Sheet supply device and recording device

Abstract

To provide a sheet supply device that can supply a sheet in a direction which is not a winding direction of the sheet of a roll sheet.SOLUTION: A sheet supply device 200 comprises a support part that rotatably supports a roll sheet, a first supply path 50a through which a sheet 1 is supplied from the roll sheet supported by the support part, and a conveying path 300a through which the sheet 1 supplied from the first supply path is conveyed, which further comprises a second supply path 60a through which the sheet 1 is supplied from the roll sheet supported by the support part, where the sheet 1 supplied through the second supply path 60a is conveyed through the conveyance path 300.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet supplying device that pulls out and supplies a sheet from a roll sheet around which the sheet is wound, and a recording apparatus that includes the sheet supplying device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus that records an image or the like on a sheet as a recording material is provided with a sheet feeder that rotatably supports a rolled sheet and supplies the sheet. Before the sheet feeder supplies the sheet, an operator sets the rolled sheet in the sheet feeder.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a contact body that contacts the rolled sheet from below in the vertical direction pulls out the sheet from the rolled sheet and transports the sheet along a guide section. The guide section is provided below the rolled sheet so as to extend downstream in the sheet transport direction from the contact body, and the leading edge of the sheet separated from the rolled sheet is supplied to a sheet supply section along the guide section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-104665 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, the above-mentioned configuration is based on the premise that the sheet is supplied from a roll sheet that is wound so that the recording surface (print surface) on which an image is recorded faces outward (hereinafter, referred to as an outwardly wound roll sheet). Therefore, when the sheet is supplied from a roll sheet that is wound so that the recording surface faces inward (hereinafter, referred to as an inwardly wound roll sheet), it is difficult to lead the leading edge of the sheet to the supply path, resulting in poor operability and transportability.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet supplying device capable of supplying a sheet regardless of the winding direction of the roll sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the sheet feeding device of the present invention comprises: A support portion that rotatably supports the roll sheet; a first supply path through which a sheet is supplied from a roll sheet supported by the support portion; a conveying path that conveys the sheet supplied from the first supply path, a second supply path through which a sheet is supplied from the roll sheet supported by the support portion; The transport path transports the sheet supplied from the second supply path. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet supplying device that can supply a sheet regardless of the winding direction of the roll sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet transport path according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a spool member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet supply unit for outer winding according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of an equalizing mechanism of a sheet supplying section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a supplying device in which a small diameter roll is set according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an inner wrapping sheet supply section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a supply device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control configuration of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart of a sheet feeding method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of sheet supply according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a supply device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a separation flapper according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet transport path according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet supplying section according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an inner wrapping sheet supply unit according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a supplying device in which a small diameter roll is set according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a control configuration of a printing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 19] 13 is a flowchart of a sheet feeding method according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet supplying section according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 21] 13 is a flowchart of a sheet feeding method according to a sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiment may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. In other words, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0011] First Embodiment First, a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As an example of the recording apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with a sheet supplying device for supplying a sheet as a print medium and a printing section (recording section) for printing an image on the sheet will be described. In this specification, "ink" is used as a general term for liquid such as recording liquid.

[0012] (Printing device 100) First, the configuration of a printing device 100, which is a recording device according to the first embodiment, will be described. Figures 1(a) and (b) are perspective views of the printing device 100, into which a roll sheet R, which is a sheet 1 wound in a roll shape, can be set. The printing device 100 includes a supply device 200 in which the roll sheet R is set and which supplies the sheet 1, a paper discharge guide section 500 configured to be openable and closable on the front side of the printing device 100, and a winding device 600 that winds up the sheet 1 on which an image has been printed.

[0013] Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of the printing device 100 in a state in which the paper discharge guide section 500 is closed and a printing operation (recording operation) can be performed. Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view of the printing device 100 in a state in which the paper discharge guide section 500 is open and a user can access the supply device 200 from the front of the printing device 100 and set a roll sheet R. Note that in each drawing, the width direction (left-right direction) of the printing device 100 is the X-axis direction, and the front and rear directions of the printing device 100 are the same. The X-axis direction is appropriately indicated as the Y-axis direction, and the gravity direction is appropriately indicated as the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are mutually perpendicular. The rolled sheet R is supported by the printing device 100 so that the width direction (axial direction) of the rolled sheet R is parallel to the width direction (X-axis direction) of the printing device 100.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1(b), both the supply device 200 and the winding device 600 are provided on the front side of the printing device 100. The supply device 200 is located above the winding device 600. In the printing device 100, a sheet 1 is pulled out from a roll sheet R supported by the supply device 200 provided on the front side and is supplied toward the printing section 400 (see Fig. 2(a) etc.) at the rear. Then, the sheet 1 on which an image has been printed by the printing section 400 passes through a paper discharge guide section 500 and is wound up by the winding device 600 provided on the front side of the printing device 100.

[0015] In the printing device 100, an image is printed on a sheet 1 selectively drawn out from a roll sheet R set in a supply device 200. Using various switches and the like provided on an operation panel 28 provided on the front side of the printing device 100, a user can input various commands to the printing device 100, such as specifying the size of the sheet 1 and switching between online and offline.

[0016] The supply device 200 of the first embodiment has a support unit on which both the outer wound roll sheet R1 and the inner wound roll sheet R2 can be set. The supply device 200 is a sheet supply device that can pull out and supply a sheet 1 from the outer wound roll sheet R1 or the inner wound roll sheet R2 supported by the support unit. The outer wound roll sheet R1 is a roll sheet R that is wound so that the print surface P is located on the outer side in the radial direction of the roll. The inner wound roll sheet R2 is a roll sheet R that is wound so that the print surface P is located on the center side (inner side) in the radial direction of the roll.

[0017] 2(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views of the main parts of the printing device 100, showing the conveying path of the sheet 1. FIG. 2(a) shows how the sheet 1 pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 is fed and conveyed. FIG. 2(b) shows how the sheet 1 pulled out from the inner wound roll sheet R2 is fed and conveyed. The printing device 100 further includes a conveying section 300 (conveying mechanism) that conveys the sheet 1 supplied from the supplying device 200, and a printing section 400 that prints an image on the sheet 1 conveyed from the conveying section 300. The supplying device 200 and the winding device 600 are positioned vertically below the conveying section 300 and the printing section 400. The sheet 1 supplied from the supplying device 200 is wound by the winding device 600 via the conveying section 300, the printing section 400, and the paper discharge guide section 500. In the first embodiment, the supply device 200 and the transport section 300 are described separately, but the transport section 300 can also be considered as a transport mechanism of the supply device 200, which is a sheet supply device.

[0018] The supply device 200 is provided with a first sheet supply section 50 for pulling out the sheet 1 from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and supplying it, and a second sheet supply section 60 for pulling out the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 and supplying it. The first sheet supply section 50 for outward winding is located vertically below the center of rotation of the rolled sheet R set in the supply device 200, and pulls out the sheet 1 from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and supplies it to the conveying section 300. At this time, the sheet 1 is guided by the conveying guide 12 and conveyed to the printing section 400 by the conveying section 300. The second sheet supply section 60 for inward winding is located vertically above the center of rotation of the rolled sheet R set in the supply device 200, and pulls out the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 and supplies it to the conveying section 300. At this time, the sheet 1 is guided by the conveying guide 61 and conveyed to the printing section 400 by the conveying section 300.

[0019] An axis-shaped spool member 2 is inserted and attached into the hollow hole of the rolled sheet R, and the rolled sheet R is supported by the supplying device 200 via the spool member 2. The spool member 2 is attached to the rolled sheet R so as to protrude from both ends of the rolled sheet R in the axial direction. When the spool member 2 is set in the supplying device 200, it is connected to a drive source such as a roll drive motor and driven to rotate forward and backward. Then, the center of the rolled sheet R is held by The spool member 2 is supported by the supply device 200 so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions integrally with the rolled sheet R. In Fig. 2(a), the direction of an arrow C1 is shown as a first direction in which the rolled sheet R rotates, and the direction of an arrow C2 is shown as a second direction in which the rolled sheet R rotates.

[0020] The first sheet supply unit 50 for outer winding includes a drive unit 3, an arm member (guide member) 4 that rotates about a rotation shaft 5, a swinging member 7, driven rotors (contact bodies) 8 and 9, a separation flapper 10 that rotates about a rotation shaft 11, and a first sheet detection sensor 6. The second sheet supply unit 60 for inner winding includes a supply guide 69 that guides the sheet 1 from below, a conveyance guide 61 that is located downstream of the supply guide 69 in the sheet conveyance direction and guides both sides of the sheet 1, and a second sheet detection sensor 67. Detailed configurations of the first sheet supply unit 50 and the second sheet supply unit 60 will be described later.

[0021] The conveying section 300 includes a conveying guide 12, a conveying roller 14, a nip roller 15, and a third sheet detection sensor 16. The conveying guide 12 guides both sides of the sheet 1 drawn from the roll sheet R supported by the support section (roll set section) of the supply device 200, while guiding the sheet 1 to the print section 400. The conveying roller 14 is rotated forward and backward in the directions of arrows D1 and D2 (see FIG. 2(a)) by a roller drive motor 35 (see FIG. 9). The nip roller 15 can be rotated in response to the rotation of the conveying roller 14, and can be moved toward and away from the conveying roller 14 by a nip roller separation motor (not shown), and the nip force can be adjusted. The conveying roller 14 is rotated when the third sheet detection sensor 16 detects the leading edge of the sheet 1. The conveying speed of the sheet 1 by the conveying roller 14 is set higher than the drawing speed of the sheet 1 by the rotation of the roll sheet R. That is, the sheet 1 is applied with back tension and conveyed in a taut state in the conveying direction, which prevents the sheet 1 from sagging and suppresses the occurrence of creases in the sheet 1 and conveying errors.

[0022] The printing section 400 includes a print head 18, a platen 17, a suction fan 19, and a cutter 20. The platen 17 adsorbs the back surface (the surface opposite to the print surface P) of the sheet 1 through suction holes provided in the platen 17 by using negative pressure generated by the suction fan 19. This restricts the position of the sheet 1 to fit along the platen 17, and an image is printed on the sheet 1 with high precision by the print head 18. The cutter 20 is located downstream of the print head 18 in the conveying direction of the sheet 1, and is configured to be able to cut the sheet 1 on which the image has been printed.

[0023] The paper discharge guide section 500 includes a paper discharge guide 91 and a rotating shaft 92. The paper discharge guide 91 is a guide member that guides the back surface (the surface opposite to the printed surface P) of the sheet 1 pulled out of the printing section 400 while guiding the sheet 1 to the winding device 600. The sheet 1 pulled out of the printing section 400 passes outside the printing device 100 and is wound up by the winding device 600 by the paper discharge guide 91. The paper discharge guide 91 is configured to be rotatable about the rotating shaft 92. With this configuration, when the roll sheet R is attached to or detached from the supplying device 200, the paper discharge guide 91 is rotated and retracted upward, so that the roll sheet R can be attached or detached without interfering with the paper discharge guide section 500.

[0024] (Spool member 2) Next, a description will be given of the spool member 2 that is attached to the rolled sheet R when the rolled sheet R is set in the supplying device 200. Figures 3(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) are explanatory diagrams of the spool member 2.

[0025] FIG. 3(a) is an exploded view of the rolled sheet R and the spool member 2. FIG. 3(b) is a view showing a state in which the spool member 2 is attached to the rolled sheet R. The spool member 2 includes a spool shaft 21, a friction member 22, a reference flange 23, a non-reference flange 24, and a spool shaft 25. A reference flange 23 is provided at one axial end of the spool shaft 21, and a spool gear 25 for rotating the spool shaft 21 is provided at the other end opposite to the one end. The axial reference side of the spool member 2 on which the reference flange 23 is provided is the side that serves as the reference for axial positioning of the roll sheet R and the spool member 2 with respect to the supply device 200.

[0026] The reference flange 23 and the non-reference flange 24 are provided with a friction member 22 that comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the rolled sheet R. The non-reference flange 24 is configured to be detachable from the spool shaft 21 together with the friction member 22. When the spool member 2 is attached to the rolled sheet R, the friction member 22 is located between the reference flange 23 and the non-reference flange 24 in the axial direction of the spool member 2, and the spool gear 25 is located at the end of the non-reference flange 24 on the non-reference side.

[0027] The outer diameters of the reference flange 23 and the non-reference flanges 24 are formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R. With one end of the rolled sheet R abutting against the reference flange 23 and the other end of the rolled sheet R abutting against the non-reference flange 24, the spool member 2 is attached to the rolled sheet R.

[0028] When attaching the spool member 2 to the roll sheet R, with the non-reference flange 24 that fits onto the spool shaft 21 removed, the spool shaft 21 is inserted into the hollow hole portion of the roll sheet R. Since the outer diameter of the spool shaft 21 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow hole portion of the roll sheet R and a gap is formed between the spool shaft 21 and the roll sheet R, the user can insert the spool shaft 21 into the roll sheet R with only a slight force.

[0029] When the spool shaft 21 is inserted into the rolled sheet R and one end of the rolled sheet R abuts against the reference flange 23, the friction member 22 located axially inside the reference flange 23 is fitted into the hollow hole portion of the rolled sheet R. Then, the friction member 22 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the rolled sheet R, and the reference flange 23 is fixed to the rolled sheet R. Thereafter, the non-reference flange 24 is passed through the spool shaft 21, and the other end of the rolled sheet R is abutted against the non-reference flange 24, whereby the friction member 22 located axially inside the non-reference flange 24 is fitted into the hollow hole portion of the rolled sheet R. Then, the non-reference flange 24 is fixed to the rolled sheet R, and the spool member 2 is attached to the rolled sheet R, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0030] As described above, both the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 can be set in the supplying device 200, and both rolled sheets R are attached to the supplying device 200 via the spool member 2. FIG. 3(c) is a perspective view showing how the sheet 1 is pulled out from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 set in the supplying device 200. FIG. 3(d) is a perspective view showing how the sheet 1 is pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 set in the supplying device 200. FIG. 3(e) is a cross-sectional view showing how the sheet 1 is pulled out from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 set in the supplying device 200. FIG. 3(f) is a cross-sectional view showing how the sheet 1 is pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 set in the supplying device 200.

[0031] In the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, the sheet 1 is wound so that the print surface P faces outward. When the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is set in the supply device 200, the sheet 1 is pulled out from below in the vertical direction with respect to the center of rotation of the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and supplied to the conveying section 300. In the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, the sheet 1 is wound so that the print surface P faces inward. When the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is set in the supply device 200, the sheet 1 is pulled out from below in the vertical direction with respect to the center of rotation of the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and supplied to the conveying section 300. In other words, no matter which roll sheet R is set, Even when the sheet 1 is fed, the sheet 1 is pulled out from the roll sheet R and fed so that the print surface P faces vertically downward.

[0032] The supply device 200 includes a drive gear 30, a spool holder 31, and a roll sensor 32. FIG. 3(g) is a diagram showing how the end of the spool member 2 is fitted into the spool holder 31 of the support portion of the supply device 200. The spool holder 31 is provided at a position corresponding to each of both ends of the spool shaft 21 in the axial direction. The inner surface of the spool holder 31 is formed in a U-shape, and the end of the spool shaft 21 can be fitted into it from the opening side. When the spool member 2 is fitted into the spool holder 31, the spool gear 25 is connected to a roll drive motor 33, which is a drive source, via a drive gear 30 provided in the supply device 200. The roll drive motor 33 rotates the roll sheet R together with the spool member 2, thereby enabling the supply operation of the sheet 1. The roll sensor 32 detects the presence or absence of the roll sheet R at the support portion.

[0033] Next, a detailed configuration of the supply device 200, which is a sheet supply device that supplies the sheet 1 from the set roll sheet R, will be described. As described above, the supply device 200 has a first sheet supply section 50 that is a first supply section for supplying the sheet 1 from the outer wound roll sheet R1, and a second sheet supply section 60 that is a second supply section for supplying the sheet 1 from the inner wound roll sheet R2. The first sheet supply section 50 has a first supply path 50a to which the sheet 1 is supplied, and the second sheet supply section 60 has a second supply path 60a to which the sheet 1 is supplied. Both the first supply path 50a and the second supply path 60a are connected to the conveying path 300a of the conveying section 300, and the sheet 1 is supplied to the first supply path 50a or the second supply path 60a, and is supplied to the printing section 400 through the conveying path 300a.

[0034] (First sheet supply section 50) First, the first sheet supply unit 50 for pulling out and supplying the sheet 1 from the outer-wound rolled sheet R1 will be described. The first sheet supply unit 50 includes a drive unit 3 and an arm member 4 that can rotate about a rotation shaft 5 extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the rolled sheet R set in the supply device 200. The first sheet supply unit 50 further includes a swinging member 7 swingably supported by the arm member 4, driven rotors 8 and 9 supported by the swinging member 7 so as to be able to abut against the rolled sheet R, and a separation flapper 10 that can rotate about a rotation shaft 11 extending in a direction parallel to the rotation shaft 5. FIG. 4(a) is an explanatory diagram of the first sheet supply unit 50 for outer winding, and FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged view of the connection portion between the arm member 4 and the swinging member 7. The rolled sheet R shown in FIG. 4(a) is the outer-wound rolled sheet R1, and its outer diameter is relatively large.

[0035] [Arm member 4] The arm member 4 is configured to be rotatable in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 about a rotation axis 5, and is rotated by a drive unit 3. The arm member 4 has an axis portion 4a that engages with the swinging member 7, and a guide portion 4b that guides, from below, the sheet 1 pulled out from the roll sheet R. The guide portion 4b is formed on the upper portion of the arm member 4, and the arm member 4 functions as a guide member when the sheet 1 is supplied from the outer-wound roll sheet R1.

[0036] The driving unit 3 has a rotating cam 3a, a rotating shaft 3b that rotatably supports the rotating cam 3a, and a torsion coil spring 3c that presses the arm member 4 in response to the rotation of the rotating cam 3a. The torsion coil spring 3c is located between the arm member 4 and the rotating cam 3a of the driving unit 3, and presses the arm member 4 from below in the direction of arrow A1.

[0037] In the first sheet supplying section 50, the force with which the torsion coil spring 3c presses the arm member 4 in the direction of the arrow A1 changes as the rotating cam 3a is rotated by the cam drive motor 34 (see FIG. 9). The state can be changed to three levels: a strong nip state, a weak nip state, and a nip release state (separated state).

[0038] The strong nip state is a state in which arm member 4 is pressed by torsion coil spring 3c of drive unit 3 with a predetermined "strong nip pressing force," and driven rotors 8, 9 attached to the tip of arm member 4 via swing member 7 are in pressure contact with rolled sheet R. At this time, relatively large diameter portion 3a-1 of rotating cam 3a comes into contact with torsion coil spring 3c, the pressing force with which torsion coil spring 3c presses arm member 4 increases, and arm member 4 is pressed with the "strong nip pressing force."

[0039] The weak nip state is a state in which the arm member 4 is pressed by the torsion coil spring 3c of the drive unit 3 with a predetermined "weak nip pressing force," and the driven rotors 8, 9 are in pressure contact with the rolled sheet R. At this time, when the relatively small diameter portion 3a-2 of the rotating cam 3a comes into contact with the torsion coil spring 3c, the pressing force with which the torsion coil spring 3c presses the arm member 4 becomes smaller, and the arm member 4 is pressed with the "weak nip pressing force."

[0040] The separated state is a state in which the arm member 4 is not pressed by the torsion coil spring 3c, the driven rotors 8 and 9 are separated from the rolled sheet R, and the pressing force against the rolled sheet R is released. At this time, the flat portion 3a-3 of the rotating cam 3a contacts the torsion coil spring 3c, the arm member 4 is not pressed in the direction of the arrow A1 by the driving unit 3, and the pressing force is released.

[0041] The swinging member 7 is attached to the arm member 4 and is configured to be freely swingable relative to the arm member 4. The driven rotors 8 and 9 are rotatably attached to the swinging member 7, and the driven rotor 8 is positioned offset relative to the driven rotor 9 in the circumferential direction of the rolled sheet R. These driven rotors 8 and 9 are pressed against the outer periphery of the rolled sheet R from below in the vertical direction when the arm member 4 is pressed in the direction of arrow A1. Therefore, the drive unit 3 functions as a pressing mechanism that presses the arm member 4. The drive unit 3 also functions as a moving mechanism that moves the arm member 4 so as to move the driven rotors 8 and 9 closer to or away from the outer periphery of the rolled sheet R.

[0042] As described above, the driven rotors 8 and 9 are contact bodies that press against the outer periphery of the rolled sheet R from below the center of rotation of the rolled sheet R in the vertical direction. The pressure with which the driven rotors 8 and 9 press against the rolled sheet R varies depending on the pressure with which the drive unit 3 presses the arm member 4. When the arm member 4 is pressed by the "strong nip pressing force" and the first sheet supply unit 50 is in the strong nip state, the driven rotors 8 and 9 press against the rolled sheet R most strongly. When the arm member 4 is pressed by the "weak nip pressing force" and the first sheet supply unit 50 is in the weak nip state, the driven rotors 8 and 9 press against the rolled sheet R less strongly than when in the strong nip state. When the arm member 4 is not pressed and the first sheet supply unit 50 is in the nip release state, the driven rotors 8 and 9 move away from the rolled sheet R.

[0043] In the first embodiment, a plurality of oscillating members 7 are arranged side by side in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the rolled sheet R. Fig. 5(a) is a front view showing the plurality of oscillating members 7, and Fig. 5(b) is a top view showing the plurality of oscillating members 7. The oscillating members 7 have a bearing portion 7a and a shaft fastening portion 7b, and are supported by the arm member 4.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the bearing portion 7a contacts the shaft portion 4a from above in the vertical direction. The shaft fastening portion 7b is formed in a U-shape that is open at the top when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft portion 4a, with the shaft portion 4a located inside. When the oscillating member 7 is stably supported, the bearing portion 7a is provided so as to have a predetermined distance in the vertical and horizontal directions from the shaft portion 4a when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft portion 4a. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the oscillating member 7 is provided with two shaft fastening portions 7b, and the two shaft fastening portions 7b are fixed to the axis of the shaft portion 4a. The shaft fasteners 7b are disposed opposite each other in the axial direction and are located at both axial ends of the shaft 4a. With this configuration, the shaft fasteners 7b restrict the range of wobble of the shaft 4a and prevent the shaft 4a from coming off.

[0045] When the shaft portion 4a is received between the bearing portion 7a and the shaft fastener 7b, the shaft fastener 7b is elastically deformed so that the distance between the two shaft fasteners 7b located at both ends of the shaft portion 4a in the axial direction is increased. Then, the shaft portion 4a is received between the bearing portion 7a and the shaft fastener 7b in a state in which the distance between the two shaft fasteners 7b is longer than the entire length of the shaft portion 4a. With the shaft portion 4a positioned between the bearing portion 7a and the shaft fastener 7b, the shaft fastener 7b elastically restores its original shape, thereby preventing the shaft portion 4a from coming off the rocking member 7. The shaft fastener 7b can be formed, for example, from an elastically deformable resin material.

[0046] The bearing portion 7a is provided at the center of gravity of the swinging member 7, and is supported by the shaft portion 4a so that the swinging member 7 is in a stable position in each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. That is, as in the swinging member 7 shown on the left side of Fig. 5(a) and (b), the swinging member 7 is supported in a stable position in each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. In addition, since the shaft portion 4a is received with some play, the swinging member 7 is equalized to fit along the outer periphery of the rolled sheet R by the pressing force in the direction of arrow A1 against the arm member 4, as in the swinging member 7 shown on the right side of Fig. 5(a) and (b). This configuration (equalizing mechanism) allows the driven rotors 8 and 9 to change their pressing positions against the outer periphery of the rolled sheet R. As a result, the contact area between the sheet 1 and the driven rotors 8 and 9 is always kept maximum, and the pressing force against the sheet 1 is equalized, thereby suppressing variation in the conveying force of the sheet 1. The driven rotors 8 and 9 are pressed against the outer periphery of the roll sheet R, thereby suppressing the occurrence of slack in the sheet 1 and increasing the conveying force. The driven rotor 8 mainly contributes to increasing the conveying force of the sheet 1, and the driven rotor 9 mainly contributes to suppressing the occurrence of slack in the sheet 1.

[0047] The shaft portion 4a is a shaft with a circular cross section extending in the X-axis direction, and a groove with a U-shaped cross section that extends in the X-axis direction and is concave upward is formed on the lower surface of the bearing portion 7a. The upper portion of the shaft portion 4a and the groove in the lower portion of the bearing portion 7a fit stably together, and a force is applied to return the oscillating member 7 to a stable position.

[0048] The equalizing mechanism applied to the first sheet supply unit 50 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and other known mechanisms may be applied to allow changes in the pressing posture of the driven rotors 8, 9 against the outer periphery of the roll sheet R. In the first embodiment, the equalizing mechanism is provided at the connection between the swing member 7 and the arm member 4, but the equalizing mechanism may be provided at the connection between the arm member 4 and the transport guide 12.

[0049] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a plurality of oscillating members 7 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the rolled sheet R. In the width direction of the rolled sheet R, the position of the non-reference flanges 24 can change with respect to the position of the reference flange 23 as a reference depending on the width of the rolled sheet R. Therefore, when the rolled sheet R is set, if the non-reference flanges 24 are in a position that interferes with the oscillating members 7, the position of the non-reference flanges 24 is changed so that the non-reference flanges 24 are positioned between two adjacent oscillating members 7, for example. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the oscillating members 7 and the non-reference flanges 24.

[0050] [Separate Flapper 10] The separation flapper 10 has a driven roller 10a, a separating portion 10b, and a guide surface 10c, and is configured to be rotatable in the directions of arrows B1 and B2 about a rotating shaft 11. The separation flapper 10 is provided to separate the leading edge of the sheet from the outer wound roll sheet R1, and is attached to the main body (printer main body) of the printing device 100. The rotating shaft 11 is The separation flapper 10 is positioned above the arm member 4 and is configured to lightly press the rolled sheet R by its own weight. If it is necessary to press the rolled sheet R more strongly, a biasing member such as a spring that applies a biasing force may be provided.

[0051] The driven roller 10a is rotatably provided at the tip of the separation flapper 10 and abuts against the rolled sheet R. Since the rotatable driven roller 10a abuts against the rolled sheet R, the influence of the pressing force of the rolled sheet R by the separation flapper 10 on the sheet 1 is suppressed. The separation portion 10b is provided at the tip of the separation flapper 10 near the driven roller 10a. When the driven roller 10a abuts against the rolled sheet R, the separation portion 10b is formed so as to be as close as possible to the surface of the rolled sheet R. With this configuration, when the outer-wound rolled sheet R1 is set, the tip of the sheet 1 is easily separated from the outer-wound rolled sheet R1. The guide surface 10c is a surface of the separation flapper 10 facing downward, and guides the upper surface of the sheet 1 to be supplied. In other words, the separation flapper 10 also functions as a guide member that guides the sheet 1 when the sheet 1 is supplied.

[0052] [First supply path 50a] In the first embodiment, the first supply path 50a of the first sheet supply unit 50 is composed of the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10. The sheet 1 pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 passes over driven rotors 8 and 9 and is supplied to the first supply path 50a. The first supply path 50a is connected to a conveying path 300a formed by a conveying guide 12 of the conveying unit 300, and the sheet 1 is conveyed to the printing unit 400 through the first supply path 50a and the conveying path 300a.

[0053] The sheet 1 drawn out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 is supplied through the first supply path 50a formed by the separation flapper 10 and the arm member 4 while its lower surface is guided by the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4. The sheet supply port (entrance) of the first supply path 50a is located below the center of rotation of the roll sheet R supported by the supply device 200. In this manner, in the first sheet supply section 50, the driven rotors 8 and 9 press against the outer periphery of the outer wound roll sheet R1 from below, and the lower surface of the sheet 1 drawn out passing over the driven rotors 8 and 9 is guided by the guide portion 4b. This allows the sheet 1 to be smoothly supplied by utilizing the weight of the sheet 1. In addition, the driven rotors 8 and 9 and the guide portion 4b move according to the outer diameter of the outer wound roll sheet R1, so that the sheet 1 can be reliably drawn out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 and conveyed regardless of the outer diameter of the outer wound roll sheet R1.

[0054] The sheet 1 pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 passes under the guide surface 10c of the separation flapper 10, and then passes under the lower surface 12a of the conveying guide 12 of the conveying section 300. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 11, the guide surface 10c of the separation flapper 10 has a curved shape that follows a virtual circle centered on the rotating shaft 11. Also, the lower surface 12a is formed in a shape that follows a virtual circle centered on the rotating shaft 11 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 11. With this configuration, a supply path without a step is formed between the guide surface 10c and the lower surface 12a regardless of the rotation position of the separation flapper 10 in the directions of the arrows B1 and B2, and the occurrence of the leading end of the sheet 1 getting caught in the supply path is suppressed.

[0055] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the first sheet supplying section 50 for outward winding of the supplying device 200 in which a rolled sheet R having a relatively small outer diameter is set. The rolled sheet R shown in Fig. 6 is an outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, and its outer diameter is relatively small, smaller than the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R shown in Fig. 4(a).

[0056] The arm member 4 is constantly pressed in the direction of the arrow A1 by the torsion coil spring 3c. Therefore, the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 rotate in the direction of the arrow A1 in response to the reduction in the outer diameter of the outer-wound rolled sheet R1. The separation flapper 10 also always tries to rotate in the direction of the arrow B1 due to its own weight, so it rotates in the direction of the arrow B1 in response to the reduction in the outer diameter of the outer-wound rolled sheet R1. As a result, even if the outer diameter of the outer-wound rolled sheet R1 becomes small, a supply path for the sheet 1 is formed by the arm member 4, the separation flapper 10, and the conveying guide 12. The upper and lower surfaces of the sheet 1 are guided by the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4 and the guide surface 10c of the separation flapper 10. In this way, the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 are configured to be rotatable in response to the change in the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, so that a supply path of a substantially constant size is formed between them regardless of the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R. This allows the low-rigidity sheet 1 to be reliably supplied without buckling.

[0057] Furthermore, as the arm member 4 rotates in the direction of the arrow A1 in response to a decrease in the outer diameter of the outer wound rolled sheet R1, the driven rotors 8 and 9, which are contact bodies, are always in pressure contact with the outer wound rolled sheet R1. This prevents the sheet 1 from becoming loose, regardless of the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, and increases the conveying force of the sheet 1.

[0058] (Second sheet supply section 60) Next, a second sheet supply section 60 for pulling out and supplying the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 will be described. The second sheet supply section 60 includes a supply guide 69 located above the rolled sheet R set in the supply device 200, a transport guide 61 located downstream of the supply guide 69 in the supply direction of the sheet 1, and a second sheet detection sensor 67. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the second sheet supply section 60 for inward winding. The rolled sheet R shown in FIG. 7 is the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. In the first embodiment, the operation of pulling out the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is performed manually.

[0059] The supply guide 69 has a lower guide portion 69b that guides the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 from below when the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is manually supplied to the conveying guide 61. That is, the user pulls the sheet 1 upward from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 and supplies it onto the supply guide 69. On the other hand, the upper part of the supply guide 69 is open, and a space is formed for the user to manually supply the sheet 1. With this configuration, the supply guide 69 becomes a place for the hand when the user manually feeds the sheet 1 while holding it down, and the user can easily feed the sheet. That is, the second sheet supply unit 60 is configured to be excellent in operability when the user manually supplies the sheet 1. Note that a driven roller member may be provided in the lower guide portion 69b in order to improve the slidability of the surface of the supply guide 69 and reduce the operating force when the user feeds the sheet 1.

[0060] In the supply direction of the sheet 1, a driven roller 69a is provided at the upstream end of the supply guide 69. The driven roller 69a is provided so as to be rotatable in accordance with the movement of the sheet 1, and reduces the operating force required when the user feeds the sheet 1 into the conveying guide 61. When the printing device 100 pulls the rolled sheet R for printing or the like, the sheet 1 is pressed strongly against the supply guide 69 and the driven roller 69a, but the smooth rotation of the driven roller 69a prevents the surface of the sheet 1 from rubbing strongly against the supply guide 69. In addition, the driven roller 69a can suppress damage to the sheet 1 that may occur during a printing operation or the like. Furthermore, the driven roller 69a protrudes from the supply guide 69 upstream in the supply direction of the sheet 1 (Y-axis direction), and prevents the sheet 1 from rubbing strongly against the supply guide 69 even when the remaining amount of the rolled sheet R decreases and the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R becomes smaller. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the sheet 1 regardless of the remaining amount or outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, and improves the conveyance of the sheet 1.

[0061] The conveying guide 61 includes an upper guide portion 61a positioned vertically above the sheet 1 being supplied and a lower guide portion 61b positioned vertically below the sheet 1 being supplied, and forms a supply path for the sheet 1. By configuring the sheet 1 to be guided from both sides in the vertical direction, the sheet 1 is not buckled even if the sheet 1 has low rigidity, and the sheet 1 is more reliably guided to the printing unit 400. The lower guide portion 61b is smoothly connected to the lower guide portion 69b of the supply guide 69, and the sheet 1 is conveyed without getting caught at the boundary between the supply guide 69 and the conveying guide 61.

[0062] A second sheet detection sensor 67 for inward winding is provided in the conveying guide 61, and the second sheet supply unit 60 is configured to be able to detect when the leading edge of the sheet 1 has passed through the conveying guide 61. The second sheet detection sensor 67 may be a reflective photoelectric sensor or a lever member. When a lever member is used for the second sheet detection sensor 67, the sensor detects the rotational movement of the lever member provided in the conveying guide 61 when it comes into contact with the sheet 1, thereby making it possible to reliably detect the presence or absence of the sheet 1 regardless of the surface color of the sheet 1. Based on the detection results of the second sheet detection sensor 67 for inward winding and the first sheet detection sensor 6 for outward winding, the CPU 201 can identify whether the roll sheet R set in the printing device 100 is an outwardly wound roll sheet R1 or an inwardly wound roll sheet R2.

[0063] [Second supply path 60a] The second supply path 60a of the second sheet supply section 60, to which the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 set in the supply device 200 is supplied, is composed of a supply guide 69 and a conveying guide 61. Specifically, the second supply path 60a is composed of a lower guide portion 69b of the supply guide 69, a lower guide portion 61b of the conveying guide 61, and an upper guide portion 61a of the conveying guide 61. The second supply path 60a is connected to a conveying path 300a, and the sheet 1 is conveyed to the printing section 400 through the second supply path 60a and the conveying path 300a. In addition, the sheet supply port (entrance) of the second supply path 60a is located above the center of rotation of the rolled sheet R supported by the supply device 200.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a front view of the supply device 200 as viewed from the Y-axis direction. FIG. 8 shows the supply device 200 in a state in which the roll sheet R and the spool member 2 are not set. The supply device 200 of the first embodiment includes a plurality of supply guides 69 and transport guides 61. The plurality of supply guides 69 and transport guides 61 provided above the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 are arranged so as to be aligned side by side in the width direction (X-axis direction). The supply guides 69 and transport guides 61 are arranged so as to cover the entire width of the roll sheet R that can be set in the printing device 100. This allows the roll sheet R to be guided to the supply guide 69 while holding the vicinity of both ends in the width direction with hands, regardless of the width length of the roll sheet R, and allows the user to supply the sheet 1 with good workability.

[0065] In the width direction (X-axis direction) of the supply device 200, the first sheet detection sensor 6 and the second sheet detection sensor 67 are provided at one end of the reference side of the conveyance guide 61. By providing the first sheet detection sensor 6 and the second sheet detection sensor 67 on the reference side that serves as a reference for positioning the rolled sheet R in the width direction, the presence or absence of the sheet 1 can be reliably detected even when a narrow rolled sheet R is set.

[0066] A plurality of separation flappers 10 are provided vertically below the supply guide 69. A plurality of separation flappers 10 are arranged in the width direction of the supply device 200. The separation flappers 10 are provided at positions corresponding to the width direction ends of rolled sheets R of major sizes. This makes it possible to handle rolled sheets R of various sizes by guiding the curled end portions of the rolled sheets R and delivering the sheet 1 to the conveying guide 12. The arm member 4 also A plurality of arm members 4 are disposed in the width direction of the rolled sheet R. The arm members 4 are disposed so as to avoid interference with the non-reference flanges 24 when a rolled sheet R of a major size is set.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the supply guide 69 and the transport guide 61 are made of resin and are arranged in a divided manner so that they can be formed to a size compatible with an injection molding machine. However, application of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and the supply guide 69 and the transport guide 61 may be a single part that penetrates in the width direction, and may be made of aluminum extrusion or sheet metal.

[0068] (Control Configuration) Next, the control configuration of the printing apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system in the printing apparatus 100. The control unit of the printing apparatus 100 includes a CPU 201, a RAM 203, and a ROM 204. The CPU 201 controls each unit of the printing apparatus 100 including the supply device 200, the conveying unit 300, and the printing unit 400 according to a control program stored in the ROM 204. The type, width, and various setting information of the sheet 1 are input to the CPU 201 from the operation panel 28 via the input interface 202. The CPU 201 also writes and reads information about the sheet 1 to and from the RAM 203.

[0069] The CPU 201 drives, for example, a roll drive motor 33 that rotates the rolled sheet R in the forward and reverse directions, a cam drive motor 34 that rotates the rotating cam 3a that presses the arm member 4, and a roller drive motor 35 that rotates the transport roller 14 in the forward and reverse directions. The CPU 201 also drives the rotation mechanisms and the like of each part of the printing apparatus 100 based on information detected by various sensors. The various sensors include the roll sensor 32 of the supply device 200, the first sheet detection sensor 6 of the first sheet supply section 50, the second sheet detection sensor 67 of the second sheet supply section 60, and the third sheet detection sensor 16 of the transport section 300.

[0070] (Sheet supply method) Next, a method for feeding the sheet 1 in the feeding device 200 will be described in more detail with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure for feeding the sheet 1. Steps S1 to S14 are steps for feeding the sheet 1 from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, and steps S1 to S4 and steps S15 to S24 are steps for feeding the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0071] First, an example will be described in which the outer-wound roll sheet R1 is set in the supply device 200 and the sheet 1 is supplied. To set the outer-wound roll sheet R1 in the supply device 200, the user opens the discharge guide 91, which is a dust roll cover for the roll sheet R (step S1). At this time, the first sheet supply section 50 for outer winding is in a weak nip state, and the arm member 4 is waiting in a state pressed in the direction of the arrow A1 by the "pressing force of the weak nip". Then, the outer-wound roll sheet R1 with the spool member 2 attached is set in the supply device 200 (step S2). The roll sensor 32 detects that the outer-wound roll sheet R1 has been set.

[0072] After the outer wound roll sheet R1 is set, the user manually rotates the outer wound roll sheet R1 in the direction of the arrow C1 to insert the leading end of the sheet 1 into the sheet supply opening between the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 (step S3). When manually rotating the roll sheet R, it is easier to rotate the reference flange 23 or the non-reference flange 24. When inserting the sheet 1 into the sheet supply opening of the first sheet supply unit 50, the outer wound roll sheet R1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow C2 to remove any slack in the sheet 1, and then the outer wound roll sheet R1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow C3 to insert the leading end of the sheet 1 into the sheet supply opening of the first sheet supply unit 50. It is preferable that the lens be rotated in the direction indicated by the mark C1.

[0073] After the sheet 1 pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 is inserted into the sheet supply port of the first sheet supply unit 50 and supplied to the first supply path 50a, the sheet 1 is detected by the first sheet detection sensor 6 (step S4). When the sheet 1 is inserted to a position where it is detected by the first sheet detection sensor 6 (YES in step S4), the CPU 201 of the printing apparatus 100 displays a message "Please close the paper discharge guide" on the display unit of the operation panel 28 (step S5).

[0074] When the user closes the discharge guide 91 in response to the message displayed on the operation panel 28 (step S6), the CPU 201 locks the spool shaft 21 by the locking mechanism so that the spool shaft 21 does not rise up from the spool holder 31 (step S7). When the spool shaft 21 holding the outer wound roll sheet R1 is locked to the supply device 200, the CPU 201 switches the first sheet supply unit 50 from the weak nip state to the strong nip state (step S8). That is, the arm member 4 is pressed by the torsion coil spring 3c in the direction of the arrow A1 with a stronger force, and the outer wound roll sheet R1 is pressed against the driven rotors 8 and 9 with a stronger force.

[0075] After that, the CPU 201 rotates the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 in the direction of the arrow C1 by the roll driving motor 33 to start supplying the sheet 1 (step S9). After the supply of the sheet 1 is started, the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 of the conveying unit 300 (step S10). While the sheet 1 is not detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (NO in step S10), the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 continues to rotate. When the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (YES in step S10), the CPU 201 rotates the conveying roller 14 forward in the direction of the arrow D1. Then, the leading edge of the sheet 1 is gripped and picked up by the conveying roller 14 and the nip roller 15 (step S11). When the pickup of the sheet 1 is completed, the CPU 201 switches the first sheet supplying unit 50 to a nip release state (step S12). At this time, the pressing force pressing the arm member 4 in the direction of the arrow A1 is released, and the driven rotors 8 and 9 move away from the outer wound rolled sheet R1.

[0076] Next, the skew of the sheet 1 is corrected (step S13). In correcting the skew of the sheet 1, the CPU 201 first detects the skew of the sheet 1 being conveyed in the conveying section 300. Specifically, the sheet 1 is conveyed a predetermined amount in the conveying section 300, and the amount of skew occurring at that time is detected by a sensor or the like provided in the conveying section 300. If the amount of skew is larger than a predetermined allowable amount, the sheet 1 is fed and back-fed repeatedly with forward and reverse rotation of the conveying roller 14 and the outer winding roll sheet R1 while applying back tension to the sheet 1. By such an operation, the skew of the sheet 1 is corrected. In this way, the first sheet supply section 50 is in a nip release state when the skew of the sheet 1 is corrected and when an image is printed on the sheet 1. This makes it possible to prevent the driven rotors 8 and 9 from adversely affecting the accuracy of correcting the skew of the sheet 1 and the accuracy of printing the image.

[0077] Thereafter, the CPU 201 causes the conveying unit 300 to move the leading edge of the sheet 1 to a standby position (fixed position) in the printing unit 400 before printing starts (step S14). This completes preparations for supplying the sheet 1 to the printing unit 400. Thereafter, the sheet 1 is pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 as the outer wound roll sheet R1 rotates, and is conveyed to the printing unit 400 by the conveying unit 300.

[0078] Next, an example will be described in which the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set in the supply device 200 and the sheet 1 is supplied. Steps S1 and S2 are performed in the same manner in both cases of setting the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and setting the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. That is, the user opens the paper discharge guide 91 (step S1) and supplies the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 to the supply device 200. Set 2 (step S2).

[0079] After setting the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, the user grasps the unwound leading end of the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 and pulls it out onto the supply guide 69. Then, the user pushes the pulled-out sheet 1 from above the supply guide 69 toward the conveying guide 61, and inserts the sheet 1 into the sheet supply opening between the upper guide portion 61a and the lower guide portion 61b (step S3).

[0080] After the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound roll sheet R2 is inserted into the sheet supply port of the second sheet supply unit 60 and supplied to the second supply path 60a, the sheet 1 is not detected by the first sheet detection sensor 6 (NO in step S4). The sheet 1 inserted into the sheet supply port of the second sheet supply unit 60 is detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67 (step S15). While the sheet 1 is not detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67 (NO in step S15), the user needs to continue to feed the sheet 1 into the second sheet supply unit 60. When the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67 (YES in step S15), the CPU 201 displays a message "Please feed a sheet" on the display unit of the operation panel 28 (step S16).

[0081] After the user pushes in the sheet 1 in response to the message displayed on the operation panel 28, the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 of the conveying unit 300 (step S17). While the sheet 1 is not detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (NO in step S17), the user continues to pull out and push in the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound roll sheet R2. When the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (YES in step S17), the CPU 201 rotates the conveying roller 14 forward in the direction of the arrow D1 to pick up the leading edge of the sheet 1 (step S18). When the pickup of the sheet 1 is completed, the CPU 201 displays the message "Please close the paper ejection guide" on the display unit of the operation panel 28 (step S19).

[0082] When the user closes the discharge guide 91 in response to the message displayed on the operation panel 28 (step S20), the CPU 201 locks the spool shaft 21 with a locking mechanism so that the spool shaft 21 does not float up from the spool holder 31 (step S21). When the spool shaft 21 holding the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is locked to the supplying device 200, the CPU 201 switches the first sheet supplying section 50 to a nip release state (step S22). At this time, the pressing force pressing the arm member 4 in the direction of the arrow A1 is released, and the driven rotors 8 and 9 move away from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0083] Thereafter, as in step S13, skew correction of sheet 1 is performed (step S23). That is, when skew of sheet 1 is corrected and when an image is printed on sheet 1, the first sheet supply unit 50 for outward winding is in a nip release state. This makes it possible to prevent the driven rotors 8 and 9 from adversely affecting the accuracy of skew correction of sheet 1 and the accuracy of image printing. When the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set, the rotation direction of the roll drive motor 33 by the CPU 201 is controlled to be opposite to the rotation direction of the roll drive motor 33 when the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is set.

[0084] Thereafter, the CPU 201 causes the conveying unit 300 to move the leading edge of the sheet 1 to a standby position (fixed position) in the printing unit 400 before printing starts (step S24). This completes preparations for supplying the sheet 1 to the printing unit 400. Thereafter, the sheet 1 is pulled out of the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 as the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 rotates, and is conveyed to the printing unit 400 by the conveying unit 300.

[0085] In addition, in applying the present invention, the sheet supplying method does not necessarily include all of the above steps. It is not necessary to include the above-mentioned steps, and the order and contents of the execution of the various steps can be changed. For example, in the first embodiment, the paper discharge guide 91 is configured to be opened and closed manually by the user, but the printing apparatus 100 may be provided with a mechanism for automatically opening and closing the paper discharge guide 91. In the above-mentioned configuration, the user rotates the outer-wound roll sheet R1 after the outer-wound roll sheet R1 is set, but the outer-wound roll sheet R1 may be rotated by the roll drive motor 33, and the sheet 1 may be separated and fed. In addition, for example, the printing apparatus 100 may be provided with a configuration for detecting skew of the sheet 1 and notifying the user when the sheet 1 is manually fed to the feed path.

[0086] As described above, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, since the supply device 200 includes the first supply path 50a and the second supply path 60a, the sheet 1 can be pulled out from the roll sheet R and supplied regardless of the winding direction (the direction of the print surface P) of the roll sheet R. Specifically, when the outwardly wound roll sheet R1 is set in the supply device 200, the sheet 1 can be supplied through the first supply path 50a, and when the inwardly wound roll sheet R2 is set, the sheet 1 can be supplied through the second supply path 60a. That is, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, the supply device 200 can be configured so that the outwardly wound roll sheet R1 and the inwardly wound roll sheet R2 can be selectively supported by the same support unit and the sheet 1 can be supplied without providing a mechanism or a conveying path for reversing the surface of the sheet 1. As a result, the size and cost of the supply device 200 can be suppressed.

[0087] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The supply device 200 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of controlling the first sheet supply unit 50 when supplying the sheet 1 pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1. In the following description of the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description is omitted, and only the characteristic components of the second embodiment will be described.

[0088] In the first embodiment, the first sheet supply unit 50 for outward winding was in the nip release state when correcting the skew of the sheet 1 and when printing an image on the sheet 1. In the second embodiment, the first sheet supply unit 50 is in the nip release state even when the sheet 1 cannot be automatically supplied. For example, if the sheet 1 is a paper type that has high rigidity and a strong tendency to curl, and has a large conveying resistance, it is difficult to automatically supply the sheet 1 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the first sheet supply unit 50 is configured to be able to supply the sheet 1 when the nip release state, even when the outwardly wound roll sheet R1 is set in the supply device 200.

[0089] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the sheet 1 is supplied from the outer wound roll sheet R1 in the first sheet supply section 50 in the nip release state. As shown in FIG. 11, when the first sheet supply section 50 is in the nip release state, the driven rotors 8 and 9 that move together with the arm member 4 are separated from the outer wound roll sheet R1. In the second embodiment, the first sheet supply section 50 is in the nip release state, and the leading edge of the sheet 1 can be manually inserted into the first supply path 50a on the arm member 4 to supply the leading edge of the sheet 1 to the position of the conveying roller 14. That is, the user can insert his / her hand into the supply device 200, such as the gap between the arm member 4 and the outer wound roll sheet R1, and rotate the outer wound roll sheet R1 in the direction of the arrow C1 to send the leading edge of the sheet 1 to the position of the conveying roller 14. Then, the sheet 1 is picked up by the conveying roller 14, and the sheet 1 is ready to be supplied to the print section 400. With this configuration, even a sheet 1 that is high in stiffness and has a strong tendency to curl can be supplied.

[0090] In the second embodiment, if the third sheet detection sensor 16 does not detect the sheet 1 even after the roll sheet R has rotated a predetermined amount, the CPU 201 may set the first sheet supply unit 50 to a nip release state and prompt the user to manually insert the sheet 1. Alternatively, the CPU 201 may control whether the sheet 1 should be inserted manually or automatically depending on the selected sheet type. The determination may be made by the control unit.

[0091] As described above, according to the second embodiment, since sheet 1 can be supplied even when the first sheet supply section 50 is in the nip release state, the number of types of roll sheets R that can be set in the supply device 200 is significantly increased, making it possible to accommodate a greater number of types of sheets 1.

[0092] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The supply device 200 of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of adjusting the pressing force with which the drive unit 3 presses the arm member 4. In the following description of the third embodiment, the same components as those of the third embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description is omitted, and only the characteristic components of the third embodiment will be described.

[0093] In the first embodiment, the pressing force with which the torsion coil spring 3c of the drive unit 3 presses the arm member 4 can be switched between a "strong nip pressing force" and a "weak nip pressing force", and the first sheet supply unit 50 is configured to be switchable between a strong nip state, a weak nip state, and a release state. Meanwhile, in the third embodiment, the supply device 200 is configured so that the pressing force with which the torsion coil spring 3c of the drive unit 3 presses the arm member 4 can be adjusted more finely.

[0094] The drive unit 3 of the third embodiment is configured such that as the rotating cam 3a rotates, the attitude of the torsion coil spring 3c gradually changes, and the pressing force with which the torsion coil spring 3c presses the arm member 4 gradually changes. A pressing force corresponding to the rotation phase of the rotating cam 3a is stored in the ROM 204 of the control unit, and the CPU 201 drives the cam drive motor 34 to rotate the rotating cam 3a according to the desired pressing force. Furthermore, a pressing force corresponding to the type of sheet used is stored in the ROM 204 of the control unit, and the attitude of the rotating cam 3a is appropriately set so that the contact state between the rolled sheet R and the driven rotors 8, 9 is appropriate depending on the type of rolled sheet R used.

[0095] In the third embodiment, for example, when a sheet 1 such as high-rigidity paper, such as art paper, which has a strong surface layer and can be applied with a strong pressing force during feeding, or a high-basis-weight paper, such as canvas, is used, the pressing force in the strong nip state is set to be strong. This makes it possible to feed the sheet 1 to the print unit 400 more reliably by increasing the conveying force of the sheet 1. That is, by setting a stronger pressing force in the strong nip state for a sheet 1 that is difficult to feed, it becomes possible to automatically feed more types of sheets 1. Also, in the third embodiment, when a sheet 1 that is extremely difficult to feed automatically is used, the sheet 1 may be configured to be manually fed as in the second embodiment. Furthermore, the above-mentioned pressing force adjustment mechanism can be applied not only to the feed device 200 but also to the winding device 600.

[0096] As described above, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to switch the nip state of the rolled sheet R in the first sheet supply section 50 according to the type of sheet. With this configuration, the pressing force in the strong nip state can be optimally set according to the conveying resistance determined by the shape of the supply path and conveying path of the sheet 1, and the rigidity and friction coefficient of the sheet 1. Furthermore, when the rolled sheet R is set, the first sheet supply section 50 is in a weak nip state. Therefore, when the rolled sheet R is set, the pressing force in the weak nip state can be appropriately set according to the size and weight of the rolled sheet R so that the spool shaft 21 of the spool member 2 is pressed by the driven rotors 8 and 9 and does not rise up from the spool holder 31. With this configuration, even when only the paper tube of the rolled sheet R is attached to the spool shaft 21, the spool shaft 21 can be more reliably attached and locked to the spool holder 31.

[0097] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The supply device 200 of the fourth embodiment has The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the separation flapper 10 is configured to be movable to a retracted position. In the following description of the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and only the characteristic components of the fourth embodiment will be described.

[0098] In the first embodiment, the separation flapper 10 is configured to rotate under its own weight to press the rolled sheet R set in the supply device 200. However, when a sheet 1 that is easily scratched or dented is used, the sheet 1 may be damaged by the separation flapper 10, which may result in a decrease in image quality, so it is not necessarily desirable for the separation flapper 10 to abut against the rolled sheet R. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the separation flapper 10 is configured to be able to freely abut against and separate from the rolled sheet R.

[0099] 12 is an explanatory diagram of a first sheet supply section 50 of a supply device 200 according to a fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the separation flapper 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow B2 around the rotation shaft 11 by a rotation mechanism, and separated from the rolled sheet R. With this configuration, when a sheet 1 that is easily damaged is used, by separating the separation flapper 10, it is possible to prevent the sheet 1 from being damaged and the image quality from being reduced.

[0100] As in the first embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, multiple separation flappers 10 are arranged in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the supplying device 200. Multiple separation flappers 10 are provided to enhance the separation function of separating the leading end of the sheet 1 from the rolled sheet R, and to stably supply the sheet 1 over the entire width of the rolled sheet R by suppressing slackening of the sheet 1 when it passes through the supply path.

[0101] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a rotation mechanism of the separation flapper 10 according to the fourth embodiment. The separation flapper 10 has a cam surface 10e formed on an arm portion 10d that is connected to a rotation shaft 11 and holds a driven roller 10a. The cam surface 10e is a surface that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and the width direction (X-axis direction) and is parallel to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The supply device 200 is provided with cams 51 corresponding to each of the multiple separation flappers 10. The multiple cams 51 are fixed to a shaft 53 that extends in the width direction. When the shaft 53 moves in the width direction, all the cams 51 move integrally in the width direction. That is, the cams 51 are configured to be slidable in the directions of the arrows J1 and J2 along the width direction.

[0102] When the cam 51 is separated from the corresponding separation flapper 10, the cam 51 is located on the side of the arrow J2 direction with respect to the separation flapper 10. The cam surface 10e of the separation flapper 10 is inclined toward the front of the printing device 100 as it moves in the direction of the arrow J1. The rotation mechanism of the separation flapper 10 is configured such that when the cam 51 slides in the direction of the arrow J1 with the movement of the shaft 53, the cam surface of the cam 51 abuts against the cam surface 10e of the separation flapper 10, and the separation flapper 10 rotates in the direction of the arrow B2 against its own weight. The separation flapper 10 is maintained in a state separated from the roll sheet R by maintaining the state in which the cam 51 abuts against the arm portion 10d of the separation flapper 10. Furthermore, when the cam 51 moves in the direction of the arrow J2 from the state in which it abuts against the separation flapper 10 and separates from the separation flapper 10, the separation flapper 10 rotates in the direction of the arrow B1 by its own weight.

[0103] In the fourth embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 is provided with a lever portion (not shown) that is connected to the shaft 53 and moves the shaft 53 and the cam 51 in the width direction. A user can switch the separation flapper 10 between a state in which it is in contact with the rolled sheet R and a state in which it is separated from the rolled sheet R by operating the lever portion. Therefore, when using a sheet 1 that is easily damaged, the user can move the cam 51 in the direction of the arrow J1 to separate the separation flapper 10 from the rolled sheet R, thereby preventing the sheet 1 from being damaged by the separation flapper 10. Furthermore, when using a sheet 1 that is not easily damaged, the user can move the cam 51 in the direction of the arrow J2. In addition, by bringing the separation flapper 10 into contact with the rolled sheet R, the separation function of the sheet 1 can be improved.

[0104] In the above-described configuration, all of the cams 51 move integrally, and all of the separation flappers 10 rotate simultaneously in conjunction with each other. However, the supply device 200 may be configured so that each of the cams 51 is independently movable, and each of the separation flappers 10 is independently rotatable. In other words, a plurality of separation flappers 10 arranged in the width direction of the rolled sheet R may be independently movable to a contact position where the separation flappers 10 come into contact with the rolled sheet R and to a retracted position where the separation flappers 10 retract from the rolled sheet R.

[0105] In the above-described configuration, the user manually operates the lever portion as necessary to separate the separation flapper 10 from the rolled sheet R. However, the supply device 200 may be configured to automatically separate the separation flapper 10 from the rolled sheet R using a motor or the like based on the selection of the type of sheet 1 to be used. In addition, the cam 51 is not limited to a slider cam that slides linearly as in this example, and may be, for example, a rotating cam. Even when a rotating cam is used in the pivot mechanism, the cam may be either manually rotatable or automatically rotatable.

[0106] In addition, if the leading end of the sheet 1 has not yet been peeled off from the outer wound roll sheet R1 and the outer wound roll sheet R1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow C1 while the driven roller 10a is in contact with the outer wound roll sheet R1, the sheet 1 will be forcibly peeled off. If the sheet 1 is forcibly peeled off from the roll sheet R in this manner, the sheet 1 may be damaged. For example, an unused outer wound roll sheet R1 is stored with one location in the widthwise center of the leading end of the sheet 1 attached to the outer circumferential surface with tape (or restrained with an anti-unraveling band or the like). If the outer wound roll sheet R1 in such a stored state is set in the printing device 100 and then the outer wound roll sheet R1 in the stored state is rotated in the direction of the arrow C1 by mistake, the sheet 1 may be torn. That is, the leading end of the sheet 1 is forcibly peeled off from the outer wound roll sheet R1 in the range that is not fixed or restrained (in the above case, both sides away from the center in the width direction), and as a result, the sheet 1 may be torn.

[0107] Considering such a case, according to the configuration of the fourth embodiment, the separation flapper 10 can be separated from the rolled sheet R in advance. By retracting the driven roller 10a of the separation flapper 10 from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 in advance, damage to the sheet 1 can be avoided even if the rolled sheet R in the stored state is rotated by mistake. When the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 in the stored state is set in the printing device 100, the tape or band fixing the leading end of the sheet 1 is removed, and then the separation flapper 10 is rotated so that the driven roller 10a abuts against the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1. Then, feeding of the sheet 1 is started, so that the sheet 1 can be safely supplied.

[0108] <Fifth embodiment> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The supply device 200 of the fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the second sheet supply section 60 for supplying the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound roll sheet R2. In the following description of the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description is omitted, and only the characteristic components of the fifth embodiment will be described.

[0109] The supply device 200 of the fifth embodiment is configured to automatically pull out the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 on which the sheet 1 is wound so that the print surface P faces inward. and shows the conveying path of the sheet 1. Fig. 14(a) shows how the sheet 1 pulled out from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is fed and conveyed. Fig. 14(b) shows how the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is fed and conveyed.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 14(a), the sheet 1 pulled out from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is supplied to the first supply path 50a of the first sheet supply unit 50, and is transported to the printing unit 400 through the transport unit 300. The first supply path 50a is configured with an arm member 4 as the first arm member and a separation flapper 10 as the first separation flapper. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is supplied to the second supply path 60a of the second sheet supply unit 60, and is transported to the printing unit 400 through the transport unit 300. The second supply path 60a according to the fifth embodiment is configured with a second arm member 62 and a second separation flapper 64. First, the configuration of the second sheet supply unit 60 according to the fifth embodiment will be described.

[0111] (Second sheet supply section 60) The second sheet supply section 60 according to the fifth embodiment includes a second drive section 68, a second arm member 62 that rotates about a rotation shaft 63, a second separation flapper 64 that rotates about a rotation shaft 65, and a second sheet detection sensor 67. Furthermore, the second sheet supply section 60 includes a swinging member 71 and driven rotors (contact bodies) 72 and 73 similar to those of the first sheet supply section 50. Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the second sheet supply section 60 of the supply device 200. The roll sheet R shown in Fig. 15 is an inwardly wound roll sheet R2, and its outer diameter is relatively large.

[0112] [Second Separation Flapper 64] A second separation flapper 64 is attached to the conveying guide 61 so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 65 in the directions of the arrows N1 and N2. The second separation flapper 64 has a driven roller 64a, a separating portion 64b, and a guide surface 64c. The second separation flapper 64 is provided to separate the leading end of the sheet from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. That is, the supplying device 200 of the fifth embodiment is provided with a separation flapper 10 (first separation flapper) for the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and a second separation flapper 64 for the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0113] The rotating shaft 65 supports the lower end of the second separation flapper 64, and the second separation flapper 64 is configured to lightly press the rolled sheet R by its own weight. If it is necessary to press the rolled sheet R more strongly, a biasing member such as a spring that applies a biasing force may be provided.

[0114] The driven roller 64a is rotatably provided at the tip of the second separation flapper 64 and abuts against the rolled sheet R. Since the rotatable driven roller 64a abuts against the rolled sheet R, the influence of the pressing force of the rolled sheet R by the second separation flapper 64 on the sheet 1 is suppressed. The separation portion 64b is provided at the tip of the second separation flapper 64 near the driven roller 64a. When the driven roller 64a abuts against the rolled sheet R, the separation portion 64b is formed so as to be as close as possible to the surface of the rolled sheet R. With this configuration, when the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set, the tip of the sheet 1 is easily separated from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. The guide surface 64c is a surface facing upward of the second separation flapper 64 and guides the underside of the sheet 1 to be supplied. In other words, the second separation flapper 64 also functions as a guide member that guides the sheet 1 when the sheet 1 is supplied.

[0115] The second separation flapper 64 can be switched to a separated state by rotating in the N2 direction to a retracted position, whereby the pressure contact state with the rolled sheet R is released and the second separation flapper 64 is separated from the rolled sheet R. The rotation mechanism for rotating the second separation flapper 64 to the retracted position can be configured similarly to the rotation mechanism of the separation flapper 10 described as the fourth embodiment (see FIG. 13). In the fifth embodiment, a first flapper moving mechanism that moves the separation flapper 10 in contact with and away from the rolled sheet R, and a second flapper moving mechanism that moves the second separation flapper 64 in contact with and away from the rolled sheet R are provided.

[0116] The second separation flapper 64 may be configured to move away in conjunction with the separation flapper 10, which moves when the rolled sheet R is removed. With this configuration, the second separation flapper 64 is switched to the separated state immediately before setting the rolled sheet R in the procedure for setting the rolled sheet R, which will be described later, making it easier for the user to set the rolled sheet R.

[0117] The contact position between the second separation flapper 64 and the rolled sheet R is located vertically above the axial center of the rolled sheet R, and the conveying guide 61 is located further vertically above the second separation flapper 64 .

[0118] In the fifth embodiment, similar to the separation flapper 10, a plurality of second separation flappers 64 are attached so as to be lined up in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the roll sheet R. The separation flappers 10 and the second separation flappers 64 are attached alternately in the width direction so that the second separation flappers 64 and the separation flappers 10 do not overlap in the width direction.

[0119] [Second arm member 62] A second arm member 62 is attached above the second separation flapper 64 at a position facing the second separation flapper 64. The second arm member 62 is attached to be rotatable in the directions of the arrows M1 and M2 by a rotating shaft 63. The second arm member 62 has a shaft portion 62a that engages with the swinging member 71, a guide portion 62b that guides the sheet 1 pulled out from the rolled sheet R from above, and a follower portion 62c that contacts the rotating cam 68a. The guide portion 62b is formed at the bottom of the second arm member 62, and the second arm member 62 functions as a guide member when the sheet 1 is supplied from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. The follower portion 62c is formed on the opposite side of the rotating shaft 63 to the guide portion 62b, and faces the rotating cam 68a.

[0120] A swinging member 71 is swingably attached to the second arm member 62, similar to the arm member 4 located below the rolled sheet R. Furthermore, driven rotors 72, 73 are rotatably attached to the swinging member 71 attached to the second arm member 62. The swinging member 71 engages with the shaft portion 62a of the second arm member 62, and is equalized to fit along the outer periphery of the rolled sheet R by an equalizing mechanism similar to that of the swinging member 7.

[0121] The second drive unit 68 has a rotating cam 68a, a rotating shaft 68b that rotatably supports the rotating cam 68a, and a torsion coil spring 68c that presses the second arm member 62 in response to the rotation of the rotating cam 68a. The torsion coil spring 68c is located between the second arm member 62 and the rotating cam 68a of the second drive unit 68, and presses the second arm member 62 in the direction of the arrow M1. The second drive unit 68 functions as a second pressing mechanism that presses the second arm member 62. The second drive unit 68 also functions as a second moving mechanism that moves the second arm member 62 so as to move the driven rotors 72, 73 closer to or away from the outer periphery of the roll sheet R. The second drive unit 68 is configured in the same manner as the drive unit 3 that functions as the first pressing mechanism and the first moving mechanism, and functions in the same manner.

[0122] In the second sheet supplying section 60, a rotating cam 68a is rotated by a second cam drive motor 66 (see FIG. 18), thereby changing the force with which the torsion coil spring 68c presses the second arm member 62 in the direction of arrow M1. In the fifth embodiment, the second sheet supplying section 60 changes the state of the second arm member 62 to be in a strong nip state, a weak nip state, a first separated state, 16(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the first sheet supply section 50 and the second sheet supply section 60 of the supply device 200 according to the fifth embodiment. Fig. 16(a) shows the second sheet supply section 60 when the second sheet supply section 60 is in the first separated state, and Fig. 16(b) shows the second sheet supply section 60 when the second sheet supply section 60 is in the second separated state.

[0123] The strong nip state is a state in which the second arm member 62 is pressed by the torsion coil spring 68c of the second drive unit 68 with a predetermined "strong nip pressing force," and the driven rotors 72, 73 attached to the tip of the second arm member 62 via a swinging member 71 are in pressure contact with the rolled sheet R. The weak nip state is a state in which the second arm member 62 is pressed by the torsion coil spring 68c of the second drive unit 68 with a predetermined "weak nip pressing force," and the driven rotors 72, 73 are in pressure contact with the rolled sheet R. The first separated state is a state in which the rotating cam 68a and the follower portion 62c of the second arm member 62 come into contact with each other, causing the second arm member 62 to be slightly separated from the maximum outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, and the pressing force of the second arm member 62 against the rolled sheet R is released (see FIG. 16(a)). The second separated state is a state (see FIG. 16(b)) in which the second arm member 62 is significantly separated from the rolled sheet R so that the user can manually set the rolled sheet R in the supply device 200. In the following description, the position of the second arm member 62 when the second sheet supply unit 60 is in the first separated state will be described as the first separated position, and the position of the second arm member 62 when the second sheet supply unit 60 is in the second separated state will be described as the second separated position.

[0124] In the majority of inwardly wound rolled sheets R manufactured, the material of the sheet 1 is soft vinyl chloride material or soft polyester as the base material. Such a sheet 1 has low transport resistance when passing through the paper feed path. Therefore, by setting the pressing force of the second arm member 62 during strong nip to be lower than the pressing force of the arm member 4 during strong nip, damage to the rolled sheet R can be suppressed. In the fifth embodiment, similar to the arm member 4, multiple second arm members 62 and swinging members 71 are attached so as to be aligned at intervals in the width direction of the rolled sheet R.

[0125] In the fifth embodiment, the second arm member 62 is connected to the paper discharge guide 91 via a link member (not shown), and is configured to rotate in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the paper discharge guide 91. More specifically, when the paper discharge guide 91 is opened, the second arm member 62 opens and moves to the second separated position, and the second sheet supply section 60 is switched to the second separated state. Then, when the paper discharge guide 91 is closed, the second arm member 62 closes and moves to the first separated position, and the second sheet supply section 60 is switched to the first separated state.

[0126] In the fifth embodiment, the printing device 100 is provided with both the paper discharge guide 91 and the second arm member 62, but the paper discharge guide 91 may not be provided and the second arm member 62 may function as a dust roll cover instead of the paper discharge guide 91. For example, the second arm member 62 may be configured as a single part so as to cover the entire roll sheet R in the width direction (X-axis direction), thereby preventing the roll sheet R from being wound up after passing through the printing unit 400 and being scratched by adhesion of dust from the outside and contact with the roll sheet R. It is also possible to attach multiple swing members 71 to one second arm member 62.

[0127] [Second supply path 60a] In the fifth embodiment, the second supply path 60a of the second sheet supply unit 60 is composed of a second separation flapper 64 and a second arm member 62. The sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is supplied to the second supply path 60a by passing under driven rotors 72, 73 attached to the tip of the second arm member 62. The second supply path 60a is connected to a conveying path 300a of the conveying unit 300, and the sheet 1 is conveyed to the printing unit 400 through the second supply path 60a and the conveying path 300a.

[0128] The sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is supplied to the conveying guide 61 through a second supply path 60a formed between the second separation flapper 64 and the second arm member 62. The second separation flapper 64 and the second arm member 62 move in accordance with the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, so that no gap is formed between the rolled sheet R and the conveying guide 61, and the sheet 1 can be reliably pulled out and conveyed from the rolled sheet R regardless of the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R. A second sheet detection sensor 67 is provided inside the conveying guide 61, and the second sheet supply section 60 is configured to be able to detect that the leading edge of the sheet 1 has passed inside the conveying guide 61.

[0129] As described above, when the sheet 1 has high stiffness and a strong tendency to curl, or when the rolled sheet R is easily damaged, it is preferable that the user manually supplies the sheet 1 after separating the contact member from the rolled sheet R. According to the configuration of the fifth embodiment, the second sheet supply unit 60 is in the second separated state, and the second arm member 62 is separated significantly from the rolled sheet R, so that the sheet 1 can be manually supplied. That is, the user can guide the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 to the conveying guide 61 along the second separation flapper 64 by pushing the sheet 1 out from the front side of the printer body while placing his / her hand on the second separation flapper 64. As a result, the user can easily access and supply the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, and can supply the sheet 1 with good operability.

[0130] 17 is an explanatory diagram of the supplying device 200 in which a rolled sheet R having a relatively small outer diameter is set. The rolled sheet R shown in FIG 17 is an inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, and its outer diameter is relatively small, smaller than the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R shown in FIG 15.

[0131] In response to a decrease in the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, the second arm member 62 rotates in the direction of the arrow M1, and the second separation flapper 64 rotates in the direction of the arrow N1. As a result, even when the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R becomes smaller, the second separation flapper 64 forms a supply path between itself and the second arm member 62, and guides the lower surface of the sheet 1 with the guide surface 64c. In this way, since the second arm member 62 and the second separation flapper 64 are configured to be rotatable in response to a change in the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R, a supply path of approximately constant size is formed between them regardless of the size of the outer diameter. This allows a low-rigidity sheet 1 to be reliably supplied without buckling.

[0132] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the supply device 200 is provided with the arm member 4 as the first guide member, the second arm member 62 as the second guide member, the separation flapper 10 as the third guide member, and the second separation flapper 64 as the fourth guide member. With this configuration, when the sheet 1 is supplied from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, the arm member 4 and the separation flapper 10 guide the sheet 1 in the first supply path 50a, regardless of the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R. Furthermore, when the sheet 1 is supplied from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, the second arm member 62 and the second separation flapper 64 guide the sheet 1 in the second supply path 60a, regardless of the outer diameter of the rolled sheet R. That is, according to the fifth embodiment, even when the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set, the sheet 1 can be stably supplied in the same manner as when the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is set.

[0133] (Control Configuration) Next, the control configuration of the printing apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system in the printing apparatus 100. In the fifth embodiment, as described above, the second cam drive motor 66 is provided. The second cam drive motor 66 is a motor that rotates the rotating cam 68a in order to adjust the pressing force against the second arm member 62. The configuration of the other control units is similar to that of the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. do.

[0134] (Sheet supply method) Next, a method for automatically pulling out and feeding the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 in the feeding device 200 will be described with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 and automatically feeding the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0135] First, the user opens the discharge guide 91 to set the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 in the supply device 200 (step S31). At this time, the second arm member 62 also opens in conjunction with the discharge guide 91, and the second sheet supply section 60 enters the second separated state shown in FIG. 16(b). At this time, the first sheet supply section 50 is in a weak nip state, and the arm member 4 waits in a state pressed in the direction of the arrow A1 by the "pressing force of the weak nip". Then, the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 to which the spool member 2 is attached is set in the supply device 200 (step S32). The roll sensor 32 detects that the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 has been set. After the rolled sheet R is set, the second separation flapper 64 is switched from the separated state to the pressed state. The switching of the second separation flapper 64 may be performed either manually or automatically.

[0136] After the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set, the user manually rotates the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 in the direction of the arrow C2, and inserts the leading edge of the sheet 1 into the supply path in the conveying guide 61 along the guide surface 64c of the second separation flapper 64 (step S33). When manually rotating the rolled sheet R, it is easier to rotate the reference flange 23 or the non-reference flange 24. When inserting the sheet 1 into the supply path in the conveying guide 61, it is preferable to rotate the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 in the direction of the arrow C1 to remove slack in the sheet 1, and then rotate the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 in the direction of the arrow C2. If the leading edge of the sheet 1 is curled too much due to the material or remaining amount of the sheet 1, and the sheet 1 cannot be separated by the second separation flapper 64, the user can also grasp the sheet 1 by hand, separate it, and set it on the guide surface 64c.

[0137] After the sheet 1 pulled out from the inwardly wound roll sheet R2 is inserted into the conveying path inside the conveying guide 61, the sheet 1 is detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67 (step S34). When the sheet 1 is inserted to a position where it is detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67 (YES in step S34), the CPU 201 of the printing apparatus 100 displays a message "Please close the paper ejection guide" on the display unit of the operation panel 28 (step S35).

[0138] When the user closes the paper discharge guide 91 in response to the message displayed on the operation panel 28 (step S36), the second arm member 62 moves in conjunction with the closing of the paper discharge guide 91. Then, the CPU 201 locks the spool shaft 21 by the locking mechanism so that the spool shaft 21 does not float up from the spool holder 31 (step S37). When the spool shaft 21 holding the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is locked to the supply device 200, the CPU 201 switches the second sheet supply unit 60 to a strong nip state (step S38).

[0139] Thereafter, the CPU 201 rotates the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 in the direction of the arrow C2 by the roll drive motor 33 to start supplying the sheet 1 (step S39). After the supply of the sheet 1 has started, the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 of the conveying section 300 (step S40). While the sheet 1 is not detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (NO in step S40), the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 continues to rotate. When the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (YES in step S40), the CPU 2 CPU 201 rotates conveying roller 14 forward in the direction of arrow D1. Then, conveying roller 14 and nip roller 15 grip and pick up the leading edge of sheet 1 (step S41). When picking up of sheet 1 is completed, CPU 201 switches first sheet supply unit 50 to the nip release state and switches second sheet supply unit 60 to the first separated state (nip release state) (step S42). At this time, the pressing force pressing arm member 4 in the direction of arrow A1 and the pressing force pressing second arm member 62 in the direction of arrow M1 are released, and driven rotors 72 and 73 of first sheet supply unit 50 and second sheet supply unit 60 are respectively separated from inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0140] Thereafter, skew correction of sheet 1 is performed (step S43) similarly to step S13 (see FIG. 10) in the first embodiment. Then, CPU 201 controls conveying unit 300 to move the leading edge of sheet 1 to a standby position (fixed position) in printing unit 400 before printing starts (step S44). This completes preparation for supplying sheet 1 to the printing unit. Thereafter, sheet 1 is pulled out of roll sheet R with the rotation of roll sheet R, and is conveyed to printing unit 400 by conveying unit 300.

[0141] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the supplying device 200 includes the arm member 4 for outward winding and the driven rotors 8 and 9, and the second arm member 62 for inward winding and the driven rotors 72 and 73. Therefore, according to the fifth embodiment, the supplying device 200 can automatically separate and supply the sheet 1 from the rolled sheet R regardless of the winding direction of the sheet 1 of the set rolled sheet R.

[0142] In addition, the configuration of the supply device 200 to automatically supply the sheet 1 regardless of the outer wound roll sheet R1 and the inner wound roll sheet R2 is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment. For example, the driven rotor supported by the arm member may be a contact body that does not rotate, and the supply device 200 may include a first guide member, a first contact body supported by the first guide member, a second guide member, and a second contact body supported by the second guide member. The supply device 200 may be configured to guide and supply the sheet 1 pulled out from the outer wound roll sheet R1 by the first guide member and the first contact body, and to guide and supply the sheet 1 pulled out from the inner wound roll sheet R2 by the second guide member and the second contact body.

[0143] Sixth embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. A supplying device 200 of the sixth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a shielding member 81 and a fourth sheet detection sensor 86. In the following description of the sixth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description is omitted, and only the characteristic components of the sixth embodiment will be described.

[0144] (Feeding device 200) First, the configuration of the supply device 200 of the printing apparatus 100 according to the sixth embodiment will be described. Figures 20(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the first sheet supply section 50 and the second sheet supply section 60 of the supply device 200 according to the sixth embodiment. Figure 20(a) shows the state in which the sheet 1 is supplied from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 to the first sheet supply section 50, and Figure 20(b) shows the state in which the sheet 1 is supplied from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 to the second sheet supply section 60.

[0145] The first sheet supply section 50 of the sixth embodiment includes a fourth sheet detection sensor 86 for detecting the sheet 1 guided by the arm member 4 which is a guide member. The sheet 1 separated from the outwardly wound roll sheet R1 passes over the driven rotors 8, 9, and is guided by the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4 to pass through the first supply path 50a. The fourth sheet detection sensor 86 detects the sheet 1 passing over the guide portion 4b of the arm member 4.

[0146] In the sixth embodiment, the separation flapper 10 of the first sheet supply section 50 is configured to be movable between a contact position where it contacts the rolled sheet R set in the supply device 200 and a separation position where it is separated from the rolled sheet R. As shown in FIG. 20(a), when the sheet 1 is supplied from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, the separation flapper 10 is located at the contact position, which is the outwardly winding position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 20(b), when the sheet 1 is supplied from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, the separation flapper 10 is located at the separation position, which is the inwardly winding position. The rotation mechanism (flapper movement mechanism) of the separation flapper 10 can be configured similarly to the rotation mechanism of the separation flapper 10 described as the fourth embodiment (see FIG. 13).

[0147] When the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set and rotated in the direction of arrow C2 by the roll drive motor 33, the rolled sheet R rotates in a direction that unwinds, which may cause a jam. Therefore, from the viewpoint of preventing jams, when the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set as in the sixth embodiment, it is preferable to set the separation flapper 10 for outward winding to be positioned at the separated position, which is the inward winding position.

[0148] The supply device 200 of the sixth embodiment is provided with a shielding member 81 that is rotatable in the directions of arrows E1 and E2 around a rotation axis 82 that extends in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the supply device 200. The shielding member 81 is configured to be rotatable between a shielding position that blocks the second sheet supply section 60 so that the sheet 1 cannot pass through the second supply path 60a, and a retracted position that allows the sheet 1 to pass through the second supply path 60a.

[0149] The shielding member 81 is biased in the direction of the arrow E1 by a spring (not shown), and is located at the shielding position while not receiving a pressing force from another member. When the shielding member 81 is located at the shielding position, one end of the shielding member 81 extending from the rotation shaft 82 blocks the second sheet supply section 60, and the other end of the shielding member 81 is located near the separation flapper 10. When the separation flapper 10 rotates in the direction of the arrow B2 to move from the abutting position to the separating position, the shielding member 81 is pushed by the separation flapper 10 and rotates in the direction of the arrow E2. When the shielding member 81 rotates in the direction of the arrow E2 to move from the shielding position to the retracted position, the one end of the shielding member 81 retracts from the conveying path of the sheet 1 in the second sheet supply section 60, and the second sheet supply section 60 is opened.

[0150] (Sheet supply method) Next, a method for supplying a sheet 1 in the supply device 200 according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing the procedure for supplying a sheet 1 according to the sixth embodiment. Steps S51 to S66 are steps for supplying the sheet 1 from the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, and steps S51 to S53 and steps S67 to S76 are steps for supplying the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0151] First, an example will be described in which the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is set in the supply device 200 and the sheet 1 is supplied. To set the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 in the supply device 200, the user opens the discharge guide 91, which is a dust roll cover for the rolled sheet R (step S51). Then, the user sets the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 to which the spool member 2 is attached in the supply device 200 (step S52). At this time, the separation flapper 10 for outward winding is positioned at the abutting position, which is the outward winding position (YES in step S53). Then, when the discharge guide 91 is closed to the closed state (YES in step S54), the spool shaft 21 is locked (step S55).

[0152] When the spool shaft 21 holding the outer wound rolled sheet R1 is locked to the supply device 200, the outer wound rolled sheet R1 is rotated (reversely) in the direction of the arrow C2 by the roll drive motor 33 (step S56). 86 and is detected by the fourth sheet detection sensor 86 (YES in step S57), and the slack in the rolled sheet R is eliminated. Meanwhile, while the leading edge of the sheet 1 is not detected by the fourth sheet detection sensor 86 (NO in step S57), the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 continues to rotate. After the fourth sheet detection sensor 86 detects the sheet 1, the rotational drive of the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 by the roll drive motor 33 is stopped, and the first sheet supply section 50 is switched to the strong nip state (step S60). With this configuration, in order to supply the sheet 1, the user only needs to set the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 in the supply device 200, and it is not necessary for the user to manually insert the leading edge of the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 into the sheet supply port of the first sheet supply section 50. Therefore, the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 can be easily supplied.

[0153] On the other hand, when the discharge guide 91 is not closed (NO in step S54) and the first sheet detection sensor 6 detects the leading edge of the sheet 1 (YES in step S58), the spool shaft 21 is locked (step S59). After the spool shaft 21 is locked, the first sheet supply section 50 is switched to the strong nip state (step S60). With this configuration, the sheet 1 can be properly supplied even when the leading edge of the sheet 1 is manually inserted into the first supply path 50a and the sheet 1 is conveyed to the conveyance guide 12.

[0154] After the first sheet supply unit 50 is switched to the strong nip state, the rolled sheet R is rotated (forward) in the direction of the arrow C1 by the roll drive motor 33 (step S61). Then, the sheet 1 is conveyed, and the rolled sheet R continues to rotate until the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16 (YES in step S62).

[0155] After the sheet 1 is detected by the third sheet detection sensor 16, the sheet 1 is picked up (step S63), the arm member 4 is switched to the nip release state (step S64), the skew of the sheet 1 is corrected (step S65), and the sheet is moved (step S66). The operations from step S63 to S66 are similar to steps S11 to S14 (see FIG. 10) in the first embodiment. Then, when the leading edge of the sheet 1 moves to the standby position (fixed position) in the printing unit 400 before printing starts (step S66), preparation for supplying the sheet 1 to the printing unit 400 is completed.

[0156] Next, an example will be described in which the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set in the supply device 200 and the sheet 1 is supplied. Steps S51 and S52 are performed in the same way when setting the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and when setting the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. That is, the user opens the paper discharge guide 91 (step S51) and sets the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 to which the spool member 2 is attached (step S52). At this time, the separation flapper 10 for outward winding is positioned at the separated position, which is the inward winding position (NO in step S53).

[0157] When the separation flapper 10 is in the separated position, the shielding member 81 is in the retracted position and the second supply path 60a of the second sheet supply unit 60 is open. In other words, when the separation flapper 10 is not in the separated position, the second supply path 60a is blocked by the shielding member 81, and therefore the sheet 1 cannot be supplied from the second sheet supply unit 60 when the separation flapper 10 is in the abutting position. Therefore, when the sheet 1 is supplied from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 to the second sheet supply unit 60, the separation flapper 10 is always separated from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2, and therefore the occurrence of a jam can be suppressed.

[0158] After the outer winding separation flapper 10 is positioned at the separated position, the user manually pulls out and supplies the sheet 1 from the inner winding roll sheet R2. Then, the user manually transports the sheet 1 to a position where the leading edge of the sheet 1 is detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67.

[0159] After the sheet 1 is detected by the second sheet detection sensor 67 (YES in step S67), In this embodiment, steps similar to steps S16 to S24 in the first embodiment are executed. Specifically, a message prompting the user to feed the sheet 1 is displayed (step S69), the sheet is picked up (step S70), and a message prompting the user to close the paper discharge guide 91 is displayed (step S71). After that, the paper discharge guide 91 is closed (step S72), the spool shaft 21 is locked (step S73), and the arm member 4 is switched to the nip release state (step S74). Then, skew correction of the sheet 1 is performed (step S75), and the leading edge of the sheet 1 moves to a standby position (fixed position) in the printing unit 400 before printing starts (step S76), completing preparation for supplying the sheet 1 to the printing unit 400.

[0160] In the sixth embodiment, when the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is supplied, the leading end of the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is manually supplied from the second sheet detection sensor 67 to the third sheet detection sensor 16. However, even in the above-mentioned configuration, a mechanism for automatically supplying the sheet 1 from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 described in the fifth embodiment may be provided. In this case, the rolled sheet R can be automatically supplied from the second sheet detection sensor 67 to the third sheet detection sensor 16 by rotating the roll drive motor 33 in the direction of the arrow C2. If the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow C2 by the roll drive motor 33 with the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 set, the sheet 1 will rotate in the direction in which it is wound around the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1, and the sheet 1 cannot be supplied. Therefore, the rotation direction of the rolled sheet R by the roll drive motor 33 is controlled to be opposite for the outwardly wound rolled sheet R1 and the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2.

[0161] As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, when the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2 is set in the supply device 200, the sheet 1 can be supplied to the second sheet supply section 60 with the outwardly winding separation flapper 10 reliably separated from the inwardly wound rolled sheet R2. As a result, the occurrence of jams can be suppressed.

[0162] (Other embodiments) In addition, when applying the present invention, various modifications can be applied without being limited to the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, the printing device is not limited to a configuration having one sheet supply device corresponding to both the outwardly wound and inwardly wound roll sheets, but may be a configuration having two or more sheet supply devices. Furthermore, the printing device is not limited to only an inkjet printing device as long as it is configured to print an image on a sheet supplied from a sheet supply device. Furthermore, the printing method and configuration of the printing device are also arbitrary. For example, the printing method may be a serial scan method or a full line method. In the case of the serial scan method, the print scan of the print head and the sheet transport operation are repeated to print an image, and in the case of the full line method, the sheet is transported continuously to a position facing the long print head to print an image.

[0163] In addition, not all of the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments are necessarily required for application of the present invention. For example, the moving mechanism for moving the arm member and the separation flapper can be replaced with other known moving mechanisms, and the arm member may be directly rotated by connecting a motor to the rotation shaft of the arm member. In addition, the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0164] The present invention can be applied to various sheet supplying devices in addition to the sheet supplying device that supplies sheets as print media to a printing device. For example, the present invention can be applied to a device that supplies sheets to be read to a reading device such as a scanner or a copier, and a device that supplies sheet-like processing material to a processing device such as a cutting device. Such a sheet supplying device can be configured separately from devices such as a printing device, a reading device, and a processing device. Also, a separate control unit (CPU) may be provided for the sheet supplying device.

[0165] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) A support portion that rotatably supports the roll sheet; a first supply path through which a sheet is supplied from a roll sheet supported by the support portion; a conveying path that conveys the sheet supplied from the first supply path, a second supply path through which a sheet is supplied from the roll sheet supported by the support portion; The sheet supplying device, wherein the transport path transports the sheet supplied from the second supply path. (Configuration 2) an inlet of the first supply path is located vertically below a rotation center of the roll sheet supported by the support portion; 2. The sheet supplying device according to configuration 1, wherein an inlet of the second supply path is located vertically above a center of rotation of the roll sheet supported by the support portion. (Configuration 3) a driving unit that rotates the roll sheet supported by the supporting unit in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; A control unit that controls the drive unit to rotate the roll sheet; Equipped with The sheet supplying device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the roll sheet in the first direction when transporting the sheet through the first supply path, and to rotate the roll sheet in the second direction when transporting the sheet through the second supply path. (Configuration 4) The sheet supplying device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the first supply path and the second supply path are provided with sheet detection sensors that detect the passage of the leading edge of a sheet. (Configuration 5) the second supply path has a lower guide portion that guides a lower portion of the sheet, The sheet feeding device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein a space for manually feeding a sheet is formed above the lower guide portion. (Configuration 6) 6. The sheet supplying device according to configuration 5, wherein a driven roller is provided at an upstream end of the lower guide portion in the sheet conveying direction. (Configuration 7) The sheet supply device according to configuration 5 or 6, wherein the second supply path has an upper guide portion that faces the lower guide portion downstream of the space in a sheet transport direction and guides an upper portion of the sheet. (Configuration 8) The sheet supplying device according to any one of configurations 3 to 7, further comprising a blocking member that is movable between a blocking position that blocks the second supply path and a retracted position that allows passage of the second supply path. (Configuration 9) a separation flapper for separating a leading end of the sheet from the roll sheet rotated in the first direction by the support portion; a flapper moving mechanism that moves the separation flapper to a contact position where the separation flapper is in contact with the rolled sheet and a separation position where the separation flapper is separated from the rolled sheet; Equipped with The sheet supplying device described in configuration 8, characterized in that the shielding member moves in conjunction with the separation flapper, is located at the shielding position when the separation flapper is at the abutment position, and is located at the retracted position when the separation flapper is at the separation position. (Configuration 10) A sheet supplying device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, a recording unit that performs a recording operation on the sheet fed from the sheet feeder; Equipped with The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport path is connected to the recording unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 1...sheet, 50a...first supply path, 60a...second supply path, 200...supply device (sheet supply device), R...roll sheet

Claims

1. a support portion that rotatably supports the roll sheet; a first supply path through which a sheet is supplied from a roll sheet supported by the support portion; a conveying path that conveys the sheet supplied from the first supply path, a second supply path through which a sheet is supplied from the roll sheet supported by the support portion; the conveying path conveys the sheet supplied from the second supply path, an inlet of the first supply path is located vertically below a rotation center of the roll sheet supported by the support portion; The sheet supply device according to claim 1, wherein an entrance of the second supply path is located vertically above the center of rotation of the roll sheet supported by the support portion.

2. a driving unit that rotates the roll sheet supported by the supporting unit in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; a control unit that controls the drive unit to rotate the roll sheet; Equipped with The sheet supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the roll sheet in the first direction when transporting the sheet through the first supply path, and to rotate the roll sheet in the second direction when transporting the sheet through the second supply path.

3. 2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first feeding path and the second feeding path are provided with sheet detection sensors that detect the passage of the leading edge of the sheet.

4. the second supply path has a lower guide portion that guides the lower side of the sheet, 2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a space for manually feeding the sheets is formed above the lower guide portion.

5. 5. The sheet feeding device according to claim 4, wherein a driven roller is provided at an upstream end of the lower guide portion in the sheet conveying direction.

6. 5. The sheet feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the second feeding path has an upper guide portion that faces the lower guide portion downstream of the space in the sheet conveying direction and guides an upper portion of the sheet.

7. 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, further comprising a blocking member that is movable between a blocking position that blocks the second supply path and a retracted position that allows passage of the second supply path.

8. a separation flapper for separating the leading edge of the sheet from the roll sheet rotated in the first direction by the support portion; a flapper moving mechanism that moves the separation flapper between a contact position where the separation flapper is in contact with the rolled sheet and a separation position where the separation flapper is separated from the rolled sheet; Equipped with The sheet feeding device according to claim 7, wherein the shielding member moves in conjunction with the separation flapper, is located at the shielding position when the separation flapper is at the abutting position, and is located at the retracted position when the separation flapper is at the separated position.

9. a sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a recording unit that performs a recording operation on the sheet fed from the sheet feeding device; Equipped with The recording apparatus is characterized in that the transport path is connected to the recording unit.

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