Patent Application
20250153963
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-194739, filed on Nov. 15, 2023, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a paper feeding device, a paper feeding method, a recording medium, and an image forming apparatus.
A roll end detection technique for detecting a rear end (roll end) of a roll paper has been developed in a roll paper feeding device that feeds and conveys the roll paper. In addition, a technique has been developed in which a level difference between the roll paper and the paper tube at the time of being at a roll end is detected using a sensor capable of directly detecting the thickness of the roll paper, and the roll end is detected. Further, a technique has been proposed in which a roller is brought into contact with a surface of roll paper, and a rotation unevenness of the roller is detected by a sensor to detect the roll end, or the roll end is detected based on a change in a current value of a motor that drives the roller.
The present disclosure described herein provides a paper feeding device for rotating a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper. The paper feeding device includes a roller, a sensor, a support, and processing circuitry. The sensor detects a level difference at an end of the roll paper. On the supports, the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a center of the roll paper. The support supports the sensor and the roller to abut on a surface of the roll paper. The processing circuitry controls rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor. The processing circuitry causes the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction, and compares an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.
The present disclosure described herein also provides an image forming apparatus that includes the paper feeding device.
The present disclosure described herein further provides a paper feeding method to be executed by a paper feeding device including: a conveyor to rotate a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper; a roller; a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper; and a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller to abut on a surface of the roll paper. The paper feeding method includes controlling rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor, and causing the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.
The present disclosure described herein further provides a non-transitory recording medium storing program code. The program code causes a computer that controls a paper feeding device to perform a process. The paper feeding device includes: a conveyor that rotates a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper; a roller; a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper; and a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller to abut on a surface of the roll paper. The process includes controlling rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor, and causing the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.
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, 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.
Hereinafter, a paper feeding device, a paper feeding method, a program, and an image forming apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A configuration example of an image forming apparatus to which the paper feeding device according to the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to
In
In the image forming apparatus 80, an endless timing belt 67 is disposed along the main guide rod 64, and the timing belt 67 is stretched between the driving pulley 68 and the driven pulley 69. The driving pulley 68 is rotationally driven by a main scanning motor 70, and the driven pulley 69 is disposed in a state of giving predetermined tension to the timing belt 67. The driving pulley 68 is rotationally driven by the main scanning motor 70 to rotationally move the timing belt 67 in the main scanning direction according to the rotation direction.
The carriage 66 is coupled to the timing belt 67, and the timing belt 67 is rotationally moved in the main scanning direction by the driving pulley 68, so that the carriage 66 reciprocates in the main scanning direction along the main guide rod 64.
In the image forming apparatus 80, a cartridge unit 71 and a maintenance mechanism unit 72 are detachably accommodated at end positions in the main scanning direction in the main body housing 81. In the cartridge unit 71, cartridges 73 for storing respective inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are replaceably stored. Each cartridge of the cartridge unit 71 is connected to a recording head of a corresponding color among recording heads mounted on the carriage 66 by a pipe, and supplies ink from the cartridge unit 71 to the recording head of each color through the pipe.
The image forming apparatus 80 discharges ink onto a paper P intermittently conveyed on a platen (plate) 74 (see
The paper P is not limited to paper, and various types of paper such as a roll-shaped film can be used. However, in the following description, for clarity of the description, the paper P being conveyed is described as a paper P, a roll state in which the paper P is wound is described as a roll paper Pr (Pa or Pb), and a core tube (a core portion or a paper tube) of the roll paper Pr is described as Ps.
As illustrated in
The image forming apparatus 80 intermittently conveys the paper P in the sub-scanning direction, and while the conveyance of the paper P in the sub-scanning direction is stopped, while moving the carriage 66 in the main scanning direction, discharges ink from nozzle rows of the recording heads mounted on the carriage 66 onto the paper P on the platen 74 to form (record) an image on the roll-shaped paper (roll paper) Pr.
The maintenance mechanism unit 72 performs cleaning, capping, ejection of unnecessary ink, and the like of the ejection surface of the recording head to discharge unnecessary ink from the recording head and maintain the reliability of the recording head.
In the image forming apparatus 80, an encoder sheet is disposed in parallel to the timing belt 67 and the main guide rod 64 at least over a moving range of the carriage 66. The carriage 66 is provided with an encoder sensor that reads an encoder sheet. The image forming apparatus 80 controls the movement of the carriage 66 in the main scanning direction by controlling the driving of the main scanning motor 70 on the basis of the reading result of the encoder sheet by the encoder sensor.
Both ends of the paper P conveyed to an image former 60 are detected by a reflective sensor (encoder sensor, paper leading end detection sensor) mounted on the carriage 66, and at that time, the size of the paper P is detected from the main scanning direction position read by the paper leading end detection sensor.
In the image forming apparatus 80, as illustrated in
As indicated by arrows in
The paper P passes through the conveyance path 9 supported by the medium conveyance guide members 18a and 18b, and is conveyed onto the platen 74 in the image former 60. When an image is formed on both sides, the image is inverted by the inversion portion 19.
In the image former 60, the liquid recording head discharges droplets of respective colors onto the paper P in accordance with image data, thereby forming an image. In a forward conveyance direction ejection part for the paper P on which the image is formed, a cutter 76 extending in the sub-scanning direction (paper width direction), which is used to cut the paper P constituted by continuous paper to a predetermined length, is provided.
In order to align the leading end of the conveyed continuous paper P, the cutter 76 is fixed to a wire or a timing belt stretched between a plurality of pulleys (one of the pulleys is connected to a drive motor), and moves in the main scanning direction Y by the drive motor to cut the paper P to a predetermined length. The cut paper P is ejected to the ejection part. In
An arm (guide plate) 91 as a support of the roll paper Pr is rotatable at a rotation center 911. The arm 91 is pressed against one side of the rotation center 911 in a roll paper direction by a spring or the like. Thus, the arm 91 comes into contact with a roll paper outer diameter even when the roll paper diameter changes. A white arrow indicates the rotation direction of the arm 91. The arm 91 includes a roller 92 and a sensor 93 on the other side of the rotation center 911. Since the arm 91 is pressed in the roll paper direction, the roller 92 and the sensor 93 are supported so as to abut on a surface of the roll paper Pr.
The arm 91 serves as a guide plate that guides a conveyance direction of the paper of the roll paper Pr. Preferably, the arm 91 has a portion (end side) where the roll paper Pr is set in a shape (for example, a circular arc shape) along the outer diameter of the roll paper so that the roll paper Pr is held (not to fall or the like) when the user sets the roll paper Pr. The arm 91 also functions as the roll paper receivers 8a and 8b in
The roller 92 and the sensor 93 are arranged so as to face substantially the center of the roll paper (so as to face the axial center of the roll paper) regardless of the roll paper diameter. The roller 92 is arranged at a position different from the sensor 93 in the circumferential direction of the roll paper Pr, and the roller 92 and the sensor 93 are arranged to be offset from each other in the circumferential direction. The sensor 93 is an example of a sensor having detection accuracy capable of detecting a level difference (paper thickness) at an end (leading end and rear end) of the roll paper Pr.
The inlet guide plate 95 guides the conveyance direction of the paper peeled from the roll paper Pr. In the configuration example of
Next, control of functions of the paper feeding device 90 will be described.
The controller 100 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and the like. The CPU executes various programs and controls the entire image forming apparatus 80 on the basis of arithmetic processing and a control program. For example, the controller 100 is an example of a controller that controls the rotation of the roll paper Pr on the basis of a sensor signal output from the sensor 93. The RAM is a volatile storage medium for reading and writing information at a high speed, and functions as a work area when the CPU executes a program. The ROM is a read-only nonvolatile storage medium in which various programs and control programs are stored.
The motor drive circuit unit 120 drives the motor under the control of the controller 100 to drive the roll paper drive unit 130. The roll paper drive unit 130 rotates the roll paper in a forward rotation direction or a reverse rotation direction. The roll paper drive unit 130 uses, for example, a roll paper rotating motor. The motor drive circuit unit 140 drives the motor under the control of the controller 100 to drive the conveyance drive unit 150. The conveyance drive unit 150 drives the conveyance unit 160. The conveyance unit 160 is a conveyance unit that conveys the roll paper Pr, and is, for example, a conveyance roller pair 6. That is, the conveyance unit 160 is an example of a conveyor that rotates the roll paper Pr forward and backward to feed the roll paper Pr. The display unit 170 is an example of a display unit that displays a paper feeding state of the roll paper Pr.
Here, an example of detection processing of the end of the roll paper Pr by the controller 100 in the paper feeding device according to the present embodiment will be described.
The controller 100 rotates the roll paper Pr in the paper feeding direction (forward rotation direction, main scanning direction), compares an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value, and detects the paper tube Ps of the roll paper Pr. In this manner, the difference between the surface of the roll paper Pr and the surface of the paper tube Ps can be detected, so that the detection accuracy of the roll end can be improved.
The controller 100 may detect the paper tube Ps by comparing an integrated value of absolute values of inclinations of changes in the sensor signal per predetermined time with a threshold value. In this manner, even when a foreign matter or a scratch on the surface of the roll paper Pr is detected, since the sensor signals are averaged, it is resistant to erroneous detection of the paper tube Ps. For example, when a foreign matter or a scratch on the surface of the roll paper Pr is detected, there is a possibility that there is no difference or it is reversed from the magnitude of the sensor signal that has detected the surface of the paper tube Ps when compared only by the magnitude of the sensor signal. According to the present embodiment, even when a foreign matter or a scratch on the surface of the roll paper Pr is detected, the sensor signals are averaged, so that erroneous detection of the paper tube Ps can be reduced.
Here, the predetermined time may be equal to or less than the time taken for the range from the position of the sensor 93 in the paper feeding direction until the end of the roll paper Pr is separated from the paper tube Ps. In this manner, it is possible to make a determination before the rear end of the roll paper Pr enters the conveyance unit 160 after detecting the roll end (paper end) of the roll paper Pr.
The controller 100 also functions as an example of a setting unit that sets a threshold value. Thus, the threshold value can be optimized to match the roll paper Pr used by the user. In addition, the user can optimize the threshold value to match the roll paper Pr, and handling of a service or the like is not necessary.
When detecting the paper tube Ps, the controller 100 may determine that it is the roll end that is the rear end of the roll paper Pr. In this manner, since the paper tube Ps can be detected, it is possible to detect that the roll end has been reached.
After determining that the roll end of the roll paper Pr has been reached, the controller 100 may stop the paper feeding operation of the roll paper Pr. In this manner, it is possible to prevent occurrence of overload and abnormal noise on the roll paper drive unit 130. Further, it is possible to prevent paper jamming due to mixing of a stopper tape or the like at the rear end of the roll paper Pr into the conveyance unit 160.
The controller 100 may display that the roll paper Pr has run out on the display unit 170 after determining the roll end on the display unit 170. In this manner, it is possible to notify the user that the roll paper Pr has run out.
The controller 100 may determine that it is the roll end when detecting the rear end of the roll paper Pr by rotating the roll paper Pr in the paper feeding direction and detecting an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the roll end (rear end) of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93 and an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper Pr passes by the roller 92, or when detecting the paper tube Ps by rotating the roll paper Pr in the paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with the threshold value. In this manner, by increasing the roll end determination method, it is possible to more reliably detect that the roll end has been reached by using the determination method matched with the roll paper Pr.
The controller 100 may determine that it is the roll end when detecting the rear end of the roll paper Pr by rotating the roll paper Pr in the paper feeding direction and detecting an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93 and an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper Pr passes by the roller 92, and when detecting the paper tube Ps by rotating the roll paper Pr in the paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with the threshold value. In this manner, the roll end can be strictly determined, and thus it is possible to more reliably detect that the roll end has been reached.
In a leading end detection operation of the roll paper Pr after the roll paper Pr is set, when an inclination of a change in the sensor signal after the leading end detection operation is started exceeds the threshold value, the controller 100 may determine that the paper tube Ps is set. In this manner, it is possible to detect that the paper tube Ps is set with a slight operation before the error is detected after the leading end detection operation is performed.
In a case where it is determined that the paper tube Ps has been set, the controller 100 may stop the leading end detection operation and notify that the paper tube Ps has been set. In this manner, it is possible to detect that the paper tube Ps has been set with a slight operation before the error is detected after the leading end detection operation is performed, and the leading end detection operation is stopped and the user can be notified, so that the down time can be reduced.
The controller 100 may detect the leading end of the roll paper Pr by rotating the roll paper Pr in the direction opposite to the paper feeding direction and detecting an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the leading end of the roll paper Pr passes by the roller 92 and an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the leading end of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93. In this manner, the leading end of the roll paper Pr can be directly detected using the configuration for detecting the roll end without adding a component, and the leading end of the roll paper Pr can be reliably detected without erroneous detection.
Next, an operation example of setting the roll paper Pr will be described.
Next, a configuration example of the arm as the support and an example of the leading end detection operation will be described.
The sensor 93 uses, for example, an encoder sensor in which the slit 932 is provided in the actuator 931, and has a resolution of about 5 m/pulse, so that it is possible to detect a level difference corresponding to the paper thickness. The actuator 931 is disposed between two side plates 933 constituting a housing of the sensor, and a shaft 934 is fitted into a bearing of the side plate 933 to rotate about the shaft 934. The actuator 931 has, for example, an asymmetric shape about the shaft 934 as illustrated in
In the configuration example of
Since the sensor 93 and the roller 92 are arranged in the vicinity in an offset manner (offset in the circumferential direction of the roll paper Pr) and the roller 92 is located upstream of the sensor 93, the roller 92 can press the leading end of the paper until immediately before the sensor 93 detects the leading end of the paper (
In the example of the present embodiment, the roller 92 is arranged upstream of the sensor 93, but detection can be performed even in the opposite arrangement. It is preferable to dispose the roller 92 upstream of the sensor 93 since it is possible to more reliably hold the floating of the leading end of the roll paper Pr until immediately before the detection. As illustrated in
Since the roller 92 and the sensor 93 are arranged to be shifted in each of the circumferential direction and the cylindrical direction, even if there is a partial scratch or the like, the ratio applied to both the roller 92 and the sensor 93 is reduced. Therefore, since the sensor signal of the sensor 93 does not have falling or rising signal waveforms as illustrated in
The controller 100 controls the motor drive circuit unit 120 to continue the reverse rotation after detecting the leading end of the roll paper Pr, stops the leading end of the roll paper Pr at a paper leading end stop position illustrated in
With the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to directly detect a level difference corresponding to the thickness of the leading end of the roll paper Pr, so that the output of the sensor 93 is not unstable depending on the thickness, stiffness, and curling state of the roll paper Pr, and detection accuracy of the leading end of the roll paper Pr can be ensured. Since the operation of setting the roll paper Pr can be automatically finished by only placing the roll paper Pr on the paper feeding device 90, it is possible to eliminate manual labor and to prevent skew and paper jam due to guide failure of the roll paper Pr.
After the leading end of the roll paper Pr is detected, the sensor 93 detects the uneven state of the surface of the roll paper Pr during the forward rotation operation (CCW) of the roll paper Pr in the paper conveyance direction. When the rear end of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93 (see
After detecting the sensor signal (R1) when the rear end of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93 (see
In the configuration of the automatic roll paper feeding in the paper feeding device 90 according to the present embodiment, a leading end detection mechanism of the roll paper Pr for automatic roll paper feeding is used together with the detection of the roll end, so that it is not necessary to add a member to detect the roll end. Similarly to the leading end detection operation of the roll paper Pr, since the level difference corresponding to the thickness of the rear end of the roll paper Pr can be detected, the roll end can be directly detected.
In a case where the rear end of the roll paper Pr is detected, the sensor signal has a phase opposite to that in the case of detecting the leading end of the roll paper Pr. When the rear end of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93 during rotation of the roll paper Pr in the paper conveyance direction (CCW) (see
For example, the paper tube Ps illustrated in
In a case where the surface of the paper tube Ps is rough, when there is a protrusion, a recess, or the like immediately after the roll end of the roll paper Pr, the inclination of the signal change becomes small, and the roll end cannot be detected in some cases. When the actuator 931 of the sensor 93 passes by the level difference between the roll end of the roll paper Pr and the surface of the paper tube, the movement of the actuator 931 becomes smooth, and a large inclination of the signal change cannot be obtained, and the inclination of the signal change becomes small.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the case where the rear end of the roll paper Pr is detected, the controller 100 detects the end (rear end) of the roll paper Pr by comparing the inclination (that is, the ratio between the movement amount of the roll paper Pr and the change amount of the sensor signal) of the signal change when the actuator 931 of the sensor 93 moves at the end of the roll paper Pr with the threshold value.
The inclination of the signal change gradually increases (see
The inclination of the signal change gradually increases (see
Here, the sensor 93 is often provided at an end not affected by the width in order to detect the roll paper Pr having a plurality of widths by one sensor 93. In the case of the roll paper Pr in which the roll paper Pr is pressed by the roller 92 but stiffness is high when the portion not taped bends, when the roll paper Pr is in an oblique state (that is, a state of having R with respect to the paper tube) when the actuator 931 passes by the end of the roll paper Pr, the rear end of the roll paper Pr approaches the surface of the paper tube. Thus, the level difference is reduced, and a large inclination of the signal change cannot be obtained.
Specifically, the controller 100 monitors the sensor signal on the surface of the roll paper Pr while the roll paper Pr is conveyed during feeding or printing. As described above, when the surface of the roll paper Pr is smooth, as illustrated in
By making the threshold value Ss illustrated in
Since the threshold value Ss or the threshold value Hs can be set by the user, the user himself/herself can set the threshold value. Thus, handling of a service or the like is not necessary, and the threshold value can be set when necessary. For example, threshold values of several stages are set in advance, and the values can be easily set by selecting the threshold values from the operation unit.
When the paper tube Ps is detected, the controller 100 determines that the rear end (roll end) of the roll paper Pr has passed by the sensor 93 (step S3804). Thereafter, the controller 100 stops the conveyance operation of the roll paper Pr (step S3805). From the detection of the roll end by the sensor 93 to the stop of the conveyance of the roll paper Pr, it is necessary to stop the conveyance of the roll paper Pr in the “range of sticking of the roll end to the paper tube Ps from the position of the sensor 93” illustrated in
Therefore, the fixed time T1 illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the controller 100 can have both functions of a method of directly detecting a level difference corresponding to the paper thickness of the rear end of the roll paper Pr and a method of detecting the paper tube Ps and determining the roll end, and can select a method of detecting the roll end suitable for the roll paper Pr. By increasing the number of roll end detection methods, the roll end can be detected more reliably using the roll end detection method matched with the roll paper Pr.
In the present embodiment, the controller 100 may have both functions of a method of directly detecting a level difference corresponding to the paper thickness of the rear end of the roll paper Pr and a method of detecting the paper tube Ps and detecting the roll end, and may detect the roll end on the basis of results of both methods of detecting the roll end. That is, after detecting the roll end at the level difference corresponding to the paper thickness, the controller 100 may determine that it is in the roll end when detecting the roll end at the paper tube Ps. As described above, by strictly detecting the roll end, it is possible to more reliably detect that the roll end has been reached.
In a case where the paper tube Ps is erroneously set at the time of setting the roll paper Pr, the leading end detection operation of the roll paper Pr is started and a detection error of the leading end of the roll paper Pr occurs, and an error is displayed after the conveyance of the roll paper Pr is stopped. In this case, the time until the error is displayed is down time, and unnecessary time is taken for the user. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the controller 100 compares the inclination of the signal change after the start of the leading end detection operation of the set of the roll paper Pr with the threshold value registered in advance, and determines that the paper tube Ps is set when the inclination of the signal change exceeds the threshold value. Then, after it is determined that the paper tube Ps has been set, the leading end detection operation is stopped and the user is notified of the stop, whereby the downtime can be significantly reduced.
When the sensor signal S does not exceed the threshold value Ss during that time (step S3903: No), the controller 100 can determine that the roll paper Pr has been set, and performs the normal leading end detection operation (step S3904). Thereafter, when the leading end of the roll paper Pr is detected, the controller 100 stops the leading end of the roll paper Pr at the stop position (step S3905), thereafter conveys the leading end of the roll paper Pr to the sheet feeder by performing the forward rotation operation (step S3906), and thereafter performs the printing operation (step S3907).
On the other hand, when the sensor signal S exceeds the threshold value Ss (step S3903: Yes), the controller 100 detects the paper tube Ps (step S3908), determines that the paper tube Ps has been set (step S3909), and stops the conveyance operation of the roll paper Pr (step S3910). Then, the controller 100 displays the fact on the display unit 170 to notify the user (step S3911). The controller 100 can also notify that the conveyance operation of the roll paper Pr has been stopped by an operation other than the display, for example, by sound or the like. Further, in the present embodiment, the controller 100 determines whether or not the paper tube Ps is set using the sensor signal S and the threshold value Ss, but may determine whether or not the paper tube Ps is set using the integral values (integrated values) Hp and Ht illustrated in
The controller 100 rotates the roll paper Pr in the direction opposite to the direction in which the roll paper Pr is fed, and detects the inclination of the signal change of the sensor signal of the sensor 93 when the leading end of the roll paper Pr passes by the roller 92 and the inclination of the signal change when the leading end of the roll paper Pr passes by the sensor 93, thereby detecting the leading end of the roll paper Pr. In the configuration of the automatic roll paper feeding of the paper feeding device 90 according to the present embodiment, the function can be achieved without adding a component for performing the roll end by using the leading end detection mechanism of the roll paper Pr for automatic roll paper feeding together with the detection of the paper tube Ps.
By providing a paper feeding mechanism having the function in the present embodiment, it is possible to implement detection of the leading end of the roll paper Pr and detection of the roll end without adding a component.
As described above, according to the paper feeding device 90 of the present embodiment, since the difference between the surface of the roll paper Pr and the surface of the paper tube Ps can be detected, the detection accuracy of the roll end can be enhanced.
The program executed by the paper feeding device 90 of the present embodiment is provided by being incorporated in advance in a read only memory (ROM) or the like. The program executed by the paper feeding device 90 of the present embodiment may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a compact disk (CD)-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-recordable (CD-R), and a digital versatile disk (DVD) as a file in an installable format or an executable format.
The program executed by the paper feeding device 90 of the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. In addition, the program executed by the paper feeding device 90 of the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.
The program executed by the paper feeding device 90 of the present embodiment has a module configuration including the above-described units (controller 100), and as actual hardware, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) reads the program from the ROM and executes the program, to thereby load the units on a main storage device, and generate the controller 100 on the main storage device.
In some roll end detection techniques, for example, the rear end of a roll paper is not directly detected, which may cause erroneous detection of the roll end. Alternatively, in a case where the surface of a paper tube of a roll paper is rough, a protrusion, a recess, or the like may come immediately after the roll end and make a change in the signal output from the sensor small, thus hindering the roll end from being detected. For example, when the step portion of the roll end passes by an actuator of the sensor, the portion immediately after the roll end becomes smooth, and a large change in which the signal exceeds the threshold value may not be obtained from the sensor, and the change may become small.
In a case where the central portion of the roll paper is fixed with a tape, when the roll paper becomes long, the sensor is positioned at an end of the roll paper so as to correspond to roll paper having a plurality of widths. In that case, floating of the end of the roll paper or the like is conceivable, and the signal of the sensor may become unstable. For example, when the rear end of the roll paper floats, the actuator of the sensor rapidly changes and hence there is no disadvantage, but when the rear end of the roll paper is curved and comes into contact with the actuator of the sensor, a large change may not be obtained from the signal of the sensor and the change may become small.
However, as described above, the paper feeding device, the paper feeding method, the recording medium storing the program, and the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiments can enhance the detection accuracy of the roll end.
Note that, in the above embodiment, an example in which the image forming apparatus is a multifunction peripheral having at least two functions of a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function is described. However, the present disclosure can be applied to any image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a scanner device, or a facsimile device.
Aspects of the present disclosure are, for example, as follows.
According to a first aspect, a paper feeding device that rotates a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper includes: a roller; a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper; a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a substantial center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller so as to abut on a surface of the roll paper; and a controller to control rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor. The controller causes the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and compares an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.
According to a second aspect, in the paper feeding device of the first aspect, the controller compares an integrated value of absolute values of inclinations of changes in the sensor signal per predetermined time with the threshold value to detect the paper tube.
According to a third aspect, in the paper feeding device of the second aspect, the predetermined time is equal to or less than a time taken for a range from a position of the sensor in the paper feeding direction until the end of the roll paper separates from the paper tube.
According to a fourth aspect, the paper feeding device of any one of the first to third aspects further includes a setting unit that sets the threshold value.
According to a fifth aspect, in the paper feeding device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the controller determines that the roll paper has reached a roll end that is a rear end of the roll paper when the paper tube is detected.
According to a sixth aspect, in the paper feeding device of the fifth aspect, the controller stops a paper feeding operation of the roll paper after determining that the roll paper has reached the roll end.
According to a seventh aspect, the paper feeding device of the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect further includes a display unit that displays a paper feeding state of the roll paper. The controller displays that the roll paper runs out on the display unit after determining that the roll paper has reached the roll end.
According to an eighth aspect, in the paper feeding device of the fifth aspect, the controller determines that the roll paper has reached the roll end, in response to a detection of the rear end of the roll paper by rotating the roll paper in the paper feeding direction and detecting an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper passes by the sensor and an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper passes by the roller, or in response to a detection of the paper tube by rotating the roll paper in the paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal and the threshold value.
According to a ninth aspect, in the paper feeding device of the fifth aspect, the controller determines that the roll paper has reached the roll end, in response to a detection of the rear end of the roll paper by rotating the roll paper in the paper feeding direction and detecting an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper passes by the sensor and an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the rear end of the roll paper passes by the roller, and a detection of the paper tube by rotating the roll paper in the paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal and the threshold value.
According to a tenth aspect, in the paper feeding device of any one of the first to ninth aspects, the controller determines that the paper tube is set, when an inclination of a change in the sensor signal after a start of a leading end detection operation of the roll paper exceeds the threshold value in the leading end detection operation performed after the roll paper is set.
According to an eleventh aspect, in the paper feeding device of the tenth aspect, the controller stops the leading end detection operation and notifies that the paper tube has been set, when determining that the paper tube has been set.
According to a twelfth aspect, in the paper feeding device of any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the controller rotates the roll paper in a direction opposite to the paper feeding direction, and detects an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when a leading end of the roll paper passes by the roller and an inclination of a change in the sensor signal when the leading end of the roll paper passes by the sensor, to detect the leading end of the roll paper.
According to a thirteenth aspect, a paper feeding method is to be executed by a paper feeding device including a conveyance unit to rotate a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper, a roller, a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper, and a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a substantial center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller so as to abut on a surface of the roll paper. The paper feeding method includes: controlling rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor; and causing the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and comparing an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.
According to a fourteenth aspect, a non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-readable program causes a computer, which controls a paper feeding device, to function as a controller. The paper feeding device includes a conveyance unit to rotate a roll paper forward and backward to feed the roll paper, a roller, a sensor to detect a level difference at an end of the roll paper, and a support on which the sensor and the roller are arranged at positions offset from each other in a circumferential direction of the roll paper with respect to a substantial center of the roll paper, the support supporting the sensor and the roller so as to abut on a surface of the roll paper. The controller controls rotation of the roll paper based on a sensor signal output from the sensor. The controller causes the roll paper to rotate in a paper feeding direction and compares an inclination of a change in the sensor signal with a threshold value to detect a paper tube of the roll paper.
According to a fifteenth aspect, an image forming apparatus includes the paper feeding device of any one of the first to twelfth aspects.
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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-194739 | Nov 2023 | JP | national |
