Patent Publication Number: US-2011057978-A1

Title: Printing apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-208795, filed on Sep. 10, 2009, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate generally to a printing apparatus to be used for example in an automated teller machine (“ATM”) which is used for a bank. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A conventional printing apparatus includes two different types of printing devices. One of the printing devices includes a dot printing unit for performing a printing operation on a passbook (a first print medium) while the other one includes a thermal printing unit for performing a printing operation on a statement paper (a second print medium). 
     Such a printing apparatus includes separate conveying paths and medium inlets for the two different printing devices, respectively. 
     However, such a printing apparatus with two different conveying paths and medium inlets has a complicated configuration, which increases the manufacturing cost. 
     In this respect, a printing apparatus is contemplated to use a common conveying path and medium inlet for the two different printing devices, while maintaining the same printing performance. 
     In such a printing apparatus, a passbook is inserted to the medium inlet and is conveyed along the conveying path in a first direction to be printed by the dot printing unit. Then, the passbook is conveyed in a reverse direction to be discharged from the medium inlet. On the other hand, a statement paper is conveyed along the conveying path in a second direction opposite to the first direction in the printing apparatus, so as to be printed by the thermal printing unit. Then, the statement paper is discharged from the medium inlet. 
     On the conveying path of the printing apparatus is also arranged an abutting frame, which is movable frontward and backward to determine a position of a passbook. When a passbook is conveyed to a dot printing unit, the abutting frame operates to abut on the passbook to position the passbook with respect to a printing region of the dot printing unit by moving the passbook in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. Further, when a statement paper is conveyed, the abutting frame operates to retract from the conveying path to avoid colliding with a statement paper. 
     Since the width of the medium inlet corresponds to that of a statement paper, which is generally larger than that of a passbook, the medium inlet is provided with a guide member for restricting the insertion position of a passbook so that the passbook is set to be inserted at a correct position, i.e. where the passbook would not collide with the abutting frame while the passbook is being conveyed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating a printing apparatus according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view illustrating a printing apparatus according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view illustrating a printing apparatus according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a medium inlet according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a view illustrating the state in which an abutting frame in the printing apparatus positions a passbook at a printing region of a dot printing unit. 
         FIG. 6  is a view illustrating the state in which an abutting frame in the printing apparatus positions a print region of a passbook at a printing region of a dot printing unit. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating a drive control system of a printing apparatus according to one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     According to one embodiment, a printing apparatus includes a medium inlet, a conveying unit, a serial head, a line head, a positioning unit, and a control unit. The conveying unit has a conveying path communicating with the medium inlet to receive and convey a first print medium in a first direction along the conveying path, the first print medium set to be inserted to the medium inlet. The conveying unit then conveys and discharges the first print medium through the medium inlet in a second direction reverse to the first direction. The conveying unit also conveys and discharges a second print medium through the medium inlet in the second direction along the conveying path, the width of the second print medium larger than that of the first print medium. The serial head is employed to print information on the first print medium, while the line head is employed to print information on the second print medium. The serial head and the line head are arranged along the conveying path in the direction of conveying the print medium. The positioning unit moves the first print medium in a direction intersecting the conveying direction to make a first side of the first print medium abut on an abutting frame while the first print medium is being received and conveyed, thereby positioning the first print medium with respect to a printing region of the serial head. The positioning unit retracts the abutting frame from the conveying path while the second print medium is being conveyed. The control unit determines whether or not the first side of the first print medium is placed inward from the abutting frame, and controls receiving and conveying of the first print medium based on the determination result. 
     Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating a printing apparatus according to one embodiment. 
     The printing apparatus includes a main body  1  having an opening portion  2  at the front end of the main body  1 . The opening portion  2  includes a medium inlet  32  (see  FIGS. 2 and 4 ), which is used as an inlet for a passbook (a first print medium) as well as an outlet for a statement paper (a second print medium). 
     In the rear side of main body  1 , a paper loader  3  is installed for loading a rolled thermal paper  4 . A tip portion of the thermal paper  4  is dispensed from the paper loader  3  and is conveyed along a conveying path  6   a . Along the conveying path  6   a , a thermal printing unit  7  including a line head and a cutter (not shown) are sequentially arranged in the direction of conveying the thermal paper  4 . 
     The main body  1  also includes a passbook conveying mechanism  10  for conveying a passbook along a conveying path  6   b . The conveying path  6   b  is connected with the conveying path  6   a  for conveying the thermal paper  4 , so that the passbook conveying mechanism  10  also serves as a conveying means for conveying along the conveying path  6   b  the thermal paper  4  that is discharged from the conveying path  6   a.    
     The passbook conveying mechanism  10  includes a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers  11   a  to  11   e , entering rollers  12 , and feeding rollers  15 , which are spaced by predetermined intervals along the conveying path  6   b . A dot printing unit  9  having a dot head  9   a  as a serial head is arranged in the conveying path  6   b  for conveying a passbook, the conveying path  6   b  communicating with the opening portion  2 . 
       FIG. 2  is a top view illustrating the internal configuration of the printing apparatus according to one embodiment.  FIG. 3  is a front view illustrating opening portion  2  at the front end of the printing apparatus. 
     Along the conveying path  6   b  of the main body  1 , a detecting unit  21 , a passbook tip detecting sensor  22 , a shutter  23  and a transverse adjusting mechanism  24  as a positioning means are sequentially arranged in the direction of receiving and conveying a passbook. An abutting frame  26  is mounted in the vicinity of one side of the transverse adjusting mechanism  24 . 
     The detecting unit  21  includes first to fourth detecting sensors  27  to  30 , which are arranged in the vicinity of the opening portion  2  along a longitudinal direction of medium inlet  32  of the opening portion  2 . The first to fourth detecting sensors  27  to  30  may include light-emitting elements  27   a  to  30   a  and light-receiving elements  27   b  to  30   b  which are respectively arranged opposite to the light-emitting elements  27   a  to  30   a  with the conveying path  6   b  interposed therebetween. 
     The passbook tip detecting sensor  22  may include a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element which are arranged opposite to each other with the conveying path  6   b  interposed therebetween. 
     The shutter  23  is configured to be switchable, which is opened when it is determined that the passbook is set to be correctly inserted at a predetermined position of the medium inlet  32 , as will be described later. 
     The transverse adjusting mechanism  24  includes an adjusting roller  24   a  which rotates to move a passbook in a direction perpendicular to the direction of conveying the passbook. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a passbook is conveyed by the rotation of the adjusting roller  24   a  so that a first side of the passbook abuts on the abutting frame  26 , which positions the passbook with respect to a printing region (a constant speed region) of the dot printing unit  9 . 
     In addition, the abutting frame  26  is configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of conveying the passbook. To change the state as shown in  FIG. 5  to the state as shown in  FIG. 6 , the abutting frame  26  may be moved outward by a predetermined distance to position a print region Ta of a passbook T with respect to the printing region (the constant speed region) of the dot printing unit  9 . 
     Further, when a statement paper, whose width is larger than that of the passbook, is conveyed to approach the abutting frame  26 , the abutting frame  26  is configured to retract from the conveying path  6   b  to avoid colliding with the statement paper. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the opening portion  2  includes the medium inlet  32  having width W. Along a longitudinal direction of the medium inlet  32 , a first guide  33  is fixedly installed on one end of the medium inlet  32  while a second guide  34  is movably installed on the other end thereof to be movable in the longitudinal direction. 
     The width W of the medium inlet  32  corresponds to the maximum allowable size of a statement paper while width w between the first guide  33  and the second guide  34  corresponds to the maximum allowable size of a passbook. 
     Respective sides of the first and second guides  33  and  34  opposite each other become guide faces  33   a  and  34   a . A passbook is guided by the guide faces  33   a  and  34   a  of the first and second guides  33  and  34  and is set to be inserted into the medium inlet  32 . The guide face  33   a  of the first guide  33  is positioned inward relative to the abutting frame  26 . 
     In the meantime, among the first to fourth detecting sensors  27  to  30  of the detecting unit  21 , the first detecting sensor  27  is fixedly installed outward from the guide face  33   a  of the first guide  33 , while the second detecting sensor  28  is fixedly installed inward from the guide face  33   a  of first guide  33 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The first detecting sensor  27  is installed to be aligned with a tip portion of the abutting frame  26 . 
     The third detecting sensor  29  is placed inward from the guide face  34   a  of the second guide  34 , while the fourth detecting sensor  30  is placed outward from the guide face  34   a  of the second guide  34 . The third and fourth detecting sensors  29  and  30  are movably installed in the longitudinal direction of the medium inlet  32 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an exemplary embodiment of a drive control system of the passbook conveying mechanism  10 . 
     The first to fourth detecting sensors  27  to  30  and the passbook tip detecting sensor  22  are connected to a controller  36  via a signaling circuit. Further, the controller  36  is connected to the passbook conveying mechanism  10  via a control circuit. 
     Upon inserting a passbook, the controller  36  is configured to drive the passbook conveying mechanism  10  if it is determined that the passbook is set to be correctly inserted at a predetermined position. Such determination is made based on whether the tip portion of the passbook is detected by the second and third detecting sensors  28  and  29 , which are arranged inward from the first and second guides  33  and  34 , among the first to fourth detecting sensors  27  to  30 . 
     Further, upon inserting a passbook, the controller  36  is also configured to stop driving the passbook conveying mechanism  10  if it is determined that the passbook is set to be inserted departing from a predetermined position. Such determination is made based on whether the tip portion of the passbook is detected by the first and fourth detecting sensors  27  and  30 , which are arranged outward from the first and second guides  33  and  34 , among the first to fourth detecting sensors  27  to  30 . 
     In the following, the operation of receiving and conveying a passbook will be described. 
     When a passbook is inserted through the medium inlet  32  and the tip portion of the passbook abut on the shutter  23 , the passbook is detected by the detecting unit  21  and the passbook tip detecting sensor  22 . At this point, if the passbook is not detected by the first and fourth detecting sensors  27  and  30 , while it is detected by the second and third detecting sensors  28  and  29 , the controller  36  determines that the passbook is set to be correctly inserted at a predetermined position. 
     Upon the above determination by the controller  36 , the shutter  23  operates to open and the passbook conveying mechanism  10  is driven to convey the passbook along the conveying path  6   b . Then, when the passbook reaches the transverse adjusting mechanism  24 , the passbook is conveyed in a transverse direction by the rotation of the adjusting roller  24   a  to abut on the abutting frame  26 . The abutting frame  26  then positions the passbook with respect to the printing region of the dot printing unit  9 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The positioned passbook is conveyed to a dot printing position to be printed by the dot head  9   a . When the printing is completed, the passbook conveying mechanism  10  is driven in a reverse direction, so that the passbook is reversely conveyed to be discharged through the medium inlet  32 . 
     In the meantime, when a passbook is set to be inserted, if the passbook is not detected by the second and third detecting sensors  28  and  29 , while it is detected by the first detecting sensor  27 , the controller  36  determines that a passbook having a different width is disposed over the first guide  33 . In this case, the controller  36  stops receiving the passbook without opening the shutter  23 . 
     Further, even if a passbook is received upon determining that the passbook be set to be correctly inserted at a predetermined position of the medium inlet  32 , as described above, the passbook may be detected by the first detecting sensor  27  on the way of being received. In this case, the passbook is determined to be received in an inclined state, and the receiving operation stops. 
     Moreover, in case a statement paper is to be printed, the thermal paper  4  is conveyed by the rotation of a platen roller so that it can be printed with information by heat of a thermal head. After printing, the thermal paper  4  passes through a cutter to be delivered by a pair of thermal-side feeding rollers  14 . When the thermal paper  4  is conveyed a certain distance, the thermal paper  4  is cut to have a certain size to form a statement paper. The statement paper is reversely conveyed along the conveying path  6   b  by the reverse rotation of the pair of feeding rollers  15 , the pairs of conveying rollers  11   a  to  11   e , and the pair of entering rollers  12 , and then is discharged from the medium inlet  32 . 
     As set forth above, according to the exemplary embodiment, when a passbook is not set to a correct position or when a passbook is correctly set but to become inclined on the way of being receiving, the operation of receiving the passbook stops, thereby preventing occurrence of jamming and damage of the passbook. 
     While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.