Media processing equipment, recording system

Abstract

This reduces the risk that the media will not be properly guided to the discharge roller pair. [Solution] A media processing device comprising: a processing unit for processing a medium; a processing tray on which the medium to be processed by the processing unit is placed; a pair of discharge rollers for discharging the medium from the processing tray; a feeding unit capable of feeding the medium to the processing tray and the pair of discharge rollers; and a curvature-applying unit for applying a curve along the width direction to the medium fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit, wherein the pair of discharge rollers has a first roller that contacts a first surface of the medium and a second roller that contacts a second surface of the medium and is displaceable between a first state in which the medium can be nipped between itself and the first roller and a second state in which it is further away from the first roller than in the first state, and the curvature-applying unit takes a curvature-applying state in the second state in which it applies the curve to the medium and takes a retracted state in the first state in which it is further away from the medium than in the curvature-applying state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus and a recording system that perform processing on a medium.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various medium processing apparatuses capable of processing a medium have been used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a medium processing apparatus provided with a processing tray on which a medium to be processed by a processing unit is placed, and a pair of discharge rollers that discharge the medium from the processing tray. The medium processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 is configured to be able to discharge the medium without performing processing on the medium. Specifically, as a second mode, a mode of discharging the medium without placing it on the processing tray while the pair of discharge rollers is nipped is disclosed. Further, the medium processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes a curvature imparting means and is configured to be able to curve the medium with the curvature imparting means to give the medium firmness.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the medium processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the curvature imparting means is intended to suppress the medium fed into the processing tray from curling along the feeding direction and to appropriately feed the medium into the processing tray, and does not assume discharging the medium at the nip position of the pair of discharge rollers. Therefore, by giving firmness to the medium with the curvature imparting means and discharging it in the second mode, there is a risk that the medium will not be properly guided to the pair of discharge rollers because the tip of the medium does not droop.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, the media processing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a processing unit for processing a medium; a processing tray on which the medium to be processed by the processing unit is placed; a pair of discharge rollers for discharging the medium from the processing tray; a feeding unit capable of feeding the medium to the processing tray and the pair of discharge rollers; and a curvature-applying unit for applying a curve along the width direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium to the medium fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit, wherein the pair of discharge rollers has a first roller that contacts a first surface of the medium and a second roller that contacts a second surface of the medium opposite to the first surface, and is displaceable between a first state in which the medium can be nipped between itself and the first roller and a second state in which it is further away from the first roller than in the first state, and the curvature-applying unit takes a curvature-applying state in which it applies the curve to the medium in the second state, and takes a retracted state in which it is further away from the medium than in the curvature-applying state in the first state.

[0006] Furthermore, the recording system of the present invention is characterized by comprising a recording device equipped with a recording unit that records on a medium, and a medium processing device that processes the medium recorded by the recording device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A front view of a recording system comprising a media processing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an internal diagram of the media processing device viewed from the rear, showing the movable unit in a retracted state. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the media processing device as seen from the rear, showing the movable unit in a retracted state. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the middle unit of the media processing device. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing some of the components of the middle unit. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is an internal diagram of the media processing device viewed from the rear, showing the movable unit in the extended position. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the middle unit, representing the state when the movable unit is in the extended position and not pressing the release lever. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view from the rear, showing a part of the middle unit in Figure 4, and represents the state corresponding to the state in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the middle unit, illustrating the state when the movable unit is in the retracted position and pressing the release lever. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view from the rear, showing a part of the middle unit in Figure 4, and represents the state corresponding to the state in Figure 9. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view from the rear, showing a part of the middle unit in Figure 4, and represents the state when the movable unit is pressing the release lever even more than in the state shown in Figure 10. [Figure 12] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration around the curvature imparting means of the media processing device, viewed from the front. [Figure 13] A schematic diagram showing the surrounding configuration of the curvature imparting means of the media processing device in Figure 1, viewed from the side. [Figure 14] A schematic diagram showing the surrounding configuration of the curvature imparting means of the media processing device in Figure 1, viewed from an oblique angle above. [Figure 15] A perspective view showing the middle unit of the media processing device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 16] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing some of the components of the middle unit. [Figure 17] Figure 15 is an internal configuration diagram viewed from the rear, showing a part of the middle unit, and represents the state when the movable unit is in the extended position and not pressing the release lever. [Figure 18] This is a cross-sectional view from the rear, showing a part of the middle unit as shown in Figure 15, and represents the state corresponding to the state shown in Figure 17. [Figure 19] Figure 15 is an internal configuration diagram viewed from the rear, showing a part of the middle unit, illustrating the state when the movable unit is in the retracted position and pressing the release lever. [Figure 20] A cross-sectional view seen from the back side showing a part of the middle unit of FIG. 15, representing a state corresponding to the state of FIG. 19. [Figure 21] An internal configuration diagram seen from the back side showing a part of the middle unit of FIG. 15, representing a state when the movable unit presses the release lever more than the state of FIG. 19. [Figure 22] A cross-sectional view seen from the back side showing a part of the middle unit of FIG. 15, corresponding to the state of FIG. 21 and representing a state when the movable unit presses the release lever more than the state of FIG. 20. [Figure 23] A perspective cross-sectional view showing a part of the constituent members of the middle unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 24] A perspective view showing a part of the middle unit of the medium processing apparatus according to Example 3 of the present invention. [Figure 25] A cross-sectional view seen from the back side showing the middle unit of FIG. 24, representing a state when the movable unit is in the extended state and the movable unit does not press the release lever. [Figure 26] A cross-sectional view seen from the back side showing the middle unit of FIG. 24, representing a state when the movable unit is in the retracted state and the movable unit presses the release lever.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, the present invention will be schematically described. The media processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a processing unit that performs processing on a media, a processing tray on which the media to be processed by the processing unit is placed, a pair of discharge rollers that discharges the media from the processing tray, a feeding unit capable of feeding the media to the processing tray and the pair of discharge rollers, and a curvature imparting unit that imparts a curvature along a width direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the media to the media fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit. The pair of discharge rollers includes a first roller that abuts on a first surface of the media, and a roller that abuts on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the media, and a second roller that is displaceable between a first state in which the media can be nipped between the first roller and a second state in which the second roller is separated from the first roller. The curvature imparting unit takes a curvature imparting state in which the curvature is imparted to the media in the second state, and takes a retracted state in which the curvature imparting unit retreats from the media more than in the curvature imparting state in the first state.

[0009] According to this aspect, in the first state, the curvature imparting unit retreats. Therefore, when the media is directly fed into the pair of discharge rollers by the feeding unit without passing through the processing tray, the stiffness of the media becomes weak, and the media is likely to be guided to the pair of discharge rollers following the surrounding members. Therefore, the media can be appropriately guided to the pair of discharge rollers, and conveyance failures such as jams can be suppressed. On the other hand, in the second state, the curvature imparting unit imparts a curvature. Therefore, the stiffness of the media becomes strong, and the media can be more reliably fed onto the processing tray by the feeding unit. That is, the possibility that the media is not appropriately guided to the pair of discharge rollers can be reduced.

[0010] The media processing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention is an aspect that depends on the first aspect, and is characterized by including an interlocking unit that interlocks the displacement of the second roller between the first state and the second state and the displacement of the curvature imparting unit between the retracted state and the curvature imparting state.

[0011] According to this embodiment, the system includes an interlocking mechanism that links the displacement of the second roller in the first and second states with the displacement of the curvature-applying section in the retracted state and the curvature-applying state. In other words, by switching the state of the discharge roller pair and the state of the curvature-applying section using a mechanical configuration, separate drive sources and complex control for the displacement of the second roller and the curvature-applying section become unnecessary.

[0012] A media processing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on the second aspect, the interlocking part comprises a biasing part that biases the curvature-applying part to assume the retracted state, a first displacement part that displaces the curvature-applying part against the biasing force of the biasing part to assume the curvature-applying state, and a second displacement part that displaces the second roller to the first state and the second state, wherein the first displacement part displaces the curvature-applying part as the second displacement part is displaced.

[0013] According to this embodiment, the device has a first displacement part that displaces the curvature-applying part and a second displacement part that displaces the second roller, and the first displacement part displaces the curvature-applying part when the second displacement part is displaced. In other words, by displacing the first displacement part when the second displacement part that displaces the second roller is displaced, the displacement of the discharge roller pair and the curvature-applying part can be easily linked.

[0014] A media processing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on the third aspect, is characterized in that the curvature-imparting portion has a contact portion that can contact the medium by swinging and a support shaft that swingably supports the contact portion, and the first displacement portion rotates the support shaft.

[0015] According to this embodiment, the curvature-imparting part has a contact part that can contact the medium by swinging, and a support shaft that supports the contact part so that it can swing. The first displacement part rotates the support shaft. That is, the contact part can be displaced by rotating the support shaft, and the configuration for displacing the contact part can be made simple.

[0016] A media processing apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in an embodiment dependent on the third or fourth aspect, is characterized in that the feeding section is a rotating body provided in the second displacement section, the second displacement section is rotatable about a rotation center of the rotating body, the rotation center is located between the first displacement section and the discharge roller pair in the conveying direction, and the curvature-applying section has a contact section that swings about a swing center, which swings about a swing center, and the swing center is located between the first displacement section and the contact section in the conveying direction.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the feeding section is a rotating body provided in the second displacement section, and the second displacement section is rotatable around the rotation center of the rotating body. Therefore, by aligning the rotation center of the second displacement section with the rotation center of the rotating body, the device can be miniaturized. Furthermore, if the rotation center is located between the first displacement section and the discharge roller pair, and the oscillation center is located between the first displacement section and the contact section, the rotation direction of the second displacement section when the nip of the discharge roller pair is released will be the same as the rotation direction of the first displacement section when the contact section contacts the medium. Therefore, by configuring the device so that the curvature-applying section is displaced by the displacement of the second displacement section, a mechanism to reverse the rotation direction becomes unnecessary, and the device configuration can be simplified.

[0018] A media processing apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an embodiment dependent on any one of the third to fifth aspects, the curvature-imparting portion has a contact portion that can contact the medium by oscillating, and a pressing portion that presses the contact portion toward the medium.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the curvature-imparting portion has a contact portion that can contact the medium by swinging, and a pressing portion that presses the contact portion toward the medium. With this configuration, for example, with a medium that is stiff, the contact portion can be separated from the medium by the reaction force of the medium or the contact force toward the medium can be weakened, thereby suppressing the transport load.

[0020] A media processing apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an aspect dependent on the sixth aspect, the biasing force of the biasing portion is greater than the pressing force of the pressing portion.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the biasing force of the biasing portion is greater than the pressing force of the pressing portion. Therefore, in the second state, the curvature-granting portion can be retracted more effectively.

[0022] The media processing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an aspect dependent on the sixth aspect, the moment acting on the bending-granting portion by the biasing force of the biasing portion is greater than the moment acting on the bending-granting portion by the pressing force of the pressing portion.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the moment acting on the bending-granting portion due to the biasing force of the biasing portion is greater than the moment acting on the bending-granting portion due to the pressing force of the pressing portion. Therefore, in the second state, the bending-granting portion can be retracted more effectively.

[0024] A media processing apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in an embodiment dependent on any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, is characterized in that the curvature-granting portion has a support shaft that pivotably supports the contact portion, and the contact portion pivots as the support shaft rotates by engaging with the support shaft.

[0025] According to this embodiment, the curvature-granting portion has a support shaft that pivotably supports the contact portion, and the contact portion pivots as the support shaft rotates by engaging with the support shaft. By configuring the contact portion to pivot as the support shaft rotates in this way, it becomes possible to miniaturize the device.

[0026] A media processing apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on any one of the third to fifth aspects, the curvature-granting portion comprises a contact portion that can contact a medium by swinging, a support shaft that swingably supports the contact portion, and a displacement member that is displaceable between a support position that supports the contact portion from below and a lowering position that lowers the contact portion, wherein the first displacement portion displaces the displacement member.

[0027] According to this embodiment, the vertical movement of the contact portion can be easily realized by switching between a raised state and a lowered state of the contact portion using a displacement member. Furthermore, this configuration makes it possible to suppress the force required when swinging the contact portion.

[0028] A media processing apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on the tenth aspect, is characterized in that the displacement member is slidable between the support position and the lowered position, and slides by engaging with the support shaft and causing the support shaft to rotate.

[0029] According to this embodiment, the displacement member is slidable between a support position and a lowered position, and slides as the support shaft rotates by engaging with the support shaft. By switching between a raised state and a lowered state of the contact portion using such a sliding member, a vertical movement configuration of the contact portion can be easily realized. Furthermore, this configuration makes it possible to suppress the force required to swing the contact portion.

[0030] A media processing apparatus according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an embodiment dependent on the tenth or eleventh aspect, the first displacement unit displaces the displacement member via a gear train.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the first displacement unit displaces the displacement member via a gear train. By displacing the displacement member via a gear train in this way, the amount of displacement can be amplified, thereby suppressing the amount of displacement of the second displacement unit required to swing the contact portion.

[0032] A media processing apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an embodiment dependent on any one of the third to twelfth aspects, the first displacement portion has a rotating member at a contact position with the second displacement portion.

[0033] According to this embodiment, the first displacement part has a rotating member at the contact position with the second displacement part. With this configuration, the sliding load between the first displacement part and the second displacement part can be suppressed, and the force required for the displacement of the first and second displacement parts can be suppressed.

[0034] A media processing apparatus according to the 14th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an embodiment dependent on any one of the first to 13 aspects, no conveying means for conveying the medium in the conveying direction is provided between the feeding unit and the discharge roller pair in the conveying direction.

[0035] In this embodiment, in the transport direction, no transport means is provided between the feed unit and the discharge roller pair to transport the medium in the transport direction. In this configuration, even without a transport means between the feed unit and the discharge roller pair, the risk of the medium not being properly guided to the discharge roller pair can be reduced.

[0036] A media processing apparatus according to a 15th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an embodiment dependent on any one of the first to 14th aspects, the first surface is a surface that is placed on the processing tray.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first surface is the surface that is placed on the processing tray. This configuration simplifies the device configuration.

[0038] A media processing apparatus according to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, includes a control unit for controlling the state switching of the second roller, wherein the control unit is switchable between a first mode in which the second roller is in the second state and the media is fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit and placed thereon, and the second roller is switched from the second state to the first state and the media placed on the processing tray is discharged by the discharge roller pair, and a second mode in which the first state of the second roller is maintained and the media is discharged by the feeding unit and the discharge roller pair without being placed on the processing tray.

[0039] According to this embodiment, a first mode in which the medium is placed on the processing tray and then discharged, and a second mode in which the medium is discharged without placing the medium on the processing tray can be performed. This improves usability. In particular, in the second mode, since there is no displacement of the second roller, the generation of noise associated with the displacement of the second roller can be suppressed, making it possible to operate quietly.

[0040] A media processing apparatus according to the 17th aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in an aspect dependent on any one of the first to 16th aspects, the curvature-applying unit is configured to be able to take an intermediate state between the retracted state and the curvature-applying state in addition to the curvature-applying state in the second state.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the curvature-granting unit is configured to be able to take an intermediate state between the retracted state and the curvature-granting state in the second state, in addition to the curvature-granting state. With this configuration, when processing is required, and the need for curvature is low, such as with a stiff medium, the intermediate position can be used to reduce the transport load on the curvature-granting unit while still allowing the material to be fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit.

[0042] A media processing apparatus according to an 18th aspect of the present invention, in an aspect dependent on the first aspect, comprises a displacement unit that displaces the second roller to a first state and a second state and displaces the curvature-applying unit to a retracted state and a curvature-applying state, and a control unit that controls the displacement unit, wherein the control unit controls the displacement unit such that when the second roller is in the first state, the curvature-applying unit is in the retracted state, and when the second roller is in the second state, the curvature-applying unit is in the curvature-applying state.

[0043] According to this embodiment, the state of the discharge roller pair and the state of the curvature-imparting section can be switched by control by the control unit. This configuration simplifies the device configuration.

[0044] A recording system according to the 19th aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a recording device equipped with a recording unit for recording on a medium; and a medium processing device according to any of the first to 18 aspects for processing the medium recorded by the recording device.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the recording system can obtain any of the effects of the first to eighteen embodiments described above.

[0046] [Example 1] The present invention will be described in detail below. Below, an example of the media processing apparatus 100A of Example 1, which is an example of the media processing apparatus 100 of the present invention, and an example of a recording system 1 consisting of the media processing apparatus 100A and a recording device 10 will be described. In each figure, the X-axis direction is the depth direction of the media processing apparatus 100 and the recording system 1. 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 X-axis direction is also an example of the media width direction. The Y-axis direction is the width direction of the media processing apparatus 100 and the recording system 1, and of the Y-axis directions, the +Y direction is to the left as viewed from the user facing the front of the device, and the -Y direction is to the right. The Z-axis direction is the height direction of the media processing apparatus 100 and the recording system 1, and is a vertical direction, with the +Z direction being vertically upward and the -Z direction being vertically downward. In the following description, the +Z direction may be simply referred to as upward, and the -Z direction as simply downward.

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the recording system 1 of this embodiment comprises a recording device 10 and a media processing device 100A. The recording device 10 according to this embodiment is an inkjet printer that performs recording by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium P, such as recording paper as shown in Figures 12 and 13, and is equipped with a line head 18, which is an example of a recording unit. The recording device 10 is a so-called multifunction device equipped with a scanner unit 12 on the top of the device. However, the recording device 10 is not limited to an inkjet printer, and may be a device that performs recording by other methods, such as a laser printer, thermal transfer printer, or dot matrix printer.

[0048] The recording device 10 comprises a main body 14, a media storage section 16 for housing the media P, a media transport section (not shown) for transporting the media P, a line head 18 for recording on the media P, an internal discharge section 22 for discharging the media P, a relay unit 24 for transporting the media P to the media processing device 100A, and a control unit 20 for controlling the recording device 10 and the media processing device 100A. Inside the main body 14, a transport path TA is provided through which the media P is transported.

[0049] An operation unit 11 for performing various operations is provided at the top of the main unit 14. The control unit 20 performs various controls based on various setting information set via the operation unit 11 and execution commands instructed via the operation unit 11. The operation unit 11 can be composed of, for example, a touch panel and various buttons. However, it goes without saying that the control unit 20 can accept various settings and execution commands based on information transmitted from an external computer (not shown) that can access the recording system 1. The control unit 20 is equipped with a CPU, RAM, non-volatile memory, etc. (not shown), and the program that realizes the various controls described below and the various parameters necessary for the execution of the program are stored in the non-volatile memory. In this embodiment of the recording system 1, the control unit 20 is provided in the recording device 10, and the media processing device 100A is also provided with a control unit 200 with the same configuration as the control unit 20. However, the control unit may be provided only in the recording device 10 or only in the media processing device 100A.

[0050] The line head 18 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles (not shown) arranged to cover the entire X-axis area of ​​the medium P. The line head 18 records on the medium P by ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank (not shown) from the plurality of ink ejection nozzles toward the medium P.

[0051] The medium P recorded by the recording device 10 is sent to the medium processing device 100A via the relay unit 24. The medium processing device 100A comprises a main unit 132, a processing tray 142 located inside the main unit 132, a stapler 134 which is an example of a processing unit, and a main tray 133 located outside the main unit 132. The medium P, transferred from the relay unit 24 to the main unit 132, is transported along the transport path TB inside the main unit 132 and sent to the processing tray 142.

[0052] The configuration of the media processing device 100A will be further explained below with reference to Figures 2 to 14. Figure 2 shows a rear view of the area around the processing tray 142, which is an example of the processing unit of the media processing device 100A. The media processing device 100A is composed of three units: a movable unit 143 as an upper unit, a middle unit 150, and a lower unit 173. The media P is transported from the right in Figure 2, as indicated by arrow A1, between the movable unit 143 and the middle unit 150, and then handed over to the lower unit 173. The media P on the lower unit 173 is returned to the lower right in Figure 2, as indicated by arrow A2, and aligned on the processing tray 142, which is the alignment unit. On the processing tray 142, which is the alignment unit, the media P is aligned in the direction of arrow A2 and the X-axis direction.

[0053] Next, the medium P to be transported is similarly sent in the direction of arrow A1, transported between the movable unit 143 and the middle unit 150, and handed over to the lower unit 173. The medium P on the lower unit 173 is returned in the direction of the lower right in Figure 2, as shown by arrow A2, and aligned on the processing tray 142 before being stapled by the stapler 134. Once a predetermined number of medium P have been aligned on the lower unit 173, processing by the stapler 134 is performed. When processing by the stapler 134 is complete, the bundle of medium P is discharged in the direction of the upper left in Figure 2, as shown by arrow A3, and stacked on the main tray 133, which is not shown in Figure 2.

[0054] Here, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the area around the processing tray 142. The movable unit 143 is equipped with a loading roller 146, which is configured to swing around its axis 146a as the pivot point. As shown in Figure 13, a roller 147 is provided opposite the loading roller 146, forming a roller pair with the loading roller 146. The movable unit 143 is also equipped with a bundle discharge driven roller 172. When the movable unit 143 rotates in the direction of arrow D1, it changes from the state shown in Figure 2 to the state shown in Figure 6, and contacts the bundle discharge drive roller 171 provided on the lower unit 173, forming a "closed" nip state for the discharge roller pair 170. Conversely, when the movable unit 143 rotates from the state shown in Figure 6 in the direction of arrow D2, it returns to the state shown in Figure 2, that is, the bundle discharge driven roller 172 separates from the bundle discharge drive roller 171 provided on the lower unit 173, forming an "open" nip state for the discharge roller pair 170.

[0055] The middle unit 150 is equipped with a corrugation roller 151, and as shown in Figure 3, when viewed from the X-axis direction, the corrugation roller 151 overlaps with the input roller 146, giving the medium P cocking (curving) along the X-axis direction and making the medium P rigid. During the alignment operation of the medium P, the movable unit 143 puts the discharge roller pair 170 in a nip-open state, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. As a result, the medium P sent out from the input roller 146 can travel through the air and proceed in the direction of arrow A1 without buckling until the rear end of the medium P passes through the input roller 146. In other words, the medium P sent out from the input roller 146 is handed over to the lower unit 173 without sagging due to the rigidity of the medium P given by the corrugation roller 151.

[0056] On the other hand, when media P alignment is not required, the media processing device 100A can transport the media P with the discharge roller pair 170 in a "closed" nip state. By transporting the media P in this manner, the operating noise associated with the opening and closing of the nip of the discharge roller pair 170 is eliminated, thus making the device quieter. However, in the case of a configuration with a corrugation roller 151 as in this embodiment, if the media P is stiff and the movable unit 143 corresponding to the "closed" nip state of the discharge roller pair 170 is lowered, the tip of the media P is likely to hit the lower surface of the movable unit 143, which may cause a jam. Therefore, in the media processing device 100A of this embodiment, when the nip of the discharge roller pair 170 is in an "open" state, the corrugation roller 151 is used to stiffen the media P as in the conventional method, and when the nip of the discharge roller pair 170 is in a "closed" state, the corrugation roller 151 is retracted. In this way, the stiffness of the medium P is not increased, so even if the medium P comes into contact with the movable unit 143, the medium P can move smoothly along its transport path.

[0057] As described above, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment includes a stapler 134 as a processing unit for processing the media P, a processing tray 142 on which the media P to be processed by the stapler 134 is placed, and a pair of discharge rollers 170 for discharging the media P from the processing tray 142. Furthermore, it includes a feed roller 146 as a feeding unit that can feed the media P to the processing tray 142 and the pair of discharge rollers 170, and a corrugation roller 151 as a curvature-applying unit that imparts a curve to the media P fed into the processing tray 142 by the feed roller 146 along the width direction intersecting the transport direction of the media P.

[0058] The discharge roller pair 170 includes a bundle discharge drive roller 171 as a first roller that contacts the lower surface, which is the first surface of the medium P, and a bundle discharge driven roller 172 as a second roller that contacts the upper surface, which is the second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium P. Here, the bundle discharge driven roller 172 can be described as being displaceable between a first state in which it can nip the medium P with the bundle discharge drive roller 171, and a second state in which it is further away from the bundle discharge drive roller 171 than in the first state. The corrugation roller 151 is configured to take a curved state in the second state in which it imparts a curve to the medium P, and to take a retracted state in the first state in which it is further away from the medium P than in the curved state. The upper surface of the medium P may be referred to as the first surface and the lower surface as the second surface.

[0059] Thus, in the first state, the corrugation roller 151 of the media processing device 100A of this embodiment is retracted. Therefore, when the media P is fed directly to the discharge roller pair 170 by the input roller 146 without going through the processing tray 142, the stiffness of the media P is reduced, and the media P is more easily guided to the discharge roller pair 170 by following the surrounding material. As a result, the media P is properly guided to the discharge roller pair 170, and conveying defects such as jams can be suppressed. On the other hand, in the second state, the corrugation roller 151 of the media processing device 100A of this embodiment is curved. Therefore, the stiffness of the media P is increased, and the media P can be more reliably fed onto the processing tray 142 by the input roller 146. In other words, the risk of the media P not being properly guided to the discharge roller pair 170 can be reduced.

[0060] Furthermore, "retreating from the curved state" means that the corrugation roller 151 may retract until it is completely separated from the medium P, but it is also acceptable for the corrugation roller 151 not to be completely separated from the medium P as long as it is retracted from the curved state. In addition, regarding jams caused by contact with the guide surface of the movable unit 143, in the second state the space between the discharge roller pair 170 is larger than in the first state, so even if the stiffness of the medium P is increased compared to the first state, the possibility of conveying problems such as jams is low.

[0061] To explain the above from the perspective of the recording system 1, the recording system 1 of this embodiment comprises a recording device 10 equipped with a line head 18 as a recording unit for recording on a medium P, and the above-mentioned medium processing device 100A for processing the medium P recorded by the recording device 10. With this configuration, the effects of using the above-mentioned medium processing device 100A can be obtained in the recording system 1.

[0062] In this embodiment, the extension and retraction of the corrugation roller 151 are performed using the rotation of the movable unit 143. Therefore, a dedicated drive motor or solenoid is not required, and control programs and sensors are also unnecessary. However, the configuration is not limited to mechanically linking the extension and retraction of the corrugation roller 151 as in this embodiment; it may also be linked by control by the control unit 200, as will be described later.

[0063] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the corrugation roller 151 and the bundle discharge drive roller 171 are positioned to overlap when viewed horizontally. In Figure 3, it can be seen that the range S2 of the corrugation roller 151 is located within the range S1 of the bundle discharge drive roller 171. Also, as shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the position H1 of the nip point of the discharge roller pair 170 is located vertically higher than the position H2 of the nip point of the input roller pair. If the medium P is not given sufficient rigidity when loading it onto the processing tray 142, jamming may occur due to the bundle discharge drive roller 171. In particular, if the bundle discharge drive roller 171 is not driven when loading the medium P onto the processing tray 142, if the medium P is not given sufficient rigidity, the bundle discharge drive roller 171 will not be able to provide transport force to the medium P, which may make jamming more likely. However, in this embodiment, by using this configuration and giving stiffness to the medium P when the discharge roller pair 170 is not nipping, it is possible to suppress the tip of the medium P from coming into contact with the bundle discharge drive roller 171 and thereby suppress the occurrence of jams.

[0064] On the other hand, when the medium P is fed directly to the discharge roller pair 170 by the input roller 146 without going through the processing tray 142, the bundle discharge drive roller 171 is driven, so even if the leading edge of the medium P comes into contact with the bundle discharge drive roller 171, the bundle discharge drive roller 171 can guide the medium P to the nip point. Therefore, when the medium P is fed directly to the discharge roller pair 170 by the input roller 146 without going through the processing tray 142, the medium P is made less rigid when the discharge roller pair 170 is nipping, so that the leading edge comes into contact with the bundle discharge drive roller 171 and is guided to the nip point, thereby suppressing the occurrence of jams.

[0065] The following describes the extension and retraction mechanism (release mechanism) of the corrugation rollers 151. Figure 4 shows the middle unit 150 of the media processing device 100A of this embodiment. The middle unit 150 is equipped with two corrugation rollers 151, which are linked to a release lever 153 that protrudes outside the conveying path of the media P. When the release lever 153 is pushed down, the corrugation rollers 151 are extended. When the release lever 153 is not pushed down, that is, when no force is applied to the corrugation rollers 151 and they are in a free state, the corrugation rollers 151 are retracted and moved into storage.

[0066] Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the release lever 153 and the corrugation roller 151. The corrugation roller 151 is attached to a corrugation roller holder 157, which is rotatably mounted on the release shaft 154 via a release cam 158. Two release cams 158A and 158B are attached to the release shaft 154, with the corrugation roller holder 157A attached to the release cam 158A and the corrugation roller holder 157B attached to the release cam 158B. The hole 157b of the corrugation roller holder 157 is attached to the release shaft 154.

[0067] The corrugated roller holder 157 is biased upward by a compression spring 159 and is positioned by contacting the top surface 155b of the sheet metal part 155. The release shaft 154 has a D-shaped cross-section as shown in Figure 8, and is positioned in the rotational direction in relation to the release lever 153 and the release cam 158. The tip of the release cam 158 is provided with a shaft 158a which engages with the elongated hole 157a of the corrugated roller holder 157. A torsion spring 160 is attached to the release lever 153, and the release lever 153 is biased in the C2 direction in Figure 5 relative to the sheet metal part 155.

[0068] Figure 6 shows the first state in which the medium P can be nipped between the bundle discharge driven roller 172 and the bundle discharge drive roller 171, that is, the state when the alignment operation is completed and the bundle of medium P is discharged. In the silent mode without alignment operation, it is preferable to maintain this state at all times while the medium P is being transported. On the other hand, Figures 2 and 3 show the second state in which the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is further away from the bundle discharge drive roller 171 than in the first state. As shown in Figure 6, the movable unit 143 rotates in the C2 direction with the axis 146a of the loading roller 146 as the pivot point, so that the bundle discharge driven roller 172 comes into contact with the bundle discharge drive roller 171. At this time, the release lever 153 rotates in the C2 direction by the torsion spring 160 in Figure 5, but the release mechanism of the corrugation roller 151 makes contact in the released state. Specifically, the corrugation roller holder 157 is separated from the movable unit 143 by making contact with the tongue portion 155a of the sheet metal part 155.

[0069] The following describes the operation in which the corrugated roller 151 extends upward and pops out as the movable unit 143 rotates in the C1 direction, starting from the state in which the release mechanism of the corrugated roller 151 in Figure 6 is released. Here, Figures 7 and 8 show a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a part of the middle unit 150 in the state shown in Figure 6. A moment M1 acts on the corrugated roller holder 157 in the C1 direction by a compression spring 159, as shown in Figure 7. That is, an upward moment acts on the corrugated roller holder 157 in the C1 direction by the compression spring 159. At the same time, a moment M2 acts on the release lever 153 in the C2 direction by a torsion spring 160. That is, an upward moment acts on the release lever 153 in the C2 direction by the torsion spring 160. Moment M2 acts on the corrugated roller holder 157 as moment M3 via the release shaft 154 and release cam 158. Moment M3 is the overall downward moment acting on the corrugation roller holder 157. In this embodiment, the compression spring 159 and the torsion spring 160 are set so that "moment M1 < moment M3". As a result, as shown in Figure 8, the corrugation roller holder 157 is biased in the C2 direction, and the position is determined when the contact portion 157c contacts the tongue portion 155a of the sheet metal part 155, which acts as the lower contact.

[0070] Figures 9 and 10 show the state in which the corrugation roller 151 is beginning to pop out as the movable unit 143 rotates in the C1 direction from the state shown in Figure 6 and begins to push down the release lever 153. As shown in Figure 9, a moment M4 acts on the tip 153a of the release lever 153 due to the movable unit 143. That is, a downward moment acts on the release lever 153 due to the movable unit 143. Here, moment M3 is the moment that is generated by "moment M2 - moment M4". Therefore, in the state shown in Figure 7, it can also be considered that moment M4 is 0. As the movable unit 143 is pushed down, moment M4 increases so that "moment M1 ≥ moment M3", and the corrugation roller holder 157 begins to rotate in the C1 direction as shown in Figure 10. In other words, when the movable unit 143 rotates in the C1 direction and pushes down the release lever 153, the shaft 158a of the release cam 158 rotates in the C1 direction. At this time, since "moment M1 ≥ moment M3", the corrugation roller holder 157 rotates in the C1 direction. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, the lower surface of the elongated hole 157a of the corrugation roller holder 157 maintains contact with the shaft 158a of the release cam 158.

[0071] Figure 11 shows the state in which the movable unit 143 has rotated further in the C1 direction from the state shown in Figure 10. In the state shown in Figure 11, the corrugation roller holder 157 maintains a state in which the contact portion 157d contacts the top surface 155b of the sheet metal part 155, which is the upper contact, and protrudes by a predetermined amount, and the shaft 158a of the release cam 158 is spaced apart from the lower surface of the elongated hole 157a of the corrugation roller holder 157. In terms of moment balance, moment M1 acts on the upper contact (top surface 155b of the sheet metal part 155), and the release lever 153 is balanced by "moment M2 = moment M4". In other words, by maintaining this state, even if the position of the release lever 153 pressed down by the movable unit 143 varies, the corrugation roller 151 will not protrude too far.

[0072] One advantage of the configuration of this embodiment is that the path load can be kept low. Specifically, in the state shown in Figure 11, when the corrugation roller 151 is pushed down by a force greater than the moment M1, such as the reaction force of the medium P, the compression spring 159 compresses and the corrugation roller 151 can retract. Therefore, even when the corrugation roller 151 becomes a path load, such as when using a medium P that is inherently stiff, such as cardboard, this path load can be kept low.

[0073] As described above, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment switches between the state of the discharge roller pair 170 and the state of the corrugation roller 151, which is the curvature-applying part, by mechanical configuration. In other words, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment is equipped with an interlocking part that links the displacement of the bundle discharge driven roller 172 in the first and second states with the displacement of the corrugation roller 151 in the retracted state and the curvature-applying state. With this configuration, separate drive sources and complex control for the displacement of the bundle discharge driven roller 172 and the corrugation roller 151 are not required.

[0074] The media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment includes, as such an interlocking part, a torsion spring 160 which is a biasing part that biases the corrugation roller 151 to take a retracted state, a release lever 153 which is a first displacement part that displaces the corrugation roller 151 to take a curved state against the biasing force of the torsion spring 160, and a movable unit 143 which is a second displacement part that displaces the bundle discharge driven roller 172 to a first state and a second state. The release lever 153 is configured to be able to displace the curved part when the movable unit 143 is displaced.

[0075] In other words, in this embodiment, the media processing apparatus 100A can displace the release lever 153 by displacing the movable unit 143 that displaces the bundle discharge driven roller 172. This makes it easy to synchronize the displacement of the discharge roller pair 170 and the corrugation roller 151. In this embodiment, the torsion spring 160, which is the biasing part, biases the release lever 153, but the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, it may be configured to bias the release shaft 154.

[0076] In the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the corrugation roller 151 is provided on the corrugation roller holder 157 and acts as a contact part that can contact the media P by swinging. The corrugation roller holder 157 has a release shaft 154 which is a support shaft that swingably supports the corrugation roller 151 as a contact part. The release lever 153 is configured to rotate the release shaft 154.

[0077] With this configuration, the contact portion can be displaced by rotating the support shaft, and the configuration for displacing the contact portion can be made simple. In addition, the curvature-granting portion can also be considered as a configuration that includes not only the corrugation roller 151, but also the corrugation roller holder 157, release cam 158, release shaft 154, etc. Furthermore, as a configuration for rotating the support shaft, the release lever 153 may directly rotate the release shaft 154 which acts as the support shaft, or the release lever 153 may rotate the release shaft 154 via a gear or the like.

[0078] In the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the loading roller 146, which serves as the loading section, is a rotating body provided on the movable unit 143. As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, the movable unit 143 is rotatable around an axis 146a, which is the rotation center of the loading roller 146, and this rotation center is located between the release lever 153 and the discharge roller pair 170 in the media P transport direction. As shown in Figure 2 and other figures, the curvature-imparting section consists of a corrugation roller 151, which acts as a contact section that can contact the media P by swinging, and swings around a swing center (release axis 154). The release axis 154 is located between the release lever 153 and the corrugation roller 151 in the media P transport direction. More specifically, the release axis 154 is located between the tip 153a of the release lever 153 and the corrugation roller 151 in the media P transport direction.

[0079] With this configuration, the rotation center of the movable unit 143 and the rotation center of the loading roller 146 can be aligned, making the device more compact. Furthermore, if the rotation center is located between the release lever 153 and the discharge roller pair 170, and the oscillation center is located between the movable unit 143 and the corrugation roller 151, the rotation direction of the movable unit 143 when the nip of the discharge roller pair 170 is released will be the same as the rotation direction of the release lever 153 when the corrugation roller 151 contacts the medium P. Therefore, when the movable unit 143 is displaced to displace the curvature-applying part, a mechanism to reverse the rotation direction becomes unnecessary, simplifying the device configuration. However, depending on the layout of the device, the mechanism to reverse the rotation direction can be made unnecessary by reversing the biasing direction of the torsion spring 160. For example, in configurations where the release lever 153 is located between the release shaft 154 and the discharge roller pair 170, or where the release lever 153 is located on the movable unit 143, the torsion spring 160 may be biased in the C1 direction.

[0080] Furthermore, as described above, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment is equipped with a compression spring 159. That is, in the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the curvature-imparting section has a corrugation roller 151, which is a contact part that can contact the media P by swinging, and a compression spring 159, which is a pressing part that presses the corrugation roller 151 toward the media P. With this configuration, for example, in the case of a media P with high rigidity, the contact part can be separated from the media P or the contact force toward the media P can be weakened, thereby suppressing the transport load. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which the contact part is pulled down by a sliding member when the contact part is retracted may also be used. As an example of such a sliding member, a mechanism such as a slider, which will be described later, may be used. Furthermore, the corrugation roller holder 157 and the release shaft 154 may be rigidly connected.

[0081] In detail, the curvature-granting section has a release shaft 154 as a support shaft that pivotably supports the corrugation roller 151, which acts as a contact section. The corrugation roller 151 pivots as the release shaft 154 rotates by engaging with the release shaft 154. In other words, the corrugation roller 151 pivots through the engagement of the shaft 158a of the release cam 158 provided on the release shaft 154 with the elongated hole 157a of the corrugation roller holder 157. By configuring the contact section to pivot as the support shaft rotates, the device can be miniaturized. There are no particular limitations on the positioning configuration of the corrugation roller 151 when the curvature-granting section is retracted, and it is not limited to a configuration that forms a contact point as in this embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration is not limited to determining the amount of protrusion of the corrugation roller 151 by restricting the pressing force of the compression spring 159 with the upper contact point (top surface 155b of the sheet metal part 155) rather than determining the amount of protrusion of the corrugation roller 151 with the release lever 153. By allowing some play in the interlocking displacement between the discharge roller pair 170 and the corrugation roller 151, it becomes less likely for malfunctions to occur due to variations in precision.

[0082] In this embodiment, the media processing apparatus 100A is configured such that the moment M2 acting on the corrugation roller 151 due to the biasing force of the torsion spring 160 is greater than the moment M1 acting on the corrugation roller 151 due to the pressing force of the compression spring 159. Therefore, in the second state, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment can more effectively retract the curvature-applying part. Here, the direction of the moments is reversed. Only the relationship of their magnitudes is specified here.

[0083] From another perspective, in the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the biasing force of the torsion spring 160 is configured to be greater than the pressing force of the compression spring 159. Therefore, from this viewpoint as well, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment can more effectively retract the curvature-applying part in the second state. Here, the direction of the force is reversed. Only the relationship of magnitude is specified here.

[0084] In this embodiment, the media processing apparatus 100A does not have a conveying mechanism between the input roller 146 and the discharge roller pair 170 for conveying the media P in the conveying direction. With this configuration, the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment can reduce the risk that the media P will not be properly guided to the discharge roller pair 170, even without a conveying mechanism between the input roller 146 and the discharge roller pair 170.

[0085] Generally, in a configuration where there is no conveying means between the input roller 146 and the discharge roller pair 170, if the discharge roller pair 170 is nipped, the discharge roller pair 170 provides conveying force, which suppresses poor conveying of the medium P on the input roller 146, such as the rear end of the medium P being left behind in the conveying direction. In other words, when the discharge roller pair 170 is nipped, poor conveying is less likely to occur even without giving the medium P a curve. On the other hand, if the discharge roller pair 170 is not nipped, there is no conveying force from anywhere other than the input roller 146, making poor conveying of the medium P more likely. Therefore, when the discharge roller pair 170 is not nipped, it is effective to give the medium P a curve. In this embodiment, the medium processing apparatus 100A does not have a conveying means for conveying the medium P in the conveying direction, but it does have a paddle for conveying the medium P toward the alignment position on the processing tray 142, and a guide member 136 for guiding the medium P toward the processing tray 142.

[0086] Furthermore, in the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the first surface of the media P corresponds to the bottom surface. That is, the first surface of the media P corresponds to the surface that is placed on the processing tray 142. This configuration simplifies the apparatus configuration. In other words, by displacing the movable unit 143 facing the processing tray 142, the apparatus configuration can be simplified compared to a configuration in which the unit facing the bottom surface of the media P is displaced.

[0087] In this embodiment, the media processing device 100A includes a control unit 200. The control unit 200 controls the state switching of the bundle discharge driven roller 172 and can switch between a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is in the second state, the media P is fed into the processing tray 142 by the loading roller 146 and placed on it, and the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is switched from the second state to the first state, and the media P placed on the processing tray 142 is discharged by the discharge roller pair 170. On the other hand, the second mode is a mode in which the first state of the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is maintained, and the media P is discharged by the loading roller 146 and the discharge roller pair 170 without being placed on the processing tray 142.

[0088] Furthermore, the switching between the first mode and the second mode by the control unit 200 may be based on instructions from the control unit 20 of the recording device 10. That is, the user may input instructions regarding the switching between the first mode and the second mode via the operation unit 11 of the recording device 10 or an external computer, and the control unit 20 may instruct the control unit 200 to switch between the first mode and the second mode. However, the control unit 20 may also directly control the state switching of the bundle discharge driven roller 172 and the switching between the first mode and the second mode.

[0089] Thus, the ability to select and execute between a first mode, in which the medium P is placed on the processing tray 142 and then discharged, and a second mode, in which the medium P is discharged without placing it on the processing tray 142, improves usability. In particular, in the second mode, since there is no displacement of the bundle discharge driven roller 172, the generation of noise associated with the displacement of the bundle discharge driven roller 172 can be suppressed, resulting in quieter operation. Furthermore, in the second mode, the alignment of the medium P may also be omitted. In this case, the generation of noise associated with alignment can also be suppressed, leading to even quieter operation.

[0090] The media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment switches between the state of the discharge roller pair 170 and the state of the corrugation roller 151, which is the curvature-applying part, by a mechanical configuration, but is not limited to this. A drive source for displacing the bundle discharge driven roller 172 to a first state and a second state, and a drive source for displacing the corrugation roller 151 to a retracted state and a curvature-applying state may be provided. In this case, these drive sources may be controlled by the control unit 200. That is, the control unit 200 may control these drive sources so that when the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is in the first state, the corrugation roller 151 is in the retracted state. And the control unit 200 may control these drive sources so that when the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is in the second state, the corrugation roller 151 is in the curvature-applying state. From another perspective, the device can be configured to include a displacement unit that displaces the bundle discharge driven roller 172 between a first state and a second state, and displaces the corrugation roller 151, which is made up of a motor (not shown), between a retracted state and a curved state, and a control unit 200 that controls the displacement unit. Here, the control unit 200 controls the displacement unit so that when the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is in the first state, the corrugation roller 151 is in the retracted state, and when the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is in the second state, the corrugation roller 151 is in the curved state. By adopting such a configuration, the device configuration can be simplified.

[0091] Furthermore, as described above, in the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the curvature-applying section can take on three states: a state in which the corrugation roller 151 shown in Figures 7 and 8 is retracted from the media P transport path; a state in which the corrugation roller 151 is slightly advanced toward the media P transport path side; and a state in which the corrugation roller 151 is advanced a great deal toward the media P transport path side; as shown in Figures 9 to 11. In other words, the curvature-applying section can take on the states shown in Figures 7 and 8, the states shown in Figures 9 to 11, and a state in which the amount of advancement of the corrugation roller 151 is smaller than that shown in Figures 9 to 11, depending on the displacement of the movable unit 143. That is, in the media processing apparatus 100A of this embodiment, the corrugation roller 151 can take on an intermediate state between the retracted state and the curvature-applying state in the second state, in addition to the curvature-applying state. In this embodiment, the media processing apparatus 100A, with this configuration, allows for feeding into the processing tray 142 by the loading roller 146 while suppressing the transport load on the corrugation roller 151 when processing is required, and when there is little need to impart curvature to a stiff medium P, by setting it to an intermediate position.

[0092] In this embodiment, the media processing device 100A includes a guide member 136 that assists in feeding the media to the processing tray 142. Furthermore, as shown in the solid and dashed lines of Figure 14, the media processing device 100A of this embodiment is configured to allow the arrangement of the guide member 136 to be changed based on the media width Wd. The arrangement of the guide member 136 based on the media width Wd will now be described with reference to Figures 12 to 14. As shown in Figure 14, the media processing device 100A of this embodiment includes a side cursor 178 that aligns the media P in the media width direction. The side cursor 178 is movable in the media width direction under the control of the control unit 200, and is arranged so that the end of the media P in the media width direction contacts the side cursor 178. In addition, the media processing device 100A of this embodiment includes an elastically deformable sheet material 152 that faces the media P from above and restricts the upward movement of the media P.

[0093] When the corrugation roller 151 enters the medium P with its upward movement restricted by the sheet material 152, the medium P is given a curve along the width direction of the medium. In Figure 6, the symbol Pu indicates the bulging portion that bulges upward as a result of the curvature. The guide member 136 shown in Figure 6 is shown in cross-section and is located in the home position. As shown in Figure 13, when the corrugation roller 151 forms a bulging portion Pu in the medium P, there is a risk that this bulging portion Pu will get caught on the guide member 136 located in the home position, causing a jam.

[0094] In particular, when the media P is fed to the processing tray 142 by the loading roller 146 while the movable unit 143 is in the extended state, for example as shown in Figure 6, the aforementioned jams are more likely to occur. In Figure 12, the guide member 136-1 shown by the solid line corresponds to the arrangement of the guide member 136 in Figure 3, and is the position of the guide member 136 when the movable unit 143 is in the retracted state and the guide member 136 is separated. In Figure 12, the dashed line and reference numeral 136-2 correspond to the position of the guide member 136 when the movable unit 143 switches from the retracted state to the extended state. As shown in Figure 12, when the movable unit 143 switches from the retracted state to the extended state, the upstream end (the end in the +Y direction) of the guide member 136 lowers slightly, making it easier for the tip of the media P to get caught on the guide member 136.

[0095] In this embodiment, the media processing apparatus 100A positions the guide member 136 at the same position as the sheet material 152 in the X-axis direction when the media width Wd of the media P is less than or equal to a predetermined length, and positions the guide member 136 inside the side cursor 178 when the media width Wd of the media P is greater than or equal to a predetermined length. By positioning the guide member 136 at the same position as the sheet material 152, the possibility of jamming caused by the leading edge of the media P contacting the guide member 136 can be suppressed. However, if the side cursor 178 and the guide member 136 are close together, there is a risk that they will interfere with each other and the discharge roller pair 170 will not be able to nip. Therefore, in this embodiment, when using media P of a size that may cause interference between the side cursor 178 and the guide member 136, the media processing apparatus 100A moves the guide member 136 to the end of the media P in the media width direction (inside the side cursor 178). This suppresses the possibility of jamming. Furthermore, even when the media P is discharged directly without going through the processing tray 142, the reason for aligning the side cursor 178 with the end of the media P in the media width direction is to prevent the tip of the media P from getting caught in the guide groove (not shown) for the movement of the side cursor 178, thereby preventing jamming.

[0096] In the configuration of the media processing apparatus 100A in this embodiment, the moment M1 of the compression spring 159 must be strong enough to overcome the stiffness of the normal media P. Furthermore, the moment M2 of the torsion spring 160 must be greater than the moment M1 in the state shown in Figures 7 and 8, which may result in a large moment M4 acting on the movable unit 143, placing a heavy load on the drive unit of the movable unit 143. Therefore, as an embodiment that reduces the load on the drive unit of the movable unit 143, the media processing apparatus 100B of Embodiment 2 will be described next.

[0097] [Example 2] Next, the media processing apparatus 100B of Example 2 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 23. In Figures 15 to 23, components common to Example 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted. Here, the media processing apparatus 100B of this example has the same configuration as the media processing apparatus 100A of Example 1, except for the configuration of the middle unit 150. Therefore, with respect to parts other than those described below, the media processing apparatus 100B of this example has the same characteristics as the media processing apparatus 100A of Example 1.

[0098] Figure 15 shows the middle unit 150 of the media processing device 100B of Embodiment 2. Similar to the media processing device 100A of Embodiment 1, the middle unit 150 of the media processing device 100B of this embodiment is equipped with two corrugation rollers 151, which are linked to a release lever 153 that protrudes outside the transport path of the media P. Note that the shape of the release lever 153 differs between the release lever 153 of the media processing device 100A of Embodiment 1 and the release lever 153 of the media processing device 100B of this embodiment. The release lever 153 of the media processing device 100B of this embodiment rotates around a rotation axis 163. In the media processing device 100B of this embodiment, similar to the media processing device 100 of Embodiment 1, when the release lever 153 is pressed down, the corrugation rollers 151 pop out, and when the release lever 153 is released without being pressed down, the corrugation rollers 151 retract.

[0099] Figure 16 shows an exploded view of the release lever 153 and the corrugation roller 151. The corrugation roller 151 is attached to a corrugation roller holder 157, which is rotatably mounted on the release shaft 154 as a pivot point. The corrugation roller holder 157 is biased downward by its own weight and is positioned by contacting the tongue portion 155a of the sheet metal part 155. Two release cams 158C and 158D are attached to the release shaft 154, with the corrugation roller holder 157C attached to the release cam 158C and the corrugation roller holder 157D attached to the release cam 158D.

[0100] The release shaft 154 has a D-shaped cross-section and positions the intermittent gear 161 and the release cam 158 in the rotational direction. Here, the teeth 161b of the intermittent gear 161 mesh with the tooth profile 153b of the release lever 153, so that the intermittent gear 161 amplifies the movement of the release lever 153 and rotates the release shaft 154. The tip of the release cam 158 has a U-shaped groove portion 158e which engages with the stepped shaft portion 158d of the slider 158c. A torsion spring 181 is attached to the release lever 153 and biases it in the C1 direction.

[0101] The following describes the operation in which the corrugation roller 151 extends as the movable unit 143 rotates in the C1 direction, starting from a state in which the corrugation roller 151 is released. Figures 17 and 18 show the rear view and cross-sectional view of the middle unit 150 when the movable unit 143 is in the extended state.

[0102] As shown in Figure 17, the contact surface 143a of the release lever 153 of the movable unit 143 is spaced apart from the release lever 153, and a moment in the C1 direction is acting on the release lever 153 by the torsion spring 181. The release lever 153 is restricted by a contact (not shown) and stops at the position shown in Figure 17. The release shaft 154 is engaged with the release lever 153 via an intermittent gear 161 and rotates in the C2 direction and stops at the positions shown in Figures 17 and 18. The release shaft 154 is provided with a release cam 158, which pushes the slider 158c to the left (-Y direction) via a stepped shaft portion 158d, as shown in Figure 18. The corrugation roller holder 157 is biased downward by its own weight, so when the slider 158c moves to the left and comes out of the corrugation roller holder 157, it moves downward and the corrugation roller 151 retracts.

[0103] Figures 19 and 20 show how the state changes from the state shown in Figures 17 and 18 to the state in which the corrugation roller 151 pops out when the movable unit 143 rotates in the C1 direction and pushes down the release lever 153. As shown in Figure 19, the release lever 153 is pushed down by the movable unit 143 and rotates in the C2 direction, and the intermittent gear 161, which meshes with the tooth profile 153b and tooth 161b of the release lever 153, rotates in the C1 direction. As the release shaft 154, which is coaxial with the intermittent gear 161, rotates, as shown in Figure 20, the U-shaped groove portion 158e of the release cam 158 also rotates in the C1 direction, pulling the slider 158c to the right (+Y direction). The slider 158c is provided with a wedge portion 1581 and an upper portion 1582, which slide under the inclined portion 157e and lower portion 157d of the corrugation roller holder 157, pushing upward the corrugation roller holder 157 which is sagging due to its own weight.

[0104] Figures 21 and 22 show the state in which the movable unit 143 has rotated further in the C1 direction from the state shown in Figures 19 and 20. At this time, the corrugation roller holder 157 remains in the extended position on the slider 158c, preventing the corrugation roller 151 from extending too far even if the position of the release lever 153 pressed down by the movable unit 143 varies.

[0105] Thus, the advantage of the middle unit 150 of the media processing device 100B in this embodiment is that the force required to push down the release lever 153 is small. The force required to push down the release lever 153 is mainly only the amount required to flex the torsion spring 181 and the amount required to lift the weight of the corrugation roller holder 157. Also, when the corrugation roller 151 is extended, it rests on the slider 158c and does not fall down unintentionally. On the other hand, in the configuration of the middle unit 150 of the media processing device 100B in this embodiment, if the downward stroke of the movable unit 143 is small, it is necessary to amplify the displacement in order to ensure the amount of sliding movement of the slider 158c. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the intermittent gear 161 is used to amplify the displacement.

[0106] As described above, in the media processing apparatus 100B of this embodiment, the curvature-imparting section includes a corrugation roller 151 as a contact part that can contact the media P by swinging, a release shaft 154 as a support shaft that swingably supports the corrugation roller 151, and a slider 158c as a displacement member that can be displaced between a support position that supports the corrugation roller 151 from below and a lowered position that lowers the corrugation roller 151. The release lever 153 is configured to displace the slider 158c. In this way, by switching between a raised state and a lowered state of the corrugation roller 151 using the slider 158c, the vertical movement configuration of the corrugation roller 151 can be easily realized. Furthermore, with this configuration, the force required when swinging the corrugation roller 151 can be suppressed. In this embodiment, the displacement member is the slider 158c and the displacement direction of the displacement member is the sliding direction, but the displacement direction of the displacement member may be either the sliding direction or the rotational direction.

[0107] In the media processing apparatus 100B of this embodiment, the slider 158c, which is a displacement member, is slidable between a support position and a lowered position, and slides when it engages with the release shaft 154 and the release shaft 154 rotates. By switching between a raised state and a lowered state of the corrugation roller 151 using such a sliding member, the slider 158c, the vertical movement configuration of the corrugation roller 151 can be easily realized. Furthermore, with this configuration, the force required to swing the corrugation roller 151 can be suppressed.

[0108] In the media processing apparatus 100B of this embodiment, the release lever 153, which serves as the first displacement unit, is configured to displace the slider 158c via a gear train, such as an intermittent gear 161. By displacing the slider 158c via the gear train in this way, the amount of displacement can be amplified, thereby suppressing the amount of displacement of the movable unit 143 required to swing the corrugation roller 151. Although a non-intermittent gear may be used instead of the intermittent gear 161, using the intermittent gear 161 allows for miniaturization of the gear.

[0109] Here, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, in the media processing apparatus 100B of this embodiment, the release lever 153 has a rotating member 162 at the contact position with the movable unit 143. With this configuration, the sliding load between the release lever 153 and the movable unit 143 can be suppressed, and the force required for the displacement of the release lever 153 and the movable unit 143 can be suppressed. Note that this configuration with a rotating member 162 can also be applied to the media processing apparatus 100A of Embodiment 1.

[0110] As shown in Figure 23, in the media processing apparatus 100B of this embodiment, a guide portion 164 is provided in the sheet metal portion 156, which has a hole 164a through which the stepped shaft portion 158d passes, in order to smooth the movement of the slider 158c and the stepped shaft portion 158d. However, a configuration without the guide portion 164 is also possible.

[0111] [Example 3] Next, the media processing apparatus 100C of Example 3 will be described with reference to Figures 24 to 26. In Figures 24 to 26, components common to Examples 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted. Here, the media processing apparatus 100C of this example has the same configuration as the media processing apparatus 100 of Examples 1 and 2, except for the configuration of the middle unit 150. Therefore, with respect to parts other than those described below, the media processing apparatus 100C of this example has the same characteristics as the media processing apparatus 100 of Examples 1 and 2.

[0112] Figure 24 shows a part of the middle unit 150 of the media processing apparatus 100C of Embodiment 3. The middle unit 150 of the media processing apparatus 100C of Embodiment 3 has a release lever 153 with teeth 153c formed thereon. It also has a fan-shaped member 167 that meshes with the teeth 153c and a first tooth 167b. The fan-shaped member 167 is configured to be rotatable with respect to a rotation center 167d, and as the teeth 153c rotates with respect to the release shaft 154, the fan-shaped member 167 rotates with respect to the rotation center 167d. The fan-shaped member 167 also has a second tooth 167a, which meshes with a gear 166 provided on the second shaft 165.

[0113] In this configuration, when the release lever 153 contacts the movable unit 143 and rotates in the C1 direction, the fan-shaped member 167 rotates in the C2 direction, and the second shaft 165 rotates in the C1 direction via the gear 166. A cam portion 168 that contacts the lower surface portion 157f of the corrugation roller holder 157 is attached to the second shaft 165, and the rotation of the cam portion 168 in conjunction with the rotation of the second shaft 165 changes the orientation of the corrugation roller holder 157. The release shaft 154 and the second shaft 165 are connected by a connecting portion 169.

[0114] Specifically, in the first state in which the medium P can be nipped between the bundle discharge driven roller 172 and the bundle discharge drive roller 171, the middle unit 150 of the medium processing device 100C of this embodiment is in the state shown in Figure 25. At this time, the corrugation roller holder 157 is subjected to a force in the C2 direction due to its own weight, but because the amount of downward pressure on the lower surface portion 157f by the cam portion 168 is small, the corrugation roller 151 is in a retracted position (retracted state).

[0115] On the other hand, when the movable unit 143 rotates in the C1 direction from the first state, the release lever 153 comes into contact with the movable unit 143 and rotates in the C1 direction, causing the second shaft 165 to rotate in the C1 direction as described above. When the second shaft 165 rotates in the C1 direction, the cam portion 168 rotates in the C1 direction, resulting in the state shown in Figure 26. That is, in the second state, when the bundle discharge driven roller 172 is further away from the bundle discharge drive roller 171 than in the first state, the middle unit 150 of the media processing device 100C of this embodiment is in the state shown in Figure 26. At this time, the corrugation roller holder 157 is subjected to a force in the C2 direction due to its own weight, but because the amount of downward pressure on the lower surface portion 157f by the cam portion 168 is large, the corrugation roller 151 is in an advanced position (curved state).

[0116] Thus, even if a cam portion 168, as shown in Figures 24 to 26, is provided instead of the slider 158c in the media processing apparatus 100B of Example 2 to move the corrugation roller holder 157 up and down, the same effect as the media processing apparatus 100B of Example 2 can be obtained. Furthermore, in the media processing apparatus 100 of Examples 1 to 3, the position of the corrugation roller 151 may be an intermediate position in addition to the upper and lower positions, and the corrugation roller 151 can be stopped at the intermediate position by stopping the oscillation of the movable unit 143 at the intermediate position. The intermediate position can be used, for example, when processing cardboard to reduce the path load while performing the alignment operation.

[0117] Furthermore, a hybrid configuration may be adopted that has features of both the media processing apparatus 100A of Example 1 and the media processing apparatus 100B of Example 2, in which the corrugation roller 151 is pressed to the upper position by a compression spring 159, and when releasing it, the slider 158c is slid against the spring pressure of the compression spring 159 to pull it down to the lower position. The advantages and disadvantages of such a configuration are almost the same as those of the media processing apparatus 100A of Example 1.

[0118] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as described in the claims, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 1...Recording system, 10...Recording device, 11...Operation unit, 12...Scanner unit, 14...Main body, 16...Media storage unit, 18...Line head, 20...Control unit, 22...Internal discharge unit, 24...Relay unit, 100...Media processing unit, 132...Device body, 133...Main tray, 134...Stapler (processing unit), 136...Guiding member, 142...Processing tray, 143...Movable unit (interlocking unit), 143a...Contact surface, 146...Feed-in roller (feeding unit), 146a...Shaft, 147...Roller, 151...Corrugation roller (curving unit, contact 152...Sheet material, 153...Release lever (first displacement part, interlocking part), 153a...Tip, 153b...Toothed part, 154...Release shaft (curving part), 155...Sheet metal part, 155a...Tongue part (lower angle), 155b...Top surface (upper angle), 156...Sheet metal part, 157...Corrugation roller holder (curving part), 157A...Corrugation roller holder, 157B...Corrugation roller holder, 157C...Corrugation roller holder, 157D...Corrugation roller holder, 157a...Slotted hole, 157b ...hole, 157c...applied contact part, 157d...applied contact part, 157e...inclined part, 157f...bottom part, 158...release scam (curving part), 158A...release scam, 158B...release scam, 158C...release scam, 158D...release scam, 158a...shaft, 158c...slider (displacement member), 158d...stepped shaft part, 158e...U-shaped groove part, 159...compression spring (pressing part), 160...torsion spring (biasing part, interlocking part), 161...intermittent gear (gear train), 161b...tooth part, 162...rotating member, 163...rotating shaft, 164...guide part, 1 64a...Hole, 165...Second shaft, 166...Gear, 167...Fan-shaped member, 167a...Second tooth section, 167b...First tooth section, 167d...Rotation center, 168...Cam section, 169...Connecting section, 170...Discharge roller pair, 171...Bundle discharge drive roller (first roller), 172...Bundle discharge driven roller (second roller), 173...Lower unit, 178...Side cursor, 181...Torsion spring, 200...Control unit, 1581...Wedge section, 1582...Upper section, H1...Position, H2...Position, P...Media, Pu...Bulging section, S1...Range, S2...Range, Wd...Media width

Claims

1. A processing unit that processes the medium, A processing tray on which the medium to be processed by the processing unit is placed, A pair of discharge rollers for discharging the medium from the processing tray, A feeding unit capable of feeding the medium to the processing tray and the pair of discharge rollers, A curvature-applying unit that imparts a curve to the medium fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit, along the width direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium, Equipped with, The aforementioned pair of discharge rollers A first roller that contacts the first surface of the medium, A roller that contacts a second surface of a medium opposite to the first surface, the second roller being displaceable between a first state in which the medium can be nipped between itself and the first roller, and a second state in which it is further away from the first roller than in the first state, It has, The aforementioned curvature-imparting section is In the second state, the medium is given a curved state in which the curve is imparted, In the first state, the retracted state is one in which the curve is retracted from the medium compared to the curved state. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

2. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 1, The device includes an interlocking mechanism that links the displacement of the second roller in the first and second states with the displacement of the curvature-applying part in the retracted state and the curvature-applying state. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

3. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 2, The aforementioned interlocking part is, A biasing unit that biases the bending-granting unit to assume the retracted state, A first displacement unit displaces the bending unit so that it assumes the bending state, in opposition to the biasing force of the biasing unit, A second displacement unit that displaces the second roller to the first state and the second state, It has, The first displacement portion displaces the curvature-imparting portion as the second displacement portion is displaced. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

4. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 3, The aforementioned curvature-imparting section is A contact part that can come into contact with the medium by oscillating, A support shaft that pivotably supports the aforementioned contact portion, It has, The first displacement part rotates the support shaft. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

5. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 4, The feeding section is a rotating body provided in the second displacement section, The second displacement part is rotatable about the rotation center of the rotating body, The rotation center is located between the first displacement part and the discharge roller pair in the conveying direction. The bending portion is such that the contact portion swings around the pivoting center. The pivoting center is located between the first displacement portion and the contact portion in the conveying direction. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

6. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 3, The aforementioned curvature-imparting section is A contact part that can come into contact with the medium by oscillating, A pressing portion that presses the contact portion toward the medium, Having, A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

7. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 6, The biasing force of the biasing part is greater than the pressing force of the pressing part. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

8. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 6, The moment acting on the bending portion due to the biasing force of the biasing portion is greater than the moment acting on the bending portion due to the pressing force of the pressing portion. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

9. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 6, The bending portion has a support shaft that pivotably supports the contact portion, The contact portion engages with the support shaft and swings as the support shaft rotates. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

10. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 3, The aforementioned curvature-imparting section is A contact part that can come into contact with the medium by oscillating, A support shaft that pivotably supports the aforementioned contact portion, A displacement member that is displaceable between a support position that supports the contact portion from below and a lowering position that lowers the contact portion, It has, The first displacement part displaces the displacement member, A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

11. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 10, The displacement member is slidable between the support position and the lowered position, and slides by engaging with the support shaft and causing the support shaft to rotate. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

12. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 10, The first displacement unit displaces the displacement member via a gear train. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

13. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 3, The first displacement portion has a rotating member at the contact position with the second displacement portion. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

14. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 1, In the aforementioned transport direction, no transport means for transporting the medium in the transport direction is provided between the feeding section and the discharge roller pair. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

15. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 1, The first surface is the surface that is placed on the processing tray. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

16. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 1, The system includes a control unit that controls the state switching of the second roller, The control unit, A first mode is in which the second roller is set to the second state, the medium is fed into the processing tray by the feeding unit and placed thereon, and the second roller is switched from the second state to the first state to discharge the medium placed on the processing tray by the discharge roller pair, A second mode in which the medium is discharged by the feeding unit and the discharge roller pair without being placed on the processing tray while maintaining the first state of the second roller, It is switchable. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

17. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 1, The curvature-granting unit is configured to be able to take an intermediate state between the retracted state and the curvature-granting state, in addition to the curvature-granting state, in the second state. A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

18. In the media processing apparatus according to claim 1, A displacement unit that displaces the second roller to the first state and the second state, and displaces the curvature-applying unit to the retracted state and the curvature-applying state, A control unit that controls the displacement unit, Equipped with, The control unit, When the second roller is in the first state, the curvature-imparting portion is in the retracted state, When the second roller is in the second state, the curvature-imparting portion is in the curvature-imparting state. Control the displacement part in such a way A media processing apparatus characterized by the following:

19. A recording device that records onto a medium, A media processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, which performs the processing on a medium recorded by the recording device, A recording system characterized by comprising the following features.

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