JP2015048190A - Conveyance device and conveyance system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to make it easy to stabilize the posture of a medium at an upstream position among positions where two processing units respectively process the medium being conveyed. A first transport unit transports a medium in a first direction on a first transport path along the first direction. The folding conveyance unit 30 conveys the medium conveyed by the first conveyance unit 10 so as to be folded in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The second transport unit 20 transports the medium transported by the folded transport unit 30 in the second direction in the second transport path along the second direction. The first processing unit 110 performs a predetermined process on the first surface of the medium transported through the first transport path 11. The second processing unit 120 performs a predetermined process on the second surface of the medium transported through the second transport path 21. The second processing unit 120 is disposed at a position farther from the folding and conveying unit 30 side than the first processing unit 110. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer device and a transfer system.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reading both sides of a document conveyed on a curved conveyance path.

JP 2002-359725 A

  An object of the present invention is to make it easy to stabilize the posture of a medium at an upstream position among positions where two processing units respectively process the medium being conveyed.

  A transport apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a first transport unit that transports a medium in the first direction in a first transport path along the first direction, and a medium transported by the first transport unit. A folding conveyance unit that conveys the component in a second direction having a component opposite to the first direction, and a second conveyance along the second direction of the medium conveyed by the folding conveyance unit. A second transport unit that transports in the second direction in the path, a first processing unit that performs processing on the first surface of the medium transported through the first transport path, and the second transport path. A second processing unit that performs processing on the second surface of the medium opposite to the first surface, and is disposed at a position farther from the folded conveyance unit side than the first processing unit; It is characterized by providing.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the first aspect, the medium is processed by the first processing unit from an influence position where a force that affects the posture of the medium is applied. The distance along the transport path to the processing position is not less than the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first processing section performs processing on the medium and the medium is carried into the apparatus. The distance along the transport path with respect to the position is equal to or longer than the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the transport device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the length of the first transport path is the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction. It is more than length.

  The conveying apparatus which concerns on Claim 5 of this invention is the structure of any one of Claim 1-4. WHEREIN: The conveyance direction is more than the process position where the said 1st process part processes a medium. The length of the first transport path on the upstream side is equal to or longer than the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the transport apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the length of the second transport path is the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction. It is more than length

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the transport apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the medium is from a plurality of loading positions at which the medium is carried into the apparatus to the first conveyance path. It is provided with the carrying-in conveyance part which conveys.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the first and second processing units are both on the surface of the medium being conveyed. Reading of the formed image is performed as the processing, and the function relating to the correction of the color of the image that is arranged at a position facing the first processing unit across the first conveyance path and is read by the first processing unit. And a second related member which is disposed at a position facing the second processing unit and the second conveyance path, and functions to correct the color of an image read by the second processing unit. It is characterized by providing.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the transport apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the medium is transported from a carry-in position where the medium is carried into the self apparatus to the first transport unit. And a carry-out conveyance unit that conveys the medium conveyed by the second conveyance unit to a carry-out position from which the medium is carried out.

  A transport system according to a tenth aspect of the present invention carries out a predetermined pretreatment for the transport apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects and a medium, and carries out the transport apparatus toward the transport apparatus. It is characterized by comprising a pre-processing device and a post-processing device that performs a predetermined post-processing on the medium unloaded from the transport device.

According to the first and tenth aspects of the present invention, the two processing units each perform processing on the medium being transported, compared to a configuration in which the first processing unit is farther from the side of the folded transport unit than the second processing unit. The posture of the medium at the upstream position among the positions can be easily stabilized.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, compared to the case where the distance from the influence position to the processing position is shorter than the length of the medium in the present invention, the posture of the medium at the processing position of the first processing unit is It can be made difficult to be affected by the force applied to the medium.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, compared to the case where the distance between the processing position and the loading position is shorter than the medium length in the present invention, the posture of the medium at the processing position of the first processing unit is greater than the loading position. Can be made less susceptible to the upstream configuration.
According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to make the posture of the medium in the second transport path easier to stabilize than in the case where the length of the first transport path is shorter than the length of the medium referred to in the present invention. it can.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, compared to the case where the length of the first transport path upstream from the processing position is shorter than the length of the medium referred to in the present invention, the medium at the processing position of the first processing unit is reduced. The posture can be made less susceptible to the influence of the transport path upstream from the entrance of the first transport path.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the posture of the medium in the first transport path can be made more stable than in the case where the length of the second transport path is shorter than the length of the medium referred to in the present invention. it can.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 7, it can be made easy to do not adjust the height of the conveyance path for carrying in a medium compared with the case where there is one carrying-in position.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to correct the color of the image read in the processing performed by each of the first and second processing units.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 9, compared with the case where a carrying-in conveyance part and a carrying-out conveyance part are not provided, the position where a medium is carried into an own apparatus, and the position which carries out a medium from an own apparatus can be arrange | positioned freely. it can.

The figure which shows an example of a structure of the image inspection system of embodiment The figure which shows an example of a structure of an image reading apparatus The figure for demonstrating arrangement | positioning of the 1st processing apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows an example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification. The figure which shows the example of a structure of the conveying apparatus of a modification.

[1] Embodiment [1-1] Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an image inspection system according to an embodiment. In this example, an image inspection system 1 including a pre-processing device 2, a transport device 3, and a post-processing device 4 is shown. These devices are connected by a line (not shown), and data is exchanged between the devices via the line.

  The preprocessing device 2 conveys a sheet-like medium such as a sheet formed in a size such as A4 or A5, and performs a predetermined process (hereinafter referred to as “preprocessing”) on the medium. In this embodiment, the pre-processing device 2 performs an image forming process for forming an image indicated by image data on a medium to be conveyed and a correction process for correcting a warp (curl) generated on the medium on which the image is formed. Apply as a treatment. The preprocessing device 2 forms images on both sides of the medium, and transmits the image data used to form the image to the postprocessing device 4. The preprocessing device 2 corrects the warp of the medium on which the image is formed, and then carries the medium toward the transport device 3. In the pretreatment device 2, the correction means 5 that performs the correction processing is provided in front of the carry-in position C <b> 1 where the medium carried out from the pretreatment device 2 is carried into the conveyance device 3.

  The transport device 3 transports the medium unloaded from the pretreatment device 2 to the post-processing device 4 along the transport path B1 indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1 in the transport direction A1 indicated by the arrow in FIG. . The conveyance path B1 is not connected in a straight line from the pre-processing device 2 to the post-processing device 4, but changes its direction in the middle and draws a letter “U” to make a detour. The transport device 3 includes a means for reading an image such as a scanner, and reads an image formed on a medium transported along the transport path B1. When the conveying device 3 reads the image, the conveying device 3 transmits result data indicating the result to the post-processing device 4.

  The post-processing device 4 performs a predetermined process (hereinafter referred to as “post-processing”) on the medium carried out from the transport device 3. Details of the post-processing will be described below. The post-processing device 4 determines whether the image indicated by the image data is accurately formed on the medium based on the image data transmitted from the pre-processing device 2 and the result data transmitted from the transport device 3. (In other words, the accuracy of the image) is determined. Specifically, the post-processing device 4 calculates the degree of coincidence between the image indicated by the image data and the image indicated by the result data, and if the calculated degree exceeds a threshold value, the image is accurately formed on the medium. Judge that Note that the post-processing device 4 may make this determination using another known technique. The post-processing device 4 holds the medium determined that the image is correctly formed based on the result of the above determination and the medium determined that the image is not correctly formed in different places, A selection process for selecting those media is performed as a post-process.

  As described above, the image inspection system 1 inspects whether an image as indicated by image data is accurately formed on a medium, and a medium on which an image is accurately formed according to the result of the inspection. Select between media and non-media. Note that the determination of the accuracy of the image may be performed by the conveyance device 3 instead of the post-processing device 4. In that case, the transport device 3 transmits result data indicating the determination result to the post-processing device 4, and the post-processing device 4 performs selection processing based on the determination result indicated by the received result data.

[1-2] Hardware Configuration FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the transfer device 3. The conveyance device 3 includes a first conveyance unit 10, a second conveyance unit 20, a folding conveyance unit 30, a carry-in conveyance unit 40, a carry-out conveyance unit 50, a first processing unit 110, and a first related member 111. The 2nd processing part 120 and the 2nd related member 121 are provided.
Each of the transport units includes a set of rollers that are rotatably supported around an axis, and a transport path member that forms a transport path along the transport path B1 illustrated in FIG. Each transport unit rotates each roller to apply a propulsive force to the medium sandwiched between the nip regions formed by the set of rollers, and passes the medium provided with the propulsive force through the transport path formed by the transport path member. Then, the medium is transported along the transport path B1. Hereinafter, details of each conveyance unit will be described.

  The carry-in conveyance unit 40 conveys the medium carried out from the pretreatment device 2 in a carry-in conveyance path 41 that connects the carry-in position C <b> 1 where the medium is carried into the own device to the entrance C <b> 2 of the first conveyance unit 10. The carry-in conveyance path 41 is along the horizontal direction A101 at the carry-in position C1, and gradually draws an arc so as to change the direction downward in the vertical direction A102. It is formed to change.

  The first transport unit 10 transports the medium in the first direction A10 in the first transport path 11 along the first direction A10. The first direction A10 is an angle with respect to the horizontal direction A101. In the present embodiment, the first direction A10 is orthogonal to the horizontal direction A101 and is along the vertical direction A102. The first transport path 11 is a transport path that connects the entrance C <b> 2 of the first transport unit 10 to the entrance C <b> 3 of the folded transport unit 30.

  The folding conveyance unit 30 conveys the medium conveyed by the first conveyance unit 10 so as to be folded in the second direction A20 opposite to the first direction A10. The folding conveyance unit 30 conveys the medium in a folding conveyance path 31 that connects the entrance C3 of the own conveyance unit to the entrance C4 of the second conveyance unit 20.

  The second transport unit 20 transports the medium transported by the folding transport unit 30 in the second direction A20 in the second transport path 21 along the second direction A20. Since the second direction A20 is a direction opposite to the first direction A10, the second direction A20 is an angle with respect to the horizontal direction A101. In the present embodiment, the second direction A20 is orthogonal to the horizontal direction A101 and extends along the vertical direction A102. It has become a direction. The second conveyance path 21 is a conveyance path that connects the entrance C4 of the own conveyance section to the entrance C5 of the carry-out conveyance section 50.

  The unloading / conveying unit 50 conveys the medium conveyed by the second conveying unit 20 in an unloading conveying path 51 that connects the entrance C5 of the own conveying unit to the unloading position C6 where the medium is unloaded from the own device. The carry-out conveyance path 51 is formed so that an arc is drawn so as to gradually change the direction from the entrance C5 in the horizontal direction A101, and the direction is changed to the direction along the horizontal direction A101 before reaching the carry-out position C6. That is, the entrance C5 represents a position where the linear conveyance path (second conveyance path 21) along the second direction A20 ends, and from there, the arcuate conveyance path (part of the carry-out conveyance path 51) )It is continuing.

  The first processing unit 110 is an example of a unit that performs a predetermined process (hereinafter referred to as “medium processing”) on the first surface of the medium transported through the first transport path 11. In the present embodiment, the first processing unit 110 is installed on the preprocessing device 2 side of the first transport path 11, and the surface of the medium transported on the first transport path 11 is directed to the preprocessing device 2 side. As one surface, processing for reading an image formed on the first surface (hereinafter referred to as “image reading processing”) is performed as medium processing. In FIG. 2, a first processing position D1 where the image reading process is performed on the medium by the first processing unit 110 is illustrated. In the first processing position D1, the medium is transported in the first direction A10.

  The first related member 111 is an example of a member that is disposed at a position opposite to the first processing unit 110 with the first transport path 11 interposed therebetween, and that functions in relation to processing by the first processing unit 110. In the present embodiment, the first related member 111 is a prismatic member, and a test image representing a plurality of colors such as red and yellow is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The first processing unit 110 stores in advance color information (color, density, etc.) of these test images, and reads the image based on the result of the image reading process and the stored information. Perform color correction. As described above, the first related member 111 serves to correct the color of the image read in the image reading process.

  The second processing unit 120 is an example of a unit that performs processing on the second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium that is being transported through the first transport path 11 or the second transport path 21. The second processing unit 120 is disposed at a position farther from the folding and conveying unit 30 side than the first processing unit 110. That is, the length from the first processing position D1 by the first processing unit 110 to the exit of the first transport path 11 (that is, the entrance C3 of the folded transport section 30) is L11, and the second from the entrance C4 of the second transport path 21 to the second When the length to the second processing position D2 by the processing unit 120 is L21, the second processing unit 120 is arranged so that L11 is shorter than L21 (that is, L11 <L21). Moreover, the 2nd process part 120 is installed in the pre-processing apparatus 2 side of the 2nd conveyance path 21, and makes the surface which faced the pre-processing apparatus 2 side of the medium currently conveyed in the 2nd conveyance path 21 into a 2nd surface. An image reading process is performed. FIG. 2 shows a second processing position D2 where the image reading process is performed on the medium by the second processing unit 120. At the second processing position D2, the medium is transported in the second direction A20.

  The second related member 121 is a member that is disposed at a position facing the second processing unit 120 across the transport path (second transport path 21 in the example of FIG. 2), and functions as processing by the second processing unit 120. It is an example. The second related member 121 functions in common with the first related member 111 with respect to processing by the second processing unit 120. As described above, since the related members corresponding to the first processing unit 110 and the second processing unit 120 are provided, the processing performed by each of the first processing unit 110 and the second processing unit 120. The color of the image read in (that is, the image reading process) is corrected.

[1-3] Summary of the Invention In the present embodiment, each conveyance path is formed so that the conveyance path B1 draws a U-shape, and the medium is conveyed in the height direction of the conveyance device on the straight portion of the U-shape. . As a result, when it is attempted to secure a transport path having a length necessary for performing medium processing on the medium, the width required for the transport device is smaller than the configuration in which the medium is not transported in the height direction. . In addition, the width | variety here is a dimension of the conveying apparatus in the direction which goes to the post-processing apparatus 4 from the pre-processing apparatus 2. FIG. In the following description, “width” refers to this dimension. In the present embodiment, the medium conveyed in the first direction is also conveyed in the second direction opposite to the medium. As a result, when a transport path having a length necessary for medium processing is to be secured, the height required for the transport device is also smaller than in the configuration in which transport in the second direction is not performed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the second processing unit 120 is disposed at a position farther from the folded conveyance unit 30 side than the first processing unit 110. In other words, the first processing unit 110 is disposed at a position closer to the folding and conveying unit 30 than the second processing unit 120, and as described above, L11 illustrated in FIG. 2 is shorter than L21. This will be compared with a configuration in which the first processing unit 110 is farther from the return conveyance unit 30 side than the second processing unit 120 (this is a configuration for comparison, and is hereinafter referred to as “comparison configuration”). By arranging each processing means as in the present embodiment, the length L12 from the entrance C2 of the first transport path 11 to the first processing position D1 is shorter than in the comparative configuration.

  If the posture of the medium on which the medium processing is performed at the first processing position D1 is disturbed, the distance between the first processing unit 110 and the medium and the inclination of the medium with respect to the first processing unit 110 fluctuate. Results may vary. The posture of the medium at the first processing position D1 is, for example, the influence of the force received from the correcting means 5, the collision with the step of the conveyance path at the carry-in position C1, or the conveyance path member at the portion depicting the arc of the carry-in conveyance path 41. May be disturbed due to a collision with These causes are less likely to occur as the first processing position D1 is arranged at a position closer to the folding conveyance unit 30 side. In the present embodiment, since the first processing unit 110 is arranged as described above, these causes are less likely to occur as compared with the comparative configuration, and the first processing position D1, that is, the medium being transported, has two. Of the positions (first processing position D1 and second processing position D2) where the processing units (first processing unit 110 and second processing unit 120) perform processing, the posture of the medium tends to be stabilized.

[2] Modification The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and may be modified as follows. Moreover, you may implement combining embodiment mentioned above and each modification shown below, as needed.

[2-1] Medium Processing Medium processing (processing performed on the conveyed medium) performed by the first and second processing units is not limited to the above-described image reading processing. For example, an ejection process for ejecting ink onto the medium may be performed as the medium process. The ejection process is also a process in which the processing result can change when the distance between the processing unit and the medium or the inclination of the medium with respect to the processing unit is changed, as in the image reading process, and the posture of the medium is stable. This is a desirable process. As long as such processing is performed, any processing may be performed as the medium processing.

[2-2] Pre-processing device In the embodiment, the pre-processing device performs the image forming process and the correction process as the pre-processing. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the image forming process may be performed. Only processing may be performed. In the latter case, for example, a medium on which an image is formed is carried into the preprocessing apparatus from another image forming apparatus. In short, the pre-processing device may be any device that performs any pre-processing as long as the medium for performing the medium processing is carried out to the transport device 3.

[2-3] Post-processing device The post-processing device is not limited to that described in the embodiment. For example, when the result data from the conveying device 3 indicates that the image is not accurately formed on the medium, the post-processing apparatus performs a process of cutting the medium and a display means or an operator's terminal A process for informing the user may be performed as a post-process. Further, the post-processing performed by the post-processing device may or may not be in accordance with the result of the medium processing performed by the transport device.

[2-4] Arrangement of the first processing unit (part 1)
The first processing apparatus may be arranged as follows.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the first processing apparatus of the present modification. FIG. 3A shows the medium P100 having the maximum length in the transport direction (the direction in which the medium is transported) among the transported media. The medium P100 has a length in the transport direction of L100. The medium P100 is, for example, an A3 size medium, and L100 is the length of the long side of the A3 size medium. Hereinafter, the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction as L100 illustrated in FIG. 3 is referred to as “maximum medium length”.

  FIG. 3B shows a transport apparatus 3a of the present modification that transports the medium P100. The transport device 3a transports the medium P100, and the leading end of the medium P100 reaches the first processing position D1a. The rear end of the medium P100 is in a state of being just unloaded from the correction means 5 of the pretreatment device 2. At this time, at the position of the rear end, a set of rollers included in the correction means 5 is provided. If correction processing is performed by the correction means 5, the roller set may rotate slower or faster than the conveying speed in the conveying device 3a. When this happens, a force that pulls in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction or a force that pushes in the conveyance direction is applied to the medium, and as a result, the medium posture may be affected, such as the medium bending. A position where a force that affects the posture of the medium is applied is referred to as an “influence position” below. The nip region formed by the roller set is an example of the influence position, and is indicated by E1 in FIG.

In the transport device 3a, the distance along the transport path from the influence position E1 to the first processing position D1a (hereinafter referred to as “pre-processing distance”) is the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction (that is, transport). The length of the direction) or more. That is, the distance L5 from the influence position E1 to the carry-in position C1, the distance L40 along the transport path B1 from the carry-in position C1 to the entrance C2 of the first transport path 11, and the distance from the entrance C2 to the first processing position D1a. The total (L5 + L40 + L12a) with L12a is L100, which is the maximum length of the medium. In this case, no matter what size medium is transported, when the leading edge of the medium reaches the first processing position D1a, the trailing edge of the medium has already passed the influence position E1. This is the same if the pre-processing distance is equal to or longer than the length of the present modification. As described above, according to this modification, the posture of the medium at the first processing position D1a is less affected by the force applied to the medium at the influence position E1 than when the pre-processing distance is shorter than the maximum medium length. .
In FIG. 3, the second processing unit is not shown, but also in this modification, the second processing unit is arranged at a position farther from the folded conveyance unit 30 side than the first processing unit 110 a.

[2-5] Arrangement of the first processing unit (part 2)
Moreover, the 1st processing apparatus may be arrange | positioned as follows.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. In this example, a transport device 3b that transports the medium P100 illustrated in FIG. 3 is illustrated. The medium P100 has a leading end that reaches the first processing position D1b and a trailing end that has reached the carry-in position C1. That is, the sum (L40 + L12b) of the distance L40 along the transport path B1 from the carry-in position C1 to the entrance C2 and the distance L12b from the entrance C2 to the first processing position D1b is L100 which is the maximum length of the medium. . As described above, the distance along the conveyance path between the first processing position where the medium is processed by the first processing unit and the loading position where the medium is carried into the apparatus (the distance represented by L40 + L12a in FIG. 4). (Hereinafter referred to as “distance after loading”) may be the maximum length of the medium. In addition, the distance after carrying in may be larger than the maximum length of the medium. In short, in this modification, it is only necessary that the distance after loading is equal to or longer than the maximum length of the medium.

  Some pre-processing devices have a configuration in which the above-described member (for example, a set of rollers that performs pre-processing) is provided on the conveying device side so as to substantially overlap the loading position C1. In the present modification, even when the pre-processing apparatus having such a configuration is used, when the leading edge of the medium reaches the first processing position D1b, the trailing edge of the medium has finished passing the carry-in position C1. Therefore, compared to the case where the distance after loading is shorter than the maximum medium length, the posture of the medium is less affected by the force of the preprocessing device, in other words, the posture of the medium at the first processing position is higher than that of the loading position C1. Less susceptible to upstream configuration.

[2-6] Arrangement of the first processing unit (part 3)
Furthermore, the first processing apparatus may be arranged as follows.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. Also in this example, a transport device 3c that transports the medium P100 shown in FIG. 3 is shown. The medium P100 has a leading end that reaches the first processing position D1c and a trailing end that has reached the entrance C2 of the first transport path 11c. That is, the distance L12c from the entrance C2 to the first processing position D1c is L100, which is the maximum medium length. As described above, the length of the first transport path 11c on the upstream side in the transport direction from the first processing position D1c on which the medium is processed by the first processing unit 110c (in a straight line upstream from the first processing position D1c). (Hereinafter, referred to as “straight line conveyance path length”) may be the maximum medium length. Note that the straight conveyance path length may be larger than the maximum medium length. In short, in this modification, it is only necessary that the straight conveyance path length is equal to or longer than the maximum medium length.

  The carry-in conveyance path 41 has an arc drawn so as to gradually change the direction to the vertical direction A102 on the near side to the entrance C2. That is, when the medium is transported along the carry-in transport path 41, the medium is more likely to come into contact with the transport path member (particularly the transport path member outside the arc) than when transported through the first transport path 11c. Therefore, a force that affects the posture of the medium is easily applied from the conveying path member that has come into contact. In this modified example, when the leading edge of the medium reaches the first processing position D1c, the trailing edge of the medium has already passed through the carry-in conveyance path 41, so that the straight conveyance path length is shorter than the maximum medium length. In comparison, the posture of the medium at the first processing position D1c is less affected by the carry-in conveyance path 41, that is, the conveyance path upstream from the entrance C2.

[2-7] Length of the first and second transport paths The length of the first transport path (the total length of L11 and L12 in the example of FIG. 2) and the length of the second transport path (example of FIG. 2) Then, the distance along the transport direction from the entrance C4 to the entrance C5) may be longer than the maximum length of the medium. If the leading edge side and the trailing edge side of the medium being processed at the processing position are both present in an arcuate conveyance path (particularly, arcuate conveyance paths bent in different directions), the processing unit at the medium position There is a possibility that the distance between the medium and the medium and the inclination of the medium with respect to the processing unit may change. When the lengths of the first and second transport paths are equal to or longer than the maximum length of the medium as in this modification, both the front end side and the rear end side of the medium being processed at the processing position are arcuate. It does not exist in the transport path. For this reason, compared to the case where the lengths of the first and second transport paths are shorter than the maximum length of the medium, the posture of the medium in each transport path is more stable, that is, the posture of the medium in each processing position is also more stable. . Note that the length exceeding the maximum length of the medium may be both the first and second transport paths, or one of them.

[2-8] A plurality of carry-in conveyance paths The conveyance device may be provided with a plurality of carry-in conveyance paths.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. In this example, a conveyance device 3d including a carry-in conveyance unit 40d that conveys a medium from a plurality of carry-in positions C1a, C1b, and C1c into which the medium is carried into the device to the first conveyance path 11d is illustrated. The carry-in positions C1a, C1b, and C1c are H40a, H40b, and H40c from the bottom surface of the transfer device 3d, respectively.

  If the height of the carry-out position where the preprocessing device carries out the medium is different from the height of the carry-in position of the transport device, it is necessary to adjust one height to match the other. The height adjustment is performed, for example, by replacing one of the conveyance paths or placing one of the apparatuses on a table. In the present modification, it is not necessary to adjust the height if the height of the carry-out position where the preprocessing device carries out the medium is one of the three carry-in positions shown in FIG. In addition, in the example of FIG. 6, although the carrying-in position was three, two may be sufficient and four or more may be sufficient. In short, if the carry-in transport unit is configured to carry a medium from a plurality of carry-in positions, the height of the carry path for carrying the medium is not adjusted compared to the case where there is only one carry-in position. It becomes easy to finish.

[2-9] Orientation in the first and second directions In the above embodiment, the first direction A10 and the second direction A20 are both in the direction along the vertical direction A102. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The first direction and the second direction may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction A102.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. In this example, a transport device 3e that transports a medium along a transport path B1e indicated by a broken line is shown. The first direction A10e and the second direction A20e along the U-shaped linear portion of the transport path B1e (that is, the path along which the medium is transported in the first and second transport paths) are at an angle θ1 with respect to the vertical direction A102. Just leaning. Even if the first and second directions are inclined with respect to the vertical direction A102 as described above, if the first processing unit is disposed at a position closer to the folded-back conveying unit than the second processing unit, Compared to a comparative configuration (a configuration in which the second processing unit is not disposed at a position farther from the folding and conveying unit side than the first processing unit), the posture of the medium at the first processing position is easily stabilized.

[2-10] Second direction In the embodiment, the second direction is a direction opposite to the first direction, but is not limited to this direction.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. In this example, a transport device 3f that transports a medium along a transport path B1f indicated by a broken line is shown. The first direction A10 along the U-shaped linear portion of the transport path B1f (that is, the path along which the medium is transported in the first and second transport paths) is along the vertical direction A102, but the second The direction A20f is inclined by the angle θ2 with respect to the vertical direction A102. That is, the second direction A20f is inclined by an angle θ2 with respect to the opposite direction A10 ′ that is the direction opposite to the first direction A10.

  In the example of FIG. 8, since the second direction A20f has a component in the opposite direction to the first direction A10 (the direction of the opposite direction A10 ′), the medium that has been conveyed in the first direction A10 along the first conveyance path. However, it is also conveyed in the opposite direction A10 ′ in the second conveyance path. As a result, compared to the case where the medium transported in the first direction is not transported in the opposite direction, the transport path can be accommodated in the apparatus even if the length of the transport apparatus in the first direction is reduced. Thus, in the transport device, it is sufficient that the second direction has a component opposite to the first direction.

[2-11] Second Processing Unit The first processing unit may perform processing on the first surface of the medium being transported through the second transport path.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. In this example, a transport device 3g including a first processing unit 110g that reads an image from a medium at a first processing position D1g in the second transport path 21g and a first related member 111g that is arranged correspondingly is illustrated. Yes. Also in this case, the first processing unit 110g is arranged at a position closer to the folding and conveying unit 30 side than the second processing unit 120g, so that the first processing unit 110g is compared with the opposite configuration (the above-described comparison configuration). The posture of the medium at the processing position is easily stabilized. Moreover, in this modification, since neither a process part nor a related member is arrange | positioned at the pre-processing apparatus side of the 1st conveyance path 11g, either a process part and a related member are arrange | positioned there (for example, figure) Compared to the configuration shown in FIG.

[2-12] First and Second Processing Units The first and second processing units may be arranged so as to perform processing on the surface of the medium opposite to the example shown in FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. In this example, the first processing unit 110h that performs processing using the surface on the preprocessing device side of the medium transported through the first transport path 11 as the first surface, and the second processing unit that performs processing on the second surface in that case A transport device 3h including 120h and a first related member 111h and a second related member 121h that are respectively arranged corresponding to them is shown. Also in this case, since the first processing unit 110h is disposed at a position closer to the folding and conveying unit 30 side than the second processing unit 120h, the posture of the medium at the first processing position is higher than that of the comparative configuration described above. It is easy to stabilize.

[2-13] First and second related members The transport device may not include either or both of the first and second related members. Even in such a case, since the processing unit is arranged as in the above-described embodiment or modification, the posture of the medium at the first processing position is easily stabilized as compared with the comparative configuration described in the embodiment. .

[2-14] Carry-in position and carry-out position The carry-in position and carry-out position may be provided at positions different from the example shown in FIG.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the transport apparatus according to the present modification. FIG. 11A shows a transfer device 3i in which the position of the carry-in position C1i and the carry-out position C6i are different in the vertical direction A102. Thus, for example, even if the position where the preprocessing device carries out the medium and the position where the post-processing device carries the medium are shifted in the vertical direction A102, the loading position and the unloading position should be provided in accordance with these positions. Good. By providing the carry-in conveyance unit and the carry-out conveyance unit, the conveyance device can freely arrange the carry-in position and the carry-out position compared to a case where the carry-in conveyance unit and the carry-out conveyance unit are not provided.

  FIG. 11B shows a transfer device 3j in which the entrance of the first transfer path 11j is a carry-in position C1j and the exit of the second transfer path 21j is a carry-out position C6j. That is, the conveyance device 3j does not include the carry-in conveyance unit and the carry-out conveyance unit as illustrated in FIG. In this case, the preprocessing device 2j is shaped to cover the carry-in position C1j of the transport device 3j, and carries the medium toward the carry-in position C1j. Further, the post-processing device 4j is shaped to cover the carry-out position C6j of the transport device 3j, and carries in the medium carried out from the carry-out position C6j. As described above, the transport device may include at least the first transport unit, the second transport unit, and the folding transport unit as the transport unit that transports the medium.

[2-15] Folding and Conveying Section In the embodiment, the folding and conveying section is provided below the vertical direction A102. However, the folding and conveying section may be provided above the vertical direction A102. In this case, the first conveyance path, the folding conveyance path, and the second conveyance path draw a shape in which the letter “U” is turned upside down. Also in this case, by disposing the first processing unit at a position closer to the folding and conveying unit side than the second processing unit, the posture of the medium at the first processing position is easily stabilized as compared with the comparative configuration described above.

[2-16] Category of Invention The present invention can be understood as a transport system including a transport device, a pre-processing device, and a post-processing device in addition to the transport device. The pre-processing device here is a device that performs a predetermined pre-processing on the medium and carries it out toward the transport device, and the post-processing device is a post-processing device that is determined with respect to the medium transported from the transport device It is an apparatus that performs processing. The image inspection system 1 described in the embodiment is an example of a transport system. The conveying device is also regarded as an image reading device when reading an image formed on a conveyed medium, and is also regarded as an image forming device when an image is formed on a conveyed medium. In short, the transport device in the present invention performs processing determined for a medium while transporting the medium.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image inspection system, 2 ... Pre-processing apparatus, 3 ... Image reading apparatus, 4 ... Post-processing apparatus, 5 ... Correction means, 10 ... 1st conveyance part, 20 ... 2nd conveyance part, 30 ... Folding conveyance part, 40 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Carry-in conveyance part, 50 ... Carry-out conveyance part, 11 ... 1st conveyance path, 21 ... 2nd conveyance path, 31 ... Folding conveyance path, 41 ... Carry-in conveyance path, 51 ... Carry-out conveyance path, 110 ... 1st process part, 111 ... 1st related member, 120 ... 2nd process part, 121 ... 2nd related member.

Claims (10)

A first transport unit that transports a medium in the first direction in a first transport path along the first direction;
A folding conveyance unit configured to convey the medium conveyed by the first conveyance unit so as to be folded toward a second direction having a component opposite to the first direction;
A second transport unit that transports the medium transported by the folding transport unit in the second direction along the second transport path along the second direction;
A first processing unit that performs processing on a first surface of a medium being transported along the first transport path;
Processing is performed on the second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium being conveyed on the second conveyance path, and the medium is disposed at a position farther from the folded conveyance unit side than the first processing unit. A second processing unit,
A transport apparatus comprising: A medium having a maximum length in the transport direction along the transport path from an influence position where a force affecting the posture of the medium is applied to a processing position where the medium is processed by the first processing unit. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport device is equal to or longer than the length. The distance along the transport path between the processing position at which the medium is processed by the first processing unit and the transport position at which the medium is transported into the apparatus is the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the length of the first transport path is equal to or longer than the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction. The length of the first transport path upstream in the transport direction from the processing position where the medium is processed by the first processing unit is equal to or greater than the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the length of the second transport path is equal to or longer than the length of the medium having the maximum length in the transport direction. The conveyance apparatus of any one of Claim 1-6 provided with the carrying-in conveyance part which conveys the said medium from the several carrying-in position where a medium is carried in to an own apparatus to the said 1st conveyance path. Each of the first and second processing units performs reading of an image formed on the surface of the medium being conveyed as the processing,
A first related member which is disposed at a position facing the first processing unit with the first conveyance path interposed therebetween, and which serves to correct a color of an image read by the first processing unit;
8. A second related member that is disposed at a position facing the second processing unit across the second transport path and functions to correct a color of an image read by the second processing unit. The conveying apparatus of any one of to. A carry-in conveyance unit that conveys the medium from a carry-in position where the medium is carried into the apparatus to the first conveyance unit;
The conveyance apparatus of any one of Claim 1-8 provided with the carrying-out conveyance part which conveys the medium conveyed by the said 2nd conveyance part to the carrying-out position where the said medium is carried out from an own apparatus. A transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A pre-processing device that performs a predetermined pre-processing on the medium and unloads the medium toward the transport device;
And a post-processing device that performs predetermined post-processing on the medium transported from the transport device.

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