JP2008068969A - Recording medium feeding apparatus, recording apparatus, and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a feeding device capable of ensuring a high degree of freedom of control while performing high-speed paper feeding by intermittently rotating a feeding roller while maintaining a constant hopper posture, and realizing higher throughput. I will provide a.
A feeding device includes a feeding roller that feeds a sheet to a downstream side by contacting and rotating with the sheet, and a sheet feeding roller that supports the sheet and supplies the uppermost one of the supported sheets. And a hopper 16 capable of switching between a first posture to be brought into contact with the second roller and a second posture to be separated from the feeding roller 11. The feed roller driving means 101 that drives the feed roller 11 and the hopper drive means 102 that switches the attitude of the hopper 16 are configured separately and independently, and the control unit 100 changes the first attitude of the hopper 16. By rotating the feeding roller 11 while maintaining it, a feeding mode for feeding a plurality of sheets without changing the attitude of the hopper 16 can be executed.
[Selection] Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to a recording medium feeding apparatus that feeds a recording medium and a recording apparatus including the recording medium feeding apparatus. The present invention also relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus.
Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus uses an ink jet recording head, and is not limited to a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile machine that discharges ink from the recording head to perform recording on a recording medium. And a device that ejects a liquid corresponding to the application from a liquid ejecting head corresponding to the ink jet recording head to an ejected medium corresponding to a recording medium, and adheres the liquid to the ejected medium. .

  In addition to the recording head, as a liquid ejecting head, a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, and an electrode material (conductive paste) used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL display or a surface emitting display (FED) Examples thereof include an ejection head, a bioorganic matter ejection head used for biochip production, and a sample ejection head as a precision pipette.

  A feeding device that feeds paper (single paper) as an example of a recording medium one by one, supports a paper feeding roller that feeds the paper downstream by contacting and rotating the paper. And a hopper capable of switching between a posture in which the uppermost supported paper is brought into contact with the feeding roller (upward posture) and a posture in which the supported paper is separated from the feeding roller (lowering posture). There is something to prepare.

However, when switching the hopper position, the noise generated when the paper collides with the feed roller and the operation sound generated by the drive mechanism are generated. Will occur remarkably. In addition, there is a limit in switching the hopper posture every time the sheets are fed one by one in order to perform even higher speed paper feeding. In Patent Document 1, in order to cope with such a problem, a plurality of sheets are continuously fed without changing the attitude of the hopper by rotating the feeding roller while raising the hopper. A configured paper feeder is described.
JP 2002-284373 A

  Conventionally, as a mechanism for switching the attitude of the hopper, a cam is provided on the rotation shaft of the feed roller, and it is configured to engage with a cam follower provided on the hopper side, and interlocked with one rotation operation of the feed roller. The hopper is configured to perform a series of posture switching operations, that is, switching from the lowered posture to the raised posture and returning from the raised posture to the lowered posture. However, with such a configuration, the feeding roller cannot be continuously rotated while maintaining the hopper ascending posture. Accordingly, the cam for switching the attitude of the hopper is separated from the rotating shaft of the feeding roller, and a power transmission switching means such as a clutch is provided between the driving source of the feeding roller and the cam, and the attitude of the hopper is switched only when necessary. It is necessary to configure as follows.

  However, when using a power transmission switching means such as a clutch, it is necessary to switch the power transmission on and off by using other components of the recording apparatus, such as a carriage mounted with a recording head, which impairs the degree of freedom of control. At the same time, it takes time to switch on / off the power transmission, which hinders high throughput.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and its object is to freely control at the time of high-speed paper feeding by intermittently rotating the feed roller while maintaining the hopper posture constant. An object of the present invention is to provide a feeding device that can secure the degree and can realize higher throughput.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the first aspect of the present invention supports a recording medium, a feeding roller that feeds the recording medium downstream by contacting and rotating the recording medium, A recording medium comprising: a hopper capable of switching between a first posture in which the uppermost supported recording medium is brought into contact with the feeding roller and a second posture in which the uppermost one is separated from the feeding roller. A feeding device, wherein the feeding roller driving means for driving the feeding roller and the hopper driving means for switching the attitude of the hopper are configured separately, the feeding roller driving means and the hopper driving means A first feeding mode in which the control means for controlling the hopper changes the attitude of the hopper for feeding each recording medium when feeding a plurality of recording media; and the first feeding mode of the hopper While maintaining the posture, Wherein the by rotating the La is configured to be switched, and a second feeding mode for feeding a plurality of sheets of the recording medium without the posture switching of the hopper.

  According to this aspect, the feeding roller driving means for driving the feeding roller and the hopper driving means for switching the attitude of the hopper are configured separately, and the control means is configured so that the control means Since the second feeding mode for feeding a plurality of recording media without rotating the posture of the hopper by rotating the feeding roller while maintaining the first posture is provided. Is maintained in the first posture, and the degree of freedom of control when continuously feeding the recording medium can be secured, and the hopper can be driven in a short time, so that high throughput can be achieved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium feeding device according to the first aspect, the first feeding mode or the second feeding mode is selected according to the type of the recording medium. It is configured. According to this aspect, since the first feeding mode or the second feeding mode is selected according to the type of the recording medium, the first feeding mode is selected in the case of the recording medium that is likely to cause double feeding. Appropriate feeding control according to the type of the recording medium can be executed, such as selecting a feeding mode.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium feeding device according to the second aspect, the second feeding mode is executed only when the recording medium is plain paper.
When the recording medium is, for example, special paper having a coating layer on the surface, the friction coefficient between the recording media is high, and multiple feeding is likely to occur when feeding at high speed using the second feeding mode. In the case of dedicated paper, recording quality is more important than throughput. Conversely, in the case of plain paper, throughput is more important than recording quality. According to this aspect, since the second feeding mode is executed only when the recording medium is plain paper, a request for high throughput required for plain paper and a recording medium other than plain paper are required. This makes it possible to satisfy both demands for recording quality.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium feeding device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the recording medium feeding device is provided so as to be rotatable when viewed from the feeding path of the recording medium. And a return lever for returning the next and subsequent recording media sent from the top of the hopper to the downstream side along with the uppermost recording medium to be fed to the hopper, the return lever Is configured to be driven by the hopper driving means.

  Since the return lever is a factor that hinders feeding from the viewpoint of the recording medium to be fed, it is surely retracted from the feeding path until at least the leading end of the recording medium to be fed passes. The attitude needs to be controlled in the same way. When the recording medium is fed using the second feeding mode, since the recording medium is continuously fed, the feeding is surely performed until all feeding jobs are completed. Must be evacuated from the route.

  On the other hand, when the recording medium is fed using the second feeding mode, the hopper needs to be reliably maintained in the first posture. Since the return lever is driven together with the hopper by the hopper driving means for driving the hopper that should be reliably maintained in the first posture in the second feeding mode in this way, in the second feeding mode, The return lever can be reliably retracted from the feeding path during feeding of the recording medium.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium feeding device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the recording medium feeding device is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the feeding roller at a position facing the feeding roller. When the recording medium is fed, the recording medium advances to the feeding roller and nips the recording medium with the feeding roller, so that the uppermost recording medium to be fed and subsequent A separating member that separates the recording medium from the recording medium, and is provided so as to be capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the feeding roller at a position facing the feeding roller. And a regulating member that regulates a recording medium that enters a nip point between the separating member and the separating member, wherein the separating member and the regulating member are provided to be engageable with the hopper, and the hopper is the first hopper. If you take the attitude Advanced against over la, when the hopper takes the second posture, characterized in that it is configured as to retreat from the feed roller.

  Since the regulating member regulates the recording medium that enters the nip point between the feeding roller and the separating member, this prevents the double feeding more reliably. Since the regulating member engages with the hopper and operates in conjunction with the hopper posture switching operation, the regulating member is securely moved to the feeding roller during feeding of the recording medium in the second feeding mode. The advanced state can be maintained, and the function of the regulating member can be obtained with certainty.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus comprising recording means for recording on a recording medium, the recording target according to any one of the first to fifth aspects provided upstream of the recording means. A medium feeding device is provided. According to this aspect, in the recording apparatus, it is possible to obtain the same function and effect as any one of the first to fifth aspects.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid ejecting means for ejecting a liquid onto the ejected medium, an upstream side of the liquid ejecting means, and the ejected medium is brought downstream by contacting and rotating the ejected medium. A feeding roller for feeding, a first posture for supporting the ejected medium and bringing the uppermost one of the supported ejected media into contact with the feeding roller, and a second posture for separating the feeding medium from the feeding roller A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a hopper capable of switching a posture, wherein a feeding roller driving means for driving the feeding roller and a hopper driving means for switching the posture of the hopper are configured independently. The control means for controlling the feeding roller driving means and the hopper driving means performs the first hopper posture switching for feeding each of the ejected media when feeding a plurality of ejected media. The feeding mode of the By switching the feeding roller while maintaining the first posture of the hopper, the second feeding mode for feeding a plurality of ejection target media without switching the posture of the hopper is switched. It is configured to be possible.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a “recording medium feeding device”, a “recording device”, and a “liquid ejecting device” according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<< Inkjet printer configuration >>
First, the configuration of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) as an embodiment of “recording apparatus” and “liquid ejecting apparatus” will be outlined with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view of the printer 1.

  The printer 1 includes a rear feeding device 2 as an embodiment of a “recording medium feeding device” at the rear of the device, and a front feeding device 3 at the bottom of the device. From these two feeding devices, a conveying means 5 is provided. A recording paper (hereinafter referred to as “paper P”) as “recording medium” or “ejection medium” is fed to the head. The paper P is transported by the transport means 5 to the recording means 4 (recording head 55). After recording is performed, the paper P is discharged by a discharge means 6 to a stacker (not shown).

Hereinafter, the components on the paper transport path will be described in more detail.
The rear feeding device 2 includes a hopper 16 that is swingable when viewed from the side of the paper feeding path, and a feeding roller 11 that feeds the paper P downstream by contacting and rotating the paper P. The sheet is fed one by one from the uppermost one of the plurality of sheets P supported in an inclined posture by the hopper 16. The configuration of the rear feeding device 2 will be described in detail later.

On the other hand, the front feeding device 3 provided at the bottom of the printer 1 and configured to set the paper P from the front of the device includes a paper feeding cassette 40, a pickup roller 41, a feeding roller 42, a retard roller 39, and the like. , And an assist roller 43.
The pick-up roller 41 driven by a driving means (not shown) rotates in contact with the uppermost one of the paper P set in the paper feed cassette 40 that can be mounted and removed from the front side of the apparatus, thereby the uppermost paper. P is fed out from the paper feed cassette 40. The pickup roller 41 is driven by a feeding roller driving means 101 described later.

  The feeding roller 42 reverses the curve of the uppermost sheet P fed from the sheet feeding cassette 40 by the pickup roller 41 and feeds it to the conveying means 5 after the sheet guidance 50. The feeding roller 42 is rotationally driven together with the conveyance driving roller 47 by a motor (not shown) that drives a conveyance driving roller 47 described later.

  A retard roller 39 is provided at a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 42 so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the feed roller 42, and when the uppermost paper P is fed out from the paper feed cassette 40. Forms the nip point by pressing against the feeding roller 42, and the leading edge of the next and subsequent sheets P fed from the sheet feeding cassette 40 along with the uppermost sheet P to be fed is moved to the nip. Stay near the point. The assist roller 43 is provided so as to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the feed roller 42, and feeds the paper P accompanying the rotation of the feed roller 42 by nipping the paper P with the feed roller 42. Assist.

  Next, on the downstream side of the rear feeding device 2 and the front feeding device 3, a paper guiding post 50 for guiding the fed paper P to the conveying means 5 and a paper guiding top 49 are provided. The paper P fed by the rear feeding device 2 and the front feeding device 3 is guided to the conveying means 5 by a post-paper guide 50 and a paper guide top 49. Reference numeral 46 denotes a guide roller that forms the feeding posture of the paper P fed from the rear feeding device 2. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a paper detection sensor 52 (see FIG. 2) that detects the passage of the paper P is provided in the paper transport path formed by the paper guide 50 and the paper guide top 49.

  The transport means 5 includes a transport drive roller 47 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and a transport driven roller 48 that is driven to rotate by elastic contact with the transport drive roller 47 from above. A plurality of transport driven rollers 48 are arranged in the direction of the rotation axis of the transport drive roller 47 and are supported by a paper guide 49. The paper P fed from the rear feeding device 2 or the front feeding device 3 is conveyed by the conveying means 5 to the recording means 4 (recording head 55) on the downstream side.

  The recording head 55 is provided at the bottom of the carriage 53, and the carriage 53 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction by a motor (not shown) while being guided by a carriage guide shaft 54 extending in the main scanning direction (front and back direction in FIG. 1). Driven by. The carriage 53 is equipped with independent ink cartridges (not shown) for each of a plurality of colors, and ink is supplied from the ink cartridges to the recording head 55. At a position facing the recording head 55, there is provided a paper guide front 51 that has a shape extending in the paper width direction and supports the paper from below and guides it to the downstream side. A distance from the recording head 55 is defined.

  On the downstream side of the recording unit 4, a discharge unit 6 that discharges the recorded paper P is provided. The discharge means 6 includes a discharge drive roller 56 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and a discharge driven roller 57 that is driven to rotate in contact with the discharge drive roller 56, and is a sheet on which recording is performed by the recording means 4. P is discharged by a discharge means 6 to a stacker (not shown) provided on the front side of the apparatus. The above is the general configuration of the printer 1.

<< Configuration of rear feeding device >>
Next, the configuration of the rear feeding device 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the rear feeding device 2, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hopper 16 and the return lever 33, and a drive mechanism for driving them, and FIG. 4 is a view of the holder 27, the sheet regulating member 30, and the hopper 16. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the retard roller 26, and FIG. 5B is an explanatory view of the operation. 6 is a perspective view of the first paper support 20, the second paper support 21, and the third paper support 22. FIGS. 7 and 8 are side sectional views of the rear feeding device 2. FIG. FIG. 8 shows the lowered posture.

  1 and 2, the rear feeding device 2 includes a hopper 16, a feeding roller 11, a retard roller 26, and a return lever 33 as components on the paper feeding path. Further, as a component for regulating the posture of the paper P, a movable edge guide 23, a fixed edge guide 24, a first paper support 20, a second paper support 21, and a third paper support 22 are provided (see FIG. 6 and the like). ).

  The hopper 16 that supports the sheet P in an inclined posture is provided so as to be able to swing around an upper swing fulcrum 16a. By swinging, the sheet P supported on the hopper 16 is pressed against the feeding roller 11. The first posture to be moved (hereinafter referred to as “upward posture”) and the second posture to be separated from the feeding roller 11 (hereinafter referred to as “downward posture”) are switched. The attitude switching operation of the hopper 16 is executed by a hopper driving means 102 described later.

  The feed roller 11 has a circular shape, and the outer periphery is formed of a high friction material, and is provided at a position biased to one digit side (the right side in FIG. 2) in the rotation axis direction of the feed roller rotation shaft 12. The feed roller 11 contacts and rotates with the paper P pushed up by the hopper 16 to feed the uppermost paper P downstream. The feeding roller 16 is driven by feeding roller driving means 101 described later.

  The retard roller 26 as an example of the “separating member” has a circular shape, and the outer periphery is formed of a high friction material. The retard roller 26 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the feed roller 11 at a position facing the feed roller 11, and is provided in a state in which a predetermined rotational resistance is given by a torque limiter mechanism. Accordingly, when only the uppermost sheet P to be fed exists between the retard roller 26 and the feeding roller 11, the retard roller 26 is driven to rotate, and the next and subsequent sheets P are present. In this case, the sheet P is stopped without being driven and rotated by the sliding action between the sheets, thereby preventing the next and subsequent sheets P from being double-fed.

  Here, the retard roller 26 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 5A, the retard roller 26 includes a roller main body 26a, an elastic material 26b provided on the outer periphery thereof, a shaft 26c passing through the roller main body 26a, and a roller main body 26a and a shaft 26c. And a coil spring 26d provided. The roller main body 26a and the coil spring 26d are rotatable with respect to the shaft 26c under a certain condition. The roller main body 26a and the coil spring 26d are arranged such that one end 26e of the coil spring 26d is formed in a notch 26f formed in the roller main body 26a. By latching, when rotating, it rotates integrally with the shaft 26c.

  Here, the coil spring 26d is tightly wound around the shaft 26c, and when the one end 26e is moved by the roller body 26a as indicated by reference numeral 26e 'in FIG. 5B, that is, the coil portion of the coil spring 26d. Is moved in the unwinding direction, the tight winding state with respect to the shaft 26c is released, so that the roller body 26a and the coil spring 26d are integrally rotated with respect to the shaft 26c.

  With such a configuration, when a plurality of sheets P are interposed between the feeding roller 11 and the retard roller 26, the rotational torque of the feeding roller 11 is transmitted to the retard roller 26 by a sliding action between the sheets. Accordingly, the retard roller 26 remains stopped, and the subsequent feeding of the paper P after the next is prevented. When only one sheet P is interposed between the feeding roller 11 and the retard roller 26, the rotational torque of the feeding roller 11 is transmitted to the retard roller 26, and the retard roller 26 is driven to rotate. P is fed downstream.

  The retard roller 26 configured in this manner is provided in the holder 27 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The holder 27 is provided so as to be swingable about the swing shaft 27 a, and the retard roller 26 moves forward and backward with respect to the feed roller 11 by swinging. The holder 27 is urged by a spring 28 in a swinging direction in which the retard roller 26 advances with respect to the feeding roller 11, and is provided so as to be able to engage with the lower end portion of the hopper 16. Then, the holder 27 is pushed down against the urging force of the spring 28, and the retard roller 26 is separated from the feeding roller 11.

  On the contrary, when the hopper 16 takes the rising posture, the engagement with the hopper 16 is released, the urging force of the spring 28 advances to the feeding roller 11, and the retard roller 26 contacts the feeding roller 11. That is, the retard roller 26 moves forward and backward with respect to the feeding roller 11 in conjunction with the attitude switching operation of the hopper 16.

  A sheet regulating member 30 is provided adjacent to the holder 27. Similarly to the holder 27, the sheet regulating member 30 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the feeding roller 11 and to be engageable with the lower end of the hopper 16, and when the hopper 16 takes a lowered posture, the sheet regulating member 30 is The regulating portion 30a is separated from the feeding roller 11 by being pushed down against the urging force of the spring 31 (a space indicated by a symbol d in FIG. 7 is formed). On the contrary, when the hopper 16 takes the rising posture, the engagement with the hopper 16 is released, and the regulating portion 30 a comes close to the feeding roller 11 by the urging force of the spring 31.

  In a state in which the regulating portion 30a is close to the feeding roller 11, the regulating portion 30a is upstream of the nip point between the feeding roller 11 and the retard roller 26 as seen from the side of the sheet feeding path as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the number of sheets P that try to enter the nip point between the feeding roller 11 and the retard roller 26 is regulated, and the double feeding of the sheets is more reliably prevented.

  A plurality of return levers 33 are provided on a rotating shaft 34 extending in the sheet width direction (FIG. 3), and can swing when viewed from the side of the sheet feeding path as indicated by a solid line and a virtual line in FIG. The return lever 33 shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 indicates a standby posture. When the feeding operation starts, the return lever 33 swings in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. Open the route.

  After the leading edge of the uppermost sheet P to be fed passes through the return lever 33, it swings in the clockwise direction in FIG. Subsequent sheets P are returned onto the hopper 16. Then, when the feeding operation is finished, it swings in the counterclockwise direction of FIG. 1 so as to fall slightly downstream, and again returns to the posture shown by the solid line in FIG. The return lever 33 is driven by hopper driving means 102 described later.

  The movable edge guide 23 and the fixed edge guide 24 are arranged on both sides of the paper P set in the rear feeding device 2 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, and the movable edge guide 23 moves on the hopper 16. The fixed edge guide 24 is formed integrally with the hopper 16 so as to be slidable according to the paper size. The movable edge guide 23 and the fixed edge guide 24 guide the side edges on both sides of the fed paper P.

  The first paper support 20, the second paper support 21, and the third paper support 22 extend the paper support surface of the hopper 16 toward the rear edge of the paper as shown in FIGS. The paper P to be set is supported from the back side. Here, recesses 20a and 21a are formed on the feeding reference position side (right side in FIG. 6) of the first sheet support 20 and the second sheet support 21, respectively.

  The recesses 20a and 21a are formed at positions and dimensions where small-size paper, for example, postcard-size or L-size photo-size paper just enters, and the paper set state and paper feeding are larger than those of larger sizes. It is supported with a gentle tilt angle in both states.

FIG. 7 shows the lowered posture of the hopper 16 (state when paper is set), and FIG. 8 shows the raised posture of the hopper 16 (state when paper is fed). The solid line indicated by symbol P _S in FIG. 8 recesses 20a, shows a paper small size, such as entering the 21a, the two-dot chain line indicated by reference numeral P _L recess 20a, shows a paper of a large size, such as deviates from 21a ing. As shown in the figure, but when even feeding any sheet bending posture are formed, the sheet P _S is supported with a gentle slope angle than the paper P _L, the degree of curvature of the time feeding is reduced.

That is, a small paper, such as postcard size, L size photo paper size generally high rigidity, but easily transport load increases that occur when forming a curved posture, the sheet P _S of small size as described above Since it is supported with a gentle inclination angle and the degree of bending during feeding becomes small, an increase in the transport load is prevented.
The above is the components on the sheet feeding path of the rear feeding device 2.

<< Configuration of power transmission switching device >>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the power transmission switching device provided in the rear feeding device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 17. 9 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the driving source of the rear feeding device 2 and its driving target, FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of the power transmission switching devices 60 and 61, and FIG. 12 is the rotating plate 20 and HOME. FIG. 13 is a front view of the power transmission switching device 60, and FIGS. 14 to 17 are operation diagrams of main components of the rear feeding device 2. In FIG. 11, for convenience of illustration, the ASF sub motor 63 is not shown.

  First, an outline will be given with reference to FIG. The rear feeding device 2 has two driving systems, that is, a feeding roller driving unit 101 and a hopper driving unit 102. The feed roller driving means 101 has an ASF motor 62 as a drive source and a power transmission switching device 60. The power of the ASF motor 62 is fed to the rear feeding device 2 via the power transmission switching device 60. This is selectively transmitted to either the roller 11 or the pickup roller 41 (FIG. 1) of the front feeding device 3.

  The hopper driving means 102 includes an ASF sub motor 63 as a drive source and a power transmission switching device 61, and a hopper cam (described later) for switching the attitude of the hopper 16 from the ASF sub motor 63 and a return lever cam for swinging the return lever 33. On / off switching of power transmission to both (described later) is performed via the power transmission switching device 61. The retard roller 26 and the sheet regulating member 30 perform an advance / retreat operation to the feed roller 11 in conjunction with the attitude switching operation of the hopper 16 as described above. Reference numeral 100 denotes a control unit that controls the ASF motor 62 (feed roller driving means 101) and the ASF sub motor 63 (hopper driving means 102).

A specific configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS.
The ASF motor 62 and the power transmission switching device 60 are provided at the lower right side of the frame 10 that constitutes the base of the rear feeding device 2 (FIG. 2). The power transmission switching device 60 starts with a pinion gear 65 attached to the rotation shaft of the ASF motor 62 and transmits power in the order of gears 66 and 67. Here, the gear 67 has a function of a sun gear, and two planetary gears 69 and 70 are added to the swing member 68 as a “planetary gear support member” that swings around the rotation shaft 68 a of the sun gear 67. Is provided. The two planetary gears 69 and 70 mesh with the sun gear 67 and make a planetary motion around the sun gear 67 according to the rotation of the sun gear 67.

  For example, when the sun gear 67 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 10, the planetary gear 70 meshes with the gear 71, thereby transmitting power to the feed roller gear 72 attached to the feed roller rotating shaft 12. The feed roller 11 is driven. Conversely, when rotating in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 10, the planetary gear 69 meshes with the gear 88 (see reference numerals 69 and 69 ′ in FIG. 13), thereby driving the pickup roller 41 of the front feeding device 3. .

  That is, the feed roller driving means 101 can select a state in which power is transmitted to the feed roller 11 and a state in which power is not transmitted by switching the rotation direction of the ASF motor 62, that is, the feed roller. 11, the power of the ASF motor 62 can be selectively transmitted.

  The ASF sub motor 63 and the power transmission switching device 61 are provided on the upper right side of the frame 10 constituting the base of the rear feeding device 2 (FIG. 2). The power transmission switching device 61 starts with a pinion gear 75 attached to the rotation shaft of the ASF sub motor 63 and transmits power in the order of the gears 76 and 78. Here, the gear 76 has a function of a sun gear, and meshes with the sun gear 76 and swings around the sun gear 76 in a planetary motion with a swing member 77 that swings around the rotation axis of the sun gear 76. A planetary gear 78 is provided.

  Therefore, for example, when the sun gear 76 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 11, the planetary gear 78 meshes with the gear 79 as the “mesh gear”, and the hopper 16, the return lever 33, etc. are driven. Conversely, when the sun gear 76 rotates in the clockwise direction of FIG. 11, the planetary gear 78 is separated from the gear 79, and the hopper 16, the return lever 33, etc. are not driven.

  That is, the planetary gear 78 can be selected between a state in which the planetary gear 78 is engaged with the gear 79 and a state in which the planetary gear 78 is not engaged with the gear 79, that is, can be selectively engaged with the gear 79. Thus, by switching the rotation direction of the ASF sub motor 63, it is possible to switch whether the hopper 16, the return lever 33, etc. are driven or not.

  Next, the gear wheel train and the cam mechanism ahead of the gear 79 will be described. The gear 79 meshes with a spring cam gear 80, and a hopper cam gear 82 is connected to the spring cam gear 80. The spring cam gear 80 and the hopper cam gear 82 are configured to rotate integrally. That is, the spring cam gear 80 and the hopper cam gear 82 have the same rotation center and are rotated by the same rotation angle.

  A hopper cam 83 is formed on the disk surface of the hopper cam gear 82, and this hopper cam 83 can be engaged with a hopper cam follower 16 b (see FIGS. 14 to 17) formed on the hopper 16. Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a hopper spring 17 as a “hopper urging means” is provided on the back side of the hopper 16, and the hopper 16 is moved from the lowered position to the raised position by the hopper spring 17. It is energized towards.

  Accordingly, the hopper 16 is switched from the lowered position to the raised position by the urging force of the hopper spring 17, and the hopper cam 83 pushes the hopper cam follower 16 b against the urging force of the hopper spring 17, thereby switching from the raised position to the lowered position. It is supposed to change. As described above, the attitude of the hopper 16 is switched by the ASF sub motor 63. Further, the shape of the hopper cam 83 is determined so that the hopper 16 is switched from the lowered posture to the raised posture and from the raised posture to the lowered posture during one rotation of the hopper cam gear 82.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the gear 84 is meshed with the hopper cam gear 82, and the return lever cam gear 86 is meshed with the gear 84. A return lever cam 85 is formed on the return lever cam gear 86, and this return lever cam 85 is engaged with a return lever cam follower 35 attached to the rotating shaft 34 of the return lever 33. Thereby, the swinging motion of the return lever 33 is executed by the power of the ASF sub motor 63.

  Here, the posture of the return lever 33 needs to be controlled so as to be surely retracted from the paper feeding path until at least the leading edge of the paper to be fed passes. Since the return lever 33 is driven together with the hopper 16 by the hopper driving means 102 as described above, the return lever 33 can be reliably retracted from the paper feeding path during paper feeding.

  The reduction ratio when power is transmitted from the hopper cam gear 82 to the return lever cam gear 86 via the gear 84 is 1: 1. Therefore, these gears of the spring cam gear 80, the hopper cam gear 82, and the return lever cam gear 86 are provided. The rotation ratio is 1: 1: 1, and all rotate by the same rotation angle.

  Subsequently, in FIG. 11, reference numeral 90 denotes a rotating plate connected to the gear 84. Flags 90a, 90b, and 90c are provided on the outer periphery of the rotating plate 90 as shown in FIG. 12, and holes indicated by reference numerals 90d and 90e are formed on the disk surface. A HOME sensor 91 as an optical sensor including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit and a phase sensor 92 are provided at a position facing the outer periphery of the rotating plate 90. The HOME sensor 91 has its optical axis rotated. The phase sensor 92 is provided so as to block the disk surface of the plate 90 and the optical axis of the phase sensor 92 so as to block the passage areas of the flags 90a, 90b, 90c. Note that an arrow R in FIG. 12 indicates the direction of rotation of the rotating plate 90.

  Accordingly, the HOME sensor 91 passes through the hole 90d (hereinafter referred to as “HOME position detection hole 90d”) and the hole 90e (hereinafter referred to as “spring release position detection hole 90e”) as the rotating plate 90 rotates. The phase sensor 92 can detect the passage of the flags 90a, 90b, 90c as the rotating plate 90 rotates. Since the rotating plate 90 is connected to the gear 84, the reduction ratio when rotating with respect to the spring cam gear 80, the hopper cam gear 82, and the return lever cam gear 86 is 1: 1, and the rotating plate 90 rotates by the same rotation angle. Will be.

  Next, planetary gear holding means for holding the meshing state between the planetary gear 70 and the gear 71 of the power transmission switching device 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, etc., the power transmission switching device 60 includes a coil spring 93 as a “biasing member”. The coil spring 93 is loosely inserted into a protrusion 10c formed on the frame 10 of the rear feeding device 2 at the coil portion, and one end of the coil spring 93 is engaged with the spring engaging portion 68b of the swing member 68 as a first action portion 93b. The other end is provided as a second action portion 93a so as to be engageable with a planetary lock cam 81 formed on the spring cam gear 80.

  Hereinafter, the function of the coil spring 93 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17. FIG. 14 shows a state when the hopper cam 83 pushes down the hopper cam follower 16b and the hopper 16 takes a lowered posture (state before starting feeding). In this state, the second action portion 93a of the coil spring 93 and the planetary lock cam 81 are in a disengaged state.

  At the time of paper feeding, the ASF sub motor 63 is first rotated from this state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the planetary lock cam 81 and the second action part 93a of the coil spring 93 are engaged, and the first action part 93b of the coil spring 93 moves the swing member 68 in the counterclockwise direction of the drawing. Energize to. As a result, the planetary gear 70 meshes with the gear 71 and the meshed state is maintained. 14 to 17, the gear 71 is not shown for simplification of the drawing.

  When the hopper 16 is switched to the ascending posture by the rotation of the ASF sub motor 63, the ASF sub motor 63 temporarily stops its rotation, and then the ASF motor 62 starts to rotate. As a result, the feeding roller 11 is driven, and the uppermost sheet P in pressure contact with the feeding roller 11 is fed downstream.

  Almost at the same time as the leading edge of the fed paper P reaches the transport means 5 (FIG. 1) and the transport of the paper by the transport means 5 starts, the stopped ASF sub motor 63 starts rotating again, and the hopper 16 Switching operation from the rising posture to the lowering posture is started (FIG. 17). When the hopper 16 is switched to the lowered posture, both the ASF motor 62 and the ASF sub motor 63 are stopped. Thereafter, the paper P is transported by the transport means 5.

Here, when the hopper 16 is switched from the rising posture to the lowering posture, the engagement state between the second action portion 93a of the coil spring 93 and the planetary lock cam 81 is also released. At this time, the second action portion 93a is moved to the planetary lock cam. If it deviates from 81 at a stretch, a big noise may generate | occur | produce for it. Therefore, a slope 81a is formed at the rear end of the planetary lock cam 81, and the second action portion 93a of the coil spring 93 is configured to gradually release the engagement state with the planetary lock cam 81 (FIG. 16, FIG. 16). FIG. 17).
The feeding operation described above is an example of the operation in the first paper feeding mode (described later) in which the posture of the hopper 16 is switched every time the paper P is fed one by one.

  The effect of the power transmission switching device 60 configured as described above will be described. The swinging member 68 is biased by a coil spring 93 that exerts a biasing force by the action of the planetary lock cam 81 formed on the disk surface of the spring cam gear 80, thereby maintaining the meshed state of the planetary gear 70 and the gear 71. (Locked).

  Therefore, the meshing state between the planetary gear 70 and the gear 71 can be held (locked) by the constituent elements of the planetary lock cam 81 and the coil spring 93, and the cost for maintaining the meshing state between the planetary gear 70 and the gear 71 can be reduced. In addition, the size can be reduced.

  In addition, in order to feed the paper, it is necessary to transmit power to the feeding roller 11 when the hopper 16 takes the rising posture, but the planetary lock cam 81 is a hopper cam that switches the posture of the hopper 16. 83 is formed in the spring cam gear 80 that rotates at the same reduction ratio as the hopper cam gear 82 in which the 83 is formed, so that the meshing state between the planetary gear 70 and the gear 71 can be maintained with the simple configuration and the attitude switching of the hopper 16. Can be linked.

  By the way, when the hopper 16 receives the urging force of the hopper spring 17 and switches from the lowered position to the raised position, a reaction force from the hopper spring 17 acts on the hopper cam 83, thereby causing a tendency for the hopper cam 83 to rotate. For this reason, the paper P supported by the hopper 16 collides with the feeding roller 11 vigorously, and there is a possibility that an unpleasant collision sound is generated.

  Here, the hopper cam gear 82 on which the hopper cam 83 is formed and the spring cam gear 80 on which the planetary lock cam 81 is formed rotate integrally. The planetary lock cam 81 receives a reaction force from the coil spring 93. The section that receives this reaction force and the section in which the hopper cam 83 is about to rotate by receiving the reaction force of the hopper spring 17 are substantially coincident (section z in FIG. 19). The direction in which 82 is to be rotated and the direction in which spring cam gear 82 is to be rotated by the biasing force of coil spring 93 are opposite.

  That is, the urging force of the coil spring 93 acts as a brake when the hopper cam gear 82 is rotated by receiving the urging force of the hopper spring 17, and the sheet P supported by the hopper 16 thereby. However, it is possible to mitigate the collision noise that occurs due to the collision with the feeding roller 11 vigorously. In order to obtain such effects, the planetary lock cam 81 meshes with the hopper cam gear 82, a gear provided integrally with the hopper cam gear 82 (this embodiment: spring cam gear 80), and the hopper cam gear 82. It is necessary to be provided on at least one of the gears.

<< Description of paper feeding mode >>
Next, the sheet feeding mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 and other drawings. 18 is an operation timing chart of main components of the rear feeding device 2, and FIG. 19 is a timing chart showing the relationship between the swing angle of the hopper 16 and the torsion angle of the coil spring 93.

  In the rear feeding device 2 according to the present embodiment, the feeding roller driving unit 101 and the hopper driving unit 102 are configured separately and independently as described above, and the control unit 100 serving as a control unit that controls them is provided. (FIG. 9) is capable of executing three modes: a first feeding mode, a second feeding mode, and a spring release mode. The spring release mode is not used during normal printing.

  Below, the 1st feeding mode and the 2nd feeding mode are explained first. The first feeding mode is a mode in which the posture of the hopper 16 is switched for each sheet when feeding a plurality of sheets P, and the second feeding mode is the raising of the hopper 16. In this mode, a plurality of sheets of paper P are fed without rotating the posture of the hopper 16 by rotating the feeding roller 11 while maintaining the posture.

  Whether the control unit 100 selects the first feeding mode or the second feeding mode is selected according to recording mode information transmitted from a computer device connected to the printer 1, for example. In the present embodiment, the control unit 100 is configured to select the first feeding mode or the second feeding mode according to the type of the paper P, and more specifically, recording on plain paper at high speed. The second feeding mode is selected when performing (generally referred to as a draft mode), and the first feeding mode is selected during other recording.

  The horizontal axis in FIG. 18 indicates the rotational phase (deg) of the spring cam gear 80, the hopper cam gear 82, and the return lever cam gear 86, and 0 deg on the horizontal axis indicates the state before the feeding operation is started (the state in FIG. 14). ing. “UP” in the chart of the hopper 16 means an ascending posture, and “DOWN” indicates a descending posture (at the same time, the vertical scale indicates the swing angle of the hopper 16). The vertical axis in the chart of the retard roller 26 and the paper regulating member 30 indicates the distance from the feeding roller 11, and the vertical axis in the chart of the return lever 33 indicates the swing angle of the return lever 33. The return lever 33 indicates a swing angle in a direction in which the standby state is 0 deg, the upper side is tilted to the downstream side, and the lower side is tilted to the upstream side.

  The home sensor 91 and the phase sensor 92 show detected waveforms. “ON” means that the optical axis is in a non-blocking state (light receiving state), and “OFF” indicates a state where the optical axis is blocked. It means that. Specifically, in the case of the HOME sensor 91, the optical axis is not cut off at the position of the HOME position detection hole 90d or the spring release position detection hole 90e (FIG. 12), and in the case of the phase sensor 92, the flags 90a, 90b, 90c. The optical axis is cut off at the position. In FIG. 18, the positions on the waveform are indicated by reference numerals 90a to 90e, respectively.

  The control unit 100 can detect the HOME position (rotation phase 0 deg) based on the combination of the detection states of the HOME sensor 91 and the phase sensor 92, and the current rotation phase can be detected on any of the detection waveforms of the phase sensor 92. It is possible to detect whether it is within the section.

  In the first feeding mode, each component of the rear feeding device 2 performs a series of operations shown in FIG. 18 (operations associated with one rotation (360 deg rotation) of the hopper cam gear 82 and the like) with a plurality of sheets P. This is always done once every time one sheet is fed. That is, when feeding a plurality of sheets P, the posture of the hopper 16 is switched for each sheet.

  However, when feeding one sheet P, the ASF sub motor 63 temporarily stops at the position (a) and the position (b). Here, the reason for stopping at the position (a) is that it is necessary to obtain a double feed preventing action by the retard roller 26 until the leading edge of the sheet reaches the conveying means 5. The reason for stopping at the position (b) is that while the recording is being performed on the fed paper P, the return lever 33 is tilted further upstream than the standby position, so This is because the sheet is sufficiently retracted so as not to come into strong contact with the sheet being fed while preventing the avalanche, and an excessively curved posture is not formed on the sheet P being recorded.

  In the case of the second feeding mode, each component of the rear feeding device 2 performs a series of operations shown in FIG. 18 only once throughout feeding a plurality of sheets P. In other words, by rotating the feeding roller 11 while keeping the posture of the hopper 16 in the raised posture, a plurality of sheets P are fed without switching the posture of the hopper 16.

  In the second feeding mode, the ASF sub motor 63 starts rotating to feed the first sheet, and then stops at the position (a). Thereafter, the ASF sub motor 63 is not driven, that is, the hopper 16 ASF motor 62 is driven while feeding is maintained in the raised posture, and the last sheet is fed. For the last sheet, the ASF sub motor 63 is driven before recording is started and rotated to the position (b) as in the first feeding mode, and the return lever 33 is further upstream than the standby position. Defeat. Then, after completion of the last sheet discharge operation, the ASF sub motor 63 is driven to return each component shown in FIG. 18 to the HOME position (rotation phase 0 deg).

  When a plurality of sheets are continuously fed by rotating the feeding roller 11 while the hopper 16 is maintained in the raised position, the distance between the trailing edge of the preceding sheet and the leading edge of the following sheet is zero. If this is the case, the paper detection sensor 52 (FIG. 2) cannot detect the passage of the leading and trailing edges of the sheet, and the recording start position cannot be grasped. Therefore, control for forming an interval between the trailing edge of the preceding sheet and the leading edge of the succeeding sheet (hereinafter referred to as “inter-page control”) is executed.

  In the inter-page control, the ASF motor 63 is temporarily driven when the trailing edge of the preceding paper is located downstream from the nip point between the feeding roller 11 and the retard roller 26 and upstream from the paper detection sensor 52. Do by stopping. When the trailing edge of the preceding sheet is located between the nip point between the feeding roller 11 and the retard roller 26 and the sheet detection sensor 52, the preceding sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit 5 on the downstream side. Yes. On the other hand, the following paper is fed by the feed roller 11. Therefore, once the driving of the feeding roller 11 is stopped, an interval can be formed between the trailing edge of the preceding sheet and the leading edge of the succeeding sheet, and the passage of the leading and trailing edges of the sheet is detected by the paper detection sensor 52. Can be detected.

  As described above, in the rear feeding device 2 according to the present embodiment, the feeding roller driving unit 101 and the hopper driving unit 102 are configured separately and independently, and the control unit 100 raises the hopper 16. By rotating the feeding roller 11 while maintaining the posture, the second feeding mode for feeding a plurality of sheets without changing the posture of the hopper 16 is executed, so that the hopper 16 is maintained in the raised posture. The degree of freedom of control when continuously feeding sheets can be ensured, and the hopper 16 can be driven in a short time, so that high throughput can be achieved.

  In addition, since the second feeding mode is executed only when the paper is plain paper, a request for high throughput required for plain paper, a request for emphasizing recording quality required for paper other than plain paper, Can be achieved.

  Next, the spring release mode will be described. In the spring release mode, the hopper cam 83 and the planetary lock cam 81 are disengaged between the planetary lock cam 81 and the second action portion 93a of the coil spring 93 before the hopper 16 is switched from the raised posture to the lowered posture. This is a control mode for positioning to the rotational phase.

  The details will be described below. The horizontal axis of FIG. 19 is the same as FIG. 18, and the operation chart of the hopper 16 and the detection waveforms of the HOME sensor 91 and the phase sensor 92 are also the same as those shown in FIG. Regarding the torsion angle of the coil spring 93 indicated by a one-dot chain line, for example, the non-engagement state (FIG. 14) between the second action portion 93a of the coil spring 93 and the planetary lock cam 81 is zero, and FIGS. As shown, the state in which the second acting portion 93a is pushed by the planetary lock cam 81 and the urging force of the coil spring 93 is maximized is the maximum torsion angle.

  When the execution command of the spring release mode is given, the control unit 100 drives and controls the ASF sub motor 63 so that the state of the hopper 17 and the coil spring 93 is in the position (c). Here, the state of (c) is the state before the hopper 16 switches from the rising posture to the lowering posture (as the posture is the rising posture), and is between the planetary lock cam 81 and the second action portion 93a of the coil spring 93. The engaged state is released, that is, the torsion angle of the coil spring 93 is 0 deg, and the urging force is not acting on the swing member 68. When the position (c) has passed as a result of stopping the ASF sub motor 63, the ASF sub motor 63 is slightly reversely driven to be positioned at the position (c).

  Thereby, the following effects can be obtained. In a state where the hopper 16 maintains the lowered posture against the urging force of the hopper spring 17 (see FIG. 8 and the like) by the action of the hopper cam 83, the hopper cam follower 16b that receives the force from the hopper cam 83 and the urging force of the hopper spring 17 A bending moment is generated between the portion on which is acting. Therefore, if this state is left for a long time, the hopper 16 may be plastically deformed.

  Similarly, the coil spring 93 that exerts an urging force between the planetary lock cam 81 and the swing member 68 is also left for a long time with the urging force acting between the planetary lock cam 81 and the swing member 68. There is a risk of plastic deformation at the site where the urging force acts. As an example in which the device is left unused without being used in this way, for example, after the device is shipped as a product, the device is used by the user.

  Therefore, for example, when the product is shipped, the spring release mode is executed, and the state of the hopper 16 and the coil spring 93 is set to the state shown in FIG. 19C as described above. As a result, the urging force of the hopper spring 17 that urges the hopper 16 becomes the weakest state, and the urging force of the coil spring 93 becomes zero, so that plastic deformation of the hopper 16 and the swing member 68 can be prevented. .

1 is a schematic side sectional view of a printer according to the present invention. 1 is an external perspective view of a feeding device according to the present invention. The perspective view of the drive mechanism which drives a hopper, a return lever, and these. The perspective view of a retard roller holder, a paper control member, and a hopper. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a retard roller, and FIG. The perspective view of the 1st thru | or 3rd paper support. The side sectional view (hopper lowering posture) of the feeding device concerning the present invention. The side sectional view of the feeding device concerning the present invention (hopper raising posture). The block diagram which shows the drive source of the feeder which concerns on this invention, and the relationship of the drive object. The perspective view of a power transmission switching device. The perspective view of a power transmission switching device. The perspective view of a rotary plate, a HOME sensor, and a phase sensor. The front view of a power transmission switching device. The operation | movement figure of the main components of the feeding apparatus which concerns on this invention. The operation | movement figure of the main components of the feeding apparatus which concerns on this invention. The operation | movement figure of the main components of the feeding apparatus which concerns on this invention. The operation | movement figure of the main components of the feeding apparatus which concerns on this invention. The timing chart which shows operation | movement of the main components of the feeding apparatus which concerns on this invention. The timing chart which shows the relationship between a hopper swing angle and a coil spring torsion angle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer, 2 Rear feeding device, 3 Front feeding device, 4 Recording means, 5 Conveying means, 6 Ejecting means, 10 Frame, 11 Feeding roller, 12 Feeding roller rotating shaft, 16 Hopper, 16a Oscillation fulcrum 16b Hopper cam follower, 17 Hopper spring, 20 1st paper support, 21 2nd paper support, 22 3rd paper support, 23 movable edge guide, 24 fixed edge guide, 26 retard roller, 27 holder, 28 spring, 30 paper regulation Member, 31 Spring, 33 Return lever, 34 Rotating shaft, 35 Return lever Cam follower, 39 Retard roller, 40 Paper feed cassette, 41 Pickup roller, 42 Feed roller, 43 Assist roller, 46 Guide roller, 47 Transport drive roller, 48 Conveyor driven roller, 49 paper draft Inner top, 50 After paper guidance, 51 Before paper guidance, 52 Paper detection sensor, 53 Carriage, 54 Carriage guide shaft, 55 Recording head, 56 Ejection drive roller, 57 Ejection driven roller, 60, 61 Power transmission switching device, 62 ASF Motor, 63 ASF sub motor, 65 pinion gear, 66 gear, 67 sun gear, 68 swing member, 69, 70 planetary gear, 71 gear, 72 feed roller gear, 75 pinion gear, 76 sun gear, 77 swing member, 78 planetary gear, 79 gear, 80 spring cam gear, 81 planetary lock cam, 82 hopper cam gear, 83 hopper cam, 84 gear, 85 return lever cam, 86 return lever cam gear, 88 gear, 90 rotating plate, 90a, 90b, 90c flag, 90d HOME position detection hole, 90e Spring release position detection Hole, 91 HOME sensor, 92 phase sensor, 93 coil spring, 100 control unit, 101 feeding roller driving means, 102 hopper driving means, P recording paper

Claims (7)

A feeding roller for feeding the recording medium downstream by contacting and rotating the recording medium;
A hopper capable of supporting a recording medium and switching between a first position in which the uppermost supported recording medium is brought into contact with the feeding roller and a second position in which the recording medium is separated from the feeding roller. A recording medium feeding device comprising:
The feeding roller driving means for driving the feeding roller and the hopper driving means for switching the attitude of the hopper are configured separately and independently.
A control unit that controls the feeding roller driving unit and the hopper driving unit performs a first feeding operation by switching the posture of the hopper for each sheet when feeding a plurality of recording media. Sending mode,
Switching between the second feeding mode for feeding a plurality of recording media without switching the posture of the hopper by rotating the feeding roller while maintaining the first posture of the hopper. Configured to be possible,
A recording medium feeding device characterized by the above.   2. The recording medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium feeding device is configured to select the first feeding mode or the second feeding mode according to a type of the recording medium. Recording medium feeding device. The recording medium feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the second feeding mode is executed only when the recording medium is plain paper.
A recording medium feeding device characterized by the above. The recording medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recording medium feeding device is provided so as to be rotatable when viewed from a feeding path of the recording medium, and is fed by rotating. A return lever for returning to the hopper the next and subsequent recording media sent to the downstream side from the hopper along with the uppermost recording medium to be recorded;
The return lever is configured to be driven by the hopper driving means.
A recording medium feeding device characterized by the above. 5. The recording medium feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium feeding device is provided so as to be capable of moving forward and backward with respect to the feeding roller at a position facing the feeding roller. Sometimes, the uppermost recording medium to be fed is separated from the subsequent recording medium by advancing to the feeding roller and nipping the recording medium with the feeding roller. A separating member to be
It is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the feed roller at a position facing the feed roller, and is moved into the nip point between the feed roller and the separating member by advancing with respect to the feed roller. A regulating member that regulates the recording medium,
The separation member and the regulating member are provided so as to be engageable with the hopper. When the hopper takes the first posture, the separation member and the regulating member advance with respect to the feeding roller, and the hopper is in the second posture. Is configured to retract from the feeding roller,
A recording medium feeding device characterized by the above.   A recording apparatus comprising recording means for recording on a recording medium, comprising the recording medium feeding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 upstream of the recording means. A recording apparatus. Liquid ejecting means for ejecting liquid onto the ejected medium;
A feed roller that is provided on the upstream side of the liquid ejecting means and feeds the ejected medium downstream by contacting and rotating the ejected medium;
A hopper that supports a medium to be ejected and that can be switched between a first position in which the uppermost supported medium to be ejected comes into contact with the feeding roller and a second position in which the medium is separated from the feeding roller. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
The feeding roller driving means for driving the feeding roller and the hopper driving means for switching the attitude of the hopper are configured separately and independently.
A control unit that controls the feeding roller driving unit and the hopper driving unit performs a first feeding operation by switching the posture of the hopper for each sheet when feeding a plurality of ejection target media. Sending mode,
By switching the feed roller while maintaining the first posture of the hopper, the second feeding mode for feeding a plurality of ejected media without switching the posture of the hopper is switched. Configured to be possible,
A liquid ejecting apparatus.

Images