JP2005200183A - Carrying device and image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rapidly and accurately correct skew for stiff recording material. <P>SOLUTION: A skew correcting device 19 is installed on a photo printer carrying route for carrying recording paper sheets 28 in two rows. The skew correcting device 19 comprises a pair of pre-register rollers 35, a pair of register rollers 36, carrying guides 37a and 37b, and pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b moving the carrying guides 37a and 37b in directions moving close to the recording paper sheet 28 and apart from the recording paper sheet 28. In skew correction, the pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b are driven to press the carrying guides 37a and 37b against the deflected portions of the deflected recording paper sheets 28 to press the leading sides of the recording paper sheets 28 against the pair of register rollers 36. As a result, the skew correction can be rapidly and accurately performed for stiff recording paper sheets 28. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus that corrects a skew of a sheet body while conveying the sheet body, and an image recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet body (recording material) skew-corrected by the conveying apparatus.

  For example, in a photographic printer, the recording light is scanned in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction while sandwiching and conveying the cut sheet-like photosensitive material in the sub-scanning direction using a plurality of conveying roller pairs arranged in the conveying path. Thus, image recording by so-called scanning exposure is performed. Many of these photographic printers perform simultaneous exposure while conveying a plurality of photosensitive materials in parallel in the main scanning direction in order to increase the processing capacity (number of sheets) per unit time.

  In order to obtain a high-quality photographic print, the photosensitive material needs to be exposed at an appropriate position and orientation. However, the cut sheet-shaped photosensitive material may be tilted during conveyance and become a so-called skewed state. Many. If the photosensitive material is exposed in a skewed state, an image is recorded obliquely with respect to the photosensitive material, so that the quality of the photographic print is significantly deteriorated. For this reason, as described in Patent Document 1, the photosensitive material that is being conveyed in parallel is brought into contact with the conveyance roller pair in a conveyance stopped state, and the photosensitive material is bent in this state, whereby each photosensitive material is There is a method of correcting the skew of the photosensitive material by performing a so-called top resist so that the entire front end side is parallel to the axial direction (main scanning direction) of the pair of conveying rollers.

  Photo printers often use photographic paper as a photosensitive material, but this photographic paper is strong. Therefore, even if it is attempted to correct the skew of the photographic printing paper using the method described in Patent Document 1, the skew may not be completely corrected because the entire leading edge of the photographic paper is not bent so as to contact the pair of conveyance rollers. There is. For this reason, in a photographic printer using a strong photosensitive material, as described in Patent Document 2, in a state where the photosensitive material is bent, by rotating the pair of conveyance rollers that contact the tip side, The entire front end side is brought into contact with the pair of conveying rollers so that more accurate skew correction is performed.

JP 2001-174927 A (page 5) JP 2003-195424 A (page 6)

  By using the photographic printer described in Patent Document 2, even when a strong photosensitive material is used, the skew can be accurately corrected. After the photosensitive material is bent at the time of skew correction, Since it is necessary to reverse the conveying roller pair, it takes time to correct the skew. As a result, the processing capacity per unit time is reduced, and this photographic printer cannot be employed in a minilab apparatus or the like that requires high processing capacity.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and even when a strong photosensitive material is used, a transport apparatus capable of correcting skew at high speed and accurately, and an image recording apparatus provided with the transport apparatus The purpose is to provide.

  The present invention provides a conveying means for conveying a sheet body, an abutting member disposed on the downstream side of the conveying means, for abutting the leading edge of the sheet body, and a leading edge of the sheet body on the abutting member. By abutting, the sheet body forms a bent portion between the conveying means and the abutting member, and the conveyance by the conveying means is continued until the entire front end side comes into contact with the abutting member, whereby the sheet And a skew correction unit that corrects a skew of the body. The conveyance device includes a pressing unit that presses the bent portion of the sheet body and presses the leading end side against the abutting member. Further, the abutting member is a pair of conveying rollers for nipping and conveying the sheet member, and the skew correction unit drives the conveying unit to stop conveying the leading edge of the sheet member. It is preferable to abut against the roller pair. Further, a conveying roller pair that is disposed between the conveying unit and the abutting member and sandwiches and conveys the sheet member, a sandwiching state in which the sheet roller is sandwiched and conveyed, and the sheet member A switching mechanism that can be switched between a release state for releasing clamping, and the skew correction unit drives the conveying unit to abut the leading edge of the sheet member against the abutting member. It is preferable to drive the switching mechanism to switch the conveyance roller pair from the pinched state to the released state.

  The conveying means and the conveying roller pair convey a plurality of the sheet bodies in parallel, and the pressing means includes a plurality of pressing members for pressing the bent portions of the sheet bodies that are conveyed in parallel. It is preferable that it is provided for each column. In addition, it is preferable that the pressing unit performs pressing using the plurality of pressing members when the sheet members are conveyed in a single row and across the plurality of pressing members. Furthermore, it is preferable that the conveying means and the abutting member are arranged on a curved conveying path, and a conveying guide for guiding the sheet body conveyed by the conveying means to the abutting member is used as the pressing member. . Moreover, it is preferable that a plurality of ribs for reducing a contact area between the conveyance guide and the sheet body are formed on a surface of the conveyance guide facing the sheet body.

  Further, the present invention provides a conveying means for conveying a sheet-like recording material, an abutting member disposed on the downstream side of the conveying means for abutting the leading edge of the recording material, and recording on the abutting member The leading edge of the material is brought into contact, and the recording material forms a bent portion between the conveying means and the pair of conveying rollers, and the conveying means continues to convey until the entire leading edge contacts the abutting member. Thus, in the image recording apparatus including the skew correction unit that corrects the skew of the recording material, the image recording apparatus includes a pressing unit that presses the bent portion of the recording material and presses the tip side against the abutting member. It is characterized by that. Further, the abutting member is a pair of conveying rollers for nipping and conveying the recording material, and the skew correcting means drives the conveying means to stop conveying the leading edge of the recording material. It is preferable to abut against the roller pair. Further, a conveying roller pair that is disposed between the conveying unit and the abutting member and sandwiches and conveys the recording material; a sandwiching state in which the recording material is sandwiched and conveyed; and the recording material A switching mechanism that can be switched between a release state for releasing clamping, and the skew correction unit drives the conveying unit to abut the leading edge of the recording material against the abutting member. It is preferable to drive the switching mechanism to switch the conveyance roller pair from the pinched state to the released state.

  The conveying means and the conveying roller pair convey a plurality of the recording materials in parallel, and the pressing means includes a plurality of pressing members for pressing the bending portion of the recording material to be conveyed in parallel. It is preferable that it is provided for each column. Further, it is preferable that the pressing means presses using the plurality of pressing members when the recording material is conveyed in a single row and across the plurality of pressing members. Further, it is preferable that the conveying unit and the abutting member are arranged on a curved conveying path, and a conveying guide for guiding the recording material conveyed by the conveying unit to the abutting member is used as the pressing member. . In addition, it is preferable that a plurality of ribs for reducing a contact area between the conveyance guide and the recording material are formed on a surface of the conveyance guide facing the recording material.

  A conveying device of the present invention and an image recording apparatus including the conveying device include a conveying unit that conveys a sheet body, and an abutting member that is disposed on the downstream side of the conveying unit, and abuts the leading edge of the sheet body The leading edge of the sheet body is abutted against the abutting member, the sheet body forms a bent portion between the conveying means and the abutting member, and the entire leading edge abuts against the abutting member. A skew correcting means for correcting the skew of the sheet body by continuing the conveyance by the conveying means, and a pressing means for pressing the bent portion of the sheet body and pressing the tip side against the abutting member. Since it is provided, skew correction can be performed at high speed and accurately even for a recording material having a strong stiffness. As a result, the processing capacity per unit time of the apparatus can be increased.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a photographic printer 10 using the transport device of the present invention. The photographic printer 10 conveys a cut sheet-like photosensitive material in two rows and simultaneously exposes it to output a photographic print. As shown in FIG. 1, magazines 12 and 13, cutters 15 and 16, and back printing device 18 are provided. And a skew correction device 19, an exposure device 21, a developing device 22, and the like.

  The magazines 12 and 13 are loaded at predetermined positions in the photographic printer 10 and store recording paper rolls 25 each of which is a roll of a long photosensitive recording paper 24 that is a photosensitive material. Further, a pair of paper feed rollers 27 is provided in the vicinity of the paper feed opening of the magazines 12 and 13, and when the paper feed roller pair 27 is rotated by a paper feed motor (not shown), the photosensitive recording paper 11 is pulled out from the recording paper roll 25. , Sent to the cutters 15 and 16.

  The cutters 15 and 16 are respectively arranged with the conveyance path of the photosensitive recording paper 24 interposed therebetween. When the leading end of the photosensitive recording paper 24 is fed out from the cutters 15 and 16 by a predetermined length, a cutter driving mechanism (not shown) is activated. Then, the photosensitive recording paper 24 is cut into a recording paper sheet 28 having a predetermined length (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Instead of providing two cutters, a single cutter may be arranged in the vicinity of the back printing device 18.

  The recording paper sheet 28 cut by the cutters 15 and 16 is printed on the back printing device 18 and the inclination correcting device 19 along the conveyance path indicated by the dotted line in the drawing by a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 30 and 31 arranged in the conveyance path. Then, the exposure device 21 and the developing device 22 are conveyed in this order. At this time, the timing at which the recording paper sheet 28 is sent from the magazines 12 and 13 to the conveyance path is adjusted so that the recording paper sheets 28 supplied from the magazines 12 and 13 are conveyed in parallel. In the present embodiment, the magazines 12 and 13 are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction in the figure, but may be arranged in parallel in the width direction of the recording paper sheet 28 instead. Further, instead of arranging two magazines, a plurality of recording paper rolls 25 may be set in the same magazine, and a distribution device (not shown) for moving the recording paper sheet 28 in the width direction is provided. The recording paper sheets 28 may be arranged in parallel. The back printing device 18 prints necessary information such as a film ID and a frame number on the back surface (surface opposite to the recording surface) of the recording paper sheets 28 conveyed in parallel (two rows).

  Each recording paper sheet 28 on which reverse printing has been performed is conveyed in two rows to the skew correction device 19 by a conveying roller pair 31. The skew correction device 19 corresponds to the conveyance device of the present invention, and will be described in detail later, and corrects the skew (inclination) of the recording paper sheet 28 simultaneously in two rows. Each recording paper sheet 28 with the skew corrected is conveyed to the exposure device 21.

  The exposure device 21 includes a known laser printer and an image memory. The image memory stores image data read by a film scanner (not shown) or from a recording medium such as a memory card (not shown). The laser printer scans the laser beam, which has been intensity-modulated corresponding to the image to be recorded, in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the transport direction (sub-scanning direction), and exposes the recording paper sheets 28 in two rows simultaneously. The exposed recording paper sheet 28 is sent to the developing device 22. In the developing device 22, color development / fixing / washing processes are performed, and then a drying process is performed, which is sent out of the photographic printer 10 as a photographic print.

  Next, the skew correction device 19 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the skew correction device 19, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the skew correction device 19 of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the skew correction device 19 is conveyed by the known pre-registration roller pair 35 and registration roller pair 36 for correcting skew of the recording paper sheet 28 conveyed in two rows, or the pre-registration roller pair 35. In addition to the conveyance guides 37 and 38 for guiding the leading edge of each recording paper sheet 28 to the registration roller pair 36, as will be described in detail later, the conveying guide 37 is used to move the leading edge of the bent recording paper sheet 28 to the registration roller pair. A pressing mechanism 40 that presses against 36 is provided. The driving of each roller pair 35 and 36 and the pressing mechanism 40 of the skew correction device is controlled by a control unit 41 (see FIG. 1) that controls the overall operation of the photographic printer 10.

  The pre-registration roller pair 35 and the registration roller pair 36 are provided on a curved conveyance path, and the recording paper sheet 28 is moved vertically in the figure and horizontally in the figure (see FIGS. 1 and 3) by a conveyance motor (not shown). Transport. Further, the pre-registration roller pair 35 is provided with a release mechanism (not shown) for releasing the clamping state of the roller pair, and the registration roller pair 36 can rotate forward and backward. Since the conveyance directions of the roller pairs 35 and 36 are orthogonal to each other, the conveyance guides 37 and 38 form a substantially arc-shaped conveyance path that changes the conveyance direction of the recording paper sheet 28 by approximately 90 °. The driving of the release mechanism is also controlled by the control unit 41 described above.

  When skew correction is performed on the skewed recording paper sheet 28, as is well known, after one corner of the recording paper sheet 28 conveyed by the pre-registration roller pair 35 abuts against the registration roller pair 36. In addition, the recording paper sheet 28 is conveyed by a predetermined amount to cause the recording paper sheet 28 to bend. Conventionally, only the force with which the bent recording paper sheet 28 tries to return to its original position is used to bring the entire front end side into contact with the registration roller pair 36. However, as described above, the recording paper sheet If the stiffness of 28 is strong, there is a possibility that the entire tip side does not contact the registration roller pair 36. Therefore, in the present invention, the front end side is forcibly pressed against the registration roller pair 36 by pressing the bent portion (see FIG. 5) of the recording paper sheet 28 using the pressing mechanism 40 and pressing the front end side against the registration roller pair 36. Insert between the rollers. As a result, even when a strong recording paper sheet 28 is used, the entire leading edge can be brought into contact with the registration roller pair 36.

  Since the skew correction device 19 is provided at the corner of the conveyance path where the conveyance direction of the recording paper sheet 18 changes by approximately 90 °, the recording surface (exposure surface) side of the recording paper sheet 28 is convex at the time of skew correction. Bend. By providing the skew correction device 19 at the corner of the conveyance path, the recording paper sheet 28 is easily bent, and when the bent portion is pressed, the pressing force that presses the leading edge against the registration roller pair 36, that is, the pressing effect is enhanced. be able to. Since the recording surface side of the recording paper sheet 28 is bent so as to be convex, the conveyance guide 37 is used in this embodiment as a pressing member that presses the bent portion. In addition, since the photographic printer 10 conveys the recording paper sheets 28 in two rows, a first conveyance guide in which a conveyance guide 37 is arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction so that each recording paper sheet 28 can be pressed individually. 37a and the second conveyance guide 37b. Instead of pressing using the conveyance guide 37, a separate pressing member may be provided.

  The conveyance guides 37a and 37b may be of any type as long as the recording paper sheet 28 is not damaged when the recording paper sheet 28 is pressed or the recording paper sheet 28 is not attached due to static electricity. For example, a Teflon (registered trademark) resin material subjected to antistatic processing is used. Further, the surface of the conveyance guides 37a and 37b facing the recording paper sheet 28 is parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording paper sheet 28 in order to reduce the contact area between the conveyance guides 37a and 37b and the recording paper sheet 28. A plurality of such ribs 42 are formed in the width direction of the recording paper sheet 28. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a damage | wound, sticking, etc. can be suppressed more. Instead of forming the ribs 42, rollers or wheels that rotate in contact with the recording paper sheet 28 on the surfaces of the conveying guides 37a and 37b that face the recording paper sheet 28, or protrusions whose surface is processed smoothly, etc. A plurality of may be provided. Thereby, besides reducing the contact area with the recording paper sheet 28, the frictional force at the time of contact with the recording paper sheet 28 can be reduced.

  The pressing mechanism 40 has a guide position for guiding the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 to the registration roller pair 36 before skew correction, a retreat position for retracting the recording paper sheet 28 so that the recording paper sheet 28 bends when skew correction starts, The conveyance guides 37a and 37b are moved to at least three positions including the pressing position where the bent side of the bent recording paper sheet 28 is pressed against the registration roller pair 36. Also, if the amount of inclination (skew angle) of the recording paper sheets 28 conveyed in two rows is different, the amount of deflection of each recording paper sheet 28 also changes. Therefore, it is necessary to separately adjust the pressing positions of the respective conveyance guides 37a and 37b. There is. Accordingly, the pressing mechanism 40 is divided into a pressing mechanism 40a that presses the transport guide 37a and a pressing mechanism 40b that presses the transport guide 37b. The retreat position is not particularly limited, and may be any position as long as it does not contact the bent recording paper sheet 28.

  The pressing mechanism 40a includes a transport guide 37a, a gripping member 44a that is provided on the transport guide 37a, grips the ball screw 43a in a direction perpendicular to the recording surface of the recording paper sheet 28, and is rotatable. A through hole (female screw) into which 43a is screwed is formed, and includes a holding plate 45a that holds the conveyance guide 37a via a ball screw 43a screwed into the through hole, and a motor 47a that rotationally drives the ball screw 46a. Is done. The controller 41 (see FIG. 1, not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) controls the rotational drive of the motor 47a, thereby adjusting the distance between the conveyance guide 37a and the recording surface of the recording paper sheet 28. In other words, the conveyance guide 37a can be moved to the guide position, the retracted position, and the pressing position. The pressing mechanism 40b has the same structure as the pressing mechanism 40a, and includes a holding plate and a motor, although not shown, in addition to the conveyance guide 37b, the ball screw 43b, and the gripping member 44b. The pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b may use any mechanism as long as the distance between the conveyance guides 37a and 37b (pressing members) and the recording surface of the recording paper sheet 28 can be adjusted. For example, an air cylinder or a lead screw may be used. The actuator used or a mechanism for rotating the conveyance guides 37a and 37b using a cam and a link member can be applied.

  Since the amount of deflection of the recording paper sheet 28 that is bent at the time of skew correction varies depending on the inclination amount and type of the recording paper sheet 28, it is preferable that the pressing positions of the respective transport guides 37a and 37b are also changed in accordance with the inclination amount and type. At the time of pressing, the conveyance guides 37a and 37b at the retracted position are moved in the direction toward the recording paper sheet 28. For example, the relationship between the amount of inclination of each recording paper sheet 28 and the amount of deflection at the time of skew correction. In addition, an inclination detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the inclination amount (skew amount) of each recording paper sheet 28 is provided on the upstream side of the conveyance path of the registration roller pair 36. As a result, the deflection amount of each recording paper sheet 28 can be predicted based on the product type information of the recording paper sheet 28 input in advance by the user and the tilt amount information detected by the tilt detection sensor. As a result, the conveyance guides 37a and 37b can be moved to a pressing position where the pressing pressure when pressing the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 against the pair of registration rollers is substantially constant. That is, since each of the conveyance guides 37a and 37b can be moved to the pressing position corresponding to the predicted amount of deflection, even if the type and inclination amount of the recording paper sheet 28 change, the leading edge thereof can be moved with a substantially constant force. It can be pressed against the registration roller pair 36.

  Further, a pressure sensor (not shown) or the like is provided on the surface of the conveyance guides 37a and 37b facing the recording paper sheet 28, and the pressure measured by the pressure sensor, that is, the conveyance guides 37a and 37b. A position where the pressing force for pressing the bent portion of the recording paper sheet 28 has a preset value may be set as the pressing position. In the case where the pressure sensor is provided, as a matter of course, the pressure sensor and the rib 42 are set to have the same height.

  Next, the operation of the pressing mechanism 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 are plan views of the skew correction device 19 of FIG. 2 as viewed from the side. Although the pressing mechanism 40b is not shown in each drawing, as described above, the pressing mechanism 40a and the pressing mechanism 40b have the same structure, and therefore only the operation of the pressing mechanism 40a will be described here. .

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, the conveyance guide 37a is in the guide position, and guides the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 conveyed by the pre-registration roller pair 35 to the registration roller pair 36 in the conveyance stop state. At this time, the conveyance amount after the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 passes through the pre-registration roller pair 35 is obtained. The transport amount information of the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is provided with, for example, a photosensor (not shown) that detects the passage of the recording paper sheet 28 in the vicinity of the pre-registration roller pair 35, and this photosensor is used as the recording paper sheet. It can be easily obtained by counting the number of driving pulses of a motor (not shown) for driving the pre-registration roller pair 35 from the time when 28 passes.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the conveyance of the recording paper sheet 28 by the pre-registration roller pair 35 continues until the recording paper sheet 28 reaches a predetermined length that is sufficiently bent. As a result, when the recording paper sheet 28 is skewed, one corner (corner) of the leading edge abuts on the pair of registration rollers 36 in the conveyance stopped state and bends to the recording paper sheet 28 by further conveyance. Is formed. At this time, the pressing mechanism 40a (transport motor 47a) is driven to move the transport guide 37a at the guide position to the retracted position. Further, the deflection amount of the recording paper sheet 28 is predicted from the inclination amount information of each recording paper sheet 28 by the above-described inclination detection sensor (not shown) and the type information of the recording paper sheet 28 previously input by the user. deep.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 41 (see FIG. 1) stops the conveyance of the pair of pre-registration rollers 35 when the conveyance amount of the recording paper sheet 28 reaches a predetermined length. Next, the pressing mechanism 40a is driven to move the transport guide 37a in the retracted position to a pressing position corresponding to the predicted amount of bending. Accordingly, the bent portion of the bent recording paper sheet 28 is pressed by the conveyance guide 37 a, and the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is pressed against the registration roller pair 36. By forcibly inserting the leading end side of the recording paper sheet 28 between the rollers of the registration roller pair 36, the entire leading end side comes into contact with the registration roller pair 36. As a result, the skew of the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is corrected and becomes parallel to the axial direction of the registration roller pair 36, that is, the main scanning direction.

  When the skew of the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is corrected, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 41 (see FIG. 1) rotates only the registration roller pair 36 and starts conveying the recording paper sheet 28. When the conveyance amount of the registration roller pair 36 reaches a predetermined length, that is, when the leading end portion of the recording paper sheet 28 is nipped by the registration roller pair 36, the nipping state of the pre-registration roller pair 35 is released. Thereby, the skew of the recording paper sheet 28 is completely corrected, and the recording paper sheet 28 can be conveyed to the exposure device 21 (see FIG. 1) in an appropriate posture. Similarly, the pressing mechanism 40 b corrects the skew of the recording paper sheet 28 by pressing the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 against the registration roller pair 36 while bending the recording paper sheet 28.

  Each recording paper sheet 28 may be displaced in the main scanning direction due to skew correction. When a deviation occurs in the main scanning direction, an image exposed in the exposure device 21 is displaced in the main scanning direction. Therefore, for example, when a deviation amount measuring sensor for measuring a deviation amount in the main scanning direction after skew correction is provided, or when an inclination amount or the like is detected when skew correction is performed, the detected inclination amount Is used to determine the amount of deviation in the main scanning direction. Then, the recording position of the exposure apparatus 21 in the main scanning direction may be shifted based on the obtained deviation amount value.

  Next, the operation of the photo printer 10 having this configuration will be described. When the user gives a print instruction, as shown in FIG. 1, the photosensitive recording paper 24 is sent out from the recording paper roll 25 of each magazine 12, 13, and the recording paper sheet 28 of a predetermined length is formed by the cutters 15, 16. Cut. Each of the cut recording paper sheets 28 is sent in parallel to the back printing device 18 by the conveying roller pair 30, where necessary information such as a film ID and a frame number is printed.

  Each recording paper sheet 28 printed on the back side is sent to the skew correction device 19 by a pair of conveying rollers 31. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the control unit 41 keeps the conveyance guides 37 a and 37 b at the guide positions and rotates only the pre-registration roller pair 35 so that each recording paper sheet 28 is moved between the rollers of the registration roller pair 36. Transport toward. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the recording paper sheet 28 is continuously conveyed by the pair of pre-registration rollers 35, and the recording paper sheet 28 is sufficiently bent. At this time, the pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b are driven to move the transport guides 37a and 37b to the retracted positions. Further, the deflection amount of the recording paper sheet 28 is predicted based on the inclination amount information and product type information of each recording paper sheet 28 measured and input in advance.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, when the conveyance amount of the recording paper sheet 28 reaches a predetermined length, the control unit 41 stops the conveyance of the pre-registration roller pair 35. Next, the pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b are driven to move the conveyance guides 37a and 37b at the retracted positions to the pressing positions corresponding to the predicted deflection amounts of the recording paper sheets 28, respectively. Accordingly, the bent portions of the bent recording paper sheets 28 are pressed by the conveyance guides 37 a and 37 b, and the leading ends thereof are pressed against the registration roller pair 36. By forcibly inserting the leading end side of the recording paper sheet 28 into the registration roller pair 36, the entire leading end side comes into contact with the registration roller pair 36. When the skew of the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is corrected, as shown in FIG. 6, only the registration roller pair 36 is rotated and the conveyance of the recording paper sheet 28 is started. When the leading end portion of the recording paper sheet 28 is nipped by the registration roller pair 36, the nipping state of the pre-registration roller pair 35 is released. Thereby, even when the recording paper sheet 28 is stiff, accurate skew correction can be performed simultaneously for two rows. Further, as described in Patent Document 2, since it is not necessary to reverse the registration roller pair 36, the processing capacity per unit time can be increased.

  Each recording paper sheet 28 whose skew has been corrected is transported to the exposure device 21 by a transport roller pair 31, where two rows of images are exposed simultaneously. Then, the exposed recording paper sheet 28 is conveyed to the developing device 22 and subjected to color development, fixing, washing, and drying, and then sent out to the outside of the photographic printer 10 as a photographic print.

  In the photographic printer 10 of the present embodiment, the recording paper sheets 28 are conveyed in two rows to perform simultaneous skew correction and simultaneous exposure. However, the number of rows in which the recording paper sheets 28 are conveyed in parallel is limited to two. It may be three or more rows. In this case, the lengths of the pre-registration roller pair 35 and the registration roller pair 36 in the axial direction should be sufficiently long so that they can be conveyed in multiple rows, and the pressing mechanisms 40 described above may be arranged in parallel by the number of rows. That's fine.

  The photographic printer 10 of this embodiment performs two-row conveyance and simultaneous exposure, but may perform single-row conveyance as necessary when fraction processing is performed or when processing capacity may be reduced. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, skew correction may be performed using one of the above-described pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b. For example, as shown in FIG. A guide rail (not shown), a width direction shift mechanism (not shown), or the like is provided on the conveyance path until the pre-registration roller pair 35 conveys the recording paper sheet 28 to substantially the center of the conveyance path. Move it to the department. When skew correction is performed, the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 may be pressed against the registration roller pair 36 using both the conveyance guides 37a and 37b.

  Further, when pressing is performed using both of the conveyance guides 37a and 37b, there is a possibility that the recording paper sheet 28 cannot be pressed in a balanced manner with an equal force. Therefore, as described in Patent Document 2, skew correction may be performed by reversing the registration roller pair 36 while the recording paper sheet 28 is bent. In this case, although the processing capability is reduced, the photographic printer 10 can be manufactured at a low cost by the amount that the pressing members 37a and 37b need not be balanced.

  In this embodiment, since the registration roller pair 36 can be rotated in the forward and reverse directions, the registration roller pair 36 as described in Patent Document 2 is reversed in both cases of two-row conveyance or single-row conveyance. Skew correction can be performed. Therefore, for example, skew correction using the pressing mechanisms 40a and 40b is performed at the time of two-row conveyance where processing capability is required, and the registration roller pair 36 is reversed during single-row conveyance at which processing capability is not required. Skew correction may be performed.

  The pressing mechanism 40 of the present embodiment is composed of ball screws 43a and 43b, a motor 47a, and the like. For example, the holding plate 45a (see FIG. 3) and the conveyance guide 37a (the conveyance guide 37b is also the same). May be connected using a spring, and the conveying guides 37a and 37b may be pressed against the bent portion of the recording paper sheet 28 by using the biasing force of the spring.

  In this embodiment, the skew correction device 19 is provided on a corner of the conveyance path where the conveyance direction of the recording paper sheet 18 changes by 90 °, that is, on a curved conveyance path. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, it may be provided on a straight conveyance path. Further, instead of transporting the recording paper sheet 28 using the pre-registration roller pair 35, the recording paper sheet 28 may be transported using a chucker or the like that can move in a direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction.

  In the present embodiment, the recording paper sheet 28 is bent so that the recording surface side is convex. For example, in the photographic printer 10 of FIG. 1, the exposure device 21 is placed in the opposite direction with the recording paper sheet 28 in between. In addition, the recording paper sheet 28 may be bent so that the back side of the recording paper sheet 28 becomes convex by conveying the recording paper sheet 28 upside down. Since the back surface of the recording paper sheet 28 is pressed, there is no possibility of scratching the recording surface.

  In the present invention, when skew correction is performed, the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is brought into contact with the registration roller pair 36 in the conveyance stopped state in order to bend the recording paper sheet 28. An abutting guide that can be retracted from the conveying path is provided downstream of the pair 36 in the sheet conveying direction, and the recording paper sheet 28 is bent by abutting the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 against the abutting guide. Also good. In this case, a switching mechanism is provided that can switch the registration roller pair 36 between a holding state in which the recording paper sheet 28 is held and a released state in which the recording paper sheet 28 is released. When the leading edge of the recording paper sheet 28 is abutted against the abutting guide, the switching mechanism is driven to switch the registration roller pair 36 to the nipping state. When the skew correction of the front end side is completed, the butting guide may be retracted from the conveyance path and the registration roller pair 36 may be held.

1 is a schematic view of a photographic printer using a conveyance device of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a skew correction device of a photographic printer. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the skew correction apparatus shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the side, and shows a conveyance guide at a guide position before skew correction. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a conveyance guide is moved to a retracted position so that a recording paper sheet is bent at the time of skew correction. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a conveyance guide is moved to a pressing position so that a bent recording paper sheet is pressed and its leading edge is pressed against a pair of registration rollers. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which conveyance of a recording paper sheet by a registration roller pair is started after skew correction. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment in which a recording paper sheet is conveyed in a single row in the skew correction apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Photo printer 19 Skew correction device 28 Recording paper sheet 35 Preregistration roller pair 36 Registration roller pair
37, 38 Conveyance guide 40 Pressing mechanism 42 Rib 43a, 43b Ball screw 44a, 43b Holding member 45a Holding plate 47a Motor

Claims (14)

A conveying means that conveys the sheet body, a downstream side of the conveying means, an abutting member for abutting the leading edge of the sheet body, and abutting the leading edge of the sheet body on the abutting member, The sheet member forms a bent portion between the conveying unit and the abutting member, and the conveyance by the conveying unit is continued until the entire tip side comes into contact with the abutting member. In a transport apparatus provided with a skew correction means for correcting,
A conveying apparatus comprising: a pressing unit that presses the bent portion of the sheet body and presses the tip side against the abutting member.   The abutting member is a pair of conveying rollers that nipping and conveying the sheet member, and the skew correcting unit drives the conveying unit to stop conveying the leading edge of the sheet member. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying apparatus is abutted against the conveying apparatus. A pair of conveying rollers disposed between the conveying means and the abutting member and sandwiching and conveying the sheet body;
A switching mechanism capable of switching between a conveying state in which the conveying roller pair is nipped and conveyed, and a release state in which the nipping of the sheet body is released;
The skew correction unit drives the transfer unit to drive the switching mechanism when the leading end side of the sheet body is abutted against the abutting member by driving the conveying unit to release the conveyance roller pair from the sandwiched state. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device is switched to a state.   Each of the conveying means and the conveying roller pair conveys a plurality of the sheet bodies in parallel, and the pressing means includes a plurality of pressing members for pressing the bent portions, and each row of the sheet bodies that are conveyed in parallel. The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the conveying apparatus is provided for each of them.   5. The transport according to claim 4, wherein when the sheet member is transported at a position across the plurality of pressing members, the pressing means performs pressing using the plurality of pressing members. apparatus.   The conveyance means and the abutting member are arranged on a curved conveyance path, and a conveyance guide for guiding the sheet body conveyed by the conveyance means to the abutting member is used as the pressing member. The transport apparatus according to claim 4 or 5.   The conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of ribs for reducing a contact area between the conveying guide and the sheet body are formed on a surface of the conveying guide facing the sheet body.   A conveying means for conveying the sheet-like recording material; an abutting member disposed on the downstream side of the conveying means for abutting the leading edge of the recording material; and abutting the leading edge of the recording material against the abutting member The recording material forms a bent portion between the conveying means and the pair of conveying rollers, and continues to be conveyed by the conveying means until the entire tip side comes into contact with the abutting member. An image recording apparatus comprising: a skew correcting unit that corrects the skew of the recording material; and an pressing unit that presses the bent portion of the recording material and presses the tip side against the abutting member. Recording device.   The abutting member is a pair of conveying rollers that nipping and conveying the recording material, and the skew correcting unit drives the conveying unit to stop conveying the leading edge of the recording material. The image recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image recording apparatus is abutted against the image recording apparatus. A pair of conveying rollers disposed between the conveying means and the abutting member and sandwiching and conveying the recording material;
A switching mechanism capable of switching between the conveying roller pair for nipping and conveying the recording material and a release state for releasing the nipping of the recording material;
The skew correction unit drives the transfer unit to drive the switching mechanism when the leading end side of the recording material is abutted against the abutting member to release the conveyance roller pair from the sandwiched state. The image recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image recording apparatus is switched to a state.   The conveying means and the conveying roller pair convey a plurality of the recording materials in parallel, and the pressing means includes a plurality of pressing members for pressing the bending portion, and each row of recording materials to be conveyed in parallel. The image recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image recording apparatus is provided for each.   12. The image according to claim 11, wherein when the recording material is conveyed in a single row and across the plurality of pressing members, the pressing means presses using the plurality of pressing members. Recording device.   The conveying means and the abutting member are arranged on a curved conveying path, and a conveying guide for guiding the recording material conveyed by the conveying means to the abutting member is used as the pressing member. Item 13. The image recording apparatus according to Item 11 or 12.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of ribs for reducing a contact area between the conveyance guide and the recording material are formed on a surface of the conveyance guide facing the recording material.

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