510a increases. As a result, the pressing force of the paper discharge driven roller 510a against the central paper discharge driving roller 510b increases, and the conveyance force f increases.

  In order to more effectively prevent the occurrence of skew and jam, a method of making the conveying force f uniform at the rolling contact portion between each discharged paper driven roller 510a and each discharged paper driving roller 510b can be considered. For this reason, when the transport force f in the central portion is lower than the transport force f in the peripheral portion, the above-described change operation of the transport force f may be performed. In addition, when the transport force f in the central portion is greater than the transport force f in the peripheral portion, an operation opposite to the change of the transport force f described above may be performed. In this case, for example, the spacer 514 provided to support the peripheral portion discharge driven roller 510a is removed, and the seating surface of the plate spring 512 that supports the roller 510a is replaced with the plate that supports the central discharge discharge roller 510a. The pressing force of the roller 510a is increased by making it lower than the seating surface of the spring 512.

  The above is the embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified in various ranges.

It is a sectional side view showing the configuration of the continuous paper printer of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a fixing unit and a discharge unit extracted from the configuration diagram of the entire continuous paper printer illustrated in FIG. 1, and illustrates a state in which the discharge unit functions to discharge fan hold paper. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing unit and a discharge unit extracted from the overall configuration diagram of the continuous paper printer shown in FIG. 1 and showing the state of the discharge unit when parts are replaced. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing unit and a discharge unit extracted from the overall configuration diagram of the continuous paper printer shown in FIG. 1 and showing the state of the discharge unit when parts are replaced. It is the exploded view which decomposed | disassembled and showed the one part structure in the discharge unit. It is the exploded view which decomposed | disassembled and showed the one part structure in the discharge unit.

Explanation of symbols

10 continuous paper printer 22 fixing unit 500 discharge unit 510a discharge driven roller 510b discharge drive roller 512 leaf spring 521 fixing member 522 first transfer auxiliary member 523 second transfer auxiliary member

Claims (7)

A housing;
A discharge driving roller having an axis in the width direction of the continuous paper and rotatably supported by the housing;
A plurality of discharge driven rollers that press the discharge drive roller so as to sandwich the continuous paper and are supported in a detachable and turnable manner on the housing and arranged in series in the axial direction. A paper discharge system for a continuous paper printer,
A paper for a continuous paper printer comprising a plurality of types of discharge driven rollers having different frictional forces so that each of the pressing forces of the plurality of discharge driven rollers with respect to the discharge driving roller can be changed. Discharge system.   The paper discharge system for a continuous paper printer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of discharge driven rollers have different surface roughnesses.   3. The paper discharge system for a continuous paper printer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of discharge driven rollers are formed of different materials. A plurality of biasing means detachably attached to the housing, further comprising a plurality of biasing means for applying a biasing force to each of the plurality of discharge driven rollers in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction;
The continuous paper printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of types of urging means having different urging forces are provided so that each of the pressing forces can be changed. Paper discharge system.   The paper discharge system for a continuous paper printer according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of types of urging means have different shapes.   6. The paper discharge system for a continuous paper printer according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of types of urging means are formed of different materials. For continuous paper having a shaft in the width direction of the continuous paper, sandwiching the continuous paper between a pair of discharge rollers that press each other with a predetermined force, and rotating the pair of discharge rollers to discharge the continuous paper In the paper discharge method of the printer,
Arrange one of the discharge rollers in series in the axial direction,
A paper discharge method for a continuous paper printer, characterized in that a pressing force at a contact point between each of the plurality of discharge rollers arranged on one side and the other discharge roller is adjusted to be uniform.

Images