JP2006036394A - Sheet conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet conveying device capable of conveying small size sheet while sorting it to a plurality of rows and generating no jam due to erroneous detection of a sensor. <P>SOLUTION: In the sheet conveying device, when the sheets P2 conveyed while sorting to two rows are obliquely conveyed, a sheet sensor 103 is turned ON but when width of the sheets P2 is the limit of conveyable size, side ends of the sheets P2 are hooked on the sheet sensor 102 as shown in Figure (b) and the side ends of the sheets P2 are erroneously detected as the following sheet distal end. After Figure (c), until the sheet sensor 103 detects a rear end of the sheet P2 after sorting, even if the sheet sensor 102 detects variation before sorting, it is controlled so as to ignore the variation. Even if the side ends of P2 (P3) are hooked on the sheet sensor 102 before sorting near a center in a conveying width direction during conveying after sorting, erroneous detection is avoided regarded as jam, the limit of the width direction size of the sorting-conveyed sheets P2, P3 can be enlarged and printing of larger size can be processed at high speed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus, and more particularly to a sheet conveying apparatus that distributes and conveys sheets into a plurality of rows.

  The printer processor is called a so-called minilab and is installed in a DPE store or the like. This printer processor has a structure in which a printer unit that prints and prints an image recorded on a negative film onto a photographic paper and a processor unit that develops the photographic paper that has been subjected to printing and exposure processing are integrated. Therefore, only by setting the long photographic paper roll to the printer processor, the long photographic paper drawn from the photographic paper roll can be conveyed and processed in the printer unit and the processor unit. Alternatively, there is a system in which the photographic paper is automatically cut and the cut photographic paper is conveyed and processed in a printer unit and a processor unit.

  In the printer section of this printer processor, the image on the negative film is enlarged to a selected fixed size and printed on photographic paper, and the long photographic paper on which the image is printed is conveyed to the processor section. Developed and finished as a photographic print.

  Alternatively, the photographic paper sheet on which the image is printed as described above is sequentially conveyed to the processor unit and developed to be finished as a photographic print. In this case, the photographic paper sheets are processed while being conveyed in a row in the normal conveying direction in the processor unit.

  However, in a printer processor capable of processing from a narrow photographic paper to a wide photographic paper, when a photographic paper sheet of a small size is transported for printing exposure processing and development processing, it is transported in a line in the transport direction. The efficiency of the printer processor is extremely low because the number of photographic paper sheets that can be processed is small.

  Therefore, when transporting a photographic paper sheet of a small size, it is necessary to pass the photographic paper through each processing liquid tank for a predetermined time particularly for development processing. There is also a printer processor that conveys photographic paper sheets side by side and improves the processing capability of the entire printer processor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  At this time, in order to convey photographic paper sheets arranged in a plurality of rows of two or more rows, the width of the sheet is at most half or less of the conveyance width of the processor, and the sheet and the sheet come into contact with each other due to conveyance deviation or the like. Since a margin is required to avoid the risk of deviating from the transport width, it is substantially less than half the transport width of the processor.

  Further, when sheets are conveyed in a plurality of rows, for example, in two rows, a total of three sensors are required to detect the sheet position before and after the sorting in the sorting section. After the sorting, two sensors are provided on the left and right in the width direction. In the center pre-sorting sensor, in addition to detecting the leading edge of the sheet before sorting, it is required not to erroneously detect the side edge of the sheet after sorting. In other words, if the sheet after sorting is inclined and conveyed (skewed) and the side edge hits the pre-sorting sensor, it may be erroneously detected that a jam has occurred despite being actually conveyed. is there.

  By the way, in an image recording apparatus such as a printer processor, it is general to draw a photographic paper from a long photographic paper roll, cut it into a desired size, and use it as a photographic paper sheet. As shown in FIG. 4, the photosensitive recording paper 34 may include a splice portion where the original rolls are joined. Since the splice portion 37 cannot be used for image formation, a detection hole having a width L1 at the center in the width direction. (Splice hole 35) is provided and conveyed as it is to the processor as a single use-prohibited sheet Pf including the detected splice portion 37.

  At this time, if the pre-sorting sensor is provided at the center in the conveyance width direction, the splice hole 35 may be erroneously detected. Therefore, the pre-sorting sensor is normally set in advance to about 20 mm, which corresponds to the width L1 of the splice hole 35. , And shifted from the center in the conveyance width direction.

For the above reasons, the maximum width of a sheet that can be conveyed by being distributed in a plurality of rows is significantly limited to half of the conveyance width of the processor, which is a physical size limit. In other words, the sheet after sorting needs to be transported at a position where it does not hit the sensor before sorting, and the position of the sensor before sorting is offset from the center, so that the width of the sheet that can be sorted can be further reduced. .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-245037 (FIG. 2, pages 4-6)

  In consideration of the above-described facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus that can convey small-size sheets in a plurality of rows and that does not cause jamming due to erroneous detection of a sensor.

  The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 is a sheet conveying apparatus that distributes and conveys a plurality of sheets from a photo printer to a processing apparatus in a plurality of rows, and includes a sheet sensor before distribution in the vicinity of the center of the conveying width, and a conveying width. If there is a change in the signal of the pre-sorting sheet sensor before the post-sorting sheet sensor detects the trailing edge of the sheet after the sorting operation, one post-sorting sheet sensor near each end Further, the present invention is characterized by comprising control means for performing control to ignore this signal change.

  In the invention having the above-described configuration, the sheet conveying apparatus that distributes and conveys a plurality of sheets into a plurality of rows, includes a sheet detection sensor at a position before and after the sorting, and the sheet sensor before the sorting is conveyed during the sheet feeding after the sorting. Even if the signal is turned on or off at the side end, it is possible to avoid erroneous jam detection by ignoring this signal change.

  The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2 is a sheet conveying apparatus that distributes and conveys a plurality of sheets from a photographic printer to a processing apparatus in a plurality of rows, and the sheet conveying apparatus is configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction during the sheet distributing operation. A sheet sensor before sorting in the vicinity of the center of the feeding width and one after-sorting sheet sensor near the both ends of the feeding width, and after the sorting operation, the after-sorting sheet sensor is arranged at the trailing edge of the sheet. When the signal of the pre-sorting sheet sensor is changed before detecting the signal, control means for performing control to ignore the signal change is provided.

  In the invention with the above configuration, a sheet conveying apparatus that is likely to be obliquely conveyed because the plurality of sheets are distributed and conveyed in a plurality of rows, and has sheet detection sensors at positions before and after the distribution, and is distributed during the sheet conveyance after the distribution. Even if the front sheet sensor is turned on or off at the side edge of the sheet, erroneous signal detection can be avoided by ignoring this signal change.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet conveyance device including a sheet jam detection unit, and the sheet jam detection unit detects a sheet jam by a sheet detection signal output from the control unit.

  In the invention with the above configuration, a sheet conveying apparatus that distributes and conveys a plurality of sheets into a plurality of rows, and ignores signal changes even if the pre-sorting sheet sensor is turned on or off at the side edge of the sheet during sheet feeding after sorting. By detecting the sheet jam by the sheet detection signal from the control means that performs the detection, it is possible to avoid erroneous sheet jam detection.

  Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to provide a sheet conveying apparatus that can distribute and convey small size sheets into a plurality of rows and that does not detect erroneous jams at the sheet side end.

  FIG. 1 shows a printer processor using a sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer processor 10 includes an image input device 12, an image processing device 13, a printer 15, and a processor 16. Each unit constituting the printer processor 10 is connected to the control unit 17 via a wiring (not shown), and the operation of the entire printer processor 10 is controlled by the control unit 17.

  The image input device 12 generates image data by photoelectrically reading the projection light of an image recorded on a photographic film using an image sensor such as a CCD image sensor, or recorded on a recording medium such as a memory card. Image data is acquired by reading the image data.

  This image data is sent to the image processing device 13, and image processing such as color balance correction and density correction is performed. The image data that has been subjected to the image processing is sent to the printer 15 and used for image recording, which will be described later.

  The printer 15 performs image recording with recording light whose intensity is modulated based on image data while conveying the sheet P cut to a predetermined length. From the upstream side in the conveyance direction, the printer 15 A printing unit 22, a registration unit 24, an image recording unit 26, a sub-scanning receiving unit 28, a distribution unit 30, and a speed control unit 32 are provided. Each part is provided with a plurality of conveying roller pairs including a driving roller and a nip roller along the conveying path of the sheet P.

  In the supply unit 20, magazines 20a and 20b for storing a long photosensitive recording paper 34 attached in a roll shape are set. Each magazine 20 a, 20 b is provided with a pair of drawing rollers 21 a, 21 b for pulling out the photosensitive recording paper 34 and transporting it toward the back printing unit 22. In this embodiment, two magazines 20a and 20b are provided. However, the number of magazines may be one, or three or more.

  A cutter 36 for cutting the photosensitive recording paper 34 is provided at a position away from the outlets of the magazines 20a and 20b by a predetermined length. The cutter 36 is driven in response to a control signal from the control unit 17, and cuts the photosensitive recording paper 34 that has been sent out by a predetermined length according to the print size to form a sheet P. Examples of print sizes include L (89 × 127), panorama (89 × 254), 2L (127 × 178), 8 cuts (165 × 216), 6 cuts (203 × 254), 4 cuts (254 × 305). In this embodiment, for example, the print width in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is 89, 95, 102, 117, 120, 127, 130, 108, 165, 178, 203, 210, 216, 254, This corresponds to a sheet P of 305 (unit: mm).

  The back print unit 22 includes a back print head 38 that records print information such as a photograph date, print date, frame number, and various IDs on the non-recording surface (surface opposite to the exposure surface) of the sheet P. As the back print head 38, a known print head such as a dot impact head, an ink jet head, or a thermal transfer print head can be used as long as it is resistant to a wet development process to be performed later.

  The image recording unit 26 includes an exposure unit 42, sub-scanning roller pairs 44 and 46, and a sheet sensor 45 that detects the passage of the sheet P, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 17. The exposure unit 42 is connected to the image processing apparatus 13, and when the sheet sensor 45 detects that the leading edge of the sheet P has passed, the exposure unit 42 generates red, green, and blue light beams LB that are intensity-modulated based on the image data. An image is recorded on the sheet P by scanning in the main scanning direction (direction orthogonal to the transport direction). The sub-scanning roller pairs 44 and 46 are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction so as to sandwich the exposure position by the light beam LB, and the sheet P is moved at a predetermined speed in the sub-scanning direction (a direction parallel to the transport direction). Transport.

  The allocating unit 30 conveys the sheet P conveyed in a single row at a predetermined first speed, that is, a conveying speed in the printer, while conveying the sheet P in a plurality of rows in the main scanning direction (two rows in this embodiment). Sort out.

  The speed adjusting unit 32 conveys the sheet P sent from the allocating unit 30 at a second speed corresponding to the processing speed of the processor 16 and sends the sheet P to the processor 16. The distribution unit 30 and the speed control unit 32 are provided with a sensor unit 48 and a sensor unit 50 for detecting the presence or absence of the sheet P, respectively. The sensor units 48 and 50 are, for example, optical sensors composed of a light emitting diode and a photodiode, and the output changes while the sheet P passes. Thereby, passage of the front end or the rear end of the sheet P can be detected.

  Generally, in the printer processor, the transport speed (second speed) of the processor 16 is slower than the transport speed (first speed) of the printer 15 (for example, 100 mm / second for the printer 15 and 42.5 mm / second for the processor 16). Therefore, when the sheet P is conveyed from the printer 15 to the processor 16, the sheet P needs to be decelerated and matched with the conveyance speed of the processor 16. For this purpose, a speed adjusting unit 32 is provided at the inlet of the processor 16, the sheet P conveyed from the printer 15 at the first speed is decelerated to the second speed, and conveyed to the processor 16, so that the speed of the printer 15 and the processor 16 is increased. Absorb the difference.

  The processor 16 includes a development processing unit 60, a drying processing unit 61, a returning unit 62, and a sorter 63. The development processing unit 60 includes a developing tank 70, a bleach-fixing tank 71, a first water washing tank 73, a second water washing tank 74, a third water washing tank 75, and a fourth water washing tank 76 in order from the upstream side in the transport direction. A water rinsing tank 72 is provided. A developing solution is stored in the developing tank 70, a bleach-fixing solution is stored in the bleach-fixing tank 71, and a predetermined amount of cleaning water is stored in the first washing tank 73 to the fourth washing tank 76. The developing tank 70, the bleach-fixing tank 71, and the first rinsing tank 73 to the fourth rinsing tank 76 receive the driving force of the conveyance racks and are conveyed through the processing tanks 70 to 72, thereby developing.・ Fixing and cleaning processes are performed.

  The sheet P that has undergone development processing in the development processing unit 60 is squeezed with the remaining processing liquid in a squeeze unit 80 described later before being transported to the drying processing unit 61 so that no droplets remain on the surface. As a result, the sheet P conveyed to the drying processing unit is uniformly dried without unevenness.

  The sheet P that has passed through the drying processing unit 61 is sent toward the returning unit 62. In the returning unit 62, the sheets P conveyed in two rows are turned back to a single row. The sorter 63 collectively outputs a plurality of sheets P sent from the returning unit 62 for each print job.

  FIG. 2 shows a sorting unit which is a sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the sorting unit 30 sorts the sheets P sent from the magazine 20 and cut into a predetermined size into a plurality of rows in accordance with a signal from the control unit 17 and conveys them to the processor 16. The sheet P is nipped and conveyed by a guide 105 provided along the conveyance direction and a conveyance roller pair (not shown).

  The sorting unit 30 includes a pair of sorting rollers 113 and 114 that sorts the sheet P in the main scanning direction, that is, the conveyance width direction (left and right in the drawing), and a sensor unit for detecting passage of the leading or trailing end of the sheet P. 48. The sensor unit 48 includes sheet sensors 102, 103, and 104 provided for each row in which recording paper is conveyed. The sorting roller pairs 113 and 114 can be moved in the width direction of the sheet P, that is, in the left-right direction indicated by arrows in the drawing, by known driving means such as a solenoid or an actuator. As a result, the sheets P conveyed in a single row are sorted into two rows.

  A large-size sheet P1 that cannot be distributed and conveyed is conveyed in a single row, the center in the conveyance width direction is CL1, and the sheets P2 and P3 that are sized and conveyed in two rows are respectively CL2 in the conveyance width direction. It is shown in the figure as CL3.

  As shown in the figure, the center lines CL2 and CL3 during the two-row transport are provided approximately symmetrically about the center line CLl during the single-row transport. An interval L2 between CL2 and CL3 is set to 172 mm so that a margin of 10 mm is generated in each conveyance path when conveying 108 rows of 108 mm wide sheets P.

  The sheet sensors 102, 103, and 104 need to be arranged at positions where the splice hole 35 and the side edge of the sheet P do not pass.

  First, the sheet sensor 102 that detects the sheet P conveyed in a single row must be shifted in either the conveyance width direction (left-right direction in the figure) with respect to the center line CLl in order to avoid the splice hole 35. Considering that the width Ll of the splice hole 35 is 20 mm and the minimum width of the sheet P is 89 mm, the distance L3 between the center line CLl and the center of the sheet sensor 102 can be determined within a range of 10 to 40 mm. preferable.

  Also in the sheet sensors 103 and 104 used during the two-row conveyance, it is necessary to arrange the splice holes 35 at positions where the splice holes 35 are not detected, like the single-row conveyance sheet sensor 102.

  For this reason, each of the sheet sensors 103 and 104 is arranged at a position shifted by 10 to 40 mm with respect to the center lines CL2 and CL3 during the two-row conveyance. Further, when the sheet sensors 103 and 104 are arranged inside the center lines CL2 and CL3, as will be described later, there is a possibility that the side edges of the sheets P conveyed in a single row may pass. It is necessary to arrange outside the center lines CL2 and CL3. Therefore, the distance L4 between the sheet sensor 103 and the sheet sensor 104 is preferably determined within a range of (172 + 10 × 2) to (172 + 40 × 2) mm, that is, within a range of 192 to 252 mm.

  In order to prevent deformation and skew of the sheet P, it is necessary to prevent the side edge of the sheet P from passing over the openings formed corresponding to the sheet sensors 103 and 104. In view of the print width that can be accommodated, it can be seen that when the width of the sheet P is 216 mm and 254 mm, the side edges do not pass over the opening. Accordingly, when the diameter of the opening is D, the distance L4 between the sheet sensor 103 and the sheet sensor 104 is set within the range of (216 + D) to (254−D) mm, so that the printable width can be covered. The side edge of the sheet P can be prevented from passing over the opening.

  3 to 6 show specific operations of the sorting unit which is the sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the distribution unit 30 conveys a plurality of sheets P conveyed in a single row in the main scanning direction while conveying the sheet P at a predetermined first speed, that is, a conveyance speed in the printer. A moving mechanism 100 that sorts the sheets P (two rows in this embodiment), a pair of conveying rollers 147 and 148 that send the sorted sheets P to the speed control unit 32, and sensor units 48 and 50 that detect the passage of the sheets P. It has.

  The sheet P1 for which image recording has been completed passes through the sub-scan receiving unit 28 and is sent to the distribution unit 30. In the allocating unit 30, when the width of the sheet P1 is a allocable width, a distribution motor (not shown) is driven to move the sheet P1 from the center position CL1 to either the first distribution position CL2 or the second distribution position CL3. Sort by moving in the direction of the arrow in the figure. At this time, the distribution roller pairs 113 and 114 can simultaneously perform conveyance in the main scanning direction, that is, sorting operation, and conveyance in the sub-scanning direction, that is, conveyance in the processing direction. For this reason, it is not necessary to temporarily stop the conveyance of the sheet P, so that a reduction in processing speed can be prevented.

  When the width of the sheet P1 can be distributed, the allocating unit 30 drives the distribution motor in response to the sensor 102 detecting the leading edge of the sheet P1, as shown in FIG. The distribution roller pairs 113 and 114 are moved in the main scanning direction (distribution direction) and distributed to the first distribution position CL2 or the second distribution position CL2. Below, the case where it distributes to 1st distribution position CL2 is demonstrated.

  The moving mechanism 100 that has distributed the sheet P1 to the first distribution position CL2 continues to convey the sheet P1 in the sub-scanning direction, that is, the conveyance direction, and responds to the sensor 107 detecting the leading edge of the sheet P1 as shown in FIG. Then, the nip is released, and the sorting roller pair 113, 114 is released.

  The sheet P1 at the first sorting position CL2 is further transported in the sub-scanning direction, that is, the transport direction by the pair of sorting rollers 113 and 114. As shown in FIG. 5, in response to the sensor 103 detecting the trailing edge of the sheet P1, the sorting roller pairs 113 and 114 are brought into the nip state again, and then the conveying roller pairs 147 and 148 are returned to the center position CL1. The next sheet P2 is accepted.

  Next, in response to the sensor 102 detecting the leading edge of the sheet P2, the sheet P2 is distributed to the second distribution position CL3 opposite to the sheet P1, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the width of the sheet P can be distributed, the same operation is repeated, and the sheet P is alternately distributed to the first distribution position CL2 and the second distribution position CL3.

  Next, jam monitoring in the present embodiment will be described.

  In this embodiment, the sensors 39, 45, 48 (102) and 50 in the conveyance path shown in FIG. 1 are used to make four zones, that is, the reverse printing conveyance unit 22 to the registration unit 24, and the registration unit 24 to image recording. Jam detection is performed in the unit 26, the image recording unit 26 to the distribution unit 30, and the distribution unit 30 to the speed control unit 32.

  Jam is detected as a jam due to a timeout when the leading edge of the sheet P does not pass through the zone within a certain time. The leading edge of the sheet P is detected when the sensor state changes from “no paper” to “paper present”.

  The jam detection method and detection time are as follows.

First, in the back printing conveyance unit 22 to the registration unit 24,
(1) When the feed length of the sheet P is long, that is, the print size L is L ≧ (Ds1-α), and when the sheet P is cut, the sensor 39 detects the leading edge of the sheet P. If it is, the leading edge of the sheet P passes through the sensor 39, so that jam detection is not performed in this zone, and it is performed in the next section. Ds1 represents the distance from the cutter 36 to the sensor 39, and α represents the detection variation of the sensor 39.
(2) In cases other than the above, a jam occurs when the sensor 39 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet P even after Tj1 has elapsed after the conveyance is resumed after cutting. In this case, it is assumed that a jam has occurred between the cutter 36 and the sensor 39. Tj1 is the following equation:
Tj1 = (Ds1-L) / Vp + β Here, Vp is a conveyance speed of the printer 15, and β is a jam detection margin time.

Next, in the registration unit 24 to the image recording unit 26,
(3) In the case of (1) above, a jam occurs when the sensor 45 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet P even after Tj2 has elapsed after the conveyance of the sheet P is started. Tj2 is the following equation:
Tj2 = (Ds2-L) / Vp + β Here, Ds2 indicates the distance from the cutter 36 to the sensor 39.
(4) In cases other than the above (3), a jam occurs when the sensor 45 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet P even after Tj3 has elapsed since the leading edge of the sheet P has passed the sensor 39. Tj3 is the following formula:
Tj3 = (Ds3-L) / Vp + β Here, Ds3 indicates the distance from the sensor 39 to the sensor 45.

Next, in the zone from the image recording unit 26 to the distribution unit 30,
(5) A jam occurs when the sensor 102 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet P even after Tj4 has elapsed after the leading edge of the sheet P has passed the sensor 45. Tj4 is the following equation:
Tj4 = (Ds4-L) / Vp + β Here, Ds4 indicates the distance from the sensor 45 to the sensor 102.

Finally, in the zone from the distribution unit 30 to the speed control unit 32,
(6) In the present embodiment, the sheet P may be conveyed while being distributed in a plurality of rows, for example, two rows. For this reason, it is necessary to set a jam detection method and a detection time for each of single-line conveyance, front-side conveyance, and back-side conveyance. First, during single row conveyance, a jam is detected when the sensor 106 of the speed control unit 32 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet P even if Tj5M has passed after the leading edge of the sheet P has passed the sensor 102. Tj5M is the following formula:
Tj5M = (Ds5-L) / Vp + β Here, Ds5 indicates the distance from the sensor 102 to the sensor 106.
(7) Next, when transporting the front side, a jam occurs when the sensor 107 of the speed control unit 32 does not detect the front end of the sheet P even after Tj5F has passed since the front end of the sheet P passes the sensor 102. Tj5F is the following equation:
Tj5F = (Ds6-L) / Vp + β Here, Ds6 indicates the distance from the sensor 102 to the sensor 107.
(8) During back side conveyance, a jam occurs when the sensor 108 of the speed adjusting unit 32 does not detect the leading edge of the sheet P even after Tj5R has elapsed after the leading edge of the sheet P has passed the sensor 102. Tj5R is the following formula:
Tj5R = (Ds7−L) / Vp + β Here, Ds7 indicates the distance from the sensor 102 to the sensor 108.

  Here, in the above (7) to (8), the following problems may occur. That is, since the sorting roller pairs 113 and 114 simultaneously perform the conveyance in the main scanning direction, that is, the sorting operation, and the conveyance in the sub scanning direction, that is, the conveyance in the processing direction, the sheet P may be conveyed obliquely.

  When the sheet is distributed to the front side or the back side and conveyed obliquely, the edge near the center of the sheet P may interfere with the sensor 102. Due to this interference, the sensor 102 determines that the subsequent sheet P2 has been conveyed, and starts a jam sequence from the sorting unit 30 to the speed control unit 32. However, since the sheet P2 does not exist, the leading end is not detected by the speed adjusting unit 32 (sensor unit 50) within a predetermined time, and a timeout error occurs.

  Further, at this time, even if the operator removes the jammed sheet P2 (which does not exist), even if the speed governor 32 is opened and inspected, the sheet P2 does not exist and cannot be found, and the cause of the jam cannot be determined. It occurs at the same time.

In addition to the jam detection due to timeout as described above, in the present embodiment, there are places where the jam is detected by the interval between the sheets P and the feed length as follows. That is,
(9) When the sensor 45 measures the sheet interval time Tw between the trailing edge of the preceding sheet P1 and the leading edge of the subsequent sheet P2, and compares it with the minimum interval time Ty,
When Tw ≦ Ty, it is considered that the succeeding sheet P2 has caught up with the preceding sheet P1, and a sheet interval abnormality jam is caused.
(10) The sensors 106 to 108 measure the time from the detection of the leading edge of the sheet P to the detection of the trailing edge of the sheet P, and if the trailing edge is not detected even after a predetermined time Tw2 has elapsed, a jam occurs. Tw2 is the following formula:
Tw2 = X1 / Vh + (Lw−X1) / Vp
Lw = L + α Here, X1 is the distance from the speed control sheet detection to the speed control start point, Vh is the linear speed of the printer 15, L is the print size feed length, and α is the margin.
(11) In addition to the above-described jam error detection, in the present embodiment, as in (9), the sorting unit 30 also detects an abnormal sheet interval jam that causes the subsequent sheet P2 to catch up with the preceding sheet P1. .

  That is, in the sensor unit 48, when the preceding sheet P1 is in the state in which the sensor 103 is turned on by the sorting operation, the sheet P1 has not yet been carried out to the speed governor 32, and the sensor 103 is on but the center If the sensor 102 is turned on, it is determined that the succeeding sheet P2 has caught up with the preceding sheet P1, and the sheet spacing abnormality jam is detected because the minimum distance between the sheets is not maintained.

  FIG. 7 shows a sheet sensor unit of the sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when the sheet P2 having a size distributed and conveyed in two rows is obliquely conveyed, the sheet sensor 103 is first turned on to detect conveyance of the distributed sheet.

  At this time, if the width of the sheet P2 is full of the transportable size, it is conceivable that the side end of the sheet P2 hits the sheet sensor 102 and the sheet sensor 102 is turned on as shown in FIG. That is, an error corresponding to the pattern of the jam monitoring (11) occurs.

  As a reason for the occurrence of the above error, in this embodiment, the distribution roller pairs 113 and 114 simultaneously perform conveyance in the main scanning direction, that is, sorting operation, and conveyance in the sub scanning direction, that is, conveyance in the processing direction. Since this is possible, there is no need to temporarily stop the conveyance of the sheet P, so that the processing speed can be prevented from being lowered. However, for this reason, the sheet P is inevitably conveyed in an oblique direction, resulting in a so-called skew that causes the sheet P to be conveyed in an inclined state.

  As described above, the conveyance jam is detected by detecting that the sheet sensor in the previous area (in this case, in front of the sorting roller pair 113 and 114) detects the leading edge of the sheet P and then in that area. In the case of FIG. 7B, the sheet sensor 102 erroneously detects the side edge of the sheet P2 as the next sheet leading edge, and is actually being conveyed. However, it may be detected that a jam has occurred.

  Therefore, in the present invention, even after the sheet sensor 103 after sorting detects the change until the sheet sensor 103 after sorting detects the trailing edge of the sheet P2 (sheet sensor 103 is turned off) after FIG. By controlling so as to ignore the change, it is possible to avoid a situation in which skew (diagonal conveyance) at the sheet P2 side end is erroneously detected by the pre-sorting sheet sensor 102 as shown in FIG. 7B.

  As a result, even if the side end portion of P2 (P3) hits the pre-sorting sheet sensor 102 in the vicinity of the center of the transport width during transport after sorting, it is not erroneously detected as a jam. The limit of the size in the width direction of P3 can be expanded, and a larger size print can be processed at high speed.

  FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the sensor detection signal and the moving mechanism of the sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As described above, a case where the pre-sorting sheet sensor 102 is turned ON / OFF due to the skew of the sheet P can be considered. FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the sensor detection signal and the drive motor operation of the sorting roller pair 113 and 114 in this case.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when a sheet P1 having a width that can be distributed is conveyed to the distribution unit 30, the pre-distribution sheet sensor 102 detects the leading edge of the sheet P (1 in the figure).

  The sorting roller pair 113, 114 sorts the sheet P to the near side while holding the sheet P, and when the sheet sensor 103 detects the leading end of the sheet P2 after the sorting (the sheet sensor 103 is ON), the sorting roller pair 113, 114 114 stops moving in the sorting direction (2 in the figure).

  The conveyance in the sub-scanning direction (processing direction) proceeds, and the nip between the pair of sorting rollers 113 and 114 is released in response to the sensor 107 in FIG. 4 detecting the leading edge of the sheet P1.

  Further, the conveyance of the sheet P1 proceeds, and in response to the sensor 103 detecting the trailing edge of the sheet P1, the sorting roller pairs 113 and 114 are brought into the nip state again (3 in the figure) and then returned to the center position CL1. The next sheet P2 is accepted.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, when the sensor 102 is turned on / off by the skew of the sheet P1, an unnecessary signal (noise) such as Sn in FIG. 8 is detected. If this Sn is erroneously detected as the head of the succeeding sheet P2, it is determined that the succeeding sheet P2 has caught up with the preceding sheet P1 as described above, and the minimum interval between the sheets is not maintained. Therefore, it is detected as an abnormal sheet interval jam. Alternatively, the sheet P2 erroneously detected as the head (not actually present) does not reach the speed control unit 32 in the next process within time, resulting in a time-out error, and the sheet causing the jam cannot be found and removed (because it does not exist).

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the fact that this Sn is generated before 3 in the drawing in which the sensor 103 detects the rear end of the sheet P1, until the sensor 103 detects the rear end of the sheet P1, Even if there is a change such as Sn in the signal, the jam error detection is controlled so as to be ignored. This eliminates the possibility of erroneous jam detection due to the noise Sn due to the skew of the sheet P1.

  With the above-described configuration, the present invention can provide a sheet conveying apparatus that can distribute and convey small size sheets into a plurality of rows and that does not cause jamming due to erroneous sensor detection.

  Further, in the present invention, as described above, a conditional branch is given to the logic change of the sensor to avoid jam false alarms. However, the sensor logic may be electrically calculated to make it.

  Further, in the present invention, the pre-sorting sheet sensor in the vicinity of the center in the transport width direction is offset from the transport center to avoid the splice hole, but only the processing at the time when the prohibited sheet Pf including the splice hole is transported is separately performed. It is also possible to avoid the erroneous detection by treating only the splice control process as a special treatment, and the pre-sorting sheet sensor may be provided at the conveyance center.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a printer processor including a sheet conveying apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the sheet conveying apparatus which concerns on the 1st form of this invention. It is a top view which shows the sheet conveying apparatus which concerns on the 1st form of this invention. It is a top view which shows the sheet conveying apparatus which concerns on the 1st form of this invention. It is a top view which shows the sheet conveying apparatus which concerns on the 1st form of this invention. It is a top view which shows the sheet conveying apparatus which concerns on the 1st form of this invention. It is a top view which shows the sheet conveying apparatus which concerns on the 1st form of this invention. FIG. 6 is a time chart showing sensor detection and sorting operation of the sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the splice part vicinity of the photosensitive recording paper.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printer processor 15 Printer 16 Processor 20 Magazine 23 Size detection part 30 Distribution part 102 Sensor before distribution 103 Sensor after distribution 104 Sensor after distribution 113 Pair of roller for distribution 114 Pair of roller for distribution

Claims (3)

A sheet conveying apparatus that distributes a plurality of sheets into a plurality of rows and conveys them from a photographic printer to a processing apparatus,
One sheet sensor before sorting near the center of the conveyance width, and one sheet sensor after sorting near the both ends of the conveyance width,
Control means for performing control to ignore the signal change when the signal of the pre-sorting sheet sensor is changed before the post-sorting sheet sensor detects the trailing edge of the sheet after the sorting operation. A sheet conveying apparatus characterized by the above.
A sheet conveying apparatus that distributes a plurality of sheets into a plurality of rows and conveys them from a photographic printer to a processing apparatus,
The sheet conveying device conveys the sheet in the conveying direction and the conveying width direction during the sheet distributing operation,
One sheet sensor before sorting near the center of the conveyance width, and one sheet sensor after sorting near the both ends of the conveyance width,
Control means for performing control to ignore the signal change when the signal of the pre-sorting sheet sensor has changed before the post-sorting sheet sensor detects the trailing edge of the sheet after the sorting operation. A sheet conveying apparatus characterized by the above.
Equipped with sheet jam detection means,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet jam detection unit detects a sheet jam by a sheet detection signal output from the control unit.

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