SHEET PACK AND PRINTER

• US 20010011795A1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: TAKAHASHI, SEIJI, OHTSUKA, KUNIAKI
• Granted Patent: US 6,651,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/145
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/266 Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer B65H1/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/311 and serving also as package
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/43 Bar code reader

Abstract

Disclosed are a sheet pack and a printer, the sheet pack being inexpensive and capable of being easily set onto the printer and simply exchanged with another one, while users can know information such as the quality, size and number of sheets of printing paper contained in the sheet pack. The sheet pack, containing a predetermined number of sheets, has a frame case formed of thick paper, and may include a sheet supply opening, an abutment opening, a pressure contact opening and a separating pad. A recording member for recording information such as quality, size, number, thickness, color or production date of sheets contained in the sheet pack, may also be provided on the sheet pack. The printer, onto which the sheet pack can be removably set includes an information reading unit for reading the information recorded in the recording member when the sheet pack is set onto the printer. The information read by the information reading unit is displayed by a display unit. The number of sheets remained in the sheet pack resulted from subtracting the number of sheets printed from the original number of sheets may also be recorded in the recording member.

Claims

1. A sheet pack capable of being set onto a printer body, said sheet pack comprising:

a box having a plurality of surfaces and containing a predetermined number of sheets of printing paper;

a sheet supply opening formed at an end surface of said plurality of surfaces of said box and through which the sheets are supplied to the printer body;

a first opening formed in an upper surface of said plurality of surfaces of said box and through which a sheet supply rotating member of the printer body is allowed to contact one of the sheets after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body; and

a second opening formed in a lower surface of said plurality of surfaces of said box and through which a lifting means of the printer body is allowed to enter said box after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body.

2. A sheet pack according to

claim 1

, further comprising a case for covering said sheet supply, first and second openings.

5. A sheet pack according to

claim 1

,

3

or 4, further comprising a pressure plate, positioned inside said box, for pressing the sheets of printing paper toward the sheet supply rotating member in cooperation with the sheet lifting means on the printing body after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body.

6. A sheet pack according to

claim 1

,

3

or 4, wherein said box is made of thick paper.

7. A sheet pack according to

claim 1

,

3

or 4, further comprising recording means for recording information regarding said sheet pack, including quality, size, thickness, color, number or production date of the sheets of printing paper.

8. A sheet pack according to

claim 7

, wherein said recording means records the information in the form of a bar code.

9. A sheet pack according to

claim 7

, wherein said recording means includes an IC capable of storing the information.

3. A sheet pack capable of being set onto a printer body, said sheet pack comprising:

a box formed of upper and lower surfaces, fore and aft end surfaces and connecting side surfaces, and containing a predetermined number of sheets of printing paper, a portion of said box, being formed by respective portions of the upper, fore end and side surfaces, is capable of opening to create a first opening through which the sheets are supplied to the printer body and through which a sheet supply rotating member of the printer body is allowed to contact one of the sheets after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body; and

a second opening formed in the lower surface of said box and through which sheet lifting means of the printer body is allowed to enter said box after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body.

24. A sheet pack according to

claim 3

, further comprising a spring attached to the upper surface which allows said box portion to open when said sheet pack is set onto the printer body, and close when said sheet pack is removed from the printer body.

25. A sheet pack according to

claim 3

, wherein said box portion is capable of opening manually.

4. A sheet pack capable of being set onto a printer body, said sheet pack comprising:

a case formed of a lower surface, fore and aft end surfaces and connecting side surfaces, and containing a predetermined number of sheets of printing paper;

a cover, formed of upper, lower and connecting side surfaces, and slidably fitted over said case, wherein when said cover is slid toward the aft end surface of said case, a first opening is created through which the sheets are supplied to the printer body and through which a sheet supply rotating member of the printer body is allowed to contact one of the sheets after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body;

a second opening formed in the lower surface of said box and through which sheet lifting means of the printer body is allowed to enter said box after said sheet pack has been set onto the printer body.

10. A sheet pack according to

claim 4

, further comprising a cleaning member provided on said cover for cleaning the sheet supply rotating member of the printer body.

11. A printer connected to an information terminal apparatus for printing data transmitted from said information terminal apparatus on a sheet of printing paper, said printer comprising:

attachment means onto which a sheet pack containing a predetermined number of sheets of printing paper and having a recording member recording information about the sheets of printing paper is set;

information reading means for reading the information recorded in said recording member when said sheet pack is set onto said attachment means; and

information transmitting means for transmitting the information read by said information reading means to said information terminal apparatus.

12. A printer according to

claim 11

, further comprising display means for displaying the information read by said information reading means.

13. A printer according to

claim 11

, wherein said information is recorded in the form of a bar code.

14. A printer according to

claim 13

, wherein said information reading means comprises recognizing means for recognizing said bar code, determining means for determining whether information is included in a result recognized by said recognizing means, and analyzing means for analyzing contents of the information when said determining means determines that information is included in the recognized result.

15. A printer according to

claim 11

, wherein said reading member includes an IC memory storing said information.

16. A printer according to

claim 15

, wherein said information reading means comprises detecting means for detecting the presence of said IC memory, data reading means for reading data that has been recorded in said IC memory beforehand, from said IC memory when said IC memory is detected by said detecting means, and analyzing means for analyzing contents of the data read by said data reading means.

17. A printer comprising:

an attachment stand for removably holding a sheet pack which contains a predetermined number of sheets and includes a recording member recording information about the sheets contained in said sheet pack is recorded;

sheet supply means for supplying the sheets from said sheet pack set to said attachment stand;

printing means for printing an image on the sheet supplied from said sheet supply means; and

reading means for reading the information recorded in said recording member on said sheet pack set to said attachment stand.

18. A printer according to

claim 17

, further comprising display means for displaying the information read by said information reading means.

19. A printer according to

claim 17

, wherein said recording member includes a memory capable of recording and erasing information.

20. A printer according to

claim 17

, wherein said information is recorded in said recording member in the form of a bar code.

21. A printer according to

claim 17

, wherein the information recorded in said recording member is the quality or number of sheets contained in said sheet pack.

22. A printer according to

claim 17

, wherein said sheet pack has an outer casing capable of opening and closing, and said outer casing is opened and closed upon said sheet pack being set to and removed from said attachment stand.

23. A printer according to

claim 22

, wherein said outer casing of said sheet pack is made of thick paper.