JP2009250386A - Clutch device and recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch mechanism capable of meshing a clutch gear with the teeth of a clutch member certainly without requiring strict management of the accuracy of component parts and the assembling accuracy. <P>SOLUTION: A clutch device 50 includes the clutch gear 51a driven by a motor, the clutch member 52, a member to be driven 53, and a lever 56, and performs on-off switching of the torque transmission from the clutch gear 51a to the driven member 53. Even if the lever 56 changes over the operation from the second condition to the first condition while the teeth 52a of the clutch member 52 is in collision with the teeth of the clutch gear 51a, the second engagement part 56d on the lever side abuts to the second engagement part 52d on the clutch side, and the condition changeover operation of the lever 56 is stopped temporarily. Thereafter the teeth 52a of the clutch member 52 can be meshed with the clutch gear 51a by rotating the clutch gear 51a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clutch device that performs switching between transmission / non-transmission of rotational torque from a driving gear driven by a motor to a driven body, and a recording apparatus including the clutch device.

  The applicant of the present application transmits a rotational torque while the clutch gear driven by the motor rotates once, and a clutch mechanism that cuts off the transmission of the rotational torque from the clutch gear when the clutch gear rotates once, that is, rotates only once. A clutch mechanism (power transmission switching device) that transmits torque has already been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The clutch mechanism includes a clutch member having an annular shape including the clutch gear on the inner side and a tooth portion meshing with the clutch gear on the inner side, and a lever for switching the state of the clutch member. And a member.

In this clutch mechanism, when the lever member is switched from a state in which the lever member can be engaged with the clutch member to a state in which the lever member is separated from the clutch member, the clutch member is engaged with the clutch gear and a rotational torque is transmitted from the clutch gear. Become. When the lever member is switched to the state where it can be engaged with the clutch member again, the clutch member releases the engagement with the clutch gear, and the rotational torque is not transmitted from the clutch gear.
JP 2003-267567 A JP 2007-315573 A

  In such a clutch mechanism, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, even if the lever member is switched from a state in which the lever member can be engaged with the clutch member to a state in which the lever member is separated from the clutch member, the clutch gear and the clutch member There has been a technical problem in the past that the tooth portion collides with the tooth portion without correctly meshing.

  In this way, when the clutch gear and the teeth of the clutch member collide with each other without properly meshing and the lever member returns to the state where it can be engaged with the clutch member without torque being transmitted from the clutch gear, the lever member is again engaged. There is a risk that the clutch member will be engaged and the clutch gear will not be switched to a state where torque is transmitted.

  In order to solve such a problem, in the power transmission device described in Patent Document 1, the clutch gear and the teeth of the clutch member are reliably meshed with each other by interposing a step of switching the rotation direction of the clutch gear. It was like that. However, in this case, since it is necessary to intervene an additional operation step, it takes time for the switching operation, resulting in a decrease in recording throughput.

  Therefore, the power transmission switching device described in Patent Document 2 employs a mechanism that rotates the clutch gear by at least one tooth until the lever member is separated from the clutch member and can be engaged with the clutch member again. Thus, the clutch gear and the tooth portion of the clutch member are reliably engaged with each other without any additional operation steps.

However, in such a power transmission switching device described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to manage component accuracy and assembly accuracy relatively strictly, and there is still room for improvement in this respect.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clutch capable of reliably engaging the clutch gear and the tooth portion of the clutch member without strictly managing component accuracy and assembly accuracy. To get the mechanism.

  A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem is that a drive gear driven by a motor and an annular shape including the drive gear on the inner side and a tooth portion meshing with the drive gear on the inner side are provided. A clutch member that is switchable between a power connection state that engages with the drive gear and a power disconnection state that does not engage with the drive gear, and in which the rotational torque is transmitted from the drive gear in the power connection state And a driven body to which rotational torque is transmitted from the drive gear via the clutch member when the clutch member is in the power connection state, and the driven body together with the clutch member. A clutch member urging means provided to urge the clutch member in a direction in which the clutch member takes the power connection state; and And switching the clutch member from the power connected state to the power disconnected state, and further switching between a first state in which the power disconnected state is maintained and a second state in which the clutch member is not engaged. And in the middle of a state switching operation of the switching member from the second state to the first state, the clutch member is engaged with the switching member to temporarily perform the state switching operation. An engagement means for stopping is provided.

  According to this aspect, since the clutch device is provided with the engaging means for temporarily stopping the state switching operation of the switching member engaged with the clutch member, the drive gear and the tooth portion of the clutch member are not properly engaged with each other. Even if a collision occurs, the switching member can be prevented from switching to the first state in that state. As a result, the switching member returns to the first state again while torque is not transmitted from the drive gear, and as a result, it does not switch to the state where torque is transmitted from the drive gear. It can be solved without management.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the engagement means is configured by an engagement portion provided in the clutch member with which the switching member abuts, and the switching member is the engagement portion. The switching member presses the clutch member in a direction in which the clutch member takes the power connection state in a state where the clutch member is in contact with the clutch.
According to this aspect, since the clutch member is pressed by the switching member in the direction in which the power connection state is established, the tooth portion of the clutch member and the drive gear can be more reliably engaged.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording head that performs recording on a recording medium, a carriage that includes the recording head and is movable in the scanning direction of the recording head, and a roller that feeds the recording medium downstream. And a clutch device according to claim 1 for switching between transmission and non-transmission of motor rotational torque, wherein the switching member provided in the clutch device is provided to be engageable with the carriage, and the carriage The switching member performs a state switching operation through the moving operation.

  According to this aspect, since the recording apparatus includes the clutch device according to the first or second aspect, the recording apparatus can obtain the same operational effects as those of the first or second aspect. Since the switching member performs the state switching operation through the carriage moving operation, transmission / non-transmission of the rotational torque from the drive gear to the driven body without increasing the cost by utilizing the existing components of the printing apparatus. Can be switched.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a sheet conveyance path of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) 1 as an embodiment of a “recording apparatus”, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a clutch device 50 according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view of the same, and is a view showing an operation transition of the clutch device 50.

  The overall configuration of the printer 1 will be outlined below with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates the rollers arranged on the paper conveyance path of the printer 1 so that almost all the rollers are drawn on the same surface, but the position in the depth direction (the front and back sides of the paper in FIG. 1). Do not necessarily match (sometimes match).

  The printer 1 includes a feeding device 2 according to the present invention at the bottom of the device. From the feeding device 2, a sheet as an example of “recording medium” (mainly cut sheet paper: hereinafter referred to as “sheet P”). Each sheet is fed one by one, and recording (inkjet recording) is performed by the recording means 4 and discharged toward a sheet discharge stacker (not shown) provided on the front side of the apparatus (left side in FIG. 1).

The feeding device 2 includes a paper cassette 11, a separating member 12, a pickup roller 16, a guide roller 20, and a separating unit 21.
The paper cassette 11 that can store a plurality of sheets P in a stacked state is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the front side of the apparatus main body of the feeding apparatus 2.

  A pickup roller 16 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) is provided on a swinging member 17 that swings around a swinging shaft 18, and is in contact with the uppermost one of the sheets P stored in the sheet cassette 11. By rotating, the uppermost sheet P is sent out from the sheet cassette 11.

  A separating member 12 is provided at a position facing the leading edge of the paper stored in the paper cassette 11, and the leading edge of the uppermost paper P to be fed, which is fed by the rotation of the pickup roller 16, is the separating member 12. The first stage separation from the next and subsequent sheets P is performed by proceeding to the downstream side while sliding on the sheet.

  A free-rotating guide roller 20 is provided on the downstream side of the separating member 12, and the first sheet P composed of a separating roller 22 and a driving roller 23 is provided on the downstream side of the guide roller 20. Separation means 21 for performing second-stage separation from the next and subsequent sheets P is provided.

  On the downstream side of the separating means 21, a driving roller 26 that is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), and an assist roller 27 that is driven to rotate while the paper P is nipped between the driving roller 26 are provided. A first intermediate feeding unit 25 is provided, and the first intermediate feeding unit 25 feeds the paper P further downstream. Reference numeral 29 denotes a driven roller that reduces the sheet passing load when the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the curved inversion path.

  On the downstream side of the driven roller 29, there is provided a second driving roller 32 that is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), and an assist roller 33 that is driven to rotate while the paper P is nipped between the driving roller 32. An intermediate feeding unit 31 is provided, and the sheet P is further fed downstream by the second intermediate feeding unit 31.

The recording unit 4 is disposed on the downstream side of the second intermediate feeding unit 31. The recording unit 4 includes a transport unit 5, a recording head 42, a paper guide front 39, and a discharge unit 6.
The conveyance means 5 includes a conveyance drive roller 35 that is rotationally driven by a motor, and a conveyance driven roller 36 that is pivotally supported by the paper guide upper 37 so as to be driven and rotated against the conveyance drive roller 35. Yes.

  The paper P that has reached the transport means 5 is precisely fed to the downstream side when the transport drive roller 35 rotates while being nipped by the transport drive roller 35 and the transport driven roller 36.

  Subsequently, the recording head 42 is provided at the bottom of the carriage 40, and the carriage 40 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction by a drive motor (not shown) while being guided by a carriage guide shaft 41 extending in the main scanning direction (the front and back direction in FIG. 1). It is driven to move.

  The carriage 40 is a so-called off-carriage type in which no ink cartridge is mounted, and an ink cartridge (not shown) is provided independently from the carriage 40, and the ink cartridge is connected to the recording head via an ink supply tube (not shown). Ink is supplied to 42.

  A pre-paper guidance 39 is provided at a position facing the recording head 42, and the distance between the paper P and the recording head 42 is defined by the pre-paper guidance 39. Discharge means 6 for discharging the recorded paper P is provided downstream of the pre-paper guide 39.

  The discharge means 6 includes a discharge drive roller 44 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and a discharge driven roller 45 that is driven to rotate in contact with the discharge drive roller 44, and is a sheet on which recording is performed by the recording means 4. P is discharged by the discharge means 6 to a stacker (not shown) provided on the front side of the apparatus.

The outline of the printer 1 has been described above, and the clutch device 50 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 2, the clutch device 50 is disposed on the home position side of the carriage 40, receives power (rotational torque) from a conveyance drive roller 35 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and transfers the power to the pickup roller 16. It is provided in the power transmission path for transmitting.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 61 denotes a gear that receives power from the conveyance drive roller 35 via a gear (not shown), and power is transmitted from the gear 61 to the input gear 51 of the clutch device 50. The clutch device 50 uses a clutch gear 51a (FIG. 3) formed integrally with the input gear 51 as a “drive gear”, and transmits / not transmits rotational torque from the clutch gear 51a to the driven body 53 (gear 54). Switch the transmission.

  The gear 54 transmits power to the gear 62, and power is transmitted from the gear 62 to the pickup roller 16 via the gear 63 and the gear 60 and further to a gear mechanism (not shown). The clutch device 50 and the plurality of gears shown in FIG. 2 are provided on a frame member that is not shown.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the clutch device 50 will be described in detail. The clutch device 50 includes the above-described input gear 51 and clutch gear 51a, a clutch member 52, a driven member 53, a tension spring 55, a gear 54, and a lever member 56 as a “switching member”. It is configured.

  The clutch member 52 has an annular shape with the clutch gear 51a on the inner side, and has a tooth portion 52b that can mesh with the clutch gear 51a on the inner side, and can swing on the driven body 53 via the swing shaft 52a. Is provided. 3 to 7, the driven body 53 provided with the clutch member 52 is located on the front side of the drawing, and is therefore indicated by an imaginary line.

  The clutch member 52 swings about the swing shaft 52a, so that the toothed portion 52b meshes with the clutch gear 51a (FIG. 6), and the power disconnection state does not mesh with the clutch gear 51a (FIG. 3). Are switched, and are provided in a state of being biased in a direction of taking a power connection state by a tension spring 55 hung between the clutch member 52 and the driven body 53.

  Therefore, in a state where the clutch member 52 is not restrained at all, the clutch member 52 is brought into a power connection state by the urging force of the tension spring 55, and thereby a rotational torque is transmitted from the clutch gear 51a.

  Since the clutch member 52 is provided on the driven body 53, when the clutch member 52 takes a power connection state in which the rotational torque is transmitted from the clutch gear 51a, the rotational torque of the clutch gear 51a is passed through the clutch member 52. Is transmitted to the driven body 53, and the driven body 53 is rotationally driven. The driven body 53 is fitted to a central shaft 54a (the central axis of the gear 54) having a D-cut shape, whereby rotational torque is transmitted from the driven body 53 to the gear 54, that is, the gear 54 is a clutch. It is rotationally driven by the gear 51a.

  Next, the lever member 56 that switches the state of the clutch member 52 will be described. The lever member 56 is provided so as to be swingable about the swing shaft 56 a, has a shape extending in the vertical direction from the swing shaft 56 a, and has a carriage side engagement portion provided in the carriage 40 at the upper end. An engaged portion 56b that can engage with 40a (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is formed.

  The lever member 56 is provided in a state in which the engaged portion 56b is urged in a swinging direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3) in which the engaged portion 56b advances into the reciprocating region of the carriage 40 by urging means (not shown). Yes. Then, when the carriage 40 moves from the recording area side to the home position side, the engaged portion 56b is pushed away by the carriage side engaging portion 40a of the carriage 40, whereby the lever member 56 is swung clockwise in FIG. It is configured to move.

  In the lever member 56, a lever side first engagement portion 56c and a lever side second engagement portion 56d are provided below the swing shaft 56a. The clutch member 52 includes a clutch-side first engagement portion 52c that can be engaged with the lever-side first engagement portion 56c, and a clutch-side second engagement portion that can be engaged with the lever-side second engagement portion 56d. 52d.

  Hereinafter, the function performed by these engaging portions will be described together with the operation of the clutch device 50 with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a state where the lever member 56 is not engaged with the carriage 40 and the lever member 56 can be engaged with the clutch member 52 (first state) by the urging force of the urging means. . In the first state of the lever member 56, the clutch-side first engagement portion 52 c is in pressure contact with the lever-side first engagement portion 56 c by the urging force of the tension spring 55. The power cut state where 52b does not mesh with the clutch gear 51a is maintained.

  When the carriage 40 moves from the recording area side to the home position side from this state and the engaged portion 56b of the lever member 56 is pushed away by the carriage 40 (carriage side engaging portion 40a), as shown in FIG. 56 switches to a state where the clutch member 52 is not engaged (second state).

  In this second state, since the clutch member 52 is not restrained by the lever member 56, the tooth portion 52a swings in the direction in which it engages with the clutch gear 51a by the urging force of the tension spring 55. Here, there are cases where the tooth portion 52a meshes correctly with the clutch gear 51a, but the tooth portion 52a may collide with the teeth of the clutch gear 51a, and FIG. 4 shows the latter case.

  Thus, when the tooth portion 52a of the clutch member 52 collides with the tooth of the clutch gear 51a, the clutch member 52 cannot secure a sufficient swinging amount, and the clutch-side first engagement portion 52c becomes the lever-side first engagement portion 56c. Cannot be fully retracted from the position where it engages.

  If the clutch gear 51a can be rotated in this state, it can be expected that the tooth portion 52a and the clutch gear 51a mesh properly, but when the carriage 40 is in a specific position for reasons such as sharing the drive motor (particularly When a configuration capable of rotating the clutch gear 51a only when it is away from the lever member 56 (a configuration in which another power transmission switching mechanism is provided between the drive motor and the clutch gear 51a) is employed. There is.

  For this reason, the clutch gear 51a cannot be rotated in the state shown in FIG. 4 in which the tooth portion 52a collides with the teeth of the clutch gear 51a, and the carriage 40 returns to the recording area side again to move away from the lever member 56. In such a case, the following problems may occur.

  That is, when the lever member 56 returns from the second state to the first state, the lever member 56 may return to the state shown in FIG. 1 again, that is, despite the clutch member 52 being switched from the power disconnection state to the power connection state. As a result, there is a possibility that the power connection state may not be switched.

  Therefore, the lever member 56 is provided with a lever-side second engagement portion 56d, and the clutch member 52 is provided with a clutch-side second engagement portion 52d. By providing these engaging portions, as shown in FIG. 5, the lever member 56 is switched from the second state to the first state in a state where the tooth portion 52a of the clutch member 52 collides with the teeth of the clutch gear 51a. Even if the operation is performed, the lever-side second engagement portion 56d comes into contact with the clutch-side second engagement portion 52d, and the state switching operation of the lever member 56 is temporarily stopped. That is, the clutch-side second engaging portion 52d constitutes an engaging means that engages with the lever member 56 in the middle of the state switching operation of the lever member 56 to temporarily stop the state switching operation.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5, the lever member 56 presses the clutch member 52 in the direction in which the power is connected. Therefore, if the clutch gear 51a is rotated thereafter (clockwise direction in FIG. 5), the lever member 56 presses the clutch member 52. As shown in FIG. 6, the tooth portion 52a and the clutch gear 51a can be properly meshed with each other by the urging force of the tension spring 55, and the rotational torque can be transmitted from the clutch gear 51a to the gear 54 thereafter.

  When the clutch gear 51a makes one revolution, the clutch-side first engagement portion 52c is engaged with the lever-side first engagement portion 56c again as shown in FIGS. 7 to 3, and the clutch member 52 is powered. It will return to the disconnected state.

  As described above, the clutch device 50 includes the engaging means for temporarily stopping the state switching operation of the lever member 56 from the second state to the first state, and therefore the clutch gear 51 a and the tooth portion 52 a of the clutch member 52. Can be prevented from being switched to the first state even if they collide without properly meshing with each other. As a result, the lever member 56 returns to the first state again while the rotational torque is not transmitted from the clutch gear 51a, and as a result, it does not switch to the state where the rotational torque is transmitted from the clutch gear 51a. And without having to strictly control assembly accuracy.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a paper conveyance path of the printer according to the embodiment of the invention. The perspective view of the clutch apparatus which concerns on this invention. The front view of the clutch apparatus which concerns on this invention. The front view of the clutch apparatus which concerns on this invention. The front view of the clutch apparatus which concerns on this invention. The front view of the clutch apparatus which concerns on this invention. The front view of the clutch apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer, 3 Feeding device, 4 Recording means, 5 Conveyance means, 6 Ejection means, 11 Paper cassette, 12 Separation member, 13 Return lever, 16 Pickup roller, 17 Oscillation member, 18 Oscillation shaft, 20 Driven roller , 21 Separating means, 22 Separating roller, 23 Driving roller, 25 First intermediate feeding unit, 26 Driving roller, 27 Assist roller, 29 Driven roller, 31 Second intermediate feeding unit, 32 Driving roller, 33 Assist roller, 35 Conveyance drive Roller, 36 Conveyance driven roller, 37 On paper guide, 39 Before paper guidance, 40 Carriage, 40a Carriage side engaging portion, 41 Carriage guide shaft, 42 Recording head, 44 Ejection drive roller, 45 Ejection driven roller,
50 clutch device, 51 input gear, 51a clutch gear, 52 clutch member, 52a swing shaft, 52b tooth portion, 52c clutch side first engagement portion, 52d clutch side second engagement portion, 53 driven body, 54 gear 55 tension spring, 56 lever member, 56a swing shaft, 56b engaged portion, 56c lever side first engaging portion, 56d lever side second engaging portion,
P Recording paper

Claims (3)

A drive gear driven by a motor;
A power connection state that engages with the drive gear, and a power disconnection state that does not engage the drive gear, having an annular shape with the drive gear on the inside and a tooth portion that meshes with the drive gear on the inside , And a clutch member to which rotational torque is transmitted from the drive gear in the power connection state,
A driven body provided with the clutch member, to which rotational torque is transmitted from the drive gear via the clutch member when the clutch member is in the power connection state;
A clutch member urging means which is provided on the driven body together with the clutch member and urges the clutch member in a direction in which the clutch member takes the power connection state;
A first state in which the clutch member is engaged to switch the clutch member from the power connected state to the power disconnected state, and the power disconnected state is maintained, and a second state in which the clutch member is not engaged. A clutch device comprising a switchable switching member,
Engaging means for temporarily stopping the state switching operation by engaging with the switching member in the middle of the state switching operation from the second state to the first state of the switching member;
A clutch device characterized by that. 2. The clutch device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement means is configured by an engagement portion provided in the clutch member, with which the switching member abuts.
In a state where the switching member is in contact with the engaging portion, the switching member presses the clutch member in a direction in which the clutch member takes the power connection state.
A clutch device characterized by that. A recording head for recording on a recording medium;
A carriage comprising the recording head and movable in the scanning direction of the recording head;
The clutch device according to claim 1 or 2, which performs switching between transmission / non-transmission of motor rotational torque to a roller for feeding a recording medium downstream,
The switching member provided in the clutch device is provided so as to be engageable with the carriage, and the switching member performs a state switching operation through a movement operation of the carriage.
A recording apparatus.

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