JPS6374853A - Electrophotographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To aim at enhancing the usability of a printer, by providing such an arrangement that a continuous paper sheet and cut sheets are simultaneously loaded, and one of them may be selected in accordance with a command signal from a control device so as to always make it possible to select a paper sheet without the necessity of replacement of paper. CONSTITUTION:First and second image transfer rollers 13a, 13b are arranged facing a heat roller 12. A continuous paper sheet fed from a continuous paper sheet hopper 16 passes through between the heat roller 12 and the roller 13a and the continuous paper sheet is then conveyed by a tractor 14 along a first conveying path 6a to be stored in a stack 17. Meanwhile, Out sheets which are fed one by one from a cut sheet hopper 19 by means of a pick roller 18 pass through between the rollers 13b and the roller 12, and they are conveyed along a second conveying path 6b to be stored in a stack 20. Further, a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum 1 is once transferred onto an image transfer belt 11. Further, the drive systems for the first and second conveying paths 6a, 6b are selectively operated in accordance with the kind of paper to be used by means of a control circuit, and therefore, the toner image on the belt 11 is transferred onto either the continuous paper sheet or a cut sheet for printing.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Table of contents] - Overview - Field of industrial application - Prior art - Problems to be solved by the invention - Means for solving the problems - Effects - Examples - Description of the invention Effect [Summary] An electrophotographic printer that loads continuous paper and cut paper at the same time and allows you to select the paper to use at any time.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic printer, and particularly to a mechanism for selectively using continuous paper (fanfold paper) and cut paper (sheet paper).

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a conventional laser printer.

Along the photosensitive drum 1, a cleaning section 2, a charging section 3,
An optical section 4 and a developing section 5 are provided, and a toner image 9 is formed on a photosensitive drum l. This toner image 9 is transferred onto a sheet (not shown) fed along the conveyance path 6 by a transfer section 7, and fixed onto the sheet by thermocompression at a fixing section 8.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Since the conventional laser printer has only one paper conveyance path, only either continuous paper or cut paper can be loaded into the printer. In conventional printers, printers have been developed that have improved the transport mechanism of the transport path and can feed both continuous paper and cut paper in a recessed manner, but even in such printers, only one type of paper can be loaded into the printer. When using a different paper, it was necessary to stop loading and replace the paper.

The present invention has been made in view of the above drawbacks of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic printer that can simultaneously load continuous paper and cut paper, and that can selectively print on either paper at any time. shall be.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 shows the principle of the present invention. An electrophotographic printer that performs printing by transferring the toner image 9 on the photosensitive drum 1 onto continuous paper or cut paper. Continuous paper can be loaded at the same time, and the paper to be used can always be selected.

A first transfer section 7a and a first fixing section 8a are provided along the first conveyance path 6a, and a second transfer section 7a is provided along the second conveyance path 6b.
b and a second fixing section 8b are provided.

The other configurations are the same as those of the prior art.

[For production]

A toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning section 2, the charging section 3, the optical section 4, and the developing section 5. The toner image 9 is transferred to the first conveyance path 6a or the second conveyance path 6 by a command signal to a control device (not shown) depending on the paper to be used.
b is selected, and the transfer section 7a or 7b along each conveyance path,
Transfer and fixing operations are performed on a desired sheet of paper in the fixing section 8a or 8b.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. Photosensitive drum 1
Around the cleaning part 2, which consists of a rotating brush,! 8
A charging section 3 for uniformly charging the surface of the optical drum, an optical section 4 comprising a laser light source for forming a latent image, and a developing section 5 for applying toner to the latent image and developing it are provided. A transfer roller 10 is provided adjacent to the developing section 5 and engages with one end of a continuous transfer belt 11. A heat roller 12 is provided at the other end of the transfer belt 11 . A first transfer roller 13a and a second transfer roller 13b are provided facing the heat roller 12.

Continuous paper supplied from the continuous paper hopper 16 passes between the first transfer roller 13a and the heat roller 12. The continuous paper is conveyed along the first conveyance path 6a by the tractor 14 and stored in the stack 17.

On the other hand, between the second transfer roller 13b and the heat roller 12, cut sheets fed out one by one by the pick roller 18 from the force/gutter paper hopper 19 pass. The cut paper is conveyed along the 2111th conveyance path 6b and stored in the stack 20.

In the printer configured as described above, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is once transferred onto the transfer belt 1-11.

Depending on the type of paper to be used, the drive system for the first conveyance path 6a or the second conveyance path 6b is selected and operated via a control circuit (not shown), and either continuous paper or cut paper is selected and transferred to the transfer belt. The toner image on the ll is transferred and printed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the electrophotographic printer according to the present invention, continuous paper and cut paper can be loaded at the same time, and which paper to use can be selected by a command signal from the control device. Therefore, it is possible to always select paper without performing operations such as replacing paper, and the usability of the printer is improved.

Further, as shown in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, if a common heat roller is used for transfer and fixing for continuous paper and cut sheets, the structure becomes simple.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. I... Photosensitive drum, 6a... First conveyance path, 6
b...21st feeding path, 7a...1st transfer section, 7b...
...Second transfer section, 8a...First fixing section, 8b...
2nd fixing section, 9... Toner image, 10... Transfer roller, 11... Transfer belt, 12... Heat roller. Diagram 1 for explaining the principle of the present invention... Photosensitive drum 6o... 1st S feeding path 6b... 2nd feeding path 7o... 1st transfer section 7b... 2nd transfer section 8Q... 1st Fixing section 8b...Second fixing section 9...Toner image

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an electrophotographic printer that performs printing by transferring a toner image (9) on a photosensitive drum (1) onto continuous paper or cut paper, the first conveyance path (6a) for continuous paper and the cut 2nd for paper
An electrophotographic printer characterized in that it has a conveyance path (6b), can load cut sheets and continuous sheets at the same time, and can always select the sheet to be used. 2. Provide a common transfer belt (11) for transferring the toner image (9), and along the transfer belt (11),
A first transfer section (13a) for continuous paper and a second transfer section (13b) for cut paper are provided, and in each transfer section (13a, 13b), the transfer belt (11) is applied to continuous paper and cut paper, respectively.
2. The electrophotographic printer according to claim 1, wherein the electrophotographic printer is configured to transfer an upper toner image.