Carrier device, inspection apparatus having the same, and inspection system

Abstract

A carrier device performs floating and carrying of a sheet-like member having curling tendency along a carrier path. The carrier device includes a floating air blowing unit that floats and carries the sheet-like member by blowing out air obliquely upward in a carrying direction to the sheet-like member residing on the carrier path via a plurality of blowout holes, a carrier plate that constitutes the carrier path and has the plurality of blowout holes formed therein, and a pressing air blowing unit that faces a carrying start position of the sheet-like member on the carrier plate and blows out air from an upper position relative to the sheet-like member so as to lay the sheet-like member along the carrier plate.

1 . A carrier device that performs floating and carrying of a sheet-like member having a curling tendency along a carrier path, the carrier device comprising:
 a floating air blowing unit that floats and carries the sheet-like member by blowing out air to the sheet-like member on the carrier path via a plurality of blowout holes;   a carrier plate that constitutes the carrier path and has the plurality of blowout holes formed therein; and   a pressing air blowing unit that faces a carrying start position of the sheet-like member in the carrier plate and blows out air to the sheet-like member so as to lay the sheet-like member along the carrier plate.   
   
   
       2 . The carrier device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of blowout holes are formed such that the blowout holes are obliquely drilled through the carrier plate.   
   
   
       3 . The carrier device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of blowout holes are provided in the carrier plate at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the carrying direction.   
   
   
       4 . The carrier device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of blowout holes are distributed over an entire area of the carrier plate in a matrix fashion.   
   
   
       5 . The carrier device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a top end detection unit that detects a top end of the sheet-like member at the carrying start position; and   a control unit that controls the floating air blowing unit and the pressing air blowing unit, wherein   the control unit respectively starts driving of the floating air blowing unit and driving of the pressing air blowing unit in accordance with detection of the top end of the sheet-like member by the top end detection unit.   
   
   
       6 . An inspection apparatus, comprising:
 a sheet processing device;   the carrier device according to  claim 1  that performs floating and carrying of the sheet-like member that has the curling tendency and is fed from the sheet processing device;   a stopping unit that faces the carrier path so as to be projected from or retracted to the carrier path and forcibly stops the sheet-like member in being carried;   a member detection unit that detects presence or absence of the sheet-like member in a stopping state;   an inspection unit that image-recognizes the sheet-like member and inspects a result processed by the sheet processing device in accordance with the recognition result; and   a control unit that controls the stopping unit and the inspection unit, wherein,   the control unit allows the inspection unit to perform the inspection in accordance with detection of the presence of the sheet-like member after stopping the carrying of the sheet-like member.   
   
   
       7 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a vacuum suction unit that is built in the carrier plate and sucks the sheet-like member in the stopping state on the carrier plate, wherein   the control unit further controls the vacuum suction unit so as to stop the floating air blowing unit and to drive the vacuum suction unit during a time period from the stopping of the carrying till the inspection.   
   
   
       8 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an auxiliary pressing air blowing unit that blows out air to the sheet-like member in the stopping state, wherein   the control unit further controls the auxiliary pressing air blowing unit so as to drive the auxiliary pressing air blowing unit just after stopping the floating air blowing unit.   
   
   
       9 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the sheet-like member is formed of roll paper, and the sheet processing device is constituted of a printer that includes a paper supply section that feeds the roll paper, a printing section that performs printing on the roll paper fed from the paper supply section by using an ink jet head, and a paper discharge section that cuts a part of the roll paper printed by the printing section and discharges the printed part.   
   
   
       10 . An inspection system, comprising:
 the inspection apparatus according to  claim 6 ;   the sheet processing device according to  claim 6 , and   a common housing that stores the inspection apparatus and the sheet processing device.