Conveying apparatus and printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409733-B2
Application number	US-201514670491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A conveying apparatus has first and second trays arranged on an upstream of a conveyor and configured to support the sheet in contact with the conveyor, a feeder configured to feed the sheet on the first tray toward the conveyor, a first sensor configured to output a first signal in response to the sheet being present on the first tray, a second sensor configured to output a second signal in response to the sheet being present between the first tray and the conveyor and configured to output the second signal in response to the sheet being present between the second tray and the conveyor, and a controller configured to execute a removal notifying process to output a notification indicating removal of the sheet on the first tray in response to output of the second signal before a time period since the first signal was output exceeds a threshold period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveying apparatus, comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction;
a first tray arranged upstream, in the conveying direction, of the conveyor and configured to support the sheet thereon;
a second tray arranged upstream, in the conveying direction, of the conveyor and configured to support the sheet which is in contact with the conveyor;
a feeder configured to feed the sheet on the first tray toward the conveyor;
a first sensor configured to output a first signal in response to the sheet being present on the first tray;
a second sensor configured to output a second signal in response to the sheet being present between the first tray and the conveyor and configured to output the second signal in response to the sheet being present between the second tray and the conveyor; and
a controller configured to receive both of output of the first signal and output of the second signal and configured to execute a removal notifying process to output a notification indicating removal of the sheet on the first tray when the first signal has been output and in response to output of the second signal before a time period since the first signal was output exceeds a threshold period.

2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conveyor is configured to nip and convey the sheet, and
wherein the controller is configured to operate the conveyor and configured to execute a nipping process, which operates the conveyor to nip the sheet on the second tray, when the first signal has been output and in response to output of the second signal after the time period exceeds the threshold period.

3. The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller executes the nipping process in response to output of the second signal, and the first signal not being output at a time when the second signal is output.

4. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the feeder comprises;
a feed roller configured to feed at least one sheet on the first tray toward the conveyor; and
a separation mechanism configured to separate one sheet from the plurality of sheets fed by the feed roller.

5. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first tray and the second tray is configured to support the sheets in an inclined state.

6. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction;
a first tray arranged upstream, in the conveying direction, of the conveyor and configured to support the sheet thereon;
a second tray arranged upstream, in the conveying direction, of the conveyor and configured to support the sheet which is in contact with the conveyor;
a feeder configured to feed the sheet on the first tray toward the conveyor;
a first sensor configured to output a first signal in response to the sheet being present on the first tray;
a second sensor configured to output a second signal in response to the sheet being present between the first tray and the conveyor and between the second tray and the conveyor;
a printing mechanism configured to print an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyor;
a controller configured to receive both of output of the first signal and output of the second signal and configured to operate the feeder, the conveyor, and the printing mechanism based on the first signal and the second signal, the controller configured to execute;
a receiving process to receive a print instruction which instructs printing of an image on a sheet corresponding to the sheet on the first tray;
a first notifying process to notify that a sheet is not on the first tray in response to the first signal not being output when the controller receives the print instruction; and
a second notifying process, to output a notification indicating removal of the sheet on the first tray, in response to the first signal having been output after execution of the first notifying process and the second signal having been output before a period of time since the first signal was output exceeds the threshold period.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to further execute:
a printing process to print an image on the sheet on the first tray by operating the feeder, the conveyor and the printing mechanism in accordance with the received print instruction; and
an interruption process to interrupt the printing process in response to the first signal not being output when the controller receives the printing instruction.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to re-start the printing process based on the print instruction in response to a time period after only the first signal was output without the second signal being output exceeding the threshold period.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to execute:
a third notification process notifying that the sheets on the second tray should be removed in response to the second signal being output when the printing process, which has been interrupted, is restarted; and
the printing process in response to the second signal not being output after execution of the third notification process.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Arakane Satoru
• Matsui Yuki

Classifications

• B41J13/0009

  control of the transport of the copy material · CPC title

• B65H2551/20

  Display means; Information output means · CPC title

• B65H2405/3322

  discharge tray superposed to feed tray · CPC title

• B65H2511/414

  of mode of operation · CPC title

• B65H2405/324

  between operative position and non operative position · CPC title