Patent Application
20240101373
The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus that holds and carries a recording medium using conveying means, and is installed in a recording device that performs a recording operation.
Such a recording device as an inkjet printer that is commonly used is configured so that a recording medium is conveyed by a conveying apparatus constituted of a conveying roller and a plurality of gears. In this conveying apparatus, a configuration using a helical gear is known, in order to reduce operation sounds caused by the hitting sound of the gears and the like.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-278495 discloses a conveying apparatus, which is installed in a recording device and is configured to drive a conveying roller to convey a recording medium using a plurality of helical gears. In this configuration, the rattling of the conveying roller in the rotary shaft direction is prevented using the thrust force that the helical gear generates on the conveying roller in the rotary shaft direction.
However, in the above configuration, at a timing when the rotating direction of the conveying roller switches, the direction of the thrust force generated by the helical gear reverses, which may move the conveying roller in the rotary shaft direction. The movement of the conveying roller in the rotary shaft direction moves the paper, which is being conveyed by the conveying roller, in the rotary shaft direction, and causes a drop in printing quality.
With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a conveying apparatus for conveying a recording medium, the apparatus preventing movement of a conveying roller in the rotary shaft direction when the conveying roller is driven.
To achieve the above object, the conveying apparatus of the present invention includes:
According to the present invention, in a conveying apparatus for conveying a recording medium, movement of a conveying roller in the rotary shaft direction can be prevented when the conveying roller is driven.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, a description will be given, with reference to the drawings, of embodiments (examples) of the present invention. However, the sizes, materials, shapes, their relative arrangements, or the like of constituents described in the embodiments may be appropriately changed according to the configurations, various conditions, or the like of apparatuses to which the invention is applied. Therefore, the sizes, materials, shapes, their relative arrangements, or the like of the constituents described in the embodiments do not intend to limit the scope of the invention to the following embodiments. A plurality of features are described in each of the following embodiments, but all of these features are not essential for the invention, and these features may be arbitrarily combined. In the accompanying drawings, an identical or similar composing element is denoted with a same reference numeral, and redundant description may be omitted.
In the following description, “recording” (or “printing” in some cases) includes a case of forming an image, a pattern, and the like, on a recording medium, or a case of processing the medium. In other words, “recording” is not limited to forming such significant information as text and graphics, but also includes insignificant information, and is not limited to the recording information which has been actualized for humans to recognize visually. “Recording medium (paper)” is not only recording paper used for a commonly used image forming apparatus, but includes such conveyable medium as cloth, plastic film (OHP), metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood and leather.
Recording Apparatus 1
An outline of an inkjet recording device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described.
The recording device 1 includes: a feeding portion 2 which separates and feeds a recording medium one-by-one; a conveying portion 5 which is a conveying apparatus to convey the recording material fed by the feeding portion 2; and a recording portion 7 which performs recording operation on the recording medium conveyed by the conveying portion 5. The recording device 1 also includes: a driving motor 6 (see
The feeding portion 2 includes: a loading portion 21 which loads a recording medium, and a feeding roller 22 which feeds the recording medium loaded in the loading portion 21. The recording medium loaded in the loading portion 21 is conveyed to the conveying portion 5 by the feeding roller 22.
The conveying portion 5 includes: the conveying roller 51, a pinch roller 52 that faces the conveying roller 51, a discharging roller 53, and a spur 54 that faces the discharging roller 53. The conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 are rollers which are long in a rotary shaft direction, and the rotary shaft direction is approximately parallel with the scanning direction of the recording head. In the conveying direction of the recording medium, the conveying roller 51 and the pinch roller 52 are disposed on the upstream side of the recording portion 7, and the discharging roller 53 and the spur 54 are disposed on the downstream side of the recording portion 7.
The delivery portion 8 includes a delivery tray 81 where the recording medium discharged by the discharging roller 53 is loaded. The operator can collect the recording medium on which an image is recorded from the delivery tray 81.
Next, the conveying path of the recording medium, from the feeding portion 2 to the delivery portion 8, will be described in detail. The recording medium fed from the feeding portion 2 to the conveying portion 5 by the feeding roller 22 is nipped by the pinch roller 52 and the conveying roller 51, and is conveyed to the recording portion 7. The pinch roller 52 is energized toward the conveying roller 51 by a pinch roller holder 55.
An image is recorded on the recording medium conveyed to the recording portion 7, using ink discharged by a recording head (not illustrated) and a nozzle (not illustrated). In the recording portion 7, the recording operation is performed at an arbitrary position on the recording medium in the width direction by the recording head moving in the scanning direction (X direction). The recording medium on which an image was recorded by the recording portion 7 is discharged to the delivery tray 81 by the discharging roller 53 and the spur 54. In other words, on the conveying path of the recording medium from the feeding portion 2 to the delivery portion 8, the feeding portion 2 is located on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying portion 5, and the delivery portion 8 is located on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying portion 5.
The driving motor 6 is a driving source to rotary-drive the conveying roller 51, the discharging roller 53, and the feeding roller 22. By a driving transmission mechanism constituted of a plurality of helical gears and the like, the driving force of the driving motor 6 is transmitted to the conveying roller 51 and the like. The driving motor 6 may be regarded as a driving source of the conveying portion 5, which is the conveying apparatus, for example.
The recording medium fed from the feeding portion 2 is guided to the conveying roller 51 of the conveying portion 5 via the conveying path constituted of the pinch roller holder 55 and a guide portion 56 (see
Conveying Portion 5
Next, the configuration of the conveying portion 5 will be described in detail.
The recording medium fed by the feeding portion 2 is guided by the pinch roller holder 55 and the guide portion 56, and is fed to the conveying roller 51. An edge detection lever 57 is disposed in the pinch roller holder 55. By the recording medium rotating the edge detection lever 57 when passing above the pinch roller holder 55, the front end position and rear end position of the recording medium are detected by the edge detection lever 57.
The driving amount of the driving motor 6 is detected by an encoder (not illustrated). By performing various controls, such as PID control, the speed and driving amount of the driving motor 6 are controlled. If the edge detection lever 57 detects the front end position of the recording medium during the feeding operation and the rear end position of the recording medium during the recording operation or discharging operation, the actual length of the recording medium in the conveying direction can be measured based on the driving amount of the driving motor 6 required from detecting the front end position to detecting the rear end position.
The recording medium which was fed to the conveying roller 51 receives a skew correction operation and the like, and is then conveyed to the recording portion 7. Then by the recording head disposed on the recording portion 7, a recording operation is performed on the recording medium, which was conveyed to the recording portion 7. The recording medium conveyed from the conveying roller 51 is guided to the platen 58 and a spur base 59, and reaches the discharging roller 53. While the recording operation is performed on the recording medium, the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying roller 51, or by the discharging roller 53, or by both of these rollers. The recording medium on which an image was recorded is then discharged to the delivery tray 81 using the discharging roller 53.
Gear Train 37
Next, the configuration of the gear train 37, which is located at the edge of the conveying portion 5 in the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51, will be described in detail.
The conveying roller gear (first helical gear) 372 has a two-step gear configuration. By using the two-step configuration for the conveying roller gear 372, the strength of the gear train 37 can be improved compared with a configuration of disposing a plurality of gears instead of the conveying roller gear 372. A first gear portion 372a of the conveying roller gear 372 is engaged with the conveying idler gear (second helical gear) 374, and is drive-coupled with the driving motor gear 371 via the conveying idler gear 374. A second gear portion 372b of the conveying roller gear 372 is engaged with the discharging idler gear (third helical gear) 375, and is drive-coupled with the discharging roller gear (fourth helical gear) 373 via the discharging idler gear 375. The conveying roller gear 372, the driving motor gear 371 and the discharging roller gear 373 are configured to rotate in a same direction, and the conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 always rotate in a same direction.
The driving force of the driving motor 6 is transmitted from the driving motor gear 371 to the conveying idler gear 374, from the conveying idler gear 374 to the conveying roller gear 372, from the conveying roller gear 372 to the discharging idler gear 375, and from the discharging idler gear 375 to the discharging roller gear 373. The tooth trace direction of the first gear portion 372a and the tooth trace direction of the second gear portion 372b of the conveying roller gear 372 are in the same direction. Therefore, a thrust force which the conveying roller gear 372 receives from the conveying idler gear 374, and a thrust force which the conveying roller gear 372 receives from the discharging idler gear 375 always turn in opposite directions. It is a characteristic of the present invention that the conveying roller gear 372 is configured such that the thrust force received from the conveying idler gear 374 and the thrust force received from the discharging idler gear 375 turn in opposite directions.
The conveying portion 5 further includes a conveying roller spring (first pressing means) 376 which is pressing means for pressing the conveying roller (first conveying roller) 51, and a discharging roller spring (second pressing means) 377 which is pressing means for pressing the discharging roller (second conveying roller) 53.
The conveying roller spring 376 and the discharging roller spring 377 are both energizing members which are disposed to allow an elastic force to act in the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51. In Embodiment 1, the direction in which the conveying roller spring 376 energizes the conveying roller 51 and the direction in which the discharging roller spring 377 energizes the discharging roller 53 are the same. In the following description, it is assumed that a first direction D1 is a pressing direction in which the conveying roller spring 376 presses the conveying roller 51 in the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51, and a second direction D2 is an opposite direction of the first direction D1. In Embodiment 1, the gear train 37 is disposed at the edge of the conveying portion 5 in the first direction D1.
The conveying portion 5 further includes a regulating member (first regulating means) 378 which is regulating means for regulating the movement of the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1, and a regulating member (second regulating means) 379 which is regulating means for regulating movement of the discharging roller 53 in the first direction D1. In other words, the conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 are pressed by the pressing means in the first direction D1, but the movement in the first direction D1 is regulated by the regulating means. In other words, the conveying roller spring 376 presses the conveying roller 51 toward the regulating member 378, and the discharging roller spring 377 presses the discharging roller 53 toward the regulating member 379. The conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 may be configured such that when a force exceeding the pressing force of the pressing means acts in the second direction D2, which is the opposite direction of the first direction D1, the conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 can be moved for the amount of clearance between these rollers.
Next, the mechanism of regulating the movement of the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1 will be described in detail.
Grooves to install a first slit ring 382 and a second slit ring 384 are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the conveying roller 51. The first slit ring 382 is located on the first direction D1 side of the conveying roller spring 376, and the second slit ring 384 is located on the second direction D2 side of the conveying roller spring 376.
In the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51, the conveying roller spring 376 is located between the first slit ring 382 and the regulating member 378. The conveying roller spring 376 is disposed so as to extend in a direction parallel with the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51. Therefore, by the conveying roller spring 376, the conveying roller 51 is energized in the first direction D1 via the first slit ring 382, and the regulating member 378 is energized in the second direction D2.
Further, in the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51, a surface of the second slit ring 384 facing the first direction D1 faces a surface of the regulating member 378 facing the second direction D2. When the conveying roller 51 is energized in the first direction D1 by the conveying roller spring 376, the second slit ring 384 contacts with the regulating member 378. Then movement of the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1 is regulated by the regulating member 378. A movement regulating mechanism, which includes the regulating member 379 and regulates the movement of the discharging roller 53 in the first direction D1, has the same configuration as the movement regulating mechanism of the conveying roller 51, hence the description thereof will be omitted. In the conveying apparatus according to the present invention, a known movement regulating mechanism other than the above mentioned mechanism for regulating a movement of the conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 in the first direction D1 may be used.
Forces which Act on Conveying Roller 51
Next, force which act on the conveying roller 51 in the rotary shaft direction when the gear train 37 is driven will be described. The gear unit that engages with the conveying roller gear 372 and generates a thrust force on the conveying roller 51 includes the conveying idler gear 374 and the discharging idler gear 375. The conveying roller 51 is also pressed by the conveying roller spring 376 in the first direction D1.
First, force which act on the conveying roller 51, when the conveying roller 51 rotates in the first rotating direction R1 (forward rotation), will be described.
The direction of the tooth trace of each gear is configured such that the force F1 acts in the first direction D1 and the force F2 acts in the second direction D2 when the driving motor 6 drives the conveying roller 51 in the forward rotation direction. At this time, the conveying roller spring 376 energizes the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1. Therefore, if it is assumed that the resultant force FC1, which acts on the conveying roller 51, acts in the first direction D1, the resultant force FC1 is given by FC1=F1−F2+F3.
The force F1 and the force F2 change depending on the conveying conditions (e.g., conveying speed, type of recording medium). The force F3, on the other hand, depends on the elastic force of the conveying roller spring 376. In Embodiment 1, the force F3 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of F3−F1+F2 within the assumed conveying conditions. The resultant force FC1 acts in the first direction D1, and the conveying roller 51 is energized in the first direction D1.
Next, the forces which act on the conveying roller 51 when the conveying roller 51 rotates in the second rotating direction R2 (backward rotation) will be described.
When the driving motor 6 drives the conveying roller 51 in the backward rotation direction, the force F1 acts in the second direction D2, and the force F2 acts in the first direction D1. Further, the conveying roller spring 376 energizes the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1. Therefore, the resultant force FC1, which acts on the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1, is given by FC1=−F1+F2+F3. In Embodiment 1, the force F3 is set so as to satisfy a relationship of F3>F1−F2 within the assumed conveying conditions. In other words, the resultant force FC1 of the conveying roller 51 in the rotary shaft direction acts in the first direction D1, and the conveying roller 51 is energized in the first direction D1.
As mentioned above, the resultant force FC1 of the force F3, which is the pressing force of the conveying roller spring 376, and the force F1 and the force F2, which are the thrust forces that the conveying roller gear 372 receives, acts in the first direction D1, regardless the rotating direction of the conveying roller 51. For example, in a case where the conveying roller 51 performs backward rotation and the force F1 is larger than the force F2, the thrust force acts in the second direction D2, but the force F3 satisfies the relationship of F3>F1−F2, hence the resultant force FC1 acts in the first direction D1. In other words, in Embodiment 1, it is set such that when the thrust force that the conveying roller gear 372 receives acts in the second direction D2, the pressing force of the conveying roller spring 376 becomes larger than this thrust force.
Because of this configuration, the resultant force FC1 acts in the first direction D1, whether the conveying roller 51 performs forward rotation or backward rotation. In other words, even at a timing when the rotating direction of the conveying roller 51 switches, the conveying roller 51 is constantly energized in the first direction D1. Further, the movement of the conveying roller 51 caused by the resultant force FC1 is regulated by the regulating member 378, regardless the rotating direction of the conveying roller 51. This means that, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, the movement of the conveying roller 51 is constantly regulated when the conveying roller 51 is driven, whereby printing failures, such as a drop in printing quality and paper jam, can be prevented.
The movement of the conveying roller 51 in the rotary shaft direction is also prevented by the pinch roller 52 pressing the conveying roller 51 via the recording medium. Hence the pressing force of the pinch roller 52 also contributes to preventing printing failures, such as a drop in printing quality and paper jam.
Further, in the above configuration, the force F1, which the conveying roller gear 372 receives from the conveying idler gear 374, and the force F2 which the conveying roller gear 372 receives from the discharging idler gear 375, constantly turn to opposite directions. Hence there is no need to excessively increase the force F3 to turn the resultant force FC1 to the first direction D1. Furthermore, durability of members constituting the movement regulating mechanism of the conveying roller 51 can be improved. Thus in the configuration where the helical gears which integrally rotate with the conveying roller, engages with a plurality of gears, the tooth trace direction of each helical gear can be set such that the thrust force thereof acts in a direction cancelling each other out, whereby the pressing force of the pressing means can be decreased.
Forces which Act on Discharging Roller 53
Next forces which act on the discharging roller 53 in the rotary shaft direction when the gear train 37 is driven will be described. In Embodiment 1, the gear unit that engages with the discharging roller gear 373 and generates a thrust force on the discharging roller 53 includes the discharging idler gear 375. The discharging roller 53 is pressed by the discharging roller spring 377 in the first direction D1.
First, forces which act on the discharging roller 53 when the discharging roller 53 performs forward rotation will be described. In
The direction of the tooth trace of each gear is configured such that the force F4 acts in the first direction D1 when the driving motor 6 drives the discharging roller 53 in the forward rotation direction. At this time, the discharging roller spring 377 energizes the discharging roller 53 in the first direction D1. Therefore if it is assumed that the resultant force FC2, which acts on the discharging roller 53, acts in the first direction D1, the resultant force FC2 is given by FC2=F4+F5. In other words, the resultant force FC2 in the rotary shaft direction of the discharging roller 53 acts in the first direction D1, and the discharging roller 53 is energized in the first direction D1.
Next, the force which acts on the discharging roller 53 when the discharging roller 53 performs backward rotation will be described. As illustrated in
As mentioned above, the resultant force FC2 of the force F5, which is the pressing force of the discharging roller spring 377, and the force F4, which is the thrust force that the discharging roller gear 373 receives, act in the first direction D1, regardless the rotating direction of the discharging roller 53. In other words, in Embodiment 1, it is set such that when the thrust force that the discharging roller gear 373 receives acts in the second direction D2, the pressing force of the discharging roller spring 377 becomes larger than this thrust force.
Because of this configuration, the resultant force FC2 acts in the first direction D1, whether the discharging roller 53 performs forward rotation or backward rotation. In other words, even at a timing when the rotating direction of the discharging roller 53 switches, the discharging roller 53 is constantly energized in the first direction D1. Further, the movement of the discharging roller 53 caused by the resultant force FC2 is regulated by the regulating member 379, regardless the rotating direction of the discharging roller 53. This means that, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, the movement of the discharging roller 53 is constantly regulated when the discharging roller 53 is driven, whereby printing failures, such as a drop in printing quality and paper jam, can be prevented.
The movement of the discharging roller 53 in the rotary shaft direction is also prevented by the spur 54 pressing the discharging roller 53 via the recording medium. Hence the pressing force of the spur 54 also contributes to prevent printing failures, such as a drop in printing quality and paper jam.
Further, in the above configuration, the resultant force FC1, which acts on the conveying roller 51, and the resultant force FC2, which acts on the discharging roller 53, act in the same direction. Hence, when the same recording medium is nipped by the conveying roller 51 and the pinch roller 52, and is also nipped by the discharging roller 53 and the spur 54, the conveying roller 51 and the discharging roller 53 do not move in the opposite directions, even if the conveying direction is switched. Furthermore, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, the recording medium is not twisted, and the conveying accuracy of the recording medium improves.
In Embodiment 1, the discharging roller gear 373 is configured to engage only with the discharging idler gear 375, but when the present invention is applied, the discharging roller gear 373 may be configured to engage with a plurality of helical gears. In this configuration as well, a similar functional effect as the configuration of Embodiment 1 can be acquired if the pressing force of the discharging roller spring 377 is set such that the resultant force of the pressing force and the thrust force turn in the first direction D1.
Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described next. A difference of Embodiment 2 from Embodiment 1 is that a helical output gear 380 is disposed at the edge of the conveying roller 51 on the second direction D2 side. In the following description on Embodiment 2, only the configuration that is the characteristic of Embodiment 2 will be described, omitting description on the configuration that is the same as Embodiment 1.
The helical output gear 380 is configured to be movable from the conveying roller 51 in the thrust direction of the helical output gear 380 by the amount of clearance between these components. The tooth trace of the helical output gear 380 is configured such that when the conveying roller 51 performs forward rotation, the thrust force in the second direction D2 acts on the helical output gear 380, and when the conveying roller 51 performs backward rotation, the thrust force in the first direction D1 acts on the helical output gear 380.
As illustrated in
Next, a force, which acts on the conveying roller 51 when the gear train 37 is driven, will be described. A force, which acts on the conveying roller 51 when the conveying roller 51 rotates, will be described first.
As mentioned above, when the driving motor 6 drives the conveying roller 51 in the forward rotation direction, the thrust force in the second direction D2 acts on the helical output gear 380, and the helical output gear 380 moves in the second direction D2, and the movement is regulated by the regulating member. Therefore the conveying roller 51 does not receive force from the helical output gear 380 in the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51. In other words, if it is assumed that the resultant force FC1, which acts on the conveying roller 51, acts in the first direction D1, the resultant force FC1 is given by FC1=F1−F2+F3, just like Embodiment 1.
In Embodiment 2, the force F3 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of F3>−F1+F2 within the assumed conveying conditions. In other words, the resultant force FC1 acts in the first direction D1, and the conveying roller 51 is energized in the first direction D1.
Next, the force, which acts on the conveying roller 51 when the conveying roller 51 performs backward rotation, will be described.
As mentioned above, when the driving motor 6 drives the conveying roller 51 in the backward rotation direction, the thrust force in the first direction D1 acts on the helical output gear 380, and the helical output gear 380 moves in the first direction D1, and this movement is regulated by the conveying roller 51. Because of this configuration, the conveying roller 51 receives the force F6 in the first direction D1 from the helical output gear 380, in the rotary shaft direction of the conveying roller 51. In other words, in Embodiment 2, the conveying roller 51 receives the first thrust force from the conveying roller gear 372, receives the second thrust force from the helical output gear 380, and receives the pressing force from the conveying roller spring 376. If it is assumed that the resultant force FC1, which acts on the conveying roller 51, acts in the first direction D1, the resultant force FC1 is given by FC1=−F1+F2+F3+F6.
In Embodiment 2, the force F3 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of F3>F1−F2−F6 within the assumed conveying conditions. In other words, the resultant force FC1 acts in the first direction D1, and the conveying roller 51 is energized in the first direction D1. This means that in Embodiment 2, when the first thrust force, which the conveying roller gear 372 receives, acts in the second direction D2, the resultant force of the pressing force of the conveying roller spring 376 and the second thrust force which the helical output gear 380 receives is set to be larger than the first thrust force. According to Embodiment 2, the force F6 acts in the first direction D1, hence the force F3 generated by the conveying roller spring 376 can be set to be lower compared with Embodiment 1. Furthermore, durability of the members constituting the movement regulating mechanism of the conveying roller 51 can be improved.
According to the configuration of Embodiment 2, the movement of the conveying roller 51 in the rotary shaft direction can be prevented when the conveying roller 51 is rotating, and when the rotating direction is switched, hence printing failures can be prevented. Further, in the case where the force F1 acts strongly, the force F3 need not be set excessively high because of the action of the force F6, hence the configuration of Embodiment 2 is particularly effective. In the above configuration, the helical output gear 380 is disposed at the edge of the conveying roller 51 on the second direction D2 side, but when the present invention is applied, the helical output gear 380 may be disposed in a different location of the conveying roller 51.
Modifications
The application of the present invention is not limited to the above mentioned configurations, but the present invention is applicable to other configurations within a scope where the identity of the present invention is not diminished. For example, in the above embodiments, the movement of the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1 is regulated while energizing the conveying roller 51 in the first direction D1, but the energizing direction and the direction in which the movement is restricted may be the second direction D2. In Embodiment 2, the helical output gear 380 is disposed at the edge of the conveying roller 51, but a similar output gear may be disposed at the edge of the discharging roller 53 as well.
In the above embodiments, the conveying roller gear 372, which rotates integrally with the conveying roller 51, engages with two helical gears, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the present invention is also applicable to a configuration where the conveying roller gear 372 engages with a single helical gear, or a configuration where the conveying roller gear 372 engages with three or more helical gears. In other words, the gear unit that engages with the conveying roller gear 372 may include at least one helical gear. Any of these configurations are acceptable, as long as the pressing force and the tooth trace direction of the helical gear are set such that the resultant force of the conveying roller 51 in the rotary shaft direction, including the pressing force of the pressing means and the thrust force which the conveying roller 51 receives, turns to the first direction D1, regardless the rotating direction of the conveying roller gear 372.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-152977, filed on Sep. 26, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-152977 | Sep 2022 | JP | national |
