Advancing material of indeterminate length – By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface – Comprising rotary pinch pair
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2001-05-15
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Advancing material of indeterminate length
By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface
Comprising rotary pinch pair
C226S196100, C242S615210, C347S222000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230954
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feeding device and a printer having the paper feeding device, and more particularly to a paper feeding device having a paper feeding guide in which the paper fed through a first paper feeding path portion is fed by a paper feeding roller mechanism to a second paper feeding path portion extending in a direction intersecting with the first paper feeding path portion, and which is provided with first and second main planar portions for defining outer side walls of the first and second paper feeding path portions. The present invention also relates to a printer having the paper feeding device. The present invention also relates to a paper feeding device formed in a limited narrow space as in the case where thermal sensitive continuous paper having a small width wound in the form of a roll in the vicinity of a small size printer such as a thermal printer, integrally built in an electronic equipment such as a small size handy type game machine, and and relates to a printer having such a paper feeding device.
Throughout this specification, the “outer side wall” of the side wall of the paper path portion means the side wall on the side in which the path is convex in the case where the paper feeding path as a whole is bent on one side. Also, the expression that one paper feeding path portion is “extending in a direction intersecting with” another paper feeding path portion means the arrangement in which the two paper path portions are intersected with each other in the case where the two paper feeding path portions are extended straight, respectively. An angle defined by intersecting the two paper feeding path portions may be about 90° or more or less.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 7
, a conventional printer
110
is so constructed as to feed, by a paper feeding roller mechanism
103
, the paper introduced through a first paper feeding path portion
101
to a second paper feeding path portion
102
extending in a direction intersecting with the first paper feeding path portion
101
. A paper feeding guide
108
has a first main planar portion
106
and a second main planar portion
107
for defining the outer side walls of the first and second paper feeding path portions
101
and
102
, respectively.
In the conventional printer
110
, a rotation of an output shaft of a motor
3
mounted on a frame
111
to be mounted on a body of the instrument is transmitted through a gear mechanism (not shown) to a feeding screw
112
. The rotation of the feeding screw is converted into a reciprocating motion in a paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of
FIG. 7
) along a guide shaft
114
of a head carrier body (head carriage)
115
through a feeding screw pin
113
engaged with a spiral groove on an outer periphery of the feeding screw. At the same time, when the head carrier body
115
is moved forwardly in a direction A
1
from the front side to the rear side of the paper surface of
FIG. 7
, a predetermined print is performed by a thermal head
116
onto the paper located between the thermal head
116
carried on the carrier body
115
and a platen rubber body
119
on a platen body
118
biased by a platen spring
117
. A paper feeding roller driver body
123
is rotated through a plurality of one-way clutch type spiral claw portions
122
by a pin
121
biased by a spring
120
when the head carrier body
115
is moved back in a direction A
2
of
FIG. 7
, so that rubber rollers
124
coaxially formed at both ends of the paper feeding roller driver body
123
is rotated by a predetermined angle, thereby feeding the paper clamped between the rubber rollers
124
and an idler roller
125
by one line.
In this conventional printer
110
, the interval between the first main planar portion extending in the horizontal direction and the second main planar portion
107
extending in the vertical direction as viewed in
FIG. 7
is connected with a slant surface portion
126
slanted substantially at an angle of 45°. In the case where new continuous paper having a width of about 4 cm is inserted between the platens
118
and
119
and the thermal head
116
, the leading edge of the paper is inserted from the first paper feeding path portion
101
and is deflected upwardly at the slant surface portion
126
by utilizing the slant of the slant surface portion
126
, to be fed to the paper clamping portion between the rollers
124
and
125
.
However, in this conventional printer
110
, in the case where the thick paper having a thickness of, for example, about 0.1 mm is used, the leading edge of the paper is not sufficiently deflected at the slant surface portion
126
of the paper feeding guide
108
. The leading edge is abutted against, for example, the bent portion between the slant surface portion
126
and the second main planar portion
107
, and is subjected to resistance which may cause the paper to become hooked hooked actually. Thus, there is a fear that the leading edge of the paper would not reach the clamping portion between the rollers
124
and
125
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing points, an object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding device that may positively feed the paper from a first paper feeding path portion to a second paper feeding path portion extending in a direction intersecting with the first paper feeding path portion even if the thickness of the paper is increased to increase the rigidity of the paper to some extent, i.e., irrespective of the fact that the paper is thick or thin. Another object of the present invention is to provide a a printer having such a paper feeding device.
In order to attain the above-noted objects, a printer according to the present invention is provided with a paper feeding device in which paper inserted through a first paper feeding path portion is fed to a second paper feeding path portion extending perpendicular to the first paper feeding path portion by a paper feeding roller mechanism, which has a paper feeding guide provided with a first and second main planar portions for defining the outer side walls of the first and second paper fed path portions, in which the paper feeding guide is provided with a plurality of planar connection portions, slanted relative to each other, between the first and second main planar portions so that the paper introduced from the first paper feed portion is guided to the second paper feeding path portion.
In the paper feeding device according to the present invention and the printer having the paper feeding device, the plurality of planar connection portions which are slanted relative to each other are provided between the first and second main planar portions for guiding the paper introduced from the first paper feeding path portion to the second paper feeding path portion. Accordingly, even if the second main planar portion is largely bent relative to the first main planar portion, i.e., even if the angle between the first and second main planar portions is large, it is possible to reduce the angle between the adjacent connection portions along the paper feed direction. Accordingly, in the paper feeding device according to the present invention, in the case where the new paper is loaded, even if the paper is relatively thick (at, for example, about 0.1 mm or more) and the rigidity of the paper is relatively high, it is possible to reduce the angle of the paper to be loaded to be deflected at each planar connection portion. There is a small fear that the leading edge of the paper would collide with the bent portion between the adjacent planar portions of the outer side walls (between the main planar portion and the planar connection portion adjacent to the main planar portion or between the two adjacent planar connection portions).
Incidentally, the paper feeding guide is made of a material which is thin so that is can be disposed at a predetermined position in a narrow space and which has a high mechanical strength. the Preferabl
Ito Akihiko
Watanabe Hideki
Yoneyama Kazuo
Adams & Wilks
Pham Minh-Chau
Seiko Instruments Inc.
Walsh Donald P.
LandOfFree
Paper feeding device and printer having the paper feeding... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Paper feeding device and printer having the paper feeding..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Paper feeding device and printer having the paper feeding... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474755