A photograph printing method and a photograph printer

Abstract

The application discloses a photo printing method and a photo printer. In the photo printing method, after the last photo is extended out of a paper outlet, the last photo is kept between a paper feed roller and a driven roller until the last photo is pulled to be outputted to leave the paper feed roller and the driven roller. The photo printer comprises a controller and a torque sensor. The controller controls the paper feed roller motor to stop rotating when the last photo is extended out of the paper outlet and the last photo is not left between the paper feed roller and the driven roller. The torque sensor senses a torque value of a torque applied to the paper feed unit by the photo when the photo is pulled. The controller further controls the paper feed roller motor to rotate to make the last photo leave the paper feed roller and the driven roller when the torque value is greater than or equal to a threshold value. By using the technical scheme, the last photo can be prevented from being a waste photo, and the last photo can be easily pulled out by a user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photo printing, specifically to a photo printing method and a photo printer. Background Technology

[0002] In the existing technology, photo printers generally include a body, a printing unit, a paper feeding unit, a tape feeding unit, and a controller.

[0003] The printer body includes a casing, a frame, and a ribbon carriage. The casing houses the frame and ribbon carriage. The casing has a paper output port for the printed photo to extend out of the printer. The direction in which the photo extends out of the paper output port is the paper output direction. In a typical photo printer, the paper output direction intersects with the vertical direction in its normal position; preferably, the paper output direction is generally horizontal or at an angle of less than or equal to 30° with the horizontal direction. The frame serves as the foundation for mounting the printing unit and the paper feeding unit. The ribbon carriage serves as the foundation for mounting the tape feeding unit.

[0004] The printing unit includes a heating head and a printing roller. Both the heating head and the printing roller are mounted on the frame. The heating head is used to heat and selectively transfer the ink from the ribbon to the printing media, or to completely transfer the coating on the ribbon to the printing media. The printing roller provides positive pressure so that the heating head can press against the ribbon and printing media sandwiched between the heating head and the printing roller. After printing, the printing media becomes a photograph.

[0005] The paper feed unit is typically positioned between the printing unit and the paper exit along the paper output direction. It transports the printing media during printing and conveys the print to the paper exit after printing. The paper feed unit includes a paper feed roller motor, a paper feed roller drive mechanism, a paper feed roller, and a driven roller. The paper feed roller motor has a code disk and drives the paper feed roller to rotate relative to the frame via the paper feed roller drive mechanism. The driven roller provides positive pressure, allowing the paper feed roller to press against the printing media sandwiched between the paper feed roller and the driven roller, and to transport the printing media using friction. As the paper feed roller rotates, the driven roller rotates accordingly.

[0006] The tape feed unit includes a take-up roller, a release roller, and a tape. The take-up roller and release roller are rotatably connected to the tape holder. The take-up roller is used to wind up the tape during printing, and the release roller is used to release the tape to the take-up roller during printing. In a new tape feed unit, the tape is mostly concentrated on the release roller, and after multiple prints, the tape gradually transfers to the take-up roller. The tape includes a base tape and multiple color groups arranged along the extension direction of the base tape. Each color group includes at least one color (typically three or four) and a coating. The coating is used to completely cover the printing medium after all colors have been selectively transferred to it, thus isolating the transferred colors from the external environment and preserving their color for a longer period or preventing smudging. Because the rotation axis of the paper feed roller needs to be close to the rotation axis of the printing roller along the paper output direction to reduce the length of the unprintable portion of the printing medium, the rotation axis of the take-up roller is generally positioned between the rotation axis of the paper feed roller and the paper output nozzle along the paper output direction.

[0007] The controller connects to the paper feed roller motor and senses the position of the print media or photo in the photo printer along the paper output direction via signals sent from the motor's encoder. The controller also controls the paper feed roller motor to rotate to deliver the print media or photo, or to stop the motor to end a single printing cycle.

[0008] After printing, the photo is fed to the output tray by the paper feed rollers. Once the photo leaves the paper feed rollers and driven rollers, it loses its propulsion and generally needs to be pulled out by the user or pushed out by the next photo. However, users have found that if the last photo is left for a period of time before being pulled out, it sometimes cannot be pulled out smoothly, or the pulled-out last photo becomes a waste photo. Here, "last photo" refers to the final photo printed when printing a single photo, and the last photo printed when printing multiple photos consecutively. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Through experimentation, analysis, and research, the applicant discovered that the reason users are unable to smoothly pull the last photo out of the paper output tray or find that the pulled-out photo is unusable is that during the process of the last photo leaving the paper feed roller and waiting to be pulled out, most of it has already extended beyond the paper output tray, while a small portion remains between the paper output tray and the paper feed roller. Due to gravity, this portion between the paper output tray and the paper feed roller will curl upwards. Because the printing unit needs to cover the entire print during lamination, the heat accumulated by the heat head is high and transferred to the last photo. This causes the curled-up photo, due to its high temperature and after a certain waiting time, to adhere to the ribbon wound onto the take-up roller, preventing the user from smoothly pulling the last photo out of the paper output tray or resulting in an unusable photo. Of course, even if the ribbon does not have lamination, a similar situation can occur if the last color covers a large area during printing. The purpose of this application is to avoid the above situation to a certain extent and to provide a photo printer and photo printing method that, compared with the photo printers in the background art, can better ensure that the final photo will not become a waste and also makes the final photo easy for the user to pull out.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the following technical solution is adopted: The first technical solution discloses a photo printing method in which the last photo is kept between the paper feed roller and the driven roller after it extends out of the paper output slot, and the last photo is output only when it is pulled away from the paper feed roller and the driven roller.

[0011] Because the final photo is positioned between the feed roller and the driven roller after it extends from the paper output tray, it is easier for the user to pull it out. Furthermore, since the final photo is positioned between the feed roller and the driven roller, it avoids the situation in existing technologies where the final photo, due to gravity, tilts upwards and comes into contact with the ribbon wound on the take-up roller. Therefore, it better ensures that the final photo will not become a waste sheet compared to existing technologies. Since the final photo is only output and separated from the feed roller and the driven roller when it is pulled, it will not get stuck between the feed roller and the driven roller when pulled, making it easy for the user to pull out.

[0012] The second technical solution discloses a photo printer, which includes a controller and a torque sensor; the controller controls the paper feed roller motor to stop rotating when the last photo extends out of the paper output tray and has not left the paper feed roller and the driven roller; the torque sensor senses the torque value of the torque applied to the paper feed unit by the photo being pulled; the controller also controls the paper feed roller motor to rotate when the torque value is greater than or equal to a threshold so that the last photo leaves the paper feed roller and the driven roller.

[0013] By controlling the paper feed roller motor to stop rotating when the last photo extends beyond the paper output slot but has not yet left the space between the feed roller and the driven roller, the controller ensures that the last photo remains between these two rollers after it extends. This makes it easier for the user to pull out the last photo since it has already extended beyond the paper output slot. Furthermore, by keeping the last photo between the feed roller and the driven roller, the controller avoids the possibility of the last photo tilting upwards due to gravity and coming into contact with the tape wound on the take-up roller, as is common in existing technologies. Therefore, it better ensures that the last photo does not become a waste piece compared to existing technologies. A torque sensor senses the torque value applied to the paper feed unit by the photo being pulled. The controller also controls the paper feed roller motor to rotate when the torque value is greater than or equal to a threshold, allowing the last photo to leave the feed roller and driven roller. This ensures that the last photo is not output until it is pulled out, preventing it from getting stuck between the feed roller and the driven roller and making it easy for the user to pull out.

[0014] The third technical solution is based on the second technical solution, wherein the controller controls the paper feed roller motor to stop rotating when the rear end of the last photo reaches between the paper feed roller and the driven roller.

[0015] The fourth technical solution is based on the second technical solution, wherein the torque sensor is placed between the shaft of the driven roller and the machine body.

[0016] The fifth technical solution is based on the second technical solution, wherein the torque sensor is placed between the shaft of the paper feed roller and the machine body.

[0017] The sixth technical solution is based on the fourth or fifth technical solution, wherein the torque sensor is a flange-type torque sensor or a cantilever beam-type torque sensor.

[0018] The seventh technical solution is based on the second technical solution, wherein the torque sensor is placed between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor and the paper feed roller transmission mechanism.

[0019] The eighth technical solution is based on the seventh technical solution, wherein the paper feed roller transmission mechanism is a reduction gear set, and the torque sensor is placed between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor and the input end of the reduction gear set.

[0020] The ninth technical solution is based on the seventh or eighth technical solution, wherein the torque sensor is a strain gauge torque sensor or a magnetoelastic torque sensor.

[0021] The third to ninth technical solutions are all specific implementations of the second technical solution, and their effects are comparable to those of the second technical solution.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified in the claims and description of this application, the term "last photograph" refers to the photograph that is completed when printing a single photograph, and to the last photograph that is completed when printing multiple photographs consecutively.

[0023] Unless otherwise specified in the claims and description of this application, the terms "pull out" and "pull" refer to the force applied by the user to the photograph in the paper output direction to separate the photograph from the machine body.

[0024] Unless otherwise specified in the claims and description of this application, the term "paper feed roller motor" refers to a motor used to drive the paper feed roller to rotate and to maintain force after it stops.

[0025] In the claims and description of this application, unless otherwise specified, the term "front" means front along the paper output direction, and the term "rear" means rear along the paper output direction.

[0026] In the claims and description of this application, unless otherwise specified, the term "last photograph extending out of the paper exit" means that at least the front end of the last photograph extends out of the paper exit.

[0027] In the claims and description of this application, unless otherwise specified, the terms "the last photograph remains between the feed roller and the driven roller" and "the last photograph has not left between the feed roller and the driven roller" both mean that the last photograph is at least located between the feed roller and the driven roller. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments, the accompanying drawings used are briefly described below: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the photo printer structure as shown in the embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the paper feeding unit and torque sensor in an embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the torque sensor, controller, and paper feed roller motor in an embodiment.

[0029] Explanation of key figure labels: 1. Photo printer; 2. Main body; 21. Housing; 211. Paper output tray; 22. Frame; 23. Ribbon holder; 3. Printing unit; 31. Heating head; 32. Printing roller; 4. Paper feed unit; 41. Paper feed roller motor; 42. Transmission mechanism; 43. Paper feed roller; 44. Driven roller; 5. Belt feed unit; 51. Rewind roller; 52. Release roller; 53. Ribbon; 6. Torque sensor; 7. Controller; 8. Final photo. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The specific embodiments of the technical solution of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Example See Figures 1 to 3 , Figures 1 to 3 The photo printer of this embodiment is shown. Wherein, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the photo printer in this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the paper feeding unit and torque sensor in this embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the torque sensor, controller, and paper feed roller motor in this embodiment. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the photo printer 1 includes a body 2, a printing unit 3, a paper feeding unit 4, a belt feeding unit 5, a torque sensor 6, and a controller 7.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, the printer body 2 includes a housing 21, a frame 22, and a ribbon carriage 23. The housing 21 houses the frame 22 and the ribbon carriage 23. The housing 21 has a paper output port 211, through which the printed photo extends out of the printer body. The direction in which the photo extends out of the paper output port is the paper output direction. In a typical photo printer 1, when in its normal position, the paper output direction intersects with the vertical direction. Preferably, the paper output direction is generally horizontal or has an angle of less than or equal to 30° with the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the paper output direction is forward and perpendicular to the direction of gravity, which is downward. The frame 22 serves as the base for mounting the printing unit 3 and the paper feeding unit 4. The frame 22 is fixedly connected to the housing 21 and located inside the housing 21. The ribbon carriage 23 serves as the base for mounting the tape feeding unit 5. The ribbon carriage 23 is detachably mounted on the housing 21. After the ribbon carriage 23 is mounted, it is fixed relative to the housing 21.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the printing unit 3 includes a heating head 31 and a printing roller 32. Both the heating head 31 and the printing roller 32 are mounted on the frame 22. The heating head 31 is used to heat and selectively transfer the color on the ribbon 53 to the printing medium, or to completely transfer the coating on the ribbon 53 to the printing medium. The printing roller 32 is used to provide positive pressure so that the heating head 31 can press against the ribbon 53 and the printing medium sandwiched between the heating head 31 and the printing roller 32. After printing, the printing medium becomes a photograph.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the paper feeding unit 4 is generally disposed between the printing unit 3 and the paper output port 211 along the paper output direction. The paper feeding unit 4 is used to transport the printing medium during the printing process and to transport the photo to the paper output port 211 after printing is completed.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the paper feeding unit 4 includes a paper feeding roller motor 41, a paper feeding roller transmission mechanism 42, a paper feeding roller 43, and a driven roller 44. The paper feeding roller motor 41 is mounted on the frame 22. The paper feeding roller motor 41 drives the paper feeding roller 43 to rotate relative to the frame 22 through the paper feeding roller transmission mechanism 42. The driven roller 44 provides positive pressure so that the paper feeding roller 43 can press against the printing medium sandwiched between the paper feeding roller 43 and the driven roller 44 and transport the printing medium by friction. When the paper feeding roller 43 rotates, the driven roller 44 rotates accordingly. In this embodiment, the paper feeding transmission mechanism 42 is a reduction gear set, whose input end is connected to the paper feeding roller motor 41, and whose output end is connected to the shaft of the paper feeding roller 43. In this embodiment, the shafts of each transmission gear of the paper feeding roller transmission mechanism 42, the shaft of the paper feeding roller 43, and the shaft of the driven roller 44 are all mounted on the frame 22. In this embodiment, the rotation axes of the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44 both extend in the left-right direction, which is perpendicular to the up-down direction and also perpendicular to the front-back direction.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, the tape transport unit 5 includes a take-up roller 51, a release roller 52, and a ribbon 53. The take-up roller 51 and the release roller 52 are rotatably connected to the ribbon carrier 23. The take-up roller 51 is used to take up the ribbon 53 during the printing process, and the release roller 52 is used to release the ribbon 53 to the take-up roller 51 during the printing process. On the new tape transport unit 5, the ribbon 53 is mostly concentrated on the release roller 52, and after multiple prints, the ribbon 53 gradually transfers to the take-up roller 51. The ribbon 53 includes a base tape and multiple color groups arranged along the extension direction of the base tape. Each color group includes at least one color (generally three or four) and a coating. The coating is used to completely cover the printing medium through the printing unit 3 after all colors have been selectively transferred to the printing medium, so as to isolate the colors transferred to the printing medium from the external environment, thereby maintaining the color for a long time or preventing smudging. Since it is necessary to bring the rotation axis of the paper feed roller 43 close to the rotation axis of the printing roller 32 along the paper output direction in order to reduce the length of the unprintable part of the printing medium, the rotation axis of the take-up roller 51 is generally set between the rotation axis of the paper feed roller 43 and the paper outlet 211 along the paper output direction.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, torque sensor 6 is used to sense the torque value of the torque applied to the paper feed unit 4 by the photo being pulled. In this embodiment, torque sensor 6 is a flange-type torque sensor placed between the shaft of driven roller 44 and frame 22. Specifically, the outer flange of the flange-type torque sensor is fixed to frame 22, and the inner flange is fixed to the shaft of driven roller 44, so that the flange-type torque sensor replaces the bearing to support the shaft of driven roller 44. Strain gauges are placed between the inner and outer flanges. When the user pulls the photo, the pulling force acts on the photo, and the photo acts on driven roller 44 through friction, thereby enabling torque sensor 6 to sense the torque value of the torque applied to the paper feed unit 4 by the photo being pulled. In other embodiments, the torque sensor 6 can also be placed between the shaft of the paper feed roller 43 and the frame 22, or between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor 41 and the paper feed roller transmission mechanism 42. Specifically, it can be placed between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor 41 and the input end of the paper feed roller transmission mechanism 42. Of course, it can also be placed between the gear shaft of any gear of the paper feed roller transmission mechanism 42 and the frame 22. In addition to flange-type torque sensors, cantilever beam torque sensors, strain gauge torque sensors, or magnetoelastic torque sensors can also be selected for the torque sensor. Among them, flange-type torque sensors and cantilever beam torque sensors can be placed between the frame 22 and the shaft of the driven roller 44, or the shaft of the paper feed roller 43, or the shaft of any gear, while strain gauge torque sensors or magnetoelastic torque sensors can be placed between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor 41 and the paper feed roller transmission mechanism 42.

[0038] like Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the controller 7 is signal-connected to the paper feed roller motor 41. On one hand, the paper feed roller motor 41 can act as an actuator of the controller 7, controlled by the controller 7 to rotate or stop. On the other hand, the encoder disk built into the paper feed roller motor 41 can also transmit signals to the controller 7, enabling the controller 7 to know the position of the printing medium or photograph in the photo printer 1 along the paper output direction. In this embodiment, the controller 7 is also signal-connected to the torque sensor 6 to obtain the torque value sent by the torque sensor 6.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, after the last photo 8 is printed, the controller 7 stops the paper feed roller motor 41 when the last photo 8 extends out of the paper output slot 211 and has not yet left the space between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44. This keeps the last photo between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44. Specifically, in this embodiment, the controller 7 senses the position of the last photo 8 along the paper output direction by collecting the signal output from the encoder of the paper feed roller motor 41, and stops the paper feed roller motor 41 when the rear end of the last photo 8 reaches the space between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44. The above-mentioned configuration of the controller 7 can prevent the portion of the last photo 8 inside the machine body 2 from tilting upwards and contacting the ribbon 53 wound by the take-up roller 51, thus better preventing waste prints caused by the last photo 8 sticking to the ribbon 53 compared to the prior art. In this embodiment, when the user pulls the last photo 8 along the paper output direction, the torque sensor 6 senses the torque value of the torque applied to the paper feed unit 4 by the last photo 8 being pulled. The controller 7 also controls the paper feed roller motor 41 to rotate when the torque value sent by the torque sensor 6 is greater than or equal to a manually set threshold, so that the last photo 8 leaves the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44, making it easier to pull out the last photo 8. This threshold can be set as needed. If the threshold is high, a larger pulling force is required, making it less likely for the last photo 8 to be output incorrectly. If the threshold is low, a lower pulling force is required, making the photo printer 1 more sensitive and requiring less effort from the user.

[0040] As can be seen from the above description, the special feature of the photo printer 1 in this embodiment compared with the photo printing method of the prior art is that after the last photo 8 extends out of the paper output 211, the last photo 8 is kept between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44 until the last photo 8 is pulled out and then the last photo 8 is output to leave the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44.

[0041] In summary, the photo printer 1 and photo printing method of this embodiment control the paper feed roller motor 41 to stop rotating when the last photo 8 extends out of the paper output 211 and before the last photo 8 leaves the space between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44. This achieves the goal of keeping the last photo 8 between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44 after it extends out of the paper output 211. On the one hand, since the last photo 8 has already extended out of the paper output 211, it is easy for the user to pull it out. On the other hand, since the last photo 8 is kept between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44, it avoids the situation in the prior art where the last photo 8 tilts upward due to gravity and comes into contact with the ribbon 53 wound on the take-up roller 51. Therefore, it is more reliable than the prior art in ensuring that the last photo 8 will not become a waste photo. In this embodiment, the torque sensor 6 senses the torque value of the torque applied to the paper feed unit 4 by the photo being pulled. The controller 7 also controls the paper feed roller motor 41 to rotate when the torque value is greater than or equal to a threshold so that the last photo 8 leaves the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44. This achieves the output of the last photo 8 until it is pulled, so that the last photo 8 does not get stuck between the paper feed roller 43 and the driven roller 44 when it is pulled, and it is easy for the user to pull it out.

[0042] The above description of the embodiments is used to explain the scope of protection of this application, but does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A photo printing method, characterized in that, After the last photo extends out of the paper outlet, it remains between the feed roller and the driven roller until it is pulled out, at which point it is output and leaves the feed roller and the driven roller.

2. A photo printer, characterized in that, It includes a controller and a torque sensor; the controller stops the paper feed roller motor when the last photo extends out of the paper outlet and has not yet left between the paper feed roller and the driven roller; the torque sensor senses the torque value of the torque applied to the paper feed unit by the photo being pulled; the controller also controls the paper feed roller motor to rotate so that the last photo leaves the paper feed roller and the driven roller when the torque value is greater than or equal to a threshold.

3. The photo printer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The controller stops the paper feed roller motor when the rear end of the last photograph reaches between the paper feed roller and the driven roller.

4. The photo printer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The torque sensor is placed between the shaft of the driven roller and the machine body.

5. The photo printer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The torque sensor is placed between the shaft of the paper feed roller and the machine body.

6. The photo printer as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The torque sensor is a flange-type torque sensor or a cantilever beam-type torque sensor.

7. The photo printer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The torque sensor is placed between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor and the paper feed roller transmission mechanism.

8. The photo printer as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The paper feed roller transmission mechanism is a reduction gear set, and the torque sensor is placed between the output shaft of the paper feed roller motor and the input end of the reduction gear set.

9. The photo printer as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The torque sensor is a strain gauge torque sensor or a magnetoelastic torque sensor.

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