Conveyance device and image forming device

Abstract

To provide a conveyance device capable of correcting skew of a paper sheet, with a simple constitution.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 2 comprises a conveyance part 60, an abutting part 70, and a moving part 80. The conveyance part 60 conveys a paper sheet P forward X1. The abutting part 70 is arranged on the left Y1 in left and right directions Y of the conveyance part 60 and abuts on a side of the left Y1 in the left and right directions Y of the paper sheet P. The moving part 80 is brought into contact with the paper sheet P to move the paper sheet P toward the left Y1 side in the left and right directions Y. Each of the left and right directions Y indicates a direction intersecting with a first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] The medium loading device and image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 include a medium loading section and a medium guide. The medium loading section loads and stacks media. The medium guide regulates the position of the media loaded on the medium loading section. The medium guide forms a guide surface and has a pair of guide members that are rotatable about a rotation axis that is aligned with the stacking direction of the media loaded on the medium loading section. The pair of guide members are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the media, and guide the posture of the media from both sides. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-013907 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The medium loading device and image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 corrects skew of the medium by pressing a pair of guide members against both sides of the medium in the width direction. However, in the medium loading device and image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to control the pair of guide members in a synchronized manner. This makes the configuration of the transport device including the medium guide complex.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a conveying device and an image forming apparatus that can correct skewed paper with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a conveying device includes a conveying section, a contact section, and a moving section. The conveying section conveys a paper sheet in a first direction. The contact section is disposed on one side of the conveying section in a second direction and contacts one side of the paper sheet in the second direction. The moving section contacts the paper sheet to move the paper sheet toward one side in the second direction. The second direction indicates a direction intersecting the first direction.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes the conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and an image forming section that forms an image on the paper. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, skewed paper can be corrected with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus including a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the transport device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a plan view of a contact portion and a moving portion shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram showing the movement of the paper when the moving section comes into contact with the paper at a first position. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing movement of the paper when the moving section comes into contact with the paper at a position other than the first position. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an initial stage of detection of the attitude of a sheet. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the middle stage of detecting the posture of the paper. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a later stage of detection of the paper attitude. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control unit. [Figure 13] 11 is a part of a flowchart of a correction process for correcting the attitude of a sheet. [Figure 14] 11 is a remaining part of the flowchart of the correction process for correcting the attitude of the paper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 15). In the following description, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and should be commonly referred to.

[0011] First, an image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 including a conveying device 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] The image forming apparatus 100 is an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image on printing paper P (hereinafter, abbreviated as paper P) using aqueous ink, such as a monochrome printer or color printer capable of double-sided printing. The printing paper P may be any type of paper, such as plain paper, copy paper, recycled paper, thin paper, thick paper, or glossy paper. The paper P is, for example, an example of "paper."

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a housing 1, a conveying device 2, a paper feed section 10, a feed section 20, a discharge section 30, an image forming section 40, and a control section 50.

[0014] In this embodiment, in the image forming apparatus 100, the conveying direction of the paper P from the feed section 20 toward the discharge section 30 is defined as the front X1, and the opposite side is defined as the rear X2. The left side of the image forming apparatus 100 when viewed from the front X1 is defined as the left side Y1, and the opposite side is defined as the right side Y2. In addition, in the up-down direction Z perpendicular to the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y of the image forming apparatus 100, the side where the top surface section 1A of the image forming apparatus 100 is arranged is defined as the upper side Z1, and the opposite side is defined as the lower side Z2. Note that these directions do not limit the directions of the image forming apparatus 100 of the present disclosure when in use.

[0015] The housing 1 covers the outer periphery of the conveying device 2 and the image forming unit 40. The housing 1 has a top surface 1A, a bottom surface 1B, a front surface 1C, a rear surface 1D, and a pair of side surfaces (not shown).

[0016] The paper feed unit 10 supplies paper P to the feeding unit 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed unit 10 includes a paper feed cassette 11, a paper feed roller 12, and a first guide plate 13. The paper feed cassette 11 is detachably attached to the housing 1. The paper feed cassette 11 stores a plurality of sheets of paper P. The paper feed roller 12 is disposed above the rear X2 side of the paper feed cassette 11. The paper feed roller 12 takes out the sheets of paper P stored in the paper feed cassette 11 one by one from the top. The first guide plate 13 is disposed between the paper feed roller 12 and the feeding unit 20, and guides the sheets of paper P taken out by the paper feed roller 12 to the feeding unit 20.

[0017] The feeding section 20 feeds the paper P toward the conveying device 2. The feeding section 20 includes a second guide plate 24. The second guide plate 24 configures a substantially C-shaped conveying path L. The feeding section 20 includes a first roller pair 21 provided at the entrance side of the conveying path L, a second roller pair 22 provided in the middle of the conveying path L, and a delivery roller pair 23 provided at the exit side of the conveying path L.

[0018] The first roller pair 21 and the second roller pair 22 are a feed roller pair that feeds the paper P along the transport path L. The first roller pair 21 sandwiches the paper P guided by the first guide plate 13 and sends it out into the transport path L. The second roller pair 22 sandwiches the paper P sent out by the first roller pair 21 and sends it out towards the send-out roller pair 23.

[0019] The delivery roller pair 23 stops the paper P delivered by the second roller pair 22. After temporarily stopping the paper P, the delivery roller pair 23 delivers the paper P toward the conveying device 2 in accordance with the image formation timing.

[0020] The image forming section 40 forms an image on a sheet P. The image forming section 40 receives the sheet P fed from the conveying device 2. As shown in FIG.

[0021] The recording head 41 has a recording head 41a, a recording head 41b, a recording head 41c, and a recording head 41d. The four types of recording head 41a, a recording head 41b, a recording head 41c, and a recording head 41d are arranged side by side on the head base 42 from the rear X2 toward the front X1. In this embodiment, the recording head 41 is a line type. That is, the image forming apparatus 100 is an inkjet recording apparatus of a line head type. Also, unless otherwise specified, when there is no need to distinguish between the recording head 41a, the recording head 41b, the recording head 41c, and the recording head 41d, they will be collectively referred to as "recording head 41".

[0022] Each of the four types of recording heads 41 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown). Ink of each color is ejected from the nozzles of each recording head 41 onto the paper P passing through a position facing the corresponding recording head 41. In this way, images such as characters and figures are formed on the paper P.

[0023] The discharge section 30 discharges the paper P to the outside. As shown in Fig. 1, the discharge section 30 includes a pair of discharge rollers 31, a discharge tray 32, and a discharge opening 33. The discharge tray 32 is fixed to the housing 1 so as to protrude to the outside from the discharge opening 33 formed in the front portion 1C of the housing 1. The discharge opening 33 is a through-hole formed in the front portion 1C of the housing 1.

[0024] The discharge roller pair 31 sends the paper P conveyed by the conveying device 2 toward the discharge opening 33. The paper P sent by the discharge roller pair 31 is discharged to the outside of the housing 1 through the discharge opening 33. The paper P discharged from the discharge opening 33 is placed on the discharge tray 32.

[0025] Next, the conveying device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the conveying device 2 shown in Fig. 1.

[0026] The conveying device 2 conveys the paper P from the feeding unit 20 toward the image forming unit 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 2 has a conveying belt 201, a conveying plate 202, a driving roller 203, a tension roller 204, a guide roller 205, and a third guide plate 206. The conveying belt 201 moves on the surface of the conveying plate 202. The conveying belt 201 is stretched over the driving roller 203, the tension roller 204, and the guide roller 205. In this embodiment, a plurality of guide rollers 205 are provided, but a single guide roller 205 may be provided.

[0027] The conveyor belt 201 corresponds to an example of an "endless belt." The paper P is conveyed in the forward direction X1 by the conveyor belt 201. The paper P is conveyed by the conveyor belt 201 and passes a position facing the recording head 41. The recording head 41 ejects ink onto the paper P passing a position facing the recording head 41, forming an image on the paper P. The paper P on which the image has been formed by the recording head 41 is conveyed by the conveyor belt 201 toward the third guide plate 206. The forward direction X1 corresponds to, for example, a "first direction."

[0028] The driving roller 203 is rotationally driven by a belt driving unit 209 (see FIG. 12). The belt driving unit 209 rotates the conveyor belt 201 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.

[0029] The tension roller 204 applies tension to the conveyor belt 201 so that the conveyor belt 201 does not sag.

[0030] The guide rollers 205 are arranged to be spaced apart in the vertical direction Z. By arranging them in this manner, a space is formed below the conveying surface of the conveyor belt 201 in the Z2 direction. Therefore, when a negative pressure application unit is provided in the conveyor device 2, contact between the conveyor belt 201 and the negative pressure application unit can be prevented.

[0031] The third guide plate 206 connects the transport device 2 and the discharge section 30. The third guide plate 206 guides the paper P to the discharge section 30 via the pair of discharge rollers 31.

[0032] The transport device 2 further includes a transport section 60 , a contact section 70 , a moving section 80 , a first detection section 207 , and a second detection section 208 .

[0033] The transport unit 60 transports the paper sheet P forward X1. As shown in Fig. 2, the transport unit 60 has a transport roller 61 that comes into contact with the paper sheet P to move it. The transport unit 60 also has a first drive unit 62, a support shaft 63, and a support unit 64.

[0034] The transport roller 61 transports the paper P. The transport roller 61 transports the paper P in cooperation with the belt drive unit 209. The transport roller 61 faces the transport plate 202. The transport roller 61 guides the paper P sent out from the delivery roller pair 23 toward the front X1 while pressing the paper P downward Z2. The transport roller 61 is not limited to being a driven roller. The transport roller 61 may be connected to a drive motor (not shown) to provide a driving function. The transport roller 61 may also face the transport plate 202 via the transport belt 201.

[0035] The support shaft 63 supports the transport rollers 61. The support shaft 63 extends in the left-right direction Y. The support shaft 63 rotatably supports, for example, a pair of left and right transport rollers 61 in a middle portion in the left-right direction Y. The support shaft 63 is supported by a pair of left and right support portions 64 extending in the front-rear direction X.

[0036] The first drive unit 62 moves the support shaft 63 up and down in the vertical direction Z via the support unit 64. When transporting the paper P, the first drive unit 62 lowers the support shaft 63 downward Z2 via the support unit 64, and brings the transport roller 61 into contact with the paper P. When the paper P is not transported, the first drive unit 62 raises the support shaft 63 upward Z1 via the support unit 64, and moves the transport roller 61 away from the paper P.

[0037] The abutment portion 70 abuts against one side of the paper P in the left-right direction Y. The abutment portion 70 is disposed on the left Y1 side of the transport section 60 along the transport direction. The abutment portion 70 moves in the left-right direction Y. Thus, the abutment portion 70 is disposed on the left Y1 side of the transport section 60 and abuts against the left Y1 side of the paper P. The left-right direction Y corresponds to, for example, the "second direction", and the left side Y1 corresponds to, for example, "one side of the second direction". The left-right direction Y is also a direction that intersects with the forward direction X1.

[0038] The abutment portion 70 has a main body portion 71 and a guide portion 73. The main body portion 71 is configured in an elongated shape extending in the front-rear direction X. The main body portion 71 is movable in the left-right direction Y. When the main body portion 71 moves to the right Y2, a stopper (not shown) provided on the main body portion 71 abuts against a reference plate (not shown) provided on the underside of the conveying plate 202, thereby stopping the main body portion 71. The guide portion 73 is fixed to the left side Y1 of the main body portion 71.

[0039] The moving section 80 moves the paper sheet P. Specifically, the moving section 80 contacts the paper sheet P and moves the paper sheet P toward the left side Y1. Therefore, in the left-right direction Y that intersects with the forward transport direction X1, the edge of the paper sheet P on the left side Y1 side can be brought into contact with the abutting section 70. Therefore, when the paper sheet P is skewed with respect to the transport direction, the paper sheet P can be rotated with the part that is in contact with the abutting section 70 as a fulcrum. As a result, the transport device 2 can correct the skew with a simple configuration.

[0040] Next, the transport device 2 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a plan view of the contact portion 70 and the moving portion 80 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the moving portion 80.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the moving section 80 has a first moving section 80A, a second moving section 80B, a second driving section 83, and a third driving section .

[0042] The first moving section 80A and the second moving section 80B are supported by a first shaft 85 extending in the front-rear direction X. The first moving section 80A and the second moving section 80B perform the same operation in synchronization. The second moving section 80B is located forward of the first moving section 80A in the X1 direction. A roller 85a is fixed to the end of the first shaft 85 on the rear X2 side.

[0043] The roller 85a transmits the rotational force of the second driving unit 83 to the first shaft 85. When the first shaft 85 rotates forward, the first moving unit 80A and the second moving unit 80B rotate downward Z2. When the first shaft 85 rotates reversely, the first moving unit 80A and the second moving unit 80B rotate upward Z1.

[0044] The first moving section 80A has a moving roller 81A that contacts the paper P to move it. The first moving section 80A also has an arm section 801A, a shaft section 802A, and a transmission roller 82A. The second moving section 80B has a moving roller 81B that contacts the paper P to move it. The second moving section 80B also has an arm section 801B, a shaft section 802B, and a transmission roller 82B. The first moving section 80A and the second moving section 80B have the same configuration, and therefore will be collectively referred to as the moving section 80 unless otherwise specified. The arm sections 801A and 801B, the shaft sections 802A and 802B, the moving rollers 81A and 81B, and the transmission rollers 82A and 82B will also be collectively referred to as the arm section 801, the shaft section 802, the moving roller 81, and the transmission roller 82, respectively.

[0045] The arm portion 801 has a left Y1 end supported by the first shaft 85. The arm portion 801 has a right Y2 end supporting the shaft portion 802. The shaft portion 802 rotatably supports the moving roller 81. When the second driving unit 83 rotates the first shaft 85 in the normal direction, the arm portion 801 rotates downward Z2 about the first shaft 85. Since the arm portion 801 rotates downward Z2 about the first shaft 85, the moving roller 81 presses the paper P toward the downward Z2. When the second driving unit 83 rotates the first shaft 85 in the reverse direction, the arm portion 801 rotates upward Z1 about the first shaft 85. Since the arm portion 801 rotates upward Z1 about the first shaft 85, the moving roller 81 moves away from the paper P toward the upward Z1. When the second drive unit 83 rotates the first shaft 85 in the forward direction, the distance between the moving roller 81 and the conveying plate 202 is set to a constant value. Therefore, the pressing force acting on the paper P from the moving roller 81 when the paper P is thick is greater than the pressing force acting on the paper P from the moving roller 81 when the paper P is thin.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 4, the arm portion 801 supports the moving roller 81 and the transmission roller 82. The transmission roller 82 may be a single roller or may be a plurality of rollers. As shown in Fig. 3, a rotational force is transmitted to the transmission roller 82 via a second shaft 86.

[0047] The second shaft 86 extends in the front-rear direction X. The second shaft 86 has a roller 86a, a roller 86b, and a roller 86c. The roller 86a is disposed at the rear X2 end, and the roller 86c is disposed at the front X1 end. The roller 86b is disposed in the middle of the second shaft 86.

[0048] The rotational force is transmitted to roller 86a from third drive unit 84 via roller 89. The rotational force transmitted to roller 86a is transmitted to moving roller 81A via multiple transmission rollers 82A. When first moving unit 80A is lowered and moving roller 81A rotates forward, paper P is moved to the left Y1.

[0049] The rotational force transmitted to roller 86a is transmitted to roller 86b and roller 86c via second shaft 86. The rotational force transmitted to roller 86b is transmitted to moving roller 81B via multiple transmission rollers 82B. When second moving section 80B is lowered and moving roller 81B rotates forward, paper P is moved to the left Y1.

[0050] The rotational force transmitted to the roller 86c is transmitted to the rack 88 via the pinion 87. Since the rack 88 is connected to the guide portion 73, the rack 88 and the guide portion 73 move synchronously in the left-right direction Y. The pinion 87 rotates about a rotation center along the front-rear direction X. When the moving roller 81 rotates forward, the pinion 87 moves the rack 88 to the right Y2. Therefore, the movement of the paper P to the left Y1 and the movement of the abutment portion 70 to the right Y2 are performed synchronously.

[0051] Next, the operation of the conveying device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the movement of the paper P when the moving section 80 comes into contact with the paper P at the first position A1. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the movement of the paper P when the moving section 80 comes into contact with the paper P at a position other than the first position A1.

[0052] When the paper P reaches a predetermined position on the conveying plate 202 in the front-rear direction X, the conveying device 2 stops conveying the paper P by the conveying roller 61. In this embodiment, the drive roller 203 is stopped to stop the conveying belt 201. The conveying roller 61 is stopped in synchronization with the stopping of the conveying belt 201. After the conveying roller 61 stops conveying the paper P, the first drive unit 62 lifts the conveying roller 61. As a result, the paper P stops at the target stopping position. As shown in FIG. 5, after the conveying roller 61 lifts, the moving roller 81 lowers toward the downward direction Z2.

[0053] 6, when the paper P stops in an oblique position and the moving roller 81 rotates forward, a force F acts on the paper P from the moving roller 81. The paper P moves to the left Y1, and the main body part 71 moves to the right Y2. When the end of the paper P on the front X1 side of the left Y1 side first comes into contact with the main body part 71, the end of the paper P on the rear X2 side and the main body part 71 are separated by a distance D. When the paper P first comes into contact with the main body part 71, the moving part 80 comes into contact with the paper P at a first position A1 in the front X1.

[0054] 7, if a contact portion (hereinafter referred to as point of action B) between the moving portion 80 and the paper P exists between the position where the paper P and the contact portion 70 first come into contact (hereinafter referred to as fulcrum A) and the center of gravity G of the paper P, the posture of the paper P will not be corrected. In other words, even if the moving roller 81 rotates forward, the fulcrum A of the paper P is not determined, and the paper P will not rotate sufficiently. In this embodiment, the point of action B corresponds to the position between the moving roller 81A and the moving roller 81B.

[0055] 6, the first position A1 where the moving section 80 contacts the paper sheet P is the center of gravity G of the paper sheet P, or a position opposite the position (fulcrum A) where the paper sheet P and the contact section 70 first contact with each other with respect to the center of gravity G of the paper sheet P, so the paper sheet P rotates in a direction decreasing the separation distance D with the fulcrum A as the starting point. In FIG. 6, the paper sheet P rotates counterclockwise. Therefore, the paper sheet P can rotate with the part that first contacts the contact section 70 as the rotation center.

[0056] Next, detection of skew of the paper P will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an early stage of detection of the attitude of the paper P. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an intermediate stage of detection of the attitude of the paper P. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a later stage of detection of the attitude of the paper P.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 2 has a first detection unit 207 and a second detection unit 208. The first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208 are, for example, imaging elements such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208 are located forward of the conveying roller 61 at X1, and are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction X above the conveying belt 201 at Z1. The second detection unit 208 is located forward of the first detection unit 207 at X1. That is, the first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208 detect the attitude of the paper P conveyed to a position downstream of the contact unit 70 at X1. The first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208 correspond to, for example, a "detection unit".

[0058] As shown in Fig. 8, in the early stage of posture detection, the first detection unit 207 detects the passing position of the front end (left front corner) of the left Y1 side of the paper P. As shown in Fig. 9, in the middle stage of posture detection, the first detection unit 207 detects the passing position of the middle part (left middle part) of the left Y1 side of the paper P. The difference d1 between the passing position of the front end and the passing position of the middle part is detected.

[0059] Similarly, in the middle of posture detection, the second detection unit 208 detects the passing position of the front end of the left Y1 side of the paper P. In the later of posture detection, the second detection unit 208 detects the passing position of the middle part of the left Y1 side of the paper P. The difference d2 between the passing position of the front end and the passing position of the middle part is detected. The posture of the paper P is determined based on the difference d1 and the difference d2. In other words, if the average value of the difference d1 and the difference d2 is greater than a threshold value, it is determined that the posture of the paper P is not sufficiently corrected.

[0060] Next, the contact portion 70 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the contact portion 70.

[0061] For example, when the conveying device 2 selectively conveys small size paper P1, medium size paper P2, and large size paper P3, a pair of front and rear recesses 72a and a pair of front and rear recesses 72b are formed in the main body 71 as shown in Fig. 11. The abutting portion 70 includes the recesses 72a and 72b recessed from the right side Y2 side toward the left side Y1 side in the second direction. Also, the dimension of the main body 71 in the front-rear direction X is smaller than the dimension of the paper P3 in the front-rear direction X.

[0062] The transport device 2 stops transporting the paper P at a position where the moving part 80 contacts the paper P at the first position A1. That is, the relative positional relationship between the paper P and the main body part 71 in the front-rear direction X is fixed. The positions of the recesses 72a and 72b are formed based on this positional relationship between the paper P and the main body part 71. Therefore, when correcting the posture of the paper P1, paper P2, or paper P3, contact between the corners of the paper P1, paper P2, or paper P3 and the main body part 71 can be avoided.

[0063] The contact portion 70 first comes into contact with a portion of the edge of the paper P other than the front X1 or rear X2 end. This prevents the corners, which are the ends of the edges of the paper P, from coming into contact with the contact portion 70. In other words, it is possible to avoid rotation around the corners of the edges of the paper P. This prevents stress concentration on the corners of the edges of the paper P, making it possible to perform rotation that suppresses bending of the edges of the edges of the paper P.

[0064] Next, the control unit 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 50.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 50 is communicatively connected to the memory unit 51, the first detection unit 207, the second detection unit 208, the first drive unit 62, the second drive unit 83, the third drive unit 84, and the image forming unit 40 via an interface (not shown).

[0066] The storage unit 51 is configured with a non-volatile memory. For example, the storage unit 51 is preferably a hard disk. For example, the storage unit 51 preferably stores image data for printing, control programs related to various controls, and data used by the control programs. Examples of the control programs include a program for controlling image formation on the paper P (hereinafter, referred to as a "first control program") and a program for controlling posture correction of the paper P (hereinafter, referred to as a "second control program").

[0067] The first control program refers to a program for executing image formation on paper P. Data used in the first control program can include, for example, the amount of water-based ink to be ejected onto the print area.

[0068] The second control program refers to a program for controlling the first drive unit 62, the second drive unit 83, the third drive unit 84, and the belt drive unit 209. Examples of data used in the second control program include the detection values ​​of the first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208, the size of the paper P, the conveying speed, and the like.

[0069] The control unit 50 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a non-volatile memory (ROM: Read Only Memory) and a volatile memory (RAM: Random Access Memory). The control unit 50 also includes an integrated circuit for image formation processing. The integrated circuit for image formation processing is composed of, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The ROM stores a control program for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processing. The first control program and the second control program may be stored in the ROM instead of the storage unit 51. The RAM temporarily stores various arithmetic processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 50 executes a control program (a control program stored in advance in the storage unit 51 or the ROM) to control the operation of the image forming apparatus 100, the conveyor belt 201, the conveying unit 60 and the moving unit 80.

[0070] After the control unit 50 stops the transport of the paper P by the transport unit 60, it starts the movement of the paper P by the movement unit 80. Therefore, the paper P can be rotated in a stopped state. As a result, the paper P can be rotated reliably.

[0071] When the moving unit 80 moves the paper P, the control unit 50 separates the transport roller 61 from the paper P. When the transport unit 60 transports the paper P, the control unit 50 separates the moving roller 81 from the paper P. Therefore, the moving unit 80 and the transport unit 60 do not simultaneously apply force to the paper P. As a result, the paper P can be moved with high precision.

[0072] The control unit 50 controls the conveying unit 60 based on the posture of the paper P detected by the first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208. Specifically, the control unit 50 compares the average value of the difference d1, which is the detection value of the first detection unit 207, and the difference d2, which is the detection value of the second detection unit 208, with the judgment threshold. If the average value is greater than the judgment threshold, the timing of stopping the paper P is delayed. The contact position between the moving unit 80 and the paper P can be corrected backward X2, and the moving unit 80 can be brought into contact with the paper P at the first position A1. In other words, since the posture of the paper P after correction can be detected, the posture of the subsequent paper P can be corrected based on the posture of the paper P after correction. As a result, the skew of the paper P can be corrected with high accuracy.

[0073] Next, the process of correcting the posture of the paper P performed by the control unit 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Fig. 13 is a part of a flowchart of the process of correcting the posture of the paper P. Fig. 14 is the remaining part of the flowchart of the process of correcting the posture of the paper P. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the process of the control unit 50 includes steps S1 to S13. Steps S1 to S13 are executed by the processor of the control unit 50 executing a computer program.

[0074] 13, in step S1, the control unit 50 reads various data. The process proceeds to step S2.

[0075] In step S2, the control unit 50 determines whether or not it is necessary to correct the stop position of the paper P. If it is not necessary to correct the stop position of the paper P (No in step S2), the process proceeds to step S4. If it is necessary to correct the stop position of the paper P (Yes in step S2), the process proceeds to step S3.

[0076] In step S3, the control unit 50 corrects the stop positions of the paper sheets P. The control unit 50 corrects the stop positions so that the stop position of the succeeding paper sheet P is further forward on the X1 side than the stop position of the preceding paper sheet P. The process proceeds to step S4.

[0077] In step S4, the control unit 50 determines whether the paper P has arrived at the stop position. If the paper P has not arrived at the stop position (No in step S4), the process continues with step S4. If the paper P has arrived at the stop position (Yes in step S4), the process proceeds to step S5.

[0078] In step S5, the control unit 50 stops the transport of the paper P. The control unit 50 stops the belt driving unit 209, and stops the transport of the paper P by the transport belt 201 and the transport unit 60. The process proceeds to step S6.

[0079] In step S6, the control unit 50 controls the second driving unit 83 to lower the moving unit 80. The process proceeds to step S7.

[0080] In step S7, the control unit 50 controls the first drive unit 62 to lift the transport unit 60. The process proceeds to step S8.

[0081] 14, in step S8, the control unit 50 controls the third drive unit 84 to rotate the moving roller 81 of the moving unit 80 in the forward direction. The third drive unit 84 moves the main body unit 71 of the contact unit 70 toward the paper P in synchronization with the operation of the moving unit 80. The main body unit 71 moves to the right Y2 until the stopper comes into contact with the reference plate. The process proceeds to step S9.

[0082] In step S9, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the operation of the moving unit 80 and the contact unit 70 has continued for a set time. If the operation of the moving unit 80 and the contact unit 70 has not continued for the set time (No in step S9), the process continues to step S9. If the operation of the moving unit 80 and the contact unit 70 has continued for the set time (Yes in step S9), the process proceeds to step S10.

[0083] In step S10, the control unit 50 controls the second driving unit 83 to lift the moving unit 80. The process proceeds to step S11.

[0084] In step S11, the control unit 50 controls the third driving unit 84 to rotate the moving roller 81 of the moving unit 80 in the reverse direction. The third driving unit 84 moves the main body 71 of the contact unit 70 to the left Y1 in synchronization with the operation of the moving unit 80 so as to separate the main body 71 from the paper P. The process proceeds to step S12.

[0085] In step S12, the control unit 50 controls the first drive unit 62 to lower the transport unit 60. The process proceeds to step S13.

[0086] In step S13, the control unit 50 resumes the conveyance of the paper P. The control unit 50 starts the belt driving unit 209, and starts the conveyance of the paper P by the conveyor belt 201 and the conveyance unit 60. The process then ends.

[0087] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The drawings are mainly schematic illustrations of each component for ease of understanding, and the thickness, length, number, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of drawing. In addition, the shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the configuration of the present invention.

[0088] (1) As described with reference to Figures 1 to 14, in this embodiment, the attitude correction by the contact unit 70 and the moving unit 80 is started after the paper sheet P is stopped, but the present invention is not limited to this. The attitude correction in the present invention may be performed by operating the contact unit 70 and the moving unit 80 to correct the attitude of the paper sheet P without stopping the paper sheet P.

[0089] (2) As described with reference to Figs. 1 to 14, in this embodiment, the transport roller 61 is an independently rotatable driving roller, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A driven roller may be adopted as the transport roller 61 and used in combination with a transport mechanism. In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which only one set of transport rollers 61 is provided is disclosed, but a plurality of transport rollers 61 may be arranged. When a plurality of transport rollers 61 are arranged, the contact portion 70 and the moving portion 80 are configured to be movable in the transport direction. The present invention includes a configuration in which at least one of the contact portion 70 and the moving portion 80 is movable in the transport direction.

[0090] (3) As described with reference to Figs. 1 to 14, in this embodiment, the pair of output rollers 23 is provided at a position upstream of the transport device 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. The pair of output rollers 23 may be omitted. Also, the paper P may be temporarily stopped by the pair of output rollers 23.

[0091] (4) As described with reference to Figs. 1 to 14, in this embodiment, two sets of recesses 72a and recesses 72b are provided to prevent corner bending for three different sizes of paper, but the present invention is not limited to this. One set of recesses 72a may be provided, or three or more sets may be provided. The number of recesses can be set arbitrarily depending on the size of the paper P transported by the transport device 2. Similarly, the first detection unit 207 and the second detection unit 208 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient to at least determine whether the attitude of the paper P is good or bad, and the detection unit may be a single unit or three or more units. [Industrial Applicability]

[0092] The present invention can be used in a conveying device and an image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 2: Transport device 40: Image forming section 50: Control section 60: Transport section 61: Transport roller 70: Contact part 72a: Recess 72b: Recess 80: Moving part 100: Image forming apparatus A1 :1st position P:Paper X: Anteroposterior direction

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys the paper in a first direction; a contact portion that is disposed on one side of the transport portion in the second direction and contacts a side of the paper in the second direction; a moving section that comes into contact with the paper and moves the paper toward one side in the second direction; Equipped with A conveying device, wherein the second direction indicates a direction intersecting the first direction.

2. the moving portion contacts the paper at a first position in the first direction; The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the first position indicates a center of gravity of the paper or a position opposite to a position where the paper first contacts the contact portion with respect to the center of gravity of the paper.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact portion first contacts a portion of the side other than an end portion in the first direction or an end portion opposite to the first direction.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3 , wherein the contact portion includes a recess that is recessed from the other side toward the one side in the second direction.

5. A control unit that controls the transport unit and the moving unit is further provided. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit starts the movement of the paper by the moving unit after the conveyance unit stops conveying the paper.

6. the transport unit has a transport roller that contacts and moves the paper, the moving section has a moving roller that comes into contact with the paper and moves it, The control unit is When the moving unit moves the paper, the transport roller is separated from the paper. The control unit is The transport device according to claim 5 , wherein the moving roller is separated from the paper when the transport section transports the paper.

7. a detection unit that detects a posture of the paper that has been transported to a position downstream of the contact unit in the first direction, The conveying device according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls the conveying unit based on the attitude of the paper detected by the detection unit.

8. A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; an image forming unit for forming an image on the paper; An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images