Recording device

Abstract

If the starting timing of multiple motors involved in transporting subsequent paper is staggered in order to suppress the peak current value, it can cause the paper to be pulled or bent between the upstream and downstream intermediate rollers. [Solution] The recording device has a main media storage section and a plurality of sub-media storage sections located below the main media storage section in the vertical direction. Media sent out from the sub-media storage sections are supplied to the supply section via a common supply path. Each sub-media storage section includes a loading section for loading media, a dispensing roller for dispensing media from the loading section, and a relay roller provided in the common supply path for supplying media sent out by the dispensing roller downstream of the common supply path. A control unit that controls the supply of media by the supply section and the supply of media by the relay roller continues the supply of subsequent media by the relay roller when the supply section temporarily stops the supply of preceding media.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording on a medium.

Background Art

[0002] In a printer, which is an example of a recording apparatus, a configuration is known in which a plurality of paper stacking units are provided, and each paper stacking unit includes a stepping motor as shown in Patent Document 1. Here, in view of the fact that the total power to be supplied by the printer increases as the number of paper stacking units increases, the printer described in Patent Document 1 drives a plurality of stepping motors with different phases so as to limit the peak value of the total power supplied by the printer as much as possible.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the paper stacking unit, a relay roller may be provided for relaying and conveying the paper fed from the lower paper stacking unit toward the upper printer main body, and this relay roller may be driven by a motor provided in the paper stacking unit. Here, in a printer, a DC motor may be used instead of a stepping motor from the viewpoints of power consumption and noise. Since the current value at the start-up of a DC motor is large, in order to suppress the peak value of the total power, it is necessary to shift the start-up timings of a plurality of DC motors. However, in printers, when processing is performed before recording on the preceding sheet of paper, for example, when correcting skew, the transport of the preceding sheet of paper may be temporarily stopped. At this time, the subsequent sheet of paper may be approaching multiple paper stacks and in contact with multiple intermediate rollers. In such cases, if the feeding of the subsequent sheet of paper is also temporarily stopped, and the start timing of the multiple motors involved in transporting the subsequent sheet of paper is staggered in order to suppress the peak current value, it can cause the paper to be pulled or bent between the upstream and downstream intermediate rollers. Thus, in a configuration where DC motors are used for each of the multiple paper stacks, problems arise that cannot be solved with conventional technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a recording device comprising: a plurality of media storage units for storing media before feeding; a feeding unit located above the media storage units in the vertical direction and feeding the media discharged from the media storage units downstream; a transport unit for transporting the media fed by the feeding unit downstream; and a recording unit for recording on the media transported by the transport unit, wherein the plurality of media storage units include a main media storage unit located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction and a plurality of sub-media storage units located below the main media storage unit in the vertical direction, and the media is transported from the sub-media storage units downstream. The dispensed medium is supplied to the supply unit via a common supply path, and the sub-medium storage unit comprises a loading section for loading medium, a dispensing roller for dispensing medium from the loading section, and a relay roller provided in the common supply path for supplying the medium dispensed by the dispensing roller downstream of the common supply path, and the control unit that controls the supply of medium by the supply unit and the supply of medium by the relay roller is characterized in that when the supply of preceding medium by the supply unit is temporarily stopped, the supply of subsequent medium by the relay roller is continued. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the media transport path in a printer. [Figure 2]A block diagram showing the printer's control system. [Figure 3] A timing chart showing the operation of each motor in feed / delivery control. [Figure 4] Flowchart for supply and delivery control. [Figure 5A] A diagram showing the position of the medium in the supply and delivery control. [Figure 5B] A diagram showing the position of the medium in the supply and delivery control. [Figure 5C] A diagram showing the position of the medium in the supply and delivery control. [Figure 6] A block diagram showing the printer's control system. [Figure 7] A timing chart showing the operation of each motor in feed / delivery control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The present invention will be described in general terms below. A recording device according to the first embodiment comprises: a plurality of media storage units for storing media before feeding; a feeding unit located above the media storage units in the vertical direction and feeding the media discharged from the media storage units downstream; a transport unit for transporting the media fed by the feeding unit downstream; and a recording unit for recording on the media transported by the transport unit, wherein the plurality of media storage units include a main media storage unit located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction and a plurality of sub-media storage units located below the main media storage unit in the vertical direction, and the media discharged from the sub-media storage units The medium is supplied to the supply unit through a common supply path, and the sub-medium storage unit comprises a loading section for loading the medium, a dispensing roller for dispensing the medium from the loading section, and a relay roller provided in the common supply path for dispensing the medium dispensing by the dispensing roller to the downstream of the common supply path, and the control unit that controls the supply of the medium by the supply unit and the supply of the medium by the relay roller is characterized in that when the supply of the preceding medium by the supply unit is temporarily stopped, the supply of the subsequent medium by the relay roller is continued.

[0008] According to this embodiment, the control unit that controls the feeding of the medium by the feeding unit and the feeding of the medium by the relay rollers continues to feed the subsequent medium by the relay rollers when the feeding unit temporarily stops feeding the preceding medium. As a result, the peak current value can be suppressed without shifting the start timing of the multiple relay rollers.

[0009] The second embodiment is an embodiment dependent on the first embodiment, characterized in that the feeding unit is powered by a main feeding motor which is a DC motor, and the dispensing roller and relay roller are powered by sub-feeding motors which are DC motors provided in each of the plurality of sub-media storage units.

[0010] According to this embodiment, since each of the multiple sub-media storage units is provided with a DC motor, the degree of control when supplying the media is improved. Also, since each of the multiple sub-media storage units is provided with a DC motor, the peak current value tends to be high, but the first embodiment described above can suppress the peak current value.

[0011] A third embodiment is an embodiment dependent on the second embodiment, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a skew correction mode that corrects the skew of the medium using the feeding unit and the transport unit, and in the skew correction mode, the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit is temporarily stopped.

[0012] According to this embodiment, in a configuration in which the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit is temporarily stopped in the diagonal correction mode, the effects and advantages of the second embodiment described above can be obtained. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the second embodiment described above, but may also be subordinate to the first embodiment described above.

[0013] The fourth aspect is an aspect that depends on the third aspect, wherein the control unit can select a first feeding speed and a second feeding speed lower than the first feeding speed as the speed when feeding the medium by the relay roller, and when the control unit temporarily stops the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit, the control unit is characterized by selecting the second feeding speed.

[0014] According to this aspect, when the control unit temporarily stops the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit, the control unit selects the second feeding speed, so that it is possible to prevent the subsequent medium from catching up with the preceding medium. Note that this aspect is not limited to the above third aspect and may depend on the above first or second aspect.

[0015] The fifth aspect is an aspect that depends on the fourth aspect, wherein the control unit is characterized by changing the second feeding speed according to the size of the medium. For a second medium whose size in the feeding direction is larger than that of the first medium, when feeding is temporarily stopped, the rear end will be located upstream in the feeding direction compared to the case of the first medium. Therefore, when feeding the second medium, it is easy for the subsequent medium to catch up with the preceding medium. However, the control unit can prevent the subsequent medium from catching up with the preceding medium by changing the second feeding speed according to the size of the medium.

[0016] The sixth aspect is an aspect that depends on any one of the first to fifth aspects, and includes a sheet feed type image reading unit. When the control unit records the original image read by the image reading unit on the medium by the recording unit, the control unit holds off the start of feeding of the (N + 1)-th medium until the presence or absence of the (N + 1)-th original in the image reading unit is determined. Further, when the presence or absence of the (N + 1)-th original in the image reading unit is unknown when entering the temporary stop period of feeding of the N-th medium, the control unit extends the temporary stop period until the presence or absence of the (N + 1)-th original is determined.

[0017] According to this aspect, the control unit holds off starting the feeding of the (N + 1)-th medium until the presence or absence of the (N + 1)-th document in the image reading unit is determined. Further, when the presence or absence of the (N + 1)-th document is unknown in the image reading unit when entering the pause period of feeding the N-th medium, the control unit extends the pause period until the presence or absence of the (N + 1)-th document is determined. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the interval between the N-th medium and the (N + 1)-th medium and a decrease in throughput. Note that N is an integer starting from 1.

[0018] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described. Hereinafter, an inkjet printer 1 will be described as an example of a recording apparatus that performs recording on a medium. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 1 will be simply referred to as the printer 1. Note that the X - Y - Z coordinate system shown in each figure is a rectangular coordinate system, the direction in which the arrow points is the + direction, and the opposite direction is the - direction. The X - axis direction is the apparatus width direction, which is the width direction of the medium on which recording is performed. From the perspective of the operator of the printer 1, the +X direction is the left side, and the -X direction is the right side. Hereinafter, the X - axis direction may be referred to as the medium width direction or simply the width direction. The Y - axis direction is the apparatus depth direction, which is the direction along the medium conveyance direction during recording. The +Y direction is the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the apparatus, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front surface to the back surface of the apparatus. In the present embodiment, among the side surfaces constituting the periphery of the printer 1, the side surface in the +Y direction is the front surface of the apparatus, and the side surface in the -Y direction is the back surface of the apparatus. The Z - axis direction is the direction along the vertical direction, which is the apparatus height direction. The +Z direction is the vertically upward direction, and the -Z direction is the vertically downward direction. Note that hereinafter, the direction in which the medium is sent may be referred to as "downstream", and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream".

[0019] In the present embodiment, the printer 1 is an inkjet printer that performs recording by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium represented by recording paper. Note that in this specification, forming an image on a medium is referred to as "recording", but it may also be referred to as "printing" or "image formation".​

[0020] Printer 1 has an expansion unit 1b located below the main unit 1a, which is equipped with a line head 30 (described later). Printer 1 also has multiple media storage sections arranged vertically, specifically a first media storage section 2A, a second media storage section 2B, a third media storage section 2C, and a fourth media storage section 2D. Hereafter, when these media storage sections are not distinguished, they will be collectively referred to as media storage section 2.

[0021] The first media storage section 2A constitutes the main body 1a of the device and is located at the top of the multiple media storage sections 2 in the vertical direction. The second media storage section 2B, the third media storage section 2C, and the fourth media storage section 2D constitute the expansion unit 1b. The second media storage section 2B is located below the first media storage section 2A, the third media storage section 2C is located below the second media storage section 2B, and the fourth media storage section 2D is located below the third media storage section 2C. Furthermore, the first media storage section 2A is an example of a main media storage section, while the second media storage section 2B, the third media storage section 2C, and the fourth media storage section 2D are examples of sub-media storage sections.

[0022] Each media storage unit 2 is provided with a loading section for loading media. Reference numeral 3A denotes the loading section provided in the first media storage unit 2A, reference numeral 3B denotes the loading section provided in the second media storage unit 2B, reference numeral 3C denotes the loading section provided in the third media storage unit 2C, and reference numeral 3D denotes the loading section provided in the fourth media storage unit 2D. Hereafter, when these loading sections are not distinguished, they will be collectively referred to as loading unit 3. The symbol P indicates a medium stored in the loading section 3. An example of a medium is recording paper. The loading section 3 is detachable from the media storage section 2 from the front side of the device.

[0023] A feed roller 4A is provided at the top of the loading section 3A. The feed roller 4A can move back and forth relative to the medium contained in the loading section 3A, and by rotating in contact with the medium contained in the loading section 3A, it feeds the medium out of the loading section 3A in the +Y direction. The loading sections 3B, 3C, and 3D are also provided with feed rollers 4B, 4C, and 4D, respectively, in the same manner as described above. Hereafter, when no distinction is made between the individual feed rollers, they will be collectively referred to as feed roller 4.

[0024] Downstream of the discharge roller 4A, there is a rotationally driven feed roller 5A and a separation roller 6A to which rotational torque is applied by a torque limiter (not shown). The medium discharged from the loading section 3A is separated by being nipped by the feed roller 5A and the separation roller 6A, and then sent further downstream. The loading sections 3B, 3C, and 3D are each provided with feed rollers 5B, 5C, and 5D, respectively, in the same manner as described above. Hereafter, when the individual feed rollers are not distinguished, they will be collectively referred to as feed rollers 5. Furthermore, the loading sections 3B, 3C, and 3D are provided with separation rollers 6B, 6C, and 6D, respectively, in the same manner as described above. Hereafter, when the separation rollers are not distinguished, they will be collectively referred to as separation rollers 6.

[0025] The media sent out from the sub-media storage sections, namely the second media storage section 2B, the third media storage section 2C, and the fourth media storage section 2D, are fed through the common feeding path T1, indicated by the dashed line, to the reversing roller 8, which will be described later as a feeding section. In this embodiment, the common feeding path T1 extends vertically and is a feeding path from the relay roller pair 7D (described later) to the reversing roller 8. The common feeding path T1 is provided with relay rollers 7B, 7C, and 7D (described later).

[0026] The second media storage unit 2B is equipped with a pair of relay rollers 7D that feed the media dispensed by the dispensing roller 4D to the downstream of the common supply path T1. The third media storage section 2C is also equipped with a pair of relay rollers 7C that feed the media dispensed by the dispensing roller 4C to the downstream of the common supply path T1. The second media storage section 2B is also equipped with a pair of relay rollers 7B that feed the media dispensed by the dispensing roller 4B to the downstream of the common supply path T1. Hereafter, when no distinction is made between the various intermediate roller pairs, they will be collectively referred to as the intermediate roller pair 7. An intermediate roller pair 7, for example, consists of a drive roller that is driven to rotate and a driven roller that is capable of controlled rotation. The drive roller constituting the intermediate roller pair 7 may also be referred to simply as an intermediate roller.

[0027] In this embodiment, the loading section 3 is detachably mounted to the main body of the media storage section 2, which is equipped with a dispensing roller 4, a feeding roller 5, a separation roller 6, and a relay roller 7. However, at least one of the rollers may be integrally mounted to the detachable loading section 3.

[0028] Next, we will describe the media transport path downstream of the reversing roller 8 in the main body 1a of the device. The inverting roller 8 is located above the first media storage section 2A and is an example of a feeding section that feeds the media sent out from the media storage section 2 downstream. A first nip roller 9 and a second nip roller 10 are provided around the inverting roller 8, and the media is nipped by the inverting roller 8 and the first nip roller 9, and then nipped again by the inverting roller 8 and the second nip roller 10 before being transported downstream. The media is inverted by the inverting roller 8 and transported in the -Y direction.

[0029] Downstream of the reversing roller 8, there is a first conveying roller pair 15 comprising a rotationally driven drive roller 16 and a driven-rotatable driven roller 17. The medium is conveyed by the first conveying roller pair 15 to a position facing the line head 30. The first conveying roller pair 15 is an example of a conveying unit that conveys the medium conveyed by the reversing roller 8 downstream. Furthermore, the printer 1 has a media supply path from the media storage cassette 2, as well as a media supply path from the media support unit 12. The media support unit 12 supports the media in an inclined position, and the supported media is transported to the first transport roller pair 15 by a rotationally driven supply roller 13. Reference numeral 14 denotes a separation roller to which rotational torque is applied by a torque limiter (not shown).

[0030] The line head 30 is an example of a recording unit that ejects ink, an example of a liquid, onto a medium for recording. The line head 30 is a liquid ejection head in which multiple nozzles 31 that eject ink are arranged to cover the entire width of the medium. The line head 30 is elongated in the width of the medium and is configured as a liquid ejection head that can record across the entire width of the medium without movement in the width of the medium. Reference numeral 30a denotes the head surface, which is the surface facing the medium. The head surface 30a can also be called the liquid discharge surface or nozzle surface. The head surface 30a is parallel to the medium transport direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction, at the position facing the line head 30.

[0031] Printer 1 is equipped with an ink storage unit (not shown), and ink ejected from line head 30 is supplied to line head 30 from the ink storage unit via an ink tube (not shown). A facing portion 32 is provided at a position opposite the head surface 30a of the line head 30, and the gap between the medium and the head surface 30a is defined by supporting the medium with the facing portion 32.

[0032] Downstream of the line head 30 is a second transport roller pair 19 comprising a rotationally driven drive roller 20 and a drivenly rotating driven roller 21. The recorded medium is sent downstream by the second transport roller pair 19. A third pair of transport rollers 27 is provided downstream of the second pair of transport rollers 19, and a discharge roller pair 28 is provided further downstream of the third pair of transport rollers 27. The space between the third pair of transport rollers 27 and the discharge roller pair 28 is configured as a face-down discharge path, and the recorded medium is discharged to the discharge tray 29 by the discharge roller pair 28 with the most recent recorded surface facing downwards.

[0033] The above describes the media supply path and media transport path in printer 1. The control system of printer 1 will now be explained with reference to Figure 2. The control unit 50 includes an arithmetic unit 51 that performs execution processing of computer programs, or in other words, software, as well as a volatile memory 52 and a non-volatile memory 53. The arithmetic unit 51 performs various calculations necessary for executing the program 54 stored in the non-volatile memory 53. The volatile memory 52 is used as a temporary data storage area. The non-volatile memory 53 stores the program 54 and control parameters 55 necessary for executing the program 54. The program 54 includes a program that performs various processes described later, and the control parameters 55 include parameters for executing the program 54. The various processes described later are realized by the control unit 50 executing the program 54. Furthermore, the control unit 50 can receive various operation settings from the user via the operation unit 56 provided on the main body 1a of the printer 1. The operation unit 56 includes a touch panel (not shown), a power button, and other setting buttons.

[0034] The control unit 50 controls multiple DC motors. Specifically, the control unit 50 controls the DC motors of the transport motor 60, the first feed motor 61, the second feed motor 62, the third feed motor 63, and the fourth feed motor 64. The control unit 80 includes a motor driver (not shown) that controls each DC motor. The transport motor 60 is the power source for the first transport roller pair 15, the second transport roller pair 19, the third transport roller pair 27, and the discharge roller pair 28, as described with reference to Figure 1. The first feed motor 61 is the power source for the reversing roller 8, the feed roller 4A, and the feed roller 5A, as described with reference to Figure 1. The first feed motor 61 is an example of a main feed motor that serves as the power source for the reversing roller 8.

[0035] The second feed motor 62 is also the power source for the feed roller 4B, feed roller 5B, and intermediate roller pair 7B, as explained with reference to Figure 1. The third feed motor 63 is also the power source for the feed roller 4C, feed roller 5C, and intermediate roller pair 7C, as explained with reference to Figure 1. Furthermore, the fourth feed motor 64 is the power source for the feed roller 4D, feed roller 5D, and intermediate roller pair 7D, as explained with reference to Figure 1. The second feed motor 62, the third feed motor 63, and the fourth feed motor 64 are examples of sub-feed motors that serve as power sources for the relay roller pair 7. Each of the above motors is equipped with a rotary encoder (not shown), and the control unit 50 can detect the rotation direction, amount of rotation, and rotation speed of each motor based on the information transmitted from the rotary encoder. In other words, the control unit 50 can detect the drive direction, amount of drive, and drive speed of each of the above rollers.

[0036] Furthermore, a first power switching unit 65 is provided in the power transmission path between the first feed motor 61 and each roller driven by the first feed motor 61. The first power switching unit 65 causes the feed roller 4A, the feed roller 5A, and the intermediate roller 8 to rotate in the forward direction when the first feed motor 61 rotates in the forward direction. In this specification, forward rotation of the rollers means the direction of rotation of the rollers when the medium is fed downstream. The first power switching unit 65, when the first feed motor 61 reverses direction, does not transmit power to the feed roller 4A and the feed roller 5A, but instead causes the reversing roller 8 to rotate in the forward direction.

[0037] Furthermore, a second power switching unit 66 is provided in the power transmission path between the second feed motor 62 and each roller driven by the second feed motor 62. The second power switching unit 66 causes the feed roller 4B, the feed roller 5B, and the relay roller pair 7B to rotate in the forward direction when the second feed motor 62 rotates in the forward direction. Then, when the second feed motor 62 reverses direction, the second power switching unit 66 does not transmit power to the feed roller 4B and the feed roller 5B, but instead causes the relay roller pair 7B to rotate in the forward direction.

[0038] Furthermore, a third power switching unit 67 is provided in the power transmission path between the third feed motor 63 and each roller driven by the third feed motor 63. The third power switching unit 67 causes the feed roller 4C, the feed roller 5C, and the relay roller pair 7C to rotate in the forward direction when the third feed motor 63 rotates in the forward direction. Then, when the third feed motor 63 reverses direction, the third power switching unit 67 does not transmit power to the feed roller 4C and the feed roller 5C, but instead causes the relay roller pair 7C to rotate in the forward direction.

[0039] Furthermore, a fourth power switching unit 68 is provided in the power transmission path between the fourth feed motor 64 and each roller driven by the fourth feed motor 64. The fourth power switching unit 68 causes the feed roller 4D, the feed roller 5D, and the relay roller pair 7D to rotate in the forward direction when the fourth feed motor 64 rotates in the forward direction. Then, when the fourth power switching unit 68 reverses direction, it does not transmit power to the feed roller 4D and the feed roller 5D, but instead causes the relay roller pair 7D to rotate in the forward direction. Each of the above power switching sections is composed of a one-way clutch and a planetary gear mechanism (not shown).

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 50 receives detection signals from multiple sensors. Specifically, the control unit 50 is connected to a resist sensor 70, a first feeding sensor 71, a second feeding sensor 72, a third feeding sensor 73, and a fourth feeding sensor 74, and receives detection signals from each sensor. Each sensor is a sensor that detects the passage of a medium, and may be a contact-type sensor that comes into contact with the medium, or a non-contact type sensor that does not come into contact with the medium, such as an optical sensor. As shown in Figure 1, the resist sensor 70 is located near the upstream side of the first transport roller pair 15. The first feed sensor 71 is located near the upstream side of the reversing roller 8, as shown in Figure 1. The second feed sensor 72 is located near the downstream side of the relay roller pair 7B, as shown in Figure 1. The third feed sensor 73 is located near the downstream side of the relay roller pair 7C, as shown in Figure 1. The fourth feed sensor 74 is located near the downstream side of the relay roller pair 7D, as shown in Figure 1. Based on the detection signals from each of the above-mentioned sensors, the control unit 50 can detect whether the leading edge of the medium has passed the position of the sensor, or whether the trailing edge of the medium has passed the position of the sensor.

[0041] Next, the feeding control performed by the control unit 50 will be described with reference to Figure 3 and subsequent figures. In the following description, the control when feeding media from the fourth media storage unit 2D will be used as an example. In the flowchart shown in Figure 4, when the control unit 50 receives a recording execution command from the recording standby state, it first starts the forward rotation of the fourth feeding motor 64 (step S101, timing t1 in Figure 3). As a result, the feed roller 4D, the feeding roller 5D, and the relay roller pair 7D start rotating in the forward direction, and the media is fed out from the fourth media storage unit 2D.

[0042] Next, when the control unit 50 detects the leading edge of the medium using the fourth feed sensor 74 (Yes in step S102), it switches the fourth feed motor 64 from forward rotation to reverse rotation (step S103, timing t2 in Figure 3). As a result, the dispensing roller 4D and the feed roller 5D stop. The intermediate roller pair 7D continues to rotate in the forward direction.

[0043] Next, the control unit 50 starts the third feed motor 63 in reverse (step S104). This causes the relay roller 7C to start rotating in the forward direction. The control unit 50 also starts the second feed motor 62 in reverse (step S105). This causes the relay roller 7B to start rotating in the forward direction. The control unit 50 also starts the first feed motor 61 in reverse (step S106). This causes the reversing roller 8 to start rotating in the forward direction. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a time lag between the start of reverse rotation of the third feed motor 63 (step S104) and the start of reverse rotation of the second feed motor 62 (step S105), and also between the start of reverse rotation of the second feed motor 62 (step S105) and the start of reverse rotation of the first feed motor 61 (step S106). This makes it possible to suppress the peak power value.

[0044] Next, when the control unit 50 detects the trailing end of the medium using the fourth feeding sensor 74 (Yes in step S107), it stops the fourth feeding motor 64 (step S108, timing t3 in Figure 3). This stops the relay roller 7D. Figure 5A shows the state at this time, where the symbol P1 represents the leading medium. Next, if the control unit 50 determines that feeding the next medium is necessary (Yes in step S109), it performs skew correction processing on the preceding medium P1 (steps S116 to S118) and feeds the subsequent medium (steps S110 to S115). If the control unit 50 determines that feeding the next medium is not necessary (No in step S109), it performs skew correction processing on the preceding medium P1 (not shown in Figure 4) and terminates the feeding control. After the feeding control of one medium is completed, the control unit 50 performs medium transport control and recording control, but this will not be explained here.

[0045] Next, if the control unit 50 determines that it is necessary to feed the next medium (Yes in step S109), and that it is time to start feeding the next medium, i.e., the subsequent medium (Yes in step S110), it starts rotating the fourth feeding motor 64 forward (step S111, timing t5 in Figure 3). As a result, the feed roller 4D, the feeding roller 5D, and the relay roller pair 7D start rotating forward, and the subsequent medium is fed out from the fourth medium storage unit 2D. In Figure 5B, the symbol P2 represents the subsequent medium.

[0046] The timing for starting the feeding of the subsequent medium P2 (step S110) can be set, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the fourth feeding sensor 74 detected the passage of the rear end of the preceding medium P1. That is, the timing for starting the feeding of the subsequent medium P2 (step S110) is set to the timing at which an appropriate gap is formed between the rear end of the preceding medium P1 and the front end of the subsequent medium P2. Furthermore, as will be explained later, since the feeding of the subsequent medium P2 continues during the period when the feeding of the preceding medium P1 is temporarily stopped, it is preferable to set the gap between the rear end of the preceding medium P1 and the front end of the subsequent medium P2 taking this into consideration.

[0047] Furthermore, the feeding start timing (step S110) for the subsequent medium P2 may be changed according to the medium size. For example, for a second medium that is larger in size than the first medium, the time from when the trailing end passes the fourth feeding sensor 74 until feeding is temporarily stopped for skew correction is shorter than for the first medium. Therefore, for a second medium that is larger in size than the first medium, the feeding start timing (step S110) for the subsequent medium P2 may be delayed compared to that for the first medium. Furthermore, the timing for starting the feeding of the subsequent medium P2 (step S110) may be set based on the timing when the fourth feeding sensor 74 detects the passage of the trailing end of the preceding medium P1, or it may be set based on the timing when the third feeding sensor 73 detects the passage of the trailing end of the preceding medium P1.

[0048] Next, when the control unit 50 detects the leading edge of the medium using the fourth feed sensor 74 (Yes in step S112), it switches the fourth feed motor 64 from forward rotation to reverse rotation (step S113, timing t7 in Figure 3). As a result, the dispensing roller 4D and the feed roller 5D stop. The intermediate roller pair 7D continues to rotate in the forward direction. Next, when the control unit 50 detects the trailing end of the medium using the fourth feeding sensor 74 (Yes in step S114), it stops the fourth feeding motor 64 (step S115, timing t8 in Figure 3). This stops the relay roller 7D.

[0049] On the other hand, with respect to the leading medium P1, when the resist sensor 70 detects the leading edge of the leading medium P1 (step S116), the control unit 50 corrects the skew by bringing the leading edge of the leading medium P1 against the stopped first transport roller pair 15 (step S117). When the leading edge of the preceding medium P1 comes into contact with the first transport roller pair 15, the control unit 50 stops the first feed motor 61 for a predetermined time, that is, stops the reversing roller 8 for a predetermined time (step S117). This stop period is between timing t4 and timing t6 in Figure 3. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 50 resumes the reverse rotation of the first feed motor 61 (step S118), that is, resumes the forward rotation of the intermediate roller 8. From thereafter, the control unit 50 performs transport control and recording control of the medium. As described above, the control unit 50 can perform a diagonal correction mode that corrects the diagonal alignment of the medium using the reversing roller 8 and the first transport roller pair 15. In the diagonal correction mode, the feeding of the preceding medium by the reversing roller 8 is temporarily stopped.

[0050] In the above control, the control unit 50, which controls the feeding of the medium by the reversing roller 8 and the feeding of the medium by the relay roller pair 7, temporarily stops the feeding of the preceding medium by the reversing roller 8 (timing t4 to t6 in Figure 3) and continues the feeding of the following medium by the relay roller pair 7. That is, when the control unit 50 temporarily stops the first feeding motor 61, it continues the rotation of the second feeding motor 62 and the third feeding motor 63. This allows the peak current value to be suppressed without shifting the start timing of the multiple relay roller pairs 7. As a result, the peak current value can be suppressed while the subsequent medium P2 is properly fed in the common feeding path T1.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 3, when the first feed motor 61 is temporarily stopped, the rear end of the following medium P2 has passed through the intermediate roller pair 7D, so the fourth feed motor 64 stops rotating. However, when the first feed motor 61 is temporarily stopped, if the rear end of the following medium P2 has not passed through the intermediate roller pair 7D, the fourth feed motor 64, in addition to the second feed motor 62 and the third feed motor 63, continues to reverse. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example of feeding media from the fourth media feeding unit 2D, when feeding media from the third media storage unit 2C or the second media storage unit 2B, the same can be done by continuing to reverse the rotation of the other feeding motors when temporarily stopping the first feeding motor 61.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since DC motors are provided in each of the multiple sub-media storage sections, namely the second media storage section 2B, the third media storage section 2C, and the fourth media storage section 2D, the degree of control when supplying media is improved. Also, since DC motors are provided in each of the multiple sub-media storage sections, the peak current value tends to be high, but the peak current value can be suppressed by the control described above.

[0053] Figure 5B shows the state in which the preceding medium P1 and the following medium P2 are being fed, with a gap L1 between them. This gap L1 decreases when the feeding of the preceding medium P1 is temporarily stopped, becoming the gap L2 shown in Figure 5C. Therefore, it is preferable to set the rotational speeds of the second feeding motor 62 and the third feeding motor 63, i.e., the transport speed of the following medium P2, when the first feeding motor 61 is temporarily stopped, to a speed that ensures the gap L2 is maintained.

[0054] In this case, the rotational speeds of the second feeding motor 62 and the third feeding motor 63 may be constant or vary. For example, the control unit 50 can select between a first feeding speed V1 and a second feeding speed V2 that is slower than the first feeding speed V1 as the speed at which the medium is fed by the relay roller 7. The control unit 50 then selects the second feeding speed V2 when temporarily stopping the feeding of the preceding medium P1. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the subsequent medium P2 from catching up to the preceding medium P1.

[0055] Furthermore, the position of the trailing end of the preceding medium P1 when its feeding is temporarily stopped varies depending on the size of the medium. Therefore, the control unit 50 may change the second feeding speed V2 according to the size of the medium. This prevents the following medium P2 from catching up to the preceding medium P1. Specifically, when feeding a second medium that is larger in size than the first medium, the second feeding speed V2 is set to a lower speed than when feeding the first medium. Furthermore, the control unit 50 may adjust the feeding start timing of the subsequent medium P2 according to the size of the medium in order to prevent the subsequent medium P2 from catching up to the preceding medium P1. Specifically, when feeding a second medium that is larger in size than the first medium, the feeding start timing of the subsequent medium P2 is made later than when feeding the first medium.

[0056] Next, other embodiments will be described with reference to Figure 6 and subsequent figures. The embodiments described below are examples in which the printer 1 is equipped with a sheet-feed type image reading unit. In Figure 6, printer 1 is equipped with an integrated image reading unit 100. The image reading unit 100 comprises a document transport unit 100 for transporting documents and a reading unit 102 for reading documents transported by the document transport unit 100. The reading unit 102 is configured, for example, by a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) module.

[0057] The printer 1 is also equipped with a document sensor 103 on the document tray (not shown) where documents are placed before being fed. The control unit 50 can detect the presence or absence of media on the document tray based on the detection information from the document sensor 103. In the following, "original document" refers to a document that is fed, transported, and read by the image reading unit 100, and "medium" refers to a document that is fed, transported, and recorded by the printer 1.

[0058] When the image of the document read by the image reading unit 100 is to be used by the printer 1, the control unit 50 performs pre-feeding. That is, when the document sensor 103 detects a document and the scan button (not shown) is pressed, the control unit 50 starts feeding the media before the reading of the first document begins (timing t1). In Figure 7, period SC1 is the period for feeding the first document, period SC2 is the period for feeding the second document, and period SC3 is the period for feeding the third document. The control unit 50 does not know whether there is a next document until each period has ended. Specifically, the control unit 50 does not know whether there is a second document because there is no change in the detection signal of the document sensor 103 until timing ts2 is reached. Similarly, the control unit 50 does not know whether there is a third document because there is no change in the detection signal of the document sensor 103 until timing ts3 is reached. For this reason, the control unit 50 will withhold the feeding of the N+1th document until the presence or absence of the N+1th document in the image reading unit 100 is determined. Note that N is an integer starting from 1.

[0059] Furthermore, if the image reading unit 100 is unsure whether the N+1th document exists when the Nth medium is being fed, the control unit 50 extends the pause period until the presence or absence of the N+1th document is determined. For example, at timing t4, the first medium is being fed, but if the presence or absence of the second document is unknown at this point, the pause period for the second medium is extended until the presence or absence of the second document is determined. When it is determined whether or not there is a second document (timing ts2), the control unit 50 starts feeding the second document (timing t5). In order to prevent the peak power value from rising due to the simultaneous startup of the fourth feeding motor 64 and the first feeding motor 61, it is preferable to slightly delay the start of the reverse rotation of the first feeding motor 61 (timing t6) compared to the start of the forward rotation of the fourth feeding motor 64 (timing t5).

[0060] In this way, when the control unit 50 enters the pause period for feeding the Nth medium, if the image reading unit 100 is unsure whether or not there is an N+1th document, it extends the pause period for the Nth medium until the presence or absence of the N+1th document is determined. This prevents a decrease in throughput due to an increased gap between the Nth medium and the N+1th medium. In other words, if the pause period for the Nth medium is the same as shown in Figure 3, the presence or absence of the N+1th document will only be determined after the transport of the Nth medium has resumed, and the Nth medium will have moved further downstream. If the transport of the N+1th medium is started in such a state, the gap between the Nth medium and the N+1th medium will become large, leading to a decrease in throughput. However, according to this embodiment, as described above, it is possible to suppress the decrease in throughput caused by the large gap between the Nth medium and the N+1th medium.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications 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 are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1...Inkjet printer, 1a...Main unit, 1b...Expansion unit, 2...Media storage section, 2A...First media storage section, 2B...Second media storage section, 2C...Third media storage section, 2D...Fourth media storage section, 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D...Loading section, 4, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D...Feeding rollers, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D...Feeding rollers, 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D...Separation rollers, 7, 7B, 7C...Intermediate roller pair, 8...Reversing roller, 9...First nip roller, 10...Second nip roller, 12...Media support section, 13...Feeding roller, 14...Separation roller, 15...First transport roller pair, 16...Drive roller, 17...Driven roller, 19...Second transport roller pair, 20...Drive roller, 21...Driven 27...Driving roller, 28...Discharge roller pair, 29...Discharge tray, 30...Line head, 30a...Head surface, 31...Nozzle, 32...Opposite part, 50...Control unit, 51...Calculation unit, 52...Volatile memory, 53...Non-volatile memory, 54...Program, 55...Control parameters, 56...Operation unit, 60...Transport motor, 61...First feed motor, 62...Second feed motor, 63...Third feed motor, 64...Fourth feed motor, 65...First power switching unit, 66...Second power switching unit, 67...Third power switching unit, 68...Fourth power switching unit, 70...Resist sensor, 71...First feed sensor, 72...Second feed sensor, 73...Third feed sensor, 74...Fourth feed sensor, P, P1, P2...Medium

Claims

1. Multiple media storage units for storing media before feeding, A feeding unit located above the media storage unit in the vertical direction, which feeds the media discharged from the media storage unit downstream, A conveying unit that transports the medium supplied by the aforementioned supplying unit downstream, A recording unit that records on the medium transported by the transport unit, Equipped with, Multiple media storage units are, The main media storage section is located at the top in the vertical direction, Multiple sub-media storage sections located below the main media storage section in the vertical direction, Includes, The medium discharged from the sub-medium storage unit is supplied to the supply unit via a common supply path. The aforementioned sub-media housing unit is A loading section for loading media, A feed roller that feeds the medium from the loading section, A roller provided in the common supply path, which is a relay roller that supplies the medium supplied by the supply roller to the downstream of the common supply path, Equipped with, The control unit, which controls the feeding of the medium by the feeding unit and the feeding of the medium by the relay roller, will continue the feeding of the subsequent medium by the relay roller when the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit is temporarily stopped. A recording device characterized by the following features.

2. In the recording device according to claim 1, The aforementioned feeding unit is powered by a main feeding motor, which is a DC motor. The aforementioned feed roller and relay roller are powered by sub-feed motors, which are DC motors provided in each of the multiple sub-media storage sections. A recording device characterized by the following features.

3. In the recording device according to claim 2, The control unit is capable of executing a skew correction mode that corrects the skew of the medium using the feeding unit and the transport unit, In the aforementioned skew correction mode, the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit is temporarily stopped. A recording device characterized by the following features.

4. In the recording device according to claim 3, The control unit determines the speed at which the medium is fed by the relay roller, First feeding speed and A second feeding speed that is slower than the first feeding speed, It is possible to select, When the control unit temporarily stops the feeding of the preceding medium by the feeding unit, it selects the second feeding speed. A recording device characterized by the following features.

5. In the recording device according to claim 4, The control unit changes the second feeding speed according to the size of the medium. A recording device characterized by the following features.

6. In a recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, Equipped with a sheet-feed type image reading unit, When the control unit records the document image read by the image reading unit onto the medium using the recording unit, The control unit will withhold the start of feeding the N+1th document until it is determined whether or not the N+1th document exists in the image reading unit. Furthermore, if the control unit is unable to determine whether or not there is an N+1 document when entering the temporary suspension period for feeding the Nth document, it extends the temporary suspension period until the presence or absence of the N+1 document is determined. A recording device characterized by the following features.

Images