Conveyance device and preprocessing device

Abstract

To accurately perform positioning of a long-length medium position during conveyance thereof.SOLUTION: A conveyance device connected to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a long-length medium as a recording medium that is long in a conveyance direction comprises: a holding part for holding the long-length medium; a first positioning part for positioning the long-length medium in the conveyance direction, that comes into contact with a rear end part in the conveyance direction of the long-length medium; and a second positioning part for positioning the long-length medium in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, that comes into contact with a first side part and a second side part of the long-length medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device and a pre-processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] When forming images on recording media that are long in the transport direction (hereinafter referred to as "long media"), known as "long length," a technology is known in which a transport device is installed upstream of the image forming device in order to transport the long media to the image forming device.

[0003] Specifically, the conveying device includes a tray on which the recording medium is placed, and a device for conveying the recording medium on the tray to the image forming device. The conveying device further includes an opening for housing the tray and connecting the image forming device. Technology for connecting the conveying device to the image forming device in this manner is known (for example, see Patent Document 1, etc.). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional techniques are unable to precisely align the position of the long medium to be transported with respect to references in the transport direction and the perpendicular direction. Therefore, if the long medium is transported to a downstream image forming device without sufficient alignment, there is a problem that errors and other problems may occur in image formation.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to accurately align the position of a long medium when it is being transported. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, a conveying device includes: A conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a long medium that is a recording medium that is long in a conveying direction, a holding section for holding the long medium; a first alignment unit that contacts a rear end of the long medium in a transport direction and aligns the long medium in the transport direction; a second alignment unit that contacts a first side portion and a second side portion of the long medium and aligns the long medium in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the position of the long medium can be adjusted with high precision when it is transported. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of how an image forming apparatus and a conveying device are connected. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a connection between the image forming apparatus and the conveying device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example before operation in the first example. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example after operation in the first example. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example before operation in the second example. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example after operation in the second example. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a light source. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state before the switch is pressed. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the switch is pressed. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of installation of a fixing member. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of installation of a fixing member. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of pedestal positioning using light. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing an example of pedestal alignment using light from another perspective. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is an example of a state after alignment. [Figure 15]FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of alignment in a comparative example. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of alignment in the comparative example. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of alignment in the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, specific examples will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment is not limited to the specific examples described below.

[0010] [Example of connection between image forming device and conveying device] 1 is a diagram showing a first example of connecting an image forming apparatus and a conveying device. The following describes an example in which paper is used as the long medium. In the following example, the paper is separated one by one from a "paper stack 8" which is a stack of multiple papers, and conveyed.

[0011] Hereinafter, the conveying direction will be referred to as the "Y-axis direction." The Y-axis direction will also be the longitudinal direction of the paper. The direction perpendicular to the conveying direction will be referred to as the "X-axis direction." The X-axis direction will also be referred to as the width direction of the paper. The direction perpendicular to the XY plane will be referred to as the "Z-axis direction." The Z-axis direction will also be referred to as the vertical direction and the direction of gravity.

[0012] The image forming system 100 is composed of an image forming apparatus 1 and a conveying apparatus 101. In the image forming system 100, the image forming apparatus 1 and the conveying apparatus 101 are connected in a positional relationship in which the image forming apparatus 1 is downstream and the conveying apparatus 101 is upstream.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a copy machine, a multifunction peripheral (MFP), etc. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on a sheet held by a conveying device 101.

[0014] 2 is a diagram showing a second example of connecting the image forming apparatus and the conveying device. The image forming system 100 may further include a peripheral device 3 that performs pre-processing. Specifically, the peripheral device 3 performs pre-processing on the paper upstream of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0015] The pre-processing is a process that is set before the actual process is performed. Specifically, the pre-processing is a process in which a processing liquid is applied to the paper or the paper is processed before the image is formed.

[0016] In this manner, when the peripheral device 3 is present, the transport device 101 is connected to the upstream of the peripheral device 3 .

[0017] The conveying device 101 does not have to be a separate device from the image forming apparatus 1 or the peripheral device 3 as shown in Fig. 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the conveying device 101 may be configured to be integrated with the peripheral device 3 or installed in the peripheral device 3. The conveying device 101 may be configured to be integrated with the image forming apparatus 1 or installed in the image forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, the conveying device 101 may be connected to the image forming apparatus 1 in a form in which the conveying device 1 is not connected to the image forming apparatus 1, but is held in a shared manner.

[0018] The transport device 101 includes a base 4, a first fence pair 6, and a second fence 7. Specifically, the base 4 serves as a floor surface, and the first fence pair 6 and the second fence 7 are placed on the base 4.

[0019] The holding portion is realized by, for example, the base 4. The first alignment portion is realized by, for example, the first fence pair 6. Moreover, the second alignment portion is realized by, for example, the second fence 7.

[0020] The first fence pair 6 is composed of an eleventh fence 61 and a twelfth fence 62. Hereinafter, the side of the paper on the left side in the transport direction will be referred to as the "first side." Meanwhile, the side of the paper on the right side in the transport direction will be referred to as the "second side."

[0021] The eleventh fence 61 is a fence that contacts the first side portion. That is, the eleventh fence 61 contacts the first side portion and performs alignment by abutting against the first side portion. The reference for performing alignment is the conveyance direction.

[0022] The twelfth fence 62 is a fence that contacts the second side portion. That is, the twelfth fence 62 contacts the second side portion and performs alignment by abutting against the second side portion. The reference for performing alignment is the conveyance direction.

[0023] The second fence 7 is a fence that comes into contact with the rear end of the paper. That is, the second fence 7 comes into contact with the rear end and aligns the paper by abutting against the rear end. The alignment is performed based on the orthogonal direction.

[0024] It is desirable to locate the third fence 51 and the fourth fence 52 downstream of the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62, i.e., on the image forming apparatus 1 side. Hereinafter, the pair of the third fence 51 and the fourth fence 52 will be referred to as the "third fence pair 5."

[0025] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the third fence pair 5 performs orthogonal alignment on the downstream side of the paper stack 8 while holding the paper stack 8. Meanwhile, the first fence pair 6 performs orthogonal alignment on the upstream side of the paper stack 8 while holding the paper stack 8. Specifically, while holding the paper stack 8, the pair performs alignment downstream from the center position in the conveyance direction of the paper stack 8, i.e., in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, the first fence pair 6 performs alignment upstream from the center position in the conveyance direction of the paper stack 8, i.e., in the longitudinal direction while holding the paper stack 8. However, it is preferable that the first fence pair 6 performs alignment upstream, i.e., at a position close to the rear end of the paper stack 8.

[0026] The "fence" may also be called a "side guide," "side fence," or "regulating member," etc.

[0027] The base 4 holds the stack of paper-sheets 8. Specifically, the base 4 mainly holds the most upstream portion of the stack of paper-sheets 8, i.e., the rear end portion. However, the stack of paper-sheets 8 may be held by a holding member other than the base 4.

[0028] [First example of second alignment] 3 and 4 are diagrams showing a first example of a mechanism for realizing the second alignment unit. For example, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 are configured to move by a so-called "rack and pinion mechanism" or the like.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a state before operation in Example 1. For example, from the "before operation" state shown in Fig. 3, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 operate as follows.

[0030] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example after the operation in the first example. As shown in Fig. 4, when the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 are moved so as to pinch the paper-sheet stack 8, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 come into contact with each side of the paper-sheet stack 8, and unevenness of the paper-sheet stack 8 can be smoothed out. Also, each side of the paper-sheet stack 8 can be aligned.

[0031] The rack and pinion mechanism is a combination of two racks 12 and a pinion 15. The rack 12 is a plate-like member having teeth formed thereon that mesh with the teeth of the pinion 15. The pinion 15 is a cylindrical gear.

[0032] A rack and pinion mechanism is used so that when one of the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 is moved in the perpendicular direction, the other first fence moves in the perpendicular direction in synchronization. Therefore, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the Y axis. Furthermore, the two racks 12 maintain their parallelism with respect to the Y axis even when they move.

[0033] If a mechanism such as a rack and pinion mechanism is used that can position the 11th fence 61 and the 12th fence 62 parallel to the Y axis and move them to clamp the stack of paper 8, the side of the paper (i.e., the position in the perpendicular direction) can be aligned with high precision with ease.

[0034] [Second example of second alignment] 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a second example of a mechanism for realizing the second alignment unit. For example, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 are configured to move by a combination of a link mechanism and a slider mechanism.

[0035] Specifically, in the second example, a first slider mechanism 31, a second slider mechanism 32, a third slider mechanism 33, and a fourth slider mechanism 34 are used.

[0036] Of the first slider mechanism 31, the second slider mechanism 32, the third slider mechanism 33, and the fourth slider mechanism 34, the first slider mechanism 31 and the fourth slider mechanism 34 are connected by a first link mechanism 41. On the other hand, of the first slider mechanism 31, the second slider mechanism 32, the third slider mechanism 33, and the fourth slider mechanism 34, the second slider mechanism 32 and the third slider mechanism 33 are connected by a second link mechanism 42.

[0037] The ends of the first link mechanism 41 reciprocate in the Y-axis direction in the first slider mechanism 31 and the fourth slider mechanism 34. Similarly, the ends of the second link mechanism 42 reciprocate in the Y-axis direction in the second slider mechanism 32 and the third slider mechanism 33.

[0038] As in the first example, when one of the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 is moved in the perpendicular direction, the other first fence moves in the perpendicular direction in synchronization. Therefore, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the Y axis. Furthermore, the two racks 12 maintain their parallelism with respect to the Y axis even when they move.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a state before operation in Example 2. For example, from the "before operation" state shown in Fig. 5, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 operate as follows.

[0040] 6 is a diagram showing an example after the operation in the second example. As in the first example, when the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 are moved so as to pinch the paper-sheet stack 8, the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 come into contact with each side of the paper-sheet stack 8, and unevenness of the paper-sheet stack 8 can be smoothed out. Also, each side of the paper-sheet stack 8 can be aligned.

[0041] The mechanism for realizing the second alignment unit is not limited to the mechanisms shown in the above-mentioned first and second examples. That is, the second alignment unit may be of any type and any part as long as it is a mechanism that can move the eleventh fence 61 and the twelfth fence 62 in the orthogonal direction.

[0042] [Example with a light source for alignment] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a light source. For example, the light source 17 is installed on the bottom plate 102 as follows. The light source 17 is also installed so as to emit light upstream. The light source 17 is also installed so that the light is parallel to the transport direction.

[0043] The light source 17 is, for example, a laser light source, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), etc. In this way, it is preferable that the light source 17 emits light with strong directionality.

[0044] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the state before the switch is pressed. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of "AA" in Fig. 7. First, switches 16 are provided on each side of the bottom plate 102. Meanwhile, a power source 18 for lighting a light source 17 is provided.

[0045] In Fig. 8, that is, before the switch 16 is pressed, no power is supplied from the power source 18 to the light source 17. Therefore, the light source 17 does not emit light and is in an off state (OFF). Next, when the two switches 16 are pressed, the following state transition occurs.

[0046] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the state in which the switches are pressed. Compared to Fig. 8, Fig. 9 differs in that all of the switches 16 are in the pressed state.

[0047] 9, that is, in the state where the switch 16 is pressed, power is supplied from the power source 18 to the light source 17. Therefore, the light source 17 emits light and is turned on (ON).

[0048] In order to determine the parallel state using the light emitted by the light source 17, it is desirable to have a fixing member as described below.

[0049] 10 is a diagram showing an example of installation of the fixing member. For example, the fixing member 19 is stored on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 102. When using the fixing member 19, that is, when performing alignment, the fixing member 19 is removed from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 102 and used.

[0050] The fixing member 19 has a line 20 serving as a marker. The line 20 can be of any color, line type, paint, etc., as long as it serves as a marker. The shape of the fixing member 19 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and may be another shape.

[0051] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of installation of the fixing member. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of "BB" in Fig. 10. The fixing member 19 may be configured to be detachable from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 102, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

[0052] The fixing member 19 is installed so that the line 20 is parallel to the Y axis. Therefore, the line 20 becomes a reference line for judging whether or not the line 20 is parallel to the Y axis. Therefore, when light is emitted from the light source 17 with the fixing member 19 installed, by judging whether or not the light is parallel to the line 20, the conveying device 101 can be accurately adjusted to be parallel to the Y axis.

[0053] Any material may be used for the fixing member 19. The fixing member 19 is attached by a screw, a magnet, an adhesive material, or the like.

[0054] 12 to 14 are diagrams showing examples of using light in alignment. For example, alignment in the orthogonal direction is mainly performed using light emitted by a light source 17 and a fixing member 19 as follows. conduct.

[0055] 12 is a diagram showing an example of pedestal alignment using light. For example, a fixing member 19 is attached to the pedestal 4 and used for alignment.

[0056] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of pedestal positioning by light from another viewpoint, which is a viewpoint from which the state shown in Fig. 12 is seen from upstream to downstream.

[0057] 13, while the light 21 is being emitted, the base 4 is rotated or translated to align with the line 20 on the fixed member 19. In this way, by performing the alignment based on the light 21, the base 4 can be aligned with the conveyance direction with high accuracy.

[0058] [Example with linear parts for alignment] The parallel alignment is not limited to a configuration using the light 21 from the light source 17 and the line 20 of the fixing member 19. For example, a configuration using a linear member is also possible. The linear member is, for example, a wire. The base 4 can also be aligned parallel using a linear member. If a wire is used, a straight line can be generated using a thread or a wire line, like an ink bottle.

[0059] Fig. 14 is an example of the aligned state. When the pedestal 4 is aligned as in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, the first fence pair 6 and the second fence 7 installed on the pedestal 4 can also be aligned with high precision by aligning the pedestal 4. As a result, the first fence pair 6 and the second fence 7 can be aligned with high precision.

[0060] It is preferable that the base 4 can be fixed with a fastening member such as a screw after alignment.

[0061] The third fence 51 and the fourth fence 52 are aligned in advance with high precision in the conveying direction. Therefore, if the first fence pair 6 and the second fence 7 can be aligned with high precision with reference to the third fence 51 and the fourth fence 52, the paper stack 8 can be aligned with high precision when conveyed.

[0062] Long media are prone to bending, tilting, or misalignment with respect to the transport direction. If the first fence pair 6 or the like is present, the first fence pair 6 can correct the paper stack 8 and perform accurate alignment in the orthogonal direction. On the other hand, if the second fence 7 is present, the second fence 7 can correct the paper stack 8 and perform accurate alignment in the transport direction. Also, if bending, tilting, or misalignment occurs, the image may be formed in an unexpected position, resulting in a decrease in image quality. Therefore, if alignment can be performed to correct the bending, tilt, or misalignment, image quality can be improved.

[0063] [Comparative Example] 15 is a diagram showing a comparative example, for example, an image forming apparatus 1 that does not include a holding unit, a first alignment unit, a second alignment unit, etc., as shown in the figure.

[0064] Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 performs alignment using only the third fence 51 and the fourth fence 52.

[0065] 16 is a diagram showing a first example of alignment in the comparative example. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the reference line 200 is parallel to the transport direction. In the first example, sufficient alignment is not achieved in the comparative example, so that the paper stack 8 is tilted. If the paper stack 8 is transported in such a tilted state, this will result in so-called "skewing of the recording medium," which will cause an error.

[0066] 17 is a diagram showing a second example of alignment in the comparative example. In the second example, sufficient alignment is not achieved in the comparative example, so a bend occurs in the downstream portion of the paper stack 8. If the paper stack 8 is transported in this bent state, it may cause an error.

[0067] 18 is a diagram showing a third example of alignment in the comparative example. In the third example, the comparative example does not achieve sufficient alignment, so the paper stack 8 is misaligned in the orthogonal direction. If the paper stack 8 is transported in this misaligned state, it may cause an error.

[0068] The above-mentioned tilt, bending, and deviation may occur in combination.

[0069] [Examples of recording media] The recording medium means a medium to which paint or liquid can adhere at least temporarily, and which adheres and sticks, or which adheres and penetrates, etc. For example, the recording medium is a recording medium such as paper, recording paper, film, or cloth, an electronic board, an electronic component such as a piezoelectric element, a powder layer, an organ model, or a test cell, and unless otherwise specified, includes all objects to which paint or liquid can adhere.

[0070] The material of the recording medium may be, for example, paper, thread, fiber, cloth, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, or the like, so long as the liquid can be attached even temporarily.

[0071] It is desirable for the length of the long medium to be equal to or larger than the size of "A3+". Specifically, "A3+" generally has a size of "32.9 cm x 48.3 cm". In this way, it is desirable to target long medium with a length in the conveying direction, i.e., 48 cm or more in the conveying direction. In this way, the longer the medium, the more precision is required for alignment. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the precision of alignment required when targeting long medium.

[0072] [Other embodiments] Furthermore, the "image forming apparatus" may be an inkjet type that forms an image using liquid. The image forming apparatus and the conveying device may include devices other than those described above.

[0073] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows.

[0074] <1> A conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a long medium that is a recording medium that is long in a conveying direction, a holding section for holding the long medium; a first alignment unit that contacts a rear end of the long medium in a transport direction and aligns the long medium in the transport direction; a second alignment unit that contacts a first side portion and a second side portion of the long medium and aligns the long medium in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction; The conveying device is provided with:

[0075] <2> The second alignment unit is a first fence adjacent to the first side portion and a second fence adjacent to the second side portion, When either the first fence or the second fence is moved in the orthogonal direction, the first fence and the second fence move synchronously in the orthogonal direction. the above <1> 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0076] <3> the image forming device further comprises a light source; The light emitted by the light source is used for aligning the holding portion in parallel with the conveying direction. the above <1> or <2> 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0077] <4> the image forming apparatus further comprises a linear member, The linear member is used for aligning the holding portion in parallel with the conveying direction. the above <1> or <2> 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0078] <5> The second alignment unit is Aligning is performed with a first fence in contact with the first side portion and a second fence in contact with the second side portion; In addition to the first fence and the second fence, there are a third fence and a fourth fence that perform alignment in the perpendicular direction, the first fence and the second fence are installed upstream of the third fence and the fourth fence, The holding portion is The first alignment unit and the second alignment unit are provided on a base, and a fixing member having a mark used for alignment with the light is further provided. The first fence and the second fence are Correcting the bending, tilt, or misalignment of the long medium the above <3> 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0079] <6> The long medium is The length of the paper in the conveying direction is 48 centimeters or more. the above <1> ~ <5> The conveying device according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0080] <7> the above <1> ~ <6> 13. A pretreatment apparatus comprising the conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

[0081] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, the present invention can be modified or modified without departing from the technical gist of the invention. Therefore, all technical matters included in the technical ideas described in the claims are the subject of the present invention. The above-mentioned embodiments are preferred examples. Those skilled in the art can realize various modifications from the disclosed contents, and such modifications are included in the technical scope described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1: Image forming device 3: Peripheral devices 4: Pedestal 5: Third fence 6: First fence pair 7: Second fence 8:Paper stack 12: Rack 15: Pinion 16: Switch 17:Light source 18: Power supply 19: Fixing member 20: Line 21: light 31: First slider mechanism 32: Second slider mechanism 33: Third slider mechanism 34: 4th slider mechanism 41: First link mechanism 42: Second link mechanism 51: Third fence 52: 4th fence 61: 11th Fence 62: 12th Fence 100: Image forming system 101: Transport device 102:Bottom plate 200: Reference line [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0083] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-142872 A

Claims

1. A conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a long medium that is a recording medium that is long in a conveying direction, a holding section for holding the long medium; a first alignment unit that contacts a rear end of the long medium in a transport direction and aligns the long medium in the transport direction; a second alignment unit that contacts a first side portion and a second side portion of the long medium and aligns the long medium in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction; A conveying device comprising:

2. The second alignment unit is a first fence adjacent to the first side portion and a second fence adjacent to the second side portion; When either the first fence or the second fence is moved in the perpendicular direction, the first fence and the second fence move synchronously in the perpendicular direction. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

3. the image forming device further comprises a light source; The light emitted by the light source is used for aligning the holding portion in parallel with the conveying direction. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

4. the image forming apparatus further comprises a linear member, The linear member is used for aligning the holding portion in parallel with the conveying direction. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

5. The second alignment unit is performing alignment with a first fence adjacent to the first side portion and a second fence adjacent to the second side portion; a third fence and a fourth fence are provided in addition to the first fence and the second fence for performing alignment in the perpendicular direction, the first fence and the second fence are installed upstream of the third fence and the fourth fence, The holding portion is The first alignment unit and the second alignment unit are provided on a base, and a fixing member having a mark used for alignment with the light is further provided. The first fence and the second fence are Correcting the bending, tilt, or misalignment of the long medium The conveying device according to claim 3.

6. The long medium is The length of the paper in the conveying direction is 48 cm or more. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

7. A pretreatment device comprising the conveying device according to claim 1.

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