U.S. patent application number 12/266168 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-21 for printing apparatus, printing medium storage apparatus, and method for storing printing medium.
This patent application is currently assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Masatoshi Tamaki.
Application Number | 20090127770 12/266168 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40641056 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090127770 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tamaki; Masatoshi |
May 21, 2009 |
PRINTING APPARATUS, PRINTING MEDIUM STORAGE APPARATUS, AND METHOD
FOR STORING PRINTING MEDIUM
Abstract
The present invention provides a printing medium storage
apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a method for storing printing
medium which prevent wrinkles and curl of a printing medium while
preventing limitation of use according to the size of the printing
medium. The printing apparatus performs printing on a sheet, and
has a discharging port formed for discharging a sheet on which
printing was performed, and a sheet storage apparatus which stores
a printing medium on which printing was performed. The printing
apparatus includes a sheet support surface which supports a sheet
discharged from the discharging port, and a sheet pressing member
which presses the sheet against the sheet support surface.
Inventors: |
Tamaki; Masatoshi; (Tokyo,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
US
|
Assignee: |
CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
40641056 |
Appl. No.: |
12/266168 |
Filed: |
November 6, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/207 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 31/26 20130101;
B65H 31/02 20130101; B65H 2301/4215 20130101; B65H 2801/36
20130101; B65H 2701/11312 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/207 |
International
Class: |
B65H 29/00 20060101
B65H029/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 15, 2007 |
JP |
2007-297266 |
Claims
1. A printing apparatus performing printing on a printing medium,
and the printing apparatus comprising: a discharging portion for
discharging a printing medium on which printing was performed; a
printing medium storage apparatus which stores printing medium on
which printing was performed and which was discharged from the
discharging portion; a printing medium support surface which
supports the printing medium discharged from the discharging
portion; and a printing medium pressing member which presses the
printing medium against the printing medium support surface,
wherein according to the size of the printing medium discharged
from the discharging portion, a distance from the front end of the
printing medium in the conveyance direction as a direction of
conveying the printing medium to a pressing position at which the
printing medium pressing member presses the printing medium can be
adjusted.
2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein by changing
the timing of pressing the printing medium to be conveyed, the
pressing position of the printing medium by the printing medium
pressing member is changed and the distance from the front end in
the conveyance direction of the printing medium to the pressing
position is adjusted.
3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, to which a printing
medium detecting unit for detecting that at least a part of the
printing medium has passed through a predetermined position at the
downstream of the discharging portion is attached.
4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, to which a
pushing-out member which pushes out a part of the printing medium
to change the posture of the printing medium supported by the
printing medium support surface into a predetermined posture is
attached.
5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the
rear end of the printing medium in the conveyance direction as a
direction of conveying the printing medium is discharged from the
discharging portion, a part of the printing medium is pushed out by
the pushing-out member, and the rear end in the conveyance
direction of the printing medium is positioned at the opposite side
of the discharging portion with respect to the printing medium
support surface.
6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when a part
of the printing medium is pushed out so that the rear end in the
conveyance direction of the printing medium is positioned at the
opposite side of the discharging portion with respect to the
printing medium support surface, the printing medium pressing
member withdraws from the printing medium support surface.
7. A printing medium storage apparatus which is attached to a
printing apparatus performing printing on a printing medium and
including a discharging portion for discharging a printing medium
on which printing was performed, from the printing apparatus, and
storing a printing medium on which printing was performed,
comprising: a printing medium support surface which supports the
printing medium discharged from the discharging portion; and a
printing medium pressing member which presses the printing medium
against the printing medium support surface, wherein according to
the size of the printing medium discharged from the discharging
portion, a distance from the front end of the printing medium in
the conveyance direction as a direction of conveying the printing
medium to a pressing position at which the printing medium pressing
member presses the printing medium can be adjusted.
8. A method for storing printing medium for storage a printing
medium on which printing was performed by a printing apparatus,
into a printing medium storage apparatus, the printing medium
storage apparatus comprising: a printing medium support surface
which supports a printing medium discharged from the printing
apparatus; a printing medium pressing member which presses the
printing medium against the printing medium support surface; and a
pushing-out member which pushes out a part of the printing medium
so as to change the posture of the printing medium supported on the
printing medium support surface into a predetermined posture, the
printing medium storage method comprising: a printing medium
discharging step in which the rear end of the printing medium in
the conveyance direction as a direction of conveying the printing
medium is discharged from the discharging portion of the printing
apparatus; a pushing-out step in which a part of the printing
medium is pushed out by the pushing-out member to position the rear
end in the conveyance direction of the printing medium at the
opposite side of the discharging portion with respect to the
printing medium support surface; and a printing medium pressing
member withdrawing step in which the printing medium pressing
member withdraws from the printing medium support surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a
printing medium storage apparatus, and a method for storing
printing medium to store a printing medium on which printing was
performed and which was discharged.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Nowadays, as image output apparatuses, printing apparatuses
such as printers, plotters, copying machines, and scanners are
widely used. Such printing apparatuses print images on a printing
medium based on input image information. As a printing medium, a
sheet-like printing medium such as a printing sheet or plastic
sheet (hereinafter, referred to as a sheet) or the like is
generally used. In some cases, a printing apparatus including a
sheet storage apparatus structured so that after printing on the
sheet is performed by the printing apparatus, a sheet on which
printing was performed is placed on the sheet storage apparatus as
a printing medium storage apparatus is used.
[0005] As a general sheet storage apparatus in such a printing
apparatus, there is one constructed so that a sheet discharged in
the horizontal direction or a diagonal direction approximate to the
horizontal direction from the printing apparatus is placed on a
tray set horizontally or inclined while spread.
[0006] A sheet storage apparatus having another construction has,
as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H04-213550 (1992), a
sheet conveyance path in which a sheet is discharged horizontally
from the printing apparatus and then conveyed in a direction
orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction. In this type of
sheet storage apparatus, to discharge a sheet, first, the sheet is
fed until the sheet front end contacts with a predetermined contact
position. Then, by further feeding the sheet from the state where
the sheet front end cannot move further, the rear end of the
printing medium is pushed out so that the rear end of the sheet is
positioned at the opposite side of the front end position of the
printing medium with respect to the printing apparatus. By thus
rotating the rear end of the printing medium around the front end
of the printing medium at a predetermined angle determined
according to the shape of the tray, the printing medium is
transported to a predetermined stacked position. Thereafter, the
printing apparatus continuously discharges a sheet on which
printing was performed.
[0007] However, in some cases where a conventional sheet storage
apparatus having a tray on which a sheet is stacked horizontally or
in an inclined state close to horizontal is used, next sheet cannot
be stacked in an aligned manner due to undesirable wrinkles and
curl caused by the rolled form on a sheet already stacked on the
tray. If wrinkles and curl caused by the rolled form remain on a
sheet stacked on the tray, before a sheet discharged later reaches
the stacking position, it comes into contact with a curl of the
placed printing medium, and this obstructs sheet movement.
Therefore, it becomes impossible to freely move the subsequent
sheet on the conveyance path, and this causes sheet jam.
[0008] Further, when a sheet is stacked on the tray arranged
horizontally or in an inclined state close to horizontal, the tray
requires a space to stack at least equal to or larger than the area
of the sheet. Therefore, when an especially large-sized sheet is
conveyed and stored, a large space to stack the sheet is inevitably
necessary, and the size of the construction of the sheet storage
apparatus becomes large as a whole. Thus, when a sheet is stacked
on a tray arranged horizontally or in an inclined state close to
horizontal, the size of the sheet storage apparatus is determined
according to the size of the sheet to be stored. Therefore, in this
case, the degree of freedom in design of the sheet storage
apparatus is small. Along with an increase in the size of the sheet
storage apparatus, it is also necessary to increase the rigidity of
the structure in the device for stacking a sheet.
[0009] To prevent jam of the printing medium due to wrinkles and
curl caused by the rolled form on a sheet, the sheet storage
apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H04-213550
(1992) has been proposed. This disclosed sheet storage apparatus is
constructed so that, as described above, the front end of a
printing medium contacts with a contact position and, in this
state, by pushing out and rotating the rear end of the printing
medium, the printing medium is conveyed. When a sheet is stored by
using this sheet storage apparatus, it can be prevented that the
printing medium becomes uneven due to wrinkles and curl caused by
the rolled form of the sheet, and jam of the printing medium at a
discharging portion of the printing medium in the printing
apparatus can be prevented.
[0010] However, in this sheet storage apparatus, the distance
between the discharging portion in the printing apparatus and the
contact position is always constant, so that the size of the
stackable printing medium is limited. In other words, a printing
medium with a size over the distance between the discharging port
of the printing apparatus and the contact position cannot be used.
Further, even when the sheet storage apparatus disclosed in this
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H04-213550 (1992) is adopted, there
is still a possibility that a large curl is caused by the rolled
form depending on the kind and size of the printing medium, and
therefore, a case where the printing medium cannot be conveyed to a
predetermined stacking space is assumed.
[0011] In the sheet storage apparatus of Japanese Patent Laid-Open
No. H04-213550 (1992), a part of the printing medium is stacked on
a space formed substantially horizontally. Therefore, in this
portion, to stack an especially large-sized printing medium, it is
inevitable that the sheet stacking device increases in size and the
sheet storage apparatus increases in size, as well as in the sheet
storage apparatus having a printing medium stacking space formed
substantially horizontally as described above. Along with the
increase in size of the sheet storage apparatus, it is also
necessary to increase the rigidity of the sheet storage apparatus
itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In view of the above-described circumstances, and an object
thereof is to provide a printing medium storage apparatus, a
printing apparatus, and a method for storing printing medium which
prevent wrinkles and curl of a printing medium while preventing
limitation of use depending on the size of the printing medium. At
the same time, another object is to provide a printing medium
storage apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a method for storing
printing medium in which a space to stack a printing medium is
downsized.
[0013] The present invention can provide a printing medium storage
apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a method for storing printing
medium which prevent wrinkles and curl of a printing medium without
limiting use depending on the size of the printing medium.
[0014] Further features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments
(with reference to the attached drawings).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printing section of a
printing apparatus and the entirety of a sheet storage apparatus of
an embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is partially sectional view of the printing section
of the printing apparatus and the sheet storage apparatus of FIG.
1;
[0017] FIG. 3 is partially sectional view of the printing section
of the printing apparatus and the sheet storage apparatus of FIG.
1, showing a state during discharging of a sheet;
[0018] FIG. 4 is partially sectional view of the printing section
of the printing apparatus and the sheet storage apparatus of FIG.
1, showing a state where the sheet is cut with a cutter;
[0019] FIG. 5 is partially sectional view of the printing section
of the printing apparatus and the sheet storage apparatus of FIG.
1, showing a state where a part of the sheet is pushed out by a
sheet pushing-out member and inverted;
[0020] FIG. 6 is partially sectional view of the printing section
of the printing apparatus and the sheet storage apparatus of FIG.
1, showing a state where the sheet is stored in a sheet storage
apparatus; and
[0021] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of control in the sheet
storage apparatus of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described with reference to the drawings. The same reference
numerals denote portions identical to or corresponding to each
other among the drawings.
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printing apparatus
200 including a sheet storage apparatus 100 as a printing medium
storage apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention. In the
present embodiment, the printing apparatus 200 is constructed as a
printing apparatus 200 including the sheet storage apparatus 100 by
attaching the sheet storage apparatus 100 to a printing section 201
which performs printing in the printing apparatus 200. FIG. 2 is a
side view of the printing section 201 in the printing apparatus 200
and a sectional view along the line passing through the central
portion of the sheet storage apparatus 100 and extending
vertically. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the printing apparatus 200
during conveying of a sheet to the sheet storage apparatus 100, and
are a side view of the printing section 201 in the printing
apparatus 200 and a sectional view along the line passing through
the center of the sheet storage apparatus 100 and extending
vertically. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the printing apparatus 200 in
which a sheet is placed on the sheet storage apparatus 100, and is
a side view of the printing section 201 in the printing apparatus
200 and a sectional view along the line passing through the center
of the sheet storage apparatus 100 and extending vertically.
[0024] The printing apparatus 200 used in the present embodiment is
an ink-jet printing apparatus adapted to a large-sized printing
medium. In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 200 is an
apparatus which prints images on a roll paper as a continuous
printing medium, and includes a printing unit (printing head), a
roll paper feeding mechanism 1, a roll paper and a sheet conveyance
mechanism, etc., inside. The printing apparatus to be used in the
present invention is not limited to the ink-jet printing apparatus
adapted to a large-sized printing medium. The printing apparatus
may not be a printing apparatus adapted to a large-sized object.
The printing apparatus may not be an ink-jet printing apparatus,
and may be a different type of printing apparatus as long as it can
perform printing on a printing medium.
[0025] A sheet (sheet-like printing medium) drawn out from the roll
paper is supplied to a printing head by the roll paper feeding
mechanism 1, and images are printed thereon by a printing head not
shown while it is conveyed by a sheet conveyance mechanism not
shown. The printed sheet 11 is fed out from the discharging port 3
as a discharging portion. Further, inside the discharging port 3 in
the printing apparatus 200, a cutter which can cut the rolled sheet
at a predetermined position is arranged, and the printed sheet 11
is cut into a predetermined length with the cutter and discharged
from the discharging port 3.
[0026] The printing head as a printing unit prints images
(including characters and symbols) on a printing medium based on
image information. When the printing head is an ink-jet type,
printing is performed by ejecting inks onto the printing medium
from a plurality of ejection ports of the printing head based on
the image information. As the printing medium, a sheet-like
printing medium such as a printing paper or plastic sheet is
generally used. Hereinafter, it is also referred to as a sheet,
simply. As the sheet-like printing medium, various printing media
such as paper, a plastic sheet, a photographic printing paper,
thread, fiber, cloth, leather, etc., can be used as long as images
can be printed thereon.
[0027] The sheet storage apparatus 100 receives a sheet 11
discharged from the discharging port 3 of the printing apparatus
200 and temporarily stores and holds the sheet 11. The sheet
storage apparatus 100 includes a sheet guide 4, a sensor 5, a sheet
pressing member 6, a sheet support surface 7, and a sheet
pushing-out mechanism 8 as a sheet storage mechanism. The sheet
guide 4 guides the front end of the sheet 11 so that the sheet 11
to be discharged is fed out to a predetermined position. The sheet
support surface 7 as a printing medium support surface receives the
sheet 11 discharged from the discharging port 3 of the printing
apparatus 200 and supports the sheet 11 to be stacked. The sheet
support surface 7 has a spindle portion 9 on its end portion. In
the present embodiment, the sheet support surface 7 which functions
as a tray is set in a state where it is slightly inclined and
extends in a direction close to the vertical. Therefore, in
comparison with a tray formed substantially horizontally, the space
necessary for installing the tray is small, so that the sheet
storage apparatus 100 can be downsized.
[0028] The sensor 5 as a printing medium detecting unit detects
passage of at least a part of the printing medium through a
predetermined position at the downstream of the discharging port 3.
In the present embodiment, the sensor 5 detects passage of the
front end of the sheet 11 and detects positioning of the sheet 11
between the sheet guide 4 and the sheet support surface 7. The
sheet pressing member 6 as a printing medium pressing member holds
the sheet 11 by pressing it against the sheet support surface 7 by
pressing the vicinity of the front end of the sheet 11 against the
sheet support surface 7. Above the sheet guide 4, a sheet
pushing-out mechanism 8 which pushes the sheet 11 out to the
opposite side with respect to the printing apparatus 200 in the
process of transfer of the sheet 11 to the sheet support surface 7
is arranged. The sheet pushing-out mechanism 8 inverts the sheet
rear end by using the spindle portion 9 as a pivot by pushing out
the discharged sheet 11 by a pushing-out bar 10. The sheet
pushing-out mechanism 8 includes the pushing-out bar 10 as a
pushing-out member which moves for inverting the rear end of the
sheet 11, and a driving mechanism of the pushing-out bar 10, and a
guide mechanism for guiding the movement of the pushing-out bar 10.
By pushing-out a part of the sheet 11 by the pushing-out mechanism
8, the posture of the sheet supported on the sheet support surface
7 is set as a predetermined posture.
[0029] The sheet storage apparatus 100 is arranged so that the
space between the sheet guide 4 and the sheet support surface 7 is
positioned below the discharging port 3 for supplying the sheet 11
discharged from the discharging port 3 of the printing apparatus
200 to the space between the sheet guide 4 and the sheet support
surface 7. At immediately below the printing section 201, a stand 2
which supports the printing section 201 and the sheet storage
apparatus 100 is arranged. To the stand 2, a base 20 extending in
parallel to the conveyance direction of the sheet 11 inside the
printing apparatus 200 is attached, and to both ends in the
conveyance direction of the base 20, wheels 21 are attached.
Accordingly, the movement of the printing apparatus 200 is made
easy.
[0030] Next, a method for storing printing medium until the sheet
11 is received from the printing apparatus 200 constructed as
described above and stored will be described with reference to the
flowchart of FIG. 7 and the sectional views of FIG. 2 to FIG.
6.
[0031] First, when printing information is input into the printing
apparatus 200, a sheet size signal, a sheet type signal, and a
sheet conveyance signal (feed amount of the conveyance roller and
the number of printing passes of the carriage, etc.), etc., are
supplied to the sheet storage apparatus 100, and in response to
this, the sheet storage apparatus 100 starts operating.
[0032] Then, based on the input sheet size signal, it is judged
whether the sheet to be discharged from the discharging port 3 of
the printing apparatus 200 can be stored in the sheet storage
apparatus 100 (S01). At this time, when it is recognized that the
sheet cannot be stored in the sheet storage apparatus 100, after
printing on the sheet is performed, the sheet is cut, and
thereafter, the sheet is not stored in the sheet storage apparatus
100 but is taken out. When it is recognized that the sheet can be
stored in the sheet storage apparatus 100, images are printed on
the sheet while the sheet is conveyed (S02), and the sheet is
conveyed so as to be stored in the storage apparatus 100. Herein,
as shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the sheet 11 is fed out from
the discharging port 3 and guided temporarily horizontally along
the main body tray 12, and then supplied to the sheet storage
apparatus 100 downward from the end portion of the main body tray
12.
[0033] Then, the sheet 11 is pushed and advanced downward along the
sheet guide 4, and the front end of the sheet 11 enters between the
sheet guide 4 and the sheet support surface 7. When the sheet thus
enters the inside of the sheet storage apparatus 100, the sensor 5
provided in the sheet storage apparatus 100 detects this (S03).
Further, by continuously feeding the sheet 11, the printing
apparatus 200 reaches a predetermined conveyance distance since the
printing apparatus 200 starts printing (S04). Thus, when the sensor
recognizes that the sheet 11 has moved by the predetermined
conveyance distance and that the sheet has reached a pressing
position by the sheet storage apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 4,
the sheet pressing member 6 changes into an operating state from a
withdrawn state. In the present embodiment, when the sheet pressing
member 6 changes into the operating state, the sheet pressing
member 6 rotates and comes into contact with the sheet 11 so as to
be able to press the sheet 11. Then, the vicinity of the front end
of the sheet 11 is pressed by the sheet pressing member 6. Thus, by
pressing the sheet 11 against the sheet support surface 7 by the
sheet pressing member 6 at a position between the sheet guide 4 and
the sheet support surface 7, the sheet is sandwiched and stopped
(S05). The predetermined conveyance distance as a trigger of the
operation of the sheet pressing member 6 differs depending on the
size of the sheet. For example, in the case of an A2-sized sheet,
the predetermined conveyance distance is a conveyance distance
until the sheet 11 comes to a position at which the pressing member
6 presses a portion 10 mm inward from the front end of the sheet
since the sheet 11 is discharged from the discharging port 3. In
the case of an A1-sized sheet, the predetermined conveyance
distance is a conveyance distance until the sheet 11 comes to a
position at which the pressing member 6 presses a position 100 mm
inward from the front end of the sheet 11.
[0034] Thus, in the present embodiment, according to the size of
the sheet 11 discharged from the discharging port 3 of the printing
apparatus 200, the distance from the front end in the conveyance
direction of the sheet 11 to the pressing position at which the
sheet 11 is pressed by the sheet pressing member 6 can be adjusted.
Herein, the conveyance direction is the direction in which the
sheet 11 is conveyed by the printing apparatus 200. In the present
embodiment, by adjusting the timing of pressing the sheet 11 to be
conveyed according to the size of the sheet 11, the pressing
position on the sheet 11 by the sheet pressing member 6 is
adjusted. Accordingly, the distance from the front end in the
conveyance direction to the pressing position of the sheet 11 is
changed.
[0035] The distance from the front end in the conveyance direction
to the pressing position of the sheet 11 can be adjusted according
to the size of the sheet 11, so that the sheet storage apparatus
100 can store more type of printing media with comparatively less
limitation according to the size of the printing medium. Therefore,
the sheet storage apparatus can be widely applied. The size of the
printing medium allowed to be stored by the sheet storage apparatus
is comparatively less limited, so that when designing the sheet
storage apparatus, it can be designed without limitation according
to the size of the printing medium to be stored, and the degree of
freedom in design is increased.
[0036] In the sheet storage apparatus like a conventional sheet
storage apparatus in which a sheet contacts with a contact position
and is stored, according to the distance between the sheet
discharging portion in the printing apparatus and the contact
position in the sheet storage apparatus, the size of the sheet
which the sheet storage apparatus can store is limited. However, in
the sheet storage apparatus of the present embodiment, it is
possible to change the position at which the sheet pressing member
6 presses the sheet against the sheet support surface 7, so that
the limitation on the sheet when pressing the sheet against the
sheet support surface 7 is less.
[0037] To adjust the position of pressing the sheet by the sheet
pressing member 6, the attaching position of the sheet pressing
member 6 to the sheet storage apparatus 100 may be shifted and
adjusted. Further, the adjustment of the timing of pressing the
sheet and shifting of the attaching position of the sheet pressing
member 6 can be adopted concurrently. By adopting these
concurrently, the pressing position on the sheet can be more
flexibly adjusted, so that more type of printing media can be
stored. In addition, the degree of freedom in design of the sheet
storage apparatus is further increased. In the present embodiment,
the sheet pressing member 6 is a rotation type, however, the
present invention is not limited thereto, and the sheet pressing
member 6 may be a slide type or other types.
[0038] Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the printing is finished
(S06) and the sheet 11 is conveyed by a predetermined distance, the
rear end of the sheet 11 is cut with a cutter while the vicinity of
the front end of the sheet 11 is sandwiched (S07). Thus, in the
sheet discharging step (printing medium discharging step), the
sheet 11 is cut and the rear end in the conveyance direction of the
sheet 11 is discharged from the discharging port 3 of the printing
apparatus 200. When the sheet 11 is cut, a sheet pushing-out bar 10
included in the sheet pushing-out mechanism 8 temporarily moves
from the withdrawn position shown in FIG. 4 to the maximum extended
position of the sheet pushing-out bar 10 shown in FIG. 5. As shown
in FIG. 5, when the sheet 11 is cut and the rear end of the sheet
11 in the conveyance direction is discharged from the discharging
port 3, a part of the sheet 11 is pushed out by the sheet
pushing-out bar 10. Thus, in the pushing-out step, to position the
rear end in the conveyance direction of the sheet 11 to the
opposite side of the discharging port 3 of the printing apparatus
200 with respect to the sheet support surface 7, a part of the
sheet 11 is pushed out by the sheet pushing-out bar 10. In the
present embodiment, the vicinity of the portion of the sheet 11
corresponding to the spindle portion 9 of the sheet support surface
7 when the sheet 11 is placed on the sheet support surface 7 is
pushed out.
[0039] Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the sheet pushing-out bar 10 is
returned to the withdrawn position. By the series of operations of
the sheet pushing-out mechanism 8, the rear end of the sheet 11 is
inverted around the spindle portion 9 as a pivot provided on the
sheet support surface 7, and is positioned at the opposite side of
the discharging port 3 across the spindle portion 9 as a pivot. In
other words, the sheet 11 turns into a posture in which the rear
end in the conveyance direction of the sheet 11 is positioned at
the opposite side of the discharging port 3 with respect to the
sheet support surface 7. Thus, the sheet 11 is stacked in a
predetermined posture at a predetermined position of the sheet
support surface 7 (S08). The predetermined posture in the present
embodiment is a posture in which a region from the front end to a
substantially central portion in the conveyance direction of the
sheet 11 is supported on the sheet support surface 7 and the rear
end in the conveyance direction of the sheet 11 is positioned at
the opposite side of the discharging port 3 with respect to the
sheet support surface 7. In this case, the sheet 11 is bent at the
substantially central portion of the sheet 11 which corresponds to
the spindle portion 9 of the sheet support surface 7, and has a
V-shape.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, when the sheet 11 is placed at the
predetermined position on the sheet support surface 7 in the
predetermined posture, the sheet 11 is positioned away from the
sensor 5, so that the sensor 5 does not detect the sheet 11 (S09).
Thus, when a part of the sheet 11 is pushed out so that the rear
end in the conveyance direction of the sheet is positioned at the
opposite side of the sheet support surface 7 with respect to the
printing apparatus 200, the sheet pressing member 6 stops pressing
the sheet 11, and withdraws so as to separate from the sheet
support surface 7. Thus, in the sheet pressing member withdrawing
step (printing medium pressing member withdrawing step), the sheet
pressing member 6 withdraws from the sheet support surface 7 and
changes into a withdrawn state from the operating state. In this
state, the sheet storage apparatus 100 recognizes that the sheet
pressing member 6 has changed into the withdrawn state from the
operating state, and the operation of the sheet storage apparatus
100 is completed (S10). It is detected by using the sensor 5 that
the sheet 11 has been placed at the predetermined position of the
sheet storage apparatus 100 in the predetermined posture. When the
sheet 11 is not placed at the predetermined position in the
predetermined posture, subsequent printing operations of the
printing apparatus 200 are suspended. Accordingly, it is prevented
that a next sheet is supplied when the sheet is not placed at the
normal position in the normal posture and causes paper jam and a
stacking failure, etc., in the printing apparatus 200.
[0041] By pushing-out a part of the sheet 11 by the sheet
pushing-out bar 10, the rear end of the sheet 11 is inverted around
the spindle portion 9 as a pivot, so that the sheet 11 is bent in a
direction opposite to the direction in which wrinkles and curl
usually occur on the printing medium. Accordingly, wrinkles and
curl of the sheet 11 after the sheet 11 is stored in the sheet
storage apparatus 100 are prevented.
[0042] In the present embodiment, the sensor 5 is provided,
however, the present invention is not limited to this, the sensor 5
may not be provided as long as paper jam and a stacking failure,
etc., are allowed. In the present embodiment, to invert the rear
end of the sheet 11, the sheet pushing-out mechanism 8 is provided
and, particularly taking a sheet having a large curl due to the
rolled form into consideration, assists the inversion of the sheet.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the
sheet pushing-out mechanism may not be provided when the curl due
to the rolled form are disregarded.
[0043] The series of operations for storage the sheet on which
printing was performed by the printing section 201 of the printing
apparatus 200 into the sheet storage apparatus 100 are as described
above. Then, when a sheet is continuously stored and stacked into
the sheet storage apparatus 100, by continuing the series of
operations, a plurality of sheets can be continuously stored.
Herein, in the present embodiment in which the first sheet is
stored, the sheet pressing member 6 presses the sheet for the first
time when the sheet reaches the pressing position. For sheets
supplied second and subsequently, by simply repeating the
above-described process, the sheet storage apparatus can store the
sheets continuously. However, when storage the second and
subsequent sheets, to hold the sheets stored previously, the sheet
pressing member 6 is allowed to press the sheets stored previously
immediately before the next sheet reaches the pressing position.
Then, the sheet pressing member is allowed to temporarily withdraw
immediately before the next sheet reaches the pressing position,
and then press the sheets again when the next sheet reaches the
pressing position. Accordingly, the time for pressing and holding
the previously stored sheets by the sheet pressing member 6 becomes
long, so that the previously stored sheets are more stably held by
the sheet storage apparatus.
[0044] As described above, in the present embodiment, the printing
apparatus 200 is constructed as a printing apparatus 200 including
the sheet storage apparatus 100 by attaching the sheet storage
apparatus 100 to the printing section 201 which performs printing
in the printing apparatus 200. However, the printing apparatus and
the sheet storage apparatus of the present invention are not
limited to this, and the sheet storage apparatus may be constructed
separately. This sheet storage apparatus may be constructed so as
to be attached to various printing apparatuses. It is also allowed
that the printing section which performs printing of the printing
apparatus and the sheet storage apparatus are formed integrally and
constructed as one printing apparatus 200.
[0045] While the present invention has been described with
reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.
The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent structures and functions.
[0046] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent
Application No. 2007-297266, filed Nov. 15, 2007, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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