JP5773597B2 - Verification device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a verification apparatus that reads and verifies barcodes, characters, and the like printed on a print medium by a separately provided printer.

  Conventionally, a verification device that prints a barcode or the like on a label using a printer, reads the printed barcode by a scanner built in the printer, and verifies whether the printing is normally performed (for example, a patent) Reference 1).

JP 2005-212373 A

  A conventional verification apparatus is a form built in a printer, and includes a printer main body and a scanner used as a part of the barcode verification apparatus, and an increase in the size of the housing is inevitable. In addition, the verification device is dedicated to verification of a print medium printed by an integrally provided printer, and has a problem that it is not versatile and expensive. Therefore, it is desired that the printer and the verification device are separate.

However, in order to configure the verification device as a separate unit from the printer and to verify the print medium printed by various printers distributed in the market as a general-purpose product, There was a problem like this.
For example, there are many types of print media printed by a printer. Also, depending on the printer, the curl state of the printed medium after printing varies greatly. In order to obtain a highly versatile verification device, it is necessary to transport various forms (size, thickness, material, etc.) of print media without meandering.

  A possible cause of the meandering of the print medium during conveyance is that the conveyance driving force applied to the print medium varies slightly depending on the location. Here, in order to obtain a highly versatile verification apparatus, it corresponds to various forms of print media. Then, the thickness, the coefficient of friction, and the like may vary greatly depending on the location, as in the case where the label is partially formed on the release paper on the print medium. In such a case, the driving force applied to the print medium varies greatly depending on the location, and meandering is likely to occur. Therefore, there is a higher possibility that the print medium meanders during conveyance compared to a printer or the like in which the medium to be used is limited to some extent.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a verification apparatus that can carry a medium without meandering and can perform accurate verification.

The present invention solves the above problems by the following means. In addition, in order to make an understanding easy, although the code | symbol corresponding to embodiment of this invention is attached | subjected and demonstrated, it is not limited to this.
The invention of claim 1
An insertion unit (4a) into which a printed medium is inserted, a conveyance unit (10, 20, 30) for conveying the medium inserted from the insertion unit, and the medium conveyed by the conveyance unit A reading unit (70) for reading the printed information; and a verification unit (95) for verifying the information read by the reading unit, wherein the transport unit is located upstream of the insertion unit. A side transport unit (10), and an intermediate transport unit (20) provided downstream of the upstream transport unit and close to a position where the reading unit reads information printed on the medium; A downstream transport section (30) provided downstream of the intermediate transport section, and the transport sections (10, 20, 30) are arranged along the rotation shafts (13b, 23b, 33b). small disposed side by side in a plurality of locations at intervals And parts, a first conveying roller that hollow formed in contact from one side of the medium disposed in the small diameter portion on the medium (13c, 23c, 33c), along the axis of rotation (14a, 24a, 34a) A small-diameter portion provided at a plurality of positions at intervals, and a hollow that is provided in the small-diameter portion and that faces the first conveying roller and contacts the medium from the other surface side of the medium. A second conveying roller (14b, 24b, 34b), and the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller are pressed against each other with a predetermined contact pressure and contacted with the print medium while being deformed in the radial direction. A verification apparatus (1) characterized by

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the verification apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the verification unit (95) is disposed downstream of the reading unit (70) with respect to the medium according to a result of verifying the information by the verification unit (95). It is a verification apparatus (1) characterized by including the marking part (80) which attaches a mark, and the said downstream conveyance part (30) is provided in the downstream rather than the said marking part.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the verification apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the upstream transport unit (10), the intermediate transport unit (20), and the downstream transport unit (30) are each driven. A verification device (1) characterized in that a torque limiter (11, 21, 31) is provided between a driving source (M) for generating a force.

The invention according to claim 4 is the verification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upstream side between the upstream side conveyance unit (10) and the intermediate conveyance unit (20). A first detection roller that is disposed in the immediate vicinity of the downstream side of the transport unit, is arranged in a plurality of locations at intervals along the rotation axis (41b), and contacts the medium from one side of the medium ( 41c), a second detection roller that is arranged in a plurality of positions at intervals along the rotation axis (42a), faces the first detection roller, and contacts the medium from the other surface side of the medium (42b), and the first conveyance roller and the first detection roller are alternately arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction ,
Is a verification device (1) characterized by

  According to the present invention, the transport unit is located upstream of the upstream transport unit disposed at a position close to the insertion unit, and at a position downstream of the upstream transport unit, and the reading unit reads information printed on the medium. An intermediate transport unit provided at a close position and a downstream transport unit provided on the downstream side of the intermediate transport unit are provided. Therefore, the verification apparatus can prevent the meandering of the medium being transported, can transport the medium without meandering, and can perform accurate verification.

It is the perspective view which looked at the embodiment of verification device 1 by the present invention from the side. It is the perspective view which looked at embodiment of verification device 1 by the present invention from the side opposite to FIG. It is the figure which looked at the lower side main body 2 from upper direction (y plus side). It is the figure which looked at the lower main body 2 of the state which removed the lower conveyance guide plate 6 from upper direction. It is a figure which shows the AA cross section shown by the arrow in FIG. It is a figure which shows CC cross section shown by the arrow in FIG. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning with the upstream movement detection part 40 and the downstream movement detection part 50, the upstream conveyance part 10, the intermediate conveyance part 20, and the downstream conveyance part 30. FIG.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Each figure shown below is provided with an xyz orthogonal coordinate system for easy explanation and understanding. In this coordinate system, the direction in which the printing medium is conveyed when the verification apparatus is installed horizontally is the x plus direction, the direction toward the upper side is the y plus direction, and the back direction in FIG. 1 is the z plus direction. These coordinate systems do not define the origin and are provided only to indicate the direction.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a verification device 1 according to the present invention as viewed from the side (z minus side).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the verification device 1 according to the present invention as viewed from the side surface (z plus side) opposite to FIG.
In addition, each figure shown below including FIG. 1 is the figure shown typically, and the magnitude | size and shape of each part are exaggerated suitably for easy understanding.
In the following description, specific numerical values, shapes, materials, and the like are shown and described, but these can be changed as appropriate.

The verification device 1 of this embodiment includes a lower main body 2, an upper main body 3, and an insertion guide 4.
The lower main body 2 is a portion that occupies a substantially lower half of the verification device 1.
The upper main body 3 is provided above the lower main body 2 and occupies substantially half of the verification device 1. The upper body 3 can rotate and move with respect to the lower body 2 with a hinge portion (not shown) as a fulcrum to expose the print medium conveyance path.
The insertion guide 4 is a portion that guides when the print medium is inserted into the verification device 1 from the insertion portion 4 a, and is provided to protrude from the x minus end of the lower body 2.
It is assumed that the verification apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is used by being placed in the immediate vicinity of a commercially available general-purpose label printer or the like (not shown). Then, the verification device 1 inserts a print medium such as a printed continuous label continuously discharged from a general-purpose label printer or the like from the insertion guide 4 and verifies various information such as a printed barcode. To do.

  The verification apparatus 1 includes an insertion sensor 5, a lower conveyance guide plate 6, an upper conveyance guide plate 7, an upstream conveyance unit 10, an intermediate conveyance unit 20, a downstream conveyance unit 30, and an upstream movement detection unit. 40, a downstream side movement detection unit 50, a medium position detection unit 60, a scanner unit 70, a marking unit 80, a display operation unit 90, a control unit 95, an encoder E, and a motor M. .

  The insertion sensor 5 is provided in the immediate vicinity of the insertion unit 4 a on the downstream side in the conveyance direction, detects the leading edge of the print medium, and transmits a detection signal to the control unit 95. When the detection signal of the insertion sensor 5 is issued, the control unit 95 drives the upstream transport unit 10, the intermediate transport unit 20, and the downstream transport unit 30.

The lower conveyance guide plate 6 is a plate-like member disposed on the upper portion (y plus side) of the lower main body 2.
FIG. 3 is a view of the lower main body 2 as viewed from above (y plus side).
The lower conveyance guide plate 6 has a conveyance opening 6a and a detection opening 6b.
The conveyance opening 6a is opened at a position corresponding to first conveyance rollers 13c, 23c, and 33c described later. The first transport rollers 13c, 23c, 33c protrude upward (y-plus side) through the transport opening 6a.
The detection opening 6b is opened at a position corresponding to first detection rollers 41c and 51c described later. The first detection rollers 41c and 51c protrude upward (y plus side) through the detection opening 6b.

Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper transport guide plate 7 is a plate-like member disposed on the lower portion (y minus side) of the upper body 3. Similar to the lower conveyance guide plate 6, the upper conveyance guide plate 7 is formed with a conveyance opening 7a and a detection opening 7b.
The conveyance opening 7a is opened at a position corresponding to second conveyance rollers 14b, 24b, and 34b described later. The second transport rollers 14b, 24b, and 34b protrude downward (y minus side) through the transport opening 7a.
The detection opening 7b is opened at a position corresponding to second detection rollers 42b and 52b described later. The second detection rollers 42b and 52b protrude downward (y minus side) through the detection opening 7b.

The upstream conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream conveyance unit 30 are all mechanisms that constitute a conveyance unit that conveys the print medium inserted from the insertion unit 4a.
The upstream transport unit 10 is disposed at a position closer to the insertion unit 4 a in the transport direction than the intermediate transport unit 20 and the downstream transport unit 30. The upstream conveyance unit 10 includes a torque limiter 11, an idle gear 12, a first conveyance roller unit 13, and a second conveyance roller unit 14.

  The torque limiter 11 is an overload limiting device that limits the torque of the driving force transmitted from the motor M to the first conveying roller 13c to a predetermined value or less. The torque limiter 11 has a pulley 11a and a gear 11b. A belt B3 is hung on the pulley 11a. The belt B3 is hung on a pulley 21a described later, and transmits the driving force from the motor M to the pulley 11a via the pulley 21a. The torque limiter 11 limits the torque of the driving force transmitted to the pulley 11a to a predetermined value or less and transmits it to the gear 11b.

  The idle gear 12 meshes with a gear 11b and a gear 13a described later. The idle gear 12 transmits the driving force transmitted to the gear 11b to the gear 13a.

FIG. 4 is a view of the lower main body 2 with the lower conveyance guide plate 6 removed, as viewed from above (y plus side).
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an AA cross section indicated by an arrow in FIG.
The first transport roller unit 13 includes a gear 13a, a shaft 13b, and a first transport roller (lower transport roller) 13c.

  The gear 13a is provided at the z plus end portion of the shaft 13b. As described above, the gear 13 a meshes with the idle gear 12, and the driving force is transmitted from the idle gear 12.

  The shaft 13b is a rotating shaft that extends in the z direction and is attached to the lower main body 2 so as to be rotatable by a bearing portion (not shown). The shaft 13b is provided with a small-diameter portion 13b1 having an outer diameter smaller than that of other portions at a position where the first conveying roller 13c is attached. The small-diameter portions 13b1 are arranged in six places so as to be equally spaced in the z direction.

  The first transport roller 13c is formed in a hollow shape. The first transport roller 13c is made of, for example, elastic rubber or resin. Therefore, the first transport roller 13c can be easily deformed in the radial direction. The first transport rollers 13c are attached to the small diameter portion 13b1 of the shaft 13b, and are arranged in six places so as to be equally spaced in the z direction. Here, the first conveyance roller 13c is not projected between the small diameter portion 13b1 and a projection (not shown) provided on the first conveyance roller 13c and a groove (not shown) provided on the shaft 13b. And are engaged. In addition, the 1st conveyance roller 13c is assembled | attached to the small diameter part 13b1, using the elastic deformation, deform | transforming to an outer diameter direction.

  The second transport roller unit 14 includes a shaft 14a and a second transport roller (upper transport roller) 14b. The configurations of the shaft 14a and the second transport roller 14b are the same as the configurations of the shaft 13b and the first transport roller 13c, respectively. However, the second transport roller unit 14 does not have a portion corresponding to the gear 13a, and the shaft 14a is attached to the upper body 3 in a rotatable state by a bearing portion (not shown).

  The first transport roller 13c and the second transport roller 14b, which are provided in six places, are arranged so as to face each other and contact each other. Therefore, when transporting the print medium, the first transport roller 13c contacts the print medium from below the print medium, and the second transport roller 14b contacts the print medium from above the print medium. Then, the first transport roller 13c receives the driving force and rotates to transport the print medium. At this time, the second transport roller 14b presses the first transport roller 13c from above via the print medium, and rotates with the movement of the print medium. Further, the first transport roller 13c and the second transport roller 14b are disposed so as to be pressed with a predetermined contact pressure. Accordingly, the first transport roller 13c and the second transport roller 14b are in contact with the print medium or with each other while being slightly deformed in the respective radial directions. Thereby, in all of the 1st conveyance roller 13c and the 2nd conveyance roller 14b which were arranged side by side along the axis | shaft 13b and the axis | shaft 14a and were provided, the 1st conveyance roller 13c and the 2nd The force with which the transport roller 14b presses the print medium or the force with which the transport roller 14b presses each other becomes substantially equal.

The intermediate transport unit 20 is downstream of the upstream transport unit 10 in the transport direction, and is closer to a position (a position indicated by an arrow D in FIG. 1) where the scanner unit 70 reads information printed on the print medium. Is provided. By providing the intermediate conveyance unit 20 at such a position, it is possible to improve the flatness of the print medium at a position where the scanner unit 70 reads information printed on the print medium. Therefore, reading of information by the scanner unit 70 can be performed with high accuracy.
The intermediate transport unit 20 includes a torque limiter 21, an idle gear 22, a first transport roller unit 23, and a second transport roller unit 24.

  The torque limiter 21 is an overload limiting device that limits the torque of the driving force transmitted from the motor M to the first conveying roller 23c to a predetermined value or less. The torque limiter 21 has a pulley 21a and a gear 21b. A belt B2 and a belt B3 are hung on the pulley 21a. The belt B2 is also hung on a pulley M1, which will be described later, and transmits the driving force from the motor M to the pulley 21a. The torque limiter 21 limits the torque of the driving force transmitted to the pulley 21a to a predetermined value or less and transmits it to the gear 21b.

  The idle gear 22 meshes with a gear 21b and a later-described gear 23a. The idle gear 22 transmits the driving force transmitted to the gear 21b to the gear 23a.

The first transport roller unit 23 includes a gear 23a, a shaft 23b, and a first transport roller 23c.
The second transport roller unit 24 has a shaft 24a and a second transport roller 24b.
The intermediate conveyance unit 20 has a gear 23a, a shaft 23b, a first conveyance roller 23c, a shaft 24a, and a second conveyance roller 24b. The upstream conveyance unit 10 has a gear 13a, Since the shaft 13b, the first transport roller 13c, the shaft 14a, and the second transport roller 14b have the same form, detailed description thereof is omitted.

The downstream transport unit 30 is provided downstream of the intermediate transport unit and downstream of the marking unit 80. By providing the downstream transport unit 30 on the downstream side of the marking unit 80, a sufficient tension can be applied to the print medium marked by the marking unit 80. Therefore, the printing medium has high flatness at the marked position, and the marking result can be improved.
The downstream side conveyance unit 30 includes a torque limiter 31, an idle gear 32, a first conveyance roller unit 33, and a second conveyance roller unit 34.

  The torque limiter 31 is an overload limiting device that limits the torque of the driving force transmitted from the motor M to the first conveying roller 33c to a predetermined value or less. The torque limiter 31 has a pulley 31a and a gear 31b. A belt B1 is hung on the pulley 31a. The belt B1 is also hung on a pulley M1, which will be described later, and transmits the driving force from the motor M to the pulley 31a. The torque limiter 31 limits the torque of the driving force transmitted to the pulley 31a to a predetermined value or less and transmits it to the gear 31b.

  In addition, the number of teeth of the pulleys 11a, 21a, and 31a described above is different. Thereby, the rotational speed of the first transport roller 13c is the slowest, the rotational speed of the first transport roller 23c is faster than the rotational speed of the first transport roller 13c, and the rotational speed of the first transport roller 23c. The rotational speed of the first conveying roller 33c is faster than that. Regarding these speed differences, for example, the rotational speed of the first transport roller 13c differs from the rotational speed of the first transport roller 23c by about 3%, and further, the rotational speed of the first transport roller 23c and the first transport roller 23c are different from each other. The rotation speed of the first conveyance roller 33c may be set to be different by about 3%. As a result, tension can be applied to the transported print medium, and when a speed difference occurs in the print medium, torque limiters 11, 21, and 31 are provided to eliminate the speed difference. It can be transported while maintaining its properties.

  The idle gear 32 meshes with a gear 31b and a gear 33a described later. The idle gear 32 transmits the driving force transmitted to the gear 31b to the gear 33a.

The first transport roller unit 33 includes a gear 33a, a shaft 33b, and a first transport roller 33c.
The second transport roller unit 34 has a shaft 34a and a second transport roller 34b.
The downstream conveyance unit 30 has a gear 33a, a shaft 33b, a first conveyance roller 33c, a shaft 34a, and a second conveyance roller 34b. The upstream conveyance unit 10 has a gear 13a. Since the shaft 13b, the first transport roller 13c, the shaft 14a, and the second transport roller 14b have the same configuration, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The limit values of the torque limiters 11, 21 and 31 described above are set so as not to exceed a predetermined upper limit value. Here, the upper limit value is set from the following two viewpoints. The first viewpoint is that a print medium inserted from a commercially available general-purpose printer that is assumed to be connected is not damaged. This is to prevent the verification apparatus 1 from damaging the print medium even when the general-purpose printer stops operating. The second point of view is that the sheet holding force of a commercially available general-purpose printer that is assumed to be connected is not exceeded. This is to prevent the verification apparatus 1 from dragging the print medium from the general-purpose printer even when the general-purpose printer stops operating.

The upstream side movement detection unit 40 is a movement detection unit that is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the downstream side of the upstream side conveyance unit 10. The upstream side movement detection unit 40 includes a first detection roller unit 41 and a second detection roller unit 42.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a CC cross section indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1.
The first detection roller unit 41 includes a pulley 41a, a shaft 41b, and a first detection roller 41c.

  The pulley 41a is provided at the z minus end portion of the shaft 41b. A belt B4 is hung on the pulley 41a. The belt B4 is also hung on a pulley 51a and a pulley E1, which will be described later. Therefore, when at least one of the pulley 41a and the pulley 51a is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the pulley E1, and the rotation of the first detection roller unit 41 or the first detection roller unit 51 can be detected by the encoder E. .

  The shaft 41b is a rotating shaft that extends in the z direction and is attached to the lower main body 2 so as to be rotatable by a bearing portion (not shown).

  Unlike the first conveyance roller 13c, the first detection roller 41c is not formed in a hollow shape. The first detection roller 41c is made of, for example, elastic rubber or resin. The first detection rollers 41c are provided so as to be integrated with the shaft 41b, and are arranged in five places so as to be equally spaced in the z direction.

  Further, when viewed from above (y plus side), the first detection roller 41c is staggered by shifting its position with respect to the first conveyance roller 13c in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, that is, in the z direction. Are arranged as follows. That is, the first conveyance roller 13c and the first detection roller 41c are alternately shifted in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

The second detection roller unit 42 includes a shaft 42a and a second detection roller 42b.
The configurations of the shaft 42a and the second detection roller 42b are the same as the configurations of the shaft 41b and the first detection roller 41c, respectively. However, the second detection roller unit 42 does not have a portion corresponding to the pulley 41a, and the shaft 42a is attached to the upper body 3 so as to be rotatable by a bearing portion (not shown).

  The first detection roller 41c and the second detection roller 42b, each provided at five locations, are arranged so as to face each other and contact each other. Therefore, when the print medium is transported by the transport unit, the first detection roller 41c contacts the print medium from below the print medium, and the second detection roller 42b contacts the print medium from above the print medium.

The downstream side movement detection unit 50 is a movement detection unit that is disposed in the immediate vicinity of the downstream side of the intermediate conveyance unit 20. The downstream side movement detection unit 50 includes a first detection roller unit 51 and a second detection roller unit 52.
The first detection roller unit 51 includes a pulley 51a, a shaft 51b, and a first detection roller 51c.
The second detection roller unit 52 has a shaft 52a and a second detection roller 52b.
The configuration of the downstream side movement detection unit 50 is the same as that of the upstream side movement detection unit 40, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of the upstream side movement detection unit 40 and the downstream side movement detection unit 50, and the upstream side conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream side conveyance unit 30. In FIG. 7, the amount of the dimension h is particularly exaggerated.
First, the relationship between the upstream side movement detection unit 40 and the upstream side conveyance unit 10 will be described. The position at which the first detection roller 41c and the second detection roller 42b are opposed to each other is in contact with the encoder more than the position at which the first conveyance roller 13c and the second conveyance roller 14b are opposed to each other. The first detection roller 41c connected so as to transmit the rotation to E is arranged so as to be displaced in the direction approaching the print medium. That is, the contact surface between the first detection roller 41c and the second detection roller 42b is higher than the contact surface between the first conveyance roller 13c and the second conveyance roller 14b by a dimension h (y (Positive position).
The same applies to the relationship between the downstream side movement detection unit 50 and the intermediate conveyance unit 20. In other words, the position where the first detection roller 51c and the second detection roller 52b are opposed to each other is in contact with the position where the first conveyance roller 23c and the second conveyance roller 24b are opposed to each other. The first detection roller 51c connected so as to transmit the rotation to the encoder E is displaced in the direction approaching the print medium. That is, the contact surface between the first detection roller 51c and the second detection roller 52b is higher than the contact surface between the first conveyance roller 23c and the second conveyance roller 24b by a dimension h (y (Positive position).

  A configuration in which the configuration for detecting the movement of the print medium is included in the upstream transport unit 10 or the like is also conceivable. However, in this embodiment, the upstream side movement detection unit 40 and the downstream side movement detection unit 50 are provided independently of the upstream side conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream side conveyance unit 30. Hereinafter, this reason will be described. The upstream transport unit 10, the intermediate transport unit 20, and the downstream transport unit 30 are all provided with a torque limiter. Since “slip” occurs in the torque limiter portion, the rotational drive amount of the motor M and the conveyance amount of the print medium do not correspond one-to-one. Further, “slip” may occur between the first transport rollers 13c, 23c, and 33c and the print medium. In particular, when used in connection with a printer, “slip” occurs in any of the upstream conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream conveyance unit 30 due to the influence of the load state on the printer side. Likely to occur. If it does so, even if the means which detects conveyance amount in any part of the upstream conveyance part 10, the intermediate conveyance part 20, and the downstream conveyance part 30 is provided, exact detection cannot be performed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the upstream side movement detection unit 40 and the downstream side movement detection unit 50 are provided independently of the upstream side conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream side conveyance unit 30. Various controls are performed based on the amount of movement of the print medium detected from the downstream side movement detection unit 50.

  Also, the two movement detection units, the upstream side movement detection unit 40 and the downstream side movement detection unit 50, are provided so that the movement of the print medium can be performed even when the last of the continuous print media passes through the scanner unit 70. This is because a signal to be detected can be acquired.

The medium position detection unit 60 detects the position of the print medium. The medium position detection unit 60 of the present embodiment includes a reflective photosensor and a transmissive photosensor.
The reflective optical sensor detects a reference position by detecting position detection marks (eye marks) printed at a predetermined interval on at least one surface of the print medium.
The transmission type optical sensor is configured such that when the print medium is composed of a mount and a label temporarily attached to the mount, the label is temporarily attached to the mount and the position where the label is temporarily attached to the mount. The reference position is detected by the difference in light transmittance from the position.
Note that the medium position detection unit 60 detects the position of the print medium using either a reflection type optical sensor or a transmission type optical sensor depending on the presence or absence of a position detection mark.

  The medium position detection unit 60 includes a lower sensor 61, a lower feed screw 62, a lower guide shaft 63, an upper sensor 66, an upper feed screw 67, and an upper guide shaft 68.

  The lower sensor 61 includes a light projecting unit or a light receiving unit of a transmissive optical sensor, and a reflective optical sensor. A nut portion corresponding to the lower feed screw 62 is formed at the x plus side end of the lower sensor 61. This nut portion is screwed to the lower feed screw 62. In addition, a guide hole portion that fits into the lower guide shaft 63 is formed at the x minus side end of the lower sensor 61.

The lower feed screw 62 extends in the z direction, and is attached to the lower main body 2 so as to be rotatable by manually rotating a rotation knob (not shown).
The lower guide shaft 63 is attached to the lower main body 2 in a form extending in the z direction so as to be parallel to the lower feed screw 62.

The upper sensor 66 includes a light receiving unit or a light projecting unit of a transmissive optical sensor. In the case where the lower sensor 61 is provided with a light projecting portion of a transmissive optical sensor, the upper sensor 66 includes a light receiving portion of the transmissive optical sensor, and conversely, the lower sensor 61 includes a transmissive optical sensor. When the light receiving part of the optical sensor is provided, the upper sensor 66 includes a light projecting part of the transmissive optical sensor.
Note that the upper sensor 66 may further include a reflective optical sensor. By doing so, it is possible to deal with the case where the position detection mark is provided on either the front or back side of the print medium.
A nut portion corresponding to the upper feed screw 67 is formed at the x plus side end of the upper sensor 66. This nut portion is screwed into the upper feed screw 67. In addition, a guide hole that fits into the upper guide shaft 68 is formed at the x minus side end of the upper sensor 66.

The upper feed screw 67 extends in the z direction, and is attached to the upper body 3 so as to be rotatable in conjunction with the lower feed screw 62 by a not-shown interlocking mechanism.
The upper guide shaft 68 is attached to the upper body 3 in a form extending in the z direction so as to be parallel to the upper feed screw 67.

  The medium position detection unit 60 is movable in the direction (z direction) orthogonal to the transport direction by the above-described configuration. Therefore, the position of the print medium can be detected even if the print medium to be verified is transported to any position in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

  The scanner unit 70 is a reading unit that reads information printed on the conveyed printing medium. Information read by the scanner unit 70 is sent to the control unit 95. Specifically, the scanner unit 70 includes an illumination unit (not shown) and a sensor, reads a print medium illuminated by the illumination unit using the sensor, and acquires information on the print medium in the form of an image. Then, the scanner unit 70 sends the acquired image to the control unit 95.

  The marking unit 80 performs marking on the print medium in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 95 described later. Specifically, when the marking unit 80 determines that the printing result on the printing medium is a defective product that does not satisfy a predetermined condition based on the information obtained from the scanner unit 70 by the control unit 95, the printing medium For example, “NG” is imprinted. In addition, as the marking part 80, you may mark using a laser, an inkjet, etc., without using a stamp, and may mark by notching a part of printing medium, or opening a hole. .

  The display operation unit 90 includes an operation unit that receives various operations related to the verification device 1 and a display unit that displays various information.

  The control unit 95 is a control circuit that controls the operation of the verification device 1 and is configured by a CPU, a memory, and the like (not shown). The control unit 95 also functions as a verification unit that verifies information on the print medium acquired from the scanner unit 70 in the form of an image. The control unit 95 stores separately input data to be verified, and verifies whether information on the print medium is correctly printed on the print medium. The contents to be verified can be selected as appropriate, such as contents to be printed, faint or missing prints, stains, and the like. The data to be verified may be input from the outside via communication or a storage medium, or may be registered by reading a correct print medium from the scanner unit 70 included in the verification apparatus 1.

  The encoder E is a rotary encoder that outputs the movement of the printing medium detected by the upstream movement detection unit 40 and the downstream movement detection unit 50 in a form that can be converted into a movement amount. The encoder E has a pulley E1. Since the belt B4 is hung on the pulley E1, the pulley E1 rotates by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the first detection roller 41c or the first detection roller 51c. The encoder E sends a detection signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the pulley E1 to the control unit 95.

  The motor M is a drive source that generates driving force for the upstream transport unit 10, the intermediate transport unit 20, and the downstream transport unit 30. The motor M has a pulley M1. A belt B1 and a belt B2 are hung on the pulley M1, and the driving force generated by the motor M is transmitted to the upstream conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream conveyance unit 30.

  The verification apparatus 1 of this embodiment can verify various forms of print media of various printers. Accordingly, there are various positions where the print medium discharged from the printer is conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. That is, the print medium is transported at a position biased toward the z minus side, transported at a position biased toward the z plus side, or transported near the approximate center in the z direction. As described above, since the print medium having various thicknesses is conveyed as well as being conveyed to various positions, it is difficult to keep the contact force to the print medium uniform by adjusting individual conveyance rollers and the like. . If the contact force is not uniform among the transport rollers, the transport driving force applied to the print medium from the transport rollers also varies depending on the location. Therefore, the print medium cannot be straightened and may meander.

Therefore, in the verification apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the print medium is prevented from meandering during conveyance by the above-described configuration. Hereinafter, this point will be described.
First, in the verification apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the first transport rollers 13c, 23c, 33c and the second transport rollers 14b, 24b, 34b are all formed in a hollow shape. Thereby, the contact force with respect to the print medium of each conveyance roller is automatically equalized, and meandering during the conveyance of the print medium can be suppressed.

  Further, in the verification apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the conveyance unit that conveys the print medium is provided in three locations of the upstream conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream conveyance unit 30. As a result, it is assumed that any one of the transport units (upstream transport unit 10, intermediate transport unit 20, downstream transport unit 30) transports the print medium obliquely with respect to the transport direction. Also, the other two transport portions act to transport the print medium in an appropriate direction. In addition, in order to acquire the above-mentioned effect | action, it is desirable that a conveyance part is at least 3 places. In two places, even if the process proceeds obliquely in the direction of the upstream conveyance unit and the conveyance direction is returned by the downstream conveyance unit, the whole is meandering. However, if there are three or more transport sections, the print medium is pulled by each transport section, and the phenomenon that the print medium meanders does not occur. This is considered to be caused by a very low probability that the three or more transport units are in a driving state suitable for meandering without excessive force being applied to the print medium.

  Further, torque limiters 11, 21, 31 are provided in the upstream transport unit 10, the intermediate transport unit 20, and the downstream transport unit 30, respectively. Thereby, the upstream transport unit 10, the intermediate transport unit 20, and the downstream transport unit 30 do not generate large variations in the driving force applied to the print medium, and uniform transport is performed at all positions. Further, even if the driving force fluctuates so as to generate meander in any part, the torque limiter absorbs this, so that meandering can be suppressed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the verification apparatus 1 includes the upstream conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream conveyance unit 30, so that the print medium meanders during conveyance. Can be prevented. Further, the verification device 1 formed the first transport rollers 13c, 23c, and 33c and the second transport rollers 14b, 24b, and 34b in a hollow shape. Therefore, the verification device can reliably configure the first transport rollers 13c, 23c, 33c and the second transport rollers 14b, 24b, 34b to be deformable in the radial direction with a simple configuration. Therefore, the verification device can further enhance the effect of preventing meandering of the medium being transported. Furthermore, since the verification apparatus 1 is provided with the torque limiters 11, 21, and 31 in each of the upstream side conveyance unit 10, the intermediate conveyance unit 20, and the downstream side conveyance unit 30, it prevents meandering during conveyance of the print medium. The effect can be enhanced.
Furthermore, since the downstream transport unit 30 is provided on the downstream side of the marking unit 80, the verification device 1 can give sufficient tension to the medium marked by the marking unit 80. Therefore, the verification apparatus 1 can improve the flatness of the marked position of the medium, and can improve the marking result.
In addition, the upstream transport unit 10, the intermediate transport unit 20, and the downstream transport unit 30 include torque limiters 11, 21, and 31, respectively, between the motor M that is a driving source that generates a driving force. Therefore, the verification device can further enhance the effect of preventing meandering of the medium being transported.

(Deformation)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, and these are also within the scope of the present invention.
In each embodiment, the verification apparatus 1 gave and demonstrated the example which provided the upstream conveyance part 10, the intermediate conveyance part 20, and the downstream conveyance part 30. For example, the conveyance unit may be divided into four or more.

  In each embodiment, the first conveyance rollers 13c, 23c, and 33c and the second conveyance rollers 14b, 24b, and 34b are described as examples. For example, the material may be formed of a material that can be easily deformed in the radial direction without being hollow. If at least one of the first transport roller and the second transport roller is formed to be deformable in the radial direction, the verification device can further enhance the effect of preventing meandering of the medium being transported.

  In each embodiment, the first detection rollers 41c and 51c and the second detection rollers 42b and 52b have been described as examples that are not formed hollow. For example, the first detection rollers 41c and 51c and the second detection rollers 42b and 52b may be formed hollow.

The print medium inserted into the insertion unit may be a print medium fed out from a roll or a single-leaf print medium in addition to the print medium discharged from the printer.
In addition, although embodiment and a deformation | transformation form can also be used in combination as appropriate, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. Further, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Verification apparatus 4a Insertion part 10 Upstream conveyance part 11, 21, 31 Torque limiter 13b, 14a, 23b, 24a, 33b, 34a, 41b, 42a, 51b, 52a Shaft 13c, 23c, 33c 1st conveyance roller 14b, 24b, 34b Second transport roller 20 Intermediate transport unit 30 Downstream transport unit 40 Upstream movement detection unit 41c, 51c First detection roller 42b, 52b Second detection roller 50 Downstream movement detection unit 70 Scanner unit 80 Marking Part 95 Control part E Encoder M Motor

Claims (4)

An insertion part into which a medium to be verified is inserted; and
A transport unit for transporting the medium inserted from the insertion unit;
A reading unit that reads information printed on the medium conveyed by the conveyance unit;
A verification unit that verifies the information read by the reading unit;
With
The transport unit is an upstream transport unit disposed at a position close to the insertion unit;
An intermediate transport unit provided downstream of the upstream transport unit and close to a position where the reading unit reads information printed on the medium;
A downstream side transport unit provided downstream of the intermediate transport unit, and
Each of the transport units is
A small-diameter portion provided in a plurality of locations at intervals along the rotation axis, and a first conveying roller formed in this small-diameter portion and formed in a hollow contact with the medium from one surface side of the medium;
A small-diameter portion provided at a plurality of locations with intervals along the rotation axis, and a hollow that is provided in the small-diameter portion and that faces the first transport roller and contacts the medium from the other surface side of the medium A formed second transport roller;
The verification apparatus, wherein the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller are pressed against each other with a predetermined contact pressure and contact the print medium while being deformed in the radial direction. The verification apparatus according to claim 1,
On the downstream side of the reading unit, a marking unit for marking the medium according to a result of verifying the information by the verification unit,
The downstream conveying unit is provided on the downstream side of the marking unit;
A verification device characterized by In the verification device according to claim 1 or 2,
Each of the upstream transport unit, the intermediate transport unit, and the downstream transport unit includes a torque limiter between a driving source that generates a driving force;
A verification device characterized by In the verification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
One side of the medium is disposed in the vicinity of the downstream side of the upstream side conveyance unit between the upstream side conveyance unit and the intermediate conveyance unit, arranged in a plurality of locations at intervals along the rotation axis, and A first detection roller that contacts the medium from the side;
A second detection roller that is arranged in a plurality of locations at intervals along the rotation axis, faces the first detection roller, and contacts the medium from the other surface side of the medium;
The first transport roller and the first detection roller are alternately staggered in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction;
A verification device characterized by

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