Paper conveying apparatus, jam detection method, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745160-B2
Application number	US-201315100477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2013
Priority date	Dec 26, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

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

What is claimed is:

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 at a predetermined time, based on results of a comparison of a value of the sound signal and a threshold value, wherein the predetermined time is a time period between two positions of the paper during conveyance of the paper; 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 changes the threshold value after the predetermined time, when a card or a 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 the paper; and
a paper determining module for determining when the conveyed paper is a card or a 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 after the predetermined time.

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

5. The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined time is a time period between a front end or a back end of a card or a thick paper that passes relief parts of a conveyance path.

6. A method for determining a jam comprising:
acquiring a sound signal corresponding to a sound generated by a paper during conveyance of the paper;
determining, by a computer, whether a jam has occurred at a predetermined time, based on results of a comparison of a value of the sound signal and a threshold value, wherein the predetermined time is a time period between two positions of the paper during conveyance of the paper; and
stopping conveyance of a paper when determining that a jam has occurred,
wherein the computer changes the threshold value after the predetermined time, when a card or a thick paper is conveyed by a conveyance mechanism, in the stopping step.

7. 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 at a predetermined time, based on results of a comparison of a number of times that a value of the sound signal is equal to or more than a first threshold value or more and a second threshold value, wherein the predetermined time is a time period between two positions of the paper during conveyance of the paper; 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 changes the second threshold value after the predetermined time, when a card or a thick paper is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism.

8. The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a paper thickness detector for detecting a thickness of the paper; and
a paper determining module for determining when the paper is a card or a thick paper, based on the thickness of the paper.

9. The paper conveying apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the control module changes a ratio of amplification or attenuation of the sound signal after the predetermined time.

10. A method for determining a jam comprising:
acquiring a sound signal corresponding to a sound which is generated by a paper during conveyance of the paper;
determining whether a jam has occurred at a predetermined time, based on results of a comparison of a number of times that a value of the sound signal is equal to or more than a first threshold value or more and a second threshold value, wherein the predetermined time is a time period between two positions of the paper during conveyance of the paper; and
stopping conveyance of a paper when determining that a jam has occurred,
wherein the computer changes the second threshold value after the predetermined time, when a card or a thick paper is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism.

Assignees

• Pfu Ltd

Inventors

• Hongo Masanobu
• Umi Takayuki
• Morikawa Shuichi

Classifications

• B65H2513/512

  Starting; Stopping · CPC title

• B65H2220/02

  indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output · CPC title

• B65H2701/1311

  leading edge · CPC title

• B65H7/125 Primary

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

• B65H2511/13

  Thickness · CPC title