Paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer and method for using the same

1. A paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a drive gear, coaxially coupled to a shaft of a drive roller and adapted to transfer a sheet of paper to a printing zone;

a feed gear, coaxially coupled to a shaft of a feed roller and adapted to align the sheet transferred from the drive roller;

a discharge gear, coaxially coupled to a shaft of a discharge roller and adapted to discharge the sheet after the sheet has passed through the printing zone;

a motor, adapted to supply rotation power to the shaft of the feed roller; and

a power transfer unit, adapted to transfer a rotation power of the shaft of the feed roller to the drive gear and the discharge gear such that the drive gear and the discharge gear rotate in a constant direction regardless of a direction in which the feed gear rotates, the power transfer unit comprising:

a swing gear clutch installed between the feed gear and the drive gear for causing a rotation direction of the drive gear to be constantly maintained in a direction that is adapted to transfer the sheet to the printing zone even though a direction of rotation of the feed gear changes; and

a rotation power transfer device, adapted to couple the drive gear to the discharge gear for causing the discharge gear to rotate in the same direction as the drive gear.

2. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the swing gear clutch includes:

a swing gear meshed with the feed gear;

a swing arm having a first arm and a second arm, and coupled to a shaft of the swing gear;

a first swing gear train coupled to the first arm, said first swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in the same direction as a direction of rotation of the feed gear; and

a second swing gear train coupled to the second arm, said second swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in a direction reverse to a direction of rotation of the feed gear, such that the swing arm revolves about the shaft of the swing gear in accordance with a direction of rotation of the feed gear to selectively utilize one of the first swing gear train and the second swing gear train to rotate the drive gear.

3. A paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a drive gear, coaxially coupled to a shaft of a drive roller and adapted to transfer a sheet of paper to a printing zone;

a feed gear, coaxially coupled to a shaft of a feed roller and adapted to align the sheet transferred from the drive roller;

a discharge gear, coaxially coupled to a shaft of a discharge roller and adapted to discharge the sheet after the sheet has passed through the printing zone;

a motor, adapted to supply rotation power to the shaft of the feed roller; and

a power transfer unit, adapted to transfer a rotation power of the shaft of the feed roller to the drive gear and the discharge gear such that the drive gear and the discharge gear rotate in a constant direction regardless of a direction in which the feed gear rotates, the power transfer unit comprising:

a swing gear clutch coupled between the feed gear and the discharge gear for causing a direction of rotation of the discharge gear to be constantly maintained in a direction that is adapted to discharge the printing sheet even though a direction of rotation of the feed gear changes; and

a rotation power transfer device, adapted to connect the drive gear and the discharge gear for causing the drive gear to rotate in the same direction as the discharge gear.

4. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the swing gear clutch includes:

a swing gear meshed with the feed gear;

a swing arm having a first arm and a second arm, and coupled to a shaft of the swing gear;

a first swing gear train coupled to the first arm, said first swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in the same direction as a direction of rotation of the feed gear; and

a second swing gear train coupled to the second arm, said second swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in a direction reverse to a direction of rotation of the feed gear, such that the swing arm revolves about the shaft of the swing gear based on a direction of rotation of the feed gear to selectively utilize one of the first swing gear train and the second swing gear train to rotate the discharge gear.

5. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first swing gear train comprises an odd number of gears.

6. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first swing gear train comprises an odd number of gears.

7. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second swing gear train comprises an even number of gears.

8. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second swing gear train comprises an even number of gears.

9. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotation power transfer device includes:

a first pulley coaxially coupled to the drive gear;

a second pulley coaxially coupled to the discharge gear; and

a belt connecting the first and second pulleys.

10. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the rotation power transfer device includes:

a first pulley coaxially coupled to the drive gear;

a second pulley coaxially coupled to the discharge gear; and

a belt connecting the first and second pulleys.

11. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first and second pulleys comprise timing pulleys, respectively.

12. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first and second pulleys comprise timing pulleys, respectively.

13. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power transfer unit includes:

a first middle gear meshed with the drive gear, the swing gear clutch being installed between the feed gear and the first middle gear for causing a rotation direction of the drive gear to be constantly maintained in a direction that is adapted to transfer the sheet to the printing zone even though a direction of rotation of the feed gear changes;

a second middle gear meshed with the discharge gear, the rotation power transfer device being adapted to connect the first and second middle gears for causing the discharge gear to rotate in the same direction as the drive gear.

14. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the swing gear clutch includes:

a swing gear meshed with the feed gear;

a swing arm having a first arm and a second arm and coupled to a shaft of the swing gear;

a first swing gear train coupled to the first arm, said first swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in the same direction as a direction of rotation of the feed gear; and

a second swing gear train coupled to the second arm, said second swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in a direction reverse to a direction of rotation of the feed gear, such that the swing arm revolves about the shaft of the swing gear based on a rotation direction of the feed gear to selectively utilize one of the first swing gear train and the second swing gear train to rotate the first middle gear.

15. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the rotation power transfer device includes:

a first pulley coaxially coupled to the first middle gear;

a second pulley coaxially coupled to the second middle gear; and

a belt connecting the first and second pulleys.

16. A paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a motor;

a first gear, adapted to be rotated by the motor, the first gear being mounted on a feed roller;

a second gear mounted on a drive roller for transporting paper received from a pickup roller to the feed roller;

a third gear mounted on a discharge roller for discharging paper received from the feed roller;

a swing gear clutch, installed between the first gear and the second gear and adapted to rotate the second gear in a constant direction even though a rotation direction of the-first gear changes; and

a rotation power transfer device, adapted to transfer rotational power from the second gear to the third gear.

17. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the swing gear clutch includes:

a swing gear meshed with the first gear;

a swing arm having a first arm and a second arm and coupled to a shaft of the swing gear;

a first swing gear train coupled to the first arm, said first swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in the same direction as a direction of rotation of the first gear; and

a second swing gear train coupled to the second arm, said second swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in a direction reverse to a direction of rotation of the second gear, such that the swing arm revolves about the shaft of the swing gear based on a rotation direction of the first gear to selectively utilize one of the first swing gear train and the second swing gear train to rotate the second gear.

18. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first swing gear train comprises an odd number of gears.

19. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second swing gear train comprises an even number of gears.

20. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the rotation power transfer device includes:

a first pulley coaxially coupled to the second gear;

a second pulley coaxially coupled to the third gear; and

a belt connecting the first and second pulleys.

21. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the first and second pulleys comprise timing pulleys, respectively.

22. A paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a motor;

a first gear, adapted to be rotated by the motor, the first gear being mounted on a feed roller;

a second gear mounted on a drive roller for transporting paper received from a pickup roller to the feed roller;

a first middle gear meshed with the second gear;

a third gear mounted on a discharge roller for discharging paper received from the feed roller;

a second middle gear meshed with the third gear;

a swing gear clutch, installed between the first gear and the first middle gear and adapted to rotate the first middle gear in a constant direction even though a direction of rotation of the first gear changes; and

a rotation power transfer device, adapted to transfer a rotation power of the first middle gear to the second middle gear.

23. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the swing gear clutch includes:

a swing gear meshed with the first gear;

a swing arm having a first arm and a second arm and coupled to a shaft of the swing gear;

a first swing gear train coupled to the first arm, said first swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in the same direction as a direction of rotation of the first gear; and

a second swing gear train coupled to the second arm, said second swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in a direction reverse to a direction of rotation of the second gear, such that the swing arm revolves about the shaft of the swing gear based on a rotation direction of the first gear to selectively use one of the first swing gear train and the second swing gear train to rotate the first middle gear.

24. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the rotation power transfer device includes:

a first pulley coaxially coupled to the first middle gear;

a second pulley coaxially coupled to the second middle gear; and

a belt connecting the first and second pulleys.

25. A paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a paper supply cassette, adapted to Store a plurality of sheets of paper;

a pickup roller, installed over the paper supply cassette and adapted to pick up a said sheet;

a drive roller, adapted to move the sheet transferred from the pickup roller toward a printing zone;

a feed roller, adapted to align the sheet transferred from the drive roller;

a discharge roller, adapted to discharge the sheet that has passed through the printing zone;

a drive gear coaxially coupled to a shaft of the drive roller;

a feed gear coaxially coupled to a shaft of the feed roller;

a discharge gear coaxially coupled to a shaft of the discharge roller;

a motor, adapted to supply a rotation power to the shaft of the feed roller;

a first middle gear meshed with the drive gear;

a swing gear clutch installed between the feed gear and the first middle gear for causing the drive roller to be constantly maintained in a direction that is adapted to transfer the sheet to the print zone even though a rotation direction of the feed roller changes and;

a second middle gear meshed with the discharge gear; and

a rotation power transfer device, adapted to connect the first middle gear and the second middle gear for causing the discharge roller to rotate in the same direction as the drive roller.

26. The paper feeding mechanism for an inkjet printer as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the swing gear clutch includes:

a swing gear meshed with the feed gear;

a swing arm having a first arm and a second arm and coupled to a shaft of the swing gear;

a first swing gear train coupled to the first arm, said first swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in the same direction as a direction of rotation of the feed gear; and

a second swing gear train coupled to the second arm, said second swing gear train being adapted to transfer a rotation power in a direction reverse to a direction of rotation direction of the feed gear, such that the swing arm revolves about the shaft of the swing gear based on a rotation direction of the feed gear to selectively utilize one of the first swing gear train and the second swing gear train to rotate the first middle gear.

27. The paper feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the rotation power transfer device includes:

a first pulley coaxially coupled to the first middle gear;

a second pulley coaxially coupled to the second middle gear; and

a belt connecting the first and second pulleys.