Medium feeding device, recording device, recording system, medium supply system, control device, control metho, control program

Abstract

To properly adjust the timing for a medium to reach a predetermined position.SOLUTION: A medium feeding device includes: a feeding force applying part that applies a feeding force to a medium; and a control part that can control the feeding force applying part. The control part is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is conveyed on a test basis. The test mode includes the steps of: executing processing for acquiring information relating to the transport time required to transport the medium from a first position in a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing information relating to the plurality of media; and adjusting the timing at which a tip edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium feeding device, a recording device, a recording system, a medium supply system, a control device, a control method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] The paper transport device described in Patent Document 1 measures the time T from the paper feed start signal that drives the pickup roller until the leading edge of the paper reaches the sensor, and when feeding two or more sheets of paper consecutively, it compares the time T with a predetermined value T0 and controls the feeding timing of the second and subsequent sheets of paper to be advanced by the time T-T0. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-206039 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The paper transport device described in Patent Document 1 measures time T only for the first sheet of paper and adjusts the feed timing for the second and subsequent sheets of paper, so the appropriate feed timing for the first sheet of paper is not set. As a result, for example, if the first sheet of paper does not reach the specified position within the specified time, it may be erroneously determined to be jammed, causing the device to stop. Furthermore, because time T is measured only for the first sheet of paper, if the transport time for the first sheet of paper is irregular, the feed timing for the second and subsequent sheets of paper may be set inappropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the medium feeding device of the present invention is a medium feeding device comprising a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium and a control unit that can control the feeding force applying unit, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is transported on a trial basis, and the test mode is characterized by including the steps of: executing, for multiple media, a process to obtain information related to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position in the medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0006] The recording system of the present invention is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned medium feeding device for transporting a medium from a supplying device that supplies the medium to a recording device that performs recording on the medium, and the recording device. The present invention also provides a medium supply system, comprising the above-described medium feeder for transporting a medium from a supply device that supplies a medium to a recording device that performs recording on the medium, and the above-described supply device.

[0007] The recording device of the present invention is a recording device comprising a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, a recording unit that records on the medium, and a control unit that can control the feeding force applying unit and the recording unit, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is transported on a trial basis, and the test mode includes the steps of: executing, for multiple media, a process to obtain information related to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position in the medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0008] The recording system of the present invention is a recording system comprising a supply device that supplies medium, a medium feeding device that transports the medium supplied from the supply device, and a recording device that receives the medium transported from the medium feeding device and performs recording, and further comprising a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium, and a control unit that controls the feeding force applying unit, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is transported on a trial basis, and the test mode includes the steps of: executing, for multiple media, a process to obtain information relating to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position in the medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information relating to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0009] The control device of the present invention is a control device that controls a media feeding device equipped with a feeding force application unit that applies a feeding force to a media, and is capable of executing a test mode in which the media is transported on a trial basis, and is characterized in that the test mode includes a step of performing a process for multiple media to obtain information related to the feeding time when feeding the media from a first position in the media feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position, a step of statistically processing the information related to the multiple media, and a step of adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the media reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0010] The control method of the present invention is a control method for controlling a medium feeding device equipped with a feeding force applying section that applies a feeding force to a medium, and is characterized by including the steps of: executing, for multiple media, a process for acquiring information related to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position in the medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0011] The control program of the present invention is a control program for controlling a medium feeding device equipped with a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, and is characterized in that it causes a control device to execute the following steps: a step of performing a process for acquiring information related to the feeding time when feeding a medium from a first position in a medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position, for multiple media; a step of statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and a step of adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] 3A and 3B are plan views of an intermediary transport device, a part of a recording device, and a part of a supply device. [Figure 3] 3A to 3C are side cross-sectional views of an intermediary transport device, a part of a recording device, and a part of a supply device. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the recording system. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in a test mode. [Figure 10] 10 is a plot of the feed time obtained in test mode. [Figure 11] 10 is a plot of the feed time obtained in test mode. [Figure 12] 10 is a plot of the feed time obtained in test mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will be briefly described below. A medium feeding device according to a first aspect is a medium feeding device comprising a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium and a control unit capable of controlling the feeding force applying unit, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is transported on a trial basis, and the test mode is characterized by including the steps of: executing, for multiple media, a process for acquiring information relating to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position in the medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information relating to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0014] According to this aspect, by executing the test mode in advance prior to the actual transport of the medium, it is possible to transport the medium appropriately from the first sheet when the medium is actually transported. In addition, the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the results of statistical processing of the information relating to multiple media, and therefore can adjust the timing more appropriately than when adjusting the timing based only on the transport result of a single medium.

[0015] A second aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the first position is a feeding start position of the medium. According to this aspect, the first position is the feeding start position of the medium, and therefore the timing can be appropriately adjusted based on the feeding time from the feeding start position of the medium.

[0016] The third aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, characterized in that a first media sensor for detecting a medium is provided at the first position, a second media sensor for detecting a medium is provided at the second position, and the control unit defines the feed time as the time from when the medium is detected by the first media sensor to when the medium is detected by the second media sensor. According to this aspect, the feeding time can be appropriately acquired by the first medium sensor and the second medium sensor.

[0017] The fourth aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit executes a preliminary adjustment mode in which the information relating to the first medium is acquired and the timing is adjusted, and then executes the test mode.

[0018] When the information relating to multiple media is obtained using the test mode, if the overall transport time is close to a predetermined upper limit value, there is a high risk that a jam will be mistakenly detected, causing the device to stop. However, according to this embodiment, the control unit executes a preliminary adjustment mode in which the information related to the first medium is acquired and the timing is adjusted, and then executes the test mode, thereby preventing the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to the second or third aspect.

[0019] The fifth aspect is a dependent aspect of the fourth aspect, and is characterized in that the control unit executes error processing to determine that an error has occurred if the transport time exceeds an upper limit value when transporting the medium from the first position to the second position, and further the control unit temporarily relaxes the upper limit value when executing the advance adjustment mode.

[0020] When the advance adjustment mode is executed, the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position is not adjusted, so there is a risk that the feed time will exceed the upper limit value, resulting in an error and causing the device to stop. However, according to this aspect, the control unit temporarily relaxes the upper limit value when executing the advance adjustment mode, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned problem. However, if the upper limit is simply increased, it may not be possible to properly detect the occurrence of a jam, and conveyance may continue despite the occurrence of a jam, which may result in subsequent media also jamming. However, in this aspect, the upper limit is only increased temporarily, so it is possible to prevent problems that may occur due to simply increasing the upper limit.

[0021] The sixth aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and is characterized in that the control unit calculates an average value of the transport time for multiple media as the statistical processing, and adjusts the timing based on the average value.

[0022] According to this aspect, the control unit calculates the average value of the transport times for a plurality of media as the statistical processing, and adjusts the timing based on the average value, thereby making it possible to appropriately adjust the timing. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to fifth aspects.

[0023] The seventh aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and is characterized in that the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position by changing the timing at which a feed roller that feeds the medium from a support part that supports the medium before feeding starts to drive.

[0024] According to this aspect, the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position by changing the timing at which the feed roller, which feeds the medium from the support unit that supports the medium before feeding, thereby making it possible to appropriately adjust the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to seventh aspects.

[0025] The eighth aspect is a dependent aspect of the seventh aspect, characterized in that the feeding force applying unit includes a conveying belt that adsorbs the medium while conveying it, the adsorption force when adsorbing the medium to the conveying belt is changeable under the control of the control unit, and the control unit determines the variation in the feeding time for multiple sheets of media as the statistical processing, and changes the adsorption force in accordance with the variation.

[0026] When the feeding force applying unit includes a conveyor belt that conveys the medium while suctioning it, the magnitude of the suction force may affect the variation in the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position. According to this aspect, the control unit determines the variation in the transport time for multiple sheets of media as the statistical processing and changes the suction force in accordance with the variation, thereby suppressing the variation. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the seventh aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the first to sixth aspects.

[0027] The ninth aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and is characterized in that it comprises a first regulating portion to which a first end edge, which is one end edge in the width direction intersecting the conveying direction of the medium, contacts, and the feed force applying portion is a conveying belt that conveys the medium while adsorbing it, and the conveying belt conveys the medium so that the first end edge of the medium is directed toward the first regulating portion.

[0028] According to this aspect, the conveyor belt causes the first edge of the medium to contact the first regulating portion, thereby correcting skew of the medium. Furthermore, in this configuration, the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position due to the first edge of the medium contacting the first regulating portion tends to vary depending on the type of medium, but the test mode can be used to appropriately adjust the timing. It should be noted that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect, but may be subordinate to any of the second to eighth aspects.

[0029] A tenth aspect is characterized in that, in the medium feeding device according to any of the first to ninth aspects, the feeding force imparting unit feeds the medium supplied from a supplying device that supplies the medium to a recording device that records on the medium. According to this aspect, in a configuration in which the feed force imparting section feeds a medium supplied from a supply device that supplies a medium to a recording device that records on the medium, the effect of any one of the first to ninth aspects described above can be obtained.

[0030] An eleventh aspect is characterized in that, in a medium feeding device according to any of the first to ninth aspects, the medium feeding device is provided with a loading section for loading the medium before feeding, and the feeding force applying section applies a feeding force to the medium fed from the loading section.

[0031] According to this aspect, the device is provided with a loading section for loading media before feeding, and the feeding force applying section applies a feeding force to the media sent out from the loading section, thereby achieving the effects of any of the first to ninth aspects described above.

[0032] A recording system according to a twelfth aspect is characterized in that it comprises the medium feeding device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, which transports a medium from a supplying device that supplies the medium to a recording device that records on the medium, and the recording device. According to this aspect, the recording system can achieve the effects of any one of the first to ninth aspects described above.

[0033] A medium supply system according to a thirteenth aspect is characterized in that it comprises a medium feed device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and the supply device, which transports a medium from a supply device that supplies the medium to a recording device that records on the medium. According to this aspect, the medium supply system can achieve the effects of any one of the first to ninth aspects described above.

[0034] A recording device according to a fourteenth aspect is a recording device comprising a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, a recording unit that records on the medium, and a control unit that can control the feeding force applying unit and the recording unit, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is transported on a trial basis, and the test mode includes the steps of: executing, for multiple media, a process to obtain information relating to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position in the medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information relating to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0035] According to this aspect, by executing the test mode in advance prior to the actual transport of the medium, it is possible to transport the medium appropriately from the first sheet when the medium is actually transported. In addition, the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the results of statistical processing of the information relating to multiple media, and therefore can adjust the timing more appropriately than when adjusting the timing based only on the transport result of a single medium. Note that the present aspect may further include the technical features of any of the second to ninth aspects described above.

[0036] A recording system according to a fifteenth aspect is a recording system comprising a supply device that supplies medium, a medium feeding device that transports the medium supplied from the supply device, and a recording device that receives the medium transported from the medium feeding device and performs recording, and further comprising a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium, and a control unit that controls the feeding force applying unit, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which the medium is transported on a trial basis, and the test mode includes the steps of: performing a process on multiple media to obtain information related to the feeding time when feeding the medium from a first position on the medium feeding path to a second position downstream from the first position; statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0037] According to this aspect, by executing the test mode in advance prior to the actual transport of the medium, it is possible to transport the medium appropriately from the first sheet when the medium is actually transported. In addition, the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the results of statistical processing of the information relating to multiple media, and therefore can adjust the timing more appropriately than when adjusting the timing based only on the transport result of a single medium.

[0038] The control device of the 16th aspect is a control device that controls a media feeding device equipped with a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a media, and is capable of executing a test mode in which the media is transported on a trial basis, the test mode including the steps of: executing a process for multiple media to obtain information related to the feeding time when feeding the media from a first position in the media feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position; statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the media reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0039] According to this aspect, by executing the test mode in advance prior to the actual transport of the medium, it is possible to transport the medium appropriately from the first sheet when the medium is actually transported. In addition, the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the results of statistical processing of the information relating to multiple media, and therefore can adjust the timing more appropriately than when adjusting the timing based only on the transport result of a single medium. Note that the present aspect may further include the technical features of any of the second to ninth aspects described above.

[0040] A control method according to a seventeenth aspect is a control method for controlling a medium feeding device equipped with a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, and is characterized by including the steps of: executing a process for acquiring information relating to the feeding time when feeding a medium from a first position in a medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position, for multiple media; statistically processing the information relating to the multiple media; and adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0041] According to this aspect, by executing the above steps prior to the actual transport of the medium, the first sheet can be transported appropriately when the medium is actually transported. In addition, according to this aspect, the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position is adjusted based on the results of statistical processing of the information relating to multiple media, so that the timing can be adjusted more appropriately than when the timing is adjusted based only on the transport result of a single medium. Note that the present aspect may further include the technical features of any of the second to ninth aspects described above.

[0042] The control program of the 18th aspect is a control program for controlling a medium feeding device equipped with a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, and is characterized in that the control program causes a control device to execute the following steps: a step of performing a process for acquiring information related to the feeding time when feeding a medium from a first position in a medium feeding path to a second position downstream of the first position, for multiple media; a step of statistically processing the information related to the multiple media; and a step of adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing.

[0043] According to this aspect, by executing the above steps prior to the actual transport of the medium, the first sheet can be transported appropriately when the medium is actually transported. In addition, according to this aspect, the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position is adjusted based on the results of statistical processing of the information relating to multiple media, so that the timing can be adjusted more appropriately than when the timing is adjusted based only on the transport result of a single medium. Note that the present aspect may further include the technical features of any of the second to ninth aspects described above.

[0044] The present invention will be specifically described below. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the depth direction of each device and the width direction of the medium, such as recording paper. Of the X-axis directions, the +X direction is the direction from the back of the device to the front of the device, and the -X direction is the direction from the front of the device to the back of the device. The Y-axis direction is the width direction of each device, and the +Y direction of the Y-axis is the left direction as seen by a user facing the front of the device, and the -Y direction is the right direction. The +Y direction is also the transport direction of the medium in the relay transport device 4. The Z-axis direction is the device height direction of each device and is the vertical direction, with the +Z direction being vertically upward and the -Z direction being vertically downward. In the following explanation, the +Z direction may be simply referred to as upward and the -Z direction may be simply referred to as downward.

[0045] In the following description, the direction in which the medium is transported may be referred to as the transport direction or downstream of the transport direction, and the direction opposite to the transport direction may be referred to as upstream of the transport direction. 1, the transport path of the medium is indicated by a dashed line. In the recording system 1, the medium is transported along the transport path indicated by the dashed line.

[0046] <<Configuration of the recording system and recording device>> 1, the recording system 1 includes a recording device 3, an intermediary conveyance device 4, and a supply device 5. The intermediary conveyance device 4 and the supply device 5 constitute a medium supply system 2. In other words, the recording system 1 includes the recording device 3 and the medium supply system 2. The recording device 3, the intermediary transport device 4, and the supply device 5 are each an independent device, and are arranged side by side on the installation surface G along the Y-axis direction.

[0047] The recording device 3 is configured as an inkjet printer that performs recording by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium, and is equipped with a line head 105, which is an example of a recording unit. The recording device 3 is also a so-called multifunction device that is equipped with an image reading device 102 on top of the device. However, the recording device 3 is not limited to an inkjet printer, and may be a device that performs recording by other methods, such as a laser printer, a thermal transfer printer, or a dot impact printer.

[0048] The recording device 3 has a medium storage unit 101 that stores the medium to be fed, located below the device main body 100 that has a line head 105. The line head 105 is an example of a recording unit that records on the medium. The medium storage unit 101 is equipped with multiple medium storage cassettes arranged vertically. The device main body 100 includes a plurality of pairs of transport rollers (not shown) for transporting the medium, and the medium on which recording has been performed by the line head 105 is discharged to an internal discharge section 103 and stacked on a discharge tray 104.

[0049] The device body 100 of the recording device 3 has an operation panel 113 on the front of the device. The operation panel 113 has a touch panel 113a which is a display unit that displays various information, and is an example of an operation unit that accepts various operation settings. Although not shown, the operation panel 113 has buttons such as a power button for turning the power of the recording device 3 on and off arranged below the touch panel 113a.

[0050] The recording device 3 is provided with a feed roller 107 and a separation roller 108 as receiving rollers on the right side of the device body 100, and is configured to be able to receive a medium from the right side of the device body 100. The feed roller 107 is disposed at a predetermined height from the installation surface G. The relay conveyance device 4, which will be described later, supplies a medium to this feed roller 107. When a medium is received from the right side of the device main body 100, the medium is subjected to a separation action by the separation roller 108 and is sent to the pair of registration rollers 109 by the rotation of the feed roller 107. At this time, the leading edge of the medium abuts against the pair of registration rollers 109, and a flexure is formed in the medium between the pair of registration rollers 109 and the feed roller 107, so that the leading edge of the medium follows the pair of registration rollers 109 and the skew is corrected.

[0051] The relay conveying device 4 is located between the recording device 3 and the supplying device 5 that supplies the medium, and relays the medium fed from the supplying device 5 and conveys it to the feeding roller 107 of the recording device 3. The medium is supplied from the supply device 5 to the relay conveyance device 4, and is transported to the feed roller 107 via the transport path Tk of the relay conveyance device 4. As will be described in detail later, skew of the medium is corrected on the transport path Tk.

[0052] The relay transport device 4 is placed on the installation stand 6 so that the position where it supplies the medium to the recording device 3 in the vertical direction matches the feed roller 107. A space 6a is formed below the installation stand 6 to allow the opening and closing of the opening / closing body 110 provided on the right side of the recording device 3. This prevents the installation stand 6 from interfering with the opening and closing of the opening / closing body 110. The opening / closing body 110 forms part of the right side of the device main body 100 and can be opened as indicated by reference numeral 110-1 and the two-dot chain line. By opening it, the transport path for media from the media storage section 101 to the device main body 100 can be opened.

[0053] <<Configuration of relay transport device>> Next, the basic configuration of the intermediary transport device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5A and 5B. One end side in the width direction of the medium supplied from the supply device 5, specifically the end side in the +X direction, is defined as the first end side Ps1. The intermediary conveyance device 4 is equipped with a first regulating unit 31 having a first regulating surface 31a that positions the first end side Ps1. The intermediary conveyance device 4 also has a conveying unit 10 that conveys the medium in a cross direction D that intersects with the +Y direction, which is the conveying direction, and the X-axis direction, which is the width direction. The cross direction D is the direction toward the first regulating surface 31a. The conveying unit 10 is an example of a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium. In FIG. 2, symbols P-2 and P-3 indicate examples of media conveyed by the conveying unit 10, and the medium indicated by symbol P-3 is the medium indicated by symbol P-2 with its skew corrected.

[0054] The first restriction surface 31a is capable of coming into contact with the first end side Ps1 of the medium, is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and extends along the Y-axis direction. The first restricting portion 31 is provided so as to be displaceable in the X-axis direction, i.e., the width direction of the medium, while being guided by a guide portion (not shown). In this embodiment, the first restricting portion 31 is displaced in the width direction by manual operation by the user. However, it goes without saying that the first restricting portion 31 may also be displaced in the width direction by power such as a motor.

[0055] In this embodiment, the transport section 10 includes a first transport section 11 and a second transport section 12 disposed downstream of the first transport section 11. In this embodiment, the transport unit 10 includes the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 12, that is, includes a plurality of transport units, but may be configured as a single transport unit. The direction in which the first transport unit 11 transports the medium toward the first regulating unit 31 is referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction in which the second transport unit 12 transports the medium toward the first regulating unit 31 is referred to as the second direction D2. Both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are examples of the intersecting direction D. In this embodiment, the second direction D2 is a direction along the first direction D1.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first conveying section 11 and the second conveying section 12 have the same basic configuration, and each conveying section includes a belt unit 13 on a turntable 14. The belt unit 13 includes a conveying belt 15. However, hereinafter, the conveying belt 15 included in the first conveying section 11 may be referred to as a first conveying belt 15A as needed, and the conveying belt 15 included in the second conveying section 12 may be referred to as a second conveying belt 15B as needed. The turntable 14 supports the transported medium from below. The turntable 14 can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise in FIG. 2 around a rotation axis 14a, which means that the transport belt 15 can rotate in a plan view, in other words, when viewed from the +Z direction. The rotation of the turntable 14 can change the direction in which the transport belt 15 applies a transport force to the medium, i.e., the cross direction D.

[0057] In this embodiment, the conveyor belt 15 is provided upstream in the conveying direction with respect to the rotation shaft 14a of the turntable 14. The conveyor belt 15 being provided upstream in the conveying direction with respect to the rotation shaft 14a means, in other words, that the rotation shaft 14a is located downstream from the center of the conveyor belt 15 in the conveying direction. The rotation shaft 14a being located downstream from the center of the conveyor belt 15 in the conveying direction means that the axial center position of the rotation shaft 14a is downstream from the center position of the conveyor belt 15 in the conveying direction.

[0058] The rotation of the turntable 14 around the rotation axis 14a may be performed by a user applying an external force to the turntable 14, i.e., by user operation, or may be performed by a motor. A table drive motor 124 shown in FIG. 8 is an example of a drive source that rotates the turntable 14. The table drive motor 124 is controlled by the control unit 111. In this case, a dedicated motor may be provided for each of the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 12, and each may be configured to rotate the turntable 14 independently. However, if the rotation of the turntable 14 is performed by a user operation, the table drive motor 124 may be omitted. Alternatively, the turntable 14 may be configured to be rotated by a user operation and also by the table drive motor 124.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 2, the belt unit 13 is equipped with a conveyor belt 15 and is configured to convey the medium by suction onto the conveyor belt 15. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the belt unit 13 is equipped with a drive pulley 16a and driven pulleys 16b, 16c, and 16d, and the conveyor belt 15 is wound around these pulleys. The drive pulley 16a is driven in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4 by a belt drive motor 122 (see Fig. 8), which causes the conveyor belt 15 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4. The belt drive motor 122 may be provided for each of the first conveying section 11 and the second conveying section 12, or the first conveying section 11 and the second conveying section 12 may be driven by a single belt drive motor.

[0060] The driven pulley 16c is supported by a pulley support member 21. The pulley support member 21 is provided so as to be rotatable in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in FIG. 4 around a rotation shaft 21a, and is pressed by a pressing means (not shown), such as a spring, so as to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4. This causes the driven pulley 16c to apply tension to the conveyor belt 15.

[0061] A suction blower 18, which is an example of a suction unit, is provided inside the conveyor belt 15. The suction blower 18 applies negative pressure to a pressure chamber 19. A suction plate 20 is provided above the pressure chamber 19. The suction plate 20 supports the conveyor belt 15 between the driven pulley 16b and the driving pulley 16a. The suction plate 20 has a plurality of openings 20a formed therein, as shown in Fig. 5B. 5A, the conveyor belt 15 is formed with a plurality of through holes 15a, and is configured so that as the conveyor belt 15 rotates, the through holes 15a of the conveyor belt 15 can overlap with the openings 20a of the suction plate 20. As a result, when negative pressure is created in the pressure chamber 19 by the suction blower 18, the medium is sucked through the openings 20a of the suction plate 20 and the through holes 15a of the conveyor belt 15, and the medium is conveyed in close contact with the conveyor belt 15.

[0062] In this embodiment, suction blowers 18, which are an example of a suction unit, are provided for both the first conveyor unit 11 and the second conveyor unit 12. That is, separate suction units are provided for the first conveyor belt 15A and the second conveyor belt 15B, respectively, so that independent suction control is possible for each of the first conveyor belt 15A and the second conveyor belt 15B. However, instead of this configuration, one suction blower 18 may be used for the first conveying section 11 and the second conveying section 12.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 2, the intermediary conveyance device 4 is provided with an upper regulating means 38 that suppresses lifting of the first end side Ps1 of the medium in the -X direction relative to the first regulating section 31. The upper regulating means 38 is shown in a simplified manner in Fig. 2, and the upper regulating means 38 will be described below with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. In this embodiment, the upper regulating means 38 includes multiple upper regulating members 39 arranged along the transport direction. Support members 41 are provided on both sides of each upper regulating member 39 in the transport direction, and the upper regulating member 39 is rotatable relative to the support members 41 via a rotation shaft 40. The upper regulating member 39 is rotatable when viewed from the transport direction, and is configured so that it can move toward and away from the medium by rotating. The upper regulating member 39 is pressed in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7, i.e., in the direction of contact with the medium, by a pressing member (not shown), such as a spring. The lower surface of the upper regulating member 39 forms an upper regulating surface 39a that restricts the upward movement of the first end side Ps1 that faces the first regulating surface 31a.

[0064] The above-described upper restriction means 38 provides the following advantageous effects. Specifically, if the medium is deformed when the first edge Ps1 of the medium strikes the first restriction surface 31a, the medium may not rotate, which may prevent proper correction of skewed medium movement and may result in a jam. In FIG. 7, symbol Pj-3 is an example of a medium whose first edge Ps1 has deformed or curled upward so that it overcomes the first restriction surface 31a. Also in FIG. 7, symbol Pj-2 is an example of a medium whose side edge, including the first edge Ps1, has deformed or curled downward. In both cases of medium Pj-2 and medium Pj-3, deformation may prevent proper rotation of the medium. However, in this embodiment, since an upper regulating surface 39a is provided that regulates the upward movement of the medium, the first end edge Ps1 can properly contact the first regulating surface 31a, as in the medium indicated by the symbol Pj-1, and thus the medium can properly rotate and correct the skew.

[0065] Furthermore, the upper regulating member 39 that forms the upper regulating surface 39a is rotatably provided so that the upper regulating surface 39a can move forward and backward relative to the medium, and therefore, when the upper regulating member 39 receives a strong reaction force from the medium, it rotates, thereby preventing damage to the medium. The upper regulating member 39 is pressed by a pressing member (not shown), such as a spring, in the direction in which the upper regulating surface 39a advances toward the medium. This prevents the upper regulating member 39 from easily rotating when subjected to a reaction force from the medium, thereby making it possible to appropriately correct skewed media.

[0066] Next, the relay conveying device 4 has a pair of conveying rollers 25 upstream of the conveying section 10, as shown in Fig. 3. The pair of conveying rollers 25 includes a drive roller 25a driven by a conveying motor 123 (see Fig. 8) and a driven roller 25b that can rotate following the drive roller 25a. The driven roller 25b can move forward and backward relative to the drive roller 25a, and is pressed against the drive roller 25a by a pressing means (not shown), such as a spring.

[0067] In this embodiment, one pair of transport rollers 25 is provided in the width direction as shown in Fig. 2. Multiple pairs of transport rollers 25 may be provided along the width direction, but the configuration in which one pair of transport rollers 25 is provided in the width direction as in this embodiment makes it easier for the medium to rotate, which is preferable from the perspective of suppressing damage to the medium. That is, the transport roller pair 25 applies a transport force to the medium in the transport direction, but the downstream transport unit 10 applies a transport force to the medium in a cross direction D that intersects the transport direction and the width direction, so the transport forces of the transport roller pair 25 and the transport unit 10 are simultaneously applied to the medium, which may cause damage such as wrinkles to the medium. However, in a configuration such as this embodiment, which has one transport roller pair 25 in the width direction, the medium rotates more easily, which is preferable from the perspective of suppressing damage to the medium.

[0068] 3, the relay conveying device 4 is provided with a pair of discharge rollers 26 downstream of the conveying section 10. The pair of discharge rollers 26 is made up of a drive roller 26a driven by a conveying motor 123 (see FIG. 8) and a driven roller 26b that can rotate following the drive roller 26a. The driven roller 26b can move forward and backward relative to the drive roller 26a, and is pressed against the drive roller 26a by a pressing means (not shown), for example, a spring.

[0069] In this embodiment, multiple pairs of discharge rollers 26 are provided in the width direction as shown in Fig. 2. This makes it possible to reliably supply the medium to the recording device 3 while preventing the medium, whose skew has been corrected by the relay conveyance device 4, from becoming skewed again. However, this is not limiting, and one pair of discharge rollers 26 may be provided in the width direction. In this embodiment, the drive rollers 25a and 26a share the transport motor 123 (see FIG. 8) as a common drive source, but the drive rollers 26a and 25a may be driven by separate motors.

[0070] In addition, to prevent slack in the medium between the transport roller pair 25 and the transport unit 10, it is preferable that the medium transport speed in the +Y direction by the transport roller pair 25 be faster than the medium transport speed in the +Y direction by the transport roller pair 25. Similarly, to prevent slack in the medium between the transport unit 10 and the discharge roller pair 26, it is preferable that the medium transport speed in the +Y direction by the discharge roller pair 26 be faster than the medium transport speed in the +Y direction by the transport unit 10. Similarly, to prevent slack in the medium between the feed roller 107 and the discharge roller pair 26 of the recording device 3, it is preferable that the medium transport speed in the +Y direction by the feed roller 107 be faster than the medium transport speed in the +Y direction by the discharge roller pair 26.

[0071] In this embodiment, the intermediary conveyance device 4 also includes a second restricting unit 32 that can restrict the position of a second edge Ps2 of the medium that is opposite the first edge Ps1, as shown in FIG. 2. The second restricting unit 32 has a second restricting surface 32a that can contact the second edge Ps2 of the medium to restrict the position of the second edge Ps2. The second restricting surface 32a is parallel to the Y-axis direction and extends along the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the second restricting unit 32 has a fixed structure that does not move in the width direction, but it may also be configured to be movable in the width direction.

[0072] In addition, in this embodiment, the relay conveying device 4 is equipped with a first auxiliary guide 33 that is arranged downstream in the conveying direction from the first regulating section 31 and is capable of regulating the position of the first end edge Ps1 of the medium, and a second auxiliary guide 35 that is arranged on the opposite side of the first auxiliary guide 33 across the medium and is capable of regulating the position of the second end edge Ps2 of the medium. The first auxiliary guide 33 has a first auxiliary guide surface 33a that regulates the position of the first edge Ps1 of the medium. The second auxiliary guide 35 has a second auxiliary guide surface 35a that regulates the position of the second edge Ps2 of the medium. The first auxiliary guide surface 33a and the second auxiliary guide surface 35a extend along the transport direction.

[0073] The first auxiliary guide 33 and the second auxiliary guide 35 are located above a medium support unit 112 that constitutes the recording device 3, and are provided so that they can move toward or away from each other in the width direction via a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown). The medium support unit 112 supports the medium at the position of the feed roller 107 in the medium transport path. In this embodiment, the first auxiliary guide 33 is connected to the first restriction portion 31 via a connecting portion (not shown), and when the first restriction portion 31 is displaced in the width direction, the first auxiliary guide 33 is also displaced in the width direction together with the first restriction portion 31. In conjunction with this displacement of the first auxiliary guide 33, the second auxiliary guide 35 is also displaced in the width direction. A distance U5 between the first auxiliary guide surface 33a and the second auxiliary guide surface 35a in the width direction is shorter than the distance (U3+U4) between the first restriction surface 31a and the second restriction surface 32a.

[0074] The first auxiliary guide 33 has a medium receiving section 34 at its upstream end in the transport direction that expands in the direction (+X direction) away from the first edge Ps1 of the medium toward the upstream side in the transport direction. The second auxiliary guide 35 has a medium receiving section 36 at its upstream end in the transport direction that expands in the direction (-X direction) away from the second edge Ps2 of the medium toward the upstream side in the transport direction.

[0075] <<Supply device configuration>> Next, the supply device 5 includes a stacking unit 60 that supports the medium before feeding, and a feeding roller 63 that serves as a feed roller that feeds the medium from the stacking unit 60. Reference symbol P-1 indicates an example of the medium loaded on the stacking unit 60. The supply device 5 of this embodiment includes a first feed guide 61 having a first feed guide surface 61a that positions the first end edge Ps1 of the medium, and a second feed guide 62 having a second feed guide surface 62a that positions the second end edge Ps2 of the medium, as shown in Figure 2. The first feeding guide 61 and the second feeding guide 62 are provided so as to be movable toward or away from each other in the width direction via a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown). A user setting media on the stacking unit 60 can, for example, operate the first feeding guide 61 to move the first feeding guide 61 and the second feeding guide 62 to positions that match the media size.

[0076] The feed roller 63 is driven in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3 by a feed motor 130 (see FIG. 8). The feed motor 130 that drives the feed roller 63 is controlled by the control unit 111. The feed roller 63 is switched between a state in which the driving force of the feed motor 130 is transmitted and a state in which the driving force is disconnected by a feed clutch 131 (see FIG. 8). The feed clutch 131 is controlled by the control unit 111. The feed roller 63 is disposed at a second center position X51 in the width direction, which will be described later.

[0077] 2, position X43 is the recording reference position in the medium width direction in the recording device 3, and is the position that is the widthwise center of the medium regardless of the medium size, and coincides with the widthwise center when the first edge Ps1 of the medium is aligned with the first regulating surface 31a. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as the first center position X43. Position X51 is the widthwise center position of the medium (P-1) loaded on the stacking unit 60, and will be referred to as the second center position X51. Position X41 is also the widthwise position of the first regulating surface 31a of the first regulating unit 31. A distance U2 between the second center position X51 and the first restriction surface 31a in the width direction is longer than a distance U1 between the first center position X43 and the first restriction surface 31a. The position X41 varies depending on the width size of the medium, but regardless of the width size of the medium, the first center position X43 is located in the +X direction from the second center position X51.

[0078] <<Control System>> Next, the control system of the recording system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. A user interface is realized on the touch panel 113a constituting the operation panel 113 under the control of the control unit 111. For convenience, the term user interface will be referred to as "UI" hereinafter. The program 117 for executing various controls of the recording system 1 includes a program for realizing various UIs.

[0079] The control unit 111 includes a CPU 114 that executes a program 117, a volatile memory 115, and a nonvolatile memory 116. The CPU 114 performs various calculations required to execute the program 117 stored in the nonvolatile memory 116. The volatile memory 115 is used as a temporary data storage area. The nonvolatile memory 116 stores the program 117 and control parameters 118 required to execute the program 117. The program 117 includes programs that execute various processes described below, and in particular includes a control program for executing a test mode described below. The control parameters 118 include parameters for executing the program 117. The various processes described below are realized when the control unit 111 executes the program 117.

[0080] The relay conveyance device 4 includes a first medium sensor 120 and a second medium sensor 121. The first medium sensor 120 and the second medium sensor 121 are detection means for detecting the leading and trailing ends of the medium. The first medium sensor 120 and the second medium sensor 121 are, for example, optical sensors equipped with a light-emitting element (not shown) and a light-receiving element (not shown). In this embodiment, the first medium sensor 120 is provided near the downstream side of the transport roller pair 25, as shown in Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the second medium sensor 121 is provided near the downstream side of the discharge roller pair 26, as shown in Fig. 3. However, the first medium sensor 120 and the second medium sensor 121 may be provided in other positions.

[0081] The control unit 111 also controls the suction blower 18 , the belt drive motor 122 , the conveyance motor 123 , the table drive motor 124 , the feed motor 130 , and the feed clutch 131 . 8 mainly shows only the components necessary for the following explanation, and other components are omitted from the illustration.

[0082] 3, symbol Y1 is the medium detection position on the transport path Tk by the first medium sensor 120, and symbol Y2 is the medium detection position by the second medium sensor 121. Symbol Ds is the path section between medium detection position Y1 and medium detection position Y2. Medium detection position Y1 is an example of the first position, and medium detection position Y2 is an example of the second position. The control unit 111 can measure the time from when the first medium sensor 120 detects the leading edge of the medium to when the second medium sensor 121 detects the leading edge of the medium as the transport time in the path section Ds (the transport time Tfn described below). Hereinafter, the timing when the second medium sensor 121 detects the leading edge of the medium, that is, the timing when the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position, will be referred to as the second position arrival timing.

[0083] <<Effects of the relay transport device>> As described with reference to FIG. 2 , the intermediary conveyance device 4 includes a first regulating unit 31 having a first regulating surface 31a for positioning a first end edge Ps1 of a medium fed from the supply device 5, and a conveying unit 10 that conveys the medium in the transverse direction D toward the first regulating surface 31a. As a result, even if the medium fed from the supply device 5 is skewed, the first end edge Ps1 abuts against the first regulating surface 31a, correcting the skew. Medium P-2, which was skewed when fed from the supply device 5 to the intermediary conveyance device 4, receives a conveying force in the transverse direction D from the conveying unit 10, causing the first end edge Ps1 to abut against the first regulating surface 31a, and the first end edge Ps1 becomes aligned with the first regulating surface 31a. This corrects the skew, thereby reducing the variation in the position of the medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which the leading edge of the medium is abutted against a pair of rollers to correct the skew. As a result, the recording device 3 can perform appropriate recording.

[0084] The recording device 3 also has a pair of registration rollers 109 for correcting skew by contacting the leading edge of the medium supplied from the relay conveyance device 4. That is, skew correction is performed by different means in the recording device 3 and the relay conveyance device 4, and skew of the medium is appropriately corrected. In other words, it may be difficult to align the widthwise position of the medium using only the pair of registration rollers 109 provided in the recording device 3, and by combining this with skew correction by the relay conveyance device 4, skew of the medium is appropriately corrected.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, the conveying belt 15 is configured to suck and convey the medium, and then press the medium against the first regulating section 31, so the medium is easier to rotate than in a configuration in which the medium is nipped and conveyed by a pair of rollers, and skew of the medium can be appropriately corrected. In this embodiment, the medium is sucked onto the conveyor belt 15 by air, but the medium may be electrostatically attracted to the conveyor belt 15 instead.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, the skew of the medium is corrected using at least two conveying belts, the first conveying belt 15A and the second conveying belt 15B, so that the conveying distance required to correct the skew of the medium can be secured, and the skew of the medium can be appropriately corrected. Furthermore, if a single conveyor belt were used to ensure the conveyance distance required to correct skew, the distance between the first regulating surface 31a and the conveyor belt would be too long in the width direction on the upstream side of the conveyance direction, weakening the force pressing the first edge Ps1 against the first regulating surface 31a. Reducing the inclination angle of the conveyor belt relative to the conveyance direction to prevent this problem would reduce the skew correction effect, requiring a longer conveyance distance and resulting in an increase in the size of the device. However, correcting skew using at least two conveyor belts, the first conveyor belt 15A and the second conveyor belt 15B, allows the first edge Ps1 to be appropriately pressed against the first regulating surface 31a, thereby preventing the device from becoming too large. Of course, three or more conveyor belts may be provided along the conveying direction.

[0087] In addition, in this embodiment, the second direction D2, which is the direction in which the second conveying section 12 conveys the medium toward the first regulating section 31, is a direction along the first direction D1, which is the direction in which the first conveying section 11 conveys the medium toward the first regulating section 31, so the medium can be transported stably. In addition, in this embodiment, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are changeable, so that appropriate skew correction can be performed.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first restricting portion 31 is movable in the width direction, so that it is possible to correct skew of a plurality of types of media with different width sizes.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, the rotating table 14, i.e., the conveying belt 15, can change the cross direction D by rotating the rotating shaft 14a, so more appropriate skew correction can be performed by changing the cross direction depending on whether the skew correction of the medium is successful or not. Alternatively, the rotation of the conveyor belt 15 around the rotation axis 14a may be performed by the power of a motor under the control of the control unit 111 (see FIG. 1). The table drive motor 124 shown in FIG. 8 is one example. In this case, the change in the cross direction D may be controlled according to the size and type of medium. For example, the lower the rigidity of the medium, the more bending occurs when the first end edge Ps1 abuts against the first regulating portion 31, making it difficult to correct skew and more likely to damage the medium. Therefore, the lower the rigidity of the medium, the smaller the angle between the conveyance direction (Y-axis direction) and the cross direction D.

[0090] Furthermore, as described above, if the transport force in the +Y direction by the transport roller pair 25 and the transport force in the intersecting direction D by the transport unit 10 are simultaneously applied to the medium, there is a risk of damage such as wrinkles occurring to the medium. Therefore, the longer the length of the medium in the transport direction, the smaller the angle between the transport direction (Y-axis direction) and the intersecting direction D may be. Furthermore, the cross direction D may be changed during transport of the medium, for example, the angle between the transport direction (Y-axis direction) and the cross direction D may be increased as the transport of the medium progresses. This makes it possible to appropriately correct the skew while suppressing the above-mentioned damage.

[0091] In this embodiment, the rotation center of the conveyor belt 15 is located downstream of the conveyor belt 15 in the conveying direction. This allows the swing range of the downstream end of the conveyor belt 15 to be narrower than the swing range of the upstream end when the conveyor belt 15 rotates. As a result, the rotatable range of the conveyor belt 15 can be expanded, and therefore the adjustable range in the cross direction D can be expanded.

[0092] 2, the second distance U4, which is the distance in the width direction between the first center position X43 and the position X42 of the second regulating surface 32a, is longer than the first distance U3, which is the distance between the first center position X43 and the position X41 of the first regulating surface 31a. This allows skewed media to be properly received from the supply device 5. Note that position X41 changes depending on the width size of the medium, but the width position of the second regulating portion 32 is set so that the second distance U4 is longer than the first distance U3 even when transporting a medium of the maximum width that can be recorded in the recording device 3.

[0093] 2, the distance U2 between the second center position X51 and the first regulating surface 31a in the width direction is longer than the distance U1 between the first center position X43 and the first regulating surface 31a. This prevents the medium from getting caught on the first regulating portion 31 when the medium is supplied from the supply device 5 to the intermediary conveyance device 4.

[0094] In this embodiment, the first feeding guide 61 and the second feeding guide 62 are members that the user displaces in accordance with the width direction size of the medium, and the first regulating part 31 is also a member that the user displaces in accordance with the width direction size of the medium. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first feeding guide 61 and the first regulating part 31 are connected by a connecting member (not shown) so that the distance U2 is longer than the distance U1, and the first feeding guide 61 and the first regulating part 31 are configured to displace together. However, even if the first feeding guide 61 and the first regulating section 31 are not connected by a connecting member not shown, for example, if the movable range of the first feeding guide 61 is set in the -X direction further than the movable range of the first regulating section 31, the distance U2 can be made longer than the distance U1.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the supply device 5 includes a first feeding guide 61 that positions the first edge Ps1 of the medium, and the first feeding guide surface 61a of the first feeding guide 61 is located between the first regulating surface 31a of the first regulating unit 31 and the first center position X43 in the width direction. This prevents the first edge Ps1 of the medium (P-1) sent out from the supply device 5 from being positioned closer to the first regulating unit 31, and prevents the medium from getting caught on the first regulating unit 31 when the medium is supplied from the supply device 5 to the intermediary conveyance device 4. Furthermore, the distance between the first regulating surface 31a and the first feeding guide surface 61a in the width direction is not longer than necessary, so that the medium can properly contact the first regulating portion 31 after being supplied from the supply device 5 to the relay conveying device 4, thereby properly correcting the skew of the medium.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, the supply device 5 further includes a second feed guide 62 having a second feed guide surface 62a that can regulate the position of the second end side Ps2 of the medium, thereby preventing skewing of the medium fed out from the supply device 5. In addition, in Figure 2, the second center position X51 is located midway in the width direction between the first feed guide surface 61a of the first feed guide 61 and the second feed guide surface 62a of the second feed guide 62, which makes it possible to more effectively prevent skewing of the medium fed out from the supply device 5. Even if the first feeding guide 61 and the second feeding guide 62 are not provided, the medium can be fed from the stacking unit 60 as long as the stacking unit 60 and the feeding roller 63 are provided.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the medium whose skew has been corrected by the first regulating unit 31 is supplied to the recording device 3 while being sandwiched in the width direction between the first auxiliary guide 33 and the second auxiliary guide 35. This suppresses skew when the medium is supplied from the intermediary conveying device 4 to the recording device 3, and the medium can be supplied to the recording device 3 while the skew correction effect of the intermediary conveying device 4 is appropriately maintained.

[0098] In this embodiment, the first auxiliary guide 33 has a medium receiving section 34 at its upstream end in the transport direction, which prevents the medium from getting caught on the first auxiliary guide 33. The second auxiliary guide 35 has a medium receiving section 36 at its upstream end in the transport direction, which prevents the medium from getting caught on the second auxiliary guide 35.

[0099] In this embodiment, the first restricting portion 31, the first auxiliary guide 33, and the second auxiliary guide 35 are movable in the width direction, which allows skew to be corrected appropriately in accordance with the medium size in the width direction. Furthermore, the first restricting portion 31 and the first auxiliary guide 33 can move together in the width direction. This prevents misalignment of the first restricting portion 31 and the first auxiliary guide 33 in the width direction, and reduces the likelihood of the medium getting caught on the first auxiliary guide 33 when moving from the first restricting portion 31 to the first auxiliary guide 33. However, the first restricting portion 31 and the first auxiliary guide 33 do not necessarily have to be integral, but may be separate bodies.

[0100] In this embodiment, the distance U5 between the first auxiliary guide surface 33a and the second auxiliary guide surface 35a in the width direction is shorter than the distance (U3+U4) between the first regulating surface 31a and the second regulating surface 32a. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the medium from skewing when it is supplied from the relay conveyance device 4 to the recording device 3.

[0101] <<Test mode>> Next, the test mode executed by the control unit 111 will be described. The test mode differs from the actual medium transport mode in that it is a mode for adjusting the timing at which the medium reaches the second position. As an example, the test mode is displayed as an icon on the UI (not shown) of the touch panel 113a (see FIGS. 1 and 8), and is executed when the operator taps the icon. The flow of the test mode will be explained below with reference to FIG.

[0102] When the control unit 111 receives a command to execute the test mode, it starts supplying the medium from the supply device 5 (step S101). Next, the control unit 111 determines whether the leading edge of the medium is detected by the first medium sensor 120 within a predetermined time (steps S102 and S103). The predetermined time here is an upper limit value M1 (step S103). The upper limit value M1 is a value obtained by adding a margin to the estimated time for the leading edge of the medium to reach the first medium sensor 120. The upper limit value M1 is stored as a predetermined value in the non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). The timer Tc1 indicates the elapsed time since the supply of the medium began. If the controller 111 does not detect the leading edge of the medium even when the timer Tc1 exceeds the upper limit M1 (No in step S102 and Yes in step S103), it determines that a jam has occurred and performs error processing. Examples of error processing here include stopping the medium transport operation of the recording device 3, the relay transport device 4, and the supply device 5, and displaying an alert on the touch panel 113a. Error processing based on the upper limit M1, i.e., jam detection, is necessary to prevent the paper jam from worsening.

[0103] If the control unit 111 detects the leading edge of the medium before the timer Tc1 exceeds the upper limit value M1 (Yes in step S102), the control unit 111 determines whether the leading edge of the medium will be detected by the second medium sensor 121 within a predetermined time (steps S104 and S105). The predetermined time here is the upper limit value M2 (step S105). The upper limit value M2 is stored as a predetermined value in the non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). The upper limit value M2 is a value obtained by adding a margin to the estimated time required to transport the medium from the medium detection position Y1 (see FIG. 3) to the medium detection position Y2 (see FIG. 3). The timer Tc2 is the elapsed time since the first medium sensor 120 detected the leading edge of the medium. If the controller 111 does not detect the leading edge of the medium even when the timer Tc2 exceeds the upper limit M2 (No in step S104 and Yes in step S105), it determines that a jam has occurred and performs error processing. Examples of error processing here include stopping the medium transport operation of the recording device 3, the relay transport device 4, and the supply device 5, and displaying an alert on the touch panel 113a. Error detection based on the upper limit M2, i.e., jam detection, is processing required to prevent the paper jam from worsening.

[0104] If the control unit 111 detects the leading edge of the medium before the timer Tc2 exceeds the upper limit value M2 (Yes in step S104), it stops the timer Tc2 and acquires this as the transport time Tfn for the path section Ds (see FIG. 3) (step S106). The acquired transport time Tfn is saved in the volatile memory 115 (see FIG. 8) or the non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). The transport time Tfn is an example of information related to the transport time when transporting the medium from the first position to the second position downstream of the first position.

[0105] The control unit 111 repeats the above process until the specified number of sheets have been processed (step S107). The test mode is a process for acquiring the transport time Tfn for multiple sheets of media, and the specified number corresponds to the number of samples of the transport time Tfn. The specified number is stored as a predetermined value in the non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). The specified number may be set by the operator via the touch panel 113a each time. As an example, the specified number is preferably about 5 to 10 sheets, but of course it may be any other number.

[0106] When the control unit 111 acquires the transport time Tfn for the specified number of sheets, it performs statistical processing (step S108). Then, based on the results of the statistical processing, it adjusts the transport conditions (step S109). Details of steps S108 and S109 will be explained again later.

[0107] FIG. 10 plots an example of the acquired transport time Tfn, with the black dots indicating the transport time Tfn. The horizontal axis t represents time, and symbol M2 represents the upper limit M2 described above. Symbol J2 represents the lower limit, and symbol St2 represents the standard value. As an example, standard value St2 is the intermediate value between the lower limit J2 and the upper limit M2. If the transport time Tfn during actual media transport is shorter than the upper limit M2, the control unit 111 determines that the transport time is normal and continues transporting the media. Note that if the transport time Tfn is shorter than the lower limit J2, an error may be determined, but setting the lower limit J2 may be omitted. Furthermore, the standard value St2 may also be omitted.

[0108] In FIG. 10, timing S1 is the timing when the first medium sensor 120 detects the leading edge of the medium, and is also the timing when timer Tc2 starts. 10, timing Fs is the ON timing of the paper feed reference signal. The paper feed reference signal is generated within the control unit 111, and when multiple sheets of media are being transported, it is generated for each medium. For example, when the paper feed reference signal is turned ON, the drive of the feed roller 63 of the supply device 5 begins. The paper feed reference signal is generated based on the length of the medium in the transport direction, the transport speed, the time required for recording in the recording device 3, etc., and is generated so that when multiple sheets of media are continuously supplied from the supply device 5, the preceding medium does not collide with the following medium. The paper feed reference signal for the first medium is also generated based on whether the recording device 3 is ready to print.

[0109] 10, timing Cr is the ON timing of the feed clutch 131 (see FIG. 8), and is the timing when feeding of the medium actually begins. Timing Cr is the timing after time R1 from timing Fs. Time R1 is stored as a predetermined value in non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). As an example, time R1 is set based on the time it takes for rotation to move from the acceleration section to the constant speed section when drive of feed motor 130 (see FIG. 8) begins at timing Fs.

[0110] 10, the transport time Tfn for multiple sheets of media is biased toward the upper limit M2 side with respect to the standard value St2. Therefore, when actual media transport is performed, there is a risk that a jam will be detected because the transport time Tfn exceeds the upper limit M2 even if no jam has occurred. Therefore, the control unit 111 performs statistical processing on a plurality of feeding times Tfn, and adjusts the second position arrival timing based on the results of the processing. As an example, the control unit 111 calculates the average value tc2ave of multiple feed times Tfn. Then, the difference G1 between the standard value St2 and the average value tc2ave is calculated, and adjustments are made so that the second position arrival timing during actual media transport is earlier by the difference G1. In the example of FIG. 10, the average value tc2ave exceeds the standard value St2, so the second position arrival timing during actual media transport is adjusted to be earlier by the difference G1. On the other hand, if the average value tc2ave is below the standard value St2, the second position arrival timing during actual media transport is adjusted to be later by the difference between the average value tc2ave and the standard value St2. However, if the average value tc2ave is below the standard value St2, adjustment of the second position arrival timing during actual media transport may be omitted. As described above, by calculating the average value tc2ave through statistical processing and adjusting the second position arrival timing based on the average value tc2ave, the second position arrival timing can be appropriately adjusted.

[0111] The second position arrival timing can be adjusted by any one of the following adjustment methods A1 to A5, or by a combination of two or more of them. Adjustment method A1: Adjustment of time R1 Adjustment method A2: Adjusting the media transport speed Adjustment method A3: Adjustment of the medium suction force by the conveyor belt 15 Adjustment method A4: Adjustment in the cross direction D (see Figure 2) Adjustment method A5: Adjustment of distance U2 (see Figure 2)

[0112] In addition, by making the time R1 in adjustment method A1 shorter than the default value, the timing of reaching the second position can be advanced, and by making it longer than the default value, the timing of reaching the second position can be delayed. Note that the default value here and other default values ​​described later are stored as predetermined values ​​in nonvolatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). By changing the timing at which the feed roller 63 starts to be driven in this manner, the timing at which the feed roller 63 reaches the second position can be appropriately adjusted.

[0113] Furthermore, the medium conveyance speed in adjustment method A2 can be adjusted by changing the rotation speeds of the feed motor 130 (see FIG. 8), the belt drive motor 122, and the conveyance motor 123 (see FIG. 8). Specifically, the timing at which the second position is reached can be advanced by increasing the rotation speed of each motor above the default value, and the timing at which the second position is reached can be delayed by decreasing the rotation speed below the default value. The medium conveyance speed may be adjusted by both the intermediary conveyance device 4 and the supply device 5, or by only one of the intermediary conveyance device 4 and the supply device 5.

[0114] In addition, the medium suction force of the conveyor belt 15 in adjustment method A3 can be adjusted by changing the rotation speed of the suction blower 18 (see FIG. 8). Increasing the medium suction force makes it less likely for slippage to occur, which acts to advance the timing of reaching the second position. However, on the other hand, because the first edge Ps1 of the medium presses strongly against the first regulating surface 31a (see FIG. 2), the conveying load increases, which acts to delay the timing of reaching the second position. As such, the relationship between the adjustment of the medium suction force and the second position arrival timing is something that cannot be determined without actually trying it. Therefore, for example, it is preferable to obtain in advance the change in the second position arrival timing when the medium suction force is changed for each type and size of medium, and save this as adjustment information in non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). Then, by adjusting the medium suction force with reference to this adjustment information, the second position arrival timing can be appropriately adjusted. It should be noted that if the adjustment of the medium suction force does not contribute to the adjustment of the second position arrival timing, the adjustment method A3 may not be adopted.

[0115] Furthermore, in adjustment method A4, the cross direction D can be adjusted by rotating the table drive motor 124 (see FIG. 8). Specifically, the timing of reaching the second position can be advanced by making the angle between the cross direction D and the medium transport direction smaller than a preset value. Furthermore, the timing of reaching the second position can be delayed by making the angle between the cross direction D and the medium transport direction larger than a preset value. However, if adjusting the cross direction D does not contribute to adjusting the timing of reaching the second position, adjustment method A4 may not be adopted.

[0116] Furthermore, the adjustment of the distance U2 (see FIG. 2) in the adjustment method A5 can be made by moving the loading unit 60 and the feed roller 63 of the supply device 5 in the X-axis direction relative to the intermediary conveyance device 4. In this case, a linear motion mechanism (not shown) that moves the loading unit 60 and the feed roller 63 of the supply device 5 in the X-axis direction relative to the intermediary conveyance device 4, and that can be controlled by the control unit 111, is employed. By shortening the distance U2 (see FIG. 2) from the default value, the time it takes for the medium to reach the first regulating surface 31a (see FIG. 2) is shortened, which acts to advance the timing of reaching the second position. However, on the other hand, the time that the first edge Ps1 of the medium is pressed against the first regulating surface 31a (see FIG. 2) is lengthened, which increases the transport load and may act to delay the timing of reaching the second position. Furthermore, by making the distance U2 (see FIG. 2) longer than the default value, the time it takes for the medium to reach the first regulating surface 31a (see FIG. 2) is lengthened, which acts to delay the timing of reaching the second position. However, on the other hand, the time that the first edge Ps1 of the medium presses against the first regulating surface 31a (see FIG. 2) is shortened, which reduces the transport load and may act to accelerate the timing of reaching the second position. As such, the relationship between the adjustment of distance U2 and the second-position arrival timing cannot be determined without actually trying it. Therefore, it is preferable to obtain in advance, for example, the change in the second-position arrival timing when distance U2 is changed for each type and size of medium, and save this as adjustment information in non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). Then, by adjusting distance U2 with reference to this adjustment information, the second-position arrival timing can be appropriately adjusted. However, if the adjustment of the distance U2 does not contribute to the adjustment of the second position arrival timing, the adjustment method A5 may not be adopted.

[0117] As described above, the medium feeding device according to this embodiment includes a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium, and a control unit 111 that can control the feeding force applying unit. Note that, although the relay transport device 4 is an example of a medium feeding device in the above embodiment, it will be explained later that the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 111 can then execute a test mode in which a medium is transported on a trial basis. The program 117 (see FIG. 8) executed by the control unit 111 includes a control program. This control program causes the control unit 111, which is an example of a control device, to execute the test mode. The test mode realizes a method for controlling the medium feeding device.

[0118] The test mode includes steps (steps S101 to S107 in FIG. 9) of performing a process for multiple media to obtain information related to the transport time required to transport the media from a first position in the media transport path to a second position downstream of the first position. The test mode also includes a step of acquiring and statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media (step S108 in FIG. 9). In the test mode, the second position arrival timing is adjusted based on the results of the statistical processing (step S109 in FIG. 9).

[0119] By executing the test mode in advance of the actual medium transport, proper transport can be performed from the first sheet when the actual medium is transported. In addition, the test mode statistically processes information relating to multiple media and adjusts the timing of reaching the second position based on the results, allowing the timing of reaching the second position to be adjusted more appropriately than when the timing of reaching the second position is adjusted based only on the transport result of a single media.

[0120] Furthermore, in a configuration such as this embodiment in which the conveying belt 15 abuts the first end edge Ps1 of the medium against the first regulating portion 31 (see Figure 2) to correct the skew of the medium, the timing at which the medium reaches the second position is likely to vary depending on the type of medium, etc. In particular, the timing at which the second position is reached is likely to change depending on various parameters such as the cross direction D, the speed at which the medium is conveyed by the conveying belt 15, the suction force of the medium by the conveying belt 15, and the type of medium, and it may be difficult to adjust the timing at which the second position is reached under predetermined conditions. However, the test mode allows the second position arrival timing to be adjusted appropriately.

[0121] Next, a control for smoothly executing the test mode will be described. When the test mode is executed, if the overall transport time Tfn is near the upper limit value M2 as shown in Figure 11, a jam will often be erroneously determined, causing the device to stop. That is, there is a risk that the result will be "Yes" in step S105 of Figure 9 during the test mode, causing error processing to be performed, and the test mode will not be completed. In addition, there is a risk that the result will be "Yes" in step S103 of Figure 9 during the test mode, causing error processing to be performed, and the test mode will not be completed, due to the influence of the transport time upstream of the medium detection position Y1. If the transport time Tfn exceeds the upper limit M2, a jam occurs and error processing is performed. The plot to the right of the upper limit M2 in Fig. 11 represents the transport time Tfn when no error processing is performed. In view of these issues, it is also preferable that the control unit 111 be able to execute the advance adjustment mode before executing the test mode. The advance adjustment mode is a mode in which the feed time Tfn for the first medium is acquired and the timing at which the medium reaches the second position is adjusted. In other words, the advance adjustment mode corresponds to the mode in the flowchart of FIG. 9 in which the specified number of sheets (step S107) is set to one sheet and the transport conditions are adjusted.

[0122] In FIG. 11, the symbol Tf0 denotes the transport time when the first sheet of media is transported in the advance adjustment mode. The control unit 111 calculates the difference G2 between the transport time Tf0 and the standard value St2, and adjusts the timing of reaching the second position in the test mode based on this difference G2. FIG. 12 shows the results of executing the test mode after making such adjustments. This advance adjustment mode can prevent the device from stopping when executing the test mode. Of course, in the actual transport after executing the test mode, both the difference G2 obtained in the advance adjustment mode and the difference G1 obtained in the test mode (FIG. 10) are taken into account.

[0123] When the advance adjustment mode is executed, the second position arrival timing is not adjusted, so there is a risk that the feed time Tfn will exceed the upper limit M2, resulting in an error and causing the device to stop. Therefore, when the control unit 111 executes the advance adjustment mode, it is also preferable to temporarily relax the upper limit M2. Relaxing the upper limit M2 means setting the upper limit M2 to the right of the default value in the example of FIG. 11. If the upper limit M2 is simply relaxed in the test mode or in the actual transport mode, it may not be possible to properly detect the occurrence of a jam, and transport may continue despite the occurrence of a jam, which may result in subsequent media also jamming. However, in this embodiment, the upper limit M2 is only temporarily relaxed in the advance adjustment mode, so that the occurrence of problems associated with simply relaxing the upper limit M2 can be suppressed. The upper limit of the media transport time for jam detection may be set not only in the relay transport device 4 but also in the recording device 3. Therefore, when feeding a medium into the recording device 3 in the advance adjustment mode, it is preferable to relax the upper limit set in the recording device 3 in the same way as the above-mentioned upper limit M2.

[0124] Furthermore, if a jam is detected during the advance adjustment mode and the device stops, and the advance adjustment mode is then executed again, the second position arrival timing may be adjusted by a predetermined time, thereby preventing the device from stopping due to consecutive jam detections. Since the device may stop due to an actual jam, the user may be allowed to select whether or not to adjust the second position arrival timing when executing the advance adjustment mode again.

[0125] 10, the average value tc2ave of the transport time Tfn may deviate from the standard value St2, and the degree of overall variation may also increase. If the degree of overall variation in the transport time Tfn increases, the transport time Tfn is likely to exceed the upper limit value M2 during actual transport, which is undesirable. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 111 obtains the variation in the transport time Tfn for multiple sheets of media as a statistical process and changes the transport conditions in accordance with the variation. The variation in the transport time Tfn can be obtained from the standard deviation σ of the transport time Tfn or the difference between the minimum value tc2min and the maximum value tc2max of the transport time Tfn. If the degree of variation exceeds a predetermined range, the control unit 111 changes the transport conditions. In this case, the conveying conditions can be changed by any one of the following adjustment methods B1 to B3, or by a combination of two or more of them. Adjustment method B1: Adjustment of the medium suction force by the conveyor belt 15 Adjustment method B2: Adjustment in the cross direction D (see Figure 2) Adjustment method B3: Adjustment of distance U2 (see Figure 2)

[0126] In each of the above adjustment methods, the relationship between the adjustment direction and the variation in the feed time Tfn tends to vary depending on the type and size of the medium. Therefore, it is preferable to determine the relationship between the adjustment direction and the variation in the feed time Tfn in advance for each type and size of medium and for each of the above adjustment methods, and store this as adjustment information in non-volatile memory 116 (see FIG. 8). Then, by changing the transport conditions with reference to the adjustment information, the variation in the feed time Tfn can be suppressed. It is also preferable to change the transport conditions so that the 3σ value, which is three times the standard deviation σ, falls between the lower limit J2 and the upper limit M2.

[0127] As described above, in this embodiment, the suction force used to suction media to the conveyor belt 15 can be changed under the control of the control unit 111. The control unit 111 then performs statistical processing to determine the variation in the transport time Tfn for multiple sheets of media, and changes the suction force in accordance with the variation. This makes it possible to suppress the variation in the transport time Tfn.

[0128] Modifications of the above-described embodiment will now be described. In the above embodiment, the intermediary conveyance device 4 is an example of a medium feeding device. That is, the conveyance unit 10, which is a feeding force applying unit of the intermediary conveyance device 4, feeds the medium supplied from a supply device that supplies the medium to the recording device 3. The recording system 1 includes the intermediary conveyance device 4 and the recording device 3. The medium supply system 2 includes the intermediary conveyance device 4 and the supply device 5. However, any of the recording system 1, medium supply system 2, recording device 3, relay transport device 4, and supply device 5 may be considered to be one form of a medium feeding device. In other words, although the recording system 1 and medium supply system 2 according to the above embodiments refer to a group made up of multiple independent devices, the group made up of multiple independent devices may also be considered as a single device. Furthermore, the recording system 1 is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and may be configured to include a plurality of recording devices 3 and an intermediary transport device 4 that connects the plurality of recording devices 3.

[0129] Furthermore, regardless of the form of the medium feeding device, the feeding force imparting section that imparts a feeding force to the medium may be located in any of the recording device 3, the intermediary conveying device 4, and the supplying device 5. The pair of registration rollers 109 provided in the recording device 3 can be an example of a feeding force imparting section. The conveying section 10 provided in the intermediary conveying device 4 can be an example of a feeding force imparting section. The feed roller 63 provided in the supplying device 5 can be an example of a feeding force imparting section. The feed force applying unit may be located between the first position and the second position, that is, inside the section in which the medium is transported in the test mode, or outside the section.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the first position is the medium detection position Y1 inside the intermediary conveyance device 4, and the second position is the medium detection position Y1 inside the intermediary conveyance device 4, but this is not limited to this. In other words, regardless of the form of the medium feeding device, the first position and the second position may be located in any of the recording device 3, the intermediary conveyance device 4, and the supply device 5. For example, the first position may be the feeding start position of the medium, that is, a position inside the supply device 5. In this case, the feeding start position is the leading edge position of the medium loaded on the stacking unit 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the supply device 5. In this case, the starting point of the timer Tc2 may be timing Fs or timing Cr in FIG. 10. In this case, steps S102 and S103 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 are unnecessary.

[0131] The first position and the second position may also be positions inside the recording device 3. In this case, for example, if the first position and the second position are downstream of the pair of registration rollers 109, the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position can be adjusted by adjusting the drive timing of the pair of registration rollers 109. Furthermore, if another roller is provided that temporarily stops the leading edge of the medium in the same way as the pair of registration rollers 109, the drive timing of that roller can be adjusted to adjust the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position downstream of that roller.

[0132] The first and second positions do not necessarily have to be located in the same device, but may be located in different devices. It is preferable to set the media transport path between the first and second positions to a path that makes it easy for the media transport time to deviate from the expected value.

[0133] In the above embodiment, the control unit 111 that executes the test mode is provided in the recording device 3. However, the control unit that executes the test mode may be located in any of the recording device 3, the relay transport device 4, or the supply device 5, regardless of the form of the medium feeding device. Furthermore, the control unit capable of executing the test mode may perform any type of control other than the test mode.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the test mode can be instructed to be executed via the operation panel 113 provided on the recording device 3, but the part that instructs the execution of the test mode may be located in the relay transport device 4 or in the supply device 5. Of course, the execution of the test mode may also be instructed from a computer (not shown) connected to the recording system 1. In the above embodiment, the test mode is executed independently of the actual media transport, but this is not limited to this. That is, when a job related to the actual media transport is received, the test mode may be executed, and the actual media transport may be executed following the test mode. In this case, the job related to the actual media transport may include a job that instructs the execution of the test mode.

[0135] Furthermore, when the test mode is executed in the recording system 1, the medium does not necessarily have to be transported to the discharge tray 104 of the recording device 3. For example, the connection between the recording device 3 and the intermediary conveying device 4 may be released, and the medium may be discharged outside the intermediary conveying device 4 by the discharge roller pair 26 of the intermediary conveying device 4. In addition, when feeding media into the recording device 3 in test mode, it is also preferable to raise the line head 105 to widen the media transport path to prevent jams, or to discharge the media without using the reversing path to improve throughput. Furthermore, by performing test recording on the medium using the recording device 3 in the test mode, it is possible to check the recording accuracy and the state of skew, thereby improving usability.

[0136] Furthermore, when performing statistical processing of a plurality of sending times Tfn, for example, the top k pieces of data including the maximum value and the bottom k pieces of data including the minimum value among the plurality of sending times Tfn may be excluded from the statistical processing as abnormal values, where k is an integer equal to or greater than 1. In other words, it is not necessary to use all of the plurality of sending times Tfn in the statistical processing, and only those that meet specific conditions may be used, or those that meet specific conditions may be excluded.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the average value tc2ave of the multiple feed times Tfn was calculated, the difference G1 between the standard value St2 and the average value tc2ave was calculated, and the second position arrival timing during actual media transport was adjusted to be earlier by the difference G1. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the second position arrival timing may be adjusted so that the maximum value tc2max of the multiple feed times Tfn is smaller than the upper limit M2 by a predetermined value. Alternatively, the second position arrival timing may be adjusted so that the minimum value tc2min of the multiple feed times Tfn is larger than the lower limit J2 by ​​a predetermined value.

[0138] The above-described adjustment methods A3 and B1, i.e., adjustment of the medium suction force by the conveyor belt 15, are not limited to being performed automatically under the control of the control unit 111, but may also be performed manually by the user. Similarly, the above-described adjustment methods A4 and B2, i.e., adjustment in the cross direction D (see FIG. 2), are not limited to being performed automatically under the control of the control unit 111, but may also be performed manually by the user. Similarly, the adjustment methods A5 and B3, i.e., adjustment of the distance U2 (see FIG. 2), are not limited to being performed automatically under the control of the control unit 111, but may also be performed manually by the user. In these cases, it is preferable that the control unit 111 inform the user of a rough guide to the adjustment amount via a display unit or the like.

[0139] Furthermore, when the difference between the minimum value tc2min and the maximum value tc2max of the multiple feed times Tfn exceeds a predetermined threshold, or when the standard deviation σ exceeds a predetermined threshold, the adjustment of the conveying force is not limited to adjusting the medium suction force of the conveyor belt 15; other adjustments can also be used. For example, the pressing force of the feed roller 63 against the medium or the nipping force of the conveying roller pair 25 can be used. Specifically, if the pressing force of the feed roller 63 against the medium is increased beyond a predetermined value, slippage between the feed roller 63 and the medium is reduced, and the medium conveying force is increased. Increasing the medium conveying force of the feed roller 63 increases the force with which a single medium is separated and fed from the multiple media stacked on the stacker 60, thereby reducing variation in the conveying time due to separation and feeding. Furthermore, if the nip force of the medium by the transport roller pair 25 and the discharge roller pair 26 is made stronger than the default value, slippage between the transport roller pair 25 and the medium is suppressed, and the medium transport force is strengthened. By strengthening the medium transport force by the transport roller pair 25, the force that pulls the medium from the feed roller 63 in the transport direction is strengthened, and it is possible to suppress variations in transport time due to the load on the feed roller. Furthermore, these changes in the medium conveying force are not limited to a configuration in which they are performed automatically under the control of the control unit 111, but may also be performed manually by the user. In these cases, it is preferable that the control unit 111 notify the user of a rough guide to the amount of adjustment via a display unit or the like.

[0140] The advance adjustment mode and the test mode may be executed consecutively as one job, or may be executed as separate jobs. That is, the advance adjustment mode and the test mode may be executed based on the same paper feed reference signal, or may be executed based on different paper feed reference signals.

[0141] When the advanced adjustment mode and the test mode are executed, the sending time Tf0 in the advanced adjustment mode may be used in the statistical processing in the test mode, thereby increasing the amount of data used in the statistical processing.

[0142] In the above embodiment, the medium is detected at the medium detection positions Y1 and Y2 by the first medium sensor 120 and the second medium sensor 121, but this is not limited to this. For example, it may be possible to detect that the medium has reached the medium detection position based on an increase in the load on the motor that drives the roller located at the medium detection position.

[0143] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 1... recording system, 2... medium supply system, 3... recording device, 4... relay transport device, 5... supply device, 6... installation stand, 6a... space section 10...conveying section, 11...first conveying section, 12...second conveying section, 13...belt unit, 14...rotating table, 14a...rotating shaft, 15...conveying belt, 15A...first conveying belt, 15B...second conveying belt, 15a...through hole, 16a...driving pulley, 16b, 16c, 16d...driven pulley, 18...suction blower, 19...pressure chamber, 20...suction plate, 20a...opening, 21...pulley support member, 21a...rotating shaft, 25...conveying roller pair, 25a...driving roller, 2 5b...driven roller, 26...discharge roller pair, 26a...drive roller, 26b...driven roller, 31...first regulating portion, 31a...first regulating surface, 32...second regulating portion, 32a...second regulating surface, 32b...inclined guide surface, 33...first auxiliary guide, 33a...first auxiliary guide surface, 34...medium receiving portion, 35...second auxiliary guide, 35a...second auxiliary guide surface, 36...medium receiving portion, 38...upper regulating means, 39...upper regulating member, 39a...upper regulating surface, 40...rotation shaft, 41...support Support member, 43... paddle, 43a... rotating shaft, 45... support member, 45a... rotating shaft, 46... solenoid, 47... medium detection unit, 60... stacking unit, 61... first feeding guide, 61a... first feeding guide surface, 62... second feeding guide, 62a... second feeding guide surface, 63... feeding roller, 100... device main body, 101... medium storage unit, 102... image reading device, 103... internal discharge unit, 104... discharge tray, 105... line head, 107... feeding roller, 108... separation roller, 10 9...Pair of registration rollers, 110...Opening and closing body, 111...Control unit, 112...Medium support unit, 113...Operation panel, 113a...Touch panel, 114...CPU, 115...Volatile memory, 116...Non-volatile memory, 117...Program, 118...Control parameters, 120...First medium sensor, 121...Second medium sensor, 122...Belt drive motor, 123...Transport motor, 124...Table drive motor, 130...Feed motor, 131...Feed clutch

Claims

1. a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium; a control unit capable of controlling the feeding force applying unit; A medium feeding device comprising: the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which a medium is transported on a test basis; The test mode is a step of executing a process for acquiring information on a transport time required to transport a medium from a first position on a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media; adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing; Including, A medium feeding device characterized by:

2. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, the first position is a position where feeding of the medium begins; A medium feeding device characterized by:

3. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, a first medium sensor for detecting a medium is provided at the first position; a second medium sensor for detecting a medium is provided at the second position; the control unit determines the time from when the first medium sensor detects the medium to when the second medium sensor detects the medium as the feeding time. A medium feeding device characterized by:

4. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, the control unit executes a pre-adjustment mode in which the information related to a first medium is acquired and the timing is adjusted, and then executes the test mode. A medium feeding device characterized by:

5. 5. The medium feeding device according to claim 4, the control unit executes error processing to determine that an error has occurred if the transport time exceeds an upper limit value when transporting the medium from the first position to the second position; Furthermore, the control unit temporarily relaxes the upper limit value when executing the advance adjustment mode. A medium feeding device characterized by:

6. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, the control unit calculates an average value of the transport times for a plurality of media as the statistical processing, and adjusts the timing based on the average value. A medium feeding device characterized by:

7. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, the control unit adjusts the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position by changing the drive start timing of a feed roller that feeds the medium from a support unit that supports the medium before feeding. A medium feeding device characterized by:

8. 8. The medium feeding device according to claim 7, the feeding force applying unit includes a conveyor belt that conveys the medium while adsorbing it; The suction force when the medium is attracted to the conveyance belt can be changed under the control of the control unit, the control unit determines a variation in the transport time for a plurality of sheets of media as the statistical processing, and changes the suction force in accordance with the variation. A medium feeding device characterized by:

9. 2. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, a first restricting portion that contacts a first edge that is one edge in a width direction intersecting with the conveyance direction of the medium; the feeding force applying unit is a conveying belt that conveys the medium while suctioning the medium, and the conveying belt conveys the medium such that the first end side of the medium faces the first regulating unit. A medium feeding device characterized by:

10. 10. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, the feeding force applying unit feeds the medium supplied from a medium supplying device to a recording device that performs recording on the medium; A medium feeding device characterized by:

11. 10. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, a loading section for loading media before feeding; the feeding force applying unit applies a feeding force to the medium fed from the stacking unit; A medium feeding device characterized by:

12. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which transports a medium from a supplying device that supplies a medium to a recording device that records on the medium; the recording device; A recording system with

13. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which transports a medium from a supplying device that supplies a medium to a recording device that records on the medium; the supply device; A media supply system comprising:

14. a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium; a recording unit that records on a medium; a control unit capable of controlling the feeding force applying unit and the recording unit; A recording device comprising: the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which a medium is transported on a test basis; The test mode is a step of executing a process for acquiring information on a transport time required to transport a medium from a first position on a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media; adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing; Including, A recording device characterized by:

15. a supply device that supplies a medium; a medium feeding device that transports the medium supplied from the supply device; a recording device that receives the medium transported from the medium feeding device and performs recording; A recording system comprising: a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to the medium; a control unit that controls the feeding force applying unit; Equipped with the control unit is capable of executing a test mode in which a medium is transported on a test basis; The test mode is a step of executing a process for acquiring information on a transport time required to transport a medium from a first position on a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media; adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing; Including, A recording system characterized by:

16. A control device for controlling a medium feeding device having a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, A test mode for transporting a medium on a trial basis can be executed; The test mode is a step of executing a process for acquiring information on a transport time required to transport a medium from a first position on a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media; adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing; Including, A control device characterized by:

17. A control method for controlling a medium feeding device having a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, comprising: a step of executing a process for acquiring information on a transport time required to transport a medium from a first position on a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media; adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing; Including, A control method comprising:

18. A control program for controlling a medium feeding device having a feeding force applying unit that applies a feeding force to a medium, a step of executing a process for acquiring information on a transport time required to transport a medium from a first position on a medium transport path to a second position downstream of the first position, for a plurality of media; statistically processing the information relating to a plurality of media; adjusting the timing at which the leading edge of the medium reaches the second position based on the statistical processing; causing the control device to execute A control program comprising:

Images