Printer having laminate function

Abstract

To provide a printer having a laminate function.SOLUTION: A printer 10 includes a printer body 1, a pressure / heating module 2, a film sensor 3, and a processing unit 6. The printer body 1 includes a printing path, a paper supply port 11 communicating with the printing path, a paper supply cassette 12 arranged corresponding to the paper supply port 11, and a pickup roller group 13. A laminate film 100 is conveyed by the pickup roller group 13 to the printing path via the paper supply cassette 12 and the paper supply port 11 consecutively. The pressure / heating module 2 is mounted to the printing path. The film sensor 3 generates a film signal when detecting the laminate film 100. The processing unit 6 is electrically connected to the pressure / heating module 2 and the film sensor 3. The processing unit 6 after having received the film signal controls a heating temperature and a press-bonding pressure of the pressure / heating module 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer structure, and more particularly to a printer having a laminating function. [Background technology]

[0002] In today's offices, if you want to laminate documents or photos, you usually need to use a separate laminator to perform the lamination work. The principle of a laminator is mainly to apply heat to the laminate film to bond it, and then apply pressure to the laminate film by applying pressure with upper and lower rollers to pressurize it.

[0003] However, laminators are used very rarely, so there is little motivation to purchase them and they also lead to poor space utilization. Laser printers are also equipped with a heating unit and pressure roller that melt the toner and fix it on the paper. Therefore, how to give laser printers a lamination function and eliminate the need to purchase a laminator has become an important issue in the industry.

[0004] In view of the above, the inventor of the present invention has decided to devote himself to research into the above-mentioned prior art and to combine it with the application of academic theory to endeavor to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, this is the development goal of the inventor of the present invention. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention provides a printer with a lamination function that gives the printer the advantage of making lamination easier by receiving a film signal using a processing unit and then controlling the heating temperature and compression pressure of the pressure / heat module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a printer having a lamination function using a laminate film, the printer including a print path, a paper feed port communicating with the print path, a paper feed cassette and a pickup roller group arranged corresponding to the paper feed port, the laminate film being conveyed by the pickup roller group to the print path via the paper feed cassette and the paper feed port in this order, a pressure / heat module attached to the print path and used for heating and pressing the laminate film, a film sensor attached to the printer body and arranged corresponding to at least one of the paper feed port and the paper feed cassette, generating a film signal when detecting the laminate film, and a processing unit electrically connected to the pressure / heat module and the film sensor, and controlling the heating temperature and pressing pressure of the pressure / heat module after receiving the film signal. Effect of the Invention

[0007] As mentioned above, the printer's pressure and heat module is mainly used to melt the toner and fix it to the paper, so the temperature and pressure normally set in the pressure and heat module are not suitable for bonding the lamination film. Therefore, when the film sensor detects the lamination film, it generates a film signal, and when the processing unit receives the film signal, it controls the pressure and heat module to heat up to the film bonding temperature and press up to the film compression pressure. This has the advantage that the printer can preset the lamination parameters to make lamination easier. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a printer according to the present invention in use. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing another state of use of the printer according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another state of use of the printer according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a printer according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is another block diagram of the printer according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The details and technical contents of the present invention are described as follows in conjunction with the drawings, however the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0010] 1 to 5, the present invention provides a printer having a lamination function. The printer 10 mainly includes a printer body 1, a pressure and heating module 2, a film sensor 3, and a processing unit 6.

[0011] The printer 10 of the present invention is used with a laminate film 100 and a sheet of paper 200. The laminate film 100 is folded up and down so that one end is connected and the other end is separate. The sheet of paper 200 is placed inside the folded laminate film 100. The folded laminate films 100 are then joined together to laminate the sheet of paper 200. The laminate film 100 is constructed by applying an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) adhesive to the inside of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film.

[0012] 1 to 3, the printer body 1 has a printing path (not shown), a paper feed port 11 that communicates with the printing path (not shown), and a paper feed cassette 12 and a pickup roller group 13 that are arranged corresponding to the paper feed port 11. The laminate film 100 is transported by the pickup roller group 13 to the printing path (not shown) via the paper feed cassette 12 and the paper feed port 11 in this order. Note that the paper feed cassette 12 in this embodiment is an external paper feed tray 121, but is not limited to this.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printer 10 of this embodiment is a laser printer. The laser printer has a printing module (not shown) that attracts toner to paper, and a fuser that melts the toner and fixes it to the paper. This fuser is the pressure and heat module 2 in the present invention. The printing module (not shown) and the pressure and heat module 2 are attached to a printing path (not shown). The printing module (not shown) is provided between the paper feed cassette 12 and the pressure and heat module 2. In this way, the laminate film 100 is guided by the pickup roller group 13 and the printing path (not shown) so that it first passes through the printing module (not shown) and then passes through the pressure and heat module 2.

[0014] In addition, the pressure / heat module 2 includes a pressure roller 21 and a heating roller 22 that together hold the laminate film 100. The pressure roller 21 can adjust the contact pressure with the heating roller 22. The heating roller 22 also has a heater 23. The temperature of the heating roller 22 can be adjusted by the heater 23. Thus, the pressure / heat module 2 is used for heating and pressing the laminate film 100.

[0015] In this embodiment, only the heating roller 22 has a heater 23, and the pressure roller 21 does not have a heater. The pressure and heating module 2 consisting of the pressure roller 21 and the heating roller 22 is a general fixing device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pressure and heating module 2 of the present invention does not have to be a fixing device, and the pressure roller 21 may have a heater and adjust the temperature by the heater.

[0016] 1 to 3 and 5, the film sensor 3 is attached to the printer body 1 and disposed in correspondence with at least one of the paper feed port 11 and the paper feed cassette 12. When the film sensor 3 detects the laminate film 100, it generates a film signal.

[0017] The film sensor 3 in this embodiment is attached to one side of the pickup roller group 13. The film sensor 3 may be provided corresponding to the paper feed port 11, or may be provided corresponding to one end of the paper feed cassette 12 close to the paper feed port 11. When preparing for lamination by placing the paper 200 in the laminate film 100, the paper 200 is placed near the center of the laminate film 100. In this way, the edge is left unattached and the edge of the laminate film 100 is glued to complete lamination. The film sensor 3 can easily detect the edge of the laminate film 100 that is not overlapped with the paper 200 by utilizing the characteristic that the difference in reflectance of the paper 200 to light and the reflectance of the laminate film 100 to light (which must be relatively translucent in order to make the laminated contents visible) is extremely large. As a result, when the film sensor 3 detects the edge of the laminate film 100, it can accurately determine that it is made of a laminate film material, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the film sensor 3.

[0018] 1 to 5, the processing unit 6 is attached to the printer body 1 and is electrically connected to the pickup roller group 13, the pressure and heating module 2, the film sensor 3, and a display screen (not shown) of the printer body 1. After receiving a film signal, the processing unit 6 controls the heating temperature and compression pressure of the pressure and heating module 2. More specifically, after receiving a film signal, the processing unit 6 controls the heating roller 22 to heat the adhesive on the laminate film 100 to a film bonding temperature at which the adhesive on the laminate film 100 can be melted by heat, and controls the pressure roller 21 to press the heating roller 22 to a film compression pressure at which the adhesive on the laminate film 100 is bonded by pressure.

[0019] 1 to 4, the printer 10 of the present invention further includes an object sensor 4. The object sensor 4 is attached to the upper surface of the paper feed cassette 12. The object sensor 4 generates an object signal when it detects that an original such as a laminate film 100 or paper 200 has been placed in the paper feed cassette 12.

[0020] The film sensor 3 and object sensor 4 are photoelectric sensors made up of a combination of an infrared emitting diode and an infrared photodiode, and achieve the purpose of detecting the material by converting the change in light intensity between the light emitting end and the light receiving end into a change in current. That is, different materials have different light absorptivity and reflectivity, and therefore the received current signal is different, so the material of the detected object is identified.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the printer 10 of the present invention further includes a lifting mechanism 5. This reliably ensures that the paper 200 placed in the laminating film 100 and the laminating film 100 are smoothly and accurately transported to and enter the paper feed port 11 in preparation for lamination. The lifting mechanism 5 is attached to the paper feed cassette 12. In addition, the processing unit 6 is electrically connected to the object sensor 4 and the lifting mechanism 5. Upon receiving an object signal, the processing unit 6 controls the lifting mechanism 5 to lift the laminating film 100 and enter the laminating film 100 into the paper feed port 11.

[0022] The lifting mechanism 5 in this embodiment is a rise-and-fall inclined plate 51 attached to the top surface of the paper feed cassette 12, and the rise-and-fall inclined plate 51 can be raised to push the laminate film 100 into the paper feed opening 11. However, this is not limited to the above, and the lifting mechanism 5 may be attached to the bottom of the paper feed cassette 12. In this case, the lifting mechanism 5 lifts one end of the paper feed cassette 12 away from the paper feed opening 11 to further incline the elevation angle of the paper feed cassette 12, thereby pushing the laminate film 100 into the paper feed opening 11 with the top surface of the paper feed cassette 12 as a slope.

[0023] 2 to 5, in the use state of the printer 10 of the present invention, when the laminate film 100 is placed in the paper feed cassette 12, the object sensor 4 detects an original such as the laminate film 100 and generates an object signal. When the processing unit 6 receives the object signal, it controls the lifting mechanism 5 to lift the laminate film 100 and cause the laminate film 100 to enter the paper feed port 11.

[0024] Thereafter, the film sensor 3 generates a film signal when it detects the laminate film 100. When the processing unit 6 receives the film signal, it controls the heating roller 22 to heat the laminate film 100 to a film bonding temperature at which the adhesive on the laminate film 100 can be melted by heat, and controls the pressure roller 21 to press the heating roller 22 to a film compression pressure at which the adhesive on the laminate film 100 is bonded by pressure. That is, it controls the pressure / heat module 2 to heat to the film bonding temperature and to press to the film compression pressure.

[0025] Finally, when the print start button is pressed on the display screen of the printer main body 1, the processing unit 6 controls the pickup roller group 13 to send the laminate film 100 to the print path (not shown). At this time, the pressure and heat module 2 is preheated to a temperature at which the laminate film 100 can be stably heated and bonded, so that it is possible to avoid a situation where the laminate film 100 is atomized due to a heating temperature that is too low, or where air bubbles are generated in the laminate film 100 due to a heating temperature that is too high. At the same time, the pressure and heat module 2 applies a pressure to the laminate film 100 that is suitable for firmly pressing the laminate film 100. With the above, the operation of laminating the paper 200 by bonding the laminate film 100 is completed.

[0026] As described above, since the pressure and heat module 2 of the printer 10 is mainly used to melt the toner and fix it to the paper, the temperature and pressure normally set in the pressure and heat module 2 are not suitable for bonding the laminating film 100. Therefore, when the film sensor 3 detects the laminating film 100, it generates a film signal, and when the processing unit 6 receives the film signal, it controls the pressure and heat module 2 to heat up to the film bonding temperature and press up to the film compression pressure. This allows the printer 10 to have the advantage of making lamination easier by setting the laminating parameters in advance.

[0027] As described above, the printer with lamination function of the present invention has not existed in similar products, and has not been disclosed or used. Moreover, the invention has industrial applicability, novelty, and inventive step, and fully meets the requirements for a patent application. Therefore, in order to protect the inventor's rights, we file a patent application in accordance with the Patent Act. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 10 Printers 1 Printer body 11 Paper feed slot 12 Paper cassette 121 External paper feed tray 13 Pickup roller group 2. Pressure and Heating Module 21 Pressure roller 22 Heating roller 23 Heater 3 Film Sensor 4. Object Sensor 5. Lifting mechanism 51 Liftable tilt plate 6 Processing Unit 100 Laminating Film 200 Paper

Claims

1. A printer using a lamination film and having a lamination function, a printer body including a printing path, a paper feed port communicating with the printing path, a paper feed cassette and a pickup roller group arranged corresponding to the paper feed port, and the laminate film is conveyed by the pickup roller group to the printing path via the paper feed cassette and the paper feed port in that order; A pressure and heating module attached to the printing path and used for heating and pressing the laminate film; a film sensor that is attached to the printer body and disposed in correspondence with at least one of the paper feed port and the paper feed cassette, and that generates a film signal when it detects the laminate film; a processing unit electrically connected to the pressure and heat module and the film sensor, for controlling the heating temperature and the pressing pressure of the pressure and heat module after receiving the film signal.

2. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the pressure / heat module includes a pressure roller and a heat roller that jointly clamp the laminate film, and when the processing unit receives the film signal, the processing unit controls the heat roller to heat the film to a film bonding temperature and the pressure roller to press the heat roller to a film pressing pressure.

3. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the film sensor is attached to one side of the pickup roller group and is provided corresponding to the paper feed port.

4. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the film sensor is attached to one side of the pickup roller group and is provided corresponding to one end of the paper feed cassette that is adjacent to the paper feed opening.

5. 2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising an object sensor attached to an upper surface of the paper feed cassette, the object sensor generating an object signal when it detects that the laminate film has been placed on the paper feed cassette.

6. The printer according to claim 5, further comprising a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism being attached to the paper feed cassette, the processing unit being electrically connected to the object sensor and the lifting mechanism, and the processing unit controlling the lifting mechanism to lift the laminate film and enter the laminate film into the paper feed opening when it receives the object signal.

7. 7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein the lifting mechanism is a liftable inclined plate attached to an upper surface of the paper feed cassette.

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