Patent ID: 7520603
Filing Date: 2009-04-21
Classification: B41J,B65H

Abstract:
1. An inkjet printer comprising: first to n-th paper storages in each of which a sheet or sheets of printing paper are set, where n is a natural number larger than 1; first to n-th upstream transport lines, associated with the first to n-th paper storages, respectively, for individually pulling the sheet of printing paper out of the first to n-th paper storages and transporting the pulled-out sheet of printing paper; a printing part for printing on the printing surface of the sheet of printing paper transported; a single downstream transport line for transporting the sheet of printing paper to the printing part; and a paper carrier having a gripping member reciprocable between any of first to n-th receive points corresponding to the downstream ends of the first to n-th upstream transport lines, respectively, and a forwarding point corresponding to the upstream end of the downstream transport line by means of a moving mechanism, wherein the paper carrier is configured so that the gripping member receives and grips, at one of the first to n-th receive points, the sheet of printing paper transported from the associated upstream transport line, the moving mechanism moves the gripping member from said one receive point to the forwarding point and the gripped sheet of printing paper is forwarded at the forwarding point to the downstream transport line; wherein the first to n-th upstream transport lines are arranged one above another and configured to transport the sheet of printing paper with the printing surface up, the downstream transport line is located above the first to n-th upstream transport lines and configured to transport the sheet of printing paper with the printing surface up in the direction opposite to the direction of transport in the upstream transport lines, and the paper carrier is configured so that the gripping member receives and grips, at one of the first to n-th receive points, the sheet of printing paper transported from the associated upstream transport line, the moving mechanism moves the gripping member from the receive point to the forwarding point located above the receive point and the gripped sheet of printing paper is forwarded at the forwarding point to the downstream transport line in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the sheet of printing paper during receipt thereof.