Package material and packaged paper sheets

Abstract

A packaging material includes a holding part that holds a plurality of recording sheets in a bundle without holding at least one end of the recording sheets and an extending part that extends from the holding part so as to cover at least part of one outer surface at the one end of the recording sheets that are held in the bundle by the holding part, with a friction coefficient of an inner surface of the extending part that contacts the recording sheets being approximately equal to a friction coefficient of the recording sheets. By packaging recording sheets with this packaging material, a pickup roller can come into contact with the end of the recording sheets and pick up the recording sheets one at a time while the recording sheets are still in a bundle by the holding part. In addition, the extending part is present as an underlay between the bottom plate and the final recording sheet, so that the recording sheets can be picked up one at a time right up to the final recording sheet.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an art for packaging and supplying a plurality of recording sheets in a bundle.RELATED ART[0002] The recording sheets used by a printing apparatus, such as a printer, are supplied having been packaged using wrapping paper and are taken out of the wrapping paper before being set in the printer. Recording sheets that are affected by the environment in which they are stored, such as photosensitive sheets and heat sensitive (thermal) sheets, are supplied having been inserted into a bag made of a light-blocking material, with only the required number of sheets being taken out of the bag and set in the printer. The remaining sheets are kept in the packaging.[0003] In a printing apparatus, such as a printer, a copier, or a fax machine, in which a pickup roller picks up recording sheets (cut paper or cut recording sheets) one at a time and supplies the sheets to the printing mechanism, a common problem is that the final few sheets that are stored in t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The recording sheets that are used in a compact, slimline printer suited to portable use are A6 (105 mm.times.148 mm) size or smaller, such as small sizes like A7 (74 mm.times.105 mm) or A8 (52 mm.times.74 mm). Compared to regular-size sheets of A4 size or larger, it is difficult to arrange such recording sheets into a bundle or to line up the ends of such recording sheets. If the corners become even just slightly bent, problems occur when picking up the recording sheets or feeding the recording sheets within a printer. Also, with small-size recording sheets, there is little space in a sheet cassette or sheet storing space for the recording sheets, so that it is not easy to insert a plurality of recording sheets inside such a cassette or space without the sheets being tilted or having their edges in an unaligned state. The inventors of the present invention provides packaging the number of recording sheets that can be set in the storing space or sheet cassette of a printer and setting such sheets in a packaged state without unbundling the sheets. By setting one part of such a package between the final sheet in the recording sheets and a plate as an underlay, the inventors made it possible to prevent the final sheet from directly contacting the plate. By providing the part used as the underlay with a suitable friction coefficient, the inventors also made it possible to reliably pick up recording sheets one at a time right up to the final recording sheet.

[0008] That is, the packaging material according to the present invention includes: a holding part that holds a plurality of recording sheets in a bundle without holding at least one end of the recording sheets; and an extending part that extends from the holding part so as to cover at least part of one outer surface at the one end of the recording sheets that are held in the bundle by the holding part, wherein a friction coefficient of an inner surface of the extending part that contacts the recording sheets is approximately equal to a friction coefficient of the recording sheets. With packaged sheets (a sheet package) in which the recording sheets are held by this packaging material, the recording sheets are held, apart from at the one end of the recording sheets. Accordingly, if the number of recording sheets that can be received at a time into a printer are held in this packaging material, recording sheets are held in a bundle in the holding part and the recording sheets can be set in a printing apparatus such as a printer with the end of the recording sheets that is not held as the sheet feeding side. A pickup roller contacts the end part of the recording sheets that are held in a bundle in the holding part and can pick up the recording sheets one at a time. Even recording sheets that are smaller than a regular size become easy to handle, and users are free from the burden of having to line up the recording sheets. At times such as when the sheets are transported by the pickup roller, bending and folding of the end part of the sheets, which cause printer jams, can be avoided.

[0009] The packaging material and sheet package according to the present invention also include an extending part that extends to cover at least part of an outer surface of the one end of the recording sheets that are held in a bundle in the holding part. Accordingly, when the recording sheets are set in a printing apparatus while still being held in a bundle by the packaging material, the extending part is present as an underlay between the final recording sheet and the base of the sheet storing space or sheet cassette, or between the final recording sheet and a member such as a bottom plate or lifting plate that presses up the recording sheets to the pickup roller. This means that the environment or conditions for the generation of a frictional force for the final recording sheet are the same as the environment or conditions for the recording sheets in the middle of the bundle, so that the recording sheets can be reliably used right up to the final recording sheet. The packaging material is replaced at the same time as the recording sheets, so that there are no problems such as the wearing away of members and changes in the friction coefficient due to abrasion.

Problems solved by technology

In a printing apparatus, such as a printer, a copier, or a fax machine, in which a pickup roller picks up recording sheets (cut paper or cut recording sheets) one at a time and supplies the sheets to the printing mechanism, a common problem is that the final few sheets that are stored in the sheet cassette or the sheet storing space are picked up together.

This problem can lead not only to the wasteful use of recording sheets but also to printer jams and deterioration in print quality.

This problem is thought to be caused mainly by only the final recording sheet coming into direct contact with the base, the lifting plate, or the bottom plate of the sheet cassette or the sheet storing space.

The friction coefficient of the surface of the base or these plates differs from the friction coefficient of the recording sheets, resulting in insufficient friction, so that the final few recording sheets that are stacked on top of one another cannot be separated and end up being picked up together.

However, after the printing apparatus has been used for a certain period, the covering, lining or coating material on the surface of the plates becomes worn away by friction with the recording sheets, which can result in a fall in the friction coefficient and in the plates bare.

However, since abrasion cannot be avoided, such performance cannot be maintained indefinitely.

In a small printer suited to portable use whose thickness is only a few centimeters or a few millimeters, there is not enough space to attach a material that is worn away by abrasion.

In addition, such a slimline printer can store only a few recording sheets, so that it is necessary to make reliable use of the recording sheets right up to the final sheet.

Compared to regular-size sheets of A4 size or larger, it is difficult to arrange such recording sheets into a bundle or to line up the ends of such recording sheets.

If the corners become even just slightly bent, problems occur when picking up the recording sheets or feeding the recording sheets within a printer.

Also, with small-size recording sheets, there is little space in a sheet cassette or sheet storing space for the recording sheets, so that it is not easy to insert a plurality of recording sheets inside such a cassette or space without the sheets being tilted or having their edges in an unaligned state.

While small-size recording sheets, such as A7 or A8 size sheets, that are difficult to handle can be packaged to make setting easy, in order to paste together box-shaped packaging materials that have a length and width of a few centimeters and a thickness of a few millimeters or less, there are cases where it is difficult to provide pasting margins of sufficient size or sufficient area for bonding.

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