JP6229304B2 - Conveying apparatus and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyance device and an image recording apparatus for conveying a sheet formed into a waveform.

  A conventional image recording apparatus includes, for example, a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet in a conveyance direction, a recording unit that records an image on a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit, and a discharge unit that discharges a sheet on which an image is recorded by the recording unit And. Some image recording apparatuses include a waveform forming mechanism that forms a sheet into a wave shape in the main scanning direction that intersects the sheet conveyance direction. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus that generates cockling on recording paper by using a corrugated platen that corrugates in the main scanning direction.

  Further, there is known an image recording apparatus in which a sensor for determining whether or not a sheet is discharged by a discharge unit is provided between the recording unit and the discharge unit. When the image recording apparatus determines that the sheet is not discharged based on a signal output from the sensor, the image recording apparatus performs a notification process that prompts the user to eliminate the sheet jamming prior to the image recording process for the subsequent sheet. Run.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-17586

  In the image recording apparatus having the above-described configuration, the conveyance load in the conveyance unit and the discharge unit is increased by forming the corrugated sheet. As a result, there is a possibility that the sheet cannot be reliably discharged, particularly in the discharge portion where the nip force is set weak to prevent the sheet from being soiled. In the image recording apparatus having the above-described configuration, the remaining sheet that has not been discharged is detected by the sensor and the notification process is executed. Therefore, the user is forced to perform a complicated operation of removing the remaining sheet, and the throughput is reduced. The problem of doing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus and an image recording apparatus that suppress a decrease in throughput due to sheet jamming.

  (1) A conveying device according to an aspect of the present invention is provided with a first conveying unit that conveys a sheet in a conveying direction, and a first conveying unit that is provided downstream of the first conveying unit in the conveying direction. A second transport unit that transports the sheet transported in the transport direction, a sensor that outputs a signal according to the presence or absence of a sheet between the first transport unit and the second transport unit, and the first transport unit. And a wave shape imparting mechanism that is provided between the second conveying units and shapes the shape of the sheet in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction into a waveform, and a plurality of the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit. And a controller that sequentially conveys the sheets. The control unit includes: a first conveyance process that causes the first conveyance unit to convey the sheet until at least a leading edge of the sheet reaches the second conveyance unit; and a sheet conveyed in the first conveyance process is the second conveyance unit. Based on a second conveyance process for driving the second conveyance unit by a conveyance amount necessary to pass through the conveyance unit and a signal output from the sensor, the presence / absence of a sheet after the second conveyance process is determined. The determination process is executed on the preceding sheet. Then, the control unit executes the first conveyance process for the subsequent sheet next to the preceding sheet regardless of the determination result of the determination process when the first condition that is set in advance is satisfied, and the first condition When it is determined that the second condition different from the second condition is satisfied and the preceding sheet is present in the determination process, the first conveyance process for the subsequent sheet is not executed.

  According to the above configuration, the first conveyance process of the subsequent sheet is executed even if the first type of the preceding sheet does not pass through the second conveyance unit. Then, the preceding sheet sandwiched by the second transport unit is pushed and discharged by the succeeding sheet which is formed into a waveform and becomes stiff. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the throughput of the conveyance process. On the other hand, since the first conveyance process of the succeeding sheet is not executed when the second type of the preceding sheet does not pass through the second conveyance unit, it is possible to prevent a plurality of sheets from being jammed at the position of the second conveyance unit. Can do.

  (2) As an example, the control unit executes acquisition processing for acquiring a sheet type that is information for specifying the type of the preceding sheet and the subsequent sheet. The control unit determines that the first condition is satisfied when the sheet type is the first type, and sets the second condition when the sheet type is a second type different from the first type. Judging to meet.

  More specifically, the first type is a relatively stiff sheet (for example, envelope or cardboard), and the second type is a relatively stiff sheet (for example, plain paper). . However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  (3) Preferably, the conveyance device is provided between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit in the conveyance direction. A part. The sensor is provided between the third transport unit and the second transport unit. Further, the wave shape imparting mechanism is provided between the first wave shape imparting unit provided between the first transport unit and the third transport unit, and between the third transport unit and the second transport unit. And a second wave shape imparting unit.

  According to the said structure, a preceding sheet | seat is shape | molded by the 2nd wave shape provision part, and a subsequent sheet | seat is shape | molded by the 1st wave shape provision part. As a result, both the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet become stiff, so that the preceding sheet can be appropriately pushed out by the succeeding sheet.

  (4) Preferably, the control unit sets the preceding sheet on the condition that the type specified by the sheet type is the second type, and that the preceding sheet is determined to exist in the determination process. A notification process for notifying that the second transport unit has not been passed is executed.

  According to the above configuration, the user can be prompted to remove the preceding sheet when it is difficult to push out the preceding sheet by the succeeding sheet.

  (5) Preferably, the control unit has a condition that the type specified by the sheet type is the first type, it is determined in the determination process that the preceding sheet exists, and the subsequent sheet does not exist. As described above, the notification process is executed.

  According to the above configuration, when the last sheet cannot pass through the second conveyance unit, it is possible to prompt the user to remove the sheet.

  (6) Preferably, the first transport unit includes a first driving roller and a first driven roller pressed against the first driving roller by a first pressing force, and the first driving roller and The sheet is nipped and conveyed by the first driven roller. The second transport unit includes a second driving roller and a second driven roller pressed against the second driving roller by a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force. The sheet is nipped and conveyed by the driving roller and the second driven roller.

  As described above, the present invention has a particularly advantageous effect when the nip force of the downstream conveyance unit (that is, the second conveyance unit) is weaker than that of the upstream conveyance unit (that is, the first conveyance unit). Play.

  (7) An image recording apparatus according to the present invention is provided between the conveyance device described above, the first conveyance unit, and the second conveyance unit, and an image is formed on the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit. And a recording unit for recording. The second driven roller is a spur.

  (8) A conveying device according to another aspect of the present invention is provided with a first conveying unit that conveys a sheet in a conveying direction, and a first conveying unit that is provided downstream of the first conveying unit in the conveying direction. The sheet is conveyed between the second conveyance unit that conveys the sheet conveyed by the unit in the conveyance direction, and between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and the shape of the sheet in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction And a control unit that sequentially conveys a plurality of sheets to the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit. The control unit includes: a first conveyance process that causes the first conveyance unit to convey the sheet until at least a leading edge of the sheet reaches the second conveyance unit; and a sheet conveyed in the first conveyance process is the second conveyance unit. A second conveyance process for driving the second conveyance unit by a conveyance amount necessary to pass through the conveyance unit is performed on the preceding sheet. And the said control part performs the said 1st conveyance process with respect to the following succeeding sheet of the said preceding sheet irrespective of whether the said preceding sheet passed the said 2nd conveyance part by the said 2nd conveyance process.

  According to the present invention, since the preceding sheet that could not pass through the second conveying unit is pushed out by the succeeding sheet that has been formed into a waveform and has become stiff, the conveying apparatus and the image recording that suppress the decrease in throughput due to the sheet jamming A device can be obtained.

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 image recording processing in the embodiment. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the state of image recording on the preceding sheet 12A, where FIG. 8A shows the end point of the feeding process (S12), FIG. 8B shows the end point of the cueing process (S13), and FIG. Indicates the time when the trailing edge of the preceding sheet 12A has passed through the first discharge section 55. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing the state of image recording on the succeeding paper 12B. FIG. 9A shows the end of the feeding process (S20), and FIG. 9B shows the leading edge of the succeeding paper 12B at the trailing edge of the preceding paper 12A. (C) shows the time when the succeeding paper 12B ejects the preceding paper 12A.

  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).

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 (an example of the conveyance device or the image recording device of the present invention) is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. In addition, the multifunction machine 10 is provided with a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2, an example of the sheet of the present invention) by an inkjet recording method at the bottom. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function.

  The printer unit 11 has an opening 13 formed in the front. A feeding tray 20 capable of supporting various sizes of paper 12 can be inserted into and removed from the printer unit 11 in the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13. The discharge tray 21 is provided on the upper side of the feeding tray 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a transport unit 54 (an example of a first transport unit of the present invention), a recording unit 24, and a first discharge unit 55 (first of the present invention). 3 conveyance part), the second discharge part 56 (an example of the second conveyance part of the present invention), the platen 42, the contact member 80, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69, the first sensor 160, the first 2 sensors 165 (an example of the sensor of the present invention) and a rotary encoder 170 are mainly provided.

[Feeding unit 15]
As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 15 is provided on the upper side of the feeding tray 20 in a state of being attached to the opening 13 of the printer unit 11. The feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably provided on the leading end side of the feeding arm 26. The feeding arm 26 is rotatably provided 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. As a result, the feeding roller 25 abuts on the paper 12 supported on the feeding tray 20. The feed roller 25 is rotated forward by receiving a reverse driving force from the transport motor 102 (see FIG. 6). The forward rotation of the feeding roller 25 is a rotation in a direction in which the paper 12 is fed to the transport path 70 and transported on the transport path 70 in the transport direction 16. That is, the forward rotation of the feeding roller 25 when the printer unit 11 is viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is a clockwise rotation.

[Conveyance path 70]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 70 indicates a space defined by the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 facing each other at a predetermined interval in the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 70 extends from the rear end of the feeding tray 20 to the rear side of the printer unit 11, and makes a U-turn while extending upward from below on the rear side of the printer unit 11. It is a passage to reach. More specifically, the conveyance path 70 communicates with the discharge tray 21 through the nipping position of the conveyance unit 54, the upper side of the platen 42, the nipping position of the first discharge unit 55, and the nipping position of the second discharge unit 56. Note that the conveyance direction 16 of the paper 12 in the conveyance path 70 is indicated by a dashed-dotted arrow in FIG.

[Conveyor 54]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport unit 54 is provided downstream of the feeding unit 15 in the transport direction 16 and upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 16. The conveyance unit 54 includes a conveyance roller 60 (an example of a first drive roller of the present invention) and a pinch roller 61 (an example of a first driven roller of the present invention). The conveyance roller 60 is rotated by a driving force applied from the conveyance motor 102. The pinch roller 61 is disposed to face the conveyance roller 60, and rotates with the rotation of the conveyance roller 60. The transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 sandwich the paper 12 and transport it in the transport direction 16.

  The transport roller 60 is rotated forward by receiving a normal rotation driving force from the transport motor 102. Here, the forward rotation of the transport roller 60 is a rotation in the direction in which the paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 16. That is, when the printer unit 11 is viewed from the direction of FIG. 2, the forward rotation of the transport roller 60 is a counterclockwise rotation, and the forward rotation of the pinch roller 61 is a clockwise rotation. On the other hand, the conveyance roller 60 is reversely rotated by applying a reverse driving force from the conveyance motor 102. The reverse rotation of the transport roller 60 is a rotation in the direction of transporting the paper 12 in the direction opposite to the transport direction 16. That is, the reverse rotation of the conveying roller 60 viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is a clockwise rotation, and the reverse rotation of the pinch roller 61 is a counterclockwise rotation.

[First discharge part 55]
The first discharge unit 55 is provided downstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 16 and upstream of the second discharge unit 56 in the transport direction 16. The first discharge unit 55 includes a first discharge roller 62 and a spur 63. The first discharge roller 62 is rotated by a driving force applied from the transport motor 102. The spur 63 is disposed so as to face the first discharge roller 62 and is rotated along with the rotation of the first discharge roller 62. The first discharge roller 62 and the spur 63 sandwich the paper 12 and transport it in the transport direction 16.

  The first discharge roller 62 is forwardly rotated by a forward driving force applied from the transport motor 102. Here, the forward rotation of the first discharge roller 62 is a rotation in the direction in which the paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 16. That is, the forward rotation of the first discharge roller 62 viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is a clockwise rotation, and the forward rotation of the spur 63 is a counterclockwise rotation. On the other hand, the first discharge roller 62 is reversely rotated by applying a reverse driving force from the transport motor 102. The reverse rotation of the first discharge roller 62 is a rotation in the direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction 16. That is, the reverse rotation of the first discharge roller 62 viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is a counterclockwise rotation, and the reverse rotation of the spur 63 is a clockwise rotation.

[Second discharge part 56]
The second discharge unit 56 is provided downstream of the first discharge unit 55 in the conveyance direction 16 and upstream of the discharge tray 21 in the conveyance direction 16. The second discharge unit 56 includes a second discharge roller 64 (an example of the second drive roller of the present invention) and a spur 65 (an example of the second driven roller of the present invention). The second discharge roller 64 is rotated by a driving force applied from the transport motor 102. The spur 65 is disposed so as to face the second discharge roller 64 and is rotated along with the rotation of the second discharge roller 64. The second discharge roller 64 and the spur 65 sandwich the paper 12 and transport it in the transport direction 16.

  The second discharge roller 64 is forwardly rotated by the forward driving force applied from the conveyance motor 102. Here, the forward rotation of the second discharge roller 64 is a rotation in the direction in which the paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 16. That is, the forward rotation of the second discharge roller 64 viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is a clockwise rotation, and the forward rotation of the spur 65 is a counterclockwise rotation. On the other hand, the second discharge roller 64 is reversely rotated by applying a reverse driving force from the transport motor 102. The reverse rotation of the second discharge roller 64 is a rotation in a direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction 16. That is, the reverse rotation of the second discharge roller 64 viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is a counterclockwise rotation, and the reverse rotation of the spur 65 is a clockwise rotation.

  Note that the pinch roller 61 of the transport unit 54 is pressed against the transport roller 60 by the first pressing force. On the other hand, the spur 65 of the second discharge unit 56 is pressed against the second discharge roller 64 with a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force. The pressing force between the first discharging roller 62 and the spur 63 in the first discharging unit 55 is not particularly limited. For example, the pressing force may be the second pressing force, weaker than the first pressing force, and the second pressing force. A stronger third pressing force may be used.

[First sensor 160, second sensor 165]
As shown in FIG. 2, the first sensor 160 is provided downstream of the feeding unit 15 in the transport direction 16 and upstream of the transport unit 54 in the transport direction 16. The first sensor 160 includes a shaft 161, a detector 162 that can rotate around the shaft 161, and an optical sensor 163 that includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element that receives light emitted from the light emitting element. Yes. The second sensor 165 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction 16 from the first discharge unit 55 and on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the second discharge unit 56. The second sensor 165 includes a shaft 166, a detector 167 rotatable about the shaft 166, and an optical sensor 168 having a light emitting element and a light receiving element that receives light emitted from the light emitting element. Yes.

  One ends of the detectors 162 and 167 protrude into the transport path 70. When an external force is not applied to one end of the detectors 162 and 167, the other end of the detectors 162 and 167 enters the optical path from the light emitting element to the light receiving element of the optical sensors 163 and 168, and transmits light passing through the optical path. It is shut off. At this time, the optical sensors 163 and 168 output a low level signal (refers to a signal whose signal level is less than the threshold) to the control unit 130 described later. On the other hand, when one end of each of the detectors 162 and 167 is pushed and rotated by the downstream end in the conveyance direction 16 of the paper 12, the other end of the detectors 162 and 167 is removed from the optical path, and light passes through the optical path. At this time, the optical sensors 163 and 168 output a high level signal (refers to a “signal having a signal level equal to or higher than a threshold”) to the control unit 130. That is, the first sensor 160 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the paper 12 at the position where the first sensor 160 is installed to the control unit 130. Similarly, the second sensor 165 outputs a detection signal according to the presence or absence of the paper 12 at the position where the second sensor 165 is installed to the control unit 130.

[Rotary encoder 170]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotary encoder 170 is externally fitted to the transport roller 60 and integrally rotates. The rotary encoder 170 generates a pulse signal as the transport roller 60 rotates. The rotary encoder 170 includes an encoder disk and an optical sensor. The encoder disk rotates with the rotation of the transport roller 60, and the optical sensor reads the rotating encoder disk. As a result, the optical sensor generates a pulse signal and outputs the generated pulse signal to the control unit 130.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is disposed to face the platen 42 on the downstream side in the transport direction 16 from the transport unit 54 and on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the first discharge unit 55. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39.

  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 guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the printer unit 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism is driven by a carriage motor 103 (see FIG. 6). Thereby, the carriage 23 can reciprocate in the left-right direction 9 (an example of the main scanning direction).

  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. Ink is supplied to the recording head 39 from an ink cartridge (not shown). 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.

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 42 is disposed to face the recording unit 24 on the downstream side in the transport direction 16 from the transport unit 54 and on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the first discharge unit 55. The platen 42 is a member that supports the sheet 12 conveyed through the conveyance path 70 from below. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of support ribs 52 that protrude upward and extend in the front-rear direction 8 are formed on the upper surface of the platen 42. The support ribs 52 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction 9. The sheet 12 conveyed through the conveyance path 70 is supported by the platen 42, specifically, a plurality of support ribs 52 formed on the upper surface of the platen 42.

[Abutting member 80]
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the contact member is provided at a plurality of positions upstream of the recording head 39 in the transport direction 16. The plurality of contact members 80 are provided to be separated in the left-right direction 9. Each contact member 80 includes a fixed portion 81, a bending portion 82, and a contact portion 83.

  The fixing part 81 has a generally flat plate shape. The abutting member 80 is fixed to the guide rail 43 via each fixing portion 81. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) locking portions 75 protrude upward from the upper surface of each 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 in 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. A contact portion 83 projects from the distal end portion of the bending portion 82.

  The abutting portion 83 has a generally flat plate shape and is provided at a position facing the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the distance between the lower surface 84 of the contact portion 83 and the platen 42 is narrower than the distance between the lower surface of the recording head 39 and the platen 42, and there is no hindrance to the conveyance of the paper 12. The interval is about. In other words, the contact portion 83 is provided between the carriage 23 and the platen 42 in the transport direction 16 and the opposing direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction (the vertical direction 7 in this embodiment). As shown in FIG. 5, a contact rib 85 that protrudes downward is provided on the lower surface 84 of the contact portion 83. The lower end of the contact rib 85 is in contact with the image recording surface of the paper 12 supported by the platen 42, that is, the upper surface of the paper 12. 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, a plurality of support ribs 52 are formed on the platen 42 so as to be spaced apart in the left-right direction 9, and the contact portions 83 are located between the plurality of support ribs 52. 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. Further, the upper end of each support rib 52 is positioned more information than 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. That is, the contact member 80 and the support rib 52 of the platen 42 are an example of a first wave shape imparting unit that shapes the shape of the paper 12 in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction 16 into a waveform.

[Colgate spurs 68, 69]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 are provided downstream of the first discharge portion 55 in the transport direction 16 and upstream of the second discharge portion 56 in the transport direction 16. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 are provided at a plurality of positions separated in the left-right direction 9. In addition, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 are disposed below the spur 63 of the second discharge portion 56 in the vertical direction 7. Thereby, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 abut on the upper surface of the paper 12. Further, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 are arranged at substantially the same position as the contact member 80 in the left-right direction 9. In other words, the contact members 80 and the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction 8. As a result, the corrugated spurs 68 and 69 and the contact rib 85 contact substantially the same position of the paper 12. The corrugated spurs 68 and 69 are examples of the second wave shape imparting unit of the present invention.

[Driving force transmission mechanism 104]
The driving force 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 driving force 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 driving force transmission mechanism 104 does not transmit the normal rotation driving force of the conveyance motor 102 to the feeding roller 25 but rotates the feeding roller 25 in the forward direction by the reverse driving force of the conveyance motor 102. In addition, the driving force transmission mechanism 104 rotates the transport roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64 in the forward direction by the forward driving force of the transport motor 102, and transports by the reverse driving force of the transport motor 102. The roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64 are reversely rotated.

[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. These 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 controls driving of the transport motor 102 to rotate each roller. Further, the control unit 130 controls the drive of the carriage motor 103 to reciprocate the carriage 23. Further, the control unit 130 controls the recording head 39 to eject ink from the nozzles 40.

  Further, the first sensor 160, the second sensor 165, and the rotary encoder 170 are electrically connected to the ASIC 135. The control unit 130 detects the position of the paper 12 based on the detection signal output from the first sensor 160 and the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 170. Further, the control unit 130 detects the presence or absence of the paper 12 at the installation positions of the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 165 based on the detection signals output from the first sensor 160 and the second sensor 165.

[Image recording processing]
With reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, image recording processing by the multifunction machine 10 will be described. The 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. Note that the image recording process shown in FIG. 7 shows a procedure for sequentially recording images on a plurality of sheets 12 (that is, the preceding sheet 12A and the succeeding sheet 12B next to the preceding sheet 12A). More specifically, steps S12 to S15 are image recording on the preceding paper 12A, and steps S20 to S23 are image recording on the subsequent paper 12B.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 130 feeds the preceding paper 12 </ b> A supported by the feeding tray 20 to the conveyance path 70 on the condition that an image recording instruction is acquired from the user (Yes in S <b> 11). The feeding process is executed (S12). The acquisition destination of the image recording instruction is not particularly limited. For example, the image recording instruction may be acquired through an operation panel provided in the multifunction machine 10 or may be acquired from an external device through a communication network. The image recording instruction includes, for example, the number of pages on which image recording is performed, the types of the preceding paper 12A and the subsequent paper 12B on which image recording is performed (an example of sheet separation according to the present invention), and image data recorded on each page. included. Step S11 is an example of the acquisition process of the present invention.

  In the feeding process (S12), the control unit 130 rotates the transport motor 102 in the reverse direction to rotate the feed roller 25 in the normal direction and reverse the transport roller 60, the first discharge roller 62, and the second discharge roller 64. Rotate. As a result, the feeding roller 25 feeds the preceding sheet 12A positioned at the top of the plurality of sheets 12 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the conveyance path 70. In addition, the control unit 130 counts pulse signals output from the rotary encoder 170.

  The controller 130 continues the feeding process (S12) until the number of pulse signals from when the low level signal is acquired from the first sensor 160 reaches a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold value is the conveyance necessary for the leading edge of the preceding sheet 12 </ b> A that has reached the position of the first sensor 160 (refers to the “end on the downstream side of the conveyance direction 16” hereinafter the same) to reach the conveyance roller 60. It is the number of pulse signals corresponding to the distance. That is, the predetermined threshold is the number of pulse signals corresponding to the rotation amount of the feeding roller 25 (in other words, the rotation amount of the conveyance motor 102) necessary for conveying the preceding paper 12A by the above-described conveyance distance. . Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8A, the leading edge of the preceding paper 12 </ b> A reaches the transport roller 60. Further, the skew of the sheet 12 is corrected by bringing the leading end of the preceding sheet 12 </ b> A into contact with the conveying roller 60 that is rotating in the reverse direction.

  Next, the control unit 130 performs a cueing process (S13). The cueing process is a process in which the conveyance unit 54 conveys the preceding paper 12A until a region where an image is first recorded reaches a position where the area where the image is recorded can face the recording head 39 (hereinafter referred to as “cueing position”). It is. Specifically, the control unit 130 drives the conveyance motor 102 to rotate in the forward direction, thereby causing the conveyance roller 60 to rotate forward until the preceding paper 12A reaches the cueing position, as shown in FIG. 8B. . The position of the preceding paper 12A can be specified by a pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 170.

  Next, the control unit 130 executes a recording process for recording an image on the preceding sheet 12A (S14). In the recording process, an image is recorded on the preceding sheet 12A, a process of conveying the preceding sheet 12A by a predetermined line feed width in the conveying direction 16 and a process of ejecting ink to the area of the preceding sheet 12A facing the recording head 39. This process is repeated until the end. The control unit 130 drives the transport motor 102 to rotate forward so that the preceding paper 12A is transported to at least one of the transport unit 54, the first discharge unit 55, and the second discharge unit 56. Further, the control unit 130 drives the carriage motor 103 to move the carriage 23 in the left-right direction 9 and causes the recording head 39 to eject ink at a predetermined timing to record an image on the preceding paper 12A.

  Next, the control unit 130 executes a discharge process for discharging the preceding paper 12A to the discharge tray 21 (S15). More specifically, the control unit 130 drives the conveyance motor 102 to rotate forward by a conveyance amount necessary for the preceding paper 12 </ b> A to pass through the second discharge unit 56, thereby conveying the conveyance unit 54 and the first discharge unit 55. , And the second discharge unit 56 conveys the preceding paper 12A. Note that the carry amount in the discharge process varies according to the position of the preceding sheet 12A at the time when the recording process is completed. That is, the control unit 130 detects the position of the preceding sheet 12A at the start time of the discharge process based on signals output from the first sensor 160, the second sensor 165, the rotary encoder 170, and the like, and the second position is determined from the position. A conveyance amount necessary to pass through the discharge unit 56 is calculated.

  Next, the control unit 130 determines whether or not the preceding sheet 12A has been discharged by the discharge process (S15) (S16). Whether or not the preceding paper 12A has been discharged can be determined by a detection signal output from the second sensor 165. That is, when the low level signal is output from the second sensor 165, the control unit 130 determines that the preceding sheet 12A has been discharged (S16: Yes). On the other hand, when the high level signal is output from the second sensor 165, the control unit 130 determines that the preceding sheet 12A has not been discharged (S16: No). The process of step S16 is an example of the determination process of the present invention.

  FIG. 8C shows an example of a state in which the preceding paper 12A has not been discharged by the discharge process. More specifically, FIG. 8C shows that the trailing edge of the preceding sheet 12A (referring to the “upstream edge of the conveying direction 16”, the same applies hereinafter) passes through the first discharging portion 55 during the discharging process. Shows the state. At this time, the preceding paper 12 </ b> A is pressed downward by the corrugated spurs 68 and 69. The pressing force applied to the preceding sheet 12A from the corrugated spurs 68, 69 becomes a resistance when the preceding sheet 12A is conveyed in the conveying direction 16. As a result, the second discharge unit 56 that sandwiches the preceding sheet 12A alone slips between the preceding sheet 12A and idles, and the preceding sheet 12A cannot be conveyed any more in the conveying direction 16.

  Next, the control unit 130 determines the sheet type of the preceding sheet 12A and the succeeding sheet 12B (S17). The sheet type included in the image recording instruction is the type of the preceding paper 12A and the subsequent paper 12B, and examples thereof include plain paper, glossy paper, and envelope.

  If the preceding sheet 12A is not discharged (S16: No) and the sheet type is not an envelope (S17: No), the control unit 130 precedes the feeding process (S20) for the succeeding sheet 12B. A notification process for notifying that 12A has not passed through the second discharge unit 56 is executed (S18). The notification method is not particularly limited. For example, a message (or error code) is displayed on the liquid crystal panel, an LED lamp is turned on (or flashes), and a voice message (or beep sound) is output from a speaker. Etc. are considered. When the preceding sheet 12A is removed (S19: Yes), the control unit 130 performs image recording on the succeeding sheet 12B (S20 to S23).

  On the other hand, when the sheet type is an envelope (S17: Yes), the control unit 130 executes image recording on the subsequent sheet 12B regardless of the determination result in step S16 (S20 to S23). That is, when the sheet type is an envelope (S17: Yes), the control unit 130 performs image recording on the succeeding sheet 12B regardless of whether or not the preceding sheet 12A is discharged.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9, image recording on the subsequent sheet 12B will be described on the assumption that the preceding sheet 12A is not discharged by the discharging process (S16: No) and the sheet type is an envelope (S16: Yes). To do. The feeding process (S20), cueing process (S21), recording process (S22), and discharging process (S23) for the succeeding paper 12B are the feeding process (S12) and cueing process (S13) for the preceding paper 12A. ), The recording process (S14), and the discharge process (S15), the differences will be mainly described.

  First, the control unit 130 executes a feeding process for the succeeding paper 12B (S20). As a result, as shown in FIG. 9A, the leading edge of the succeeding paper 12B reaches the transport section 54. Note that, when the conveyance motor 102 is driven in reverse in the feeding process (S20) for the succeeding sheet 12B, the second discharge roller 64 sandwiching the preceding sheet 12A also rotates in the reverse direction. However, the preceding paper 12 </ b> A held only by the second discharge unit 56 having the weakest pressing force is not conveyed in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction 16.

  Next, the control unit 130 performs a cueing process (S21), a recording process (S22), and a discharge process (S23) for the subsequent sheet 12B. Then, in the process of executing steps S21 to S23, as shown in FIG. 9B, the leading edge of the succeeding sheet 12B comes into contact with the trailing edge of the preceding sheet 12A. Then, by further continuing the processing of steps S21 to S23 in the state of FIG. 9B, the preceding sheet 12A is pushed and discharged by the succeeding sheet 12B as shown in FIG. 9C.

  Although not shown, when the succeeding paper 12B is not discharged by the discharge process (S23), the control unit 130 executes the notification process described in step S18. Further, when the preceding sheet 12A is discharged by the discharging process (S15) or when the preceding sheet 12A that has not been discharged is removed (S19: Yes), image recording on the subsequent sheet 12B (S20 to S23) is executed. ) Is common to the image recording (S12 to S15) on the preceding paper 12A, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, when the preceding sheet 12A and the succeeding sheet 12B are envelopes (S17: Yes), the feeding process for the succeeding sheet 12B even if the preceding sheet 12A does not pass through the second discharge unit 56 ( S20) is executed. Then, the preceding sheet 12A sandwiched between the second discharge units 56 is pushed and discharged by the succeeding sheet 12B. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the throughput of the image recording process.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the preceding paper 12A and the succeeding paper 12B that have passed through the first wave shape imparting unit and the second wave shape imparting unit are formed into a waveform and become firmer. 12A can be extruded appropriately. In addition, the 2nd waveform provision part is not an essential component of this invention, and can be abbreviate | omitted. That is, even when only the succeeding sheet 12B is formed in a waveform, the contact with the rear end of the preceding sheet 12A is ensured.

  On the other hand, when the preceding paper 12A other than the envelope has not passed through the second discharge unit 56, prior to the feeding process (S20) for the subsequent paper 12B, a notification process for prompting the user to remove the preceding paper 12A (S18). Is executed. Thereby, when it is difficult to push out the preceding sheet 12A by the succeeding sheet 12B (for example, in the case of a sheet with low stiffness), it is possible to prevent the plurality of sheets 12 from being jammed at the position of the second discharge unit 56. The envelope is an example of a relatively stiff sheet (that is, an example of the first type sheet of the present invention), and may be cardboard as another example. On the other hand, as an example of a sheet that is relatively weak (that is, an example of the second type sheet of the present invention), for example, plain paper or the like is applicable.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in the first discharge unit 55 and the second discharge unit 56 that sandwich the paper 12 after the image is recorded, the spurs 63 and 65 are employed as the driven rollers and the pressing force is applied from the transport unit 54. We are weak. As a result, it is possible to prevent ink ejected onto the paper 12 from adhering to the spurs 63 and 65 and from adhering to other portions of the paper 12. On the other hand, since the pressing force between the second discharge roller 64 and the spur 65 constituting the second discharge unit 56 is weakened, the possibility that the preceding sheet 12A is not discharged by the discharge process (S15) increases. That is, the present invention has a particularly advantageous effect when applied to the multifunction machine 10 in which the spur 65 is employed as the driven roller of the second discharge unit 56 and the pressing force is weaker than that of the transport unit 54.

  In the image recording process in the present embodiment, the leading edge of the preceding paper 12A is in the process of executing any of the cueing process (S13), the recording process (S14), and the discharging process (S15). To reach. Therefore, of the processes in steps S13 to S15, the process until the leading edge of the preceding sheet 12A reaches the second discharge unit 56 is defined as the first conveying process, and the trailing edge of the preceding sheet 12A is defined as the first conveying process after the first conveying process is executed. The process of driving the carry motor 102 by the carry amount necessary to pass through the two discharge units 56 is defined as a second carry process. The same applies to image recording (S20 to S23) on the succeeding paper 12B.

  Then, when the sheet type is an envelope (S17: Yes), the control unit 130 in the present embodiment executes the first transport process for the succeeding sheet 12B regardless of whether the preceding sheet 12A has been discharged. On the other hand, when the preceding sheet 12A is not discharged (S16: No) and the sheet type is not an envelope (S17: No), the control unit 130 in the present embodiment does not execute the first conveyance process for the subsequent sheet 12B. That is, in the image recording process shown in FIG. 7, the processes of steps S16 to S19 are executed prior to the feeding process (S20) for the succeeding paper 12B. However, the feeding process for the succeeding paper 12B may be executed in parallel with steps S16 to S19.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet type of the preceding sheet 12A and the succeeding sheet 12B is an envelope as an example of the first condition, and the sheet type other than the envelope is an example of the second condition. It is not limited. For example, the first condition may be that the image recording speed of the preceding paper 12A and the subsequent paper 12B is the first speed, and the second condition may be the second speed that is slower than the first speed. That is, the image recording process according to the present invention is different from the first condition in that the first conveying process is executed for the succeeding sheet 12B regardless of whether the preceding sheet 12A is discharged when the first condition is set in advance. When the second condition is satisfied and the preceding sheet 12A is not discharged, the first conveyance process for the succeeding sheet 12B is not executed.

  In the present embodiment, the example of the multifunction machine 10 including the ink jet recording type printer unit 11 has been described as an example of the conveyance device or the image recording device. 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. Alternatively, as another example of the transport device, the present invention may be applied to a feeder that transports a document in the image reading device.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the image recording apparatus may record an image on the preceding sheet 12A and the succeeding sheet 12B of a specific sheet type (typically, an envelope). In this case, the processing of steps S16 to S19 shown in FIG. 7 can be omitted. That is, the image recording apparatus configured as described above performs image recording (S20 to S23) on the succeeding sheet 12B after executing image recording (S12 to S15) on the preceding sheet 12A regardless of whether or not the preceding sheet 12A is discharged. May be executed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Multifunctional device 24 ... Recording part 54 ... Conveying part 55 ... 1st discharge part 56 ... 2nd discharge part 60 ... Conveying roller 61 ... Pinch roller 64 ... Second discharge roller 65 ... spurs 68, 69 ... corrugated spur 80 ... contact member 130 ... control unit

Claims (8)

A first conveying unit that conveys a sheet in a conveying direction;
A second conveyance unit that is provided downstream of the first conveyance unit in the conveyance direction, and conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit in the conveyance direction;
A sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a sheet between the first transport unit and the second transport unit;
A wave shape imparting mechanism that is provided between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and shapes the shape of the sheet in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction into a waveform;
A control unit that sequentially conveys a plurality of sheets to the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and
The control unit
A first conveyance process for conveying the sheet to the first conveyance unit until at least a leading edge of the sheet reaches the second conveyance unit;
A second conveyance process for driving the second conveyance unit by a conveyance amount necessary for the sheet conveyed in the first conveyance process to pass through the second conveyance unit;
Based on the signal output from the sensor, performs the determination processing of determining whether the sheet after the second transportation process, against previous row seat,
When the preceding sheet and the next successive sheet of the preceding sheet is first classification, execute the first transportation process with respect to after top Symbol Continued sheet regardless of the determination result of the determination process,
When the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet are of the second type weaker than the first type and it is determined in the determining process that the preceding sheet exists, the first conveying process for the succeeding sheet is not executed. Conveying device. The control unit
Execute acquisition processing to acquire the sheet type, which is information specifying the type of the preceding sheet and the subsequent sheet,
The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the type of the preceding sheet and the subsequent sheet is specified based on the sheet type acquired in the acquisition process . A third conveyance unit that is provided between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit in the conveyance direction;
The sensor is provided between the third transport unit and the second transport unit,
The wave shape imparting mechanism is
A first waveform imparting section provided between the first transport section and the third transport section;
The transport apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a second wave shape imparting unit provided between the third transport unit and the second transport unit.   The control unit determines that the type specified by the sheet type is the second type and that the preceding sheet determines that the preceding sheet is present in the determination process. The transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a notification process for notifying that the vehicle has not passed is executed.   The control unit performs the notification process on the condition that the type specified by the sheet type is the first type, the determination process determines that the preceding sheet exists, and the subsequent sheet does not exist. The conveyance apparatus of Claim 4 to perform. The first transport unit includes a first driving roller and a first driven roller pressed against the first driving roller by a first pressing force. The first driving roller and the first driven roller The sheet is nipped and conveyed,
The second transport unit includes a second driving roller and a second driven roller pressed by the second driving roller with a second pressing force that is weaker than the first pressing force. The second driving roller The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is nipped and conveyed by the second driven roller. A transport apparatus according to claim 6;
A recording unit that is provided between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and that records an image on the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit;
The image recording apparatus, wherein the second driven roller is a spur. A first conveying unit that conveys a sheet in a conveying direction;
A second conveyance unit that is provided downstream of the first conveyance unit in the conveyance direction, and conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit in the conveyance direction;
A recording unit provided between the first transport unit and the second transport unit;
A sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a sheet between the first transport unit and the second transport unit;
A wave shape imparting mechanism that is provided between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and shapes the shape of the sheet in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction into a waveform;
A control unit that controls the operation of the first transport unit , the second transport unit , and the recording unit ,
The control unit
A first conveyance process for conveying the sheet to the first conveyance unit until at least a leading edge of the sheet reaches the second conveyance unit;
A recording process for causing the recording unit to record an image on the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit;
A second conveyance process for driving the second conveyance unit by a conveyance amount necessary for the sheet on which an image is recorded in the recording process to pass through the second conveyance unit;
Based on the signal output from the sensor, performs the determination processing of determining whether the sheet after the second transportation process, against previous row seat,
When the image recording speed, which is the execution speed of the first transport process, the recording process, and the second transport process, is the first speed, the subsequent sheet next to the preceding sheet regardless of the determination result of the determination process Executing the first transfer process for
An image recording apparatus that does not execute the first conveyance process for the succeeding sheet when the image recording speed is a second speed that is slower than the first speed and the determination process determines that the preceding sheet exists.

Images