JP2013014403A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate noise produced as a result of a sheet rubbing a guide plate when the sheet is conveyed along the guide plate.SOLUTION: A recording apparatus includes: a conveying path 11 having a guide surface 130 formed therein as a first guiding surface and guide surfaces 120 and 140 formed therein as second guide surfaces, the first and second guide surfaces facing each other, and in which a sheet P is conveyed as a recording medium between the guide surface 130 and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 in a conveyance direction D1; a rib 30 provided in the conveying path 11, freely movable in a perpendicular direction D3 in which the guide surface 130 and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 face each other, and extending in the conveyance direction D; a rib moving mechanism for moving the lib 30 in an opposite perpendicular direction D3; and a control part for controlling a position of the rib 30 in the perpendicular direction D3 by using the rib moving mechanism based on information of the thickness of the sheet P.

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

In recording devices such as printers, copiers, and facsimiles, paper is fed from a paper cassette loaded with paper as a recording medium or from a paper support on which paper is placed, and the paper passes through the transport path to the recording unit side. It is conveyed to. Depending on the thickness of the paper, noise may occur when the paper passes through the transport path.
Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, a guide plate which is a conveyance path is provided with a rotatable guide plate, the amount of movement of the guide plate is set according to the thickness of the paper, and noise when the paper collides with the guide plate is detected. An apparatus for mitigating is disclosed.

JP 2002-187640 A

  However, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the paper collides with the guide plate and then the paper is transported along the guide plate, the paper and the guide plate rub against each other to generate noise. There are challenges.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 Conveyance in which a first guide surface and a second guide surface facing each other are formed, and a recording medium is conveyed in the conveyance direction between the first guide surface and the second guide surface A path, a rib provided in the transport path, and the rib are moved in the facing direction so as to be movable in a direction extending in the transport direction and in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface are opposed to each other. And a control unit that controls the position of the rib in the facing direction based on the thickness information of the recording medium using the rib moving mechanism. apparatus.

  According to this application example, the transport path is provided with the rib so as to extend in the transport direction and move in the direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other. Thereby, since the length of the rib in the width direction of the recording medium is short, the contact area between the recording medium and the rib can be reduced. For this reason, when the recording medium is conveyed along the rib, the frictional resistance between the recording medium and the rib is reduced, so that it is possible to suppress the generation of noise due to the friction between the recording medium and the rib. Further, a control unit is provided that controls the position of the rib in the direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other based on the thickness information of the recording medium using the rib moving mechanism. Thereby, the height of the space area through which the recording medium can pass can be changed according to the thickness of the recording medium. For this reason, when the recording medium is transported along the transport path, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the recording medium that occurs in the direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other, and to reduce the noise.

  Application Example 2 The recording apparatus, wherein the conveyance path is curved in the conveyance direction, and the rib is curved along the conveyance path.

  According to this application example, since the recording medium is conveyed along the curved shape of the rib, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the recording medium that occurs in the direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other. .

  Application Example 3 A pair of first transport rollers that transport the recording medium on the upstream side of the transport path in the transport direction, and the recording medium on the downstream side of the transport path in the transport direction. And a pair of second transport rollers for transporting the recording apparatus.

  According to this application example, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the recording medium that occurs when the conveyance speed by the pair of first conveyance rollers is different from the conveyance speed by the pair of second conveyance rollers.

  Application Example 4 The recording apparatus according to Application Example 4, wherein the rib is provided on the first guide surface and the second guide surface.

  According to this application example, the movable amount of the ribs provided on the first guide surface and the second guide surface can be reduced. Thereby, a rib moving mechanism can be reduced in size.

  Application Example 5 In the application example, the rib provided on the first guide surface and the rib provided on the second guide surface do not overlap with each other when viewed from the facing direction. The recording device.

  According to this application example, the distance between the rib provided on the first guide surface and the rib provided on the second guide surface in the direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other. Can be shortened. As a result, the height in the direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other in the space region through which the recording medium can pass can be shortened, so that the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other. The vibration of the recording medium generated in the direction can be suppressed.

Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of an ink jet printer. The perspective view of a guide part. The fragmentary perspective view of a guide part. The perspective view of the part with which the cam was provided. The perspective view which shows the state which has a rib in the position of the vertical direction upper side. The perspective view which shows the state which has a rib in the position of a perpendicular direction lower side. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the recording apparatus. The schematic diagram which shows the part of a conveyance path | route. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a part of a conveyance path in the second embodiment. The figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the rib with which the 1st guide surface was equipped, and the rib with which the 2nd guide surface was equipped. The schematic diagram which shows the part of the conveyance path | route of the inkjet printer in a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer) 1 as a recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. A paper feed cassette 2 loaded with paper P as a recording medium is mounted on the frame 3 of the printer 1.

  The paper feed roller 6 abuts on the top of the paper P and rotates in the direction of the arrow, whereby the paper P is fed in the paper feeding direction D2 toward the separation slope 5. On the separation slope 5, the paper P is separated one by one and conveyed to the separation rollers 7 and 8.

  The separation rollers 7 and 8 completely separate the sheets P that have not been separated by the separation slope 5 one by one and convey them to the conveyance path 11.

  The printer 1 includes a lower guide portion 13 and upper guide portions 12 and 14 located above the lower guide portion 13 in the vertical direction D3. The upper guide unit 14 is located downstream of the upper guide unit 12 in the transport direction D1 of the paper P.

  The conveyance path 11 includes a guide surface 130 as a first guide surface formed in the lower guide portion 13 and a guide surface 120 as a second guide surface formed in the upper guide portion 12 in the vertical direction D3. A space region formed by facing the guide surface 130 and a guide surface 140 as a second guide surface formed on the upper guide portion 14 in the vertical direction D3. Consists of.

  The guide surface 130 has a curved shape that is convex upward in the vertical direction D3. The guide surfaces 120 and 140 have a curved shape that protrudes upward in the vertical direction D3 along the curved surface of the guide surface 130. Therefore, the conveyance path 11 is convex and curved upward in the vertical direction D3.

  On the upstream side of the transport path 11 in the transport direction D1, first transport rollers 9 and 10 are provided. The first transport roller 9 is a driving roller that is rotated by a rotational driving force from a paper feed motor (not shown) provided in the frame 3, and the first transport roller 10 is a first transport roller 9. This is a driven roller that is rotated by a rotational driving force.

  Second transport rollers 15 and 16 are provided downstream of the transport path 11 in the transport direction D1. The second transport roller 15 is a driving roller that is rotated by a rotational driving force from a paper feeding motor that drives the first transport roller 9, and the second transport roller 16 is a rotation of the second transport roller 15. A driven roller that is rotated by a driving force.

  The first transport rollers 9 and 10 and the second transport rollers 15 and 16 transport the paper P along the transport path 11 while rotating with the paper P interposed therebetween.

  A plurality of transport driven rollers 22 are axially supported by the roller holder 18 side by side in the width direction D4 of the paper P, which is the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1, and are rotated by the rotational driving force of the transport drive roller 21.

  The carriage 20 reciprocates along the guide shaft 17 in the width direction D4. The carriage 20 is provided with a recording head 19. The printer 1 records characters and images on the paper P by ejecting ink from the recording head 19 onto the paper P transported in the transport direction D1 while reciprocating the recording head 19 in the width direction D4.

  The paper P on which characters and images are recorded is discharged to the discharge stacker 26 by the discharge driving roller 24 and the discharge driven roller 25 that is rotated by the rotational driving force of the discharge driving roller 24.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower guide portion 13 as viewed from above in the vertical direction D3. The guide surface 130 is provided with a plurality of ribs 30 extending in the transport direction D1 along the width direction D4. The rib 30 has a curved shape that is convex upward in the vertical direction D3 along the curved guide surface 130.

  The lower guide portion 13 is provided with gears 40 to 43. The printer 1 includes a cam driving motor (not shown) in the frame 3 in addition to the paper feeding motor. The rotational driving force from the cam driving motor is transmitted to the gear 40, and the rotational driving force of the gear 40 is sequentially transmitted to the gear 43 by the gears 41 and 42.

  FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the lower guide portion 13 as viewed from the lower side in the vertical direction D3, that is, from the paper feed roller 6 side in FIG. The lower guide 13 is provided with a cam 45 that is directly connected to the rotation shaft 44 of the gear 43. The plurality of ribs 30 arranged in the width direction D4 are connected by a rotation shaft (not shown) that rotates at the position of the rotation fulcrum S1.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion where the cam 45 is provided. The cam 45 abuts on one rib 30 among the plurality of ribs 30. When the gear 43 in FIG. 3 rotates and the cam 45 directly connected to the rotation shaft 44 rotates in the rotation direction D5, the plurality of ribs 30 rotate in the rotation direction D6 with the rotation fulcrum S1 as a fulcrum.

  FIG. 5 is a view of the lower guide portion 13 as viewed from the upper side in the vertical direction D3, that is, the upper guide portions 12 and 14 in FIG. 1, and the rib 30 is located at the upper side in the vertical direction D3, that is, the upper guide portions 12 and 14 side. It is a perspective view which shows a state.

  A plurality of openings 131 penetrating in the vertical direction D3 are formed side by side in the width direction D4 on the downstream side of the guide surface 130 in the transport direction D1.

  Second conveying rollers 15 and 16 are provided at the position of the opening 131. The second transport roller 15 is directly connected to the rotating shaft 51 of the gear 50 that is rotated by the rotational driving force from the transport motor and rotates. The second transport roller 16 is driven to rotate by the second transport roller 15. A first transport roller 9 is provided on the upstream side of the lower guide portion 13 in the transport direction D1.

  In the lower guide portion 13, grooves 132, 133, and 135 extending in the transport direction D1 are formed. Further, the lower guide portion 13 is formed with a recess 134 over the width direction D4. The some rib 30 is connected by the connection part 31 extended in the width direction D4.

  When the cam 45 in FIGS. 3 and 4 rotates in the rotation direction D5, the rib 30 in FIG. 3 rotates in the rotation direction D6 with the rotation fulcrum S1 as a fulcrum, and the rib 30 in FIG. The inside of the recessed part 134 and the groove parts 132, 133, and 135 can be moved in the vertical direction D3. The rib 30 in FIG. 5 is located on the upper side in the vertical direction D3, that is, on the upper guide portions 12 and 14 side in FIG.

  6 is a view of the lower guide portion 13 as viewed from the upper side in the vertical direction D3, that is, the upper guide portions 12 and 14 in FIG. 1, and the rib 30 is located at the lower side in the vertical direction D3, that is, the paper feed roller 6 side. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the position of the rib 30 in the vertical direction D <b> 3 varies depending on the rotational position of the cam 45 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the printer 1. The control unit 600 includes a CPU 604 that reads a control program stored in the ROM 605 into the RAM 602 and executes it.

  The control unit 600 includes a unit control circuit 603. The unit control circuit 603 performs liquid ejection drive control of the recording head 19 that ejects ink. The unit control circuit 603 drives and controls a carriage motor 611 that rotates a timing belt (not shown) for moving the carriage 20 of FIG. 1 in the width direction D4.

  The unit control circuit 603 drives the paper feed motor 612 in FIG. 7 that rotates the paper feed roller 6, the separation rollers 7 and 8, the first transport rollers 9 and 10, and the second transport rollers 15 and 16 in FIG. 1. Control. Further, the unit control circuit 603 drives and controls the transport motor 613 that rotates the transport drive roller 21 and the discharge drive roller 24 of FIG. Further, the unit control circuit 603 drives and controls the cam driving motor 614 shown in FIG. 7 that rotates the cam 45 shown in FIG.

  Upon receiving print data from the computer 1000 via the interface (I / F) 601, the control unit 600 moves the carriage 20 in the width direction D <b> 4 by driving control of the carriage motor 611, and paper by driving control of the conveyance motor 613. P is moved in the transport direction D1 and ink is ejected by liquid ejection drive control of the recording head 19 to form characters and images on the paper P.

  A printer driver is installed in the computer 1000. The user selects and inputs a paper type such as plain paper, glossy paper, matte paper, or the like using an input unit such as a mouse or a keyboard from the user interface screen of the printer driver.

  The CPU 604 in the control unit 600 acquires the type of paper input to the printer driver from the computer 1000. The nonvolatile memory 606 stores in advance sheet type and sheet thickness information corresponding to the sheet type. The CPU 604 reads sheet thickness information corresponding to the sheet type acquired from the computer 1000 from the nonvolatile memory 606.

  The CPU 604 controls driving of the cam driving motor 614 based on the thickness information read from the nonvolatile memory 606, and rotates the cam 45 of FIG. The control unit 600 rotates the cam 45 by the rotation angle corresponding to the thickness information, and sets the position of the rib 30 in FIG. 2 in the vertical direction D3.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the transport path 11 as viewed from the width direction D4 of the printer 1. The control unit 600 in FIG. 7 drives the cam driving motor 614 to rotate the cam 45 in FIG. 3, and the rib 30 provided in the lower guide unit 13 is rotated in the rotational direction D6 with the rotation fulcrum S1 as a fulcrum. Turn to.

  As a result, the distance L1 between the surface on the upper side in the vertical direction D3 of the rib 30 and the guide surface 120 and the distance L2 between the surface on the upper side in the vertical direction D3 of the rib 30 and the guide surface 140 vary. That is, the heights L1 and L2 in the vertical direction D3 in the space region where the paper P can pass vary.

  The control unit 600 adjusts the rotation angle of the cam 45 according to the thickness of the paper P so that the paper P can pass through and the heights L1 and L2 are the spatial regions that suppress the vibration in the vertical direction D3. The cam 45 is rotated by the set rotation angle by using the cam driving motor 614.

  The control unit 600 performs drive control of the cam driving motor 614 so that the heights L1 and L2 in the vertical direction D3 are increased when the thickness of the sheet P is thick. On the other hand, when the thickness of the paper P is thin, the cam drive motor 614 is controlled so that the heights L1 and L2 in the vertical direction D3 are low.

  The rib moving mechanism in the present embodiment includes a rotation shaft of the rib 30 provided at the position of the rotation fulcrum S1, a cam 45, gears 40 to 43, a rotation shaft 44, and a cam driving motor 614.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the conveyance path 11 viewed from the width direction D4 in the printer 90 of the comparative example. The printer 90 of the comparative example does not include the rib 30 described in the present embodiment in the transport path 11. Therefore, even if the thickness of the paper P varies, the distance L3 between the guide surface 130 and the guide surface 120 in the vertical direction D3 and the distance L4 between the guide surface 130 and the guide surface 140 in the vertical direction D3 are constant.

  That is, the heights L3 and L4 in the vertical direction D3 in the space region where the paper P can pass are constant. Therefore, in the printer 90 of the comparative example, when the paper P is transported through the transport path 11, depending on the thickness of the paper P, the paper P vibrates in the vertical direction D3 as shown in FIG. May occur.

  As described above, the printer 1 described in the present embodiment is formed with the guide surface 130 as the first guide surface and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 as the second guide surfaces that face each other in FIG. A conveyance path 11 in which a sheet P as a recording medium is conveyed in the conveyance direction D1 between the surfaces 120 and 140, and a vertical direction D3 that extends in the conveyance direction D1 and the guide surface 130 and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 face each other. The rib 30 provided in the transport path 11 so as to be movable, a rib moving mechanism that moves the rib 30 in the vertical direction D3, and the position of the rib 30 in the vertical direction D3 using the rib moving mechanism, the thickness of the paper P 7 that controls based on information.

  According to this configuration, the rib 30 is provided in the transport path 11 so as to extend in the transport direction D1 and move in the vertical direction D3 where the guide surface 130 and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 face each other. Thereby, since the rib 30 has a short width in the width direction D4 of the paper P, the contact area between the paper P and the rib 30 can be reduced. Therefore, when the paper P is conveyed along the ribs 30, the frictional resistance between the paper P and the ribs 30 can be reduced, so that the generation of noise due to the friction between the paper P and the ribs 30 can be suppressed.

  Further, a control unit 600 is provided that controls the position of the rib 30 in the vertical direction D3 where the guide surface 130 and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 face each other based on the thickness information of the paper P using the rib moving mechanism. Thereby, the heights L1 and L2 (see FIG. 8) of the space area through which the paper P can pass can be changed according to the thickness of the paper P. Therefore, when the paper P is transported along the transport path 11, the vibration of the paper P generated in the vertical direction D3 in which the guide surface 130 and the guide surface 120 and the guide surface 130 and the guide surface 140 face each other is suppressed, and noise is reduced. be able to.

  Further, when the paper P is transported along the ribs 30, the frictional resistance between the paper P and the ribs 30 can be reduced, so that the first transport roller 9 and the second transport roller 15 are driven. The driving rotational force of the paper feeding motor can be reduced, and the increase in size of the apparatus can be suppressed.

  Further, the transport path 11 is curved in the transport direction D <b> 1, and the rib 30 is curved along the transport path 11.

  According to this configuration, since the paper P is conveyed along the curved shape of the rib 30, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the paper P that occurs in the vertical direction D3 where the guide surface 130 and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 face each other. it can.

  Further, the pair of first transport rollers 9 and 10 that transport the paper P sandwiched on the upstream side of the transport path 11 in the transport direction D1 and the paper P that is transported sandwiched on the downstream side of the transport path 11 in the transport direction D1. A pair of second transport rollers 15 and 16.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the paper P that is generated when the conveyance speed by the pair of first conveyance rollers 9 and 10 and the conveyance speed by the pair of second conveyance rollers 15 and 16 are different. .

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the guide surface 130 is provided with the ribs 30, but in the second embodiment, a printer in which the guide surface 120 is further provided with the ribs will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a part of the conveyance path 11 as viewed from the width direction D4 of the printer 1a according to the second embodiment.

  As described in the first embodiment, the guide surface 130 of the lower guide portion 13 of the printer 1a is provided with the rib 30 that extends in the transport direction D1 and rotates in the rotation direction D6 with the rotation fulcrum S1 as a fulcrum.

  A rib 60 extending in the transport direction D1 is provided on the guide surface 120 of the upper guide portion 12 of the printer 1a. The rib 60 is formed in a curved shape along the curved surface of the guide surface 120. The rib 60 is rotated in the rotation direction D7 with the rotation fulcrum S2 as a fulcrum.

  As in the first embodiment, the rib 60 includes a cam (not shown) that contacts the rib 60 and a gear (not shown) for rotating the cam in the upper guide portion 12. The controller 600 controls the drive of the cam driving motor 614, rotates the cam that contacts the rib 60, and the vertical direction D3 of the surface of the rib 30 on the upper side in the vertical direction D3 and the surface of the rib 60 on the lower side of the vertical direction D3. The distance L5 at is changed.

  Other configurations of the printer 1a according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the printer 1 described in the first embodiment.

  According to this configuration, the movable amount for rotating the rib 30 and the movable amount for rotating the rib 60 can be reduced. Thereby, since the cam 45 for rotating the rib 30 and the cam for rotating the rib 60 can be made small, a rib moving mechanism can be reduced in size.

(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment, the arrangement of the rib 30 and the rib 60 described in the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the rib 30 provided on the guide surface 130 that is the first guide surface and the rib 60 provided on the guide surface 120 that is the second guide surface, as viewed from the vertical direction D3. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the positions of the ribs 30 and the ribs 60 viewed from the vertical direction D3 are alternately arranged in the width direction D4, and the ribs 30 and the ribs 60 are positioned from the vertical direction D3. Do not overlap.

  According to this configuration, the distance L5 (see FIG. 9) between the rib 30 and the rib 60 in the vertical direction D3 can be shortened. That is, since the height L5 in the vertical direction D3 of the space region through which the paper P can pass can be shortened, vibration of the paper P that occurs in the vertical direction D3 can be suppressed.

  In the first to third embodiments, the direction in which the guide surface 130 that is the first guide surface and the guide surfaces 120 and 140 that are the second guide surfaces face each other is the vertical direction D3. The direction in which the guide surface and the second guide surface face each other is not limited to the vertical direction D3, and may be, for example, the transport direction D1.

  In the first to third embodiments, the type of the paper is acquired from the computer 1000, and the cam 45 in FIG. 4 is rotated based on the thickness information of the paper P corresponding to the acquired type of the paper P, so that the rib 30 Although the position in the vertical direction D3 is set, a method may be used in which a sensor that detects transmitted light or reflected light is provided and thickness information of the paper P is acquired based on the amount of detected light.

  In the first to third embodiments, the ink jet printer 1 has been described as a recording apparatus. However, the present invention is also applicable to a copying machine, a facsimile, an electrophotographic printer that includes a photoconductor and forms an image with light. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a ... Inkjet printer, 9, 10 ... 1st conveyance roller, 11 ... Conveyance path, 12, 14 ... Upper side guide part, 13 ... Lower side guide part, 15, 16 ... 2nd conveyance roller, 30, 60 ... ribs, 40 to 43 ... gears, 44 ... rotating shaft, 45 ... cam, 120, 130, 140 ... guide surface, 600 ... control unit, D1 ... transport direction, D3 ... vertical direction, P ... paper.

Claims (5)

A conveying path through which a recording medium is conveyed in the conveying direction between the first guiding surface and the second guiding surface, the first guiding surface and the second guiding surface facing each other are formed;
A rib provided in the transport path so as to extend in the transport direction and move in a direction in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface face each other;
A rib moving mechanism for moving the rib in the facing direction;
A recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls the position of the rib in the facing direction using the rib moving mechanism based on thickness information of the recording medium. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The recording apparatus, wherein the conveyance path is curved in the conveyance direction, and the rib is curved along the conveyance path. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
A pair of first transport rollers that transport the recording medium sandwiched upstream of the transport path in the transport direction;
A recording apparatus comprising: a pair of second transport rollers that transport the recording medium with the recording medium sandwiched downstream of the transport path in the transport direction. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rib is provided on the first guide surface and the second guide surface. The recording apparatus according to claim 4,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rib provided on the first guide surface and the rib provided on the second guide surface do not overlap with each other when viewed from the facing direction.

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