JP7131148B2 - Media transport device and media processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a medium transporting device for transporting a medium and a medium processing device for processing a medium transported by the medium transporting device.

2. Description of the Related Art In some media processing devices that process a medium transported by a medium transporting device, a medium detecting means is provided in the medium transporting path in order to detect the position of the medium transported on the medium transporting path.
As the medium detection means, for example, an optical sensor provided with a pair of a light emitting section that emits light toward the medium transport path and a light receiving section that receives the light emitted from the light emitting section is used.
Examples of the medium processing device include a recording device that performs recording processing on a medium and an image reading device that performs reading processing of reading an image on a medium.

As shown in FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1, the optical sensor has a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion provided on the same side with respect to the medium transport path, and the light emitted from the light emitting portion is reflected by the medium. A reflection method for detecting a medium when a light receiving portion receives light, and a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion provided to face each other across a medium transport path as shown in FIG. There is a transmission method in which the medium is detected when the light is blocked by the medium and the light receiving portion stops receiving the light.
In either method, the light receiving section is provided at a position corresponding to the light emitting section in the medium conveying direction, and the presence or absence of the medium is determined by whether the light receiving section receives light emitted from the light emitting section.

JP 2017-223777 A

Here, in a medium processing apparatus such as a recording apparatus or an image reading apparatus, the medium detection means is used, for example, to detect a jam in a medium conveying path and determine the timing to start processing a medium. Therefore, it may be necessary to detect the medium at a plurality of positions in the transport direction of the medium transport path.
In such a case, if an optical sensor configured by a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit provided at a position corresponding to the light emitting unit in the medium conveying direction is used as the medium detection means, as in Patent Document 1, the A light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion are required for each device, which increases the manufacturing cost.

A medium transporting device according to the present invention for solving the above-described problems includes a transporting section that transports a medium, a medium transporting path through which the medium transported by the transporting part passes, and a detecting means that detects the medium in the medium transporting path. a light emitting unit arranged on a first side with respect to the medium transport path and emitting light from the first side toward a second side facing the medium transport path across the medium transport path; a light receiving unit disposed on the first side with respect to the medium transport path and at a position deviated from the light emitting unit in the medium transport direction and receiving light emitted from the light emitting unit; a light guide member arranged on the second side with respect to the medium transport path and guiding the light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit.

1 is an external perspective view of a printer including a medium conveying device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a printer according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining a medium conveying path of the medium conveying device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the surroundings of the detection means according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining detection of a medium by detection means according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view around the detection means according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a modification of the detection means in the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a modification of the detection means in the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the surroundings of detection means according to the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining detection of a medium by detection means according to the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining detection of a medium by detection means according to the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a modification of the detection means in the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the surroundings of detection means according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining detection of a medium by detection means according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic side cross-sectional view for explaining detection of a medium by detection means according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of the periphery of a detection means according to a fourth embodiment;

The present invention will be briefly described below.
A medium transporting device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a transporting section that transports a medium, a medium transporting path through which the medium transported by the transporting part passes, and a detecting means that detects the medium in the medium transporting path. a light-emitting unit arranged on a first side with respect to the medium transport path and emitting light from the first side toward a second side facing the medium transport path across the medium transport path; and a light receiving unit arranged on the first side with respect to the medium transport path and at a position deviated from the light emitting unit in the medium transport direction, and for receiving light emitted from the light emitting unit. and a light guide member arranged on the second side with respect to the medium transport path and guiding the light emitted from the light emitting section to the light receiving section.

According to this aspect, the detection means is arranged on the first side with respect to the medium transport path, and directs light from the first side toward the second side opposite to the medium transport path across the medium transport path. a light emitting unit that emits light and is arranged on the first side with respect to the medium conveying path and at a position shifted from the light emitting unit in the medium conveying direction, and receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and a light guide member arranged on the second side with respect to the medium transport path and guiding the light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit. With the unit, it is possible to detect the medium at both the position where the light emitting unit is provided and the position where the light receiving unit is provided in the medium transport path. Therefore, the configuration for detecting the medium at two different positions in the medium transport direction can be realized at low cost with a small number of structural members. A specific detection mechanism by the detection means will be described later.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a plurality of the light emitting units are provided at different positions in the medium conveying direction, and the light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units is received by one of the light receiving units. It is characterized by comprising a plurality of said light guide members for guiding.

According to this aspect, the plurality of light emitting units are provided at different positions in the medium conveying direction, and include the plurality of light guide members that guide the light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units to one of the light receiving units. Therefore, the medium can be detected at a plurality of detection positions that are different in the medium transport direction without providing a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion for each detection position.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a plurality of the light receiving portions are provided at different positions in the medium conveying direction, and the light emitted from one light emitting portion is directed to each of the plurality of light receiving portions. It is characterized by comprising a plurality of said light guide members for guiding.

According to this aspect, the light receiving section includes a plurality of light guide members provided at different positions in the medium conveying direction and guiding light emitted from one light emitting section to each of the plurality of light receiving sections. Therefore, the medium can be detected at a plurality of detection positions that are different in the medium transport direction without providing a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion for each detection position.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a plurality of the light emitting units are provided at different positions in a width direction that intersects with the medium conveying direction, and light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units is integrated. It is characterized by comprising a plurality of said light guide members leading to one said light receiving part.

According to this aspect, the plurality of light emitting units are provided at different positions in the width direction that intersects with the medium conveying direction, and the light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units is guided to one of the light receiving units. Since the light guide member is provided, the medium can be detected at a plurality of detection positions different in the width direction without providing a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion for each detection position.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the transport section includes a transport roller pair that nips and transports the medium with two rollers, and the light emitting section and the The light-receiving unit is characterized in that it is arranged across the nip position of the transport roller pair in the medium transport direction.

According to this aspect, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged across the nip position of the pair of transport rollers in the medium transport direction. The medium can be detected both downstream of the

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, a plurality of transport roller pairs are arranged at intervals in a width direction that intersects with the medium transport direction, and the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are , and are arranged so as to overlap with the transport roller pair in the width direction.

According to this aspect, since the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged so as to overlap the pair of transport rollers in the width direction, the medium can be detected in the vicinity of the nip position of the pair of transport rollers. can be done. Therefore, the accuracy of medium detection by the detecting means can be enhanced.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, a plurality of transport roller pairs are arranged at intervals in a width direction that intersects with the medium transport direction, and the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are and the light guide member is arranged to be shifted in the width direction with respect to the pair of transport rollers, and the light guide member overlaps the pair of transport rollers in the direction between the axes of the two rollers.

According to this aspect, the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion are arranged to be shifted from each other in the width direction with respect to the transport roller pair, and the light guide member is disposed in the direction between the axes of the two rollers. Since it overlaps with a roller pair, the said light guide member can be arrange|positioned compactly in the said interaxis direction.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the conveying unit includes a first conveying roller pair as a conveying roller pair that nips and conveys the medium with two rollers, and the first conveying roller pair in the medium conveying direction. and a second transport roller pair as the transport roller pair located downstream of the first transport roller pair, wherein the light receiving unit is arranged in the medium transport direction between the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair. and a first light emitting unit among the plurality of light emitting units is located upstream of the first transport roller pair in the medium transport direction, and a first light emitting unit among the plurality of light emitting units 2 is located on the downstream side of the second transport roller pair in the medium transport direction.

According to this aspect, the medium can be detected on the upstream and downstream sides of the first transport roller pair and on the upstream and downstream sides of the second transport roller pair.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the conveying unit includes a first conveying roller pair as a conveying roller pair that nips and conveys the medium with two rollers, and the first conveying roller pair in the medium conveying direction. and a second transport roller pair as the transport roller pair located downstream of the first transport roller pair, wherein the light emitting unit is positioned in the medium transport direction between the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair. and a first light receiving portion of the plurality of light receiving portions is positioned upstream of the first transport roller pair in the medium transport direction, and a first light receiving portion of the plurality of light receiving portions 2 is positioned downstream of the second transport roller pair in the medium transport direction.

According to this aspect, the medium can be detected on the upstream and downstream sides of the first transport roller pair and on the upstream and downstream sides of the second transport roller pair.

A medium processing apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention includes the medium transporting apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and a processing unit that processes the medium transported on the medium transport path. , is provided.

According to this aspect, in the medium processing device including the processing unit that performs processing on the medium conveyed through the medium conveying path by the medium conveying device, the same effects as those of any one of the first to ninth aspects is obtained.

A medium processing apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention includes the medium transporting apparatus according to any one of the fifth to ninth aspects, and a processing unit that processes the medium transported on the medium transport path. , wherein the transport roller pair is arranged downstream of the processing section in the medium transport direction.

According to this aspect, since the transport roller pair is arranged downstream of the processing section in the medium transport direction, the transport roller pair transports the medium after being processed by the processing section, or A configuration can be employed in which the medium is detected on the downstream side.

A medium processing apparatus according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to the tenth or eleventh aspect, characterized in that it comprises a recording unit that performs recording processing on the medium as the processing unit. .
According to this aspect, in the recording apparatus including the recording unit that performs recording on the medium as the processing unit, the same effects as those of the tenth or eleventh aspect can be obtained.

[First embodiment]
A recording apparatus, which is an example of a medium processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. An inkjet printer 1 will be described as an example of a recording apparatus. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 1 will simply be referred to as the printer 1 .
In the XYZ coordinate system shown in each drawing, the X direction is the scanning direction of the recording head as the recording unit, and the width direction of the medium on which recording is performed. The Y direction is the depth direction of the apparatus, and is generally along the medium conveying direction. The Z direction is the direction along the direction of gravity and is the height direction of the device. The +Y direction side is the device front side, and the -Y direction side is the device rear side. In addition, as viewed from the front side of the device, the left side is the +X direction and the right side is the -X direction. Also, the +Z direction is referred to as upward (including upper and upper surfaces), and the -Z direction is referred to as lower (including lower and lower surfaces). Also, the direction in which the medium is transported in the printer 1 is called "downstream", and the opposite direction is called "upstream".

■■■Overview of the printer■■■
The outline of the printer 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.
A printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a recording unit 2 and a liquid storage unit 3 .
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 2 includes various components including a recording head 10 as a "recording section" that performs recording processing on a medium, and a medium conveying device 9 that conveys the medium toward the recording head 10. is provided inside. The recording head 10 is also an example of a "processing unit" that processes a medium.

A head surface positioned below the recording head 10 is provided with a plurality of nozzles 11 arranged at intervals in the Y-axis direction, which is the medium transport direction, as shown in FIG. The recording head 10 is mounted on a carriage 27 that can move in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the apparatus. It is configured as a type recording head.
Examples of media on which recording is performed by the printer 1 include recording paper such as plain paper, thin paper, thick paper, and coated paper such as photo paper.

The printer 1 can be configured as a multifunction machine having not only a recording function but also a document reading function, that is, a scanner. In this embodiment, a scanner section 4 is provided above the recording unit 2 . Note that the detailed configuration of the scanner unit 4 is omitted in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, an operation unit 5 for operating the printer 1 including the scanner unit 4 is provided on the upper front side of the device.

The liquid storage unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 stores a liquid storage body (not shown) containing ink to be supplied to the recording head 10 . Ink is supplied to the recording head 10 from a liquid container stored in the liquid storage unit 3 through a tube (not shown).

The recording unit 2 is provided with an upper feeding mechanism 7 that feeds the medium toward the recording head 10 shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, an upper cover 2a is provided on the rear side of the upper part of the apparatus for opening and closing the opening for setting the medium setting portion 8 to the upper supply mechanism 7 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, by opening the upper cover 2a, the medium can be fed from the medium setting section 8 using the upper feeding mechanism 7. FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, below the recording unit 2, a medium tray 6 is provided as a "medium housing portion" to be housed in the recording unit 2. A lower supply mechanism 12 is provided to supply the The print head 10 performs printing on media fed by the upper feed mechanism 7 or the lower feed mechanism 12 .
In addition to the medium tray 6 built into the recording unit 2 , the printer 1 can also be provided with an additional medium containing unit under the recording unit 2 or under the liquid containing unit 3 .

■■■Medium transport path in the printer■■■
A medium conveying path of the medium conveying device 9 that conveys the medium in the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. From another point of view, the medium conveying device 9 can be regarded as a device obtained by omitting the recording function from the printer 1 . Alternatively, even if the printer 1 has a recording function, the printer 1 itself can be regarded as a medium transport device from the viewpoint of medium transport.
In FIG. 3 , the solid line indicated by symbol T1 indicates the medium transport path that is fed from the medium tray 6 by the lower feeding mechanism 12 . Hereinafter, this route will be referred to as medium transport route T1. A dashed-dotted line indicated by reference numeral T2 indicates a medium transport path fed by the upper feeding mechanism 7. As shown in FIG. This route is called a medium transport route T2.

In addition, the printer 1 is configured to be able to perform so-called double-sided recording, in which after recording on the first surface of the medium, the medium is reversed and recording is performed on the second surface opposite to the first surface. there is A dotted line indicated by reference numeral T3 in FIG. 3 is a switchback path T3 through which the medium passes when reversing the medium after recording on the first side when performing double-sided recording.

The medium conveying device 9 is provided with a detecting means 40 for detecting a medium in the medium conveying path. The detection means 40 that characterizes the present invention will be described after the medium transport path is described.
In the following, the medium transport path T1, the medium transport path T2, and the switchback path T3 will be described in this order.

<<<Regarding the media transport path from the media tray>>>
The medium transport path T1 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. A lower supply mechanism 12, a reversing roller 20, a feed roller 21, an upstream side transport roller pair 30, a first transport roller pair 31, and a second transport roller pair 32 are provided.

In FIG. 3, reference P1 denotes a medium bundle set in the medium tray 6 provided below the recording unit 2. As shown in FIG. The lower supply mechanism 12 feeds out the medium bundle P1 set on the medium tray 6 one by one. The lower feed mechanism 12 includes a pick-up roller 16, a lower feed roller 17, and a lower separation roller 18. As shown in FIG.

After the uppermost medium of the medium bundle P1 accommodated in the medium tray 6 is picked up by the pickup roller 16 from the medium tray 6, it is nipped between the lower feeding roller 17 and the lower separating roller 18, and is transferred to the reversing roller 20. sent towards.
When the pickup roller 16 picks up a plurality of sheets of media, they are separated into one sheet by the lower feeding roller 17 and the lower separating roller 18 . The pickup roller 16 and the lower feeding roller 17 are rotationally driven by a driving source (not shown).

The reversing roller 20 is a roller that conveys the medium while reversing it on its outer peripheral surface. The rollers designated 22 and 24 are a first reversing driven roller 22 and a third reversing driven roller 24 that nip the media with the reversing roller 20 . The medium is reversed by the reversing roller 20 and sent toward the feed roller 21 with the side facing up in the media tray 6 facing down.

A feed roller 21 is provided downstream of the reversing roller 20 . The reversing roller 20 and the feed roller 21 are driven by a driving source (not shown).
A roller indicated by reference numeral 25 is a first feed driven roller 25 that nips the medium with the feed roller 21 . The medium is nipped by the feed roller 21 and the first feed driven roller 25 and sent to the upstream transport roller pair 30 located downstream of the feed roller 21 .

The upstream transport roller pair 30 is provided upstream of the recording head 10 in the medium transport direction. The upstream transport roller pair 30 includes an upstream transport driving roller 30a that contacts the surface of the medium opposite to the surface on which recording is performed by the recording head 10, and an upstream transport driving roller 30a that contacts the surface of the medium on which recording is performed by the recording head 10 and is driven to rotate. and a side transport driven roller 30b.

A first transport roller pair 31 and a second transport roller pair 32 for transporting the medium are provided downstream of the recording head 10 in the medium transport direction. The first conveying roller pair 31 includes a first conveying driving roller 31a that contacts the surface of the medium opposite to the surface on which recording is performed by the recording head 10, and a first conveying drive roller 31a that is driven to rotate in contact with the surface of the medium on which recording is performed by the recording head 10. 1 transport driven roller 31b. The second conveying roller pair 32 is provided on the downstream side of the first conveying roller pair 31. A second conveying drive roller 32a is in contact with the surface of the medium opposite to the surface on which recording is performed by the recording head 10. and a second transport driven roller 32b that is driven to rotate in contact with the surface on which recording is performed.
The upstream transport drive roller 30a, the first transport drive roller 31a, and the second transport drive roller 32a are rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown).

The medium is sent to a recording area K facing the recording head 10 by the upstream transport roller pair 30 .
A medium support member 33 that supports the medium P is provided below the recording head 10 , that is, at a position facing the recording head 10 . Ink is ejected from a plurality of nozzles 11 of the recording head 10 onto the medium passing through the recording area K while being supported by the medium supporting member 33, and recording is performed.
After recording by the recording head 10 , the medium P is discharged to the discharge tray 19 by the first conveying roller pair 31 and the second conveying roller pair 32 .
Incidentally, the medium support member 33 may be provided with an adsorption mechanism that adsorbs the medium to the support surface of the medium support member 33 . For the adsorption mechanism, for example, suction adsorption or electrostatic adsorption can be used.

<<<Regarding the medium transport path from the medium set unit>>>
Next, referring to FIG. 3 as well, the medium transport path T2, which is the transport path for the medium fed from the medium setting section 8 by the upper supply mechanism 7, will be described.
A medium fed by the upper supply mechanism 7 is set in the medium setting section 8 . A plurality of media can be set in the medium setting section 8 . In FIG. 3, the medium bundle set in the medium setting section 8 is denoted by P2. Of course, it is also possible to set one medium in the medium setting section 8 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the medium setting section 8 is formed as a hopper that swings about a rotating shaft 8a provided on the upstream side in the medium conveying direction. In FIG. 2, a paper support 34 that supports the rear end side of the medium bundle P2 is provided on the upstream side of the medium setting section 8. As shown in FIG. The paper support 34 can be stored in a storage section 35 located below the paper support 34 in FIG. 2 and can be pulled out from the storage section 35 . When paper is fed by the upper supply mechanism 7, the paper support 34 is pulled out from the storage portion 35. When the upper supply mechanism 7 is not used, the paper support 34 is stored in the storage portion 35, and the upper cover 2a is closed. be able to.

Returning to FIG. 3 , an upper feeding roller 13 , an upper separating roller 14 , and a pair of downstream feeding rollers 15 that constitute the upper feeding mechanism 7 are provided on the downstream side of the medium setting section 8 .
The medium setting section 8 swings so that the leading end thereof approaches the upper feeding roller 13, and the uppermost medium of the medium bundle P2 set in the medium setting section 8 is fed downstream by the rotation of the upper feeding roller 13. sent. The upper separation roller 14 nips the media with the upper feeding roller 13 to separate a plurality of media into one sheet.

The medium fed by the upper feed roller 13 is further fed downstream by the downstream feed roller pair 15 . The downstream feeding roller pair 15 includes a downstream feeding drive roller 15a and a downstream feeding driven roller 15b that rotates following the downstream feeding drive roller 15a.
The upper feed roller 13 and the downstream feed drive roller 15a are rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown).

The medium transport path T2 joins the above-described medium transport path T1 at a first junction G1 on the upstream side of the nip position between the feed roller 21 and the first feed driven roller 25 .
The medium conveyed on the medium conveying path T2 enters the medium conveying path T1 from the first confluence G1, and is thereafter conveyed to the recording area K by the upstream conveying roller pair 30 in the same manner as the medium fed from the medium tray 6. After being recorded by the recording head 10 , the recording medium is discharged to the discharge tray 19 by the first conveying roller pair 31 and the second conveying roller pair 32 .

<<<Double-sided printing>>>
Next, the switchback route T3, which is a transport route for double-sided printing, will be described.
When performing double-sided recording, after recording is performed on the first side of the medium, the upstream transport roller pair 30, the first transport roller pair 31, and the second transport roller pair 32 shown in FIG. Rotate in the opposite direction. As a result, the medium is conveyed in the −Y direction, which is the reverse conveying direction, which is opposite to the +Y direction, which is the medium conveying direction when printing is performed by the recording head 10 . Media transported in the -Y direction enters the switchback path T3.
In the switchback path T3, the medium is nipped by the feed roller 21 and the second feed driven roller 26 and conveyed in the -Y direction, and further nipped by the reversing roller 20 and the second reversing driven roller 23 to -Y. direction.

The switchback path T3 joins the medium transport path T1 at a second junction G2 on the upstream side of the nip position between the reversing roller 20 and the third reversing driven roller 24, and the medium enters the medium transport path T1. It is reversed by the reversing roller 20 and transported. As a result, the medium is sent to the recording area K with the first surface, which is the nearest recording surface, facing downward and the second surface facing upward, that is, facing the recording head 10 .
After recording on the second surface by the recording head 10 in the recording area K, the medium is ejected toward the ejection tray 19 .

■■■About detection means■■■
A detection unit 40 is provided downstream of the recording head 10 shown in FIG. 3 in the medium transport path T1 of the printer 1 . In the present embodiment, the detecting means 40 located downstream of the recording head 10 will be described as an example, but the detecting means for the medium is not limited to this position. Alternatively, it can be provided in the medium transport path T2 and the switchback path T3.

The detection means 40 according to the present embodiment includes a light emitting portion 41, a light receiving portion 42, and a light guide member 43, as shown in FIG.
The light emitting unit 41 is arranged above the medium transport path T1, and emits light L from the upper side to the lower side facing the medium transport path T1. An LED can be used as an example of the light source of the light emitting unit 41 .

Like the light emitting unit 41, the light receiving unit 42 is arranged above the medium transport path T1 and shifted upstream with respect to the light emitting unit 41 in the Y-axis direction, which is the medium transport direction. The light L emitted from the portion 41 is received.

The light guide member 43 is arranged below the medium transport path T<b>1 and guides the light L emitted from the light emitter 41 to the light receiver 42 . The light guide member 43 is formed in a U shape when viewed from the side of the device, and is arranged so that one end side 43 a faces the light emitting section 41 and the other end side 43 b faces the light receiving section 42 .
As the light guide member 43, for example, a resin material such as acrylic, styrene, polyethylene, or polycarbonate can be used. Glass can also be used.

In the present embodiment, the light-emitting unit 41 and the light-receiving unit 42 are arranged across the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 that nips and transports the medium with two rollers in the medium transport direction (Y-axis direction). It is

The light emitting unit 41 and the light receiving unit 42 may be arranged below the medium transport path T1, and the light guide member 43 may be arranged above the medium transport path T1.
That is, the light emitting unit 41 and the light receiving unit 42 are arranged on the same first side with respect to the medium transport path T1 and are shifted in the medium transport direction. It is arranged on the second side opposite from the side where the medium transport path T1 is interposed.

The detecting means 40 can detect the medium at the position of the light emitting section 41 and the position of the light receiving section 42 in the Y-axis direction, which is the medium transport direction. Detection of the medium by the detection means 40 will be described with reference to FIG.
5, before the leading edge of the medium P reaches the detecting means 40, the light L emitted from the light emitting portion 41 passes through the light guide member 43 and is received by the light receiving portion 42. .

As shown in the second diagram from the top of FIG. 5, when the leading edge of the medium P is transported to a position between the light receiving portion 42 and the light guide member 43, the light L is blocked by the medium P and the light is received. The portion 42 stops receiving the light L. When the light receiving section 42 switches from the light receiving state to the non-light receiving state, it can be detected that the leading edge of the medium P has been transported to a position facing the light receiving section 42 .
In FIG. 5, the light-receiving portions 42 in the non-light-receiving state that no longer receive the light L are shown in black, and the light-receiving portions 42 in the light-receiving state that are receiving the light L are shown in white.

The second diagram from the bottom of FIG. 5 shows a state in which the medium P is further transported. Even if the trailing edge of the medium P passes through the position facing the light receiving section 42, the light L from the light emitting section 41 is The light L is blocked by the medium P and does not enter the light guide member 43 . Therefore, the light-receiving part 42 remains in the non-light-receiving state.

As shown in the bottom diagram of FIG. 5, when the rear end of the medium P passes through the position facing the light emitting section 41, the light L from the light emitting section 41 is no longer blocked by the medium P, and the light L is guided. The light is received by the light receiving portion 42 via the member 43 . It can be detected that the trailing edge of the medium P has passed the position facing the light emitting portion 41 by switching the light receiving portion 42 from the non-light receiving state to the light receiving state.

In this way, the detecting means 40 uses a pair of the light-emitting portion 41 and the light-receiving portion 42 to detect the position facing the light-emitting portion 41 shown in the second diagram from the top in FIG. It is possible to detect the medium P at two positions, namely, the light receiving section 42 shown in the bottommost figure and the position facing the light receiving section 42 . In other words, it is possible to inexpensively realize a structure for detecting a medium at two different positions in the medium transport direction with a small number of structural members.

Further, in this embodiment, the light emitting unit 41 and the light receiving unit 42 of the detection unit 40 are arranged across the nip position N1 of the first conveying roller pair 31 arranged on the downstream side of the recording head 10 in the medium conveying direction. It is By arranging the light emitting unit 41 and the light receiving unit 42 across the nip position N1, the medium P can be detected on both the upstream side of the first transport roller pair 31 and the downstream side of the first transport roller pair 31. can do.
Further, when performing double-sided recording, when switching back the medium P from the state shown in the bottom diagram of FIG. The medium P can be detected both on the downstream side of the first transport roller pair 31 and on the downstream side.

In particular, the medium P immediately after printing tends to swell and curl due to soaking in ink. Therefore, jams are likely to occur around the first conveying roller pair 31 located downstream of the recording head 10 .
According to the detection unit 40 of the present embodiment, when the leading edge of the medium P reaches the upstream side of the nip position N1 between the first transport roller pair 31 and the downstream side of the nip position N1 between the first transport roller pair 31, the medium is detected. Since it can be detected that the rear end of P has passed, the reliability of jam detection around the first transport roller pair 31 can be enhanced.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first transport roller pairs 31 are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction that intersects the medium transport direction. , so as to overlap the first transport roller pair 31 in the width direction. A plurality of rollers other than the first transport roller pair 31 are also arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction.

By arranging the light emitting unit 41 and the light receiving unit 42 so as to overlap the first transport roller pair 31 in the width direction, the medium is detected in the vicinity of the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 in the width direction. be able to. Therefore, the accuracy of medium detection by the detecting means 40 can be enhanced.
In the present embodiment, the light receiving section 42 is arranged on the upstream side (-Y side) of the light emitting section 41, but conversely, the light receiving section 42 may be provided on the downstream side of the light emitting section 41. .

<<<Modified example of the first embodiment>>>
7 and 8 show detection means 40A as a modification of the detection means 40 described above.
As shown in FIG. 7, the light-emitting portion 41A and the light-receiving portion 42A of the detection means 40A are arranged to be shifted with respect to the first conveying roller pair 31 in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the light guide member 43A is arranged in the direction D between the axes of the first transport driving roller 31a and the first transport driven roller 31b that constitute the first transport roller pair 31, that is, in FIG. It is formed so as to overlap the first conveying roller pair 31 in the direction indicated by the double-headed arrow with D attached. In this embodiment, the axial direction D is a direction generally along the height direction Z. As shown in FIG.
With the above configuration, the light guide member 43A can be compactly arranged in the inter-axis direction D. As shown in FIG.

In addition, the light emitting unit 41A and the light receiving unit 42A are arranged so as to overlap the first transport drive roller 31a and the first transport driven roller 31b in the Y-axis direction, which is the medium transport direction. As a result, the detector 40A can be arranged compactly in the medium conveying direction. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the medium can be detected at a position closer to the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 .

[Second embodiment]
In this embodiment, the detection means 50, which is another example of the detection means, will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG.
In addition, in the embodiments after this embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are assigned to the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The detecting means 50 according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, includes a plurality of light emitting units provided at different positions in the medium transport direction. In this embodiment, two light emitting units, a first light emitting unit 51 and a second light emitting unit 52, are provided above the medium transport path T1.
There is one light-receiving portion 53 for two light-emitting portions, and the first light-emitting portion 51, the light-receiving portion 53, and the second light-emitting portion 52 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the medium conveying direction.

The first light emitting unit 51 and the light receiving unit 53 are arranged across the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 in the medium transport direction. The second light emitting unit 52 and the light receiving unit 53 are arranged across the nip position N2 of the second transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction.

In other words, the light receiving unit 53 is positioned between the first transport roller pair 31 and the second transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction, and the first light emitting unit 51 is located between the first transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction. 31, and the second light emitting unit 52 is positioned downstream of the second transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction.

On the lower side of the medium transport path T1, a first light guide member 54 and a second light guide member 54 guide light emitted from each of the first light emitting unit 51 and the second light emitting unit 52 to one light receiving unit 53. A light guide member 55 is provided. The first light guide member 54 guides light emitted from the first light emitting section 51 to the light receiving section 53 . The second light guide member 55 guides light emitted from the second light emitting section 52 to the light receiving section 53 .

The detection of the medium by the detection means 50 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG.
As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 10, before the leading edge of the medium P reaches the detecting means 50, the light L1 emitted from the first light emitting portion 51 passes through the first light guide member 54 and is received by the light receiving portion 53. The light L2 emitted from the second light emitting portion 52 passes through the second light guide member 55 and is received by the light receiving portion 53 .

Subsequently, as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 10, when the leading edge of the medium P is transported to a position between the first light emitting section 51 and the first light guide member 54, the medium P emits light L1. Since the light L 1 is blocked and does not enter the first light guide member 54 , the light L 1 is no longer received by the light receiving portion 53 . On the other hand, the light L2 emitted from the second light emitting section 52 is received by the light receiving section 53 .
When the amount of light emitted by the first light emitting unit 51 and the amount of light emitted by the second light emitting unit 52 are the same, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 53 is approximately half of the state shown in the upper diagram of FIG. This state is called a semi-light receiving state.
When the light receiving portion 53 switches from the light receiving state to the semi-light receiving state, it can be detected that the leading edge of the medium P has been transported to a position facing the first light emitting portion 51 .
10 and 11, the light-receiving portions 53 in the semi-light-receiving state are shaded, and the light-receiving portions 53 in the light-receiving state are outlined. A light receiving portion 53 in a non-light-receiving state, which will be described later, is shown in black.

When the medium P is further transported and the leading edge of the medium P is positioned between the light receiving section 53 and both the first light guide member 54 and the second light guide member 55 as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. , the light L2 from the second light emitting portion 52 is blocked by the medium P, so that the light L2 is also not received by the light receiving portion 53, and the light receiving portion 53 enters a non-light receiving state in which neither the light L1 nor the light L2 is received.
It can be detected that the leading edge of the medium P has been conveyed to a position facing the light receiving portion 53 by switching the light receiving portion 53 from the semi-light receiving state to the non-light receiving state.

As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 11, when the trailing edge of the medium P passes through the position facing the light receiving portion 53, the light L1 from the first light emitting portion 51 passes through the first light guide member 54 and reaches the light receiving portion 53. will be received by Since the medium P is between the second light emitting section 52 and the second light guide member 55 , the light L2 from the second light emitting section 52 is not received by the light receiving section 53 . That is, the light receiving portion 53 is in a semi-light receiving state.
It can be detected that the trailing edge of the medium P has passed the position facing the light receiving portion 53 by switching the light receiving portion 53 from the non-light receiving state to the semi-light receiving state.

As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 11, when the trailing edge of the medium P passes through the position facing the second light emitting portion 52, the light L2 from the second light emitting portion 52 is received by the light receiving portion 53. , the light receiving portion 53 enters a light receiving state in which both the light L1 and the light L2 are received.
It can be detected that the trailing edge of the medium has passed the position facing the second light emitting section 52 by switching the light receiving section 53 from the semi-light receiving state to the light receiving state.

In this way, the detection unit 50 detects the positions in the middle diagram of FIG. 10 and the positions in the bottom diagram of FIG. It is possible to detect the passage of the medium P at four positions, the position shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 11 and the position shown in the lower diagram of FIG.
That is, the medium can be detected at a plurality of detection positions without providing a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion for each detection position. Incidentally, it is also possible to provide three or more light-emitting portions for one light-receiving portion.

<<<Modified example of the second embodiment>>>
FIG. 12 shows detection means 50A as a modification of the detection means 50 described above.
As shown in FIG. 12, the detection means 50A has a first light emitting portion 51A, a second light receiving portion 52A, and a light receiving portion 53A arranged in this order from the upstream side in the medium conveying direction: the first light emitting portion 51A; The light receiving section 52A and the light receiving section 53A are arranged in this order.
51 A of 1st light emission parts are arrange|positioned at the upstream of the 1st conveyance roller pair 31, 52 A of 2nd light-receiving parts are arrange|positioned between the 1st conveyance roller pair 31 and the 2nd conveyance roller pair 32, The portion 53A is arranged downstream of the second transport roller pair 32 .

Although not shown, the first light-emitting portion 51A, the second light-receiving portion 52A, and the light-receiving portion 53A are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the medium conveying direction: the light-receiving portion 53A, the first light-emitting portion 51A, and the second light-receiving portion It is also possible to arrange them in the order of the light receiving section 52A.

[Third embodiment]
In this embodiment, the detection means 60, which is another example of the detection means, will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 13, the detection unit 60 according to the third embodiment includes a plurality of light emitting units provided at different positions in the medium conveying direction. In this embodiment, one light emitting unit 61 and two light receiving units 62 and 63 as a plurality of light receiving units are provided above the medium transport path T1.
These are arranged in the order of the first light receiving section 62, the light emitting section 61, and the second light receiving section 63 from the upstream side in the medium conveying direction.

The first light receiving unit 62 and the light emitting unit 61 are arranged across the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 in the medium transport direction. The light emitting unit 61 and the second light receiving unit 63 are arranged across the nip position N2 of the second transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction.

In other words, the light emitting unit 61 is positioned between the first transport roller pair 31 and the second transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction, and the first light receiving unit 62 is positioned between the first transport roller pair in the medium transport direction. The second light receiving unit 63 is positioned upstream of the pair 31 and downstream of the second transport roller pair 32 in the medium transport direction.

Further, on the lower side of the medium transport path T1, there are a first light guide member 64 that guides the light L emitted from the light emitting section 61 to the first light receiving section 62, and the light L emitted from the light emitting section 61, A second light guide member 65 leading to the second light receiving portion 63 is provided.
In other words, a first light guide member 64 and a second light guide member 65, which are a plurality of light guide members, guide the light L emitted from one light emitter 61 to the first light receiver 62 and the second light receiver 63, respectively. Prepare.

The medium detection by the detecting means 60 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG.
As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 14, before the leading edge of the medium P reaches the detection means 60, the light L emitted from the light emitting section 61 passes through the first light guide member 64 and the second light guide member 65. As shown, the light is received by both the first light receiving portion 62 and the second light receiving portion 63 .

Subsequently, as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 14 , when the leading edge of the medium P is conveyed to a position facing the first light guide member 64 , the light L is blocked by the medium P, and the light L reaches the first light receiving section 62 . Light L is no longer received. On the other hand, the second light receiving portion 63 continues to receive the light L.
It can be detected that the leading edge of the medium P has been transported to a position facing the first light receiving portion 62 by switching only the first light receiving portion 62 from the light receiving state to the non-light receiving state.
14 and 15, the first light-receiving portion 62 or the second light-receiving portion 63 in the light-receiving state is shown in black, and the first light-receiving portion 62 or the second light-receiving portion 63 in the light-receiving state is shown in white. indicated by .

When the medium P is further transported and the front end of the medium P faces the light emitting section 61 as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. Neither 64 nor the second light guide member 65 is entered, and both the first light receiving portion 62 and the second light receiving portion 63 are in a non-light receiving state.
When the state in which only the first light receiving section 62 is in the non-light receiving state is switched to the state in which both the first light receiving section 62 and the second light receiving section 63 are in the non-light receiving state, the leading edge of the medium P is It can be detected that the sheet has been transported to a position facing the light emitting section 61 .

As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 15 , when the rear end of the medium P passes through the position facing the light emitting section 61 , the light L from the light emitting section 61 passes through the first light guide member 64 and reaches the first light receiving section 62 . will be received by Since the medium P is between the second light receiving portion 63 and the second light guide member 65 , the light L from the light emitting portion 61 is not received by the second light receiving portion 63 .
When both the first light receiving portion 62 and the second light receiving portion 63 are in the non-light-receiving state, only the second light-receiving portion 63 is in the non-light-receiving state. has passed through a position facing the light-emitting portion 61 .

As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 15 , when the trailing edge of the medium P passes through a position facing the second light receiving section 63 , the light L from the light emitting section 61 reaches the first light receiving section 62 and the second light receiving section 63 . will be received by both
When the state in which only the second light receiving portion 63 is in the non-light receiving state is switched to the state in which both the first light receiving portion 62 and the second light receiving portion 63 are in the light receiving state, the trailing edge of the medium It is possible to detect that the light has passed through the position facing the light receiving portion 63 of No. 2 .

In this way, the detection unit 60 detects the positions shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 14 and the positions shown in the bottom diagram of FIG. It is possible to detect the passage of the medium P at four positions, the position shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 15 and the position shown in the lower diagram of FIG.
That is, the medium can be detected at a plurality of detection positions without providing a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion for each detection position. Also in this embodiment, three or more light receiving portions can be provided for one light emitting portion.

Although not shown, the light emitting portion 61, the first light receiving portion 62, and the second light receiving portion 63 are arranged from the upstream side in the medium conveying direction. It is also possible to arrange them in the order of the part 61, or in the order of the light emitting part 61, the first light receiving part 62, and the second light receiving part 63.

[Fourth embodiment]
In this embodiment, a detection means 70, which is another example of the detection means, will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16, the detecting means 70 includes a plurality of light-emitting portions provided at different positions in the width direction (X-axis direction) intersecting the medium conveying direction (Y-axis direction), that is, first light-emitting portions 71. and a second light emitting portion 72, and a first light guiding member 74 and a second light guiding member 75 that guide the light emitted from each of the first light emitting portion 71 and the second light emitting portion 72 to one light receiving portion 73. I have.

The first light emitting unit 71 and the light receiving unit 73 are arranged across the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 in the medium transport direction. They are arranged across the nip position N1 of the first transport roller pair 31 in the transport direction.
In this embodiment, the first light emitting portion 71 and the second light emitting portion 72 are arranged upstream of the nip position N1, and the light receiving portion 73 is arranged downstream of the nip position N1.
Note that the positional relationship between the first light emitting section 71 and the second light emitting section 72 and the light receiving section 73 in the medium transport direction may be reverse to the arrangement shown in FIG. That is, the light receiving section 73 can be arranged upstream of the nip position N1, and the first light emitting section 71 and the second light emitting section 72 can be arranged downstream of the nip position N1.

The detecting means 70 can detect the medium both upstream and downstream of the nip position N1 of the first conveying roller pair 31, as in the first embodiment. In addition, since the first light emitting unit 71 and the second light emitting unit 72 are provided at the same position in the medium conveying direction but at different positions in the width direction, for example, skew caused by oblique conveying of the medium may occur. It is possible to detect the occurrence of

It is also possible to provide the first light emitting section 71 and the second light emitting section 72 at different positions in the medium conveying direction.
Further, a single light-emitting unit may be provided, and a plurality of light-receiving units arranged at different positions in the medium conveying direction from the light-emitting unit may be provided at different positions in the width direction.

Although a printer has been described above as an example of a medium processing apparatus, a scanner that performs image reading processing on a conveyed medium, for example, can also be used in the same manner.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, which are also included in the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Inkjet printer (medium processing apparatus, recording apparatus), 2... Recording unit, 3... Liquid storage unit, 4... Scanner part, 5... Operation part, 6... Medium tray, 7... Upper supply mechanism, 8... Medium setting part , 9... Medium conveying device 10... Recording head (recording unit) 11... Nozzle 12... Lower feeding mechanism 13... Upper feeding roller 14... Upper separation roller 15... Downstream side feeding roller pair 15a... Downstream feeding driving roller 15b Downstream feeding driven roller 16 Pickup roller 17 Lower feeding roller 18 Lower separation roller 19 Discharge tray 20 Reverse roller 21 Feed roller 22 1st reversing driven roller 23 2nd reversing driven roller 24 3rd reversing driven roller 25 1st feed driven roller 26 2nd feed driven roller 27 carriage 30 upstream transport roller pair , 31... First conveying roller pair 32... Second conveying roller pair 33... Medium supporting member 34... Paper support 35... Storage unit 40... Detecting means 41... Light emitting unit 42... Light receiving unit 43... Light guide member 50 Detecting means 51 First light emitting part 52 Second light emitting part 53 Light receiving part 54 First light guiding member 55 Second light guiding member 60 Detecting means , 61... Light emitting part 62... First light receiving part 63... Second light receiving part 64... First light guide member 65... Second light guide member 70... Detecting means 71... First light emitting part , 72 .. second light emitting unit 73 .. light receiving unit 74 . first light guide member 75 . First junction, G2... Second junction

Claims (7)

a transport unit that transports the medium;
a medium transport path along which the medium transported by the transport unit passes;
detecting means for detecting the medium in the medium transport path;
The detection means is
a plurality of light emitting units arranged on a first side with respect to the medium transport path and emitting light from the first side toward a second side facing the medium transport path across the medium transport path;
one light receiving unit arranged on the first side with respect to the medium transport path and receiving light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units;
a plurality of light guide members arranged on the second side with respect to the medium transport path and guiding light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units to one of the light receiving units;
The plurality of light emitting units are provided at different positions in a width direction that intersects with the medium conveying direction,
The plurality of light emitting units and one light receiving unit are provided at different positions in the medium transport direction,
A medium transport device characterized by: The media transport device of claim 1 , wherein
The transport unit includes a transport roller pair that nips and transports the medium with two rollers,
The light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged across a nip position of the transport roller pair in the medium transport direction.
A medium transport device characterized by: The media transport device of claim 2 , wherein
A plurality of the transport roller pairs are arranged at intervals in a width direction that intersects with the medium transport direction,
The light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged so as to overlap the transport roller pair in the width direction.
A medium transport device characterized by: The media transport device of claim 2 , wherein
A plurality of the transport roller pairs are arranged at intervals in a width direction that intersects with the medium transport direction,
the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged to be shifted with respect to the transport roller pair in the width direction;
The light guide member overlaps the transport roller pair in the axial direction of the two rollers,
A medium transport device characterized by: The medium transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
a processing unit that performs processing on the medium transported through the medium transport path;
A media processing device characterized by: The medium transport device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ;
a processing unit that processes the medium transported through the medium transport path;
The transport roller pair is arranged downstream of the processing unit in the medium transport direction.
A media processing device characterized by: 7. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the recording apparatus includes a recording section that performs recording processing on the medium as the processing section.

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