JP3091033B2 - Recording apparatus and ink sheet conveying method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for selectively recording ink contained in an ink sheet on a recording medium by recording means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, with the development of information processing systems,
Various information processing devices have been developed. Among these devices, recording devices such as facsimile machines and printers are widely used not only in offices but also in ordinary households.

In these facsimile apparatuses and the like, a so-called thermal recording system using a heat-sensitive sheet that develops color by heating is generally used in order to facilitate miniaturization. A facsimile apparatus based on a so-called thermal transfer recording method has also been developed. For example,
As shown in FIG. 18, an ink sheet 100 obtained by applying ink to a base film is wound around a supply reel 101 and a take-up reel 102 and loaded into the apparatus main body. At the time of recording, the ink sheet 100 is driven by a conveying roller 103a that rotates.
The recording sheet 105 pressed by the recording head 104 is conveyed by a platen roller 106 while being conveyed by the rotation of the pinch roller 103b. Recording on the recording sheet 105 is performed by causing the recording head 104 to generate heat in accordance with an image signal.

When the recording sheet 105 has completed recording for one page, the recording sheet 105 is conveyed by a platen roller 106 by a preset length, and the recording sheet 105
The cutting positions 105 are aligned, and the cutter 107 cuts each time printing of one page is completed. In this manner, by setting the transport amount of the recording sheet 105 after printing for one page to an appropriate value, the recording sheet 105 can be cut into a predetermined length. On the other hand, when the recording of the ink sheet 100 is completed for one page, the transport roller 103a and the take-up reel 10
The rotation of 2 is paused, and the transport is suspended.
This is to reduce waste of the ink sheet 100.

[0005]

However, in the above conventional example, the recording sheet 105 adheres to the ink sheet 100 due to static electricity generated by friction with the ink sheet 100, and is not conveyed in the direction of the cutter 107, but is supplied. Reel 10
There is a risk of being transported in one direction and jamming,
In particular, in a facsimile apparatus having the above-described recording method, if the recording sheet jams once when the reception is performed unattended, the reception becomes impossible due to a recording sheet error, and the original facsimile function cannot be exhibited.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and to provide a recording apparatus configured to prevent a jam of a recording sheet.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, a representative recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a recording apparatus for selectively recording ink on an ink sheet on a recording sheet by a recording means. A recording sheet conveying means for conveying the recording sheet so as to pass through a position opposed to the recording means via the ink sheet; and a recording sheet for conveying the ink sheet in a direction opposite to a conveying direction of the recording sheet. An ink sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheet so as to pass through a position facing the recording unit with a conveying amount smaller than the conveying amount of the sheet, wherein the ink sheet conveying unit is higher than a recording position in the recording unit. The ink sheet may be conveyed while being bent at two or more places on the conveying surface of the ink sheet on the discharge side of the recording sheet. Alternatively, in a recording apparatus for selectively recording ink contained in an ink sheet on a recording sheet by a recording unit, a loading unit for loading an ink sheet cartridge containing the ink sheet into a main body of the recording device, and a loading unit. A first bending unit for bending a conveying surface of the ink sheet in accordance with the loading of the ink sheet cartridge into the ink sheet cartridge;
According to the loading of the loading unit into the main body of the recording apparatus,
Second bending means for further bending the conveying surface of the ink sheet bent by the first bending means, and the recording sheet is passed through a position facing the recording means via the ink sheet. A recording sheet transporting means for transporting the ink sheet, the ink sheet transporting means for transporting the ink sheet by a transport amount smaller than the transport amount of the recording sheet, so as to pass through a position facing the recording means,
And the ink sheet is bent twice by the first bending means and the second bending means, on a discharge side of the recording sheet from a recording position in the recording means. It is characterized by being transported.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink sheet transporting method, wherein an ink sheet contained in an ink sheet cartridge is transported by a transport amount smaller than a transport amount of a recording sheet, and the ink of the ink sheet is recorded. An ink sheet conveying method for a recording apparatus for selectively transferring the recording sheet to the recording sheet by using a unit, wherein a plurality of bending units are connected to the recording unit by an operation of loading the ink sheet cartridge into the recording unit. The transport surface of the ink sheet on the discharge side of the recording sheet with respect to the recording position is bent, so that the transport surface is bent at a plurality of positions.

[0008]

According to the above arrangement, the ink sheet conveying surface on the recording sheet discharge side of the recording means is bent at two or more places so that the ink sheet conveying surface has a certain curvature. Accordingly, the recording sheet stuck to the ink sheet due to static electricity or the like generated by being conveyed in opposite directions can be separated from the ink sheet without difficulty.

[0009]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] A recording apparatus A according to the present embodiment is configured as a recording system of a facsimile apparatus. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the overall structure of the facsimile apparatus, FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view illustrating the development of a sheet cartridge.

(Explanation of the entire facsimile) First, an overall configuration of the facsimile apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the facsimile apparatus includes a recording system A as a recording apparatus and an image described on an original. A reading system B for reading an image, an operation unit C, and a loaded ink sheet cartridge D are configured.

{Recording System} The recording system A records an image on the recording sheet 1 in accordance with an image signal transmitted from another device or an image signal transmitted from a reading system B described later. That is, the superposed recording sheet 1 and ink sheet 2 are pressed toward the platen roller 3b by the recording head 3a constituting the recording means 3, and the recording sheet 1 is rotated by driving the platen roller 3b in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The ink sheet 2 is conveyed in the direction of arrow a, and the ink sheet 2 is conveyed in the direction of arrow b by the capstan roller 31 as an ink sheet conveying means. In synchronization with the conveyance of the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2, the recording head 3a generates heat in accordance with the image signal to melt the ink applied to the ink sheet 2 (including sublimation, the same applies hereinafter), and record the melted ink. The image is transferred to the sheet 1 to form an image.

A recording sheet 1 on which a predetermined image is formed
Is further conveyed in the direction of the arrow a, cut by the cutter 4, and then conveyed by the pair of discharge rollers 5a and 5b to be discharged out of the apparatus.

The recording sheet 1 is stored in a roll holder 7 provided in the apparatus main body 6.
The platen roller 3b, the cutter 4, and the discharge roller pair 5a, 5b are provided on the apparatus main body 6, respectively.

In this embodiment, the ink sheet 2 is housed in an ink sheet cartridge D having a configuration described later. The ink sheet cartridge D is removably mounted on a recording cover 9 as a cover rotatably configured on the apparatus main body 6 via a rotation shaft 8. The recording head 3a is provided at a predetermined position on the recording cover 9.

{Reading System} On the other hand, the reading system B irradiates the original 10 with light, converts the reflected light into an electric signal, and transmits this signal to another machine according to the operation mode, or the self-recording system. A
Is to be transmitted. That is, a plurality of originals 10 are placed on an original mounting table 9a formed on the upper surface of the recording cover 9, and the originals 10 are preliminarily conveyed by a preliminary conveyance roller 11a and a pressing piece 11b, and are separated from a separation roller 12a and a press contact therewith. Crimping piece
The document 10 is separated and fed one by one by 12b, and the original 10 is conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers 13a and 13b and a pair of discharge rollers 14a and 14b and discharged to a discharge tray 15.
While the original 10 is being conveyed, light is emitted from the light source 16 to the original surface, and the reflected light is directed to a photoelectric conversion element 19 such as a CCD via a mirror 17 and a lens 18, and the image signal is transmitted to a copy mode. In this case, the data is transmitted to its own recording system, and in the transmission mode, it is transmitted to the recording system of another device.

{Operation Unit} As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit C is a panel for performing operations such as the mode switching operation, the copy operation, and the transmission operation, and is provided with keys corresponding to various operations. I have. The operation unit C is provided above the document transport mechanism in the reading system B, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 6. It should be noted that a handset 20 of a telephone for transmitting and receiving is provided at one end of the operation unit C. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes an electrical board,
22 is a power supply unit.

Further, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the running cost, a so-called multi-print method is adopted in which the recording is performed with the transport speed of the ink sheet 2 slower than the transport speed of the recording sheet 1. This multi-print method
Than the conveying length L _P of the in the recording sheet 1 at the time of recording, shorten the conveyance length L _I of the ink sheet _{2, (L P / L I} = n
> 1). In this way, the use efficiency of the ink sheet 2 can be increased n times as compared with the conventional recording method (L _P / L _I = 1) in which the conveyance length of the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 is the same. .

{Ink Sheet Cartridge} As shown in FIG. 3, the structure of the ink sheet cartridge D is such that a supply reel 25 serving as a first winding member and a take-up reel 26 serving as a second winding member are fixed to a frame 27. The ink sheet 2 is loaded at the position and the ink sheet 2 wound around the supply reel 25 is spread over the take-up reel 26 side.
By using the ink sheet cartridge D, the ink sheet 2 for the recording system A can be extremely easily formed.
And it can be loaded in a stable state. When the ink sheet 2 has been used, the ink sheet cartridge D is discarded together with the ink sheet 2. That is,
Since the ink sheet cartridge D is disposable,
It is required that it can be provided at low cost. Next, each part of the ink sheet cartridge D will be specifically described.

(Frame) In the frame 27 in this embodiment, a first housing 27a and a second housing 27b are ultrasonically welded. That is,
As shown in FIG. 3, the welded portions 27c1 and 27c2 of the connecting portion between the first housing 27a and the second housing 27b are ultrasonically welded, and the welded portions 27a1 formed substantially at the front end and side end of the first housing 27a. , 27a4 and welding portions 27b1 and 27b6 formed substantially at the front end and side end of the second housing 27b by ultrasonic welding. The welds 27a1, 27b1 and 27c1, 27c2 may be formed over the entire length, or may be formed intermittently with a predetermined length in the width direction of the ink sheet. As a molding material of the frame 27,
It is possible to use a resin such as a polypropylene resin or an ABS resin. In the frame 27, a window 27d as an opening for inserting the recording head 3a is formed substantially at the center of the first housing 27a as shown in FIG.
A window 27e, which is an opening for inserting the platen roller 3b, is formed substantially at the center of the shaft b. A notch for escaping the shaft portion 3b1 (see FIG. 1) of the platen roller 3b continuously to the window 27e. 27e1 is formed.

Side plates 27a2 and 27b2 are formed upright on both sides of the first housing 27a and the second housing 27b, respectively, and the welded portions 27c1 and 27c2 and the open side are each 1/4 yen. A curved surface is formed. A fitting hole 27a3 is formed in the welded portion 27a1 formed at the open side curved end of the first housing 27a, and the welded portion formed at the open side curved end of the second housing 27b.
An insertion protrusion 27b3 that fits into the insertion hole 27a3 is formed on 27b1. A locking projection 27b4 that engages with a lock latch provided on the cover 9 when the ink sheet cartridge D is mounted on the recording cover 9 is formed on the open side curved surface of the second housing 27b. Furthermore, the side plate 27b2 of the second housing 27b
Guide pins 27f serving as guides for mounting the ink sheet cartridge D on the recording cover 9 are provided at predetermined positions on both sides of the recording cover 9.
Are formed.

At predetermined positions of the side plates 27a2 and 27b2, a U groove 27g1 for holding a bearing 28a mounted on one end of the supply reel 25, and a shaft portion 29a of a sliding clutch 29 mounted on the other end of the supply reel 25. And a bearing mounted on one end of the take-up reel 26.
A U-groove 27g3 for holding 28b and a U-groove 27g4 for holding the shaft portion 30a of the slip clutch 30 attached to the other end of the take-up reel 26 are formed. The side plates 27a2, 27
U grooves 27g5 and 27g6 for holding a bearing 31a of a capstan roller 31 as an ink sheet conveying means are formed in b2. Further, an opening 27h for exposing the reel gear 32 of the take-up reel 26 is formed in the second housing 27b.

(Supply Reel and Sliding Clutch) The supply reel 25 is for winding the ink sheet 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the flanges 25b1 and the flanges 25b1 are provided at both ends of a reel shaft 25a having substantially the same length as the width of the ink sheet 2.
25b2, a bearing 28a is mounted on one flange 25b1 side, and a slip clutch 29 as tension applying means is mounted on the other flange 25b2 side.

The slip clutch 29 is for applying a back tension to the ink sheet 2 drawn from the supply reel 25. As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 4 (a) and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 (b), the configuration of the slip clutch 29 is mounted so that a spring 29b is tightened on a shaft 29a having a two-sided end. This spring 29b
Is formed with a hook portion 29b1. And the spring 29b
Through the through hole 29c1 of the collar 29c.
The ring 29d is attached to the tip of the shaft 29a to prevent it from falling off.
At this time, the spring 29b is attached so that the hook 29b1 of the spring 29b is engaged with the recess 29c2 formed in the through hole 29c1. Further, a protrusion 29c3 which is fitted into the hollow reel shaft 25a of the flange 29c and protrudes from the outer periphery of the flange 29c is connected to the reel shaft 25a.
Is fitted and locked in a U-shaped groove 25c formed at the end of the.

In the above configuration, the supply reel 25 is
When the ink sheet 2 is pulled out while attached to the
The supply reel 25 rotates in a direction indicated by an arrow c in FIG. 4A (a direction in which the ink sheet 2 is fed). At this time, the shaft 29a is a frame
Since it fits into the 27 square groove 27g2 and cannot rotate,
The spring 29b tightening the spring 29b receives a rotational force in the loosening direction, and a friction load is generated between the outer periphery of the shaft 29a and the inner periphery of the spring 29b. When the ink sheet 2 receives a conveying force and the supply reel 25 receives a rotational force equal to or more than a predetermined torque, the spring load slides on the outer periphery of the shaft 29a while receiving the predetermined torque.

Accordingly, the ink sheet 2 is supplied from the supply reel 25.
Is drawn out, a constant load is always applied, whereby a back tension is applied to the ink sheet 2. Since the value of the slack torque load of the spring 29b is stable, a stable back tension is applied to the ink sheet 2.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), a ratchet 36 having a claw in the circumferential direction is attached to the flange 25b2 on the side to which the slip clutch 29 is attached. It rotates in synchronization with the reel 25.

(Take-up Reel and Sliding Clutch) Next, the take-up reel 26 takes up the ink sheet 2 pulled out from the supply reel 25 during recording. As shown in FIG. 3, similarly to the supply reel 25 described above, flanges 26b1 and 26b2 are provided at both ends of a reel shaft 26a having substantially the same length as the width dimension of the ink sheet 2, and one flange 26b1 is provided.
On the other side, a bearing 28b is mounted, and on the other flange 26b2 side, a sliding clutch 30 as a rotational force transmission restricting means is mounted.

The slip clutch 30 is for applying a constant rotational torque to the take-up reel 26. The structure of the slip clutch 30 is shown in an exploded view of FIG.
As shown in the cross-sectional view, a spring 30b is attached to a shaft portion 30a having a D-cut fitting portion 30a1 so as to be tightened, and a hook portion 30b1 is formed on the spring 30b. The reel gear 32 is loosely fitted to the shaft portion 30a to which the spring 30b is attached, and the shaft portion 30a is inserted through the through hole 30c1 of the flange 30c, and the E-rings 30d and 30e are attached to the end of the shaft portion 30a to be removed. Stop it. At this time, the hook portion 30b1 of the spring 30b is formed in the concave portion 32 formed in the reel gear 32.
a. Further, the flange 30c is fitted into a hollow reel shaft 26a, and a convex portion 30c2 protruding from the outer periphery of the flange 30c is formed into a U-shaped groove 26 formed at the end of the reel shaft 26a.
c.

In the above configuration, the reel gear 32 is moved in the direction of arrow d in FIG.
Is rotated in the direction in which the ink sheet 2 is wound up).
The spring 30b tightening the spring 30b receives a rotational force in the loosening direction, and a friction load is generated between the outer periphery of the shaft portion 30a and the inner periphery of the spring 30b. Under this frictional load, the take-up reel 26 rotates in the direction of arrow d in FIG.

When the spring 30b receives a predetermined torque or more, it slides on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 30a while applying the predetermined torque. Therefore, a rotational force is always applied to the take-up reel 26 with a constant torque. The value of the slack torque load of the spring 30b is stable, as in the case of the slip clutch 29 of the supply reel 25.

In the present embodiment, a slip clutch 29 is built in the supply reel 25 and a slip clutch is mounted on the take-up reel 26.
By incorporating the 30, a special space for providing the slip clutches 29 and 30 is not required. For this reason, the arrangement of gears and the like in the design of the drive system is facilitated, and the assemblability is improved. The clutch 29,
Since the ink cartridge 30 is replaced together with the ink sheet cartridge D, it is sufficient if the ink cartridge 30 has the durability of one roll of the ink sheet. Further, since the clutches 29 and 30 have a simple structure, they have an advantage that they can be manufactured at a lower cost than a commercially available powder clutch.

In this embodiment, when the ink sheet 2 is wound on the take-up reel 26, the end of the ink sheet 2 is affixed to the take-up reel 26a with a tape or the like. The take-up reel 26 is rotated so that the ink application side faces the inside of the take-up roll.

(Capstan Roller) Next, the capstan roller 31 applies a conveying force to the ink sheet 2, and in this embodiment, is stored in the ink sheet cartridge D as shown in FIG. I have. The capstan roller 31 is formed by spraying and coating silicon rubber or the like on the outer peripheral surface of a core 31b made of a metal material to form a roller 31c, and a gear 31d is fixed to an end of the core 31b. ing. The capstan roller 31 has a U-shaped groove 27g5 of the frame 27,
The bearing 31a is fitted and attached to 27g6, but attached so as to be located on the upper surface side of the ink sheet 2 housed in the frame 27 (see FIG. 3). And ink sheet cartridge D
When printing is performed by loading the ink sheet 2 into the printing system A, as shown in FIG.
And the take-up reel downstream of the recording means 3
The capstan roller 31 is configured to be in contact with the upper surface side of the ink sheet 2 on the upstream side of 26.

At the time of recording, the ink sheet 2 is conveyed by a capstan roller 31 rotating in the direction of arrow e in FIG. In the multi-printing method in which recording is performed while the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 are transported in opposite directions as in the present embodiment, a force of about 15 kg is required as a force for transporting the ink sheet 2. I have. Therefore, in this embodiment, the capstan roller 31 and the ink sheet 2
If the friction coefficient is set to fall within the range of 10 to 20, slip between the two can be prevented. In this embodiment, the coefficient of friction is set to about 14.

As shown in FIG. 6, as the wrap angle θ of the ink sheet 2 with respect to the capstan roller 31 increases, the contact area between the capstan roller 31 and the ink sheet 2 increases, so that the slip is less likely to occur. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the winding angle θ is set to be about 30 ° in a state where the ink sheet 2 is not wound around the winding reel 26 at all (the winding roll diameter is minimum). As is apparent from FIG. 1, since the ink surface of the ink sheet 2 is wound inward, the winding angle θ increases when the winding roll diameter increases.
Also increases. Therefore, the ink sheet 2 is moved to the take-up reel 26.
The ink sheet conveying force is surely given by the capstan roller 31 as the paper is wound up. The wrapping angle θ is basically required only if the capstan roller 31 and the ink sheet 2 are in contact with each other. However, in consideration of variations in the dimensional accuracy of the recording apparatus main body 6 and the ink sheet cartridge D, etc., Depending on the capstan roller diameter,
It is preferable to set the range of 5 ° ≦ θ ≦ 180 °.
In this embodiment, the winding angle θ is changed in the range of 30 ° or more and 90 ° or less by changing the diameter of the winding roll.

As described above, the capstan roller 31 having a high friction coefficient is wound around the ink sheet 2 at a predetermined winding angle θ, so that the transfer force is applied to the ink sheet 2 only by the capstan roller 31. And the need for a conventional pinch roller is eliminated.

(Assembly of Ink Sheet Cartridge) Next, in order to assemble the ink sheet cartridge D, a supply reel shaft 25a around which the ink sheet 2 shown in FIG.
A bearing 28a is attached to one end of the
The two-way shaft portion 29a of the slip clutch 29 is fitted into the square groove 27g2 while being fitted into the U groove 27g1 formed in the groove 27b.
Further, a bearing 28b is attached to one end of the take-up reel shaft 26a,
The bearing 28b is fitted in the U groove 27g3 of the second housing 27b, and a bearing (not shown) attached to the shaft portion 30a of the slip clutch 30 is fitted in the U groove 27g4. And capstan rollers
U-grooves 27g5 and 27g6 in which 31 bearings 31a are formed in the second housing 27b
Fits. Next, the first housing 27a is opposed to the second housing 27b, and the welding portions 27a1 and 27b1 and the welding portions 27a4 and 27b6 are ultrasonically welded, respectively, so that the ink sheet 2, the supply reel 25, the take-up reel 26, Then, the ink sheet cartridge D loaded with the capstan roller 31 is assembled.

(Method of Loading Ink Sheet Cartridge)
Next, a method of loading the ink sheet cartridge D will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and a state of a transport surface of the ink sheet 2 when the ink sheet cartridge D is loaded will be described.

First, when loading the ink sheet cartridge D into the recording cover 9, the recording cover 9 in the recording system A is opened (as indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1) as shown in FIG. A guide pin 27f formed at the base of the cartridge D is engaged with the stop recess 9a, and one end of the ink sheet cartridge D is held by the recording cover 9. Next, the ink sheet cartridge D (the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1) held by the recording cover 9 is pushed up in the direction of arrow f in FIG.
27b4 is locked by the latch member 33 attached to the recording cover 9, and the ink sheet cartridge D is set on the recording cover 9.

At this time (when the ink sheet cartridge D is set on the recording cover 9), the capstan roller 31 is moved by the guide shaft 34 provided on the recording cover 9 side.
The ink sheet 2 between the ink sheet 2 and the supply reel 25 is pushed down, and a first bent portion is formed on the transport surface of the ink sheet 2.

The ink sheet cartridge D is loaded into the apparatus main body 6 by closing the recording cover 9 on which the ink sheet cartridge D is set, so that the capstan roller is attached to a positioning member (not shown) on the apparatus main body 6 side. The ink sheet cartridge D is positioned and supported at a predetermined position of the recording system A in the apparatus main body 6 (solid line position in FIG. 1).

At this time (when the ink sheet cartridge D is loaded in the apparatus main body 6), the ink sheet 2 between the guide shaft 34 and the supply reel 25 is pushed up by the guide shaft 35 provided on the apparatus main body 6 side. Thus, a second bent portion is formed on the transport surface of the ink sheet 2.

Accordingly, since the conveying surface of the ink sheet 2 is formed by the capstan roller 31, the platen roller 3b, and the guide shafts 34 and 35, the used amount of the ink sheet 2, that is, the supply reel 25 diameter and the take-up reel 26 diameter Regardless of
The conveyance surface of the ink sheet 2 can be kept constant, and therefore, the ink sheet 2 can be maintained near the platen roller 3b.
Since the angle of contact with the recording sheet 1 can be made constant, the thermal control of the recording head 3a can be set with high accuracy, and the printing quality can be improved.

(Bent Portion of Ink Sheet Conveying Surface) In addition, the first and second bent portions of the ink sheet 2 constituted by the guide shafts 34 and 35 adhere to the ink sheet 2 due to static electricity or the like. The recording sheet 1 can be easily separated, so that the occurrence of sheet jam can be prevented. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to FIG.

As described above, this facsimile apparatus is used to record an image signal received from another apparatus or image information such as a document read by its own reading system B.
In the present recording apparatus, the superposed recording sheet 1 and ink sheet 2 are pressed toward the platen roller 3b by the recording head 3a constituting the recording means 3, and in this state, While the recording sheet 1 was conveyed in the direction of arrow a by the platen roller 3b, and the ink sheet 2 was conveyed in the direction of arrow b by the capstan roller 31, the recording head 3a was heated according to the image signal and applied to the ink sheet 2. The ink is melted, and the melted ink is transferred to the recording sheet 1 to form an image.

Therefore, since the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 are conveyed in opposite directions, there is a relative speed, and strong static electricity is generated in the ink sheet 2. The recording sheet 1 is attracted to and adhered to the ink sheet 2 by the static electricity, and the recording sheet 1 is transported by the platen roller 3b along the transport surface of the ink sheet 2 in the direction of arrow a (FIG. 7A). ).

The recording sheet 1 is further conveyed, and the leading end of the sheet is provided on a recording cover 9 side.
After passing through the ink sheet 2, the ink sheet 2 (in this embodiment, the thickness is about
The transfer surface of 17 μm) changes its direction along the outer diameter of the guide shaft 34 in the direction of the guide shaft 35 provided on the apparatus main body 6 side, but the recording sheet 1 (about 80 μm thick in this embodiment).
Is separated from the conveyance surface of the ink sheet 2 without being conveyed along the outer diameter of the guide shaft 34 due to its waist (FIG. 7).
(B)).

Thereafter, the separated recording sheet 1 is guided by the sheet metal portion 4a of the cutter 4, and further conveyed by the platen roller 3b (FIG. 7C). As described above, the recording sheet 1 stuck to the ink sheet 2 due to static electricity or the like due to the first and second bent portions of the ink sheet 2 formed by the guide shafts 34 and 35.
Can be separated from the conveying surface of the ink sheet 2, thus preventing the occurrence of sheet jam.

The recording sheet 1 on which printing for one page has been completed is further conveyed by the platen roller 3b and cut by the cutter 4 in order to cut it at an appropriate position. After cutting, the platen roller 3b is rotated in the reverse direction to rewind the leading end of the recording sheet 1 to the vicinity of the heating line of the recording head 3a, and waits for printing the next page.

(Structure and Operation of Locking Mechanism) A locking mechanism for preventing the ink sheet 2 from being loosened when the recording sheet 1 is rewound will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The lock mechanism in this embodiment is provided on the supply reel 25 side as shown in FIG. 8, and is provided on a ratchet 36 as a rotating member that rotates in synchronization with the supply reel 25, and is provided on the outer periphery of the ratchet 36. And an IS stopper 37 as a rotation stop member that stops the rotation of the supply reel 25 by meshing with the claw. The ratchet
36 has a claw on its outer periphery as described above, and is attached to the flange 25b2 side provided at the other end of the supply reel shaft 25a. The IS stopper 37 is pulled in the direction of arrow g in FIG. 8 by a spring (not shown), and is turned by a cutter motor 38 driven by a cutter motor.
Is configured to move in parallel in the direction of the ratchet 36 in conjunction with the above operation.

Next, the operation of the platen motor, cutter motor, and ink sheet motor from the end of printing of one page until the start of printing of the next page will be described with reference to a timing chart shown in FIG. I do.

First, after the printing of one page is completed, the platen motor is further driven forward to convey the recording sheet 1 to the cut position by the platen roller 3b. While the recording sheet 1 is being conveyed to the cutting position, the ink sheet motor is stopped in order to reduce the running cost, and the ink sheet 2 is not conveyed. Since the ink sheet motor is stopped, the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2
The ink sheet 2 taken up by the take-up reel 26 does not become slack due to the frictional force between the ink sheet 2.

After conveying the recording sheet 1 to the cutting position,
A cutter motor is driven to cut the recording sheet 1 by a cutter 4. This cutter motor has a cutter lever 38 to which the cutter 4 is attached (see FIG. 8).
Are connected via an arm 39, and a driving force is transmitted to the cutter lever 38 via the arm 39 by driving the cutter motor by a preset number of steps. Disconnect.

At this time, in conjunction with the operation of rotating the cutter lever 38 to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG.
37 moves in parallel to the solid line position in FIG.
Of the ratchet 36, which rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the ink cartridge 2, and prevents the rotation of the supply reel 25, thus preventing the ink sheet 2 from rotating.
Lock movement.

After the recording sheet 1 has been cut, the platen motor is driven in reverse to rewind the leading end of the recording sheet 1 to a position near the platen roller 3b. At this time, supply reel
Since 25 is locked, the ink sheet 2 does not loosen.

After the recording sheet 1 has been rewound, the cutter motor is driven to return the arm 39 and the cutter lever 38 to the positions indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 8, and return the cutter 4 to the home position. At this time, the IS stopper 37 receives a force in the direction of arrow g in FIG. 8 by a spring (not shown) and moves to the position shown by the broken line in FIG. 8 to disengage from the pawl of the ratchet 36, and the lock of the supply reel 25 is released. You. Therefore, the lock of the ink sheet 2 is released, and the print sheet becomes printable.

[Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above,
The guide shaft 3 is provided on the recording cover 9 side and the apparatus main body 6 side, respectively.
4 and 35 are provided, and the first and second
Although the example in which the bent portion is formed is shown, another embodiment related thereto will be described as a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows an outline of the overall configuration of a facsimile apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Since the overall configuration of the device in this embodiment is substantially the same as the configuration of the device (see FIG. 1) described in the first embodiment, detailed description is omitted here. The members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(Bent Section of Ink Sheet Conveying Surface) In this embodiment, a part of the exterior of the ink sheet cartridge D,
As shown in FIG. 10, first and second hook-shaped protrusions 40 integrally formed on the frame of the ink sheet cartridge D and a guide shaft 35 provided on the apparatus main body 6 side allow the first and second transfer surfaces of the ink sheet 2 to be moved. It is characterized in that it constitutes a second bent portion.

The first bent portion is formed at the time of assembling the ink sheet cartridge D by a hook-shaped convex portion 40 integrally formed with the frame 27 of the ink sheet cartridge D, and the second bent portion is formed by the device. A guide shaft 35 provided on the main body 6 side is configured when the ink sheet cartridge D is loaded. The assembling method and the loading method of the ink sheet cartridge D are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, this facsimile apparatus is used to record an image signal received from another machine or image information such as an original read by its own reading system B.
In this recording system A, the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 that have been polymerized are
While the recording sheet 1 is pressed in the direction of arrow a by the platen roller 3b and the ink sheet 2 is conveyed in the direction of arrow b by the capstan roller 31 in this state. The ink sheet 2 is generated by causing the head 3a to generate heat according to the image signal.
Is melted, and the melted ink is transferred to the recording sheet 1 to form an image.

Therefore, since the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 are transported in opposite directions, there is a relative speed, and strong static electricity is generated in the ink sheet 2. The recording sheet 1 is attracted to and adhered to the ink sheet 2 by the static electricity, and the recording sheet 1 is conveyed by the platen roller 3b along the conveying surface of the ink sheet 2 in the direction of arrow a (FIG. 11A). ).

When the recording sheet 1 is further conveyed and the leading end of the sheet passes through a hook-shaped convex portion 40 integrally formed with the frame 27 of the ink sheet cartridge D, the ink sheet 2
The transport surface (in this embodiment, the thickness is about 17 μm) is a guide shaft provided on the apparatus main body 6 side along the outer diameter of the projection 40.
The recording sheet 1 (about 80 μm thick in the present embodiment) is separated from the conveying surface of the ink sheet 2 without being conveyed along the outer diameter of the convex portion 40 due to its stiffness (FIG. 11 (b)).

Thereafter, the separated recording sheet 1 is guided by the sheet metal portion 4a of the cutter 4, and further conveyed by the platen roller 3b (FIG. 11C). Then, the recording sheet 1 on which printing for one page has been completed is further conveyed by the platen roller 3b to be cut at an appropriate position, and thereafter cut by the cutter 4. After cutting, the platen roller 3b is rotated in the reverse direction to rewind the leading end of the recording sheet 1 to the vicinity of the heating line of the recording head 3a, and waits for printing the next page.

As described above, the ink sheet 2 constituted by the hook-shaped projection 40 integrally formed on the frame 27 of the ink sheet cartridge D and the guide shaft 35 provided on the apparatus main body 6 side. Due to the first and second bent portions, the recording sheet 1 stuck to the ink sheet 2 due to static electricity or the like can be easily separated from the conveying surface of the ink sheet 2, thereby preventing the occurrence of sheet jam. Is done.

[Third Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above,
A ratchet 36 having a claw on the outer periphery is provided as a member that rotates in synchronization with the supply reel 25, and a member that locks the rotation of the supply reel 25 when the recording sheet 1 is rewound in conjunction with the operation of the cutter lever 38. Although the lock mechanism provided with the parallel-moving IS stopper 37 so that the ink sheet 2 does not loosen when the recording sheet 1 is rewound has been exemplified, another embodiment relating to this will be described as a third embodiment.

The facsimile apparatus of the first embodiment employs a so-called multi-print system in which printing is performed at a speed lower than that of the recording sheet 1 in order to reduce the running cost. and, than the conveying length L _P of the in the recording sheet 1 at the time of recording, shorten the conveyance length L _I of the ink sheet _{2, (L P / L I} = n> 1)
The recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 are further conveyed in the opposite directions. However, the facsimile apparatus according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the conveying speed of the recording sheet 1 and the conveying speed of the ink sheet 2 are different from each other. And the transport direction of the recording sheet 1 and the transport direction of the ink sheet 2 are the same. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the supply reel 25 and the take-up reel
The positional relationship of 26 is opposite to that of the facsimile apparatus of the first embodiment described above. Note that the other configuration is substantially the same as the configuration of the device (see FIG. 1) described in the first embodiment described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

(Structure and Operation of Lock Mechanism) Next, the structure and operation of a lock mechanism for locking the ink sheet 2 from the end of printing to the start of printing will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS.

(1 of the Third Embodiment) A lock mechanism as shown in FIG. 13 is provided on the supply reel 25 side, and is provided on the ratchet 36 described above and on the apparatus main body side so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 41a. An IS stopper 41 provided and a cam 42 for switching the IS stopper 41 between a lock position (solid line position in FIG. 13) and an unlock position (dashed line position in FIG. 13). The IS stopper 41 is pulled by a spring 43 in the direction of arrow h in FIG. Further, the cam
Reference numeral 42 is connected to a cutter motor via a gear train (not shown), and the gear train is provided with a one-way clutch (one-way clutch) for transmitting rotational force in only one direction. Therefore, the cam 42 in the present embodiment is configured to rotate only in the direction of the arrow i in FIG.

Next, the supply reel 25 by the lock mechanism is used.
Will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. After recording of one page is completed, first, the cutter motor is driven to rotate in the reverse direction to transmit a driving force to the cam 42 via a gear train, and the cam 42 is held in a state of being rotated by 180 ° (solid line position in FIG. 13). . Then, IS stopper 41
Is rotated toward the supply reel 25 according to the shape of the cam 42 and firmly meshes with the pawl of the ratchet 36, so that the supply reel 25 is locked. Therefore, the ink sheet 2
Is locked.

After the supply reel 25 is locked, the platen motor is driven to rotate forward to rotate the platen roller 3b and convey the recording sheet 1 to a predetermined cut position.

Next, the cutter motor is driven to rotate forward,
The recording sheet 1 is cut. Since the above-described one-way clutch is provided in the driving force transmission path between the cutter motor and the cam 42, the driving force during the forward rotation driving of the cutter motor is not transmitted to the cam 42.

After the recording sheet is cut, the platen motor is driven in the reverse direction to rotate the platen roller 3b in the reverse direction, thereby returning the leading end of the recording sheet 1 to the printing position. At this time, supply reel 25
Is locked, the ink sheet 2 is not conveyed and slackened, and the ink sheet 2 itself does not wrinkle or break.

After the leading edge of the recording sheet 1 is rewound to the printing position, the cutter motor is driven in reverse to transmit a driving force to the cam 42 via a gear train, and the cam 42 is rotated by 180 ° (FIG. 13). (Indicated by the broken line), the IS stopper 41 is
The supply reel 25 is unlocked by rotating to the broken line position in FIG. 13 according to the shape of 42. Therefore, the lock of the ink sheet 2 is released, and the print sheet becomes printable.

(Third Embodiment 2) In the above-described embodiment, when the recording sheet 1 is conveyed in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the ink sheet 2, the ink sheet motor is kept stopped. Although the take-up reel 26 that has taken up the ink sheet 2 is prevented from rotating in the reverse direction by the torque (holding torque), the slack of the ink sheet 2 is prevented, but the conveying force of the recording sheet 1 is reduced by the holding force of the ink sheet motor. If the force is greater than the torque, the take-up reel 26
(For example, the recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 are
In some cases, such as when the recording sheet 1 is conveyed in a state in which the recording sheet 1 is adhered, the above-described lock mechanism may be provided on both the supply reel 25 side and the take-up reel 26 side.

FIG. 15 shows an example in which the lock mechanism is provided on both the supply reel 25 side and the take-up reel 26 side. The lock mechanism as shown in FIG. 15 has the same configuration as the lock mechanism as shown in FIG.
An IS stopper 41 provided on the apparatus body side so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 41a; and a lock position (solid line position in FIG. 15) and an unlock position (broken line position in FIG. 15). And a cam 42 for switching to The IS stopper 41 is pulled by a spring 43 in the direction of arrow h in FIG. Further, the cam 42 is
The gear train is connected to a cutter motor via a gear train (not shown), and the gear train is provided with a one-way clutch (one-way clutch) for transmitting rotational force in only one direction. Therefore, the cam 42 in the present embodiment corresponds to the arrow i in FIG.
It is configured to rotate only in the direction. Note that the locking and unlocking operations of the supply reel 25 and the take-up reel 26 by this lock mechanism are performed according to the timing chart shown in FIG. 14, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

With the above configuration, since the supply reel 25 and the take-up reel 26 are locked together, from the time of locking until the time of unlocking (see FIG. 14), there is no need to generate a holding torque by the ink sheet motor. The ink sheet 2 is not loosened, and the temperature rise of the ink sheet motor is further suppressed.

(Third Embodiment 3) Further, a lock mechanism as shown in FIG. 16 may be provided. This lock mechanism is provided with a rubber member 44 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the flange 25b2 of the supply reel 25.
And a stopper 45 provided on the apparatus main body side so as to be rotatable around a fulcrum 45a and pressed against the rubber material 44 to prevent the supply reel 25 from rotating.
Is connected to a gear 47 by a connecting arm 46, and the gear 47
Is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Further, between a gear 47 for transmitting the driving force to the stopper 45 and a gear 48 for transmitting the driving force to the cutter 4 (see FIG. 12), the driving of the cutter motor is performed via a gear (not shown). A gear 49 that receives a force and a pendulum gear 50 that swings and rotates around the gear 49 are provided. By this pendulum gear 50, the rotational force in one direction of the cutter motor is applied to the cutter 4 and the rotational force in the other direction is applied to the stopper 45.
Is transmitted.

Next, the supply reel 25 by the lock mechanism is used.
Will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.

When printing of one page is completed, the platen motor and the ink sheet motor are stopped, and then the cutter motor is driven to rotate in the reverse direction to rotate the gear 49 in the direction of arrow j in FIG. The rotational force of the gear 49 is transmitted to the pendulum gear 50,
The gear 50 rotates in the direction of the arrow k in FIG. 16 and meshes with the gear 47 about the gear 49. When the pendulum gear 50 meshes with the gear 47, the rotational force of the pendulum gear 50 is transmitted to the gear 47, and the gear 47 rotates in the direction of the arrow m in FIG. The stopper 45 is pressed to the rubber member 44 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the flange 25b2 (the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 16). Thereby, the rotation of the supply reel 25 is suppressed, and the conveyance of the ink sheet 2 is locked.

After the cutter motor is stopped, the platen motor is driven to rotate forward to rotate the platen roller 3b in the direction of arrow n in FIG. 16 to convey the recording sheet 1 to a predetermined cut position.

After the platen motor stops, the cutter motor is driven to rotate forward to rotate the gear 49 in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow j in FIG. This rotational force causes the pendulum gear 50 to mesh with the gear 48, and the gear 48 rotates to cut the recording sheet 1 by the cutter 4 (see FIG. 12).

After the recording sheet is cut and before the leading edge of the recording sheet 1 is rewound to the recording position, the cutter motor is driven to rotate in the reverse direction again to firmly fix the supply reel 25 by the stopper 45. After the cutter motor is stopped, the platen motor is driven to rotate in the reverse direction to rotate the platen roller 3b in the direction of arrow o in FIG. 16 to rewind the recording sheet 1 to the recording position.
At this time, since the supply reel 25 is locked, the ink sheet 2 does not slack.

After the recording sheet 1 has been rewound, the platen motor is stopped, and the cutter motor is again driven in the reverse direction to unlock the supply reel 25 by the stopper 45 (FIG. 16).
Broken line position).

After the lock is released, by driving only the ink sheet motor, tension is applied to the ink sheet 2 and the ink sheet 2 is ready for printing.

By controlling each motor as described above, the slack of the ink sheet 2 due to the conveyance of the recording sheet 1 from the end of printing to the start of printing can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink sheet 2 from being wrinkled and deteriorating the print quality, or the ink sheet 2 from being broken.

[0087]

As described above, the recording sheet and the ink sheet are turned in opposite directions by bending the conveying surface of the ink sheet on the recording sheet discharge side from the recording position of the recording means at two or more places. Even if the recording sheet adheres to the conveying surface of the ink sheet due to the static electricity generated by the conveyance, it can be easily separated even if the recording sheet sticks to the conveyance surface of the ink sheet, thereby preventing the occurrence of sheet jam and causing the recording mechanism to malfunction. It is possible to prevent the device from falling and to improve the reliability of the entire device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the entire structure of a facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view of the external appearance of the facsimile machine.

FIG. 3 is a development explanatory view of the ink sheet cartridge.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a slip clutch on a supply reel side.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a slip clutch on a take-up reel side.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a winding angle of an ink sheet with respect to a capstan roller.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a movement of a recording sheet at a bent portion of an ink sheet conveying surface.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an ink sheet lock mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of the driving mechanism.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the entire structure of the facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a movement of a recording sheet at a bent portion of an ink sheet conveying surface.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the entire structure of the facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an ink sheet lock mechanism.

FIG. 14 is a timing chart showing the operation of the driving mechanism.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an ink sheet lock mechanism.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an ink sheet lock mechanism.

FIG. 17 is a timing chart showing the operation of the driving mechanism.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: recording system, B: reading system, C: operation unit, D: ink sheet cartridge 1: recording sheet, 2: ink sheet, 3
... Recording means, 3a ... Recording head, 3b ... Platen roller, 4 ... Cutter, 5a, 5b ... Discharge roller pair, 6 ... Device body, 8 ... Rotating shaft, 9 ... Recording cover, 10 ... Original, 11a
... Preliminary conveyance roller, 11b ... Pressing piece, 12a ... Separation roller,
12b: pressure contact piece, 13a, 13b: transport roller, 14a, 14b ...
Discharge roller, 15 discharge tray, 16 light source, 17 mirror,
18 ... lens, 19 ... photoelectric conversion element, 20 ... handset, 21
... Electrical board, 22 ... Power supply unit, 25 ... Supply reel, 25a ... Reel shaft, 25b1, 25b2 ... Flange, 25c ... U-shaped groove, 26 ... Take-up reel, 26a ... Reel shaft, 26b1, 26b2 ... Flange, 26
c: U-shaped groove, 27: frame, 27a: first housing, 27a1: welded portion, 27a2: side plate, 27a3: insertion hole, 27a4: welded portion, 27b ...
Second casing, 27b1 welding part, 27b2 side plate, 27b3 fitting projection, 27b4 locking projection, 27b6 welding part, 27c1, 27c2 ... welding part, 27d, 27e ... window, 27f ... guide pin, 27g1 ... U groove,
27g2: Square groove, 27g3, 27g4, 27g5, 27g6: U groove, 27h: Opening, 28a, 28b: Bearing, 29: Sliding clutch, 29a: Shaft,
29b ... spring spring, 29b1 ... hook part, 29c ... brim, 29
c1, through hole, 29c2, concave, 29c3, convex, 29d, E-ring, 30, sliding clutch, 30a, shaft, 30a1, D-cut fitting part, 30b, spring spring, 30b1, hook, 30c
Flange, 30c1 through hole, 30c2 convex part, 31 capstan roller, 31a bearing, 31b core part, 31c roller part, 31d
Gear, 32 ... reel gear, 34, 35 ... guide shaft, 36 ...
Ratchet, 37 IS stopper, 38 Cutter lever, 39 Arm, 40 Hook-shaped protrusion, 41 IS stopper, 41a Support point, 42 Cam, 43 Spring, 44 Rubber material, 45
... Stopper, 45a ... Support point, 46 ... Connection arm, 47,48,
49 ... gear, 50 ... pendulum gear

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 17/30 B41J 17/02 B41J 17/12

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording apparatus for selectively recording ink included in an ink sheet on a recording sheet by a recording unit, wherein the recording sheet is conveyed through the ink sheet so as to pass through a position facing the recording unit. Recording sheet transporting means, so that the ink sheet passes through a position facing the recording means in a direction opposite to the direction of transporting the recording sheet and with a transporting amount smaller than the transporting amount of the recording sheet. An ink sheet conveying unit for conveying the ink sheet, wherein the ink sheet conveying unit conveys the ink sheet by bending at least two places a conveying surface of the ink sheet on a discharge side of the recording sheet from a recording position of the recording unit. A recording device, characterized in that: 2. A recording apparatus for selectively recording ink contained in an ink sheet on a recording sheet by a recording means, comprising: a loading means for loading an ink sheet cartridge containing the ink sheet into a main body of the recording apparatus; A first bending unit for bending a conveying surface of the ink sheet according to the loading of the ink sheet cartridge into the loading unit; and a first bending unit configured to load the ink sheet into the main body of the recording apparatus.
Second bending means for further bending the conveying surface of the ink sheet bent by the first bending means, and passing the recording sheet through a position facing the recording means via the ink sheet. A recording sheet transporting means for transporting the ink sheet, and an ink sheet transporting means for transporting the ink sheet with a transport amount smaller than the transport amount of the recording sheet so as to pass through a position facing the recording means. The ink sheet is conveyed by the first bending unit and the second bending unit by bending the conveying surface of the ink sheet on the discharge side of the recording sheet more than a recording position of the recording unit twice. A recording device characterized by the above-mentioned. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein conveyance directions of the ink sheet and the recording sheet at the recording position are opposite to each other. 4. An ink sheet contained in an ink sheet cartridge is transported by a transport amount smaller than the transport amount of the recording sheet, and ink contained in the ink sheet is selectively applied to the recording sheet using a recording unit. An ink sheet conveying method of a recording apparatus for transferring, wherein a plurality of bending units are closer to a discharge side of the recording sheet than a recording position of the recording unit in accordance with an operation of loading the ink sheet cartridge into the recording apparatus. An ink sheet conveying method, wherein the conveying surface of the ink sheet is bent at each of a plurality of positions by bending the conveying surface.