Recording apparatus, and control method and conveyance device of the same

Abstract

To provide a recording apparatus in which drive control of a drive source for driving a plurality of conveyance means is further effectively performed.SOLUTION: A recording apparatus comprises first conveyance means which is disposed on a conveyance path and conveys a recording medium, second conveyance means which is disposed on the upstream side of the first conveyance means in the conveyance path and conveys the recording medium, a drive source for driving the first conveyance means and the second conveyance means, and control means which controls the drive source and executes a conveyance operation of the conveyance of a second recording medium subsequent to a first recording medium by the second conveyance means in parallel with the conveyance of the first recording medium by the first conveyance means. The control means switches the drive control of the drive source according to the position of the second recording medium when starting the conveyance operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a control method for the recording apparatus, and a transport device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a device that uses a motor as a drive source to transport a sheet. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a recording device that uses an encoder to perform servo control of a DC motor and drives a first roller and a second roller arranged in the transport direction by the DC motor to transport a sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4921055 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts and miniaturizing the device, it is possible to drive multiple conveying rollers with the same motor as in the above-mentioned conventional technology. Also, from the viewpoint of improving sheet conveying efficiency, it is possible to convey the preceding recording medium and the following recording medium in parallel by a conveying means such as multiple conveying rollers arranged in the conveying direction. In this case, the torque required to convey the following recording medium may vary depending on the position of the following recording medium in the conveying path. Therefore, in the case of driving multiple rollers arranged in the conveying direction with the same motor as in the above-mentioned conventional technology, depending on the position of the following recording medium, the motor may have insufficient torque, which may reduce the conveying accuracy or stop the motor from driving.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for more effectively controlling the drive sources that drive a plurality of transport means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a first conveying means provided in the conveying path for conveying the recording medium; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path and configured to convey a recording medium; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; a control means for controlling the driving source to execute a conveying operation in which the second conveying means conveys a second recording medium following the first recording medium in parallel with the conveying of a first recording medium by the first conveying means; A recording device comprising: the control unit switches drive control of the drive source depending on a position of the second recording medium at the time of starting the transport operation. A recording device is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to more effectively control the drive of the drive source that drives the plurality of transport means. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a feed section and a transport section of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 13(a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining the structure of a separation section. [Diagram 5] 4(a) to 4(c) are diagrams illustrating the structure of a separation section. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conveying section and a conveying path. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the printing apparatus. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of a recording operation in the recording device. [Figure 10] 5 is a flowchart showing a continuous feeding operation in the recording apparatus. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a feed drive table of a drive motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Outline of the recording device> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a feed section 2 and a transport section 5 of the recording apparatus 1 of Fig. 1.

[0011] The recording device 1 records on a recording medium. In this embodiment, the recording device 1 is a serial type inkjet recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink onto the recording medium. The recording device 1 includes a feed unit 2, a conveyance unit 5, a drive motor 6 (see FIG. 6), a recording unit 7, and a discharge unit 8.

[0012] The feeding unit 2 and the conveying unit 5 convey a recording medium (sheet). The feeding unit 2 includes a pickup roller 111. The conveying unit 5 includes a conveying roller 51, a discharge roller 53, and a pair of intermediate rollers 3. The feeding unit 2 and the conveying unit 5 will be described in detail later.

[0013] The recording unit 7 performs recording on the conveyed recording medium. For example, the recording unit 7 includes a recording head 71 (see FIG. 8) capable of ejecting ink, and a carriage 72 (see FIG. 8) that mounts the recording head 71 and can move back and forth in a scanning direction (a width direction of the recording medium that intersects with the conveying direction). For example, the recording head 71 moves in the scanning direction by the carriage 72, making it possible to perform recording at any position in the width direction of the recording medium.

[0014] The recording medium on which recording has been performed in the recording unit 7 is discharged from the discharge unit 8. The discharge unit 8 includes a discharge tray 81. The recording medium on which recording has been performed in the recording unit 7 is discharged to the discharge tray 81 by a discharge roller 53 of the conveying unit 5, which will be described later.

[0015] The drive motor 6 transmits its driving force to the conveying roller 51, the discharge roller 53, the intermediate roller 3a, and the rollers of the feed unit 2 via a gear train 37. That is, the drive motor 6 drives each of the multiple rollers that convey the recording medium. For example, the conveying roller 51 and the pickup roller 111 are driven by the same drive motor 6.

[0016] In this embodiment, a transport path CP for the recording medium is formed in the recording device 1. The transport path CP is a path that runs from the feeding section 2 through the transport section 5 to the discharge section 8. This will be described in detail later. In the following, the feeding section 2 side of the transport path CP is referred to as the upstream side in the transport direction, and the discharge section 8 side is referred to as the downstream side in the transport direction. Also, the drive direction of the drive motor 6 when the transport rollers 51 rotate to transport the recording medium downstream in the transport direction may be referred to as the forward direction, and the drive direction of the drive motor 6 when the transport rollers 51 rotate to transport the recording medium upstream in the transport direction may be referred to as the reverse direction.

[0017] <Feeding section> Please also refer to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the feeding unit 2. The feeding unit 2 feeds (conveys) the recording medium to the transport unit 5. The feeding unit 2 includes a cassette 100, a pickup roller unit 110, and a separation unit 120.

[0018] The cassette 100 can store a plurality of stacked recording media. In this embodiment, the cassette 100 is provided at the bottom of the housing of the recording device 1. More specifically, the cassette 100 is provided below the recording unit 7. The cassette 100 includes a loading unit 101 for loading recording media, and left and right side guides 102a and 102b for guiding the widthwise sides of the recording media. The left and right side surfaces of the recording media are aligned by the side guides 102a and 102b. The side guides 102a and 102b are adjustable in position according to the width of the recording media, and are configured to face both sides of the recording media, move in conjunction with the directions of the arrows A1 and B1 that approach each other, and move in conjunction with the directions of the arrows A2 and B2 that move away from each other. This allows the recording media to be aligned so that the center of the width direction (X direction in the figure) is always at a fixed position. The loading unit 101 can also move in the directions of the arrows Y1 and Y2, and is moved by the user. For example, the recording media are loaded (set) when the loading section 101 is pulled out to the maximum in the Y2 direction.

[0019] The pickup roller unit 110 is a unit for feeding (conveying) the recording medium. The recording medium loaded in the cassette 100 is fed to the conveying section 5 by a pickup roller 111 included in the pickup roller unit 110. The pickup roller unit 110 is disposed above the loading section 101. The pickup roller unit 110 includes a pickup roller 111, a pickup arm 112, and a drive shaft 113.

[0020] The pickup roller 111 is provided on the conveying path CP upstream of the conveying roller 51 in the conveying direction, and conveys the recording medium along the conveying path CP. The pickup roller 111 also conveys the recording medium stacked on the stacker 101 to the conveying path CP.

[0021] The pickup arm 112 can rotate around the drive shaft 113 in the directions of the arrows C1 and C2 depending on the stacking height of the recording media stacked on the stacker 101. A pickup roller 111 that feeds the topmost recording medium is provided at the tip of the pickup arm 112. A driving force from a drive motor 6 (not shown) is transmitted to the pickup roller 111 via the drive shaft 113 and an idler gear (not shown). The pickup roller unit 110 is also provided with a biasing member (not shown) that biases the pickup arm 112 in the direction of the arrow C1. When the pickup roller unit 110 is in a standby state, the biasing member presses the pickup roller 111 against the recording media with a predetermined biasing force. The pickup roller 111 is positioned so as to abut against the recording media at the center of the recording media in the width direction.

[0022] The separation unit 120 separates the topmost recording medium from the other recording media among the recording media stacked on the stacking unit 101. FIGS. 4(a) to 5(c) are diagrams for explaining the structure of the separation unit 120. The separation unit 120 is disposed on the downstream side (arrow Y1 side) of the stacking unit 101 in the recording medium feeding direction. The separation unit 120 is provided with an inclined surface member 121 and a separation piece 122. The inclined surface member 121 has an inclined surface that forms an obtuse angle with respect to the recording medium feeding direction (arrow Y1 direction) so as to apply a predetermined separation resistance force to the recording medium. A plurality of arc-shaped protrusions 122a are continuously formed on the upper surface of the separation piece 122 at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction (FIG. 4(b)). A valley portion 122b is formed between the protrusions 122a. The separation piece 122 is movable in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 along a guide portion 123 provided on the inclined surface member 121 (FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). In a standby state, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the separation piece 122 abuts against Y-direction abutment surfaces 125a and 125b of the inclined surface member 121 by the urging force of the urging member 124 in the direction of arrow Y2, and protrudes from the inclined surface member 121 in the direction of arrow Y2. When the recording medium is fed, the separation piece 122 is pushed by the recording medium on the stacking unit 101, and moves in the direction of arrow Y1. However, depending on the frictional resistance between the guide portion 123 and the separation piece, and the position where the separation piece 122 is pressed by the urging member 124 and the recording medium, when the position where the separation piece 122 is pressed by the recording medium is low, the separation piece 122 rotates around the guide portion 123 as the center of rotation as shown in FIG. 5(b), and when the position where the separation piece 122 is pressed is high, the separation piece 122 moves in parallel in the Y1 direction as shown in FIG. 5(c).

[0023] <Transportation section> Please refer to Figures 6 and 7 in addition to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the conveying unit 5. Also, Figure 7 is a schematic view of the conveying unit 5 and the conveying path CP.

[0024] The conveying section 5 includes a conveying roller 51, a pinch roller 52, a discharge roller 53, a spur 54, and a pair of intermediate rollers 3.

[0025] The transport roller 51 transports the recording medium along the transport path CP. The transport roller 51 also transports the recording medium to a recording position by the recording unit 7. The pinch roller 52 is provided facing the transport roller 51. The discharge roller 53 and the spur 54, which face each other, discharge the recording medium to the discharge tray 81. The intermediate roller pair 3 is composed of intermediate rollers 3a and 3b, which face each other. The intermediate roller 3a is provided between the transport roller 51 and the pickup roller 111 on the transport path CP.

[0026] As described above, in this embodiment, the drive motor 6 drives various rollers constituting the feeding section 2 and the transport section 5. That is, the recording medium is transported in the recording device 1 by one drive source. More specifically, the pickup roller 111, the intermediate roller 3a, the transport roller 51, and the discharge roller 53 are all rotated by a drive train connected to the drive motor 6 as a drive source. A specific description will be given below.

[0027] The transport roller 51 and the discharge roller 53 are connected to the drive motor 6 by a gear train 37, and when the drive motor 6 drives the transport roller 51 in the direction of the arrow A in the figure, the transport roller 51 and the discharge roller 53 each rotate in a direction to transport the recording medium downstream in the transport direction. When the drive motor 6 drives the transport roller 51 in the direction of the arrow B in the figure, the transport roller 51 and the discharge roller 53 each rotate in a direction to transport the recording medium upstream in the transport direction.

[0028] A gear train (not shown) connects the transport roller 51 to the input gear 33 of the feeding section 2, and when the transport roller 51 rotates in the direction of the arrow A, the input gear 33 of the feeding section 2 rotates in the direction of A in Fig. 6, i.e., in the direction for performing the feeding operation. When the transport roller 51 rotates in the direction of the arrow B, the input gear of the feeding section 2 rotates in the direction of B in Fig. 6, i.e., in the direction for performing the feeding preparation operation. The drive amount of the drive motor 6 is detected by an encoder 813 (see Fig. 8), and the speed and drive amount of the drive motor 6 are controlled by performing various controls such as PID control.

[0029] Next, a description will be given of the transport path CP for the recording medium of the recording device 1. The recording medium fed by the pickup roller 111 of the feeding unit 2 passes through the transport path CP indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 7, and is first guided by the inclined surface member 121 and the U-turn member 131, and is transported to the intermediate roller pair 3. The recording medium further transported by the intermediate roller pair 3 is guided by the pinch roller holder 55 and the guide unit 56, and is fed to the transport roller 51.

[0030] The recording medium fed to the transport rollers 51 undergoes skew correction and other operations before being transported to a recording position by the recording unit 7. The recording unit 7 records on the recording medium that has been transported to the recording position. The recording medium transported from the transport rollers 51 is guided by a platen 58 and a spur base 59, and then reaches the discharge rollers 53. During the recording operation, the recording medium is transported by the transport rollers 51, the discharge rollers 53, or both, and is discharged onto a discharge tray 81 after the recording operation is completed. The platen 58 also guides the recording medium so as to maintain a constant distance between the recording medium transported to the recording unit 7 and the nozzles.

[0031] In this embodiment, the curved section CP1 of the transport path CP is formed by the inclined surface member 121 and the U-turn member 131. That is, the inclined surface member 121 and the U-turn member 131 are an example of a path forming member that forms the curved section CP1 of the transport path CP.

[0032] In addition, an end detection lever 57 is provided on the pinch roller holder 55. When the recording medium passes through the transport path CP, the end detection lever 57 is rotated to detect the leading and trailing end positions of the recording medium. That is, the recording medium is detected at a detection position on the transport path. For example, the end detection lever 57 detects the leading end position of the recording medium during a feeding operation and detects the trailing end position during a recording operation or a discharging operation, and the actual length of the recording medium can be measured based on the drive amount of the drive motor 6 required to detect the leading end position and the trailing end position. Note that, although an example is shown here in which the end detection lever 57 mechanically detects the end of the recording medium, the end of the recording medium may be optically detected by a photosensor or the like.

[0033] When performing the continuous feeding operation described later, after the rear end of the preceding recording medium passes the pickup roller 111, the subsequent recording medium is fed by the pickup roller 111 at a predetermined interval due to a delay in the gear train or the like, thereby performing continuous feeding operations.

[0034] <Control configuration> FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the recording device 1. The control unit 802 performs overall control of the recording device 1. The control unit 802 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The storage unit 803 includes a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The ROM stores various programs. The RAM provides a system work memory for the CPU as the control unit 802 to operate, and is also used to temporarily store various data. For example, the CPU as the control unit 802 reads out a program stored in the ROM included in the storage unit 803 from the RAM included in the storage unit 803 and executes it, thereby realizing various functions of the recording device 1. The non-volatile storage unit 804 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), and stores various programs, data, etc.

[0035] The operation unit 805 accepts operation input by the user. The operation unit 805 may include, for example, a touch panel or hard keys. For example, the control unit 802 controls the operation of the recording device 1 according to the operation content of the operation unit 805 by the user, i.e., the instruction content. The control unit 802 can also accept instructions related to the operation of the recording device 1 from an input device 801 such as a PC or a smartphone. Furthermore, the display unit 806 displays various information.

[0036] The control unit 802 also acquires the detection results of the end detection lever 57, the loading detection sensor 808, and the encoder 813, and controls the drive motor 6 and the recording unit 7 based on these detection results. The operation of the drive motor 6 is controlled by the control unit 802, thereby driving various rollers included in the feed unit 2 and the transport unit 5. Here, the loading detection sensor 808 detects the loading state of the recording media in the stacking unit 101. The encoder 813 detects the driving amount of the drive motor 6.

[0037] The control of the drive motor 6 will be further described. In this embodiment, the drive motor 6 is a DC motor, and the control unit 802 controls the DC motor by a PWM value. For example, the control unit 802 controls the power (PWM value) supplied to the drive motor 6 in accordance with the load fluctuation so that the drive motor 6 rotates at a target rotation speed. At this time, the control unit 802 adjusts the PWM value based on the difference between the actual rotation speed of the drive motor 6 based on the detection result of the encoder 813 and the target rotation speed of the drive motor 6. Furthermore, in a continuous feeding operation described later, the control unit 802 switches the drive control of the drive motor 6 in accordance with the position of the recording medium S2 at the start of the conveying operation.

[0038] <Example of operation> <Outline of recording operation> FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an outline of the recording operation in the recording device 1.

[0039] In S101, the control unit 802 receives a recording instruction from the user via the operation unit 805 or the input device 801.

[0040] In S102, the control unit 802 performs a feeding operation. The control unit 802 drives the feeding unit 2 by the drive motor 6 to feed the uppermost recording medium among the recording media stacked in the stacking unit 101 to the conveying unit 5. In S103, the control unit 802 performs a recording operation by the recording unit 7 on the recording medium conveyed to the conveying unit 5. Here, the recording head 71 performs a recording operation for one pass while moving in the width direction of the recording medium.

[0041] In S104, the control unit 802 determines whether or not to perform the next recording by the next recording unit 7. The next recording here refers to one pass of recording performed after the recording medium on which one pass of recording has been performed in S103 has been sent a predetermined amount. If the control unit 802 determines to perform recording on the next recording medium, the process proceeds to S105, otherwise the process proceeds to S107. For example, the control unit 802 proceeds to S107 when recording has been performed over the entire recording area of ​​the recording medium.

[0042] In S105, the control unit 802 executes a continuous feed determination operation. This will be described in detail later. In S106, the control unit 802 executes a recording operation on the recording medium. Here, as in S103, one pass of recording operation is performed while the recording head 71 moves in the width direction of the recording medium.

[0043] After the recording operation in S106, the control unit 802 returns to S104. That is, the control unit 802 repeats S104 to S106 to perform recording over the entire recording area of ​​the recording medium.

[0044] In S107, the control unit 802 performs a discharge operation. The control unit 802 drives the discharge roller 53 by the drive motor 6 to discharge the recorded recording medium to the discharge tray 81. Thereafter, the control unit 802 ends the recording operation. Note that although the recording operation for one recording medium is shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 802 repeats this flowchart until recording of all pages included in the recording job is completed.

[0045] If the control unit 802 detects an abnormality using the edge detection lever 57, the stack detection sensor 808, the encoder 813, or the like during execution of the above flow, it displays an error message or an instruction to the user on the display unit 806. Examples of the content of the error include a paper jam error, an out-of-paper error, an out-of-ink error, and the like.

[0046] <Continuous feeding operation> Next, the continuous feeding operation will be described. In this embodiment, the continuous feeding operation refers to an operation in which the conveying operation of the recording medium being recorded (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as recording medium S1) and the conveying (feeding) operation of the next recording medium (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as recording medium S2) are performed in parallel. This continuous feeding operation allows the recording operation of recording medium S2 to proceed quickly after the recording operation of recording medium S1 is completed, thereby shortening the time required for recording on multiple recording media.

[0047] On the other hand, in a continuous feeding operation, the torque required during feeding may vary depending on the position of the recording medium S2 on the conveying path CP. For example, when viewed in the direction of FIG. 7, when the leading edge of the recording medium S2 in the conveying direction is located in a curved section in the conveying direction, the torque required may be relatively larger than when the leading edge is located in a straight section. If the required torque is large, the drive motor 6 may have insufficient torque, which may reduce the accuracy of the conveying control or stop the drive of the drive motor 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, the continuous feeding operation is performed while suppressing the occurrence of insufficient torque according to the following flowchart.

[0048] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the continuous feeding operation in the recording apparatus 1, and shows a specific example of the process of S105 in FIG.

[0049] In S201, the control unit 802 judges whether the conditions for performing the continuous feeding operation are met, and if so, proceeds to S203, otherwise proceeds to S202. For example, depending on the size, thickness, material, basis weight, and conveying speed during recording of the recording medium, the torque required to convey a single recording medium may be large, and performing the continuous feeding operation may not be appropriate. Therefore, the control unit 802 judges whether to perform the continuous feeding operation based on information such as the size and type of the recording medium and the setting of the conveying speed during recording acquired from the recording job or the setting information of the recording device 1 stored in the storage unit 803, etc.

[0050] In S202, the control unit 802 cuts off the transmission of the driving force from the drive motor 6 to the pickup roller 111. After that, the control unit 802 proceeds to S206.

[0051] In S203, the control unit 802 specifies the leading edge position of the succeeding recording medium S2. In this embodiment, the control unit 802 specifies the leading edge position of the succeeding recording medium S2 using the detection result of the end detection lever 57. Specifically, the control unit 802 specifies the leading edge position of the recording medium S2 based on the leading edge position of the recording medium S1 specified by the end detection lever 57, the length of the recording medium S1 in the transport direction, and the distance in the transport direction between the rear edge of the recording medium S1 and the leading edge of the recording medium S2.

[0052] More specifically, the control unit 802 first obtains the transport amount d1 of the recording medium S1 after the leading edge of the recording medium S1 is detected by the end detection lever 57 from the detection result of the encoder 813. Then, the control unit 802 calculates the distance L1 from the detection position of the end detection lever 57 to the trailing edge of the recording medium S1 from the transport amount d1 and the length lp of the recording medium. The length lp can be obtained, for example, from a setting value included in the recording job.

[0053] The relationship between the conveyance amount d1, length lp, and distance L1 is expressed as L1=lp-d1. Using this relationship and the delay amount pp of the gear train described above, the distance L2 from the end detection lever 57 to the tip of the recording medium S2 can be expressed as L2=lp-d1+pp. With this configuration, the tip position P of the recording medium S2 can be identified without providing a sensor or the like in the specified area A1.

[0054] In S204, the control unit 802 determines whether the stop position P of the leading edge of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1, and if so, proceeds to S205, and if not, proceeds to S206.

[0055] In this embodiment, the predetermined area A1 is an area based on the transport load of the recording medium. More specifically, the predetermined area A1 is an area where the transport load becomes relatively high during the feeding operation of the recording medium. Specifically, the predetermined area A1 in this embodiment is an area between the pickup roller 111 and the pair of intermediate rollers 3. This is because, when the inclined surface member 121 and the U-turn member 131 are present on the transport path CP from the pickup roller 111 to the pair of intermediate rollers 3 as in this embodiment, the transport load of the recording medium becomes high in the curved section formed by these members. In this regard, in this embodiment, it can be said that the curved section formed by the path forming members such as the inclined surface member 121 and the U-turn member 131 is set as the predetermined area A.

[0056] The area where the transport load is high is not limited to the above, depending on the arrangement and number of various rollers and transport guide members. Also, there may be multiple areas where the transport load is high.

[0057] Whether the stop position P at the leading end of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1 can be determined as follows. That is, let the distance from the end detection lever 57 to the intermediate roller pair 3 be the distance Ps1, and the distance from the end detection lever 57 to the pickup roller 111 be the distance Ps2. At this time, when the distance L2 from the end detection lever 57 to the leading end of the recording medium S2 satisfies Ps1 < L2 < Ps2, it can be determined that the stop position is in the predetermined area A1.

[0058] In S205, the control unit 802 changes the feed drive table. For example, the control unit 802 changes the feed drive table to one with a low acceleration.

[0059] FIG. 11 shows an example of the feed drive table. Here, Table 1 is a table used when the continuous feed operation is not performed or when the continuous feed operation is performed and the leading end position of the recording medium S2 is outside the predetermined area A1. Table 2 is a table used when the continuous feed operation is performed and the leading end position of the recording medium S2 is in the predetermined area A1. The control unit 802 changes the feed drive table from Table 1 to Table 2. The rotational speed of the drive motor 6 during constant-speed rotation in Table 2 is the same as that in Table 1, but the acceleration is set to be smaller than that in Table 1.

[0060] That is, when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1, the control unit 802 switches the drive control of the drive motor 6 so that the acceleration of the drive motor 6 is smaller than when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is not located in the predetermined area A1. Here, the control unit 802 changes the acceleration of the drive motor 6. However, it is sufficient that the drive (output) of the drive motor 6 is controlled so as to be limited when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1 compared to when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is not located in the predetermined area A1. For example, the control unit 802 may switch the drive control of the drive motor 6 so that the rotation speed of the drive motor 6 is smaller when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1 than when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is not located in the predetermined area A1. The rotation speed here is the rotation speed during constant speed rotation after acceleration. Alternatively, the control unit 802 may switch the drive control of the drive motor 6 so that both the acceleration and the rotation speed of the drive motor 6 are smaller when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1 than when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is not located in the predetermined area A1.

[0061] In S206, the control unit 802 performs the feeding and conveying operation. Here, if the condition for performing the continuous feeding operation is not satisfied (S201: No), the transmission of the drive to the pickup roller 111 is cut off (S202), so only the conveying operation of the preceding recording medium S1 is performed. Also, if the condition for performing the continuous feeding operation is satisfied (S201: Yes) and the leading edge of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1 (S204: Yes), the feeding drive table is changed and the continuous feeding operation is performed. That is, the continuous feeding operation is performed with the driving of the driving motor 6 restricted. Also, if the condition for performing the continuous feeding operation is satisfied (S201: Yes) and the leading edge of the recording medium S2 is not located in the predetermined area A1 (S204: No), the continuous feeding operation is performed without changing the feeding drive table. That is, the continuous feeding operation is performed with the driving of the driving motor 6 not restricted. After that, the control unit 802 ends the flowchart.

[0062] As described above, in the present embodiment, the drive control of the drive motor 6 is switched according to the position of the subsequent recording medium S1. Therefore, it is possible to execute a continuous feeding operation while suppressing the occurrence of torque shortage in the drive motor 6. That is, it is possible to more effectively perform the drive control of the drive source that drives a plurality of conveying means.

[0063] <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, when the leading end of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1, the control unit 802 switches the drive control of the drive motor 6 so that the acceleration of the drive motor 6 is smaller than when it is not. This suppresses the drive load of the drive motor 6 from becoming too large. On the other hand, if the drive of the drive motor 6 is suppressed more than necessary, there is a risk of reducing the efficiency of the recording operation. Therefore, the control unit 802 may relax the restriction according to the PWM value during the restriction of the drive of the drive motor 6.

[0064] For example, when performing recording on a plurality of recording media, the control unit 802 checks the PWM value when performing drive control of the drive motor 6 according to Table 2 in FIG. 11 for a plurality of times (for example, 1 to 3 times). Then, when the maximum value of the confirmed PWM values is equal to or less than the threshold value, the control unit 802 may change the acceleration of the drive motor 6 to a3 (a2 < a3 < a1) when the recording medium S2 is in the predetermined area A1. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately switch the drive control of the drive motor 6 according to the remaining force with respect to the load of the drive motor 6. Further, a plurality of tables with different accelerations may be prepared in advance, and the table may be selected according to the confirmed PWM value.

[0065] Note that when the drive of the drive motor 6 is restricted by the rotational speed, the control unit 802 may relax the restriction by increasing the rotational speed.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the length lp of the recording medium S1 obtained from the setting values ​​included in the recording job is used. As another aspect, the length lp obtained from the setting values ​​included in the recording job may be used for the first plurality of recording media, and the length lp as the measurement result for the first plurality of recording media may be used for the subsequent recording media. The length lp of the recording medium can be measured by obtaining the amount of rotation of the drive motor 6 while the end detection lever 57 detects the recording medium with the encoder 813, and converting the amount of rotation of the drive motor 6 into the conveyance amount of the conveyance roller 51.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the leading edge position of the recording medium S2 is specified based on the position of the recording medium S1. However, the method of specifying the leading edge position of the recording medium S2 can be changed as appropriate. For example, a sensor for detecting the recording medium may be provided in a predetermined area A1, and the leading edge position of the recording medium S2 may be specified to be in the predetermined area A1 based on the detection result of the sensor. As an example, sensors for detecting the recording medium may be provided at the upstream end and downstream end of the predetermined area A1. Then, the control unit 802 may determine that the leading edge of the recording medium S2 is located in the predetermined area A1 during the period from when the sensor at the upstream end detects the recording medium S2 to when the sensor at the downstream end detects the recording medium S2. Alternatively, the leading edge position of the recording medium S2 may be specified based on the detection result of an encoder or the like that detects the rotation angle of the pickup roller 111.

[0068] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0069] <Additional Notes> The above-described embodiment discloses at least the following recording apparatus, control method for the recording apparatus, and conveying apparatus.

[0070] (Item 1) a first conveying means provided in the conveying path for conveying the recording medium; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path and configured to convey a recording medium; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; a control means for controlling the driving source to execute a conveying operation in which the second conveying means conveys a second recording medium following the first recording medium in parallel with the conveying of a first recording medium by the first conveying means; A recording device comprising: the control unit switches drive control of the drive source depending on a position of the second recording medium at the time of starting the transport operation. A recording device comprising:

[0071] (Item 2) Item 1. The recording device according to item 1, the control unit switches the drive control when a leading edge of the second recording medium in a conveying direction is located in a predetermined area based on a conveying load of the recording medium. A recording device comprising:

[0072] (Item 3) The recording device according to any one of items 2 to 5, A path forming member that forms a curved section of the transport path is further provided, The predetermined area is the curved section formed by the path forming member. A recording device comprising:

[0073] (Item 4) 4. The recording device according to any one of items 2 to 3, A recording means for recording on a recording medium; a third conveying means provided between the first conveying means and the second conveying means in the conveying path; Further equipped with the first transport means transports the recording medium to a recording position by the recording means; The predetermined area is a section between the second conveying means and the third conveying means. A recording device comprising:

[0074] (Item 5) Item 5. The recording device according to item 4, An inclined surface member is provided in the section. A recording device comprising:

[0075] (Item 6) 6. A recording device according to any one of items 4 to 5, Further comprising a loading section for loading the recording medium, The second transport means transports the recording medium loaded on the loading section to the transport path. A recording device comprising:

[0076] (Item 7) The recording device according to any one of items 2 to 6, the control means switches the drive control so that, when the leading end of the second recording medium is located in the predetermined area, the acceleration of the drive source is smaller than when the leading end of the second recording medium is not located in the predetermined area. A recording device comprising:

[0077] (Item 8) A recording device according to any one of items 2 to 7, the control means switches the drive control so that, when the leading end of the second recording medium is located in the predetermined area, the rotation speed of the drive source is slower than when the leading end of the second recording medium is not located in the predetermined area. A recording device comprising:

[0078] (Item 9) A recording device according to any one of items 1 to 8, The drive source is a DC motor, The control means controls the DC motor by a PWM value. A recording device comprising:

[0079] (Item 10) Item 9. The recording device according to item 9, the control means, when a leading edge of the second recording medium in a transport direction is located in a predetermined area based on a transport load of the recording medium, limits the driving of the drive source more than when the leading edge of the second recording medium is not located in the predetermined area; The control means relaxes the restriction in response to the PWM value during the restriction on the drive of the drive source. A recording device comprising:

[0080] (Item 11) A recording device according to any one of items 1 to 10, a detection unit for detecting the recording medium at a detection position on the transport path, the control means switches drive control of the drive source in response to a position of the second recording medium identified using a detection result of the detection means. A recording device comprising:

[0081] (Item 12) Item 12. The recording device according to item 11, the control means determines a leading end position of the second recording medium based on the leading end position of the first recording medium determined by the detection means, the length of the first recording medium in the transport direction, and a distance between the rear end of the first recording medium and the leading end of the second recording medium in the transport direction. A recording device comprising:

[0082] (Item 13) A recording device according to any one of items 1 to 12, A recording head for recording on a recording medium; a carriage for moving the recording head in a width direction of the recording medium that intersects with a conveying direction; Further comprising: A recording device comprising:

[0083] (Item 14) a first conveying means provided in the conveying path for conveying the recording medium; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path and configured to convey a recording medium; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; A method for controlling a recording device comprising: controlling the driving source to execute a conveying operation in which the second conveying means conveys a second recording medium following the first recording medium in parallel with conveying of a first recording medium by the first conveying means; switching a drive control of the drive source in accordance with a position of the second recording medium at the time of starting the transport operation; Including, A recording device comprising:

[0084] (Item 15) A conveying device, comprising: a first conveying means provided in the conveying path for conveying a sheet; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path and configured to convey a sheet; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; a control means for controlling the driving source to execute a conveying operation in which the second conveying means conveys a second sheet following the first sheet in parallel with the conveying of a first sheet by the first conveying means; A conveying device comprising: the control unit switches drive control of the drive source depending on a position of the second sheet at the time of starting the conveying operation. A conveying device characterized by the above.

[0085] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1: recording device, 2: feeding section, 5: conveying section, 51: conveying roller, 111: pickup roller

Claims

1. a first conveying means provided on the conveying path for conveying the recording medium; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path, for conveying a recording medium; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; a control unit that controls the drive source to execute a conveying operation in which the second conveying unit conveys a second recording medium following the first recording medium in parallel with the conveying of a first recording medium by the first conveying unit; A recording device comprising: the control unit switches the drive control of the drive source when the leading edge of the second recording medium in the conveyance direction is located in a predetermined area based on a conveyance load of the recording medium. A recording device characterized by:

2. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, a path forming member that forms a curved section of the conveying path; the predetermined area is the curved section formed by the path forming member, A recording device characterized by:

3. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, a recording means for recording on a recording medium; a third conveying means provided between the first conveying means and the second conveying means on the conveying path; Furthermore, the first transport means transports the recording medium to a recording position by the recording means; the predetermined area is a section between the second conveying means and the third conveying means; A recording device characterized by:

4. 4. The recording device according to claim 3, An inclined surface member is provided in the section. A recording device characterized by:

5. 4. The recording device according to claim 3, Further, a loading section for loading recording media is provided, the second conveying means conveys the recording medium loaded on the loading section to the conveying path; A recording device characterized by:

6. The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the control means switches the drive control so that, when the leading edge of the second recording medium is located in the predetermined area, the acceleration of the drive source is smaller than when the leading edge of the second recording medium is not located in the predetermined area. A recording device characterized by:

7. The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the control means switches the drive control so that, when the leading edge of the second recording medium is located in the predetermined area, the rotation speed of the drive source is slower than when the leading edge of the second recording medium is not located in the predetermined area. A recording device characterized by:

8. The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the drive source is a DC motor, The control means controls the DC motor using a PWM value. A recording device characterized by:

9. 9. The recording device according to claim 8, the control unit limits the driving of the drive source when the leading edge of the second recording medium in the conveying direction is located in a predetermined area based on a conveying load of the recording medium, more than when the leading edge of the second recording medium is not located in the predetermined area; the control means relaxes the restriction on the drive of the drive source in accordance with the PWM value during the restriction. A recording device characterized by:

10. The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a detection unit for detecting the recording medium at a detection position on the transport path; the control unit switches the drive control of the drive source in accordance with the position of the second recording medium identified using the detection result of the detection unit. A recording device characterized by:

11. 11. The recording device according to claim 10, the control means determines the leading edge position of the second recording medium based on the leading edge position of the first recording medium determined by the detection means, the length of the first recording medium in the transport direction, and the distance between the rear edge of the first recording medium and the leading edge of the second recording medium in the transport direction; A recording device characterized by:

12. The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a recording head for recording on a recording medium; a carriage for moving the recording head in a width direction of the recording medium that intersects with the conveying direction; Further provided with A recording device characterized by:

13. a first conveying means provided on the conveying path for conveying the recording medium; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path, for conveying a recording medium; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; A control method for a recording device comprising: controlling the driving source to perform a conveying operation in which, in parallel with conveying of a first recording medium by the first conveying means, the second conveying means conveys a second recording medium following the first recording medium; switching drive control of the drive source when the leading edge of the second recording medium in the conveying direction is located in a predetermined area based on a conveying load of the recording medium; Including, A method for controlling a recording apparatus.

14. A first conveying means provided on the conveying path for conveying a sheet; a second conveying means provided upstream of the first conveying means in the conveying path and configured to convey a sheet; a drive source that drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means; a control unit that controls the drive source to execute a conveying operation in which the second conveying unit conveys a second sheet following the first sheet in parallel with the conveying of a first sheet by the first conveying unit; A conveying device comprising: the control unit switches the drive control of the drive source when the leading edge of the second sheet in the conveying direction is located in a predetermined area based on a sheet conveying load. A conveying device characterized by:

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