Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-05
2004-03-30
Meier, Stephen D. (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
C347S101000, C271S188000, C400S642000, C400S646000, C400S611000, C400S617000, C400S636000, C346S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06712463
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus provided as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile equipment, or the like, and to a recording apparatus used as the output equipment of complex type electronic equipment or a work station such as a computer, a word processor, or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a recording apparatus provided with recording means for recording by use of color liquid (ink) on a recording material, which is a sheet material, and also, with discharging means for discharging a recording material from a recording area of the recording means.
2. Related Background Art
The recording apparatus provided with a printer, a copying machine, facsimile equipment, or the like, or the recording apparatus, which is used for output equipment of complex type electronic equipment or a work station such as a computer, a word processor, or the like is structured to perform recording images on a recording material (recording sheet), such as a paper sheet or thin plastic plate, in accordance with image information. The recording apparatus of the kind is classified by the recording method adopted therefor into ink jet type, wire-dot type, thermal type, laser beam type, among some others.
The serial scanning type recording apparatus adopts the serial scanning method of performing a main scan in the direction intersecting with the conveying direction of a recording material (sub-scanning direction), and has recording means mounted on a cartridge that travels along the recording material to record images (conducts main scanning). After one-line portion of recording is completed, a sheet feeding (pitch conveyance) in a designated amount is executed, and then, subsequently, images on the next line are recorded (main scanned) on the recording material that has come to a stop again. This operation is repeated to record entirely on the recording material.
On the other hand, for the recording apparatus of line type that records only by the sub-scanning in the conveying direction of a recording material, it is arranged to set a recording material on a designated recording position, and after recording a one-line portion altogether, a sheet feed in a designated amount (pitch conveyance) is conducted, and then, recording on the next line is performed altogether. This operation is repeated to record entirely on the recording material.
Of the recording apparatuses described above, a recording apparatus of ink jet type (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording on a recording material by discharging ink from recording means (recording head), which makes it possible to make recording means compact, and to record images in high precision at high speed. Also, the recording apparatus of this type can record on a plain paper without giving any particular treatment, thus making the running costs lower. Also, because of non-impact type, it makes a lesser amount of noise with an advantage, among some others, that it can record color images with ease using ink of many colors. Of the ink jet recording apparatuses, a higher recording is possible by the line type apparatus, which uses recording means of line type where many discharge ports are arranged in the widthwise direction of a recording sheet.
FIGS. 7
to
9
are cross-sectional views that schematically Illustrate the structure around the recording area of the conventional ink jet recording apparatus. As shown in
FIG. 7
, the recording sheet P, which is fed by a sheet-feeding device (not shown), is nipped by a conveying roller
101
and a pinch roller
102
, and conveyed to the recording area of the recording head
103
, while the non-recording side thereof is being supported by a platen
106
. The recording head
103
discharges ink to the recording sheet P for recording images on the recording sheet P. After images are recorded by the recording head
103
, the recording sheet P is nipped by a sheet-discharging roller
104
and a spur
105
, which are arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction, and discharged by the rotations of the sheet-discharging roller
104
and the spur
105
.
Now, it is assumed that a distance between the recording
103
and the recording sheet P is L. In an ink jet recording apparatus, the ink-jetted positions may delicately change depending on the distance between the recording head
103
and the recording sheet P. Therefore, if such distance is kept at a designated distance (L, for instance) all over the recording area, that is, if the recording sheet P can be placed along the platen
106
exactly, it should be possible to obtain images in high quality. Now, in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, therefore, the rotational axis of the pinch roller
102
and the rotational axis of the spur
105
are often arranged to be offset more to the platen
106
side than the rotational axis of the conveying roller
101
and the rotational axis of the sheet-discharging roller
104
in order to place a recording sheet P along the platen
106
arranged on the lower side of the recording head
103
.
Also, since the ink jet recording apparatus uses ink for recording, a recording sheet P is caused to expand when ink permeates the recording sheet P, and the recording surface of the recording sheet P waves (present cockling) on the recording area. Then, if the recording sheet P should float significantly from the platen
106
due to such cockling, not only do the positions of ink on the recording sheet deviate, but also, the recording surface is stained due to the recording head
103
that rubs the recording sheet P or the recording head
103
may be deteriorated or damaged if the recording head
103
collides with the edge portion of the recording sheet P.
Now, therefore, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the escapes
106
′ and
104
′ where a recording sheet P is made displaceable downward are provided for the platen
106
and the sheet-discharging roller
104
of the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, and also, the spur
107
is arranged to push the recording sheet P compulsorily into the escapes
106
′ and
104
′ of the platen
106
and the sheet-discharging roller
104
. In this manner, the recording sheet P is allowed to wave downward regularly within the range of a designated height, hence preventing the recording sheet P from floating up.
However, when the leading end of the recording sheet P enters the spur
105
in the conventional structure as shown in
FIG. 9
, the leading end of the recording sheet P is pushed downward by the pushing-down spur
107
. Because of reaction then, the recording sheet P on the recording area is caused to float up eventually (the condition indicated by solid line in
FIG. 9
) or the pushing-down spur
107
exerts resistance against the conveying force of the recording sheet P and buckles the recording sheet P, thus causing it to float up on the recording area eventually (the condition indicated by two-dot chain line in FIG.
9
). Then, such defects as the degradation of recorded image, the deterioration of a recording head, or damages given thereto, may be invited in some cases.
As described above, the conventional recording apparatus is,provided with a pushing-down spur that pushes down a recording sheet compulsorily to a platen and the escape portion of a sheet-discharging roller in order to prevent the recording sheet from being cockled. However, when the leading end of the recording sheet enters the spur, the leading end of the recording sheet is pushed downward by the pushing-down spur, and by reaction exerted then, the recording sheet is caused to float up on the recording area or the pushing-down spur exerts resistance to the conveying force of the recording sheet to buckle the recording sheet, thus causing it to float up on the recording area eventually. As a result, there is a problem that may be encountered such as the degradation of recorded image, the deterioration of the recording head or damages given thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an ob
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Liang Leonard
Meier Stephen D.
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