JPH03216447A - Paper feed mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] A paper feeding mechanism that transports continuous paper used in printers, etc. by a pair of tractors is designed to prevent the occurrence of sagging, jamming, and holes in the paper due to changes in humidity, etc. The purpose of this paper feeding mechanism is to provide a simple paper feeding mechanism with a structure that can prevent the above-mentioned problems, and in which continuous paper is transported by a pair of tractors each having a bin belt that engages with feed holes on both sides of the continuous paper. The bin belt of at least one of the tractors is provided to be movable within a predetermined range in the lateral direction, and the tractor is provided with an elastic member that urges the pin belt in a direction to widen the width of the conveyed paper.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a paper feeding mechanism for transporting continuous paper used in printers and the like using a pair of tractors.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the main structure of this type of conventional paper feeding mechanism, and in the figure, reference numerals 1 and 2 are tractors.

Each tractor 1.2 is guided by a guide shaft 3 and is movable in the left-right direction. 4 is a common drive shaft that drives each tractor 1, 2, and 5.6 is a common drive shaft that drives each tractor 1.
A lock lever 7 provided on the tractor 2 for locking the tractor 1.2 at a desired position is a paper holding plate that is provided on the tractor 2 and can be opened and closed.

This paper feeding mechanism is provided, for example, at a stage upstream of the platen, and transports continuous paper toward the platen.

When stocking the paper, position the left and right tractors 1.2 according to the paper width, engage the pins 9 of the pin belts 8 of each of the tractors 1 and 2 with the feed holes on both sides of the continuous paper, and then use the lock levers 5.6 to Fix tractors 1 and 2. Thereafter, the paper presser plate 7 is closed to maintain the engagement between the paper and the bin belt 8.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional paper feeding mechanism, the interval between the pin belts is constant, and when the width of the paper increases due to humidity or the like, the paper becomes sagging, causing problems such as poor printing and paper jams. Furthermore, when the paper width becomes smaller, peeling occurs at the feed hole of the paper.

In order to solve these problems, the present applicant proposed a new method in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-271344 (publication date: October 30, 1999). The main structure of this type of paper feeding mechanism is shown in Fig. 4. In the figure, 11 is a tractor (same as the above-mentioned tractor 1), 12 is a pin belt equipped with a pin l3 (same as the above-mentioned pin belt 8). similar)
, 14 is a drive shaft, 5 is a guide shaft, 1
6 is a lock lever (similar to the lock lever 5.6 described above), 17 is a frame-shaped member, and 18 is a spring. Further, 100 is a continuous sheet of paper provided with a feed hole 100a.

When setting paper, the frame member 17 is positioned as shown in the figure and fixed by the lock lever 16. In this state, the tractor 11 is rotated to the left by the spring 18 provided between the tractor 11 and the frame member 17. (transfer paper 10
0), and the tractor 1
An appropriate gap is formed between the left and right sides of the frame member 1 and the frame member l7. Therefore, when the paper width increases due to changes in humidity or the like, the tractor 11 moves to the left, and when the paper width decreases, the tractor 11 moves to the right. This makes it possible to solve the above problem. However, this method requires a frame-like member and has a complicated structure, so there is a need for an alternative paper feeding mechanism.

The present invention prevents paper from sagging or jamming due to changes in humidity, etc.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper feeding mechanism with a simple structure that can prevent the occurrence of holes.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a paper feeding mechanism that transports continuous paper by a pair of tractors each having a pin belt that engages with feed holes on both sides of continuous paper, in which the pin belt of at least one of the tractors is provided so as to be movable laterally within a predetermined range, and the tractor is provided with an elastic member that biases the bin belt in a direction to widen the width of the conveyed paper.

[For production]

When setting paper, for example, if one tractor is a movable pin belt type according to the present invention and the other tractor is a non-movable pin belt type, the other tractor should be moved so that the bins of the bin belt are connected to the corresponding feed holes of the paper. Then, one of the tractors is moved laterally to engage the pin of the pin belt of the tractor with the feed hole of the corresponding paper.

Then, the tractor is positioned so that the pin belt is at the center of the movable range, and fixed using a lock lever or the like.

In this state, the elastic member is compressed by an appropriate amount, urging the bin belt in a direction to widen the width of the conveyed paper.

Therefore, even if the width of the paper changes due to a change in humidity or the like while the paper is being transported in this state, the pin belt of one of the tractors will follow this change and move in the lateral direction. As a result, the occurrence of sagging, jamming, and holes in the paper, which have been problems in the past, can be prevented.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the main structure of the paper feeding mechanism 21 of this example, and in the figure, 22 is a tractor. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same members as in FIG. 3.

The tractor 22 moves in the lateral direction (the first width direction of the paper to be transported).
A bin belt 8 is supported by the tractor main body 22a so as to be movable within a predetermined range in the left and right directions in the figure, and a pin belt 8 is provided between the pin belt 8 and the tractor main body 22a to move the bin belt 8 to the right (in the direction of the transport paper). The elastic member 23 is biased in the direction in which the width is widened. In this example, a spring is used as the elastic member 23.
3 actually activates a toothed pulley (not shown) on which the pin helt 8 is stretched.

The paper is set in the paper feed mechanism 21 in the following procedure.

When stocking paper, as shown in FIG. -5 fixes the tractor 1. Next, the tractor 22 is moved laterally so that the pin 9 of the pin belt 8 of the tractor 22 is engaged with the feed hole on the right side of the jig 100. Then, the tractor main body 22a is positioned so that the bin belt 8 is in the center of the movable range of the bin belt 8, and the tractor main body 22a is moved to the lock lever 6.
Fix it by. In this state, the same amount of movement gaps are formed on both sides of the bin belt 8, and the elastic member 23 is compressed by an appropriate amount.

Therefore, even if the width of the paper changes due to changes in humidity or the like while the paper is being transported in this state, the pin belt 8 of the tractor 22 moves laterally to follow this change. As a result, printing quality is improved by preventing the paper from sagging, which was a problem in the past, and paper jams are prevented. This makes it possible to prevent holes from coming out. In addition, this method does not require the frame-like member shown in Figure 4, so the structure is simplified, the spring force of the elastic member is small, and the parallelism of the pin belt to the paper is improved (only the bin belt is required). (to activate and move).

In the above description, an example has been described in which only the bin belt of one tractor is movable, but it goes without saying that the other tractor may also be of the same type.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a paper feeding mechanism with a simple structure that can prevent the occurrence of paper sagging, paper jams, and holes caused by changes in humidity and the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the main structure of a paper feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the paper setting state of the paper feeding mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the conventional paper feeding mechanism. 4 is a plan view showing the structure of the main parts. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the main parts of another conventional paper feeding mechanism. In the figure, 1.22 is a tractor, 8 is a pin belt, 9 is a pin, 21 is a paper feeding mechanism, 23 is an elastic member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A paper feeding mechanism in which continuous paper is transported by a pair of tractors (1, 22) each equipped with a pin belt (8) that engages with feed holes on both sides of the continuous paper, at least one of said tractors. (22) pin belt (
8) is provided to be movable laterally within a predetermined range, and the tractor (22) is provided with an elastic member (23) that urges the pin belt (8) in a direction to widen the width of the conveyed paper. A paper feeding mechanism featuring: