JP2013001528A - Sheet support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress abnormal noise generated by the slidable contact of a tray and a support member which slidably supports the tray.SOLUTION: An auxiliary tray has a rail 73 fitted to a guide rib provided on a paper eject tray. From the rail 73, an elastic piece 74 is projected. At the tip of the projection of the elastic piece 74, an abutting part 76 to be in slidable contact with the right side face 74A of the guide rib 74 is provided. On the right face 74A of the guide rib 74, a plurality of projections 90 for intermittently separating the abutting part 76 from the right side face 74A are formed. By intermittently separating the abutting part 76 from the right side face 74A, the slidable contact sound generated when the auxiliary tray is slid is reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet support apparatus including a tray that supports a sheet and a support member that slidably supports the tray.

  Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that conveys a sheet and records an image, and a scanner that conveys a sheet on which an image is recorded and reads the image are known. Such an image recording apparatus and scanner are usually provided with a tray for supporting a sheet before conveyance and a tray for supporting a sheet after conveyance. Some image recording apparatuses and scanners of this type have a tray that can be slid for miniaturization.

  Patent Document 1 describes a paper feed cassette used in an image forming apparatus. The paper feed cassette includes a lower tray, an upper tray (support member) supported by the lower tray, and an expansion tray (tray) supported by the upper tray. The upper tray is provided with a pair of left and right sliding grooves. A pair of left and right rails that fit into the sliding groove is provided on the extension tray. The extension tray is slidably supported by the upper tray in the sliding groove and the rail. The expansion tray is provided with a pair of left and right elastic pieces that can be bent in the left-right direction. The head of this elastic piece is pressed against the rib provided on the upper tray by the elastic force of the elastic piece.

JP 2010-6586 A

  In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the displacement of the expansion tray in the left-right direction is prevented by the head of the elastic piece coming into contact with the rib of the upper tray. However, the sliding contact between the head of the elastic piece and the rib may cause a sliding contact sound.

  It is conceivable to suppress abnormal noise by applying grease to the head or rib of the elastic piece, applying a texture to the head or rib of the elastic piece, or providing a roller instead of the elastic piece. However, when grease is used, there is a risk that the grease may adhere to the sheet, the user's hand, or clothes. In addition, when the wrinkle is provided, the wrinkle is worn by sliding contact with the head of the elastic piece, so that the operational feeling of the expansion tray changes with time. Moreover, if a roller is provided, the number of parts will increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to be able to suppress sound generated by sliding contact between a tray and a support member that slidably supports the tray. Is to provide.

  (1) The present invention relates to a sheet support device including a support member and a tray on which the sheet is placed so as to be slidable in a first direction. One of the support member and the tray has a pair of contact surfaces extending in the first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The other of the support member and the tray includes a pair of contact portions that face and contact the pair of contact surfaces in the second direction, and a pair of contact portions that press the contact portions against the contact surfaces, respectively. And an elastic piece. In the tray slide in the first direction, there is a separation portion that intermittently separates the contact portion and the contact surface by intermittently contacting at least one of the contact surface or the elastic piece. Is provided.

  The contact portion of the elastic piece is pressed against the contact surface by the elastic force of the elastic piece, and prevents the tray from being displaced in the second direction. The contact portion is in sliding contact with the contact surface by sliding the tray in the first direction. When the tray is further slid in the first direction, the separation portion intermittently contacts at least one of the contact surface or the elastic piece, and the contact portion and the contact surface are intermittently separated.

  (2) Each of the pair of contact surfaces is a flat surface, and each of the spaced-apart portions protrudes from the contact surface, and a plurality of protrusions that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction. And the protruding portion elastically deforms the elastic piece in a direction in which the tray slides in the first direction abuts on the elastic piece and separates the abutting portion from the abutting surface. May be.

  In sliding the tray in the first direction, the plurality of protrusions slide in contact with the sliding contact surface provided in the elastic piece in order, and the elastic piece is elastically deformed to intermittently separate the contact portion from the contact surface. Let With the simple configuration of the protruding portion and the sliding contact surface, the contact portion and the contact surface can be intermittently separated.

  (3) The plurality of protrusions may be provided over the entire area of the contact surface where the contact portion faces between the slides of the tray. As a result, the contact portion and the contact surface can be intermittently separated regardless of the position of the tray.

  (4) The support member has a tray shape on which a sheet is placed together with the tray, and the tray is slid in the first direction, whereby the first posture stored in the support member, and the The posture is changed to a second posture exposed from the support member, and the first concave portion into which the contact portion is fitted when the posture of the tray is the first posture, and the tray are disposed on the contact surface. If the posture is the second posture, a second recess into which the contact portion fits may be provided. The tray is positioned in the first direction by fitting the contact portion into the first recess or the second recess.

  (5) Each of the pair of contact surfaces is a curved surface in which unevenness smoothly continues along the first direction, and the separation portion is spaced apart from the contact portion in the first direction. The elastic piece is provided on an elastic piece and elastically deforms the elastic piece in a direction in which the tray slides in the first direction abuts against a convex portion of the abutment surface and separates the abutment portion from the abutment surface. It may be allowed. When the separation portion intermittently slides on the convex portion of the contact surface, the contact portion and the contact surface are intermittently separated. With a simple configuration, the contact portion and the contact surface can be intermittently separated.

  According to the present invention, since the separation portion that intermittently separates the contact portion and the contact surface is provided in the sliding of the tray in the first direction, the sound generated by the sliding contact between the tray and the support member is generated. Can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view of an image recording device 10. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inside of a printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette 16. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the lower surface side of the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70, and FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of the lower surface side of the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70. FIG. (A) is a horizontal sectional view of the guide rib 84, (B) is a horizontal sectional view of the elastic piece 74, and (C) is a guide rib 84 in a state where the contact portion 76 is fitted in the fitting recess 89. 4D is a horizontal sectional view of the elastic piece 76, and FIG. 4D is a horizontal sectional view of the guide rib 84 and the elastic piece 76 in a state in which the contact portion 76 is fitted in the fitting recess 88. FIG. FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the elastic piece 74 and the contact portion 76. (A) is a perspective view of the paper discharge tray 60 in a state in which the auxiliary tray 70 is in the storage posture, and (B) is a perspective view of the paper discharge tray 60 in a state in which the auxiliary tray 70 is in the support posture. (A)-(C) are horizontal sectional views of the guide rib 84 and the elastic piece 74 of Modification 1, and (D)-(F) are horizontal sectional views of the guide rib 84 and the elastic piece 74 of Modification 2. is there.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. In addition, embodiment is only an example of this invention, and it cannot be overemphasized that embodiment can be changed suitably in the range which does not change the summary of this invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to a state where the image recording apparatus 10 is installed so as to be usable (state in FIG. 1). Further, the front-rear direction 8 is defined as the operation unit 13 provided on the front (front) side of the image recording apparatus 10. Further, a left-right direction 9 is defined when the image recording apparatus 10 is viewed from the front side.

[Outline of Image Recording Apparatus 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus 10 includes a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet 15 (FIG. 2), and a scanner unit 12 that captures an image recorded on a document (not shown). , Printing, scanning, copying, etc. can be executed. The scanner unit 12 has an arbitrary configuration. Hereinafter, the description of the scanner unit 12 is omitted.

  The printer unit 11 receives a print instruction from an external device such as a personal computer or the operation unit 13, and records an image on the sheet 15 (FIG. 2). The sheet 15 is recording paper, glossy paper, postcard, and the like, and is held in the paper feed cassette 16. The paper feed cassette 16 is housed in the lower part of the housing 14. The housing 14 has an opening 17 for exposing the paper feed cassette 16 at the lower part of the front surface in the front-rear direction 8. The paper feed cassette 16 is pulled out from the housing 14 through the opening 17 or inserted into the housing 14 through the opening 17.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the housing 14, a feeding unit 20 that feeds the sheet 15 from the sheet feeding cassette 16, a conveyance path 30 that is a space through which the sheet 15 passes, and a pair of rollers that convey the sheet 15 therebetween. 35 and 36 and a recording unit 28 for recording an image on the sheet 15 is provided. Members constituting these are attached to the housing 14 and a frame (not shown) provided in the housing 14.

  The feeding unit 20 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 21 rotatably supported by the frame, an arm 22 having one end rotatably supported by the support shaft 21, and the other end of the arm 22. The feeding roller 23 and a plurality of gears 24 provided on the arm 22 are provided. The arm 22 is rotated about the support shaft 21 to bring the feeding roller 23 into contact with the sheet 15 placed on the sheet feeding cassette 16. The support shaft 21 is rotated by a drive motor (not shown). The rotation of the support shaft 21 is transmitted to the feeding roller 23 by a plurality of gears 24. The feeding roller 23 rotated by the support shaft 21 sends the abutting sheet 15 to the conveyance path 30.

  The conveyance path 30 includes a curved path 31 indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 2 and a straight path 32 indicated by a two-dot chain line. The curved path 31 extends curvedly upward with the rear end of the paper feed cassette 16 in the front-rear direction 8 as a base end. The straight path 32 extends linearly from the end of the curved path 31 toward the front. The conveyance path 30 is a space defined by a plurality of guide members 33 and a platen 34. The platen 34 is disposed on the upper side of the paper feed cassette 16 and defines a part of the lower surface of the straight path 32. A first roller pair 35 is provided on the rear side of the platen 34 in the front-rear direction 8. The first roller pair 35 includes a transport roller 35A that is rotated by a drive motor (not shown), and a driven roller 35B that is disposed below the transport roller 35A. The first roller pair 35 conveys the sheet 15 in the conveyance path 30 with the sheet 15 interposed therebetween.

  The second roller pair 36 is provided on the front side of the platen 34 in the front-rear direction 8. The second roller pair 36 includes a paper discharge roller 36A that is rotated by a drive motor (not shown), and a spur roller 36B that is disposed above the paper discharge roller 36A. The second roller pair 36 conveys the sheet 15 in the conveyance path 30 with the sheet 15 interposed therebetween. The sheet 15 is intermittently conveyed on the platen 34 by the roller pairs 35 and 36, and an image is recorded by the recording unit 28.

  As the recording unit 28, an ink jet recording type that ejects ink droplets is used. The recording unit 28 is mounted on a carriage 29 disposed on the upper side of the platen 34. The carriage 29 is supported so as to be able to reciprocate along the left-right direction 9 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). The recording unit 28 performs image recording by ejecting ink droplets onto the sheet 15 on the platen 34 while reciprocating in the left-right direction 8. The sheet 15 on which the image is recorded is discharged to the paper feed cassette 16 by the second roller pair 36. Hereinafter, the sheet cassette 16 will be described in detail.

[Paper cassette 16]
As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feed cassette 16 includes a main tray 40 and a second tray 50 on which sheets 15 are placed, and a paper discharge tray 60 that receives the sheets 15 after image recording. An auxiliary tray 70 (corresponding to the tray) is slidably provided on the paper discharge tray 60 (corresponding to the support member). The auxiliary tray 70 is used by being pulled forward from the paper discharge tray 60 by the user. The paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 correspond to a sheet holding device.

[Main tray 40]
As shown in FIG. 3, the main tray 40 includes a bottom plate 41, a front plate 42, an inclined plate 43, a left side plate 44, and a right side plate 45. The bottom plate 41 has a rectangular plate-like outer shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet 15 </ b> A is placed on the bottom plate 41. The front plate 42 protrudes upward from the front end of the bottom plate 41 in the front-rear direction 8 and is provided with a gripping portion that is gripped by the user. The inclined plate 43 extends rearward and obliquely upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 41 in the front-rear direction 8, and guides the sheet 15 </ b> A sent backward by the feeding unit 20 to the conveyance path 30. The left side plate 44 (FIG. 3) protrudes upward from the left end portion of the bottom plate 41 in the left-right direction 9. The right side plate 45 protrudes upward from the right end portion of the bottom plate 41 in the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. 3, the left side plate 44 and the right side plate 45 are respectively provided with bearing holes 46 that receive rotation shafts 65 and 66 (FIG. 4) provided in the paper discharge tray 60. The main tray 40 rotatably supports the paper discharge tray 60 through the bearing hole 46. The left side plate 44 and the right side plate 45 are each provided with a guide rail 47 on the inner surface side. The guide rail 47 extends along the front-rear direction 8 and supports the second tray 50 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8.

[Second tray 50]
The second tray 50 has a rectangular plate-like outer shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet 15 </ b> B is placed on the second tray 50. The second tray 50 is located above the bottom plate 41 of the main tray 40 and between the left side plate 44 (FIG. 3) and the right side plate 45 of the main tray 40. Both ends of the second tray 50 in the left-right direction 9 are fitted into guide rails 47 (FIG. 3) provided on the main tray 40. Therefore, the second tray 50 is supported by the main tray 40 by the guide rail 47 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8.

  The second tray 50 is provided such that the length in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length in the front-rear direction 8 of the main tray 40, and is slid on the bottom plate 41 of the main tray 40. When the second tray 50 is slid, the second tray 50 is brought into a sheet feeding posture indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2 and a retracted posture indicated by a solid line in FIG. In the paper feeding posture, the rear end of the second tray 50 in the front-rear direction 8 is close to the inclined plate 43 of the main tray 40. In the retracted posture, the rear end of the second tray 50 is separated from the inclined plate 43 of the main tray 40. When the second tray 50 is in the retracted position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the feeding roller 23 comes into contact with the sheet 15 </ b> A placed on the main tray 40 and feeds the sheet 15 </ b> A backward. When the second tray 50 is in the sheet feeding posture shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, the feeding roller 23 comes into contact with the sheet 15B placed on the second tray 50 and feeds the sheet 15B backward. The user slides the second tray 50 to select one of the sheet 15A and the sheet 15B as the sheet 15 on which an image is recorded.

[Discharge Tray 60]
As shown in FIG. 3, the paper discharge tray 60 includes a support plate 61 that receives the sheet 15. The support plate 61 has a length in the front-rear direction 8 that is substantially the same as the length of the second tray 50 in the front-rear direction 8 and has a rectangular plate-like outer shape that extends along the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. . The support plate 61 is disposed at a position above the second tray 50 in the retracted position. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the left side wall 62, the right side wall 63, and the front wall 64 protrude downward from the lower surface of the support plate 61. The left side wall 62, the right side wall 63, and the front wall 64 support the paper discharge tray 60 on the main tray 40 (FIG. 2). Specifically, the lower end of the left side wall 62 contacts the upper end of the left side plate 44 (FIG. 3) of the main tray 40, the lower end of the right side wall 63 contacts the upper end of the right side plate 45 (FIG. 3) of the main tray 40, The lower end of the front wall 64 contacts the upper end of the front plate 42 (FIG. 3) of the main tray 40, so that the paper discharge tray 60 is supported by the main tray 40.

  The paper discharge tray 60 is rotatably supported on the main tray 40 (FIG. 3) by a pair of left and right rotation shafts 65 and 66 shown in FIG. 4 (B). The pivot shaft 65 protrudes leftward in the left-right direction 9 from the rear end portion in the front-rear direction 8 of the left side wall 62. The rotation shaft 66 protrudes rightward in the left-right direction 9 from the rear end portion in the front-rear direction 8 of the right side wall 63. The rotation shafts 65 and 66 are inserted through bearing holes 46 (FIG. 3) provided in the left side plate 44 and the right side plate 45 of the main tray 40. With this configuration, the paper discharge tray 60 is rotated around the axis of the rotation shafts 65 and 66 with the front portion in the front-rear direction 8 as a rotation tip portion, and is raised from the main tray 40. The user raises the paper discharge tray 60 from the main tray 40 and replenishes the main tray 40 with the sheet 15A.

  4A and 4B, the paper discharge tray 60 includes a support mechanism 80 that supports the auxiliary tray 70 disposed on the lower surface side of the support plate 61 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8. ing. The front wall 64 of the paper discharge tray 60 is divided into a left front wall 64A and a right front wall 64B so that the auxiliary tray 70 can be pulled out of the paper discharge tray 60, and an opening 68 is formed. Through the opening 68, the front surface of the auxiliary tray 70 in the front-rear direction 8 is exposed to the outside.

  The support mechanism 80 includes a pair of left and right grooves 81 and 82 into which a pair of left and right rails 72 and 73 provided on the auxiliary tray 70 are fitted, and a pair of left and right regulating ribs 83A and 83B. The auxiliary tray 70 is brought into contact with the regulating ribs 83A and 83B from the front side in the front-rear direction 8, and the backward sliding of the auxiliary tray 70 is inhibited by the regulating ribs 83A and 83B.

  The grooves 81 and 82 are partitioned by the support plate 61, a pair of left and right guide ribs 84 and 85, and a pair of left and right support ribs 86 and 87. The guide ribs 84 and 85 protrude downward from the lower surface of the support plate 61. The guide rib 84 extends along the front-rear direction 8 from the rear part to the front end of the support plate 61 in the front-rear direction 8 and is connected to the right end part of the left front wall 64A in the left-right direction 9. The guide rib 85 extends along the front-rear direction 8 from the rear part to the front end of the support plate 61 in the front-rear direction 8 and is connected to the left end part of the right front wall 64B in the left-right direction 9. That is, the guide rib 84 and the guide rib 85 are separated in the left-right direction 9. The auxiliary tray 70 is stored in a storage space 67 surrounded by the pair of left and right guide ribs 84 and 85 and the support plate 61.

  The support ribs 86 and 87 define the lower surfaces of the grooves 81 and 82 and support the rails 72 and 73 of the auxiliary tray 70 fitted in the grooves 81 and 82 from below. Specifically, the support rib 86 protrudes from the lower end portion of the guide rib 84 toward the right in the left-right direction 9 and faces the support plate 61 in the up-down direction 7. The support rib 86 is provided at the front portion of the guide rib 84 in the front-rear direction 8 and extends in the front-rear direction 8. On the other hand, the support rib 87 protrudes leftward in the left-right direction 9 from the lower end of the guide rib 85, and faces the support plate 61 in the up-down direction 7. The support rib 87 is provided at the front portion of the guide rib 85 in the front-rear direction 8 and extends in the front-rear direction 8.

  The pair of left and right regulating ribs 83 </ b> A and 83 </ b> B protrude downward from the lower surface of the support plate 61. The regulation ribs 83A and 83B extend along the left-right direction 9, respectively. The left end portion of the restriction rib 83 </ b> A in the left-right direction 9 is connected to the rear end portion of the guide rib 84 in the front-rear direction 8. The right end portion in the left-right direction 9 of the restriction rib 83B is connected to the rear end portion in the front-rear direction 8 of the guide rib 85. The auxiliary tray 70 is brought into contact with the regulation ribs 83A and 83B from the front side in the front-rear direction 8. As a result, the backward sliding of the auxiliary tray 70 such that the rear end of the auxiliary tray 70 in the front-rear direction 8 is located behind the rear ends of the guide ribs 84 and 85 is prevented.

  As shown in FIGS. 4B and 5A, the guide ribs 84 and 85 include a pair of front and rear fitting recesses 88 and 89 for positioning the auxiliary tray 70, respectively. 5A to 5D are views of a horizontal section passing through the guide rib 84 and the contact portion 76 as viewed from the lower surface side. The fitting recesses 88 and 89 of the guide rib 84 are recessed so as to retract from the right side surface 84A (corresponding to the contact surface) of the guide rib 84 in the left-right direction 9. The fitting recesses 88 and 89 of the guide rib 85 are recessed so as to retract from the left side surface 85A (corresponding to the contact surface) of the guide rib 85 in the left-right direction 9. The right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84 and the left side surface 85A of the guide rib 85 are spaced apart in the left-right direction 9 (corresponding to the second direction). A pair of left and right fitting recesses 88 (corresponding to a second recess) is provided above the center portion of the support ribs 86 and 87 in the front-rear direction 8. This is to prevent the rails 72 and 73 of the auxiliary tray 70 from being detached from the grooves 81 and 82. A pair of left and right fitting recesses 89 (corresponding to the first recesses) are provided at the rear ends of the guide ribs 84 and 85 in the front-rear direction 8. This is to make contact portions 76 and 77 (described later) fit in the fitting recess 89 when the rear end of the auxiliary tray 70 in the front-rear direction 8 contacts the restriction ribs 83A and 83B. The auxiliary tray 70 is positioned in the front-rear direction 8 by fitting the contact portions 76 and 77 into the fitting recess 88 or the fitting recess 89. Details will be described later.

  On the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84, a plurality of convex portions 90 projecting in the right direction are provided. The left side surface 85A of the guide rib 85 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 90 protruding leftward. All the convex portions 90 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are arranged so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined length in the front-rear direction 8. The predetermined length is determined by design so that the sliding contact sound between the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 is reduced. Further, the convex portions 90 are arranged almost uniformly in the entire region between the fitting concave portion 88 and the fitting concave portion 89 so that the sliding contact sound can be reduced in the entire range in which the auxiliary tray 70 is slid. . The guide ribs 84 and the guide ribs 85 including the fitting concave portions 88 and 89 and the convex portion 90 are formed in a symmetrical shape in the left-right direction 9. Further, in one convex portion 90, the edge 91 is on the front side of the edge 91 in the front-rear direction 8.

[Auxiliary tray 70]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the auxiliary tray 70 includes a plate-like base 71 that can support the sheet 15 (FIG. 2). A stopper portion 110 is rotatably provided at a front end portion of the base portion 71 in the front-rear direction 8. The stopper portion 110 is rotated by the user from a posture lying on the base 71 (FIG. 7) to a standing posture standing on the base 71. In FIG. 4, the stopper 110 is not shown.

  The base 71 is provided with a pair of left and right rails 72 and 73 that fit into the left and right grooves 81 and 82 of the paper discharge tray 60. The rail 72 is provided at the left end portion of the base 71 in the left-right direction 9 and extends along the front-rear direction 8. The rail 73 is provided at the right end of the base 71 in the left-right direction 9 and extends along the front-rear direction 8. The auxiliary tray 70 is supported by the discharge tray 60 by the grooves 81 and 82 and the rails 72 and 73 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction 8 (corresponding to the first direction). The auxiliary tray 70 is slid to the storage posture (corresponding to the first posture) shown in FIG. 7 (A) and the support posture (corresponding to the second posture) shown in FIG. 7 (B). Become. In the storage posture, the auxiliary tray 70 only has the handle 111 of the stopper 110 exposed to the outside, and most of the auxiliary tray 70 is stored in the storage space 67 (FIG. 4B) of the paper discharge tray 60. . The auxiliary tray 70 protrudes to the front side from the front wall 64 of the paper discharge tray 60 in the support posture, and supports a part of the sheet 15 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the rails 72 and 73 have a pair of left and right elastic pieces 74 and 75 (an example of an elastic piece) and a pair of left and right contact portions 76 and 77 (an example of a contact portion). Is provided. As will be described later, the elastic pieces 74 and 75 and the contact portions 76 and 77 prevent the displacement of the auxiliary tray 70 in the left-right direction 9 and position the auxiliary tray 70 in the storage posture and the support posture. Do.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the rail 72 is provided with a free end-shaped elastic piece 74 that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the rail 72 in the front-rear direction 8. The auxiliary tray 70 is a resin molded product molded from an elastically deformable resin material. Therefore, the elastic piece 74 can be elastically deformed. The elastic piece 74 is provided apart from the base 71 in the left-right direction 9 so that it can bend in the left-right direction 9.

  The elastic piece 74 protrudes leftward in the left-right direction 9 from the protruding front end portion (rear end portion in the front-rear direction 8), and in the left-right direction 9, the right side surface 84 </ b> A (FIG. 5A) of the guide rib 84. Opposing contact portions 76 are provided. As shown in FIG. 5C, the contact portion 76 is fitted in the fitting recess 89 of the guide rib 85 when the auxiliary tray 70 is in the storage position (FIG. 7A). As shown in FIG. 5D, the contact portion 76 is fitted in the fitting recess 88 of the guide rib 84 when the auxiliary tray 70 is in the support posture (FIG. 7B).

  The elastic piece 75 and the contact portion 77 are provided in a shape that is symmetrical with the elastic piece 74 and the contact portion 76 described above in the left-right direction 9. Similar to the contact portion 76, the contact portion 77 is fitted in the fitting recess 89 of the guide rib 85 when the auxiliary tray 70 is in the storage position (FIG. 7A). Further, the contact portion 77 is fitted in the fitting recess 88 of the guide rib 85 when the auxiliary tray 70 is in the support posture (FIG. 7B).

  The distance between the left end of the contact portion 76 and the right end of the contact portion 77 in the left-right direction 9 is longer than the distance between the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84 and the left side surface 85A of the guide rib 85. . Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 6B to 6E, the contact portion 76 contacts the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84, and the contact portion 77 contacts the left side surface 85A (FIG. 4) of the guide rib 85. The elastic pieces 74 and 75 are bent. When the auxiliary tray 70 is positioned between the storage posture and the support posture, the abutting portions 76 and 77 have the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84 and the left side surface of the guide rib 85 by the elastic force of the bent elastic pieces 74 and 75. Each is pressed against 85A.

  As shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, the auxiliary tray 70 is positioned in the front-rear direction 8 by fitting the contact portions 76 and 77 into the fitting recess 88 or the fitting recess 89. Further, when the contact portions 76 and 77 are fitted into the fitting recess 88 or the fitting recess 89, the user receives a touch (click feeling). With this feel, the user can easily recognize that the auxiliary tray 70 is in the storage position or the support position. 6B to 6E, the contact portion 76 contacts the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84, and the contact portion 77 (FIG. 4B) is the left side surface 85A of the guide rib 85. As a result, the auxiliary tray 70 slides along the guide ribs 84 and 85. Therefore, the position shift of the auxiliary tray 70 in the left-right direction 9 is prevented.

  The contact portions 76 and 77 are provided in a shape that is intermittently separated from the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84 and the left side surface 85 </ b> A of the guide rib 85 by the plurality of convex portions 90. Hereinafter, the shape of the contact portion 76 will be described. The contact portion 77 is provided in a shape that is symmetric with respect to the contact portion 76 in the left-right direction 9, and therefore the description of the contact portion 77 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (B), the contact portion 76 has a mountain-shaped outer shape that protrudes rightward from the leading end portion (rear end portion in the front-rear direction 8) of the elastic piece 74, A first sliding contact surface 101, a second sliding contact surface 102, and a third sliding contact surface 103 are provided. The first sliding contact surface 101 is provided at the protruding tip (left end in the left-right direction 9) of the contact portion 76. The first sliding contact surface 101 is provided so as to be in surface contact with the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84. Specifically, the first sliding contact surface 101 is provided so as to be parallel to the right side surface 84A in a state where the elastic piece 74 is bent. Further, the first sliding contact surface 101 is provided so as to be capable of sliding contact with the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84 when the auxiliary tray 90 slides. Specifically, the length L1 of the first sliding contact surface 101 in the front-rear direction 8 is set to be shorter than the separation distance L2 (FIG. 5A) between the two convex portions 90 adjacent in the front-rear direction 8. ing.

  The second slidable contact surface 102 and the third slidable contact surface 103 are in slidable contact with the leading edges 91 and 92 of the protrusion 90 when the auxiliary tray 70 is slid. The second sliding contact surface 102 extends from the front end of the first sliding contact surface 101 in the front-rear direction 8 toward the front diagonally left. Therefore, the second slidable contact surface 102 is inclined with respect to the first slidable contact surface 101, and has a shape in which the front end side is retracted from the right side surface 84A. The third sliding contact surface 103 extends from the rear end of the first sliding contact surface 101 in the front-rear direction 8 toward the rear diagonally left. Accordingly, the third slidable contact surface 103 is inclined with respect to the first slidable contact surface 101, and has a shape in which the rear end side is retracted from the right side surface 84A.

[Operation of Printer Unit 11]
The operation of the printer unit 11 will be described with reference to FIG. When a user inputs a print instruction from the operation unit 13 or an external device, the sheet 15 held in the paper feed cassette 16 is sent out to the transport path 30 by the feed roller 23. The fed sheet 15 is conveyed by the roller pairs 35 and 36 in the curved path 31 and the straight path 32. The sheet 15 is intermittently conveyed on the platen 34, and an image is recorded by the recording unit 28. The sheet 15 on which the image is recorded is discharged from the roller pair 36 and is received by the paper discharge tray 60 or the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the operation of the contact portion 76 and the elastic piece 74 when the auxiliary tray 70 in the storage position is slid to the support position will be described. Note that the abutting portion 77 and the elastic piece 75 perform symmetrical operations with the abutting portion 76 and the elastic piece 74 in the left-right direction 9, and thus description of the operation of the abutting portion 77 and the elastic piece 75 is omitted.

  When the auxiliary tray 70 is in the storage position shown in FIG. 7A, the contact portion 76 is fitted in the fitting recess 89 of the guide rib 84 as shown in FIG. When the auxiliary tray 70 in the storage posture is slid forward by the user in the front-rear direction 8, the second sliding contact surface 102 of the contact portion 76 is fitted into the fitting recess 89 as shown in FIG. The elastic piece 74 bends in contact with the wall. The bent elastic piece 74 brings the contact portion 76 into contact with the distal end surface 93 of the convex portion 90 as shown in FIG. The contact portion 76 is in sliding contact with the tip end surface 93 of the convex portion 90 on the first sliding contact surface 101. When the auxiliary tray 70 is further slid forward, as shown in FIG. 6C, the contact portion 76 is a convex portion on the third sliding contact surface 103 by the elastic force of the bent elastic piece 75. It is pressed against the edge 91 at the tip of the protrusion 90 and is in sliding contact with the edge 91. When the auxiliary tray 70 is further slid forward, the contact portion 76 contacts the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84 on the first sliding contact surface 101, as shown in FIG. . When the auxiliary tray 70 is further slid forward, as shown in FIG. 6E, the contact portion 76 slides on the edge 92 at the leading end of the protrusion 90 on the second sliding contact surface 102. Touch. When the second slidable contact surface 102 is in slidable contact with the edge 92, the first slidable contact surface 101 is separated from the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84 and does not slidably contact the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84. The contact portion 76 is moved forward by the convex portion 90 while being intermittently separated from the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84. The contact portion 76 fits into the fitting recess 88 when the auxiliary tray 70 is pulled out to the position where the support posture shown in FIG.

  When the auxiliary tray 70 in the support posture is returned to the storage posture, the contact portion 76 moves backward while being intermittently separated from the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84 by the convex portion 90 as described above. Then, when the auxiliary tray 70 is in the storage position shown in FIG.

[Effect of this embodiment]
As described above, the contact portions 76 and 77 are intermittently separated from the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84 and the left side surface 85 </ b> A of the guide rib 85 by the plurality of convex portions 90. Therefore, the noise generated by the sliding contact between the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 is reduced as compared with the configuration in which the convex portion 90 is not provided and the contact portions 76 and 77 are continuously in sliding contact with the guide ribs 84 and 85. can do.

  Further, with the simple configuration of the convex portion 90, the contact portions 76 and 77 and the guide ribs 84 and 85 can be intermittently separated.

  In addition, since the convex portion 90 is disposed substantially uniformly in the entire region between the fitting concave portion 88 and the fitting concave portion 89, the contact portions 76 and 77 and the guide rib are located at any position of the tray. 84 and 85 can be separated intermittently. As a result, regardless of the position of the auxiliary tray 70, it is possible to reduce the sound generated by the sliding contact between the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70.

  Further, since the auxiliary tray 70 is stored in the paper discharge tray 60 when not in use, the paper feed cassette 16 becomes compact.

  Further, since the second sliding contact surface 102 and the third sliding contact surface 103 are provided on the contact portions 76 and 77, the auxiliary tray 70 can be slid without the contact portions 76 and 77 being caught on the convex portion 90. Can do.

  Further, since the plurality of convex portions 90 are provided, an appropriate click feeling can be obtained when the auxiliary tray 70 is slid.

[Modification 1]
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the contact portions 76 and 77 and the guide ribs 84 and 85 are intermittently separated by the rectangular parallelepiped convex portion 90 has been described. However, instead of the rectangular parallelepiped convex portion 90, the triangular prism-shaped convex portion 95, the semi-cylindrical convex portion 96, and the trapezoidal convex portion 97 shown in FIG. May be. The contact portions 76 and 77 and the guide ribs 84 and 85 can be intermittently separated by the convex portions 95, 96, and 97 (an example of the protruding portion), and the sliding contact between the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 is possible. It is possible to reduce the sound produced by the above.

  When the convex portions 95, 96, and 97 having the shapes as described above are used, a rectangular parallelepiped contact portion 78 (an example of a contact portion) shown in FIG. Can be used. That is, when the convex portions 95, 96, and 97 having inclined surfaces are used, it is not necessary to provide the second slidable contact surface 102 and the third slidable contact surface 103. Therefore, the rectangular parallelepiped contact portion 78 can be used. . Further, instead of the contact portion 76 having the second sliding contact surface 102 and the third sliding contact surface 103, a semi-cylindrical contact portion 79 (an example of the contact portion) shown in FIG. 8B is used. You can also The convex portions 90, 95, 96, and 97 are in sliding contact with the peripheral surface of the semi-cylindrical contact portion 79.

[Modification 2]
In the present modification, the left side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84 is configured as a curved surface in which unevenness smoothly continues along the front-rear direction 8. On the other hand, instead of the contact portion 76, the contact portion 105 and the separation protrusion 106 (an example of a separation portion) are provided on the elastic piece 74. The contact part 105 is configured in a semi-cylindrical shape. The separation protrusion 106 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the contact portion 105 in the front-rear direction 9. The separation protrusion 106 is disposed on the right side of the elastic piece 74 so that the elastic piece 74 and the guide rib 84 do not contact each other. As shown in FIG. 8E, the contact portion 105 is in sliding contact with the right side surface 84 </ b> A of the guide rib 84. As shown in FIG. 8F, when the separating protrusion 106 contacts the convex portion 84B (corresponding to the convex portion) of the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84, the contact portion 105 is separated from the right side surface 84A. . Therefore, in the slide of the auxiliary tray 70, the contact portion 105 is intermittently separated from the right side surface 84A. Therefore, similarly to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to reduce the sound generated by the sliding contact between the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70.

[Other variations]
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the contact portions 76 and 77 are urged by the elastic pieces 74 and 75 has been described, but a leaf spring (an example of an elastic piece) may be used instead of the elastic pieces 74 and 75. Good.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the support mechanism 80 is provided on the paper discharge tray 60 and the rails 72 and 73, the elastic pieces 74 and 75, and the contact portions 76 and 77 are provided on the auxiliary tray 70 has been described. . However, the support portion 80 may be provided on the auxiliary tray 70, and the rails 72 and 73, the elastic pieces 74 and 75, and the contact portions 76 and 77 may be provided on the paper discharge tray 60.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the plurality of convex portions 90 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-rear direction 8 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The distance between the plurality of convex portions 90 may be set as appropriate.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment and Modification 1, the example in which the convex portions 90, 95, 96, and 97 are provided on the right side surface 84A of the guide rib 84 and the left side surface 85A of the guide rib 85 has been described. However, the convex portions 90, 95, 96, and 97 may be provided at locations other than the guide ribs 84 and 85. For example, the convex portions 90, 95, 96, and 97 are provided at positions above the elastic pieces 74 and 75 on the lower surface of the base portion 61 of the paper discharge tray 60. On the upper surface side of the elastic pieces 74, 75, second contact portions having the same shape as the contact portions 74, 75, 78, 79 are provided. The second contact portion intermittently contacts the convex portions 90, 95, 96, and 97 on the slide of the auxiliary tray 70 to bend the elastic pieces 74 and 75 in the left-right direction 9. Even if this configuration is used, the contact portions 74 and 75 and the guide ribs 84 and 85 can be intermittently separated, and sliding noise can be reduced. In addition, wear of the contact portions 74 and 75 can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 are provided in the paper feed cassette 16 has been described. However, the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 may be provided in the housing 14.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the present invention is used for the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 slidably supported on the paper discharge tray 60 has been described. However, the present invention may be used for the housing 14 and the paper discharge tray 60 that is slidably supported by the housing 14. In this case, the housing 14 corresponds to a support member, and the paper discharge tray 60 corresponds to a tray.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the present invention is used for the paper discharge tray 60 and the auxiliary tray 70 that hold the sheet 15 on which the image is recorded has been described. However, the present invention may be used for a tray that holds the sheet 15 before an image is recorded. For example, the present invention may be used for the main tray 40 and an expansion tray that is slidably supported on the main tray 40. By pulling out the extension tray from the main tray 40, the area on which the sheet 15 can be placed is enlarged, and a larger size (for example, A3 size) sheet 15 can be placed on the sheet feeding cassette 16.

  Further, the present invention may be used for a tray and a housing 14 that hold a manually fed sheet. The tray is slidably held in the housing 14 and is pulled out by the user to place the sheet 15 thereon.

  Further, in the above-described embodiments and modification examples, the example in which the present invention is used for the image recording apparatus 10 has been described. However, the present invention can also be used for a scanner that transports a document on which an image is recorded and captures the image. Specifically, the present invention can be used for a scanner housing and a tray slidably supported by the housing.

8 ... Front-back direction (first direction)
9 ... Left-right direction (second direction)
15 ... sheet 60 ... discharge tray (an example of a support member)
70 ... Auxiliary tray (example of tray)
74 ... elastic piece (an example of an elastic piece)
75 ... elastic piece (an example of an elastic piece)
76... Contact portion (an example of a contact portion)
77... Contact part (an example of a contact part)
78 .. abutting portion (an example of abutting portion)
79... Contact portion (an example of a contact portion)
84... Guide rib 84A .. right side surface (contact surface)
85 ... Guide rib 85A ... Right side (contact surface)
90 ... convex portion (an example of a protruding portion)
95 ... convex portion (an example of a protruding portion)
96 ... convex part (an example of a protrusion part)
97 ... convex portion (an example of a protruding portion)
101 .. First sliding contact surface 102.. Second sliding contact surface 103.. Third sliding contact surface 105 .. Contact portion (an example of a contact portion)
106 .. Separation protrusion (example of separation part)

Claims (5)

A sheet support device comprising: a support member; and a tray that is supported by the support member so as to be slidable in a first direction and on which a sheet is placed,
One of the support member and the tray has a pair of contact surfaces extending in the first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
The other of the support member and the tray includes a pair of contact portions that face and contact the pair of contact surfaces in the second direction, and a pair of contact portions that press the contact portions against the contact surfaces, respectively. An elastic piece, and
In the tray slide in the first direction, there is a separation portion that intermittently separates the contact portion and the contact surface by intermittently contacting at least one of the contact surface or the elastic piece. A sheet supporting apparatus which is provided. Each of the pair of contact surfaces is a plane,
The spacing portions are a plurality of protruding portions that are respectively protruded from the contact surface and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.
2. The protruding portion is configured to elastically deform the elastic piece in a direction in which the protruding portion comes into contact with the elastic piece in sliding the tray in the first direction and separates the contact portion from the contact surface. The sheet | seat support apparatus of description.   The sheet support device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of projecting portions are provided over the entire area of the abutting surface where the abutting portion faces between the slides of the tray. The support member has a tray shape on which a sheet is placed together with the tray.
The tray is slid in the first direction to change its posture to a first posture stored in the support member and a second posture exposed from the support member.
The contact surface includes a first recess into which the contact portion fits when the tray is in the first posture, and a second recess into which the contact portion fits when the tray is in the second posture. The sheet support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a recess is provided. Each of the pair of contact surfaces is a curved surface in which unevenness smoothly continues along the first direction,
The spacing portion is provided on the elastic piece so as to be separated from the contact portion in the first direction, and contacts the convex portion of the contact surface in sliding the tray in the first direction. The seat support device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic piece is elastically deformed in a direction in which the contact portion is separated from the contact surface.

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