Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Image Recording Apparatus
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording
apparatus and more particularly to an image recording
apparatus used on image communication equipment such as
facsimiles.
Description of the Prior Art -
Facsimile is available as a means to transmit images
of characters and figures to remote places. An example
of a conventional image recording apparatus used in the ~ -
output section of the facsimile is shown in Figure 1.
This image recording apparatus consists of: a roll 2
of recording paper strip 1; an image reproducing section :
3; supply rollers 4 for feeding the recording paper strip
1 to the image reproducing section 3; and a cutter 5 for
cutting the recording paper strip 1 at the end of the
data recording. With the image recording apparatus of
the above construction, the received image is reproduced
on the recording paper in the following manner. The
image data received is sent to the image reproducing
section 3 while at the same time the recording paper -
strip 1 is supplied from the roll 2 to the image repro-
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ducing section 3, where the image is recorded on the ~ -
paper strip as by heat transfer. Then the recorded paper
strip is cut by the cutter 5 to separate the recorded
portion la from the paper strip 1.
With the conventional image recording apparatus of
this kind, however, the recording paper on which the
received image data was recorded is simply fed out and
cut, so that when the recorded sheet of paper output from
the apparatus is left as is, information shown on the
recorded sheet is exposed to view of other persons than
the one to whom the transmitted information is addressed. ;~
That is, the contents of a document or letter transmitted
cannot be kept secret. This gives rise to a problem when
one wish to send his or her personal letter to a specific
person or when documents dealing with corporate's
classified information or highly creative designs (e.g.,
apparel designs) are sent through such facsimiles.
This invention has been accomplished to overcome
these problems encountered with the conventional facsimi-
le machines, and its objective is to provide an image
recording apparatus which has a function that enables the
recorded paper to be output with its contents kept
secret.
To achieve the above objective, this invention is
characterized in that the image recording apparatus which
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records images on the recording paper strip fed out from
the roll is provided with a paper seal roll in addition
to a recording paper roll. It is also provided with a
means to stack a paper seal on the cut recorded paper and
also with a means to join the recorded paper and the
paper seal together at its peripheral portions.
When image data is sent to such an image recording
apparatus, the apparatus starts to feed the recording
paper strip from the roll. As the recording paper strip
is fed out, the recording head reproduces an image of
received data on the paper. At the same time that the
recording paper strip is fed out, the paper seal is also
supplied to be stacked on the recorded paper which has -
received data image reproduced thereon. Then the
recorded paper and the paper seal, which is put on the
former, are joined together around the peripheral
portions by a joining means and are output in the form of
a sealed letter.
With this invention, since the image recording
apparatus has a roll of paper seal so that the paper seal
can be placed on the recorded paper and bonded to it
along the peripheral portions, it is possible to keep
secret the contents of personal letters, corporate's
classified documents, or highly creative designs (such as
apparel designs) that have the risk of being misappro~
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priated. This provides a security to the user.
One embodiment of this invention will be described
in detail by referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the con-
struction of the conventional image recording apparatus;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the con-
struction of one embodiment of the image recording
apparatus according to this invention;
Figure 3 is a diagram showing one example of
treatment applied to the surface of the paper seal used
in the embodiment to hide contents of the recorded paper
below; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing one example
of a received document obtained with the image recording
apparatus of the above embodiment.
Figure S is a perspective view showing the construc-
tion of second embodiment of the image recording apparatus
according to the present invention;
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Figure 6 is a side view of the second embodiment;
~ Figure i is a block diagram of a facsimile in which
the image recording apparatus according to the present
invention may be incorporated;
Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example
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of a received document obtained with the image recording
apparatus of the second embodiment;
Figure 9 is a side view showing the construction
of third embodiment of the image recording apparatus
according to the present invention; ~ :
Figure 10 is a plan view showing a condition of :~
a received document entered into an envelope used in ~:
the third embodiment;
Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the construc-
tion of forth embodiment of the image recording apparatus
according to the present invention; and :~
Figure 12 is side view showing the recorded paper
obtained with the image recording apparatus of the forth
embodiment being folded. ~ ~:
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS ~ ~ :
Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of the image record-
ing apparatus according to the present invention.
The image recording apparatus of this embodiment is similar
in basic construction to the above-mentioned conventional
image recording apparatus in that it consists of; a roll
2 of recording paper strip 1 ; an image reproducing ~ ~:
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section 3 for reproducing the recorded images on the
recording paper as by thermal transfer; supply rollers 4
for feeding the recording paper strip 1 to the image
reproducing section 3; and a cutter 5 to cut the paper
strip 1 at the end of the recorded portion. This
embodiment, however, is provided with additional members.
These are: a paper seal roll 6 installed separately from
the recording paper roll 2; second supply rollers 8 for
feeding the paper seal 7 from the roil 6 and sending it
toward the transport path of the recording paper strip 1;
press rollers 9 for stacking the paper seal 7 on the
recording paper 1; and a sealing member 10 for joining
the recording paper 1 and the paper seal 7 at the
peripheral portions.
While the recording paper 1 is made of heat sensi-
tive paper or electrostatic recording paper, the paper
seal is formed of common paper. The paper seal 7 is cut
to almost the same width as the recording paper 1. It is
either formed thick enough to prevent the information
recorded on the recording paper from being seen through;
or, a side 7a of the seal to be placed in contact with
the recorded paper 1 is given a blindfolding treatment
such as by painting it with a certain color as shown at
7b of Figure 3. ;
Now, the operation of the image recording apparatus
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with the above construction will be explained below.
First, when the image data is transmitted to the
image recording apparatus, the apparatus is started to
operate the supply rollers 4 feeding the recording paper
strip 1 from the roll 2. The image reproducing section 3
reproduces received characters or figures on the record-
ing paper 1, and the recorded portion of the paper 1 is
transferred to the rear of the image reproducing section
3. While the recording paper 1 is transported and
recorded with data, the paper seal 7 is fed out from the
roll 6 by the second supply rollers 8. The paper seal 7
is stacked on the recorded portion of the recording paper
1 by the press rollers 9. A certain time lag is provided
between the feed timing of the recording paper 1 and that
of the paper seal 7 such that the paper seal 7 will begin
to touch the recording paper 1 a predetermined distance L :
rearward from the front end la of the recording paper 1.
The distance L is preferably several centimeters from the
upper end la of the recording paper 1 so that such
information as addressee lb and date lc is not covered by :
the seal 7. The recording paper 1 and the paper seal 7
thus stacked together are transferred to the sealing :- ~: :
member 10, where the front end portion 7c of the paper
seal 7 is first bonded to the recording paper 1, followed
by side portions l d, 7d of the recording paper 1 and the
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paper seal 7 being joined together on each side. This
joining operation is achieved either by pasting or
forming lines of perforations. The joining operation on
the side portions ld, 7d is performed at the same time
that the recording operation is carried out on the
recording paper 1. When the recording on that page is
finished, the rear end le of the recorded portion of the
paper 1 and the corresponding part 7e of the seal paper 7
are bonded together. Then, at the bonded portions le,
7e, the recording paper 1 and the paper seal 7 are cut
and separated from the remaining strips of the recording
paper and the seal. As a result, the received document
sealed as shown in Figure 4 is discharged from the image
recording apparatus. After this, the supply rollers 4
and 8 are reversed to move the front ends of the record-
ing paper 1 and the paper seal 7 back to the respective
starting positions so that the apparatus can process the
next page or document.
When there is no need ~o keep the reproduced images
from view of other people, a normal mode is set to
perform the usual image recording, outputting the
recorded paper 1 with no Fover on it.
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Figures 5 through 8 show a second embodiment of this
invention. Unlike the image recording apparatus of the
first embodiment, the second embodiment winds the
recorded paper strip into a roll and seals the both ends
of the roll of the recorded paper strip.
In Figure 5, reference numeral 10 represents a
facsimile machine. At one end of the facsimile machine
10 are provided a recorded paper discharge port 11 and a
holder 12 located close to the discharge port 11. The
holder 12 has a pair of spaced guide members 13 formed
near the both sides thereof to wind the recorded paper
strip 1 fed out from the discharge port 11 into a
circular cylinder. These guide members 13 are formed by
cutting recesses 14 in the holder 12 near its sides but
inside the edges of the recording paper 1 in the direc-
tion of paper feed and by curving the cut portions ~-
upward.
Provided above the holder 12 is a binding device 15 : '.:'
that binds the recorded paper 1 rolled by the guide ;-~
members 13 in the form of a mail. The binding device 15
consists of: motors 16 attached to each side of the
facsimile machine 10; arm members 17 coupled at one end
to the rotating shafts of the motors 16; a frame 18
coupied to and supported by the other end of the arm
members 17; and press blocks 19 and bonding members 20,
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both mounted to the frame 18 . Two motors 16 are provided
one on each side of the facsimile machine 10, and the arm
members 17 coupled to the respective motors 16 are also
provided on both sides of the facsimile machine 10. The
arm member 17 is formed of a link mechanism such as a ~ -
parallelogram link. The frame 18 is structured in a
rectangular shape. The press blocks 19 are attached to
the front and rear portions of the frame 18. The bonding
members 20 are fitted to each side of the frame 18. The
press block 19 is short enough to be accommodated between
the pair of guide members 13. The bonding members 20 are
arranged on the frame l 8 at positions that correspond to
the side edges of the recording paper 1 outside the pair
of guide members 13. The bonding member 20 may consist,
for example, of a plurality of very small cutters 21
about 1 to 1.5 millimeters in length arranged in line
with certain spaces therebetween. The holder l 2 is
formed with a plurality of slits 22 at positions facing
the cutter mounting positions for accepting the front
ends of the cutters 21.
This embodiment is provided with a control circuit
which, when the facsimile machine 10 receives a message,
can record addressee information on the recording paper
at the end of the message received. One example of such
a control circuit is shown in Figure 7.
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In the figure, denoted 31 is an image scanner means
that scans the text and generates image data for trans-
mission over telephone lines. Designated 32 is a printer
unit that outputs the received image data in the form of
an image. A communication controller 33 performs a
specified sequence of control procedures for facsimile
communication. Reference number 34 represents a modem
that performs modulation and demodulation on image
signals. A network control unit 35 performs an automatic
data transmission and reception through a network of
telephone lines 36. Denoted 37 is a system controller
that controls the overall operation of the facsimile
machine 10 and which is connected with an image memory
38.
In the above construction, as the facsimile recep-
tion operation is initiated, the system controller 37
starts the printer unit 32 and at the same time has the ;
image signal received via telephone circuit 36 demodulat-
ed by the modem 34. The system controller 37 then
reproduces from the demodulated image signal the same
image data that was generated when the text was scanned
on the other end of the telephone line. The image data
thus produced is recorded and printed out by the printer
unit 32.
At the same time, the system controller 37 stores in
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the image memory 38 a specified number of first lines of
image data received. The number of lines stored in the
image memory 3~ may correspond to several centimeters
(equivalent to the dimension L) from the front end of ~he
recording paper 1, that is, the number of lines need only
be large enough to reproduce the addressee information.
The recorded paper l printed out by the printer unit
32 is discharged from the discharge port 11 . As the
recorded paper l is fed out, the front end la of the
recorded paper 1 advances on the holder 12 and reaches
the guide members 13, along which the paper 1 is further
moved and wound into a cylindrical roll, as shown in
Figure 5. (The rolled cylindrical portion is designated
lf. ) When all data is received and the facsimile machine
10 completes the telephone circuit disconnecting process-
ing, the system controller 37 retrieves the first portion :
of the received image data from the image memory 38 and
transfers it to the printer unit 32. The printer unit 32
then records the first portion of the received image data
again at the end of the received message before cutting
the recorded paper strip l. Now, the paper discharge
operation is completed with the last portion of recorded ~ -
information (referred to as a last recorded portion lg)
left unwound at the end of the rolled cylindrical portion
lf. The last recorded portion lg contains such informa-
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tion as addressee lb and date lc.
Next, the system controller 37 issues a command to
the binding device 15 to bind the discharged recorded
paper 1. When this binding process is initiated, the
motors 16 are started to rotate the arm members 17
connected to the motors 16, lowering the frame 18 toward
the rolled cylindrical portion l f of the recorded paper
1. As the frame 18 is lowered, the press blocks l9
presses the cylindrical portion l f between the guide
members 13 to fold that portion. At the same time, the
bonding members 20 engage and press the end portions of
the rolled cylindrical portion lf (or the both side edges
of the recorded paper strip 1), flattening and folding --
the wound recorded paper strip 1 in layers. This
pressing action causes the cutters 21 attached to the
bonding members 20 to advance toward the slits 22,
piercing through the end portions of the rolled cylindri~
cal portion lf of the recorded paper strip l or making
embossed deformation on the end portions, to form a
sealed portion 23 which binds a number of folded sheets
together as shown in Figure 8. Now, an operator on the ~
receiving end of the telephone line picks up a completed -
form of the bound recorded paper of Figure 8 by pulling
it out of the holder in the direction S in Figure 5 and
hands it to the intended addressee.
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Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a third embodiment of
the invention. This embodiment employs a method of
putting the recorded sheets 1 in an envelope before
discharging it.
In this embodiment, an envelope-containing box 40 as
shown in Figure 9 is provided behind the cutter 5 of the
first embodiment (see Figure 2). The box 40, loaded with
a plurality of envelops 41, has an opening 42 formed at
the bottom through which the envelops 41 are discharged.
The opening 42 is provided with a hook portion 43 at the
front end thereof. Beneath the box 40 is installed a
base 44 that supports the envelope 41. Each of the
envelopes 41 is made up of a sheet of paper simply folded
in two and contained in the box 40. The envelope 41 is ~-~
folded in such a manner that an upper layer 41a is
slightly longer than a lower layer 41b. Hence, when the
envelopes 41 are loaded in the box 40, the bottom
envelope 41c is set as shown in Figure 9, in which the
edge of the upper layer 41a engages the hook portion 43
and the lower layer 41~ rests on the base 44 with the
mating ends separated apart.
This embodiment also employs the same bonding
members 20 and control circuit that are used in the
second embodiment.
In the operation of such an image recording appara-
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tus, the system controller 37 stores in the image memory38 the specified number of first lines of the image data
received. At the same time, the system controller 37 ~ :
transfers the image data to the printer unit 32. Each
time the recording paper l is recorded with messages over
an area slightly shorter than the longitudinal length of ~ ::
the envelope 41, the system controller 37 issues a paper :
cutting command to the printer unit. According to this
command, the recorded paper l is cut one after another to ~ :~
a size almost equal to the longitudinal length of the
envelope 41, and the cut sheets l are then fed into the
envelope 41c standing by on the base 44. For the last
page of the recorded sheet, however, the system control-
ler 37 does not issue the paper cutting command immedi- ::
ately after all the data has been received and the
facsimile machine 10 has completed the telephone line
disconnecting processing. The system controller 37
instead retrieves the first part of the received image
data from the image memory 38 and transfers it to the
prihter unit 32. The printer unit 32 is made to continu-
ously feed out an extra length of the recording paper l
corresponding to one complete page and to record the
image data read from the image memory 38 on the extra
page l h and cut the paper l. As a result, the recorded
paper 1 is discharged from the printer unit with the last
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extra page lh left outside the envelope 41. The last
extra page lh is recorded with such information as
addressee l b and date l c.
Then, the system controller 37 issues another
command to the printer unit 32 to bind the envelope 41 by
the binding device 15. When this process is started, the
associated drive mechanism is activated to press the
bonding members against the envelope 41. The bonding
members are set at positions corresponding to circumfer-
ential parts of the envelope 41 other than the folded
portion. This pressing action causes the cutters 21
attached to the bonding members 20 to advance toward the
slits 22, piercing through the recorded sheets 1 at the
circumferential portions of the envelope 41 or making
embossed deformation, to form a sealed portion 45. As a
result, a sealed envelope 41 is obtained with an extra
page lh which is printed with addressee and other
information lb left exposed, as shown in Figure 10. A
facsimile operator at the receiving end therefore can
easily identify the addressee of the envelope.
In this embodiment it is also possible to print the
data retrieved from the image memory 38 on the front of
the sealed envelope 41 after putting the cut sheets 1
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printed with the received image data into the envelope
and sealing it.
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Figures 11 and 12 show a fourth embodiment of the
invention. This embodiment employs a method of folding
the recorded sheet 1 during the process of discharging
it.
As shown in Figure 11, this embodiment has a
recorded paper folding member 50 located behind the -~
cutter S. As shown in Figure 12, a binding device 15 is
arranged close to the discharge port 11 of the facsimile
machine 10. A control circuit similar to the one shown
in Figure 7 is used to control the facsimile~s reception
and recording operation. This embodiment, however, does
not necessarily employ the image memory 38 but may
instead use a modified program in the system controller
37 to generate a confidential document.
In the operation of such an image recording appara-
tus, the system controller 37 stores in the image memory
38 a specified number of the first lines of the image
data received. At the same time, the system controller
37 transfers the image data to the printer unit 32 for
recording. According to a command from the system
controller 37, the printer unit 32 feeds the first page
of the recorded paper 1 so that the first page will be
relatively longer than the ordinary size. The first page
is recorded only in the last area beginning several ~-~
centimeters from the end where the information including - -
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addressee l b and date l d are printed. When a specified
length of sheet 1 is fed out, the recorded sheet folding
member 50 is activated to fold the recorded paper l so
that the printed side always faces outside. The record-
ing operation is continuously carried out also on a
second page. For the second page, the recorded paper l
is fed a distance slightly shorter than the first page,
at which time the folding member 50 is activated to fold
the sheet in a direction opposite to that of the first
page. Likewise, the succeeding pages are fed the same
distance as the second page and folded in the alternate
directions. As to the last page, after all the image
data is recorded, the sheet l is fed out until the last
page is equal in length to the first page, at which time
the sheet 1 is cut by the cutter 5. As a result, the
recorded paper l obtained will be as shown in Figure 12,
with the recorded pages folded between the first and last
pages which are longer than the intermediate pages.
Then the system controller 37 issues a command to
the printer unit 32 to bind the envelope 41 by the
binding device 15. When the binding process is initiat-
ed, the associated drive mechanism is activated to press
the bonding members 20 against the folded recorded sheet -~
1. The bonding members 20 are arranged at such positions -~-
that only the first and last pages are bound together at --
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the circumferential portion of the paper. This pressing
action causes the cutters 21 attached to the bonding
members 20 to advance toward the slits 22, piercing
through the recorded paper 1 or making embossed deforma-
tion, to form a seal for the confidential document.
Since the first page of this document is printed with
such information as addressee l~, an operator on the
receiving end can easily identify the intended addressee.
Although the present invention has been described by
referring to the attached drawings in relation to the
embodiments shown therein, various modifications may be
made by those skilled in the art without departing the
spirit of the present invention.
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