# US 8,998,404 B2 · Transportation device and recording apparatus

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- Number: US 8,998,404 B2
- Document ID: US8998404B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/066,533
- Filed: 2013-10-29
- Published: 2014-05-01
- Granted: 2015-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-30
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Takahiro Abe; Mitsutaka Ide
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8998404B2

## CPC

- B41J 11/0095: {Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end}
- B65H 23/1806: {in reel-to-reel type web winding and unwinding mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on web-roll spindle}
- G01B 5/00: Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of mechanical techniques
- G06V 10/147: Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19)
- B65H 2513/10: Speed
- B65H 2513/11: angular
- B65H 2801/15: Digital printing machines
- B65H 2801/36: Plotting
- G06V 2201/06: Recognition of objects for industrial automation
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A transportation device includes a transportation unit that transports continuous paper, and an image capturing unit that has a light irradiator capable of irradiating the continuous paper which is transported by the transportation unit with light and detects a transportation amount of the continuous paper based on reflected light of the light irradiated onto the continuous paper by the light irradiator. The light irradiator is arranged so as to irradiate the continuous paper with light obliquely with respect to the detection region of the continuous paper from the width direction side of the continuous paper, which is orthogonal to the transportation direction of the continuous paper.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transportation device comprising:
a transportation unit that transports a transportation target material;
a transportation target material supporting portion that has a supporting surface supporting the transportation target material which is transported by the transportation unit;
a light irradiator that is capable of irradiating the transportation target material which is transported by the transportation unit with light; and
a detector that detects a transportation amount of the transportation target material based on reflected light of the light irradiated onto the transportation target material by the light irradiator, wherein
the light irradiator is arranged so as to irradiate the transportation target material with the light obliquely with respect to a surface of the transportation target material from a width direction side of the transportation target material, which is orthogonal to a transportation direction of the transportation target material, and
the detector is arranged at the transportation target material supporting portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transportation device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of light irradiators are arranged so as to be aligned in parallel along the transportation direction of the transportation target material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A recording apparatus comprising:
the transportation device according to claim 1, and
a recording unit that performs recording processing on the transportation target material which is transported by the transportation unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The transportation device according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes a detection window through which the light passes the supporting surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The transportation device according to claim 4, wherein
an end portion of the detection window at a side farther from the light irradiator in an optical axis direction of the light corresponds to a first end portion,
an end portion of the detection window at a side closer to the light irradiator in the optical axis direction of the light corresponds to a second end portion, and
the light irradiator is arranged so as to satisfy an equation of Q1·L22=Q2·L12 when it is assumed that a distance between the light irradiator and the first end portion is L1, a distance between the light irradiator and the second end portion is L2, a light amount of light which is irradiated onto the first end portion by the light irradiator is Q1, and a light amount of light which is irradiated onto the second end portion by the light irradiator is Q2.