IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,606,398
Granted Patent B2
US 12,606,398 · App. 18/453,030 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Relay transport device, recording system, and feeding system

Inventors: Chiaki Shimada (Shiojiri, JP); Katsuyuki Kondo (Shiojiri, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
B65H5/062G03G15/6567B65H2404/1424B65H2511/20B65H2801/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,606,398
App. No.
18/453,030
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A relay transport device is configured to relay a medium fed from the feeding device and transport the medium to the recording device. The relay transport device includes a first restriction section having a first restriction surface configured to position a first edge, which is one edge in a width direction, a first transport belt configured to transport the medium toward the first restriction surface in a first direction, which intersects the transport direction and the width direction, a second transport belt that is provided downstream of the first transport belt in the transport direction and that is configured to transport the medium toward the first restriction surface in a second direction, which intersects the transport direction and the width direction, and a suction section configured to suck the medium via a through hole provided in the first transport belt and the second transport belt.

Claims (44)

1 . A relay transport device that is positioned between a recording device, which performs recording on a medium, and a feeding device, which is disposed outside the recording device and which feeds the medium to the recording device, and that is configured to relay the medium fed from the feeding device and to transport the medium to the recording device, the relay transport device comprising:

a first restriction section having a first restriction surface configured to position a first edge of the medium fed from the feeding device, the first edge being an edge in a width direction intersecting a transport direction;

a second restriction section having a second restriction surface configured to restrict a position of a second edge, which is an opposite side from the first edge of the medium;

a first transport belt configured to transport the medium toward the first restriction surface in a first direction, which intersects the transport direction and the width direction;

a second transport belt that is provided downstream of the first transport belt in the transport direction and that is configured to transport the medium toward the first restriction surface in a second direction, which intersects the transport direction and the width direction; and

a suction section configured to suck the medium via a through hole provided in the first transport belt and the second transport belt,

wherein, the second restriction section has an upstream second restriction section provided with respect to the first transport belt and a downstream second restriction section provided with respect to the second transport belt, and

the upstream second restriction section and the downstream second restriction section are configured to independently displace in the width direction.

2 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

the second direction is a direction along the first direction.

3 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first direction and the second direction are changeable.

4 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

an angle formed by the transport direction and the second direction is smaller than an angle formed by the transport direction and the first direction.

5 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transport roller pair provided upstream in the transport direction with respect to the first transport belt and configured to transport the medium to the first transport belt, wherein an angle formed by the transport direction and the first direction is smaller than an angle formed by the transport direction and the second direction.

6 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

when a medium having a length in the width direction of the medium shorter than a predetermined length is transported, a suction force in a downstream region of the first transport belt in the transport direction against the medium is larger than a suction force in an upstream region of the second transport belt in the transport direction against the medium.

7 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

when a medium having a length in the width direction of the medium shorter than a predetermined length is transported, the suction force of the first transport belt against the medium is larger than the suction force of the second transport belt against the medium.

8 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transport roller pair provided upstream in the transport direction with respect to the first transport belt and configured to transport the medium to the first transport belt, wherein

a suction force of the first transport belt against the medium or a suction force of the first transport belt against the medium and the suction force of the second transport belt against the medium are changeable.

9 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transport roller pair provided upstream in the transport direction with respect to the first transport belt and configured to transport the medium to the first transport belt, wherein

a suction force of the first transport belt against the medium is weaker than a suction force of a second transport belt against the medium.

10 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

the suction section is provided separately for each of the first transport belt and the second transport belt.

11 . A recording system comprising:

a recording device for recording on a medium;

a feeding device disposed outside the recording device and configured to feed the medium to the recording device; and

the relay transport device according to claim 1 , the relay transport device being positioned between the recording device and the feeding device and configured to relay and transport the medium fed from the feeding device to the recording device.

12 . A feeding system that feeds a medium to a recording device for recording on the medium, the feeding system comprising:

a feeding device disposed outside the recording device and configured to feed the medium to the recording device and

the relay transport device according to claim 1 , the relay transport device being positioned between the recording device and the feeding device and configured to relay and transport the medium fed from the feeding device to the recording device.

13 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , wherein

the suction section includes a first suction blower arranged on a first area and a second suction blowers arranged on a second area that is different from the first area, and

the suction force of the first transport belt against the medium and the suction force of the second transport belt against the medium are changeable by independently adjusting rotational speeds of the first suction blower and the second suction blower.

14 . The relay transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a first suction plate portion arranged between the suction section and the first transport belt; and

a second suction plate portion arranged between the suction section and the second transport belt, wherein

the suction section sucks the medium via a through hole provided in each of the first suction plate portion and the second suction plate portion.

15 . The relay transport device according to claim 14 , wherein

a suction force applied by the suction unit is varied by adjusting a size of the through hole in each of the first suction plate portion and the second suction plate portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: SHIMADA, CHIAKI; KONDO, KATSUYUKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064652/0684 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2022-131826 · Aug 22, 2022 · national
JP 2022-131873 · Aug 22, 2022 · national
JP 2022-174617 · Oct 31, 2022 · national
JP 2022-174661 · Oct 31, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240059513A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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