ROLL PAPER PRINTER

• US 20110236116A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: INOUE, Nobuhiro
• Application Number:
  US13/045,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20110236116A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/618
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/042 for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/16 Means for tensioning or winding the web

Abstract

A paper roll printer has a paper roll compartment that stores paper roll so that it can roll with the axis of rotation transverse, and a side pressure plate inclined so that it touches part of the side of the paper roll and approaches the side with decreasing proximity to a supply roller. The paper roll transportation position of the supply roller that supplies paper from the paper roll is disposed to vertically overlap a paper roll of the maximum diameter that can be stored in the paper roll compartment. A movement limiting member that restricts movement of the paper roll horizontally and upwardly in the paper roll compartment is disposed opposite the supply roller.

Claims

1. A paper roll printer, comprising:

a paper roll compartment for storing therein a paper roll with a transverse axis of rotation;

a supply roller for supplying a web of paper from the paper roll stored in the paper roll compartment;

side pressure plates that are inclined for touching side ends of the paper roll and become closer to the side ends with decreasing proximity to the supply roller;

a platen unit including transportation rollers that are disposed downstream of the supply roller in a transportation path and above the paper roll compartment for holding and conveying the web of paper along the transportation path; and

a tension roller that is moveably supported on the platen unit at a position on the transportation path between the supply roller and the transportation rollers to maintain constant paper tension on the transportation rollers; and

a movement limiting member disposed to the paper roll compartment at a position opposite the supply roller for limiting movements of the paper roll horizontally and upwardly in the paper roll compartment;

wherein a paper transportation position of the supply roller is disposed on a vertical line through a paper roll of the maximum diameter storable in the paper roll compartment.

2. The paper roll printer of claim 1, further comprising:

a top movement limiting member for limiting movements of the paper roll upwardly above the supply roller, and for preventing the paper roll from coming in contact with the platen unit.

3. The paper roll printer of claim 1, wherein:

the tension roller is disposed so that a minimum central angle of the arc of the part of the tension roller that contacts the paper supplied from the paper roll is 90°

or greater.

4. The paper roll printer of claim 1, wherein:

the paper roll compartment includes

a bottom on which the paper roll is positionable,

a first side plate for facing and contacting one of the side ends of the paper roll positioned on the bottom, and

a second side plate for facing and contacting the other side end of the paper roll positioned on the bottom, and

the first side plate and second side plate define said side pressure plates, respectively, and are disposed so that the gap between the first side plate and second side plate across the width of the paper roll narrows in the direction in which paper is pulled from the paper roll.

5. A paper roll printer, comprising:

a printhead;

a platen unit having a platen opposite the printhead;

a paper roll compartment for storing a paper roll;

a supply roller for supplying a paper web from the paper roll stored in the paper roll compartment;

a transportation roller for conveying the paper web and disposed downstream of the supply roller in a transportation path and upstream of the printhead in the transportation path; and

a tension roller for contacting the paper web being conveyed between the supply roller and the transportation roller;

wherein the paper roll compartment includes

a bottom on which the paper roll is positionable,

a first side plate for facing and contacting one of opposite side ends of the paper roll positioned on the bottom,

a second side plate for facing and contacting the other side end of the paper roll positioned on the bottom, and

a movement limiting member for limiting movements of the paper roll horizontally and upwardly, and positioned opposite the supply roller,

wherein the first side plate and the second side plate are disposed so that the gap between the first side plate and second side plate across the width of the paper roll narrows in the direction in which the paper web is pulled from the paper roll;

the supply roller is disposed so that, when a paper roll of the maximum storable diameter is stored in the paper roll compartment, the contact point of the supply roller with the paper web vertically overlaps the paper roll of the maximum diameter; and

the platen unit is positioned above the paper roll compartment and includes the transportation roller and the tension roller, and the tension roller is supported movably horizontally on the platen unit and is urged in a direction away from the printhead.

6. The paper roll printer of claim 5, wherein:

when the paper web is pulled upward from the bottom by the supply roller, the first side plate and the second side plate are adapted to contact the side ends of the paper roll and hold the paper roll at the side where the gap between the first side plate and the second side plate is narrow.

7. The paper roll printer of claim 5, wherein:

the transportation path is horizontal between the tension roller and the transportation roller.

8. A printer, comprising:

a compartment for storing therein a roll of a printing medium with a transverse axis of rotation;

a supply roller for pulling a web of the printing medium from the roll stored in the compartment; and

side pressure plates for facing and touching opposite side ends of the roll, respectively;

wherein said side pressure plates converge toward each other so that the gap between said side pressure plates narrows in the direction in which the printing medium is pulled from the roll.

9. The printer of claim 8, wherein

one of the side pressure plates is urged toward the other side pressure plate.

10. The printer of claim 8, further comprising:

a spring urging one of the side pressure plates toward the other side pressure plate.

11. The printer of claim 8, wherein

a contact point where the web first contacts supply roller vertically overlaps a roll of the maximum diameter storable in the compartment.

12. The printer of claim 8, further comprising:

a tension roller positioned downstream of the supply roller on a transportation path along which the web is to be conveyed;

wherein said tension roller is moveable along said transportation path for maintaining a constant tension in the web to be conveyed.

13. The printer of claim 12, wherein

the tension roller is disposed so that a minimum central angle of the arc of the part of the tension roller that contacts the web supplied from the roll is 90°

or greater.

14. The printer of claim 12, further comprising:

a platen unit including transportation rollers that are disposed downstream of said tension roller on the transportation path for holding and conveying the web along the transportation path;

wherein said tension roller is moveably supported by the platen unit.

15. The printer of claim 14, further comprising:

a printhead;

wherein the platen unit further includes a platen opposite the printhead and is positioned above the compartment.

16. The printer of claim 15, wherein

the tension roller is urged away from the printhead.

17. The printer of claim 8, further comprising:

a movement limiting member disposed in the compartment for limiting movements of the roll horizontally and upwardly in the compartment.

18. The printer of claim 17, wherein

the movement limiting member is disposed at a position opposite the supply roller.

19. The printer of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one top movement limiting member for limiting upward movements of the roll;

wherein said at least one top movement limiting member is positioned at the side to which said side pressure plates converge.

20. The printer of claim 19, wherein

said at least one top movement limiting member includes two top movement limiting members space from each other a distance less than a minimum diameter of the roll.