Patent Application
20240400332
The present disclosure relates to a media ejecting apparatus.
A media ejecting apparatus such as a scanner images a medium while conveying the medium, and ejects the medium to an ejection tray. In general, such a media ejecting apparatus desirably sorts ejected media in accordance with, for example, the type of medium such that a user can easily classify the media.
A disclosed sheet ejecting apparatus includes a first sheet ejection unit including a first sheet ejection passage, and a second sheet ejection unit including a second sheet ejection passage branched from the first sheet ejection passage. The second sheet ejection passage includes a guide portion curved in an arcuate shape to invert a sheet conveyed and guided by the second sheet ejection passage. The sheet ejecting apparatus includes an ejection direction switching mechanism that can selectively position and hold an inner guide of the guide portion at one of a first sheet ejection position at which a sheet guide face is spaced apart from the first sheet ejection passage and a second sheet ejection position at which the sheet guide face blocks the first sheet ejection passage.
In one aspect, a media ejecting apparatus includes an ejection roller to eject a medium, a first ejection tray located below the ejection roller, a second ejection tray located above the ejection roller, a guide located in a vicinity of the ejection roller and rotatable around a rotation shaft of the ejection roller between a first position to guide the medium ejected by the ejection roller toward the first ejection tray and a second position to guide the medium ejected by the ejection roller toward the second ejection tray, a driving mechanism including a motor to move the guide between the first position and the second position, and control circuitry configured to control the driving mechanism. The guide located at the second position guides the medium between the ejection roller and the guide to the second ejection tray.
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, a media ejecting apparatus, a control method, and a control program 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.
In
Arrow A3 indicates a first media ejection direction in which media are ejected to a first ejection tray 104. Arrow A4 indicates a second media ejection direction in which media are ejected to a second ejection tray 105. Arrow A5 indicates a width direction orthogonal to the media conveyance direction A2, the first media ejection direction A3, or the second media ejection direction A4. In the following description, upstream refers to upstream in the media conveyance direction A2, the first media ejection direction A3, or the second media ejection direction A4, and downstream refers to downstream in the media conveyance direction A2, the first media ejection direction A3, or the second media ejection direction A4.
The media ejecting apparatus 100 includes a first housing 101, a second housing 102, a medium tray 103, a first ejection tray 104, a second ejection tray 105, an operation device 106, and a display device 107.
The second housing 102 is located inside the first housing 101 and is rotatably engaged with the first housing 101 with a hinge such that the second housing 102 can be opened and closed to, for example, remove a jammed medium or clean the inside of the media ejecting apparatus 100.
The medium tray 103 is engaged with the first housing 101 such that the media to be conveyed can be placed on the medium tray 103. The medium tray 103 is movable in the height direction A1 on a medium-supply side of the first housing 101. The medium-supply side of the first housing 101 is the side from which the media are supplied into the first housing 101. The medium tray 103 is located at a lower end of the movable range to facilitate placing media thereon when no media are conveyed, and rises to substantially the same height as the height of a media conveyance passage to facilitate feeding the media therefrom when the media are conveyed.
The first ejection tray 104 is located on the second housing 102 below an ejection port defined by the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. The media ejected from the ejection port are placed on the first ejection tray 104. The second ejection tray 105 is located on the first housing 101 above the ejection port defined by the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. The media ejected from the ejection port are placed on the second ejection tray 105.
The operation device 106 includes an input device such as keys and an interface circuit that acquires signals from the input device. The operation device 106 receives an input operation performed by a user and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the input operation. The display device 107 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, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal and an organic electro-luminescence (EL).
The media ejecting apparatus 100 includes a first media sensor 111, a pick roller 112, a feed roller 113, a separation roller 114, an ultrasonic sensor 115, a second media sensor 116, a third media sensor 117, a fourth media sensor 118, first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g, first to eighth driven rollers 120a to 120h, an imaging device 121, a fifth media sensor 122, an ejection roller 123, and a guide 124 along the conveyance passage.
The number of each of the pick roller 112, the feed roller 113, the separation roller 114, the first conveyance roller 119a, the second conveyance roller 119b, the third conveyance roller 119c, the fourth conveyance roller 119d, the fifth conveyance roller 119e, the sixth conveyance roller 119f, the seventh conveyance roller 119g, the first driven roller 120a, the second driven roller 120b, the third driven roller 120c, the fourth driven roller 120d, the fifth driven roller 120e, the sixth driven roller 120f, the seventh driven roller 120g, the eighth driven roller 120h, and/or the ejection roller 123 is not limited to one but may be two or more. When the number is two or more, feed rollers 113 are aligned with and spaced apart from each other in the width direction A5. In the same manner, separation rollers 114, first conveyance rollers 119a, second conveyance rollers 119b, third conveyance rollers 119c, fourth conveyance rollers 119d, fifth conveyance rollers 119e, sixth conveyance rollers 119f, seventh conveyance rollers 119g, first driven rollers 120a, second driven rollers 120b, third driven rollers 120c, fourth driven rollers 120d, fifth driven rollers 120e, sixth driven rollers 120f, seventh driven rollers 120g, eighth driven rollers 120h, and/or ejection rollers 123 are also aligned with and spaced apart from each other in the width direction A5.
The first housing 101 has a face facing the second housing 102 to form a first guide 101a of the media conveyance passage. The second housing 102 has a face facing the first housing 101 to form a second guide 102a of the media conveyance passage. As illustrated in
The first media sensor 111 is located on the medium tray 103, that is, upstream from the feed roller 113 and the separation roller 114, and detects a medium placed on the medium tray 103. The first media sensor 111 determines whether a medium is placed on the medium tray 103 using a contact sensor that allows a predetermined amount of electrical current to flow when a medium contacts the contact sensor or no medium contacts the contact sensor. The first 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 first media sensor 111 is not limited to the contact sensor. The first media sensor 111 may be any other sensor that can detect the presence of a medium, such as an optical sensor.
The pick roller 112 is located in the second housing 102. The pick roller 112 contacts the media on the medium tray 103 that is raised to substantially the same height as the height of the media conveyance passage and feeds the media downstream in the media conveyance passage.
The feed roller 113 is located downstream from the pick roller 112 in the second housing 102 and feeds the media fed from the medium tray 103 by the pick roller 112 further downstream in the media conveyance passage. The separation roller 114 faces the feed roller 113 in the first housing 101. The feed roller 113 and the separation roller 114 perform an operation of separating media and feed the media one by one. The feed roller 113 is located above the separation roller 114. With this configuration, the media ejecting apparatus 100 feeds media from the top.
The ultrasonic sensor 115 is an example of a sensor. The ultrasonic sensor 115 is located downstream from the feed roller 113 and upstream from the first conveyance roller 119a, that is, upstream from the imaging device 121. The ultrasonic sensor 115 includes an ultrasonic transmitter 115a and an ultrasonic receiver 115b. The ultrasonic transmitter 115a and the ultrasonic receiver 115b are located in the vicinity of the media conveyance passage and face each other across the media conveyance passage. The ultrasonic transmitter 115a transmits ultrasonic waves. By contrast, the ultrasonic receiver 115b receives the ultrasonic waves having been transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitter 115a and have penetrated the medium. The ultrasonic receiver 115b generates and outputs an ultrasonic signal which is an electrical signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic signal is an example of an output signal.
The first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g and the first to seventh driven rollers 120a to 120g are located downstream from the feed roller 113 and the separation roller 114 to convey the medium fed by the feed roller 113 and the separation roller 114 downstream in the media conveyance passage.
The imaging device 121 is an example of an imaging device. The imaging device 121 is located downstream from the first and second conveyance rollers 119a and 119b in the media conveyance direction A2 and images the medium conveyed by the first and second conveyance rollers 119a and 119b and the first and second driven rollers 120a and 120b. The imaging device 121 includes a first imaging device 121a and a second imaging device 121b facing each other across the media conveyance passage.
The first imaging device 121a includes a unity-magnification contact image sensor (CIS) as an imaging sensor (line sensor). The CIS includes complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging elements aligned linearly in the main scanning direction. The first imaging device 121a further includes a lens and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. The lens forms an image on the imaging elements. 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 121a images the front side of the medium being conveyed, generates an input image, and outputs the input image.
Similarly, the second imaging device 121b includes a unity-magnification CIS including CMOS imaging elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction as an imaging sensor (line sensor). The second imaging device 121b further includes a lens and an A/D converter. The lens forms an image on the imaging elements. The A/D converter amplifies the electrical signals output from the imaging elements and performs A/D conversion. The second imaging device 121b images the back side of the medium being conveyed, generates an input image, and outputs the input image.
Alternatively, the media ejecting apparatus 100 may include only either the first imaging device 121a or the second imaging device 121b to read one side of the medium. Further, the line sensor may include, instead of the unity-magnification CIS including CMOS imaging elements, a unity-magnification CIS including charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging elements. A reduction-optical type line sensor including CMOS or CCD imaging elements may be used.
The ejection roller 123 and the eighth driven roller 120h face each other at a position downstream from the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g. The ejection roller 123 is located above the eighth driven roller 120h. The ejection roller 123 and the eighth driven roller 120h eject the medium conveyed by the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g and the first to seventh driven rollers 120a to 120g to the first ejection tray 104 or the second ejection tray 105. The ejection roller 123 and the eighth driven roller 120h are located between the first ejection tray 104 and the second ejection tray 105. In other words, the first ejection tray 104 is located below the ejection roller 123, in particular, below the nip between the ejection roller 123 and the eighth driven roller 120h. The second ejection tray 105 is located above the ejection roller 123, in particular, above the nip between the ejection roller 123 and the eighth driven roller 120h.
As the pick roller 112 and the feed roller 113 rotate in media feeding directions A11 and A12, respectively, the media are conveyed from the medium tray 103 in the media conveyance direction A2 between the first guide 101a and the second guide 102a. The media ejecting apparatus 100 has two feeding modes: a separation mode in which media are fed while being separated and a non-separation mode in which media are fed without being separated. The feeding mode is set by the user using the operation device 106 or an information processing device connected to the media ejecting apparatus 100. When the feeding mode is set to the separation mode, the separation roller 114 stops or rotates in the direction of arrow A13 opposite to the media feeding direction. This operation prevents the feeding of a medium other than the separated medium. In short, multi-feed is prevented. By contrast, when the feeding mode is set to the non-separation mode, the separation roller 114 rotates in the media feeding direction opposite to the direction of arrow A13.
As the first and second conveyance rollers 119a and 119b rotate in the directions of arrows A14 and A15, respectively, the medium is fed to the imaging position of the imaging device 121, guided by the first guide 101a and the second guide 102a. Then, the imaging device 121 images the medium. As the third to seventh conveyance rollers 119c to 119g and the ejection roller 123 rotate in the directions of arrows A16 to A21, respectively, the medium is ejected onto the first ejection tray 104 or the second ejection tray 105. The first ejection tray 104 or the second ejection tray 105 receives the medium ejected by the ejection roller 123.
In the media ejecting apparatus 100 illustrated in
The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, and the fourth media sensor 118 are examples of a sensor. The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, and the fourth media sensor 118 are aligned with and spaced apart from each other in the width direction A5. The second media sensor 116 is located at a center portion of the media conveyance passage in the width direction A5. The third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118 are located on the outer sides of the second media sensor 116 (near side walls of the media conveyance passage) in the width direction A5. The distance between the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118 is equal to or smaller than the width of the minimum media supported by the media ejecting apparatus 100.
The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, and the fourth media sensor 118 are located downstream from the feed rollers 113 and upstream from the first conveyance rollers 119a, that is, upstream from the imaging device 121 in the media conveyance direction A2. The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, and the fourth media sensor 118 are located at substantially the same positions in the media conveyance direction A2. Alternatively, the second media sensor 116 may be located upstream from the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118. The second media sensor 116 may be located downstream from the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118, in particular, downstream from the second conveyance rollers 119b. The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, and the fourth media sensor 118 detect the medium when the medium is conveyed to their respective installation positions.
The fifth media sensor 122 is located at a center portion of the media conveyance passage in the width direction A5. The fifth media sensor 122 is located downstream from the seventh conveyance rollers 119g, that is, downstream from the imaging device 121 and upstream from the ejection rollers 123 in the media conveyance direction A2. The fifth media sensor 122 detects the medium conveyed to the position of the fifth media sensor 122.
The second media sensor 116 includes a light emitter, a light receiver, and a light guide. The light emitter and the light receiver are located on one side of the media conveyance passage. The light guide faces the light emitter and the light receiver across the media conveyance passage. The light emitter is, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) and emits light toward the media conveyance passage. By contrast, the light receiver is, for example, a photodiode and receives the light emitted by the light emitter and guided by the light guide. The second media sensor 116 generates and outputs a second media signal based on the intensity of the light received by the light receiver. The second media signal changes in signal value depending on whether a medium is present at the position of the second media sensor 116. The second media signal is an example of an output signal.
The third media sensor 117 includes a light emitter, a light receiver, and a light guide. The light emitter and the light receiver are located on one side of the media conveyance passage. The light guide faces the light emitter and the light receiver across the media conveyance passage. The light emitter is, for example, an LED and emits light toward the media conveyance passage. By contrast, the light receiver is, for example, a photodiode and receives the light emitted by the light emitter and guided by the light guide. The third media sensor 117 generates and outputs a third media signal based on the intensity of the light received by the light receiver. The third media signal changes in signal value depending on whether a medium is present at the position of the third media sensor 117. The third media signal is an example of an output signal.
The fourth media sensor 118 includes a light emitter, a light receiver, and a light guide. The light emitter and the light receiver are located on one side of the media conveyance passage. The light guide faces the light emitter and the light receiver across the media conveyance passage. The light emitter is, for example, an LED and emits light toward the media conveyance passage. By contrast, the light receiver is, for example, a photodiode and receives the light emitted by the light emitter and guided by the light guide. The fourth media sensor 118 generates and outputs a fourth media signal based on the intensity of the light received by the light receiver. The fourth media signal changes in signal value depending on whether a medium is present at the position of the fourth media sensor 118. The fourth media signal is an example of an output signal.
The fifth media sensor 122 includes a light emitter, a light receiver, and a light guide. The light emitter and the light receiver are located on one side of the media conveyance passage. The light guide faces the light emitter and the light receiver across the media conveyance passage. The light emitter is, for example, an LED and emits light toward the media conveyance passage. By contrast, the light receiver is, for example, a photodiode and receives the light emitted by the light emitter and guided by the light guide. The fifth media sensor 122 generates and outputs a fifth media signal based on the intensity of the light received by the light receiver. The fifth media signal changes in signal value depending on whether a medium is present at the position of the fifth media sensor 122.
The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, the fourth media sensor 118, and/or the fifth media sensor 122 may use a reflecting member such as a mirror instead of the light guide. In the second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, the fourth media sensor 118, and/or the fifth media sensor 122, the light emitter and the light receiver may face each other across the media conveyance passage. The second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, the fourth media sensor 118, and/or the fifth media sensor 122 may detect the presence of a medium with, for example, a contact sensor that allows a predetermined amount of electrical current to flow when a medium contacts the contact sensor or when no medium contacts the contact sensor.
As illustrated in
The guide 124 includes an elastic member 124b that applies an urging force to the guide 124 to rotate the guide 124 in the direction of arrow A31 opposite to the rotation direction A21 of the ejection roller 123. The elastic member 124b is, for example, a spring such as a torsion coil spring, and is located on the shaft 124a that is the rotation shaft of the guide 124. The elastic member 124b may be a spring or a rubber member, and may be located at an end of the guide 124. Alternatively, the elastic member 124b may be omitted. In this case, the guide 124 receives the urging force for rotating the guide 124 in the direction of arrow A31 opposite to the rotation direction A21 of the ejection roller 123 by the weight of the guide 124.
As illustrated in
By contrast, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The one-way clutch 137 is located between the first motor 131 and the ejection roller 123, and prevents the ejection roller 123 from rotating in the direction opposite to the media ejection direction A21. The torque limiter 138 is located between the first motor 131 and the guide 124, and interrupts the transmission of the driving force from the first motor 131 to the guide 124 when the torque applied to the guide 124 is a certain amount or more.
When the first motor 131 rotates forward, the rotation shaft of the first motor 131 and the first gear 132 rotate in the direction of arrow A32, and the second gear 133 rotates in the direction of arrow A33. Thus, the third gear 134 and the ejection roller 123 rotate in the direction of arrow A21 (media ejection direction). The fourth gear 135 rotates in the direction of arrow A33 by the rotation of the second gear 133. Thus, the fifth gear 136 and the guide 124 rotate in the direction of arrow A21 (opposite to the direction of arrow A31 in which the urging force is applied by the elastic member 124b).
By contrast, when the first motor 131 rotates backward, the rotation shaft of the first motor 131 and the first gear 132 rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A32, and the second gear 133 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A33. At this time, the third gear 134 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A21; however, the ejection roller 123 does not rotate due to the action of the one-way clutch 137. The fourth gear 135 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A33 by the rotation of the second gear 133. Thus, the fifth gear 136 and the guide 124 rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A21 (the direction of arrow A31 in which the urging force is applied by the elastic member 124b).
As described above, the driving mechanism 130 moves the guide 124 between the first position and the second position and drives the ejection roller 123. In other words, in the media ejecting apparatus 100, a common motor is used to move the guide 124 and move the ejection roller 123. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can reduce the number of motors, thereby reducing the cost and weight of the apparatus.
The media ejecting apparatus 100 further includes an interruption mechanism 125 (an interrupter). The interruption mechanism 125 includes a cam member 125a. The cam member 125a is plate shaped and extends in a direction orthogonal to the width direction A5, and is fixed to an end portion in the width direction A5 of the guide 124. The cam member 125a includes a space 125b in which the protrusion 124c is rotatable, and a first contact portion 125c and a second contact portion 125d located in the space 125b. The space 125b is formed at a position facing the protrusion 124c of the shaft 124a such that the protrusion 124c is rotatable in the space 125b. The first contact portion 125c and the second contact portion 125d are located at both end portions in the circumferential direction of the space 125b to contact the protrusion 124c located at either of the circumferential ends of the space 125b. The first contact portion 125c and the second contact portion 125d define the end faces of the space 125b of the cam member 125a. The first contact portion 125c is an example of a contact portion.
The media ejecting apparatus 100 also includes a first stopper 126 and a second stopper 127 that contact the guide 124 to stop the rotation of the guide 124.
As illustrated in
As described above, when the guide 124 is at the second position, the medium is guided between the surface of the ejection roller 123 and the guide 124 and is ejected toward the second ejection tray 105. As described above, the guide 124 is located in the vicinity of the ejection roller 123 and rotatable around the rotation shaft of the ejection roller 123. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly sort the ejected media while preventing an increase in size of the media ejecting apparatus 100 due the guide 124. The guide 124 moves in a rotation. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can move the guide 124 in a short time as compared to when the guide 124 is translated, and can properly sort the ejected media.
The interruption mechanism 125 (cam member 125a) is located between the guide 124 and the shaft 124a (the protrusion 124c) that is the rotation shaft of the guide 124. The interruption mechanism 125 interrupts the driving force from the first motor 131 to the shaft 124a for a predetermined period such that the driving force is not transmitted to the guide 124 for the predetermined period. The predetermined period is a period of time from when the protrusion 124c rotates in the space 125b from the position at which the protrusion 124c contacts the second contact portion 125d to when the protrusion 124c contacts the first contact portion 125c. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can stop the guide 124 while rotating the ejection roller 123 among the ejection roller 123 and the guide 124 that are driven by the single first motor 131. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly switch the ejection destination of the medium while driving the ejection roller 123 and the guide 124 with the single first motor 131. Accordingly, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly switch the ejection destination of the medium while preventing an increase in cost and weight of the media ejecting apparatus 100.
The interruption mechanism 125 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the interruption mechanism 125 may include an electromagnetic clutch that is controllable in accordance with a control signal from the processing circuit, and the electromagnetic clutch may be controlled to interrupt the driving force transmitted from the first motor 131 to the shaft 124a for the predetermined period such that the driving force is not transmitted to the guide 124 for the predetermined period. Even in this case, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly switch the ejection destination of the medium while driving the ejection roller 123 and the guide 124 with the single first motor 131. Accordingly, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly switch the ejection destination of the medium while preventing an increase in cost and weight of the apparatus.
The media ejecting apparatus 100 further includes a second motor 141, an interface device 142, a storage device 150, and a processing circuit 160, in addition to the configuration described above.
The second motor 141 includes one or more motors, and rotates the pick roller 112, the feed roller 113, the separation roller 114, and the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g to convey and eject the media in accordance with control signals from the processing circuit 160. The first to seventh driven rollers 120a to 120g may be rotated by the driving force from the second motor 141, instead of being rotated by the rotation of the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g. Likewise, the eighth driven roller 120h may be rotated by the driving force from the first motor 131, instead of being rotated by the rotation of the ejection roller 123. The second motor 141 includes a motor for moving the medium tray 103.
The interface device 142 includes an interface circuit compatible with a serial bus such as a universal serial bus (USB) and is electrically connected to an information processing device (for example, a personal computer or a mobile information processing terminal) to transmit and receive a read image and various items of information to and from the information processing device. The interface device 142 may be substituted by a communication unit including an antenna to transmit and receive radio signals and a wireless communication interface circuit to transmit and receive the signals through a wireless communication line according to a predetermined communication protocol. The predetermined communication protocol is, for example, a wireless local area network (LAN) communication protocol.
The storage device 150 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 150 stores, for example, computer programs, databases, and tables used for various processes performed by the media ejecting apparatus 100. The computer programs may be installed in the storage device 150 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 processing circuit 160 operates according to a program stored in the storage device 150 in advance. The processing circuit 160 is a central processing unit (CPU) or etc. As the processing circuit 160, for example, 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.
The processing circuit 160 is connected to the operation device 106, the display device 107, the first media sensor 111, the ultrasonic sensor 115, the second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, the fourth media sensor 118, the imaging device 121, the fifth media sensor 122, the first motor 131, the second motor 141, the interface device 142, the storage device 150, and so forth, and controls the components. The processing circuit 160 controls the first motor 131 and the second motor 141 to convey the media while driving the driving mechanism 130, controls the imaging device 121 to acquire an input image, and transmits the input image to the information processing device via the interface device 142.
As illustrated in
A description is given below of the example operation of the media reading process performed by the media ejecting apparatus 100, with reference to the flowcharts of
The control unit 161 waits until the control unit 161 receives an operation signal instructing the reading of a medium from the operation device 106 or the interface device 142 (step S101). The operation signal is output when the user inputs an instruction to read the medium using the operation device 106 or the information processing device.
The control unit 161 acquires a first media signal from the first media sensor 111 and determines whether a medium is placed on the medium tray 103 based on the acquired first media signal (step S102). When a medium is not placed on the medium tray 103, the control unit 161 ends the series of steps.
By contrast, when a medium is placed on the medium tray 103, the control unit 161 identifies the operation mode set by the user (step S103). The operation mode is set in advance by the user using the operation device 106 or the information processing device, and is stored in the storage device 150. The control unit 161 identifies the operation mode by reading out the operation mode set by the user from the storage device 150. Alternatively, a plurality of operation modes may be set together with the order of execution. In this case, the control unit 161 identifies the operation mode to be executed first.
The control unit 161 drives the first motor 131 and the second motor 141 to start feeding and conveying the medium (step S104). The control unit 161 drives the second motor 141 to move the medium tray 103 to a position at which the medium can be fed. The control unit 161 drives the second motor 141 to rotate the pick roller 112, the feed roller 113, the separation roller 114, the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g, and the first to seventh driven rollers 120a to 120g, thereby feeding and conveying the medium. The control unit 161 rotates the first motor 131 forward to rotate the separation roller 114 in the media ejection direction A21, rotate the eighth driven roller 120h in the media ejection direction, and position the guide 124 at the first position as illustrated in
The control unit 161 causes the imaging device 121 to start imaging the medium. The control unit 161 controls the imaging device 121 to image the medium in accordance with the resolution designated in the identified operation mode and to generate an input image in accordance with the gradation range designated in the identified operation mode.
The determination unit 162 receives a second media signal from the second media sensor 116, a third media signal from the third media sensor 117, and a fourth media signal from the fourth media sensor 118, respectively. The determination unit 162 stores the signal value of each received media signal and the time at which the media signal was received in the storage device 150 in association with each another (step S105).
The determination unit 162 determines whether the medium to be conveyed is a separator medium based on the signal value of each received media signal (step S106).
In the example illustrated in
The determination unit 162 identifies the passing time when the leading end of the medium has passed through each of the positions of the second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, and the fourth media sensor 118 based on the signal value of each media signal and the time when the media signal was received, stored in the storage device 150. The determination unit 162 identifies the time when the second media signal whose signal value has changed from the value indicating that a medium is not present to the value indicating that a medium is present was received, as the passing time of the second media sensor 116. The determination unit 162 identifies the time when the third media signal whose signal value has changed from the value indicating that a medium is not present to the value indicating that a medium is present was received, as the passing time of the third media sensor 117. The determination unit 162 identifies the time when the fourth media signal whose signal value has changed from the value indicating that a medium is not present to the value indicating that a medium is present was received, as the passing time of the fourth media sensor 118.
The determination unit 162 determines that the medium is a separator medium if the leading end of the medium has not yet passed through the position of the second media sensor 116 after the elapse of a first time period from when the leading end of the medium passed through the positions of the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118. The first time period is set to the time for the separator medium to move the distance corresponding to the length by which the widthwise outer portions of the leading end protrude beyond the center portion. By contrast, the determination unit 162 determines that the medium is a normal medium other than the separator medium when the leading end of the medium has passed through the second media sensor 116 before the first time period elapses from when the leading end of the medium passed through the positions of the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118. Note that the determination unit 162 does not yet identify the medium type when the first time period has not elapsed from when the leading end of the medium passed through the positions of the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118, and the leading end of the medium has not passed through the position of the second media sensor 116.
In the example illustrated in
The determination unit 162 determines whether the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of any one of the third media sensor 117 and the fourth media sensor 118 within the first time period after the leading end of the medium passed through the position of the second media sensor 116. The first time period is set to a time obtained by subtracting a margin from the time for the separator medium to move the distance corresponding to the length by which the leading end of the widthwise outer portions protrudes beyond the center portion. The determination unit 162 determines whether the leading end of the medium has passed through both the position of the third media sensor 117 and the position of the fourth media sensor 118 within a second time period after the leading end of the medium passed through the position of the second media sensor 116. The second time period is set to a time obtained by adding a margin to the time for the separator medium to move the distance corresponding to the length by which the leading end of the widthwise outer portions protrude beyond the center portion.
The determination unit 162 determines that the medium is a separator medium when the leading end of the medium has not passed through the position of the third media sensor 117 or the position of the fourth media sensor 118 within the first time period, and the leading end of the medium has passed through both the position of the third media sensor 117 and the position of the fourth media sensor 118 within the second time period. By contrast, the determination unit 162 determines that the medium is a normal medium when the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of the third media sensor 117 or the position of the fourth media sensor 118 within the first time period. Further, the determination unit 162 determines that the medium is a normal medium when the leading end of the medium has not passed through the position of the third media sensor 117 or the position of the fourth media sensor 118 within the second time period. Note that the determination unit 162 does not yet identify the medium type when the second time period has not elapsed from when the leading end of the medium passed through the position of the second media sensor 116, and the leading end of the medium has not passed through the position of the third media sensor 117 or the position of the fourth media sensor 118.
As described above, the determination unit 162 determines whether the medium to be conveyed is a separator medium based on the second media signal from the second media sensor 116, the third media signal from the third media sensor 117, or the fourth media signal from the fourth media sensor 118. In other words, the determination unit 162 determines whether the medium is a separator medium by using the second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, or the fourth media sensor 118 located upstream from the imaging device 121. Thus, the control unit 161 can secure sufficient time to move the guide 124 located near the ejection port of the medium for properly sorting the media.
When the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium is a separator medium, the control unit 161 rotates the first motor 131 backward. Thus, the control unit 161 stops the ejection roller 123 and the eighth driven roller 120h, and positions the guide 124 at the second position as illustrated in
By contrast, when the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium is not a separator medium, the control unit 161 determines whether the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium is a normal medium (step S108). When the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium is not a normal medium, that is, when the type of medium has not been identified, the control unit 161 returns the processing to step S105. By contrast, when the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium is a normal medium, the control unit 161 does not execute any particular process and the processing proceeds to step S109.
The control unit 161 waits until the leading end of the medium passes through a first nip position that is the nip position between the first conveyance roller 119a and the first driven roller 120a (step S109). The control unit 161 periodically receives the second media signal from the second media sensor 116, and determines that the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of the second media sensor 116 when the signal value of the second media signal has changed from the value indicating that a medium is not present to the value indicating that a medium is present. The control unit 161 determines that the leading end of the medium has passed through the first nip position when a first predetermined time has elapsed since the leading end of the medium passed through the position of the second media sensor 116. The first predetermined time is set to the time for the medium to move the distance between the second media sensor 116 and the first nip position. Alternatively, the control unit 161 may determine that the leading end of the medium has passed through the first nip position when a predetermined time has elapsed since the feeding of the medium was started.
The control unit 161 stops the motor for rotating the pick roller 112, the feed roller 113, and the separation roller 114 to stop the feeding of the medium (step S110). Thus, the next medium is prevented from being fed while the medium is being conveyed. The medium currently being conveyed is then conveyed by the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g and the ejection roller 123.
The control unit 161 determines whether the first motor 131 is currently rotated backward (step S111). When the first motor 131 is rotated backward in step S107 and then the first motor 131 is not rotated forward, the control unit 161 determines that the first motor 131 is currently rotated backward. When the first motor 131 is not currently rotated backward, the control unit 161 does not execute any particular process and the processing proceeds to step S114.
By contrast, when the first motor 131 is currently rotated backward, the control unit 161 determines whether the leading end of the medium has reached a position in front of the ejection roller 123 (step S112). The control unit 161 periodically receives a fifth media signal from the fifth media sensor 122, and determines that the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of the fifth media sensor 122 when the signal value of the fifth media signal has changed from the value indicating that a medium is not present to the value indicating that a medium is present. When the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of the fifth media sensor 122, the control unit 161 determines that the leading end of the medium has reached the position in front of the ejection roller 123. Alternatively, the control unit 161 may determine that the leading end of the medium has reached the position in front of the ejection roller 123 when a predetermined time has elapsed since the feeding of the medium was started. When the leading end of the medium has not reached the position in front of the ejection roller 123, the control unit 161 does not execute any particular process and the processing proceeds to step S114.
By contrast, when the leading end of the medium has reached the position in front of the ejection roller 123, the control unit 161 rotates the first motor 131 forward. Thus, the control unit 161 rotates the ejection roller 123 in the media ejection direction A21 and rotates the eighth driven roller 120h in the media ejection direction as illustrated in
As described above, the control unit 161 controls the driving mechanism 130. In particular, the control unit 161 controls the driving mechanism 130 to change the position of the guide 124 depending on whether the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium being conveyed is a separator medium. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly sort a separator medium and a normal medium.
The control unit 161 determines whether the trailing end of the medium has passed through the imaging position of the imaging device 121 (step S114). The control unit 161 periodically receives the second media signal from the second media sensor 116, and determines that the trailing end of the medium has passed through the position of the second media sensor 116 when the signal value of the second media signal has changed from the value indicating that a medium is present to the value indicating that a medium is not present. The control unit 161 determines that the trailing end of the medium has passed through the imaging position when a second predetermined time has elapsed from when the trailing end of the medium passed through the position of the second media sensor 116. The second predetermined time is set to the time for the medium to move the distance between the second media sensor 116 and the imaging position. Alternatively, the control unit 161 may determine that the trailing end of the medium has passed through the imaging position of the imaging device 121 when a predetermined time has elapsed since the feeding of the medium was started.
When the trailing end of the medium has passed through the imaging position, the control unit 161 determines whether the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium being conveyed is a separator medium in step S106 (step S115).
When the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium being conveyed is a normal medium, the control unit 161 acquires an input image from the imaging device 121. The control unit 161 executes image processing on the input image in the identified operation mode to correct the input image. The control unit 161 transmits (i.e., outputs) the corrected input image to the information processing device via the interface device 142 (step S116).
By contrast, when the determination unit 162 has determined that the medium being conveyed is a separator medium, the control unit 161 changes the operation mode (step S117). The control unit 161 reads a plurality of operation modes set by the user from the storage device 150 and identifies the operation mode to be executed next to the operation mode currently set. The control unit 161 changes the operation mode from the currently set operation mode to the identified operation mode.
When the input image has been acquired, or when the operation mode has been changed, the processing from step S114 to step S116 is omitted.
The control unit 161 determines whether the ejection of the medium has been completed (step S118). The control unit 161 periodically receives the fifth media signal from the fifth media sensor 122 and determines that the trailing end of the medium has passed through the position of the fifth media sensor 122 when the signal value of the fifth media signal has changed from the value indicating that a medium is present to the value indicating that a medium is not present. The control unit 161 determines that the ejection of the medium has been completed when a third predetermined time has elapsed since the trailing end of the medium passed through the position of the fifth media sensor 122. The third predetermined time is set to the time for the medium to move the distance between the fifth media sensor 122 and the ejection port. Alternatively, the control unit 161 may determine that the ejection of the medium has been completed when a predetermined time has elapsed since the feeding of the medium was started. When the ejection of the medium has not been completed, the control unit 161 returns the processing to step S111 and repeats the processing from step S111 to step S118.
By contrast, when the ejection of the medium has been completed, the control unit 161 determines whether a medium remains on the medium tray 103 based on the first media signal received from the first media sensor 111 (step S119). When a medium remains on the medium tray 103, the control unit 161 returns the processing to step S104 and repeats the processing of step S104 to step S119.
In this case, the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g, the first to eighth driven rollers 120a to 120h, and the ejection roller 123 are already rotating. Thus, in step S104, the control unit 161 drives the second motor 141 to rotate the pick roller 112, the feed roller 113, and the separation roller 114 again to feed the medium. The control unit 161 controls the rotational speed of each motor such that the medium is imaged in accordance with the resolution designated in the operation mode identified last. The control unit 161 controls the imaging device 121 such that the medium is imaged in accordance with the resolution designated in the operation mode identified last and an input image is generated in accordance with the gradation range designated in the imaging mode identified last. In step S116, the control unit 161 executes image processing on the input image in the operation mode identified last to correct the input image.
By contrast, when no medium remains on the medium tray 103, the control unit 161 stops the first motor 131 and the second motor 141 to stop the first to seventh conveyance rollers 119a to 119g and the ejection roller 123 (step S120), and ends the series of steps.
The control unit 161 may position the guide 124 at the first position and eject the medium to the first ejection tray 104 when the medium is a separator medium, and may position the guide 124 at the second position and eject the medium to the second ejection tray 105 when the medium is a normal medium.
The determination unit 162 may determine whether the medium being conveyed is a separator medium based on an ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic sensor 115. In this case, in step S105, the determination unit 162 receives an ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic sensor 115 instead of receiving the second media signal from the second media sensor 116. The determination unit 162 stores the signal value of the received ultrasonic signal and the time when the ultrasonic signal was received in the storage device 150 in association with each other. In step S106, the determination unit 162 determines whether the medium is a separator medium or a normal medium using the passing time when the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of the ultrasonic sensor 115 instead of the passing time when the leading end of the medium has passed through the position of the second media sensor 116. When a medium is present at the position facing the ultrasonic sensor 115, the ultrasonic waves output from the ultrasonic sensor 115 are attenuated by the medium. The determination unit 162 identifies the time when the ultrasonic signal whose signal value has changed from a value less than a first threshold to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold was received as the passing time of the ultrasonic sensor 115. The first threshold is set to, for example, a value between a signal value of the ultrasonic signal indicating that a plain paper copier (PPC) sheet is at the position of the ultrasonic sensor 115 and a signal value of the ultrasonic signal indicating that a medium is not present at the position of the ultrasonic sensor 115.
The control unit 161 may switch the ejection tray to which the media are ejected and sort the media in accordance with whether multi-feed of media has occurred. In this case, in step S105, the determination unit 162 receives an ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic sensor 115. In step S106, the determination unit 162 determines whether multi-feed of media has occurred based on the received ultrasonic signal. When multiple media are conveyed in overlapped state, the ultrasonic waves penetrating the media are attenuated by an air layer between the media conveyed in overlapped state. When the signal value of the ultrasonic signal is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the determination unit 162 determines that multi-feed of media has not occurred. By contrast, when the signal value of the ultrasonic signal is less than the second threshold, the determination unit 162 determines that multi-feed of media has occurred. The second threshold is set to, for example, a value between a signal value of the ultrasonic signal when a PPC sheet is present at the position of the ultrasonic sensor 115 and a signal value of the ultrasonic signal when two PPC sheets are present at the position of the ultrasonic sensor 115. When the determination unit 162 has determined that multi-feed of media has not occurred, the control unit 161 does not execute any particular process. By contrast, when the determination unit 162 has determined that multi-feed of media has occurred, in step S107, the control unit 161 rotates the first motor 131 backward to position the guide 124 at the second position. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly sort multi-fed media and properly conveyed media.
The ejection roller 123 and/or the eighth driven roller 120h may be driven by the second motor 141 instead of the first motor 131. In this case, the second motor 141 is an example of another motor and drives the ejection roller 123 and/or the eighth driven roller 120h. In step S104, the control unit 161 drives the second motor 141 to rotate the ejection roller 123 in the media ejection direction A21 and rotate the eighth driven roller 120h in the media ejection direction. The control unit 161 rotates the first motor 131 forward to position the guide 124 at the first position. In step S107, the control unit 161 rotates the second motor 141 backward to position the guide 124 at the second position. At this time, the ejection roller 123 continues to rotate in the media ejection direction A21, and the eighth driven roller 120h continues to rotate in the media ejection direction. Thus, the processing from step S111 to step S113 is omitted. In the media ejecting apparatus 100, the interruption mechanism 125 is omitted. Accordingly, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can reduce the work-hours of the designer to design the media ejecting apparatus 100, thereby reducing the design cost.
As described above in detail, the media ejecting apparatus 100 changes the ejection destination of the medium by using the guide 124 that is located on the periphery of the ejection roller 123 and is rotatable around the shaft 123a, i.e., the rotation shaft of the ejection roller 123. Thus, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can properly sort the ejected media while preventing an increase in size of the media ejecting apparatus 100.
Thus, the user can easily extract the separator medium from the conveyed media. Additionally or alternatively, the user can easily extract a medium conveyed in multi-feed state from the conveyed media, and convey the medium conveyed in multi-feed state again. Accordingly, the media ejecting apparatus 100 can improve the convenience of the user.
As illustrated in
As described above in detail, even when the media ejecting apparatus includes the assist roller 228, the media ejecting apparatus can properly sort the ejected media while preventing an increase of the apparatus size.
The processing circuit 360 substitutes for the processing circuit 160 of the media ejecting apparatus 100 and executes, for example, the media reading process instead of the processing circuit 160. The processing circuit 360 includes a control circuit 361 and a determination circuit 362. These circuits may be implemented by, for example, independent integrated circuits, microprocessors, or firmware.
The control circuit 361 is an example of a control unit and has a function similar to that of the control unit 161. The control circuit 361 receives an operation signal from the operation device 106 or the interface device 142, a first media signal from the first media sensor 111, a fifth media signal from the fifth media sensor 122, and a determination result from the determination circuit 362. The control circuit 361 controls the first motor 131 and the second motor 141 to control the conveyance of media based on the received items of information. The control circuit 361 acquires an input image from the imaging device 121 and outputs the input image to the interface device 142.
The determination circuit 362 is an example of a determination unit and has a function similar to that of the determination unit 162. The determination circuit 362 receives an ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic sensor 115, a second media signal from the second media sensor 116, a third media signal from the third media sensor 117, and a fourth media signal from the fourth media sensor 118. The determination circuit 362 determines whether a medium to be conveyed is a separator medium or whether multi-feed of media has occurred based on the received signals, and outputs the determination result to the control circuit 361.
As described above in detail, even when the media ejecting apparatus uses the processing circuit 360, the media ejecting apparatus can properly sort the ejected media while preventing an increase in size of the media ejecting apparatus.
The media ejecting apparatus 400 includes a first housing 401, a second housing 402, a medium tray 403, a first ejection tray 404, a second ejection tray 405, an operation device 406, and a display device 407. The first housing 401, the second housing 402, the medium tray 403, the first ejection tray 404, the second ejection tray 405, the operation device 406, and the display device 407 have functions similar to those of the first housing 101, the second housing 102, the medium tray 103, the first ejection tray 104, the second ejection tray 105, the operation device 106, and the display device 107 of the media ejecting apparatus 100.
However, the second housing 402 is located above the first housing 401. The medium tray 403 is engaged with the first housing 401 to be fixed thereto. The first ejection tray 404 is located below an ejection port of the first housing 401 and the second housing 402 at the first housing 401. The second ejection tray 405 is located above the ejection port of the first housing 401 and the second housing 402 at the second housing 402. The display device 407 includes a LED and an interface circuit for turning on or off the LED.
In
The media ejecting apparatus 400 includes a first media sensor 411, a feed roller 413, a separation roller 414, an ultrasonic sensor 415, a second media sensor 416, a third media sensor 417, a fourth media sensor 418, a conveyance roller 419, first and second driven rollers 420a and 420b, an imaging device 421, a fifth media sensor 422, an ejection roller 423, and a guide 424 along the conveyance passage. The number of each roller is not limited to one, and the number of each roller may be plural. When each roller includes plural rollers, the rollers are aligned with and spaced apart from each other in the width direction A44.
The first housing 401 has a face facing the second housing 402 to form a first guide 401a of the media conveyance passage. The second housing 402 has a face facing the first housing 401 to form a second guide 402a of the media conveyance passage. As illustrated in
The first media sensor 411 has a configuration and a function similar to those of the first media sensor 111.
The feed roller 413 is located in the first housing 401. The separation roller 414 is located in the second housing 402 to face the feed roller 413. The feed roller 413 and the separation roller 414 perform an operation to separate media and feed the media one by one. The feed roller 413 is located below the separation roller 414. The media ejecting apparatus 400 feeds media from the bottom.
The ultrasonic sensor 415 is an example of a sensor. The ultrasonic sensor 415 includes an ultrasonic transmitter 415a and an ultrasonic receiver 415b having configurations and functions similar to those of the ultrasonic transmitter 115a and the ultrasonic receiver 115b, respectively, and has a configuration and a function similar to those of the ultrasonic sensor 115.
The second media sensor 416, the third media sensor 417, and the fourth media sensor 418 are examples of a sensor. The second media sensor 416, the third media sensor 417, the fourth media sensor 418, and the fifth media sensor 422 have configurations and functions similar to those of the second media sensor 116, the third media sensor 117, the fourth media sensor 118, and the fifth media sensor 122, respectively.
The conveyance roller 419 and the first driven roller 420a are located downstream from the feed roller 413 and the separation roller 414 to convey the medium fed by the feed roller 413 and the separation roller 414 downstream in the media conveyance passage. The first driven roller 420a may be rotated by the driving force from a motor, instead of being rotated by the rotation of the conveyance roller 419.
The imaging device 421 is an example of an imaging device. The imaging device 421 includes a first imaging device 421a and a second imaging device 421b having configurations and functions similar to those of the first imaging device 121a and the second imaging device 121b, respectively, and has a configuration and a function similar to those of the imaging device 121.
The ejection roller 423 and the second driven roller 420b are located downstream from the conveyance roller 419 and the first driven roller 420a, and eject the medium conveyed by the conveyance roller 419 and the first driven roller 420a to the first ejection tray 404 or the second ejection tray 405. The second driven roller 420b may be rotated by the driving force from a motor, instead of being rotated by the rotation of the ejection roller 423. The first ejection tray 404 is located above the ejection roller 423, in particular, above the nip between the ejection roller 423 and the second driven roller 420b. The second ejection tray 405 is located below the ejection roller 423, and in particular below the nip between the ejection roller 423 and the second driven roller 420b.
As the feed roller 413 rotates in a media feeding direction A51, the media are conveyed from the medium tray 403 in the media conveyance direction A41 between the first guide 401a and the second guide 402a. When the feeding mode is set to the separation mode, the separation roller 414 stops or rotates in a direction of arrow A52 opposite to the media feeding direction. This operation prevents the feeding of a medium other than the separated medium. In short, multi-feed is prevented. By contrast, when the feeding mode is set to the non-separation mode, the separation roller 414 rotates in the media feeding direction opposite to the direction of arrow A52.
As the conveyance roller 419 rotates in a direction of arrow A53, a medium is fed to the imaging position in the imaging device 421 while being guided by the first guide 401a and the second guide 402a. At the imaging position, the imaging device 421 images the medium. As the ejection roller 423 rotates in a direction of arrow A54, the medium is ejected onto the first ejection tray 404 or the second ejection tray 405. The medium ejected by the ejection roller 423 is placed on the first ejection tray 404 or the second ejection tray 405.
The guide 424 has a configuration and a function similar to those of the guide 124. The guide 424 is movable between a first position to guide the ejected medium ejected by the ejection roller 423 toward the first ejection tray 404 and a second position to guide the ejected medium ejected by the ejection roller 423 toward the second ejection tray 405. The guide 424 is located in the vicinity of the ejection roller 423 and rotatable around the rotation shaft of the ejection roller 423. When the guide 424 is at the second position, the medium is guided between the surface of the ejection roller 423 and the guide 424 and is ejected toward the second ejection tray 405.
The media ejecting apparatus 400 includes a driving mechanism similar to the driving mechanism 130. The driving mechanism moves the guide 424 between the first position and the second position, and further drives the ejection roller 423. The media ejecting apparatus 400 may include a second motor that drives the ejection roller 423 in addition to the driving mechanism including a first motor that moves the guide 424. The media ejecting apparatus 400 may include an interruption mechanism similar to the interruption mechanism 125. The interruption mechanism is located between the guide 424 and the rotation shaft of the guide 424 and interrupts the driving force from the rotation shaft of the guide 424 not to be transmitted to the guide 424 for a predetermined period.
The media ejecting apparatus 400 may include an assist roller similar to the assist roller 228. The assist roller is located above the ejection roller 423 to face the ejection roller 423, and assists the ejection roller 423 in ejecting a medium to the second ejection tray 405.
The media ejecting apparatus 400 includes a processing circuit similar to the processing circuit 160 or 360. The processing circuit executes the media reading process presented in
As described above in detail, even when the media ejecting apparatus 400 includes the straight passage, the media ejecting apparatus 400 can properly sort the ejected media while preventing an increase in size of the media ejecting apparatus 400.
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.
The functionality of the elements disclosed herein may be implemented using circuitry or processing circuitry which includes general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and/or combinations thereof which are configured or programmed, using one or more programs stored in one or more memories, to perform the disclosed functionality. Processors are considered processing circuitry or circuitry as they include transistors and other circuitry therein. In the disclosure, the circuitry, units, or means are hardware that carry out or are programmed to perform the recited functionality. The hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein which is programmed or configured to carry out the recited functionality.
There is a memory that stores a computer program which includes computer instructions. These computer instructions provide the logic and routines that enable the hardware (e.g., processing circuitry or circuitry) to perform the method disclosed herein. This computer program can be implemented in known formats as a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a memory device, a record medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD, and/or the memory of an FPGA or ASIC.
This patent application is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/009506 having an international filing date of Mar. 4, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2022/009506 | Mar 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18803197 | US |
