Abrasion detection device for conveyance roller

Abstract

To replace a roller at an appropriate time with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: There is provided an abrasion detection device for a conveyance roller that is applied to a paper feed device that includes: a paper feed table on which a large number of sheets are placed in a stacked state; a scraper roll 3 that is paper feed start conveyance means located above the paper feed table; a guide plate 4 located below the paper feed table in a downstream conveyance position; a separation plate 5 located immediately below the guide plate 4 in a downstream conveyance position; and a pickup roll 6 located above the separation plate 5. The abrasion detection device is equipped with measuring means 101 that photographs the shape of the conveyance roller that is the scraper roll 3 or the pickup roll 6 and measures a shape state, and detection means 102 that detects an abrasion degree of a photographed shape state of the conveyance roller by comparing the photographed shape state with predetermined shape data of a conveyance roller similar to the conveyance roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wear detection device for a conveyance roller that detects wear of the conveyance roller.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional paper feeding device, one described in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] In the paper feeding device described in Patent Document 1, a pickup roll having a sawtooth-shaped rubber outer shape is used.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a system that measures the surface displacement of a roller with a sensor or the like and indicates the replacement timing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the paper feeding device described in Patent Document 1, when the pickup roll wears, the paper feeding performance deteriorates, so it is necessary to check the wear state and replace it. Therefore, it is desirable to have it checked by a professional service technician, but since it is time-consuming, it may be replaced with a new one regularly regardless of the wear state, which is not economical.

[0007] Also, in the system described in Patent Document 2, although the surface displacement of the roller is measured with a sensor or the like, using a displacement sensor or the like for each makes the configuration complicated and not very economically desirable.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a wear detection device for a conveying roller that can replace the roller at an appropriate time with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a wear detection device for a conveying roller according to the present invention is characterized in that: a measuring means for photographing the shape of a conveying roller that conveys a medium and measuring the shape state; a detection means for comparing predetermined shape data of a conveying roller similar to the conveying roller with the photographed shape state to detect the wear condition of the photographed conveying roller.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the characteristics of the wear detection device for a conveying roller according to the present invention, the roller can be replaced at an appropriate time with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent parts and components throughout the drawings are denoted by the same or equivalent reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and different from the actual ones. Also, there are parts where the dimensional relationships and ratios are different between the drawings.

[0013] In addition, the embodiments shown below exemplify devices and the like for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention does not specify the arrangement of each component part as follows. The technical idea of the present invention can be variously modified within the scope of the claims.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a paper feeding device to which a wear detection device for a conveying roller according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feeding device 1 includes a paper feeding table (not shown) on which a large number of sheets are placed in a stacked state, a scraper roll 3 which is a paper feeding start conveying means arranged above the paper feeding table, a guide plate 4 provided below the downstream position of the paper feeding table in the conveying direction, a separating plate 5 provided below the immediate downstream position of the guide plate 4 in the conveying direction, and a pickup roll 6 arranged above the separating plate 5. The scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6 are collectively referred to as conveying rollers.

[0016] The paper feeding table is lifted by the driving force of a paper feeding table lifting motor (not shown), and is driven and controlled so that the uppermost sheet placed thereon always presses against the scraper roll 3 during paper feeding.

[0017] The scraper roll 3 is arranged at the central position in the width direction of the paper conveying path, that is, at the central position in the width direction of the paper feeding table, and presses against the central position in the width direction of the uppermost sheet placed on the paper feeding table. Also, the scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6 are rotated by the driving of a paper feeding roll driving motor (not shown).

[0018] The guide plate 4 is arranged across the entire width direction of the paper except at the position of the sabaki plate 5, and has left and right paper restriction inclined surfaces 4a arranged near the left and right of the sabaki plate 5, and left and right paper guide inclined surfaces 4b arranged further outside the left and right paper restriction inclined surfaces 4a.

[0019] The pickup roll 6 is arranged at a position substantially in contact with the upper surface of the sabaki plate 5 and rotates together with the scraper roll 3 as described above.

[0020] Next, the paper feeding operation of the paper feeding device 1 will be described. When the scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6 are rotated by the paper feeding roll driving means, the paper at the uppermost position of the paper feeding table is conveyed by the rotation of the scraper roll 3.

[0021] When the paper is conveyed in the paper conveying direction from the paper feeding table by the conveying force of the scraper roll 3, the leading end of the conveyed paper hits against the left and right paper restriction inclined surfaces 4a of the guide plate 4 and is conveyed along the upward inclination of the paper restriction inclined surface 4a.

[0022] Then, the paper conveyed downstream from the guide plate 4 is conveyed between the sabaki plate 5 and the pickup roll 6 and is conveyed downstream by the pickup roll 6.

[0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the pickup roll 6 provided in the paper feeding device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6 have the same configuration.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the pickup roll 6 has a wheel portion 61 formed of resin or the like and a medium contact portion 62 detachably provided on the wheel portion 61.

[0025] The wheel part 61 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and a rotating shaft (not shown) is fitted into the hollow part. When the rotating shaft rotates, the wheel part 61 fixed to the rotating shaft rotates about the axis. Then, along with the rotation of the wheel part 61, the medium contact part 62 attached to the wheel part 61 also rotates.

[0026] The medium contact part 62 is formed of an elastic member such as rubber, and on the outer peripheral surface, a large number of tooth shapes are formed by alternately forming ridges and valleys along the rotating shaft, like the teeth of a gear.

[0027] As described above, since the scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6 have a large number of tooth shapes on their surfaces, when a large amount of medium is conveyed, the tip parts of the tooth shapes may wear. When the scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6 wear, the paper feeding performance deteriorates. Therefore, it is desirable to replace them with new ones at an appropriate timing before the paper feeding performance deteriorates. If the replacement timing is too late, the paper feeding performance may deteriorate and paper feeding may become impossible. If the replacement timing is too early, there will be many unnecessary replacements, which will increase the cost and also cause environmental problems such as an increase in waste.

[0028] Therefore, in the paper feeding device 1, the shapes of the scraper roll 3 and the pickup roll 6, which are conveying rollers, are photographed by a scanner (not shown) to measure the shape state, and the wear condition of the photographed conveying roller is detected by comparing the photographed shape state with the predetermined shape data of a conveying roller similar to the photographed one.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the paper feeding device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feeding device 1 includes a scraper roll 3, a pickup roll 6, a panel 7, a scanner 8, a paper sensor 9, a control unit 10, and a storage unit 11.

[0031] The panel 7 displays a screen for displaying various messages or accepts user operations according to signals from the control unit 10.

[0032] The paper sensor 9 detects the medium conveyed by the pickup roll 6.

[0033] The storage unit 11 is composed of a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk, and stores scan data scanned by the scanner 8 and the like.

[0034] The control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a semiconductor memory, etc., and controls the entire paper feeding device 1.

[0035] When the arrival time at the paper sensor 9 that detects the medium conveyed by the conveyance roller is long, the control unit 10 displays a conveyance roller diagnosis mode on the panel 7 and prompts the scanning of the conveyance roller. Note that the timing for prompting the scanning of the conveyance roller is not limited to this, and the scanning of the conveyance roller may be prompted when the cumulative number of printed sheets of the printer exceeds a predetermined number, or according to the operation time. Hereinafter, as an example of the conveyance roller, the pickup roll 6 will be taken as an example for explanation.

[0036] The user removes the medium contact portion 62 from the wheel portion 61 of the pickup roll 6, places it on the scanner glass of the scanner 8, and performs an operation to scan one surface of the medium contact portion 62 from the panel 7. Similarly, the user performs an operation to reverse the top and bottom of the medium contact portion 62 and scan the other surface. The scan data scanned by the scanner 8 is stored in the storage unit 11.

[0037] Functionally, the control unit 10 has a measurement means 101 and a detection means 102.

[0038] When a scan operation is performed by the user, the measurement means 101 of the control unit 10 controls the scanner 8 to photograph (scan) the shape of the conveyance roller and measures the shape state.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the processing by the measurement means 101 provided in the paper feeding device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, the measuring means 101 obtains image data G102 by binarizing the image data G101 obtained by photographing (scanning) the shape of the conveying roller. Specifically, the measuring means 101 divides the image data G101 into a plurality of regions (here, 4×4), and if it is above a predetermined density for each of the divided image regions, it is set to 1 (black), and if it is below the predetermined density, it is set to 0 (white) for binarization.

[0041] In the example shown in the image data G102, as a result of binarization, for the image regions shown in black such as the image region G102a and the image region G102b, they are set to 1 (black), and for the image regions shown in white such as the image region G102x and the image region G102y, they are binarized to 0 (white).

[0042] Then, the measuring means 101 calculates the number of image regions determined to be 1 (black) based on the binarized data. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the number of image regions determined to be 1 (black) is calculated as "8". In this way, by binarization, the shape of the conveying roller can be clarified and it is easier to compare the degree of deterioration with the conveying roller before use.

[0043] The detection means 102 detects the wear condition of the photographed conveying roller by comparing a predetermined shape data of a conveying roller similar to the conveying roller with the photographed shape state.

[0044] First, as preparation for detection, the detection means 102 determines the rank of the determination area of the image region and stores it in the storage unit 11. For example, as the rank of the determination area of the image region, it is ranked into 5 ranks such as A: OK if there is X1% or more on both sides, B: OK if there is X1% or more on one side, C: OK if there is X2% or more on both sides, D: Caution if less than X2% on one side, E: NG if less than X2% on both sides.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the wear condition of the conveying roller.

[0046] The image G201 shown in FIG. 5 shows an example of image data obtained by scanning the pickup roll 6 before use, and the image G202 shows an example of image data obtained by scanning the pickup roll 6 after use.

[0047] The storage unit 11 stores the number of binarized image regions based on the image G201. Then, the detection means 102 detects the wear condition of the pickup roll 6 by comparing the number of binarized image regions based on the image G201 with the number of binarized image regions based on the image G202.

[0048] For example, if the number of binarized image regions based on the image G202 is less than X2% of the number of binarized image regions based on the image G201 for both sides, the detection means 102 determines that the pickup roll 6 corresponding to the image G201 is "NG" based on the rank of the determination area of the image region.

[0049] Then, the detection means 102 stores the detected number of binarized image regions and the determination result in the storage unit 11 together with the cumulative number of printed sheets of the printer, and transmits the stored data to a pre-registered printer manufacturer or maintenance company via the Internet (not shown). At that time, when the rank of the determination area of the image region is "D" or "E", a message may be displayed to recommend making a service call from the panel 7, or to recommend the printer manufacturer or maintenance company to send or visit for pickup roll replacement.

[0050] Further, the control unit 10 performs regression calculation on the number of binarized image regions, the determination result, and the cumulative number of printed sheets of the printer stored in the storage unit 11 by the least squares method, predicts the cumulative number of printed sheets of the printer when the determination area becomes less than X2%, and may notify the user of the expected time (TC) for pickup roll replacement from the panel 7 or the like.

[0051] (Supplementary Note) This application discloses the following invention.

[0052] (Supplementary Note 1) Measuring means for photographing the shape of a conveyance roller that conveys a medium and measuring the shape state; Detection means for comparing predetermined shape data of a conveyance roller similar to the conveyance roller with the photographed shape state and detecting the wear condition of the photographed conveyance roller; A wear detection device for a conveyance roller, characterized by comprising the above.

[0053] Thus, by photographing the shape of the conveyance roller using a scanner often mounted on a multifunction machine or the like, the wear state of the roller can be accurately measured, so it is possible to determine whether the roller needs to be replaced. For this reason, the roller can be replaced at an appropriate time with a simple configuration, eliminating unnecessary replacement with new products and being economical. In addition, by checking the wear condition, it is possible to predict the time when replacement should be made before the paper feeding performance deteriorates due to the user's usage situation, so unplanned downtime can be avoided.

Explanation of Signs

[0054] 1 Paper feeding device 3 Scraper roll 4 Guide plate 4a Inclined surface for paper restriction 4b Inclined surface for paper guide 5 Sabaki plate 6 Pickup roll 7 Panel 8 Scanner 9 Paper sensor 10 Control unit 11 Storage unit 61 Wheel part 62 Medium contact part 101 Measuring means 102 Detection means

Claims

【Claim 1】 Measuring means for photographing the shape of a conveyance roller that conveys a medium and measuring the shape state; Detection means for comparing predetermined shape data of a conveyance roller similar to the conveyance roller with the photographed shape state to detect the wear condition of the photographed conveyance roller; A wear detection device for a conveyance roller, characterized by comprising the above.

Images