System of Record

Abstract

To provide a recording system that can reduce the risk that alignment performance of a medium on a placement tray may deteriorate.SOLUTION: A recording system 1 comprises: a first ejection part that ejects a medium P recorded by ejection of ink; a placement tray on which the medium P ejected by the first ejection part is placed; a lifting mechanism 78 that lifts the placement tray; a control part 25 that controls the lifting mechanism 78; and a recognition part 51 that recognizes weight of the medium P placed on the placement tray. The control part 25 controls lifting motion of the placement tray on the basis of the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition part 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a configuration has been disclosed in which the weight of a sheet bundle formed on a processing tray is recognized, and if the sheet bundle is recognized as being heavy, the sheet moving means is controlled so that the conveying force per unit time when conveying the sheet bundle is greater than when the sheet bundle is recognized as being light. With this configuration, even if the sheet bundle is heavy, it is possible to reliably discharge the sheet bundle onto the stack tray. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-137518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the prior art document, only the dischargeability of the sheet bundle formed on the processing tray is taken into consideration, and there is no description of how to handle the sheet bundle after it has been discharged. With regard to sheets on which images are formed using an inkjet printer, the weight of the sheet stack can be an issue even after it is ejected onto the stack tray, and the weight of the sheet stack can make it difficult to properly control the movable stack tray, resulting in poor sheet alignment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The recording system includes a discharge unit that discharges recorded media by ejecting liquid, a loading unit that loads the media discharged by the discharge unit, a lifting unit that raises and lowers the loading unit, a control unit that controls the lifting unit, and a recognition unit that recognizes the weight of the media loaded on the loading unit, and the control unit controls the lifting and lowering operation of the loading unit based on the weight of the media recognized by the recognition unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a recording system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a recording unit and a post-processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medium stacking device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a side view of the top surface detection sensor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a side view of the top surface detection sensor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] 4 is a flowchart of the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5B] 4 is a flowchart of the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 1. First embodiment First, a description will be given of the first embodiment. A recording system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes, as an example, a recording unit 2, an intermediate unit 3, and a post-processing device 5, in this order from right to left in Fig. 1.

[0008] The recording unit 2 records on the transported medium P. The intermediate unit 3 receives the recorded medium P from the recording unit 2 and passes it to the post-processing device 5, and mainly functions to invert the medium P and promote drying of the medium P. The post-processing device 5 is provided with an end-binding section 42 that performs an end-binding process to bundle the recorded media P in the recording unit 2 and bind the ends.

[0009] The recording unit 2, intermediate unit 3, and post-processing device 5 will be described in detail below. In the XYZ coordinate system in each drawing, the X direction is the depth direction of the device, the Y direction is the width direction of the device, and the Z direction is the height direction of the device. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are perpendicular to each other. When distinguishing between the front and the back in the device depth direction, the front is referred to as the +X direction and the back is referred to as the -X direction. When distinguishing between the left and right in the device width direction, the left is referred to as the +Y direction and the right is referred to as the -Y direction. When distinguishing between the top and bottom in the device height direction, the top is referred to as the +Z direction and the bottom is referred to as the -Z direction.

[0010] The recording unit 2 is configured as a multifunction device that includes a printer section 10 having a line head 20 as a recording section that performs recording on the medium P, and a scanner section 11. In this embodiment, the line head 20 is configured as a so-called inkjet recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto the medium P. A cassette housing unit 14 containing a plurality of medium housing cassettes 12 is provided at the bottom of the printer unit 10. The medium P housed in the medium housing cassette 12 is sent through a feeding path 21 indicated by a solid line to a recording area by the line head 20, where the recording operation is performed. After recording by the line head 20, the medium P is sent to either a first discharge path 22, which is a path for discharging the medium P to a post-recording discharge tray 13 provided above the line head 20, or a second discharge path 23, which is a path for sending the medium P to the intermediate unit 3.

[0011] 1, the first discharge path 22 is indicated by a dashed line, and the second discharge path 23 is indicated by a dashed line. The second discharge path 23 extends in the +Y direction of the recording unit 2, and delivers the medium P to the receiving path 30 of the adjacent intermediate unit 3.

[0012] 1, the recording unit 2 is configured to be capable of double-sided recording, in which after recording on the first side of the medium P, the medium P is reversed and recording is performed on the second side. Note that the feeding path 21, the first discharge path 22, the second discharge path 23, and the reversing path 24 each have one or more pairs of rollers (not shown) arranged therein as an example of a means for transporting the medium P.

[0013] The recording unit 2 is provided with a control unit 25 that controls operations related to transporting and recording on the medium P in the recording unit 2. The recording system 1 is configured such that the recording unit 2, intermediate unit 3, and post-processing device 5 are mechanically and electrically connected to one another, and the medium P can be transported from the recording unit 2 to the post-processing device 5. The control unit 25 in this embodiment can control various operations in the intermediate unit 3 and post-processing device 5 connected to the recording unit 2.

[0014] The recording unit 2 is provided with an operation unit 19, which is configured to allow various settings and execution commands relating to various processes in the recording unit 2, intermediate unit 3, and post-processing device 5 to be input from the operation unit 19. The operation unit 19 also has a display panel (not shown), which is configured to allow various information to be displayed on the display panel. When an external computer (not shown) is connected to the recording system 1, the same various settings and execution commands as those made by the operation unit 19 can be made in this external computer.

[0015] Next, the control configuration will be explained using the block diagram of FIG. The recording unit 2 includes a control unit 25, a storage unit 52, and a receiving unit 53. The receiving unit 53 receives a recording command instructing the execution of recording and recording data representing the contents to be recorded from the outside. The control unit 25 is configured with a processor or the like, and operates according to a control program stored in the memory unit 52, controlling the line head 20 to perform recording based on the recording data received by the receiving unit 53. The control unit 25 also has a recognition unit 51 as a functional block realized by the control program. The recognition unit 51 recognizes the weight of the medium P based on the recording data received by the receiving unit 53. The memory unit 52 is configured with a semiconductor memory or the like, and stores the control program described above as well as the weight of the medium P in an unrecorded state.

[0016] As will be described in more detail below, the post-processing device 5 also includes a post-processing section 47 and a media stacking device 39. The media stacking device 39 has a lifting mechanism 78, an upper surface detection sensor 80, and a lower limit sensor 90. The upper surface detection sensor 80 includes a photointerrupter 82 in which a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are integrally configured, and the lower limit sensor 90 includes a light-emitting element 91 and a light-receiving element 92. The post-processing section 47 also includes a punching section 46 and an end-stitching section 42. The control section 25 of the recording unit 2 is configured to be able to control the post-processing section 47 and the lifting mechanism 78.

[0017] Next, we will explain the intermediate unit 3. The intermediate unit 3 shown in Figure 1 passes the medium P received from the recording unit 2 to the post-processing device 5. The intermediate unit 3 is located between the recording unit 2 and the post-processing device 5. The medium P transported along the second discharge path 23 of the recording unit 2 is received by the intermediate unit 3 through the receiving path 30 and transported towards the post-processing device 5. The receiving path 30 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in Figure 1.

[0018] In the intermediate unit 3, there are two transport paths for transporting the medium P. The first transport path is a path from the receiving path 30 to the junction path 33 via a first switchback path 31 shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1. The second transport path is a path from the receiving path 30 to the junction path 33 via a second switchback path 32 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. The first switchback path 31 is a path that receives the medium P in the direction of the arrow A1 and then switches the medium P back in the direction of the arrow A2. The second switchback path 32 is a path that receives the medium P in the direction of the arrow B1 and then switches the medium P back in the direction of the arrow B2.

[0019] The receiving path 30 branches into a first switchback path 31 and a second switchback path 32 at a branching section 35. The branching section 35 is provided with a flap (not shown) that switches the destination of the medium P to either the first switchback path 31 or the second switchback path 32.

[0020] Furthermore, the first switchback path 31 and the second switchback path 32 merge at a junction 36. Therefore, regardless of whether the medium P is sent from the receiving path 30 to the first switchback path 31 or the second switchback path 32, the medium P can be delivered to the post-processing device 5 via the common junction path 33.

[0021] The intermediate unit 3 receives the medium P from the recording unit 2 into the receiving path 30 with the nearest recording surface by the line head 20 facing up, but the medium P is curved and reversed in the merging path 33 so that the nearest recording surface faces downward. Therefore, the medium P is transferred from the intermediate unit 3 in the +Y direction to the first transport path 43 of the post-processing device 5 with the nearest recording surface facing downward.

[0022] Each of the receiving path 30, the first switchback path 31, the second switchback path 32, and the merging path 33 is provided with one or more roller pairs (not shown) as an example of a means for transporting the medium P.

[0023] When recording is performed continuously on a plurality of media P in the recording unit 2, the media P that enter the intermediate unit 3 are sent alternately to the transport path that passes through the first switchback path 31 and the transport path that passes through the second switchback path 32. This makes it possible to increase the throughput of media transport in the intermediate unit 3.

[0024] Furthermore, in a configuration in which recording is performed by ejecting a liquid, specifically ink, onto the medium P, as in the line head 20 of this embodiment, if the medium P is wet when processed in the downstream post-processing device 5, the recording surface may be rubbed or the alignment of the medium P may become poor. By transferring the recorded medium P from the recording unit 2 to the post-processing device 5 via the intermediate unit 3, the transport time for the recorded medium P to be sent to the post-processing device 5 can be extended, and the medium P can be dried further before it reaches the post-processing device 5.

[0025] Next, we will explain the post-processing device 5. The post-processing device 5 shown in Fig. 1 has a receiving section 41 located below in the -Y direction that receives medium P from the intermediate unit 3. Medium P transported along the merging path 33 of the intermediate unit 3 enters the post-processing device 5 from the receiving section 41.

[0026] The post-processing device 5 includes an end-stitching unit 42 that processes the medium P received from the receiving unit 41. The post-processing device 5 includes a first transport path 43 that sends the medium P received from the receiving unit 41 to the end stitching unit .

[0027] The end binding unit 42 is a component that performs an end binding process to bind an end of the medium P, such as a corner on one side of the medium P or one side of the medium P. The end binding unit 42 is configured to include a stapler, for example.

[0028] The post-processing device 5 also includes a punching processing unit 46 that performs punching on the medium P received from the receiving unit 41. The punching processing unit 46 is provided at a position close to the receiving unit 41 on the first transport path 43 along which the medium P received in the post-processing device 5 passes, and is configured to be able to perform punching upstream of the first transport path 43. Note that the punching processing by the punching processing unit 46 may or may not be performed on the medium P received from the receiving unit 41.

[0029] The medium P received from the receiving unit 41 can be sent to the processing tray 48 via the first transport path 43 shown in FIG. 1. In the processing tray 48, the medium P is stacked on the processing tray 48 with the trailing edges in the transport direction aligned. Once a predetermined number of media P are stacked on the processing tray 48, the trailing edges of the media P can be edge-stitched by the edge stitching unit 42. The post-processing device 5 is equipped with a first discharge unit 62 as a discharge unit that discharges the medium P in the +Y direction. In addition to the first discharge unit 62, the post-processing device 5 is also equipped with a second discharge unit 63, which will be described later, and is configured to be able to discharge the medium P from these as well.

[0030] The medium P processed in the end binding section 42 is discharged from the first discharge section 62 to the outside of the housing of the post-processing device 5 by a discharge means not shown, and is then loaded onto a loading tray 40 as a loading section that constitutes the medium loading device 39. The stacking tray 40 is provided to protrude in the +Y direction from the post-processing device 5. In this embodiment, the stacking tray 40 includes a base portion 40a and an extension portion 40b, and the extension portion 40b is configured to be retractable into the base portion 40a.

[0031] An upper tray 49 is provided at the top of the post-processing device 5, and the medium P is discharged onto the upper tray 49 from the second discharge section 63 described above by a discharge means (not shown). A second transport path 45 is provided between a branch point D midway along the first transport path 43 and the second discharge section 63, and the medium P received from the receiving section 41 can be discharged onto the upper tray 49 via the second transport path 45 without passing through the end stitching section 42.

[0032] Next, the medium stacking device 39 provided in the post-processing device 5 will be described. 3 is a diagram showing the overall configuration for raising and lowering stacking tray 40 in medium stacking device 39, and includes lifting guide 77A positioned closer to the -X direction relative to stacking tray 40, and lifting guide 77B positioned closer to the +X direction relative to stacking tray 40. Lifting guides 77A and 77B are formed using guide frame 75, which extends in the Z-axis direction, as a base, and multiple components are assembled to guide frame 75.

[0033] A drive belt 76 is provided on the lift guides 77A and 77B along the Z-axis direction, and the stacking tray 40 is pulled upward and downward by this drive belt 76. In this embodiment, the upward direction of the stacking tray 40 is the +Z direction, and the downward direction is the -Z direction. The X-axis direction is the width direction of the stacking tray 40.

[0034] Of the lifting guides 77A and 77B, a lifting mechanism 78 serving as a lifting unit is provided below the lifting guide 77A. The lifting mechanism 78 has a motor serving as a drive source, which drives a drive belt 76 to lift and lower the stacking tray 40. A transmission shaft 79 is provided between the lifting guide 77A and the lifting guide 77B, and the power of the lifting mechanism 78 is transmitted to the lifting guide 77B by this transmission shaft 79. In this embodiment, a stepping motor is used as the motor for the lifting mechanism 78, but a different type of motor, such as a DC motor, may also be used. In this embodiment, the control unit 25 controls the lifting mechanism 78 to lift and lower the stacking tray 40.

[0035] Although not shown in FIG. 3, an upper surface detection sensor 80 is provided above the stacking tray 40 of the medium stacking device 39. 4A and 4B, the top surface detection sensor 80 is configured to be able to detect the position of the top surface of media P loaded on the stacking tray 40. More specifically, when media P are loaded on the stacking tray 40, the top surface detection sensor 80 detects the top surface of the media P, and when media P are not loaded on the stacking tray 40, the top surface detection sensor 80 detects the top surface of the stacking tray 40 itself. Hereinafter, both the top surface of the stacking tray 40 itself and the top surface of media P loaded on the stacking tray 40 will be referred to as the top surface of media P on the stacking tray 40.

[0036] As described above, the control unit 25 raises and lowers the stacking tray 40 by controlling the lifting mechanism 78. The control unit 25 controls the lifting mechanism 78 using the detection result of the upper surface detection sensor 80, thereby maintaining a constant distance between the upper surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 and the first discharge unit 62.

[0037] The upper surface detection sensor 80 includes a flag 81 and a photointerrupter 82. The flag 81 is configured to be able to swing around a rotation axis 83. The flag 81 also includes a tip portion 81a that comes into contact with the upper surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40, and a detected portion 81b that is detected by the photointerrupter 82. The control unit 25 can grasp the state of the flag 81 based on the detection result of the photointerrupter 82.

[0038] The tip 81a is configured to be able to swing between an advanced position (see Figure 4A) advanced onto the stacking tray 40 and a retracted position (see Figure 4B) retreated from above the stacking tray 40 by rotating around the rotation axis 83. The tip 81a moves to the advanced position after the medium P is discharged onto the stacking tray 40, and moves to the retracted position before the subsequent medium P is discharged. At the advanced position, the tip 81a abuts against the upper surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40, and rotates in accordance with the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40.

[0039] The control unit 25 raises and lowers the stacking tray 40 as the medium P is discharged from the first discharge unit 62, and determines the standby position based on the detection result of the upper surface detection sensor 80. The standby position here is the position of the stacking tray 40 that receives the medium P discharged from the first discharge unit 62, i.e., the height of the stacking tray 40.

[0040] The standby position determining operation for determining the standby position of the stacking tray 40 will be described below. First, when medium P is loaded on stacking tray 40, control unit 25 advances tip 81a of upper surface detection sensor 80 to the advanced position and abuts it against the upper surface of medium P. Control unit 25 acquires the detection result of photointerrupter 82 when upper surface detection sensor 80 comes into contact with the upper surface of medium P. When the detection signal of the photointerrupter 82 is ON, that is, when the photointerrupter 82 detects the detected portion 81b, the control unit 25 does not change the position of the stacking tray 40.

[0041] On the other hand, when the detection signal of the photointerrupter 82 is OFF, that is, when the photointerrupter 82 does not detect the detected portion 81b, the control unit 25 lowers the position of the stacking tray 40. This is because it can be determined that the distance between the top surface of the media P on the stacking tray 40 and the first discharge unit 62 has become narrower due to the media P being stacked.

[0042] In the process of lowering the stacking tray 40, the detection signal of the photointerrupter 82 switches from OFF to ON, and then switches from ON to OFF. The control unit 25 stops the lowering of the stacking tray 40 based on this switching from ON to OFF. Then, the control unit 25 raises the stacking tray 40 until the detection signal of the photointerrupter 82 changes from OFF to ON, and stops the raising of the stacking tray 40 when the detection signal changes to ON. This completes the standby position determination operation.

[0043] In this way, the control unit 25 performs a standby position determination operation consisting of a lowering operation to lower the stacking tray 40 and an raising operation to raise it based on the detection results of the top surface detection sensor 80, thereby maintaining the top surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 at a predetermined position, i.e., a predetermined height.

[0044] This standby position determination operation keeps the distance between the top surface of the media P on the stacking tray 40 and the first discharge section 62 substantially constant, reducing the risk of the alignment of the media P becoming poor when they are discharged. Here, a sensor consisting of a flag 81 and a photointerrupter 82 is used as the top surface detection sensor 80 to detect the top surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40, but this is not limited to this and other sensors may also be used to detect the top surface.

[0045] 3, the medium stacking device 39 is provided with a lower limit sensor 90. The lower limit sensor 90 is a transmission sensor including a light-emitting unit 91 provided on the lift guide 77A and a light-receiving unit 92 provided on the lift guide 77B. The lower limit sensor 90 is provided below the lift guides 77A and 77B, and is configured to be able to detect, based on the light receiving state of the light receiving section 92, that the stacking tray 40 has reached the lower limit position.

[0046] The upper surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is detected by an upper surface detection sensor 80, so that the upper surface of the medium P is positioned at a predetermined position. In other words, as the number of media P loaded on the loading tray 40 increases, the position of the loading tray 40 moves downward.

[0047] Therefore, as media P are discharged onto stacking tray 40, stacking tray 40 moves downward and eventually blocks the light from light-emitting unit 91. This causes light-receiving unit 92 to stop receiving light from light-emitting unit 91, and the detection result of lower limit sensor 90 changes. Based on this change in detection result, control unit 25 determines that stacking tray 40 has reached the lower limit position. In other words, it determines that media P on stacking tray 40 have reached the upper stacking limit.

[0048] In this way, the upper stacking limit of the stacking tray 40 is monitored based on the detection result of the lower limit sensor 90. Here, the upper stacking limit of the stacking tray 40 is monitored by the lower limit sensor 90, but the upper stacking limit may also be monitored by counting the number of media P discharged onto the stacking tray 40.

[0049] In this way, the upper limit of the media P stacked on the stacking tray 40 is monitored by a predetermined method, and the stacking tray 40 operates under this monitoring. However, when recording with an inkjet printer such as the recording unit 2 of this embodiment, the above-described method of monitoring the stacking limit may be insufficient. When recording on a medium P with an inkjet printer, the weight of the unrecorded medium P is added to the weight of the ink, resulting in the total weight of the medium P. In other words, the more ink a medium P has been ejected with, the heavier the medium P becomes. Therefore, if an excessive amount of heavy media P with a large amount of ink is stacked on the stacking tray 40, a load is placed on the lifting mechanism 78 that raises and lowers the stacking tray 40, potentially making it impossible to properly control the lifting operation of the stacking tray 40. This may change the distance between the top surface of the media P on the stacking tray 40 and the first discharge section 62, potentially deteriorating alignment. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 78 for the stacking tray 40 may be damaged, or an unexpected load may be applied, potentially causing abnormal noise.

[0050] Therefore, in the present invention, the weight of the medium P, taking into account the weight of the ink ejected onto the medium P, is recognized and the stacking tray 40 is controlled. This makes it possible to reduce deterioration in the alignment of the medium P on the stacking tray 40, and also to reduce damage to the lifting mechanism 78 and the generation of abnormal noise.

[0051] Hereinafter, the weight of the medium P refers to the weight of the medium P taking into account the weight of the ink ejected onto the medium P. Furthermore, the weight of the medium P not taking into account the weight of the ink ejected onto the medium P refers to the weight of the medium P in an unrecorded state.

[0052] A recognition unit 51 is used to recognize the weight of the medium P loaded on the loading tray 40. The recognition unit 51 recognizes the amount of ink ejected onto the medium P by the line head 20, and recognizes the weight of the ink from the amount of ink. Then, the weight of the medium P is recognized by adding the weight of the ink to the weight of the medium P in an unrecorded state. Specifically, the recognition unit 51 refers to the recording data received by the receiving unit 53 in order to recognize the weight of ink ejected by the printer unit 10. Then, the recognition unit 51 obtains the number of dots of ink used for recording from the recording data.

[0053] The recognition unit 51 calculates the weight of ink ejected onto the medium P by multiplying the number of ink dots used for recording by the weight of ink per dot, and recognizes this as the weight of ink. In this case, the weight of ink per dot may be set individually based on the size of the dot. In the case of double-sided printing, the weight of ink on the front and back sides is calculated, and the sum of these is recognized as the weight of ink.

[0054] Then, the recognition unit 51 recognizes the weight of the medium P as the weight of the medium P by adding the weight of the ink to the weight of the medium P in an unrecorded state. Here, the weight of the unrecorded medium P differs depending on the paper type and paper size, so it is preferable to change the weight of the unrecorded medium P depending on the paper type and paper size of the recorded medium P. In this case, the weight of the unrecorded medium P may be recognized by using only either the paper type or the paper size of the medium P.

[0055] The recognition unit 51 recognizes the weight of each medium P and adds up the weight each time a medium P is loaded on the loading tray 40, thereby being able to recognize the total weight of the media P on the loading tray 40. Hereinafter, the total weight of the media P loaded on the loading tray 40 will be referred to as the weight of the media P on the loading tray 40. The control unit 25 controls the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40 based on the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 recognized by the recognition unit 51.

[0056] Here, when it is determined that the weight of the media P stacked on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or exceeds a threshold value, the control unit 25 restricts the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40. In this embodiment, restricting the lifting and lowering operation means prohibiting the lifting and lowering operation. This prevents the stacking tray 40 from operating under a load greater than expected, reducing the risk of the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40 being deteriorated due to an inability to properly control the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 78 can be prevented from being damaged before the upper limit of the stacking tray 40 is reached, and abnormal noise can be reduced.

[0057] A specific operation will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5A and 5B. When a user issues an instruction to start recording and the receiving unit 53 receives the recording instruction and the recording data of the job corresponding to this recording instruction, the recognition unit 51 acquires the recording data received by the receiving unit 53 (step S101). Then, from the acquired recording data, the recognition unit 51 acquires recording data of the medium P to be next discharged from the first discharge unit 62 (step S102). The recognition unit 51 recognizes at least one of the paper type and paper size from this recording data, and recognizes the weight of the unrecorded medium P by referring to the memory unit 52 (step S103).

[0058] After recognizing the weight of the unrecorded medium P, the recognition unit 51 recognizes the weight of the ink to be ejected based on the recording data (step S104). Then, the weight of the medium P is recognized by adding the weight of the ink acquired in step S104 to the weight of the unrecorded medium P acquired in step S103 (step S105). Thereafter, the control unit 25 ejects the medium P onto the stacking tray 40 (step S106). Then, the recognition unit 51 calculates the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 by adding the weight of the medium P acquired in step S105 to the weight of the medium P already ejected onto the stacking tray 40 (step S107).

[0059] Here, the control unit 25 performs the steps S107 Then, it is determined whether the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 calculated by the recognition unit 51 is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S108). If it is determined in step S108 that the weight of the media P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the control unit 25 performs the operation of lowering the stacking tray 40 until the stacking tray 40 reaches the lower limit, i.e., until the stacking tray 40 is detected by the lower limit sensor 90 (step S112). During this lowering operation, the control unit 25 counts the time until the stacking tray 40 reaches the lower limit, and sets this value as the count value.

[0060] This operation is performed to determine the position of the stacking tray 40 and to check whether the user has removed any media P from the stacking tray 40. If a user has removed any media P from the stacking tray 40, the standby position determination operation raises the stacking tray 40 and increases the number of media P that can be loaded on the stacking tray 40. However, because the control unit 25 makes its determination based on the recognition result from the recognition unit 51, it may erroneously determine that the weight of the media P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the threshold. For this reason, the control unit 25 determines whether the user has removed any media P from the stacking tray 40 by performing an operation to determine the position of the stacking tray 40. Specifically, if the count value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, that is, if the stacking tray 40 has descended more than expected, the control unit 25 determines that a user has removed any media P and changes the threshold for the weight of the media P. At this time, the threshold for the weight of the media P may be changed based on the count value. The threshold value after the change when the count value is greater than the specified value may be greater than the threshold value after the change when the count value is less than the specified value. On the other hand, when the count value is less than the specified value, it is determined that the user has not taken away the medium P, and the threshold value is not changed.

[0061] In this way, the control unit 25 determines whether the count value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S113), and if the count value is less than the predetermined value, determines that the user has not taken away the medium P. Then, the control unit 25 restricts the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40 (step S115) and stops recording (step S116). Then, the control unit 25 notifies the user that the medium P cannot be discharged onto the stacking tray 40 (step S117).

[0062] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S108 that the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is not equal to or greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0063] Furthermore, in step S113, if the count value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, that is, if it is determined that a user has taken away a medium P, the control unit 25 changes the weight threshold of the medium P (step S114). Specifically, by increasing the threshold, additional medium P can be accepted, and the process proceeds to step S109.

[0064] In step S109, the control unit 25 performs a standby position determination operation for the stacking tray 40. As the standby position determination operation, as described above, the control unit 25 raises and lowers the stacking tray 40 based on the detection result of the upper surface detection sensor 80, and keeps the distance between the first discharge unit 62 and the upper surface of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 constant.

[0065] After performing the standby position determination operation for stacking tray 40, control unit 25 determines whether stacking tray 40 has reached its lower limit based on the detection result of lower limit sensor 90 (step S110). If it is determined that stacking tray 40 has reached its lower limit, control unit 25 restricts the lifting and lowering operation of stacking tray 40 (step S115) and stops recording (step S116). Then, control unit 25 notifies the user that medium P cannot be discharged onto stacking tray 40 (step S117).

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that the stacking tray 40 has not reached the lower limit, the control unit 25 determines whether the job has ended (step S111). If the job has ended, the operation ends, and if the job has not ended, the process returns to step S102, and the same process is performed on the subsequent medium P.

[0067] In this way, the control unit 25 determines whether the weight of the media P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and if it is determined that the weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value, restricts the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40. This prevents the loading tray 40 from operating under a load greater than expected, reducing the risk of the alignment of the media P on the loading tray 40 being deteriorated due to an inability to properly control the lifting and lowering operation of the loading tray 40. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 78 can be prevented from being damaged before the upper limit of the stacking tray 40 is reached, and abnormal noise can be reduced.

[0068] It is preferable that the predetermined value to be compared with the count value until the stacking tray 40 reaches its lower limit is determined based on the number of sheets of media P stacked on the stacking tray 40 and the amount of ink ejected onto the media P.

[0069] In the case of a medium P recorded on by an inkjet printer, curling occurs as the medium P absorbs ink. The degree of this curling varies depending on the amount of ink ejected onto the medium P. Therefore, the height of the media P stacked on the stacking tray 40 varies depending on the number of media P and the amount of ink ejected onto the media P. In other words, when the upper surface position of the media P on the stacking tray 40 is constant, the distance from the stacking tray 40 to the lower limit sensor 90 varies depending on the number of media P and the amount of ink ejected onto the media P.

[0070] Therefore, by changing the specified value based on the number of media P on the stacking tray 40 and the amount of ink ejected onto the media P, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the user has taken away the media P. Furthermore, instead of the amount of ink ejected onto the medium P, the printing rate of the medium P, which can be calculated from the recording data, may be used.

[0071] Furthermore, if a stepping motor is used as the motor for the lifting mechanism 78, the number of steps until the stacking tray 40 blocks the light from the light-emitting unit 91 can be used as a count value to determine whether the user has taken away the medium P.

[0072] Furthermore, the restriction on the lifting and lowering operation includes restricting only the lifting operation of the stacking tray 40, in addition to restricting the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40 during both the lifting and lowering operations. When performing the lifting operation to lift the stacking tray 40 and the lowering operation to lower it, the lifting operation places a greater load on the lifting mechanism 78. The lowering operation places a smaller load on the lifting mechanism 78 than the lifting operation. Therefore, by allowing the downward movement, the ejection of the medium P can continue and the lifting mechanism 78 can be appropriately controlled, which reduces deterioration of alignment and reduces damage to and abnormal noise from the lifting mechanism 78.

[0073] 2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the feature of restricting the lifting and lowering movement of the loading tray 40 when the weight of the medium P on the loading tray 40 exceeds a threshold value is the same as in the first embodiment, but the operation leading up to the restriction of the lifting and lowering movement differs from that in the first embodiment.

[0074] In the second embodiment, when the weight of the media P on the stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit 25 determines the remaining number of sheets that can be stacked, and discharges the media from the first discharge unit 62 based on the remaining number of sheets that can be stacked. This remaining number of sheets that can be loaded is the number of sheets of media P that can be discharged onto the loading tray 40, and when the remaining number of sheets that can be loaded are discharged onto the loading tray 40, it is determined that the weight of the media P on the loading tray 40 has reached the upper limit. The threshold value in the second embodiment may be different from the threshold value in the first embodiment.

[0075] In this configuration, the control unit 25 can determine how many remaining sheets of media P need to be loaded on the stacking tray 40 before the weight of the media P loaded on the stacking tray 40 reaches the upper limit. Therefore, when recording is performed on multiple sheets of media for one job, it is possible to prevent recording from stopping midway through the job.

[0076] In this case, it is preferable to determine the remaining number of sheets that can be loaded based on the expected maximum weight per sheet of the medium P. The expected maximum weight per sheet is the weight of the medium P when the maximum number of dots that can be printed on the medium P are printed.

[0077] Here, the remaining number of sheets that can be loaded is determined by dividing the remaining loadable weight at the stage when the weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value by the expected maximum weight per sheet. In this way, the remaining number of sheets that can be stacked is determined based on the expected maximum weight of each medium P, so that the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 does not exceed the upper limit.

[0078] The specific operation will be explained below based on the flowchart in FIG. Steps S101 to S117 are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore, the description will begin with step S121. If the count value is smaller than the predetermined value in step S113, control unit 25 determines the remaining number of media P that can be discharged onto stacking tray 40 (step S121). Then, subsequent media P are discharged (step S122), and the number of discharged media is counted up (step S123). Then, the control unit 25 performs an operation to determine the standby position of the stacking tray 40 (step S124), and determines whether the stacking tray 40 has reached the lower limit (step S125).

[0079] If it is determined in step S125 that the stacking tray 40 has reached the lower limit position, the control unit 25 restricts the lifting and lowering operation of the stacking tray 40 (step S115), prohibits recording (step S116), and notifies the user (step S117).

[0080] If it is determined in step S125 that stacking tray 40 has not reached the lower limit position, control unit 25 determines whether the number of media P discharged onto stacking tray 40 has reached the remaining stackable number (step S126). If it is determined that the number of media P discharged onto stacking tray 40 has reached the remaining stackable number, control unit 25 proceeds to step S115, but if it is determined that the number of media P discharged onto stacking tray 40 has not reached the remaining stackable number, control unit 25 returns to step S122 and repeats the same operation.

[0081] The media P discharged onto the stacking tray 40 in step S126 is the number of media P discharged onto the stacking tray 40 after the remaining stackable number is set. In other words, it is the number of media P discharged onto the stacking tray 40 after the weight of the media P on the stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0082] This prevents the stacking tray 40 from operating when a load greater than expected is being applied to the stacking tray 40, and makes it possible to appropriately control the lifting mechanism 78. As a result, it is possible to reduce deterioration in the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40, and also reduce damage to and abnormal noise from the lifting mechanism 78. Furthermore, since the stacking tray 40 will not operate under an unexpected load, the risk of the stacking tray 40 not operating properly and the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40 being deteriorated can be reduced.

[0083] 3. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In the third embodiment, the feature of changing the control of the loading tray 40 when the weight of the medium P on the loading tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value is the same as in the first and second embodiments, but the control method differs from the first and second embodiments.

[0084] In this embodiment, the control unit 25 can change the rotation speed of the motor of the lifting mechanism 78 when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value. Specifically, when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit 25 reduces the rotation speed of the motor. In other words, the control unit 25 makes the rotation speed of the motor when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the threshold value slower than the rotation speed of the motor when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is less than the threshold value.

[0085] The motor can increase torque by reducing the rotation speed, making it possible to appropriately control the lifting mechanism 78 even when a greater-than-expected load is applied to the stacking tray 40. This makes it possible to reduce deterioration in the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40, as well as to reduce damage to and abnormal noise from the lifting mechanism 78.

[0086] The specific operation will be explained below based on the flowchart in FIG. Steps S101 to S117 are the same as those in the first embodiment, but differ from the first embodiment in that step S131 is performed.

[0087] If the count value is smaller than the predetermined value in step S113, the control unit 25 reduces the speed of the motor of the lifting mechanism 78 in step S131. This can reduce the deterioration of the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40, and can also reduce damage to and noise from the lifting mechanism 78.

[0088] In this embodiment, it is not necessary to reduce the rotation speed of the motor during both the lowering and lifting of the stacking tray 40, and the rotation speed of the motor may be reduced only during the lifting operation. This is because when a load greater than expected is applied to the stacking tray 40, the motor is loaded more heavily in the lifting operation than in the lowering operation. Therefore, the control unit 25 may reduce the rotation speed when the stacking tray 40 is moving up, but may not reduce the rotation speed when the stacking tray 40 is moving down. This reduces the load on the motor and reduces the decrease in throughput.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, the lifting and lowering speed of the stacking tray 40 can be set to multiple stages, and the lifting and lowering speed of the stacking tray 40, i.e., the rotation speed of the motor, can be changed depending on the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40.

[0090] Specifically, as shown in Table 1, when the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is smaller than the first threshold T1, the lifting / lowering speed is set to the first speed during both the lifting and lowering operations. When the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1 and smaller than the second threshold T2, the lifting / lowering speed is set to the second speed. When the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the second threshold T2 and smaller than the third threshold T3, the lifting / lowering speed is set to the third speed.

[0091] The lifting speed decreases from the first speed to the second speed to the third speed. That is, the lifting speed can be reduced in stages as the weight Z of the media P on the stacking tray 40 increases. This allows the rotation speed of the motor to be changed in accordance with the load on the stacking tray 40, so that the load on the motor can be reduced while reducing the decrease in throughput.

[0092] [Table 1]

[0093] Furthermore, as shown in Table 2, the rotation speed of the motor may be changed according to the weight Z of the media P on the stacking tray 40 only in the lifting operation of the stacking tray 40. This reduces the load on the motor and reduces the decrease in throughput.

[0094] [Table 2]

[0095] 4. Fourth embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In the fourth embodiment, the feature of changing the control of the stacking tray 40 when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value is the same as in the first to third embodiments, but the control method differs from the first to third embodiments.

[0096] In this embodiment, the control unit 25 can change the drive current of the motor of the lifting mechanism 78 when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value. Specifically, when the weight of medium P on stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value, control unit 25 controls to increase the drive current flowing to the motor. In other words, control unit 25 increases the drive current flowing to the motor when the weight of medium P on stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than the drive current flowing to the motor when the weight of medium P on stacking tray 40 is smaller than the threshold value.

[0097] When the drive current flowing through the motor increases, the torque also increases, making it possible to appropriately control the lifting mechanism 78 even when a greater-than-expected load is applied to the stacking tray 40. This makes it possible to reduce deterioration in the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40, as well as reduce damage to and abnormal noise from the lifting mechanism 78.

[0098] The specific operation will be explained below based on the flowchart in FIG. Steps S101 to S117 are the same as those in the first embodiment, but differ from the first embodiment in that step S141 is performed.

[0099] If the count value is smaller than the predetermined value in step S113, the control unit 25 increases the drive current flowing to the motor of the lifting mechanism 78 in step S141. This can reduce the deterioration of the alignment of the media P on the stacking tray 40, and can also reduce damage to and noise from the lifting mechanism 78.

[0100] In addition, in this embodiment, the current value flowing through the motor may be set to multiple levels, and the drive current flowing through the motor may be changed depending on the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40.

[0101] Specifically, as shown in Table 3, when the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is smaller than the first threshold T1, the current value of the drive current is set to the first current value during both the raising and lowering operations. When the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1 and smaller than the second threshold T2, the current value is set to the second current value. When the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 is equal to or greater than the second threshold T2 and smaller than the third threshold T3, the current value is set to the third current value.

[0102] The current value increases from the first current value to the second current value to the third current value. That is, the drive current can be changed in stages as the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 increases. This allows the torque of the motor to be changed in accordance with the load on the stacking tray 40, so that the load on the motor can be reduced while reducing the decrease in throughput.

[0103] [Table 3]

[0104] Furthermore, as shown in Table 4, the drive current of the motor may be changed according to the weight Z of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 only in the lifting operation of the stacking tray 40. This reduces the load on the motor and reduces the decrease in throughput.

[0105] [Table 4]

[0106] In the fourth embodiment, instead of increasing the drive current flowing to the motor, the current limit value may be increased.

[0107] Modifications of the embodiment will be described below. In the first to fourth embodiments, the recognition unit 51 is configured as a functional block within the control unit 25, but may be configured as hardware different from the control unit 25.

[0108] In the first to fourth embodiments, the control unit 25 provided in the recording unit 2 recognizes the weight of the media P and controls the lifting mechanism 78. However, this is not limiting. For example, a loading control unit having the same functions as the control unit 25 may be disposed inside the medium loading device 39, and this loading control unit may recognize the weight of the media P and control the lifting mechanism 78, i.e., execute the steps of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6, 7, and 8. Alternatively, a post-processing control unit having the same functions as the control unit 25 may be disposed outside the medium loading device 39 within the post-processing device 5, and this post-processing control unit may recognize the weight of the media P and control the lifting mechanism 78. In these cases, information required to recognize the weight of the media P, such as recording data, may be obtained via the recording unit 2 or directly from an external device. Even in this case, the recognition unit 51 that recognizes the weight of the media P may be provided inside or outside the loading control unit or the post-processing control unit.

[0109] Furthermore, when calculating the weight of ink, the weight of ink is calculated from the number of ink dots and the weight of ink per dot, but the weight of ink may also be calculated based on the printing rate of the recording data. Specifically, the number of ink dots to be applied to the medium P may be calculated from the printing rate, and the weight of the ink may be calculated by multiplying the number of dots calculated from the printing rate by the weight of ink per dot.

[0110] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, when the weight of the medium P on the stacking tray 40 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value, the recording by the line head 20 may be continued by changing the discharge destination of the medium P from the stacking tray 40 to another tray without interrupting the recording.

[0111] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, the timing for calculating the weight of the media P stacked on the stacking tray 40 may be before the timing for ejecting the media P onto the stacking tray 40. When the weight of the medium P loaded on the loading tray 40 is calculated first, and it is expected that the calculated weight of the medium P on the loading tray 40 will be equal to or greater than a threshold value, the ejection of the medium P that was scheduled to be ejected onto the loading tray 40 may be prohibited. In this case, the ejection destination of the medium P may be changed from the stacking tray 40 to another tray, without prohibiting the ejection of the medium P, so that recording can continue.

[0112] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1...recording system, 2...recording unit, 3...intermediate unit, 5...post-processing device, 10...printer section, 11...scanner section, 12...media storage cassette, 13...post-recording discharge tray, 14...cassette storage section, 19...operation section, 20...line head, 21...feed path, 22...first discharge path, 23...second discharge path, 24...reversal path, 25...control section, 30...receiving path, 31...first switchback path, 32...second switchback path, 33...merging path, 35...branching section, 36...merging section, 39...media loading device, 40...loading tray, 40a...base section, 40b...extension section, 41...receiving section, 42...end binding section, 43...first conveying path, 45...second conveying path, 46...punch processing section, 47...post-processing section, 48...processing tray, 49...upper tray, 51...recognition section, 52...memory section, 53...receiving section, 62...first discharge section, 63...second discharge section, 75...guide frame, 76...drive belt, 77A, 77B...lifting guide, 78...lifting mechanism, 79...transmission shaft, 80...upper surface detection sensor, 81...flag, 81a...tip section, 81b...detected section, 82...photointerrupter, 83...rotating shaft, 90...lower limit sensor, 91...light-emitting section, 92...light-receiving section, D...branching section, P...medium, T1...first threshold, T2...second threshold, T3...third threshold, Z...weight.

Claims

1. a discharge unit that discharges the medium on which the liquid has been discharged and recorded; a stacking unit that stacks the media discharged by the discharge unit; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the loading unit; a recognition unit that recognizes the weight of the media loaded on the loading unit; The lifting unit lifts and lowers the stacking unit based on the weight of the media recognized by the recognition unit. a control unit for controlling the lowering operation; an upper surface detection sensor capable of detecting the upper surface of the media loaded in the loading section; a lower limit sensor capable of detecting that the loading section is at its lower limit; Equipped with The control unit a lowering operation of lowering the loading unit based on the detection result of the upper surface detection sensor; After the lowering operation, a lifting operation is performed to lift the loading unit. Holds the top surface of the media in place, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the lifting operation and lowering the loading section to a position detected by the lower limit sensor. 、 The load unit is detected by the lower limit sensor based on the count value. Controlling the lifting and lowering operation of the loading unit by the lifting unit; If the count value is less than a predetermined value, the threshold value is not changed, If the count value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the threshold value is increased. A recording system characterized by:

2. 2. The recording system according to claim 1, The recognition unit determines the weight of the medium before the liquid is discharged and the amount of the liquid discharged onto the medium. and recognizing the weight of the medium loaded in the loading section. A recording system characterized by:

3. 3. The recording system according to claim 1, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit determining the remaining number of sheets that can be loaded on the stacking section after the number of sheets reaches or exceeds the threshold value; The control unit determines whether the number of sheets of media discharged by the discharge unit after the number of sheets of media reaches or exceeds the threshold. , when the remaining stackable number is reached, the lifting operation is limited. A recording system characterized by:

4. 4. The recording system according to claim 3, The remaining number of sheets that can be loaded is determined based on the maximum expected weight of each sheet of media. Ru, A recording system characterized by:

5. 3. The recording system according to claim 1, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit , limiting the upward movement; A recording system characterized by:

6. 3. The recording system according to claim 1, The lifting unit has a motor as a drive source, The control unit The rotation speed of the motor is changed based on the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit. It is possible, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the motor The rotation speed of the medium when the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is smaller than the threshold value is slower than the rotation speed of the motor; A recording system characterized by:

7. 7. The recording system according to claim 6, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit The rotation speed of the motor during the lifting operation is recognized by the recognition unit. the rotation speed of the motor during the lifting operation when the weight of the medium is less than the threshold value; slower than normal, A recording system characterized by:

8. 3. The recording system according to claim 1, The lifting unit has a motor as a drive source, The control unit The driving current of the motor is changed based on the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit. It is possible, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the motor a drive current of the medium when the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is smaller than the threshold value; the driving current of the motor is made larger than the driving current of the motor; A recording system characterized by:

9. 9. The recording system according to claim 8, When the weight of the medium recognized by the recognition unit is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit The drive current of the motor during the lifting operation is recognized by the recognition unit. When the weight of the medium is less than the threshold value, the driving voltage of the motor during the lifting operation is Make it bigger than the current, A recording system characterized by:

10. 3. The recording system according to claim 1, the predetermined value is determined based on the number of media and the amount of liquid ejected onto the media; A recording system characterized by:

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