Image recording apparatus

Abstract

To inhibit deterioration of convenience when a new image is recorded after a sheet-like medium unrolled from a roll body disposed at the outside of an image recording device is cut.SOLUTION: A printer 100 includes: an insertion port 60 into which a roll sheet Rs1 unrolled from a first roll body R1 disposed at the outside is inserted; a conveyer part 3 configured to convey the roll sheet Rs1 along a first conveyance route L1; and a cutting part 5 configured to cut the roll sheet Rs1. The cutting part 5 is located at the downstream of the insertion port 60 in the first conveyance route L1. The conveyer part 3 includes a feed roller 2A configured to hold the roll sheet Rs1 cut by the cutting part 5 and located between the insertion port 60 and the cutting part 5 in the first conveyance route L1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording device that records an image on a sheet-like medium unwound from a roll. [Background technology]

[0002] Fig. 6 of Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body (image recording apparatus) and a roll housing section disposed outside the apparatus main body. The roll housing section houses a roll (first roll body) in which a long sheet (sheet-like medium) is wound. The roll housing section also has a paper feed roller that transports the sheet unwound from the roll, and a cutter (cutting section) that cuts the sheet transported by the paper feed roller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-250273 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the sheet on the roll is cut by the cutter, the leading edge of the cut sheet is placed in the roll storage section. Therefore, in order to record a new image on the sheet after the sheet is cut, it is necessary to insert the leading edge of the sheet into an insertion opening provided in the device body so that the sheet can be transported by a transport mechanism provided in the device body.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that can suppress a decrease in convenience when recording a new image after cutting a sheet-like medium unwound from a roll body located outside the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image recording device of the present invention is an image recording device that records an image on sheet-like medium, and is equipped with an insertion port through which a sheet-like medium unwound from a first roll body arranged outside the image recording device is inserted, a transport mechanism that transports the sheet-like medium inserted from the insertion port along a first transport path, and a cutting unit that cuts the sheet-like medium transported by the transport mechanism, the cutting unit being arranged downstream of the insertion port on the first transport path, and the transport mechanism has a holding unit that holds the sheet-like medium cut by the cutting unit, the holding unit being located between the insertion port and the cutting unit on the first transport path. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the image recording device of the present invention, the sheet medium cut by the cutting unit is held by the holding unit between the insertion opening and the cutting unit. Therefore, after cutting the sheet medium, it is not necessary to insert the leading end of the sheet medium formed by cutting into the insertion opening so that the sheet medium can be transported by the transport mechanism. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in convenience when recording a new image after cutting the sheet medium unwound from the first roll body located outside the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer system including a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of the printer shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the roll paper is not inserted through the insertion port and the roll paper of the second roll body is not positioned in the passage, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the roll paper is inserted through the insertion port and the roll paper of the second roll body is positioned in the passage. [Diagram 5]FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the roll paper is not positioned so that it can be fed by the feed roller, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the roll paper is positioned so that it can be fed by the feed roller. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for executing notification control of the printer shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer system including a printer according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A printer system 300 including a printer 100 (an "image recording device" of the present invention) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. The up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction shown in Fig. 1 are the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction of the printer 100. The left-right direction is the direction when viewed from the front of the printer 100, with the front side of the page in Fig. 1 being the right side and the back side of the page in Fig. 1 being the left side.

[0010] (Overall configuration of printer system 300) 1, the printer system 300 includes a printer 100 and a storage unit 200. The printer 100 is disposed on the storage unit 200, and is configured to transport roll paper Rs1 unwound from a first roll body R1 (described below) stored in the storage unit 200 along a first transport path L1, and to record an image on the roll paper Rs1.

[0011] (Overall configuration of the accommodation unit 200) The storage unit 200 includes a housing 200A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 200A has a storage section 210 capable of storing a first roll R1. The first roll R1 is formed by winding roll paper Rs1 ("sheet-like medium" of the present invention) that is longer than cut paper Ks (described later) in a roll shape around the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical core member Rc1. The first roll R1 is stored in the storage section 210 such that the axial direction of the central axis Rx1 of the first roll R1 coincides with the left-right direction.

[0012] The storage section 210 has two rollers 201, 202. The two rollers 201, 202 are arranged to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. The rollers 201, 202 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The two rollers 201, 202 support the first roll body R1 from below while being in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion of the first roll body R1.

[0013] Furthermore, an exit 205 that connects the inside and outside of the housing 200A is formed in the front surface 200A1 of the housing 200A. The roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 inside the housing 200A passes through the exit 205 and exits to the outside of the housing 200A. Note that the storage unit 200 may be located in a position other than below the printer 100, or in a position that does not abut against the printer 100, as long as the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 can be inserted into an insertion slot 60 (described below) of the printer 100.

[0014] (Overall configuration of the printer 100) 2, the printer 100 mainly includes a housing 100A, a feed tray 1, a transport unit 3, a cutting unit 5, a head 6, a paper discharge tray 7, a control unit 70, a notification unit 80, a first detection unit 91, a second detection unit 92, and a third detection unit 93. The feed tray 1 is disposed below the head 6 inside the housing 100A.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the feed tray 1 can be inserted and removed from the housing 100A in the front-rear direction through an opening 101 formed in a front surface 100A1 of the housing 100A. That is, the feed tray 1 can move in the front-rear direction between an inner position (position shown in FIG. 2) in the housing 100A and an outer position outside the housing 100A. The inner position is a position when the feed tray 1 is at the rearmost position in the housing 100A. The outer position is a position when the feed tray 1 is forward of the inner position. In addition, the feed tray 1 in this embodiment is configured so that it can be removed entirely from the housing 100A, but it may be configured so that the feed tray 1 can only be removed from the housing 100A to a state where a part of the feed tray 1 (for example, the rear end portion) is inside the housing 100A.

[0016] The feed tray 1 has a tray body 10. The tray body 10 has a bottom wall 11 and four side walls 13 to 15 provided at the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 11, and is formed in a box shape that opens upward. Of the four side walls, three side walls 13 to 15 are shown in Fig. 2. The remaining side walls face side wall 13 in the left-right direction and are disposed between side walls 14 and 15.

[0017] The bottom wall 11 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The upper surface of the bottom wall 11 forms the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom surface 11A supports, from below, the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 and the roll paper Rs2 unwound from the second roll body R2 described below.

[0018] Of the four side walls 13 to 15, a pair of side walls 13 arranged on the left and right sides extend upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 11. The pair of side walls 13 also extend in the front-to-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the bottom wall 11. The side wall 14 extends upward from the front end of the bottom wall 11. The side wall 14 extends in the left-to-right direction from the right end to the left end of the bottom wall 11.

[0019] Two side walls 15 are provided at the rear end of the bottom wall 11. The two side walls 15 are located at both left and right ends of the rear end of the bottom wall 11. The two side walls 15 are arranged apart from each other in the left and right direction, and when the feeding tray 1 is attached to the housing 100A, a separation wall 3A (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, is located between the two side walls 15 aligned in the left and right direction.

[0020] The feed tray 1 has a first storage section ("storage section" of the present invention) 20 capable of storing the second roll body R2, and a second storage section ("storage section" of the present invention) 30 capable of storing a plurality of cut sheets Ks in a stacked state. The second roll body R2 is formed by winding rolled paper Rs2 ("sheet-like medium" of the present invention) which is a paper longer than the cut sheets Ks, around the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical core member Rc2. The maximum length of the rolled paper Rs2 of the second roll body R2 is shorter than the maximum length of the rolled paper Rs1 of the first roll body R1. The second roll body R2 is stored in the first storage section 20 such that the axial direction of its central axis Rx2 coincides with the left-right direction. The cut sheets Ks are, for example, A4-size or letter-size paper, and are stored in the second storage section 30 such that the long dimension direction coincides with the left-right direction.

[0021] For the sake of explanation, FIG. 2 shows a state in which both the second roll body R2 and the cut paper Ks are accommodated in the feed tray 1. However, when recording an image on the roll paper Rs2 in the printer 100, the second roll body R2 is accommodated in the feed tray 1 and the cut paper Ks is removed from the feed tray 1. On the other hand, when recording an image on the cut paper Ks, the cut paper Ks is accommodated in the feed tray 1 and the second roll body R2 is removed from the feed tray 1 or the roll paper Rs2 is removed from the passages 25, 27 (described later). When recording an image on the roll paper Rs2 or the cut paper Ks in the printer 100, the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 is removed from the passages 25, 27. When recording an image on the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 in the printer 100, the cut paper Ks is removed from the feed tray 1 and the second roll body R2 is removed or the roll paper Rs2 is removed from the passages 25, 27.

[0022] The first storage section 20 and the second storage section 30 are aligned in the front-rear direction as shown in Fig. 2. The first storage section 20 is located forward of the second storage section 30. The first storage section 20 also has a support section 29 that supports the second roll body R2 from below.

[0023] The support portion 29 has two holders 21, 22 and two rollers 23, 24. The two holders 21, 22 are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The holder 21 is located forward of the holder 22. Both of the two holders 21, 22 extend along the left-right direction.

[0024] Roller 23 is attached to holder 21 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. Roller 24 is attached to holder 22 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction. Rollers 23, 24 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. Roller 23 is located above roller 24. The two rollers 23, 24 support the second roll body R2 from below while being in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion of the second roll body R2.

[0025] 2, the holder 21 has a curved surface 21A that covers the outer peripheral surface of the front side of the second roll body R2. The holder 22 has a curved surface 22A that covers the outer peripheral surface of the rear side of the second roll body R2 (mainly the lower part of the second roll body R2).

[0026] 2, a passage 25 is formed between the lower surfaces of the two holders 21, 22 and the bottom surface 11A. The passage 25 extends along the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0027] An insertion opening 60 is formed in the front surface 10A1 of the tray body 10. The insertion opening 60 penetrates the side wall 14 in the front-rear direction and communicates with the passage 25. The width of the insertion opening 60 in the left-right direction is approximately the same as that of the passage 25. The insertion opening 60 and the passage 25 are formed to a size that allows the paper rolls Rs1 and Rs2 to pass through.

[0028] The roll paper Rs2 unwound from the second roll body R2 housed in the first housing section 20 is passed through the passage 25 from between the two holders 21, 22 and pulled out along the bottom surface 11A to the base pad (not shown), thereby enabling the roll paper Rs2 to be fed. The roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 housed in the housing unit 200 exits from the outlet 205 of the housing unit 200 and is inserted into the insertion port 60, as shown in FIG. The roll paper Rs1 is then passed through the passage 25 and pulled out along the bottom surface 11A to the base pad (not shown), thereby enabling the roll paper Rs1 to be fed.

[0029] 2 and 4, the feed tray 1 is provided with a pair of rollers ("holding section: part of the transport mechanism" of the present invention) 61, 62. The roller 61 is disposed below the holder 22. The roller 61 is attached to the holder 22 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The lower part of the roller 61 is disposed below the lower surface of the holder 22, and is located within the passage 25. The roller 61 is a driven roller that rotates as the roll papers Rs1, Rs2 are transported.

[0030] The roller 62 can rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. Like the roller 61, the roller 62 is a driven roller that rotates with the transport of the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2. The roller 62 is biased toward the roller 61 by a biasing mechanism (not shown). That is, the pair of rollers 61 and 62 is configured to be able to clamp the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2. The roller 61 is a known roller with a one-way clutch, and can rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 2. As a result, the pair of rollers 61 and 62 also function as a holding section that holds the rolled paper Rs1 connected to the first roll body R1 or the rolled paper Rs2 connected to the second roll body R2 that has been cut by the cutting section 5. The roller 61 with a one-way clutch may have a known torque limiter.

[0031] The biasing mechanism is configured to release the biasing force on the roller 62 when the feed tray 1 is in the outer position. Therefore, the rolled papers Rs1, Rs2 held by the pair of rollers 61, 62 can be removed from the pair of rollers 61, 62 by moving the feed tray 1 to the outer position.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, the second storage section 30 has a support plate 31 that supports the cut paper Ks from below. The support plate 31 is a plate-like member that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, and its upper surface serves as a support surface 31A. A part of the front end of the support plate 31 is inserted into the lower part of the holder 22, and the support plate 31 is disposed on the bottom surface 11A. The support plate 31 is configured so that the rear end of the support plate 31 can swing up and down, with the part inserted into the holder 22 as a fulcrum. The support plate 31 extends rearward from the fulcrum to the vicinity of the rear end of the bottom surface 11A.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the support plate 31 and the bottom wall 11 define a passage 27. The support plate 31 is disposed facing the bottom surface 11A so that the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2 can pass between the support plate 31 and the bottom surface 11A. The first transport path L1 is a path along which the rolled paper Rs1 is transported from the insertion opening 60 through the paths 25 and 27 to the cutting unit 5. The rolled paper Rs2 is transported from the middle of the path 25 along the first transport path L1 to the cutting unit 5. The support plate 31 also has the function of restricting curling of the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2 passing between the support plate 31 and the bottom surface 11A.

[0034] A cutout portion 32 is formed at the rear end of the support plate 31. The cutout portion 32 is located at the center of the support plate 31 in the left-right direction. The cutout portion 32 is located on a movement path of a feed roller 2A (described later) that moves from a contact position to a separated position. The base pad is located within the cutout portion 32 of the support plate 31 when viewed from above.

[0035] The transport section (the "transport mechanism" of the present invention) 3 transports the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll R1, the roll paper Rs2 unwound from the second roll R2, and the cut paper Ks along the transport direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the transport section 3 has the pair of rollers 61, 62, the feed roller 2A, the arm 2B, the separation wall 3A, the intermediate roller pair 4A, the transport roller pair 4B, the paper discharge roller pair 4C, the guide 4D, the feed motor 2M, the intermediate motor 4AM, the transport motor 4BM, and the paper discharge motor 4CM.

[0036] The feed roller (the "holding section" of the present invention) 2A feeds the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2 from the feed tray 1 along the first transport path L1 toward the cutting section 5 and the intermediate roller pair 4A. The feed roller 2A is a known roller with a one-way clutch, and rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2. The feed roller 2A also feeds the cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30 from the feed tray 1 along the second transport path L2. The second transport path L2 is the path shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 along which the cut paper Ks is transported from the second storage section 30 to the cutting section 5. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the cut paper Ks and the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2, they will be referred to as "paper S." When there is no need to distinguish between the rolled papers Rs1 and Rs2, they will be referred to as "rolled paper Rs."

[0037] The feed roller 2A is axially supported at the tip of the arm 2B. The feed roller 2A rotates about a shaft extending in the left-right direction when driven by a feed motor 2M.

[0038] The arm 2B is supported by a support shaft 2C so as to be freely rotatable. The support shaft 2C is supported by the housing 100A. The arm 2B is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so that the feed roller 2A approaches the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The arm 2B rotates about the support shaft 2C, so that the feed roller 2A can move between a contact position (see FIG. 5(a)) where the feed roller 2A contacts a base pad (not shown) arranged on the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1, and a separated position where the feed roller 2A is separated from the base pad. With this configuration, the feed roller 2A also functions as a holding section that holds the roll paper Rs1 connected to the first roll body R1 or the roll paper Rs2 connected to the second roll body R2 cut by the cutting section 5 by sandwiching it between the base pad. Since the feed roller 2A is a roller with a one-way clutch, the roll paper Rs can be effectively held. The one-way clutch of the feed roller 2A may have a known torque limiter.

[0039] The arm 2B can be retracted to a retracted position where there is no interference between the tray body 10 of the feed tray 1 and the feed roller 2A by a retraction mechanism (not shown) in conjunction with the movement of the feed tray 1 from an inner position inside the housing 100A to an outer position outside the housing 100A. The separated position is the position to which the feed roller 2A moves when the arm 2B moves to the retracted position. As a result, the roll paper Rs held by the feed roller 2A is released from its hold by the feed roller 2A by moving the feed tray 1 to the outer position.

[0040] The feed roller 2A selectively takes a first feed position or a second feed position between the contact position and the separated position. The first feed position is a position where the feed roller 2A comes into contact with the roll paper Rs supported on the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1 (see FIG. 5(b)). The second feed position is a position where the feed roller 2A comes into contact with the cut paper Ks stored in the second storage section 30 (see FIG. 2).

[0041] When the feed motor 2M is driven under the control of the control unit 70, the feed roller 2A rotates and a conveying force is applied to the sheet S in contact with the feed roller 2A in a direction from the front to the rear. As a result, the sheet S is sent out from the feed tray 1.

[0042] The separation wall 3A is for preventing double feeding when the cut sheets Ks are fed from the feed tray 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the separation wall 3A extends obliquely upward from the bottom surface 11A of the feed tray 1. The separation wall 3A is provided in the housing 100A. The separation wall 3A is located at the rear end of the feed tray 1 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] The intermediate roller pair 4A is composed of a drive roller that rotates when the driving force of the intermediate motor 4AM is transmitted thereto, and a driven roller that rotates with the drive roller. When the intermediate motor 4AM is driven under the control of the control unit 70, the intermediate roller pair 4A rotates while sandwiching the sheet S to transport the sheet S. The intermediate roller pair 4A is located above the separation wall 3A. The intermediate roller pair 4A sandwiches and transports the sheet S sent out from the feed tray 1 by the feed roller 2A upward. The guide 4D is located above the intermediate roller pair 4A. The guide 4D has a passage 28A that guides the sheet S transported upward by the intermediate roller pair 4A forward.

[0044] The conveying roller pair 4B is composed of a driving roller that rotates by the driving force of the conveying motor 4BM being transmitted thereto, and a driven roller that rotates with the driving roller. The paper discharge roller pair 4C is composed of a driving roller that rotates by the driving force of the paper discharge motor 4CM being transmitted thereto, and a driven roller that rotates with the driving roller. When the conveying motor 4BM and the paper discharge motor 4CM are driven by the control of the control unit 70, the conveying roller pair 4B and the paper discharge roller pair 4C rotate while sandwiching the paper S to convey the paper S. The conveying roller pair 4B is located behind the head 6, and the paper discharge roller pair 4C is located in front of the head 6. The conveying roller pair 4B sandwiches the paper S guided forward by the guide 4D and conveys it forward. The paper discharge roller pair 4C sandwiches the paper S conveyed forward by the conveying roller pair 4B and conveys it forward.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting unit 5 is located between the separation wall 3A and the intermediate roller pair 4A. The cutting unit 5 includes a fixed blade 5A that is elongated in the left-right direction, a disk-shaped rotary blade 5B that can move in the left-right direction while in contact with the fixed blade 5A, and a cutting motor 5M. The rotary blade 5B rotates when the cutting motor 5M is driven, and moves back and forth in the left-right direction. The roll paper Rs is cut in the left-right direction by the fixed blade 5A and the rotary blade 5B when the cutting motor 5M is driven under the control of the control unit 70. As a result, a rear end is formed on the roll paper Rs sent to the paper discharge tray 7, and a leading end is formed on the roll paper Rs1 connected to the first roll body R1 or the roll paper Rs2 connected to the second roll body R2.

[0046] The head 6 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on the bottom surface, and a driver IC 6A (see FIG. 3). The head 6 records an image on the paper S transported by the transport unit 3. When the driver IC 6A is driven under the control of the control unit 70, ink is ejected from the nozzles, and an image is formed on the paper S when the paper S transported by the transport unit 3 passes an image recording position facing the bottom surface of the head 6. The head 6 may be either a line type in which ink is ejected from nozzles while being fixed in position, or a serial type in which ink is ejected from nozzles while moving in the left-right direction.

[0047] The paper output tray 7 is disposed in front of the head 6 inside the housing 100A and above the feed tray 1. The paper output tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100A in the front-rear direction through an opening 102 formed in a front surface 100A1 of the housing 100A. The paper output tray 7 receives paper S on which an image is formed by the head 6 and which is transported forward by a pair of paper output rollers 43.

[0048] The first detection unit 91 detects whether or not the roll paper Rs1 is inserted into the passage 25 through the insertion opening 60. The first detection unit 91 is disposed forward of the second detection unit 92, as shown in FIG.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the first detection unit 91 includes an actuator 91A and a sensor 91B. The actuator 91A is supported rotatably around a rotation shaft 91C. The axial direction of the rotation shaft 91C is parallel to the left-right direction. The sensor 91B is a sensor that detects the actuator 91A. The sensor 91B is, for example, a photosensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element (not shown). The actuator 91A is biased in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4 by a biasing member (not shown), and is located on the first transport path L1 as shown in FIG. 4(a) when no external force is applied. At this time, the actuator 91A does not block the optical path of the sensor 91B.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the roll paper Rs1 is not inserted into the passage 25 from the insertion port 60, no external force is applied to the actuator 91A, and the actuator 91A is located in a position that does not block the optical path of the sensor 91B. That is, the sensor 91B outputs a first signal to the control unit 70, indicating that the roll paper Rs1 is not inserted. On the other hand, when the roll paper Rs1 is inserted into the passage 25 from the insertion port 60, the roll paper Rs1 comes into contact with the actuator 91A, and the actuator 91A is pushed downward by the roll paper Rs1, as shown in FIG. 4(b). This causes the actuator 91A to rotate clockwise in FIG. 4 around the rotation shaft 91C, blocking the optical path of the sensor 91B. That is, the sensor 91B outputs a second signal to the control unit 70, indicating that the roll paper Rs1 has been inserted. In this way, the first detection unit 91 can detect that the roll paper Rs1 has been inserted into the passage 25 from the insertion port 60.

[0051] The second detection unit 92 detects whether or not the roll paper Rs is inserted in the passage 25. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the second detection unit 92 includes an actuator 92A and a sensor 92B, and has a similar configuration to the first detection unit 91. Therefore, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the roll paper Rs is not placed in the passage 25, no external force is applied to the actuator 92A, and the actuator 92A is located in a position that does not block the optical path of the sensor 92B. That is, the sensor 92B outputs a third signal to the control unit 70, indicating that the roll paper Rs is not placed in the passage 25. On the other hand, when the roll paper Rs is placed in the passage 25, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the roll paper Rs comes into contact with the actuator 92A, and the actuator 92A is pushed downward by the roll paper Rs. This causes the actuator 92A to rotate clockwise in FIG. 4 around the rotation shaft 92C, blocking the optical path of the sensor 92B. That is, the sensor 92B outputs a fourth signal to the control unit 70, indicating that the roll paper Rs is placed in the passage 25. In this way, the second detection unit 92 can detect that the roll paper Rs is placed in the passage 25.

[0053] The third detector 93 detects whether or not the sheet S is disposed at a position where the sheet S can be fed by the feed roller 2A. The third detector 93 is attached to the arm 2B.

[0054] 5, the third detection unit 93 includes an actuator 93A and a sensor 93B. The actuator 93A is supported by the arm 2B so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 93C. The axial direction of the rotation shaft 93C is parallel to the left-right direction. The sensor 93B is a sensor that detects the actuator 93A. The sensor 93B is attached to the arm 2B. The sensor 93B is, for example, a photosensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element (not shown).

[0055] When the paper S is not in a position where the paper S can be fed by the feed roller 2A (a position where the paper S contacts the feed roller 2A), no external force is applied to the actuator 93A, and the actuator 93A is in a position where it does not block the optical path of the sensor 93B, as shown in FIG. 5(a). That is, the sensor 93B outputs a fifth signal to the control unit 70, indicating that the paper S is not in a position where the paper P can be fed. On the other hand, when the paper S is in a position where the paper P can be fed by the feed roller 2A, the paper S contacts the actuator 93A, as shown in FIG. 5(b). Note that FIG. 5(b) shows a state where the roll paper Rs is in a position where the roll paper Rs contacts the feed roller 2A. At this time, the actuator 93A rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5 around the rotation shaft 93C by having one end of the actuator 93A pushed upward by the paper S, and blocks the optical path of the sensor 93B. That is, the sensor 93B outputs a sixth signal to the control unit 70, indicating that the paper S is in a position where the paper S can be fed. In this manner, the third detector 93 can detect that the sheet S is located at a position where the sheet S can be fed by the feed roller 2A.

[0056] The notification unit 80 is for performing a notification operation to notify the user of information, and is a touch panel display in this embodiment. The notification unit 80 also functions as a reception unit that receives input from the user by touching the screen. In this embodiment, a touch panel display is used as the notification unit 80, but a speaker or a display may be used as long as it is capable of performing a notification operation to notify the user of information. Furthermore, an input unit that can input information from the user may be provided in addition to the touch panel display.

[0057] Next, the control configuration of the printer 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The control unit 70 of the printer 100 controls the entire printer 100 and includes a CPU 71, a ROM 72 and a RAM 73, an ASIC 74, a flash memory 75, and the like, which are connected to each other by a bus 76A. The ASIC 74 of the control unit 70 is also connected to a driver IC 6A, a feed motor 2M, an intermediate motor 4AM, a conveying motor 4BM, a paper discharge motor 4CM, a cutting motor 5M, a notification unit 80, and three sensors 91B to 93B by a bus 76B. The CPU 71, the ROM 72 and the RAM 73, the ASIC 74, and the flash memory 75 cooperate to control the operation of the driver IC 6A, the feed motor 2M, the intermediate motor 4AM, the conveying motor 4BM, the paper discharge motor 4CM, the cutting motor 5M, the notification unit 80, and the like.

[0058] The control unit 70 may be one in which only the CPU 71 performs various processes, or one in which only the ASIC 74 performs various processes, or one in which the CPU 71 and the ASIC 74 work together to perform various processes. The control unit 70 may be one in which one CPU 71 performs processes independently, or one in which multiple CPUs 71 share the processes. The control unit 70 may be one in which one ASIC 74 performs processes independently, or one in which multiple ASICs 74 share the processes.

[0059] <Printing control> Next, control during printing when an image is recorded on roll paper Rs by printer 100 will be described. It is assumed that roll paper Rs1 or roll paper Rs2 on which an image is to be recorded is already sandwiched between the feed roller 2A and the base pad. In printer 100, when a recording command to execute printing is received, the control unit 70 starts control to execute printing. When the control unit 70 receives the recording command, first, it starts transporting roll paper Rs toward head 6 by transport unit 3.

[0060] More specifically, the control unit 70 drives the feed motor 2M to transport the roll paper Rs along the first transport path L1 to the cutting unit 5 and the intermediate roller pair 4A. At this time, the roll paper Rs is transported while being sandwiched between the pair of rollers 61, 62.

[0061] When the roll paper Rs is transported to the pair of intermediate rollers 4A, the control unit 70 sequentially controls the intermediate motor 4AM, the transport motor 4BM, and the paper discharge motor 4CM to transport the roll paper Rs towards the head 6.

[0062] When the roll paper Rs reaches a position facing the head 6, the control unit 70 controls the driver IC6A to eject ink from the nozzles onto the roll paper Rs to record an image. Then, when the rear end of the roll paper Rs (the planned cutting position) reaches the cutting position of the cutting unit 5, the control unit 70 controls the transport unit 3 to temporarily stop transport of the roll paper Rs.

[0063] Next, the control unit 70 drives the cutting motor 5M, and the cutting unit 5 cuts the roll paper Rs. The cut roll paper Rs connected to the first roll body R1 or the second roll body R2 is held between the feed roller 2A and the base pad. The roll paper Rs is also held by the pair of rollers 61, 62. In other words, the roll paper Rs connected to the cut first roll body R1 or the second roll body R2 remains placed in the feed tray 1. Therefore, when the control unit 70 receives a recording command for the next print, it can immediately start transporting the roll paper Rs and start printing.

[0064] Next, the control unit 70 controls the intermediate motor 4AM, the transport motor 4BM, and the discharge motor 4CM to discharge the cut roll paper Rs (roll paper Rs downstream in the transport direction from the cutting unit 5) to the discharge tray 7. When recording an image on the portion of the roll paper Rs upstream in the transport direction from the head 6 after cutting the roll paper Rs, the control unit 70 controls the driver IC 6A to record an image on the roll paper Rs. This completes control of printing on the roll paper Rs.

[0065] Next, the control during printing when an image is recorded on the cut sheet Ks will be described. The cut sheet Ks is stored in the second storage section 30 and is in contact with the feed roller 2A. When the control section 70 receives a recording command, it starts transporting the cut sheet Ks toward the head 6 by the transport section 3.

[0066] More specifically, the control unit 70 drives the feed motor 2M to transport the cut sheet Ks along the second transport path L2 to the cutting unit 5 and the pair of intermediate rollers 4A. When the cut sheet Ks has been transported to the pair of intermediate rollers 4A, the control unit 70 sequentially controls the intermediate motor 4AM, the transport motor 4BM, and the discharge motor 4CM to transport the cut sheet Ks toward the head 6.

[0067] When the cut sheet Ks reaches a position facing the head 6, the control unit 70 controls the driver IC 6A to eject ink from the nozzles onto the cut sheet Ks to record an image, and then ejects the cut sheet Ks with the image recorded onto the paper ejection tray 7. This completes the control of printing on the cut sheet Ks.

[0068] <Notification control of the printer 100> Next, a description will be given of notification control when the roll paper Rs1 is set in the printer 100. The control unit 70 performs processing according to the flow shown in FIG.

[0069] The control unit 70 first determines whether the paper S is located in a position where it can be fed (F1). If the sixth signal is output from the sensor 93B and the paper S is located in a position where it can be fed (F1: YES), the control unit 70 determines whether the roll paper Rs2 is located in the passage 25 (F2).

[0070] If the third signal is output from sensor 92B and roll paper Rs2 is not positioned in passage 25 (F2: NO), the control unit 70 determines whether or not roll paper Rs1 has been inserted through the insertion slot 60 (F3). If the first signal is output from sensor 91B and roll paper Rs1 has not been inserted through the insertion slot 60 (F3: NO), the process returns to F1. On the other hand, if the user inserts roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 through the insertion slot 60 and the second signal is output from sensor 91B (F3: YES), the control unit 70 executes a first notification process (F4).

[0071] The first notification process is executed when the roll paper Rs1 is inserted while the cut paper Ks is stored in the second storage unit 30. In the first notification process, the control unit 70 causes the notification unit 80 to notify the user that the cut paper Ks should be removed from the second storage unit 30.

[0072] In F2, if a fourth signal is output from the sensor 92B and the roll paper Rs2 is placed in the passage 25 (F2: YES), the control unit 70 executes the same process as in F3 (F5).

[0073] Furthermore, in F1, if the sensor 93B outputs a fifth signal and the paper S is not positioned so that it can be fed (F1: NO), the control unit 70 executes the same process as F2 (F6). If the sensor 92B outputs a fourth signal and the roll paper Rs2 is positioned in the path 25 (F6: YES), the control unit 70 proceeds to F5.

[0074] In F5, if a first signal is output from sensor 91B and roll paper Rs1 has not been inserted through the insertion slot 60 (F5: NO), the process returns to F1. On the other hand, if the user inserts roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll R1 through the insertion slot 60 and a second signal is output from sensor 91B (F5: YES), the control unit 70 executes a second notification process (F7).

[0075] The second notification process is executed when the paper roll Rs1 is inserted while the paper roll Rs2 of the second roll body R2 stored in the first storage unit 20 is placed in the passage 25. In the second notification process, the control unit 70 causes the notification unit 80 to notify the user to remove the second roll body R2 from the first storage unit 20 or to remove the paper roll Rs2 from the passages 25, 27.

[0076] In F6, if the third signal is output from sensor 92B and roll paper Rs2 is not placed in passage 25 (F6: NO), the control unit 70 executes the same process as F3 (F8). If the first signal is output from sensor 91B and roll paper Rs1 is not inserted through insertion slot 60 (F8: NO), the process returns to F1. On the other hand, if the user inserts roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 through insertion slot 60 and the second signal is output from sensor 91B (F8: YES), roll paper Rs1 is inserted without cut paper Ks being stored in second storage unit 30 and roll paper Rs2 being placed in passages 25, 27, so the flow ends.

[0077] <Setting the paper roll Rs1> When recording an image on the roll paper Rs1, the roll paper Rs1 is loaded into the printer 100. First, the user stores the first roll body R1 in the storage section 210 of the storage unit 200, as shown in Fig. 1. Then, the user pulls out the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 from the exit 205 to the outside, and inserts the leading end of the roll paper Rs1 into the insertion opening 60.

[0078] After this, the user feeds the roll paper Rs1 a predetermined length along the first transport path L1. The predetermined length here is a length that exceeds the length from the insertion opening 60 to the feed roller 2A along the first transport path L1, but is less than the length from the insertion opening 60 to the cutting unit 5. If the first notification process of F4 above is executed at this time, the user removes the cut paper Ks from the second storage unit 30 and feeds the roll paper Rs1 a predetermined length again. If the second notification process of F7 is executed at this time, the user removes the second roll body R2 from the first storage unit 20 or removes the roll paper Rs2 from the passages 25, 27, and feeds the roll paper Rs1 a predetermined length again.

[0079] In this manner, the roll paper Rs1 is clamped between the feed roller 2A and the base pad and is ready to be fed. Setting of the roll paper Rs1 in the printer 100 is now complete.

[0080] As described above, according to the printer 100 of this embodiment, the roll paper Rs1 connected to the first roll body R1 cut by the cutting unit 5 is held between the insertion opening 60 and the cutting unit 5 by the feed roller 2A and the pair of rollers 61, 62. Therefore, after cutting the roll paper Rs1, it is not necessary to reinsert the leading end of the roll paper Rs1 formed by the cut into the insertion opening 60 so that the roll paper Rs1 can be transported by the transport unit 3. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in convenience when recording a new image after cutting the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 located outside the printer 100.

[0081] In addition, the roll paper Rs1 connected to the first roll body R1 cut by the cutting unit 5 is held between the insertion port 60 and the cutting unit 5. Therefore, when printing next time, it is not necessary to insert the leading end of the roll paper Rs1 into the insertion port 60. If the leading end of the roll paper Rs1 connected to the cut first roll body R1 is inserted into the insertion port 60 every time printing is performed when printing on the roll paper Rs1, the leading end of the roll paper Rs1 is likely to get caught in the insertion port 60, causing transport problems. However, in this embodiment, after the roll paper Rs1 is cut, it is not necessary to insert the leading end of the roll paper Rs1 into the insertion port 60 every time printing next time. As a result, it is possible to transport the roll paper Rs1 smoothly, and transport problems can be suppressed.

[0082] The insertion opening 60 is formed on the front surface 10A1 of the feed tray 1. As a result, the insertion opening 60 is located on the front surface 10A1, which is in front of the user. This makes it easy to insert the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 into the insertion opening 60 and to move the feed tray 1. In addition, since the feed tray 1 has the insertion opening 60, it is not necessary to form the insertion opening 60 in the housing 100A. When forming the insertion opening 60 in the housing 100A, it is necessary to provide the insertion opening 60 in an area other than the area where the feed tray 1 of the housing 100A is arranged, which makes the design of the housing 100A complicated. However, by providing the insertion opening 60 in the feed tray 1, the insertion opening 60 can be formed relatively easily.

[0083] The feed roller 2A is capable of feeding the roll paper Rs2 of the second roll body R2 housed in the first housing section 20 and the cut paper Ks housed in the second housing section 30. The feed roller 2A is also capable of transporting and holding the roll paper Rs1 inserted through the insertion opening 60. Because the feed roller 2A functions as a holding section, there is no need to provide a member separate from the feed roller 2A as the holding section.

[0084] The cutting unit 5 can cut the roll paper Rs1 inserted from the insertion opening 60 when it is transported along the first transport path L1. The cutting unit 5 can also cut the roll paper Rs2 unwound from the second roll body R2 when it is transported along the first transport path L1. In other words, the cutting unit 5 can selectively cut the roll paper Rs1 and the roll paper Rs2. This makes it possible to cut the roll paper Rs1 of the first roll body R1 and the roll paper Rs2 of the second roll body R2 with a single cutting unit 5.

[0085] When sensor 91B outputs the second signal while sensor 93B outputs the sixth signal and / or sensor 92B outputs the fourth signal, control unit 70 executes process F4 or F7. This makes it possible to prevent double feeding of cut paper Ks stored in second storage unit 30 or roll paper Rs2 of second roll body R2 stored in first storage unit 20, and roll paper Rs1 of first roll body R1.

[0086] As a modified example, the second detection unit 92 (sensor 92B) and the third detection unit 93 (sensor 93B) may not be provided, and when the sensor 91B outputs the second signal, the process of F4 or F7 may be executed. In this case, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

[0087] The second roll body R2 that can be accommodated in the feed tray 1 has a maximum length of the roll paper Rs2 that is shorter than the maximum length of the roll paper Rs1 of the first roll body R1. This allows users who do not use a large amount of roll paper to use only the second roll body R2, eliminating the need to use the first roll body R1. The printer 100 includes a feed tray 1 that can accommodate the second roll body R2 in this way, making it possible to meet the needs of such users.

[0088] The feeding tray 1 has a second storage section 30. This makes it possible to record images on a plurality of cut sheets Ks stacked separately from the roll paper Rs1 of the first roll body R1.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the insertion slot 60 is formed on the front surface 10A1 of the feed tray 1, but as shown in Fig. 7, it may be formed on the rear surface 100A2 of the housing 100A of the printer 100. In the storage unit 200 of the printer system 300 in this modification, the outlet 205 is formed on the rear surface 200A2 of the housing 200A. Other than this, it is the same as the storage unit 200 in the above embodiment. The insertion slot 60 is located at a position facing the guide 4D of the housing 100A in the front-rear direction.

[0090] 7, a passage 28B is formed in addition to the passage 28A in the guide 4D of the printer 100 in this modified example. The passage 28B communicates with the insertion opening 60, extends forward from the insertion opening 60, and merges with the passage 28A.

[0091] The printer 100 is also provided with a pair of transport rollers (the "transport mechanism" of the present invention) 65, 66, and a cutting section 68. The printer 100 in this modification is otherwise similar to the printer 100 described above.

[0092] The pair of transport rollers 65, 66 transport the roll paper Rs1 inserted from the insertion opening 60 along the third transport path L3. The third transport path L3 (the "first transport path" of the present invention) is a path along which the roll paper Rs1 is transported from the insertion opening 60 through the passage 28B to the cutting unit 68. The pair of transport rollers 65, 66 is disposed between the insertion opening 60 and the cutting unit 68 on the third transport path L3.

[0093] Cutting section 68 has a similar configuration to cutting section 5 of the above-described embodiment. The control section 70 drives a cutting motor (not shown) to cut roll paper Rs1.

[0094] One of the pair of transport rollers 65, 66 is a drive roller that rotates when the driving force of a transport motor (not shown) is transmitted thereto, and the other is a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. The drive roller is a roller with a one-way clutch. The pair of transport rollers (the "holding portion" of the present invention) 65, 66 also function as a holding portion that clamps and holds the roll paper Rs1 that has been cut by a cutting portion 68 and is connected to the first roll body R1. Since the drive roller is a roller with a one-way clutch, the roll paper Rs1 can be effectively held. The one-way clutch of the drive roller may have a known torque limiter.

[0095] The drive roller of the pair of transport rollers 65, 66 may be configured to be swingable by an arm, similar to the feed roller 2A. In this case, too, it is possible to effectively hold the roll paper Rs1, as in the above case.

[0096] The printer 100 also has a switching mechanism (not shown) that switches between a state in which the pair of transport rollers 65, 66 are in contact with each other and a state in which they are separated from each other. The user can operate this switching mechanism to switch the pair of transport rollers 65, 66 between a holding state in which the roll paper Rs1 is held and a release state in which the hold is released. This makes it easier to remove the roll paper Rs1 held by the pair of transport rollers 65, 66 by switching the pair of transport rollers 65, 66 from the holding state to the release state.

[0097] When recording an image on roll paper Rs1 in printer 100 of this modified example, as shown in Fig. 7, the user pulls out roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 stored in storage unit 200 from outlet 205 and inserts the leading edge of roll paper Rs1 into insertion opening 60. Then, the leading edge of roll paper Rs1 is clamped between a pair of transport rollers 65, 66. After this, when control unit 70 receives a recording command to record an image on roll paper Rs1, it controls the pair of transport rollers 65, 66, transport roller pair 4B, and discharge roller pair 4C to transport roll paper Rs1 along third transport path L3 toward head 6.

[0098] When the roll paper Rs1 reaches a position facing the head 6, the control unit 70 controls the driver IC 6A to record an image on the roll paper Rs1. Then, when the rear end of the roll paper Rs1 (the planned cutting position) reaches the cutting position of the cutter 68, the control unit 70 controls the pair of transport rollers 65, 66, the transport roller pair 4B, and the discharge roller pair 4C to temporarily stop transport of the roll paper Rs1.

[0099] Next, the control unit 70 cuts the roll paper Rs1 using the cutting unit 68. The roll paper Rs1 connected to the cut first roll body R1 is held by a pair of transport rollers 65, 66. In other words, the roll paper Rs1 connected to the cut first roll body R1 is placed inside the housing 100A of the printer 100 and maintained in this state. Therefore, when the control unit 70 receives a recording command for the next print, it can immediately start transporting the roll paper Rs1 and start printing.

[0100] Next, the control unit 70 controls the transport roller pair 4B and the discharge roller pair 4C to discharge the cut roll paper Rs (roll paper Rs1 located downstream in the transport direction from the cutting unit 68) to the discharge tray 7. When recording an image on the portion of roll paper Rs1 upstream in the transport direction from the head 6 after cutting the roll paper Rs1, the control unit 70 controls the driver IC 6A to record an image on the roll paper Rs1. This completes control of printing on the roll paper Rs1.

[0101] When an image is recorded on roll paper Rs2, as in the above embodiment, the transport unit 3 transports the roll paper Rs2 along the first transport path L1 (the "second transport path" of the invention), and the head 6 records an image. The cutting unit 5 cuts the rear end of the roll paper Rs2 (the planned cutting position), and the roll paper Rs2 separated from the second roll body R2 by this cut (the roll paper Rs2 downstream in the transport direction from the cutting unit 5) is discharged to the paper output tray 7. This completes control of printing on the roll paper Rs2.

[0102] In the printer 100 in this modified example as well, the roll paper Rs1 connected to the first roll R1 cut by the cutting unit 68 is held between the insertion opening 60 and the cutting unit 68 by the pair of transport rollers 65, 66. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, there is no need to perform the work of enabling the roll paper Rs1 to be transported by the pair of transport rollers 65, 66, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in convenience when recording a new image.

[0103] The insertion opening 60 is formed in the rear surface 100A2 of the housing 100A. This makes it possible to prevent the feed tray 1 from interfering with the roll paper Rs1 of the first roll body R1 inserted into the insertion opening 60 even when the feed tray 1 is moved in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 100A.

[0104] Printer 100 in this variation has a cutting unit 68 that cuts roll paper Rs1 from the first roll R1, and a cutting unit 5 that cuts roll paper Rs2 from the second roll R2. This eliminates the need to share a common cutting unit 68 and cutting unit 5. This makes it possible to smoothly switch between using the first roll R1 and the second roll R2.

[0105] Printer 100 in this modified example has two cutting units 5, 68, but one cutting unit may be provided downstream in the transport direction from where path 28A joins path 28B. This makes it possible to selectively cut roll paper Rs1 and roll paper Rs2 at one cutting unit.

[0106] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above embodiment, the insertion slot 60 is formed on the front surface 10A1 of the feed tray 1, but the insertion slot 60 may be formed on the front surface 100A1 of the housing 100A (for example, a portion below the feed tray 1 of the housing 100A). In this case as well, the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0107] Furthermore, the feed roller 2A and roller 61 do not have to be rollers with a one-way clutch if they have resistance that prevents the held roll paper Rs1 from falling out of the insertion opening 60. In this case, the pair of rollers 61, 62 may be configured so that they cannot be separated, and the feed roller 2A may also be configured so that it cannot be retracted. The same applies to the pair of transport rollers 65, 66. Furthermore, if the feed roller 2A has a function for holding the roll paper Rs1, the pair of rollers 61, 62 may not be provided. Furthermore, a base pad may not be provided.

[0108] In addition, when the pair of rollers 61, 62 function as a holding part, the feed roller 2A does not have to function as a holding part. In this case, the pair of rollers 61, 62 may be disposed anywhere on the first transport path L1 between the insertion opening 60 and the cutting unit 5.

[0109] Furthermore, when the roll paper Rs can be transported by a pair of rollers 61, 62, the feed roller 2A does not need to be provided.

[0110] Also, the printer 100 does not necessarily have to be provided with a feed tray 1. In this case, the insertion opening 60 may be formed on the front surface 100A1 or the rear surface 100A2 of the housing 100A. Also, the feed tray 1 may be formed with either the first storage section 20 or the second storage section 30.

[0111] Furthermore, when the insertion opening 60 is formed on the front surface 100A1 of the housing 100A or the front surface 10A1 of the feed tray 1, the storage unit 200 may be disposed in front of the printer 100. When the insertion opening 60 is formed on the rear surface 100A2 of the housing 100A, the storage unit 200 may be disposed in the rear of the printer 100. Furthermore, the roll paper Rs1 may be inserted into the insertion opening 60 of the printer 100 so that the printing surface of the roll paper Rs1 unwound from the first roll body R1 becomes the inner surface located on the inside of the first roll body R1.

[0112] The maximum length of the roll paper Rs2 of the second roll R2 may be equal to or greater than the maximum length of the roll paper Rs1 of the first roll R1. Also, the first detection unit 91 (sensor 91B) and the notification unit 80 do not have to be provided. Also, a sensor that can directly detect the roll paper Rs1 may be used as the sensor 91B. In this case, the actuator 91A does not have to be provided.

[0113] In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the cutting unit 5, 68 has the fixed blade 5A, but a rotary blade that can move in the left-right direction together with the rotary blade 5B may be provided instead of the fixed blade 5A. The rotary blade may be a blade that does not rotate.

[0114] The present invention can be applied to all image recording devices capable of recording images on roll paper Rs1 unwound from a first roll R1 disposed externally. The first roll R1 does not have to be stored in the storage unit 200. The printer 100 does not have to be provided with a support plate 31. The feed tray 1 may be supported movably in directions intersecting the front-rear and up-down directions relative to the housing 100A.

[0115] For example, the present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers equipped with a head that ejects ink from a nozzle as a recording unit, but also to electrophotographic printers equipped with a recording unit of a laser type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to a laser, or an LED type in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoconductor to an LED. Also, the sheet-like medium is not limited to paper, and may be cloth, a resin material such as a film, or the like, as long as it is in sheet form. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1 Feeding tray 2A Feed roller (holding part) 3. Conveyor section (conveyor mechanism) 5,68 cutting section 10A1 Front 20 First storage section (storage section) 30 Second storage section (storage section) 60 Insertion port 61 Roller (holding part) 62 Roller (holding part) 70 Control section 80 Notification Department 91B Sensor 100 Printer (image recording device) 100A housing 100A1 front 100A2 rear Ks Cut paper (sheet media) L1 First transport route L2 Second transport route L3 Third transport route R1 First roll body R2 Second roll body Rs1, Rs2 Roll paper (sheet media)

Claims

1. An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sheet-like medium, an insertion port through which a sheet-like medium unwound from a first roll body disposed outside the image recording device is inserted; a conveying mechanism that conveys the sheet medium inserted through the insertion opening along a first conveying path; a cutting unit that cuts the sheet medium transported by the transport mechanism, the cutting unit being disposed downstream of the insertion opening on the first transport path, The image recording device characterized in that the transport mechanism has a holding section that holds the sheet medium cut by the cutting section, and the holding section is located between the insertion opening and the cutting section on the first transport path.

2. A housing and The printer further includes a feed tray having a storage portion capable of storing sheet-like media, the feed tray being movable in a front-rear direction relative to the housing, 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insertion opening is formed in either a front surface of the housing or a front surface of the feed tray.

3. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the insertion opening is formed in a front surface of the feed tray.

4. the holding section has a feed roller capable of feeding the sheet medium stored in the storage section toward the cutting section, 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the feed roller is capable of transporting and holding the sheet medium inserted through the insertion opening.

5. A housing and and a feed tray capable of accommodating a second roll body on which the sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape, 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting section is capable of selectively cutting the sheet medium inserted through the insertion opening and the sheet medium unwound from the second roll body.

6. a feed tray having a storage portion capable of storing sheet-like media; a sensor for detecting a sheet medium inserted through the insertion opening; A notification department; A control unit, The transport mechanism is configured to be capable of transporting the sheet medium contained in the container, The control unit is 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the user to remove the sheet medium from the storage unit when the sensor detects the sheet medium.

7. 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a feed tray capable of accommodating a second roll of sheet medium wound in a roll shape having a length shorter than the maximum length of the sheet medium of the first roll.

8. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a feed tray capable of accommodating a plurality of sheet media in a stacked state.

9. A housing and The printer further includes a feed tray capable of accommodating sheet-like media and movable in a front-rear direction relative to the housing, 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion opening is formed on a rear surface of the housing.

10. the feed tray is capable of accommodating a second roll body on which a sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape; the transport mechanism is configured to transport the sheet medium unwound from the second roll along a second transport path, 10. The image recording device according to claim 9, further comprising a cutting unit disposed on the second transport path and configured to cut the sheet medium unwound from the second roll body, the cutting unit being separate from the cutting unit.

Images