Conveying apparatus and printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12577073-B2
Application number	US-202318184334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2022
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A conveying apparatus includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction along a conveyance path; a sheet holder arranged upstream in the conveyance direction from the conveying unit to rotate around an axis, the axis extending in a first direction intersecting with the conveyance direction; a tensioner arranged between the sheet holder and the conveying unit in the conveyance path and configured to apply tension to the sheet with the sheet being curved; and a first side guide attached to the tensioner and having a first guide surface, the first guide surface spreading along the conveyance direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The tensioner includes an oblique roller configured to guide the sheet to the first guide surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A conveying apparatus, comprising:
a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction along a conveyance path; a sheet holder arranged upstream in the conveyance direction from the conveying unit to rotate around an axis, the axis extending in a first direction intersecting with the conveyance direction; a tensioner arranged between the sheet holder and the conveying unit in the conveyance path and configured to apply tension to the sheet with the sheet being curved; and a first side guide attached to the tensioner and having a first guide surface, the first guide surface spreading along the conveyance direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction, wherein the tensioner includes an oblique roller configured to guide the sheet to the first guide surface.

2 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the oblique roller is a first roller configured to contact the sheet while rotating around a rotation axis, and the rotation axis of the oblique roller is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction such that a virtual plane orthogonal to the rotation axis approaches the first guide surface toward downstream of the conveyance direction.

3 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the oblique roller is a second roller configured to contact the sheet while rotating around a rotation axis, and the second roller includes:
a body having a conical trapezoidal shape with reduced diameter toward the first guide surface; and
a support member extending in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction and configured to support the body.

4 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein an area in the first direction occupied by the first roller includes a center of the sheet holder in the first direction.

5 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sub guide attached to the tensioner and having a sub guide surface, the sub guide surface facing the first guide surface in the first direction; and an interlock mechanism configured to interlock movement of the first side guide in the first direction and movement of the sub guide in the first direction, wherein the interlock mechanism includes:
a pair of rack gears, one of the rack gears being connected to the first side guide and extending from the first side guide toward the sub guide in the first direction, the other of the rack gears being connected to the sub guide and extending from the sub guide toward the first side guide in the first direction; and
a pinion gear configured to mesh with the rack gears.

6 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a distance in the first direction between the first side guide and a center of the sheet holder in the first direction is the same as a distance in the first direction between the sub guide and the center of the sheet holder in the first direction.

7 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the tensioner is configured to move in a direction intersecting with a surface of the sheet being curved, and the tensioner is configured to be urged toward outside of a curve of the sheet.

8 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a downstream end edge in the conveyance direction of the first guide surface departs from the tensioner toward downstream in the conveyance direction, and the first side guide includes a guard surface continuous from the downstream end edge and spreading in the first direction.

9 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first side guide includes an extending piece extending from the first guide surface in the first direction, the extending piece having a curved surface being curved along the conveyance direction, and a part of an outer circumferential surface of the first roller projects from the curved surface toward the second surface.

10 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holder driving motor configured to apply driving force to the sheet holder to rotate the sheet holder; a conveyance motor configured to apply driving force to the conveying unit to rotate a roller of the conveying unit; and a controller configured to drive the holder driving motor and the conveyance motor, such that speed at which the sheet in the sheet holder is ejected in the conveyance direction and speed at which the sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit in the conveyance direction are different from each other.

11 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of second side guides arranged downstream in the conveyance direction from the conveying unit,
wherein the second side guides have second guide surfaces facing each other in the first direction, each of the second guide surfaces spreading along the conveyance direction and the second direction.

12 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holder driving motor configured to apply driving force to the sheet holder to rotate the sheet holder; a conveyance motor configured to apply driving force to the conveying unit to rotate a roller of the conveying unit; and a controller configured to drive the holder driving motor and the conveyance motor, such that speed at which the sheet is rewound in the sheet holder in a reverse direction opposite to the conveyance direction is smaller than speed at which the sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit in the reverse direction.

13 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a holder driving motor configured to apply driving force to the sheet holder to rotate the sheet holder; a conveyance motor configured to apply driving force to the conveying unit to rotate a roller of the conveying unit; a movement mechanism configured to move the first roller between a contact position where the first roller contacts the sheet and a separate position where the first roller is apart from the sheet, and a controller configured to control the movement mechanism to move the first roller to the separate position while driving the holder driving motor and the conveyance motor such that the sheet is conveyed in a reverse direction opposite to the conveyance direction.

14 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the movement mechanism is a solenoid configured to move a support member by movement of a plunger in a stroke direction, the support member being configured to support the first roller to be rotatable, and the controller is configured to turn off a power to the solenoid to move the first roller to the separate position while driving the holder driving motor and the conveyance motor such that the sheet is conveyed in the reverse direction.

15 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holder driving motor configured to apply driving force to the sheet holder to rotate the sheet holder; a conveyance motor configured to apply driving force to the conveying unit to rotate a roller of the conveying unit; and a controller configured to drive the holder driving motor and the conveyance motor such that the sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit in the conveyance direction at least once, after driving the holder driving motor and the conveyance motor to convey the sheet in a reverse direction opposite to the conveying direction.

16 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing; and a tension applying means configured to apply tension to the sheet in the t

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tomatsu Yoshiya
• Kato Shigeki
• Tsuji Yasunari

Classifications

• B65H16/10

  Arrangements for effecting positive rotation of web roll · CPC title

• B65H20/005

  Electrical drive motor control devices therefor · CPC title

• B65H2403/411

  Double rack cooperating with one pinion, e.g. for performing symmetrical displacement relative to pinion · CPC title

• B65H23/16

  by weighted or spring-pressed movable bars or rollers · CPC title

• B65H23/32

  Arrangements for turning or reversing webs · CPC title