JP6720645B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device that includes a switching unit that switches a transport destination of a medium at a branch position.

A transport device including a switching unit for switching the transport destination of a medium at a branch position is known. For example, in the recording device (conveying device) of Patent Document 1, a swing member (moving member) is arranged at each branch position. The rocking member can have a first position for guiding the medium to the first path and a second position for guiding the medium to the second path.

JP, 2015-124083, A

In Patent Document 1, the moving member itself is moved when the destination of the medium is switched. Since the moving member is designed according to the route configuration, it tends to be difficult to change the design such as downsizing. Therefore, with the configuration in which the moving member itself is moved as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to achieve simplification and miniaturization of the configuration of the drive unit for switching the medium transport destination. In addition, it is difficult to speed up the switching operation, and it is not possible to speed up the conveyance of the medium or improve the throughput.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transporting device capable of simplifying and downsizing the configuration of a drive unit for switching the transporting destination of a medium and speeding up the switching operation.

A transport device according to the present invention is a transport mechanism for transporting a medium through a transport route including a common route and a first route and a second route branched from the common route at a branch position that is one end of the common route, In a transport device including a switching unit for switching a destination of transporting a medium to the first route or the second route at the branch position, the switching unit applies an external force from the medium transported by the transport mechanism. If not, it is held at the first position where it can come into contact with the medium transported by the transport mechanism and guides the medium from the common route to the first route, and is transported by the transport mechanism. A moving member configured to move from the first position to a second position that guides the medium from the common path to the second path when the medium comes into contact with the medium and an external force is applied from the medium; It is characterized by having a movement restricting mechanism for restricting the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position and for canceling the restriction.

According to the present invention, instead of moving the moving member itself, when the medium is desired to be guided to the first path, the movement restricting mechanism restricts the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position to move the medium to the first position. When it is desired to guide the moving member to the two paths, the design of the moving member itself can be changed by adopting the configuration in which the regulation of the movement of the moving member is released and the moving member is moved from the first position to the second position by the external force from the medium. Even in a difficult situation, by devising the design of the movement restricting mechanism, it becomes possible to simplify the configuration of the drive unit relating to the switching of the medium transport destination, downsize it, and speed up the switching operation.

The movement restricting mechanism restricts the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position and the non-restricting position that does not restrict the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position. And a regulation member having a weight smaller than that of the moving member, and the regulation member is moved so that the regulation member selectively takes one of the regulation position and the non-regulation position. And a drive unit. In this case, by adopting the configuration in which the relatively light regulation member is moved, the configuration of the drive unit relating to the switching of the medium transport destination is simplified, downsized, and switched compared to the case where the relatively heavy moving member is moved. It is possible to more reliably realize speeding up of the operation.

The maximum movement distance when the regulation member moves from the regulation position to the non-regulation position may be smaller than the maximum movement distance when the movement member moves from the first position to the second position. In this case, it is possible to more reliably realize the simplification and downsizing of the configuration of the drive unit related to the switching of the medium transport destination, and the speedup of the switching operation.

When the regulating member is in the regulating position, the regulating member is separated from the moving member in the first position, and the moving member moves from the first position to the second position by the external force. The movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position may be restricted by contacting the moving member when trying to move in the direction. When the regulating member is in contact with the moving member in the first position when the regulating member is in the regulating position, when the regulating member is moved from the non-regulating position to the regulating position, the regulating member comes into contact with the moving member and resistance is exerted on the regulating member. Therefore, the movement of the regulating member cannot be performed smoothly, and a large driving force is required for the driving unit as well. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, since the regulating member is separated from the moving member in the first position when the regulating member is in the regulating position, the regulating member is moved when the regulating member is moved from the non-regulating position to the regulating position. Therefore, the regulating member can be moved smoothly, and the driving force of the driving unit can be small.

The switching unit may further include a biasing member that biases the moving member from the second position toward the first position. Without the biasing member, a problem may occur in which the moving member does not return to the first position after being moved from the first position to the second position by the external force from the medium. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, by providing the biasing member, the problem (in other words, the problem that the conveyance becomes unstable depending on the type of the medium) can be suppressed.

A common transport direction, which is a medium transport direction on the common route, intersects with a first transport direction, which is a medium transport direction on the first route, and a wall defining the first route is upstream of the common transport direction. The first upstream wall located on the side, and the first downstream wall located on the downstream side in the common transport direction and facing the first upstream wall in the common transport direction, the movement being at the first position. A surface of the member that contacts the medium may be located upstream of the first downstream wall in the common transport direction and may extend inside the first path. In this case, it is possible to prevent the problem that the medium comes into contact with the first downstream wall to cause the medium jam when the medium goes from the common route to the first route.

A common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the common route, intersects with a first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the first route, and a second transport that is the transport direction of the medium on the second route. A wall that is parallel to the direction and that defines the common path, is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction and on the common upstream wall in the first transport direction, and in the first transport direction. A wall that includes a common upstream wall and a common downstream wall that faces the second path, and that defines the second path is a second upstream wall that is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction and a wall that is located on the downstream side in the first transport direction. However, the second downstream wall may include a second downstream wall facing the second upstream wall in the first transport direction, and the second downstream wall may be located downstream of the common downstream wall in the first transport direction. .. In this case, it is possible to suppress the problem that the medium comes into contact with the second downstream wall to cause a jam of the medium when going from the common route to the second route.

A common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the common route, intersects with a first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the first route, and a second transport that is the transport direction of the medium on the second route. The moving member may be swingable about a swing shaft that is parallel to the direction and that is disposed upstream of the first path in the first transport direction with respect to the first path. In this case, the moving member can swing about a swing shaft arranged at a position not upstream of the first path in the first transport direction (for example, a position overlapping the first path in the first transport direction). The swing range associated with the movement of the moving member between the first position and the second position can be made smaller than in some cases.

The transport device according to the present invention further includes a recording unit configured to perform recording on a medium transported by the transport mechanism, and the moving member is located downstream of the recording unit in a transport direction of the medium by the transport mechanism. The recording medium may be arranged so as to come into contact with a non-recording surface of the medium opposite to the recording surface on which recording is performed by the recording unit. When the moving member comes into contact with the recording surface, there may arise a problem that the quality of the image recorded on the recording surface is deteriorated or a part of the recorded image is transferred to the moving member. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the problem can be suppressed.

A direction parallel to the medium conveyed along the common route and orthogonal to the medium conveyance direction on the common route, and parallel to the medium conveyed along the first route and the medium conveyed on the common route. The direction orthogonal to the direction and the direction parallel to the medium conveyed along the second route and orthogonal to the medium conveyance direction on the common route are the same orthogonal directions, and the movement restricting mechanism is prior Kijika exchange direction, may be disposed outside of the transport path. When the movement restricting mechanism is arranged inside the transport path in the orthogonal direction, the movement restricting mechanism may be an obstacle when the user moves the moving member from the first position to the second position by jam processing or the like. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the problem can be suppressed.

The transport mechanism has a pair of rollers that sandwich and rotate a medium in the first path, and the transport apparatus according to the present invention is configured to detect a medium and a destination of the medium from the first path. When switching to the second path, regulation of movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position is performed at a timing when the leading end of the medium is nipped by the roller pair based on a signal from the sensor. And a control unit that controls the movement restricting mechanism so as to release. If the front end of the medium is sandwiched by the roller pair, the medium is conveyed along the first path by the conveying force of the roller pair even if the moving member moves from the first position to the second position. Therefore, by removing the regulation of the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position at the timing when the leading end of the medium is nipped by the pair of rollers as described above, the interval between the plurality of sequentially conveyed media can be reduced. Therefore, the throughput can be improved.

A common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium in the common route, intersects with a first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium in the first route, and the transport mechanism contacts the medium in the common route to transport the medium. It may have an auxiliary roller which rotates in a direction leading to the first path. If the medium is strong or has a large thickness, it may be difficult to guide the medium to the first path even if the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position is restricted. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, by providing the auxiliary roller, the medium can be appropriately guided to the first path.

The wall that defines the common path is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction and the common upstream wall on the downstream side in the first transport direction, and faces the common upstream wall in the first transport direction. A common downstream wall, the rotation axis of the auxiliary roller is located downstream of the common downstream wall in the first transport direction, and the surface of the auxiliary roller that contacts the medium is more than the common downstream wall. It may be on the upstream side in the first conveyance direction and extend inside the common path. In this case, the medium can be guided to the first path more reliably.

The moving member may include a driven roller, which is driven by the conveyance of the medium and rotates at a portion in contact with the medium conveyed along the first path. When the moving member does not have the driven roller, a carrying load is generated on the medium carried along the first path due to contact with the moving member, and the carrying may become unstable. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, since the moving member has the driven roller, the carrying load is reduced and the carrying is stabilized.

A first elastic member may be provided at a position of the moving member in the first position, which is in contact with an upstream surface in a direction from the first position to the second position. In this case, noise that may be generated when the moving member reaches the first position can be suppressed.

A second elastic member may be provided at a position of the moving member in the second position, which is in contact with a downstream surface in the direction from the first position to the second position. In this case, noise that may be generated when the moving member reaches the second position can be suppressed.

According to the present invention, when it is desired to guide the medium to the first path instead of moving the moving member itself, the movement restricting mechanism restricts the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position, and the medium is moved. When it is desired to guide the moving member to the second path, the restriction of the movement of the moving member is released, and the moving member is moved from the first position to the second position by the external force from the medium. Even in situations where it is difficult to change, by devising the design of the movement restriction mechanism, it becomes possible to simplify the structure of the drive unit relating to the switching of the destination of the medium, downsize it, and speed up the switching operation. ..

1 is a perspective view showing an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a region IV indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the moving member and the movement restricting mechanism in a state where the restricting member is in the restricting position and the moving member is in the first position in the inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control contents (paper destination transfer control) executed by the controller of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an inkjet printer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “printer”) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 1x and a housing 1x that is attached to and detached from the housing 1x. And a tray unit 50 that is movably mounted. The tray unit 50 is arranged above the housing 1x such that the opening 1x1 formed on the upper surface of the housing 1x and the opening 51x1 formed on the lower surface of the support member 51 face each other. Another tray unit may be attached to the upper part of the tray unit 50.

A receiving tray 12 is provided on the top of the housing 1x.

The receiving tray 12 includes a tray main body 13 formed of an upper wall of the housing 1x, a base 14 detachably attached to the tray main body 13, and a rotation centered on an axis along the main scanning direction with respect to the base 14. Movably mounted stopper 15. The tray body 13 constitutes a receiving surface 13a for receiving the paper P.

The tray unit 50 is a casing that supports four receiving trays 52a to 52d arranged side by side in the vertical direction and rotatably supports the four receiving trays 52a to 52d around an axis 53x1 along the main scanning direction. And a supporting member 51 having a shape of a circle. Of the four receiving trays 52a to 52d, the receiving tray 52a is the uppermost tray arranged at the uppermost position, and the receiving trays 52b to 52d are lower trays.

Each of the receiving trays 52a to 52d is detachably attached to a plate-shaped tray body 53 having an indentation 53y on the upper surface and a portion of the tray body 53 in which the indentation 53y is provided, and is in the transport direction (the paper P is placed in the receiving tray). It includes a base 54 movably attached in the conveyance direction D of the sheet P when it is received, and a stopper 55 rotatably attached to the base 54 about an axis along the main scanning direction. .. The tray body 53 constitutes a receiving surface 53a for receiving the paper P.

A large number of recesses 53z are formed along the transport direction D on both sides of the tray body 53 along the transport direction D that define the depression 53y. A pair of protrusions (not shown) that can be fitted into a pair of recesses 53z facing each other in the main scanning direction among the many recesses 53z are formed on both side surfaces of the base 54 in the main scanning direction. The base 54 is positioned with respect to the tray body 53 by fitting the pair of protrusions into the pair of recesses 53z.

An inkjet head (hereinafter, simply referred to as “head”) 10, a platen 11, a paper feed mechanism 20, a transport mechanism 30a, a paper sensor 49, and a controller 1c are provided inside the housing 1x. Further, inside the support member 51, a transport mechanism 30b is provided.

The head 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the main scanning direction. That is, the printer 1 is a line-type inkjet printer. The head 10 includes a flow channel unit in which an ink flow channel including a pressure chamber is formed, and an actuator that applies a pressure to the ink in the pressure chamber of the flow channel unit. The lower surface of the head 10 is the lower surface of the flow path unit and is an ejection surface 10x on which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink are formed. Ink is supplied to the ink flow path of the flow path unit from a cartridge (not shown).

The platen 11 is arranged below the head 10. The platen 11 is a flat plate-shaped member and has a support surface 11x that supports the paper P. The support surface 11x is opposed to the ejection surface 10x while being separated in the vertical direction.

The paper feed mechanism 20 includes a storage tray 21 that can store a plurality of sheets of paper P and is detachable from the housing 1x, and a paper feed roller 22 attached to the storage tray 21. The paper feed roller 22 is rotated by the drive of a paper feed motor 20M (see FIG. 3) under the control of the controller 1c. The paper feed roller 22 feeds the paper P by rotating while being in contact with the uppermost paper P in the storage tray 21.

The transport mechanism 30a constitutes the transport mechanism 30 together with the transport mechanism 30b. In the transport mechanism 30, the paper P sent out from the paper feed mechanism 20 passes between the ejection surface 10x and the support surface 11x, and the receiving trays 12, 52a to 52d and another tray arranged above the tray unit 50. It is a mechanism for conveying the paper P so that it is selectively received by any of the receiving trays of the unit, and forms paths R1 to R6.

The path R1 is a path along which the paper P is conveyed toward the receiving tray 12. The path R2 is a path along which the paper P is conveyed toward the receiving tray 52d. The path R3 is a path along which the paper P is conveyed toward the receiving tray 52c. The path R4 is a path along which the paper P is conveyed toward the receiving tray 52b. The path R5 is a path along which the sheet P is conveyed toward the receiving tray 52a. The path R6 is a path through which the sheet P is conveyed through the opening 51x2 formed on the upper surface of the support member 51 toward the receiving tray of another tray unit.

The routes R1 and R2 branch from the common route R12 at a branch position A1 which is one end of the common route R12. The routes R2 and R3 branch from the common route R23 at a branch position A2 which is one end of the common route R23. The routes R3 and R4 branch from the common route R34 at a branch position A3 which is one end of the common route R34. The routes R4 and R5 are branched from the common route R45 at a branch position A4 which is one end of the common route R45. The routes R5 and R6 branch off from the common route R56 at a branch position A5 which is one end of the common route R56.

The transport mechanism 30a includes a guide 31 and roller pairs 32 to 36. The transport mechanism 30b includes a guide 31 and roller pairs 37 to 44.

The guide 31 is arranged so as to face the front surface and the back surface of the sheet P conveyed along the paths R1 to R6.

The roller pairs 32 to 36 are arranged along the route R1. The roller pairs 37 and 38 are arranged along the route R2 branched from the common route R12. The roller pairs 39 and 40 are arranged along the route R3 branched from the common route R23. The roller pairs 41 and 42 are arranged along the route R4 branched from the common route R34. The roller pairs 43 and 44 are arranged along the route R5 branched from the common route R45.

The roller pairs 32 to 36 are rotated by the drive of the carry motor 30aM (see FIG. 3) under the control of the controller 1c. The roller pairs 37 to 44 rotate under the control of the control unit 1c by driving the transport motor 30bM (see FIG. 3). The roller pairs 32 to 44 clamp the paper P and rotate to apply a conveying force to the paper P.

At each branch position A1 to A5, switching for switching the transport destination of the paper P at the branch positions A1 to A5 to the first path (left path in FIG. 2) or the second path (upper path in FIG. 2) Parts F1 to F5 are provided.

Each of the switching units F1 to F5 has a moving member 60 that can swing about a swing shaft 60x along the main scanning direction. The moving member 60 is arranged on the downstream side of the head 10 in the conveyance direction of the paper P by the conveyance mechanism 30 so as to come into contact with the non-recording surface of the paper P opposite to the recording surface on which recording is performed by the head 10. Has been done.

Each of the moving members 60 is held at the first position (see FIG. 2) when the external force from the paper P transported by the transport mechanism 30 is not applied, and contacts the paper P transported by the transport mechanism 30. When an external force from the paper P is applied, the sheet P is configured to move from the first position (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 4) to the second position (position shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4). The first position is a position where it can contact the paper P conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 30, and guides the paper P from the common paths R12, R23, R34, R45 to the first path (the path on the left side in FIG. 2). The position. The second position is a position where the paper P is guided from the common paths R12, R23, R34, R45 to the second path (the upper path in FIG. 2).

Each of the switching units F1 to F5 further includes a movement restricting mechanism 70 for restricting the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position and for canceling the restriction (see FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 4, each movement restricting mechanism 70 has a rod-like restricting member 71 that is swingable about a swing shaft 71x along the main scanning direction and has a smaller weight than the moving member 60, and the restricting member 71. And a solenoid 72 for moving the. The expansion/contraction part 72a of the solenoid 72 is arranged so as to be constantly in contact with the base end part 71a of the restriction member 71, and expands/contracts by the drive of the switching motors F1M to F5M (see FIG. 3) under the control of the control part 1c. .. As a result, the regulating member 71 swings about the swing shaft 71x and moves from the first position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4) to the second position (the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) of the moving member 60. Position for restricting the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position (the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4). And either selectively take.

More specific configurations of the moving member 60 and the movement restricting mechanism 70 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the paper sensor 49 is arranged near the head 10 on the upstream side of the head 10 in the carrying direction of the paper P by the carrying mechanism 30, and controls the detection signal when the paper P is detected. Send to section 1c.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 1c includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1c1, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1c2, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1c3, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 1c4, which is an arithmetic processing unit. It has an I/F (Interface) 1c5 and an I/O (Input/Output Port) 1c6. The ROM 1c2 stores fixed data such as programs executed by the CPU 1c1. The RAM 1c3 temporarily stores the data necessary for the CPU 1c1 to execute the program. The ASIC 1c4 performs rewriting of image data, rearrangement, and the like (for example, signal processing and image processing). The I/F 1c5 transmits/receives data to/from an external device (for example, a PC connected to the printer 1). The I/O 1c6 transmits/receives signals to/from various sensors. The CPU 1c1 is electrically connected to each unit other than the CPU 1c1 included in the control unit 1c, and controls each unit of the printer 1 based on the data received from each unit.

The controller 1c is electrically connected to a contact C1 provided on the upper surface of the housing 1x. When the tray unit 50 is attached to the housing 1x, the contact C1 and the contact C2 provided on the lower surface of the support member 51 are in contact with each other and electrically connected. The contact C2 is electrically connected to the transport motor 30bM of the tray unit 50 and the switching motors F2M to F5M. As a result, it becomes possible to transmit and receive signals between the control unit 1c and the transport motor 30bM of the tray unit 50 and the switching motors F2M to F5M.

When another tray unit is attached to the upper part of the tray unit 50, the contact C3 provided on the upper surface of the supporting member 51 of the tray unit 50 and the contact C3 provided on the lower surface of the supporting member of the other tray unit 50. Contacts with each other and are electrically connected. The other contact is electrically connected to the transport motor and the switching motor of another tray unit. As a result, signals can be transmitted and received between the control unit 1c and the transport motor and the switching motor of another tray unit.

Under the control of the control unit 1c, when the paper P transported by the transport mechanism 30 passes between the ejection surface 10x and the support surface 11x, the actuator of the head 10 is driven, and the plurality of ejection surfaces 10x are formed. Ink is selectively ejected from the ejection port. When the ejected ink lands on the paper P, an image is formed on the paper P (that is, recording is performed on the paper P). The paper P after recording is further transported by the transport mechanism 30 and selectively received by any of the receiving trays 12, 52a to 52d.

When the paper P is received in the receiving trays 12, 52a to 52d, the paper P is conveyed along the conveying direction D, the leading end abuts against the stoppers 15 and 55, and falls, and the papers P of the receiving trays 12, 52a to 52d. It is received by the receiving surfaces 13a and 53a.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the configuration of the moving member 60, the movement restricting mechanism 70, and the path provided with these will be described in detail.

In the following description, the common route R12, the first route R1 and the second route R2 branched from the common route R12 at the branch position A1 which is one end of the common route R12, and the configuration of the switching unit F1 arranged at the branch position A1. However, the common route, the first route and the second route, and the switching units F2 to F5 at the other branch positions A2 to A5 also apply.

As shown in FIG. 4, the common transport direction (transport direction of the paper P on the common route R12) D12 intersects the first transport direction (transport direction of the paper P on the first route R1) D1, and the second transport direction. It is parallel to the direction (transport direction of the paper P on the second route R2) D2.

The wall that defines the common path R12 is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction D1 and the common upstream wall W12a that is located on the downstream side in the first transport direction D1, and faces the common upstream wall W12a in the first transport direction D1. Common downstream wall W12b. The wall that defines the first path R1 is located on the upstream side in the common transport direction D12 and on the upstream side in the common transport direction D12, and faces the first upstream wall W1a in the common transport direction D12. And a first downstream wall W1b. The wall that defines the second route R2 is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction D1 on the upstream side and the second upstream wall W2a on the downstream side in the first transport direction D1, and the second upstream wall in the first transport direction D1. A second downstream wall W2b facing W2a is included. The common upstream wall W12a and the second upstream wall W2a are connected, the common downstream wall W12b and the first upstream wall W1a are connected, and the first downstream wall W1b and the second downstream wall W2b are connected. The second downstream wall W2b is located downstream of the common downstream wall W12b in the first transport direction D1.

The swing shaft 60x of the moving member 60 is arranged outside the routes R12, R1, R2 on the upstream side in the first transport direction D1 with respect to the first route R1. In the state where the moving member 60 is in the first position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4), the moving member 60 extends from the base end portion 60a outside the paths R12, R1, R2 provided with the swing shaft 60x to the tip end portion 60b. The common downstream wall W12b and the first upstream wall W1a have the same curved shape and extend.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tip portion 60b of the moving member 60 is comb-shaped and has a plurality of tooth portions 61 arranged at equal intervals in the main scanning direction. A plurality of slits Ws into which a plurality of tooth portions 61 can be inserted are provided at the corners of the wall body Wb forming the first downstream wall W1b and the second downstream wall W2b, which are the boundaries between the walls W1b and W2b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface of each tooth portion 61 (the upstream surface in the direction from the first position to the second position (moving direction)) can rotate about an axis along the main scanning direction. The driven roller 65 is arranged. When the driven roller 65 comes into contact with the paper P conveyed along the first path R, the driven roller 65 is rotated following the conveyance of the paper P.

When the moving member 60 is in the first position (the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4), the plurality of tooth portions 61 are inserted into the plurality of slits Ws, respectively, and the tip portion 60b is a wall when viewed from the main scanning direction. It partially overlaps the body Wb. At this time, the inner surface of the front end portion 60b and the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller 65 that comes into contact with the sheet P are below the first downstream wall W1b (upstream side in the common transport direction D12), and It extends inside one route R1.

When the moving member 60 is in the second position (the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4 ), the plurality of tooth portions 61 are separated from the plurality of slits Ws and are separated from the wall body Wb. At this time, the inner surface of the tip portion 60b and the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller 65 that contacts the paper P extend inside the second path R2.

The moving member 60 is biased from the second position to the first position (in the direction opposite to the moving direction) by the spring 60S attached to the base end portion 60a. The spring 60S has one end fixed to the base end portion 60a and the other end fixed to the support member 51.

The sponge 91 is provided at a position in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller 65 (the surface on the upstream side in the moving direction of the moving member 60) when the moving member 60 is at the first position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4). ing. Further, the sponge 92 is provided at a position where the moving member 60 comes into contact with the outer surface (the surface on the downstream side in the moving direction) of the moving member 60 when the moving member 60 is at the second position (the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4). ing. Each sponge 91, 92 is a rectangular parallelepiped elastic member, and is arranged outside the paths R12, R1, R2 in the main scanning direction.

The common path R12 is provided with an auxiliary roller 80 that rotates around a rotation shaft 80x along the main scanning direction. The auxiliary roller 80 is a drive roller, and is rotated by the driving of an auxiliary roller rotation motor 80M (see FIG. 3) under the control of the control unit 1c, and contacts the paper P on the common path R12 to move the paper P to the first path. Rotate in the direction leading to R1. The rotating shaft 80x is located downstream of the common downstream wall W12b in the first transport direction D1. The surface 80a of the auxiliary roller 80 that contacts the paper P projects from the common downstream wall W12b, is located upstream of the common downstream wall W12b in the first transport direction D1, and extends inside the common path R12. Existence

The restricting member 71 and the solenoid 72 of the movement restricting mechanism 70 are arranged outside the paths R12, R1, R2 in the main scanning direction, as shown in FIG.

The moving member 60 has a convex portion 60p on the outer surface of a portion located outside the paths R12, R1, and R2 in the main scanning direction. When the restricting member 71 is in the restricting position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4) and the moving member 60 is in the first position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4), the distal end portion 71b of the restricting member 71 and the moving member 60 are moved. The convex portion 60p faces each other with a slight gap in the moving direction. When the regulating member 71 is in the non-regulating position (the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4), it is outside the swing range of the moving member 60, and the moving member 60 in the first position and the moving member in the second position. No contact with any of the 60.

When the regulating member 71 is in the non-regulating position and the moving member 60 is in the first position, when the paper P conveyed along the common path R12 comes into contact with the inner side surface of the moving member 60, the external force from the paper P causes The moving member 60 moves in the moving direction to reach the second position. As a result, the sheet P rubs through the tip portion 60b of the moving member 60 and advances to the second route R2.

When the regulation member 71 is in the regulation position and the movement member 60 is in the first position, when the sheet P conveyed along the common path R12 comes into contact with the inner side surface of the movement member 60, the sheet P is moved by the external force from the sheet P. The member 60 tries to move in the moving direction. At this time, the moving member 60 slightly moves in the moving direction, but is stopped at the intermediate position (the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4) where the convex portion 60p contacts the tip portion 71b of the regulating member 71 (that is, the moving direction). Movement is regulated). The intermediate position is between the first position and the second position in the moving direction. Even when the moving member 60 is in the intermediate position (that is, in the swing range from the first position to the intermediate position), the moving member 60 can contact the paper P transported by the transport mechanism 30, and the paper P is transported. The paper P is guided from the common paths R12, R23, R34, R45 to the first path (the path on the left side in FIG. 2).

The maximum movement distance L1 when the regulation member 71 moves from the regulation position to the non-regulation position is smaller than the maximum movement distance L2 when the movement member 60 moves from the first position to the second position.

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, switching control of the conveyance destination of the paper P will be described.

Note that the following description is about the switching control of the transport destination of the paper P at the branch position A1, but it also corresponds to the switching control of the transport destination of the paper P at the other branch positions A2 to A5.

In the initial state, the conveyance destination of the sheet P at the branch position A1 is set to the second route R2, and the regulation member 71 is held at the non-regulation position.

The control unit 1c first switches the transport destination of the paper P from the second path R2 to the first path R1 based on the recording command received from the external device or the amount of the paper P received in each of the receiving trays 52a to 52d. It is determined whether or not (S1). For example, when the recording instruction includes a user's instruction to receive the paper P in the receiving tray 12, the control unit 1c receives a predetermined amount or more of the paper P in each of the receiving trays 52a to 52d. When a signal indicating that the sheet P is present is received from the sensor, it may be determined that the conveyance destination of the sheet P is switched from the second route R2 to the first route R1.

When the control unit 1c determines not to switch the transport destination of the paper P from the second route R2 to the first route R1 (S1: NO), the process S1 is repeated. When the control unit 1c determines to switch the transport destination of the paper P from the second route R2 to the first route R1 (S1: YES), the control unit 1c sets the solenoid 72 so that the regulating member 71 moves from the non-regulating position to the regulating position. It is driven to regulate the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position (S2).

After S2, the control unit 1c determines the conveyance destination of the paper P from the first path R1 to the second path R2 based on the recording command received from the external device, the amount of the paper P received in each of the receiving trays 52a to 52d, and the like. It is determined whether or not to switch to (S3). For example, the control unit 1c receives the user's instruction to receive the paper P in any of the receiving trays 52a to 52d, or when the receiving tray 12 receives a predetermined amount or more of the paper P. When a signal indicating that the sheet P is being received is received from the sensor, it may be determined that the destination of the sheet P is switched from the first route R1 to the second route R2.

When the control unit 1c determines not to switch the transport destination of the paper P from the first route R1 to the second route R2 (S3: NO), the process S3 is repeated. When the control unit 1c determines to switch the transport destination of the sheet P from the first route R1 to the second route R2 (S3: YES), the leading end of the sheet P is the roller pair 36 based on the signal from the sheet sensor 49. It is determined whether or not the sheet is sandwiched by (S4). For example, the control unit 1c determines that the leading edge of the sheet P is the sheet based on the number of rotations of the carry motor 30aM from the time when the detection signal from the sheet sensor 49 is received (the point when the sheet sensor 49 detects the leading edge of the sheet P). It may be determined that the position has moved from the detection position of the sensor 49 to the nipping position of the roller pair 36.

When the controller 1c determines that the leading edge of the paper P is not nipped by the roller pair 36 (S4: NO), the process S4 is repeated. When the control unit 1c determines that the leading end of the paper P is nipped by the roller pair 36 (S4: YES), the control member 1c drives the solenoid 72 so that the regulating member 71 moves from the regulating position to the non-regulating position, and the moving member 60. The restriction on the movement from the first position to the second position is released (S5).

After S5, the control unit 1c returns the process to S1.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when it is desired to guide the paper P to the first path R1 instead of moving the moving member 60 itself, the movement restricting mechanism 70 moves the moving member 60 from the first position. When it is desired to regulate the movement to the second position and guide the sheet P to the second path R2, the regulation of the movement of the moving member 60 is released and the moving member 60 is moved from the first position to the second position by the external force from the sheet P. It adopts a configuration of moving to. Accordingly, even in a situation where it is difficult to change the design of the moving member 60 itself, by devising the design of the movement restricting mechanism 70, the configuration of the drive unit for switching the transfer destination of the paper P can be simplified, downsized, and switched. It is possible to speed up the operation.

The movement restricting mechanism 70 includes a restricting member 71 having a weight smaller than that of the moving member 60, and a solenoid 72 (driving unit) that moves the restricting member 71 so that the restricting member 71 selectively takes one of a restricting position and a non-restricting position. ) And. In this case, by adopting the configuration in which the relatively light regulation member 71 is moved, the configuration of the drive unit relating to the switching of the conveyance destination of the paper P is simplified and miniaturized as compared with the case where the relatively heavy movement member 60 is moved. It is possible to more reliably realize speeding up and switching operation.

The maximum movement distance L1 when the regulation member 71 moves from the regulation position to the non-regulation position is smaller than the maximum movement distance L2 when the movement member 60 moves from the first position to the second position. In this case, it is possible to more reliably realize simplification of the configuration of the drive unit related to switching of the conveyance destination of the paper P, downsizing, and quick switching operation.

As shown in FIG. 4, the restricting member 71 is separated from the moving member 60 in the first position when in the restricting position, and the moving member 60 moves in the moving direction from the first position by the external force of the paper P. By contacting the moving member 60 at this time, the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position is restricted. When the regulating member 71 contacts the moving member 60 in the first position when the regulating member 71 is in the regulating position, the regulating member 71 contacts the moving member 60 when moving the regulating member 71 from the non-regulating position to the regulating position, Since the restriction member 71 is subject to resistance, the restriction member 71 cannot be moved smoothly, and a large driving force is required for the drive unit. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, when the regulation member 71 is separated from the moving member 60 located at the first position when the regulation member 71 is at the regulation position, when the regulation member 71 is moved from the non-regulation position to the regulation position. Since the regulating member 71 is not subject to resistance, the regulating member 71 can be smoothly moved, and the driving force of the driving unit can be small.

The switching units F1 to F5 have a spring 60S (biasing member) that biases the moving member 60 from the second position to the first position. If there is no biasing member, a problem may occur in which the moving member 60 does not return to the first position after the moving member 60 moves from the first position to the second position by the external force from the paper P. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, by providing the biasing member, the problem (in other words, the problem that the conveyance becomes unstable depending on the type of the paper P) can be suppressed.

The surface of the moving member 60 in the first position that comes into contact with the paper P (the inner surface of the leading end portion 60b of the moving member 60 and the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller 65 shown by the solid line in FIG. 4) is below the first downstream wall W1b. It is on the upstream side of the common transport direction D12 and extends inside the first route R1. In this case, it is possible to suppress the problem that the sheet P is jammed by coming into contact with the first downstream wall W1b when the sheet P moves from the common route R12 to the first route R1.

The second downstream wall W2b is located downstream of the common downstream wall W12b in the first transport direction D1. In this case, it is possible to suppress the problem that the paper P comes into contact with the second downstream wall W2b and the paper P is jammed when the paper P moves from the common path R12 to the second path R2.

The moving member 60 can swing about a swing shaft 60x arranged on the upstream side of the first path R1 in the first transport direction D1. In this case, the moving member 60 is centered on the swing shaft arranged at a position that is not on the upstream side of the first route R1 in the first transport direction D1 (for example, a position that overlaps the first route R1 in the first transport direction D1). As compared with the case where the movable member 60 is swingable, the swing range related to the movement of the moving member 60 between the first position and the second position can be reduced.

The moving member 60 is arranged downstream of the head 10 in the transport direction of the paper P by the transport mechanism 30 so as to contact the non-recording surface of the paper P. When the moving member 60 comes into contact with the recording surface, the quality of the image recorded on the recording surface may be deteriorated, or a part of the recorded image may be transferred to the moving member 60. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the problem can be suppressed.

The movement restricting mechanism 70 is in the main scanning direction (orthogonal direction which is parallel to the sheet P conveyed along the paths R12, R1, R2 and orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet P on the paths R12, R1, R2). , Are arranged outside the routes R12, R1, R2. When the movement restricting mechanism 70 is arranged inside the paths R12, R1, and R2 in the main scanning direction, when the user moves the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position due to a jam process or the like, the movement restricting mechanism 70 is moved. 70 can get in the way. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the problem can be suppressed.

When the conveyance destination of the paper P is switched from the first path R1 to the second path R2 (S3: YES), the controller 1c holds the leading end of the paper P between the roller pair 36 based on the signal from the paper sensor 49. The movement regulation mechanism 70 is controlled to release the regulation of the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position at the timing (S4: YES→S5). If the front end of the paper P is sandwiched by the roller pair 36, the paper P is transported along the first path R1 by the transport force of the roller pair 36 even if the moving member 60 moves from the first position to the second position. It Therefore, the regulation of the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position is released at the timing when the leading edge of the paper P is nipped by the pair of rollers 36 as described above, so that the plurality of paper P that are sequentially conveyed are conveyed. It is possible to reduce the interval between, and it is possible to improve the throughput.

The transport mechanism 30 has an auxiliary roller 80 that contacts the paper P on the common path R12 and rotates in a direction that guides the paper P to the first path R1. If the paper P has a strong stiffness or a large thickness, it may be difficult to guide the paper P to the first path even if the movement of the moving member 60 from the first position to the second position is restricted. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, by providing the auxiliary roller 80, the paper P can be properly guided to the first path R1.

The rotation shaft 80x of the auxiliary roller 80 is on the downstream side of the common downstream wall W12b in the first transport direction D1, and the surface 80a of the auxiliary roller 80 that comes into contact with the paper P is in the first transport direction D1 than the common downstream wall W12b. Is on the upstream side of, and extends inside the common route R12. In this case, the paper P can be guided to the first path R1 more reliably.

The moving member 60 has a driven roller 65 that rotates following the conveyance of the sheet P in a portion that comes into contact with the sheet P conveyed along the first path R1. If the moving member 60 does not have the driven roller 65, the sheet P conveyed along the first path R1 may have a conveying load due to contact with the moving member 60, and the conveyance may become unstable. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, since the moving member 60 has the driven roller 65, the carrying load is reduced and the carrying is stabilized.

The sponge 91 is provided at a position in contact with the surface of the moving member 60 at the first position on the upstream side in the moving direction (the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller 65). In this case, noise that can be generated when the moving member 60 reaches the first position can be suppressed.

The sponge 92 is provided at a position in contact with the downstream surface (outer surface) of the moving member 60 in the second position in the moving direction. In this case, noise that may occur when the moving member 60 reaches the second position can be suppressed.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes are possible within the scope of the claims.

-The shape and size of the moving member may be appropriately changed according to the configurations of the common route, the first route, and the second route (angles between the routes, etc.).
The position of the swing shaft of the moving member may be appropriately changed according to the route configuration. Further, the moving member is not limited to the structure that swings, and may have a structure that slides.
The moving member may be arranged so as to come into contact with the recording surface. Further, the moving member may be arranged on the upstream side of the recording unit in the transport direction.
The biasing member that biases the moving member from the second position toward the first position may be omitted. In this case, the moving member may be configured to be held at the first position by its own weight, move from the first position to the second position by an external force from the medium, and then return to the first position by its own weight again.
The drive unit of the movement restriction mechanism is not limited to the solenoid, and may be a gear or the like.
The restriction member may contact the moving member in the first position when in the restriction position.
The first elastic member and/or the second elastic member is not limited to sponge and may be a member made of rubber or the like.
-The auxiliary roller, the driven roller, the first elastic member and/or the second elastic member may be omitted.
The transport device is not limited to the printer, and may be a facsimile machine, a copy machine, a multifunction machine, or the like.
The recording unit is not limited to the line type and may be the serial type. The recording unit is not limited to the inkjet type, and may be a laser type, a thermal type, or the like. The transport device may not include the recording unit.
The medium is not limited to paper and may be cloth or the like. Further, the medium is not limited to a recorded medium, and may be a non-recorded medium.

1 Inkjet printer (transport device)
1c control unit 10 inkjet head (recording unit)
30 transport mechanism 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 roller pair 49 paper sensor (sensor)
60 moving member 60S spring (biasing member)
60x swinging shaft 65 driven roller 70 movement regulation mechanism 71 regulation member 72 solenoid (driving section)
80 auxiliary roller 80x rotating shaft 91 sponge (first elastic member)
92 Sponge (second elastic member)
A1 to A5 branch position D1 first transport direction D2 second transport direction D12 common transport direction F1 to F5 switching unit L1, L2 maximum movement distance R1 to R5, R12, R23, R34, R45 transport route R12, R23, R34, R45 Common path R1 to R5 First path, second path W1a First upstream wall W1b First downstream wall W2a Second upstream wall W2b Second downstream wall W12a Common upstream wall W12b Common downstream wall

Claims (16)

A transport mechanism for transporting a medium through a transport route including a common route and a first route and a second route branched from the common route at a branch position which is one end of the common route, and a destination of the medium at the branch position. And a switching unit for switching to the first path or the second path,
The switching unit,
A first position that is in contact with the medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism when an external force is not applied from the medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism, and guides the medium from the common route to the first route. A second position, which is held at the first position and guides the medium from the common route to the second route from the first position when the medium is brought into contact with the medium transported by the transport mechanism and an external force is applied from the medium. A moving member configured to move to
A transport device, comprising: a movement restricting mechanism for restricting the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position and for canceling the restriction. The movement restriction mechanism,
A restriction member that can take a restriction position that restricts the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position and a non-regulation position that does not restrict the movement of the moving member from the first position to the second position. And a regulating member having a weight smaller than that of the moving member,
The transport device according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive unit that moves the restricting member so that the restricting member selectively takes one of the restricting position and the non-restricting position. The maximum movement distance when the regulation member moves from the regulation position to the non-regulation position is smaller than the maximum movement distance when the movement member moves from the first position to the second position. The transport device according to claim 2, wherein When the regulating member is in the regulating position, the regulating member is separated from the moving member in the first position, and the moving member moves from the first position to the second position by the external force. The movement from the first position to the second position of the moving member is regulated by contacting the moving member when trying to move in a direction. Transport device. The transport unit according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit further includes a biasing member that biases the moving member from the second position toward the first position. apparatus. The common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the common route, intersects with the first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the first route,
The wall that defines the first path is located on the upstream side in the common transport direction and on the downstream side in the common transport direction, and faces the first upstream wall in the common transport direction. Including a first downstream wall,
A surface of the moving member that is in contact with the medium at the first position is located upstream of the first downstream wall in the common transport direction, and extends inside the first path. The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is characterized. A common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the common route, intersects with a first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the first route, and a second transport that is the transport direction of the medium on the second route. Parallel to the direction,
The wall that defines the common path is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction and the common upstream wall on the downstream side in the first transport direction, and faces the common upstream wall in the first transport direction. Including a common downstream wall,
The wall that defines the second path is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction and on the downstream side in the first transport direction, and the second upstream wall in the first transport direction. And a second downstream wall opposite to,
The said 2nd downstream wall is located in the downstream of the said 1st conveyance direction rather than the said common downstream wall, The conveyance apparatus in any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. A common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the common route, intersects with a first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the first route, and a second transport that is the transport direction of the medium on the second route. Parallel to the direction,
8. The moving member can swing about a swing shaft arranged upstream of the first path in the first transport direction, as a center. The transport device according to. Further comprising a recording unit for recording on the medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism,
The moving member is arranged downstream of the recording unit in the medium transport direction of the transport mechanism so as to contact a non-recording surface of the medium opposite to the recording surface on which recording is performed by the recording unit. The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is characterized in that it is provided. A direction parallel to the medium conveyed along the common route and orthogonal to the medium conveyance direction on the common route, and parallel to the medium conveyed along the first route and the medium conveyed on the common route. The direction orthogonal to the direction and the direction parallel to the medium conveyed along the second route and orthogonal to the medium conveying direction on the common route are the same orthogonal directions,
The movement restricting mechanism, before the Kijika exchange direction, characterized in that it is located outside of the transport path, the transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9. The transport mechanism has a roller pair that holds and rotates a medium in the first path,
A sensor for detecting the medium,
When the destination of the medium is switched from the first route to the second route, the first position of the moving member is set at the timing when the leading end of the medium is nipped by the roller pair based on the signal from the sensor. 11. The transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that controls the movement restriction mechanism so as to release the restriction of the movement from the position to the second position. .. The common transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the common route, intersects with the first transport direction, which is the transport direction of the medium on the first route,
The transport mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the transport mechanism includes an auxiliary roller that contacts a medium in the common path and rotates in a direction of guiding the medium to the first path. apparatus. The wall that defines the common path is located on the upstream side in the first transport direction on the upstream side and on the downstream side in the first transport direction, and faces the common upstream wall in the first transport direction. Including a common downstream wall,
The rotation axis of the auxiliary roller is located downstream of the common downstream wall in the first transport direction,
The surface of the auxiliary roller that contacts the medium is located upstream of the common downstream wall in the first transport direction and extends inside the common path. The transport device according to. 14. The moving member has a driven roller which is rotated by being driven by the conveyance of the medium, in a portion in contact with the medium conveyed along the first path. The transport device according to item 1. The first elastic member is provided at a position in contact with an upstream surface of the moving member in the first position in the direction from the first position to the second position. The transport device according to any one of 1 to 14. The second elastic member is provided at a position in contact with a downstream surface of the moving member at the second position in a direction from the first position to the second position. The transport device according to any one of 1 to 15.

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