JP6136815B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus having a jam detection function.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an image recording apparatus that displays an animation indicating a procedure for removing a recording medium on a display screen on condition that a jam condition of the recording medium is detected (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the image recording apparatus configured as described above, the user can eliminate the jammed state by operating the image recording apparatus according to the displayed animation.

JP 2012-49855 A

  In the animation as described above, a plurality of procedures for eliminating the jammed state may be shown in order. However, if the animation is displayed to the end despite the fact that the jammed state has been resolved in the middle, the user is requested to perform a useless operation. Moreover, if the jammed recording medium is forcibly removed, the components of the image recording apparatus may be damaged. Therefore, it is important that the user operates the image recording apparatus in an appropriate order.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to easily and safely eliminate a jam state by notifying a user of a procedure necessary for eliminating the jam state in an appropriate order. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of performing the above.

  (1) An image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a first transport unit and a second transport unit disposed downstream of the first transport unit in the transport direction, and transports a recording medium in the transport direction. A transport unit that outputs a detection signal on the condition that a recording medium is present at an upstream detection position upstream of the first transport unit in the transport direction, and toward the first transport unit. By being opened and closed by a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium and the recording unit that records an image on the recording medium, which is disposed between the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit in the conveying direction. A first cover capable of exposing and covering a region of the recording medium passing area facing the recording unit; and opening and closing the recording medium passing area of the recording medium upstream of the upstream detection position. Second to expose and cover the side area Comprising bar and a cover sensor for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the opening and closing states of the first cover, and a control unit. Then, the control unit causes the recording medium to be fed to the feeding unit, causes the fed recording medium to be conveyed to the conveyance unit, and causes the recording unit to record an image on the conveyed recording medium. In the course of the recording process, the normal discharge process in which the recording medium on which the image is recorded in the recording process is transported to the transport unit to a position passing through the second transport unit, and the recording process or the normal discharge process. A jam detection process for detecting a jam condition of a medium; a first notification process for notifying a user that the first cover is opened and closed on the condition that a jam condition is detected by the jam detection process; and the cover sensor The second cover is opened on the condition that the detection signal is output from the upstream sensor at the timing when the opening / closing of the first cover is detected based on the detection signal output from Performing a second notification process for notifying the user to.

  According to the above configuration, the first cover that covers the passage area of the recording medium in the vicinity of the recording unit where the occurrence frequency of the jam is high is opened and closed, and the second cover is opened and closed only when the jammed state is not resolved. Further, when trying to clear the jammed state through the first cover, the recording medium is pulled out in the conveyance direction, which is the direction in which the recording medium is conveyed in the recording process. It can suppress that the component of a recording device is damaged.

  (2) Preferably, the image recording apparatus further includes a discharge tray that supports the recording medium discharged by the second transport unit through an opening formed in the front of the apparatus. The first cover is configured to be openable and closable on the upper surface of the image recording apparatus. The second cover is configured to be openable and closable on the back surface of the image recording apparatus. And the said control part alert | reports to a user that the said opening is confirmed in addition to alert | reporting opening and closing of a said 1st cover in a said 1st alerting | reporting process.

  According to the above configuration, for example, when the leading end of the recording medium enters the jammed state after passing through the second conveying unit, the jammed state can be easily eliminated by pulling the recording medium through the opening in the conveying direction. be able to. In addition, prior to opening and closing the second cover, which is difficult to reach on the back of the image recording apparatus, an attempt is made to clear the jammed state through the front opening and the first cover on the top surface. it can.

  (3) Preferably, the image recording apparatus further includes a downstream sensor that outputs a detection signal on condition that a recording medium exists at a downstream detection position downstream of the recording unit in the transport direction. And the said control part is only from the said downstream sensor of the said upstream sensor and the said downstream sensor in the timing when opening / closing of the said 1st cover was detected based on the detection signal output from the said cover sensor. The first notification process is executed again on condition that the detection signal is output.

  When the detection signal is output from the downstream sensor and the detection signal is not output from the upstream detection signal, it is unlikely that the jammed state can be eliminated through the second cover. In such a case, it is desirable to execute the first notification process again instead of the second notification process.

  (4) Preferably, the control unit detects detection signals from both the upstream sensor and the downstream sensor at a timing when opening / closing of the first cover is detected based on a detection signal output from the cover sensor. Is output, after the second notification process is executed, the first notification process is further executed.

  The case where the detection signal is output from both the upstream sensor and the downstream sensor is a state in which the recording medium is in contact with both the first transport unit and the second transport unit. In such a case, it is desirable to execute the first notification process and the second notification process alternately.

  (5) Preferably, after the execution of the second notification process, the control unit executes an acceptance process for accepting an operation notification indicating that an operation for clearing a jam state has been performed, and the operation notification is performed in the acceptance process. Is executed on the condition that a detection signal is output from the upstream sensor at the timing at which the recording medium is received, and a forced discharge process for transporting the recording medium to the transport unit is executed.

  According to the above configuration, there is a possibility that the recording medium may be forcibly ejected by the transport unit, which is effective when it is difficult to eliminate the jammed state by the user.

  (6) For example, the control unit causes the conveyance unit to convey the recording medium to a position passing through the first conveyance unit in the forced discharge process.

  (7) For example, the control unit varies the conveyance speed of the recording medium between the normal discharge process and the forced discharge process.

  Since the forced discharge process is a process for discharging the recording medium that has become unconveyable, it is desirable that the forced discharge process be executed under conditions different from those of the normal discharge process. For example, when the recording medium passes through the first transport unit, it becomes easy to remove the recording medium through the front opening or the first cover, and the removal work from here may be left to the user. In addition, since the recording medium that cannot be transported has a large transport resistance, slipping between the recording medium and the transport unit may be suppressed by reducing the transport speed. Further, by increasing the drive current in order to increase the transport speed, it may be possible to prevent the transport unit from being locked by a recording medium having a large transport resistance.

  According to the present invention, the first cover covering the recording medium passage area in the vicinity of the recording unit where jam is frequently generated is opened and closed, and the recording medium is pulled out in the transport direction. 2 Open and close the cover. As a result, it is possible to obtain an image recording apparatus that can easily and safely eliminate the jammed state.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording unit 24 supported by the guide rails 43 and 44. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the contact member 80 and the platen 42. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the support rib 52 of the platen 42 and the contact rib 85 of the contact member 80. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control unit 130 included in the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the image recording process in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of image recording processing in the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the printer unit 11, where (A) shows a state in which a low level signal is output only from the second sensor 123, and (B) shows both the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123. Shows a state in which a low level signal is output from.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state in FIG. 1), and the side on which the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side). A front-rear direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

[Embodiment 1]
[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The multifunction device 10 includes a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method, a display unit 14, and an operation unit 17 at the bottom. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller unit 54, a recording unit 24, a first discharge roller unit 55, and a first discharge roller unit 55. 2 The discharge roller part 56, the platen 42, and the contact member 80 are provided. The multifunction machine 10 may further have various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction machine 10 is an example of an image recording apparatus.

[Feed tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tray 20 is inserted and removed in the front-rear direction 8 through an opening 13 formed in the front surface of the printer unit 11. A plurality of sheets of paper 12 fed to the conveyance path 70 by the feeding unit 15 can be supported on the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 is disposed on the upper side of the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the paper 12 discharged by the first discharge roller portion 55 and the second discharge roller portion 56 through the opening 13 formed on the front surface.

[Feeding unit 15]
As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported on the leading end side of the feeding arm 26. The feed roller 25 rotates in the direction in which the paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 16 (ie, forward rotation) by the reverse drive of the transport motor 102. The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported on a shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or an elastic force by a spring or the like.

[Conveyance path 70]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 70 indicates a space formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that are partially opposed to each other at a predetermined interval inside the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 70 is a path extending from the rear end portion of the feeding tray 20 to the rear side of the printer unit 11. Further, the conveyance path 70 is a path that makes a U-turn while extending upward from below on the rear side of the printer unit 11 and reaches the discharge tray 21 through the recording unit 24. The conveyance path 70 is an example of a recording medium passage area.

[Conveying roller unit 54]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport roller unit 54 is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the recording unit 24. The conveyance roller unit 54 includes a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The conveyance roller 60 is driven by the conveyance motor 102. The pinch roller 61 is rotated along with the rotation of the conveyance roller 60. The sheet 12 is nipped by a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that are normally rotated by a normal rotation drive of the conveyance motor 102 and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[First discharge roller portion 55]
As shown in FIG. 2, the first discharge roller unit 55 is disposed downstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 16. The first discharge roller portion 55 includes a first discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The first discharge roller 62 is driven by the transport motor 102. The spur 63 is rotated along with the rotation of the first discharge roller 62. The paper 12 is nipped by the first discharge roller 62 and the spur 63 that are rotated forward by the normal rotation of the conveyance motor 102, and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Second discharge roller portion 56]
The second discharge roller unit 56 is disposed downstream of the first discharge roller unit 55 in the transport direction 16. The second discharge roller portion 56 includes a second discharge roller 64 and a spur 65 that face each other. The second discharge roller 64 is driven by the transport motor 102. The spur 65 is rotated along with the rotation of the second discharge roller 64. The sheet 12 is nipped between the second discharge roller 64 and the spur 65 that are normally rotated by the normal rotation drive of the conveyance motor 102 and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

  The conveyance roller unit 54, the first discharge roller unit 55, and the second discharge roller unit 56 constitute an example of a conveyance unit. The conveyance roller unit 54 is an example of a first conveyance unit. The second discharge roller unit 56 is an example of a second transport unit. The first discharge roller unit 55 is another example of the second transport unit. In this case, the second discharge roller portion 56 is omitted.

[First sensor 120]
As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a first sensor 120 on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the transport roller unit 54. The first sensor 120 is a sensor for detecting whether or not the paper 12 is present at the installation position of the first sensor 120 (hereinafter referred to as “upstream detection position”). The first sensor 120 sends a low-level signal (that is, a “signal whose signal level is less than the threshold”), which is a detection signal, to the control unit 130 described later on condition that the sheet 12 is present at the upstream detection position. Output. On the other hand, the first sensor 120 sends a high-level signal (that is, a signal whose signal level is equal to or higher than a threshold) to the control unit 130 on condition that the sheet 12 is not present at the upstream detection position. Output. The first sensor 120 is an example of an upstream sensor.

[Rotary encoder 121]
3, 4, and 6, the printer unit 11 is a known rotary that generates a pulse signal according to the rotation of the transport roller 60 (in other words, the rotational drive of the transport motor 102). An encoder 121 is provided. The rotary encoder 121 includes an encoder disk and an optical sensor. The encoder disk rotates with the rotation of the transport roller 60. The optical sensor reads the rotating encoder disk to generate a pulse signal, and outputs the generated pulse signal to the control unit 130.

[Second sensor 123]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 is located between the first discharge roller unit 55 and the second discharge roller unit 56 in the transport direction 16 (that is, downstream of the transport direction 16 from the recording unit 24). A second sensor 123 is provided. The second sensor 123 is a sensor for detecting whether or not the sheet 12 is present at the installation position of the second sensor 123 (hereinafter referred to as “downstream detection position”). The second sensor 123 outputs a low-level signal that is a detection signal (that is, “a signal whose signal level is less than the threshold”) to the control unit 130 on condition that the paper 12 is present at the downstream detection position. . On the other hand, on the condition that the sheet 12 is not present at the downstream side detection position, the second sensor 123 sends a high level signal that is a detection signal (that is, “signal having a signal level equal to or higher than the threshold”) to the control unit 130. Output. The second sensor 123 is an example of a downstream sensor.

  Note that the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 can fall down clockwise in FIG. 2 by being brought into contact with the paper 12 from the upstream side in the transport direction 16. On the other hand, even if the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 are brought into contact with the paper 12 from the downstream side in the transport direction 16, they cannot fall down counterclockwise in FIG. That is, it is assumed that the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 in the first embodiment are designed assuming only that the paper 12 moves in the transport direction 16.

[Top cover 30]
The top cover 30 is configured to be openable and closable on the top surface of the multifunction machine 10. Specifically, the upper surface cover 30 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the multifunction device 10 with the rear end portion supported by the multifunction device 10 as a rotation base end. The upper surface cover 30 is opened and closed to cover a part of the transport path 70 (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) and an open position to expose a part of the transport path 70 (a broken line in FIG. 2). To the position shown). More specifically, the upper surface cover 30 can expose and cover a region of the conveyance path 70 that faces the recording unit 24. Accordingly, the user of the multifunction machine 10 can take out the paper 12 jammed in the conveyance path 70 at a position facing the recording unit 24 (so-called jam processing). The top cover 30 is an example of a first cover.

[Cover sensor 124]
Cover sensor 124 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the open / closed state of top cover 30 to control unit 130. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the cover sensor 124 is a press sensor provided at a position in contact with the upper surface cover 30 at the cover position. Then, the cover sensor 124 outputs a high level signal to the control unit 130 on condition that the upper surface cover 30 at the cover position is pressed. Further, the cover sensor 124 outputs a low level signal to the control unit 130 on condition that the upper surface cover 30 has been moved to the open position. However, the cover sensor 124 is a reflective or transmissive optical sensor, and may change between a state in which reflected light or transmitted light is received and a state in which it is not received according to the opening and closing of the top cover 30. Good.

  The outer guide member 18 is configured to be openable and closable on the back surface of the multifunction machine 10. Specifically, the outer guide member 18 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the multi-function device 10 with the lower end supported by the multi-function device 10 as a rotation base end. When the outer guide member 18 is opened and closed, a cover position (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) that covers a part of the conveyance path 70 and an open position (a broken line in FIG. 2) that exposes a part of the conveyance path 70. It functions as a back cover that moves to the position indicated by. More specifically, the outer guide member 18 can expose and cover a region upstream of the transport direction 16 from the upstream detection position in the transport path 70. As a result, the user of the multifunction machine 10 can take out the paper 12 jammed on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the upstream side detection position of the transport path 70. The outer guide member 18 is an example of a second cover.

[Recording unit 24]
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is disposed between the conveyance roller unit 54 and the first discharge roller unit 55 in the conveyance direction 16. The recording unit 24 is disposed so as to face the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23, a recording head 39, and an encoder sensor 38A.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 that extend in the left-right direction 9 at positions spaced in the front-rear direction 8. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism includes a drive pulley provided at one end of the guide rail 44 in the left-right direction 9, a driven pulley provided at the other end, and an endless annular belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The carriage 23 is connected to the belt on the bottom surface side. A driving pulley that is rotated by the driving force of the carriage motor 103 causes the belt 49 to move circumferentially, whereby the carriage 23 reciprocates in the main scanning direction along the left-right direction 9.

  The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 23 as shown in FIG. A plurality of nozzles 40 are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The recording head 39 is supplied with ink from an ink cartridge through an ink tube. The recording head 39 ejects ink from the nozzle 40 as fine ink droplets. In the process of moving the carriage 23, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets onto the paper 12 supported by the platen 42. As a result, an image is recorded on the paper 12.

  The guide rail 44 is provided with a belt-like encoder strip 38 </ b> B extending in the left-right direction 9. The encoder sensor 38 </ b> A is mounted on the lower surface of the carriage 23. Further, the encoder sensor 38A and the encoder strip 38B are disposed at positions facing each other in the vertical direction 7. In the process of moving the carriage 23, the encoder sensor 38 </ b> A reads the encoder strip 38 </ b> B to generate a pulse signal, and outputs the generated pulse signal to the control unit 130. The encoder sensor 38A and the encoder strip 38B constitute the carriage sensor 38 shown in FIG.

[Platen 42]
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the platen 42 is disposed between the conveyance roller portion 54 and the first discharge roller portion 55 in the conveyance direction 16. The platen 42 is disposed so as to face the recording unit 24 in the vertical direction 7 and supports the paper 12 conveyed by the conveyance roller unit 54 from below. Further, the platen 42 is disposed so as to face the contact member 80 in the vertical direction 7. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of support ribs 52 projecting upward and extending in the front-rear direction 8 are formed on the upper surface of the platen 42. The plurality of support ribs 52 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction 9. Accordingly, the paper 12 positioned on the platen 42 is supported by the plurality of support ribs 52 formed on the upper surface of the platen 42.

[Abutting member 80]
As shown in FIG. 2, the contact member 80 is provided on the upstream side of the transport direction 16 with respect to the recording head 39 on the transport path 70. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the contact member 80 is provided at a plurality of locations separated in the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, each contact member 80 includes a fixed portion 81, a curved portion 82, and a contact portion 83.

  The fixing part 81 has a generally flat plate shape. The contact member 80 is fixed to the guide rail 43 by the fixing portion 81. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality (four in the first embodiment) of locking portions 75 protrude from the upper surface of the fixing portion 81. The abutting member 80 is fixed to the lower surface of the guide rail 43 by the locking portion 75 being locked to the periphery of the opening 74 provided in the guide rail 43. As shown in FIG. 2, the bending portion 82 is bent forward (that is, downstream of the conveying direction 16) and downward from the fixing portion 81. An abutting portion 83 protrudes substantially in the conveying direction 16 at the tip of the bending portion 82.

  The abutting portion 83 has a substantially flat plate shape, and is provided at a position facing the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7 as shown in FIG. The distance between the lower surface 84 of the abutting portion 83 and the platen 42 is narrower than the distance between the lower surface of the recording head 39 and the platen 42, so that the conveyance of the paper 12 is not hindered. In other words, the abutting portion 83 is provided between the carriage 23 and the platen 42 in the opposite direction (vertical direction 7 in the first embodiment) orthogonal to the transport direction 16 and the left-right direction 9. The lower surface 84 of the contact portion 83 is provided with a contact rib 85 that protrudes downward. The lower end of the contact rib 85 contacts the upper surface of the paper 12 supported by the platen 42. As a result, the sheet 12 is pressed downward by the contact portion 83 (that is, the platen 42).

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, each contact portion 83 is positioned between a plurality of support ribs 52 formed on the upper surface of the platen 42 so as to be separated in the left-right direction 9. In other words, each support rib 52 protrudes from the position between the contact members 80 adjacent in the left-right direction 9 toward the carriage 23 side. That is, the contact ribs 85 and the support ribs 52 are alternately arranged in the left-right direction 9. Each support rib 52 protrudes to the upper side of the lower end of the contact rib 85. More specifically, each support rib 52 comes into contact with the paper 12 at a position closer to the recording head 39 than the contact position between the contact rib 85 and the paper 12. As a result, the paper 12 between the platen 42 and the contact portion 83 (that is, the paper 12 at a position facing the recording head 39) is in a undulated state as viewed from the upstream side or the downstream side in the transport direction 16.

[Drive transmission mechanism 104]
The drive transmission mechanism 104 shown in FIG. 6 transmits the driving force of the conveyance motor 102 to the feeding roller 25, the conveyance roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64. The drive transmission mechanism 104 is configured by combining all or part of a gear, a pulley, an endless annular belt, a planetary gear mechanism (pendulum gear mechanism), a one-way clutch, and the like. Specifically, the drive transmission mechanism 104 causes the conveyance roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64 to rotate normally by the normal rotation driving force of the conveyance motor 102. On the other hand, the drive transmission mechanism 104 rotates the feeding roller 25 in the normal direction and reverses the conveyance roller 60 (refers to “rotation in the direction opposite to the normal direction”) by the reverse driving force of the conveyance motor 102.

[Display unit 14]
The display unit 14 includes a display screen that displays information to be notified to the user as a message or an animation. Although the specific configuration of the display unit 14 is not particularly limited, for example, a liquid crystal display (abbreviation of Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (abbreviation of Organic Electro-Luminescence Display), or the like can be employed.

[Operation unit 17]
The operation unit 17 is an input interface that receives an instruction input to the multifunction machine 10 from a user. The specific configuration of the operation unit 17 is not particularly limited. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the operation unit 17 may include a plurality of push buttons, or may include a touch sensor superimposed on the display screen of the display unit 14. You may do it.

[Control unit 130]
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135, which are connected by an internal bus 137. The ROM 132 stores a program for the CPU 131 to control various operations. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data and signals used when the CPU 131 executes the program, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 134 stores settings, flags, and the like that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

  A transport motor 102 and a carriage motor 103 are connected to the ASIC 135. The ASIC 135 acquires a drive signal for rotating each motor from the CPU 131, and outputs a drive current corresponding to the drive signal to each motor. Each motor is driven forward or reversely by a drive current from the ASIC 135. For example, the control unit 130 rotates the feed roller 25, the transport roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64 by controlling driving of the transport motor 102. Further, the control unit 130 reciprocates the carriage 23 by controlling driving of the carriage motor 103. Further, the control unit 130 controls the recording head 39 to eject ink from the nozzles 40.

  The ASIC 135 is connected to the carriage sensor 38, the first sensor 120, the rotary encoder 121, the second sensor 123, and the cover sensor 124. The control unit 130 detects the position of the carriage 23 based on the pulse signal output from the carriage sensor 38. Further, the control unit 130 detects the presence / absence of the sheet 12 at the upstream detection position and the downstream detection position based on the detection signals output from the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123. Further, the control unit 130 detects the position of the paper 12 based on the detection signal output from the first sensor 120 and the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 121. Further, the control unit 130 detects the open / closed state of the top cover 30 based on the detection signal output from the cover sensor 124.

[Image recording processing]
With reference to FIG. 7, the image recording process in the first embodiment will be described. This image recording process is executed by the CPU 131 of the control unit 130. The following processes may be executed by the CPU 131 reading out and executing a program stored in the ROM 132, or may be realized by a hardware circuit mounted on the control unit 130. The image recording process will be described by paying attention to the rotation of the feeding roller 25, the transport roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64, or the movement of the carriage 23. These operations are realized by driving the transport motor 102 and the carriage motor 103 as described above.

  The control unit 130 executes the image recording process shown in FIG. 7 on the condition that the recording instruction is acquired from the user. The acquisition destination of the recording instruction is not particularly limited. For example, the recording instruction may be acquired through the operation unit 17 provided in the multifunction machine 10 or may be acquired from an external device through a communication network. The control unit 130 controls the operations of the rollers, the carriage 23, and the recording head 39 according to the acquired recording instruction, and executes image recording on the paper 12.

  First, the control unit 130 executes a recording process for the paper 12 (S11, S12). Specifically, the control unit 130 first executes a feeding process for causing the paper 12 to reach the transport roller unit 54 by causing the feeding roller 25 to rotate forward. Next, the control unit 130 repeatedly executes the intermittent conveyance process and the discharge process. The intermittent conveyance process is a process for conveying the sheet 12 by a predetermined line feed width in the conveyance direction 16 by rotating each of the rollers 60, 62, and 64 (hereinafter referred to as “conveyance unit”) in the normal direction. The ejection process is a process for causing the recording head 39 to eject ink onto the paper 12 conveyed in the intermittent conveyance process. Note that an image is recorded on the paper 12 by the ejection process. Then, on condition that the recording process is completed (S12: Yes), the control unit 130 normally rotates the transport unit to discharge the paper 12 on which the image is recorded in the recording process to the discharge tray 21. Processing is executed (S13).

  On the other hand, the control unit 130 confirms the presence of the jammed paper 12 through the opening 13 on the condition that the jammed state of the paper 12 is detected in the recording process (S12: No) (S14: Yes). The user is notified (S15). Further, the control unit 130 turns the top cover 30 to the open position, confirms the presence of the jammed paper 12, and notifies the user that the top cover 30 is turned to the cover position (S16). The process of steps S15 and S16 is an example of a first notification process.

  In steps S15 and S16, the user may be further prompted to remove the jammed paper 12 (that is, to perform jam processing). Moreover, the execution order of step S15 and S16 is not limited to said example, You may be simultaneous. Although the specific method of alerting | reporting is not specifically limited, For example, a message or an animation may be displayed on the display part 14, and a guide audio | voice may be output from a speaker not shown. Moreover, you may alert | report through the display part etc. of the external apparatus connected via the communication network. Here, the jammed state of the paper 12 indicates that the paper 12 cannot be transported in the transport path 70. Furthermore, although the jam state detection method in step S14 is not particularly limited, the control unit 130 is based on detection signals output from the first sensor 120, the rotary encoder 121, the second sensor, the carriage sensor 38, and the like, for example. , Jam condition can be detected.

  As an example, even if the control unit 130 rotates the feeding roller 25 forward by a rotation amount corresponding to the distance from the feeding tray 20 to the upstream detection position in the feeding process, the low level signal is output from the first sensor 120. On the condition that it is not output, it is possible to detect a jam condition on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the upstream side detection position. In this case, the control unit 130 may further notify in step S15 that the feeding tray 20 is pulled out from the opening 13 and the presence of the jammed paper 12 is confirmed.

  As another example, in the intermittent conveyance process, the control unit 130 is downstream of the conveyance roller unit 54 in the conveyance direction 16 on the condition that a pulse signal is not output from the rotary encoder 121 even if a drive current is output to the conveyance motor 102. The jam condition at the side can be detected. As yet another example, the control unit 130 in the recording process is in a jammed state at a position facing the carriage 23 on condition that a pulse signal is not output from the carriage sensor 38 even if a drive current is output to the carriage motor 103. Can be detected.

  Next, on the condition that the high level signal is output from the first sensor 120 at the timing (S17: Yes) when the opening / closing of the top cover 30 is detected (S18: No), the control unit 130 performs steps S19 to S19. S22 is skipped and the image recording process is terminated. The case where the high level signal is output from the first sensor 120 in step S18 is a case where the jam state is eliminated by the jam processing executed in accordance with the notifications in steps S15 and S16.

  On the other hand, the controller 130 is configured on the condition that a low level signal is output from the first sensor 120 at the timing when the opening / closing of the top cover 30 is detected (S17: Yes) (S18: Yes), and the outer guide member 18. To the open position to inform the user that the presence of the jammed paper 12 is confirmed (S19). Further, in step S19, the control unit 130 may notify the user that the confirmation button of the operation unit 17 is pressed after the jam processing is executed.

  In step S17, the control unit 130 rotates the top cover 30 from the cover position to the open position on condition that the detection signal output from the cover sensor 124 has changed from the high level signal to the low level signal. Detect that. Further, the control unit 130 detects that the top cover 30 has been rotated from the open position to the cover position on condition that the detection signal output from the cover sensor 124 has changed from the low level signal to the high level signal. . Moreover, the specific method of alerting | reporting may be the same as that of step S15 and S16. The process of step S19 is an example of a second notification process.

  Next, on the condition that the low level signal is output from the first sensor 120 at the timing when the confirmation button of the operation unit 17 is pressed (S20: Yes), the control unit 130 is in a jam state (S21: Yes). Forcibly discharging the paper 12 to the transport unit is executed (S22). The operation of pressing the confirmation button of the operation unit 17 is an example of an operation notification input indicating that an operation for canceling the jam state has been executed. That is, the process of step S20 is an example of a reception process. On the other hand, the control unit 130 performs step S22 on the condition that a high level signal is output from the first sensor 120 at the timing when the confirmation button of the operation unit 17 is pressed (S20: No) (S21: No). skip.

  The case where the low level signal is output from the first sensor 120 in step S21 can be considered as follows. For example, when the user recognizes that the jammed state has been resolved while the paper 12 remains in the transport path 70, or when the user gives up on the cancellation of the jammed state and presses the confirmation button. is there. That is, this is a case where a jam condition occurs in a place where jam processing is difficult. Further, since the user has attempted the jam processing through the opening 13, the upper surface cover 30, and the outer guide member 18 before reaching Step S <b> 22, the state of the paper 12 remaining in the conveyance path 70 is the jammed state first. May have changed since the time of detecting (S14: Yes).

  Therefore, the control unit 130 executes a forced discharge process in step S22. The forced discharge process is common to the normal discharge process (S13) in that the paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 16 by rotating the transport unit forward. On the other hand, the forcible discharge process is different from the normal discharge process in that the sheet 12 determined to be untransportable in step S14 is forcibly discharged. Therefore, the control unit 130 may change the transport amount or transport speed of the paper 12 between the normal discharge process and the forced discharge process.

  For example, the control unit 130 may stop the conveyance unit when the rear end of the sheet 12 (referred to as “the upstream end of the conveyance direction 16”) passes the conveyance roller unit 54 in the forced discharge process. Good. Or the control part 130 may make the conveyance speed of the paper 12 in a forced discharge process slower than a normal discharge process, and may make it quicker than a normal discharge process.

[Effects of Embodiment 1]
According to the first embodiment, the top cover 30 that covers the passage area of the paper 12 around the recording unit 24 where the occurrence frequency of the jam is high is opened and closed, so that the outer guide member 18 is opened and closed only when the jammed state is not resolved. . As described above, the jammed state is attempted to be eliminated through the top cover 30 prior to opening and closing the outer guide member 18 which is difficult to reach on the back side of the multifunction machine 10, so that the jammed state can be easily eliminated.

  Further, when jamming is performed by opening the outer guide member 18, the paper 12 is pulled out in the direction opposite to the transport direction 16 through the transport path 70 opened upstream of the transport direction 16 from the upstream detection position. Become. As a result, the paper 12 that moves in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction 16 applies a force in a direction that causes the sheet 12 to fall counterclockwise, or a force in a direction that further curves the bending portion 82. It will be added to the abutting member 80, which may cause damage. Therefore, by first pulling out the paper 12 in the transport direction 16 through the upper surface cover 30, it is possible to suppress damage to the components of the multifunction machine 10 in an attempt to forcibly remove the paper 12.

  Further, by pulling out the paper 12 in the transport direction 16 through the opening 13 in step S15, the jammed state can be further easily eliminated. In order to pull out the paper 12 through the opening 13, the leading end of the paper 12 needs to pass through the second discharge roller portion 56. Therefore, the control unit 130 may execute step S15 on the condition that the leading edge of the sheet 12 has passed through the second discharge roller unit 56 at the time of step S14.

  The control unit 130 counts, for example, from the time when the detection signal output from the first sensor 120 changes from a high level signal to a low level signal (that is, when the leading edge of the paper 12 reaches the upstream detection position). On the condition that the number of pulse signals of the rotary encoder 121 has reached a predetermined number corresponding to the distance from the upstream detection position to the second discharge roller portion 56, the leading end of the sheet 12 is moved to the second discharge roller. It can be detected that the unit 56 has been passed.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which it is determined in step S18 whether or not to execute the processing in steps S19 to S22 based only on the detection signal output from the first sensor 120 has been described. It is not limited to this. For example, the process of steps S19 to S22 may be executed on condition that a low level signal is output from at least one of the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the forced discharge process (S22) is executed when the jam state is not resolved even if the first notification process (S15, S16) and the second notification process (S19) are executed. There is a possibility that the jam state can be resolved with the hands of. Note that the forced discharge process is a process for discharging the paper 12 that has become unconveyable, and is preferably executed under conditions different from the normal discharge process (S13).

  For example, since the paper 12 can be easily removed through the front opening 13 or the upper cover 30 when the paper 12 passes through the conveyance roller unit 54, the removal work from here may be left to the user. Further, since the sheet 12 that has become unconveyable has a large conveyance resistance, slippage between the sheet 12 and the conveyance unit may be suppressed by reducing the conveyance speed. Further, by increasing the drive current in order to increase the transport speed, it may be possible to prevent the transport unit from being locked by the paper 12 having a large transport resistance.

  In the first embodiment, the example in which the processes in steps S15 to S22 are executed when a jam state is detected in the course of the recording process has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the processes in steps S15 to S22 may also be executed when a jam condition is detected in the normal discharge process (S13). In addition, the method of detecting a jam state in the process of normal discharge processing may be the same as the above-described intermittent conveyance processing, for example.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, an image recording process according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the image recording process according to the second embodiment, the process is branched only by the detection signal output from the first sensor 120 in that the process is branched by the detection signal output from the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 in step S18. This is different from the first embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the process which is common in Embodiment 1, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted, and it demonstrates centering around difference.

  In step S18, the control unit 130 is configured on the condition that a low level signal is output only from the first sensor 120 of the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 (S18: first sensor), and the first embodiment. The process of step S19-S22 is performed similarly to.

  On the other hand, in step S18, on the condition that a low level signal is output from only the second sensor 123 of the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 (S18: second sensor), the control unit 130 performs step. Returning to S15, the first notification process is executed again. Further, the control unit 130 performs the second notification on condition that a low level signal is output from both the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123 in step S18 (S18: first sensor & second sensor). After executing the process (S31), the process returns to step S15 to execute the first notification process again.

[Effects of Second Embodiment]
According to the second embodiment, in addition to the operational effects of the first embodiment, the user performs a procedure necessary for eliminating the jam state in an appropriate order according to the position of the paper 12 remaining in the conveyance path 70. Can be notified. As a result, the jammed state can be resolved more easily and safely.

  As an example, when the low level signal is output only from the second sensor 123, as shown in FIG. 9A, the leading edge of the paper 12 reaches the downstream detection position and the trailing edge of the paper 12 Is passing through the upstream detection position. In such a case, it is unlikely that the jammed state can be resolved even if the outer guide member 18 is opened, so the first notification process (S15, S16) is executed again instead of the second notification process (S19). Is desirable.

  As another example, when the low level signal is output from both the first sensor 120 and the second sensor 123, as shown in FIG. 9B, the leading edge of the paper 12 is at the downstream detection position. In this state, the trailing edge of the paper 12 has not passed the upstream detection position. In such a case, in such a case, it is desirable to alternately execute the first notification process (S15, S16) and the second notification process (S31).

[Other Embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, an example of the multifunction machine 10 including the inkjet recording printer unit 11 has been described as an example of an image recording apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to, for example, a laser recording type printer as another example of the image recording apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Multifunction machine 13 ... Opening 18 ... Outer guide member 23 ... Carriage 24 ... Recording part 30 ... Top cover 54 ... Conveyance roller part 55 ... 1st discharge roller Section 56 ... Second discharge roller section 120 ... First sensor 123 ... Second sensor 124 ... Cover sensor 130 ... Control section

Claims (6)

A first transport unit and a second transport unit disposed downstream of the first transport unit in the transport direction; a transport unit that transports the recording medium in the transport direction;
An upstream sensor that outputs a detection signal on the condition that a recording medium exists at an upstream detection position upstream of the first transport unit in the transport direction;
A feeding unit that feeds the recording medium toward the first conveying unit;
A recording unit that is disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit in the transport direction, and that records an image on a recording medium;
A first cover capable of exposing and covering a region facing the recording unit in a passing region of the recording medium by being opened and closed;
A second cover capable of exposing and covering the upstream area of the upstream detection position in the recording medium passage area by being opened and closed;
A cover sensor that outputs a detection signal corresponding to the open / closed state of the first cover;
A discharge tray for supporting the recording medium discharged by the second transport unit through an opening formed in the front of the apparatus;
An image recording apparatus comprising a control unit,
The first cover is configured to be openable and closable on the upper surface of the image recording apparatus,
The second cover is configured to be openable and closable on the back surface of the image recording apparatus,
The control unit
A recording process in which the recording medium is fed to the feeding unit, the fed recording medium is conveyed to the conveying unit, and an image is recorded in the recording unit on the conveyed recording medium;
A normal discharge process in which the recording medium on which an image is recorded in the recording process is transported to the transport unit to a position passing through the second transport unit;
A jam detection process for detecting a jam condition of the recording medium in the course of the recording process or the normal discharge process;
A first notification process for notifying a user that the first cover is opened and closed and the opening is confirmed on the condition that a jam condition is detected in the jam detection process;
Opening the second cover on the condition that the detection signal is output from the upstream sensor at the timing when the opening and closing of the first cover is detected based on the detection signal output from the cover sensor. An image recording apparatus that executes a second notification process for notifying a user. The image recording apparatus further includes a downstream sensor that outputs a detection signal on the condition that a recording medium is present at a downstream detection position downstream of the recording unit in the transport direction,
The control unit detects a detection signal only from the downstream sensor of the upstream sensor and the downstream sensor at a timing when opening / closing of the first cover is detected based on a detection signal output from the cover sensor. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first notification process is executed again on the condition that is output. The control unit outputs detection signals from both the upstream sensor and the downstream sensor at a timing when opening / closing of the first cover is detected based on a detection signal output from the cover sensor. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first notification process is further executed after the second notification process is executed on the condition described above. A first transport unit and a second transport unit disposed downstream of the first transport unit in the transport direction; a transport unit that transports the recording medium in the transport direction;
An upstream sensor that outputs a detection signal on the condition that a recording medium exists at an upstream detection position upstream of the first transport unit in the transport direction;
A feeding unit that feeds the recording medium toward the first conveying unit;
A recording unit that is disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit in the transport direction, and that records an image on a recording medium;
A first cover capable of exposing and covering a region facing the recording unit in a passing region of the recording medium by being opened and closed;
A second cover capable of exposing and covering the upstream area of the upstream detection position in the recording medium passage area by being opened and closed;
A cover sensor that outputs a detection signal corresponding to the open / closed state of the first cover;
A control unit, and
The control unit
A recording process in which the recording medium is fed to the feeding unit, the fed recording medium is conveyed to the conveying unit, and an image is recorded in the recording unit on the conveyed recording medium;
A normal discharge process in which the recording medium on which an image is recorded in the recording process is transported to the transport unit to a position passing through the second transport unit;
A jam detection process for detecting a jam condition of the recording medium in the course of the recording process or the normal discharge process;
A first notification process for notifying a user that the first cover is opened and closed on the condition that a jam condition is detected in the jam detection process;
Opening the second cover on the condition that the detection signal is output from the upstream sensor at the timing when the opening and closing of the first cover is detected based on the detection signal output from the cover sensor. A second notification process to notify the user ;
A reception process for receiving an operation notification indicating that an operation for canceling the jammed state has been performed after the execution of the second notification process;
An image recording apparatus that executes a forced discharge process of transporting a recording medium to the transport unit on condition that a detection signal is output from the upstream sensor at a timing when the operation notification is received in the reception process . The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit causes the conveyance unit to convey the recording medium to a position passing through the first conveyance unit in the forced discharge process. The control unit, in the above normal discharge process and the forced discharge process, an image recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 to vary the conveying speed of the recording medium.

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