JP2006178141A - Photoprinting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoprinting system capable of smoothly conveying, without trouble such as a paper jam, printing paper that includes the trailing end of the roll of printing paper and is longer than regular printing paper in the direction of conveyance, or so-called paper-end paper. <P>SOLUTION: In printing station 3, when a paper-end paper is conveyed, a CPU 31 sets an imaginary trailing end, which is extended upstream from the position of a trailing end detected by sensors 28a and 28b. In conveying mechanisms 22 to 24 located downstream, CPUs 32 to 34 control the conveyance of the paper-end paper by using the position of the imaginary trailing end as a reference. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographic printing apparatus that cuts a photographic paper wound in a roll shape into a predetermined size and carries out processing such as exposure and development on the photographic paper of a predetermined size.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photographic printing apparatus has been used in which a long photographic paper is wound into a roll shape, and the roll-shaped photographic paper is conveyed while being cut at a predetermined size to perform an exposure process or the like.
Usually, in a photographic printing apparatus, a roll-shaped photographic paper is conveyed and cut into a predetermined size using a cutter or the like, and an exposure process corresponding to a photographed frame image for each photographic paper cut into a predetermined size. It is carried out. Then, an image corresponding to the shot frame image is formed on the surface of the photographic paper by passing the processing liquid stored in various processing tanks through the photographic paper subjected to the exposure process.

For example, in Patent Document 1, when the end of a photographic paper is detected, control is performed so that the cutter is not operated, so that the length of the photographic paper including the end in the conveying direction of the photographic paper that has been properly cut is controlled. Avoiding the shortening, it is possible to prevent a paper jam from occurring in the transport mechanism by transporting a short piece of photographic paper.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-126242 (published on November 17, 1992)

However, the conventional photographic printing apparatus has the following problems.
That is, in the photographic printing apparatus disclosed in the above publication, the last piece of roll-shaped photographic paper, so-called paper end paper, is generated for each roll. This paper end paper is different in length in the transport direction from the normally cut photographic paper, and furthermore, the last end is cut in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and it is cut obliquely There are many things that have been done. For this reason, when transporting such a paper end paper in the transporting process of the photographic paper in the photographic printing apparatus, a paper jam may occur in the transport mechanism. In particular, before and after the exposure part, it is necessary to make the conveyance speed slower than the other conveyance parts in the exposure part, and it is necessary to switch the conveyance speed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a photographic printing apparatus capable of smoothly transporting photographic paper including the end (paper end) of roll-shaped photographic paper, so-called paper end paper, without causing a problem such as paper jam. It is to provide.

  A photographic printing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a photographic printing apparatus that conveys a paper without being cut into a predetermined size when the end of the photographic paper wound in a roll shape is detected. Department. The end detection unit detects the end of the photographic paper. The virtual rear end setting unit sets the position behind the end detected by the end detection unit for the photographic paper including the end as a virtual rear end of the photographic paper including the end.

  Here, in a photographic printing apparatus that cuts and transports a photographic paper from a roll body of a long photographic paper wound in a roll shape to a predetermined size, the photographic paper (paper end paper) including its end is as follows. The virtual rear end setting unit is located at a position different from the end position actually detected by the end detection unit, that is, a predetermined length behind the actually detected end position (upstream in the photographic paper transport direction). ), The virtual trailing edge of the photographic paper including the trailing edge is set.

  Thereby, for example, control of switching of the conveyance speed in a conveyance mechanism that conveys photographic paper, timing control of a pressure-bonding mechanism of a conveyance roller that the conveyance mechanism has, distribution timing control of a distribution mechanism that distributes photographic paper according to predetermined conditions, etc. On the other hand, the control based on the virtual rear end position causes problems such as paper jam even when the rear end of paper end paper (end of photographic paper) is cut obliquely. Can be avoided.

  The photo printing apparatus according to the second invention cuts the photographic paper wound in a roll shape into a predetermined size, and when the end of the photographic paper is detected, cuts the photographic paper including the end into a predetermined size. A photographic printing apparatus that conveys the image, and includes an exposure unit, a first conveyance mechanism, a second conveyance mechanism, a termination detection unit, a virtual rear end setting unit, and a control unit. The exposure unit performs an exposure process on the photographic paper. The first transport mechanism transports the photographic paper at a position where exposure processing is performed. The second transport mechanism is disposed on the downstream side of the first transport mechanism, and is faster than the first transport mechanism from the same transport speed as the first transport mechanism when the photographic paper passes the position where the exposure process is performed by the exposure unit. The photographic paper is transported by switching to the transport speed. The end detection unit detects the end of the photographic paper. For the photographic paper including the end, the virtual rear end setting unit sets a position a predetermined length behind the end of the photographic paper detected by the end detection unit as the virtual rear end of the photographic paper including the end. . The control unit recognizes the virtual rear end set by the virtual rear end setting unit as the actual rear end of the photographic paper including the end, and controls the transport speed switching timing in the second transport mechanism.

  Here, a first transport mechanism that transports the photographic paper cut into a predetermined size from the state wound in a roll shape in the exposure unit, and a first transport mechanism that transports the exposed photographic paper at a higher speed than the first transport mechanism. In a photographic printing apparatus equipped with two transport mechanisms, a position that is a predetermined length behind the end of the photographic paper detected by the end detection unit is set as a virtual rear end of the photographic paper, and this virtual rear end is set as the virtual rear end. Then, it recognizes that it is the actual rear end of the photographic paper including the end, and performs control so as to delay the switching of the conveyance speed in the second conveyance mechanism as compared with the normal conveyance of the photographic paper.

  That is, in a photographic printing apparatus that cuts and conveys a photographic paper wound in a roll shape to a predetermined size, the last piece of the photographic paper wound around the roll for each roll (terminal portion) Exists. Very few of the end portions are cut exactly perpendicularly to the transport direction, and most of them are cut obliquely. On the other hand, the end detection unit that detects the end of the photographic paper detects the end of the photographic paper at one point in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the photographic paper. There is a case where the photographic paper including is present beyond the end position detected by the end detection unit.

  Usually, since the exposure process for photographic paper needs to be performed accurately for photographic paper, the photographic paper is transported at a lower transport speed than other transport parts. For this reason, the first transport mechanism that transports the photographic paper in the exposure portion is set to transport the photographic paper at a lower speed than the other transport mechanisms, and the second transport mechanism is disposed downstream of the first transport mechanism. The transport mechanism switches to high-speed transport at the timing when the nip of the photographic paper in the first transport mechanism is released. In the conventional photographic printing apparatus, when the transport speed of the photographic paper that has passed through the exposed portion is switched in the second transport mechanism, the photographic paper including a terminal end longer in the transport direction than the predetermined size is transferred to the second transport mechanism and the first transport mechanism. Since the paper is sandwiched between the two transport mechanisms, the photographic paper may be pulled between the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism, and the transport of the photographic paper may be delayed in the second transport mechanism, causing a paper jam. There is.

Therefore, in the photographic printing apparatus of the present invention, for the photographic paper including the end, a virtual rear end is set behind the end of the photographic paper detected by the end detection unit by a predetermined length. The trailing edge is recognized as the actual trailing edge of the photographic paper including the trailing edge, and the conveyance speed switching timing in the second conveyance mechanism is controlled.
As a result, for the photographic paper including the end, it is possible to delay the switching timing to the high-speed transport, rather than switching the transport speed of the second transport mechanism based on the position of the end detected by the end detection unit. As a result, even when photographic paper including a terminal end that is longer in the conveyance direction than photographic paper cut to a predetermined size is conveyed, the second conveyance mechanism increases the conveyance speed while being pinched by the first conveyance mechanism. Since the switching can be prevented, it is possible to smoothly convey the printing paper including the trailing end cut obliquely while avoiding the occurrence of paper jam.

  The control for setting the virtual rear end includes only control related to the virtual length of the photographic paper that is recognized as having photographic paper from the end detected by the end detection unit to the rear by a predetermined length. Instead, the timing of switching the transport speed of the second transport mechanism when the virtual rear end is set based on the end detection timing actually detected by the end detection unit is delayed by a predetermined time. It also includes the case of controlling with.

A photographic printing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the photographic printing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the second transport mechanism has a plurality of roller pairs that sandwich and transport the photographic paper.
Here, as the second transport mechanism, a plurality of pairs of rollers that transport the photographic paper so as to be sandwiched between rollers rotating in opposite directions are used.
As a result, the photographic paper that has passed the exposure position is cut at an angle longer than the predetermined size in the transport direction by increasing the rotational speed of the roller pair and transporting it at a speed faster than the first transport mechanism. The photographic paper including the trailing end can be easily conveyed at high speed.

A photographic printing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the photographic printing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the second transport mechanism has a chucker that grips and transports the downstream end of the photographic paper.
Here, as the second transport mechanism, a chucker that grips and transports the downstream end of the photographic paper is used.
As a result, the photographic paper that has passed through the exposure position is conveyed at a higher speed than the first conveying mechanism so as to be grasped by the chucker, and thus includes a trailing end that is longer than the predetermined size and obliquely cut. Can be easily conveyed at high speed.

A photographic printing apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the photographic printing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein when the control unit detects that the virtual rear end has passed through the first transport mechanism, the control unit detects the downstream side of the photographic paper. Control the chucker to grab the edge.
Here, the chucker is controlled so as to grasp the downstream end of the photographic paper by detecting that the virtual rear end has passed through the first transport mechanism.

  Accordingly, after the photographic paper leaves the first transport mechanism, the photographic paper is pulled between the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism (chucker) in order to perform normal transport by the chucker. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of problems such as the inability to perform. In addition, even when the virtual rear end is set, the photographic paper whose end is cut obliquely is pulled between the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism and cannot be transported normally. Can be avoided.

A photographic printing apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the photographic printing apparatus according to any one of the second to fifth aspects of the present invention, wherein the first conveyance mechanism is a conveyance direction at a position where the photographic paper is exposed. The roller pair respectively arranged on both the upstream side and the downstream side.
Here, a pair of rollers disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the exposure position is used as the first transport mechanism.

  Thus, by controlling the rotation speed of the roller, the photographic paper can be transported at a lower speed than the other transport mechanisms at the exposure position. In addition, since the second conveyance mechanism does not switch the conveyance speed until the virtual rear end of the photographic paper is separated from the roller pair arranged on the downstream side of the exposure position, the conveyance direction is longer than the predetermined size in the oblique direction. Even if it is a photographic paper including an end that has been cut into two, it can be smoothly conveyed without causing a paper jam.

A photographic printing apparatus according to a seventh aspect is the photographic printing apparatus according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the predetermined length is 20 to 120 mm.
Here, the switching speed of the conveyance speed in the second conveyance mechanism is controlled on the assumption that there is photographic paper 20 to 120 mm behind from the termination detected by the termination detection unit.
As a result, regardless of whether the second transport mechanism is a roller pair or a chucker, it is possible to smoothly transport photographic paper that is longer than the predetermined size in the transport direction and includes the end cut obliquely.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographic printing apparatus that cuts a roll of photographic paper into a predetermined size and detects the end of the photographic paper when the end of the photographic paper is detected. A photographic printing apparatus that conveys a paper without cutting it, and for a photographic paper that includes a terminal end detection unit that detects the terminal end of the photographic paper and a photographic paper that includes the terminal, sets the length of the photographic paper including the terminal to a specific length A virtual length setting unit.

Here, in a photographic printing apparatus that cuts and transports a photographic paper from a roll body of a long photographic paper wound in a roll shape to a predetermined size, the photographic paper (paper end paper) including its end is as follows. The virtual length setting unit sets a specific length longer than the actual length of the photographic paper including the end.
Thereby, for example, control of switching of the conveyance speed in a conveyance mechanism that conveys photographic paper, timing control of a pressure-bonding mechanism of a conveyance roller that the conveyance mechanism has, distribution timing control of a distribution mechanism that distributes photographic paper according to predetermined conditions, etc. The paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper) is cut obliquely because various control is performed by recognizing that the length is the easiest to control. Can be avoided.

According to the photographic printing apparatus according to the first invention, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a problem such as a paper jam even when the rear end of the paper end paper is cut obliquely.
According to the photographic printing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, even when photographic paper including a terminal end that is longer in the conveyance direction than photographic paper cut to a predetermined size is conveyed, the photographic printing apparatus is held in the first conveyance mechanism. Since it is possible to prevent the second transport mechanism from switching the transport speed to a high speed, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a paper jam of the photographic paper including the end cut obliquely.

According to the photographic printing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly transport a photographic paper that is longer in the transport direction than the predetermined size and includes an end cut obliquely.
According to the photographic printing apparatus relating to the fourth invention, it is possible to smoothly transport a photographic paper that is longer in the transport direction than the predetermined size and includes the end cut obliquely.
According to the photographic printing apparatus pertaining to the fifth aspect of the invention, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of problems such as the photographic paper being pulled between the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism (chucker) and being unable to perform normal transport. Can do.

According to the photographic printing apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even a photographic paper that is longer in the transport direction than the predetermined size and includes an end that is cut obliquely can be smoothly transported without causing a paper jam. be able to.
According to the photographic printing apparatus pertaining to the seventh invention, it is possible to smoothly transport a photographic paper that is longer in the transport direction than the predetermined size and includes the end cut obliquely.

  According to the photographic printing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a problem such as a paper jam even for a photographic paper that is longer in the transport direction than the predetermined size and includes an end cut obliquely. it can.

A photographic print system including a photographic printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[Configuration of Print Station 3]
As shown in FIG. 1, a print station (photo printing apparatus) 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention conveys photographic paper P based on print data received from an operation station 2 connected via a cable 4. The photographic printing apparatus forms a photographic print image by performing exposure processing and development processing on the photographic paper P.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the print station 3 includes two photographic paper magazines 11, a sheet cutter 12, a back print unit 13, a print exposure unit (exposure unit) 14, and a processing tank unit. 15, a conveyor 16, a sorter 17 (see FIG. 1), a photographic paper transport mechanism 18, sensors (terminal detection units) 28 a to 28 f, and CPUs (control units) 31 to 34.

The two photographic paper magazines 11 store roll-shaped photographic paper P one by one inside the print station 3, and a necessary amount of photographic paper P is drawn out by the photographic paper transport mechanism 18.
The sheet cutter 12 is disposed adjacent to a part of the photographic paper transport mechanism 18 and cuts the photographic paper P drawn from the photographic paper magazine 11 into a print size. Note that the paper end paper described later is controlled by the CPU 31 so as not to perform an operation of cutting to a print size.

The back print unit 13 is disposed on the downstream side of the sheet cutter 12 and adjacent to the photographic paper transport mechanism 18. On the back side of the photographic paper P cut to the print size, the color correction information and the frame number are provided. Print processing information such as.
The print exposure unit 14 is disposed adjacent to the photographic paper transport mechanism 18 on the downstream side of the back print unit 13, and exposes a photographed image to be printed on the surface of the photographic paper P cut to a print size. I do. Further, the print exposure unit 14 has a line exposure head (not shown) that irradiates the photographic paper P conveyed in the sub-scanning direction with laser beams of three colors of RGB along the main scanning direction.

  The processing tank unit 15 is disposed on the downstream side of the print exposure unit 14, and includes a color developing tank 15a for storing a color developing processing liquid, a bleach-fixing tank 15b for storing a bleach-fixing processing liquid, and a stable storing a stable processing liquid. A treatment layer 15c is provided. The photographic paper P after exposure is transported by the photographic paper transport mechanism 18 while passing through the processing tanks 15a to 15c in this order, whereby a desired photographic print image is formed on the surface of the photographic paper P. The

The conveyor 16 is exposed at the top of the print station 3 and conveys the photographic paper P on which the photographic print image is formed on the surface and discharged after the drying process toward the sorter 17 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
The sorter 17 is arranged in a state in which a plurality of trays are arranged in the vertical direction on the front side of the print station 3, and the printed photographic paper P conveyed by the conveyor 16 is distributed to each tray in units of orders (see FIG. 1).

  The photographic paper transport mechanism 18 pulls out the roll-shaped photographic paper P accommodated in the photographic paper magazine 11 inside the print station 3 and performs the photographic paper P cut to the print size on the photographic paper P. It is transported at a transport speed corresponding to various processing. The photographic paper transport mechanism 18 includes chucker-type transport units (chuckers) 18aa and 18ab disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the print exposure unit 14 in the transport direction of the photographic paper P, and a plurality of nipping and transporting roller pairs ( Roller pair) 18ba-18bd. Further, the photographic paper transport mechanism 18 divides the area from the photographic paper magazine 11 to the processing tank unit 15 into four areas (see Z1 to Z4 in FIG. 3), and the photographic paper P in each area. Are respectively controlled by separate CPUs 31 to 34. For this reason, the transport mechanism 22 in the zone Z2 including the exposure position functions as a first transport mechanism, the transport mechanism 23 in the zone Z3 functions as a second transport mechanism, and the transport mechanism 24 in the zone Z4 functions as a second transport mechanism. For example, the second zone Z <b> 2 includes an exposure position where a laser beam is applied to the photographic paper P from the laser engine of the print exposure unit 14. For this reason, in order to perform accurate exposure on the photographic paper P, the transport mechanism (first transport mechanism) 22 in the zone Z2 is set so that the transport speed is slower than the other zones Z1, Z3, and Z4. The number of rotations of the pair of nipping and conveying rollers 18bb of the conveying mechanism 22 is controlled. On the other hand, in the transport mechanisms 21, 23, and 24 in the other zones Z1, Z3, and Z4, the photographic paper P is transported at a higher speed than at least the transport mechanism 22 in the zone Z2 in order to increase production efficiency.

The chucker-type transport units 18aa and 18ab transport the downstream side (front end side) of the photographic paper P cut into the print size by pinching from both sides in the transport direction.
The pair of nipping and conveying rollers 18ba to 18bd is configured by combining two rollers, and conveys the photographic paper P downstream by sandwiching and rotating the photographic paper P in a gap between the two rollers.

  The sensors 28 a to 28 f are provided in the conveyance path of the photographic paper magazine 11 in order to detect the leading edge and the trailing edge of the photographic paper P conveyed from the photographic paper magazine 11. In particular, the sensors 28a and 28b are arranged immediately downstream of the two photographic paper magazines 11, and detect the end (paper end) of the photographic paper P wound in a roll shape. The sensor 28d is provided in the zone Z2 in order to detect the leading edge and the trailing edge of the photographic paper P immediately before entering the exposure process and to control the timing of exposure. Further, in the zone Z4, a sensor 28e for detecting the leading edge of the photographic paper P is provided immediately downstream of the chucker type transport unit 18ab. The sensors 28a to 28f are configured by a set of light emitting / receiving elements. For this reason, the light receiving element stops detecting the light emitted from the light emitting element to detect the leading edge of the photographic paper P, while the light receiving element detects the trailing edge (including the end) of the photographic paper P. .

The CPUs 31 to 34 control the operation of the entire print station 3. Further, the CPUs 31 to 34 separately and independently in the zones Z1 to Z4 shown in FIG. 3 in order to perform appropriate transport control for the photographic paper transport mechanism 18 that transports the photographic paper P. 24 is controlled.
In the zone Z1, the CPU (virtual rear end setting unit) 31 draws the roll-shaped photographic paper P from the photographic paper magazine 11 to the downstream side based on the detection results of the sensors 28a and 28b, and sets the photographic paper P to the print size. After the sheet cutter 12 to be cut, the sheet cutter 12 and the conveyance mechanism 21 are controlled so that the cut photographic paper P is conveyed to the downstream side one by one. When a paper end described later is detected by the sensors 28a and 28b, the sheet cutter 12 is controlled so as not to operate on the paper end paper including the paper end. As a result, the paper end paper is transported downstream in the transport direction with a size smaller than two print sizes and larger than one sheet.

  The CPU 32 controls the transport mechanism 22 so that the transport speed is slower than the other sections Z1, Z3, Z4 when the photographic paper P passes through the exposure position in the section Z2, and is arranged in the section Z2. The irradiation timing of the laser beam from the laser engine of the print exposure unit 14 is controlled in accordance with the detection timing of the leading edge of the photographic paper P by the sensor 28d. Further, the CPU 32 receives from the CPU 31 that the sensors 28a and 28b arranged in the zone Z1 have detected the paper end (termination). At this time, the CPU 31 sets the position of the virtual paper end that is 50 mm upstream from the position where the paper end of the photographic paper P is detected by the sensors 28a and 28b, and the position of the virtual paper end to the CPU 32. To send. For this reason, the CPU 32 recognizes the conveyance of the photographic paper P (paper end paper) including the paper end detected by the sensors 28a and 28b as the actual paper end position, and controls the conveyance mechanism 22.

  The CPU 33 switches the conveyance speed from the low speed to the high speed at the same time as the rear end of the photographic paper P is separated from the conveyance mechanism 22 included in the area Z2 by the conveyance mechanism 23 included in the area Z3. Is transported to the downstream side at a higher speed than the transport mechanism 22. Similarly to the CPU 32, the CPU 33 receives the position of the virtual paper end from the CPU 31, recognizes this as the actual paper end position, and transports the paper end paper by the transport mechanism 23 included in the zone Z3. Take control. In addition, the control at the time of conveyance of such a paper end paper is explained in full detail in a back | latter stage.

In the area Z4, the CPU 34 conveys the photographic paper P conveyed via the area Z3 to the processing tank unit 15. Note that the transport mechanism 24 included in the zone Z4 also transports the photographic paper P at a high speed as in the zone Z3.
[Paper end paper transport control]
In the print station 3 according to the present embodiment, when the paper end of the photographic paper P stored in the photographic paper magazine 11 in a rolled state is detected by the sensors 28a and 28b included in the zone Z1, this The conveyance of the photographic paper P (paper end paper) including the paper end is controlled according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  That is, in step S1, when any of the sensors 28a and 28b arranged immediately downstream of the photographic paper magazine 11 included in the zone Z1 detects the paper end of the photographic paper P, the CPU 31 prints the photographic paper including the paper end. In order to stop the cutting of P, the operation of the sheet cutter 12 is stopped. In step S2, the position of the paper end detected by one of the sensors 28a and 28b is extended to the upstream side to set the position of the virtual rear end. It transmits to CPU32-CPU34 of the downstream in the direction. Thereby, the CPUs 32 to 34 on the downstream side recognize the position of the virtual rear end set by the CPU 31 as the actual paper end, and transport the paper end paper.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in step S <b> 4, the CPU 32 is detected by the actual sensors 28 a and 28 b as the virtual rear end position from the CPU 31 that controls the transport mechanism 21 and the like included in the zone Z <b> 1. The position where the paper end is extended 50 mm upstream is received. Then, the CPU 32 performs an exposure process in accordance with the timing when the sensor 28d detects the leading edge of the paper end paper. At this time, the paper end paper passing through the exposure position is longer in the transport direction than the photographic paper P having a print size that is normally transported. Further, since the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P) is mostly cut obliquely with respect to the transport direction, the width of the photographic paper P on which the sensors 28a and 28b are arranged. Even when the conveyance control after the exposure position is performed based on the detection result at the center position in the direction, the paper end paper is jammed because the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P) is longer downstream than the detected position. May occur.

  Therefore, in the print station 3 of the present embodiment, the paper end paper actually detected by the sensors 31a and 28b by the CPU 31 is not transmitted as it is to the CPU 32 to the CPU 34 that controls the downstream transport. A virtual rear end obtained by extending the detected end position by 50 mm toward the upstream side is set and transmitted to the CPUs 32 to 34 on the downstream side.

For this reason, the CPUs 32 to 34 on the downstream side of the exposure position recognize that the paper end paper is actually longer on the downstream side than the position of the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P), and transport the paper end paper. Take control.
Next, in step S5, the CPU 33, in order to transport the paper end paper that has passed through the exposure position and subjected to the exposure process at a predetermined position, as fast as possible, includes the most downstream holding and transporting roller included in the zone Z2. At the timing when the virtual rear end of the paper end paper leaves the pair 18bb, the transport speed of the transport mechanism 23 is switched from low speed to high speed. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a conveyance failure such as a paper jam by pulling the paper end paper between the conveyance mechanism 22 that always conveys the photographic paper P at a low speed and the conveyance mechanism 23 that is switched at a high speed. Can do.

  Further, in the CPU 34, similarly, in step S6, the timing of gripping by the chucker of the chucker type transport unit 18ab is controlled. That is, when the leading end portion of the paper end paper is transported to the chucker-type transport unit 18ab of the transport mechanism 24 and grips the leading end portion to transport at high speed, the paper end is more paper end than the transport mechanism 22 in the zone Z2 that transports at low speed. The rear end of the paper (the end of the photographic paper P) needs to be on the downstream side. For this reason, in the CPU 34 as well, the paper end paper is reliably transferred by the chucker-type transport unit 18ab after the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P) has left the transport mechanism 22 with reference to the virtual rear end position. Grab the tip of the paper end paper and transport it at high speed. More specifically, after the front end of the paper end paper is detected by the sensor 28e, the chucker portion is moved downstream without holding the front end portion of the paper end paper together with the front end portion of the paper end paper. Control is performed so that the paper end paper is gripped by the chucker at the timing when the rear end leaves the transport mechanism 22.

  In addition, regarding the switching timing to the high-speed transport in the transport mechanism 23 and the control of the grip timing by the chucker-type transport unit 18ab, the position of the point D shown in FIG. You may control so that a chucker may grasp at the timing which passes. In other words, the setting of the virtual rear end of the paper end paper means that the conveyance speed or the chucking timing by the chucker is switched for a predetermined time rather than the timing control performed based on the actually detected end position. This means that the point D indicating the exposure completion position is moved downstream in order to delay. Therefore, as a different control method, instead of setting a virtual rear end obtained by extending the rear end (the end of the photographic paper P) of the actually detected paper end paper to the upstream side, point D indicating the exposure completion position Even when the position (see FIG. 3) is controlled to move to the downstream side, it is possible to obtain an effect that the paper end paper can be smoothly transported in the same manner as described above.

  As described above, for paper-end paper conveyance, the CPU 31 sets a virtual rear end obtained by extending the detected end position by 50 mm downstream, and transmits this to the downstream CPUs 32 to 34. The timing at which the CPU 33 shifts the transport speed in the transport mechanism 23 or the timing at which the paper end paper is gripped by the chucker-type transport unit 18ab of the transport mechanism 24 is based on the position of the virtual rear end instead of the actually detected end position. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of problems such as paper jams as described above.

[Features of Print Station 3]
(1)
In the print station 3 of the present embodiment, when transporting paper end paper, the CPU 31 sets a virtual rear end obtained by extending the end position detected by the sensors 28a and 28b to the upstream side. And in downstream conveyance mechanism 22-24, CPU32-34 performs conveyance control of paper end paper on the basis of the position of this virtual rear end.

  As a result, when the transport mechanism 23 that transports the photographic paper P at a high speed is used as the reference for the virtual rear end position with respect to the relatively low speed transport in the transport mechanism 22 including the exposure position, It is possible to delay the switching timing based on the actually detected end position. As a result, even when the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P) is cut obliquely with respect to the transport direction, the paper between the low speed transport mechanism 22 and the transport mechanism 23 switched to high speed. It is possible to avoid a problem such as a paper jam caused by pulling the end papers.

(2)
In the print station 3 of the present embodiment, a plurality of sandwiching conveyance roller pairs included in the conveyance mechanism 23 included in the zone Z3 is used as a second conveyance mechanism that switches the conveyance speed after passing through the exposure position (after passing through the conveyance mechanism 22). 18bc is used.
Accordingly, the paper end after passing through the exposure position can be obtained with a simple configuration by switching the rotation speed of the pair of nipping and conveying rollers 18bc that convey the paper end paper between the rollers based on the virtual rear end position. The paper transport speed can be controlled at high speed.

(3)
In the print station 3 of the present embodiment, as a second transport mechanism that switches the transport speed after passing through the exposure position (after passing through the transport mechanism 22), a chucker that transports at high speed so as to grip the downstream end of the paper end paper. A type transport unit 18ab is used.
Thus, by controlling the timing of gripping by the chucker with reference to the virtual rear end position, the paper end paper can be transported at high speed by the chucker without causing paper jam.

(4)
In the print station 3 of the present embodiment, the CPU 34 moves the chucker of the chucker-type transport unit 18ab to the leading end portion of the paper end paper at the timing when the virtual rear end of the paper end paper is separated in the transport mechanism 22 including the exposure position. Control to grab.

This prevents the paper end paper from being pulled between the transport mechanism 22 that transports the paper end paper at a low speed and the transport mechanism 24 including the chucker-type transport unit 18ab to cause problems such as paper jams. The paper end paper can be gripped and conveyed at high speed by the chucker type conveyance unit 18ab.
(5)
In the print station 3 of the present embodiment, as a first transport mechanism that transports paper end paper at a low speed, the transport mechanism 22 has a pair of sandwiching transport rollers 18bb disposed on both sides of the exposure position in the transport direction of the photographic paper P. is doing.

  Thus, by reducing the rotation speed of each pair of the nipping and conveying roller pair 18bb, it is possible to perform highly accurate exposure processing on the photographic paper P passing through the exposure position. Even if the photographic paper P is transported at a low speed, the downstream transport mechanisms 23 and 24 do not start high-speed transport until the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P) is separated from the transport mechanism 22. Occurrence of problems such as clogging can be avoided.

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of invention.
(A)
In the above embodiment, the end of the photographic paper P actually detected by the CPU 31 (the rear end of the paper end paper) is shifted to the downstream side in the transport direction by about 50 mm, that is, the paper end paper is assumed to be 50 mm long. An example has been described in which the rear end is set and transmitted to the downstream CPUs 32 to 34 to perform transport control downstream from the exposure position. However, the present invention is not limited to the length for determining the position of the virtual rear end.

For example, if the length for setting the virtual rear end is in the range of 20 to 120 mm, the same effect as described above can be obtained. The lower limit value and the upper limit value are calculated based on the difference in the angle of the rear end of the paper end paper (the end of the photographic paper P).
Further, when the end of the photographic paper P is detected, for the photographic paper (paper end paper) including the end, the CPU (virtual length setting unit) 31 determines the length of the paper end paper on the downstream side, etc. It is easy to perform the various processes described above, and the subsequent process may be performed by setting a specific length (for example, 260.1 mm) longer than the actual length of the photographic paper. Even in this case, the conveyance speed switching control, the conveyance roller pressing timing control, the photographic paper distribution control, and the like can be performed without causing a problem such as paper jam. In this case, as described above, since the actual length of the photographic paper P is shorter than the set length of the photographic paper P, the rear end of the photographic paper P detected at the exposure position is used as a reference. If an error is detected by a sensor that detects the leading edge of the photographic paper P (see the sensor 28e in FIG. 3), an error occurs because the leading edge of the photographic paper P is not detected by the sensor. For this reason, as described above, the occurrence of such a problem can be avoided by causing the sensor or the like to recognize that the specific length is longer than the actual length of the photographic paper P and performing the conveyance control. Note that the specific length is not limited to 260.1 mm, and differs depending on the model of the photographic printing apparatus. Therefore, an optimum length may be set for each model.

(B)
In the above embodiment, the conveyance mechanism 22 in the zone Z2 as the first conveyance mechanism is the nipping conveyance roller pair 18bb, the conveyance mechanism 23 in the zone Z3 as the second conveyance mechanism is the nipping conveyance roller pair 18bc, or the conveyance mechanism 24 in the zone Z4. Has been described with reference to an example in which is a chucker-type transport unit 18ab. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of transport mechanism.

For example, the transport mechanism 23 in the zone Z3 as the second transport mechanism and the transport mechanism 24 in the zone Z4 may both be chucker-type transport units, or may be a pair of nipping transport rollers. Even when other transport mechanisms are employed as the first and second transport mechanisms, the same effects as described above can be obtained.
(C)
In the above-described embodiment, when the end of the photographic paper P (the rear end of the paper end paper) is detected, a virtual rear end is set and control for conveying the photographic paper P in the photographic paper conveyance mechanism 18 from the viewpoint of the length of the photographic paper. Was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, instead of setting the virtual rear end, when the end is detected, the timing for switching the transport speed of the second transport mechanism to the high speed based on the detection timing of the end may be delayed by a predetermined time. .
(D)
In the embodiment described above, an example in which the setting of the virtual rear end is utilized for paper end paper conveyance control has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  As in the above-described embodiment, besides the control of the conveyance speed switching timing, for example, the control of the pressure timing of the conveyance roller and the control of the distribution timing for distributing the photographic paper according to a predetermined condition can be used. Even in this case, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a problem such as a paper jam.

  The photographic printing apparatus according to the present invention has an effect of smoothly conveying so-called end paper including the end of a roll-shaped photographic paper, and therefore conveys not only a standard sheet but also a half-cut piece. The present invention can be widely applied to various apparatuses having a certain transport mechanism.

1 is an external view showing a photographic print system including a photographic printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a photographic printing apparatus provided in the photographic print system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining in detail a positional relationship between an exposure position and a transport mechanism in the photographic printing apparatus of FIG. 2. The flowchart which shows the control in each conveyance mechanism from the setting of the virtual rear end in each CPU.

Explanation of symbols

1 Photo printing system 2 Operation station 3 Print station (photo printing device)
4 cable 11 photographic paper magazine 12 sheet cutter 13 back print unit 14 print exposure unit (exposure unit)
15 Processing tank unit 16 Conveyor 17 Sorter 18 Printing paper transport mechanism 18aa, 18ab Chuck-type transport unit (chucker)
18ba-18bd Nipping and conveying roller pair (roller pair)
21 Transport mechanism 22 Transport mechanism (first transport mechanism)
23 Transport mechanism (second transport mechanism)
24 transport mechanism (second transport mechanism)
28a to 28f Sensor (Terminal detection unit)
31 CPU (virtual rear end setting unit, virtual length setting unit)
32 CPU
33 CPU
34 CPU

Claims (8)

A photographic printing apparatus that conveys the paper without cutting into a predetermined size when the end of the photographic paper wound in a roll is detected,
An end detection unit for detecting the end of the photographic paper;
For the photographic paper including the end, a virtual rear end setting unit that sets a position that is a predetermined length behind the end detected by the end detection unit as a virtual rear end of the photographic paper including the end;
A photographic printing apparatus. A photographic printing apparatus that cuts a roll of photographic paper into a predetermined size and conveys the photographic paper including the end without being cut into the predetermined size when the end of the photographic paper is detected. There,
An exposure unit that performs an exposure process on the photographic paper;
A first transport mechanism for transporting the photographic paper at a position where the exposure processing is performed;
It is arranged on the downstream side of the first transport mechanism, and transports faster than the first transport mechanism from the same transport speed as the first transport mechanism when the photographic paper passes the position where the exposure process by the exposure unit is performed. A second transport mechanism that is switched to a speed and transports the photographic paper;
An end detection unit for detecting the end of the photographic paper;
For the photographic paper including the end, a virtual rear position is set as a virtual rear end of the photographic paper including the end by setting a position that is a predetermined length behind the end of the photographic paper detected by the end detection unit. An edge setting section;
A control unit that recognizes the virtual rear end set in the virtual rear end setting unit as an actual rear end of the photographic paper including the end and controls the switching speed of the transport speed in the second transport mechanism When,
A photographic printing apparatus. The second transport mechanism includes a plurality of roller pairs that sandwich and transport the photographic paper.
The photographic printing apparatus according to claim 2. The second transport mechanism has a chucker that grips and transports the downstream end of the photographic paper.
The photographic printing apparatus according to claim 2. When the control unit detects that the virtual rear end has passed through the first transport mechanism, the control unit controls the chucker so as to hold the downstream end of the photographic paper.
The photographic printing apparatus according to claim 4. The first transport mechanism is a pair of rollers respectively disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the position where the exposure is performed on the photographic paper.
The photographic printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5. The predetermined length is 20 to 120 mm.
The photographic printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A photographic printing apparatus that cuts a roll of photographic paper into a predetermined size and conveys the photographic paper including the end without being cut into the predetermined size when the end of the photographic paper is detected. There,
An end detection unit for detecting the end of the photographic paper;
For the photographic paper including the end, a virtual length setting unit that sets the length of the photographic paper including the end to a specific length;
A photographic printing apparatus.

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