Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-02
2004-11-09
Colilla, Daniel J. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C400S635000, C400S613000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814515
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to printing apparatuses and terminal apparatuses, and more particularly to a printing apparatus that is incorporated into bank automated teller machines (ATMs), cash dispensers, and kiosk terminal apparatuses and used to issue receipts and tickets and a terminal apparatus including such a printing apparatus.
A printing apparatus issuing receipts employs heat-sensitive roll paper as paper for printing. Especially, in the case of being incorporated into an unmanned ATM, the receipt-issuing printing apparatus is provided with a presenter unit collecting a receipt left behind inadvertently by a customer so that the next customer can not see the left-behind receipt.
Downsizing is a requirement for the ATMs in terms of space for installation. Accordingly, the receipt-issuing printing apparatus incorporated into the ATMs is required to become smaller in size.
The receipt-issuing printing apparatus has a receipt preparation mode for preparing a receipt by performing printing on paper and finally cutting off the printed part of the paper, a receipt ejection mode for ejecting the receipt for a customer, and a receipt collection mode for collecting the receipt left behind in case the customer forgets to take the receipt. If the receipt is ejected with printing being performed, the customer may pull the receipt while printing is still being performed, thereby causing a problem. Therefore, the receipt ejection mode is started after printing is completed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
is a diagram showing a conventional receipt-issuing printing apparatus
10
. X
1
-X
2
represents the directions of length and Z
1
-Z
2
represents the directions of height. In the printing apparatus
10
, a paper roll containing part
11
, a printer unit
12
having a printer part and a cutter part, and a presenter unit
13
are arranged in the X
1
direction from the X
2
side. The presenter unit
13
has an opening
14
on the X
2
side and a receipt ejection slot
15
on the X
1
side. The opening
14
serves to receive and discharge receipts.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the receipt-issuing printing apparatus
10
is incorporated into an ATM main body
20
. The receipt ejection slot
15
opposes a receipt issuance slot
21
. A receipt collection box
22
is provided in a position to receive the receipt ejected from the opening
14
. A paper roll
30
is set in the paper roll containing part
11
.
The printing apparatus
10
operates in the following manner.
Receipt Preparation Mode
The printer unit
12
performs printing on paper
31
while pulling the paper
31
from the paper roll
30
, and cuts the paper
31
when completing printing, thereby preparing a receipt
35
. In the process of preparation, the receipt
35
has its leading edge first entering the presenter unit
13
through the opening
14
and is delivered toward the receipt ejection slot
15
. During printing, the presenter unit
13
operates at a low speed and delivers the paper
31
sent out from the printer unit
12
toward the X
1
direction without pulling the paper,
31
that is, without affecting the printer unit
12
.
Receipt Ejection Mode
When printing is completed, the presenter unit
13
operates at a given speed and conveys the receipt
35
in the X
1
direction. Then, as shown in
FIG. 1
, the presenter unit
13
causes the receipt
35
to protrude, except for its trailing edge part, from the receipt ejection slot
15
and the receipt issuance slot
21
, thereby completing ejection.
Receipt Collection Mode
If a customer forgets to pick up the receipt
35
so that the receipt
35
remains protruding from the receipt issuance slot
21
even after a given period of time passes since the completion of ejection, the presenter unit
13
operates in the reverse direction and conveys the receipt
35
toward the X
2
direction back into the receipt issuance slot
21
. The conveyed receipt
35
is ejected from the opening
14
and collected into the receipt collection box
22
.
In the printing apparatus
10
, the paper roll containing part
11
, the printer unit
12
, and the presenter unit
13
are arranged from the X
2
side toward the X
1
direction. Therefore, the height H
1
of the printing apparatus
10
is small, but the length L
1
thereof is large.
Since the presenter unit
13
is arranged side by side with the printer unit
12
, the length of the issued receipt
35
is determined by the length L
2
of the presenter unit
13
. That is, the maximum length of the issued receipt
35
corresponds to the length L
2
of the presenter unit
13
. In order to enlarge the maximum length of the issued receipt
35
, it is necessary to enlarge the length L
2
of the presenter unit
13
. However, if the length L
2
of the presenter unit
13
is enlarged, the length L
1
of the printing apparatus
10
becomes larger so that the printing apparatus
10
becomes bulky.
Further, when the printing apparatus
10
is incorporated into an ATM, the position of the printing apparatus
10
is limited to that shown in
FIG. 1
without any degree of freedom. When the printing apparatus
10
is incorporated into an ATM in the position shown in
FIG. 1
, the dimension L
3
of the ATM main body
20
also becomes larger.
In addition, the paper roll containing part
11
receives the paper roll
30
from above. Therefore, a top plate
22
of the ATM main body
20
is opened before the paper roll
30
is set inside the paper roll containing part
11
from above. Accordingly, a space S for performing operations necessary for setting the paper roll
30
is required above the ATM main body
20
. If the ATM main body
20
includes the space S, the height of the ATM main body
20
becomes large.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus in which the above-described disadvantages are eliminated and a terminal apparatus including such a printing apparatus.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a downsized printing apparatus having more latitude in being incorporated into a terminal apparatus and therefore providing more freedom in designing the terminal apparatus.
Another more specific object of the present invention is to provide a terminal apparatus employing such a printing apparatus.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a printing apparatus including: a paper roll containing part containing a paper roll; a printer unit provided side by side with the paper roll containing part, the printer unit printing information on paper pulled from the paper roll and cutting a piece off the pulled paper on which piece the information is printed; and a presenter unit, the presenter unit including a reception opening formed on an upper side thereof and receiving the cut piece of paper delivered from the printer unit, first and second ejection openings formed on opposite ends of the presenter unit and ejecting the cut piece of paper, and a conveying mechanism conveying the cut piece of paper between the first and second ejection openings, wherein the presenter unit is provided below said paper roll containing part and the printer unit so that the cut piece of paper is delivered into the reception opening.
According to the above-described printing apparatus, the reception opening receiving the cut piece of paper delivered from the printer unit is formed on the upper side of the presenter unit. Therefore, the presenter unit is allowed to be provided below the paper roll containing part and the printer unit. Accordingly, compared with a configuration where the paper roll containing part, the printer unit, and the presenter unit are linearly arranged side by side, the printing apparatus is increased in height but reduced in length so as to be reduced in overall size. Further, the length of the cut piece of paper is not restricted by the length of the presenter unit. Therefore, the cut piece of paper may be issued with a length irrespective of the length of the presenter
Kihara Masaru
Sakurai Fumio
Tsuchiya Masahiro
Watanabe Sumio
Colilla Daniel J.
Nagano Fujitsu Component Limited
Staas & Halsey , LLP
LandOfFree
Printing apparatus and terminal 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 Printing apparatus and terminal apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Printing apparatus and terminal apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3311578