Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-10
2002-10-15
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
C271S009080, C400S624000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464350
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus, and particularly to a recording apparatus in which before a recording material discharged from a main body of the recording apparatus is discharged to a discharged recording material supporting portion, the recording material is held to dry an ink, then after it is discharged to the supporting portion.
2. Related Background Art
Generally, conventional recording apparatuses are constructed such that recording materials on which recording has been effected are discharged onto a discharge tray. This construction is also widely adopted in ink jet recording apparatuses. In such an ink jet recording apparatus, normal recording, for example the recording of documents or tables having small recording density, suffers from no problem. However, if recording density is great as in color recording, when a recording material on which image has been recorded is discharged, there has been the problem that a leading end edge portion or a back face thereof rubs against recording materials already stacked on the discharge tray to cause disturbance or the like of the image on the recording surface thereof.
In order to solve the above-noted problem, according to the prior art, as shown in
FIG. 10
, a discharge tray
51
onto which a recording material S is discharged is provided with a pair of side rail members
52
and
53
rotatable about pivots
52
a
and
53
a
, respectively, and disposed in opposed relationship with each other with a predetermined interval therebetween. Outside these side rail members
52
and
53
, there are provided wall surfaces
54
and
55
formed with recesses
54
a
and
55
a
into which the side rail members
52
and
53
can be pivotally moved in the directions of arrows a and b, respectively, and are retracted from the recording material S.
When the recording material S is discharged in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the recording material S of
FIG. 10
(to this side in
FIG. 10
) by a discharge roller (not shown), the side rail members
52
and
53
are held in their closed positions as shown in
FIG. 10
to support and hold the recording material S above the discharge stacker
56
of the discharge tray
51
. In this state, ink discharged onto the recording surface of the recording material S already discharged onto the discharge stacker
56
can be dried and the stain of the image on the recording surface can be prevented.
Thereafter, the side rail members
52
and
53
may be rotated in the directions of arrows a and b, respectively, in
FIG. 10
to thereby retract them from the recording material S, and the recording material S held by the side rail members
52
and
53
may be dropped onto the discharge stacker
56
.
Also, in another prior art, a movable support arm for dropping a sheet to be a recording material onto a discharge tray after the sheet has arrived at the terminal position of a conveyance route is provided. When the sheet is moved along the conveyance route, the movable support arm is disposed so as to be selectively positioned on the lower surface of the central portion of the sheet synchronous with the sheet conveying operation, to thereby hold the sheet during recording on the upper portion of the discharge tray. Thereby, the ink of the sheet already supported on the discharge tray can be dried and the stain or the like of the recording surface thereof can be prevented.
In the prior art shown in
FIG. 10
, however, the side rail members
52
and
53
are disposed at the fixed position, and therefore the side rail members
52
and
53
are set at the position corresponding to the maximum size (e.g. size A
3
) of the recording material S discharged.
When the size of the recording material S used in the above-described construction is a size (e.g. size B
5
) smaller than the maximum size, there is a case where the recording material S can be held only by the side rail member (
52
or
53
) on one side, so that the recording material S on the side which is not held rubs against the recording material S already discharged onto the discharge stacker
56
to generate the disturbance or the like of the recording surface.
As a countermeasure for this, it is conceivable to set the diametral lengths of the side rail members
52
and
53
rotated about the rotation centers
52
a
and
53
a
greater to thereby widen the range for holding the recording material S. However, this leads to the problem that when the guide rail members
52
and
53
are rotated in the directions of arrows a and b in
FIG. 10
about the rotation centers
52
a
and
53
a
to drop the recording material S onto the discharge stacker
56
, the radius of the rotation of the side rail members
52
and
53
becomes large and a large space becomes necessary above the side rail members
52
and
53
, whereby the apparatus becomes bulky.
Also, when the radius of the rotation of the side rail members
52
and
53
becomes large, if the recording material S held by the side rail members
52
and
53
is dropped onto the discharge stacker
56
, the recording material S drops onto the discharge stacker
56
after it is once greatly raised upwardly. Therefore, there is the problem that the supported state of the recording material on the discharge stacker
56
during the drop thereof varies greatly, so that the supportability of the recording material on the discharge stacker
56
becomes bad, or the end portion of the recording material S remains on one side of the side rail members
52
and
53
to contact with a recording material S discharged subsequently.
Also, another prior art described previously copes with the problem arising when sheets of different sheet sizes or large sizes are used, but it is necessary to synchronize the movable support arm with the sheet conveying operation, which leads to the problem that the mechanism becomes complicated and the cost of the apparatus becomes high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the above-noted problems and has the object to provide a recording apparatus in which even when a recording material of a different size is used, it is prevented from rubbing against a recorded recording material already discharged to and supported on a recording material discharge supporting portion, to thereby prevent the disturbance of the recording surface (image) thereof and to improve the dischargeability and supportability of the recording materials, by the simple construction.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the recording apparatus has a recording material discharging and supporting portion for supporting thereon a recording material discharged, recording material holding means changeable to a holding position for holding the discharged recording material before it is discharged to the recording material discharging and supporting portion and a retracted position for supporting the recording material from its held state onto the recording material discharge supporting portion, and moving means for moving the position of the recording material holding means in conformity with the size of the discharged recording material.
According to the present invention, even when a recording material of a different size is discharged, the moving means moves the position of the recording material holding means in conformity with the size of the discharged recording material, so that the discharged recording material can be prevented from rubbing against a recorded recording material already discharged to the recording material discharge supporting portion, whereby the disturbance of the recording surface (image) thereof can be prevented, and the dischargeability and supportability thereof can be improved.
Also, when the change of the posture of the recording material holding means between the holding position and the retracted position is effected by the driving of recording material discharging means, existing driving means can be used to make the construction simple.
Also, the recording material dischargi
Cone Darius N.
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
LandOfFree
Recording 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 Recording apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recording apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2953313