JP2022154732A - Transport device, transport method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a transport device that can suitably perform the controlling in response to the belt condition.SOLUTION: The transport device includes: a belt-like member; first and second support bodies that support the belt member in a drivable manner; a providing mechanism that provides tensile force to the belt-like member; a travel detection part that is provided on the outer periphery side of the belt-like member and detects the travel of one of the first and second support bodies; and a controlling part that performs predetermined controlling based on the travel detected by the travel detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying device, a conveying method, and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printing machine or the like, a conveying device that drives a belt-shaped member to convey a recording medium has been used. Since the belt-like member is used under tension, the state of the belt may change such as elongation over time, which may lead to breakage of the belt-like member or deterioration of conveying performance. In order to prevent this, there is known a technique of performing control such as notification of the replacement timing of the belt-like member according to the detected belt condition.

Further, based on the result of detection of the intervals of a plurality of registration pattern images for one cycle in the sub-scanning direction provided on the back surface of a belt-like member such as an intermediate transfer belt, monitor the shape change of the intermediate transfer belt during continuous printing, A configuration is disclosed in which an image misalignment warning and determination of replacement timing of an intermediate transfer belt are issued according to the monitoring result (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-100003).

However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, paper dust, scraps of the belt-shaped member, etc. accumulate on the sensor and become undetectable. In the case of using the configured belt-like member, it may not be possible to apply the detection marker. As a result, there is a concern that the belt state cannot be accurately detected, and that appropriate control cannot be performed according to the belt state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a conveying apparatus that can appropriately perform control according to the state of the belt.

A conveying device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a belt-shaped member, first and second supports that drivably support the belt-shaped member, an imparting mechanism that imparts tension to the belt-shaped member, and the belt a movement amount detection unit provided on the outer peripheral side of the support member for detecting the movement amount of either the first or second support, and based on the movement amount detected by the movement amount detection unit and a control unit for performing predetermined control.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a conveying device that can appropriately perform control according to the state of the belt.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram of a hardware configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a side view of the example of composition of the transportation part concerning an embodiment. It is a top view of the example of composition of the transportation part concerning an embodiment. 3 is a diagram of an example functional configuration of a control unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment; FIG. 6(a) is a diagram of a normal state, FIG. 6(b) is a diagram of advance notification of endless belt replacement, and FIG. 6(c) is an endless belt. FIG. 6(d) is a diagram at the time of notification of replacement, and a diagram at the time of stop of transportation. 4 is a flowchart of an operation example of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

Embodiments will be described below by taking an image forming apparatus having a conveying device according to the embodiment as an example. This image forming apparatus is, for example, an image forming apparatus for commercial printing that prints a desired image on a large number of print media such as paper.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 103 according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 103 is, for example, an inkjet image forming apparatus, and mainly includes a paper feeding unit 401 , an image forming unit 307 , a drying unit 402 and a paper discharging unit 403 . In the image forming apparatus 103 , the image forming unit 307 forms an image with ink, which is a liquid for image formation, on the paper P, which is a recording material as a sheet material fed from the paper feeding unit 401 . After drying the ink adhering to the paper in the drying unit 402 , the paper is discharged from the paper discharging unit 403 .

[Paper feed section]
The paper feeding unit 401 mainly includes a paper feeding tray 411 on which a plurality of papers P are stacked, a feeding device 412 that separates and feeds the papers one by one from the paper feeding tray 411 , and an image forming unit 307 that feeds the papers. It is composed of a pair of registration rollers 413 for feeding. As the feeding device 412, any feeding device can be used, such as a device using rollers or rollers, or a device using air suction. After the leading edge of the paper fed from the paper feeding tray 411 by the feeding device 412 reaches the pair of registration rollers 413, the pair of registration rollers 413 is driven at a predetermined timing to feed the paper to the image forming unit 307. be. Note that in the present embodiment, the configuration of the paper feeding unit 401 is not limited as long as it feeds the paper P to the image forming unit 307 .

[Image forming section]
The image forming unit 307 mainly includes a receiving cylinder 361 that receives the fed paper P, a paper carrying drum 362 that carries and transports the paper P conveyed by the receiving cylinder 361 on its outer peripheral surface, and a paper carrying drum 362 . and a transfer cylinder 365 for transferring the paper P transported by the paper carrying drum 362 to the drying unit 402 . The paper P transported from the paper feeding unit 401 to the image forming unit 307 is gripped at its leading end by a paper gripper provided on the surface of the receiving cylinder 361 and transported as the surface of the receiving cylinder 361 moves. The paper conveyed by the receiving cylinder 361 is transferred to the paper carrying drum 362 at a position facing the paper carrying drum 362 .

A paper gripper is also provided on the surface of the paper carrying drum 362, and the leading edge of the paper is gripped by the paper gripper. In addition, a plurality of suction holes are dispersedly formed on the surface of the paper carrying drum 362 , and a suction device 363 generates a sucking air current toward the inside of the paper carrying drum 362 in each of the suction holes. The paper P transferred from the receiving cylinder 361 to the paper carrying drum 362 is gripped by the paper gripper at the leading end, is attracted to the surface of the paper carrying drum 362 by the suction air current, and is moved along with the movement of the surface of the paper carrying drum 362. transported by

The ink ejection unit 364 of this embodiment ejects four colors of ink, C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black), to form an image. of liquid ejection heads 364C, 364M, 364Y and 364K. The liquid ejection heads 364C, 364M, 364Y, and 364K are not limited in their configuration as long as they eject liquid, and any configuration can be adopted. If necessary, a liquid ejection head for ejecting special ink such as white, gold, or silver may be provided, or a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid that does not form an image, such as a surface coating liquid, may be provided.

The ejection operations of the liquid ejection heads 364C, 364M, 364Y, and 364K of the ink ejection section 364 are controlled by drive signals corresponding to image information. When the paper P carried on the paper carrying drum 362 passes through the area facing the ink ejection section 364, the liquid ejection heads 364C, 364M, 364Y, and 364K eject inks of different colors, and an image corresponding to the image information is produced. It is formed. Note that in the present embodiment, the configuration of the image forming unit 307 is not limited as long as it forms an image by depositing liquid on the paper P. FIG.

[Drying section]
The drying unit 402 mainly includes a drying mechanism 421 for drying ink adhered on the paper P in the image forming unit 307 and a transport unit 422 for transporting the paper P transported from the image forming unit 307. It is The paper P transported from the image forming unit 307 is received by the transport unit 422 , transported so as to pass through the drying mechanism 421 , and delivered to the paper discharge unit 403 . When the paper P passes through the drying mechanism 421, the ink on the paper P is subjected to a drying process, whereby liquids such as moisture in the ink evaporate, the ink adheres to the paper P, and the paper P curls. Suppressed.

[Paper output section]
The paper discharge unit 403 mainly includes a paper discharge tray 431 on which a plurality of sheets P are stacked. The sheets of paper P transported from the drying section 402 are sequentially stacked and held on the discharge tray 431 . Note that, in the present embodiment, the configuration of the discharge unit 403 is not limited as long as it discharges the paper P. FIG.

[Other functional parts]
The image forming apparatus 103 of this embodiment includes a paper feeding unit 401, an image forming unit 307, a drying unit 402, and a paper discharging unit 403, but other functional units may be added as appropriate. For example, a preprocessing unit that performs preprocessing for image formation is added between the paper feed unit 401 and the image forming unit 307 , or postprocessing for image formation is performed between the drying unit 402 and the paper discharge unit 403 . Processing units can be added.

Examples of the pretreatment unit include those that perform a treatment liquid coating process for applying a treatment liquid to the paper P for suppressing bleeding by reacting with ink, but there are no particular restrictions on the content of the pretreatment. . Further, as a post-processing unit, for example, the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 307 is reversed and conveyed to the image forming unit 307 again to form images on both sides of the sheet. Examples include a process of binding a plurality of sheets on which is formed, a correction mechanism for correcting sheet deformation, and a cooling mechanism for cooling the sheets.

<Hardware Configuration Example of Image Forming Apparatus 103>
Next, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 103. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the image forming apparatus 103 has a CPU 301 , ROM 302 , RAM 303 , control circuit 304 , HDD/SSD 305 , I/F 306 , image forming section 307 , and display section 308 .

Among them, the CPU 301 uses the RAM 303 as a work area and executes programs stored in the ROM 302 to control the operation of the entire image forming apparatus 103 . The control circuit 304 is an electronic circuit that performs control or arithmetic processing that requires high-speed processing.

The HDD/SSD 305 is used as a storage unit and stores preset setting values. The information stored in the HDD/SSD 305 may be used by the CPU 301 when executing the read program.

An I/F 306 is an interface that enables communication between the image forming apparatus 103 and an external device.

An image forming unit 307 is a print engine that forms an image on paper. A display unit 308 is a display for displaying messages such as notifications and warnings.

<Configuration example of transport unit 422>
Next, the configuration of the transport section 422 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the transport section 422, and FIG. 4 is a top view.

The transport unit 422 is an example of a transport device provided downstream of the image forming unit 307 in the sheet P transport direction. As described above, in the present embodiment, the transport unit 422 constitutes a part of the drying unit 402. The transport unit 422 transports the paper P, and the paper P dried while being transported is delivered to the paper discharge unit 403. Discharge. However, the conveying unit 422 is not limited to the use for drying the paper P, and can be used for various purposes such as cooling the paper P and transporting it.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the transport section 422 has an endless belt 201 , a drive roller 202 , a driven roller 203 , a tensioning mechanism 204 , a movement amount sensor 205 and a control section 250 .

The endless belt 201 is an example of a belt-shaped member that is stretched around a drive roller 202 and a driven roller 203 and driven to run along the running direction 200 by the rotation of the drive roller 202 . The material and specifications of the belt-shaped member are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the application. Further, the belt-like member is not limited to the endless belt 201, and may be a belt having a seam or a mesh-like structure.

The drive roller 202 is an example of a first support that drivably supports the endless belt 201 . The driving roller 202 is connected to a driving section such as a motor and driven to rotate by the driving section. The drive roller 202 can drive the endless belt 201 by rotating itself.

The driven roller 203 is an example of a second support that drivably supports the endless belt 201 . The driven roller 203 is driven to rotate as the endless belt 201 is driven to run.

The tensioning mechanism 204 is an example of a tensioning mechanism that applies tension to the endless belt 201 . The tension applying mechanism 204 applies tension to the endless belt 201 by moving the driven roller 203 in the applying direction 210 . By applying tension by the tension applying mechanism 204, bending of the endless belt 201 is prevented.

For the tension applying mechanism 204, an elastic member such as a spring that biases in the applying direction 210, or a motor that uses its own rotation as a driving force to move the driven roller 203 along the applying direction 210 can be used. However, the application of tension by the tension applying mechanism 204 is not limited to moving the driven roller 203, and may be, for example, moving the drive roller 202 in the direction opposite to the application direction 210. .

The movement amount sensor 205 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the endless belt 201 and is an example of a movement amount detection unit that detects the movement amount of the driven roller 203 . The movement amount sensor 205 is an optical displacement sensor capable of detecting the displacement of the object, for example, by triangulation or the like. The movement amount sensor 205 is provided to face the driven roller 203 via the endless belt 201 and detects the movement amount of the driven roller 203 along the moving direction 211 .

Specifically, assuming that the output value of the movement amount sensor 205 at the predetermined initial position of the driven roller 203 is d0, and the current output value of the movement amount sensor 205 is d1, the movement amount sensor 205 outputs the following: (1) can be used to detect the amount of movement .DELTA.d.
Δd=d−d0 (1)

Since the endless belt 201 is tensioned by the tensioning mechanism 204, it stretches over time. Since the tension applying mechanism 204 similarly applies tension to the elongated endless belt 201 , the position of the driven roller 203 changes according to the amount of elongation of the endless belt 201 , and the driven roller 203 moves along the moving direction 211 . to move. The movement amount sensor 205 can detect this movement amount Δd and output it to the control section 250 .

The control unit 250 performs control according to the state of the belt based on the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 detected by the movement amount sensor 205 .

In addition to the driving roller 202 and the driven roller 203, rollers other than the driving roller 202 and the driven roller 203 may be provided as rollers for supporting the endless belt 201. FIG.

<Functional Configuration Example of Control Unit 250>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control section 250 of the transport section 422. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 , the control unit 250 has a selection unit 251 , a storage unit 252 , a notification control unit 253 , a stop control unit 254 and a speed control unit 255 .

Among these, the functions of the selection unit 251, the notification control unit 253, the stop control unit 254, and the speed control unit 255 are performed by the CPU 301 in FIG. etc. Also, the function of the storage unit 252 is implemented by the HDD/SSD 305 or the like.

Based on the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 detected by the movement amount sensor 205, the selection unit 251 refers to the table 52 stored in the storage unit 252, and associates the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 with the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203. Select control. The table 52 is an example of correspondence information between the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 and the belt state information, and is predetermined information.

The control performed by each of the notification control unit 253 , the stop control unit 254 and the speed control unit 255 corresponds to control associated with the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 . Each of the notification control unit 253 , the stop control unit 254 and the speed control unit 255 can perform control according to the selection result of the selection unit 251 .

The notification control unit 253 performs control to notify by displaying the timing related to the replacement of the endless belt 201 on the display unit 308 . The stop control unit 254 performs control to stop the transportation by the transportation unit 422 . The speed control unit 255 controls the conveying speed of the conveying unit 422 .

<Example of Correspondence between Output of Movement Amount Sensor 205 and Control by Control Unit 250>
Next, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the movement amount Δd detected by the movement amount sensor 205 and the control by the control unit 250. As shown in FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing a normal state, FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing advance notification of the replacement of the endless belt 201, FIG. 6(c) is a diagram showing the notification of replacement of the endless belt 201, FIG. (d) is a diagram showing a state in which transportation by the transportation unit 422 is stopped.

In FIGS. 6A to 6D, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of movement Δd. Thresholds th1 to th4 are thresholds for the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 . The threshold th1 is the lower limit value of the normal state, and the threshold value th2 is the upper limit value of the normal state and the lower limit value of advance notification of belt replacement. The threshold th3 is the upper limit value for prior notification of belt replacement and the lower limit value for notification of belt replacement, and the threshold th4 is the upper limit value for notification of belt replacement.

In the normal state shown in FIG. 6A, the movement amount Δd is equal to or greater than the threshold th1 and smaller than the threshold th2. In the state shown in FIG. 6(b) where advance notification of belt replacement is given, the movement amount Δd is equal to or greater than the threshold th2 and smaller than the threshold th3. In the state shown in FIG. 6(c) in which the belt replacement is notified, the movement amount Δd is equal to or greater than the threshold th3 and smaller than the threshold th4. When the conveying unit 422 is stopped as shown in FIG. 6D, the movement amount Δd is equal to or greater than the threshold th4.

At the time of advance notification of belt replacement in FIG. The notification control unit 253 notifies the user of the image forming apparatus 103 that the endless belt 201 will soon need to be replaced due to stretching of the endless belt 201 . For example, the notification control unit 253 notifies by causing the display unit 308 to display a message to that effect.

The prior notification can prompt the user to prepare a new endless belt 201 to be replaced prior to the belt replacement. In this state, notification is performed, but the transport section 422 is operating as usual. It is more preferable to separately prepare a maintenance application or the like so that the notification can be automatically canceled when an order for the replacement endless belt 201 is confirmed.

At the time of notification of belt replacement in FIG. 6C, the selection unit 251 selects control by the notification controller 253 . The notification control unit 253 notifies the user of the image forming apparatus 103 that the endless belt 201 needs to be replaced due to stretching of the endless belt 201 . For example, the notification control unit 253 notifies by causing the display unit 308 to display a message prompting replacement. It is more preferable to notify the period during which operation is possible until the replacement date. Even in this case, the notification is performed, but the transport section 422 is operating as usual. Further, it is more preferable to separately prepare a maintenance application or the like so that the notification can be automatically canceled when an order for the replacement endless belt 201 is confirmed.

Further, when the belt replacement is notified, the amount of elongation of the endless belt 201 is larger than that in the normal state. Therefore, when the conveying speed of the conveying unit 422 becomes a problem, the selection unit 251 can select control by the speed control unit 255 in addition to control by the notification control unit 253 . The speed control unit 255 can correct the conveying speed to a predetermined conveying speed based on the moving amount Δd, such as increasing the conveying speed according to the moving amount Δd.

6D is a case where the belt is not replaced during the notification period of the belt replacement. In this case, the selection unit 251 selects control by the stop control unit 254 . The stop control unit 254 stops the transport by the transport unit 422 from the viewpoint of protecting the image forming apparatus 103 from failure or the like. For example, if the endless belt 201 that has been broken due to overstretching continues to rotate, the broken endless belt 201 may wind around surrounding parts or other rollers, resulting in failure. Such failures can be prevented by stopping the transportation by the transportation unit 422 .

In this embodiment, it is particularly important to accurately detect the normal state in FIG. 6(a) and the state in which the conveying unit 422 is stopped in FIG. 6(d). It is preferable that the state in which advance notification of belt replacement is performed in FIG. 6(b) and the state in which belt replacement is notified in FIG. 6(c) are additionally detected.

<Example of Operation of Image Forming Apparatus 103>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 103. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows the operation of the image forming apparatus 103 triggered by the reception of an image forming start operation by the user of the image forming apparatus 103 .

First, in step S<b>71 , the movement amount sensor 205 detects the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 .

Subsequently, in step S72, the selection unit 251 determines whether or not threshold th1≦movement amount Δd<threshold th2.

If it is determined in step S72 that threshold th1≦movement amount Δd<threshold th2 (Yes in step S72), image forming section 307 forms an image on paper P in step S73, and conveying section 422 The paper P is conveyed.

Subsequently, in step S74, the image forming apparatus 103 determines whether or not to end image formation.

If it is determined to end in step S74 (step S74, Yes), the image forming apparatus 103 ends image formation, and if it is determined not to end (step S74, No), the image forming apparatus 103 , the operation after step S71 is performed again.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S72 that threshold th1≦movement amount Δd<threshold th2 does not hold (step S72, No), the selection unit 251 determines that threshold th2≦movement amount Δd<threshold th3 in step S75. Determine whether or not

In step S75, when it is determined that threshold th2≦movement amount Δd<threshold th3 (step S75, Yes), in step S76, the selection unit 251 selects control by the notification control unit 253, and performs notification control. A unit 253 gives advance notice of belt replacement. Thereafter, the image forming apparatus 103 performs operations from step S73.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S75 that threshold th2≦movement amount Δd<threshold th3 does not hold (step S75, No), the selection unit 251 determines that threshold th3≦movement amount Δd<threshold th4 in step S77. Determine whether or not

In step S77, when it is determined that threshold th3≦movement amount Δd<threshold th4 (step S77, Yes), in step S78, the selection unit 251 selects control by the notification control unit 253, and performs notification control. A unit 253 notifies the belt replacement. Thereafter, the image forming apparatus 103 performs operations from step S73.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S77 that the threshold th3≦movement amount Δd<threshold th4 does not hold (step S77, No), in step S79, the selection unit 251 determines whether or not the movement amount Δd≧threshold th4. judge.

In step S79, when it is determined that the movement amount Δd≧threshold th4 (step S79, Yes), in step S80, the selection unit 251 selects control by the stop control unit 254, and the stop control unit 254 The transport of the paper P by the transport unit 422 is stopped. After that, the image forming apparatus 103 ends its operation.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S79 that the movement amount Δd≧threshold th4 is not satisfied (step S79, No), the image forming apparatus 103 repeats the operations after step S71.

In this manner, the image forming apparatus 103 can form an image on the sheet P and convey the sheet P while appropriately performing control according to the belt state.

<Action and Effect of Conveying Unit 422>
Next, the effects of the conveying section 422 will be described.

2. Description of the Related Art In a conveying device that drives a belt-like member to convey a recording medium such as paper, the belt-like member is used under tension, so the state of the belt changes such as elongation over time. A change in the belt condition may cause the belt to break or the transport performance to decline. Therefore, technology is known to detect the belt condition and control the timing of replacement of the belt-like member according to the detected belt condition. It is

For example, a predetermined pattern is formed on either the inner circumference or the outer circumference of the belt-shaped member, and the pattern is read by a reading sensor to detect the belt state such as the amount of elongation of the belt-shaped member. A configuration is disclosed that controls accordingly. However, with this configuration, there is a concern that paper dust from the paper and dust from the belt-shaped member will accumulate on the pattern and the reading sensor, making it impossible to accurately detect the belt state.

In addition, in a configuration in which the paper is dried while being transported by a belt-like member, the temperature rating of the reading sensor may be exceeded due to an increase in ambient temperature, and the reading sensor may not operate normally. In addition, the light emitted from a halogen heater or the like used for drying may enter the reading sensor, making it impossible to read the pattern accurately.

Furthermore, if the belt-like member is configured in a mesh shape, a pattern cannot be formed on the belt-like member, or even if a pattern can be formed, it is impossible to distinguish between the mesh and the pattern. may not be detected.

If the belt state cannot be detected accurately, appropriate control cannot be performed in accordance with the belt state, resulting in breakage of the belt-like member and deterioration in conveying performance. As a result, image formation may be interrupted, or maintenance such as cleaning of the belt-like member or reading sensor may be required, resulting in a decrease in productivity of the image forming apparatus.

In this embodiment, the endless belt 201 (belt-shaped member), the drive roller 202 (first support) and the driven roller 203 (second support) that support the endless belt 201 in a drivable manner, and the endless belt 201 are tensioned. and a tension applying mechanism 204 (applying mechanism). Further, a movement amount sensor 205 (movement amount detection unit) is provided on the outer peripheral side of the endless belt 201 and detects the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203, and based on the movement amount Δd detected by the movement amount sensor 205, and a control unit 250 that performs predetermined control.

The configuration for detecting the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 is less susceptible to the influence of paper dust from the paper and dust generated from the belt-like member, compared to the configuration for reading the pattern. In addition, since heat is easily diffused on the outer peripheral side of the endless belt 201, compared with the case where the sensor is provided on the inner peripheral side of the endless belt 201, it is less susceptible to the environmental temperature rise. Even when the transport unit 422 is used in combination with the configuration for drying the paper P, it is less likely to be affected by heat for drying, light from a halogen heater, and the like. Furthermore, even if the endless belt 201 is formed in a mesh shape, detection of the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203 is not affected at all.

As a result, the belt state such as elongation of the endless belt 201 can be accurately detected from the movement amount Δd of the driven roller 203, and the belt state can be appropriately controlled. In addition, it is possible to prevent breakage of the endless belt 201, deterioration of conveyance performance, and the like, and suppress deterioration of productivity of the image forming apparatus.

Further, in this embodiment, the tension applying mechanism 204 applies tension to the endless belt 201 by moving the driven roller 203 , and the movement amount sensor 205 detects the movement amount of the driven roller 203 . As a result, tension can be applied to the endless belt 201 and the elongation of the endless belt 201 can be accurately detected without complicating the configuration.

Further, in this embodiment, the storage unit 252 stores a table 52 (correspondence information) indicating the correspondence between the movement amount Δd and the predetermined control. Predetermined control selected by reference is performed. For example, the predetermined control includes at least one of notification of timing related to replacement of the endless belt 201 , stopping of transportation by the transportation unit 422 , or transportation speed by the transportation unit 422 .

As a result, it is possible to appropriately perform control according to the belt state. For example, by appropriately notifying the user of the image forming apparatus 103 of the replacement timing of the endless belt 201 and prompting the user to prepare a new endless belt 201, the downtime of the image forming apparatus 103 can be minimized. . In addition, failure of the image forming apparatus 103 due to breakage of the endless belt 201 can be prevented, and labor and time required for maintenance of the image forming apparatus 103 can be reduced.

[Other preferred embodiments]
In the above example, an inkjet image forming apparatus has been described, but the present embodiment can also be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus as long as it has a conveying device using a belt-like member. It is possible.

In addition, numbers such as ordinal numbers and numbers used in the description of the embodiments are all examples for specifically describing the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated numbers. Moreover, the connection relationship between the components is an example for specifically describing the technology of the present invention, and the connection relationship for realizing the function of the present invention is not limited to this.

Also, the division of blocks in the functional block diagram is an example, and a plurality of blocks may be implemented as one block, one block may be divided into a plurality of blocks, and/or some functions may be moved to other blocks. good. Also, a single piece of hardware or software may process functions of multiple blocks having similar functions in parallel or in a time division manner.

Also, each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the "processing circuit" in this specification means a processor programmed by software to perform each function, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, or a processor designed to perform each function described above. devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) and conventional circuit modules.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. .

Note that the embodiment includes a transport method. For example, the conveying method includes a belt-shaped member, first and second supports that drivably support the belt-shaped member, an imparting mechanism that imparts tension to the belt-shaped member, and an outer peripheral side of the belt-shaped member. and a movement amount detection unit for detecting the movement amount of either one of the first support and the second support, wherein the movement amount detected by the movement amount detection unit is and performing a predetermined control based on the amount of movement. By such a transport method, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the transport section 422 described above.

Embodiments also include programs. For example, the program includes a belt-shaped member, first and second supports that drivably support the belt-shaped member, an imparting mechanism that imparts tension to the belt-shaped member, and an outer peripheral side of the belt-shaped member. and a movement amount detection unit for detecting the movement amount of either one of the first support and the second support, wherein the movement amount detection unit detects the amount of movement detected by the movement amount detection unit The computer is caused to execute a process of performing a predetermined control based on the amount of movement. With such a program, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the transport section 422 described above.

103 image forming apparatus 201 endless belt (an example of a belt-like member)
202 drive roller (an example of the first support)
203 driven roller (an example of a second support)
204 tension applying mechanism 205 movement amount sensor (an example of a movement amount detection unit)
250 control unit 251 selection unit 252 storage unit 52 table (an example of correspondence information)
253 notification control unit 254 stop control unit 255 speed control unit 304 control circuit 307 image forming unit 308 display unit 402 drying unit 422 transport unit (an example of a transport device)
P paper (an example of a recording medium)
Δd Movement amount th1 to th4 Threshold

JP-A-2010-8726

Claims (6)

a belt-like member;
first and second supports that drivably support the belt-shaped member;
an imparting mechanism that imparts tension to the belt-shaped member;
a movement amount detection unit provided on the outer peripheral side of the belt-shaped member and detecting a movement amount of either the first support or the second support;
and a control unit that performs predetermined control based on the movement amount detected by the movement amount detection unit. the first support is a drive roller that drives the belt-shaped member;
the second support is a driven roller that rotates according to the drive of the belt-shaped member;
The applying mechanism applies the tension by moving the second support,
2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement amount detection section detects the movement amount of the driven roller. a storage unit that stores correspondence information between the movement amount and the predetermined control;
The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit performs the control selected by referring to the correspondence information based on the movement amount. 4. The predetermined control includes at least one of notification of timing related to replacement of the belt-shaped member, stop of transportation by the transportation device, and transportation speed by the transportation device. The transport device according to . a belt-like member;
first and second supports that drivably support the belt-shaped member;
an imparting mechanism that imparts tension to the belt-shaped member;
A conveying method using a conveying device having a movement amount detection unit that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the belt-shaped member and detects the movement amount of either the first support or the second support,
A conveying method including a step of performing a predetermined control based on the movement amount detected by the movement amount detection unit. a belt-like member;
first and second supports that drivably support the belt-shaped member;
an imparting mechanism that imparts tension to the belt-shaped member;
A program that operates in a conveying device that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the belt-shaped member and that detects the amount of movement of either the first support or the second support, comprising:
A program that causes a computer to execute predetermined control based on the movement amount detected by the movement amount detection unit.

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