Recorders – Record receivers and/or driving means therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1994-02-18
2001-06-19
Fuller, Benjamin R. (Department: 2855)
Recorders
Record receivers and/or driving means therefor
C347S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249295
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording system having an automatic sheet supplying apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to a recording system having a removable automatic sheet supplying apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In a recording system such as a printer, copying machine, facsimile and the like, which is used with a computer, word processor or the like, or is used independently, a sheet-shaped recording medium such as a paper or a thin plastic sheet is supplied and fed and an image is recorded on the recording medium in accordance with image information. Such recording systems can be grouped into ink jet recording systems, wire dot recording systems, thermal recording systems and laser beam recording systems.
Among them, the ink jet recording system records an image by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording medium and has many advantages. For example, with an ink jet recording system it is possible to record the image with high resolving power at a high speed, to record the image on a plain paper without special treatment of the paper, there is less noise due to non-impact recording method, and a color image can easily be recorded with plural color inks. In particular, it is possible to record an image at a higher speed by using an ink jet recording system of a line type wherein a number of ink discharge openings are arranged along a direction transverse to a width of the recording medium.
Particularly, the ink jet recording means that utilizes heat as ink discharging energy can easily be manufactured with a high density liquid passage arrangement (high density discharge opening arrangement) by forming electrical/thermal converters, electrodes and liquid passage walls on or in a substrate plate and forming a top plate by using a semi-conductor manufacturing process such as etching, and/or depositing techniques.
In such a recording system, recording sheets used as the recording media may consist of thicker sheets such as post cards, envelops or the like, or special sheets such as thin plastic sheets, as well as plain paper. The recording sheets may be manually supplied one by one or may be automatically and continuously supplied by an automatic sheet supplying apparatus.
Generally, the automatic sheet supplying appaaratus comprises a sheet supply drive unit for rotating a sheet supply roller to feed out a recording sheet, and a sheet supply cassette unit for stacking the recording sheets, and is constructed so that the recording sheet is separated and supplied one by one by driving the sheet supply roller in synchronous with a sheet feeding means of the recording system: However, in a conventional recording system to which an automatic sheet supplying apparatus is connected, there arose a problem in that a large installation space was required when the sheet supplying apparatus was connected to the recording system. Further, if the installation space required when the both are connected is reduced, then when the sheet supplying apparatus is detached from the recording system, the respective systems will be unstable and the accommodating space will be increased. In addition, since it is very difficult to ensure the required positioning accuracy when the both are connected, it takes a long time to connect the sheet supplying apparatus to the recording system, and the accuracy in the feeding of the recording sheet is worsened.
In
FIG. 25
schematically showing a conventional technique, an ink jet recording system
110
includes therein a sheet conveying means (platen roller)
111
, and a carrier means
112
on which a recording head is mounted. On the other hand, an automatic sheet supplying apparatus
113
includes therein a sheet supply roller
115
for supplying a recording sheet
114
. By rotating the sheet supply roller
115
, the recording sheet
114
is supplied into the ink jet recording system
110
via a guide roller
116
. In this case, the positional relation between the recording system and the sheet supplying apparatus is determined by a condition that the both are installed on a table
117
. If a surface of the table is rough, the positional relation between the recording system and the sheet supplying apparatus will be disordered, with the result that the recording sheet cannot be properly supplied, thus causing a poor sheet supply.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawback, and an object of the present invention is to connect an automatic sheet supplying apparatus to a recording system easily with high accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to connect an automatic sheet supplying apparatus to a recording system compactly.
A further object of the present invention is to reduce an accommodating space for accommodating an automatic sheet supplying apparatus and a recording system when they are disconnected from each other.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a recording system detachably connectable to an automatic sheet supplying apparatus, wherein a projection extending to a substantially horizontal direction is formed on a back surface of the recording system and a recess is formed in the automatic sheet supplying apparatus at a position corresponding to the projection of the recording system, and the automatic sheet supplying apparatus is connected to the recording system while guiding and inserting the projection into the recess. In this case, by arranging a control substrate plate within the recess, it is possible to save space and to make the assembly more compact.
According to the present invention, for example, there is provided an ink jet system for recording an image on a recording sheet by discharging ink, comprising a sheet supply unit having a recording sheet stacking portion and a sheet supply means for feeding the recording sheet stacked in the stacking portion, and a recording unit for recording an image on the recording sheet. Wherein, when the sheet supply unit and the recording unit are mounted, one of the units is mounted on the other unit while floating the former in accordance with a mounting operation between the sheet supply unit and the recording unit.
With this arrangement, since the connection between both units is determined by positioning means provided at an inlet and an outlet for feeding the recording sheet, the proper recording sheet feeding path is always established regardless of the installation position of the system, thus eliminating the poor sheet feeding.
Further, the present invention also provides an automatic sheet supplying apparatus detachably connectable to a recording system, wherein a sheet supply cassette unit and a sheet supply drive unit are mounted on a support, with the support also acting as at least a part of an ejection tray. With this arrangement, the automatic sheet supplying apparatus can easily be connected to the recording system with the reduced installation space, and, even when the automatic sheet supplying apparatus is detached from the recording system, it can be stably rested, thus providing an automatic sheet supplying apparatus capable of reducing the installation space.
Further, in addition to the above arrangement, the present invention also provides an automatic sheet supplying apparatus wherein a frame is secured to the above-mentioned support, the above-mentioned sheet supply cassette unit and sheet supply drive unit are mounted on the frame, a manual sheet supply inlet is provided below the sheet supply cassette unit, a retractable ejection tray unit is incorporated within the support, and a recess is formed between the support and the frame so that, when the automatic sheet supplying apparatus is connected to the recording system, both are connected to each other while a projection of the recording system is inserted into the recess. According to this arrangement, in addition to the above advantage, it is possible to provide an automatic sheet supplying apparatus which is
Ara Yoji
Hagiwara Hiroyuki
Kashimura Makoto
Kiyohara Takehiko
Nitta Tetsuhiro
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Dickens C
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Fuller Benjamin R.
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