CONVEYOR DEVICE

• US 20130256985A1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: SAMOTO, Kenji, KAWAMATA, Noriyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,720,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/225
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/46 Table apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/72 Clutches, brakes, e.g. one-way clutch +F204
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/3322 discharge tray superposed to feed tray
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/11 Length
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/22 Distance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/414 of mode of operation
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/11 angular
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/20 Acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/51 Encoders, e.g. linear
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/23 Recording or storing data
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/242 involving a particular data profile or curve
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0669 Driving devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0684 on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/062 between rollers or balls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/02 by feelers or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/006 the stop being formed by forwarding means in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/008 the stop being formed by reversing the forwarding means

Abstract

A conveyor device includes: a first conveyor having a first roller; a second conveyor having a second roller and disposed downstream of the first conveyor; and a storage storing first information and second information in which a velocity or a deceleration of the first and second rollers is less in the second information than in the first information. A controller executes: a first rotation processing in which, when a state in which a sheet is nipped by the first conveyor is kept during a next conveyance in intermittent conveyance, a first roller and a second roller are rotated according to the first information in the next conveyance; and a second rotation processing in which, when the state is not kept in the next conveyance, the first drive roller and the second drive roller are rotated according to the second information in the next conveyance.

Claims

1. A conveyor device, comprising:

a drive source configured to produce;

a first rotational driving power by a forward rotation of the drive source; and

a second rotational driving power by a reverse rotation of the drive source;

a first conveyor comprising a first drive roller and a first driven roller;

a second conveyor disposed downstream of the first conveyor in a conveying direction, the second conveyor comprising a second drive roller and a second driven roller;

a first power transmitter configured to transmit the first rotational driving power and the second rotational driving power to the first drive roller, the first power transmitter being configured to have the first conveyor convey the sheet in the conveying direction while nipping the sheet when the first rotational power is transmitted to the first drive roller, the first power transmitter being configured to have the first conveyor convey the sheet in a direction opposite the conveying direction when the second rotational power is transmitted to the first drive roller;

a second power transmitter configured to transmit the first rotational driving power to the second drive roller and not to transmit the second rotational driving power to the second drive roller, the second power transmitter being configured to have the second conveyor convey the sheet in the conveying direction while nipping the sheet when the first rotational power is transmitted to the second drive roller;

a controller configured to control the drive source to perform intermittent conveyance in which a conveyance of the sheet by transmission of the first rotational driving power to the first drive roller and the second drive roller and a stop of the sheet conveyed are alternately repeated a plurality of times; and

a storage configured to store first information and second information each representing velocity information of the first drive roller and the second drive roller from a start of rotation thereof to a stop of the rotation thereof in one conveyance of the sheet in the intermittent conveyance, and wherein at least one of a velocity and a deceleration, in the velocity information, of the first drive roller and the second drive roller from a constant-velocity state after an increase in velocity from the start of the rotation, to the stop of the rotation is less in the second information than in the first information,

wherein the controller is configured to execute;

a first rotation processing in which, when a state in which the sheet is nipped by the first conveyor is kept during a next conveyance of the sheet in the intermittent conveyance, the first drive roller and the second drive roller are rotated according to the first information in the next conveyance of the sheet; and

a second rotation processing in which, when the state in which the sheet is nipped by the first conveyor is not kept in the next conveyance of the sheet, the first drive roller and the second drive roller are rotated according to the second information in the next conveyance of the sheet.

2. The conveyor device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive source to perform the intermittent conveyance in which a plurality of conveyances of one sheet and a plurality of stops of the one sheet are performed in the intermittent conveyance such that one conveyance of the one sheet and one stop of the one sheet are alternately performed,

wherein the controller is configured to execute the first rotation processing as the one conveyance of the sheet in the intermittent conveyance, and

wherein the controller is configured to execute the second rotation processing as the one conveyance of the sheet in the intermittent conveyance.

3. The conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet feeder disposed upstream of the first conveyor in the conveying direction and configured to feed the sheet toward the first conveyor;

a first-drive-roller rotational amount detector configured to detect a rotational amount of the first drive roller,

wherein the controller further executes;

a leading-edge contact processing at which the controller controls the sheet feeder to feed the sheet toward the first conveyor to bring a leading edge of the sheet in the conveying direction into contact with the first conveyor that is stopped or is receiving the second rotational driving power;

a third rotation processing at which the first rotational driving power is transmitted to the first drive roller on condition that the leading edge of the sheet in the conveying direction has been brought into contact with the first conveyor in the leading-edge contact processing, and

wherein the controller is configured to execute one of the first rotation processing and the second rotation processing based on the rotational amount from the third processing executed.

4. The conveyor device according to claim 3,

wherein the controller is configured to execute a length obtaining processing in which the controller obtains a length of the sheet to be conveyed, wherein the length of the sheet is a length in the conveying direction, and

wherein the controller is configured to execute one of the first rotation processing and the second rotation processing based on the rotational amount and the length of the sheet which has been obtained in the length obtaining processing.

5. The conveyor device according to claim 4,

wherein the controller is configured to execute the first rotation processing until the rotational amount becomes greater than an amount corresponding to the length of the sheet in the conveying direction, and

wherein the controller is configured to execute the second rotation processing when the rotational amount becomes greater than the amount corresponding to the length of the sheet in the conveying direction.

6. The conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet sensor configured to sense the sheet passing through a specific position located upstream of the first conveyor in the conveying direction;

a first-drive-roller rotational amount detector configured to detect a rotational amount of the first drive roller,

wherein the controller is configured to execute one of the first rotation processing and the second rotation processing based on a rotational amount of the first drive roller from a sense of a trailing edge of the sheet in the conveying direction by the sheet sensor.

7. The conveyor device according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to execute one of the first rotation processing and the second rotation processing based on the rotational amount and a distance between the specific position and the first conveyor.

8. The conveyor device according to claim 7,

wherein the controller is configured to execute the first rotation processing until the rotational amount becomes greater than an amount corresponding to the distance between the specific position and the first conveyor, and

wherein the controller is configured to execute the second rotation processing when the rotational amount becomes greater than the amount corresponding to the distance between the specific position and the first conveyor.

9. The conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein a velocity, in the velocity information, of the first drive roller and the second drive roller in the constant-velocity state after the increase in velocity from the start of the rotation is less in the second information than in the first information.

10. The conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second-drive-roller rotational amount detector configured to detect a rotational amount of the second drive roller,

wherein the storage is configured to further store third information, wherein a different point between the first information and the third information is identical to a different point between the first information and the second information, and a difference amount of the different point between the first information and the third information is greater than a difference amount of the different point between the first information and the second information,

wherein the controller is configured to execute:

a first-total-rotational-amount calculating processing in which the controller calculates a first total rotational amount that is a cumulative total of a plurality of rotational amounts of the first drive roller respectively in a predefined number of deceleration periods each of which is a deceleration period in a conveyance of the sheet by the one conveyance in the intermittent conveyance;

a second-total-rotational-amount calculating processing in which the controller calculates a second total rotational amount that is a cumulative total of a plurality of rotational amounts of the second drive roller respectively in the predefined number of deceleration periods; and

a total-difference-amount calculating processing in which the controller calculates a total difference amount that is a total of the first total rotational amount and the second total rotational amount, and

wherein the controller is configured to, when the total difference amount in the second rotation processing is equal to or greater than a predefined threshold value, rotate the first drive roller and the second drive roller according to the third information in the next conveyance of the sheet.

11. The conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second-drive-roller rotational amount detector configured to detect a rotational amount of the second drive roller,

wherein the storage is configured to further store third information, wherein a different point between the first information and the third information is identical to a different point between the first information and the second information, and a difference amount of the different point between the first information and the third information is greater than a difference amount of the different point between the first information and the second information,

wherein the controller is configured to execute:

a first-deceleration-rotational-amount calculating processing in which the controller calculates a first deceleration rotational amount of the first drive roller in each of the deceleration periods;

a second-deceleration-rotational-amount calculating processing in which the controller calculates a second deceleration rotational amount of the second drive roller in each of the deceleration periods; and

a deceleration-difference-amount calculating processing in which the controller calculates a deceleration difference amount that is a difference between the first deceleration rotational amount and the second deceleration rotational amount,

wherein the controller is configured to, when the deceleration difference amount in the second rotation processing is equal to or greater than a predefined threshold value, rotate the first drive roller and the second drive roller according to the third information in the next conveyance of the sheet.

13. The conveyor device according to claim 11, wherein a deceleration of the first drive roller and the second drive roller from an end of a constant-velocity state after the increase in velocity from the start of the rotation, to the stop of the rotation is less in the second information than in the first information.

12. A conveyor device, comprising:

a drive source configured to produce;

a first rotational driving power by a forward rotation of the drive source; and

a second rotational driving power by a reverse rotation of the drive source;

a first conveyor comprising a first drive roller and a first driven roller;

a second conveyor disposed downstream of the first conveyor in a conveying direction, the second conveyor comprising a second drive roller and a second driven roller;

a first power transmitter configured to transmit the first rotational driving power and the second rotational driving power to the first drive roller, the first power transmitter being configured to have the first conveyor convey the sheet in the conveying direction while nipping the sheet when the first rotational power is transmitted to the first drive roller, the first power transmitter being configured to have the first conveyor convey the sheet in a direction opposite the conveying direction when the second rotational power is transmitted to the first drive roller;

a second power transmitter configured to transmit the first rotational driving power to the second drive roller and not to transmit the second rotational driving power to the second drive roller, the second power transmitter being configured to have the second conveyor convey the sheet in the conveying direction while nipping the sheet when the first rotational power is transmitted to the second drive roller;

a controller configured to control the drive source to perform intermittent conveyance in which a conveyance of the sheet by transmission of the first rotational driving power to the first drive roller and the second drive roller and a stop of the sheet conveyed are alternately repeated a plurality of times; and

a storage configured to store first information and second information respectively representing a first length of time and a second length of time, wherein each of the first length of time and the second length of time is a length of time from a start of rotation of the first drive roller and the second drive roller to a stop of the rotation thereof in conveyance of the sheet, and wherein the second length of time is greater in length than the first length of time,

wherein the controller is configured to execute;

a first rotation processing in which, when a state in which the sheet is nipped by the first conveyor is kept during a next conveyance of the sheet in the intermittent conveyance, the first drive roller and the second drive roller are rotated according to the first information in the next conveyance of the sheet; and

a second rotation processing in which, when the state in which the sheet is nipped by the first conveyor is not kept in the next conveyance of the sheet, the first drive roller and the second drive roller are rotated according to the second information in the next conveyance of the sheet.