Recording device, control method, storage medium, and program

Abstract

To suppress noise in a driving system and increase in power consumption, in eliminating an overlapped state.SOLUTION: A recording device includes control means capable of performing reduction control for reducing an overlapped amount by a speed difference, from an overlapped state where a subsequent recording medium is overlapped at a rear end of a preceding recording medium. It can execute reduction control in which a conveyance speed of the preceding recording medium is set at a first speed, in a first case where the rear end of the preceding recording medium and a tip of the subsequent recording medium are positioned in a section between first conveyance means and second conveyance means, and it can execute reduction control in which a conveyance speed of the preceding recording medium is set at a second speed which is different from the first speed, in a second case which is different from the first case where the rear end of the preceding recording medium and the tip of the subsequent recording medium are positioned in the section between the first conveyance means and the second conveyance means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for controlling the transportation of a recording medium in a recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a recording device that transports a succeeding recording medium in an overlapping state with the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium superimposed on it, and records on the succeeding recording medium. This type of transport control can improve recording efficiency. Meanwhile, from the perspective of recording medium dischargeability and preventing jams, techniques have been proposed for eliminating the overlapping state between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a recording device that increases the transport speed of the preceding recording medium to eliminate the overlapping state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-56299 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When eliminating the overlapping state, if the transport speed of the preceding recording medium is increased uniformly, noise from the drive system and increased power consumption may occur.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that can suppress increases in drive system noise and power consumption when eliminating the overlapping state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium; a first conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction; a second conveying means for conveying the recording medium recorded by the recording means, downstream of the first conveying means in the conveying direction; A reduction control for reducing the overlapping amount between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium due to a speed difference between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium from an overlapping state in which the succeeding recording medium overlaps the rear end of the preceding recording medium. Run a control means; A recording device comprising: The control means The rear end of the preceding recording medium and the front end of the following recording medium are positioned in the section between the first conveying means and the second conveying means. In this case, a time from when the decrease control is started until the leading edge of the subsequent recording medium reaches the second conveying means is estimated; calculating a speed value at which a predetermined interval is provided between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium; If the speed value exceeds the upper speed limit, the transport speed of the preceding recording medium The upper limit Set to Speed do Execute the reduction control death , If the speed value is lower than the upper limit speed, the transport speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a speed lower than the upper limit speed based on the estimated time. Execute the reduction control do , A recording device is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that can suppress an increase in noise and power consumption of the drive system when eliminating the overlapping state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 14] (A) to (D) are explanatory diagrams of the pulling-off operation. [Figure 15] (A) to (D) are explanatory diagrams of the pulling-off operation. [Figure 16] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <Summary> 1 is a schematic diagram of a recording apparatus 200 according to this embodiment. The recording apparatus 200 according to this embodiment is an inkjet recording apparatus that discharges ink onto a recording medium P to perform recording.

[0011] "Recording" not only includes the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also includes the formation of images, patterns, designs, etc. on a recording medium, whether meaningful or insignificant, or the processing of the medium, regardless of whether it is manifested in a way that can be perceived visually by humans. In addition, although sheet-like paper is assumed as the "recording medium" in this embodiment, it may also be cloth, plastic film, etc.

[0012] The recording device 200 comprises a stacking section 11 and a discharge section 25. The stacking section 11 is a tray on which a plurality of recording media P are stacked. The discharge section 25 is a tray on which recording media P with images already recorded are stacked. The recording device 200 comprises transport units C1 to C6 as a configuration for transporting the recording media P along a transport path from the stacking section 11 to the discharge section 25, and also comprises a recording head 7 midway along the transport path for the recording media P. The transport path defines the transport direction of the recording medium P. With respect to the transport direction of the recording medium P, the upstream side and downstream side may be referred to as the upstream side, where the upstream side means the side of the stacking section 11 and the downstream side means the side of the discharge section 25. The transport units C1 to C6 are arranged in this order from the upstream side.

[0013] The transport units C3 and C4 can also be called medium feeding units, in that they are units that mainly perform the operation of feeding the recording medium P to the recording head 7 while the recording head 7 is recording an image. The transport units C1 and C2 can also be called feeding units, in that they are units that mainly feed the recording medium P from the stacking section 11. The transport units C5 and C6 can also be called discharge units, in that they are units that mainly discharge the recording medium P to the discharge section 25 after recording.

[0014] The transport unit C1 is equipped with a pickup roller 2 driven by a motor 207. The pickup roller 2 comes into contact with the uppermost recording medium P stacked on the stacker 11 and picks up the recording medium P one by one. The transport unit C2 is equipped with a feed roller 3 which is a drive roller driven by a motor 208, and a feed driven roller 4 which comes into pressure contact with the feed roller 3 and sandwiches and feeds the recording medium P together with the feed roller 3. The recording medium P picked up by the pickup roller 2 is fed downstream by the transport unit C2 while being guided by a transport guide 100.

[0015] In this embodiment, the pickup roller 2 is a one-way roller and can rotate idly. After the recording medium P reaches the feed roller 3, the feeding roller 3 can continue to transport the recording medium P even if the driving of the pickup roller 2 is stopped. Note that while this embodiment illustrates a configuration including the pickup roller 2 and the feed roller 3, the recording medium P loaded on the stacking unit 11 may be fed only by the feed roller 3.

[0016] The detection sensor 16 is a sensor, such as an optical sensor, that detects the leading and trailing ends of the recording medium P. The detection position of the detection sensor 16 is set to a position downstream of the feed roller 3 and upstream of the transport unit C3.

[0017] The transport unit C3 includes a transport roller 5, which is a drive roller driven by a motor 205, and a pinch roller 6 that presses against the transport roller 5 to form a nip and feeds the recording medium P by sandwiching it together with the transport roller 5. The transport unit C3 transports the recording medium P fed by the transport unit C2 to a position facing the recording head 7 (a position between the recording head 7 and a platen 8 facing the recording head 7).

[0018] The print head 7 prints an image on the print medium P. In this embodiment, the print head 7 is an inkjet print head that prints by ejecting ink onto the print medium P. A platen 8 supports the print medium P from below. The print head 7 is mounted on a carriage 1. The carriage 1 is a moving mechanism using a motor 204 as a drive source. 204a , the recording medium P is moved in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the recording medium P (the width direction of the recording medium P).

[0019] Conveying unit C4 includes a conveying roller 10, which is a drive roller driven by a motor 205, and a spur 12 that rotates in contact with the recording surface of the recording medium P, and conveys the recording medium P conveyed by conveying unit C3 further downstream. The spur 12 is biased toward the conveying roller 10. The motor 205 is shared by conveying units C3 and C4.

[0020] The transport unit C5 includes a transport roller 20, which is a drive roller driven by a motor 206, and a transport driven roller 21 that is pressed against the transport roller 20 to form a nip portion and transports the recording medium P by sandwiching it together with the transport roller 20. The discharge unit C5 transports the recording medium P transported by the transport unit C4 further downstream along the transport path 104.

[0021] The transport unit C6 includes a discharge roller 22, which is a drive roller driven by a motor 215, and a discharge driven roller 23 that presses against the discharge roller 22 to form a nip portion and transports the recording medium P by sandwiching it together with the discharge roller 22. The discharge unit C6 discharges the recording medium P transported by the transport unit C5 to a discharge section 25.

[0022] <Control system> 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the recording device 200. The MPU 201 includes at least one processor and is a control unit that controls the entire recording device 200. The ROM 202 and RAM 203 are storage devices, particularly semiconductor memories. The ROM 202 is a semiconductor memory that stores programs and data executed by the MPU 201. The RAM 203 is a semiconductor memory that temporarily stores processing data executed by the MPU 201 and data received from the host computer 214.

[0023] The print head 7 is controlled by a print head driver 220. The motors 204 to 208 and 215 are controlled by a motor driver 218. The sensor group 216 includes various sensors provided in the printing device 200, such as the detection sensor 16, a sensor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation of the feed roller 3, and a sensor (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation of the transport roller 5. The host computer 214 is provided with a printer driver 2141 that transmits print data (print job) such as a print image and printing conditions to the printing device 200 when a user commands the printing operation to be performed. The MPU 201 communicates information with the host computer 214 via an interface unit (I / F unit) 213.

[0024] <Recording operation flow> An example of the operation of the recording device 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9. Here, an example will be described in which an operation of recording images on one side of each of two recording media P is performed consecutively. That is, the operation will be described in chronological order using an example in which there is recording data for two pages in one job. I When recording data is transmitted via the / F unit 213, the recording data is processed by the MPU 201 and then expanded in the RAM 203. Then, the MPU 201 starts a recording operation based on the expanded data.

[0025] See ST1 in Figure 3. First, motor 207 is driven at a low speed. This causes pickup roller 2 to rotate at, for example, 7.6 inches / sec. As pickup roller 2 rotates, it picks up the topmost recording medium P stacked on stacker 11. The first preceding recording medium P1 picked up by pickup roller 2 is transported by feed roller 3, which rotates in the same direction as pickup roller 2. Feeding roller 3 is driven by motor 208 at the same transport speed as the transport speed of the preceding recording medium P1 by pickup roller 2.

[0026] The pickup roller 2 rotates a predetermined amount to transport the preceding recording medium P1 until it passes the feed roller 3. Then, it stops so as not to pick up the next succeeding recording medium P2. When the detection sensor 16 detects the leading edge of the preceding recording medium P1, the motor 208 is switched to high-speed driving. For example, the feed roller 3 rotates at 20 inches / sec.

[0027] See ST2 in Figure 3. As the feed roller 3 continues to rotate, the leading edge L1 of the preceding recording medium P1 in the conveying direction hits the nip formed by the feed roller 5 and pinch roller 6. At this time, the feed roller 5 is stationary. By continuing to rotate the feed roller 3 a predetermined amount even after the leading edge L1 of the preceding recording medium P1 hits the conveying nip, the leading edge L1 of the preceding recording medium P1 hits the nip uniformly in the width direction and becomes bent. This corrects the skew of the preceding recording medium P1. This skew correction operation is also called a registration operation.

[0028] See ST3 in FIG. 3. When the skew correction operation for the preceding recording medium P1 is completed, the conveying motor 205 is driven, and the conveying roller 5 starts to rotate. The conveying roller 5 conveys the preceding recording medium P1 at, for example, 15 inches / sec. The preceding recording medium P1 is cue-aligned to a position facing the recording head 7. Cue-alignment means that the first recording position of the preceding recording medium P1 is made to face the recording head 7. The cue-alignment operation is performed by rotating the preceding recording medium P1. 1 This is done by controlling the amount of rotation of the conveying roller 5 from the state where the leading edge L1 of the conveying roller 5 abuts against the nip portion. Based on the print data, ink is ejected from the print head 7, and the print operation of the print data for the first page is started on the preceding print medium P1.

[0029] The recording device 200 of this embodiment is a serial type recording device in which the recording head 7 is mounted on the carriage 1. The recording operation is performed by alternately repeating an intermittent transport operation of the recording medium P and a recording scan operation. The intermittent transport operation is an operation in which the recording medium P is transported a predetermined amount and then stopped, and is performed by the transport roller 5 alone, or by the transport roller 5 and the transport roller 10. The recording scan operation is an operation in which, while the transport of the recording medium P is stopped, the carriage 1 moves to move the recording head 7 in the width direction of the recording medium P, while ejecting ink. Through these recording operations, the recording of an image on the preceding recording medium P1 progresses.

[0030] When the preceding recording medium P1 is cue-aligned, the motor 208 is switched to low-speed drive. For example, the feed roller 3 rotates at 7.6 inches / sec. During the intermittent transport operation of the preceding recording medium P1, the feed roller 3 also performs intermittent transport operation. In other words, when the transport roller 5 is rotating, the feed roller 3 also rotates, and when the transport roller 5 is stopped, the feed roller 3 also stops. The rotation speed of the feed roller 3 is slower than the rotation speed of the transport roller 5. Therefore, the preceding recording medium P1 is in a tensioned state between the transport roller 5 and the feed roller 3. In addition, the feed roller 3 is rotated together with the preceding recording medium P1 being transported by the transport roller 5.

[0031] When the conveying roller 5 performs the intermittent conveying operation of the preceding recording medium P1, the conveying roller 20 and the discharge roller 22 are also driven intermittently in the same rotation direction and at the same speed as the conveying roller 5. That is, when the conveying roller 5 is rotating, the conveying roller 20 and the discharge roller 22 also rotate, and when the conveying roller 5 is stopped, the conveying roller 20 and the discharge roller 22 also stop.

[0032] Due to factors such as the responsiveness of the detection sensor 16, a predetermined interval is required between successive recording media P in order for the detection sensor 16 to detect the edge of the recording media P. That is, a predetermined time must elapse between when the detection sensor 16 detects the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and when it detects the leading edge L2 of the second succeeding recording medium P2. Therefore, transport control is used to separate the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 from the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 by a predetermined distance. The pickup operation for the succeeding recording medium P2 is performed after it is determined that the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 has passed the detection sensor 16. Furthermore, the rotation of the pickup roller 2 is controlled so that the distance between the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. The leading and trailing edge positions of each recording medium P may be determined from the amount of rotation of each roller, or may be calculated using a separate sensor.

[0033] See ST4 in Figure 4. The succeeding recording medium P2 picked up by the pickup roller 2 is transported by the feed roller 3. At this time, the recording operation on the preceding recording medium P1 continues. When the detection sensor 16 detects the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2, the motor 208 is switched to high-speed driving. That is, the feed roller 3 rotates at, for example, 20 inches / sec.

[0034] See ST5 in FIG. 4. During the recording operation, the subsequent recording medium P2 is moved at a high speed relative to the speed at which the preceding recording medium P1 moves downstream. This allows the leading edge of the subsequent recording medium P2 to overlap the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P1. In this embodiment, the preceding recording medium P1 is transported by repeated intermittent transport operations during the recording operation, so the subsequent recording medium P2 can catch up with the preceding recording medium P1 by continuously rotating the feed roller 3. The subsequent recording medium P2 is fed until its leading edge L2 reaches a position a predetermined distance upstream of the nip between the transport roller 5 and the pinch roller 6. The position of the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2 is calculated from the amount of rotation of the feed roller 3 after the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2 is detected by the detection sensor 16, and is controlled based on this calculation result.

[0035] (Stacking operation by stacking control) The operation of forming the overlapping state will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged views of the conveying section between the nip formed by the feed roller 3 and the feed driven roller 4 and the nip formed by the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6. A lever 17 is provided in this section to prevent the rear end of the recording medium P from floating up. The lever 17 is supported at its upper end so as to be freely rotatable.

[0036] The process in which the recording medium P is conveyed by the conveying roller 5 and the feed roller 3 will be explained in order as three states. The first state, in which the subsequent recording medium P2 follows the preceding recording medium P1, will be explained with reference to ST5-1 and ST5-2 in Fig. 5. The second state, in which the subsequent recording medium P2 is overlapped on the preceding recording medium P1, will be explained with reference to ST5-3 and ST5-4 in Fig. 6. The third state, in which it is determined whether to maintain the overlapping state and perform skew correction of the subsequent recording medium P2, will be explained with reference to ST5-5 in Fig. 6.

[0037] In ST5-1 in Figure 5, the feed roller 3 is driven to transport the subsequent recording medium P2, and the detection sensor 16 detects the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2. The first section A1 is defined as the distance from the detection sensor 16 to position PS1, where the subsequent recording medium P2 can be placed on top of the preceding recording medium P1. In the first section A1, the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2 follows the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1. Position PS1 is determined by the configuration of the mechanism.

[0038] In the first state, there are cases where the chasing operation is stopped in the first section A1. As shown in ST5-2 in Figure 5, if the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 overtakes the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 before position PS1, the operation of overlapping the succeeding recording medium P2 on the preceding recording medium P1 is not performed.

[0039] 6, a second section A2 is defined as the section from position PS1 to position PS2 where lever 17 is provided. In second section A2, the subsequent recording medium P2 is placed on the rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1.

[0040] In the second state, there are cases where the operation of overlapping the succeeding recording medium P2 on the preceding recording medium P1 is stopped in the second section A2. As shown in ST5-4 of Figure 6, if the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 cannot catch up with the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 in the second section A2, the operation of overlapping the succeeding recording medium P2 on the preceding recording medium P1 cannot be performed.

[0041] In ST5-5 of Figure 6, the section from position PS2 to position PS3 is defined as a third section A3. At position PS3, the subsequent recording medium P2 is transported overlapping the preceding recording medium P1 until the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2 reaches position PS3. In the third section A3, a determination is made as to whether to perform skew correction of the subsequent recording medium P2 while maintaining the overlapping state, or to release the overlapping state and perform skew correction. If the overlapping state is released and skew correction is performed, the subsequent processing is the same as for the preceding recording medium P1.

[0042] 4, the process when it is determined that the overlapping state should be maintained and skew correction operation should be performed will be described. When the conveying roller 5 is stopped to perform the recording scan operation of the last line of the preceding recording medium P1, skew correction operation for the succeeding recording medium P2 is performed. Here, the feed roller 3 is driven to abut the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 against the nip portion between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6, thereby correcting the skew of the succeeding recording medium P2.

[0043] See ST7 in Figure 7. When the print scanning operation for the last line of the preceding recording medium P1 is completed, the conveyance roller 5 is rotated a predetermined amount to position the beginning of the succeeding recording medium P2 while maintaining the overlapping state. At this time, the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 are both clamped in the nip between the conveyance roller 5 and the pinch roller 6, and both are conveyed.

[0044] When the succeeding recording medium P2 is cue-read, the motor 208 is switched to low-speed driving. For example, the feed roller 3 rotates at 7.6 inches / sec. A recording operation of the second page of recording data for the succeeding recording medium P2 is started on the succeeding recording medium P2. During the intermittent transport operation of the succeeding recording medium P2, the feed roller 3 also performs an intermittent transport operation. During the intermittent transport operation of the succeeding recording medium P2, an intermittent transport operation is also performed on the preceding recording medium P1. After that, an image is recorded on the succeeding recording medium P2.

[0045] (Pull-off operation by reduction control) In this embodiment, transport control can be performed to transport the following recording medium P2 stacked on top of the preceding recording medium P1. However, if these recording media P are discharged face-down to the discharge section 25 while still stacked, the order of the recording media P may be reversed, resulting in poor discharge performance. For example, the stacking order (page order) of the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 may be reversed in the discharge section 25, or a paper jam may occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, reduction control can be performed to reduce the amount of overlap between the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 by using the speed difference between them. By executing this reduction control, the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 are separated from each other. As a result, the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 are discharged without overlapping.

[0046] 7 to 9. As shown in ST8-1, the separation operation is initiated when the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 are located in the area between the transport rollers 10 and 20. The position of the trailing edge R1 is determined from the rotation amount of the transport roller 5 from the cue position of the preceding recording medium P1 and the length of the preceding recording medium P1. In the case of an overlapping state, when the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes the transport roller 10, the trailing edge R2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 is located in the area between the transport rollers 10 and 20. After it is determined that the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 has passed the transport roller 10, the motor 206 continuously rotates the transport roller 20 independently of the transport rollers 5 and 10. At this time, the transport speed of the preceding recording medium P1 (the rotation speed of the transport roller 20) is controlled so as to reduce the amount of overlap between the succeeding recording medium P2 and the preceding recording medium P1. The discharge roller 22 is also rotated by the motor 215 at the same speed as the transport roller 20. The method for calculating the speed values ​​of the transport roller 20 and the discharge roller 22 will be described in detail later.

[0047] 7, the rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes the transport rollers 20 before the leading end L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2, forming a gap between the rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading end L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2. When this gap is a predetermined distance, the discharge rollers 22 rotate continuously independently of the transport rollers 5 and 10, discharging the preceding recording medium P1. The rotational speed of the transport rollers 20 is returned to the same rotational speed as the transport rollers 5 and 10 before the leading end L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 reaches the transport rollers 20.

[0048] In this way, the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 are separated in the section between the transport rollers 10 and 20, eliminating the overlap between the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2. To eliminate the overlap, the rotational speed of the transport roller 20 may be faster than that of the transport roller 5, but the rotational speed of the transport roller 20 does not necessarily have to be faster than that of the transport roller 5. When the transport roller 5 performs intermittent transport operations for the recording operation of the succeeding recording medium P2, there is a transport stop period during the recording scan operation, and it takes longer for the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 to reach the transport roller 20 than in the case of continuous transport. Therefore, even if the rotational speeds of the transport roller 20 and the transport roller 5 are the same, continuous rotation of the transport roller 20 can create a speed difference between the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2. Performing a separation operation during the recording operation of the succeeding recording medium P2 in this way reduces the transport speed of the preceding recording medium P1, thereby suppressing increases in noise and power consumption.

[0049] On the other hand, depending on the printing conditions, the separation of the preceding and succeeding recording media P1 and P2 may not be completed in the section between the conveying rollers 10 and 20. ST9 in FIG. 8 shows an example of this. Although the overlap between the preceding and succeeding recording media P1 and P2 is reduced, the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording media P2 reaches the conveying rollers 20 before the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording media P1 passes the conveying rollers 20. In this case, when the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording media P2 reaches the conveying rollers 20 before the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording media P1, the conveying speed of the preceding recording media P1 is adjusted to match the conveying speed of the succeeding recording media P2 and the recording media are conveyed synchronously. Specifically, the conveying rollers 20 and the discharge rollers 22 rotate synchronously with the conveying rollers 5 and 10. The same applies when the gap between the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording media P1 and the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording media P2 is not a predetermined distance. The conveying speed of the preceding recording media P1 is adjusted to match the conveying speed of the succeeding recording media P2 before the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording media P2 reaches the conveying rollers 20.

[0050] In ST10 of FIG. 8, the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes through the conveyance rollers 20, and the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading edge L2 of the following recording medium P2 are positioned between the conveyance rollers 20 and the discharge rollers 23. The discharge rollers 22 are continuously rotated by the motor 215 to separate the preceding recording medium P1 from the following recording medium P2. The conveyance speed of the preceding recording medium P1 is controlled so that the distance between the leading edge L2 of the following recording medium P2 and the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance before the leading edge L2 of the following recording medium P2 reaches the discharge rollers 22. Specifically, the rotational speed of the discharge rollers 22 is controlled. In ST11 of FIG. 8, the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 are separated, eliminating the overlap between the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2. Details of the method for calculating the rotational speed of the discharge rollers 22 will be described later with reference to the control flow.

[0051] In this way, the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 are separated in the section between the conveying roller 20 and the discharge roller 22, eliminating the overlap between the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2. To eliminate the overlap, the rotational speed of the discharge roller 22 may be faster than that of the conveying roller 20, but the rotational speed of the discharge roller 22 does not necessarily have to be faster than that of the conveying roller 20. When the conveying roller 20 performs intermittent conveyance for the recording operation of the succeeding recording medium P2, there is a period of conveyance stop during the recording scan operation, and it takes longer for the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 to reach the discharge roller 22 than in the case of continuous conveyance. Therefore, even if the rotational speeds of the discharge roller 22 and the conveying roller 20 are the same, continuous rotation of the discharge roller 22 can create a speed difference between the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2. Performing a separation operation during the recording operation of the succeeding recording medium P2 in this way reduces the conveyance speed of the preceding recording medium P1, thereby suppressing increases in noise and power consumption.

[0052] The following will be described with reference to ST12 in Fig. 9. Since recording on the preceding recording medium P1 has been completed, the preceding recording medium P is discharged to the discharge section 25 by the rotation of the discharge rollers 22. The following will be described with reference to ST13 in Fig. 9. When the recording scan operation for the last line of the succeeding recording medium P2 is completed, recording on the succeeding recording medium P2, which is the last recording medium in one job, is completed. Here, by rotating the discharge rollers 22 and the conveying rollers 20, conveying rollers 10, and conveying rollers 5 in the same direction, the succeeding recording medium P2 is discharged to the discharge section 25 and the job is completed.

[0053] <Control flow explanation> An example of processing by the MPU 201 will now be described. Figures 10 to 14 are flowcharts of the recording control processing executed by the MPU 201. A variable indicating the recording order is N, K indicates the page, and M indicates the number of recording media P, and these are expressed as K(N) and M(N) as functions of N. Nmax indicates the maximum recording order. The processing in Figure 10 starts when recording data is sent from the host computer 214 via the I / F unit 213.

[0054] In step S1 of FIG. 10, the recording order N is set to 1 and initialization is performed. In step S2, the maximum recording order Nmax is obtained from the recording data. In step S3, feeding of the M(N)th recording medium P from the stacker 11 begins at 7.6 inches / sec. First, motor 207 is driven at a low speed. This causes pickup roller 2 to rotate at 7.6 inches / sec. As pickup roller 2 rotates, it picks up the topmost recording medium P stacked on stacker 11. The recording medium P picked up by pickup roller 2 is transported by feed roller 3, which rotates in the same direction as pickup roller 2. Feed roller 3 is driven by motor 208 at the same speed as pickup roller 2. After pickup roller 2 rotates a predetermined amount to transport recording medium P to a position beyond feed roller 3, it stops so as not to pick up the next recording medium P. Pickup roller 2 is a one-way roller, so that feeding by feed roller 3 can continue even when pickup roller 2 is stopped.

[0055] In step S4, it is determined whether the passage of the leading edge of the Mth (Nth)th recording medium P has been detected by the detection sensor 16. If it is determined that it has not passed (step S4: NO), the process of step S4 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has passed (step S4: YES), step S6 is executed.

[0056] In step S5, the feeding speed of the M(N)th recording medium P is switched to 20 inches / sec. At this time, the motor 208 is switched to high-speed driving, so that the feeding roller 3 rotates at 20 inches / sec. If the M(N-1)th recording medium P (preceding recording medium) exists, this is an operation to catch up with that recording medium.

[0057] In step S6, it is determined whether N=1. If it is determined that N=1 (step S6: YES), there is no preceding recording medium P to be stacked, so the process proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, if it is determined that N=1 is not true (step S6: NO), there is a possibility that a stacking operation will be performed, so the stacking preparation operation is performed in step S7.

[0058] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the stacking preparation operation in step S7. Step S71 is executed, and when the leading edge of the M(N)th recording medium P reaches a predetermined position in front of the conveying roller 5, the conveyance is stopped. The leading edge position of the M(N)th recording medium P is calculated from the amount of rotation of the feed roller 3 after the leading edge of the M(N)th recording medium P is detected by the detection sensor 16, and control is performed based on this calculation result.

[0059] In step S72, it is determined whether or not a predetermined overlapping implementation condition is met. Details of the overlapping implementation condition will be described later. If it is determined that the overlapping implementation condition is met (step S72: YES), step S73 is executed. In step S73, it is determined whether or not the print scanning operation for the last line of the M(N-1)th recording medium P has started. If it is determined that it has not started (step S73: NO), the processing of step S73 is repeated. If it is determined that it has started (step S73: YES), the processing is terminated, and step S8 in FIG. 10 is then executed.

[0060] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S72 that the overlapping implementation conditions are not met (step S72: NO), step S74 is executed. By sequentially executing the following steps S74 to S77, an operation to release the overlapping state or an operation when the subsequent recording medium P has not yet fully caught up with the preceding recording medium P can be performed.

[0061] In step S74, it is determined whether or not the recording of the last line on the (M(N-1))th sheet of recording medium P has been completed. If it is determined that it has not been completed (step S74: NO), the processing of step S74 is repeated. If it is determined that it has been completed (step S74: YES), step S75 is executed, and the (M(N-1))th sheet of recording medium P is conveyed at 18 inches / sec using the conveying roller 5.

[0062] In step S76, it is determined whether the trailing edge of the M(N-1)th recording medium P has been conveyed a predetermined distance or more after passing the conveying roller 5. If it is determined that the recording medium P has not been conveyed a predetermined distance or more (step S76: NO), the process of step S76 is repeated. If it is determined that the recording medium P has been conveyed a predetermined distance or more (step S76: YES), step S77 is executed and the conveying roller 5 is stopped. The process ends, and then step S8 in FIG. 10 is executed.

[0063] By sequentially executing steps S74 to S77 described above, if the overlapping conditions are not met after the overlapping state is formed, the overlapping state can be released at a position upstream in the conveying direction from the conveying roller 5. Furthermore, if the succeeding M(N)th recording medium P has not yet fully caught up with the preceding M(N-1)th recording medium P, preparations can be made to correct skew of the M(N)th recording medium P alone.

[0064] 10. In step S8, skew correction of the M(N)th recording medium P is performed. While the conveying roller 5 is stopped, the feed roller 3 is driven to abut the leading edge of the M(N)th recording medium P against the nip between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6, thereby correcting the skew of the M(N)th recording medium P. At this time, if it is determined in step S7 that N=1 (step S7: YES), the M(N)th recording medium P is corrected for skew independently, without being overlapped with the preceding recording medium P. Also, if it is determined in step S72 that the overlapping implementation condition is met (step S72: YES), the M(N)th recording medium P is corrected for skew independently, without being overlapped with the M(N-1)th recording medium P. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S72 that the overlapping implementation condition is not met (step S72: NO), the M(N)th recording medium P is corrected for skew independently, without being overlapped with the preceding recording medium P.

[0065] In step S9, the M(N)th recording medium P is cue-aligned. The M(N)th recording medium P can be cue-aligned by rotating the conveyance roller 5 a predetermined amount. At this time, if the M(N)th recording medium P has been corrected for skew in an overlapping state with the M(N-1)th recording medium P in step S8, the M(N)th recording medium P is cue-aligned while the overlapping state is maintained. In other words, the M(N)th recording medium P and the M(N-1)th recording medium P are conveyed simultaneously in an overlapping state.

[0066] In step S10, the feeding speed of the M(N)th recording medium P is switched to 7.6 inches / sec. By switching the motor 208 to low-speed drive, the feeding roller 3 rotates at 7.6 inches / sec. In step S11, the recording operation of the K(N)th page of data on the M(N)th recording medium P is started. While the conveying roller 5 is intermittently conveying the M(N)th recording medium P by a predetermined amount, the feeding roller 3 is also intermittently driven by the motor 208. When the M(N)th recording medium P is intermittently conveyed for the recording operation, the M(N-1)th recording medium P is also intermittently conveyed.

[0067] In step S12, it is determined whether N=1. If it is determined that N=1 (step S12: YES), step S13 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that N=1 is not true (step S12: NO), step S16 is executed.

[0068] In step S16, it is determined whether the M(N-1)th recording medium P and the M(N)th recording medium P are overlapping. If it is determined that they are overlapping (step S16: YES), a separating operation is performed in step S17. The separating operation will be described in detail later. After step S17 is performed, a discharge operation is performed in step S18. In step S18, the M(N-1)th recording medium P is discharged to the discharge section 25 by the rotation of the discharge roller 22 and the conveyance roller 20. If it is determined that they are not overlapping (step S16: NO), the separating operation in step S17 is not performed, and the discharge operation in step S18 is performed.

[0069] In step S13, the recording order N is incremented. That is, the recording order N is set to N+1. In step S14, it is determined whether the recording order N is equal to or less than the maximum recording order Nmax. If it is determined that it is equal to or less than the maximum recording order Nmax (step S14: YES), step S15 is executed. In step S15, it is determined whether the passage of the rear end of the M(N-1)th recording medium P has been detected by the detection sensor 16. If it is determined that it has been detected by the detection sensor 16 (step S15: YES), the process returns to step S3 and the same processing is repeated.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the recording sequence N is not equal to or less than the maximum recording sequence Nmax (step S14: NO), it is determined that the recording of the last line has been completed, and step S1 9 Step S1 9In this state, the M(N-1)th recording medium P is discharged. By rotating the discharge roller 22, the conveying roller 20, the conveying roller 10, and the conveying roller 5 in the same direction, the M(N-1)th recording medium P can be discharged to the discharge section 25. When the discharge is complete, the process ends.

[0071] <Conditions for stacking> 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for determining whether the overlapping conditions described in S72 of Fig. 11 are met, and this determination selects the mode of the skew correction operation for the recording medium P. The M(N-1)th recording medium P is the preceding recording medium P1, and the M(N)th recording medium P is the succeeding recording medium P2.

[0072] In step S102, it is determined whether the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 has reached the determination position (PS3 in ST5-1 in FIG. 5). If it has not reached the determination position (step S102: NO), it is unclear whether the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 will strike the nip between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6 after the predetermined amount of conveyance. Therefore, a decision is made to perform a skew correction operation for the succeeding recording medium P2 in a standalone state, not in an overlapping state (step S103). That is, after the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P1 passes through the nip between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6, only the succeeding recording medium P strikes the nip to perform a skew correction operation, and then the succeeding recording medium P is indexed.

[0073] On the other hand, if the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 has reached the judgment position PS3 (step S102: YES), it is determined whether the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P1 has passed through the nip portion between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6 (step S105). If it is determined that the trailing edge has passed through (step S105: YES), the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 are not overlapping. Therefore, a skew correction operation for the succeeding recording medium in a separate state, not overlapping, is determined (step S106). That is, the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 is abutted against the nip portion between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6 to perform the skew correction operation, and then the succeeding recording medium P is cue-aligned.

[0074] On the other hand, if it is determined that the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P has not passed through the nip between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6 (step S105: NO), the process proceeds to step S107. In step S107, it is determined whether the amount of overlap between the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 is smaller than a threshold value. The position of the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium P1 is updated as the recording operation on the preceding recording medium P1 is performed. In addition, the leading edge of the following recording medium P2 is at the aforementioned determined position.

[0075] That is, the overlap amount decreases as the printing operation of the preceding recording medium P1 progresses. If it is determined that the overlap amount is smaller than the threshold value (step S107: YES), the overlapping state is released, and a decision is made to perform skew correction operation on the succeeding recording medium P2 in a standalone state (step S108). In this case, the succeeding recording medium P2 is not transported together with the preceding recording medium P1. Specifically, the transport motor 205 drives the transport roller 5 to transport the preceding recording medium P1. However, the feed roller 3 is not driven. Therefore, the overlapping state is released. Furthermore, only the succeeding recording medium P2 is brought into contact with the nip portion to perform skew correction operation, and then the succeeding recording medium P is cue-adjusted.

[0076] If it is determined that the overlap amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value (step S107: NO), it is determined whether the subsequent recording medium P will reach a spur (not shown) when the subsequent recording medium P2 is cue-adjusted (step S109). The spur (not shown) rotates in contact with the recording surface of the recording medium P on which recording has been performed by the recording head 7, and is located upstream of spur 12 in the transport direction.

[0077] If it is determined that the succeeding recording medium P2 has not reached the spur (not shown) (step S109: NO), the overlapping state is released, and a decision is made to perform a skew correction operation for the succeeding recording medium P2 in a standalone state (step S110). That is, the succeeding recording medium P2 is not transported together with the preceding recording medium P. Specifically, the transport motor 205 drives the transport roller 5 to transport the preceding recording medium P1. However, the feed roller 3 is not driven. Therefore, the overlapping state is released. Furthermore, the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 is abutted against the nip portion between the transport roller 5 and the pinch roller 6 to perform a skew correction operation, and then the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P is aligned.

[0078] If it is determined that the succeeding recording medium P reaches a spur (not shown) (step S109: YES), it is determined whether there is a gap between the last line of the preceding recording medium P1 and the line preceding that last line (step S111). If it is determined that there is no gap (step S111: NO), the overlapping state is released, and a skew correction operation for the succeeding recording medium in a standalone state is determined (step S112). If it is determined that there is a gap (step S111: YES), a separation pre-processing is performed in step S113 shown in FIG.

[0079] <Pre-separation processing> Figure 13 is a control flowchart for the pre-separation process in step S113. Figures 14(A) to 15(D) are conceptual diagrams showing the relationships between variables, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the speed setting for the separation operation is performed before the recording operation for the preceding recording medium P1 is completed, particularly at the stage of determining whether or not to perform the skew correction operation for the succeeding recording medium P2.

[0080] In step S201, the overlap amount Wa is calculated. The overlap amount Wa is the distance (expected distance) in the transport direction where the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 overlap, and is the distance from the transport roller 5 to the rear end of the preceding recording medium P1. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14A, when the succeeding recording medium P2 is skewed, the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium P2 is abutted against the transport nip portion when the transport roller 5 is stopped to perform the print scan operation for the last line of the preceding recording medium P1. At this time, the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 will overlap by the overlap amount Wa.

[0081] In FIG. 14A, Ky is the area to be printed on the printing medium P, and Kd is the area that has already been printed. Dn is the distance of the nozzle area, which is the distance from the most upstream to the most downstream area of ​​the ejection nozzles 71 provided on the printing head 7, i.e., the maximum printing width of the printing head 7. If the printing width for one printing scan operation is Ds, then Ds≦Dn. Note that the printing width D2 is not constant, and may vary for each printing scan operation. The distance of the section (transport section) RA between the conveying roller 10 and the conveying roller 20 is La, and the distance of the section (transport section) RB between the conveying roller 20 and the discharge roller 22 is Lb.

[0082] In step S202, the total scan time Ta is calculated. The total scan time Ta is the total time of the recording scan operation on the subsequent recording medium P2 performed while the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2 moves the determination distance LA. As an example, if the recording scan operation on the subsequent recording medium P2 is performed 10 times while the leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2 passes the determination distance LA, and each scan takes 2 seconds, the total scan time Ta is 20 seconds. The total scan time Ta is a value (estimated value) calculated in advance from the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2.

[0083] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the separating operation is initiated after the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes through the conveying roller 10. The start timing is not limited to immediately after the passage, but may be any time after the passage. The distance required between the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 after the separating operation is Da (>0). The separating operation is performed so as to end before the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes a position that is the distance Da away from the conveying roller 20 on the upstream side in the conveying direction. The determination distance LA is calculated as LA=La-Wa-Da.

[0084] In step S203 of Fig. 13, the separation possible time T1 is calculated. The separation operation in the section RA is not possible once the succeeding recording medium P2 has reached the transport roller 20. The separation possible time T1 is the execution time of the reduction control in the section RA, and is the allowable time for separating the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 by providing a transport speed difference between them. The separation possible time T1 is estimated as the sum of the time for the succeeding recording medium P2 to be transported by the determination distance LA and the total time for the recording scan operation on the succeeding recording medium P2. Expressed mathematically, T1=(La-Wa-Da) / V1+Ta V1 is the transport speed of the succeeding recording medium P2. In Figs. 14(B) to 15(D), the transport speed V1 is conveniently expressed as the rotation speed of the transport rollers 5 and 10 for ease of understanding. However, the transport speed V1 is used as the movement speed of the succeeding recording medium P2. The rotation speed of the transport rollers 5 and 10 is set based on the transport speed V1. The same applies to the transport speed V2 described below.

[0085] In step S204 of FIG. 13, the conveying speed (speed value) V2 of the preceding recording medium P1 during the separating operation in the section RA is set as follows: V2=La / T1 In this embodiment, the transport speed V2 is not a fixed value but a variable value. By setting the transport speed V2 of the preceding recording medium P1 to a slower speed within the range necessary to separate the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2, it is possible to suppress increases in noise and power consumption of the drive system.

[0086] Specifically, in this embodiment, the separation possible time T1 is calculated based on the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2, and the transport speed V2 is calculated. If the recording operation corresponding to the section RA in the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2 takes a long time, the transport speed V2 is calculated to be relatively slow, which makes it possible to suppress increases in noise and power consumption of the drive system. Conversely, if the recording operation corresponding to the section RA in the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2 takes a short time, the transport speed V2 is set to be relatively fast, giving priority to separation. In this way, for example, when comparing the recording operations of two different recording data, the transport speed V2 of one is relatively slow and the transport speed V2 of the other is relatively fast.

[0087] Steps in Figure 13 S In step S205, it is determined whether the conveying speed V2 calculated in step S204 is equal to or less than a threshold value (upper limit speed) V2max stored in advance in ROM 202. Setting an upper limit value for the conveying speed makes it possible to suppress increases in noise and power consumption of the drive system. If it is determined that the conveying speed V2 is faster than the threshold value V2max (step S205: NO), the process proceeds to step S212. On the other hand, if it is determined that the conveying speed V2 is equal to or less than the threshold value V2max (step S205: YES), the process proceeds to step S206.

[0088] If it is determined in step S205 that the conveying speed V2 is equal to or less than the threshold value V2max (step S205: YES), when the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes the conveying roller 20, the distance between the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 will be equal to or greater than Da. FIG. 14(C) shows an example of this. In other words, the separation of the distance Da has been completed. The preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 will be further conveyed while maintaining this distance. Therefore, in step S206, the total scan time Tb is calculated. The total scan time Tb is the total time for the recording scan operation on the succeeding recording medium P2 performed while the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 moves the determination distance LB. The total scan time Tb is a value (estimated value) calculated in advance from the recording data of the succeeding recording medium P2.

[0089] As shown in Figures 14(C) and (D), the separating operation also begins after the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 has passed the conveying roller 20. The start timing is not limited to immediately after the passage, but may be any time after the passage. The distance required between the trailing edge R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 and the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 after the separating operation is defined as Db (>0). The determination distance LB is calculated as LB = Lb + Da - Db.

[0090] In step S207 of Fig. 13, the separation possible time T2 is calculated. The separation operation in section RB is completed before the rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes a position spaced apart by the distance Db upstream in the transport direction from the discharge roller 22. The separation possible time T2 is the execution time of the reduction control in section RB, and is the allowable time for separating the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 by providing a transport speed difference between them. The separation possible time T2 is estimated as the sum of the time for the succeeding recording medium P2 to be transported by the determination distance LB and the total time for the print scanning operation on the succeeding recording medium P2. Expressed mathematically, T2=(La+Da-Db) / V1+Tb is.

[0091] In step S208 of FIG. 13, the conveying speed (speed value) V3 of the preceding recording medium P1 during the separating operation in the section RB is set as follows: V3=Lb / T2 In this case, too, the conveying speed V3 of the preceding recording medium P1 is set to a slower speed within the range necessary to separate the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2, thereby making it possible to suppress increases in noise and power consumption of the drive system.

[0092] In step S209 of FIG. 13, the separation processing flag Flg=0 is set in the RAM 203. This reserves the execution of the separation operation. Then, the process proceeds to step S210. In step S210, the conveying speed V2 calculated in step S204 and the conveying speed V3 calculated in step S208 are saved in the RAM 203. In step S211, it is determined that the overlapping state is maintained and the skew correction operation is executed.

[0093] Next, if it is determined in step S205 of Fig. 13 that the conveying speed V2 is faster than the threshold value V2max (step S205: NO), the process of step S212 is executed to simulate the case where the preceding recording medium P1 is conveyed with the conveying speed V2 set to the threshold value V2max. In section RA, the separation of the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 has not been completed. In step S212, the remaining overlap amount Wb is calculated when the separation operation is started and the preceding recording medium P1 is conveyed at the conveying speed V2max, as shown in Fig. 15(A).

[0094] The remaining overlap amount Wb will be explained with reference to Figure 15(B). When the leading edge L2 of the succeeding recording medium P2 reaches a position at a distance Da in front of the conveying roller 20, the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 overlap by an overlap amount Wb. The remaining overlap amount Wb is smaller than the overlap amount Wa. The remaining overlap amount Wb is Wb = Wa - {V2max × T1 - (La - Wa - Da)} It is calculated as follows.

[0095] In step S213 of FIG. 13, the total scan time Tb is calculated. The total scan time Tb is as explained in step S206. However, as shown in FIG. 15(C), the determination distance LB is calculated by LB=Lb-Wb-Db. In step S214, the separation possible time T2 is calculated. This is also as explained in step S207. However, the calculation formula is T2=(Lb-Wb-Db) / V1+Tb is.

[0096] In step S215, the conveying speed (speed value) V3 of the preceding recording medium P1 during the separating operation in the section RB is set to V3=Lb / T2 The transport speed V3 is not a fixed value but a variable value. By setting the transport speed V3 of the preceding recording medium P1 to a slower speed within the range necessary to separate the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2, it is possible to suppress increases in noise and power consumption of the drive system.

[0097] Specifically, in this embodiment, the separation possible time T2 is calculated based on the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2, and the transport speed V3 is calculated. If the recording operation corresponding to the section RB in the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2 takes a long time, the transport speed V3 is calculated to be relatively slow, thereby suppressing increases in drive system noise and power consumption. Conversely, if the recording operation corresponding to the section RB in the recording data of the subsequent recording medium P2 takes a short time, the transport speed V3 is set to be relatively fast, giving priority to separation. In this way, for example, when comparing the recording operations of two different recording data, the transport speed V3 of one is relatively slow and the transport speed V3 of the other is relatively fast.

[0098] Steps SIn step S216, it is determined whether the conveying speed V3 calculated in step S215 is equal to or less than a threshold value (upper limit speed) V3max previously stored in ROM 202. If it is determined that the conveying speed V3 is faster than the threshold value V3max (step S216: NO), the process proceeds to step S219. On the other hand, if it is determined that the conveying speed V3 is equal to or less than the threshold value V3max (step S216: YES), the process proceeds to step S217.

[0099] If it is determined in step S216 that the conveying speed V3 is equal to or less than the threshold value V3max (step S216: YES), when the rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1 passes the discharge rollers 22, the distance between the preceding recording medium P1 and the succeeding recording medium P2 will be equal to or greater than Db, as shown in FIG. 15(D). In other words, separation of the distance Db is completed. In step S217, a separation processing flag Flg=1 is set in RAM 203. This reserves the execution of the separation operation. In step S218, the threshold value V2max as the conveying speed V2 and the conveying speed V3 calculated in step S215 are saved in RAM 203. In step S211, it is determined that the overlapping state will be maintained and the skew correction operation will be executed.

[0100] If it is determined in step S216 that the conveying speed V3 is equal to or greater than the threshold value V3max (step S216: YES), it is estimated that the trailing edge R2 of the preceding recording medium P1 is not ahead of the leading edge L2 of the following recording medium P2 by Db in the conveying section RB. This means that the preceding recording medium P1 and the following recording medium P2 cannot be separated by the separating operation. Therefore, the overlapping state is released in advance, and a skew correction operation for the following recording medium in a separate state is determined (step S219). By not conveying the following recording medium in an overlapping state, a decrease in discharge performance can be prevented. The conveying motor 205 drives the conveying roller 5 to convey the preceding recording medium P1. However, the feed roller 3 is not driven. Therefore, the overlapping state is released. Furthermore, the leading edge of the following recording medium P2 is abutted against the nip portion between the conveying roller 5 and the pinch roller 6 to perform the skew correction operation, and then the following recording medium P is cue-aligned.

[0101] <Control flow of the pulling-off operation> Figure 16 is a control flow for the separation operation in step S17 of Figure 10. In step S501, it is determined whether the rear end of the M(N-1)th recording medium P (rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1) has passed through the conveying rollers 10. If it is determined that it has not passed through (step S501: NO), the process of step S501 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has passed through (step S501: YES), the process proceeds to step S502. Note that the conveying state when it is determined that it has passed through corresponds to the state in Figure 14(B).

[0102] In step S502, the separation processing flag Flg is read from RAM 203, and it is determined whether Flg is 0 or 1. If it is determined that Flg=0, the process proceeds to step S503, and if it is determined that Flg=1, the process proceeds to step S510. In step S503, the conveying speed V2 is read from RAM 203, and the conveying rollers 20 and the discharge rollers 22 are rotated so that the M(N-1)th recording medium P is conveyed at the conveying speed V2.

[0103] In step S504, it is determined whether the rear end of the M(N-1)th recording medium P (rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1) has passed through the conveying rollers 20. If it is determined that it has not passed through (step S504: NO), the process of step S504 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has passed through (step S504: YES), the process proceeds to step S505. Note that the conveying state when it is determined that it has passed through corresponds to the state in FIG. 14(C).

[0104] In step S505, in preparation for transporting the M(N)th recording medium P (subsequent recording medium P2), the rotational speed of the transport roller 20 is changed to a rotational speed equivalent to the transport speed V1. The transport rollers 5, 10, and 20 are driven synchronously. In step S506, the transport speed V3 is read from the RAM 203, and the transport speed of the M(N-1)th recording medium P (previous recording medium P1) is switched to the transport speed V3. The discharge rollers 22 are rotated so that the M(N-1)th recording medium P is transported at the transport speed V3.

[0105] In step S507, it is determined whether the rear end of the M(N-1)th recording medium P (rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1) has passed the discharge rollers 22. If it is determined that it has not passed (step S507: NO), the process of step S507 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has passed (step S507: YES), the process proceeds to step S508. Note that the conveying state when it is determined that it has passed corresponds to FIG. 14(D).

[0106] In step S508, it is determined that the separating operation is complete, and the rotation speed of the discharge rollers 22 is changed to a rotation speed equivalent to the conveying speed V1, and the process ends.

[0107] Meanwhile, in step S510, the conveying speed V2max is read from RAM 203, and the conveying rollers 20 and discharge rollers 22 are rotated so that the M(N-1)th recording medium P is conveyed at the conveying speed V2max. In step S511, it is determined whether the leading edge of the M(N)th recording medium P (leading edge L2 of the subsequent recording medium P2) has reached a position a distance Da before the conveying rollers 20. The conveying state corresponds to the state in FIG. 15(B). If it is determined that it has not reached the position (step S511: NO), the process of step S511 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has reached the position (step S511: YES), the process proceeds to step S512.

[0108] In step S512, the rotation speed of the conveying rollers 20 and the discharge rollers 22 is changed to a rotation speed equivalent to the conveying speed V1. The conveying rollers 5, 10, 20, and 22 are driven synchronously. In step S513, it is determined whether the rear end of the M(N-1)th recording medium P (the rear end R1 of the preceding recording medium P1) has passed through the conveying rollers 20. If it is determined that it has not passed through (step S513: NO), the process of step S513 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has passed through (step S513: YES), the process proceeds to step S514. Note that the conveying state when it is determined that it has passed through corresponds to the state in FIG. 15(C).

[0109] In step S514, the conveying speed V3 is read from RAM 203, and the conveying speed of the (M(N-1))th recording medium P (preceding recording medium P1) is switched to conveying speed V3. The discharge rollers 22 are rotated so that the (M(N-1))th recording medium P is conveyed at conveying speed V3. Then, the process proceeds to S507.

[0110] In this embodiment, during the separation operation, the preceding recording medium P1 is continuously transported at a constant transport speed V2 or V2max, but it may also be controlled so that the average speed is V2 or V2max, including stops and acceleration / deceleration.

[0111] As described above, according to the above embodiment, when separating the preceding recording medium from the succeeding recording medium to eliminate the overlapping state, the transport speed of the preceding recording medium can be reduced, thereby suppressing increases in noise, power consumption, etc.

[0112] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0113] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 7 recording head, 200 recording device, 201 MPU, C1 to C6 transport units, P1 preceding recording medium, P2 subsequent recording medium

Claims

1. a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium; a first conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction; a second conveying means for conveying the recording medium recorded by the recording means, downstream of the first conveying means in the conveying direction; a control unit that executes a reduction control to reduce an overlapping amount between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium based on a speed difference between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium from an overlapping state in which the succeeding recording medium is overlapped on the rear end of the preceding recording medium; A recording device comprising: The control means estimating a time from when the reduction control is started until the leading end of the succeeding recording medium reaches the second conveying means when the trailing end of the preceding recording medium and the leading end of the succeeding recording medium are located in a section between the first conveying means and the second conveying means; calculating a speed value at which a predetermined interval is provided between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium; If the speed value exceeds the upper limit speed, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to the upper limit speed and the decrease control is executed; If the speed value is lower than the upper limit speed, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a speed lower than the upper limit speed based on the estimated time, and the decrease control is executed. A recording device characterized by:

2. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, the control means estimates the time from when the reduction control is started until the leading edge of the subsequent recording medium reaches the second conveying means based on recording data related to the subsequent recording medium. A recording device characterized by:

3. a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium; a first conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction; a second conveying means for conveying the recording medium recorded by the recording means, downstream of the first conveying means in the conveying direction; a control unit that executes a reduction control to reduce an overlapping amount between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium based on a speed difference between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium from an overlapping state in which the succeeding recording medium is overlapped on the rear end of the preceding recording medium; A recording device comprising: The control means estimating a time from when the reduction control is started until the leading end of the succeeding recording medium reaches the second conveying means when the trailing end of the preceding recording medium and the leading end of the succeeding recording medium are located in a section between the first conveying means and the second conveying means; In a first case, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a first speed based on the estimated time, and the decrease control is executed; In a second case in which recording data of an image to be recorded on the subsequent recording medium is different from the first case, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a second speed different from the first speed based on the estimated time, and the reduction control is executed. A recording device characterized by:

4. 3. The recording device according to claim 2, the control means sets the transport speed of the preceding recording medium in the decrease control before the recording means completes recording on the preceding recording medium. A recording device characterized by:

5. a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium; a first conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction; a second conveying means for conveying the recording medium recorded by the recording means, downstream of the first conveying means in the conveying direction; a third conveying means, downstream of the second conveying means in the conveying direction, for conveying the recording medium recorded by the recording means; a control unit that executes a reduction control to reduce an overlapping amount between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium based on a speed difference between the preceding recording medium and the succeeding recording medium from an overlapping state in which the succeeding recording medium is overlapped on the rear end of the preceding recording medium; A recording device comprising: The control means In a first case where the rear end of the preceding recording medium and the front end of the succeeding recording medium are located in a section between the first conveying means and the second conveying means, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a first speed and the decrease control is executed; a second case in which the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium and the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium are located in a section between the first conveying means and the second conveying means, and recording data of an image to be recorded on the succeeding recording medium is different from the first case, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a second speed different from the first speed, and the reduction control is executed; In a third case where the rear end of the preceding recording medium and the front end of the following recording medium are located in a section between the second conveying means and the third conveying means, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a third speed and the reduction control is executed; In a fourth case in which the rear end of the preceding recording medium and the front end of the succeeding recording medium are located in a section between the second conveying means and the third conveying means and recording data of an image to be recorded on the succeeding recording medium is different from the third case, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a fourth speed different from the third speed and the reduction control is executed. A recording device characterized by:

6. 6. The recording device according to claim 5, the third speed is set to an upper limit speed, and the fourth speed is set to a speed lower than the upper limit speed; A recording device characterized by:

7. 6. The recording device according to claim 5, The control means When the rear end of the preceding recording medium is located in the section between the first conveying means and the second conveying means and the front end of the succeeding recording medium is located in the section between the second conveying means and the third conveying means, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is matched to the conveying speed of the succeeding recording medium. A recording device characterized by:

8. 6. The recording device according to claim 5, a fourth transport means located upstream of the recording means in the transport direction; a fifth conveying means located upstream of the fourth conveying means in the conveying direction, the first conveying means, the second conveying means, and the third conveying means are disposed downstream of the recording means in the conveying direction; The control means before the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium passes through the fourth conveying means, the succeeding recording medium is conveyed by the fifth conveying means to form the overlapping state in which the succeeding recording medium overlaps the rear edge of the preceding recording medium. A recording device characterized by:

9. 6. The recording device according to claim 5, the control means sets the transport speed of the preceding recording medium in the decrease control before the recording means completes recording on the preceding recording medium. A recording device characterized by:

10. 9. The recording device according to claim 8, The control means when the trailing edge of the preceding recording medium passes through the third transport means, if it is estimated that the trailing edge does not lead the leading edge of the succeeding recording medium by a predetermined distance even when the preceding recording medium is transported at the third speed, the overlapping state is not formed. A recording device characterized by:

11. a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium; a first conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction; a second conveying means for conveying the recording medium recorded by the recording means, downstream of the first conveying means in the conveying direction; A control method for a recording device comprising: a reduction control step of reducing an overlapping amount between the preceding recording medium and the subsequent recording medium based on a speed difference between the preceding recording medium and the subsequent recording medium from an overlapping state in which the subsequent recording medium overlaps the rear end of the preceding recording medium; a step of estimating a time from when the reduction control step is started until the leading end of the following recording medium reaches the second transport means when the trailing end of the following recording medium and the leading end of the following recording medium are located in a section between the first transport means and the second transport means, and calculating a speed value at which the distance between the following recording medium and the following recording medium becomes a predetermined distance; The decrease control step If the speed value exceeds the upper limit speed, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to the upper limit speed and executed; If the speed value is lower than the upper limit speed, the conveying speed of the preceding recording medium is set to a speed lower than the upper limit speed based on the estimated time, and the conveying is performed. A control method comprising:

12. A storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 11.

13. A program causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 11.

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