EP0693381B1 - Sheet convey apparatus - Google Patents

Sheet convey apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0693381B1
EP0693381B1 EP19950109059 EP95109059A EP0693381B1 EP 0693381 B1 EP0693381 B1 EP 0693381B1 EP 19950109059 EP19950109059 EP 19950109059 EP 95109059 A EP95109059 A EP 95109059A EP 0693381 B1 EP0693381 B1 EP 0693381B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sheet
convey
recording
belt
ink
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19950109059
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0693381A1 (en
Inventor
Haruo Uchida
Kazuo Ohyama
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Canon Inc
Original Assignee
Canon Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Canon Inc filed Critical Canon Inc
Publication of EP0693381A1 publication Critical patent/EP0693381A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0693381B1 publication Critical patent/EP0693381B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/007—Conveyor belts or like feeding devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a sheet convey apparatus incorporated into a recording apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer and the like, and more particularly, it relates to a sheet convey apparatus incorporated into a recording portion of a recording apparatus of ink jet recording type.
  • an arrangement for electrostatically absorbing a sheet (recording material to be recorded) to the convey portion and for conveying the sheet by the latter in order to prevent the sheet from floating toward a recording head or to prevent the sheet from wetting (with moisture in ink) and weaving (referred to as "cockling") when the ink is discharged onto the sheet.
  • the electrostatic absorbing means for absorbing a back surface of the sheet toward the convey portion is effective to prevent the floating of the sheet.
  • FIG. 4 An example of a sheet convey apparatus having the above-mentioned electrostatic absorbing means is shown in Fig. 4.
  • An endless convey belt 51 for absorbing and conveying a sheet P is disposed in a recording area opposed to a recording head 50.
  • a drive roller 52 for driving the belt 51 Within the convey belt 51, there are disposed a drive roller 52 for driving the belt 51, and a driven roller 53 for applying a tension force to the belt 51.
  • a convey roller 54 is urged against the driven roller 53 at an upstream side of the recording head 50 in a sheet conveying direction, so that the sheet P is conveyed onto the convey belt 51 by the convey roller.
  • an electrode protection film 55 is urged against the convey belt 51 and is secured to an electrode support plate 56 by welding or other suitable means.
  • an electrode plate 57 formed from a conductive metal plate and an earth plate 58, these plates being secured to the electrode support plate 56 by welding or other suitable means.
  • the electrode plate 57 and the earth plate 58 have comb-shapes, respectively, so that legs and recesses of the comb of one of the plates are alternately engaged by recesses and legs of the comb of the other plate. Positive or negative voltage is applied to the electrode plate 57, and the earth plate 58 is connected to earth or ground.
  • the sheet P When the sheet P is rested on the convey belt 51, the sheet P is electrostatically absorbed toward the electrode plate 57.
  • the convey belt 51 since the convey belt 51 is subjected to the absorbing force for absorbing the belt to the electrode protection film 55 and a force (from the sheet P) for urging the convey belt against the electrode plate 57, the sliding resistance of the convey belt 51 is further increased in the absorbing portion.
  • the electrostatic absorbing force is varied in accordance with specific volume resistance ( ⁇ cm) of the members (the electrode protection film 55 and the convey belt 51) in the absorbing force generating portion.
  • specific volume resistance will be greatly changed if the wetted conditions of the members are changed due to the change in humidity.
  • the members are well wetted to decrease the specific volume resistance thereof, thereby increasing the absorbing force.
  • the sliding resistance of the convey belt 51 is further increased, thereby causing the problem that the drive torque for the drive roller 52 is increased.
  • the members are dried to increase the specific volume resistance thereof, thereby decreasing the absorbing force.
  • the absorbing force is decreased, the floating of the sheet P cannot be prevented by the absorbing force.
  • the sheet P is contacted with the recording head 50, thereby causing the clogging of nozzles in the recording head and/or deterioration of an image (distortion of image and/or smudge of imaged surface).
  • JP-A-02 300 039 discloses a document transfer device comprising a transfer belt and an electrifying means for generating an absorption force within the transfer belt, wherein at least the transfer surface of the transfer belt is formed of a non-viscous member of an insulator or semiconductor having a low friction coefficient, in order to reduce contamination of the transfer belt and the paper sheet.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet convey apparatus which can eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, can generate a stable sheet absorbing force regardless of change in environmental conditions and can maintain high sheet conveying accuracy, and a recording apparatus which can provide a high quality image stably by using such a sheet convey apparatus.
  • the present invention provides a sheet convey apparatus according to Claim 1.
  • a recording apparatus comprises the above-mentioned sheet convey apparatus, and a recording means for recording an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet convey apparatus, in response to image information.
  • the stable sheet absorbing force can be generated regardless of the change in the environmental conditions. Further, since sliding resistance of the belt-shaped convey means can be decreased at an absorbing force generating portion, a drive source can be made compact and power consumption can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost. Further, since the sliding resistance of the belt-shaped convey means is decreased, slip between the belt-shaped convey means and a drive roller can be eliminated, thereby maintaining high sheet conveying accuracy.
  • Fig. 1 is a side view of a sheet convey apparatus
  • Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a schematic construction of a recording apparatus
  • Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an inner construction of the sheet convey apparatus.
  • the printer comprises a sheet supply tray 1 on which a plurality of recording sheets P are stacked, and a sheet supply roller 2 for separating and supplying the sheets stacked on the sheet supply tray 1 one by one.
  • a separation pad 3 is disposed in a confronting relation to the sheet supply roller 2 so that, when the sheet supply roller 2 is rotated, an uppermost sheet P alone can be fed out in a downstream direction.
  • Sheet guides 4, 5 serve to guide the sheet P supplied by the sheet supply roller 2 in a direction shown by the arrow B, thereby directing the sheet between a convey roller 6 and a convey belt (belt-shaped convey means) 7.
  • a recording head (recording means) 8 serves to record an ink image on the sheet P conveyed by the convey roller 6 and the convey belt 7.
  • the recording means is comprised of an ink jet recording type wherein ink is discharged from a recording head to form an image on a sheet. That is to say, the recording head includes fine liquid discharge openings (orifices), liquid passages, energy acting portions disposed within the liquid passages, and energy generating means for generating liquid droplet forming energy acting on the liquid in the energy acting portions.
  • Such energy generating means for generating the energy may be of type in which electrical/mechanical converters such as piezo-electric elements are used, or of type in which liquid is heated by illuminating an electromagnetic wave such as laser to discharge a liquid droplet due to the heating action, or of type in which liquid is heated by an electrical/thermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistive body to discharge the liquid.
  • the recording heads using the electrical/thermal converters as the energy generating means can be easily made compact, can make use of the advantages of IC techniques and micro-working techniques which have recently been remarkably progressed in the semi-conductor field, can easily be mounted with high density and can be made cheaper.
  • An ink tank 9 serves to supply ink to the recording head 8.
  • the recording head 8 and the ink tank 9 are mounted on a main scan carriage 10 which can be reciprocally shifted along a recording direction (perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 2).
  • the main scan carriage 10 is supported and guided by guide rails 11, 12, and a driving force is transmitted from a drive source (not shown) to the carriage through a belt so that the carriage is reciprocally shifted in a recording area while rolling rollers 13 on the guide rail 12.
  • the convey roller 6 is urged against a driven roller 15 disposed within the convey belt 7 by a biasing means (not shown).
  • the convey belt 7 serves to absorb the supplied sheet P and to convey the sheet to a recording position.
  • the convey belt 7 is mounted around a drive roller 14, the driven roller 15 and a tension roller 16, and is shifted in a direction shown by the arrow C by rotating the drive roller 14 by a drive source.
  • the tension roller 16 is rotatably supported on a free end of pressure arms 17 (only one of which is shown) pivotally mounted on an electrode support plate 23 via a pin 23a.
  • pressure springs 18 By biasing the pressure arms 17 by means of pressure springs 18 (only one of which is shown), the convey belt 7 is subjected to a tension force via the tension roller 16.
  • the convey belt 7 comprises an endless belt having a thickness of about 0.1 - 0.2 mm and made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, polyethylene, fluororesin or the like.
  • a discharge roller 19 is rotated by a drive source.
  • Spurs 20 are urged against the discharge roller 19 and is rotated by rotation of it. Since the spurs 20 are designed to be contacted with a recorded surface of the sheet P, they are made of material to which the ink is not adhered (for example, plastic, stainless steel or the like).
  • the sheet P is conveyed by the discharge roller 19 and the spurs 20 and discharged onto a discharge tray 21.
  • an electrode protection film 22 is disposed in contact with an inner surface of the convey belt 7 and is secured to the electrode support plate 23 by welding or other suitable means.
  • the electrode protection film 22 comprises a film member having a thickness of about 0.1 - 0.2 mm and made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, polyethylene, fluororesin or the like (similar to that of the convey belt 7).
  • the electrode plate 24 and the earth plate 25 have comb-shapes, respectively, so that legs and recesses of the comb of one of the plates are alternately engaged by recesses and legs of the comb of the other plate.
  • Positive or negative voltage of about 0.5 - 10 kV is applied from a high voltage source (not shown) to the electrode plate 24, and the earth plate 25 is connected to earth or ground.
  • a high voltage source not shown
  • the earth plate 25 is connected to earth or ground.
  • the convey belt 7 and the electrode protection film 22 each has frictional coefficient ⁇ smaller than 0.4 ( ⁇ ⁇ 0.4) and water-absorbing rate A (change ratio in weight after 24 hours under a temperature of 23°C) smaller than 0.4% (A ⁇ 0.4%) and each is made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, polyethylene, fluororesin or the like.
  • the convey belt 7 can be moved by low torque without any slip between the belt and the drive roller 14, thereby achieving high accurate sheet conveyance stably.
  • a drive motor for driving the drive roller 14 can be made compact, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the apparatus.
  • the change in specific volume resistance can be reduced.
  • the specific volume resistance under a low humidity (10%) condition is 10 a ⁇ cm
  • the specific volume resistance under a high humidity (90%) condition is 10 b ⁇ cm
  • the change in specific volume resistance can be suppressed to about (a-b) ⁇ 3
  • change in the absorbing force under the low and high humidity conditions can be reduced, and the predetermined absorbing force can be generated stably. That is to say, as the frictional coefficient ⁇ and the water-absorbing rate A are decreased, the effects obtained thereby are improved.
  • the frictional coefficient ⁇ becomes smaller than 0.3 ( ⁇ ⁇ 0.3) and the water-absorbing rate A becomes smaller than 0.01% (A ⁇ 0.01%), thereby providing the excellent effect. Accordingly, in the ink jet printer, since the high accurate sheet conveying ability can be obtained, it is possible to provide a high quality image stably.
  • Materials from which the convey belt 7 and the electrode protection film 22 are made are not limited to the above-mentioned example, but, any material having frictional coefficient ⁇ smaller than 0.4 ( ⁇ ⁇ 0.4) and water-absorbing rate A smaller than 0.4% (A ⁇ 0.4%) may be used. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, while an example that both the frictional coefficient ⁇ and the water-absorbing rate A are considered was explained, since the sliding resistance of the convey belt 7 can be reduced under the condition of ⁇ ⁇ 0.4 and the change in the specific volume resistance can be reduced under the condition of A ⁇ 0.4% to achieve the effects that the predetermined absorbing force can be obtained stably and such effects can be provided independently, only one of these features may be used.
  • the recording means is designed so that the ink is discharged from the discharge opening to effect the recording by growth and contraction of a bubble in the ink formed by the film boiling caused by thermal energy generated from an electrothermal converter energized in response to a record signal.
  • this system can be applied to both a so-called “on-demand type” and “continuous type", it is more effective when the present invention is particularly applied to the on-demand type, because, by applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the record information and capable of providing the abrupt temperature increase exceeding the nucleate boiling to the electrothermal converters arranged in correspondence to the sheet or liquid passages including the liquid (ink) therein, it is possible to form a bubble in the liquid in correspondence to the drive signal by generating the film boiling on the heat acting surface of the recording head due to the generation of the thermal energy in the electrothermal converters. Due to the growth and contraction of the bubble, the liquid is discharged from the discharge opening to form at least one liquid droplet. When the drive signal has a pulse shape, since the growth and contraction of the bubble can be quickly effected, more excellent liquid charge can be achieved.
  • the present invention can be applied to a recording head of full-line type having a length corresponding to a maximum width of a recording medium to be recorded.
  • a recording head the construction wherein such a length is attained by combining a plurality of recording heads or a single recording head integrally formed may be adopted.
  • the present invention is effectively applicable to a recording head secured to a carriage, or a removable recording head of chip type wherein, when mounted on a carriage, electrical connection between it and the recording system and the supply of ink from the recording system can be permitted, or to a recording head of cartridge type wherein a cartridge is integrally formed with the recording head itself.
  • a head recovery means and an auxiliary aiding means are added to the recording head according to the present invention, since the effect of the present invention is further improved. More particularly, these means include a capping means for capping the recording head, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or suction means, and an auxiliary heating means comprising electrothermal converters or other heating elements or combination thereof. Further, it is effective for the stable recording to perform an auxiliary discharge mode wherein the ink discharge not relating to the recording ink discharge is effected.
  • each recording head may correspond to each different color ink, or a plurality of recording heads can be used for a plurality of inks having different colors and/or different densities. That is to say, for example, the present invention can effectively be applied not only to a recording mode with a single main color such as black, but also to a system providing a plurality of different colors and/or a full-color by mixing colors by using an integrated recording head or combination of plural recording heads.
  • the ink while the ink was liquid, the ink may be solid in a room temperature or less and softened or liquidized at the room temperature.
  • the temperature control is generally effected in a temperature range from 30°C to 70°C so that the viscosity of the ink is maintained within a stable discharging range, the ink may be liquidized when the record signal is emitted.
  • ink having a feature that is firstly liquidized by the thermal energy such as solid ink which serves to prevent the increase in temperature by absorbing energy in changing the ink from the solid state to the liquid state or which is in the solid state in the reserved condition to prevent the vaporization of the ink and which is liquidized by application of the thermal energy into liquid ink to be discharged in response to the record signal, or ink which has already been solidified upon reaching the recording medium, can also be applied to the present invention.
  • the aforementioned ink jet recording printer may be used as image output terminals of information processing systems such as computers or may be used with a copying machine incorporating a reader therein or a facsimile system having transmission/receiver function.
  • the stable sheet absorbing force can be generated regardless of the change in the environmental conditions. Further, since sliding resistance of the belt-shaped convey means can be decreased at an absorbing force generating portion, a drive source can be made compact and power consumption can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost. Further, since the sliding resistance of the belt-shaped convey means is decreased, slip between the belt-shaped convey means and a drive roller can be eliminated, thereby maintaining high sheet conveying accuracy.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
  • Handling Of Cut Paper (AREA)
  • Electrostatic Charge, Transfer And Separation In Electrography (AREA)
EP19950109059 1994-06-13 1995-06-12 Sheet convey apparatus Expired - Lifetime EP0693381B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP130162/94 1994-06-13
JP6130162A JP2804715B2 (ja) 1994-06-13 1994-06-13 記録装置
JP13016294 1994-06-13

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0693381A1 EP0693381A1 (en) 1996-01-24
EP0693381B1 true EP0693381B1 (en) 1999-09-15

Family

ID=15027493

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19950109059 Expired - Lifetime EP0693381B1 (en) 1994-06-13 1995-06-12 Sheet convey apparatus

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0693381B1 (ja)
JP (1) JP2804715B2 (ja)
DE (1) DE69512153T2 (ja)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102107555A (zh) * 2009-12-29 2011-06-29 兄弟工业株式会社 介质馈送设备和图像记录设备

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6394596B1 (en) 1999-10-05 2002-05-28 Hewlett-Packard Company Belt-type media support for a printer
WO2003100152A1 (fr) * 2002-05-23 2003-12-04 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. Imprimante a jet d'encre pour impression sur textile et procede de production d'impression sur textile
DE60324749D1 (de) * 2002-09-26 2009-01-02 Canon Kk Förderband, welches in der Lage ist Gegenstände anzuziehen, Bilderzeugungsvorrichtung mit solch einem Förderband und Methode zu Herstellung solch eines Förderbandes
JP4933950B2 (ja) * 2007-05-02 2012-05-16 株式会社リコー 定着装置、および画像形成装置
JP4998494B2 (ja) * 2009-03-09 2012-08-15 ブラザー工業株式会社 インクジェット記録装置
JP2010208721A (ja) 2009-03-09 2010-09-24 Brother Ind Ltd インクジェット記録装置
JP4748236B2 (ja) * 2009-03-10 2011-08-17 ブラザー工業株式会社 記録装置
JP4748235B2 (ja) 2009-03-10 2011-08-17 ブラザー工業株式会社 記録装置
JP4858587B2 (ja) 2009-08-31 2012-01-18 ブラザー工業株式会社 記録装置
JP5381658B2 (ja) * 2009-11-30 2014-01-08 ブラザー工業株式会社 インクジェット記録装置
JP5154589B2 (ja) 2010-01-29 2013-02-27 ブラザー工業株式会社 記録装置
JP5035379B2 (ja) 2010-03-30 2012-09-26 ブラザー工業株式会社 液体吐出装置
JP5577893B2 (ja) 2010-06-30 2014-08-27 ブラザー工業株式会社 画像記録装置
US8947482B2 (en) * 2013-03-15 2015-02-03 Xerox Corporation Active biased electrodes for reducing electrostatic fields underneath print heads in an electrostatic media transport
CN104609233A (zh) * 2015-01-23 2015-05-13 绍兴金渔纺织新技术有限公司 一种用于轧水机的输送带

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH01249457A (ja) * 1988-03-31 1989-10-04 Canon Inc 液体噴射記録装置
JP2945412B2 (ja) * 1989-05-31 1999-09-06 キヤノン株式会社 記録装置
JPH02300039A (ja) * 1989-05-16 1990-12-12 Ricoh Co Ltd 原稿搬送装置
JPH04122038U (ja) * 1991-04-20 1992-10-30 三田工業株式会社 インクジエツトプリンタ
JP3016924B2 (ja) * 1991-10-02 2000-03-06 キヤノン株式会社 記録装置
JPH066455A (ja) * 1992-06-18 1994-01-14 Toshiba Corp 構内交換機

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102107555A (zh) * 2009-12-29 2011-06-29 兄弟工业株式会社 介质馈送设备和图像记录设备
CN102107555B (zh) * 2009-12-29 2013-09-18 兄弟工业株式会社 介质馈送设备和图像记录设备

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0693381A1 (en) 1996-01-24
DE69512153T2 (de) 2000-04-06
JPH07330185A (ja) 1995-12-19
JP2804715B2 (ja) 1998-09-30
DE69512153D1 (de) 1999-10-21

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