Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-10
2004-12-21
Gordon, Raquel Yvette (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832833
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on an image-forming medium carried.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink-jet printer injects liquid ink at a paper to print an image thereon. In general, in the ink-jet printer, a long paper is fed on a carrying table disposed to confront a print-head having a number of ink injecting nozzles in sequence from its tip, with its orientation restricted by a pair of guide members disposed at both widthwise end portions of the long paper, to print an image on the paper. In general, the print-head is structured to reciprocally move along a direction perpendicular to a carrying direction of the paper, while injecting the ink at the paper, to print the image thereon.
This type of printer sometimes tries to obtain improved processing power by arranging papers in two rows to confront the print-head so that the image can be printed on those two papers nearly simultaneously. In this arrangement, the widthwise positions of the papers arranged in two rows are restricted separately by two pairs of guide members arranged in correspondence to those two papers, respectively. The two pairs of guide members are each movable along a widthwise direction of the paper (a direction perpendicular to the carrying direction of the paper) so that they can be adjusted in position in accordance with the width of the paper to be in correspondence with both widthwise ends of the paper. This means that the two pairs of guide members positioned in correspondence with the papers arranged in two rows are arranged in parallel with each other on a same plane as a carrying surface of the paper.
Also, each pair of guide members restrict the widthwise position of the paper so that the widthwise center of the paper can conform (center alignment), irrespective of width of the paper. In general, the pair of guide members are movable in a specific range only, so that the distance between the both guide members is not widened beyond a specified distance (maximum distance).
Some carrying table for supporting the papers confronting the print-head is provided with ink receiving portions for receiving the ink protruding from the paper margin when the image is printed on the paper in a rimless form. This type of carrying table is, in general, provided with a number of ink receiving portions disposed adjacent to both ends of the papers having different widths, so as to adequately print the image on the paper in the rimless form regardless of width of the paper.
In this type of printer, when the image is printed on papers arranged in two rows while the print-head is moved forward or backward along the widthwise direction of the papers, as mentioned above, the image is printed on the paper while the print-head is in a position confronting the paper, but the image is not printed on the paper while the print-head is in a position confronting a space between the papers.
If the two pairs of guide members which are movable separately in the widthwise direction of the paper with respect to the papers arranged in two rows are provided in this type of printer, the mechanism for restricting the widthwise position of the paper will be complicated. This problem of complication of the mechanism for restricting the widthwise position of the paper arises not only when the papers are fed in two rows but also when the papers are fed in single row. Also, if the distance between the papers arranged in two rows is large, then the time for the print-head moved forward or backward to be in the position confronting the space between the papers, during which the image is not printed on the paper, becomes longer and, as a result, the processing power of the printer reduces.
Also, if this type of printer is used to print an image on the paper having a larger width than a maximum distance between the pair of guide members, then the both widthwise ends of that wider paper can no longer be restricted by the pair of guide members. Although it is conceivable that the both widthwise ends of that wider paper is restricted by using two guide members of one pair located at the widthwise outside of the guide members of another pair, since the two guide members of another pair located at the widthwise inside are on the carrying surface of such a wider paper, the wider paper will not be fed precisely. Thus, this type of printer cannot feed the paper having a larger width than the maximum distance between the two guide members of the pair, while the both widthwise ends of the paper are restricted on the carrying surface of the paper. As a result, this type of printer cannot be used to print the image on the paper having such a wider width.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can provide a simplified mechanism for restricting widthwise positions of image-forming media of different widths.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can provide an improved processing power by shortening the time for an image-forming member be in a position confronting the space between the image-forming media during which the image is not formed on the image-forming media.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can restrict a widthwise position of each of image-forming media having a relatively narrow width arranged in rows, while carrying the image-forming media, and also can restrict a widthwise position of image-forming media having a width stretching over carrying passages of the image-forming media having the relatively narrow width, while carrying the image-forming media.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising carrying means for carrying an image-forming medium; a first position restricting member, unmovable in a widthwise direction of the image-forming medium, for restricting a position of one widthwise end of the image-forming medium carried by the carrying means; a second position restricting member, movable in a widthwise direction of the image-forming medium, for restricting a position of the other widthwise end of the image-forming medium; and an image-forming member for forming an image on the image-forming medium carried by the carrying means, the positions of both widthwise ends of the image-forming medium being restricted by the first position restricting member and the second position restricting member.
According to this construction, the first position restricting member for restricting a position of one widthwise end of the image-forming medium is unmovable in a widthwise direction of the image-forming medium, while only a second position restricting member for restricting a position of the other widthwise end of the image-forming medium. This construction can allow simplification of the mechanism for restricting the widthwise position of the image-forming medium, as compared with the construction wherein both of the first and second position restricting members are movable in the widthwise direction of the image-forming medium so that the widthwise position of the image-forming medium can be restricted by moving both of the first and second position restricting members.
Suppose that the image forming apparatus is an ink-jet printer wherein the image-forming member injects inks at the image-forming medium to print an image thereon and the image is printed on the image-forming medium of different widths in a rimless form: According to the construction of the invention, one end of the image-forming medium restricted by the first position restricting member can be positioned conformably, irrespective of the width of the image-forming medium. This can provide a common ink receiving portion for any of the image-forming medium of different widths when the ink receiving portion is positioned near the one end of the image-forming medium. This can provide a reduced number of ink receiving por
Adachi Yoshiyuki
Tsuji Masaaki
Gordon Raquel Yvette
Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
Smith Patent Office
LandOfFree
Image forming apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image forming apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image forming apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3278839