Advancing material of indeterminate length – Threading device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-12
2003-04-22
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3653)
Advancing material of indeterminate length
Threading device
C399S388000, C399S397000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550657
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to a printer and more particularly to a paper separation (or release) apparatus and paper separation method which are applicable to an image or picture formation apparatus as a printer for printing and image formation on a continuous, sequence paper.
FIG. 8
shows a general structure of a high-speed printer for a continuous, sequence paper. In a case that a continuous, sequence paper is not set to this high speed printer, or in a case that discontinuous papers (in a bundle) are set by some unknown reasons in place of the continuous, sequence paper and therefore reset is to be made, a continuous, sequence paper P of a paper buffer portion
200
is set in an auto-load portion
201
and then a start switch for the auto-load portion (not shown) is put on, so that the paper P is automatically fed to a transfer portion
202
, a fixture portion
203
and a stacker portion
204
. By this operation, the continuous, sequence paper P is on a stand-by state for a printing operation. The serial, consecutive paper-loading operation is called as an auto-load operation.
Japanese Patent Publications (unexamined) No. 9-90775 (1997) and No. 3-13444 (1991) show structures in which a continuous, sequence paper P is fed from a transfer drum and guided to a fixture portion
203
and a stacker portion
204
through some guides. An example of such a guide construction and a pinch roller construction is shown in
FIG. 9
, by which a paper loading operation is conducted in the transfer portion
202
at the time of an auto-load operation. The paper P which is fed from an auto-load table portion (that is, a table provided in the auto-load portion
201
shown in
FIG. 8
) is fed by a lower pin
102
of transfer portion and then fed upward as it is closely contacted with the transfer drum
103
. The paper P closely contacted with the transfer drum
103
is abutted against a guide
104
, which has a minor gap (approximately, 0.8 mm) relative to the drum
103
and then released. Then, the paper P is pulled by the pinch roller
105
so that apertures of the paper P are engaged with upper pins
106
of the tractor of the transfer portion.
The pinch roller
105
is, as shown in
FIG. 10
, generally stands by at an upper portion of the feeding direction of the paper P. When the paper P is fed to advance by the auto-load operation, the pinch roller is moved upward relative to the feeding direction of the paper P and, as shown In
FIG. 11
, serves to hold the paper P to feed it toward the tractor upper pin
106
.
However, as a continuous, sequence paper, which is usually referred as a continuous form P, has recently been used extensively and, when such a thin paper is used and fed into the transfer portion
202
, it is likely that the thin paper is freely delivered through a space between the transfer drum
103
and the guide member
104
without a required contact by these members
103
and
104
with the result that there is a problem of unavailability of the auto-loading.
With respect to separation of a paper, an attempt was made to provide a paper releasing nail for releasing a paper as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (unexamined) No. 5-20072 (1993). However, this technique does not permit the paper to be released from a circumferential surface of the transfer drum and therefore is not a good measure for solving the problems described above. Further, Japanese Patent Publication (unexamined) No. 2-238480 (1990) discloses a structure in which a paper releasing nail is provided to a paper supporting drum which supports a paper for feeding, but this attempt does not release a paper from a circumferential surface of the transfer drum and, therefore, the aforementioned problems have not been solved yet. In view of the structural feature of the transfer drum, the paper releasing nail as described above sometimes provides damages on the surface of the drum at the time of releasing operation of the paper from the drum surface by the use of the nail and, therefore, results in damages in the circumferential surface of the drum and generation of undesirable noises in printing and image or picture. Thus, use of the paper releasing nail as described above results in deterioration of printing and image (picture) properties. In the structure disclosed in the above-described Publication No. 2-238480, the paper is released from the circumferential surface of the drum during the paper feeding operation by means of the releasing nail, and this is not a paper releasing from a circumferential surface of the transfer drum and, therefore, this method is applicable.
On the other hand, provided that there should be a suggestive structure of a paper-separation nail for separating a paper from the transfer drum, it must be that this structure will have the structure as follows. Namely, it must be constructed such that the paper release nail is contacted with the circumferential surface of the transfer drum
103
at the time of auto-loading mode only and, further, a paper releasing operation must be finished by the nail before the pinch roller is driven for the above-mentioned pulling operation. Apart from the operational structure of the pinch roller
105
, if it is required to provide a controlling device for controlling the operation of the paper separation nail, additional mechanism must be provided for a synchronous operation with the pinch roller
105
. This, however, will provide a new serious problem of complexity in mechanical structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in a method and apparatus of paper separation which permit a secure and reliable auto-loading operation of paper separation with less complex mechanism of the apparatus.
According to the present invention, there is provided a paper separation apparatus which comprises a paper separation body for separating a paper from a transfer body; a paper feeding supporter device for holding the paper firmly and supporting the feed of the paper; and a link mechanism for moving the paper separation body toward a circumferential surface of the transfer body so as to separate the paper from the transfer body in an auto-loading step and moving at least a portion of the paper feeding supporter device to thereby hold firmly the separated paper, so that the movement of the paper separation body is co-acted in synchronism with the movement of the paper feeding supporter device.
In the structure described above, when the continuous, sequence paper is fed to the transfer body at the time of the auto-loading operation, the paper separation body is moved toward the circumferential surface of the transfer body by means of the link mechanism, at the moment of which a movement of the paper feeding supporter can be started if desired, the paper is separated from the transfer body. Then, by the link mechanism, at least a part of the paper feeding supporter is further moved to thereby hold the separated paper by the paper feeding supporter and, after that, the paper feeding operation is enhanced by the paper feeding supporter.
As described above, the operation of the paper separation body and the operation of the paper feeding supporter are co-acted with each other in synchronism and this synchronized operation permits a reliable paper separation and auto-loading operation.
The paper feeding supporter device preferably includes at least a pinch roller but is not limited to this structure, and any other structure can be used so long as it can hold the continuous, sequence paper and feed the same to a lower portion of the structure. According to the present invention, it is defined in the claim that, by the link mechanism described above, at least a part of the paper feeding supporter device is moved. This means that if at least one of the rollers (preferably, a pinch roller) is moved by the link mechanism as defined in the claim, the remaining other roller can serve to hold the paper.
The paper separation body preferably has a pap
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Mansen Michael R.
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method of paper separation for image formation... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method of paper separation for image formation..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method of paper separation for image formation... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3036306