Image recording device

Abstract

To enable a recording medium to be cut straight, after a jamming process is carried out.SOLUTION: A control part executes: a conveying process after jamming (S8) of conveying a sheet so that a front end of the sheet moves from an upstream side to a downstream side of an intermediate roller pair with respect to a conveying direction, after execution of a sheet-jamming process is sensed (S2); and a cutting process (S10) of making a cutting part 5 cut the sheet whose front end is moved to a position at the downstream side of the intermediate roller pair with respect to the conveying direction by the conveying process after jamming. When executing the conveying process after jamming, the control part does not execute a skew correcting process for controlling the conveying part so that the front end of the sheet contacts the intermediate roller pair, while preventing the intermediate roller pair from rotating in a normal rotation direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Image recording devices that transport a recording medium using a pair of rollers and record an image are known. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of this type of image recording device, a printer equipped with a pair of registration rollers that can correct skew in the paper (recording medium). In this printer, the leading edge of the paper transported to the pair of registration rollers is brought into contact with the pair of registration rollers that are not rotating. This corrects the skew in the paper.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a printer (image recording device) that records an image on roll paper (a recording medium unwound from a roll). This printer is provided with a cutting mechanism (cutting unit) that cuts the roll paper widthwise. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-28132 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-160880 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an image recording device that records an image on a recording medium unwound from a roll, such as the printer in Patent Document 2, when a jam occurs, the user may cut the recording medium using scissors or the like, rather than cutting the recording medium with a cutting unit. When the user cuts the recording medium, the leading edge of the recording medium may be at an angle.

[0006] If the leading edge of the recording medium is skewed, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot correct the skew. In other words, if the leading edge of the recording medium that is skewed comes into contact with a pair of rollers that are not rotating, the recording medium will become skewed. If the recording medium is transported in this state, the recording medium will become skewed, making it more likely to jam.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that can cut a recording medium straight after a jam has been cleared. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The image recording device of the present invention is an image recording device that records an image on a recording medium that has been unwound from a roll of long recording medium, and is equipped with a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction, a cutting unit that cuts the recording medium along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, a recording unit that records an image on the recording medium, a jam processing detection unit that detects that jam processing has been performed on the recording medium, and a control unit. The conveying unit is arranged downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction, and has a pair of rollers that can clamp the recording medium and rotate in a forward direction, which is the direction in which the clamped recording medium is conveyed in the conveying direction. After the jam processing detection unit detects that jam processing has been performed on the recording medium, the control unit performs a post-jam conveying process in which the recording medium is conveyed so that the front end, which is the downstream end of the recording medium in the conveying direction, moves from the upstream side to the downstream side of the pair of rollers in the conveying direction, and a cutting process in which the recording medium that has been conveyed by the post-jam conveying process to a position where the front end is downstream of the pair of rollers in the conveying direction is clamped between the pair of rollers and cut by the cutting unit. When performing the post-jam conveying process, the control unit does not perform a skew correction process in which the conveying unit is controlled so that the front end of the recording medium hits the pair of rollers while preventing the pair of rollers from rotating in the forward direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the image recording device of the present invention, even if the recording medium is cut diagonally by the user during jam processing, the recording medium can be cut straight (along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction) by performing a post-jam transport process after the jam processing is performed without performing a skew correction process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing screens displayed on a display, in which (a) is a jam handling screen, (b) is a leading edge trimming mode selection screen, and (c) is a paper removal notification screen. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow performed by a control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement mechanism of the driven roller of the intermediate roller pair in a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the driven roller in the clamping position, and (b) shows the driven roller in the retracted position. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a control flow performed by a control unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing screens displayed on a display, in which (a) is a jam handling screen, (b) is a leading edge trimming mode selection screen, and (c) is a cover open notification screen. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing screens displayed on a display, in which (a) is a cover closing notification screen, and (b) is a disconnection instruction input screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a tip trimming mode selection screen according to a modified example of the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] First Embodiment A printer 100 (corresponding to the "image recording device" of the present invention) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction shown in Figure 1 are the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction of the printer 100.

[0012] (Overall configuration of the printer 100) As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 mainly includes a housing 1, a feed tray 2, a conveying section 4, a cutting section 5, a recording section 6, a paper discharge tray 7, a cover 8, and a control section 9.

[0013] Openings 11a and 11b are formed in the front wall 11 of the housing 1. Openings 11a and 11b are lined up vertically. Opening 11a is located lower than opening 11b. Opening 11a serves as an entrance / exit for inserting and removing the feed tray 2 into the housing 1. Opening 11b serves as an entrance / exit for inserting and removing the discharge tray 7 into and from the housing 1. Furthermore, opening 11c is formed in the housing 1. Opening 11c is formed across the rear wall 12 and the top wall 13. A cover 8 is attached to opening 11c.

[0014] The feed tray 2 is detachably supported at the bottom of the housing 1. The feed tray 2 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 1 in the front-to-rear direction through an opening 11a formed in the housing 1. When attached to the housing 1, the feed tray 2 is located below the recording unit 6. The insertion and removal of the feed tray 2 into and from the housing 1 can be detected by a tray sensor 51 (see FIG. 2).

[0015] The feed tray 2 has a roll storage section 25 that can store the roll R. The feed tray 2 may also be configured to store cut paper in addition to the roll R. The roll R is formed by winding a long sheet of paper P (corresponding to the "recording medium" of the present invention) in a roll shape around the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The roll storage section 25 stores the roll R in an orientation in which the axial direction of the roll R coincides with the left-right direction.

[0016] The roll accommodating section 25 has a support base 26 and two rollers 27a, 27b. The support base 26 extends in the left-right direction. The rollers 27a, 27b also extend in the left-right direction and are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The rollers 27a, 27b are supported on the upper end of the support base 26 so as to be rotatable around rotation axes that also extend in the left-right direction. The rollers 27a, 27b support the roll R from below while in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the roll R.

[0017] The paper P unwound from the roll R stored in the roll storage section 25 is pulled out from the front side to the rear side of the support base 26 through the gap between the lower surface of the support base 26 and the bottom surface 21a of the feed tray 2.

[0018] The conveying unit 4 conveys the paper P unwound from the roll R stored in the feed tray 2 in a conveying direction. The "conveying direction" refers to the direction in which the paper P is unwound from the roll R. The conveying unit 4 mainly includes a feed roller 3, a pair of intermediate rollers 41, a pair of conveying rollers 42, a pair of paper discharge rollers 43, and a guide member 44.

[0019] The feed roller 3 feeds the paper P unwound from the roll R stored in the roll storage section 25 from the feed tray 2. The feed roller 3 transports the paper P in the feed tray 2 in a direction from the front to the rear.

[0020] The feed roller 3 rotates around a rotation axis along the left-right direction by the drive of a feed motor 3a (see FIG. 2). The feed roller 3 is supported at the tip of an arm 31. The arm 31 is rotatably supported on a support shaft 32. The support shaft 32 is supported by the housing 1. The arm 31 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so that the feed roller 3 approaches the bottom surface 21a of the feed tray 2. The arm 31 is configured to be retractable to a position where it does not interfere with the moving feed tray 2 as the feed tray 2 moves from inside the housing 1 to outside the housing 1.

[0021] When the feed motor 3a is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the feed roller 3 rotates, and a conveying force is applied from the front to the rear to the paper P in contact with the feed roller 3. This causes the paper P to be fed out of the feed tray 2. When the feed tray 2 is attached to the housing 1, the rear wall 22 located at the rear end is inclined so that the upper end is located further rearward than the lower end. Therefore, the paper P fed out of the feed tray 2 is guided diagonally upward by the rear wall 22 of the feed tray 2.

[0022] The intermediate roller pair 41 is composed of a drive roller 41a that rotates when driven by an intermediate motor 61 (see FIG. 2), and a driven roller 41b that rotates along with the drive roller 41a. Both the drive roller 41a and the driven roller 41b are rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in the left-right direction. The intermediate roller pair 41 is disposed near the rear wall 12 of the housing 1. The driven roller 41b is located behind the drive roller 41a.

[0023] When the intermediate motor 61 is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates while sandwiching the paper P, transporting the paper P in the transport direction. The direction in which the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates so that the paper P is transported in the transport direction is defined as the forward rotation direction. The intermediate roller pair 41 is located above the rear wall 22 of the feed tray 2. The intermediate roller pair 41 sandwiches and transports the paper P, which is sent out diagonally upward from the feed tray 2, upward.

[0024] A first paper detection sensor 52 is provided near the pair of intermediate rollers 41. The first paper detection sensor 52 is located upstream of the pair of intermediate rollers 41 in the transport direction. The first paper detection sensor 52 is located downstream of the cutting unit 5 in the transport direction. The first paper detection sensor 52 is capable of detecting the paper P.

[0025] The guide member 44 is located above the pair of intermediate rollers 41. The guide member 44 guides the paper P, which is transported upward by the pair of intermediate rollers 41, forward.

[0026] The conveying roller pair 42 is disposed downstream of the intermediate roller pair 41 in the conveying direction. In other words, the conveying roller pair 42 corresponds to the "downstream roller pair" of the present invention. The conveying roller pair 42 is composed of a drive roller that is rotated by the drive of a conveying motor 62 (see FIG. 2) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. The paper discharge roller pair 43 is disposed downstream of the conveying roller pair 42 in the conveying direction. The paper discharge roller pair 43 is composed of a drive roller that is rotated by the drive of a paper discharge motor 63 (see FIG. 2) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. The rollers that constitute the conveying roller pair 42 and the paper discharge roller pair 43 are both rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in the left-right direction.

[0027] When the conveying motor 62 and the paper discharge motor 63 are driven under the control of the control unit 9, the conveying roller pair 42 and the paper discharge roller pair 43 rotate while sandwiching the paper P, and convey the paper P in the conveying direction. The conveying roller pair 42 is located behind the recording unit 6, and the paper discharge roller pair 43 is located in front of the recording unit 6. The conveying roller pair 42 sandwiches and conveys the paper P guided forward by the guide member 44. The paper discharge roller pair 43 sandwiches and conveys the paper P conveyed forward by the conveying roller pair 42.

[0028] A second paper detection sensor 53 is provided near the pair of transport rollers 42. The second paper detection sensor 53 is located upstream of the pair of transport rollers 42 in the transport direction. The second paper detection sensor 53 is located downstream of the guide member 44 in the transport direction. The second paper detection sensor 53 is capable of detecting paper P.

[0029] The cutting unit 5 is located between the rear wall 22 of the feed tray 2 and the pair of intermediate rollers 41. The cutting unit 5 is made up of, for example, a rotary blade and a fixed blade. Alternatively, the cutting unit 5 may be made up of a disk-shaped rotary blade and a driven blade. The cutting unit 5 rotates the rotary blade by driving a cutting motor 5a (see FIG. 2) and moves back and forth in the left-right direction. The paper P unwound from the roll R and transported is cut by the cutting unit 5 in the width direction of the paper P (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction by the transport unit 4) by driving the cutting motor 5a under the control of the control unit 9.

[0030] The recording unit 6 includes a head (not shown) having a plurality of nozzles formed on its underside, and a driver IC (not shown). The recording unit 6 records an image on paper P transported by the transport unit 4. When the driver IC is driven under the control of the control unit 9, ink is ejected from the nozzles of the head, and an image is formed on paper P when the paper P transported by the transport unit 4 passes an image recording position facing the underside of the head. The recording unit 6 may be either a line type in which ink is ejected from the nozzles of a head that is fixed in position, or a serial type in which ink is ejected from the nozzles of a head that moves left and right.

[0031] The paper output tray 7 is disposed in front of the recording unit 6 within the housing 1 and above the feed tray 2. The paper output tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 1 in the front-to-rear direction through an opening 11b formed in the housing 1. The paper output tray 7 receives paper P on which an image has been formed by the recording unit 6 and which has been transported forward by a pair of paper output rollers 43.

[0032] The cover 8 is attached to an opening 11c formed across the rear wall 12 and the top wall 13 of the housing 1. The cover 8 is rotatable about a shaft 8a extending in the left-right direction. The shaft 8a is located at the lower end of the cover 8. The cover 8 can be opened and closed relative to the housing 1 by rotating about the shaft 8a.

[0033] When the cover 8 is in the closed state, it covers the portion between the intermediate roller pair 41 and the conveying roller pair 42 in the conveying path of the paper P by the conveying unit 4. That is, when the cover 8 is in the closed state, it is located in the covering position. When the cover 8 is in the open state, it exposes the portion between the intermediate roller pair 41 and the conveying roller pair 42 in the conveying path of the paper P by the conveying unit 4. That is, when the cover 8 is in the open state, it is located in the exposing position. The opening and closing of the cover 8 can be detected by an opening / closing sensor 54 (see FIG. 2).

[0034] The control unit 9 controls the entire printer 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 9 is electrically connected to the feed motor 3a, intermediate motor 61, transport motor 62, discharge motor 63, cutting motor 5a, recording unit 6, display 10, etc. The control unit 9 is also connected to a tray sensor 51, a first paper detection sensor 52, a second paper detection sensor 53, and an open / close sensor 54.

[0035] The display 10 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 1. The display 10 is a touch panel type. The display 10 displays various information related to the printer 100 to notify the user, and corresponds to the "notification unit" of the present invention. The display 10 also receives inputs from the user's operations, and corresponds to the "reception unit" of the present invention.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 9 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 92, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 93, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 94, etc. The ROM 92 stores programs executed by the CPU 91 and ASIC 94, various fixed data, etc. The RAM 93 temporarily stores data required when executing the programs. These components work together to control the operations of the feed motor 3a, intermediate motor 61, conveyance motor 62, discharge motor 63, cutting motor 5a, recording unit 6, display 10, etc.

[0037] (Outline of control by control unit 9) Next, an overview of the control by the control unit 9 will be described with further reference to Fig. 3. When recording an image on paper P, the control unit 9 drives the feed motor 3a to rotate the feed roller 3, feeding paper P from the feed tray 2, and performs skew correction processing with the intermediate roller pair 41. Note that, as will be described later, the control unit 9 does not perform skew correction processing when recovering from jam processing.

[0038] When performing the skew correction process, the control unit 9 does not drive the intermediate motor 61, the conveyance motor 62, and the discharge motor 63 when sending out the leading end of the paper P (the downstream end in the conveying direction) from the feed tray 2. That is, the pair of intermediate rollers 41, the pair of conveyance rollers 42, and the pair of discharge rollers 43 are in a non-rotating state. Then, after the leading end of the paper P is detected by the first paper detection sensor 52, the feed roller 3 further conveys the paper P by a predetermined amount. As a result, the feed roller 3 rotates while the leading end of the paper P remains in contact with the pair of intermediate rollers 41, which is in a non-rotating state, thereby correcting the skew of the paper P. Note that when performing the skew correction process with the pair of intermediate rollers 41, the control unit 9 may control the intermediate motor 61 to rotate in a direction that conveys the paper P in the opposite direction to the conveying direction (the direction in which the paper P is rewound onto the roll R).

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 9 can determine whether a jam has occurred while recording an image on the paper P. For example, the control unit 9 determines whether a jam has occurred based on the output signals from the first paper detection sensor 52 and the second paper detection sensor 53. That is, the control unit 9 determines that a jam has occurred when the sensor (first paper detection sensor 52 or second paper detection sensor 53) located at a position where the paper P should be if the paper transport is normal does not detect the paper P.

[0040] When the control unit 9 determines that a jam has occurred, it causes the cutting unit 5 to cut the paper P and notifies the user on the display 10 that the cut paper P should be removed. However, if the paper P is deformed, for example, the cutting unit 5 may not be able to cut the paper P properly. That is, for example, if the first paper detection sensor 52 does not detect the trailing edge of the paper P even after the paper P is transported after the cutting unit 5 has cut it, the control unit 9 determines that the cutting was not performed properly by the cutting unit 5. In such a case, the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a jam handling screen 71 (see FIG. 3(a)) and notifies the user that the paper P needs to be cut manually. In the following description, jam handling in which the user manually cuts the paper P will be referred to as "jam handling."

[0041] To clear a jam, the user first opens the cover 8 and removes the paper P by cutting it with scissors or the like. After that, the user must reset the paper P. That is, the user removes the feed tray 2 from the housing 1 and rewinds the paper P that was unwound from the roll R back onto the roll R. Then, with the roll R housed in the roll housing section 25 again, the roll R is rotated to feed the paper P from the roll housing section 25. With the front end of the paper P fed out near the rear end of the feed tray 2, the user attaches the feed tray 2 to the housing 1. This brings the feed roller 3 into contact with the paper P, enabling the feed roller 3 to feed the paper P.

[0042] The control unit 9 can determine whether jam clearance has been performed. For example, the control unit 9 determines whether jam clearance has been performed based on an output signal from the tray sensor 51. That is, the control unit 9 determines that jam clearance has been performed when it detects that the feed tray 2 has been temporarily removed from the housing 1 in order to reset the paper P and then re-attached to the housing 1. That is, the tray sensor 51 corresponds to the "jam clearance detection unit" of the present invention.

[0043] When jam clearance is performed, there is a risk that the leading edge of the paper P may be skewed and not aligned along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the paper P (width direction) due to the paper P being cut by the user. If the leading edge of the paper P is skewed, the paper P will become skewed if the leading edge of the paper P is brought into contact with the intermediate roller pair 41 in a non-rotating state in order for the intermediate roller pair 41 to perform skew correction. Therefore, after jam clearance, the control unit 9 can execute a leading edge trimming mode in which the leading edge of the paper P is cut straight along the width direction of the paper P by the cutting unit 5.

[0044] When it is determined that jam clearance has been performed, the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 (see FIG. 3(b)). The leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 displays a message inquiring whether or not to execute the leading edge trimming mode. The leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 also displays an execute button 72a for inputting an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode, and a reject button 72b for inputting a rejection of execution of the leading edge trimming mode. When the display 10 receives an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode, the control unit 9 executes the leading edge trimming mode.

[0045] In the leading edge trimming mode, the control unit 9 executes a post-jam conveying process and a cutting process. In the post-jam conveying process, the control unit 9 conveys the paper P so that the leading edge of the paper P moves from the upstream side to the downstream side of the intermediate roller pair 41 in the conveying direction. In the cutting process, the control unit 9 controls the cutting unit 5 so that the paper P, which has been conveyed by the post-jam conveying process to a position where the leading edge is downstream of the intermediate roller pair 41 in the conveying direction, is cut by the cutting unit 5 while being sandwiched between the intermediate roller pair 41.

[0046] In the post-jam conveyance process, the control unit 9 controls the intermediate motor 61 so that the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates in the forward direction while nipping the sheet P that has reached the intermediate roller pair 41, thereby conveying the sheet P in the conveyance direction. Note that the control unit 9 does not execute the above-described skew correction process when executing the post-jam conveyance process.

[0047] Here, L1 denotes the length along the transport path of the paper P by the transport unit 4 between the intermediate roller pair 41 and the transport roller pair 42. The control unit 9 controls the transport amount of the paper P in the post-jam transport process so that the length L2 along the transport direction of the paper P cut in the cutting process (paper P downstream of the cutting unit 5 in the transport direction) is less than L1.

[0048] After executing the leading edge trimming mode (cutting process), the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a paper removal notification screen 73 (see FIG. 3(c)). The paper removal notification screen 73 displays a message to remove the cut paper P.

[0049] By executing the leading edge trimming mode as described above, the leading edge of the paper P becomes straight along the width direction of the paper P. Therefore, when an image is subsequently recorded on the paper P, the skew correction process can be properly performed by the intermediate roller pair 41.

[0050] (Control flow by control unit 9) Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, an example of a control flow that is performed by the control unit 9 when a jam occurs that requires a user to handle the jam will be described.

[0051] First, the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a jam handling screen 71 (see FIG. 3(a)) (S1). As shown in FIG. 3(a), the jam handling screen 71 displays a message instructing the user to open the cover 8, cut the paper P, and reset the paper P. That is, at this time, after cutting the paper P, the user temporarily removes the feed tray 2 from the housing 1 in order to reset the paper P, and then reattaches the feed tray 2 to the housing 1.

[0052] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the feed tray 2 has been attached to the housing 1 based on the output signal from the tray sensor 51 (S2: jam clearance detection process). The process of S2 is repeated until it is determined that the feed tray 2 has been attached to the housing 1.

[0053] Then, when it is determined that the feed tray 2 has been attached to the housing 1 (S2: YES), the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 (see FIG. 3(b)) (S3). At this time, the user operates either the execute button 72a or the reject button 72b displayed on the leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0054] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the user has operated the execute button 72a and the display 10 has received an instruction to execute the tip trimming mode (S4). If it determines that an instruction to execute the tip trimming mode has not been received (S4: NO), the control unit 9 determines whether the user has operated the reject button 72b and the display 10 has received an instruction to reject the tip trimming mode (S5). If it determines that an instruction to reject the tip trimming mode has not been received (S5: NO), the control unit 9 performs the determination of S4 again. On the other hand, if it determines that an instruction to reject the tip trimming mode has been received (S5: YES), the process ends.

[0055] Furthermore, if it is determined that an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode has been received (S4: YES), the control unit 9 controls the feed motor 3a so that the leading edge of the paper P is sent out from the feed tray 2, and starts feeding the paper P (S6: transport process after jam). Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the leading edge of the paper P has been detected by the first paper detection sensor 52 (S7). The determination in S7 is repeated until it is determined that the leading edge of the paper P has been detected by the first paper detection sensor 52.

[0056] Then, when it is determined that the leading edge of the paper P has been detected by the first paper detection sensor 52 (S7: YES), the control unit 9 controls the intermediate motor 61 so that the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates in the forward direction. Note that the control unit 9 may also control the intermediate motor 61 so that the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates in the forward direction at the time when feeding of the paper P starts in S6.

[0057] Then, the control unit 9 controls the feed motor 3a and the intermediate motor 61 so that the paper P is transported a predetermined amount in the transport direction (S8: transport process after jam). More specifically, the control unit 9 transports the paper P until the leading edge of the paper P reaches a predetermined position between the pair of intermediate rollers 41 and the pair of transport rollers 42. That is, the paper P is transported so that its leading edge moves from the upstream side of the pair of intermediate rollers 41 to the downstream side in the transport direction. In the transport process after jam, the paper P that has reached the pair of intermediate rollers 41 is sandwiched by the pair of intermediate rollers 41 that are rotating in the forward direction and transported in the transport direction.

[0058] Thereafter, the control unit 9 controls the feed motor 3a and the intermediate motor 61 to stop the transport of the paper P (S9). Then, the control unit 9 controls the cutting unit 5 so that the paper P, which has been transported to a position where its front end is downstream of the pair of intermediate rollers 41 in the transport direction, is cut by the cutting unit 5 while being sandwiched between the pair of intermediate rollers 41 (S10).

[0059] Next, the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a paper removal notification screen 73 (see FIG. 3(c)) (S11). At this time, the user opens the cover 8, removes the cut paper P, and then closes the cover 8. The control unit 9 then determines whether the cover 8 has been opened or closed based on the output signal from the open / close sensor 54 (S12). The determination in S12 is repeated until it is determined that the cover 8 has been opened or closed. Then, if it is determined that the cover 8 has been opened or closed (S12: YES), the process ends.

[0060] (Features of the first embodiment) As described above, the printer 100 of this embodiment includes the cutting unit 5 that cuts the paper P in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, the conveyance unit 4 that is disposed downstream of the cutting unit 5 in the conveyance direction and that has the intermediate roller pair 41 that can clamp the paper P and rotate in the forward direction, which is the direction in which the clamped paper P is conveyed in the conveyance direction, and the control unit 9. After detecting that a jam has been cleared for the paper P, the control unit 9 executes a post-jam conveyance process that conveys the paper P so that the leading edge of the paper P moves from the upstream side of the intermediate roller pair 41 to the downstream side of the intermediate roller pair 41 in the conveyance direction, and a cutting process that cuts the paper P, which has been conveyed by the post-jam conveyance process to a position where the leading edge is downstream of the intermediate roller pair 41 in the conveyance direction, while being clamped by the intermediate roller pair 41, using the cutting unit 5. When executing the post-jam conveyance process, the control unit 9 does not execute a skew correction process that controls the conveyance unit 4 so that the leading edge of the paper P hits the intermediate roller pair 41 while preventing the intermediate roller pair 41 from rotating in the forward direction.

[0061] With the above-described configuration, even if the user cuts the paper P at an angle during jam clearance, the paper P can be cut straight (along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction) by performing the post-jam conveying process after the jam clearance is performed without performing the skew correction process and then performing the cutting process.

[0062] Furthermore, in the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment, when the control unit 9 determines that jam processing has been performed (when it detects that the feed tray 2 has been installed in the housing 1), it displays the leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 on the display 10. Then, when the user operates the execute button 72a displayed on the leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 and the display 10 receives an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode, the control unit 9 executes the leading edge trimming mode (post-jam conveying process and cutting process). Therefore, the user can select whether or not to execute the leading edge trimming mode. This makes it possible to avoid wasting paper P by executing the leading edge trimming mode unnecessarily.

[0063] Furthermore, in the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment, the length L2 of the paper P cut in the cutting process along the transport direction is less than the length L1 of the paper P along the transport path by the transport unit 4 between the intermediate roller pair 41 and the transport roller pair 42. In this configuration, it is possible to reduce waste of paper P compared to when the length L2 of the paper P cut in the cutting process is equal to or greater than L1.

[0064] Additionally, in the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment, the control unit 9 displays a paper removal notification screen 73 on the display 10 after executing the cutting process. If the length L2 of the paper P cut in the cutting process is less than L1, the paper P cut in the cutting process cannot be nipped and conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 42. Therefore, the cut paper P cannot be conveyed downstream of the intermediate roller pair 41 and discharged to the paper output tray 7. In this configuration, the paper removal notification screen 73 is displayed on the display 10, and the user can be notified that the cut paper P needs to be removed.

[0065] Second Embodiment Next, a printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. The printer of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the content of the leading edge trimming mode. Hereinafter, components common to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0066] In this embodiment, the driven roller 41b that constitutes the intermediate roller pair 41 can move between a clamping position where it can clamp the paper P between itself and the drive roller 41a and a retracted position where it does not clamp the paper P between itself and the drive roller 41a in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the cover 8.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, the driven roller 41b is supported by a roller holder 46. The roller holder 46 has a support portion 46a that supports the driven roller 41b and an extension portion 46b that extends upward from the support portion 46a. The roller holder 46 is rotatable about a shaft 47. The shaft 47 extends in the left-right direction and is located between the support portion 46a and the upper end of the extension portion 46b. The roller holder 46 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) in a direction that moves the driven roller 41b closer to the drive roller 41a.

[0068] 5(a), the lower end of the cover 8 is provided with a facing portion 81 that faces the upper end of the extending portion 46b of the roller holder 46 across a small gap when the cover 8 is closed and in the covering position. The facing portion 81 of the cover 8 is located rearward of the extending portion 46b of the roller holder 46. At this time, the driven roller 41b is pressed against the driving roller 41a. In other words, the driven roller 41b is in a clamping position where it can clamp the paper P between itself and the driving roller 41a.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the cover 8 is opened to the exposed position, the opposing portion 81 of the cover 8 is in a position where it pushes the extending portion 46b of the roller holder 46 forward. At this time, the roller holder 46 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5(b) about the shaft 47 against the biasing force of the biasing member. As a result, the driven roller 41b moves rearward and separates from the drive roller 41a. In other words, the driven roller 41b is in a retracted position where it does not sandwich the paper P between itself and the drive roller 41a.

[0070] The guide member 44 is supported by the cover 8. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when the cover 8 moves from the covering position to the exposing position, the guide member 44 moves to a position away from the conveying path of the conveying unit 4.

[0071] Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, an example of a control flow that is performed by the control unit 9 when a jam occurs that requires a user to handle the jam will be described.

[0072] First, the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a jam handling screen 171 (see FIG. 7(a)) (S21). Similar to the jam handling screen 71 of the first embodiment, the jam handling screen 171 of this embodiment displays a message to open the cover 8, cut the paper P, and reset the paper P. In addition, the jam handling screen 171 displays a message to not close the cover 8.

[0073] The subsequent processing of S22 to S25 is the same as the processing of S2 to S5 in the first embodiment, except for the content of the tip trimming mode selection screen 172 (see FIG. 7(b)) displayed on the display 10 in S23, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the tip trimming mode selection screen 172 of this embodiment displays a message inquiring whether or not to execute the tip trimming mode, an execute button 72a, and a reject button 72b, just like the first embodiment. In addition, the tip trimming mode selection screen 172 displays a message instructing the user to close the cover 8 if the tip trimming mode is not to be executed.

[0074] When the control unit 9 determines in the processing of S24 that it has received an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode (S24: YES), it determines whether or not the cover 8 is open based on the output signal from the open / close sensor 54 (S26). Then, when it determines that the cover 8 is not open (S26: NO), the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a cover open notification screen 173 (see FIG. 7(c)). As shown in FIG. 7(c), the cover open notification screen 173 displays a message that the cover 8 will be opened. After displaying the cover open notification screen 173 on the display 10, the control unit 9 performs the determination of S26 again.

[0075] When the control unit 9 determines that the cover 8 is open (S26: YES), it controls the feed motor 3a so that the leading edge of the paper P is sent out from the feed tray 2, and starts feeding the paper P (S28: transport process after jam). At this time, because the cover 8 is open, the driven roller 41b of the intermediate roller pair 41 is positioned in a retracted position where it does not sandwich the paper P between itself and the drive roller 41a. Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the leading edge of the paper P has been detected by the first paper detection sensor 52 (S29). The determination in S29 is repeated until it is determined that the leading edge of the paper P has been detected by the first paper detection sensor 52.

[0076] Then, when it is determined that the leading edge of the sheet P has been detected by the first sheet detection sensor 52 (S29: YES), the control unit 9 controls the feed motor 3a so that the sheet P is conveyed a predetermined distance in the conveyance direction (S30: post-jam conveyance process). In the post-jam conveyance process, the sheet P is conveyed so that its leading edge moves from the upstream side to the downstream side of the intermediate roller pair 41 in the conveyance direction without being pinched by the intermediate roller pair 41. In this embodiment, in the post-jam conveyance process, the control unit 9 conveys the sheet P until its leading edge reaches a predetermined position between the intermediate roller pair 41 and the lower end of the guide member 44 when the cover 8 is in the covering position.

[0077] Thereafter, the control unit 9 controls the feed motor 3a to stop the conveyance of the paper P (S31). Furthermore, the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a cover closing notification screen 174 (see FIG. 8(a)) (S32). As shown in FIG. 8(a), the cover closing notification screen 174 displays a message to close the cover 8. As described above, in the post-jam conveyance process, the paper P is conveyed until the leading edge of the paper P reaches a predetermined position between the pair of intermediate rollers 41 and the lower end of the guide member 44 when the cover 8 is in the covering position. Therefore, by closing the cover 8, the paper P and the guide member 44 do not interfere with each other.

[0078] Then, the control unit 9 determines whether the cover 8 is closed or not based on the output signal from the open / close sensor 54 (S33). The determination in S33 is repeated until it is determined that the cover 8 is closed. If it is determined that the cover 8 is closed (S33: YES), the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a cutting instruction input screen 175 (see FIG. 8(b)) (S34). As shown in FIG. 8(b), the cutting instruction input screen 175 displays an input button 175a for instructing the execution of a cutting process to cut the paper P. The user can instruct the execution of the cutting process by operating the input button 175a.

[0079] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the user has operated the input button 175a and the display 10 has received an instruction to execute the disconnection process (S35). The determination in S35 is repeated until it is determined that an instruction to execute the disconnection process has been received. Then, if it is determined that an instruction to execute the disconnection process has been received (S35: YES), the control unit 9 executes the processes of S36 to S38. Note that the processes of S36 to S38 are the same as the processes of S10 to S12 in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] (Features of the second embodiment) As described above, the printer 100 of this embodiment can cut the paper P straight (along the direction perpendicular to the transport direction) in the same way as the first embodiment.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the driven roller 41b of the intermediate roller pair 41 is located at a position where it can pinch the paper P between itself and the drive roller 41a when the cover 8 is closed and located at the covered position, and is located at a position where it does not pinch the paper P between itself and the drive roller 41a when the cover 8 is open and located at the exposed position. The control unit 9 then executes the post-jam conveyance process when the cover 8 is located at the exposed position. Therefore, by executing the post-jam conveyance process before the cover 8 is returned to the covered position after jam clearance has been performed with the cover 8 open and located at the exposed position, the post-jam conveyance process can be executed without executing the skew correction process.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 9 executes the cutting process after the cover 8 is closed and moves from the exposed position to the covered position. When the cover 8 moves to the covered position, the paper P is sandwiched between the intermediate roller pair 41. Therefore, in the cutting process, the paper P is cut while being sandwiched between the intermediate roller pair 41, and therefore the paper P can be cut properly.

[0083] Additionally, in the above-described embodiment, the display 10 is provided to receive input from a user, and the control unit 9 executes the disconnection process when the display 10 receives an instruction to execute the disconnection process after the cover 8 is closed to change from the exposed position to the covered position. Therefore, since the disconnection process is executed after the user issues an instruction to execute the disconnection process, there is a low possibility that the cover 8 will be opened during the disconnection process.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the controller 9 determines that jam clearance has been performed when the tray sensor 51 detects that the feed tray 2 has been attached to the housing 1, but this is not limiting. For example, the controller 9 may be provided with an operation unit such as a button that the user operates after jam clearance has been performed, and the controller 9 may determine that jam clearance has been performed when the operation unit is operated. Also, in the first embodiment, the controller 9 may determine that jam clearance has been performed when the open / close sensor 54 detects that the cover 8 has been closed.

[0086] In the second embodiment described above, the control unit 9 executes the disconnection process when the display 10 receives an instruction to execute the disconnection process after the cover 8 is closed to change from the exposed position to the covered position, but this is not limiting. For example, the control unit 9 may execute the disconnection process when the open / close sensor 54 detects that the cover 8 has been closed.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 9 executes the leading edge trimming mode when the display 10 receives an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode, but this is not limiting. For example, the control unit 9 may execute the leading edge trimming mode after jam clearance has been performed, regardless of the user's intention.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the example has been described in which the leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72 displays an execute button 72a for inputting an instruction to execute the leading edge trimming mode and a reject button 72b for inputting a rejection of the execution of the leading edge trimming mode. However, this is not limited to this. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 , a leading edge trimming mode selection screen 272 according to a modified example of the first embodiment displays a first execute button 272a for instructing to execute the leading edge trimming mode immediately, a second execute button 272b for instructing to execute the leading edge trimming mode later, and a reject button 272c for instructing not to execute the leading edge trimming mode. The first execute button 272a corresponds to the execute button 72a on the leading edge trimming mode selection screen 72. When the user operates the second execute button 272b, the control unit 9 displays the leading edge trimming mode selection screen 272 on the display 10 again, for example, after the ongoing print job is completed.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the length L2 of the paper P cut in the cutting process along the transport direction is less than the length L1 of the paper P along the transport path by the transport unit 4 between the pair of intermediate rollers 41 and the pair of transport rollers 42, but this is not limited to this. That is, the length L2 of the paper P cut in the cutting process may be equal to or greater than L1. In this case, the paper P cut in the cutting process can be transported by the pair of intermediate rollers 41 to a position where it is sandwiched by the pair of transport rollers 42. Therefore, the paper P cut in the cutting process can be transported by the transport unit 4 and discharged to the paper output tray 7. This saves the user the trouble of removing the cut paper P.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the paper removal notification screen 73 is displayed on the display 10 after the cutting process is executed has been described, but the paper removal notification screen 73 does not have to be displayed.

[0091] Additionally, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a touch panel type display 10 that functions as a notification unit and a reception unit has been provided, but this is not limited to this. A speaker that notifies by voice may also be used as the notification unit. Furthermore, the reception unit may be a physical button.

[0092] The present invention can be applied to all image recording devices that record images on a recording medium unwound from a roll. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers that have a head that ejects ink from nozzles as a recording unit, but also to electrophotographic printers that have a laser-type recording unit in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photosensitive member to a laser, or an LED-type recording unit in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photosensitive member to an LED. Furthermore, the recording medium is not limited to paper, but can also be cloth, a resin material such as film, or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 4. Conveyor 5 Cut section 6 Recording section 8 Cover 9 Control Unit 10 Display (reception area, notification area) 41 Intermediate roller pair (roller pair) 42 conveying roller pair (downstream roller pair) 41a Drive roller 41b driven roller 51 Tray sensor (jam detection unit) 100 Printer (image recording device) P Paper (recording medium) R roll body

Claims

1. An image recording device that records an image on a recording medium that is unwound from a roll of a long recording medium, a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction; a cutting unit that cuts the recording medium along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a recording unit that records an image on a recording medium; a jam clearance detection unit that detects that a jam clearance has been performed on a recording medium; a control unit; and the conveying unit is disposed downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction, and has a pair of rollers that can hold a recording medium and can rotate in a forward direction that is a direction in which the held recording medium is conveyed in the conveying direction; The control unit a post-jam conveying process in which, after the jam clearing detection unit detects that the jam clearing of the recording medium has been performed, the recording medium is conveyed so that a leading end of the recording medium, which is an end on the downstream side in the conveying direction, moves from the upstream side to the downstream side of the roller pair in the conveying direction; a cutting process in which the recording medium, which has been conveyed by the post-jam conveying process to a position where the leading end is on the downstream side of the pair of rollers in the conveying direction, is cut by the cutting unit while being sandwiched between the pair of rollers; When performing the post-jam conveying process, the image recording device does not perform a skew correction process that controls the conveying unit so that the leading edge of the recording medium contacts the roller pair while preventing the roller pair from rotating in the forward direction.

2. The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the conveying unit so that, during the post-jam conveying process, the pair of rollers conveys the recording medium by rotating in the forward direction while clamping the recording medium that has reached the pair of rollers.

3. The recording medium conveying device further includes a cover that can take a covering position to cover at least a part of a conveyance path of the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit and an exposing position to expose at least a part of the conveyance path, The roller pair includes a first roller and a second roller, the second roller is positioned at a position where it can pinch a recording medium between itself and the first roller when the cover is positioned at the covering position, and is positioned at a position where it does not pinch a recording medium between itself and the first roller when the cover is positioned at the exposing position, 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes the post-jam conveyance process when the cover is located at the exposed position.

4. 4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit executes the cutting process after the cover has moved from the exposed position to the covered position.

5. The device further includes a reception unit that receives input from a user, The image recording device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit executes the cutting process when the reception unit receives an instruction to execute the cutting process after the cover has moved from the exposed position to the covered position.

6. The device further includes a reception unit that receives input from a user, The image recording device of any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control unit performs the post-jam conveying process and the cutting process when the reception unit receives an instruction to perform the post-jam conveying process and the cutting process after the jam processing detection unit detects that jam processing of the recording medium has been performed.

7. the conveying section further includes a downstream roller pair that is disposed downstream of the roller pair in the conveying direction and is capable of sandwiching the recording medium; The image recording device of any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control unit controls the amount of transport of the recording medium in the post-jam transport process so that the length along the transport direction of the recording medium cut by the cutting process is less than the length along the transport path of the recording medium by the transport unit between the roller pair and the downstream roller pair.

8. The device further includes a notification unit that notifies the user of information, 8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit, after executing the cutting process, notifies the user by the notification unit that the cut recording medium should be removed.

Images