Print medium feeding mechanism, printer, and print medium feeding method

Abstract

The application discloses a printing medium feeding mechanism, a printer and a printing medium feeding method. The printing medium feeding mechanism comprises a motor, a conveying roller gear, a conveying roller fixed with the conveying roller gear, a frame, a swing gear assembly, a first swing gear enabling a swing gear support to swing, a second swing gear engaged with a first paper feeding gear when being in a first position and engaged with a toothless gear when being in a second position, and a paper feeding roller gear connected with a paper feeding roller and arranged on the frame, the paper feeding roller gear being engaged with the first paper feeding gear. The printing medium feeding mechanism and the printing medium feeding method can solve the problems of paper skew and multiple paper feeding, and have the advantages of small size, high reliability, delicate and simple structure design.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a printer, and more particularly to a printer paper feeding mechanism and a paper feeding control method. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printers, as a common computer peripheral, are widely used in daily office and home environments due to their ease of operation and good print quality. As printing accuracy and quality continue to improve, users are placing higher demands on the stability, reliability, and precision of inkjet printer paper feed mechanisms.

[0003] Traditional inkjet printers' paper feed mechanisms have revealed a series of common problems during long-term use. Besides paper jams, multiple sheet feeding and paper skew are two common issues encountered by users. Furthermore, existing inkjet printers have complex mechanisms, and inkjet printers capable of printing multiple paper types and automatic paper feeding are not compact enough.

[0004] Paper skew (or misaligned paper feed) is another common and serious technical defect in the paper feed mechanism of existing inkjet printers that significantly affects print quality. Paper skew refers to a situation where, during the transmission of paper from the paper feed tray to the printing area, a significant angle is formed between the leading edge or side edge of the paper and the reference axis of the printer's paper path, causing the paper to enter the printing area in a direction that is not parallel to the preset orientation. This is usually caused by a variety of factors, such as uneven surface friction due to degradation of the paper feed rollers (feed rollers) or loosening of the paper feed roller mounting structure.

[0005] Paper skew has a multi-layered and serious impact on print quality. The most obvious manifestation is the skewness of printed images—text lines and graphic elements exhibit a visible angular deviation relative to the paper edges. Even slight skew is easily noticeable because text lines and graphic elements should ideally be parallel or perpendicular to the paper edges; skew causes uneven margins across different areas of the paper. When printing content with very small margins, paper skew can even lead to content loss. Furthermore, skewed paper is highly susceptible to interference with the paper feed path sidewalls or other components as it continues to move forward, causing paper jams and, in severe cases, soiling the pressure rollers and the back of subsequent printed pages.

[0006] To address the aforementioned paper skew problem, various solutions have been proposed in the existing technology, but each has its limitations. One type of solution involves setting up a mechanical limiting and guiding structure—a paper guide (also called a paper edge locator or side paper guide)—in the paper feed channel. For example, adjustable paper guides can be arranged on both sides of the paper inlet to clamp the paper stack on both sides to ensure that the paper is placed in the center.

[0007] However, such solutions rely heavily on manual adjustments by the user, making it difficult to guarantee adjustment accuracy, and they lack the ability to correct dynamic skew that occurs after the paper enters the feed rollers. Furthermore, traditional printers typically have two adjustable paper gauges to accommodate different paper sizes and to ensure neat edge positioning. However, two adjustable paper gauges further increase the size of the inkjet printer. Traditional printers capable of accommodating different paper sizes do not have only one paper gauge, because with only one paper gauge, the feed rollers cannot always be centered for different paper sizes, leading to severe paper skew problems.

[0008] Secondly, multiple paper feeds (also known as "re-feeding") is one of the most common malfunctions in the paper feed mechanism. When paper is damp, wrinkled, folded, or damaged, the friction between the papers increases significantly. When the friction is high enough, two or more sheets may enter the printer at the same time during the feeding process. If multiple blank sheets enter at the same time during batch printing, blank pages will be mixed in with the printed paper, which not only wastes resources but also causes various subsequent problems after binding. If multiple sheets with information enter at the same time during batch copying, it will lead to missing information and may even cause legal disputes.

[0009] Furthermore, existing printers often require extensive intervention from the main control board and sensors when switching between various operating states, and need to send multiple control signals to various parts, resulting in an overly complex mechanism and low reliability.

[0010] It is evident that existing inkjet printer paper feeding mechanisms still have significant shortcomings in preventing multiple sheets from being fed, paper skew, and state switching. Therefore, it is necessary to further improve the structure and optimize the technology of the paper feeding mechanism to enhance its stability, accuracy, and efficiency, and reliably achieve state switching, thereby solving the paper feeding problem while ensuring the miniaturization of the printer. Summary of the Invention

[0011] One objective of this invention is to provide a printer paper feeding mechanism (printing media feeding mechanism) with improved structure and optimized technology, which can solve the problem of paper skew and even ensure the miniaturization of the printer size.

[0012] One object of the present invention is to provide a printer paper feeding mechanism (printing media feeding mechanism) that can solve the problem of multiple paper feeding in a printer, thereby improving the stability of the printer.

[0013] One objective of this invention is to provide a mechanism for reliably switching working states. This mechanism can switch between the paper feed roller state and the paper conveyor roller state of the printer. It has a simple structure and can reliably switch mechanically without the need for extensive intervention from the main control board and sensors.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding mechanism (printing media feeding mechanism) that improves the stability and accuracy of paper feeding.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact printer that can print on a variety of paper types and has automatic paper feeding capability.

[0016] The technical solution of this invention is intended to solve only one of the technical problems, and is not required to solve all of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0017] Therefore, the present invention provides a printing media feeding mechanism for a printer, the printing media feeding mechanism comprising: a motor for driving a conveyor roller to rotate via gears; a conveyor roller fixed together with a conveyor roller gear; a conveyor roller gear that rotates clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the motor, the conveyor roller gear meshing with a first oscillating gear; a frame on which the conveyor roller is mounted; an oscillating gear assembly including a first oscillating gear, a second oscillating gear, an oscillating gear bracket, and a force transmission member disposed between the first oscillating gear and the oscillating gear bracket, wherein the first oscillating gear causes the oscillating gear bracket to oscillate through friction between itself and the force transmission member, and the axis of the second oscillating gear can move between a first position and a second position as the oscillating gear bracket oscillates; a first paper feeding gear that meshes with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the first position; a toothed gear that meshes with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the second position; and a paper feeding roller gear fixed to the end of the paper feeding roller, the paper feeding roller gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force transmission member is a spring, and the end of the spring is provided with a protruding key that is parallel to the axis of the spring or at an angle less than a predetermined angle. The outer edge of the swing gear bracket is provided with a notch, and the notch of the swing gear bracket accommodates the protruding key of the spring.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a gear cover plate. When the swing portion of the swing gear bracket contacts the upper limit portion of the gear cover plate, the second swing gear is in a first position; when the swing portion of the swing gear bracket contacts the lower limit portion of the gear cover plate, the second swing gear is in a second position.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes: a second paper feeding gear disposed between the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear, and meshing with the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear respectively.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a gear cover plate, the gear cover plate including a first paper feeding external support column and a second paper feeding support column fixed thereon, the frame including a first paper feeding support column fixed thereon, a first paper feeding screw passing through a hole in the first paper feeding external support column of the gear cover plate and rotating into a hole in the first paper feeding support column of the frame, the first paper feeding external support column being sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding support column, a first paper feeding gear being rotatably sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding external support column, and a second paper feeding gear being rotatably disposed on the second paper feeding support column.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the swing gear bracket includes a second swing support column with a central hole, the second swing support column includes a snap-fit ​​structure, and the second swing gear is rotatably mounted on the second swing support column.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force transmission member is a spring, and the oscillating gear assembly further includes a first screw, which passes through the hole of the oscillating gear bracket and is screwed into the hole of the frame, thereby compressing the spring and configuring the frictional force between the force transmission member and the oscillating gear bracket caused by the rotation of the first oscillating gear to be greater than the frictional force between the first screw and the oscillating gear bracket, so that the first oscillating gear can drive the oscillating gear bracket to oscillate.

[0024] The frame also includes a first support column fixed thereon, the first support column having a hole formed inside for a first screw to be screwed in.

[0025] The first support column includes a cylinder and a rib protruding outward from the cylindrical surface of the cylinder. The rib includes a first part and a second part. The first part is closer to the frame than the second part. A first oscillating gear is rotatably disposed on the outer periphery of the first part of the rib of the first support column. The distance from the outer periphery of the second part of the rib to the central axis of the first support column is less than the distance from the outer periphery of the first part to the central axis of the first support column.

[0026] The swing gear bracket also includes a gear bracket support column with a hole in the middle. The gear bracket support column has a hole inside and is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second part of the rib. The force transmission component is arranged on the outer periphery of the gear bracket support column.

[0027] The outer circumferential surface of the rib is partially cylindrical, and the cross-section of the rib is cross-shaped or has three radial spokes with common endpoints.

[0028] The frame also includes a second support column fixed thereon, and a second screw is rotated into the hole of the second support column through a hole in the gear cover plate. The toothed gear is located on the outer periphery of the second support column.

[0029] The surface of the oscillating gear bracket that contacts the screw head of the first screw is formed as a polished surface, the surface of the oscillating gear bracket that contacts the force transmission component is formed as a frosted surface, and the surface of the first oscillating gear that contacts the force transmission component is formed as a frosted surface.

[0030] A circular groove is provided inside the first oscillating gear to accommodate the spring, and a portion of the spring is located in the circular groove. The friction force is adjusted by adjusting the inner diameter of the spring.

[0031] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force transmission member is a spring, the gear cover plate includes a cover plate bracket support column fixedly disposed thereon, the first swing gear is rotatably disposed on the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column, the cover plate bracket support column passes through the hole in the gear bracket support column of the swing gear bracket and the hole in the first swing gear and abuts against the side wall of the frame, the end edge of the cover plate bracket support column has a snap-fit ​​structure that contacts the first swing gear, for restricting the first swing gear, the spring and the swing gear bracket between the snap-fit ​​and the inner wall of the gear cover plate and compressing the spring, the frictional force between the force transmission member and the swing gear bracket caused by the rotation of the first swing gear is configured to be greater than the frictional force between the gear cover plate and the swing gear bracket, so that the first swing gear can drive the swing gear bracket to swing.

[0032] The end of the cover plate bracket support column has four notches, thereby dividing the end edge into an upper edge, a lower edge, a left edge, and a right edge. The upper and lower edges of the outer periphery of the end of the cover plate bracket support column are restricted within the inner walls of the first and second limiting protrusions. The left and right edges of the outer periphery of the end of the cover plate bracket support column are respectively provided with the buckles.

[0033] The gear cover also includes a snap fastener and a protrusion. The frame has two parts that cooperate with the snap fastener and the protrusion of the gear cover to prevent the gear cover from coming off outward.

[0034] The gear cover also includes a second support column fixed thereon, and the toothed gear is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the second support column. The second support column is provided with a buckle to prevent the toothed gear from coming out.

[0035] The two surfaces of the swing gear bracket and the gear cover plate that come into contact with each other are polished surfaces, while the surface of the swing gear bracket that comes into contact with the force transmission component is frosted.

[0036] A circular groove is provided inside the first oscillating gear to accommodate the spring, and a portion of the spring is located in the circular groove. The friction force is adjusted by adjusting the inner diameter of the spring.

[0037] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force transmission member includes a slider and a spring. The slider has an inclined surface near the end of the first swing gear. The first swing gear has a groove that engages with the inclined surface of the slider. The gear cover includes a cover plate bracket support column fixedly mounted thereon. The first swing gear is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column. The cover plate bracket support column passes through a hole in the swing gear bracket and a hole in the first swing gear and rests against the side wall of the frame. The end edge of the cover plate bracket support column is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure that contacts the first swing gear. This structure is used to confine the first swing gear, the force transmission member, and the swing gear bracket between the snap-fit ​​and the inner wall of the gear cover and to compress the spring. This results in the force transmission member contacting the first swing gear and the swing gear bracket with a tightness that allows the first swing gear to rotate while generating friction when the first swing gear rotates, which in turn drives the swing gear bracket to swing.

[0038] Two sets of sliders and springs are symmetrically arranged inside the swing gear bracket. Two inclined surfaces are formed on both sides of the slider near the end of the first swing gear. The angle between the inclined surfaces and the slider axis is 40 degrees to 70 degrees. A cylinder is provided at the other end of the slider. The spring is sleeved on the outer circumference of the cylinder of the slider. The end of the spring away from the slider is fixed to the inner wall of the swing gear bracket.

[0039] The two surfaces of the swing gear bracket and the gear cover plate that come into contact with each other are polished surfaces.

[0040] The friction force is adjusted by changing the tightness of contact between the oscillating gear support, the force transmission component, and the first oscillating gear by adjusting the compression of the force transmission component.

[0041] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a conveying driven roller assembly, the conveying driven roller assembly including a conveying roller pressure roller disposed above the conveying roller and rotating together with the conveying roller to jointly transport the printing media downstream or impede the printing media from flowing downstream.

[0042] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a paper tray and a paper carrier, and the conveying driven roller assembly further includes a conveying driven roller frame and a sliding wheel. The conveying roller pressure roller and the sliding wheel are rotatably disposed on the conveying driven roller frame, and the sliding wheel is disposed near the intersection of the paper carrier and the paper-bearing surface of the paper tray to reduce the printing media feeding resistance.

[0043] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a crossbeam frame, and the conveying driven roller assembly further includes a frame spring disposed on the side away from the conveying roller pressure roller, one end of the frame spring being connected to the conveying driven roller frame, and the other end being connected to a hook-shaped member on the back of the crossbeam frame.

[0044] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism includes a paper feed roller, which includes a paper feed roller gear, an active paper feed roller, a paper feed wheel, a passive paper feed roller, and a separation slider. The paper feed roller gear is fixedly connected to the active paper feed roller, and the active paper feed roller drives the passive paper feed roller through the separation slider.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a separating slider is sleeved on an active feed roller and is capable of rotating a certain angle relative to the active feed roller. One end of the separating slider near the passive feed roller includes an inclined surface and a vertical surface parallel to or forming an angle of less than 10 degrees with the axis of the separating slider. The vertical surface and the inclined surface are alternately arranged. The other end of the separating slider has an inclined surface and at least two protruding pillars. A protruding rib is provided on the active feed roller, and the protruding rib is disposed between two adjacent protruding pillars of the separating slider. The protruding rib can contact the inclined surface of the other end of the separating slider and can move on the inclined surface. The interior of the passive feed roller is connected to the separating... One end of the slider is provided with a mating part, which includes an inclined surface and a vertical surface that is parallel to or at an angle of less than 10 degrees to the axis of the passive paper feed roller. The vertical surface and the inclined surface of the mating part are alternately arranged. When the active paper feed roller and the separating slider rotate along the paper feeding direction of the paper feed wheel, the vertical surface of the separating slider is in contact with the vertical surface of the passive paper feed roller, thereby driving the passive paper feed roller to rotate along the paper feeding direction of the paper feed roller. When the active paper feed roller and the separating slider rotate in opposite directions, the vertical surface of the separating slider is no longer in contact with the vertical surface of the passive paper feed roller, and the mating part causes the separating slider to move away from the passive paper feed roller.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes: a crossbeam frame, fixedly disposed above the frame; a passive paper feed roller limiting member, disposed on the back side of the crossbeam frame at a position opposite to "the portion of the passive paper feed roller located near the end of the active paper feed roller between the active paper feed roller and the paper feed wheel", the passive paper feed roller limiting member having a curved limiting surface facing the direction in which the paper tray applies a thrust to the paper feed wheel.

[0047] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a paper tray and a paper feed roller. The paper tray includes a contact member disposed near a toothed gear. A cam is disposed on the toothed gear. When the toothed gear rotates counterclockwise, the cam presses against the contact member, thereby causing the paper tray to rotate clockwise and separate from the paper feed roller, thereby compressing the paper tray spring. When the toothed gear rotates clockwise, the cam separates from the contact member, thereby causing the paper tray to rotate counterclockwise due to the elastic force of the paper tray spring, thus bringing the paper tray closer to the paper feed roller.

[0048] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the paper tray spring is disposed on the paper tray at a position corresponding to the paper feed roller; or, the paper tray spring is disposed on the side of the paper tray closer to the toothed gear and the cam.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first surface and a second surface are provided on the contact member. When the toothed gear rotates counterclockwise, the cam first contacts the first surface and then contacts the second surface. The angle between the first surface and the paper-supporting surface of the paper tray is set to be smaller than the angle between the second surface and the paper-supporting surface.

[0050] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the top of the cam abuts at the boundary point between the first surface and the second surface of the contact member, the lower part of the paper tray is furthest from the conveying roller. The toothed gear continues to rotate counterclockwise until the second surface is in contact with the upper surface of the cam, and the distance from the lower part of the paper tray to the conveying roller becomes smaller.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the angle between the second surface of the contact member of the paper tray and the paper-supporting surface ranges from 28 to 58 degrees; the angle between the first surface and the second surface ranges from 10 to 20 degrees.

[0052] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a paper tray and a paper blocking component. The paper tray includes a toggle member and a disc body, the toggle member protruding downward from the disc body. The paper blocking component includes a paper blocking rod, a force-bearing member, and a paper blocking component pivot. The toggle member of the paper tray can lift and press down the force-bearing member of the paper blocking component, thereby causing the paper blocking rod to rise and fall.

[0053] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the actuating member has a first tooth and a second tooth shorter than the first tooth, the force-receiving member includes a first contact surface, a second contact surface and a partition wall, the partition wall connects the first contact surface and the second contact surface and separates them, the first contact surface and the second contact surface can respectively contact the first tooth and the second tooth of the actuating member, and the partition wall can move in the gap between the first tooth and the second tooth.

[0054] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force-bearing member has two third contact surfaces and a fourth contact surface at a predetermined angle, and a side plate connecting the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface. The third contact surface and the fourth contact surface are located on the same side of the side plate. The actuating member moves within the range between the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface of the force-bearing member, thereby enabling the force-bearing member of the paper-blocking component to be pressed down and lifted up.

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the force-bearing member further includes a fifth contact surface and a sixth contact surface that are adjacent to the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface, respectively. The predetermined angle formed by the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface ranges from 111 degrees to 131 degrees. The angle formed by the fifth contact surface and the third contact surface is β, and the angle formed by the sixth contact surface and the fourth contact surface is also β. The angle β ranges from 135 degrees to 165 degrees.

[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the actuating member has a first actuating surface, a second actuating surface, a third actuating surface, an abutting arc surface, a fourth actuating surface, a fifth actuating surface, and a sixth actuating surface. When the paper tray rotates clockwise, the abutting arc surface of the actuating member contacts the fifth contact surface, the dividing line, and the third contact surface of the force-bearing member successively, thereby lifting the force-bearing member of the paper-blocking component. When the paper tray rotates counterclockwise, the fifth actuating surface of the actuating member first pushes away the fourth contact surface of the force-bearing member; the range of the included angle between the first actuating surface and the second actuating surface is... The angles between the second and third actuating surfaces range from 130 to 140 degrees, the angles between the third and fourth actuating surfaces range from 124.5 to 134.5 degrees, the angles between the third and fourth actuating surfaces range from 85 to 95 degrees, the angles between the fourth and fifth actuating surfaces range from 137.4 to 147.4 degrees, the angles between the fifth and sixth actuating surfaces range from 128.2 to 138.2 degrees, and the angles between the sixth actuating surface and the paper-supporting surface of the paper tray range from 0.5 to 10.5 degrees.

[0057] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes another conveying roller gear, the output gear of the motor meshes with the large gear in the double gear, the small gear in the double gear meshes with the transmission gear, and the transmission gear meshes with the other conveying roller gear, thereby the motor drives the conveying roller gear to rotate.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a paper carrier, a paper tip detection mechanism, an encoding disk, and another conveying roller gear. The paper carrier is fixed to the frame by a snap fastener or the paper carrier is integrally formed with the frame. The paper carrier and the paper tray are arranged adjacent to each other. The printing media is fed from the paper tray to the paper carrier. The paper carrier is provided with an opening for the paper blocking bar and the paper tip detection mechanism to be exposed. The paper carrier is also provided with an opening for the paper tray's actuating member to pass through. The protruding part of the paper tip detection mechanism can rotate in the opening of the paper carrier. An encoding disk is mounted on the outer side of the other conveying roller gear of the conveying roller. The photoelectric sensor of the encoding disk covers the edge of the encoding disk.

[0059] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism further includes a paper feed roller, a paper tray, and a single paper gauge, the single paper gauge being slidably disposed on the paper tray, the paper feed roller including a paper feed wheel and a paper feed roller gear, the paper feed wheel being disposed off-center from the center of the paper feed roller.

[0060] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a printing media feeding mechanism for a printer is provided, the printing media feeding mechanism comprising: a motor for driving a conveying roller gear to rotate via gears; a conveying roller fixed together with the conveying roller gear; the conveying roller gear rotating clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the motor, the conveying roller gear meshing with a first oscillating gear; an oscillating gear assembly including a first oscillating gear, a second oscillating gear, an oscillating gear bracket, and a force transmission member disposed between the first oscillating gear and the oscillating gear bracket, the first oscillating gear causing the oscillating gear bracket to oscillate through friction between itself and the force transmission member, the axis of the second oscillating gear being able to move between a first position and a second position as the oscillating gear bracket oscillates; a first paper feeding gear meshing with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the first position; a toothed gear meshing with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the second position; a second paper feeding gear disposed between the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear, and meshing with the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear respectively; and a paper feeding roller gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a printer is provided, the printer including any of the printing media feeding mechanisms described above, the printer further including: an inkjet head for spraying ink onto the printing media; a carriage drive mechanism for moving the inkjet head left and right during the printing process to complete the printing action; and a printhead scraper for cleaning the inkjet head.

[0062] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a printer is provided, the printer comprising: a motor for driving a conveyor roller to rotate via gears; a conveyor roller gear for rotating clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the motor; a conveyor roller fixed together with the conveyor roller gear, for feeding printing media downstream or preventing printing media from flowing downstream according to the rotation direction; a conveyor roller pressure roller disposed above the conveyor roller; an oscillating gear assembly including a first oscillating gear and a second oscillating gear, the first oscillating gear meshing with a conveyor roller gear, and the second oscillating gear meshing with a first paper feeding gear and a toothed gear in different states; a first paper feeding gear; a toothed gear having a cam disposed thereon; a paper blocking component including a paper blocking rod; and a paper tip detection mechanism; wherein, when the motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, the printer begins to enter the paper feeding roller advance... In the paper feeding state, the paper feed roller rotates counterclockwise, while the toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise, bringing the paper tray closer to the paper feed roller. The paper feed roller rubs the paper to feed it, and the paper stop bar begins to fall. When the front end of the paper reaches the paper tip detection mechanism, a signal is triggered to start timing, entering the "paper feed roller paper conveyor roller blocking state" in the paper feed roller feeding state. The conveyor roller continues to rotate counterclockwise, while the conveyor roller pressure roller rotates clockwise. The conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller block the paper from moving forward, which is used for paper skew correction. After a preset time, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the paper feed roller feeding state ends, and the printer begins to enter the conveyor roller feeding state. In the conveyor roller feeding state, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the front end of the paper enters and passes through the gap between the conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller, the toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, and the paper tray begins to move away from the paper feed roller. At this time, the paper stop bar rises and retracts to prevent multiple sheets from being fed.

[0063] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printer further includes a second paper feeding gear, which meshes with both the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear. The oscillating gear assembly further includes an oscillating gear bracket and a force transmission member disposed between the first oscillating gear and the oscillating gear bracket. In the paper feeding state, when the motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, the first oscillating gear rotates clockwise, and the second oscillating gear rotates counterclockwise. Under the action of the force transmission member, the second oscillating gear swings upward to a first position to mesh with the first paper feeding gear. The first paper feeding gear rotates clockwise, and both the paper feeding roller gear and the second paper feeding gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear rotate counterclockwise. The toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise. In the paper feeding state, the motor... The conveying roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear rotates clockwise, the first oscillating gear rotates counterclockwise, and the second oscillating gear rotates clockwise. Under the action of the force transmission component, the second oscillating gear swings to a lower second position, separating from the first paper feeding gear and meshing with the toothed gear. The toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, causing the paper tray to begin moving away from the paper feeding wheel. The second paper feeding gear rotates clockwise, the first paper feeding gear rotates counterclockwise, and the paper feeding roller gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear rotates clockwise. However, the one-way mechanism prevents the paper feeding wheel from rotating clockwise. In the initial stage of the conveying roller feeding state, it is the "conveyor roller feeding paper feeding wheel driven state". In this state, the paper feeding wheel is not disengaged from the paper and moves with the movement of the paper.

[0064] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a printing media feeding method is provided, the method comprising: after receiving a printing command, controlling a motor to drive a conveying roller gear meshing with a first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, the printer starting to enter the paper feeding state, the paper feeding roller rotating counterclockwise, the toothed gear and its cam rotating clockwise, thereby the paper tray approaching the paper feeding roller, the paper feeding roller rubbing the paper to feed the paper, the paper tip reaching the paper tip detection mechanism triggering a signal to start timing, entering the "paper feeding roller" state of the paper feeding state. "Paper status", the conveyor roller continues to rotate counterclockwise, while the conveyor roller pressure roller rotates clockwise. The conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller block the paper from moving forward, which is used to correct paper skew. After a preset time, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the paper feed roller feeding state ends, and the printer begins to enter the conveyor roller feeding state. In the conveyor roller feeding state, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the front end of the paper enters and passes through the gap between the conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller, the toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, and the paper tray begins to move away from the paper feed roller.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the paper feeding state of the paper feed roller, when the motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, the first oscillating gear rotates clockwise, the second oscillating gear rotates counterclockwise, and under the action of the force transmission member, the second oscillating gear swings upward to a first position to mesh with the first paper feed gear, the first paper feed gear rotates clockwise, and both the paper feed roller gear and the second paper feed gear meshing with the first paper feed gear rotate counterclockwise. The toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise, the paper tray approaches the paper feed roller, and the paper blocking rod begins to fall. In the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller, the motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate clockwise, the first oscillating gear rotates counterclockwise, and the second oscillating gear rotates clockwise. As the clock rotates, and under the action of the force transmission component, the second swing gear swings to the lower second position. The second swing gear separates from the first paper feeding gear and meshes with the toothed gear. The toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise. The cam pushes the paper tray outward, causing the paper tray to start moving away from the paper feeding wheel. This drives the paper blocking rod to rise and retract, preventing multiple sheets from being fed. The second paper feeding gear rotates clockwise, the first paper feeding gear rotates counterclockwise, and the paper feeding roller gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear rotates clockwise. However, the one-way mechanism prevents the paper feeding wheel from rotating clockwise. In the initial stage of the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller, it is in the "conveyor roller paper feeding wheel driven state". In this state, the paper feeding wheel is not disengaged from the paper and moves with the movement of the paper.

[0066] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, after the paper feed state of the conveyor roller, it is determined whether there is another printable medium to be printed. If there is another printable medium to be printed, the printer enters the "paper feed roller state" and the motor drives the conveyor roller gear to rotate. If there is no next printable medium to be printed, the motor stops outputting, the conveyor roller gear stops rotating, and the printer enters the "standby state".

[0067] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described above.

[0068] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described above.

[0069] The present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: The printing media feeding mechanism and printing media feeding method according to embodiments of the present invention can effectively correct the skewness of the printing media and significantly improve the printing quality of the image.

[0070] In the printing media feeding mechanism of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the paper blocking rod is gradually pushed back when the paper feed roller is feeding paper, which can effectively prevent multiple sheets from being fed.

[0071] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the printing media feeding mechanism reliably achieves the switching of working states through a multi-mechanical part linkage structure, and achieves smooth switching between the paper feeding state of the printer's paper feed roller, the paper feeding state of the conveying roller, and the standby state. The structure is simple and does not require excessive intervention from the main control board and sensors, and can achieve reliable switching through mechanical structure.

[0072] The printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be made compact in size while ensuring automatic paper feeding and the ability to print multiple paper types. Attached Figure Description

[0073] Figure 1 This is a schematic view of the paper feeding mechanism of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic view of a printer including a rack according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a left view of a printer paper feed mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing two working states; Figure 4 This is an exploded top view of the swing gear assembly and the toothed gear of the printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the paper feeding state of the paper feed roller. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the printer frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the frame and support columns of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a swing gear assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic exploded view of a gear cover and a swing gear support according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the gear cover, force transmission member and first oscillating gear according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic exploded view of the gear cover, the swing gear support, and the force transmission member from another angle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12This is a bottom view schematic diagram of a gear cover plate mounted on a frame according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a front perspective view of the conveying driven roller assembly and the crossbeam frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the crossbeam frame viewed from the rear according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the paper tray and the paperboard of a printer in standby mode or at the end of the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 This is a schematic right view of an encoder disk and an encoder disk photoelectric sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 17 This is a schematic exploded view of the oscillating gear assembly and gear cover plate of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller; Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hidden passive paper feed roller according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the separating slider at two angles according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a passive paper feed roller according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 21 This is a cross-sectional view of the passive paper feed roller at point AA according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the paper shielding component and the back of the paper tray according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the paper shielding component and the back of the paper tray according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the contact element of a paper tray according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a paper tray according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a paper shielding component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 27 , Figure 28 and Figure 29 This is a schematic diagram showing three states of the paper tray and paper blocking component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 30This is a schematic diagram of two states of a paper tray and a paper blocking component according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 31 This is a schematic exploded view of a paper tray and a paper shielding component according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 32 This is a schematic exploded view of the paper tray and paper blocking component viewed from the rear, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 33 This is a right view of the actuating element of a paper tray according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 34 This is a schematic exploded view of the gear cover and the first oscillating gear, viewed from the rear, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 35 This is a schematic partial exploded view of two states of the oscillating gear bracket installed in the gear cover plate and the first oscillating gear separated, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the two states of the second oscillating gear are shown. Figure 36 This is a schematic exploded view of a gear cover, a swing gear support, and a force transmission member according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0075] In this invention, "inward" and "outward" generally refer to the direction towards the inside of the printer and the direction towards the outside of the printer, respectively.

[0076] The term "B fixed to A" in this invention (especially in the claims) may mean that A and B are integrally formed, or it may mean that A and B are two separate parts, but B is fixed to A by some kind of mechanical connection.

[0077] It will be understood that when an element or layer is described as being "on" another element or layer, or as being "connected to" or "bonded to" another element or layer, the element or layer may be directly on or directly connected to the other element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or intermediate layers. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly on" another element or layer, or as being "directly connected to" or "directly bonded to" another element or layer, there are no intermediate elements or intermediate layers.

[0078] The same reference numerals always indicate the same part / component, but may also indicate parts / components whose structure and position have changed slightly in different embodiments, but whose basic functions are at least partially the same.

[0079] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0080] Spatial relative terms, such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “above,” “over,” etc., may be used to describe the relationship of an element or feature to other elements or features as shown in the figures. It will be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to those described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as “below” or “under” other elements or features would subsequently be positioned “above” other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can include both above and below orientations. The device may be otherwise positioned (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein shall be interpreted accordingly.

[0081] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] Figure 1 This is a schematic view of the paper feeding mechanism of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic view of a printer (without the printhead) including a rack according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a left view of a printer paper feed mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing two working states; Figure 4 This is a top exploded view of the swing gear assembly and the toothed gear of the printer in a first state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a printing media feeding mechanism (paper feeding mechanism) includes: a paper feeding motor 98 for driving a conveyor roller 15 to rotate via gears; the conveyor roller 15 fixed together with a conveyor roller gear 6; the conveyor roller gear 6 rotating clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the paper feeding motor 98, the conveyor roller gear 6 meshing with a first oscillating gear 7; a frame 28 on which the conveyor roller 15 is mounted; and an oscillating gear assembly including a first oscillating gear 7, a second oscillating gear 8, an oscillating gear support 17, and a mechanism disposed between the first oscillating gear and the oscillating gear support. The force transmission component 20, the first swing gear 7 causes the swing gear bracket 17 to swing through the friction between it and the force transmission component, and the axis of the second swing gear 8 can move between the first position and the second position as the swing gear bracket swings; the first paper feeding gear 9, when the second swing gear 8 is in the first position, the first paper feeding gear 9 meshes with the second swing gear 8; the toothed gear 18, when the second swing gear 8 is in the second position, the toothed gear 18 meshes with the second swing gear 8; the paper feeding roller gear 11, fixed at the end of the paper feeding roller 29, meshes with the first paper feeding gear 9.

[0084] The direction closer to the paper inlet is the upstream direction, and the direction closer to the paper outlet is the downstream direction. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 The upper rear side of the paper tray is the paper inlet (i.e., the paper tray 13). During printing, the paper travels downward from between the paper tray 13 and the paper feed roller 12 to below the sliding roller 58, and then forward to between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16. After being printed by the print head (e.g., the inkjet head), the paper finally comes out from the front paper outlet.

[0085] Although the name of the first oscillating gear 7 contains the word "oscillating," this word indicates that the gear belongs to an oscillating gear assembly, not that the first oscillating gear 7 can oscillate. In fact, the axis of the first oscillating gear 7 is fixed relative to the printer frame 28, so the first oscillating gear 7 can only rotate, not oscillate.

[0086] A printing media feeding mechanism according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a paper feeding motor 98 for driving a conveyor roller gear 6 to rotate via a gear; a conveyor roller 15 fixed together with the conveyor roller gear 6; the conveyor roller gear 6 rotating clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the paper feeding motor 98, the conveyor roller gear meshing with a first oscillating gear; and an oscillating gear assembly including a first oscillating gear 7, a second oscillating gear 8, an oscillating gear support 17, and a force transmission member 20 disposed between the first oscillating gear 7 and the oscillating gear support 17, wherein the first oscillating gear 7, through friction between itself and the force transmission member 20, causes... The swing gear bracket 17 swings, and the axis of the second swing gear 8 can move between a first position and a second position as the swing gear bracket 17 swings; the first paper feeding gear 9 meshes with the second swing gear 8 when the second swing gear 8 is in the first position; the toothed gear 18 meshes with the second swing gear 8 when the second swing gear 8 is in the second position; the second paper feeding gear 10 is disposed between the first paper feeding gear 9 and the toothed gear 18, and meshes with the first paper feeding gear 9 and the toothed gear 18 respectively; the paper feeding roller gear 11 meshes with the first paper feeding gear 9.

[0087] A printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the printing media feeding mechanism of the two embodiments above. The printer further includes: an inkjet head for spraying ink onto the printing media; a carriage drive mechanism for moving the inkjet head left and right during the printing process to complete the printing action; and a printhead scraper for cleaning the inkjet head.

[0088] Specifically, such as Figure 1As shown, the output gear 1 of the paper feeding motor 98 (also referred to as the "paper feeding motor gear") meshes with the large gear in the double gear 2, the small gear in the double gear 2 meshes with the transmission gear 3, and the transmission gear 3 meshes with the conveyor roller gear 4. When the paper feeding motor gear 1 rotates, it drives the double gear 2 to rotate, thereby indirectly driving the conveyor roller gear 4 to rotate, which in turn causes the conveyor roller gear 6 located on the other side of the conveyor roller 15 to rotate synchronously. The large gear and small gear in the double gear 2 are coaxially fixed together.

[0089] The printing media feeding mechanism (paper feed mechanism) also includes a conveying driven roller assembly. This assembly includes a conveying roller pressure roller 16, positioned above the conveying roller 15, which rotates together with the conveying roller to jointly transport the printing media downstream or impede its downward movement. In short, the conveying roller pressure roller 16 cooperates with the conveying roller 15 to move the paper. The cooperation between the conveying roller pressure roller 16 and the conveying roller 15 also helps correct paper skew, which will be described in detail later.

[0090] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the frame of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which conceals the first oscillating gear 7 and the oscillating gear support 17. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the frame and support columns of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 The screws in the frame actually pass through certain components and are screwed into holes in the frame, but in Figure 6 These components have been omitted for clarity. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oscillating gear assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the frame 28 includes a first support column 26, a second support column 30, and a first paper feeding support column 63. The first support column 26, the second support column 30, and the first paper feeding support column 63 are integrally formed with or fixed to the main body of the frame 28. Each of the first support column 26, the second support column 30, and the first paper feeding support column 63 has internal holes. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the oscillating gear assembly also includes a first screw 22.

[0092] The first support column 26 includes a cylinder and a rib 27 projecting outward from the cylindrical surface. The rib 27 includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being closer to the side wall of the frame 28 than the second portion. Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the first support column 26 has a hole in its cylindrical body, and the swing gear bracket 17 has a countersunk hole. The first screw 22 passes through the countersunk hole of the swing gear bracket 17 and is screwed into the hole of the first support column 26. The swing gear bracket 17 includes a gear bracket support column 36 with a hole in the middle and a second swing support column 37. The second swing support column 37 may include a snap-fit ​​structure, and the second swing gear 8 may be mounted on the second swing support column 37. The first swing gear 7 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the first part of the rib 27 of the first support column 26, and a small part of the first swing gear 7 may also be mounted on the outer periphery of the second part of the rib 27. The gear bracket support column 36 has a hole inside, and the gear bracket support column 36 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the second part of the rib 27. The force transmission member 20 is mounted on the outer periphery of the gear bracket support column 36. The rib may be a cross rib extending outward from the cylindrical surface of the first support column 26, or a rib in the form of three radial line segments (trident spokes) with three common endpoints, etc. The outer peripheral surface of these ribs is partially cylindrical. The distance from the outer periphery of the second portion of rib 27 to the central axis of the first support column 26 is less than the distance from the outer periphery of the first portion to the central axis of the first support column 26, thus providing sufficient space to accommodate the gear bracket support column 36 and the force transmission member 20. In another exemplary embodiment, a large cylinder without ribs can be used instead of the structure of the first support column 26 plus rib 27, but this places special requirements on the mold.

[0093] When the first oscillating gear 7 rotates under a torque in a certain direction, the force transmission component 20 can transmit this torque to the oscillating gear support 17 through friction, causing the oscillating gear support 17 to oscillate and displace in the same direction. Specifically, as... Figure 4As shown, the force transmission member 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be a flexible / elastic deformable member, such as a common helical spring, or other member capable of torque transmission. When the force transmission member 20 is a spring, both ends of the spring are free. The first screw 22 directly contacts the oscillating gear bracket 17 and indirectly compresses the force transmission member 20, configuring the frictional force between the force transmission member 20 and the oscillating gear bracket 17 caused by the rotation of the first oscillating gear 7 to be greater than the frictional force between the first screw 22 and the oscillating gear bracket 17, so that the first oscillating gear can drive the oscillating gear bracket to oscillate. Generally speaking, the aforementioned frictional force configuration can be achieved by forming the surface of the oscillating gear bracket 17 that contacts the screw head of the first screw 22 as a polished surface, and forming the surface of the oscillating gear bracket 17 that contacts the force transmission member 20 (i.e., the inner wall side) and the surface of the first oscillating gear 7 that contacts the force transmission member 20 as a frosted surface. Of course, the friction can be further adjusted by changing the tightness of contact between the oscillating gear bracket 17, the force transmission component 20, and the first oscillating gear 7 by adjusting the compression of the force transmission component 20. These methods of adjusting friction can be used individually or in combination.

[0094] from Figure 6 Observing the direction, when the first oscillating gear 7 rotates clockwise, the friction causes the oscillating gear bracket 17 to oscillate clockwise accordingly, thus causing the second oscillating gear 8 to oscillate to the first position; and when the first oscillating gear 7 rotates counterclockwise, the oscillating gear bracket 17 also oscillates counterclockwise accordingly, thus causing the second oscillating gear 8 to oscillate to the second position. In fact, the tightness mentioned above can also be reflected in the fact that when the first oscillating gear rotates, the frictional force generated between the force transmission component and the oscillating gear bracket 17 is set to be greater than the frictional force between the first screw 22 and the oscillating gear bracket 17, that is, the frictional force between the first screw 22 and the oscillating gear bracket 17 cannot prevent the first oscillating gear 7 and the oscillating gear bracket 17 from moving in the same direction.

[0095] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the second screw 23 passes through the hole on the gear cover plate 21 and rotates into the hole of the second support column 30. The toothed gear 18 is rotatably disposed on the outer periphery of the second support column 30. The first paper feeding screw 24 passes through the hole in the first paper feeding external support column 62 of the gear cover plate 21 and rotates into the hole of the first paper feeding support column 63 of the frame 28. The first paper feeding external support column 62 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding support column 63, and the first paper feeding gear 9 is rotatably sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding external support column 62. Note that the term "paper feeding" in the names of the first paper feeding screw 24 and the first paper feeding support column 63 only indicates the positional correspondence between the screw / support column and the first paper feeding gear 9, and does not imply that the screw can actually feed paper. Figure 4 As shown, the second paper feeding gear 10 is rotatably mounted on the second paper feeding support column 31 of the gear cover plate 21. The second paper feeding support column 31 can be integrally formed with the gear cover plate, or it can be a separate component for the purpose of a lower coefficient of friction, and then the second paper feeding support column 31 is fixed to the gear cover plate by a structure such as a snap-fit ​​and a fixing rib. Since the first paper feeding gear 9, the second paper feeding gear 10 and the paper feeding roller gear 11 are mounted on the frame 28 or the gear cover plate 21 fixed relative to the frame 28, the axes of the first paper feeding gear 9, the second paper feeding gear 10 and the paper feeding roller gear 11 will not move with the movement of the paper tray 13.

[0096] Figure 8 This is a schematic exploded view of a gear cover and a swing gear support according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the gear cover plate, force transmission member, and first oscillating gear according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 This is a schematic exploded view of the gear cover, the swing gear support, and the force transmission member from another angle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the swing gear support and the force transmission member are combined together. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 This is a bottom view of a gear cover plate mounted on a frame according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] To better control the gear pitch, the inventors of this application have further creatively conceived of placing more support pillars for positioning the gears on an injection-molded part, and precisely controlling the gear pitch through injection molding, thereby making the meshing and movement between the gears more stable. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, in another embodiment of the present invention, the gear cover plate 21, in addition to including the first external paper feeding support column 62 and the second paper feeding support column 31, also includes a second support column 30 and a cover plate bracket support column 64. Figure 4 and Figure 6In this embodiment, the gear cover plate 21 does not have a cover plate bracket support column 64. The cover plate bracket support column 64 that supports the first swing gear 7 in this embodiment actually corresponds to the first support column 26 located on the frame 28. The second support column 30 is set on the frame 28 instead of the gear cover plate 21 in this embodiment. The second support column 30 in this embodiment has a snap-fit, and the toothed gear 18 is rotatably set on the outer periphery of the second support column 30 and will not come off the second support column 30. The area of ​​the gear cover plate 21 is also increased compared to the previous embodiment, which covers the swing gear bracket 17, or the swing gear bracket 17 is attached to the inner wall of the gear cover plate 21. Among them, the first swing gear 7 is set on the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column 64, the second swing gear 8 is set on the outer periphery of the second swing support column 37, the first paper feeding gear 9 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding outer support column 62, the second paper feeding gear 10 is still set on the outer periphery of the second paper feeding support column 31, and the toothed gear 18 is still set on the outer periphery of the second support column 30. The second paper feeding support column 31 can be integrally formed with the gear cover plate 21, or it can be a separate component for the purpose of a smaller coefficient of friction. The second paper feeding support column 31 is then fixed to the gear cover plate 21 by means of a snap-fit ​​and a fixing rib.

[0098] like Figure 9 As shown, the first oscillating gear 7 is provided with a circular groove 118 for accommodating the force transmission member 20. A portion of the force transmission member 20 may be located in the circular groove 118, while the other portion is sleeved on the outer periphery of the gear support column 36 of the oscillating gear bracket 17. Of course, this circular groove structure of the first oscillating gear 7 can also be combined with other technical features of the previous embodiment.

[0099] The structure of the force transmission member 20 and the oscillating gear support 17 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is similar to... Figure 4 The structures of the force transmission components and the swing gear support are no longer the same. Figure 10 The outer edge of the oscillating gear bracket 17 is provided with a notch 83, and the end of the force transmission member 20 is no longer flat, but is provided with a protruding key 82 that is parallel to the axis of the force transmission member 20 or at an angle less than a predetermined angle (e.g., less than 70 degrees or less than 30 degrees). The protruding key 82 of the force transmission member 20 is located in the notch 83 of the oscillating gear bracket 17, so that even if the friction between the force transmission member 20 and the oscillating gear bracket 17 is very small, it can drive the oscillating gear bracket 17 to rotate, thereby reducing the need for friction. The force transmission member 20 is relative to Figure 4 The embodiment can be compressed even less. Therefore, the friction between the oscillating gear support 17, the force transmission member 20, and the first oscillating gear 7 can be minimized, thus reducing losses due to rotational friction during operation of the first oscillating gear 7. Although in Figure 10The embodiment shows a structure in which the notch 83 of the oscillating gear bracket 17 mates with the protruding key 82 of the force transmission member 20; however, the structure of the notch 83 and the protruding key 82 can also be the same as the reference. Figure 4 Other technical features of the described embodiments are combined.

[0100] like Figure 8 and Figure 11 As shown, the cover plate bracket support column 64 passes through the hole in the gear bracket support column 36 of the swing gear bracket 17 and the hole in the first swing gear 7, and rests on the side wall of the frame 28. The end edges (e.g., the upper and lower edges) of the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column 64 are restricted within the inner walls of the first limiting protrusion 99 and the second limiting protrusion 100 to prevent the cover plate bracket support column 64 from sliding under the action of external force. The end edges (e.g., the left and right edges) of the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column 64 have a snap-fit ​​structure, which can restrict the first swing gear 7, the spring 20 and the swing gear bracket 17 between the snap-fit ​​and the inner wall of the gear cover plate 21 and compress the spring 20. The frictional force between the force transmission member 20 and the swing gear bracket 17 caused by the rotation of the first swing gear 7 is configured to be greater than the frictional force between the gear cover plate 21 and the swing gear bracket 17, so that the first swing gear 7 can drive the swing gear bracket 17 to swing. When the first oscillating gear 7 has a circular groove 118 for accommodating the force transmission component 20, the clamping force of the spring on the oscillating gear 7 can be adjusted by first adjusting (selecting) the inner diameter of the force transmission component 20 (spring). A larger clamping force naturally results in greater friction. The two surfaces of the oscillating gear bracket 17 and the gear cover plate 21 that contact each other can be made polished, while the surface of the oscillating gear bracket 17 that contacts the force transmission component 20 can be made frosted, and the surface of the first oscillating gear 7 that contacts the force transmission component 20 (in this case, more specifically the circumferential surface in the circular groove 118 of the first oscillating gear 7) can be made frosted, thus achieving the aforementioned friction configuration. Of course, the friction can also be further adjusted by changing the tightness of contact between the oscillating gear bracket 17 (including the gear bracket support column 36), the force transmission component 20, and the first oscillating gear 7 by adjusting the compression of the force transmission component 20. These methods of adjusting friction can be used individually or together.

[0101] This generates sufficient friction when the first oscillating gear 7 rotates to drive the oscillating gear bracket 17 to oscillate. The end of the cover plate bracket support column 64 has four notches, thus dividing the end edge into an upper edge, a lower edge, a left edge, and a right edge.

[0102] like Figure 8 and Figure 11As shown, the first paper feeding screw 24 (not shown in the figure) passes through the hole in the first paper feeding external support post 62 of the gear cover plate 21 and rotates into the hole in the first paper feeding support post 63. The first paper feeding external support post 62 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding support post 63. Figure 8 , 9 and Figure 12 As shown, the gear cover 21 also includes a snap fastener 80 and a protrusion 81. The frame 28 has two parts that cooperate with the snap fastener 80 and the protrusion 81 of the gear cover 21. One part (the female snap fastener) can be hooked by the snap fastener 80, and the other part can hold the protrusion 81 in place after it slides in, preventing the gear cover 21 from coming off outward. In summary, the gear cover is fixed to the frame 28 by the first paper feeding screw 24, the snap fastener 80, and the protrusion 81, and will not come off outward from the frame 28 even if the first paper feeding screw 24 is loose.

[0103] Since the first paper feeding gear 9, the second paper feeding gear 10, and the paper feeding roller gear 11 are mounted on the frame 28 or the gear cover plate 21 fixed relative to the frame 28, the axes of the first paper feeding gear 9, the second paper feeding gear 10, and the paper feeding roller gear 11 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will not move with the movement of the paper tray 13.

[0104] Figure 34 This is a schematic exploded view of the gear cover and the first oscillating gear, viewed from the rear, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 35 This is a schematic partially exploded view of two states of the oscillating gear support installed in the gear cover plate and the first oscillating gear separated, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein two states of the second oscillating gear are shown. Figure 36 This is a schematic exploded view of a gear cover, a swing gear support, and a force transmission member according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] like Figures 34-36 As shown, the force transmission member 20 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a slider 104 and a spring 105. Two sets of sliders 104 and springs 105 can be arranged symmetrically within the swing gear support 17, for example. Two inclined surfaces are formed on both sides of the slider 104 near the end of the first swing gear 7, with the angle between the inclined surfaces and the slider axis being, for example, 40 degrees to 70 degrees, designed according to the spring force and the reserved structural space. A cylinder is provided at the other end of the slider 104, and the spring 105 is sleeved onto the outer periphery of the cylinder of the slider 104. The end of the spring 105 away from the slider is fixed to the inner wall of the swing gear support 17. The first swing gear 7 is provided with several grooves 106, which cooperate with the inclined surfaces of the slider 104. Additionally, a plane can also be provided on one of the two inclined surfaces of the slider 104 near the end of the first swing gear 7. The plane is a thin strip.

[0106] The gear cover plate 21 includes a cover plate bracket support column 64 fixedly mounted thereon. The first swing gear 7 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column 64. The cover plate bracket support column 64 passes through the hole in the swing gear bracket 17 and the hole in the first swing gear and abuts against the side wall of the frame.

[0107] The end edge of the cover plate bracket support column 64 is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure that contacts the first swing gear 7 (not in Figure 35 and Figure 36 As shown in the text, but with Figure 8 (Similar to the buckle in the picture), used to restrict the first swing gear 7, the force transmission member 20 and the swing gear bracket 17 between the buckle and the inner wall of the gear cover plate 21 and compress the spring 105, so that the force transmission member 20 contacts the first swing gear and the swing gear bracket with such tightness that the tightness allows the first swing gear to rotate, while the friction generated when the first swing gear rotates can drive the swing gear bracket to swing.

[0108] When the first oscillating gear 7 rotates, friction and thrust are generated between the groove 106 and the slider 104. The thrust pushes the slider 104 into the groove of the oscillating gear bracket 17 and compresses the spring 105. The friction and thrust also drive the slider 104 and the oscillating gear bracket 17 to oscillate. When the oscillating gear bracket 17 oscillates clockwise or counterclockwise and hits the upper or lower limit position in the inner wall of the gear cover plate 21, the oscillating gear bracket 17 stops oscillating, and the second oscillating gear 8 stops at the corresponding first or second position.

[0109] Furthermore, similar to the previous embodiments, the gear cover plate according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention also includes a first external paper feeding support column and a second paper feeding support column fixed thereon. The frame includes the first paper feeding support column fixed thereon. A first paper feeding screw 24 passes through a hole in the first external paper feeding support column 62 of the gear cover plate 21 and rotates into a hole in the first paper feeding support column 63 of the frame. The first external paper feeding support column 62 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding support column. A first paper feeding gear is rotatably sleeved on the outer periphery of the first external paper feeding support column. A second paper feeding gear 10 is rotatably disposed on the second paper feeding support column. Similarly, the swing gear bracket includes a second swing support column with a hole in the middle. The second swing support column includes a snap-fit ​​structure. A second swing gear is rotatably disposed on the second swing support column. Similarly, the gear cover plate also includes a snap-fit ​​and a protrusion. The frame has two parts that cooperate with the snap-fit ​​and the protrusion of the gear cover plate so that the gear cover plate cannot be dislodged outward. Similarly, the gear cover also includes a second support column fixed thereon, and the toothed gear 18 is rotatably disposed on the outer periphery of the second support column, and the second support column is provided with a buckle to prevent the toothed gear from dislodging.

[0110] Figure 13 This is a front perspective view of the conveying driven roller assembly and the crossbeam frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the back of a beam frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the paper tray and the paperboard of a printer in standby mode or at the end of the paper feeding state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0111] like Figure 1 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the conveying driven roller assembly includes one or more (e.g., four) conveying roller pressure rollers 16, one or more (e.g., four) sliding rollers 58, a conveying driven roller frame 86, and a frame spring 59. The multiple conveying roller pressure rollers 16 and sliding rollers 58 are rotatably mounted on the conveying driven roller frame 86 and can rotate under friction. The conveying driven roller frame 86 is located below the crossbeam frame 85. One end of the frame spring 59 is connected to the conveying driven roller frame 86, and the other end is connected to a hook-shaped member 84 on the back of the crossbeam frame 85. The frame spring 59 is positioned on the side away from the conveying roller pressure rollers 16 (i.e., the side closer to the sliding rollers 58), thereby allowing the conveying roller pressure rollers 16 to exert a slightly downward pressure, enabling the conveying roller pressure rollers 16 to approach the conveying roller 15.

[0112] like Figure 15 As shown, the printer paper feeding mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention further includes a paper carrier 52, which can be fixed to the frame 28 by means of snap-fit ​​or the like, or the paper carrier 52 can be integrally formed with the frame 28. Figure 1 and Figure 15 As shown, the sliding wheel 58 is located near (slanted upwards) the intersection of the paper-bearing surface 89 of the paper tray 13 and the paperboard 52. The curved surface of the sliding wheel 58 reduces the resistance when the paper is fed at this bend, thus avoiding paper jams.

[0113] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 15 The paper carrier 52 has an opening that allows the paper tip detection mechanism 61 to be exposed.

[0114] like Figure 15 As shown, the paper feeding mechanism of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention further includes a paper tip detection mechanism 61, the protruding portion of which is rotatable within the opening of the paper carrier 52. Figure 15 The image shows two different positions of the protruding part. When the paper is fed, when the leading edge of the paper contacts the protruding part of the paper tip detection mechanism 61, the paper tip detection mechanism 61 will rotate, thereby blocking the light path of the photoelectric sensor at the other end of the paper tip detection mechanism 61, thus generating a "paper has arrived" signal.

[0115] Figure 16 This is a schematic right view of an encoder disk and an encoder disk photoelectric sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 As shown, an encoder disk 5 is mounted on the outer side of the conveyor roller gear 4 of the conveyor roller 15, and a photoelectric sensor 38 covers the edge of the encoder disk 5. The encoder disk rotates with the gear, and the fine light-transmitting slits on the disk intermittently block infrared light; the photoelectric sensor receiver converts the on / off light signal into a pulse electrical signal and transmits it to the microprocessor / MCU / SOC on the main control board (for ease of description, the three components are collectively referred to as "processor chip" to refer to a chip with computing functions). The processor chip uses this to calculate the paper feed speed and the position of the paper feed gear, thereby precisely controlling the paper feed distance.

[0116] The working state of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0117] In general, the printer includes: a motor for driving a conveyor roller to rotate via gears; a conveyor roller gear for rotating clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the motor; a conveyor roller fixed together with the conveyor roller gear, for feeding the printing medium downstream or preventing the printing medium from flowing downstream according to the direction of rotation; a conveyor roller pressure roller disposed above the conveyor roller; an oscillating gear assembly including a first oscillating gear and a second oscillating gear, the first oscillating gear meshing with a conveyor roller gear, and the second oscillating gear meshing with a first paper feeding gear and a toothed gear in different states; a first paper feeding gear; a toothed gear having a cam; a paper blocking component including a paper blocking rod; and a paper tip detection mechanism. When the motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, the printer enters the paper feeding state. The paper feeding roller rotates counterclockwise, and the toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise, so that the paper tray approaches the paper feeding roller. The paper feeding roller rubs the paper to feed it, the paper blocking bar begins to fall, and the paper tip detection mechanism triggers a signal to start timing, entering the "paper feeding roller paper feeding conveyor roller paper blocking state" in the paper feeding state. The conveyor roller continues to rotate counterclockwise, while the conveyor roller pressure roller rotates clockwise. The conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller block the paper (the side that arrives first) from moving forward, which is used to correct the paper skew. After a preset time, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the paper feeding state ends, and the printer enters the paper feeding state. When the paper is being fed by the conveyor roller, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, and the front end of the paper enters and passes through the gap between the conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller. The toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, and the paper tray begins to move away from the paper feed roller 12. At this time, the paper blocking rod rises and moves back to prevent multiple sheets from being fed.

[0118] Specifically, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the axis of the first oscillating gear 7 is fixed, while the axis of the second oscillating gear 8 is not fixed. When the first oscillating gear 7 rotates under a torque in a certain direction, friction is generated between the force transmission component 20 and the first oscillating gear 7, and between the force transmission component 20 and the oscillating gear support 17. Thus, the force transmission component 20 can transmit the torque to the oscillating gear support 17 through friction, causing the oscillating gear support 17 to oscillate and displace in the same direction, thereby driving the second oscillating gear 8 to move to the upper first position or the lower second position.

[0119] like Figure 2 As shown, viewed from the outside of the printer towards the inside, when the conveyor roller gear 6 rotates counterclockwise, the first oscillating gear 7 rotates clockwise, and the second oscillating gear 8 rotates counterclockwise. Under the action of the force transmission component 20, the second oscillating gear 8 swings upward to the uppermost first position, where it meshes with the first paper feed gear 9. At this time, as... Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the upper edge 32 of the swing portion of the swing gear bracket 17 contacts the upper limit portion 34 of the gear cover plate 21, and the upper limit portion 34 serves as a limit. The upper limit portion 34 can be the top surface 34 of the internal cavity of the gear cover plate 21, or it can be a limiting post, limiting protrusion, etc., on the gear cover plate 21. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the upper edge 32 of the swing portion to contact the upper limit portion 34. By changing the position of the upper limit portion 34 in the gear cover plate 21 and providing a corresponding protrusion at another position of the swing portion, the protrusion of the swing portion can contact the upper limit portion 34. Therefore, as long as the swing portion of the swing gear bracket 17 contacts the upper limit portion 34 of the gear cover plate 21, the second swing gear 8 can be limited to the first position.

[0120] The first paper feeding gear 9 rotates clockwise, and the paper feeding roller gear 11 and the second paper feeding gear 10, which mesh with the first paper feeding gear 9, both rotate counterclockwise. The second paper feeding gear 10 meshes with the toothed gear 18 (the toothed gear has incomplete teeth, only a portion of the teeth are provided). The toothed gear 18 and its cam 19 rotate clockwise, thereby causing the paper tray 13 to be held by the paper tray spring 53 (see...). Figure 11The paper feed roller 11 (also known as the paper feed roller sleeve) approaches the paper feed roller 12 under the elastic force of the first paper feed gear 9. The paper feed roller gear 11 and the paper feed roller 12, which mesh with the first paper feed gear 9, rotate counterclockwise, rubbing the paper along the paper path, and the printer enters the "paper feed roller feeding state". When the paper head triggers the paper tip detection mechanism 61 to issue a trigger signal (described in detail below), the timer starts. When the paper head contacts the transfer roller 15, the printer enters the "paper feed roller feeding transfer roller blocking state" under the "paper feed roller feeding state". It is at the end of the "paper feed roller feeding state". The transfer roller 15 rotates counterclockwise as described above, while the transfer roller pressure roller 16 rotates clockwise. The transfer roller 15 and the transfer roller pressure roller 16 will block the paper from moving forward. In the case of paper skew, they will block the paper from moving forward on the side that the paper arrives first (e.g., the left side). While the paper feeding roller 12 continues its paper-feeding action, the side of the paper that was originally at the back (e.g., the right side) will continue to move forward because it has not yet made full contact with the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16. Therefore, after a short period of time, the entire end face of the paper enters between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16, forming a curved state between the conveyor roller 15 and the paper feeding roller 29. The paper end correction is completed. After a preset time t elapses since the trigger signal is issued from the paper tip detection mechanism 61, the timing is completed, and the first state ends. Then, the control motor reverses, driving the conveyor roller 15 to rotate clockwise, and the paper feeding operation is performed at the conveyor roller, that is, entering the "conveyor roller paper feeding state". The range of t can be, for example, from 500 milliseconds to 1 second. This preset time t is calculated based on factors such as the diameter of the conveyor roller, the curvature of the paper, the speed of the motor, and the gear transmission ratio.

[0121] Figure 17 This is a schematic exploded view of the oscillating gear assembly and gear cover plate of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller.

[0122] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 17As shown, when the conveyor roller is in the paper feeding state, and the motor drives the conveyor roller gear 6 to rotate clockwise, the paper head enters and passes through the gap between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16 under the action of the paper bending force and the conveying force of the conveyor roller 15 (or the frictional force between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16). The conveyor roller gear 6 causes the first swing gear 7 to rotate counterclockwise and the second swing gear 8 to rotate clockwise. Under the action of the force transmission member 20, the second swing gear 8 swings to the lower second position, and the second swing gear 8 separates from the first paper feeding gear 9 and meshes with the toothed gear 18. At this time, the lower edge 33 of the swing part of the swing gear bracket 17 contacts the lower limit part 35 of the gear cover plate 21 (the lower limit part 35 can be, for example, the lower surface 35 of the internal cavity, or a lower limit post or lower limit protrusion, etc.), and the lower limit part 35 plays a limiting role. The lower limit portion 35 can be the lower surface 35 of the internal cavity of the gear cover plate 21, or it can be a limiting post or limiting protrusion on the gear cover plate 21. In addition, it is not necessary for the lower edge 33 of the swing portion to contact the lower limit portion 35. By changing the position of the lower limit portion 35 in the gear cover plate 21 and providing a corresponding protrusion at another position of the swing portion, the protrusion of the swing portion can contact the lower limit portion 35. Therefore, as long as the swing portion of the swing gear bracket 17 contacts the lower limit portion 35 of the gear cover plate 21, the second swing gear 8 can be restricted to the second position.

[0123] The toothed gear 18 and its cam 19 rotate counterclockwise. The cam 19 overcomes the pressure of the paper tray spring and pushes open the paper tray 13 (based on the clockwise rotation of the top shaft 66), causing the paper tray 13 to begin moving away from the paper feed roller 12. The movement of the paper feed roller 12 has less and less impact on the paper feed at the conveyor roller 15, avoiding any impact on the print quality. Furthermore, the second paper feed gear 10 meshes with the toothed gear 18. The second paper feed gear 10 rotates clockwise, while the first paper feed gear 9 rotates counterclockwise. The paper feed roller gear 11, which meshes with the first paper feed gear 9, rotates clockwise. However, due to the one-way mechanism described above, the paper feed roller 12 does not rotate clockwise, thus preventing paper from being pulled out of the printer. The one-way mechanism and the aforementioned separation of the paper tray 13 from the paper feed roller 12 provide double assurance for print quality.

[0124] It is important to note that in the initial stage of the paper feeding process of the conveyor roller, there is a "conveyor roller feed roller driven state." This begins the instant the conveyor roller gear 6 rotates clockwise, and it takes approximately 6-7 teeth to fully separate the paper tray 13 and the feed roller 12. If the paper tray 13 and the feed roller 12 separate completely immediately at the instant the conveyor roller end gear rotates clockwise, the bending force of the paper will cause it to enter the gap between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16. Since the paper tray 13 and the feed roller 12 immediately separate and no longer clamp the rear end of the paper, the bending force is immediately released. The paper entering the gap between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16 will affect the paper skew correction. Therefore, this gradually separating mechanical structure effectively ensures the correction effect.

[0125] After the current page is printed, the printer's main controller determines if there is another sheet to print. If there is, the printer enters the "paper feed roller feeding state"; if there is no next sheet, the paper feed motor 98 stops outputting, and both the conveyor roller 15 and the paper feed roller 12 stop rotating, and the printer enters the "standby state". In the standby state, the paper tray 13 remains separated from the paper feed roller 12, and the paper blocking lever remains in the raised state (the abutting arc surface 111 of the paper tray 13's actuating member 41 stops near the dividing line 112 of the paper blocking member, which will be described in detail later), making it convenient for the user to load paper. At the initial moment of the "paper feed roller feeding state", although the paper tray 13 is in the separated position from the paper feed roller 12 and the paper blocking lever is in the raised position, the paper tray 13 immediately begins to move closer to the paper feed roller 12, and the paper blocking lever also begins to fall at the same time, which will be described in detail later.

[0126] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hidden passive paper feed roller according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the separating slider at two angles according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a passive paper feed roller according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 21 This is a cross-sectional view of the passive paper feed roller at point AA according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 , Figures 18 to 21As shown, the paper feed roller 29 includes a paper feed roller gear 11, a drive paper feed roller 56, a paper feed wheel 12, a passive paper feed roller 55, and a separating slider 57. The drive paper feed roller 56 is provided with a protruding rib 113, which can contact the inclined surface 115 of the separating slider 57. The separating slider 57 is sleeved on the drive paper feed roller 56 and can rotate relative to the drive paper feed roller 56 at a certain angle (during assembly, the protruding rib 113 is positioned between two protrusions 117, which will be described below; therefore, the relative rotation angle does not exceed the angle between two adjacent protrusions 117). When it rotates, the protruding rib 113 can move relative to the inclined surface 115 of the separating slider 57. The paper feed roller gear 11 is fixedly connected to the drive paper feed roller 56. The passive paper feed roller 55 has a diameter that decreases progressively to the right. The smallest diameter of the passive paper feed roller 55 is set on the paper feed roller bearing. The left end of the active paper feed roller 56 passes through another paper feed roller bearing and is fixedly connected to the paper feed roller gear 11. Both paper feed roller bearings are set on the frame.

[0127] The end of the separating slider 57 near the passive feed roller includes an inclined surface 114 and a vertical surface 116 parallel to or at an angle of less than 10 degrees to the axis of the separating slider 57. The vertical surface 116 and the inclined surface 114 are alternately arranged. The other end of the separating slider 57 has an inclined surface 115 and at least two protrusions 117. The interior of the passive feed roller 55 has a mating portion opposite to the aforementioned end of the separating slider 57. The mating portion includes an inclined surface and a vertical surface 60 parallel to or at an angle of less than 10 degrees to the axis of the passive feed roller. The vertical surface 60 and the inclined surface are alternately arranged. The separating slider 57 can move relative to or be fixedly engaged with the passive feed roller 55. When the active feed roller 56 rotates counterclockwise, the protruding rib 113 moves on the inclined surface 115, thereby pushing the separating slider 57 toward the mating part of the passive feed roller 55 on the right. After the protruding rib 113 contacts the protrusion 117 of the separating slider 57, it will drive the separating slider 57 to rotate counterclockwise (along the paper feeding direction of the feed roller). At this time, the vertical surface 116 of the separating slider 57 can be in contact with the vertical surface 60 of the passive feed roller 55, thereby driving the passive feed roller 55 to rotate counterclockwise through the vertical surface 60, and realizing paper feeding at the feed roller 12. When the active feed roller 56 and the separating slider 57 rotate clockwise, the protruding rib 113 contacts another protrusion 117, which will drive the separating slider 57 to rotate clockwise. The vertical surface of the separating slider 57 is no longer in contact with the vertical surface 60 of the passive feed roller 55, and cannot apply clockwise pressure to the vertical surface 60. The passive feed roller 55 will apply an axial force to the left to the separating slider 57, causing the separating slider 57 to move away from the passive feed roller 56. Between the active feed roller 56 and the passive feed roller 55, when the active feed roller 56 is along the paper feeding direction ( Figure 2When the active feed roller 56 rotates counterclockwise, the separating slider 57 transmits power to the passive feed roller 55, causing the paper to move. When the active feed roller 56 rotates clockwise, the separating slider 57 does not transmit rotational power, the passive feed roller 55 does not rotate clockwise, and the feed roller 29 does not discharge the paper. Secondly, at this time, the conveyor roller 15 rotates clockwise, causing the paper to move forward. In the initial stage (i.e., the conveyor roller feed wheel is in the driven state), the paper tray 13 is not yet fully opened by the cam 19, and the paper is still in contact with the feed roller 12. Since the feed roller 12 does not rotate clockwise, the paper will cause the feed roller 12 to rotate counterclockwise. The feed roller 12 will contact the paper through rolling friction, without sliding friction resistance, thus preventing the paper from moving skewed.

[0128] The unidirectional mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the structure described above; other structures that enable the paper feed roller 12 to rotate in one direction may also be used.

[0129] like Figure 2 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a passive feed roller limiter 103 can be provided on the back side of the beam frame 85 at a position opposite to the "first portion of the passive feed roller 55 located near the end of the active feed roller 56 between the feed wheel 12". This passive feed roller limiter is fixed to the beam frame 85. The passive feed roller limiter 103 has a curved limiting surface that matches the position and outer diameter of the first portion of the passive feed roller. This limiting surface is required to be smooth, and the passive feed roller limiter 103 is made of a non-rigid material such as plastic to avoid scratching the passive feed roller 55. This passive feed roller limiter 103 solves a subtle problem: even without this passive feed roller limiter 103, there are no major problems under normal use. However, because the paper tray 13 exerts an upward supporting force or even pressure on the active feed roller 56 and passive feed roller 55 under the elastic force of the paper tray spring 53 (especially when the paper tray spring is located on the back of the feed roller 12), and the active feed roller 56 and passive feed roller 55 are two-section structures, this actually causes deformation of the feed rollers (no longer a straight line), making the line on the surface of the feed roller 12 near the paper no longer parallel to the paper surface, resulting in insufficient paper feeding force. In addition, under rough handling and after several years of use of the printer, if the plastic parts of the active feed roller 56 and passive feed roller 55 are severely aged, the possibility of damage to the active feed roller 56 and passive feed roller 55 will significantly increase if there is no limiting support from the passive feed roller limiting component 103. The bending limiting surface faces the direction in which the paper tray 13 applies a pushing force to the feed roller 12.

[0130] Figure 22This is a schematic diagram of the paper shielding component and the back of the paper tray according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. To clearly show the details, multiple gears are omitted, only the toothed gear 18 and the cam 19 are exposed. Furthermore, for clarity, the contact member 50 of the paper tray 13 is slightly separated from the cam 19 in the drawing. Normally, the cam 19 should be in contact with the contact member 50. The paper tray spring 53 is located on the back of the paper tray 13. When the toothed gear 18 rotates counterclockwise (…),… Figure 22 The rotation of the cam 19 causes the contact element 50 to press against the cam 19, thereby rotating the paper tray 13 clockwise and compressing the paper tray spring 53 (a hidden, unshown housing is located behind the paper tray spring 53); when the toothed gear 18 rotates clockwise ( Figure 22 The rotation of the cam 19 causes it to separate from the contact element 50, thereby extending the paper tray spring 53 under the action of elastic force, which pushes the paper tray 13 to rotate counterclockwise and move it closer to the paper feed roller 12. In this embodiment, the paper tray spring 53 is located on the paper tray at a position corresponding to the paper feed roller 12 (that is, if the front area of ​​the paper tray that contacts the paper feed roller when there is no paper is the first area, then the paper tray spring is located on the back second area of ​​the paper tray 13 corresponding to the front first area), that is, at a position relatively far from the cam 19.

[0131] exist Figure 3 , Figure 17 and Figure 22 In the embodiment, in the second state, the second oscillating gear 8 is in a lower second position and meshes with the toothless gear 18. The second oscillating gear 8 rotates clockwise. After rotating for a period of time, the cam 19 on the toothless gear 18 completely pushes open the contact member 50 of the paper tray 13. At this time, the toothless gear 18 has rotated until its toothless part is directly facing the second oscillating gear 8, and the second oscillating gear 8 can no longer make the toothless gear 18 rotate. At the critical state where the second oscillating gear 8 and the toothless gear 18 are just no longer meshing, the toothless gear 18 will move to the right due to the pressure of the paper tray spring or vibration, causing the second oscillating gear 8 to continue to run and still collide with the last tooth of the toothed part of the toothless gear 18, producing a noise similar to "ticking".

[0132] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a paper shielding component and the back of a paper tray according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 23 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment, since the paper tray 13 is usually made of plastic, in order to reduce the strength requirements of the paper tray 13, the paper tray spring 53 is set on the side of the paper tray 13 closer to the toothed gear 18 and the cam 19, so that the distance between the point of application of the elastic force of the paper tray spring 53 on the paper tray 13 and the point of application of the pressure of the cam 19 on the paper tray 13 is reduced, thereby reducing the strength required for the paper tray, without the need for excessive thickness or too many reinforcing ribs.

[0133] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the contact member of a paper tray according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For clarity, the diagram shows the cam 19 and the contact member 50 of the paper tray 13 separated by a distance. In actual operation, the cam 19 and the contact member 50 are normally in contact. To avoid noise generated when the second oscillating gear 8 continuously operates in the second state, colliding with the last tooth of the toothed portion of the missing-tooth gear 18, as... Figure 23 and Figure 24 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the contact 50 is specially designed, and the shape of the contact 50 is no longer as shown. Figure 22 Instead of a straight, elongated shape, the contact element 50 has an inclined surface 88 at its tail, which matches the shape of the cam 19. Thus, when the toothed gear 18 rotates counterclockwise by a certain angle, the inclined surface 88 of the contact element 50 can press down on the cam 19 of the toothed gear 18, thereby generating a torque that causes the toothed gear 18 to continue rotating counterclockwise. This ensures that the last tooth of the toothed part of the toothed gear 18 completely separates from the second oscillating gear 8, avoiding tooth collision.

[0134] like Figure 24 As shown, a first surface 87 and a second surface 88 are provided on the contact member 50. When the toothed gear 18 rotates counterclockwise, the cam 19 first contacts the first surface 87 and then contacts the second surface 88. The angle between the first surface 87 and the paper-bearing surface 89 of the paper tray 13 is set to be smaller than the angle between the second surface 88 and the paper-bearing surface 89.

[0135] Specifically, during the counterclockwise rotation of cam 19 to open paper tray 13, the top of cam 19 first contacts the first surface 87 of paper tray 13, and then contacts the second surface 88. The angle between the first surface 87 and the paper-supporting surface 89 is smaller than the angle between the second surface 88 and the paper-supporting surface 89. The top of cam 19 pushes the lower part of paper tray 13 from the near end relative to the conveyor roller 15 to the farthest end. At the farthest end, the top of cam 19 just touches the dividing point between the first surface 87 and the second surface 88 of contact member 50. Then the top of cam begins to contact the second surface 88. The toothed gear 18 continues to rotate counterclockwise by a certain angle until the second surface 88 is in contact with the upper surface of cam 19. At this time, the lower part of paper tray 13 will move back a small distance from the farthest end, but the final stopping position of the lower part of paper tray 13 will definitely be a distance away from the conveyor roller 15 than the lower part of paper tray 13 to ensure the complete separation of paper tray 13 from paper feed roller 12. The angle between the second surface 88 of the contact member 50 of the paper tray 13 and the paper-bearing surface 89 of the paper tray 13 is α, and the angle α ranges from 28 to 58 degrees, preferably for example, 41 degrees, 43 degrees and 45 degrees. The angle between the first surface 87 and the second surface 88 is 10 degrees to 20 degrees.

[0136] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a paper tray according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a paper-shielding component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0137] like Figure 25 As shown, the paper tray 13 includes an actuating element 41 and a tray body for holding printing media (paper, etc.). The actuating element 41 protrudes downward from the tray body. Figure 26 As shown, the paper blocking component 51 includes: paper blocking rods 47 and 48, a force-bearing member 46, and a paper blocking component pivot 49. The actuating member 41 can raise and lower the force-bearing member of the paper blocking component, thereby causing the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 to rise and fall.

[0138] The paper tray 13 also includes a tray shaft 39, a contact element 50, and a friction separation pad 40. The contact element 50 contacts the cam 19 on the toothed gear 18, thereby enabling the paper tray 13 to move away from and abut against the feed roller 12 through the rotational motion of the toothed gear 18. The tray shaft 39 is mounted on the frame 28, which may have a circular hole for accommodating the tray shaft 39. For ease of installation, this circular hole may have a notch. The friction separation pad 40 faces the feed roller and is used to prevent the last sheet of paper on the tray from being carried away by the second-to-last sheet.

[0139] The actuating element 41 has a first tooth 42 and a second tooth 43 that is shorter than the first tooth 42.

[0140] The force-receiving component 46 includes a first contact surface 44, a second contact surface 45, and a partition wall 107. The partition wall 107 connects and separates the first contact surface 44 and the second contact surface 45. The first contact surface 44 and the second contact surface 45 can respectively contact the first tooth 42 and the second tooth 43 of the actuating component 41 of the paper tray 13. The partition wall 107 can move in the gap between the first tooth 42 and the second tooth 43. The first tooth 42 moves below the surface 65, thus potentially contacting the first contact surface 44; the second tooth 43 moves above the second contact surface 45. That is, the actuating component 41 (first tooth 42 and second tooth 43) and the force-receiving component 46 (first contact surface 44 and second contact surface 45) are in an interleaved state, therefore... Figure 25 and Figure 26 When viewed from left to right, when the paper tray 13 and the actuating element 41 rotate counterclockwise, the force-bearing element 46 and the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 rotate clockwise, causing the blocking rods to fall; when the paper tray 13 and the actuating element 41 rotate clockwise, the force-bearing element 46 and the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 rotate counterclockwise, causing the blocking rods to rise. In short, the actuating element 41 can both press down on the force-bearing element 46 and lift it up. Figure 15 As shown, the paper tray 52 also has openings through which the paper tray 13's actuating element 41, paper blocking rods 47 and 48 can pass and move.

[0141] Figure 27 , Figure 28 and Figure 29 This is a schematic diagram illustrating three states of the paper tray and paper blocking component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 27 As shown, when the paper feed roller 12 is in the paper feeding state and the conveyor roller 15 is in the paper blocking state, the conveyor roller 15 rotates counterclockwise, the paper feed roller 12 rotates counterclockwise, and the paper tray 13 approaches the paper feed roller 12. At this time, the actuating member 41 is completely disengaged from the force-bearing member 46 (the two do not contact each other), and the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 fall to their lowest position under the action of gravity, so that the tops of the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 are lower than the surface of the paper carrier 52. At this time, the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 have no effect on the paper feeding. Then, when the conveyor roller 15 switches from the paper blocking state to the paper feeding state and the paper feed roller 12 is in the driven state, according to Figure 13 Viewed from left to right, the conveyor roller 15 rotates clockwise. At this time, the front end of the first sheet of paper being printed has entered the gap between the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16. The paper tray 13 and the actuating element 41 rotate clockwise, and the paper tray 13 begins to move away from the paper feed roller 12. The angle between the surface of the paper tray 13 and the surface of the paperboard 52 decreases. Figure 28As shown, the first tooth 42 begins to contact the upper edge of the first contact surface 44, while the second tooth 43 also begins to contact the second contact surface 45. At this time, the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 are gradually raised, and the tops of the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 begin to rise above the upper surface of the carrier paper 52 and are pushed back. If a second sheet of paper, brought by the first sheet that is just beginning to print, enters the carrier paper 52, it will be pushed back by the rising paper blocking rods 47 and 48, thus effectively preventing multiple sheets from feeding. Figure 29 As shown, the first tooth 42 fully contacts most of the surface of the first contact surface 44 while the second tooth 43 separates from the second contact surface 45. At this time, the paper stop bars 47 and 48 are in their highest position, and the printer is in standby mode (including waiting for the second sheet of paper to be fed). Figure 15 As shown, at this time, the paper tray 13 is away from the paper feed roller 12, and the paper-bearing surface 89 of the paper tray 13 is relatively close to the surface perpendicular to the paperboard 52 (for example, at an angle of about 85 degrees). The paper is blocked by the paper blocking rods 47 and 48 and will not slide towards the conveyor roller 15.

[0142] When the conveyor roller changes from clockwise to counterclockwise rotation again, the paper feed roller 12 rotates counterclockwise again to feed paper while the conveyor roller 15 is in the paper blocking state, and the cycle mentioned above is repeated.

[0143] The staggered linkage design between the actuating component 41 (first tooth 42 and second tooth 43) and the force-receiving component 46 (first contact surface 44 and second contact surface 45) enables the actuating component to have bidirectional driveability to the force-receiving component. Thus, even when the printer is located on an inclined (not horizontal) worktable, the printer's paper feeding mechanism can switch between different states, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the paper feeding mechanism.

[0144] Figure 30 This is a schematic diagram of two states of a paper tray and a paper blocking component according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 31 This is a schematic exploded view of a paper tray and a paper shielding component according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 32 This is a schematic exploded view of the paper tray and paper blocking component viewed from the rear, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 33 This is a right view of the actuating element of a paper tray according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0145] like Figure 30 , Figure 31 and Figure 32As shown, the paper shielding component has a force-bearing member 46, which has two third contact surfaces 90 and 91 at a predetermined angle α, and a side plate 108 connecting the third contact surfaces 90 and 91. The third contact surfaces 90 and 91 are located on the same side of the side plate 108. The predetermined angle α ranges from 111 degrees to 131 degrees, preferably 112 degrees, 116 degrees, and 120 degrees. The force-bearing member 46 also includes a fifth contact surface 109 and a sixth contact surface 110 adjacent to the third contact surfaces 90 and 91, respectively. The angle between the fifth contact surface 109 and the third contact surface 90 is β, and the angle between the sixth contact surface 110 and the fourth contact surface 91 is also β. The angle β ranges from 135 degrees to 165 degrees, preferably 147 degrees, 150 degrees, and 153 degrees. The paper tray 13 is provided with a toggle member 41, which is no longer like... Figure 25 The embodiment has two teeth. The actuating member 41 moves within the range between the opposing third contact surface 90 and fourth contact surface 91 of the force-receiving member 46, thereby enabling the force-receiving member 46 of the paper-blocking component to be pressed down and lifted, thereby causing the paper-blocking rods 47 and 48 to fall and rise. The actuating member 41 has at least four surfaces substantially perpendicular to the sides of the actuating member, for example, as shown in the embodiment. Figure 33 As shown, there are six actuating surfaces: a first actuating surface 92, a second actuating surface 93, a third actuating surface 94, a fourth actuating surface 95, a fifth actuating surface 96, and a sixth actuating surface 97. A small abutting arc surface 111 is also provided between the third actuating surface 94 and the fourth actuating surface 95. Only a portion of the surfaces of the actuating member 41 and the force-receiving member 46 are in contact. (The last sentence appears to be incomplete and possibly refers to a specific action or mechanism.) Figure 32 (Observation) During rotation, the abutting arc surface 111 of the actuating member 41 first contacts the fifth contact surface 109 of the force-bearing member 46, passes the dividing line 112 (which is actually a very small arc surface), and then contacts the third contact surface 90. In standby mode, the abutting arc surface 111 stops near the dividing line 112. When the paper tray 13 rotates counterclockwise, the fifth actuating surface 96 first pushes away the fourth contact surface 91.

[0146] The included angles between the first actuating surface 92 and the second actuating surface 93 range from 130 degrees to 140 degrees; between the second actuating surface 93 and the third actuating surface 94 range from 124.5 degrees to 134.5 degrees; between the third actuating surface 94 and the fourth actuating surface 95 range from 85 degrees to 95 degrees; between the fourth actuating surface 95 and the fifth actuating surface 96 range from 137.4 degrees to 147.4 degrees; and between the fifth actuating surface 96 and the sixth actuating surface 97 range from 128.2 degrees to 138.2 degrees. The included angle between the sixth actuating surface 97 and the paper-supporting surface 89 of the paper tray 13 ranges from 0.5 degrees to 10.5 degrees.

[0147] Regarding the timing of the lowering and raising of paper shielding rods 47 and 48, and their effectiveness in preventing multiple sheets from being fed, refer to the previous section. Figure 25 , Figure 27-29 The described embodiments are basically the same, and will not be repeated here.

[0148] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a printing media feeding method is provided, the method comprising: After receiving the print command, the control motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first swing gear to rotate counterclockwise. The printer then enters the paper feeding state. The paper feeding roller rotates counterclockwise, while the toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise, causing the paper tray to approach the paper feeding roller. The paper feeding roller rubs the paper to feed it. When the front end of the paper reaches the paper tip detection mechanism, a signal is triggered to start timing, and the printer enters the "paper feeding roller paper feeding conveyor roller paper blocking state" in the paper feeding state. The conveyor roller continues to rotate counterclockwise, while the conveyor roller pressure roller rotates clockwise. The conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller block the paper from moving forward, which is used to correct paper skew. After a preset time, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the paper feeding state ends, and the printer enters the paper feeding roller state. When the paper is being fed by the conveyor roller, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the front end of the paper enters and passes through the gap between the conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller, the toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, and the paper tray begins to move away from the paper feed roller.

[0149] The method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention further includes: In the paper feeding state, when the motor drives the conveying roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, the first oscillating gear rotates clockwise, the second oscillating gear rotates counterclockwise, and under the action of the force transmission component, the second oscillating gear swings upward to the first position and meshes with the first paper feeding gear. The first paper feeding gear rotates clockwise, and the paper feeding roller gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear and the second paper feeding gear both rotate counterclockwise. The toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise, the paper tray approaches the paper feeding wheel, and the paper blocking rod starts to fall. In the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller, the motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first oscillating gear to rotate clockwise, the first oscillating gear to rotate counterclockwise, and the second oscillating gear to rotate clockwise. Under the action of the force transmission component, the second oscillating gear swings to a lower second position, disengaging from the first paper feeding gear and meshing with a toothed gear. The toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, and the cam pushes the paper tray outward, causing the paper tray to begin to move away from the paper feeding wheel. This drives the paper blocking rod to rise and retract, preventing multiple sheets from being fed. The second paper feeding gear rotates clockwise, the first paper feeding gear rotates counterclockwise, and the paper feeding roller gear meshing with the first paper feeding gear rotates clockwise. However, the one-way mechanism prevents the paper feeding wheel from rotating clockwise. In the initial stage of the paper feeding state of the conveyor roller, it is called the "paper feeding wheel follower state". In this state, the paper feeding wheel is not in contact with the paper and moves with the paper.

[0150] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described above.

[0151] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described above.

[0152] In existing printers, the paper tray has two sliding paper guides (also called paper edge positioners or side paper guides) to limit the movement of paper of different sizes. The feed roller is positioned in the middle, and the paper tray and the feed roller remain in close contact during paper feeding. However, in this invention, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, only one paper gauge 14 is provided, which can slide left and right on the paper tray 13 (the paper tray 13 has guide grooves that match the paper gauge 14). The paper feed roller 12 is placed on the right side, which saves space by eliminating one paper gauge 14, which is beneficial for printer miniaturization. Moreover, saving one paper gauge 14 can also reduce costs. However, this invention still aims to adapt to different paper sizes while miniaturizing and reducing costs. Therefore, the paper feed roller 12 of this invention is offset from the center of the paper feed roller 29 and installed on the right side of the paper feed roller 29 (that is, when paper is loaded and the paper gauge 14 is stuck at the edge of the paper, the paper feed roller 12 is installed on the side of the center of the paper feed roller 29 away from the paper gauge 14). This right-biased placement of the paper feed roller 12 has little impact on small paper sizes, but for larger paper sizes, the right-biased placement of the paper feed roller will cause problems with the paper feed roller. This results in highly uneven friction, leading to a serious problem of paper skew (distorted paper). However, this invention addresses this issue by incorporating a mechanism that avoids interference, including the timing and control logic for the reverse and forward rotation of the conveyor roller 15 and the conveyor roller pressure roller 16, the conveyor roller gear 6, the oscillating gear set, the toothed gear 18 and its cam 19, the mechanism for pushing open the paper tray 13, and the one-way mechanism in the paper feed roller. This ensures that when the front end of one side of the paper reaches the conveyor roller first, the paperboard and the paper feed roller separate, creating an opportunity for the lagging side of the paper to be corrected. In fact, even for a structure with the paper feed roller in the middle, uneven wear and aging of the paper feed roller surface can lead to uneven frictional driving force on both sides of the paper feed roller, causing the paper to skew. Therefore, there is a need to correct skew for both centrally located and offset paper feed rollers. This skew correction is crucial for printers, especially inkjet printers, as it directly affects the print quality of the image.

[0153] Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the paper blocking bar is gradually retracted during the paper feeding state of the paper feed roller, which can effectively prevent multiple sheets from being fed.

[0154] Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the multi-mechanical component linkage structure reliably realizes the working state switching mechanism. This mechanism can switch between the paper feeding state of the paper feed roller and the paper conveying roller of the printer. The structure is simple and does not require excessive intervention from the main control board and sensors (the sensors and the main control board only need to provide, for example, the paper tip position and the current paper printing end signal, and the main control board only needs to issue, for example, a signal to control the motor to reverse). The switching can be reliably realized through the mechanical structure.

[0155] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

[0156] Unless otherwise described to the contrary, the description of features or aspects in each embodiment is to be considered applicable to similar features or aspects in other embodiments.

[0157] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings have been described, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, this specific language is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which should be interpreted as including all embodiments that would normally appear to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, unless an element is specifically described as “essential” or “critical,” no element or module is essential to the implementation of the invention.

[0158] While exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications, refinements, and variations to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. However, it should be understood that such modifications, refinements, and variations will still fall within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0159] Finally, unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by the context, the steps of all methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order.

Claims

1. A printing media feeding mechanism for a printer, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism includes: An electric motor is used to drive the conveyor rollers to rotate via gears; The conveying roller is fixed together with the conveying roller gear; The conveying roller gear rotates clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the motor, and the conveying roller gear meshes with the first oscillating gear; The frame, and the conveyor rollers are mounted on the frame; The oscillating gear assembly includes a first oscillating gear, a second oscillating gear, an oscillating gear bracket, and a force transmission member disposed between the first oscillating gear and the oscillating gear bracket. The first oscillating gear causes the oscillating gear bracket to oscillate through the friction between itself and the force transmission member. The axis of the second oscillating gear can move between a first position and a second position as the oscillating gear bracket oscillates. The first paper feeding gear meshes with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the first position. The toothed gear meshes with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the second position. The paper feed roller gear is fixed at the end of the paper feed roller and meshes with the first paper feed gear.

2. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The force transmission component is a spring, and the end of the spring is provided with a protruding key that is parallel to the axis of the spring or at an angle less than a predetermined angle. The outer edge of the swing gear bracket is provided with a notch, and the notch of the swing gear bracket accommodates the protruding key of the spring.

3. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism also includes a gear cover plate. When the swinging part of the swinging gear bracket contacts the upper limit part of the gear cover plate, the second swinging gear is in the first position; when the swinging part of the swinging gear bracket contacts the lower limit part of the gear cover plate, the second swinging gear is in the second position.

4. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism further includes: The second paper feeding gear is positioned between the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear, and meshes with the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear respectively.

5. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism also includes a gear cover plate. The gear cover includes a first external paper feeding support column and a second paper feeding support column fixed thereon, and the frame includes the first paper feeding support column fixed thereon. The first paper feeding screw passes through the hole in the first paper feeding external support column of the gear cover plate and rotates into the hole in the first paper feeding support column of the frame. The first paper feeding external support column is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding support column. The first paper feeding gear is rotatably sleeved on the outer periphery of the first paper feeding external support column. The second paper feeding gear is rotatably mounted on the second paper feeding support column.

6. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The swing gear bracket includes a second swing support column with a hole in the middle. The second swing support column includes a snap-fit ​​structure, and the second swing gear is rotatably mounted on the second swing support column.

7. The printing media feeding mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The force transmission component is a spring, and the swing gear assembly also includes a first screw. The first screw passes through the hole of the swing gear bracket and is screwed into the hole of the frame, thereby compressing the spring. The frictional force between the force transmission component and the swing gear bracket caused by the rotation of the first swing gear is configured to be greater than the frictional force between the first screw and the swing gear bracket, so that the first swing gear can drive the swing gear bracket to swing.

8. The printing media feeding mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The force transmission component is a spring. The gear cover plate includes a cover plate bracket support column fixedly mounted thereon. A first swing gear is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column. The cover plate bracket support column passes through a hole in the gear bracket support column of the swing gear bracket and a hole in the first swing gear, and abuts against the side wall of the frame. The end edge of the cover plate bracket support column has a snap-fit ​​structure that contacts the first swing gear. This structure is used to restrict the first swing gear, the spring, and the swing gear bracket between the snap-fit ​​and the inner wall of the gear cover plate and to compress the spring. This configures the frictional force between the force transmission component and the swing gear bracket caused by the rotation of the first swing gear to be greater than the frictional force between the gear cover plate and the swing gear bracket, so that the first swing gear can drive the swing gear bracket to swing.

9. The printing media feeding mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The force transmission component includes a slider and a spring. The slider has an inclined surface near the end of the first swing gear, and the first swing gear has a groove that engages with the inclined surface of the slider. The gear cover plate includes a cover plate bracket support column fixedly mounted thereon. A first swing gear is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the cover plate bracket support column. The cover plate bracket support column passes through a hole in the swing gear bracket and a hole in the first swing gear, and abuts against the side wall of the frame. The end edge of the cover plate bracket support column is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure that contacts the first swing gear. This structure is used to restrict the first swing gear, the force transmission component, and the swing gear bracket between the snap-fit ​​and the inner wall of the gear cover plate and to compress the spring. This allows the force transmission component to contact the first swing gear and the swing gear bracket with a tightness that allows the first swing gear to rotate while generating friction when the first swing gear rotates, which in turn drives the swing gear bracket to swing.

10. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism further includes a conveying driven roller assembly, which includes a conveying roller pressure roller disposed above the conveying roller and rotates together with the conveying roller to jointly transport the printing media downstream or impede the printing media from flowing downstream.

11. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism includes a paper feed roller, which includes a paper feed roller gear, an active paper feed roller, a paper feed wheel, a passive paper feed roller, and a separation slider. The paper feed roller gear is fixedly connected to the active paper feed roller, and the active paper feed roller drives the passive paper feed roller through the separation slider.

12. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism further includes a paper tray and a paper feed roller. The paper tray includes a contact element located near a toothed gear, and a cam is provided on the toothed gear. When the toothed gear rotates counterclockwise, the cam presses against the contact element, causing the paper tray to rotate clockwise and separate from the feed roller, thereby compressing the paper tray spring; when the toothed gear rotates clockwise, the cam separates from the contact element, causing the elastic force of the paper tray spring to rotate the paper tray counterclockwise, thereby bringing the paper tray closer to the feed roller.

13. The printing media feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism also includes a paper tray and a paper shielding component. The paper tray includes an actuating element and a tray body, the actuating element protruding downward from the tray body; The paper shielding component includes a paper shielding rod, a force-bearing component, and a paper shielding component pivot. The paper tray's actuating component can raise and lower the force-bearing component of the paper shielding component, thereby causing the paper shielding rod to rise and fall.

14. A printing media feeding mechanism for a printer, characterized in that, The printing media feeding mechanism includes: An electric motor is used to drive the conveyor roller gears to rotate via gears; The conveying roller is fixed together with the conveying roller gear; The conveying roller gear rotates clockwise or counterclockwise according to the driving direction of the motor, and the conveying roller gear meshes with the first oscillating gear; The oscillating gear assembly includes a first oscillating gear, a second oscillating gear, an oscillating gear bracket, and a force transmission member disposed between the first oscillating gear and the oscillating gear bracket. The first oscillating gear causes the oscillating gear bracket to oscillate through the friction between itself and the force transmission member. The axis of the second oscillating gear can move between a first position and a second position as the oscillating gear bracket oscillates. The first paper feeding gear meshes with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the first position. The toothed gear meshes with the second oscillating gear when the second oscillating gear is in the second position. The second paper feeding gear is disposed between the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear, and meshes with the first paper feeding gear and the toothed gear respectively; The paper feed roller gear meshes with the first paper feed gear.

15. A printer, characterized in that, The printer includes a printing media feeding mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-14, and the printer further includes: Inkjet head, used to spray ink onto printing media; The print head drive mechanism is used to move the inkjet head left and right during the printing process to complete the printing action; Printhead scraper, used to clean the inkjet head.

16. A method for feeding printing media, characterized in that, The method includes: After receiving the print command, the control motor drives the conveyor roller gear meshing with the first swing gear to rotate counterclockwise. The printer then enters the paper feeding state. The paper feeding roller rotates counterclockwise, while the toothed gear and its cam rotate clockwise, causing the paper tray to approach the paper feeding roller. The paper feeding roller rubs the paper to feed it. When the front end of the paper reaches the paper tip detection mechanism, a signal is triggered to start timing, and the printer enters the "paper feeding roller paper feeding conveyor roller paper blocking state" in the paper feeding state. The conveyor roller continues to rotate counterclockwise, while the conveyor roller pressure roller rotates clockwise. The conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller block the paper from moving forward, which is used to correct paper skew. After a preset time, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the paper feeding state ends, and the printer enters the paper feeding roller state. When the paper is being fed by the conveyor roller, the conveyor roller gear rotates clockwise, the front end of the paper enters and passes through the gap between the conveyor roller and the conveyor roller pressure roller, the toothed gear and its cam rotate counterclockwise, and the paper tray begins to move away from the paper feed roller.

Images