Seiko Epson Corporation

Yuichi Aruga

Ryuji Moriyama

Toshihiro Imae

Hiroshi Yabe

Airborne ink mist is prevented from sticking to the detector part of a paper detector disposed on a carriage without using a configuration for capturing the ink mist. A printer has a conveyance path that conveys paper past the print position of a printhead; a carriage that carries the printhead; and a carriage moving mechanism that moves the carriage bidirectionally on the transverse axis of the printer. A paper detector and a shutter that opens and closes the detection part of the paper detector are disposed on the carriage. When the carriage moves to one end of the range of carriage movement, a shutter operating member disposed on a second side frame facing the carriage contacts the shutter and moves the shutter from its open position or closed position to the other position.

Printer, and paper position detection method of a printer

The platen gap adjustment mechanismof a printeradjusts a gap between a printheadand a platenby moving first and second guide railsthat support the head carriagein a gap adjustment direction relative to the platen. A rotary mechanism for synchronously rotating the first and second guide railsto adjust the gap has a rotary shaftperpendicular to the first and second guide rails; first and second drive-side gears (e.g. worms)disposed coaxially to the rotary shaft; a first driven-side gear (e.g. worm wheel)disposed coaxially to the first guide railand meshing with the first drive-side gear; and a second driven-side gear (e.g. worm wheel)disposed coaxially to the second guide railand meshing with the second drive-side gear

Printer

A duplex printer with a small, compact conveyance path has a medium supply path and a medium inverting path that merge into a middle conveyance path at a junction. The middle conveyance path goes to a path switching unit connecting a main conveyance path and the inverting path. A flap, which is a path switching member, is disposed in the path switching unit. A middle conveyance roller pair, having a middle conveyance roller and a nipping portion, conveys the medium (e.g. paper) through the middle conveyance path. The portion of the middle conveyance path from at least the junction to the nipping portion is a conveyance path portion defined by the roller surface of the middle conveyance roller. The paper fed to the middle conveyance path is guided by the middle conveyance roller from the junction to the nipping portion of the middle conveyance roller pair.

A printer absorbs conveyance speed differences between a conveyance mechanism and a reversing conveyance mechanism with a simple configuration. A printerhas a reversing conveyance mechanismthat reverses the front and back and returns printing paper P supplied from a main conveyance mechanismto the main conveyance mechanism. The reversing conveyance mechanismhas a first reversing conveyance roller, and a first gear trainthat transfers drive power from a reversing conveyance motor. A backlash partenabling relative rotation in a preset angular range between the first final gearand first reversing conveyance rolleris disposed between the first final gearof the first gear trainand the first reversing conveyance roller

Media processing device and conveyance unit for reversing paper

A small, compactly configured reference position detection devicefor a rotary transfer mechanism includes a rotary memberthat can rotate through a rotational angle less than one revolution from a first rotational position past a second rotational position and reference position to a third rotational position; a detection flag discthat can move in a range from a first position past a detection position to a second position; a detectorthat detects the detection flag passing the detection position, and a flag moving mechanism. The flag moving mechanism can move the detection flag disctracking the rotary member. The position of detection flag discmovement when passing the reference position of the rotary memberis the detection position.

Reference position detection device for rotary mechanism, platen gap adjustment mechanism, and printer

A medium transporting apparatus has a first transport path that reverses the sides of the medium when guiding the medium, wherein the first transport path is installed so as to be connected to the middle of a second transport path between a mounting portion and a recording portion; a first mode in which after there has been recording on a first surface of a preceding medium, a second roller installed on the mounting portion transports a succeeding medium to the recording portion side while guiding it to the second transport path.

Medium transporting apparatus and recording apparatus

A sheet cassette is adapted to be detachably attached to a cassette receiver of an information processing apparatus. A cassette body is formed with an opened space adapted to contain sheets therein. A stopper is operable to prevent a sheet from moving in a first direction to enter the opened space when a volume of the sheets contained in the opened space reaches a maximum containing capacity, while allowing the sheets contained in the opened space to move in a second direction to be fed to the information processing apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Okaya, Japan

Yuichi Aruga