Cutting – Tool with either work holder or means to hold work supply – Rotatable wound package supply
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-21
2001-01-30
Rachuba, M. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
Tool with either work holder or means to hold work supply
Rotatable wound package supply
C358S419000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178863
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper transfer assembly which may be incorporated in an image reading and/or recording apparatus (e.g. facsimile machine, printer) for feeding a substantially continuous paper from a roll thereof. The present invention also relates to an image reading and/or recording apparatus incorporating such a paper transfer assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A facsimile machine is well know which is designed to print images onto a substantially continuous paper paid out from a roll thereof. One type of facsimile machine may be designed to automatically cut the paper after printing. Another type of facsimile machine may be designed so that the user manually cuts the paper after printing.
As shown in
FIG. 10
of the accompanying drawings, a facsimile machine F′ of the manual cutting type comprises a recording platen roller
3
′ for feeding a continuous paper K′ from a roll thereof while pressing the paper K′ against a printhead
3
A′. After printing at the printhead
3
A′, the user manually cuts the paper K′ by utilizing a cutting edge
11
′ of the machine housing at a paper outlet
10
′.
As clearly appreciated from
FIG. 10
, since the manual cutting edge
11
′ need be located at the paper outlet
10
′, the distance L between the platen roller
3
′(or the printhead
3
A′) and the manual cutting edge
11
′ becomes inevitably large. This distance L corresponds to a blank portion of a cut paper piece K′
1
, so that a non-negligible amount of the paper K′ is wasted. Thus, it is desired to provide a paper transfer assembly which has the function of reversely moving the paper K′ after forwardly feeding and manually cutting it but before starting the next printing operation.
On the other hand, a facsimile machine of the automatic paper cutting type incorporates a cutter device located relatively close to the platen roller (or the printhead). Thus, the paper transfer assembly need not have an additional function of reversely moving the paper. Instead, the paper transfer assembly need have an additional function of driving the cutter device.
In this way, the two types of facsimile machine differ greatly from each other with respect to the requirements of the paper transfer assembly. Thus, it has been conventionally necessary to prepare two different kinds of paper transfer assembly for incorporation into the two different types of facsimile machine, consequently resulting in an increase of the production cost. Further, the facsimile machine of the automatic paper cutting type may requires two different motors for driving the platen roller and the cutter device, respectively, which also causes a cost increase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a paper transfer assembly which can be alternatively utilized for driving a cutter device or for reversibly feeding a paper by addition or omission of a simple element, thereby reducing the production cost of an apparatus which incorporates the paper cutting transfer assembly even if an automatic paper function is added or omitted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus which incorporates such a paper transfer assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a paper transfer assembly which is capable of selectively driving three different transmission mechanisms only by a single drive motor.
Still another object of the present invention is provide an image reading and recording apparatus which incorporates such a paper transfer assembly.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper transfer assembly comprising: a drive motor which is reversibly rotatable; a paper transfer roller for transferring a paper; a first transmission mechanism connected to the paper transfer roller; a second transmission mechanism separate from the first transmission mechanism; a reversal mechanism for connecting the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism; and a changeover mechanism for releasably connecting the drive motor to the first transmission mechanism to rotate the paper transfer roller in a forward direction when the motor is rotated in a first direction, and for releasably connecting the drive motor to the second transmission mechanism to rotate the paper transfer roller in a reverse direction via the reversal mechanism and the first transmission mechanism when the motor is rotated in a second direction opposite to said first direction.
With the paper transfer assembly described above, the first transmission mechanism is used for forwardly rotating the paper transfer roller, whereas the second transmission mechanism is combined with the reversal mechanism for reversely rotating the paper transfer roller. Thus, when the apparatus such as a thermal printer incorporating the paper transfer assembly is not provided with an automatic cutter device, the paper may be reversely moved by a desired amount after manual cutting, thereby avoiding a waste of the paper which may result from manual cutting.
On the other hand, if an automatic cutting function is desired, the reversal mechanism may be omitted, and a cutter device may, instead, be connected to the second transmission mechanism for cutting the paper. In this case, no modification need be made with respect to the first and second transmission mechanisms per se. Thus, the same paper transfer assembly can be utilized for two types of apparatus (one having an automatic paper cutting function, and the other having a paper reversing function), thereby reducing the production cost of the apparatus.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and second transmission mechanisms comprises a plurality of gears, and the reversal mechanism comprises at least one reversal gear in mesh with a selected gear of the first transmission mechanism and a selected gear of the second transmission mechanism. Further, the changeover mechanism comprises a planetary gear mechanism which includes a sun gear operatively connected to the drive motor, a first planetary gear held in mesh with the sun gear for revolution therearound while making self-rotation, and a second planetary gear held in mesh with the sun gear for revolution therearound while making self-rotation. In this case, the first planetary gear comes into mesh with a predetermined gear of the first transmission mechanism when the motor is rotated in said first direction, whereas the second planetary gear comes into mesh with a predetermined gear of the second transmission mechanism when the motor is rotated in said second direction.
Preferably, the paper transfer assembly may further comprise a second paper transfer roller for transferring a different paper, and a third transmission mechanism connected to the second paper transfer roller. With such an arrangement, the changeover mechanism can select a first operation mode in which the drive motor is connected only to the third transmission mechanism, a second operation mode in which the drive motor is connected only to the first transmission mechanism, a third operation mode in which the drive motor is connected to both of the first and third transmission mechanisms, and a fourth operation mode in which the drive motor is connected only to the second transmission mechanism.
According to a preferred embodiment, the changeover mechanism comprises a planetary gear mechanism and a control mechanism. Further, the planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear operatively connected to the drive motor, a first planetary gear held in mesh with the sun gear for revolution therearound while making self-rotation, and a second planetary gear held in mesh with the sun gear for revolution therearound while making self-rotation.
According to the preferred embodiment described above, the control mechanism brings the first planetary gear into connection with
Hayashi Shigeyuki
Kobayashi Akira
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Flores-S{acute over (a)}nchez Omar
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Rachuba M.
LandOfFree
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