Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-08
2001-12-11
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Combined
C347S004000, C347S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which can detachably mounted to an image processing apparatus (referred to as “main machine” hereinafter) such as an image recording apparatus, an image reading apparatus or the like as an option equipment and which is adapted to print predetermined information on a sheet (continuous sheet, card, cut sheet or the like) discharged from the main machine when mounted to the main machine.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, for example, in banking facilities such as banks and security companies, image information on a sheet-shaped original such as a bill, a check, a share and the like has been treated (recorded and preserved) by an image recording apparatus such as a microfilmer, an image scanner or the like.
Further, in order to prove the fact that the predetermined treatment has been performed, in respective banking facilities, contents such as a name and a branch number of a receiving and treating facility, a treatment code, a date and the like are generally stamped (printed) on a rear surface of the treated (recorded) original. To this end, in some image recording apparatuses, there is further provided a stamping apparatus in which the above-mentioned contents are automatically stamped on the treated (recorded) original passed through a recording portion of the image recording apparatus, so that a “treated” mark and/or additional information can be stamped on the treated original on demand.
FIG. 18
schematically shows an example of such an image recording apparatus
10
. A stamping apparatus
13
is an option equipment which can detachably mounted to the image recording apparatus
10
optionally by a user and is mechanically and electrically connected to a sheet discharge opening
19
of the image recording apparatus
10
. In a condition that the stamping apparatus
13
is mounted to the image recording apparatus
10
, a sheet supply opening
20
of the stamping apparatus
13
is connected to the sheet discharge opening
19
of the image recording apparatus
10
to communicate both apparatuses
10
,
13
with each other.
In the image recording apparatus
10
, sheet-shaped originals (referred to as “sheets” hereinafter) P such as bills, checks or shares are stacked on a sheet supply tray
1
. When a record start key (not shown) is depressed, the sheets (originals) P stacked on the tray
1
are separated one by one by means of a sheet supply roller
2
and a separation roller
3
and are successively supplied within the apparatus. The supplied sheet is conveyed at a predetermined speed through a sheet convey path (within the apparatus) constituted by pairs of convey rollers
4
,
5
,
7
, and
8
, and guide members.
While the separated sheet P is being conveyed between the pairs of convey rollers
5
and
7
, image information on the sheet P is record-treated by a recording portion
6
. The recording portion
6
comprises a reduction projection optical system or a photo-electrical conversion reading system and serves to record the image information on the conveyed sheet P on an electrical recording medium such as a microfilm, an optical disc or a magnetic disc.
The recorded sheet P passed through the recording portion
6
passes through the pairs of convey rollers
7
,
8
and is introduced into the stamping apparatus
13
connected to the original discharge opening of the image recording apparatus
10
. The recorded sheet P introduced into the stamping apparatus
13
is further conveyed at a predetermined speed through a sheet convey path (within the stamping apparatus
13
) constituted by pairs of convey rollers
14
,
17
and guide members. While the sheet P is being conveyed between the pairs of convey rollers
14
and
17
, when the sheet is passed between a stamp portion
15
(disposed between the roller pairs
14
and
17
) and a platen roller
16
opposed to the stamp portion, the contents is stamped on the surface of the sheet P. For example, the stamp portion
15
comprises a stamp printing mechanism including a stamp drum or an ink jet head.
In this way, the recorded and stamped sheets P′are successively discharged from a sheet discharge opening
21
of the stamping apparatus
13
onto a sheet discharge tray
18
.
In the image recording apparatus
10
, within the sheet convey path, between the pairs of rollers
4
and
5
disposed at an upstream side of the recording portion
6
in a sheet conveying direction, a sheet detect sensor
9
is disposed so that a sheet tip end detect signal from the sensor
9
is inputted to a control circuit
11
of the image recording apparatus
10
. The control circuit
11
serves to control a record start timing of the recording portion
6
of the image recording apparatus and a stamp start timing of the stamp portion
15
of the stamping apparatus
13
on the basis of inputted signal.
The rollers
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
,
7
and
8
of the image recording apparatus
10
are driven by a drive motor
12
disposed within the image recording apparatus
10
through drive transmitting means (not shown) such as belts and/or gears. The rollers
14
,
16
and
17
of the stamping apparatus
13
are connected to the drive motor
12
disposed within the image recording apparatus
10
through drive transmitting means (not shown) such as belts and/or gears and are driven at a speed synchronous with a sheet conveying speed of the rollers of the image recording apparatus by means of the drive motor
12
of the image recording apparatus
10
.
Although it is desirable that the conventional stamping apparatus
13
as the option equipment as mentioned above can easily be mounted and dismounted with respect to the image recording apparatus (main machine) by the user and can be used in a correctly mounted condition, since the stamping machine must be mechanically and electrically connected to the image recording apparatus
10
exactly, such connection must be effected by an expert. That is to say, in the conventional stamping apparatus
13
, since the stamp start timing is controlled on the basis of the sheet detect signal from the sheet detect sensor
9
of the image recording apparatus
10
, it is difficult that the electrical connection between the stamping apparatus and the image recording apparatus
10
is omitted.
In order that the stamping apparatus as the option equipment can easily be mounted and dismounted with respect to the image recording apparatus
10
by the user without any expert, it is required that special mechanical and electrical connections (between the image recording apparatus and the stamping apparatus
13
) for transmission of drive and signals are omitted. And, to this end, it is desirable that the stamping apparatus
13
also has a drive source so as to drive the stamping apparatus by a power source different from that of the image recording apparatus
10
.
However, if the power source and associated power source switch of the stamping apparatus
13
are provided independently from those of the image recording apparatus
10
, when the system is used, since the power source switch of the image recording apparatus
10
must be turned ON and at the same time the power source switch of the stamping apparatus
13
must be turned ON, the operation becomes complicated. And, it is apt to forget to turn ON the power source switch of the stamping apparatus
13
.
If only the image recording apparatus
10
is driven to convey the sheet P while keeping the stamping apparatus
13
OFF, the recorded sheet P introduced from the image recording apparatus
10
into the stamping apparatus
13
is jammed without fail at a junction between the image recording apparatus
10
and the stamping apparatus
13
since the convey rollers of the stamping apparatus
13
are not driven. In such a case, since the sheet (original) P is an important document such as a bill, a check or the like, it is not preferable that the sheet is folded or damaged due to the sheet jam.
Further, in the image recording apparatus
10
, generally, a reading speed of th
Ohe Katsunori
Shirai Masahiro
Barlow John
Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
Do An H.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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