Patent Application
20250058989
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-131991, filed on Aug. 14, 2023, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a media conveying apparatus.
There are media conveying apparatuses such as a scanner that captures an image of a medium while conveying the medium. In general, it is desired that a media conveying apparatus conveys various media different in thickness. Some media conveying apparatuses include a swingable holder that holds a roller to move the roller in accordance with the thickness of the medium to be conveyed.
In a known sheet feeder, a brake roller is provided in a brake roller unit that rotates about a fulcrum, and a universal joint is used in a brake force transmission mechanism.
In one aspect, a media conveying apparatus includes a roller provided rotatably around a rotation shaft, a drive shaft mechanically coupled to the rotation shaft, a holder holding the rotation shaft and the drive shaft, a driving source, and a drive coupling to transmit a driving force from the driving source to the drive shaft. The holder has a swing shaft about which the holder swings, and a distance between the drive shaft and the swing shaft is smaller than a distance between the rotation shaft and the swing shaft.
A more complete appreciation of embodiments of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained and understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. Also, identical or similar reference numerals designate identical or similar components throughout the several views.
In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that have a similar function, operate in a similar manner, and achieve a similar result.
Referring now to the drawings, media conveying apparatuses according to embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
The media conveying apparatus 100 includes a lower housing 101, an upper housing 102, a medium tray 103, an ejection tray 104, an operation device 105, and a display device 106.
The upper housing 102 is located at a position covering the upper side of the media conveying apparatus 100 and is engaged with the lower housing 101 via a hinge so that upper housing 102 can be opened and closed at the time of jamming of a medium or clearing of the inside of the media conveying apparatus 100.
The medium tray 103 is engaged with the lower housing 101 such that the media to be conveyed can be placed on the medium tray 103. The ejection tray 104 is engaged with the upper housing 102 such that the ejected media can be held on the ejection tray 104. The ejection tray 104 may be engaged with the lower housing 101.
The operation device 105 includes an input device such as buttons and an interface circuit that receives signals from the input device. The operation device 105 receives an input operation performed by a user and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the input operation performed by the user. The display device 106 includes a display and an interface circuit that outputs image data to the display and displays the image data on the display. Examples of the display include a liquid crystal display and an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display.
In
The media conveying apparatus 100 includes a media sensor 111, a feed roller 112, a separation roller 113, a first conveyance roller 114, a second conveyance roller 115, an imaging device 116, a third conveyance roller 117, and a fourth conveyance roller 118 along the media conveyance passage. The number of each roller may be two or more not limited to one. When one or more of the above rollers are formed of multiple rollers, the multiple rollers are arranged at intervals in the width direction A2.
The media conveying apparatus 100 has a so-called straight path. The upper face of the lower housing 101 forms a lower guide 107a for the media conveyance passage, and the lower face of the upper housing 102 forms an upper guide 107b for the media conveyance passage. The lower guide 107a is an example of a guide that guides media.
The media sensor 111 is located upstream from the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113. The media sensor 111 includes a contact detection sensor and detects whether a medium is placed on the medium tray 103. The media sensor 111 generates and outputs a first media signal whose signal value changes depending on whether a medium is placed on the medium tray 103. The media sensor 111 is not limited to a contact detection sensor. The media sensor 111 may be any sensor such as an optical detection sensor that can detect the presence of a medium.
The feed roller 112 is in the lower housing 101 and sequentially feeds the media on the medium tray 103 from the bottom. The separation roller 113 is an example of a roller. The separation roller 113 is a so-called brake roller or retard roller and is in the upper housing 102 and opposite to the feed roller 112. The feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 function as a separation unit that separates the media.
The first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 are located downstream from the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 and opposite to each other. The first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 convey the media fed by the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 to the imaging device 116.
The imaging device 116 is located downstream from the first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 and upstream from the third conveyance roller 117 and the fourth conveyance roller 118. The imaging device 116 includes a first imaging device 116a and a second imaging device 116b. The first imaging device 116a and the second imaging device 116b are located near the media conveyance passage and opposite to each other across the media conveyance passage.
The first imaging device 116a includes an equal-magnification contact image sensor (CIS) as a line sensor. The CIS includes complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging elements aligned linearly in the main scanning direction. The first imaging device 116a further includes a lens that forms an image on the imaging elements and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. The A/D converter amplifies the electrical signals output from the imaging elements and performs analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. The first imaging device 116a images the front side of the medium being conveyed, generates an input image, and outputs the input image.
Similarly, the second imaging device 116b includes an equal-magnification CIS including CMOS imaging elements arranged linearly in the main-scanning direction, as a line sensor. The second imaging device 116b further includes a lens that forms an image on the imaging elements and an A/D converter. The A/D converter amplifies the electrical signals output from the imaging elements and performs A/D conversion. The second imaging device 116b images the back side of the medium being conveyed, generates an input image, and outputs the input image.
Alternatively, the media conveying apparatus 100 may include either the first imaging device 116a or the second imaging device 116b to read only one side of the media. Further, the line sensor may include, instead of the equal-magnification CIS including CMOS imaging elements, an equal-magnification CIS including charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging elements. Alternatively, a line sensor employing a reduction optical system and including CMOS or CCD imaging elements may be used.
The third conveyance roller 117 and the fourth conveyance roller 118, which are located downstream from the imaging device 116 and opposite to each other, eject the medium conveyed by the first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 onto the ejection tray 104.
The media placed on the medium tray 103 are conveyed between the lower guide 107a and the upper guide 107b in the media conveyance direction A1 as the feed roller 112 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow A4 (also “media feeding direction A4”) in
The medium is fed between the first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 while being guided by the lower guide 107a and the upper guide 107b. The medium is fed between the first imaging device 116a and the second imaging device 116b as the first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 rotate in the directions indicated by arrows A6 and A7 in
As illustrated in
The separation rollers 113 are rotatable around the separation roller shaft 113a. The separation roller shaft 113a is an example of a rotation shaft.
The holder 121 is a unit that swingably supports the separation rollers 113. The holder 121 includes a first plate 121a, a second plate 121b, and a third plate 121c. The first plate 121a is above the separation rollers 113. The second plate 121b is located on a side (on the right in
The holder 121 is swingable about a swing shaft 121d that is located downstream from the holder 121 in the media conveyance direction A1 and penetrates the second plate 121b and the third plate 121c. The holder 121 and the separation roller 113 are pressed by a pressing member 121e downward in the height direction A3, that is, toward the feed roller 112. One end of the pressing member 121e is supported by the upper housing 102, and the other end of the pressing member 121e is attached to the upper side of the first plate 121a. For example, the pressing member 121e is a spring such as a compression coil spring or is formed of rubber.
The holder 121 may be attachable to and detachable from the upper housing 102. In this case, the user can easily replace the holder 121 when a failure, etc. of the holder 121 occurs. Thus, the media conveying apparatus 100 increases the convenience for the user.
The first driving source 122 is one example of a driving source and is a motor, etc. The first driving source 122 generates driving force for rotating or stopping the separation roller 113 in the direction indicated by arrow A5, which is opposite to the media feeding direction in response to a control signal from a processing circuit described later. The first driving source 122 may further rotate the first conveyance roller 114, the second conveyance roller 115, the third conveyance roller 117, and/or the fourth conveyance roller 118 in the media conveyance direction indicated by arrow A6, A7, A8, or A9.
The first gear 123 is attached to the rotation shaft of the first driving source 122. The first gear 123 is engaged with the larger gear of the electromagnetic clutch 124. The smaller gear of the electromagnetic clutch 124 is engaged with the second gear 125 fixed to one end of the first shaft 126.
The electromagnetic clutch 124 is capable of electromagnetically changing the limit value of torque in accordance with a control signal from the processing circuit described later. For example, the electromagnetic clutch 124 is a micro powder clutch or a hysteresis clutch. The electromagnetic clutch 124 controls the load applied to the separation roller 113 via the drive coupling 127 while transmitting the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113 via the drive coupling 127.
The first shaft 126 is an example of another drive shaft. The first shaft 126 is located outside the holder 121. The first shaft 126 receives the driving force from the first driving source 122 via the first gear 123, the electromagnetic clutch 124, and the second gear 125. The first shaft 126 transmits the driving force to the drive coupling 127 while being rotated by the driving force from the first driving source 122.
The drive coupling 127 is a universal joint. Examples of universal joints include a spherical joint, a constant velocity joint (Rzeppa joint), and a Cardan joint. The drive coupling 127 includes a first receiving portion 127a, a second receiving portion 127b, and a joint shaft 127c. The first receiving portion 127a is fixed to one end of the first shaft 126 opposite to the end where the second gear 125 is positioned and coupled to the first shaft 126. The second receiving portion 127b is fixed to one end of the second shaft 128 and coupled to the second shaft 128. The joint shaft 127c tiltably couples the first receiving portion 127a and the second receiving portion 127b. Thus, the drive coupling 127 tiltably couples the first shaft 126 and the second shaft 128 and transmits the rotational driving force from the first shaft 126 to the second shaft 128. In other words, the drive coupling 127 can transmit the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the second shaft 128.
The second shaft 128 is an example of a drive shaft. The second shaft 128 is attached to the second plate 121b of the holder 121, and the holder 121 holds the second shaft 128. The third gear 129 is fixed to one end of the second shaft 128 opposite to the end where the second receiving portion 127b is provided. The third gear 129 is engaged with the fourth gear 130, and the fourth gear 130 is engaged with the fifth gear 131. The fifth gear 131 is fixed to one end of the separation roller shaft 113a on the side closer to the drive coupling 127. In this way, the second shaft 128 is mechanically coupled to the separation roller shaft 113a via the third gear 129, the fourth gear 130, and the fifth gear 131.
The torque limiter 132 is provided on the separation roller shaft 113a and controls the load applied to the separation roller 113. The limit value of the torque limiter 132 is set to satisfy the following conditions. When there is one medium, the rotational force via the torque limiter 132 is cut off, and when there are multiple media, the rotational force via the torque limiter 132 is transmitted. Since the torque limiter 132 is provided on the rotation shaft of the separation roller 113, no gear train is present between the torque limiter 132 and the separation roller 113. Accordingly, the separation force applied to the separation roller 113 is prevented from varying due to, for example, the manufacturing errors of the components. Therefore, the media conveying apparatus 100 can separate the medium with high accuracy regardless of the manufacturing errors of the components. The torque limiter 132 is not necessarily provided on the separation roller shaft 113a and may be provided at any position between the first driving source 122 and the separation roller 113.
Further, one of the torque limiter 132 and the electromagnetic clutch 124 may be omitted. When the electromagnetic clutch 124 is omitted, gears that respectively engage with the first gear 123 and the second gear 125 are provided instead of the electromagnetic clutch 124.
The first gear 123, the electromagnetic clutch 124, the second gear 125, the first shaft 126, the drive coupling 127, the second shaft 128, the third gear 129, the fourth gear 130, the fifth gear 131, the torque limiter 132, and the separation roller shaft 113a function as a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113. As the driving force transmission mechanism of the separation roller 113, a pulley, a belt, etc. may be used instead of or in addition to the above-described configuration.
The feed roller 112 is rotatable about a feed roller shaft 112a. The sixth gear 133 is fixed to one end of the feed roller shaft 112a. The sixth gear 133 is coupled to a second driving source, which will be described later, via a gear, a pulley, and/or a belt. The sixth gear 133 functions as a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force from the second driving source to the feed roller 112.
As illustrated in
In the media conveyance direction A1, the specific position of the second shaft 128 is located between the specific position of the separation roller shaft 113a and the specific position of the swing shaft 121d. In other words, the second shaft 128 is located between the separation roller shaft 113a and the swing shaft 121d. In the media conveyance direction A1, the specific position of the swing shaft 121d is preferably closer to the specific position of the second shaft 128 than the specific position of the separation roller shaft 113a. In other words, in the media conveyance direction A1, the distance between the second shaft 128 and the swing shaft 121d is preferably smaller than the distance between the second shaft 128 and the separation roller shaft 113a.
In the height direction A3, the specific position of the second shaft 128 is above the specific position of the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121. In other words, a distance D3 between the second shaft 128 and the lower guide 107a is greater than a distance D4 between the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 and the lower guide 107a. The distance D4 between the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 and the lower guide 107a is equal to or larger than 7 millimeters. Thus, the media conveying apparatus 100 can appropriately convey a booklet such as a passport that is 7 millimeters in thickness.
The specific position of the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is above a virtual plane N defined by extending the nip plane formed by the separation roller 113 and the feed roller 112 in the media conveyance direction A1, that is, on the same side as the separation roller 113 with respect to a virtual plane N. In other words, the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is located on the separation roller 113 side from the virtual plane N defined by extending the nip plane formed by the separation roller 113 and the feed roller 112 in the media conveyance direction A1 (i.e., the swing shaft 121d is located on the same side as the separation roller 113 with respect to the virtual plane N).
The distance D2 between the specific position of the separation roller shaft 113a (the rotation shaft of the separation roller 113) and the specific position of the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is smaller than a diameter D5 of the separation roller 113. In other words, the distance D2 between the separation roller shaft 113a (the rotation shaft of the separation roller 113) and the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is smaller than the diameter D5 of the separation roller 113.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
By contrast, as illustrated in
The force applied to the separation roller 113 will be described below. As illustrated in
The first force F1 is caused by the rotational moment of the holder 121. When a medium is fed by the feed roller 112, the rotational force in the media feeding direction A4 (see
The first force F1 varies in accordance with the positional relationship of the nip position between the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 and the swing shaft 121d of the separation roller 113. The first force F1 is calculated by the following Equation 1:
wherein, T is the limit value of the torque applied to the separation roller 113, R is the radius of the separation roller 113, H is a first distance between the nip position between the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 and the center of the swing shaft 121d in the direction perpendicular to the nip plane formed by the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 (see
The second force F2 is generated by the gear transmission torques of the third gear 129, the fourth gear 130, and the fifth gear 131 and acts to lift the separation roller 113. The third force F3 is the pressing force exerted by the pressing member 121e pressing the separation roller 113 toward the feed roller 112. The third force F3 is static force that depends on the spring constant of the pressing member 121e, etc. The separation roller 113 is subjected to force that is obtained by subtracting the magnitude of the second force F1 from the sum of the magnitudes of the first force F3 and the third force F2 and acts in the direction in which the separation roller 113 presses the feed roller 112.
The feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 need to nip the media with a predetermined magnitude of force to appropriately separate a medium from other media. If the nipping force with which the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 nip the medium is too strong, a multi-feed of the media may occur. Therefore, the force pressing the separation roller 113 toward the feed roller 112 and the force urging the separation roller 113 away from the feed roller 112 need to be appropriately balanced.
As described above, the force pressing the separation roller 113 toward the feed roller 112 includes the first force F1 due to the rotational moment of the holder 121 and the third force F3 due to the pressing force of the pressing members 121e. The third force F3 is static force due to the pressing force of the pressing members 121e and does not vary during the feeding of media. On the other hand, the first force F1 is dynamic force generated with the feeding of media. The first force F1 fluctuates due to, for example, slight vibrations caused by the bumps and grooves or roughness on the rubber surfaces of the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 or due to engagement timing of the components inside the torque limiter 132 or the electromagnetic clutch 124.
When the first force F1 is larger than the third force F3, the degree of variation of the force applied to the medium during the feeding is large. If the force applied to the medium increases, the nipping force with which the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 nip the medium may be too large and cause multi-feed of media. If the force applied to the medium is reduced, a medium not to be a feeding target may advance from between the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113, resulting in a multi-feed of media. Accordingly, the first force F1 is desirably smaller than the third force F3 in order to stabilize the force applied to the medium and prevent a multi-feed of media. The torque limit value T and the radius R of the separation roller 113 that affect the first force F1 should be adjusted according to the characteristics of the medium to be fed. Accordingly, it is preferable to reduce the first force F1 by positioning the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 closer to the nip plane formed by the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 in the height direction A3 to reduce the first distance H. Further, it is preferable to reduce the first force F1 by positioning the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 away from the nip position of the feed roller 112 and the separation roller 113 in the media conveyance direction A1 to increase the second distance A. In particular, the first distance H is preferably equal to or smaller than the second distance A.
The swing shaft 121d may be provided with a transmission member such as a gear or a pulley that transmits the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113. Such a transmission member may be exposed to the media conveyance passage if the first distance H is reduced. Further, when the second distance A is increased in the configuration in which the swing shaft 121d is provided with such a transmission member, the transmission member may contact a roller located downstream from the separation roller 113, the imaging device 116, etc. In the media conveying apparatus 100, the second shaft 128 that transmits the drive force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113 is located at a position different from the swing shaft 121d. This allows the media conveying apparatus 100 to reduce the first force F1, thereby preventing multi-feed of media and improving the separation capability of media while avoiding the drive force transmission member from being exposed to the media conveyance passage or contacting other components.
Further, placing the second shaft 128 at a position different from the swing shaft 121d increases the design flexibility of the media conveying apparatus 100 and allows the designer to flexibly design the media conveying apparatus 100. Further, placing the second shaft 128 at a position different from the swing shaft 121d makes the holder 121 easily attachable to and detachable from the upper housing 102. Thus, the user can easily replace the holder 121 when the holder 121 has a failure.
Accordingly, the media conveying apparatus 100 can increase the convenience for the user.
The media conveying apparatus 100 uses a universal joint that tiltable and couples the first shaft 126 located outside the holder 121 and the second shaft 128 located in the holder 121 as the drive coupling 127 that transmits the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113. The use of the universal joint allows the media conveying apparatus 100 to continue to transmit the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113 without interruption even when the holder 121 holding the separation roller 113 swings with the rise of the separation roller 113.
In particular, the distance D1 between the second shaft 128 and the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is smaller than the distance D2 between the separation roller shaft 113a and the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121. Since the second shaft 128 is closer to the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 than the separation roller shaft 113a, the movement amount of the drive coupling 127 is smaller than the movement amount of the separation roller 113. Accordingly, the media conveying apparatus 100 can reduce the angular variations of the drive coupling 127 when a thick medium is conveyed, and the transmission efficiency of the driving force by the drive coupling 127 is increased. In addition, in the media conveying apparatus 100, reducing the angular variations of the drive coupling 127 can reduce the length of the drive coupling 127 in the width direction A2, and the apparatus can be reduced in size in the width direction A2. In addition, the media conveying apparatus 100 can increase the maximum amount of movement of the separation roller 113 within the range in which the drive coupling 127 can move, and the maximum thickness of media conveyable by the apparatus is increased.
As described above, the distance D3 between the second shaft 128 and the lower guide 107a is larger than the distance D4 between the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 and the lower guide 107a. Placing the second shaft 128 above the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 can prevent the transmission member such as the third gear 129 that transmits the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the separation roller 113 from being exposed to the media conveyance passage. Accordingly, the media conveying apparatus 100 can secure a sufficient height of the media conveyance passage and increase the maximum thickness of media conveyable by the apparatus.
As described above, the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is located on the same side as the separation roller 113 with respect to the virtual plane N defined by extending the nip plane formed by the separation roller 113 and the feed roller 112 in the media conveyance direction A1. Placing the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 on the same side as the separation roller 113 allows the media conveying apparatus 100 to secure a sufficient height of the media conveyance passage without significantly bending the media conveyance passage. Accordingly, the media conveying apparatus 100 can increase the maximum thickness of media conveyable by the apparatus while minimizing an increase in the apparatus size.
As described above, the distance D2 between the separation roller shaft 113a and the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is smaller than the diameter D5 of the separation roller 113. Since the swing shaft 121d of the holder 121 is close to the separation roller shaft 113a, the size of the holder 121 can be reduced, thereby reducing the size and weight of the apparatus.
The media conveying apparatus 100 further includes a second driving source 134, an interface device 135, a storage device 140, and a processing circuit 150 in addition to the above-described components.
The second driving source 134 includes one or more motors and rotates the feed roller 112, the first conveyance roller 114, the second conveyance roller 115, the third conveyance roller 117, and/or the fourth conveyance roller 118 in response to a control signal from the processing circuit 150 to convey the medium. One of the first conveyance roller 114 and the second conveyance roller 115 may be a driven roller that rotates following the other roller. One of the third conveyance roller 117 and the fourth conveyance roller 118 may be a driven roller that rotates following the other roller.
The interface device 135 includes an interface circuit compatible with a serial bus such as a universal serial bus (USB). The interface device 135 is electrically connected to an information processing apparatus (e.g., a personal computer or a mobile information processing terminal) to transmit and receive a read image and various kinds of information to and from the information processing apparatus. A communication device that includes an antenna to transmit and receive wireless signals and a wireless communication interface device to transmit and receive signals through a wireless communication line according to a predetermined communication protocol may be used instead of the interface device 135. The predetermined communication protocol is, for example, a wireless local area network (LAN) communication protocol.
The storage device 140 includes memories such as a random-access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM), a fixed disk device such as a hard disk, or a portable memory such as a flexible disk or an optical disk. The storage device 140 stores, for example, computer programs, databases, and tables used for various processes performed by the media conveying apparatus 100. The computer programs may be installed in the storage device 140 from a computer-readable portable recording medium using, for example, a known setup program. The portable recording medium is, for example, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM). The computer programs may be distributed from, for example, a server and installed in the storage device 140.
The processing circuit 150 operates according to a program prestored in the storage device 140. The processing circuit 150 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, a digital signal processor (DSP), a large-scale integration (LSI), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) may be used as the processing circuit 150.
The processing circuit 150 is connected to the operation device 105, the display device 106, the media sensor 111, the imaging device 116, the first driving source 122, the electromagnetic clutch 124, the second driving source 134, the interface device 135, the storage device 140, etc. and controls these components. The processing circuit 150 controls, for example, the driving of the first driving source 122 and the second driving source 134 and the imaging of the imaging device 116 to acquire an input image, and transmits the input image to the information processing apparatus via the interface device 135.
As illustrated in
A description is given below of the media reading process performed by the media conveying apparatus according to one embodiment with reference to the flowchart of
In step S101, the control unit 151 stands by until an operation signal instructing the reading of a medium is received from the operation device 105 or the interface device 135. The operation signal is output when a user inputs an instruction to read the medium using the operation device 105 or the information processing apparatus. The operation signal may include job information designated by the user. The job information indicates settings related to the media reading process. The job information includes settings such as the type of media (e.g., plain paper, thin paper, card, business card, or photograph), color settings (e.g., multicolor, grayscale, or monochrome), and resolutions (e.g., 200 dpi, 300 dpi, or 600 dpi), and reading side (double-sided or single-sided).
In step S102, the control unit 151 acquires a media signal from the media sensor 111 and determines whether a medium is placed on the medium tray 103 based on the acquired media signal. When no media are placed on the medium tray 103, the control unit 151 ends the series of steps.
By contrast, when a medium is placed on the medium tray 103, the control unit 151 sets the limit value of the torque by the electromagnetic clutch 124 (step S103). The control unit 151 identifies the type of the medium to be conveyed from, for example, job information included in the operation signal. The media conveying apparatus 100 stores in advance a table indicating the relationship between the medium type and the limit value of torque by the electromagnetic clutch 124 in the storage device 140. The control unit 151 refers to the table stored in the storage device 140, identifies the limit value corresponding to the identified medium type, and sets the limit value in the electromagnetic clutch 124. For example, the limit value of torque by the electromagnetic clutch 124 is set to be smaller than the limit value of the torque by the torque limiter 132, and the limit value of torque applied to the separation roller 113 is determined by the electromagnetic clutch 124. However, for a certain medium, the limit value is set to be larger than the limit value of torque by the torque limiter 132, and the limit value of torque applied to the separation roller 113 is determined by the torque limiter 132. The use of the electromagnetic clutch 124 allows the media conveying apparatus 100 to flexibly change the limit value of the torque applied to the separation roller 113 according to the type of medium conveyed and appropriately separate the medium.
In step S104, the control unit 151 drives the first driving source 122 and the second driving source 134 to rotate the rollers to feed and convey the medium.
In step S105, the control unit 151 causes the imaging device 116 to image the medium, acquires an input image from the imaging device 116, and transmits the acquired input image to the information processing apparatus via the interface device 135 to output the input image.
In step S106, the control unit 151 determines whether a medium remains on the medium tray 103 based on the media signal received from the media sensor 111. When a medium remains on the medium tray 103, the control unit 151 returns the process to step S105 and repeats the steps S105 and S106.
When no media remain on the medium tray 103, the control unit 151 controls the first driving source 122 and the second driving source 134 to stop the rollers in step S107 and ends the series of steps.
As described above, the media conveying apparatus 100 includes the holder 121 that is swingable about the swing shaft 121d and supports the separation roller shaft 113a of the separation roller 113 and the second shaft 128 that transmits the driving force to the separation roller shaft 113a. In the media conveying apparatus 100, the second shaft 128 is positioned in the holder 121 such that the distance between the second shaft 128 and the swing shaft 121d is smaller than the distance between the separation roller shaft 113a and the swing shaft 121d. This configuration reduces the moving distance of the second shaft 128 when the holder 121 swings and reduces the moving range of the transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force to the separation roller 113. Accordingly, the media conveying apparatus 100 including the swingable holder 121 that holds the separation roller 113 can be reduced in size.
In addition, since the media conveying apparatus 100 is reduced in size, the installation area of the apparatus is reduced. Accordingly, the media conveying apparatus 100 can be installed in a small space on a desk, and the convenience for the user is increased.
The processing circuit 250 illustrated in
The control circuit 251 is one example of a control unit and functions like the control unit 151. The control circuit 251 receives operation signals from the operation device 105 or the interface device 135 and media signals from the media sensor 111. The control circuit 251 sets the limit value of torque by the electromagnetic clutch 124 based on the received information and controls the first driving source 122 and the second driving source 134.
The image acquisition circuit 252 is one example of an image acquisition unit and has the same function as the image acquisition unit 152. The image acquisition circuit 252 acquires an input image from the imaging device 116 and outputs the input image to the interface device 135.
As described above, the media conveying apparatus 100 including the swingable holder 121 that holds the separation roller 113 can be reduced in size also when the processing circuit 250 is used.
Although the preferred embodiments have been described above, the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the drive coupling is not limited to a universal joint but may be a shaft whose extending direction (tilt) does not change. In this case, the first shaft 126 and the second shaft 128 are fixed to both ends of the shaft being the drive coupling, and the shaft being the drive coupling, the first shaft 126, and the second shaft 128 are fixed so as to extend on the same straight line. When the separation roller 113 rises, the second shaft 128, the drive coupling, and the first shaft 126 move in accordance with the rise of the separation roller 113 and the tilting of the holder 121, and the second gear 125 fixed to the first shaft 126 is separated from the electromagnetic clutch 124. In other words, the drive coupling transmits the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the first shaft 126 when the holder 121 is at the initial position, but does not transmit the driving force from the first driving source 122 to the first shaft 126 when the holder 121 is at the raised position.
Alternatively, when the drive coupling is a shaft whose extending direction (tilt) does not change, the first driving source 122, the first gear 123, and the electromagnetic clutch 124 may also move in accordance with the rise of the separation roller 113 and the tilt of the holder 121.
In addition to or in place of the holder 121, another holder (second holder) that holds the feed roller 112, the first conveyance roller 114, the second conveyance roller 115, the third conveyance roller 117, and/or the fourth conveyance roller 118 may be provided. The second holder is similar in structure and function to the holder 121, and the swing shaft of the second holder, the rotation shaft of the roller held by the second holder, and the drive shaft mechanically coupled to the rotation shaft have similar relative positions as the corresponding parts of the holder 121.
The separation roller 113 may be substituted by a separation pad. The media conveying apparatus 100 may also have a so-called U-turn path, feed and convey media placed on the medium tray sequentially from the top, and eject the media to the ejection tray.
The above-described embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Thus, numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of the present invention. Any one of the above-described operations may be performed in various other ways, for example, in an order different from the one described above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-131991 | Aug 2023 | JP | national |
