Medium discharge device

Abstract

To provide a medium discharge device capable of preventing the occurrence of sagging even when the medium is discharged at high speed.SOLUTION: A medium discharge device 30 includes a loading table 31 on which the medium M is loaded, and alignment members 32 and 33. The alignment members 32 and 33 rotate about a central rotation axis C that extends in a direction intersecting the width direction W of the medium M, and depending on the rotation angle, take a contact position P1 where they come into contact with the end in the width direction W of the medium M discharged onto the loading table 31 in the discharge direction E, and a separated position P2 separated in the width direction W from the medium M.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium ejection device that includes a loading tray on which media are loaded. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, methods of clamping the paper discharged onto the stacking tray at the top and bottom at the rear end (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and methods of clamping the paper discharged onto the stacking tray in the paper width direction (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3) are known.

[0003] Also, a paper discharge device is known that stops operation when it detects that the paper is leaning (see, for example, Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-142882 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-121757 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-136421 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-061978 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When printed media (such as paper) is discharged from the printing device and loaded onto the loading tray, the media is thrown with force from the discharge mechanism, and is guided so that the media position is aligned by a side fence that guides the media widthwise and an end fence installed at the end of the loading tray, and then loaded onto the loading tray.

[0006] However, when particularly soft media is ejected from the ejection mechanism with force, the media hits the end fence, returns to the ejection mechanism, and loses momentum. This can cause the paper to lean from the ejection mechanism to the stacking tray. When this occurs, the printer stops, and the user must remove the leaning media before printing can resume, reducing productivity.

[0007] Incidentally, one idea is to clamp the media being discharged onto the loading tray in the width direction to weaken the momentum of the media and prevent it from leaning. However, as media transport speeds increase, it is better to hold the discharged media for a short time, so it is desirable to be able to release the media immediately after regulating the clamping position. If a side fence or similar device is used to clamp the media in the width direction, it is necessary to rotate the side fence forward and backward, making it difficult to increase the operation (operating speed). As a result, it is not possible to prevent leaning when media are discharged at high speed, i.e., when a large number of media are discharged per specified time.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a medium ejection device that can prevent the occurrence of sagging even when the medium is ejected at high speed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In one aspect, the media ejection device includes a loading platform on which the media is loaded, and an alignment member that rotates around a rotation center axis extending in a direction intersecting the width direction of the media, and that, depending on the rotation angle, takes on a contact position that contacts the edge in the width direction of the media ejected onto the loading platform, and a spaced position that is spaced apart in the width direction from the media. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above aspect, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of sagging even when the medium is discharged at high speed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a front view showing the internal configuration of a printing system including a medium ejection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a main control configuration of a printing system including a medium ejection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 10 is a plan view (part 1) illustrating the operation of the aligning member according to the embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 10 is a second plan view illustrating the operation of the aligning member according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a right side view (part 1) illustrating the operation of the aligning member according to the embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a right side view (part 2) illustrating the operation of the aligning member according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are plan views for explaining rotation control of the alignment members in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating rotation control of the alignment member in the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a simplified timing chart for explaining rotation control of the alignment member in one embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the medium ejection device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A medium ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the internal configuration of a printing system 1 equipped with a medium ejection device 30 according to an embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main control configuration of the printing system 1.

[0015] The printing system 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a printing device 10, an intermediate conveyance device 20, and a medium discharge device 30. The up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3A to 5 described below are examples for the convenience of explanation in which the discharge direction E of the medium M is set to the right. For example, the up-down direction is the vertical direction, and the front-rear and left-right directions are the horizontal directions. In FIG. 1, a straight conveyance path R1 of the medium M in the printing device 10 and a discharge path R4 of the medium M in the intermediate conveyance device 20 are shown with solid lines. Also in FIG. 1, a circulatory conveyance path R2 of the medium M in the printing device 10 is shown with a two-dot chain line, and reverse conveyance paths R3 and R5 in the printing device 10 and the intermediate conveyance device 20 are shown with dashed lines. As an example, the medium M is a sheet-like medium M such as a sheet of paper.

[0016] 1, the printing device 10 includes a medium supply unit 11, a feed roller 12, multiple pairs of transport rollers 13, a suction transport unit 14, a print head 15, transport path switching units 16 and 17, and a loading table 18. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, the printing device 10 includes a control unit 19a, a memory unit 19b, and an interface unit 19c. Note that although the printing system 1 includes a single printing device 10, it may also include, for example, multiple printing devices arranged in series on the transport path of the medium M.

[0017] The medium supply unit 11 is, for example, a loading tray on which the medium M is stacked. The medium supply unit 11 is disposed integrally with the printing device 10, but may also be disposed separately from the printing device 10. The feed roller 12 feeds out and transports the uppermost medium M from among the multiple sheets of medium M stacked in the medium supply unit 11. Multiple pairs of transport rollers 13 are disposed on each of the straight transport path R1, the circulatory transport path R2, and the reverse transport path R3 within the printing device 10, and nip and transport the medium M. The suction transport unit 14 is disposed opposite the print head 15. The suction transport unit 14 transports the medium M by, for example, a belt while suctioning the medium M. The feed roller 12, the multiple transport roller pairs 13, the suction transport unit 14, and the multiple transport roller pairs 21 of the intermediate transport device 20 described below are examples of a transport unit that transports the medium M.

[0018] The print head 15 has, for example, a line-head type inkjet head (not shown) for each color used for printing. The printing method of the print head 15 may be a printing method other than inkjet printing. In other words, the print head 15 is merely one example of a printing unit that prints on the medium M, and this printing unit is not limited to a print head 15 that uses an inkjet printing method.

[0019] The transport path switching unit 16 is, for example, a flipper, and switches the transport path of the medium M on which printing has been performed by the print head 15 between a straight transport path R1 continuing to the intermediate transport device 20 and a circulating transport path R2 continuing to the stacking table 18 or a reverse transport path R3. The transport path switching unit 17 is, for example, a flipper, and switches the circulating transport path R2 of the medium M between a transport path continuing to the stacking table 18 and a transport path continuing to the reverse transport path R3. The stacking table 18 is used to load media M that are not discharged to the medium discharge device 30. The medium M is turned over on the reverse transport path R3 and transported to the print head 15 again, where printing is performed on the opposite side.

[0020] The control unit 19a shown in FIG. 2 has one or more processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) that function as an arithmetic processing device that controls the overall operation of the printing device 10. This processor controls the operation of each part of the printing device 10 by, for example, reading and executing a predetermined program from the storage unit 19b or from a storage medium (non-transitory computer-readable recording medium) that is detachable from the printing device 10. In this way, the control unit 19a (or the printing device 10) functions as an example of a computer that executes a program. Note that the control unit 19a of the printing device 10 may also function as a control unit 39a of the medium discharge device 30, which will be described later. Furthermore, a control device (e.g., a print control device) that controls at least one of the printing device 10 and the medium discharge device 30 may be located outside the printing system 1.

[0021] The storage unit 19b has, for example, a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), which is a read-only semiconductor memory in which a predetermined control program is pre-recorded, and a RAM (Random Access Memory), which is a semiconductor memory that can be written and read at any time and is used as a working memory area as needed when the processor executes various control programs.

[0022] The interface unit 19c exchanges various information with devices such as the medium ejection device 30 and the user terminal, etc. For example, the interface unit 19c receives a print job from the user terminal (or a print control device).

[0023] The printing device 10 may further include a transport drive unit that drives the transport roller pair 13.

[0024] The intermediate conveyance device 20 shown in FIG. 1 includes multiple pairs of conveyance rollers 21, a pair of discharge rollers 22, and a discharge drive unit 23 (see FIG. 2). The multiple pairs of conveyance rollers 21 nip and transport the medium M discharged from the printing device 10. The pair of discharge rollers 22 is an example of a discharge unit (discharge mechanism) that discharges the medium M toward the medium discharge device 30 (a stacking table 31 described below). The discharge drive unit 23 shown in FIG. 2 is, for example, an actuator such as a motor, and drives the pair of discharge rollers 22. The intermediate conveyance device 20 may further include a conveyance drive unit that drives the pair of conveyance rollers 21. The intermediate conveyance device 20 is provided with a reverse conveyance path R5 that reverses the medium M, and the medium M is selectively transported to the reverse conveyance path R5. At least one of the pair of discharge rollers 22 and the discharge drive unit 23 may be disposed in the medium discharge device 30.

[0025] The medium discharge device 30 includes a loading platform 31, a pair of alignment members 32 and 33, an end fence 34, a pair of side fences 35 and 36, a discharge sensor S1, and an upper surface detection sensor S3. As shown in Fig. 2, the medium discharge device 30 also includes a rotation detection sensor S2, a rotation drive unit 37, a loading platform lifting unit 38, a control unit 39a, a memory unit 39b, an interface unit 39c, and an operation panel 39d.

[0026] Although the medium ejection device 30 is disposed separately from the printing device 10, it may also be disposed integrally with the printing device 10. That is, the medium ejection device 30 may be disposed as part of the printing device 10. Furthermore, the medium ejection device 30 may not be loaded with the medium M printed on by the printing device 10, but may be loaded with the medium M ejected from a processing device that performs processing other than printing on the medium M, or from a conveying device that conveys the medium M. Furthermore, if the intermediate conveying device 20 is omitted, the medium ejection device 30 may eject the medium M directly from the printing device 10. Furthermore, in the printing system 1, if the medium M ejected from the printing device 10 is conveyed to one of multiple medium ejection devices depending on, for example, the size or type, the medium ejection device 30 according to the present embodiment may be at least one of the multiple medium ejection devices.

[0027] The loading platform 31 is loaded with media M sequentially ejected from the printing device 10 via the intermediate conveyance device 20. As will be described later, as the number of loaded media M increases, the loading platform 31 is lowered by driving a loading platform lifting unit 38 (described later and shown in FIG. 2) to maintain a constant loading surface height for the media M. The loading platform 31 is also raised by driving the loading platform lifting unit 38 after the media M have been removed. The loading platform 31 may also be a loading platform having a conveying means such as a belt conveyor or roller conveyor on which the media M are loaded. The loading platform 31 may also be detachably arranged in the medium ejection device 30, and when the media M are to be removed, the loading platform 31 may be lowered onto the cart 100 (shown in FIG. 1) and placed on the cart 100, and then removed from the medium ejection device 30 together with the media M. The loading platform 31 may also be arranged so that it cannot be raised or lowered.

[0028] 3A and 3B, the pair of alignment members 32, 33 are located on one side (front side) and the other side (rear side) of the media M stacked on the stacking table 31 in the width direction W of the media M. The alignment members 32, 33 are also located downstream of the side fences 35, 36 in the discharge direction E and upstream of the end fence 34 in the discharge direction E.

[0029] 4A and 4B, the alignment members 32 and 33 are regular triangular pyramids that taper downward from the horizontal upper surface. Therefore, the alignment members 32 and 33 are positioned so that they become farther apart from each other in the width direction W as they go downward from the rotation center axis C.

[0030] The alignment members 32, 33 rotate about a rotation center axis C extending in the vertical direction, which is the stacking direction of the media M, and contact the ends in the width direction W of the media M discharged in the discharge direction E onto the stacking table 31. For example, the alignment members 32, 33 are integrally connected to cylindrical holding portions 32a, 33a located at the top thereof and are held by the holding portions 32a, 33a, and rotate when the holding portions 32a, 33a are rotated by the drive of the rotation drive unit 37, which will be described later. In this case, the centers of the holding portions 32a, 33a function as the rotation center axis C of the alignment members 32, 33. The alignment members 32, 33 preferably rotate such that the side of the media M they contact rotates in the discharge direction E. In the example shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the alignment member 32 rotates clockwise and the alignment member 33 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the alignment member 32, which is located in front of the medium M loaded on the loading platform 31, is located behind the rear surface of the side fence 35 (the contact surface with the medium M) and rotates between a contact position P1 (see Figure 3B) where it contacts the end of the medium M in the width direction W, and a separated position P2 (see Figure 3A) where it is located in front of the rear surface of the side fence 35 and separated from the medium M in the width direction W.

[0032] The alignment member 33, located behind the medium M loaded on the loading platform 31, is located forward of the front surface of the side fence 36 (the contact surface with the medium M) and rotates between a contact position P1 (see Figure 3B) where it contacts the end of the medium M in the width direction W, and a separated position P2 (see Figure 3A) where it is located behind the front surface of the side fence 36 and separated from the medium M in the width direction W.

[0033] The alignment members 32 and 33 may rotate to simultaneously assume the contact position P1 and the separation position P2. As shown in FIG. 4A, at the separation position P2, the alignment members 32 and 33 do not contact the flying media M discharged onto the stacker 31. At the contact position P1 shown in FIG. 4B, the alignment members 32 and 33 contact the flying media M discharged onto the stacker 31. As a result, the media M is sandwiched between the alignment members 32 and 33 so that the center in the width direction W is recessed downward. Note that, when the alignment members 32 and 33 are polygonal pyramids such as regular triangular pyramids, they contact the media M at the edges (ridge lines) connecting the corners of the upper surface and the lower end.

[0034] The alignment members 32 and 33 are regular triangular pyramids, and therefore have a cross-sectional shape (e.g., a horizontal cross-section) perpendicular to the rotation axis C that is an equilateral triangle. The distance from the rotation axis C to the periphery of the alignment members 32 and 33 varies depending on the position of the periphery, allowing the alignment members 32 and 33 to assume a contact position P1 or a separation position P2 depending on the rotation angle. It is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the alignment members 32 and 33 perpendicular to the rotation axis C be non-circular, i.e., not a perfect circle, at least in the contact portion with the medium M. For example, the alignment members 32 and 33 may be other cones, such as square pyramids or elliptical cones, or may have shapes other than cones. However, even if the alignment members 32 and 33 have a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the rotation axis C that is a perfect circle, as long as the rotation axis C is eccentric from the center of the alignment members 32 and 33, the alignment members 32 and 33 can assume a contact position P1 or a separation position P2 depending on the rotation angle.

[0035] 3A and 3B contacts the leading edge of the medium M discharged onto the stacking table 31, and regulates the stacking position of the medium M in the discharge direction E.

[0036] The pair of side fences 35, 36 face each other in the width direction W of the medium M and are located on one side (front side) and the other side (rear side) of the medium M in the width direction W of the medium M. The side fences 35, 36 also regulate the loading position of the medium M on the loading platform 31 in the discharge direction E.

[0037] For example, unlike the loading platform 31, the end fence 34 and the pair of side fences 35 and 36 are arranged so as not to be able to move up and down, and are fixed in a state of being suspended from the upper part inside the medium ejection device 30.

[0038] The end fence 34 is arranged to be movable in the discharge direction E (downstream and upstream) according to the size (length in the discharge direction E) of the medium M. The side fences 35, 36 are arranged to be movable in the width direction W according to the size (length in the width direction W) of the medium M. It is preferable that the alignment members 32, 33 are also arranged to be movable in the width direction W integrally with the side fences 35, 36.

[0039] The discharge sensor S1 shown in FIG. 1 is disposed, for example, at or near the upstream end of the medium discharge device 30 in the discharge direction E, and detects the passage of the medium M being discharged toward the stacking table 31. The discharge sensor S1 is, for example, a reflective sensor that emits detection light upward and detects the presence or absence of the medium M based on whether or not it receives the light reflected off the medium M. Alternatively, the discharge sensor S1 may be a transmission sensor that has a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit disposed on either side of the discharge path R4 of the medium M, and detects the presence or absence of the medium M based on whether or not the light-receiving unit receives the detection light emitted by the light-emitting unit. Note that the discharge sensor S1 may be disposed in a device such as the intermediate conveyance device 20 upstream of the medium discharge device 30 in the discharge direction E, and the detection results of the discharge sensor S1 may be acquired by the control unit 39a described later.

[0040] The rotation detection sensor S2 shown in FIG. 6 detects the rotation angle of the alignment members 32 and 33. For example, the rotation detection sensor S2 is a reflective sensor that emits detection light downward and detects the presence or absence of the medium M based on whether or not it receives the light reflected by a detection target 32b provided on the upper surface of the alignment member 32 (the same applies to the alignment member 33). The detection target 32b may be surface-treated, such as by a reflective treatment, to reflect the detection light. If the rotation detection sensor S2 is located at a position that detects a corner on the upper surface of the alignment members 32 and 33, the upper surface of the alignment members 32 and 33 itself may function as the detection target. Furthermore, if the pair of alignment members 32 and 33 rotate synchronously in opposite directions, the rotation detection sensor S2 only needs to detect the rotation angle of one of the alignment members 32 and 33. However, two rotation detection sensors S2 may be provided, one on each of the alignment members 32 and 33. The rotation detection sensor S2 may also be an encoder.

[0041] 1 is, for example, a transmission sensor or a reflection sensor that detects the presence or absence of media M based on whether a light-receiving unit receives detection light horizontally emitted by a light-emitting unit at the height of the stacking surface of media M on the stacking table 31. The light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit of the top surface detection sensor S3 are located downstream of the end fence 34 in the discharge direction E and upstream of the media M loaded on the stacking table 31 in the discharge direction E. The end fence 34 has a hole (not shown) that allows the detection light emitted by the light-emitting unit to pass through, or is located in a position that does not interfere with the detection light. A control unit 39a (described later) controls the stacking table lifting unit 38 to lower the stacking table 31 based on the detection of media M by the top surface detection sensor S3.

[0042] The rotation drive unit 37 shown in FIG. 2 is one or two actuators such as motors that rotate the alignment members 32 and 33.

[0043] The loading platform lifting unit 38 is an actuator such as a motor that raises and lowers the loading platform 31 under the drive control of the control unit 39a. For example, the loading platform lifting unit 38 lowers the loading platform 31 under the drive control of the control unit 39a based on the detection of a medium M by the upper surface detection sensor S3. The control unit 39a controls the loading platform lifting unit 38 to lower the loading platform 31, for example, by a height corresponding to a predetermined number of sheets based on the detection result of the upper surface detection sensor S3, thereby maintaining the loading surface of the media M at a constant height.

[0044] In addition, the medium discharge device 30 may further include an end fence drive unit (an actuator such as a motor) that moves the end fence 34 in the discharge direction E, and a side fence drive unit (an actuator such as a motor) that moves the side fences 35, 36 and the alignment members 32, 33 in the width direction W.

[0045] The control unit 39a has one or more processors (e.g., a CPU) that function as an arithmetic processing unit that controls the overall operation of the medium discharge device 30. This processor controls the operation of each unit, such as the rotation drive unit 37 and the loading platform lifting unit 38, by reading and executing a predetermined program, for example, from the storage unit 39b or from a storage medium (a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium) that is detachable from the medium discharge device 30. In this way, the control unit 39a (or the medium discharge device 30) functions as an example of a computer that executes a program. The control unit 39a may control the multiple conveyance roller pairs 21 and the discharge roller pairs 22 (discharge drive unit 23) of the intermediate conveyance device 20.

[0046] The storage unit 39b has, for example, a memory such as a ROM, which is a read-only semiconductor memory in which predetermined control programs are pre-recorded, and a RAM, which is a semiconductor memory that can be written and read at any time and is used as a working memory area as needed when the processor executes various control programs.

[0047] The interface unit 39c exchanges various information with the printing device 10, the intermediate conveyance device 20, and other devices.

[0048] The operation panel 39d functions as an example of an input unit and a display unit of the medium ejection device 30, and acquires input information from the user and presents various information to the user. For example, the operation panel 39d accepts a user setting as to whether or not the alignment members 32 and 33 are to be rotated.

[0049] Here, the rotation control of the aligning members 32 and 33 by the control unit 39a will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, the length in the discharge direction E from the discharge sensor S1 to the end fence 34 is defined as L1, and the length in the discharge direction E from the position where the alignment members 32, 33 contact the media M at contact position P1, indicated by the two-dot chain line, to the end fence 34 is defined as L2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the alignment members 32, 33 may rotate to contact the media M after a time has elapsed that is calculated by dividing the distance (length L1 - length L2) by the discharge speed of the media M after the media M is detected by the discharge sensor S1. Therefore, the control unit 39a controls the rotation (rotation angle and rotation speed) of the alignment members 32, 33 by controlling the drive of the rotation drive unit 37 based on the rotation angle of the alignment members 32, 33 detected by the rotation detection sensor S2 shown in FIG.

[0051] When the alignment members 32, 33 rotate, if the speed of the alignment members 32, 33 in the discharge direction E during rotation is slower than the discharge speed of the medium M, the momentum of the medium M can be weakened upon contact, and the impact of the medium M colliding with the loading table 31 can be softened. Furthermore, by softening the impact of the medium M colliding with the loading table 31 in this way, it is possible to prevent the medium M from bouncing off the loading table 31 and leaning against the discharge roller pair 22 side (the intermediate conveyance device 20 side).

[0052] If the alignment members 32, 33 are downward-facing regular triangular pyramids, they can come into contact with the medium M at three ridgelines, and therefore the alignment members 32, 33 may rotate one-third of a turn at the intervals at which one medium M is discharged, or the alignment members 32, 33 may rotate one turn at the intervals at which one medium M is discharged, and come into contact with the medium M at one of the ridgelines. Furthermore, the alignment members 32, 33 may rotate continuously and come into contact with multiple media M in sequence, or may rotate intermittently each time one medium M is discharged.

[0053] Next, the operation of the medium ejection device 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0054] The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is started, for example, by the control unit 39a of the medium ejection device 30 when the printing device 10 starts printing.

[0055] First, the control unit 39a determines whether the user setting for whether or not the rotational operation of the alignment members 32, 33 is required is OFF (no) (step ST1).

[0056] If the user setting is ON (required) (step ST1: NO), the control unit 39a determines whether the user setting is AUTO (step ST2). This AUTO setting is a setting for automatically determining whether or not the aligning members 32, 33 need to rotate based on, for example, the type of medium M, such as the basis weight, thickness, and material of the medium M, discharge conditions, such as the discharge speed, and environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity. Note that the example of the flowchart in FIG. 8 will describe an example in which the AUTO setting automatically determines whether or not the aligning members 32, 33 need to rotate based on the basis weight of the medium M.

[0057] If the user setting is AUTO (step ST2: YES), the control unit 39a determines whether the basis weight of the medium M is equal to or greater than a standard (step ST3). The control unit 39a may obtain information about the basis weight of the medium M from information about the type of medium M, such as cardboard, set on an operation panel (not shown) of the printing device 10 or on an operation panel 39d of the medium discharge device 30. Here, for a medium M with a large basis weight, i.e., a stiff medium M, the medium M is less likely to lean toward the discharge roller pair 22 (intermediate conveyance device 20). Therefore, in the AUTO setting, side correction (rotation of the alignment members 32, 33), which will be described later, is omitted for a medium M with a large basis weight.

[0058] If the above-mentioned user setting is OFF (step ST1: YES), and if the basis weight of the medium M is equal to or greater than the standard (step ST3: YES), the control unit 39a decides not to perform side correction by rotating the alignment members 32, 33 (no side correction) (step ST4), and the processing shown in Figure 8 ends.

[0059] If the above-mentioned user setting is not AUTO (step ST2: NO), and if the basis weight of the medium M is not above the standard (step ST3: NO), the control unit 39a decides to perform side correction by rotating the alignment members 32, 33 (perform side correction) (step ST5).

[0060] Next, when the control unit 39a detects the leading edge of the medium M using the discharge sensor S1 (step ST6), it calculates the time it takes for the medium M to reach the discharge speed by the distance L1 (the length in the discharge direction E from the discharge sensor S1 to the end fence 34) minus the length L2 (the length in the discharge direction E from the position where the alignment members 32, 33 contact the medium M to the end fence 34) shown in Figure 5 above (step ST7).

[0061] Furthermore, based on the rotation angle of the alignment members 32, 33 detected by the rotation detection sensor S2, the control unit 39a calculates the rotation speed at which the alignment members 32, 33 are rotated so as to come into contact with the medium M (step ST8). Then, the control unit 39a rotates the alignment members 32, 33 at the calculated rotation speed, the trailing end of the medium M is detected by the discharge sensor S1, and after the medium M has passed through the pair of discharge rollers 22, the nip (holding) of the medium M by the alignment members 32, 33 is released (step ST9).

[0062] If printing continues and the medium M is discharged (step ST10: YES), the control unit 39a repeats the process from step ST6. If printing does not continue and the medium M is not discharged (step ST10: NO), the control unit 39a ends the process shown in FIG.

[0063] 8, whether or not to perform side correction is determined based on user settings, but the user setting may be omitted and side correction may always be performed, in which case steps ST1 to ST5 are omitted.

[0064] Furthermore, with regard to the processing of steps ST7 to ST9 described above, if the medium M is discharged at a constant discharge speed and at constant discharge intervals, the rotation speed of the alignment members 32, 33 can be determined once and can be omitted for the second and subsequent sheets of medium M discharged.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above description, an example has been described in which the rotation center axes C of the alignment members 32, 33 extend in the vertical direction, which is the stacking direction of the media M, but the rotation center axes C of the alignment members 32, 33 may be in a direction that intersects the width direction W (a direction different from the width direction W). For example, the alignment members 32, 33 and the rotation center axes C may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that they approach each other in the width direction W as they approach the top and move farther away from each other in the width direction W as they approach the bottom. In this case, contact between the alignment members 32, 33 and the media M stacked on the stacking table 31 can be avoided, so the alignment members 32, 33 can also be in a polygonal prism or other shape instead of a pyramid.

[0066] In the above description, an example has been described in which the alignment members 32, 33 are disposed downstream of the side fences 35, 36 in the discharge direction E and upstream of the end fence 34 in the discharge direction E. However, when the alignment members 32, 33 are disposed, the side fences 35, 36 may be omitted. Here, when the medium M is discharged, the trailing edge side is nipped by the pair of discharge rollers 22, while the leading edge side is free. Therefore, when the side fences 35, 36 are omitted, it is preferable that the alignment members 32, 33 contact the leading edge side of the medium M rather than the center in the discharge direction E.

[0067] In the above description, a pair of alignment members 32, 33 are arranged. However, one side fence 35 of the pair of side fences 35, 36 may be omitted, and only one alignment member 32 may be arranged to face the other side fence 36 in the width direction W at the position of the omitted side fence 35. In this way, only one alignment member 32, 33 may be arranged.

[0068] In the above description, the pair of alignment members 32, 33 are positioned so that they move farther apart in the width direction W as they go downward from the central axis of rotation C. However, as long as the alignment members 32, 33 are positioned only above the height of the stacking surface of the media M (the height detected by the upper surface detection sensor S3), the alignment members 32, 33 may be polygonal pillar members extending vertically.

[0069] In the present embodiment described above, medium discharge device 30 includes loading table 31 on which medium M is loaded, and alignment members 32 and 33. Alignment members 32 and 33 rotate about a central rotation axis C that extends in a direction intersecting the width direction W of medium M, and, depending on the angle of rotation, assume a contact position P1 at which they come into contact with the end in the width direction W of medium M discharged onto loading table 31 in discharge direction E, and a separated position P2 that is separated in the width direction W from medium M.

[0070] In this way, by having the alignment members 32 and 33 contact the medium M at the contact position P1, even if a particularly stiff medium M is discharged forcefully from the discharge roller pair 22, the force of the medium M can be weakened, preventing the medium M from leaning against the discharge roller pair 22 after colliding with the end fence 34 and bouncing back. Furthermore, by having the alignment members 32 and 33 take the contact position P1 where they contact the medium M and the separated position P2 separated from the medium M in the width direction W depending on the rotation angle, the alignment members 32 and 33 can transition between the contact position P1 and the separated position P2 with high-speed operation by rotating in a single direction without requiring reverse rotation, compared to an embodiment in which the alignment members 32 and 33 contact the medium M while reciprocating in the width direction W of the medium M. Therefore, according to this embodiment, leaning can be prevented even when the medium M is discharged at high speed. Furthermore, by bringing the alignment members 32 and 33 into contact with the medium M, the position of the medium M after it leaves the pair of discharge rollers 22 can be stabilized, and the medium M can be loaded at an appropriate position on the loading table 31.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, the medium discharge device 30 further includes an end fence 34 that contacts the leading edge of the medium M discharged onto the loading platform 31, and a pair of side fences 35, 36 that regulate the loading position of the medium M in the width direction W on the loading platform 31, and the alignment members 32, 33 are positioned downstream of the side fences 35, 36 in the discharge direction E and upstream of the end fence 34 in the discharge direction E.

[0072] Incidentally, when the medium M is discharged, the rear end side of the medium M is nipped by the pair of discharge rollers 22, while the leading end side of the medium M is free, which makes it easy for the posture of the medium M to become distorted. Therefore, by having the alignment members 32 and 33 come into contact with the medium M downstream of the side fences 35 and 36 in the discharge direction E, it is possible to prevent the posture of the medium M from becoming distorted.

[0073] In addition, in this embodiment, the medium discharge device 30 is provided with a pair of alignment members 32, 33 located on one side and the other side of the medium M in the width direction W, and the pair of alignment members 32, 33 are positioned so that they become farther apart from each other in the width direction W as they go below the rotation center axis C.

[0074] This allows the alignment members 32, 33 to release their grip on the media M as the media M falls, appropriately weakening the momentum of the media M. Furthermore, even in a configuration in which the lower ends of the alignment members 32, 33 extend below the height of the stacking surface of the media M stacked on the stacking table 31 (the height of the top surface of the uppermost medium M detected by the top surface detection sensor S3) and the alignment members 32, 33 regulate the stacking position of the media M in the width direction W, it is possible to prevent the alignment members 32, 33 from coming into contact with the media M stacked on the stacking table 31 when rotating.

[0075] In this embodiment, the alignment members 32 and 33 are cones.

[0076] As a result, even with a simple configuration in which the rotation axis C of the alignment members 32, 33 is in the vertical direction, the alignment members 32, 33 can be arranged so that they are spaced farther apart from each other as they go below the rotation axis C.

[0077] In addition, in this embodiment, the medium ejection device 30 further includes a rotation detection sensor S2 that detects the rotation angle of the alignment members 32, 33, and a control unit 39a that controls the rotation of the alignment members 32, 33 based on the rotation angle detected by this rotation detection sensor S2.

[0078] This makes it possible to appropriately control the operation of the alignment members 32, 33, for example, by rotating the alignment members 32, 33 to a position close to the medium M after the leading edge of the medium M reaches a position where it contacts the alignment members 32, 33. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occurrence of leaning.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the spirit of the invention in the implementation stage. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, all of the components shown in the embodiments may be appropriately combined. Naturally, various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The following appendix describes the inventions described in the claims and some of the inventions described in the specification as originally filed.

[0080] [Appendix 1] a loading platform on which the media is loaded; an alignment member that rotates about a rotation center axis that extends in a direction intersecting the width direction of the medium, and that, depending on the rotation angle, takes a contact position where it contacts an edge in the width direction of the medium discharged onto the stacking table in the discharge direction, and a spaced position that is spaced apart from the medium in the width direction; A medium ejection device comprising:

[0081] [Appendix 2] an end fence that contacts the leading edge of the medium discharged onto the stacking table; a pair of side fences that regulate the loading position of the media on the loading table in the width direction, The aligning member is disposed downstream of the side fence in the discharge direction and upstream of the end fence in the discharge direction. 2. A medium ejection device according to claim 1.

[0082] [Appendix 3] a pair of alignment members positioned on one side and the other side of the medium in the width direction; The pair of alignment members are positioned so as to become farther apart from each other in the width direction as they go downward from the rotation center shaft. 3. A medium ejection device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0083] [Appendix 4] The alignment member is a cone. 4. A medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0084] [Appendix 5] a rotation detection sensor that detects the rotation angle of the alignment member; a control unit that controls the rotation of the alignment member based on the rotation angle detected by the rotation detection sensor; 5. The medium ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1 Printing System 10 Printing device 11 Media supply section 12 Feed roller 13 Conveyor roller pair 14. Suction conveying section 15 print head 16,17 Transfer path switching section 18 Loading platform 19a Control section 19b Storage section 19c Interface section 20 Intermediate conveying device 21 conveying roller pair 22 Discharge roller pair 23 Discharge drive unit 30 Media ejection device 31 Loading platform 32,33 Alignment member 32a,33a Holding part 32b Detected part 34 End Fence 35,36 Side fence 37 Rotation drive unit 38 Loading platform lifting section 39a Control section 39b Storage section 39c Interface section 39d Operation panel 100 carts C Rotational axis E Ejection direction M medium P1 contact position P2 remote position R1 Straight transport route R2 Circulation transport route R3 Reverse transport path R4 Excretion Pathway R5 Reverse transport path S1 Emission Sensor S2 rotation detection sensor S3 top surface detection sensor W width direction

Claims

1. a loading platform on which the media is loaded; an alignment member that rotates about a rotation center axis that extends in a direction intersecting the width direction of the medium, and that, depending on the rotation angle, takes a contact position where it contacts an edge in the width direction of the medium discharged onto the stacking table in the discharge direction, and a spaced position that is spaced apart from the medium in the width direction; A medium ejection device comprising:

2. an end fence that contacts the leading edge of the medium discharged onto the stacking table; a pair of side fences that regulate the stacking position of the media on the stacking table in the width direction; The aligning member is disposed downstream of the side fence in the discharge direction and upstream of the end fence in the discharge direction.

2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1.

3. a pair of alignment members positioned on one side and the other side of the medium in the width direction; The pair of alignment members are positioned so as to become farther apart from each other in the width direction as they go downward from the rotation center shaft.

2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1.

4. The alignment member is a cone.

2. The medium ejection device according to claim 1.

5. a rotation detection sensor that detects the rotation angle of the alignment member; a control unit that controls the rotation of the alignment member based on the rotation angle detected by the rotation detection sensor; The medium ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

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