Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-20
2002-02-05
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C400S578000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343884
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper roll loading method for loading a roll of paper at a printer and a printer in which rolls of paper are used.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of printer is that which uses rolls of paper, such type of printer having a paper roll holder holding the paper roll. In this type of printer, an operator places a roll of paper into the paper roll holder and sets the roll so that a printer can print to the paper.
In the present specification, the term “loading a/the paper roll” refers to an operation of loading a roll of paper at a position at which a printer can then print to the paper roll, including inserting the roll of paper into the paper roll holder and a state in which a forward edge of an outermost portion of paper unraveled from the paper roll has passed through a printing mechanism including a printing head for printing to the paper.
The above-described loading of the roll of paper poses, for example, the following basic requirements:
1) Ease of handling. For example, an operator should be able to set the roll of paper even when the operator is wearing gloves, because depending on the conditions under which the printer is operated it may be essential that the operator wear gloves.
2) A dirty portion of the paper unraveled from the roll should not be fed to the printing mechanism.
3) The printing mechanism is not dirtied or damaged.
An example of a conventional printer
20
that uses a roll of paper
10
as described above is shown in FIG.
1
. As shown in the diagram, the printer
20
is constructed so that a printing head
22
is positioned in front of the paper roll holder
25
. The printer
20
itself comprises a main body
21
, the above-mentioned printing head
22
fixedly mounted on the main body
21
, and a platen roller
23
provided on a front edge of an upwardly openable cover
24
and a paper roll holder
25
.
In order to set the paper roll
10
to the printer
20
, an operator performs the following operations:
(1) An outermost portion of paper is unraveled from the roll as shown by reference numeral
11
.
(2) The cover
24
is opened.
(3) The paper roll
10
is placed in the paper roll holder
25
and the paper
11
unraveled therefrom is extended outside the printer
20
.
(4) The cover
24
is closed.
(5) The unraveled portion of paper
11
is cut at a point somewhere past the printing head
22
, that is, on a downstream side of the printing head
22
, opposite a side of the printing head
22
nearest the paper roll holder
25
.
FIG. 2
is a diagram showing another conventional printer
30
using the roll of paper
10
described above. In the printer
30
shown in the diagram, the printing head
32
is positioned inside the paper roll holder
35
and the printer
30
itself comprises a main body
31
, a printing head
32
, a platen roller
33
fixedly mounted on the main unit
31
, a cover
34
openable toward the bottom, and a paper roll holder
35
.
In order to set the paper roll
10
to the printer
30
, an operator performs the following operations:
(1) An outermost portion of paper is unraveled from the roll as shown by reference numeral
11
.
(2) The cover
34
is opened.
(3) The paper
11
unraveled from the paper roll
10
is held at both sides and fed between the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
, the platen roller
33
is briefly rotated and a forward edge of the paper
11
is passed between the printer head
32
and the platen roller
33
.
(4) The paper roll
10
is placed inside the paper roll holder
35
, the roll of paper
10
is supported with one hand while the cover
34
is closed with the other hand.
(5) The unraveled paper
11
is cut at a point somewhere past the printing head
22
, that is, on a downstream side of the printing head
22
.
However, both types of printers described above have disadvantages.
In the printer
20
shown in
FIG. 1
, although the operation of loading the paper roll
10
can be performed with the operator wearing gloves, because the printing head
22
and the platen roller
23
are positioned in front of the paper roll holder
25
, they can be easily accidentally contacted and dirtied by the operator's hand during that loading operation. If the printing head
22
and the platen roller
23
are dirtied the quality of the resulting print diminishes and even the printed paper is dirtied as well. For this reason the printer
20
shown in
FIG. 1
is unsuitable for locations in which the operator is likely to be wearing gloves.
In the printer
30
shown in
FIG. 2
, the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
are placed inside the paper roll holder
35
, thus they are not likely to be easily accidentally contacted by the operator's hand and hence are unlikely to be directly dirtied thereby. However, the operator wearing gloves must still grasp the paper unrolled from the roll at both sides and feed the paper between the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
, at which time any dirt adhering to the paper
11
dirties the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
when the paper
11
passes therebetween.
Additionally, with the operator wearing gloves it is virtually impossible to perform the relatively delicate task of threading the paper
11
between the printing head
32
and the platen roller
33
. For this reason the printer
20
shown in
FIG. 2
also is unsuitable for locations in which the operator is likely to be wearing gloves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful, method for loading a paper roll to a printer and a printer using the method, in which the disadvantages described above are eliminated.
The above-described object of the present invention is achieved by a printer, comprising:
a paper roll holder for holding a roll of paper;
a paper feed path guiding the paper from the paper roll;
a printing head provided on a portion of the paper feed path for printing on the paper; and
a cutter disposed on the paper feed path between the paper roll holder and the printing head, for cutting the unraveled paper roll.
According to the invention described above, the cut edge of the paper cut by the cutter retains its stiffness and thus the paper can be fed accurately and easily to and through the printing head. Thereby, it is no longer necessary to provide the print head on an easily accessible part of the printer, thus providing improved print quality. In the printer of the present invention, the chance that the print head is dirtied or damaged is reduced substantially.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the printer as described above, further comprising a paper cut detector that detects a cutting of the portion of paper by the cutter and starts a paper feeder.
According to the invention described above, the starting of the paper feeder is automatic, eliminating the need for a separate operation to start the feeder.
Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by printer as described above, wherein the paper feed path includes a feed roller (
62
) and a platen roller (
53
).
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the printer as described above, wherein the cutter is provided on a front edge of a cover of the paper roll holder.
According to the invention described above, the structure of the cutter can be simplified.
Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the printer as described above, wherein a blade of the cutter is slanted with respect to a direction in a width of the paper roll.
According to the invention described above, the paper is cut gradually instead of all at once. Due to the concentration of force at the point of the blade making contact with the paper, the amount of the force needed to accomplish the diagonal cut is less than would be required if the cut were to be accomplished straight across the width of the paper, and as a result the cut
Funada Kunihiko
Watanabe Sumio
Fujitsu Takamisawa Component Ltd.
Hilten John S.
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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