JP2021014357A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a paper feeder capable of determining the state of a recording medium.SOLUTION: A paper feeder includes a storage part that stores a plurality of recording media, a paper feeder that feeds the recording media stored in the storage part toward an external device, an air generator that generates air toward the recording medium for a paper feed operation by the paper feeder, a determination part that determines the state of the recording medium based on the sound pattern of the sound generated from the recording medium by the air generated by the air generator, and a control part that controls the paper feed operation according to the determination result of the determination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a paper feed device.

Conventionally, a paper feeding device that supplies paper (recording medium) to an image forming device such as a copier or a printer is known. Examples of this type of paper feed device include an air-type paper feed device provided with a paper storage section, a suction transfer section, a floating air blower section, a separate air blower section, an outlet roller section, and the like (hereinafter referred to as “air paper feed device”). Is known).

In the air paper feed device, air is blown from the paper bundle by the floating air blower to the paper end face of the paper bundle housed in the paper storage unit to lift the paper from the paper bundle. The floating paper is adsorbed on the suction and transporting unit, and is fed out in the transporting direction by the suction and transporting unit. Then, the paper fed to the image forming apparatus and the paper remaining in the paper accommodating portion are separated by the separation air blower.

In such an air paper feed device, air is blown from the end face of the paper between the paper loaded in the paper storage portion, so that the paper behaves in a certain manner such as fluttering. Generally, about 5 or 6 sheets of paper including the paper to be fed and the paper remaining in the paper storage section flutter, but the number of fluttering papers varies depending on the strength of the air, resulting in paper transport failure (jam). It may occur.

For example, if the air is too weak, the number of flapping sheets will be about one or two, and the sheets will not reach the feeding portion of the suction and conveying section by the timing of the start of feeding, resulting in unfeeding jam. Further, if the air is too strong, the number of flapping paper sheets becomes about 10, and the paper to be fed and the paper remaining in the paper storage unit cannot be separated, and a plurality of sheets of paper are fed. Send jam occurs.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a sound of air blown onto paper is detected, and when it is determined that the frequency of the detected sound exceeds a threshold value, a separation failure is determined. As a result, in this configuration, the occurrence of the above-mentioned double feed jam is reduced.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-83399

By the way, since the fluttering method differs depending on the type, basis weight, and size of the paper even if the amount of air is the same, it is necessary to change the amount of air so that the paper flutters appropriately according to the type, basis weight, and size of the paper.

However, there are factors that change the way the paper flutters in addition to the type, basis weight, and size of the paper, such as the moisture absorption of the paper, the brand, and the way the user arranges the paper in the paper storage. Therefore, even if the amount of air is changed according to the type, basis weight, and size of the paper, the paper may not flutter properly, which causes a problem of jamming.

Further, since the degree of fluttering of the paper cannot be determined from the frequency of the sound of air, the above problem cannot be solved by the configuration described in Patent Document 1. Similarly, since the degree of paper fluttering cannot be determined by volume, ultrasonic waves, or the like, the above problem cannot be solved even with a configuration in which air is adjusted using, for example, volume or ultrasonic waves.

An object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding device capable of determining the state of a recording medium.

The paper feeding device according to the present invention
A storage unit that accommodates multiple recording media,
A paper feeding unit that feeds the recording medium housed in the housing unit toward an external device,
An air generating unit that generates air for a paper feeding operation by the paper feeding unit toward the recording medium, and an air generating unit.
A determination unit that determines the state of the recording medium based on the sound pattern of the sound generated from the recording medium by the air generated by the air generation unit.
A control unit that controls the paper feeding operation according to the determination result of the determination unit,
To be equipped.

According to the present invention, the state of the recording medium can be determined.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the image formation system in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the main part of the control system of the paper feed device in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which the paper floats from the paper bundle by the floating air. It is a figure which shows the change of the frequency characteristic of a sound signal. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between a sound signal serving as a peak point and a frequency in FIG. It is a figure which shows the table which associated the frequency and the target range. It is a figure which shows the state which the paper floats from the paper bundle by the floating air. It is a figure which shows the state which the paper floats from the paper bundle by the floating air. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the sound signal which becomes a peak point, and a frequency when there is a frequency characteristic which is out of a target range. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the sound signal which becomes a peak point, and a frequency when there is a frequency characteristic which is out of a target range. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the sound signal which becomes a peak point after a predetermined time elapses after the start of air generation, and a frequency. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the sound signal which becomes a peak point after a predetermined time elapses after the start of air generation, and a frequency. It is a figure which shows the state which extracted the peculiar component. It is a figure which shows the table which associated the frequency and the intrinsic component. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation example at the time of executing the air adjustment control in a paper feed device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation example at the time of executing the air adjustment control in a paper feed device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation example at the time of executing the air adjustment control in a paper feed device. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the sound signal which becomes a peak point, and a frequency when the remaining number of papers is very small. It is a figure which shows an example of the display prompting the user to adjust the air. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation example at the time of executing the air adjustment control in a paper feed device. It is a figure which shows the display example of the button for air adjustment. It is a figure which shows the display example of the button for tray selection. It is a figure which shows the display example for notifying the user that the air adjustment is being performed. It is a figure which shows the display example for notifying the user of the adjusted air amount. It is a figure which shows the display example for prompting a user to reload the paper. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the sound signal which becomes a peak point and a frequency including a noise component.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in the image forming system 1, an external large-capacity paper feeding device 10 (hereinafter referred to as “paper feeding device 10”) is connected to the side (right side in FIG. 1) of the image forming device 20. Has a configured configuration.

The paper feeding device 10 is provided with three-stage paper feeding units 10A to 10C inside, and paper is fed to the image forming device 20 one by one. The paper corresponds to the "recording medium" of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feeding device 10 includes a control unit 100 having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, and the like.

The control unit 100 cooperates with the control unit 28 of the image forming apparatus 20 to centrally control the operation of each block of the paper feeding device 10. Specifically, the control unit 100 includes a paper accommodating unit 11, a suction transport unit 12, a floating air blower unit 13, and separated air in each of the paper feeding units 10A to 10C based on a control signal or the like from the image forming apparatus 20. It controls the operation of the blower unit 14 and the outlet roller unit 15. Details of the paper feed units 10A to 10C will be described later.

The image forming apparatus 20 is an intermediate transfer type color image forming apparatus using electrophotographic process technology. In the image forming apparatus 20, photosensitive drums corresponding to the four colors of CMYK are arranged in series in the traveling direction (vertical direction) of the intermediate transfer belt, and the toner images of each color are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt in a single procedure. The tandem method is adopted. That is, the image forming apparatus 20 transfers (primary transfer) each color toner image of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) formed on the photosensitive drum to the intermediate transfer belt. An image is formed by superimposing toner images of four colors on an intermediate transfer belt and then transferring (secondary transfer) to paper.

The image forming apparatus 20 includes an image reading unit 21, an operation display unit 22, an image processing unit 23, an image forming unit 24, a fixing unit 25, a paper feeding unit 26, a paper conveying unit 27, and a control unit 28.

The control unit 28 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU reads a program according to the processing content from the ROM, develops it in the RAM, and centrally controls the operation of each block of the image forming apparatus 20 in cooperation with the expanded program. Further, the control unit 28 controls the operation of the paper feed device 10 in cooperation with the control unit 100 of the paper feed device 10.

The image reading unit 21 includes an automatic document feeding device (ADF: Auto Document Feeder), a document image scanning device (scanner), and the like. In the image reading unit 21, the document conveyed on the contact glass from the automatic document feeding device or the document placed on the contact glass is read by the document image scanning device, and input image data is generated.

The operation display unit 22 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch panel, and functions as a display unit and an operation unit.

The image processing unit 23 performs various correction processes such as gradation correction, color correction, and shading correction according to initial settings or user settings, and digital image processing such as compression processing on the input image data. The image forming unit 24 is controlled based on the image data subjected to these processes.

The image forming unit 24 forms an image with each colored toner of the Y component, the M component, the C component, and the K component based on the image data. The image forming unit 24 includes a photoconductor drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, and an intermediate transfer device.

In the image forming unit 24, the surface of the photoconductor drum is uniformly charged by the charging device. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum by irradiating the charged photoconductor drum with a laser beam based on image data by an exposure apparatus. Then, the toner is supplied by the developing device to the photoconductor drum on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, so that the electrostatic latent image is visualized and the toner image is formed. This toner image is transferred to paper by an intermediate transfer device having an intermediate transfer belt or the like.

The fixing portion 25 is arranged on the upper fixing portion having a fixing surface side member arranged on the fixing surface (the surface on which the toner image is formed) side of the paper and the back surface (opposite surface of the fixing surface) side of the paper. It is provided with a lower fixing portion having a back surface side support member, a heating source, and the like. By pressing the back surface side support member against the fixing surface side member, a fixing nip that narrowly holds and conveys the paper is formed. The fixing unit 25 fixes the toner image on the paper by secondarily transferring the toner image and heating and pressurizing the conveyed paper with the fixing nip.

The paper feed unit 26 has a plurality of paper feed trays (three stages in FIG. 1). Paper (standard paper, special paper) identified based on the basis weight, size (length, width), etc. is stored in the paper feed tray for each preset type.

The paper transport unit 27 transports the paper fed from the paper feed unit 26 or the paper feed device 10 to the image forming unit 24. When the paper passes through the secondary transfer unit of the image forming unit 24, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is collectively transferred to one surface (surface) of the paper, and the fixing process is performed on the fixing unit 25. Toner. The paper on which the image is formed is discharged to the outside of the machine by the paper ejection roller. When an image is formed on both sides of the paper, the paper having the image formed on the front surface is conveyed to the back surface transport path, and is conveyed to the image forming unit 24 in an inverted state.

Next, the paper feed units 10A to 10C will be described. In the following, the “paper transport direction” is the direction from right to left in FIGS. 1 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the paper feeding units 10A to 10C includes a paper accommodating unit 11, a suction transport unit 12, a floating air blower unit 13, a separation air blower unit 14, an outlet roller unit 15, a guide unit 16, and a sound collecting unit. A unit 17 and the like are provided. The paper feed units 10A to 10C basically have the same configuration. In the following description, the paper feed unit 10A will be described as a representative, and the description of the paper feed units 10B and 10C will be omitted.

The paper accommodating section 11 can accommodate a large amount of paper and has a paper mounting table 111 and the like. Each of the paper accommodating portions 11 can be pulled out from the paper feeding device 10 by a guide rail (not shown). The paper storage unit 11 corresponds to the “storage unit” of the present invention.

The paper mounting table 111 can be raised and lowered so that the upper end surface (topmost paper) of the paper bundle SS on which the paper is placed is always in a constant position. The paper mounting table 111 is lowered to the bottom when the paper is replenished. The raising and lowering operation of the paper mounting table 111 is controlled by the control unit 100.

A plurality of suction transport units 12 are arranged above the paper mounting table 111 and are arranged side by side in the width direction of the paper. Each of the plurality of suction transport units 12 has an endless transport belt 121, an air suction unit 122, and the like. The suction transport unit 12 corresponds to the “paper feed unit” of the present invention.

The transport belt 121 has a large number of suction holes over the entire surface, and the paper is sucked by the suction holes to feed the paper in the paper transport direction. The transport belt 121 is wound around a roller 123 provided on the upstream side of the air suction portion 122 in the paper transport direction and a roller 124 provided on the downstream side of the air suction portion 122 in the paper transport direction. The paper transport surface by the transport belt 121 is horizontal.

The plurality of rollers 123 are provided corresponding to the plurality of transport belts 121 and are attached to a common roller shaft. The roller shaft is connected to the drive motor 18 (see FIG. 2) via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). As the control unit 100 drives the drive motor 18, the plurality of rollers 123 rotate, and the plurality of transport belts 121 travel in a certain direction.

The plurality of rollers 124 are provided corresponding to the plurality of transport belts 121 and are attached to a common roller shaft. The roller 124 rotates in accordance with the running of the transport belt 121.

The air suction unit 122 penetrates a plurality of transport belts 121 and extends to the back side of the device, and has a suction duct (not shown) and a suction fan (not shown). When the suction fan operates, the pressure inside the suction duct becomes negative, and the paper is sucked into the transport belt 121 through the suction holes and sucked. The operation of the suction fan is controlled by the control unit 100.

The levitation air blower portion 13 has a blower fan and a guide passage (not shown). The levitation air blower 13 is arranged inside, for example, a side edge regulating member that regulates the side edge of the paper bundle SS in the paper accommodating section 11. The blower fan controls the air volume by, for example, the length of the paper, the paper quality, the basis weight, etc., and can blow air at the optimum air volume. The operation of the blower fan is controlled by the control unit 100.

When the blower fan operates in the floating air blower portion 13, the floating air is blown upward and blown from both sides in the paper width direction to the upper part of the paper bundle SS. As a result, several sheets of paper at the top of the paper bundle SS emerge.

The separated air blower unit 14 has a blower fan and a wind guide path. The separated air blower portion 14 is arranged so as to be able to blow air at an end portion on the downstream side of the suction transport portion 12 in the paper transport direction. The blower fan controls the air volume by, for example, the paper size (length, width), paper quality, basis weight, etc., and can blow air at the optimum air volume. The operation of the blower fan is controlled by the control unit 100.

The separated air blowing unit 14 may have a wind direction switching plate (not shown) so that the air blowing direction can be switched between the vicinity of the front end of the suction transport unit 12 and the vicinity of the front end of the paper bundle SS. In this case, the separated air blower unit 14 blows the floating air near the front end of the paper bundle SS when the floating air blower 13 blows the floating air, and the floating air blower 13 stops blowing the floating air. Then, the separated air is blown to the vicinity of the front end of the suction transport unit 12. That is, the separated air blower 14 also functions as a floating air blower.

When the blower fan is operated in the separated air blower unit 14, air is blown to the vicinity of the front end of the paper bundle SS or the vicinity of the front end of the suction transport unit 12 through the air outlet of the air guide path. By blowing the floating air near the front end of the paper bundle SS, it is possible to efficiently float the upper several sheets of the paper bundle SS. Further, by blowing the separated air near the front end of the suction transport unit 12, the second and subsequent sheets are separated from the plurality of sheets adsorbed on the transfer belt 121, and only the first sheet is transferred to the transfer belt. It can be adsorbed on 121 and transported.

When the paper is fed, the control unit 100 switches from the floating air in the floating air blower 13 and the separated air blower 14 to the separated air in the separated air blower 14. By doing so, the paper to be fed and the paper remaining in the paper accommodating portion 11 are separated.

The outlet roller portion 15 has an upper transfer roller 151 (see FIG. 1) and a lower transfer roller 152 (see FIG. 1) that abuts on the upper transfer roller 151. The upper transfer roller 151 is a drive roller, and the lower transfer roller 152 is a driven roller. The outlet roller unit 15 sandwiches the paper conveyed by the suction transfer unit 12 between the upper transfer roller 151 and the lower transfer roller 152, and sends the paper to the downstream side in the paper transfer direction.

The guide unit 16 is arranged on the upstream side of the output roller unit 15 in the paper transport direction, and guides the paper transported by the suction transport unit 12 to the outlet roller unit 15.

The sound collecting unit 17 is a member capable of collecting sound, such as a microphone. The sound collecting unit 17 collects the fluttering sound of the paper S when air is generated in the floating air blowing unit 13. The levitation air blower 13 corresponds to the "air generator" of the present invention.

Generally, as shown in FIG. 3, when one sheet S is conveyed from the paper feeding device 10 toward the image forming apparatus 20, about 5 or 6 sheets of paper S are floated by the floating air blower 13. And is adsorbed on the adsorption transport unit 12. Then, of the paper S adsorbed on the suction transport unit 12, one sheet S to be fed and the other paper S remaining in the paper accommodating unit 11 are separated by the separation air blower unit 14. To.

That is, when one sheet S is fed by the paper feeding device 10, about 5 or 6 sheets of paper including the paper to be fed and the paper remaining in the paper accommodating portion flutter. There is.

The sound collecting unit 17 collects the sounds generated from the paper S generated from the paper S. Examples of the sound generated from the paper S include a fluttering sound when the paper is floated by the floating air blower unit 13.

The control unit 100 frequency-analyzes a sound signal (hereinafter, referred to as “sound signal”) collected by the sound collecting unit 17. As a result of frequency analysis of a sound signal, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a frequency characteristic (sound pattern) of a sound signal having a plurality of peak points (formants) can be obtained at a specific frequency. The sound signal may be, for example, data averaged during the sound collection period in the sound collection unit 17.

Each peak point is a peak portion of a portion that is a keynote for increasing the frequency characteristics of the sound signal. In the example of FIG. 3 and the like, the peak points are the points where the sound signals are P1, P2, and P3 when the frequencies are F1, F2, and F3.

The control unit 100 determines the fluttering state of the paper based on the frequency characteristic of the fluttering sound. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 100 extracts a peak point from the frequency characteristics and sets a portion other than the peak point to 0. Then, the control unit 100 compares the target range set for each frequency with the corresponding sound signal, and determines whether or not the sound signal is within each target range. The control unit 100 corresponds to the "determination unit" of the present invention.

The target range is set in a different range for each frequency. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the target range is set in the range of R1 when the frequency is F1, the range of R2 when the frequency is F2, and the range of R3 when the frequency is F3. For frequencies other than F1, F2, and F3, for example, a target range is set to a value of 0.

In the following description, it is assumed that the frequency characteristics shown in FIG. 5 are those when the fluttering state of the paper S is normal.

The target range of the sound signal is set in advance as a table associated with each frequency in a storage unit (not shown) or the like (see, for example, FIG. 6). With reference to this table, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the sound signal at each peak point is within the target range set at the corresponding frequency.

When the control unit 100 determines that all the sound signals are within the target range, the control unit 100 determines that the fluttering state of the paper S is normal. In this case, about 5 or 6 sheets of paper are fluttering due to air.

Further, the control unit 100 does not determine that all the sound signals are within the target range when the sound signal includes a portion that is not within the target range.

Depending on the strength of the air in the floating air blowing unit 13, the air suction unit 122, and the separated air blowing unit 14, the number of flapping paper S may fluctuate, resulting in paper transport failure (jam).

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, if the air is too weak, the number of flapping sheets S becomes about 1 or 2, and the sheets cannot reach the feeding portion of the suction and conveying section by the timing of the start of feeding, and the sheets have not yet reached. Paper jam occurs.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the air is too strong, the number of flapping papers S becomes about 10, and the paper to be fed and the paper remaining in the paper storage unit cannot be separated, and a plurality of sheets of paper are not separated. Will be fed, and double feed jam will occur.

In this way, in a situation where poor paper transfer is likely to occur, a portion of the sound signal that is out of the target range will occur. As an example of a situation in which paper transport failure is likely to occur, for example, when the peak point occurs at a frequency other than F1, F2, and F3 (see FIG. 8A), at least one of F1, F2, and F3 is a sound signal. Is out of the target range (see FIG. 8B).

As described above, when there is a sound signal outside the target range among the sound signals, the control unit 100 does not determine that all the sound signals are within the target range. That is, the control unit 100 determines that the fluttering state of the paper is a state in which a transport defect is likely to occur.

The control unit 100 controls the paper feeding operation according to the determination result of the paper fluttering state. Specifically, when the control unit 100 determines that the fluttering state of the paper is normal, the control unit 100 starts feeding the paper. Further, when the control unit 100 determines that the fluttering state of the paper is a state in which a transport defect is likely to occur, the control unit 100 does not start feeding the paper and controls the fluttering state of the paper to become normal.

The control for normalizing the fluttering state of the paper is the control for keeping the frequency characteristics within the target range as a whole. Examples of the control for normalizing the fluttering state of the paper include control for adjusting the amount of air.

Then, the control unit 100 controls for the paper fluttering state to become normal, collects the sound again by the sound collecting unit 17, repeats the above control, and the paper fluttering state becomes normal. If so, start feeding paper.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the fluttering state of the paper is normal, the paper feeding is started, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of poor paper transport.

In addition, the fluttering state of the paper may not be stable for a predetermined time (for example, 40 msec to 80 msec) after the start of air generation in the floating air blower unit 13, the air suction unit 122, and the separated air blower unit 14 (for example, FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B). FIG. 9A shows the frequency characteristic immediately after the start of air generation, and FIG. 9B shows the frequency characteristic when 40 msec has elapsed after the start of air generation.

This is because the paper S is on the paper bundle SS at the start of air generation, so that the fluttering sound of the paper S is constantly and continuously fluttering for a predetermined time from the start. It is caused by the difference from the sound.

Therefore, the control unit 100 starts determining the fluttering state after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of the operations of the floating air blower unit 13, the air suction unit 122, and the separated air blower unit 14. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the determination of the fluttering state of the paper based on the frequency characteristic of the fluttering sound when the fluttering state of the paper is not stable, and thus the accuracy of determining the fluttering state of the paper is improved. Can be made to.

Further, when a paper transfer defect occurs, the control unit 100 may extract the difference between the frequency characteristic (sound signal) at the time of the transfer defect and the target range as a unique component at the time of the transfer defect. Good (see Figure 10A). Further, the control unit 100 may store these unique components as a table in a storage unit or the like for each frequency (see, for example, FIG. 10B).

In the examples shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, in the example shown in FIG. 8A, the eigencomponents when the peak points of P4 and P5 occur in F4 and F5 different from F1, F2 and F3 are extracted. is there. In this case, as the intrinsic component, since the target range is 0 in F4 and F5, the difference P4 and P5 are listed in the table in association with F4 and F5.

By extracting the unique component in this way, it is possible to accurately grasp the type of transport failure based on the unique component, and by extension, it is possible to appropriately adjust the air.

Further, the control unit 100 may store the specific component in the storage unit for each type of transport failure.

As a result, the type of transport failure can be appropriately determined based on the unique component.

The state of the paper S may be determined by using only the above-mentioned unique components.

Further, if the frequency characteristic does not fall within the target range after the air adjustment is started, the control unit 100 may set the air having the frequency characteristic closest to the target range.

If the frequency characteristics do not fall within the target range even though the air adjustment has been started, the air adjustment will be repeated endlessly. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the above situation by setting the air having the frequency characteristic closest to the target range.

Further, when the frequency characteristic does not reach the target range after the air adjustment is started and the frequency characteristic includes the frequency characteristic related to the above-mentioned eigencomponent in the frequency characteristic, the eigencomponent is the most. The air may be set so that the frequency characteristic becomes smaller.

By doing so, it is possible to set the air having a frequency characteristic that is unlikely to cause a transfer defect.

Further, even if the frequency characteristic is within the target range, if a paper transfer failure occurs, the control unit 100 may set the amount of air exceeding the target range, or output a notification command prompting the replacement of parts. Is also good.

Next, an operation example when executing the air adjustment control in the paper feed device 10 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation example when the air adjustment control in the paper feeding device 10 is executed. The process shown in FIG. 11 is appropriately executed when the image forming apparatus 20 receives the print job and the control unit 100 receives the paper feed command.

As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 100 starts the operation of air by the floating air blower unit 13, the air suction unit 122, and the separate air blower unit 14 (step S101). The control unit 100 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of the air operation (step S102).

As a result of the determination, if the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S102, NO), the process of step S102 is repeated. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has elapsed (step S102, YES), the control unit 100 starts sound collection by the sound collecting unit 17 (step S103).

The control unit 100 extracts the frequency to be the peak point from the frequency characteristics of the sound signal collected by the sound collecting unit 17 (step S104). Next, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the frequency characteristic is within the target range (step S105).

As a result of the determination, when the frequency characteristic is not within the target range (step S105, NO), the control unit 100 adjusts the air (step S106). After the air has been adjusted, the process returns to step S102.

On the other hand, when the frequency characteristic is within the target range (step S105, YES), the control unit 100 starts feeding the paper (step S107). After that, this control ends.

According to the present embodiment configured as described above, since the fluttering state is determined based on the frequency characteristic of the fluttering sound of the paper, the fluttering state of the paper can be determined. As a result, stable paper feeding can be performed regardless of the material, thickness, size, type, and environmental conditions of the paper.

Further, since the above control is performed during the paper feeding operation in the paper feeding device 10, appropriate control can be performed in real time.

In addition, since the air adjustment control is started after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of air generation, it is possible to suppress the collection of the fluttering sound in an unstable situation, which in turn improves the accuracy of the air adjustment. it can.

In the above embodiment, when the fluttering state of the paper is a state in which a transport defect is likely to occur, the control is performed so that the fluttering state of the paper becomes normal, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 100 may control the paper to be in a non-feeding state according to the air generation time. Specifically, the control unit 100 prohibits switching from floating air to separated air when the paper is not fed.

When the fluttering state of the paper is a state in which a transport defect is likely to occur, in the above-described embodiment, the air adjustment is repeated in order to normalize the fluttering state of the paper. However, if the paper fluttering state cannot be normally adjusted by adjusting the air, the adjustment of the air will be repeated endlessly. Therefore, when the air generation time exceeds a certain period of time, the control unit 100 will repeat the adjustment of the air endlessly. Put the paper in the non-feeding state. Then, the control unit 100 sets the paper in the non-paper feeding state and switches the paper feeding target to another paper feeding unit.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent the same paper feed unit from repeatedly adjusting the air endlessly. Further, it is possible to reduce the situation in which the recording medium cannot be fed to the image forming apparatus 20. In addition, it is possible to prevent paper transport defects caused by the frequency characteristics not being within the target range.

Further, the control unit 100 may output a notification command for notifying the user that the recording medium is in a non-feeding state and then a state in which a transport failure is likely to occur.

By doing so, the user can quickly grasp that the paper feed unit to be fed is in a situation where a transport failure is likely to occur.

Next, an operation example when executing the air adjustment control in the paper feeding device 10 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation example when the air adjustment control in the paper feeding device 10 is executed. The process shown in FIG. 12 is appropriately executed when the image forming apparatus 20 receives the print job and the control unit 100 receives the paper feed command.

As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 100 starts the operation of air by the floating air blower unit 13, the air suction unit 122, and the separated air blower unit 14 (step S201). The control unit 100 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of the air operation (step S202).

As a result of the determination, if the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S202, NO), the process of step S202 is repeated. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has elapsed (step S202, YES), the control unit 100 starts collecting sound by the sound collecting unit 17 (step S203).

The control unit 100 extracts the frequency to be the peak point from the frequency characteristics of the sound signal collected by the sound collecting unit 17 (step S204). Next, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the frequency characteristic is within the target range (step S205).

As a result of the determination, when the frequency characteristic is not within the target range (step S205, NO), the control unit 100 determines whether or not the air generation time exceeds a certain time (step S206).

As a result of the determination, when the generation time does not exceed a certain time (step S206, NO), the control unit 100 adjusts the air (step S207). After the air has been adjusted, the process returns to step S202.

On the other hand, when the generation time exceeds a certain time (step S206, YES), the control unit 100 puts the paper in a non-feeding state (step S208).

Returning to the determination in step S205, when the frequency characteristic is within the target range (step S205, YES), the control unit 100 starts paper feeding (step S209). After step S208 or step S209, this control ends.

Further, in the above embodiment, as the sound generated from the paper S, the fluttering sound of the paper due to the air of the floating air blower 13 is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sound when the paper S is sucked by the air suction unit 122 and the sound when the paper S is separated by the separation air blower unit 14 may be the sound generated from the paper S. In this case, the air generating section is the air suction section 122 and the separated air blowing section 14. Further, the state of the paper S is that when the air generating unit is the air suction unit 122, the paper is adsorbed, and when the air generating unit is the separated air blowing unit 14, the paper is separated.

Further, the sound generated from the paper S may be the sound generated from the paper by all the air of the floating air blowing unit 13, the air suction unit 122, and the separated air blowing unit 14.

By doing so, it is possible to start feeding paper after confirming that the sound generated from the paper by all the air is normal.

Next, an operation example when executing the air adjustment control in the paper feeding device 10 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation example when the air adjustment control in the paper feeding device 10 is executed. The process shown in FIG. 13 is appropriately executed when the image forming apparatus 20 receives the print job and the control unit 100 receives the paper feed command.

As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 100 performs an air adjustment process in the floating air blower unit 13 (step S301). The air adjustment process is, for example, the process of steps S101 to S106 in FIG.

Next, the control unit 100 performs an air adjustment process for the air suction unit 122 (step S302). The air adjustment process is, for example, the process of steps S102 to S106 in FIG.

Next, the control unit 100 performs an air adjustment process for the separated air blower unit 14 (step S303). The air adjustment process is, for example, the process of steps S102 to S106 in FIG.

Next, the control unit 100 starts feeding paper (step S304). After that, this control ends.

Further, in the above embodiment, the target range of the frequency characteristics of the sound signal is set for each frequency. However, when the remaining number of sheets in the paper bundle SS in the paper feed unit is very small, the number of sheets floated by the floating air decreases even in normal operation, so that the frequency characteristic of the sound signal does not fall within the target range. In some cases.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, when the remaining number of sheets of paper is very small, the number of sheets of paper fluttering due to floating air decreases more than usual, and the peak point of the sound signal in the frequency characteristics at that time becomes frequencies F1 and F2. , F6 other than F3.

In this case, the control unit 100 corrects the target range according to the state of the paper. In the case of FIG. 14, the control unit 100 corrects the target range of F6 from 0 to R6 according to the number of sheets of paper.

By doing so, even if the frequency characteristic deviates from the target range due to the state of the paper, the target range is corrected to an appropriate range according to the state of the paper, so that the fluttering state of the paper can be accurately determined. ..

Further, since there may be common characteristics depending on the type of paper (size, basis weight, brand, etc.), the control unit 100 may correct the target range according to the type of paper.

Further, the control unit 100 may store the state of the paper or the target range according to the type of the paper in the storage unit or the like.

By doing so, an appropriate target range can be read out from the storage unit according to the conditions, so that the fluttering state of the paper can be accurately determined.

Further, in the above embodiment, the air is adjusted during the paper feeding operation in the paper feeding device 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air in the paper feed device 10 may be adjusted before the paper feed operation in the paper feed device 10 is started.

For example, when feeding paper for the first time in the image forming apparatus 20, the control unit 100 "adjusts the air" as shown in FIG. 15 before the feeding operation or after printing a certain number of sheets in the image forming apparatus 20. Display a display prompting the user to adjust the air, such as "Do you want to do it?" The display unit may be provided in, for example, the image forming device 20 or the paper feeding device 10.

Then, when the user selects "YES", the control unit 100 adjusts the air, and when the user selects "NO", the control unit 100 does not adjust the air.

When the air is adjusted, the control unit 100 stores the adjusted amount of air in the storage unit. As a result, the paper feeding operation is performed according to the adjusted amount of air, so that the paper feeding operation can be performed accurately.

Next, an operation example when executing the air adjustment control in the paper feeding device 10 will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation example when the air control in the paper feeding device 10 is executed. The process in FIG. 16 is appropriately executed when the user selects “YES” in FIG. 15.

As shown in FIG. 16, the control unit 100 adjusts the levitation air in the levitation air blower unit 13 (step S401). When the adjustment of the levitation air is completed, the control unit 100 stores the amount of the levitation air in the storage unit (step S402).

Next, the control unit 100 adjusts the separated air in the separated air blower unit 14 (step S403). When the adjustment of the separated air is completed, the control unit 100 stores the amount of the separated air in the storage unit (step S404). After that, this control ends.

Further, the display unit or the like may be provided with a button for air adjustment, for example, as shown in FIG. 17A. When the user presses this button, as shown in FIG. 17B, a button for selecting the paper feed unit is displayed on the display unit. “Tray 1” in FIG. 17B indicates the paper feed unit 10A, “tray 2” indicates the paper feed unit 10B, and “tray 3” indicates the paper feed unit 10C.

When the user presses any of the buttons, as shown in FIG. 17C, the display unit displays "Air adjustment in progress", and during that time, the air adjustment in the paper feed unit selected by the user is performed.

When the air adjustment is performed and the air amount is appropriately set, as shown in FIG. 17D, the set amount of the floating air amount and the separated air amount is displayed on the display unit.

When the air adjustment is performed and the air amount cannot be set appropriately, as shown in FIG. 17E, a display prompting the paper to be reloaded is displayed on the display unit. Further, in this case, a display prompting the adjustment of the regulation plate on the paper mounting table 111 may be displayed.

In addition, the frequency characteristics may fluctuate due to an erroneous operation by the user, such as an adjustment error of the regulation plate on the paper mounting table 111 as described above. Therefore, when it is found based on the data acquired in advance that the sound related to the user's erroneous operation is included in the sound pattern, the control unit 100 outputs a notification command for notifying the user of information related to the erroneous operation to the display unit or the like. You can do it.

By doing so, it is possible for the user to notice that the erroneous operation has been performed, so that the user can correct the erroneous operation and perform a normal paper feeding operation in the paper feeding device 10.

Further, in addition to the fluttering sound of the paper in the air, the paper feeding device 10 also generates sounds such as the paper mounting table 111 of the paper feeding unit, the solenoid, and the driving sound of the motor. When the sound collecting unit 17 collects these sounds, it may be generated as a noise component. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 18, a peak point at which the sound signal becomes P6 is generated at the frequency F7.

In such a case, the control unit 100 determines the frequency characteristic by removing the driving sound of a device other than the air supply unit such as the floating air blower unit 13. In the case of the example shown in FIG. 18, the control unit 100 determines the frequency characteristic by removing the portion having the frequency F7.

By doing so, it is possible to accurately determine the frequency characteristics regardless of the noise component.

Further, the noise component can have a frequency characteristic based on a sound signal measured in advance. This noise component is stored in a storage unit or the like, and the control unit 100 reads it out to perform the above removal.

Further, as the device is used, the driving sound of the device fluctuates due to changes over time. Along with this, the magnitude of the above noise component also fluctuates. Therefore, the control unit 100 may change the amount of noise (driving sound) removed according to the change with time of the device.

As a result, it is possible to reduce that the noise component to be removed as a noise component cannot be completely removed or the sound signal that should be originally detected is removed as a noise component due to the fluctuation of the driving sound due to the change with time.

Further, in the above embodiment, the preset target range is used for comparison with the frequency characteristics, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 100 may set a target range according to the occurrence rate of paper transport defects.

For example, even if the preset target range is based on the description in FIG. 5, when the paper feeding operation is actually repeated, for example, even with the frequency characteristics based on the description in FIG. 8A, the occurrence rate of transport defects Can occur when is extremely low.

In such a case, the control unit 100 sets the frequency characteristic based on the description of FIG. 8A in the target range, so that the frequency characteristic in the setting where the occurrence rate of paper transport failure in the actual paper feeding operation is low is set as the target range. Can be determined. As a result, the target range according to the state of the latest paper feed device 10 can be set to an appropriate range.

Further, the control unit 100 may set a common target range according to the occurrence rate of transfer defects in each of a plurality of types of paper.

By doing so, it is possible to set the frequency characteristic in the setting where the occurrence rate of the transfer defect is low as a whole as a common target range by comparing the occurrence rates of the transfer defects of each of the plurality of types of paper. .. As a result, it is not necessary to change the target range for each type of paper, and the control can be simplified.

Further, the air may be adjusted by learning the transition of the frequency characteristic of the fluttering sound and the occurrence rate of the transfer defect by machine learning or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, the air is adjusted in the paper feed unit to be fed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 100 may determine the state of the paper by a paper feeding unit other than the paper feeding unit to be fed.

By doing so, the paper feed unit to be fed does not adjust the air, but concentrates on feeding with the set amount of air, and the other paper feed units adjust the air in parallel. be able to. As a result, it is possible to appropriately adjust the amount of air in the paper feed unit that is not the target of paper feed while suppressing the decrease in productivity due to the adjustment of the air.

Further, the control unit 100 may determine whether or not to switch to another paper feed unit when there is a sound signal determined that the frequency characteristic is out of the target range from the paper feed unit to be fed. .. In this case, if the air adjustment in another paper feed unit is not completed, or if the type of paper contained in the other paper feed unit is different from the paper type in the paper feed unit to be fed. The control unit 100 determines that the paper feed unit is not switched to another.

In addition, the air adjustment in another paper feed unit has been completed, and the type of paper contained in the other paper feed unit is the same as the type of paper in the paper feed unit to be fed. In this case, the control unit 100 determines that the paper feed unit is switched to another.

By doing so, it is possible to appropriately select a paper feed unit that is less likely to cause paper transfer defects and perform paper feeding, so that it is possible to reduce paper transfer defects caused by the generation of air.

Further, in the above embodiment, control is performed to normalize the fluttering state of the paper by adjusting the air, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the position of the paper mounting table 111 is adjusted. As a result, control may be performed so that the fluttering state of the paper becomes normal. In this case, the drive target is a motor or the like that adjusts the position of the paper mounting table 111. Further, a dehumidifying heater, a dehumidifying fan, or the like may be the driving target.

Further, in the above embodiment, it is not mentioned that the paper feeding device 10 communicates with an external device other than the image forming device 20, but the paper feeding device 10 communicates with a PC (Personal Computer), a remote server, or the like. You may communicate.

By doing so, for example, it is possible to display FIGS. 15 and 17A using a display unit of a PC or the like. Also, by communicating with a remote server, it is possible to supply information about the same type of paper feed device and sound pattern in another location.

Further, in the above embodiment, the adjustment control of the air is performed after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of the operation of the air, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it is predetermined in consideration of productivity and the like. The air adjustment control may be started before the lapse of time (for example, the state of FIG. 9B).

Further, in the above embodiment, the sound collecting unit 17 is provided in the paper accommodating unit 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sound collecting unit 17 may be provided in a place other than the paper accommodating unit 11. However, considering the accuracy of collecting sound generated from the paper, it is preferable to provide the sound in the vicinity of the place where air is generated, such as in the paper accommodating portion 11.

Further, in the above embodiment, the peak point in the frequency characteristic is extracted and the portion other than the peak point is set to 0 to determine the state of the paper, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the portion other than the peak point is determined. Does not have to be set to 0.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control unit 100 also serves as the determination unit, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit and the determination unit may be provided separately.

Further, in the above embodiment, the paper feeding device 10 is provided outside the image forming device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the feeding device may be provided inside the image forming device. ..

In addition, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner by these. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or its main features.

1 Image formation system 10 Paper feed device 10A Paper feed unit 10B Paper feed unit 10C Paper feed unit 11 Paper storage unit 12 Suction transport unit 13 Floating air blower unit 14 Separate air blower unit 15 Outlet roller unit 16 Guide unit 17 Sound collection unit 18 Drive motor 20 Image forming device 21 Image reading unit 22 Operation display unit 23 Image processing unit 24 Image forming unit 25 Fixing unit 26 Paper feeding unit 27 Paper transport unit 28 Control unit 100 Control unit 111 Paper mounting stand 121 Conveying belt 122 Air suction unit 123 roller 124 roller

Claims (21)

A storage unit that accommodates multiple recording media,
A paper feeding unit that feeds the recording medium housed in the housing unit toward an external device,
An air generating unit that generates air for a paper feeding operation by the paper feeding unit toward the recording medium, and an air generating unit.
A determination unit that determines the state of the recording medium based on the sound pattern of the sound generated from the recording medium by the air generated by the air generation unit.
A control unit that controls the paper feeding operation according to the determination result of the determination unit,
Paper feed device equipped with. The determination unit determines the state of the recording medium based on the frequency characteristics of the sound signal generated from the recording medium.
The paper feeding device according to claim 1. The determination unit determines the state of the recording medium by extracting the peak point of the portion where the frequency characteristic becomes an increasing trend and setting the portion other than the peak point to 0.
The paper feeding device according to claim 2. The determination unit determines whether or not the frequency characteristic is within each target range set for each frequency.
The paper feeding device according to claim 2 or 3. When the determination unit determines that the frequency characteristic includes a portion that is not within the target range, the control unit controls the frequency characteristic as a whole to be within the target range.
The paper feeding device according to claim 4. When the frequency characteristic does not fall within the target range as a whole, the control unit puts the recording medium in a non-feeding state according to the time when the air is generated by the air generating unit.
The paper feeding device according to claim 5. A plurality of the accommodating portions are provided.
When the determination unit determines that the frequency characteristics include a portion that is not within the target range, the control unit puts the recording medium in the storage unit to be fed into a non-feeding state and other accommodations. The part is to be fed,
The paper feeding device according to claim 4. The air generating unit includes floating air that floats a plurality of recording media from the accommodating unit toward the paper feeding unit, a recording medium that is fed by the paper feeding unit, and a recording medium that remains in the accommodating unit. It is possible to switch between the separated air and the separated air.
When the recording medium is put into a non-feeding state, the control unit prohibits switching from the floating air to the separated air.
The paper feeding device according to claim 6 or 7. When the frequency characteristic does not fall within the target range as a whole, the control unit sets the air having the frequency characteristic closest to the target range.
The paper feeding device according to claim 5. The determination unit sets the target range according to the occurrence rate of transport defects of the recording medium in the paper feeding operation.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 4 to 9. The determination unit sets a common target range according to the occurrence rate of the transfer defect in each of the plurality of types of recording media.
The paper feeding device according to claim 10. When a transfer defect occurs in the recording medium, the determination unit extracts the difference between the frequency characteristic when the transfer defect occurs and the target range as a unique component at the time of the transfer defect.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 4 to 11. Equipped with a memory
The determination unit stores the specific component in the storage unit for each type of transport failure.
The paper feeding device according to claim 12. Equipped with a memory
The determination unit stores the target range according to the type of the recording medium or the state of the recording medium in the storage unit.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 4 to 12. The determination unit corrects the target range according to the type of the recording medium or the state of the recording medium.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 4 to 14. A plurality of the accommodating portions are provided.
The determination unit determines the state of the recording medium in the storage unit to be fed.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. A plurality of the accommodating portions are provided.
The determination unit determines the state of the recording medium in an accommodation unit other than the storage unit to be fed.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. The determination unit starts determining the state after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of the operation of the air generation unit.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 17. The determination unit determines the state by removing the driving sound of a device other than the air generation unit.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 18. The determination unit changes the amount of the driving sound removed according to the change with time.
The paper feeding device according to claim 19. When the sound pattern includes a sound related to a user's erroneous operation, the control unit outputs a notification command for notifying the user of information related to the erroneous operation.
The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

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