Medium conveying device, image reading device, recording device, and method for controlling medium conveying device

Abstract

To prevent the arrangement of an ejected medium from being disturbed due to a situation where an interval between edge guides on an ejection side is smaller than an interval between edge guides on a paper feed side.SOLUTION: A medium conveying device comprises: a first support unit including first edge guides that are located on both sides of a medium to be fed, and can change an interval therebetween; a second support unit including second edge guides that are located on both sides of the medium to be ejected, and can change an interval therebetween; a conveying unit for conveying the medium from the first support unit to the second support unit; a first detection unit capable of detecting a first measured amount indicating a first width that is the interval between the first edge guides; a second detection unit capable of detecting a second measured amount indicating a second width that is the interval between the second edge guides; and a control unit capable of outputting an alert to a display unit when the second width indicated in the first measured amount is smaller than the first width indicated in the first measured amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium transport device including edge guides located on both sides of a medium, an image reading device, a recording device, and a method for controlling the medium transport device.

Background Art

[0002] As an image reading device, a high-speed scanner that reads images on a plurality of originals continuously conveyed from a paper feed tray to a stacker is known. A pair of edge guides located on both sides of the original are provided on the paper feed tray and the stacker, respectively. The stacker stacks the originals discharged from the reading unit of the medium between the edge guides. Patent Document 1 shows an image reading device including a sheet discharge stacking unit including edge guides.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the intervals between the edge guides of the paper feed tray and the stacker can be changed separately, the width of the edge guide of the stacker may become narrower than the width of the original on the paper feed tray. In this case, the originals sequentially discharged from the reading unit may hit the edge guide of the stacker, and the group of originals may be disordered without being properly stacked between the edge guides on the stacker. In addition, the above problems can be considered not only for high-speed scanners but also for recording devices and the like.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The medium transport device of the present invention is a medium transport device capable of displaying information on a display unit, A first support portion including a first edge guide located on both sides of a medium to be fed, the first edge guide being capable of changing an interval; A second support portion including a second edge guide located on both sides of the medium to be discharged, the second edge guide being capable of changing an interval; A transport portion that transports the medium from the first support portion to the second support portion; A first detection portion capable of detecting a first measurement amount indicating a first width that is the interval of the first edge guide; A second detection portion capable of detecting a second measurement amount indicating a second width that is the interval of the second edge guide; A control portion capable of outputting an alert to a display portion when the second width indicated by the first measurement amount is narrower than the first width indicated by the first measurement amount. It has an aspect including these.

[0006] Further, an image reading apparatus of the present invention includes the medium transport apparatus and a reading portion that reads an image of the medium, and the transport portion transports the medium from the first support portion to the second support portion via the reading portion. It has an aspect.

[0007] Furthermore, a recording apparatus of the present invention includes the medium transport apparatus and a recording portion that performs recording on the medium, and the transport portion transports the medium from the first support portion to the second support portion via the recording portion. It has an aspect.

[0008] Furthermore, a control method for a medium transport apparatus of the present invention is A first support portion including a first edge guide located on both sides of a medium to be fed, the first edge guide being capable of changing an interval; A second support portion including a second edge guide located on both sides of the medium to be discharged, the second edge guide being capable of changing an interval; A control method for a medium transport apparatus including a transport portion that transports the medium from the first support portion to the second support portion, A first detection step of detecting a first measurement amount indicating a first width that is the interval of the first edge guide; A second detection step of detecting a second measurement amount indicating a second width that is the interval of the second edge guide; An alert output step of outputting an alert when the second width shown in the first measurement amount is narrower than the first width shown in the first measurement amount, and has an aspect including this.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Of course, the following embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention, and not all of the features shown in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention.

[0011] (1) Outline of the aspects included in the present invention: First, the outline of the aspects included in the present invention will be described with reference to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 12. Note that the drawings of the present application are schematic diagrams showing examples, and the magnification ratios in each direction shown in these drawings may be different, and the drawings may not be consistent. Of course, each element of this aspect is not limited to the specific examples indicated by the reference numerals. In the "outline of the aspects included in the present invention", the content in parentheses means a supplementary explanation of the immediately preceding word.

[0012] [Aspect 1] A medium conveyance device 3 according to one aspect is a medium conveyance device 3 capable of displaying information on display units 60 and 110, as exemplified in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, and includes a first support portion (10), a second support portion (20), a conveyance portion 30, a first detection portion 40, a second detection portion 50, and a control portion 90. The first support portion (10) is a first edge guide 11 located on both sides of the fed medium ME1 and includes the first edge guide 11 whose interval can be changed. The second support portion (20) is a second edge guide 21 located on both sides of the discharged medium ME1 and includes the second edge guide 21 whose interval can be changed. The conveyance portion 30 conveys the medium ME1 from the first support portion (10) to the second support portion (20). The first detection portion 40 can detect a first measurement amount indicating a first width W1 that is the interval of the first edge guide 11. The second detection portion 50 can detect a second measurement amount indicating a second width W2 that is the interval of the second edge guide 21. The control portion 90 can output an alert to the display units 60 and 110 when the second width W2 indicated by the first measurement amount is narrower than the first width W1 indicated by the first measurement amount.

[0013] As described above, the user can check, on the display units 60 and 110, an alert indicating that the interval (W2) between the edge guides on the discharge side is narrower than the interval (W1) between the edge guides on the paper feed side, and can perform an adjustment operation so that the interval (W2) between the edge guides on the discharge side becomes equal to or greater than the interval (W1) between the edge guides on the paper feed side. Therefore, the above-described aspect can provide a medium conveyance device capable of suppressing the arrangement of the discharge medium from being disturbed due to the interval between the edge guides on the discharge side being narrower than the interval between the edge guides on the paper feed side.

[0014] Various examples can be given for the above-described aspect. The medium conveyance device may be provided in an image reading device including a reading unit for a medium, or may be provided in a recording device or the like including a recording unit for recording on the medium. The display unit may be provided in the medium conveyance device, or may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. Examples of the medium include a document having a document image, printing paper, and the like. The material of the medium is not limited to paper, and may be resin, metal, or the like. In the present application, "first", "second",... are terms for identifying each component included in a plurality of components having similar points, and do not mean an order. Of course, the above-mentioned remarks are also applicable to the following aspects.

[0015] [Aspect 2] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first detection unit 40 may be capable of detecting the positions (for example, positions X11 and X12) of the first edge guide 11 as the first measurement amount. The second detection unit 50 may be capable of detecting the positions (for example, positions X21 and X22) of the second edge guide 21 as the second measurement amount. The control unit 90 may calculate the first width W1 from the positions (X11, X12) of the first edge guide 11, and may calculate the second width W2 from the positions (X21, X22) of the second edge guide 21. In the above case, since the interval between the edge guides is calculated from the positions of the edge guides, the interval between the edge guides can be accurately calculated, and the accuracy of the alert can be improved.

[0016] Aspect 3 As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first detection unit 40 may be able to detect the distance L1 to the first edge guide 11 as the first measurement quantity. The second detection unit 50 may be able to detect the distance L2 to the second edge guide 21 as the second measurement quantity. The control unit 90 may calculate the first width W1 from the distance L1, and may calculate the second width W2 from the distance L2. In the above case, by calculating the interval between the edge guides from the distance from the detection unit to the edge guide, the interval between the edge guides can be accurately calculated, and the accuracy of the alert can be improved.

[0017] Aspect 4 As illustrated in FIG. 6, when the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, the control unit 90 may continuously output the alert to the display units 60 and 110. In the above case, since the alert is continuously output when the interval (W2) of the edge guide on the discharge side is narrower than the interval (W1) of the edge guide on the paper feed side, it is possible to quickly know that the interval of the edge guide is inappropriate.

[0018] Aspect 5 As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport unit 30 may transport the medium ME1 from the first support unit (10), via the reading unit 70 of the medium ME1, to the second support unit (20). The control unit 90 may be able to receive a reading instruction for the medium ME1 involving transport. As illustrated in FIG. 7, when receiving the reading instruction, the control unit 90 may not cause the transport unit 30 to transport the medium ME1 and may output the alert to the display units 60 and 110 when the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1. In the above case, when the user performs an operation to cause the medium to be read, it is possible to know that the interval of the edge guide is inappropriate while the medium is not being transported.

[0019] Aspect 6 As illustrated in FIG. 7 and the like, after outputting the alert, when the second width W2 becomes equal to or greater than the first width W1, the control unit 90 may stop outputting the alert and may cause the transport unit 30 to transport the medium ME1. In the above case, when the user adjusts the interval of the edge guide, the medium ME1 is automatically transported, so that convenience can be improved.

[0020] [Aspect 7] As illustrated in FIG. 3 and the like, the first support portion (10) may include a first alignment portion 15 that aligns the first edge guide 11 to a position corresponding to a standard size. The second support portion (20) may include a second alignment portion 25 that aligns the second edge guide 21 to a position corresponding to a standard size. In the above case, it is possible to suppress the interval from becoming inappropriate due to the edge guide deviating from the position of the standard size due to an error. As a result, convenience can be improved.

[0021] [Aspect 8] As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, there may be a plurality of the media ME1. The transport unit 30 may transport the plurality of media ME1 one by one from the first support portion (10) via the reading unit 70 of the medium ME1 to the second support portion (20) at a set time interval ΔT. When causing the reading unit 70 to read the medium ME1, the control unit 90 may set the time interval ΔT to a first time interval ΔT1 when the first width W1 is narrower than a predetermined width W3, and may set the time interval ΔT to a second time interval ΔT2 when the first width W1 is equal to or greater than the predetermined width W3. The first time interval ΔT1 is shorter than the second time interval ΔT2. As described above, when the interval (W1) of the edge guide on the paper feeding side is relatively narrow, the time interval ΔT for medium transport becomes short. Therefore, the above aspect can speed up the reading of the medium by the reading unit.

[0022] [Aspect 9] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the control unit 90 may receive, from the outside, input of information indicating the width W4 of the medium ME1 conveyed to the conveying unit 30. When the second width W2 is smaller than the width W4 of the medium ME1, the control unit 90 may output the alert to the display units 60 and 110. In the above case, since the input information on the width W4 of the medium ME1 is also used for comparison with the interval (W2) between the edge guides on the discharge side, the determination accuracy for suppressing the disorder in the arrangement of the discharged medium can be improved.

[0023] [Aspect 10] Incidentally, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the image reading apparatus 1 according to one aspect includes the medium conveying apparatus 3 and a reading unit 70 that reads an image IM1 of the medium ME1. The conveying unit 30 conveys the medium ME1 from the first support unit (10), via the reading unit 70, to the second support unit (20). The above aspect can provide an image reading apparatus capable of suppressing the arrangement of the discharged medium from being disturbed due to the interval between the edge guides on the discharge side being smaller than the interval between the edge guides on the paper supply side.

[0024] [Aspect 11] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the control unit 90 may obtain the width W5 of the medium ME1 based on the read data read by the reading unit 70 from the medium ME1 conveyed to the conveying unit 30. When the second width W2 is smaller than the width W5 of the medium ME1, the control unit 90 may output the alert to the display units 60 and 110 and stop the conveyance of the medium ME1. In the above case, since the read information on the width W5 of the medium ME1 is also used for comparison with the interval (W2) between the edge guides on the discharge side, the determination accuracy for suppressing the disorder in the arrangement of the discharged medium can be improved.

[0025] [Aspect 12] Further, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the recording apparatus 2 according to one aspect includes the medium transport device 3 and a recording unit 80 that performs recording on the medium ME1. The transport unit 30 transports the medium ME1 from the first support unit (10), via the recording unit 80, to the second support unit (20). The above aspect can provide a recording apparatus capable of suppressing the arrangement of the discharged medium from being disturbed because the interval between the edge guides on the discharge side is narrower than the interval between the edge guides on the paper feed side.

[0026] [Aspect 13] Furthermore, a control method for a medium transport device 3 according to one aspect is a control method for a medium transport device 3 including the first support unit (10), the second support unit (20), and the transport unit 30, and includes the following steps as illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, etc. (a1) A first detection step ST1 of detecting a first measurement amount indicating a first width W1 that is the interval between the first edge guides 11. (a2) A second detection step ST2 of detecting a second measurement amount indicating a second width W2 that is the interval between the second edge guides 21. (a3) An alert output step ST3 of outputting an alert when the second width W2 indicated by the first measurement amount is narrower than the first width W1 indicated by the first measurement amount. The above aspect can provide a control method for a medium transport device capable of suppressing the arrangement of the discharged medium from being disturbed because the interval between the edge guides on the discharge side is narrower than the interval between the edge guides on the paper feed side.

[0027] Furthermore, the above-described aspects are applicable to an image reading system including the above-described image reading apparatus, a recording system including the above-described recording apparatus, a control method for the above-described image reading apparatus, a control method for the above-described recording apparatus, a control program for the above-described medium transport device, a control program for the above-described image reading apparatus, a control program for the above-described recording apparatus, a computer-readable non-transitory medium recording any of the foregoing control programs, etc. Any of the foregoing apparatuses may be configured by a plurality of distributed parts.

[0028] (2) Specific examples of an image reading apparatus including a medium conveyance device: FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an image reading apparatus 1 including a medium conveyance device 3. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically illustrating the image reading apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically illustrating the image reading apparatus 1 capable of detecting the position of an edge guide. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the electric circuit of the image reading apparatus 1 together with an external device 100. The image reading apparatus 1 includes a medium conveyance device 3 and a reading unit 70, and reads an image IM1 of a medium ME1 as a document. The reading unit 70 shown in FIG. 2 includes a first reading unit 71 capable of reading the image IM1 on the upper surface of the medium ME1, and a second reading unit 72 capable of reading the image IM1 on the lower surface of the medium ME1. The medium conveyance device 3 includes a paper feed tray 10 as a first support unit, a stacker 20 as a second support unit, a conveyance unit 30, a first detection unit 40, a second detection unit 50, a display unit 60, an operation input unit 61, and a control unit 90. The conveyance unit 30 and the control unit 90 are provided inside the housing 8 of the image reading apparatus 1. Note that reference numeral D1 indicates the conveyance direction of the medium ME1, reference numeral D2 indicates the width direction of the medium ME1, and reference numeral D3 indicates the front view direction when looking at the front of the image reading apparatus 1. Since the conveyance path P1 shown in FIG. 2 includes a curved reversal path P2 whose direction is reversed, the direction of the conveyance direction D1 changes along the curved reversal path P2. The width direction D2 is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D1, and the front view direction D3 is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the width direction D2.

[0029] The paper feed tray 10 includes a first edge guide 11 located on both sides of the medium ME1 to be fed, and a base 18 that slidably supports the first edge guide 11. The first edge guide 11 includes a first edge guide 12 on the left side when the image reading device 1 is viewed from the front view direction D3, and a first edge guide 13 on the right side when the image reading device 1 is viewed from the front view direction D3. In order to accommodate media ME1 of various sizes, the interval between the first edge guides 12 and 13 is changeable. The user can perform an operation to adjust the interval between the first edge guides 12 and 13 according to the width of the medium ME1. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the interval between the first edge guides 12 and 13 is set as a first width W1. The paper feed tray 10 shown in FIG. 3 includes a centering mechanism 14 for the first edge guides 12 and 13, and a first alignment portion 15 for the first edge guides 12 and 13. The centering mechanism 14 arranges the first edge guides 12 and 13 symmetrically about the central position C1 of the conveyance path P1 in the width direction D2. A combination of a rack and a pinion or the like can be used for the centering mechanism 14. The first alignment portion 15 aligns the first edge guides 12 and 13 with positions corresponding to the standard sizes of the paper. Examples of the standard sizes include A3 size, B4 size, A4 size, M5 size, etc. A fitting structure of a convex shape and a concave shape or the like can be used for the first alignment portion 15. For example, when the base 18 has a concave shape on the upper surface and the first edge guides 12 and 13 have convex shapes at the lower ends at positions corresponding to the standard sizes, the convex shapes fit into the concave shapes, whereby the first edge guides 12 and 13 are aligned with the corresponding positions of the standard sizes.

[0030] The stacker 20 includes second edge guides 21 positioned on both sides of the medium ME1 discharged from the conveyance path P1, and a base 28 that slidably supports the second edge guides 21. The second edge guides 21 include a second edge guide 22 on the left side when the image reading device 1 is viewed from the front view direction D3, and a second edge guide 23 on the right side when the image reading device 1 is viewed from the front view direction D3. In order to accommodate media ME1 of various sizes, the interval between the second edge guides 22 and 23 is adjustable. The user can perform an operation to adjust the interval between the second edge guides 22 and 23 according to the width of the medium ME1. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the interval between the second edge guides 22 and 23 is defined as the second width W2. The paper feed tray 10 shown in FIG. 3 includes a centering mechanism 24 for the second edge guides 22 and 23, and a second alignment portion 25 for the second edge guides 22 and 23. The centering mechanism 24 symmetrically arranges the second edge guides 22 and 23 about the central position C1 of the conveyance path P1 in the width direction D2. A combination of a rack and a pinion or the like can be used for the centering mechanism 24. The second alignment portion 25 aligns the second edge guides 22 and 23 to positions corresponding to the regular size of the paper. A fitting structure of a convex shape and a concave shape or the like can be used for the second alignment portion 25. For example, when the base 28 has a concave shape on the upper surface and the second edge guides 22 and 23 have a convex shape at the lower ends at positions corresponding to the regular size, the second edge guides 22 and 23 can be aligned to the corresponding positions of the regular size by fitting the convex shape into the concave shape. Note that the interval (W2) between the second edge guides 21 is not limited to being precisely matched to the interval (W1) of the first edge guides 11. The interval (W2) between the second edge guides 21 may be set slightly wider than the interval (W1) of the first edge guides 11 in consideration of the positional variation of the medium ME1 stacked on the stacker 20. Also, the first edge guides 11 and the second edge guides 21 may move in conjunction with each other.

[0031] The conveying unit 30 conveys the media ME1 one by one from the paper feed tray 10 to the stacker 20 via the reading unit 70 of the media ME1. The conveying unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 includes a pick-up roller 31, a feed roller 32, a separation roller 33, a plurality of conveying roller pairs 34, and a drive source 35. The pick-up roller 31 contacts the uppermost part of the stack of media placed on the paper feed tray 10 and rotates to send one or more media ME1 in the conveying direction D1. The feed roller 32 rotates in a direction to send the media ME1 in the conveying direction D1 above the conveying path P1, and the separation roller 33 rotates in a direction to return the media ME1 in a direction opposite to the conveying direction D1 below the conveying path P1. When a plurality of media ME1 are sent between the feed roller 32 and the separation roller 33, the media ME1 are separated one by one and sent in the conveying direction D1 by the feed roller 32. The plurality of conveying roller pairs 34 are positioned along the conveying path P1 including the curved inversion path P2 and send the media ME1 in the conveying direction D1. The drive source 35 rotates the pick-up roller 31, the feed roller 32, the separation roller 33, and the plurality of conveying roller pairs 34 according to the control from the control unit 90. As described above, the conveying unit 30 conveys the media ME1 one by one from the paper feed tray 10 to the stacker 20 via the first reading unit 71 and the second reading unit 72 along the conveying path P1. Since the conveying path P1 has the curved inversion path P2, the media ME1 conveyed by the conveying unit 30 are inverted and stacked on the stacker 20.

[0032] The first detection unit 40 can detect a first measurement value indicating the first width W1, which is the interval between the first edge guides 11. FIG. 3 shows a first position detection sensor 41 as the first detection unit 40. The first position detection sensor 41 can detect the position of the first edge guide 11 as the first measurement value. The first position detection sensor 41 shown in FIG. 3 can detect the position X11 of the left first edge guide 12 and the position X12 of the right first edge guide 13 in the width direction D2. Note that the positions X11 and X12 are positions aligned with the inner surfaces of the first edge guides 12 and 13, respectively. The first width W1 is X12 - X11. Examples of the first position detection sensor 41 include a linear encoder including a linear scale 41a and a linear scale sensor. The linear scale 41a has, for example, a large number of slits at regular intervals. The first position detection sensor 41 detects the positions X11 and X12 by optically reading each slit of the linear scale 41a with the linear scale sensor. When the paper feed tray 10 includes a centering mechanism 14, the first detection unit 40 can obtain the other of the positions X11 and X12 by detecting one of the positions X11 and X12, and can calculate the first width W1.

[0033] The second detection unit 50 can detect a second measurement value indicating the second width W2, which is the interval between the second edge guides 21. FIG. 3 shows a second position detection sensor 51 as the second detection unit 50. The second position detection sensor 51 can detect the positions of the second edge guides 21 as the second measurement value. The second position detection sensor 51 shown in FIG. 3 can detect the position X21 of the left second edge guide 22 and the position X22 of the right second edge guide 23 in the width direction D2. Note that the positions X21 and X22 are positions aligned with the inner surfaces of the second edge guides 22 and 23, respectively. The second width W2 is X22 - X21. Examples of the second position detection sensor 51 include a linear encoder including a linear scale 51a and a linear scale sensor. The linear scale 51a has, for example, a large number of slits at regular intervals. The second position detection sensor 51 detects the positions X21 and X22 by optically reading each slit of the linear scale 51a with the linear scale sensor. When the stacker 20 includes the centering mechanism 24, the second detection unit 50 can obtain the other of the positions X21 and X22 by detecting one of the positions X21 and X22, and can calculate the second width W2.

[0034] The display unit 60 displays information such as the status of the image reading apparatus 1 and information input from the operation input unit 61. Examples of the status of the image reading apparatus 1 include a state in which image reading processing can be executed, a state during image reading, an alert state, and the like. Examples of the display unit 60 include a liquid crystal display panel, a light emitting diode, a combination thereof, and the like. The operation input unit 61 receives an operation for inputting information from the user. Examples of the operation input unit 61 include a hard key, a touch panel attached to the display unit 60, and the like.

[0035] The control unit 90 shown in FIG. 4 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91 which is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 92, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 93, a storage unit 94, an I / F (interface) 95, etc. The aforementioned elements (91 - 95) are electrically connected and can input and output information to each other. Note that the ROM 92 and the RAM 93 are semiconductor memories. Examples of the storage unit 94 include non-volatile semiconductor memories such as flash memories, magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, etc. The control unit 90 can acquire input information from the operation input unit 61, can acquire a first measurement quantity indicating the first width W1 from the first detection unit 40, can acquire a second measurement quantity indicating the second width W2 from the second detection unit 50, and can acquire read data of the image IM1 of the medium ME1 from the reading unit 70. The control unit 90 can cause the display unit 60 to display various information including an alert, and controls the transport unit 30 for image reading processing. Note that the control unit 90 may include a plurality of CPUs, or may include an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) instead of or together with the CPU. Therefore, the processing performed by the control unit 90 may be divided among a plurality of CPUs, or may be performed by the ASIC instead of or together with the CPU.

[0036] The external device 100 includes a display unit 110, an operation input unit 111, etc., and is connected to the image reading device 1. Examples of the external device 100 include personal computers, tablet terminals, mobile phones such as smartphones, etc.

[0037] The first detection unit 40 and the second detection unit 50 are not limited to position detection sensors. FIG. 5 is a front view schematically illustrating the image reading device 1 capable of detecting the distances L1 and L2 to the edge guides.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a first distance detection sensor 42 as the first detection unit 40. The first distance detection sensor 42 can detect the distance L1 to the first edge guide 11 as the first measurement quantity. The first distance detection sensor 42 shown in FIG. 5 can detect the distance L11 to the left first edge guide 12 in the width direction D2 and the distance L12 to the right first edge guide 13 in the width direction D2. If the interval between the first edge guides 12 and 13 when both the distances L11 and L12 are 0 is X1, the first width W1 is X1 - L11 - L12. Examples of the first distance detection sensor 42 include an ultrasonic displacement sensor that detects the distance from the sensor to an object by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an optical displacement sensor, a proximity sensor, and the like. When the paper feed tray 10 is provided with a centering mechanism 14, the first detection unit 40 can obtain the other of the distances L11 and L12 by detecting one of the distances L11 and L12, and can calculate the first width W1.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a second distance detection sensor 52 as the second detection unit 50. The second distance detection sensor 52 can detect the distance L2 to the second edge guide 21 as the second measurement quantity. The second distance detection sensor 52 shown in FIG. 5 can detect the distance L21 to the left second edge guide 22 in the width direction D2 and the distance L22 to the right second edge guide 23 in the width direction D2. If the interval between the second edge guides 22 and 23 when both the distances L21 and L22 are 0 is X2, the second width W2 is X2 - L21 - L22. Examples of the second distance detection sensor 52 include an ultrasonic displacement sensor, an optical displacement sensor, a proximity sensor, and the like. When the paper feed tray 10 is provided with a centering mechanism 24, the second detection unit 50 can obtain the other of the distances L21 and L22 by detecting one of the distances L21 and L22, and can calculate the second width W2.

[0040] As described above, the interval between the first edge guides 11 of the paper feed tray 10 and the interval between the second edge guides 21 of the stacker 20 can be changed separately. For this reason, the width (W2) of the second edge guide 21 of the stacker 20 may become narrower than the width of the medium ME1 on the paper feed tray 10. In this case, the medium ME1 sequentially discharged from the reading unit 70 may hit the second edge guide 21, and the medium group may be disordered without being properly stacked between the second edge guides 21 on the stacker 20, such as jamming or the medium ME1 being pushed out. Such a disorder in stacking can cause damage to the medium ME1. In this specific example, when the width (W2) of the second edge guide 21 of the stacker 20 is narrower than the interval (W1) between the first edge guides 11 of the paper feed tray 10, the control unit 90 outputs an alert to the display units 60 and 110. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1 from being disordered due to the interval (W2) of the discharge-side edge guide being narrower than the interval (W1) of the paper feed-side edge guide, and it is possible to protect the medium ME1 from damage. Note that even when the first edge guide 11 and the second edge guide 21 move in conjunction with each other, there is a possibility that W2 < W1 due to a shift in the positional relationship between the first edge guide 11 and the second edge guide 21. By outputting the above-described alert in this case, it is possible to suppress the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1 from being disordered.

[0041] (3) Specific example of the process performed by the image reading apparatus including the medium conveyance apparatus: FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the edge guide interval confirmation process performed by the control unit 90. The edge guide interval confirmation process is repeatedly performed when the power of the image reading apparatus 1 is on. Here, step S102 corresponds to the first detection step ST1, step S104 corresponds to the second detection step ST2, and step S112 corresponds to the alert output step ST3. Hereinafter, the description of "step" may be omitted, and the step number may be indicated in parentheses.

[0042] When the edge guide interval confirmation process starts, the control unit 90 causes the first detection unit 40 to detect a first measurement amount indicating the first width W1 of the first edge guide 11 of the paper feed tray 10, and acquires the first width W1 (S102). Further, the control unit 90 causes the second detection unit 50 to detect a second measurement amount indicating the second width W2 of the second edge guide 21 of the stacker 20, and acquires the second width W2 (S104). As shown in FIG. 3, assume that the detection units (40, 50) are position detection sensors (41, 51). In this case, the first position detection sensor 41 detects at least one of the positions X11, X12 of the first edge guide 11, and the second position detection sensor 51 detects at least one of the positions X21, X22 of the second edge guide 21. When the control unit 90 acquires the positions X11, X12 from the first position detection sensor 41, it calculates the first width W1 = X12 - X11 from the positions X11, X12. Of course, the control unit 90 may calculate the other of the positions X11, X12 from one of the positions X11, X12 and then calculate the first width W1. When the control unit 90 acquires the positions X21, X22 from the second position detection sensor 51, it calculates the second width W2 = X22 - X21 from the positions X21, X22. Of course, the control unit 90 may calculate the other of the positions X21, X22 from one of the positions X21, X22 and then calculate the second width W2.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, assume that the detection units (40, 50) are distance detection sensors (42, 52). In this case, the first distance detection sensor 42 detects at least one of the distances L11 and L12 to the first edge guide 11, and the second distance detection sensor 52 detects at least one of the distances L21 and L22 to the second edge guide 21. When the control unit 90 acquires the distances L11 and L12 from the first distance detection sensor 42, the control unit 90 calculates the first width W1 = X1 - L11 - L12 from the distances L11 and L12. Of course, the control unit 90 may calculate the other of the distances L11 and L12 from one of the distances L11 and L12 and then calculate the first width W1. When the control unit 90 acquires the distances L21 and L22 from the second distance detection sensor 52, the control unit 90 calculates the second width W2 = X2 - L21 - L22 from the distances L21 and L22. Of course, the control unit 90 may calculate the other of the distances L21 and L22 from one of the distances L21 and L22 and then calculate the second width W2.

[0044] After calculating the widths (W1, W2), the control unit 90 determines whether the second width W2 is greater than or equal to the first width W1 (S106). If the second width W2 is greater than or equal to the first width W1, it is normal. Therefore, the control unit 90 sets the status of the image reading apparatus 1 to paper feed permission (S108) and ends the edge guide interval confirmation process. In S108, the control unit 90 may cause the display unit 60 to display information indicating paper feed permission. When the process of S108 is performed while the display unit 60 is displaying an alert, the alert display is cancelled.

[0045] When the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, the loading of the medium ME1 may be disrupted. Therefore, the control unit 90 sets the status of the image reading device 1 to paper feed disabled (S110). After that, the control unit 90 causes an alert to be displayed on at least one of the display unit 60 of the image reading device 1 and the display unit 110 of the external device 100 (S112), and ends the edge guide interval confirmation process. The alert display continues even after the edge guide interval confirmation process ends. Examples of alerts include character information such as "Since the edge guide width of the stacker is narrower than the edge guide width of the paper feed tray, please correct the edge guide width.", lighting of the display unit such as red lighting of a light emitting diode, blinking of the display unit such as blinking of a light emitting diode, and the like. For example, when the control unit 90 displays the character information "Please correct the edge guide width." on the display unit 60, the user can grasp that the edge guide width is inappropriate by visually recognizing the display on the display unit 60. When the control unit 90 displays the character information "Please correct the edge guide width." on the display unit 110, the user can grasp that the edge guide width is inappropriate by visually recognizing the display on the display unit 110.

[0046] As described above, when the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, the control unit 90 continuously outputs an alert to the display units 60 and 110. Since an alert is continuously output when the interval (W2) of the edge guide on the discharge side is narrower than the interval (W1) of the edge guide on the paper feed side, the user can quickly know that the interval of the edge guide is inappropriate and can protect the document to be discharged.

[0047] The confirmation of the edge guide width may be associated with an instruction to read the medium ME1 involving conveyance. FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the medium conveyance process performed by the control unit 90. The medium conveyance process is repeatedly performed when the power of the image reading device 1 is on. Here, S204 corresponds to the first detection step ST1, S206 corresponds to the second detection step ST2, and S214 corresponds to the alert output step ST3.

[0048] When the media conveyance process starts, the control unit 90 waits for a paper feed command from the outside (S202). The paper feed command from the outside may be an original reading instruction from the external device 100 or a user's original reading instruction to the operation input unit 61 or the like. The paper feed command including the original reading instruction is an example of a reading instruction for the medium ME1 involving conveyance. That is, the control unit 90 can receive a reading instruction for the medium ME1 involving conveyance. When the control unit 90 receives the paper feed command, it acquires the first width W1 in the same manner as S102 shown in FIG. 6 (S204), and acquires the second width W2 in the same manner as S104 shown in FIG. 6 (S206). Thereafter, the control unit 90 determines whether the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the first width W1 (S208).

[0049] When the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the first width W1, it is normal. Therefore, the control unit 90 causes the conveyance unit 30 to start conveying the medium ME1 (S210), causes the display unit 60 to display information indicating that paper is being fed (S212), and ends the media conveyance process. When the process of S212 is performed when the display unit 60 is displaying an alert, the alert display is canceled. When the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, there is a possibility that the stacking of the medium ME1 is disturbed. Therefore, the control unit 90 does not cause the conveyance unit 30 to convey the medium ME1, and causes an alert to be displayed on at least one of the display unit 60 of the image reading device 1 and the display unit 110 of the external device 100 (S214), and returns the process to S204. The user can grasp that the edge guide width is inappropriate by visually recognizing the alert display on the display unit 60. When the user performs an operation such that the second width W2 becomes equal to or greater than the first width W1, such as widening the interval between the second edge guides 21 of the stacker 20, the process proceeds from S208 to S210, the conveyance of the medium ME1 starts, and the display on the display unit 60 switches from the alert display to the display indicating that paper is being fed. That is, after outputting the alert, when the second width W2 becomes equal to or greater than the first width W1, the control unit 90 stops outputting the alert and causes the conveyance unit 30 to convey the medium ME1. In this way, since the medium ME1 is automatically conveyed when the user corrects the interval of the edge guides, the present medium conveyance device 3 is convenient.

[0050] As described above, when the control unit 90 receives a reading instruction and the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, the control unit 90 does not cause the transport unit 30 to transport the medium ME1 and outputs an alert to the display units 60 and 110. Therefore, when the user performs an operation to cause the medium ME1 to be read, the user can know that the interval between the edge guides is inappropriate in a state where the medium ME1 is not transported.

[0051] As described above, the user can confirm, on the display units 60 and 110, an alert indicating that the interval (W2) of the edge guide on the discharge side is narrower than the interval (W1) of the edge guide on the paper feed side. Thereby, the user can perform an adjustment operation so that the interval (W2) of the edge guide on the discharge side becomes equal to or greater than the interval (W1) of the edge guide on the paper feed side. Therefore, in this specific example, it is possible to suppress the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1 from being disturbed due to the interval (W2) of the edge guide on the discharge side being narrower than the interval (W1) of the edge guide on the paper feed side.

[0052] (4) Modification example: The present invention includes various modification examples. For example, the above-described processing can be appropriately changed, such as changing the order. For example, in the processing shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to change the processing order of S102 and S104, and it is possible to change the processing order of S110 and S112. In the above-described processing, for example, the determination of whether it is "more than" can be replaced with the determination of whether it is "greater than". The replacement of the determination in this way is also included in the aspect of the present application.

[0053] Incidentally, when the medium ME1 is continuously conveyed in the image reading apparatus 1, it is necessary to secure the time for the process of generating the document image data representing the image IM1 read by the reading unit 70. Since this processing time becomes longer as the image IM1 of the medium ME1 is larger, it is conceivable to set the time interval when conveying the medium ME1 according to the generation processing time of the document image data representing the image IM1 of the medium ME1 with the largest size. However, the generation processing time of the document image data representing the image IM1 of the medium ME1 with a small size is short.

[0054] Therefore, as illustrated in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9, the control unit 90 may change the time interval ΔT for conveying the plurality of media ME1 one by one according to the interval (W1) of the paper feed side edge guide derived from detection. FIG. 8A schematically illustrates the time interval ΔT when conveying the medium ME1 having a relatively wide width (W1). FIG. 8B schematically illustrates the time interval ΔT when conveying the medium ME1 having a relatively narrow width (W1). FIG. 9 schematically illustrates the reading time interval setting process performed by the control unit 90. The reading time interval setting process is repeatedly performed when the power of the image reading apparatus 1 is on.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the conveyance unit 30 performs a process of conveying a plurality of media ME1 one by one from the paper feed tray 10 to the stacker 20 via the reading unit 70 at the set time interval ΔT. When the reading time interval setting process of FIG. 9 starts on this premise, the first width W1 is acquired in the same manner as S102 shown in FIG. 6 (S302). Incidentally, the processes after S304 in the reading time interval setting process may be performed triggered by the fact that the process of S102 shown in FIG. 6 has been performed. After acquiring the first width W1, the control unit 90 determines whether the first width W1 is narrower than a predetermined width W3 (S304). If the first width W1 is narrower than the predetermined width W3, the control unit 90 sets the time interval ΔT to the first time interval ΔT1 (S306) and ends the read time interval setting process. If the first width W1 is greater than or equal to the predetermined width W3, the control unit 90 sets the time interval ΔT to the second time interval ΔT2 (S308) and ends the read time interval setting process. Here, the first time interval ΔT1 is shorter than the second time interval ΔT2.

[0056] FIG. 8A shows a state in which a plurality of media ME12 are conveyed at the second time interval ΔT2 when the first width W1 is a width W12 greater than or equal to the predetermined width W3. FIG. 8B shows a state in which a plurality of media ME11 are conveyed at the first time interval ΔT1 when the first width W1 is a width W11 narrower than the predetermined width W3. Since the media ME11 with the narrow width W11 requires a shorter generation processing time for the original image data, no inconvenience occurs even if the time interval ΔT is shortened compared to the media ME12 with the wide width W12. As described above, when the interval (W1) between the edge guides on the paper feed side is relatively narrow, the time interval ΔT for media conveyance becomes shorter, and the throughput of the original image data generation process is improved. The examples shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9 can generally speed up the reading of the media ME1 by the reading unit 70.

[0057] Also, as illustrated in FIG. 10, when information indicating the width W4 of the media ME1 is input from the outside, if the interval (W2) between the edge guides on the discharge side is narrower than the aforementioned width W4, there is a concern about the disorder in the arrangement of the discharged media ME1. Therefore, the control unit 90 may output an alert when the second width W2 is narrower than the aforementioned width W4. FIG. 10 schematically shows another example of the media conveyance process performed by the control unit 90. The media conveyance process is repeatedly performed when the power of the image reading apparatus 1 is on. Here, S404 corresponds to the first detection step ST1 and the second detection step ST2, and S408 and S412 correspond to the alert output step ST3.

[0058] When the media conveyance process starts, the control unit 90 receives, from the outside, an input of information indicating the width W4 of the media ME1 to be fed, that is, the media ME1 conveyed to the conveyance unit 30 (S402). The information indicating the width W4 is not limited to a numerical value directly indicating the width W4 of the media ME1, and may be information indirectly indicating the width W4 of the media ME1 such as the B4 size or the A4 size. The input from the outside may be an instruction of the media width from the external device 100, or an instruction of the media width from the user to the operation input unit 61 or the like. After that, the control unit 90 acquires the first width W1 and the second width W2 in the same manner as S102 and S104 shown in FIG. 6 (S404).

[0059] Here, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the second width W2 derived from detection is equal to or greater than the width W4 derived from the input (S406). If the second width W2 is narrower than the width W4 of the media ME1, there is a possibility that the stacking of the media ME1 may be disturbed. Therefore, the control unit 90 causes an alert to be displayed on at least one of the display unit 60 of the image reading device 1 and the display unit 110 of the external device 100 (S408), and returns the process to S404. Examples of the alert include character information such as "Since the edge guide width of the stacker is narrower than the set document width, please correct the edge guide width.", lighting of the display unit such as red lighting of a light emitting diode, blinking of the display unit such as blinking of a light emitting diode, and the like. For example, when the control unit 90 displays the above-mentioned character information on the display units 60 and 110, the user can recognize that the edge guide width of the stacker 20 is inappropriate compared to the media width derived from the input by visually recognizing the display on the display units 60 and 110.

[0060] When the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the width W4 of the medium ME1, it is normal. Therefore, the control unit 90 determines whether the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the first width W1 (S410). When the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, the control unit 90 causes the transport unit 30 not to transport the medium ME1 and displays an alert on at least one of the display unit 60 of the image reading apparatus 1 and the display unit 110 of the external device 100, as in S112 shown in FIG. 6 (S412), and returns the process to S404. When the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the first width W1, it is normal. Therefore, the control unit 90 starts the transport of the medium ME1 by the transport unit 30 (S414), causes the display unit 60 to display information indicating that paper is being fed (S416), and ends the medium transport process. When the process of S416 is performed while the alert is being displayed on the display unit 60, the alert display is canceled.

[0061] As described above, the control unit 90 receives, from the outside, input of information indicating the width W4 of the medium ME1 to be transported by the transport unit 30, and outputs an alert to the display units 60 and 110 when the second width W2 is narrower than the width W4 of the medium ME1. By also using the input information of the width W4 of the medium ME1 for comparison with the interval (W2) between the discharge-side edge guides, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy for suppressing the disorder in the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1.

[0062] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 11, when the interval (W2) between the discharge-side edge guides is narrower than the width W5 of the medium ME1 obtained from the read data of the transported medium ME1, there is a concern about disorder in the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1. Therefore, the control unit 90 may output an alert when the second width W2 is narrower than the read width W5. FIG. 11 schematically shows another example of the medium transport process performed by the control unit 90 on the premise that the processes of S202 to S210 shown in FIG. 7 are at least performed in S502. The medium transport process is repeatedly performed when the power of the image reading apparatus 1 is on. Here, S512 corresponds to the alert output step ST3.

[0063] When the processes of S202 to S210 shown in FIG. 7 are performed at least, the conveyance of the medium ME1 starts (S502). The reading unit 70 reads the conveyed medium ME1 and generates reading data of the entire medium ME1 including the image IM1. The control unit 90 obtains the width W5 of the medium ME1 based on the reading data read by the reading unit 70 from the medium ME1 conveyed to the conveyance unit 30 (S504). For example, the control unit 90 can obtain the range of the color derived from the medium ME1 that is different from the background color of the conveyance path P1 in the width direction D2, and obtain the width W5 of the medium ME1 from this range. After obtaining the width W5, the control unit 90 determines whether the second width W2 derived from the detection is equal to or greater than the reading width W5 (S506). If the second width W2 is narrower than the width W5 of the medium ME1, there is a possibility that the stacking of the medium ME1 may be disturbed. Therefore, the control unit 90 stops the conveyance of the medium ME1 by the conveyance unit 30 (S510), causes an alert to be displayed on at least one of the display unit 60 of the image reading apparatus 1 and the display unit 110 of the external device 100 (S512), and returns the process to S504. Examples of the alert when W2 < W5 include character information such as "Since the edge guide width of the stacker is narrower than the reading width of the document, please correct the edge guide width.", lighting of the display unit such as red lighting of the light emitting diode, blinking of the display unit such as blinking of the light emitting diode, and the like. For example, when the control unit 90 displays the above-mentioned character information on the display units 60 and 110, the user can recognize that the edge guide width of the stacker 20 is inappropriate compared to the medium width derived from the reading by visually recognizing the display on the display units 60 and 110.

[0064] When the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the reading width W5, it is normal. Therefore, the control unit 90 determines whether the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the first width W1 (S508). When the second width W2 is narrower than the first width W1, the control unit 90 stops the conveyance of the medium ME1 by the conveyance unit 30 (S510), and similar to S112 shown in FIG. 6, an alert is displayed on at least one of the display unit 60 of the image reading device 1 and the display unit 110 of the external device 100 (S512), and the process returns to S504. When the second width W2 is equal to or greater than the first width W1, since it is normal, the control unit 90 cancels the display of the alert and resumes the conveyance of the medium ME1 by the conveyance unit 30 (S514). The control unit 90 repeats the processes of S502 to S514 until the conveyance of all the media ME1 is completed (S516), and when the conveyance of all the media ME1 is completed, the medium conveyance process ends.

[0065] As described above, the control unit 90 obtains the width W5 of the medium ME1 based on the read data of the medium ME1 conveyed to the conveyance unit 30, and when the second width W2 is narrower than the reading width W5, an alert is output to the display units 60 and 110 and the conveyance of the medium ME1 is stopped. By also using the read information of the width W5 of the medium ME1 for comparison with the interval (W2) of the discharge-side edge guides, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy for suppressing the disorder in the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1.

[0066] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the medium conveyance device 3 may be provided in the recording device 2. FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the recording device 2 including the medium conveyance device 3. Among the elements of the recording device 2 shown in FIG. 12, elements similar to the elements of the image reading device 1 shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. The recording device 2 includes a medium conveyance device 3 and a recording unit 80, and performs recording on a medium ME1 to be recorded. Examples of the recording device 2 include an inkjet printer, an electrophotographic printer, and the like. The recording device 2 may be a single printer unit, or may be a copier, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions including a printing function, or the like. The recording unit 80 performs recording on the medium ME1, such as printing on the medium ME1. The medium conveyance device 3 includes a paper feed tray 10 including a first edge guide 11, a stacker 20 including a second edge guide 21, a conveyance unit 30, a first detection unit 40, a second detection unit 50, a display unit 60, an operation input unit 61, and a control unit 90. The conveyance unit 30 conveys the medium ME1 one by one from the paper feed tray 10 through the recording unit 80 to the stacker 20. The control unit 90 is capable of executing the processes shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10.

[0067] As described above, the user can confirm, on the display units 60 and 110, an alert indicating that the interval (W2) of the discharge-side edge guide is narrower than the interval (W1) of the paper feed-side edge guide. Thereby, the user can perform an adjustment operation so that the interval (W2) of the discharge-side edge guide becomes equal to or greater than the interval (W1) of the paper feed-side edge guide. Therefore, also in the example shown in FIG. 12, it is possible to suppress the arrangement of the discharged medium ME1 from being disturbed due to the interval (W2) of the discharge-side edge guide being narrower than the interval (W1) of the paper feed-side edge guide.

[0068] (5) Conclusion: As described above, according to the present invention, in various aspects, it is possible to provide a configuration or the like that can suppress the arrangement of the discharged medium from being disturbed due to the interval of the discharge-side edge guide being narrower than the interval of the paper feed-side edge guide. Of course, also in an aspect consisting only of the constituent elements according to the independent claims, the above-described basic operations and effects can be obtained. In addition, a configuration in which each configuration disclosed in the above-described examples is mutually replaced or the combination is changed, a known technique, and a configuration in which each configuration disclosed in the above-described examples is mutually replaced or the combination is changed, etc. are also implementable. The present invention includes these configurations and the like.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0069] 1… Image reading device, 2… Recording device, 3… Media conveyance device, 10… Paper feed tray, 11, 12, 13… First edge guide, 14… Centering mechanism, 15… First alignment unit, 18… Base, 20… Stacker, 21, 22, 23… Second edge guide, 24… Centering mechanism, 25… Second alignment unit, 28… Base, 30… Conveyance unit, 40… First detection unit, 41… First position detection sensor, 42… First distance detection sensor, 50… Second detection unit, 51… Second position detection sensor, 52… Second distance detection sensor, 60… Display unit, 61… Operation input unit, 70… Reading unit, 71… First reading unit, 72… Second reading unit, 80… Recording unit, 90… Control unit, 100… External device, 110… Display unit, 111… Operation input unit, C1… Central position, D1… Conveyance direction, D2… Width direction, D3… Front view direction, IM1… Image, L1, L2… Distance, ME1… Media, P1… Conveyance path, P2… Curving and reversing path, ST1… First detection process, ST2… Second detection process, ST3… Alert output process, W1… First width, W2… Second width, W3… Predetermined width, W4… Width, W5… Width, ΔT… Time interval, ΔT1… First time interval, ΔT2… Second time interval.

Claims

1. A medium conveyance device capable of displaying information on a display unit, comprising: a first support unit including the first edge guides located on both sides of the medium to be fed, the first edge guides having a variable interval; a second support unit including the second edge guides located on both sides of the medium to be discharged, the second edge guides having a variable interval; a conveyance unit for conveying the medium from the first support unit to the second support unit; a first detection unit capable of detecting a first measurement amount indicating a first width that is the interval of the first edge guides; a second detection unit capable of detecting a second measurement amount indicating a second width that is the interval of the second edge guides; and a control unit capable of outputting an alert to the display unit when the second width indicated by the first measurement amount is narrower than the first width indicated by the first measurement amount.

2. The first detection unit is capable of detecting the position of the first edge guide as the first measurement amount, the second detection unit is capable of detecting the position of the second edge guide as the second measurement amount, and the control unit calculates the first width from the position of the first edge guide and calculates the second width from the position of the second edge guide. The medium conveyance device according to claim 1.

3. The first detection unit is capable of detecting a distance L1 to the first edge guide as the first measurement amount, the second detection unit is capable of detecting a distance L2 to the second edge guide as the second measurement amount, and the control unit calculates the first width from the distance L1 and calculates the second width from the distance L2. The medium conveyance device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit continuously outputs the alert to the display unit when the second width is narrower than the first width. The medium conveyance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The conveyance unit conveys the medium from the first support unit to the second support unit via a reading unit of the medium, and the control unit is capable of receiving a reading instruction for the medium involving conveyance, and when receiving the reading instruction, outputs the alert to the display unit without causing the conveyance unit to convey the medium when the second width is narrower than the first width. The medium conveyance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. After outputting the alert, when the second width becomes equal to or greater than the first width, the control unit stops outputting the alert and causes the conveyance unit to convey the medium. The medium conveyance device according to claim 5.

7. The first support portion includes a first alignment portion that aligns the first edge guide to a position corresponding to a fixed size, The second support portion includes a second alignment portion that aligns the second edge guide to a position corresponding to a fixed size, and the media transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. There are a plurality of the media, The transport portion transports the plurality of media one by one from the first support portion to the second support portion via a reading portion of the media at a set time interval, When causing the reading portion to read the media, the control portion sets the time interval to a first time interval when the first width is narrower than a predetermined width, and sets the time interval to a second time interval when the first width is greater than or equal to the predetermined width, The media transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first time interval is shorter than the second time interval.

9. The control portion can receive an input of information indicating the width of the media to be transported to the transport portion from the outside, and output the alert to the display portion when the second width is narrower than the width of the media, and the media transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. A media transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a reading portion that reads an image of the media, and an image reading device in which the transport portion transports the media from the first support portion to the second support portion via the reading portion.

11. The control portion obtains the width of the media based on reading data read by the reading portion from the media transported to the transport portion, and causes the display portion to output the alert and stops the transport of the media when the second width is narrower than the width of the media, and the image reading device according to claim 10.

12. A media transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a recording portion that records on the media, and a recording device in which the transport portion transports the media from the first support portion to the second support portion via the recording portion.

13. A control method for a media transport device including: a first support portion including the first edge guide located on both sides of the fed media and the first edge guide whose interval can be changed; a second support portion including the second edge guide located on both sides of the discharged media and the second edge guide whose interval can be changed; and a transport portion that transports the media from the first support portion to the second support portion.

13. A first support portion including a first edge guide located on both sides of the fed media and the first edge guide whose interval can be changed, A second support portion including a second edge guide located on both sides of the discharged media and the second edge guide whose interval can be changed, A control method for a media transport device including a transport portion that transports the media from the first support portion to the second support portion. A first detection step of detecting a first measurement amount indicating a first width that is the interval of the first edge guides; A second detection step of detecting a second measurement amount indicating a second width that is the interval of the second edge guides; An alert output step of outputting an alert when the second width indicated by the first measurement amount is narrower than the first width indicated by the first measurement amount. A control method for a medium conveyance device including these steps.

Images