Paper conveying apparatus, jam detection method, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016297635-A1
Application number	US-201315100477-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 26, 2013
Priority date	Dec 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a paper transporting device and the like capable of suppressing errors in determining jam occurrences. A paper transporting device has: a transport mechanism; an audio signal output unit that outputs an audio signal according to the sound generated during paper transport; an audio jam determination unit that determines, on the basis of the audio signal, whether a jam has occurred; and a control unit that stops paper transport when the audio jam determination unit determines that a jam has occurred. The control unit controls, in the case of card stock or paperboard being transported by the transport mechanism, so that the audio jam determination unit determines whether a jam has occurred at predetermined times using a determination method that is different than the method at other times or so that the audio jam determination unit does not determine whether a jam has occurred.

First claim

1 . A paper conveying apparatus comprising:
a conveyor mechanism; a sound signal generator for generating a sound signal corresponding to a sound generated by a paper during conveyance of the paper; a sound jam detector for determining whether a jam has occurred based on the sound signal; and a control module for stopping conveyance of a paper when the sound jam detector determines that a jam has occurred, wherein the control module controls so that the sound jam detector determines whether a jam has occurred at a predetermined timing by a determining method different from a determining method at other timings, or so that the sound jam detector does not determine whether a jam has occurred, when a card or thick paper is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism.

2 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a paper thickness detector for detecting a thickness of conveyed paper; and a paper determining module for determining when conveyed paper is a card or thick paper based on the thickness of the paper.

3 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control module changes a ratio of amplification or attenuation of the sound signal between the predetermined timing and other timings.

4 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein
the sound jam detector determines whether a jam has occurred based on results of comparison of a value of the sound signal and a first threshold value; and
the control module changes the first threshold value between the predetermined timing and other timings.

5 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein
the sound jam detector determines whether a jam has occurred based on a comparison of the number that the value of the sound signal is the first threshold value or more and a second threshold value; and
the control module changes the second threshold value between the predetermined timing and other timings.

6 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein
the sound jam detector determines whether a jam has occurred based on a variable updated corresponding to a value of the sound signal; and
the control module controls so that the sound jam detector does not determine whether a jam has occurred and holds the variable at the predetermined timing.

7 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein
the sound jam detector determines whether a jam has occurred based on a variable updated corresponding to a value of the sound signal; and
the control module controls so that the sound jam detector does not determine whether a jam has occurred and resets the variable at the predetermined timing.

8 . The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a front end or a back end of a card or thick paper passes relief parts of a conveyance path.

9 . A method for determining a jam comprising:
acquiring a sound signal corresponding to a sound which generated by a paper during conveyance of the paper; determining, by a computer, whether a jam has occurred based on the sound signal; and stopping conveyance of a paper when determining that a jam has occurred, wherein the computer controls so that the computer determines whether a jam has occurred at a predetermined timing by a determining method different from a determining method at other timings, or so that the computer does not determine whether a jam has occurred, when a card or thick paper is conveyed by a conveyance mechanism, in the stopping step.

10 . A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program causes a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
acquiring a sound signal corresponding to a sound generated by a paper during conveyance of the paper; determining whether a jam has occurred based on the sound signal; and stopping conveyance of the paper when determining that a jam has occurred, wherein the computer controls so that the computer determines whether a jam has occurred at a predetermined timing by a determining method different from a determining method at other timings, or so that the computer does not determine whether a jam has occurred, when a card or thick paper is conveyed by a conveyance mechanism, in the stopping step.

Assignees

• Pfu Ltd

Inventors

• Hongo Masanobu
• Umi Takayuki
• Morikawa Shuichi

Classifications

• B65H2515/82

  Sound; Noise · CPC title

• B65H7/125 Primary

  sensing the double feed or separation without contacting the articles · CPC title

• B65H2513/50

  Timing · CPC title

• B65H2701/1311

  leading edge · CPC title

• B65H2701/1313

  trailing edge · CPC title