Media delivery device, image forming device

Abstract

The present invention aims to improve the separation performance of the tip of a roll-shaped body using a separation member. [Solution] A paper feeder 20 comprises a support plate 30 for supporting a roll of paper Pr, and a rotatably mounted separating member 40 for separating the leading end of the roll of paper Pr from the roll of paper Pr, and by rotating the roll of paper Pr, the paper feeder 20 feeds paper from the roll of paper Pr and transports it downstream in the paper transport direction, wherein the separating member 40 has a blade portion 42 that protrudes radially from the separating member 40 and contacts the leading end of the roll of paper Pr, and the blade portion 42 rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the roll of paper Pr at the contact position with the roll of paper Pr during the paper transport operation and contacts the leading end Pa of the roll of paper Pr.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium feeding device and an image forming apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] As a medium feeding device that unreels roll paper (a roll-shaped body) and conveys it to the downstream side, there is a paper feeding device provided in an image forming apparatus or the like. Further, among paper feeding devices, there is one that automatically feeds paper by detecting the leading end of the roll paper on the device side.

[0003] For example, the paper feeding device disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024-80480) is provided with a separation roller member that abuts against the leading end of the roll paper on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the roll paper. The leading end of the roll paper abuts against the separation roller member, and the leading end side of the roll paper bends, whereby the leading end side of the roll paper is separated from the roll paper main body. [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, if the stiffness of the medium constituting the roll-shaped body is low, when the leading end of the roll-shaped body abuts against the separation member, the leading end side of the roll-shaped body cannot bend properly, and the leading end of the roll-shaped body cannot be separated from the main body of the roll-shaped body, which causes a problem that conveyance failure occurs.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the separation performance of the leading end of a roll-shaped body by a separation member. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a medium feeding device comprising: a support member for supporting a roll-shaped body in which a sheet-like medium is wound into a roll shape; and a separation member rotatably provided for separating the leading end of the roll-shaped body from the roll-shaped body, wherein the medium is fed from the roll-shaped body and transported downstream in the medium transport direction by rotating the roll-shaped body, wherein the separation member has a separation portion that protrudes radially from the separation member and contacts the leading end of the roll-shaped body, and the separation portion rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the roll-shaped body at the contact position with the roll-shaped body during the medium transport operation and contacts the leading end of the roll-shaped body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the separation performance of the tip of the roll-shaped body by the separation member can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a side view illustrating the main components of an example of the configuration of a paper feed device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the support plate. [Figure 4] This diagram shows how the support plate and movable guide plate rotate as the diameter of the roll paper decreases. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the state immediately after the roll of paper has been set in the paper feed device. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the separating member. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the process of separating and transporting paper from a roll, specifically showing the operation of detecting the leading edge of the roll. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the process of separating and transporting paper from a roll, specifically showing the start of the paper transport process. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the process of separating and transporting paper from a roll of paper, specifically showing the paper P separated from the roll of paper. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the process of separating and transporting paper from a roll, specifically showing the paper being transported downstream. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the process of separating and transporting paper from a roll, showing how the paper is transported by a pair of transport rollers. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the process leading up to the start of the paper transport operation. [Figure 13] Figures (A) to (D) show the process of separating the leading edge of the paper roll from the main body of the paper roll. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing a modified example of the separating member. [Figure 15] This is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the paper feeder's functions. [Figure 16] Figures (A) to (C) illustrate examples of the operation for detecting the leading edge of a roll of paper. [Figure 17] This diagram shows the configuration of the sensor; (A) is a perspective view, and (B) is a side view. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0010] Referring to Figure 1, an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus to which a paper feeding device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. One embodiment of the present invention is an inkjet printer that prints on a recording medium (medium) by ejecting ink droplets corresponding to image data, but the present invention can also be applied to photocopiers, printers, etc. that transport a medium and print.

[0011] In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 80 includes an image forming section 60, a paper feeding device 20 serving as a medium feeding device, a paper discharging section 90, an operation section 101, and the like. The image forming section 60 may be either a serial type or a line head type, and a serial type is employed in the present embodiment.

[0012] The paper feeding device 20 rotates a roll paper to feed out the paper P and conveys it to the downstream side (see the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1). The configuration of the paper feeding device 20 will be described later.

[0013] The image forming section 60 is provided on the downstream side of the paper feeding device 20 in the paper conveyance direction. The image forming section 60 includes a carriage 66, a platen 74, and the like. The carriage 66 holds a liquid ejection head. In the image forming section 60, an image is formed when the liquid ejection head ejects droplets of respective colors onto the paper P in accordance with image data. The carriage 66 is provided movably in the main scanning direction (the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1).

[0014] The paper P is not limited to paper, and various types of materials such as film can be used. The image forming apparatus 80 rotatably holds roll paper Pr. The roll paper Pr is a roll-shaped body in the present embodiment, and the paper P fed out from the roll paper Pr is a sheet-shaped medium in the present embodiment.

[0015] Below the platen 74, a chamber provided with a fan is provided. By driving the fan, the paper P on the platen 74 is conveyed while being brought into close contact with the platen 74.

[0016] The image forming apparatus 80 intermittently conveys the paper P in the sub-scanning direction, and while the conveyance of the paper P in the sub-scanning direction is stopped, moves the carriage 66 in the main scanning direction and ejects ink (liquid) onto the paper P on the platen 74 from a nozzle array of the liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage 66, thereby forming (recording) an image on the paper P.

[0017] The roll paper Pr is supported by a support plate, described later, which is provided on the roll paper receiving stand. The paper P unwound from the roll paper Pr is transported in the direction of arrow A. The rotation of the roll paper Pr and each transport roller is controlled by the control unit 110.

[0018] A paper discharge unit 90 is provided downstream of the image forming unit 60 in the paper transport direction. The paper discharge unit 90 is equipped with a cutter 76 and a paper discharge roller 77. The cutter 76 cuts the paper P fed from the roll paper Pr to a predetermined length. The cutter 76 is provided along the sub-scanning direction (paper width direction) of the paper P.

[0019] To align the leading edge of the continuous paper P being transported, the cutter 76 is fixed to a wire or timing belt stretched between multiple pulleys (one of which is connected to a drive motor), and moves in the main scanning direction by the drive motor to cut the paper P to a predetermined length.

[0020] The paper P cut by the cutter 76 is transported by the paper discharge roller 77 and discharged outside the image forming apparatus 80. Although Figure 1 illustrates the case where paper P is fed from a single roll of paper Pr, a configuration in which paper is selectively fed from multiple (for example, two) rolls of paper is also possible. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus may be configured to invert the paper and form an image on both sides.

[0021] The control unit 110 controls the drive motor for rotating the roll paper Pr, the drive motors for transporting the paper P, and the rotational movement of the separation member, which will be described later.

[0022] In this embodiment, the paper feeder 20 detects the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr by detecting the step difference at the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr using a sensor, and then performs a transport operation to transport the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr to the paper feed section.

[0023] Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the main components of the paper feed device 20 of this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the support plate 30.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the paper feeder 20 rotatably holds the roll paper Pr by a holding member 21. The holding member 21 is rotatable in both directions, and this rotation causes the roll paper Pr to perform forward rotation in the direction of arrow B1 and reverse rotation in the direction of arrow B2 as shown in Figure 2. The forward rotation of the roll paper Pr causes it to be fed downstream as paper P from its leading edge Pa and transported to the nip portion of the transport roller pair 6 (see paper transport direction A in Figure 2). The holding member 21 includes the rotation axis of the roll paper Pr. The leading edge Pa is the downstream edge of the roll paper Pr in the transport direction.

[0025] A movable guide plate 36 and a pair of transport rollers 6, which serve as transport members, are provided downstream of the roll paper Pr in the paper transport direction A. The pair of transport rollers 6 consists of a pair of rollers 6A and 6B. The paper P separated from the roll paper Pr is transported along the movable guide plate 36 to the nip portion of the pair of transport rollers 6, and is further transported downstream by the rotation of the pair of transport rollers 6.

[0026] A separation member 40 and a contact detection sensor 37 are provided at one end of the movable guide plate 36. The other end of the movable guide plate 36 is fixed to the roller 6B. The movable guide plate 36 is rotatably mounted around the roller 6B. The separation member 40 separates the leading edge Pa side from the roll paper Pr body.

[0027] The paper feed device 20 includes a support plate 30 as a support member. The support plate 30 supports the outer surface of the roll paper Pr. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the support plate 30 is rotatably mounted around a first pivot point 31. The first pivot point 31 is located at the end of the support plate 30 opposite to the paper feed side (the right side in Figure 2). The first pivot point 31 is a pivot point whose axis is perpendicular to the paper plane in Figure 2.

[0028] The support plate 30 is also provided with a contact roller 32 and a tip detection sensor 33 as a detection member. The contact roller 32 and tip detection sensor 33 are provided at different positions on the support plate 30 in the circumferential direction of the roll paper Pr. The support plate 30 extends along the outer surface of the roll paper Pr. This allows the roll paper Pr to be held in place so as not to fall when it is set into the paper feed device 20.

[0029] The contact roller 32 is a roller-shaped roller member that is rotatably held on the support plate 30. The rotational movement of the contact roller 32 is axial in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 2, and it rotates in association with the rotational movement of the roll paper Pr. The contact roller 32 is the part that contacts the roll paper Pr and supports the roll paper Pr. As shown in Figure 3, two contact rollers 32 are provided in the width direction of the support plate 30. By providing multiple contact rollers 32 in the width direction of the support plate 30, it is possible to suppress the lifting of the tip Pa of the roll paper Pr from the roll paper Pr body during the tip detection operation described later. In addition, a tip detection sensor 33 is provided between the two contact rollers 32 in the width direction of the support plate 30. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the detection accuracy of the tip detection sensor 33 due to lifting from the roll paper Pr body or curling. Furthermore, by providing the contact rollers 32 and the tip detection sensor 33 at different positions on the support plate 30 in the circumferential direction of the roll paper Pr, it is possible to suppress contact between deformed parts such as scratches partially formed on the surface of the roll paper Pr and both the contact rollers 32 and the tip detection sensor 33, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection operation of the tip Pa of the roll paper Pr, as described later.

[0030] Figure 4 shows how the support plate 30 and the movable guide plate 36 rotate as the diameter of the roll paper Pr decreases. The roll paper Pr before the decrease, the support plate 30 before rotation (position in Figure 2), the movable guide plate 36, and the separating member 40 are shown by dotted lines.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the diameter of the roll paper Pr decreases from the dotted line to the solid line in Figure 4 as it is consumed during its transport operation. At this time, the support plate 30 rotates around the first pivot point in the direction of arrow C1, approaching the roll paper Pr, due to the biasing force of the biasing means, and comes into contact with the roll paper Pr. The movable guide plate 36 also rotates around the roller 6B in the direction of arrow D1, approaching the roll paper Pr, due to the driving force of a motor or the like, and the separating member 40 comes into contact with the roll paper Pr. When the contact detection sensor 37 detects contact with the roll paper Pr, the rotation of the movable guide plate 36 stops. As a result, the separating member 40 comes into contact with the outer surface of the roll paper Pr, as shown in Figure 4. In this way, the support plate 30 and the separating member 40 are positioned to contact the surface of the roll paper Pr regardless of its diameter.

[0032] Figure 5 shows the state immediately after the roll paper Pr is set in the paper feeder 20.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, before the roll paper Pr is set in the paper feeder 20, the separating member 40 and the movable guide plate 36 are positioned in a standby position away from the roll paper Pr. This prevents the separating member 40 and the movable guide plate 36 from interfering with the setting of the roll paper Pr. The standby position of the movable guide plate 36 is determined by the detection result of the guide plate detection sensor 39.

[0034] Then, when the setting of the roll paper Pr is detected, for example by the tip detection sensor 33, the movable guide plate 36 rotates around the roller 6B in the direction of arrow D1. Then, when the contact detection sensor 37 detects contact with the roll paper Pr, the rotation of the movable guide plate 36 stops. As a result, the separation member 40 comes into contact with the outer surface of the roll paper Pr, as shown in Figure 2.

[0035] Next, the detailed configuration of the separation member 40 will be explained using the perspective view in Figure 6.

[0036] The separating member 40 has a shaft portion 41 and a wing portion 42 that acts as a separating part. The wing portion 42 is provided projecting radially from the shaft portion 41 of the separating member 40, is a surface portion that intersects with the axial direction, and is sheet-like. The wing portion 42 in this embodiment is elastic and can be made of, for example, rubber or sponge. The wing portion 42 is provided at two locations in the axial direction K of the shaft portion 41, and at each location, multiple wing portions 42 are provided in the circumferential direction. However, the wing portion 42 may be provided at one location or three or more locations in the axial direction K. The wing portion 42 is attached to the shaft portion 41 at one end in the radial direction, and the other end is a free end. The circumferential direction of the separating member 40 is parallel to the rotational direction E along the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 41. The radial direction of the separating member 40 is the direction from the center of the shaft portion 41 toward each outer circumferential surface on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction K of the separating member 40.

[0037] The separating member 40 is supported at both ends by bearings 43 and is attached to the paper feeder housing via the bearings 43. The separating member 40 is equipped with a torque limiter 44 and a one-way clutch 45. A timing pulley 46 is also provided on one end of the separating member 40. The timing pulley 46 is connected to a timing pulley provided on the roller 6B by a timing belt 38 (see Figure 2).

[0038] The driving force applied to the roller 6B is transmitted to the shaft 41 via the timing belt 38, timing pulley 46, one-way clutch 45, and torque limiter 44, causing the shaft 41 to rotate in the direction of arrow E. In other words, the separating member 40 rotates due to a driving force from a separate drive source from the rotational movement of the roll paper Pr.

[0039] Next, the paper transport operation, which involves rotating the roll paper Pr to feed out the paper P and transport it downstream, will be explained using Figures 7 to 11. Note that in Figures 7 to 11, for convenience, the leading edge of the roll paper is shown with a wide line to distinguish it from the main roll paper body.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7, when the paper transport operation is started, the roll paper Pr is first reversed in the direction of arrow B2, and a tip detection operation is performed to detect the position of the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr (details will be described later). When the roll paper Pr is reversed, the separating member 40 also rotates in the direction of arrow E.

[0041] The leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr passes through the contact roller 32, the leading edge detection sensor 33, and the separating member 40, and stops when the leading edge Pa is positioned near the separating member 40 (position in Figure 8). Then, from position in Figure 8, the roll paper Pr is rotated forward in the direction of arrow B1, and the paper transport operation begins.

[0042] When the roll paper Pr is rotating in the forward direction, the separating member 40 rotates in the direction of arrow E by a driving force from a separate drive source from the roll paper Pr. The direction of rotation of the separating member 40 is opposite to the direction of rotation B1 of the roll paper Pr at the contact point with the roll paper Pr. When the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr reaches the position of the separating member 40, as shown in Figure 9, the side of the leading edge Pa is lifted up by the rotating blade portion 42 (see Figure 6) and separated from the roll paper Pr.

[0043] By further rotating the roll paper Pr from the state shown in Figure 9, the paper P is transported in the direction of arrow A, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. At this time, the separating member 40 rotates while its blade portion is in contact with the back surface of the paper P, guiding the paper P downstream. When the paper P reaches the nip portion of the transport roller pair 6 as shown in Figure 11, the paper P is transported further downstream by the rotation of the transport roller pair 6.

[0044] Figure 12 shows the flow diagram up to the start of the paper transport operation.

[0045] As shown in Figure 12, when the control unit recognizes, for example, that a roll of paper Pr has been set in the paper feeder, a series of paper transport operations are initiated, and first the roll paper rotation motor and the separation member rotation motor are activated (S1). As a result, the roll of paper Pr rotates in the forward direction, and the separation member 40 rotates in the direction of arrow E2 (Figure 7).

[0046] Next, the lead end detection operation of the paper roll is performed, and the control unit determines whether or not the lead end of the paper roll can be correctly detected (S2, S3). If the lead end of the paper roll cannot be correctly detected, the detection operation is repeated. If the lead end of the paper roll cannot be correctly detected after a predetermined number of attempts, the paper transport operation can be stopped.

[0047] If the leading edge of the paper roll is correctly detected, the paper is stopped at the position shown in Figure 8 (S4). Then, the paper roll rotation motor rotates the paper roll forward, and the paper transport operation begins (S5, Figures 9-11).

[0048] Next, the operation by which the blade portion of the separating member 40 separates its leading edge from the roll paper Pr body between Figure 8 and Figure 9 will be explained using Figures 13(A) to (D).

[0049] As shown in Figure 13(A), the separating member 40 rotates in the direction of arrow E while in contact with the blade portion 42 on the roll paper Pr side. At this time, the blade portion 42 that is in contact with the roll paper Pr bends due to its elasticity and adheres tightly to the surface of the roll paper Pr.

[0050] As the roll paper Pr rotates forward (see arrow B1 direction), when the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr reaches the position of the separation member 40, as shown in Figure 13(B), the blade portion 42, which rotates in the direction of arrow E, presses the leading edge Pa in the opposite direction to the rotation of the roll paper Pr, causing the paper P to bend. Then, as the blade portion 42 rotates further in the direction of arrow E, the paper P is peeled up (separated) from the roll paper Pr body, as shown in Figure 13(C). Subsequently, as shown in Figure 13(D), the paper P is transported downstream by the rotation of the roll paper Pr and the rotation of the blade portion 42. The rotation direction of the separation member 40 is opposite to the rotation direction of the roll paper Pr at the position facing the separation member 40.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the driving force of the drive source rotates the separation member 40, which actively lifts the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr with the blade portion 42 and separates it from the roll paper Pr. Therefore, compared to a separation member that separates the leading edge of the roll paper Pr from the roll paper Pr body by, for example, a fixed claw portion, or by bending the leading edge of the roll paper Pr to separate it from the roll paper body by a roller portion, the performance of separating the leading edge (paper P) from the roll paper body can be improved. Furthermore, compared to a claw-shaped separation member configuration, it can prevent injuries to the worker.

[0052] Furthermore, because the blade portion 42 is elastic, as shown in Figure 13(A), the tip of the blade portion 42 can be bent to make close contact with the surface of the roll paper Pr, ensuring that the blade portion 42 reliably contacts the tip Pa of the rotating roll paper Pr. Also, as shown in Figures 13(B) to 13(C), when the paper P is lifted by the blade portion 42, the force of the blade portion 42's elastic recovery can be utilized, which improves the separation performance of the blade portion 42 from the paper P, and is therefore preferable.

[0053] In this embodiment, from the start of the paper P transport operation until the leading edge Pa reaches the transport roller pair 6 (between Figures 8 and 11), the peripheral speed of the separation member 40's rotation is made greater than the peripheral speed of the roll paper Pr's rotation. This allows the separation member 40 to flip up the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr at a faster speed, increase the frequency of contact with the back surface of the paper P as shown in Figure 10, etc., and increase the force guiding the paper P downstream. Therefore, slack in the paper P until it reaches the transport roller pair 6 can be suppressed, and positional deviations such as tilting of the paper on the transport path can be suppressed. For example, in this embodiment, the peripheral speed of the separation member 40's rotation is set to twice the peripheral speed of the roll paper Pr's rotation. This particularly suppresses slack in the paper P. When the leading edge Pa reaches the transport roller pair 6, the rotation speed of the roller 6B and the separation member 40 are returned to the same as the rotation speed of the roll paper Pr.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as explained in Figure 6, a torque limiter 44 is provided on the shaft portion 41 of the separating member 40. When the rotational load on the shaft portion 41 exceeds a certain level, the torque limiter 44 slips, and the shaft portion 41 no longer follows the rotation of the timing pulley 46. In other words, for example, as shown in Figure 13(B), when the blade portion 42 comes into contact with the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr and the rotational load becomes large, the torque limiter 44 activates and slips. Consequently, the rotation of the separating member 40 becomes slower with respect to the driving force transmitted from the timing pulley 46. This prevents the blade portion 42 from forcibly peeling up the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr due to excessive force, and prevents damage such as bending of the leading edge Pa.

[0055] In this embodiment, a one-way clutch 45 is provided on the separating member 40. The one-way clutch 45 is locked when the separating member 40 rotates due to the driving force from the drive source, that is, when the driving force is transmitted from the timing pulley 46 (see Figure 6) and it rotates in the direction of arrow E, as shown in Figure 8. On the other hand, the one-way clutch 45 becomes free when the roll paper Pr rotates in reverse in the direction of arrow B2, as shown in Figure 7. As a result, almost no torque is generated to rotate the separating member 40 when the roll paper Pr rotates in reverse, and the separating member 40 can be driven to rotate by the reverse rotation of the roll paper Pr. In addition, the frictional force between the separating member 40 and the roll paper Pr when the roll paper Pr rotates in reverse is reduced, and a decrease in the rotational torque of the roll paper Pr and wear on the surface of the roll paper Pr can be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, by using a common drive source to perform the rotational movements of the transport roller pair 6 and the separating member 40, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and lower the cost of the paper feeding device 20.

[0057] The above description describes a separating member 40 having a sheet-like blade portion 42, but the separating member of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the separating member 40 shown in Figure 14 has a brush shape in which a plurality of linear portions 47 are provided on the shaft portion 41, projecting in the radial direction of the separating member 40. Multiple linear portions 47 are provided not only in the circumferential direction as shown in Figure 14, but also in the axial direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 14). However, linear portions 47 may be provided only in a part of the circumferential direction.

[0058] Next, the control of the functions of the paper feeder in this embodiment will be explained using Figure 15. Figure 15 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functions of the paper feeder.

[0059] The control unit 110 controls the entire paper feed device. Figure 15 shows an example of a functional block in which the control unit 110 controls the tip detection sensor 33, the contact detection sensor 37, the operation unit 101, and the motor drive circuit units 120 and 140, with other functional blocks omitted. The control unit 110 may be provided in the paper feed device or in the image forming apparatus. In addition, a separate control unit may be provided in the paper feed device within the image forming apparatus, separate from the control unit of the paper feed device. For example, the control unit 110 in Figure 1 may be a control unit provided outside the paper feed device and may control the operation of the entire image forming apparatus, including the paper feeding operation. Similarly, the operation unit 101, which receives input from the user, may also be configured to function as an operation panel for the image forming apparatus.

[0060] The control unit 110 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read-Only Memory). The CPU executes various programs and controls the entire image processing device based on arithmetic processing and control programs. RAM is a volatile storage medium for high-speed reading and writing of information and functions as a work area when the CPU executes programs. ROM is a read-only, non-volatile storage medium in which various programs and control programs are stored.

[0061] The motor drive circuit 120 drives the motor under the control of the control unit 110, and drives the roll drive unit 130. The roll drive unit 130 rotates the roll paper Pr in the forward or reverse direction. The roll drive unit 130 uses, for example, a roll rotation motor. The motor drive circuit 140 drives the motor under the control of the control unit 110, and drives the transport drive unit 150. The transport drive unit 150 drives the transport unit 160. The transport unit 160 is a transport means that transports the paper P supplied to the paper feed unit, and is, for example, a pair of transport rollers 6. In this embodiment, the transport drive unit 150 performs the rotation operation of the separation member. The detection results of the tip detection sensor 33 and the contact detection sensor 37 are input to the control unit 110.

[0062] Next, the detection operation of the leading edge of the roll paper in Figure 8 will be explained in detail using Figure 16. Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation for detecting the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr, showing the process by which the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr passes between the contact roller 32 and the leading edge detection sensor 33.

[0063] Figure 16(A) shows the state before the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr passes the contact roller 32, Figure 16(B) shows the state after the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr has passed the contact roller 32 and before it has passed the leading edge detection sensor 33, and Figure 16(C) shows the state after the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr has passed the leading edge detection sensor 33.

[0064] The tip detection sensor 33 and the contact roller 32 are positioned in close proximity and offset (offset in the circumferential direction of the roll). Since the contact roller 32 is located upstream of the tip detection sensor 33 in the roll paper rotation direction B2, the contact roller 32 can hold down the paper P until just before the tip detection sensor 33 detects the tip Pa of the roll paper Pr.

[0065] As shown in Figure 16(B), when the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr passes the contact roller 32, a space equal to the thickness of the paper is created between the contact roller 32 and the roll paper Pr, and the support plate 30 moves in the direction of arrow H, approaching the roll paper Pr. As a result, the actuator of the leading edge detection sensor 33 is pushed in the direction of arrow J1 by the roll paper Pr. Then, as shown in Figure 16(C), when the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr passes the leading edge detection sensor 33, a space is created between the roll paper Pr and the leading edge detection sensor 33, and the actuator of the leading edge detection sensor 33 moves in the direction of arrow J2. This makes it possible to detect the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr by keeping the tip of the leading edge detection sensor 33 in close contact with the surface of the roll paper Pr. In other words, the leading edge Pa of the roll paper Pr is detected by detecting the change in the radial position of the roll paper Pr.

[0066] Figure 17 shows the configuration of the sensor, with (A) being a perspective view and (B) being a side view.

[0067] The tip detection sensor 33 uses, for example, an encoder sensor in which an actuator 331 is provided with a slit 332. The actuator 331 is positioned between two side plates 333 that constitute the sensor housing, and an axis 334 is fitted into the bearings of the side plates 333, allowing it to rotate around the axis 334. The actuator 331 has an asymmetric shape with respect to the axis 334, for example, as shown in Figure 17(B). The tip detection sensor 33 has a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part, and detects the position of the radial outer surface of the roll paper Pr by counting the number of times light passes through the slit 332 of the actuator 331 from the light-emitting part to the light-receiving part (by counting the number of signal waveforms). The tip detection sensor 33 has a resolution of, for example, about 5 μm / pulse and can detect a step difference equal to the thickness of the paper P. The radial direction of the roll paper Pr refers to each direction from the center of the roll paper Pr toward each outer surface on a paper plane such as Figure 2, which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the roll paper Pr.

[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0069] The media used include plain paper (P), as well as cardboard, postcards, envelopes, thin paper, coated paper (such as coated paper and art paper), tracing paper, OHP sheets, plastic film, prepreg, copper foil, and others.

[0070] Examples of the present invention are as follows: <1> A support member that supports a roll-shaped body in which a sheet-like medium is wound into a roll, The system includes a rotatable separation member that separates the leading edge of the roll-shaped body from the roll-shaped body, A media feeding device that rotates the roll-shaped body to feed the medium from the roll-shaped body and transport it downstream in the media transport direction, The separating member has a separating portion that protrudes radially from the separating member and contacts the tip of the roll-shaped body, The media feeding device is characterized in that the separation unit rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the roll-shaped body at the contact position with the roll-shaped body during the media transport operation, and contacts the leading edge of the roll-shaped body. <2> The separation portion is a wing portion having a surface portion that intersects the rotational direction of the separation member, and a plurality of such separation portions are provided in the rotational direction of the separation member. <1> The media supply device described. <3> The separation portion has a brush shape consisting of a plurality of linear portions that protrude radially from the separation member. <1> The media supply device described. <4> The support member is provided with a detection member that contacts the surface of the roll-shaped body to detect its radial position. <1> from <3> Any of the media supply devices described above. <5> The rotational speed of the separating member is made faster than the rotational speed of the roll-shaped body. <1> from <4> Any of the media supply devices described above. <6> A conveying member is provided downstream of the separating member in the conveying direction of the medium, which rotates to convey the medium downstream. The transport member and the separation member rotate by a common drive source. <1> from <5> Any of the media supply devices described above. <7> The separation member is equipped with a torque limiter. <1> from <6> Any of the media supply devices described above. <8> The separation member is equipped with a one-way clutch, and the driving force is transmitted via the one-way clutch. When the separating member rotates due to the rotation of the roll-shaped body in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the medium, the one-way clutch becomes free. During rotational movement of the roll-shaped body in the conveying direction of the medium, the separating member rotates by receiving driving force via the locked one-way clutch. <1> from <7> Any of the media supply devices described above. <9> The separation portion has elasticity <1> from <8> Any of the media supply devices described above. <10> <1> from <9> Equipped with any of the media supply devices described above, An image forming apparatus for forming an image on the aforementioned medium. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 6. Conveyor roller pair (conveyor component) 20. Paper feed device (media feed device) 30. Support plate (support member) 33. Advanced detection sensor (detection component) 40 Separation member 41 Shaft 42. Blade section (separation section) 44 Torque Limiter 45 One-way clutch 80 Image forming apparatus A. Paper transport direction (media transport direction) B1 Forward rotation direction of roll paper (direction of rotation for transporting the medium in roll form) B2 Reverse direction of roll paper (rotation direction opposite to the direction in which the medium in the roll is transported) P paper (sheet-like medium) Pa: Leading edge of roll paper (leading edge of rolled material) Pr Roll Paper (Roll-shaped material) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0072] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-80480

Claims

1. A support member that supports a roll-shaped body in which a sheet-like medium is wound into a roll, The system includes a rotatable separation member that separates the leading edge of the roll-shaped body from the roll-shaped body, A media feeding device that rotates the roll-shaped body to feed the medium from the roll-shaped body and transport it downstream in the media transport direction, The separating member has a separating portion that protrudes radially from the separating member and contacts the tip of the roll-shaped body, The media feeding device is characterized in that the separation unit rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the roll-shaped body at the contact position with the roll-shaped body during the media transport operation, and contacts the leading edge of the roll-shaped body.

2. The media supply device according to claim 1, wherein the separation portion is a blade portion having a surface portion that intersects the rotational direction of the separation member, and a plurality of the separation portions are provided in the rotational direction of the separation member.

3. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the separation portion has a brush shape consisting of a plurality of linear portions protruding radially from the separation member.

4. The media feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is provided with a detection member that contacts the surface of the roll-shaped body to detect its radial position.

5. The media feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed of the separating member is faster than the rotation speed of the roll-shaped body.

6. A conveying member is provided downstream of the separating member in the conveying direction of the medium, which rotates to convey the medium downstream. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying member and the separating member are rotated by a common drive source.

7. The media feeding device according to claim 1, comprising a torque limiter as the separating member.

8. The separation member is equipped with a one-way clutch, and the driving force is transmitted via the one-way clutch. When the separating member rotates due to the rotation of the roll-shaped body in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the medium, the one-way clutch becomes free. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein when the roll-shaped body rotates in the medium conveying direction, the separating member is rotated by receiving driving force via the locked one-way clutch.

9. The media supply device according to claim 1, wherein the separation part is elastic.

10. A media supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, An image forming apparatus for forming an image on the aforementioned medium.

Images