Abstract: A medium supplying apparatus with a detachable rolled medium is provided. In the medium supplying apparatus, the rolled medium is fed to a far side of a setting-and-removing direction of the rolled medium. The medium supplying apparatus includes a plurality of guide members configured to guide the rolled medium when the rolled medium is set. The guide members include at least one contact member which at least partially contacts only a lower outer periphery of the rolled medium and at least one auxiliary member which does not contact the outer periphery of the rolled medium. The contact member and the auxiliary member are connected at a base via the same rotary shaft. The auxiliary member is shorter than the contact member in a medium feeding direction, and is disposed in parallel with the contact member.

Abstract: Disclosed is a roll retainer fitting into ends of a roll to retain the roll. The roll retainer includes a retaining member having a flange facing one end of the roll; two or more supporting members pivotally retained by the retaining member, each of the supporting members being movable along an axial direction within a plane between a supporting position at which the supporting member is inserted in a hollow shaft of the roll and a retracted position at which the supporting member is retracted from the supporting position; and a linking device configured to couple the supporting members, the supporting members being linked with one another to be moved between the supporting positions and the retracted positions.

Abstract: A medium supplying apparatus with a detachable rolled medium is provided. In the medium supplying apparatus, the rolled medium is fed to a far side of a setting-and-removing direction of the rolled medium. The medium supplying apparatus includes a plurality of guide members configured to guide the rolled medium when the rolled medium is set. The guide members include at least one contact member which at least partially contacts only a lower outer periphery of the rolled medium and at least one auxiliary member which does not contact the outer periphery of the rolled medium. The contact member and the auxiliary member are connected at a base via the same rotary shaft. The auxiliary member is shorter than the contact member in a medium feeding direction, and is disposed in parallel with the contact member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a roll that is a print medium in a roll-like shape; a conveyor for conveying the print medium that is pulled out from the roll; a conveyance controller for controlling a driving source of the conveyor, so that a conveyance amount of the print medium reaches a target conveyance amount; a detector for detecting information that is correlated with power increase of the driving source during conveyance of the print medium; and a corrector correcting, when the information that is correlated with the power increase of the driving source is detected, the target conveyance amount toward an increasing direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding unit; an image formation unit; a conveyance unit configured to clamp and convey a recording medium; a paper ejection unit; a manual paper feeding unit configured to receive another recording medium inserted manually and feed the other recording medium from the paper ejection unit; and a switching member fixed on an axle and configured to move between a retracted position, which is retracted from a conveyance path in a case where the image formation unit forms an image, and an abutting position entering the conveyance path by rotating with a rotation of the axle. In a case of feeding the other recording medium manually inserted, the switching member is arranged at the abutting position, clamping by the conveyance unit is released, the other recording medium arrives at an abutment position, and the conveyance unit clamps the other recording medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a roll retainer fitting into ends of a roll to retain the roll. The roll retainer includes a retaining member having a flange facing one end of the roll; two or more supporting members pivotally retained by the retaining member, each of the supporting members being movable along an axial direction within a plane between a supporting position at which the supporting member is inserted in a hollow shaft of the roll and a retracted position at which the supporting member is retracted from the supporting position; and a linking device configured to couple the supporting members, the supporting members being linked with one another to be moved between the supporting positions and the retracted positions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding unit; an image formation unit; a conveyance unit configured to clamp and convey a recording medium; a paper ejection unit; a manual paper feeding unit configured to receive another recording medium inserted manually and feed the other recording medium from the paper ejection unit; and a switching member fixed on an axle and configured to move between a retracted position, which is retracted from a conveyance path in a case where the image formation unit forms an image, and an abutting position entering the conveyance path by rotating with a rotation of the axle. In a case of feeding the other recording medium manually inserted, the switching member is arranged at the abutting position, clamping by the conveyance unit is released, the other recording medium arrives at an abutment position, and the conveyance unit clamps the other recording medium.

Abstract: A roll medium holding unit is disclosed that includes a core part configured to be inserted in a core pipe of a roll medium; and plural diameter-increasing members configured to be variably arranged at corresponding first positions provided along a periphery of the core part and arranged at corresponding second positions provided away from the core part. The roll medium holding unit is capable of being set in a first holding state where the diameter-increasing members arranged at an outer peripheral surface of the core part support the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding first positions and capable of being set in a second holding state where the core part of a holding member supports the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding second positions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a roll that is a print medium in a roll-like shape; a conveyor for conveying the print medium that is pulled out from the roll; a conveyance controller for controlling a driving source of the conveyor, so that a conveyance amount of the print medium reaches a target conveyance amount; a detector for detecting information that is correlated with power increase of the driving source during conveyance of the print medium; and a corrector correcting, when the information that is correlated with the power increase of the driving source is detected, the target conveyance amount toward an increasing direction.

Abstract: A load applying unit includes a motor and a rotation transmission mechanism. A unit for causing the motor to be in a state where the motor creates a counter-electromotive force when rotational force from the roll body is received by applying a voltage less than a minimum driving voltage to the motor and a unit for changing a conveyance speed with which the conveyance unit conveys the print medium are included. While the print medium is pulled out from the roll body and the print medium is set in a state where image forming can be started, the motor is caused to be in the state where the motor can create the counter-electromotive force, and the conveyance unit performs a conveyance operation by changing the conveyance speed of the print medium in accordance with a detection result of the detecting unit.

Abstract: A medium supplying apparatus for applying a back tension opposite to a transferring direction of a rolled medium being transferred by a transfer unit, to the rolled medium, includes a driving unit including a drive gear to be rotated in a forward direction and a reverse direction; a rotation transmitting mechanism that includes a one-way clutch and a torque limiter and transmits a rotational force between the driving unit and a medium rotation shaft that rotatably holds the rolled medium via the one-way clutch and the torque limiter; and a control unit that controls the driving unit to be one of states including being rotated in the forward direction, being rotated in the reverse direction and not being power supplied while the rolled medium is being transferred by the transfer unit to change the strength of the back tension.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a medium that is a long roll wound around a core member; a feeding unit configured to feed the medium; an image forming unit configured to form an image on the medium; a fixed roll end detecting unit configured to detect an end of the medium whose end is fixed to the core member; a determining unit configured to determine whether to stop, for a time period, the medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit, when the fixed roll end detecting unit detects the end of the medium; and a control unit configured to stop an operation of the feeding unit when the determining unit determines to stop the medium for the time period, and to cause the feeding unit to perform an operation of winding back the medium when the time period has elapsed.

Abstract: A load applying unit includes a motor and a rotation transmission mechanism. A unit for causing the motor to be in a state where the motor creates a counter-electromotive force when rotational force from the roll body is received by applying a voltage less than a minimum driving voltage to the motor and a unit for changing a conveyance speed with which the conveyance unit conveys the print medium are included. While the print medium is pulled out from the roll body and the print medium is set in a state where image forming can be started, the motor is caused to be in the state where the motor can create the counter-electromotive force, and the conveyance unit performs a conveyance operation by changing the conveyance speed of the print medium in accordance with a detection result of the detecting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a medium that is a long roll wound around a core member; a feeding unit configured to feed the medium; an image forming unit configured to form an image on the medium; a fixed roll end detecting unit configured to detect an end of the medium whose end is fixed to the core member; a determining unit configured to determine whether to stop, for a time period, the medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit, when the fixed roll end detecting unit detects the end of the medium; and a control unit configured to stop an operation of the feeding unit when the determining unit determines to stop the medium for the time period, and to cause the feeding unit to perform an operation of winding back the medium when the time period has elapsed.

Abstract: A medium supplying apparatus for applying a back tension opposite to a transferring direction of a rolled medium being transferred by a transfer unit, to the rolled medium, includes a driving unit including a drive gear to be rotated in a forward direction and a reverse direction; a rotation transmitting mechanism that includes a one-way clutch and a torque limiter and transmits a rotational force between the driving unit and a medium rotation shaft that rotatably holds the rolled medium via the one-way clutch and the torque limiter; and a control unit that controls the driving unit to be one of states including being rotated in the forward direction, being rotated in the reverse direction and not being power supplied while the rolled medium is being transferred by the transfer unit to change the strength of the back tension.

Abstract: A roll-sheet feeding device having a roll sheet wound in a roll to feed a portion of the roll sheet to an image forming unit, includes a progressive mechanism to transmit a drive force from a drive source to transfer the portion of the roll sheet from the roll in a progressive direction, a roll-sheet drive mechanism to receive the drive force transmitted via the portion of the roll sheet transferred in the progressive direction, a rewinding mechanism to transfer the portion of the roll sheet in a direction opposite to the progressive direction via the roll-sheet drive mechanism to rewind the roll sheet, and a regenerating mechanism to obtain the drive force from the roll-sheet drive mechanism and transmit the obtained drive force to the progressive mechanism to regenerate the transmitted drive force as another drive force in addition to the drive force from the drive source.

Abstract: A roll medium holding unit is disclosed that includes a core part configured to be inserted in a core pipe of a roll medium; and plural diameter-increasing members configured to be variably arranged at corresponding first positions provided along a periphery of the core part and arranged at corresponding second positions provided away from the core part. The roll medium holding unit is capable of being set in a first holding state where the diameter-increasing members arranged at an outer peripheral surface of the core part support the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding first positions and capable of being set in a second holding state where the core part of a holding member supports the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding second positions.

Abstract: A roll-sheet feeding device having a roll sheet wound in a roll to feed a portion of the roll sheet to an image forming unit, includes a progressive mechanism to transmit a drive force from a drive source to transfer the portion of the roll sheet from the roll in a progressive direction, a roll-sheet drive mechanism to receive the drive force transmitted via the portion of the roll sheet transferred in the progressive direction, a rewinding mechanism to transfer the portion of the roll sheet in a direction opposite to the progressive direction via the roll-sheet drive mechanism to rewind the roll sheet, and a regenerating mechanism to obtain the drive force from the roll-sheet drive mechanism and transmit the obtained drive force to the progressive mechanism to regenerate the transmitted drive force as another drive force in addition to the drive force from the drive source.