Recording medium insertion aid

Abstract

To provide a recording medium insertion aid suitable for repeated use.SOLUTION: An insertion aide 10 includes: a flat plate-like first clamping member 20 placed along one end 5F of a sheet-like recording medium 5 in a longitudinal direction; a flat plate-like second clamping member 30 placed along the one end 5F of the recording medium 5 in the longitudinal direction so as to sandwich the recording medium 5 and face the first clamping member 20; and a third member, such as a magnet 40, that applies a force to the first clamping member 20 and the second clamping member 30 to clamp the recording medium 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insertion aid for a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Printers that print on sheet-like recording media have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer that includes a media supply device that rotatably supports a roll around which sheet-like media (recording medium) is wound, a platen that supports the media pulled out from the roll, and a media transport device. The transport device described in Patent Document 1 includes a grit roller that is embedded in the platen so that its top is exposed and is rotated by a feed motor, and a pinch roller that is positioned opposite the pinch roller and presses down on the media. When the feed motor is driven with the media sandwiched between the pinch roller and the grit roller, the media is transported in the forward and backward directions.

[0003] Also, recording medium insertion aids for facilitating the process of feeding a recording medium into a printer have been known. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a recording device feeding aid attached to the leading edge of a recording medium made of ink-receptive fabric in the feeding direction. According to Patent Document 2, ink-receptive fabric is more flexible than paper due to its woven structure, and fibers often become fuzzy around its periphery. As a result, when feeding ink-receptive fabric into a recording device such as a printer or plotter, it may not be smoothly fed into a paper feed device, such as a paper feed roller. The feeding aid described in Patent Document 2 has two sheet portions that sandwich and hold the leading edge of the ink-receptive fabric, and a leading sheet portion that allows smooth feeding into the paper feed roller of the recording device, and the two sheet portions and the leading sheet portion are integrally formed. Each of the two sheet portions is attached to the ink-receptive fabric with double-sided tape coated with adhesive. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-108312 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-270628 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Recording media other than fiber cloth, such as sheet-shaped recording media made of paper or resin, may also have curled leading ends due to, for example, the tendency of the recording media to curl when wound into a roll or other reasons. Therefore, when loading other sheet-shaped recording media into a printer, for example, when inserting the recording media between the grit roller and pinch roller of a printer such as that described in Patent Document 1, a recording medium insertion aid such as that described in Patent Document 2 can be used. However, the aid described in Patent Document 2 uses double-sided tape coated with an adhesive, and therefore cannot be reused multiple times. If the insertion aid described in Patent Document 2 is to be used repeatedly, the double-sided tape must be frequently replaced. Thus, the aid described in Patent Document 2 is not designed for easy repeated use.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an insertion aid for a recording medium that is suitable for repeated use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The recording medium insertion aid disclosed herein comprises a flat first clamping member arranged along one longitudinal end of a sheet-shaped recording medium, a flat second clamping member arranged along the one longitudinal end of the recording medium so as to sandwich the recording medium and face the first clamping member, and a third member that applies a clamping force for the recording medium to the first clamping member and the second clamping member.

[0008] According to the insertion aid, the first clamping member and the second clamping member clamp and hold the recording medium by the force applied by the third member, so the insertion aid does not require work such as replacing the adhesive, and is suitable for repeated use. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printer according to an example. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an insertion support tool according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a recording medium with an insertion support tool attached thereto according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of an insertion support tool according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an insertion support tool according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a recording medium with an insertion support tool according to a third embodiment attached thereto. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and redundant descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] [First embodiment] Printer Configuration FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example printer 100. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction away from the printer 100 when viewed from the front is referred to as the front, and the direction toward the printer 100 is referred to as the rear. The terms left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom directions when viewed from the front. Furthermore, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings refer to the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. However, these directions are merely defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 100 or the present invention in any way.

[0012] The printer 100 is a printer that prints on a sheet-like recording medium 5. The printer 100 is, for example, an inkjet printer. However, the printer 100 is not limited to an inkjet printer. The recording medium 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is in sheet form. The recording medium 5 may be, for example, paper, a resin sheet such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester, or a fabric.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 100 includes a supply roll 110 that supports a roll 6 on which a recording medium 5 is wound, a platen 120 on which the recording medium 5 unwound from the roll 6 is placed, a front apron 130, a conveying device 140 for the recording medium 5, an ink head 150 that ejects ink onto the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 120, a carriage 160 that carries the ink head 150, a head moving device 170 that moves the carriage 160, and a take-up roll 180 that takes up the recording medium 5 after printing.

[0014] The supply roll 110 supports the roll 6 of the recording medium 5 so that the roll 6 can rotate in the front-to-rear direction. When the unwound recording medium 5 is transported to the transport device 140, the roll 6 of the recording medium 5 supported by the supply roll 110 is rotated.

[0015] The platen 120 is located forward of the supply roll 110. The platen 120 extends in the left-right and front-rear directions. The platen 120 is formed flat. Printing on the recording medium 5 is performed on the platen 120. During printing on the recording medium 5, the conveying device 140 conveys the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 120 forward. The conveying direction of the recording medium 5 is the longitudinal direction of the recording medium 5. Herein, the longitudinal direction of the recording medium 5 when loaded in the printer 100 is the front-rear direction. The width direction of the recording medium 5 when loaded in the printer 100 is the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the recording medium 5 on the platen 120 is the up-down direction. For convenience, the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction of the recording medium 5 may be referred to as the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction, respectively, hereinafter, regardless of whether the recording medium 5 is loaded in the printer 100. However, the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction of the recording medium 5 are not limited to the above directions.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 140 has a grit roller 141, a pinch roller unit 142, and a feed motor (not shown) that drives the grit roller 141. The grit roller 141 is embedded in the platen 120. The pinch roller unit 142 has a pinch roller 143 that presses down on the recording medium 5 from above. The pinch roller unit 142 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The conveying device 140 has a mechanism (not shown) that moves the pinch roller unit 142 in the vertical direction. The pinch roller 143 is disposed above the grit roller 141. The pinch roller 143 is disposed in a position facing the grit roller 141. By raising the pinch roller unit 142, a gap is formed between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143. 1, when the pinch roller unit 142 is lowered with the recording medium 5 passing through the gap between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143, the recording medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143. When the feed motor is driven to rotate the grit roller 141 with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143, the recording medium 5 is transported in the front-to-rear direction on the platen 120.

[0017] The front apron 130 is provided in front of the platen 120. The front apron 130 supports the portion of the recording medium 5 that has been transported to the front of the platen 120. The front apron 130 is configured in an arc shape that slopes downward toward the front.

[0018] The ink head 150 is disposed above the platen 120. The ink head 150 ejects ink onto the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 120. The distance between the lower surface of the ink head 150 and the platen 120 is set to a predetermined distance suitable for printing. This distance is, for example, about 1 mm.

[0019] The carriage 160 carries the ink head 150. The head moving device 170 moves the carriage 160 in the left-right direction. The head moving device 170 thereby moves the ink head 150 in the left-right direction. Here, the head moving device 170 includes a guide rail 171. The guide rail 171 is disposed above the platen 120. The guide rail 171 extends in the left-right direction. The carriage 160 engages with the guide rail 171 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. The head moving device 170 includes, for example, an endless belt fixed to the carriage 160, left and right pulleys around which the belt is wound, and a carriage motor (none of which are shown) that rotates one of the pulleys. When the carriage motor is driven to rotate one of the pulleys, the belt runs between the left and right pulleys. As the belt runs, the carriage 160 and the ink head 150 mounted on the carriage 160 move in the left-right direction.

[0020] The winding roll 180 is provided below the front apron 130. The winding roll 180 winds up the recording medium 5 after printing is complete. The winding roll 180 is rotated in the front-to-rear direction by a winding motor (not shown), and winds up the recording medium 5 after printing is complete.

[0021] In the setup before printing begins, the recording medium 5 is pulled out from the roll 6 and fed into the gap between the grit roller 141 and the raised pinch roller 143. This operation is performed by the user. The user feeds the recording medium 5 from behind into the gap between the grit roller 141 and the raised pinch roller 143. The distance between the grit roller 141 and the raised pinch roller 143 is, for example, about 5 mm. The user may further feed the recording medium 5 until the front end of the recording medium 5 passes below the ink head 150. After this feeding operation, the pinch roller 143 is lowered. As a result, the recording medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143, and the recording medium 5 is ready to be transported.

[0022] The above-described configuration of the printer 100 is merely one suitable example. The configuration of the printer 100 is not particularly limited as long as it conveys the sheet-shaped recording medium 5 in its longitudinal direction. The recording medium 5 is not limited as long as it is in sheet form, and does not have to be wound into a roll, for example.

[0023] [Configuration of insertion aid] The following describes an insertion aid 10 for a recording medium 5 according to one embodiment. The insertion aid 10 is intended to facilitate the user's task of feeding the recording medium 5 into the gap between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143 in the raised position, and into the gap between the ink head 150 and the platen 120. The insertion aid 10 is attached to the recording medium 5.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the insertion support tool 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view showing the insertion support tool 10 when not attached to the recording medium 5. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording medium 5 with the insertion support tool 10 attached. As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion support tool 10 includes a first clamping plate 20 and a second clamping plate 30. The first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 clamp and hold the longitudinal end of the recording medium 5 on the downstream side in the conveying direction (here, the front end 5F). The first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are each configured as a flat plate. More specifically, the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 each have a flat rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction. However, the planar shapes of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are not limited to a flat rectangular shape.

[0025] 3, when the first clamping plate 20 is attached to the recording medium 5, it is disposed along the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 in the longitudinal direction. When the second clamping plate 30 is attached to the recording medium 5, it is disposed along the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 so as to face the first clamping plate 20 with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between them. Either the first clamping plate 20 or the second clamping plate 30 may be disposed on the printing surface side of the recording medium 5 (the upper surface on the platen 120), or may be disposed on the back side of the printing surface (the lower surface on the platen 120).

[0026] The first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are attached to the recording medium 5 so that their longitudinal directions substantially coincide with the width direction of the recording medium 5. The short sides of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 substantially coincide with the longitudinal direction of the recording medium 5. However, the longitudinal directions of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 do not have to coincide with the width direction of the recording medium 5, and may, for example, coincide with the longitudinal direction of the recording medium 5. The lengths of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 in the width direction (here, the longitudinal direction) of the recording medium 5 are longer than the recording medium 5. Therefore, the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 can clamp the recording medium 5 across the entire width direction.

[0027] The first and second clamping plates 20 and 30 are made of a material that is less flexible than the recording medium 5. Here, the first and second clamping plates 20 and 30 are made of metal plates. In this embodiment, the second clamping plate 30 contains a magnetic metal, in this case, iron. The second clamping plate 30 is made of an iron plate. However, the second clamping plate 30 need not be made entirely of magnetic metal, as long as it contains magnetic metal. The material of the first clamping plate 20 is not particularly limited. The thickness of the first and second clamping plates 20 and 30 is set in consideration of the thinness and rigidity required to pass through a narrow gap (for example, the gap between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143). The thickness of the first and second clamping plates 20 and 30 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less.

[0028] The insertion aid 10 includes a third member that applies a force to clamp the recording medium 5 to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30. In this embodiment, the third member is a magnet 40 provided on the first clamping plate 20. The magnet 40 may also be provided on the second clamping plate 30. The magnet 40 is a plate-shaped magnet that is adhered to the first clamping plate 20. However, the shape of the magnet 40 and the method of fixing it to the first clamping plate 20 are not limited. Furthermore, the first clamping plate 20 or the second clamping plate 30 itself may be made of a magnetic sheet. In this specification, the statements "the insertion aid 10 comprises a third member that applies a force to clamp the recording medium 5 to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30" and "the third member comprises a magnet 40 provided on one of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30" include the first clamping plate 20 or the second clamping plate 30 being made of a magnet.

[0029] As described above, the other of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30, here the second clamping plate 30, is provided with a magnetic material to which the magnet 40 is attracted. As shown in Fig. 3, when the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are placed opposite each other with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between them, an attraction force between the magnet 40 and the second clamping plate 30 generates a force that clamps the recording medium 5. This clamping force allows the insertion aid 10 to hold the recording medium 5.

[0030] [How to use the insertion aid] An example of how to use the insertion aid 10 is described below. When passing the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 through the gap between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143, first, the recording medium 5 is slightly pulled out from the roll 6. Next, the insertion aid 10 is attached to the front end 5F of the recording medium 5. In the attachment operation, the first clamping plate 20 is aligned with the back side (or printed side) of the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 so that its longitudinal direction is approximately parallel to the front end 5F of the recording medium 5, and the second clamping plate 30 is aligned with the printed side (or back side) of the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 so that its longitudinal direction is approximately parallel to the front end 5F of the recording medium 5. Then, the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are attached to the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 due to the attraction force between the magnet 40 and the second clamping plate 30. At this time, the positions of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are adjusted so that the front end of the first clamping plate 20 and the front end of the second clamping plate 30 protrude forward beyond the front end 5F of the recording medium 5. As a result, the front end of the recording medium 5 with the insertion support tool 10 attached is made up of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30.

[0031] Next, the recording medium 5 with the insertion assisting tool 10 attached is fed into the gap between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143. The recording medium 5 without the insertion assisting tool 10 attached may be warped due to curling or the like. In this case, when the recording medium 5 without the insertion assisting tool 10 attached is fed into the gap between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143, it may get caught in the gap in front or behind the pinch roller unit 142. However, by attaching the insertion assisting tool 10 to the front end 5F, the front end of the recording medium 5 becomes straight, making it less likely to get caught as described above.

[0032] When the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 passes between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143, the pinch roller unit 142 is lowered, and the recording medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 141 and the pinch roller 143. In this state, the grit roller 141 is rotated, and the recording medium 5 is sent further forward. At this time, because the insertion aid 10 is attached to the front end 5F of the recording medium 5, the recording medium 5 can easily pass through the gap between the ink head 150 and the platen 120.

[0033] Once the recording medium 5 has been fed to the required position, the user removes the insertion aid 10 from the recording medium 5. This completes the setup of the recording medium 5 as part of the pre-printing setup. When winding up the recording medium 5 after printing is complete, the recording medium 5 from which the insertion aid 10 has been removed may be further fed, and the front end 5F may be affixed to the winding roll 180.

[0034] [Effects of the embodiment] The following describes the effects that can be achieved by the insertion support tool 10 according to this embodiment.

[0035] The insertion aid 10 according to this embodiment includes a flat first clamping plate 20 positioned along the front end 5F of the sheet-like recording medium 5, a flat second clamping plate 30 positioned along the front end 5F of the recording medium 5 so as to sandwich the recording medium 5 and face the first clamping plate 20, and a third member that applies a clamping force for the recording medium 5 to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30. This configuration, as described above, facilitates the task of inserting the recording medium 5 through a narrow gap in the printer 100. Furthermore, this configuration allows the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to clamp and hold the recording medium 5 by the force applied by the third member. Therefore, the insertion aid 10 according to this embodiment is suitable for repeated use. For example, in a configuration in which the aid is adhered to the recording medium, such as the aid described in Patent Document 2, the adhesive must be frequently replaced in order to use the aid repeatedly. In contrast, the insertion aid 10 according to this embodiment does not require the need for adhesive replacement and is therefore suitable for repeated use.

[0036] In this embodiment, the third member includes a magnet 40 provided on one of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30. The other of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 includes a magnetic body to which the magnet 40 is attracted. With this configuration, the force of attraction between the magnet 40 and the magnetic body can be applied to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to clamp the recording medium 5. Furthermore, since the attraction force is generated simply by attaching the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to the recording medium 5, the attachment of the insertion support tool 10 is easy. Furthermore, by using the magnet 40 and the magnetic body, the thickness of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 can be reduced.

[0037] In this embodiment, the length of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 in the width direction of the recording medium 5 is longer than that of the recording medium 5. With this configuration, the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 can be attached across the entire width of the front end 5F of the recording medium 5. Therefore, when the recording medium 5 passes through a narrow gap in the printer 100, the effects of warping of the recording medium 5 can be more reliably reduced.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first sandwiching plate 20 and the second sandwiching plate 30 are made of a material that is less prone to bending than the recording medium 5. With this configuration, by sandwiching the recording medium 5 between the first sandwiching plate 20 and the second sandwiching plate 30, which are less prone to bending than the recording medium 5, it is possible to reliably correct any warping of the recording medium 5.

[0039] [Modification of the first embodiment] According to one preferred modification of the above-described embodiment, the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 may be connected so as to share one edge. In this case, the integrated first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 are bent at the shared edge. With this configuration, the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 do not separate, which makes it easier to attach the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to the recording medium 5. The shared edge between the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 may be a edge extending in the width direction of the recording medium 5 or a edge extending in the longitudinal direction of the recording medium 5. This configuration can also be applied to the second and third embodiments described below.

[0040] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, the third member that applies a force to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to clamp the recording medium 5 includes a biasing member that clamps the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 from the outside. In the following description of the second embodiment, members that perform the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Furthermore, duplicated descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. The same applies to the third embodiment and other embodiments.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an insertion support tool 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the insertion support tool 10 according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of clamps 50 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 4) as a third member that applies a force to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to clamp the recording medium 5. Each clamp 50 clamps the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 from the outside in the thickness direction of the recording medium 5 and biases the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 in a direction that brings them closer together. The multiple clamps 50 are used by arranging them in the width direction of the recording medium 5. However, the number of clamps 50 may be one.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the clamp 50 here comprises a first abutment portion 51 that contacts the first clamping plate 20 from the outside (here, below) in the thickness direction of the recording medium 5, a second abutment portion 52 that contacts the second clamping plate 30 from the outside (here, above) in the thickness direction of the recording medium 5, an elastic portion 53 that connects the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52, a first operating portion 54 that extends forward from the front end of the first abutment portion 51, and a second operating portion 55 that extends forward from the front end of the second abutment portion 52.

[0043] The elastic portion 53 connects the front end of the first contact portion 51 and the front end of the second contact portion 52. The elastic portion 53 is curved so as to convex backward (toward the recording medium 5). The elastic portion 53 is made of a material having spring properties. The restoring force of the elastic portion 53 urges the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 in directions that bring them closer to each other. Due to this urging force, the clamp 50 applies a force to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to clamp the recording medium 5.

[0044] When the user grips first operating portion 54 and second operating portion 55 and moves them closer together, first clamping plate 20 and second clamping plate 30 move away from each other against the biasing force of elastic portion 53. By gripping first operating portion 54 and second operating portion 55, the user can attach clamp 50 to first clamping plate 20 and second clamping plate 30 and detach clamp 50 from first clamping plate 20 and second clamping plate 30. More specifically, by gripping first operating portion 54 and second operating portion 55, a gap is formed between first abutting portion 51 and second abutting portion 52, and first clamping plate 20, second clamping plate 30, and recording medium 5 can be inserted into this gap. In this state, when the user stops gripping first operating portion 54 and second operating portion 55, the restoring force of elastic portion 53 causes first contact portion 51 and second contact portion 52 to clamp first clamping plate 20, second clamping plate 30, and recording medium 5. When removing clamp 50, first contact portion 51 and second contact portion 52 can be separated by gripping first operating portion 54 and second operating portion 55.

[0045] According to the insertion support tool 10 of this embodiment, by using the clamp 50, a stronger gripping force can be obtained than in the first embodiment using the magnet 40. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording medium 5 from slipping off and coming off the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 during operation.

[0046] The biasing member that clamps the first and second clamping plates 20 and 30 from the outside in the thickness direction of the recording medium 5 and biases the first and second clamping plates 20 and 30 in a direction that brings them closer together is not limited to the configuration of the clamp 50 of this embodiment. The biasing member may be, for example, a leaf spring with a V-shaped cross section. Such a leaf spring is configured so that both ends can be opened when force is applied. When the first and second clamping plates 20, 30, and recording medium 5 are sandwiched between both ends of the leaf spring, the leaf spring clamps them by using a restoring force in response to the first and second clamping plates 20, 30, and recording medium 5 widening the gap between the both ends.

[0047] [Third embodiment] In the third embodiment, the insertion support tool 10 has a structure that prevents the recording medium 5 from slipping out of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an insertion aid 10 according to a third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a view showing the insertion aid 10 when not attached to a recording medium 5. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the recording medium 5 when the insertion aid 10 according to the third embodiment is attached. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, one or more through holes 7 are formed along the front end 5F of the recording medium 5. Here, multiple through holes 7 are formed aligned in the width direction of the recording medium 5. The portion of the recording medium 5 where the multiple through holes 7 are formed is not used as a printed product.

[0049] In this embodiment, one of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 is provided with one or more protrusions that are arranged at positions corresponding to the through-holes 7 of the recording medium 5 and can be inserted into the through-holes 7. Here, the first clamping plate 20 is provided with multiple protrusions 21. The other of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 (here, the second clamping plate 30) is arranged at a position facing the protrusions 21 and has one or more holes or notches through which the protrusions 21 can be inserted. Here, the second clamping plate 30 is provided with multiple holes 31 through which the protrusions 21 can be inserted. The holes 31 may be notches cut into the front edge, rear edge, or either the left or right edge of the second clamping plate 30. The shape of the holes or notches is not particularly limited as long as the second clamping plate 30 is configured so as not to interfere with the protrusions 21. For example, the second clamping plate 30 may be provided with a single hole 31 that is elongated in the width direction of the recording medium 5 and through which multiple protrusions 21 can be inserted.

[0050] In this embodiment, the insertion aid 10 includes a magnet 40 provided on one of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30. The other of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 includes a magnetic metal. In this embodiment, the force with which the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 clamp the recording medium 5 is generated by the attraction force between the magnet 40 and the magnetic metal. However, the insertion aid 10 may also include a clamp 50 that clamps the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 from the outside, as in the second embodiment, for example.

[0051] When attaching the insertion assisting tool 10 to the recording medium 5, first, the first clamping plate 20 is attached to the recording medium 5 from below so that the protrusions 21 are inserted into the through holes 7 of the recording medium 5. Next, the second clamping plate 30 is attached to the recording medium 5 from above so that the protrusions 21 are inserted into the holes 31. This causes the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to adhere to each other, and the protrusions 21 engage with the through holes 7 of the recording medium 5. The engagement of the protrusions 21 with the through holes 7 prevents the recording medium 5 from slipping out of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 that clamp the recording medium 5.

[0052] [Modification of the third embodiment] To make it difficult for the recording medium 5 to slip out of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30, one of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 may be configured so that the static friction coefficient of the inner surface that contacts the recording medium 5 is greater than the static friction coefficient of the outer surface that is the backside of the inner surface. For example, the static friction coefficient of the inner surface 30D (see FIG. 2) of the second clamping plate 30 may be greater than the static friction coefficient of the outer surface 30U (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Note that the static friction coefficient of the inner surface of the other of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 may also be greater than the static friction coefficient of the outer surface.

[0053] To increase the coefficient of static friction of the inner surface, for example, a method of roughening the inner surface by surface treatment such as sandblasting can be used. However, the method of increasing the coefficient of static friction of the inner surface is not particularly limited. For example, a sheet with a high coefficient of static friction (e.g., a resin sheet) may be attached to the inner surface of at least one of the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30.

[0054] According to this modification, by increasing the frictional force on the inner surface of the first clamping plate 20 or the second clamping plate 30, it is possible to prevent the recording medium 5 from slipping out of the first clamping plate 20 or the second clamping plate 30. In this modification as well, the third member that applies a force to the first clamping plate 20 and the second clamping plate 30 to clamp the recording medium 5 may be, for example, a magnet 40 or a clamp 50.

[0055] [Other embodiments] Several preferred embodiments have been described above. However, the recording medium insertion aid of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the width of the first and second clamping plates of the insertion aid may be shorter than that of the recording medium, and multiple insertion aids may be used.

[0056] The planar shapes of the first and second clamping plates are not limited to rectangular. The third member that applies a force to the first and second clamping plates to clamp the recording medium may include both a magnet and a biasing member.

[0057] Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments do not limit the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 5. Recording media 5F Front end (one end) 7 Through holes 10 Insertion aid 20 First clamping plate (first clamping member) 21 Protrusion 30 Second clamping plate (second clamping member) 30D inner surface 30U outer surface 31 holes 40 Magnet 50 Clamp (biasing member) 100 printers

Claims

1. a first clamping member in the form of a flat plate arranged along one end of the sheet-shaped recording medium in the longitudinal direction; a second clamping member having a flat plate shape and disposed along the one end of the recording medium in the longitudinal direction so as to face the first clamping member with the recording medium sandwiched therebetween; a third member that applies a force to the first clamping member and the second clamping member to clamp the recording medium, An aid for inserting recording media.

2. the third member includes a magnet provided on one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member, the other of the first clamping member and the second clamping member includes a magnetic body that is attracted by the magnet; The recording medium insertion aid according to claim 1.

3. the third member includes a biasing member that pinches the first pinching member and the second pinching member from the outside in the thickness direction of the recording medium and biases the first pinching member and the second pinching member in a direction that brings them closer together. The recording medium insertion aid according to claim 1.

4. the recording medium has one or more through holes formed along the one end, one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member is provided with one or more protrusions that are arranged at positions corresponding to the through holes of the recording medium and that are insertable into the through holes; the other of the first clamping member and the second clamping member is disposed at a position facing the protrusion and has one or more holes or notches through which the protrusion can be inserted. The recording medium insertion aid according to claim 1.

5. one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member has an inner surface that contacts the recording medium and has a static friction coefficient that is greater than a static friction coefficient of an outer surface that is the reverse side of the inner surface; The recording medium insertion aid according to claim 1.

6. The lengths of the first and second clamping members in the width direction of the recording medium are longer than the recording medium; The recording medium insertion aid according to claim 1.

7. the first clamping member and the second clamping member are made of a material that is less likely to bend than the recording medium; The recording medium insertion aid according to claim 1.

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