Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To effectively utilize a portion on the upstream side with respect to an electrically-driven cutting unit of a sheet-like medium unwound from a roll body.SOLUTION: A printer comprises: a housing; a first tray which has a roll body storage part that can store a roll body; a conveyance unit; an electrically-driven first cutting unit which is provided on the housing side and can cut a roll sheet; a signal output unit which outputs a signal for determination indicating the presence / absence of a residue of the roll body; a manually-operated second cutting unit which is provided on the first tray side and can cut the roll sheet; a notification unit; and a control unit. The control unit determines whether or not roll sheet shortage occurs in a period from start of conveyance of the roll sheet to completion of conveyance of the roll sheet to a cutting planned position by the first cutting unit, and causes the notification unit to execute notification operation that urges the second cutting unit to cut the roll sheet when it is determined that the roll sheet shortage has occurred.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an electric first cutting unit and a manual second cutting unit capable of cutting a sheet-like medium.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a printer including a tray that can be inserted into and removed from a housing and can accommodate a roll paper (roll body), an electric cutting unit provided on the tray side and capable of cutting a paper (sheet-like medium), and a control unit that determines whether the remaining amount of the paper is empty based on a signal from an optical sensor. In this printer, when the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the paper is empty, it notifies the user that the remaining amount of the roll paper is empty and prompts the user to replace the roll paper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, there is a roll paper in which the end of the paper is connected to the core member of the roll paper. When such a roll paper is mounted on the printer described in Patent Document 1, during printing, when the control unit determines that the remaining amount of the paper is empty, the paper is automatically cut by the cutting unit and discharged. After that, reprinting becomes possible by the user replacing the roll paper. When a roll paper in which such a core member and the end of the paper are connected is mounted, the paper from the core member of the roll paper to the cutting unit will be discarded when the roll paper is replaced and cannot be effectively utilized.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can effectively utilize the portion of the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll that is upstream of the electric cutting unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing; a first tray having a roll body storage section that is insertable into and removable from the housing and capable of accommodating a roll body wound in a roll shape around a core member with the end of the sheet-like medium connected to the core member; a transport section that transports the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in the transport direction; an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet-like medium transported by the transport section; an electrically powered first cutting section provided on the housing side and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium transported by the transport section in a direction intersecting the transport direction; a signal output section that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a remaining amount of roll body stored in the roll body storage section; a manual second cutting section provided on the first tray side and positioned upstream of the first cutting section along the transport direction and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in the intersecting direction; a notification section capable of performing a notification operation to notify the user; and a control section. Then, the control unit determines whether or not a sheet medium has been cut based on the determination signal output from the signal output unit, between the start of transport of the sheet medium based on an image forming signal instructing the formation of an image on the sheet medium and the transport of the sheet medium to the position where it is to be cut by the first cutting unit, and if it determines that a sheet medium has been cut, it causes the notification unit to execute the notification operation prompting the second cutting unit to cut the sheet medium. Furthermore, if the control unit determines that a tear has occurred in the sheet-like medium, it determines whether the entire first image can be formed within the range up to the rear end of the sheet-like medium formed by cutting with the second cutting unit. If it determines that the entire first image can be formed on the sheet-like medium, it causes the notification unit to execute the notification operation prompting the second cutting unit to cut the sheet-like medium. In another view, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing; a first tray having a roll body storage section that is insertable into and removable from the housing and capable of accommodating a roll body wound in a roll shape around a core member with the end of the sheet-like medium connected to the core member; a transport section that transports the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in the transport direction; an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet-like medium transported by the transport section; an electrically powered first cutting section provided on the housing side and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium transported by the transport section in a direction intersecting the transport direction; a signal output section that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a remaining amount of roll body stored in the roll body storage section; a manual second cutting section provided on the first tray side and positioned upstream of the first cutting section along the transport direction and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in the intersecting direction; a notification section capable of performing a notification operation to notify the user; and a control section. The control unit then determines whether a sheet medium has been cut based on the determination signal output from the signal output unit, between the start of transport of the sheet medium based on an image forming signal instructing the formation of an image on the sheet medium and the transport of the sheet medium to the position where it is to be cut by the first cutting unit. If it determines that a sheet medium has been cut, it causes the notification unit to perform the notification operation to prompt the second cutting unit to cut the sheet medium. The system further includes a second tray that is removable from the housing and houses the first tray while supporting it so that it can move in the insertion / removal direction. The second cutting unit has a cutting unit for cutting the sheet medium and a lever for manually moving the cutting unit, the lever being positioned at the downstream end of the first tray in the removal direction for removing the second tray from the housing. In yet another aspect, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing; a first tray having a roll body storage section that is insertable into and removable from the housing and capable of accommodating a roll body wound in a roll shape around a core member with the end of the sheet-like medium connected to the core member; a transport section that transports the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in the transport direction; an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet-like medium transported by the transport section; an electrically powered first cutting section provided on the housing side and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium transported by the transport section in a direction intersecting the transport direction; a signal output section that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a remaining amount of roll body stored in the roll body storage section; a manual second cutting section provided on the first tray side and positioned upstream of the first cutting section along the transport direction and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in the intersecting direction; a notification section capable of performing a notification operation to notify the user; and a control section. The control unit then determines whether a sheet medium has been cut based on the determination signal output from the signal output unit, between the start of transport of the sheet medium based on an image forming signal instructing the formation of an image on the sheet medium and the transport of the sheet medium to the position where it is to be cut by the first cutting unit. If it determines that a sheet medium has been cut, it causes the notification unit to execute the notification operation prompting the second cutting unit to cut the sheet medium. The first tray is provided with a cut medium storage unit that can accommodate multiple cut mediums, which are short sheet mediums, stacked on top of each other, downstream of the roll storage unit in the transport direction, and the second cutting unit is located upstream of the cut medium storage unit in the transport direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, if a sheet-like medium is cut between the start of conveyance and the time the sheet-like medium is conveyed to the cutting position by the first cutting unit, the user can be prompted to cut the sheet-like medium at the second cutting unit. Therefore, the sheet-like medium can be cut by the second cutting unit, which is located upstream of the first cutting unit in the conveyance direction, making it possible to form an image on the portion of the sheet-like medium that is upstream of the first cutting unit and downstream of the second cutting unit, or to leave that portion as a blank space, thereby making effective use of that portion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a printer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an enlarged view of the roll body housing section and its vicinity, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a front view as seen from the front. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the printer's control unit. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing steps performed when a printer receives a roll image forming signal. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a side view showing a printer with a portion of the second tray of the feed cassette removed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A printer 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions are defined based on the state in which the printer 100 is installed for use (the state in Figure 1), and the left and right directions are defined when the printer 100 is viewed from the front.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the printer 100 includes a housing 100a, a feed cassette 1, a transport unit 3, a first cutting unit 4, a head (the "image forming unit" of the present invention) 5, an output tray 6, a control unit 8, a notification unit 9 (see Figure 3), and an encoder 10 (see Figure 3). The feed cassette 1 is located below the head 5 within the housing 100a. The feed cassette 1 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a along the front-to-back direction (the "insertion / removal direction" of the present invention).

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the feeding cassette 1 includes a first tray 11, a second tray 12 that houses the first tray 11, and a second cutting section 30 provided on the first tray 11. The second tray 12 has a box shape consisting of a bottom wall 12a and four side walls 12b erected on the edge of the bottom wall 12a (in Figure 1, only the two side walls 12b provided on the front and rear edges of the bottom wall 12a are shown). The second tray 12 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a along the front-rear direction. This allows the first tray 11 to also be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a along the front-rear direction. The bottom wall 12a of the second tray 12 has a groove 12c that opens upward and extends along the front-rear direction.

[0012] The first tray 11 selectively accommodates either a roll of paper R or cut paper Kp so that it can selectively transport either a roll of paper R or cut paper Kp. As shown in Figure 1, the first tray 11 has a roll storage section 20 that can accommodate a roll of paper R and a cut paper storage section 13 that can accommodate multiple cut sheets of paper Kp stacked together.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the roll body R is formed by winding a long roll of paper (the "sheet-like medium" of the present invention) Rp around the outer circumference of a cylindrical core member Rc. In this embodiment, the roll body R is formed by attaching the end of the roll of paper Rp to the outer circumference of the core member Rc and connecting them together. The cut paper (the "cut medium" of the present invention) Kp is a shorter piece of paper than the long roll of paper Rp that constitutes the roll body R, and is, for example, A4 size or B5 size paper. In the following description, when the roll of paper Rp and the cut paper Kp unwound from the roll body R are not distinguished, they may be referred to as "paper P".

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the first tray 11 has a bottom wall 11a positioned on the bottom wall 12a of the second tray 12, and a guide wall 11b formed at the rear end of the bottom wall 11a that guides the paper P diagonally upward. The bottom wall 11a has a projection 11a2 that protrudes downward from the lower surface 11a1. The projection 11a2 is sized to be movable in the front-rear direction within the groove 12c. The first tray 11 is slidably positioned in the front-rear direction on the bottom wall 12a of the second tray 12.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the roll body housing section 20 is positioned on the front side of the bottom wall 11a of the first tray 11, and supports the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the roll body R so that the roll body R can rotate. The roll body R is housed in the roll body housing section 20 with its axis of rotation (the central axis of the core member Rc) aligned in the left-right direction (the width direction of the roll paper Rp).

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the roll body housing section 20 has a recess 21 for housing the roll body R. Two rollers 22 and 23 are provided at the bottom of the recess 21. The two rollers 22 and 23 are each rotatable about a rotation axis that extends in the left-right direction. When the roll body R is housed in the recess 21, the outer circumferential surface of its lower portion is supported by the two rollers 22 and 23.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2(a), the roll body accommodating portion 20 has a hole 25 that communicates with the recess 21 and extends in the vertical direction, and two grooves 26 and 27 that communicate with the hole 25 respectively and extend in the front-rear direction. Both the hole 25 and the two grooves 26 and 27 open to the bottom surface of the roll body accommodating portion 20. The two grooves 26 and 27 are arranged with the hole 25 interposed therebetween in the front-rear direction. The groove 26 is arranged behind the groove 27 and has a greater height in the vertical direction than the groove 27. Also, as shown in Fig. 2(b), the hole 25 and the two grooves 26 and 27 are formed to extend longitudinally in the left-right direction. More specifically, they are formed longer than the width of the roll paper Rp in the left-right direction. The roll paper Rp unwound from the roll body R is conveyed through the hole 25 and the groove 26 toward the head 5.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the cut paper accommodating portion (the "cut medium accommodating portion" of the present invention) 13 is located behind the roll body accommodating portion 20 (i.e., on the downstream side along the conveyance direction). The cut paper accommodating portion 13 accommodates the cut paper Kp in a posture where the longitudinal direction of the cut paper Kp coincides with the left-right direction and the width direction coincides with the front-rear direction.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2(a), the second cutting portion 30 has a fixed blade 31, a cutting unit 32, and a lever 33, and cuts the roll paper Rp passing through the hole 25 and the groove 26 by the cooperation of the fixed blade 31 and a rotary blade 32a (described later). As shown in Fig. 1, the second cutting portion 30 is arranged on the upstream side along the conveyance direction of the roll paper Rp from the cut paper accommodating portion 13. The fixed blade 31 is formed of a plate-like member that extends longer than the roll paper Rp along the left-right direction as shown in Fig. 2. In the present embodiment, the fixed blade 31 is attached and fixed over the entire bottom surface of the groove 26. The fixed blade 31 is arranged so as to be able to contact the surface facing upward of the roll paper Rp passing through the hole 25 and the groove 26 as shown in Fig. 2(a). <000009​As shown in Fig. 2(a), the cutting unit 32 has a rotary blade 32a and a holder 32b, and is located in the hole 25 and the groove 26. As shown in Fig. 2, the rotary blade 32a is disc-shaped and is supported by the holder 32b so as to be rotatable about a shaft 32x extending in the front-rear direction. Further, the rotary blade 32a is arranged to be able to contact the surface facing downward of the roll paper Rp passing through the hole 25 and the groove 26. Further, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the upper end portion of the rotary blade 32a is arranged to be able to contact the front end surface of the fixed blade 31.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the lever 33 is arranged at the front end portion of the first tray 11. In other words, the lever 33 is arranged at the downstream end portion of the first tray 11 in the removal direction (forward direction) of removing the first tray 11 from the housing 100a. Further, as shown in Fig. 2, the lever 33 has a gripping portion 33a and a connecting portion 33b, and is formed in an L shape. The gripping portion 33a is arranged in front of the roll body accommodating portion 20 and has a prism shape extending in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 33b extends in the front-rear direction so as to connect the gripping portion 33a and the holder 32b, and is arranged in the hole 25 and the groove 27.

[0022] To cut the roll paper Rp by such a second cutting portion 30, when the user moves the lever 33 to the left from the position shown in Fig. 2(b), the rotary blade 32a moves to the left together with the holder 32b. At this time, the rotary blade 32a receives a rotational moment from the roll paper Rp and the fixed blade 31 and rotates passively. Thereby, the fixed blade 31 and the rotary blade 32a cooperate to cut the roll paper Rp passing through the hole 25 and the groove 26 along the width direction (left-right direction: the "crossing direction" of the present invention). In this way, the rear end of the roll paper Rp is formed. When the lever 33 is at the left end portion of the groove 27, the roll paper Rp is cut in the same manner by moving the lever 33 to the right.

[0023] The transport unit 3 includes a feeding unit 41, three pairs of transport rollers 42-44, and a transport motor 45M (see Figure 3). The feeding unit 41 feeds out either a roll of paper R or cut paper Kp, which is stored in the feeding cassette 1, from the feeding cassette 1 toward the rear.

[0024] The feeding unit 41 is positioned above the feeding cassette 1 and includes a feeding roller 41a, an arm 41b, and a feeding motor 41M (see Figure 3). The feeding roller 41a is pivotally supported at the tip of the arm 41b. The arm 41b is rotatably supported on a support shaft 41c. The arm 41b is biased by a spring or the like in a direction that causes the feeding roller 41a to contact the bottom wall 11a of the first tray 11. The arm 41b is also configured to be retractable upward when attaching or detaching the feeding cassette 1. The feeding roller 41a rotates when a driving force is transmitted from the feeding motor 41M. When the feeding motor 41M is driven by the control unit 8, the feeding roller 41a rotates, and the paper P contained in the first tray 11 is fed backward.

[0025] The three transport roller pairs 42-44 transport the paper P fed by the feeding unit 41 within the housing 100a along a transport direction perpendicular to the left-right direction. The three transport roller pairs 42-44 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the transport direction. Transport roller pair 42 transports the paper P sent out from the feeding cassette 1 by the feeding unit 41. Transport roller pair 43 receives the paper P transported by transport roller pair 42 and sends it to the head 5. Transport roller pair 44 receives the paper P transported by transport roller pair 43 and discharges it. The paper P transported by transport roller pairs 43 and 44 is sent forward.

[0026] Each transport roller pair 42-44 consists of a drive roller that rotates when driving force is transmitted from the transport motor 45M, and a driven roller that moves along with the drive roller. When the transport motor 45M is driven by the control unit 8, the drive roller and driven roller of the transport roller pair 42-44 rotate with the paper P nipping, and the paper P is transported in the transport direction.

[0027] The first cutting section 4 is located in the housing 100a. The first cutting section 4 is located between the rear end of the first tray 11 and the transport roller pair 42. In other words, the first cutting section 4 is located downstream of the second cutting section 30 along the transport direction of the paper P. To put it another way, the second cutting section 30 is located upstream of the first cutting section 4 along the transport direction.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first cutting unit 4 includes a fixed blade 4a that is elongated in the left-right direction and a disc-shaped rotating blade 4b that is movable in the left-right direction while in contact with the fixed blade 4a. The rotating blade 4b reciprocates along the left-right direction by the drive of a cutting motor 4M (see Figure 3) controlled by the control unit 8. As the rotating blade 4b moves in either the left or right direction, it receives a rotational moment from the roll paper Rp and the fixed blade 4a and rotates in a driven manner. The roll paper Rp, which has been unwound from the roll body R and conveyed, is cut in the width direction by the first cutting unit 4. As a result, a rear end is formed on the roll paper Rp that is sent to the discharge tray 6.

[0029] The print head (the "image forming unit" of the present invention) 5 is positioned between the transport roller pair 43 and the transport roller pair 44. The print head 5 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on its lower surface and a driver IC 5a (see Figure 3). When the driver IC 5a is driven by the control unit 8, the print head 5 ejects ink supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) from the nozzles and forms an image on the paper P transported by the transport roller pair 43. The paper P on which the image has been formed is transported forward (to the left in Figure 1) by the transport roller pair 44. The print head 5 may be either a line-type head that ejects ink from nozzles while its position is fixed, or a serial-type head that ejects ink from nozzles while moving in the left-right direction.

[0030] The output tray 6 forms the front side wall of the upper part of the housing 100a and can be opened and closed relative to the housing 100a. The paper P on which the image has been formed by the head 5 is transported forward by the transport unit 3 and received in the open output tray 6. As a result, the paper P is ejected from the printer 100 (inside the housing 100a).

[0031] The encoder (the "signal output unit" of the present invention) 10 is provided in the rotational force transmission section of a transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits rotational force from the feed motor 41M and the transport motor 45M to the feed roller 41a and the transport roller pair 42-44. The encoder 10 outputs a signal (the "determination signal" of the present invention) indicating the amount of mechanical displacement of the rotation of the rotational force transmission section due to the rotation of the feed motor 41M and the transport motor 45M. In this embodiment, a rotary encoder is used as the encoder 10.

[0032] The notification unit 9 is for performing notification operations to inform the user of information. For example, the notification unit 9 is a display provided on the printer 100 that performs a notification operation to the user by displaying the information to be informed to the user. Alternatively, the notification unit 9 is a speaker provided on the printer 100 that performs a notification operation to the user by emitting the information to be informed to the user in voice.

[0033] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the control unit 8, which is responsible for controlling the entire printer 100, will be described. The control unit 8 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 81, ROM (Read Only Memory) 82 and RAM (Random Access Memory) 83, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 84, and flash memory 85, all of which are connected to each other by a bus. These components work together to control the operation of the driver IC 5a, the feed motor 41M, the transport motor 45M, the cutting motor 4M, the notification unit 9, and other components. The control unit 8 receives a signal from the encoder 10 indicating the amount of mechanical displacement of the rotational force transmission part.

[0034] In addition to the configuration described above, the printer 100 also has an input unit 7. The input unit 7 is, for example, a button provided on the housing 100a of the printer 100, or a touch panel provided on the display. By operating the input unit 7, the user can input signals to the control unit 8.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 8 may perform various processing tasks solely with the CPU 81, solely with the ASIC 84, or collaboratively with the CPU 81 and ASIC 84. Also, the control unit 8 may be performed by a single CPU 81 alone, or by multiple CPUs 81 sharing the processing tasks. Similarly, the control unit 8 may be performed by a single ASIC 84 alone, or by multiple ASICs 84 sharing the processing tasks.

[0036] <Controlling roll paper printing> Next, we will explain the control by the control unit 8 during roll paper printing, which forms an image on the roll paper Rp. When the printer 100 receives a roll image formation signal for performing roll paper printing, the control unit 8 processes the image according to the flow shown in Figure 4. The roll image formation signal is a signal that instructs the control unit 8 to form the entirety of one image on one page of roll paper Rp, and is transmitted from an external device or the like to the control unit 8. In this embodiment, we will explain the case where the entirety of one image is formed on one page of roll paper Rp, but for example, the entirety of multiple images may be formed on multiple pages of roll paper Rp, and in this case as well, the entirety of each image is processed in the same way as the entirety of one image. In this embodiment, the entirety of one image includes the image and the margins, but it may also include only the image portion.

[0037] To explain the flow in Figure 4 in more detail, the control unit 8 first determines whether or not it has received a roll image formation signal (S1). If it has not received a roll image formation signal (S1: NO), it repeats S1. If it has received a roll image formation signal (S1: YES), the control unit 8 starts printing on the roll paper (S2). In other words, the control unit 8 uses the transport unit 3 to transport the roll paper Rp from the feed cassette 1 in the transport direction. Then, the head 5 forms an image on the roll paper Rp transported by the transport unit 3.

[0038] Next, the control unit 8 determines whether or not a roll paper break has occurred (S3). When the transport unit 3 is transporting the roll paper Rp, if the remaining amount of roll paper Rp in the roll body R runs out and a roll paper break occurs, the unwinding of the roll paper Rp from the roll body R stops. At this time, the roll paper Rp is pulled by the feed roller 41a and each transport roller pair 42-44, and the rotation of the feed roller 41a and each transport roller pair 42-44 also stops. Therefore, the encoder 10 outputs a signal indicating that the transport of the roll paper Rp has stopped (i.e., the mechanical displacement of the rotation of the rotational force transmission part is approximately 0). Thus, when the control unit 8 is transporting the roll paper Rp, it receives a signal from the encoder 10 indicating that the transport of the roll paper Rp has stopped and determines that the remaining amount of roll paper R has run out and a roll paper break has occurred. In this context, "when the roll paper Rp is being transported" refers to a state in which at least one of the feed motor 41M and the transport motor 45M is driven to transport the roll paper Rp, and rotational force is applied to at least one of the feed roller 41a and each transport roller pair 42 to 44. Furthermore, when the roll paper Rp is being transported and no roll paper breaks have occurred, the encoder 10 outputs a signal indicating that the roll paper Rp is being transported at a predetermined transport speed (a mechanical displacement indicating that the rotational force transmission part is rotating at a predetermined rotational speed). When a signal indicating that the roll paper Rp is being transported at a predetermined transport speed is output, it indicates that there is remaining roll paper R.

[0039] In S3, if no roll paper break occurs (S3:NO), the control unit 8 derives the amount of roll paper Rp transported based on the signal from the encoder 10 indicating the amount of mechanical displacement of the rotational force transmission part, and determines whether the roll paper Rp has been transported to the planned cutting position by the first cutting unit 4 (S4). If it has not been transported to the planned cutting position (S4:NO), the process returns to S3. The planned cutting position refers to the position in the transport path of the roll paper Rp when the planned rear end position of the roll paper Rp, which can form an entire image, is located at the first cutting unit 4.

[0040] On the other hand, if the roll paper Rp is transported to the cutting position (S4:YES), the control unit 8 proceeds to S5. Next, in S5, the control unit 8 drives the cutting motor 4M to cut the roll paper Rp at the first cutting unit 4 and discharges the roll paper Rp to the discharge tray 6. Image formation on the roll paper Rp may also be performed in the range up to the rear end after the roll paper Rp has been cut. In this way, image formation on the roll paper Rp is completed, and the flow ends. When forming images on roll paper Rp with multiple pages, the entirety of each image is repeatedly executed for the number of pages using the same roll paper printing method as described above.

[0041] In S3, if a roll paper break occurs (S3:YES), the control unit 8 temporarily stops the roll paper printing (S6). Next, the control unit 8 determines whether the entirety of one image can be formed within the range up to the rear end of the roll paper Rp, which is formed by cutting at the second cutting unit 30, based on the roll image formation signal (S7).

[0042] If the entire image can be formed (S7:YES), the control unit 8 causes the notification unit 9 to perform a notification operation to notify that the roll paper Rp needs to be cut at the second cutting unit 30 (S8).

[0043] The procedure for when a user cuts the roll paper Rp at the second cutting section 30 is described below. First, the user pulls out the feed cassette 1 (second tray 12) of the printer 100, which is not printing, forward. At this time, the roll paper Rp is not cut and is held between the transport roller pair 42, so the core member Rc does not move. As a result, the first tray 11 moves relative to the second tray 12 in the front-rear direction, and as shown in Figure 5, only the second tray 12 moves forward. The second tray 12 moves forward until the side wall 12b at its rear end contacts the guide wall 11b of the first tray 11, and the projection 11a2 of the first tray 11 contacts the rear end of the groove 12c. The forward movement of the second tray 12 creates an opening between the front end of the second tray 12 and the housing 100a into which the user's hand can be inserted. Through this opening, the user manually moves the lever 33 of the second cutting unit 30 to one side from the outside, thereby manually cutting the roll of paper Rp. This forms the rear end of the roll of paper Rp. After this, the user inserts the second tray 12 backward and attaches it to the housing 100a. Then, the user operates the input unit 7 to input a signal indicating that the roll of paper Rp has been cut by the second cutting unit 30.

[0044] Next, the control unit 8 determines whether a signal has been input by the user's input unit 7 indicating that the roll paper Rp has been cut by the second cutting unit 30 (S9). If the signal has not been input (S9: NO), S9 is repeated, and the control unit waits for the manual cutting of the roll paper Rp to be completed. On the other hand, if the signal has been input (S9: YES), the control unit 8 determines that the manual cutting of the roll paper Rp has been completed, and resumes the roll paper printing that had been temporarily stopped for the roll paper Rp with the trailing end formed, and ejects the roll paper Rp with the entire image formed (S10). This completes the flow.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is impossible to form an entire image in S7 (S7:NO), the control unit 8 drives the cutting motor 4M to cut the roll paper Rp at the first cutting unit 4 and discharge the roll paper Rp to the discharge tray 6 (S11).

[0046] Next, the control unit 8 causes the notification unit 9 to perform a notification operation to notify that it is necessary to replace the roll body R with a new one (S12).

[0047] Next, the control unit 8 determines whether a signal indicating that the replacement with a new roll R has been completed has been input by the user via the input unit 7 (S13). If the signal has not been input (S13: NO), S13 is repeated, and the control unit waits for the replacement of the roll R to be completed. On the other hand, if the signal has been input (S13: YES), the control unit 8 determines that the replacement of the roll R has been completed and starts reprinting (S14). In other words, in S14, the control unit 8 uses the transport unit 3 to transport a new roll of paper Rp from the feed cassette 1 in the transport direction. Then, the head 5 forms an image on the roll of paper Rp transported by the transport unit 3. After this, the process proceeds to S3. If the printer 100 is equipped with a sensor capable of detecting that a new roll R has been replaced, reprinting may be started based on a signal from that sensor.

[0048] As described above, with the printer 100 of this embodiment, if a roll paper break occurs between the start of transporting the roll paper Rp and the time the roll paper Rp is transported to the position where it is scheduled to be cut by the first cutting unit 4 (S3:YES), it is possible to prompt the user to cut the roll paper Rp with the second cutting unit 30 in S8 via S6 and S7. Therefore, the second cutting unit 30, which is located upstream of the first cutting unit 4 in the transport direction, can cut the roll paper Rp, making it possible to form an image on the portion of the roll paper Rp that is upstream of the first cutting unit 4 and downstream of the second cutting unit 30, or to leave that portion as a margin, and to make effective use of that portion.

[0049] Furthermore, if the control unit 8 determines in S7 that the entirety of an image can be formed on the roll paper Rp (S7: YES), the notification operation in S8 is executed. This makes it possible to execute the notification operation when the entirety of an image can be formed within the range up to the rear end of the roll paper Rp that is formed by being cut by the second cutting unit 30.

[0050] Furthermore, if the control unit 8 determines in S7 that it is impossible to form an entire image on the roll paper Rp (S7: NO), it cuts and discharges the roll paper Rp with the first cutting unit 4 (S11). This makes it possible to cut and discharge the roll paper Rp without requiring any user intervention when it is impossible to form an entire image within the range up to the rear end of the roll paper Rp that will be formed by cutting with the second cutting unit 30.

[0051] Furthermore, if the control unit 8 determines that a roll of paper has run out (S3: YES), it will perform a notification operation in S12 via S6, S7, and S11 to prompt the user to replace the roll of paper R. This makes it possible to prompt the user to replace the roll of paper R. As a modification, a notification process similar to that in S12 may be performed after S10. The same effect as described above can be obtained in this case as well.

[0052] Since the lever 33 of the second cutting section 30 is located at the front end of the first tray 11, the user can move the second tray 12 forward, opening a portion of the second tray 12, which makes it easier for the user to operate the lever 33 from the outside and cut the roll paper Rp with the cutting unit 32.

[0053] Furthermore, if the cut paper storage section 13 is located downstream of the roll storage section 20 in the transport direction on the first tray 11, the distance from the second cutting section 30 to the first cutting section 4 becomes relatively long. Even in this case, since the second cutting section 30 is located upstream of the cut paper storage section 13 in the transport direction of the roll paper Rp, the portion of the roll paper Rp upstream of the first cutting section 4 and downstream of the second cutting section 30 can be effectively utilized.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, it was determined whether or not a roll paper break occurred based on a signal from the encoder 10. However, a current value output circuit (the "signal output unit" of the present invention) may be connected to the feeding motor 41M and the transport motor 45M, and it may also be determined whether or not a roll paper break has occurred based on the current value output from the current value output circuit. In other words, when the roll paper Rp is being transported, if the current value output from the current value output circuit is greater than a threshold, it is determined that transport resistance due to a roll paper break has occurred, and it is determined that a roll paper break has occurred. On the other hand, if the current value output from the current value output circuit is less than or equal to the threshold, it is determined that transport resistance due to a roll paper break has not occurred, and it is determined that a roll paper break has not occurred.

[0055] Another modification is that when a roll of paper breaks, the roll of paper Rp is pulled by the transport roller pair 42, etc., and the arm 41b rotates so that the feed roller 41a is lifted by the pulled roll of paper Rp. A sensor (the "signal output unit" of the present invention) capable of detecting the rotation of this arm 41b may be provided in the housing 100a, and it may be determined whether or not a roll of paper break has occurred based on the signal from the sensor. In other words, if the rotation of the arm 41b is not detected while the roll of paper Rp is being transported, it is determined that a roll of paper break has not occurred. On the other hand, if the rotation of the arm 41b is detected, it is determined that a roll of paper break has occurred.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the first tray 11 was housed on the second tray 12, but as a modification, the second tray 12 may not be provided, and the first tray 11 may be configured to be insertable and removable from the housing 100a in the front-rear direction. In this modification, a side wall is provided at the front end of the first tray 11. The connecting portion 33b of the lever 33 extends forward, and the gripping portion 33a is positioned outside the side wall provided at the front end of the first tray 11. At this time, the side wall only needs to have a through hole (a through hole extending in the left-right direction) for moving the lever 33 in the left-right direction and for passing through the connecting portion 33b. As a result, the roll paper Rp can be cut by moving the lever 33 to one side in the left-right direction based on the notification from the notification unit 9, without having to remove the first tray 11. Furthermore, if the lever 33 is configured in the same way as in the above-described embodiment (i.e., the gripping portion 33a is located inside the first tray 11), the side wall provided at the front end of the first tray 11 may be made openable and closable, and the lever 33 may be operated by opening the side wall. In this case as well, it is possible to cut the roll paper Rp without removing the first tray 11.

[0057] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they are within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, if a roll paper break occurs in S3, S7 may be omitted and S8 may be executed. Even in this case, it is possible to form an entire image within the range up to the rear end of the roll paper Rp formed by cutting by the second cutting section 30, so the roll paper Rp can be effectively utilized.

[0058] Furthermore, in the embodiments and modifications described above, the first cutting section 4 and the second cutting section 30 have fixed blades 4a and 31, but instead of the fixed blades 4a and 31, a rotating blade that can move in the left-right direction together with the rotating blades 4b and 32a may be provided. Note that the rotating blade may be a blade that does not rotate.

[0059] The present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers, but also to electrophotographic printers equipped with a laser-type image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by exposing a photoreceptor with a laser, or an LED-type image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by exposing a photoreceptor with an LED. Furthermore, the sheet-like medium is not limited to paper; any sheet-like material such as cloth may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 3. Conveying section 4 1st cutting section 5. Head (image forming unit) 8 Control Unit 9 Hochi Department 10. Encoder (signal output section) 11. Tray 1 12. Second Tray 13. Cut paper storage section (cut media storage section) 20 Roll storage section 30 Second cutting section 32 Cutting Units 33 Lever 100 Printers (Image Forming Machines) 100a enclosure R Roll Body Rp roll paper (long sheet-like media) Kp Cut Paper (Short sheet-like media, cut media)

Claims

1. The casing and A first tray has a roll body housing section that is insertable into and removeable from the housing and capable of housing a roll body in which a sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape around a core member with the end of the sheet-like medium connected to the core member, A conveying unit that conveys the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in the conveying direction, An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the aforementioned conveying unit, A first electric cutting unit is provided on the housing side and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium conveyed by the conveying unit in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, A signal output unit that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a remaining amount of roll body stored in the roll body storage section, A manual second cutting unit is provided on the first tray side, positioned upstream of the first cutting unit along the transport direction, and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in the intersecting direction. A notification unit capable of performing notification operations to notify the user, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit determines whether or not a sheet medium has been cut based on the determination signal output from the signal output unit, from the time the transport of the sheet medium is started based on an image forming signal instructing the formation of an image on the sheet medium until the sheet medium is transported to the position where it is to be cut by the first cutting unit, If it is determined that the sheet-like medium has been cut, the notification unit is instructed to perform the notification operation that prompts the second cutting unit to cut the sheet-like medium. Furthermore, the control unit, If it is determined that the sheet-like medium has been cut, it is determined whether the entire first image can be formed within the range up to the rear end of the sheet-like medium whose rear end is formed by cutting with the second cutting section. An image forming apparatus characterized in that, when it is determined that the entirety of the first image can be formed on a sheet-like medium, the notification unit is instructed to perform the notification operation that prompts the second cutting unit to cut the sheet-like medium.

2. The control unit, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, if it is determined that it is impossible to form the entire image on the sheet-like medium, the first cutting section cuts the sheet-like medium and discharges the sheet-like medium.

3. The control unit, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when it is determined that the sheet-like medium has run out, the notification unit is instructed to perform the notification operation that prompts the replacement of the roll body.

4. Housing and A first tray has a roll body housing section that is insertable into and removeable from the housing and capable of housing a roll body in which a sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape around a core member with the end of the sheet-like medium connected to the core member, A conveying unit that conveys the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in the conveying direction, An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the aforementioned conveying unit, A first electric cutting unit is provided on the housing side and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium conveyed by the conveying unit in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, A signal output unit that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a remaining amount of roll body stored in the roll body storage section, A manual second cutting unit is provided on the first tray side, positioned upstream of the first cutting unit along the transport direction, and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in the intersecting direction. A notification unit capable of performing notification operations to notify the user, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit determines whether or not a sheet medium has been cut based on the determination signal output from the signal output unit, from the time the transport of the sheet medium is started based on an image forming signal instructing the formation of an image on the sheet medium until the sheet medium is transported to the position where it is to be cut by the first cutting unit, If it is determined that the sheet-like medium has been cut, the notification unit is instructed to perform the notification operation that prompts the second cutting unit to cut the sheet-like medium. The housing further comprises a second tray that is removable from the housing and supports the first tray so as to be movable in the insertion / removal direction, The second cutting unit comprises a cutting unit for cutting a sheet-like medium and a lever for manually moving the cutting unit. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the lever is positioned at the downstream end of the first tray in the removal direction for removing the second tray from the housing.

5. Housing and A first tray has a roll body housing section that is insertable into and removeable from the housing and capable of housing a roll body in which a sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape around a core member with the end of the sheet-like medium connected to the core member, A conveying unit that conveys the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in the conveying direction, An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the aforementioned conveying unit, A first electric cutting unit is provided on the housing side and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium conveyed by the conveying unit in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, A signal output unit that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a remaining amount of roll body stored in the roll body storage section, A manual second cutting unit is provided on the first tray side, positioned upstream of the first cutting unit along the transport direction, and capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in the intersecting direction. A notification unit capable of performing notification operations to notify the user, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit determines whether or not a sheet medium has been cut based on the determination signal output from the signal output unit, from the time the transport of the sheet medium is started based on an image forming signal instructing the formation of an image on the sheet medium until the sheet medium is transported to the position where it is to be cut by the first cutting unit, If it is determined that the sheet-like medium has been cut, the notification unit is instructed to perform the notification operation that prompts the second cutting unit to cut the sheet-like medium. The first tray is provided with a cut media storage section located downstream of the roll body storage section in the transport direction, which is capable of storing multiple cut media, which are short sheet-like media, in a stacked state. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the second cutting section is located upstream of the cutting medium storage section in the transport direction.

Images