Sending device and image forming device

Abstract

To suppress a medium arranged under a second medium arranged just below a first medium arranged at the top, of a plurality of loaded media from being improperly fed.SOLUTION: A feeding device is provided with: a feeding part that feeds out a first medium arranged at the top, of a plurality of loaded media; a detecting part that detects at least either of curved states and inclinations of the first medium and a medium under a second medium arranged just below the first medium; and a changing part that changes a condition concerning operation of feeding by the feeding part, on the basis of the at least either of the curved states and the inclinations detected by the detecting part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sending device and an image forming device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a paper feeding device comprising a loading tray for loading paper, a levitation means for blowing air onto the edges of the paper loaded on the loading tray to levitate the paper, an air volume adjustment control means for controlling the amount of air discharged from the levitation means, a paper feeding means for feeding the paper levitated by the levitation means one sheet at a time, and a curl detection means for detecting the direction of the curl that has occurred in the topmost paper loaded on the loading tray and the amount of curl, which is the vertical distance between the highest and lowest parts of the topmost paper placed horizontally, and wherein the air volume adjustment control means controls to adjust the amount of air discharged from the levitation means based on the detection results of the curl detection means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-106818 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a feeding device equipped with a feeding section that feeds out a first medium that is placed on top of a plurality of stacked media, if only the curvature state of the first medium is detected and the conditions related to the feeding operation of the feeding section are changed based on that curvature state, poor feeding of the second medium and subsequent media that are placed directly below the first medium may occur if the curvature state differs between the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media.

[0005] The present invention aims to suppress poor delivery of second and subsequent media placed directly below the first medium in a delivery device equipped with a delivery section that delivers a first medium placed at the top of a stack of media, compared to a case in which only the curved state of the first medium is detected and the conditions related to the delivery operation of the delivery section are changed based on that curved state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect comprises a sending unit that sends out a first medium that is placed at the top of a plurality of stacked media, a detection unit that detects at least one of the curvature and inclination of the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media that are placed directly below the first medium, and a change unit that changes the conditions related to the sending operation of the sending unit based on at least one of the curvature and inclination detected by the detection unit.

[0007] In a second aspect, in the first aspect, the detection unit has an imaging unit that captures images of the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media, and an identification unit that identifies at least one of the curvature state and the inclination based on the images captured by the imaging unit.

[0008] In a third aspect, in the second aspect, the photographing unit photographs images of the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media from the downstream side of the feed direction in a range from one end to the other end in the thickness direction and width direction of the medium that intersects the feed direction, and the identification unit identifies at least one of the curvature state and the inclination that occur along the width direction at the tip of the medium.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, in the second or third aspect, the sending unit adsorbs the first medium at a position rearward of the tip end of the first medium and sends out the first medium, the photographing unit photographs images of the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media from the side of the medium in a range including the adsorption position by the sending unit to the tip end of the medium, and the identification unit identifies at least one of the curvature and the tilt that occur at the tip end of the medium along the sending direction.

[0010] A fifth aspect is any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the detection unit has a detection unit that detects the height of the first medium relative to a reference height, and the identification unit identifies at least one of the curvature state and the inclination based on the image captured by the photographing unit and the height detected by the detection unit.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, the photographing unit photographs images of the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media from the side of the media, and the identification unit identifies at least one of the curvature state and the inclination that occur at the tip of the medium along the thickness direction of the medium and the width direction that intersects the feed direction.

[0012] A seventh aspect is any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a lifting section that lifts the stacked media so that the first medium is positioned at a height at which the media is to be fed by the feeding section, and the detection section detects at least one of the curved state and the inclination after the plurality of media are lifted by the lifting section and before the first medium is fed by the feeding section, and the change section changes the condition based on at least one of the curved state and the inclination detected by the detection section before the first medium is fed by the feeding section.

[0013] The eighth aspect is the seventh aspect, further comprising a supply unit that supplies air between multiple loaded media to levitate the media, and the detection unit detects at least one of the curved state and the tilt after the multiple media are raised by the raising unit and before the air is supplied by the supply unit.

[0014] In a ninth aspect, in the seventh or eighth aspect, the detection unit repeats detection of at least one of the curved state and the tilt while the delivery unit continues to perform the delivery operation of the medium.

[0015] In a tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the detection unit detects the curvature state as the curvature direction, which indicates whether the curvature is convex upward or convex downward, the curvature height, which is the difference in height between the highest and lowest parts of the medium, and the curvature length, which is the distance along the feed direction or width direction between the highest and lowest parts of the medium.

[0016] In an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, if the detection result of at least one of the curvature state and inclination detected by the detection unit does not satisfy the requirements for the delivery unit to be able to perform the delivery operation of the medium, the delivery unit stops performing the delivery operation of the medium.

[0017] A twelfth aspect includes the sending device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, and an image forming section that forms an image on the medium sent out from the sending device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the configuration of the first aspect, in a feeding device having a feeding section that feeds out a first medium that is placed on top of a plurality of stacked media, poor feeding of the second medium and subsequent media that are placed directly below the first medium is suppressed compared to when only the curved state of the first medium is detected and the conditions related to the feeding operation of the feeding section are changed based on that curved state.

[0019] According to the configuration of the second aspect, the accuracy of identification is improved compared to when at least one of the curvature state and the tilt is identified by detecting the height of each portion of the medium using a plurality of sensors.

[0020] According to the configuration of the third aspect, compared to when the photographing unit photographs images of the first medium and the second or subsequent medium within a partial range in the width direction, it is possible to identify with high accuracy at least one of the curvature and tilt that occurs along the width direction at the tip ends of the first medium and the second or subsequent medium.

[0021] According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, compared to when the photographing unit photographs images of the first medium and the second or subsequent media in a range that does not include the range from the suction position by the delivery unit to the tip of the medium, it is possible to accurately identify at least one of the curvature and tilt that occurs along the delivery direction at the tip of the first medium and the second or subsequent media.

[0022] According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the accuracy of identification is improved compared to when at least one of the curvature state and the tilt is identified based only on the image captured by the imaging section.

[0023] According to the configuration of the sixth aspect, the number of steps in the identification process can be reduced when identifying at least one of the curvature and tilt that occurs along the width direction at the leading end of the medium based on an image captured by the photographing unit from downstream in the feed direction, compared to when identifying at least one of the curvature and tilt that occurs along the width direction at the leading end of the medium based on an image captured by the photographing unit from downstream in the feed direction.

[0024] According to the configuration of the seventh aspect, failure to deliver the first medium is reduced compared to when at least one of the curved state and the tilt is detected before the lifting section lifts the plurality of media.

[0025] According to the configuration of the eighth aspect, poor delivery of the first medium is suppressed compared to when at least one of the curvature state and the tilt is detected after the supply unit supplies air.

[0026] According to the configuration of the ninth aspect, medium delivery failures are suppressed compared to when the detection unit stops the detection operation while the delivery unit continues to perform the medium delivery operation.

[0027] According to the configuration of the tenth aspect, the conditions relating to the delivery operation of the delivery unit can be changed more precisely than when only the direction of curvature, which indicates whether the curvature is convex upward or downward, is detected as the curvature state.

[0028] According to the configuration of the 11th aspect, even if the detection result of at least one of the curvature state and inclination detected by the detection unit does not satisfy the requirements for the delivery unit to be able to perform the medium delivery operation, poor delivery of the medium is suppressed compared to when the delivery unit performs the medium delivery operation.

[0029] According to the configuration of the 12th aspect, conditions related to the feeding operation of the feeding unit can be changed based on at least one of the curvature state and tilt detected by the detection unit, and an image can be formed on the medium fed under those conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a delivery device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a view of the delivery device according to the present embodiment, seen from the outer surface side of the side wall. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an adsorbent adsorbs the uppermost recording medium in the delivery device shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic view showing a state in which the adsorption body has moved to a delivery position in the delivery device shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a downwardly convex curve that occurs along the width direction at the leading end of a recording medium. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a curved state that is convex upward and occurs along the width direction at the leading end of a recording medium. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a downwardly convex curve that occurs at the leading end of a recording medium along the feeding direction. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a curved state that is convex upward and occurs along the feeding direction at the leading end of the recording medium. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging range of an imaging unit that captures images from the side in the transmission device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11]10 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging range of an imaging unit that captures images from the downstream side in the transmission direction in the transmission device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a determination device in the transmission device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a processor of a determination device in the transmission device according to the present embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0032] (Image forming apparatus 10) First, a description will be given of the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.

[0033] Note that the arrow UP shown in the figure indicates the top of the device (specifically, vertically upward), and the arrow DO indicates the bottom of the device (specifically, vertically downward). Also, the arrow LH shown in the figure indicates the left side of the device, and the arrow RH indicates the right side of the device. Also, the arrow FR shown in the figure indicates the front of the device, and the arrow RR indicates the rear of the device. These directions are defined for the convenience of explanation, and the device configuration is not limited to these directions. Note that in each direction of the device, the word "device" may be omitted. That is, for example, "above the device" may be simply referred to as "above."

[0034] In the following description, the "up-down direction" may be used to mean "both above and below" or "either above or below." The "left-right direction" may be used to mean "both right and left" or "either right or left." The "left-right direction" may also be referred to as the lateral, transverse, and horizontal directions. The "front-rear direction" may be used to mean "both forward and backward" or "either forward or backward." The "front-rear direction" may also be referred to as the lateral, transverse, and horizontal directions. The up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction are directions that intersect with each other (specifically, directions that are perpendicular to each other).

[0035] In addition, the symbol "x" inside a "circle" in the figure indicates an arrow pointing from the front to the back of the page. In addition, the symbol "·" inside a "circle" in the figure indicates an arrow pointing from the back to the front of the page.

[0036] The image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1 is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium P as an example of a medium. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a delivery device 12, a conveying section 14, an image forming section 16, and a discharge section 18. Each section of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described below.

[0037] (Transport unit 14) 1 is a component that conveys the recording medium P in the image forming apparatus 10. This conveying section 14 has a function of conveying the recording medium P sent out from the sending device 12 to the image forming section 16, and a function of conveying the recording medium P on which an image has been formed in the image forming section 16 to the discharge section 18.

[0038] Specifically, the conveying section 14 has conveying members 14A and 14B each made up of a pair of conveying rolls. In the conveying section 14, the conveying member 14A conveys the recording medium P sent out from the delivery device 12 to the image forming section 16, and the conveying member 14B conveys the recording medium P on which an image has been formed in the image forming section 16 to the discharge section 18.

[0039] The conveying members 14A and 14B are not limited to a pair of conveying rolls, and may be, for example, conveying belts, conveying drums, or other conveying members, and various other conveying members can be used.

[0040] (Image forming unit 16) 1 is a component that forms an image on the recording medium P sent out from the delivery device 12. Examples of the image forming unit 16 include an inkjet image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium using ink, and an electrophotographic image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium using toner.

[0041] In an inkjet image forming unit, for example, an image is formed on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from an ejection unit onto the recording medium. The inkjet image forming unit may form an image on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from the ejection unit onto a transfer body and transferring the ink droplets from the transfer body to the recording medium.

[0042] In an electrophotographic image forming unit, for example, the steps of charging, exposing, developing, and transferring are performed to form an image on a recording medium. The electrophotographic image forming unit may form an image on a recording medium by performing the steps of charging, exposing, developing, and transferring to form an image on a transfer body, and then transferring the image from the transfer body to the recording medium.

[0043] Note that examples of the image forming unit are not limited to the inkjet image forming unit and the electrophotographic image forming unit described above, and various other image forming units can be used.

[0044] (Discharge section 18) 1 is a portion of the image forming apparatus 10 where a recording medium on which an image has been formed is discharged. After an image has been formed by the image forming unit 16, the recording medium P transported by the transport unit 14 (specifically, transport member 14B) is discharged to the discharge unit 18.

[0045] (Sending device 12) The delivery device 12 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is a device that delivers the recording medium P. In this embodiment, the delivery device 12 delivers the recording medium P in a predetermined delivery direction (specifically, to the right). Therefore, in the delivery device 12, the right side is downstream in the delivery direction, and the left side is upstream in the delivery direction. Furthermore, in the recording medium P delivered from the delivery device 12, the downstream end in the delivery direction is referred to as the leading end, and the upstream end in the delivery direction is referred to as the trailing end. Furthermore, in the recording medium P, the direction intersecting the delivery direction (specifically, the front-to-rear direction) is referred to as the width direction, and the ends in the width direction are referred to as side ends.

[0046] 2 and 3, the delivery device 12 includes a storage section 20, a lifting section 29 (see FIG. 2), a supply section 30 (see FIG. 3), a delivery section 40, a separation section 50, a restriction section 59, and a detection section 70 (see FIG. 3). Each section of the delivery device 12 will be described below.

[0047] (Storage section 20 and lifting section 29) The storage section 20 is a component that stores recording media P. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the storage section 20 has a stacking section 22 and a pair of side walls 24. Note that Fig. 2 shows one of the pair of side walls 24 (specifically, the front side).

[0048] The stacking section 22 is a component on which the recording media P are stacked. Specifically, the stacking section 22 constitutes the bottom of the storage section 20 and is composed of a stacking plate (so-called bottom plate) on whose upper surface 22A the recording media P are stacked.

[0049] Each of the pair of side walls 24 is disposed on the front and rear sides of the recording media P loaded on the stacking section 22. Each of the pair of side walls 24 faces a pair of side edges of the recording media P loaded on the stacking section 22, and positions the recording media P in the width direction (i.e., the front-to-rear direction).

[0050] The storage unit 20 has a positioning unit (not shown) that positions the rear end of the recording medium P loaded on the stacking unit 22. The storage unit 20 is not limited to the above configuration, and various configurations can be used.

[0051] The lifting unit 29 is an example of a raising unit, and is a component that raises the plurality of recording media P so that the recording medium P (hereinafter referred to as the top medium P1) arranged on top of the plurality of stacked recording media P is positioned at the height of delivery by the delivery unit 40. Specifically, the lifting unit 29 raises the plurality of recording media P by raising the stacking unit 22 so that the top medium P1 is positioned at the height of delivery, and lowers the stacking unit 22 to lower the plurality of recording media P.

[0052] The lifting unit 29 can be, for example, a lifting member such as a wire or a push-up member such as an arm. The lifting member, for example, lifts the stacking unit 22 upward to raise the recording medium P, and then lowers the recording medium P due to the weight of the recording medium P and the stacking unit 22. The push-up member, for example, lifts the stacking unit 22 upward from below the stacking unit 22 to raise the recording medium P, and then lowers the recording medium P due to the weight of the recording medium P and the stacking unit 22. Note that the lifting unit 29 is not limited to the above configuration, and various configurations can be used.

[0053] (Supply section 30) The supply unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 is a component that supplies air between the plurality of stacked recording media P to levitate the recording media P. The supply unit 30 supplies air to the plurality of recording media P located in a predetermined range, including the topmost medium P1, among the plurality of recording media P stacked on the stacking unit 22. That is, the supply unit 30 supplies air to the plurality of recording media P stacked on the stacking unit 22 in a range from the delivery height to a predetermined position below the delivery height. The supply unit 30 supplies air between the plurality of stacked recording media P to levitate the recording media P in order to separate the plurality of recording media P into individual sheets and send them out one by one by supplying air between each of the plurality of recording media P. Note that FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 schematically show a state in which air is supplied to the upper portions of the plurality of stacked recording media P to levitate them.

[0054] In this embodiment, the supply unit 30 has a pair of blowers 32, a pair of flow pipes , and a pair of supply ports as shown in FIG.

[0055] The pair of blowers 32 are components that blow wind (i.e., air). Each of the pair of blowers 32 is attached to the outer surface of each of the pair of side walls 24 (i.e., the surface opposite to the surface facing the recording media P loaded on the stacking section 22). As the blower 32, for example, a centrifugal blower that blows air in a centrifugal direction, such as a multi-blade blower (e.g., a sirocco fan), is used. Note that as the blower 32, an axial flow blower that blows air in an axial direction or other blowers may also be used.

[0056] Each of the pair of circulation pipes 34 constitutes a passage through which the air sent from each of the pair of blower sections 32 flows. One end of each of the pair of circulation pipes 34 is connected to each of the pair of blower sections 32, and the other end is connected to each of the pair of supply ports 36.

[0057] Each of the pair of supply ports 36 is an opening for supplying air to the plurality of recording media P stacked on the stacking section 22, and is formed on each of the pair of side walls 24. Each of the pair of supply ports 36 is located on the leading end side of the recording media P stacked on the stacking section 22, and opens at the top of the side wall 24.

[0058] In the supply section 30, air is supplied from both side end sides (i.e., the front side and the rear side) between the multiple recording media P stacked in the stacking section 22 through a pair of air blowing sections 32, a pair of circulation pipes 34, and a pair of supply ports 36.

[0059] The supply direction change unit 38 is a component that changes the direction in which air is supplied between the stacked recording media P. Specifically, the supply direction change unit 38 is configured, for example, by a louver having a plurality of blades that is provided at the supply port 36. The supply direction change unit 38 is capable of changing the direction in which air is supplied, for example, in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions. The supply direction change unit 38 is not limited to a louver, and other change means may also be used.

[0060] The supply area changing unit 39 is a component that changes the area to which air is supplied between the stacked recording media P. Specifically, the supply area changing unit 39 is configured, for example, as an opening / closing plate (i.e., a shutter) that is movably provided on the supply port 36 and that can change at least one of the opening position and opening area of ​​the supply port 36 by moving it. The supply area changing unit 39 is capable of changing the area to which air is supplied, for example, in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions. The supply area changing unit 39 is not limited to an opening / closing plate, and other changing means may be used.

[0061] Although the supply unit 30 supplies air between the plurality of recording media P stacked on the stacking unit 22 from both side edge sides (i.e., the front side and the rear side), this is not limited to this. The supply unit 30 may be configured to supply air between the plurality of recording media P stacked from one of both side edge sides (i.e., one of the front side and the rear side). Furthermore, instead of or in addition to supplying air between the plurality of recording media P stacked from at least one of both side edge sides of the recording media P, the supply unit 30 may be configured to supply air from at least one of the leading and trailing ends of the recording media P. Therefore, the supply unit 30 can be configured to supply air between the plurality of recording media P stacked on the stacking unit 22 from both side edge sides, or at least one of the leading and trailing ends.

[0062] (Sending unit 40) The sending section 40 shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5 is a component that sends out the uppermost medium P1 of multiple stacked recording media P. The uppermost medium P1 is an example of the first medium. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the sending section 40 attracts the uppermost medium P1 located at the sending height among the recording media P levitated by the supply section 30, and sends it downstream in the sending direction (specifically, to the right) as shown in Figure 5. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the sending section 40 has an attracting body 42, a moving mechanism 44, and a pair of sending rolls 46.

[0063] The adsorber 42 is a component that adsorbs the top medium P1 to its lower surface 42B by suction. Specifically, the adsorber 42 adsorbs the top medium P1 at a position closer to the rear end than the leading end of the top medium P1, which is located at the delivery height. Hereinafter, the position on the top medium P1 that is adsorbed by the adsorber 42 will be referred to as the adsorption position. The adsorber 42 has a protruding portion 43 that protrudes downstream in the delivery direction (specifically, to the right). As the top medium P1 is adsorbed to the lower surface 42B of the adsorber 42, the leading end of the top medium P1 is pressed against the lower surface 43B of the protruding portion 43.

[0064] The moving mechanism 44 is a mechanism that moves the adsorbent 42 left and right (i.e., downstream and upstream in the delivery direction) between the suction position (the position shown in Figure 2 and the position shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 5) and the delivery position (the position shown by the solid line in Figure 5).

[0065] Specifically, the movement mechanism 44 is configured using known mechanisms such as a motor, gears, racks, pinions, and belt drives. Note that the movement mechanism 44 is not limited to a specific mechanism, and various configurations can be used.

[0066] The pair of feed rolls 46 are feed members that feed the recording medium P toward the image forming unit 16. The pair of feed rolls 46 are arranged downstream in the feed direction relative to the attracting body 42 (specifically, at the aforementioned delivery position) so as to be in contact with each other in the vertical direction. Note that the feed members are not limited to the pair of feed rolls 46. The feed members may be, for example, a circular belt, a drum, or other feed members, and various other feed members can be used.

[0067] In the delivery section 40, the adsorber 42, at the suction position (the position shown in FIG. 2), adsorbs the uppermost medium P1 to the lower surface 42B by suction, and the adsorber 42 is moved to the delivery position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5) by the moving mechanism 44. Then, at the delivery position, the recording medium P is delivered from the adsorber 42 to a pair of delivery rolls 46, and the pair of delivery rolls 46 delivers the recording medium P toward the image forming section 16.

[0068] The delivery unit 40 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the delivery unit 40 may be configured using a delivery member such as a belt and a roll instead of the adsorbent 42. In a configuration using a circular belt, for example, a suction unit that adsorbs the recording medium P to the outer peripheral surface of the belt by suction can be provided on the inner periphery of the belt.

[0069] (Separator 50 and Restrictor 59) The separation unit 50 shown in FIG. 4 is a component that supplies air to a recording medium P (hereinafter referred to as the next medium P2) placed directly below the top medium P1 adsorbed to the adsorbent 42, thereby separating the top medium P1 from the next medium P2. The next medium P2 is the recording medium P that is sent out next to the top medium P1, and is the recording medium P that is placed adjacent to and below the top medium P1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the separation unit 50 has, for example, a supply device 52, a flow pipe 54, and a nozzle 56.

[0070] The supply device 52 is a device that supplies air to the flow pipe 54. Specifically, for example, an air compressor that supplies compressed air to the flow pipe 54 is used as the supply device 52. Note that the supply device 52 is not limited to an air compressor, and other supply devices may also be used.

[0071] The circulation pipe 54 constitutes a passage through which the air sent from the supply device 52 flows. The circulation pipe 54 extends along the width direction (i.e., the front-rear direction) of the recording medium P, and circulates the air along the width direction.

[0072] A plurality of nozzles 56 are provided in the flow pipe 54 along the width direction (i.e., the front-rear direction) of the recording medium P. Each of the plurality of nozzles 56 extends from the flow pipe 54 toward the adsorptive body 42 (specifically, the protruding portion 43) (i.e., diagonally upward to the left).

[0073] In the separation unit 50, when the adsorber 42 is in the suction position (the position shown in FIG. 2), air is discharged from the nozzle 56 toward the protruding portion 43. The air that hits the protruding portion 43 is supplied between the top medium P1 and the next medium P2. As a result, the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 are separated, and the next medium P2 falls.

[0074] In this way, the air from the nozzle 56 is supplied between the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 via the overhanging portion 43, so the overhanging portion 43 may be understood as one element of the separation unit 50. Note that the separation unit 50 may also be configured to supply air directly between the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 without passing through the overhanging portion 43.

[0075] 4 is a component that restricts the movement of the next medium P2 downstream in the feed direction. Specifically, the limiting portion 59 is configured as a limiting wall disposed between the storage portion 20 and the pair of feed rolls 46 (specifically, the feed roll 46 disposed on the lower side) in a side view. The limiting portion 59 is formed in the shape of a plate that extends in the vertical direction in a side view.

[0076] The restricting section 59 contacts the next medium P2, which is sent downstream in the sending direction together with the uppermost medium P1, as the adsorber 42 moves to the delivery position, causing the next medium P2 to fall from the uppermost medium P1 and restricting the movement of the next medium P2 downstream in the sending direction. Note that the restricting section 59 is not limited to the above configuration, and other restricting means may be used.

[0077] (Detection unit 70) The detection unit 70 shown in FIG. 3 is a component that detects the curved state of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the media curved state). The next medium P2 is an example of a second medium. The recording media P below the next medium P2 refers to at least one recording medium P among the next medium P2 and the recording media P arranged below the next medium P2. In this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the curved state of multiple (e.g., 10) recording media P including the top medium P1 and the next medium P2.

[0078] Examples of the medium curvature state include a state in which the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P are curved convexly downward when viewed from the downstream side (i.e., the right side) in the feeding direction (see Figure A), and a state in which the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P are curved convexly upward when viewed from the downstream side (i.e., the right side) in the feeding direction (see Figure B).Furthermore, examples of the medium curvature state include a state in which the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P are curved convexly downward at the leading edge when viewed from the side (e.g., the front side) (see Figure C), and a state in which the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P are curved convexly upward at the leading edge when viewed from the side (e.g., the front side) (see Figure D).

[0079] In this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the curvature direction, which indicates whether the curvature is convex upward or downward, the curvature height, which is the difference in height between the highest and lowest parts of the recording medium P, and the curvature length, which is the distance along the feed direction or width direction between the highest and lowest parts of the recording medium P, as the medium curvature state.

[0080] Furthermore, the detection unit 70 detects the medium curved state after the lifting unit 29 lifts the plurality of recording media P and before the delivery unit 40 delivers the topmost medium P1. Specifically, the detection unit 70 detects the medium curved state after the lifting unit 29 lifts the plurality of recording media P and before the supply unit 30 supplies air. Furthermore, the detection unit 70 repeats detecting the medium curved state while the delivery unit 40 continues to execute the delivery operation of the recording media P. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the detection unit 70 has an imaging unit 72, a detection unit 73 (see FIG. 12), and a determination device 60.

[0081] The photographing unit 72 is a component that photographs images of the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and subsequent recording media P. Specifically, the photographing unit 72 is composed of a camera having optical elements such as a lens and an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. Note that the photographing unit 72 is not limited to this camera, and may be a camera using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or other element as the imaging element, or other photographing units may be used.

[0082] In this embodiment, three photographing units 72 are provided. As shown in Fig. 3, the detection unit 70 has a pair of photographing units 72A and 72B as the three photographing units 72. Note that the photographing units 72A and 72B are not shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5, etc.

[0083] Each of the pair of photographing units 72A is attached to the outer surface of each of the pair of side walls 24. Each of the pair of photographing units 72A photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P from the next medium P2 onwards from one side (specifically, the front side) and the other side (specifically, the rear side) in the width direction through an opening 79 formed in each of the pair of side walls 24. In this way, each of the pair of photographing units 72A photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P from the next medium P2 onwards from the side of the recording media P. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates only the photographing unit 72A of the pair of photographing units 72A that is attached to the outer surface of the front side wall 24.

[0084] Each of the pair of photographing units 72A photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 from the lateral side (specifically, the front and rear sides) of the recording media P within a photographing range that includes the adsorption position by the delivery unit 40 (specifically, the adsorption body 42) to the tip of the recording media P (specifically, the photographing range of the dotted line HA in Figure 10).

[0085] The photographing unit 72B is disposed downstream in the feeding direction (specifically, on the right side) of the multiple recording media P stacked on the stacking unit 22. The photographing unit 72B photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P following the next medium P2 from the downstream side in the feeding direction within a range from one end to the other in the width direction (specifically, the photographing range indicated by the dashed-dotted line HB in FIG. 11). Specifically, the photographing unit 72B is attached, for example, to a surface of the limiting unit 59 on the downstream side in the feeding direction (specifically, on the right side). The photographing unit 72B photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P following the next medium P2 from the downstream side in the feeding direction (specifically, on the right side) through an opening 77 formed in the limiting unit 59.

[0086] The photographing unit 72 continues the photographing operation in the photographing range while the sending unit 40 continues to execute the operation of sending out the recording medium P. The photographing unit 72 continuously photographs an image of the recording medium P multiple times. The photographing unit 72 has an illumination unit (not shown) that illuminates the photographing range.

[0087] The detector 73 (see FIG. 12) is a component that detects the height of the topmost medium P1 relative to a reference height. Specifically, the detector 73 detects the height at the center of the topmost medium P1 in the width direction, at the leading edge. The detector 73 may be, for example, a contact detector that contacts the top surface of the topmost medium P1 to detect the height, or a non-contact detector (specifically, a reflective or transmissive optical sensor, etc.) that detects the height of the topmost medium P1. The reference height is an arbitrarily set height, and may be the height of a specific location within the device or a virtually set height.

[0088] 3 and 12 is a device that performs various determinations (including identification) in the transmission device 12. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the determination device 60 has a processor 61, a memory 62, and a storage 63.

[0089] For example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is used as the processor 61. The storage 63 stores various programs including an execution program 63A (see FIG. 13) and various data. Specifically, the storage 63 is realized by a recording device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory.

[0090] The memory 62 is a work area for the processor 61 to execute various programs, and temporarily stores various programs or various data when the processor 61 executes processing. The processor 61 reads various programs including the execution program 63A from the storage 63 into the memory 62, and executes the programs using the memory 62 as a work area.

[0091] In the determination device 60, the processor 61 executes the execution program 63A to realize various functions. The following describes the functional configuration realized by the cooperation of the processor 61 as a hardware resource and the execution program 63A as a software resource. Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the processor 61.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 13, in the determination device 60, the processor 61 executes an execution program 63A to function as an identification unit 61B, a change unit 61D, and a control unit 61E.

[0093] The specifying unit 61B specifies the medium curvature state based on the image captured by the photographing unit 72. Specifically, the specifying unit 61B specifies the medium curvature state (see FIGS. 6 and 7) occurring along the width direction at the leading edge of the recording media P from the top medium P1 to the next medium P2 onwards based on the image captured by the photographing unit 72B.

[0094] More specifically, the identifying unit 61B identifies the medium curvature state as follows. First, from the captured images captured by the imaging unit 72B, the identifying unit 61B extracts the height of the highest part with respect to the reference height, the height of the lowest part with respect to the reference height, and the height of the widthwise center part with respect to the reference height at the leading edge of each of the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and subsequent recording media P. Then, if the height of the highest part or the height of the lowest part matches the height of the widthwise center part within a predetermined error range, the identifying unit 61B determines that the medium curvature state has occurred and identifies the curvature direction, curvature height, and curvature length. Specifically, if the height of the highest part matches the height of the widthwise center part within a predetermined error range, the identifying unit 61B identifies the upwardly convex direction as the curvature direction, the height difference between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature height, and the widthwise distance between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature length (see FIG. 7).

[0095] On the other hand, when the height of the lowest part and the height of the widthwise center part match within a predetermined error range, the specifying unit 61B specifies the downwardly convex direction as the curvature direction, the difference in height between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature height, and the widthwise distance between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature length (see FIG. 6). Note that the height of the widthwise center part can be determined using the detection results of the detection unit 73. Furthermore, when the position of the highest part or the lowest part is in the widthwise center part, the specifying unit 61B may determine that the medium is in a curvature state and specify the curvature direction, curvature height, and curvature length. In other words, the medium curvature state may be specified based on the positional relationship between the highest part and the lowest part and the widthwise center part.

[0096] In addition, if the height of the highest or lowest part does not match the height of the widthwise center part beyond the range of error, the determination unit 61B will not determine the medium curvature state, assuming that the medium curvature state has not occurred.

[0097] Furthermore, the specifying unit 61B specifies the medium curvature state occurring along the feeding direction at the leading edge of the uppermost medium P1 and the recording media P from the next medium P2 onwards, based on the images captured by the photographing unit 72A (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Specifically, the specifying unit 61B specifies the medium curvature state occurring along the feeding direction at the leading edge of each of the pair of side edges of the uppermost medium P1 and the recording media P from the next medium P2 onwards, based on the images captured by each of the pair of photographing units 72A.

[0098] More specifically, the identifying unit 61B identifies the media curvature state as follows. First, from the captured images captured by each of the pair of imaging units 72A, the identifying unit 61B extracts the height of the highest part with respect to the reference height, the height of the lowest part with respect to the reference height, and the height of the leading end part with respect to the reference height at the side edge of each of the recording media P, including the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following. If the height of the highest part or the height of the lowest part matches the height of the leading end within a predetermined error range, the identifying unit 61B determines that the media curvature state has occurred and identifies the curvature direction, curvature height, and curvature length. Specifically, if the height of the highest part matches the height of the leading end within a predetermined error range, the identifying unit 61B identifies the downwardly convex direction as the curvature direction, the height difference between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature height, and the widthwise distance between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature length (see FIG. 8).

[0099] On the other hand, when the height of the lowest part and the height of the tip part match within a predetermined error range, the identifying unit 61B identifies the upwardly convex direction as the curvature direction, the difference in height between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature height, and the distance in the width direction between the highest part and the lowest part as the curvature length (see FIG. 9). Note that the height of the tip part can be determined using the detection result of the detection unit 73. Furthermore, when the position of the highest part or the lowest part is the tip part, the identifying unit 61B may determine that the medium is in a curvature state and identify the curvature direction, curvature height, and curvature length. In other words, the medium curvature state may be identified based on the positional relationship between the highest part and the lowest part and the tip part.

[0100] In addition, if the height of the highest or lowest part does not match the height of the tip part beyond the range of error, the determination unit 61B does not determine the medium curvature state, assuming that the medium curvature state has not occurred.

[0101] The change unit 61D changes the conditions related to the sending operation of the sending unit 40 based on the medium curvature state detected by the detection unit 70. Specifically, the change unit 61D changes the conditions related to the sending operation of the sending unit 40 based on the medium curvature state identified by the identification unit 61B before the top medium P1 is sent out by the sending unit 40. Furthermore, the change unit 61D can change the conditions for each sending of the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and subsequent recording media P, or for each set of multiple media P.

[0102] The conditions include the volume, temperature, humidity, supply direction, and supply area of ​​the air supplied between the multiple recording media P in the supply unit 30. Also, the conditions include the volume, temperature, humidity, supply direction, and supply area of ​​the air supplied to the next medium P2 in the separation unit 50. Another condition is the vertical position of the restriction unit 59. Another condition is the delivery height of the lifting unit 29. Another condition is the delivery distance of the adsorbent 42, i.e., the suction position (position shown in FIG. 2) and the delivery position (position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5) of the adsorbent 42.

[0103] The control unit 61E controls the operation of each unit of the sending device 12 based on the conditions changed by the change unit 61D. Note that if the detection result of the medium curvature state detected by the detection unit 70 does not satisfy the requirements for the sending unit 40 to be able to execute the sending operation of the recording medium P, the control unit 61E controls the sending unit 40 to stop the execution of the sending operation of the recording medium P. As a result, the sending unit 40 stops the execution of the sending operation of the recording medium P. In this way, the determination device 60 has the function of controlling the operation of each unit of the sending device 12, and therefore can also be said to be a control device.

[0104] In this embodiment, among the functional units of the identification unit 61B, the change unit 61D, and the control unit 61E, the identification unit 61B configures the functional unit of the detection unit 70. Also, for example, the change unit 61D and the control unit 61E may be configured as devices separate from the determination device 60. Furthermore, the identification unit 61B, the change unit 61D, and the control unit 61E may each be configured as a separate device.

[0105] The detecting unit 70 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, instead of the photographing unit 72, the detecting unit 70 may have an irradiating unit that irradiates a strip of light extending in the vertical direction onto the recording media P and a light-receiving unit that receives the light, and may be configured to detect the curvature of the medium based on, for example, the height of the portion where the light is blocked by the recording media P. Furthermore, in a configuration having the irradiating unit and the light-receiving unit, the curvature of the medium may be detected based on, for example, the height of the portion where the light is reflected or absorbed by the recording media P. The irradiating unit may be, for example, a light-emitting unit in which light-emitting elements are arranged in a vertical line or a staggered pattern, or a light-receiving unit arranged two-dimensionally. The light-receiving unit may be, for example, a light-receiving unit in which light-receiving elements are arranged in a vertical line or a staggered pattern, or a light-receiving unit arranged two-dimensionally.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the detection unit 70 is described as detecting the curvature of the medium, but this is not limited to this. In addition to the curvature of the medium, the detection unit 70 may also detect the tilt between the top medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P (hereinafter referred to as medium tilt).

[0107] Here, tilt refers to a state in which the recording medium P has a planar gradient, and a curved state refers to a state in which the recording medium P has a curved gradient. According to the above embodiment, the gradient of the recording medium P can be detected regardless of whether it is planar or curved, and therefore it is possible to detect both the medium curved state and the medium tilt without distinction. In other words, the detection unit 70 can be said to be a component that detects both the medium curved state and the medium tilt. Note that the detection unit 70 may also detect the medium curved state and the medium tilt separately by extracting the height of each part from the image captured by the image capture unit 72. Furthermore, the detection unit 70 may be configured to detect only one of the medium curved state and the medium tilt.

[0108] (Action according to this embodiment) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0109] In this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the curvature state of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2, and the change unit 61D changes the conditions related to the sending operation of the sending unit 40 based on the curvature state detected by the detection unit 70.

[0110] Therefore, in a feeding device 12 equipped with a feeding section 40 that feeds out the top medium P1 among a plurality of stacked recording media P, poor feeding of the next medium P2 and subsequent recording media P is suppressed compared to when only the curved state of the top medium P1 is detected and the conditions related to the feeding operation of the feeding section 40 are changed based on that curved state.

[0111] Therefore, in the image forming device 10, compared to when only the curved state of the top medium P1 is detected and the conditions related to the delivery operation of the delivery section 40 are changed based on that curved state, it is possible to form an image on the recording medium P while suppressing delivery failures of the next medium P2 and subsequent recording media P.

[0112] In addition, in this embodiment, the photographing unit 72 photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2, and the identification unit 61B identifies the medium curvature state based on the images photographed by the photographing unit 72.

[0113] Therefore, the accuracy of the determination is higher than when the height of each part of the recording medium P is detected by a plurality of sensors to determine the state of curvature.

[0114] In addition, in this embodiment, specifically, the photographing unit 72B photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 in the range from one end to the other end in the width direction (specifically, the photographing range of the dotted line HB in Figure 11) from the downstream side in the feed direction, and the identification unit 61B identifies the media curvature state that occurs along the width direction at the tip of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 based on the image photographed by the photographing unit 72B.

[0115] Therefore, compared to when the photographing unit 72B photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 within a partial range in the width direction, the media curvature state that occurs along the width direction at the tip of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 can be identified with high accuracy.

[0116] In addition, in this embodiment, the photographing unit 72A photographs images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 from the side of the recording media P within a photographing range (specifically, the photographing range of the dotted line HA in Figure 10) that includes the adsorption position by the delivery unit 40 (specifically, the adsorption body 42) to the tip of the recording media P, and the identification unit 61B identifies the media curvature state that occurs along the delivery direction at the tip of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 based on the image photographed by the photographing unit 72A.

[0117] Therefore, compared to when the photographing unit 72A photographs the images of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 in a photographing range that does not include the area from the suction position by the feed unit 40 to the tip of the recording media P, the media curvature state that occurs along the feed direction at the tip of the top medium P1 and the recording media P below the next medium P2 can be identified with high accuracy.

[0118] In this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the curved state of the media after the lifting unit 29 lifts the plurality of recording media P and before the delivery unit 40 delivers the topmost medium P1.

[0119] Here, the posture of the recording medium P may change before and after the lifting unit 29 lifts the multiple recording media P, and if the media curvature state is detected before the lifting unit 29 lifts the multiple recording media P (hereinafter referred to as form A), the conditions will be changed based on the detection results before the posture changes, which may result in poor delivery of the topmost medium P1.

[0120] In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the detection unit 70 detects the media curvature state after the lifting unit 29 has raised the multiple recording media P and before the delivery unit 40 has delivered the top medium P1, thereby reducing delivery failures of the top medium P1 compared to form A.

[0121] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the medium curved state after the lifting unit 29 lifts the plurality of recording media P and before the supply unit 30 supplies air.

[0122] Here, when the curvature state of the medium is detected after the supply of air by the supply unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as form B), the detection may be performed in a state where the posture of the recording medium P is unstable due to the supply of air, and the conditions will be changed based on the detection results, which may result in poor delivery of the top medium P1.

[0123] In contrast, in this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the media curvature state after the lifting unit 29 lifts the multiple recording media P and before the supply unit 30 supplies air, thereby reducing poor delivery of the top media P1 compared to form B.

[0124] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection unit 70 repeatedly detects the medium curved state while the delivery unit 40 continues to execute the delivery operation of the recording medium P.

[0125] In this configuration, even if the posture of the recording medium P changes while the sending unit 40 continues to perform the sending operation, the media curvature state of the recording medium P after the change can be detected and the conditions can be changed based on that, thereby reducing poor sending of the recording medium P compared to when the operation to detect the media curvature state is stopped while the sending unit 40 continues to perform the sending operation of the recording medium P.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the curvature direction, which indicates whether the curvature is upwardly convex or downwardly convex, the curvature height, which is the difference in height between the highest and lowest points of the recording medium P, and the curvature length, which is the distance between the highest and lowest points of the recording medium P along the feed direction or width direction. This makes it possible to change the conditions related to the delivery operation of the delivery unit 40 based on the curvature direction, curvature height, and curvature length. This makes it possible to change (i.e., set) these conditions more precisely than when only the curvature direction is detected as the curvature state of the medium.

[0127] In addition, in this embodiment, if the detection result of the medium curvature state detected by the detection unit 70 does not satisfy the requirements for the sending unit 40 to be able to perform the sending operation of the recording medium P, the sending unit 40 will stop performing the sending operation of the recording medium P.

[0128] Therefore, even if the detection result of the medium curvature state detected by the detection unit 70 does not satisfy the requirements for the sending unit 40 to be able to perform the sending operation of the recording medium P, poor sending of the recording medium P is suppressed compared to when the sending unit 40 performs the sending operation of the recording medium P.

[0129] (Modification of the identification unit 61B) The identifying unit 61B identifies the media curvature state (see FIGS. 6 and 7) occurring along the width direction at the leading ends of the uppermost medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P based on the images captured by the photographing unit 72B, but is not limited to this. For example, the identifying unit 61B may identify at least one of the media curvature state (see FIGS. 6 and 7) occurring along the width direction at the leading ends of the uppermost medium P1 and the next medium P2 and the following recording media P based on the images captured by the photographing unit 72A and the height detected by the detection unit 73. Specifically, for example, the identification unit 61B first extracts the height of the leading edge of each of a pair of side edges of each of the recording media P, including the top medium P1 and the next medium P2, from the captured images captured by each of the pair of imaging units 72A. Then, if the height of each of the pair of side edges is higher than the height of the widthwise center detected by the detection unit 73, the identification unit 61B determines that a downwardly convex curve or tilt has occurred, and identifies the medium as being curved or tilted. Furthermore, if the height of each of the pair of side edges is lower than the height of the widthwise center detected by the detection unit 73, the identification unit 61B determines that an upwardly convex curve or tilt has occurred, and identifies the medium as being curved or tilted. In this way, the identifying unit 61B may identify at least one of the medium curvature state and the medium tilt based on the image captured by the imaging unit 72 and the height detected by the detection unit 73.

[0130] According to this configuration, it is possible to identify at least one of the curvature state and the inclination of the medium using the height of the recording medium P that is not included in the photographing range of the photographing unit 72, thereby improving the accuracy of identification compared to when at least one of the curvature state and the inclination of the medium is identified based only on the image photographed by the photographing unit 72.

[0131] Furthermore, in this modified example, at least one of the medium curvature state and medium tilt occurring along the width direction at the leading end of the recording medium P is identified using the image captured by the photographing unit 72A, so when identifying the medium curvature state (see FIGS. 8 and 9) and medium tilt occurring along the feeding direction at the leading end of the recording medium P, it is possible to identify them using a common photographed image. Therefore, the number of steps in the identification process is reduced compared to when the photographing unit 72B identifies at least one of the medium curvature state and medium tilt occurring along the width direction at the leading end of the recording medium P based on an image captured from the downstream side in the feeding direction. Note that this embodiment may be configured without providing the photographing unit 72B.

[0132] (Other variations) In this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects at least one of the curved state of the media and the tilt of the media after the lifting unit 29 lifts the multiple recording media P and before the delivery unit 40 delivers the topmost medium P1, but this is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 70 may be configured to detect at least one of the curved state of the media and the tilt of the media before the lifting unit 29 lifts the multiple recording media P.

[0133] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection unit 70 detects the medium curved state after the lifting unit 29 lifts the multiple recording media P and before the supply unit 30 supplies air, but this is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 70 may be configured to detect at least one of the medium curved state and medium tilt after the supply unit 30 supplies air.

[0134] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the detection unit 70 repeatedly detects at least one of the medium curved state and medium tilt while the delivery unit 40 continues to execute the delivery operation of the recording medium P, but this is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 70 may be configured to stop the operation of detecting at least one of the medium curved state and medium tilt while the delivery unit 40 continues to execute the delivery operation of the recording medium P.

[0135] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the detection result of the medium curvature state detected by the detection unit 70 does not satisfy the requirements for the sending unit 40 to be able to execute the sending operation of the recording medium P, the sending unit 40 stops executing the sending operation of the recording medium P, but this is not limited to this.

[0136] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the above-described modified examples may be appropriately combined to form a configuration.

[0137] Furthermore, the aforementioned processor 61 refers to a processor in a broad sense, and is not limited to a general-purpose processor (e.g., the aforementioned CPU, etc.), but may also be a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0138] Furthermore, the operations of the processor in this embodiment may not only be performed by one processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in this embodiment, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0139] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the above-described modified examples may be appropriately combined to form a configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 10 Image forming device 12 Delivery device 14 Conveying section 14A Conveying member 14B conveying member 16 Image forming unit 18 Discharge section 20 Storage section 22 Loading section 22A Top 24 Side wall 29 Lifting section 30 Supply section 32 Blower 34 Flow pipe 36 Supply port 38 Supply direction change section 39 Supply area change section 40 Transmission Unit 42 Adsorbent 42B Bottom surface 43 Overhang 43B Bottom surface 44 Moving mechanism 46 Sending Roll 50 Separation part 52 Feeding device 54 Flow pipe 56 nozzles 59 Restricted Section 60 Judgment device 61 processors 61B Specific part 61D Change section 61E Control Unit 62 memory 63 Storage 63A Executable Program 70 Detector 72 Photography Department 72A Photography Department 72B Photography Department 73 Detection unit 77 Aperture 79 Aperture P Recording medium P1 Mogami Media P2 medium

Claims

1. a delivery unit that delivers a first medium placed on top of the plurality of loaded media; a detection unit that detects at least one of the curvature and tilt of the first medium and a second medium or subsequent mediums disposed directly below the first medium; a change unit that changes a condition related to a delivery operation of the delivery unit based on at least one of the bending state and the tilt detected by the detection unit; A delivery device comprising:

2. The detection unit an imaging unit that captures images of the first medium and the second medium and subsequent media; an identifying unit that identifies at least one of the bending state and the tilt based on the image captured by the imaging unit; have The delivery device of claim 1 .

3. The imaging unit is Images of the first medium and the second and subsequent media are captured from a downstream side in the feeding direction within a range from one end to the other end in a thickness direction and a width direction intersecting the feeding direction of the media; The identification unit Identifying at least one of the curvature and the inclination occurring along the width direction at the leading end of the medium. The delivery device of claim 2 .

4. the delivery section adsorbs the first medium at a position closer to a rear end than a front end of the first medium, and delivers the first medium; The imaging unit is taking images of the first medium and the second and subsequent media from a side of the media in a range including a position where the media are attracted by the delivery unit to a leading edge of the media; The identification unit Identifying at least one of the curvature and the inclination occurring at the leading end of the medium along the feeding direction.

4. The delivery device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The detection unit a detection unit that detects the height of the first medium relative to a reference height; and The identification unit At least one of the bending state and the tilt is identified based on the image captured by the imaging unit and the height detected by the detection unit. The delivery device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The imaging unit is taking images of the first medium and the second and subsequent media from a side of the media; The identification unit At least one of the curvature and the inclination occurring in the leading end of the medium along the thickness direction and the width direction intersecting the feeding direction of the medium is identified. The delivery device of claim 5 .

7. a lifting section that lifts the plurality of stacked media so that the first media is positioned at a height at which the media is delivered by the delivery section; Equipped with The detection unit After the plurality of media are lifted by the lifting unit and before the first media is delivered by the delivery unit, at least one of the curved state and the tilt is detected; The change unit The condition is changed before the delivery unit delivers the first medium based on at least one of the curved state and the tilt detected by the detection unit. The delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. a supply unit that supplies air between the plurality of loaded media to levitate the media; Equipped with The detection unit After the plurality of media are lifted by the lifting unit and before the air is supplied by the supply unit, at least one of the curvature state and the tilt is detected. The delivery device of claim 7.

9. The detection unit While the delivery unit continues to perform the delivery operation of the medium, the detection of at least one of the curved state and the tilt is repeated.

9. The delivery device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The detection unit The curvature direction, which indicates whether the curvature is upwardly or downwardly convex, the curvature height, which is the difference in height between the highest and lowest points of the medium, and the curvature length, which is the distance between the highest and lowest points of the medium along the feed direction or width direction, are detected as the curvature state. The delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. If the detection result of at least one of the bending state and the tilt detected by the detection unit does not satisfy the requirements for the delivery unit to be able to execute the delivery operation of the medium, the delivery unit stops the delivery operation of the medium. The delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 11; an image forming unit that forms an image on the medium sent out from the sending device; An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images