ROLL SUPPORT APPARATUS AND RECORDING APPARATUS

Abstract

The roll support apparatus includes: a holder portion for supporting a roll sheet through an attachment member, the holder portion being opened in an up direction of a vertical direction; a guide portion configured to move in a first direction apart from the holder portion and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the guide portion being configured to guide the roll sheet to the holder portion; and a turning member configured to turn about a turning shaft, the turning member being disposed such that the attachment member supported by the holder portion is located on a turning locus of the turning member, the turning member being configured to turn, in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction, in a direction to push the attachment member supported by the holder portion upward from below.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a roll support apparatus capable of supporting a roll sheet obtained by winding a sheet, and drawing the sheet or winding the sheet, and a recording apparatus including the roll support apparatus.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, in a recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet as a recording material, a roll support apparatus is provided to support the roll sheet such that a sheet can be supplied and wound is provided. A shaft-shaped attachment member is attached to the roll sheet, and the roll support apparatus supports the roll member through the attachment member such that the roll member can be replaced.

A roll sheet having a large sheet size or having a large number of windings is heavy, and there may be a heavy burden on a replacement work of roll sheets, and hence it is preferred that the operability of roll sheet replacement be improved. For example, Japanese Patent No. 7196975 discloses a roll support apparatus in which a support portion for supporting a roll sheet through an attachment member is movable between an external part and an inner part of the apparatus main body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In such a roll support apparatus, when a roll sheet is transferred from the movable support portion to a support portion fixed to the apparatus main body, the operability of roll sheet replacement is impaired as the weight of the roll sheet becomes greater.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a roll support apparatus capable of easily replacing a roll sheet.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a roll support apparatus of the present invention rotates a roll sheet obtained by winding a sheet and supplies the sheet or winds the sheet. The roll support apparatus includes the following:

• • a holder portion for supporting a roll sheet through an attachment member attached to the roll sheet such that the roll sheet is rotatable, the holder portion being opened in an up direction of a vertical direction;
  • a guide portion configured to move in a first direction apart from the holder portion and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the guide portion being configured to guide the roll sheet to the holder portion; and
  • a turning member configured to turn about a turning shaft extending in parallel to an axial direction of the roll sheet, the turning member being disposed such that the attachment member supported by the holder portion is located on a turning locus of the turning member, the turning member being configured to turn, in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction, in a direction to push the attachment member supported by the holder portion upward from below.

According to the present invention, a roll support device capable of easily replacing a roll sheet can be provided.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a print apparatus in which a discharge guide portion is in a closed state;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the print apparatus in which the discharge guide portion is in an open state;

FIG. 3 is a main cross-sectional view of the print apparatus;

FIGS. 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams of a procedure of setting a roll sheet according to the print apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a feeding guide located at a housing position according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the feeding guide located at a protruding position according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a feeding guide portion that supports a roll sheet according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the feeding guide portion that supports the roll sheet according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a reference side end portion of a roll set portion according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the reference side end portion of the roll set portion according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a non-reference side end portion of the roll set portion according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating the non-reference side end portion of the roll set portion according to the first embodiment;

FIGS. 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams of an operation of attaching a roll sheet according to the first embodiment;

FIGS. 14A to 14D are explanatory diagrams of an operation of detaching a roll sheet according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an assist lever according to the first embodiment;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are explanatory diagrams of a lock mechanism of a spindle according to a second embodiment;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are perspective views of a reference side end portion of a roll set portion according to the second embodiment;

FIGS. 18A to 18C are explanatory diagrams of an operation of attaching a roll sheet according to the second embodiment;

FIGS. 19A to 19C are explanatory diagrams of an operation of detaching a roll sheet according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a roll set portion on a reference side according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating a roll set portion on a non-reference side according to the third embodiment;

FIGS. 22A to 22C are cross-sectional views illustrating a feeding guide portion on the reference side according to the third embodiment; and

FIGS. 23A to 23C are cross-sectional views illustrating a feeding guide portion on the non-reference side according to the third embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a description will be given, with reference to the drawings, of various exemplary embodiments (examples), features, and aspects of the present disclosure. However, the sizes, materials, shapes, their relative arrangements, or the like of constituents described in the embodiments may be appropriately changed according to the configurations, various conditions, or the like of apparatuses to which the disclosure is applied. Therefore, the sizes, materials, shapes, their relative arrangements, or the like of the constituents described in the embodiments do not intend to limit the scope of the disclosure to the following embodiments.

Basic Configuration of Apparatus

First, the basic configuration of a print apparatus 100 according to the present invention is described. The print apparatus 100, which is an application example of the present invention, is an inkjet print apparatus including a sheet supply device for supplying a sheet as a print medium and a print portion (recording portion) for printing an image on the sheet.

In the print apparatus 100, a discharge guide portion 500 that is openable and closable is provided on the front side of the apparatus main body. When the discharge guide portion 500 is in a closed state, the print apparatus 100 feeds a roll sheet obtained by winding a sheet into a roll shape, so that a sheet having an image printed thereon can be wound. Furthermore, when the discharge guide portion 500 is in an open state, a user can set a roll sheet at a feeding portion of the print apparatus 100. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the print apparatus 100 when the discharge guide portion 500 is in the closed state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the print apparatus 100 when the discharge guide portion 500 is in the open state.

Note that, in each figure, a width direction (left-right direction) of the print apparatus 100 is illustrated as an X-axis direction, a front-back direction of the print apparatus 100 is illustrated as a Y-axis direction, and a gravity direction is illustrated as a Z-axis direction as appropriate. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are orthogonal to one another. Furthermore, a roll sheet is supported by the print apparatus 100 such that a width direction (axial direction) of a roll sheet R is parallel to the width direction (X-axis direction) of the print apparatus 100.

When the discharge guide portion 500 is in the open state, a roll set portion 200 of the print apparatus 100 is exposed, and a user can set a roll sheet at the roll set portion 200. Furthermore, when the discharge guide portion 500 is in the closed state, the sheet drawn from the roll sheet set to the roll set portion 200 passes through the sheet conveyance portion 300 to reach the print portion 400, and an image is printed thereon by the print portion 400, and after that, the sheet is delivered to the discharge guide portion 500. A user can use various switches on an operation panel 28 provided in to the front side of the print apparatus 100 to input various commands on the print apparatus 100, such as the size designation of the roll sheet and the setting of the type of the roll.

FIG. 3 is a main schematic cross-sectional view of the print apparatus 100, and illustrates a conveyance path of the sheet 1 in the print apparatus 100. In the print apparatus 100, the roll set portion 200, the sheet conveyance portion 300, the print portion 400, the discharge guide portion 500, and a winding portion 600 are provided in this order along a conveyance direction of the sheet 1. In the following description, the conveyance direction refers to a conveyance direction of the sheet 1 unless otherwise described.

The sheet 1 drawn from the roll sheet R set to the roll set portion 200 is connected to the winding portion 600 and wound. The roll set portion 200 can be regarded as a roll support apparatus for supporting the roll sheet R and drawing and supplying a sheet S. Similarly, the winding portion 600 can be regarded as a roll support apparatus for supporting the roll sheet R and winding a sheet S. The sheet 1 drawn from the roll sheet R set to the roll set portion 200 passes through the sheet conveyance portion 300 and is conveyed to the print portion 400 capable of printing an image.

The print portion 400 is a recording portion for printing (recording) an image on the sheet 1 by ejecting ink from an inkjet type print head 80. The print head 80 uses an ejection energy generating element such as a thermoelectric conversion element (heater) or a piezoelectric element to eject ink from an ejection port. In the case where a thermoelectric conversion element is used, ink is foamed by generated heat, and foaming energy can be used to discharge ink from the ejection port. Note that the print head 80 is not limited to an inkjet type. Furthermore, the print type of the print portion 400 is not limited, and for example, a serial scan type or a full-line type may be employed. In the case of the serial scan type, an image is printed together with the conveyance operation of the sheet 1 and the scanning of a print head 80 in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the sheet 1. In the case of the full-line type, an image is printed in a manner that a long print head 80 extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the sheet 1 is used to continuously convey sheets 1.

In a hollow hole of the roll sheet R, a shaft-shaped roll support member 2 is inserted, and the roll support member 2 is driven to rotate in the normal and reverse directions by a roll drive motor as a drive source. In this manner, the roll sheet R rotates in the normal and reverse directions in directions of the arrows C1 and C2 while the center part is held. The roll set portion 200 is provided with a drive portion 3, an arm member (movable body) 4, an arm turning shaft 5, a first sheet sensor 6, a swinging member 7, a driven rotating member (pressure-contact member) 8, a separation flapper (upper guide member) 9, and a flapper rotation shaft 10.

In the sheet conveyance portion 300, a feeding side conveyance guide 11 as a guide member for guiding the sheet 1 is provided. The feeding side conveyance guide 11 guides the front/rear surface of the sheet 1 drawn from the roll set portion 200, and guides the sheet 1 to the print portion 400. On the downstream side of the feeding side conveyance guide 11 in the conveyance direction, a conveyance roller 12, a nip roller 13, and a second sheet sensor 14 are provided. The conveyance roller 12 is rotated in the normal and reverse directions in the directions of arrows D1 and D2 by a conveyance roller drive motor as a drive source. The nip roller 13 can be driven to rotate in response to the rotation of the conveyance roller 12, and by a nip roller separation motor, the nip roller 13 can approach and separate with respect to the conveyance roller 12, and nip power thereof can be adjusted. The conveyance roller 12 is rotated when the second sheet sensor 14 detects a leading end of the sheet 1. The conveyance speed of the sheet 1 by the conveyance roller 12 is set to be higher than the drawing speed of the sheet 1 by the rotation of the roll sheet R, and hence back tension can be applied to the sheet 1 such that the sheet 1 can be conveyed while being stretched. As a result, the warpage of the sheet 1 can be prevented to suppress the occurrence of folding of the sheet 1 and the occurrence of a conveyance error.

In the print portion 400, a print head 80, a platen 15, a suction fan 16, and a cutter 17 are provided. The platen 15 is provided with a suction hole. The platen 15 adsorbs the rear surface of the sheet 1 through the suction hole due to a negative pressure generated by the suction fan 16. In this manner, the position of the sheet 1 is regulated to be along the platen 15, so that an image can be accurately printed by the print head 80 opposed to the surface (print surface) of the sheet 1. The cutter 17 is a cutting portion which is provided on the downstream side of the platen 15 and the print head 80 in the conveyance direction and which cuts the sheet 1 having an image printed thereon.

The discharge guide portion 500 is provided with a delivery side conveyance guide 18. The delivery side conveyance guide 18 guides the rear surface of the sheet 1 drawn from the print portion 400, and guides the sheet 1 to the winding portion 600. In this case, a leading end of the sheet 1 is fixed to a paper core set to the winding portion 600, and the set paper core is rotated in accordance with the conveyance speed of the conveyance roller 12, so that the sheet 1 printed by the print portion 400 can be wound continuously.

On an end portion of the delivery side conveyance guide 18 on the winding side (end portion on downstream side in conveyance direction), a driven roller 18a is provided. Because the driven roller 18a is provided to the delivery side conveyance guide 18, the sheet 1 can be prevented from being abruptly bent and damaged at the end portion of the delivery side conveyance guide 18. Furthermore, conveyance resistance at a bent portion of sheet 1 can be reduced by the delivery side conveyance guide 18 to prevent the occurrence of a large warpage between the conveyance roller 12 and the driven roller 18a.

In the discharge guide portion 500, the sheet 1 is conveyed along the delivery side conveyance guide 18. With such a configuration, the delivery side conveyance guide 18 can be heated by a heating portion (not shown) as necessary, thereby assisting the thermal fixing of ink discharged by the print portion 400 onto the sheet 1.

The delivery side conveyance guide 18 is supported so as to turn about a delivery guide rotation shaft 18b provided to an end portion thereof on the upstream side in the conveyance direction. By turning the delivery side conveyance guide 18, the discharge guide portion 500 can be switched between the open state and the closed state. In the case of attaching and detaching the roll sheet R to and from the roll set portion 200, the delivery side conveyance guide 18 and the driven roller 18a are retreated upward by turning such that the discharge guide portion 500 becomes the open state, thereby setting the roll sheet R without interfering with the discharge guide portion 500.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus main body of the print apparatus 100 is provided with two main body leg portions 27 and a coupling portion 29 that connects the main body leg portions 27. The main body leg portions 27 support the weights of the sheet conveyance portion 300, the print portion 400, and the discharge guide portion 500 provided to the apparatus main body from below, and support the weight of the roll sheet R through the roll set portion 200. One main body leg portion 27 is provided to a first end portion of the apparatus main body of the print apparatus 100 in the X direction, and the other main body leg portion 27 is provided to a second end portion of the apparatus main body of the print apparatus 100 in the X direction on a side opposite to the first end portion. Each main body leg portion 27 is provided with a plurality of casters disposed side by side in the Y direction. The main body leg portion 27 contacts a floor surface through the casters, and escapes the weight of the print apparatus 100 to the floor surface. The coupling portion 29 connects the main body leg portions 27 on a reference side and a non-reference side, and prevents the main body leg portions 27 from being tilted due to the weight. In the print apparatus 100, two coupling portions 29 are disposed side by side in the Z direction.

Next, a method of setting a roll sheet R is described in detail. FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are explanatory diagrams of a procedure of setting a roll sheet R to the roll set portion 200 by the roll support member 2. FIG. 4A is an exploded diagram of the roll sheet R and the roll support member 2. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating how the roll support member 2 is fixed to the roll sheet R. FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating how the roll support member 2 is supported by the roll set portion 200.

The roll support member 2 includes a spindle 19, a friction member 20, a reference side spindle flange 21, a non-reference side spindle flange 22, and a spindle gear 23, and is an attachment member to be attached to the roll sheet R. The reference side spindle flange 21 is provided to one end of the spindle 19, and the spindle gear 23 for rotating the spindle 19 is attached to the other end thereof. Furthermore, the friction members 20 are provided to the reference side spindle flange 21 and the non-reference side spindle flange 22 on the inner side in the axial direction (spindle 19 side).

In the case of setting the roll support member 2 to the roll sheet R, first, the non-reference side spindle flange 22 fitted to the spindle 19 is detached, and then the spindle 19 is inserted to the hollow hole of the roll sheet R. The outer diameter of the spindle 19 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow hole of the roll sheet R, and a gap is formed between the spindle 19 and the hollow hole, and hence a user can insert the spindle 19 with a minute power. When one end portion (end portion on right side in FIG. 4A) of the roll sheet R contacts the reference side spindle flange 21, the friction member 20 on the inner side of the reference side spindle flange 21 is fitted into the hollow hole of the roll sheet R. In this manner, the reference side spindle flange 21 is fixed to the roll sheet R. After that, the friction member 20 on the inner side of the non-reference side spindle flange 22 is fitted into the hollow hole of the roll sheet R to the spindle 19 through the non-reference side spindle flange 22. In this manner, the non-reference side spindle flange 22 is fixed to the roll sheet R.

Through the above-mentioned procedure, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the roll sheet R is attached to the roll support member 2. After that, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, by fitting both end portions of the roll support member 2 to the spindle holders 24 of the roll set portion 200, the setting of the roll sheet R to the roll set portion 200 is completed.

In this configuration, it is assumed that the outer diameters of the reference side spindle flange 21 and the non-reference side spindle flange 22 are, for example, about 170 mm. Furthermore, it is assumed that the maximum outer diameter of the roll sheet R is, for example, about 180 mm and the inner diameter of the hollow hole is 2 inches (50.8 mm) or 3 inches (76.2 mm). However, the outer diameter of the spindle flange, the maximum outer diameter of the roll sheet R, and the inner diameter of the hollow hole are not limited to these numeral values.

Next, the schematic configuration of the roll set portion 200 is described. The roll set portion 200 is provided with a drive gear 25 and a roll sensor 26 in addition to the above-mentioned spindle holder 24.

The spindle holder 24 constitutes a holder portion that supports the roll sheet R through the roll support member 2 such that the roll sheet R is rotatable. The spindle holder 24 is provided at a position corresponding to each of both end portions of the spindle 19. In other words, the roll set portion 200 has a spindle holder 24 (first holder) provided on the reference side and a spindle holder 24 (second holder) provided on the non-reference side. Then, the spindle holder 24 as the first holder supports a first end portion of the spindle 19, and the spindle holder 24 as the second holder supports a second end portion of the spindle 19 on a side opposite to the first end portion. The inner surface of the spindle holder 24 is formed into a U shape that is opened frontward, and its opening is inclined so as to have an angle upward in the Y direction (apparatus front direction). In other words, the spindle holder 24 is opened in the apparatus front direction and in the up direction of the vertical direction. “Being opening in the apparatus front direction and the up direction of the vertical direction” as used herein means that the spindle holder 24 is opened in at least a part of the apparatus front direction and the up direction. With such a configuration, the spindle 19 fitted to the opening of the spindle holder 24 is prevented from being erroneously detached to the front side. Furthermore, the end portion (first end portion, second end portion) of the spindle 19 can be fitted to and removed from the spindle holder 24 through its opening.

In the state in which the roll support member 2 is fitted to the spindle holder 24, the spindle gear 23 is connected to a roll drive motor through the drive gear 25 provided to the roll set portion 200. The roll sheet R is driven by the roll drive motor in the normal direction and the reverse direction together with the roll support member 2, so that the operation of supplying the sheet 1 is enabled. The spindle holder 24 has a role as a feeding support portion for supporting the roll support member 2 such that the roll sheet R is supported so as to feed the roll sheet R, and the position of the roll sheet R with respect to the print apparatus 100 is accurately determined. The roll sensor 26 is a sensor capable of detecting whether the roll sheet R is set to the spindle holder 24.

In this manner, by using the spindle 19 to hold the roll sheet R, the roll sheet R is set to the roll set portion 200 by the spindle 19 and the spindle holders 24 irrespective of its width. Thus, for example, roll sheets R with widths corresponding to various sizes equal to or smaller than the length of the spindle 19, including large sizes such as A0 and A1 and small sizes, can be set to the print apparatus 100. Furthermore, an end portion of a roll sheet R is fitted to the reference side spindle flange 21 fixed to the spindle 19, and hence the position of the reference side end portion of the roll sheet R is determined constantly with respect to the roll set portion 200. Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the roll set portion 200 in such a print apparatus 100 is described with reference to a plurality of embodiments.

First Embodiment

Roll Set Portion

A first embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 15. First, a detailed configuration of the roll set portion 200 according to the first embodiment is described. Note that, in the drawings referred to below, the illustration of the discharge guide portion 500 and the like that are retreated above the roll set portion 200 is sometimes omitted for simplicity.

The roll set portion 200 is provided with a feeding guide portion 30 on which both end portions of the spindle 19 are to be placed. The feeding guide portion 30 is configured by a feeding guide 30a (first guide) on a reference side and a feeding guide 30b (second guide) on a non-reference side. The feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30a on reference side and feeding guide 30b on non-reference side) are configured to be movable in an apparatus front direction (front direction, first direction) and an apparatus rear direction (back direction, second direction). More specifically, the feeding guide portion 30 is configured to be movable in the Y direction between a protruding position (first position) that protrudes to the front side from the apparatus main body and a housing position (second position) that is housed in the apparatus main body on the apparatus rear side from the protruding position. In other words, the feeding guide portion 30 is configured to be switchable between a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is housed in the apparatus main body and a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 protrudes to the front side from the apparatus main body.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the roll set portion 200 in the state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the roll set portion 200 in the state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating how a roll sheet R is supported by the feeding guide portion 30 located at the protruding position. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating how the roll sheet R is supported by the feeding guide portion 30 located at the housing position. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the configuration of the reference side of the roll set portion 200 including the feeding guide 30a on the reference side. FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side when viewed from the front side of the apparatus. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side. FIG. 12 is a schematic front side of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side when viewed from the front side of the apparatus.

The feeding guide 30a and the feeding guide 30b each have a feeding guide groove 31 for receiving the spindle 19. The feeding guide groove 31 is a groove portion opened upward, and is a groove portion on which opposed surfaces that are opposed to each other in the Y direction are formed. The positions of the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide 30a and the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide 30b in the Y direction are substantially the same. With such a configuration, the reference side end portion of the spindle 19 is supported by the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side, and the non-reference side end portion of the spindle 19 is supported by the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side.

To place a roll sheet R on the feeding guide portion 30, the feeding guide 30a on the reference side and the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side are moved to the protruding position, so that an operation region for placing the roll sheet R can be secured to improve operability. On the other hand, by moving the feeding guide 30a on the reference side and the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side to the housing position, a part protruding from the apparatus main body can be housed inside the apparatus main body to reduce the area of installation of the main body.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, a distance in the X direction between the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side and the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side is shorter than the length of the spindle 19. In this manner, the roll sheet R can be landed on the feeding guide grooves 31 through both end portions of the spindle 19.

The feeding guide 30a on the reference side and the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side are coupled by a feeding guide stay 38. More specifically, the feeding guide stay 38 is provided between the feeding guide 30a and the feeding guide 30b in the X direction, and one end of the feeding guide stay 38 is connected to the feeding guide 30a while the other end is connected to the feeding guide 30b. Thus, by moving the feeding guide stay 38 in the direction of an arrow P (apparatus rear direction), the feeding guide 30a on the reference side and the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side can move substantially integrally.

In the state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the roll sheet R is placed on the feeding guide portion 30 and the feeding guide stay 38 is moved in the direction of the arrow P, the feeding guide portion 30 moves to the housing position at which the feeding guide portion 30 is housed in the apparatus main body as illustrated in FIG. 8. In the roll set portion 200, the spindle holder 24 is disposed on the apparatus rear side from the feeding guide portion 30. By moving the feeding guide portion 30 to the housing position, the roll support member 2 is set to the spindle holder 24. The roll support member 2 set to the spindle holder 24 can rotate because drive power is transmitted from the drive gear 25 to the spindle gear 23.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12, an end portion of the roll set portion 200 on the reference side and an end portion thereof on the non-reference side are each provided with an assist lever 34. The assist lever 34 on the reference side is disposed at a position sandwiched between the feeding guide 30a on the reference side and the spindle holder 24 in the X direction. The assist lever 34 on the non-reference side is disposed at a position sandwiched between the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side and the spindle holder 24 in the X direction. The assist lever 34 is configured to turn in a first turning direction S1 and a second turning direction S2 about a lever turning shaft 35 extending in the X direction, and is biased in the first turning direction S1 by a lever spring 39 as a biasing member. The first turning direction S1 is a direction in which a lever contact portion 36 provided to the assist lever 34 described later is directed upward and toward the front of the apparatus. The assist lever 34 is configured to turn between a first turning position at which the assist lever 34 contacts the spindle 19 supported by the spindle holder 24 from below and a second turning position that is turned in the first turning direction S1 from the first turning position. In other words, the assist lever 34 is disposed such that the spindle 19 in the roll support member 2 supported by the spindle holder 24 is located on a locus of the turning.

The assist lever 34 includes the lever contact portion 36 that contacts the spindle 19 when the spindle 19 moves from the protruding position to the housing position, and a portion to be detected 37 that is detected by the roll sensor 26. The roll sensor 26 uses, for example, a transmissive photosensor, and can perform detection when light in a space between a light emitting element and a light receiving element opposed to each other is blocked by the portion to be detected 37. In this case, the transmissive photosensor is described as an example, but a detection method using a mechanical switch may be employed.

The feeding guide 30a and the feeding guide 30b each have a feeding guide contact portion 32 that contacts the assist lever 34 to transmits force in a turning direction. The feeding guide contact portion 32 provided to the feeding guide 30a on the reference side is a shaft-shaped protrusion extending in the X direction toward the assist lever 34 and the spindle holder 24 on the reference side. The feeding guide contact portion 32 provided to the feeding guide 30b is a shaft-shaped protrusion extending in the X direction toward the assist lever 34 and the spindle holder 24 on the non-reference side.

On the apparatus front side of the spindle holder 24, a transfer portion 33 as a guide portion for guiding the spindle 19 transferred from the feeding guide portion 30 to the spindle holder 24 is provided. Similarly to the spindle holder 24, the transfer portion 33 is provided on each of the reference side and the non-reference side of the print apparatus 100, and is formed continuously to the U-shaped inner surface of the spindle holder 24. Here, in the case of taking the spindle 19 fitted to the spindle holder 24 from the opening, the spindle 19 needs to be moved so as to moves beyond the U-shaped opening. Thus, if a particularly heavy roll sheet R is attached to the spindle 19 (roll support member 2), a large operation force for moving the spindle 19 upward is necessary, and the operability is poor. To deal with this, in the first embodiment, in the case of taking the spindle 19 out of the spindle holder 24, the assist lever 34 is driven so as to raise the spindle 19, thereby assisting the take-out operation. Such a configuration can prevent the operation force for taking out the spindle 19 from increasing and improve the operability. Details of the method for assisting the take-out operation of the spindle 19 by the assist lever 34 are described later.

Roll Sheet Attaching Operation

Next, an operation of attaching a roll sheet R to the roll set portion 200 is described. FIGS. 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of attaching the roll sheet R according to the first embodiment. Note that, in the following description, the operation of attaching the roll sheet R is described with reference to the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side, but the roll sheet R is similarly attached to the feeding guide 30a on the reference side.

FIG. 13A illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the protruding position and the spindle 19 is placed on the feeding guide groove 31. In the operation of attaching the roll sheet R, an operator first places the spindle 19 of the roll support member 2 to which the roll sheet R is attached on the feeding guide grooves 31 provided on both end portion sides of the feeding guide portion 30 located at the protruding position.

The feeding guide groove 31 is configured by a support surface 31a as a horizontal surface, an opposed surface 31b extending upward from an end of the support surface 31a in the apparatus front direction, and an opposed surface 31c extending upward from an end of the support surface 31a in the apparatus rear direction. The opposed surface 31b and the opposed surface 31c are opposed to each other in the Y direction. The opposed surface 31b is a surface oriented to the rear side of the apparatus, and the opposed surface 31c is a surface oriented to the front side of the apparatus. The feeding guide portion 30 supports the roll support member 2 by the support surface 31a from below, and moves the roll support member 2 in the Y direction while preventing, by the opposed surfaces 31b and 31c, the roll support member 2 from rolling in the Y direction and falling off the feeding guide portion 30.

Furthermore, in the state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, the assist lever 34 is located at the second turning position, and the portion to be detected 37 is located at a position detected by the roll sensor 26. In the state in which the roll sensor 26 detects the portion to be detected 37 in this way, it is determined that the roll sheet R is not attached to the roll set portion 200. It is preferred that the determination on the set state of the roll sheet R in accordance with the detection result of the roll sensor 26 be performed by a publicly known control portion including a CPU.

FIG. 13B illustrates the middle state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) moves from the protruding position to the housing position. After the roll sheet R is placed on the feeding guide portion 30 through the roll support member 2, the operator moves the feeding guide portion 30 from the protruding position to the housing position. In the movement of the feeding guide portion 30, the operator slides the feeding guide stay 38 to the rear side of the apparatus main body in the Y direction, so that the feeding guide 30a and the feeding guide 30b can be moved together.

In the first embodiment, a placement surface 33a of the transfer portion 33 is a slant surface inclined so as to gradually direct downward toward the front side of the apparatus main body. The lowermost part of the placement surface 33a is located lower than the support surface 31a of the feeding guide groove 31, and the uppermost part of the placement surface 33a is located higher than the support surface 31a. In other words, the support surface 31a is located between the lowermost part (end portion on apparatus front side) of the placement surface 33a and the uppermost part (end portion on apparatus rear side) of the placement surface 33a in the vertical direction. With such a configuration, in the process of moving the feeding guide portion 30 to the housing position, the spindle 19 located on the support surface 31a of the feeding guide groove 31 contacts the transfer portion 33. Then, when the feeding guide portion 30 continues to move to the rear side of the apparatus, the spindle 19 is transferred to the placement surface 33a of the transfer portion 33 from the support surface 31a of the feeding guide groove 31. After that, the spindle 19 continues to move to the rear side of the apparatus together with the feeding guide portion 30 while being supported by the placement surface 33a of the transfer portion 33 and the opposed surface 31b of the feeding guide groove 31 oriented to the rear side of the apparatus.

When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, the assist lever 34 is raised by the lever spring 39 in the first turning direction S1 about the lever turning shaft 35. In this case, the assist lever 34 is located above the feeding guide contact portion 32 of the feeding guide portion 30, and hence the assist lever 34 and the feeding guide contact portion 32 do not overlap when viewed in the Y direction. Thus, when the feeding guide portion 30 moves from the protruding position to the housing position, the feeding guide contact portion 32 passes below the assist lever 34 located at the second turning position, and slides without contacting the assist lever 34.

FIG. 13C illustrates how the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the housing position and the spindle 19 is transferred to the spindle holder 24. When the feeding guide portion 30 further slides to the rear side of the apparatus from the state in FIG. 13B, the spindle 19 is transferred from the placement surface 33a of the transfer portion 33 to the U-shaped opening of the spindle holder 24. When the spindle 19 is fitted to the U-shaped opening of the spindle holder 24, the spindle 19 and the lever contact portion 36 contact each other, and the assist lever 34 turns in the second turning direction S2 about the lever turning shaft 35 against a biasing force of the lever spring 39, thereby moving to the first turning position. Then, after the assist lever 34 moves to the first turning position, the portion to be detected 37 is separated from the roll sensor 26, and the print apparatus 100 can detect that the spindle 19 has been fitted to the spindle holder 24. If the spindle 19 rotates due to conveyance, the spindle 19 moves slidingly with the lever contact portion 36. Thus, the lever contact portion 36 may include a roller capable of rotating about the X direction as a rotating axis.

Roll Sheet Detaching Operation

Next, an operation of detaching a roll sheet R from the roll set portion 200 is described. FIGS. 14A to 14D are explanatory diagrams of the operation of detaching the roll sheet R according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the assist lever 34, and is a diagram illustrating a relation between a distance from the lever turning shaft 35 to the feeding guide contact portion 32 and a distance from the lever contact portion 36 to the feeding guide contact portion 32. Note that, in the following description, the operation of detaching the roll sheet R is described with reference to the feeding guide 30b, but the roll sheet R is similarly detached from the feeding guide 30a.

FIG. 14A illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the housing position (second position) and the roll sheet R is set to the roll set portion 200. In the state in which the roll sheet R is set to the roll set portion 200, the spindle 19 is fitted into the U-shaped opening of the spindle holder 24. In this case, when viewed in the Y direction, the feeding guide contact portion 32 provided to the feeding guide portion 30 is biased in the second turning direction S2 by the spindle 19 and is located at a position overlapping the assist lever 34 located at the first turning position. Furthermore, in this case, the feeding guide contact portion 32 is located on the apparatus rear side of the assist lever 34.

FIG. 14B illustrates the middle state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) moves from the housing position to the protruding position. In the operation of detaching the roll sheet R, an operator first slides the feeding guide stay 38 to the front side of the apparatus in the Y direction, and slides the feeding guide portion 30. In this case, the feeding guide contact portion 32 contacts the assist lever 34 from the rear side of the apparatus, and generates a force of turning the assist lever 34 in the first turning direction S1 by a sliding force of the feeding guide portion 30.

When the assist lever 34 turns in the first turning direction S1, the lever contact portion 36 provided to the assist lever 34 contacts the spindle 19. The lever contact portion 36 is a part having a semicircular cross-section and extending in the X direction, and a curved surface thereof contacts the spindle 19 from below. Then, the spindle 19 pushed by the assist lever 34 moves upward, that is, in a direction in which the spindle 19 is raised and separated from the spindle holder 24. In this case, the lever contact portion 36 may be configured to contact a part of the spindle 19 on the apparatus rear side with respect to the rotation center, so that a pushing force may act in a direction to move the spindle 19 to the front side of the apparatus. In this manner, in the first embodiment, when the feeding guide portion 30 is drawn to the front side of the apparatus in the process of detaching the roll sheet R, the assist lever 34 interlockingly turns in the first turning direction S1 to push the spindle 19 of the roll support member 2 supporting the roll sheet R upward. In other words, the assist lever 34 functions as a turning member that turns so as to assist an operation of the spindle 19 to move beyond a boundary between the spindle holder 24 and the transfer portion 33.

FIG. 15 illustrates the assist lever 34, the spindle holder 24, and the spindle 19 when viewed in the X direction. FIG. 15 illustrates a distance L1 from the center of the lever turning shaft 35 (turning center of assist lever 34) to a contact portion between the lever contact portion 36 and the assist lever 34, and a distance L2 from the center of the lever turning shaft 35 to a contact portion between the feeding guide contact portion 32 and the assist lever 34. In the first embodiment, various members are disposed such that the distance L2 is always larger than the distance L1, that is, L2>L1. In other words, when the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the lever turning shaft 35 is disposed at a position separated from the lever contact portion 36 as compared to the feeding guide contact portion 32. Thus, a force that is received by the spindle 19 from the lever contact portion 36 is L2/L1 times as large as the force received by the feeding guide contact portion 32 or the assist lever 34. In other words, with such a configuration, even when a force to slide the feeding guide portion 30 is small, a large force can be transmitted to the lever contact portion 36 by using the ratio of distances. Then, the lever contact portion 36 contacts the spindle 19 from below, and transmits a force of raising the spindle 19 upward. In this manner, an operation force for the spindle 19 to move beyond the U-shaped opening can be reduced.

FIG. 14C illustrates how the feeding guide portion 30 is further drawn to the front side of the apparatus from the state in FIG. 14B and the assist lever 34 further turns in the first turning direction S1. When the feeding guide portion 30 is drawn to the front side of the apparatus, the spindle 19 is pushed by the assist lever 34 from below and pushed by the feeding guide groove 31 from the rear side of the apparatus, so that the spindle 19 is completely removed from the spindle holder 24. The spindle 19 removed from the spindle holder 24 is supported by the placement surface 33a of the transfer portion 33 and the opposed surface 31b of the feeding guide groove 31.

As illustrated in FIG. 14C, after the spindle 19 is completely removed from the spindle holder 24, the portion to be detected 37 moves to a position detected by the roll sensor 26 along with the turning of the assist lever 34. With such a configuration, the state in which the spindle 19 is not set to the roll set portion 200 can be detected by the roll sensor 26.

FIG. 14D illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the protruding position and the spindle 19 is placed on the feeding guide groove 31. When the feeding guide portion 30 is further drawn from the state in FIG. 14C, the spindle 19 moves above the placement surface 33a, and the height thereof gradually decreases. Then, in the process that the feeding guide portion 30 moves to the protruding position, the spindle 19 is transferred from the placement surface 33a of the transfer portion 33 to the support surface 31a of the feeding guide groove 31. After that, the feeding guide portion 30 further slides to the front side of the apparatus together with the spindle 19, and moves to the protruding position. When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, the operator can detach the roll support member 2 and the roll sheet R supported by the feeding guide portion 30 while a sufficient operation space is secured.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the feeding guide portion 30 is configured to movable between the protruding position and the housing position, and in conjunction with the movement of the feeding guide portion 30, the assist lever 34 turns so as to remove the spindle 19 from the spindle holder 24. Thus, the spindle 19 can be removed from the spindle holder 24 with a smaller force as compared to the case where the spindle 19 is simply pulled toward the front side of the apparatus and detached from the spindle holder 24. In other words, according to the first embodiment, the operator can perform the operation of detaching the roll sheet R with a small force, and the operability of replacement of the roll sheet R is improved.

Note that, in the above description, the feeding guide portion 30 and the assist lever 34 are provided to the roll set portion 200, but the winding portion 600 may be configured similarly. Also in the winding portion 600, if the feeding guide portion 30 capable of sliding and the assist lever 34 that turns in conjunction with the sliding operation of the feeding guide portion 30 are provided, the operability of replacement of the roll sheet R in which the winding of the sheet has been completed can be improved. In other words, the assist lever 34 for assisting the operation of detaching the roll sheet R can be provided to each roll support portion on the feeding side and the winding side. In other words, the above-mentioned configuration is applicable to a roll support apparatus such as a sheet supply device and a sheet winding device corresponding to the roll set portion 200 in the print apparatus 100.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B to 19A to 19C. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the roll set portion 200. Hereinafter, only differences of the configuration in the second embodiment from the configuration in the first embodiment are described. In the second embodiment, the same configurations as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference symbols, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

First, a roll set portion 200 according to the second embodiment is described. The roll set portion 200 according to the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in being provided with a lock mechanism of the spindle 19 that includes a lock lever 40, a spindle lock 45, and a spring 48. FIGS. 16A and 16B are explanatory diagrams of the lock mechanism of the spindle 19 according to the second embodiment, and illustrate the lock lever 40, the spindle lock 45, and the spring 48. FIGS. 17A and 17B are perspective views illustrating an end portion of the roll set portion 200 on the non-reference side according to the second embodiment.

The lock lever 40 and the spindle lock 45 are provided at the end portion of the roll set portion 200 on the non-reference side. The lock lever 40 has a lock lever turning shaft 41, a lock portion 42, a lock lever contact portion 43, and a knob portion 44. The spindle lock 45 has a lock turning shaft 46 and a lock contact portion 47, and is biased in a third turning direction S3 by the spring 48 as a biasing member. The spindle lock 45 is configured to turn in the third turning direction S3 and a fourth turning direction S4 about the lock turning shaft 46 extending in parallel to the X-axis direction, and is a contact member that prevents tooth jumping of the spindle gear 23 and the drive gear 25 on the roll set portion 200 side. The lock lever 40 is configured to turn in a fifth turning direction S5 and a sixth turning direction S6 about the lock lever turning shaft 41 extending in the X-axis direction, and is a lock member that locks the spindle lock 45.

The spindle lock 45 is configured to turn (move) between a contact position at which the spindle lock 45 contacts the spindle 19 supported by the spindle holder 24 and a separate position at which the spindle lock 45 is separated from the spindle 19. Furthermore, the lock lever 40 is configured to turn (move) between a lock position (fixed position) and a non-lock position. When the lock lever 40 is located at the lock position, the lock lever 40 contacts the spindle lock 45 located at the contact position from above, thereby locking the position of the spindle lock 45. Furthermore, when the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position, the lock lever 40 allows for the movement of the spindle lock 45 from the contact position to the separate position.

FIG. 16A illustrates how the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position and the spindle lock 45 is located at the separate position. FIG. 16B illustrates how the lock lever 40 is located at the lock position and the spindle lock 45 is located at the contact position. When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position and the spindle lock 45 is located at the separate position. FIG. 17A illustrates the roll set portion 200 in the state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, and FIG. 17B illustrates the roll set portion 200 in the state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position.

The lock lever 40 and the spindle lock 45 are disposed such that the lock lever 40 and the spindle lock 45 can contact each other. Then, the lock lever 40 contacts the spindle lock 45 with the lock portion 42 provided below. The lock portion 42 has a first contact portion 42a having a surface that is oriented to the rear side of the apparatus when the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position and a second contact portion 42b having a surface that is oriented to the front side of the apparatus when the lock lever 40 is located at the lock position. The lock portion 42 is configured such that a part that contacts the spindle lock 45 changes depending on the position (posture) of the spindle lock 45.

The contact state of the lock lever 40 and the spindle lock 45 is described in more detail. In the state in which the spindle lock 45 is located at the separate position and the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position, the first contact portion 42a contacts the spindle lock 45. Then, the first contact portion 42a receives a force in a direction of an arrow Q1 from the spindle lock 45 that turns in the third turning direction S3 due to the spring 48, and the lock lever 40 receives a force in a direction to turn in the fifth turning direction S5. Furthermore, in the state in which the spindle lock 45 is located at the contact position and the lock lever 40 is located at the lock position, the second contact portion 42b contacts the spindle lock 45. Then, the second contact portion 42b receives a force in a direction of an arrow Q2 from the spindle lock 45 that turns in the third turning direction S3 due to the spring 48, and the lock lever 40 receives a force in the sixth turning direction S6. The arrow Q1 is a direction toward the front side of the apparatus and the upward direction, and the arrow Q2 is a direction toward the rear side of the apparatus and the upward direction. In this manner, the lock portion 42 and the spindle lock 45 are configured such that the direction of the force received by the lock lever 40 from the spindle lock 45 changes depending on the position (posture) of the spindle lock 45.

Furthermore, an inversed L-shaped portion 49 is provided to an end portion of the feeding guide 30b on the rear side of the apparatus according to the second embodiment. The inversed L-shaped portion 49 is configured into an inversed L-shape by a long side portion 49a and a short side portion 49b, and is a contact portion that contacts the lock lever contact portion 43 described later. The long side portion 49a of the inversed L-shaped portion 49 is disposed to extend in the Z direction, and extends above the transfer portion 33. The short side portion 49b of the inversed L-shaped portion 49 extends from an upper end of the long side portion 49a to the front side of the apparatus, and is formed to extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to the long side portion 49a. At an end portion of the short side portion 49b on the front side of the apparatus, an inclined portion 49c directed downward toward the front side of the apparatus is formed.

As described above, the lock lever 40 is provided with the lock lever contact portion 43. The lock lever contact portion 43 is a columnar protruding portion extending in the X direction toward the reference side of the roll set portion 200, and is a contacted portion with which the inversed L-shaped portion 49 contacts along with the movement of the feeding guide portion 30 in the apparatus front direction. In the X direction, the lock lever contact portion 43 is disposed at the same position as the inversed L-shaped portion 49 provided to the feeding guide 30b.

The position of the lock lever contact portion 43 in the Z direction changes along with the turning of the lock lever 40 between the lock position and the non-lock position. Then, when the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position, the lock lever contact portion 43 is located at a position higher than the inversed L-shaped portion 49, and even when the feeding guide portion 30 moves in the Y direction, the lock lever contact portion 43 does not interfere with the inversed L-shaped portion 49. Furthermore, when the lock lever 40 is located at the lock position, the lock lever contact portion 43 is located at the same position as the inversed L-shaped portion 49 when viewed in the Z direction, and the lock lever contact portion 43 and the inversed L-shaped portion 49 are disposed at overlapping positions when viewed in the Y direction. Thus, in the process that the feeding guide portion 30 moves from the housing position to the protruding position, the inversed L-shaped portion 49 as a contact portion contacts the lock lever contact portion 43 as a contacted portion.

Roll Sheet Attaching Operation

Next, an operation of the lock mechanism of the spindle 19 along with the operation of attaching a roll sheet R to the roll set portion 200 is described. FIGS. 18A to 18C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of attaching the roll sheet R according to the second embodiment. Note that, in the operations of attaching and detaching the roll sheet R, the operation of the assist lever 34 in the second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment, and hence detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG. 18A illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the protruding position and the spindle 19 is placed on the feeding guide groove 31. In this case, the spindle lock 45 is located at the non-lock position at which the spindle lock 45 is biased in the third turning direction S3 by the spring 48 and an end portion thereof on the front side of the apparatus is raised. Furthermore, when the spindle lock 45 is located at the separate position, the lock lever 40 is pushed by the spindle lock 45 so as to turn in the fifth turning direction S5 and is located at the non-lock position. In this case, the orientation of a force of the spindle lock 45 biased in the third turning direction S3 to push the lock lever 40 is the direction of the arrow Q1. The direction of the arrow Q1 is a direction to turn the lock lever 40 in the fifth turning direction S5.

FIG. 18B illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the housing position, the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position, and the spindle lock 45 is located at the separate position. Similarly to the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, when the feeding guide portion 30 moves to the housing position on the rear side of the apparatus, the spindle 19 is transferred from the feeding guide groove 31 of the feeding guide portion 30 to the lever contact portion 36 of the spindle holder 24 and the assist lever 34. Then, the spindle 19 is fitted into the U-shaped opening of the spindle holder 24, so that the roll sheet R is set. In the process that the feeding guide portion 30 moves from the protruding position to the housing position, the inversed L-shaped portion 49 passes below the lock lever contact portion 43, and does not interfere with the lock lever contact portion 43.

FIG. 18C illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the housing position and the lock lever 40 and the spindle lock 45 are located at the lock positions. After the feeding guide portion 30 is moved to the housing position, a user tilts and turns the lock lever 40 in the sixth turning direction S6 in order to lock the spindle 19 by the spindle lock 45 such that the print apparatus 100 is ready to print. In the turning operation of the lock lever 40, the user can operate the lock lever 40 by gripping the knob portion 44 that protrudes to the front side of the apparatus.

When the lock lever 40 is turned in the sixth turning direction S6 and moved to the lock position, the spindle lock 45 contacting the lock lever 40 is pushed by the lock lever 40 to turn in the fourth turning direction S4, and moves to the contact position. In this manner, the lock mechanism of the spindle 19 is configured such that the spindle lock 45 turns in the fourth turning direction S4 in conjunction with the turning of the lock lever 40 in the sixth turning direction S6. Then, when the lock lever 40 moves to the lock position and the spindle lock 45 moves to the contact position, the orientation of a force of the spindle lock 45 biased in the third turning direction S3 due to the spring 48 to push the lock lever 40 changes from the direction of the arrow Q1 to the direction of the arrow Q2. The direction of the arrow Q2 is a direction to turn the lock lever 40 in the sixth turning direction S6. The lock lever 40 turns in the sixth turning direction S6 pushes the spindle lock 45 such that the spindle lock 45 turns in the fourth turning direction S4. Thus, when each lock lever 40 is located at the lock position and the spindle lock 45 is located at the contact position, the spindle lock 45 is locked by the lock lever 40, and even if the spindle lock 45 is biased by the spring 48, the spindle lock 45 does not turn in the third turning direction S3.

By the operation of attaching the roll sheet R described above, the lock contact portion 47 of the spindle lock 45 located at the lock position contacts the spindle 19 set to the spindle holder 24 from above. Such a configuration can suppress a phenomenon of tooth jumping of the spindle gear 23 and the drive gear 25 on the roll set portion 200 side due to influence of supply operation of the sheet 1.

Roll Sheet Detaching Operation

Next, an operation of detaching a roll sheet R from the roll set portion 200 is described. FIGS. 19A to 19C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of detaching the roll sheet R according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 19A illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) is located at the housing position, the lock lever 40 is located at the lock position, the spindle lock 45 is located at the contact position, and the roll sheet R is set to the roll set portion 200. In the state in which the roll sheet R is set to the roll set portion 200, the posture of the spindle lock 45 is limited to the lock position illustrated in FIG. 19A by the lock portion 42 of the lock lever 40.

FIG. 19B illustrates the middle state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) moves from the housing position to the protruding position. In the operation of detaching the roll sheet R, an operator first slides the feeding guide stay 38 to the front side of the apparatus in the Y direction, and slides the feeding guide portion 30. In this case, the inversed L-shaped portion 49 provided to the feeding guide portion 30 contacts the lock lever contact portion 43 of the lock lever 40 located at the lock position. Then, the lock lever 40 is pushed by the inversed L-shaped portion 49 so as to turn in the fifth turning direction S5, and moves from the lock position toward the non-lock position. In this case, the lock lever contact portion 43 contacts the inclined portion 49c of the inversed L-shaped portion 49, and is thus pushed upward in addition to the force in the apparatus front direction. In this manner, the inclined portion 49c at the distal end portion of the inversed L-shaped portion 49 on the apparatus front side is provided in order to turn the lock lever 40 in the fifth turning direction S5 more reliably.

When the lock lever 40 turns in the fifth turning direction S5 such that the distal end portion of the lock lever 40 on the apparatus front side is raised, the lock of the spindle lock 45 by the lock lever 40 is released. Furthermore, the posture of the lock lever 40 changes, and hence the position of the contact portion of the lock lever 40 with the spindle lock 45 changes, and the orientation in which the lock lever 40 is pushed by the spindle lock 45 changes from the direction of the arrow Q2 to the direction of the arrow Q1. In this manner, when the spindle lock 45 receives power in the third turning direction S3 by the spring 48, the lock lever 40 is turned in the fifth turning direction S5 so as to be raised, the lock lever 40 is moved to the non-lock position. With such a configuration, the operator does not need to operate the lock lever 40, but only needs to pull the feeding guide portion 30 to the front, and can release the lock state of the spindle lock 45 to simply detach the roll sheet R.

FIG. 19C illustrates the middle state in which the feeding guide portion 30 (feeding guide 30b) shifts from the housing position to the protruding position, and illustrates the state in which the lock lever 40 is located at the non-lock position and the spindle lock 45 is located at the separate position. In the state illustrated in FIG. 19C, the spindle 19 is placed on the transfer portion 33.

In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, in conjunction with the operation in which the feeding guide portion 30 is drawn to the front side of the apparatus main body in the Y direction, the spindle 19 is removed from the spindle holder 24 and transferred from the transfer portion 33 to the feeding guide groove 31. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the inversed L-shaped portion 49 raises the lock lever 40 in conjunction with the above-mentioned operation. After that, the lock lever 40 whose posture has changed is pushed by the spindle lock 45 to turn toward the non-lock position, and the spindle lock 45 turns to the separate position. In other words, with such a configuration, the burden of release operation of the lock lever 40 or the spindle lock 45 by the operator is reduced, and hence the operability of the operation of detaching the roll sheet R can be improved.

Third Embodiment

Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 23A to 23C. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the feeding guide portion 30. Hereinafter, only differences in the configuration of the third embodiment from the configuration in the first embodiment are described. In the third embodiment, the same configurations as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference symbols, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

A configuration of a roll set portion 200 according to the third embodiment is described. FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a feeding guide 30a on a reference side. As illustrated in FIG. 20, on the side surface of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side, a feeding guide follower 61 that protrudes toward the transfer portion 33 on the reference side is provided. Furthermore, on the side surface of the transfer portion 33 on the reference side that is oriented to the feeding guide 30a, a biasing roller 62 on the reference side that protrudes toward the feeding guide 30a is provided. The biasing roller 62 is provided at the same position as the feeding guide follower 61 on the apparatus front side of the transfer portion 33 and in the Z direction, and is provided so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the Z-axis direction.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side. As illustrated in FIG. 21, on the side surface of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side, a feeding guide follower 63 that protrudes toward the transfer portion 33 on the non-reference side is provided. Furthermore, on the side surface of the transfer portion 33 on the non-reference side that is oriented to the feeding guide 30b, a biasing roller 64 on the non-reference side that protrudes toward the feeding guide 30b is provided. The biasing roller 64 is provided at the same position as the feeding guide follower 63 on the apparatus front side of the transfer portion 33 and in the Z direction, and is provided so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the Z-axis direction. The protruding direction of the feeding guide follower 61 and the protruding direction of the feeding guide follower 63 are directions parallel to the X direction and are directions opposite to each other.

Next, a biasing mechanism of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side is described. FIGS. 22A to 22C are explanatory diagrams of the biasing mechanism of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side, and are diagrams schematically illustrating the configuration of the biasing mechanism while omitting the illustration of unnecessary configurations. When viewed from above, the feeding guide follower 61 has a convex shape that protrudes toward the transfer portion 33 on the reference side, and includes a slant surface 61a (first slant surface) on the apparatus front side, a slant surface 61b (second slant surface) on the apparatus rear side, and a connection surface 61c that connects the slant surface 61a and the slant surface 61b. The slant surface 61a is configured such that the protruding amount becomes gradually larger from the apparatus front side to the rear side (so as to be closer to transfer portion 33 on reference side). On the other hand, the slant surface 61b is configured such that the protruding amount becomes gradually smaller from the apparatus front side to the rear side (so as to be separated from transfer portion 33 on reference side). The connection surface 61c is a surface extending in parallel to the Y direction.

The biasing mechanism of the feeding guide 30a on the reference side includes a biasing roller 62, a biasing roller holding member 65 that rotatably holds the biasing roller 62, and a biasing spring 66 that biases the biasing roller holding member 65 toward the feeding guide 30a. The biasing roller 62 is a rotating member that is driven to rotate while contacting the feeding guide follower 61. The biasing roller holding member 65 is configured to be movable in the X direction together with the biasing roller 62. A cutout 71 that is opened to the apparatus front side and the feeding guide 30a side is formed in the transfer portion 33. At least a part of the biasing roller 62 and the biasing roller holding member 65 are disposed inside the cutout 71. Furthermore, the biasing spring 66 is provided inside the transfer portion 33.

FIG. 22A illustrates how the feeding guide portion 30 is located at a housing position (second position) to be housed in the apparatus main body. When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the biasing roller 62 contacts the slant surface 61a of the feeding guide follower 61. In this case, the biasing roller 62 held by the biasing roller holding member 65 pushes the slant surface 61a due to a biasing force of the biasing spring 66. A force V1 of the biasing roller 62 to push the slant surface 61a acts in a direction perpendicular to the slant surface 61a. Then, a force W1 as a component of the force V1 acts as a force of pushing the feeding guide 30a to the apparatus rear side. Furthermore, when the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the biasing spring 66 is elongated and the biasing roller 62 projects to the feeding guide 30a side.

With the above-mentioned biasing mechanism, when the feeding guide 30a is located at the housing position or its vicinity, the feeding guide 30a is biased to the apparatus rear side by the biasing roller 62. With such a configuration, the operator does not need to pushes the feeding guide 30a to the rear completely, but the feeding guide 30a cam move to the housing position, and the feeding guide 30a can be prevented from moving from the housing position to the protruding position unintentionally.

FIG. 22B illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located between the housing position and the protruding position and the biasing roller 62 contacts a connection surface 61c of the feeding guide follower 61. In this case, the biasing roller 62 held by the biasing roller holding member 65 pushes the connection surface 61c due to a biasing force of the biasing spring 66. A force V2 of the biasing roller 62 that pushes the connection surface 61c acts in a direction that is perpendicular to the connection surface 61c and parallel to the X direction. Thus, the force of the biasing roller 62 that pushes the connection surface 61c has almost no influence on the movement of the feeding guide 30a in the Y direction. Furthermore, when the biasing roller 62 contacts the connection surface 61c, the biasing spring 66 shrinks and the biasing roller 62 retreats to the inside of the transfer portion 33.

FIG. 22C illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at a protruding position (first position) that protrudes to the front side from the apparatus main body. When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, the biasing roller 62 contacts a connection surface 61c of the feeding guide follower 61. In this case, the biasing roller 62 held by the biasing roller holding member 65 pushes the connection surface 61c due to a biasing force of the biasing spring 66. A force V3 of the biasing roller 62 that pushes the connection surface 61c acts in a direction perpendicular to the connection surface 61c. Then, a force W3 as a component of the force V3 acts as a force of pushing the feeding guide 30a to the front side of the apparatus. Furthermore, when the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, similarly to the case where the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the biasing spring 66 is elongated and the biasing roller 62 projects to the feeding guide 30a side.

With the above-mentioned biasing mechanism, when the feeding guide 30a is located at the protruding position or its vicinity, the feeding guide 30a is biased to the front side of the apparatus by the biasing roller 62. With such a configuration, the operator does not need to pull the feeding guide 30a to the front completely, but the feeding guide 30a can move to the protruding position, and the feeding guide 30a can be prevented from moving from the protruding position to the housing position unintentionally.

Next, a biasing mechanism of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side is described. FIGS. 23A to 23C are explanatory diagrams of the biasing mechanism of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side, and are diagrams schematically illustrating a configuration of the biasing mechanism while omitting the illustration of unnecessary configurations. When viewed from above, the feeding guide follower 63 has a convex shape that protrudes toward the transfer portion 33 on the non-reference side, and includes a slant surface 63a on the apparatus front side, a slant surface 63b on the apparatus rear side, and a connection surface 63c that connects the slant surface 63a and the slant surface 63b. The slant surface 63a is configured such that the protruding amount becomes gradually larger from the apparatus front side to the rear side (so as to be closer to transfer portion 33 on non-reference side). On the other hand, the slant surface 63b is configured such that the protruding amount becomes gradually smaller from the apparatus front side to the rear side (so as to be separated from transfer portion 33 on non-reference side). The connection surface 63c is a surface extending in parallel to the Y direction.

The biasing mechanism of the feeding guide 30b on the non-reference side includes a biasing roller 64, a biasing roller holding member 67 that holds the biasing roller 64 such that the biasing roller 64 is rotatable, and a biasing spring 68 that biases the biasing roller holding member 67 toward the feeding guide 30b. The biasing roller 64 is a rotating member that is driven to rotate while contacting the feeding guide follower 63. The biasing roller holding member 67 is configured to be movable in the X direction together with the biasing roller 64. A cutout 72 that is opened to the apparatus front side and the feeding guide 30b side is formed in the transfer portion 33. At least a part of the biasing roller 64 and the biasing roller holding member 67 are disposed inside the cutout 72. Furthermore, the biasing spring 68 is provided inside the transfer portion 33.

FIG. 23A illustrates how the feeding guide portion 30 is located at a housing position (second position) to be housed in the apparatus main body. When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the biasing roller 64 contacts the slant surface 63a of the feeding guide follower 63. In this case, the biasing roller 64 held by the biasing roller holding member 67 pushes the slant surface 63a due to a biasing force of the biasing spring 68. A force V4 of the biasing roller 64 to push the slant surface 63a acts in a direction perpendicular to the slant surface 63a. Then, a force W4 as a component of the force V4 acts as a force of pushing the feeding guide 30b to the apparatus rear side. Furthermore, when the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the biasing spring 68 is elongated and the biasing roller 64 projects to the feeding guide 30b side.

With the above-mentioned biasing mechanism, when the feeding guide 30b is located at the housing position or its vicinity, the feeding guide 30b is biased to the apparatus rear side by the biasing roller 64. With such a configuration, the operator does not need to push the feeding guide 30b to the rear completely, but the feeding guide 30b can move to the housing position, and the feeding guide 30b can be prevented from moving from the housing position to the protruding position unintentionally.

FIG. 22B illustrates how the feeding guide portion 30 is located at a position between the housing position and the protruding position and the biasing roller 64 contacts the connection surface 63c of the feeding guide follower 63. In this case, the biasing roller 64 held by the biasing roller holding member 67 pushes the connection surface 63c due to a biasing force of the biasing spring 68. A force V5 of the biasing roller 64 to push the connection surface 63c acts in a direction perpendicular to the connection surface 63c and in a direction parallel to the X direction. Thus, the force of the biasing roller 64 to push the connection surface 63c hardly affects the movement of the feeding guide 30b in the Y direction. Furthermore, when the biasing roller 64 contacts the connection surface 63c, the biasing spring 68 shrinks and the biasing roller 64 retreats to the inside of the transfer portion 33.

FIG. 22C illustrates a state in which the feeding guide portion 30 is located at a protruding position (first position) that protrudes to the front side from the apparatus main body. When the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, the biasing roller 64 contacts a connection surface 63c of the feeding guide follower 63. In this case, the biasing roller 64 held by the biasing roller holding member 67 pushes the connection surface 63c due to a biasing force of the biasing spring 68. A force V6 of the biasing roller 64 that pushes the connection surface 63c acts in a direction perpendicular to the connection surface 63c. Then, a force W6 as a component of the force V6 acts as a force of pushing the feeding guide 30b to the front side of the apparatus. Furthermore, when the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the protruding position, similarly to the case where the feeding guide portion 30 is located at the housing position, the biasing spring 68 is elongated most and the biasing roller 64 projects to the feeding guide 30b side.

With the above-mentioned biasing mechanism, when the feeding guide 30b is located at the protruding position or its vicinity, the feeding guide 30b is biased to the front side of the apparatus by the biasing roller 64. With such a configuration, the operator does not need to pull the feeding guide 30b to the front completely, but the feeding guide 30b can move to the protruding position, and the feeding guide 30b can be prevented from moving from the protruding position to the housing position unintentionally.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-008806, filed on Jan. 24, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Claims

1. A roll support apparatus for rotating a roll sheet, in which a sheet is wound, and supplying the sheet or winding the sheet, the roll support apparatus comprising:

a holder portion for supporting a roll sheet through an attachment member attached to the roll sheet such that the roll sheet is rotatable, the holder portion being opened in an up direction of a vertical direction;

a guide portion configured to move in a first direction apart from the holder portion and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the guide portion being configured to guide the roll sheet to the holder portion; and

a turning member configured to turn about a turning shaft extending in parallel to an axial direction of the roll sheet, the turning member being disposed such that the attachment member supported by the holder portion is located on a turning locus of the turning member, the turning member being configured to turn, in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction, in a direction to push the attachment member supported by the holder portion upward from below.

2. The roll support apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the attachment member is attached to the roll sheet so as to protrude from both end portions of the roll sheet in the axial direction,

wherein the holder portion includes a first holder that supports a first end portion of the attachment member in the axial direction and a second holder that supports a second end portion of the attachment member in the axial direction on an opposite side to the first end portion, and

wherein the guide portion includes a first guide that supports the first end portion of the attachment member and a second guide that supports the second end portion of the attachment member.

3. The roll support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the turning member is disposed between the first holder and the first guide in the axial direction.

4. The roll support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in a case where the turning member is a first turning member, the roll support apparatus includes a second turning member that is turnable about a turning shaft extending in parallel to the axial direction, the second turning member being disposed between the second holder and the second guide in the axial direction such that the attachment member supported by the holder portion is located on a turning locus of the second turning member.

5. The roll support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer portion that connects to an inner surface of the holder portion and has, thereon, a slant surface tilted downward gradually toward the first direction,

wherein a support surface of the guide portion that supports the attachment member from below is located between a lowermost part and an uppermost part of the slant surface in the vertical direction.

6. The roll support apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide portion has a guide groove formed by the support surface, a surface extending upward from an end of the support surface in the first direction, and a surface extending upward from an end of the support surface in the second direction.

7. The roll support apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the guide portion is configured to be movable between a first position that protrudes from an apparatus main body of the roll support apparatus in the first direction and a second position that is housed inside the apparatus main body, and

wherein the turning member is configured to be turnable between a first turning position that contacts the attachment member supported by the holder portion from below and a second turning position that turns from the first position in a direction of raising the attachment member supported by the holder portion.

8. The roll support apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a biasing member that biases the turning member in a direction of turning from the first turning position to the second turning position.

9. The roll support apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the guide portion has a protrusion extending in parallel to the axial direction, and in a case where the protrusion is viewed in the second direction, the protrusion being disposed at a position that overlaps the turning member located at the first turning position and does not overlap the turning member located at the second turning position, and

wherein, in a case where the guide portion is located at the second position, the protrusion is located on the second direction side relative to the turning member.

10. The roll support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, in a case of being viewed in the axial direction, a distance from a turning center of the turning member to a contact portion of contact between the turning member and the protrusion is larger than a distance from the turning center to a contact portion of contact between the turning member and the attachment member.

11. The roll support apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor capable of detecting the turning member located at the second turning position,

wherein, in a case where the sensor detects the turning member, the roll support apparatus determines that a roll sheet is not set at the holder portion.

12. The roll support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turning member includes a roller that is capable of rotating about a rotating axis in the axial direction and that contacts the attachment member supported by the holder portion.

13. The roll support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a contact member capable of turning between a contact position that contacts the attachment member supported by the holder portion from above and a separate position that is separated from the attachment member supported by the holder portion,

wherein the contact member turns from the contact position to the separate position in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction.

14. The roll support apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a lock member capable of turning between a lock position at which the lock member contacts the contact member located at the contact position from above to lock a position of the contact member and a non-lock position that permits movement of the contact member from the contact position to the separate position; and

a biasing member that biases the contact member in a direction in which the contact member turns from the contact position to the separate position,

wherein the lock member moves from the lock position to the non-lock position in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction.

15. The roll support apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the guide portion includes a contact portion,

wherein the lock member has a contacted portion that extends in parallel to the axial direction, and in a case of being viewed in the second direction, the contacted portion is disposed at a position that overlaps the contact portion in a state where the lock member is located at the lock position and does not overlap the contact portion in a state where the lock member is located at the non-lock position, and

wherein, in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction, the contact portion contacts the contacted portion and the lock member moves from the lock position to the non-lock position.

16. The roll support apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a biasing mechanism that biases the guide portion located at the first position in the first direction and biases the guide portion located at the second position in the second direction.

17. The roll support apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the guide portion has a protruding portion that is convex in the axial direction, the protruding portion having a first slant surface whose protruding amount becomes gradually greater in the second direction and a second slant surface whose protruding amount becomes gradually smaller in the second direction,

wherein the biasing mechanism includes: a rotating member that is driven to rotate while contacting the protruding portion; a holding member that rotatably holds the rotating member; and a biasing member that biases the holding member toward the protruding portion in the axial direction, and

wherein the rotating member contacts the second slant surface in a case where the guide portion is located at the first position, and contacts the first slant surface in a case where the guide portion is located at the second position.

18. The roll support apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the protruding portion includes a connection surface that connects the first slant surface and the second slant surface and extends in parallel to the first direction.

19. A recording apparatus, comprising:

a roll support apparatus for rotating a roll sheet, in which a sheet is wound, and supplying the sheet or winding the sheet, the roll support apparatus comprising a holder portion for supporting a roll sheet through an attachment member attached to the roll sheet such that the roll sheet is rotatable, the holder portion being opened in a first direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the supported roll sheet and in an up direction of a vertical direction, a guide portion capable of moving in the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the guide portion being configured to support the roll sheet and guide the roll sheet in the second direction toward the holder portion, and a turning member capable of turning about a turning shaft extending in parallel to the axial direction, the turning member being disposed such that the attachment member supported by the holder portion is located on a turning locus of the turning member, the turning member being configured to turn, in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction, in a direction to push the attachment member supported by the holder portion upward from below; and

a recording portion for recording an image on a sheet fed from the roll support apparatus.

20. A recording apparatus, comprising:

a recording portion for recording an image on a sheet; and

a roll support apparatus for winding a sheet having an image recorded thereon,

the roll support apparatus comprising a holder portion for supporting a roll sheet through an attachment member attached to the roll sheet such that the roll sheet is rotatable, the holder portion being opened in a first direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the supported roll sheet and in an up direction of a vertical direction, a guide portion capable of moving in the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the guide portion being configured to support the roll sheet and guide the roll sheet in the second direction toward the holder portion, and a turning member capable of turning about a turning shaft extending in parallel to the axial direction, the turning member being disposed such that the attachment member supported by the holder portion is located on a turning locus of the turning member, the turning member being configured to turn, in conjunction with movement of the guide portion in the first direction, in a direction to push the attachment member supported by the holder portion upward from below.