Medium feeding device and recording device

Abstract

To provide a medium feeding device capable of appropriately adjusting the position where corrugation is eliminated.SOLUTION: A medium feeding device according to the present invention comprises: a suction conveying section for sucking and conveying the uppermost medium of a medium bundle; an abutting section for forming a curvature in the medium by abutting on the medium sucked by the suction conveying section; and a downstream conveying section for conveying the medium conveyed by the suction conveying section, wherein the abutting section can change the magnitude of the curvature formed in the medium in order to adjust a position where the curvature is eliminated when the medium is conveyed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medium feeding device and a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A medium feeding device that feeds media such as paper to a recording device such as a printer uses a method of, for example, suctioning and transporting the topmost medium in a stack of media.

[0003] In the sheet feeder described in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent double feeding of sheets of paper adsorbed to the suction belt, a contact member of a corrugator corrugates the sheets of paper adsorbed to the suction belt. It is also disclosed that the sheet feeder changes the amount of protrusion of the contact member depending on the type of paper, etc. (See Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-1744 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 describes that the contact member retracts just before the leading edge of the paper reaches the transport roll, thereby eliminating the wavy deformation of the paper when the paper is gripped by the transport roll (see paragraphs 0031 and 0032 of Patent Document 1). However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, depending on the type or size of the paper, there was a risk that the deformation of the paper would not be completely eliminated when the paper was gripped by the downstream roller, which is the transport roll, or that the deformation of the paper would be eliminated before the paper was gripped by the downstream roller, which is the transport roll, causing the leading edge of the paper to droop. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is a medium feeding device that includes an adsorption conveying unit that adsorbs and conveys the topmost medium in a stack of media, a contact unit that abuts against the medium adsorbed by the adsorption conveying unit to form a curvature in the medium, and a downstream conveying unit that conveys the medium conveyed by the adsorption conveying unit, wherein the contact unit is capable of changing the size of the curvature formed in the medium in order to adjust the position where the curvature is eliminated when the medium is conveyed.

[0007] One aspect of the invention that solves the above problem is a medium feeding device that includes an adsorption conveying section that adsorbs and conveys the topmost medium in a stack of media, a contact section that abuts against the medium adsorbed by the adsorption conveying section to form a curve in the medium, and a downstream conveying section that conveys the medium conveyed by the adsorption conveying section, and that is capable of changing the relative positional relationship between the adsorption conveying section and the downstream conveying section.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention to solve the above problem is a recording device including the medium feeding device and a recording unit that performs recording on the medium fed from the medium feeding device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a recording apparatus including a first medium feeding device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a first medium feeding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a state of a first medium feeding device according to the embodiment, as viewed from the downstream side toward the upstream side. FIG. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of a state of a first sheet of paper transported by a first medium feeding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of drooping of the leading edge of a sheet of paper conveyed by a first suction and conveyance unit when it is assumed that no corrugation is provided, according to a comparative example of the embodiment. [Figure 6]6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example of a shape in the width direction of a sheet of paper transported by a suction transport unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining an example of control of the advance amount of the contact portion of the corrugator in the first medium feeding device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of control of the relative positional relationship between the second suction transport unit and the second downstream transport unit in the second medium feeding device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] A first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a recording apparatus 100 including a first medium feeding device 300 according to an embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 1 shows XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes of a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. In this embodiment, the direction from the negative side to the positive side of the Z axis indicates the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the negative side of the Z axis is the upper side, and the positive side of the Z axis is the lower side. In this embodiment, the direction parallel to the Y axis is the width direction of the paper. In this embodiment, with respect to the path along which paper is transported for printing, the side of the transport start position is called the upstream side, and the side of the transport end position is called the downstream side.

[0012] In this embodiment, the first medium feeding device 300 is configured as a separate body from the recording device 100, and is configured to be detachable from the recording device 100. As another configuration example, the first medium feeding device 300 and the recording device 100 may be configured as one unit. In this embodiment, the first medium feeding device 300 and the recording device 100 are placed on a plane parallel to the XY plane. As another example, the first medium feeding device 300 and the recording device 100 may be arranged in other directions.

[0013] In this embodiment, the recording device 100 is a printer, and is an inkjet printer that records images such as characters or photographs on paper by applying ink as a liquid to the paper. The recording device 100 is not limited to an inkjet type, but may be a laser type printer that uses toner, or a copy machine, etc. In other words, the recording device 100 may be any device that feeds a medium. Furthermore, a medium other than paper may be used as the medium.

[0014] The configuration and operation of the recording device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The recording device 100 has a first housing 101 . Inside the first housing 101, there are provided a recording unit 110 that performs recording on the paper P from above, and a transport unit 130 that transports the paper P along a transport path 120 in the transport direction. In the recording device 100, four paper cassettes, that is, an a-th paper cassette 103a, a b-th paper cassette 103b, a c-th paper cassette 103c, and a d-th paper cassette 103d, are arranged in a line in the vertical direction.

[0015] The recording unit 110 has a line head type recording head 111 at the bottom that can eject ink simultaneously across almost the entire width of the paper. The recording unit 110 forms an image on the paper P by causing the ink ejected from the recording head 111 to adhere to the recording surface of the paper P that faces the recording head 111. In this way, the image is printed on the recording surface of the paper P.

[0016] The conveying section 130 has a plurality of conveying roller pairs, namely, an a-th conveying roller pair 131a to a g-th conveying roller pair 131g, arranged along the conveying path 120, and a belt conveying section 132 provided directly below the recording section 110. Ink is ejected from the recording head 111 onto the paper P being conveyed by the belt conveying section 132, thereby performing recording. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the conveying section 130 includes a drive roller 133, a driven roller 134, a pickup roller 142a, a first drive roller pair 144, a separation roller pair 145, a second drive roller pair 146 consisting of a second drive roller 146a and a second driven roller 146b, a third drive roller pair 148, an alignment roller pair 149, and a branch path roller pair 161.

[0017] The belt conveying section 132 has a drive roller 133 arranged upstream of the recording head 111 in the conveying direction, a driven roller 134 arranged downstream of the recording head 111 in the conveying direction, and a circular belt 135 which is an endless circular belt stretched around the drive roller 133 and the driven roller 134. The circular belt 135 rotates as the drive roller 133 is driven to rotate, and the paper P is transported downstream in the transport direction by the rotating circular belt 135. In other words, the outer peripheral surface of the circular belt 135 functions as a support surface that supports the paper P on which recording is performed.

[0018] The conveying path 120 has a supply path 140 along which paper P is conveyed toward the recording unit 110, a discharge path 150 along which paper P recorded by the recording unit 110 is conveyed, and a branch path 160 branching off from the discharge path 150. The supply path 140 includes a first supply path 141 , a second supply path 142 , and a third supply path 143 .

[0019] The first supply path 141 is a supply path in which an insertion opening 141b is exposed by opening a cover 141a provided on one side of the first housing 101, and the e-th paper Pe inserted through the insertion opening 141b is transported to the recording unit 110. The first supply path 141 is provided with a first driving roller pair 144, and the e-th paper sheet Pe inserted from the insertion opening 141b is conveyed linearly toward the recording unit 110 by the rotational drive of the first driving roller pair 144. Here, when the first supply path 141 is used, the e-th sheet Pe is transported as the sheet P to be recorded.

[0020] The second supply path 142 is a supply path along which the paper stored in each of the four paper cassettes provided in the lower part of the first housing 101, that is, the a-th paper cassette 103a to the d-th paper cassette 103d, is conveyed to the recording unit 110.

[0021] The a-th paper cassette 103a accommodates the a-th paper sheets Pa in a stacked state, and is detachably provided in the first housing 101 of the recording device 100. A pickup roller 142a, a separation roller pair 145, and a second drive roller pair 146 are provided in the second supply path 142 near the a-th paper cassette 103a.

[0022] In this embodiment, since the configurations and operations of these four paper cassettes are similar, the a-th paper cassette 103a will be described as a representative, and similar descriptions of the other paper cassettes will be omitted. In addition, in this embodiment, the configurations and operations of the pickup roller 142a, separation roller pair 145, and second drive roller pair 146 are the same for all four paper cassettes, and reference symbols in the drawings will be omitted for similar components of paper cassettes other than the a-th paper cassette 103a, and similar descriptions will be omitted.

[0023] In a stack of sheets of paper stored in a-th paper cassette 103a in a stacked state, the topmost a-th paper Pa is sent out by pickup roller 142a, separated one by one by separation roller pair 145, and then its vertical position is reversed and it is transported toward recording unit 110 by the rotational drive of second drive roller pair 146 provided in second supply path 142.

[0024] The second drive roller pair 146 is composed of a second drive roller 146a and a second driven roller 146b. The second drive roller 146a is attached to the side of the first housing 101, and the second driven roller 146b is attached to the upper cover 170 or the lower cover 180, respectively. When the upper cover 170 and the lower cover 180 are closed, the second driven roller 146b can rotate in conjunction with the second drive roller 146a. Here, when the paper cassette and the second supply path 142 are used, the ath paper Pa from the ath paper cassette 103a, or paper from one of the other paper cassettes, the bth paper cassette 103b to the dth paper cassette 103d, is transported as the paper P to be recorded. In this embodiment, the paper from the first medium feeding device 300 is also transported via the second supply path 142 as the paper P to be recorded.

[0025] The third supply path 143 is a supply path along which the paper P, one side of which has been recorded by the recording unit 110, is transported back to the recording unit 110 when double-sided printing is performed, in which an image is recorded on both sides of the paper P. That is, a branch path 160 that branches off from the discharge path 150 is provided downstream of the recording unit 110 in the transport direction. When double-sided printing is performed, the paper P is transported to the branch path 160 by the operation of a branching mechanism 147 provided midway along the discharge path 150. In addition, a branch path roller pair 161 that can rotate both forward and reverse is provided downstream of the branching mechanism 147 on the branch path 160. In the example of FIG. 1, the sheet P branched to the branch path 160 is shown as the r-th sheet Pr.

[0026] During double-sided printing, the paper P, one side of which has been printed, is first guided by the branching mechanism 147 to the branch path 160, and is then transported downstream within the branch path 160 by the branch path roller pair 161, which rotates forward. Thereafter, the rth paper Pr transported to the branch path 160 is transported backward within the branch path 160 from the downstream side to the upstream side by the branch path roller pair 161, which rotates in the reverse direction.

[0027] The rth sheet Pr conveyed in the reverse direction from the branch path 160 is conveyed to the third supply path 143 and is conveyed toward the recording unit 110 by the fth conveying roller pair 131f and the gth conveying roller pair 131g. The third supply path 143 bypasses the recording unit 110 and merges with the first supply path 141 and the second supply path 142 upstream of the recording unit 110.

[0028] Therefore, as the rth paper Pr is transported through the third supply path 143, it is inverted so that the other unprinted side of the rth paper Pr faces the recording unit 110, and is transported toward the recording unit 110 by the rotational drive of the third drive roller pair 148. That is, the third supply path 143 functions as a reversing transport path that transports the rth sheet Pr while reversing its position in the vertical direction.

[0029] The paper P transported through each of the supply paths, the first supply path 141, the second supply path 142, and the third supply path 143, is transported to a pair of alignment rollers 149 arranged upstream of the recording unit 110 in the transport direction, and then the leading edge of the paper P hits the pair of alignment rollers 149, which have stopped rotating. Here, the inclination of the paper sheet P relative to the conveying direction is corrected by the state where the paper sheet P hits the alignment roller pair 149. This correction is called skew removal. Then, the sheet P, whose skew has been corrected, is conveyed to the recording unit 110 in an aligned state by the subsequent rotational driving of the alignment roller pair 149.

[0030] The recording unit 110 performs recording on one or both sides of the paper P, and the paper P on which the recording is completed is transported along the discharge path 150 that constitutes the downstream part of the transport path 120 by the a-th transport roller pair 131a to the e-th transport roller pair 131e.

[0031] The downstream discharge path 151 of the discharge path 150 is provided so as to extend upward from the first housing 101 and curve along the branch path 160. The paper P transported along the downstream discharge path 151 is discharged from a discharge opening 155 which is the end of the downstream discharge path 151.

[0032] The paper sheets P discharged from the discharge port 155 fall downward and are discharged onto the sheet placement table 156 in a stacked state. In the example of FIG. 1, the sheet P placed on the placement table 156 is shown as the sth sheet Ps. By pairs of transport rollers arranged at multiple locations on the downstream discharge path 151, the paper P is discharged from the discharge port 155 onto the mounting table 156 with the recording surface facing downwards in the case of single-sided printing.

[0033] The loading table 156 has an inclined shape that rises upward as it moves in the negative direction of the X axis, and the sheets of paper P are placed in a stack on the loading table 156. At this time, each sheet of paper P placed on the loading table 156 moves in the positive direction of the X axis along the inclined surface of the loading table 156 and is placed close to a vertical side wall 157 provided below the discharge opening 155.

[0034] Further, the downstream discharge path 151 constitutes a curved reversing path that reverses the paper P recorded by the recording unit 110 while the paper P is transported to the discharge port 155. That is, the downstream discharge path 151 curves the paper P recorded by the recording unit 110 so that the recorded side faces inward, and also reverses the paper P from a state in which the recorded side of the paper P faces upward to a state in which the recorded side faces downward. Therefore, by passing through the downstream discharge path 151, the paper P is discharged from the discharge port 155 with the recorded side facing the mounting table 156 during single-sided printing.

[0035] An upper cover 170 and a lower cover 180 are provided on the first housing 101 in the negative direction of the X axis. The upper cover 170 and the lower cover 180 are provided side by side in the vertical direction. A first medium feeding device 300 is detachably provided on the negative side of the X axis of the lower cover 180. The paper discharged from the first medium feeding device 300 is inserted into a through hole 181 provided in the lower cover 180 and enters the second transport path 162 in the second supply path 142. Here, when a sheet from the first medium feeding device 300 is used, the sheet is transported as the sheet P to be recorded.

[0036] Here, when any sheets of paper transported from the lower side to the upper side of the second transport path 162 remain on the upper side of the second transport path 162, the upper cover 170 is opened and these sheets of paper are removed. When the paper sheets transported from the lower side to the upper side of the second transport path 162 remain on the lower side of the second transport path 162, the first medium feeding device 300 is removed from the first housing 101, the upper cover 170 is opened, and then the lower cover 180 is opened to remove the paper sheets.

[0037] A recess 171 recessed from the wall surface extends in the width direction on the side of the lower end of the upper cover 170. The upper side of the recess 171 is connected to the wall surface, and an inclined surface is formed that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and extends in the width direction. An opening of a through-hole 181 is formed long in the width direction on the upper side of the lower cover 180. Inside the opening, a protrusion 182 is formed long in the width direction, having an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction, and protruding upward from the upper end of the lower cover 180.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the first medium feeding device 300 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the first medium feeding device 300 according to the embodiment, as viewed from the downstream side toward the upstream side. 2 and 3, for the sake of convenience, XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes are shown similarly to those in FIG.

[0039] The first medium feeding device 300 includes a second housing 301 . The first medium feeding device 300 is provided with a plurality of casters on the bottom of the second housing 301. In the example of Fig. 2, the a-th caster 311a and the b-th caster 311b are shown as the plurality of casters, but the first medium feeding device 300 may also be provided with, for example, two other casters (not shown) that face these two casters in a direction parallel to the Y-axis. These casters make it easy to move the first medium feeding device 300 when attaching it to the first housing 101 and when removing it from the first housing 101.

[0040] The first medium feeding device 300 includes, inside the second housing 301, a lifting mechanism 321, a tray 322, a feeding conveying path 323, a first downstream conveying section 324, a first suction conveying section 325, a spraying device 331, a first detection section 451, and a first control section 452. The spraying device 331 has a floating part 332 and a separating part 333 .

[0041] The first suction conveying section 325 includes an a-th conveying belt 341 a, a b-th conveying belt 341 b, a suction device 342, a driving device 343, a plurality of tension rolls, and a first corrugator 411. As these multiple tension rolls, a 1a tension roll 381a, a 2a tension roll 382a, and a 2b tension roll 382b are shown, but a tension roll opposing the 1a tension roll 381a is also provided. For example, the first suction and transport section 325 may be considered to include the spray device 331.

[0042] The a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b each have a plurality of ventilation holes. In the example of Fig. 3, only one ventilation hole 351 of the a-th conveyor belt 341a is designated by a reference symbol, and reference symbols for the other ventilation holes are omitted. The suction device 342 includes a duct 361 and a suction fan 362 . The first corrugator 411 includes a motor 431 and a contact portion 432 .

[0043] 2 and 3 also show a stack of sheets P0 made up of a plurality of sheets placed on the upper part of the tray 322. The first medium feeding device 300 takes out sheets one by one from the stack of sheets P0 and supplies them to the recording device 100 side.

[0044] The lifting mechanism 321 has a tray 322 placed on top thereof, and moves the tray 322 up and down. Tray 322 can hold multiple sheets of paper. In this embodiment, tray 322 stores sheets of paper stacked on a bottom plate. In the examples of Figures 2 and 3, the stacked sheets of paper are a stack of sheets P0, and the topmost sheet of the stack of sheets P0 is shown as a first sheet P1. Here, the lifting mechanism 321 adjusts the vertical position of the tray 322 so that the top surface of the uppermost first sheet P1 remains at approximately the same position even if the amount of sheets stacked on the tray 322 fluctuates.

[0045] The a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are arranged side by side in a direction parallel to the Y axis. Here, the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are, for example, endless conveyor belts having the same shape. The a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are tensioned in parallel by a 1a tension roll 381a and an opposing tension roll arranged at one end of the belt, and a 2a tension roll 382a and an opposing 2b tension roll 382b arranged at the other end of the belt.

[0046] The peripheral surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are supported so as to face the upper surface of the first paper P1 stacked on the tray 322 from above with a predetermined gap therebetween. The a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are each made of synthetic rubber, and the friction between the circumferential surface of each belt and the first paper P1 is large. The a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b have ventilation holes formed at substantially equal intervals over the entire circumference of their respective peripheral surfaces.

[0047] The driving device 343 drives to rotate one or both of the 1a-th tension roll 381a and the tension roll facing it, and the 2a-th tension roll 382a and the 2b-th tension roll facing it. By this rotational drive, the peripheral surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are driven to move in a circular motion in the conveyance direction of the first paper P1 at positions facing the first paper P1.

[0048] In the suction device 342, a duct 361 is arranged inside the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, and a suction fan 362 has the function of sucking air through the duct 361 to reduce the pressure. The duct 361 is disposed so as to contact the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b on the rear side of the area where the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b face the first paper P1. In this contact area, a plurality of suction ports (not shown) are formed so as to communicate with the ventilation holes 351 provided in the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b.

[0049] Therefore, when the suction fan 362 sucks in the air inside the duct 361 and reduces the pressure, outside air is sucked in through the multiple suction ports and the air vents 351 in the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, and the first paper P1, which is positioned opposite the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, is adsorbed onto the circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b. The conveyor belts that perform such suction may be called, for example, suction belts. That is, the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b may each be called a suction belt.

[0050] The first corrugator 411 is provided between the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b in the Y-axis direction. The first corrugator 411 is adjacent to both the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b. The contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 is supported so as to be movable between a position protruding downward from the surface of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b facing the first paper P1, and a position recessed from the peripheral surface of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b. In this embodiment, the amount of advancement and retreat of the contact portion 432 is also referred to as an advancement amount.

[0051] The motor 431 of the first corrugator 411 is connected to the contact portion 432 and drives a mechanism (not shown) that moves the position of the contact portion 432 . When the motor 431 drives the mechanism, the contact portion 432 moves in a direction parallel to the Z axis, which is the vertical direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, the contact portion 432 comes into contact with the first sheet P1 that has been sucked by the first suction and conveyance portion 325, thereby forming a curve in the first sheet P1. The contact portion 432 is movable between a position where it advances below the paper suction surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and a position where it retreats above the paper suction surfaces.

[0053] The spray device 331 blows out an air flow from the tip of a nozzle and applies the air flow to a limited area. The blowing device 331 is provided below the front side of the tray 322, that is, below the feeding and conveying path 323 on the side from which the first paper P1 is sent out. The blowing device 331 blows airflow onto the edge of the first sheet P1 that has been sucked from the tray 322 onto the circumferential surfaces of the a-th transport belt 341a and the b-th transport belt 341b. Furthermore, the blowing device 331 blows airflow onto the edge of the first sheet of paper P1 at a location in the width direction of the first sheet of paper P1 other than the location where the first corrugator 411 is provided. When two or more sheets of paper are stacked on the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, this airflow is blown into between the stacked sheets of paper, facilitating the separation of the second and subsequent sheets of paper.

[0054] Here, the floating section 332 of the blowing device 331 blows an air flow to float the first paper sheet P1. Furthermore, the separation section 333 of the blowing device 331 blows an air flow to separate the multiple sheets of paper including the first paper sheet P1.

[0055] For example, the floating portion 332 is controlled to blow air toward the edge of the stack of paper-sheets P0 to float the paper-sheets. Furthermore, the floating portion 332 may be controlled to stop blowing air when the contact portion 432 is in contact with the first sheet P1 sucked by the first suction transport portion 325. For example, the separating section 333 blows air onto the first sheet P1 sucked by the first suction conveying section 325 and the other sheets floated by the floating section 332, thereby separating the sheets. Furthermore, the separation unit 333 may be controlled to stop blowing air after a predetermined time has elapsed while the contact unit 432 is in contact with the first sheet P1 adsorbed to the first suction / conveyance unit 325. The predetermined time is a time sufficient for the airflow from the separation unit 333 to promote separation of the media, as will be described later.

[0056] A first downstream conveyance section 324 is disposed at a position separated from the first suction conveyance section 325 in the direction in which the first paper sheet P1 is conveyed by the a-th conveyance belt 341a and the b-th conveyance belt 341b. The first downstream conveying section 324 conveys the first sheet P1 conveyed from the first suction conveying section 325 toward the first housing 101. The first sheet P1 conveyed by the first downstream conveying section 324 is discharged from a first discharge port 302 provided in the second housing 301. The first sheet P1 discharged from the first discharge port 302 is inserted into a through-hole 181 provided in a lower cover 180 of the first housing 101, and printing is performed by the recording device 100. In this embodiment, the first downstream transport section 324 is a pair of transport rollers.

[0057] The first detection section 451 detects information about the first paper sheet P1. The first detection section 451 may detect, for example, the paper type and paper size as the aspect of the first paper sheet P1. Furthermore, the first detection section 451 may detect the shape of the first sheet of paper P1 as the state of the first sheet of paper P1. The shape of the first sheet of paper P1 may be used to determine the degree of corrugation, for example. The first detector 451 may be disposed at any position. Furthermore, first detector 451 may include, for example, a plurality of detectors. Furthermore, first detection unit 451 may perform detection without a user operation, or may detect information according to a user operation, for example.

[0058] The first control unit 452 performs various processes and controls. In this embodiment, the first control unit 452 controls the advancement amount of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411. The first control unit 452 may perform control based on the detection result by the first detection unit 451, for example. The first control unit 452 may also control the blowing of air by the blowing device 331.

[0059] In this embodiment, the first medium feeding device 300 is shown to be equipped with the first control unit 452, but, for example, a configuration may be used in which the first medium feeding device 300 does not have the first control unit 452, and the recording device 100 has the function of the first control unit 452, and this function of the recording device 100 controls the first medium feeding device 300. In this way, the first medium feeding device 300 may be controlled by the control unit of the recording device 100, for example. In addition, in this embodiment, a memory unit (not shown) of the first medium feeding device 300 stores information such as parameters used in control, but as another example, a memory unit (not shown) of the recording device 100 may store the information.

[0060] For example, the first control unit 452 may perform automatic control, such as determining the amount of control in accordance with a predetermined algorithm without any information input from the user, or determining the amount of control in accordance with the parameter values input by the user and a predetermined algorithm. Furthermore, the first control unit 452 may perform control that directly follows manual input from the user, using the value input by the user as the control amount as is, for example. The distinction between automatic control and manual control is not necessarily limited to the example of this embodiment.

[0061] Next, an example of the operation of the first medium feeding device 300 will be described. When the first sheet P1 is fed, the floating unit 332 first blows air toward the edge of the stack of sheets P0 in the positive direction of the X axis to float one or more sheets of paper. That is, the floating unit 332 floats one or more sheets of paper, including the first sheet P1, from the stack of sheets P0. Then, the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and the suction fan 362 of the suction device 342 are driven. This reduces the pressure of the air inside the duct 361, and the air between the outer circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and the upper surface of the first sheet P1 is sucked through the air vents 351 of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b. This causes the uppermost first sheet P1 floated by the floating portion 332 to be adsorbed to the outer circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b. Furthermore, the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are driven to rotate in a direction to send out the first sheet P1, and the attracted first sheet P1 is sent out to the feeding conveyance path 323.

[0062] When the first sheet P1 is attracted to the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 is caused to protrude downward below the circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b under the control of the first control unit 452. As a result, the contact portion 432 comes into contact with the first sheet P1 attracted to the circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, and the contact portion of the first sheet P1 resists contact with the circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the state of the 1ath sheet P1a transported by the first medium feeding device 300 according to the embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 4 shows the same XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes as FIG. In the example of FIG. 4, for the sake of simplicity, only a part of the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is shown, and the other parts are omitted.

[0064] Figure 4 shows the state of the 1ath sheet P1a adsorbed to the circumferential surfaces of the ath conveyor belt 341a and the bth conveyor belt 341b when the abutment portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 protrudes below the circumferential surfaces of the ath conveyor belt 341a and the bth conveyor belt 341b. Here, the 1a-th sheet P1a represents the first sheet P1 in a deformed state. 4, the 1a-th sheet P1a is attracted while being deformed in a V-shape in the width direction. Note that the deformation is not limited to a V-shape, and may be, for example, a wavy shape.

[0065] When two or more sheets of paper are stacked and pulled up by suction, the suction force acting on the lower sheets is weaker than that on the upper sheets. Therefore, due to the rigidity of the paper, or its tendency to elastically recover from deformation when it is deformed, a gap forms between the upper and lower sheets. Furthermore, as the sheets deform into a V-shape, misalignment occurs in the direction parallel to the surface between the stacked sheets, making them even more susceptible to separation.

[0066] At this time, airflow is blown from the separation section 333 of the blowing device 331 into the gaps that occur between the sheets, and this airflow functions as a so-called air knife to promote separation between the overlapping sheets. As a result, the lower sheets are separated and fall into the inside of the tray 322, and only the topmost sheet, the first sheet P1, is attracted to the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and sent out to the feeding conveyance path 323. Therefore, even with thin sheets or highly breathable sheets, double feeding is more effectively prevented.

[0067] The first paper P1 transported as described above is sent into the feeding conveying path 323, and when the leading edge of the first paper P1 reaches the first downstream conveying section 324, the first downstream conveying section 324 rotates to further transport the first paper P1 along the feeding conveying path 323 toward the recording device 100. At this time, the first control unit 452 controls the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 to recede from the circumferential surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b before the leading edge of the first sheet P1 reaches the first downstream conveyor unit 324, which is located closest to the tray 322. After the first sheet P1 reaches the first downstream conveyor unit 324, the driving of the suction device 342 can be stopped.

[0068] Here, when the first sheet P1 reaches the first downstream transport section 324, it is necessary that the V-shaped deformation of the first sheet P1 be eliminated and that the first sheet P1 assume a substantially flat shape. By eliminating the deformation of the first sheet P1 when it reaches the first downstream conveying section 324, the first sheet P1 will not bend locally and the surface of the first sheet P1 will not be damaged even if the first sheet P1 being moved by the first downstream conveying section 324 is curved as it is guided to the through-hole 181 of the recording device 100. In addition, it is possible to prevent problems such as the first sheet P1 reaching the first downstream conveying section 324 in a wrinkled state, causing irreparable wrinkles.

[0069] Here, when the first downstream transport section 324 is a pair of transport rollers, the first paper sheet P1 is gripped when it reaches the first downstream transport section 324. In this embodiment, the motor 431 is used as a mechanism for driving the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411, but a solenoid or the like may be used instead.

[0070] While the present embodiment illustrates the contact portion 432 as moving in the vertical direction, another example would be a contact portion in which one end is supported for rotation about a support shaft and the other end is connected to an actuating rod for rotation therebetween. In such a contact portion, when the actuating rod is driven in the vertical direction, the end connected to the actuating rod moves in the vertical direction and rotates about the support shaft. The upper end of the actuating rod is connected to a drive mechanism, such as a solenoid, and the actuating rod is driven in the vertical direction by the operation of the drive mechanism. This causes the gently curved lower surface of the contact portion to move in a position protruding from or receding from the surface of the conveyor belt that faces the paper.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration has been shown in which two conveyor belts, the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b, are provided in a direction parallel to the Y-axis, but as another example, three or more conveyor belts may be provided in a direction parallel to the Y-axis. When three or more conveyor belts are provided, for example, a corrugator may be provided between the two conveyor belts for each pair of adjacent two conveyor belts. In other words, when three or more conveyor belts are provided, the number of corrugators may be one less than the number of conveyor belts.

[0072] The shape of the paper conveyed by the first suction conveyance section 325 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of drooping of the leading edge of a sheet conveyed by the first suction conveyance section 325 in a case where no corrugation is provided, according to a comparative example to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the shape in the width direction of the paper conveyed by the first suction conveyance section 325 according to the embodiment. 5 and 6, for the sake of convenience, XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes similar to those in FIG. 1 are shown. Although FIGS. 5 and 6 show the state of a sheet being transported, they may be understood to show the state of a sheet that has been stopped midway through its transport.

[0073] Figure 5 shows the first suction conveying section 325, a second sheet P2 which is an example of a sheet of paper conveyed by the first suction conveying section 325, and a second sheet P2a which is the second sheet P2 conveyed by the first suction conveying section 325 and conveyed further downstream. Here, the 2ath sheet P2a represents the same sheet as the 2nd sheet P2 except for the position where it is being transported.

[0074] In the example of Figure 5, when the distance by which the second paper P2 protrudes downstream from the center position of the seconda tension roll 382a in the direction parallel to the X-axis is the zeroth distance L0, the downstream tip of the second paper P2 is not drooping due to gravity G1. On the other hand, in the example of Figure 5, when the distance by which 2a paper P2a protrudes downstream from the center position of 2a tension roll 382a in the direction parallel to the X-axis is a first distance L1, the downstream tip of 2a paper P2a is drooping due to gravity G1. Here, the first distance L1 is greater than the zeroth distance L0. In the example of FIG. 5, the amount of sagging in the height direction at the downstream side leading edge of the 2a-th sheet P2a is indicated by sagging amount δ.

[0075] In the example of FIG. 6, an example of a cross section parallel to the YZ plane is shown for the second paper sheet P2. The example in Figure 6 shows the paper width B of the second paper P2, the advancement amount h of the abutment portion 432 which corresponds to the height of the corrugation given to the second paper P2, the paper thickness t of the second paper P2, and the rigidity S of the second paper P2. Here, the stiffness S of the second sheet P2 is not visible to the naked eye, but is shown schematically in the example of FIG. 6 for the sake of convenience. The stiffness S of the second sheet P2 is a parameter determined by a single element or a combination of two or more elements such as the thickness t, basis weight, or grain direction relative to the paper feed direction of the second sheet P2.

[0076] Here, in the example of the 2a sheet P2a, the first distance L1 represents the distance from the base of the sheet to which the sheet is attracted to the leading edge of the sheet on the downstream side when the amount of slack δ is greater than 0. In the example of the second sheet P2, the zeroth distance L0 represents the distance from the base of the sheet where it is adsorbed to the downstream leading edge of the sheet when the sagging amount δ = 0. The zeroth distance L0 is the limit length when the sagging amount δ = 0. In other words, when the distance from the base of the sheet where it is adsorbed to the downstream leading edge of the sheet exceeds the zeroth distance L0, the downstream leading edge of the sheet sags, and the sagging amount δ becomes greater than 0. In this embodiment, the base where the paper is adsorbed represents the position corresponding to the center position of the second a tension roll 382a in the direction parallel to the X axis.

[0077] Here, the deflection will be explained. The resistance to bending of a single material such as metal is expressed by the second moment of area I=f(h, t, B) with parameters h, thickness t, and width B of the contact portion 432. Here, f(h, t, B) represents a function with parameters h, thickness t, and width B. On the other hand, because paper is not a single material, the properties of the paper change depending on the basis weight or anisotropy of the paper. Therefore, a parameter called paper stiffness S, which is obtained by adding factors such as basis weight and the grain direction relative to the paper feed direction to the paper thickness, is used instead of thickness t. The resistance of paper to sagging is expressed by the second moment of area I = g(h, S, B), with the advance amount h, stiffness S, and paper width B as parameters. If the first distance L1 is sufficiently short, the amount of sagging δ can be sufficiently small. In other words, as described above, if the first distance L1 is equal to or less than the zeroth distance L0, the amount of sagging δ can be sufficiently small. On the other hand, when the first distance L1 increases due to media transport, the second moment of area I must be increased to prevent the paper from sagging due to corrugation. Here, g(h, S, B) represents a function with the advance amount h, stiffness S, and paper width B as parameters.

[0078] However, the cross-sectional shape of the paper caused by the corrugation is gradually eliminated from the base of the paper, which is adsorbed to the conveyor belt with suction function, toward the downstream leading edge of the paper. Therefore, when the first distance L1 becomes larger than the zeroth distance L0, which is the limit length at which the amount of slack δ at the downstream leading edge of the paper becomes greater than 0, the corrugation at the downstream leading edge of the paper is eliminated, and the paper begins to droop. The zeroth distance L0 is expressed as a function of the continuously changing second moment of area I, and is also expressed as a function of the advancement amount h, stiffness S, and paper width B. Specifically, it is expressed as L0 = p(I) = q(h, S, B), where p(I) represents a function with the second moment of area I as a parameter, and q(h, S, B) represents a function with the advancement amount h, stiffness S, and paper width B as parameters.

[0079] The cross-sectional shape of a sheet of paper differs depending on the protruding position of the sheet, the type of paper, the size of the sheet, and the amount of corrugation, and therefore it is often difficult to calculate the cross-sectional shape through theoretical calculations. Therefore, in this embodiment, the condition of the advance amount h, which corresponds to the height of the corrugation, is changed in advance depending on the paper type and size expected to be used, and the zeroth distance L0, which is the limit length of the first distance L1, which is the overhang length at which the paper does not sag, is experimentally determined. This makes it possible to create an ideal state in which the corrugation at the downstream leading edge of the paper is almost eliminated, and the paper reaches the first downstream conveyance section 324 without sagging. Alternatively, an approximate formula may be determined based on experiments. In this embodiment, with this configuration, it is possible to provide a paper feed mechanism that is less likely to cause paper wrinkles or paper jams. Here, the paper type corresponds to, for example, stiffness S. The paper size corresponds to, for example, paper width B.

[0080] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of control of the advance amount h of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 in the first medium feeding device 300 according to the first embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 7 shows the same XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes as FIG. Although FIG. 7 shows the state of a sheet being transported, it may be understood that it shows the state of a sheet that has been stopped midway through transport.

[0081] 7 shows the first suction conveying section 325, the first downstream conveying section 324, the third sheet P3 conveyed by the first suction conveying section 325, a first detection section 451, and a first control section 452. FIG. 7 also shows the first direction D1, which is the direction in which the third sheet P3 is transported, the advance amount h of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411, and the first leading edge E1, which is the downstream leading edge of the third sheet P3. Figure 7 also shows the third distance L3, which is the distance that the third paper P3 protrudes downstream from the center position of the seconda tension roll 382a in the direction parallel to the X-axis, and the thirda distance L3a, which corresponds to the position where the corrugation is eliminated. Here, L3a=L3-α, where the first margin α is 0 or a positive value.

[0082] In this embodiment, the third distance L3 is fixed, the first margin α is fixed, and the advance amount h of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 is variable. The first control unit 452 controls the advance amount h of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 so that the corrugation is eliminated at the position of the 3a distance L3a.

[0083] In this embodiment, for example, the third distance L3 and the first margin α are set in advance in the first control unit 452. The first margin α is set within a range in which the amount of droop at the leading edge of the paper at the third distance L3 does not cause a problem. In this embodiment, a correspondence relationship between the state of the third sheet P3 and the set value of the advance amount h of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 is set in advance in the first control unit 452, etc. Based on this correspondence relationship, the first control unit 452 controls the advance amount h of the contact portion 432 of the first corrugator 411 to be the set value corresponding to the state of the third sheet P3. In this way, the first control unit 452 controls the third sheet P3 so that the corrugation is eliminated when the first leading edge E1 of the third sheet P3 reaches the first downstream conveyance unit 324. The aspect of the third sheet P3 may be, for example, the type and size of the paper.

[0084] In this manner, in this embodiment, the advancement amount h, which corresponds to the height of the contact portion 432 of the corrugation, is variable, and an adjustable mechanism is provided. The first control unit 452 adjusts the advance amount h depending on, for example, the paper type and paper size, and keeps the distance until the corrugation is eliminated constant. As a result, in this embodiment, for any selectable paper type and paper size, the corrugation is eliminated up to the position of the first margin α just before the first downstream conveyance unit 324. The set value of the advance amount h of the corrugation is determined in advance by evaluation for each paper type and paper size, for example. Then, when printing is performed on paper of the corresponding paper type and paper size, the first control unit 452 changes the advance amount h of the corrugation using a mechanism.

[0085] Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300 of this embodiment, the advancement amount h of the corrugation abutment portion 432 is variable for each paper type and paper size, and the advancement amount h is adjusted so that the distance at which the corrugation is eliminated is at an appropriate position, and the third paper P3 enters the first downstream conveying section 324 after the corrugation is completely eliminated. That is, the first medium feeding device 300 can change the magnitude of the curvature formed on the paper in order to adjust the position where the curvature is eliminated when the paper is transported.

[0086] Here, in this embodiment, the distance that the third paper P3 protrudes downstream from the center position of the second a tension roll 382a has been used for explanation, but other positions may be used as the reference position when determining such a distance. For example, instead of the center position of the second a tension roll 382a, the position of the downstream tip of the first suction conveying section 325, or the position of the downstream tip of the a conveying belt 341a and the b conveying belt 341b may be used as the reference position.

[0087] As described above, in the first medium feeding device 300 according to this embodiment, in a configuration in which corrugations are applied to paper sheets sucked by a suction belt to prevent the paper sheets from sagging, the amount of corrugation applied is controlled so that a predetermined relationship is established between the position where the leading edge of the paper sheets does not sag and the corrugation naturally disappears, and the position where the paper sheets enter the first downstream conveying section 324. The predetermined relationship is, for example, a relationship in which the two positions coincide, or a relationship in which the distance between the two positions is a predetermined value. The predetermined value is, for example, a value corresponding to the first margin α. The first margin α may be, for example, a small value. As a result, in the first medium feeding device 300 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the paper from sagging before the first downstream conveying section 324, and, for example, to suppress jams when the paper enters the first downstream conveying section 324. Here, when the first downstream conveying section 324 is a pair of conveying rollers, the position where the paper enters the first downstream conveying section 324 corresponds to the nip position, and it is possible to prevent a paper jam when the paper enters the nip.

[0088] In the first medium feeding device 300 of this embodiment, for example, it is not necessary to perform operations such as continuously blowing air onto a stack of paper using an air nozzle to prevent the paper from drooping, which reduces the noise of the fan or the sound of blowing air and contributes to noise reduction. In the first medium feeding device 300 of this embodiment, for example, regardless of the paper type or size, corrugation is completely eliminated before the paper enters the first downstream conveying section 324, making it possible to prevent the paper from wrinkling, thereby maintaining the quality of the printed material and preventing unnecessary jams.

[0089] Since the paper cannot move freely while being sucked, for example, even if the contact portion of the corrugator is retracted, the deformation of the paper may not necessarily be resolved. Therefore, for example, simply adjusting the timing of the retraction of the contact portion does not necessarily result in the effect of this embodiment. Furthermore, for example, if the paper reaches the first downstream conveying section 324 without being completely deformed, it is expected that the paper will jam or become wrinkled. On the other hand, if the leading edge of the paper droops when it reaches the first downstream conveying section 324, it is expected that the paper will jam.

[0090] For example, in the past, when paper was fed by air being lifted and adsorbed to a suction belt, the leading edge of the adsorbed paper would sometimes droop while the topmost paper was adsorbed to the adsorption conveyance device and waiting for a paper feed start signal from the printing device. To prevent this from causing a jam, the adsorbed paper was provided with a corrugated contact portion on the adsorbed belt, which corrugated the adsorbed paper and prevented it from drooping. However, if the paper entered the first downstream conveyance section 324 with the corrugated paper, there was a risk of the paper becoming wrinkled or jamming. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the relative positional relationship between the first suction conveying section 325 and the first downstream conveying section 324 is constant, the height of the abutment section 432 of the first corrugator 411 provided on the suction belt is changed up and down to corrugate the paper and prevent the paper from drooping from the suction belt, and more effectively eliminate the corrugation of the paper before it reaches the first downstream conveying section 324.

[0091] The first medium feeding device 300 includes a first suction conveying section 325, a contact section 432, and a first downstream conveying section 324. The first suction conveyance section 325 suctions and conveys the topmost sheet of the sheet stack P0. The contact portion 432 contacts the sheet sucked by the first suction conveyance portion 325, thereby forming a curve in the sheet. The first downstream conveying section 324 conveys the paper conveyed by the first suction conveying section 325. The contact portion 432 can change the magnitude of the curvature formed in the paper in order to adjust the position where the curvature is eliminated when the paper is transported.

[0092] Therefore, the first medium feeding device 300 is capable of changing the magnitude of the curvature formed in the paper, so that the position where the corrugation is eliminated can be appropriately adjusted, and ultimately the leading edge of the paper can be appropriately transported to the first downstream transport section 324.

[0093] Here, in this embodiment, the first medium feeding device 300, the first suction conveying section 325, the first downstream conveying section 324, the paper stack P0, and the paper are, respectively, an example of a medium feeding device, an example of an suction conveying section, an example of a downstream conveying section, an example of a medium stack, and an example of a medium. In the example of FIG. 7, the third sheet P3 is an example of the topmost medium in the medium stack. The top level may also be called the uppermost layer.

[0094] The advance amount h of the corrugation may be referred to as the amount of corrugation provided. A plurality of contact portions may be used as the contact portion 432 of the corrugation. The mechanism for changing the magnitude of curvature may be, for example, an automatic mechanism in which the first control unit 452 mechanically adjusts the amount of advancement of the abutting portion 432, or a manual mechanism in which the user manually adjusts the amount of advancement of the abutting portion 432. As the manual mechanism, for example, a mechanism in which the user specifies the amount of advancement by operating a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, and the first control unit 452 realizes the specified amount of advancement may be used.

[0095] As another example, the first suction conveying section 325 may use an electrostatic suction mechanism instead of a suction belt. The first downstream transport section 324 may be, for example, a pair of transport rollers that nip the paper, or as another example, a roller on one side, or a simple path member.

[0096] The first medium feeding device 300 further includes a first control unit 452. The first control unit 452 changes the amount of curvature caused by the contact unit 432 based on information about the paper. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, since the position where the paper begins to droop or the position where the corrugation disappears varies depending on the type of paper, etc., appropriate control can be easily achieved by automatically controlling based on information about the paper. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0097] Here, such control may be performed based on an experimentally determined table, or may be performed by the first control unit 452 executing a predetermined calculation, for example. In this embodiment, the first control unit 452 is an example of a control unit. Furthermore, various information such as paper type and paper size may be used as information about the paper.

[0098] In this control, information about the paper may not be used. For example, the first detection unit 451 may be a camera or a sensor for monitoring in real time the paper being transported by the first suction transport unit 325. Then, based on the detection result of the first detection unit 451, the first control unit 452 may directly determine the degree of sagging of the paper or the degree to which corrugation has been eliminated, and perform control.

[0099] In the first medium feeding device 300, the first control unit 452 changes the magnitude of the curvature so that the curvature of the leading edge of the paper is eliminated when the abutment unit 432 abuts against the paper and the leading edge of the paper adsorbed by the first adsorption conveying unit 325 reaches the first downstream conveying unit 324. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, when the leading edge of the paper sheet adsorbed by the first suction conveying section 325 reaches the first downstream conveying section 324, corrugation can be eliminated more effectively. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used. In the example of FIG. 7, the first leading edge E1 of the third sheet P3 is an example of the leading edge of the medium.

[0100] In the first medium feeding device 300, the first suction conveying section 325 includes an a-th conveying belt 341a, a b-th conveying belt 341b, and a suction device 342. The a-th conveyor belt 341 a and the b-th conveyor belt 341 b have ventilation holes 351 . The suction device 342 sucks air through the ventilation holes 351 to cause the paper to be adsorbed onto the a-th transport belt 341a and the b-th transport belt 341b. The contact portion 432 is movable between a position where it advances below the paper suction surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and a position where it retreats above the paper suction surfaces. The first control unit 452 changes the amount of advance of the contact unit 432 from the sheet suction surface. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, by changing the amount of deformation of the paper depending on the amount of advancement of the abutting portion 432, it is possible to appropriately adjust the position where the corrugation is eliminated in a configuration in which a suction belt is used. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0101] In this embodiment, the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b are an example of a belt, and the suction device 342 is an example of a suction unit. In this embodiment, the paper adsorption surface is an example of a medium adsorption surface.

[0102] In the first medium feeding device 300, the information about the paper includes information about at least one of the size of the paper, the grain direction of the paper, or the stiffness of the paper. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, the position at which the paper begins to droop or the position at which the corrugation is eliminated can change depending on information related to the size of the paper, the grain direction of the paper, or the rigidity of the paper, so more appropriate control is possible by controlling based on this information. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0103] Here, the stiffness of the paper can vary depending on, for example, the thickness, basis weight, and quality of the paper. Information about the paper may be detected, for example, by a predetermined sensor directly from the paper on which printing is to be performed, may be included in the job information, or may be input in response to the user operating the operation panel. The function of detecting information about the paper may be provided in the first detection unit 451, for example. In addition, when a sensor that detects information about paper is used, the sensor may be provided at any location, for example, at the location where paper is fed and may detect information about the paper being fed. Furthermore, the job information may be sent to the recording device 100 and the first medium feeding device 300 from an external computer, or may be sent to the recording device 100 from an external portable recording medium such as a USB, or may be input to the recording device 100 or the first medium feeding device 300 by the user operating a panel or the like. In this case, the configuration that receives the job information and operation input corresponds to the first detection unit 451. Information about the paper may be sent from the recording device 100 to the first media feeding device 300, for example.

[0104] The first medium feeding device 300 further includes a detection unit that detects information about the paper. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, the detection unit detects information about the paper, making it possible to easily control it. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used. In this embodiment, the first detector 451 is an example of a detector.

[0105] In the first medium feeding device 300, the first suction conveying section 325 includes an a-th conveying belt 341a, a b-th conveying belt 341b, and a suction device 342. The a-th conveyor belt 341 a and the b-th conveyor belt 341 b have ventilation holes 351 . The suction device 342 sucks air through the ventilation holes 351 to cause the paper to be adsorbed onto the a-th transport belt 341a and the b-th transport belt 341b. Therefore, the first medium feeding device 300 is applicable to a configuration in which a suction belt is used. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0106] The contact portion 432 is movable between a position where it advances below the paper suction surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and a position where it retreats above the paper suction surfaces. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, the contact portion 432 can be retracted, and therefore the contact portion 432 can be prevented from interfering with the conveyance. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0107] In the first medium feeding device 300, the first downstream transport section 324 is a pair of transport rollers that nip and transport the paper. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, in a configuration in which the paper from the first suction conveyance section 325 is handed over to the pair of conveyance rollers, the position where the corrugation is eliminated can be appropriately adjusted. In particular, compared to a simple guide member or a single roller, a pair of rollers is more likely to cause the leading edge of the paper to jam when the paper enters, but this configuration can effectively prevent jamming or damage to the paper. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0108] The first medium feeding device 300 further includes a floating unit 332 that blows air toward the stack of paper sheets P0 to float the paper sheets. The first control unit 452 stops the air blowing from the floating unit 332 in a state where the contact unit 432 is in contact with the sheet sucked by the first suction transport unit 325. Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300, the contact portion 432 imparts corrugation to the adsorbed paper, thereby preventing the paper from drooping, so the air blowing by the floating portion 332 can be stopped, and stopping the air blowing has the effect of saving power or reducing noise. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0109] The first medium feeding device 300 further includes a separation section 333 that blows air onto the paper sheet sucked by the first suction transport section 325 and the paper sheet floated by the floating section 332 to separate them. With the contact portion 432 in contact with the sheet sucked by the first suction conveyance portion 325, the first control portion 452 stops the air blowing by the separation portion 333 after a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, in first medium feeding device 300, by imparting corrugations to the paper, air from separation unit 333 can easily get in between the sheets, making it easier to separate the sheets. Also, in first medium feeding device 300, contact unit 432 imparts corrugations to the adsorbed paper, thereby preventing the paper from drooping. Therefore, if air is blown for a period of time sufficient for separation, it is possible to stop air blowing by separation unit 333 thereafter, thereby achieving the effects of saving power and reducing noise. Here, various times may be set as the predetermined time. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0110] The recording device 100 includes a first medium feeding device 300 and a recording unit 110. The recording unit 110 performs recording on the paper fed from the first medium feeding device 300 . Therefore, in the first medium feeding device 300 of the recording device 100, the position where the corrugation is eliminated can be appropriately adjusted. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0111] A second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail, and similarities will not be described in detail. In addition, in this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, components similar to those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0112] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of control of the relative positional relationship between the second suction conveyance section 525 and the second downstream conveyance section 524 in the second medium feeding device 500 according to the second embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 8 shows the same XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes as FIG. Although FIG. 7 shows the state of a sheet being transported, it may be understood that it shows the state of a sheet that has been stopped midway through transport.

[0113] Figure 8 shows the second suction conveying section 525, the second downstream conveying section 524, the fourth paper P4 conveyed by the second suction conveying section 525, the second detection section 551, the second control section 552, and the drive section 554. Figure 8 also shows the second direction D2, which is the direction in which the fourth sheet P4 is transported, the first advance amount h1 of the abutment portion 432 of the second corrugator 511, and the second leading edge E2, which is the downstream leading edge of the fourth sheet P4. Figure 8 also shows the fourth distance L4, which is the distance that the fourth paper P4 extends downstream from the center position of the second a tension roll 382a in the direction parallel to the X axis, and the 4a distance L4a, which corresponds to the position where the corrugation is eliminated. Here, L4a=L4-β. The second margin β is 0 or a positive value. Note that the second margin β may be, for example, the same value as the first margin α in the first embodiment, or may be a different value. In this embodiment, the fourth distance L4 is variable, the second margin β is fixed, and the first advance amount h1 of the contact portion 432 of the second corrugator 511 is fixed.

[0114] Generally speaking, in this embodiment, the second control unit 552 performs control to move the position of the second downstream transport unit 524. This control changes the relative positional relationship between the second suction transport unit 525 and the second downstream transport unit 524, and changes the distance therebetween. The second control unit 552 also controls the contact portion 432 of the second corrugator 511 to move up and down by a predetermined advance amount. The second control unit 552 may perform control based on the detection result by the second detection unit 551, for example. The second detector 551 may detect, for example, the same information as the first detector 451 in the first embodiment, or may detect different information.

[0115] The drive unit 554 has a mechanism for moving the position of the second downstream transport unit 524 in a predetermined third direction D3. The third direction D3 is, for example, a direction parallel to the X-axis, and may be bidirectional. The second control unit 552 moves the position of the second downstream conveyance unit 524 via the drive unit 554 so as to suitably eliminate the corrugation at the position of the 4a distance L4a, for example.

[0116] In this embodiment, for example, the first advance amount h1 of the contact portion 432 of the second corrugator 511 and the second margin β are set in advance in the second control unit 552 or the like. In this embodiment, the correspondence between the state of the fourth sheet P4 and the set value of the position of the second downstream conveyance section 524 is set in advance in the second control section 552, etc. Based on this correspondence, the second control section 552 controls the position of the second downstream conveyance section 524 to the set value corresponding to the state of the fourth sheet P4. As a result, the second control section 552 determines that the corrugation has been eliminated when the second leading edge E2 of the fourth sheet P4 has reached the second downstream conveyance section 524. The aspect of the fourth sheet P4 may be, for example, the type and size of the paper.

[0117] Here, in this embodiment, an example configuration is shown in which the position of the second suction conveying section 525 is fixed and the position of the second downstream conveying section 524 is moved, but as another example, a configuration in which the position of the second downstream conveying section 524 is fixed and the position of the second suction conveying section 525 is moved may be used, or a configuration in which both the position of the second downstream conveying section 524 and the position of the second suction conveying section 525 are moved may be used. In this embodiment, it is only necessary that the relative positional relationship between the second suction transport section 525 and the second downstream transport section 524 is variable.

[0118] In this manner, in this embodiment, the relative distance between the second suction conveying section 525 and the second downstream conveying section 524 is variable and adjustable. Also, the first advance amount h1, which corresponds to the height of the contact portion 432 of the corrugation, is constant. For example, the position where the corrugation is eliminated varies depending on the paper type and paper size. The second control unit 552 adjusts the relative distance depending on, for example, the paper type and paper size, and moves the second downstream conveyance unit 524 along the conveyance direction so that the position where the corrugation is eliminated is the position just before the second margin β from the second downstream conveyance unit 524. As a result, in this embodiment, for any selectable paper type and paper size, the corrugation is eliminated up to the position just before the second margin β. The set value of the relative distance is determined in advance by evaluation for each paper type and paper size, and the second control unit 552 then increases or decreases the relative distance using a mechanism when printing is performed on paper of the corresponding paper type and size. In this embodiment, the relative distance is a distance in a direction parallel to the X axis, and is determined by the relative positional relationship between the second suction transport section 525 and the second downstream transport section 524.

[0119] Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500 of this embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the second suction conveying section 525 and the second downstream conveying section 524 is variable for each paper type and paper size, and this positional relationship is adjusted to suit the distance at which the corrugation is eliminated, so that the fourth paper P4 enters the second downstream conveying section 524 after the corrugation has been completely eliminated. In other words, in the second medium feeding device 500, the relative positional relationship between the second suction conveying section 525 and the second downstream conveying section 524 can be changed so as to match the position where the curvature is eliminated when the fourth sheet P4 is conveyed.

[0120] Here, in this embodiment, the relative distance between the second suction conveying section 525 and the second downstream conveying section 524 has been described using the distance between the center position of the seconda tension roll 382a and the center position of the second downstream conveying section 524, but other positions may be used as the reference position when determining such a distance.For example, instead of the center position of the seconda tension roll 382a, the position of the downstream tip of the second suction conveying section 525, or the position of the downstream tip of the ath conveying belt 341a and the bth conveying belt 341b may be used as the reference position. Furthermore, the second downstream transport section 524 may be located at a position other than the center position of the second downstream transport section 524, for example.

[0121] As described above, in the second medium feeding device 500 according to this embodiment, in a configuration in which a sheet sucked by a suction belt is corrugated to prevent sagging, one or both of the positions of the second suction conveying unit 525 and the second downstream conveying unit 524 are controlled so that a predetermined relationship exists between the position where the leading edge of the sheet does not sag and the corrugation of the sheet naturally disappears and the position where the sheet enters the second downstream conveying unit 524. The predetermined relationship may be, for example, a relationship in which the two positions coincide with each other, or a relationship in which the distance between the two positions is a predetermined value. The predetermined value is, for example, a value corresponding to the second margin β. The second margin β may be, for example, a small value. As a result, in the second medium feeding device 500 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the paper from sagging before the second downstream conveying section 524, and, for example, to suppress jams when the paper enters the second downstream conveying section 524. Here, when the second downstream conveying section 524 is a pair of conveying rollers, the position where the paper enters the second downstream conveying section 524 corresponds to the nip position, and it is possible to prevent a paper jam when the paper enters the nip.

[0122] In the second medium feeding device 500 of this embodiment, for example, it is not necessary to perform operations such as continuously blowing air onto a stack of paper using an air nozzle to prevent the paper from drooping, which reduces the noise of the fan or the sound of air being blown, contributing to quieter operation. In the second medium feeding device 500 of this embodiment, for example, regardless of the paper type or size, corrugation is completely eliminated before the paper enters the second downstream conveying section 524, making it possible to prevent the paper from wrinkling, thereby maintaining the quality of the printed material and preventing unnecessary jams.

[0123] Since the paper cannot move freely while being sucked, for example, even if the contact portion of the corrugator is retracted, the deformation of the paper may not necessarily be resolved. Therefore, for example, simply adjusting the timing of the retraction of the contact portion does not necessarily result in the effect of this embodiment. Furthermore, for example, if the paper reaches the second downstream conveying section 524 without being completely deformed, it is expected that the paper will jam or become wrinkled. On the other hand, if the leading edge of the paper reaches the second downstream conveying section 524 with its tip drooping, it is expected that the paper will jam.

[0124] For example, in the past, when paper was fed by air being lifted and adsorbed to a suction belt, the topmost sheet was adsorbed to the adsorption conveyance device, and while waiting for a paper feed start signal from the printing device, the leading edge of the adsorbed sheet would sometimes droop. To prevent this from causing a jam, the adsorbed sheet was provided with a corrugated contact section on the adsorbent belt, which corrugated the adsorbed sheet to prevent it from drooping. However, if the sheet entered the second downstream conveyance section 524 with the corrugated sheet, there was a risk of the sheet becoming wrinkled or jamming. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the height of the contact portion 432 of the second corrugator 511 provided on the suction belt is constant, the relative positional relationship between the second suction conveying portion 525 and the second downstream conveying portion 524 is changed to corrugate the paper and prevent the paper from sagging from the suction belt, and more effectively eliminate the corrugation of the paper before it reaches the second downstream conveying portion 524. For example, the second downstream conveying portion 524 is moved to or near a position where the corrugation is eliminated.

[0125] The second medium feeding device 500 includes a second suction conveying section 525, a contact section 432, and a second downstream conveying section 524. The second suction conveyance section 525 suctions and conveys the topmost sheet of the sheet stack P0. The contact portion 432 contacts the sheet sucked by the second suction conveyance portion 525, thereby forming a curve in the sheet. The second downstream conveying section 524 conveys the paper conveyed by the second suction conveying section 525. The relative positional relationship between the second suction transport section 525 and the second downstream transport section 524 can be changed.

[0126] Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, the positional relationship between the second suction conveying section 525 and the second downstream conveying section 524 can be changed, so that the paper can be handed over to the second downstream conveying section 524 at a position where the corrugation at the tip of the paper has been eliminated, and thus the tip of the paper can be properly conveyed to the second downstream conveying section 524.

[0127] Here, in this embodiment, the second medium feeding device 500, the second suction conveying section 525, the second downstream conveying section 524, the paper stack P0, and the paper are, respectively, an example of a medium feeding device, an example of an suction conveying section, an example of a downstream conveying section, an example of a medium stack, and an example of a medium. In the example of FIG. 8, the fourth sheet P4 is an example of the topmost medium in the medium stack. The top level may also be called the uppermost layer.

[0128] The first advance amount h1 of the corrugation may also be called the amount of corrugation provided. A plurality of contact portions may be used as the contact portion 432 of the corrugation. The mechanism for changing the magnitude of curvature may be, for example, an automatic mechanism in which the second control unit 552 mechanically adjusts one or both of the second suction and transport unit 525 and the second downstream transport unit 524, or a manual mechanism in which the user manually adjusts one or both of the second suction and transport unit 525 and the second downstream transport unit 524. As the manual mechanism, for example, a mechanism in which the user operates a keyboard or a mouse to specify a control amount, and the second control unit 552 realizes the specified control amount, may be used.

[0129] As another example, the second suction conveying section 525 may use an electrostatic suction mechanism instead of a suction belt. The second downstream conveying section 524 may be, for example, a nipping conveying roller, or as another example, a roller on one side, or a simple path member.

[0130] The second medium feeding device 500 further includes a second control unit 552. The second control unit 552 changes the relative positional relationship between the second suction conveyance unit 525 and the second downstream conveyance unit 524 based on the information about the paper. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, since the position where the paper begins to droop or the position where the corrugation disappears varies depending on the type of paper, etc., appropriate control can be easily achieved by automatically controlling based on information about the paper. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0131] Here, such control may be performed based on an experimentally determined table, or may be performed by the second control unit 552 executing a predetermined calculation, for example. In this embodiment, the second control unit 552 is an example of a control unit. Furthermore, various information such as paper type and paper size may be used as information about the paper.

[0132] In this control, information about the paper may not be used. For example, the second detection unit 551 may be a camera or a sensor for monitoring in real time the paper being transported by the second suction transport unit 525. Then, based on the detection result of the second detection unit 551, the second control unit 552 may directly determine the degree of sagging of the paper or the degree to which corrugation has been eliminated, and perform control.

[0133] In the second medium feeding device 500, the second control unit 552 changes the relative positional relationship between the second suction conveying unit 525 and the second downstream conveying unit 524 so that when the abutment unit 432 abuts against the paper and the curvature of the leading edge of the paper adsorbed by the second suction conveying unit 525 is eliminated, the leading edge is positioned at the second downstream conveying unit 524. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, when the leading edge of the paper sheet adsorbed by the second adsorption conveying section 525 reaches the second downstream conveying section 524, corrugation can be eliminated more effectively. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used. In the example of FIG. 8, the second leading edge E2 of the fourth sheet P4 is an example of the leading edge of the medium.

[0134] In the second medium feeding device 500, the information about the paper includes information about at least one of the size of the paper, the grain direction of the paper, or the stiffness of the paper. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, the position at which the paper begins to droop or the position at which the corrugation is eliminated can change depending on information related to the size of the paper, the grain direction of the paper, or the rigidity of the paper, so more appropriate control is possible by controlling based on this information. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0135] Here, the stiffness of the paper can vary depending on, for example, the thickness, basis weight, and quality of the paper. Information about the paper may be detected, for example, by a predetermined sensor directly from the paper on which printing is to be performed, may be included in the job information, or may be input in response to the user operating the operation panel. The function of detecting information about the paper may be provided in the second detection unit 551, for example. In addition, when a sensor that detects information about paper is used, the sensor may be provided at any location, for example, at the location where paper is fed and may detect information about the paper being fed. Furthermore, the job information may be sent to the recording device 100 and the second medium feeding device 500 from an external computer, or may be sent to the recording device 100 from an external portable recording medium such as a USB, or may be input to the recording device 100 or the second medium feeding device 500 by the user operating a panel or the like. In this case, the configuration that receives the job information and operation input corresponds to the second detection unit 551. Information about the paper may be sent from the recording device 100 to the second media feeding device 500, for example.

[0136] The second medium feeding device 500 further includes a detection unit that detects information about the paper. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, the detection unit detects information about the paper, which makes it possible to easily control it. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used. In this embodiment, the second detector 551 is an example of a detector.

[0137] In the second medium feeding device 500, the second suction conveying section 525 includes an a-th conveying belt 341a, a b-th conveying belt 341b, and a suction device 342. The a-th conveyor belt 341 a and the b-th conveyor belt 341 b have ventilation holes 351 . The suction device 342 sucks air through the ventilation holes 351 to cause the paper to be adsorbed onto the a-th transport belt 341a and the b-th transport belt 341b. Therefore, the second medium feeding device 500 is applicable to configurations in which a suction belt is used. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0138] The contact portion 432 is movable between a position where it advances below the paper suction surfaces of the a-th conveyor belt 341a and the b-th conveyor belt 341b and a position where it retreats above the paper suction surfaces. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, the contact portion 432 can be retracted, and therefore the contact portion 432 can be prevented from interfering with the conveyance. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0139] In the second medium feeding device 500, the second downstream transport section 524 is a pair of transport rollers that nip and transport the paper. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, in a configuration in which the paper from the second suction conveyance section 525 is handed over to the pair of conveyance rollers, the position where the corrugation is eliminated can be appropriately adjusted. In particular, compared to a simple guide member or a single roller, a pair of rollers is more likely to cause the leading edge of the paper to jam when the paper enters, but this configuration can effectively prevent jamming or damage to the paper. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0140] The second medium feeding device 500 further includes a floating unit 332 that blows air toward the stack of paper sheets P0 to float the paper sheets. The second control unit 552 stops the air blowing from the floating unit 332 in a state where the contact unit 432 is in contact with the sheet sucked by the second suction transport unit 525. Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500, the contact portion 432 imparts corrugation to the adsorbed paper, thereby preventing the paper from drooping, so the air blowing by the floating portion 332 can be stopped, and stopping the air blowing has the effect of saving power or reducing noise. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0141] The second medium feeding device 500 further includes a separation section 333 that blows air onto the sheet sucked by the second suction transport section 525 and the sheet floated by the floating section 332 to separate them. The second control unit 552 stops the air blowing by the separation unit 333 after a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the contact unit 432 is in contact with the sheet sucked by the second suction transport unit 525. Therefore, in second medium feeding device 500, by imparting corrugations to the paper, air from separation unit 333 can easily get in between the sheets, making it easier to separate the sheets. Also, in second medium feeding device 500, contact unit 432 imparts corrugations to the adsorbed paper, thereby preventing the paper from drooping. Therefore, if air is blown for a period of time sufficient for separation, separation unit 333 can stop blowing air thereafter, thereby achieving the effects of saving power and reducing noise. Here, various times may be set as the predetermined time. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0142] The recording device 100 includes a second medium feeding device 500 and a recording unit 110. The recording unit 110 performs recording on the paper fed from the second medium feeding device 500 . Therefore, in the second medium feeding device 500 of the recording device 100, the position where the corrugation is eliminated can be appropriately adjusted. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0143] A third embodiment will be described. The medium feeding device of this embodiment has both a configuration for controlling the amount of advancement of the contact portion of the corrugator in the first embodiment and a configuration for controlling the relative positional relationship between the suction conveying portion and the downstream conveying portion in the second embodiment. The medium feeding device according to this embodiment includes a control unit that can both control the amount of advancement of the contact portion of the corrugator and control the relative positional relationship between the suction conveying unit and the downstream conveying unit. By performing these controls, the control unit controls the paper so that the paper enters the downstream conveying section only after the corrugation has been completely eliminated, as described using Figure 7 or Figure 8, for example.

[0144] The media feeding device of this embodiment includes an adsorption conveying section that adsorbs and conveys the topmost sheet of paper in a stack of sheets, a contact section that abuts against the sheet adsorbed by the adsorption conveying section to form a curve in the sheet, and a downstream conveying section that conveys the sheet transported by the adsorption conveying section. The contact portion is capable of changing the magnitude of the curvature formed in the paper in order to adjust the position where the curvature is eliminated when the paper is transported. Furthermore, the relative positional relationship between the suction transport unit and the downstream transport unit can be changed.

[0145] Therefore, the medium feeding device according to this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first or second embodiment. In this embodiment, it is possible to perform both control to change the amount of advancement of the contact portion of the corrugator and control to change the relative positional relationship between the suction conveying portion and the downstream conveying portion, but there may be times in the series of controls when only one of the controls is performed.

[0146] The above embodiment will be further explained. A program for implementing the functions of any of the components of any of the above-described devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and executed by loading it into a computer system. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an operating system or peripheral devices. "Computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, read-only memory (ROM), and compact disc (CD)-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. "Computer-readable recording medium" also includes devices that retain a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Such volatile memory may be RAM. The recording medium may also be non-transitory.

[0147] The above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. A "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. The above program may be for realizing some of the above functions. The above program may be a so-called differential file that can realize the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system. The differential file may also be called a differential program.

[0148] The functions of any of the components in any of the devices described above may be implemented by a processor. Each process in the embodiments may be implemented by a processor that operates based on information such as a program and a computer-readable recording medium that stores information such as a program. The functions of each unit of the processor may be implemented by separate hardware, or may be implemented by integrated hardware. The processor includes hardware, and the hardware may include at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. The processor may be configured using one or more circuit devices mounted on a circuit board, or one or both of one or more circuit elements. An integrated circuit (IC) or the like may be used as the circuit device, and a resistor or a capacitor may be used as the circuit element.

[0149] The processor may be a CPU. However, the processor is not limited to a CPU, and various types of processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may be used. The processor may be a hardware circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor may be configured with multiple CPUs, or may be configured with a hardware circuit using multiple ASICs. The processor may be configured with a combination of multiple CPUs and a hardware circuit using multiple ASICs. The processor may include one or more of an amplifier circuit or a filter circuit that processes analog signals.

[0150] Although the embodiments have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope that do not deviate from the gist of this disclosure.

[0151] An example configuration is shown below. Note that the lower-level configuration example may or may not be applied to the higher-level configuration example. Furthermore, a lower-level configuration example that is applicable to any of the two or more higher-level configuration examples may be applied to any of the two or more higher-level configuration examples, i.e., two or more application examples may be generated, and a configuration example that is even lower than the lower-level configuration example may be applied to any of these two or more application examples.

[0152] [Configuration example 1] a suction and transport unit that suctions and transports the topmost medium of the medium stack; a contact portion that contacts the medium sucked by the suction conveyance portion to form a curve in the medium; a downstream transport unit that transports the medium transported by the suction transport unit; Equipped with the contact portion is capable of changing the magnitude of the curvature formed in the medium in order to adjust the position at which the curvature is eliminated when the medium is transported. Media feeding device.

[0153] [Configuration example 2] Further comprising a control unit, the control unit changes the magnitude of the curvature formed by the contact portion based on information about the medium. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 1].

[0154] [Configuration example 3] the control unit changes the magnitude of the curvature so that the curvature of the leading edge of the medium is eliminated when the contact unit contacts the medium and the leading edge of the medium adsorbed by the adsorption transport unit reaches the downstream transport unit. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 2].

[0155] [Configuration example 4] The suction conveyance unit a belt having ventilation holes; a suction unit that sucks air through the air vent to adsorb the medium to the belt; and the contact portion is movable between a position where it advances below the medium attraction surface of the belt and a position where it retreats above the medium attraction surface, the control unit changes the amount of advance of the contact portion from the medium adsorption surface. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 2] or [Configuration Example 3].

[0156] [Configuration example 5] a suction and transport unit that suctions and transports the topmost medium of the medium stack; a contact portion that contacts the medium sucked by the suction conveyance portion to form a curve in the medium; a downstream transport unit that transports the medium transported by the suction transport unit; Equipped with The relative positional relationship between the suction transport unit and the downstream transport unit is changeable. Media feeding device.

[0157] [Configuration example 6] Further comprising a control unit, the control unit changes the relative positional relationship between the suction transport unit and the downstream transport unit based on information about the medium. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 5].

[0158] [Configuration Example 7] the control unit changes the relative positional relationship between the suction conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit so that the leading edge of the medium is positioned in the downstream conveyance unit when the contact unit comes into contact with the medium and the curvature of the leading edge of the medium adsorbed to the suction conveyance unit is eliminated. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 6].

[0159] [Configuration example 8] the information about the medium includes information about at least one of a size of the medium, a grain direction of the medium, or a stiffness of the medium; The medium feeding device according to any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 4], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7].

[0160] [Configuration Example 9] further comprising a detection unit that detects information about the medium; The medium feeding device according to any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 4], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7].

[0161] [Configuration Example 10] The suction conveyance unit a belt having ventilation holes; a suction unit that sucks air through the air vent to adsorb the medium to the belt; having The medium feeding device according to any one of [Configuration Example 1], [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 5], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7].

[0162] In addition, [Configuration Example 10] may be applied to [Configuration Example 8] or [Configuration Example 9] which are dependent on any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7].

[0163] [Configuration Example 11] the contact portion is movable between a position where it advances below the medium adsorption surface of the belt and a position where it retreats above the medium adsorption surface. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 10].

[0164] [Configuration example 12] the downstream transport unit is a pair of transport rollers that nip and transport the medium; The medium feeding device according to any one of [Configuration Example 1] to [Configuration Example 11].

[0165] [Configuration Example 13] a floating unit that blows air toward the media bundle to float the media; the control unit stops the air blowing by the floating unit in a state where the contact unit is in contact with the medium adsorbed to the adsorption transport unit. The medium feeding device according to any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 4], [Configuration Example 6], [Configuration Example 7], [Configuration Example 8] and [Configuration Example 9].

[0166] In addition, [Configuration Example 13] may be applied to [Configuration Example 10] which is dependent on any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7], [Configuration Example 11] which is dependent on [Configuration Example 10], [Configuration Example 12] which is dependent on [Configuration Example 10] or [Configuration Example 11], [Configuration Example 12] which is dependent on any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 4], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7], or [Configuration Example 12] which is dependent on [Configuration Example 8] or [Configuration Example 9] which is dependent on any one of [Configuration Example 2], [Configuration Example 3], [Configuration Example 6] and [Configuration Example 7].

[0167] [Configuration Example 14] a separation unit that blows air onto the medium sucked by the suction transport unit and the medium floated by the floating unit to separate the medium, the control unit stops the air blowing by the separation unit after a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the contact unit is in contact with the medium adsorbed to the adsorption transport unit. The medium feeding device according to [Configuration Example 13].

[0168] [Configuration Example 15] A medium feeding device according to any one of [Configuration Example 1] to [Configuration Example 14]; a recording unit that records on the medium fed from the medium feeding device; A recording device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0169] 100...recording device, 101...first housing, 103a...a-th paper cassette, 103b...b-th paper cassette, 103c...c-th paper cassette, 103d...d-th paper cassette, 110...recording unit, 111...recording head, 120...conveying path, 130...conveying unit, 131a...a-th conveying roller pair, 131b...b-th conveying roller pair, 131c...c-th conveying roller pair, 131d...d-th conveying roller pair, 131e...e-th conveying roller pair, 131f...f-th conveying roller pair, 131g...g-th conveying roller pair, 132...belt conveying unit, 133...drive roller, 134...follower roller, 13 5...Circular belt, 140...Supply path, 141...First supply path, 141a...Cover, 141b...Insertion port, 142...Second supply path, 142a...Pickup roller, 143...Third supply path, 144...First drive roller pair, 145...Separation roller pair, 146...Second drive roller pair, 146a...Second drive roller, 146b...Second driven roller, 147...Diversion mechanism, 148...Third drive roller pair, 149...Alignment roller pair, 150...Discharge path, 151...Downstream discharge path, 155...Discharge port, 156...Placement table, 157...Vertical side wall, 160...Branch path, 161...Branch path loop roller pair, 162...second transport path, 170...upper cover, 171...recess, 180...lower cover, 181...through hole, 182...protrusion, 300...first medium feeding device, 301...second housing, 302...first discharge port, 311a...a-th caster, 311b...b-th caster, 321...lifting mechanism, 322...tray, 323...feeding transport path, 324...first downstream transport section, 325...first suction transport section, 331...spraying device, 332...floating section, 333...separation section, 341a...a-th transport belt, 341b...b-th transport belt, 342...suction device, 343...drive device, 351...ventilation hole, 361... Duct, 362...suction fan, 381a...1a tension roll, 382a...2a tension roll, 382b...2b tension roll, 411...first corrugator, 431...motor, 432...contact portion, 451...first detection portion, 452...first control portion, 500...second medium feeding device, 511...second corrugator, 524...second downstream conveying portion, 525...second suction conveying portion, 551...second detection portion, 552...second control portion, 554...drive portion, B...paper width, D1...first direction, D2...second direction, D3...third direction, E1...first leading edge, E2...second leading edge, G1...gravity, h...advancement amount, h1...first advancing amount,L0…0th distance, L1…1st distance, L3…3rd distance, L3a…3ath distance, L4…4th distance, L4a…4ath distance, P0…paper bundle, P…paper, Pa…ath paper, Pe…eth paper, Pr…rth paper, Ps…sth paper, P1…1st paper, P1a…1ath paper, P2…2nd paper, P2a…2ath paper, P3…3rd paper, P4…4th paper, S…rigidity, t…paper thickness, α…1st major, β…2nd major, δ…deflection,

Claims

1. a suction and transport unit that suctions and transports the topmost medium of the medium stack; a contact portion that contacts the medium sucked by the suction conveyance portion to form a curve in the medium; a downstream transport unit that transports the medium transported by the suction transport unit; Equipped with the contact portion is capable of changing the magnitude of the curvature formed in the medium in order to adjust the position at which the curvature is eliminated when the medium is transported. Media feeding device.

2. Further comprising a control unit, the control unit changes the magnitude of the curvature formed by the contact portion based on information about the medium. The media feeding device of claim 1 .

3. the control unit changes the magnitude of the curvature so that the curvature of the leading edge of the medium is eliminated when the contact unit contacts the medium and the leading edge of the medium adsorbed by the adsorption transport unit reaches the downstream transport unit. The media feeding device of claim 2 .

4. The suction conveyance unit a belt having ventilation holes; a suction unit that sucks air through the air vent to adsorb the medium to the belt; and the contact portion is movable between a position where it advances below the medium attraction surface of the belt and a position where it retreats above the medium attraction surface, the control unit changes the amount of advance of the contact portion from the medium adsorption surface. The media feeding device of claim 2 .

5. a suction and transport unit that suctions and transports the topmost medium of the medium stack; a contact portion that contacts the medium sucked by the suction conveyance portion to form a curve in the medium; a downstream transport unit that transports the medium transported by the suction transport unit; Equipped with The relative positional relationship between the suction transport unit and the downstream transport unit is changeable. Media feeding device.

6. Further comprising a control unit, the control unit changes the relative positional relationship between the suction transport unit and the downstream transport unit based on information about the medium. The media feeding device of claim 5 .

7. the control unit changes the relative positional relationship between the suction conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit so that the leading edge of the medium is positioned in the downstream conveyance unit when the contact unit comes into contact with the medium and the curvature of the leading edge of the medium adsorbed to the suction conveyance unit is eliminated. The media feeding device of claim 6 .

8. the information about the medium includes information about at least one of a size of the medium, a grain direction of the medium, or a stiffness of the medium; The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

9. further comprising a detection unit that detects information about the medium; The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

10. The suction conveyance unit a belt having ventilation holes; a suction unit that sucks air through the air vent to adsorb the medium to the belt; having The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. the contact portion is movable between a position where it advances below the medium adsorption surface of the belt and a position where it retreats above the medium adsorption surface. The media feeding device of claim 10.

12. the downstream transport unit is a pair of transport rollers that nip and transport the medium; The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. a floating unit that blows air toward the media bundle to float the media; the control unit stops the air blowing by the floating unit in a state where the contact unit is in contact with the medium adsorbed to the adsorption transport unit. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

14. a separation unit that blows air onto the medium sucked by the suction transport unit and the medium floated by the floating unit to separate the medium, the control unit stops the air blowing by the separation unit after a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the contact unit is in contact with the medium adsorbed to the adsorption transport unit. The media feeding device of claim 13.

15. A medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a recording unit that records on the medium fed from the medium feeding device; A recording device comprising:

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