JP2008257284A - Recording medium identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To convey a recording medium to a predetermined measurement position regardless of the kind of the recording medium when conveying the recording medium inside an identification device. <P>SOLUTION: The recording medium identification device for identifying the kinds of a plurality of kinds of recording mediums different at least in width and guiding connection of connectors corresponding to the kinds and the recording mediums includes a recording medium conveying roller for conveying the recording medium in the direction of insertion of the recording medium, and a pressure roller being movable in the cross direction of the recording medium and adapted to push the recording medium toward the recording medium conveying roller. The recording medium is moved in the direction of insertion by the recording medium conveying roller while being pressed against the recording medium conveying roller by the pressure roller. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium identification device that identifies a type of a recording medium taken from an insertion slot and connects the identified recording medium to a corresponding connector.

  There is known an image printing apparatus that inserts a recording medium, reads image data written on the recording medium, and prints the image data. As this recording medium, for example, miniSD (trademark), SD (trademark), smart recording media (trademark), Memory Stick (trademark), MMC (trademark), RS-MMC (trademark), xD-Picture Card (trademark), compact There are Flash (registered trademark), Microdrive (registered trademark), and the like.

  There has been proposed an image printing apparatus that handles these various types of recording media with a single apparatus (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In the image printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to identify the type of a memory card that is a recording medium, a light source and an optical sensor are arranged across the memory card, and the memory is determined based on the size of the area blocked by the memory card. It is disclosed that the type of card is discriminated and the card slot corresponding to the inserted memory card is moved and connected.

  In the image printing apparatus shown in Patent Document 2, in order to identify the type of a memory card that is a recording medium, a subdivided member is slid to abut against the memory card, and the depth, In addition to determining the type of memory card by measuring the width and thickness, it is disclosed that the type of memory card is determined by measuring the depth, width, and area with an infrared sensor arranged in a two-dimensional manner. .

In addition, as a mechanism for transporting the card-shaped recording media, the drive roller, the pinch roller, and the position where the card is sandwiched are arranged opposite to each other, and the drive roller is rotated while the card is sandwiched between these rollers. A card transport device for transport has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-321018 JP 2005-78192 A JP 2000-187710 A

  In a recording medium identification device, it is necessary to take a recording medium for identification into the device and position it at an identification position provided in the device. Therefore, a mechanism for transporting the recording medium taken from outside in the apparatus is required.

  Here, if there is only one type of recording medium handled by the recording medium identification device, it can be dealt with by preparing one type of transport mechanism according to the outer shape of the recording medium type. When there are many types of recording media to be handled and the outer shapes of the recording media are different from each other, it is difficult to cope with all types by one type of transport mechanism. In order to cope with the plurality of types of recording media, it is not practical to prepare a conveying device corresponding to various types of recording media because the size of the apparatus is increased and the manufacturing cost of the apparatus is affected.

  In addition, by using a transport device that supports the largest recording media, one type of transport mechanism can be used for many types of recording media. The position of the medium changes every time it is taken in, and the position of the recording medium taken into the apparatus becomes unstable depending on the frictional state. Therefore, it is difficult to make the captured recording medium constant with respect to the identification position, it is difficult to increase the accuracy of identification of the recording medium, and the identification itself may be difficult.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems and to convey a recording medium to a predetermined measurement position regardless of the type of the recording medium in conveying the recording medium within the identification device.

  The recording medium identification device of the present invention is a recording medium identification device that identifies types of a plurality of types of recording media having at least different widths and guides connection between a connector corresponding to the type and the recording medium. A recording medium conveying roller that conveys the recording medium in the width direction of the recording medium, and a pressure roller that is movable in the width direction of the recording medium and presses the recording medium in the direction of the recording medium conveying roller. The recording medium is moved in the insertion direction by the recording medium conveying roller while being pressed against the recording medium conveying roller by the pressure roller. Further, the recording medium is characterized in that the type of the medium is identified by using the recording medium conveying roller as a reference position in the width direction.

  In one aspect of the recording medium identification apparatus of the present invention, a recording medium insertion / ejection unit that inserts a recording medium into and out of the apparatus, and a type of the recording medium inserted into the apparatus are identified. A recording medium transport unit that transports the recording medium to and from the recording medium identification unit is provided.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit is a part that performs an operation of inserting the recording medium into the apparatus and an operation of ejecting the recording medium from the apparatus to the outside of the apparatus. The recording medium identification unit of the present invention is a part for identifying the type of the recording medium inserted in the apparatus, and measures the outer shape and reflection state of the recording medium inserted by a sensor or the like arranged at a predetermined position. The type of the recording medium is identified based on the measurement result. The recording medium identification device includes a plurality of connectors arranged in a connector rack, and reads data stored in the recording medium by a connector corresponding to the type of the recording medium obtained by the identification.

  The recording medium transport unit of the present invention is a part that moves the recording medium between the recording medium insertion / ejection unit and the recording medium identification unit. When the recording medium is inserted from the recording medium inserting / ejecting unit, the inserted recording medium is moved from the recording medium inserting / ejecting unit to the recording medium identifying unit, positioned at a predetermined position, and identified by the recording medium identifying unit. Do. On the other hand, when the recording medium is ejected after data acquisition from the recording medium is completed, the recording medium taken out from the connector to the recording medium identification unit is moved from the recording medium identification unit to the recording medium insertion / ejection unit, It is discharged out of the apparatus by the insertion / discharge unit.

  The recording medium transport unit of the present invention includes a table that slidably supports the recording medium and two roller units. One roller unit is a recording medium conveyance roller, which is fixed to the table and conveys the recording medium in the insertion direction of the recording medium. On the other hand, the other roller portion is a pressure roller, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the recording medium with respect to the table. By pressing the recording medium in the direction of the recording medium conveying roller, the recording medium Position in the width direction (lateral direction). The recording medium is moved in the insertion direction by the recording medium conveying roller while being pressed against the recording medium conveying roller by the pressure roller.

  The recording medium is positioned in the depth direction (longitudinal direction) by moving the recording medium to the connector side by a recording medium conveying roller and bringing it into contact with a connector rack or a stopper provided on the connector side.

  The recording medium conveying unit of the present invention has a pressure roller driving unit that drives the pressure roller. The pressure roller drive unit includes two drive modes, continuous drive and intermittent drive, which can be switched. In the switching of the driving mode, in the driving toward the recording medium conveying roller, the driving is performed in the continuous driving mode until the pressure roller contacts the recording medium supported on the table, After the pressure roller comes into contact with the recording medium, the driving mode is switched from continuous driving to intermittent driving.

  By performing the intermittent drive, the state in which the recording medium is caught by the pressure roller and temporarily locked can be released, and the recording medium can be moved smoothly.

  This intermittent drive is performed by intermittently supplying a drive current supplied to a drive motor provided in the pressure roller drive unit. When the drive current is cut off, the drive motor stops and the pressure roller slightly returns in the reverse direction by the return operation of the drive mechanism including a gear mechanism between the drive motor and the pressure roller. By the return of the pressure roller in the reverse direction, even if the recording medium is caught by the pressure roller and temporarily locked, the locked state is released. Thereafter, the driving by the pressure roller can be smoothly performed by performing the driving again.

  In addition, the recording medium conveying unit of the present invention includes a pressure roller driving unit that drives a pressure roller, a recording medium conveying roller driving unit that drives a recording medium conveying roller, the pressure roller driving unit, and a recording medium conveying roller. A driving unit and a control unit for controlling the driving unit;

  The control unit controls the driving of the pressure roller driving unit. Each of the driving operation of the pressure roller to the initial position, the driving operation of the pressure roller toward the recording medium conveying roller, and the holding operation of the pressure roller at that position is performed. Control operations in sequence. The driving operation of the pressure roller toward the recording medium conveying roller starts by detecting the recording medium on the table, and the holding operation of the pressure roller at that position is performed by the recording medium moving to the recording medium conveying roller. It starts by detecting the contact.

  In addition, the control unit controls the driving operation of the recording medium conveyance roller to the connector side with respect to the recording medium conveyance roller driving unit. This control is performed with the pressure roller holding the recording medium.

  Whether or not the recording medium has come into contact with the recording medium conveying roller can be detected based on the load fluctuation of the pressure roller driving unit in addition to providing a sensor. When the recording medium comes into contact with the recording medium conveying roller, the load applied to the pressure roller driving unit increases. Therefore, this load fluctuation is monitored, and when the load exceeds a predetermined value, it can be determined that the recording medium is in contact with the recording medium conveying roller.

  Further, whether or not the recording medium has come into contact with the recording medium conveyance roller can be determined by monitoring the operation duration time of the driving operation of the pressure roller toward the recording medium conveyance roller. When the duration of the driving operation of the pressure roller toward the recording medium conveying roller exceeds a predetermined time, it is estimated that the recording medium is in contact with the recording medium conveying roller. Based on this estimation, the pressure roller is The recording medium conveying roller is driven and driven to the connector side.

  The pressure roller may be configured to include at least one rotating body that contacts the recording medium on the connector side.

  In addition, the pressure roller and the pressure roller driving unit can be opened and closed with respect to, for example, a table with respect to the housing side constituting the apparatus. Maintenance can be facilitated by allowing the pressure roller and the pressure roller drive section to be opened and closed.

  In this recording medium conveying section, the recording medium is pressed against the recording medium conveying roller by the pressure roller. Therefore, the side portion pressed against the recording medium conveying roller of the recording medium regardless of the size or shape of the inserted recording medium. Regardless of the type of recording medium, the medium is positioned at the position of a recording medium conveyance roller fixed to the table.

  Accordingly, the position in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction can be determined in the recording medium identification unit transported by the recording medium transport unit.

  According to the recording medium identification device of the present invention, the recording medium can be transported to a predetermined measurement position in the recording medium identification device regardless of the type of the recording medium. Positioning to the measurement position for measuring the recording medium can be facilitated.

  The recording medium transport unit included in the recording media identification device of the present invention transports the recording media taken into the device to the recording media identification unit, and transports the recording media removed from the connector to the recording media insertion / ejection unit. Can do.

  Hereinafter, the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of a recording medium identification device of the present invention and a recording medium conveyance unit included in the recording medium identification device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, and FIGS. The schematic configuration and schematic operation of the recording medium insertion / ejection unit provided in the recording medium identification device will be described, and the schematic configuration and schematic operation of the recording medium identification unit provided in the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 to 24, the schematic configuration and schematic operation of the recording medium attaching / detaching unit included in the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described, and the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 25 to 28. A series of operations will be described, and a control system of the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of a recording medium identification device according to the present invention and a recording medium conveyance unit included in the recording medium identification device will be described.

  1 and 2 are a block diagram and a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of a recording medium identification device of the present invention. 1 and 2, a recording medium identification device 1 according to the present invention inserts a recording medium 2 into the apparatus, and also outputs a recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 that ejects the recording medium 2 and the recording medium inserted into the apparatus. A recording medium identifying unit 30 for identifying the type of the medium 2; a recording medium conveying unit 20 for conveying the recording medium 2 between the recording medium inserting / ejecting unit 10 and the recording medium identifying unit 30; The recording medium 2 is inserted into the connector 3 and mounted in a readable state, and the recording medium 2 attached to the connector 3 is removed from the connector 3 and removed from the connector 3.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 takes the recording medium 2 into the apparatus. The recording medium transport unit 20 transports the captured recording medium 2 to the recording medium identification unit 30 and brings the leading end of the recording medium 2 into contact with the end surface of the connector rack 4. Accordingly, the recording medium 2 is always positioned at a predetermined position in the recording medium identification unit 30.

  The recording medium identification unit 30 identifies the type of the recording medium 2 and selects the connector 3 corresponding to the type of the recording medium 2. The connector rack 4 moves up and down to align the selected connector 3 with the same height as the recording medium 2.

  The recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 is mounted in the connector 3 by pushing the rear end of the recording medium 2 toward the connector 3, and connects the recording medium 2 and the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is conveyed to the connector 3 by a recording medium conveying roller 22 and a pressure roller 24 provided on the side guide 23. The recording medium 2 is conveyed by being sandwiched between a recording medium conveying roller 22 constituting a driving roller and a pressure roller 24 constituting a driven roller. The side guide 23 is provided with at least one pressure roller 24 urged toward the connector 3 side toward the recording medium conveying roller 22 side by a spring or the like.

  When the recording medium 2 is carried into the connector 3, the pressure roller 24 comes into contact with the side surface of the recording medium 2 and the recording medium 2 is sandwiched between the rotation of the rotating recording medium conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 24. The medium 2 is moved and inserted into the connector 3. After the end of the recording medium 2 is removed from the pressure roller 24 and the recording medium transporting roller 22, the recording medium 2 is pushed into the connector 3 by a push lever 41 provided in the recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40. When the recording medium 2 is loaded in the connector 3, data recorded on the recording medium 2 is read by the connector 3 and printed.

  After the data reading is completed, the recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 removes the recording medium 2 from the connector 3 by pressing the rear end of the recording medium 2. By using the push-push type connector 3, the recording medium 2 can be attached and detached simply by pushing the rear end of the recording medium 2.

  The recording medium conveyance unit 20 conveys the recording medium 2 removed from the connector 3 to the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10. When the recording medium 2 is removed from the connector 3, the recording medium 2 is pushed by the push lever 41. As a result, the push-push type connector 3 releases the recording media 2 and pushes it out. When the recording medium 2 is pushed out from the slot of the connector 3, the pressure roller 24 comes into contact with the side surface of the recording medium 2 pushed out from the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is sandwiched between a recording medium conveyance roller 22 and a pressure roller 24. The recording medium conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 24 move the recording medium 2 by the rotation of the roller with the recording medium 2 interposed therebetween, and carry it out of the connector 3. The conveyed recording medium 2 is discharged out of the apparatus by the recording medium insertion / discharge unit 10.

  The pressure roller 24 provided on the side guide 23 is not limited to a configuration in which only one is provided on the connector 3 side, and a plurality of pressure rollers 24 may be provided along the side guide 23 in addition to the rollers provided on the connector 3 side. .

  In FIG. 2, the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 is rotatably supported and driven by a shutter 11 that is biased to an angular position that shields the insertion slot, and a drive motor (not shown). An insertion roller 13 and a driven roller 14 that presses the recording medium 2 against the insertion roller 13 are provided, and a roller driving unit 15 that inserts and discharges the recording medium 2 is provided.

  The roller driving unit 15 determines the height position of the driven roller 14 according to the rotation of the shutter 11 and determines the interval between the insertion roller 13 and the driven roller 14 according to the thickness of the inserted recording medium 2.

  The recording medium transport unit 20 includes a table 21 that slidably supports the recording medium 2, a recording medium transport roller 22 that is fixed to the table 21 and transports the recording medium 2 in the insertion direction of the recording medium 2, and the table 21. And a pressure roller 24 that pushes the recording medium 2 in the direction of the recording medium conveying roller 22, and the recording medium 2 is widened by the pressure roller 24. A side guide 23 is provided to align in the direction.

  The recording media 2 are aligned in the width direction by being pressed against the recording media transport roller 22 by the pressure roller 24, and in this state, are moved in the insertion direction by the recording media transport roller 22.

  Even if the width of the recording medium 2 is different by pressing the recording medium 2 against the recording medium conveying roller 22 by the pressure roller 24, the position of one side of the recording medium 2 is changed to the recording medium conveying roller 22. And the recording medium conveyance roller 22 can be transported without idling.

  The recording medium conveying roller 22 is driven by a recording medium feed motor (not shown) together with the insertion roller 13, and the side guide 23 is driven by a side guide motor (not shown).

  The recording medium identification unit 30 includes a plurality of transmissive sensors 31 and at least one reflective sensor 32. The transmissive sensor 31 is installed at a position where the corner of the recording medium 2 that is conveyed and positioned at a predetermined position is detected, and based on the detection signal, the type of the recording medium 2 or the type of the recording medium and the recording medium 2 Identify the front and back. On the other hand, the reflective sensor 32 is installed at a position where an electrical terminal of the recording medium 2 at a predetermined position is detected, and identifies the front and back of the recording medium 2 based on the detection signal.

  In the identification of the recording medium, the recording medium 2 is brought into contact with the rack end surface 4a by the recording medium conveying unit 20 using the rack end surface 4a of the connector rack 4 in which the plurality of connectors 3 are arranged as a positioning index. Positioning. As a positioning index, in addition to the rack end surface 4a of the connector rack 4 described above, a stopper 4b provided on the insertion opening side of the connector rack 4 may be used. Regardless of which positioning index is used, the position of the end of the connector rack 4 on the insertion opening side can be used as a positioning reference position. It can always be positioned at the same position in the depth direction.

  Further, by simply moving the connector rack 4 up and down, the contact with the rack end surface 4 a or the stopper 4 b can be released, and the recording medium 2 can be aligned with the height of the insertion opening of the connector 3. By positioning the recording medium at the reference position, the recording medium can be easily identified.

  The stopper 4b is provided at any position between the adjacent connectors 3 and around the insertion port, such as a position where the recording medium 2 does not interfere with the insertion. When the stopper 4b is provided, the tip position of the stopper 4b becomes a positioning reference position.

  The recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 includes a push lever 41 that pushes the rear end portion of the recording medium 2, moves an arm provided on the push lever 41 along a guide rod (not shown), and moves the arm end portion. The push lever is brought into contact with the rear end of the recording medium by being guided along the guide groove. Thus, the recording medium 2 is attached to and detached from the connector 3 to be attached and detached.

  Next, an operation example of the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to the operation flowchart of FIG. 3 and the operation diagrams of FIGS. 4 and 5 show the operation of attaching the recording medium to the connector, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the operation of removing the recording medium from the connector and taking it out from the recording medium identification device.

  First, the operation of mounting the recording medium on the connector will be described. The front end of the recording medium 2 (terminal side end provided with electrodes) is pressed against the shutter 11 of the insertion port 19 of the recording medium identification device 1, and the shutter 11 is rotated to open (FIG. 4 (a)), (S1 ).

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 moves the driven roller 14 upward in conjunction with the rotation operation of the shutter 11, and sandwiches the recording medium 2 between the driven roller 14 and the insertion roller 13. The insertion roller 13 is driven by a drive motor (recording medium feed motor), and pulls the recording medium 2 sandwiched between the insertion roller 13 and the driven roller 14 toward the table 21. FIG. 4 (b)), (S2).

  The recording medium conveyance unit 20 drives the side guide 23 by a drive motor (side guide motor), presses the pressure roller 24 against one side of the inserted recording medium 2, and pushes the pressure roller 24 toward the conveyance roller 22. Here, since the conveying roller 22 is fixed to the table 21, the other side portion in the width direction of the recording medium 2 pressed by the pressure roller 24 is positioned at the position of the recording medium conveying roller 22. Are aligned (FIG. 4 (c)), (S3).

  The recording media 2 aligned with the recording media transport roller 22 are fed in the depth direction by driving the recording media transport roller 22. In the back of the table 21, a connector rack 4 in which the connectors 3 are vertically stacked is provided so as to be movable up and down, and the rack end surface 4 a of the connector rack 4 or the connector 3 is extended on the extension of the recording medium 2 in the transport direction. The height of the connector rack 4 is adjusted so that the stopper 4b provided at the insertion port is positioned. Thereby, when the recording medium 2 is transported in the direction of the connector 3, the recording medium 2 is positioned in the depth direction so that the front end in the depth direction of the recording medium 2 contacts the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b. . The recording medium 2 sent by the recording medium conveying roller 22 comes into contact with the rack end surface 4 a of the connector rack 4 and stops. As a result, the recording media 2 are aligned in the depth direction.

  By the alignment in the width direction and the alignment in the depth direction, the recording medium 2 is positioned at a position for identifying the recording medium (FIG. 5A) and (S4).

  After positioning the recording medium 2 at a predetermined position of the recording medium identification unit, the type and front / back of the inserted recording medium 2 are determined (FIG. 5B), (S5).

  The corresponding connector 3 is selected according to the type of the recording medium identified by the recording medium identification (S6), and the connector rack 4 is driven (not shown) so that the selected connector 3 is at the same height level as the recording medium 2. The motor is moved up and down (S7).

  After the height of the connector 3 is aligned with the same height as the recording medium 2 on the table 21, the recording medium 2 is carried into the connector 3 by the recording medium conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 24, and then pushed. The lever 41 is pushed into the connector 3 for connection (FIG. 5 (c)), (S8). The connector 3 is electrically connected to the mounted recording medium 2 and reads data (S9).

  Next, an operation for removing the recording medium will be described. The rear end of the recording medium 2 is pushed by the push lever 41 (FIG. 6B), the recording medium 2 is extracted from the push-push type connector and returned to the table 21 (FIG. 6C). (S10).

  The recording medium conveyance roller 22 is driven in the reverse direction, and the recording medium 2 returned onto the table 21 is conveyed toward the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10. At this time, the push lever 41 is flipped up to avoid interference with the conveyed recording medium 2 (FIG. 7 (a)), (S11).

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 ejects the recording medium 2 from the recording medium insertion port 19 by rotating the insertion roller 13 in the reverse direction. At this time, since the driven roller 14 moved upward when the recording medium 2 is inserted maintains the height at the time of insertion, the recording medium 2 returned by the recording medium conveying unit 20 is inserted into the insertion roller 13 and the driven roller 14. Is inserted as it is, and is sent out toward the recording medium insertion port 19 by the insertion roller 13.

  At this time, since the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 pushes the shutter 11 from the opposite direction to that when the shutter 11 is inserted, the shutter 11 rotates in the opposite direction. The driven roller 14 returns to the original position in conjunction with the reverse rotation of the shutter (FIG. 7 (b)), (S12).

  Next, an operation example of the recording medium transport unit will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the operation of the recording medium transport unit corresponds to the operation example of FIG.

  The recording medium conveying unit 20 includes a pressure roller driving unit that drives the pressure roller 24, a recording medium conveying roller driving unit that drives the recording medium conveying roller 22, a pressure roller driving unit, and a recording medium conveying roller driving unit. Are controlled by a control unit (not shown). Here, the pressure roller driving unit that drives the pressure roller 24 is a side guide motor (not shown) that moves the side guide 23 provided with the pressure roller 24 with respect to the recording medium conveying roller 22. .

  This side guide motor can be switched between continuous drive and intermittent drive by a control device. Continuous driving can be performed by continuously supplying a driving current to the side guide motor, while intermittent driving can be performed by intermittently driving the driving current supplied to the side guide motor.

  When the recording medium 2 is inserted and positioned on the table 21, the control device supplies a driving current to the side guide motor to start continuous driving. By this continuous driving, the side guide 23 moves toward the recording medium conveying roller 22. The pressure roller 24 of the side guide 23 hits the recording medium 2 while moving, and moves the recording medium 2 toward the recording medium conveying roller 22 as it is (S3a). The side surface of the recording medium 2 moved by this continuous driving comes into contact with the recording medium conveying roller 22 (S3b).

  The detection that the side surface of the recording medium 2 is in contact with the recording medium conveying roller 22 is provided by a sensor (not shown) for detecting the recording medium at a predetermined position, and a side guide motor for driving the pressure roller. It can be obtained from the load state. The load state of the side guide motor can be known from the drive current supplied to the side guide motor. When the side surface of the recording medium 2 comes into contact with the recording medium conveying roller 22, the side guide motor requires a larger driving current to drive. Therefore, when this driving current exceeds a predetermined set current, It can be estimated that the side surface of the recording medium 2 is in contact with the recording medium conveying roller 22.

  Further, it can be estimated that the side surface of the recording medium 2 is in contact with the recording medium conveying roller 22 when the elapsed time of the drive current supplied to the recording medium conveying roller 22 exceeds a predetermined time. .

  In step S3b, when it is detected that the side surface of the recording medium 2 is in contact with the recording medium conveying roller 22, the pressure roller driving unit is intermittently driven. This intermittent drive can be performed by intermittently supplying the drive current supplied by the side guide motor.

  The drive current is interrupted by cutting off the drive current of the side guide motor (S3c), monitoring whether the elapsed time from the cutoff has passed a predetermined period (S3d), and after the elapsed time has passed the predetermined period Re-energize the side guide motor. In the intermittent drive by the interruption of the drive current and the re-energization, when the drive current is interrupted, the drive motor is stopped, and the pressure roller is moved by the return operation of the drive mechanism including the gear mechanism between the drive motor and the pressure roller. Returning slightly in the reverse direction, the return of the pressure roller in the reverse direction releases the locked state even if the recording medium is temporarily locked by being caught by the pressure roller. Thereafter, the drive is performed again to smoothly carry the pressure roller (S3e). Intermittent driving is performed by repeating the above-described operations of S3c to S3e a predetermined number of times (S3f).

  FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the recording medium conveyance device 20, and the components of the side guide 23, the pressure roller 24, and the side guide motor 51 that constitute the recording medium conveyance device 20 can be freely opened and closed. With this configuration, the pressure roller 24 and the side guide motor 51 can be exposed, and maintenance is facilitated.

  FIG. 9A shows a part of the recording medium transport device 20 and shows the front side of the table 21. Here, the front side of the table 21 means the surface on the side where the recording medium 2 is placed, and the back side means the back side with respect to the placement surface of the recording medium 2.

  Normally, in the recording medium transport apparatus 20, the table 21 on which the recording medium is placed is housed in the casing of the apparatus and cannot be observed directly from the outside. Operation is possible. At this time, the operation can be performed on the front surface of the table 21 on which the recording medium is placed, and it is necessary to further remove the table and its peripheral portion on the rear surface.

  By making the recording medium conveyance device 20 included in the recording medium conveyance device 20 of the present invention openable and closable, the jig can be easily inserted into the back side of the table. In the recording medium conveying apparatus 20 of the present invention, the recording medium conveying apparatus 20 can be opened and closed by opening and closing the base supporting the side guide 23, the pressure roller 24, and the side guide motor 51 by a hinge mechanism or the like. Realize. In the configuration shown in FIG. 9B, the table 21 is provided with a hinge mechanism at one edge portion (here, the edge portion on the recording medium conveying roller 22 side), whereby the side guide 23, the pressure roller 24, The side guide motor 51 can be freely opened and closed.

  The above opening / closing mechanism is an example, and a base is prepared separately from the table 21, and the base guide 23, the pressure roller 24, and the side guide motor 51 are provided on the base, a slide mechanism in addition to the hinge mechanism, It may be opened and closed by a combination of these mechanisms (FIG. 9C).

  Next, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of the recording medium insertion / ejection unit provided in the recording medium identification apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the recording medium insertion / ejection unit. In FIG. 10, a recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 is provided adjacent to the back side of the recording medium insertion port 19, and performs operations for inserting the recording medium 2 into the apparatus and ejecting the recording medium 2 to the outside of the apparatus. Do.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 includes a shutter 11 (shown by a broken line in FIG. 10) that is pivotally supported at a position in front of the recording medium insertion port 19. The shutter 11 is biased to a position where the recording medium insertion port 19 is closed by a shutter spring member 18A. The restoring force for returning the shutter 11 by the shutter spring member 18A is set smaller than the force for inserting the recording medium 2 into the apparatus. Thereby, the shutter 11 can be easily opened by pressing the front end portion of the recording medium 2 against the shutter 11. Shutter gears 12 a and 12 b are provided at both ends of the shutter 11, and are pivotally supported together with the shutter 11.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 includes a roller driving unit 15 that performs an insertion operation and an ejection operation by sandwiching the recording medium 2. The roller driving unit 15 includes an insertion roller 13 driven by an MF motor (recording medium feed motor) 52 and a driven roller 14 that rotates according to the movement of the insertion roller 13.

  The insertion roller 13 is attached to a drive shaft 13A driven by the MF motor 52. On the other hand, the driven roller 14 is opposed to the insertion roller 13, and the support shaft is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and is always urged in the direction of the insertion roller 13 by the driven roller spring material 18B. . The driven roller 13 presses the recording medium 2 against the insertion roller 14 by being biased by the driven roller spring material 18B. This prevents the insertion roller 14 from idling when the recording medium 2 is conveyed. In FIG. 10, the driven roller 13 in a state close to the insertion roller 14 is indicated by a solid line, and the driven roller 13 moved upward is indicated by a broken line.

  The upward movement of the driven roller 13 is performed according to the operation of rotating the shutter 11. Cam gears 16 a and 16 b mesh with shutter gears 12 a and 12 b attached to both ends of the shutter 11, and the cam gears 16 a and 16 b rotate according to the opening and closing of the shutter 11. The levers 17a and 17b are attached to the cam gears 16a and 16b so as to be rotatable coaxially with the cam gears 16a and 16b. The levers 17a and 17b are rotated by engaging the cams of the cam gears 16a and 16b. The cam gears 16a and 16b and the levers 17a and 17b can be provided on a shaft concentric with the drive shaft 13A of the insertion roller 13 and free from the drive shaft 13A.

  The levers 17a and 17b have stepped portions 17B having different distances from the center of the support shaft. The stepped portions 17B serve as support portions that support the driven roller 14 at a predetermined height.

  When the shutter 11 is pushed and rotated by the recording medium 2, the shutter gears 12a and 12b attached to the shutter 11 are rotated, and the cam gears 16a and 16b meshing with the shutter gears 12a and 12b are rotated. When the cam gears 16a and 16b are rotated, the levers 17a and 17b are pushed by the cam and rotated to push up the driven roller 14. The height at which the driven roller 14 is pushed up is determined according to the rotation angle of the shutter 11. Since the rotation angle of the shutter 11 corresponds to the thickness of the recording medium 2, the height at which the driven roller 14 is pushed up corresponds to the thickness of the recording medium 2.

  Since the levers 17a and 17b are attached in a free state through a shaft hole 17A that is not fixed to the support shaft, the driven rollers 14 are held until the cam gears 16a and 16b are rotated in the reverse direction and pushed from the reverse direction. Hold in position.

  On the other hand, when the recording medium 2 is ejected, the recording medium 2 pushes the shutter 11 from the reverse direction and rotates it in the reverse direction. When the shutter 11 rotates in the reverse direction, the shutter gears 12a and 12b and the cam gears 16a and 16b rotate in the reverse direction, and the stepped portion 17B of the levers 17a and 17b supporting the driven roller 14 is released. When the driven roller 14 is disengaged from the stepped portion 17B of the levers 17a and 17b, the driven roller 14 is pushed toward the insertion roller 13 by the driven roller spring member 18B that urges the driven roller 14 in a downward direction, and returned to the initial position. It is.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 is driven in the reverse direction when the recording medium 2 is inserted into the apparatus and when the recording medium 2 is ejected outside the apparatus. The operation is almost the same except that the roller 14 is returned from the holding position to the initial position.

  The operation when the recording medium is inserted will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

  When the recording medium 2 is inserted from the recording medium insertion port 19 (FIG. 12A) (S21), the recording medium 2 pushes and rotates the shutter 11 (S22). As the shutter 11 rotates, the shutter gears 12a and 12b rotate (S23), and the cam gears 16a and 16b that mesh with the shutter gears 12a and 12b rotate (S24).

  As the cam gears 16a and 16b rotate, the cams provided on the cam gears 16a and 16b come into contact with the levers 17a and 17b to rotate them (FIG. 12B) (S25). The levers 17a and 17b push up the driven shaft 14A of the driven roller 14 to raise the driven roller 14 (FIG. 12B) (S26).

  When the levers 17a and 17b rotate to a position where the stepped portion 17B supports the driven shaft 14A, the stepped portion 17B supports the driven shaft 14A and holds the driven roller 14 at a height determined by the stepped portion 17B ( FIG. 12 (c)) (S27).

  By setting the angular position at which the stepped portion 17B is provided, the thickness of the recording medium 2, and the angle at which the shutter 11 rotates corresponding to this thickness, the recording medium 2 is passing through the shutter 11. The driven roller 14 is held at its height position.

  When the recording medium 2 passes through the shutter 11 (FIG. 12A) (S28), the shutter 11 is returned to the original position by the spring member 18A (FIG. 12B) (S29).

  Next, the operation when ejecting the recording medium will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 14 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

  When ejecting the recording medium, the recording medium 2 pushes the shutter 11 in the reverse direction. At this time, the cam gears 16a and 16b and the driven roller 14 are held at the positions when the recording medium 2 is inserted and passed through the roller driving unit 15 (FIGS. 15A and 15B) (S31).

  When the shutter 11 is pushed in the reverse direction, the cam gears 16a and 16b rotate in the reverse direction (FIG. 15 (c)) (S32). The cam projections provided on the cam gears 16a and 16b immediately contact the levers 17a and 17b and rotate in the reverse direction (FIG. 16 (a)) (S33).

  Since the cam gear is gear-coupled with the shutter, when the recording medium is inserted, the recording medium passes through the shutter, and when the shutter returns to the initial position, the cam also returns to the initial position. At this time, the cam and the lever are in a state where there is almost no gap in the returning direction. Therefore, as soon as the shutter is pushed in the opposite direction, the protruding portion of the cam pushes the lever. On the other hand, when inserting the recording medium, the play provided between the cam and the lever is absorbed so that the shutter can be returned to the initial position while maintaining the position of the lever. By the rotation of the levers 17a and 17b, the levers 17a and 17b are detached from the driven roller 14, and the driven roller 14 is pushed by the driven roller spring member 18B and returned to the insertion roller 13 side (FIG. 16B). (S34).

  FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the lever and the driven roller. FIG. 17A shows one configuration example of the lever 17. The lever 17 holds the shaft hole 17A so as to be rotatable with respect to the shaft 13A. The lever 17 includes a step portion 17B for temporarily holding the driven roller 14. A plurality of the step portions 17B can be provided, and the step portions 17B1 and 17B2 can have different heights of the driven roller 14 to be held by making the distances from the center position of the shaft hole 17A different.

  Further, the stepped surfaces of the stepped portions 17B1 and 17B2 are formed so as to be inclined by a predetermined angle θ from the horizontal plane when the lever 17 is stopped at a holding angle at which the driven roller 14 is held. When the 14 vibrates, the driven roller 14 can be prevented from being detached from the step surface.

  FIGS. 17B and 17C to 17E show the relationship between the rotation angle of the lever 17 and the height of the driven roller 14. Note that FIG. 17B shows three angle states superimposed in one figure. 17C shows a state before the recording medium 2 is inserted, FIG. 17D shows a state when the thin recording medium 2 is inserted, and FIG. 17E shows a thick recording medium. The state when 2 is inserted is shown.

  When the recording medium 2 is thin, the driven roller 14 is held by the step 17B1 of the lever 17. By setting the distance from the center position of the shaft hole 17A of the stepped portion 17B1 to be short, the driven roller 14 can be held at a low height position corresponding to the thin recording medium 2.

  On the other hand, when the recording medium 2 is thick, the driven roller 14 is held by the step portion 17B2 of the lever 17. By setting the distance from the center position of the shaft hole 17A of the stepped portion 17B2 to be long, the driven roller 14 can be held at a high height position corresponding to the thick recording medium 2.

  Which of the step portions of the lever 17 is held can be determined by the association set between the rotation angle of the shutter 11 and the rotation angle of the lever 17 as described above.

  Next, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of the recording medium identification unit provided in the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 18, the recording medium identification unit 30 includes a transmissive sensor 31 and a reflective sensor 32. The transmission type sensor 31 is an optical sensor for identifying the type and the back and back of the recording medium to be identified, and the type of the recording medium is determined based on the combination of the outputs of the sensors installed according to the size and shape of the recording medium. Identify the front and back. The reflective sensor 32 is an optical sensor for identifying the front and back of the recording medium to be identified. The reflective sensor 32 is installed according to the electrode terminal of the recording medium, and the intensity of light reflected by the electrode is a part other than the electrode. The front and back of the recording medium is identified based on the difference from the intensity of the light reflected by.

  The transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 are provided on the table 21, and detect the type and front / back of the recording medium 2 conveyed to the table 21. Since the recording medium 2 is identified by the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 provided at predetermined positions on the table 21, it is necessary to position the recording medium 2 with respect to the table 21 in order to perform accurate identification. .

  Positioning of the recording medium 2 in the width direction is performed by pressing the recording medium 2 against the recording medium conveying roller 22 by the pressure roller 24 as described above.

  On the other hand, the recording medium 2 is positioned in the depth direction by bringing the front end of the recording medium 2 into contact with the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b of the connector rack 4 and using the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b as a positioning reference. In order to perform this positioning, the height of the connector rack 4 is adjusted so that the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b and the recording medium 2 on the table 21 are at the same height level.

  As described above, since the recording medium 2 is positioned in the width direction and the depth direction, the positional relationship between the recording medium 2 and the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 can always be determined at the same position in the identification information. .

  After detecting the type and the front and back at the position of FIG. 18A, the connector 3 corresponding to the type is selected, and the connector rack 4 is moved up and down as shown in FIG. 21 is set to have the same height level as the recording medium 2 on the recording medium 21.

  Next, the arrangement of the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 included in the recording medium identifying unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 19 shows an example of identifying the type and the front and back of two types of recording media.

  FIG. 19A shows an arrangement example of the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32. The sensors included in the recording medium identification unit 30 are a plurality of sensors 31a, 31d, and 31e disposed in a strip-shaped region R1 having a predetermined width in the depth direction and a plurality of sensors 31a disposed in a strip-shaped region R2 having a predetermined width in the width direction. , 31b, 31c. Here, the sensor 31a is provided at a position where the strip region R1 and the strip region R2 overlap. Note that the number of sensors provided at the position where the belt-like region R1 and the belt-like region R2 overlap is not limited to one and may be plural.

  In FIG. 19A, the reflective sensor 32 is disposed in the band-like region R2 having a predetermined width in the width direction, so that a reflection part such as a contact provided in the recording medium or a cutout can be detected. it can.

  FIG. 19B shows two types of recording media a and b identified by the recording media identification unit 30. Further, both the recording medium a and the recording medium b have a notch at the front end corner.

  Here, the transmission sensors A to E are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective corner portions of the recording media a and b. Among the transmissive sensors A to E, those corresponding to the recording medium a are transmissive sensors A, B, and D, and those corresponding to the recording medium b are transmissive sensors A, C, and E. The transmission sensors A to E correspond to the sensors 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, and 31e in FIG.

  Here, when the recording medium a is in the front state, outputs from the transmission sensors A and D are detected (FIG. 19C), and when the recording medium a is in the back state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors B and D. (FIG. 19D). Further, when the recording medium b is in the front state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors A, B, D, and E (FIG. 19E), and when the recording medium b is in the reverse state, the transmission sensors B, C, and Outputs are detected from D and E (FIG. 19 (f)).

  From these output relationships, the types and front and back of the recording media a and b can be identified by the combination of the two sensor outputs of the transmissive sensor A and the transmissive sensor E. Table 1 shows the relationship between the sensor and the output.

  FIG. 20 shows an example of identifying the type and front and back of two types of recording media, as in the example of FIG. FIG. 20A shows two types of recording media a and c. Further, both the recording medium a and the recording medium c have notches at the corners of the front end.

  Here, the transmission sensors A to E are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective corner portions of the recording media a and c. Among the transmissive sensors A to E, those corresponding to the recording medium a are transmissive sensors A, B, and D, and those corresponding to the recording medium c are transmissive sensors A, C, and F.

  When the recording medium a is in the front state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors A and D (FIG. 20B), and when the recording medium a is in the back state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors B and D (see FIG. 20). FIG. 20 (c)). Further, when the recording medium c is in the front state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors A, B, and F (FIG. 20D), and when the recording medium b is in the reverse state, the transmission sensors B, C, and F An output is detected (FIG. 20 (e)).

  From these output relationships, the types and front and back of the recording media a and c can be identified by the combination of the two sensor outputs of the transmissive sensor A and the transmissive sensor D. Table 2 shows the relationship between the sensor and output.

  FIG. 21 shows an example of identifying the type and front and back of three types of recording media. FIG. 21A shows three types of recording media a, b, and c. The recording media a to c all have notches at the corners of the front tip.

  For the three types of recording media a, b, and c, the type and the front and back can be identified by a combination of four sensor outputs among the transmission sensors A to F. Table 3 shows the relationship between the sensor and the output.

  Next, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of the recording medium attaching / detaching unit provided in the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The recording medium identifying unit 30 identifies the type and the front and back of the recording medium, and after matching the height of the connector 3 corresponding to the type, the recording medium 2 is mounted in the connector 3. The recording medium is mounted in the connector after the recording medium 2 is conveyed in the connector direction by the conveying roller 22 (FIG. 22A), and then the recording medium 2 is pushed by the push lever 41 provided in the recording medium attaching / detaching section 40. Do this by pressing the end. Here, the connector 3 is a push-push type, and the recording medium 2 is mounted by inserting the recording medium 2 into the insertion port of the connector 3 and pushing it, and after the recording medium 2 mounted on the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is removed by pressing the end again (FIG. 22B).

  FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of the recording medium attaching / detaching unit. In FIG. 23A, the recording medium attaching / detaching portion 40 includes a push lever 41, a push guide 42, a guide rod 43, a guide groove 44, an arm 45, and a pin 46. The arm 45 is slidable in the axial direction with respect to the guide rod 43 and is attached so as to be rotatable around the shaft. A pin 46 is provided at one end of the arm 45 and is movable along the guide groove 44. A push lever 41 is provided at the other end of the arm 45. Since the push lever 41 and the pin 46 are in symmetrical positions with respect to the guide rod 43, the push lever 41 also moves up and down when the pin 46 moves up and down along the guide groove 44.

  The push lever 41 is a member that pushes the rear end portion of the recording medium 2, and is provided at one end of the arm 45. Further, the push guide 42 and the guide rod 43 are arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2. The push guide 42 is provided with a guide groove 44 for guiding the other end of the arm 45, while the guide rod 43 is provided with a drive mechanism (not shown) that allows the arm 45 to move in the guide axis direction. The guide rod 43 is rotatably attached around the axis of the guide rod 43.

  The push lever 41 is a member for pushing the recording medium 2 inserted into the connector 3 further into the connector 3 at a position near the insertion opening of the connector 3 to connect the recording medium 2 and the connector 3. When performing this operation, the push lever 41 needs to be adjusted to the same height level as the recording medium 2.

  The push lever 41 is movable in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and is rotatable in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, thereby pushing the recording medium 2 in the direction of the connector 3 to thereby record the recording medium 2. Attach and remove.

  FIGS. 23A to 23C and FIGS. 24A to 24C show states of the push lever 41. FIG. The right side in the figure shows the connector side, and the left side in the figure shows the insertion port side of the recording medium identification device 1. FIG. 24 shows the positional relationship between the push lever 41 and the recording medium 2.

  23 (a) and 25 (a) show the initial position, and FIGS. 23 (b), (c) and 25 (b) show that the push lever 41 of the recording medium 2 is moved after the recording medium 2 is inserted. FIG. 24C illustrates an operation state in which the push lever 41 pushes the rear end of the recording medium 2 in the depth direction toward the connector.

  In order to perform the above operation, the pin 46 at one end of the arm 45 is inserted into the guide groove 44 so as to be movable, and the middle portion of the arm 45 is rotatably supported by the guide rod 43. Further, the guide groove 44 forms a loop in the vertical direction at different heights (P1, P2, P3) along the transport direction, and the lowest position in this loop groove is set as the initial position. As a result, the arm 45 can move freely along the guide rod 43, and the pin 46 at one end of the arm 45 moves along the guide groove 44 along with this movement, and the height of the push lever 41 changes. .

  In the initial position shown in FIGS. 23A and 25A, since the pin 46 of the arm 45 is at the lowest position of the guide groove 44, the push lever 41 is flipped up and is higher than the moving path of the recording medium. It becomes. With this position, the push lever 41 can be prevented from interfering with the recording medium, and the conveyance of the recording medium is not hindered. As a result, while the recording medium 2 is being conveyed on the table 21 toward the connector 3, the conveying operation of the recording medium 2 is not hindered. Whether the arm 45 is in the initial position can be confirmed by detecting the arm 45 or the like by a sensor installed corresponding to the initial position.

  While the push lever 41 is flipped up, the recording medium is conveyed to the connector side. In order to make a connection by pushing the recording medium into the insertion slot of the connector, the push lever 41 needs to be behind the recording medium and at the same height as the rear end of the recording medium.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 23B, after driving the guide rod 43, the pin 46 is returned to the insertion side, then lifted to the upper groove of the loop groove, and then moved to the connector side. As a result, the push lever 41 changes from the state of jumping up and down, and the push lever 41 is positioned at the rear position of the recording medium and is at the same height as the rear end of the recording medium.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 23C and 24B, by driving the guide rod 43, the pin 46 is moved to the connector side along the groove 44, and the push lever 41 is moved to the connector side (FIG. 24). The recording medium 2 is pushed toward the right side) and attached to the connector 3 for connection.

  Next, the control system of the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 25, the recording medium identification device 1 includes a control circuit 61 that controls the operation of the entire device, and in addition to the type of the recording medium 2 based on the detection output of the sensors (the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32). A recording medium discriminating circuit 62 for identifying the front and back sides and a data reading circuit 63 for reading data stored in the recording medium 2 connected to the connector are provided.

  The control circuit 61 inputs the detection output of the shutter switch 33, and the SG motor (side guide motor) 51, the MF (recording medium feed motor) 52, the push lever motor 53, and the connector rack motor 54 that lifts and lowers the connector rack 4. A control signal for controlling driving of each motor is output, and a control signal for starting driving of the sensors 31 and 32 is output. Note that the MF (recording media feed motor) 52 can also serve as a motor that drives the insertion roller 13 and a motor that drives the recording media transport roller 22.

  Further, the control circuit 61 inputs the recording medium type signal obtained by the determination by the recording medium determination circuit 62, controls the drive of the connector rack motor 54, selects the connector corresponding to the type, The recording medium is moved to a predetermined position.

  A series of operations by the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 and 27 are flowcharts for explaining a series of operations, and FIGS. 28 and 29 are operation diagrams for explaining a series of operations.

  In the vicinity of the shutter 11, a shutter switch 33 for detecting that the shutter has started to open is provided. When the recording medium 2 is inserted and the shutter 11 is pressed (FIG. 28A) (S41), the shutter switch 33 is turned “ON” and the operation of the shutter 11 is detected (S42). Based on the detection signal of the shutter switch 33, the control circuit 61 inputs the MF motor 52 and starts driving the insertion roller 13 and the recording medium conveying roller 22 (S43).

  When the recording medium 2 passes through the shutter 11 (FIG. 28B), the shutter 11 returns to the original position by the shutter spring member 18A. When the shutter 11 returns to the original position, the shutter switch 33 is turned “OFF” (S44).

  After a sufficient time has elapsed until the recording medium 2 is conveyed onto the table 21 by the recording medium conveying roller 22 (S45), the control circuit 61 activates the SG motor 51 to transfer the recording medium to the recording medium. The roller 22 is pressed (FIG. 28C) (S46).

  Simultaneously with the activation of the SG motor 51, the control circuit 61 starts driving the sensors 31 and 32 and inputs a detection signal from the sensor (S47).

  Based on the detection signal, it is detected whether or not the front end position of the recording medium 2 is positioned at the stopper position (FIG. 28 (d)) (S48).

  When it is confirmed that the recording medium is positioned at the stopper position and the front and back sides are correctly inserted, the control circuit 61 stops driving the MF motor 52 and the SG motor 51 (S49), and detects the sensors 31 and 32. Based on the output, the recording medium discriminating circuit 62 discriminates whether the type and the front and back of the recording medium 2 are correctly inserted, and then the driving of the sensors 31 and 32 is stopped (S50). When the front and back sides of the recording medium are not correctly inserted, the control circuit 61 can be set so that the recording medium 2 is ejected by inverting the medium conveying roller 22.

  The control circuit 61 selects a corresponding connector based on the type of the recording medium determined by the recording medium determination circuit 62, so that the selected connector is at a predetermined position (the same level as the recording medium on the table). The rack motor 54 is driven and controlled to move the connector rack 4 up and down (S51).

  The control circuit 61 drives the push lever motor 53 to move the push lever 41 to the rear end of the recording medium 2 (FIG. 28 (e)) (S52). Note that the operation time can be shortened by moving the push lever 41 to the rear end of the medium simultaneously with the raising / lowering operation of the connector rack. Further, the push lever motor 53 is driven, and the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 is pushed by the push lever 41 and attached to the connector 3 (FIG. 28 (f)) (S53). After the recording medium 2 is mounted, the push lever 41 is retracted and stopped to provide a predetermined clearance with the recording medium 2 (S54).

  The data reading circuit 63 reads data stored from the recording medium 2 connected to the connector 3 (S55).

  After reading the data, the control circuit 61 drives the push lever motor 53 to push the rear end of the recording medium 2 by a specified amount and eject it from the connector 3. By using a push-push type connector 3, the recording medium 2 can be ejected from the connector 3 (FIG. 29 (a)) (S56).

  Thereafter, the push lever 41 is moved to a position where there is no hindrance to the conveyance of the recording medium, for example, an initial position, stopped and retracted (S57).

  Next, the control circuit 61 drives the MF motor 52 and transports the recording medium 2 by the medium transport roller 22 (FIG. 29B) (S58). It is also possible to shorten the operation time by transporting the recording medium 2 by the media transport roller 22 while performing the operation of moving the push lever 41 backward. When the recording medium 2 is conveyed and the opposite side (device side) of the shutter 11 is pressed and the shutter switch 33 is turned on (FIG. 29 (c)) (S59), the control circuit 61 drives the MF motor 52. Then, after feeding the recording medium 2 by a predetermined amount by the insertion roller 13 (S60), the MF motor 52 is stopped. As a result, the recording medium 2 stops in a state where a part thereof is taken out from the recording medium insertion port 19. In this state, since the shutter 11 is in the open state, the shutter switch remains in the “ON” state (FIG. 29 (d)) (S61).

  When the user removes the recording medium 2 from the recording medium insertion port 19 (FIG. 29 (e)) (S62) and the shutter switch is in the “OFF” state (S63), the control circuit 61 drives the SG motor 51. After controlling and returning to the initial position (S64), the entire operation of the apparatus is stopped (S65).

  Table 4 below shows the relationship between the above operation and the state of each part.

  Hereinafter, an example of a recording medium identified by the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 30 and Table 5.

  As recording media, for example, miniSD (trademark), SD (trademark), smart recording media (trademark) (SM3.3, SM5), Memory Stick (trademark), MMC (trademark), RS-MMC (trademark), xD-Picture The present invention can be applied to Card (trademark), Compact Flash CF (registered trademark), Microdrive Md (registered trademark), and the like.

  For example, when the transmission type sensor is arranged at positions a to h shown in FIG. 30 according to the size of each recording medium, the combination of outputs detected from the transmission type sensor (shown in Table 5) The type and front and back can be determined.

  XD identification can be performed by detecting the contact portion of the recording medium with a reflective sensor, and for CF / MD, the notch portion of the recording medium is detected with a mechanical switch. MD can be identified by the shape of the recording medium insertion slot. MD is a recording medium having the largest cross section, and has an asymmetrical shape on the front and back sides, so that it can be identified from features on this shape.

It is a block diagram for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a block diagram for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media conveyance part of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of 1 structure of the recording media conveying apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the recording media insertion / ejection part of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement when inserting the recording medium of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement when inserting the recording medium of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement when inserting the recording medium of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement when discharging the recording medium of this invention. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram for explaining an operation when the recording medium of the present invention is discharged. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram for explaining an operation when the recording medium of the present invention is discharged. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the lever of this invention, and a driven roller. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification part with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the sensor with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the sensor with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the sensor with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media attachment / detachment part with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media attachment / detachment part of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the recording media attachment / detachment part of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control system of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement diagram for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement diagram for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification part with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording media identification device 2 Recording media 3 Connector 4 Connector rack 4a Rack end surface 4b Stopper 10 Recording media insertion / ejection part 11 Shutter 12, 12a, 12b Shutter gear 13 Insertion roller 14 Followed roller 14A Followed shaft 15 Roller drive part 16,16a , 16b Cam gear 17, 17a, 17b Lever 17A Shaft hole 17B Step portion 18A Shutter spring member 18B Spring roller member 19 Recording medium insertion port 20 Recording medium conveyance portion 21 Table 22 Recording medium conveyance roller 23 Side guide 24 Pressure roller 30 Recording medium identification part 31 Transmission type sensor 32 Reflection type sensor 33 Shutter switch 40 Recording medium attaching / detaching part 41 Push lever 42 Pusher guide 43 Guide rod 44 Guide groove 45 Arm 46 Pin 51 SG motor (Side guide motor)
52 MF motor (recording media feed motor)
53 Push lever motor 54 Rack motor 61 Control circuit 62 Recording medium discrimination circuit 63 Data reading circuit

Claims (9)

In a recording medium identification device for identifying at least types of recording media having different widths and guiding connection between a connector corresponding to the type and the recording medium,
A recording medium conveyance roller for conveying the recording medium in the insertion direction of the recording medium;
A pressure roller that is movable in the width direction of the recording medium, and that presses the recording medium in the direction of the recording medium conveyance roller;
The recording medium identification device according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is moved in the insertion direction by the recording medium conveyance roller while being pressed against the recording medium conveyance roller by the pressure roller.   2. The recording medium identification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is identified by using the recording medium conveying roller as a reference position in the width direction. A pressure roller driving section for driving the pressure roller;
The pressure roller drive unit can switch between two drive modes of continuous drive and intermittent drive,
In the drive toward the recording medium conveying roller, the drive is performed in a continuous drive mode until the pressure roller comes into contact with the recording medium supported on the table,
3. The recording medium identification device according to claim 1, wherein after the pressure roller comes into contact with the recording medium, the driving mode is switched from continuous driving to intermittent driving.   The recording medium identification device according to claim 3, wherein the intermittent driving is performed by intermittently supplying a driving current supplied to a driving motor included in the pressure roller driving unit. A pressure roller driving unit for driving the pressure roller, a recording medium conveying roller driving unit for driving the recording medium conveying roller, and a control unit for controlling the pressure roller driving unit and the recording medium conveying roller driving unit. Have
The controller is
Driving operation of the pressure roller to the initial position with respect to the pressure roller driving unit, driving operation of the pressure roller to the recording medium conveying roller side based on detection of the recording medium on the table, Control each operation of the holding operation at the position of the pressure roller based on the detection of contact with the recording medium conveying roller in order,
2. The drive operation to the connector side of the recording medium conveyance roller based on the holding operation of the pressure roller is controlled with respect to the recording medium conveyance roller driving unit. 4. The recording medium identification device according to any one of 4.   6. The recording medium identification device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit detects contact of the recording medium with the recording medium transport roller based on a load fluctuation of a pressure roller driving unit.   The control unit detects contact of the recording medium with the recording medium conveyance roller based on an operation continuation time of the driving operation of the pressure roller toward the recording medium conveyance roller exceeding a predetermined time. The recording medium identification device according to claim 5, wherein   The recording medium identification device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure roller includes at least one rotating body that contacts the recording medium on a connector side.   The recording medium identification device according to claim 3, wherein the pressure roller and the pressure roller driving unit are openable and closable with respect to a housing side constituting the device.