JP2006182480A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple and compact configuration capable of letting an arm body 6a having a feeding roller 6b for feeding paper sheets accumulated and stored in a cassette 3 evacuate to prevent its interference when inserting and pulling out the cassette 3. <P>SOLUTION: In this configuration, one main link body 71 pivoted so as to swing vertically through a first shaft 62 is connected with an adequate section in a device main body, and this main link body 71 and the arm body 6a are mutually connected through a guide means so as to elevate and lower. The guide means is composed of a substantially linear guide channel 73 formed to be long along its longitudinal direction (direction of paper feeding) on one side face of the arm body 6a and a pin shaft 74 provided on an inner face on a tip side of the main link body 71 and fitted into the guide channel 73 movably. Cam follower faces (a first face 69a, a second face 69b, a third face 69c, a fourth face 69d) coming into slide-contact with an upper end of an inclination separation plate 8 of the cassette 3 are formed on a lower face side of the main link body 71, and a fifth face 69e is formed on a lower face of the arm body 6a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention provides an image recording apparatus in which a feeding roller that separates recording media deposited on a sheet feeding cassette one by one and feeds it to an image recording unit can be retracted so as not to interfere with the insertion and removal of the sheet feeding cassette. It is about.

In image recording apparatuses such as printers, copiers, and facsimiles, there are those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 that prevent the feeding roller from interfering when the paper feeding cassette is inserted and removed. That is, a guide surface is formed on the upper surface of the fixed side plate that is positioned on both ends of the recording medium placed on the paper feeding cassette and extends in the feeding direction of the recording medium, and the paper feeding cassette is inserted and removed. A configuration is disclosed in which the lower surface of the arm that can swing while supporting the feeding roller is brought into sliding contact with the guide surface of the side plate, and the arm and the feeding roller are retracted onto the sheet feeding cassette.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-249242 (see FIGS. 3 to 8) JP 2002-321838 A (see FIGS. 4 to 9)

  However, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if a swingable arm is disposed above the fixed side plate of the paper feed cassette and the feed roller portion is disposed at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the recording medium, Since the member to be moved becomes longer in the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium, the width of the sheet feeding cassette becomes longer than the width direction of the largest recordable recording medium and the member to be swung. Is disposed above the fixed side plate of the sheet cassette, there is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes large and bulky. In addition, a predetermined cam surface must be designed and formed on the upper surface of the side plate of the paper feed cassette so that the arm can swing up and down according to the distance of the insertion / extraction movement of the paper feed cassette. There was a problem that the production of the paper cassette was also troublesome.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and can reliably feed a recording medium to an image recording unit with a small and simple configuration without adding parts to a cassette for paper feeding. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus which is configured so that a feeding roller does not interfere with a cassette when the cassette is inserted and removed, and which has a good assembling property and is inexpensive.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a cassette that can store a sheet-like recording medium in a stacked state and can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, and the cassette. An end wall extending at a downstream end in the feeding direction of the recording medium at a position perpendicular to the feeding direction and extending to a position higher than the maximum height position of the recordable recording medium, An image recording means for recording an image on a recording medium provided in the apparatus main body, and a support shaft provided in the apparatus main body and extending in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording medium. An arm body capable of swinging in the center, and provided on the swing end side of the arm body, in contact with the uppermost recording medium housed in the cassette in a state where the cassette is inserted into the apparatus main body; The image recording medium A feed roller that feeds toward the stage; and a link mechanism that is provided in the apparatus main body and moves up and down the feed roller and the arm body, and the link mechanism includes the end wall when the cassette is inserted and removed. The feeding roller and the arm body can be retracted above the cassette in cooperation with the above.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the end wall is provided with an inclination separating means for separating the front edge of the recording medium to be fed one by one. It is characterized by being an inclined separator.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the link mechanism is in sliding contact with the end wall when the cassette is inserted and removed, and the feeding roller and the arm body are It has a cam follower surface for enabling retraction above the cassette.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the third aspect, the link mechanism includes a first link body pivotally supported in the apparatus main body so as to be swingable up and down, and a base end portion of the arm. A second link body pivotally connected to the body and having the other end pivotably connected to the first link body. The lower end of the first link body has an upper end of the end wall. The cam follower surface which is slidably contacted is formed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the third aspect, the link mechanism is configured such that one main link body pivotally supported in the apparatus main body so as to swing up and down is guided to the arm body. A cam follower surface that is slidably in contact with the upper end of the end wall is formed on the lower surface side of the main link body.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the guide means is formed on a pin shaft provided on the main link body and a side surface of the arm body and fits on the pin shaft. It is a guide groove.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the guide means is formed on a pin shaft provided on the arm body and a side surface of the main link body and fits on the pin shaft. It is a guide groove.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, a stopper means for defining a lower limit of downward rotation of the arm body, the first link body, or the main link body. Is provided.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the fourth to eighth aspects, the lower surface side of the first link body or the main link body or the upper end portion of the end wall has a counterpart. A roller body in contact with the member is provided.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the fourth to ninth aspects, a cam follower surface on a lower surface side of the first link body or the main link body is a recording medium to be fed. It also serves as a guide surface.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the link mechanism that is provided in the apparatus main body and moves up and down the feeding roller and the arm body cooperates with the end wall on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the recording medium when the cassette is inserted and removed. Since the feeding roller and the arm body are configured to be retractable above the cassette, a link mechanism is provided on the side plate of the cassette that is in the width direction of the recording medium as in the prior art. The link mechanism can be greatly reduced in size as compared with the configuration in which the two are cooperated.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation and effect of the first aspect of the invention, the end wall of the cassette is for separating the front edge of the recording medium to be fed one by one. Since the tilt separating plate is provided with the tilt separating means, there is no need to separately provide a structure for operating the link mechanism, and the structure is simplified.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the link mechanism is a cam follower for slidingly contacting the end wall when the cassette is inserted and withdrawing so that the feeding roller and the arm body can be retracted above the cassette. As compared with the conventional configuration in which the cam follower surface is formed on the upper surface of the side plate of the cassette, which is the width direction of the recording medium, the cam follower surface formation range can be greatly shortened. Play.

  According to invention of Claim 4, the said link mechanism is connected with the 1st link body pivotally supported in the apparatus main body so that a rocking | fluctuation is possible, and a base end part is connected with the said arm body so that rotation is possible, The other end portion includes a second link body that is rotatably connected to the first link body, and a cam follower surface that is in sliding contact with the upper end of the end wall is formed on the lower surface side of the first link body. It is what. Therefore, when the cassette is inserted and removed, the arm body and the feeding roller can be retracted above the end wall in accordance with the cam follower on the lower surface of the first link body slidingly contacting the upper end of the end wall.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the link mechanism includes only one main link body and guide means, the configuration is further simplified, and there is an effect that the assembling workability is good.

  Further, according to the invention described in claims 6 and 7, since the guide means is the pin shaft provided in one member and the guide groove provided in the other member, the structure is simple and the assembling operation is performed. There is an effect that the property is good.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, since the stopper means for defining the lower limit of the downward rotation of the arm body, the first link body or the main link body is provided, the cassette is particularly extracted. In this case, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the feeding roller at the tip of the arm body colliding with the bottom plate or the like of the apparatus body and becoming dirty.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the lower body side of the first link body or the main link body or the upper end portion of the end wall is provided with a roller body that comes into contact with the mating member, There is an effect that the arm body and the feeding roller can be lifted and lowered easily while reliably preventing the wear of the members that are in sliding contact with each other when the cassette is inserted and removed, in particular, the wear and damage of the cam follower surface.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the cam follower surface on the lower surface side of the first link body or the main link body is also used as the guide surface of the recording medium to be fed. The recording medium can be fed smoothly.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view of an image recording apparatus equipped with an ink jet recording head of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main frame and a cassette, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the main frame and the cassette, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the main frame and the U-turn conveyance path, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main frame. FIG. 8A is an enlarged side view of the link mechanism and the feeding roller of the first embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a diagram. 8 (a) is a sectional view taken along line VIIIb-VIIIb, FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway enlarged perspective view showing the attachment portion of the link mechanism to the main frame, and FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (g) are the first embodiment. With the movement of the cassette by the link mechanism Explanatory view showing a retracting action of the roller, FIG. 11 is a view illustrating the operation of the second embodiment, FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the operation of the third embodiment, FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the fourth embodiment.

  An image recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an application of the present invention to a multi-function device (MFD) having a printer function, a copy function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. As shown, the image recording apparatus 1 includes a housing 2 made of a synthetic resin injection-molded product as a recording apparatus main body.

  An image reading device 12 for a copy function and a facsimile function is disposed on the upper portion of the housing 2, and the image reading device 12 can be vertically opened and closed with respect to one side end of the housing 2 via a pivot portion (not shown). Further, the rear end of the document cover 13 that covers the upper surface of the image reading device 12 is attached to the rear end of the image reading device 12 so as to be rotatable up and down around a pivot 12a.

  On the upper side of the housing 2, an operation panel unit 14 including various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit is provided in front of the image reading device 12. On the upper surface of the image reading device 12, there is provided a placement glass plate 16 on which the document cover body 13 can be opened and a document can be placed. A CIS (Contact Image Sensor) 17 is provided so as to be capable of reciprocating along a guide shaft 44 extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 2 (main scanning direction, Y-axis direction in FIG. 1).

  In the ink storage unit (not shown), ink cartridges for each color of black (Bk), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are stored as cartridges for individual colors in this embodiment. Thus, each ink cartridge and the recording head 4 in the recording unit 7 (corresponding to the image recording unit in the claims) are always connected by a flexible ink supply pipe.

  A cassette 3 that can be inserted from an opening 2a on the front side (left side in FIG. 2) of the housing 2 is disposed at the bottom (bottom) of the housing 2. In this embodiment, the cassette 3 is a recording medium, for example, a sheet P cut into A4 size, letter size, legal size, postcard size, etc., whose short side is in the sheet transport direction (sub-scanning direction, X axis). A plurality of sheets are stacked (deposited) so as to be accommodated so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction (in FIG. 2, a direction orthogonal to the paper surface, a main scanning direction, and a Y-axis direction).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the cassette 3 includes a bottom plate 31 on which the paper P is placed. The upstream side of the bottom plate 31 in the feeding direction (arrow A direction) is on both sides along the feeding direction. Side plates 32 and 32 are erected on the part. The paper discharge tray 10b described above is detachable across both side plates 32 and 32 so as to cover a part of the upstream side in the feeding direction (arrow A direction) of the paper P placed on the bottom plate 31. It is attached. At the downstream end of the paper discharge tray 10b in the paper discharge direction (arrow B direction), in order to make it easy to replenish the paper P onto the bottom plate 31, a central portion in the width direction is substantially U-shaped in plan view. A notch 43 is formed.

  Further, a sheet width guide 45 for setting the sheet P symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the cassette 3 is provided in the left-right direction (the width of the sheet P) on the downstream side in the feeding direction (arrow A direction) of the bottom plate 31. It is arranged to be movable so as to expand and contract in the direction).

  At the center in the width direction at the upstream end in the feeding direction (arrow A direction) of the bottom plate 31, a substantially plate is slidable further outward (further downstream in the paper discharge direction) from this upstream end. The auxiliary support member 33 is provided, and the auxiliary discharge member 35 is attached to the auxiliary support member 33. The paper discharge auxiliary tray 35 can support the downstream end of the paper P protruding outward from the paper discharge tray 10b in the paper discharge direction (arrow B direction) (see FIG. 2). .

  In the auxiliary support member 33, a first storage portion 34 having an opening on the upper surface is recessed in the vicinity of the upstream end portion in the feeding direction (arrow A direction). The discharge auxiliary tray 35 is closer to the discharge position (arrow B direction) than the storage position stored in the first storage portion 34 and the upstream end of the bottom plate 31 in the feeding direction (arrow A direction). It is provided so as to be movable between the extended position (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5), and when it is in the extended position, the paper P protruding outward can be supported as described above. it can.

  In addition, the auxiliary support member 33 has a grip opening at an upstream end in the feeding direction (arrow A direction) further than the first storage portion 34 so that the user can easily grip the auxiliary support member 33 when sliding it. The portion 42 is formed through the plate surface.

  In the extended position, the discharge auxiliary tray 35 abuts the upstream inner side in the feeding direction (arrow A direction) of the gripping opening 42 of the auxiliary support member 33, so that the paper discharge direction (arrow B direction). The inclined state in which the downstream side is higher than the upstream side is maintained (see FIGS. 2 and 4). At this time, the downstream end portion of the discharge auxiliary tray 35 in the discharge direction (arrow B direction) protrudes upward to substantially the same height as the discharge tray 10b. This inclined state makes it easy to receive the end of the paper P protruding from the paper discharge tray 10b positioned above. Further, since the inner portion of the gripping opening 42 is used to hold the discharge auxiliary tray 35 in an inclined state, it is not necessary to add a special structure for holding the inclined state. A rotation notch 46 is provided at the end of the discharge auxiliary tray 35 far from the pivot 38 (see FIG. 4) so that the discharge auxiliary tray 35 can be easily picked when the discharge auxiliary tray 35 is rotated. (See FIGS. 3 and 4).

  Further, there is provided a restricting portion that restricts downward bending of the paper P placed on the bottom plate 31 in the first storage portion 34 when the auxiliary discharge tray 35 is in the extended position. As the restricting portion, a first protrusion 36 that protrudes upward and extends along the feeding direction (arrow A direction) is provided on the bottom surface of the first storage portion 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). ). The first protrusions 36 also function as reinforcing ribs in the auxiliary support member 33, and can increase the rigidity of the auxiliary support member 33. Two (a pair) of first protrusions 36 are provided side by side in the width direction on the downstream side of the feeding direction (arrow A direction) on the bottom surface of the first storage portion 34. The number of the first protrusions 36 is not limited to this number, but it is desirable that the number of the first protrusions 36 be plural in order to restrict the bending of the paper P and stably support it.

  The discharge auxiliary tray 35 is provided with a long hole 37 into which the first protrusion 36 can be loosely fitted at the storage position, and the discharge auxiliary tray 35 is stored in the first storage portion 34. Sometimes, the upper end of the first protrusion portion 36 slightly protrudes from the elongated hole 37. In other words, since the discharge auxiliary tray 35 is folded and disposed within the height of the first protrusion 36, the occupied space in the height direction can be made compact. Further, as described above, by providing the first protrusion 36 on the downstream side of the feeding direction (arrow A direction) on the bottom surface of the first storage portion 34, the length that is formed in the discharge auxiliary tray 35. The hole 37 can be separated from the pivot 38 serving as a fulcrum of rotation, thereby preventing the rigidity of the discharge auxiliary tray 35 from being lowered.

  On the back side of the cassette 3 (right side in FIG. 2), a separation inclined plate 8 provided with a separation portion such as a separation claw 8a or a separation pad as an inclination separation means for separating the leading edge of the paper P one by one. Is arranged. Further, as will be described in detail later, a base end portion of an arm body 6a in the feeding means 6 is mounted on the housing 2 side so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and a feeding portion provided at a distal end portion of the arm body 6a. Rotation from a drive source (not shown) is transmitted to the feed roller 6b by a gear transmission mechanism 6c provided in the arm body 6a (see FIGS. 4 and 7). The sheet P, which is a recording medium accumulated and accommodated in the cassette 3, can be separated and fed one by one from the uppermost layer by the feeding roller 6b and the tilt separating means in the separating tilt plate 8. The separated paper P is transported to the recording unit 7 provided on the upper side (high position) behind the cassette 3 through a transport path 9 including a lateral U-turn path. The conveyance path 9 is formed in the gap between the first conveyance path body 60 that forms the outer peripheral side of the U-turn shape and the second conveyance path body 52 that is a guide member that forms the inner peripheral side. In the transport path 9, center alignment in which the center line in the width direction of the paper P is aligned with the center line (not shown) in the width direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the width direction) orthogonal to the transport direction, The paper P is configured to be conveyed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the recording unit 7 is supported by a box-shaped main frame 21 and a pair of left and right side plates 21 a, and has a horizontally long plate-like shape extending in the Y-axis direction (main scanning direction). It is formed between the first and second guide members (not shown). The carriage 5 on which the ink jet recording head 4 is mounted in the recording unit 7 is slidably supported (mounted) across the upstream first guide member and the downstream second guide member in the paper transport direction. It can move back and forth.

  In order to reciprocate the carriage 5, a timing belt (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the second guide member arranged on the downstream side in the paper transport direction (arrow A direction) so as to extend in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction). A CR (carriage) motor (not shown) for driving the timing belt is fixed to the lower surface of the second guide member.

  A flat platen 26 extending in the Y-axis direction so as to face the lower surface of the recording head 4 in the carriage 5 is fixed to the main frame 21 between the first and second guide members (FIG. 3, FIG. 3). (See FIGS. 5 and 6).

  A driving roller 50 and a driven roller 51 below the driving roller 50 are disposed on the upstream side of the platen 26 in the conveying direction as conveying (registration) rollers for conveying the paper P to the lower surface of the recording head 4. Has been. Further, on the downstream side of the transport of the platen 26, a paper discharge roller 28 that is driven so as to transport (discharge) the recorded paper P to the paper discharge unit 10, and to the paper discharge roller 28 side opposite thereto. A biased spur roller 28a is disposed (see FIGS. 2 and 14).

  The paper discharge unit 10 on which the paper P recorded by the recording unit 7 is discharged with its recording surface facing upward is formed on the upper side of the cassette 3, and a paper discharge port 10a communicating with the paper discharge unit 10 is provided in the housing. 2 is opened in common with the front opening 2a. Further, a synthetic resin partition plate (lower cover) that covers the upper portion of the paper discharge unit 10 from the lower surface of the second guide member on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction to the paper discharge port 10a at the front end of the housing 2. The body) 29 is formed integrally with the housing 2 (see FIG. 2).

  Next, the structure of the feeding means 6 and the structure for moving it up and down in conjunction with the insertion / extraction operation of the cassette 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 to 6, and 8 to 10. As described above, the feeding means 6 is rotated by the feeding roller 6b in which a high friction coefficient member such as rubber is wound around the outer peripheral portion at the free end (lower end) of the synthetic resin frame-shaped arm body 6a. The tip end portion of the drive shaft 53 made of synthetic resin is supported rotatably at the base end portion of the arm body 6a. The feed roller 6b is configured to rotate in a fixed direction by a rotational drive of the drive shaft 53 via a gear transmission mechanism 6c including a plurality of gear trains provided in the arm body 6a. The gear transmission mechanism 6c includes a gear that rotates integrally with the drive shaft 53, and a planetary gear that is pivotally supported at the tip of a planetary arm that is rotatably fitted to the drive shaft 53 and meshes with the gear described above. And a plurality of (three in the embodiment) intermediate gears that transmit power from the planetary gear to a gear formed on the side of the feeding roller 6b.

  On the other hand, shaft holes 54a formed in a pair of shaft support plates 54 formed by cutting and raising the side plate 21a and the bottom plate 21b in the main frame 21 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 (in FIG. 7, in one shaft support plate 54). The drive shaft 53 driven by a drive motor (not shown) is rotatably supported, and the distal end of the drive shaft 53 is inserted so as to protrude laterally at the base of the arm body 6a in the feeding means 6. The base end portion of the arm body 6a is disposed in an opening 55 (see FIG. 8A) formed in the bottom plate 21b. Therefore, the arm body 6a and the drive shaft 53 are pivotally supported concentrically and rotatably with respect to the shaft hole 54a in the pair of shaft support plates 54. Further, the feeding roller 6b is always biased downward by a biasing means (not shown) (for example, a torsion spring).

  Next, when the cassette 3 is inserted into and removed from the bottom of the housing 2, the arm body 6 a and the feeding roller 6 b are automatically raised and lowered, and the inclined separation plate 8 that is the end wall on the back side of the cassette 3 is moved. A configuration that can be retracted from the upper end will be described. The first embodiment of the link mechanism 56 for raising and lowering the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b is the main frame 21 as shown in appropriate places in the apparatus main body, for example, as shown in FIGS. A first link body 61 pivotally supported by a first shaft 62 with respect to a rear plate 21c vertically raised on the rear side, and a base end portion of the arm body 6a via a second shaft 64. It is composed of a second link body 63 which is one side upper part and is pivotally connected to a part near the rear end and the other end part is pivotally connected to the first link body 61 via a third shaft 65. Has been. In the first embodiment, the second link body 63 is disposed in parallel with the outer surface on one side of the arm body 6 a, and the first link body 61 is disposed in parallel with the outer surface of the second link body 63. The first shaft 62 is pivotally supported by a bracket 66 shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B and 9. The bracket 66 is fixed to the rear plate 21c with screws or the like to prevent weakening of the rigidity of the rear plate 21c due to formation of a guide groove 67b described later. The bracket 66 is formed with a guide groove 67a that opens downward. When the bracket 66 is fixed to the rear plate 21c, the guide groove 67a of the bracket 66 and the guide groove 67b of the rear plate 21c are overlapped. Therefore, a guide portion of the first link body 61 that rotates up and down around the first shaft 62 is formed. The guide groove 67b of the rear plate 21c is formed continuously to the bottom plate 21b.

  A cam follower surface 69 is formed on the lower surface side of the first link body 61 so as to be in sliding contact with the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 as an end wall in the cassette 3. The cam follower surface 69 is mainly formed on the lower surface side of the first link body 61. The first link body 61 is in sliding contact with the upper edge of the inclined separating plate 8 when the cassette 3 is inserted and removed, and the feed roller 6b and The arm body 6 a can be retracted above the cassette 3. Specifically, the downwardly convex curved cam follower surface 69 formed on the lower surface side of the first link body 61 has a first surface 69a, a second surface 69b, a third surface 69c, and a fourth surface 69d as the first axis. It is formed continuously from the side closer to 62 toward the side closer to the arm body 6a, and the connecting portion between the second surface 69b and the third surface 69c protrudes most. The fifth surface 69e is formed on the lower surface of the arm body 6a (see FIG. 8A).

  As will be described later, in a state where most of the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b that are rotated and raised when the cassette 3 is inserted and removed are accommodated on the upper surface side from the opening 55 of the bottom plate 21b, the link mechanism 56 is also The bottom plate 21b is set so as to be almost in parallel with the lower surface of the bottom plate 21b. The height position of the upper edge of the inclined separation plate 8 is set higher than the maximum accumulation height position of the paper P that can be accommodated in the cassette 3.

  Next, an operation in which the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b are retracted above the cassette 3 through the link mechanism 56 in conjunction with the insertion / extraction operation of the cassette 3 will be described. According to the above configuration, when there is no uppermost sheet P or sheet P in the cassette 3 inserted and set in the housing 2, the feed roller 6 b is in contact with the bottom plate 31, and the first link body 61. The link mechanism 56 is located on the upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the inclined separation plate 8 of the cassette 3 (see FIG. 10A). Hereinafter, a state where the paper P is not accommodated in the cassette 3 will be described. In this state, the locations of the third surface 69c and the fourth surface 69d of the lower end surface of the first link body 61 are lowered to the midway height thereof on the side surface of the feeding roller 6b (see FIG. 10A). ).

  When the cassette 3 is extracted (drawn) from the opening 2 a of the housing 2, first, the first surface 69 a or the second surface 69 b of the cam follower surface 69 in the first link body 61 is in sliding contact with the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8. Then, the first link body 61 is pushed up and rotated clockwise around the first shaft 62 in FIG. Since the second link body 63 is rotatably connected to the first link body 61 via the third shaft 65, the second link body 63 rotates counterclockwise around the second shaft 64. The arm body 6a also rotates slightly upward in the counterclockwise direction around the drive shaft 53 (see FIG. 10B). Next, as the cassette 3 is pulled out, the second link body 63 and the arm body 6a are inclined at the stage where the second surface 69b to the third surface 69c of the lower surface of the first link body 61 are in sliding contact with the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8. It can be rotated upward to a position higher than the height of the upper end of the separation plate 8 and can be retreated above the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 (see FIG. 10C).

  When the cassette 3 is further pulled out in the above state, the feeding roller 6b at the tip of the arm body 6a gets over the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, and the cam follower surface 69 on the lower surface of the first link body 61 The fifth surface 69e on the lower surface of the arm body 6a is in sliding contact with the upper edge of the inclined separation plate 8 (see FIGS. 10 (d) and 10 (e)). In this state, most of the arm body 6a, the feeding roller 6b, and the link mechanism 56 are housed in the space above the bottom plate 21b (in the main frame 21) from the opening 55. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the vertical rotation of the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b without increasing the height of the vertical space between the bottom plate 21b of the main frame 21 and the cassette 3.

  When the cassette 3 is further pulled out, the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 is in sliding contact with the vicinity of the lower surface of the base portion (drive shaft 53) of the arm body 6a, and most of the arm body 6a and the link mechanism 56 are detached from the back of the cassette 3 ( (Refer FIG.10 (f)). Next, when the arm body 6a completely gets over from the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b urged downward by a urging member (not shown) are lowered (FIG. 10 (g)). )reference).

  When the cassette 3 is pushed into (inserted into) the opening 2 a of the housing 2, the lower surface of the arm body 6 a is pushed up by the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, and then slidably contacts the cam follower surface 69 of the lower surface of the first link body 61. Then, after the feeding roller 6b is retracted from the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, it is operated in the reverse order as described above, such as being lowered in the direction of the bottom plate 31 of the cassette 3 (from FIG. 10 (g)). Referenced in reverse order towards FIG. 10 (a)). When the paper P is accumulated and accommodated in the cassette 3, the feeding roller 6 b can come into contact with the uppermost layer of the paper P.

  FIG. 11A to FIG. 11G show the second embodiment. Compared to the first embodiment, the link mechanism 56, and thus the lowest position of the arm body 56a and the feed roller 6b (lower limit of downward rotation). A stopper means 70 for regulating the height is provided. The stopper means 70 includes a downward L-shaped metal or synthetic resin stopper fixed to the rear plate 21c of the main frame 21 or the bracket 66. As shown in FIG. 11G, in the state where the link mechanism 56, the arm body 56a, and the feeding roller 6b are not restrained by the cassette 3, one side surface of the first link body 61 contacts the stopper means 70, It can restrict | limit so that it may not fall further from the minimum height of the downward rotation of these components. In addition, since the other structure in Fig.11 (a)-FIG.11 (g) is the same as 1st Embodiment, it attaches | subjects the same code | symbol and abbreviate | omits detailed description. As a modified example, the stopper means 70 may be disposed so as to contact the base of the arm body 6a.

  12 (a) to 12 (g) show a third embodiment, and the link mechanism swings up and down through an appropriate place in the apparatus main body, for example, the rear plate 21c of the main frame 21 via the first shaft 62. FIG. The main link body 71 is pivotally supported, and the main link body 71 and the arm body 6a are connected via a guide means so as to be movable up and down. The guide means includes a substantially straight guide groove 73 formed on one side surface of the arm body 6a along the longitudinal direction (the feeding direction of the paper P (direction of arrow A)) and the main link body 71. The pin shaft 74 is provided on the inner surface on the distal end side and is movably fitted in the guide groove 73. A cam follower surface is formed on the lower surface side of the main link body 71 so as to be in sliding contact with the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 of the cassette 3. In this embodiment, the first shaft 62 that pivotally supports the arm body 6a is pivotally supported by the bracket 66 as in the first embodiment. The form of the cam follower surface is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and includes a first surface 69a, a second surface 69b, a third surface 69c, and a fourth surface 69d, and includes a second surface 69b and a third surface 69c. The connecting part with the most protrudes. A fifth surface 69e is provided on the lower surface of the arm body 6a. The guide groove 73 may be recessed on one side surface of the arm body 6a, or may be a through groove.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, in the third embodiment, when there is no uppermost sheet P or sheet P in the cassette 3 inserted and set in the housing 2, the feeding roller 6 b is in contact with the bottom plate 31. The link mechanism including the first link body 61 is located on the upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the inclined separation plate 8 of the cassette 3 (see FIG. 12A).

  When the cassette 3 is extracted (drawn) from the opening 2a of the housing 2, the second surface 69b of the cam follower surface 69 in the main link body 71 is in sliding contact with the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 to push up the main link body 71, and FIG. , The first shaft 62 is rotated clockwise. At this time, the main link body 71 is rotatably connected to the arm body 6 a via the pin shaft 74 and the guide groove 73, so that the arm body 6 a rotates slightly upward counterclockwise around the drive shaft 53. Move (see FIG. 12B). Next, as the cassette 3 is extracted, at the stage where the second surface 69 b to the third surface 69 c of the lower surface of the main link body 71 are in sliding contact with the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, the arm body 6 a is interposed via the pin shaft 74 and the guide groove 73. However, it can be pivoted upward to a position higher than the height of the upper end of the inclined separating plate 8 and can be retracted upward from the upper end of the inclined separating plate 8 (see FIG. 12C).

  When the cassette 3 is further pulled out in the above state, the feeding roller 6b at the tip of the arm body 6a gets over the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, and the cam follower surface 69d on the lower surface of the main link body 71 is attached to the inclined separation plate 8. While disengaging from the upper end, the fifth surface 69e on the lower surface of the arm body 6a is in sliding contact with the upper end edge of the inclined separation plate 8 (see FIG. 12 (e)). In this state, most of the arm body 6a, the feeding roller 6b, and the main link body 71 are accommodated in the space above the bottom plate 21b (in the main frame 21) from the opening 55. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the vertical rotation of the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b without increasing the height of the vertical space between the bottom plate 21b of the main frame 21 and the cassette 3.

  When the cassette 3 is further pulled out, the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 is in sliding contact with the vicinity of the lower surface of the base portion (drive shaft 53) of the arm body 6a, and most of the arm body 6a is detached from the back of the cassette 3 (FIG. 12 (f )reference). Next, when the arm body 6a completely gets over from the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8, the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b that are biased downward are lowered (see FIG. 12G). In addition, by devising the length of the guide groove 73 with respect to the pin shaft 74 which is a guide means and the arrangement position thereof, as shown in FIG. 12G, the pin shaft 74 on the distal end side of the downward main link body 71 is armed. Since the lower limit position of the downward rotation of the arm body 6a can be restricted by contacting one end portion of the guide groove 73 in the body 6a, this guide means also has a function of a stopper means.

  When the cassette 3 is pushed (inserted) into the opening 2a of the housing 2, the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b can be retracted so as to get over the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 by the reverse operation to the above. You can move in.

  FIGS. 13A to 13G show the fourth embodiment, and its link mechanism can move up and down the main link body 71, and the main link body 71 and the arm body 6a substantially the same as in the third embodiment. And a guide means coupled to the. The guide means includes a pin shaft 75 projecting outward on one side surface of the arm body 6a, and an arcuate guide groove 76 formed through the side surface of the main link body 71 so that the pin shaft 75 is fitted. . In the fourth embodiment, since the arm body 6a needs to form the guide groove 76 on the side surface of the main link body 71 over the range in which the arm body 6a can be rotated up and down around the drive shaft 53, the main link body 71 is provided. The vertical dimension of becomes larger. The guide groove 76 can be either a linear shape or a curved shape (arc shape) because of the necessity in design. The operation of retracting the arm body 6a and the feeding roller 6b by the guide means and the main link body 71 so as to get over the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 is substantially the same as in the third embodiment. Since it can be understood, detailed description is omitted.

  Also in the fourth embodiment, the lower limit position of the downward rotation of the arm body 6a can be regulated by the arrangement position and length of the guide groove 76, so that this guide means also has a function as a stopper means.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the first link body 61, the second link body 63, and the main link body 71 are provided adjacent to the side surface of the arm body 6a. Compared with the configuration in which the link mechanism cooperates with the side plate of the cassette in the width direction, the link mechanism can be greatly reduced in size and the configuration can be simplified. And the 1st link body 61, the main link body 71, and the arm body 6a can be manufactured with either a synthetic resin material or a metal material. Since the cam follower surface is formed on the lower surface of these members, the formation range can be reduced as compared with the conventional method of forming the cam follower surface on the upper surface of the side plate of the cassette. Further, by providing a stopper means for defining the lower limit of the downward rotation of the arm body 6a, the first link body 61 or the main link body 71, particularly when the cassette 3 is pulled out, feeding of the tip of the arm body 6a is performed. There is an effect that it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the roller 6b colliding with the bottom plate or the like of the apparatus body and becoming dirty.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the sliding contact between the cam follower surfaces such as the first link body 61, the main link body 71 and the arm body 6a and the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8 is made smooth, and the cam follower surface wears and collides. In order to prevent damage due to the above, a rotatable roller body 77 may be provided at the upper end portion of the inclined separation plate 8 (see FIG. 8A). Conversely, a rotatable roller body (not shown) may be provided on the lower surfaces of the first link body 61, the main link body 71, and the arm body 6a that easily collide with the upper end portion of the inclined separation plate 8 first. Further, the cam follower surfaces formed on the lower surfaces of the first link body 61, the main link body 71, and the arm body 6a are smoothly slid against the leading edge (downstream edge) and the upper surface of the paper P during feeding. By forming a curved surface that can contact, the function of the paper guide can be shared.

  Note that, in the case of so-called borderless image recording in which an image is recorded on the entire surface of the paper P, the leading edge of the paper P fed from the cassette 3 is disposed on the lower surface of the carriage 5 and on the downstream side of the transport from the recording head 4. It detects with the sensor which is not illustrated. Thereafter, an operation is known in which the paper P is once transported backward to the upstream side of conveyance, and image recording is started after the leading edge of the paper P is positioned at the upstream end of the recording head. In this case, when the rear edge (upstream edge) of the reversely conveyed paper P returns from the U-turn-like conveyance path 9 onto the cassette 3, the rear edge of the paper P is the upper edge of the inclined separation plate 8 or There is a problem that the sheet P is gripped by the separation unit or the like, or interferes with the front edge of the sheet P accommodated in the cassette 3 so that the sheet P is deformed or a predetermined amount of reverse conveyance becomes impossible. .

  In order to solve the above problem, in the embodiment of FIG. 14, the most upstream end of the first transport path body 60 that is the outer guide member of the transport path 9 (adjacent to the upper end of the inclined separation plate 8). Is provided with a rotatable roller body 79. Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 15A, the convex curved portion 80 is provided at the transport upstream end of the first transport path body 60. Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 15B, a convex curved portion 81 is formed at the upper end portion of the inclined separation plate 8 of the cassette 3, and the inclined angle of the convex curved portion 81 is set to the most upstream conveyance of the first conveyance path body 60. The shape combined with the side end portion does not interfere with the separation portion in the inclined separation plate 8 during reverse conveyance of the paper P or interfere with the accumulated paper P.

  The amount of protrusion of the roller body 79, the convex curved portion 80, and the convex curved portion 81 is determined by the surface of the first conveying path 60 and the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate 8 or the protruding end portion of the separation claw 8a on the inclined separation plate 8. It protrudes slightly from the line connecting the surface of the separation part such as a separation pad.

  Needless to say, each of the above embodiments (inventions) can also be applied to an image recording apparatus in which cassettes are arranged in multiple stages.

1 is a perspective view of an image recording apparatus provided with an ink jet recording head of the present invention. It is a sectional side view of an image recording device. It is a top view of the cassette arrange | positioned under the main frame. It is a perspective view which shows the cassette which cut off a part of main frame, and the link mechanism of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view which shows a main frame and a U-turn-shaped conveyance path. It is a perspective view of the link mechanism and feed roller of a 1st embodiment which cut and show a part of main frame. (A) is an enlarged side view of the link mechanism and feeding roller of 1st Embodiment, (b) is a VIIIb-VIIIb arrow directional cross-sectional view of Fig.8 (a). It is a partially cutaway enlarged perspective view showing an attachment portion of the link mechanism to the main frame. (A)-(g) is explanatory drawing which shows the retraction | saving action | operation of a feed roller accompanying the movement of the cassette by the link mechanism of 1st Embodiment. (A)-(g) is explanatory drawing which shows the retraction | saving action of the feed roller accompanying the movement of the cassette by the link mechanism of 2nd Embodiment. (A)-(g) is explanatory drawing which shows the retraction | saving action | operation of the feeding roller accompanying the movement of the cassette by the link mechanism of 3rd Embodiment. (A)-(g) is explanatory drawing which shows the retraction | saving action | operation of a feed roller accompanying the movement of the cassette by the link mechanism of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of an embodiment for preventing interference during reverse conveyance of a sheet P. (A) And (b) is a sectional side view of other embodiment for preventing the interference at the time of reverse conveyance of the paper P. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image recording apparatus 2 Housing 3 Cassette 4 Recording head 5 Carriage 6 Feeding means 6a Arm body 6b Feeding roller 7 Recording part 8 Inclined separation plate 9 as an end wall Transport path 21 Main frame 53 Drive shaft 62 First shaft 69a 69e Cam follower surface 70 Stopper means 71 Main link body 73 Guide groove 74 Pin shaft

Claims (10)

A cassette that can accommodate a sheet-like recording medium in a stacked state and can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body,
An end wall provided at the downstream end of the cassette in the feeding direction of the recording medium so as to extend perpendicular to the feeding direction and extends to a position higher than the maximum height position of the recordable recording medium. When,
An image recording means provided in the apparatus main body for recording an image on a recording medium;
An arm body provided in the apparatus main body and swingable about a support shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording medium;
Provided on the swing end side of the arm body, the cassette is in contact with the uppermost recording medium accommodated in the cassette while being inserted into the apparatus body, and this recording medium is used as the image recording means. A feeding roller that feeds toward the
A link mechanism which is provided in the apparatus main body and moves up and down the feed roller and the arm body;
The link mechanism is configured so that the feeding roller and the arm body can be retracted above the cassette in cooperation with the end wall when the cassette is inserted and removed. .   2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end wall is an inclined separation plate provided with an inclined separation means for separating the front edge of the recording medium to be fed one by one. .   2. The link mechanism includes a cam follower surface that is slidably contacted with the end wall when the cassette is inserted and removed so that the feeding roller and the arm body can be retracted above the cassette. Or the image recording apparatus of 2. The link mechanism includes a first link body pivotally supported in the apparatus main body so as to be swingable up and down, a base end portion rotatably connected to the arm body, and the other end portion rotated to the first link body. A second link body connected in a movable manner,
The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a cam follower surface is formed on the lower surface side of the first link body so as to be in sliding contact with the upper end of the end wall.   In the link mechanism, one main link body pivotally supported in the apparatus main body so as to be swingable up and down is connected to the arm body so as to be movable up and down via guide means, and on the lower surface side of the main link body, The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a cam follower surface slidably contacting an upper end of the end wall is formed.   6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide means is a pin shaft provided on the main link body and a guide groove formed on a side surface of the arm body and fitted on the pin shaft.   6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide means is a pin shaft provided on the arm body and a guide groove formed on a side surface of the main link body and fitted on the pin shaft.   8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising stopper means for defining a lower limit of downward rotation of the arm body, the first link body, or the main link body.   9. A roller body that abuts against a mating member is provided on a lower surface side of the first link body or the main link body, or on an upper end portion of the end wall. Image recording device.   10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a cam follower surface on a lower surface side of the first link body or the main link body is also used as a guide surface of a recording medium to be fed.

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