Roll paper handling apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTakaji Sue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roll paper handling device for use in various recording machines, such as facsimiles and copiers, which employ recording paper in the form of a roll is provided. The present device includes a box in which a roll of paper may be rotatably installed in position which may be moved between an operative position where a lead out paper portion unrolled from the roll may be fed to a desired location and an inoperative position where the roll of paper may be replaced and a locking mechanism which allows the box to be moved to the inoperative position only when said lead out paper portion has been completely pulled back into the box. The locking mechanism is also so structured so as to apply a back tension to the roll of paper thereby allowing to prevent the roll of paper from rotating exceedingly.
Claims14
A roll paper handling device, comprising:
- holding means for holding a roll of paper removably and rotatably in position, said holding means being movable between a first paper feeding position and a second paper replacement position along a predetermined guide path;
- and
- locking means connected to said holding means for locking said holding means in said first position and unlocking said holding means in said second position, and means for automatically setting said holding means into said unlocked state when said roll of paper is rotated over a first predetermined angle and into said locked state when said roll of paper is rotated over a second predetermined angle wherein said locking means maintains said locked or unlocked state after having been rotated over said first or second predetermined angle while allowing said roll of paper to be rotated continuously.
A roll paper handling device, comprising:
- holding means for holding a roll of paper removably and rotatably in position, said holding means being movable between a first paper feeding position and a second paper replacement position along a predetermined guide path;
- and
- locking means capable of taking a locked state in which said holding means is locked in said first position and an unlocked state in which said holding means may be moved from said first position to said second position along said guide path, said locking means being automatically set into said unlocked state when said roll of paper is rotated over a first predetermined angle and into said locked state when said roll of paper is rotated over a second predetermined angle and said locking means maintaining said locked or unlocked state after having been rotated over said first or second predtetermined angle while allowing said roll of paper to be rotated continuously wherein said holding means includes an installation box, positioning means for positioning said roll of paper in position in said box with respect to the axial direction of said roll and supporting means for rotatably supporting said roll of paper in said box and wherein said installation box includes a front plate and a rear plate, each of which is provided with a generally valley-shaped recess, and said positioning means includes a pair of positioning shafts attached on both sides of said roll of paper, said pair of positioning shafts being each provided with a circumferential groove which may be engageable with the corresponding one of said valley-shaped recesses thereby limiting the axial movement of said roll of paper;
- and a paper tube around which said roll of paper is wound and a pair of spools, each including a tubular portion and a flange portion which are integrally formed, which are attached on both sides of said roll of paper with said tubular portions fitted into said paper tube, said spools resting on and being in rolling contact with said positioning shafts, said positioning shafts being fixedly attached to the corresponding spools.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.